cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kabsa (a.k.a. Mushahara) and Threatened Fertility in Egypt

Among the urban and rural poor of Egypt, female infertility is often attributed to kabsa (also known as mushahara), a form of 'boundary-crossing' by symbolically polluted individuals into the rooms of reproductively vulnerable women. When kabsa occurs, it causes the 'binding' of women's reproductive bodies, threatening their future fertility, their husband's virile procreativity, and, ultimately, the social reproduction of Egyptian society at large. Because kabsa is viewed as the leading cause of female infertility--an extremely socially stigmatizing condition in Egypt--it is greatly feared by women. This paper examines kabsa beliefs and practices in Lower Egypt in terms of the ritual process and reproductive rites of passage for women in particular. Major features of kabsa are analyzed, and kabsa preventive and therapeutic rituals of depolluting consubstantiality (i.e. sharing of substance) are examined in detail. The paper concludes with an analysis of reproductive 'threat', exploring why Egyptians perceive kabsa and other forms of reproductive hindrance--including neocolonially inspired family planning campaigns--as dangers to the individual, social, and political bodies.
TXNIP Links Redox Circuitry to Glucose Control

Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) binds and inhibits the reducing activity of thioredoxin. A new study (Parikh et al., 2007) implicates this redox rheostat as a negative regulator of peripheral glucose metabolism in humans. Investigators combined human physiology, genomic screening, and cell-based genetic studies to highlight TNXIP as a potential culprit in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.
Alpha-blockade downregulates myosin heavy chain gene expression in human benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Abstract Objectives. Smooth muscle (SM), a major component of prostate stroma, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia. In many muscle systems, steroid hormones and alpha 1 -adrenergic neurotransmitters tightly regulate expression of contractile proteins. In this study, SM content and the expression of myosin heavy chain (MHC) in tissues from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia treated with androgen ablation or alpha-blockade were compared with untreated controls. Methods. Prostatic periurethral tissue specimens from patients receiving luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogues (n = 12), alpha-blocking agents (n = 12), and no treatment (n = 13) were examined. The samples were analyzed for SM MHC mRNA expression using competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. SM content was measured by morphometric analysis of trichrome-stained sections. Results. Stromal SM constituted 45.4% ± 8.6%, 48.1% ± 18.4%, and 45.9% ± 10.8% of the total tissue in androgen ablated, alpha-blocked, and untreated tissues, respectively. No significant difference was observed among these three groups ( P = 0.84, analysis of variance). However, SM MHC mRNA expression was markedly decreased in the alpha-blockade group (0.15 ± 0.02 attomole/mg tissue) compared with the androgen-ablated (0.58 ± 0.15 attomole/mg tissue) or control (0.44 ± 0.10 attomole/mg tissue) groups. The relationship between SM content and expression of SM MHC significantly differed among the groups ( P = 0.02, analysis of variance). Conclusions. Androgen ablation and alpha-blockade do not appear to alter the histologic characteristics of prostate stroma in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, contractile protein gene expression in stromal SM cells is significantly altered after alpha-blockade. These data suggest that, in addition to the simple relaxation of muscle tone, alpha-blocking agents may affect the phenotypic expression of contractile proteins in prostate SM cells.
The LISA mission design

The proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is designed to observe gravitational radiation from galactic binaries and massive black holes in other galaxies. LISA will observe waves in the frequency range 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz, which can never be observed on Earth due to background noise. The three LISA spacecraft will be located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle with side length 5 million km. The orbits are chosen so that the triangle formation trails the Earth by 20 degrees. Each spacecraft will contain two independent instruments containing a proof mass, laser and 30 cm diameter telescope for the transmission and reception of laser signals. Two independent Michelson interferometers will be formed, allowing both polarizations of gravitational waves to be detected. The observed signals will yield unique information about the formation of massive black holes and the nature of gravity in the high-field limit.
Incremental reduction in the lambda calculus

An incremental algorithm is one that takes advantage of the fact that the function it computes is to be evaluated repeatedly on inputs that differ only slightly from one another, avoiding unnecessary duplication of common computations.We define here a new notion of incrementality for reduction in the untyped l-calculus and describe an incremental reduction algorithm, Linc. We show that Linc has the desirable property of performing non-overlapping reductions on related terms, yet is simple enough to allow a practical implementation. The algorithm is based on a novel l-reduction strategy that may prove useful in a non-incremental setting as well.Incremental l-reduction can be used to advantage in any setting where an algorithm is specified in a functional or applicative manner.
Oxytocin has dose-dependent developmental effects on pair-bonding and alloparental care in female prairie voles

The present study examines the developmental consequences of neonatal exposure to oxytocin on adult social behaviors in female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Female neonates were injected within 24 h of birth with isotonic saline or one of four dosages of oxytocin (OT). As adults, females were tested in an elevated plus-maze paradigm (a measure of anxiety and exploratory behavior), and for alloparental behavior and partner preferences. At 2 mg/kg OT, females took longer to approach pups, but were the only group to form a statistically significant within-group partner preference. At 4 mg/kg OT, females retrieved pups significantly more frequently but no longer displayed a partner preference; while females treated developmentally with 8 mg/kg spent significantly more time in side-to-side contact with a male stranger than any other treatment group. OT may have broad developmental consequences, but these effects are not linear and may both increase and decrease the propensity to display behaviors such as pair-bonding.
Classification of the Epileptic Seizures and the Epilepsies and Their Differential Diagnosis

Objective: To describe the epilepsy syndromes and introduce the elements of differential diagnosis to rule out nonepileptic conditions. The management of a person with a seizure disorder is predicated on the nature of the underlying disturbance. Is it epilepsy? What is the nature of the seizure and, by inference, which part of the nervous system is involved in its inception and spread? What is its likely cause? The seizure is the symptom of the latter.
Genetic Studies with TWo Superoxide Dismutase Loci in Soybean

A variant pattern, in which bands 8 and 9 have decreased mobilities, is observed in some soybean lines. This study was conducted to determine the mode on inheritance of this variant and to test for linkage between two SOD loci and several other loci
Concatemer formation of ColE1-type plasmids in mutants of Escherichia coli lacking RNase H activity

rnh mutants harboring pBR322 were found to contain several slowly migrating DNA species when examined by agarose gel electrophoresis. The plasmid DNA from rnh mutants included large molecules, i.e. plasmids two, three or four times the size of a single plasmid unit. That this DNA contained concatemeric plasmid joined in a head-to-tail fashion was determined by digestion with restriction endonucleases that cleaved the monomeric plasmid DNA at a unique site. This treatment resulted in migration of the plasmid DNA at a mobility identical to that of linearized monomeric plasmid by agarose gel electrophoresis. This was confirmed by electron microscopy. Plasmid concatemer formation was detected with several high-copy-number (relaxed type) plasmids but not with low-copy-number (stringent) plasmids. Concatemer formation was dependent on RecA+ and RecF+ functions since several recA and recF mutations abolished concatemer formation. ColE1-type plasmids were previously shown to replicate in rnh mutants in the absence of DNA polymerase I (PolI) activity. This DNA PolI-independent plasmid replication was also examined for its dependence on the recF and recA gene products. rnh- polA(Ts) recF- strains were efficiently transformed with these plasmids at 30 degrees C and 42 degrees C, indicating the presence of DNA PolI-independent replication under recF- conditions. The presence or absence of plasmid replication in rnh- polA- recA(Ts) strains was also examined by measuring the increase in total amounts of plasmid. The results indicated that DNA PolI-independent replication occurred in these triple mutants at 42 degrees C as well as at 30 degrees C. It was concluded that the recombination event giving rise to concatemer formation was not essential for DNA PolI-independent replication in rnh mutants.
Ethanol-induced apoptotic neurodegeneration in the developing C57BL/6 mouse brain

Recent studies have shown that administration of ethanol to infant rats during the synaptogenesis period (first 2 weeks after birth), triggers extensive apoptotic neurodegeneration throughout many regions of the developing brain. While synaptogenesis is largely a postnatal phenomenon in rats, it occurs prenatally (last trimester of pregnancy) in humans. Recent evidence strongly supports the interpretation that ethanol exerts its apoptogenic action by a dual mechanism--blockade of NMDA glutamate receptors and hyperactivation of GABA(A) receptors. These findings in immature rats represent a significant advance in the fetal alcohol research field, in that previous in vivo animal studies had not demonstrated an apoptogenic action of ethanol, had not documented ethanol-induced cell loss from more than a very few brain regions and had not provided penetrating insight into the mechanisms underlying ethanol's neurotoxic action. To add to the mechanistic insights recently gained, it would be desirable to examine gene-regulated aspects of ethanol-induced apoptotic neurodegeneration, using genetically altered strains of mice. The feasibility of such research must first be established by demonstrating that appropriate mouse strains are sensitive to this neurotoxic mechanism. In the present study, we demonstrate that mice of the C57BL/6 strain, a strain frequently used in transgenic and gene deletion research, are exquisitely sensitive to the mechanism by which ethanol induces apoptotic neurodegeneration during the synaptogenesis period of development.
Palmar eccrine sweating—the role of adrenergic and cholinergic mediators

SUMMARY Fifty-one healthy human volunteers received intradermal injections of adrenaline. Sixty-five per cent of injected forearms and 36% of injected palms showed a positive sudorific response. Adrenaline-induced palmar sweating was not inhibited by atropine blockade or local anaesthesia. Pharmacologically proven atropine blockade completely suppressed emotional palmar sweating, but had no effect on spontaneous palmar sweating. Three groups of five healthy human volunteers were given intravenous doses of: (1) the alphablocker, phentolamine (Rogitine); (2) the alpha-blocker, phenoxybenzamine (Dibenyline); and (3) the beta-blocker, propranolol (Inderal). The blocking agents did not inhibit palmar sweating caused by either emotional stimuli or intradermal adrenaline, and did not suppress spontaneous (base line) sweating of the palmar glands. The failure of atropine to block spontaneous (or baseline) palmar sweating may represent either another pharmacological mediator or non-pharmacologically mediated eccrine gland water loss. If the former is the case, then these findings suggest that the palmar eccrine gland may be related to neither alpha- nor beta-receptors, but rather to a previously undescribed type of adrenergic receptor.
Public administration planning in developing countries a Bayesian decision theory approach

Decisionmaking under uncertainty is visualized as a game against nature. The policymaker is the player and has a set of alternatives or strategies from which he desires to choose the most effective. He is confronted with a variety of possible states of nature that may evolve after his decision is made. The key states of nature are identified and their interactive relationship to the strategy options are specified. Important roles in the resulting analysis are played by the probabilities of successful project initiation and implementation. It is shown that neglect of the inherent uncertainty aspects leads to evaluations (benefit-cost ratios) of proposed reforms and projects which can be seriously upward biased.
Experimental Noise Studies of Inlet Guide Vane‐Rotor‐Stator Interactions for a Single‐Stage Axial‐Flow Compressor

Farfield noise‐radiation patterns for the rotor alone, the inlet guide vane and rotor, the rotor and downstream stator vanes, and the inlet guide vane‐rotor‐stator combination are compared for a constant rotor speed and mass flow. For the configurations studied, the radiated‐noise levels due to the interactions of rotor and downstream stator vanes are appreciably less than those clue to inlet guide vane and rotor interactions. It has been possible to correlate variations in the noise levels, with a knowledge of local conditions in the vicinity of the blades.
Oustar herbicide for efficient herbaceous weed control and enhanced loblolly pine seedling performance in the southeastern US

Abstract Oustar herbicide is a new pre-mixed blend of hexazinone ( Velpar DF )+ sulfometuron (Oust XP). Tests at six sites in the southeastern US were established to compare Oustar (0, 0.70, 0.91, 1.12, 1.33 kg of product per ha) to industry standards (Velpar L+Oust 2.34 + 0.14; Arsenal AC + Oust 0.29 + 0.14, both in L/ha + kg/ha) for herbaceous weed control (HWC) and resultant loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedling performance. Sites were prepared prior to planting with: fire only, chemical followed by a burn, mechanical only, or chemical and mechanical methods. Oustar (0.70 kg) and industry standards provided similar HWC and seedling performance. When averaged across all six sites, herbicide plots consistently had more bareground than untreated plots by nearly 2× at 30 days after treatment (DAT), 3× at 60 DAT, 4× at 90 DAT, and 5× at 120 DAT. Similarly, herbicide treatments increased age-two seedling survival (9%), total height (0.21 m), ground line diameter (0.66 cm), and volume index (0.44 dm3) over that of untreated seedlings. Late (October) site preparation commonly resulted in less herbaceous cover on application day. Sites with less ground cover on application day exhibited more bareground at 60 and 120 DAT than sites with high initial ground cover. The low rate (0.70 kg) of Oustar applied to sandy loam soils receiving chemical and mechanical preparation prior to planting provided bareground comparable to industry standards. Managers integrating late site preparation followed by spring HWC may achieve customary levels of HWC for more of the growing season with less herbicide than industry standards. Site preparation by HWC interactions reported for loblolly pine may have broader applications to coniferous plantation establishment. More research is needed to define additional site preparation by HWC interactions and their usefulness in coniferous plantation establishment. No adverse herbicide effects were seen on any crop trees.
Examination of human performance during lunar landing

Experimentally derived data was extrapolated to compare the lunar landing performance of human pilots to that of an automated landing system.12 The results of this investigation are presented. Overall, the pilots performed equal to or better than the automated system in 18% of the relevant cases, but required more fuel. Pilot site selections were further investigated as a function of the time to complete. Each hypothetical case was compared to the automated system, across a range of performance criteria weighting distributions. This performance criteria is threefold - proximity to point of interest, safety of the site, and fuel consumed. In general, the pilots perform better than the automated system in terms of safety and proximity to points of interest criteria. However, as the priority of fuel conservation increases, the tradeoff between using an autonomous landing system versus a human-in-command system favors the automation, especially if the pilot is not able to make the proper decision within a performance criteria specific threshold.
Early onset familial Alzheimer Disease with spastic paraparesis, dysarthria, and seizures and N135S mutation in PSEN1.

Objective Early onset familial Alzheimer disease (EOFAD) can be caused by mutations in genes for amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1 (PSEN1), or presenilin 2 (PSEN2). There is considerable phenotypic variability in EOFAD, including some patients with spastic paraparesis. The objective is to describe clinical and neuropathologic features of a family with a PSEN1 mutation that has been reported previously, without autopsy confirmation, in a single Greek family whose affected members presented with memory loss in their 30s, as well as variable limb spasticity and seizures. Methods We prospectively evaluated 2 children (son and daughter) with EOFAD and reviewed medical records on their mother. Archival material from the autopsy of the mother was reviewed and postmortem studies were performed on the brain of the daughter. Results All 3 individuals in this family had disease onset in their 30s, with cognitive deficits in multiple domains, including memory, language, and attention, as well as less common features such as spastic dysarthria, limb spasticity, and seizures. At autopsy both the mother and her daughter had pathologic findings of Alzheimer disease, and histologic evidence of corticospinal tract degeneration. Genetic studies revealed a mutation in PSEN1 leading to an asparagine to serine substitution at amino acid residue 135 (N135S) in presenilin 1. Conclusions This is the first description of neuropathologic findings in EOFAD owing to N135S PSEN1 mutation. The clinical phenotype was remarkable for spastic dysarthria, limb spasticity, and seizures, in addition to more typical features of EOFAD.
A comparison of forensic and nonforensic malingerers: A prototypical analysis of explanatory models.

Explanatory models of malingering strive to understand the primary motivation underlying attempts to feign. Rogers, Sewell, and Goldstein (1994) provided empirical support for the conceptualization of pathogenic, criminological, and adaptational models. In the current study, a prototypical analysis of 221 forensic experts results in a slightly refined formulation: the adaptational model was decomposed into its two broad dimensions (cost–benefit analysis and adversarial setting). An important finding is that the factor structure for the explanatory models remained stable when applied to both forensic and nonforensic cases. As a first investigation, significant differences were observed in prototypical cases of malingering by the category of referral (forensic or nonforensic) and by type of feigning (mental disorders, cognitive impairment, and medical syndromes). Surprisingly, the feigning of medical syndromes appeared to play a relatively prominent role in both forensic and nonforensic cases and to be influenced by the apparent adversarial context of the assessment. Finally, important gender differences were observed, especially with nonforensic prototypical cases of malingering.
Effect of mutagen‐induced cell lethality on the dose response of germline mutations

Molecular tests for mutations require a sample of tissue from which DNA is extracted, to determine the presence or absence of one or more mutations per sample. To ensure mutation fixation each sample must consist of an equal number of cells that have had one or more DNA replications. In an in vivo test, surviving stem cells compensate to give the same number of cells per sample, leaving as the only evidence for stem cell lethality the increase in mutants of clonal origin because the mutant clone developed from a population of fewer stem cells. A problem is that an increase in mutagen dose increases stem cell death, resulting in a decreased number of surviving target cells, thus giving a downward bias of samples with one or more mutations per sample. To compare in vivo tests with molecular tests we will use as a model system the sex-linked recessive lethal (SLRL) test for germ cell mutations in Drosophila melanogaster. Spermatogonia cells in male larvae were exposed to ENU and mutations detected in sperm cells from adults. The same SLRL data were analyzed by two methods: (1) The conventional analysis of SLRL data, in which each mutation of a cluster of mutations of common origin was counted. (2) An analysis was used to simulate a sample for molecular analysis by determining mutations per male with an equal size sample of progeny per male. With this second analysis a correction factor is required based on the change in cluster size of mutants of common origin.
A Comparison of Generalist and Pulmonologist Care for Patients Hospitalized with Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Resource Intensity, Hospital Costs, and Survival*

Abstract PURPOSE: Both generalist and pulmonologist physicians care for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We studied patients hospitalized with severe COPD to explore whether supervision of care by pulmonologists is associated with greater costs or better survival. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We studied 866 adults with severe COPD enrolled in the Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatments (SUPPORT), a prospective study at five academic medical centers. Patients were admitted to the hospital or transferred to an intensive care setting for treatment of severe COPD, defined by hypoxia (PaO2 50 mm Hg) or hypercapnia alone if on supplemental oxygen. Resource intensity was measured using a modified version of the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System and estimated hospital costs. To account for differences in the patient case mix, propensity scores were developed to represent each patient's probability of having a pulmonologist as attending physician and each patient's probability of being in an intensive care unit (ICU) at study admission. RESULTS: Of the 866 patients studied, 512 had generalists and 354 pulmonologists as their attending physicians. The median patient age was 70 years; 52% were male; 14% died within 30 days. After adjusting for baseline differences in patient characteristics, there were no differences in resource intensity and hospital costs in those treated by pulmonologists or generalists. Adjusted average resource intensity scores for the entire hospitalization were 16.5 for pulmonologists and 17.0 for generalists ( P = 0.34). Estimated hospital costs were the same ($6,400) for patients treated by pulmonologists and generalists ( P = 0.99). Patients with pulmonologists as attending physicians did not experience better survival. Comparing patients of pulmonologists to patients of generalists, the adjusted hazard ratio for 30-day mortality was 1.6 (95% confidence interval: 0.98, 2.5); the hazard ratio for 180-day mortality was 1.2 (0.9, 1.7). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that for patients hospitalized with exacerbation of severe COPD, those with pulmonologist attending physicians do not have higher hospital resource use or better survival than those with generalist attending physicians.
Anti‐Reductionism Slaps Back

For nearly thirty years, there has been a consensus (at least in English-speaking countries) that reductionism is a mistake and that there are autonomous special sciences. This consensus has been based on an argument from multiple realizability. But Jaegwon Kim has argued persuasively that the multiple realizability argument is flawed.1 I will sketch the recent history of the debate, arguing that much --but not all--of the anti-reductionist consensus survives Kim's critique. This paper was originally titled "Anti-Reductionism Strikes Back", but in the course of writing the paper, I came to think that the concepts used in the debate would not serve either position very well.
Doppler-shift attenuation measurements on 24Mg by (α, α') and (p, p') reactions

Abstract The (α, α') and (p, p') reactions have been used to populate states in 24 Mg in order to measure lifetimes of ten states by the Doppler-shift attenuation method. The shifted γ-rays were observed by a planar 5.6 cm 3 Ge(Li) detector at 90° to the beam at the target in coincidence with the scattered particles observed in either of two particle detectors located symmetrically with respect to the beam. A computer coupled dual two-parameter arrangement permitted concurrent measurements for all states appreciably populated. The present measured transition probabilities are compared with predictions from a truncated j - j coupling shell-model calculation.
Modifying provider behavior: a low-tech approach to pharmaceutical ordering.

The need to reduce health care costs has become the mantra of government, private industry, and large health care delivery systems. Pharmaceutical spending exceeded $62 billion in 19961 and is among the most rapidly increasing components of health care expenditures.2 Physicians control the vast majority of these expenditures. Various strategies, such as evidence-based academic detailing and other multidisciplinary approaches, have been used to change physician prescribing behavior.3 Most often, cost reduction efforts have been accomplished through external reviews4–6 and controls placed upon physicians.7–9 For some, this review process and loss of professional autonomy has resulted in a less than satisfactory relationship between provider, health plan, and patient; including ethical pressure on physicians.10,11 There are successful efforts to improve the quality of patient care while reducing costs that utilize automated decision support systems.12,13 Unfortunately, such systems have a limited number of installations. We anticipate that the long-term solution to optimal prescribing practice will be a comprehensive computer management system. However, our operational reality today dictates the development of low-cost solutions that are rapidly implementable, affect individual physician decisions at the point of care, and achieve cost savings without detriment to patient care.
Dual-inlet chemical amplifier for atmospheric peroxy radical measurements.

The state-of-the-art of peroxy radical measurements using the technique of chemical amplification has matured in recent years. The NCAR chemical amplifier has been improved over previous versions by employing a dual-inlet system that allows more rapid switching between measurement and background modes. Further improvement is realized by the use of two NO2 detectors. The dual-inlet chemical amplifier (DICHAMP) employs two identical glass inlet reactor−NO2 detector combinations, one of which is operated in the background, while the other operates in the radical measurement mode. This instrument is less sensitive to fluctuations in ambient ozone than the single-channel version because of the continuous monitoring of the background and background plus radical signals. The single-inlet, dual-inlet with single-detector, and DICHAMP instruments are compared through theoretical calculations of the effect of noise at a given frequency and amplitude on retrieved radical levels. Laboratory experiments were conducted...
Refractive Index Measurement of Isotropic, Anisotropic, and Nonlinear Media

A general formula is presented for the index measurement of isotropic media. The significance of knowing the beam angle inside anisotropic and nonlinear media for measuring the ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices and the nonlinear susceptibility tensor components is described.
Alterations of the circadian melatonin rhythm by the electromagnetic spectrum: a study in environmental toxicology.

The nightly production and secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland, an endocrine organ near the anatomical center of the brain, provides important time-of-day and time-of-year information to the remainder of the body. In mammals, the circadian rhythm of melatonin (low levels during the day and high levels at night) is synchronized by the prevailing light:dark environment with the retinas of the eyes doing the photoreception required for the induction of this rhythm. The advent of artificial light sources has allowed animals or humans to be exposed to light at unusual times, i.e., during the night. Light falling on the retinas at night leads to a rapid depression in the production and secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland. The magnitude of the drop in circulating melatonin due to light exposure at night is related to the brightness (intensity) as well as the wavelength (color) of light to which humans are exposed. The lowered melatonin values following unusual light exposure at night provide erroneous information to a number of organs that respond to the melatonin message since the signal implies it is day when, in fact, it is still night. Besides visible light, certain ultraviolet wavelengths as well as extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields may also disturb the melatonin rhythm. These nonvisible wavelengths may influence the circadian melatonin rhythm by mechanisms similar to those by which light causes disturbances of melatonin production and release.
Alloaffinity filtration: A general approach to the purification of dynein and dynein-like molecules

Abstract Alloaffinity filtration simply and specifically separates certain axonemal dyneins and dynein arm components from crude mixtures on the basis of their ability to bind and decorate Tetrahymena axonemal microtubules on a filter in the absence of ATP and to detach and pass into the eluate when 0.5 m m ATP is added. The procedure, which may be performed repetitively, is successful in purifying a Tetrahymena dynein that has characteristics of 30 S dynein prepared by conventional methods, while other dyneins originally present in the mixture, e.g., 14 S Tetrahymena dynein, are not found in the ATP eluate. A relatively homogeneous population of dynein oligomers is obtained. Alloaffinity-purified 30 S Tetrahymena dynein consists of heavy-, intermediate-, and light-chain polypeptides that cosediment in a sucrose gradient in fixed molar ratios and that have structural features of in situ Tetrahymena arms. Dyneins from other species will bind to Tetrahymena microtubules and can be purified by this method. Alloaffinity-purified Chlamydomonas dynein is a set of polypeptides including the four heavy chains that characterize the outer arm.
Brain temperature fluctuations during passive vs. active cocaine administration: clues for understanding the pharmacological determination of drug-taking behavior.

Abstract While it is generally assumed that cocaine self-administration (SA) is determined and maintained by the pharmacological actions of cocaine in the brain, it is also a drug-motivated and drug-reinforced goal-directed behavior, which is determined by concurrent learning and behavioral performance. To dissociate the contributions of pharmacological and behavioral factors to cocaine SA, it is important to compare cocaine SA with its pharmacological copy, passive intravenous (iv) cocaine administration. This approach was employed in the present study with respect to brain temperatures, a dynamic parameter that reflects metabolic neural activity and shows consistent fluctuations during cocaine SA. Passive cocaine injections performed with the same dose/pattern as SA induced brain temperature fluctuations similar in many ways to those in behaving animals. The initial passive drug administration of a session elevated brain temperature, while subsequent repeated injections were associated with biphasic temperature fluctuations that maintained at a relatively stable plateau. Although the magnitude of these fluctuations was twofold smaller than in behaving animals, passive animals had the same pattern; brain temperatures transiently decreased after cocaine injection, then increased, and were inhibited again by the next cocaine infusion. In contrast to self-administering animals, rats exposed to passive cocaine injections had significantly lower basal temperatures and never showed gradual temperature increases preceding the initial injection. Striking differences in brain temperature dynamics seen in the beginning of a session suggest that during the development of drug-taking behavior the initial cocaine-induced neural activation becomes transformed into behavior-related “anticipatory” neural activation (motivational arousal) that fuels drug seeking and results in the initial drug intake. While this activation is triggered by drug-related cues and enhanced by the initial cocaine intake, subsequent highly cyclical cocaine intakes appear to be primarily pharmacologically determined.
On Throwing Out the Baby with the Bathwater: A Reply to Black and Wilensky's Evaluation of Story Grammars*

A number of criticisms of a recent paper by Black and Wilensky (1979) are made. (1) In attempting to assess the observational adequacy of story grammars, they state that a context-free grammar cannot handle discontinuous elements; however, they do not show that such elements occur in the domain to which the grammars apply. Further, they do not present adequate evidence for their claim that there are acceptable stories not accounted for by existing grammars and that the grammars will accept nonstories such as procedures. (2) They state that it has been proven that under natural conditions children cannot learn transformational grammars, which is a misrepresentation of the learnability proofs which have been offered. (3) Most important, they take an unduly narrow approach to story understanding by claiming that people only understand story content and do not have knowledge of story structure which is useful in comprehension or memory. Counterevidence from the literature is cited which indicates that such knowledge is both useful and used, and a number of methods for assessing the psychological adequacy of structural models are discussed.
Leviathan and Fiscal Illusion in Local Government Overlapping Jurisdictions

This paper integrates twomodels of local government behavior,leviathan and fiscal illusion, into theframework of overlapping jurisdictions.Estimation of the leviathan and fiscalillusion variables without accounting forvertical effects between overlappingjurisdictions results in overestimation ofthe horizontal effects. Using a medianvoter model and municipal and county datawe find support for the leviathan modelusing traditional tests. These effects arelargely offset, however, when the test isset within the context of the verticalrelationship. We find that municipal percapita expenditures and county per capitaexpenditures are symmetricallycomplementary.
Sensory thresholds of consistency of semiliquid foods : Evaluation by squeezing flow viscometry

Identification of subtle textural differences or changes in foods in isolation has been a difficult task because they are usually accompanied by differences or changes in other sensory properties. Textural modification of semi liquid foods can easily be produced by mechanical means without affecting their taste and appearance. The changes can be then quantified using squeezing flow viscometry without introducing new uncontrolled modifications. Comparison of the measurements with sensory evaluations of the same samples can establish the threshold of sensory detection, at least in principle. To test this hypothesis, the consistency of practically intact mayonnaise, tomato paste, yogurt and strawberry jam of two commercial brands each were evaluated by squeezing flow viscometry using an Instron UTM. Other samples of the same brands were stirred mildly to modify their consistency and then compared with the undisturbed samples. The textural differences were expressed in terms of the apparent stress at three compressed specimen heights, and the residual stress after 60 and 120 s at the final height. Relatively large differences, as judged by these mechanical measures were also detected by an untrained sensory panel, but the 'correct identifications' never reached a 100%. In the case of the two different brands of yogurt, the panel failed to establish the existence of differences, which were clearly detected by the instrument. This suggests that not every difference, detectable instrumentally, has a corresponding sensory response. Although the number of results in this preliminary work was too small to establish the exact threshold for sensory detection, the methodology seems to be appropriate for such a purpose. This is because of the high reproducibility of the squeezing flow parameters and their sensitivity to even subtle difference in the tested specimens consistency. La viscosimetrie en ecoulement lors de la compression d'echantillons de mayonnaise, de puree de tomate, de yaourt et de confiture de fraise est mesuree. Puis les echantillons sont remues doucement pour modifier la consistence et de nouvelles mesures sont faites. Les tests sont egalement effectues par un panel de degustateurs non entraines, qui sont capables de detecter des differences de textures entre les produits remues ou non. Le nombre de resultats obtenues dans cette etude ne permet pas de determiner le seuil sensoriel de detection d'une difference de consistance mais la methodologie est appropriee.
IGF-I activates the eIF4F system in cardiac muscle in vivo.

IGF-I acutely stimulates protein synthesis in cardiac muscle through acceleration of mRNA translation. In the present study, we examined the regulatory signaling pathways and translation protein factors that potentially contribute to the myocardial responsiveness of protein synthesis to IGF-I in vivo. IGF-I was injected IV into rats and 20 min later the hearts were excised and homogenized for assay of regulatory proteins. IGF-I increased assembly of the translationally active eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4G⋅eIF4E complex. The increased assembly of eIF4G⋅eIF4E was associated with an enhanced eIF4G phosphorylation and increased availability of eIF4E. Increased availability of eIF4E occurred as a consequence of diminished abundance of the inactive 4E-BP1⋅eIF4E complex following IGF-I. The assembly of the 4E-BP1⋅eIF4E complex appeared to be decreased through an IGF-I-induced phosphorylation of 4E-BP1. IGF-I also caused an increase in the phosphorylation of S6K1. Activation of the potential upstream regulators of 4E-BP1 and S6K1 phosphorylation via PKB and mTOR was also observed. In contrast, there was no effect of IGF-I on phosphorylation of elongation factor (eFE)2. The results suggest the major impact of IGF-I in cardiac muscle occurred via stimulation of translation initiation rather than elongation. Furthermore, the results are consistent with a role for assembly of active eIF4G⋅eIF4E complex and activation of S6K1 in mediating the stimulation of mRNA translation initiation by IGF-I through a PKB/mTOR signaling pathway.
Wave-packet initial motion, spreading, and energy in the periodically kicked pendulum.

The initial quantum dynamics of an initially well-localized, minimum-uncertainty Gaussian wave packet is studied analytically for the periodically kicked pendulum. The general results presented here include our earlier analytic result [Phys. Rev. A 41, 2952 (1990)] as a special case. We find that as long as the packet remains localized, it remains approximately Gaussian, while its center and widths evolve in time approximately according to, respectively, the classical map and a variance map which utilize the instantaneous values of the classical Jacobi matrix. When the classical map is very strongly chaotic, we predict that the average kinetic energy of the well-localized wave packet does not initially grow diffusively (linearly with time). We show that, instead, in the presence of chaos, the deviations initially grow, on the average, exponentially at a rate equal to the corresponding classical Liapunov exponent under the appropriate conditions. The time scale (Ehrenfest time) on which the Ehrenfest-Hamilton correspondence holds in the presence of chaos is estimated and is slightly different from a previous estimate made by Chirikov, Israilev, and Shepelyansky [Sov. Sci. Rev. C 2, 209 (1981)]. Numerical evidence in support of these analytical results is presented.
Deuteron screening at high energies: an application of triple-regge analysis

Abstract We use a Regge pole analysis of the CERN-IHEP Boson Spectrometer measurements of the reaction Fπ − p → p + anything at 25 and 40 GeV/ c to estimate Glauber corrections to πd scattering. Inelastic rescattering becomes appreciable above 20 GeV/ c , and accounts for recent experimental observations. Deuteron screening can serve as an internal-consistency check for the Reggeon calculus; to this end, additional experiments are suggested.
Building reliability and code calibration

Abstract Designs of buildings and structures for seismic loads are traditionally based on experience on performance of structures in past earthquakes. The large variability in the earthquake loadings has long been recognized by engineers but not fully accounted for in the code procedures. Although the selection of the design earthquake is based on probability, since it is used in conjunction with a series of factors depending on structural period, site soil conditions, inelastic behavior, importance of the structure e.t.c., the reliability and safety of the final design remains unknown and undefined. The recent sentiment of the research community and design professionals is that there is a need to develop design formats based more on consideration of the physics of the problem and explicit treatment of the variabilities and uncertainties. Such format may be used as the basis for developing future building codes. This paper summarizes some recent developments in this area; in particular, reliability evalua...
Measuring the strength of the effect of violent media on aggression.

(1990). Epidemiological evidence indicates asbestos causes laryngeal cancer. Journal of Occupational Medicine, 32, 499–507. Weller, S. C. (1993). A meta-analysis of condom effectiveness in reducing sexually transmitted HIV. Social Science and Medicine, 36, 1635– 1644. Wells, A. J. (1998). Lung cancer from passive smoking at work. American Journal of Public Health, 88, 1025–1029. Wynder, E. L., & Graham, E. A. (1950). Tobacco smoking as a possible etiological factor in brochiogenic carcinoma. Journal of the American Medical Association, 143, 329– 336.
Energetic Fuel Droplet Gasification with Liquid-Phase Reaction

Abstract An exploratory analytical and computational study of gasifying energetic liquid fuel droplets is presented. The liquid-fuel reaction, heating, and breakup are modelled and characterized. A spherically-symmetric geometry is considered, and the problem is described by considering a general formulation capable of resolving the solution domain consisting of a liquid-phase region, a bubbly two-phase region, and a gas-phase region. The transient, two-phase, governing equations are solved numerically for various values of the nondimensional rate constant, heat of decomposition, activation energy, number of bubbles per unit mass, and ratio of gas-phase to liquid-phase thermal conductivities.
Arctic ocean radiative fluxes and cloud forcing estimated from the ISCCP C2 cloud dataset, 1983-1990

Radiative fluxes and cloud forcings for the ocean areas of the Arctic are computed from the monthly cloud product of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) for 1983-90. Spatially averaged short-wave fluxes are compared well with climatological values, while downwelling longwave fluxes are significantly lower. This is probably due to the fact that the ISCCP cloud amounts are underestimates. Top-of-the-atmosphere radiative fluxes are in excellent agreement with measurements from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). Computed cloud forcings indicate that clouds have a warming effect at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere during winter and a cooling effect during summer. The net radiative effect of clouds is larger at the surface during winter but greater at the top of the atmosphere during summer. Overall the net radiative effect of clouds at the top of the atmosphere is one of cooling. This is in contrast to a previous result from ERBE data showing arctic cloud forcings have a net warming effect. Sensitivities to errors in input parameters are generally greater during winter with cloud amount being the most important paarameter. During summer the surface radiation balance is most sensitive to errors in the measurements of surface reflectance. The results are encouraging, but the estimated error of 20 W/sq m in surface net radiative fluxes is too large, given that estimates of the net radiative warming effect due to a doubling of CO2 are on the order of 4 W/sq m. Because it is difficult to determine the accuracy of results with existing in situ observations, it is recommended that the development of improved algorithms for the retrieval of surface radiative properties be accompanied by the simultaneous assembly of validation datasets.
Superior Vena Cava Thrombosis Due to a Temporary Hemodialysis Catheter Presenting After 5 Years With Hematemesis, Hemoptysis and Pleural Effusion

Superior vena cava (SVC) thrombosis is increasingly seen now due to the liberal use of intravascular catheters. Most of these cases present with symptoms acutely, like any case of deep vein thrombosis, usually with ipsilateral arm and face swelling. Our patient presented after 5 years with unusual symptoms that are unrelated to the thrombosis itself, but due to the collateral circulation. He was a 38-year-old male patient with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis (HD) for 9 years, initially via a left arm arteriovenous (AV) fistula, then via a temporary right subclavian dialysis catheter for a period of 5 months before being maintained on his current AV fistula in the right arm for the last 5 years. He presented with intermittent episodes of hematemesis and hemoptysis, and was also found to have pleural effusion. He was found to have chronic thrombosis in the SVC. Chronic SVC obstruction causes formation and increase in the flow in the collateral circulation in the esophageal plexus causing varices, in the intercostals veins causing pleural fluid formation, and in the bronchial veins leading to hemoptysis. The AV fistula aggravated these findings by further increasing the flow and the pressure in the collateral circulation. In conclusion, chronic SVC thrombosis can occur as a consequence of HD catheters, and may present with symptoms related to the collateral circulation. J Med Cases. 2014;5(10):515-518 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1925w
Terminating treatment: age as a standard.

Death, we are told, is no longer a hidden subject. That is at best a halftruth. The aged constitute the majority of those who die, some 70 percent, but a specific discussion of their dying is remarkably scant in legal, ethical, and medical writings. That omission is probably not accidental. The modernization of aging induces a sharp separation between aging and death. The latter is often treated as if it had little to do with the former, a kind of accidental conjunction. In medicine, the long-standing tradition of treating patients regardless of their age works against an open discussion, even though many physicians admit it is a consideration in their actual