cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variations in stolon length and in incidence of tuber roots among eight potato cultivars

The stolon length and percentage of tubers with tuber roots were compared for eight cultivars ofSolanum tuberosum L. over two growing seasons. Although stolon lengths varied considerably within cultivars, there were significant differences in the average stolon lengths among cultivars. The cultivars Norchip and Monona had the shortest stolons whereas Norland had the longest average stolons. The length of the stolon did not appear to be related to color type or time of tuber maturity. Since there was no significant difference in stolon length between years, stolon length appears to be a consistent genetic trait. There was no significant correlation between the stolon length and tuber size. The incidence of tuber roots also showed variation among cultivars, although there was significant variability between times of sampling. Recent studies have demonstrated that to maximize calcium uptake by tubers, the calcium must be placed around the tubers and stolons. Since stolon length determines the location of the tubers in the hill, the stolon length of different cultivars may need to be considered for fertilizer application, cultivation or hilling procedures. Thus, to get maximum benefit from supplemental calcium for Norchip and Monona, application would need to be made close to the main stem. However, in the other cultivars, the majority of the hill would have to be enriched in calcium to effectively supply calcium to the various tubers in the hill.
DGEBF epoxy blends for use in the resin impregnation of extremely large composite parts

Large superconducting electromagnets used in fusion reactors utilize a large amount of glass/epoxy composite for electrical insulation and mechanical and thermal strengths. The manufacture of these magnets involves wrapping each superconducting cable bundle with dry glass cloth followed by the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding of the entire magnet. Due to their enormous size (more than 100 tons), it requires more than 40 h for resin impregnation and the subsequent pressure cycles to ensure complete impregnation and removal of any trapped air pockets. Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F epoxy resin cross-linked with methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride with an accelerator has been shown to be a good candidate for use in composite parts requiring long impregnation cycles. Viscosity, gel time, and glass transition temperature of four resin-blends of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F resin system were monitored as a function of time and temperature with an objective to find the blend that provides a working wind...
Studies of arenediazonium salts as a new class of electropolymerization initiator

Electropolymerization holds great potential as a novel process for applying surface coatings onto a variety of substrates. Cathodic electropolymerization has been conducted successfully on metal substrates using initiation systems, such as sulfuric acid and potassium persulfate. However, each of these initiation systems has its own deficiency. This provided the motivation for investigating arenediazonium salts as a new class of cathodic electropolymerization initiators. Our studies found that arenediazonium salts can be easily reduced at reduction potentials lower than that of water to generate initiating free radicals. The reduction efficiency is very high. A copolymer of methyl acrylate and acrylonitrile has been polymerized onto steel surfaces using one of these salts, 4-methyl benzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate, as initiator. Cyclic voltammetry and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) studies suggest a strong interaction exists between the initiator and the substrate, which can potentially enhance coating adhesion. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 2265–2272, 1999
The phenomenon of gasification-induced carbon densification and its influence on pore structure evolution

Abstract Kinetically limited gasification of a variety of carbons does not occur at constant particle diameter, as heretofore widely assumed, but is accompanied by gasification-induced atomic rearrangements, which in some chars results in loss of fine-pore volume and carbon particle shrinkage. It is believed that the gasification reaction, by breaking bonds, removing cross links, and removing carbon atoms, increases the driving force for, and facilitates densification via, atomic rearrangements analogous to those occurring spontaneously at somewhat higher temperatures. Particle shrinkage is important in pore structure evolution during gasification and can therefore be expected to affect gasification rates, effective diffusivities, fragmentation behavior and activated carbon absorptive properties. Models have been developed, based on the random pore model of Gavalas, to predict pore structure evolution during gasification with concurrent shrinkage. Inclusion of the effect of densification/shrinkage on surface area can account for most or all of the large discrepancy between data and existing constant-volume models.
Advances in applied anatomy of the eyelid and orbit.

Purpose of review The oculofacial surgeon seeking to achieve ideal outcomes and avoid complications in aesthetic, functional and reconstructive surgery must have an understanding of the three-dimensional anatomic features, as well as the dynamic aspects, of the eyelid and orbital region. Knowledge of the orbital and periorbital region may be the last frontier of human anatomy, as new information is still being uncovered every year and each clarification of anatomy leads to a new level of sophistication in the understanding and treatment of orbital and eyelid disease both medically and surgically. Recent findings Recently, a great deal of attention has been focused on better understanding of the vasculature, fatty tissue, fascial attachments, and lymphatic drainage of the orbital and periorbital region. This in turn has provided improved clinical understanding of orbital disease and surgical applications of these findings have been described. Summary Anatomic knowledge in ophthalmology is not yet complete but constantly evolving. Exciting new insights into treatment of ophthalmologic disease have resulted from the application of an ever greater anatomic understanding of the orbital and periorbital region.
PMOS integrated circuit fabrication using BF 3 plasma immersion ion implantation

The feasibility of plasma immersion ion implantation (PHI) for multi-implant integrated circuit fabrication is demonstrated. Patterned Si wafers were immersed in a BF3 plasma forp-type doping steps. Boron implants of up to 3 × 1015 atoms/cm2 were achieved by applying microsecond negative voltage (-2 to -30 kV) pulses to the wafers at a frequency of 100 Hz to 1 kHz. After implantation the wafers were annealed using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 1060° C for 20 sec to activate the dopants and to recrystallize the implant damaged Si. For the PMOS process sequence both the Si source-drain and polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) gate doping steps were performed using PIII. The functionality of several types of devices, including diodes, capacitors, and transistors, were electrically measured to evaluate the compatibility of PIII with MOS process integration.
Do self-control preferences help explain the puzzling behavior of asset prices?

Abstract In the context of a simple asset-pricing environment, we study the ability of self-control preferences to account for the stock-price volatility, risk-free-rate and equity-premium puzzles. Using a full-information estimation procedure, we estimate the presence of a quantitatively small self-control effect in the data. Moreover, with results obtained using CRRA preferences serving as a benchmark, we find that the adoption of self-control preferences makes only a marginal contribution towards a resolution of these puzzles.
AVO for thin sand bed detection

Shelf-deposited sand ridges enveloped in marine shale are common oil traps in the upper Cretaceous sedimentary section of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming. Seismic detection of this class of oil trap is difficult because the reservoir sands average less than 10 m in thickness and they commonly occur at depths of 2500 m or more; they are therefore too thin to image given the frequency content of most seismic data sets. The presence of the sand ridge sequences can be detected however, by means of Amplitude-Variation-With-Offset (AVO) analysis. The AVO effect is a result of the difference in Poisson’ s ratio between clean, fluidfilled sand and marine shale. Both synthetic seismograms and field data recorded over Hartzog Draw field in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming show that reservoir sands that are less than 10 m in thickness produce an observable amplitudevariation-with-offset effect on the reflected wavefield. The results of this work show that amplitude-variation--with-offset techniques can be used as an exploration tool for thin sandsdthat are enveloped in marine shale. The technique also has potential uses for development of newly discovered reserves that are trapped in such sand-shale sequences. Amplitude-Variation-With-Offset (AVO) analysis is a seismic technique by which the lithology of the subsurface is studied by analyzing seismic reflections at various offsets in CDP gathers (Ostrander, 1984). The technique is based on the physical principle that the reflection coefficient at the interface between two rock layers varies with increasing angle of incidence when the ratio of P-wave velocity, Vp, to S-wave velocity, Vs, of one of the layers is significantly different from the Vp/Vs ratio of the other layer (Koefoed, 1955). In order to take full advantage of the AVO technique, the seismic data must be carefully processed so that any variation in amplitude is due solely to reflection coefficient changes and not some physical process such as attenuation or the result of a data processing step (Yu, 1985).
Initiation and discontinuation of hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms: Results from a community sample

Factors related to initiation and discontinuation of hormonal therapy (HT) for treatment of menopausal symptoms were examined in a community sample of 533 peri/postmenopausal women aged 45-54 by telephone three times. Over 40 variables including: sociodemographic characteristics, clinical reasons to start HT use, HT contraindications, HT attitudes/knowledge, and health behaviors were examined in logistic regression models comparing women who discontinued HT to women who continued using HT over 9 months (discontinuers) and women who initiated HT versus women who never used HT over 9 months (initiators). Increased understanding of HT, confidence, mental health symptoms, perception that menopause is natural, and having gynecological surgery were related to decreased likelihood of HT discontinuation. Increased understanding about risks of HT, vasomotor symptoms, mood symptoms, and having gynecological surgery were related to increased likelihood of HT Initiation. These findings highlight the importance of physicians discussing HT with their patients, particularly because of recent clinical trial developments.
Hume's motivational distinction between natural and artificial virtues

(1997). Hume's motivational distinction between natural and artificial virtues. British Journal for the History of Philosophy: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 373-388.
A facility for computer evaluation of proportional wire chamber designs

Abstract A shielded test facility, instrumented and interfaced to a digital computer, provides on-line evaluation during design and construction optimization studies for a large, proportional-mode wire chamber. Emphasis is on design and performance of sequence and readout electronics. Advantage of and prospects for “amplifierless” readout are discussed.
Electrostatic Dispersion of Diesel Fuel Jets at High Back Pressure

An experimental study of electrostatically atomized and dispersed fuel jets has been conducted in room temperature N2 gas for various back pressures to 41.8 atm. No. 2 diesel fuel was injected through an electrostatic spray triode designed for high-pressure operation. Charge density measurements were conducted at various combinations of injection velocities, electric potentials, and back pressures. The charge density of fuel drops increased up to 1.5 C/m3 with increasing electric potential until breakdown occurred. After breakdown the charge density was reduced by 40 to 60 percent and again increased but more slowly as electric potential increased. At higher flow rates, breakdown occurred at higher voltages. A higher back pressure, lower charge density was obtained and breakdown occurred at higher voltages. Visual observations showed that significant electrostatic dispersion was accomplished at high back pressures, and that the average drop size was about the same as the spray triode orifice diameter.
Retrospective age-at-onset of bipolar disorder and outcome during two-year follow-up: results from the STEP-BD study

In a large, population-based survey of adults, about half of psychiatric disorders exhibited an onset by age 14 and 75% by age 24 (1). In particular, the retrospective onset of bipolar disorder in childhood and adolescence is increasingly recognized (2, 3), and has been associated with poorer outcomes, and particularly with high rates of recurrence (3–7). However, little is known about the course of bipolar disorder among adults who experience childhood onset of symptoms. This feature of illness has both clinical and nosological importance. From a clinical perspective, it is of great interest whether early onset has prognostic significance once these individuals reach adulthood, particularly as many individuals with childhood onset do not enter treatment until that time (8, 9). More generally, understanding the adult course may be informative about the continuity—or lack thereof —between the diagnosis made in children and that in adults, given that the clinical presentation among children often differs from that in adults (10). Specifically, children and adolescents with bipolar disorder have been described as having a primarily mixed presentation, high rates of rapid cycling, longer episodes, and frequent switches of polarity (5, 7). One recent prospective cohort study found that 44% of children diagnosed with bipolar I disorder went on to have manic episodes as young adults (11). Initial studies in adults utilized retrospective assessment of both onset age and illness course (3, 12, 13). To date, two studies have examined prospective outcomes of retrospectively obtained childhood-onset bipolar disorder in adults. The two studies included fewer than 25 subjects and 67 subjects, respectively, with onset before age 13 (8, 14). Importantly, neither study accounted for the potential confounding effects of time since first episode or described recurrences, functional impairment, or quality of life. Furthermore, no study has examined the length of euthymic intervals, which may be especially important in defining a more pernicious course. The Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) study included longitudinal assessments of mood state and functional status in over 3,500 individuals with bipolar I and II disorder, with up to two years of follow-up (15, 16). We sought to extend cross-sectional findings of a more severe course among individuals with retrospectively obtained childhood onset by examining the prospective course of childhood-, adolescent-, and adult-onset bipolar patients in this cohort. We hypothesized that bipolar patients with childhood onset of mood symptoms would experience shorter periods of euthymia prior to recurrence compared with those with adult-onset symptoms. We further hypothesized that childhood-onset patients would experience a more chronic course, marked by a smaller proportion of days euthymic as well as greater functional impairment during follow-up (17).
Nonlinear registration of brain images using deformable models

A key issue in several brain imaging applications, including computer aided neurosurgery, functional image analysis, and morphometrics, is the spatial normalization and registration of tomographic images from different subjects. This paper proposes a technique for spatial normalization of brain images based on elastically deformable models. In the authors' approach they use a deformable surface algorithm to find a parametric representation of the outer cortical surface and then use this representation to obtain a map between corresponding regions of the outer cortex in two different images. Based on the resulting map, the authors then derive a three-dimensional elastic warping transformation which brings two images in register. This transformation models images as inhomogeneous elastic objects which are deformed into registration with each other by external force fields. The elastic properties of the images can vary from one region to the other, allowing more variable brain regions, such as the ventricles, to deform more freely than less variable ones. Finally, the authors use prestrained elasticity to model structural irregularities, and in particular the ventricular expansion occurring with aging or diseases. The performance of the authors' algorithm is demonstrated on magnetic resonance images.
Closure mechanism of the anal canal in women: assessed by three-dimensional ultrasound imaging.

PURPOSE: To describe the functional correlates of anal canal anatomy using 3 dimensional ultrasound imaging. METHODS: Ten nulliparous women were studied by using a 10-cm bag of 20-mm diameter. The bag was placed along the anal canal and inflated with 20 to 45 ml water, in 5-ml increments. At each volume, a three-dimensional ultrasound volume of the anal canal was obtained while the subjects were at rest and squeeze. The ultrasound images were analyzed to determine the relationship between the bag cross-sectional area and bag pressure. RESULTS: At low distension volumes, the bag is shaped like an "hourglass." The flared ends of the funnels correspond with the proximal and distal margins of the puborectalis muscle and external anal sphincter respectively. With increasing bag volumes, the length of completely closed segment of anal canal decreased. The last anal segment to open at rest was the one surrounded by all three structures. Anal contraction resulted in reduction of the anal canal cross-sectional area; the least compliant part of the anal canal was the one surrounded by external anal sphincter. CONCLUSION: The internal anal sphincter, external anal sphincter, and puborectalis muscle are all involved in the anal canal closure function. During contraction, the external anal sphincter is the strongest component of anal canal closure mechanism.
Identification and functional characterization of adipose-specific phospholipase A2 (AdPLA).

Phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) catalyze hydrolysis of fatty acids from the sn-2 position of phospholipids. Here we report the identification and characterization of a membrane-associated intracellular calcium-dependent, adipose-specific PLA2 that we named AdPLA (adipose-specific phospholipase A2). We found that AdPLA was highly expressed specifically in white adipose tissue and was induced during preadipocyte differentiation into adipocytes. Clearance of AdPLA by immunoprecipitation significantly decreased PLA activity in white adipose tissue lysates but had no effect on liver lysates, where expression was hardly detectable. In characterizing AdPLA, we employed radiochemical assays with TLC analysis of the enzyme activity of lysates from COS-7 cells overexpressing AdPLA. For kinetic studies, we produced purified recombinant AdPLA for use in a lipoxidase-coupled spectrophotometric assay. AdPLA generated free fatty acid and lysophospholipid from phosphatidylcholine with a preference for hydrolysis at the sn-2 position. Although we found low but detectable lysophospholipase activity, AdPLA showed no significant activity against a variety of other lipid substrates. Calcium was found to activate AdPLA but was not essential for activity. Studies with known phospholipase inhibitors, including bromoenolactone, methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphate, AACOCF3, 7,7-dimethyl-5,8-eicosadienoic acid, and thioetheramide, supported that AdPLA is a phospholipase. Mutational studies showed that His-23 and Cys-113 are critical for activity of AdPLA and suggested that AdPLA is likely a His/Cys PLA2. Overall, although AdPLA is similar to other histidine phospholipases in pH and calcium dependence, AdPLA showed different characteristics in many regards, including predicted catalytic mechanism. AdPLA may therefore represent the first member of a new group of PLA2s, group XVI.
Isolation and characterization of mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains unable to assimilate nitrate

Single-site mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that lack the ability aerobically to assimilate nitrate and nitrite as sole sources of nitrogen have been isolated. Twentyone of these have been subdivided into four groups by transductional analysis. Mutants in only one group, designated nis, lost assimilatory nitrite reductase activity. Mutants in the other three transductional groups, designated ntmA, ntmB, ntmC, display a pleiotropic phenotype: utilization of a number of nitrogen-containing compounds including nitrite as sole nitrogen sources is impaired. Assimilatory nitrite reductase was shown to be the major route by which hydroxylamine is reduced in aerobically-grown cells.
Over 50 and wired: Web-based stakeholder communication

Public relations professionals in the era of online communication and social media need to use the best channels of communication to reach specific publics. To achieve this, research is needed in how specific demographic segments seek out and use online communication. A growing online audience segment is adults 50 years old and older, important organizational stakeholders. A layered case study, utilizing surveys and interviews, presents an organization’s research on Web–based communication strategy with older adults. The findings reveal several important communication dynamics for online interaction with audiences. These include: how older adults prefer to seek out and receive information; the importance of a technology’s ease of use; increasing uses of social media profiles; and, personal contact.
AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF STOCK DIVIDENDS-IN-KIND

We investigate share price reactions to announcements of dividends payable in the common stock of corporations different from the issuing firm. We find that firms that declare these dividends (typically investment companies) experience positive abnormal returns upon announcement. We also find that such dividends are more likely to be declared when the shares to be distributed have peaked in value. Consistent with this finding, we document negative announcement-period abnormal returns for firms having their shares distributed. Additional tests reveal that prices respond more negatively when the information signal is strongest, when outside ownership is more dispersed, and when management is more entrenched.
Behavior of secondary particles emitted in relativistic heavy-ion interactions

Abstract The interaction mean free paths in nuclear emulsions of relativistic projectile fragments, 3 ⩽ Z ⩽ 26 emitted from heavy-ion beams of 40 Ar and 56 Fe at an energy of ∼ 2 GeV/nucleon have been measured and they are found to be shorter when determined from fragments interacting in the first few centimeters after their emissions as compared with interactions occurring within larger distances or with predictions from experiments on accelerated primary beams. There appears to be a threshold for this abnormal effect in the energy region of about 1 GeV/nucleon.
The age and accretion of the earth

Abstract Culminating a long series of effort, the monumental work of Patterson [Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 10 (1956) 230] showed that the age of the earth was close to that of most meteorites at 4.55 Ga. Later refinements have consistently arrived at a younger age for the earth, shedding light on the accretion history of the earth. A review of progresses after Patterson's work is presented on ages for core formation, Xe closure, and formation of the earliest crust using U–Pb, Hf–W, I-Pu-U-Xe, Sm–Nd, and Nb–Zr systems; consistency among the systems is examined; and discrepancies are decoded. The combination of U–Pb and Hf–W systems can rule out some models of rapid earth accretion (at ∼4.55 Ga) followed by smooth and continuous core formation, but allow at least two different models. I-Pu-U-Xe systematics reveals a consistent and young age of 4.45±0.02 Ga for Xe closure. The systematics also allows an estimation of primordial 130Xe concentration in the bulk silicate earth to be 0.034 × ÷ 3 ppt , and I concentration to be 15.5 × ÷ 2.8 ppb . Earliest crustal formation age constrained by U–Pb ages of detrital zircon, coupled Sm–Nd system, and Nb–Zr system is about 4.45±0.05 Ga. The combination of all the isotopic constraints shows that they are consistent with either one of the following two scenarios for the accretion and differentiation of the earth: (i) A single age of 4.45±0.02 Ga for all events in the context of instantaneous differentiation, younger than Patterson's 4.55 Ga by about 100 Myr. This age would most likely represent the time of the last giant impact by an impactor of the size of Mars or greater, from which the earth was rehomogenized and reborn. The age would probably also signify the time when the earth reached about 80–90% of its present mass. In this scenario, the history of the proto-earth before 4.45 Ga was obliterated by the giant impact at ∼4.45 Ga. (ii) Continuous earth accretion and simultaneous core formation with a mean age of 4.53 Ga (mean accretion time of 30 Myr). The continuous accretion was infrequently disrupted by giant impacts that were not powerful enough to rehomogenize the whole earth. The last of such impacts (by a body the size of the moon or greater) occurred at about 4.45 Ga, which stripped the atmosphere from the earth and remelted the crust of the earth. In this scenario, some history of the proto-earth before 4.45 Ga is still preserved in the isotopic records. If the measurement precision of 182W/184W ratio can be improved by a factor of 10, or if earliest crust formation age can be further constrained, it will be possible to rule out one of the scenarios and further constrain the accretion history of the earth.
Solution and Solid-State Structures of Lithiated Phenyloxazolines

The structures of three ortho-lithiated phenyloxazolines, the parent (1), the para-tert-butyl analogue (2), and the para-chloro analogue (3), were studied in solution. All three compounds are mixtures of monomers and dimers in THF/ether mixed solvents, with 2 the most aggregated and 3 the least. They are converted to monomers with HMPA and PMDTA. In the PMDTA complexes, the lithium appears to still be chelated to the oxazoline ring. Single-crystal X-ray structures were obtained for 1 and 2. Both are centrosymmetric dimers of B-type (each lithium coordinated to one oxazoline ring).
Effects of Refractive Index and Diffuse or Specular Boundaries on a Radiating Isothermal Layer

Equilibrium temperatures of an absorbing-emitting layer were obtained for exposure to incident radiation and with the layer boundaries either specular or diffuse. For high refractive indices the surface condition can influence the radiative heat balance if the layer optical thickness is small. Hence for a spectrally varying absorption coefficient the layer temperature is affected if there is significant radiative energy in the spectral range with a small absorption coefficient. Similar behavior was obtained for transient radiative cooling of a layer where the results are affected by the initial temperature and hence the fraction of energy radiated in the short wavelength region where the absorption coefficient is small. The results are a layer without internal scattering. If internal scattering is significant, the radiation reaching the internal surface of a boundary is diffused and the effect of the two different surface conditions would become small.
Late onset of sequential multifocal bleb leaks after glaucoma filtration surgery with 5-Fluorouracil and Mitomycin C

Purpose To describe the late onset of sequential multifocal bleb leaks as a postoperative complication after filtering surgery with antimetabolites. Materials Retrospectively, 385 consecutive eyes (304 patients) undergoing trabeculectomy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or mitomycin C (MMC) from 1989 to 1994 were reviewed. Eyes with filtration bleb leak occurring 6 months or more after trabeculectomy were analyzed, and clinical characteristics of the filtration bleb, response to treatment, and bleb histopathology from eyes undergoing bleb excision were analyzed. Results In seven (1.8%) of 385 consecutive eyes from 304 patients undergoing glaucoma filtration surgery with 5-FU or MMC, repetitive bleb leaks in different locations of the bleb were observed from 9 to 44 months (mean, 20.4 months) after the procedure. One hundred ninety-three eyes (50%) were treated with 5-FU and the remaining eyes, with MMC. All eyes had transparent, avascular, lobular, cystic blebs. Bleb leaks occurred in five eyes treated postoperatively with subconjunctival 5-FU and in two eyes in which MMC was used intraoperatively. Three eyes (all treated with 5-FU) required surgical excision, and four eyes healed with soft contact lens, cyanoacrylate glue, or intrableb injection of autologous blood. Histopathology of the bleb leak sites demonstrated focal epithelial thinning and interruption with subjacent hypocellularity and stromal collagen degeneration. Conclusion Late sequential multifocal bleb leaks may occur after glaucoma filtration surgery with administration of antimetabolites (5-FU or MMC) and are associated with epithelial breakdown, hypocellularity, and stromal collagen necrosis in the filtration bleb.
Prediction and Measurement of Travel Time Along Pedestrian Routes

A methodology to predict the walking and queueing times on pedestrian routes is developed. Walking time predictions are based on either average pedestrian space or flow rate. Queueing time estimates at signalized intersections are based on an assumption of random arrivals. The methodology is tested by comparing travel time predictions with the results of travel time runs on several routes near the city center of Brisbane, Australia. Data from 49 signalized intersections within the routes indicate that upstream coordinated signals can significantly affect downstream signal delay. It was also found that, in a coordinated signal system, the standard deviation of delay at a signal can be much different from what would be expected if arrivals were random. The effect of signal coordination on average delay was also apparent at the arterial level.
Preclinical abnormality of left ventricular function in diabetes mellitus.

Abstract Abnormal cardiac muscle function has been reported in experimental diabetes mellitus from this laboratory. To examine left ventricular performance in diabetic patients without clinical evidence of myocardial ischemia or other cardiovascular disease, a noninvasive measurement of the systolic time intervals was carried out. Simultaneous recordings of the electrocardiogram, heart sounds, and carotid pulse were made in 25 diabetic subjects, 20 to 56 years of age, and compared with 37 normal subjects. The diabetic subjects had a shorter left ventricular ejection time, longer pre-ejection period, and a higher ratio of pre-ejection period/left ventricular ejection time (P
The Impact of Communication Structure and Interpersonal Dependencies on Distributed Teams

In the past decade, we have witnessed an explosive growth of the Web, online communities, and social media. This has led to a substantial increase in the range and scope of electronic communication and distributed collaboration. In distributed teams, social communication is thought to be critical for creating and sustaining relationships, but there is often limited opportunity for team members to build interpersonal connections through face to face interactions. Although social science research has examined some relational aspects of distributed teams, this work has only recently begun to explore the potentially complex relationship between communication, interpersonal relationship formation, and the effectiveness of distributed teams. In this work, we analyze data from an experimental study comparing distributed and co-located teams of undergraduates working to solve logic problems. We use a combined set of tools, including statistical analysis, social network analysis, and machine learning, to analyze the influence of interpersonal communication on the effectiveness of distributed and co-located teams. Our results indicate there are significant differences in participants' self- and group perceptions with respect to: (i) distributed vs. co-located settings, and (ii) communication structures within the team.
Extensive Animation of Cotton with Ethylenimine

Aminated cottons of nitrogen contents ranging up to 29% are prepared by heating chemical cotton with ethylenimine at 140°-180°C. These products are considerably different from cellu lose in their physical and chemical properties. A possible chemical structure for these materials is discussed but is shown to be not entirely satisfactory.
Engineering the Point-Spread-Function for Super-Resolution from Multiple Low-Resolution Sub-Pixel Shifted Frames

We propose engineering the optical point-spread-function to overcome the detector-limited resolution of a digital imager. We show that an imager with an optimized point-spread-function can achieve a 50% resolution improvement over a conventional lens-only imager.
Parent Stress and Its Relation to Parent Perceptions of Communication Following Parent-Coached Language Intervention

The effects of a parent-coached language intervention on parent stress and its relation to parent perceptions of communication development were examined in 60 parents of toddlers with developmental delays. Results indicated that overall parent stress was not high prior to or following language intervention. Parents’ perceptions about the severity of their children’s communication deficits partially mediated the relationship between expressive language at preintervention and parent stress at postintervention. Parents of children who had better expressive language at the beginning of intervention perceived their children’s communication difficulties as less severe and had less parent stress following language intervention.
Prenatal diagnosis and dysmorphic findings in mosaic trisomy 16

We report two cases of mosaic trisomy 16 diagnosed by amniocentesis, with dysmorphic findings in both cases evident upon delivery. Following elective termination, case 1 demonstrated a trisomy 16 cell line in fetal skin (4 per cent) and placental tissue (64 per cent). Molecular studies on the disomic cell line indicated that both chromosome 16s were maternal in origin, suggesting loss of the paternal chromosome 16 from a trisomic zygote (uniparental heterodisomy). At birth, case 2 demonstrated only disomic cells in skin and blood, with trisomy 16 present in 4 per cent of cells from the amnion. Molecular studies confirmed both maternal and paternal contributions of the chromosome 16s. We analysed DNA from one previously reported case of mosaic trisomy 16 (Williams et al., 1992) and failed to find signs of uniparental disomy in this child with congenital heart defects. These cases had distinctive but different dysmorphic features. We suggest that trisomy 16 embryos may revert to disomy during the course of pregnancy, allowing for longer survival with various abnormalities in growth and morphogenesis. The clinical significance of prenatally detected mosaic trisomy 16 may not be completely defined by additional cytogenetic, molecular, and ultrasound studies.
The effect of household wealth on educational attainment: evidence from 35 countries.

The authors use household survey data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 44 surveys (in 35 countries) to document different patterns in the enrollment and attainment of children from rich and poor households. They overcome the lack of income or expenditure data in the DHS by constructing a proxy for long-run wealth of the household from the asset information in the surveys, using the statistical technique of principal components. There are three major findings. First, the enrollment profiles of the poor differ across countries but fall into distinctive regional patterns: in some regions the poor reach nearly universal enrollment in first grade, but then drop out in large numbers leading to low attainment (typical of South America), while in other regions the poor never enroll in school (typical of South Asia and Western/Central Africa). Second, there are enormous differences across countries in the “wealth gap,” the difference in enrollment and educational attainment of the rich and poor. While in some countries the difference in the median years of school completed of the rich and poor is only a year or two, in other countries the wealth gap in attainment is 9 or 10 years. Third, the attainment profiles can be used as diagnostic tools to suggest issues in the educational system, such as the extent to which low attainment is attributable to physical unavailability of schools.
Multiple Signaling States of G-Protein-Coupled Receptors

Studies have been amassed in the past several years indicating that an agonist can conform a receptor into an activation state that is dependent upon an intrinsic property of the agonist usually based upon its chemical composition. Theoretically, each different agonist could impart its own unique activation state. Evidence for multiple signaling states for the G-protein-coupled receptors will be reviewed and is derived from many different pharmacological behaviors: efficacy, kinetics, protean agonism, differential desensitization and internalization, inverse agonism, and fusion chimeras. A recent extension of the ternary complex model is suggested by evidence that the different processes that govern deactivation, such as desensitization and internalization, is also regulated by conformers specific to the agonist. Rhodopsin may serve as a primer for the study of multiple activation states. Therapeutic implications that utilize multiple signaling states hold vast promise in the rationale design of drugs.
Diosgenin, 4-Hydroxyisoleucine, and Fiber from Fenugreek: Mechanisms of Actions and Potential Effects on Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome and its complications continue to rise in prevalence and show no signs of abating in the immediate future. Therefore, the search for effective treatments is a high priority in biomedical research. Products derived from botanicals have a time-honored history of use in the treatment of metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes. Trigonella foenum-graecum, commonly known as fenugreek, is an annual herbaceous plant that has been a staple of traditional herbal medicine in many cultures. Although fenugreek has been studied in both clinical and basic research settings, questions remain about its efficacy and biologic mechanisms of action. Diosgenin, 4-hydroxyisoleucine, and the fiber component of the plant are the most intensively studied bioactive constituents present in fenugreek. These compounds have been demonstrated to exert beneficial effects on several physiologic markers including glucose tolerance, inflammation, insulin action, liver function, blood lipids, and cardiovascular health. Although insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the favorable effects of fenugreek have been gained, we still do not have definitive evidence establishing its role as a therapeutic agent in metabolic disease. This review aims to summarize the currently available evidence on the physiologic effects of the 3 best-characterized bioactive compounds of fenugreek, with particular emphasis on biologic mechanisms of action relevant in the context of metabolic syndrome.
An Intralysosomal hsp70 Is Required for a Selective Pathway of Lysosomal Protein Degradation

Previous studies have implicated the heat shock cognate (hsc) protein of 73 kD (hsc73) in stimulating a lysosomal pathway of proteolysis that is selective for particular cytosolic proteins. This pathway is activated by serum deprivation in confluent cultured human fibroblasts. We now show, using indirect immunofluorescence and laser scanning confocal microscopy, that a heat shock protein (hsp) of the 70-kD family (hsp70) is associated with lysosomes (ly-hsc73). An mAb designated 13D3 specifically recognizes hsc73, and this antibody colocalizes with an antibody to lgp120, a lysosomal marker protein. Most, but not all, lysosomes contain ly-hsc73, and the morphological appearance of these organelles dramatically changes in response to serum withdrawal; the punctate lysosomes fuse to form tubules. Based on susceptibility to digestion by trypsin and by immunoblot analysis after two-dimensional electrophoresis of isolated lysosomes and isolated lysosomal membranes, most ly-hsc73 is within the lysosomal lumen. We determined the functional importance of the ly-hsc73 by radiolabeling cellular proteins with [3H]leucine and then allowing cells to endocytose excess mAb 13D3 before measuring protein degradation in the presence and absence of serum. The increased protein degradation in response to serum deprivation was completely inhibited by endocytosed mAb 13D3, while protein degradation in cells maintained in the presence of serum was unaffected. The intralysosomal digestion of endocytosed [3H]RNase A was not affected by the endocytosed mAb 13D3. These results suggest that ly-hsc73 is required for a step in the degradative pathway before protein digestion within lysosomes, most likely for the import of substrate proteins.
The herbal medicine, dai-kenchu-to, accelerates delayed gastrointestinal transit after the operation in rats

Background Post-operative ileus (POI) is a transient bowel dysmotility after operation. We have previously shown that laparotomy alone significantly delayed gastrointestinal (GI) transit, compared to anesthesia alone. The GI transit was further delayed after laparotomy plus intestinal manipulation. Dai-Kenchu-to (DKT), an herbal medicine, has been used for treating adhesive bowel obstruction in Japan. We studied whether DKT improves delayed GI transit after the operation, with or without morphine administration in rats. Materials and methods Under isoflurane anesthesia, POI was induced by laparotomy with intestinal manipulation. Immediately after the operation, the rats received 51Cr by gavage. Three hours after the operation, the rats were sacrificed and GI transit was estimated by calculating the geometric center (GC). DKT (120, 360, and 1,200 mg/kg) were administered by gavage after the operation, with or without morphine administration (1 mg/kg s.c.). A muscarinic receptor antagonist (atropine; 50 μg/kg), a 5HT3 receptor antagonist (ondansetron; 1 mg/kg) and a 5HT4 receptor antagonist (GR113,808; 3 mg/kg) were administered before the operation. Truncal vagotomy was performed preceding the operation. Results Laparotomy with intestinal manipulation produced a significant delay in GI transit (GC = 2.93 ± 0.16), compared to that of anesthesia alone (9.51 ± 0.45). DKT at the dose of 360 mg/kg (GC = 3.77 ± 0.10, P < 0.01) and 1,200 mg/kg (GC = 3.77 ± 0.20, P < 0.01) significantly accelerated delayed GI transit induced by operation. Ondansetron, GR113,808, atropine, and truncal vagotomy abolished the stimulatory effect of DKT (360 mg/kg). When morphine was administered, GI transit was further reduced (GC = 1.97 ± 0.10). DKT at the dose of 360 mg/kg (GC = 2.81 ± 0.22, P < 0.05) and 1,200 mg/kg (GC = 2.87 ± 0.23, P < 0.05) significantly improved delayed GI transit in morphine treated rats. Conclusions DKT accelerates delayed GI transit induced by intestinal manipulation with and without concomitant morphine administration. DKT treatment may be useful for the patients with POI.
Initiation of Mitochondrial DNA Replication by Transcription and R-loop Processing

The mitochondrial genome of eukaryotic cells is maintained by a mechanism distinct from that employed in the nucleus. Mitochondrial DNA replication at the leading-strand origin is coupled to transcription through the formation of an RNA-DNA hybrid known as an R-loop. In vivo and in vitro evidence has implicated an RNA processing enzyme, RNase MRP, in primer maturation. In our investigation of mammalian RNase MRP, we have analyzed its specific endoribonuclease activity on model R-loops. We demonstrate here that human RNase MRP cleaves this distinctly configured substrate at virtually all of the major DNA replication sites previously mapped in vivo. We further show that the processed RNA products remain stably base-paired to the template DNA strand and are functional for initiating DNA synthesis on a closed circular plasmid. Thus, in vitro initiation of leading-strand mtDNA synthesis requires only the actions of RNA polymerase and RNase MRP for the generation of replication primers.
Liposomes modulate human immunodeficiency virus infectivity

We have investigated the effects of the fusion of liposomes with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1LVA) on the ability of the virus to infect CD4+ and CD4- cells. Fluorescence dequenching measurements indicated that HIV-1 fuses with liposomes composed of either cardiolipin (CL) or N-[2,3-(dioleyloxy) propyl]-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium chloride (DOTMA) but not appreciably with dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) liposomes. Pre-incubation of HIV-1 with DOTMA liposomes enhanced virus production (measured by p24 gag antigen production in the culture medium and in situ) in CD4+ A3.01 and H9 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, but did not mediate the infection of the CD4- cell line, K562. Preincubation of HIV-1 with between 10 and 30 µm-DOTMA liposomes, and subsequent incubation with A3.01 cells, resulted in the production of about 30-fold greater levels of virus than controls. The presence of DOTMA liposomes during the incubation of A3.01 cells with HIV-1 enhanced the infectivity of the virus up to 90-fold compared to controls. Conversely, preincubation of HIV-1 with CL liposomes inhibited infection of A3.01 cells, dependent on the concentration of liposomes; DOPC liposomes did not alter the infectivity of the virus under any of the incubation conditions. Our results thus indicate that fusion of HIV-1 with liposomes alters the ability of the virus to infect its target cells.
Accuracy of home energy rating systems

Abstract We compared Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) ratings and actual utility billing data for about 500 houses in four states. We found that HERS can, on average, predict annual energy cost accurately. However, on an individual house basis the agreement between predicted energy cost and actual energy cost was often poor, especially for older houses. Discrepancies between predicted and actual energy use have important implications for the true cost-effectiveness of HERS-recommended improvements. There was no clear relationship between rating score and actual energy cost. Given these results, HERS providers need to give consumers more information about accuracy and how to interpret ratings. They should also take greater advantage of the thousands of ratings that have been conducted in order to assess and improve HERS' ability to predict energy use.
Psychometric and CT scan measurements in a case of crossed aphasia in a dextral

Abstract A case of crossed aphasia with lesion deep to the right supramarginal gyrus was studied to determine (1) if this patient behaved similar to patients with the same lesion site in the left hemisphere, (2) if visuospatial deficits were present, and (3) if the CT scan asymmetries were similar to those of other right-handers. Speech and language skills were similar to those patients with similar lesions in the left hemisphere. Visuospatial and arithmetic deficits were similar to those described after right-hemisphere and left-hemisphere damage. CT scan asymmetries were atypical. These results provide behavioral and neuroradiological confirmation of atypical hemispheric dominance.