cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of polyphenolic compounds and radical scavenging activity of four American Actaea species

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with diode array detection has been developed for analysis of the major polyphenols in the roots and rhizomes of black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), an important botanical dietary supplement for women's health, and three closely related American Actaea species, A. rubra, A. pachypoda and A. podocarpa. The method was validated with respect to sensitivity, linearity, precision, accuracy and recovery. The total content of eight major polyphenols in the dried root and rhizome of the four species was determined to be from 0.36 to 2.92% (w/w). The antioxidant activities of Actaea extracts and polyphenolic compounds isolated from A. racemosa were evaluated on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals scavenging assay. The radical scavenging activity of the Actaea extracts correlates to their polyphenolic composition. This validated HPLC method can be used to distinguish A. racemosa from the other major American Actaea species based on this study. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Response of wheat cultivars to different soil nitrogen and moisture regimes: II. Nitrogen up‐take, partitioning and influx 1

Abstract Nitrogen (N) is one of the major mineral nutrients required for growth and development of plants. Soil water availability, N concentration at the root surface and the ability of plants to absorb N are the most important factors that affect N uptake and partitioning. The objective of this study was to use greenhouse and growth chamber environments to investigate how two contrasting water regimes (stress and nonstress) and different soil N concentrations affect the uptake and distribution of N among different plant parts of three cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at different stages of development Results showed that at the beginning of stem elongation and under non N limiting conditions, there was a high and positive correlation between shoot dry matter production and shoot N content. Under N deficient soils that received different N rates, shoot N content was more related to shoot N concentration than to dry matter. Root growth and N content of the ‘Saada’ cultivar were negatively affecte...
Assignment of Gas-Phase Dipeptide Amide Hydrogen Exchange Rate Constants by Site-Specific Substitution: GlyGly

Amide hydrogen deuterium exchange is widely used to probe conformations of gas-phase biomacromolecular ions. Meaningful interpretation of such experiments depends on relating the experimentally determined H/D exchange rate constants to specific exchangeable hydrogen sites on the molecule. Here, we present the first definitive assignment of H/D exchange rate constants for the N-terminal ammonium, amide hydrogen, and carboxyl hydrogens in diglycine, based on comparison of site-specific gas-phase H/D exchange rate constants for diglycine (GlyGly) and its selectively methylated homologues (GlySar, GlyGly-OMe, and GlySar-OMe). The present method may be extended to identification of site-specific H/D exchange rate constants for other dipeptides, to provide insight into H/D exchange reaction mechanisms.
Interaction of Cd and Zn during uptake and loss in the polychaete Capitella capitata: Whole body and subcellular perspectives

Abstract The interaction between Cd and Zn in aquatic organisms is known to be highly variable. The purpose of this study was to use a subcellular compartmentalization approach to examine Cd and Zn interactions in the deposit-feeding polychaete Capitella capitata (sp. I). Laboratory-reared C. capitata were co-exposed to Cd (background or 50 μg Cd l − 1 ) and Zn (background or 86 μg Zn l − 1 ) with 109 Cd and 65 Zn as radiotracers for 1 week. After the 1-week uptake period, subsets of worms were allowed to depurate accumulated metals for an additional 1 week. Worms from both phases (uptake and loss) were then subjected to subcellular fractionation to determine the compartmentalization of metals as metal-sensitive fractions [MSF — organelles and heat-denaturable proteins (HDP)] and biologically detoxified metals [BDM — heat-stable proteins (HSP) and metal-rich granules (MRG)]. Uptake and loss of Cd and Zn in C. capitata at the whole body level were similar at bkgd-Cd/bkgd-Zn, with worms depurating the majority of accumulated metal (∼ 75% Cd and ∼ 64% Zn). When exposure of Zn or Cd was increased (bkgd-Cd/86-Zn; bkgd-Zn/50-Cd), uptake of background levels of Cd or Zn, respectively, was suppressed by ∼ 50%. These accumulated metals, however, were retained during the loss phase resulting in ∼ 40–50% greater Cd and Zn whole body tissue burdens than those of bkgd-Cd/bkgd-Zn worms. Beyond exhibiting similar patterns of uptake and loss at the whole body level, Cd and Zn behaved similarly at the subcellular level. Under background levels (bkgd-Cd/bkgd-Zn), after uptake, worms partitioned a majority of Cd (∼ 65%) and Zn (∼ 55%) to the HSP and organelles fractions. The HDP and MRG fractions contained less than ∼ 6% of both metals. Following depuration, at bkgd-Cd/bkgd-Zn, Cd and Zn were lost from all subcellular fractions; loss from HSP was the greatest contributor to whole body loss. When exposed to elevated concentrations of Zn or Cd, the suppression in uptake of bkgd-Cd or bkgd-Zn observed in whole body uptake was largely due to suppressions in the storage of Cd and Zn to HSP. These results suggest that Cd–Zn interactions reduce partitioning of both Cd and Zn to HSP, indicating that metal-binding proteins such as metallothioneins play a key role in these interactions.
Observations on the geographic distribution, pathogenesis and morphology of the baculovirus from Penaeus monodon Fabricius

Abstract A baculovirus disease of Penaeus monodon Fabricius named monodon baculovirus (MBV) was found in populations of postlarval P. monodon that originated from three separate sources in the Southwestern Pacific region. The pathogenesis, lesion development and morphology of the virus was the same regardless of the origin of the P. monodon population. The apparent target organs and tissues for MBV are the hepatopancreatic tubule and duct epithelium of postlarvae, juveniles and adults, and the anterior midgut epithelium of very young postlarvae. It was not determined if MBV produces patent disease in the larval stages of P. monodon , nor how it is transferred from brood stock to their offspring. MBV disease may cause serious losses in compromised populations (especially in postlarvae and young juveniles), but under conditions favorable to the host, fewer mortalities occurred and only low-grade infections of the hepatopancreas were detected. Three stages in the pathogenesis of MBV disease were noted in the hepatopancreas. Stage 1 hepatopancreatocytes had slightly hypertrophied nuclei, but contained no occlusion bodies (a highly specialized type of inclusion body) and few completed virions; stage 2 cell nuclei also had hypertrophied nuclei, but contained developing occlusion bodies and completed virions; stage 3 cell nuclei contained mature occulusion bodies and abundant numbers of completed free and occluded virions. Cell necrosis and cytolysis or sloughing (releasing virus and occlusion bodies into the gut lumen) followed stage 3 development in living hosts. The morphology of MBV is consistent with members of the genus Baculovirus subgroup A. The MBV particles are rod-shaped, singly enveloped, and replicate in the nucleus, occur free or within proteinaceous polyhedral occlusion bodies, and are assumed to contain DNA as the nucleic acid type. The nucleocapsid of MBV measured 42 ± 3 nm by 246 ± 15 nm, while the enveloped virions measured 75 ± 4 nm by 324 ± 33 nm.
Changes in oral structures of the dog persisting after chronic overdoses of vitamin D.

Abstract Young dogs receiving daily excessive doses of vitamin D 2 and D 3 for a five-month period manifested profound pathologic changes, which included distorted and deformed roots, pathologic calcifications of connective tissues of the paradentium, hypercementosis, pulp stone formation, and advanced paradentosis. The changes persisted following a recovery period of similar duration. No evidence of healing or repair could be demonstrated. The warnings of other investigators regarding the danger of administering chronic excessive doses of vitamin D are further emphasized.
Universal Broadband: An Analysis of Global Stakeholders and the Pursuit of the Common Good

A new digital divide is emerging both within and between nations that is due to inequalities in broadband Internet access. To bridge the global broadband divide, organizations and individuals must collaborate to provide broadband access to a converged high-speed Internet for both rich and poor citizens worldwide. The authors argue that addressing this global problem is an ethical imperative that requires bridging the perspectives of multiple stakeholders and applying their collective resources, power and will. This paper develops a comprehensive framework, using stakeholder theory, which identifies the global stakeholders as well as the roles and responsibilities that these stakeholders must assume to balance their self-interest with serving the common good. The authorsâ€™ framework also highlights relationships between key stakeholders, namely governments and their citizens, businesses in the information and communication technology (ICT) industries, and other organizations. This paper makes four important observations that can guide governments and other stakeholders in bridging the broadband divide in pursuit of the common good.
Production of wound-tumor virus and wound-tumor soluble antigen in the insect vector☆☆☆

Abstract Relative concentrations of inftctive wound-tumor virus (WTV) in extracts from sweet clover tumors ( Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.) and insect vectors ( Agallia constricta (Van Duzee)) were measured by using an experimentally derived regression curve relating the concentration of virus injected into vectors to the wound-tumor soluble antigen (WTSA) titer reached in them 21 days later. The WTSA titers were determined by a precipitin ring-time test and were relative to the titer of a standard WTSA preparation. After injection of two different concentrations of WTV into groups of A. constricta the WTSA attained a plateau level earlier in the insects injected with the higher concentrations of WTV. Later the same WTSA plateau was attained in insects injected with the lower concentrations. After a 1-day acquisition access period, the WTSA and WTV concentrations in A. constricta rose steeply from day 6 to day 27 and then decreased slightly. The virus concentration increased 1000-fold between day 7 and day 30 after acquisition, and between day 30 and day 45 it decreased to about one-tenth of the peak concentration. The drop in the WTV and WTSA concentration was not caused by a hypothetical higher mortality among viruliferous than nonviruliferous insects.
On asymptotic expansions for the sixth-order linear theory problem of transverse bending of orthotropic elastic plates

Abstract We extend earlier considerations of the sixth-order linear theory problem of shear deformable orthotropic plates by a systematic analysis of the boundary layer problem along straight edges parallel to the directions of elastic symmetry of the plate. We extend the concept of ‘'soft'’ support as a condition for the smooth transition from the sixth-order theory to fourth-order theory in the limit of vanishing plate thickness to a concept of ‘almost soft’ support. Additionally, we obtain a generalized version of an earlier result concerning a system of boundary conditions for the differential equations of the classical fourth-order theory which is such that this fourth-order theory accounts for transverse shear deformation effects of the first order.
Depression, parenthood, and age at first birth

This study tests the hypothesis that the correlation between current depression and parenthood depends on the age at first birth for adults. An early first birth suggests a poor start in life. It may reflect a disordered transition from adolescence into adulthood and may itself disrupt that transition, with life long consequences that influence emotional well-being. To test the hypothesis we analyze data from a 1995 survey of 2592 US adults 18 through 95. Among the parents we find a generally negative association between age at first birth and recent feelings and signs of depression, adjusting for age, sex, minority status, and education of the respondent's parents. Respondents who had a first birth before age 23 report more feelings and signs of depression than do nonparents; those who had a first birth after age 23 report fewer than do nonparents. The association between depression and age at first birth is monotonic for males but parabolic for females. The age at first birth associated with the lowest predicted depression for females is around 30. Regression analyses indicate that several correlates account for the apparent psychological benefits of delaying first birth: later first marriages, higher educational attainment, lower risk of having had a prolonged period needing a job but not being able to find one, lower risk of having had periods lacking the money for household necessities, and better current physical health. For women, health consequences limit the emotional benefits of prolonged delay of the first birth.
Binding of drugs to cord plasma

The purpose of the present work is to compare the binding of several drugs—diphenylhydantoin (DPH), cephalothin (CPT), cephaloglycin (CPG), imipramine (IMI), and diazoxide (DX) to plasma from adults and from newborns. Adult plasma was collected from 3 healthy subjects and cord plasma from 9 term newborns. The drugs, except for DX, were 14C labeled. After equilibrium dialysis with the plasma sample, the % binding of drug to plasma was determined. In this series, the average albumin in the adult plasma is 4.1 and in cord plasma 3.4 gm%. For each of the drugs studied, the binding to adult plasma is greater than to cord plasma. The average value for binding of DPH to cord plasma is 74% compared to 83% bound in adult samples. Using CPT, 72% of the drug is bound in cord plasma and 80% in adult plasma. CPG is not highly bound and the difference is not striking (60% to cord plasma and 63% to adult plasma). The binding of IMI to adult plasma is 89% and to cord plasma is 74%, but this drug is bound to plasma proteins other than albumin since binding to 3% human albumin is only 61%. DX is a very hightly bound drug in both cord plasma (88%) and adult plasma (92%). The differences in binding between adult and newborn plasma can be correlated most clearly with reduced albumin concentration in the newborn. If adult plasma is diluted to the albumin concentration of cord plasma, the binding data are similar to that for cord plasma. The infant, with normally lower plasma albumin levels, will therefore have a greater fraction of free drug in plasma which is available for tissue distribution and for glomerular filtration.
Color and textural parameters of pressurized and heat-treated surimi gels as affected by potato starch and egg white

Abstract Alaska pollock (AP) and Pacific whiting (PW) surimi gels containing potato starch (PS) and/or egg white (EW) were induced with 400 and 650 MPa for 10 min at 20 °C and compared with heat-induced gels (90 °C, 40 min). Determination of textural parameters, compression tests, penetration tests and texture profile analysis were carried out. L ∗ , a ∗ , and b ∗ values were also determined. Pressure treatment improved whiteness of surimi gels as compared with heat-treated surimi gels, whereas additives did not. The whiteness of AP surimi gels varied from 67.2% to 76.7%, while the whiteness of PW surimi gels varied from 62.3% to 76.9%. At 400 MPa, whiteness values were 10% higher than heated gels. However, at 650 MPa whiteness increased 8%. Gels scored the maximum of 5 in the folding test irrespective of pressure applied or additives. Gel strength behaves differently in AP and PW surimi gels. For AP surimi gels an improvement was observed at 400 MPa as compared with heat-induced gels, whereas in PW surimi gels no improvement was observed.
An experimental itch model in monkeys: characterization of intrathecal morphine-induced scratching and antinociception.

SINCE the first study1 to report that intrathecal morphine produced prolonged pain relief in patients, the intrathecal technique has been widely used for obstetric analgesia and postoperative pain.2-4 It is clear that the application of spinal opioids has become one of the most significant breakthroughs in pain management during the last two decades. However, the most common side effect of spinal opioid administration is pruritus, which sometimes is severe and may lessen the value of spinal opioids for pain relief.4,5 A variety of therapeutic agents have been proposed as antipruritics, but they are effective with variable success.4,5 The development of experimental itch models is valuable for identifying potential antipruritic agents and investigating underlying mechanisms. In rodents, intracisternal administration of morphine has been shown to evoke scratching responses.6,7 However, this centrally administered morphine-induced scratching only lasted for 1 h.6 Currently, there is no report indicating that intrathecal morphine induces scratching behaviors in rodents. Although high doses of intrathecal morphine produced allodynia-like behaviors in rats, these effects were not reversed by opioid antagonists.8 In nonhuman primates, intrathecal morphine has been shown to produce prolonged antinociception.9,10 Nevertheless, characterization of intrathecal morphine-induced scratching responses in terms of dose-response and duration has not been systematically evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish the pharmacologic basis of intrathecal morphine effects in nonhuman primates for scratching responses and antinociception. The time course and dose dependency of both behavioral end points were evaluated in the same subjects over an extensive dose range. Furthermore, a long-acting opioid antagonist, nalmefene,11,12 was used to assess its capacity in attenuating scratching responses and to determine if opioid receptors were involved differently in scratching and antinociception.
An investigation of the origins and efficiencies of higher-order nonlinear spectroscopic processes

Abstract We propose extending the site selection and mode selective capabilities of four-wave mixing spectroscopies to room-temperature samples using six-wave mixing to develop multiple Raman resonances. Calculations predict a coherent higher-order Raman excitation spectroscopy (CHORES) should be observable at excitation intensities > 1 GW / cm 2 , but there is also competition from a sequential CARS (SCARS) process. The SCARS mechanism dominates over CHORES for electronically non-resonant excitations. Since SCARS and CHORES have identical dependencies on both input intensities and resonances, phase-matching considerations must be used to spatially separate their respective contributions.
OPTICAL DATA STORAGE USING A SOLID IMMERSION LENS

A near-field optical technique, using a new type of Solid Immersion Lens (SIL), has been developed and applied to the writing and reading of domains in a magneto-optic material. The SIL is a truncated glass sphere which serves to increase the numerical aperture of the optical system by n2, where n is the index of refraction of the lens material. By mounting a 1 mm SIL on a slider, we have been able to fly the SIL on a magneto-optical disk. We have demonstrated writing and reading with such a lens at data rates exceeding 1 Mbit/s with a carrier-to-noise ratio of approximately 50 dB. Using a 830 nm laser and a n = 1.5 SIL, the focused spot size was reduced by close to a factor of 2 and was measured to be 600 nm.
Post-anesthetic hyperthermia in cats.

Abstract Objective To assess whether administration of hydromorphone and, or ketamine are associated with post-anesthetic hyperthermia in cats undergoing routine surgery. Study design Prospective clinical study. Animals Forty healthy, adult cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy (OVH), castration, or declaw surgery. Materials and methods Each cat was assigned randomly to one of four groups (n = 10). For pre-anesthetic medication, all cats received subcutaneous (SC) glycopyrrolate (0.01 mg kg−1) and acepromazine (0.02 mg kg−1) and either hydromorphone (0.1 mg kg−1 SC) or medetomidine (7.5 μg kg−1 SC). Anesthesia was induced with either diazepam (0.1 mg kg−1) and ketamine (5 mg kg−1) or propofol (6 mg kg−1 injected to effect). Group 1 (HDK) received hydromorphone and diazepam-ketamine. Group 2 (HP) received hydromorphone and propofol. Group 3 (MDK) received medetomidine and diazepam-ketamine. Group 4 (MP) received medetomidine and propofol. Rectal temperature was measured before drugs were given, at tracheal extubation and at hourly intervals for 5 hours thereafter. Results During the 5 hours after anesthesia and surgery, at least one cat in every group had a rectal temperature >39.2 °C (102.5 °F). The percentage of observations for which a cat's temperature exceeded its pre-anesthetic temperature in groups HDK, HP, MDK, and MP were 86%, 80%, 25%, and 34%, respectively. Maximum temperatures in groups HDK, HP, MDK, and MP were 41.6 °C (107.0 °F), 40.3 °C (104.2 °F), 39.2 °C (102.6 °F), and 40.1 °C (104.1 °F), respectively. By 5 hours after tracheal extubation there were no differences in temperature between the treatment groups. Conclusion For up to 5 hours following anesthesia and surgery, cats might have body temperatures that exceed their pre-anesthesia body temperatures. The use of hydromorphone is associated with post-anesthetic hyperthermia. However, hyperthermia may occur when other drugs are used. Clinical relevance Cats given hydromorphone should be closely monitored for hyperthermia following anesthesia and surgery.
Development and Application of Mechanical and Reliability Models for Connectors and Sockets

Designing a modern server today requires considerable attention to interconnect details. Connectors & sockets represent a class of interconnect that find abundant use in most computers. Due to their continual evolution toward smaller footprints, tighter pitch, shorter paths, and better electrical performance, connectors and sockets are at the technological forefront in computer packaging. The challenges in designing, understanding, and applying connectors & sockets can be addressed through the application of advanced modeling techniques. This paper will address the development and application of mechanical models for a Rambus In-line Memory Module (RIMM® ) connector and a Land Grid Array (LGA) interposer socket. Common issues of material properties, appropriate boundary conditions, and loads will be addressed. The models are applied to show the importance in understanding: connector design, friction, load-unload hystereses, and non-linear contacting.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Lévy statistics of water wave forces

Abstract A newly developed technique for determining the statistical properties of random forces with long-range and long-time correlations is applied to the loading of ships and platforms by wind-generated water waves. Using empirical spectra for the vertical displacement of the sea surface we find that the random forces produced by the surface wave field in high sea states are Levy stable rather than Gaussian. These Levy statistics imply a shorter survival time for ships and platforms than had been previously estimated using Gaussian statistics.
Challenges to grounding in human-robot interaction

We report a study of a human-robot system composed of a science team (located in Pittsburgh), an engineering team (located in Chile), and a robot (located in Chile). We performed ethnographic observations simultaneously at both sites over two weeks as scientists collected data using the robot. Our data reveal problems in establishing and maintaining common ground between the science team and the robot due to missing contextual information about the robot. Our results have implications for the design of systems to support human-robot interaction.
Improved techniques for studies of mass balances and fractionations among families of metals within terrestrial ecosystems

From a remote, pristine study area the authors collected and analyzed samples for K, Rb, Cs, Ca, Sr, Ba and Pb. The results show that heavy metals move through natural ecosystems in a predictable manner relative to lighter elements of the same periodic family. Four developments which refine these measurements and enhance the interpretation of the results are: (1) a technique for collecting a soil moisture film; (2) a device for the collection of dry deposition of aerosols; (3) a procedure for the removal of foliar deposits from the surface of plant leaves; (4) a method of collecting a snow sample representative of the entire accumulated snowpack.
Relation of cell cycle position and chromatin decondensation to ectopic hormone synthesis in HeLa cells

Ectopic synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in HeLa cells, mediated by sodium butyrate, is shown to be associated with cell cycle position in late G1 or early S phase where decondensation of chromatin is maximal. Inhibitors or conditions of culture that block HeLa cells in earlier stages of G1 do not increase hormone production. The time course of butyrate-mediated hCG synthesis shows a direct correlation with the degree of chromatin decondensation in synchronized HeLa cells. Using synchronized cultures, both late G1 and butyrate-treated G2 cells were observed to synthesize large amounts of hormone. However, the chromatin of butyratetreated G2 HeLa cells resembles late G1 chromatin in its maximal decondensation. These findings suggest that ectopic hormone production in neoplastic cells may be related to decondensation of chromatin irrespective of the position of cells in the cell cycle.
Receptor mediated uptake of a radiolabeled contrast agent sensitive to β-galactosidase activity

Abstract Radiolabeling of the MRI contrast agent 1-[2-(β-galactopyranosyloxy)propyl]-4,7,10-tris(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane with 111 In, and its evaluation is reported. Radiolabeling was performed in acetate buffer with 50–78% radiochemical yield. In vitro studies revealed that the asialoglycoprotein receptor-poor cell line MH1C1 has low uptake, while the receptor-rich cell lines BNL-CL2 and Hep G2 have higher uptake. In vivo , the uptake of the compound in receptor-rich organ liver was very high. Blocking the receptor in vivo, reduced liver uptake by 90% suggesting that the compound localizes in receptor-enriched tissues by binding to the asialoglycoprotein receptor.
Strange, Inhuman Deaths: Murder in Tudor England – By John Bellamy

In the author's newest foray into Tudor legal culture, we are introduced to the place murder held in society through an examination of both its criminal characteristics and of the way in which the ...
3D characterization of individual multiphase particles in packed particle beds by X-ray microtomography (XMT)

Abstract The cone beam X-ray micro-computerized tomography (XMT) instrumentation is state-of-the-art, non-invasive technology now used effectively for several years to describe important characteristics of packed particle beds in three-dimensional (3D) detail. The micro-CT makes use of X-rays to reconstruct a 3D image of the sample under study where the digital data is directly related to the composition of the material, therefore providing considerable information. For example the XMT data can be used to determine the mineral composition and spatial distribution of mineral phases in addition to other information. Advanced computer techniques are used for 3D image processing and data analysis, for example 3D watershed segmentation and finite mixture distribution (FMD) modelling. The methodology for analysis and characterization of packed particle beds is discussed and the analysis of a copper ore sample is presented to illustrate the approach.
Alternative Solutions to Underinvestment, Under Equity and Credit Rationing

We compare alternative solutions to underinvestment (UI) problems in firms subject to limited access to equity markets, interest ceilings, and constraints on the volume of debt. Collaterals (assets or compensating balances) and credit insurance (‘regular’ or ‘outcome’ insurance whereby the premium is paid at the end of the insurance period) are compared on the basis to their costs and their effective use of financial sources. It is shown that when there is no moral hazard problem, credit insurance is the most effective instrument. Otherwise, ‘outcome’ insurance program is the most effective one.
An analysis of melanogenesis in cultured chick embryo spinal ganglia

Abstract When sensory ganglia are removed from the 4-day chicken embryo and cultured in vitro , some cells appear after several days in culture which contain melanin pigment. Pigment cell differentiation occurs less frequently in cultures of slightly older ganglia, and does not occur at all in cultures of ganglia explanted from embryos older than 6 days. From these results and other considerations, we conclude that some cells in the nascent ganglion produce pigment in vitro when they would not normally do so in situ . It has been suggested that the degree of dispersion may influence the differentiation of pluripotent neural crest cells ( Weston and Butler, 1966 ). The facts (1) that conditions in culture promote the disruption of the structural integrity of the explanted ganglion and the dispersion of its cells, and (2) that pigment usually appears in the peripheral outgrowths of such cultures, are consistent with this suggestion. The mechanism by which dispersion might effect expression of the pigment phenotype is not known. Ganglion cultures were treated with actinomycin D (AD) and cytosine arabinoside (CA) to discriminate between the possibilities (1) that the capacity to make pigment existed in some cells of the ganglion at the time of explanation and (2) that this capability arose in some of these cells as a consequence of the environmental conditions in vitro . The appearance of pigment cells in cultures of young sensory ganglia is sensitive to AD and CA during the first few days in culture, but becomes relatively insensitive to such treatment later in the culture period. These results suggest that some developmentally significant events, presumably involving DNA synthesis and perhaps some DNA-dependent RNA synthesis, must occur during the first few days in culture before the pigment phenotype may be expressed by cells in the cultured ganglion.
Pulsatile administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone does not alter the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) isoform distribution pattern of pituitary or circulating FSH in nutritionally growth-restricted ovariectomized lambs

The experimental induction of puberty by GnRH administration to prepubertal lambs increases serum bioactive FSH (B-FSH) as measured in the rat Sertoli cell aromatase induction bioassay. Serum immunoreactive FSH (I-FSH) levels are unchanged. The increase in serum B-FSH is associated with an increase in the proportion of less acidic and more biopotent FSH serum isoforms. However, it is unknown if this effect of GnRH on serum FSH microheterogeneity is direct or mediated by gonadal factors. We have used the nutritionally growth-restricted ovariectomized lamb as a model of the neuroendocrine regulation of FSH isoform microheterogeneity. With this model, the hypothalamic-pituitary component of the neuroendocrine axis may be isolated from gonadal factors. In the present study, using the nutritionally growth-restricted ovariectomized lamb as a model, we investigated the role of GnRH on the regulation of FSH microheterogeneity. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that GnRH increases the proportion of the less acidic (more biopotent) serum FSH isoforms. As an in vitro correlate, we investigated the effect of GnRH on gonadotropin secretion and FSH isoform distribution in ovine pituitary explant cultures. Seven ovariectomized nutritionally restricted lambs were administered GnRH (i.v., 2 ng/kg) for 36 h (at 2-h intervals for 24 h, then hourly for the final 12 h). Six others served as controls. Blood samples were withdrawn at 12-min intervals during the last 4 h for the measurement of serum immunoactive LH (I-LH) and I-FSH. Pituitary homogenates and serum from four animals from each group were individually chromatofocused, and the FSH isoform distribution patterns were determined. Pulsatile administration of GnRH to nutritionally growth-restricted lambs increased circulating I-LH concentrations from 0.6 +/- 1.0 to 5.9 +/- 3.1 ng/ml (P < 0.01), but did not significantly change circulating I-FSH (4.9 +/- 1.8 vs. 11.5 +/- 4.2 ng/ml) nor B-FSH concentrations (3.9 +/- 1.2 vs. 5.7 +/- 1.5 ng/ml). The pituitary content of I-FSH, B-FSH, and I-LH were unchanged. Neither serum nor pituitary FSH isoform distribution patterns were altered by pulsatile GnRH administration. However, compared to the pituitary FSH isoforms, a higher percentage of circulating FSH isoforms eluted in the salt peak of both groups of lambs. Similar to the in vivo studies, in vitro, GnRH increased the release of I-LH, as well as I-FSH, from pituitary explants, but did not significantly change the FSH isoform distribution in either the pituitary explant or media.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Near-edge sodium and fluorine K -shell photoabsorption of alkali halides

The x-ray-absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra of single-crystal alkali halide salts have been measured at low temperature (T\ensuremath{\approxeq}80 K) with high resolution in energy. By employing the electron partial-yield detection technique, spectra of NaF, NaCl, and NaBr were obtained near the sodium K edge and spectra of LiF, NaF, and KF were obtained near the fluorine K edge. All spectra showed sharp absorption features at the absorption threshold and broader features extending 50--80 eV above threshold. Some narrow features close to threshold are attributed to core-level excitons. Contributions from atomic multiple-electron excitations, estimated by a comparison to the K-edge photoabsorption spectrum of Ne in the gas phase, are found to be very small. Thus, the intense broader peaks observed further above threshold arise from single-electron scattering resonances. These highly structured spectra of well-characterized ordered crystals provide a set of standard data which is used to test the multiple-scattering x-ray-absorption code feff v. For some spectra, at photon energies more than \ensuremath{\approxeq}10 eV above threshold, the calculations achieve very good agreement with experiment. The dependence of the calculation on cluster size, order of scattering, and choice of self-energy is demonstrated.
Defects and metal states: Towards a predictive model for the Schottky barrier.

In the presence of metallic states, deposition-generated midgap levels at the semiconductor surface evolve into resonances that accommodate the fractional charge density that ultimately determines the Fermi level and hence the Schottky-barrier height. This concept is applied to calculate both the barrier heights of GaAs for nonalloyed metal-semiconductor interfaces, and the index-of-interface behavior for 15 tetrahedrally coordinated semiconductors.
THE EFFECT OF SALT ADMINISTRATION ON THE RENAL PROTEIN-BOUND SULFHYDRYL CONCENTRATION IN THE RAT.

The oral administration of ammonium chloride, sodium bicarbonate or hypertonic sodium chloride to rats caused a decrease in renal cellular protein-bound sulfhydryl (PBSH). A similar effect can be produced by dehydration or the injection of vasopressin. Isotonic saline administration did not produce these PBSH changes or did ammonium chloride or hypertonic sodium chloride produce PBSH changes in hypophysectomized rats. It is thus likely that these salts produced a discharge of antidiuretic hormone via the supraoptico-hypophysial system which in turn produced the PBSH changes described.
Microstructural analysis of laser micro-welds between copper and aluminum

Currently used ultrasonic welded joints for assembly and packaging of Li-Ion batteries have reliability concerns for automotive applications, as the battery is subjected to vibration and other mechanical loads. The sealing of the battery can is very critical for safety. Due to battery weld failures in recent years, the postal service has put ban on shipping Li-ion batteries via regular mail. A laser based alternative joining technology has the potential to offer robust, fast and cost-effective processing of Li-Ion batteries. Before the technology can be fully implemented, it is imperative to understand the effects of various process parameters on the robustness of the weld. In the present analysis, a preliminary study is performed to understand the effect of laser scanning speed on the micro-structural and physical characteristics of the materials in the weld area that ultimately affect the bond quality. Samples are created by welding aluminum and copper in lap shear configuration using a continuous wave fiber laser. Two sets of samples are created using a laser power of 225 W; however, the scanning speeds are 300 and 400 mm/s. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy are performed in the weld area to understand the microstructural and physical characteristics of the joint that may have been affected by the processing parameters.
Effect of nitrogen fertilizer rate on soil nitrate nitrogen content after harvesting winter wheat.

The nitrate nitrogen content of the soil (0–90 cm) was measured immediately after the harvest of winter wheat at eight sites in central and eastern England in 1987 and 1988. On average, 50% of the total nitrate detected was in the 0–30 cm, 30% in the 30–60 cm and 20% in the 60–90 cm soil horizon. Although soil nitrate N increased with the amount of N fertilizer applied, it was not a linear relationship. There were small nonsignificant increases in soil nitrate up to the optimum fertilizer rate for yield but, once the optimum was reached, further addition of fertilizer increased nitrate contents significantly.Therefore, applying the correct quantity of N for high grain yield did not significantly increase soil nitrate residues after harvest compared with the no-fertilizer treatment. This emphasizes the importance of applying the appropriate rate of N for each crop, because applying too much is not only uneconomic but also significantly increases the amount of mineral N which could be subsequently leached over the winter.
The effect of abundant precipitation on coal fire subsidence and its implications in Centralia, PA

Abstract Abundant precipitation in 2011 resulted in the formation of nine new sinkholes and many other, smaller subsidence features associated with a coal fire in Centralia, PA. Additionally, fire vent temperatures decreased following prolonged precipitation associated with Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Just over 185-cm of precipitation were measured for central Pennsylvania, which is nearly twice the annual amount and represents the wettest year on record. Precipitation infiltrated the soil and bedrock, and interacted with hot bedrock in the subsurface location of the coal fire. Steam and other gases moved along the pillar structures, through mined-out coal areas, and escaped at the surface exhaust vents along the fire front. Surface regolith and bedrock softened and with the increased water weight, collapsed, producing subsidence features. As a result, sinkholes up to 1.8-m deep and 26-m wide formed. Some of these features have coalesced, forming even larger ellipse-shaped troughs. These subsidence features were mapped along the Bottom, Middle, and Top splits of the Buck Mountain coal from the Llewellyn Formation (middle to upper Pennsylvanian). Aerial thermal infrared images (TIR) reveal the sinkholes and fractures occur in alignment with three thermal anomalies associated with gas and heat release. This may indicate that mined-out coal beds act as conduits for heat circulation or that multiple beds of anthracite coal are on fire in the subsurface in Centralia.
Influence of factors affecting germination on respiration of Phacelia tanacetifolia seeds.

Germination of the seeds of Phacelia tanacetifolia is inhibited by light. Removal of that part of the covering structures of the seeds which directly covers the radicle allows full germination in light. The rate of O2 uptake in the seeds increases following imbibition, and reaches the same steady rate in light and in darkness after 3 hr. From the 14 th hour on, dark-imbibed seeds show a linear increase in the rate of respiration. This increase is not observed in “dormant” seeds incubated in light. In normal dark germination, protrusion of the radicle begins at 12 th hour following soaking, and by the end of 18 th hour approximately 60% of the seeds have germinated. The seeds which have been scarified at the radicle end and germinate readily in light show a steady increase in QO2. If scarified seeds are allowed to imbibe 0.3 M mannitol and are then incubated in light, the embryo does not grow and the pattern of O2 uptake becomes identical with that of intact seeds in light. Mannitol, however, does not inhibit respiration by itself. These observations indicate that the increased O2 uptake is the result rather than the cause of seed germination, and that light does not cause dormancy by inhibiting O2 uptake. Measures effective in releasing dormancy (dark incubation, mechanical scarification, gibberellin treatment) do not induce germination by facilitating oxygen entry.
Transitional Violence in King of New York

Abel Ferrara’s violent and controversial film, King Of New York, follows the escalating violence and resulting trail of corpses between mobster Frank White (a psychotic sort of Robin Hood) and a group of detectives attempting to arrest him. The goal of this paper is to utilize Elizabeth Swanson Goldberg’s grammar of transition as a structural device to identify negative connections that highlight and foreshadow sources of violence in King of New York. However, simply noting the process of these transitions is insufficient to the paper’s broader purpose; if one is to investigate the causal elements of violence through structural analysis of transitional grammar, Rene Girard’s psychological framework is also necessary. Hence, this paper will argue that, in the film, the law acts as a metaphysical border separating the two groups (gangsters and police officers) until mimetic rivalry escalates into violence. This escalation can be witnessed through the progression of transitional grammar; as negative connections intensify, subtle juxtapositions turn into blatant repetitions. As the doubling escalates, the metaphysical border of the law diffuses into a blurred dichotomy where the two groups become identical and the most virulent connection takes place: the cycle of violence (or, Girard’s mimetic contagion).
Gray scale sonography of breast masses in adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVE To assess the sonographic findings of breast masses in adolescents and the usefulness of sonographic patterns for suggesting a specific diagnosis. METHODS The sonograms and medical records of 57 girls (mean age, 15.4 years) with palpable breast masses were retrospectively reviewed. Three observers reviewed the sonograms for multiple sonographic findings. Surgery or clinical findings established diagnoses. Statistical analysis was done to determine how well sonographic findings alone and in combination agreed with final histologic diagnoses. RESULTS Diagnoses included cysts (n = 12), abscesses (n = 7), fibroadenomas (n = 36), a lactating adenoma (n = 1), and a phyllodes tumor (n = 1). The sonographic findings varied significantly among lesion types (P < or = .005). CONCLUSIONS Our experience suggests that virtually all breast masses in a pediatric population are benign and that sonography has the ability to differentiate among cystic, inflammatory, and solid masses.
Failure of Recombinant Activated Factor VII in Treatment of Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage due to Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a serious complication of the small vessel vasculitis syndromes and carries a high mortality. Recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) is used to treat bleeding in patients with hemophilia and antibodies to factor VIII or IX. It is increasingly being used in life-threatening hemorrhage in a variety of other settings in which conventional therapy is unsuccessful. Randomized controlled trials of rFVIIa in DAH are lacking. However, several case reports have described a complete or sustained control of DAH using rFVIIa after patients failed to respond to medical treatment. There are no case reports in the literature describing the use or the failure of rFVIIa in DAH associated with cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. We here report the failure of rFVIIa to control DAH in a patient with CD5+ B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and cryoglobulinemic vasculitis.
Tropical Cyclogenesis via Convectively Forced Vortex Rossby Waves in a Shallow Water Primitive Equation Model

This work examines further the problem of tropical cyclogenesis by convective generation of vertical vorticity within a preexisting cyclonic circulation whose initial maximum tangential wind is approximately 5 m s 21. This paper validates and extends recent work examining the suggested upscale cascade mechanism in a three-dimensional quasigeostrophic framework using a simple shallow water primitive equation (SWPE) numerical model and helps clarify certain aspects of the Rossby adjustment problem on a nonresting basic state for finite-amplitude nonaxisymmetric disturbances. The SWPE approach serves as a meaningful intermediate step between the quasigeostrophic and full-physics frameworks and allows a simple investigation of the effects of unbalanced dynamics (contributions of gravity waves) and Rossby numbers of order unity. The authors compare quantitative results of the two models on the storm spinup time and magnitude. For asymmetric initial conditions whose mass and wind field are out of balance, robust spinup is still obtained provided the initial asymmetries possess a significant vortical component. Episodic convective forcing parameterized via unbalanced vorticity anomalies is shown to lead to spinup of a tropical storm strength vortex on a timescale of approximately 40 h. When the convective vorticity anomaly has a large amplitude compared to the initial 5 m s21 basic-state vortex, the convective anomaly becomes the dominant or ‘‘master vortex,’’ remaining essentially intact and shearing the basic-state vortex. This behavior is understood heuristically in terms of a ‘‘vortex beta Rossby number,’’ which provides a local measure of the strength of the nonlinear terms in the vorticity equation compared to the corresponding linear vortex Rossby wave restoring term. Additional experiments show that, if the convection in a single pulse mode occurs in multiple patches (or ‘‘subclusters’’) rather than in a single cluster with equal cyclonic circulation, a reduced spinup is obtained. This effect is captured in simulations with a nonlinear nondivergent semispectral model, establishing that gravity wave dynamics are not responsible for the reduction of spinup in the multiple-cluster case. A wave-mean-flow approximation with the nondivergent model also reproduces the effect of a reduced spinup with multiple-cluster convection. The applicability of the wave-mean-flow approximation at these finite amplitudes is explained by the fact that the vortex beta Rossby number of these configurations is not large. A case study using satellite observations shows that, although the observations are for a tropical storm rather than for genesis, an intensification mechanism similar to that discussed here is suggested. Further tests of the theory are proposed.