cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of environmental hydrogen pressure on the hydrogen yield from x-irradiated polyethylenes†‡

An experimental assembly incorporating a capacitance-type, differential pressure transducer, which provides resolutions of 3 × 10−4 torr at pressures extending to 30 torr, has been employed to monitor the effect of hydrogen environmental pressure on the hydrogen yield from x-irradiated polyethylenes. Contrary to the observations of previous investigators, the hydrogen yield is found to be independent of hydrogen environmental pressures extending over the critical range up to at least 30 torr. It is demonstrated that neglecting the temperature and density gradients inherent in closed-volume irradiation assemblies employing cryogenic traps to separate liberated gases into condensable and noncondensable fractions may lead to erroneous conclusions with respect to gas yields arising from the irradiation of materials. A homogeneous, variable-plate separation ion chamber consisting of a polyethylene body and utilizing flowing ethylene as the cavity gas was employed to obtain total volatile G values of 3.6 ± 0.4, 3.8 ± 0.4, and 4.0 ± 0.4 molecules/100 e.v., for Marlex 6002, Dow Ziegler (Q 917.5), and DuPont A-1410 polyethylenes, respectively. A hydrogen contribution of approximately 98 mole-% was obtained with this experimental method.
High yield synthesis of 5,15-diarylporphyrins

Abstract The condensation of dipyrrylmethane with a variety of aromatic aldehydes furnishes, upon oxidation with chloranil, 5,15-diarylporphyrins in high yield (73–92%).
Negotiating weight and body image in the UAE: Strategies among young emirati women

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate weight, nutritional status, and attitudes toward weight and health among a cohort of young women drawn from local populations in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: This sample was composed of 103 female Emiratis, aged 18–30. Eighty of the women were students at Zayed University (ZU) in Dubai and 23 were students at UAE University (UAEU) in Al Ain. Research was divided into two phases. Methods included the collection of weight and height measurements (to analyze BMIs) and body fat percentages; 24-h food and activity recalls; semistructured, structured, and unstructured interviews; and participant observation. Results: The distribution of BMIs in this sample was skewed toward underweight and normal weight in the ZU sample and split evenly between underweight-to-normal and overweight-to-obese in the UAEU sample, a finding that stands in contrast to the high rates of overweight and obesity reported in other age cohorts in local populations. This lower distribution of BMIs was correlated with widely expressed concern over body image, whereas reported interest in nutrition was much lower. Dietary patterns reflected attempts to manage weight. There was a marked trend toward nutritionally poor diets and sedentary living. Conclusions: Obesity and overweight among young women in the Emirati population do not appear to be as significant a problem as they are in older populations. However, several other health-related causes for concern emerged in this study, including extreme dieting strategies, insufficient micronutrient and protein intake, and widespread inactivity. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Metabolism of monoterpenes: oxidation of isopiperitenol to isopiperitenone, and subsequent isomerization to piperitenone by soluble enzyme preparations from peppermint (Mentha piperita) leaves.

Abstract Soluble enzyme extracts from peppermint leaves, when treated with polystyrene resin to remove endogenous monoterpenes and assayed with unlabeled substrates coupled with capillary gas-liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric detection methods, were shown to oxidize isopiperitenol to isopiperitenone, and to isomerize isopiperitenone to piperitenone. The enzymes responsible for the monoterpenol dehydrogenation and the subsequent allylic isomerization were separated and partially purified by chromatography on Sephadex G-150, and were shown to have molecular weights of approximately 66,000 and 54,000, respectively. The general properties of the NAD-dependent dehydrogenase were examined, and specificity studies indicated that a double bond adjacent to the carbinol carbon was a required structural feature of the monoterpenol substrate. General properties of the isomerase were also determined, and it was demonstrated that the double bond migration catalyzed by this enzyme involved an intramolecular 1,3-hydrogen transfer. These enzymatic transformations represent two key steps in the metabolic pathway for the conversion of the initially formed cyclic olefin, (±)-limonene, to (−)-menthol and related monoterpenes characteristic of peppermint. Some stereochemical features of these reactions, and of the overall biogenetic scheme, are described.
Rapid conversion of carbimazole to methimazole in serum; evidence for an enzymatic mechanism

Carbimazole (CBZ) is one of the major drugs currently used for the treatment of Graves' disease. It is a carbethoxy derivative of methimazole (MMI), originally developed in the hope of obtaining a longer acting drug than methimazole. In the present study we have demonstrated that carbimazole is rapidly converted to methimazole in vitro by serum from rats and humans, and we have obtained evidence that this conversion is enzymatic. Experiments with [35S] CBZ in rats showed that the drug is so rapidly transformed to MMI after i.v. injection (within 3 min) that very little of the unchanged drug would be expected to reach the thyroid gland. The antithyroid action of CBZ in rats, therefore, can be ascribed entirely to the MMI to which it is rapidly converted. Although no experiments were performed with human subjects in vivo, the very rapid conversion of CBZ to MMI by human serum in vitro suggests that the antithyroid action of CBZ in humans can also be attributed to MMI. The original expectation of a longer acting drug has, therefore, not been met by CBZ. On the basis of the studies reported here there appears to be no advantage in using CBZ in preference to MMI for the treatment of Graves' disease. Although the in vivo action of CBZ must be attributed to its rapid conversion to MMI, the drug does possess inherent antithyroid activity. This was shown in the present study by the finding that CBZ is as potent as MMI in blocking thyroid peroxidase-catalysed iodination of thyroglobulin.
Evidence of the weakness of the OH⋯F hydrogen bond from a conformational study of 3-fluoro-1-propanol by microwave spectroscopy

Abstract The rotational spectra of the OH and OD isotopic species have been observed for three rotamers of 3-fluoro-1-propanol. One of them (HBC form) displays an internal hydrogen bond with a distorted chair conformation of the six-membered ring. The other two rotamers have the oxygen atom gauche with respect to the C2C3 bond, the hydroxyl hydrogen trans with respect to the C1C2 bond and the fluorine atom gauche (GGT form) and trans (TGT form), respectively, with respect to the C2C1 bond. The energies of the vibrational ground states of the HBC and TGT forms are ∼0.4 and 1.0 kcal/mole higher than that of the GGT form, respectively (from relative intensity measurements). The hydrogen bond is therefore rather weak in this compound. With compounds capable of forming OH⋯O or OH⋯N bonds, the conformation appropriate for hydrogen bonding is normally the most stable form. Several excited states have been analyzed for the TGT and GGT rotamers in order to have additional data with respect to the potential function for the internal rotation about the C3C2 bond.
Integrated data-model analysis facilitated by an Instrumental Model

Abstract A paradigm is described and demonstrated for rigorously evaluating model-versus-data agreement while extracting new insights for improving the model and experiment. “Bound-to-Bound Data Collaboration” (B2B-DC) is augmented with an Instrumental Model, integrating uncertainty quantification of the reactor model, chemical model, and data analysis. The subject of analysis is a fuel-lean C2H2/O2/Ar premixed laminar flat flame, mapped with VUV-photoionization molecular-beam mass spectrometry at the Advanced Light Source of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Experimental signals were modeled with a CHEMKIN flame code augmented with an Instrumental Model. Consistency of the model and raw experimental data are determined as a quantitative measure of their agreement. Features of the mole-fraction profiles are predicted for O, OH, C2H3, and background contributions to H2O measurements. Also computed are posterior distributions of the initial targets and model parameters, as well as their correlations. This approach to model-versus-data assessment promises to advance the science and practical utility of modeling, establishing validity rigorously while identifying and ranking the impacts of specific model and data uncertainties for model and data improvements.
Solution conformations of B. subtilis ribosomal 5S RNA: a calorimetric study.

The unfolding of B. subtilis 5S RNA is examined by direct calorimetric measurement in the presence of various concentrations of Na+ and Mg2+. The composite differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curve is analyzed into 3–5 individual two-state melting transitions. In the absence of added Na+ or Mg2+, the 5S RNA segments melt together at Tm = 40°C. Addition of Na+ stabilizes the molecular structure (Tm = 56°C) and widens the melting temperature range, so that up to five component transitions are observed. Addition of Mg2+ alone produces a very stable structure (Tm = 75°C) with highly cooperative melting. Finally, addition of both Na+ and Mg2+ produces the highest stability (Tm = 76°C). The results are interpreted according to hypothetical secondary and tertiary base-pairing schemes. The conformational changes demonstrated here may facilitate the movement of the protein synthesis machinery during RNA translation.
“Store and retrieve” representations of dynamic systems motivated by studies in gas phase chemical kinetics

Abstract This paper explores the advantages and highlights the potential limitations of using off line information to generate approximations of dynamic systems. The procedure is presented in the context of existing approaches motivated by studies in chemical kinetics. Store and retrieve approaches utilize previously generated information about the kinetic evolution of the reaction system in order to build implicit approximations. The unstructured data reside in memory and computational algorithms, detecting nearest neighbors, are used to define a region around a novel query point. The properties of the query point are determined by linear regression of the stored information. The examples we considered are designed to address the merits of the approach as well as the fundamental issues that warrant further research.
From funding projects to supporting sectors? Observation on the aid relationship in Burkina Faso

Abstract Burkina Faso is among the largest recipients of development aid in West Africa. The new aid terminology emphasizes partnership and a sectoral approach. Yet, recent research suggests more continuity than change in the aid relationship. Projects persist. Funding and technical assistance agencies cooperate more but adhere to their interests, priorities, and procedures. Though rarely discussed explicitly, national and institutional interests remain important. Collectively, agencies apparently continue to instruct more than listen and thus to undermine the dialogue and partnership they claim to construct. Heavy reliance on external funding makes it difficult for the government to assert and maintain an independent posture.
The midpoint method for solving nonlinear operator equations in Banach space

Abstract In this report we study the convergence of the midpoint method to a solution of a nonlinear operator equation in a Banach space, under Kantorovich-type assumptions. We introduce a new order of convergence called S-order, and produce several error bounds.
Perceived barriers to physical activity among pregnant women.

Objective Physical activity generally declines during pregnancy, but barriers to activity during this time period are not well understood. The objective was to examine barriers to physical activity in a large cohort of pregnant women and to explore these barriers in more depth with qualitative data derived from a separate focus group study using a socioecologic framework. Method A total of 1535 pregnant women (27–30 weeks’ gestation) enrolled in the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study were asked an open-ended question about their primary barrier to physical activity; responses were coded into categories according to the socioecologic framework. To further elucidate, 13 focus groups of a total of 58 pregnant women (20–37 weeks’ gestation) were conducted among Hispanic, African American, and White participants. Results Among the 1535 pregnant women participating in the survey, 85% reported an intrapersonal barrier to physical activity, of which almost two-thirds were health related. Only 2% of the women reported their main barrier to physical activity as interpersonal and 3% reported a neighborhood or environmental barrier. These results were supported by the focus group data, overall and by race/ethnicity and body mass index. Although women discussed barriers to physical activity at a variety of levels, the intrapersonal level was the most frequently cited and discussed factor in both studies. Conclusions Since pregnancy may trigger the development of obesity and since physical activity is recommended for healthy pregnant women, it is imperative to promote physical activity in a more relevant way. These quantitative and qualitative studies revealed many barriers to physical activity among pregnant women and some suggestions for interventions.
High pressure hydriding of sponge-Zr in steam-hydrogen mixtures

Abstract Hydriding kinetics of thin sponge-Zr layers metallurgically bonded to a Zircaloy disk has been studied by thermogravimetry in the temperature range 350–400°C in 7 MPa hydrogen-steam mixtures. Some specimens were prefilmed with a thin oxide layer prior to exposure to the reactant gas; all were coated with a thin layer of gold to avoid premature reaction at edges. Two types of hydriding were observed in prefilmed specimens, viz., a slow hydrogen absorption process that precedes an accelerated (massive) hydriding. At 7 MPa total pressure, the critical ratio of H2/H2O above which massive hydriding occurs at 400°C is ∼ 200. The critical H2/H20 ratio is shifted to ∼2.5 × 103 at 350°C. The slow hydriding process occurs only when conditions for hydriding and oxidation are approximately equally favorable. Based on maximum weight gain, the specimen is completely converted to δ-ZrH2 by massive hydriding in ∼5 h at a hydriding rate of ∼10−6 mol H/cm2 s. Incubation times of 10–20 h prior to the onset of massive hydriding increases with prefilm oxide thickness in the range of 0–10 μm. By changing to a steam-enriched gas, massive hydriding that initially started in a steam-starved condition was arrested by re-formation of a protective oxide scale.
Social Facilitation and Social Desirability

This study tested the hypothesis that arousal during initial interpersonal encounters is correlated with the individual's need for social approval. A Pearson product-moment correlation of .48 confirmed the hypothesis for 33 college men.
The Battle over Liquor Stores in South Central Los Angeles The Management of an Interminority Conflict

As cities become more diverse, interminority relations are increasingly important. An examination of the controversy between blacks and Korean Americans over liquor stores in South Central Los Angeles reveals some obstacles to rainbow coalitions. But the ability of key leaders to sustain a nonracial discourse also allowed the conflict to be managed within certain bounds. This case study indicates the need for more subtle distinctions than simply coalition and conflict in interminority relationships and the value of more fully exploring the different ways in which interminority conflict can be managed.
Behavioral medicine in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiac behavioral medicine is the application of behavioral and psychosocial principles to the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Most biomedical cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., high blood lipids, high blood pressure, diabetes) require behavioral and medical interventions. Other risks, including obesity, high-fat eating pattern, smoking, and inactivity, clearly require lifestyle change. Behavioral medicine screening and intervention have been applied to psychosocial risk factors such as depression, hostility, and social isolation. Appropriate assessment of risk factors is essential because research has demonstrated successful prevention of heart disease and reduction of morbidity and mortality in patients with existing disease. Behavioral interventions have been beneficial in improving cardiac outcomes by enhancing compliance with medication taking and dietary/exercise recommendations. Future needs include the study of psychosocial factors in women and ethnic minorities with heart disease and the integration of behavioral medicine with newer medical technologies designed to detect subclinical biomarkers of heart disease.
Efficient estimation of two seemingly unrelated regression equations

We derive simpler expressions under a certain structure of design matrices for the two-stage Aitken estimates of the regression coefficients of two seemingly unrelated regression equations. The estimates are shown to have smaller variance than the ordinary least squares estimates for sufficiently large samples.
A steric blockade model for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by peripheral site ligands and substrate.

The active site gorge of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) contains two sites of ligand binding, an acylation site near the base of the gorge and a peripheral site at its mouth. We recently introduced a steric blockade model which demonstrated that small peripheral site ligands like propidium can inhibit substrate hydrolysis simply by decreasing the substrate association and dissociation rate constants without altering the equilibrium constant for substrate binding to the acylation site. We now employ our nonequilibrium kinetic analysis to extend this model to include blockade of the dissociation of substrate hydrolysis products by bound peripheral site ligand. We also report here that acetylthiocholine can bind to the AChE peripheral site with an equilibrium dissociation constant KS of about 1 mM. This value was determined from the effect of the acetylthiocholine concentration on the rate at which fasciculin associates with the peripheral site. When substrate binding to the peripheral site is incorporated into our steric blockade model, hydrolysis rates at low substrate concentration appear to be accelerated while substrate inhibition of hydrolysis occurs at high substrate concentration. The model predicts that hydrolysis rates for substrates which equilibrate with the acylation site prior to the acylation step should not be inhibited by bound peripheral site ligand. Organophosphates equilibrate with AChE prior to phosphorylating the active site serine residue, and as predicted propidium had little effect on the phosphorylation rate constants for the fluorogenic organophosphate ethylmethyl–phosphonylcoumarin (EMPC). The 2nd-order phosphorylation rate constant kOP/KOP was decreased 3-fold by a high concentration of propidium and the 1st-order rate constant kOP increased somewhat. In contrast to propidium, when the neurotoxin fasciculin bound to the AChE peripheral site both a steric blockade and a conformational change in the acylation site appeared to occur. With saturating fasciculin, kOP/KOP decreased by a factor of more than 750 and kOP decreased 300-fold. These data suggest that new peripheral site ligands may be designed to have selective effects on AChE phosphorylation.
Reflected reentry in depolarized foci with variable conduction impairment in 1 day old infarcted canine cardiac tissue.

Abstract A recent study in 1 day old infarcted canine cardiac tissue demonstrated that variations in entrance and exit characteristics of depolarized spontaneous foci could profoundly affect their expression, resulting in behaviors such as modulated parasystole and entrainment, second and third degree exit block “autoentrainment” and annihilation (abrupt termination) of spontaneous activity. Foci with exit and entrance delay should also allow the occurrence of reflected reentry. To test this, the left circumflex coronary artery was ligated and, after 1 day, simultaneous microelectrode impalements were made in infarcted and uninfarcted portions of isolated ventricular preparations. Preparations were stimulated from the uninfarcted portions. Reflected reentry was demonstrated in 5 of 11 preparations. It occurred when exit conduction delay resulted in reexcitation of the focus or, alternatively, when entrance conduction delay resulted in reexcitation of extrafocal tissue. Reflection occurred in which the action potentials were reexcited during phase 2 or 3, resulting in prolongation of action potential duration (type I), and in which reexcitation occurred after full or nearly full repolarization, resulting in a closely coupled extrasystole (type II). Electrotonic modulation and reflection could coexist, the type of behavior depending on the phase relation between focal and extrafocal action potentials. An example is illustrated in which type I reflection occurred only when preceding driven activity induced overdrive suppression of exit conduction from the focus. The results suggest that, in infarcted tissue, entrance and exit conduction delays to depolarized foci may form the basis for the occurrence of reflected reentry.
Comments on subjective probability and expert opinions

Abstract This technical note discusses the uses of personal opinion probabilities (POPs) in addressing and resolving technical issues. The discussion raises questions without answering them. Are the assumptions underlying POP use valid? For example, in the real world, are experts equal, unbiased, unemotional? Is there evidence to support the utility of POPs in contrast to other decision-making approaches in the absence of data (e.g. bounding analyses or conservative calculations). This note also demonstrates that human uncertainty is not related to actual knowledge. Hence, the increase in uncertainty that often accompanies advances in knowledge should be expected, and not treated as a scientific aberration.
Macroscopic quantum tunneling in a dc SQUID

The theory of macroscopic quantum tunneling is applied to a current-biased dc SQUID whose dynamics can be described by a two-dimensional mechanical system with a dissipative environment. Based on the phenomenological model proposed by Caldeira and Leggett, the dissipative environment is represented by a set of harmonic oscillators coupling to the system. After integrating out the environmental degrees of freedom, an effective Euclidean action is found for the two-dimensional system. The action is used to provide the quantum tunneling rate formalism for the dc SQUID. Under certain conditions, the tunneling rate reduces to that of a single current-biased Josephson junction with an adjustable effective critical current.
On the dynamics of quantum vortices

Abstract We consider the functional integral representation of the interacting Bose system. Within the steepest descents approximation, the evolution equations of quantum vortices are obtained.
Gastrin stimulated H+ secretion in amphibian gastric mucosa: Effect of tetrodotoxin

The role of neural mechanisms in gastrin stimulated H+ secretion was studied using amphibian gastric fundic mucosa. Spontaneously secreting mucosae were converted to resting state (zero H+ secretory rate) using Burimamide. Following removal of burimamide, 3×10−6 M tetrodotoxin did not block gastrin stimulation of H+ secretion indicating that neural mechanisms are not required.
Priming with recombinant influenza virus followed by administration of recombinant vaccinia virus induces CD8+ T-cell-mediated protective immunity against malaria

Live vectors expressing foreign antigens have been used to induce immunity against several pathogens. However, for the virulent rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii, the use of recombinant vaccinia virus, pseudorabies virus, or Salmonella, expressing the circumsporozoite protein of this parasite, failed to induce protection. We generated a recombinant influenza virus expressing an epitope from the circumsporozoite protein of P. yoelii known to be recognized by CD8+ T cells and demonstrated that this vector induced class I major histocompatibility complex-restricted cytotoxic T cells against this foreign epitope. Immunization of mice with this recombinant influenza virus, followed by a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the entire circumsporozoite protein, induced protective immunity against sporozoite-induced malaria. The sequence of immunization appears to be crucial, since a primer injection with recombinant vaccinia virus, followed by a booster injection with recombinant influenza virus, failed to induce protection. The protection induced by immunization with these recombinant viruses is mostly mediated by CD8+ T cells, as treatment of mice with anti-CD8 monoclonal antibody abolishes the anti-malarial immunity. The use of different live vectors for primer and booster injections has a synergistic effect on the immune response and might represent an effective general strategy for eliciting protective immune responses to key antigens of microbial pathogens.
N-acetylaspartate synthesis in the brain: Mitochondria vs. microsomes

Several reports during the last three decades have indicated that biosynthesis of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) occurs primarily in the mitochondria. But a recent report by Lu et al. in this journal [2004; 122: 71-78] and subsequent two reports that cited those data suggested a predominant microsomal localization of the NAA biosynthetic enzyme, which is surprising in view of what is known about the biological functions of NAA. Therefore we reinvestigated this issue in rat brain homogenates using a similar fractionation procedure used by Lu et al. but without the loss of enzyme activity that they have encountered. We found that about 70% of the total Asp-NAT activity in the crude supernatant was present in the mitochondrial fraction which is about 5 times more than that in the microsomes. We found similar results in the case of the enzyme from bovine brain. In subsequent studies, we also have found that Asp-NAT activity in the bovine brain is very similar to that in the rat brain in substrate specificity and chromatographic characteristics including the high molecular weight pattern (approx. 670 kD) on size-exclusion HPLC.
Connective Tissue Nevus in a Dog

A 5-year-old male Golden Retriever was examined because of a chronic localizedloss of hair and elevated, multiple white nodules 2-8 mm in diameter that coalesced in several areas on the right side of the neck. The principle change was marked hyperplasia of the dermal collagen. The lesion is compatible with the connective tissue nevus described in man. Connective tissue nevus in man was first described in 1921 by LEWAN- DOWSKY (3). In the three cases the skin lesion was on one side of the chest and consisted of slightly raised yellowish, multiple 1-5 mm papules. There was disappearance and degeneration of elastic fibers along the epidermal- dermal junction and in dermal papillae. Since that time similar lesions have been reported - some with hyperplasia or degeneration in the elastic tissue, others with a coarsening and homogenization of the collagen bundles, or a combination of the two. This paper gives what is believed to be the first report of a connective tissue nevus in an adult dog.
Immunocapture of prostate cancer cells by use of anti-PSMA antibodies in microdevices

Patients suffering from cancer can shed tumor cells into the bloodstream, leading to one of the most important mechanisms of metastasis. As such, the capture of these cells is of great interest. Circulating tumor cells are typically extracted from circulation through positive selection with the epithelial cell-adhesion molecule (EpCAM), leading to currently unknown biases when cells are undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. For prostate cancer, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) presents a compelling target for immunocapture, as PSMA levels increase in higher-grade cancers and metastatic disease and are specific to the prostate epithelium. This study uses monoclonal antibodies J591 and J415—antibodies that are highly specific for intact extracellular domains of PSMA on live cells—in microfluidic devices for the capture of LNCaPs, a PSMA-expressing immortalized prostate cancer cell line, over a range of concentrations and shear stresses relevant to immunocapture. Our results show that J591 outperforms J415 and a mix of the two for prostate cancer capture, and that capture performance saturates following incubation with antibody concentrations of 10 micrograms per milliliter.
In vitro studies of dental plaque formation: adsorption of oral streptococci to hydroxyaptite.

A mixture of saliva-coated hydroxyapatite beads and radioactively labeled bacteria has been employed as an in vitro model for the initial phase of dental plaque formation. Adsorption in this model can be expressed by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and the adherence of oral streptococci can be expressed as the product of the affinity constant (Ka) and the number of binding sites (N), KaN. With this approach, Streptococcus sanguis serotype 1 strains adhered better (KaN = [187 +/- 72] X 10(-2)) than serotype 2 strains (KaN = [97 +/- 84] X 10(-2)); a t test showed this difference to be statistically significant to the 99.99% confidence level. Strains of S. mitis, S. mutans, and S. salivarius did not appear to adhere as well. To analyze the bacterial receptors involved in adherence, competition studies in which increasing quantities of unlabeled bacteria were added to a fixed quantity (4 X 10(9) cells per ml) of 3H-labeled serotype 1, reference strain S. sanguis G9B, were performed. These studies indicated that the type 1 strains competed for the same, or closely related, binding sites. Competition studies using serotype 2 S. sanguis strains resulted in an increased binding of reference strain G9B to hydroxyapatite. Scanning electron microscopy indicated this effect was due to the formation of localized aggregations of bacteria, presumably representing the two bacterial types. The results of competition studies with S. mitis were variable, and several strains of other oral bacteria showed little or no competition. Images
Retention of Structure and Function of the Cat Germinal Vesicle after Air-Drying and Storage at Suprazero Temperature

The study explored a novel approach for preserving the maternal genome without the entire oocyte by air-drying the cat germinal vesicle (GV) in the presence of the disaccharide trehalose. Specifically, we examined GV structure and function after desiccation, storage at 4°C (up to 32 wk), and rehydration including the ability to resume meiosis after injection into a fresh, conspecific cytoplast. In experiment 1, DNA integrity was similar to fresh controls after 1 and 4 wk storage in the presence of trehalose, but was more fragmented at later time points (especially after 32 wk). Nuclear envelope integrity was sustained in >90% of oocytes stored for 0, 4, or 16 wk regardless of protective treatment. In experiment 2, compacted, air-dried GVs were stored for 2 or 4 wk, rehydrated, and injected into fresh cytoplasts. After culture for 24 h in vitro, up to 73% of oocytes reconstructed with desiccated GVs preserved in trehalose resumed meiosis compared to 30% of those dried in the absence of the disaccharide. At each storage time point, trehalose presence during air-drying was advantageous for resumption of meiosis, with >20% of oocytes completing nuclear maturation to metaphase II. This demonstrates a potential for preserving the female genome using the GV alone and for multiple weeks after desiccation. Trehalose enhanced the process by retaining the ability of a dried and rehydrated GV to resume communication with the surrounding cytoplasm of the recipient oocyte to permit reaching metaphase II and likely sustain subsequent embryo development.
Modeling realistic virtual hairstyles

The author presents an effective method for modeling realistic curly hairstyles, taking into account both artificial hairstyling processes and natural curliness. The result is a detailed geometric model of hairs that can be rendered and animated via existing methods. Our technique exploits the analogy between hairs and a vector field; it interactively and efficiently models global and local hair flows by superimposing procedurally defined vector field primitives that have local influence. Usually only a very small number of vector field primitives are needed to model a complicated hairstyle. An initial model of hair strands is extracted from the superimposed vector fields by tracing their field lines. Random natural or artificial curliness can be added to the initial model through a parametric hair offset function with a randomized distribution of parameters over the scalp. Techniques for shearing and clustering are also designed to improve the overall appearance of the hair model. Our technique has been successfully applied to generate a variety of realistic hairstyles with different curliness and length distributions.
The Application of Optical Arrays to Solar System and Stellar Problems

Unprecedented activity exists in very high angular resolution astronomy at optical wavelengths. Applications of telescope arrays to modern problems have been described in publications too numerous to list here. For illustrative purposes, we shall here consider an array with a maximum baseline of 350 m corresponding to a limiting resolution at the first visibility null of about 0.3 milli-arcsec at 550 nm wavelength.
Functional and Biochemical Changes in Deboned Turkey due to Frozen Storage and Lipid Oxidation

The effect of frozen storage and lipid oxidation on protein functional and biochemical properties of mechanically deboned and hand deboned turkey meat was investigated. Turkey meat was evaluated by the 2-thiobarbituric acid test and cook yield. Isolated turkey myofibrils were analyzed for solubility, ATPase activity, gel strength, and gel microstructure. Frozen storage caused protein insolubilization and changes in the biochemical and functional properties in all treatments. Antioxidants prevented some of the biochemical and functional changes in the meat. Myofibril gel microstructure changed from a continuous filamentous matrix to a globular matrix with decreased waterholding capacity during frozen storage of the turkey meat.
Investment Portfolios and Human Wealth

Summary the households had a level of net worth of $11,840 o r A conservative estimate of human wealth was used t oless. Th e median level of human wealth was $177,150. calculate total wealth of households. The ratio ofT he median l evel of total wealth (net worth plus human financi al assets to total wealth is small for most U.S.w ealth) was $276,100 . (It is in general not the case that households. Fluctuations in financial wealth represen tthe sum of medians e qual the median of the sum, as the ver y small differences in the total wealth of mostme dian will represent different households, so no hou seholds. Therefore, investments in stocks may b eaddition or division should be attempted for different rational for almost all non-elderly households, to thevariables in Table 1). exten t they can commit money to retirement and othe rThe median level of the ratio of financial assets to totalwealth was 1.3%, thus, for half of the households, R elatively few households have enough financial assetsfinancial assets represented less than 1.3% of total to merit active management of investments. Only 10%wealth (Table 1). The 75th percentile of this ratio was of all households have $73,700 or more of financial5.7%, thus, for 75% of the households, financial assets assets. Therefore, the need for financial education isrep resented less than 5.7% of total wealth. The 90th obvious.percentile of this r atio was 17.4%. Therefore, only for asmall proport ion of U.S. households did financial assets If the stocks and other financial assets fluctuaterepresent a high percent of total wealth. substan tially, there may be little impact on the totalT his conclusion is e ven stronger if
Space network IP services (SNIS): an architecture for supporting low Earth orbiting IP satellite missions

The NASA Space Network (SN) supports a variety of missions using the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), which includes ground stations in White Sands, New Mexico and Guam. A space network IP services (SNIS) architecture is being developed to support future users with requirements for end-to-end Internet protocol (IP) communications. This architecture will support all IP protocols, including mobile IP, over TDRSS single access, multiple access, and demand access radio frequency (RF) links. This paper will describe this architecture and how it can enable low Earth orbiting IP satellite missions.
Mechanisms of neural tube closure and defects

Neural tube closure (neurulation) is a complex process involving many cell phenomena. Both extrinsic and intrinsic forces are essential to elevate the neural plate into the neural folds and to bring the folds into apposition for closure. Extrinsic forces involve the underlying mesenchyme cells and extracellular matrix, nonneural ectoderm, the gut tube and notochord, and cell surface glycoproteins. Intrinsic forces involve cytoskeletal elements and microtubles, region-specific variations in cell cycle times, positioning of daughter cells during cell division, and rearrangement of neuroepithelial cells. Closure itself begins in the cervical region and proceeds in rostral and caudal directions. In the mouse, multiple additional closure sites occur in the cranial region, but in humans there appears to be only one additional site, at the rostralmost tip of the forebrain. Differences in closure exist in cranial vs. caudal regions, and these variations may play a role in the types of neural tube defects that occur. In this regard, virtually all of the cell phenomena involved in closure present targets for insults leading to abnormalities, although specific mechanisms responsible for neural tube defects have not been well-defined. It is also not clear what the role of folic acid is in normal neural tube closure, although the vitamin may be important for DNA synthesis and/or methylation of macromolecules, such as DNA and protein. Until more is learned about the regulation of neural tube closure at the genetic and cellular levels, understanding how defects occur and developing methods for their prevention will be limited. MRDD Research Reviews 1998;4:247–253. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Performance implications of design alternatives for remote procedure call stubs

The authors take efficient kernel-level support as a given, and study the performance implications of design alternatives one level up-in the stubs, which insulate the client and server from details about network communication. These alternatives represent a collection of approaches to achieving standard remote procedure call of semantics. Consideration is given to the performance implications of compiled vs. interpreted stubs, procedural vs. inline code for moving data to/from packet buffers, block copy vs. individual data item copy moving data to/from packet buffers, and the presence or absence of byte swapping. >
Efficient simulation of hybrid systems: A hybrid bond graph approach

Accurate and efficient simulations facilitate cost-effective design and analysis of large, complex, embedded systems, whose behaviors are typically hybrid, i.e. continuous behaviors interspersed with discrete mode changes. In this paper we present an approach for deriving component-based computational models of hybrid systems using hybrid bond graphs (HBGs), a multi-domain, energy-based modeling language that provides a compact framework for modeling hybrid physical systems. Our approach exploits the causality information inherent in HBGs to derive component-based computational models of hybrid systems as reconfigurable block diagrams. Typically, only small parts of the computational structure of a hybrid system change when mode changes occur. Our key idea is to identify the bonds and elements of HBGs whose causal assignments are invariant across system modes, and use this information to derive space-efficient reconfigurable block diagram models that may be reconfigured efficiently when mode changes occur. This reconfiguration is based on the incremental reassignment of causality implemented as the Hybrid Sequential Causal Assignment Procedure, which reassigns causality for the new mode based on the causal assignment of the previous mode. The reconfigurable block diagrams are general, and they can be transformed into simulation models for generating system behavior. Our modeling and simulation methodology, implemented as the Modeling and Transformation of HBGs for Simulation (MoTHS) tool suite, includes a component-based HBG modeling paradigm and a set of model translators for translating the HBG models into executable models. In this work, we use MoTHS to build a high-fidelity MATLAB Simulink model of an electrical power distribution system.
Life in the Trading Zone: Structuring Coordination Across Boundaries in Postbureaucratic Organizations

In our study of an interactive marketing organization, we examine how members of different communities perform boundary-spanning coordination work in conditions of high speed, uncertainty, and rapid change. We find that members engage in a number of cross-boundary coordination practices that make their work visible and legible to each other, and that enable ongoing revision and alignment. Drawing on the notion of a trading zone, we suggest that by engaging in these practices, members enact a coordination structure that affords cross-boundary coordination while facilitating adaptability, speed, and learning. We also find that these coordination practices do not eliminate jurisdictional conflicts, and often generate problematic consequences such as the privileging of speed over quality, suppression of difference, loss of comprehension, misinterpretation and ambiguity, rework, and temporal pressure. After discussing our empirical findings, we explore their implications for organizations attempting to operate in the uncertain and rapidly changing contexts of postbureaucratic work.
Update on pathology, staging and molecular pathology of endometrial (uterine corpus) adenocarcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma is comprised of two major groups: type I that is hormonally driven with a good prognosis and type II that is hormone independent with a poor prognosis. The two most common subtypes are endometrioid adenocarcinoma, the prototypic type I cancer, and uterine serous carcinoma, the prototypic type II cancer, each with their own distinct precursor lesion. The histologic type, as codified by the WHO Tumor Classification system, grade, and stage are used to guide treatment. There is an increasing interest in screening for familial risk factors, specifically Lynch syndrome. A molecular classification of endometrial cancers holds promise for future improvements in care.
Enhancing student learning with hands-on RTOS development in real-time systems course

Traditionally, real-time systems are built for a very small set of mission-critical applications like space crafts, avionics and other distributed control systems. The various steps in building such systems include, characterizing the workload, designing scheduling algorithms and performing schedulability analysis. Conventional teaching methodologies for real-time systems have primarily focused on these topics and the choice is completely justified for the targeted traditional real-time systems. However with the evolution of small scale real-time embedded systems like cell phones, PDAs, sensor motes and other portable control systems primarily driven by a real-time operating system (RTOS), the conventional teaching methods fall short in several ways. This is because, building such real-time embedded systems poses certain different design and implementation challenges branching out of the severe resource constraints that these devices should operate under. In order to keep pace with these changing trends, we have enhanced our real-time systems course in two different ways. First, we have included the relevant topics like compiler-level and operating systems-level energy aware real-time scheduling algorithms and further developed corresponding assignments and projects to reinforce student learning in these topics. We present some of these details here. Secondly, we have developed a series of laboratory experiments based on commercial RTOSs which give students a rich hands-on experience in building real-time embedded systems. We have tried two different RTOSs namely, RT-Linux and VxWorks in two consecutive years. In this paper, we present the similarities and differences between two the RTOS platforms and their impact on student learning.
Postpartum depression and child development: An investigation of mothers and fathers as sources of risk and resilience

We examined maternal and paternal characteristics at 1 month postpartum as risk and protective factors for children's internalizing and externalizing problems at 2–3 years of age. In a sample of 70 couples and their children, fathers' depressive symptoms at 1 month postpartum predicted children's internalizing and externalizing problems at 2–3 years of age, and the interaction of fathers' and mothers' depressive symptoms predicted subsequent internalizing problems. Mothers' postpartum symptoms did not predict either type of children's behavior problems at age 2–3. When entered in the regression equations, mothers' depressive symptoms when the children were age 2–3 years accounted for all of the effects of paternal and maternal postpartum depressive symptoms. No evidence was found for the protective effects of marital satisfaction or social support, or for low levels of depressive symptoms in a spouse. We highlight directions for future risk and resilience research related to parental postpartum depression.
Better testing through oracle selection (NIER track)

In software testing, the test oracle determines if the application under test has performed an execution correctly. In current testing practice and research, significant effort and thought is placed on selecting test inputs, with the selection of test oracles largely neglected. Here, we argue that improvements to the testing process can be made by considering the problem of oracle selection. In particular, we argue that selecting the test oracle and test inputs together to complement one another may yield improvements testing effectiveness. We illustrate this using an example and present selected results from an ongoing study demonstrating the relationship between test suite selection, oracle selection, and fault finding.
Human exposure to medicinal, dietary, and environmental estrogens

Estrogens are a broad class of compounds which exert many physiological effects. In addition to gonadal and peripheral endogenous estrogen production, humans can be exposed to exogenous estrogenic compounds (xenoestrogens) from medicinal, dietary and environmental sources. These compounds can exert effects similar to that of 17β-estradiol (E2) through estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated mechanisms, or via ER-independent pathways. Although estrogens are used for a number of medical purposes such as birth control and for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the treatment of post-menopausal symptoms, studies have found adverse health effects from their use. Increased risk of stroke and invasive breast cancer are associated with medicinal estrogen use. As an alternative to HRT, diets rich in phytoestrogens are used by many women. Even though phytoestrogen consumption is associated with reduced risk of hormone-dependent cancers and antioxidant properties, concerns about adverse effects, such as endocrine disruptio...