cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Money and modern banking without bank runs

Deposit insurance has been adopted at an accelerating rate by countries around the world, but evidence indicates that it causes increased risk from moral hazard and may be adopted for rent-seeking reasons. A primary justification for deposit insurance is the theoretical literature on bank runs. Following Diamond and Dybvig (1983), bank runs take the form of withdrawals of real demand deposits that deplete a fixed reserve of goods in the banking system. This describes historical runs in which there were large withdrawals of currency from the banking system. However, in a modern banking system, large withdrawals take the form of electronic payments within a clearinghouse system of banks by wholesale depositors for either redepositing funds or making purchases. These transfers shift balances among banks, with no analog of a depletion of a scarce reserve from the banking system. To study the threat of bank runs due to multiple equilibria in a modern economy, I examine a model of nominal demand deposits repayable in money within a clearinghouse. Bank runs do not occur for two reasons. First, any money withdrawn from one bank is used to redeposit at another bank or to buy goods. The money is transferred to another bank and there is no depletion of money from the banking system. The latter bank always prefers to lend back to the former bank since it is fundamentally solvent. The first bank never fails, even if excess early withdrawals occur, implying the fear of bank defaults never occurs in equilibrium. Second, depositors do not run the bank for fear that consumption goods will be depleted from the economy. A bank run to purchase goods would drive prices up. Nominal deposits imply the bank's real liabilities do not increase. The bank is fundamentally solvent and can borrow back the excess funds it paid out. Flexible prices in the goods market ration would consumption to those who run the bank and would dissuade a run, so a run never occurs in equilibrium. This finding suggests that deposit insurance, which prevents bank runs in models of real deposits as in Diamond-Dybvig, may not be needed to prevent bank runs in a modern economy.
Tissue NMR - Ex Vivo

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Methods 3 Cervix 4 Thyroid 5 Colon 6 Prostate 7 Breast 8 Ovary 9 Methodological Considerations 10 Conclusions 11 Biographical Sketches Related Articles
Modified matrix encoding technique for minimal distortion steganography

It is well known that all information hiding methods that modify the least significant bits introduce distortions into the cover objects. Those distortions have been utilized by steganalysis algorithms to detect that the objects had been modified. It has been proposed that only coefficients whose modification does not introduce large distortions should be used for embedding. In this paper we propose an efficient algorithm for information hiding in the LSBs of JPEG coefficients. Our algorithm uses modified matrix encoding to choose the coefficients whose modifications introduce minimal embedding distortion. We derive the expected value of the embedding distortion as a function of the message length and the probability distribution of the JPEG quantization errors of cover images. Our experiments show close agreement between the theoretical prediction and the actual embedding distortion. Our algorithm can be used for both steganography and fragile watermarking as well as in other applications in which it is necessary to keep the distortion as low as possible.
A novel mechanism for eukaryotic gene expression: The involvement of DNA tertiary structure in estrogen receptor recognition of its target nucleotide sequence

Mise en evidence d'un nouveau mecanisme d'expression genique necessitant la fixation du recepteur d'oestrogene sur une structure tertiaire de l'ADN au niveau d'une sequence nucleotidique cible. Le mecanisme prend egalement en compte les autres facteurs impliques dans la transcription
Organizational Information Asymmetry, Media Sociability and Structural Design

In addition to the objectives of uncertainty reduction and equivocality reduction most often studied in research on organizational information processing, I will argue that organizations process information in order to resolve and even to generate asymmetric information environments. These asymmetric objectives can lead to organizational information structures completely opposite those anticipated by information richness theory. This capacity to not only invert the expected relationship between environment and media richness, but also alter the apparent richness of a medium, is the result of the relative sociability of an information environment in use within the organization. The sociability of a medium is defined as the relative ease with which participants might extend, alter, evolve, amalgamate and orient that particular information environment. Managers can design information environments with sociability in mind, enabling organizational actors to collectively contribute to a medium, optimizing a particular mix of social cues, facts, feedback, language and diverse channels for not only effective, but also mutual understanding.
A step-down conversion concept for a PWM-mode boost converter

A new area efficient approach for regulating the output of boost converters even when the input voltage exceeds the output voltage is presented. Down conversion is achieved without using an LDO and does not require an additional inductor coil and capacitor like the SEPIC or other noninverting buck-boost converters. The concept is based on a back-gate control of the PMOS type synchronous rectifier to avoid forward biasing of the substrate diode when the circuit is operating in the so-called down mode. The converter is implemented in a 10 pin MSOP package and requires only one external inductor and capacitor. The output voltage can be regulated between 1.8 V and 5.5 V for output currents up to 200 mA. When working in continuous boost mode, the efficiency is above 85% and goes up to 95%. In down mode efficiency is typical between 55% and 75%. An optional power save or power save mode is implemented to increase efficiency for light loads.
The Effects of Institutional Ownership and Monitoring: Evidence from Financial Restatements

We find a positive relation between ownership by institutions with active strategies and short investment horizons (transient institutions) and the occurrence and magnitude of financial restatements. Even ownership by institutions with enhanced incentives to monitor does not attenuate restatement activity. Looking at discretionary accruals, which are more easily monitored than practices that might result in a restatement, we again find an increased usage associated with transient institutions though, in this case, ownership by other institutions attenuates their usage. These results suggest that the presence of transient institutional investors creates strong incentives to manage earnings and that institutional monitoring does not mitigate these incentives.
Microcolony formation by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa requires pyruvate and pyruvate fermentation

A hallmark of the biofilm architecture is the presence of microcolonies. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms governing microcolony formation. In the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, microcolony formation is dependent on the two-component regulator MifR, with mifR mutant biofilms exhibiting an overall thin structure lacking microcolonies, and overexpression of mifR resulting in hyper-microcolony formation. Using global transcriptomic and proteomic approaches, we demonstrate that microcolony formation is associated with stressful, oxygen-limiting but electron-rich conditions, as indicated by the activation of stress response mechanisms and anaerobic and fermentative processes, in particular pyruvate fermentation. Inactivation of genes involved in pyruvate utilization including uspK, acnA and ldhA abrogated microcolony formation in a manner similar to mifR inactivation. Moreover, depletion of pyruvate from the growth medium impaired biofilm and microcolony formation, while addition of pyruvate significantly increased microcolony formation. Addition of pyruvate to or expression of mifR in lactate dehydrogenase (ldhA) mutant biofilms did not restore microcolony formation while addition of pyruvate partly restored microcolony formation in mifR mutant biofilms. In contrast, expression of ldhA in mifR::Mar fully restored microcolony formation by this mutant strain. Our findings indicate the fermentative utilization of pyruvate to be a microcolony-specific adaptation of the P. aeruginosa biofilm environment.
Shoes for children: a review.

1. Optimum foot development occurs in the barefoot environment. 2. The primary role of shoes is to protect the foot from injury and infection. 3. Stiff and compressive footwear may cause deformity, weakness, and loss of mobility. 4. The term "corrective shoes" is a misnomer. 5. Shock absorption, load distribution, and elevation are valid indications for shoe modifications. 6. Shoe selection for children should be based on the barefoot model. 7. Physicians should avoid and discourage the commercialization and "media"-ization of footwear. Merchandizing of the "corrective shoe" is harmful to the child, expensive for the family, and a discredit to the medical profession.
Detection performance of the smooth coherence transform (SCOT)

When energy from a radiating source is received at two physically separated sensors, it is possible to detect the presence of that source and estimate signal travel time difference (τ d ) to the sensors using the Smoothed Coherence Transform (SCOT). The purpose of the SCOT is to enhance travel time difference (τ d ) estimation, however, to estimate (τ d ) a SCOT peak must first be detected. This detection performance is the subject which will be considered in this paper. Detection performance (probability of detection) is evaluated when the SCOT is obtained using the Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) of the Complex Coherence Function (CCF) estimate. Results are presented for both wideband and narrow-band signals assuming zero-mean, stationary, Gaussian signal and noise processes.
Behavioral correlates of dopaminergic unit activity in freely moving cats

Single unit activity of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra was recorded in freely moving cats under a variety of conditions. These neurons displayed their highest discharge rate during active waking (3.68 ± 0.30 spikes/s), which was 20% greater than their discharge rate during quiet waking (3.07 ± 0.20). Although these cells fired somewhat faster during active waking, their activity displayed no correlation with phasic EMG changes, and, in general, their activity showed little relationship to overt behavioral changes. As the cat progressed from quiet waking through slow-wave sleep and REM sleep there was no significant change in either the rate or pattern of firing of dopaminergic neurons. In addition, no correlation was observed between the activity of these neurons and either sleep spindles or PGO waves. These neurons did respond, however, to the repeated presentation of a click or light flash with excitation followed by inhibition, with no evidence of habituation. One of the most impressive changes in dopaminergic unit acttivity was a large decrease in association with orienting responses. This was seen in over 50% of the cells in which this relationship was examined. As the behavioral orientation habituated with repeated stimulus presentation, so did the associated dopaminergic unit suppression. In conclusion, dopaminergic neurons maintain a remarkably constant rate and pattern of firing across a variety of behaviors and states. However, this stability can be dramatically altered under special circumtances, such as during and following orienting responses.
Spiroazetidine–piperidine bromoindane as a key modular template to access a variety of compounds via C–C and C–N bond-forming reactions

Abstract In the context of our ghrelin inverse agonist program, a functionalized bromoindane 3 provided a versatile intermediate for structure–activity relationship studies. After developing operationally simple cross-coupling reactions, a broad spectrum of chemical space was successfully explored. Optimization of a one-pot borylation/Suzuki sequence provided the desired products in high yield with low loading of the palladium catalyst. High yields of N-linked heterocyclic analogues were obtained through palladium catalyzed C–N bond formation. In addition, carboxylation of the bromoindane provided an indane carboxylic acid for further diversification.
DEPENDENCE OF 14 MeV RADIATIVE NEUTRON CAPTURE ON MASS NUMBER.

Abstract The 14 MeV neutron radiative capture cross section has been measured for six nuclei in the mass range from A = 155 to A = 238. The integrated radiative cross sections are found to have a value near 1 mb. These results are at variance with the results obtained by the activation technique. Detailed captude γ-ray spectra have been measured for one closed-shell and two deformed nuclei to illustrate their similarity in shape and magnitude.
The Boundary Matrix of Threshold Functions

In the design of registers for controlling a digital process, it is often desired to count through a sequence of specified length and terminate the count by returning to the initial state. A penalty is associated with the use of a straightforward binary code for such counters because of the large number of diodes required to implement the counter, and because of the pyramiding effect which heavily loads the flip-flops representing the least significant bits.
Superoxide dismutase in Didymium iridis: Characterization and changes in activity during senescence and sporulation

The myxomycete Didymium iridis displays a single cytoplasmic superoxide dismutase in the diploid plasmodial stage. The enzyme was purified and appears to be a manganese-containing protein of approximately 32000 molecular weight. Superoxide dismutase specific activity was constant throughout the cell cycle and showed no significant change over the majority of plasmodial life span. Elevated superoxide dismutase activity, relative to that of other cytoplasmic enzymes, occurred during necrosis of senescent plasmodia, staling, and starvation-induced sporulation.
Study of the splash angle from a plate at small incidence angle and edge emergence

Abstract An experimental study of the splash angle γ ahead of a flat plate set at a low angle of incidence β with a portion of it extending a length above the free surface is presented. The dependence of the splash angle on the ratio x/T′ of the above water length to the draft is established for draft Froude numbers 2.4 ⩽ Fnt ⩽ 5.0. It is shown at x/T′ ⩾ 1.0, γ ⩽ 0, and for x/T′ ⩽ 1.0, γ ⩾ β. The functional relationship of γ with x/T′ is correlated for a number of tests where the plate length, flow speed, and angle of incidence were systematically varied.
Accessible Content and Accessibility Experiences: The Interplay of Declarative and Experiential Information in Judgment:

Recall tasks render 2 distinct sources of information available: the recalled content and the experienced ease or difficulty with which it can be brought to mind. Because retrieving many pieces of information is more difficult than retrieving only a few, reliance on accessible content and subjective accessibility experiences leads to opposite judgmental outcomes. People are likely to base judgments on accessibility experiences when they adopt a heuristic processing strategy and the informational value of the experience is not called into question. When the experience is considered nondiagnostic, or when a systematic processing strategy is adopted, people rely on accessible content. Implications for the operation of the availability heuristic and the emergence of knowledge accessibility effects are discussed.
Long-term recombinant porcine somatotropin (PST) treatment mitigates the responses to subchronic lipopolysaccharide in swine

The effect of multiple lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenges in swine undergoing long-term treatment with porcine somatotropin (PST) was determined. Changes in aspartate serine transaminase (AST) occurred only at 24h following the first LPS challenge dose (P<0.05), while PST treatment moderated any change from occurring. Nonesterified free fatty acid (NEFA) levels were elevated in PST treated animals for the first 3 days following daily LPS treatment (P<0.05), while LPS treatment alone had no effect on plasma NEFA levels. Plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) levels were unchanged by LPS following the initial LPS challenge, but were decreased following the second challenge dose (P=0.014). These changes were long lasting, with a return to normal PUN levels not evident until Day 6. The PST treatment mitigated changes in PUN (P<0.05) when LPS was administered. Haptoglobin plasma levels, along with lipid peroxide production were not affected by LPS challenge or PST administration. LPS challenge reduced the levels of immunoreactive heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) throughout the entire challenge period (P<0.001). PST-LPS animals had normal levels of this protein. The results of the present study demonstrate that long-term PST treatment mitigates the adverse effects of subchronic LPS administration.
Separation of 137Cs from nuclear waste

Abstract Sodium zirconate is one member of a family of new inorganic ion exchange materials which have high affinity for all actinides and fission product cations except for Cs + . A combination of cold, tracer and high level liquid waste experiments with sodium zirconate has shown that 70–80 and 80–100% of the Cs + in high level liquid waste remains in solution following batch or column equilibration, respectively. The fact that 137 Cs can be obtained in relatively pure form permits subsequent conversion directly to an insoluble radiation source. This is of prime importance in areas such as sewage sludge sterilization via γ-ray irradiation.
Solution-borne colloids from drip tests using actinide-doped and fully-radioactive waste glasses

Drip tests designed to replicate the synergistic interactions between waste glass, repository groundwater, water vapor, and sensitized 304L stainless steel in the potential Yucca Mountain Repository have been ongoing in our laboratory for over ten years. Results will be presented from three sets of these drip tests: two with actinide-doped glasses, and one with a fully-radioactive glass. Periodic sampling of these tests have revealed trends in actinide release behavior that are consistent with their entrainment in colloidal material when as-cast glass is reacted. Results from vapor hydrated glass show that initially the actinides are completely dissolved in solution, but as the reaction proceeds, the actinides become suspended in solution. Sequential filtering and alpha spectroscopy of colloid-bearing leachate solutions indicate that more than 80 percent of the plutonium and americium are bound to particles that are captured by a 0. 1 gm filter, while less than 10 percent of the neptunium is stopped by a 0. 1 gm filter. Analytical transmission electron microscopy has been used to examine particles from leachate solutions and to identify several actinide-bearing phases which are responsible for the majority of actinide release during glass corrosion.
9. Human Rights: Historical Learning in the Shadow of Violence

This paper emphasizes the historical dimension of human rights understood as a social ethic. Rather than timeless principles, human rights and the universality proper to them emerge in a process of suffering, conflict, political assertion, and institutional change. We can understand them as historical yet also universal by seeing that human rights arise in processes of social learning that take place in an increasingly globalized world. Such learning often has advanced in the face of dramatic violence, for example, the bombing of Hiroshima. But the demands on a global social ethic today are not only a matter of responding to threats and acts of dramatic violence in isolation. Attention to the example of Hiroshima suggests that the problem of violence is bound up with other questions about the regulation of emerging technical powers in a context of inequality and social conflict. To what extent can an ethic centered on human rights provide an ethics that can inform effective responses to these problems? To consider the promise of human rights, we look more closely at the kind of social learning they involve and explore in particular the role of social movements in forging new identities and reciprocities along with normative claims proper to a global public sphere (the anti-apartheid movement provides an example). We go on to see that these political experiences can inform interpretations of historical experience that can inform a widened sense of historical possibilities, both those missed in the past and those that confront us today. While this argument may thicken our sense of the promise of a human rights ethic, it remains speculative, not least because of the limited effectiveness of these norms in practice today. We close with the suggestion that nonetheless a coherent ethical response is possible, one that in the wealthy parts of the globe might take the form of an ethic of democratic responsibility. This would both represent a distinctive kind of learning and perhaps contribute to a wider advance of human rights.
Studies of electrochemical interfaces of thin PT film electrodes by surface conductance

Abstract In this paper the dc conductance of thin Pt films has been measured with respect to film thickness and to the surface effects as a function of the electrode potential in the “ideal” double layer, platinum “oxygen” and adsorbed hydrogen regions. The change in the value of dc conductance has been correlated with the electric charge as potential is scanned in these regions. Tentative mechanistic suggestions are offered to explain the data including some results on the deposition of copper on platinum.
The evaluation of a special liquid fixative for direct immunofluorescence.

Summary The direct immunofluorescence of bullous disorders and lupus erythematosus was compared using a liquid fixative and a standard freezing method. Sections were left in fixative for 1, 3 or 5 days before processing. The intensity of fluorescence faded and became absent in some cases where the sections were in fixative for 3 or 5 days. This may on occasion give a false negative result.
Interspecific Variability for Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Content Among Solanum Species

Total antioxidant activity was evaluated in 40 tuber-bearing Solanum species. Accessions identified in a broad screen as having high antioxidant activity were fine screened via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine specific phenolic compounds present. The objective of the study was to identify tuber-bearing Solanum species that are higher in antioxidants than in currently available cultivated varieties and breeding lines, and to investigate the variability for this trait among accessions within species and genotypes within accessions. The identified accessions will be used as a source of germplasm to develop potato cultivars containing increased levels of antioxidant compounds. In a broad screen for total antioxidant activity, the 40 tuber-bearing species showed a wider range of variability than cultivated varieties and breeding lines. Solanum pinnatisectum and S. jamesii accessions consistently ranked among the highest in antioxidant activity and phenolic content. Based on the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, antioxidant activity in the wild species ranged from 48 to 824 μg trolox eq/gfw. HPLC analysis revealed that the phenolic content of these species was primarily composed of chlorogenic and caffeic acids. Other phenolics identified were p-coumaric acid, rutin hydrate, vanillic acid, epicatechin, t-cinnamic acid, gallic acid, and salicylic acid. The highest phenolic content found among the accessions was five-fold higher than the highest of the cultivated genotypes.
Harnessing the Power of Blogging with Young Students

The importance of digital literacy becomes increasingly apparent as we move farther into the 21st century. As the digital world becomes an increasing part of our everyday lives and an important aspect of many professions, the need to instruct students on how to publish their thoughts digitally is ever more apparent. As technological proficiency becomes increasingly expected in many employment settings, it is vital that students are able to make their thoughts clear electronically. Blogging in a safe environment is one way that educators may blend young students’ writing skill, their awareness of the purposes for writing, and digital-age technology. This article describes the work of one primary grade teacher at an urban high-needs school’s use of blogging in conjunction with writing workshop. Use of blogging to publish students’ writing increased students’ writing engagement, improved their knowledge of how to navigate and use computers, and increased their understanding of the potential benefits and dangers of writing digitally.
Some moral issues in public problems of reproduction.

Over the past century in the United States, social change has been marked by struggles over public problems of reproduction—not simply over the solutions of particular problems but over the authority to define reproduction, morality, and human nature itself. These struggles attended the emergence and growth of professionalization and they are an important part of a dynamic resistance to dominance by experts. In this context, the question of professional responsibility is an urgent one. John Dewey offers help, both through his criticism of the mind/body dualism and the spectator view of knowledge, and through his understanding of the importance of democracy in resolving social problems.
A revision of the structures of the lunaria alkaloids LBX and LBZ.

Fur die Lunaria-Alkaloide LBX und LBZ werden die revidierten Structurformeln IV und V vorgeschlagen.
Hydrodynamics of flow through double layer rigid vegetation

Vegetation in riparian environment varies in size from grass to shrubs to trees. A double layer approach, with an array of short and tall acrylic dowels, is employed here to simulate such an environment. The focus of the present work is to study the response of the flow as it travels through a double layer arrangement for a variety of conditions. For this purpose, instantaneous measurements of velocity were collected using a one dimensional laser Doppler velocimeter at multiple locations to create velocity and turbulence intensity profiles. The results indicate that velocity is nearly constant within the short and tall dowel array and increases significantly at the top of the arrays. The velocity profile behind a dowel is characterized by multiple inflection points and velocity spikes near the bed, especially for locations directly behind a tall dowel, where a bulge in the velocity at the top of the short dowel array is present, followed by a significant drop in velocity. The region immediately behind a tall dowel, where the highest turbulence intensities are found, is very unstable, especially at the dowel boundaries, where significant mass and momentum exchange occurs. The better known case of submerged single layer flow is included for comparison.
Electron impact excitation of the electronic states of N 2 . I. Differential cross sections at incident energies from 10 to 50 eV

Normalized differential cross sections (DCS's) for the electron impact excitation of the lowest three singlet (${a}^{\ensuremath{'}}, a, \ensuremath{\omega}$), and lowest five triplet ($A, B, W, {\mathrm{B}}^{\ensuremath{'}}, C$) valence electronic states of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, and of the two ($3s{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g}$) Rydberg states ($E, {a}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}$) have been determined at seven incident electron energies ranging from 10 to 50 eV. These DCS's were obtained for the scattering-angle range 5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 138\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} by analyzing electron energy-loss spectra in ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ at a number of fixed scattering angles within that range. These data, which are the first that cover such a large incident energy and scattering-angle range for such a wide variety of final target states, show that each of the DCS's for the ten final target states falls into one of four classes. Since the initial molecular target state is a singlet, and none of the final states studied here is dipole allowed, these four classes are determined according to whether the final target state is triplet, singlet, parity-unfavored, or Rydberg in character. The DCS's for all the final target states change rapidly in shape as the incident electron energy is varied. Theoretical DCS's obtained from first-order perturbation models (Born-Ochkur and Ochkur-Rudge) agree poorly with the measured DCS's.
Towards a confirmatory model of retail strategy types: an empirical test of miles and snow

Competitive intensity in the domestic retail industry generates ongoing interest in the strategy formulation and implementation processes among both practitioners and academics. The current research considers the applicability of the Miles and Snow strategic typology to domestic retail organizations (N=101). A two-stage structural equation model indicates support for using this theory to examine the linkage between strategy and performance within the retail industry. Hypotheses indicate that three of the four Miles and Snow types (i.e., two pure types and one hybrid type) are likely present in this industry. The current research extends the overall scope of the Miles and Snow framework to the retail environment and provides insights into measuring and understanding strategic types within this industry.
Some effects of metal ions on DNA structure and genetic information transfer

The reaction of metal ions with nucleic acids can lead to a variety of dramatic effects on nucleic acid structure, e.g., crosslinking of the polymer strands, degradation to oligomers and monomers, stabilization or destabilization, and the mispairing of bases. These effects have important implications for genetic information transfer. Metal ions are involved in many aspects of this transfer; we are presently concerned with the effect of metal ions on the orientation of the active site of RNA polymerase.
Flow sorting of X and Y chromosome-bearing mammalian sperm: Activation and pronuclear development of sorted bull, boar, and ram sperm microinjected into hamster oocytes

Flow cytometric techniques were used to measure relative DNA content of X and Y chromosome-bearing bull, boar, and ram sperm populations and to separate the two sex-determining populations. Neat semen was prepared for flow cytometric analysis by washing, light sonication, and staining with 9 μM Hoechst 33342. Computer analysis of the bimodal histograms showed mean X-Y DNA differences of 3.9, 3.7, and 4.2% for bull, boar, and ram, respectively. Flow cytometric reanalysis of sorted bull, boar, and ram sperm showed purities greater than 90%. Bull, boar, and ram sperm nuclei were microinjected into hamster oocytes. Microinjected sperm were either unsorted, sorted, unsorted plus dithio-threitol (DTT) exposure, or sorted plus DTT exposure. Following microinjection, eggs were incubated 3 hr, fixed, and stained. A total of 579 eggs was observed for sperm activation (decondensation or formation of a male pronucleus). A lower percentage of sorted than unsorted (3 vs. 23%) boar sperm was activated (P <.05). However, sorted and unsorted DTT-exposed boar sperm or sorted and unsorted bull or ram sperm, regardless of DTT treatment, did not differ significantly. Sorted sperm nuclei of both rams and bulls exhibited higher activation rates than sorted boar sperm (P <.05). Treatment of sperm with DTT increased the activation rate (P < .05) for sorted boar sperm but not for bull or ram sperm. These data represent the first separation of bull, boar, and ram X and Y chromosome-bearing sperm populations and the first evidence that sperm of domestic animals sorted on the basis of DNA by flow cytometric procedures have the ability to decondense and to form pronuclei upon injection into a hamster egg.
ANALYSIS OF A CLASS OF NETWORKS BASED ON CUBIC STAR GRAPHS

A new class of interconnection networks based on a family of graphs, called cubic graphs are introduced. These latter graphs arise as Cayley graphs of certain subgroups of the symmetric group. It turns out that these Cayley graphs are a hybrid between the binary hypercube and the star graph, and hence are called cubic star graphs, and are denoted by CS(m, n), m≥1 and n≥1. CS(m, n) inherits several of the properties of the hypercube and the star graph. In this paper, we present an analysis of the symmetric and topological properties. In particular, it is shown that CS(m, n) is edge transitive and hence maximally fault tolerant. We give an algorithm for finding the shortest path and provide an enumeration of the node disjoint paths. Optimal algorithms for single source and all-source broadcasting (also called gossiping) are derived. It is shown that CS(m, n) is Hamiltonian and interesting embeddings of several cycles, grids, and binary trees are derived. The paper concludes with a comparison of CS(m, n) with the binary hypercube and the star graph.
Sensitization of Coronary α ‐Adrenoceptor Vasoconstriction in the Prediabetic Metabolic Syndrome

Objective: This study tested whether α -adrenoceptor-mediated coronary vasoconstriction is augmented in the metabolic syndrome and is accompanied by the alteration of specific α1- and α2-coronary adrenoceptors.Methods: Studies were conducted in control and chronically high-fat-fed (6 weeks of 60% calories from fat) dogs with metabolic syndrome. Alterations in coronary α 1B-, α1D-, and α2A-adrenoceptor mRNA and protein expression were examined by real-time PCR and Western analyses, respectively. Coronary blood flow and its response to intracoronary infusion of either the α1-adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine (0.1–3 mg) or the α2-adrenoceptor agonist BHT-933 (0.1–3 mg) were measured in anesthetized dogs.Results: Basal plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels were higher in the high-fat-fed dogs compared to controls. Real-time PCR revealed no alterations of coronary artery or arteriole α1B-, α1D-, and α2A-adrenoceptor mRNA expression. However, Western blot analysis showed a significant decrease in α2A-adre...
A New Dental Superalloy System: III. Microstructure and Phase Transformations

A microstructural study was conducted on 15 cobalt-chromium-nickel alloys of the basic composition 40 Co-30 Ni-30 Cr. The alloys were strengthened by the addition of tantalum and tantalum-rich regions were found at the interdendritic spaces. The increase in Ta concentration caused a decrease in the concentration of the β phase and an increase in the amounts of the a phase. Excessive amounts of Ta resulted in formation of the σ phase. The failure of the alloy occurred as a result of the interconnection of σ regions.
Acral melanocytic neoplasms: a histologic analysis of 158 lesions.

Abstract Background : Acral nevi occasionally demonstrate pagetoid spread of melanocytes. This feature may be of considerable concern because it is commonly associated with melanoma. Other features of melanoma must be assessed to accurately classify these neoplasms as benign. Objective : We examined acral melanocytic lesions, benign and malignant, to evaluate their features. Methods : A retrospective analysis during 3 years was performed on 158 acral pigmented lesions diagnosed by the dermatopathology service'. Blue nevi, intradermal nevi, lentigines, and Spitz nevi were excluded. The specimens were divided into three groups: benign nevi, benign nevi with pagetoid spread, and melanoma. They were evaluated for circumscription, symmetry, papillary dermal fibroplasia, bridging between rete ridges, inflammatory infiltrate, pagetoid spread, cytologic atypia, and mitotic activity. Results : Most lesions (60%) were compound nevi and 84% were from the foot. Ten specimens were melanomas (6%) and 28 (18%) were nevi with architectural disorder. Pagetoid spread of melanocytes, often minimal, was found in 57 benign lesions. However, these nevi did not demonstrate the degree of pagetoid spread, cellular atypia, inflammation, and asymmetry found in malignant lesions. Conclusion : The presence of pagetoid spread of melanocytes is common in otherwise benign acral nevi. Other parameters of malignancy in these neoplasms must be evaluated to determine their biologic potential.
A DIET HIGH IN LONG CHAIN FATTY ACIDS WORSENS SYSTOLIC FUNCTION IN TYPE II DIABETIC PATIENTS, BUT A DIET RICH IN MEDIUM CHAIN FATTY ACIDS DOES NOT: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND STUDY

Excessive uptake and storage of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) in the heart is associated with dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are not stored but rather are oxidized. We hypothesized that a diet rich in MCFAs would result in less steatosis and
The Principle of maximum physical hardness

The proof of Parr and Chattaraj for the Principle of Maximum Chemical Hardness is very general and can be applied to many more observables. The case of the physical, or mechanical, hardness of a solid is taken as an example. It is shown that this also should be a maximum in an equilibrium system. Assuming the validity of the argument leads to new information about the compressibility of solids. A simple expression is also given for the Gruneisen constant. These maximum principles are necessary consequences of the equilibrium conditions of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Characterization of Soluble Enzyme II Complexes of the Escherichia coli Phosphotransferase System

Plasmid-encoded His-tagged glucose permease of Escherichia coli, the enzyme IIBCGlc (IIGlc), exists in two physical forms, a membrane-integrated oligomeric form and a soluble monomeric form, which separate from each other on a gel filtration column (peaks 1 and 2, respectively). Western blot analyses using anti-His tag monoclonal antibodies revealed that although IIGlc from the two fractions migrated similarly in sodium dodecyl sulfate gels, the two fractions migrated differently on native gels both before and after Triton X-100 treatment. Peak 1 IIGlc migrated much more slowly than peak 2 IIGlc. Both preparations exhibited both phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sugar phosphorylation activity and sugar phosphate-dependent sugar transphosphorylation activity. The kinetics of the transphosphorylation reaction catalyzed by the two IIGlc fractions were different: peak 1 activity was subject to substrate inhibition, while peak 2 activity was not. Moreover, the pH optima for the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent activities differed for the two fractions. The results provide direct evidence that the two forms of IIGlc differ with respect to their physical states and their catalytic activities. These general conclusions appear to be applicable to the His-tagged mannose permease of E. coli. Thus, both phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system enzymes exist in soluble and membrane-integrated forms that exhibit dissimilar physical and kinetic properties.
Quantification of serum IgE in patients with burns

IgE levels in the serum of individuals with burns were sequentially measured and compared to IgE levels in normal control blood donors. Following a burn, the levels of IgE protein showed a significant, although modest, increase, usually evident of IgE protein showed a significant, although modest, increase, usually evident between days 14 and 22. In an occasional patient, the IgE levels rose by as much as five times in value during this period. Because of the complexity of the clinical situation associated with the burn patients, we cannot ascribe these elevations of IgE to the burn per se, but must consider the possibility of other factors, especially those involved in the treatment of the burn as well as the infection. The magnitude of the elevation of IgE in the burn patients (geometric mean=272 ng/ml) was considerably lower than the magnitude of the elevations seen in atopic dermatitis and generalized neurodermatitis (geometric means=2265 and 2071 ng/ml, respectively). Thus simple trauma to the skin is not a sufficient explanation for the elevated serum IgE levels in atopic dermatitis and generalized neurodermatitis.
Phosphorylase kinase mediating the effects of cyclic AMP in muscle

In the classic view of the control of phosphorylase b to a conversion by catecholamines, cyclic AMP acts as the second messenger stimulating the activity of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase to covalently modify phosphorylase kinase. Phosphorylation of phosphorylase kinase converts this enzyme form with a nonactivated to an activated form with a markedly higher activity at pH 7. There is now considerable evidence that the activity of phospphorylase kinase is also regulated by changeds in the Ca-2+ concentration. The activity of both nonactivated and activated phosphorylase kinase is stimulated by Ca-2+ in the range of concentrations that have been reported to occur in the sacroplasm of contracting muscle, with the activated pphosphorylase kinase having a lower K-alpha for Ca-2+. Thus there are at leaset two mechanisms for the regulation of phosphorylase kinase activity in muscle. These mechanisms may act independently or in concert in controlling glycogenolysis stimulated by catecholamines, anoxia, or tetanic electrical stimulation...
Quality circles in a unionized setting: Their effect on grievance rates

This study examined the effect of quality circles (QCs) on grievance rates in a unionized manufacturing plant. Because circles are designed to give employees additional influence over their work lives, it was hypothesized that QC participation would reduce the number of grievances filed by circle members. This hypothesis was tested with 166 employees at a large manufacturing plant using a repeated measures control group design. Grievance rates of QC members and nonmember control employees were monitored over a three-year period, from 12 months before to 24 months after circle implementation. A significant decline in circle members' grievance rates was observed for the first post-implementation year and remained stable during the following year. It was also found that QC members filed over two-thirds of all grievances throughout the entire three year measurement period. Alternative explanations for the findings are discussed, as well as their implications for cooperative labor-management relations.
Suicide Risk Assessment in Jails

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in jails. It is the role of the clinician to assess an inmate's risk for suicidal behavior. Typically this involves an assessment of an inmate's suicidal intent coupled with their access to lethal means. However, in a jail environment there are various environmental and psychological stressors which complicate suicide risk assessments. This paper examines suicide risk assessments using case examples of suicidal inmates that are typical of those found in jails.
Mucocutaneous cholinergic system is targeted in mustard-induced vesication.

Abstract The purpose of this research is to elucidate the pharmacological mechanism mediating vesicating effects of sulfur mustard (HD) and identify an antidote to its action. HD causes blisters because epithelial cells lose their attachments. Epithelial cell adhesion is under control of the local cytotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) working through the muscarinic and nicotinic receptor, mAChR and nAChR, classes expressed by epithelial cells. In this study, nitrogen mustard (NM)—a structural analog of HD—was used to elucidate the mechanism of vesicating effects of mustards in mucocutaneous tissues. NM caused cell detachment and cholinergic agents antagonized its effect. Radioligand binding inhibition experiments showed that NM binds to the ligand-binding site of ACh receptors (AChRs) of both classes. Ligation of AChRs on the cell membrane of keratinocytes (KC) and bronchial epithelial cells (BEC) with NM increased total esterolytic activity of serine proteinases (TEASP). Antagonists of both classes of AChRs, atropine and mecamylamine, diminished NM-induced changes, suggesting that the pathobiological effects of NM on KC and BEC result from an agonist-like degradation of ligated AChRs, predominantly of the muscarinic class. Thus, biological effects of NM on cell adhesion were antagonist-like, whereas its pharmacological effect on TEASP was agonist-like. These findings support a hypothesis that pharmacologic protection from the vesicating action of HD can be achieved by using cholinergic drugs.
Matrix Comparison, Goodness-of-Fit, and Spatial Interaction Modeling

The usefulness of various statistics for comparing observed and predicted spatial interaction matrices is examined. Results indicate that some statistics may yield misleading information about erro...
Cyclotron frequency shifts arising from polarization forces

The cyclotron frequency of a charged particle in a uniform magnetic field B is related to its mass m and charge q by the relationship ωc = qB/m. This simple relationship forms the basis for sensitive mass comparisons using ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy, with applications ranging from the identification of biomolecules1 and the study of chemical reaction rates2 to determinations of the fine structure constant of atomic spectra3. Here we report the observation of a deviation from the cyclotron frequency relationship for polarizable particles: in high-accuracy measurements of a single CO+ ion, a dipole induced in the orbiting ion shifts the measured cyclotron frequency. We use this cyclotron frequency shift to measure non-destructively the quantum state of the CO+ ion. The effect also provides a means to determine to a few per cent the body-frame dipole moment of CO+, thus establishing a method for measuring dipole moments of molecular ions for which few comparably accurate measurements exist4,5,6. The general perturbation that we describe here affects the most precise mass comparisons attainable today7,8, with applications including direct tests of Einstein's mass–energy relationship9 and charge-parity-time reversal symmetry10, and possibly the weighing of chemical bonds7.
Asymmetry in the primary structure of undegraded phytochrome

PHYTOCHROME is the photoreceptor for many light-mediated developmental responses in plants1. This chromoprotein, considered a dimer of apparently identical 120,000-dalton subunits (undegraded phytochrome)2,3, has often been purified from oats as a monomeric 60,000-dalton degradation product (degraded phytochrome)2,3 because of its susceptibility to proteases present in crude extracts3. Degraded phytochrome is relatively resistant to further proteolysis and has almost the same photochemical properties as undegraded phytochrome2. Immunochemical evidence4 indicates that undegraded phytochrome is asymmetric, possessing extensive primary structure not found in degraded phytochrome. In contrast, recent peptide-map data, obtained by a fluorescence procedure, have led to the conclusion that undegraded phytochrome is symmetric, being composed of two nearly identical halves, each half being equivalent to the 60,000-dalton, photoreversible degradation product5. We present here autoradiographic tryptic digest maps of iodinated degraded and undegraded phytochrome from etiolated oat (Avena sativa L., cv. Garry) seedlings that offer additional evidence concerning asymmetry in the primary structure of undegraded phytochrome.