cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Specialization of Jadera Species (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) on the Seeds of Sapindaceae (Sapindales), and (Revolutionary Responses of Defense and Attack

Feeding and breeding associations of five species of Jadera on 11 species of sapindaceous plants in the United States and Panama are described. Ecological notes are given for each species on its particular host plants. Nonsapindaceous plants used during reproductive diapause are also listed. The consistency with which Jadera use seeds of these plants for reproduction suggests that they are specialists on this plant family. This idea is supported by concordance in distributions of the insects and their host plants, presence in the plants of morphological and phenological characters that directly reduce impact of seed predators, and evidence of coevolution between mouthpart morphology and seed defense structures. This paper provides strong evidence that serinethine rhopalids evolved on host plants in the Sapindales.
The evolution of witchcraft and the meaning of healing in colonial Andean society.

This paper explores the ways in which traditional beliefs of Andean peoples regarding health and sickness were transformed by the process of Spanish colonization. It also examines how the colonial context devolved new meanings and powers on native curers. The analysis of these transformations in Andean systems of meanings and role structures relating to healing depends on an examination of the European witchcraze of the 16th–17th centuries. The Spanish conquest of the Inca empire in the mid-1500's coincided with the European witch hunts; it is argued that the latter formed the cultural lens through which the Spanish evaluated native religion — the matrix through which Andean concepts of disease and health were expressed — as well as native curers. Andean religion was condemned as heresy and curers were condemned as witches.
Effects of interleukin‐1β and tumor necrosis factor‐α on the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and transferrin in cultured astrocytes

Recent evidence suggests that interleukin (IL)-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) may play a role in astrogliosis following injury to the CNS. The short-term biochemical effects of these immune-related cytokines were determined on cultured rat polygonal and process-bearing astrocytes. Both IL-1 and TNF stimulated the rate of thymidine incorporation in polygonal astrocytes up to 137% and 215%, respectively, over the level observed in untreated controls. By contrast, thymidine incorporation was relatively unaffected by these cytokines in process-bearing astrocytes. The cytokines did not significantly affect the level of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) within polygonal astrocytes, even though they appeared to downregulate the expression of GFAP mRNA by as much as 62%. Both cytokines increased the intracellular expression of transferrin (Tf) within some polygonal astrocytes. In untreated control cultures, fewer than 2% of polygonal astrocytes were immunoreactive for Tf. By contrast, approximately 30% of polygonal astrocytes treated with IL-1 or TNF-α became strongly immunoreactive for Tf. Neither IL-2 nor a number of other known growth factors appeared to alter the level of immunoreactive Tf in these cells. Process-bearing astrocytes were negative for Tf, regardless of the treatment used. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the level of Tf mRNA in cultures of polygonal astrocytes increased 148% above the level observed in untreated controls following treatment with either IL-1 or TNF, whereas no change was observed following treatment with IL-2. These results suggest that increased levels of particular cytokines known to be present in injured CNS can produce pronounced biochemical alterations within a subtype of cultured astrocytes. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Hypertension induces tissue-specific gene suppression of a fatty acid binding protein in rat aorta

Abstract The effect of hypertension on the expression of a fatty acid binding protein localized in the rat aorta was studied. The presence of rat heart fatty acid binding protein (hFABP) was documented in aortic tissue by using a cDNA probe and polyclonal antibodies. Hypertension was induced in groups of rats by implantation of deoxycorticosterone acetate in conjunction with 1% salt in the drinking water (deoxycorticosterone/salt). By the third week of this treatment a marked reduction (by a factor of 20) in the expression of hFABP mRNA in aorta was found, concomitant with a reduction in immunologically detectable protein, suggesting transcriptional regulation. This effect was tissue specific, since no change in the normal amounts of hFABP mRNA in heart, skeletal muscle, or kidney was found. This reduction in aortic hFABP mRNA was also found in mildly hypertensive uninephrectomized rats given salt but no deoxycorticosterone and in normotensive rats given deoxycorticosterone but no excess salt intake. A marked decrease in aortic hFABP mRNA also was observed in the Goldblatt two kidney-one clip hypertensive model, and administration of angiotensin II for 6 days by osmotic minipump also caused a reduction. These findings suggest that hFABP is under complex regulation in aortic tissue and is suppressed by arterial hypertension.
Transport of fluorescent bile acids by the isolated perfused rat liver: Kinetics, sequestration, and mobilization

Hepatocyte transport of six fluorescent bile acids containing nitrobenzoxadiazolyl (NBD) or a fluorescein derivative on the side chain was compared with that of natural bile acids using the single-pass perfused rat liver. Compounds were infused at 40 nmol/g liver min for 15 minutes; hepatic uptake and biliary recovery were measured; fractional extraction, intrinsic basolateral clearance, and sequestration (nonrecovery after 45 minutes of additional perfusion) were calculated. Fluorescent bile acids were efficiently extracted during the first 3 minutes (70%-97%), but net extraction decreased with time mostly because of regurgitation into the perfusate. For cholylglycine and ursodeoxycholylglycine (UDC-glycine), extraction was 94% to 99%, and regurgitation did not occur. Intrinsic hepatic clearance of fluorescent bile acids (2-7 mL/g liver x min) was lower than that of cholylglycine (9.0 +/- 0.6; mean +/- SD) and UDC-glycine (21.4 +/- 0.4). Sequestration at 60 minutes was 8% to 26% for fluorescent bile acids with a cholyl moiety (cholylglycylaminofluorescein [CGamF], cholyllysylfluorescein [C-L-F], cholyl-[N epsilon-NBD]-lysine [C-L-NBD], and cholylaminofluorescein [CamF]), 32% for ursodeoxycholylaminofluorescein (UDCamF), and 88% for ursodeoxycholyl-(N epsilon-NBD)lysine (UDC-L-NBD). Cholylglycine and UDC-glycine had cholyl derivatives). Two modes of hepatic sequestration of fluorescent bile acids were identified. Fluorescent bile acids may be useful to characterize sequestration processes during bile acid transport through the hepatocyte.
Diagnosis and treatment of granulomatous mastitis

Granulomatous mastitis is a benign inflammatory breast disease of unknown etiology. Although it is rare, it frequently presents in a manner similar to that of breast carcinoma. Surgical resection of the affected tissue has often been the method of treatment, but many patients have experienced recurrences. Corticosteroids have also been used, but the initiation of this therapy is often limited by concerns related to the presence of an infectious etiology. Presented here are two cases that demonstrate the efficacy of corticosteroids in this condition after appropriate evaluation is performed.
Understanding Mexican-American Marriage Patterns Using a Life-Course Approach*

Objective. Guided by a life-course framework that incorporates the interconnection between marriage, migration, and other transitions, we critically examine the familism explanation for the earlier age at marriage among Mexican Americans. Methods. We compare the marriage patterns of Mexican immigrants derived from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) to those of women living in Mexico derived from the Mexican Census. We then use data from the NSFG to estimate proportional hazard models of marriage using fixed variables such as parent’s education and time-varying variables such as school enrollment. Results. Analyses show that the Mexican immigrant population marries earlier than Mexicans who do not migrate to the United States. In addition, the U.S.-born Mexican population has lower marriage rates than whites once family background characteristics associated with early marriage are controlled and Anglos are no less likely than Mexican Americans to marry in response to a pregnancy. Conclusion. We find reason to doubt that ethnic differentials are driven by a strong attachment to marriage, female chastity, and the ‘‘traditional’’ family. Although cultural factors may play an important role, researchers need to more carefully specify the aspects of Mexican culture that might encourage marriage and how these factors interrelate with economic and demographic constraints. The Mexican-origin population in the United States marries at an earlier age compared to non-Hispanic white (Anglo) women. In March 2000, 72 percent of Anglo women age 20‐24 were never married. The corresponding proportion for Hispanics, the majority (65 percent) of whom are Mexican, is 55 percent (Fields and Casper, 2001). This relatively large percent married at an early age is surprising because limited economic opportunity and
A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Community-Based Dementia Care Coordination Intervention: Effects of MIND at Home on Caregiver Outcomes

Objective To assess whether MIND at Home, a community-based, multicomponent, care coordination intervention, reduces unmet caregiving needs and burden in informal caregivers of persons with memory disorders. Methods An 18-month randomized controlled trial of 289 community-living care recipient (CR)–caregiver (informal caregivers, i.e., unpaid individuals who regularly assisted the CR) dyads from 28 postal code areas of Baltimore, Maryland was conducted. All dyads and the CR's primary care physician received the written needs assessment results and intervention recommendations. Intervention dyads then received an 18-month care coordination intervention delivered by nonclinical community workers to address unmet care needs through individualized care planning, referral and linkage to dementia services, provision of caregiver dementia education and skill-building strategies, and care progress monitoring by an interdisciplinary team. Primary outcome was total percent of unmet caregiver needs at 18 months. Secondary outcomes included objective and subjective caregiver burden measures, quality of life (QOL), and depression. Results Total percent of unmet caregiver needs declined in both groups from baseline to 18 months, with no statistically significant between-group difference. No significant group differences occurred in most caregiver burden measures, depression, or QOL. There was a potentially clinically relevant reduction in self-reported number of hours caregivers spent with the CR for MIND participants compared with control subjects. Conclusion No statistically significant impacts on caregiver outcomes were found after multiple comparison adjustments. However, MIND at Home appeared to have had a modest and clinically meaningful impact on informal caregiver time spent with CRs.
On the robustness of google scholar against spam

In this research-in-progress paper we present the current results of several experiments in which we analyzed whether spamming Google Scholar is possible. Our results show, it is possible: We 'improved' the ranking of articles by manipulating their citation counts and we made articles appear in searchers for keywords the articles did not originally contained by placing invisible text in modified versions of the article.
Pharmacists, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and conflicts of interest

Conflicts of interest (COIs) represent an expanding challenge for pharmacists as their therapeutic influence grows. Many potential COI relationships involve pharmaceutical manufacturers, who have characterized pharmacists as “a growing force to be reckoned with.”[1][1] The expanded influence of
Central venous catheter infection in haemophiliacs undergoing prophylaxis or immune tolerance with clotting factor concentrate

The risk of infection in individuals with haemophilia using central vascular access devices for administration of clotting factor concentrates for prophylaxis or immune tolerance is unknown. We conducted a survey of US haemophilia treatment centres to determine the incidence and clinical characteristics of infection associated with the use of central venous catheters. Seventy (38.3%) of 183 patients using central lines developed device-associated infection, including 30 (28.0%) on prophylaxis and 40 (52.6%) on immune tolerance, P 2 years of age, P= 0.0008, but not with type of device or treatment. Staphylococcal infections were more common with implanted devices (ports), 30 (73.2%), than external catheters, 12 (41.4%), P < 0.01, and Gram-negative infections were more common with external catheters, 17 (58.6%), than tunnelled devices, 7 (17.1%), P < 0.005. In summary, the rate of infection with central venous access devices in haemophiliacs is high, and alternative approaches to venous access should be explored.
Reproducible Electrochemical Etching of Tungsten Probe Tips

An electrochemical procedure in KOH electrolyte has been developed to reproducibly produce ∼5 nm radius tungsten probe tips. It has been found that a spurious electrochemical etching process, driven by the natural potential difference between an Ir electrode and the W tip, causes rapid tip blunting at the end of the electrochemical etching period. By electrically reversing this potential difference within 500 ns following tip separation, the blunting process is eliminated yielding sharp tips with varying cone angles.
A numerical model of a fluidized bed biomass gasifier

Abstract A one-dimensional, steady state, numerical model was developed for a fluidized bed biomass gasifier. The gasifier model consists of a fuel pyrolysis model, an oxidation model, a gasification model and a freeboard model. Given the bed temperature, ambient air flow rate and humidity ratio, fuel moisture content and reactor parameters, the model predicts the fuel feed rate for steady state operation, composition of the producer gas and fuel energy conversion. The gasifier model was validated with experimental results. The effects of major mechanisms (fuel pyrolysis and the chemical and the physical rate processes) were assessed in a sensitivity study of the gasification model. A parametric study was also conducted for the gasifier model. It is concluded that the model can be used for gasifier performance analysis.
How to Take the Removal of Condensation Water into Account in Polyesterification Kinetics

In previous polyesterification reactions, the concentrations of reactants and catalyst (if present) were all expressed in moles per kilogram. In most cases, the progress of reaction was followed by the titration of acid groups. Consequently, the removal of condensation water is bound to affect the concentrations of reactants and catalyst. In this paper, a new general kinetic equation has been derived, which takes this effect due to the removal of condensation water into consideration more accurately. The unit of moll - 1 , who replaced the unit of mol kg - 1 , is led into the calculation of acid concentration and the derivation of the general polyesterification kinetic equation for the first time. Its adoption can finally eliminate the error due to the change of the density of reaction system while adopting the unit of mol kg - 1 .
‘Nice to think I'm not on my own’: lessons from an arts-based workshop in an urban Children's Centre

This paper reports the evaluation of an arts-based programme designed to encourage parental participation in an urban Children's Centre. The programme was aimed to explore the possible beneficial effects of arts-based activity as a means of engaging ‘hard to reach' parents more fully in the services of the centre. Practical workshops were designed for parents and their children and delivered over a 10-week period. From the evidence garnered in the evaluation, the potential of arts activities as a means to improve parental participation remains uncertain. Of greater significance, however, observations by parents and facilitators revealed that arts-based activities were a powerful dialogic tool for mediating interactions between parent and child. In particular, dance, drama and music emerged as powerful conduits for dialogic encounters with media-based activities offering previously unforeseen opportunities for the sharing of family lifeworlds.
Auditory steady-state responses to 40-Hz click trains: relationship to middle latency, gamma band and beta band responses studied with deconvolution.

Objective: The nature of the auditory steady-state responses (ASSR) evoked with 40-Hz click trains and their relationship to auditory brainstem and middle latency responses (ABR/MLR), gamma band responses (GBR) and beta band responses (BBR) were investigated using superposition theory. Transient responses obtained by continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) and last click responses (LCR) were used to synthesize ASSRs and GBRs. Methods: ASSRs were obtained with trains of low jittered 40 Hz clicks presented monaurally and deconvolved using a modified CLAD. Resulting transient responses and modified LCRs were used to predict the ASSRs and the GBR. Results: The ABR/MLR obtained with deconvolution predicted accurately the steady portion of the ASSR but failed to predict its onset portion. The modified LCR failed to fully predict both portions. The GBRs were predicted by narrow band filtering of the ASSRs. Significant BBR activity was found both in the ASSRs and deconvolved ABR/MLRs. Conclusions: Simulations using deconvolved ABR/MLRs obtained at 40 Hz predict fully the steady state but not the onset portion of the ASSRs, thus confirming the superposition theory. Significance: Click rate adaptation plays a significant role in ASSR generation with click trains and should be considered in evaluating convolved response generation theories.
Predicting Rape Empathy Based on Victim, Perpetrator, and Participant Gender, and History of Sexual Aggression

This study examined empathy for a hypothetical rape victim and perpetrator based on gender of victim, perpetrator and participant, and sexual aggression experience. Undergraduates (n = 591, 333 female) from a United States east coast mid-size public university completed the Rape Victim and Perpetrator Empathy Scales (victim and perpetrator gender experimentally varied), and the Sexual Experiences Survey. Hypotheses were partially supported. Empathy was greater with the victim of a man than a woman. Women with victimization experience were especially empathic with a female victim. Men without victimization experience were relatively non-empathic with a male victim. Empathy was greater with a female than a male perpetrator, especially when her victim was male or when reported by women. A male rapist received the greatest empathy from men with perpetration experience. Findings are consistent with cultural expectations that women are victims and men are aggressors, and may imply that similarity in experience can facilitate rape empathy.
Direct observation of the discrete character of intrinsic localized modes in an antiferromagnet

In a strongly nonlinear discrete system, the spatial size of an excitation can become comparable to, and influenced by, the lattice spacing. Such intrinsic localized modes (ILMs)--also called 'discrete breathers' or 'lattice solitons'--are responsible for energy localization in the dynamics of discrete nonlinear lattices. Their energy profiles resemble those of localized modes of defects in a harmonic lattice but, like solitons, they can move (although, unlike solitons, some energy is exchanged during collisions between them). The manipulation of these localized energy 'hotspots' has been achieved in systems as diverse as annular arrays of coupled Josephson junctions, optical waveguide arrays, two-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystals and micromechanical cantilever arrays. There is also some evidence for the existence of localized excitations in atomic lattices, although individual ILMs have yet to be identified. Here we report the observation of countable localized excitations in an antiferromagnetic spin lattice by means of a nonlinear spectroscopic technique. This detection capability permits the properties of individual ILMs to be probed; the disappearance of each ILM registers as a step in the time-dependent signal, with the surprising result that the energy staircase of ILM excitations is uniquely defined.
Effect of melittin on thermotropic lipid state transitions in phosphatidylcholine liposomes.

1. (1) We have examined the Raman scattering due to CH stretching vibrations, as well as to v(CC) and v(CC) of β-carotene, of liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine (egg, dimyristoyl, dipalmitoyl) ± cholesterol, β-carotene or melittin in the temperature range of −10 °C to + 45 °C. 2. (2) Plots vs. temperature of the intensities of the 2885 cm-1 and 2930 cm−1 CH stretching bands relative to the intensity of the thermally stable 285O cm−1 band, i.e. the I2885/I2850 and I2930/I2850 ratios, reveal a sharp discontinuity in cholesterol-free phosphatidylcholine liposomes; this coincides with the gel → liquid-crystal transition temperature of the fatty acyl chains. In cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine liposomes the change in I2885/I2850 occurs over a very broad temperature range and I2930/I2850 remains stable. 3. (3) I1527/I1158, i.e. the intensity of v(CC) relative to that of v(CCC) in β-carotene/phosphatidylcholine liposomes, changes discontinuously at the gel → liquid-crystal transition temperature. The values above the transition temperature approach those of the carotenoid in organic solution. 4. (4) The transitions reported in I2885/I2850 for phosphatidylcholine/melittin liposomes (25–56 : 1, M/M) are shifted to much higher temperatures than observed in phosphalidylcholine liposomes. In the case of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine/melittin the change in I2930/I2850 also occurs at a higher temperature (28 °C) than without melittin (21 °C), but the temperature shift is less than the +13°C observed for I2885/I2850. It appears that the apolar moiety of melittin organizes phospholipids adjacent to and more remote from the peptide moiety, to form complexes with an elevated lipid transition temperature. The effect of the peptide moiety is greater on the methylene segments (I2885/I2850) than on the methyl termini (I2930/I2850).
On the entropy of context-free languages

The information theoretical concept of the entropy (channel capacity) of context-free languages and its relation to the structure generating function is investigated in the first part of this paper. The achieved results are applied to the family of pseudolinear grammars. In the second part, relations between context-free grammars, infinite labelled digraphs and infinite nonnegative matrices are exhibited. Theorems on the convergence parameter of infinite matrices are proved and applied to the evaluation of the entropy of certain context-free languages. Finally, a stochastic process is associated with any context-free language generated by a deterministic labelled digraph, such that the stochastic process is equivalent to the language in the sense that both have the same entropy.
Reflections and Refractions: The Mirror: Introduction

Why has humankind approached the mirror with both awe and trepidation? What is a mirror and what does it do? If posed fundamentally, the questions yield answers more complicated than one might expect... This introductory material is available in Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol34/iss2/2 Reflections and Refractions: The Mirror
On the method of functional equations and the performance of desingularized boundary element methods

Abstract A correspondence is made between the reciprocal relation for linear elliptic partial differential equations and the Riesz integral representation. The former relates the boundary distributions and appropriate normal fluxes of two arbitrary solutions, and the latter expresses a continuous linear functional in terms of an integral involving a representing function. When sufficient regularity conditions are met, the representing function is identified with the unknown boundary distribution. In principle, the representing function may be expressed in terms of the images of a complete set of orthonormal basis functions with known normal fluxes, as suggested by Kupradze [Kupradze VD. On the approximate solution of problems in mathematical physics. Russ Math Surv 1967; 22: 59–107]; in practice, the representing function is computed by solving integral equations using boundary element methods. The basic procedure involves expressing the representing function in terms of finite-element or other basis functions, and requiring the satisfaction of the reciprocal relationship with a suitable set of test functions such as Green's functions and their dipoles. When the singular points are placed at the boundary, we obtain the standard boundary integral equation method. When the singular points are placed outside the domain of solution, we obtain a system of functional equations and associated class of desingularized boundary integral methods. When sufficient regularity conditions are met and the test functions comprise a complete set, then in the limit of infinite discretization the numerical solution converges to the unknown boundary distribution. An overview of formulations is presented with reference to Laplace's equation in two dimensions. Numerical experimentation shows that, in general, the solution obtained by desingularized methods becomes increasingly less accurate as the singular points of Green's functions move farther away from the boundary, but the loss of accuracy is significant only when the exact solution shows pronounced variations. Exceptions occur when the integral equation does not have a unique solution. In contrast, and in agreement with previous findings, the condition number of the linear system increases rapidly with the distance of the singular points from the boundary, to the extent that a dependable solution cannot be obtained when the singularities are located even a moderate distance away from the boundary. The desingularized formulation based on Green's function dipoles is superior in accuracy and reliability to the one that uses Green functions. The implementation of the method to the equations of elastostatics and Stokes flow are also discussed.
Increased continental-margin slumping frequency during sea-level lowstands above gas hydrate–bearing sediments

We present {sup 14}C data on sediment samples from cores of the upper 7 m of the sediment column overlying a major continental-rise gas hydrate field on the southern Carolina Rise and inner Blake Ridge offshore the southeastern United States. The data show that glacial-age sediments are underrepresented in the cores. The observation is consistent with a previously predicted association between sea-level lowstands and increased frequency of sea-floor slumping on continental margins containing gas hydrates. 26 refs., 3 figs.
The discriminative stimulus and subjective effects of d-amphetamine in humans.

Seventeen normal, healthy adults were trained to discriminate between orally administered d-amphetamine (AMP; 10 mg) and placebo. Standardized subjective effects questionnaires were used to examine the relationship between the subjective and discriminative stimulus effects of AMP. Seven of the subjects were able to learn the discrimination reliably. These seven “discriminators” did not differ from the ten “nondiscriminators” in their subjective ratings of mood in the absence of drug. Discriminators were generally more sensitive than nondiscriminators to the subjective effects of AMP, although this difference in sensitivity reached statistical significance only for ratings of “hungry.” Stimulus substituion was tested in the discriminators with other doses of AMP (2.5 and 5 mg) and with 10 mg diazepam. The discriminative stimulus properties of AMP were dose-dependent, with 5 mg being the threshold dose. In five of the seven subjects the discriminative stimulus properties of diazepam did not substitute for those of AMP. The results demonstrate that the experimental paradigm can be used successfully to study the discriminative stimulus properties of drugs directly in humans.
Short-Term Effects of Formalin and Ethanol Fixation and Preservation Techniques on Weight and Size of Fish Eggs

Abstract Preservative-induced changes in the weight and size of fish eggs distort information in studies of fecundity and egg production, but the nature of changes that occur during short-term preservation is not well understood. To determine the nature of these effects and to provide a basis for correcting for such changes after sample processing, we examined the short-term effects of 10% formalin and 70% ethanol on eggs from gravid female white suckers Catostomus commersonii and fantail darters Etheostoma flabellare collected in two tributaries of the New River, Virginia. A sequential treatment with formalin and then ethanol was also tested to simulate effects expected in a typical fixation and preservation schedule when eggs are fixed and preserved within the fish. Formalin resulted in a significant gain (36%) in egg dry weight during the first 12 h of treatment. Ethanol had no detectable effect on egg dry weight after 9 d of fixation and preservation. Eggs that were fixed in formalin and then preserve...
Memory for the visual and verbal components of print advertisements

A model is developed and proposed to describe the underlying processing of the visual and verbal components of print advertisements. Based upon past research, the processing of these two components of print advertisements is viewed as consisting of (1) different levels of processing, (2) elaborative encoding, and (3) encoding distinctiveness. An empirical test of the model indicates that the visual/pictorial component of the print ad is more elaboratively and more distinctively encoded than the verbal component. Results of the research are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding vivid versus salient effects of information presentation.
The influence of guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate and sodium on muscarinic receptor binding in the rat brain and longitudinal muscle of the rat ileum.

Abstract The effects of guanyl-5′-yl imidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) and sodium on muscarinic receptor binding in the rat brain and longitudinal muscle of the rat ileum were investigated using the specific muscarinic affinity label [ 3 H](−) quinuclidinyl benzilate ([ 3 H](−)QNB). When measured by competitive inhibition of [ 3 H](−)QNB binding to homogenates of the longitudinal muscle of the ileum, the IC 50 ′s of oxotremorine and carbachol increased by a factor of 3 in the presence of 30 μM Gpp(NH)p. In contrast Gpp(NH)p only produced small increases in agonist IC 50 values when binding experiments were done on various rat brain regions. The agonist inhibition curves deviated from the law of mass action and were consistant with a two binding site model. Nonlinear regression analysis showed variation in the percentage of high affinity agonist sites in the cerebellum (68%), brainstem (68%), longitudinal muscle of the ileum (44–50%) and forebrain (21–30%). In the ileum and forebrain, the predominant effect of Gpp(NH)p on agonist binding was a reduction in the affinity of the high affinity agonist binding site. In the cerebellum and brainstem Gpp(NH)p had no effect. Furthermore, Gpp(NH)p had no significant effect on antagonist binding in any tissue. The influence of sodium (200 mM NaCl) on muscarinic receptor binding was investigated in homogenates of the forebrain and longitudinal muscle of the ileum, and a preferential reduction of agonist affinity by sodium was observed.
Sum rules and scaling in nonlinear optics

Abstract Nonlinear optics is a mature field characterized by a wealth of phenomena that are well understood. The microscopic origins of these phenomena are known to be in the quantum process of light–matter interactions; yet, no general prescription is available for optimizing the nonlinear response. It is even more difficult to understand the important features of a complex system that lead to the best response. This paper reviews work on how scaling, with the use of sum rules, can be applied to identify universal properties associated with a large nonlinear-optical response. An analysis using sum rules and scaling unifies our understanding of the nonlinear-optical response of a broad class of quantum systems through the scale-invariant intrinsic nonlinearities.
An integrated ELF magnetic-field generator and incubator for long-term in vitro studies.

Long-term studies of the effects of low-frequency magnetic fields on cells in culture require an incubator that is free of contaminating magnetic fields and that provides automatic control of exposure duration, uniform applied fields, a uniform and well-controlled environmental temperature, and high reliability of the total system. We describe a dual-incubator system in which the enclosed solenoid of either unit can provide a sham exposure while the other generates a magnetic induction of up to 500 μT. Each solenoid-incubator unit contains an enclosed rack that can hold as many as 140 petri dishes for culturing cells; each unit is heated radiantly by circulating warm water. Field-exposure conditions and temperatures are continuously monitored and controlled by a microcomputer. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ERK activation and nuclear signaling induced by the loss of cell/matrix adhesion stimulates anchorage‐independent growth of ovarian cancer cells

Ovarian cancer metastasis involves the sloughing of epithelial cells from the ovary into the peritoneal cavity, where the cells can survive and proliferate in peritoneal ascites under anchorage-independent conditions. For normal epithelial cells and fibroblasts, cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix is required to prevent apoptosis and for proper activation and nuclear signaling of the ERK MAP kinase. The mechanisms of ERK regulation by adhesion have been determined by our lab and others. In this report, we elucidate a novel means of ERK regulation by cellular adhesion in ovarian cancer cells. We demonstrate that ERK and its activator MEK are robustly stimulated after cell detachment from a substratum in several ovarian cancer cell lines, but not a benign ovarian cell line, independent of serum and FAK or PAK activity. MEK and ERK activation was sustained for 48 h after detachment, while activation by serum or growth factors in adherent cells was transient. Re-attachment of suspended ovarian cells to fibronectin restored basal levels of MEK and ERK activity. ERK activity in suspended cells was dynamically controlled through an autocrine stimulatory pathway and prevalent phosphatase activity. Suspended cells demonstrated higher levels of ERK nuclear signaling to Elk1 compared to adherent cells. Inhibition of ERK activation with the MEK inhibitor U0126 had minor effects on adherent cell growth, but greatly decreased growth in soft agar. These data demonstrate a unique regulation of ERK by cellular adhesion and suggest a mechanism by which ERK may regulate anchorage-independent growth of metastatic ovarian cancer cells.
Trypanosoma vespertilionis from Some Southern California Bats

The presence of Trypanosoma vespertilionis in California bats was reported by Dias (Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. and Hyg., 1937) in the pallid bat Antrozous pallidus pacificus . Sub sequent investigators Wood (Amer. Jour. Hyg., 1941, Jour. Parasit., 1951) have recorded the existence of this trypanosome in additional species of bats predominantly from the southwestern portion of the United States. During 1950–51 one hundred and forty bats were examined for the presence of this trypanosome. Eight species, embracing three families of Chiroptera, were included in the collections. These animals were taken from various areas within San Diego County, California. Dried blood smears were made, stained with Wright's Stain and later examined microscopically in the laboratory while live drop examinations were made near the field. If these live drop examinations proved negative …
Comparison of measured resting energy expenditure versus predictive equations in pediatric burn patients

Many equations have been developed to estimate resting energy expenditure (REE) in thermally injured patients. A consensus has not been reached on the accuracy of these equations in children. The purpose of our study was to compare three predictive equations: Harris Benedict x 2 multiplier (HB x 2), Mayes (MG), and the WorId Health Organization x 2 multiplier (WHO x 2) with measured resting energy expenditure x I.3 multiplier (MREE x 1.3) in pediatric burn patients. MREE was measured by open-circuit indirect calorimetry in 10 burned children (6 boys, 4 girls) aged 2 to 10 years with TBSA burn ranges from 35% to 97%. MREE x 1.3 was compared with values obtained by HB x 2, MG, and WHO x 2 predictive equations. When comparing MREE x 1.3 with all three equations, significant differences were found when compared with HB x 2 and MG, but there were no significant difference between MREE x 1.3 vs WHO x 2. The HB x 2 and MG equations overpredicted MREE x 1.3 by 29% and 19%, respectively. Many predictive equations have been developed to predict energy expenditure in burns, but their accuracy in predicting MREE x 1.3 is variable. A larger study comparing/contrasting predictive equations and resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry is needed to improve the prediction of energy needs in burned children.
Flavor of Evaporated Milk. I. Identification of some Compounds Obtained by the Petroleum Ether Solvent Partitioning Technique from Aged Evaporated Milk

Summary Extracts obtained by solvent partitioning with either hexane or petroleum ether yielded the same apparent components which, when reconstituted in fresh milk, imparted some of the flavor characteristics of evaporated milk but did not contain much of the cooked and caramel sensation. However, with other solvents the flavor characteristics of the extract were different. Based on data from gas and paper chromatography, the following 14 compounds were identified in a petroleum ether flavor extract from evaporated milk by comparison with authentic compounds and by at least two different methods: 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, 2-tridecanone, δ-decalactone, γ-dodecalactone, δ-dodecalactone, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, and palmitic acid. No authentic compound was available for δ-tetradecalactone, but extrapolation of retention time data for other authentic lactones from two different gas chromatographic columns presented strong evidence for its presence. Acetone and 2-butanone probably were present.
Structural Mechanics Based Model for the Force-Bearing Elements Within the Cytoskeleton of a Cell Adhered on a Bed of Posts

Mechanical forces play a vital role in the activities of cells and their interaction with biological and nonbiological material. Various experiments have successfully measured forces exerted by the cells when in contact with a substrate, but the intracellular contractile machinery leading to these actions is not entirely understood. Tan , (2003, “Cells Lying on a Bed of Microneedles: An Approach to Isolate Mechanical Force,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 100 (4), pp. 1484–1489) use a bed of PDMS posts as the substrate for cells and measure the localized mechanical forces exerted by the cell cytoskeleton on the posts. In live cell experiments for this setup, post deflections are measured, and from these results the forces applied by the cell are calculated. From such results, it is desirable to quantify the contractile tensions generated in the force-bearing elements corresponding to the stress fibers within the cell cytoskeleton that generate the loads applied to the posts. The purpose of the present article is to consider the cytoskeleton as a discrete network of force-bearing elements, and present a structural mechanics based methodology to estimate the configuration of the network, and the contractile tension in the corresponding stress fibers. The network of stress fibers is modeled as a structure of truss elements connected among the posts adhered to a single cell. In-plane force equilibrium among the network of stress fibers and the system of posts is utilized to calculate the tension forces in the network elements. A Moore-Penrose pseudo-inverse is used to solve the linear equations obtained from the mechanical equilibrium of the cell-posts system, thereby obtaining a least squares fit of the stress fiber tensions to the post deflections. The predicted network of force-bearing elements provides an approximated distribution of the prominent stress fibers connected among deflected posts, and the tensions in each fibril.
Low-voltage planar-waveguide electrooptic prism scanner in Crystal-Ion-Sliced thin-film LiNbO3.

We report on the use of thin, i.e. 10µm-thick, single-crystal LiNbO3, in low-voltage electrooptic prism scanners. These devices are fabricated by electric-field poling of a series of electrooptic prisms in a bulk crystal followed by high-energy ion implantation and subsequent etching of the poled samples. Such a single-crystal thin-film scanner, while having the same scanning functionality as with a bulk device, has an order-of-magnitude reduction in its required voltage; for example, a series of two prisms, of 2mm in total length, yields a deflection angle of 0.7° at 100V compared to more than 1.7kV for the same device in standard 200µm-thick LiNbO3 wafers.
1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 antiproliferative actions involve vitamin D receptor-mediated activation of MAPK pathways and AP-1/p21waf1 upregulation in human osteosarcoma

The molecular mechanisms underlying antiproliferative actions of the steroid 1alpha,25-dihydroxy vitamin D(3) (1,25D) in human osteosarcoma cells are known only partially. To better understand the signaling involved in 1,25D anti-tumorigenic properties in bone, we stably silenced vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression in the human osteosarcoma SaOS-2 cell line. We found that 1,25D treatment reduced cell proliferation by approximately 25% after 3 days only in SaOS-2 cells expressing native levels of VDR protein, and involved activation of MAPK/AP-1/p21(waf1) pathways. Both sustained (3 days) and transient (15min) 1,25D treatment activated JNK and ERK1/2 MAPK signaling in a nongenomic VDR-dependent manner. However, only sustained exposure to hormone led to upregulation of p21 and subsequent genomic control of the cell cycle. Specific blockade of MEK1/MEK2 cascade upstream from ERK1/2 abrogated 1,25D activation of AP-1 and p21, and subsequent antiproliferative effects, even in the presence of a nuclear VDR. We conclude that 1,25D-induced inhibition of human osteosarcoma cell proliferation occurs via sustained activation of JNK and MEK1/MEK2 pathways downstream of nongenomic VDR signaling that leads to upregulation of a c-Jun/c-Fos (AP-1) complex, which in turn modulates p21(waf1) gene expression. Our results demonstrate a cross-talk between 1,25D/VDR nongenomic and genomic signaling at the level of MAP kinase activation that leads to reduction of cell proliferation in human osteosarcoma cells.
Reversible binding of tolmetin, zomepirac, and their glucuronide conjugates to human serum albumin and plasma

Acyl glucuronides of drugs and bilirubin have been shown in the past decade to be reactive metabolites undergoing acyl migration and irreversible binding. The latter reaction has been hypothesized to be facilitated by or to proceed through the formation of a reversible complex. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the decreased binding seen in patients with compromised excretory function may be due to competition by elevated plasma concentrations of the glucuronides. In these reversible binding studies, we characterized the extent and the “site” of binding of tolmetin, zomepirac, their glucuronides and isomeric conjugates. We also examined the displacement between the parent drugs and their glucuronide conjugates using a rapid ultrafiltration method. Tolmetin exhibited three classes of binding sites with a primary association constant of 1.7×106 M−1 (Kdl=0.60 μM). The primary association constant of zomepirac (1.16×106 M−1, Kdl=0.86 μM) is similar to that of tolmetin. The β 1 and α/β3 glucuronides of both compounds bind to a lesser extent than their parent aglycones. The isomeric glucuronide conjugates of both compounds showed much stronger binding than the β/1 conjugates. Of the four glucuronides investigated, tolmetin glucuronide-α/β3 isomer was bound by fatty acid free human serum albumin with the highest affinity (4.6×105 M−1, Kd=2.22 μM). Protein binding of the parent drugs and conjugates were decreased significantly at pH 5.0. In displacement studies, except for salicylate and acetylsalicylate, drugs known to bind to Sites I and II as well as the digitoxin and tamoxifen binding sites had little inhibitory effect on the binding of tolmetin, zomepirac, and their glucuronide conjugates.
Time Course of Prion Seeding Activity in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Scrapie-Infected Hamsters after Intratongue and Intracerebral Inoculations

ABSTRACT To assess prospects for early diagnosis of prion disease based on prion seeding activity in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), we measured the activity over time in scrapie-infected hamsters by real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC). After intracerebral inoculation, activity appeared in CSF within 1 day and plateaued weeks before the onset of clinical signs. However, after intratongue inoculation, activity first appeared in CSF with the onset of clinical signs, well after higher-level accumulation of seeding activity in brain.
Men in the Triangle: Grief, Inhibition, and Defense.

Inhibition of emotional experience is a widely acknowledged characteristic of many Western-raised men. While this affective inhibition may impact men chronically in many ways, it becomes particularly salient when men are bereaved or otherwise grieving and are unable fully to experience normative emotional responses to loss. This article briefly examines some psychosocial developmental underpinnings of men’s affective suppression that have been hypothesized by psychoanalytic theorists, and moves on to suggest an approach for helping grieving men reestablish contact with emotional experience. Experiential Dynamic Therapy (EDT)—a family of approaches that attends to underlying or core affect, the anxiety it provokes in clients, and the defensive maneuvers they use to avoid the anxiety-provoking affect—is introduced and described operationally. The article concludes with specific sample interventions grounded in EDT for helping grieving young men gain access to a full range of affect.
Executive Function in Preschoolers with Autism: Evidence Consistent with a Secondary Deficit

Recent research on executive function (EF) deficits in autism has led investigators to conclude that EF deficits are secondary to the disorder. The current study has two major goals: (1) Examine whether specific EF deficits are present in the youngest autism group to date (mean = 2.9 years), and (2) examine whether such deficits are secondary to autism, or act as an early non-specific cognitive risk factor for autism by comparing EF abilities of this autism group to a CA-matched typically developing group. Results from Experiment 1 suggest no specific EF deficits in autism relative to MA-matched controls, while results from Experiment 2 are consistent with the hypothesis that EF deficits may emerge as a secondary deficit in autism. Alternative hypotheses are also considered.