cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ONTOGENY AND PALEOECOLOGY OF THE MIDDLE PENNSYLVANIAN ARBORESCENT LYCOPOD BOTHRODENDRON PUNCTATUM, BOTHRODENDRACEAE (WESTERN MIDDLE ANTHRACITE FIELD, SHAMOKIN QUADRANGLE, PENNSYLVANIA)

Study of an in situ Bothrodendron punctatum community in a strip mine in Bear Valley, Shamokin Quadrangle, Pennsylvania, provides new insights into the ontogeny of Middle Pennsylvanian arborescent lycopods and into the ecological and environmental characteristics of lycopod-dominated clastic-swamp communities. Bothrodendron punctatum began growth as a monocaulous stem. The first branches developed when the stem attained a minimum height of 5 m. Lateral branches bore terminal cones and were determinate and deciduous. They grew to a maximum length of 1 m, and became smaller and more closely spaced with increasing stem height. The branch scars were not disrupted by secondary stem growth indicating that the branches stayed attached until the stem attained its determinate growth limit. The plant grew to a height of 25 m. Though B. punctatum is an uncommon component of Euramerican floras, the plant could become locally dominant under favorable environmental and edaphic conditions. The upper canopy was formed by B. punctatum and contained emergents of Lepidodendron aculeatum and a Sigillaria species. The understory contained pteridosperms and rare Calamites. Bothrodendron punctatum seems to have preferred environments transitional between clastic and peat swamp conditions. It was sensitive to local inhomogeneity in microhabitat characteristics, as well as to regional climatic fluctuations (drought stress). Both these variables produce specifically attributable effects on branch size and separation trends.
Alteration and Recovery of Slash Pile Burn Sites in the Restoration of a Fire‐Maintained Ecosystem

Restoration practices incorporating timber harvest (e.g. to remove undesirable species or reduce tree densities) may generate unmerchantable wood debris that is piled and burned for fuel reduction. Slash pile burns are common in longleaf pine ecosystem restoration that involves hardwood removal before reintroduction of frequent prescribed fire. In this context, long-lasting effects of slash pile burns may complicate restoration outcomes due to unintended alterations to vegetation, soils, and the soil seed bank. In this study, our objectives were to (1) examine alterations to the soil seed bank, soil physical and chemical characteristics, and initial vegetation recolonization following burn and (2) determine the rate of return of soil and vegetation characteristics to pre-burn conditions. We found that burning of slash piles (composed of scores of whole trees) results in elevated nutrient levels and significant impacts on vegetation and the soil seed bank, which remain evident for at least 6 years following burn. In this ecosystem, formerly weakly acidic soils become neutral to basic and levels of P remain significantly higher. Following an initial decrease after burn, total soil N increases with time since burn. These changes suggest that not only does pile burning create a fire scar initially devoid of biota, but it also produces an altered soil chemical environment, with possible consequences for long-term ecosystem restoration efforts in landscapes including numerous fire scars. To facilitate restoration trajectories, further adaptive management to incorporate native plant propagules or suppress encroaching hardwoods within fire scars may be warranted in fire-dependent ecosystems.
Variations in the Effectiveness with which Rat Follicle- Stimulating Hormone Can Stimulate Its Own Secretion during the Rat Estrous Cycle*

The ability of exogenous rat FSH to elevate endogenous FSH in plasma was tested at different times during the 4-day estrous cycle of the rat. Rats kept in a room with the light on from 0500-1900 h daily were administered phenobarbital at 1200–1300 h. A cannula was then inserted in the right atrium for subsequent blood collections and iv injection of saline or 0.5–2 μg highly purified rat FSH. Plasma FSH remained low after iv saline in all rats. Intravenous FSH at 1400 h on proestrus caused plasma FSH during proestrus to rise and then fall to levels about 4-fold above values observed in saline-injected controls. It then remained high during the morning of estrus. Plasma FSH was low or undetectable during estrus in rats hypophysectomized before FSH injection. The divergence in plasma FSH patterns in FSH-injected intact and hypophysectomized rats suggested that exogenous rat FSH caused endogenous FSH release within a maximum of 5 h. A similar pattern in plasma FSH was observed after injection of rat FSH at 2...
The Newborn Intensive Care Unit Environment of Care: How We Got Here, Where We're Headed, and Why

The newborn intensive care unit (NICU) is a life-defining place for many infants, families, and caregivers. The place in which such events occur is often remembered for its sights, sounds, and smells, but the physical environment of the NICU is far more than a memory tag; it can directly influence the quality of the experience for all of its inhabitants. A growing body of evidence demonstrates the profound impact of the physical environment on growth and development of the neonatal brain. The value of skin-to-skin care is now established. Psychology, sociology, and occupational health provide additional insight into the effect of the NICU setting on families and caregivers. Together, these lines of evidence point to the need for individualized environments. Single-family rooms are a growing trend in the NICU because they allow for individualized environments. Careful planning can avoid pitfalls and bring benefit to babies, families, and caregivers alike.
The Context Matters

Carver et al. challenge the importance assigned to personal control over desired outcomes as a determinant of distress in stressful situations. The authors contend that it is the expectancy of a positive outcome, and not control over achieving that outcome, that matters. The authors argue that both outcome and control expectancies can matter with respect to distress or psychological well-being; their relative importance is determined by dimensions of the person-environment context including the importance of the outcome, dispositional preferences regarding control, the contingency between personal control and the outcome, self-efficacy expectancies, and the consequences of exercising control for other areas of one’s life.
Time-resolved reflection high-energy electron diffraction of metal surfaces

We review time-resolved reflection high-energy electron diffraction studies of 200-ps laser heated metal surfaces. The dynamic structural behavior is shown to be strongly dependent on surface orientation and is different from that observed under slow heating conditions. Single crystals of lead and bismuth are used as examples.
TIME-DEPENDENCE AND CELL-TYPE SPECIFICITY OF SYNERGISTIC NEUROTROPHIN ACTIONS ON SPIRAL GANGLION NEURONS

The neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophin (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) synergistically enhance survival of spiral ganglion neurons such that simultaneous exposure to both compounds produces a larger response than would be expected from their individual effects. To elucidate the functional role of this neurotrophin interaction, we examined its temporal and cell-type specificity in vitro for both mouse and gerbil spiral ganglion neurons. Synergistic effects were transient; they were maximal within the first two postnatal days and declined during the first postnatal week. Both neurotrophins were, however, still efficacious at increasing cell survival. After postnatal day 10, the effects of coexposure to BDNF and NT-3 were additive rather than synergistic. Synergism declined more rapidly in mouse than gerbil neurons, reflecting the difference in cochlear development for each species. Only neurons without peripherin epitopes, putative type I neurons, showed synergistic survival effects; survival of peripherin-expressing neurons was purely additive. Therefore, during a restricted time period, identical neurotrophin stimuli are capable of preferentially enhancing survival of one class of neurons that compose approximately 95% of the adult spiral ganglion.
Weekly gemcitabine and cisplatin in combination with pelvic radiation in the primary therapy of cervical cancer: a phase I trial of the Puget Sound Oncology Consortium.

Abstract Objective. Define the maximum tolerated dose of weekly gemcitabine given concomitantly with standard weekly cisplatin and pelvic radiotherapy for primary treatment of cervical cancer. Methods. Gemcitabine at specified dose levels was given concomitantly with weekly cisplatin at 40 mg/m 2 for six cycles with concurrent radiotherapy in primary therapy of stage IB–IVA cervix cancer. Radiation consisted of 4500–5000 cGy in 25 daily fractions combined with brachytherapy to take point A to ≥8500 cGy. Results. At gemcitabine 100 mg/m 2 , three of six patients demonstrated a dose limiting toxicity (DLT). At gemcitabine 50 mg/m 2 , two of two had DLTs. DLTs consisted of severe fatigue, lymphopenia, diarrhea, and tinnitus. All patients had a clinical complete response; four pathologically confirmed. Two patients recurred outside the radiated field and seven are disease-free (median follow-up 30 months). Following the second DLT at gemcitabine 50 mg/m 2 , the trial was stopped according to predetermined criteria. Conclusions. Adding low dose weekly gemcitabine to cisplatin and pelvic radiotherapy resulted in an excellent response but unacceptable toxicities. Addition of gemcitabine prior to weekly cisplatin with radiation for cervical cancer will likely require reduction of cisplatin doses.
On the representation of smooth functions on the sphere using finitely many bits

We discuss the construction of a parsimonious representation of smooth functions on the Euclidean sphere using finitely many bits, in the sense of metric entropy. The smoothness of the functions is measured by Besov spaces. The bit representation is obtained by uniform quantization on the values of a polynomial operator at scattered sites on the sphere. For each cap, one can identify a certain number of bits, commensurable with the local smoothness of the target function on that cap and the volume of that cap, and obtained using the values of the polynomial operator near that cap. The polynomial operator is calculated using either spherical harmonic coefficients or, in the case of uniform approximation, values of the function at scattered sites on the sphere. The localization properties of the polynomial operator are demonstrated by a characterization of local smoothness of the target function near a point in terms of the values of these operators near the point in question.
EBT ring physics

The purposes of the workshop were (1) to evaluate the status of the current experimental and theoretical understanding of the hot electron ring properties, (2) to identify the dominant physical processes that influence ring formation and scaling and their optimal behavior, and (3) to determine critical areas for near-term research.
Changing Status in India's Marginal Music Communities

The renegotiation of the performance of an instrument or genre associated with pollution or a degraded social status has been a significant theme in recent ethnomusicological literature on marginalized Indian music communities. These communities include Dalits (outcastes), lower castes, devadasis (hereditary temple dancers), women, and rural poor. Through a review of this literature and film production, I describe four positions taken by these communities and the impact on performance that these changes have brought: (i) discontinuance and rejection, (ii) replacement, (iii) maintenance of performance, yet rejection of caste or community duties, and (iv) reclamation of the music and identity as creditable.
Eye movements in active visual search: A computable phenomenological model

We present a computational model and corresponding computer simulations that mimic phenomenologically the eye movement trajectories observed in a conjunctive visual search task. The element of randomness is captured in the model through a Monte Carlo selection of a particular eye movement based on its probability, which depends on three factors, adjusted to match to the observed saccade amplitude distribution, forward bias in consecutive saccades, and return rates. Memory is assumed to operate through tagging of objects already recognized as nontargets, which, in turn, requires their processing within the attentional area of conspicuity (AC). That AC is adjusted so that computer simulations optimally reproduce the distribution of the number of saccades, the failure rate for capturing the target, and the return rate to previously inspected locations. For their viability, computer simulations critically depend on memory's being long-ranged. In turn, the simulations confirm the formation of circulating or spiraling patterns in the observed eye trajectories. We also relate consistently the average number of saccades per trial to the saccade amplitude distribution by modeling analytically the combined roles of the AC in attention and memory. The full Supplemental Appendix A for this article may be downloaded from http://app.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.
Electoral Status and Representation in the United States Senate: Does Temporal Proximity to Election Matter?

That an upcoming election will sensitize representatives to the wishes of the represented appears to be a theoretically sound hypothesis. Previous tests of this proposition, however, provide incons...
The Astrophysics Data System abstract and article services

Abstract The NASA ADS Astrophysics Science Information and Abstract Service (ASIAS) is enhancing its presence on the WWW by incorporating additional sources of abstracts and making available on-line journal articles. In order to provide more complete coverage of our abstract database, we have started using several sources of astronomical references including NASA/STI, SIMBAD, author abstracts obtained directly from journals, and individual contributions. We are also planning to include abstracts from other subject categories loosely related to astronomy (such as spacecraft instrumentation and communication satellites). Our article service, currently providing full-text papers of the Astrophysical Journal Letters from 1975 to the present, will be greatly expanded to include most of the major astronomical journals, creating one of the first implementations of a digital library for astronomers.
Characterization of galactose-binding proteins in equine testis and spermatozoa

Abstract Carbohydrate-binding proteins are thought to be involved in a myriad of sperm functions including sperm–oviductal and sperm–zona interactions. Recent studies in our laboratory have characterized galactose-binding proteins on equine spermatozoa as possible candidate molecules for sperm adhesion to oviduct epithelial cells. In the current study, equine sperm membrane proteins were subjected to galactose-affinity chromatography, and bound proteins were eluted with excess galactose in a calcium-free buffer. The eluted fraction recovered after galactose-affinity chromatography was used for generation of a polyclonal antibody which was immobilized on an affinity column to recover a purified protein from equine sperm extracts. Several protein bands of approximately 70, 25, and 20–18kDa were detected with a major band at 25kDa on immunoblots which was subjected to N-terminal amino acid sequencing. These galactose binding proteins (GBP) were specific to sperm and testis and were absent in all the somatic tissues tested. Based upon immunocytochemistry, GBP were localized over the sperm head. In noncapacitated sperm, fluorescent labeling was observed over the rostral sperm head as well as the postacrosomal area; whereas in capacitated sperm, the labeling was localized primarily in the equatorial segment. Immunohistochemistry of equine testis demonstrated abundant staining in the adluminal region of the seminiferous tubules corresponding to round spermatids. In summary, this study demonstrates the presence of testis- and sperm-specific galactose binding proteins in the horse. The function of these proteins remains to be determined.
Incorporation rate variation at heterointerfaces during III–V molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract Surface composition is known to influence cation and anion incorporation rates (IRs) during III–V molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at high growth temperatures. Consequently, IRs can vary at heterointerfaces. The present study examines the temporal behavior of IRs during formation of AlGaAs/GaAs, GaInAs/GaAs and GaAsSb/GaAs heterointerfaces. Incorporation rates are deduced from the in situ detection via desorption mass spectrometry of the non-incorporated, or desorbed, fraction of the incident beam. Predicted compositional profiles are calculated from the observed IR variations and show significant enrichment in composition of one of the constituent species at the heterointerface. The predicted compositional profile for the GaInAs/GaAs system is qualitatively verified by X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence measurements on separately grown structures. These results are interpreted on the basis of simple first-order desorption considerations which incorporate strain-dependent activation energies for desorption.
Angular correlation of electrons in the ground state of helium

The spatial angular correlation of electrons in the ground state of the helium atom was examined using configuration interaction and Hylleraas wave functions. It was found that, in general, the average angle between the electrons is not a maximum when the two electrons are at the same distance from the nucleus. For configuration interaction wave functions there is a position of the electrons for which the average value of the angle between the electrons is a maximum. Hylleraas wave functions do not show this behavior.
Tunneling Spectroscopy for the Study of Adsorption and Reaction on Model Catalysts.

Abstract Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy measures the vibrational modes of a small quantity of molecules that are included in or near the insulating layer of a metal-insulator-metal tunnel junction [l, 21. Figure 1 stows two metal electrodes separted by a thin insulating layer. If this layer is thin enough (of order 20 A) and if a voltage V is applied between the two electrodes, an electron current will flow from one electrode to the other. The maximum energy of the tunneling electrons will be of order eV. If there is a molecule in or near the insulating layer with a characteristic vibrational mode energy hv, this vibrational mode may or may not be excited by the tunneling electron. The most important factor turns out to be simply, does the tunneling electron have enough energy? In particular, is eV  hv?
Soil Temperature Change over Time during Infiltration

Heat of wetting (HOW) effects release energy during infiltration of water into soil and temperature changes result. We call these changes infiltration transient temperature (ITT). Experiments determined ITT frequently during one-dimensional infiltration events. We measured ITT in columns of silty day and loam soils, at several initial water contents, during constant-rate infiltration. There was a directly increasing, but nonlinear, relationship of ITT to clay content and a decreasing, nonlinear relation to initial water content, ranging from 1°C maximum in loam at 0.04 g g -1 initial water content to 11°C maximum in silty clay at 0.00 g g -1 . We compared the resulting experimental temperature profiles to those generated from a one-dimensional soil water and heat transport model using the relevant initial and boundary conditions. The model-predicted ITT profiles exhibited the major features of the experimentally measured profiles. Disabling the HOW effect part of the model resulted in a much smaller predicted temperature peak and a subsequent temperature decrease below ambient behind the wetting front. Since experiments and a numerical model have shown ITT to be appreciable, it is important to understand more completely the role of HOW in coupled soil water and heat transport.
In vivo antimicrobial effectiveness of an essential oil-containing mouth rinse 12 h after a single use and 14 days' use.

Objectives: Two studies were conducted to determine the antimicrobial effect of rinsing with an essential oil-containing mouth rinse 12 h after a single rinse and 12 h after 2 weeks of twice daily rinsing, during the daytime and overnight. Materials and Methods: These studies utilized a randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover design. Following baseline sampling of bacteria from supragingival plaque and the dorsum of the tongue, subjects began twice-daily rinsing with either an essential oil mouth rinse containing 0.09% zinc chloride (Tartar Control Listerine® Antiseptic) or a negative control rinse. Bacterial sampling was repeated 12 h after the first rinse, and again 12 h after the final rinse 14 days later. The sampling schedule was adjusted according to whether the study was investigating daytime or overnight activity. Samples were plated on Schaedlers medium (total anaerobes), Schaedlers Nalidixic/Vancomycin medium (Gram-negative anaerobes), and OOPS medium (volatile sulphur compound (VSC)-producing organisms). Inter-group log10 transformed colony-forming units /ml counts from samples of supragingival plaque and tongue swabs on each of the three media were compared by analysis of covariance. Results: The mean bacterial counts in subjects using the essential oil mouth rinse were significantly lower (p0.005) than mean counts in subjects using the control rinse in all the comparisons, i.e., tongue and supragingival plaque samples on each of three media at two sampling periods in the daytime and overnight study, respectively. Mean bacterial count percent reductions for plaque samples ranged from 56.3 to 95.3; percent reductions for tongue samples ranged from 61.1 to 96.1. There was a trend to higher reductions after 14 days' rinsing than after the initial rinse. Conclusion: Rinsing with the essential oil mouth rinse can have long-lasting effects in reducing anaerobic bacteria overall as well as Gram-negative anaerobes and VSC-producing bacteria. The significant reductions in numbers of these bacteria produced by the essential oil mouth rinse, both in plaque and on the dorsum of the tongue, can play a key role in explaining the essential oil mouth rinse's effectiveness in reducing supragingival plaque and gingivitis as well as its effectiveness in controlling intrinsic oral malodor over prolonged periods.
Risk and forest policy: Issues and recent trends in the U.S.

Abstract Recent forest policy trends in the United States have implications for the nature, timing, and incidence of risk to which the public is exposed. Policy makers face enormous uncertainty both about what forests can do and be and about what people want. Forest policy that places a premium on shortrun predictability in the flow of commodity outputs is being replaced with policy that allows disturbances, such as fire, that are consistent with long-run “naturalness.” Scientists advocate adaptive management—the introduction of planned variation in order to enhance learning within the bounds of “safety,” a concept that can only be understood in the context of public feelings and perceptions of risk. This paper reviews economic models of choice under uncertainty and discusses issues that are relevant for understanding risk perceptions and preferences—the definition of probabilities and the many attributes of risk. And it examines the margins on which trade-offs in risk are made in new forest policy, arguing that because new forest policy shifts from public to private risk and from future to current risk, it may enhance “the common good.” Finally, this paper calls for policy to address uncertainty explicitly in a way that acknowledges public feelings and preferences about risk, recognizes risk perceptions of experts and of lay persons, and encourages developments in forest policy that allow for flexibility in the face of new knowledge.
The Biology and Pathology of Vitamin D Control in Bone

Vitamin D is a steroid pro-hormone, whose active metabolite binds the vitamin D receptor (VDR) which, in turn, binds to DNA sequences on target genes as a heterodimer with the retinoid-X receptor, resulting in regulation of gene expression. The vitamin D pro-hormone can be synthesized in the skin, in response to ultraviolet radiation; however, dietary sources have become increasingly important as a result of cultural changes over the past few centuries. Based on its initial discovery as an anti-rachitic factor, studies of the role of vitamin D and its receptor have largely focused on the skeleton. Investigations into the pathophysiologic basis and therapeutic responses of skeletal disorders associated with impaired vitamin D action have led to the identification of the molecular pathways involved in hormone activation and regulation of gene expression by the liganded VDR. These studies have also demonstrated that the skeletal actions of the VDR and its ligand are largely redundant if normal mineral ion homeostasis can be maintained by other means. However, investigations in animal models with tissue-specific ablation of the VDR or the enzyme required for hormone activation have demonstrated novel actions in skeletal tissues. The active vitamin D metabolite has been shown to have both paracrine and endocrine actions in other tissues as well.
Some Properties of Phytochrome Isolated From Dark-grown Oat Seedlings (Avena sativa L.)

Phytochrome was partially purified from etiolated seedlings of Avena sativa L. Several properties of the red-absorbing (P(R)) and far-red absorbing (P(FR)) forms of the pigment were compared. The 2 forms could not be shown to differ with respect to their sedimentation velocity in sucrose density gradients, elution volume from Sephadex G-200 columns, binding properties on calcium phosphate, or electrophoretic mobility. P(FR), however, was more labile than P(R) during precipitation with 50% ammonium sulfate. Sephadex G-200 elution diagrams obtained with fresh phytochrome preparations revealed 2 components of different molecular weights, 1 roughly 180,000, and 1 roughly 80,000. Native phytochrome had an absorption spectrum in vivo showing an absorption maximum for P(R) of 667 nm. Both the large and small forms of phytochrome mentioned above can be maintained with an absorption maximum for P(R) of 667 nm. However, allowing them to remain for several hours as P(FR), even at 4 degrees , shifted this peak to 660 nm. The protein conformational change during phytochrome transformation may be quite small, though the various comparative techniques used do not strictly rule out a fairly large one. The need for maintaining the pigment as P(R) during all steps of purification, but particularly during ammonium sulfate precipitation is underscored.
Facilitated Protein Aggregation: EFFECTS OF CALCIUM ON THE CHAPERONE AND ANTI-CHAPERONE ACTIVITY OF PROTEIN DISULFIDE-ISOMERASE *

Protein disulfide-isomerase (PDI) catalyzes the formation and isomerization of disulfides during oxidative protein folding in the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum. At high concentrations, it also serves as a chaperone and inhibits aggregation. However, at lower concentrations, PDI can display the unusual ability to facilitate aggregation, termed anti-chaperone activity (Puig, A., and Gilbert, H. F. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 7764-7771). Under reducing conditions (10 mM dithiothreitol) and at a low concentration (0.1-0. 3 microM) relative to the unfolded protein substrate, PDI facilitates aggregation of alcohol dehydrogenase (11 microM) that has been denatured thermally or chemically. But at higher concentrations (>0.8 microM), PDI inhibits aggregation under the same conditions. With denatured citrate synthase, PDI does not facilitate aggregation, but higher concentrations do inhibit aggregation. Anti-chaperone behavior is associated with the appearance of both PDI and substrate proteins in insoluble complexes, while chaperone behavior results in the formation of large (>500 kDa) but soluble complexes that contain both proteins. Physiological concentrations of calcium and magnesium specifically increase the apparent rate of PDI-dependent aggregation and shift the chaperone activity to higher PDI concentrations. However, calcium has no effect on the Km or Vmax for PDI-catalyzed oxidative folding, suggesting that the interactions that lead to chaperone/anti-chaperone behavior are distinct from those required for catalytic activity. To account for this unusual behavior of a folding catalyst, a model with analogy to classic immunoprecipitation is proposed; multivalent interactions between PDI and a partially aggregated protein stimulate further aggregate formation by noncovalently cross-linking smaller aggregates. However, at high ratios of PDI to substrate, cross-linking may be inhibited by saturation of the sites with PDI. The effects of PDI concentration on substrate aggregation and the modulation of the behavior by physiological levels of calcium may have implications for the involvement of PDI in protein folding, aggregation, and retention in the endoplasmic reticulum.
Localization and expression of oxytocin receptor and its messenger ribonucleic acid in peri-implantation phase human endometrium during control and clomiphene-treated cycles.

Abstract Objectives: This study was undertaken to determine expression levels of oxytocin receptor and its gene in peri-implantation phase human endometrium during clomiphene-treated cycles compared with control cycles. Study Design: Oxytocin receptor and its messenger ribonucleic acid in peri-implantation phase endometrium during control and clomiphene-treated (50 mg days 5 to 9) cycles of 5 healthy fertile women were determined by immunohistochemical methods, Western blot analysis with monoclonal antibody against amino acids 20 through 40 of the extracellular N-terminal human oxytocin receptor, and reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction with oligonucleotide primers to amplify the 391–base pair fragment of the oxytocin receptor gene. Results: Oxytocin receptor and its messenger ribonucleic acid were expressed in human peri-implantation phase endometrial samples from both control and clomiphene-treated cycles. The receptor was localized predominantly in the epithelial cells and glands, with little or none detected in the stroma. Oxytocin receptor protein was separated out as a single 70-kd band by Western blot analysis; its relative abundance was significantly reduced during clomiphene-treated cycles. The messenger ribonucleic acid was detected in all endometrium during control and clomiphene-treated cycles, with greater expression during control cycles. Conclusions: The expressions of oxytocin receptor and its gene in luteal phase human endometrium suggest a functional relevance in modulation of biochemical changes for implantation. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;181:50-6.)
Estimation Model of Spacecraft Parameters and Cost Based on a Statistical Analysis of COMPASS Designs

The Collaborative Modeling for Parametric Assessment of Space Systems (COMPASS) team at Glenn Research Center has performed integrated system analysis of conceptual spacecraft mission designs since 2006 using a multidisciplinary concurrent engineering process. The set of completed designs was archived in a database, to allow for the study of relationships between design parameters. Although COMPASS uses a parametric spacecraft costing model, this research investigated the possibility of using a top-down approach to rapidly estimate the overall vehicle costs. This paper presents the relationships between significant design variables, including breakdowns of dry mass, wet mass, and cost. It also develops a model for a broad estimate of these parameters through basic mission characteristics, including the target location distance, the payload mass, the duration, the delta-v requirement, and the type of mission, propulsion, and electrical power. Finally, this paper examines the accuracy of this model in regards to past COMPASS designs, with an assessment of outlying spacecraft, and compares the results to historical data of completed NASA missions.
Personality and personality disorders in chronic pain

Personality characteristics and disorders have long been noted in the chronic pain population. Clinicians and researchers alike will attest to the high rates of personality difficulties encountered in these individuals. Historically, it has been found that certain personality styles such as hypochondriasis and hysteria are common in chronic pain suffers. In addition, the prevalence of personality disorders (PDs) is significantly greater in the pain population than in the general population or in medical or psychiatric populations. A diathesis-stress model has been suggested to account for this finding and is discussed in this article, with implications for both treatment and research.
Massive dilatation of the pulmonary artery in association with pulmonic stenosis and pulmonary hypertension

AbstractCongenital pulmonary valve stenosis has been associated with the development of massive pulmonary arterial (PA) dilatation. Over time, this dilatation may distort surrounding structures and lead to compression of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) or the left mainstem bronchus. In this report, we describe a patient with a history of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and congenital pulmonic stenosis with massive PA dilatation. He develops exertional chest pain, presenting an unusual differential diagnosis. Novel diagnostic testing was performed to help narrow the differential diagnosis, and the patient responded well to pulmonary vasodilator treatment for progressive pulmonary hypertension.
Aviator performance in week-long extended flight operations in a helicopter simulator

Psychological, physiological, and biochemical correlates of aviator crew performance, stress, and fatigue were measured in a week-long flight schedule in a helicopter simulator. Three two-man crews of rotary wing aviators performed 14 h of precision instrument flight on each of 4 successive days and 10 h on the 5th day. Missions involved repetitions of 2-h standardized day and night flight profiles that were occasionally interrupted by simulated emergencies. Aviator performance measures included meeting assigned airspeeds, altitudes, headings, turn rates, and navigation requirements. Pilots slept 4 h each night. Baseline data were collected prior to, and recovery data after, the extended flight schedule. Pilots maintained simulator flight parameters to within acceptable tolerances of assigned headings, airspeeds, and altitudes, even into the morning of the 4th day of the schedule. However, cognitive and judgmental errors were made. Even though flight surgeons deemed them unsafe to fly by the 3rd night, pilots continued to fly well to the 5th day.
C—F Hollows for solar streams partially incident on the earth

Abstract The shape of the geomagnetic hollow is calculated for a corpuscular flux corresponding to the edge of a unidirectional stream of charged particles which partially surrounds the earth. The solar stream, only partially incident on the earth, gives rise to geomagnetic hollows different in shape from the usual. Their equatorial cross section is considered.
Ultrasonic propagation properties of mammalian testes

The ultrasonic absorption and reflection properties of sexually mature, freshly excised mouse, rabbit, cat, and dog testes have been investigated at 37°C in the frequency range 0.5–7MHz by the transient thermoelectric absorption, the pulse–reflection, and the pulse–transmission methods. The absorption coefficient is found to exhibit values considerably less than those of other parenchymal tissues and to possess a frequency dependence mimicking a simple relaxation process of characteristic frequency approximately 0.9 MHz.Subject Classification: [43]80.20.
On a Possible Benefit to Bid Takers from Using Multi-Stage Auctions

Each year, multi-stage auctions of one form or another sell or let billions of dollars worth of goods and contracts. Yet despite the significance of such auctions, the existing theory of auctions and competitive bidding fails to explain why a bid taker might prefer a multi-stage auction to a, possibly simpler, single-stage mechanism. In fact, the existing theory tends to overlook multi-stage mechanisms altogether. This paper takes a first step in correcting that omission. We start with several illustrations of what we will define to be multi-stage auctions. All the illustrated auctions allow bidders to acquire information-or, more generally, to increase the amount of resources committed to bidding-in stages. We conjecture that allowing such a sequential commitment of resources could result in a more efficient auction than if bidders had no chance to adjust their commitments. An analytic example illustrates and documents the benefits to the bid taker from using a multi-stage auction. In the example, bidders acquire costly information in stages; a bidder may stop acquiring additional information as soon as further participation in the auction would no longer increase his expected net profit. The resulting auction generates significantly more expected revenue for the bid taker than if the bidders all had to acquire the same amount of information.
Collision rates for electron excitation of Mg V lines

Aims. Transition probabilities and electron impact excitation collision strengths and rates for astrophysically important lines in Mg V are reported. The 86 fine-structure levels of the 2s2p, 2s2p, 2p, 2s2p3s, 2s2p3p and 2s2p3d configurations are included in our calculations. The effective collision strengths are presented as a function of electron temperature for solar and other astrophysical applications. Methods. The collision strengths have been calculated using the B-spline Breit-Pauli R-matrix method for all fine-structure transitions among the 86 levels. The one-body mass, Darwin and spin-orbit relativistic effects are included in the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian in the scattering calculations. The one-body and two-body relativistic operators are included in the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock calculations of transition probabilities. Several sets of non-orthogonal spectroscopic and correlation radial orbitals are used to obtain accurate description of Mg V 86 levels and to represent the scattering functions. Results. The calculated excitation energies are in very good agreement with experiment and represents an improvement over the previous calculations. The present collision strengths show good agreement with the previously available R-matrix and distorted-wave calculations. The oscillator strengths for E1 transitions normally compare very well with previous calculations. The thermally averaged collision strengths are obtained by integrating total resonant and non-resonant collision strengths over a Maxwellian distribution of electron energies and these are presented over the temperature range log10 Te = 3.2−6.0 K.
A Living Conversation

Abstract: Experiencing strong differences regarding Christian faith in his family of origin, Paul Sponheim came to stress the content of Christian faith as something to be explicated and defended. The framework for that work has been the distinction and relationship between self and world in relation to God. S. Kierkegaard and A.N. Whitehead are seen as major influences (self, world; respectively) and as needing each other in faith's appropriation. Five decades of theological work constitute a conversation, including teaching and writing. In closing the question of the efficacy of such a conversation is raised and appeal is made to the transformative power of genuine conversation in which all participants are fully present.
The Effects of Vasomotor Drugs and of Anemia upon Interarterial Coronary Anastomoses

The development of functionally significant interarterial coronary anastomoses was measured in 349 young domestic pigs by injecting the coronary arteries with the lead-agar mass of Schlesinger. By this technic well-developed anastomoses were absent in 132 normal control animals. Among the agents tested, acute coronary artery narrowing, sodium nitrite and anemia were effective in stimulating anastomoses. Anastomoses first began to appear two days after narrowing; they became larger and more frequent after seven days.
Steroid biosynthesis by phalarope (Steganopus tricolor and Lobipes lobatus) adrenal tissue

Abstract Phalarope ( Steganopus tricolor and Lobipes lobatus ) adrenal tissue homogenates incubated with pregnenolone-4- 14 C formed primarily 14 C-labeled progesterone, 11-deoxycorticosterone, and corticosterone. Formation of radioactive dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, or androstenedione was not detected. No differences with regard to the products formed or the time course of their formation were observed between adrenal tissue from male and female phalaropes.
Dissolving Metal Reductions of Fullerenes

Treatment of fullerenes with reducing metals and a proton source leads to the formation of hydrogenated fullerenes (C60Hn and C70Hn). The reaction of C60 with a variety of metals was investigated, using metals that span a broad range of reducing power, from tin (E° = −0.14 V) to magnesium (E° = −2.36 V). We report useful synthetic routes to a number of reduced fullerenes, including C60H2, C60H4, and C60H6, and we have determined that, despite the huge number of isomers that are possible, a small number are actually formed in these cases. For example, only two isomers of C60H6 are obtained in the Zn(Cu) reduction of C60, in a 6:1 ratio. Three isomers of C70H10 are produced, in ratios that are dependent on reaction time.
High-precision calculation of crystallographic phase-transition pressures for aluminum.

High-precision, all-electron, full-potential local density-functional calculations are used to reduce the uncertainty in static-lattice predictions of the high-pressure structural phase transitions in Al. These calculations predict a static-lattice fcc\ensuremath{\rightarrow}hcp transition pressure of 205\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20 GPa and suggest a fairly firm upper bound of 290 GPa for the T=0 K fcc\ensuremath{\rightarrow}hcp transition pressure. These results indicate that a recently reported diamond anvil cell experiment probably came very close to achieving the fcc\ensuremath{\rightarrow}hcp phase transition in Al.
Genetic transformation of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) using somatic embryo explants by microprojectile bombardment.

Stable transformation of Norway spruce tissue has been obtained following bombardment of mature somatic embryos with pRT99gus, a plasmid that contains neo coding for NPTII, and gusA, coding for β-glucuronidase, both fused to the CaMV 35S promoter. At least 8 lines have been stably transformed (over 15 months in culture) following bombardment and selection on kanamycin. Polymerase chain reaction analyses showed a high frequency of cotransformation of the gusA and neo genes. The frequency of coexpression of the selected and unselected markers was 100%. DNA/DNA hybridization of one transformed line provided conclusive evidence of stable integration and showed copy numbers of over 10 plasmid sequences per genome. None of the transformed lines has remained embryogenic.
Electric quadrupole interaction of 181Ta in hexagonal transition metals

Abstract The electric quadrupole interaction of 181Ta impurity atoms in the hexagonal transition metals Re, Os, Hf and Ru has been studied at room temperature. From the resolved Mossbauer absorption spectra values for the electric field gradients at the 181Ta nucleus and for the isomer shifts of the 6.2 keV gamma rays were obtained.
Early discharge following abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: Impact on patients and caregivers.

Although early discharge is common place, little is known about its impact after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery. We sought to prospectively describe patient outcomes and caregiving experience after early discharge following elective AAA repair using a standard or endovascular grafting system (EGS) procedure. Fifty-one patients (Standard, n=25; EGS, n=26) completed questionnaires on symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) while hospitalized and 1, 4, and 8 weeks after discharge. Data were also obtained from caregivers. HRQoL decreased at Week 1 in both groups but returned to near baseline by Week 8. Standard AAA patients experienced more symptoms and activity limitations, but these were concentrated in Week 1. Most caregivers were positive about caregiving and required no additional resources. Findings suggest that most patients who undergo early discharge following elective AAA surgery experience few problems. Those problems that occur concentrate in the week following discharge, suggesting the need for closer monitoring at this time.
“Allorestriction” should be distinguished from “alloreactivity”

Whether or not allorestriction should be distinguished from alloreactivity depends on one's model of the TCR–ligand interaction. If the ligand is viewed as a determinant formed by a meld between peptide and the MHC-encoded restricting element, then the TCR, like the BCR, has a single combining site specific for the composite epitope (the Centric Model). If, however, one views the recognition of peptide and the MHC-encoded restricting element as independent, then interactions at two sites of the TCR must be integrated to signal the T cell (the Tritope Model). As TCR recognition of the MHC-encoded restricting element is, by definition, restricted (allele-specific), then under the Centric Model, all TCR signaling interactions with the composite epitope are due to allorestriction, which is peptide-specific. In contrast, under the Tritope Model, there are two classes of signaling interaction, allorestriction and alloreactivity. Alloreactivity is peptide-unspecific and is triggered by recognition of the allo-MHC-encoded restricting element allele. Alloreactivity is incompatible with the Centric Model, under which one would predict that it does not exist. Selected data are analyzed to illustrate the importance of this distinction.