cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Desmin common mutation is associated with multi-systemic disease manifestations and depletion of mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA

Desmin (DES) is a major muscle scaffolding protein that also functions to anchor mitochondria. Pathogenic DES mutations, however, have not previously been recognized as a cause of multi-systemic mitochondrial disease. Here, we describe a 45-year-old man who presented to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Mitochondrial-Genetics Diagnostic Clinic for evaluation of progressive cardiac, neuromuscular, gastrointestinal, and mood disorders. Muscle biopsy at age 45 was remarkable for cytoplasmic bodies, as well as ragged red fibers and SDH positive/COX negative fibers that were suggestive of a mitochondrial myopathy. Muscle also showed significant reductions in mitochondrial content (16% of control mean for citrate synthase activity) and mitochondrial DNA (35% of control mean). His family history was significant for cardiac conduction defects and myopathy in multiple maternal relatives. Multiple single gene and panel-based sequencing studies were unrevealing. Whole exome sequencing identified a known pathogenic p.S13F mutation in DES that had previously been associated with desmin-related myopathy. Desmin-related myopathy is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by right ventricular hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, myopathy, and arrhythmias. However, neuropathy, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and depletion of both mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA have not previously been widely recognized in this disorder. Recognition that mitochondrial dysfunction occurs in desmin-related myopathy clarifies the basis for the multi-systemic manifestations, as are typical of primary mitochondrial disorders. Understanding the mitochondrial pathophysiology of desmin-related myopathy highlights the possibility of new therapies for the otherwise untreatable and often fatal class of disease. We postulate that drug treatments aimed at improving mitochondrial biogenesis or reducing oxidative stress may be effective therapies to ameliorate the effects of desmin-related disease.
US Prevalence and Predictors of Informal Caregiving for Dementia

In 2010, 5.5 million US adults ages seventy and older received informal care, including 3.6 million with cognitive impairment or probable dementia. Adults with probable dementia received 171 hours of monthly informal care, versus 89 hours for cognitively impaired adults without dementia and 66 hours for cognitively normal adults.
Recursive best-first search with bounded overhead

There are two major paradigms for linear-space heuristic search: iterative deepening (IDA*) and recursive best-first search (RBFS). While the node regeneration overhead of IDA* is easily characterized in terms of the heuristic branching factor, the overhead of RBFS depends on how widely the promising nodes are separated in the search tree, and is harder to anticipate. In this paper, we present two simple techniques for improving the performance of RBFS while maintaining its advantages over IDA*. While these techniques work well in practice, they do not provide any theoretical bounds on the amount of regeneration overhead. To this end, we introduce RBFSCR, the first method for provably bounding the regeneration overhead of RBFS. We show empirically that this improves its performance in several domains, both for optimal and suboptimal search, and also yields a better linear-space anytime heuristic search. RBFSCR is the first linear space best-first search robust enough to solve a variety of domains with varying operator costs.
Genetic Evidence for the Action of Oxathiin and Thiazole Derivatives on the Succinic Dehydrogenase System of Ustilago maydis Mitochondria

The inhibitory effect of fungitoxic derivatives of 1,4-oxathiin on substrate oxidation by the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis is diminished by a single-gene mutation (oxr). The difference between mutant and wild type is approximately the same on the basis of inhibition of either growth and operation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in intact cells or succinate-driven reduction of ferricyanide by mitochondrial preparations. The mutation affects the behavior of the succinic dehydrogenase system of mitochondria not only in the presence but also in the absence of the toxicant, from which it is concluded that some component of the system itself has been modified. The malonate and the antimycin A sensitivity of the oxr mutant is similar to that of the wild type but cross-resistance to thiazole derivatives is easily demonstrated.
Regulation of trophoblast beta1-integrin expression by contact with endothelial cells.

In human and non-human primates, migratory trophoblasts penetrate the uterine epithelium, invade uterine matrix, and enter the uterine vasculature. Invasive trophoblasts show increased expression of β1 integrin. Since trophoblast migration within the uterine vasculature involves trophoblast attachment to endothelial cells lining the vessel walls, this raises the possibility that cell-cell contact and/or factors released by endothelial cells could regulate trophoblast integrin expression. To test this, we used an in vitro system consisting of early gestation macaque trophoblasts co-cultured on top of uterine microvascular endothelial cells. When cultured alone, trophoblasts expressed low levels of β1 integrin as determined by quantitative immunofluorescence microscopy. When trophoblasts were cultured on top of endothelial cells for 24 h, the expression of trophoblast β1 integrin was significantly increased as determined by image analysis. β1 Integrin expression was not increased when trophoblasts were cultured with endothelial cell-conditioned medium, suggesting that upregulation requires direct contact between trophoblasts and endothelial cells. To identify endothelial cell surface molecules responsible for induction of trophoblast integrin expression, trophoblasts were cultured in dishes coated with recombinant platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), or αVβ3 integrin. Trophoblast β1 integrin expression (assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blotting) was increased when PECAM-1 or αVβ3 integrin, but not ICAM-1, was used as substrate. Direct contact between trophoblasts and endothelial cells increases the expression of trophoblast β1 integrin.
Copper/antimony and copper/bismuth alloy clusters : magic numbers and electronic structure

Abstract Metal alloy clusters Cu n Sb m and Cu n Bi m are produced by a gas aggregation source and investigated by time-of-flight mass spectrometry following ionization with a KrF excimer laser. Two types of the magic numbers are observed in their cluster ions: magic numbers corresponding to jellium shell closings by counting the total valence electrons from the component metals, and other magic numbers explained by the polyhedral shape-electron counting scheme (Wade's rules). In the second type of magic numbers, Cu atoms give electrons to the skeleton of Sb or Bi to satisfy the total charge of the cluster ions, and simultaneously Cu atoms take the vacant vertex positions of the skeleton to form corresponding deltahedral structures (closo structures).
Microwave ionization of highly excited hydrogen atoms: A test of the correspondence principle.

For the parameters accessible in current experiments, the quantum suppression of classical chaos arises from a reduction in the effective number of coupled states. A simple theory using conventional quantum methods provides a good description of the dynamics near the threshold field for classical chaos and recovers the classical, Fokker-Planck equation for large fields where many states are coupled.
Evaluation of an assembly for automated column chromatography.

Abstract An automated apparatus for column chromatography (Spectrochrom, Model 130) has been evaluated for performance and reliability. Although certain deficiencies exist, these would appear to be capable of correction. This apparatus has permitted us to greatly increase our scope in preparative and analytical column chromatography, and the feasibility of completely automating the techniques would appear to be justified.
The Influence of Overt Practice, Achievement Level, and Explanatory Style on Calibration Accuracy and Performance

The authors measured the influence of overt calibration practice, achievement level, and explanatory style on calibration accuracy and exam performance. Students (N = 356) were randomly assigned to either an overt practice or nopractice condition. Students in the overt practice condition made predictions and postdictions about their performance across 5 quizzes by entering their estimates online just before and after completing the quizzes. Students in the no-practice condition did not enter their predictions and postdictions for their quiz performance. Results did not support the hypothesis that overt calibration practice on the quizzes would improve calibration accuracy or exam performance. Higher achieving students were significantly more accurate in their predictions, yet underconfident in their predictions; lower achieving students were less accurate and overconfident. Approximately 32% of the unique variance from achievement, prediction accuracy, and postdiction accuracy was explained by student exp...
Long term survival by cytoreductive surgery to less than 1 cm, induction weekly cisplatin and monthly cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphaide therapy in advanced ovarian adenocarcinoma

Background. Survival rates for patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer remain low despite improved chemotherapy regimens and cytoreductive surgery. Methods. One hundred thirty-six patients with Stage III or IV ovarian cancer were treated with primary cytoreductive surgery followed by cisplatin induction, 1 mg/kg weekly × 4 followed by 10 cycles of cisplatin (50 mg/m2), doxorubicin (50 mg/m2), and cyclophosphamide (750mg/m2). Second-look surgery was performed on those patients who were clinically without evidence of disease at the end of the planned chemotherapy course. Survival and progression-free survival were calculated, and prognostic factors regarding survival and progression-free survival were evaluated by both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results. Cytoreductive surgery to less than or equal to 2 cm was performed on 83% of patients and to less than 1 cm in 40%. A surgical complete response (SCR) rate of 34.9% and surgical partial response (SPR) rate of 47.6% were noted. Of the SCRs, recurrences developed in 52.7% of the patients. Estimated 5- and 8-year survival for all 136 patients was 31.2% and 21.5%, and 5- and 8-year progression-free survival was 23.9% and 20.6%, respectively. Those patients with less than 1-cm residual disease after primary surgery had significantly improved survival compared with those with 1–2 cm or greater than 2 cm (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified residual disease status and age as the most significant prognostic factors associated with survival and progression-free survival. Conclusion. Compared with those patients with greater than 1-cm residuum after initial surgery, a statistically significant improvement in long term survival was noted for those patients whose cancers were cytoreduced to less than 1-cm residuum.
Proactive ecology for the Anthropocene

The rapid, directional global changes that characterize the Anthropocene provide unprecedented opportunities for ecologists and other scientists to discover new paradigms that shape our understanding of the ways that the world is changing. These paradigms will likely focus more strongly on interactions, feedbacks, thresholds, and model uncertainty than on steady-state dynamics and statistical uncertainty. We advocate a shift in ecology and other disciplines to a more proactive leadership role in defining problems and possibilities in a rapidly changing world rather than being relegated to a reactive role of trying to fix the problems after the horse has left the barn. This requires not only renewed commitment by ecologists (and other citizens) to a more proactive ethic of environmental citizenship but also institutional changes in education, the scientific review and funding processes, and promotion and tenure processes to encourage and celebrate those who seek to shape trajectories toward greater ecosystem and social resilience and well-being.
Myocardial protection in the immature heart

In an era when essentially no congenital heart defect is considered inoperable, it is reasonable to carefully consider the essentials of neonatal myocardial physiology and biochemistry, especially comparisons between immature and adult myocardial responses to ischemia. Because many special clinical interactions dramatically affect myocardial protection, great care must be taken to analyze each case carefully with protection strategies in mind. Finally, cardioplegia composition and delivery are now quite similar to those used in adults, with new equipment facilitating delivery. Research is underway to supplement protection in immature hearts severely injured by adverse preoperative conditions.
Invasive squamous cell carcinoma with intraocular mucoepidermoid features. Conjunctival carcinoma with intraocular invasion and diphasic morphology.

• An unusual case of invasive mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the conjunctiva developed in a 72-year-old woman. Unlike previously reported mucoepidermoid carcinomas, this lesion did not manifest a mucin-producing component until intraocular invasion had taken place. Although epidermoid cells invaded the globe and grew to a limited extent in the anterior chamber, the majority of epidermoid and mucin-producing elements remained segregated to the epibulbar and intraocular locations, respectively.
The Urgent Need for Improved Climate Models and Predictions

An investment over the next 10 years of the order of US$2 billion for developing improved climate models was recommended in a report (http://wcrp.wmo.int/documents/WCRP_WorldModellingSummit_Jan2009.pdf) from the May 2008 World Modelling Summit for Climate Prediction, held in Reading, United Kingdom, and presented by the World Climate Research Programme. The report indicated that “climate models will, as in the past, play an important, and perhaps central, role in guiding the trillion dollar decisions that the peoples, governments and industries of the world will be making to cope with the consequences of changing climate.”
Retroviral DNA integration: Structure of an integration intermediate

Abstract The structure of a presumptive DNA intermediate in the integration of retroviral DNA was studied in a cell-free reaction with exogenously added target DNA. The product made by viral core particles of Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV) containing linear viral DNA has a structure consistent with an integration mechanism similar to that observed during bacteriophage Mu transposition. In this intermediate, the 3′ ends of the LTR sequences are joined to the target DNA, while the 5′ ends of the viral DNA remain unjoined. The 5′ ends of the LTR sequences in the intermediate are exactly the same as those found in the unintegrated linear double-stranded viral DNA. This result demonstrates that the linear form of Mo-MLV DNA can integrate directly without prior circularization.
The role of an absolutely conserved tryptophan residue in octamer formation and stability in mitochondrial creatine kinases.

Abstract In most organisms, mitochondrial creatine kinase (MtCK) is present as dimers and octamers with the latter predominating under physiological conditions. An absolutely conserved tryptophan residue (Trp-264 in chicken sarcomeric MtCK) appears to play a key role in octamer stability. Recently, it has been shown that the sponge Tethya aurantia , a member of the most ancient group of living multi-cellular animals, expresses an obligate, dimeric MtCK that lacks this absolutely conserved tryptophan residue, instead possessing a tyrosine in this position. In the present study we confirm that the absolutely conserved tryptophan residue is lacking in other sponge MtCKs where it is instead substituted by histidine or asparagine. Site directed mutations of the Trp-264 in expression constructs of chicken sarcomeric MtCK and the octameric MtCK from the marine worm Chaetopterus destabilized the octameric quaternary structure producing only dimers. A Tyr → Trp mutation in an expression construct of the Tethya MtCK construct failed to produce octamerization; Tyr → His and Tyr → Asn mutations also yielded dimers. These results, in conjunction with analysis of homology models of Chaetopterus and Tethya MtCKs, strongly support the view that while the absolutely conserved tryptophan residue is important in octamer stability, octamer formation involves a complex suite of interactions between a variety of residues.
Access Couplers For Multiterminal Fiber Communication Systems

Optical "T" and Multiple "T" access couplers designed for tapped trunk line multi-terminal communication systems which use bundles of multimode fibers as the transmission media have been investigated. The particular coupler designs tested used bent pyrex rods for bifurcation and scrambling. Coupler throughput losses (not counting packing fraction losses) are 1.5 - 2.5 dB. The bent rod optical "T" and multiple "T" access couplers must be used with high N.A., low packing fraction loss fibers.© (1975) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
How U.S. decision-makers assessed their control of multilateral organizations, 1957–1982

Although quantitative studies have identified relationships between the interests of powerful, wealthy states and the lending patterns of international financial institutions, they do not illuminate influence processes that give rise to these patterns. Three closely held internal assessments by the U.S. government of its influence over decisions in various international organizations are now declassified; they provide information about internal processes unlikely to be obtained through interviews of current officials or observation of public behavior. Their findings overlap to some degree academic research on this phenomenon, but also reveal hitherto unsuspected facets of U.S. diplomacy as well as candid internal assessments of U.S. successes and failures.
The rates of dissociation and reassociation of the subunits of human chorionic gonadotropin.

Abstract A large change in quantum yield of the fluorescent probe 1,8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonate is produced when it combines with the glycoprotein hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin. A method of analyzing for the hormone in the presence of its subunits has been developed based on the finding that the subunits have no effect on 1,8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonate fluorescence. Quantitative rates of dissociation and recombination can be obtained with very small concentrations of hormone since fluorescence measurements are fast and sensitive. The effects of temperature, pH, and urea concentration on the rate of human chorionic gonadotropin dissociation have been measured. The rates of recombination of subunits have been studied as a function of temperature, pH, and KCl concentration. Human chorionic gonadotropin is stable in water to pH 12 and pH 4.5 at 37 °C.
Randomized cross-over study of adverse reactions and cost implications of intravenous push compared with infusion of iron dextran in hemodialysis patients☆

Abstract In many dialysis centers, iron dextran is administered by intravenous infusion rather than intravenous push (the method of administration recommended in the package insert) as a possible, but unproven, means to reduce side effects. This study was performed to determine whether there is a difference in adverse reactions between these two methods. Ten iron-deficient hemodialysis patients participated in a randomized, cross-over study of iron dextran 100 mg administered by intravenous push over 2 minutes (undiluted) or as a 30-minute intravenous infusion during the first hour of hemodialysis. Patients received a total of four doses (two by each method during four separate dialysis sessions). Blood pressure and heart rate were monitored pre-dose and at frequent intervals throughout the hemodialysis session following the dose. Patients completed adverse event surveys before and 60 minutes after the dose and prior to the next hemodialysis session. Blood pressure, heart rate, and survey data were analyzed using a Wilcoxon analysis ( P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant). Seven patients received all four doses, two patients received only three doses (one due to missed hemodialysis session and one due to severe diarrhea possibly related to iron dextran), and one patient received only one dose (due to unstable clinical status). No differences in blood pressure, heart rate, or adverse events were observed between the two administration methods. A cost-minimization analysis was performed to compare the costs of each method of iron dextran administration. There were no differences in nursing time or number of syringes and needles used between the two methods. However, cost savings were observed with intravenous push administration because the intravenous tubing and intravenous piggyback were eliminated. Iron dextran can be administered by either intravenous push or intravenous infusion during the first hour of hemodialysis, with no significant differences between the two methods in terms of blood pressure or heart rate. Dialysis programs can minimize iron dextran administration costs by changing to the intravenous push method.
The effects of phenotype variability on the adhesion properties of Deleya marina

A study has been made of the effects of phenotype variability on the adhesion properties of the Deleya marina type strain (ATCC 25374) and its exopolysaccharide‐deficient mutant D. marina R. Like the parental strain, the mutant is nonflagellated, glides on semisolid medium, and subsequently exhibits a phenotype variation from gliding to swimming motility. The frequency of the phenotype variation was, however, reduced in the mutant from that observed in the parental strain. Swimming isolates of mutant and parental strains produced adhesion assay profiles that are qualitatively identical to their nonswimming counterparts. The types of substrata colonized as well as the effects of growth temperature and chemical inhibitors upon attachment reflect the presence or absence of exopolysaccharide. However, under turbulent conditions the presence of flagella increased the adsorption of mutant cells. A hypothetical model linking the variable phenotypic properties of D. marina to surface colonization is presented.
Lack of Maturity Hormone in the Hypophysis of the Infantile Rat

RECENT work on endocrines has brought out two facts interesting in their implications. One is that pregnancy urine, blood serum and placental extracts produce lutein cells in the hypophysectomised animal but do not induce follicular growth1,2,3; and the other is the discovery4 of an activation factor in adult beef hypophysis which is not identical with either the growth or maturity hormones. Since it is well known that these pregnancy extracts will induce precocious sexual maturity in normal immature animals (in other words, follicular growth), it seems certain that they contain an activation factor which stimulates the hypophysis of the host, thus initiating growth in the ovary. There is as yet no basis for comparing these two factors, but, since the hypophysis of the pregnant rat shows but little increase in potency over that of the non-pregnant one5, this organ would not seem to be responsible for the activator in pregnancy extracts, this probably coming from the placenta.
Formulation Studies of Tableted Oral Rehydration Salt Mixtures

Dehydration following non-specific diarrhoea may be prevented by oral administration of a simple glucose/salt mixture. A solution tablet of this mixture would have advantages of stability under environmental exposure and transport if the costs could be held within reasonable limits. The moisture adsorption and compression characteristics of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) ingredients have been studied. Combinations of ingredients resulted in a moisture adsorption higher than that of the individual components. This may be explained in terms of critical relative humidity, RHo, and environmental relative humidity RHi. Preparation of a stable ORS solution tablet therefore requires protection of moisture adsorbing components from the environment. The present UNICEF ORS mixture compacted easily by direct compression but gave fragile tablets, which were hygroscopic. This can be reduced by film coating the electrolyte component as granules with a resin (Eudragit L), or by simulating direct compression of the glucose as a compression-coating around the precompressed electrolytes. The packaging of compression-coated solution tablets in inexpensive polyethylene bags may lengthen the shelf-life and make the preparation less costly than the currently supplied ORS powders packed in laminated aluminium sachets. The increased dissolution lag time for the compacted tablet is a disadvantage that can be overcome by instructions to crush the product immediately before use.
DNA Synthesis and Cell Division in Germinating Onion I. Onset of DNA Synthesis and Mitosis

SUMMARYThe study of the onset of DNA synthesis and mitosis in the germinating onion reveals that the first few millimeters of root growth occur exclusively as a result of cell expansion. DNA synthesis and mitosis are initiated at the 1.4 and 2.8 mm. stages of growth, respectively. Stable indices are attained at approximately 7.0 mm. in the case of DNA synthesis, and 10.0 mm. for mitosis. Timing of both points of initiation suggests an S plus G2 interval of 9.2 hours, and labelling indices indicate that S is not quite three times as long as M. The work demonstrates that emergent root length is a reliable external criterion for the timing of internal cellular events.
Zero-G experimental validation of a robotics-based inertia identification algorithm

The need to efficiently identify the changing inertial properties of on-orbit spacecraft is becoming more critical as satellite on-orbit services, such as refueling and repairing, become increasingly aggressive and complex. This need stems from the fact that a spacecraft's control system relies on the knowledge of the spacecraft's inertia parameters. However, the inertia parameters may change during flight for reasons such as fuel usage, payload deployment or retrieval, and docking/capturing operations. New Mexico State University's Dynamics, Controls, and Robotics Research Group has proposed a robotics-based method of identifying unknown spacecraft inertia properties 1 . Previous methods require firing known thrusts then measuring the thrust, and the velocity and acceleration changes. The new method utilizes the concept of momentum conservation, while employing a robotic device powered by renewable energy to excite the state of the satellite. Thus, it requires no fuel usage or force and acceleration measurements. The method has been well studied in theory and demonstrated by simulation. However its experimental validation is challenging because a 6- degree-of-freedom motion in a zero-gravity condition is required. This paper presents an on-going effort to test the inertia identification method onboard the NASA zero-G aircraft. The design and capability of the test unit will be discussed in addition to the flight data. This paper also introduces the design and development of an airbearing based test used to partially validate the method, in addition to the approach used to obtain reference value for the test system's inertia parameters that can be used for comparison with the algorithm results.
Conditional hardness for satisfiable 3-CSPs

In this paper we study a fundamental open problem in the area of probabilistic checkable proofs: What is the smallest s such that NP ⊆ naPCP1,s[O(log n),3]? In the language of hardness of approximation, this problem is equivalent to determining the smallest s such that getting an s-approximation for satisfiable 3-bit constraint satisfaction problems ("3-CSPs") is NP-hard. The previous best upper bound and lower bound for s are 20/27+µ by Khot and Saket [KS06], and 5/8 (assuming NP subseteq BPP) by Zwick [Zwi98]. In this paper we close the gap assuming Khot's d-to-1 Conjecture. Formally, we prove that if Khot's d-to-1 Conjecture holds for any finite constant integer d, then NP naPCP1,5/8+ µ[O(log n),3] for any constant µ > 0. Our conditional result also solves Hastad's open question [Has01] on determining the inapproximability of satisfiable Max-NTW ("Not Two") instances and confirms Zwick's conjecture [Zwi98] that the 5/8-approximation algorithm for satisfiable 3-CSPs is optimal.
Italian immigrants, Brazilian football, and the dilemma of national identity.

This article considers the cultural adjustment of immigrants to Brazil through an analysis of the role that association football (soccer) played in identity formation in twentieth-century Sao Paulo. It focuses on the city's large Italian population, in particular the experiences of a leading club, the Societa Sportiva Palestra Italia, and of the first generation of Brazilian footballers who migrated abroad in order to play football professionally, many of whom were Paulistas of Italian descent. It demonstrates that through football Italians obtained agency in negotiating the process by which they became Brazilian and found a means by which to preserve a sense of discrete ethnicity within Sao Paulo's multiethnic community.
Upper Cambrian stromatolitic biostrome, Clinetop Member of the Dotsero Formation, western Colorado

The Clinetop Member of the Dotsero Formation consists of carbonate pebble conglomerate and stromatolitic algal heads as much as 1.5 m thick. Isopach maps indicate that the Clinetop Member occupies an area 24 to 32 km wide and 64 to 80 km long (1,500 to 2,600 km 2 ) and trends approximately N60°W. The member consists of three stratigraphic units composed of 3 to 43 cm of basal carbonate pebble conglomerate, 0 to 91.4 cm of algal heads, and 0 to 2.1 cm of upper bioclastic and carbonate pebble conglomerate. The lower one-half to two-thirds of the algal heads are of the SH-V (cryptozoon) structural type, whereas the upper one-half to one-third are of the LLH-C (collenia) structural type. Channels filled with clastic carbonate as deep as 68 cm cut the algal-head unit. The orientation of the channels averages N46°E. Comparison of the algal heads to modern stromatolitic heads suggests that they formed in the intertidal environment of a tropical to subtropical sea. The SH-V algal structures formed in a high-energy, seaward, intertidal environment, whereas the LLH-C structures formed in a low-energy, landward, intertidal environment. Channels were formed by tidal runoff. A gradual regression of the sea across a stable platform is suggested to explain the distribution of the Clinetop Member.
Superplasticity in 3Y-TZP doped with small amounts of copper oxide

Yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP) can be deformed superplastically in tension to over 100% strain, and many studies have been undertaken to characterize this superplastic behavior. One drawback of high purity Y-TZP is that the temperature needed in order to achieve practical superplastic forming stresses and strain rates can be prohibitive. However, the addition of a glassy or amorphous phase to Y-TZP grain boundaries has been shown to increase strain rates for a given stress. These grain boundary phases an form either through the segregation of impurities such as silica to grain boundaries, or through the intentional addition of sintering aids such as transition metal oxides. Studies have shown that strain rates of Y-TZP can be accelerated by up to two orders of magnitude through the addition of only 0.3 mol% CuO. It is believed that the CuO helps to form an amorphous grain boundary phase which is molten at typical forming temperatures, providing a fast diffusion path during deformation which occurs via a grain boundary sliding mechanism. Grain boundary sliding, in turn, may be controlled either by diffusion along grain boundaries or by the attachment/detachment of atoms at the interface between the grain boundary and the bulk grains. Whenmore » grain boundary diffusion is fast, as is believed to be the case in CuO-doped Y-TZP, The interface reaction will be the controlling mechanism. Assuming that a glassy or amorphous phase exists uniformly along grain boundaries, the strain rates associated with interface reaction controlled grain boundary sliding should not be a function of the amount of grain boundary phase, since the area of the interface will remain approximately the same for different amounts of phase. The purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of small amounts of CuO dopant on Y-TZP in order to determine the dependence of strain rate on the amount of grain boundary phase within this regime.« less
A monthly reproductive rhythm in the diadematid sea urchin Centrostephanus coronatus Verill

Abstract A monthly reproductive rhythm, similar to that reported for the sea urchin Diadema setosum (Leske) is described for the diadematid sea urchin Centrosphanus coronatus Verill in southern California. Gametogenesis and spawning in C. coronatus occur with a monthly cycle from about February–March through September. The reproductive activities of different individuals in three different populations are all synchronized within about a week of each other. Nocturnal feeding activities of the urchins showed no monthly rhythmic component and were not influenced by light at night. The monthly reproductive rhythm does not appear to be synchronized with a specific lunar phase and is probably not related to monthly changes in moonlight. The rhythm may be a response to monthly tidal changes.
Adaptive spectroscopy: towards adaptive spectral imaging

Spectral imaging is an emerging tool for defense and security applications because it provides compositional information about the objects in a scene. The underlying task-measuring a 3-D dataset using a 2-D detector array-is challenging, and straightforward approaches to the problem can result in severe performance tradeoffs. While a number of ingenious (non-adaptive) solutions have been proposed that minimize these tradeoffs, the complexity of the sensing task suggests that adaptive approaches to spectral imaging are worth considering. As a first step towards this goal, we investigate adaptive spectroscopy and present initial results confirming dramatic cost/performance gains for a particular implementation.
Speaking Theoretically...;: A New Era

K, you get the idea. In some ways, we are mired fi rmly in the past. In others, we are too readily embracing a new way of looking at things. Here we are, with a new look for the magazine and a new Editor, and I’m still writing. I’ve threatened to quit writing this column every now and again. Then the Diffusion Theory thing came up, and stoked the fi res for a bit. The “fi nal” column on that ended with a lament that today’s practitioners of NIR spectroscopy seem less and less interested in understanding what is going on theoretically. That column got more reader response than any other. (In all there were fi ve different folks, some who wrote multiple times.) Their notes ranged from brief to several pages. My favourite was from Andrew McGlone who wrote to cheer me up: “My colleagues and I have very much enjoyed your writings on theoretical matters as expressed in NIR news over the last year or two. Your approach to the subject of NIR has been clarifying, to put it mildly: little jargon, straight forward math and a satisfyingly intuitive feel that it is correct.” “Please continue your quest to illuminate fundamental understanding around the diffusion model.” And “Please keep us entertained!” So to keep Andrew entertained, here is the “straight skinny” on the diffusion model. First, let’s think about my favourite model: that of sheets. In Figure 1, you see an illustration that I’ve used before that shows how light can refl ect off either the external { Re } or internal { Rf } surfaces. In Figure 2, we see how the apparent coeffi cient, the one we will think the material has from measurements on scattering samples, changes with Re and Rf. The external refl ectance { Re } makes the line go clockwise; and the higher the Re, the lower the apparent absorption coeffi cient. This is because if a lot of the light doesn’t make it into the sheet, there is not ■ A New Era
Transverse tensile and inplane shear strength of weakly bonded fiber reinforced MMC's subjected to cyclic thermal loading

Abstract The transverse tensile and inplane shear strength of weakly bonded fiber reinforced metal matrix composites subjected to thermal and mechanical loading has been calculated. Limit load calculations for weakly bonded systems have been used in conjunction with the shakedown theorems to assess the effect of cyclic thermal loading on the composite strength.
Quantification of hippocampal noradrenaline and zinc changes after selective cell destruction

Deafferentation of septo-hippocampal projections results in sprouting of sympathetic noradrenergic (NA) fibers into the hippocampus. To determine whether dentate granule cells are necessary for the initiation and/or direction of this sprouting, both NA intensity and zinc density were microspectrophotometrically quantified at 10 or 30 days after selective neurotoxin lesions of either granule cells or CA3 pyramidal cells, and electrolytic lesions of medial septum. Groups with elevated zinc density at 10 days also had significantly higher NA levels at 30 days. Destruction of granule cells eliminated the rise in zinc and prevented the NA increase. The zinc increase may be related to a nerve growth factor-like protein responsible for the initiation of sympathetic sprouting.
Some advantages of social control: An individualist defense

that among the many influences on. our behavior are social conventions which proscribe and discourage us from doing things which someone does not want us to do. If the number of people who want something to be illegal is large enough to force a public discussion of the issue, then there undoubtedly already exists across some section of the population a convention proscribing the thing in question. We always have an alternative form of control, however unsatisfactory it may be. In this paper I will discuss some characteristics of the social form of control which tend to make it more efficient than the legal alternative. Of course, this does not mean that we should always choose social control, or even that efficiency considerations on the whole will be in its favour.1 In some cases, the efficiency advantages will be overwhelmed by costs which will be unacceptable on
Liquid phase catalytic hydrodechlorination of chlorophenols at 273 K

Abstract The feasibility of a liquid phase hydrodechlorination (HDC) of mono- and di-chlorophenols (CP/DCP) below ambient temperature is demonstrated for commercially available Pd/C, Pd/Al2O3 and Rh/C catalysts. The relative importance of the physical (transport) and chemical (kinetic) contributions to 2,4-DCP HDC at 273 K has been assessed for Pd/C and Pd/Al2O3 catalysts; conditions wherein chemical control prevails are identified. The influence of temperature ( 273 K ⩽T⩽303 K) on HDC rate is discussed and the apparent activation energies associated with the HDC of 2-CP, 4-CP and 2,4-DCP are provided.
Emerging concept in angiogenesis: specification of arterial and venous endothelial cells

Therapeutic angiogenesis is a method to induce new blood vessel formation in order to improve health in certain pathological conditions. The primary experimental focus has been to find and test molecules that induce angiogenesis. The main target of such studies has been vascular endothelial cells, as they are the key cell type that constitutes all blood vessels. Targeting vascular endothelial cells is further justified by the fact that capillary angiogenesis is primarily mediated by the assembly of these cells. Historically, vascular endothelial cells were considered as uniform cell population. However, recent molecular and genetic studies have shown that they are extremely heterogeneous cell population. In particular, significant advance has been made in our understanding of the molecular basis for the difference between arterial and venous endothelial cells. In this mini-review, I will reflect on the series of breakthrough discoveries that led to our current knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms underlying the molecular distinction between arterial and venous endothelial cells. I will also high-light several key areas of investigation for future endeavor.
The effects of cardiopulmonary bypass on fibrin formation and lysis: Is a normal fibrinolytic response essential?

Fibrinolytic activity in blood is regulated by a dynamic process that includes control of production, secretion, inhibition, and clearance of fibrinolytic proteins. The concentration of active tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in the region of the thrombus controls the rate of fibrinolytic activation. We have developed a first-generation kinetic model that can be used to simulate the effects of secretion, inhibition, and clearance reactions on the concentrations of active tPA, active plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (PAT-1), and tPA/PAI-1 complex in the circulation. This model was used to estimate the rate and pattern of secretion of tPA and PAI- I in individual subjects. We also undertook a laboratory evaluation of fibrinolysis in patients with a history of myocardial infarction. Elevated PAI- I activity in the absence of elevations in other acute-phase proteins suggested an intrinsic increase in PAI-I secretion in patients post-myocardial infarction. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) results in a major increase in fibrinolytic activity that has been associated with an increased risk for hemorrhage. Fibrinolytic proteins were sampled from patients both during surgery and for 2 days postoperatively. Total tPA antigen rose throughout CPB and returned to baseline in the postoperative period. PAI- I activity fell during the initial bypass and by the end of bypass had returned to baseline. On the first to second postoperative day there was a large increase in PAI- I activity and a significant decrease in tPA activity. These data suggest that during this period there is a window of risk for a thromboembolic event. There was, however, a large individual variability in patient response to CPB.
Equine diseases caused by known genetic mutations

The recent development of equine genome maps by the equine genome community and the complete sequencing of the horse genome performed at the Broad Institute have accelerated the pace of genetic discovery. This review focuses on genetic diseases in the horse for which a mutation is currently known, including hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, severe combined immunodeficiency, overo lethal white syndrome, junctional epidermolysis bullosa, glycogen branching enzyme deficiency, malignant hyperthermia, hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia, and polysaccharide storage myopathy. Emphasis is placed on the prevalence, clinical signs, etiology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis for each disease.
Exposure to alcohol in utero blunts splenic sympathetic neural response to endotoxin and interleukin-1β in the rat

Systemic administration of endotoxin (LPS) or interleukin-1beta (IL-1) to prepubertal rats induced a marked increase in splenic but not cardiac norepinephrine (NE) turnover, an index of sympathetic neural activity. In contrast, the splenic neural response was blunted in their fetal alcohol-exposed (FAE) cohorts. Because the sympathetic outflow to lymphoid organs is considered an important immune modulator, the anomalous neural response to immune signals may partly account for the impaired cellular immunity and, thus, for the increased susceptibility to infections associated with FAE.
The rate of Ca2+ translocation by sarcoplasmic reticulum (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase measured with intravesicular arsenazo III.

Abstract Release of Ca2+ from the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase into the interior of intact sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles was measured using arsenazo III, a metallochromic indicator of Ca2+. Arsenazo III was placed inside the sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles by making the vesicles transiently leaky with an osmotic gradient in the presence of arsenazo III. External arsenazo III was then removed by centrifugation. Addition of ATP to the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase in the presence of Ca2+ causes the rapid phosphorylation of the enzyme at which time the bound Ca2+ becomes inaccessible to external EGTA. The release of Ca2+ from the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase to the interior of the vesicle measured with intravesicular arsenazo III was much slower indicating that there is an occluded from the Ca2+-binding site which precedes the release of Ca2+ into the vesicle. The rate of Ca2+ accumulation by sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles is increased by K+ (5–100 mM) and ATP (50–1000 μM) but the initial rate of Ca2+ translocation measured after the simultaneous addition of ATP and EGTA to vesicles that were preincubated in Ca2+ was not influenced by these concentrations of K+ and ATP.
Evaluation of liquid scintillation counting solutions for radioimmunoassay of hepatitis-associated antigen (HBsAg).

Liquid scintillation counting solutions for radioimmunoassay of hepatitis associated antigen (HBsAg) are evaluated and discussed. Data are also presented which indicates that liquid scintillation counting could be carried out by placing cut-off Ausria-125 test tubes in counting vials containing 10 ml of either Brays, Unogel, or Instagel solutions. The data suggest that Brays was the least effective and Unogel and Instagel were the most effective liquid scintillation counting solutions. This is a fundamental consideration if a laboratory is contemplating an initial investment in counting equipment. The acquisition of a liquid scintillation counter provides additional capabilities for the clinical laboratory interested in radioisotope measurements. In addition, if a laboratory already has a liquid scintillation counter (Beta counter), the director of the clinical laboratory may elect not to purchase additional counting equipment (gamma counter) since he already has the added advantage of measuring iodine-125 with the Beta counter. The authors propose liquid scintillation (RIA) as an alternative counting system for HBsAg detection in hospital patients and donors.
Analytic study of the Tadoma method: language abilities of three deaf-blind subjects.

This study reports on the linguistic abilities of 3 adult deaf-blind subjects. The subjects perceive spoken language through touch, placing a hand on the face of the speaker and monitoring the spea...
Cognitive processing efficiency in schizophrenia: generalized vs domain specific deficits

The issue of generalized vs specific cognitive deficits in schizophrenia was explored by examining reaction time data from 40 published studies with 196 reaction time conditions. Using a regression-based approach, the proportional relationship between the response times of groups with schizophrenia was compared with those of age-matched, healthy comparison groups. Through this method, the extent to which deficits in processing efficiency are explained by a single factor, general processing speed, was compared with possible domain specific or task specific deficits. The results suggest that, overall, the data conforms well to a general linear slowing model which accounts for 87% of the variance in reaction time performance. Some additional variance, however, is accounted for by different degrees of linear slowing for three types of tasks: tasks involving selective attention/inhibition showed the most slowing (2.3-times slower for schizophrenia), followed by lexical tasks (1.8-times slower for schizophrenia), and finally, non-lexical tasks showed the least slowing (1.4-times slower for schizophrenia). This pattern is distinct from other groups showing generalized slowing, such as older adults, and suggests a unique pattern of information processing deficits in schizophrenia.