cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chloroethylnitrosourea Cancer Chemotherapeutic Agents

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the chloroethylnitrosourea cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Chloroethylnitrosoureas have proven to be highly effective cancer chemotherapeutic agents that are in common clinical use. Along with the developments, studies into the mechanisms of activation and action have been reported and attempts have been made to identify the active species responsible for the antitumor activity and toxicity of this class of drug. Biodistribution and metabolism studies have also been conducted in order to reveal the fate of these chemically reactive agents. Many recent reports have resolved questions concerning the activation of these agents and revealed that activity may be influenced by unusually complex structurally specific interactions. The chloroethylnitrosoureas are among the earliest and most significant anticancer agents that have been developed by the National Cancer Institute.
Something’s Got to Give: What Can We Stop Doing in a Time of Reduced Resources?

Articles in our professional literature and conference presentations reporting on new initiatives are quite common. In presenting the brave and the new, however, librarians rarely discuss activities they have stopped doing. Since 2008, when libraries began to face budget cuts in the face of the recession, I have heard anecdotally about furloughs, hiring freezes, and layoffs, but not about attendant elimination of services or other existing functions. When reaching out to speakers for a seminar on “What to stop doing,” at the RBMS 2010 preconference in Philadelphia, I envisioned finding speakers who would report on the ways in which cessation . . .
Acute and chronic morphine effects on plasma corticosteroids and growth hormone in the cat

Abstract (1) Low doses of intravenous morphine in the cat caused an elevation of both corticosteroid and growth hormone in plasma. (2) Corticosteroid levels did not continue to increase in concert with the dose of morphine but the level of growth hormone did. (3) Tolerance developed to the effects of morphine on corticosteroids but not to the effect on growth hormone. (4) Naloxone precipitated withdrawal was associated with an increase in plasma corticosteroid but not growth hormone.
Cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and prostacyclin inhibit membrane phospholipase activity in platelets.

Abstract [ 14 C]-Arachidonic acid is incorporated mainly into phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine of horse platelet membranes. Treatment of washed platelets with thrombin leads to a rapid loss of radioactivity from these phospholipids. The liberated [ 14 C]-arachidonate is immediately transformed into hydroxyacids and thromboxanes. Treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP, cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors or prostacyclin, a newly discovered prostaglandin that stimulates platelet adenylate cyclase, prevents the action of thrombin on phospholipid break-down as well as on platelet aggregation. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP does not affect the metabolism of exogenous [ 14 C]-arachidonic acid. Cyclic AMP may thus play a crucial role in the regulation of platelet phospholipase acitivity, and this could explain at least in part the inhibition of aggregation caused by substances which, like prostacyclin, raise the levels of cyclic AMP.
Efficient Reasoning about Rich Temporal Domains

We identify two pragmatic problems in temporal reasoning, the qualification problem and the extended prediction problem, the latter subsuming the infamous frame problem. Solutions to those seem to call for nonmonotonic inferences, and yet naive use of standard nonmonotonic logics turns out to be inappropriate.
Vertical Dispersion from Surface and Elevated Releases: An Investigation of a Non-Gaussian Plume Model

Abstract The vertical diffusion of a passive tracer released from surface and elevated sources in a neutrally stratified boundary layer has been studied by comparing field and laboratory experiments with a non-Gaussian K-theory model that assumes power-law profiles for the mean velocity and vertical eddy diffusivity. Several important differences between model predictions and experimental data were discovered: 1) the model overestimated ground-level concentrations from surface and elevated releases at distances beyond the peak concentration; 2) the model overpredicted vertical mixing near elevated sources, especially in the upward direction; 3) the model-predicted exponent α in the exponential vertical concentration profile for a surface release [C(z) exp(−zα)] was smaller than the experimentally measured exponent. Model closure assumptions and experimental shortcomings are discussed in relation to their probable effect on model predictions and experimental measurements.
Is preconditioning by nicotine responsible for the better prognosis in smokers with acute myocardial infarction

Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for acute myocardial infarction and sudden death. However, a history of smoking consistently has been associated with better hospital outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The mechanism for the better outcome in smokers is not clear. It has been suggested that nicotine may have a “preconditioning-like” effect. This study assesses whether nicotine attenuates myocardial infarct size. Anesthetized rabbits were randomized to receive infusion of nicotine 80 μg/kg (n=13) or saline (n=12) over 10 min. Twenty minutes after termination of infusion all rabbits underwent 30 min of coronary artery occlusion and 4 h of reperfusion. Risk zone was assessed by blue dye and infarct size by tetrazolium staining. Nicotine did not affect regional myocardial blood flow 15 min after treatment, during occlusion, or during reperfusion. Heart rate and mean systemic blood pressure were similar between the groups. Nicotine serum levels during occlusion were 9.5–22.0 ng/ml in the treated group, which are comparable to levels found in human smokers. No differences were found in the risk zone of nicotine compared to control rabbits (26±2% vs. 23±2% of the left ventricle, respectively), or infarct size (31±5% vs. 37±4% of risk zone). Since no effect on infarct size was found, a third group receiving higher dose of nicotine, 320 μg/kg (n=6), was added. Infarct size was not different from the control group (39±6% of risk zone). Nicotine, given intravenously before ischemic insult, does not protect the myocardium. A “preconditioning-like” effect of nicotine is probably not the mechanism of reduced mortality in smoking patients with myocardial infarction.
Therapists' expectancies and treatment outcome: some overlooked factors.

Si~mmary.-A recent study found factored measures of therapists' expectancies significantly correlated with 8 of I5 objective measures of treatment outcome for hospitalized patients. A subsequent study of the same relat~onships using unfactored expectancy measures with a diagnostically homogeneous sample of patients showed therapists' expectancies significantly correlsted with 14 of 15 measures. This study reexamined the initial expectancy-outcome data using unfactored expectancy measures. The over-all results showed that characteristics of samples of subjects and the adequacy of expectancy measures both significantly influenced the results of tests of the expectancy-outcome
The Effect of Salt on Small, Artificial Lakes

: Northridge Lakes, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, receive runoff from a 3.8 square kilometer drainage area. Almost 30% of the watershed is covered by shopping centers, apartment buildings, and roadways. Deicing agents used on the paved areas, primarily NaCl with some CaCl2, dissolved in surface runoff and entered the lakes during the winter season. This highly saline inflow was denser than the receiving lake water and formed a saline-water stratum at the lakes' bottom. The salinity stratification remained stable until the spring thaw when a rapid decay began. After the stratification had disappeared, the lakes continued to act as a storage site for dissolved salts. Chloride concentrations in the lakes remained well above the levels found in natural lakes until the advent of the next salting season. Furthermore, outflow from the lakes also showed abnormally high salt concentrations year-round.
Improving Managerial Decision Making

In language that the practising manager can use, findings from several years of important research on managerial decision making are summarised. Four major traps of faulty decision making are identified and managers are shown how to avoid these traps and to improve their decision‐making skills.
The effect of time since training on house officers' retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills

Abstract Currently, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that physicians be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) every two years. This study was undertaken to determine the effects of time since training on retention of CPR skills of physicians and to identify at what point performance deteriorates to a level requiring retraining with supervised practice. The physicians' performance of CPR one year or less after training was compared with that of more than one year after training. Thirty-three medical residents who had been taught CPR by the same instructor were tested without warning for one-person CPR on a recording mannikin. Performance was evaluated according to AHA Heartsaver criteria. The data were analyzed by organizing all CPR steps or behavioral objectives into three categories: assessment, skills (which included ventilation and compression), and sequence (which included calls for assistance). The data suggest that the knowledge of CPR sequence remains stable and that assessment improves while skill performance deteriorates after one year. This apparent contradiction in overall CPR performance may relate to the effect of experience. Assessment may improve because of involvement in actual resuscitations in the hospital. Deterioration of skills may reflect the fact that senior residents do not actually perform CPR, but become team leaders and thereby lose their skills, or that poor performance is not corrected in actual “code” situations. If a two-year certification standard is maintained, CPR skill testing at least every 12 months should be considered. If skills have deteriorated, hands-on practice should be undertaken at that time.
Comparison of the activity of antibiotic combinations in vitro with clinical outcome and resistance emergence in serious infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in non-neutropenic patients

Techniques for demonstrating synergy in vitro were compared in testing different beta-lactam-aminoglycoside combinations against 30 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Poor concordance was noted among the results from chequerboard and 6 h and 24 h time-kill methods. Comparison of in-vitro synergy results with clinical outcome in 14 patients with pseudomonas infection showed that antagonism in the 24 h time-kill method was the most reliable prognostic indicator of clinical and bacteriological outcome. Although more than 70% of patients were cured clinically with cefsulodin or ticarcillin with tobramycin or amikacin, pseudomonas resistant to the beta-lactam emerged in 7 of 14 patients (50%); of those seven, three had poor clinical outcome. The rationale of adding aminoglycoside to beta-lactams against P. aeruginosa to prevent emergence of resistance needs closer examination.
Deposition dependence of zirconium tungstate (ZrW 2 O 8 ) based negative thermal expansion films for optical coatings

Zirconium tungstate-based thin films have been deposited with positive and negative thermal expansion coefficients, where the type of expansion appears to be critically dependent on the film density. Film deposition and characterization is presented.
Contribution of 1-nitropyrene to direct-acting Ames assay mutagenicities of diesel particulate extracts

Projections of future increases in the number of diesel powered U.S. passenger cars have raised concerns about potential adverse human health effects associated with diesel engine particulate exhaust (Pepelko et al., 1980). One concern has been carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), known for many years to be associated with diesel exhaust particles. A more recent concern, raised by experiments with the Ames Salmonella mutagenesis assay, has been the discovery that PAH may not be the only potential carcinogens in the diesel exhaust particles (Huisingh et al., 1978; Wang et al., 1978; Pepelko et al., 1980). These experiments have shown that organic solvent extracts of diesel exhaust particles are directly mutagenic (i.e., mutagenic without activation by mammalian tissue homogenate), whereas the predominant PAH identified in the extracts are mutagenic in the Ames assay only with activation (Searle, 1976; McCann and Ames, 1976; Gibson et al., 1978). We (Schuetzle et al., 1981) and others (Erickson et al., 1979) have identified many oxygenated derivatives of PAH in these extracts. Many of these derivatives could be direct-acting mutagens, but little is known yet about their mutagenicities or their concentrations in the extracts. One of the PAH derivatives identified was l-nitropyrene (I-NP) (Schuetzle et al., 1982), recently shown to be an extremely potent direct-acting mutagen in the Ames assay (Wang et al., 1980; LOfroth et al., 1980, Rosenkranz et al., 1980). Herein we report a rigorous determination of the percentage contribution of 1-NP to the direct-acting Ames assay mutagenicities of extracts of exhaust particles collected from 3 different diesel powered passenger vehicles. The percentage contribution, P, of 1-NP is given by:
Terminal axonal patterns in cat spinal cord. I. The lateral corticospinal tract.

Abstract 1. The terminal organization of lateral corticospinal fibers has been studied in young cats, utilizing the rapid Golgi method to enable complete visualization of presynaptic elements and the relevant postsynaptic array. 2. Collateral and terminal fibers enter the spinal grey matter at right angles from the descending bundle whose location has been rigorously delimited in a number of preceding degeneration studies. Terminations are developed over a fan-shaped area encompassing spinal laminae 4 through 7. 3. The relevant postsynaptic array in the cat is seen to consist of at least three general categories of proprioneurons as illustrated and summarized in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The most dorsal of these cell populations lies in lamina 4, thrusting its dorsomedial dendrite mass deeply into the neuropil of gelatinosa. Lateral dendrite masses from these elements project toward, and sometimes into the lateral corticospinal tract, receiving axon terminals along their length. The more ventral-lying proprioneurons of laminae 5 through 7 also receive l.c.s.f. terminals along their lateral dendrite masses. A different family of inputs reaches their medial-projecting shafts, thereby illustrating a high degree of segregation among the components of the presynaptic supply. The nerve cell body seems to serve as watershed between these systems, and receives a limited number of terminals from each. 4. Presynaptic neuropil masses generated by primary afferent collateral branches and l.c.s.f. elements appear overlapping or entirely congruent in parts of laminae 5 and 7. Complex intertwining of preterminal and terminal axonal segments in these areas suggest their potential as substrate for presynaptic inhibitory phenomena exerted by corticofugal elements on spinal mechanisms. 5. Physiological data suggest that lateral corticospinal fibers reach motoneurons exclusively via intercalated neurons in the cat. Golgi material supplies confirmatory evidence but also indicates that in the case of a limited number of motoneurons, dendrite shafts are thrust dorsad into the area of termination of l.c.s.f. and receive small numbers of axonal terminals at or near the dendrite shaft tips. Such endings may produce insignificant postsynaptic membrane changes insofar as the propagating response is concerned, but may at least represent structural anlage of the direct corticospinal-motoneuron connections found in more sophisticated mammalian forms. 6. Secondary dispersion of the l.c.s.f. system via internuncials intercalated along the route to final common pathway cells results in a spreading of single corticospinal fiber effects over as many as 6 to 8 spinal segments. The cortical pyramid-motoneuron synaptic linkage becomes increasingly direct along the sequence monkey-chimpanzeeman, probably providing increasing precision of cortical control over peripheral mechanisms.
Monte Carlo modeling for perfusion monitoring

A Monte Carlo method was developed to model light transport through multi-layered tissue with the application focused on the development of an implantable perfusion monitor. The model was developed and then verified experimentally with a micro perfusion phantom. The program modeled a three-layer (tissue, capillary bed, tissue) scenario to investigate the source-detector separation effects for an implantable sensor. The Monte Carlo code was used specifically to model the effects of absorption and scattering properties of the surrounding tissue, the hemoglobin concentration in the middle layer, the ratio of thickness of the capillary layer to the first layer, and the probe-source separation distance on the propagation of the light through the tissue. The model was verified experimentally, using a simple in vitro system with optical source and detector fibers separated at various distances. The model was also used to investigate fluctuations in luminance as a result of hemoglobin concentrations and the response of the system to various wavelengths. The model was helpful for an ongoing project to develop an implantable perfusion monitor for transplanted organs or skin flaps.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of dietary proteins on iron bioavailability—A review

Abstract In this review we have summarized the iron bioavailability literature dealing with protein (or major dietary protein source) effects and proposed a mechanism for these effects compatible with existing empirical data. Data from studies employing a variety of approaches are fairly consistent in showing that meats enhance non-heme iron absorption while plant, milk and egg proteins depress it. The variable, and sometimes opposite, effects of different proteins on iron bioavailability may be explained by the following proposed mechanism: (1) protein enhances iron bioavailability by releasing peptides during digestion which form soluble, low molecular weight complexes that readily release iron to mucosal receptors; (2) protein depresses iron bioavailability by releasing peptides which form insoluble complexes with iron or which form soluble complexes that do not release iron to mucosal receptors. Data from the literature, including our own evidence, which support the above hypothesis are discussed.
Interaction Between Gemfibrozil and Warfarin: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Possible procoagulant effects can occur when lipid-lowering fibric acid derivatives, such as gemfibrozil and fenofibrate, are taken concomitantly with warfarin. Although there are several detailed reports of fenofibrate potentiating the anticoagulant effects of warfarin, few case reports have been published regarding an interaction between gemfibrozil and warfarin. We describe a 62-year-old man who was taking warfarin for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and came to the anticoagulation clinic for a routine follow-up. For 9 months, the patient's international normalized ratio (INR) had been stable (target range 2.0-3.0) with warfarin 45 mg/week. At this clinic visit, however, his INR was supratherapeutic at 5.8; the only identified change in his drug therapy was the addition of gemfibrozil 600 mg twice/day, started 3 weeks earlier. The patient denied any changes in his dietary intake of vitamin K, alcohol use, or addition of nonprescription or herbal agents. Recent laboratory tests revealed no signs of thyroid abnormalities and only an insignificant elevation in his alanine aminotransferase level. His warfarin dose was decreased to 35-37.5 mg/week (a 22% reduction), and a therapeutic INR was maintained until gemfibrozil was later discontinued because of myalgia. After consecutive subtherapeutic INRs, his warfarin dose was increased to 45 mg/week and a therapeutic INR was maintained. Use of the Drug Interaction Probability Scale indicated that the likelihood of the gemfibrozil-warfarin interaction was probable. The exact mechanism of the proposed interactions between fibric acid derivatives and warfarin remains unknown but may be multifactorial through inhibition of cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, displacement from protein binding sites, or changes in coagulation factor synthesis. Regardless of the fibric acid derivative chosen, an empiric dosage reduction of 20% and close INR monitoring are warranted in patients receiving warfarin.
The effect of direct mail framing strategies and segmentation variables on university fundraising performance

Abstract This paper provides guidelines to charitable marketers in general, and university fund-raising managers in particular, regarding the effects of direct mail framing strategies and direct mail segmentation variables on the performance of university fundraising efforts. Several direct mail framing strategies (factors) were empirically tested in a designed fractional factorial experiment that allowed the determination of not only the (main) effect of each factor, but also their interaction effects. These framing strategies included four factors: size of anchor (suggested donation), frame valence (whether a frame is expressed in positive vs. negative terms), and inclusion or not of two independent types of reference information. In addition, we studied the impact of the traditional direct marketing variables, recency, frequency, and monetary (RFM), as well as various demographic factors. Two performance measures were considered: 1) response rate, and 2) size of gift. Results indicated, among other things, that to a large extent the two measures are affected by different factors.
Handling of actinomycin D by preimplantation mouse embryos.

Abstract Mouse embryos at the early blastocyst stage are much more sensitive to the lethal effects of actinomycin D at concentrations of ⩾0.1 μg/ml than are any of the other preimplantation stages. In the latter, concentrations of ⩾1 μg/ml prevent cleavage but do not cause cell death. This difference in sensitivity cannot be attributed to differences in the rate or extent of drug accumulation, since the less sensitive late blastocysts take up actinomycin D more rapidly and accumulate more than do the more sensitive early blastocysts. Earlier developmental stages accumulate actinomycin less rapidly and to a lesser total amount. The uptake process is not saturable under experimental conditions, with the rate of actinomycin D uptake being proportional to concentration up to 100 μg/ml. Following removal of embryos from the actinomycin, there is a gradual efflux of the drug, but significant amounts are still detectable within the embryos after 48 h. Although the zona pellucida does not affect actinomycin D uptake or efflux, temperature does have a marked effect. There is a 6- to 12-fold increase in rate of uptake between 24 and 37 °C, with a marked inflection or phase transition occurring at about 30 °C. This transition is much less prominent in unfertilized eggs, suggesting that a structural alteration in the membrane is produced by the fertilization process.
Bird species diversity in forest understory: Analysis of mist-net samples.

Mist-netted samples of forest understory birds in neotropical (Costa Rica) and temperate (Illinois) forests (during spring migration) supported certain earlier observations: the neotropical understory sample contained more species, more rare species, and more species that use resources not sufficiently available in temperate forest.During spring migration in Illinois, the number of bird species in a mist-netted sample of the community approaches (albeit temporarily) that of neotropical forests and is sometimes even equivalent. But the constitution of these samples seems to be quite different in different regions. Costa Rican samples showed greater within-habitat variability and individual recapture distances were shorter, implying a greater local patchiness of bird distributions than in Illinois in spring.
East and Midwest in American Academic Geography: Two Prosopographic Notes

This paper reexamines the conventional wisdom concerning the Midwestern origins of American academic geography at the doctoral level. Prosopographic analysis of 34 Ph.D.s awarded in geography between 1893 and 1921 finds that these were largely earned in Eastern universities, and that both Eastern and Midwestern institutions awarding doctorates in the field drew students primarily from the home region. By contrast, prosopographic examination of a second and later group, the faculty and graduate students at Clark University between 1921 and 1946, discloses an interregional pattern of recruitment closely tied to Midwestern institutions. Paradoxically, though sited in an Eastern university, early Clark geography was substantially Midwestern in personnel and program. Further institutional and prosopographic study of the early sites of graduate study is needed to reveal the complexity of American academic geography in its formative period.
Simple bond energy approach for non-destructive measurements of the fracture toughness of brittle materials

A simple bond breakage model for computing the fracture surface energy and toughness of a wide variety of brittle materials is presented and correlated against values reported in the literature for the single crystalline forms of these same materials. The correlation shows that this simple model can provide an accurate estimate for both the fracture surface energy and toughness of these materials. It is further shown that this simple model can be extended to amorphous materials with reasonable accuracy by normalizing the fracture surface energy of the crystalline material by the ratio of the density of the amorphous material vs. the density of the single crystalline material. Applications to thin film low-k materials and capabilities for non-destructive measurements are also discussed.
Massage therapy effects on depressed pregnant women

Eighty-four depressed pregnant women were recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy and randomly assigned to a massage therapy group, a progressive muscle relaxation group or a control group that received standard prenatal care alone. These groups were compared to each other and to a non-depressed group at the end of pregnancy. The massage therapy group participants received two 20 min therapy sessions by their significant others each week for 16 weeks of pregnancy, starting during the second trimester. The relaxation group provided themselves with progressive muscle relaxation sessions on the same time schedule. Immediately after the massage therapy sessions on the first and last days of the 16-week period the women reported lower levels of anxiety and depressed mood and less leg and back pain. By the end of the study the massage group had higher dopamine and serotonin levels and lower levels of cortisol and norepinephrine. These changes may have contributed to the reduced fetal activity and the better neonatal outcome for the massage group (i.e. lesser incidence of prematurity and low birthweight), as well as their better performance on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment. The data suggest that depressed pregnant women and their offspring can benefit from massage therapy.
Is There a Sacrifice-Free Solution to Climate Change?

John Broome claims that there is a sacrifice-free solution to climate change. He says this is a consequence of elementary economics. After explaining the economic argument in somewhat more detail than Broome, I show that the argument is unsound. A main problem with it stems from Derek Parfit's ‘nonidentity effect.’ But there is hope, since the nonidentity effect underwrites a more philosophical yet more plausible route to a sacrifice-free solution. So in the end I join Broome in asking economists and policymakers to help make this a reality.
Long-term facilitation in Aplysia involves increase in transmitter release

In a variety of vertebrates and invertebrates, long-lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission contributes to the storage of memory lasting one or more days. However, it has not been demonstrated directly whether this increase in synaptic transmission is caused by an enhancement of transmitter release or an increase in the sensitivity of the postsynaptic receptors. These possibilities can be distinguished by a quantal analysis in which the size of the miniature excitatory postsynaptic potential released spontaneously from the presynaptic terminal is used as a reference. By means of microcultures, in which single sensory and motor neurons of Aplysia were plated together, miniature excitatory postsynaptic potentials attributable to the spontaneous release of single transmitter quanta from individual presynaptic neurons were recorded and used to analyze long-term facilitation induced by repeated applications of 5-hydroxytryptamine. The results indicate that the facilitation is caused by an increase in the number of transmitter quanta released by the presynaptic neuron.
Computational Experience with a Parallel Algorithm for Tetrangle Inequality Bound Smoothing

Determining molecular structure from interatomic distances is an important and challenging problem. Given a molecule with n atoms, lower and upper bounds on interatomic distances can usually be obtained only for a small subset of the $$\frac{{n(n - 1)}}{2}$$ atom pairs, using NMR. Given the bounds so obtained on the distances between some of the atom pairs, it is often useful to compute tighter bounds on all the $$\frac{{n(n - 1)}}{2}$$ pairwise distances. This process is referred to as bound smoothing. The initial lower and upper bounds for the pairwise distances not measured are usually assumed to be 0 and ∞. One method for bound smoothing is to use the limits imposed by the triangle inequality. The distance bounds so obtained can often be tightened further by applying the tetrangle inequality—the limits imposed on the six pairwise distances among a set of four atoms (instead of three for the triangle inequalities). The tetrangle inequality is expressed by the Cayley—Menger determinants. For every quadruple of atoms, each pass of the tetrangle inequality bound smoothing procedure finds upper and lower limits on each of the six distances in the quadruple. Applying the tetrangle inequalities to each of the ( 4 n ) quadruples requires O(n 4) time. Here, we propose a parallel algorithm for bound smoothing employing the tetrangle inequality. Each pass of our algorithm requires O(n 3 log n) time on a CREW PRAM (Concurrent Read Exclusive Write Parallel Random Access Machine) with $$O\left( {\frac{n}{{\log n}}} \right)$$ processors. An implementation of this parallel algorithm on the Intel Paragon XP/S and its performance are also discussed.
Preparative electrophoresis with on-column optical fiber monitoring and direct elution into a minimized volume.

A “column-format” preparative electrophoresis device which obviates the need for gel extraction or secondary electro-elution steps is described. Separated biomolecules are continuously detected and eluted directly into a minimal volume of free solution for subsequent use. An optical fiber allows the species of interest to be detected just prior to elution from the gel column, and a small collection volume is created by addition of an ion-exchange membrane near the end of the column.
Carboxyl-terminal phosphorylation regulates the function and subcellular localization of protein kinase C βII

Protein kinase C is processed by three phosphorylation events before it is competent to respond to second messengers. Specifically, the enzyme is first phosphorylated at the activation loop by another kinase, followed by two ordered autophosphorylations at the carboxyl terminus (Keranen, L. M., Dutil, E. M., and Newton, A. C. (1995) Curr. Biol. 5, 1394–1403). This study examines the role of negative charge at the first conserved carboxyl-terminal phosphorylation position, Thr-641, in regulating the function and subcellular localization of protein kinase C βII. Mutation of this residue to Ala results in compensating phosphorylations at adjacent sites, so that a triple Ala mutant was required to address the function of phosphate at Thr-641. Biochemical and immunolocalization analyses of phosphorylation site mutants reveal that negative charge at this position is required for the following: 1) to process catalytically competent protein kinase C; 2) to allow autophosphorylation of Ser-660; 3) for cytosolic localization of protein kinase C; and 4) to permit phorbol ester-dependent membrane translocation. Thus, phosphorylation of Thr-641 in protein kinase C βII is essential for both the catalytic function and correct subcellular localization of protein kinase C. The conservation of this residue in every protein kinase C isozyme, as well as other members of the kinase superfamily such as protein kinase A, suggests that carboxyl-terminal phosphorylation serves as a key molecular switch for defining kinase function.
Kinetics of renaturation of denatured DNA. II. Products of the reaction.

The structure of renatured T4 DNA has been studied by CsCl density-gradient centrifugation. It has been found that the products of the reaction differ, depending on the method used for denaturation of the DNA. If denaturation is carried out without taking precautions to prevent chain degradation, for example, by heat, the DNA formed by renaturation shows approximately 70% recovery of the native structure as judged by its density. With long times of annealing, the DNA can recover the native density. This behavior is also observed with bacterial DNA samples. On the other hand, if precautions arc taken to prevent chain degradation during denaturation, two products appear as a result of renaturation. One of them is undistinguishable from native T4 DNA, whereas the second one consists of highly aggregated DNA which shows only a partial recovery of the native structure. With long times of annealing, this second species recovers the native density but retains its highly aggregated nature. At higher ionic-strengths, renaturation follows a different pattern and a single product is formed. The relevance of all these observations to the kinetic anomalies reported in the previous communication is discussed.
Patterns of variation in size of boat-tailed grackle Quiscalus major eggs

Boat-tailed Grackle Quiscalus major eggs averaged 8.09 g wet weight. Mean egg weight represented 8 05 % of female body weight. Based on egg weight, Grackle eggs have a shorter incubation period than the general passerine pattern. Egg weight varied significantly with sequence of laying and between clutches in both two-egg and three-egg clutches. Last laid eggs weighed less than first laid eggs. The mean weight of the first two eggs laid in three-egg clutches did not differ from the mean egg weight of two-egg clutches. The average clutch of two and three eggs weighed 16.33 g and 24.16 g, respectively. Mean egg weight varied between study colonies and with season. Grackles at East Lake laid eggs that weighed less than grackles at either Alligator Lake or North Lake. Eggs laid during March averaged less than eggs laid later in the season. The locality variation reflects the different timing of nesting between sites rather than food abundance. As nutrient provisioning increases with an increase in egg weight, the seasonal change in egg weight probably reflects improved feeding conditions for the female. This suggests that selection favours beginning laying before reserves of the female are sufficient to lay the largest egg possible. The size of the young at hatching was correlated with egg size. Newly hate had young averaged 79.6% of fresh egg weight. Egg weight did not determine the probability of hatching or starvation of the young. Females do not appear to adjust egg size facultatively depending on the sex of the young. Eggs producing males and females did not vary significantly in weight, whether comparisons were made within or between clutches.
Situational Referents of an Academic Setting and Locus of Control.

The study was designed to answer the following questions: whether the various situational influences of the school environment were perceived differentially by the student with regard to his locus of control, and which situational influence was most related to the academic achievement of the student? These questions were answered by administering the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire and two achievement tests to 1192 sixth and seventh grade students. Results indicated that those referents which were most perceptually distinct were parents/ teachers, peer/others, and achievement situations in which the tasks or goals were well defined. Overall, the situational influences most related to achievement were those which referenced parents, parental interaction, or the home environment.
What Influences Innovation Adoption by Water Managers? Climate Information Use in Brazil and the United States1

: This paper examines the use of climate forecasting in water management in Brazil and the United States (U.S.). Specifically, it seeks to understand how different institutional arrangements shape the willingness and ability of water managers to incorporate technoscience, especially seasonal climate forecasting (SCF), in their decision-making process. It argues that among the many factors shaping the willingness of water managers to use SCF, institutional design and change is critical to explain different patterns in Brazil and the U.S. Moreover, factors related to individual flexibility, discretion, and accountability also affect the ability of managers to use climate information in water management. This paper finds that while water managers in the U.S operate in a mostly fragmented and risk-averse system – which constrains the adoption of innovation – decision makers in Brazil can afford more flexibility to introduce new decision tools as a result of widespread water management reforms initiated in the 1990s.
Budgetary chaos and evasion: the case of somalia

In 1990 and 1991, several Sub-Saharan African nations (Liberia, Somalia, and Ethiopia) experienced violent disintegration of existing governments. Other nations (Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya, and Zaire) continued to show signs of being on the brink of violent upheaval, while Zambia experienced a major democratic shift in its government. The forces of change in Africa seem to be mirroring political change that has and continues to take place in eastern Europe and in the territories of the former Soviet Union. This paper is a case study of national budgetary and financial management during a period of national disintegration. The information comes from observations formed during the final days of the political regime of one of these Sub-Saharan African nations - the Republic of Somalia. The twenty-one year political regime of Mohamed Siad Barre in Somalia came to an end in January 1991 when rebel forces captured the capital city of Mogadishu, forcing Barre and his remaining followers to flee the capital....
From Digital Repositories to Information Habitats: H-Net, the Quilt Index, Cyber Infrastructure, and Digital Humanities

The growth of collaborative digital humanities projects has resulted in significant sets of diverse and important cultural materials stored digitally and freely available online. This paper presents two major collaborative digital humanities projects: H-Net: Humanities and Social Science OnLine and the Quilt Index. Through effective collaboration among humanities experts and information technologists, such culturally rich digital libraries can mature into information habitats where diverse scholars, teachers, researchers, students, and interested Web users can work with digital objects online.
Internet Search Result Probabilities Heaps' law and Word Associativity

Abstract We study the number of internet search results returned from multi-word queries based on the number of results returned when each word is searched for individually. We derive a model to describe search result values for multi-word queries using the total number of pages indexed by Google and by applying the Zipf power law to the words per page distribution on the internet and Heaps' law for unique word counts. Based on data from 351 word pairs each with exactly one hit when searched for together, and a Zipf law coefficient determined in other studies, we approximate the Heaps' law coefficient for the indexed worldwide web (about 8 billion pages) to be β = 0.52. Previous studies used under 20,000 pages. We demonstrate through examples how the model can be used to analyse automatically the relatedness of word pairs assigning each a value we call “strength of associativity”. We demonstrate the validity of our method with word triplets and through two experiments conducted 8 months apart. We then use...
Thermodynamics of complexation of lanthanides by 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids

Abstract The thermodynamic parameters (log β101, ΔH101, and ΔS101) for the formation of the 1:1 complexes between lanthanide cations and 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoate anions were determined by potentiometric and calorimetric titrations in aqueous solutions of 0.10 M (NaClO4) ionic strength at 25 °C.
Belief bias in the perception of sample size adequacy

In two experiments participants were instructed to set aside their own, complete knowledge of a statistical population parameter and to take the perspective of an agent whose knowledge was limited to a random sample. Participants rated the appropriateness of the agent's conclusion about the adequacy of the sample size (which, objectively, was more than adequate). They also rated the agent's intelligence. Whereas previous work suggests that unbelievable statistical conclusions impact reasoning by provoking critical thought which enhances the detection of research flaws, the present studies presented participants an unflawed scenario designed to assess effects of believability on bias. The results included the finding that participants’ complete knowledge did indeed bias their perceptions not only of the adequacy of the sample size, but also of the rationality of the agent drawing the conclusion from the sample. The findings were interpreted in the context of research on belief bias, social attribution, and...
Facile syntheses of isotope-labeled chiral octahydroindole-2- carboxylic acid and its N-methyl analog

We have synthesized deuterium and carbon-14 labeled enantiomerically pure octahydroindole-2-carboxylic acid (PD0140417), N-methyl octahydroindole-2-carboxylic acid (PD0348183) and their racemic analogs (PD0108405 and PD0338055). [ring-U-14C]PD0140417 was prepared from [ring-U-14C]benzoic acid in a seven-step synthesis in 6.2% overall radiochemical yield. [14C]PD0348183 was prepared from [14C]BaCO3 in a five-step synthesis in 16% radiochemical yield. Additionally, [D]PD0108405 and [D]PD0338055 were synthesized by direct platinum-catalyzed hydrogenation with deuterium gas.
Communicating with the Family of the Child with a Developmental Disability

As more families seek dental care for their disabled child from private practitioners, increased demands will be placed on the dentist and dental staff; many complications can be managed effectively if they consider parental attitudes toward the child’s handicap and the dental situation.
Further evidence for stroma lamellae as a source of Photosystem 1 fractions from spinach chloroplasts

Abstract The mechanism of digitonin action on spinach chloroplasts was investigated by thin sectioning. Evidence is presented which shows that digitonin continues to modify membranes for many minutes after the addition of the fixative glutaraldehyde. However, the action of digitonin can be stopped by simultaneous fixation and dilution of the detergent. Such experiments indicate that the initial action of digitonin is to release stroma lamellae which in turn yield a Photosystem 1 fraction. This interpretation is further supported by a significant correlation between the chlorophyll a chlorophyll b ratio and the ratio of stroma to grana lamellae in spinach chloroplasts.
In Vivo Expression of a Variant Human U6 RNA from a Unique, Internal Promoter†

We previously isolated a variant of the human U6 small nuclear RNA gene (87U6) and demonstrated that transcription of this gene is controlled by a novel internal promoter. It has now been shown tha...
Semi-isotropic model for radiation heat transfer.

A semi-isotropic model is proposed for radiation heat- transfer problems. This model accounts for the anisotropic intensity resulting from the boundary but invokes the isotropic approximation for the intensity resulting from blackbody emission. A general formulation of the semi-isotropic approximation is presented and two problems are considered in detail : a purely radiating medium and a radiating and conducting medium. The results are shown to be in very good agreement with exact and approximate calculations.
Design automation issues for biofluidic microchips

Biotechnologists have started to exploit the IC industry's planar microfabrication technology. The state of the art in planar biofluidic microdevices is reviewed as a way of introducing biochip design issues. As with transistor ICs, design aids that span the entire ICCAD program from modeling and simulation to synthesis and physical design are needed to address these issues. Hierarchical design representations, modeling abstractions, and algorithms pertaining to biochip design will be reviewed. Potential future challenges will be identified to motivate how the ICCAD community can contribute to this emerging area.
Mohs' micrographic surgery for the treatment of melanoma

Surgical excision with clear margins remains the treatment of choice for melanoma. Under appropriate conditions MMS may offer a means of achieving clear margins while sparing normal tissue. This requires a Mohs' surgeon expert in interpretation of melanocytic lesions and excellent technical support. As the popularity of special histologic stains continues to grow these may offer and additional means to increase sensitivity and specificity in the detection of melanoma.
Moral Commitment in Intimate Committed Relationships: A Conceptualization From Cohabiting Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Partners

The purpose of this study was to examine how a prominent framework of commitment, Johnson’s Tripartite Model, fits within the context of cohabiting same-sex and opposite-sex partnerships to test the applicability of the model to diverse types of relationships. Specifically, this study sought to operationalize the dimension of moral commitment, or the extent to which one feels obligated to stay in a relationship, as this construct has yet to be developed in intimate relationships outside of the marital context. The results provide support for Johnson’s Tripartite Model and provide researchers and counselors with a conceptualization of moral commitment from partners in cohabiting same-sex and opposite-sex relationships.