cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of mixed poly(ε-caprolactone)/polystyrene brushes from Y-initiator-functionalized silica particles by surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization and nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization

This article reports on the synthesis of mixed homopolymer brushes grafted on silica particles composed of poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL), a chemically and biologically degradable polymer, and polystyrene (PS), a vinyl polymer, by sequential surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of e-caprolactone (eCL) at 75 °C and nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization (NMRP) of styrene at 120 °C. The silica particles were functionalized with an asymmetric difunctional initiator (Y-initiator) bearing a hydroxyl group, an initiator for ROP, and an alkoxyamine moiety, an initiator for NMRP. We found that for ROP, PCL with Mn,SEC values of ∼25 kDa and narrow polydispersity indexes (≤1.20) relative to PS standards can be reproducibly synthesized at 75 °C using tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate as catalyst after the Y-initiator-functionalized silica particles and the catalyst were thoroughly dried. Both surface-initiated ROP and NMRP polymerizations were carried out in the presence of a free initiator. The polymer brushes were cleaved from silica particles using hydrofluoric acid, and the SEC analysis showed that the molecular weights of the grafted polymers were close to those of the free polymers formed from the free initiators. The overall grafting density of mixed PCL/PS brushes can be tuned from 1.24 to 0.40 chains per nm2 by varying the mass ratio of Y-initiator-terminated triethoxysilane to bare silica particles in the initiator immobilization step, though the grafting density of PS was always higher than that of PCL.
A comparison of input‐output, process‐output, and input‐process‐output models of small group problem‐solving effectiveness

This paper tests three different regression models in small group problem‐solving. The independent conditions are discussion procedure, task solution multiplicity, and discussion topic. Dependent measures include satisfaction with the solution, procedure, and group; and the quality of the final solution, the number of ideas for solutions, and the number of unique ideas. The independent conditions model accounted for more variance in productivity measures and the communication model accounted for more variance in satisfaction measures. The total model, consisting of significant independent conditions, communication behaviors, and interaction effects between communication and procedure, accounted for the most variance in two measures of satisfaction and three measures of productivity.
ATP Mediates Both Activation and Inhibition of K(ATP) Channel Activity via cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase in Insulin-secreting Cell Lines

The single-channel recording technique was employed to investigate the mechanism conferring ATP sensitivity to a metabolite-sensitive K channel in insulin-secreting cells. ATP stimulated channel activity in the 0-10 microM range, but depressed it at higher concentrations. In inside-out patches, addition of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor (PKI) reduced channel activity, suggesting that the stimulatory effect of ATP occurs via cAMP-dependent protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation. Raising ATP between 10 and 500 microM in the presence of exogenous PKI progressively reduced the channel activity; it is proposed that this inactivation results from a reduction in kinase activity owing to an ATP-dependent binding of PKI or a protein with similar inhibitory properties to the kinase. A model describing the effects of ATP was developed, incorporating these two separate roles for the nucleotide. Assuming that the efficacy of ATP in controlling the channel activity depends upon the relative concentrations of inhibitor and catalytic subunit associated with the membrane, our model predicts that the channel sensitivity to ATP will vary when the ratio of these two modulators is altered. Based upon this, it is shown that the apparent discrepancy existing between the sensitivity of the channel to low ATP concentrations in the excised patch and the elevated intracellular level of ATP may be explained by postulating a change in the inhibitor/kinase ratio from 1:1 to 3:2 owing to the loss of protein kinase after patch excision. At a low concentration of ATP (10-20 microM), a nonhydrolyzable ATP analogue, AMP-PNP, enhanced the channel activity when present below 10 microM, whereas the analogue blocked the channel activity at higher concentrations. It is postulated that AMP-PNP inhibits the formation of the kinase-inhibitor complex in the former case, and prevents phosphate transfer in the latter. A similar mechanism would explain the interaction between ATP and ADP which is characterized by enhanced activity at low ADP concentrations and blocking at higher concentrations.
A sufficient condition for certain semigroups to be free

The motivation for this note lies in the following problem: Suppose A = {a, )...) ak} where, for all integers x, ai(x) = mix + a, with m,, a, integers and mi > 2, a, > 0 for i = I,..., k. For each set S of non-negative integers, let (A: S) denote the smallest set of integers containing S and closed under the functions given in A. (Such sets are discussed in [3], and in particular, it is shown that (A: S) exists.) We are concerned with the density 6(S) of the set (A: S), that is,
Ecological correlates and potential functions of kin recognition and kin association in anuran larvae.

The larvae of seven species of anurans differ significantly in their abilities to discriminate between kin and nonkin. The ontogeny of kin recognition in certain species is greatly influenced by the environment in which they are reared. In other species, the rearing regime has little affect on the development of kin recognition. Larvae of some anurans develop a kin recognition system in the absence of cues from other individuals. Natural conditions of embryonic development, larval dispersal characteristics, and aggregation behavior are correlated with the kin recognition system of most anurans examined. However, these ecological characteristics are not consistent with the kin recognition systems displayed by a few species. Warning relatives, through the release of chemical signals, and enhancement of growth and development are potential functions of kin association. Intraspecific competition and cannibalism directed toward nonkin are possible functions of kin recognition.
Effects of intracoronary dipyridamole infusion on regional myocardial blood flow and intrinsic thallium-201 washout in dogs with a critical coronary stenosis

Intravenous dipyridamole (DP) infusion produces a significant endocardial-to-epicardial flow gradient distal to a critical coronary stenosis, resulting in diminished regional thallium-201 (Tl-201) uptake and washout. Intravenous DP can also produce a significant decrease in arterial blood pressure and therefore in coronary perfusion pressure. We determined to further clarify the mechanism of this transmural coronary "steal" employing intracoronary DP administration, thereby avoiding systemic hypotension. In five of eight dogs with a critical left anterior descending (LAD) stenosis, intracoronary DP caused no significant fall in systemic arterial pressure, a rise in epicardial flow from 1.15 +/- 0.2 to 1.75 +/- 0.2 ml/min/gm, and a slight fall in subendocardial flow from 1.15 +/- 0.2 to 1.03 +/- 0.5 ml/min/gm. Intracoronary DP caused no prolongation of the intrinsic Tl-201 washout rate. In three dogs that developed systemic hypotension after intracoronary DP, endocardial flow fell from 1.14 to 0.63 ml/min/gm, the epicardial/endocardial flow ratio fell to 0.35, and Tl-201 washout became more prolonged. Thus intracoronary DP in the setting of a critical LAD stenosis caused minimal endocardial-to-epicardial steal and had no effect on the intrinsic Tl-201 washout rate unless it was accompanied by a fall in systemic arterial pressure. The magnitude of the transmural steal was substantially less than reported in our previous experiments utilizing intravenous DP infusion. This study provides a further insight into the mechanism of DP-induced subendocardial ischemia and suggests that systemic hemodynamic alterations play an important role in the effects of the vasodilator on myocardial blood flow and Tl-201 kinetics.
The biosynthesis of chondroitin sulfate

Abstract A particulate enzyme preparation from embryonic chick cartilage catalyzes incorporation of radioactivity from UDP-GalNAc- 3 H or UDP-Glc-UA- 14 C into chondroitin sulfate. In the absence of added oligosaccharide acceptor, incorporation of radioactivity from either nucleotide required the presence of the alternate unlabeled nucleotide. Addition of a sulfated or nonsulfated hexasaccharide derived from chondroitin sulfate (nonreducing terminal glcUA) stimulated incorporation of radioactivity from UDP-GalNAc- 3 H in the absence of UDP-GlcUA, but not from UDP-GlcUA- 14 C in the absence of UDP-GalNAc. In contrast, the addition of nonsulfated pentasaccharide (nonreducing terminal galNAc) did not stimulate the incorporation of radioactivity from UDP-GalNAc- 3 H in the absence of UDP-GlcUA, but did stimulate incorporation of radioactivity from UDP-GlcUA- 14 C in the absence of UDP-GalNAc. The radioactive product of this reaction was characterized as a nonsulfated hexasaccharide with a radioactive nonreducing terminal glcUA. The sulfated pentasaccharide did not accept glcUA- 14 C or galNAc- 3 H from the appropropriate nucleotide.
A methodology for implementing structured flowcharting

The need for a structured approach to flowcharting is well-established. As a design aid structured flowcharting helps to produce a structured product, and as a documentation tool structured flowcharts are invariably more readable (and hence, move useful) than unstructured ones.
WRITING WITH WIKIS: A CAUTIONARY TALE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

Learning to write a scholarly literature review is often difficult for undergraduate students. This teaching note examines a pilot study of BSW students' use of a wiki to collaboratively write a literature review in a research course (N=36). Students expressed negative responses toward the assignment and were reluctant to use the wiki. Their responses are explored through an examination of their activity on the wiki, discussion group feedback, comments in the course evaluation, and unsolicited remarks made by students. Common criticisms raised by students were time-management issues, group coordination concerns, and assignment parameters. Suggestions for improving and modifying the assignment are discussed.
Quantitative analysis of 6-hydroxymelatonin in human urine by gas chromatography--negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

Abstract A method for assay of urinary 6-hydroxymelatonin, the major metabolite of the pineal hormone melatonin is described. After addition of an internal standard of deuterated 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate, human urine was hydrolyzed enzymatically and free 6-hydroxymelatonin extracted, reacted to form a stable t -butyldimethylsilylpentafluoropropionyl derivative which was separated on silica gel column chromatography, and quantified using electron capture negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Intrassay variability over an 18-h period was 5.4% [53.8 ng/3 ml urine ± 2.94 (SD)] and interassay variability over a 2-week period was 2.1% [51.8 ng/3 ml urine ± 1.08 (SD)].
Atomistic mechanism of polyphenol amyloid aggregation inhibitors: molecular dynamics study of Curcumin, Exifone, and Myricetin interaction with the segment of tau peptide oligomer

Amyloid fibrils are highly ordered protein aggregates associated with many diseases affecting millions of people worldwide. Polyphenols such as Curcumin, Exifone, and Myricetin exhibit modest inhibition toward fibril formation of tau peptide which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. However, the molecular mechanisms of this inhibition remain elusive. We investigated the binding of three polyphenol molecules to the protofibrils of an amyloidogenic fragment VQIVYK of tau peptide by molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent. We find that polyphenols induce conformational changes in the oligomer aggregate. These changes disrupt the amyloid H bonding, perturbing the aggregate. While the structural evolution of the control oligomer with no ligand is limited to the twisting of the β-sheets without their disassembly, the presence of polyphenol molecule pushes the β-sheets apart, and leads to a loosely packed structure where two of four β-sheets dissociate in each of the three cases considered here. The H-bonding capacity of polyphenols is responsible for the observed behavior. The calculated binding free energies and its individual components enabled better understanding of the binding. Results indicated that the contribution from Van der Waals interactions is more significant than electrostatic contribution to the binding. The findings from this study are expected to assist in the development of aggregation inhibitors. Significant binding between polyphenols and aggregate oligomer identified in our simulations confirms the previous experimental observations in which polyphenols refold the tau peptide without forming covalent bonds.
Bidding and prices for online art auctions: sofa art or investment

The article uses auction data collected from the eBay internet site to examine the effect of various parameters on number of bids and selling price of art. The article further uses an insight from the auction literature to gather evidence about whether art on eBay is purchased for consumption or investment purposes. The article argues that the evidence found of a positive relationship between the number of bids and the final price suggests that art sold on eBay is not, in general, investment art.
Comprehension of Short Stories: Effects of Task Instructions on Literary Interpretation

An important purpose of reading literature is to move beyond the literal text to construct an interpretation of what the text conveys about the human condition and nature of the world. In two experiments, college students with no prior training in literary analysis read a short story and responded to one of four task instructions (plot, ambiguous, argument, theme) designed to bias either an interpretive or literal stance toward the text. Results indicated that the argument and theme instructions were more likely to lead to essays with more interpretive inferences than plot and ambiguous instructions. Results indicate that stance affected the kinds of inferences that were generated during reading. Implications for expanding current models of text comprehension are discussed.
Evidence of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 in Vascular Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells

The hypoxia-inducible element (HIE-1), a 50-bp region just 3' to the human erythropoietin gene, has been found to regulate transcription in cells that do not ordinarily synthesize erythropoietin. We hypothesized that the HIE-1 and associated protein factors may have a role in transcriptional regulation in hypoxic vascular tissues. Therefore, tissues of vascular origin were grown in culture and exposed to hypoxia (1% 02, 5% CO2, balance N2) or normoxia (21% O2, 5% CO2). Human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) studied with electrophoretic mobility shifting demonstrated that HIE-1 was bound to a protein induced by hypoxia in these cells. HMEC-1 and rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASM) were transfected with the vector pGL2-HIE-1. HMEC-1 reporter gene expression was 3.7 +/- 0.5-fold increased at 12 hours and 3.7 +/- 1.3-fold increased at 24 hours by hypoxia. RASM reporter gene expression was 18.6 +/- 6.5-fold (SEM) increased at 12 hours and 2.0 +/- 0.7-fold increased at 24 hours by hypoxia. These findings provide indirect evidence of a hypoxia-inducible factor in vascular cellular transcriptional regulation.
Genomic cloning and characterization of a ricin gene from Ricinus Communis

Abstract A genomic clone that specifies a single polypeptide precursor for ricin, a toxic lectin of Ricinus communis (castor bean), was isolated, sequenced and Sl mapped. The gene encodes a 64 kDa precursor which contains, in the following order: a 24 or 35 amino acid signal peptide, the A chain, a 12 amino acid linker peptide, and the B chain. The 5'-end of the ricin mRNA maps approximately 35 bases upstream from the first methionine codon. Two putative TATA boxes and a possible CAAT box lie in the 5'-flanking region. Two possible polyadenylation signals were found in the 3' flanking region. No introns were found, which is typical of other lectin genes that have been sequenced. Southern blot analysis suggests that the castor bean genome contains approximately six ricin-like genes.
Counterfactual Situations and Moral Worth

What is the relevance to praiseworthiness and blameworthiness of what one would have done in other, counterfactual circumstances? I defend a moderate form of actualism: what one would have done is important, but less so than what one actually does.
Synthesis and effects of basement membrane components in cultured rat Schwann cells

Schwann cells, the myelin-forming cells of the peripheral nervous system, are surrounded by a basement membrane. Whether cultured rat Schwann cells synthesize the basement membrane-specific components, laminin and collagen type IV, and whether these components influence the adhesion, morphology, and growth of these cells have been investigated. Both laminin and collagen type IV were detected in the cytoplasm of Schwann cells by immunofluorescence. After ascorbate treatment, laminin and collagen type IV were both found in an extracellular fibrillar matrix bound to the Schwann cell surface. Laminin was further localized on the Schwann cell surface by electron microscopy using gold immunolabeling. Anti-laminin IgG-labeled gold particles were scattered over the cell surface, and linear rows of particles and small aggregates were found along the cell edges and at points of contact with other cells. When added to the culture medium, laminin acted as a potent adhesion factor, stimulating Schwann cell adhesion as much as eightfold above control levels on type IV collagen. In the presence of laminin, the cells became stellate and by 24 hr had extended long, thin processes. Laminin also stimulated cell growth in a dose-dependent manner and anti-laminin IgG completely inhibited cell attachment and growth in the absence of exogenous laminin. Thus, cultured Schwann cells synthesize laminin and collagen type IV, two major components of basement membrane, and laminin may trigger Schwann cell differentiation in vivo during early stages of axon-Schwann cell interaction before myelination.
Fine-needle aspiration in the evaluation of nucleated red blood cells in the human placenta

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between placental and umbilical cord nucleated red blood cell counts. Study Design: Eighty placentas and their matched umbilical cord blood samples were collected prospectively immediately after delivery. In vitro fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens were used to obtain placental tissue samples. Nucleated red blood cells were counted by both manual microscopy and flow cytometry. Statistical analysis included Wilcoxon signed rank test and Spearman correlation. Results: The median nucleated red blood cell counts/100 white blood cell counts for manual microscopy in umbilical cord blood; placental samples were 7.5 and 3.0, respectively ( P P P r = 0.74, P Conclusion: Previous studies have reported an association between acute and chronic hypoxia and elevated nucleated red blood cells. Our results indicate that in vitro placental nucleated red blood cell counts correlate with umbilical cord nucleated red blood cell counts and suggest that antenatal evaluation of fetal nucleated red blood cells could be achieved by placental fine-needle aspiration biopsy. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;189:155-8.)
Chondropathy after meniscal tear or partial meniscectomy in a canine model

A primary goal in considering treatment for meniscal injuries is the preservation of the health of the articular cartilage. However, the chondroprotective effects of various techniques for meniscal injury treatments are unknown. We used a canine model to quantify articular cartilage degeneration in the medial compartment of the canine knee, resulting from a surgically created tear or a partial meniscectomy (PM) of the posterior region of the medial meniscus (each group, n = 10). After sacrifice at 12 weeks, the development of gross chondropathy and the changes in cartilage tensile stiffness were quantified, and correlations between these measurements were examined. Both treatment surgical treatment groups caused significantly greater gross chondropathy as compared to the unoperated contralateral controls. Cartilage tensile stiffness was significantly lower than unoperated controls by nearly 28% in both experimental groups. However, there were no significant differences observed between the gross chondropathy or the cartilage mechanical property changes between the experimental groups. Importantly, the severity of gross chondropathy was found to significantly correlate with the decrement in tensile stiffness properties of the articular cartilage. These findings indicate that significant degeneration of canine articular cartilage develops to a similar degree in the presence of a partially healed meniscus tear or a PM of the knee.
Individuals With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) May Be More Likely to Have More Severe Periodontal Disease Than Individuals Without COPD

Article title and bibliographic information Association between periodontal disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A reality or just a dogma? Peter KP, Mute BR, Doiphode SS, Bardapurkar SJ, Borkar MS, Raj DV. J Periodontol 2013;84(12):1717-23. Reviewer Frank A. Scannapieco, DMD, PhD Purpose/Question Is COPD associated with periodontal disease experience? Source of funding No funding source reported Type of study/Design Case-control study Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
INFINITE-COMPONENT WAVE EQUATIONS AND MASS SPLITTINGS WITHIN SU(3) AND SU(2) MULTIPLETS.

Earlier work describing baryon excited states by the group O(4, 2) is extended with particular emphasis on the SU(3) properties. A single irreducible representation of O(4, 2) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} SU(3) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} SU(3) is used. The postulates of the theory of infinite-component wave equations are contrasted and compared with those leading to the Okubo and isospin mass-splitting formulas. Tables and curves are presented for mass formulas, mass splittings, and magnetic moments, which are in agreement with experiment.
Risk and return: A question of the holding period☆

Abstract A paper by Tinic and West (1984) questions the existence of a positive risk premium for nondiversifiable or systematic risk. Their results, based on the Fama and MacBeth (1973) three-step methodology, indicate that only the month of January produces the expected risk-return relationship. Thus, when January months are excluded, the widely cited support for the two-parameter capital-asset pricing model from the Fama and MacBeth study is no longer obtained. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis of a positive risk premium over longer holding periods (i.e., quarterly, semiannually and annually as opposed to monthly). Ample justification for such a test is given by the results of Levhari and Levy (1977) and Hasty and Fielitz (1975) in that not only the magnitude of beta, but the rank ordering as well, is sensitive to the holding period or intervaling assumption. Making full use of the data available on the CRSP Monthly Return file for 1926 through 1984, the results of the tests based on monthly, quarterly, semiannual, and annual intervals parallel those of Tinic and West for monthly intervals. That is, empirical support for a positive risk premium is not offered outside of January.
Occurrence of headaches in anxiety disordered patients.

SYNOPSIS Several previous investigations have suggested a positive relationship between anxiety symptoms and headaches. Twenty patients with anxiety symptoms severe enough to warrant a psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety disorder were questioned about headaches. The number of anxiety disorder patients afflicted with headaches was not different from that reported by 49 non-ill controls.
Egg stickiness in artificial reproduction of sturgeon: an overview

The egg structure of sturgeon is complex, with multiple micropyles and an envelope structure different from that of teleosts and other fish groups. In the sturgeon, an adhesive layer in the follicular epithelium is responsible for the egg adhesiveness. This is a problem for artificial reproduction of many fish species, including sturgeon, when a large number of eggs are incubated in hatchery conditions. Although several techniques for removing adhesiveness have been developed and successfully applied to eggs of common carp, tench, pikeperch and European catfish, de-sticking methods for sturgeon are limited. Proteolytic enzymes have been successfully applied to common carp, tench and African catfish eggs, leading to a hatching rate over 80% following 2-min treatment. In sturgeon, blue clay is the most commonly used de-sticking substance. The chemical reactions determining egg adhesiveness in sturgeon are poorly studied, and optimum methods for removing stickiness remain to be developed.
Increased Mechanical Fragility and Intravascular Lysis of Erythrocytes in Cats Fed a Propylene Glycol-Containing Diet

The mechanism responsible for the decreased red blood cell (RBC) lifespan associated with feeding propylene glycol (PG)-containing diets was investigated to understand better how Heinz body-contained RBC are destroyed. Three cats were fed a diet containing 12% PG for 14 days and three other cats served as control. The experimental group developed reticulocytosis and increased Heinz body numbers. Red blood cell membrane immunoglobulih G (IgG) concentration and phagocytosis of RBC by peritoneal macrophages were lower in the PG group compared to the control group suggesting that neither IgG nor non-IgG-mediated phagocytosis was responsible for the RBC destruction. Osmotic fragility, rate of RBC proteolysis and mild mechanical fragility test results were not statistically different from controls. However, when RBC from cats fed PG were exposed to severe mechanical stress, their fragility were increased 2.2–2.8 times. Additionally, haptoglobin concentrations were decreased in the PG group. These data suggest that intravascular lysis may be involved in the pathogenesis of PG-induced RBC destruction.
Managing rush hour travel choices with tradable credit scheme

Abstract This paper Analyzes a new tradable credit scheme (TCS) for managing commuters’ travel choices, which seeks to persuade commuters to spread evenly within the rush hour and between primary and alternative routes so that excessive traffic congestion can be alleviated. The scheme defines a peak time window and charges those who use the primary route within that window in the form of mobility credits. Those who avoid the peak-time window, by either traveling outside the peak time window or switching to the alternative route, may be rewarded credits. A market is created such that those who need to pay credits can purchase them from those who acquire them from their rewarding travel choices. A general analytical framework is proposed for a system of two parallel routes. The framework (1) considers a variety of assumptions about commuters’ behavior in response to the discontinuous credit charge introduced at the boundary of the peak-time window, (2) allows modeling congestion effects (or demand elasticity) on the alternative route, and (3) enables both the design of system optimal TCS and the analysis of the efficiency of any given TCS. Our analyses indicate that the proposed TCS not only achieves up to 33% efficiency gains in the base scenario, but also distributes the benefits among all the commuters directly through the credit trading. The results also suggest that very simple TCS schemes could provide substantial efficiency gains for a wide range of scenarios. Such simplicity and robustness are important to practicability of the proposed scheme. Numerical experiments are conducted to examine the sensitivity of TCS designs to various system parameters.
Effects of Temperature on Preimaginal Development of Hypera meles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Clover head weevils, Hypera meles (F.), were reared at constant temperatures ranging from 12 to 39°C. Development time increased with decreasing temperature between 17 and 37°C. The duration of the preimaginal life cycle (from oviposition to adult emergence) varied from 174.5 d at 12°C to 16.2 d at 39°C. Fourth stadia were longest. Percentage of egg hatch was significantly lower at 12° and 37°C than at temperatures from 15 to 35°C. Survival of larvae and pupae generally was lower at the cooler and warmer temperature extremes. The optimum temperatures for development were between 25 and 35°C for the egg and pupa, 25 to 37°C for the first, third, and fourth instars, and 30 to 37°C for the second instar. An average of 60% of the first instars developed to adults when reared at temperatures between 25 and 35°C. All adults reared at 12, 15, and 39°C were deformed. Distributions of development times were skewed toward longer times. The Weibull distribution was fitted to cumulative frequency distributions of normalized development times (R2 = 0.956–0.985). Biophysical models were fitted to median development rates (R2 = 0.986–0.998). Six-parameter models with high- and low-temperature inhibition were derived for the egg and first instars, whereas four-parameter models with high-temperature inhibition were derived for the second to fourth instars and the pupa.
Pretreatment with a stress-dose but not a high-dose infusion of hydrocortisone maintains heart rate variability during human endotoxemia

Results: A total of 410 patients (23%) developed VAP at median day 5.7. Heart rate multiscale entropy differed between groups at all scales (figure). Reduced HR-MSE (loss of complexity) was independently associated with increased risk of VAP (table). Intraquartile variation in HR-MSE reflects a 30% change in VAP risk. Conclusion: Heart rate multiscale entropy within hours of admission identifies risk of VAP occurring days later.
Emerging applications of optical fibers and optical technologies in automobiles (Invited Paper)

A quiet but deliberate revolution is taking place in the automobile field. Electronics and optical technologies familiar to the communication engineers are increasingly used in vehicles and in ways we would not have anticipated a decade ago. Optical fibers, head-up displays, holographic reflectors, in-vehicle LAN, cellular and microcellular radio communications, microprocessors for real time analysis and control, distributed intelligence, fiber gyros, integration of devices in optical and electrical connectors, to name a few familiar technologies are all part of the emerging intelligent vehicles and intelligent highways. This paper gives a brief overview of these emerging applications.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The batched moving averages of measurement data and their applications in data treatment

Abstract We consider the effect of using batched moving averages of measurement data. We show that for a moving average (MA) process the process formed by batched moving averages is again a moving average process but of a lower order. In particular, when the size of the moving step is sufficiently large, the new process is an MA(1) process. Applications are discussed for finding the appropriate amount of averaging such that new process formed by the batched moving averages will resemble white noise thus permitting the statistical methodologies. A real example is used to illustrate the proposed procedure.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE STRUCTURE OF RHODOSPIRILLUM RUBRUM

Sections of Rhodospirillum rubrum cells from cultures of different ages have been examined to obtain information on the development of chromatophores in this organism. Cells from the 12-hour cultures studied contain neither distinct invaginations of the cytoplasmic membrane nor distinct chromatophores. The first structures that can be related to chromatophore development occur peripherally in the cells, are relatively few in number, relatively high in density, and have an indistinct membrane. In cells from 26-hour cultures numerous distinct invaginations of the cytoplasmic membrane are present, and all layers of the cytoplasmic membrane are involved in the formation of each invagination. As the invaginations become more numerous, the ends of the invaginations become constricted to form one or more structures similar to the chromatophores previously described in this organism. Cells of R. rubrum, therefore, develop a structural continuum which initially consists of invaginations of the cytoplasmic membrane, and later of the chromatophores produced by and attached to these invaginations. The presence of this continuum, however, does not necessarily exclude the existence of discrete chromatophores within these cells. Several other structures previously reported in this organism are described in greater detail.
Quality Interactions and Family Storytelling

This study examined how individuals’ satisfaction with their family, as well as the ways they negotiated the telling of a family story, combined to predict their perceived quality of the storytelling interaction. Drawing from family members’ (150 individuals, 50 families) joint telling of an often told family story, multilevel modeling analyses revealed significant variance within and between families’ perceived quality of their storytelling interaction. These variances were explained by family satisfaction and family-level ratings of engagement during storytelling. These findings drive our suggestions for future assessment of multiple members’ perspectives of joint family storytelling interactions.
Candidates and Competition: Variability in Ideological Voting in U.S. Senate Elections*

Objectives. In choosing candidates to support in congressional elections, voters consider both policy and nonpolicy factors. However, the relative importance of incumbency or presidential approval versus candidates' ideological platforms likely varies across elections. Specifically, stiffer electoral competition should encourage ideology-based voting because candidate information is more plentiful. In contrast, incumbents' ability to garner votes simply by virtue of already holding office should depress proximity voting in elections with incumbents. Methods. Using data from the 1988–1992 Pooled Senate Election Study, I estimate logistic regression models of individual vote choice. Results. I find that open-seat elections do promote the use of candidate ideological proximity in the voting calculus but that the effects of election competitiveness are less clear. Conclusions. The findings have important implications for normative democratic theory, for our constitutional framework, and for elite behavior and aggregate-level electoral outcomes.
Gene Therapy Strategies for HIV/AIDS: Preclinical Modeling in Humanized Mice

In the absence of an effective vaccine and lack of a complete cure, gene therapy approaches to control HIV infection offer feasible alternatives. Due to the chronic nature of infection, a wide window of opportunity exists to gene modify the HIV susceptible cells that continuously arise from the bone marrow source. To evaluate promising gene therapy approaches that employ various anti-HIV therapeutic molecules, an ideal animal model is necessary to generate important efficacy and preclinical data. In this regard, the humanized mouse models that harbor human hematopoietic cells susceptible to HIV infection provide a suitable in vivo system. This review summarizes the currently used humanized mouse models and different anti-HIV molecules utilized for conferring HIV resistance. Humanized mouse models are compared for their utility in this context and provide perspectives for new directions.
Lactobacillus plantarum and Enterobacter Cloacae Growth In Cucumber Extracts Containing Various Salts

Salt substitutes included chlorides, sulfates and phosphates at 25%, 50% and 100% ionic strength equivalent to a concentration of 1M NaCl. At 100% NaCl substitution, chloride salts provided the most selective environment and sulfates showed no selectivity, whereas phosphates suppressed microbial, growth. Substitution of sulfates for NaCl generally increased generation times for both microorganisms. Substitution of KCl for NaCl at 50%, resulted in more selective growth of L. plantarum than in those with either KCl or NaCl alone. KCl was the only chloride substitute allowing growth of E. cloacae. Substitution of phosphates for NaCl at 50% enabled slow growth of L. plantarum.
Effect of calcitonin on bone cell ultrastructure

The original report on the physiological effects of calcitonin (CT) related to its influence on calcium and on bone resorption. It was named calcitonin because Copp considered it to control the blood calcium ‘tone’ [ 11. Hirsch and Munson considered this extract of the thyroid gland to be a hypocalcemic agent [2]. It should be noted that calcitonin has also been shown to exert a significant hypophosphatemic activity, the subject of a review by Talmage et al. [3]. The effect of calcitonin on osteoclastic activity was recognized early [4-S] and has dominated the views of the role played by this hormone even though CT receptor sites are also found on several cells of the immune system [6] and it has been reported to influence the activity of other bone cells [7-91. Four major bone cell types are recognized: osteoblasts lining bone surfaces, osteocytes encompassed in lacunae, multinucleated osteoclasts on resorption surfaces, and primitive undifferentiated cells. Modification of the shape and ultrastructure of all of these cells has been observed in response to calciotrophic hormones, cytokines, local factors, and pharmacologic agents [IO-121. The response time of bone cells to these agents is rapid. Cytochalasin B, for example, an agent known to exert its influence by changing the state of polymerization of actin filaments, initiates rounding of osteoblasts in less than 5 min. Loss of microvilli comprising the ‘brush border’ of activated osteoclasts occurs in less than 15 min following CT. Many of these changes in bone cell morphology observable with scanning and transmission electron microscopy are affected via change in the cytoskeletal elements including actin, intermediate filaments, and tubulin, recently reviewed by Ferrier et al. [8]. The cytoskeleton is uniquely the only cell structure that contacts all other cell organelles from the nucleus to the external membrane. These structures are dynamic, can be reversibly attached to many cell structures, and fluctuate in order and location by continuous polymerization and depolymerization from fibrils to subunits and back, resulting in consistent and characteristic changes in cell morphology. Changes in cell shape or in cell calcium levels have been observed in osteoblasts following stimulation with PTH, calcitonin, CAMP, 1,25dihydroxycholecalciferol, etc. Osteoblasts grown on collagen substrates respond to PTH by elongation along the axial direction of adjacent collagen fiber bundles. Osteoblasts exposed to PTH’ in in VGJO studies show some contractual polarity with scanning electron microscopy
The Use of Goal Attainment Scaling as a Method of Evaluating Clinical Outcome in an Inpatient Child Psychiatry Service

Abstract This pilot study explores the feasibility of utilizing goal attainment scaling as an evaluative instrument on an inpatient child psychiatry service. Operationally defined goals were specified by psychologists and psychiatrists for 31 patients. Goals of 19 parents of these patients were also specified. A third source of data consisted of goals set by the experimenter ( E ). Follow-ups were completed one month after goal setting. Goal attainment scores were computed for each set of goals. Results indicated that the goal predictions of staff members and of E were fairly accurate; however, parents' goals fell just short of being realized. Content analysis of the goals revealed significant differences in the types of objectives set by parents, staff and E .
The solar spectral irradiance and its action in the atmospheric photodissociation processes

Abstract A critical analysis has been made of solar irradiance in the spectral region covering wavelengths from 100 nm upwards; the absorption characteristics of molecules of oxygen and ozone have been taken into account with a view to the direct application of the results to atmospheric photochemistry. The absorption of radiation by these molecules results in the photodissociation of both of them in the homosphere, and it also makes possible the penetration of solar radiation from the thermosphere, through the mesosphere and the stratosphere, down to the troposphere. Special attention has been given to each of the following spectral regions: Lyman-alpha radiation at 121.6 nm, the O 2 Schumann-Runge continuum at wavelengths less than 175 nm, the O 2 Schumann-Runge band system from 200 to 175 nm, and the O 2 Herzberg continuum at 242.4 nm. For absorption by ozone, the solar spectrum has been analysed in the following regions: the Hartley band at wavelengths less than 310 nm, the Huggins bands at wavelengths above 310 nm and the visible Chappuis bands. Finally, for the photodissociation of O 3 , particular attention has been given to the transition region (300–320 nm) in which there is a change-over from the production of the excited atom O( 1 D) to that of the atom in its ground state O( 3 p).
On the lack of response to catecholamine stimulation by the adenyl cyclase system in psoriatic lesions.

SUMMARY When epidermis from the uninvolved skin of psoriatic patients was incubated for 5 min in Hank's medium containing adrenaline and theophyllinc, the cychc AMP level consistently increased 20-30 times over the level observed when adrenaline was not added to the medium. On the other hand, when epidermis from the involved skin of psoriatic patients was incubated under the same experimental conditions, the cyclic AMP level increased only 2–5 times. Even when thcophylline, an inhibitor of specific cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase, was omitted from the medium, a clearly demonstrable difference in sensitivity to adrenaline was evident in normal appearing and lesional psoriatic epidermis. These results indicate a faulty adenyl cyclase system in the involved epidermis of psoriatic lesions rather than a defective degradation process by the specific phosphodiesterase. Since the Km for adrenaline activation of adenyl cyclase was approximately the same in both the uninvolved and the involved epidermis and since the cyclic AMP increase by adrenaline was abolished by the addition of propranolol, the basic nature of the β-receptor (specifically the binding affinity to adrenaline) in the involved epidermis does not appear to be defective. On the other hand, the finding that the Value, for adrenaline activation is 10–20 times higher in the uninvoled than in the involved epidermis suggests that the poor response in the involved epidermis may be due to fewer available binding sites for adrenaline in the psoriatic lesion.
Observation of turbulent intermittency scaling with magnetic helicity in an MHD plasma wind tunnel.

The intermittency in turbulent magnetic field fluctuations has been observed to scale with the amount of magnetic helicity injected into a laboratory plasma. An unstable spheromak injected into the MHD wind tunnel of the Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment displays turbulent magnetic and plasma fluctuations as it relaxes into a Taylor state. The level of intermittency of this turbulence is determined by finding the flatness of the probability distribution function of increments for magnetic pickup coil fluctuations $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \textperiodcentered \fi{}}{B}(t)$. The intermittency increases with the injected helicity, but spectral indices are unaffected by this variation. While evidence is provided which supports the hypothesis that current sheets and reconnection sites are related to the generation of this intermittent signal, the true nature of the observed intermittency remains unknown.
Novel branched poly(ethylenimine)-cholesterol water-soluble lipopolymers for gene delivery

A novel water-soluble lipopolymer was synthesized by linking cholesteryl chloroformate to the secondary amino groups of branched poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) of 1,800 and 10,000 Da. Conjugation through PEI secondary amines gives this newly synthesized lipopolymer (abbreviated as PEI-Chol) special advantage over our previously synthesized lipopolymers, which utilized the primary amino groups for conjugation, as the primary amino groups have a significant role in DNA condensation. Also, significantly, only one cholesterol molecule was grafted onto each PEI molecule (confirmed by (1)H NMR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry), leaving enough space for the steric interactions of the PEI's primary amines with the DNA. The PEI-Chol lipopolymer was characterized for the critical micellar concentration (cmc), buffer capacity, DNA condensation (by band retardation and circular dichroism), in vitro transfection efficiency, and cell viability. The cmcs of PEI-Chol 1,800 and PEI-Chol 10,000 were 496.6 and 1,330.5 microg/mL, respectively. The acid-base titration indicated high buffering capacity of the polymers around the pH range of 5-7, which indicated their potential for buffering in the acidic pH environment of the endosomes. The band retardation studies indicated that efficient condensation of the plasmid DNA could be achieved using these lipopolymers. The circular dichroism spectra indicated a change in DNA conformation and adoption of lower energy state upon condensation with these lipopolymers when an N/P ratio of 2.5/1 or above was formulated. The mean particle size of these complexes was in the range 110-205 nm, except for the complexes prepared using PEI of 1,800 Da, which had a mean particle size of 384 +/- 300 nm. The zeta potential of DNA complexes prepared using PEI-Chol 1,800, PEI-Chol 10,000 and PEI of 1,800, 10,000, and 25,000 Da at an N/P ratio of 15/1 was in the range 23-30 mV and was dependent on the N/P ratios. The in vitro transfection of PEI-Chol/pCMS-EGFP complexes in Jurkat cells showed high levels of expressed Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) with little toxicity as determined by flow cytometry. These novel water-soluble lipopolymers provided good transfection efficiency with other desirable characteristics such as water solubility, free primary amino groups for efficient DNA condensation and high buffer capacity that indicated the possibility of efficient endosomal release.
Magnetic pinning of the vortex lattice by arrays of submicrometric dots

We have prepared regular square arrays of Ni and Ag dots with typical diameter and thickness approaching characteristic low-${T}_{c}$ superconducting length scales. The transport properties of Nb films, grown on top of these dots, were studied in a wide temperature and magnetic-field range. The Ni dots act as pinning centers, thereby producing oscillations in the field dependence of the resistance and critical current of the Nb film. The periodicity of the oscillations corresponds to the matching field of the dots lattice spacing. Such an oscillatory behavior is absent for arrays of nonmagnetic Ag dots. The comparison between the two types of arrays implies a magnetic origin of the enhanced pinning effect.