cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A model for the formation and structure of casein micelles from subunits of variable composition

Abstract Sedimentation coefficients were determined for association products in systems containing SH-κ-casein, SH-κ-casein-α s1 - or β-caseins (1:1, by weight) and SH-κ-casein-α s1 -casein-β-casein (2:1:1, by weight) under a variety of environmental conditions. As the concentration of NaCl is increased or, as the concentration of CaCl 2 is increased at 0.05 M NaCl, the system containing SH-κ-casein alone acts quite differently from those which also contain the Ca 2+ -sensitive caseins. It is concluded that electrostatic as well as hydrophobic attractions are important between SH-κ-casein monomers. Viscosity and sedimentation measurements combined indicate that nearly spherical polymers containing 25–30 monomers each and with radii of approx. 10 nm are formed in all systems. It is considered that these polymers are micelle subunits in which the non-polar portion of each monomer is oriented radially inward while the charged acidic peptides of the Ca 2+ -sensitive caseins and the hydrophilic, carbohydrate-containing portion of κ-casein are near the surface. Asymmetric distribution of κ-casein in a micelle subunit results in hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas on the subunit surface. In this situation, aggregation through hydrophobic interactions forms a porous micelle. Micelle growth is limited by the eventual concentration, at the micelle surface, of subunits rich in κ-casein. This model successfully accounts for the properties of equilibrium and nonequilibrium micelle systems, for the destabilization of the micelle by dephosphorylation of Ca 2+ -sensitive caseins or by high concentrations of NaCl or CaCl 2 and for the events associated with clotting by rennin action.
Effect of stimulus intensity on lingual vibrotactile fusion thresholds.

The performance in the cutaneous modality in the resolution of time differences between successive stimulation depends, in part, on the physical properties of the stimuli (4). In 1967, Gescheider demonstrated that for stimulation of the fingertip, fusion thresholds were affected by the intensity relations between the first and the delayed stimulus. He also showed that, when the stimuli were of equal magnitude, the cutaneous temporal-resolution thresholds decreased as stimulus intensity increased. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of stimulus intensity on fusion thresholds obtained for the human tongue. Fifteen subjects were randomly selected from a group of 96 students enrolled in an introductory survey course in speech and hearing. The subjects' ages ranged from 18 to 22 yr. A detailed description of the vibrotactile apparatus and pulse-generation system can be found elsewhere (5). Vibrotactile fusion thresholds were obtained from the anterior midline dorsal surface of the tongue. Fusion thresholds were collected for a two-pulse stimulus presented at a 15-dB sensation level and a 35-dB sensation level. Each subject attended two experimental sessions in which thresholds were collected for only one of the sensation levels per session. The sessions were at least 24 hr. apart. The order of presentation of the sensation level was randomized across subjects. The pulses generated were l-msec. square wave pulses, with the second sequentially generated pulse having a variable time of onset from the first pulse. Both pulses within the two-pulse stimulus were of equal intensity. To obtain fusion thresholds, the two-pulse stimulus was presented to the tongue at the 15-dB sensation level or the 35-dB level starting with an interstimulus interval time of 50 msec. The testing was started at this interstimulus interval so the subject perceived the stimulus as two discrete events. Three presentations of the paired stimulus signal were given before judgment was made as to whether the stimulus was perceived as being one or more than one (2). The interval was then decreased until a fusion point (the stimulus is perceived as one) was
Very Soft X-Ray Spectra of Heavy Elements

Absolute wave-length measurements by photographic methods with plane gratings (280 and 1180 lines per mm) have been made on very soft x-ray lines of Th, Pb, Hg, Au, Ir, W and Ta. The wave-lengths range from 43.6A to 104.8A. For Hg, Au, Ir, W and Ta doublets were observed whose probable origins are transitions within the N shell, i.e., $\ensuremath{\Delta}n=0$. These doublets fall on a smooth Moseley curve of small curvature.
Optimal design of nonlinear parabolic systems. Part II: Variable spatial domain with applications to casting optimization

Abstract In Part I, design sensitivity expressions for nonlinear parabolic systems were derived and then specialized for the analysis for thermal systems which govern many processing operations. However, that presentation did not account for shape variations. Here we present the shape sensitivity analysis for the thermal system. The sensitivities are derived via the domain parameterization method and computed with the finite element method. Various means for parameterizing the shape are also discussed. Finally, the sensitivity analysis is coupled with nonlinear programming to optimize the design of a sand casting.
Res aut res publica: The Evidence from Italian Renaissance Manuscripts and Their Owners

This paper examines a key tension in Renaissance culture as reflected in the origin and provenance of manuscript books. Were Renaissance manuscripts the private property of individual owners or the common wealth of a lettered public? Even an officially public library could not escape that tension, whether through abuse of borrowing privileges or plundering of vulnerable holdings. Market forces encouraged theft, while impoverished scholars used their knowledge to supplement meager incomes. Alternatively, a sense of common wealth is reflected in an ex-libris indicating that a codex belonged to an individual “and his friends.” Book collecting, finally, becomes a helpful clue in discerning to what a scholar is committed. Some Renaissance clergymen used culture as a way to promote their ecclesiastical careers, while others collected and shared manuscripts as a way to promote tolerance.
Investigations of gas-phase lithium-peptide adducts: Tandem. mass spectrometry and semiempirical studies.

Tandem mass spectrometry using a hybrid mass spectrometer of BEqQ geometry was used to investigate the gas-phase formation of the [An + Li − H)+ ion from lithium-peptide adducts. High resolution mass measurements as well as precursor and product ion scans of five peptides indicate that one source of [An + Li − H) arises from [An + Li]+. Semiempirical calculations (MNOO) and metastable ion decomposition studies of the peptide Gly-Gly-Gly show that the lithium ion prefers to coordinate to the three internal carbonyls of the neutral molecule to give a species that is energetically more stable than the lithiated zwitterion by 305 kJ/mol. Theoretical and experimental evidence suggest that the monolithiated precursor ion population may be a distribution of structural isomers. (J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 1990, 1, 473-480)
Transformation of artemisinin by Cunninghamella elegans

Semi-synthetic derivatives of the anti-malarial drug artemisinin hold great promise in the search for an effective and economical treatment of chloroquine-resistant forms of malaria. Unfortunately, synthetic functionalization of the artemisinin skeleton is often tedious and/or impractical. We seek to utilize 7β-hydroxyartemisinin, obtained from microbial transformation, as a semi-synthetic precursor for the synthesis of novel 7β-substituted artemisinin anti-malarial agents. Here we employ liquid cultures of Cunninghamella elegans as a means for the rational and economical bioconversion of artemisinin to 7β-hydroxyartemisinin in 78.6% yield. In addition, there were three other bioconversion products: 7β-hydroxy-9α-artemisinin (6.0%), 4α-hydroxy-1-deoxoartemisinin (5.4%), and 6β-hydroxyartemisinin (6.5%).
Measuring Productivity in U. S. Public Administration and Public Affairs Programs 1981-1985

This article replicates the 1981 study of Morgan and colleagues and focuses on the productivity of public affairs and administration programs in the United States from 1981 to 1985. While many of the highest-ranked programs retain their 1970-1980 positions, the article notes a dramatic improvement on the part of other institutions. In addition to examining overall productivity, the number of published articles is considered as a ratio to the number of faculty in order to control for the size of faculties. While some smaller programs are helped by the ratio measure, high productivity is more characteristic of doctoral degree-granting institutions.
Urine solute composition of rats exposed to chronic centrifugation.

Urine osmolality of centrifuged rats compared with ad libitum or pair-fed control animals, indicating enhanced free water excretion and antidiuretic hormone involvement
Relationship of renal size, body size, and blood pressure in children

Somatometric parameters, renal size, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were studied in 406 patients referred to pediatric nephrology and urology clinics. These patients included 269 females (66%), 67 African Americans (17%), and 87 patients with essential hypertension (21%). Z scores for the study population were comparable to published standards for height, kidney length, and SBP. Weight and body mass index scores were significantly greater than predicted from the standards, especially in the subset of patients with essential hypertension. Age, height, weight, body mass index, kidney length, and SBP all correlated with one another; however, on multiple regression analysis of SBP with the other five independent variables, only weight proved to have a significant correlation. Furthermore, the relationship of kidney length with SBP was positive and hypertensive patients had greater kidney size than published standards. These data do not support reduced kidney size in the population with essential hypertension, nor is there support for a convincing correlation between kidney length and SBP in the general pediatric population. Body weight correlates best with blood pressure. These findings warrant further study in a less-select population. Prevention and treatment of obesity may thus be of prime importance in addressing hypertension in children.
Determination of Serum Ornithine Carbamyl Transferase with an Ammonia Gas-Sensing Electrode

Abstract Serum OCT activity was determined with a potentiometric ammonia gas-sensing electrode at normal and abnormal levels. It is shown that the potentiometric methods offers substantial advantages over previous techniques in terms of sample size, incubation periods, and measurement times. The proposed method correlates well with independent determinations and has a relative error of less than 4.2%.
Diffusion, perfusion, and T2 magnetic resonance imaging of anti-intercellular adhesion molecule 1 antibody treatment of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in rat.

The effect of anti-intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (anti-ICAM-1) antibody treatment of transient (2 h) middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in the rat was measured using diffusion (DWI)-, T2 (T2I)- and perfusion (PWI)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Rats were treated upon reperfusion with an anti-ICAM-1 monoclonal antibody (n=11) or a control antibody (n=7). DWI, T2I and PWI were performed before, during, and after induction of focal cerebral ischemia from 1 h to 7 days. In both groups, the apparent diffusion coefficient of water (ADCw) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) values in the ischemic region significantly declined from the preischemic ADCw values (p<0.05). The post ischemic increase in T2 of the control group was significantly higher at 48 h than in the anti-ICAM-1 treated group (p<0.05). CBF was not significantly different between the two groups. The temporal profiles of MRI cluster analysis, which combines ADCw and T2 maps into a single image, was significantly different between groups. These data suggest that the neuroprotective effect of anti-ICAM-1 antibody treatment is reflected in reductions of T2 and lesion growth during reperfusion and may not be associated with increased cerebral perfusion.
Local seismicity following the 1998 eruption of Axial Volcano

A local network of seven ocean bottom hydrophones was deployed on Axial volcano 14 days after the onset of seismic activity from the January 1998 diking/eruption episode. Eighty-one locatable microearthquakes were observed during a 166 day deployment. The first group of events, observed immediately after the eruption, cluster around the rim of the central caldera. These events are believed to be aftershocks from the major caldera collapse at the beginning of the diking event. The second group of events, observed 2–5 months after the eruption, are primarily located on a line striking 125° from the caldera onto the southeast shoulder of the volcano, with a few events extending into Helium basin to the north. These events are interpreted to result from horizontal shear associated with the CoAxial and Vance ridge segment offset, or extension across the Juan de Fuca/Pacific plate boundary underlying the eastern flank of Axial volcano.
THREE NEW SPECIES OF ERYTHROXYLUM (ERYTHROXYLACEAE) FROM VENEZUELA

Erythroxylum steyermarkii Plowman,E. undulatum Plowman andE. williamsii Standley ex Plowman, all known only from Venezuela, are described and illustrated, and their taxonomic and phytogeographic relationships are discussed.
Cessation of human motor unit discharge during sustained maximal voluntary contraction.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether cessation of motor unit discharge contributes to fatigue in human subjects. Multiple fine-wire and tungsten microelectrodes were inserted into the extensor digitorum or extensor indicis muscles of the forearm in an attempt to record the activity of the same motor unit from different locations within either muscle while subjects maintained a maximal voluntary contraction of the finger extensors until force dropped by ∼50%. The activities of 13 motor units were followed for extended periods during the fatigue task. Of these, six appeared to cease discharging prior to the end of the task, which could not be attributed to electrode movement. These findings suggest that some motor neurons may not be able to discharge continuously in the presence of sustained volitional synaptic drive or that excitatory drive may diminish during maximal voluntary effort.
Differences in Interpersonal Orientation of Heroin, Amphetamine, and Barbiturate Users*

In order to test the clinical utility of McClelland's (1972) power-conflict notions in compulsive drug use and Teasdale's (1972) empirical findings that British heroin users characteristically evidence higher ‘power’ orientations in interpersonal interaction than nonheroin drug users, Leary's (1957) measures of ‘dominance’ and eight interpersonal orientation types were compared among three groups of white, male, American veterans voluntarily seeking treatment for drug use problems (heroin, N = 63; amphetamines, N = 45; and barbiturates, N = 34). Drug users scored significantly higher in dominance than normative samples; heroin users scored significantly higher in dominance than either amphetamine- or barbiturate-users. Qualified support was given McClelland's power-conflict model; Modifications are indicated that take into account differences in measurement perspective (public behavior vs. underlying character structure) as well as differences in interpersonal orientation types both within and between groups of drug users classified by drug-most-used.
Improving the performance of a port system through service demand reallocation

The objective of this paper is to develop a methodology for improving the performance of a port system by reallocating the demand for port services amongst the ports. To achieve this objective a mixed integer programming model that minimizes the total transportation cost is developed. The total transportation cost includes the maritime transportation, the marginal queueing, and the inland transportation costs. The solution of the model gives the optimum quantities of commodities that should be transferred through each port to meet the demand at each inland center. The model was applied to the Ecuadorian port system and it was found that reallocation of the service demand can reduce the total transportation cost by 27%.
Multiple myeloma in a mink handler following exposure to aleutian disease

Aleutian disease of mink is a viral illness characterized by systemic plasmocytosis and hypergammaglobulinemia. Some affected mink develop a monoclonal gammaglobulin spike and Bence-Jones proteinuria. A case of multiple myeloma in a mink handler with a 15-year history of exposure to Aleutian mink is presented. Previously reported cases of possible Aleutian disease (AD) in man are discussed and the pathogenesis of AD reviewed. Aleutian disease virus (ADV) may produce asymptomatic infection in exposed individuals. Available data suggest symptomatic disease in humans is extremely rare.
Evaluation of microbial methods as potential indicators of soil quality in historical agricultural fields

In agricultural ecosystems that have had consistent cropping histories, standard microbial methods may be used to evaluate past and present practices. Our objective was to evaluate several microbial methods that best indicate cropping histories and soil quality on long-term plots. We selected soil microbial carbon (C), phospholipid analyses, direct counts of total fungal and bacterial biomass, and soil enzymes (phosphatases) to measure direct and indirect microbial activity on the Sanborn Field and Tucker Prairie. The Sanborn Field has been under various cropping and management practices since 1888 and the Tucker Prairie is an uncultivated site. Seven different plots were chosen on the Sanborn Field and random samples were taken in the summit area on the Tucker Prairie, which represented a reference site. Soil microbial biomass C, phospholipids, and enzyme activity were reflective of the cropping and management histories observed on the Sanborn Field. Enzymatic activity was highly correlated to soil organic matter. The direct counts of fungal and bacterial biomass showed that fungal populations dominated these soils, which may be attributed to soil pH. Soil microbial biomass C and enzyme assays seemed to be better potential indicators of cropping histories than the other methods tested in the long-term plots.
Producing good code for the case statement

After summarizing different ways of generating selection code for the case statement, the execution speed of each type of selection code is described using the RISC machine model. A method for combining the selection code schemes is proposed. The method, part of the PL.8 compiler, is flexible enough to handle case-selector data-types that have a large range of values, such as the character-string or floating-point datatypes, and can be fine-tuned when the probabilities of the case selector taking on particular values are known.
Polymorphism in the surfactant protein-B gene, gender, and the risk of direct pulmonary injury and ARDS.

Study objective Major risk factors for ARDS have been identified. However, only a minority of patients with such risks develops ARDS. It is likely that, given the same type and degree of insult, there are heritable determinants of susceptibility to ARDS. To investigate the possibility of variable genetic susceptibility to ARDS, we examined the association between ARDS and a polymorphism in intron 4 of the surfactant protein-B ( SP-B ) gene. Design Nested case-control study conducted from September 1999 to March 2001. Setting Four adult medical and surgical ICUs at a tertiary academic center. Patients One hundred eighty-nine patients meeting study criteria for a defined risk factor for ARDS were enrolled and prospectively followed. Measurements and results Seventy-two patients (38%) developed ARDS. After stratification by gender and adjustment for potential confounders, there was a significantly increased odds for women with the variant SP-B gene to develop ARDS compared to women homozygous for the wild-type allele (odds ratio [OR], 4.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 18.8; p = 0.03). Women with the variant SP-B polymorphism also had significantly increased odds of having a direct pulmonary injury such as aspiration or pneumonia as a risk factor for ARDS as opposed to an indirect pulmonary risk for ARDS (OR, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.1 to 19.9; p = 0.04). No such association with ARDS or direct pulmonary injury was found for men. Conclusion The variant polymorphism of the SP-B gene is associated with ARDS and with direct pulmonary injury in women, but not in men. Further study is needed to confirm the association between the variant SP-B gene, and gender, ARDS, and direct pulmonary injury.
The Clinical Viewpoint: Definitions, Limitations of RECIST, Practical Considerations of Measurement

In selecting an endpoint in clinical trial design, it is important to consider that the endpoint is both reliably measured and clinically meaningful. As such, overall survival (OS) has traditionally been considered the most clinically relevant and convincing endpoint in clinical trial design as long as it is accompanied by preservation in quality of life. However, progression-free survival (PFS) is increasingly more prominent in clinical trial design because of feasibility issues (smaller sample sizes and shorter follow-up). PFS has the advantage of taking into account not only responsive disease, but stable disease as well, an issue of particular importance in the relapsed and refractory setting in which therapies are often associated with a minimal to nil response but may still confer a survival advantage. Finally, PFS has a significant advantage in molecularly selected populations, in whom OS advantages are difficult to detect due to the effects of crossover. With an understanding of the limitations and biases that are introduced with PFS as a primary endpoint, we believe that PFS is not only a viable but also a necessary alternative to OS in assessing the efficacy of selected novel-targeted therapies in molecularly defined cancer populations. Ultimately, the selection of a clinical trial endpoint should not be based on a one-size-fits all approach; rather, it should be based on the specifics of the therapeutic strategy being tested and the population under study.
Attenuation of a linear oscillator using a nonlinear and a semi-active tuned mass damper in series

Abstract In this paper, the behavior of a three degrees-of-freedom system is examined, consisting of a linear primary structure (PS), a tuned mass damper with a small cubic stiffness nonlinearity and a semi-active tuned mass damper (STMD) connected in series—each element with a mass approximately two orders of magnitude smaller than the previous. Using numerical simulations, it is determined that an STMD with a mass four orders of magnitude smaller than the PS is able to greatly reduce the amplitude of the PS response by acting to keep the nonlinear tuned mass damper within its linear range. Effective attenuation is dependent on appropriate selection of design parameters—selecting an appropriate STMD mass ratio given its damping, the strength of the stiffness nonlinearity, and the largest forcing amplitude expected. Using a standard tuning approach for the STMD (modulating its stiffness to match the natural frequency of the STMD to the excitation frequency) and comparing its performance with an optimal passive linear tuned mass damper (TMD), the STMD provides a wider-band frequency-response amplitude reduction but often increases the response amplitude slightly above the resonance frequency. A piecewise linear tuning approach for the STMD is proposed which combines the performance benefits of the STMD and the TMD to improve performance and further reduce power requirements.
Signal synthesis from Cohen's class of bilinear time-frequency signal representations using convex projections

The author addresses the problem of inverting a general member of the class of bilinear joint time-frequency signal representations introduced by L. Cohen (1966), i.e. obtaining the signal generating a given representation. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the exact inversion are introduced and are shown to be too restrictive to be practically useful. A constrained least-squares approach is formulated, and a solution is given by application of the method of alternating convex projections. The author also considers regularization of the method and examines some extensions of the approach. >
A conveyor belt task for assessing visuo-motor coordination in the marmoset (Callithrix jacchus): effects of diazepam, chlorpromazine, pentobarbital and d-amphetamine.

A conveyor belt task for assessing visuo-motor coordination in the marmoset is described. Animals are motivated by apple, a preferred food, under a state of minimal food deprivation. The apparatus used was designed to test animals within their home cages and not restrained in any way, thus avoiding possible confounding factors associated with restraint stress. Stable baseline levels of performance were reached by all animals in a median of 24 sessions. Performance was shown to be differentially sensitive to the effects of four psychoactive drugs. Moderate doses of diazepam, chlorpromazine and pentobarbital disrupted visuomotor coordination in a dose-related manner. The possibility that disruption of performance observed at higher doses may have resulted from non-specific actions of these drugs such as decreases in feeding motivation were not supported by results from ancillary experiments. Changes in performance characteristic of high dose effects were similar in nature to changes observed when the degree of task difficulty was increased. Doses of d-amphetamine up to and including those reported to produce signs of stereotypy failed to influence performance. The potential of the conveyor belf task for measuring visuo-motor coordination in both primate and rodent species is discussed.
Primary production in the deep blue sea

Abstract Primary production rates and concentrations of photosynthetic pigments were measured on 5 days during March and April 1987, at 26°N, 155°W in the North Pacific subtropical gyre. The primary production measurements were carried out using on-deck incubators with blue and blue-violet filters which simulated both the intensity and spectral characteristics of submarine light. Dawn-to-dusk production rates averaged 777±219 mg C m−2. The quantum requirements implied by photosynthetic rates measured near the base of the euphotic zone approached the theoretical minimum of 8 Ein mol−1C if the chlorophyll a-specific absorption coefficient ( k c ) was assumed to equal 16 m2 g−1 Chl a. Both the absorption characteristics of extracted pigments and of particulate material collected on glass fiber filters indicated that k c was constant and equal to 16.0±1.6 m2 g−1 Chl a over the depth of the euphotic zone if submarine light were assumed to have the same spectral characteristics as surface light. When the spectral characteristics of submarine light were properly modeled, k c was found to increase by about a factor of three between the surface and approximately the 14% light level and to equal 44±7 m2 g−1 Chl a throughout the lower 75% of the euphotic zone. The dramatic difference in the ability of phytoplankton to absorb equal quantum fluxes of white and blue light implies that areal primary production rates can be underestimated by about a factor of two in the open ocean if incubations are conducted using surface light attenuated with neutral density filters.
Oral immunotherapy for food allergy: clinical and preclinical studies

Food allergies affect approximately 5% of the U.S. population and have increased in the last decade. In recent years, oral immunotherapy (OIT) has been tested in clinical trials for peanut, milk, and egg allergies in young children. OIT appears to be fairly well tolerated by most subjects and leads to desensitization with a greatly increased threshold of allergen required to induce reactions. Further approaches being investigated in preclinical studies in mouse models indicate the potential for using adjuvants, such as TLR9 agonists in combination with OIT; peptide OIT; and non-allergen specific applications such as herbal formulations. Further questions about OIT remain, including the optimal dosing and length of treatment; whether tolerance can be developed; and the exact cellular mechanisms resulting in protection following OIT. With many clinical trials underway across the United States and other countries, and a growing pipeline of preclinical research with translational potential, there is great hope for a widely applicable food allergy treatment.
The effect of membrane heterogeneity on the predictability of fluxes, with application to the cornea.

Abstract Many phenomenological treatments of biological membrane transport are based on the assumption that the membrane consists of a single class of passive transport paths; i.e. that the membrane is simple. Simplicity is assumed both in the measurement of the membrane's transport coefficients and in the use of these coefficients to predict membrane fluxes. Such a procedure will in general lead to an error in the prediction of solute flux across parallel arrays. The error depends on the distribution of the reflection coefficients of the parallel paths and upper and lower bounds on it are given in terms of conventionally measured transport coefficients. The frictional representation of electrolyte transport across membranes possessing metabolic pumps is generalized to take this structure effect into account. The flux error resulting from the neglect of membrane heteroreflectivity is essentially the same for nonelectrolytes and electrolytes, irrespective of whether phenomenological or frictional membrane transport properties are used. It is shown that some information about transport structure can be obtained from global measurements made without regard for the organization of pathways across the membrane. The values of the measured transport coefficients of the corneal epithelium and endothelium imply that these cell layers are heteroreflective. Analysis of corneal transport, taking structure effects into account, shows that the corneal thickness may be intrinsically insensitive to tear tonicity, by a mechanism which may be of more general homeostatic significance.
Spatial frequency analysis of the visual environment: anisotropy and the carpentered environment hypothesis.

Abstract Optical Fourier analysis of photographic samples of three visual environments—indoor carpentered, outdoor carpentered, and pastoral—showed that in the 1–25 c/deg spatial frequency range, carpentered environments contained more information in horizontal (H) and vertical (V) orientations. However, in the 5–25 c/deg range the V orientation dominated, and the pastoral environment had the greatest anisotropy. Thus, a spatial-frequency-specific influence of carpentered environments on anisotropic acuity, which favors both H and V at higher frequencies, is not substantiated.
Aging consumers and their effects on the marketplace

The first of approximately 77 million baby boomers turned 50 in 1996 and this signaled the start of what is to become one of the greatest marketing movements ever seen in the USA in a movement which will last some 30‐40 years and it won’t be business as usual. The older customer is selective and also very discerning. They listen, they read, they remember but, above all else, they are skeptical. One of the strongest actions that a business can do with this mature market is to create a relationship with them. To do so puts you in a position to succeed.
Plate tectonics on Venus

Plate tectonics may be active on Venus, according to a pair of papers to be presented on May 18, 1987, at the AGU Spring Meeting in Baltimore, Md. Larry Crumpler and Jim Head of Brown University (Providence, R.I.) say that they have found features on Venus that resemble areas of seafloor spreading on the earth.
Relation between ore-forming hydrothermal systems and extensional deformation in the Solea graben spreading center, Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus

Field relations indicate that high-temperature hydrothermal circulation and accumulation of massive sulfide deposits within the Solea graben of the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus, followed extreme crustal attenuation. Zones of pervasive, massive epidosite strike parallel to the axis of the Solea graben and to the strike of extensional normal faults. Initial fluid flow, evidenced by preferential epidotization in weakly altered areas surrounding massively altered regions, was focused along joints, microfractures, and (now) low-angle normal-fault zones related to graben formation. Permeability within the sheeted-dike section was enhanced by brittle deformation related to extensional structures as well as through volume reduction inherent in the diabase to epidosite mineralogic phase transformations. Intrusion of high-level gabbros into epidosite zones occurred both before and after significant amagmatic tectonic extension. Structural control on epidotization suggests that intrusion of late stocks into attenuated and highly deformed crust is necessary to drive the vigorous hydrothermal circulation that produced the epidosites and ore bodies of the Solea graben. A similar sequence of events is more likely to occur in the modern oceans along ridge crests with ephemeral magmatism, especially at intermediate- to slow-spreading ridges near transform faults.
A Monte Carlo solution of transport equations

A local method is developed for solving partial differential transport equations. The method is local in the sense that the value of the unknown solution of these equations can be calculated at arbitrary space and time coordinates directly rather than extracting its value from the field solution as done when using current numerical methods for solution. The proposed method is based on an analogy between the partial differential operator of transport equations and the infinitesimal generator of Ito processes, the Ito formula, the Dynkin formula, and Monte Carlo simulation. The method can be applied to solve transport problems with Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. The solution of transport problems with Neumann boundary conditions is less simple because it requires the use of reflected Brownian motion and Ito processes.
Determination of cyanide in manufactured gas plant purifier wastes

Abstract Concentrations of complexed and free cyanide were determined in manufactured gas plant (MGP) purifier waste samples collected from two MGP sites in New York State. Standard additions of NaCN gave total cyanide levels of 14.3 ± 1.0 and 23.6 ± 3.7 mg CN g‐1 DWT (oven dry weight of solids) for the two samples. Free cyanide in both samples was less than the method detection limit. Accordingly, the cyanide values cited pertain to cyanide in complexes; these complexes are expected to be largely inorganic. A second determination on Sample 2 using standard addition of complexed rather than free cyanide yielded 25.8 ± 3.2 mg CN g‐1 DWT. From these data, it appears that gas purifier wastes may be expected to contain as much as 1 to 3 percent cyanide as CN on a dry weight basis.
Belief systems of early childhood teachers and their principals regarding early childhood education

Abstract The relationship between kindergarten teachers' and their principals' belief systems was analyzed to determine differences or similarities in belief statements about child development, early childhood curriculum, and teaching strategies. Three belief factors were identified as (a) academics, (b) childcenteredness, and (c) activity issues. Results indicated that teachers tend to disagree with a strong emphasis on academics, but they firmly agree with child-centered practices, and very strongly agree that motor activities, expressive arts, and physical movement belong in early childhood education. In general, principals reflected similar beliefs, but the similarity is less strong between male principals and teachers than between female principals and teachers. This suggests that in schools headed by male principals there is a greater discrepancy in belief systems than in schools headed by female principals. Furthermore, teachers saw their district as being more favorable toward academics and less favorable toward child-centered education. Results are discussed in light of differing career paths of male and female administrators, state-mandated “academics” programs, and teacher empowerment.
Ritual, Imitation and Education in R. S. Peters

This article reconstructs R. S. Peters' underlying theory of ritual in education, highlighting his proposed link between ritual and the imitation of teachers. Rituals set the stage for the imitation of teachers and they invite students to experience practices whose value is not easily discernable from the outside. For Peters, rituals facilitate the transmission of values across time, create unity in schools, and affirm authority relations. There is a tension, however, between this view of ritual and imitation, on the one hand, and Peters' views of liberal education and the ‘criteria of an educational process’, on the other. This article suggests how the processes of ritual and imitation can be reconciled with liberal education, and it identifies school rampage shootings as an area in which Peters' work on ritual might prove useful.
Laterality and sex differences in tactile detection and two-point thresholds modified by body surface area and body fat ratio

Tactile detection and two-point discrimination tests are commonly used in neurological examinations. However, questions remain about the influence of both body and patient characteristics on test thresholds. The left side of the body has sometimes been reported more tactilely sensitive than the right, and females are said to be more sensitive than males. We measured tactile detection and two-point discrimination thresholds on the finger, palm, and forehead of a large sample of young adults (N=171), examining laterality and sex differences, and the effects of body surface area (BSA) and body fat ratio (BFR). In tactile detection, there were no effects of laterality, BSA, or BFR, although females had lower thresholds than males. In two-point discrimination, there was an effect of laterality, with lower thresholds on the left side. This probably reflects hemispheric spatial processing differences. A significant BFR effect implies that subcutaneous fat affects skin deformation, but there were no effects of sex or BSA. The two-point discrimination findings differ in several respects from recent findings using grating orientation discriminations. A small positive correlation between the tasks, falling far short of test-retest reliabilities, indicates that they use largely disjoint but partially overlapping processes.
Polarization Effects of GaN and AlGaN: Polarization Bound Charge, Band Bending, and Electronic Surface States

GaN-based devices are currently limited by reliability issues such as gate leakage and current collapse, where the mechanisms responsible for degradation are closely related to the electronic surface state configuration. Therefore, understanding the electronic surface state configuration of GaN-based materials will help improve device performance. Since GaN has an inherent polarization, these materials are also subject to a bound polarization charge, which influences the electronic state configuration. In this study, the surface band bending of N-face GaN, Ga-face GaN, and Ga-face AlGaN was measured with x-ray photoemission spectroscopy after various cleaning steps to investigate the effects of the polarization. Despite the different surface bound charge on these materials, similar band bending was observed regardless of the magnitude or direction of the charge. Specifically, the band bending varied from −0.1 eV to 0.9 eV on these samples, which supported the models of a Fermi level pinning state at ∼0.4 eV to 0.8 eV below the conduction band. Based on available literature, we suggest this pinning state is indirectly evident of a nitrogen vacancy or gallium-dangling bond.
Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Infection

It has been 10 years since a study of perinatal zidovudine regimen showed that it prevented mother-to-child transmission of HIV in 67% of cases [1]. The article from the European Collaborative Study in this issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases [2] summarizes how far we have come over the past 10 years in the developed world. Treatment of HIV-infected pregnant women has increased such that >90% of HIV-infected women receive HAART. The overall rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV has been dramatically reduced to 1%. The European Collaborative Study [2] confirm that maternal viral load is the key risk factor for mother-to-child transmission of HIV and that the suppression of viral replication through administration of potent combinations of antiretroviral drugs markedly reduces the risk of mother-to-child transmission. In HAART recipients, the only other intervention that significantly reduced motherto-child transmission of HIV was elective Caesarean section delivery. Although the European Collaborative Study article [2]
Analysis and modeling on linearity for multi-throw TX/RX switches

Analytical analysis on linearity of multi-throw switches is given that serves as design guide. A switch multi-gate switch model is developed that includes all important mechanism associated with linearity, such as CV below pinchoff, leakage between gate to drain/source and drain to source. A highly linear nine-throw switch for GSM/WCDMA applications is used to validate the model that shows an IMD3 of −105 dBm at the control voltages starting as low as 2.8/0 V. This high linearity performance was achieved using good control on CV flatness and leakages in processing.
A 50-year-old man with blistering skin lesions on both feet

A 50-year-old man presented with blistering skin lesions on both feet that have progressively worsened over the previous month. Symptoms include pain, burning, itching and persistent drainage. His medical history includes chronic kidney disease stage III and hypertension. Two months prior to this visit he was diagnosed with tinea pedis and treated with topical lamisil, with moderate resolution of his foot pruritus. The patient did not have a history of diabetes. Cutaneous examination revealed a malodorous exudative oedematous foot. Extensive bullae, some intact, other ruptured revealing ulceration at the proximal toes and interdigital web spaces …
Cercarial emergence of Proterometra macrostoma and P. edneyi (Digenea: Azygiidae): contrasting responses to light: dark cycling

Afin de verifier l'importance du cycle lumineux (jour-nuit) sur l'emergence de 2 azygiides du meme hote, des experiences ont ete realisees sur P.n. et P.e. chez leur hote g. semicarinata, en lumiere ou en obscurite constantes, en alternance normale ou inversee
Convergent evolution of sequestrate forms in Amanita under Mediterranean climate conditions

The systematic position of secotioid (Tor- rendia) and gasteroid (Amarrendia) forms within the agaricoid Amanita lineage (Agaricales, Basidiomyco- ta) was studied with molecular (nLSU, ITS) data. Secotioid and gasteroid forms occur in four indepen- dent clades nested within agaricoid forms. One clade corresponds to the secotioid T. pulchella from southern Europe and northern Africa. The others correspond to Torrendia and Amarrendia species from Australia. Mediterranean climatic conditions are postulated as a force driving the convergent evolution of these secotioid and at least one of the gasteroid forms in geographically distant areas. Species former- ly placed in Torrendia and Amarrendia are transferred to Amanita. A new species of Torrendia from Australia was discovered during the revision of the collections originally identified as T. arenaria and is described here as Amanita pseudoinculta.
Combined Excitation Emission Spectroscopy Studies on Erbium Ions in Stoichiometric Lithium Tantalate

We present our site-selective spectroscopic studies on Er3+ doped nearly stoichiometric lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) and compare the results with earlier studies performed on the same dopant in the isostructural lithium niobate host. We present our results in terms of the number and spectroscopic characteristics of the incorporation sites. Overall, the sites found in LiTaO3 closely resemble in their behavior the ones found in LiNbO3 such that the conclusion about the nature of the site drawn in the latter host can be transferred to LiTaO3 as well.
Cutting Mechanisms and Their Influence on Dynamic Forces, Vibrations and Stability in Micro-Endmilling

A dynamic cutting force and vibration model of the micro-endmilling process that accounts for the dynamics of the micro-endmill, influences of the stable built-up-edge, and the effects of minimum chip thickness, elastic recovery, and the elastic-plastic nature in ploughing/rubbing has been developed. Experimental validation has been performed, and the model is shown to predict the cutting force and tool vibration within an average of 12%. Using the model developed, effects of the minimum chip thickness and elastic recovery on the cutting forces and vibrations as well as process stability of the micro-endmilling process have been examined. The results indicate that the large edge radius relative to the feedrate causes the process stability to be sensitive to feedrate, resulting in the low feedrate instability phenomenon. The elastic recovery significantly increases the peak-to-valley cutting forces and enlarges the unstable feedrate range.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
PS-341 (Bortezomib) Induces Lysosomal Cathepsin B Release and a Caspase-2-dependent Mitochondrial Permeabilization and Apoptosis in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells

PS-341 (bortezomib) is a potent and reversible proteosome inhibitor that functions to degrade intracellular polyubiquitinated proteins. PS-341 induces apoptosis and has shown broad antitumor activity with selectivity for transformed cells. We studied the effect of PS-341 on lysosomal and mitochondrial permeabilization, including the role of caspase-2 activation in apoptosis induction in the BxPC-3 human pancreatic carcinoma cell line. PS-341 induced a dose-dependent apoptosis in association with reactive oxygen species generation and cleavage of caspase-2 to its 33- and 14-kDa fragments. PS-341 disrupted lysosomes with redistribution of cathepsin B to the cytosol, as shown using fluorescence confocal microscopy, that was blocked by the free radical scavenger tiron but not by a caspase-2 inhibitor (benzyloxycarbonyl (Z)-VDVAD-fluoromethyl ketone (FMK)). PS-341-induced caspase-2 activation was attenuated by a selective pharmacological inhibitor of cathepsin B (R-3032), suggesting that cathepsin B release occurs upstream of caspase-2. PS-341-induced mitochondrial depolarization was attenuated by Z-VDVAD-FMK, tiron, and an inhibitor of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (bongkrekic acid). Regulation of mitochondrial permeability by caspase-2 was confirmed using caspase-2 small interfering RNA. PS-341-induced cytochrome c release and phosphatidylserine externalization were attenuated by Z-VDVAD-FMK and partially by R-3032. PS-341 activated the BH3-only proteins Bik and Bim and down-regulated Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL mRNA and protein expression. Taken together, PS-341 induces lysosomal cathepsin B redistribution upstream of caspase-2. Caspase-2 activation regulates PS-341-induced mitochondrial depolarization and apoptosis, suggesting that caspase-2 can serve as a link between lysosomal and mitochondrial permeabilization.