cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Planetary science: Building a planet in record time

It seems that Mars had grown to near its present size by 2 million to 4 million years after the Solar System began to form. Such rapid growth explains why the planet is much smaller than Earth and Venus. See Letter p.489 Nicolas Dauphas and Ali Pourmand use precise hafnium–tungsten–thorium isotopic data to show that Mars accreted very rapidly and reached about half of its present size in two million years or less. This is consistent with it being a stranded planetary embryo that has not subsequently collided and merged with others, and may explain why the mass of Mars is much smaller than that of Venus and Earth. The results also show that Mars grew before dissipation of the nebular gas, when ∼100-km planetesimals, such as the parent bodies of chondrites, were still being formed.
Tyrosine kinase receptor alteration of renal vasoconstriction in rats is sex- and age-related

Male rat renal blood vessels undergo reduced contraction to norepinephrine with aging. There is a greater renal vascular impairment in male compared with female rats. We investigated specific tyros...
Effect of linoleic acid on the deposition of dietary-saturated fatty acids in chicken tissues and eggs.

Effect of Linoleic Acid on the Deposition of Dietary-saturated Fatty Acids in Chicken Tissues and Eggs
The relations of emotionality and regulation to dispositional empathy-related responding among volunteers-in-training

Abstract Individual differences in emotional intensity and regulation have been postulated to influence vicarious emotional responding, which, in turn, has been posited to affect helping behavior. These relations were investigated in a sample consisting primarily of adults who were training to be volunteers at two sites (N=200). As hypothesized, negative emotional intensity was a positive predictor of dispositional sympathy and personal distress but did not predict perspective taking. Consistent with our expectations, regulation was a positive predictor of dispositional sympathy and perspective taking and was an inverse predictor of personal distress. The relation between negative emotional intensity and dispositional personal distress was moderated by perspective taking; as perspective taking increased, the strength of the positive relation between negative emotional intensity and personal distress decreased. In an exploratory analysis, the likelihood of starting a volunteer position was observed to decrease as negative emotional intensity increased.
Influence of Batter Viscosity on Breading of Chicken Drumsticks

The effects of batter viscosity on breading pickup and cooking losses are reported here. A dry batter mix was blended with water to prepare batters of increasing viscosity. Chicken drumsticks were towel dried, weighed, dipped in batter, dredged in breading, reweighed, then deep fat fried. As batter viscosity increased, the amount of breading picked up increased. Cooking losses were least and breading adhesion best from those drumsticks dipped in batters having a 1:2 water:solids ratio. Poorest adhesion of breading was noted for drumsticks dipped in batters of low viscosity having a 2:1 water:solids ratio.
Chronic exercise-induced compartment pressure elevation measured with a miniaturized fluid pressure monitor: A laboratory and clinical study

Increased pressure within an osteofascial compartment may produce a compartment syndrome, one of the principal causes of circulatory compromise in acute traumatic and chronic exercise-induced elevated com partment pressure. Acute and chronic diagnostic quan titation of compartment pressures are a valuable ad junct to clinical diagnosis, particularly when used to evaluate the athlete with exercise-induced pain. This study evaluated a prototype hand-held, digital, fluid pressure monitor used for the measurement of com partment pressure in the exercising athlete.A laboratory water and mercury manometer study, in which 50 paired, single-blind measurements were taken, revealed that the digital monitor was accurate to ±0.8 mm Hg (SD) of actual pressure with no individ ual reading more than 1 mm Hg from the actual pres sure when compared directly with a mercury and a water column. Laboratory study of bovine muscle placed within a pressure chamber revealed that the digital monitor, when assembled in the same mann...
An Economic Evaluation of Three Times Daily Milking of Dairy Cows

Abstract A budgeting procedure using a micro-computer spreadsheet was used to compare the income over feed and variable costs of cows milked thrice and twice daily. Various percentage increases in milk yield, production per cow, milk and feed prices, and labor requirements were tested. With low feed prices, a 50% increase in labor requirements, and $12/ 45.4 kg milk, a 15.7% increase in milk yield was required for a herd producing 7727 kg milk per cow/yr for the income over feed and variable costs of thrice daily milking to equal that of twice daily milking. The percentage increases required for income over feed and variable costs of thrice daily milking to equal that of twice daily milking were lowered with a decreased labor requirement, lowered feed prices, and increased herd production. Small breeds required a larger increase in production from thrice daily milking to be as profitable as twice daily milking.
Quantitative Analysis of Damage Clustering and Void Linking for Spallation Modeling in Tantalum

In a companion paper in this volume by Zurek et al, micrographs of incipient spallation damage in rolled tantalum were numerically analyzed using image analysis techniques. Void sizes, locations, and overall porosity were measured and tabulated. In this paper, we extend this analysis to include void clusters and examine the correlation between cluster size and the ranges of local instabilities between voids visible in the micrographs. The implications for spallation modeling will be given.
Lateralness in women's work: New views on success

Data from a longitudinal study of postbaccalaureate nursing careers are discussed in the context of the motive-to-avoid-success controversy. Two groups of nurses with continuous work histories were intensively studied. While most had experienced upward professional mobility, a significant minority had “lateral” careers, which, though not characterized by advancement, typically provide rewards of intensification. Further, lateral careers only occurred in specialties allowing a high degree of professional autonomy. Thus, upward mobility and advancement should not be the sole criteria of women's occupational progress. Alternative conceptions of success may be significant in many occupations, although such beliefs may not serve as viable substitutes for professional autonomy and the opportunity for personal development. Lateral movement may also characterize most men's work lives more aptly than descent or ascent; hence the findings underscore the necessity to rethink the image of movement in both male and female work spheres.
Reprint of Soy isoflavones: hope or hype?

Abstract Approximately 50% of Americans use dietary supplements on a regular basis spending an estimated $20 billion on supplements in the year 2000. Soy contains genistein and daidzein, two phytoestrogens, which work through the estrogen receptor and cause alterations in serum lipids, bone metabolism, and possibly cognition. In this article, we review the issues regarding the interpretation with studies using soy-based isoflavones, discuss their mechanism of action, and review the literature on the effect of these bio-active compounds on lipid metabolism, osteoblasts and osteoclasts, bone markers, bone mineral density, and cognition.
Mouse cerebellar adenosine-glutamate interactions and modulation of ethanol-induced motor incoordination.

Background It was demonstrated previously that cerebellar adenosine modulates ethanol-induced motor incoordination via A1 subtype of adenosine receptors. Several reports suggest the involvement of brain glutamate mechanisms, in particular N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor sites, in the central nervous system (CNS) actions of ethanol. Mutually antagonistic functional responses as a result of glutamate and adenosine within the brain regions have also been well documented. Methods With the use of rotorod performance as the test response, this study was conducted to evaluate possible functional interactions between cerebellar adenosine and glutamate and its consequence on ethanol-induced motor incoordination. Except for ethanol, which was injected intraperitoneally, all drugs used were microinfused directly into the cerebellum. Results Direct intracerebellar microinfusion of glutamate (125, 250, and 500 ng) and the antagonist l-glutamic acid diethyl-ester (125, 250, and 500 ng) markedly and dose-dependently attenuated and accentuated, respectively, ethanol-induced motor incoordination, suggesting an involvement of glutamate. Subsequently, intracerebellar microinfusions of NMDA (125, 250, and 500 ng) and its antagonists AP-5 [(+)-2-amino-5-phosphoropentanoic acid; 125, 250, and 500 ng] and (+)-MK-801 [(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a. d]-cyclo-hepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate; 25, 50, and 100 ng] significantly attenuated and accentuated, respectively, ethanol-induced motor incoordination in a dose-related manner, indicating participation of NMDA receptor. The attenuation of ethanol-induced motor incoordination by glutamate and NMDA was receptor mediated as it was antagonized by their receptor antagonists. Adenosine A1-selective agonist N6-cyclohexyladenosine and antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine functionally opposed the attenuation by glutamate and NMDA and the accentuation by L-glutamic acid diethyl-ester, AP-5, and (+)-MK-801, respectively, of ethanol-induced motor incoordination. Conclusions These results suggest a functional antagonism between glutamate NMDA and adenosine A1 receptors exhibiting a co-modulation of ethanol-induced motor incoordination within the cerebellum.
Chemotherapy in vivo against M109 murine lung carcinoma with cytochalasin B by localized, systemic, and liposomal administration

Cytochalasin B is a potentially novel microfilament-directed chemotherapeutic agent that prevents actin polymerization, thereby inhibiting cytokinesis. Although cytochalasin B has been extensively studied in vitro, only limited data are available to assess its in vivo potential. Cytochalasin B was administered to Balb/c mice challenged i.d. with M109 murine lung carcinoma to determine whether the agent could affect an established i.d. tumor when the compound is administered s.c. in the region of the i.d. tumor, but not in direct contact with it. Cytochalasin B was also administered either i.p. or s.c. at a distant site or i.v. to determine whether it could affect the long-term development of an established i.d. tumor. Cytochalasin B was then liposome encapsulated to determine whether the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the compound could be increased, while reducing immunosuppression that we have previously characterized. Liposomal cytochalasin B was also administered to mice challenged i.d. with M109 lung carcinoma to assess its chemotherapeutic efficacy. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) cytochalasin B substantially delayed the growth of i.d. M109 tumor nodules, inhibited metastatic progression in surrounding tissues, and produced long-term cures in treated mice; 2) liposomal cytochalasin B increased the i.p. MTD by more than 3-fold, produced a different distribution in tissue concentrations, and displayed antitumor effects against M109 lung carcinoma similar to non-encapsulated cytochalasin B. These data show that cytochalasin B exploits unique chemotherapeutic mechanisms and is an effective antineoplastic agent in vivo in pre-clinical models, either in bolus form or after liposome encapsulation.
Proteoglycans are present in the transverse tubule system of skeletal muscle

Abstract The transverse tubule system (T-tubule, T-system) of skeletal muscle is a membranous network that penetrates the interior of myofibers. The T-system is continuous with the sarcolemma and therefore provides a path for membrane excitation to reach internal myofibrils. In this study we demonstrate that T-tubules in elasmobranch fish, frog, and rat skeletal muscle contain a matrix of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. We used anti-T1, a mouse monoclonal antibody that recognizes a rare chondroitin sulfate epitope, for immunolocalization and biochemical studies. First, we find that T1 immunoreactivity colocalizes with a T-tubule marker, the dihydropyridine receptor α2 subunit, in both frog and fish muscle. Secondly, the distribution of T1 immunoreactivity exactly matches the different distribution of T-tubules in rat and frog muscle. In rat muscle, two bands of T1 immunoreactivity are detected per sarcomere, a distribution that corresponds to the T-tubules located at the two A-I junctions of each sarcomere. In frog muscle, we detect one band of T1 immunoreactivity per sarcomere that corresponds to the one T-tubule per sarcomere located at the Z line. Lastly, we have isolated and biochemically characterized T1 antigenicity from fish skeletal muscle. Like extracellular matrix proteoglycans of cartilage, T1 antigenicity requires denaturing conditions to be solubilized. In fish muscle, two chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans bear T1: a heavily glycosylated proteoglycan with a molecular mass of about 1000 kDa, and a smaller proteoglycan that has a mobility on SDS-PAGE like a protein of molecular mass 280 kDa. We p[ropose that proteoglycans function as structural components in the T-system. The proteoglycans may form a matrix, like the one formed by the cartilage proteoglycans they resemble, that can withstand the cytosolic osmotic pressures present in muscle cells and therefore may prevent the T-tubule from collapsing. We present a quantitative argument in support of this hypothesis.
Regulation of Cytoskeletal Dynamics at the Immune Synapse: New Stars Join the Actin Troupe

Reorganization of actin cytoskeletal dynamics plays a critical role in controlling T-lymphocyte activation and effector functions. Interaction of T-cell receptors (TCR) with appropriate major histocompatibility complex-peptide complexes on antigen-presenting cells results in the activation of signaling cascades, leading to the accumulation of F-actin at the cell-cell contact site. This event is required for the formation and stabilization of the immune synapse (IS), a cellular structure essential for the modulation of T-cell responses. Analysis of actin cytoskeletal dynamics following engagement of the TCR has largely focused on the Arp2/3 regulator, WASp, because of its early identification and its association with human disease. However, recent studies have shown equally important roles for several additional actin regulatory proteins. In this review, we turn the spotlight on the expanding cast of actin regulatory proteins, which co-ordinate actin dynamics at the IS.
Evidence of reduction of fumarate to succinate in perfused rat liver under conditions of reduced O2 tension.

Abstract 1. 1. Infusion of L -[2- 3 H]lactate or [2,2′- 3 H 2 ]fumarate into the intact rat liver perfused under conditions of limited O 2 tension results in the appearance and accumulation of tritiated succinate in the liver. 2. 2. From the experimental data and from the stereospecific nature of the reactions involved, the labeled succinate formed under these conditions is believed to be formed by reduction of fumarate. 3. 3. The reaction shows partial sensitivity to rotenone and is strongly inhibited by malonate. 4. 4. Reduction of fumarate in intact liver cells may serve as a pathway for conducting extramitochondrial hydrogen into the intramitochondrial space during short periods of anaerobiosis.
Response saturation of short-wavelength cone pathways controlled by color-opponent mechanisms

Abstract Response saturation of the short-wavelength cone pathways was measured with foveal, violet test flashes on steady or flashed violet fields. These violet stimuli were presented on an intense steady yellow “auxiliary” field that suppressed the Π4 and Π5 mechanisms. At given violet field intensities the increment threshold curve became very steep, demonstrating response saturation of the short-wavelength pathways. This response saturation could be greatly reduced or eliminated by flashing the yellow auxiliary field, rather than having it steady, or by adding a flashed yellow field to the steady yellow auxiliary field. The response saturation was strongly promoted by presenting a negative yellow field flash (i.e. a decrement of the steady yellow field) with the positive violet field flash. The results show that the response saturation is controlled, not by independently acting short-wavelength cones, but by cancellative mechanisms that receive signals of opposite sign from the short-wavelength cones and the middle- and long-wavelength cones.
Optimality for boundary value problems for Lipschitz equations

On considere les solutions de problemes aux valeurs limites pour une equation scalaire d'ordre n: x (n) =f(t,x,x', ...,x (n−1) ) ou f est continue sur (a,b)×R n et satisfait une condition de Lipschitz. On determine les sous-intervalles de longueur optimale de (a,b) en fonctions des coefficients de Lipschitz, sur lesquels des solutions sont uniques
Power and the design and implementation of accounting and control systems

Abstract Although accounting and control systems have increased in both their sophistication and importance as resource allocation decisions have moved more within organizations, resistance and system failure are both common, and there is little evidence that system sophistication is associated with effective performance. Three consonance hypotheses are advanced to explain resistance and system difficulty: accounting and control systems will be implemented easily to the extent that they are (a) consistent with other sources of power in their implications for the distribution of power; (b) consistent with the dominant organizational culture and paradigm in their implications for values and beliefs; and (c) consistent with shared judgments about technical certainty and goal congruence in their assumptions about the degree of certainty about the organization's goals and technology. These sources of resistance are fundamentally structural, and process-based strategies (such as user involvement in design) are largely ineffective in overcoming these problems. This result suggests that power structures and organizational paradigms must be considered in both research and practice dealing with accounting and control systems.
RETICULOPODIA: STRUCTURAL AND BEHAVIORAL BASIS FOR THE SUPRAGENERIC PLACEMENT OF GRANULORETICULOSAN PROTISTS

A complex array of branching and anastomosing granular pseudopodia (reticulopodia) is thought to be a primary feature of the protistan phylum Granuloreticulosa. This essay summarizes the results of detailed structural and behavioral analyses of reticulopodia from representative species of “naked,” “soft-shelled,” and unilocular agglutinated Foraminifera. Promiscuous plasma membrane fusion, experimentally demonstrated here for the first time, together with the presence of tubulin polymorphs and a unique class of ellipsoid vesicles, form a suite of phenotypic characters that further define the suprageneric status of these protists. A theoretical framework for exploring the evolution of reticulopodia is also presented.
Variations in structure of the lateral-line canal on scales of teleostean fishes

Scanning electron microscopy of lateral-line scales of teleostean fishes demonstrates a wide range of structural variation of the lateral-line canal from a simple direct or slightly oblique perforation to an extended canal with or without simple to highly complex cantilevered extensions acting as covers over the anterior canal opening. Possible important implications of these morphological variations in structure of the lateral-line canal in taxonomy, in scale growth and development, and in lateral line mechanoreception are indicated.
Size-Induced Strengthening in Nanostructured Mg Alloy Micropillars

Size effects on the compressive strength of nanostructured Mg-micropillars were investigated. Mg–10Al alloy micropillars with diameters ranging from 1.5 to 8 μm were prepared by focused-ion-beam and tested under micro-compression. A significant improvement in strength was found by reducing the pillar diameter<3.5 μm. The deformation mechanisms of the compressed pillars were characterized using transmission electron microscopy. We attribute the size-induced strengthening to a less number of dislocation sources along with a higher activity of non-basal deformation mechanisms.
Geochronology of sediments in the Sabine-Neches estuary, Texas, U.S.A.

The accumulation rate of sediments in the Sabine-Neches estuary, near Beaumont, Texas, was studied in four sediment cores using radioisotopes 210Pb and 239,240Pu. Due to very low and variable activities of unsupported 210Pb in the sediments, the sedimentation rates could not be reliably established using the 210Pb dating method. However, 239,240Pu profiles showed distinct peaks, corresponding to the maximum fallout in 1963, and using these Pu peaks the average sedimentation rates were estimated at 4–5 mm yr−1 in the upper and lower estuary. Various assumptions that are commonly used in the 210Pb dating method were tested. It was found that the 226Ra activities were in equilibrium with 238U, and the possible loss of 222Rn was judged to be insignificant. The lack of an exponential profile of excess 210Pb with depth did not appear to be a direct result of sediment mixing, as the post-depositional mixing rates estimated using a numerical mixing model were low compared to other coastal areas. A significant positive correlation between the amount of < 63-μm fraction sediments and the total 210Pb activity was observed in the surface sediments. While the hydraulic residence time was relativelt short in this estuary (∼ 10 days), the average total residence time of 210Pb was ∼ 10 days. Between 50% and 94% of the total 210Pb in the water column was found in the < 0.5-μm fraction, resulting in low Kd-values. The measured inventories of excess 210Pb and 239,240Pu in estuarine sediments were only ∼ 10–34% and ∼ 19–50%, respectively, of the total expected inventories. It appears that the estuarine retention and sediment inventory of these radionuclides, and by analogy, other particle reactive metals, are a function of the hydraulic residence time, grain size, and possibly complexation of these nuclides with DOC.
Measurements of the resonance lines of 6Li and 7Li by Doppler-free frequency-modulation spectroscopy.

Using Doppler-free frequency-modulation spectroscopy, we have measured most of the hyperfine components and the centers of gravity of the ${\mathit{D}}_{1}$ line of $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ and the ${\mathit{D}}_{2}$ line of $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$. By using previously measured fine- and hyperfine-structure splittings, we have also determined centers of gravity for the ${\mathit{D}}_{2}$ line of $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ and the ${\mathit{D}}_{1}$ line of $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$. Our present results are more accurate than previously reported values by a factor of more than 100. The wave numbers are $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ ${\mathit{D}}_{2}$: 14 903.983 468 (14) ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$; $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ ${\mathit{D}}_{1}$: 14 903.648 130 (14) ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$; $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ ${\mathit{D}}_{2}$: 14 903.632 116(18) ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$; $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ ${\mathit{D}}_{1}$: 14 903.296 792 (23) ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. Values for the isotope shifts of the resonance lines of 0.351 338 (21) ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ for the ${\mathit{D}}_{1}$ line and 0.351 352 (15) ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ for the ${\mathit{D}}_{2}$ line have been derived. All uncertainties represent a 95% level of confidence.
Air quality impacts of the October 2003 Southern California wildfires

[1] In Southern California, dry summers followed by hot and dry westerly wind conditions contribute to the region's autumn fire season. In late October 2003, 13 large Southern California wildfires burned more than 750,000 acres of land, destroyed over 3500 structures, and displaced approximately 100,000 people. The fire episode was declared the deadliest and most devastating in more than a decade, and local media advised individuals to stay indoors to avoid exposure to excessive levels of PM, CO, VOCs, and ozone caused by the wildfires. This study examines the actual impact of these wildfires on air quality in urban Los Angeles (LA) using “opportunistic” data from other air pollution studies being conducted at the time of the fires. Measurements of pollutant gases (CO, NOx, and ozone), particulate matter (PM), particle number (PN) concentrations, and particle size distributions at several sampling locations in the LA basin before, during, and after the fire episode are presented. In general, the wildfires caused the greatest increases in PM10 levels (a factor of 3–4) and lesser increases in CO, NO, and PN (a factor of up to 2). NO2 levels remained essentially unchanged, and ozone concentrations dropped during the fire episode. Particle size distributions of air sampled downwind of the fires showed number modes at diameters between 100 and 200 nm, significantly larger than that of typical urban air. The particles in this size range were shown to effectively penetrate indoors, raising questions about the effectiveness of staying indoors to avoid exposure to wildfire emissions.
A nonrecoverable learning deficit

We have used classical conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane (NM)/eyelid response to study the neuronal basis of basic associative learning and memory. Unilateral lesions of the dorsolateral interpositus nucleus of the cerebellum abolish the learned response and prevent learning on the side of the lesion, but do not prevent performance of the unlearned reflex or learning on the contralateral side. Recovery of function of the learned NM/eyelid response does not occur after extensive training or retraining, after extensive recovery and training over periods of several months, after treatment with amphetamine, or after successfully learning a conditioned heart-rate response. The deficit would seem to be permanent.
Feasibility of amifostine administration in conjunction with high-dose rate brachytherapy

Abstract This ongoing study was initiated to determine the feasibility of administering amifostine (Ethyol, WR-2721; MedImmune, Inc, Gaithersburg, MD) with monomodal high-dose rate (mHDR) brachytherapy and to assess the tolerability and side effects of this combination. To date, 18 patients suitable for prostate implant brachytherapy (≤T2aN0; prostate-specific antigen ≤ 10 ng/mL; Gleason score ≤ 6) have been treated with mHDR brachytherapy, receiving four 9-Gy fractions administered twice daily for 2 days. Amifostine (500 mg) is administered subcutaneously on the day before implant and 30 to 60 minutes before the first and third mHDR treatments. All 18 patients have received amifostine and brachytherapy as planned. Nausea was manageable with oral prochlorperazine in the pretreatment phase and our standard antiemesis protocol (intravenous promethazine, with granisetron if needed) during the implant; hypotension and asthenia were not problematic. During the 2-week post-treatment phase, grade 1 cystitis occurred in eight of 18 patients; grades 1 and 2 proctitis occurred in six of 18 and five of 18 patients, respectively. Six patients developed urinary obstruction symptoms. Preliminary results support the feasibility and tolerability of subcutaneous amifostine in conjunction with mHDR brachytherapy. Total accrual goal is 50 patients to assess long-term efficacy. Additional studies of HDR with amifostine are planned for patients with recurrent prostate and gynecologic cancer.
Experimental reduction of beam-breakup instability growth by external cavity coupling in long-pulse electron-beam transport

Experiments have demonstrated the reduction of the beam-breakup (BBU) instability growth rate by coupling the main cavities, through which an electron beam passes, to identical dummy cavities. When seven of the ten main cavities are coupled, an average reduction of about 6 dB in BBU microwave growth, from 36 to 30 dB, is observed. This reduction is consistent with a simple mode coupling theory. The electron beam parameters are 750 kV, 210 A, 0.5 [mu]s, with solenoidal focusing of 3.4 kG.
Infrequency of ras, p53, WT1, or RB gene alterations in Wilms tumors

Background. Alteration of the ras family of oncogenes and of the tumor suppressor genes p53 and RB are the most common genetic events in human tumors. Although there have been no reports of the prevalence of these alterations in Wilms tumors, overexpression of the N-myc and insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) genes have been observed, and alteration of another tumor suppressor gene (WT1) has been demonstrated. Methods. Forty-four Wilms tumor specimens were tested for the presence of N-, K-, and H-ras mutations in codons 12,13, and 61 by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and direct DNA sequence analysis. Sixteen tumors were tested for abnormalities of WT1 by Southern and northern blot analysis and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). N-myc, c-myc, WT1, and IGF-II mRNA expression was measured in 16 tumors by Northern blot analysis. Thirty-eight tumors were screened for p53 mutations by SSCP analysis and direct DNA sequence analysis. Nine tumors were analyzed for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of RB. Results. Although the authors confirmed that N-myc and IGF-II are overexpressed in Wilms tumors, no mutations of ras family, p53, or RB genes were identified, and no gross alterations of WT1 were detected by Southern or Northern blot analysis. Conclusions. These findings suggest that H-ras, K-ras, N-ras, p53, and RB are not involved in the pathogenesis of Wilms tumor.
Learning sparse filter bank transforms with convolutional ICA

Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is a generalization of Principal Component Analysis that optimizes a linear transformation to whiten and sparsify a family of source signals. The computational costs of ICA grow rapidly with dimensionality, and application to high-dimensional data is generally achieved by restricting to small windows, violating the translation-invariant nature of many real-world signals, and producing blocking artifacts in applications. Here, we reformulate the ICA problem for transformations computed through convolution with a bank of filters, and develop a generalization of the fastICA algorithm for optimizing the filters over a set of example signals. This results in a substantial reduction of computational complexity and memory requirements. When applied to a database of photographic images, the method yields bandpass oriented filters, whose responses are sparser than those of orthogonal wavelets or block DCT, and slightly more heavy-tailed than those of block ICA, despite fewer model parameters.
Prolactin: A Novel and Safe Immunomodulating Hormone for the Treatment of Immunodepression Following Severe Hemorrhage

Abstract Recent studies have shown that the anterior pituitary hormone prolactin, together with various cytokines, plays an important role in maintaining normal immune responses. Although there is evidence that prolactin may be a significant immunotropic hormone that can counteract the immunosuppressive effects of drugs such as cyclosporine, morphine, or glucocorticoids, it remains unknown whether prolactin administration has any salutary effects on the depressed immune responses following severe hemorrhage. To study this, mice were bled to and maintained at a mean arterial pressure of 35 mm Hg for 60 min, then adequately resuscitated and segregated into two groups. One group received saline-vehicle (hem-SS); animals in the other group were treated with prolactin (hem-PRL) (100 μg per 25 g BW, subcutaneously) immediately before resuscitation. Two hours following saline or prolactin injection, splenocytes (SPL) were harvested and assessed for proliferative capacity (PC) and their ability to release IL-2 and IL-3. Supernatant lymphokine levels were determined by bioassay. The proliferative capacity of the splenocytes, as well as their ability to release IL-2 and IL-3, was significantly depressed in the vehicle-treated hemorrhaged animals, compared to shams. Treatment with prolactin restored the depressed splenocyte functions seen after severe hemorrhage. These results support the notion that the immunosuppression following hemorrhage and trauma may be mediated by hormones from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Furthermore, our results suggest that the use of prolactin, which did not produce any adverse hemodynamic effects, represents a novel and safe immunomodulating hormone for the treatment of immunodepression following severe blood loss.
In-house preservation of early U.S. government maps

The folded maps that accompany many U.S. Serial Set and departmental government depository publications published in the 1800s are today brittle, torn, and difficult to use without causing further damage. With the professional help and encouragement of the library staff of Colorado College, a local writer undertook an in-house project to preserve selected maps. This article outlines the process followed in preserving the maps from the War Department's Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
The effect of environmental factors on infection of blueberry fruit by Colletotrichum acutatum

Anthracnose fruit rot of blueberries caused by Colletotrichum acutatum is a serious problem in humid blueberry-growing regions of North America. In order to develop a disease prediction model, environmental factors that affect mycelial growth, conidial germination, appressorium formation and fruit infection by C. acutatum were investigated. Variables included temperature, wetness duration, wetness interruption and relative humidity. The optimal temperature for mycelial growth was 26°C, and little or no growth was observed at 5 and 35°C. The development of melanized appressoria was studied on Parafilm-covered glass slides and infection was evaluated in immature and mature blueberry fruits. In all three assays, the optimal temperature for infection was identified as 25°C, and infections increased up to a wetness duration of 48 h. Three-dimensional Gaussian equations were used to assess the effect of temperature and wetness duration on the development of melanized appressoria (R2 = 0·89) on Parafilm-covered glass slides and on infection incidence in immature (R2 = 0·86) and mature (R2 = 0·90) blueberry fruits. Interrupted wetness periods of different durations were investigated and models were fitted to the response of melanized appressoria (R2 = 0·95) and infection incidence in immature (R2 = 0·90) and mature (R2 = 0·78) blueberry fruits. Additionally, the development of melanized appressoria and fruit infection incidence were modelled in relation to relative humidity (R2 = 0·99 and 0·97, respectively). Three comprehensive equations were then developed that incorporate the aforementioned variables. The results lay the groundwork for a disease prediction model for anthracnose fruit rot in blueberries.
Pharmacokinetics of 2-butanol and its metabolites in the rat

A pharmacokinetic model is presented to describe the biotransformation of 2-butanol (2-OL) and its metabolites (2-butanone, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, and 2,3-butanediol) using in vivo experimental blood concentrations. A flow limited model is developed to simulate 2-OL, 2-butanone (2-ONE), 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (3H-2B), and 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) blood concentrations in rats after oral administration of 2-OL. Assuming the only important site of 2-OL biotransformation is the liver, the tissues included are the liver and a volume of distribution, essentially body water in the case of 2-OL and its metabolites. A distribution coefficient is found to be necessary to describe the low concentration of 3H-2B in blood after administration of 2-OL. The need for this coefficient may be due to partitioning, binding, or altered transport rates from the liver. Inhibition of 2-ONE metabolism to 3H-2B by 2-OL has been included to explain a time delay in the appearance of 3H-2B after administration of 2-OL. Subsequent experimental verification confirms the mixed function oxidase inhibitory properties of 2-OL. The model is able to simulate blood concentrations and elimination of all four compounds after the oral administration of 2-OL. Additionally, the model also simulates the results obtained after i.v. administration of 3H-2B and 2,3-BD.
Satellite Data And Estimates Of Precipitation For Hydrologic Applications

One of the most important hydrologic variables is the total precipitation over a finite area during a specified period of time. The area of interest frequently is located within rugged terrain that offers a difficult background for observation by remote sensing, including weather radar. Surface observations at widely scattered points within the region often fail to provide sufficiently representative data for inferring the spatially-integrated precipitation. On the other hand, it is believed that useful information on precipitation can be deduced from data collected routinely by meteorological satellites.© (1972) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Biological responses of human mesenchymal stem cells to titanium wear debris particles.

Wear debris-induced osteolysis is a major cause of orthopaedic implant aseptic loosening, and various cell types, including macrophages, monocytes, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts, are involved. We recently showed that mesenchymal stem/osteoprogenitor cells (MSCs) are another target, and that endocytosis of titanium (Ti) particles causes reduced MSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Here we investigated the mechanistic aspects of the endocytosis-mediated responses of MSCs to Ti particulates. Dose-dependent effects were observed on cell viability, with doses >300 Ti particles/cell resulting in drastic cell death. To maintain cell viability and analyze particle-induced effects, doses <300 particles/cell were used. Increased production of IL- 8, but not IL-6, was observed in treated MSCs, while levels of TGF-β, IL-1β, and TNF-α were undetectable in treated or control cells, suggesting MSCs as a likely major producer of IL-8 in the periprosthetic zone. Disruptions in cytoskeletal and adherens junction organization were also observed in Ti particles-treated MSCs. However, neither IL-8 and IL-6 treatment nor conditioned medium from Ti particle-treated MSCs failed to affect MSC osteogenic differentiation. Among other Ti particle-induced cytokines, only GM-CSF appeared to mimic the effects of reduced cell viability and osteogenesis. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that MSCs play both responder and initiator roles in mediating the osteolytic effects of the presence of wear debris particles in periprosthetic zones.
The role of vascular steroid receptors in the control of vascular contractility and peripheral vascular resistance

Evidence is presented that glucocorticoids (GC) and mineralocorticoids (MC) control contractility of vascular smooth muscle (VSM). This control is effected through the in situ mechanism for the action of these steroids in the arterial and arteriolar wall. This action is mediated through GC and MC receptors in the VSM cell. Acting through these receptors, MC and GC increase transport capacities of different transmembrane transport systems for Na+ and/or Ca2+ through induction of synthesis of proteins constituting the transport systems. Colocalization of enzymes deactivating cortisol in VSM, with VSM receptors for GC and MC further strengthens the concept that the arterial network houses an in situ molecular mechanism for the control of VSM contractility, thus peripheral vascular resistance.
Platelet-derived growth factor or basic fibroblast growth factor induce anchorage-independent growth of human fibroblasts

Anchorage-independent growth, i.e., growth in semi-solid medium is considered a marker of cellular transformation of fibroblast cells. Diploid human fibroblasts ordinarily do not exhibit such growth but can grow transiently when medium contains high concentrations of fetal bovine serum. This suggests that some growth factor(s) in serum is responsible for anchorage-independent growth. Much work has been done to characterize the peptide growth factor requirements of various rodent fibroblast cells for anchorage-independent growth; however, the requirements of human fibroblasts are not known. To determine the peptide growth factor requirements of human fibroblasts for anchorage-independent growth, we used medium containing serum that had had its peptide growth factors inactivated. We found that either platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) or the basic form of fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) induced anchorage-independent growth. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) did not enhance the growth induced by PDGF, or did so only slightly. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) decreased the growth induced by PDGF. EGF combined with TGF-beta induced colony formation in semi-solid medium at concentrations at which neither growth factor by itself was effective, but the combination was much less effective in stimulating anchorage-independent growth than PDGF or bFGF. This work showed that PDGF, or bFGF, or EGF combined with TGF-beta can stimulate anchorage-independent growth of nontransformed human fibroblasts. The results support the idea that cellular transformation may reduce or eliminate the need for exogenous PDGF or bFGF.
Method development in high-performance liquid chromatography using retention mapping and experimental design techniques

Abstract Method development in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using retention mapping and experimental design techniques is reviewed. The general strategy of overlapping resolution mapping is overviewed. A summary of various applications is examined for reversed-phase, normal-phase, ion-pair, and gradient elution HPLC, as well as stationary phase selectivity. In addition, numerical criteria for separation and optimization are detailed and a discussion of peak tracking and software is included.
After-hyperpolarization currents and acetylcholine control sigmoid transfer functions in a spiking cortical model

Recurrent networks are ubiquitous in the brain, where they enable a diverse set of transformations during perception, cognition, emotion, and action. It has been known since the 1970's how, in rate-based recurrent on-center off-surround networks, the choice of feedback signal function can control the transformation of input patterns into activity patterns that are stored in short term memory. A sigmoid signal function may, in particular, control a quenching threshold below which inputs are suppressed as noise and above which they may be contrast enhanced before the resulting activity pattern is stored. The threshold and slope of the sigmoid signal function determine the degree of noise suppression and of contrast enhancement. This article analyses how sigmoid signal functions and their shape may be determined in biophysically realistic spiking neurons. Combinations of fast, medium, and slow after-hyperpolarization (AHP) currents, and their modulation by acetylcholine (ACh), can control sigmoid signal threshold and slope. Instead of a simple gain in excitability that was previously attributed to ACh, cholinergic modulation may cause translation of the sigmoid threshold. This property clarifies how activation of ACh by basal forebrain circuits, notably the nucleus basalis of Meynert, may alter the vigilance of category learning circuits, and thus their sensitivity to predictive mismatches, thereby controlling whether learned categories code concrete or abstract information, as predicted by Adaptive Resonance Theory.
Experimental Demonstration of an Electrodynamic Transformer

This paper explores a passive, two-port electromechanical device that employs electrodynamic transduction to yield transformer-like electrical behavior. The device-coined an “electrodynamic transformer” (ET)-comprises two coils that are coupled by their electrodynamic interaction with a strong, static magnet field, supplied by permanent magnets. A prototype structure is built and tested to explore the concept. Operating at 22 Hz, the proof-of-concept device provides a peak open-circuit voltage gain of 12, and a peak efficiency of 39%. The voltage gain is also electrically tunable within the range of ±5%.
NEW ECONOMICS OF SOCIOLOGICAL CRIMINOLOGY

▪ Abstract This paper begins with a summary of the rational choice approach and its implications for the study of criminal behavior. I then review research on offending that uses the rational choice approach in conjunction with more sociological orientations. I also summarize research on game theory and demonstrate how it can be effectively used to understand and predict criminal decision-making. I argue that, contrary to the assessment of many criminologists, rational choice approach and game theory insights can be combined profitably with sociological perspectives to advance the understanding and prediction of criminal behavior.
Reassessment of Some Fruit and Vegetable Pectin Levels

Several reviews of pectin as a soluble fiber have included unreliable tables of pectin content for fruits and vegetables. Values given for ranges of pectin content in the fresh, edible portion are actually presented in original reports variously as peel pectin content, dry weight values, soluble rather than total pectins, and some values have been for unripe fruit. This has resulted in reporting pectin levels for some products that may be 2-10 times higher than other published data on the same product. This report examines the original sources and errors of such data and, when available, provides other more substantiated published values.
Treating drug-abusing offenders. Initial findings from a five-county study on the impact of California's Proposition 36 on the treatment system and patient outcomes.

Five counties (Kern, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco) that demonstrate both variations and similarities in their implementation of Proposition 36 (e.g., treatment approaches, urine testing) and patient mix have been selected to participate in a study assessing how California's Proposition 36 is affecting the drug treatment system and patient outcomes. Except for San Francisco, treatment admissions increased during the first year of Proposition 36 implementation over the prior year (27% in Kern, 21% in Riverside, 17% in Sacramento, and 16% in San Diego), mostly in outpatient drug-free programs. Compared to non-Proposition 36 patients, Proposition 36 patients were more likely to be men, first-time admissions, treated in outpatient drug-free programs, employed full-time, and users of methamphetamine or marijuana. They were less likely to be treated in residential programs or methadone maintenance programs and fewer reported heroin use or injection drug use. Guided by the multilevel open syste...
Tensile deformation of electroplated copper nanopillars

The results are presented of uniaxial tensile testing of single crystalline electroplated copper nanopillars with diameters between 75 nm and 165 nm fabricated without the use of a focused ion beam (FIB). The experiments were performed in an in situ nanomechanical instrument, SEMentor, and reveal that the pillars’ ultimate tensile strengths follow a similar power law dependence on diameter as reported for microcompression studies on fcc metals fabricated with and without FIB. Further, these pillars are characterized by limited or non-existent initial homogeneous deformation, immediately followed by necking in the top portion of the pillar. The particular deformation attributes are discussed in the context of hardening by dislocation starvation. Site-specific transmission electron microscopy microstructural analysis of as-fabricated nanopillars indicates the presence of scarce twin boundaries in some specimens. We comment on the potential for mechanical effects due to the presence of twins.