cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
STM and TS investigations of silver polyoxometalate monolayers: model compounds and potential multifunctional oxidation catalysts

Abstract Different silver–heteropolyanion (Ag–HPA) salts have been studied after deposition of their aqueous suspensions on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and tunneling spectroscopy (TS). The images of Ag3PMo12O40 and Ag3PW12O40 achieved in air clearly demonstrate the formation of well-ordered, self-assembled, two-dimensional arrays. The lattice periodicities obtained from these images were 12–13 A, indicating the deposition of the intact molecules. In addition, well-ordered arrays of much smaller particles (7–9 A) could be found when the pH of the solution was increased (pH>2), clearly indicating the fragmentation of the parent Keggin structures. Tunneling spectra of Ag3PMo12O40 show characteristic negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior. The substitution of W for Mo (Ag3PW12O40) resulted in a shift of the NDR peak value from −0.62 V to −0.78 V, in very good agreement with the lesser reducibility of the tungsten salts and the correlation previously demonstrated between NDR voltage and Keggin redox properties. The exchange of small amount of cesium (Ag:Cs=9:1) in the silver phosphomolybdate salt did not appreciably alter the packing in the ordered AgCs(9:1)3PMo12O40 monolayers, but did produce a measurable shift of the NDR values to −0.68 V, showing a potential change of the redox properties of these species. In this work we show that the redox environment of silver can be controlled with high definition by the heteropolyanion monolayer matrix.
Some unusual properties of replicating adenovirus type 2 DNA

Abstract Replicating adenovirus type 2 DNA was isolated from KB cells 13 hours after infection. The buoyant density in caesium chloride of the replicating DNA was found to be 5 to 10 mg/cm2 greater than that of mature adenovirus type 2 DNA. The single-strand specific nuclease from Neurospora crassa released 25 to 30% of the radioactivity from replicating DNA and the density difference between replicating and mature adenovirus DNA was eliminated after digestion with this enzyme, but not after digestion with RNase or pronase. The results suggest that the complementary strands of adenovirus type 2 DNA are replicated asynchronously.
OPEN ACCESS AND EXTINCTION OF THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN NORTH AMERICA

ABSTRACT. An open access model is formulated where X is a renewable resource and E is the level of effort devoted to harvest. Net growth is assumed to exhibit critical depensation and the open access system is described by two nonlinear differential equations where r > 0 is the intrinsic growth rate, K1 is the minimum viable population level, K2 is the environmental carrying capacity, K2 > K1 > 0, q > 0 is the catchability coefficient, ? > 0 is an adjustment coefficient, (p – s) > 0 is the market price net of shipping cost, and c > 0 is the unit cost of effort at the harvest site. It is shown that the E= 0 isocline is a vertical line at X∞=c/[(p- s)q] and that the open access system passes through a supercritical Hopf bifurcation as X∞ moves from a level above (K1+K2)/2 to a level below (K1+K2)/2. For X∞ above (K1+K2)/2 the open access equilibrium is locally stable. For X∞ below (K1+K2)/2 the open access equilibrium will be locally unstable. At X∞=(K1+K2)/2 the system has a stable limit cycle. This analysis is useful in interpreting the economic history of the passenger pigeon. The limited empirical evidence would suggest that X∞=c/[(p – s)q] declined below (K1+K2)/2 during the last half of the 19th century as a result of improved rail transport and communications (the telegraph). It is thought that the passenger pigeon was extinct in the wild by 1901. The last passenger pigeon died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens on September 1, 1914. X=rX(X/ K1– 1)(1 –X/K2)–qXE and E=α[(p – s)qXE – cE],
Using marked strains to assess the effect of hairy vetch amendment on the inoculum densities of Thielaviopsis basicola, Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani

Controlled environmental studies were performed to assess the survival and activity of Thielaviopsis basicola in hairy vetch-amended and non-amended soils by using benomyl tolerance as a biochemical marker. Benomyl-tolerant T. basicola populations in infested soil were assayed by dilution plating on benomyl-amended T. basicola–carrot–etridiazol–nystatin (TB–CEN), a selective medium for T. basicola. Both soil populations and isolation frequency of the benomyl-tolerant T. basicola strain from cotton seedlings were reduced in soils amended with hairy vetch. Disease severity was also lower in seedlings grown in hairy vetch-amended than in non-amended soils. Results were consistent with results obtained from the direct observation of T. basicola chlamydospores, indicating a loss in chlamydospore viability in hairy vetch-amended soils. The effects of hairy vetch amendment on Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani populations were assessed by using a kanamycin-tolerant P. ultimum strain and an AG-11 isolate of R. solani. Populations of the kanamycin-tolerant P. ultimum strain and R. solani AG-11 did not change significantly with hairy vetch amendments, but there was a trend toward larger populations, indicating that these fungi were not suppressed in amended soils. The results agree with field studies where populations of T. basicola, its isolation frequency from diseased cotton seedlings and the seedling disease severity caused by T. basicola were reduced in hairy vetch-amended soils, but not those of Pythium spp and R. solani. The use of marked strains of T. basicola may be useful in identifying agricultural practices that are potentially suppressive to this pathogen.
Design and implementation of a client-server architecture for taxonomy manager

Taxonomy Manager (TM) is a computer-based, full-text method dedicated to represent biological knowledge allowing scientists to continuously revise and reorganize the conceptual framework of data and their interpretation. The system architecture distinguishes clients and a task oriented server. TM provides a distinct, precise, yet user-friendly, formalism for knowledge specification by biologic experts and for factual knowledge input by general scientists on interactive interfaces. An incremental compiler translates and transforms new information specified within full-text editors into an internal format and back again. A retrieval dialog allows access to the results of text analyses including information units and associated rules, and a browser offers free navigation through the network of data. External users can access the information contained within TM by a communication protocol. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genes influencing spinal bone mineral density in inbred F344, LEW, COP, and DA rats

Previously, we identified the regions of chromosomes 10q12–q31 and 15p16–q21 harbor quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for lumbar volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in female F2 rats derived from Fischer 344 (F344) × Lewis (LEW) and Copenhagen 2331 (COP) × Dark Agouti (DA) crosses. The purpose of this study is to identify the candidate genes within these QTL regions contributing to the variation in lumbar vBMD. RNA was extracted from bone tissue of F344, LEW, COP, and DA rats. Microarray analysis was performed using Affymetrix Rat Genome 230 2.0 Arrays. Genes differentially expressed among the rat strains were then ranked based on the strength of the correlation with lumbar vBMD in F2 animals derived from these rats. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis was performed to confirm the prioritized candidate genes. A total of 285 genes were differentially expressed among all strains of rats with a false discovery rate less than 10%. Among these genes, 18 candidate genes were prioritized based on their strong correlation (r2 > 0.90) with lumbar vBMD. Of these, 14 genes (Akap1, Asgr2, Esd, Fam101b, Irf1, Lcp1, Ltc4s, Mdp-1, Pdhb, Plxdc1, Rabep1, Rhot1, Slc2a4, Xpo4) were confirmed by qPCR. We identified several novel candidate genes influencing spinal vBMD in rats.
Early avian follicular development is characterized by changes in transcripts involved in steroidogenesis, paracrine signaling and transcription.

The mechanisms associated with follicular activation and early growth are not well understood in avian species. Level of mRNA transcripts involved in steroidogenesis (STAR, HSD3B, CYP11A1, CYP19), paracrine signaling (AMH, BMP2, BMP4, BMP6, KITL, WNT4, and PCSK6) and transcription (SMAD1, SMAD2, SMAD3, SMAD5, SMAD9, FOXL3, FOXL2, NR5A1 (SF1), and WT1) were determined in small avian follicles 0.5, 1, and 2 mm in diameter after oocyte removal. STAR, HSD3B, CYP11A1, CYP19, PCSK6, FOXO3, and KITL mRNA increased 2- to 45-fold, while FOXL2, WT1, and WNT4 decreased 30–90% and NR5A1 did not change as follicles developed from 0.5 to 2 mm. Phosphorylated SMAD2, SMAD3, SMAD1/5/9 and FOXO3 proteins were found in both granulosa cells and oocytes of small ( 1 mm) follicles. In contrast, non-phosphorylated FOXO3 protein was found in oocyte and granulosa cells of small follicles, but only in the oocyte of larger follicles. Culture of small avian follicles on the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos (in ovo) for 7 days caused changes in transcript levels that were similar to changes observed in vivo. The collective findings suggest that the growth of avian follicles from 0.5 to 2 mm is marked by an increase in steroidogenic capacity, and changes in paracrine signaling that may be important during early avian follicular development. Thus, a number of candidate marker genes were identified, and a method of follicle culture was developed to study early follicular development in a model avian species. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 78:212–223, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Elites and Institutions in the Armenian Transnation

The sun never sets on the Armenian diaspora. Its constituent communities include—in a descending order that reflects population and not cultural, political, or economic importance—communities in Ru...
Individual differences in visual event-related potentials: P300 cognitive augmenting/reducing parallels N100 sensory augmenting/reducing

In a visual event-related potential experiment, both N100 augmenting/reducing data and oddball paradigm P300 data were collected from the same subjects. A significant correlation was obtained between augmenting/reducing and the degree to which stimulus probability affected P300 amplitude. Subjects who augment/reduce in response to increased stimulus brightness in the sensory domain also appear to augment/reduce in response to low probability in the cognitive domain.
Poly(dimethylsiloxane)-poly(ethylene oxide)-heparin block copolymers. III: Surface and bulk compositional differences.

Previously observed bioactivity of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-poly(ethyelene oxide)-heparin (PDMS-PEO-Hep) triblock copolymers has prompted studies of the surface and bulk character of this copolymer using angular-dependent electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ADESCA), static secondary mass spectroscopy (SIMS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Because the low-energy PDMS phase dominates surfaces of this copolymer when solvent cast under air or vacuum conditions, attempts were made to explain surface restructuring and rearrangements induced in hydrated or aqueous environments that permit surface accessibility and bioactivity of heparin moieties. Based on comparisons with PDMS, PEO, and heparin homopolymers, PEO/heparin blends, and an unheparinized PDMS-PEO diblock copolymer, PDMS-PEO-heparin demonstrates both phase-mixed and phase-separated regions in DSC analysis. During annealing cycles above the Tg values of the copolymer constituents, phase-mixed regions become increasingly phase separated and PEO enriched. TGA analysis confirmed the presence of block copolymer constituents and presented evidence of intermolecular segmental interactions, hence phase-mixing in the copolymers. ADESCA analysis indicates that the outer 5 A of both the PDMS-PEO and PDMS-PEO-Hep copolymers is essentially pure PDMS. However, significant amounts of PEO are detected 5 to 20 A below the surface. Static SIMS also detects the presence of PDMS at the surfaces of the PDMS-PEO and PDMS-PEO-Hep copolymers. Compositional models based on ADESCA, SIMS, and DSC data are presented for desiccated and hydrated copolymer surfaces.
Dasatinib for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia

Earlier use of more potent tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as dasatinib improves response rates for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The SRC–ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition Activity Research Trials series displayed dasatinib efficacy in patients with all phases of CML who are resistant or intolerant to imatinib. More recently, dasatinib has been shown to induce rapid and high rates of response and has gained approval for newly diagnosed patients with CML in chronic phase. The future of CML therapy may incorporate more potent tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as dasatinib into initial treatment for newly diagnosed patients. The ability of dasatinib to induce rapid and high rates of response with a low progression to advanced forms of CML may translate into improvements in survival.
An improved method of mitigating laser-induced surface damage growth in fused silica using a rastered pulsed CO2 laser

A new method of mitigating (arresting) the growth of large (>200 m diameter and depth) laser induced surface damage on fused silica has been developed that successfully addresses several issues encountered with our previously-reported large site mitigation technique. As in the previous work, a tightly-focused 10.6 {micro}m CO{sub 2} laser spot is scanned over the damage site by galvanometer steering mirrors. In contrast to the previous work, the laser is pulsed instead of CW, with the pulse length and repetition frequency chosen to allow substantial cooling between pulses. This cooling has the important effect of reducing the heat-affected zone capable of supporting thermo-capillary flow from scale lengths on the order of the overall scan pattern to scale lengths on the order of the focused laser spot, thus preventing the formation of a raised rim around the final mitigation site and its consequent down-stream intensification. Other advantages of the new method include lower residual stresses, and improved damage threshold associated with reduced amounts of redeposited material. The raster patterns can be designed to produce specific shapes of the mitigation pit including cones and pyramids. Details of the new technique and its comparison with the previous technique will be presented.
Geology of California's Giant--Wilmington Oil Field: ABSTRACT

The Wilmington oil field is in the Los Angeles basin of southern California, one of the most prolific oil-producing basins of the world and considered to be an example of optimum conditions in the habitat of oil. The Wilmington structure, discovered in 1936, is a broad, asymmetrical anticline broken by a series of transverse normal faults which divide the producing beds into many separate pools. The seven major producing zones range in age from middle Miocene (Topanga) to early Pliocene (Repetto). Deposition of approximately 1,800 to 2,000 ft of nearly horizontal beds on top of the unconformity between the lower Pliocene Repetto beds and the upper Pliocene middle Pico Formation conceals the Wilmington anticline from the surface. The effectiveness of the faults as barriers to oil and gas accumulation in the field is shown by significant variations in edgewater conditions, subsurface pressure, gas-oil ratio, and oil gravity from one fault block to another. In general, the development program in the field has been based primarily on segregation of the pools by fault blocks and zones. The problem of land subsidence in the Wilmington oil field has been attributed by many investigators to the reduction of pressures in the reservoirs due to the production of oil and gas. Total subsidence to date in the center of the bowl of subsidence is 29 ft. A massive water-injection program has reduced the subsidence in the area and increased oil recovery. The rate of subsidence at the center of the bowl has been reduced from an annual rate of 2.4 ft in 1951 to 0.1 ft in 1967. The area of subsidence has been reduced from 20 sq mi to less than 4 sq mi. The Wilmington oil field has produced more than 1.1 billion bbl of oil, primarily from the old developed area. With waterflooding, it is estimated that another 700 million bbl of oil will be recovered from the old area of the field and an estimated 1.2 billion bbl of oil will be produced from the new area on the east (known as the Long Beach Unit or East Wilmington) within the next 35-40 yr under a pressure-maintenance program. Recent developments in the eastern area of the field revealed some lateral lithologic changes in the formations. To date, six of the seven known productive zones in the old area are also productive in the new area, but somewhat limited in extent. End_of_Article - Last_Page 540------------
Elimination of Colon Cancer Stem-Like Cells by the Combination of Curcumin and FOLFOX

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) or 5-FU plus oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) remains the backbone of colorectal cancer chemotherapeutics but with limited success. This could partly be due to the enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are resistant to conventional chemotherapy. Therefore, validation of a nontoxic agent that can either cause reversal of chemoresistance or promote the killing of CSCs would be highly desirable. The current study examines whether curcumin, the major active ingredient of turmeric, either alone or together with FOLFOX, would be an effective strategy to eliminate colon CSCs. Exposure of colon cancer HCT-116 or HT-29 cells to FOLFOX that inhibited their growth led to the enrichment of CSC phenotype as evidenced by increased proportion of CD133-, CD44-, and/or CD166-positive cells and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) levels. Treatment of FOLFOX-surviving colon cancer cells with either curcumin alone or together with FOLFOX resulted in a marked reduction in CSCs, as evidenced by the decreased expression of CD44 and CD166 as well as EGFR and by their ability to form anchorage-dependent colonies. They also caused disintegration of colonospheres. Increased expression of EGFR in FOLFOX-surviving cells could be attributed to hypomethylation of the EGFR promoter, whereas an opposite phenomenon was observed when the FOLFOX-surviving cells were treated with curcumin and/or FOLFOX. These changes were accompanied by parallel alterations in the levels of DNA methyltransferase 1. In conclusion, our data suggest that curcumin by itself or together with the conventional chemotherapeutic could be an effective treatment strategy for preventing the emergence of chemoresistant colon cancer cells by reducing/eliminating CSCs.
THE THREE‐DIMENSIONAL SHAPE OF INTERPHASE CELLS WITHIN THE APICAL MERISTEM OF ANACHARIS DENSA,

IT IS three and one-half decades since D'Arcy Thompson reopened the question of the threedimensional shapes of cells in tissues. During this time the concept of the rhombic dodecahedron as a fundamental shape for morphologically undifferentiated cells, which had been accepted for more than a century, has been discarded. Some thirty different tissues have now been examined from this standpoint in both plants and animals, and there is no doubt that rigid conformity to a given pattern is neither expected nor achieved. However, the average number of faces per cell is close to fourteen. In certain instances the truncated octahedron, or tetrakaidecahedron of Lord Kelvin, is not only approximated, but in a very small percentage of the cells it is realized in the number and arrangement of the faces, although these faces are normally not regular as in the perfect figure. Comparisons have also been made with three-dimensional configurations in inorganic systems, at first with compressed lead shot and with bubbles in foams, and more recently with grains in a metal alloy.
Food Restriction and Sex Differences on Concurrent, Oral Ethanol and Water Reinforcers in Juvenile Rhesus Monkeys

Abstract The present study assessed the liability of ethanol to be established as an oral reinforcer in 24 juvenile rhesus monkeys. All of the monkeys had a prior oral self-administration history with concurrently available methadone and water. To determine if food restriction and sex differences would contribute to ethanol preference, the monkeys were divided into two groups of 12. Twelve monkeys received 30 biscuits of food each day while the other group received 15 biscuits; six monkeys were male and six were female in each food restriction group. Fluid deliveries (0.5 ml) were provided following contact responses on solenoid-operated drinking spouts. All monkeys were exposed to concurrent water on two spouts and, subsequently, ethanol was available on one spout with water in the alternate spout. Ethanol concentrations (0.25–16 g/l) were doubled weekly. Subsequently, some ethanol concentration exposures were repeated, as was the concurrent water condition. Ethanol (1–2 g/l) served to reinforce responding under most conditions except with the 30-biscuit females; where ethanol so functioned, water responding was reduced. At concentrations less than 1 g/l, ethanol and water were consumed in equal amounts. At 8–16 g/l, ethanol maintained less responding than water. Food restriction amplified ethanol preference in both males and females, although perhaps less in females. A complex set of relations exist among variables that control oral ethanol preference in rhesus monkeys.
Social skills and psychosocial problems among the elderly.

The disruption of communication behaviors as a result of aging led to the hypothesis that elderly subjects would exhibit more problematic social skills than younger subjects. These social skills deficits were further hypothesized to be associated with rejection from others and a number of psychosocial problems. Elderly and young subjects engaged in two different interactions, with an age-matched partner, and an age-unmatched partner, from which social skills and interpersonal rejection were assessed. Subjects also completed self-report measures of social skills and psychosocial problems. Elderly subjects did not differ from young subjects on most measures of social skill, nor on the measure of interpersonal rejection. However, the elderly reported more symptoms of dysphoria and lower self-esteem than did young subjects. The lack of young-elderly differences in social skills may be due to the high level of functioning evident in the elderly sample.
Low-temperature magnetic susceptibility and resistivity measurements and electron probe microanalysis of Y1−xUxPd3

Abstract We have extended the low-temperature magnetic susceptibility and resistivity measurements of Y1−xUxPd3 (x ≈ 0.2) down to millikelvin temperatures. One sample showed Curie-Weiss-like paramagnetic susceptibility between 50 mK and 2 K. Another small sample appeared to have nearly constant susceptibility between 400 μK and 120 mK. The signal arising from paramagnetic impurities has been estimated from the susceptibility of undoped YPd3 measured between 600 μK and 170 mK. No signature of superconductivity was observed in the resistivity measurements down to 5 mK. Electron probe microanalysis showed that the sample composition was modulated on a scale of tens of micrometers.
End-functionalized glycopolymers as mimetics of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans

Glycosaminoglycans are sulfated polysaccharides that play important roles in fundamental biological processes, such as cell division, viral invasion, cancer and neuroregeneration. The multivalent presentation of multiple glycosaminoglycan chains on proteoglycan scaffolds may profoundly influence their interactions with proteins and subsequent biological activity. However, the importance of this multivalent architecture remains largely unexplored, and few synthetic mimics exist for probing and manipulating glycosaminoglycan activity. Here, we describe a new class of end-functionalized ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) polymers that mimic the native-like, multivalent architecture found on chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycans. We demonstrate that these glycopolymers can be readily integrated with microarray and surface plasmon resonance technology platforms, where they retain the ability to interact selectively with proteins. ROMP-based glycopolymers are part of a growing arsenal of chemical tools for probing the functions of glycosaminoglycans and for studying their interactions with proteins.
Memories of Carl from an improbable friend.

The Tower Room in the Beckman Institute goes silent as all heads turn to the door. An unearthly figure in a full neck brace strides into the room and takes a seat at the end of the long conference ...
Calcium Hydroxylapatite Tissue Filler Discovered 6 Years after Implantation into the Nasolabial Fold: Case Report and Review

BACKGROUND Injectable calcium hydroxylapatite is becoming increasingly popular as a facial soft tissue filler, due in part to its purported longevity of esthetic correction compared with other materials, but little is known about its long-term histologic appearance and persistence in facial skin. We recently encountered calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres incidentally during Mohs surgery of the nasolabial fold 6 years after implantation. OBJECTIVE To describe the long-term histologic appearance of calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres in human facial skin and review the relevant literature with a consideration of clinical implications. METHOD Routine hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed on frozen and fixed excised tissue containing calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres. Additional fixed sections were stained using Movat's pentachrome method. RESULTS Numerous 4- to 20-μm round vacuoles were present throughout the reticular dermis associated with focal fibrosis, interstitial mucin, and little surrounding inflammation. CONCLUSION Calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres and associated fibrosis may persist in facial dermis at least 6 years after implantation, long after its clinical effects are thought to subside. Dermatologists and dermatopathologists must be mindful of dermal implants because it is likely that incidental encounters will be an increasingly common occurrence.
Reforesting degraded lands may not restore hydrological conditions

By the 1980s, forest lands in the Himalayas in central Nepal had become severely degraded as people cleared land for pastures. This led to lowered soil infiltration capacities, resulting in increased surface runoff, soil erosion, and flooding during the rainy season.
Future U.S. wildfire potential trends projected using a dynamically downscaled climate change scenario

Abstract This study investigates trends in wildfire potential in the continental United States under a changing climate. Fire potential is measured by the Keetch–Byram Drought Index (KBDI), which is determined by daily maximum temperature and precipitation. The impact of relative humidity and wind speed is examined by comparing KBDI with the modified Fosberg Fire Weather Index (mFFWI). The present (1971–2000) and future (2041–2070) daily regional climate conditions were obtained by dynamical downscaling of the HadCM3 global projection using HRM3 regional climate model provided by the North America Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCP). It is shown that fire potential is expected to increase in the Southwest, Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Southeast, and Pacific coast, mainly caused by future warming trends. Most pronounced increases occur in summer and autumn. Fire seasons will become longer in many regions. The future fire potential increase will be less pronounced in the northern Rocky Mountains due to the changes in humidity and wind. Present fire potential is found to have been increasing across continental U.S. in recent decades. The future KBDI increase in the central Plains and the South projected using the HadCM3–HRM3 climate change scenario is smaller than the increases using the climate change scenarios from most of other NARCCAP model combinations. Larger inter-seasonal and inter-annual fire potential variability is expected in the future in the Pacific and Atlantic coastal regions. The projected increases in wildfire potential for many regions of the U.S. suggest that increased resources and management efforts for disaster prevention and recovery would be needed in the future.
The Influence of Multiple Copy Prescription Programs on Analgesic Utilization

Multiple Copy Prescription Programs (MCPPs) are state initiatives intended to monitor the prescribing, dispensing, and consumption patterns of potent and abusable prescription drugs which are controlled substances. This analysis examines the impact of MCPPs on opioid and non-opioid analgesic use while considering the influence of patient and physician variables. Using cross-sectional data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a hierarchical choice model is used to predict the probability of a patient receiving a Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV opioid analgesic versus a non-scheduled analgesic. MCPPs have a negative influence (t = − 5.01) on Schedule II opioid use and a positive influence (t = 6.30) on Schedule III opioid use. These patterns suggest that less potent drugs are substituted for Schedule II analgesics in MCPP states. This study finds that MCPPs alter analgesic utilization patterns, which has implications for physician practice patterns and patient access to analgesic therapy.
Site specificity of binding of antitumor antibiotics to DNA.

The site specificities for intercalation of steffimycin B, adriamycin, echinomycin, and ethidium bromide with DNA have been determined by CD first-neighbor analysis. The first three, which are antineoplastic antibiotics, all exhibit preferential binding to sites comprised of guanine and cytosine (GpC, CpG, and CpC or its complement GpG). Ethidium bromide displays nonspecific intercalation. The results are compared with findings from “footprinting” studies.
A Far-Field Hydrothermal Plume from Loihi Seamount

An extensive helium plume in the north central Pacific emanates from Loihi Seamount on the flanks of Hawaii. The maximum helium signal is found at a depth of about 1100 meters, the same depth as the near-field plume directly above Loihi Seamount. Although this helium plume is strongest near Hawaii, where the 3He/4He ratio at a depth of about 1100 meters reaches values 28 percent above the atmospheric ratio, it can be detected quite clearly at latitude 24°N, over 400 kilometers to the north. Excess 3He is also present on the same isopycnal between 15°N and 20°N at 135°W, some 2000 kilometers east of the Hawaiian Islands.
Spatial variations in membrane properties in the intact rat lens

We have used linear frequency domain techniques to measure impedance at various locations and depths in the intact rat lens. The data are used to obtain best-fit solutions to a new electrical model based on lens structure, allowing us to estimate localized conductances of surface cell membranes (Gs), fiber cell membranes (gm), and gap junctions (Gj) as functions of position. We find that gm is small and fairly uniform throughout the lens (2.02 +/- 0.58 microS/cm2); for the anterior surface-epithelial cells Gs = 1.26 +/- 0.19 mS/cm2; for the posterior surface differentiating fiber cells Gs = 0.46 +/- 0.04 mS/cm2. Thus, Gs varies about the equator in a stepwise fashion. Gj between fiber cells at locations interior to 80% of the radius is fairly uniform (0.75 S/cm2); but in the outer 20% Gj varies smoothly and symmetrically from both poles (0.66 S/cm2) to equator (5.95 S/cm2). This pattern of variation in Gj is similar to the pattern of inward and outward currents reported by Robinson and Patterson (1983. Curr. Eye Res. 2:843–847). We therefore suggest that the nonuniform distribution of functional gap junctions, not the surface cell conductance or Na/K pumps, may be responsible for directing these current flows. Gap junctional uncoupling during exposure to elevated calcium and acidification was also examined. High calcium (20 mM, with the calcium ionophore A23187) produced modest (twofold) irreversible uncoupling along with large, irreversible decreases in membrane potential. We did not pursue this further. Acidification with 20 and 100% CO2-bubbled Tyrode's produced 5- and 15-fold reversible uncoupling, respectively, only in the outer 20% of the lens radius. The remaining inner 80% of the lens gap junctions seemed resistant to the acidification and did not uncouple.
Maintaining Global Integrity Constraints in DistributedDatabases

Given some integrity constraints over a distributed database, we consider the problem of incrementally checking global consistency in response to updates made to the base relations but without accessing all these base relations. In many application areas such as collaborative design, mobile computing and enterprise information systems, total data availability cannot be assumed. Even if all the base data is available, some of it may incur such a high cost that its use should only be considered as a last resort. Without looking at all the relations that participate in the constraint, how can one meaningfully check a constraint for violation? When the constraint is known to be satisfied prior to the update, the state of the relations that are available (aka local) can in principle be used to infer something about the relations that are not available (aka remote). This observation is the basis for the existence of tests that guarantee that global consistency is preserved under a given update, without looking at all the base data. In order to make consistency maintenance practical, the challenge is to find those tests that are most general (we call Complete Local Tests) and that are efficient to generate and execute. This paper addresses the problem of finding efficient complete local tests for an important class of constraints that are very common in practice: constraints expressible as conjunctive queries with negated subgoals. For constraints where the predicates for the remote relations do not occur more than once, we present complete local tests under insertions and deletions to the local relations. These tests can be expressed as safe, nonrecursive Datalog ¬ queries against the local relations. These results also apply to other constraints with negation that are not conjunctive.
Elemental speciation by parallel elemental and molecular mass spectrometry and peak profile matching.

Trace elemental speciation in complex, real-world matrixes is a daunting task because of the low concentration of metals/metalloids and the correspondingly high molecular chemical noise. We constructed a liquid chromatography parallel elemental and molecular mass spectrometry (PEMMS) system and evaluated the use of peak elution profiles to identify trace molecular species containing specific heteroatoms, using the case of Se in yeast. We demonstrate that it is possible to use the HPLC-inductively coupled plasma (ICP)MS peak profile (retention time, width) to identify candidate ions with matching peak profiles in the molecular MS data. Proof of principle was demonstrated by C18 separation of three Se-amino acid standards (0.005−15 ppm as Se). The molecular MS (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization time-of-flight, APCI-TOF-MS) data set was converted into selected ion chromatograms of 0.05 Th width. ICPMS and APCI-TOF-MS ion chromatograms were fit by the Haarhoff−VanderLinde function using the following p...
The measurement of glutamate dehydrogenase activity in Praunus flexuosus and its role in the regulation of ammonium excretion

Abstract 1. 1. A strong correlation (r2 = 0.916) was found between glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity and ammonium excretion in Praunus flexuosus suggesting a key regulatory role for this enzyme. 2. 2. The high level of GDH activity found in this mysid was sufficient to account for all the ammonium excreted. 3. 3. Activator-inhibitor studies imply that GDH may regulate energy production and growth, in addition to ammonium excretion. 4. 4. The GDH assay presented here appears useful as a technique for quantifying zooplankton ammonium excretion impacts in the world oceans.
Stability of a two-phase process involving a planar phase boundary in a thermoelastic solid

This investigation is directed toward understanding the role of coupled mechanical and thermal effects in the linear stability of an isothermal antiplane shear motion which involves a steadily propagatingnormal planar phase boundary in anon-elliptic thermoelastic material. When the relevant process is static — so that the phase boundary does not move prior to the imposition of the disturbance —it is shown to be linearly stable. However, when the process involves a moving phase boundary it may be linearly unstable. Various conditions sufficient to guarantee the linear instability of the process are obtained. These depend on the monotonicity of thekinetic response function — a constitutively supplied entity which relates thedriving traction acting on a phase boundary to the local absolute temperature and the normal velocity of the phase boundary-and, in certain cases, on the spectrum of wave-numbers associated with the perturbation to which the process is subjected. Inertia is found to play an insignificant role in the qualitative features of the aforementioned sufficient conditions. It is shown, in particular, that instability can arise even when the normal velocity of the phase boundary is an increasing function of the driving traction if the temperature dependence in the kinetic response function is of a suitable nature. The instability which is present in this setting occurs only in thelong waves of the Fourier decomposition of the moving phase boundary, implying that the interface prefers to be highly wrinkled.
Transition metal ion complexes of thiosemicarbazones derived from 2-acetylpyridineN-oxide. Part IV. Iron(III) and copper(II) complexes of the4 N-ethyl- and4 N-diethylthiosemicarbazones

Copper(II) and iron(III) complexes of 2-acetylpyridineN-oxide4 N-ethyl- and4 N-diethylthiosemicarbazones have been prepared and characterized by physical and spectral methods. The4 N-ethyl-derivative coordinates as a neutral, bidentate ligand with copper(II), and the4 N-diethyl- as an anionic, tridentate ligand with both copper(II) and iron(III). The former ligand forms a mixed ligand complex (i.e., one neutral and one anionic ligand) with iron(III).
Behavioral effects of Pydrin and Ambush in male mice

Male Swiss mice, 20-25 g, were utilized to assess the effects of dermal and oral administration of the pyrethroid insecticide formulations Pydrin (30% fenvalerate) and Ambush (25.6% permethrin). Animals were subjected to a conditioned taste aversion procedure using a normally preferred 0.3% saccharin solution. Subjects were allowed 30 min access to a drinking syringe containing the saccharin solution, followed immediately by the administration of the pyrethroid or control solution. Pydrin (0.3, 3.0, or 30 mg/kg orally; 60, 600, or 1800 mg/kg dermally) and Ambush (0.5, 5.0, or 50 mg/kg orally; 30, or 300 mg/kg dermally) produced significant (p less than 0.05) reductions in the percent saccharin consumed. Total fluid intake, however, was not significantly altered by any of the treatments. The effect of the insecticides on both grouped and individual activity was also assessed in 20-25 g male Swiss mice. Activity measurements were taken over the 4-hr time period immediately following the administration of the pyrethroid or control solution. Pydrin (30 mg/kg orally; 600 and 1800 mg/kg dermally) and Ambush (50 mg/kg orally; 300 mg/kg dermally) significantly (p less than 0.05) increased activity in both grouped and individually tested mice. When subjects were individually tested, significant increases were seen in non-ambulatory, but not in ambulatory activity. The results of this work indicate that administration of the commercially available preparations of Pydrin and Ambush in mice at doses that do not induce the tremor and choreoathetosis-salivation syndromes usually associated with pyrethroid insecticides may result in behavioral changes.
Autoepitopes and alloepitopes of type IV collagen: role in the molecular pathogenesis of anti-GBM antibody glomerulonephritis.

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibodies elicited by autoimmune or alloimmune mechanisms are associated with aggressive forms of rapid progressive glomerulonephritis. Pathogenic anti-GB
Peripheral-type benzodiazepines inhibit proliferation of astrocytes in culture.

Peripheral-type benzodiazepine (BZD) receptors have been identified in brain and are predominantly localized to astrocytes. To determine their potential role in controlling astroglial proliferation, DNA synthesis, growth curves and mitotic index were investigated in primary astrocytes. cultures which had been exposed to Ro5-486 (a peripheral-type BZD ligand) and PK11195 (a peripheral-type BZD receptor antagonist). There was a dose-dependent inhibition of mitosis when two-week-old cells in culture were exposed to 50 nM, 500 nM, 1 μM and 10 μM Ro5-4864 for 24 h. Exposure of 5-, 8-, 12- and 15-day-old cultures to Ro5-4864 and PK11195 for 24 h did not affect growth rate and DNA synthesis; however, continuous exposure to 10 μM Ro5-4864 caused a persisten inhibition of cell growth and [3H]thymidine incorporation (P < 0.05) while nanomolar concentrations did not cause any significant change. Concurrent administration of Ro5-4864 with PK11195 resulted in a partial reversal of Ro5-4864-induced inhibition in DNA synthesis and mitosis. These results indicate that peripheral-type BZDs are capable of inhibiting proliferation of astrocytes in culture.
Functional consequences of cocaine re-exposure after discontinuation of cocaine availability

Abstract Cocaine users exhibit a wide range of behavioral impairments accompanied by brain structural, neurochemical and functional abnormalities. Metabolic mapping studies in cocaine users and animal models have shown extensive functional alterations throughout the striatum, limbic system, and cortex. Few studies, however, have evaluated the persistence of these effects following cessation of cocaine availability. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to assess the functional effects of re-exposure to cocaine in nonhuman primates after the discontinuation of cocaine self-administration for 30 or 90 days, using the quantitative autoradiographic 2-[ 14 C]deoxyglucose (2DG) method. Rhesus monkeys self-administered cocaine (fixed interval 3-min schedule, 30 infusions per session, 0.3 mg/kg/infusion) for 100 sessions followed by 30 ( n = 4) or 90 days ( n = 3) during which experimental sessions were not conducted. Food-reinforced control animals ( n = 5) underwent identical schedules of reinforcement. Animals were then re-exposed to cocaine or food for one final session and the 2DG method applied immediately after session completion. Compared to controls, re-exposure to cocaine after 30 or 90 day drug-free periods resulted in lower rates of glucose utilization in ventral and dorsal striatum, prefrontal and temporal cortex, limbic system, thalamus, and midbrain. These data demonstrate that vulnerability to the effects of cocaine persists for as long as 90 days after cessation of drug use. While there was some evidence for recovery (fewer brain areas were affected by cocaine re-exposure at 90 days as compared to 30 days), this was not uniform across regions, thus suggesting that recovery occurs at different rates in different brain systems.
Preparation and characterization of 3-azido-2,7-naphthalene disulfonate: a photolabile fluorescent precursor useful as a hydrophilic surface probe.

Abstract The synthesis of the nitrene precursor 3-azido-2,7-naphthalene disulfonate (ANDS) is described. Upon exposure to ultraviolet light, the non-fluorescent azide photodecomposes into a reactive nitrene intermediate which can react with neighboring molecules to form fluorescent products. The reaction can be conveniently monitored by the development of fluorescence. The purity of the azide was determined by ion-paired, reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Extinction coefficients, emission spectra, as well as nanosecond fluorescent lifetimes, where applicable, have been determined for the starting material, light-activated azide, and protein-bound reaction products. The use of 3-azido-2,7-naphthalene disulfonate as a hydrophilic surface probe of proteins and membrane structure is discussed.
Wadsleyite II: A new high pressure hydrous phase in the peridotite-H2O system

A new hydrous silicate phase with formula Mg1.71Fe0.177Al0.01Si0.965H0.332O4 has been synthesized at 1400°C and 17.5 GPa from a hydrous iron-rich mantle peridotite composition. The space group is Imma and unit cell parameters a = 5.6884(4) b = 28.9238(15) and c = 8.2382(6)A, so that a and c are approximately those of wadsleyite, whereas b is 2.5 times that of wadsleyite. The calculated density of this phase is 3.513 g/cm3. In addition to five Mg/Fe octahedra and two silicate tetrahedra, the structure contains one partially occupied Mg/Fe octahedron and one partially occupied silicate tetrahedron. These two partially occupied sites may be the result of decompression of a single Mg/Si octahedron. The synthesis of this phase, which has not been previously noted or described, indicates that the crystal chemistry of H incorporation into high pressure spinelloid structures is more complex than previously thought. Whereas the transition zone of the Earth's mantle may serve as a very large reservoir for hydrogen, further work will be required to outline the relative stabilities and physical properties of the various hydrous silicates that may xist there.
Evaluation of Magnetic Basket Dissolution Apparatus I: Differences in Tablet Formulations

The use of the magnetic basket dissolution apparatus as a means of following the dissolution of tablets was studied. Several different formulations of pentobarbituric acid tablets were manufactured and used to illustrate the ability of the magnetic basket dissolution apparatus to differentiate between the dissolution of tablets with differences in particle size of active ingredients, in formulation, and in hardness. The magnetic basket dissolution apparatus was compared with the USP XVIII and Levy beaker methods for following dissolution. Log probability plots were used as a means of providing a quick and accurate dimension for analyzing dissolution data.
The use of expectancy theory and the theory of learned helplessness in building upon strengths of ethnic minorities: The black experience in the United States

Members of ethnic minority groups experience uncontrollability more than do members of the majority culture. Therefore, they exhibit the deficits associated with learned helplessness which include inhibition of behavioral responses, cognitive deficits (negative expectancies), lowered self-esteem and depressed mood. From the literature of the culture of Black Americans emanates the image of the ‘dream’ and the interactional style which engenders positive expectancies, reversing apathy and learned helplessness. Building upon the strengths of an ethnic minority by using their indigenous literature to reduce the motivational and cognitive deficits associated with learned helplessness, can make a difference.