cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unusual accelerated molecular relaxations of a tin fluorophosphate glass/polyamide 6 hybrid studied by broadband dielectric spectroscopy

Abstract Phosphate glass (Pglass)/polymer hybrids are a relatively new class of materials that combine the advantages of classical polymer blends and composites without their disadvantages. In the case of highly interacting Pglass/polymer (i.e., polyamide 6) hybrids, counter-intuitive properties that are difficult to explain are often observed. To shed light into the origins of the special behavior of the hybrids, we investigated the molecular relaxation processes in the hybrids using broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The dielectric loss spectra were fitted with the Havriliak–Negami equation and the characteristic relaxation times of the hybrid and the pure components were observed. The temperature dependence of the characteristic relaxation times was described using either the Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann, for the α-relaxations, or an Arrhenius type equation, for the β- and γ-relaxations. The addition of Pglass greatly accelerated both the α- and β-relaxations of the polyamide 6. However, the γ-relaxation was found to be independent of Pglass composition. This suggests partial miscibility in the solid state, which was confirmed via NMR spectroscopy. The unexpected dramatic change in the β-relaxation process in the 10 vol.% Pglass hybrid suggests that blending can change the local environment of polyamide 6 due to the nanoscale morphology of this system as confirmed by TEM and NMR. It is thought that the fraction of miscible Pglass disrupts the hydrogen bonding between polyamide 6 chains and thereby reduces coordinated, multiple chain motion. In turn, this produces a plasticization effect and possible modification of the polyamide 6's crystalline structure in the Pglass/polyamide 6 hybrids.
Regioselective hydroxylactonization of γ, δ-unsaturated carboxylic acids with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by methyltrioxorhenium

Abstract The oxidation of unsaturated carboxylic acids and esters to lactones with hydrogen peroxide is catalyzed by methyltrioxorhenium (MTO). The reaction proceeds regioselectively in high yield. On the basis of the results of this investigation and a comparison with previous work, a concerted process and mechanism have been suggested.
Enzyme patterns in D. melanogaster imaginal discs: distribution of glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase.

Distribution of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and 6-phospho-gluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) in imaginal discs of Drosophila melanogaster was determined. Differential patterns of staining were found in all discs examined, i.e., eye-antennal, wing, leg, labial and genital. By using null mutants for either G6PD or 6PGD, the enzymes were shown to have the same distribution patterns. Staining with glucose-6-phosphate as a substrate resulted in the detection of both G6PD and 6PGD. Results of staining discs from homoeotic mutants indicate that the enzyme distribution patterns are under genetic control. In the presence of the homoeotic engrailed (en) mutation which transforms posterior wing compartment into anterior, the G6PD pattern of the posterior compartment of the wing disc was specifically transformed toward that of the anterior compartment. The bithorax series of homoeotic mutants was similarly investigated. The bithorax (bx3) mutation transforms the anterior part of the haltere to anterior wing blade. Similarly the G6PD pattern in the anterior haltere disc transforms to that of anterior wing disc. The complimentary transformation, postbithorax (pbx) results in a change of the posterior part of the haltere to posterior wing, which is likewise reflected in an altered staining pattern for G6PD in the posterior portion of the haltere disc. The combination of the bx3 and pbx resulted in a staining pattern of the haltere disc virtually indistinguishable from the normal wing disc.
Floral determination in the terminal and axillary buds of Nicotiana tabacum L

Abstract The terminal and axillary buds of the day-neutral plant, Nicotiana tabacum cv. Wisconsin 38, become determined for floral development during the growth of the plant. This state of determination can be demonstrated with a simple experiment: buds determined for floral development produce the same number of nodes in situ and if rooted. After several months of growth and the production of many leaves, the terminal bud became determined for floral development within a period of about 2 days. After the terminal bud became florally determined, it produced four nodes and a terminal flower. The buds located in the axils of leaves borne just below the floral branches became florally determined 5 to 9 days after the terminal bud became florally determined. Since florally-determined axillary buds were not clonally derived from a florally-determined terminal meristem, axillary buds and the terminal bud acquired the state of floral determination independently. These data indicate that a pervasive signal induced a state of floral determination in competent terminal and axillary buds.
7-Nitroindazole and methylene blue, inhibitors of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and NO-stimulated guanylate cyclase, block MK-801-elicited behaviors in mice

We examined the abilities of 7-nitroindazole and methylene blue, inhibitors of the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and nitric oxide-stimulated guanylate cyclase activity respectively, to attenuate explosive episodic jumping behavior(s) ("popping") elicited by MK-801 in mice. MK-801, like phencyclidine (PCP), is a high-affinity, noncompetitive antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptor. We have postulated that MK-801-elicited popping behavior in mice represents an animal model of schizophrenia, because popping behavior is markedly inhibited/antagonized by both typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs. In the present study, popping behavior induced by MK-801 was measured using an automated detection system that quantifies vertical displacements on the testing platform. 7-Nitroindazole (100 mg/kg) and methylene blue (32 and 100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the number and force of MK-801-elicited popping behavior. Mouse rotorod performance did not differ between animals receiving 7-nitroindazole, methylene blue, or their respective vehicles, suggesting that attenuation of MK-801-elicited popping behavior was not due to either sedation or ataxia caused by 7-nitroindazole or methylene blue. Our findings suggest that nitric oxide may, in part, mediate behaviors induced by NMDA receptor antagonists, like MK-801, and that inhibitors of NOS may have antipsychotic actions.
Effects of thermal regime on ovarian maturation and plasma sex steroids in farmed white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus

Abstract Recently, commercial aquaculture farms in Northern California have exposed gravid, cultured white sturgeon females to cold water (12±1°C) throughout the late phase of vitellogenesis and ovarian follicle maturation resulting in improved ovulation rates and egg quality. However, the optimum timing for transfer of broodfish to the cold water and the capacity of transferred broodfish to maintain reproductive competence over an extended time in cold water had not been evaluated. Gravid white sturgeon females that have been raised at water temperatures of 16–20°C were transported to either cold water (12±1°C; Group 1) in November 1997 or maintained in ambient water temperatures (10–19°C; Group 2) until early spring. In March 1998, half of the fish in Group 2 had regressed ovaries, but the remaining females had intact ovarian follicles and were transported to the cold water. Ovarian follicles and blood were collected from females until they reached the stage of spawning readiness (determined by germinal vesicle position and an oocyte maturation assay) or underwent ovarian regression. Exposure of gravid sturgeon females to ambient water temperatures (14.5±2.3°C, mean±S.D.) from October to March led to a decrease in plasma sex steroids and a high incidence of ovarian regression in fish with a more advanced stage of oocyte development. Transfer of females with intact ovarian follicles to cold water (12±1°C) in the fall or early spring resulted in normal ovarian development in the majority of females. Holding females in cold water does not seem to override their endogenous reproductive rhythms but extends their capacity to maintain oocyte maturational competence over a longer period of time. A temperature-sensitive phase in ovarian development may occur during the transition from vitellogenic growth to oocyte maturation, and the degree and timing of sensitivity to environmental temperature are dependent on the female's endogenous reproductive rhythm.
Indirect Taxes and Relative Prices: Comment

The relative merits of various forms of sales taxation have been reconsidered in a recent article in this Journal by Ann Friedlaender, who concludes that the only economically neutral type of sales tax is the value added tax (TVA) carried through the retail level, because only this form of sales tax leaves relative retail prices unaltered.' Accordingly the TVA is superior to a retail sales tax and other forms of sales taxation. Unfortunately the rigor with which Mrs. Friedlaender has reviewed the literature in the field is much less than that of her use of the simplified input-output technique to develop her conclusions, and her transition from analysis to policy is based on implicit assumptions of doubtful applicability. Mrs. Friedlaender maintains that traditional analysis attributed the nonneutrality of wholesale and manufacturers sales taxes to pyramiding in noncompetitive markets and implied that the taxes would be neutral in a perfectly competitive world.2 This argument is without foundation. One of the earliest published studies of the question, that of the United States Treasury in 1943, in no way relates distortion to pyramiding.3 My study of the Canadian manufacturers sales tax in 1951 attributes the distorting effects of this form of tax to the widely varying wholesale and retail margins (equivalent to differences in labor costs in Mrs. Friedlaender's simplified model).4 In Sales Taxation, to which Mrs. Friedlaender refers, the statement is very specific: "To the extent that the (manufacturers sales) tax does not pyramid, the ratio of tax-induced price increases to consumer expenditures on various goods will vary inversely with the size of the distributors' margins." 5 Furthermore, the principle that taxation of purchases for business use destroys the neutrality of a sales tax is not novel. This principle has long been
Characterization of synaptophysin and G proteins in synaptic vesicles and plasma membrane ofAplysia californica

Two components of synaptic terminals that may be involved in transmitter release are synaptophysin (p38) and G proteins. In order to study release mechanisms inAplysia californica we have prepared subcellular fractions from nervous tissue to characterize and localize these components. We identifyAplysia synaptophysin by Western blot analysis with monoclonal antibody SY38, find that it is enriched in synaptic vesicles, and, using immunocytochemistry, show that it is localized to neuropil. These characteristics indicate thatAplysia synaptophysin is closely related to mammalian synaptophysin; it appears to be much smaller, however, having a mass of 28 kDa instead of 38 kDa. We previously determined that G protein subunits inAplysia are enriched in neuropil and synaptosomes. We now show that within the synaptic terminal the pertussis toxin-sensitive α-subunit are associated with plasma membrane using [3P]ADP-ribosylation and Western blotting with G protein-specific antibodies.
Stable Carbon Isotopes in the Dissolved Organic Matter of the Sea

THERE have been several recent investigations concerned with 13C/12C ratios in marine phyto and zooplankters, with metabolic fractionation of these isotopes in laboratory phytoplankton cultures, and with the carbon isotopic composition of the biochemical constituents of oceanic plankton1–5. As far as I know, this is the first report on determinations of the 13C/12C ratios in the dissolved organic matter in the sea.
Vertical, meridional, seasonal, and local time dependence of non-LTE effects in stratospheric NO and implications for infrared remote sensing

Calculations have been carried out on possible nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) effects previously suggested for stratospheric nitric oxide (NO) associated with the direct photochemical production of vibrationally excited NO by the processes NO2 + hv yields NO(v) + O and O + NO2 yields NO(v) + O2. The calculations, which make use of improved calculations of the NO vibrational state distribution from NO2 photolysis, are carried out as a function of altitude and latitude for a variety of seasons and local times. Non-LTE effects on the order of 30 percent for v = 1 are obtained, maximizing in the middle stratosphere over the equator. The results of the calculations suggest that incorporation of the non-LTE effect into the retrieval algorithm for NO from infrared thermal emission measuring instruments on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite will need to be done carefully if correct distributions and variations of NO with altitude, latitude, season, and local time are to be obtained.
Factors influencing the dietary adequacy and energy intake of older Americans

Abstract The impact of sociodemographic, health-related, and behavioral variables on the dietary adequacy of the younger old (65 to 84 years, N = 2496) and oldest old (85 years and older, N = 159) was investigated using data from the Nationwide Food Consumption Survey 1977–78. The percent of individuals with poor diets (defined as mean three-day intake below 67% of the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances for at least five of the nine nutrients examined) was greater for women (18%) than for men (13%) and for the oldest old (21%) than for the younger old (16%). Better diet quality was associated both with increased quantity and with increased nutrient density of diets. Multivariate analyses identified two factors of importance for nutrient quality for both the younger and oldest old: mean energy intake and percent of calories from ready-to-eat cereal. Positive predictors of energy intake for both age groups included: number of meals, percent of calories from snacks, and money per person spent on food by the household. These results suggest that nutritional guidance for older Americans should focus on maintenance of adequate (but not excessive) energy intakes by consuming three meals a day plus snacks. Selection of foods of high nutrient density, such as fortified ready-to-eat cereals, should be emphasized, particularly when energy intakes are low. Nutrition programs should target individuals at risk of low food intakes: women, the oldest old, and persons in poor health, on weight-loss diets, or with inadequate money for food.
A Randomized Single-Blind Pilot Study of Compensatory Strategies in Schizophrenia Outpatients

In a previous study, we found that cognitive adaptation training (CAT)--a manual-driven program of environmental supports designed to bypass cognitive deficits--improved multiple domains of outcome in schizophrenia patients recently discharged from a State psychiatric facility. The present study examined the efficacy of CAT in a sample of patients who had been in the community at least 3 months. Forty-five medicated schizophrenia patients were randomly assigned for 9 months to one of three conditions: (1) CAT, (2) a condition that controlled for therapist time and provided environmental changes unrelated to cognitive deficits, or (3) follow-up only. Comprehensive assessments were conducted every 3 months by blinded raters. Results of repeated measures analyses of covariance for mixed models indicated that patients participating in CAT had better adaptive function and quality of life, and fewer positive symptoms than those in the two non-CAT conditions. Results indicate that compensatory strategies may improve various outcomes in schizophrenia outpatients.
2-Aminopurine as a real-time probe of enzymatic cleavage and inhibition of hammerhead ribozymes.

Abstract The design, synthesis and study of internally fluorescent hammerhead (HH) ribozymes, where changes in fluorescence parameters directly reflect the progress of the ribozyme's cleavage chemistry, are described. The approach relies on a HH substrate modified at position 1.1, proximal to the cleavage site, with 2-aminopurine (2AP), an intensely fluorescent adenosine isoster. The incorporation of 2AP, an unnatural nucleoside, does not interfere with the ribozyme folding and catalysis. Since 2AP is highly sensitive to environmental changes, its fluorescence is dramatically altered upon ribozyme-mediated cleavage of the substrate. This generates a measurable signal that directly reflects the progress of the ribozyme's reaction in real time. Identical pseudo first order rate constants are obtained for HH constructs using both continuous fluorescence monitoring and radioactive labeling. This rapid and real-time monitoring facilitates the study of ribozyme activity under different conditions (e.g., ionic strength, pH, etc.), and provides a useful assay to rapidly screen potential inhibitors. Three hitherto unknown HH inhibitors are presented and compared to neomycin B and chlortetracycline, two previously studied HH inhibitors. All three new small molecules, neo-acridine, guanidino-neomycin B, and [Δ-(Eilatin)Ru(bpy) 2 ] 2+ , prove to be better inhibitors than neomycin B or chlortetracycline. Investigating HH inhibition under different ionic strengths reveals that the binding of neo-acridine, [Δ-(Eilatin)Ru(bpy) 2 ] 2+ , and chlortetracycline to the HH involves hydrophobic interactions as their RNA affinities are largely unaffected by increasing salt concentrations. In contrast, neomycin B loses more than 50-fold of its inhibitory ability as the NaCl concentration is increased from 50 to 500 mM.
Relationship between the ovine fetal umbilical artery blood flow waveform and umbilical vascular resistance.

Ultrasonic umbilical artery blood flow velocity waveform indexes decrease throughout gestation as umbilical blood flow increases. However, it is not known whether the decrease in indexes such as systolic/diastolic ratio is a direct result of a change in umbilical vascular resistance. Umbilical artery blood flow was measured as vasoactive agents angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, norepinephrine, serotonin, and the thromboxane AZ sympathomimetic agent U-46619 were infused into the inferior vena cava of chronically instrumented ovine fetuses. Angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, norepinephrine, serotonin, and U-46619 all significantly increased fetal arterial pressure levels. Angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, and U-46619 significantly reduced umbilical blood flow and fetal heart rate. All five pressor agents increased umbilical vascular resistance. Systolic/diastolic ratios were obtained from pulsatile umbilical blood flow tracings. Systolic/diastolic ratios before infusions were significantly correlated with baseline values of umbilical blood flow ( r = -0.55) and umbilical vascular resistance ( r = 0.52). Systolic/diastolic ratios decreased with increasing infusion rates of angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, norepinephrine, and serotonin, and increased with infusion of U-46619. There was no significant correlation between systolic/ diastolic ratio and either umbilical blood flow or umbilical vascular resistance during infusion of angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, or serotonin. Systolic/diastolic ratio decreased with increasing umbilical vascular resistance during norepinephrine infusion ( r = -0.44). Systolic/diastolic ratio changed in the predicted direction only when umbilical vascular resistance was increased by infusion of U-46619 ( r = 0.80). We conclude that umbilical artery waveform analysis is not an adequate predictor of acute changes in umbilical blood flow or vascular resistance.
Cancellation of 1 / m Q corrections to the inclusive decay width of a heavy quark

We consider the infrared sensitivity of the inclusive heavy quark decay width in perturbation theory. It is shown by explicit calculations to the second loop order (when the non-Abelian nature of the QCD interactions first become apparent) that all infrared sensitive terms to logarithmic and linear accuracy cancel when the decay width is expressed in terms of the short distance mass. This in turn implies the absense of any nonperturbative ${1/m}_{Q}$ power corrections to the decay width. The cancellation is shown algebraically at the level of the Feynman integrands without any use of an explicit infrared cutoff. This result is in accordance with the implications of the KLN theorem.
A molecular and phylogenetic analysis of the structure and specificity of Alnus rubra ectomycorrhizal assemblages

Abstract Ectomycorrhizal (EM) assemblages associated with Alnus spp. are often distinct in composition and richness from other host plants. To examine the EM assemblage associated with A. rubra, a common tree in western coastal North America, we sampled four A. rubra forests varying in age, management history, and geographic location in Oregon, USA. From the 364 EM root tip rDNA ITS sequences, we found a total of 14 EM taxa. The five most abundant taxa, Tomentella sp. 3, Alnicola escharoides, Tomentella sp. 1, Lactarius cf. obscuratus, and Alpova diplophloeus, represented 80 % of the samples and were present at all four sites. Assemblage structure differed significantly among young managed sites and older unmanaged sites but not by geographic location. The younger managed sites had higher tree density, Frankia frequency, and soil nitrogen than older unmanaged sites. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Alnus-associated EM congeners were not closely related, indicating the distinct nature of Alnus EM assemblages is not due to a unique co-evolutionary history.
Circuit analysis justifies a reduced Mead's model of the human respiratory impedance for impulse oscillometry data

Recent attempts at estimating the parameters for respiratory impedance models from data obtained by Impulse Oscillometry (IOS) have come across difficulties when using the well-established Mead's model of human respiratory impedance. Unconstrained optimization of this model often yields values of chest wall compliance (C W ) and lung compliance (C l ) too large to be physiologically feasible. We hypothesize that IOS volume displacements are inconsequential to the lung tissue and chest wall due to the small contributions of these displacements relative to lung capacity. In order to explore the validity of this hypothesis we performed a detailed analysis of Mead's impedance model. The IOS input flow signal was approximated by using a combination of typical waveforms, this signal was then used to excite Mead's electrical circuit model of the respiratory impedance with physiologically realistic parameter values estimated using data obtained from one normal adult, ten adult patients with Cystic Fibrosis, ten patients with Asthma and ten normal children, with focus on normal adult data. Pressure waveforms, energy and integrated pressure values were then obtained and compared at different points of interest in the model. This investigation suggests that the pressures “felt” by the lung tissue and chest wall are too small to have a noticeable effect on them therefore making those particular circuit elements unnecessary when the respiratory system is subject to small displacement volumes such as those used in Impulse Oscillometry. Furthermore, we believe that the very large parameter values often obtained with unconstrained optimization of Mead's model are evidence that C l and C w could be “shorted-out” when modeling IOS data.
Plural marriage and fertility differentials: a study of the Yoruba of Western Nigeria.

This study employs multiple classification and regression techniques to show how matrimonial, socio-demographic variables and duration of post-partum sexual abstinence influence fertility. A distinction is made between type of marriage and the position a woman occupies in a hierarchically-ordered polygynous union in explaining fertility among a sample of 300 Yoruba women of Western Nigeria. Among all the variables considered, age, place of residence, and age at first marriage appeared to be significantly related to individual fertility. No significant variation in the post-partum variables and fertility between monogamous and polygynous women emerged, neither was domestic hierarchy found to play any major role in childbearing and abstinence practices of our sample of Yoruba women. The effect of contraception on the post-partum variables appeared to be a function of socioeconomic status. The findings imply that: 1) social change may have altered the older connection between polygyny, abstinence and fertili...
Note: The MBA Curriculum: A Different View

The article by Windsor and Tuggle [Windsor, D., F. D. Tuggle. 1982. Redesigning the MBA curriculum. Interfaces124, August 72--77.] in the August issues is an interesting statement of what is “wrong” with MBA programs and describes Rice University's solution. The article is flawed because the authors ignore some of the major criticisms leveled at MBA programs. Their major omission is a failure to respond to the widespread comments about the “glut” of MBAs. Such comments imply criticism since, if MBAs were properly trained and motivated, comments would note an increased white colar productivity and a marked improvement in the competence and capability of our managerial cadre.
Making a Traditional Study-Abroad Program Geographic: A Theoretically Informed Regional Approach.

Abstract Geographers have been active in numerous focused study-abroad programs, but few have created or led language-based programs overseas. This article describes the development of a Spanish language program in Ecuador and how it was made geographic primarily through a theoretically informed regional geography course. The approach employs theoretical and conceptual approaches from geography and cognate fields in order to understand the landscapes and livelihoods of a given place. The article provides examples of historic landscapes, landscapes of production, and migrant landscapes. The examples demonstrate the origin of material landscape features, how landscapes are processes integral to society and the economy at multiple scales, and the labor and capital that are used to create landscapes. Geographers have much to contribute to language-based programs and incorporating landscape interpretation is a particularly useful approach.
Elevated cytosolic calcium and impaired proliferation of B lymphocytes in type II diabetes mellitus

Patients with diabetes mellitus have increased susceptibility to infection attributable, at least in part, to defective function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) and B cells. Certain data suggest that cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) is elevated in various cells in diabetes, and high [Ca2+]i adversely affects cell function. Indeed, the [Ca2+]i of PMNLs of diabetic patients is elevated, and phagocytosis of the PMNLs is impaired. The current study examines whether the [Ca2+]i of B cells is also elevated in diabetes and whether this derangement impairs B cell function. We studied 32 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and eight normal subjects. All patients had hyperglycemia (11.6 +/- 0.80 mmol/L) and elevated HbA1c (13.2% +/- 0.99%). The basal levels of [Ca2+]i of the B cells (113 +/- 3.3 nmol/L) were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than the values in normal subjects (85 +/- 1.7 nmol/L). There was a direct and significant correlation (r = 0.88; P < 0.01) between the [Ca2+]i of B cells and the blood levels of glucose. Proliferation of B cells in response to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) was significantly impaired in these patients (7.3 +/- 0.48 x 10(3) cpm v 12.5 +/- 0.61 x 10(3) cpm in normal subjects). Normalization of blood glucose with the hypoglycemic agents, glyburide, was associated with the return of both [Ca2+]i of B cells and their proliferation in response to SAC to normal. The results show that hyperglycemia in type II diabetes mellitus is associated with a significant increase in [Ca2+]i of B cells and with a decrease in their proliferation in response to mitogen. These derangements are reversed after the correction of the hyperglycemia. The data of the current study and those previously reported in PMNLs provide for a new pathogenetic process underlying the dysfunction of these cells in diabetes mellitus.
Transform method for laser speckle strain-rate measurements in biological tissues and biomaterials

Laser speckle strain measurements in biological tissues and some synthetic biomaterials, such as translucent dental composites and ceramics, are often complicated by the physical properties of the materials. For example, speckles generated by illuminating soft biological tissue with laser light are subject to rapid decorrelation due to the Brownian movement of water and scattering particles in the tissues and to cellular motions. In addition, the penetration of the laser beam into the tissue or translucent biomaterial results in multiple scattering and a complete depolarization of the speckle field. This may complicate the evaluation of the strain field when a force is applied to the material because the speckle pattern shift is providing information from the surface of the material as well as from the bulk sample, where the strains may or may not be the same as on the surface. This paper presents a variation of a speckle processing scheme originally called the `Transform Method' for evaluating both surface and bulk strain rates and total strains in biological tissues and translucent biomaterials. The method is not a correlation-based technique, but instead relies upon 2D frequency transforms of time series of 1D speckle pattern records stacked into 2D arrays. The method is insensitive to speckle field depolarization and, compared to correlation-based techniques, is relatively insensitive to speckle decorrelation. Strain rates and total in-plane strains were measured in both hard (cortical bone) and soft (artery segments) biological tissues and in translucent biomaterials (dental ceramics). Potential applications to medical diagnostics and biomaterials science are also discussed.
Regulation of human bone marrow leucopoiesis.

Summary. The clonal growth of bone marrow in soft-gel culture is largely dependent on the presence of colony-stimulating factors (CSF). However, when human marrow is cultured in liquid medium with the in vitro diffusion chamber technique, proliferation and differentiation of granulocytes and mononuclear cells proceeds without a requirement for exogenously supplied CSF. The addition of highly active monocyte-conditioned medium to the liquid marrow cultures did not result in a measurable change in viable or differential cell counts. Similarly, when mono-cytes were co-cultivated with bone marrow in a double-chamber apparatus, no stimulation of marrow cell growth was observed. Colony-stimulating activity was identified in conditioned medium derived from the liquid marrow cultures, and the cultured marrow cells themselves stimulated colony formation when incorporated as feeder layers. Retention of marrow cell responsiveness to CSF in liquid culture was demonstrated by cloning the cultured marrow cells in agar at intervals up to 2 weeks. Evidence was obtained that bone marrow cells of the monocyte-macrophage line were primarily responsible for the elaboration of CSF in liquid culture. These data suggest a role for humoral interactions between haematopoietic cells within the marrow cavity.
X‐ray structure of Danio rerio secretagogin: A hexa‐EF‐hand calcium sensor

Many essential physiological processes are regulated by the modulation of calcium concentration in the cell. The EF-hand proteins represent a superfamily of calcium-binding proteins involved in calcium signaling and homeostasis. Secretagogin is a hexa-EF-hand protein that is highly expressed in pancreatic islet of Langerhans and neuroendocrine cells and may play a role in the trafficking of secretory granules. We present the X-ray structure of Danio rerio secretagogin, which is 73% identical to human secretagogin, in calcium-free form at 2.1-A resolution. Secretagogin consists of the three globular domains each of which contains a pair of EF-hand motifs. The domains are arranged into a V-shaped molecule with a distinct groove formed at the interface of the domains. Comparison of the secretagogin structure with the solution structure of calcium-loaded calbindin D28K revealed a striking difference in the spatial arrangement of their domains, which involves approximately a 180-degree rotation of the first globular domain with respect to the module formed by the remaining domains.
Are executive function and impulsivity antipodes? A conceptual reconstruction with special reference to addiction

Rationale Although there is considerable interest in how either executive function (EF) or impulsivity relate to addiction, there is little apparent overlap between these research areas.
Councils as Empowering Contexts: Mobilizing the Front Line to Foster Systems Change in the Response to Intimate Partner Violence

Collaborative approaches to change are common, and though evidence for their effectiveness is equivocal, there is growing support that councils facilitate desired changes in the systems response to intimate partner violence. Questions remain regarding the specific mechanisms by which this change is facilitated, and recent work has focused on examining the intermediate processes through which councils may produce more distal change. One such mechanism relates to the potential of councils to be empowering contexts for their membership, often comprised of front-line providers and responders. The present study examines what factors are positively related to perceived individual empowerment as an outcome for members, and importantly, considers not only perceived council context, but also the perceived organizational contexts in which each council member is employed. Study findings suggest that both contexts—council and organizational—are important when considering the degree to which members are empowered. Specifically, member participation, council leadership, and supportive council and organizational climates are significantly positively related to the degree to which councils function as empowering contexts. However, the effect of belonging to a council with a supportive climate, characterized in particular by shared power in decision-making, is stronger when members are from high organizational support settings versus low support settings.
Stabilization and tracking of feedback linearizable systems under input constraints

The problem of stabilization and trajectory tracking of feedback linearizable systems in the presence of input saturation is considered in this paper. The need to perform output tracking for nonlinear systems dictates the choice of feedback linearization in the authors' control design. Explicit characterization of the space of feasible trajectories that can be tracked using bounded inputs is provided.
Novel lipid mediators promote resolution of acute inflammation: impact of aspirin and statins

The resolution of acute inflammation is a process that allows for inflamed tissues to return to homeostasis. Resolution was held to be a passive process, a concept now overturned with new evidence demonstrating that resolution is actively orchestrated by distinct cellular events and endogenous chemical mediators. Among these, lipid mediators, such as the lipoxins, resolvins, protectins, and newly identified maresins, have emerged as a novel genus of potent and stereoselective players that counter-regulate excessive acute inflammation and stimulate molecular and cellular events that define resolution. Given that uncontrolled, chronic inflammation is associated with many cardiovascular pathologies, an appreciation of the endogenous pathways and mediators that control timely resolution can open new terrain for therapeutic approaches targeted at stimulating resolution of local inflammation, as well as correcting the impact of chronic inflammation in cardiovascular disorders. Here, we overview and update the biosynthesis and actions of proresolving lipid mediators, highlighting their diverse protective roles relevant to vascular systems and their relation to aspirin and statin therapies.
Remarkable enhancement of binding affinity of Heterocycle-modified DNA to DNA and RNA. Synthesis, characterization and biophysical evaluation of N2-imidazolylpropylguanine and N2-imidazolylpropyl-2-aminoadenine modified oligonucleotides

Abstract Oligonucleotides containing novel N2-Imidazolylpropylguanine and N2-Imidazolylpropyl-2-aminoadenine moieties were synthesized and studied for their hybridization and biophysical properties. Interestingly, these heterocycle modified oligonucleotides showed a remarkable enhancement of heteroduplex binding affinity when hybridized to complementary DNA.
Pyloric diaphragm in an adult.

A patient with a duodenal diaphragm presenting in adulthood is reported. Because of the pyloric position of the web, it did not cause a megaduodenum and was not visualized by X-ray. The patient was cured by direct excision of the diaphragm and a pyloroplasty.
PROCESSING COST ANALYSIS FOR BIOMASS FEEDSTOCKS

The receiving, handling, storing, and processing of woody biomass feedstocks is an overlooked component of biopower systems. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to identify and characterize all the receiving, handling, storing, and processing steps required to make woody biomass feedstocks suitable for use in direct combustion and gasification applications, including small modular biopower (SMB) systems, and (2) to estimate the capital and operating costs at each step. Since biopower applications can be varied, a number of conversion systems and feedstocks required evaluation. In addition to limiting this study to woody biomass feedstocks, the boundaries of this study were from the power plant gate to the feedstock entry point into the conversion device. Although some power plants are sited at a source of wood waste fuel, it was assumed for this study that all wood waste would be brought to the power plant site. This study was also confined to the following three feedstocks (1) forest residues, (2) industrial mill residues, and (3) urban wood residues. Additionally, the study was confined to grate, suspension, and fluidized bed direct combustion systems; gasification systems; and SMB conversion systems. Since scale can play an important role in types of equipment, operational requirements, and capital and operational costs, this study examined these factors for the following direct combustion and gasification system size ranges: 50, 20, 5, and 1 MWe. The scope of the study also included: Specific operational issues associated with specific feedstocks (e.g., bark and problems with bridging); Opportunities for reducing handling, storage, and processing costs; How environmental restrictions can affect handling and processing costs (e.g., noise, commingling of treated wood or non-wood materials, emissions, and runoff); and Feedstock quality issues and/or requirements (e.g., moisture, particle size, presence of non-wood materials). The study found that over the years the industry has shown a good deal of ingenuity and, as a result, has developed several cost effective methods of processing and handling wood. SMB systems usually cannot afford to perform much onsite processing and therefore usually purchase fuels processed to specification. Owners of larger systems try to minimize onsite processing to minimize processing costs. Whole truck dumpers are expensive, but allow for faster and easier unloading, which reduces labor costs and charges by the haulers. Storage costs are a major factor in overall costs, thus the amount of fuel reserve is an important consideration. Silos and bins are relatively expensive compared to open piles used for larger facilities, but may be required depending on space available, wood characteristics, and amount of wood to be stored. For larger systems, a front-end loader has a lot of flexibility in use and is an essential piece of equipment for moving material. Few opportunities appear to exist for improving the cost effectiveness of these systems.
A REVIEW OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO IMMUNOMODULATION

Current Western therapies for inflammatory diseases are suboptimal; increasingly, patients are turning to complementary and alternative medicine for symptom relief and improved quality of life. There is emerging evidence that many of these therapies have the ability to modulate the immune system and disrupt the proinflammatory cascade through a variety of mechanisms, including antioxidant effects, alterations in cell signaling (in particular the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway), cytokines, proinflammatory mediators, and disruption of bacterial flora. Using inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as a model of inflammation, we explore the principal complementary and alternative medicine treatments that show promise in this regard, namely, resveratrol, green tea, curcumin, boswellia, fish oil, vitamin D, and probiotics. With each agent, we detail the mechanisms that have been described with regard to immune modulation, discuss the medical conditions for which it has been evaluated, and explore the data to date for ...
Stability of extemporaneously compounded diltiazem hydrochloride infusions stored in polyolefin bags.

Purpose The stability of extemporaneously compounded diltiazem hydrochloride infusions stored in polyolefin bags was studied. Methods Sterile preparations of diltiazem hydrochloride were compounded to a concentration of 1 mg/mL in 5% dextrose solutions in accordance with United States Pharmacopeia chapter 797. The infusions were stored at −20 °C, 2–6 °C, and 22–25 °C. Three samples from each temperature were withdrawn and assessed for stability immediately after preparation (day 0) and on days 7, 15, 21, and 30 using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay. The physical stability of diltiazem samples was assessed by visual examination. Infusions were evaluated against black and white backgrounds for evidence of visible particulate matter, cloudiness, and color changes. The concentration of diltiazem hydrochloride in all samples was examined using a stability-indicating HPLC method at each time point. Diltiazem was considered stable if the solution retained over 90% of the initial concentration. Results No precipitation, cloudiness, or color change was observed at any of the temperatures studied. pH did not significantly increase or decrease among the samples, regardless of temperature, over the study period. The diltiazem hydrochloride infusions retained greater than 90% of the initial concentrations for at least 30 days. Conclusion Diltiazem hydrochloride diluted to 1 mg/mL in 5% dextrose injection was stable for 30 days when stored at −20 °C, 2–6 °C, and 22–25 °C.
Neural networks of human nature and nurture

Neural network methods have facilitated the unification of several unfortunate splits in psychology, including nature versus nurture. We review the contributions of this methodology and then discuss tentative network theories of caring behavior, of uncaring behavior, and of how the frontal lobes are involved in the choices between them. The implications of our theory are optimistic about the prospects of society to encourage the human potential for caring.
Modeling magnetic coupling for on-chip interconnect

As advances in IC technologies and operat-ing frequencies make the modeling of on-chip magnetic interactions a necessity, it is apparent that extension of traditional inductance extraction approaches to full-chip scale problems is impractical. There are primarily two obstacles to performing inductance extraction with the same efficacy as full-chip capacitance extraction: 1) ne-glecting far-away coupling terms can generate an unsta-ble inductance matrix approximation; and 2) the penetrating nature of inductance makes localized extrac-tion via windowing extremely difficult. In this paper we propose and contrast three new options for stable and ac-curate window-based extraction of large-scale magnetic coupling. We analyze the required window sizes to con-sider the possibilities for pattern-matching style solu-tions, and propose three schemes for determining coupling values and window sizing for extraction via on-the-fly field solution.
The Videotape Recorder in Foreign Language Conversation and Composition Courses

The videotape recorder has become a legitimate, effective teaching device in innumerable settings at all levels of instruction. One area that has been completely overlooked is the incorporation of the videotape recorder into college foreign language conversation and composition courses. It is the purpose of this paper to fill the gap by describing a method by which this valuable teaching device can be used to enhance the oral and written proficiency of foreign language students.
Short-term changes in the biology of a Gulf Stream warm-core ring: Phytoplankton biomass and productivity1

Temporal changes in chlorophyll a and primary production were followed in a Gulf Stream warm-core ring as it underwent an interaction with the Gulf Stream and a subsequent wind event. As the physical events altered the structure of the mixed layer, Chl a within the euphotic zone incrcascd from about 10 to 42 mg m-2 while productivity rates increased from 140 to ~2,400 mg C m-2 d-l. Carbon-specific growth rates in Ring 8 1-D derived from ATP-C biomass and 14C productivity rates increased fivefold. Nanoplankton (~20 pm) initially accounted for nearly 90% of the total Chl a biomass in ring surface waters, although there was a subsurface maximum of net-plankton Chl a near the base of the euphotic zone before the wind event. After the wind event, Chl a was uniformly distributed throughout the mixed layer and net plankton accounted for an increased proportion of total Chl a standing stock and productivity. In the peripheral high velocity region and the surrounding Slope Water, phytoplankton standing stocks and productivity rates were less than the maximum values found at ring center. Our observations indicate that phytoplankton standing stock and productivity within a warm-core ring can increase rapidly in response to physical processes on the event time a Hitchcock