cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Millimeter Optics: A System Application Overview

Systems technology and applications of millimeter optics in the general frequency renion of 100 to 1000 GHz are discussed. Potential applications include tactical target detection, target acquisition, secure communications, remote sensing of earth environment and industrial process monitoring and control. Applications of millimeter optics to date have been very limited due to lack of a mature component technology as well as insufficient data on atmospheric propagation and materials reflectance.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measurements of radioactive aerosols using thin plastic scintillators

A thin plastic scintillator mounted on a photomultiplier (PM) tube is used as a detector for the beta-radioactive daugther products of radon (222Rn) collected on filter papers.
General and Pulmonary Hemodynamic Effects of Pure Decapeptide Angiotensin in Normotensive Man

Purified natural decapeptide angiotensin was infused intravenously at a constant rate for 32 minutes in 5 normotensive subjects. There was no significant change in the cardiac output. There were significant increases in the pulmonary artery, the pulmonary wedge, and the brachial artery pressures. There were significant increases in the systemic vascular and the total pulmonary resistances. There was no significant change in the pulmonary arteriolar resistance. The data indicate that angiotensin I produces peripheral arteriolar constriction and fail to demonstrate a concomitant pulmonary arteriolar constriction. Thus, they are consistent with an hypothesis implicating angiotensin as a causative agent in human essential hypertension.
Macrophage activity in Wolffian lens regeneration.

The cell type mainly involved in the phagocytic uptake of melanosomes from iris epithelial cells during Wolffian lens regeneration in the adult newt is identified on the basis of electron and light microscopic evidence as a macrophage of monocytic origin. Appearance of macrophages in iris and ciliary epithelia following lentectomy is a part of leucocytic infiltration of the area, in which granulocytes, mast cells, and other cell types also participate. The general pattern of leucocytic infiltration was studied as a function of time after lentectomy. Infiltration of the iris epithelium by macrophages is reduced when most of the melanosomes have been removed from the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells and finally ceases when depigmentation has been completed. The possibility that an immune mechanism mediated by macrophages is involved in dedifferentiation of iris epithelial cells is discussed.
Raman spectra and vibrational dephasing of methylacetylene

The Raman spectra of gaseous and liquid methylacetylene have been recorded. The spectrum of the gas provides new data for verifying the vibrational assignments of certain A1 and E fundamentals. Some of the vibrations exhibit hot bands whose origins have been determined on the basis of their Raman intensities. The isotropic scattering for the three fundamentals in the liquid state was studied as a function of temperature. The hot band structure in the liquid state was modeled by using curve-fitting procedures and the assignments made for the gas phase. The isotropic bandwidths for the fundamentals were observed to increase with decreasing temperature, and the broadening is consistent with the existence of a weak hydrogen bond in pure methylacetylene.
On the estimation of reliability of k-out-of-n systems

This paper presents a uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimator and the maximum likelihood estimates of reliability of k-out-of-n systems which are composed of n independent and identically distributed components with exponential lifetimes. The system is operational if and only if at least k of out the n components are operational. The reliability estimation results for the failure of uncensored cases (where there are m units put on test which is terminated when all the units have failed) and censored cases (when test termination is done upon the failure of r pre-assigned units) will be discussed. An application to illustrate the reliability estimation prediction for the power usages of computer system with quad-core, 8 GB of Ram, and a GeForce 9800GX-2 graphics card to perform various complex applications is discussed.
On the thermal conductivity of dispersed ceramics

Because of high operating temperatures, advanced high-performance gas turbines will require the use of new types of material. Included among these materials will be dispersed ceramic composites capable of withstanding high temperatures and providing the required strength and wear characteristics. Presented here is a review of several analytical methods by which the effective thermal conductivity of these materials can be determined. In addition, the description and results of an experimental investigation designed to measure the effective thermal conductivity of four of these materials, tungsten carbide-cobalt, tungsten-copper, silicon nitride, and titanium diboride, are presented. Measurements were made over a temperature range of 300 K to 900 K in order to determine the mean effective thermal conductivity and the temperature dependence of this conductivity. The results of the experimental investigation are compared to the values obtained from several of the analytical methods presented and also with other data available in the literature.
Correctness of recursive parallel nondeterministic flow programs

Abstract This paper presents a method for proving the partial correctness of programs with the following features: strongly typed expressions with call-by-value semantics for variables; iteration; recursive procedures with call-by-name semantics; nondeterminism; parallel assignment; and good old fashioned go-to's. An operational semantics is given to a program by viewing it as a program scheme together with an appropriate interpretation in a given model. Program schemes are viewed as diagrams in an algebraic theory, and the given models are relational algebras of this theory. A simple programming language, REPNOD, that embodies exactly the features that are discussed theoretically is defined, and several simple REPNOD programs, as well as a sample correctness proof, are given. This approach seems to provide a particularly simple framework for many problems in concurrent programming.
Use of atypical antipsychotics in a Veterans Affairs hospital

In a retrospective chart review, efficacy and drug costs were compared in 91 consecutive outpatients receiving risperidone (n=70) or olanzapine (n=21) at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Syracuse, NY. Between-group differences in background characteristics, diagnoses (schizophrenia in more than half of each group) and antipsychotic efficacy [Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale scores] were not significant. The mean doses were 3.6±2.4 mg/day of risperidone and 10.7±7.6 mg/day of olanzapine. The VA costs of these mean doses were $3.32/day for risperidone and $6.67/day for olanzapine. Mean duration of treatment was significantly longer for risperidone (21 months) than for olanzapine (13 months). Incidence of parkinsonian symptoms (14% of both risperidone and olanzapine patients) and tardive dyskinesia (3% of risperidone patients and 5% of olanzapine patients) was similar in the two groups. Akathisia tended to occur more often in patients receiving olanzapine than risperidone (14% versus 3%, P=.08). The results of this retrospective survey indicate that, in comparable VA populations of patients with psychotic and other disorders, risperidone and olanzapine are equally efficacious but olanzapine may be more likely to produce akathisia and is twice as expensive as risperidone.
Advances in the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems

The twelve books under review, written by scholars representing many different disciplines and nationalities, are proof that the comparative analysis of electoral systems has made significant progress in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is still not a well-developed field, but it has clearly become a less underdeveloped one. Renewed interest in research on electoral systems has been stimulated by major changes in election rules—usually in the direction of proportional representation—that have been adopted in several countries, and by a vigorous debate on electoral reform in countries that now rely mainly on the plurality method. The United States is the principal deviant case. Two election systems frequently serve as models for electoral reform: the Irish single transferrable vote and the West German additional-member system.
Cytomimetic engineering of hepatocyte morphogenesis and function by substrate-based presentation of acellular E-cadherin.

Although cadherin-mediated intercellular contacts can be integral to the maintenance of functionally competent hepatocytes in vitro, the ability to engineer hepatocellular differentiated function via acellular E-cadherin has yet to be thoroughly explored. To investigate the potential of substratepresented, acellular E-cadherin to modulate hepatocellular self-assembly and functional fate, rat hepatocytes were cultured at sparse densities on surfaces designed to display recombinant E-cadherin/ Fc chimeras. On these substrates, hepatocytes were observed to recognize microdisplayed E-cadherin/Fc and responded by modulating the spatial distribution of the intracellular cadherincomplexing protein β-catenin. Substrate-presented E-cadherin/Fc was also found to markedly alter patterns of hepatocyte morphogenesis, as cellular spreading and two-dimensional reorganization were significantly inhibited under these conditions, leading to multicellular aggregates that were considerably more three-dimensional in nature. I...
Interhemispherical comparisons in the processing of contour and random texture sinewave stereograms.

Contour and random texture stereograms were developed, using continuously variable, vertically oriented, sinewave horizontal disparities and variable texture densities. The contours were both computer printed and generated, and presented on a dual-beam oscilloscope; the textures were generated on a UNIVAC-to-Calcomp plotter, photographed, and then presented as slides, via rear-view polarized screens, in both static and dynamic modes. By means of fixation control, in normal subjects, the images in the right and left visual fields (thus: left and right visual cortices) were studied either separately or together. Parameters such as apparent depth, rate of depth-phi-motion, target density (matching and mismatching), depth ripple rate, Panum's horizontal fusiondisparity limits, and imposed monocular vertical prismatic imbalance, were studied for the separate hemispheres. In all but a few instances, the results show comparable, thus symmetrical, performances for right and left visual cortices. In those few instances where we could say that clear inter-cortical differences were found, they were found with both contour and texture targets.
Deterministic global optimal FNN training algorithms

Abstract To avoid local minimum solutions in back propagation learning, we propose to treat feedforward neural network training as a global optimization problem. In particular, we considered using branch-and-bound based Lipschitz optimization methods in neural network training, and developed globally optimal training algorithms (GOTA). The standard criterion function of a feedforward neural network is Lipschitzian. The effectiveness of GOTA is improved by using dynamically computed local Lipschitz constants over subsets of the weight space. Local search procedures, such as the classic back propagation algorithm, can be incorporated in GOTA. The local search-augmented global algorithms improve the learning efficiency of GOTA while retaining the globally convergent property.
Association between polymorphisms in the metallophosphoesterase (MPPE1) gene and bipolar disorder.

Genetic linkage studies in bipolar disorder (BPD) suggest that a susceptibility locus exists on chromosome 18p11. The metallophosphoesterase (MPPE1) gene maps to this region. Dysregulation of protein phosphorylation and subsequent abnormal cellular signaling has been postulated to be involved in neuropsychiatric disorders thus making MPPE1 a plausible biological candidate gene for BPD. In this study, we hypothesized that genetic variation in the MPPE1 gene contributes to BPD. We tested this hypothesis by genotyping four SNPs (rs871044; rs3974590; rs593713; rs602201) in BPD patients (n = 570) and healthy controls (n = 725). Genotypes and allele frequencies were compared between groups using Chi square contingency analysis. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) between markers was calculated and estimated haplotype frequencies were compared between groups. Single marker analysis revealed an association of rs3974590 with BPD (P = 0.009; permutation corrected P = 0.046). Haplotype analysis did not show any significant association with disease after permutation correction. Our results provide evidence of an association between a polymorphism in the MPPE1 gene and BPD. Additional studies are necessary to confirm and elucidate the role of MPPE1 as a susceptibility gene for BPD on chromosome 18p. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An attempt to obtain replicate learning curves in the split-brain cat

Sperry (1961) and others working on split-brain learning reported that the two halves function in a nearly identical manner, giving excellent controlled replication of a learning problem. Such a situation furnishes an excellent opportunity for investigating learning curve parameters to differentiate random error from a systematic discrepancy between data and learning theory. The present experiments were carried out with cats trained in a tactile discrimination apparatus, sometimes using the left paw, and sometimes the right paw. Two groups of animals were used, one trained at Princeton University, and the other at Case Western Reserve University. The data were analyzed in terms of the Audley-Jonckheere (1956) learning model and also in terms of total trials, total correct responses, and total errors to criterion. The data gave no clear evidence that second brain learning replicated first brain learning. Only one problem showed high correlations between right and left brain learning.
The use of the MMPI in a chronic back pain rehabilitation program

Assessed the usefulness of the MMPI in predicting treatment outcome for chronic low back pain patients. One hundred and thirty-two chronic low back pain patients who participated in a 6-week rehabilitation program were differentiated according to "successful" outcome. Outcome was defined in three major ways: Vocational restoration, significantly improved physical mobility, and patients' subjective evaluations of improved functional level. Pretreatment MMPIs of all outcome groups were compared. Data were analyzed by examining individual scale scores and code-types and by applying multiple regression analyses to the data. Results demonstrate that the MMPI can predict successful outcome. However, the strength of the relationship varies according to the outcome measure employed and the type of analysis completed on the data. It is concluded that, though an interesting research tool, at this time the MMPI is not a consistently valid clinical tool with the chronic back pain population in terms of predicting response to rehabilitation.
Tobacco and public health.

Objectives An interactive program for physiciansand surgeons was used to focus their attention on current issues oflung cancer in the United States. The issues examined were the risksfor the development of lung cancer in smokers, spouses of smokers, recipients of second-hand or sidestream smoke, and the appropriateworkup and treatment of patients with lung cancer. Design Case presentation with interactive questions andanswers. Patients Six patients are presented whosecases demonstrate issues that are relevant and timely to the practiceof thoracic surgery and oncology Interventions Treatment for the five case presentations is used for interactiveteaching purposes. Conclusions Lung cancer isepidemic in the United States, particularly among women at the presenttime. Physician awareness of the environmental and other factorscontributing to the disease should stay current with the populationvariables that we are seeing in clinical practice.
A theory of gravity based on the Weyl-Eddington action

Abstract We show that the conformal Weyl-Eddington theory can yield an effective long-ranged theory of gravity in accord with observations. In the framework of induced gravity, an R 2 term is induced with a finite calculable coefficient with just the right sign for the theory to be free from tachyons. Our observation is not true order by order in perturbation theory.
Not the nine o'clock linguistics class: Investigating contingency grammar

Abstract An innovative focus on language in teacher education is essential for the success of Language Awareness. One goal is to promote the emergence of a new discipline, educational linguistics (no more ‘Linguistics as usual'), another goal is the facilitation of efficient language education in the schools. LA, both in teacher education and in schools, must be experiential (based on teachers’ language knowledge and expertise), task‐based (based on real‐life concerns and projects), and critical (examining the roles of language in life). The implementation of LA at the teacher education level, along the lines discussed, will bring into focus a number of themes or topics that relate education to linguistics, such as correctness, cross‐cultural communication, language learning, classroom interaction and variation. For illustrative purposes one of the most crucial themes, contingency grammar, is explored in some detail. It is argued that contingency grammar, defined as ways of displaying attentiveness to oth...
Differential low-temperature germination responses by pollen of Pistacia vera clones with different bloom dates

Abstract Pollen was collected from 7 male clones of Pistacia vera selected to cover the range of staminate bloom dates represented in an extensive collection of the species. Pollen was incubated at a range of controlled temperatures from 11 to 39°C, in 1–4°C increments, and analyzed for germination percentages. High rates of pollen germination occurred over a broad range of temperatures for all clones. Germination of pollen from the early-blooming clones showed greater tolerance for low temperatures. Curves for pollen germination vs. temperature in the early-blooming clones showed a broader peak at the low-temperature end.
Microsomal (μS) lipid peroxidation, drug oxidations and chemiluminescence (CL): Mechanisms

Summary Peroxidizing microsomes induced by NADPH or ascorbic acid generate a cyanide sensitive, chloroform-methanol extractable, compound(s) resembling 1-hydroxy alkyl peroxides. Cyanide additions to intact microsomes or the extracted material effect chemiluminescence, gas evolution, the reduction of methylene blue and NBT, and substrate oxidation.
A Method for Adjusting Exposure Levels of Volatile Solvents Based on Effects on Schedule-Controlled Behavior

A novel adjusting procedure was employed to assess the acute behavioral effects of inhaled 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCE) and m-xylene. Mice were trained to lever press under a fixed ratio 20 schedule of milk reinforcement. During 30-min test sessions, TCE concentrations were altered every 5 min dependent upon rates of responding in the preceding 5-min segment of the session. When response rates during a 5-min interval were not decreased by greater than 30% from control rates, the TCE concentration for the next interval was increased. Reduction in response rates of more than 30% from the previous interval resulted in a lowering of the TCE concentration in the subsequent 5-min interval. TCE produced concentration-dependent decreases in response rates similar to what has been shown previously and many mice adjusted their exposure levels such that there were alternating intervals of increasing and decreasing concentration exposures. This provided a means of determining, in a single test session, no effect (subthreshold) and minimal effect concentrations of TCE for effects on schedule controlled behavior. Alteration of the starting TCE concentration from 1000 to 6000 ppm increased the TCE threshold for effects. When the response rate contingency was removed and TCE concentrations were "played back" from an earlier adjustment session, concentration-effect curves were similar to what were obtained under adjusting conditions. Using the adjusting procedure, we were also able to rapidly obtain a concentration-effect curve and threshold concentrations for m-xylene that are consistent with published results. This procedure for response rate adjusting exposure concentrations should be useful for rapid assessment of inhalant effects on schedule-controlled behavior and for focusing attention on near threshold levels of exposure.
Small Modular Infrastructure

In this article we argue that advances made in automation, communication, and manufacturing portend a dramatic reversal of the “bigger is better” approach to cost reductions prevalent in many basic infrastructure industries; for example, transportation, electric power generation, and raw material processing. We show that the traditional reductions in capital costs achieved by scaling up in size are generally matched by learning effects in the mass production process when scaling up in numbers instead. In addition, using the U.S. electricity generation sector as a case study, we argue that the primary operating cost advantage of large unit scale is reduced labor, which can be eliminated by employing low-cost automation technologies. Finally, we argue that locational, operational, and financial flexibilities that accompany smaller unit scale can reduce investment and operating costs even further. All of these factors combined imply that with current technology, economies of numbers may well dominate economi...
Neuroregulation by vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) of mucus secretion in ferret trachea: activation of BKCa channels and inhibition of neurotransmitter release

1. The aims of this study were to determine: (1) whether vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) regulates cholinergic and 'sensory-efferent' (tachykininergic) 35SO4 labelled mucus output in ferret trachea in vitro, using a VIP antibody, (2) the class of potassium (K+) channel involved in VIP-regulation of cholinergic neural secretion using glibenclamide (an ATP-sensitive K+ (K(ATP)) channel inhibitor), iberiotoxin (a large conductance calcium activated K+ (BK(ca)) channel blocker), and apamin (a small conductance K(ca) (SK(ca)) channel blocker), and (3) the effect of VIP on cholinergic neurotransmission using [3H]-choline overflow as a marker for acetylcholine (ACh) release. 2. Exogenous VIP (1 and 10 microM) alone increased 35SO4 output by up to 53% above baseline, but suppressed (by up to 80% at 1 microM) cholinergic and tachykininergic neural secretion without altering secretion induced by ACh or substance P (1 microM each). Endogenous VIP accounted for the minor increase in non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC), non-tachykininergic neural secretion, which was compatible with the secretory response of exogenous VIP. 3. Iberiotoxin (3 microM), but not apamin (1 microM) or glibenclamide (0.1 microM), reversed the inhibition by VIP (10 nM) of cholinergic neural secretion. 4. Both endogenous VIP (by use of the VIP antibody; 1:500 dilution) and exogenous VIP (0.1 microM), the latter by 34%, inhibited ACh release from cholinergic nerve terminals and this suppression was completely reversed by iberiotoxin (0.1 microM). 5. We conclude that, in ferret trachea in vitro, endogenous VIP has dual activity whereby its small direct stimulatory action on mucus secretion is secondary to its marked regulation of cholinergic and tachykininergic neurogenic mucus secretion. Regulation is via inhibition of neurotransmitter release, consequent upon opening of BK(Ca) channels. In the context of neurogenic mucus secretion, we propose that VIP joins NO as a neurotransmitter of i-NANC nerves in ferret trachea.
Inactivation of normal and mutant Neurospora crassa conidia by visible light and near-UV: role of 1O2, carotenoid composition and sensitizer location.

— Inactivation of Neurospora crassa conidia from wild-type and mutant strains by visible and near-UV light has been investigated in the presence and absence of photosensitizing dyes. Inactivation by near-UV is virtually unchanged by the presence of deuterium oxide or azide suggesting that, contrary to the situation with visible light and photosensitizing dyes, 1O2 is not involved in any substantial way in the formation of lethal lesions. The finding that carotenoid deficient strains are similar to wild-type strains in sensitivity to near-UV inactivation is consistent with 1O2 not being involved. Photodynamic inactivation of conidia by visible light occurs in the presence of methylene blue (MB), toluidine blue O (TB), or acridine orange (AO). Carotenoid deficient strains are more sensitive to such inactivation only when MB and TB are used. These results support the contention that MB and TB mediated damage involves the cell membrane where carotenoids are available for quenching, whereas AO mediated damage occurs in the nucleus sequestered from the protective influence of carotenoids. A newly isolated, lemon–yellow mutant, mapping to the al-1 locus, exhibits sensitivities to photodynamic inactivation similar to other pure-white mutants at the same locus. The sensitivity of this pigmented mutant is apparently related to insufficient unsaturation (seven to nine double bonds) of the two colored carotenoids, zeta–carotene and neurosporene, produced by the mutant.
Mechanisms of the early phases of plant gravitropism.

Gravitropism is directed growth of a plant or plant organ in response to gravity and can be divided into the following temporal sequence: perception, transduction, and response. This article is a review of the research on the early events of gravitropism (i.e., phenomena associated with the perception and transduction phases). The two major hypotheses for graviperception are the protoplast-pressure and starch-statolith models. While most researchers support the concept of statoliths, there are suggestions that plants have multiple mechanisms of perception. Evidence supports the hypothesis that the actin cytoskeleton is involved in graviperception/transduction, but the details of these mechanisms remain elusive. A number of recent developments, such as increased use of the molecular genetic approach, magnetophoresis, and laser ablation, have facilitated research in graviperception and have allowed for refinement of the current models. In addition, the entire continuum of acceleration forces from hypo- to hyper-gravity have been useful in studying perception mechanisms. Future interdisciplinary molecular approaches and the availability of sophisticated laboratories on the International Space Station should help to develop new insights into mechanisms of gravitropism in plants.
The forward and backward processes in health policy planning

Abstract This is a study of a legislative conflict over the National Health Insurance policy played out in the 96th Congress of the United States. It attempted to find out whether the policy aimed at restructuring the U.S. health care system was possible. Since previous analysis concluded that the Kennedy NHI plan was such an innovative policy the questions examined here were: (1) Would the Kennedy plan emerge as the adopted national policy? (2) If not, what plan could be a compromise proposal? To answer the first question the forward process of planning was applied. The conflict was structured according to the levels of a conceptual hierarchy. The focus of the hierarchy constituted the first level, the actors involved the second, their objectives and subobjectives formed the third and fourth levels, and the policies pursued by the actors (the NHI proposals) the fifth level. The elements of each level were weighed according to their relative importance by using the principal eigenvectors of a series of pairwise comparison matrices. The priority of the NHI plans promoted by the particular groups was derived on the assumption that a plan with the highest eigenvector will probably emerge as the adopted national health policy. The forward process answered the question: Given the present actors, their objectives, and the strength to influence the outcome, which NHI plan was the most likely to emerge as the adopted national policy? To answer the second question the backward process of planning was applied. It was an attempt to find a compromise solution acceptable to all the parties involved. This method of policy design, developed by Thomas L. Saaty, has great advantages over the traditional methods of policy planning. It brings into focus the matrix of competing interests and sets firm boundaries for planning efforts. It helps in setting pragmatic, not romantic policies, with a great saving of time and money.
Institutionalizing The Outsiders : YA Literature, Social Class, and the American Faith in Education

The Outsiders if often credited with marking the emergence of YA literature. It was written by a teenager and was intended to represent honestly the difficult lives of other young adults. Despite the novel’s audience and purpose and its potentially provocative acknowledgment of the problems of social class, The Outsiders was readily institutionalized as part of school reading lists and educational curricula throughout the United States. Its institutionalization can be accounted for in part by the way it offers a palliative to the problems it depicts. The protagonist, Ponyboy, represents the novel itself as an intervention into those problems, but it works to reaffirm a notion of rugged individualism and a faith in American education. Such lessons ultimately disarm the novel’s class critique and render it safe for educational institutions.
Active control of blade vortex interaction noise on a helicopter blade element

Blade vortex interaction (BVI) noise has been recognized as the primary determinant of the helicopter's far field acoustic signature. Given the limitations of design in eliminating this dynamic phenomenon, there exists a need for control. In this paper, we present the application, first of feedback control strategies, and then of adaptive cancellation of Leishman and Hariharan's linear aerodynamic model of a trailing edge flap. Lift fluctuations caused by vortices are taken as output disturbance. The contribution of the vortices to lift is obtained from Leishman's indicial model for gusts. The use of an active structure for actuation is assumed, and the actuator is approximated as a lag element. To design an adaptive cancellation scheme that is applicable not only to BVI but also to general problems with periodic disturbances, we start with the sensitivity method but arrive at the same scheme derived by Sacks, Bodson, and Khosla who introduced a phase advance into a pseudo-gradient scheme. We discuss stability of the scheme via averaging.
DNA repair in tumor cells from the variant form of xeroderma pigmentosum.

Cells from most patients with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) can be shown to be defective in repairing ultraviolet (UV) light-induced damage to their DNA, for they have a reduced rate of UV-induced thymidine incorporation. XP variants, however, have clinical manifestations of XP, but all their tissues tested to date have a normal rate of UV-induced 3 H-thymidine incorporation. We have now tested tumor cells from an XP variant and from a typical XP patient. The variant's tumor cells, in contrast to those of the typical patient, had no detectable defect in their UV-induced thymidine incorporation. We conclude, therefore, that the cells that formed tumors in this XP variant resemble his other cells in DNA repair capacity, and do not represent a minor cell population with the kind of DNA repair defect that is reflected in reduced UV-induced thymidine incorporation.
Systematic implications of the sesquiterpene lactones in the “strumarium” morphological complex (Xanthium strumarium, Asteraceae) of Europe, Asia and Africa

Abstract In most populations of the “strumarium” morphological complex of Xanthium strumarium L. ( sensu lato ) in northern Europe and in India, a new compound, xanthinosin, is the only detectable sesquiterpene lactone. In populations of this morphological complex in Portugal and Egypt as well as in eastern Asia, USSR, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, xanthinin and xanthatin occur as major constituents along with xanthinosin. Experimental F, hybrids between pistillate Indian plants which contained only xanthinosin and staminate plants from Hong Kong which contained a mixture of xanthinin, xanthatin and xanthinosin produced a mixture of compounds in which the percentage of xanthinin increased relative to its percentage in the Hong Kong parent. The sesquiterpenoid data suggest that the various taxa in the “strumarium” morphological complex can be divided into three groups: (a) X. strumarium ( sensu stricto ) and X. indicum Konig, containing primarily or exclusively xanthinosin; (b) X. sibiricum Patrin and X. brasilicum Vell., with xanthinin and xanthinosin predominating; and (c) X. inaequilaterum DC., with almost equal proportions of xanthinin, xanthatin and xanthinosin. Two other taxa of the complex. X. japonicum Widd. and X. abyssinicum Wallr., were not available for inclusion in the present study.
Printing errors in the prediction of academic performance

Abstract The handwriting of 95 first graders was assessed with 10 measures of printing errors (Moore & Rust, 1984, available from author; Simmer, Journal of Learning Disabilities, 15 , 155–159, 1982). Printing errors were used to predict academic achievement 5 years later. These scores were correlated with academic achievement at the end of the sixth grade. The results showed that printing errors developed by Simner effectively predicted academic achievement. Moore and Rust's scoring criteria also correlated with achievement, but added little to Simner's prediction.
Multistep kinetics: choice of models for the growth of bacteria.

Abstract Since the work of Monod, it has generally been taken for granted that the specific growth rate of bacteria is a hyperbolic function of the limiting nutrilite. However, there have been reports where the deviation from a hyperbola was found such that the specific growth rate rises proportionally to substrate concentration but then increases very little more after a critical concentration is reached. Also, cases have been found where there are several independent mechanisms of substrate uptake and the dependency of growth rate on substrate concentration is the sum of the processes. In this paper I discuss the available data and the previous theoretical considerations and present computer programs to fit the several statistical and metabolic models. Also presented are the fits to an actual sample of high precision growth data recently obtained in our laboratory using a computer-linked, double-beam spectrophotometer.
Plane-Wave-Gaussian Energy-Band Study of Nb

The numerical accuracy of the plane-wave-Gaussian (PWG) mixed-basis method of calculating crystalline energy bands is displayed for Nb. Atomic studies involving the Gaussian basis and crystalline studies involving the PWG mixed basis are systematically developed to establish the dependence of the energy eigenvalues upon the number of Gaussians, the number of plane waves, and the Gaussian overlap parameter. Use of the Nb crystalline potential of Deegan and Twose allows comparison with their results.
Korean agrammatic production

This study examines general characteristics of agrammatic production in Korean. Using the methodology found in Menn and Obler (1990b), which provides a consistent format for collecting, analysing, and presenting data, the study provides a description of the patterns of sparing and loss based on four types of narratives from two Korean agrammatic speakers. The subjects were seen to display the general properties associated with clinical descriptions of agrammatism: nonfluent, effortful, and dysprosodic. There was a tendency to substitute verbal inflections and omit nominal morphemes. Additionally, the subjects showed a preference for simple syntactic constructions and for canonical word order. It is concluded that the Korean findings parallel others, in that agrammatic aphasia in Korean involves similar basic production parameters but different language-specific characteristics. The findings are also considered in light of the most current syntactic account, the Tree-pruning Hypothesis (Friedmann & Grodzin...
Influence of Ozonized Kraft Lignin on the Crystallization of CaCO3

Abstract Results are reviewed from a study examining how structural modifications introduced by ozonization enhance the influence of kraft lignin on the crystallization of CaCO3. Ozone treatment of kraft lignin in an aqueous environment is shown to increase its carboxylic acid and overall oxygen content and reduce its molecular weight. Calcium concentration and temperature were monitored in heated supersaturated solutions containing ozonized kraft lignins to gauge their influence on CaCO3 crystallization processes. The presence of kraft lignin raises the temperature necessary to induce crystallization. This effect is shown to level off at relatively low lignin concentrations and be dependent on the extent of ozone treatment the kraft lignin has undergone. A linear correlation is found between crystallization temperatures and the carboxylic acid content of ozonized lignin samples indicating the introduction of these functional groups plays an important role in enhancing its inhibitory effect. Scanning electron microscopy images of crystals grown in the presence of kraft lignins show significant morphological modifications. These are consistent with specific or pseudo specific interactions between the lignin and crystal faces of calcite to inhibit growth parallel to its c axis. The influence over crystal morphology demonstrated by modified kraft lignin increases with increasing ozonization. Also presented here are crystallization temperature data for a range of kraft lignin ultrafiltration fractions, which indicate that the optimal (nominal) molecular weight of kraft lignin for inhibiting the crystallization of CaCO3 lies between 5000 and 10000.
Effect of losartan in aging-related endothelial impairment

Aging is associated with progressive deterioration in endothelial function. We hypothesized that losartan may represent a useful therapeutic strategy to ameliorate endothelial function in aged subjects. Eighteen healthy older subjects (mean age 75 +/- 3 years) were prospectively randomized in a double-blind, crossover fashion to receive either losartan 50 mg/day or placebo for 6 weeks. Subjects were switched to the opposite arm after a 2- week washout period. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in the brachial artery and plasma levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), moncocyte chemoattractant 1 protein, and E-selectin were measured in both arms at the beginning and end of the 6-week period. Losartan resulted in a 6-mm Hg decrease in systolic blood pressure (from 130 +/- 12 to 124 +/- 13 mm Hg), which was no different from placebo (132 +/- 12 to 127 +/- 13 mm Hg). FMD increased from 3.1 +/- 0.6% to 3.9 +/- 0.6% after losartan, and decreased from 3.3 +/- 0.3% to 2.4 +/- 0.6% after placebo (p = NS for both). In contrast, losartan reduced circulating concentrations of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (750 +/- 73 to 572 +/- 39), ICAM (405 +/- 26 to 196 +/- 10), and moncocyte chemoattractant 1 protein (560 +/- 56 to 423 +/- 35) (p <0.01 for all by analysis of variance), but not E-selectin. On univariate analyses, the strongest predictor of baseline endothelial function and change in FMD with losartan was low-density lipoprotein. There was a negative correlation between baseline endothelial function and change in FMD in response to losartan (r(2) = -0.75, p = 0.0003). Baseline ICAM levels alone significantly correlated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r(2) = 0.54, p = 0.02) and weakly correlated with total cholesterol (r(2) = 0.47, p = 0.05). Thus, administration of losartan for a duration of 6 weeks has favorable effects on inflammatory markers in healthy older subjects, but does not alter peripheral conduit endothelial function.
Micrograzer impact and substrate limitation of bacterioplankton in Lake Michigan

We estimated Lake Michigan epilimnetic heterotrophic bacterial loss rates, predator size, and substrate limitation in 1986 and 1987. The bacterial growth rates were always enhanced by organic substrate additions indicating that bacterial growth is limited, to some degree, by substrate availablility. In this study we obtained loss rates and intrinsic growth rates each between 0.32 and 1.45 d−1. The grazers were predominantly picoplankton-size organisms, presumably heterotrophic flagellates. Using radiolabeled bacteria, only a small percentage (2–3%) of bacterial cells were incorporated into larger size fractions after 24 h. These results indicate that during our experiments heterotrophic bacteria were not a direct, significant, carbon source for the upper trophic levels.
Indoor radon levels in Cumberland County, PA

Abstract Measurements were made of radon levels in 165 randomly selected homes in Cumberland County, PA during Winter 1984–1985. The average and mean levels were found to be 9.1 ± 0.7 pCi/L and 6.3 ± 0.5 pCi/L, respectively, many times normally encountered levels. Average and mean radon levels are reported vs. various house characteristics.
The structure and complete nucleotide sequence of the avian lipoprotein lipase gene.

The entire gene for chicken lipoprotein lipase (LPL) has been isolated and characterized by primer extension and sequence analysis. The gene is 17 kilobase pairs long and comprises 10 exons and 9 introns. As determined by primer extension analysis the start sites of transcription map 176,204 and 218 nucleotides upstream of the initiator methionine codon. The 1947 base pairs of 5′ flanking sequence contains several putative regulatory elements including two adjacent Oct I binding elements, four glucocorticoid regulatory elements and a sequence very homologous to the previously described fat specific element at −1402 nt. The first intron is very large (6433 bp) and contains four consensus SpI binding-site sequences. Five polyadenylation signals are found in the 3′ untranslated region, the last three of which give predicted mRNA species identical in size to those determined by Northern blot. The 5′ flanking sequences of the LPL, pancreatic lipase and hepatic lipase genes do not show homology, however. This may account for the homologous amino acid sequences but dissimilar gene expression of these enzymes.
Note on oscillations in a closed chain of compartments with linear, unidirectional transport

A closed chain of compartments in which there is unidirectional transport between adjacent members can exhibit damped oscillations. For a system ofn equivalent compartments, the value ofn which gives the greatest difference between the first maximum and first minimum isn=11, the difference being 1.57%. The greatest difference between the first maximum value and the steady state value is 4% and is obtained whenn=25. The results are illustrated graphically forn equal to 5, 10, 25 and 100.
Synthesis, characterization and coordination chemistry of a new phosphite–ether ligand: The effects of alkali metal salts and the ligand/Rh molar ratio on the catalytic activity and regioselectivity of a Rh(I) complex of this ligand in the hydroformylation of styrene

Abstract We have recently reported that the addition of alkali metal salts to styrene hydroformylation reactions catalyzed by Rh(I) complexes of bis(phosphite) ligands can significantly improve the iso/n regioselectivity. To better understand the effects of the alkali metal salts on these styrene hydroformylation reactions, a monodentate phosphite–ether ligand, (2,2′-C12H8O2)POCH2CH2OCH3, 1 has been prepared, and its Rh(I) complex has been evaluated as a catalyst for the hydroformylation of styrene. Both the activity and regioselectivity of the catalyst are sensitive to the ligand:Rh molar ratio and to the presence of salts such as LiBPh4·3dme, NaBPh4 and HgCl2. The most active catalyst has a 1:2.5 Rh:1 molar ratio and a 1:8 Rh:Li+ molar ratio, but the most regioselective catalyst has a 1:8.2 Rh:1 ratio and a 1:4 Rh:Li+ ratio. Model complexes for various steps in the catalytic cycle, cis-Mo(CO)4(1)2, 6, cis-PtCl2(1)2, 7, and PdCl2(1)2, 8, have been synthesized and characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography to provide insight into the factors that may affect the rates and regioselectivities of the hydroformylation catalysts. The cis–trans isomerization of 6 in the presence of catalytic amount HgCl2 has been carried out to determine the cis–trans preference of 1 in the octahedral coordination geometry.
Effects of Gender and Confrontation on Attributions of Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence

The present study examined the effects of perpetrator gender, victim confrontation, observer gender, and observer exposure to violence on attributions of blame and responsibility for partner violence. Data were collected from 728 college-aged students enrolled at two southeastern universities in the United States. Results demonstrated gendered biases among both male and female respondents. Men and women attributed less responsibility and blame to female perpetrators than male perpetrators, especially if the perpetrator was provoked. Moreover, exposure to violence was important for predicting attributions, and some of the evidence for observer effects were reduced to non-significance once these variables were added to the model.
Cloning of a Ca2+‐ATPase gene and the role of cytosolic Ca2+ in the gibberellin‐dependent signaling pathway in aleurone cells

The ultimate goal of this investigation was to identify intermediary steps in the gibberellin (GA)-dependent signaling pathway in rice aleurone cells. By using a differential display approach, a number of putative GA-responsive genes were isolated. One of them, a GA-responsive Ca(2+)-ATPase gene, was identified and partially characterized. A genomic clone and a cDNA clone were isolated and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence showed that this protein resembles an endoplasmic reticulum membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase. In a transient assay in rice aleurone cells, expression of the introduced Ca(2+)-ATPase cDNA bypassed the GA requirement for stimulating the expression of a major target gene, the alpha-amylase c gene (Osamy-c). This result suggests that GA-dependent expression of this Ca(2+)-ATPase gene (OsCa-atpase) plays an important role in the GA-dependent signal-transduction pathway. To investigate the possible involvement of other proteins and genes that may affect the intracellular Ca2+ level, compounds which can block different putative steps in the signal-transduction pathway were introduced into rice aleurone cells, and then the level of the OsCa-atpase transcript or the Osamy-c transcript was monitored. In the presence of GA, the rice Ca(2+)-ATPase and the Ca2+ channels appeared to co-regulate the local concentration of cytosolic Ca2+. The release of Ca2+ from the internal stores to the cytoplasm was presumably initiated by inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate which reached a peak level within 25 min after GA induction. As a second messenger, Ca2+ binds to calmodulin (CaM), and the Ca2+/CaM complex regulates the cytosolic Ca2+ by affecting expression of the OsCa-atpase. Finally, a working model is proposed for the GA-dependent signaling pathway in aleurone cells.
Effect of Triploidy on Growth and Gonad Development of Channel Catfish

Abstract Diploid (2n = 58) and triploid (3n = 87) channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were reared indoors in circular fiberglass tanks equipped with rotating disc biofilters. Triploids were significantly heavier than diploids at 8 months of age and older. Triploid male and female channel catfish also had smaller gonads with altered histology. Triploids converted feed more efficiently, and may provide greater profits in commercial catfish culture than diploids.