cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histochemical detection of monoamine oxidase activity in smooth muscle and epithelial tissues of Mytilus edulis L. and Mytilus galloprovincialisLMK.

Summary Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was detected in the glio-interstitial tissue of the anterior byssus retractor muscle (ABRM) of Mytilus by the use of either dopamine or 5-HT as substrate and nitro blue tetrazolium salt as an electron receptor. Both substrates gave superimposable patterns. However, dopamine reactivity was very weak. Discrete but clear MAO activity was detected in the periphery or-the smooth muscle cell, i.e., at the level of the peripherally localized mitochondria. The presence of MAO in the epithelium of the buccal palps was also demonstrated. These histochemical observations can be correlated with certain ultrastructural aspects, in particular the presence electron dense organelles profiles in glio-interstitial cells. This MAO activity is discussed in relationship with the high 5-HT content of ABRM and the control of its relaxation. Pigment formation and/or collagen tanning are discussed in terms of a possible relationship with inactivation of biogenic amines. These results complement previous data concerning the gliointerstitial tissue found in close association with muscle and nerve structures.
Dynamical mass reduction in the massive Yang-Mills spectrum in 1+1 dimensions

The $(1+1)$-dimensional $\text{SU}(N)$ Yang-Mills Lagrangian, with bare mass $\mathcal{M}$ and gauge coupling $e$, naively describes gluons of mass $\mathcal{M}$. In fact, renormalization forces $\mathcal{M}$ to infinity. The system is in a confined phase, instead of a Higgs phase. The spectrum of this diverging-bare-mass theory contains particles of finite mass. There are an infinite number of physical particles, which are confined hadronlike bound states of fundamental colored excitations. These particles transform under irreducible representations of the global subgroup of the explicitly broken gauge symmetry. The fundamental excitations are those of the $\text{SU}(N)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\text{SU}(N)$ principal chiral sigma model, with coupling ${g}_{0}=e/\mathcal{M}$. We find the masses of mesonlike bound states of two elementary excitations. This is done using the exact S matrix of the sigma model. We point out that the color-singlet spectrum coincides with that of the weakly coupled anisotropic $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ gauge theory in $2+1$ dimensions. We also briefly comment on how the spectrum behaves in the 't Hooft limit, $N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$.
Recognition and cleavage at the DNA major groove

Abstract DNA recognition agents based on the indole-based aziridinyl eneimine and the cyclopent[ b ]indole methide species were designed and evaluated. The recognition process involved either selective alkylation or intercalating interactions in the major groove. DNA cleavage resulted from phosphate backbone alkylation (hydrolytic cleavage) and N(7) -alkylation (piperidine cleavage). The formation and fate of the eneimine was studied using enriched 13 C NMR spectra and X-ray crystallography. The aziridinyl eneimine specifically alkylates the N(7) position of DNA resulting in direction of the aziridinyl alkylating center to either the 3′- or 5′-phosphate of the alkylated base. The eneimine species forms dimers and trimers that appear to recognize DNA at up to three base pairs. The cyclopent[ b ]indole quinone methide recognizes the 3′-GT-5′ sequence and alkylates the guanine N(7) and the thymine 6-carbonyl oxygen causing the hydrolytic removal of these bases. In summary, new classes of DNA recognition agents are described and the utility of 13 C-enrichment and 13 C NMR to study DNA alkylation reactions is illustrated.
Control of intraaortic balloon pumping: theory and guidelines for clinical applications.

The effectiveness of intraaortic balloon pumping was investigated by using a lumped parameter model of the cardiovascular/assist device system. The model consists of a time-varying elastance left ventricular simulation, a 2-element windkessel arterial simulation, and an RC venous return and pulmonary simulation. The four major hemodynamic variables, stroke volume (SV), aortic mean diastolic pressure (MDP), tension time index (TTI), and aortic end diastolic pressure (EDP), were divided into two categories related to system energy supply and demand: “external” and “internal” variables. The effects of balloon pumping on these variables can be described by closed-form equations that yield an optimal solution. The model prediction suggests that, in the ideal case, optimization of balloon pumping calls for instantaneous inflation of the balloon to maximum volume at end systole and instantaneous complete deflation at end diastole. For finite inflation/deflation rates, the optimal time for the start of inflation is end systole. Deflation timing, however, involves a tradeoff between maximizing the external variables and minimizing the internal variables. These predictions were tested using a nonlinear digital computer model. The results also suggest that when SV is not being monitored, optimal inflation timing can be controlled from the measurements of TTI or pulmonary venous pressure; optimal deflation timing can be controlled by a weighted combination of MDP and EDP.
A methodology of secure and optimal operation of a power system for dynamic contingencies

ABSTRACT Just as in static security constrained optimization of power systems, there is need to do preventive scheduling if the system state is found to be insecure through dynamic contingency analysis. Current work in this area based on energy functions and sensitivity considerations only computes another feasible and normal operating point either through the controlling u.e.p or the potential energy boundary surface method. In this paper we use the hybrid method which involves integration of the system equations only once till the controlling u.e.p is reached to compute the energy margin. Based on the sensitivity of the energy margin to generation powers, rescheduling is done through an OPF algorithm resulting in a secure but optimal solution. Results on a 3 machine, 9 bus system are very encouraging. This methodology could form a basis for integrating current OPF packages into the DSA package.
Complexes of uranyl ion with dimethyl-formamide and semicarbazide

When uranyl acetate dinydrate was refluxed with dimethyiformamide and cooled to 0 deg C, yellow crystals of uranyl dimethylformamide acetate, UO/sub 2/ (HCON(CH/sub 3/)/sub 2/) (CH/sub 3/(HCON(CH/sub 3//sub 2/)/sub 2/(NO/sub 3//sub 2/ (CH/sub 3/COO)/sub 2/, were precipitated. When uranyl nitrate hexahydrate was refluxed with dimethylformamide, was obtained. Semicarbazide underwent similar reactions but did not replace all of the waters in the solvation shell; UO/sub 2/ (H/sub 2/O)/sub 2/(NH//sub 2/CONHNH/sub 2/)/sub 3/Cl/sub 2/ was obtained from several uranyl salts and semicarbazide hydrochloride in the presence of pyridine. Attempts to prepare uranyl complexes containing both semicarbazide and dimethylformamide failed. UO/sub 2/(H/sub 2/O/sub 2/)/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ was reacted with lithium phthalocyanine in acetone to form uranyl phthalocyanNoneme. (D.L. C.)
Value Creation, Competition and Performance in Buyer-Supplier Relationships

The value-based approach to strategy argues that a firm's ability to capture value depends on the extent of its added value. In this paper, I empirically test the link between added value and value capture using a longitudinal dataset of United Kingdom law firm performance, capabilities, and client relationships. In this setting, competitors relevant for defining a firm's added value are those that share a client with the firm. Further, within a client relationship, value creation, and hence added value, can be decomposed in two parts: product-line capability and client-specific scope economies. I find that added value, measured at the level of each buyer-supplier relationship, is a driver of relationship stability and supplier profitability. This suggests that suppliers with similar capabilities might enjoy different economic returns depending on the composition of their set of relevant competitors. These findings shed light on the conditions under which firms can appropriate returns from their capabilities. They indicate that concepts from cooperative games can be fruitfully applied to empirical studies of firm performance and to the elaboration of insights from the resource-based view of the firm. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The incredibly functional egg

Abstract A review of some of the old and newer uses of eggs. Twenty-one functional uses of eggs are described. The changing attitudes of the American population relative to eggs first with respect to cholesterol and recently with regards to potential pathogens in eggs are briefly discussed. The newer uses of eggs as nutraceuticals and sources for pharmaceuticals are emphasized. The outlook for eggs in the human diet remains good.
Active optics performance study of the primary mirror of the Gemini Telescopes Project

A study on the evaluations of the active optics system performance for the primary mirror of the Gemini telescopes project was conducted. Finite element analysis was employed to analyze the optical surface figures of the primary mirror. Four distinct influence matrices (generic 3-point kinematic system, combined unit case, 3-zonal multiple constraint system, and high frequency localized force set) were established based on the unit load cases at each of 120 active support locations and the restraint boundary conditions in the mirror model. A least square algorithm was developed. This scheme is able to accommodate the design constraints in the active optics systems. The active optics performances were evaluated by analyzing their capabilities in compensating the optical surface figures. For each active system, the level of the calculated active forces and the surface residual errors were examined. The results indicated that their performances are excellent and are in good agreement for most sampling surface figures. The results from the active optics performances based on the generic, the combined, and the 3- zone cases were practically identical for all the object surfaces. The active optics system based on the high frequency localized force set tends to predict a higher surface RMS error and requires a bigger force set. This effect became apparent when this system was applied to correct the surfaces from the natural mode analyses.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Female choice in the guppy ( Poecilia reticulata ): the interaction between male color and display

The effect of two components of male courtship, color and display behavior, on female choice of mates was investigated in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Computer-modified videos were constructed to determine the relative importance of a static trait, the presence or absence of carotenoid pigment (C and NC), and a dynamic trait, high and low display rate (HD and LD), on female response. Females were given a choice between all combinations of male display and color in a binary choice design. Preference was determined by the time females spent visually inspecting the animation. Females preferred animations with high display rates when both animations displayed color (CHD vs CLD), but not in the absence of color (NCHD vs NCLD). Equal numbers of females chose the color/low-display animation and the no-color/high-display animation when the two were paired. Conversely, color became a criterion of choice when both animations showed a low display rate (CLD vs NCLD), but not when both displayed at a high rate (CHD vs NCHD). These results suggest that females use both static and dynamic traits to evaluate males, but their rankings are affected by the choices available. Results of these experiments provide insights into how females use multiple traits to assess males.
Functional dissection identifies a conserved noncoding sequence-1 core that mediates IL13 and IL4 transcriptional enhancement.

Conserved noncoding sequence (CNS)-1 has been shown to coordinately regulate the expression of the Th2 cytokine genes IL4, IL13, and IL5. We have used the interaction between CNS-1 and the human IL13 and IL4 promoters as a model to pursue the molecular mechanisms underlying CNS-1-dependent regulation of Th2 cytokine gene transcription. CNS-1 potently enhanced the activity of IL13 and IL4 promoter reporter vectors upon full T cell activation. Analysis of CNS-1 deletion mutants mapped enhancer activity to a short core (CNS-1-(270–337)) that contains three closely spaced cyclic AMP-responsive elements (CRE). CRE site 2 bound CRE-binding protein (CREB) and activating transcription factor (ATF)-2 in vitro and was essential for CNS-1-dependent up-regulation of IL13 transcription. Cotransfection of an IL13 reporter construct with expression vectors for wild type or mutant CREB and ATF-2 showed that CREB, but not ATF-2, regulates CNS-1 enhancer activity. Notably, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed T cell activation recruits CREB and the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP)/p300 to the endogenous CNS-1. Moreover, CBP/p300 activity was essential for CNS-1-mediated enhancement of IL13 transcription. Collectively, these data define the region within CNS-1 responsible for enhancement of IL13 and IL4 transcription and suggest CREB/CBP-dependent mechanisms play an important role in facilitating Th2 cytokine gene expression in response to T cell receptor signaling.
Why Do They Leave? Child Care Subsidy Use in Oregon

This study fills an important gap about child care subsidy participation by exploring why parents leave the subsidy program in Oregon. Descriptive analyses using administrative data showed unexpectedly high levels of employment stability and low levels of family mobility. Many families appeared to remain eligible after exit based on earnings and participation in other means-tested assistance programs. Estimates from a Cox regression model showed that subsidy policies were associated with exits. Being in the last month of an eligibility period increased the likelihood of exiting the subsidy program by two to three times. This result suggests that lengthening eligibility period could increase the stability of subsidy usage and possibly subsidized child care arrangements.
On Hölder continuity of the solution of stochastic wave equations in dimension three

In this paper, we study the stochastic wave equations in the three spatial dimensions driven by a Gaussian noise which is white in time and correlated in space. Our main concern is the sample path Holder continuity of the solution both in time variable and in space variables. The conditions are given either in terms of the mean Holder continuity of the covariance function or in terms of its spectral measure. Some examples of the covariance functions are proved to satisfy our conditions, which include the case of the work Dalang and Sanz-Sole (Holder–Sobolev Regularity of the Solution to the Stochastic Wave Equation in Dimension Three. Memoirs of the American Mathematical Society Number 931 2009). In particular, we obtain the Holder continuity results for the solution of the stochastic wave equations driven by (space inhomogeneous) fractional Brownian noises. For this particular noise, the optimality of the obtained Holder exponents is also discussed.
Viscometry and Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of the Interactions of a Dimeric Cyanine Dye with DNA

The structures of the noncovalent complexes of DNA with a thiazole orange dimer (TOTO) were investigated in solution and when adsorbed to a mica substrate, using viscometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. From the viscosity measurements at low TOTO:base pair concentrations, the dye lengthens the DNA helix by two times the base pair spacing, consistent with bisintercalation. Higher concentrations of TOTO cause a significant decrease in the viscosity of the DNA solutions, as also observed for related bifunctional ligands. The conformational changes induced by the dimer are compared to those of the monomer. The contour lengths of the DNA-TOTO complexes adsorbed onto mica were directly measured by AFM. These lengths and the size of the binding site are inconsistent with the bisintercalation binding mode observed in solution, suggesting an alternative mode of binding on mica.
G12/13 Signaling Pathways Substitute for Integrin αIIbβ3-Signaling for Thromboxane Generation in Platelets

Background We have previously shown that ADP-induced TXA2 generation requires signaling from αIIbβ3 integrin in platelets. Here we observed that, unlike ADP, protease-activated receptor (PAR)-mediated TXA2 generation occurs independently of αIIbβ3. PAR agonists, but not ADP, activate G12/13 signaling pathways. Hence, we evaluated the role of these pathways in TXA2 generation.
ClC-5: role in endocytosis in the proximal tubule.

The proper functioning of the Cl− channel, ClC-5, is essential for the uptake of low molecular mass proteins through receptor-mediated endocytosis in the proximal tubule. Dent’s disease patients wi...
Non-developed external oblique aponeurosis in inguinal hernia repair: a case report and discussion of the literature

Open inguinal hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed operations in the world. It relies heavily on the presence of an inguinal canal formed by the external oblique aponeurosis and conjoint tendon. Variations of the anatomy of this region are rarely described. We describe a patient with bilateral inguinal hernias and missing external oblique aponeurosis. The patient underwent open repair secondary to previous abdominal surgery and the inability to obtain laparoscopic access. A medline search was performed and we provide a synopsis of the literature. At operation, no clear external oblique aponeurosis could be identified and large defects of the transversalis fascia were corrected. CT images of the anatomic variations are provided. To the best of our knowledge, combined abnormalities of the external oblique aponeurosis and transversalis fascia have not been described before.
New selectivities from old catalysts. Occlusion of Grubbs’ catalysts in PDMS to change their reactions

This article describes new selectivities for Grubbs’ first and second generation catalysts when occluded in a hydrophobic matrix of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Occlusion of catalysts in mm-sized slabs of PDMS is accomplished by swelling with methylene chloride then removing the solvent under vacuum. The catalysts are homogenously dissolved in PDMS yet remain catalytically active. Many substrates that react by olefin metathesis with Grubbs’ catalysts freely dissolved in methylene chloride also react by olefin isomerization with occluded catalysts. Eleven examples of substrates that exhibit dual reactivity by undergoing olefin isomerization with occluded catalysts and olefin metathesis with catalysts dissolved in methylene chloride are reported. Most of these substrates have olefins with allylic phosphine oxides, carbonyls, or ethers. Control experiments demonstrate that isomerization is occurring in the solvent by decomposition of the catalyst from a ruthenium carbene to a proposed ruthenium hydride. This work was extended by heating occluded Grubbs’ first generation catalyst to 100 C in 90% MeOH in H2O in the presence of various alkenes to transform the Grubbs’ catalyst into an isomerization catalyst for unfunctionalized olefins. This work demonstrates that occlusion of organometallic catalysts in PDMS has important implications for their reactions and can be used as a method to control which reactions they catalyze. 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Micro renewable energy systems: Synergizing technology, economics and policy

This paper studies the technological, economic and public policy issues and opportunities in developing a renewable energy economy based on devices of less than 5KW, suitable for retail marketing. The research question is whether such systems can be popularized in the retail marketplace to the extent that families and non-governmental organizations will adopt them on a scale that substantially augments global renewable power generation. The reduction in efficiency of a MRES is discussed with regards to other more prevalent energy technologies and the numerous benefits that warrant further developments are presented. Five concepts using wind, solar, and biomass energy are considered, and of these, the symbiotic solar algae system is explored in detail. Its design, cost and impact are considered. Policy initiatives suggested.
Lesbian and Gay Elders and Long-Term Care: Identifying the Unique Psychosocial Perspectives and Challenges

This qualitative study of lesbian and gay elders seeks to identify the psychosocial challenges this community faces regarding long-term care. Two focus groups were conducted among 16 gay elders in community and long-term care settings. Participants reported fear of being rejected or neglected by healthcare providers, particularly personal care aides; fear of not being accepted and respected by other residents; fear of having to go back into the closet if placed in long-term care; and a preference for gay-friendly care. Participants suggested staff training to promote acceptance and respect for gay people, and favorably perceived gay-specific and gay-friendly living arrangements.
Physicochemical aspects of the extraction in blood and the disposition in rats of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate plasticizer

Man encounters the plasticizer di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) parenterally as a dilute complex formed in stored blood. Aqueous solutions stored in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) containers extract little DEHP. During development of newer container materials with fewer extractives the continued use of PVC requires realistic understanding of the toxic potential of DEHP. Earlier implications of possible toxicity resulted from the unusual neutral, lipophilic, and insoluble nature of the compound, but none of the investigations was performed with DEHP in the form received by man (diffusion complex). To characterize that form we formulated sheets of PVC identical to that used in blood bags, but containing [ 14 C]DEHP. Particle formation after contact with plasma was not related to DEHP accumulation. With careful technique, suspensions of DEHP in Polysorbate-80 or solutions in ethanol could be added to plasma with minimal particle formation. Extraction from PVC was not affected by the plasma lipid content, but was limited by total protein concentration. After iv injection of [ 14 C]DEHP in rats as the diffusion complex rather than a complex from Polysorbate-80 or ethanol, the second phase of 14 C half-life was shorter, liver retention was lower, and excretion was faster. In isolated perfused rat liver, 14 C of the diffusion complex was metabolized and excreted rapidly in bile. Thus, studies of potential toxicity should recognize that man receives DEHP in blood as a dilute, nonparticulate complex (relevant form). Other physical forms (designated “irrelevant”) are subject to different rates of disposition and metabolism and can produce misleading implications of toxicity.
Moving technologies from the test tube to commercial products

Successful technologies include objects, processes, and procedures that share a common theme; they are being used to generate new products that create economic growth. The foundation is the invention, but the invention is a small part of the overall effort. The pathway to success is understanding the competition, proper planning, record keeping, integrating a supply chain, understanding actual costs, intellectual property (IP), benchmarking, and timing. Additionally, there are obstacles that include financing, what to make, buy, and sell, and the division of labor i.e. recognizing who is best at what task. Over the past two decades, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has developed several commercially available technologies. The approach to commercialization of three of these inventions; Langley Research Center-Soluble Imide (LaRC-SI, Imitec Inc.), the Thin Layer Unimorph Driver (THUNDER, FACE International), and the Macrofiber Composite (MFC, Smart Material Corp.) will be described, as well as some of the lessons learned from the process. What makes these three inventions interesting is that one was created in the laboratory; another was built using the previous invention as part of its process, and the last one was created by packaging commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) materials thereby creating a new component.
Separation and quantification of the B6 vitamers in plasma and 4-pyridoxic acid in urine of adolescent girls by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract The vitamin B 6 status of seemingly healthy adolescent girls was determined using several accepted and proposed parameters in an effort to establish guidelines for status evaluation. High-performance liquid chromatography-derived plasma B 6 vitamers (pyridoxal phosphate, PLP; pyridoxine phosphate, PNP; pyridoxamine phosphate, PMP; pyridoxal, PL; pyridoxine, PN; and pyridoxamine, PM) and 4-pyridoxic acid (4-PA) concentrations and urinary 4-PA levels of 28 white adolescent females, 12–15 years, having radiomonitored plasma PLP concentrations and coenzyme stimulation of erythrocyte alanine aminotransferase activities indicative of adequate status were determined. Mean vitamin B 6 and protein intakes were 1.48 mg and 78.3 g. Ranges for plasma B 6 vitamer and 4-PA concentrations (nmol/1) were: PLP, 40.9–122.2; PNP, non-detectable (ND)—16.1; PMP, ND—8.1; PL, ND—15; PN, ND—21.9; PM, ND—17.8; and 4-PA, ND—55.7. PLP was the only vitamer found in plasma of all subjects. Urinary 4-PA concentrations ranged from 0.11 to 2.50 μmol/mmol of creatinine. B 6 vitamer values of these girls should be of use in the establishment of normal ranges for vitamin B 6 status parameters.
TLC-CIMS : A highly efficient mass spectral technique for synthetic organic chemists

Abstract A combination of thin layer chromatography with chemical ionization mass spectrometry has been developed for analyzing mixtures such as crude reaction products from a synthesis. Direct transfer of silica gel with adsorbed compounds from a TLC spot to a solids probe is made by using a Carbowax 20M pellet. Additional structural information can be generated by performing TLC-CIMS experiments after in situ ozonation of TLC spot material. This rapid method of analysis is valuable for monitoring highly accelerated organic reactions in a microwave oven.
The mitochondrial ATP synthase of Trypanosoma brucei: Developmental regulation through the life cycle

Abstract The mitochondrial H + -ATPase of the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei is shown to be developmentally regulated through the T. brucei life cycle as has been shown for components of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. We have substantiated our results by assaying not only for oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity but also by determining the level of ATP synthetic activity. These results show that the level of ATPase present in the procyclic form of T. brucei is increased by at least threefold from that of the early bloodstream form while the ATPase activity in the late bloodstream form is only about twofold higher than the early form. ATP synthesis activity shows these same results. We have determined the level of ATP synthase protein present in the life cycle stages by Western analysis employing the antibodies that we have raised against both the water soluble F 1 and the membrane-associated F 0 moieties which we have purified from T. brucei . The Western blots of the procyclic form show strong reactivity with both the F 0 and F 1 antibodies. The other two life cycle stages, the early and the late bloodstream forms, show considerably less reactivity, paralleling the activity results. Electron micrographs of the sonicated mitochondrial fraction show inverted vesicles which are studded with knobby H + -ATPase in the procyclic form. The early bloodstream vesicles show very few of these characteristic structures, while the late bloodstream form shows a range of vesicles from nearly nude to partially studded.
Utilization of l-14C-Hexanoic Acid for Fatty Acid and Lipid Synthesis by Bovine Mammary Tissue

Abstract Cells and tissue slices from lactating bovine mammary glands incorporated sodium 1- 14 C-hexanoate into the homologous series of fatty acids (C4:O through C16:O) normally synthesized by this tissue. These labeled acids were mostly esterified in the triglycerides. Distribution patterns and the specific activity data suggested that some catabolism of hexanoic acid occurred in the mammary tissue before incorporation into fatty acids though evidence of direct elongation of this acid is also considered.
On The Convergence And Application Of Newton's Method Under Weak HÖlder Continuity Assumptions

The principle of majorizing sequences is used to show local and semilocal convergence of Newton's method to a locally unique solution of an operator equation in a Banach space setting, when the operator involved satisfies a Holder and center Holder continuity condition. Our convergence conditions are weaker; error bounds on the distances involved finer and the location of the solution more precise than in earlier results.
Ionic Two Photon States and Optical Nonlinearity in π-Conjugated Polymers

Abstract A microscopic mechanism of optical nonlinearity in π-conjugated polymers is presented. It is shown that the bulk of the nonlinearity is determined by only two well defined channels, even though an infinite number of channels are possible in principle. The above conclusion is true for both short and long range Coulomb interactions. The complete frequency dependence of the third harmonic generation in both trans-polyacetylene and polydiacetylene are explained within the same theoretical picture.
In vitro effects of arginine vasotocin on testosterone production by testes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of arginine vasotocin (AVT) on testosterone (T2) production by the rainbow trout testis in culture. AVT increased T2 production in a dose-dependent manner in immature testes. The maximum response (10 nM AVT) increased T2 production 6-fold over basal (3–6 pg/mg tissue protein). Mature testes did not respond to AVT. Salmon gondotropin (2.5 nM sGtH, SGA-GtH) stimulated T2 production by both juvenile (5-fold) and mature (11-fold) testes. When AVT (100 nM) was added in addition to salmon gonadotropin (sGtH; from 0.1 to 100 nM), AVT had a stimulatory effect at the submaximal doses of sGtH, but T2 production did not exceed the maximum level obtained with sGtH (100 nM) alone. Isotocin also increased T2 production although to a lesser degree than AVT. The maximum response at 10 nM increased T2 production 4-fold over basal. β-Endorphin had no effect on T2 production.
Use of relative ionization for particle identification in multitrack spark chamber pictures

The design and operating conditions for a spark chamber used in a e (as Fe/sup 59 /sup -/ + p experiment at the Cosmotron are described briefly. Photographs are shown illustrating the considerable differences observed in spark densities of the four tracks of a given event. The relative track densities were compared with the particie velocities calculated from the reaction kinematics. An almost complete correlation was found, the lower-velocity particles were making the denser sparks. Effects other than ionization, which are important in determining spark density and must be taken into account in particle identification, are considered. (A.G.W.)
The limit distribution of Sinai's random walk in random environment

Abstract Recently Sinai proved that if { X n is a one-dimensional random walk in random environment which is recurrent, then (log n ) -2 X n converges in distribution. Here we calculate the limit distribution explicitly.
The Agriburb: recalling the suburban side of Ontario, California's agricultural colonization.

This essay spotlights the development of Ontario, California, in the last decades of the nineteenth century. It demonstrates that many agricultural communities in California, particularly so-called agricultural colonies, represent a unique rural suburban type labeled here as "agriburbs." Agriburbs, such as Ontario, were communities consciously planned, developed, and promoted based on the drive for profit in emerging agricultural markets. Advertised as the perfect mix of rural and urban, they promised a superior middle-class lifestyle. On the one hand, agriburbs evoked the myths of agrarian security and virtue, a life on a farm in an environment that was good for both soil and soul. On the other hand, agriburbs were ideally urbane but not urban because of their many amenities that represented cultural symbols of modernity, refinement, and progress. An understanding of California's agriburbs deepens an appreciation for both the growth and development of California at the turn of the twentieth century and the diversity of suburban types across the American landscape.
Bacterial and fungal contributions to soil nitrogen cycling under Douglas fir and red alder at two sites in Oregon

Abstract A study was conducted at two experimental tree plantations in the Pacific Northwest to assess the roles of bacteria and fungi in nitrogen (N) cycling. Soils from red alder ( Alnus rubra ) and Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) plots in low- (H.J. Andrews) and high- (Cascade Head) productivity stands were sampled in 2005 and 2006. Fungal:bacterial ratios were determined using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles and quantitative (Q)-PCR. Ratios from these two molecular methods were highly correlated and showed that microbial biomass varied significantly between the two experimental sites and to a lesser extent between tree types with fungal:bacterial biomass ratios lower in more N-rich plots. 15 N isotope dilution experiments, with ammonium (NH 4 + ) and nitrate (NO 3 − ), were paired with antibiotics that blocked bacterial (bronopol) and fungal (cycloheximide) protein synthesis. This modified isotope dilution technique was used to determine the relative contribution of bacteria and fungi to net N mineralization and gross rates of ammonification and nitrification. When bacterial protein synthesis was blocked NH 4 + consumption and nitrification rates decreased in all treatments except for NH 4 + consumption in the Douglas-fir plots at H.J. Andrews, suggesting that prokaryotic nitrifiers are a major sink for mineral NH 4 + in forest soils with higher N availability. Cycloheximide consistently increased NH 4 + consumption, however the trend was not statistically significant. Both antibiotics additions also significantly increased gross ammonification, which may have been due to continued activity of extra- and intracellular enzymes involved in producing NH 4 + combined with the inhibition of NH 4 + assimilation into proteins. The implication of this result is that microorganisms are likely a major sink for soil dissolved organic N (DON) in soils.
Remaking Racial Inclusion: Combining Race and Class in Brazil’s New Affirmative Action

New multicultural regimes now characterize much of Latin America, creating opportunities for ethno-racial populations to fight for social inclusion. Yet, the literature identifies uneven patterns of success in those endeavors. Scholars argue that states more readily consider claims based on the recognition and protection of cultural difference as legitimate, but are resistant to calls for the remedy of racial discrimination. As a counterexample, we examine the case of affirmative action in higher education in Brazil, and specifically in the state universities of Rio de Janeiro. We explore how issues of racial exclusion and discrimination gained traction in public policy in that context. Perhaps more importantly, though, we show that race was only one component of that policy; instead, race was combined with class to establish a new type of beneficiary status for affirmative action: poor black students. Beyond Rio de Janeiro, we suggest the wider diffusion in Brazil of the combined race and class category ...
Active control of a vertical axis pendulum wave energy converter

Presented is a preliminary investigation into the modeling, active control design, and simulation of a vertical axis pendulum wave energy converter, or vertical axis PWEC. Seeking to leverage their promising potential for energy extraction, an active control strategy for the PWEC pendulum dynamics is developed such that net electric power production is increased. Equations of motion for a generic PWEC power take off system are developed. Finally, an active control strategy is derived, being based on optimal and model predictive control theories. Simulations of the generic vertical axis PWEC, both with and without active control, are implemented within a representative Oregon irregular ocean wave environment. Comparisons of the simulations indicate strong increases in net PWEC electric power generation by actively controlling the pendulum's dynamics. Future pathways for active control development and PWEC advancement are then proposed.
Stock market liberalization and volatility in the presence of favorable market characteristics and institutions

Abstract In this study, we first examine the effect of stock market liberalization on stock return volatility for eighteen emerging markets. Similar to findings from previous work, we find that volatility may decrease, increase, or remain unchanged following liberalization. We then link post-liberalization volatility with market characteristics and quality of institutions, which is the main contribution of the study. Interestingly, countries that experienced lower post-liberalization volatility are in general characterized by favorable market characteristics such as higher market transparency and investor protection, and better quality of institutions such as a higher regard for rule of law and lower levels of corruption.
The stressed gut: Contributions of intestinal stress peptides to inflammation and motility

Most of us have experienced at first hand the effects of stress on our digestive systems. As early as 1833, Beaumont (1) described that fear and anger influenced acid secretion from the stomach of his patient Alexis St. Martin, a Canadian trapper with a permanent gastric fistula caused by a gunshot wound. The impact of psychological, physical, and immunological stressors on gastrointestinal secretion, motility, epithelial permeability, and inflammation is now thoroughly documented, and stress has a major influence on digestive diseases (refs. 2–4 and references therein). Most studies concern central mechanisms whereby a stressful event perceived by the brain triggers neuronal and hormonal reflexes that influence the gut. However, a report by la Fleur et al . in this issue of PNAS (5) makes the exciting observation that the intestine produces the same stress peptides that are present in the central nervous system. A local stressor, in this case a bacterial toxin that is the principal cause of antibiotic-induced colitis and diarrhea, results in the local generation and action of stress peptides that mediate inflammation without involving the central nervous system (Fig. 1). These peptides also regulate the transit of digested material through the intestine under normal conditions. This intrinsic stress response mechanism may mediate altered digestive processes that accompany physical and chemical insults to the intestine and could contribute to poorly understood disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, for which stress exacerbates the symptoms. Fig. 1. Stress-induced alterations in gastrointestinal functions. Central stressors induce release of CRF, ACTH, and glucocorticoids, which have antiinflammatory actions. Centrally released CRF and Ucns activate parasympathetic nerves, which in turn innervates enteric neurons within the gut wall to stimulate or inhibit motility (depending on the region) and stimulate secretion. Peripheral stressors induce local release of CRF and Ucns, possibly from …
Steam vaporizer burn injuries

Steam vaporizers increase indoor relative humidity by releasing steam into the air. The temperature of the steam is sufficiently high to cause severe burns. We report two cases of children who received partial thickness burns from steam vaporizers. Because of the high risk of burn injury, the manufacturers should be required to label the surface of the boiling chamber of the vaporizer with a warning statement.
Emergency contraception for newly arrested women: evidence for an unrecognized public health opportunity.

Incarceration affords an opportunity to provide health care to populations with limited access to care. Women in this population are at high risk for experiencing unintended pregnancies. It is not known what proportion of these women engage in unprotected intercourse in the days prior to incarceration and therefore may benefit from being offered emergency contraception upon their arrest to decrease their risk of unintended pregnancies. We sought to describe the proportion and characteristics of newly arrested women who are eligible for and interested in taking emergency contraception by conducting a cross-sectional study in an urban county jail booking facility. A 63-item survey was administered to women ages 18–44 within 24 h of being arrested in San Francisco. Eighty-four (29%) women were eligible for emergency contraception. Of these, 48% indicated a willingness to take emergency contraception if offered. Half of the women eligible for emergency contraception expressed ambivalent attitudes about pregnancy. Women who had taken emergency contraception in the past were more likely to say they would accept it (45%) than women who had never used it (25%, p = .05). The strongest predictor of willingness to take emergency contraception was not having a misperception about its safety, efficacy, or mechanism of action (RR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–3.0). Seventy-one percent of all women indicated that they would accept an advance supply of emergency contraception upon release from jail. Emergency contraception counseling and provision should be offered to newly arrested women as a key reproductive and public health intervention for a traditionally marginalized, high-risk population.
Predicting future injury among women in abusive relationships.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major cause of injury and death among women, and it is a problem with significant relevance to health care providers. In this study, we examined risk factors for IPV-related injury within 9 months of an index episode of abuse in a population of police- or court-identified victims of IPV. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of 354 women in abusive relationships. The outcome measured was injury within 9 months. Stepwise logistic regression was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Two factors were found to be independently associated with increased risk of injury: victim's lack of full-time employment (RR 3.47, 95% CI 1.43-8.41) and physical abuse on the index incident date (RR 3.06, 95% CI 1.16-8.06). CONCLUSIONS: By questioning our patients about these issues, we can begin to identify the complex risk factors that predispose women in abusive relationships to future injury. Language: en
On Coastal Jets and Upwelling in Bounded Basins

Abstract The relationship between coastal upwelling and coastal long-short currents is studied in a simple model of a continuously stratified fluid in a closed basin on the f-plane. It is shown that the coastal long-shore current at any point on the basin's perimeter is determined primarily by the components of the long-shore stress with the largest long-shore scales, in particular from the perimeter average of the long-shore stress. In addition, the depth structure of the upwelling itself is shown to be dependent on the long-shore scale. It is concluded that the relationship between upwelling and long-shore currents is non-local, that mass balance is not achieved locally in planes normal to the coast, and that the relationship between onshore flows and long-shore currents is scale-dependent. An intrinsic long-shore length scale is found separating two regimes of flow with distinctly different relations between the wind stress, onshore, and long-shore flows. Since both regimes are present simultaneously f...
Buprenorphine-induced hyperalgesia in the rat

In addition to analgesia opioids may also enhance pain sensitivity. Opioid-induced hyperalgesia, typically associated with potent mu-opioid agonists (e.g. fentanyl, morphine, and heroin), may be of clinical importance due to the possible counteraction of analgesia and/or paradoxical enhancement of a pre-existing pain condition during opioid therapy. Buprenorphine, a potent opioid analgesic, has a complex pharmacology on mu and kappa receptors. Buprenorphine has a better analgesia/toxicity profile (a ceiling effect for respiratory depression, less potential for abuse) compared to typical mu-opioids. Little is known about buprenorphine-induced hyperalgesia. Potentially, a lack of hyperalgesia with these other characteristics could make buprenorphine a more desirable opioid for management of chronic pain. Responsiveness to high and ultra-low doses of buprenorphine was examined following acute and repeated administration in a rat model of thermal nociception (the tail-flick test). Buprenorphine produced a dose-related antinociception. Loss of efficacy (tolerance) followed by enhanced pain sensitivity occurred with repeated dosing of buprenorphine. Delayed hyperalgesia, seen in association with antinociceptive tolerance, was blocked by the NMDA receptor antagonist, ketamine. Buprenorphine (ultra-low dose) resulted in immediate hyperalgesia, which was also reversed by ketamine, in a dose-related fashion. No tolerance to hyperalgesia was seen with repeated dosing of low-dose buprenorphine. The antinociceptive effect of buprenorphine was diminished in rats, which previously exhibited hyperalgesia with buprenorphine. In summary, bimodal properties of buprenoprhine were separately demonstrated: pronociceptive at ultra-low dose and antinociceptive at higher doses. An NMDA-receptor mechanism was involved in hyperalgesia with buprenorphine.
Inked: historic African-American beach site as collective memory and group ‘Third Place’ sociability on Martha’s Vineyard

Using data gained from ethnographic research and interviews, this article examines ‘third place’ sociability in the social interactions of the Polar Bears of Martha’s Vineyard, a group of predominantly but not exclusively middle-aged and senior African-American men and women who swim, exercise and socialise together each morning at ‘the Inkwell’ beach. Using Georg Simmel’s concept of sociability and Ray Oldenburg’s third-place theoretical framework, this study explores the key role of the Monday communal breakfast and the function of conversation in establishing bonds between individuals. It further investigates the promotion of strong feelings of social connectedness, belonging, social support, social capital gains and community among its group members. The ongoing sociability and informal rules of the Polar Bears of Martha’s Vineyard has enabled it to become a model group demonstration of third-place community building. The importance of race, class and place is socio-historically investigated within th...