cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Manual-Control Analysis Applied to the Money Supply Control Task

The recent procedure implemented by the Federal Reserve Board to control the money supply is formulated in the form of a tracking model as used in the study of manual-control tasks. Using this model, an analysis is made to determine the effect of monetary control on the fluctuations in economic output. The results indicate that monetary control can reduce the amplitude of fluctuations at frequencies near the region of historic business cycles. However, with significant time lags in the control loop, monetary control tends to increase the amplitude of the fluctuations at the higher frequencies. The study outlines how the investigator or student can use the tools developed in the field of manual-control analysis to study the nature of economic fluctuations and to examine different strategies for stabilization.
Outcome evaluation: an essential component for CNS practice

Tumultuous changes in healthcare costs, delivery, and service are requiring revolutionary new approaches by healthcare professionals to meet current and future needs. Multidisciplinary teams are creating many innovative care delivery models. It is essential that healthcare professionals evaluate the cost effectiveness and impact of their care and service on both patient and system outcomes. Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are an integral component in these models and are uniquely qualified both to implement and to evaluate care delivery and systems changes. The purpose of this article is to describe the role of the CNS in outcomes evaluation. Specifically, various types of outcomes are delineated, with a differentiation between nurse-sensitive and medical and collaborative care outcomes. Examples of valid and reliable measurement tools that are easy to use and have wide comparability are described, and implications for CNS practice are posed.
Screening for mtDNA diabetes mutations in Pima Indians with NIDDM

More than half of the Pima Indians over age 35 years have non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Extensive data indicate the importance of maternal diabetes in determining their risk for diabetes. Generally, the risk of having NIDDM is higher in patients with affected mothers than affected fathers. This has been attributed to intrauterine factors, but recently mitochondrial inheritance has been raised as an alternative hypothesis. In other populations, several families and individuals with diabetes due to a mitochondrial DNA point mutation at nucleotide 3243 in the tRNA(leu(UUR)) gene have been described, as has one family with a 10.4 kb mitochondrial DNA duplication/deletion. We tested whether these specific mitochondrial gene mutations could explain a portion of the excess maternal transmission seen in the Pima Indians. Mitochondrial DNA obtained from blood lymphocytes of 148 Pima Indians with NIDDM was screened both for the point mutation at nt 3243, and the 10.4 kb duplication/deletion. Neither of these mutations was detected, and although a small proportion of the excess maternal transmission in Pima Indians could still be due to yet undescribed mitochondrial mutations or imprinted nuclear genes, our data support the role of the intrauterine environment in this population.
Stirring up Trouble? Resuspension of Bottom Sediments by Recreational Watercraft

ABSTRACT An experimental and theoretical study of the hydrodynamic impacts of recreational watercraft in shallow water bodies is presented. Of particular interest is the ability of turbulent prop or jet wash to resuspend bottom sediments. Intuition suggests, and the experiments confirm, that this ability is a strong function of boat speed and water depth. The results of this study demonstrate that boats operating at high speed have no greater impact on the lake bed than boats travelling at idle speeds. The greatest impact is seen when boats are travelling at ‘near-plane’ speeds. This critical speed is a function of boat size and water depth. To increase the usefulness of the observations, a theoretical model of the flow underneath a passing boat was developed and validated with the data. Relying on only a few input parameters, the model can be used to estimate, for example, the minimum operating depth required for a given boat to prevent sediment resuspension. Discussion of the relevance of this work in t...
Evidence of microbially mediated arsenic mobilization from sediments of the Aquia aquifer, Maryland, USA

Abstract Sediments from the Aquia aquifer in coastal Maryland were collected as part of a larger study of As in the Aquia groundwater flow system where As concentration are reported to reach levels as high as 1072 nmol kg−1, (i.e., ∼80 μg/L). To test whether As release is microbially mediated by reductive dissolution of Fe(III) oxides/oxyhydroxides within the aquifer sediments, the Aquia aquifer sediment samples were employed in a series of microcosm experiments. The microcosm experiments consisted of sterilized serum bottles prepared with aquifer sediments and sterilized (i.e., autoclaved), artificial groundwater using four experimental conditions and one control condition. The four experimental conditions included the following scenarios: (1) aerobic; (2) anaerobic; (3) anaerobic + acetate; and (4) anaerobic + acetate + AQDS (anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid). AQDS acts as an electron shuttle. The control condition contained sterilized aquifer sediments kept under anaerobic conditions with an addition of AQDS. Over the course of the 27 day microcosm experiments, dissolved As in the unamended (aerobic and anaerobic) microcosms remained constant at around ∼28 nmol kg−1 (2 μg/L). With the addition of acetate, the amount of As released to the solution approximately doubled reaching ∼51 nmol kg−1 (3.8 μg/L). For microcosm experiments amended with acetate and AQDS, the dissolved As concentrations exceeded 75 nmol kg−1 (5.6 μg/L). The As concentrations in the acetate and acetate + AQDS amended microcosms are of similar orders of magnitude to As concentrations in groundwaters from the aquifer sediment sampling site (127–170 nmol kg−1). Arsenic concentrations in the sterilized control experiments were generally less than 15 nmol kg−1 (1.1 μg/L), which is interpreted to be the amount of As released from Aquia aquifer sediments owing to abiotic, surface exchange processes. Iron concentrations released to solution in each of the microcosm experiments were higher and more variable than the As concentrations, but generally exhibited similar trends to the As concentrations. Specifically, the acetate and acetate + AQDS amended microcosm typically exhibited the highest Fe concentrations (up to 1725 and 6566 nmol kg−1, respectively). The increase in both As and Fe in the artificial groundwater solutions in these amended microcosm experiments strongly suggests that microbes within the Aquia aquifer sediments mobilize As from the sediment substrate to the groundwaters via Fe(III) reduction.
BMD Decreases Over the Course of a Year in Competitive Male Cyclists

Male cyclists have been found to have low BMD in cross-sectional studies. Changes in BMD values over 1 yr of training and competition were studied in 14 male cyclists. BMD decreased significantly at the total hip, neck, trochanter, and shaft regions but not the lumbar spine. This first prospective study of cyclists showed a decrease in BMD over the course of 1 yr. Introduction: Cross-sectional studies have shown that some endurance athletes, and cyclists in particular, have low BMD. Whether vigorous cycle training is causally related with low BMD remains unknown. Materials and Methods: Changes in BMD values over 1 yr of training and competition were studied in 14 male road cyclists, 27–44 yr of age. Subjects were randomized to receive 1500 (500 mg with meals) or 250 mg of supplemental calcium citrate daily. BMD measurements were obtained at pre-, mid-, post-, and off-season time points over 1 yr. Dermal calcium loss during exercise was estimated using a patch collection technique to examine calcium loss as a potential mediator of changes in BMD. Results: Using paired t-tests, BMD was found to decrease significantly from pre- to off-season at the total hip, neck, shaft, and trochanter regions (relative changes of −1.5 ± 2.1%, −0.7 ± 2.1%, −0.9 ± 2.1%, and −1.0 ± 1.2%, respectively, all p < 0.05). The 1.0 ± 1.2% decrease in BMD at the lumbar spine failed to reach statistical significance (p = 0.079). There were no differences in changes in BMD between the calcium supplementation groups. The 2-h dermal calcium loss was estimated at 136.5 ± 60.5 mg. Higher dermal calcium losses were associated with lower baseline BMD values at the total hip, neck, and shaft (all p < 0.05), but were not significantly associated with changes in BMD. Conclusions: This study suggests that high intensity cycle training may adversely affect BMD. Excessive dermal calcium loss during exercise may be a contributing factor, but mechanisms remain to be elucidated.
Scaling of the growth probability measure for fractal structures.

The growth probability measure has been determined for a family of screened growth models with a continuously tunable fractal dimensionality. The distribution of growth probabilities N(P) for clusters of different masses M can be scaled onto a single curve g(x) using the scaling form ln[PN(P)lnM]=ln(M)g(ln(P)/ln (M)). Each point in the scaling function g(x) corresponds to a part of the growth probability measure whose probability P grows as ${M}^{x}$ and whose size (number of sites) grows as ${M}^{g(x)}$. The function g(x) is related to the function f(\ensuremath{\alpha}) of Halsey et al. which associates a fractal dimensionality f(\ensuremath{\alpha}) with that part of the measure which consists of singularities of strength \ensuremath{\alpha} by g(x)=${D}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$f(-Dx).
“From Your First Cigarette to Your Last Dyin’ Day”: The Patterning of Gang Membership in the Life-Course

Motivated by the reorientation of gang membership into a life-course framework and concerns about distinct populations of juvenile and adult gang members, this study draws from the criminal career paradigm to examine the contours of gang membership and their variability in the life-course. Based on nine annual waves of national panel data from the NLSY97, this study uses growth curve and group-based trajectory modeling to examine the dynamic and cumulative prevalence of gang membership, variability in the pathways into and out of gangs, and the correlates of these pathways from ages 10 to 23. The cumulative prevalence of gang membership was 8 %, while the dynamic age-graded prevalence of gang membership peaked at 3 % at age 15. Six distinct trajectories accounted for variability in the patterning of gang membership, including an adult onset trajectory. Gang membership in adulthood was an even mix of adolescence carryover and adult initiation. The typical gang career lasts 2 years or less, although much longer for an appreciable subset of respondents. Gender and racial/ethnic disproportionalities in gang membership increase in magnitude over the life-course. Gang membership is strongly age-graded. The results of this study support a developmental research agenda to unpack the theoretical and empirical causes and consequences of gang membership across stages of the life-course.
The forkhead genes, Foxc1 and Foxc2 , regulate paraxial versus intermediate mesoderm cell fate

During vertebrate embryogenesis, the newly formed mesoderm is allocated to the paraxial, intermediate, and lateral domains, each giving rise to different cell and tissue types. Here, we provide evidence that the forkhead genes, Foxc1 and Foxc2, play a role in the specification of mesoderm to paraxial versus intermediate fates. Mouse embryos lacking both Foxc1 and Foxc2 show expansion of intermediate mesoderm markers into the paraxial domain, lateralization of somite patterning, and ectopic and disorganized mesonephric tubules. In gain of function studies in the chick embryo, Foxc1 and Foxc2 negatively regulate intermediate mesoderm formation. By contrast, their misexpression in the prospective intermediate mesoderm appears to drive cells to acquire paraxial fate, as revealed by expression of the somite markers Pax7 and Paraxis. Taken together, the data indicate that Foxc1 and Foxc2 regulate the establishment of paraxial versus intermediate mesoderm cell fates in the vertebrate embryo.
Interaction of vitamin E with saturated phospholipid bilayers.

Abstract The effect of α-tocopherol and α-tocopheryl acetate on the physical properties of saturated phospholipid bilayers was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and fluorescence polarization. The addition of α-tocopherol and α-tocopheryl acetate to dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine modifies the thermotropic gel to liquid crystalline transition by decreasing the enthalpy and lowering the transition temperature (T C ). The transition is abolished at 25 mole % of the vitamin E derivative. The same effects are seen with phospholipids with different polar headgroups. These results are consistent with vitamin E being aligned principally with the prevailing direction of the phospholipid acyl chains. The modification of the phase behavior of DMPC can be explained by the methyl substituents of the phytanoyl chain of vitamin E preventing co-crystallization with the all trans gel-phase acyl chains. This perturbation lowers the amount of crystallizable phospholipid and thus lowers the enthalpy. This phenomenon induces the preferential partitioning of the derivative into the fluid phase which results in lowering the transition temperature. Polarization of fluorescence measurements indicates that α-tocopherol perturbs lipid packing even in the liquid-crystalline state. Vitamin E derivatives are slightly more effective than cholesterol in modifying the physical properties of saturated phospholipids. The effects demonstrated here occur at a much higher mole fraction of Vitamin E than is normally seen in biological membranes and thus suggests that only small structural modification would be seen under physiologic conditions.
Sugar Composition of Nectars and Fruits Consumed by Birds and Bats in the Tropics and Subtropics1

Several characteristics of flowers and fruits have been suggested as comprising syndromes of characters that indicate particular classes of pollinators and fruit dispersers. Common phylogenetic history among species, however, may also significantly influence these characters and obscure or enhance perceived patterns of plant syndromes. We analyzed the proportions of glucose, fructose, and sucrose by paper chromatography in the nectar and fruit juice of 525 tropical and subtropical plant species to test whether sugar chemistry was correlated with volant vertebrate pollinator or fruit disperser classes. Samples were taken from Old World and New World species and the calculations kept separate. Kruskal-Wallis tests of family means showed significant deviations in the percent sucrose content among pollinatorl disperser classes. Mann-Whitney U-tests showed significant differences among nectars of all pollinator classes but fruit juices differed only due to the high sucrose content of megachiropteran dispersed fruits. In addition, sign tests of samples occurring within families showed significant correlations between percentage sucrose content and pollinator/disperser classes. Passerine nectars had low sucrose content. In striking contrast, the nectar of hummingbird flowers had very high sucrose content. The Microchiroptera nectars showed hexose richness with a sucrose content somewhat greater than that of passerine flowers. Megachiroptera flowers showed sucrose-rich nectars. The results for fruits were comparable to those for nectars. Passerine fruits were hexose dominated, microchiropteran fruits had a sucrose content similar to passerine fruits, and megachiropteran fruits were sucrose-rich. We speculate on the evolutionary sequence of changes in nectar and fruit juice sugar composition and suggest that future investigations consider the chemistry of other food sources such as pollen and leaves. Only with these additions and other ecological studies can the full interplay of such plant-animal interactions be anticipated.
969-97 Regional Strain and Wall Motion of the Transplanted Left Ventricle in Pediatric Patients Using Magnetic Resonance Tagging

The biomechanical properties of the transplanted left ventricle (LV) may not be the same as the normal LV which is innervated, has not undergone ischemic arrest, and is not at risk for cellular rejection. Abnormal LV systolic torsion has been noted during histologic rejection in adult transplant patients. This has not been assessed in pediatric patients. We studied 8 transplant patients (ages 5.1 ± 3.7 years, 2.6 ± 1.2 years post-transplant) who underwent 9 magnetic resonance imaging studies using spatial modulation of magnetization, a tissue tagging technique, to quantify regional wall motion and deformation. Imaging was done within 6 days of endomyocardial biopsy in 7 of 9 studies. Seven normal adults were imaged as controls. Magnetic tagging was performed at 2 LV short axis levels, atrioventricular valve (AW) and apex, through 12 phases in systole. Intersection points were tracked, and regional wall motion and strain (using the 2-dimensional strain tensor) was determined. The myocardium was divided into 4 anatomic regions (ventricular septum. IW = inferior wall, PW = posterior wall. and SW = superior wall) and subdivived further into endocardial and epicardial regions. Review of 7 biopsy specimens revealed 2 with rejection (grade 1A and grade 2). Cardiac catheterization demonslrated normal hemodynamics in all except the patient with grade 2 rejection. Seven of 8 patients had clockwise twist of the SW, IW, and/or PW. and all had regions of no twist. Four patients had akinetic regions and 2 demonstrated paradoxical motion of the ventricular septum. Controls had counterclockwise twist in all regions. In transplant patients, strain and strain heterogeneity were similar between the 4 regions at the AW and the apex. The ralio of endocardial to epicardial strain was similar between all regions at the AW, but not at the apex. Strain was not different between transplant patients and controls for each region. Strain heterogeneity was different between the 2 groups at the SW of the AW, and at the ventricular septum of the AW and apex. When comparing AW to apex, there was no difference in strain, or the endocardial-to-epicardial strain ratio. between transplant patients and controls for each region. Conclusions Pediatric transplant patients demonstrale regional wall motion abnormalities in the absence of rejection. Compared to controls, the transplanted LV maintains normal strain in the presence of abnormal twist. This may be a compensatory mechanism and may have clinical implications.
A comparison of the cylindrical folded helix Q to the Gustafsson limit

The primary characteristics of interest when designing or evaluating an electrically small antenna are the radiation efficiency, the operating bandwidth or quality factor (Q), and the mechanism used to achieve an impedance match. Often, the relative advantage of a small antenna design is quantified by how closely the antenna Q approaches the lower bound or the Chu limit. While the Chu limit is defined in terms of the spherical volume occupied by the antenna, many small antenna designs are constrained to fit within volumes other than a sphere. In these instances, the antenna Q will not as closely approach the Chu limit as a design that fully occupies the available spherical volume defined by the value of ka. To address this issue, Gustafsson et al derived lower bounds for antennas of arbitrary shape with a specific focus on cylindrical and planar shaped antennas. In this paper we consider the quality factor of the cylindrical folded helix, an antenna design that effectively utilizes the available cylindrical volume. We compare its Q to the Gustaffson limit as a function of length-to-diameter ratio, while maintaining a fixed value of ka, and show that it's Q is above or at Gustafsson's lower bound for cylindrical shaped antennas.
A proposed relationship between increases in the number of olfactory receptor neurons, convergence ratio and sensitivity in the developing rat

Abstract In the rat neonate, as in other altricial young, olfaction, in contrast to vision and hearing, is functional at birth, being critically important in feeding, growth and other aspects of infant—mother interaction. Yet, olfactory sensitivity, i.e., the ability to detect odors at low levels, is poor in the newborn, improving dramatically in the first few postnatal weeks. To find a neural explanation for this phenomenon at the level of peripheral olfactory system, we present quantitative light microscopic data which reveal that during the suckling period of postnatal development the surface area of the olfactory receptor sheet and the total number of olfactory receptor neurons increase by about 8- and 12-fold respectively, being about 15 mm2 and 1.0 million on each nasal half of the newborn. Since the number of mitral cells, the principal relay neurons of the olfactory bulb, is already established at birth, at about 40,000 per olfactory bulb, it may be estimated that the convergence ratio of the olfactory neurons to mitral cells increases by more than 10-fold in the suckling period. We propose that the increased number of primary sensory afferent units and the higher convergence upon the central relay cells enhances the physiological capacities of the olfactory afferent pathway, increasing the opportunity for spatial summation and facilitation. The latter changes may lead to reduced olfactory thresholds and improved sensitivity with development. The relative contribution of these peripheral changes in enhancement of olfactory sensitivity during growth is discussed in the light of our knowledge on the developing olfactory system.
Energy-efficient routing for electric vehicles using metaheuristic optimization frameworks

Electric vehicles are gaining an increased market share. People are becoming more acceptable of this new technology as it continues to gain momentum especially in the North American and European markets. The main reasons behind this trend are the growing concerns about the environment, energy dependency, and the unstable fuel prices. Traditional source-to-destination routing problems are designed for conventional fossil-fuel vehicles. These routing methods are based on Dijkstra or Dijkstra-like algorithms and they either optimize the traveled time or the traveled distance. These optimizers will most likely not yield an energy efficient route selection for an electric vehicle. Electric vehicles might regenerate energy causing negative edge costs that deem Dijkstra or Dijkstra-like algorithms not useful for this application (at least without some modifications). In this paper, we present examples of why traditional routing algorithms would not work for electric vehicles. A metaheuristic study of the energy-efficient routing problem is presented. Ant Colony Optimization and Particle Swarm Optimization are then used to solve the energy efficient routing problem for electric vehicles. The 2 metaheuristic methods are analyzed and studied; the results and performance of each are then compared and contrasted.
Formation of buried epitaxial silicon carbide layers in silicon by ion beam synthesis

RBS/channeling, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) are used to study the formation of well-defined, epitaxial 3C-SiC layers in Si(100) and Si(111) by high dose implantation of 180 keV C ions and subsequent thermal annealing at 1250 °C. The dose dependence of the carbon redistribution during the post-implantation anneal is studied in detail, revealing the possibility to grow well-defined substoichiometric and stoichiometric silicon carbide layers as well as 3C-SiC layers with a large concentration of excess carbon atoms. The presence of crystalline SiC nuclei in the as-implanted state and their depth distribution are shown to be important for the carbon redistribution into a discrete layer during annealing. XRD monitoring of the epitaxial 3C-SiC component formed during implantation indicates the build-up of lattice distortions close to the stoichiometry dose. After annealing, the approximately 170 nm thick continuous SiC layers are covered by 300 nm thick crystalline silicon top layers, containing individual SiC precipitates. Cross-sectional TEM investigations reveal sharp interfaces between Si and SiC layers and almost unstrained Si on top and underneath the layers. First results are reported indicating that SiC can be formed also in homogenous deep buried layers using MeV ion beam synthesis.
Quantum fluctuations of the superconducting cosmic string.

Quantum fluctuations of the proposed superconducting string with Bose charge carriers are studied in terms of the vortices on the string world sheet. In the thermodynamical limit, it is found that they appear in the form of free vortices rather than as bound pairs. This fluctuation mode violates the topological conservation law on which superconductivity is based. However, this limit may not be reached. The critical size of the superconducting string is estimated as a function of the coupling constants involved.
Morphine suppresses lymphocyte apoptosis by blocking p53-mediated death signaling

Abstract Opiates such as morphine or heroin may promote cell apoptosis and cause dysfunction of immune cells. In simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected lymphocytic cells, however, morphine may protect the cells from apoptotic lysis and allow the virus to continue to replicate. To further explore this apparently antithetical effect of opiates, we evaluated in the present study the effects of morphine on human lymphocytic CEM x174 cells induced to undergo apoptosis in the presence of actinomycin D. It was found that induction of apoptosis (characterized by DNA laddering) by actinomycin D was accompanied by a stimulation of the expression of active (phosphorylated) form of p53. Pretreatment of the cells with 10 nM morphine caused a transient, naloxone-reversible suppression of the appearance of activated p53 and the generation of DNA laddering. Parallel evaluation of the growth of CEM x174 indicated that morphine treatment delays the inception of cell death triggered by actinomycin D. Inasmuch as Bcl-2 suppresses while Bax accelerates apoptosis, treatment of cells with morphine reduced the expression of Bax and enhanced the expression of Bcl-2. Taken together, morphine, through binding at the opioid receptor, may protect lymphocytic cells from apoptotic lysis if cell death is initiated by apoptosis-inducing agents such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), SIV or actinomycin D.
Application of the Laplace Transform and Its Numerical Inversion to Temperature Profile of a Two-Layer Pavement under Site Conditions

The mechanical performance of asphalt pavements is closely related to temperature. On the basis of the Laplace transform, this article presents a method to determine dynamic temperature profiles of pavements under site conditions such as location, air temperature, cloud cover, time of day, day of year, material parameters. The main advantages of the present method are no time steps are needed, and unconditional numerical stability, and rapid convergence. By using the present method, we can separate temperature profile analysis with the followed stress and deformation analysis, which will benefit pavement design.
Two cases further delineating the Sakoda complex

Sakoda complex consists of sphenoethmoidal encephalomeningocele, agenesis of the corpus callosum, and cleft lip and/or palate. Associated abnormalities include optic disc dysplasia, microphthalmia, cortical dysgenesis, mental retardation and epilepsy. The etiology remains unknown. We describe two patients with anomalies consistent with the Sakoda complex including the cardinal features of sphenoethmoidal encephalomeningocele and cleft palate. The first patient also has right microphthalmia, optic nerve hypoplasia, diffuse pachygyria, asymmetric ventricles, atrial septal defect, hemivertebrae, and renal abnormalities. The second patient has right microphthalmia, absence of the right hemisphere, and a right bifid thumb. The features of Sakoda complex present in these patients may also overlap with frontonasal dysplasia and morning glory syndrome suggesting shared pathogenic relationships. We propose that the primary malformation of the Sakoda complex is probably genetic. The right hemispheric defect in Patient 2 suggests that at least some cases of Sakoda complex may also be associated with vascular disruption. Thus, more than one pathogenetic process contributes to the phenotypic spectrum of Sakoda complex.
An approach to extend the multinuclear capability of the FT-80A

A method to extend the multinuclear capability of a Varian FT-80A NMR spectrometer, equipped with the broadband accessory, is reported. A method to achieve a 40% signal-to-noise improvement for the range 2.5 to 32.2 MHz (103Rh-31P) is described. Full circuit details are given for probe modification and external tuning networks, radiofrequency modifications, and image noise filters. The changes reported extend the lower operating frequency from 5.7 to 2.5 MHz and, hence, provide access to an additional 32 nuclides. 43Ca, 97MO, 95Mo, 101Ru, 39K, 109Ag, 99Ru, and 103Rh resonances are reported, in order to demonstrate utility of the modifications.
Methylenedioxyphenyl complexes with microsomal cytochrome P-450: In vivo complex formation in rat liver and in midgut tissues of the Southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania)

Abstract The capacity of several methylenedioxyphenyl insecticide synergists to generate metabolite complexes with cytochrome P -450 was studied in midgut tissues of the Southern armyworm ( Spodoptera eridania ). Examination of the NADH-reduced versus oxidized spectra from methylene-dioxyphenyl-induced midgut indicated that isosafrole, dihydrosafrole, and 4-ethoxy-1,2-methylenedioxybenzene generated metabolite complexes with a principal absorbance maximum at 427 nm and smaller absorbance maxima near 460 and 556 nm. Further studies with 2- n -heptylbenzimidazole showed that the complex between insect cytochrome P -450 and dihydrosafrole was unusually resistant to displacement. Initial rates of complex displacement in insect microsomes were found to be approximately an order of magnitude slower than those of the corresponding complexes in rat hepatic microsomes. Nevertheless, with the exception of the dihydrosafrole complex in insect microsomes, the “time to half-maximal displacement” parameter was found to be very similar for each complex. These findings indicate that the formation of dissociable complexes between cytochrome P -450 and the methylenedioxyphenyl metabolite occurs in both insect midgut and rat hepatic microsomes after in vivo exposure. From the present study it would appear that dihydrosafrole may constitute a useful probe to distinguish binding sites within insect and mammalian cytochrome P -450.
Fiber-optic infrared spectroelectrochemical studies of six-coordinate manganese nitrosyl porphyrins in nonaqueous media.

The redox behavior of the six-coordinate (por)Mn(NO)(1-MeIm) (por = tetraphenylporphyrin dianion (TPP), tetratolylporphyrin dianion (TTP), or tetra-p-methoxyphenylporphyrin dianion (T(p-OMe)PP)) complexes were examined by cyclic voltammetry at room temperature and at −78 °C in two nonaqueous solvents (CH2Cl2 and THF) at a Pt disk electrode. In CH2Cl2 at room temperature, the compounds undergo four oxidations and two reductions within the solvent limit; in THF, the compounds undergo one oxidation and three reductions. In both solvents, the first oxidation represents a chemically irreversible one-electron process involving the rapid loss of nitric oxide. The oxidation occurs at the MnNO site as judged from bulk electrolysis, UV−vis spectroscopy at room temperature, and IR spectroelectrochemistry at room temperature and at −78 °C. The second oxidation, accessible in CH2Cl2, is also chemically irreversible and occurs at the porphyrin ring; the third and the fourth oxidations are, on the other hand, chemically...
Virtually Structured Detection Enables Super-Resolution in Scanning Laser Microscopy and Optical Coherence Tomography

We have demonstrated resolution-doubling in scanning laser microscopy (SLM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) through virtually structured detection (VSD).
Three-dimensional, bioactive, biodegradable, polymer-bioactive glass composite scaffolds with improved mechanical properties support collagen synthesis and mineralization of human osteoblast-like cells in vitro.

In the past decade, tissue engineering-based bone grafting has emerged as a viable alternative to biological and synthetic grafts. The biomaterial component is a critical determinant of the ultimate success of the tissue-engineered graft. Because no single existing material possesses all the necessary properties required in an ideal bone graft, our approach has been to develop a three dimensional (3-D), porous composite of polylactide-co-glycolide (PLAGA) and 45S5 bioactive glass (BG) that is biodegradable, bioactive, and suitable as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering (PLAGA-BG composite). The objectives of this study were to examine the mechanical properties of a PLAGA-BG matrix, to evaluate the response of human osteoblast-like cells to the PLAGA-BG composite, and to evaluate the ability of the composite to form a surface calcium phosphate layer in vitro. Structural and mechanical properties of PLAGA-BG were measured, and the formation of a surface calcium phosphate layer was evaluated by surface analysis methods. The growth and differentiation of human osteoblast-like cells on PLAGA-BG were also examined. A hypothesis was that the combination of PLAGA with BG would result in a biocompatible and bioactive composite, capable of supporting osteoblast adhesion, growth and differentiation, with mechanical properties superior to PLAGA alone. The addition of bioactive glass granules to the PLAGA matrix resulted in a structure with higher compressive modulus than PLAGA alone. Moreover, the PLAGA-BA composite was found to be a bioactive material, as it formed surface calcium phosphate deposits in a simulated body fluid (SBF), and in the presence of cells and serum proteins. The composite supported osteoblast-like morphology, stained positively for alkaline phosphatase, and supported higher levels of Type I collagen synthesis than tissue culture polystyrene controls. We have successfully developed a degradable, porous, polymer bioactive glass composite possessing improved mechanical properties and osteointegrative potential compared to degradable polymers of poly(lactic acid-glycolic acid) alone. Future work will focus on the optimization of the composite scaffold for bone tissue-engineering applications and the evaluation of the 3-D composite in an in vivo model.
Punctal density in the Ordovician orthide brachiopod Paucicrura rogata: anatomical and paleoenvironmental variation

In the orthide brachiopod Paucicrura rogata, from the Upper Ordovician of New York, the density of punctae (small perforations in the shell) increases from about 350 to about 450 per mm2 of shell in the transition from shallow-water limestones to black graptolitic shales down the outer slope of the Taconic Trench. Punctal density is significantly correlated with water depth, as measured by distance downslope along individual volcanic ash layers, and by reciprocal averaging score for macroinvertebrate fossil assemblages (p < O.01). Because punctal density increases with temperature in living brachiopods, the results suggest that water temperature increased with depth in the Taconic basin, corroborating similar conclusions based on Paucicrura's oxygen-isotopic composition. The increase in punctal density with increasing water depth may also reflect reduced shell growth rates of P. rogata in oxygen-deficient bottom waters, causing a reduction in spacing between punctae. Ontogenetic decrease of punctal density with increasing shell size reflects differential rates of puncta formation at the shell margin. □Brachiopoda, Orthida, Ordovician, Taconic Basin, paleoceanography, paleoecology, punctae, caeca.
Factors affecting the acute pressor response to bolus cadmium injections

Abstract Cadmium chloride solutions were given at dosages of 1 or 2 mg/kg intraperitoneally, intravenously, subcutaneously or orally to conscious or anesthetized female rats. A rapid and persistent pressor response was usually obtained from parenteral, but not from oral administration. Blood pressure elevation was quantitatively equivalent at 15 and 30 min after injection, except on subcutaneous administration, in conscious and anesthetized rats, although anesthesia depressed the initial pressures. Within a minute or so of administration, all animals given cadmium intraperitoneally exhibited body, limb and tail movements typically displayed during parturition, and did so for up to two hours thereafter. When 5-week-old males of Sprague-Dawley, Fischer 344, SHR and WKY strains were given 2 mg/kg of CdCl 2 intraperitoneally, a pressor response did not usually occur. At 6–10 weeks of age a pressor response commonly occurred in conscious or unconscious Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344, but only in unconscious SHR or WKY rats. Conscious males exhibited the same contortions as females following intraperitoneal cadmium injections.
Cloud‐point extraction of chromium(III) ion with 8‐hydroxyquinoline derivatives

Abstract Cloud‐point extraction, a less‐common extraction method, was used to extract chromium(III) ion from aqueous solution. Using a nonionic surfactant solution and 8‐hydroxyquinoline (or a derivative), a chromium(III) complex and unreacted chelating agent were extracted into the micellar phase at a temperature above the cloud‐point temperature within two hours. The molar ratio, pH, temperature and hydrophobicity of the chelating agent were factors determining the extraction efficiency. Extraction efficiency was improved to 99 %, and chromium concentration was reduced from 55 ppm to less than 1 ppm when excess chelating agent was used at pH 5.5 at 70°C.
A COMPARISON OF ACADEMICS', PRACTITIONERS', AND USERS' PERSPECTIVES TOWARD THE RESEARCH OF ACCOUNTING PRACTICE

Abstract Given that society should make the best use of research resources, this paper endeavors to improve the debate about the purpose, role and relevance of academic practice-related research in accounting. The paper analyzes perspectives toward the research of accounting practice using a survey of three constituencies: academics, practitioners and financial statement users who ranked their sense of importance of research on various topics in auditing, financial, managerial, and tax areas. Using this data, the study examines the consensus with respect to practice- related research. An analysis makes a statistical comparison of the responses of academics, practitioners and users for each topic. Findings show that a consensus exists among the interest groups on most topics
Phosphatidylinositol 4 Phosphate Regulates Targeting of Clathrin Adaptor AP-1 Complexes to the Golgi

Phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate [PI(4)P] is essential for secretion in yeast, but its role in mammalian cells is unclear. Current paradigms propose that PI(4)P acts primarily as a precursor to phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PIP2), an important plasma membrane regulator. We found that PI(4)P is enriched in the mammalian Golgi, and used RNA interference (RNAi) of PI4KIIα, a Golgi resident phosphatidylinositol 4 kinase, to determine whether PI(4)P directly regulates the Golgi. PI4KIIα RNAi decreases Golgi PI(4)P, blocks the recruitment of clathrin adaptor AP-1 complexes to the Golgi, and inhibits AP-1-dependent functions. This AP-1 binding defect is rescued by adding back PI(4)P. In addition, purified AP-1 binds PI(4)P, and anti-PI(4)P inhibits the in vitro recruitment of cytosolic AP-1 to normal cellular membranes. We propose that PI4KIIα establishes the Golgi's unique lipid-defined organelle identity by generating PI(4)P-rich domains that specify the docking of the AP-1 coat machinery.
Comparison of rubberlike-liquid theory with stress-growth data for elongation of a low-density branched polyethylene melt

The non-linear behavior observed byMeissner can be qualitatively described by the rubberlike-liquid constitutive equations when the constants in the memory function are chosen to fit the data in the linear region at low elongation rates.
Main‐chain, syndioregic, high‐glass transition temperature polymer for nonlinear optics: Synthesis and characterization

A new main-chain syndioregic (head-to-head) NLO polymer was synthesized. The glass transition temperature of high molecular weight polymer was found to be 208°C, and the polymer has minimal weight loss at temperatures to at least 250°C owing to the incorporation of hydrogen bonding moieties and rigid bridging groups. The polymer was further characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The study of the nonlinear optical properties of this polymer are in progress. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Carcinogenesis in rats by nitrosodimethylamine and other nitrosomethylalkylamines at low doses

Four nitrosomethylalkylamines were given to F344 rats in drinking water at concentrations of 0.22 mM or less. The total doses delivered to each animal were 0.5 and 0.2 mmol of nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), 0.6 mmol of nitrosomethyl-2-oxopropylamine (NMOP) and nitrosomethyl-2-hydroxy-propylamine (NMHP) and 0.9 mmol of nitrosomethyl-2,3-dihydroxypropylamine (NMDHP). NDMA induced liver neoplasms in most of the animals, including 35% with hemangiosarcomas as well as hepatocellular tumors at the higher dose, but only hepatocellular tumors at the lower dose and the latter group of rats survived longer. NMOP induced a high incidence of esophageal tumors and NMHP induced a high incidence of both esophageal and nasal cavity tumors. NMDHP was the least potent of the 4 carcinogens, and induced lung tumors, neoplastic nodules in the liver, a few esophageal tumors and a few nasal cavity tumors, but after a long induction time.
Leadership Strategies for Planning and Implementing Tech Prep.

The fundamental purpose of the Tech Prep Education Act is to prepare students for rapid technological advances and the America's participation in a global economy. Technical preparation (Tech Prep) addresses this goal through a curriculum comprising mathematics, science, communications, and various related occupational cluster areas to bridge secondary with postsecondary education. Across the nation, approximately 800 local consortia formed during the 1992 fiscal year to receive federal funding to plan and implement these new educational programs. The present study was conducted to document the planning and implementation processes used in 17 Tech Prep consortia in a Midwest state. The three research objectives were to document (a) how planning and implementation processes occurred, (b) the roles of local Tech Prep project leaders who assumed responsibility for guiding these processes, and (c) the leaders’ perceptions of how various planning and implementation processes contributed to the development of e...
THE LIBERAL CONSTITUTION AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Scholars have debated the meaning of the foreign-relations clauses in the U.S. Constitution. This essay attempts to outline the foreign-relations clauses that an ideal constitution should have. A liberal constitution must enable the government to implement a morally defensible foreign policy. The first priority is the defense of liberty. The constitution must allow the government to effectively defend persons, territory, and liberal institutions themselves. The liberal government should also contribute to the advancement of global freedom, subject to a number of conditions, especially cost. The essay recommends improved methods to incorporate treaties and customary international law into the constitutional structure. Treaties should be approved by the whole legislature and should generally be self-executing. Customary law should be genuine, not fake, and consistent with liberal principles. Finally, based on economic theory and evidence, the essay recommends that liberal constitutions prohibit the government from erecting trade barriers. It concludes by tentatively proposing concrete constitutional language to implement these recommendations.
A 4-year Followup Study of Children Born to Consumers of Lake Michigan Fish

Abstract Children exposed pre- and postnatally to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and related contaminants due, in part, to their mothers’ consumption of Lake Michigan fish were evaluated at age 4 years. Higher umbilical cord serum PCB levels were associated with lower weight and poorer cognitive function in two domains—short-term memory and cognitive processing speed. The memory deficit was observed in tests of auditory verbal and quantitative memory and visual pictorial memory; the processing speed deficit, in a visual discrimination task. Although much larger quantities of PCBs were transferred postnatally via breast-feeding than across the placenta, postnatal exposure was not related to any physical growth or cognitive deficits. The only outcome associated with postnatal exposure was a small reduction in activity level. Although the magnitude of these associations was modest, even relatively subtle deficits in short-term memory and speed of information processing may have a significant impact on the child's ability to master basic reading and arithmetic skills in school.
Secretory vesicle transport velocity in living cells depends on the myosin-V lever arm length

Myosins are molecular motors that exert force against actin filaments. One widely conserved myosin class, the myosin-Vs, recruits organelles to polarized sites in animal and fungal cells. However, it has been unclear whether myosin-Vs actively transport organelles, and whether the recently challenged lever arm model developed for muscle myosin applies to myosin-Vs. Here we demonstrate in living, intact yeast that secretory vesicles move rapidly toward their site of exocytosis. The maximal speed varies linearly over a wide range of lever arm lengths genetically engineered into the myosin-V heavy chain encoded by the MYO2 gene. Thus, secretory vesicle polarization is achieved through active transport by a myosin-V, and the motor mechanism is consistent with the lever arm model.
Drug delivery techniques of the future

There is a great deal of data to indicate that better knowledge of diseases, better preoperative preparations, better monitoring and better anaesthetics have significantly reduced mortality during general and regional anaesthesia in the past 60 years. Anaesthetic death rates of approximately one in 1000 in the 1940s were reduced to one in 10 000 in the 1970s, and are now estimated to be as low as one in 250 000 to one in 400 000 in 2008. This is about 250 times better that it was just 60 years ago. This paper will focus on the improvements in anaesthetic and analgesic agents and their delivery in the past 20 years and speculate on how these drugs and drug delivery systems will continue to get better in the future.
Single Payer Meets Managed Competition: The Case for Public Funding and Private Delivery

Common sense and empirical evidence suggest that single-payer health insurance, combined with competitive private delivery, would be the most cost-effective way of achieving the major, widely accepted goals of health care reform. Among the current presidential candidates, Kucinich and Gravel have the most promising reform proposals, with Edwards's and Obama's as fall-backs.