cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Tension Crack Impinging Upon Frictional Interfaces

A crack impinging normally upon a frictional interface is studied theoretically. We employ a solution technique which superposes the solution of a crack in a perfectly-bonded elastic medium with a continuous distribution of dislocations which represent slippage at the frictional interface. This procedure reduces the problem to a singular integral equation which is solved numerically. Specifically, we consider the problem of an infinite sheet subjected to uniaxial tension containing a finite crack which lies normal to the tension axis and has both crack tips impinging normally on frictional interfaces. The limiting problem of a semi-infinite crack impinging on a frictional interface is considered as well. Posed as model problems for cracking in weakly bonded fiber composites, these studies reveal the effective blunting that can result when a weak interface serves to deflect a propagating crack.
The 2008 Benjamin Franklin medal for physics is presented to Dr. Deborah Jin

Abstract The Benjamin Franklin Medal for Physics is awarded to Dr. Deborah Jin (JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado) “in recognition of her pioneering investigations into the quantum properties of an ultra-cold gas of fermionic atoms and, in particular, for her creation of the first degenerate Fermi gas of atoms”.
Internal fixation of mandibular angle fractures with the Champy technique

Fractures of the angle of the mandible are prone to complications including malocclusion and non-union. Although a standard rigid fixation technique allowing immediate load bearing using large plates and tension bands has a long track record, the non-rigid mono-cortical plate technique using load sharing engineering principles popularized by Champy has gained the confidence of many surgeons. This article describes the Champy technique in detail in contrast to the technique of load bearing fixation.
Internality/Externality and Animistic Thinking

Summary.-The present study investigated the relationship between internality, externality, and children's concept of life. The subjects were 96 children, between 10 and 13 yr. of age, who answered an animism test and a locus of reinforcement control test. The data indicated that 49 internal-scoring children of both sexes had higher animate object scores and lower inanimate object scores than the 47 external-scoring children. This relationship suggested that the internal scorers may have a more accurate concept of life than the external scorers. The authors have proposed that internal and external children may employ different cognitive processes in acquiring the concept of life. According to Piaget ( 1929), animistic thinking in children is the attribution of life to inanimate objects. In recent years, interest has renewed. Piaget's ( 1929) theory, as elaborated by Laurendeau and Pinard ( 1962), has proposed that the child's conception of life is developed through four invariant stages. As with the acquisition of other concepts, the sequence of these stages are fixed, while the development rate of each stage is variable. The four stages are described briefly as follows: (1) an object is attributed with life if it affects people; (2) an object is viewed as living if it is capable of moving, even if it cannot move by itself; (3) an object is attributed as living only if it moves spontaneously without human effort; and (4) only plants and animals are considered living. According to Piaget's (1929) proposal, children should attain Stage 4, the attribution of life only to plants and animals, by the end of the concreteoperational stage. Various researchers, however, have found that although animistic thinking decreases with age, many older subjects still attribute life to inanimate objects (Dennis & Mallinger, 1949; Looft, 1974; Russell, 1940, 1942). The latter findings conflict with Piaget's (1929) hypothesis that the concept of life is acquired by the end of the concrete-operational stage of development. Looft and Bartz (1969) have suggested that this discrepancy between Piaget's hypothesis and empirical findings may reflect the fact that the causes and meaning of animism may differ for adults and children. This assumption still needs to be investigated. The locus of reinforcement control has been suggested as a possible personality factor which may have an influence on children's conception of life. Locus of control is a reflection of the extent an individual is able to conceptualize the relationship between his own behavior and what happens to
Characterization and Expression of Iron Regulatory Protein 2 (IRP2). PRESENCE OF MULTIPLE IRP2 TRANSCRIPTS REGULATED BY INTRACELLULAR IRON LEVELS

Iron regulatory proteins (IRP1 and IRP2) are RNA-binding proteins that bind to stem-loop structures, termed iron-responsive elements (IREs), present in either the 5'- or 3'-untranslated regions of specific mRNAs. The binding of IRPs to 5'-IREs inhibits translation of mRNA, whereas the binding of IRPs to 3'-IREs stabilizes mRNA. To study the structure and regulation of IRP2, we isolated cDNAs for rat and human IRP2. The derived amino acid sequence of rat IPR2 is 93% identical with that of human IRP2 and is present in lower eukaryotes, indicating that IRP2 is highly conserved. IRP1 and IRP2 share 61% overall amino acid identity. IRP2 is ubiquitously expressed in rat tissues, the highest amounts present in skeletal muscle and heart. IRP2 is encoded by multiple mRNAs of 6.4, 4.0, and 3.7 kilobases. The 3'-untranslated region of rat IRP2 contains multiple polyadenylation signals, two of which could account for the 4.0-kb and 3.7-kb mRNAs. The 3.7-kb mRNA is increased in iron-depleted cells and occurs with a reciprocal decrease in the 6.4-kb transcript. These data suggest that the 3.7-kb mRNA is produced by alternative poly(A) site utilization in iron-depleted cells.
The chemical mimicking of the mechanical stimulation, photoinhibition, and recovery from photoinihibition of bioluminescence in the marine dinoflagellate, Gonyaulax polyedra

Mechanically stimulable bioluminescence and photoinhibition of sensitivity to mechanical stimulation in the marine dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra can be mimicked by a number of cations, proportional to the logarithm of their external concentrations. The data are consistent with mechanical stimulability as a membrane depolarization resulting in an increase in H/sup +/ ions at bioluminescence sites and with photoinhibition as a hyperpolarization of the cell membrane.
Comments on Dr. Finkel's Paper on Solution Focused Risk Assessment (SFRA)

In this issue of the journal, Dr. Adam Finkel presents his proposal that it is time for risk assessments to be prepared or used in a different manner. Specifically, he notes that “more attention an...
Is it useful to tilt a cranked harmonic oscillator

Abstract The cranked harmonic oscillator hamiltonian is generalized to the case where the rotation axis is not along a principal axis of the harmonic oscillator well. Eigenvalues, eigenfunctions and expectation values are given, and the spurious motion of the center of mass is eliminated. It is finally shown that such a tilted rotation is unstable: the laboratory frame energy is minimum for the usual cranked harmonic oscillator motion.
Photochemical generation and the reactivity of o-naphthoquinone methides in aqueous solutions.

Irradiation of 3-hydroxy-2-naphthalenemethanol (3a) and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthalenemethanol (4a) results in efficient (Φ254 = 0.17 and 0.20) dehydration and the formation of isomeric naphthoquinone methides, 2,3-naphthoquinone-3-methide (1) and 1,2-naphthoquinone-1-methide (2), respectively. In aqueous solution, naphthoquinone methides 1 and 2 undergo rapid hydration to regenerate starting materials (τH2O (1) = 7.4 ms and τH2O (2) = 4.5 ms at 25 °C). The hydration reaction is strongly catalyzed by the hydroxide ion but shows acid catalysis only at pH < 1. Reactive intermediates 1 and 2 can be intercepted by other nucleophiles, such as the azide ion (kN3(1) = 2.0 × 104 M−1 s−1 and kN3(2) = 3.0 × 104 M−1 s−1) or thiol (kSH(1) = 2.2 × 105 M−1 s−1 and kSH(2) = 3.3 × 105 M−1 s−1). Ethyl vinyl ether readily reacts with 1 and 2 (kDA(1) = 4.1 × 104 M−1 s−1 and kDA(2) = 6.0 × 104 M−1 s−1) to produce Diels−Alder adducts in excellent yield. o-Naphthoquinone methides 1 and 2 were also generated by photolysis of 3-ethoxym...
A non-linear and non-Gaussian state-space model for censored air pollution data

Lidar technology is used to quantify airborne particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter (PM10). These spatio-temporal lidar data on PM10 are subject to censoring due to detection limits. A non-linear and non-Gaussian state-space model is modified to accommodate data subject to detection limits and outline strategies for Markov-chain Monte Carlo estimation and filtering. The methods are applied to spatio-temporal lidar measurements of dust particle concentrations. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Guilty, free, and wise: Determinism and psychopathy diminish learning from negative emotions.

Emotional experiences can bring about personal growth. For instance, feeling guilty may prompt one to learn from a mistake, and this learning can bring about different and better future behavior. Three studies found that belief in free will facilitated learning from emotional experiences, as inducing participants to disbelieve in free will was associated with reduced learning. Emotional responsiveness, as defined by low psychopathy scores, also facilitated learning from emotional experiences (Studies 2 and 3). The degree of learning associated with emotional experiences was measured by self-rating (Study 1), independent evaluations of lessons learned (Study 2), and whether participants joined a campus recycling program (after being made to feel guilty about an environmental transgression; Study 3).
A malaria parasite-encoded vacuolar H(+)-ATPase is targeted to the host erythrocyte.

The asexual development of malaria parasites inside the erythrocyte is accompanied by changes in the composition, structure, and function of the host cell membrane and cytoplasm. The parasite exports a membrane network into the host cytoplasm and several proteins that are inserted into the erythrocyte membrane, although none of these proteins has been shown to have enzymatic activity. We report here that a functional malaria parasite-encoded vacuolar (V)-H+-ATPase is exported to the erythrocyte and localized in membranous structures and in the plasma membrane of the infected erythrocyte. This localization was determined by separation of parasite and erythrocyte membranes and determination of enzyme marker activities and by immunofluorescence microscopy assays using antibodies against the B subunit of the malarial V-H+-ATPase and erythrocyte (spectrins) and parasite (merozoite surface protein 1) markers. Our results suggest that this pump has a role in the maintenance of the intracellular pH (pHi) of the infected erythrocyte. Our results also indicate that although the pHi maintained by the V-H+-ATPase is important for maximum uptake of small metabolites at equilibrium, it does not appear to affect transport across the erythrocyte membrane and is, therefore, not involved in the previously described phenomenon of increased permeability of infected erythrocytes that is sensitive to chloride channel inhibitors (new permeation pathway). This constitutes the first report of the presence of a functional enzyme of parasite origin in the plasma membrane of its host.
2.1 Å structure of Serratia endonuclease suggests a mechanism for binding to double-stranded DNA

The crystal structure of Serratia endonuclease has been solved to 2.1 A by multiple isomorphous replacement. This magnesium-dependent enzyme is equally active against single- and double-stranded DNA, as well as RNA, without any apparent base preference. The Serratia endonuclease fold is distinct from that of other nucleases that have been solved by X-ray diffraction. The refined structure consists of a central layer containing six antiparallel beta-strands which is flanked on one side by a helical domain and on the opposite side by one dominant helix and a very long coiled loop. Electrostatic calculations reveal a strongly polarized molecular surface and suggest that a cleft between this long helix and loop, near His 89, may contain the active site of the enzyme.
Basement controls on the scale of giant polygons in Utopia Planitia, Mars

[1] We investigate the role of buried basement topography in controlling the scale of the giant polygons of Utopia Planitia (49°N, 233°W), Mars. Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) Infrared Daytime image mosaics reveal ∼6 km average spacing of polygon troughs along selected basin-radial transects. If graben spacing correlates to thickness of the Utopia basin sediments, this measured trough spacing suggests ∼3 km of sediment, in contrast to inferences of 1–2 km thick sediments within this portion of the basin. Irregular basement topography can influence trough development within the contracting sediments by localizing stresses at the top of basement slopes so that the trough spacing correlates to topographic variations rather than layer thickness. Along the slopes, locally large strains responsible for graben development may develop with only modest levels of sediment contraction. Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data from the highlands region, which may represent the buried topography in Utopia basin, are used to create a stochastic suite of numerical simulations of the Utopia basin, where fracture seeds along the base of the model represent potential basement topography beneath the basin. At low strain, our models that simulate wet, fine sediment produce surface fractures with ∼4–7 km spacing, which matches the spacing of troughs in the polygonal terrain of the Utopia basin. This match supports the idea that buried topography below contracting wet sediments may exert primary control on the scale of polygonal troughs. Furthermore, volumetric contraction can produce locally high extensional strains with or without a contribution from tectonic uplift.
Integrating Spiritual Modeling Into Education: A College Course for Stress Management and Spiritual Growth

Educators from grade school to college have long taught about religion in fields such as history and social studies. By affirming the importance of religion and spirituality (RS) in the lives of people worldwide, such RS teaching may support and reinforce student assimilation of virtues and character strengths from their families or other committed sources of RS. Growing evidence for health benefit from RS practices has recently encouraged some physicians to support patients in using RS methods of coping with illness. We describe an integrated college course about RS and well-being. Using a social cognitive and spiritual modeling approach, the course includes not only standard academic content but also a practical component, analogous to a laboratory section or to training in applied professional skills. We discuss how this approach could be adapted to various academic or applied settings. Course effectiveness is supported by empirical outcome studies reported elsewhere. Where is the wisdom we have lost i...
Long-term stability of species composition in calanoid copepods off southern California

The stability of the species composition of calanoid copepods was investigated off southern California using samples collected during spring by the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) from 1951 through 1999. The region was consistently dominated in spring by 3 species, Calanus pacificus, Metridia pacifica and Pleuromamma borealis, which together accounted for 77 % of the total on average. Four other categories each usually accounted for 3 to 7% of the total, but were occasionally much more abundant. All other species each generally made up less than 1 % of the total. Species composition was compared between pairs of cruises using the percent similarity index (PSI). Species composition was found to be stable over the 49 yr covered by the study. Mean PSI values for each cruise were consistently high, except for 6 anomalous years, 1951, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1992 and 1998. The increased frequency of anomalous years following the 1976/1977 climatic regime shift, rather than an overall decline in similarity, may account for the difference in PSI means before and after the regime shift. Of the 6 anomalous cruises, 3 coincided with strong California El Nino events during the warm-water period of the 1980s and 1990s, while 2 occurred immediately after the 1976/1977 regime shift.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 168

Nuclear structure data pertaining to all nuclei with mass A=168 (Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt) have been evaluated and incorporated into the ENSDF data file. This evaluation supersedes the previous publication (V.S. Shirley, Nuclear Data Sheets 71, 261 (1994) (literature cutoff date July 1993)) and subsequent ENSDF file revisions for Tb and Dy (C. Baglin, literature cutoff date of 15 June 1999) and Hf (B. Singh, literature cutoff date of 30 April 2001), and includes literature available by 15 June 2010. Since the above evaluations, the first excited states in {sup 168}Pt have been identified (1998Ki20, 2009Go16) and {alpha} decay from {sup 172}Hg has been observed (2009Sa27, 2004Ke06, 1999Se14). New levels in {sup 168}Dy have been excited using the {sup 170}Er({sup 82}Se,{sup 84}Kr{gamma}) reaction (2010So03). (HI,xn{gamma}) studies have significantly expanded our knowledge of level structure in {sup 168}Lu (1999Ka17, 2002Ha33), {sup 168}Ta (2008QiZZ), {sup 168}Yb (1995Fi01), {sup 168}Tm (2007CaZW), {sup 168}Hf (2009Ya21), {sup 168}Os (2001Jo11, 2009Od02) and, for {sup 168}Tm, important information has come also from (d,2n{gamma}) and ({alpha},n{gamma}) reactions (1995Si20). Revised decay schemes are available following new studies of {sup 168}Hf {epsilon} decay (6.7 min) (1997Ba26), {sup 168}Lu {epsilon} decaymore » (1999Ba65), {sup 168}Ta {epsilon} decay (2007Mc08) and {sup 172}Au {alpha} decay (2009Ha42). Significant new information for {sup 168}Er is available from (p,t) (2006Bu09), (d,p) and (t,d) (1996Ma50), ({gamma},{gamma}') (1996Ma18), (136Xe, X{gamma}) (2010Dr02), ({sup 238}U,{sup 238}U{sup '{gamma}}) (2003Wu07) and (n,n{sup '{gamma}}) (1998Be20, 1998Be62) reactions, and the availability of {gamma}{gamma} coin data (1994Ju02, 1996Gi09) for the (n,{gamma}) E=thermal reaction has resulted in some significant level scheme revisions.« less
Computer-aided engineering for computer architecture laboratories

Students coming to senior-level computer architecture courses generally have a substantial background in introductory computer organization, assembly-language programming, and digital-logic design. With this background they are ready to embark on sizable design and implementation projects in computer architecture. The author describes an engineering workstation environment that supports student laboratories in computer architecture. The backbone of this environment is a digital simulator that gives each first-term architecture student the necessary power to produce their own working (simulated) computer. >
Monte carlo simulation of the suppression of the glow-to-arc transition via dielectric wall effects

Summary form only given. There has been a growing interest in atmospheric pressure microplasmas in recent years. The driving factor is the potential that these systems can deliver the enhanced chemical activity of traditional low pressure plasma system without the added labor, expense, and inconvenience of setting up and preforming experiments in a vacuum system. In an effort to better understand the mechanism which suppresses the glow-to-arc transition in these systems, our plasma model is a Monte Carlo simulation that tracks the evolution of a growing assembly of particles interacting with a background gas, the reactor's surfaces, an applied field and other particles in the assembly. Our results will show how the charge buildup on the dielectric surfaces moderate the applied field and effectively "switches the applied field off" after sufficient charge has accumulated on the surfaces
Capillary electrophoresis of DNA in uncrosslinked polymer solutions: Evidence for a new mechanism of DNA separation

The electrophoretic separation of DNA molecules is usually performed in thin slabs of agarose or polyacrylamide gel. However, DNA separations can be achieved more rapidly and efficiently within a microbore fused silica capillary filled with an uncrosslinked polymer solution. An early assumption was that the mechanism of DNA separation in polymer solution-capillary electrophoresis (PS-CE) is the same as that postulated to occur in slab gel electrophoresis, i.e., that entangled polymer chains form a network of pores through which the DNA migrates. However, we have demonstrated that large DNA restriction fragments (2.0-23.1 kbp) can be separated by CE in extremely dilute polymer solutions, which contain as little as 6 parts per million [0.0006% (w/w)] of uncrosslinked hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) polymers. In such extremely dilute HEC solutions, far below the measured polymer entanglement threshold concentration, pore-based models of DNA electrophoresis do not apply. We propose a transient entanglement coupling mechanism for the electrophoretic separation of DNA in uncrosslinked polymer solutions, which is based on physical polymer/DNA interactions.
Duplication 16p11.2 in a child with infantile seizure disorder

Submicroscopic recurrent 16p11.2 rearrangements are associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, mental retardation, and schizophrenia. The common 16p11.2 region includes 24 known genes, of which 22 are expressed in the developing human fetal nervous system. As yet, the mechanisms leading to neurodevelopmental abnormalities and the broader phenotypes associated with deletion or duplication of 16p11.2 have not been clarified. Here we report a child with spastic quadriparesis, refractory infantile seizures, severe global developmental delay, hypotonia, and microcephaly, and a de novo 598 kb 16p11.2 microduplication. Family history is negative for any of these features in parents and immediate family members. Sequencing analyses showed no mutations in DOC2A, QPRT, and SEZ6L2, genes within the duplicated 16p11.2 region that have been implicated in neuronal function and/or seizure related phenotypes. The child's clinical course is consistent with a rare seizure disorder called malignant migrating partial seizure disorder of infancy, raising the possibility that duplication or disruption of genes in the 16p11.2 interval may contribute to this severe disorder.
Geometric properties of three-dimensional fractal trees

We investigate the interplay between geometry and iterated function systems in families of three-dimensional fractal trees.
Advanced management of acute iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis: emergency department and beyond.

Recent attention to the increasing incidence of venous thromboembolism has included a call to action from the surgeon general and new guidelines from various specialty organizations. The standard of care for treatment of deep venous thrombosis in the emergency department (ED), supported by the 2008 American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines, involves initiation of anticoagulation with low-molecular-weight heparin, pentasaccharide, or unfractionated heparin. For selected appropriate patients with extensive acute proximal deep venous thrombosis, the ACCP guidelines now recommend thrombolysis in addition to anticoagulation to reduce not only the risk of pulmonary embolism but also the risk of subsequent postthrombotic syndrome and recurrent deep venous thrombosis. Postthrombotic syndrome is a potentially debilitating chronic cluster of lower-extremity symptoms occurring in 20% to 50% of deep venous thrombosis patients subsequent to the acute insult, sometimes not until years later. A strategy of early thrombus burden reduction or frank removal might reduce the incidence of postthrombotic syndrome, as per natural history studies, venous thrombectomy data, observations after systemic and catheter-directed thrombolysis, and the still-limited number of randomized trials of catheter-directed thrombolysis (with anticoagulation) versus anticoagulation alone. Contemporary invasive (endovascular) treatments mitigate the drawbacks historically associated with thrombolytic approaches by means of intrathrombus delivery of drugs with greater fibrin specificity and lower allergenicity, followed by mechanical dispersion to accelerate lysis and then aspiration of remaining drug and clot debris. With a 2016 target completion date, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute–sponsored Acute Venous Thrombosis: Thrombus Removal With Adjunctive Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis trial is comparing the safety and efficacy, in terms of both deep venous thrombosis and postthrombotic syndrome parameters, of the most evolved pharmacomechanical catheter-directed thrombolysis devices versus standard anticoagulation therapy alone. This article reviews the grounds for use of adjunctive thrombolysis in patients with acute proximal deep venous thrombosis and begins to identify types of deep venous thrombosis patients encountered in the ED who might benefit most from multidisciplinary consideration of early referral for possible endovascular therapy.
Culture and adenoviral infection of adult mouse cardiac myocytes: methods for cellular genetic physiology.

Rapid development of transgenic and gene-targeted mice and acute genetic manipulation via gene transfer vector systems have provided powerful tools for cardiovascular research. To facilitate the ph...
Timestamping schemes for MPEG-2 systems layer and their effect on receiver clock recovery

We propose and analyze several strategies for performing timestamping of an MPEG-2 Transport Stream transmitted over a packet-switched network using the PCR-unaware encapsulation scheme, and analyze their effect on the quality of the recovered clock at the MPEG-2 Systems decoder. When the timestamping scheme is based on a timer with a fixed period, the PCR values in the packet stream may switch polarity deterministically, at a frequency determined by the timer period and the transport rate of the MPEG signal. This, in turn, can degrade the duality of the recovered clock at the receiver beyond acceptable limits. We consider three timestamping schemes for solving this problem: (1) selecting a deterministic timer period to avoid the phase difference in PCR values altogether, (2) fine-tuning the deterministic timer period to maximize the frequency of PCR polarity changes, and (3) selecting the timer period randomly to eliminate the deterministic PCR polarity changes. For the case of deterministic timer period, we derive the frequency of the PCR polarity changes as a function of the timer period and the transport rate, and use it to find ranges of the timer period for acceptable quality of the recovered clock. We also analyze a random timestamping procedure based on a random telegraph process and obtain lower bounds on the rate of PCR polarity changes such that the recovered clock does not violate the PAL/NTSC clock specifications. The analytical results are verified by simulations with both synthetic and actual MPEG-2 Transport Streams sent to a simulation model of an MPEG-2 Systems decoder.
Endocrine and Behavioral Effects of Continuous Exposure of Male Rats to a Potent Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone (LHRH) Agonist: Evidence for Central Nervous System Actions of LHRH*

Continuous exposure of intact male rats to [6-D6- (2-napthyl)-alanine]LHRH, a highly potent LHRH agonist, diminished testis and pituitary weights and decreased basal plasma levels of testosterone and LH. In addition, treatment with this analog abolished the pituitary hypertrophy and LH hypersecretion normally associated with castration. Alterations of male sex behavior were also noted in these animals. Analog-treated intact rats showed longer intromission latencies and mount latencies in early tests and ceased to show sexual behavior 6–8 weeks after initiation of treatment. In addition, the gradual decline in behavior normally observed after castration was markedly accelerated by analog administration. Castrates bearing 5-mm Silastic testosterone-containing capsules which maintained copulatory performance displayed behavioral deficiencies when given the peptide. No significant effect of analog was noted in rats with 30-mm Silastic implants, which provide a higher level of testosterone replacement. Continu...
Dietary menhaden oil contributes to hepatic lipidosis in laying hens.

Clinical and epidemiological investigations have indicated that there may be substantial human cardiovascular benefits associated with increased consumption of n-3 fatty acids commonly found in fish oils. Recent studies have indicated that egg yolk n-3 fatty acid content is significantly increased when hens are fed diets enriched with selected fish oils such as menhaden oil (MO). In the present study, reproductively active females but not males exhibited increased hepatic lipidosis following 6 mo of feeding 3% MO. Hens fed 3% animal-vegetable oil (AV) did not exhibit hepatic lipid accumulation. Serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations were reduced (P < or = .05) in hens fed MO. Subsequently, yolk and total egg weights of hens fed MO were decreased as compared with those of hens fed AV. A significant interaction of dietary MO and exogenous 17 beta-estradiol was noted among chick liver and gallbladder weights. These data suggest that dietary MO and estradiol may interact in a manner that enhances the lipogenic activity of the liver, thereby inducing hepatic lipidosis in laying hens.
Ectopic expression of UBX and ABD-B proteins during Drosophila embryogenesis: competition, not a functional hierarchy, explains phenotypic suppression.

The Abdominal-B (Abd-B) gene, a member of the bithorax complex (BX-C), specifies the identities of parasegments (PS) 10-14 in Drosophila. Abd-B codes for two structurally related homeodomain proteins, ABD-B m and ABD-B r, that are expressed in PS10-13 and PS14-15, respectively. Although ABD-B m and r proteins have distinct developmental functions, ectopic expression of either protein during embryogenesis induces the development of filzkorper and associated spiracular hairs, structures normally located in PS13, at ectopic sites in the larval thorax and abdomen. These results suggest that other parasegmental differences contribute to the phenotype specified by ABD-B r activity in PS14. Both ABD-B m and r repress the expression of other homeotic genes, such as Ubx and abd-A, in PS10-14. However, the importance of these and other cross-regulatory interactions among homeotic genes has been questioned. Since ectopic UBX protein apparently failed to transform abdominal segments, Gonzalez-Reyes et al. (Gonzalez-Reyes, A., Urquia, N., Gehring, W.J., Struhl, G. and Morata, G. (1990). Nature 344, 78-80) proposed a functional hierarchy in which ABD-A and ABD-B activities override UBX activity. We tested this model by expressing UBX and ABD-B m proteins ectopically in wild-type and BX-C-deficient embryos. Ectopic ABD-B m does not prevent transformations induced by ectopic UBX. Instead, ectopic UBX and ABD-B m proteins compete for the specification of segmental identities in a dose-dependent fashion. Our results support a quantitative competition among the homeotic proteins rather than the existence of a strict functional hierarchy. Therefore, we suggest that cross-regulatory interactions are not irrelevant but are important for repressing the expression of competing homeotic proteins. To explain the apparent failure of ectopic UBX to transform the abdominal segments, we expressed UBX at different times during embryonic development. Our results show that ectopic UBX affects abdominal cuticular identities if expressed during early stages of embryogenesis. In later embryonic stages, abdominal segments become resistant to transformation by ectopic UBX while thoracic segments remain susceptible. Head segments also show a similar stage-dependent susceptibility to transformation by ectopic UBX in early embryogenesis but become resistant in later stages. These results suggest that abdominal and head identities are determined earlier than are thoracic identities.
Masculinity and Meat Consumption: An Analysis Through the Theoretical Lens of Hegemonic Masculinity and Alternative Masculinity Theories

Research has found that men are more likely to choose to eat meat, particularly red meat, when compared to fruits and vegetables. This study examines the theory of hegemonic masculinity and discusses how the consumption of meat assists in the production of a masculine identity. Specifically, eating meat allows one to be seen as masculine, and the avoidance of meat permits one to be viewed as feminine. This narrow depiction of gender pushes alternative masculinities and unique eating habits to the sideline, ignoring the agency individuals possess when deciding the fate of their perceived gender. This paper seeks to discover if men, who participate in alternative eating practices, have the ability to define a new variation of masculinity. Four alternative theories will challenge hegemonic masculinity: multiple masculinities, natural masculinity, protest masculinity, and hybrid masculinities. Three examples will display the way marginalized men consume meat: historical upper-class male fasting, meat consumption within men's ministries, and the vegetarian practices among men. Overall, this paper analyzes the basic concepts of hegemonic masculinity, the gendered consumption of meat, and questions if marginalized men are redefining the way others perceive their masculinity or if they are, in fact, striving to become exemplars of hegemonic masculinity.
A shape-from-texture algorithm based on human visual psychophysics

We propose an algorithm for the determination of three dimensional shape and perspective based on the response of the human visual system to changes in visual textures. Current computer vision algorithms are computationally intensive and show inherent difficulties in integrating additional cues for the determination of shape, such as shading, contour, or motion. In order to develop a fast and simple mechanism less constrained for integrating other cues, we incorporated aspects of the physiological properties of cortical cells in VI into a network model. We provide psychophysical evidence that the local spatial frequency spectrum is represented by the spatially averaged peak frequency (APF). After normalization, this APF measures texture compression and leads to estimates of 3D shape and depth. Simulations of the model show good agreement with human responses to a range of textured images. >
Evaluation of structurally-related phenols for anti-photocarcinogenic and photoprotective properties.

— Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) has previously been shown to provide protection against UV-mediated erythema, carcinogenesis, and induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Butylated hydroxytoluene is but one compound of a class of organic chemicals, the phenols, that demonstrates antioxidant properties. On the basis of structural characteristics, the phenolic compounds butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), propyl gallate, and vanillin were compared to BHT for antiphotocarci-nogenic activity. SKH-Hr-1 female mice were fed diets containing 0.5% (wt/wt) BHT, BHA, vanillin or 0.3% propyl gallate. The animals received constant, daily (5 days/week) suberythemic levels of UVB radiation from Westinghouse BZS-WLG lamps. Radiation was discontinued when 25 sunburn units (SBUs) had been delivered at week eleven. Animals were evaluated weekly for tumor latency and multiplicity. Of the four phenols tested, only BHT conveyed significant inhibition of both carcinogenic parameters—increasing latency by 5.2 weeks and reducing tumor multiplicity by 60%. Vanillin significantly reduced tumor multiplicity (48%). BHA and propyl gallate were without effect. Because ODC has been considered a requisite step in carcinogenesis, ODC activity was assayed to determine whether its induction might serve as a rapid screen for potential anti-carcinogenic phenols. Animals were fed the respective phenol-containing diets for two weeks, exposed to 0.45 J/cm/ of UVB from FS-20 lamps, and epidermal extract assayed for ODC activity 28 h post-irradiation. Both BHT and BHA significantly inhibited ODC induction, the former being most effective. Vanillin and propyl gallate were without effect. These data indicate that neither antioxidant or lipophilic properties, nor the tert-butyl substituent common to both BHT and BHA, are sufficient determinants of anti-photocarcinogenic activity. Nor does it appear that inhibition of ODC induction is an adequate indicator of such activity.
Practical Laboratory Aspects of Cystic Fibrosis Microbiology: an Update, Part I

Abstract Cystic fibrosis (CF) microbiology occupies a unique niche in the clinical microbiology laboratory. It is notable for the diversity of potential pathogens, the labor-intensive nature of culture evaluation, and the complexity of organism identification and susceptibility testing. This article provides an update of the major CF pathogens and offers a practical laboratory guide that addresses some of the issues encountered with these cultures. Part I of this two-part article reviews the new and most current information gathered from the literature since 2006 with respect to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia complex, and other glucose non-fermenting gram-negative rods. Part II of this article will complete the review of the key organisms associated with CF infections, including Staphylococcus aureus , nontuberculous mycobacteria, and fungi. Issues regarding susceptibility testing will also be addressed. Finally, a practical laboratory guide will be provided to address some of the confounding issues associated with CF microbiology.
Transferable, Plasmid-Mediated VanB-Type Glycopeptide Resistance in Enterococcus faecium

An approximately 60-kb transferable, vanB-carrying plasmid has been identified in a clinical Enterococcus faecium strain. A similar plasmid has been observed in an unrelated E. faecium strain, suggesting that plasmid transfer of vanB operons occurs in nature and plays a role in the dissemination of VanB-type resistance among strains of E. faecium.
The Impact of Accelerating, Faster than Exponential Population Growth on Genetic Variation

Current human sequencing projects observe an abundance of extremely rare genetic variation, suggesting recent acceleration of population growth. To better understand the impact of such accelerating growth on the quantity and nature of genetic variation, we present a new class of models capable of incorporating faster than exponential growth in a coalescent framework. Our work shows that such accelerated growth affects only the population size in the recent past and thus large samples are required to detect the models’ effects on patterns of variation. When we compare models with fixed initial growth rate, models with accelerating growth achieve very large current population sizes and large samples from these populations contain more variation than samples from populations with constant growth. This increase is driven almost entirely by an increase in singleton variation. Moreover, linkage disequilibrium decays faster in populations with accelerating growth. When we instead condition on current population size, models with accelerating growth result in less overall variation and slower linkage disequilibrium decay compared to models with exponential growth. We also find that pairwise linkage disequilibrium of very rare variants contains information about growth rates in the recent past. Finally, we demonstrate that models of accelerating growth may substantially change estimates of present-day effective population sizes and growth times.
Visualizing Multi-Dimensional Functions in Economics

This paper shows how a forward-shooting algorithm can be easily implemented using the Matlab programming language. In the paper we develop and implement a forward-shooting numerical algorithm for computing the dynamics of a small representative agent macroeconomic model when subjected to an exogenous shock. The model has a number of important characteristics that effect its dynamic solution. These characteristics are common to a wide range of economic models. One characteristic is that the model is highly non-linear so that numeric solutions to the dynamics are necessary. Another characteristic is that the solution must lie on a stable manifold. This requires the model to contain jumping variables and makes the numeric solution of the dynamics difficult as the solution will easily 'fall off' the stable manifold. The model terminal solution is particularly sensitive to initial conditions and to computational errors introduced in the solution.A forward-shooting algorithm can be used to find the necessary jumps to ensure the model lies on the stable manifold. In the paper we use computer visualisation techniques to show the algorithm searching for the necessary jumps to determine the dynamic solution. The algorithm searches for the initial conditions of the jumping variables that result in the terminal solution of the model being close to the known values.The paper shows how the algorithm, and its visualisation, can be implemented in the Matlab programming language using standard Matlab routines. The program implements a Nelder-Mead simplex search to find the particular initial conditions of the jumping variables that minimises the 2-norm between known terminal solution and that generated by the candidate initial conditions. For each candidate initial conditions a Runge-Kutta solver is used to generate the dynamics of the model, and plotting routines are used to visualise these dynamics.
Additional Measurements of the Radiation Environment at the Los Alamos Spallation Radiation Effects Facility at LAMPF

Foil activation dosimetry experiments were conducted in a ''rabbit'' system at the completed Los Alamos Spallation Radiation Effects Facility (LASREF). The ''raffit'' system contains four tubes spaced radially outward 0.12, 0.18, 0.27, and 0.38 meters off beam centerline. Foils were irradiated for 3 to 62 hours to measure the neutron flux and energy spectrum radially from beam centerline, along the beamline, and the effect of the Isotope Production (IP) target loadings on the neutron flux in the neutron irradiation locations. Irradiations showed a decrease in the radial flux by a factor of 6 in 0.15 meters of iron outside the IP targets. An enchancement was seen in the 24-keV energy region outside 0.15 meters. There was little difference in the shape of the spectra outside the IP targets and the beam stop with the exception of the high energy tail (energies above 20 MeV). The decrease in the high energy tail outside the beam stop is due to the degradation of the energy of the proton beam in the IP targets. Irradiations outside the beam stop with zero and eight IP targets gave the same spectral shape with the exception of the high energy tail. The magnitude of the integral more » flux decreased by a factor of 2 when eight IP targets were present. Irradiations with five ''rabbits'' stacked on top of each other showed no difference in the integral flux below, on and above beam centerline. « less
Androgen regulation of dendritic growth and retraction in the development of a sexually dimorphic spinal nucleus

The spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) is a sexually dimorphic group of motoneurons whose development and maintenance are under androgenic control. Exposure to androgens early in development permanently alters SNB motoneuron number and soma size; in adulthood, androgens regulate dendritic and synaptic architecture. The present set of experiments investigates the influence of androgens on the development of SNB dendritic morphology. In normal males, SNB dendritic growth is biphasic, reaching exuberant lengths by the fourth postnatal week and then retracting to adult lengths by 7 weeks of age. This dendritic growth is androgen dependent--males castrated on postnatal day (P) 7 and given daily injections of testosterone propionate (TP) had exuberant dendritic lengths similar to those of normal males; dendritic length in oil-treated males remained at P7 levels. The early exuberant dendritic length was retained in TP-treated males through P49. The retraction of SNB dendrites after P28 is also influenced by androgens. Males castrated at P28 and given testosterone implants retained exuberant dendritic length at P49; blank-implanted males had significantly shorter dendritic lengths by P70. These results suggest that androgens are necessary for the early exuberant growth of SNB dendrites. Furthermore, the subsequent retraction of SNB dendrites may be halted when testosterone titers reach a critical level during puberty, stabilizing their adult length.
What we have learned regarding antibiotic therapy for the reduction of infant morbidity after preterm premature rupture of the membranes

Preterm premature rupture of the membranes (pPROM) is responsible for approximately one third of the over 450,000 preterm births occurring in the United States annually. In this manuscript, we summarize the outcomes and analyses related to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network (NICHD-MFMU) network multicenter trial of antibiotics to reduce infant morbidity after pPROM. Based on evident reduction in gestational age dependent and infectious infant morbidity, we provide the rationale for aggressive intravenous and oral, broad spectrum Ampicillin/Amoxicillin, and Erythromycin therapy during conservative management of pPROM before 32 weeks’ gestation. We further review the histopathologic correlates to pPROM, to antibiotic treatment, and to perinatal outcome, and discuss the relationships between maternal and neonatal cytokine levels intercellular adhesion molecule, and other clinical and plasma markers regarding perinatal morbidity. The use and limitations of ultrasound and vaginally collected amniotic fluid pulmonary maturity assessment are discussed.
Cytology of diffuse mesothelioma in the thorax of a horse.

SUMMARY Examination of effusions from body cavities must include a search for neoplastic as well as inflammatory cells. Neoplastic cells found in the thorax are generally derived from adenocarcinomas or mesotheliomas: Mesotheliomas are relatively uncommon and the neoplastic cells found in effusions are difficult to differentiate from activated cells in inflammatory effusions. An ante-mortem diagnosis of mesothelioma was made in a mare on the basis of the large volume of fluid produced, the pleomorphic mesothelial cells, the polyp formation and the absence of PAS staining material after digestion of the cell impression with maltase diastase. RESUME L'examen des liquides provenant des cavites internes devrait comprendre une recherche des cellules neoplasiques autant que celle des cellules inflammatoires. Les cellules neoplasiques trouvees dans le thorax proviennent generalement d'adenocarcionomes ou de mesotheliomes. Les mesotheliomes sont generalement peu courants et les cellules neoplasiques qui on proviennent sont difficiles a differencier des cellules provenant de liquides inflammatoires. On a diagnostique un mesotheliome du vivant de l'animal sur les bases suivantes: 1 ° grande quantite de liquide recueilli 2 ° cellules mesotheliales pleomorphiques 3 ° formation de polypes et absence de materiel colorable au PAS apres digestion des cellules par la maltase. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die Untersuchung von Korperhohlenergussen muss die Suche nach neoplastischen und nach entzundlichen Zellen einschliessen. Neoplastische Zellen in Thoraxergussen kommen am ehesten von Adenocarcinomen oder Mesotheliomen her. Mesotheliome sind verhaltnismassig selten auftretende Tumore und die Zellen im Erguss sind schwierig zu differenzieren von aktiven Zellen aus entzundlichen Effusionen. Eine in-vivo Diagnose eines Mesothelioms wurde bei einer Stute auf der Grundlage folgender Befunde gestellt: grosse Flussigkeitsmengen; pleomorphe, mesotheliale Zellen; Polypenbildung und Fehlen von PAS-positivem Material nach Verdauung der Zellabklatsche (?) mit Maltase-Diastase.