cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resection of the inferior vena cava for an isolated para-aortic recurrence of endometrial cancer: report of a case.

Nodal recurrences from endometrial cancer are associated with a discouragingly poor prognosis: 3-year survival is less than 10% when radiation therapy is administered [1]. Furthermore, multiagent chemotherapy is associated with severe toxicity and median disease-free survival of only 6 months [2]. We describe resection of the inferior vena cava (IVC) for isolated para-aortic recurrence of endometrial cancer.
Parameterization of Sulfate Removal by Precipitation.

Abstract The concentration of sulfate in precipitation is predicted to be directly proportional to the sulfate concentration of the air ingested into the cloud and inversely proportional to cloud water concentration. In addition, for light to moderate precipitation rates, the removal of airborne sulfate by precipitation is forecast to be strongly dependent upon the mechanism of precipitation formation. If the precipitation is in the form of snow or originated as snow in the upper portions of the clouds, then the surface sulfate concentration of precipitation is proportional to R−0.3, where R is the precipitation rate. Should the precipitation form without the benefit of an initial ice growth stage, then the sulfate concentrations in precipitation water can increase by a factor of 2 to 10 or more over the ice-dependent predictions. Limited surface observations give support to these predictions. The analyses leading to the prediction of washout ratios are also used to forecast the mean oxidation rate of SO2...
Why I Write: What Talented Creative Writers Need Their Teachers to Know.

Eight students who excelled in a statewide, middle school creative writing tournament discussed their relationships with writing. Students’ interview transcripts were analyzed for references to pos...
Localized Debates of Agricultural Biotechnology in Community Newspapers: A Quantitative Content Analysis of Media Frames and Sources

This research is a quantitative content analysis of agricultural biotechnology coverage appearing in a collection of community newspapers in Northern California and Missouri between 1992 and 2004. It examines the similarities and differences in news media frames used to focus the debate at the local level, and evaluates the frequency and range of dominant political and social actors as news sources. Newspaper coverage in some community newspapers frames the story in more complex and diverse ways and includes a wider range of voices than has been reported in studies of coverage in the national, elite press. Oppositional viewpoints exist in some local newspapers, perhaps more so than in national news.
Effects of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachloroazoxybenzene on selected immune parameters of the mouse.

The effects of 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachloroazoxy-benzene (TCAOB) on the immune system of mice was examined and compared with cyclophosphamide (CY). This chemical can be produced as a result of microbial degradation of commonly used chloroaniline herbicides. Herbicides of the acylan-iline class generally have a low mammalian toxicity while remaining relatively inexpensive. Therefore, TCAOB could be formed anywhere in the environment where choroaniline pesticides are used. TCAOB treatment caused thymic atrophy and a decrease in white blood cell (WBC) count after sheep red blood cell (SRBC) immunization. A decline in the number of Lyt-1+ cells (T-helper lymphocytes) was seen in all TCAOB animals, with unimmunized mice also showing a decreased number of Lyt-2.2+ cells (T-suppressor lymphocytes). No change was found in the ratio of these two cell types. TCAOB did, however, result in a severe reduction in the number of plaque-forming-cells (PFCs) and in serum antibody concentration. CY caused a decrease in thymus weight, WBC count, the number of cells recovered per spleen, and the relative percentages of Lyt-l+ and Lyt-2.2+ cells recovered. The mice exhibited a lower lymphocyte blastogenic response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) than control animals, but no change in Concanavalin A (Con-A) responsiveness. CY also resulted in a severe drop in the number of PFCs and the quantity of antibody produced following SRBC immunization.
Keeping the unemployed healthy: the effect of means-tested and entitlement benefits in Britain, Germany, and the United States.

Objectives. Although considerable evidence about the health effects of unemployment exists, little is known about the possible protective effects of various social interventions. This study examined the role that means-tested and entitlement programs could have in ameliorating the health impact of unemployment in Britain, Germany, and the United States. Methods. Logistic regression models were used to analyze panel data from Britain (1991–1993), Germany (1991–1993), and the United States (1985–1987) available in the Household Panel Comparability Project database. The analysis included 8726 respondents from Britain, 11 086 from Germany, and 11 668 from the United States. The health-dependent variable used was a single measure of perceived health status. Results. Evidence was found of differences in perceived health status between groups of unemployed people characterized by the types of benefits they receive. When socioeconomic characteristics and previous health and employment status are controlled for, m...
Electrohydrodynamic effects in the leveling of coatings

Abstract Electrostatic charges that accumulate on substrates and at liquid–air interfaces in various coating processes can drive liquid flows that lead to defects. To better understand this phenomenon, we model the leveling of thin liquid films subject to electrohydrodynamic forces. We consider cases of homogeneous and heterogeneous substrate charge distributions and contamination of the film surface by free charge. The liquid is assumed to be Newtonian, both perfect dielectric and leaky dielectric materials are considered, and lubrication theory is employed. Linear stability analysis and nonlinear simulations reveal different leveling criteria for small- and large-amplitude perturbations to the film surface. Heterogeneous charge distributions on the substrate are found to lead to steady curved interface shapes. Using asymptotic methods, we develop analytical expressions to predict these shapes, and consequently, the magnitude of coating defects. We also employ transient nonlinear simulations track the leveling of disturbances created by contamination of the film surface by free charge. The results of our study enable us to propose simple heuristics for determining the conditions under which coatings subject to electrohydrodynamic forces will level.
Improving casino performance through enhanced loyalty programs.

With increased competition and decreased revenues in the gaming industry, casinos have developed and modified their loyalty programs to attract new customers and build customer loyalty. However, often loyalty programs are not evaluated for their effectiveness. Using data from a Las Vegas casino resort, the effectiveness of a new casino loyalty program on gaming volume was examined. The study used time series multiple regression analysis with autoregressive and moving average terms to analyze the effect of the new program on slot coin-in and table game drop. The results indicated that the loyalty program variable significantly increased slot coin-in at a rate of $302,455 per day, but did not significantly affect table game drop. With the findings and model developed in this study, operators can examine whether loyalty programs are producing the desired effects and develop strategies to improve their effectiveness.
High natality rates of endangered Steller sea lions in Kenai Fjords, Alaska and perceptions of population status in the Gulf of Alaska.

Steller sea lions experienced a dramatic population collapse of more than 80% in the late 1970s through the 1990s across their western range in Alaska. One of several competing hypotheses about the cause holds that reduced female reproductive rates (natality) substantively contributed to the decline and continue to limit recovery in the Gulf of Alaska despite the fact that there have been very few attempts to directly measure natality in this species. We conducted a longitudinal study of natality among individual Steller sea lions (n = 151) at a rookery and nearby haulouts in Kenai Fjords, Gulf of Alaska during 2003–2009. Multi-state models were built and tested in Program MARK to estimate survival, resighting, and state transition probabilities dependent on whether or not a female gave birth in the previous year. The models that most closely fit the data suggested that females which gave birth had a higher probability of surviving and giving birth in the following year compared to females that did not give birth, indicating some females are more fit than others. Natality, estimated at 69%, was similar to natality for Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska prior to their decline (67%) and much greater than the published estimate for the 2000s (43%) which was hypothesized from an inferential population dynamic model. Reasons for the disparity are discussed, and could be resolved by additional longitudinal estimates of natality at this and other rookeries over changing ocean climate regimes. Such estimates would provide an appropriate assessment of a key parameter of population dynamics in this endangered species which has heretofore been lacking. Without support for depressed natality as the explanation for a lack of recovery of Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska, alternative hypotheses must be more seriously considered.
Integrated training for aphasia: an application of part-whole learning to treat lexical retrieval, sentence production, and discourse-level communications in three cases of nonfluent aphasia.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate integrated training for aphasia (ITA), a multicomponent language-production treatment based on part–whole learning that systematically trains lexic...
Raman spectroscopic study on ZrO2–TiO2 using MoO3 as a molecular probe

The surface interaction between ZrO2 and TiO2 in physical mixtures was studies using laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS). The characteristic peaks of ZrO2 disappeared after mixing ZrO2 and TiO2 with a loading ZrO2 of less than 25 wt.% and calcination at 773 K for 12 h. Surface polyhedrally coordinated Zr on TiO2 could not be detected by LRS. Therefore, MoO3 was used as a molecular probe to detect the nature of the interactions between ZrO2 and TiO2. The results revealed that ZrO2 could disperse on the surface of TiO2 and its interaction with TiO2 is different from that of MoO3 and TiO2.
Using social cognitive theory to explain discretionary, "leisure-time" physical exercise among high school students.

Abstract Purpose To examine whether knowledge of high school students' actions of self-regulation, and perceptions of self-efficacy to overcome exercise barriers, social situation, and outcome expectation will predict non-school related moderate and vigorous physical exercise. Methods High school students enrolled in introductory Physical Education courses completed questionnaires that targeted selected Social Cognitive Theory variables. They also self-reported their typical "leisure-time" exercise participation using a standardized questionnaire. Bivariate correlation statistic and hierarchical regression were conducted on reports of moderate and vigorous exercise frequency. Results Each predictor variable was significantly associated with measures of moderate and vigorous exercise frequency. All predictor variables were significant in the final regression model used to explain vigorous exercise. After controlling for the effects of gender, the psychosocial variables explained 29% of variance in vigorous exercise frequency. Three of four predictor variables were significant in the final regression equation used to explain moderate exercise. The final regression equation accounted for 11% of variance in moderate exercise frequency. Conclusions Professionals who attempt to increase the prevalence of physical exercise through educational methods should focus on the psychosocial variables utilized in this study.
What are the roles of electronic and Cyber Warfare in cognitive radio security

Traditionally, Electronic Warfare (EW) and Cyber Warfare (CW) have been viewed as independent, disparate disciplines. However, they are often trying to accomplish similar tasks, and thus may be viewed as two sides of the same coin. When both the attacher and defender employ cognitive techniques, the edge may go to the side that integrates techniques from both EW and CW. In this paper, we examine two case studies in radio security. We examine what happens when the attacker is cognitive, and consider cognitive EW/CW approaches to defend against the attacks.
Gulf of Mexico Model confirmed

A model of the origin and evolution of the Gulf of Mexico has been substantially confirmed by core samples taken from the Gulf floor by the Glomar Challenger, according to Richard T. Buffler of the University of Texas at Austin and Wolfgang Schlager of the University of Miami, co-chief scientists of the research vessel's leg 77. Analysis of samples taken from six sites in the southeastern area of the Gulf shows that the Gulf of Mexico originated in much the same way and almost simultaneously with the North Atlantic Ocean. Until recently, the Gulf's origin did not fit the commonly accepted model of ocean evolution, explained Buffler.
Poly(tetrafluoroethylene)/(hexafluoropropylene) coatings for mitigating the corrosion of steel in a simulated geothermal environment

Abstract Study focused on investigating the usefulness of room temperature-curable poly(tetrafluoroethylene)/(hexafluoropropylene) as a polyfluorocarbon coating for mitigating corrosion of carbon steel in a simulated geothermal environment. Coated steel panels were exposed for up to 20 days in an autoclave containing 20,000 ppm CO 2 -laden 13 wt.% NaCl solution at 200°C. The appearance of the coatings after 20 days exposure revealed that they adequately protected the underlying steel substrate against corrosion in this short-term exposure. However, the superficial layer of coating suffered hydrothermal oxidation, leading to conformational transformation of the fluorocarbon structure into a fragmental fluorocarboxylic acid derivative as the oxidation reaction product. This transformation generated three undesirable features: (1) an increase in the susceptibility of the coating surfaces to moisture; (2) a decline in the thermal stability of the coatings; (3) a reduction of the crystallinity of the polymer.
Under the microscope: doctors, lawyers, and melanocytic neoplasms

Misdiagnosed melanoma remains one of the most common causes of lawsuits in histopathology. Reasons for this are discussed in conjunction with relevant literature, common errors in diagnosis, and strategies to avoid them.
MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF CELL SHAPE REGULATION AND SIGNALING

Physical forces play a critical role in cell integrity and development, but little is known how cells convert mechanical signals into biochemical responses. This mini-review examines potential molecular mediators like integrins, focal adhesion proteins, and the cytoskeleton in the context of a complex cell structure. These molecules-when activated by cell binding to the extracellular matrix-associate with the skeletal scaffold via the focal adhesion complex. Vinculin is presented as a mechanical coupling protein that contributes to the integrity of the cytoskeleton and cell shape control, and examples are given of how mechanical signals converge into biochemical responses through force-dependent changes in cell geometry and molecular mechanics.
A REVIEW OF THEORETICAL MODELS OF ADSORPTION, DIFFUSION, DESORPTION, AND REACTION OF GASES ON METAL SURFACES

Abstract A review is presented of the theoretical approaches available for describing the kinetics of gas adsorption, diffusion, desorption, and reaction on metal surfaces. The prediction of rate and diffusion coefficients based on molecular dynamics, transition-state theory, stochastic diffusion theory, and quantum mechanics is discussed, and the success of these theoretical approaches in representing experimental observation is examined. Consideration is also given to the effects of lateral interactions between adsorbates and to the ability of lattice-gas models to provide a representation of the dependences of rate and diffusion coefficients on adsorbate coverage. Finally, the utility of continuum and Monte Carlo models for describing the kinetics of complex surface processes in terms of elementary processes is addressed.
Ytterbium: Effect of Pressure and Temperature on Resistance.

The electrical resistance of ytterbium, measured as a function of pressure, shows a sharp maximum at 38 kb, both at 300°K and 77°K. At low pressures ytterbium is a metal because of overlap between filled and empty bands. From about 20 kb to the resistance maximum it is a semiconductor, indicating that the overlap disappears. At the maximum there is a phase transition, and beyond this pressure ytterbium is again metallic.
Cultural differences in Germany and Australia

This article discusses examples of cultural differences between the German and Australian cultures, their implications in the marketing and business decision making function, and provides recommendations for successful business conduct between Germans and Australians. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Comparative aspects of the onset of muscular contraction, with special reference to latency relaxation

Abstract 1. 1. The onset of contraction was compared for frog and arthropod slow and fast muscle fibres. 2. 2. Slow fibres had very short latencies to tension rise, with no latency relaxation (LR). 3. 3. Time to onset of LR in arthropod fast fibres decreased with increasing length. This difference from vertebrates is explained on the basis of different ultrastructures. 4. 4. LR may be caused by swelling of portions of T tubules.
Late paleozoic glacial geography of Antarctica

Abstract Depositional directional features and facies relationships in the Permian (?) glacial rocks and associated strata of Antarctica now permit tentative paleogeographic reconstructions. Major basins existed in the vicinity of Victoria Land and near the Filchner Ice Shelf. They received debris from centers near the present Ross Sea, the Weddell Sea, and from a subsidiary positive area between the basins, located near the Thiel Mountains.
The impact of parental alcohol misuse and family environment on young people’s alcohol use and behavioral problems in secondary schools

Objectives: This study examined the impact of parental alcohol misuse and family environment on young adults’ drinking and behavioral problems in secondary schools. Methods: The study used a multivariate logistic regression longitudinal analysis. The effects of parental and young adult alcohol use and family environment on school behavioral problems were estimated over 20 years from 1984 to 2004. Sample: Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY79), a representative sample of the general population of the United States, and the surveys of Mother-Child and Young Adults (MCYA): mothers (N = 5634), fathers (N = 5007) and young adults (N = 4648). Results: Parental alcohol misuse increased the risk of alcohol misuse in offspring. There was a threefold rise in school behavior problems among youth from family environments in which the biological father was a heavy drinker and the marital quality of the biological parents was reported as poor and the home life was characterized by high...
Physics Conference Proceedings and the Electronic Environment—an Investigation of New Dissemination Patterns.

The electronic publication of articles from physics conference proceedings on the Los Alamos (arXive) preprint server and on dedicated conference web sites is investigated. Several sub-disciplines within physics were sampled. Except for high-energy theory conferences, and to a lesser extent astrophysics, there is almost no publication of proceedings articles on the preprint server. Only one conference out of all those sampled had a web site with conference presentations on it. That web site contained audio files of the presentations and images of the overheads used and thus had much different content than the published proceedings.
Heterogeneous expression of connexin 36 in the olfactory epithelium and glomerular layer of the olfactory bulb

Gap junctions regulate a variety of cell functions by directly connecting two cells through intercellular channels. Connexins are gap junction channel-forming protein subunits. In this study, we studied the expression of connexin 36 (Cx36) in the olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb of adult mice. In situ hybridization revealed that mRNA for Cx36 was expressed in the olfactory sensory epithelium, main olfactory bulb and accessory olfactory bulb. Expression of mRNA encoding Cx36 was observed in the olfactory epithelium mainly in ventral and lateral regions of the turbinates. Immunohistochemical determination of Cx36 protein expression showed sparse punctuate staining in the olfactory epithelial layer. Intense Cx36-like immunostaining was found in the olfactory nerve bundles underlying the olfactory epithelium and in the olfactory nerve layer and glomerular layer of the olfactory bulb. Mapping of the intensity of Cx36-like immunofluorescence in glomeruli throughout the main olfactory bulb indicated a heterogeneous distribution. A set of approximately 50 glomeruli located in the anterior and posterior limits of the olfactory bulb was more intensely labeled than other glomeruli. There was intense immunofluorescence signal in the glomerular layer of the accessory olfactory bulb and in the vomeronasal nerve. β-Galactosidase distribution in the olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb in Cx36 knockout mice (Deans et al. [2001] Neuron 31:477–485) supported the findings with immunofluorescence. Cx36-like immunofluorescence was absent in the olfactory nerve bundles in Cx36 knockout mice. The immunolocalization of Cx36 to the olfactory and vomeronasal nerves, and a subset of olfactory glomeruli suggest a functional role for Cx36 in odor coding. J. Comp. Neurol. 459:426–439, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Altered glutathione metabolism in the tumor-bearing state

Background: Because glutathione (GSH) appears to be important for tumor growth and many tumors contain the capacity (γ-glutamyltranspeptidase) to transport GSH, we examined GSH metabolism in MCA sarcoma-bearing rats (TB). Methods: Tumor, liver skeletal muscle, kidney, and serum were collected from 47 MCA sarcoma (TB) rats and 26 normal (CTL) rats. Amino acids, GSH, γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS), and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) were determined. Results: Significant activity of GGTP (117.8±16.0 mU/min/mg protein) was present in tumors. Liver GCS activity (nanomolar per hour per milligram protein) in TB rats (106.6±37.7) was increased (p<0.01) compared with CTL rats (57.5±12.3) and correlated positively with tumor burden (R=0.77). Muscle GGTP was decreased (p=0.001) in TB rats (1.7±1.1) compared with controls (6.8±1.1). Serum GSH concentrations (μM) were lower (p<0.05) in TB rats (14.97±1.72) versus control rats (16.82±1.54) and correlated negatively with tumor burden (R=−0.83). Conclusions: In this tumor-bearing model, tumor has significant capacity (GGTP) for the uptake of GSH. Serum GSH is depleted in TB rats and correlates negatively with tumor burden. Liver GCS is increased in TB rats and skeletal muscle GGTP is decreased, which may preferentially benefit the tumor by increasing the bioavailability of glutathione for its own use.
Scheffés mixed model for multivariate repeated measures:a relative efficiency evaluation

Scheffe’s mixed model, generalized for application to multivariate repeated measures, is known as the multivariate mixed model (MMM). The primary advantages the MMM are (1) the minimum sample size required to conduct an analysis is smaller than for competing procedures and (2) for certain covariance structures, the MMM analysis is more powerful than its competitors. The primary disadvantage is that the MMM makes a very restrictive covariance assumption; namely multivariate sphericity. This paper shows, first, that even minor departures from multivariate sphericity inflate the size of MMM based tests. Accordingly, MMM analyses, as computed in release 4.0 of SPSS MANOVA (SPSS Inc., 1990), can not be recommended unless it is known that multivariate sphericity is satisfied. Second, it is shown that a new Box-type (Box, 1954) Δ-corrected MMM test adequately controls test size unless departure from multivariate sphericity is severe or the covariance matrix departs substantially from a multiplicative-Kronecker s...
Effect of premature birth and survival on hepatic thyroxine 5'-monodeiodinase activity in baboons

Plasma thyroid hormones and hepatic 5'-monodeiodinase type I (5'-MDI) activity were measured in a primate model of premature birth and survival. When prematurely delivered at 140 days (term gestation is 184 days), infant baboons developed hyaline membrane disease, had no surge in T3 and T4, temporarily developed hypothyroxinemia, and had extremely low T3 concentrations during the first 40 h of life. After 4 days, both plasma T4 and T3 levels progressively increased, but were still considerably lower at 16 days compared to those in normal term infants. Hepatic 5'-MDI activity was measured in the presence of dithiothreitol in fetal, premature, and infant baboons. Fetal baboons at 140 and 161 days gestation had 80% less 5'-MDI activity than term infants, but at 178-180 days gestation, near term, fetal hepatic 5'-MDI activity increased to levels similar to those in young adults. Interruption of in utero development by premature birth resulted in no change in hepatic 5'-MDI activity after 24 h, but within 6 days after delivery, hepatic 5'-MDI had significantly increased to levels observed in fetal baboons near term. Kinetic analysis revealed that fetal and premature 5'-MDI had different maximum velocities and similar apparent Km values. There was no significant difference in hepatic total, protein, or nonprotein sulfhydryl groups between 1- and 10-day-old premature (140 days gestation) baboons. These results suggest that premature birth does not limit the postnatal maturation of hepatic 5'-MDI activity.
Optimal retail lease contracts: the principal-agent approach

Abstract This paper considers retail lease contracts that are common in practice in a principal-agent framework. The key question concerns whether the optimal linear lease contract should have both the fixed rent and the percentage rent linear in sales. The analysis shows that an optimal linear risk-sharing contract is a form of the pure percentage rent if the tenant is risk averse and the landlord is risk neutral. However, an optimal linear contract that provides incentives for effort and shares risk may include the percentage rent and the fixed rent as well.
Survey of land degradation in New South Wales, Australia

A survey of land degradation was undertaken in New South Wales, Australia during 1987–1988. The aims of the survey were to assess the location, extent, and severity of ten forms of degradation and to present the data in map and statistical form. Sample points were located on a regular grid. The method was designed so that data could be acquired from aerial photographs, expert local knowledge, and limited field checking. Individual statewide maps were prepared for each form of degradation. Map data were shown in pixel form. Sheet and rill erosion and soil structure decline were confined mostly to lands used for cropping. Gully erosion was commonly found across the state, while mass movement was confined to steeper lands. There were three severe areas of dryland salinity; irrigation salinity was mapped in parts of the southern irrigation lands. Induced soil acidity was severe in some cropping and pasture lands. Absence of tree regrowth was a noticeable feature of lands used for cropping. The survey enabled community awareness of the problems of land degradation to be increased, in addition to assisting regional land managers in resource allocation. The survey also provided the basis for the future location of sites that could be used to monitor the trends in the status of land degradation.
Iodothyronine metabolism in liver and kidney homogenates from hyperthyroid and hypothyroid rats.

The effect of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism on conversion of T4 to T3 and the degradation of rT3 was studied in rat liver and kidney homogenates. Administration of T4 (5 μg/100 g BW/day for 5 days) to normal rats resulted in significant increases in the rates of both reactions in liver homogenates; the increase was no greater after T4 doses of 10 and 20 μg/100 g/day. Responses also were no greater after 12 than after 5 days of T4 treatment. After thyroidectomy, T3 production declined gradually to 30% of control in 6 weeks; rT3 degradation initially decreased more rapidly, but at 4 and 6 weeks, the percentage of fall was similar for both reactions. No significant changes in either reaction were found in kidney homogenates from T4-treated rats. In kidney homogenates from thyroidectomized rats, both reactions were significantly impaired at 6 weeks. These results extend previous observations that 5′-deiodination of T4 and rT3 change in parallel directions after various experimental manipulations, and fur...
Human liver catechol-O-methyltransferase pharmacogenetics.

Catechol-O-methyltransferase activity and thermal stability in the human red blood cell are controlled by a common genetic polymorphism. Approximately 25% to 30% of a randomly selected population sample is homozygous for the traits of low catechol-O-methyltransferase activity and thermolabile enzyme in the red blood cell. We tested the hypothesis that the catechol-O-methyltransferase genetic polymorphism might also control those same characteristics of the enzyme in an important human drug-metabolizing organ, the liver. Catechol-O-methyltransferase enzyme activity and thermal stability were measured in 99 hepatic biopsy samples obtained during clinically indicated surgery. The frequency distribution of heated/control ratios, a measure of enzyme thermal stability, was bimodal, with 28% of samples included in a subgroup with thermolabile enzyme. There were no sex-related differences in hepatic catechol-O-methyltransferase thermal stability. However, catechol-O-methyltransferase enzyme activity in hepatic tissue from male subjects was significantly higher than that in samples from female subjects: 61.3 ± 20.2 units/mg protein (mean ± SD; n = 50) versus 46.6 ± 22.2 units/mg protein (n = 49; p = 0.0002). There was a significant correlation of hepatic catechol-O-methyltransferase activity and thermal stability in samples from both female (rs = 0.698; p = 0.0001) and male subjects (rs = 0.429; p = 0.002). Finally, when both red blood cell catechol-O-methyltransferase activity and thermal stability were measured in blood samples from 34 of these patients, there was a significant correlation between catechol-O-methyltransferase heated/control ratios and levels of enzyme activity in hepatic tissue and in red blood cell lysates. These findings indicate that the genetic polymorphism that controls catechol-O-methyltransferase activity level and thermal stability in red blood cells also controls those same properties of the enzyme in the human liver. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1990) 48, 381–389; doi:10.1038/clpt.1990.166
Pulsed Dielectric-Surface Flashover in an $ \hbox{SF}_{6}$ Environment

A recently upgraded laser-triggered gas switch at Sandia National Laboratories has developed a failure mode that results in the breakdown spark tracking to the inside of the containment envelope. These breakdowns along the surface, or surface flashovers, degrade the performance of the overall switch, causing the switch to prefire in the successive shot. In the following, experimental results of pulsed surface flashover across different dielectric materials in SF6, primarily at atmospheric pressure, as well as flashover and volume breakdown in at pressures from 1.3 to 365.4 kPa are presented. In addition to fast voltage and current monitoring of the breakdown event, an increased emphasis was put on imaging the event as well as gathering optical emission spectra (~200-700 nm) from it. As much as possible, the small-scale experiments were designed to reproduce, at least partly, the conditions as they are found in the large 5-MV switch. An effort was made to determine what changes could be made to reduce the occurrence of surface flashovers, in addition to some broadly applicable conclusions on surface flashovers in an SF6 environment.
c-kit ligand mediates increased expression of cytosolic phospholipase A2, prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-1, and hematopoietic prostaglandin D2 synthase and increased IgE-dependent prostaglandin D2 generation in immature mouse mast cells.

We have examined the cytokine regulation of IgEdependent prostaglandin (PG) D2 generation in mouse mast cells by assessing the changes in the levels of the transcript, translated protein, and activity of the enzymes involved in the synthesis of PGD2 from endogenous arachidonic acid. When mouse mast cells, derived by culture of bone marrow cells with WEHI-3 cell-conditioned medium as a source of interleukin (IL)-3 (BMMC), were cultured in recombinant c-kit ligand (KL), sensitized with IgE, and stimulated with antigen, PGD2 generation increased 3-fold; when KL was combined with IL-3, IL-9, or IL-10, PGD2 generation increased 6-8-fold above that produced by the cells cultured in IL-3 alone. The increased IgE-dependent PGD2 generation by BMMC was apparent after 1 day of culture, reached a maximum after 2-4 days of culture, and was dose-dependent for KL and for each of the accessory cytokines. IgE-dependent generation of leukotriene C4 increased 2-fold after the cells were cultured with KL and was not increased by the addition of IL-3, IL-9, or IL-10. Assays for steady-state transcripts by RNA blotting, for protein by SDS-PAGE/immunoblotting, and for function by enzymatic activities revealed that KL alone stimulated the increased expression of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase (PGHS)-1, and the terminal enzyme, hematopoietic PGD2 synthase, without a change in expression of 5-lipoxygenase. IL-3, IL-9, and IL-10 each enhanced the KL-induced expression of PGHS-1. In contrast, transcripts for PGHS-2, which were detected transiently after the cells had been cultured for 5 h in KL + IL-3, were not expressed during the period of subsequent increase in IgE-dependent PGD2 generation. These findings demonstrate that KL up-regulates expression of cPLA2, PGHS-1, and hematopoietic PGD2 synthase, leading to a relatively selective increase in IgE-dependent production of PGD2 from endogenously released arachidonic acid in BMMC, and they provide the first example of cytokine regulation of hematopoietic PGD2 synthase.
An ultrastructural study of shell regeneration in Mytilus edulis (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

The sequence of changes following experimental removal of a central region of one valve of Mytilus edulis included: (1) the secretion of periostracum similar to one of the three layers of normal periostracum; (2) calcification on the periostracum in a pattern corresponding to the form of the periostracal surface; (3) the deposition of prismatic and nacreous shell layers also present in normal shell; and (4) the frequent formation of a complex prismatic-like shell. The deposition of all layers was carried out by a region of the mantle which normally deposits only nacreous shell.
Covalent Binding of Growth Hormone to Surface Receptors on Rat Adipocytes

GH specifically binds to receptors on the surface of adipocytes and produces a variety of biological effects in these cells. To gain insight into the nature of the GH receptors, [125I] human GH ([125I]hGH) was cross-linked to surface binding sites on intact rat adipocytes using the bifunctional reagent disuccinimidyl suberate. Plasma membranes were isolated, and after solubilization with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), the proteins were subjected to electrophoresis on 5% or 7.5% polyacrylamide gel. Autoradiography of the 7.5% gels revealed three iodinated bands corresponding to apparent molecular weights of 56, 130, and more than 240 kilodaltons. The more than 240-kildalton band contained approximately as much 125I as the 130-kilodalton species and about twice as much as the 56-kilodalton species. When run on the more porous 5% gel, the more than 240-kilodalton band resolved into two bands, corresponding to apparent molecular weights of 240 and 310 kilodaltons. Excess unlabeled human or bovine GH, but not o...
Welfare and the Private Provision of Public Goods When Altruism Increases

The desirability of an exogenously induced change in the preferences of individuals is investigated in the case of the voluntary private provision of a charitable public good. Because a change in individual preferences implies a change in the means used to evaluate equilibrium allocations, the welfare criterion of "social supenority," an extension of the conventional Pareto criterion, is used to compare economic states based on different preferences. This article establishes necessary and sufficient conditions under which the adoption of nonidentical altruistic (externality internalizing) preferences by heterogenous individuals increases the private provision of the public good and produces an altruistic state that is socially superior to the initial state.
Politics as usual: the joint committee on printing and executive agency publishing, 1919-1921

Abstract This article provides an interpretation of the U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Printing's efforts to control departmental publishing. 1919–1921. Particular attention is paid to the War Department and the Joint Committee's role in the defeat of the League of Nations, as proposed by President Woodrow Wilson. Also covered are struggles over printing that centered on the issue of separation of powers and the purported waste and extravagance of executive branch publishing.
Blockade of ovulation in the rat by the fungicide sodium N-methyldithiocarbamate : relationship between effects on the luteinizing hormone surge and alterations in hypothalamic catecholamines

Abstract Sodium N -methyldithiocarbamate (SMD), also known as metam sodium, is a commonly employed soil fungicide and nematocide. Structurally related dithiocarbamates have been found to decrease norepinephrine (NE) synthesis by suppressing the activity of dopamine-β-hydroxylase. Because brain hypothalamic catecholamine (CA) activity is involved in generating the proestrus afternoon surge in blood luteinizing hormone (LH) which stimulates the final stages of ovulation, this study explored the effect of SMD on this hormonal trigger and its relationship to changes in hypothalamic CAs. Ovariectomized, steroid-primed Long-Evans rats showed a dose-related (25–100 mg/kg, IP) suppression of the surge and a drop in NE when SMD was given at 1100 h, a few h prior to the expected LH rise. The surge effect was reversed by the α-adrenergic agonist clonidine. With cycling rats, a decline with dose (50–300 mg/kg, 1300 h, proestrus) was seen in the percentage of ovulating females, with earlier injections (0900 h) being less effective at the highest dose. At all doses, low circulating levels of LH and prolactin at 1600 h suggested either a blockade in the proestrus surges of each hormone or a displacement in their time of occurence. Anterior and posterior hypothalamic NE fell by 3 h postinjection and was accompanied by a rise in dopamine, while serotonin was unchanged. Although there was a distinct parallel between the alterations in regional CAs and the incidence of ovulation at the high doses of SMD, the relationship did not hold as the dose decreased. A similar dissociation between ovulation and CAs was seen when equimolar doses of SMD or methylisothiocyanate, a principal metabolite, were given by gavage. At the regional level of analysis employed, the data indicate that while IP injections of SMD are able to block the LH surge and ovulation in these rats, the dose-reponse relationship suggests that, along with induced alterations in CA metabolism, an additional factor may be involved in the observed effects.
Was It Rape? The Function of Women's Rape Myth Acceptance and Definitions of Sex in Labeling Their Own Experiences

In a phenomenon called unacknowledged rape, many rape victims do not label their experience “rape.” Does their level of rape myth acceptance influence this labeling process? In this study, 86 college women whose experience met the legal definition of rape described their experience, indicated how they labeled it, and completed the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Logistic regressions indicated that, for 2 rape myths (e.g., if women don't fight back, it's not rape), women who accepted the myth and whose experience corresponded to the myth (e.g., they did not fight back) were less likely than other women to acknowledge their experience as rape. Women were also unlikely to acknowledge rape when they did not label the nonconsensual sexual behavior “sex.”
GTPγS Incorporation in the Rat Brain: A Study on μ-Opioid Receptors and CXCR4

Chemokine and opioid receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors that play important roles in both the central nervous system and the immune system. The long-term goal of our research is to establish whether opioids regulate the activity of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 (one of the major HIV co-receptors) in the brain. In this research, we studied the anatomical distribution of functional receptors in young and adult animals by using the [(35)S]GTPgammaS "binding" assay as an indication of G-protein activation by CXCL12 (the natural CXCR4 ligand) or by mu-opioid agonists. Brain slices or homogenates from Holtzmann rats of different ages (from 2 to 21 days old and adult animals) were treated with CXCL12 (0.001-100 nM), D: -ala2,MePhe4,gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAMGO; 0.0003-10 microM) or morphine (0.0003-10 microM) and then processed for the assay. Our results show stimulation of both mu-OR and CXCR4 in several brain areas, including cortex and hippocampus (p < 0.001); this effect is dose and age dependent, and the magnitude of response varies among different brain regions. Furthermore, AMD3100 (100 ng/ml), a specific CXCR4 antagonist, abolished CXCL12 stimulation in all the brain regions analyzed (p < 0.001). Our findings suggest a similar pattern of expression for mu-OR and CXCR4 in the brain, supporting the possibility of an interaction between the two G-protein-coupled receptors in vivo. This might be relevant to the role of opiates in HIV neuropathogenesis.
Inorganic−Organic Hybrid Materials Containing Porous Frameworks: Synthesis, Characterization, and Magnetic Properties of the Open Framework Solids [{Co(4,4‘-Bipy)}V2O6] and [{Co2(4,4‘-Bipy)3(H2O)2}V4O12]·2H2O

Synthesis of two novel porous framework hybrid materials, [Co(4,4‘-bipy)V2O6] (1) and [{Co2(4,4‘-bipy)3(H2O)2}V4O12]·2H2O (2), and their characterization by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, elemental analysis, manganometric titration, surface area measurement, bond valence sum calculations, temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurement, and single-crystal X-ray structure analyses is described. Both compounds exhibit remarkable thermal stability. The three-dimensional structures of 1 and 2 are composed of fused {VO4} motifs linked by {Co(4,4‘-bipy)} coordination polymers. The structure of 1 is comprised of {CoO3N2} trigonal bipyramids, linked in two dimensions by corner-sharing {VO4} tetrahedra and in the third dimension by the 4,4‘-bipyridine ligands. In the bimetallic layers, the cobalt centers are bridged alternately by {VO4} and {V2O7} units, generating alternating eight-membered {Co2V2O4} and twelve-membered {Co2V4O6} rings. The crystal structure of 2 consists of a novel three-dime...
Aging effects on hardness and dynamic compressive behavior of Ti–55Ni (at.%) alloy

Abstract Materials for impact applications require a unique combination of high hardness, high dynamic compressive strength, and reasonable toughness ( i.e. , suitable ductility). This paper presents the aging effects on the microstructural evolution, hardness, and compressive high-strain rate behavior of Ni-rich Ti–55Ni (at.%) alloy. Aging heat-treatments of Ti–55Ni between 400 °C and 1000 °C led to the following precipitation sequence: Ti 3 Ni 4 → T 2 Ni 3 → TiNi 3 . Among these, Ti 3 Ni 4 and T 2 Ni 3 were found to be metastable phases since they transformed to TiNi 3 phase during longer aging times or higher aging temperatures. Initial investigations were focused on precipitation studies to obtain a time–temperature–transformation (T–T–T) diagram for Ti–55Ni. High-strain rate compression tests and hardness studies indicated that significant strengthening by Ti 3 Ni 4 and Ti 2 Ni 3 precipitates was accompanied by very low failure strains, i.e. , low ductility. However, precipitation of TiNi 3 during high-temperature aging led to a good balance between strength (1400–2000 MPa) and ductility (10–20%).
Facilitating Reforms in STEM Undergraduate Education: An Administrative Perspective.

This chapter describes insights gained in the College of Engineering at Penn State in implementing collegewide, department-focused, and faculty-centered educational reforms.
Volume increases in striatum associated with positive symptom reduction in schizophrenia: A preliminary observation

Eleven drug-free patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia who were in a period of psychotic exacerbation were treated with antipsychotics for 4 weeks. To evaluate treatment-associated changes in the basal ganglia and in psychotic symptomatology, the patients were studied with magnetic resonance imaging and with the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms. Serial assessments of striatal volumes and psychotic symptoms were performed at baseline and at 4 weeks of treatment; dual assessments of striatal volumes were also performed in 11 untreated normal controls. Patients and controls did not differ in striatal volumes at baseline, but the patients demonstrated a significant posttreatment increase in striatal tissues (caudate-putamen). An increase in left striatum was not associated with drug treatment itself, but with a reduction of positive symptoms.
The microwave spectra and molecular structures of 2-chloro-1,1-difluoroethylene and its complex with the argon atom

Abstract The microwave spectra of six isotopologues each of 2-chloro-1,1-difluoroethylene and its argon complex are obtained in the 5.6–20.5 GHz region using a combination of broadband chirped pulse and Balle–Flygare cavity Fourier transform microwave techniques. The structure of the halogen substituted ethylene has been determined using a combination of theory and experiment. Argon is found to form a nonplanar complex with this haloethylene, locating in the ClCCF cavity, which maximizes its interactions with the heavy atoms in the ethylene subunit. A combined analysis of the chlorine quadrupole coupling constants of the monomer and of the complex allows the sign of the only nonzero off-diagonal component of the quadrupole coupling tensor for the monomer to be determined; thus, the complete tensor for the monomer has been derived.