cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Melatonin fails to protect against long-term MPTP-induced dopamine depletion in mouse striatum.

Several laboratories recently have reported that melatonin may possess neuroprotective properties. The present paper presents the results of our studies on the long-termin vivo effects of melatonin in a well-defined neurotoxicity model using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in the C57BL/6 mouse. MPTP is bioactivated by brain monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) to its neurotoxic pyridinium metabolite l-methyl-4-phenylpyridi-nium (MPP+) which destroys dopaminergic nerve terminals leading to the depletion of neostriatal dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). Our initial study compared striatal DA and DOPAC levels in MPTP-only-treated animals and animals treated with melatonin 30 min prior to and 3 times hourly post-MPTP. DA/DOPAC levels measured 7 days after MPTP were similar in both groups. A second study was designed to address the possibility that melatonin cleared from the brain prior to MPP+. Animals, that had been administered the same regimen of melatonin as in the first study plus a fourth post-MPTP melatonin dose, were maintained on melatonin in drinking water until 5 days post-MPTP. Striatal DA/DOPAC levels of these melatonin-plus-MPTP treated animals also were the same as the MPTP-only-treated animals.In vitro studies confirmed that melatonin is not an inhibitor of MAO-B. These data demonstrate that melatonin does not have any significant protective effects against the long-term striatal DA and DOPAC depletion induced by MPTP in the C57BL/6 mouse.
Determination of Stresses in Plates with Cracks for the Discrete Contact of their Faces

We present an algorithm for determining the stress state of isotropic cracked plates with regard for the contact of their faces based on the methods of integral equations and quadratic programming. We study the contact stresses near cracks in a strip with asymmetrically located contact zones under different loads. As a result, we determine the influence of contact of the crack faces on the values of the stress intensity factors.
Silibinin down-regulates survivin protein and mRNA expression and causes caspases activation and apoptosis in human bladder transitional-cell papilloma RT4 cells

Bladder cancer is the fourth and eighth most common cancer in men and women in the United States, respectively. Survivin, a member of inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) gene family, is deregulated in a wide range of malignancies, including carcinoma of the bladder urothelium. Recent advances have identified survivin as a novel intervention target to induce apoptosis in cancer cells by phytochemicals or synthetic agents. Silibinin is a naturally occurring flavanone, isolated from milk thistle extract, and has been shown to possess cancer prevention/intervention potential against various cancers. In several animal and human studies, it is found to be safe and non-toxic. Human bladder transitional-cell papilloma RT4 cells were treated with silibinin and analyzed for survivin protein and mRNA levels by Western blotting and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. Silibinin treatment of cells for 24 h at 100 μM dose resulted in ∼50% decrease in survivin protein level; however, treatment at 200 μM dose for 24 and 48 h showed a complete loss in survivin protein without any change in actin used as loading control. Employing RT-PCR analysis we also observed that silibinin causes a strong to complete decrease in survivin mRNA levels. In other studies, down-regulation of survivin by silibinin was associated with a very strong and prominent caspases-9 and -3 activation as well as PARP cleavage. Quantitative apoptotic assay showed that silibinin decreased survivin levels and caspases-PARP cleavages, in accord with a strong apoptotic death and growth inhibition of RT4 cells. Together, these findings suggest that more studies are needed to investigate in vivo effect of silibinin on survivin expression and associated biological effects in bladder cancer that could provide useful information for silibinin efficacy in the prevention/intervention of human bladder cancer.
Centrifuged Liquid Whole Egg 1. Effects of Pasteurization on the Composition and Performance of the Supernatant Fraction

Abstract INTRODUCTION PASTEURIZATION causes some damage to the functional performance of liquid whole egg. Hanson et al. (1947) reported smaller sponge cake volumes from liquid whole egg pasteurized 60.0 to 71.0°C. for 0.1 to 10.6 minutes than from unheated controls. Wilkin and Winter (1947), and Norris (1965) have also observed similar results. In contrast, Miller and Winter (1950) pasteurized whole egg at 60.0 to 63.4°C. for 4 minutes and found that cake volumes differed only slightly from unheated controls. Heller et al. (1962) reported homogenized liquid whole egg pasteurized at 64.4°C. for 2.5 minutes was generally accepted by the baking industry. Kline (1964), utilized pasteurization temperatures of 60.0 to 61.0°C. for 3.5 minutes, reported that sponge cakes were unaffected in texture or volume. Sugihara et al. (1966) reported that quality of sponge cakes was not significantly damaged until temperatures were in excess of 63.4°C. for 3.5 minutes. Post-pasteurization treatments, such as…
Borealis image server

Abstract The Borealis image server is intended to address the need for creating a central place to store large numbers of images. The system itself is composed of widely available resources and could be easily reproduced at other sites at very little expense. A Borealis server can be queried from any Web page or browser and delivers an image which has been watermarked. This watermarking is intended to assert ownership of the image in an obvious but unobtrusive fashion. The server is managed using a database which ensures that picture IDs are unique throughout the server. A variety of output styles are supported, including the image in its full size, a reduced version of an image, and a dynamically generated HTML information page. Images may also be returned in a variety of graphic formats. Future enhancements should include Web page-based administration tools, support for authenticated users to view non-watermarked images, and more advanced file management. Through these and other enhancements, the Borealis Project should fill a critical gap in the effort to make images available on the Web.
Accelerated Online Learning: Perceptions of Interaction and Learning Outcomes among African American Students

This study investigated student interaction, satisfaction, and performance in accelerated online learning environments with the use of an online learning course-management system. The interactions assessed in this study included learner–learner interaction, learner–instructor interaction, and learner–content interaction. The participants were African American students from a university in the southeastern United States. Quantitative approaches including correlation and regression analyses were performed to examine the contribution of interaction predictors to student satisfaction as well as the relationship between student satisfaction and student performance. In addition, Internet self-efficacy and its impact on interaction was investigated. The results showed that learner–content interaction was the only significant predictor of student satisfaction whereas interaction among students or with the instructor did not significantly predict student satisfaction. Internet self-efficacy was positively correlat...
Navigating the Gender Box: Locating Masculinity in the Introduction to Women and Gender Studies Course

This essay reflects our collaboration on integrating the topic of masculinities into the Introduction to Women and Gender Studies course that we helped design as part of our Option in Women and Gender Studies at Raritan Valley Community College in central New Jersey. This essay argues that the integration of masculinity is essential to learning the social construction of gender and applying that lens. We designed the course to position what we call the ‘‘gender box’’ front and center (borrowing from the concepts Jackson Katz describes in his film Tough Guise). We also created a Social Action Assignment to allow students to plan and carry out a specific change in relation to gender. This essay charts our successes and observations in these areas, but it also explores challenges we continue to face, specifically the persistent lack of male students in the Intro course.
Individual cigarette usage Self-reported data as a function of respondent-reported data

The interview method was used to collect data from living respondent-subject pairs regarding cigarette usage of the subject; the nonsmoker subject was explicitly not studied. Several different measures of usage were tested. The mean correlation coefficient between subject-reported data and the corresponding respondent-reported data was 0.86; that is, at least 70% of the variability in subject-reported data can be accounted for from information obtained from an appropriate living respondent closely associated with the subject. Selected regression equations are presented for estimating cigarette usage of a subject from data provided by a respondent.
Transcriptional suppression of estrogen receptor gene expression by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

Abstract TCDD, the most potent congener of the polychlorinated dioxins, has been shown to be an antiestrogen. The mechanisms of TCDD-induced antiestrogenicity are still under investigation. In this study, we investigated the effects of TCDD on the expression of the estrogen receptor (ER) gene. We studied the levels of un-spliced ER transcript (hnRNA) as well as the ER mRNA in ovary, uterus and liver of TCDD-treated mice with different genetic backgrounds. To quantitate the ER hnRNA levels, the intron and exon boundary of ER hnRNA was amplified by competitive RT-PCR. The ER mRNA from these mice was quantitated by competitive RT-PCR amplifying exons separated by an intron. ER hnRNA and ER mRNA levels were quantitated 4 days after a single i.p. dose of TCDD (5 μ g/kg) in female C57BL/6J (B6) mice, which carry the responsive allele to TCDD. TCDD treatment significantly ( p p p
Vectorial discharge of nascent polypeptides attached to chloroplast thylakoid membranes.

Chloroplast thylakoids with attached ribosomes were isolated from Chlamydomonas reinhardti. They were allowed to incorporate labeled amino acids into polypeptides. Labeled membranes were recovered from the reaction mixture, and a portion was treated with puromycin. The amount of labeled polypeptides released to the medium, and to the membranes by puromycin was determined by comparing radioactivity in soluble protein before, and after untreated, and puromycin-treated membranes were solubilized with the detergent Nonidet P-40. About 20% of the radioactive protein associated with the membranes was in nascent chains which were terminated by puromycin. Essentially all of terminated nascent chains remained with the membranes, and thus, were vectorially released. The results support the hypothesis that polypeptides which are synthesized by thylakoid-bound ribosomes are being incorporated into the membranes as they are synthesized.
Thermal Chemistry of C4 Hydrocarbons on Pt(111): Mechanism for Double-Bond Isomerization

The thermal chemistry of a number of C4 hydrocarbons (1,3-butadiene, 1-bromo-3-butene, 1-bromo-2-butene, trans-2-butene, cis-2-butene, 1-butene, 2-iodobutane, 1-iodobutane, and butane) was investigated on clean and hydrogen- and deuterium-predosed Pt(111) single-crystal surfaces by temperature-programmed desorption and reflection−absorption infrared spectroscopy. A combination of rapid β-hydride eliminations from alkyls to olefins and the reverse insertions of those olefins into metal−hydrogen bonds explains the hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, and H−D exchange products that desorb from the surface. A preference for hydrogenation at the end carbons and dehydrogenation from the inner carbons also explains the extent of the isotope exchange and the preferential isomerization of 1-butene to 2-butene observed on this Pt(111) surface. The reactions of more dehydrogenated C4 species is also discussed.
Entropy production due to scattering of thermal radiation beams

Thermodynamic entropy production and the increase of the number of degrees of freedom are studied, for a beam of thermal radiation, after scattering from a perfectly reflecting rough surface of the gaussian type.
Mother, Melancholia, and Art in Erik H. Erikson’s Toys and Reasons

In three earlier articles (2007a, 2007b, 2007c), I focused on the theme of the relationship of melancholia and the mother, and suggested that the melancholic self may experience humor, play, and dreams as restorative resources. In this article, I want to make a similar case, based on Erik H. Erikson’s Toys and Reasons (1977), for art (in this particular case, a painting of the Annunciation). I have made a similar case for the restorative role of art in articles on Leonard da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (Capps, Pastoral Psychology, 53, 107–137, 2004) and James McNeill Whistler’s painting of his mother (Capps, Pastoral Psychology, 2007d). In the present article, however, I focus on the special biographical circumstances in Erikson’s own development of a melancholy self and the painting he discusses in Toys and Reasons, thereby suggesting that individuals may find a particular work of art especially relevant to their own experience of melancholy. I conclude with Erikson’s testimonial at the memorial service of a colleague and friend who translated her own melancholy into her service to others.
Adaptive algorithm for generating optimal bases for digital images

We propose an adaptive basis algorithm which transforms the Karhunen-Loeve (KL) procedure (which optimizes the mean- square-error) to a new method which minimizes the maximum error of the projected data. This idea is extended and applied to a noisy KL procedure. It is seen that significant dimensionality reduction may be obtained via this adaptive procedure. Four numerical experiments are presented using a data set consisting of digital images of human faces.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition in the threeridge mussel (Amblema plicata) by chlorpyrifos: implications for biomonitoring.

The effects of chlorpyrifos, an organophosphorus insecticide, were examined on the activity of the nervous system enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the threeridge mussel Amblema plicata in a 24-day laboratory test. Thirty-six mussels in each of seven treatments (18 mussels per duplicate) were exposed to chlorpyrifos (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 mg/L), a solvent (acetone), and a solvent-free (well water) control for 12, 24, or 96 h. The activity of AChE was measured in the anterior adductor muscle of eight mussels from each treatment after exposure. To assess potential latent effects, six mussels from each treatment were removed after 24 h of exposure and transferred to untreated water for a 21-day holding period; AChE activity was measured on three mussels from each treatment at 7 and 21 days of the holding period. The activity of AChE in chlorpyrifos-exposed mussels did not differ from controls after 12 or 24 h of exposure (t- test, P>0.05), but was significantly less than controls after 96 h (t- test, P=0.01). AChE activity did not vary among mussels at 24 h of exposure (i.e., Day 0 of holding period) and those at Day 7 and Day 21 of the holding period. Overall changes in AChE activity of mussels during the test were unrelated to individual chlorpyrifos concentrations and exposure times (repeated measure ANOVA; (P=0.06). A power analysis revealed that the sample size must be increased from 2 to 5 replicates (8 to 20 mussels per time interval and test concentration) to increase the probability of detecting significant differences in AChE activity. This calculated increase in sample size has potential implications for future biomonitoring studies with chlorpyrifos and unionid mussels.
The process in which nucleotide is buried into the active site of heavy meromyosin

The process in which nucleotide is buried into the active site of heavy meromyosin was studied with stopped-flow apparatus by monitoring the time-course of the large fluorescence increase of 1,N6-ethenoadenosine triphosphate (e-ATP) when it binds from acrylamide-containing solutions. We have recently reported that free e-ATP fluorescence is effectively quenched by acrylamide while bound e-ATP is resistent to quenching by acrylamide. In the present study it was found that in the first step the phosphate moiety binds at a high rate, while the adenine moiety is still on the rim of the active site; the adenine moiety is then pulled into a crevice, and finally e-ATP hydrolysis occurs.
A new carmine staining technique for fungal nuclei.

During cytological] studies of Colletotrichum /alcatum WENT (SINGt~ & C~IONA i, and SINGH & PAYAK ~), a procedure was developed for staining nuclei in conidia, germ tubes and hyphae with carmine. It was also tried successfully with a few other fungi including Colletotrichum capsici and Cronartium ribicola and it succeeds better in spores or hyphae where the cytoplasm has an unusual affinity for carmine. The technique includes the use of a hydrolysis and mordanting treatment, along with a modification of Carnoy's fixative. To prepare the stain, boil 0.5 g of carmine powder (Merck) in 100 ml of 40 % propionic acid to dissolve the stain and filter the solution on cooling. Add 3--5 drops of a saturated solution of ferric chloride. Avoid the excessive use of iron because it shifts the equilibrium from ferric to the more soluble ferrous state, when only the ferric ions are known for a mordanting role. The ferrous ions on the other hand tend to precipitate in the smear. Spread a drop of thick conidial * or hyphal suspension on a glass slide coated with Mayer's adhesive 3, dry for a few minutes at room temperature and fix in NewComer's 4 or modified Carnoy's solution ** for 24 hours. Hydrolyze in 0.17 M solution of NaC1 for 20 minutes at room temperature, wash in water and mordant in 2 % lithium carbonate for 4 hours. Add a drop of the stain and apply a coverglass. Warm tile slide for a few seconds, blot off the superfluous stain and examine. Heating imparts better stain to the
ZAP-70-dependent and -independent Activation of Erk in Jurkat T Cells DIFFERENCES IN SIGNALING INDUCED BY H2O2 AND CD3 CROSS-LINKING

Oxidative stress in T cells induces signaling events similar to those initiated by T cell antigen receptor engagement, including tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the critical protein-tyrosine kinase ZAP-70. Distal signaling events such as the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and downstream transcription factors are also initiated by oxidative stimuli. In this study P116, a ZAP-70-negative Jurkat T cell line, was used to investigate the role of ZAP-70 in mediating activation of Erk in response to H2O2. Consistent with the hypothesis that ZAP-70 is required for activation of Erk in response to an oxidative stimulus, Erk1 and Erk2 could be rapidly activated in Jurkat cells but not in P116 cells upon addition of H2O2. P116 cells became competent for H2O2-induced Erk activation upon stable transfection with wild-type ZAP-70. An in vivo ZAP-70 substrate, SLP-76, implicated in Erk activation, also became rapidly tyrosine-phosphorylated in Jurkat cells, but not in P116 cells, upon treatment with H2O2. Surprisingly, although ZAP-70 was required for H2O2-mediated Erk activation, Erk activation in response to T cell antigen receptor engagement did not require ZAP-70. In addition to demonstrating a requirement for ZAP-70 in H2O2-stimulated Erk activation, these results provide the first evidence for the existence of a ZAP-70-independent pathway for Erk activation in T cells.
Continuous culture system for production of biopolymer levan using erwinia herbicola.

The optimal production of the fructan biopolymer levan by the bacterium Erwinia herbicola was investigated, including variations in nitrogen, carbon and phosphorous sources, pH, incubation time, culture yields up to 19% by weight produced based on conversion of sucrose as the carbon source when grown in a continuous culture system and processed by tangential flow filtration. Product identity was confirmed with gas chromatography (GC) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and low-angle laser light scattering (LALLS) determination of the molecular weight of the product showed a significant difference in molecular weight values dependent on the method of analysis. Analysis by GPC resulted in molecular weight one order of magnitude lower than LALLS independent of sample, underscoring the unusual nature of this biopolymer.
A micromechanical model for non-linear viscoelastic behavior of particle-reinforced rubber with distributed damage

Abstract A model based on micromechanics for predicting effective viscoelastic stress-strain equations and microcrack growth in particle-reinforced rubber (or other relatively soft viscoelastic matrix) is described. Geometric idealization of the microstructure follows that of the composite spheres assemblage and generalized self-consistent scheme originally used for linear elastic composites without damage. The approach combines a perturbation analysis of the matrix, which becomes more accurate as the particle volume fraction is increased, with the Rayleigh-Ritz energy method for predicting mechanical response of the composite. Results for linear elastic behavior with crack growth are first obtained, and then extensions to linear and non-linear viscoelastic behavior are discussed. It is shown that the elasticity theory may be easily extended to predict mechanical response of a viscoelastic composite, and that an approximate equation governing microcrack growth is analogous to one for an aging elastic material. Finally, a limited assessment of the theory is made through comparison with some existing theoretical effective modulus results and experimental data on a particle-filled rubber.
Yoga and the battlefield of ethics: highlighting an infusion model for ethics education.

This paper articulates an infusion model of ethics education for engineering students by illuminating the value of a religious studies course on yoga. This model is distinguished from four other possible approaches that have traditionally been used to prepare engineering students to face the challenges of the work place. The article is not claiming that this approach should be used to the exclusion of the other approaches, but rather that it adds strength to the other approaches. Specifically, the article claims that the infusion model provides an opportunity for students to reflect upon the foundational ethical positions emanating from the world’s religions and thereby provides them with a vista from which they can not only ask what professional ethical code applies in a given situation, but also ponder the nature of character needed to follow that ethical code.
Time Variations of Geomagnetic H and D at Disturbed Stations

THE cylindrical co-ordinate system, defined by the components H, D and Z, used to describe the geomagnetic field brings some noteworthy consequences when going from the field to its time gradients. Although of a quite elementary geometrical nature these effects are sometimes overlooked in magnetic cartography and research work.
Variations in value orientations and fertility behavior.

A test of a hypothesis regarding attitudes toward nature time familial relations activity and sex was undertaken. The hypothesis was: wives who have a modern orientation to any 1 of these items will expect a smaller number of children will have smaller proportion of unplanned births and will have lower fertility than wives who have traditional orientation. Data on which the study was based were obtained from a project on family formation and values conducted in Lexington Kentucky during the spring of 1968. Of the 403 eligible respondents (resident white nonfarm females who had a legitimate live birth in Fayette County Kentucky during the period January 1 1967 to December 31 1967 275 were interviewed. Results indicated 3 patterns: 1) sex orientation is not related to fertility expectations or at best is weakly associated; 2) the sex orientation scale does not discriminate birth control effectiveness as predicted; and 3) sex orientation is associated with actual fertility but in the opposite direction from that hypothesized. Women who have a modern orientation to sex have larger families than women with a traditional orientation even though the former are more effective family planners. Results indicated that time orientation is not directly related to fertility behavior while the activity orientation is related to fertility behavior but in the opposite direction from that hypothesized. The nature and relational orientations provided some support for the hypothesized relation between modern orientations and low fertility behavior.
The new intersection theorem and descent of flatness for integral extensions

Abstract The new intersection theorem is used to derive a criteria for flat descent in the setting of integral ring extensions. Applications, such as “purity of branch locus” for extensions of normal domains, are noted.
Relationship between pair and higher-order correlations in solid solutions and other Ising systems

Atomic structure is perhaps the information most critical to the understanding of materials behaviour, hence the great importance of x-rays and neutrons as probes. Although scattering is sensitive to pair and higher-order correlations, in most applications only the pair correlation is recovered. However, pair correlation is inadequate for a complete description of homogeneous systems in thermodynamic equilibrium; all correlations are required. It is often assumed that the pair correlations extracted from scattering experiments either uniquely determine or greatly restrict higher-order correlations. Here we argue on the basis of simulations and classical density functional theory that when the Hamiltonian is of pair-potential form the pair correlations do uniquely determine all higher-order correlations. However, we also demonstrate by simulation and prove algebraically that for specific many-body Hamiltonians additional information beyond pair correlations is needed to determine higher-order correlations. The derivations are underpinned by the close connection between fluctuations, applied fields, and correlations and identify approaches that hold promise for extracting higher-order correlations.
Texas Bluegrass Responses to Seeding Rate and Fertilization

ABSTRACT Texas bluegrass has potential as a cool-season perennial pasture grass for the south-central USA. Slow stand establishment in competitive environments is a limitation. Forage production of this grass increases with nitrogen (N), and rhizome growth increases with phosphorus (P). Stand responses by Texas bluegrass from three seed sources to seeding rate and a complete mixed fertilizer were assessed from 1997 through 2005 on a Louisiana Coastal Plain site. A linear response (R2 = 0.39, P ≤ 0.0001) to seeding rate in March 1998 persisted through 2005, even though stands at all seeding rates improved over time. Stands did not differ (P > 0.05) among seed sources. At only the higher seeding rates, rhizome mass increased with fertilization. Soil pH decreased with fertilization, and pH was positively correlated with the final stand rating in 2005. Direct stand responses to fertilization were not detected. Lack of competitive advantage, despite growth responses, and soil acidification with fertilization i...
Listening to learn: “Inactive” publics of the arts as exemplar

Abstract This exploratory study offers a research methodology by which organizations can more effectively listen to their publics. Using a dialogic interface, the methodology allows informants to relate how their intersections with organizations make sense to them on their own terms.
System Reliability as a Function of System Age; Effects of Intermittent Component Usage and Periodic Maintenance

This paper is concerned with the analysis of the reliability of complex systems in which components are used intermittently and which are maintained in operating condition by component replacement. The idea that a failed component causes system failure only when it is called into use is expressed mathematically. Based on component failure distributions and usage properties, the system reliability and expected time to system failure are derived as functions of system age for two different maintenance policies. With both policies, a component is replaced whenever it causes system failure. In the first, this is the only maintenance, while in the second, system check-outs are conducted at fixed intervals and all components which have failed without causing system failure are replaced. The two policies are compared and, for the second, the dependence of system reliability on the maintenance interval is determined.
Consumer and Producer Responses to Nutrition Label Changes

The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA), which amends the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (hereafter the NLEA is referred to as the 1990 Amendments), mandates the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to promulgate changes in nutrition labeling regulations. The 1990 Amendments expand the coverage of mandatory nutrition labeling to virtually all FDA-regulated foods and require food manufacturers to include nutrients on the nutri-
Characterization of glycinergic synapses in vertebrate retinas

Glycine is one of the essential neurotransmitters modulating visual signals in retina. Glycine activates Cl(-) permeable receptors that conduct either inhibitory or excitatory actions, depending on the Cl(-) electrical-chemical gradient (E (Cl)) positive or negative to the resting potential in the cells. Interestingly, both glycine-induced inhibitory and excitatory responses are present in adult retinas, and the effects are confined in the inner and outer retinal neurons. Glycine inhibits glutamate synapses in the inner plexiform layer (IPL), resulting in shaping light responses in ganglion cells. In contrast, glycine excites horizontal cells and On-bipolar dendrites in the outer plexiform layer (OPL). The function of glycinergic synapse in the outer retina represents the effect of network feedback from a group of centrifugal neurons, glycinergic interplexiform cells. Moreover, immunocytochemical studies identify glycine receptor subunits (alpha1, alpha2, alpha3 and beta) in retinas, forming picrotoxin-sensitive alpha-homomeric and picrotoxin-insensitive alpha/beta-heteromeric receptors. Glycine receptors are modulated by intracellular Ca(2+) and protein kinas C and A pathways. Extracellular Zn(2+) regulates glycine receptors in a concentration-dependent manner, nanomolar Zn(2+) enhancing glycine responses, and micromolar Zn(2+) suppressing glycine responses in retinal neurons. These studies describe the function and mechanism of glycinergic synapses in retinas.
1H CRAMPS n.m.r. study of the molecular-macromolecular structure of coal

Abstract A 1 H CRAMPS n.m.r. investigation has been carried out on a subbituminous coal and on the coal saturated with deuterated pyridine. The presence of pyridine significantly improved the resolution of the CRAMPS spectra. The intensity decay in a dipolar-dephasing CRAMPS experiment on the original coal consists of two components, corresponding to Gaussian and Lorentzian line shapes. The intensity decay in the same type of experiment on the coal saturated with pyridine consists of a mixture of Gaussian, intermediate-decay Lorentzian and slow-decay Lorentzian components. Different resonance frequencies correspond to different contributions from the different types of decay. However, only methyl groups contain a slow-decay Lorentzian component that indicates a high degree of rotational mobility. Thus, a correlation between highly mobile species and a molecular component cannot be made directly for this coal on the basis of these data.
Quasicritical behavior of dense-gas solventsolute clusters at near-infinite dilution

We Compare molecular dynamics and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic experiments on very dilute solutions of nitroxide free radicals in nearcritical and supercritical ethane. The measurement of the effective local density of solvent in the cybotactic region of the probe solute shows that maxima in local density enhancements occur in both computer and spectroscopic experiments at about half of the critical density, well removed from the maximum in the solvent's isothermal compressibility. Remarkably, at the bulk density where the maximum enhancement occurs, we observed long-lived clusters in the vicinity of the solute molecule. Geometrically defined clusters persist for at least 100 picoseconds of simulated time. The persistence of these clusters is corroborated by the behavior of the solute diffusion coefficient, which shows fluctuating values over simulated time periods as long as 1.3 nanoseconds. We argue that fluctuations in the local solvent density about a solute molecule are not a long-ranged solvent critical effect. Rather, they represent a localized, short-ranged quasicritical phenomenon induced by the solute, which may be described in terms of a transition between weakly attractive and attractive behavior. We discuss the implications of time-varying microstructure for reactions in supercritical fluid media.
African‐American health resources on the World Wide Web

General health, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, AIDS, and immunization are the greatest health issues affecting the African‐American community. Increasingly, there is a need to gather and disseminate information through a variety of outlets. This selection of health‐related resources provides access to information that is currently available on the Internet. The audience includes the layperson, educator, or health‐care professional who desires to gain more knowledge about health issues or seeks to share information with others on health issues. The materials chosen for inclusion were selected from the Web, using a variety of search engines and tools. The Web sites included were chosen based on their relevancy to health issues affecting African‐Americans and range of information available to meet the needs of various populations.
Tethered Particle Motion for Undergraduates

We have developed a simplified method for observing and measuring the Brownian motion of microbeads tethered to surfaces by individual DNAs. The method is suitable for integration into upper division undergraduate physics or biology labs. Modified Lambda DNAs are attached to functionalized glass coverslips and tethered to commercially available microbeads. The instrumentation is inexpensive and simple: capillary action is used to load samples into a simple flow cell and data is collected using a webcam mounted on an upright microscope. Video data can be tracked manually using freely available software and analyzed in a number of ways. Sample lab protocols and material lists will be made available.
CAT(0) HNN-extensions with non-locally connected boundary

Abstract The main result of this paper shows that when a certain type of HNN-extension acts geometrically on a CAT(0) space, the boundary of the space is not locally connected. The motivating example is an HNN-extension that arises from studying parabolic semidirect products of F 2 and Z . We show all such semidirect products act on the CAT(0) space constructed here. We explicitly identify a point of non-local connectivity in the boundary of this space as a guide to reading the proof of the main theorem.
Influence of private practice setting and physician characteristics on the use of breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy for elderly women.

BACKGROUND: Although >70% of younger women with nonmetastatic breast cancer (BC) received adjuvant chemotherapy, only approximately 15% to 20% of elderly women with BC received chemotherapy. The decision to treat may be associated with nonmedical factors, such as patient, physician, or practice characteristics. In the current study, the association between oncologist characteristics and the receipt of chemotherapy in elderly women with BC was evaluated. METHODS: Women aged >65 years who were diagnosed with American Joint Committee on Cancer stages I to III BC between 1991 and 2002 were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database. The Physician Unique Identification Number was linked to the American Medical Association Masterfile to obtain information on oncologists. Investigated was the association between demographic, tumor, and oncologist-related factors and the receipt of chemotherapy, using Generalized Estimating Equations to control for clustering. Patients were defined as low risk (estrogen/progesterone receptor positive, stage I/II disease) and high risk (estrogen/progesterone receptor-negative, stage II/III disease). RESULTS: Of 42,544 women identified, 8714 (20%) were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. In a hierarchical analysis, women who underwent chemotherapy were more likely be treated by oncologists primarily employed in a private practice (odds ratio [OR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.23-1.59) and who graduated after 1975 (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.01-1.26) and were less likely to have an oncologist trained in the United States (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74-0.93). The association between a private practice setting and the receipt of chemotherapy was found to be similar for patients at high risk (OR, 1.55) and low risk (OR, 1.35) for cancer recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly women with BC treated by oncologists who were employed in a private practice were more likely to receive chemotherapy. Efforts to determine whether these associations reflected experience, practice setting, insurance type, or other economic incentives are warranted. Cancer 2009. Published 2009 by the American Cancer Society.
Schwannoma of penis.

Schwannomas may occur anywhere in the body, but their occurrence in the penis is rare and unusual. These tumors are important to urologists because findings mimic other urologic disease. Treatment is surgical removal; they are rarely multifocal and seldom metastasize. A patient with schwannomas of the penis is described.
‘A swing of the pendulum, maybe’: Ojibwe self-representation, settler intolerance, and the collaborative state

This article considers the cultural politics of settlement in the contemporary USA through an analysis of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's efforts to couple struggles for treaty rights with projects...
Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing, edited by Candy Gunther Brown, Oxford University Press: New York, 2011, viii + 397 pp. ISBN 978 0 195 39341 5, US$99.00 (hardback), ISBN 978 0 195 39340 8, US$29.95 (paperback)

Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing, edited by Candy Gunther Brown, Oxford University Press: New York, 2011, viii + 397 pp. ISBN 978 0 195 39341 5, US$99.00 (hardback), ISBN 978 0 195 39340 ...
The Role of Zinc in Miillerian Duct Regression

Chelating agents and cations affect Mullerian duct regression in vitro. EDTA (0.5 mM) when added to the 14½-day-old rat embryo Mullerian duct imitated the action of Mullerian inhibiting substance, the specific glycoprotein produced by the fetal testis. The calcium-specific chelator EGTA had no effect on the Mullerian duct. The in vitro regression of the Mullerian duct produced by EDTA was inhibited by Zn2+, Fe2+ and Fe3+. The effect of partially purified Mullerian inhibiting substance was inhibited specifically by Zn2+, whereas other transition or alkaline earth metals had no effect. These results suggest that Zn2+ is an essential link in the cascade of events leading to Mullerian duct regression after Mullerian inhibiting substance triggers this complex developmental process.
Viewers' Perceptions of Reality Programs

This article describes a series of focus group interviews of young adults about reality programs. The interviews were conducted to investigate audiences' understandings of the nature, realism, and gratifications of the programming category. A central element defining reality programs was the perception that the behavior of the cast members was a reflection of their own will and personality and that their actions had consequences in terms of the outcome of the show. These factors also contributed to perceptions of the shows' realism. Participants reported enjoying the programs because of their humor and their unpredictability, which seemed to contribute to the creation of suspense and to greater involvement. Implications for further research are discussed.
Serum ribonucleases in cancer: relation to tumor histology.

Serum alkaline ribonuclease (SRNase) levels were determined in 49 normal adults and 94 patients with clinically operable malignancies. The mean SRNase levels were higher in 22 patients with adenocarcinomas (P < .003) and 28 patients with squamous carcinomas (P < .01) than in controls. These levels were also similar in patients with primary tumors only and those with metastases. The RNase levels of 21 patients with sarcomas and 23 patients with melanomas, however, did not differ from controls. The increased SRNase levels that occur early in the clinical evolution of adenocarcinomas and squamous carcinomas indicate that this change may have biological significance in the development of these malignancies. The correlation of increased SRNase levels with tumor histology may explain previous conflicting reports concerning abnormal levels of the enzyme in cancer patients.
Transcriptional Regulation of the Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Gene by the Orphan Nuclear Hormone Receptor Apolipoprotein AI Regulatory Protein-1

Abstract We have defined a 105-base pair tissue-restricted promoter for the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene that contains a nuclear hormone receptor response element essential for transcriptional activity. DNaseI protection and electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed specific binding of nuclear extracts from HepG2 (hepatic) and Caco-2 (intestinal) cells (expressing cell types) to 3 sites (designated A (−26 to −57), B (−59 to −87), and C (−93 to −118)) within the 105-base pair minimal promoter element between −138 and −33. Mutagenesis studies indicated that the function of the promoter was dependent upon synergistic interactions between transcription factors bound to these sites. Mutation of site C reduced transcription by 50 and 80%, respectively, in HepG2 and Caco-2 cells, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that nuclear hormone receptors, including ARP-1 and its homologue Ear-3/COUP-TF, were occupants of site C in both of these cell types. Overexpression of ARP-1 or Ear-3/COUP-TF with CETP promoter/chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene reporter plasmids repressed transcriptional activity of the CETP promoter containing sequences up to −300, but activated transcription in the context of larger constructs containing sequences up to −636. Thus ARP-1 may assume a dichotomous role as both a transcriptional repressor and a transcriptional activator dependent on the promoter context. In addition, the architecture of the CETP gene promoter suggests that its expression is under the control of multiple transcriptional signaling pathways mediated by inducible transcription factors as well as nuclear hormone receptors.
TWO CLASSES OF PROTEINS DEPENDENT ON EITHER THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF THYROID HORMONE FOR INTERACTION WITH THE THYROID HORMONE RECEPTOR

The thyroid hormone (T3) receptors (TRs) are hormone-dependent transcription factors that regulate expression of a variety of specific target genes. To help elucidate the mechanisms that underlie this transcriptional regulation and other potential TR activities, we used the yeast interaction trap to isolate clones encoding proteins that specifically interact with the ligand binding domain of the rat TR beta. Several such proteins, called Trips (TR-interacting proteins), were isolated from independent selections carried out either in the presence or absence of T3. Surprisingly, all of the Trips were dependent on hormone for interaction with the TR, with some interacting only when T3 is present and others only when it is absent. Nearly all of the Trips also show similar ligand-dependent interaction with the retinoid X receptor (RXR), but none interact with the glucocorticoid receptor under any conditions. The sequences of three of the Trips predict specific functional roles: one is an apparent human homolog of a yeast transcriptional coactivator, one is a new member of a class of nonhistone chromosomal proteins, and one contains a conserved domain associated with ubiquitination of specific target proteins. Consistent with the pleiotropic effects of TR and RXR, several other Trips show significant amino acid sequence similarity with proteins involved in various regulatory pathways. The inherent transcriptional activity of the Trips was tested in yeast, and a chimeric protein consisting of a fusion of Trip4 to the bacterial LexA repressor protein is a relatively strong transcriptional activator. Similar LexA fusions to Trip9 and Trip10 had no transcriptional activity on their own but, when coexpressed with both TR and RXR, conferred T3-dependent activation to a reporter gene controlled by LexA binding sites. We suggest that this indirect T3 response provides a novel mechanism for hormonal activation of gene expression, and that studies of the Trips will provide important insights into the specific mechanisms of action of TRs and other receptors.
Tissue distribution of ia antigens: Ia on spermatozoa, macrophages, and epidermal cells

Direct cytotoxic tests and absorption studies demonstrated thatI-region associated antigens (Ia) are not restricted to lymphocytes. Ia was found on spermatozoa, macrophages, and on epidermal cells, whereas Ia was absent from brain, liver, kidney, and fibroblasts. The possible biological meaning of these observations is discussed.
Scientists and the Journal Article: Choices for Access

ABSTRACT Researchers must choose between many sources when obtaining journal articles. University of Toledo faculty and graduate students in the sciences, pharmacy, and engineering were surveyed to ascertain their preferences in journal article formats and features, and their awareness, frequency of use, and preference ranking of four services: traditional interlibrary loan, electronic journals, and faxes from either a storage depository or the UnCover document delivery service. Speed and print quality topped the desired features; faxing was the least desirable format. Electronic journals and interlibrary loan were the most used services, though there are indications that interlibrary loan is used reluctantly.
Electrophysiological Actions of Oxytocin on the Rabbit Myometrium

The electrical activities of myometrial cells of the pregnant rabbit uterus have been studied by means of sucrose-gap and intracellular micro-electrode recording techniques. The resting potential of the myometrial cell was about -50 mv, and it is unaffected by the duration of pregnancy or placental attachment. Action potentials of the myometrium, although dependent on external Na+, were not always of the regenerative type; preparations from nonparturient uteri often produce mainly small spikes. The mean spike amplitude was 35 mv, rising at a mean maximum rate of 3 v/sec. Oxytocin, in concentrations less than 500 µU/ml, increased the mean spike amplitude to 48 mv and the mean maximum rate of rise to 7 v/sec, without affecting the resting potential. The relation between membrane potential and dV/dt of the spike was steepened by oxytocin, suggesting that oxytocin increased the number of normally sparse sodium gates in the myometrial membrane. By this action, oxytocin is believed to increase the probability of successful regenerative spikes and thereby initiate electrical activity in quiescent preparations, increase the frequency of burst discharges, the number of spikes in each burst, and the amplitude of spikes in individual cells.