cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tensile Force-Dependent Neurite Elicitation via Anti-β1 Integrin Antibody-Coated Magnetic Beads

Previous work using glass microneedles to apply calibrated, localized force to neurons showed that tensile force is a sufficient signal for neurite initiation and elongation. However, previous studies did not examine the kinetics or probability of neurite initiation as a function of force or the rate of force application. Here we report the use of a new technique-magnetic bead force application-to systematically investigate the role of force in these phenomena with better ease of use and control over force than glass microneedles. Force-induced neurite initiation from embryonic chick forebrain neurons appeared to be a first-order random process whose rate increased with increasing force, and required the presence of peripheral microtubules. In addition, the probability of initiation was more than twofold lower for neurons exposed to rapid initial force ramps (450 pN/s) than for neurons exposed to slower ramps (1.5 and 11 pN/s). We observed a low force threshold for elongation (15-100 pN), which was not previously detected in chick forebrain neurites elongated by glass microneedles. Finally, neurites subjected to constant force elongated at variable instantaneous rates, and switched abruptly between elongation and retraction, similar to spontaneous, growth-cone-mediated outgrowth and microtubule dynamic instability.
Chronic Alcohol Drinking Alters Neuronal Dendritic Spines in the Brain Reward Center Nucleus Accumbens

Alcohol is known to affect glutamate transmission. However, how chronic alcohol affects the synaptic structure mediating glutamate transmission is unknown. Repeated alcohol exposure in a subject with familial alcoholic history often leads to alcohol addiction. The current study adopts alcohol-preferring rats, which are known to develop high drinking. Two-photon microscopy analysis indicates that chronic alcohol of 14 weeks either, under continuous alcohol (C-Alc) or with repeated deprivation (RD-Alc), causes dysmorphology–– thickened, beaded, and disoriented dendrites that are reminiscent of reactive astrocytes –– in a subpopulation of medium spiny neurons. The density of dendritic spines was found differentially lower in the nucleus accumbens of RD-Alc and C-Alc groups as compared with those of Water groups. Large-sized spines and multiple-headed spines were increased in the RD-Alc group. The NMDA receptor subunit NR1 proteins, as analyzed with western blot, were upregulated in C-Alc, but not in RD-Alc. The upregulated NMDA receptor subunits of NR1 however, are predominantly a splice variant isoform with truncated exon 21, which is required for membrane-bound trafficking or anchoring into a spine synaptic site. These maladaptations may contribute to the transformation of spines. The changes, in density and head-size of spines and the corresponding NMDA receptors, demonstrated an alteration of microcircuitry for glutamate reception. The current study demonstrates for the first time that chronic alcohol exposure causes structural alteration of dendrites and their spines in the key reward brain region in animals that have a genetic background leading to alcohol addiction.
Stray Light and the Human Electroretinogram

A scotopic (b-wave) component of the human electroretinogram which results from small (1° to 12°) area stimulation has previously been shown, by the writer and others, to arise almost entirely from stray light in the eye which weakly illuminates large peripheral areas where the rods predominate. It is now indicated that for intermediate (45°) areas, a double-peaked b-wave is elicited which is believed to reflect activity aroused separately by image and stray light stimulus components. When extremely large (over 100°) stimulus areas are used, a unimodal response can be elicited using very weak luminances of stimulation. Since the large area response is mainly attributable to direct retinal stimulation, a basis is provided for comparing the effects of stray light (small area) and direct (very large area) stimulation. From such comparisons, it is concluded that (1) over four times as much luminous flux is required for a small stimulus to elicit a given b-wave as for a very large one to do so, (2) one of the stray light components is Rayleigh (small-particle) scatter, and (3) large-particle scatter and reflection from the fundus are also involved.
Models, metaphors, and other scholarly meanderings: Renovating models of communication

The construction of models have followed a piecemeal approach emphasizing segmentation and specialization. The authors argue that while prior models contribute by delineating and mapping the discrete components of the communication act, they fail to provide for an understanding of communicative acts within the context of a larger converging landscape. Each communicative act must be seen within the context of past, present, and future channel choices (or the lack thereof). A model of communication convergence is proposed which is rooted in a systems analysis of face‐to‐face and mediated forms of communication used in a definable area or by a definable population.
Hydration rate of obsidian.

The hydration rates of 12 obsidian samples of different chemical compositions were measured at temperatures from 95° to 245°C. An expression relating hydration rate to temperature was derived for each sample. The SiO2 content and refractive index are related to the hydration rate, as are the CaO, MgO, and original water contents. With this information it is possible to calculate the hydration rate of a sample from its silica content, refractive index, or chemical index and a knowledge of the effective temperature at which the hydration occurred. The effective hydration temperature can be either measured or approximated from weather records. Rates have been calculated by both methods, and the results show that weather records can give a good approximation to the true EHT, particularly in tropical and subtropical climates. If one determines the EHT by any of the methods suggested, and also measures or knows the rate of hydration of the particular obsidian used, it should be possible to carry out absolute dating to ± 10 percent of the true age over periods as short as several years and as long as millions of years.
Brood Size and Nesting Phenology in Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) in Northern California

Abstract. Western (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's (A. clarkii) grebes are long-lived, migratory waterbirds that are sensitive to human-caused disturbance while nesting. Sampling the age distribution of post-hatch chicks provides a method for estimating the timing of nest initiation without causing disturbance to breeding colonies. The goals of this work were to describe trends in breeding productivity at two of the largest nesting colonies in northern California and illustrate how brood size can be used to evaluate nesting phenology in Aechmophorus grebes. No differences were found in brood size between species. Brood size decreased linearly as nest initiation date increased, showing no differences in the rate of decline among age classes of young. Within seasons, older broods were found to be significantly smaller than younger broods, suggesting that mortality was occurring after hatching thereby reducing the potential number of chicks recruited into the adult population.
Laparoscopic Image Guidance via Conoscopic Holography

Spatially registered 3D preoperative medical images can improve surgical accuracy and reduce reliance on memory and hand-eye coordination by the surgeon. They enable visualization of internal structures within the anatomy of a patient on the operating table. In the case of biopsy, for example, this would allow the surgeon to guide the needle tip to a tumor though opaque tissue. It has been well established that for soft tissues, image registration can be performed by aligning the preoperative image with a cloud of points that describe the surface of an organ [1]. Collecting this point cloud can be challenging, generally requiring open surgery to permit line-of-sight access for laser triangulation (e.g., the system of Pathfinder Therapeutics, Inc.). We present a conoscopic holography-based system for collecting a point cloud less invasively-through a laparoscopic port. The system consists of a commercial conoscope (Optimet, Inc., Probe Head Mk3), designed for precision machine-shop linear measurements, that is tracked (the surgical tool is also tracked) with an optical tracking system (Claron Micron Tracker H3-60). The conoscope laser beam can, in principle, be aimed through a laparoscopic port. The 1 degree of freedom linear distance measurements it returns are converted into a point cloud using optical tracker information. Proof-of-concept for obtaining point clouds via conoscopic holography and registering them to known shapes is provided in [2]. However, the procedure for collecting these point clouds requires the surgeon to manually `paint' the surface of the organ with the laser beam, aiming it at many points on the surface by manipulating the conoscope base unit, thus pivoting the tube in the laparoscopic port. It would be desirable to relieve the surgeon of this task by creating a system for automatically aiming the laser beam from a stationary conoscope. We hypothesize that this can be done with a suitably designed actuated mirror assembly at the tip of the laparoscopic tube. To assess whether a conoscope can make an accurate distance measurement when reflected by a mirror, we conducted a set of experiments. We placed a front-silvered mirror at a fixed 45 degree angle relative to the conoscope, 12 cm in front of it. Total beam length was 185-315 mm measured in 10 mm increments. The results were similar to direct measurements of the same distance without a mirror. We recorded a standard deviation of error of less than 0.01 mm in each 10 mm increment. A second experiment was then carried out to assess the effect of mirror angle. The laser was swept across a flat surface 105 mm from the mirror by rotating the mirror. The standard deviation of the data points from a true line was less than 0.1 mm along a 175 mm line segment. These experiments indicate the feasibility of using a mirror to aim a conoscopic holographic laser, paving the way for an automatic laparoscopic laser, paving the way for an automatic laparoscopic point cloud collection device to be developed in future work.
Mucosal folds of eustachian tube in young children.

Differences in the extent of mucosal folding in the superior versus the inferior half of the human Eustachian tube (ET) were studied in young children by measuring the length of the mucosal margin and counting the number of mucosal folds, as they appeared in histological cross-sections, in the pharyngeal, midcartilaginous, isthmus, and osseous portions of each half of the ET in 12 normal ET/temporal bone specimens from 12 individuals aged 1 day to 2 years. The mucosal margin of the ET was significantly longer in the inferior half than in the superior half in the pharyngeal, midcartilaginous, and isthmus portions (paired t -test, pharyngeal portion: t [11] = 3.71, p t [11] = 4.52, p t [11] = 3.40, p t -test, pharyngeal portion: t [11] = 3.46, p t [11] = 7.40, p t [11] = 5.03, p t [11] =4.49, p
Validation of the M.A.A. tests as predictors of success in algebra/trig sequence of courses

Three tests published by the Mathematics Association of America were administered during the first week of classes to students enrolling in algebra, pre‐calculus algebra, and trigonometry classes. Scores were correlated with grades using eta and Pearson correlations. Eta coefficients were significant for all classes. The Pearson correlations were significant for the two algebra courses but not for the trigonometry course. It was concluded that the algebra tests were valid as predictors of course grade but no support was found for the validity of the trigonometry test.
Chemical structure of heavy oil from coal hydrogenation 1. Hydrogenation with zinc chloride catalyst

Abstract Oil product from the hydrogenolysis of a high-volatile bituminous coal was separated by solubility, fractionated by gel permeation chromotography and characterized by structural analysis. The average structural unit in the hexane-soluble, aromatic oil fraction consists of 1–3 aromatic rings with 0.3-0.5 of the ring carbons substituted by alkyl groups and oxygen containing groups. Molecular weights vary from 200 to 500. The larger molecular weight fractions have longer alkyl chains and lower carbon aromaticities. The molecules are mainly of single unit structures. The average structural units in asphaltene fractions contain from 2.5-4 aromatic rings, are of higher carbon aromaticities and contain shorter alkyl groups. The asphaltene molecules consist of two or more structural units, crosslinked together, and have molecular weights of 300–1400. The oxygen content of the fractions decreases with decreasing molecular weight. Increasing the amount of ZnCl2 catalyst during hydrogenolysis resylts in an increased yield of lower-molecular-weight material, but no change in the structural properties of the product. This is interpreted to mean that ZnCl2 is active in the scission of covalent bonds between structural units during liquefaction and that the hydrogenolysis reaction is mostly cleavage of crosslinks between structural units with minimal reaction of the units themselves.
Causative vs predictive models of therapists expectancies: a further evaluation.

A recent study provided evidence that therapists' expectancies predict but do not cause improvement in schizophrenic patients. Expectancies of clinicians who had no contact with the patients studied were as closely linked to patients' improvement as expectancies of therapists who treated the patients. It was suggested that training and experience of the clinicians, who were provided with summaries of hospital admissions in lieu of patient contact, enabled them to recognize prognostic signs and thus predict improvement with their expectancies. The present study expanded on these findings. Untrained and inexperienced college students were given the same summaries from which they formed and reported expectancies for improvement in the same schizophrenic patients. Their expectancies were less efficient as prognosticators than expectancies of therapists and clinicians but nevertheless yielded approximately 50% significant predictions across 30 measures of patients' improvement. The results are interpreted as s...
On piezoelectric Lamb wave-based structural health monitoring using instantaneous baseline measurements

A critical aspect of existing Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems is the ability to compare current data obtained from a structure to a prerecorded baseline measurement taken for an undamaged case. Several Lamb wave-based SHM techniques have been successfully developed that use baseline measurements to identify damage in structures. The method developed in this study aims to instantaneously obtain baseline measurements in order to eliminate any complications associated with archiving baseline data and with the effects of varying environmental conditions on the baseline data. The proposed technique accomplishes instantaneous baseline measurements by deploying an array of piezoelectric sensors/actuators used for Lamb wave propagation-based SHM such that data recorded for equidistant sensor-actuator path lengths can be used to instantaneously identify several common features of undamaged paths. Once identified, data from these undamaged paths can be used as a baseline for near real-time damage detection. This method is made possible by utilizing sensor diagnostics, a recently developed technique which minimizes false damage identification and measurement distortion caused by faulty sensors. Several aspects of the instantaneous baseline damage detection method are detailed in this paper including determination of the features best used to identify damage, development of signal processing algorithms used to analyze data, and a comparison of two sensor/actuator deployment schemes.
Dual feedback loops in the GAL regulon suppress cellular heterogeneity in yeast

Transcriptional noise is known to be an important cause of cellular heterogeneity and phenotypic variation. The extent to which molecular interaction networks may have evolved to either filter or exploit transcriptional noise is a much debated question. The yeast genetic network regulating galactose metabolism involves two proteins, Gal3p and Gal80p, that feed back positively and negatively, respectively, on GAL gene expression. Using kinetic modeling and experimental validation, we demonstrate that these feedback interactions together are important for (i) controlling the cell-to-cell variability of GAL gene expression and (ii) ensuring that cells rapidly switch to an induced state for galactose uptake.
Phosphate inhibits in vitro Fe3+ loading into transferrin by forming a soluble Fe(III)-phosphate complex: a potential non-transferrin bound iron species.

Abstract In chronic kidney diseases, NTBI can occur even when total iron levels in serum are low and transferrin is not saturated. We postulated that elevated serum phosphate concentrations, present in CKD patients, might disrupt Fe 3 + loading into apo-transferrin by forming Fe(III)–phosphate species. We report that phosphate competes with apo-transferrin for Fe 3 + by forming a soluble Fe(III)–phosphate complex. Once formed, the Fe(III)–phosphate complex is not a substrate for donating Fe 3 + to apo-transferrin. Phosphate (1–10 mM) does not chelate Fe(III) from diferric transferrin under the conditions examined. Complexed forms of Fe 3 + , such as iron nitrilotriacetic acid (Fe 3 + -NTA), and Fe(III)–citrate are not susceptible to this phosphate complexation reaction and efficiently deliver Fe 3 + to apo-transferrin in the presence of phosphate. This reaction suggests that citrate might play an important role in protecting against Fe(III), phosphate interactions in vivo . In contrast to the reactions of Fe 3 + and phosphate, the addition of Fe 2 + to a solution of apo-transferrin and phosphate lead to rapid oxidation and deposition of Fe 3 + into apo-transferrin. These in vitro data suggest that, in principle, elevated phosphate concentrations can influence the ability of apo-transferrin to bind iron, depending on the oxidation state of the iron.
Estimating Price and Income Elasticities of Demand for Imports of Forest Products from Panel Data

Static and dynamic models of the derived demand for forest product imports were estimated for each of 10 major forest products covering industrial roundwood, wood-based panels, pulp, and paper and paperboard. The models were estimated with panel data from 64 countries for 1970–1987, by pooled ordinary least squares, first differencing, fixed effects, random effects and the Arellano–Bond approach. The predictive accuracy of the demand equations was tested with postsample data from 1988–1997. Based on multiple criteria, the best results were obtained with the dynamic model estimated by the Arellano–Bond method. For most products the demand for imports was found to be inelastic with respect to price. For all products the demand for imports was elastic with respect to income.
Effect of Freezing on Autoxidation of Oxymyoglobin Solutionsa

SUMMARY Rates of oxidation of solutions of highly purified and “crude” tuna and beef oxymyoglobins were measured at 0, −5, −10, −15, and −18°C. The results show that the oxidation rate decreases with lower temperatures until solutions actually solidify; at that time the autoxidation rate increases sharply. There are variations in rates of oxidation between tuna and beef myoglohins, as well as between myoglobin solutions at different buffer concentrations; however, these are secondary to the changes noted due to freezing.
Adverse outcomes associated with stimulator-based peripheral nerve blocks with versus without ultrasound visualization.

Background and Objectives: In this retrospective study, we queried our Quality Improvement database of anesthetic-related complications to evaluate the frequency of noncatheter peripheral nerve block-related adverse occurrences. We hypothesized that adverse complications of nerve blockade are less common when ultrasonography is used in conjunction with peripheral nerve stimulation to guide needle placement, when compared with the sole use of physical landmarks and nerve stimulation. Methods: We queried our departmental Quality Improvement electronic database for adverse outcomes associated with peripheral nerve blocks. Billing records were used to provide the denominator of the total number of blocks using both techniques of neurolocation. The types of blocks considered in this analysis were interscalene, axillary, femoral, sciatic, and popliteal sciatic blocks. The total numbers of complications of nerve blockade with each type of guidance were then compared, as were specific subsets of adverse effects. Results: There were 5436 consecutive peripheral noncatheter block cases (interscalene, axillary, femoral, sciatic, popliteal) during the 28-month period surveyed, with 3290 guided by landmark-nerve stimulation, and 2146 by ultrasound-nerve stimulation. Eight adverse outcomes occurred among patients having blocks guided by landmark-nerve stimulation technique, including 5 seizures and 3 nerve injuries. There were no such occurrences in the ultrasound-nerve stimulation group. When comparing the 4 brachial plexus block-related seizures that occurred with landmark guidance versus none with ultrasound guidance, the associated risk of seizures reached statistical significance (P = 0.044 by Fisher exact test). There was no difference between the 2 groups in the number of seizures occurring with lower extremity blocks, or in the frequency of neurologic injury. Conclusions: High-definition ultrasonography offers potential advantages in the administration of peripheral nerve blockade. The significant difference in major central nervous system local anesthetic toxicity observed in this study supports the use of ultrasound guidance in conjunction with peripheral nerve stimulation to provide brachial plexus peripheral nerve blockade in an academic, ambulatory anesthesia practice.
Surgical Therapy for Prinzmetal's Variant Angina

Fifty-two patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting between 1973 and 1979 for variant angina, defined as pain, usually at rest, associated with S-T segment elevation. Only patients with fixed occlusive coronary artery disease, defined as greater than 70% narrowing in diameter, were included. When fixed coronary artery stenosis is present, variant angina--whether presenting as stable, unstable, or postinfarction angina, and regardless of the number of vessels diseased--is effectively treated by myocardial revascularization. Preoperative intraaortic balloon pumping is a useful therapeutic adjunct in the unstable subset refractory to medical therapy. The results of revascularization in patients with Prinzmetal's variant angina and fixed coronary disease were no different from those in patients with classic angina pectoris of comparable clinical categories.
Evaporation at high altitudes

This is a popular presentation of the formal paper on “Evaporation at high altitudes and high latitudes” presented for the writer at the meeting of the Section of Hydrology at Washington, D.C. That paper appears in full in these Transactions.
Majority-based reversible logic gates

Reversible logic plays an important role in the synthesis of circuits for quantum computing. In this paper, we introduce families of reversible gates based on the majority Boolean function (MBF) and we prove their properties in reversible circuit synthesis. These gates can be used to synthesize reversible circuits of minimum "scratchpad register width" for arbitrary reversible functions. We show that, given a MBF f with 2k + 1 inputs, f can be implemented by a reversible logic gate with 2k + 1 inputs and 2k + 1 outputs, i.e., without any constant inputs. We also demonstrate new gates from this family with very efficient quantum realizations for majority-based applications. They can be used to synthesize any reversible function of the same width in conjunction with inverters and Feynman (2-qubit controlled-NOT) gates. The gate universality problem is formulated in terms of elementary group theory and solved using the algebraic software GAP.
A numerical study of the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations in vorticity-velocity variables

The application of solution methods for compact finite-difference schemes to a vorticity-velocity form of the two-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes equations is described. An account is also given of numerical experiments for stagnation point and driven cavity flows. One experiment treats the flow impinging on a flat plate, and the numerical results can be compared with the analytical steady state solution (Batchelor, 1967). The other deals with the driven cavity problem, the primary purpose being to describe the time evolution of this classical problem (Donovan, 1970).
Osmorhiza berteroi (Apiaceae): the correct name for Mountain Sweet-Cicely

Osmorhiza berteroi DC. is the correct name for the mountain sweet-cicely hitherto calledO. chilensis Hook. & Arn. orO. berterii DC.
The regulation of renal ammoniagenesis in the rat by extracellular factors. III. Effects of various fuels on in vitro ammoniagenesis

The addition of many oxidizable substrates to the medium of incubating rat renal slices decreases ammoniagenesis from glutamine and glutamate. Interestingly, lactate and beta-hydroxybutyrate depress ammoniagenesis less in renal slices from acidotic rats compared with normal-control rats. In this study, the effects of an expanded panel of substrates on ammoniagenesis in kidney slices from control and acidotic rats were followed to discern patterns of inhibition. In addition to lactate and beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetate, pyruvate, and perhaps acetoacetate caused relatively less depression of ammoniagenesis in acidotic slices. Citrate, succinate, fumarate, octanoate, and alpha-ketoglutarate decreased ammoniagenesis to the same extent or more in acidotic slices compared with that in normal-control slices. Glycerol had little effect on ammoniagenesis under either condition. From the substrates tested, it can be generalized that those outside the TCA cycle (with exception of octanoate) depress ammoniagenesis less during acidosis, while those in the TCA cycle depress ammoniagenesis equally or even more during acidosis. We hypothesize from the pattern of our results that changes in renal intermediary metabolism at or before citrate formation occur during acidosis and are important regulatory mechanisms for ammoniagenesis.
Selective regulation of the atrial natriuretic peptide gene by individual components of the activator protein-1 complex.

We used the human atrial natriuretic peptide (hANP) gene as a model to investigate the causal relationship between immediate early gene expression and the subsequent activation of the embryonic gene repertoire in cardiac hypertrophy. Using transient transfection analysis, we found that overexpression of individual Jun family members, alone or in combination, displayed unique activity that varied as a function of the promoter and the nature of the transfected myocyte populations under examination. In neonatal cardiac ventriculocytes, both c-jun and to a lesser extent, JunB stimulated hANP promoter activity (approximately 7- and 3- fold, respectively). When cotransfected together, a synergistic activation was observed (approximately 16-fold activation), a finding that stands in contrast to the behavior of JunB (i.e. neutral or inhibitory) with other 12-O- tetradeconoylphorbol 13-acetate response element-dependent promoters. In atriocytes, on the other hand, JunB did not itself activate the hANP promoter, and it antagonized c-jun- mediated transcription. JunD, a third member of this gene family, was devoid of activity in these transfected cultures. These findings suggest that the hANP gene promoter exhibits a broad range of responses to the individual products of the jun gene family. The response in any single situation is a function of the relative concentrations and subunit composition of the prevailing activator protein-1 complexes.
Kant’s Sadism

In The Ethics of Psychoanalysis Lacan says: “So as to produce the kind of shock or eye-opening effect that seems to me necessary if we are to make progress, I simply want to draw your attention to this: if The Critique of Practical Reason appeared in 1788, seven years after the first edition of The Critique of Pure Reason there is another work which came out six years [!] afterThe Critique of Practical Reason a little after Thermidor in 1795, and which is calledPhilosophy in the Boudoir” (78). What is supposed to produce the shock effect is not the simple juxtaposition of dates, of course, but the implicitly Hegelian reading of history which makes those dates significant, and which comes out in full strength when Lacan says, in Kant avec Sade: “The Philosophy in the Boudoir comes eight years [!] after the Critique of Practical Reason. If, after seeing that the former agrees with the latter, we prove that it completes it, we will say that it gives the truth of the Critique” (Ecrits II 120; my translation). Lacan’s “proof,” however, is anything but rigorous or systematic; so his provocative statement will probably sound inspiring to Lacan enthusiasts and gratuitous to virtually anyone else. Which is a pity, because the statement is absolutely correct: it is indeed the case that Sade brought to their extreme consequences the characteristic premisses of Kant’s ethics, thus unfolding their truth in ways which the man Kant might even have vehemently resisted, but which were nonetheless necessary. Here I would like to provide more of a systematic and rigorous defense of this statement, though I make no claim as to how faithful my reconstruction might be to Lacan’s “intentions” (the irrelevance of this issue from the point of view espoused here will soon become apparent; hence it will also become apparent that it is an issue this point of view need not be concerned with).
TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF INSULIN RECEPTOR SUBSTRATE 1 BY PROTEIN KINASE C

Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) is involved in insulin signal transduction distal to receptor occupation. Targeted disruption of IRS-1 leads to insulin resistance and hyperglycemia in mice, which suggests that altered IRS-1 expression could contribute to the insulin resistance seen in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In vitro studies using phorbol esters have implicated the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway as being involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Using the MCF-7 breast cancer cell, a role for PKC in regulating IRS-1 expression was examined. In an MCF-7 cell line (MCF-7-PKC-alpha) that exhibits multiple alterations in PKC isoform expression, IRS-1 content was reduced to negligible levels relative to parental MCF-7 cells. This decrease in IRS-1 content was associated with a 30-fold reduction in IRS-1 transcription. In parental MCF-7 cells, PKC inhibitors (GF109203X (bisindolylmaleimide I) and staurosporine) reduced IRS-1 content. Chronic exposure to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA; >8 h) reduced IRS-1 content and down-regulated the novel PKC-delta isoform. Bryostatin 1 inhibited TPA-induced depletion of both IRS-1 and PKC-delta expression in MCF-7 cells. Associated with TPA-induced reduction in IRS-1 content was a reduction in IRS-1 transcription. These data demonstrate that PKC can modulate IRS-1 content and suggest a potential role for PKC-delta in positively regulating IRS-1 expression.
Parallel genome universes

A new computational approach gives us the best chance at understanding how genomes are arranged in three-dimensional space and what that may mean for their function.
Mating systems in Marasmius: additional evidence to support sectional consistency

Sibling crosses of monokaryotic isolates of eleven species of Marasmius , representing four morphologically defined sections of the genus, supported the hypothesis that mating patterns are consistent between species at the sectional rank. Mating system data and brief discussions of cultural characteristics are provided for M. alliaceus, M. copelandii , and M. salalis (section Alliacei ); M. olneii and M. quercophilus (section Androsacei ); M. capillaris, M. curreyi , and M. wettsteinii (section Marasmius ); and M. ciliatomarginatus, M. falcatipes , and M. haematocephalus (section Sicci ).
Biological Mechanism on a Chip: Modeling and Realization of Growth Hormone Secretion Mechanism

In this paper, we present a simulation and hardware realization on a compact electronic chip of a simplified Growth Hormone secretion mechanism. After realization, the chip is a stand-alone electronic device that mimics the mechanism. The chip is a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The mechanism is developed based on a modified bio-mathematical nonlinear delay differential equations. The model explores the effects of Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH), Somatotropin Release-Inhibiting factor (SRIF), and Ghrelin (GHS) on Growth Hormone (GH). A Computer Aided Design (CAD) package that includes a Hardware Description Language (HDL) simulator has been implemented to write and compile the HDL code, test the code, verify the simulation, and synthesize the code into Register Transfer Level (RTL) logic blocks. After Synthesis, the logic blocks are downloaded onto the FPGA. Our results indicate the output of the chip and the mathematical simulation are identical.
Coherent interactions in two-beam excite-probe absorption measurements: Phase gratings in flowing samples

As a rule, phase gratings yield no power transfer in two-beam excite-probe experiments. We show that an exception to this rule is that of ultrashort-pulse excite-probe experiments involving slow phase effects, such as thermal gratings, occurring in a moving sample medium under high-repetition-rate excitation. A symmetric coherent artifact results, and depending on the direction of the sample motion, its amplitude can be positive, negative, or zero. This artifact occurs only in multiple-pulse experiments, involving accumulated gratings, while, on the other hand, the antisymmetric artifact (described by Palfrey and Heinz) results only from single-pulse effects. We discuss these two complementary effects and present both theory and experiments.
STUDIES ON LEUKEMIA IN MICE : I. THE EXPERIMENTAL TRANSMISSION OF LEUKEMIA.

Lymphatic leukemia has occurred with great frequency in a particular strain of mice which have been inbred by brother-sister matings since 1921. In addition to typical cases of leukemia are others which, because of the absence of leukemic changes in the blood, correspond to "pseudoleukemia" and others which, by the presence of unusually great enlargement of certain lymph node groups resemble the "leukosarcomatoses" as observed in man. Examinations of the blood of leukemic mice have shown that leukemic blood pictures are not necessarily early in their appearance, nor are they constant. The blood picture may not, therefore, be used as a criterion for the separation of the two diseases (leukemia and pseudoleukemia) but merely indicates different phases of the same condition. Likewise, cases with lesions intermediate between the local growths of "leukosarcomatosis" and the more general lymphatic enlargements of leukemia suggest that these conditions differ only in the distribution of lesions but not in their nature. Lymphatic leukemia occurring spontaneously in this strain may be transmitted to other mice of the same strain, and carried, apparently, for an unlimited number of transfers in animals at an earlier age than that at which leukemia occurs spontaneously. In each of 10 such experiments transmissions were obtained. The lesions produced by inoculation correspond to those of spontaneous cases, in that they consist of growths of abnormal lymphoid cells which infiltrate tissues and organs and often appear in the circulating blood. Only minor differences have occurred, some of which are characteristic of certain experimental lines. After repeated transfers, the disease tends to run a more acute course. Among the cases in which transmissions occurred, are some without leukemic changes in the blood, and many with local growths at the site of inoculation or in certain node groups. The differences in the blood pictures and distribution of lesions (which latter may be influenced to some extent by the method of inoculation) correspond to similar differences which are sometimes observed in the spontaneous cases.
NG-nitro-L-arginine prevents morphine tolerance.

NMDA receptor antagonists, such as MK-801, prevent the development of tolerance to morphine. Since many NMDA actions involve the production of nitric oxide, we examined the effects of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor on morphine tolerance. The analgesic response to morphine (5 mg/kg s.c.) given daily diminishes from 60% in naive animals to 0% within 5 days. Coadministration of NG-nitro-L-arginine (8 mg/kg per day) along with morphine prevents the demonstration of appreciable tolerance for at least 11 days. These results suggest that morphine tolerance involves the activation of NMDA receptors followed by the subsequent release of nitric oxide.
BEHAVIOURAL EFFECTS OF DIRECT CHEMICAL STIMULATION OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM STRUCTURES.

Abstract Some experiments are discussed which demonstrate that the direct central application of neurohumoral agents to specific areas of the brains of unanesthetized animals produces behavioural and electrophysiological effects which appear to be best explained by a modification of neural transmission in specific functional systems. The effects of adrenergic and cholinergic substances were found to be blocked or reversed by the central or systemic administration of the appropriate blocking agents. Control tests indicate that these results may be specific to the particular neurohumoral action of these drugs. Some evidence is presented which suggests that similar neurohumoral mechanisms may be active in the intact animal. The effects of local chemical “stimulation” are typically transient, permitting repeated applications of various substances to the same area of the brain.
CATALYTIC HYDRODECHLORINATION OF 1,2-DICHLOROETHANE AND TRICHLOROETHYLENE OVER Rh/Si0 2 CATALYSTS

Abstract Reactions of hydrogen with 1,2-dichloroethane and trichloroethylene have been investigated over Rh/Si0 2 catalysts at 365-553K and 0.1 MPa. The major products of the reactions are HCl and C 2 H 6. The selectivity for C 2 H 6 increases with increasing temperature. C 2 HC 5 Cl is a minor product for the dichloroethane reaction; partially dechlorinated products, i.e. C 2 H 5 Cl, C 2 H 4 CI 2, C 2 H 3 Cl, and C 2 H 2 CI 2, constitute the minor products for the trichloroethylene reaction. The selectivity for the partially dechlorinated C 2 hydrocarbons decreases with increasing temperature. Cl dissociated from chlorinated hydrocarbons poisons the catalyst. Regeneration of catalyst by hydrogen treatment restores the catalyst to more than 70% of the initial activity for the trichloroethylene reaction. Probing the hydrogenation activity of the used Rh/Si0 2 and RhCl 3 /Si0 2 with ethylene hydrogenation shows that the presence of CI on Rh/Si0 2 decreases hydrogenation but increases ethylene hydrogenolysis...
Limb reduction defects in the A/J mouse strain associated with maternal blood loss.

We previously described a high incidence of digit/limb anomalies in the offspring of A/J mice subjected to surgery on day 12.5 postconception (p.c.), but not in the offspring of untreated control mice. To investigate the cause of these defects, we compared the offspring of mice in experimental groups involving adrenalectomy, sham adrenalectomy, blood sampling, and anesthesia with the offspring of control mice. All treatments significantly reduced fetal weight and increased resorptions as compared with the controls. The highest incidence of digit anomalies occurred in the offspring of dams from which blood samples had been drawn on days 12.5, 14.5, and 15.5 p.c. The incidence of isolated cleft palate was also increased in the offspring of mice that had been subjected to blood sampling. We conclude that digit anomalies in the offspring of A/J mice result from fetal vascular disruptive phenomena subsequent to maternal blood loss induced hypovolemia and hypoperfusion to the uterus and placenta as has been suggested for uterine vascular clamping, misoprostol, chorionic villus sampling, and cocaine teratogenesis. The etiology for cleft lip in these mice may involve mechanisms unrelated to uterine/placental hypoperfusion.
Supporting self-management for patients with complex medical needs: recommendations of a working group.

Increasing numbers of persons live with complex chronic medical needs and are at risk for poor health outcomes. These patients require unique self-management support, as they must manage many, often interacting, tasks. As part of a conference on Managing Complexity in Chronic Care sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, a working group was convened to consider self-management issues specific to complex chronic care. In this paper, we assess gaps in current knowledge on self-management support relevant to this population, report on the recommendations of our working group, and discuss directions for future study. We conclude that this population requires specialized, multidimensional self-management support to achieve a range of patient-centred goals. New technologies and models of care delivery may provide opportunities to develop this support. Validation and quantification of these processes will require the development of performance measures that reflect the needs of this population, and resea...
Activation of Political Attitudes: A Psychophysiological Examination of the Hot Cognition Hypothesis

The recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) in the brain has allowed for a better understanding of human sensory and cognitive processing. This technique may also prove useful in studying implicit social attitudes and their effects on information processing. Here, ERPs were used in a study of “hot cognition” in the context of political concepts. Hot cognition, as applied to the political domain, posits that all sociopolitical concepts that have been evaluated in the past are affectively charged, and that this affective charge is automatically activated from long-term memory within milliseconds of presentation of the political stimulus. During an evaluative priming task, ERP recordings showed that affectively incongruent prime/target pairs elicited an enhanced negativity with a peak latency of about 400 milliseconds relative to affectively congruent prime/target pairs. These differences suggest that automatic, implicit evaluations were made in response to strongly positive and negative political stimuli, and that these evaluations affected the subsequent processing of a high-valence adjective. Therefore, it appears that the emotional valence of a political prime is stored along with the concept itself, and that an affective response becomes active upon mere exposure to the political stimulus.
The East European countries and GATT: the role of realism, mercantilism, and regime theory in explaining East-West trade negotiations

The international political economy literature on regimes has focused on relations among the industrialized Western countries. Despite the increasing participation of East European countries in international economic organizations, the literature has neglected the subject of East–West economic relations. To redress this void in the literature, this article assesses the extent to which and the conditions under which realism, mercantilism, and regime theory help explain the Western positions toward negotiations between East European countries and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). It argues that a thorough explanation requires drawing on insights from all three modes of analysis: realism provides a useful starting point and sets the context, while mercantilism and regime theory enrich the explanation in circumstances in which political issues concerning security subside and trade policy issues surface.
Synthesis and morphology investigations of a novel alkyne‐functionalized diblock copolymer

We reported the synthesis and morphology of a novel alkyne-functionalized diblock copolymer (di-BCP) poly(methyl methacrylate-random-propargyl methacrylate)-block-poly(4-bromostyrene). The di-BCPs were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization and postpolymerization deprotection, with good control over molecular weight and polydispersity index. Microphase separation in bulk di-BCPs was confirmed by thermal analysis, small-angle X-ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. Microphase-separated morphologies were also observed in thin films, and the orientation of the microdomains can be conveniently controlled by annealing under different solvents. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012
MPL first-look results from LINC

A Lidar IN-situ Comparison (LINC) experiment was conducted at Bondville, IL during the second half of August and September 1999. A primary objective of LINC was to compare aerosol extinction and backscatter properties remotely sensed by lidar and in-situ sampled with a suite of instruments featuring a new 180/spl deg/ backscatter nephelometer. The LINC experiment featured the use of two micro-pulse lidar (MPL) systems provided on loan from NASA Langley Research Center. Assistance in readying the lidars for deployment plus the loan of a slant-path mirror system was provided by the MPL research group at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. One of the MPLs was operated horizontally and aligned on the in-situ sampler inlet to permit lidar extinction. The second MPL was fitted with the moveable mirror system to enable vertical and slant-angle measurements. This paper reports first-look results of aerosol extinction retrievals from selected horizontal lidar measurements as well as vertical profiles from the second MPL system that demonstrate the variable structure of the atmospheric mixing-layer.