cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequence‐dependent Interactions of Cationic Naphthalimides and Polynucleotides

The binding interactions of three naphthalimide derivatives with heteropoly nucleic acids have been evaluated using fluorescence, absorption and circular dichroism spectroscopies. Mono- and bifunctionalized naphthalimides exhibit sequence-dependent variations in their affinity toward DNA. The heteropoly nucleic acids, [Poly(dA-dT)]2 and [Poly(dG-dC)]2, as well as calf thymus (CT) DNA, were used to understand the factors that govern binding strength and selectivity. Sequence selectivity was addressed by determining the binding constants as a function of polynucleotide composition according to the noncooperative McGhee-von Hippel binding model. Binding affinities toward [poly(dA-dT)](2) were the largest for spermine-substituted naphthalimides (Kb = 2-6 x 10(6) M(-1)). The association constants for complex formation between the cationic naphthalimides and [poly(dG-dC)]2 or CT DNA (58% A-T content) were 2-500 times smaller, depending on the naphthalimide-polynucleotide pair. The binding modes were also assessed using a combination of induced circular dichroism and salt effects to determine whether the naphthalimides associate with DNA through intercalative, electrostatic or groove-binding. The results show that the monofunctionalized spermine and pyridinium-substituted naphthalimides associate with DNA through electrostatic interactions. In contrast, intercalative interactions are predominant in the complex formed between the bifunctionalized spermine compound and all of the polynucleotides.
Land Development Characteristics in Jefferson County, Alabama

For a stormwater monitoring study to be successful, a careful examination of the study watershed is required. An inventory of watershed development conditions …
The orientation of phenoxide on oxygen-precovered Mo(110)

Abstract The orientation of phenoxide (C6H5O) adsorbed on Mo(110) precovered with 0.33 monolayers of oxygen was determined using the near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) method. The phenoxide intermediate is remarkably stable on this surface, remaining intact up to a temperature of nearly 650 K. The kinetic stability of the adsorbed phenoxide is attributed, in part, to the nearly perpendicular geometry. With the assumption that there is no azimuthal ordering of the adsorbed phenoxide, the angular dependence of peak 1 shows that the phenyl ring is directed away from the surface, with the ring plane making an angle of ~30° with respect to the surface normal. The structure of phenoxide on the Mo(110) precovered with 0.33 monolayers of oxygen on the surface is compared to that determined for organometallic complexes and that proposed for Pt(111).
Optogenetics: Illuminating Sources of Locomotor Drive

A recent study has used optogenetics to identify the source of excitatory drive for locomotion in zebrafish, revealing unexpected differences in the command signals from hindbrain to spinal cord.
Mechanisms linking violence exposure to health risk behavior in adolescence: motivation to cope and sensation seeking.

OBJECTIVE:: This study examined two potential mechanisms linking violence exposure and health risk behavior among adolescents in psychiatric care: sensation seeking and coping with stress through escape behavior. METHOD:: Male (59%) and female adolescents (N = 251), ages 12 to 19 years, from diverse ethnic backgrounds (61% African American, 19% white, 12% Latino, 8% biracial or other ethnicity) completed a computer-administered survey assessing study variables from 1999-2004. Overall clinic consent rate was 41%. Age and gender were included in all analyses. RESULTS:: Consistent with the literature on nonpsychiatric samples, violence exposure was associated with both increased substance use and sexual risk taking. Violence exposure was not associated with motivation to engage in risk behavior as a means of escape, although motivation to cope through escape was associated with a greater likelihood of substance use. Sensation seeking was related to substance use and sexual risk taking among all adolescents and with violence exposure primarily within male adolescents. CONCLUSIONS:: Clinical interventions should promote adaptive coping strategies that emphasize maintaining healthy behavior, effective problem solving skills, and stress management techniques. Language: en
The effect of lipid molecular packing stress on cationic liposome-induced rabbit erythrocyte fusion

The effect of curvature stress on the efficiency of cationic liposome-induced fusion between rabbit erythrocytes was studied. Multilamellar cationic liposomes containing 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammoniumpropane (DOTAP) and different PEs (1,2-dilnoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (dilin-PE), 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (POPE), and lysophosphatidylethanolamine, egg (lyso-PE)) were used to induce cell-cell fusion. It was found that high cell-cell fusion yield (FY) of about 50% could be achieved in sucrose solution by using cationic liposomes containing 50% DOTAP. Cell-cell fusion was assayed by shape criterion and was verified by fluorescence microscopy, using a membrane dye mixing method. The curvature stress, as a result of mixing unsaturated PEs in cationic liposomes, had a significant effect on cell-cell FY which increased with the degree of acyl chain unsaturation, in the order dilin-PE > DOPE > POPE > lyso-PE. Replacement of dilin-PE, DOPE, or POPE by lyso-PE gradually in cationic liposomes lowered the cell-cell FY from 50% to 1%. Furthermore, cationic liposome induced cell lysis, and fusion between cationic liposomes and cells, as assayed by the N-(lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl)-1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, triethylammonium salt and N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)-1,2- dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, triethylammonium salt (Rh-PE/NBD-PE) energy transfer method, followed the same order as that for cell-cell fusion. Fusion between the negatively charged PS liposomes and cationic liposomes also followed the same order. The electric double layer screening by electrolytes in NaCl-containing solution and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was found to reduce the cell-cell FY and cell lysis. These findings suggest that liposome-induced cell-cell fusion was achieved by cationic liposomes serving as fusion-bridges among cells.
Comparative Evaluation of Test Methods to Simulate Acoustic Response of Shroud‐Enclosed Spacecraft Structures

Test methods were evaluated to ascertain whether a spacecraft, properly tested within its shroud, could be vibroacoustic tested without the shroud, with adjustments made in the acoustic input spectra to simulate the acoustic response of the missing shroud. The evaluation was based on vibroacoustic test results obtained from a baseline model composed (1) of a spacecraft with adapter, lower support structure, and shroud; (2) of the spacecraft, adapter, and lower structure, but without the shroud; and (3) of the spacecraft and adapter only. Emphasis was placed on the magnitude of the acoustic input changes required to substitute for the shroud and the difficulty of making such input changes, and the degree of missimulation which can result from the performance of a particular, less-than optimum test. Conclusions are drawn on the advantages and disadvantages derived from the use of input spectra adjustment methods and lower support structure simulations. Test guidelines were also developed for planning and performing a launch acoustic-environmental test.
An Open Trial of a Metacognitive Executive Function Training for Young Children With ADHD

Objective: Executive functioning is impaired in children with ADHD and putatively related to the pathogenesis of ADHD. The authors developed an innovative treatment teaching parents to administer a metacognitive executive function training intervention with children, promoting positive interactions during activities designed to improve attention and self-regulation. Method: A total of 24 young children with ADHD and their parents participated in an 8-week open trial of the intervention designed to assess feasibility and initial efficacy. Results: The intervention is feasible and accepted by parents as shown by high attendance/adherence, low attrition, and satisfaction ratings. Improvements in executive functions (visual/auditory attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) with corresponding improvements in parent ratings of executive functioning were observed. Reduced inattention symptoms were reported. Conclusion: Executive functioning training is a promising approach to treating young children...
Control of flexible manipulators via singular perturbations and distributed vibration damping

A composite control strategy for a two-link flexible manipulator is analyzed which combines hub actuation with distributed vibration control. The hub actuation is based upon an integral manifold approach in which the system dynamics are approximately linearized to any order of a small parameter E representing stiffness of the robot arms. A polymer film is proposed as a distributed actuator to dampen vibrations due to elasticity in the links. Simulation results are provided which show that the addition of the distributed actuator significantly reduces the displacement and velocity of the first flexible mode in each link compared to hub actuation alone.
Intrinsic ductility criterion for interfaces in solids.

This paper explores the cleavage vs blunting dislocation emission from a crack on an interface in a two-dimensional simple hexagonal lattice for a variety of nearest-neighbor central force laws, and compares the results with elastic predictions of the criteria couched in terms of the interfacial surface energy, ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{s}}$, and the unstable stacking fault, ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{u}\mathit{s}}$. The mode conversion characteristic of interfacial cracks is interpreted in terms of a local phase at the core of the crack, with a cutoff at the force law range parameter. The results are that the emission criterion has two regimes. When ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{s}}$g3${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{u}\mathit{s}}$ the emission criterion is proportional to the product, ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{s}}$${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{u}\mathit{s}}$, while when ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{s}}$3${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{u}\mathit{s}}$, the criterion is proportional to ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{u}\mathit{s}}$. Chemical embrittlement of a crack is a direct consequence of these results, and is discussed. It is shown, however, that the localized interactions associated with chemical effects at a crack tip are inherently too complex to be encompassed in simple criteria such as these, and that quantitative predictions for chemical effects will require more detailed considerations of the specific lattice and bonding configurations in hand. But these results should serve usefully as ``rule of thumb'' guides.
A zeaxanthin protein from Anacystis nidulans

Abstract A carotenoid protein is present in an aqueous extract from the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans. The protein is easily purified to homogeneity and its absorption spectrum shows peaks at 430, 460 and 485 nm. The main carotenoid component is (3R, 3′R)-7b,β-carotene-3,3′-diol (zeaxanthin) (83%) with small amounts of 13-cis-lutein (12%) and lutein (5%) present as well. The carotenoid protein complex is a dimer formed from two Mr 23 000 peptides and approx. 44 carotenoid molecules.
Issues in Automating Utility Permits at Transportation Agencies

With the proliferation of utilities within the right-of-way (ROW) of highway facilities, transportation agencies around the country are finding it increasingly difficult to allow more utilities into the ROW and, at the same time, manage their own transportation systems effectively. Outstanding issues related to the utility permitting process at transportation agencies are outlined, a prototype online utility permit data management system that supports data transfer and map-viewing capabilities is described, and recommendations for implementation are discussed and formulated. Three goals drove the development of the prototype: to automate the utility permit data entry process, to reduce utility permit processing turnaround times and paperwork substantially, and to provide a mechanism to help maintain the inventory of utilities within the transportation agency up to date by using the data collected during the utility permitting process. The current status of the prototype is described, and several actions that will assist in the prototype implementation process are outlined. Also discussed are standards and specifications and the need to implement adequate positional accuracy and utility installation documentation procedures, which are rarely addressed in utility accommodation policies or technical specifications for particular projects. Implementing those procedures would result in a number of benefits. Among them are improving the quality of utility data at transportation agencies and utility companies, bringing the installation of utilities within the highway ROW to standards comparable with those of other construction activities within the ROW, facilitating the implementation of roadside safety programs, and contributing to the effective management of the highway ROW.
A short nucleotide sequence required for regulation of HIS4 by the general control system of yeast

Abstract We have made deletions of the HIS4 5′ noncoding region in vitro and inserted these deletions into the yeast genome by transformation. Deletions that extend from −588 to −235 have no detectable effects on either promoter or regulatory functions. Deletions that extend to −138 affect promoter function, but are still regulated by the general control of amino acid biosynthesis. A deletion that extends to −136 cannot derepress HIS4 mRNA in response to the general control. This deletion removes all copies of the sequence 5′-TGACTC-3′, which appears at positions −194, −182 and −138 in strains without the deletion. The importance of at least one copy of this repeat for regulation of HIS4 is shown by the reappearance of this sequence in revertants of the −136 deletion that have regained the regulatory response. The fact that deletion of this sequence leads to the inability to derepress suggests that HIS4 is under positive control.
A Responsive Parenting Intervention: The Optimal Timing Across Early Childhood for Impacting Maternal Behaviors and Child Outcomes

This study examined the optimal timing (infancy, toddler-preschool, or both) for facilitating responsive parenting and the intervention effects on maternal behaviors and child social and communication skills for children who vary in biological risk. The intervention during infancy, Playing and Learning Strategies (PALS I), showed strong changes in maternal affective-emotional and cognitively responsive behaviors and infants' development. However, it was hypothesized that a 2nd intervention dose in the toddler-preschool period was needed for optimal results. Families from the PALS I phase were rerandomized into either the PALS II, the toddler-preschool phase, or a Developmental Assessment Sessions condition, resulting in 4 groups. Facilitation of maternal warmth occurred best with the PALS I intervention, while cognitive responsive behaviors were best supported with the PALS II intervention. Behaviors that required responsiveness to the child's changing signals (contingent responsiveness, redirecting) required the intervention across both the early and later periods.
Gendered Patterns of Politeness in Free/Libre Open Source Software Development

In this paper, a qualitative case study of women-dominated Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) project is conducted to explore factors which successfully involve and sustain women FLOSS participants by drawing on Brown and Levinson's politeness theory. The culture and norms of FLOSS appear to be formulated by what is privileged/marginalized by men in the context of FLOSS, and such men's valuing is likely to threaten women FLOSS participants' face. Our findings are 1) in the FLOSS context, there are gender-based differences in determining what threatens face on the basis of gendered expectations of what is polite, and 2) women-dominated FLOSS participants are “practically” polite in software development practices. These findings were explored through an in-depth analysis of interaction episodes on the email list, archival public interview data of women FLOSS developers, FLOSS development environment, and instructive materials shared in public. Our paper shows how politeness theory can be extended to the “practice” of coding and non-coding work, and provides FLOSS communities with guidelines for involving and sustaining women participants in FLOSS development.
Nonconvergence of the cluster expansion for antisymmetry in the Jastrow many-body theory

Abstract The cluster-expansion treatment of antisymmetry, as used in most Jastrow-theoretic calculations to date for Fermion systems, is shown to be seriously inadequate. This is offered as an explanation for the recently reported discrepancy between Jastrow-theoretic and Brueckner-Bethe-Goldstone results for nuclear matter. This should also help to resolve some current difficulties in accounting for the properties of neutron stars.
Satellite of tobacco ringsport virus RNA lacks detectable mRNA activity

Abstract The RNA of the satellite of tobacco ringsport virus (S-TRSV) does not significantly stimulate amino acid incorporation in wheat germ cell-free extracts. This absence of detectable mRNA activity suggests that S-TRSV exerts its biological activity directly through its RNA.
Multiple ducted streams with a periodic or a steady supersonic driver flow

AN experimental investigation of the operating characteristics of a two-dimensional planar, constant area, supersonic-subsonic ejector with a steady or a periodically pulsed continuous driver flow is presented. Improvements in ejector pressure recovery and entrainment capabilities resulted from the periodic driver for a limited range of operating conditions. Contents The purpose of this study was to determine if periodic pulsation of the driver flow in an ejector would lead to improvements in ejector performance as a result of enhancing or exciting modes of flow interaction beyond those normally occurring in the ejector mixing duct. In particular, this investigation was concerned with pressure recovery applications in which the primary flow must pump the low pressure secondary to an appreciably higher pressure level. The approach taken to induce flow interaction was to periodically pulse the ejector driver flow with an efficient large scale fluidic oscillator developed for this purpose. This is similar to "wave energy exchanger" type ejectors1"3 in which slugs of primary flow are discharged periodically into the mixing duct. In the current case, however, the driver flow is continuous. A simple, one-dimensional inviscid control volume analysis, following that of Fabri and Siestrunk,4'5 was used to predict ejector operating characteristics; the descriptive features of the analysis are useful for the present discussion. Three regimes of ejector operation are considered. The supersonic regime, SR, occurs when the primary flow expands against the secondary after entering the ejector mixing duct and the secondary flow chokes at an aerodynamic throat in the mixing duct; this is the situation depicted in Fig. 1. The saturated supersonic regime, SSR, occurs when the secondary static pressure equals or exceeds that of the primary flow at the ejector inlet and the secondary flow chokes at the inlet. The mixed regime, MR, occurs when the back pressure at the ejector exit plane is too high to allow choking of the secondary flow either in the mixing duct or at the inlet.
Simultaneous Modeling of Mechanical and Electrical Response of Smart Composite Structures

A smart structural model is developed to determine analytically the response of arbitrary structures with piezoelectric materials and attached electrical circuitry. The equations of motion are formulated using the coupled piezoelectric formulations. However, rather than solving for strain and electric field, the proposed model solves for the strain and electric charge. The equations of motion are simplified for the case of a composite plate structure using a refined higher-order laminate theory; however, the model is applicable to most structural models. Additional degrees of freedom are then added to describe any attached electrical circuitry. A method is also presented for system simplification using the structural mode shapes and natural frequencies. Results are verified using experimental data for passive electrical shunt damping. The developed model results in a general framework that can be useful in solving a wide variety of coupled piezoelectric-mechanical problems addressing issues such as passive electrical damping, self-sensing, and electrical power consumption.
Sharp geometry reconstruction of building facades using range data

In this paper we describe a method for detailed geometry reconstruction of building facades in an urban environment, given a 3D point-cloud of LiDAR range data. Our approach separates planar faces and interpolates their shape with Moving Least-Squares (MLS) sampling. A method is then proposed to reconstruct occluded areas of the building whereby gaps in the building surface are modeled with axis-aligned planes fit to the gap boundary vertices. This approach reconstructs unsampled areas of building surfaces under the assumption that buildings have 3D rectilinear, axis-aligned features. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on a number of building facades.
Properties of Na2O?3SiO2 glasses impregnated with ethyl alcohol

Na2O·3SiO2 glasses impregnated with up to 8.5 wt% ethanol were prepared under high pressure and hydrothermal conditions and their properties such as hardness, fracture toughness and density were measured. Both hardness and density increased initially with increasing ethanol content up to 1∼2 wt% ethanol and then decreased with further increase in ethanol content, while fracture toughness decreased monotonically. This initial increase of hardness and density of ethanol-impregnated glasses is in contrast to the behaviour of glasses with high water content, which showed a steadily decreasing hardness and density with increasing water content. A structural study using IR and X-ray diffraction analyses was also made and changes in properties of glasses with increasing ethanol was related to the formation of Si-O-C bonds and the precipitation of sodium carbonate crystal.
Lymphocyte reconstitution following non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation follows two patterns depending on age and donor/recipient chimerism

The effect of mixed chimerism on the pace of post-transplant immune reconstitution is unknown. Using flow cytometry, recall and neo-antigen vaccine responses, and T cell receptor recombination excision circle (TREC) quantification, we evaluated phenotypic and functional characteristics of T and B cells in nine patients following non-myeloablative, HLA-identical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for chronic granulomatous disease. Engraftment of T cell, B cell, and myeloid lineages proceeded at similar paces within each patient, but engraftment kinetics segregated patients into two groups: adults, who became full donor T cell chimeras before 6 months (rapid engrafters) and children, who became full donor T cell chimeras after 6 months or not at all (slow engrafters). Quantitative B cell recovery was achieved by 6 weeks after transplantation in children, but was delayed until 1 year in adults. Early quantitative B cell recovery was not accompanied by an early humoral immune response to tetanus toxoid (TT). Emergence of TT-specific T cell responses coincided with naive T cell reconstitution, as measured by CD4/CD45RA T cell recovery and TREC quantification. These data suggest that immune reconstitution occurs faster in pediatric patients who have prolonged mixed hematopoietic chimerism compared to adults, who have rapid donor stem cell engraftment.
Semi-automated computer assessment of the degree of carotid artery stenosis compares favorably to visual evaluation.

Abstract Objective To validate a semi-automated computer approach for the assessment of the degree of carotid artery luminal narrowing by comparing it to the visual evaluation by a neuroradiologist. Study design and main outcome measures In a retrospective cross-sectional study, consecutive emergency department patients who underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the carotid arteries were identified. CTA studies were reviewed by a neuroradiologist, and also independently processed with a computer algorithm that automatically measures the degree of luminal narrowing at the level of the internal carotid artery bulb. The findings of the neuroradiologist and computer assessment were compared using Chi2 tests/kappa calculations and linear regression for categorical and continuous measurements of carotid stenosis, respectively. Results The study population consisted of 125 patients (74 no stroke/TIA, 18TIA, and 33 stroke). 201 carotid arteries showed no significant stenosis; 33 showed ≥ 70% stenosis, 5 showed 95–99% stenosis, and 11 showed complete occlusion. There was excellent agreement between the neuroradiologist's visual assessment and the automated computer evaluation of the category of carotid stenosis (kappa = 0.918, p Conclusion The automated computer algorithm for quantifying the degree of carotid stenosis is reliable and shows high concordance with the interpretation of an experienced neuroradiologist.
Discrimination of Estuarine Marsh Subenvironments (San Francisco Bay, California, U.S.A.) Using a Multivariate Statistical Calibration of Abiotic Sediment Properties

Abstract Multivariate analysis of a suite of sediment characteristics provides a novel, inexpensive, and time efficient approach to characterizing estuarine depositional subenvironments, especially in the absence of diagnostic microfossils and macrofossils. The development, calibration, and implementation of a statistical model are discussed using data collected from the San Francisco Bay estuary, California. Forty-seven surface sediment samples were collected from three marshes within the San Francisco Bay estuary and from six different subenvironments ranging from tidal salt marsh below mean higher high water (MHHW) to tidal freshwater marsh sediments located above MHHW. Sediment samples were analyzed for percent organic content, percent water content, percent clay content, sediment density, and iron concentration. Standard statistical analysis of the data indicates that changes in sediment characteristics exist within and between the individual marshes; however, individually these characteristics are insufficient to distinguish among marshes and subenvironments. Multivariate analysis therefore is employed to consider the array of sediment characteristics simultaneously. The individual marsh research sites are treated as idealized reference types. The results indicate a strong degree of, and statistically significant, predictive capability. These surface data and analyses are used in the interpretation of stratigraphic cores from three sites in San Francisco Bay. The results using this method were broadly consistent with interpretations using traditional methods; however, this method determined more subtle variability than was previously recognized.
Myocytes Isolated from Rejecting Transplanted Rat Hearts Exhibit a Nitric Oxide-mediated Reduction in the Calcium Current

During periods of acute rejection, transplanted hearts have increased nitric oxide (NO) production and depressed contractile function. Myocytes isolated from rejecting hearts exhibit parallel increases in NO production and reduced shortening, indicating that the contractile dysfunction of the transplanted heart is intrinsic to the myocytes. We tested the hypothesis that the contractile dysfunction of the rejecting heart is due to an NO-mediated inhibition of the L-type calcium current. Ventricular myocytes isolated from rejecting rat hearts (allografts) expressed inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and produced substantially more NO than did myocytes isolated from non-rejecting rat hearts (isografts). Aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of iNOS, reduced NO production by allograft myocytes, but was without effect on NO production by isograft myocytes. In the absence of exogenous l -arginine (the precursor of NO), the calcium current was identical in allograft and isograft myocytes. In the presence of l -arginine, the calcium current was reduced in allograft myocytes compared to isograft myocytes. Superfusion of the myocytes with either aminoguanidine or KT5823 (an inhibitor of the cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase) reversed the depression of the calcium current in allograft myocytes, but neither inhibitor had an effect on calcium current in isograft myocytes. These results indicate that increased production of NO by myocytes isolated from rejecting hearts leads to a reduction in the calcium current. This mechanism may contribute substantially to the contractile dysfunction of rejecting transplanted hearts.
Large glass inclusions in plagioclase phenocrysts and their bearing on the origin of mixed andesitic lavas at Tolimán volcano, Guatemala

Irregularly shaped, large and clear (“LAC”) glass inclusions are present in plagioclase phenocrysts in several andesitic lavas erupted from Toliman volcano, Guatemala. Their morphology is different from densely spaced, fine-grained glass inclusions that form concentric zones in dusty or cellular textured plagioclase phenocrysts. The large size of LAC inclusions make them suitable for microprobe analysis and average bulk compositions are presented for glasses in 30 phenocrysts from eight lava samples. Their compositions are rhyolitic and in disequilibrium, or “out-range” (Anderson 1976) with respect to whole-rock and groundmass glass compositions. LAC inclusions typically occur in large, tabular plagioclase phenocrysts with relatively uniform, sodic compositions (An 40–54). Compositions of feldspar phenocrysts not containing LAC inclusions range from An 41 to An 81. Petrographic and chemical data support a primary origin for LAC glasses, suggest mixing of mafic and silicic magmas, and also constrain a mechanism for magma mixing. Rapid growth of plagioclase and entrapment of LAC glass occurs during mixing in a vapor-rich silicic liquid under low degrees of undercooling. These conditions are possibly produced in a high-level magma body such as that envisioned by Huppert et al. (1982), where replenishment and subsequent crystallization of a hydrous magma induces density instability and mixing with the resident magma.
Preface to the viewpoint set on: nanostructured permanent magnets☆

The present viewpoint set is on development of nanocomposite permanent magnets. A persistent theme is that such materials are inherently multiphase and interdispersed on the nanoscale, and that major improvements are indeed possible and accessible.
UV-Induced Degradation Rates of 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene (TATB)

We report a 2.5-year study of the photolytic degradation of 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) with variations in temperature, humidity, and illumination by fluorescent and UV light (254, 312, and 365 nm). The free-radical decomposition product was monitored with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The EPR spectrum of the green powder allowed reliable quantitation with a single peak (fwhm = 29.1 G). The variations in humidity showed little effect in accelerating the degradation of TATB. The only significant temperature effect was noticed at −10 °C, where fewer radicals formed. The radical production rates at −10 °C were some of the highest measured, however, suggesting that the rates under other temperature conditions had slowed, perhaps as a result of extensive conversion of surface molecules to radical species. We show that a substantial amount of radicals can be generated with UV light, and work is ongoing to modify our EPR spectrometer so that TATB can be irradiated in the EPR cavity to me...
Pinhole Camera For Viewing Electron Beam Materials Processing

A very rugged, compact (4x4x10 inches), gas purged "PINHOLE CAMERA" has been developed for viewing electron beam materials processing (e.g. melting or vaporizing metal). The video image is computer processed, providing dimensional and temperature measurements of objects within the field of view, using an IBM PC. The "pinhole camera" concept is similar to a TRW optics system for viewing into a coal combustor through a 2 mm hole. Gas is purged through the hole to repel particulates from optical surfaces. In our system light from the molten metal passes through the 2 mm hole "PINHOLE", reflects off an aluminum coated glass substrate and passes through a window into a vacuum tight container holding the camera and optics at atmospheric pressure. The mirror filters out X rays which pass through the AL layer and are absorbed in the glass mirror substrate. Since metallic coatings are usually reflective, the image quality is not severely degraded by small amounts of vapor that overcome the gas purge to reach the mirror. Coating thicknesses of up to 2 microns can be tolerated. The mirror is the only element needing occasional servicing. We used a telescope eyepiece as a convenient optical design, but with the traditional optical path reversed. The eyepiece images a scene through a small entrance aperture onto an image plane where a CCD camera is placed. Since the iris of the eyepiece is fixed and the scene intensity varies it was necessary to employ a variable neutral density filter for brightness control. Devices used for this purpose include PLZT light valve from Motorola, mechanically rotated linear polarizer sheets, and nematic liquid crystal light valves. These were placed after the mirror and entrance aperture but before the lens to operate as a voltage variable neutral density filter. The molten metal surface temp being viewed varies from 4000 to 1200 degrees Kelvin. The resultant intensity change (at 488 nm with 10 nm bandwidth) is seven orders of magnitude. This surface intensity variation is contrast reduced if the observation wavelength is a narrow band as far red as high intensity blooming will allow an observable picture. A three eyepiece camera allows an image plane where photo gray glass functions as a neutral density filter only over the high intensity portion of the image, thus reducing blooming. This system is enclosed in a water-cooled housing which can dissipate 15 watts/cm 2 , keeping the camera below 40 degrees Celsius. Single frames of video output are acquired for feature enhancement and location by a Data Translation DT2803 image processing board housed in an IBM PC.
The Effects of Arsenic Trioxide on DNA Synthesis and Genotoxicity in Human Colon Cancer Cells

Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Recent studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that arsenic trioxide is cytotoxic in human colon cancer (HT-29), lung (A549) and breast (MCF-7) carcinoma cells. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of arsenic trioxide on DNA synthesis and the possible genotoxic effects on human colon cancer cells. HT-29 cells were cultured according to standard protocol, followed by exposure to various doses (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 μg/mL) of arsenic trioxide for 24 h. The proliferative response (DNA synthesis) to arsenic trioxide was assessed by [3H]thymidine incorporation. The genotoxic effects of arsenic-induced DNA damage in a human colon cancer cell line was evaluated by the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis. Results indicated that arsenic trioxide affected DNA synthesis in HT-29 cells in a biphasic manner; showing a slight but not significant increase in cell proliferation at lower levels of exposure (2, 4 and 6 µg/mL) followed by a significant inhibition of cell proliferation at higher doses (i.e., 8 and 10 µg/mL). The study also confirmed that arsenic trioxide exposure caused genotoxicity as revealed by the significant increase in DNA damage, comet tail-lengths, and tail moment when compared to non-exposed cells. Results of the [3H]thymidine incorporation assay and comet assay revealed that exposure to arsenic trioxide affected DNA synthesis and exhibited genotoxic effects in human colon cancer cells.
Role of angiotensin in the dipsogenic effect of bradykinin in rats.

We have previously shown that peripheral administration of bradykinin (BK) induces water intake in rats acutely pretreated with captopril, a kininase II inhibitor. We now show that BK-induced drinking is also observed in rats treated chronically with dietary captopril, and that this is reversed by Hoe 140, a BK receptor antagonist. Both acute and chronic captopril in combination with BK caused a large increase in plasma renin activity. Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-ir: used as a marker of cellular activation) was induced by BK + captopril in regions of the brain previously associated with action of angiotensin (Ang) II, including the circumventricular organs and the magnocellular hypothalamic nuclei. However, while water intake induced by peripheral administration of Ang I was potentiated by acute administration of captopril, it was suppressed by chronic captopril treatment. Fos-IR induced in brain by Ang I was not markedly affected by either acute or chronic treatment with captopril. The simultaneous occurrence of potentiated drinking to BK and inhibited drinking to Ang I following chronic treatment with captopril suggest that different mechanisms of action are involved. In order to further examine this possibility, rats were given lesions of the anterodorsal third ventricle region. Lesions that completely abolished the water intake following administration of Ang II only partly attenuated water intake induced by BK + captopril. Further, Fos-IR induced by BK + captopril was only partly (31%) reduced in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of lesioned rats compared with sham operated controls. We suggest that at least two mechanisms, one Ang-related, underlie drinking after BK + captopril.
A politician: Old style

Author of “Boss Rule” sketches portrait of Honest Tom McIntyre–the Abe Lincoln of his organisation–who carved a “career” out of politics.
Self-testing/correcting with applications to numerical problems

Suppose someone gives us an extremely cast program P that we can call as a black box to compute a function f. Should we trust that P works correctly? A self-testing/correcting pair for f allows us to: (1) estimate the probability that P(x) ¬= f(x) when x is randomly chosen; (2) on any input x, compute f(x) correctly as long as P is not too faulty on average. Furthermore, both (1) and (2) take time only slightly more than the original running time of P. We present general techniques for constructing simple to program self-testing/correcting pairs for a variety of numerical functions, including integer multiplication, modular multiplication, matrix multiplication, inverting matrices, computing the determinant of a matrix, computing the rank of a matrix, integer division, modular exponentiation, and polynomial multiplication
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Testing: Changing Testicular Response in Infants With Microphallus and Gonadotropin Deficiency

• The evaluation of microphallus often includes human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) stimulation to evaluate testicular androgen production. The response in testosterone secretion after five days of stimulation with chorionic gonadotropin is abnormal in patients with either primary testicular defects or gonadotropin deficiency. The testes of gonadotropin-deficient children do respond if the chorionic gonadotropin therapy is continued for six weeks. The current study reports a normal response to the short course (five days) of chorionic gonadotropin therapy in two 2-month-old patients with XY chromosomes with microphallus whose clinical course and repeated testing at age 3 or 4 years indicated gonadotropin deficiency. The normal response in the neonatal period is probably the result of maternal chorionic gonadotropin priming of the fetal testes in utero. These results indicate that HCG testing is an unreliable method for identifying gonadotropin deficiency in the neonatal period. ( AJDC 1984;138:181-182)
Brachytherapy in the treatment of solitary colorectal metastases to the liver

It is well-established that 30–40% of patients with solitary liver metastases from primary colorectal tumors can be cured by resection. Conventional radiation therapy has had only a palliative role in treating liver metastases because the dose that the liver will tolerate is far below a tumoricidal dose. In contrast, brachytherapy allows one to deliver a tumoricidal dose to the tumor while limiting the dose to surrounding normal tissue to the tolerance dose. As a pilot study, 125I seeds were implanted into unresectable hepatic metastases, or positive margins of resection, at the time of surgery. This report concerns six patients whose liver lesions were the only known site of disease and in whom precipitous drops in carcinembryonic antigen (CEA) levels followed the implants. Recurrence was observed in only one of the 11 implanted sites, with a median follow-up of 12 months.
A physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model of squalene-containing adjuvant in human vaccines

Squalene is used in the oil phase of certain emulsion vaccine adjuvants, but its fate as a vaccine component following intramuscular (IM) injection in humans is unknown. In this study, we constructed a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for intramuscularly injected squalene-in-water (SQ/W) emulsion, in order to make a quantitative estimation of the tissue distribution of squalene following a single IM injection in humans. The PBPK model incorporates relevant physicochemical properties of squalene; estimates of the time course of cracking of a SQ/W emulsion; anatomical and physiological parameters at the injection site and beyond; and local, preferential lymphatic transport. The model predicts that a single dose of SQ/W emulsion will be removed from human deltoid muscle within six days following IM injection. The major proportion of the injected squalene will be distributed to draining lymph nodes and adipose tissues. The model indicates slow decay from the latter compartment most likely due to partitioning into neutral lipids and a low rate of squalene biotransformation there. Parallel pharmacokinetic modeling for mouse muscle suggests that the kinetics of SQ/W emulsion correspond to the immunodynamic time course of a commercial squalene-containing adjuvant reported in that species. In conclusion, this study makes important pharmacokinetic predictions of the fate of a squalene-containing emulsion in humans. The results of this study may be relevant for understanding the immunodynamics of this new class of vaccine adjuvants and may be useful in future quantitative risk analyses that incorporate mode-of-action data.
Villus length influences habitat selection by Heligmosomoides polygyrus

Heligmosomoides polygyrus is a gastrointestinal nematode whose adult distribution is restricted to the duodenal region in the small intestine of the mouse. This study tests the hypothesis that the habitat of these parasitic worms is influenced by fixed (architectural) cues in the small intestine of the vertebrate host, and that H. polygyrus adults will select microhabitats containing the longest villi. H polygyrus adults attach by coiling around the villi, and longer villi may provide greater attachment resources. In addition, these parasites feed on the epithelial cells covering the villi and thus, longer villi may also provide more food resources. Using histological methods, this study identified a gradient of villus length in the small intestine of the mouse where the longest villi were found in the duodenum and shortest in the ileum. Several non-surgical and surgical treatments were used to differentially alter the overall lengths of the villi. These treatments produced a significant negative correlation between villus length and worm distribution, with the worms selecting regions with the relatively longest villi in the small intestine. Attachment and feeding sites are crucial resources for this parasite, and these data suggest that villus length may be a reliable indicator of resource quality, and that decisions on habitat suitability by H. polygyrus adults may depend on this single, topological variable.
Guanylyl Cyclase/Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Receptor-A: Role in the Pathophysiology of Cardiovascular Regulation

Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), also known as atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), is an endogenous and potent hypotensive hormone that elicits natriuretic, diuretic, vasorelaxant, and anti-prolifera...
Na+,K+-ATPase enzyme units in skeletal muscle and liver of 14-day-old lean and obese (ob/ob) mice.

SummaryThe number of Na+, K+-ATPase enzyme (EC 3.6.1.3) units in skeletal muscle and liver of 14-day-old lean and obese (ob/ob) mice was assayed from the concentration of high-affinity [3H]ouabain-binding sites in the tissue preparations. The number of [3H]ouabain-binding sites in forelimb and hindlimb muscles of obese mice was 28% lower than in lean littermates. In contrast, livers of lean and obese mice possessed equal numbers of [3H]ouabain-binding sites. The lower number of Na+,K+-ATPase enzyme units observed in skeletal muscle of the 14-day-old obese mice represents one of the earliest reported developmental alterations in an enzyme system in these mice and may be associated with the lower energy expenditure of young obese mice.
Stochastic Methods for Flow in Porous Media, Coping With Uncertainties

Flow of water in sub-surface geologic environments takes place through an array of interconnected pore spaces, the spatial distribution of which eludes us. The presence of complex variations in water pathways and geologic characteristics produces large spatio-temporal fluctuations in the values of the variables describing water flow and/or transport of contaminants. The situation is accentuated by the small number of measurements that are usually available in groundwater studies, the dependence of parameter values onto instruments' resolution, measurement and interpretation errors during sampling procedures, and model uncertainties in the description of a hydrologic system. Traditionally analyses of groundwater problems relied on solution of partial differential equations that required precise definition of parameters, water sources or sinks, and conditions at the boundaries of the hydrogeologic system. However, and in addition to the hydrogeologic parameters' variation, one typically has to estimate water inputs or outputs to aquifers from agricultural activities, leakage from lagoons, lakes, or other sources of surficial water in an area, and to a large extent hypothesize the hydraulic conditions at the boundaries of aquifers. This combination of spatio-temporal variation, measurement error, and uncertainty has led in the last 30 years to the development of stochastic sub-surface hydrology.