cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
More on the alleged 1970 geomagnetic jerk

Abstract French and United Kingdom workers have published reports describing a sudden change in the secular acceleration, called an impulse or a jerk, which took place around 1970. They claim that this change took place in a period of a year or two and that the sources of the alleged jerk are internal. An earlier paper by this author questioned their method of analysis pointing out that their method of piecemeal fitting of parabolas to the data will always create a discontinuity in the secular acceleration where the parabolas join and that the place where the parabolas join is an a priori assumption and not a result of the analysis. This paper gives a very brief summary of this first paper and then adds additional reasons for questioning the allegation that there was a worldwide sudden jerk in the magnetic field of internal origin around 1970. These new reasons are based largely on new field models which give cubic approximations of the field right through the 1970 timeframe and therefore have no discontinuities in the second derivative (jerk) around 1970. Some recent Japanese work shows several sudden changes in the secular variation pattern which cover limited areas and do not seem to be closely related to each other or to the irregularity noted in the European area near 1970. The secular variation picture which seems to be emerging is one with many local or limited-regional secular variation changes which appear to be almost unrelated to each other in time or space. A worldwide spherical harmonic model including coefficients up to degree 13 could never properly depict such a situation.
Digital real-time control for an ICRF fast ferrite tuning system on Alcator C-Mod

A double-stub fast ferrite tuning (FFT) system has been developed and installed on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak for real-time ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) antenna matching. The FFT uses a digital feedback control system consisting of a Linux server, a compact PCI digitizer and MDSplus interface. The software is written in IDL, and runs with interrupts disabled. During a plasma discharge, the computer records the forward RF power, reflected power, and phase data on both the antenna side and the transmitter side of the tuning system, calculates the required magnetic coil currents in the ferrite tuners to minimize the reflected power to the antenna, and sends out the current demands in each computation cycle. The FFT system has been demonstrated to achieve good matching to antenna loading in low confinement modes (L-mode), high confinement modes (H-mode), and plasmas with edge-localized modes (ELMs) in Alcator C-Mod.
A computational investigation of local material strength and toughness on crack growth

Abstract Computational simulation of stable crack growth is an important aspect of structural integrity prediction. Modern alloy strength and ductility increase local material fracture toughness but simultaneously complicate stable crack growth predictions. Material modeling, material parameter identification, fracture criterion and numerical crack growth algorithms are issues which must be addressed for robust crack growth prediction. In this investigation, a series of finite element simulations were undertaken to investigate two-dimensional mode I crack growth in a modified compact tension specimen geometry. Two different crack lengths were considered. HY-100 steel parameters, previously characterized for large strain deformation, were utilized. Additional material responses, based on the HY-100 nonlinear response but with different yield strengths and ductilities, were also considered to assess parametrically material effects on crack growth. A debonding algorithm was employed to produce crack growth by nodal release when local material conditions, satisfying a specified local fracture criterion, were met. Material fracture and crack growth were treated as dependent variables of the analysis, generating crack growth in discrete increments. The results of this parametric computational study demonstrated crack growth of up to 67% of the initial crack length over the total number of load increments allowed for each combination of geometry, material strength and material toughness. The current crack tip energy density histories exhibited piecewise smooth behavior, consistent with the changing crack tip position produced by discrete crack growth across finite elements. The relative loads and crack growth sustained by each specimen were observed to depend on the elastic stress and strain response of the material in addition to the local fracture toughness of the material.
Instructional Models for Tutoring: A Review.

This paper describes tutoring models and compares and contrasts the instructional strategies in those models that have been found effective by practitioners or researchers. The models reviewed include those of Literacy Volunteers, Laubach Literacy, Structured Tutoring, Programmed Tutoring, Peer-Mediated Instruction, and the Audio-Tutorial System. The review of these tutoring models reveals that there are different types of tutoring. Remedial versus first-time, mainline versus adjunct, and peer versus professional tutoring should be chosen on the basis of learner characteristics, setting, or learning task requirements. The tutoring strategies discussed are classified as organizational, delivery, and management strategies. The cost-effectiveness and adaptability of tutoring and conclusions concerning the further development of tutoring models are also discussed.
On closures of joint similarity orbits

For an n-tuple T=(T1,..., Tn) of operators on a Hilbert spacexxHx, the joint similarity orbit of T isxxSx(T)={VTV−1 =(VT1V−1,...,VTnV−1): V is invertible onxxHx}. We study the structure of the norm closure ofxxSx, both in the case when T is commutative and when it is not. We first develop a Rota-model for the Taylor spectrum and use it to study n-tuples with totally disconnected Taylor spectrum, in particular quasinilpotent ones. We then consider limits of nilpotent n-tuples, and of normal n-tuples. For noncommuting n-tuples, we present a number of surprising facts relating the closure ofxxSx(T) to the Harte spectrum of T and the lack of commutativity of T. We show that a continuous function which is constant onxxSx(T) for all T must be constant. We conclude the paper with a detailed study of closed similarity orbits.
Hemispherical Imaging of Skin With Polarized Light

Polarized light imaging has been used in the past for skin-cancer edge detection from skin lesions. In the standard imaging modality, the source, detector, and sample are usually aligned in the same plane, and the effect of the air-skin boundary is minimized using a glass slide with an index matching fluid. In this study, we investigate polarized light imaging of skin surfaces using a novel instrument that enables out-of-plane illumination. Stokes vector images are acquired for any one of sixteen different illumination directions and used to study the effect of skin roughness as well as surface and subsurface scattering. We show that the effect of skin roughness can be minimized or enhanced, depending upon the incident direction and polarization. In the former case, the need for a glass slide with an index matching fluid can be reduced. In the latter, surface topography can be more clearly discerned.
Rehabilitative arm assist device

The Rehabilitative Arm Assist Device (RAAD) is a wheel-chair mounted rehabilitative device that will aid a patient with a neuromuscular disease in maintaining their muscle mass and range of motion. The key to extending life expectancy is maintaining muscle mass and the only proven way to maintain muscle mass is by exercising. Patients with neuromuscular disorders are uncharacteristically weak and require special care and sophisticated equipment in order to meet their needs. The muscles of the arm are prone to have decreased muscle innervations over time in patients and should be exercised on a daily basis to prevent further loss. The device is intended to be lightweight and comfortable enough for the patient to wear for an hour every day. RAAD is a solution for these patients who want to exercise in the privacy of their own home.
Magnetotransport in nearly antiferromagnetic metals

We present a theory of the magnetotransport in weakly disordered metals close to an antiferromagnetic quantum-critical point. The anisotropic scattering from critical spin fluctuations is strongly influenced by weak but isotropic scattering from small amounts of disorder. This leads to a large regime where the resistivity obeys a scaling form $\ensuremath{\rho}={\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}+\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\approx}{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}{+T}^{3/2}f[T/{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0},(p\ensuremath{-}{p}_{c})/{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0},B/{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}^{3/2}],$ where ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}$ is the residual resistivity, B the magnetic field, and $p\ensuremath{-}{p}_{c}g0$ measures the distance from the quantum-critical point on the paramagnetic side of the phase diagram. Orbital effects of the magnetic field are most pronounced in very clean samples for not too low temperatures, where the resistivity for increasing magnetic field crosses over from a linear temperature dependence $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\sim}T\sqrt{{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}}$ to a resistivity linear in B and independent of T and ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}.$ At higher magnetic fields, $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}$ saturates at a value proportional to ${T}^{1.5}$ or ${T}^{2}/(p\ensuremath{-}{p}_{c}).$ Deviations from scaling, the interplay of orbital and spin contributions of the magnetic field, and experimental test of the spin-fluctuation model are discussed in detail.
The Kumaraswamy-Half-Cauchy distribution: properties and applications

In this article, based on the half-Cauchy distribution, we propose a new distribution called KumaraswamyHalf-Cauchy distribution. Various explicit expressions for it’s moments, generating and quantile functions, mean deviations, reliability parameter, density function of the order statistics and their moments are provided. We consider the method of maximum likelihood to estimate the model parameters. For illustrative purposes, a real life data set is considered as an application of our new distribution.
Using Bayesian belief networks to evaluate fish and wildlife population viability under land management alternatives from an environmental impact statement

We developed procedures for using Bayesian belief networks (BBNs) to model habitat and population viability of selected at-risk fish and wildlife species. The BBN models represent the ecological causal web of key environmental correlates (KECs) that most influence habitat capability, potential population response for each species, and influence of habitat planning alternatives. BBN models represent site-specific KECs, habitat capability at the subwatershed level, and pattern of habitat capability across all subwatersheds. BBNs use Dirichlet prior probability distributions and standard Bayesian updating of posterior probabilities. We derived estimates of prior and conditional probabilities from a mix of empirical data and expert judgment, mostly the latter. Sensitivity analyses identified planning decisions and KECs that most influence species outcomes, and can help prioritize monitoring activities. BBN models, however, substitute for neither field studies nor empirical, quantitative population viability analyses of population demography and genetics.
End Systolic Strain Rate, not Afterload, Controls Myocardial Relaxation

Classical ex vivo experiments suggest that the relaxation of cardiac muscle depends on afterload, with lower afterloads producing faster relaxation (Brutseart et al Circ Res 1980 47(5):637). These original experiments used protocols in which the muscle returned to its original length before beginning diastolic relaxation (black lines, Figure 1). In this experimental mode, reducing afterload increases the velocity of the muscle when as returns to its original length (the end systolic strain rate). In this work, we used electrically simulated rat trabeculae to test the hypothesis that the strain rate, and not the afterload, controls relaxation. We varied the end-systolic strain rate by allowing the trabeculae to relengthen by different amounts at a fixed afterload. Relaxation was slowest when relengthening was minimal (gray lines, Figure 1) and fastest when relengthening was complete (black lines, Figure 1). Preload did not influence this effect. In summary, our preliminary data suggest that is the strain rate at the end of systole, and not the force that the myocardium develops as it contracts, that controls relaxation.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Developing Rhizomes of the Ancient Vascular Plant Equisetum hyemale and Different Monocot Species

The rhizome is responsible for the invasiveness and competitiveness of many plants with great economic and agricultural impact worldwide. Besides its value as an invasive organ, the rhizome plays a role in the establishment and massive growth of forage, providing biomass for biofuel production. Despite these features, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that contribute to rhizome growth, development, and function in plants. In this work, we characterized the proteome of rhizome apical tips and elongation zones from different species using a GeLC–MS/MS (one-dimensional electrophoresis in combination with liquid chromatography coupled online with tandem mass spectrometry) spectral-counting proteomics strategy. Five rhizomatous grasses and an ancient species were compared to study the protein regulation in rhizomes. An average of 2200 rhizome proteins per species were confidently identified and quantified. Rhizome-characteristic proteins showed similar functional distributions across all species a...
Synchronous Hepatic Metastases from Colon Cancer: Changing Treatment Strategies and Results of Surgical Intervention

More effective chemotherapeutic agents have broadened the role of hepatic resection in the management of patients with synchronous hepatic metastases from colon cancer. This study examines the management patterns and the role of hepatobiliary surgical evaluation in patients with synchronous stage IV colon cancer. Patients with synchronous hepatic metastases from colon cancer evaluated and treated from 1/99 to 11/04 were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic, disease-related, and treatment-related variables were reviewed and correlated with disease-specific survival (DSS). One hundred and fifty-one patients were evaluated. The majority of patients (60%) were first evaluated by a medical oncologist while 34% were first evaluated by a hepatobiliary surgeon. Ultimately, 128 patients (85%) underwent surgical evaluation and 77% of those evaluated underwent surgical intervention. Patients who underwent operative exploration ± debulking had less hepatic disease but also received more chemotherapy than patients not explored and those who never underwent hepatobiliary surgical evaluation. Sixty-eight patients (53%) who underwent hepatobiliary surgical evaluation underwent hepatic resection. Negative independent predictors of hepatic resection were bilobar metastases and extrahepatic disease found during exploration. Variables associated with improved DSS included: carcinoembryonic antigen level ≤200 ng/ml, node-negative primary tumor, ≤4 liver metastases, unilobar metastases, largest metastasis ≤5 cm, and hepatic resection. Five-year DSS following hepatic resection was 54%. We conclude that hepatobiliary surgical evaluation of patients with synchronous hepatic metastases is warranted since many are candidates for hepatic resection. A multidisciplinary treatment approach which combines both medical and surgical modalities may be associated with improved survival.
KEY QUESTIONS EVOKED BY A STATE OF MIND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF LEISURE

ABSTRACT The psychology of leisure refers to 1) attempts to understand behavior and experiences that take place within a leisure context and 2) the psychological conception of leisure as a state of mind. This paper addresses questions within that latter frame work. What is leisure? The answer lies in a decision rather than a discovery. Are states of mind real? A positive answer does not imply a denial of social reality or its effect on mental state. Is leisure value-free? No, it is by its nature a positive state. Is leisure political? Yes, as a direct outcome of its value. What is the future of work? An analysis of the concepts job, work and leisure show the universal acceptance of the value of the leisure experience.
APL and the search for truth: A set of functions to play New Eleusis

New Eleusis is a card game used to study problem solving techniques. In 1977, the inventor of the game characterised efforts to get a computer to win at it as “doomed to failure.” The expressive power of APL combined with the use of nested arrays has enabled the author to confound that prediction, suggesting that APL is a good language for research in Artificial Intelligence.
LRP8-Reelin-Regulated Neuronal Enhancer Signature Underlying Learning and Memory Formation

One of the exceptional properties of the brain is its ability to acquire new knowledge through learning and to store that information through memory. The epigenetic mechanisms linking changes in neuronal transcriptional programs to behavioral plasticity remain largely unknown. Here, we identify the epigenetic signature of the neuronal enhancers required for transcriptional regulation of synaptic plasticity genes during memory formation, linking this to Reelin signaling. The binding of Reelin to its receptor, LRP8, triggers activation of this cohort of LRP8-Reelin-regulated neuronal (LRN) enhancers that serve as the ultimate convergence point of a novel synapse-to-nucleus pathway. Reelin simultaneously regulates NMDA-receptor transmission, which reciprocally permits the required γ-secretase-dependent cleavage of LRP8, revealing an unprecedented role for its intracellular domain in the regulation of synaptically generated signals. These results uncover an in vivo enhancer code serving as a critical molecular component of cognition and relevant to psychiatric disorders linked to defects in Reelin signaling.
Force-deflection behavior for C-block piezoelectric actuator architectures

Although piezoelectric actuators are widely used in smart structure applications, they frequently can not generate directly both the force and deflection required. A new class of piezoelectric actuators, called C-blocks, have been developed that provide greater force than traditional bimorphs and greater deflection than stacks. C-blocks are piezoelectric bimorphs configured into a half circle shape and are fabricated on the mesoscale (10 - 10-3) mm). This paper describes how C-blocks can be used alone or combined in parallel and/or series, like building blocks, to form C-block actuator architectures to further improve force and/or deflection capabilities. This paper presents the derivation and experimental testing of force-deflection models for four common C-block architectures. These models predict the full static performance of C-blocks including the maximum performance characteristics. To test the models, force-deflection experiments were performed with a polymeric piezoelectric C- block. The experimental results are in close agreement with the behavior predicted by the model and demonstrate that a C-block has potential to generate approximately five times more force than an equivalent traditional straight bimorph and orders of magnitude greater deflection than an equivalent stack.
Fabrication of TiO2 Grating with Composites of Azobenzene Polymer and TiO2 Nanoparticles

We have used the formation of surface relief gratings (SRG) on azobenzene polymers to manipulate TiO2 nanoparticles and to fabricate TiO2 nanoparticle gratings. Suspensions of an azobenzene polymer (PDO3) and TiO2 were used to spin coat thin films on glass slide substrates. By interfering coherent light from an Argon laser on the surface of the PDO3‐TiO2 composite films, SRGs were fabricated. Atomic force microscopic images of the SRGs show TiO2 nanoparticles dispersed throughout the sample, and in particular, at the peaks of the SRG after oxygen plasma treatment. The lateral forces acting on the azobenzene polymer during the SRG fabrication drag the TiO2 nanoparticles. These results indicated that it is feasible to create TiO2 nanoparticle gratings with the composites.
Tevatron Satellite Refrigeration Control Subsystem

Refrigeration for the Tevatron is provided by 24 satellite refrigerators distributed around the ring and a Central Helium Liquefier which acts as a reservoir of liquid helium. The 24 satellite refrigerators are designed to operate as independent entities without attendant personnel. Remote control and monitoring from the main control room of the accelerator is made possible via a high speed link which allows information exchange with the central host computer. Local control is achieved by means of 24 individual self-cycling microprocessor systems which allow automatic local operation of each refrigerator. Satellite refrigerator control hardware and software are discussed. 3 refs.
Do life history traits account for diversity of polychaete annelids

Within many phylogenetic assemblages, a pattern of domination has been observed: one or a few clades have had many more speciation events or fewer extinctions than other clades in a particular assemblage. We investigated this phenomenon in the polychaete annelids. Polychaetes comprise -9000 described species classified in over 70 families and exhibit a great variety of life history strategies. Our goal was to test whether diverse polychaete families are characterized by species with short generation times, high reproductive output, small body size, or with planktotrophic larval development. Each of these factors has been advanced as cause for high diversity in other taxonomic assemblages. Here, we establish that the diversification pattern of polychaete families is non-random, but the data collected show no significant cor- relations between familial diversity and several life history traits including age at first repro- duction, life span, body size, fecundity, and egg size. Pairwise comparisons of sister families do not reveal any trends between familial diversity and any of the life history traits. The great variability of life history traits within polychaete families may explain the lack of significant results; perhaps no trends are seen because polychaete life history traits cannot be generalized at the family level.
Biological Teleology: Questions and Explanations

Abstract This paper gives an account of evolutionary explanations in biology. Briefly, the explanations I am primarily concerned with are explanations of adaptations . (‘Adaptation’ is a technical term and defining it requires a fairly lengthy digression.) These explanations are contrasted with other nonteleological evolutionary explanations. The distinction is made by distinguishing the different kinds of questions these different explanations serve to answer. The sense in which explanations of adaptations are teleological is spelled out.
Loss of white matter microstructural integrity is associated with adverse neurological outcome in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

Rationale and Objectives Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic neurocutaneous syndrome in which cognitive and social-behavioral outcomes for patients vary widely in an unpredictable manner. The cause of adverse neurologic outcome remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that disordered white matter and abnormal neural connectivity are associated with adverse neurologic outcomes. Materials and Methods Structural and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging was carried out in 40 subjects with TSC (age range, 0.5–25 years; mean age, 7.2 years; median age, 5 years), 12 of whom had autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and in 29 age-matched controls. Tractography of the corpus callosum was used to define a three-dimensional volume of interest. Regional averages of four diffusion scalar parameters of the callosal projections were calculated for each subject. These were the average fractional anisotropy (AFA) and the average mean, radial, and axial diffusivity. Results Subjects with TSC had significantly lower AFA and higher average mean, radial, and axial diffusivity values compared to controls. Subjects with TSC and ASD had significantly lower AFA values compared to those without ASD and compared to controls. Subjects with TSC without ASD had similar AFA values compared to controls. Conclusion Diffusion tensor scalar parameters provided measures of properties of the three-dimensional callosal projections. In TSC, changes in these parameters may reflect microstructural changes in myelination, axonal integrity, or extracellular environment. Alterations in white matter microstructural properties were associated with TSC, and larger changes were associated with TSC and ASD, thus establishing a relationship between altered white matter microstructural integrity and brain function.
The effect of serum albumin and the effect of cell concentration on the in vitro growth of mouse and rat lymphocytes.

Abstract The growth of mouse and rat T and B lymphocytes, activated by concanavalin A or lipopolysaccharide, is increased over growth in protein-free medium 5–20-fold by human or bovine serum albumin. The growth is dependent on the concentration of albumin. At a concentration of 2–4 mg/ml the growth rate is the same as in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum. Of the other serum proteins (Cohn fractions) only human fraction VI supports growth somewhat while human fractions II–IV and bovine fraction VI do not support growth. The growth of mouse and rat lymphocytes is greatly suppressed if lymphocytes are cultured at high cell concentrations, and the growth-promoting ability of serum albumin cannot be detected under such conditions. The growth rate can be improved by daily adjustment of the pH, by daily refeeding, and by daily change of medium. The growth inhibitory activity can be removed largely by dialysis. It is concluded that the suppression of growth at high cell concentrations is caused by a combination of effects, i.e., a shift of pH, lack of nutrients, and accumulation of cellular metabolites.
Effects of Background Gases on the Homogeneous Nucleation of Vapors. 3

We report new results of nucleation measurements carried out in our laboratory at a variety of constant total pressures for 1-propanol vapor with nitrogen, helium, and hydrogen as background gases and for 1-butanol vapor with nitrogen and hydrogen as background gases. In addition, we report new results of nucleation experiments carried out at a variety of constant temperatures for 1-butanol with helium and hydrogen as background gases. The 1-butanol constant temperature results compare favorably with the results of the 1-butanol constant total pressure experiments, and the constant total pressure data for 1-propanol obtained in this investigaton compare favorably with constant temperature results obtained from 1-propanol experiments described in the literature. The results of this investigation (continue to) suggest a significant role of the background gas in the nucleation process. Our constant pressure and constant temperature experiments reported here give new results that reinforce our earlier observa...
Population Variation in Continuously Varying Traits as an Ecological Genetics Problem

The niche variation hypothesis is an adaptive explanation for variation within populations and for, the differences in variation between populations in morphological, physiological or behavioral traits. It has received only partial support from empirical tests and has been criticized on theoretical grounds. Recent quantitative genetic models have made an advance by exploring the effects of mutation, migration, mating pattern and selection on phenotypic variance. These models are reviewed and their most important features are integrated in a new model. In this model population variation is in a state of balance between the opposing forces of mutation and immigration, which tend to elevate variation, and selection and possibly genetic drift tending to decrease it. Populations exhibiting different levels of variation are interpereted as having different equilibrium points, and it is the task of empirical studies to determine the relative magnitudes of the opposing factors. An example is given from studies of Darwin's finches. Geospiza fortis varies more than G. scandens on Isla Daphne Major, Galapagos, in several morphological traits including beak and body size. This is explained, assuming equal mutation rates in the two species, as the result of more frequent genetic input to the G. fortis population, through occasional hybridization with immigrant G. fuliginosa , and relaxed stabilizing selection. Stabilizing selection is less intense on G.fortis than on G. scandens because the G. fortis population has a broader niche; there is both a within-phenotype and betweenphenotype component to the broad niche of G. fortis . The success of theory in explaining population variation is discussed, and it is concluded that empirical studies lag far behind theory.
Endometrial HOXA10 expression after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone.

Abstract Objective To determine the effects of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and resultant high levels of E 2 on endometrial HOXA10 expression (a marker of endometrial receptivity). Design Prospective study. Setting University academic medical center. Patient(s) Twenty-five women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with recombinant FSH and 30 fertile controls. Intervention(s) Endometrium was obtained by Pipelle endometrial biopsy on cycle days 21–25. In addition, Ishikawa cells (a well-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line) were treated with either E 2 , recombinant FSH, GnRH agonist, or GnRH antagonist. RNA was extracted and analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Main outcome measure(s) HOXA10 expression. Result(s) Endometrial HOXA10 expression in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) with recombinant FSH was not different from that in fertile controls. Estradiol increased HOXA10 expression in Ishikawa cells in a dose-dependent manner from 10 −9 to 10 −7 M. Neither recombinant FSH, GnRH agonist, nor GnRH antagonist altered HOXA10 expression in these cells. Conclusion(s) Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation did not inhibit endometrial HOXA10 expression in vivo. In addition, in vitro endometrial cell HOXA10 expression was not altered by either recombinant FSH, GnRH agonist, or GnRH antagonist. COH is unlikely to adversely impact endometrial receptivity.
A Comparison of Black and White Families as Portrayed On Religious and Secular Television Programs

Few would argue with the fact that traditional roles and values that previously undergirded family life are currently in a state of turmoil. According to 1984 Census Bureau statistics (see Newsweek, 1985), illegitimacy has more than doubled in the past three decades and the rate of divorce continues to increase. Single parents headed 25.7% of the families with children under 18-years-old in the United States, with experts predicting that one of every three families will be headed by a single parent in 1990 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1985). Living in a family has never been easy; one need only read the Bible to discover that marital deceit, sibling rivalry, incest, abusive husbands and parents, and family violence are not inventions of the late twentieth century. The family has always been an institution under stress (Anderson, 1982), and the church has often been a vehicle to bring the family together. According to Pipes (1981: 54), "Preaching and churches have traditionally been a mainstay of Black families. Among Blacks in the United States today, old-time preaching.. . is still a vital element." In its promotion of traditional family roles and values, the church has sought to preserve the family unit and teach our youth about the strength in family unity.
Bilirubin uridyldiphospho-glucuronyl transferase and β-glucuronidase activity in tissues of horse (equus caballus) and sheep (ovis aries)

Abstract 1. 1. Normal activities of bilirubin uridyldiphospho-glucuronyl transferase (BUDPGT) (E.C. 2.4.1.17) and β-glucuronidase (E.C.3.2.1.31) were determined. 2. 2. BUDPGT activity was elevated in two mutant strains of sheep with hyperbilirubinemia, suggesting no casual relationship to the hyperbilirubinemia. 3. 3. Elevated β-glucuronidase activity in mutant Corriedale sheep may reflect lysosomal retention related to hepatic pigmentation. 4. 4. Plasma β-glucuronidase activity decreased exponentially with age in normal neonatal lambs.
Post-hoc selection of covariates in randomized experiments

Monte Carlo methods are used to compere a number of adaptive strategies for deciding which of several covariates to incorporate into the analysis of a randomized experiment.Sixteen selection strategies in three categories are considered: 1)select covariates correlated with the response, 2)select covariates with means differing across groups, and 3)select covariates with means differing across groups that are also correlated with the response. The criteria examined are the type I error rate of the test for equality of adjusted group means and the variance of the estimated treatment effect. These strategies can result in either inflated or deflated type I errors, depending on the method and the population parameters. The adaptive methods in the first category some times yieldpoint estimates of the treatment effect more precise than estimators derive dusing either all or none of the covariates.
Estrogen, Efferent Ductules, and the Epididymis

Estrogen's presence in the male reproductive system has been known for over 60 years, but its potential function in the epididymis remains an important area of investigation. Estrogen is synthesized by germ cells, producing a relatively high concentration in rete testis fluid. There are two estrogen receptors (ESR), the presence of which in the head of the epididymis is well documented and consistent between species; however, in other regions of the epididymis, their expression appears to be isotype, species, and cell specific. ESR1 is expressed constitutively in the epididymis; however, its presence is downregulated by high doses of estrogen, making the design of experiments complicated, as the phenotype of the Cyp19a1−/− mouse does not resemble that of the Esr1−/− mouse. Ligand-independent and DNA-binding Esr1 mutant models further demonstrate the complexity and importance of both signaling pathways in maintenance of efferent ductules and epididymis. Data now reveal the presence of not only classical nuclear receptors, but also cytoplasmic ESR and rapid responding membrane receptors; however, their importance in the epididymis remains undetermined. ESR1 regulates ion transport and water reabsorption in the efferent ducts and epididymis, and its regulation of other associated genes is continually being uncovered. In the male, some genes, such as Aqp9 and Slc9a3, contain both androgen and estrogen response elements and are dually regulated by these hormones. While estrogen pathways are a necessity for fertility in the male, future studies are needed to understand the interplay between androgens and estrogens in epididymal tissues, particularly in cell types that contain both receptors and their cofactors.
Cyclin: A protein specified by maternal mRNA in sea urchin eggs that is destroyed at each cleavage division

Cleavage in embryos of the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata consists of eight very rapid divisions that require continual protein synthesis to sustain them. This synthesis is programmed by stored maternal mRNAs, which code for three or four particularly abundant proteins whose synthesis is barely if at all detectable in the unfertilized egg. One of these proteins is destroyed every time the cells divide. Eggs of the sea urchin Lytechinus pictus and oocytes of the surf clam Spisula solidissima also contain proteins that only start to be made after fertilization and are destroyed at certain points in the cell division cycle. We propose to call these proteins the cyclins.
Backbone Conformational Fluctuations as Determinants of pKa Values of Surface Residues in Proteins

The pKa values of surface ionizable residues in proteins are usually similar to the pKa values of ionizable residues in water. This is still difficult to reproduce using structure-based electrostatics calculations with static structures, which tend to exaggerate the shifts in pKa values because the magnitude of Coulomb effects is exaggerated and the balance between Coulomb and dehydration effects is not reproduced correctly. These problems can be minimized by using artificially high protein dielectric constants, but sometimes the discrepancy persists even when the protein interior is treated with the dielectric constant of water. This suggests that pKa values are affected by the conformational dynamics of the protein, which are not reflected in the crystal structure. Molecular dynamics or Monte Carlo simulations can be used to attempt to reproduce these dynamic effects implicitly, but there are no useful data for testing this approach directly. To examine the role of fluctuations of the backbone in determining pKa values, NMR spectroscopy was used to measure the pKa values of all 20 Asp and Glu residues in variants of staphylococcal nuclease with Gly substituted at select locations. These substitutions were intended to enhance backbone fluctuations without affecting the overall protein structure. Some Gly substitutions detectably shifted the pKa values of some carboxylic groups. Crystal structures of these variants showed no significant changes relative to the structure of the reference protein. Calculations with continuum methods using these crystal structures do not reproduce the measured shifts in pKa values. NMR spectroscopy studies suggest Gly substitutions affect the dynamics of the protein. Efforts are underway to better characterize these changes. Our results suggest that the high apparent polarizability of proteins might be due to subtle structural fluctuations that are difficult to reproduce computationally.
Effects of oral androstenedione on phospholipid fatty acids, ATP, caspase-3, prostaglandin E2 and C-reactive protein in serum and livers of pregnant and non-pregnant female rats

Androstenedione, a steroidal dietary supplement taken to enhance athletic performance, could affect serum and liver lipid metabolism, induce liver toxicity or alter inflammatory response depending on dose and duration of exposure. Pregnancy could further exaggerate these effects. To examine this, mature female rats were gavaged with 0, 5, 30 or 60 mg/kg/day androstenedione beginning two weeks prior to mating and continuing through gestation day 19. Non-pregnant female rats were gavaged over the same time frame with 0 or 60 mg/kg/day androstenedione. Serum was collected and livers were removed from dams on gestation day 20 and from non-pregnant rats after 5 weeks of treatment. Androstenedione had no effect on serum total cholesterol, triglycerides or HDL-cholesterol, but significantly decreased C-reactive protein in pregnant rats and prostaglandin E(2) in serum of both pregnant and non-pregnant rats. There were treatment related decreases in liver ATP and, to a lesser degree, caspase-3 and no change in alkaline phosphatase of pregnant female rats. Androstenedione decreased docosahexaenoic acid in both serum and liver phospholipids of pregnant female rats. In conclusion, oral androstenedione did not result in overt hepatotoxicity in pregnant female rats, but produced modest changes in lipid metabolism and may impair regeneration of injured hepatic cells or tissue.
High throughput microfluidic cell array for cytotoxicity screening

A microfluidic array with micro cell sieves was designed to fabricate multiple cells array for high-throughput cell cytotoxicity screening. Micro channels in both directions (column and row) were individually addressable by using a set of elastomeric monolithic array valves, enabling parallel loading of various cell lines in one direction and introducing of different toxins in the other direction. Several micro cell sieves were designed in each chamber. Cell number and distribution in chambers can be conveniently controlled by the adjustment of cell sieve number, distribution and size. Fluid transport property and cell loading in chamber were simulated and verified experimentally. The capability of the microfluidic array was demonstrated for seeding multiple mammalian cell lines in chambers and observing the cell viabilities after cells exposed to different toxins with a fluorescence microscope.
Rapid Turnover of Connexin43 in the Adult Rat Heart

Remodeling of the distribution of gap junctions is an important feature of anatomic substrates of arrhythmias in patients with healed myocardial infarcts. Mechanisms underlying this process are poorly understood but probably involve changes in gap junction protein (connexin) synthesis, assembly into channels, and degradation. The half-life of the principal cardiac gap junction protein, connexin43 (Cx43), is only 1.5 to 2 hours in primary cultures of neonatal myocytes, but it is unknown whether rapid turnover of Cx43 occurs in the adult heart or is unique to disaggregated neonatal myocytes that are actively reestablishing connections in vitro. To characterize connexin turnover dynamics in the adult heart and to elucidate its potential role in remodeling of gap junctions, we measured Cx43 turnover kinetics and characterized the proteolytic pathways involved in Cx43 degradation in isolated perfused adult rat hearts. Hearts were labeled for 40 minutes with Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing [35S]methionine, and then chase perfusions were performed with nonradioactive buffer for 0, 60, 120, and 240 minutes. Quantitative immunoprecipitation assays of Cx43 radioactivity in 4 hearts at each time point yielded a monoexponential decay curve indicating a Cx43 half-life of 1.3 hours. Proteolytic pathways responsible for Cx43 degradation were elucidated by perfusing isolated rat hearts for 4 hours with specific inhibitors of either lysosomal or proteasomal proteolysis. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated significant increases ( approximately 30%) in Cx43 content in hearts perfused with either lysosomal or proteasomal pathway inhibitors. Most of the Cx43 in hearts perfused with lysosomal inhibitors consisted of phosphorylated isoforms, whereas nonphosphorylated Cx43 accumulated selectively in hearts perfused with a specific proteasomal inhibitor. These results indicate that Cx43 turns over rapidly in the adult heart and is degraded by multiple proteolytic pathways. Regulation of Cx43 degradation could play an important role in gap junction remodeling in response to cardiac injury.
Species Richness Estimation and Rarefaction of Fish Assemblages in a Small Watershed

Abstract Many investigators sample a site or watershed only once and use that sample to characterize the location (e.g., indices of biotic integrity studies). Using real-world fish assemblages, we investigated the adequacy of using a single sample, site, or season to characterize the fish community at a site or watershed. We sampled twelve sites from the Little Choctawhatchee River watershed (416 km2) by electrofishing six times at each location over 18 months (n = 72). We estimated species richness at each site during each season and for the entire watershed using the Chao 2 estimator. We used these estimates to determine how many samples at the local level and how many sites at the watershed level were needed. Additionally, we determined the proportion of species found after 1–6 samples. Our results showed that to observe 80–100% of species, 5.6–47.4 samples, respectively, were needed at the local level over six seasons, 8.4–86.9 sites, respectively, were needed at the watershed level over a single seas...
Allozyme evidence for the origin and diversification of Gossypium barbadense L.

Gossypium barbadense L. is a commercially important cotton species of tropical South American origin presently grownin many regions of the world. The species is morphologically diverse, consisting of a wide range of wild (or feral), commensal, landrace, and highly improvedcommercial forms. We performed allozyme analysis on 153 accessions representing the spectrum of G. barbadense diversityto ascertain the geographic origin of the species, its patterns of diffusion subsequent to domestication, and to reveal infraspecific relationships. Levels ofgenetic variation in G. barbadense are moderate. Of 59 loci scored, 24 were polymorphic, with a mean number of alleles perlocus of 1.69 and an average panmictic heterozygosity of 0.062. Principal component analysis revealed geographic clustering of accessions into six relativelydiscrete regions. Gene frequencies at many loci are significantly heterogeneous among these regions, with an average G STof 0.272. Northwestern South America contains the greatest genetic variability; we suggest that this region is the ancestral home of the species. The data indicate separate diffusion pathways from this region into Argentina-Paraguay and into eastern and northern South America east of the Andes. Caribbean Island and Central American forms appear to be derived from the latter. These diffusion pathways are in accordance with morphological evidence and historical record. In contrast to expectations based on geographic proximity, Pacific Island forms have their closest affinity to accessions from eastern South America. Advanced cultivated stocks seem largely derived from western Andean material, but also contain introgressed G. hirsutum germ plasm. Introgression was relatively high (22%–50% of accessions) in commercial stocks and in forms from Argentina-Paraguay and various Pacific Islands, but was conspicuously low or absent in material from Central America and the Caribbean, where commensal and commercial forms of both species are sympatric.
From Couinaud to molecular biology: the seven virtues of hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery.

It is an immense honour and a privilege to serve as President at the 12th Annual Meeting of the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA). This presentation is dedicated to those young and old who continue to be passionate students of hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) disorders. The talk is a tribute to Claude Couinaud, a French surgeon, and his passion for liver anatomy (Fig. 1). It is also about the crossroads between his and our passion for HPB surgery. In trying to identify the best term to describe these seven crossroads between Couinaud's world and today's world, I first thought of using the terms essentials, principles or reasons, but they sounded too detached and impersonal. I also considered using the terms passions, loves or elations, but I found them to be too emotional. So I chose the term virtues, which is used in ancient and modern philosophy, in psychology, and in many religious traditions (Table 1). Figure 1 Claude Couinaud working with his collection of liver casts at the school of medicine in Paris, 1988. Reprinted with permission from Sutherland and Harris (2002)3 Table 1 The seven virtues of HPB surgery