cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single-cell pathogen detection with a reverse-phase immunoassay on impedimetric transducers.

The risk of infectious diseases has compelled some industries to establish a zero-tolerance standard for the presence of microorganisms in a given sample. Here, we address this issue with a novel reverse-phase immunoassay on impedimetric transducers for the specific detection of extremely low numbers of pathogens (less than 10 cells). After simply spotting the sample onto the electrodes, physisorbed analytes were targeted with urease-labeled antibodies, and the urease on the pathogens hydrolyzed urea to ionic species with a concomitant decrease of the resistivity of the solution. By this methodology, the limit of detection (LOD) based on the 3σ criterion was 1 Escherichia coli cell with an assay time under 1 h. However, the precise number of cells present in highly diluted samples is uncertain, making it difficult to assess the final LOD of the sensor. We overcome this problem by using an atomic force microscope to deposit and image in situ the exact number cells on the transducer. After performing the im...
Effects of Galaxy Mergers on Their Spatial Distribution and Luminosity Function

We study how merging affects the luminosity and the spatial distributions of galaxies. By using a master equation description and a distribution of physical merging cross sections, we find that the evolution of the galaxy luminosity distribution and the spatial counts-in-cells distribution are closely related. They place strong constraints on each other. The observed evolution of the galaxy luminosity function in the Autofib Redshift Survey (Ellis et al.) implies at least a 10% decrease in the galaxy comoving number density at z < 0.7. This significantly affects the evolution of galaxy spatial counts-in-cells distribution. The observed evolution of the galaxy luminosity function also requires a form of "differential dimming" for the less luminous galaxies even if galaxy merging drives the evolution. A counts-in-cells analysis for distant galaxies would help clarify the nature of the excess counts of faint-blue galaxies at high redshifts.
Mechanisms of Action of Conjugated Linoleic Acid: Evidence and Speculation

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to inhibit carcinogenesis and atherosclerosis, enhance immunologic function while protecting against the catabolic effects of immune stimulation, affect body composition change (reducing body fat gain while enhancing lean body mass gain), and stimulate the growth of young rats. We discuss possible biochemical mechanisms that underlie these physiological effects. We emphasize the importance of considering the effects, both individually and combined, of the two CLA isomers (cis-9, trans-11 CLA and trans-10, cis-12 CLA) that have been shown to exhibit biological activity and which appear to exert their effects via different biochemical mechanisms.
Myosin Cross-Bridge Kinetics and the Mechanism of Catch

Catch force in molluscan smooth muscle requires little, if any, energy input and is controlled by the phosphorylation state of the thick filament-associated mini-titin, twitchin. The kinetic parameters of myosin cross-bridge turnover in permeabilized catch muscle, and how they are potentially modified by the catch mechanism, were determined by single turnover measurements on myosin-bound ADP. Under isometric conditions, there are fast and slow components of cross-bridge turnover that probably result from kinetic separation of calcium-bound and calcium-free cross-bridge pools. The structure responsible for catch force maintenance at intermediate [Ca+2] does not alter the processes responsible for the fast and slow components under isometric conditions. Also, there is no measurable turnover of myosin-bound ADP during relaxation of catch force by phosphorylation of twitchin at pCa > 8. The only effects of the catch link on myosin-bound ADP turnover are 1), a small, very slow extra turnover when catch force is maintained at very low [Ca+2] (pCa > 8); and 2), attenuation of the shortening-induced increase in turnover at subsaturating [Ca+2]. These limited interactions between the catch link and myosin cross-bridge turnover are consistent with the idea that catch force is maintained by a thick and thin filament linkage other than the myosin cross-bridge.
Improving the identification of postoperative wound dehiscence missed by the Patient Safety Indicator algorithm.

Abstract Background The Patient Safety Indicator (PSI) Postoperative Wound Dehiscence (PWD) is an administrative data-based algorithm that flags cases using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code 54.61 (abdominal wall disruption reclosure). We examined how often PWD missed events and explored ways to improve event identification. Methods We selected 125 high-risk unflagged cases based on predicted probability and the presence of clinically relevant codes. We determined the false-negative proportion and associated reasons through chart review and calculated likelihood ratios of associated codes. Results Thirty-two percent of cases were false negatives, 60% of which lacked any abdominal wall repair codes. All individual codes had low likelihood ratios; the combination of diagnosis code 998.3x (operative wound disruption) and particular abdominal wall repair procedure codes occurred exclusively in false-negative cases (representing 24% of false-negative cases). Conclusions Among high-risk cases, the PWD algorithm frequently missed events. Coder training to clarify assignment of abdominal wall repair codes, plus adding specific code combinations to the algorithm, would improve event identification.
Clinical Trial of a Supportive Care Team for Patients With Advanced Cancer

Abstract Context Encouraging use of hospice and minimizing the use of cure-oriented aggressive interventions that detract from quality of life in the last month of life are specific targets for improvement in cancer care. Objectives To evaluate the effect of an interdisciplinary cancer support team (CST) on quality of care and quality of life in patients with advanced cancers. Methods A nonrandomized clinical trial was conducted, comparing outcomes before and after the integration of an interdisciplinary CST in routine care of adults with Stage III or IV lung, gastrointestinal, or gynecologic cancer. In the control arm, patients (n = 332) received usual care; after the initiation of the intervention arm, eligible patients (n = 278) received the CST intervention. The intervention consisted of individualized care coordination, symptom management, education, psychosocial and spiritual supports, and advance care planning throughout the 15-month study period. Quality of end-of-life care was measured through an "aggressiveness of care" index. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. Results There were no statistically significant differences between groups on specific indicators of quality of care. Surviving subjects with higher survival expectancy (who also reported better baseline quality of life) in the intervention arm had the greatest improvement in HRQOL scores, compared with the other three groupings of survival expectancy by treatment group (high vs. low by intervention vs. control) (P = 0.044). Conclusion Individually tailored supportive services from an interdisciplinary team are associated with improved HRQOL in some patients. This has implications for the potential benefits that can be accrued from providing intensive support to all patients, even those who may appear to be at less risk for distress. There also are important methodological considerations in using aggressiveness of care indices as a measure of quality of care.
Some Comments On The Use Of Supermirrors At The Institut Laue Langevin

In this article, I describe a calculation of the properties of a straight supermirror guide and present details of the supermirror polarising "benders" fabricated at the Institut Laue Langevin in Grenoble, France.
Raman tensor of germanium and zincblende-type semiconductors

Abstract It is shown that the one-phonon Raman tensor of germanium and zincblende-type materials can be calculated from a model density of states consisting only of the E0 and the E0 + Δ0 parabolic critical points. The calculated Raman tensors and their spectral dependence are compared with experimental results for GaP, GaAs, and ZnSe and with a recent calculation for Ge based on the complete band structure.
Urbanization and the ecology of wildlife diseases

Urbanization is intensifying worldwide, with two-thirds of the human population expected to reside in cities within 30 years. The role of cities in human infectious disease is well established, but less is known about how urban landscapes influence wildlife-pathogen interactions. Here, we draw on recent advances in wildlife epidemiology to consider how environmental changes linked with urbanization can alter the biology of hosts, pathogens and vectors. Although urbanization reduces the abundance of many wildlife parasites, transmission can, in some cases, increase among urban-adapted hosts, with effects on rarer wildlife or those living beyond city limits. Continued rapid urbanization, together with risks posed by multi-host pathogens for humans and vulnerable wildlife populations, emphasize the need for future research on wildlife diseases in urban landscapes.
The effect of ejaculation on prostate-specific antigen in a prostate cancer-screening population

Abstract Objectives. To measure the impact of ejaculation on the serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in a prostate cancer-screening population. Methods. Questionnaires regarding history of ejaculation were administered to all participants in a prostate cancer-screening trial. Two groups were analyzed. The first cohort consisted of 618 men who answered the questionnaire, and their serum PSA values were compared according to time since last ejaculation. The second cohort consisted of 89 volunteers who agreed to come back for a postejaculation PSA for whom a before and after ejaculation PSA was measured. Regression analysis was conducted between change in PSA and time since ejaculation as well as in the magnitude of change and baseline PSA. Results. The mean (±SD) age of the studied population was 60.43 ± 9.23 years. A non-statistically significant difference in PSA levels was observed for either cohort. For the 89 volunteers the mean PSA change after ejaculation was −0.62 ± 0.75 (not significant). Initially, the PSA decreased, and then after 9 hours a steady increase was observed. After 12 hours, the serum PSA returns to baseline. The regression analysis between baseline PSA and magnitude of change showed a strong correlation ( r = .557). The higher the baseline PSA, the greater the magnitude of change. Conclusions. For the total screened population, ejaculation has no clinically significant effect. Men should not be asked to abstain from sexual activities before a PSA-screening test.
The Effects of High School Math Curriculum on College Attendance: Evidence from the NLSY97.

Abstract Using a sample of youth who graduated from high school in the late 1990s and early 2000s, this paper examines the impact of high school math curriculum on the decision to go to college. Results that control for unobserved differences between students and their families suggest that a more rigorous high school math curriculum is associated with a higher probability of attending college and of attending a 4-year college. The household fixed effect results imply that students who take an advanced academic math curriculum in high school (algebra II or precalculus, trigonometry, or calculus) are about 17 percentage points more likely to go to college and 20 percentage points more likely to start college at a 4-year school by age 21 compared to those students whose highest math class was algebra I or geometry.
The Timing of Divorce: Predicting When a Couple Will Divorce Over a 14-Year Period

This paper investigates the predictability of divorce in a long-term, prospective longitudinal study. Past research has indicated that 2 periods can be considered the most critical for the survival of marriages: (a) the first 7 years of marriage, during which half of all divorces are known to occur, and (b) the period during which the first child reaches 14 years of age, which has been suggested as a low point for marital satisfaction in the life course. In the present study, interaction variables at Time 1 (both during conflict and in an events-of-the-day discussion following separation of the spouses for at least 8 hours) and noninteractive variables were used to predict divorcing both early and later in the marriage. A different set of variables predicted early divorcing than predicted later divorcing. Negative affect during conflict predicted early divorcing, but it did not predict later divorcing. By contrast, the lack of positive affect in events-of-the-day and conflict discussions predicted later divorcing, but it did not predict early divorcing. Prediction was possible over the 14-year period of the study with a model that included marital satisfaction, thoughts of marital dissolution, and affective interaction in both conversations. The model predicted divorce with 93% accuracy.
Socio-Psychoanalytic Perspectives on the Subordinate

This paper integrates psychoanalytic and sociological concepts to examine what persons do with the role of subordinate in the work situation, specifically in relations with immediate superiors. Focusing on the side of the subordinate, the authority relation at work is viewed as a complex emotional attachment and understood as a dynamic process-one which considerably reflects and conforms around the internal needs, dispositions, and conflicts of the individual in the subordinate position. It is argued that patterns of relating to authority crystallize in the earliest years of life in connection with parents and that by way of patterned movements throughout the life-course, persons choose and modify contexts that sustain these patterns. Recurrent themes relating to subordinates' paradoxical needs and ambivalence around dependency and control are discussed. A case study of an attorney's relations with her superiors is presented to illustrate how these emotional dynamics unfold and are expressed. Special atte...
Visual communication in the basic course

(1992). Visual communication in the basic course. Communication Education: Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 312-323.
Bypass Surgery for Intestinal Occluding Abscesses in the Equine: A Report of Two Cases

The medical management of two horses with small intestine occluding abdominal abscesses was supported by surgical bypasses. In the first case the small intestine was transected proximal to the abscess and an end-to-side anastomosis performed distally; in the second case a side-to-side anastomosis was performed without bowel transection. The results suggest bowel transection with an end-to-side anastomosis to be the preferred procedure.
Anthropogenic increase of winter surface albedo

Summary The range of surface albedo in winter increased fourfold after densely forested swamps in Orange County, New York were turned into farmland, making the local microclimate considerably more sensitive to the presence and duration of snow cover. Today, the peaty onion fields when dry have an albedo of 0.08 when snowfree and 0.79 when covered with fresh snow. Before clearance in the late 18th century, the albedo of the swamps ranged from approximately 0.10 when snowfree to 0.28 when snow covered. Prior to the arrival of white settlers, the regional surface albedo, as modeled over a large portion of southeastern New York, ranged from 0.12 when snowfree to 0.31 when snow covered. It ranged from 0.15 (snow-free) to 0.59 (snow covered) when deforestation peaked in the late 19th century. Present values are 0.14 and 0.47, respectively. As a result of these changes in albedo, we estimate that approximately the same amount of solar radiation was absorbed in the naturally vegetated New York region in a snowy winter (with the ground snow covered 75% of the time) as in a snow-dry winter in the late 19th century (with a 10% duration of snow). Deforestation elsewhere in the middle latitudes has had qualitatively similar effects.
Influence of cell disruption methods on polyuridylic acid dependent polyphenylalanine synthesis by isolated ribosomes of mycobacteria.

Der Einfluss verschiedener Desintegrierungsmethoden von Tuberkelbazillen auf die biologische Aktivitat von isolierten subzellularen Fraktionen wird beschrieben.
Attitudes Toward Resolution of Human–Wildlife Conflict Among Forest-Dependent Agriculturalists Near Rajaji National Park, India

Understanding local attitudes towards human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is key to developing successful conflict mitigation strategies. In this paper, in-depth interview and questionnaire data about resolution of HWC in Uttarakhand, India are examined from both qualitative and quantitative approaches (n = 70). Responses are differentiated between and within three subgroups: gender, literacy status, and relative wealth. Overall, the plurality of respondents said that fencing is the best solution, that the Forest Department should take leadership, and that villagers would be willing to participate in a cooperative management institution. However, cooperative action was only actively supported by 27.4% of respondents, suggesting that comanagement of this protected area will require significant capacity building and trust building activities. Intragroup differences show that all three factors are significant, and underscore the importance of addressing gender differences in attitudes about HWC in particular. Women were less likely than men to support compensation, more likely to prefer that the village take leadership, and less willing to participate in a cooperative management institution. The study illustrates the value of mixed-method research, and suggests a number of specific entry points for action.
Decay of cell synchronization: solutions of the cell-growth equation.

Growth-rate functions in analytic form have been obtained for cell cultures in which the doubling times follow the Gaussian and Poisson distributions. The growth-rate functions are calculated by using Laplace transforms to solve an integral equation previously presented. Oscillatory solutions result if a substantial fraction of the cells in a culture are synchronized to divide at some particular time. The synchrony and, hence, the oscillatory character of the growth-rate function eventually disappear because of the non-zero variance of the doubling-time distribution. If their variances are sufficiently small, the Gaussian and Poisson doubling-time distributions lead to growth-rate functions that become identical in the limit of large time.
Insufficiency of four known necessary conditions on string unavoidability

The reductive decision procedure for unavoidable strings was recently shown to have an exponential lower bound. Hence, as a special case of generalized pattern matching, the existence of an efficient algorithm deciding string unavoidability remains an interesting open question. It has been hypothesized that some combination of the four necessary conditions implied by the known decidability results would be sufficient. Three of these criteria are determined in polynomial time, and the fourth provides the needed recursion. In this paper, however, we demonstrate the existence of arbitrarily many avoidable strings meeting any extended conjunction of the four necessary conditions. These insufficiency results are achieved by analyzing the appropriate graphical interpretations of the given algorithms. We provide a new combinatorial operation on the corresponding strings and generate arbitrary counterexamples from an empirically located minimal set. Thus, string unavoidability cannot be efficiently decided by the known reductive method or its immediate implications.
Olfactory, thermal, and tactual influences on infantile ultrasonic vocalization in rats

The amount of time infant rats 3–13 days old spent emitting ultrasounds was greater when pups were placed in an empty dish than when placed in a dish containing clean bedding or soiled bedding from the nest. Pups from 5–13 days of age vocalized more when on the clean bedding than when on the soiled bedding. When placed on cloth covered dishes, pups vocalized most to the empty dish and least to the dish containing soiled bedding. The odor of clean bedding elicited less ultrasonic vocalization than the odor of the empty dish only when pups were less than 7 days old. Pups vocalized more to room temperature than to heated conditions. The results indicate that olfactory, tactual, and thermal nest cues influence infantile ultrasonic vocalization in the rat.
Analysis of bacteriophage T7 early RNAs and proteins on slab gels

The RNAs and proteins specified by five early genes of bacteriophage T7 have been identified by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate, polyacrylamide gels. Extracts of cells infected by different deletion strains and point mutants of T7 are analyzed on a slab gel system in which 25 samples can be run simultaneously and then dried for autoradiography. The high capacity of this system makes it possible to do many types of experiment that would be extremely tedious by other means. The five early genes are designated 0.3,0.7, 1, 1.1 and 1.3, in order from left to right on the T7 genetic map. The stop signal that prevents host RNA polymerase from transcribing into the late region of T7 DNA is located to the right of gene 1.3 (ligase). Most deletions that affect gene 1.3 also delete the stop signal, and some of them affect at least one late protein, the 1.7 protein. Several small, early RNAs can be resolved that are not affected by any of the deletions. These small RNAs could not come from between the five early genes or from the right end of the early region, and other work (Dunn & Studier, 1973) indicates that at least some of them come from the region to the left of gene 0.3. Deletions have been found that enter either end of the gene 1 RNA or the right ends of the 0.3 or 1.1 RNAs without seeming to affect the proteins specified by these RNAs. Perhaps all of the early messenger RNAs of T7 have untranslated regions at both ends. Some deletions that enter the left end of the gene 1 RNA reduce the amount of gene 1 protein that is synthesized, presumably by interfering with initiation of protein synthesis.
Myocardial and mitochondrial function in potassium depletion cardiomyopathy.

The purpose of this investigation was to define mitochondrial function in cats with depressed cardiac contractility secondary to dietary depletion of potassium (cardiomyopathy). Cats were maintained on one of the following four programs: (i) normal diet (controls); (ii) potassium-deficient diet for an average of 36 days; (iii) potassium-deficient diet for an average of 38 days and then a normal diet for an average of 36 days; (iv) potassium-deficient diet plus 120 mequiv of potassium chloride/l of drinking water for an average of 43 days. Normal intracellular exchangeable 42K averaged 154 ± 3 (s.e.) mequiv/l of intracellular water while potassium-deficient diet resulted in a decrease to 92 ± 9 mequiv/l. Mechanics of contractility were characterized by force-velocity and length-tension relations in isolated right ventricular papillary muscles. Indexes of oxidative phosphorylation and the rate of potassium transport induced by valinomyein were assessed in the mitochondria. The average force-velocity and length-tension curves were greatly depressed in the low potassium group (P < 0.001). Normal myocardial muscle mechanics were demonstrated in papillary muscles of animals given potassium chloride in addition to potassium-deficient diet and in muscles from animals fed a normal diet after potassium deficiency was produced. Respiratory control ratios were depressed 15% from control values (P < 0.05) in potassium deficiency but were equal to control values in repleted animals. Valinomycin-induced uptake of potassium was diminished 15% in the potassium-deficient hearts (P < 0.02). The rate of influx of potassium was depressed 22% from control (P < 0.02). These data suggest that a severe potassium-deficient state is associated with severe impairment of myocardial mechanical function and moderate changes in mitochondrial function that are reversible with repletion of dietary potassium.
The traditional Indian theory and practice of music and dance

Jonathan Katz, 'Introduction: Sastra, prayoga and sanngita.' Harold Powers, 'Reinterpretations of tradition in Hindustani music: Omkarnath Thakur contra Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande.' Richard Widdess, 'Reflections on a medieval melody: theory, practice and notation in early Indian musicological texts.' N. Ramanathan, 'Influence of sastra on prayoga: the svara system in the post-Sangitaratnakara period with special reference to South Indian music.' Lewis Rowell, 'The prabandhas in Matanga's Brhaddesi.' P.L. Sharma, 'Sastra and prayoga: sastric tradition and contemporary tala practice, with special reference to Hindustani music.' Mukund Lath, 'Tandu: the first theoretician of dance.' S.S. Janaki, The hand-gesture pataka in natya.' Mandrakranta Bose, 'Categories of dance: bandha and anibandha.'
Pediatric brain tumors: Current treatment strategies and future therapeutic approaches

Pediatric CNS tumors are the most common solid tumors of childhood and the second most common cancer after hematological malignancies accounting for approximate 20 to 25% of all primary pediatric tumors. With over 3,000 new cases per year in the United States, childhood CNS tumors are the leading cause of death related to cancer in this population. The prognosis for these patients has improved over the last few decades, but current therapies continue to carry a high risk of significant side effects, especially for the very young. Currently a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy is often used in children greater than 3 years of age. This article will outline current and future therapeutic strategies for the most common pediatric CNS tumors, including primitive neuroectodermal tumors such as medulloblastoma, as well as astrocytomas and ependymomas.
Self-harm and depression in women with urinary incontinence: a record-linkage study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between self-harm and urinary incontinence (UI), and between depression and UI, in women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The incidence of self-harm in women with UI is not well documented. We analysed a statistical database that includes hospital contact data for UI and for self-harm and depression. We calculated rate ratios for self-harm and depression in a cohort of women admitted for UI, and rate ratios for UI in cohorts of women admitted with self-harm or depression, compared with a control cohort. RESULTS: After admission for UI, self-harm was significantly high in young women (aged or = 5 years after admission for depression, it was 1.20 (1.05-1.35). CONCLUSIONS: Young women with UI are at risk of self-harm. For all age groups studied, depression was more common in women with UI than in others. Depression might be a consequence of UI, but the increase in risk at long intervals before admission with UI suggests that they might share underlying causal mechanisms. Language: en
Modification of the Bu/Cy myeloablative regimen using daily parenteral busulfan: reduced toxicity without the need for pharmacokinetic monitoring

Pharmacokinetic and clinical outcome measures among three groups of patients undergoing hematopoietic transplant were assessed: group A: Parenteral busulfan (Bu) 3.2 mg/kg i.v. given qd, n=20; group B: parenteral Bu 0.8 mg/kg i.v. given every 6 h, n=11; group C: Bu 1 mg/kg p.o. given every 6 h, n=25. All groups received Bu over 4 days followed by Cy 60 mg/kg i.v. qd over 2 days; followed by an infusion of allogeneic stem cells. Median Bu clearance was 3.21 ml/min/kg and median daily AUC was 4071 μmol/min for the group A patients. The dosing formula for Bu i.v. qd was highly predictive of the AUC for patients whose mass ⩽IBW+20%. For patients of greater mass, the dosing formula uniformly resulted in lower-than-predicted AUC. Neurologic toxicity, hepatic toxicity, hematologic engraftment, and relapse at 100 days were comparable across all three groups. Severe AGVHD was least among group A, followed by group B when compared with group C. Bu i.v. qd is a safe and effective regimen for allogeneic transplantation and is at least clinically equivalent to every 6 h dosing schemes using either oral or parenteral Bu.
An ultraviolet absorbance method of estimating the percent aromatic carbon content of humic acids.

(...) A rapid method of estimating the aromatic C content of humic acids would be useful in studies of the fate of nonpolar organic solutes in soils and natural waters. The relationship between the UV absorptivity of nine different dissolved humic substances, measured at a wavelength of 272 nm, and their aromatic C content, as determined by 13 C CPMAS NMR, was evaluated. (...)
Photeolytic activation of a lipolytic enzyme activity in potato leaves

Abstract Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) leaves were shown to contain a lipolytic enzyme activity which is stimulated by treatment with purified trypsin, pronase, and to a lesser degree by chymotrypsin. This protease-stimulated activity was stable over a wide range of pH values. Lipolytic enzyme activity also appeared to be regulated by pH, with a pronounced stimulation at pH 6.0 ± 0.5 and a subsequent inactivation at pH 8.0–9.0. This pH stimulation was slightly by ethylene diamine tetracetic acid (EDTA), and was inhibited by Ca 2+ . Although leupeptin slightly inhibited the pH stimulation, two other protease inhibitors, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and soybean trypsin inhibitor showed no effect. While some of the lipolytic enzyme activitiesn potato leaves (those detected by 1-acyl-2-[6-[(7-nitro-2,1,3 benzoxadiazol-4-yl) amino]-caproyl] phosphatidylcholine (C 6 -NBD-PC) hydrolysis) are stimulated by protease or pH treatment, others (those detected by 4-methylumbelliferyl laurate (4MUL) hydrolysis) are inactivated by them. The possible physiological significance of this apparent proteolytic activation is discussed.
Mechanism of action of the Rep protein from the Dictyostelium Ddp2 plasmid family.

The two-hybrid system was used to show that the Rep proteins from three members of the Dictyostelium discoideum Ddp2 plasmid family, Ddp2, Ddp5, and Ddp6, form homomultimers but not heteromultimers when expressed in yeast cells. The results with deletion mutations suggest that multiple regions of the Rep proteins are involved in the multimerization. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with heterologously expressed and purified Ddp2 Rep protein showed that it is a DNA binding protein. The nucleosomal organization of Ddp2 and Ddp6 in their inverted repeat and promoter regions was investigated. Analysis of mutants derived from the Ddp6 plasmid revealed that its Rep protein is required for nucleosome positioning (i.e., phasing) to occur in the promoter region. On the other hand, nucleosome positioning in the inverted repeat regions of both plasmids is not dependent on Rep protein but on either a feature of the DNA sequence or the binding of cellular factors, perhaps the Dictyostelium origin recognition complex. Rep protein is likely involved in transcription regulation and control of DNA replication, specifically amplification of plasmid at low copy numbers. The formation of homomultimers may be required for their regulatory activity.
Low-loss hermetically coated optical fiber

It has been reported that the mechanical strength of hermetically coated fibers, particularly, the static fatigue properties, is excelient.1,2 But the transmission loss of hermetically coated fibers was a little bit higher than that of organic material-coated fibers. The excess loss of the hermetically coated fiber was attributed to microbending caused by the shrinkage of the coating material such as aluminum or tin. Indium coating is one method to prevent microbending loss because its melting point is low, but indium is an expensive material.3
Retrovirus Insertion into Herpesvirus: Characterization of a Marek's Disease Virus Harboring a Solo LTR

We recently reported the phenomenon of retroviral insertion into a herpesvirus (Isfort et al., (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 991-995). We have now isolated Marek's disease virus (MDV) clones that carry retroviral inserts. Retroviral LTR insertion has the potential to activate or inactivate herpesvirus genes leading to alterations of the biological properties of the herpesviruses. The structure and the expression pattern of a virus clone carrying a solitary LTR insertion was characterized in detail. The LTR insertion is accompanied by deletions in the herpesvirus genome at each of the junctions of the short unique region (US) and its inverted repeats (RS). This results in a significantly truncated RS region. Despite these structural rearrangements, the virus is replication-competent and demonstrates an enhanced growth rate in vitro. While the MDV homologs of herpes simplex US genes are retained in this virus, at least two open reading frames are deleted and one transcript observed in wild-type virus is disrupted. In addition to defining several regions of MDV that are nonessential for in vitro growth, this clone illustrates one way in which retroviral information can be stably transmitted by a herpesvirus.
Further evidence for the independence of hedonic level and emotional intensity

Abstract Recent investigations of the personality structure of affect have provided evidence for a two-dimensional representation. Larsen and Diener, Person. individ. Diff. 6, 631–636 (1985) report a multitrait-multimethod investigation in which they assert that hedonic level and emotional intensity are the two independent dimensions which comprise the personality structure of affect. However, explicit tests of this assertion were not presented. The present paper provides explicit tests of the independence of these dimensions from each other as well as from the method of measurement by using confirmatory factor analytic techniques. One-, two-, and three-factor models were estimated for data presented by Larsen and Diener (1985). The results of the present investigation strongly support the independence of hedonic level and emotional intensity. This independence does not appear to be an artifact of the method of measurement. The possible role of personality variables in mediating emotional responses to situations is discussed.
RELATION OF CARBOHYDRATE DEFICIENT DIETS TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HORMONES OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX11

IT IS WELL KNOWN that variations in the electrolyte content of the diet affect the response of adrenalectomized animals to cortical hormones. The effect of variation in other dietary constituents has been studied to some degree, but less extensively (Long 1942, Eversole 1945a). Itis generally agreed that the adrenal steroids typified by desoxycorticosterone affect particularlyelectrolyte metabolism, whereas the 11-oxygenated steroids have a primary or at least potent action on carbohydrate metabolism, one phase of which is generally considered to be the stimulation of gluconeogenesis (literature cited by Swingle and Remington, 1944). Most workers have found that the deficiencies in carbohydrate metabolism seen in adrenalectomized animals were relieved little ifany by desoxycorticosterone whereas the 11-oxygenated steroids were highly active (Long, et al., 1940; Kendall, 1942; Ingle, 1942).
Action-perception mismatch in tone-deafness.

Summary The source of conscious experience has fueled scientific and philosophical debates for centuries. In the auditory and motor domains, it is not yet known how consciously and unconsciously obtained information combine to enable the production and perception of speaking and singing. Both forms of vocalization rely upon the interaction of brain networks responsible for perception and action. While perceptual experience and executed actions are usually well coupled, dissociations between perception and action can be informative. Here we report such a dissociation: tone-deaf individuals, who cannot consciously perceive pitch differences, can paradoxically reproduce pitch intervals in correct directions. Our results suggest that multiple neural pathways have evolved for sound perception and production, so that pitch information sufficient for intact speech can be obtained separately from pathways necessary for conscious perception.
Conjugate Direction Methods in Optimization

I Newton's Method and the Gradient Method.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Fundamental Concepts.- 3 Iterative Methods for Solving g(x) = 0.- 4 Convergence Theorems.- 5 Minimization of Functions by Newton's Method.- 6 Gradient Methods-The Quadratic Case.- 7 General Descent Methods.- 8 Iterative Methods for Solving Linear Equations.- 9 Constrained Minima.- II Conjugate Direction Methods.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Quadratic Functions on En.- 3 Basic Properties of Quadratic Functions.- 4 Minimization of a Quadratic Function F on k-Planes.- 5 Method of Conjugate Directions (CD-Method).- 6 Method of Conjugate Gradients (CG-Algorithm).- 7 Gradient PARTAN.- 8 CG-Algorithms for Nonquadratic Functions.- 9 Numerical Examples.- 10 Least Square Solutions.- III Conjugate Gram-Schmidt Processes.- 1 Introduction.- 2 A Conjugate Gram-Schmidt Process.- 3 CGS-CG-Algorithms.- 4 A Connection of CGS-Algorithms with Gaussian Elimination.- 5 Method of Parallel Displacements.- 6 Methods of Parallel Planes (PARP).- 7 Modifications of Parallel Displacements Algorithms.- 8 CGS-Algorithms for Nonquadratic Functions.- 9 CGS-CG-Routines for Nonquadratic Functions.- 10 Gauss-Seidel CGS-Routines.- 11 The Case of Nonnegative Components.- 12 General Linear Inequality Constraints.- IV Conjugate Gradient Algorithms.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Conjugate Gradient Algorithms.- 3 The Normalized CG-Algorithm.- 4 Termination.- 5 Clustered Eigenvalues.- 6 Nonnegative Hessians.- 7 A Planar CG-Algorithm.- 8 Justification of the Planar CG-Algorithm.- 9 Modifications of the CG-Algorithm.- 10 Two Examples.- 11 Connections between Generalized CG-Algorithms and Stadard CG- and CD-Algorithm.- 12 Least Square Solutions.- 13 Variable Metric Algorithms.- 14 A Planar CG-Algorithm for Nonquadratic Functions.- References.
Thermal acclimation more extensive for behavioral parameters than for oxygen consumption in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Thermal acclimation in the free-living soil nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans was studied by determining effects of both growth and test temperatures on oxygen consumption and behavior. Growth temperature (15, 20, or 25°C) had no significant influence on oxygen consumption in the range 10–30°C, although cold-grown worms had higher consumption at 5°C. In contrast, measurements of the fraction of worms moving at any instant and of chemotaxic ability both showed nearly complete thermal acclimation (in the sense that activity-temperature relationships were shifted nearly as much as the differences in growth temperature). Measurements of the rates of acclimation using the behavioral assays indicated acclimation is half complete in about two hours.
New data on selected Ivory Coast tektites.

Fourteen Ivory Coast tektites exhibit a range of bulk indices of refraction of 1.5156 to 1.5217 plus or minus 0.0004 and of bulk specific gravities of 2.428 to 2.502 plus or minus 0.005. Seven of these Ivory Coast (IVC) tektites were analyzed for major and minor element content. Compared to tektites from other strewn fields, their SiO2 content is low (67.2-69.1%), Al2O3 relatively high (15.8-16.8%), and total iron relatively high but with a more restricted range (6.3-6.8% as FeO). Their lime content is low (0.71-1.35%) compared to Australasian tektites but their MgO/CaO ratio (about 3.1) is unusually high. All other tektite groups have Na2O/K2O ratios less than unity, but the Na2O/K2O ratio of the IVC tektites is slightly greater than unity. Their K/Rb ratios range from 200 to 256 and average 227.
The nature and development of sex attractant specificity in cockroaches of the genus Periplaneta. I. Sexual dimorphism in the distribution of antennal sense organs in five species

Sexual dimorphism in the distribution of antennal sense organs is common among adults of the genus Periplaneta. In three out of the four strains of Periplaneta americana examined, adult males had more contact chemoreceptors than females. In the fourth strain of P. americana and in P. australasiae, P. brunnea, P. fuliginosa, and P. japonica, no statistically supportable sexual dimorphism of contact chemoreceptors was found. However, in all strains and species of Periplaneta examined, sexual dimorphism was found in the total number and/or density of olfactory sensilla. Male adults had nearly twice as many olfactory sensilla as female adults. These observations are consistent with the behavioral observation that males within the genus Periplaneta rely on the reception of an airborne pheromone for the initiation of courtship behavior. In P. americana, where sexual dimorphism was found in the contact chemoreceptors, contact stimuli release the full wing raising display and presentation in males during courtship.
On The Hidden Beauty of the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition

The proper orthogonal decomposition theorem (Loeve (1955)) of probability theory has been proposed and adapted by Lumley (1967) for detecting spatial coherent patterns in turbulent flows. More specifically, the decomposition extracts deterministic functions from second order statistics of a random field and converges optimally fast in the quadratic mean (I.E. in energy). Aubry et al. (1990) showed that the technique can be made completely deterministic in the sense that it can be applied to (deterministic) spatially and temporally evolving flows. The remarkable property of this deterministic decomposition is not only in its optimal convergence (as emphasized previously in the literature) but also in its space/time symmetry which permits access to the spatio-temporal dynamics. We discuss here the implications of this property for fluid mechanics studies. The flow is decomposed into both spatial and temporalorthogonal modes which are coupled: each space component is associated with a time component partner. The latter is the time evolution of the former and the former is the spatial configuration of the latter. This generalizes the notion of spatial structures to that of temporal structures both of which can be followed through the various instabilities that the flow undergoes as the Reynolds number increases (in the first flow instability stages as well as in the fully developed turbulence). It also provides a nonlinear dynamics tool for spatio-temporal dynamical systems and can be used for bifurcation detection and analysis as well as dimension and degree of complexity estimates. Simple examples are given to illustrate the theory. In particular, we describe a Hopf bifurcation occurring in time showing how the system complexifies spatially and temporally complexifies. Finally, we describe how the tool presented in this paper is ideal for analysis and compaction of experimental data obtained by simultaneous measurements at multiple locations such as laser scanning techniques, image processing of visualization and particle image velocimetry
Developmental Regulation of the α-Glycerophosphate Shuttle in Porcine Myocardium☆

Abstract The α-glycerophosphate (α-GP) shuttle has been shown to play a role in reducing equivalent transfer in neonatal cardiac mitochondria. In adult heart mitochondria, α-GP shuttle activity is not detectable. The goals of the current study were to define the time course of the age-dependent decline in α-GP shuttle capacity and to identify the enzymatic step(s) of the α-GP shuttle which are regulated during development. Intact mitochondria were isolated from porcine hearts of various ages and assayed for α-GP shuttle capacity. By 5 weeks of age, α-GP shuttle capacity had decreased by nearly 39%. The cytosolic step of the shuttle, catalysed by cytosolic α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (cα-GPDH), demonstrated a significant increase between 0–2-day-old animals and adults. Partial cDNA clones of porcine cα-GPDH and mitochondrial α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (mα-GPDH) were prepared and used to quantitate expression of these genes. Using mRNA isolated from neonatal and adult porcine myocardium, expression of the cα-GPDH was unchanged, while expression of the mα-GPDH gene was present in neonatal but absent in adult myocardium. These results demonstrate a rapid postnatal decline in myocardial α-GP shuttle capacity which appears to be regulated by a decline in mα-GPDH gene expression.
Continuous reactions in distillation equipment

For hypothetical two- and three-component liquid-phase reversible reactions, continuous processes are described in which the products are obtained in essentially pure form by carrying out the reaction in a single distillation column. Methods for plate-to-plate calculations in such reaction-distillation systems and numerical solutions for two reactions are presented.
Effects of context-sensitive delays on group dynamics in 3D virtual worlds

3D online virtual worlds are platforms for cooperative applications. They allow users to create customized content. Changes in the system conditions are usually manifested to end users as delays in the shared state. Consistency management and delay compensation solutions for other collaborative environments may not be directly applicable because of context-sensitive changes in the system behavior. Our study of a social dilemma task explores the extent to which cooperation dynamics are affected by network and context-sensitive delays. The results show that context-sensitive delays led to accidental damage of the collective action.
Normative Family Interactions: Hmong American Adolescents' Perceptions of Their Parents

Hmong American adolescents' perceptions of their parents were examined using the parenting styles and family ecologies models. Individual interviews of forty 11- to 18-year-old Hmong American teenagers resulted in open-ended and fixed-choice responses. In the open-ended responses, adolescents emphasized themes of parental involvement and depending on the family for support. The theme of depending on the family was more commonly used to describe mothers, whereas respectful relationships was used more frequently to describe fathers. Two emergent themes were the adolescents' views of fathers as hard-working but absent and the adolescents' understanding that parents were preparing them for “the good life.” Using fixed-choice warmth and behavioral control scores, 40% of mothers and 27.5% of fathers were identified as authoritative. The remaining parents showed authoritarian, permissive, or neglectful parenting styles. The older adolescents described relationships with parents that were less close than the desc...
Thermal degradation of nadic methyl anhydride‐crosslinked novolac epoxy resin

The physicochemical high-temperature reactions of a nadic methyl anhydride-cross-linked novolac epoxy resin were investigated by means of differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and by other analytical procedures. The thermogravimetric study revealed that decomposition involving weight loss occurred in two stages. Chemical analysis showed that the major gaseous products formed during weight loss were 2-methylcyclopentadiene, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. The formation of a fine mist of solid particles was observed during the second stage of degradation. Changing various experimental parameters affected the degradation processes. The kinetics of degradation were also investigated. The method of Freeman and Carroll was used to find that a zero-order rate law was followed at the beginning of both first and second stages of reaction. The activation energy associated with the major portion of the first stage of weight loss was 15 kcal/mole. There was good agreement between the observed reaction rates and the reaction rates calculated from a theoretical model which depended on desorption as the rate-controlling step. The activation energy for the beginning of the second stage of weight loss was 24 kcal/mole. By using DTA, the heat of exothermal reaction during this latter phase of decomposition was evaluated as 65 cal/g.