cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
STAMINATE BLOOM DATE AND TEMPERATURE RESPONSES OF POLLEN GERMINATION AND TUBE GROWTH IN TWO WALNUT (JUGLANS) SPECIES

Pollen was collected from ten cultivars of Juglans regia and three cultivars of the later-blooming species, J. nigra. Extensive phenological data were available for these cultivars. Cultivars were chosen on the basis of staminate bloom date to include the earliest and latest blooming individuals available and a representative range throughout the bloom season. Mean staminate bloom dates for the cultivars examined covered a period of 46 days over which time mean daily temperatures rose 6 C. In order to determine if adaptations to temperature were expressed by the gametophyte generation, pollen was subjected to controlled temperatures from 5 to 40 C in 2 to 4 C increments and analyzed for germination percentages and pollen tube elongation. A positive relationship was found for pollen germination percentage and mean staminate bloom date such that earlier blooming individuals showed lower minimum temperature thresholds for germination, and optimum temperature for pollen germination was positively correlated with mean staminate bloom date. Differences in pollen tube growth, determined separately from hydration and germination responses, were less clear. Most J. regia clones had lower minium temperature thresholds for growth than the J. nigra clones, but there was no clear relationship to earliness of bloom within the species. No differences were discerned in optimum temperatures for pollen tube growth either between the two species or within species.
Invadable self-assembly: combining robustness with efficiency

DNA self-assembly is emerging as a key paradigm for nano-technology, nano-computation, and several related disciplines. In nature, DNA self-assembly is often equipped with explicit mechanisms for both error prevention and error correction. For artificial self-assembly, these problems are even more important since we are interested in assembling large systems with great precision. So far, theoretical studies of DNA self-assembly have primarily focused on the efficiency of the assembly process in terms of the program size and the running time. In this paper, we perform a preliminary study of algorithms for DNA self-assembly that are both robust and efficient.Strand invasion is an important error-correction mechanism observed in several natural self-assembling systems. We first define invadable self-assemblies as self-assembling systems which can effectively use the strand invasion mechanism for error-correction. We then show that O(log2n/ log log n) tiles are sufficient to assemble an n × n square in this model. The running time of our system is O (n). We obtain our result by growing a counter which simulates Chinese remaindering. The running time and the program size of our invadable system are within polylogarithmic factors of known lower bounds for general systems, i.e. the efficiency penalty for obtaining robustness is small in our model. We also show how to simulate an arbitrary Turing machine using an invadable self-assembly system.
Individual and aggregate level change in sexual behavior among gay men at risk for AIDS.

Until an effective vaccine or treatment for AIDS is developed, the rate of spread of the epidemic will be determined primarily by the willingness of infected and at-risk individuals to refrain from behaviors implicated in the spread of the disease. Consequently, public health efforts have focused on educating these populations about the dangers inherent in certain practices. To date, the impact of these educational activities has been most extensively studied with regard to gay and bisexual men. Researchers, however, seem not always to appreciate the necessity to examine change at two levels of analysis—the individual and the aggregate because it is possible to draw different but valid conclusions about the nature of change, depending upon the level of analysis used. A series of models for examining individual and aggregate level change are described. These models are then used to examine whether there is evidence of change over a 6-month period in the sexual behavior of a sample of gay men from New York City. The data reveal evidence of a significant trend in the direction of safer sexual behavior at both the individual and aggregate level.
Post-Marketing Surveillance: The Approach of the Drug Epidemiology Unit

The goal of the Boston University School of Medicine Drug Epidemiology Unit (DEU) is to quantify the serious side effects of drugs, including those that are unknown at the time the drug is first marketed (post-marketing surveillance). Side effects include illnesses serious enough to warrant admission to the hospital and birth defects. To achieve this goal, the DEU collects its own information by personal interview. Although the DEU is carrying out a follow-up study of children in hospitals to assess the acute effects of drugs in pediatric populations, the chief strategy currently used is the case-control approach. Multiple case-control studies of relatively common illnesses are carried out within a relatively small number of institutions. Over 50,000 men and women have been studied, including over 11,000 having cancers of sites of special interest, and over 5,500 children with congenital malformations. For very rare illnesses, the DEU has set up case-locator networks. One of the remaining gaps in post-mar...
A synopsis of the North American species of Anaptychia (Physciaceae)

Descriptions and a key for identification are provided for the North American representatives of the foliose lichen genus Anaptychia (Physciaceae). Five species are accepted for the North American mycota, and a sixth species presently in the North American checklist, A. isidiata, is excluded, since its single report was based on a misidentification. Anaptychia crinalis is shown to be the correct name for the North American taxon presently referred to as A. setifera. Variolaric acid is reported from the genus for the first time.
Kindling‐like Effect Induced by Repeated Corneal Electro shock in Mice

The present study demonstrates that with the use of corneal electrodes mice can be kindled to minimal convulsions by repeated 60-Hz electroshocks. The efficacy of kindling was found to be dependent upon several stimulus parameters, including duration and intensity as well as the intertrial interval. Because the complexity and generalization of the minimal convulsions increased with the number of electroshock treatments, it was apparent that such kindling had quantitative as well as qualitative characteristics. Moreover, the fact that 50% of the mice remained completely kindled to minimal convulsions 8 weeks after cessation of repeated stimulation indicated that the phenomenon is relatively long-lived. Finally, the increase in CNS excitability associated with kindling extended to some, but not all, chemo- and electroshock tests of excitability. Altogether, the results show that mice kindled by corneal electrode stimulation have many features in common with animals kindled by stimulation of discrete brain areas. Because the procedure can readily and rapidly yield large numbers of kindled animals, an important application for the method will be in the evaluation of drug effects on kindled animals.
Identifying neighborhood thresholds: An empirical exploration

Abstract In this article, we investigate the threshold‐like effects of four aspects of neighborhood environment: poverty rate, adult nonemployment rate, female headship rate for families with children, and secondary school dropout rate. We used a sample consisting of virtually all census tracts from U.S. metropolitan areas. The relationship between the value of numerous neighborhood indicators in 1980 and subsequent changes in each of the four dimensions of neighborhood quality of family life from 1980 to 1990 was evaluated statistically using a regression model with a spline specification to test for nonlinear, threshold‐like processes. Stressing the exploratory nature of the study, we find evidence of threshold‐like effects in an endodynamic relationship (poverty rate and subsequent changes in that rate), and in exodynamic relationships (occupational status and rental rates and subsequent changes in several neighborhood quality indicators). Implications for research and a spatially targeted neighborhood...
The correlation between social tie and reciprocity in social media

In many online social media systems, like other social network, because of social influence, ideas, modes of behavior and new technologies can diffuse through the network like a epidemic. However, different social tie strength between users will cause different speed and different extension of information diffusion. Users with strong social ties exhibit information diffuse more easily than those with weak ties. Therefore, researchers are very interested in identifying social ties in information diffusion. Generally it is difficult to identify the social ties, because it is latent. But there are some factors can induce it. In this paper, we presented a technique to measure the correlation between social ties and reciprocity, and applied it to real-world dataset on Sina Microblog. Results showed that there was a significant correlation and strong tie existed in reciprocal links in this system. Then we can predict the social ties easily by reciprocity.
Comparison of dental water quality management procedures

The effectiveness of ADA-recommended approaches for reducing dental unit waterline, or DUWL, contamination was investigated using newly installed dental units. Over a 2-month period, the authors studied independent water reservoirs, a sodium hypochlorite disinfection regimen, daily draining and purging of DUWLs and point-of-use filters by assessing microbial contamination and biofilm development using scanning electron microscopy. The findings demonstrate that DUWL contamination can be controlled when dental personnel use available technologies and adhere to recommended maintenance protocols.
Effects of Age and Years of Exposure on the Economic Benefits of Fluoridation

The study shows how econometric techniques can be applied in analyzing the benefits of preventive dental care. The relationship between age and children's dental costs before and after fluoridation is analyzed. Results show that while costs increase with age, their level and rate of increase are lower after fluoridation.
Flux growth of MnSiO3 (rhodonite) crystals

Abstract Crystals of MnSiO 3 (rhodonite) up to 7 mm in length have been grown from a mixture of MnO+SiO 2 using MnCl 2 as a flux in sealed graphite crucibles.
Topology correction of segmented medical images using a fast marching algorithm

We present here a new method for correcting the topology of objects segmented from medical images. Whereas previous techniques alter a surface obtained from a binary segmentation of the object, our technique can be applied directly to the image intensities of a probabilistic or fuzzy segmentation, thereby propagating the topology for all isosurfaces of the object. From an analysis of topological changes and critical points in implicit surfaces, we derive a topology propagation algorithm that enforces any desired topology using a fast marching technique. The method has been applied successfully to the correction of the cortical gray matter/white matter interface in segmented brain images and is publicly released as a software plug-in for the MIPAV package.
A consistent specification test of independence

This paper presents a new specification test of independence between two random vectors by the kernel method. The test statistic is shown to have asymptotic standard normal distribution under the null hypothesis of independence, while diverging to infinity if the null is false. Hence, the test is consistent against any form of dependence between the two random vectors. The power of the test against local alternatives is also investigated.
Error in the calibration of the mgatp chemical-shift limit: Effects on the determination of free magnesium by 31P NMR spectroscopy

The measurement of free intracellular magnesium (Mg2+) using the 31P chemical shifts of ATP requires the use of appropriate calibration solutions to determine the chemical-shift limits delta ATP alpha beta and delta MgATP alpha beta. Solutions containing excess Mg2+ contain significant amounts of Mg2ATP and yield positive errors in the value of delta MgATP alpha beta. For physiological applications this may overestimate free intracellular Mg2+ by as much as 300%. This error may be minimized if appropriate mole ratios of Mg2+/ATP are used to calibrate delta MgATP alpha beta.
Resistance in two Lycopersicon species to an Arkansas isolate of tomato spotted wilt virus

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was obtained from infected tomatoes in commercial fields in Arkansas in 1985. A greenhouse screening procedure for identifying tomatoes resistant to TSWV was established using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect infected plants. Symptom expression was variable and symptom expression was not reliable for identifying infected plants. Germplasm evaluated for resistance to one typical Arkansas isolate (85–9) of TSWV included: twenty cultivars and breeding lines of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, 52 accessions of L. pimpinellifolium (Jusl.) Mill and 8 accessions of L. peruvianum (L.) Mill. All cultivated accessions and breeding lines evaluated were susceptible. Some individual plants in several accessions of L. pimpinellifolium were resistant and nearly all plants of the L. peruvianum accessions that were evaluated were resistant to isolate 85–9.
Fault region localization (FRL): collaborative product and process improvement based on field performance

Customer feedback in the form of warranty/field performance is an important and direct indicator of quality and robustness of a product. Linking warranty information to manufacturing measurements can identify key design parameters and process variables (DPs and PVs) that are related to warranty failures. Warranty data has been traditionally used in reliability studies to determine failure distributions and warranty cost. This paper proposes a novel Fault Region Localization (FRL) methodology to map warranty failures to manufacturing measurements (hence to DPs/PVs) to diagnose warranty failures and perform tolerance revaluation. The FRL methodology consists of two parts: 1. Identifying relations between warranty failures and DPs and PVs using the Generalized Rough Set (GRS) method. GRS is a supervised learning technique to identify specific DPs and PVs related to the given warranty failures and then determining the corresponding Warranty Fault Regions (WFR), Normal Region (NR) and Boundary region (BND). GRS expands traditional Rough Set method by allowing inclusion of noise and uncertainty of warranty data classes. 2. Revaluating the original tolerances of DPs/PVs based on the WFR and BND region identified. The FRL methodology is illustrated using case studies based on two warranty failures from the electronics industry.
Strategies for successful advocacy.

Who could have predicted that one of the most important things we could ever do for our patients is to be politically active? It seems counterintuitive that a critical step in protecting your patients’ access to the high-quality health care you provide would be to call your elected officials. It seems hard to believe that contributing to a political action committee will make a difference in the way you practice medicine every day. But it is a fact that medicine is now the single most regulated industry in this country (I suspected this was true and read the tax code to verify it). And there can be no doubt that physicians now find themselves in a position of political weakness because for many years every other group in health care developed focused lobbying efforts while physicians sat on the sidelines. We left the politics to our adversaries, and we did so at our own, as well as our patients’, peril.
Physical properties of hierarchically ordered self-assembled planar and spherical membranes

The mechanical properties and water permeability of hierarchical self-assembling membranes and sacs formed from oppositely charged high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA) and small molecule peptide amphiphiles (PAs) were studied. Techniques to make reproducible 2D planar membranes and 3D spherical sacs from these materials were developed while membrane inflation and osmotic swelling were used to quantify the mechanical properties and water permeability of these structures. It was found that incubation time and concentration of HA used had an effect on the area modulus and water permeability of the membranes. These factors also affected the kinetics of membrane growth as evidenced in SEM micrographs, which showed differences in the structure. Area modulus of membranes changed from about 6 N m−1 for the lower weight percent HA system at the shortest incubation time of 3 minutes, up to 12 N m−1 for the higher weight percent HA system at the longest incubation time of 60 minutes. Water permeability decreased with incubation time, but the lower weight percent HA system showed a lower water permeability when compared to the higher weight percent HA system at the same incubation time. This type of characterization and understanding of the structure–property relationships in self-assembling systems are necessary steps in both using these structures for specific applications and applying this knowledge to design new and better materials in the future.
Informed consent for phase I oncology trials: form, substance and signature.

Background: Federal regulations state consent information should be understandable to participants; concerns have been voiced about the quality of informed consent forms (ICFs) in oncology trials. Methods: The content of ICFs for p hase I studies that were conducted at a tertiary care cancer center over 3 years’ period was reviewed. Information pertaining to the length of the ICF, description of study purpose, research regimen/methods, treatment agent, potential risks, benefits and alternatives to the research was extracted. Results: In total, 54 ICFs for p hase I trials approved by the local Institutional Review Board were reviewed. Median length of ICF was 20 pages. Nearly one half of the forms (57.4%) were of first-in-human p hase I studies. The main goal of research was explicitly stated as safety testing in 59.2% forms, while 37.1% studies described primary objective as dose finding. All of the forms identified serious risks, unexpected risks, possibility of death and risks to pregnant and or lactating women. A detailed estimation of the frequency or intensity of risks (range 3-8 pages) was provided qualitatively or quantitatively if known. Information regarding mechanism of action of investigational agent, study schema, dose escalation, loss of time/energy and possibility of receiving sub-therapeutic dose was missing in significant number of forms. Conclusion: We found that these ICFs were compliant with approved guidelines and provided a thorough description of risks or potential benefits. However, there still remains room for improvement, so patients can make better informed decisions. J Clin Med Res. 2014;6(3):205-208 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jocmr1803w
Network Application Technology with High-Fidelity Modeling of Worm Containment with Benign Worms

Worm infection is a critical problem for network application technology and security. In order to decrease the destruction of worm to network application technology, a worm containment method using benign worms was proposed, and an approach of high-fidelity modeling on packet-level of worm propagation and containment with benign worms was designed. The experiment results show that benign worms can contain the infection of malicious worms effectively, and the initial locality of worm, the delay time between the start time of benign worm and malicious worm, background traffic of the network will affect the propagation and containment of worms.
1275 NEW ROLE OF COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY IN THE ASSESSMENT OF INBORN ERRORS OF METABOLISM

Recent advances in computerized tomography have extended the application of this tool beyond the subjective observation of structural abnormalities. Quantitative capabilities make it the most sensitive method of determining organ volumes and we demonstrate methods to assess liver and spleen size relative to age-specific norms. Measurements are highly reproducible, duplicate studies varying by only 3%, and are therefore useful in following the progression of disease (eg, splenomegaly in Gaucher disease), or in evaluating the effect of treatment. For example, liver volume in a 2-year-old with Hurler syndrome was initially 904 cc (normal range 184-548 cc); subsequent determinations measured progressive reduction in liver size to 453 cc (normal 249-603) at 10 months after bone marrow transplantation. In addition, determination of organ radiodensity can be used to assess metabolic state and provides a noninvasive means of differentiating the accumulation of metal, carbohydrate, and lipid storage materials. This is illustrated by our novel observation, increased hepatic radiodensity in three patients with Hurler syndrome: 78.3, 71.9, and 75.6 HU. Conversely, inborn errors with lipid accumulation are characterized by decreased attenuation value (eg, hepatic radiodensity in Wolman disease of 36.6 HU). Thus, quantitative CT analysis is valuable as a screening tool, for focusing a differential diagnosis prior to biochemical confirmation of inborn errors, and is also a sensitive technique for monitoring pathophysiologic change.
Improving on “The One‐Disk Approach to Many SAVEKEY.DATs”

Our method for increasing the speed of batch file execution, is based on Paul Carnahan's article in OCLC Micro, June 1988, pp. 23–24 and 28. It also includes several other techniques that I've used in our batch files.
Tailoring the water structure and transport in nanotubes with tunable interiors

Self-assembly of cyclic peptide nanotubes (CPNs) in polymer thin films has opened up the possibility of creating separation membranes with tunable nanopores that can differentiate molecules at the sub-nanometer level. While it has been demonstrated that the interior chemistry of the CPNs can be tailored by inserting functional groups in the nanopore lumen (mCPNs), a design strategy for picking the chemical modifications that lead to particular transport properties has not been established. Drawing from the knowledgebase of functional groups in natural amino acids, here we use molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate how bioinspired mutations influence the transport of water through mCPNs. We show that, at the nanoscale, factors besides the pore size, such as electrostatic interactions and steric effects, can dramatically change the transport properties. We recognize a novel asymmetric structure of water under nanoconfinement inside the chemically functionalized nanotubes and identify that the small non-polar glycine-mimic groups that minimize the steric constraints and confer a hydrophobic character to the nanotube interior are the fastest transporters of water. Our computationally developed experiments on a realistic material system circumvent synthetic challenges, and lay the foundation for bioinspired principles to tailor artificial nanochannels for separation applications such as desalination, ion-exchange and carbon capture.
Red cell organic phosphates and Bohr effects in house sparrow blood.

Abstract CO 2 and fixed acid Bohr effects (d log P O2 /d pH) were determined for fresh whole blood of adult house sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) at 35, 41 and 45°C. At each temperature, the effects of titrating blood with CO 2 at constant base excess (CO 2 Bohr effect) were similar at P 50 (35°, −0.48; 41°, −0.49; 45°, −0.49). The CO 2 Bohr slopes were also reasonably saturation independent between 10 and 90% S. Fixed acid Bohr values, determined by titrating sparrow blood with HCl and NaHCO 3 at 4% CO 2 , were significantly less than the corresponding CO 2 coefficients at half saturation (35°, −0.43; 41°, −0.39; 45°, −0.41). The difference between CO 2 and H + Bohr effects, assumed here to represent carbamino CO 2 binding to hemoglobin, decreased in magnitude with increasing saturation at each temperature. Inositol pentaphosphate (IPP, 3.1 μmol/ml RBC) were the major organic phosphates present in Passer erythrocytes. CO 2 and organic phosphates are known to compete for common binding sites on the Hb molecule. Because of IPP's strong binding affinity and high concentration in most avian red cells, carbamate formation is generally suppressed in bird blood. The presence of a small but significant specific CO 2 effect in Passer blood may indicate that one or both sparrow isohemoglobins has reduced affinity for IPP and/or ATP, permitting CO 2 to compete more effectively in Hb-carbamate formation.
Exchange bias in bulk Ni–Mn–In-based Heusler alloys

Abstract The crystal structure and exchange bias of the bulk Heusler alloys Ni 50 Mn 50− x In x with 14.5⩽ x ⩽15.2 have been investigated using X-ray diffraction and magnetization measurements, respectively. Magnetic measurements were performed with SQUID magnetometry after samples were zero-field cooled and field cooled (FC) in positive magnetic fields up to H =50 kOe, from a temperature T =380 K. Three temperatures of the phase transitions, T 1 T M T C , and a shift of the FC (50 kOe) magnetic hysteresis loops up to 120 Oe at 5 K have been detected for all samples. The exchange bias field ( H E ) was almost constant for intermediate In concentrations 14.8 x x ⩽14.5; 15.2⩽ x ). The changes of H E have been related to changes in the ratio of T 1 to T M : the overlapping of transitions at T 1 and T M (for x =14.8, and 15.2) results in a decrease in H E .
Inversion of exons 1–7 of the MSH2 gene is a frequent cause of unexplained Lynch syndrome in one local population

Germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes, such as MSH2, cause Lynch syndrome, an autosomal dominant predisposition to colorectal as well as other cancers. Our research clinic focuses on hereditary colorectal cancer, and over the past 9 years we have identified germline mutations in DNA MMR genes in 101 patients using commercial genetic reference laboratories. We also collected samples from twelve patients with absent MSH2 protein expression and microsatellite instability in tumor tissue, with a family history suggestive of Lynch syndrome, but negative germline test results. The most likely explanation for this set of results is that the germline testing did not detect true germline mutations in these patients. Two of our patients with failed commercial testing were later found to have deletions in the 3′ region of EPCAM, the gene just upstream of MSH2, but no explanation could be found for inactivation of MSH2 in the other ten patients. We used allelic dropout in long PCR to look for potential regions of rearrangement in the MSH2 gene. This method detected a potential rearrangement breakpoint in the same region of MSH2 where one breakpoint of a 10 Mb inversion was reported previously. We tested these ten patients for this inversion. Six of 10 patients had the inversion, indicating the importance of including testing for this inversion in patients suspected of having MSH2-type Lynch syndrome in our population. Additionally, this method could be further developed to look for inversions in other genes where current methods of testing fail to find a causative mutation.
Salivary antibody response and priming stimulated by soluble or particulate antigens injected at a remote secretory site.

Abstract The salivary antibody response produced after remote secretory site (mammary gland) injection of soluble or paniculate DNP antigens was examined in the rat. IgA and IgG salivary antibody and IgG serum antibody concentrations were determined by an ELISA technique. Two experiments were performed using DNP-BGG as the soluble antigen and either DNP-S. mutans or DNP-BGG-S. mutans as particulate antigens. Approximately equivalent IgA antibody responses were produced when soluble or particulate antigens were injected locally at a secretory site. However, a greater salivary IgA response was observed with the soluble antigen when the antigens were injected in the vicinity of a secretory site (mammary glands) remote from the salivary glands (experiment I: 123 ± 46 vs 2 ± 1 ng IgA per millilitre of saliva, and experiment 2: 212 ± 59 vs 45 ± 21 ng IgA per millilitre of saliva). In both experiments, prior remote secretory site injection of the soluble antigen was able to prime for a significantly increased salivary IgA response (more than three-fold) after a local injection in the vicinity of the salivary gland. The particulate antigens did not lead to priming of the salivary antibody response. Prior remote secretory site injection of soluble antigen, but not of the particulate antigens, also increased salivary and serum IgG antibody levels above the levels observed with an injection at either site alone.
Hyperkalemia in a Chronic Hemodialysis Patient

A 65-vear-old hemodial-vsis patient has repeated problems presenting with hyperkalemia (serum potassium concentrations of 7–8 mEq/L befbre dial-vsis; sometimes in association with symptoms of paraly- sis). Although she likes to eat a lot of fruit, she frequently denies excess ingestion preceding these episodes. Is dietary indiscretion the major cause of hyperkalemia in dialysis patients? What other causes should be considered? Is there a preferred way to dialyze these patients to remove more potassium safi1.v and prevent these dangerous episodes?
Reinforcement Learning and Synergistic Control of the ACT Hand

Tendon-driven systems are ubiquitous in biology and provide considerable advantages for robotic manipulators, but control of these systems is challenging because of the increase in dimensionality and intrinsic nonlinearities. Researchers in biological movement control have suggested that the brain may employ “muscle synergies” to make planning, control, and learning more tractable by expressing the tendon space in a lower dimensional virtual synergistic space. We employ synergies that respect the differing constraints of actuation and sensation, and apply path integral reinforcement learning in the virtual synergistic space as well as the full tendon space. Path integral reinforcement learning has been used successfully on torque-driven systems to learn episodic tasks without using explicit models, which is particularly important for difficult-to-model dynamics like tendon networks and contact transitions. We show that optimizing a small number of trajectories in virtual synergy space can produce comparable performance to optimizing the trajectories of the tendons individually. The six tendons of the index finger and eight tendons of the thumb, each actuating four degrees of joint freedom, are used to slide a switch and turn a knob. The learned control strategies provide a method for discovery of novel task strategies and system phenomena without explicitly modeling the physics of the robot and environment.
Young adults' evaluations of themselves and their parents as a function of family structure and disposition.

Young adults (N=349) were asked to evaluate, in a counterbalanced fashion, their mothers, fathers, and themselves. They also evaluated their families. Individuals from “happy” families were found to rate themselves significantly higher and their mothers somewhat higher than did their counterparts from “unhappy” families. Evaluations of fathers were not found to vary as a function of family happiness. Evaluations of fathers, but not mothers or subjects themselves, were found to vary significantly depending upon the structure of their family environments. Heider's attribution theory seems to be able to account for these varied findings.
Polyacrylamide adsorption from very dilute solutions

Abstract The adsorption of two high-molecular-weight polyacrylamides (anionic Percol 155 and cationic Percol 292) by an unbleached and a bleached hardwood cellulose was studied at very dilute polymer concentrations. The influence of several simple electrolytes on the adsorption behavior of these polymers was investigated. The results were interpreted in terms of Hesselink's statistical-mechanical theory of poly-electrolyte adsorption. Generally, good agreement between Hesselink's theory and experimental results was obtained. However, it appears that an additional nonelectrical contribution to the free energy of adsorption is necessary and may arise from vicinal water effects which have not been considered explicitly in macromolecular adsorption theory.
Postreplication repair of DNA in ultraviolet-irradiated mammalian cells

Abstract DNA synthesized in ultraviolet-irradiated L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells is smaller than that made in unirradiated cells, as shown by pulse-labeling with tritiated thymidine, followed by sedimentation of the DNA in alkaline sucrose gradients. Hence, DNA synthesized on ultraviolet-irradiated DNA templates contains discontinuities. The estimated distance between these discontinuities is comparable to the average spacing between pyrimidine dimers in the parental strands, suggesting that the replication machinery leaves gaps opposite the dimers. On subsequent incubation these discontinuities are filled in by a process which is inhibited by hydroxyurea. In order to determine whether the gaps are filled in by a recombinational mechanism or by de novo synthesis, irradiated cells were pulse-labeled with radioactive thymidine, followed by incubation in bromodeoxyuridine and exposure to light of wavelength 313 nm. Bromuracil-containing sections of DNA are selectively disrupted by light of this wavelength. Thus if the gaps in the radioactively labeled daughter strands are filled in by exchange with thymidine-containing DNA from the parental strands (recombinational exchange), they will not contain bromuracil, and the molecular weight distributions of the radioactive DNA from initially irradiated and unirradiated cells will be similar after exposure to 313-nm light. On the other hand, if the gaps are filled in by bromuracil-substituted DNA (arising from de novo synthesis), the small pieces of radioactive DNA synthesized in the initially irradiated cells during the pulse-labeling will be reformed on exposure to 313-nm light, and the molecular weight distribution from those cells will have a lower average molecular weight than that from similarly treated unirradiated cells. The results are in accordance with the second alternative, indicating that the gaps in the daughter strands opposite the pyrimidine dimers are filled in with newly synthesized DNA. Furthermore parental DNA does not seem to be involved in the gap-filling process. This excludes many of the recombinational models which have been put forward to account for similar gap-filling phenomena observed in bacteria. The results give an approximate value of 800 nucleotides for the size of the filled-in gaps.
Physician beliefs and practices for adjuvant and salvage radiation therapy after prostatectomy

Purpose: Despite results of randomized trials that support adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) after radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer with adverse pathologic features (APF), many clinicians favor selective use of salvage RT. This survey was conducted to evaluate the beliefs and practices of radiation oncologists (RO) and urologists (U) regarding RT after RP. Methods and Materials: We designed a Web-based survey of post-RP RT beliefs and policies. Survey invitations were e-mailed to a list of 926 RO and 591 U. APF were defined as extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle invasion, or positive surgical margin. Differences between U and RO in adjuvant RT recommendations were evaluated by comparative statistics. Multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate factors predictive of adjuvant RT recommendation. Results: Analyzable surveys were completed by 218 RO and 92 U (overallresponse rate, 20%). Adjuvant RT was recommended based on APF by 68% of respondents (78% RO, 44% U, p <0.001). U were less likely than RO to agree that adjuvant RT improves survival and/or biochemical control (p < 0.0001). PSA thresholds for salvage RT were higher among U than RO (p < 0.001). Predicted rates of erectile dysfunction due to RT were higher among U than RO (p <0.001). Onmore » multivariate analysis, respondent specialty was the only predictor of adjuvant RT recommendations. Conclusions: U are less likely than RO to recommend adjuvant RT. Future research efforts should focus on defining the toxicities of post-RP RT and on identifying the subgroups of patients who will benefit from adjuvant vs. selective salvage RT.« less
Recursive syntactic pattern learning by songbirds.

Noam Chomsky's work on ‘generative grammar’ led to the concept of a set of rules that can generate a natural language with a hierarchical grammar, and the idea that this represents a uniquely human ability. In a series of experiments with European starlings, in which several types of ‘warble’ and ‘rattle’ took the place of words in a human language, the birds learnt to classify phrase structure grammars in a way that met the same criteria. Their performance can be said to be almost human on this yardstick. So if there are language processing capabilities that are uniquely human, they may be more context-free or at a higher level in the Chomsky hierarchy. Or perhaps there is no single property or processing capacity that differentiates human language from non-human communication systems. Humans regularly produce new utterances that are understood by other members of the same language community1. Linguistic theories account for this ability through the use of syntactic rules (or generative grammars) that describe the acceptable structure of utterances2. The recursive, hierarchical embedding of language units (for example, words or phrases within shorter sentences) that is part of the ability to construct new utterances minimally requires a ‘context-free’ grammar2,3 that is more complex than the ‘finite-state’ grammars thought sufficient to specify the structure of all non-human communication signals. Recent hypotheses make the central claim that the capacity for syntactic recursion forms the computational core of a uniquely human language faculty4,5. Here we show that European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) accurately recognize acoustic patterns defined by a recursive, self-embedding, context-free grammar. They are also able to classify new patterns defined by the grammar and reliably exclude agrammatical patterns. Thus, the capacity to classify sequences from recursive, centre-embedded grammars is not uniquely human. This finding opens a new range of complex syntactic processing mechanisms to physiological investigation.
Rapid neurite formation in a human cortical neuronal cell line

Abstract The subclone HCN-1 was derived from parental cell lines from cortical tissue of a patient with unilateral megalencephaly growth and immunochemistry staining characteristics [G. V. Ronnett et al. (1990) Human cortical neuronal cell line: establishment from a patient with unilateral megalencephaly. Science248, 603–605]. As we and others have shown, HCN-1A cells can be induced to differentiate to a neuronal-like morphology. HCN-1A cells stain positively for neurofilament, neuron-specific enolase and the low-affinity neurotrophin receptors, p75NGFR, but not for myelin basic protein, S-100, or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). HCN-1A cells also stain positively for gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate. In the present study, we examine the effects of cell density on the requirements for efficient induction of differentiation of HCN-1A cells and analyze the time course of this induction and its reversion. We also characterize the changes in cytoskeletal proteins of HCN-1A cells in response to their differentiation neuronal phenotype.
Difference in the picrotoxinin receptor between the cyclodiene-resistant and susceptible strains of the german cockroach

Abstract As a result of toxicity tests, it was established that all cyclodiene-resistant strains of the German cockroach are also resistant to picrotoxinin, a plant-origin neurotoxicant. Two of the cockroach strains which exhibit a distinct cross-resistance pattern to picrotoxinin (i.e., LPP and FRP) are the ones that have been purified genetically by backcrossing against the susceptible (CSMA) strain. This cross-resistance pattern appears to be specific to picrotoxinin and does not extend to other neuroexcitants such as bicuculline, beta-bungarotoxin, and DDT. The nervous system of the resistant cockroach was found to be less sensitive to picrotoxinin. Furthermore, it was determined that nerve components from the resistant cockroaches have significantly lower binding capacity to [ 3 H]α-dihydropicrotoxinin. The most likely explanation for the above phenomenon is that these cockroaches have developed the cyclodiene resistance by altering the nerve receptor for picrotoxinin.
Advanced processes for photomask damage-free cleaning and photoresist removal

Photon induced haze resulting from sulfur residues that remain after cleaning and photoresist stripping is a key challenge for 193 nm photomasks. In previously reported work, sulfur-free processes for cleaning and photoresist removal on mask blanks were shown. Additional characterization and development of the cleaning and strip/clean processes are presented here. For cleaning the particle adder stability, ammonia chemistry residue levels, and chrome oxide anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer integrity were characterized. It was found that process modification was needed to provide acceptable post-clean ammonia levels and reflectivity change per clean. A strip/clean process with acceptable window for complete resist removal without ARC layer damage was found to be challenging and dependent on the mask photoresist/ARC stack. Dry strip, wet strip, and combined dry/wet stripping approaches (all followed by wet clean) were investigated. Oxidizing dry strip chemistry, while easily removing the bulk photoresist layer, gave unacceptable ARC attack. For FEP photoresist an all-wet process was demonstrated, and for iP and NEB resists, promising results were achieved with less oxidizing dry strip chemistry.
Monkeys, apes, mirrors and minds: The evolution of self-awareness in primates

Almost two decades of research on the self-recognition capacity of non-human primates has produced evidence of intriguing phylogenetic differences. Not a single species of monkey has demonstrated the ability to recognize its own reflection in a mirror, despite some claims to the contrary. To date, only humans, orangutans and chimpanzees have passed objective tests of mirror-recognition. This paper reviews the methodology and evidence for self-recognition in primates along with the assumption that this ability is an indicator of self-awareness. The failure of the gorilla to master the task is discussed in some detail, along with an evaluation of anecdotal evidence of self-recognition by at least one gorilla. Also, the evolutionary backdrop of the primates is considered with reference to this unique behavior. Evidence supporting alternate, non-cognitive interpretations of self-recognition is assessed.
Actions of acute ethanol intoxication on cardiopulmonary function after an endotoxin challenge.

Background This study examined whether acute ethanol (EtOH) intoxication could alter the systemic inflammatory response evoked by endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS). Methods. Anesthetized (fentanyl) and mechanically ventilated mongrel pigs were administered 20% EtOH (3 gm/kg) or its vehicle (VEH) by means of gastric lavage. After 60 minutes of equilibration, blood levels were 110 to 130 mg/dl, and LPS (1 μg/kg per 30 minutes) was infused intravenously to mimic the type of sepsis that might be encountered after a penetrating abdominal injury. Results. LPS caused initial pulmonary vasoconstriction followed by cardiovascular collapse in 7 of 14 pigs with EtOH versus 0 of 14 pigs with VEH (p=0.0058); survival time averaged 2.4±0.5 hours for EtOH versus 4.5±0.3 hours for VEH (p=0.002). At 3 to 5 hours after LPS infusion the survivors were acidotic (base excess, −5.1±1.5 versus 0.4±1.1 mEq/L; p=0.007) and vasodilated (systemic vascular resistance, 54%±9% versus 111% ±9% baseline; p=0.005). Systemic arterial pressure and cardiac filling pressures were maintained with fluid resuscitation, but more was required for EtOH versus VEH (80±11 versus 42±5 ml/kg/hr; p=0.0034). A diffuse capillary leak was detected with gamma scintigraphy and regional uptake of technetium 99m albumin. With EtOH versus VEH microvascular permeability was higher in abdomen (p=0.01) and liver (p=0.06) but not in lung (p=0.29). These changes were probably mediated in part by leukosequestration: neutrophil counts were initially reduced more than 80% in both groups, but they then rebounded with VEH (p Conclusions. By means of a leukocyte-mediated mechanism in the splanchnic circulation, acute EtOH impaired host defense, which exacerbated LPS-evoked systemic inflammatory response. In context with our earlier experimental study and two large clinical trials, it appears that acute EtOH can have opposite effects on the vulnerability to posttrauma sepsis, depending on the timing of the septic insult and on the immune status at the time of septic challenge.
Fundamental Questions of Earthquake Statistics, Source Behavior, and the Estimation of Earthquake Probabilities from Possible Foreshocks

Abstract Estimates of the probability that an M L 4.8 earthquake, which occurred near the southern end of the San Andreas fault on 24 March 2009, would be followed by an M 7 mainshock over the following three days vary from 0.0009 using a Gutenberg–Richter model of aftershock statistics (Reasenberg and Jones, 1989) to 0.04 using a statistical model of foreshock behavior and long‐term estimates of large earthquake probabilities, including characteristic earthquakes (Agnew and Jones, 1991). I demonstrate that the disparity between the existing approaches depends on whether or not they conform to Gutenberg–Richter behavior. While Gutenberg–Richter behavior is well established over large regions, it could be violated on individual faults if they have characteristic earthquakes or over small areas if the spatial distribution of large‐event nucleations is disproportional to the rate of smaller events. I develop a new form of the aftershock model that includes characteristic behavior and combines the features of both models. This new model and the older foreshock model yield the same results when given the same inputs, but the new model has the advantage of producing probabilities for events of all magnitudes, rather than just for events larger than the initial one. Compared with the aftershock model, the new model has the advantage of taking into account long‐term earthquake probability models. Using consistent parameters, the probability of an M 7 mainshock on the southernmost San Andreas fault is 0.0001 for three days from long‐term models and the clustering probabilities following the M L 4.8 event are 0.00035 for a Gutenberg–Richter distribution and 0.013 for a characteristic‐earthquake magnitude–frequency distribution. Our decisions about the existence of characteristic earthquakes and how large earthquakes nucleate have a first‐order effect on the probabilities obtained from short‐term clustering models for these large events.
Phase change solidification dynamics

Phase change solidification phenomena in n- hexadecane for spacecraft thermal control systems, considering two or three dimensional models
Economic Class as a Measure of Farmers' Welfare

Special tabulations from Internal Revenue Service provide an opportunity for agricultural economists to show that average income of farm operator families distributed by size of farm business receipts gives a misleading indication of the well-being of farm families. For 1970, the distribution of farm taxpayers by basic income classes varies considerably within, as well as between, farm receipt classes. Thus, a small farm business does not mean that the family has a low income, since many receive income from off-farm sources.