cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Total Parenteral Nutrition and Tumor Metastases M. H. TOROSIAN, ROBERT B. DONOWAY Surgery 109:597-601, 1991

The authors studied the effect of total parenteral nutrition on primary tumor growth and spontaneous prostate adenocarcinoma (PA III) implants. Thirty-four immature female Lobund/Wistar rats were inoculated subcutaneously with fragments of PA III tumor cells. This is a prostate adenocarcinoma that spontaneously metastasizes to the lungs and lymph nodes. After tumor inoculation all animals received a standard protein diet for 18 days, followed by a protein-delayed diet from day 18 to day 25. On day 25 all animals underwent superior vena cava cannulation. Subsequently animals were randomized to receive one of five regimens: (1) 3% amino acid/9% dextrose/3.6% lipids parenterally, (2) 3% amino acids/18% dextrose parenterally, (3) 18% dextrose parenterally, (4) protein depleted food ad libitum enterally, (5) standard protein diet ad libitum enterally. All parenteral nutrient regimens were isocaloric (175 calories/ kg per day) and those containing amino acids were iso-nitrogenous (1.16 g of nitrogen/kg per day)...
The primary structure of rat ribosomal protein S28

The amino acid sequence of the rat 40S ribosomal subunit protein S28 was deduced from the sequence of nucleotides in a recombinant cDNA. Ribosomal protein S28 has 69 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 7,836. Hybridization of the cDNA to digests of nuclear DNA suggests that there are 8-10 copies of the S28 gene. The mRNA for S28 is about 450 nucleotides in length. Rat S28 is homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae S33.
EFFECT OF INSTRUCTOR AND CLASS CHARACTERISTICS ON STUDENTS' CLASS EVALUATIONS

Student evaluations of their classes and instructors are widespread in higher education and have both practical and theoretical importance. This study examined the relationship between class average evaluations and characteristics of the instructor and of the class in an off-campus setting with nontraditional students. A stepwise multiple regression analysis found that four variables—the time format of the class, the number of classes taught in the program by the instructor during the year, whether a term paper was required, and the size of the class—explained 13.5% of the variance in class average evaluations. The addition of average class grade increased the explained variance by 6%. Evaluations were higher in classes taught with more intensive time formats, in classes taught by instructors teaching more frequently in the program, in classes where term papers were required, and in classes with fewer students. Evaluations were also higher in classes where the average class grade was higher. Other course and instructor characteristics had little or no effect on overall class evaluations. The results support the view that nontraditional students react similar to traditional students in their evaluations of their classes. The results also suggest the importance of time format as a factor affecting class evaluations.
Hydrolysis of lipid mixtures by rat hepatic lipase.

Abstract The hydrolysis of phospholipid mixtures by purified rat hepatic lipase, also known as hepatic triglyceride lipase, was studied in a Triton X-100/lipid mixed micellar system. Column chromatography of the mixed micelles showed elution of Triton X-100 and binary lipid mixtures of phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine as a single peak. This indicated that the mixed micelles were homogenous and contained all components in the designated molar ratios. The molar ratio of Triton X-100 to lipid was kept constant at 4 to 1. Labeling one lipid with 3 H and the other lipid with 14 C enabled us to determine the hydrolysis of both components of these binary lipid mixed micelles. We found that the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine was activated by the inclusion of small amounts of phosphatidic acid (2.5-fold), phosphatidylethanolamine (1.5-fold) or phosphatidylserine (1.4-fold). The maximal activation of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis was observed when 5 mol% of phosphatidylethanolamine, 7.5 mol% phosphatidic acid or 5 mol% phosphatidylserine was added to Triton X-100 mixed micelles. The hydrolysis of phosphatidic acid was activated 30%, and that of phosphatidylserine was inhibited 30% when the molar proportion of phosphatidylcholine was less than 50 mol%. The hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine was slightly activated when the mol% of phosphatidylcholine was below 5. The hydrolysis of phosphatidylserine was inhibited by phosphatidylethanolamine when the mol% of the latter was 50 or less whereas phosphatidylethanolamine hydrolysis was not affected by phosphatidylserine. Under the conditions used sphingomyelin and cholesterol did not have a significant effect on the hydrolysis of the phospholipids studied. In agreement with our previous study (Kucera et al. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1920–1928) these studies show that the phospholipid polar head group is an important factor which influences the action of hepatic lipase and that the interfacial properties of the substrate play a role in the expression of the activity of this enzyme. The molar ratios of phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine which activated phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis correspond closely to the molar ratios of these lipids found in the surface lipid film of lipoproteins e.g., high density lipoproteins. Although phosphatidylcholine is a poor substrate for hepatic lipase in in vitro assays, these data suggest that under physiological conditions the specificity of hepatic lipase for phosphatidylcholine in the surface coat of the lipoprotein particles may be increased by the presence of other phospholipids such as phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid resulting in significant rates of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis.
Theoretical study of the O(3P) + HCNO reaction

Abstract The potential energy surface for the reaction of O(3P) with HCNO (fulminic acid) has been studied using ab initio methods. Critical points were optimized at the DFT-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory, combined with single point energy calculations at the CCSD(T)/6-311++G(d,p) level. Two key critical points were re-optimized at the CCSD(T)/6-31G(d,p) level, showing a slight entrance barrier for the reaction. The energetically accessible reaction paths from an HC(O)NO complex lead to H + CO + NO and HCO + NO products. The calculations are in qualitative agreement with previous experimental results.
Amount of Log-Square-Hoyt Fading in Satellite Optical Communications

The Log-Square-Hoyt fading model was recently reported to describe an optical inter-satellite communication system. In the present work, the analysis is extended to the amount of fading (AF) of Log-Square-Hoyt model. First, we show that the AF has a closed-form expression. Then we show that the corresponding optimization model can be reduced to a quartic algebraic equation. Numerical results are also provided.
High flux research reactors based on particulate fuel

High Flux Particle Bed Reactor (HFPBR) designs based on High Temperature Gas Reactors (HTGR) particular fuel are described. The coated fuel particles, approx.500 microns in diameter, are packed between porous metal frits, and directly cooled by flowing D/sub 2/O. The large heat transfer surface area in the packed bed, approx.100 cm/sup 2//cm/sup 3/ of volume, allows high power densities, typically 10 MW/liter. Peak thermal fluxes in the HFPBR are 1 to 2 x 1/sup 16/ n/c/sup 2/ sec., depending on configuration and moderator choice with beryllium and D/sub 2/O Moderators yielding the best flux performance. Spent fuel particles can be hydraulically unloaded every day or two and fresh fuel reloaded. The short fuel cycle allows HFPBR fuel loading to be very low, approx.2 kg of /sup 235/U, with a fission product inventory one-tenth of that in present high flux research reactors. The HFPBR can use partially enriched fuel, 20% /sup 235/U, without degradation in flux reactivity. 8 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.
The standard enthalpy of formation of the aqueous iodide ion

Abstract The enthalpy of reaction of KBrO 3 (c) with HI(aq), and the enthalpies of solution of KBr(c) and I 2 (c) in HI(aq) were measured in an LKB Solution Calorimeter. Combination of the measured values with data from the literature yielded the standard enthalpy of formation of the aqueous iodide ion: ΔH f o (I − , aq, 298.15 K) = −(13.572 ± 0.017) kcal th mol −1 . This result was combined with a literature value for the enthalpy of solution of HI(g) to derive ΔH f o (HI,g) = (6.333 ± 0.026) kcal th mol −1 and was also used to rederive the enthalpy of formation of aqueous XeO 3 , ΔH f (XeO 3 ·96.15H 2 O, 298.15 K) = (98.73 ± 0.22) kcal th mol −1 .
CELL-FREE SYNTHESIS OF SOMATOSTATTN

Messenger RNA from catfish pancreatic islets was translated in a wheat germ cell-free protein synthesizing system. A protein of 12,000 mol wt, preprosomatostatin, was identified by specific immunoprecipitation with anti-catfish pancreatic somatostatin and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
The lpr and gld genes in systemic autoimmunity: life and death in the Fas lane.

The single gene lpr and gld models of spontaneous systemic autoimmunity have attracted much attention in recent years. Here, Philip Cohen and Robert Eisenberg describe the fascinating recent findings that the lpr and Fas phenotypes result from defects in the Fas gene and, perhaps, in the ligand for fas, respectively.
The specific heat of vacuum reduced rutile (TiO2) below 4.5°K☆

Abstract The extra specific heat of vacuum reduced rutile is reproduced by a model in which localized donor states feed a narrow impurity band.
Quantum extension of Child-Langmuir law

1407_69Using a simple mean field model of the electron-electron interaction, study has been done of the effect of space charge in a planar diode. Results show, in particular, that the classical value for the limiting current in such a diode can be exceeded by a large factor due to the effect of tunneling. The smooth transition of the solutions from the quantum to the classical (non-quantum) regime is demonstrated.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Multiple forms of calf serum adenosine deaminase.

Abstract Adenosine deaminase has been purified from calf serum by ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE cellulose column chromatography. This purified serum deaminase is ultracentrifugally homogeneous with an S 20 value of 3.9. This value contrasts with the S 20 value of 2.15 for calf intestine adenosine deaminase. Electrophoresis of the purified serum adenosine deaminase results in the separation of the protein into two major and two minor protein bands. Assay of the enzyme directly on the electrophoresis strips shows that all four protein components have adenosine deaminase activity. Comparison of the electrophoretic properties of calf serum deaminase with calf intestine deaminase reveals that the two major deaminase bands from the serum have the same electrophoretic migrations as the two deaminase bands from the purified intestine enzyme. The largest amount of protein is associated with the fastest protein band of the serum deaminase and the slower component of the intestine deaminase. Heating the calf serum enzyme to 60 ° for short periods of time converts the slow-moving deaminase band to the fast deaminase band. The K m , V max , energy of activation, pH optimum, and substrate or inhibitor specificity were measured using the purified serum adenosine deaminase. These values were compared to those obtained for the intestine deaminase and are reported here.
A comparison of patient-rated burden and incidence of side-effects: lithium versus valproate.

The purpose of the study was to determine if patients receiving valproate perceived a lesser burden than patients receiving lithium, and to determine the incidence of side-effects. Psychiatric inpatients with an affective component to their illness, receiving either lithium or valproate, were asked to complete several questionnaires, one of which was a newly developed visual-analogue scale to assess patient-rated level of burden. The scores were analyzed by Student's t-test, and were also used to determine if any correlations existed. Twenty-nine patients were analyzed, and the patient-rated level of burden was found to be 1.4± 1.3 for lithium and 1.2± 1.6 for valproate; (P=0.1, not significant). The mean numbers of side-effects reported were 12.3 ± 6.7 for lithium and 18.7 ± 13.4 for valproate; (P=0.1). No correlation relationships were detected. We concluded that there was no difference in level of burden, and that burden scores could not be correlated with any variables. Similar studies should be condu...
Adaptation to electronic mail

Abstract This investigation proposes and tests a path model of the adaptation process to electronic mail using the Komsky (1991) data. The results demonstrate that the user satisfaction and frequency of use are predicted by features consistent with the “media richness”; theory (Fulk, Steinfeld, Schmitz & Power, 1987). The model demonstrates some useful information on understanding the ability of an organization to smoothly and efficiently adopt an electronic mail system that employees will use frequently and satisfactorily.
Anger and its association to distress and social/occupational functioning in symptomatic disaster relief workers responding to the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center disaster*

Empirical evidence suggests that anger plays a significant role in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may impede recovery from traumatic events. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of anger and its relationship to distress and social/occupational functioning in disaster relief workers (DRWs) who had PTSD symptoms who were deployed to the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001. Six hundred twenty-six utility workers (96% male) completed measures of anger, distress, PTSD severity, and social/occupational functioning. Results indicated that anger was significantly higher in DRWs who had PTSD symptoms than in those who did not, and statistically significant associations were found among anger, distress, PTSD severity, and social/occupational functioning in workers who had PTSD symptoms. Careful assessment of anger in DRWs exposed to traumatic events is warranted as well as longitudinal studies to further understand the relationship between anger and PTSD.
ATP-independent reversal of a membrane protein aggregate by a chloroplast SRP subunit

Membrane proteins impose enormous challenges to cellular protein homeostasis during their post-translational targeting, and they require chaperones to keep them soluble and translocation competent. Here we show that a novel targeting factor in the chloroplast signal recognition particle (cpSRP), cpSRP43, is a highly specific molecular chaperone that efficiently reverses the aggregation of its substrate proteins. In contrast to 'ATPases associated with various cellular activities' (AAA+) chaperones, cpSRP43 uses specific binding interactions with its substrate to mediate its 'disaggregase' activity. This disaggregase capability can allow targeting machineries to more effectively capture their protein substrates and emphasizes a close connection between protein folding and trafficking processes. Moreover, cpSRP43 provides the first example to our knowledge of an ATP-independent disaggregase and shows that efficient reversal of protein aggregation can be attained by specific binding interactions between a chaperone and its substrate.
In Situ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Studies of Nitrite Reduction on Platinum Electrodes in Perchloric Acid

Nitrous oxide generated by the electrochemical reduction of nitrite on a polycrystalline platinum electrode in aqueous 0.1 M HClO4 was monitored by in situ potential difference Fourier transform infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy. An analysis of the intensity of the N2O asymmetric stretch band at 2231 cm-1, A(N2O), monitored during a slow linear potential (E) sweep in the range 0.8 > E > −0.32 V vs SCE, indicated that N2O begins to form at E ∼0.5 V vs SCE, reaches a maximum at E ∼0.05 V, and disappears completely for E < −0.1 V. These observations are in agreement with those made by on-line mass spectrometry (MS) using high-area Pt electrodes in acid electrolytes reported in the literature. In addition, a plot of A(N2O) vs E was found to be directly correlated with that of the integral of the N2O generation rate, as measured by on-line dynamic differential electrochemical MS (DEMS) by Nishimura et al. (Electrochim. Acta 1991, 36, 877) in sulfuric acid solutions.
Color and oxidative rancidity of gamma and electron beam-irradiated boneless pork chops

Color and oxidative rancidity were determined for chilled (3 ± 2°C) and frozen (-17 + 3°C) boneless pork chops packaged in vacuum or air and irradiated to an absorbed dose of 0, 1.5 or 2.5 kGy (chilled) or 0, 2.5 or 3.85 kGy (frozen) of electron beam or cobalt 60 irradiation. Irradiation of vacuum-packaged chops produced redder, more stable (color and rancidity) product. More pronounced oxidative rancidity and less stable display color were noted for samples irradiated in aerobic packaging. Irradiation source had varying but limited effects on color and rancidity. Optimum packaging conditions can control color and rancidity changes in boneless chops, thereby enabling irradiation to be a useful intervention technology.
The use of problem solving and decision making in behavior therapy

Abstract An updated model from problem solving and decision making (PS/DM) theory is presented for application to behavior therapy. The article highlights an important distinction between “static” and “dynamic” PS/DM situations. The static model presumes that the PS/ DM procedures need to be conducted only once to implement a change program. The model provides little opportunity to use outcome feedback from successive PS/DM stages for further correction of the overall plan. In the dynamic model, the stages are conceptualized as a sequence of interrelated actions guided by feedback, similar to the tracking of a moving target. The dynamic model is regarded as more characteristic of the clinical change process. Based upon this important distinction, the traditional stages of PS/DM are re-evaluated. In addition, several newly emerged issues are addressed from two different points of view—one in which the clinician is considered the problem solver helping the client with a particular problem, and one in which the client is considered the problem solver learning to deal with unforeseen difficulties. Finally, the article describes several different methods that can be used to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed PS/DM procedures.
Routine surveillance care after cancer treatment with curative intent

BACKGROUND: Many consensus guidelines recommend routine surveillance to detect recurrent disease among cancer survivors. We compare surveillance care receipt to guideline recommendations. METHODS: Cohorts of patients aged 30 years or older diagnosed with breast, colorectal, endometrial, lung, or prostate cancer between 1990 and 1995 and treated with curative intent were identified (n = 100 per site). Receipt and indications for examinations and procedures were abstracted from medical records for as long as 5 years after treatment. Kaplan-Meier product estimates were used to estimate time to initial and subsequent service receipt. RESULTS: Most cancer patients received the recommended minimum number of physical examinations after treatment. In fact, a sizable number of cancer survivors received physical examinations at a frequency in excess of what is currently recommended. Similarly, most of these cancer survivors received recommended testing for local recurrence. Yet, less than two thirds of colorectal cancer patients received recommended colon examinations in the initial year after treatment. Among colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer patients who received recommended initial local recurrence testing, repeat testing tended to occur more frequently than what is currently recommended. The use of testing for metastatic disease that is not recommended in guidelines is also commonplace among these cancer survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Among cohorts of cancer patients, we found wide variation in the use of surveillance care, including patterns of care receipt reflective of both underuse and overuse relative to guideline recommendations. Clinical reasons for these variations and the cost and health implications deserve further study.
Visualizing handheld-based classroom activity

Classroom interactions involving handheld wireless connectivity can produce great learning gains. However, characterizing interactions as they happen can be difficult. Based on the log files from two months of use in math classrooms, we have built a visualization tool for examining collaborative and individual use. The tool can be used to aid in qualitative analyses such as frequently conducted to understand learning processes or to conduct interaction or grounded theory analyses. It also has the potential to be an interface to support quantitative queries. However, in order to have utility, design problems have to be solved, including how to display shifting work partnerships for a large number of actors without confusing overlaps. The current paper presents five designs with discussions of their pros and cons
Perceptual thresholds for display lag in a real visual environment are not affected by field of view or psychophysical technique

Abstract Introduction Lag between head movement and the time to render the visual consequences of the movement during head mounted display (HMD) applications presents challenges in the appearance of a stable image. This appearance of an image to “lag” behind or “swim” about may cause detriments in user performance, lack of user acceptance, and simulator sickness. These known potential consequences of HMD use motivated the current work to explore the human capability to detect display lag. The aim in this study was to gain a better understanding of the threshold for display lag detection and what variables affect this threshold. Methods Twenty four subjects completed a repeated-measures three field of view (FOV; 10°, 38°, and full monocular) X two psychophysical technique (forced-choice and simple) experimental design. Passive sinusoidal head movements about the yaw axis were generated by an oscillating chair. A visual scene consisting of vertical bars was projected by an optokinetic drum moving in a sinusoidal fashion with the subjects. Subjects reported whether the scene lagged behind head movement. Results The grand threshold mean for lag detection was 147.64 ms ( SD = 84.91). The median was 130 ms and the 25th and 75th percentiles were 84.17 ms and 206.25 ms, respectively. Lag thresholds were not systematically influenced by either FOV or psychophysical technique. Discussion Naive subjects in the current study were less sensitive to lag as compared to thresholds reported in previous HMD studies, which provided lag detection strategies and practice [e.g., 77 ms; Ellis, Mania, Adelstein, & Hill, 2004]. Future examinations using the current paradigm should provide detection strategies and more practice.
Scaling Laws as a Tool of Materials Informatics

This paper discusses the utility of scaling laws to materials informatics and presents the algorithm Scaling LAW (SLAW), useful to obtain scaling laws from statistical data. These laws can be used to extrapolate known materials property data to untested materials by using other more readily available information. This technique is independent of a characteristic length or time scale, so it is useful for a broad diversity of problems. In some cases, SLAW can reproduce the mathematical expression that would have been obtained through an analytical treatment of the problem. This technique was originally designed for mining statistical data in materials processing and materials behavior at a system level, and it shows promise for the study of the relationship between structure and properties in materials.
Colchicine: Old and New

Although colchicine has been a focus of research, debate, and controversy for thousands of years, the US Food and Drug Administration just approved it in 2009. Over the past decade, advances in the knowledge of colchicine pharmacology, drug safety, and mechanisms of action have led to changes in colchicine dosing and to potential new uses for this very old drug. In this review, we discuss the pharmacologic properties of colchicine and summarize what is currently known about its mechanisms of action. We then discuss and update the use of colchicine in a variety of illnesses, including rheumatic and, most recently, cardiovascular diseases.
A Piece of the Puzzle: What Does BRAF Status Mean in the Management of Patients with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma?

This is a copy of an article published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism © 2012 Endocrine Society
Modulated barrier approach to the interaction time in tunneling for arbitrary potentials.

The time that a transmitted particle interacts with a tunneling barrier is evaluated in one of the principal existing approaches by considering a small oscillatory perturbation added to the static barrier. The modulation frequency, at which a serious deviation from quasistatic behavior appears, is indicative of the traversal time. This approach is extended here, to a long region including the barrier, and utilizing a modulation potential which is spatially uniform throughout this region, except in the incident region ahead of the actual barrier, where it is made sufficiently smooth to avoid reflections. The resulting traversal time is \ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath{\partial} ln[\ensuremath{\partial}t/\ensuremath{\partial}E]/\ensuremath{\partial}E, where the complex transmission coefficient t(E) is defined as the ratio of the wave function at the far end to that at the point of incidence. This answer applies to arbitrary potentials and to all energies, including both propagation and tunneling in a single framework. This result is closely related to, but not identical to, that obtained by another earlier approach in which the potential is fixed, but the incident amplitude is modulated.
Linear time self-stabilizing colorings

We propose two new self-stabilizing distributed algorithms for proper Δ + 1 (Δ is the maximum degree of a mode in the graph) colorings of arbitrary system graphs. Both algorithms are capable of working with multiple type of daemons (schedulers) as is the most recent algorithm by Gradinariu and Tixeuil [OPODIS'2000, 2000, pp. 55-70]. The first algorithm converges in O(m) moves while the second converges in at most n moves (n is the number of nodes and m is the number of edges in the graph) as opposed to the O(Δ × n) moves required by the algorithm by Gradinariu and Tixeuil [OPODIS'2000, 2000, pp. 55-70]. The second improvement is that neither of the proposed algorithms requires each node to have knowledge of Δ, as is required by Gradinariu and Tixeuil [OPODIS'2000, 2000, pp. 55-70]. Further, the coloring produced by our first algorithm provides an interesting type of coloring, called a Grundy Coloring [Jensen and Toft, Graph Coloring Problems, 1995].
Capacities and the Eternal in Metaphysics Θ.8 and De Caelo

The dominant interpretation of Metaphysics Θ.8 commits Aristotle to the claim that the heavenly bodies’ eternal movements are not the exercises of capacities. Against this, I argue that these movements are the result of necessarily exercised capacities. I clarify what it is for a heavenly body to possess a nature and argue that a body’s nature cannot be a final cause unless the natural body possesses capacities that are exercised for the sake of its nature qua form. This discussion yields a better understanding of what capacities are, what explanatory work capacities do, and what it is to possess a nature.
The origin and extent of direct amygdala projections to the region of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and the nucleus of the solitary tract

The site of origin of a direct projection from the amygdala to autonomic regulatory nuclei in the dorsomedial medulla has been precisely localized and delimited in the rabbit by means of the retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. Labeled cells in the amygdala were found to be confined within regions of the ipsilateral central nucleus. Many labeled cells were also observed to extend beyond the central nucleus into closely related regions of the substantia innominata and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.
ESTABLISHMENT OF LONG-TERM CALLUS CULTURES FROM MATURE WHITE PINE (PINUS STROBUS, PINACEAE)

Callus cultures were established from young vegetative shoots of 15 to 18-year-old white pine trees. The callus has been repeatedly subcultured for 15 months on a modified Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 6-Benzyladenine and 0.2 mg/La-Naphthaleneacetic acid. Best callus proliferation occurred when 2 to 4-week-old shoots were used as explants. Older shoots were heavily contaminated with microorganisms and could be only partially disinfected by heat or chemical treatments. MICROPROPAGATION of several coniferous species has been achieved by in vitro culturing of embryonic or seedling tissue (David, 1982; Thorpe and Biondi, 1984). However, because the genetic potential for traits such as height growth, stem taper, branching, and crown shape cannot be evaluated until the tree matures, it is important to have methods to vegetatively propagate mature conifers (Bonga, 198 1). Further, if techniques such as somatic hybridization and genetic engineering are to be used for improvement of conifers, it is essential to develop methods for establishing protoplast and callus cultures from mature conifers and subsequent regeneration of plantlets from such
Psychiatric conditions associated with prenatal alcohol exposure

Since the identification of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) over 35 years ago, mounting evidence about the impact of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy has prompted increased attention to the link between prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and a constellation of developmental disabilities that are characterized by physical, cognitive, and behavioral impairments. These disabilities include a continuum of developmental disorders known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Longitudinal studies suggest that individuals with FASDs are at a greatly increased risk for adverse long-term outcomes, including mental health problems and poor social adjustment. This review summarizes the existing literature on mental health outcomes for individuals with PAE across the lifespan, including findings in infancy and early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence and early adulthood. Research on the psychiatric disabilities suffered by individuals with FASDs throughout development highlights the need for training of mental health professionals in the identification and the provision of specific treatments to address the unique features of this developmental disability since early identification and treatment have been demonstrated to be protective against more serious secondary disabilities. It is hoped that with greater awareness of the mental health problems experienced by individuals with FASDs, these individuals can receive appropriate and early treatment resulting in more adaptive and rewarding lives.
Testing personal inhalable aerosol samplers: a suggested improved protocol based on new scientific knowledge

In 2002 the Comite Europeen Normalisation (CEN) published its document Workplace atmospheres—assessment of performance of instruments for measurement of airborne particle concentrations (EN 13205) that describes a standard protocol by which to carry out the testing and validation of personal aerosol samplers of the type widely used for occupational aerosol exposure assessment. It emerged from more than a decade of discussion and a large body of research experience involving several laboratories. The protocol that is described, however, still poses significant technical and economic challenges, not least because it involves laborious—and hence costly—procedures in large, specialized wind tunnel facilities. More recent research has identified a number of areas by which the protocol may be improved and made more accessible to testing laboratories, including a set of validated aerosol sampler scaling laws, a better understanding of the reduced role of the bluff body of the wearer on sampler performance, and the availability of new options for rapid sampler testing methods. Taking these into account, a dummy new protocol is offered for discussion.
Capital Bugeting Practices in Large U.S. Cities

ABSTRACT Capital budgeting is an important aspect of decision-making in governments. Recent years have witnessed significant developments in the use of capital budgeting techniques which range from simple cost-benefit analysis to more complex decision-making models. The purpose of this paper is to survey the extent to which the various U.S. cities currently employ some of these techniques in developing and implementing their capital projects and programs.
Effects of dietary protein and lupine alkaloids on growth and survivorship ofSpodoptera eridania

Toxic chemicals and nutrients are often positively correlated within and among plants. We studied how such correlations affect the suitability of plants as food for herbivores by assessing the growth and survivorship ofSpodoptera eridania (army worm) on artificial diets containing lupine alkaloids and casein. We found that (1) the effects of casein were determined by other dietary components: increased dietary casein led to increased larval growth only when the diet was also high in wheat germ. (2) Dietary alkaloids were effective at very low concentrations, reducing both growth and survivorship. The alkaloids lupanine and sparteine were not synergistic in their effects, and the interaction between alkaloids and casein was significant only in the low-wheat-germ diets. (3) The effects of casein and alkaloids were generally apparent only in the first instar, and the growth of fifth-instar larvae was unaffected by diet. (4) Using these artificial diet experiments, we can make simple predictions about the food quality of plants grown under various nutrient regimes. These predictions are consistant with recent ideas about optimal plant defenses.
One more reason why neurons need to be noisy

This note discusses how information contained in a neural message is transmitted depending on two schemes of encoding: stochastic or deterministic. For the first case, it is shown that the rate of information loss is minimized for a range of signal to noise ratios entering the channel with noise and signal amplitude of the same order of magnitude. In contrast, at the deterministic limit, (i.e., signal amplitude very large compared with the noise) the rate of information loss increases; approximately by a power law of the distance traveled by the message. The exponent depends linearly on the time constant of the function relating speed of propagation vs period of excitation of the axon.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Leucocyte-skin cultures as a measure of histocompatibility in man.

Abstract Isolated human epidermal cells induced blastogenesis and D.N.A. synthesis in allogeneic leucocytes, but not in autologous leucocytes. No blastogenesis occurred in mixed leucocyte/skin cultures between a pair of phenotypically HL-A identical siblings not reacting in a mixed-leucocyte test. This correlation suggests that epidermal-cell-induced blastogenesis and leucocyte-induced blastogenesis reflect the same alloantigenic differences, and that both may be determined by the same genetic locus.
Has the Byrd Amendment Affected US Imports

The Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (CDSOA), also known as the Byrd Amendment, allows the U.S. government to distribute revenues from antidumping duties to domestic firms alleging harm. Prior to the amendment these revenues were not distributed to firms. In this article, we formally test the hypothesis that the Byrd Amendment effectively provides double protection to U.S. firms to the extent that it further restricts U.S. imports, as argued by the E.U. and eleven other U.S. trading partners. Using a rich panel of 362 U.S. manufacturing industries for the period 1998 to 2003, we find that whether or not the Byrd Amendment restricted U.S. imports depends crucially on the level of competitiveness in the import-competing industry. Specifically, we find that the Byrd Amendment served to restrict imports only in industries where competition is relatively weak, while the amendment is associated with an increase in imports in more competitive industries.
The umbilical cord thickness measured at 18-23 weeks of gestational age.

Objective. To establish an umbilical cord thickness nomogram from anatomy ultrasound scans performed between 18 and 23 weeks of gestational age in singleton pregnancies, and compare it to two previously published nomograms.Material and methods. In this retrospective cohort study of 1107 patients, a total of 650 singleton pregnancies were included. The umbilical cord diameter measurements were performed at the level of fetal abdominal wall insertion, and were correlated with gestational age (GA) and estimated fetal weight (EFW). Statistical analysis with non-parametric polynomial least squares regression analysis was performed.Results. A statistically significant correlation between umbilical cord diameter and GA (P?<?0001, r?=?0.399, 95% CI 0.331 to 0.464), and EFW (P?<?0001, r?=?0.420, 95% CI 0.353–0.483) was observed. A nomogram of umbilical cord thickness according to GA (y), and EFW (y’), was generated from the following equations:y?=?-51.30?+?5.367*x-0.1165*x2 and y'?=?6.917?+?0.007233*x, respe...
A high-density genetic map of Arachis duranensis, a diploid ancestor of cultivated peanut

Cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is an allotetraploid species whose ancestral genomes are most likely derived from the A-genome species, A. duranensis, and the B-genome species, A. ipaensis. The very recent (several millennia) evolutionary origin of A. hypogaea has imposed a bottleneck for allelic and phenotypic diversity within the cultigen. However, wild diploid relatives are a rich source of alleles that could be used for crop improvement and their simpler genomes can be more easily analyzed while providing insight into the structure of the allotetraploid peanut genome. The objective of this research was to establish a high-density genetic map of the diploid species A. duranensis based on de novo generated EST databases. Arachis duranensis was chosen for mapping because it is the A-genome progenitor of cultivated peanut and also in order to circumvent the confounding effects of gene duplication associated with allopolyploidy in A. hypogaea. More than one million expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences generated from normalized cDNA libraries of A. duranensis were assembled into 81,116 unique transcripts. Mining this dataset, 1236 EST-SNP markers were developed between two A. duranensis accessions, PI 475887 and Grif 15036. An additional 300 SNP markers also were developed from genomic sequences representing conserved legume orthologs. Of the 1536 SNP markers, 1054 were placed on a genetic map. In addition, 598 EST-SSR markers identified in A. hypogaea assemblies were included in the map along with 37 disease resistance gene candidate (RGC) and 35 other previously published markers. In total, 1724 markers spanning 1081.3 cM over 10 linkage groups were mapped. Gene sequences that provided mapped markers were annotated using similarity searches in three different databases, and gene ontology descriptions were determined using the Medicago Gene Atlas and TAIR databases. Synteny analysis between A. duranensis, Medicago and Glycine revealed significant stretches of conserved gene clusters spread across the peanut genome. A higher level of colinearity was detected between A. duranensis and Glycine than with Medicago. The first high-density, gene-based linkage map for A. duranensis was generated that can serve as a reference map for both wild and cultivated Arachis species. The markers developed here are valuable resources for the peanut, and more broadly, to the legume research community. The A-genome map will have utility for fine mapping in other peanut species and has already had application for mapping a nematode resistance gene that was introgressed into A. hypogaea from A. cardenasii.
Capturing fleeting intermediates in a catalytic C–H amination reaction cycle

We have applied an ambient ionization technique, desorption electrospray ionization MS, to identify transient reactive species of an archetypal C–H amination reaction catalyzed by a dirhodium tetracarboxylate complex. Using this analytical method, we have detected previously proposed short-lived reaction intermediates, including two nitrenoid complexes that differ in oxidation state. Our findings suggest that an Rh-nitrene oxidant can react with hydrocarbon substrates through a hydrogen atom abstraction pathway and raise the intriguing possibility that two catalytic C–H amination pathways may be operative in a typical bulk solution reaction. As highlighted by these results, desorption electrospray ionization MS should have broad applicability for the mechanistic study of catalytic processes.
Use of the Social Security Administration Death Master File for ascertainment of mortality status

Objectives: Internet sources that use the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Death Master File have demonstrated high sensitivity among males for detection of mortality status in comparisons to the National Death Index, but the sensitivity has not been investigated for other demographic groups. Methods: The authors used the SSA Death Master File to determine the mortality status of 374 decedents from the ongoing Patient Outcomes Study at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center whose deaths were confirmed by physicians using hospital records. Results: Decedents identified by the SSA Death Master File were significantly older than those not identified. Foreign-born decedents were significantly less likely to be identified as dead than American-born decedents. Gender and marital status were not significant factors for identification by the SSA Death Master File. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that Internet sources may be used as an inexpensive and effective tool for determination of mortality status. However, among certain populations use of these databases alone may provide incomplete information.
MetaSpider: Meta-Searching and Categorization on the Web

It has become increasingly difficult to locate relevant information on the Web, even with the help of Web search engines. Two approaches to addressing the low precision and poor presentation of search results of current search tools are studied: meta-search and document categorization. Meta-search engines improve precision by selecting and integrating search results from generic or domain-specific Web search engines or other resources. Document categorization promises better organization and presentation of retrieved results. This article introduces MetaSpider, a meta-search engine that has real-time indexing and categorizing functions. We report in this paper the major components of MetaSpider and discuss related technical approaches. Initial results of a user evaluation study comparing MetaSpider, NorthernLight, and MetaCrawler in terms of clustering performance and of time and effort expended show that MetaSpider performed best in precision rate, but disclose no statistically significant differences in recall rate and time requirements. Our experimental study also reveals that MetaSpider exhibited a higher level of automation than the other two systems and facilitated efficient searching by providing the user with an organized, comprehensive view of the retrieved documents.
RKIP sensitizes prostate and breast cancer cells to drug-induced apoptosis.

Cancer cells are more susceptible to chemotherapeutic agent-induced apoptosis than their normal counterparts. Although it has been demonstrated that the increased sensitivity results from deregulation of oncoproteins during cancer development (Evan, G. I., and Vousden, K. H. (2001) Nature 411, 342–348; Green, D. R., and Evan, G. I. (2002) Cancer Cell 1, 19–30), little is known about the signaling pathways leading to changes in the apoptotic threshold in cancer cells. Here we show that low RKIP expression levels in tumorigenic human prostate and breast cancer cells are rapidly induced upon chemotherapeutic drug treatment, sensitizing the cells to apoptosis. We show that the maximal RKIP expression correlates perfectly with the onset of apoptosis. In cancer cells resistant to DNA-damaging agents, treatment with the drugs does not up-regulate RKIP expression. However, ectopic expression of RKIP resensitizes DNA-damaging agent-resistant cells to undergo apoptosis. This sensitization can be reversed by up-regulation of survival pathways. Down-regulation of endogenous RKIP by expression of antisense and small interfering RNA (siRNA) confers resistance on sensitive cancer cells to anticancer drug-induced apoptosis. Our studies suggest that RKIP may represent a novel effector of signal transduction pathways leading to apoptosis and a prognostic marker of the pathogenesis of human cancer cells and tumors after treatment with clinically relevant chemotherapeutic drugs.
First Impressions and Expectancies

Summary It was hypothesized that (a) impressions of a stranger as bad and potent would result in greater expectation of harm and less expectation of benefits than good and impotent impressions, and (b) disconfirmation of these expectations would result in changes in level of expressed attractiveness. Forty female introductory psychology students participated in an initial investigation, and 20 male introductory psychology students participated in a second study: both were impression formation tasks using a semantic differential instrument in which Ss were asked to estimate in percent the probability of receiving either benefits (extra experimental credit points) or harm (electrical shock). The hypotheses were supported at P < .05 level of significance. It was concluded that minimal initial information can lead to attributions of benevolent or malevolent intentionality which lead perceivers to make differential predictions of behavior.
The commissioning status of RHIC

The construction and commissioning status of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, RHIC, is discussed. Those novel features of a heavy ion collider that are distinct from conventional hadron colliders in general are noted. These features are derived from the experimental requirements of operation with a variety of ion species over a wide energy range including collisions between ions of unequal energies. The paper notes other challenging issues for the collider including intrabeam scattering, interaction-region error compensation, magnet alignments, and matched transition-energy jump. The project is in the final few months of a seven-year construction cycle and is entering the commissioning phase. A review of the superconducting magnet program is given together with the status of the machine construction and commissioning.
Acoustic Dewatering and Drying: State of the Art Review

Suggestions to use ultrasonic energy for drying materials were made many years ago. Ultrasonics was especially appealing as a means of drying heat sensitive materials, such as pharmaceuticals, where rapid drying could prevent spoilage, if damaging heat levels could be avoided. Ultrasonic drying proved to meet both criteria—drying was rapid and temperatures seldom exceeded 1°C above ambient. Although the ultrasonic method was effective it was also expensive and its usefulness was limited to these more exotic applications.