פרסומים

A review. A theor. treatise is given on crystal growth. Among the topics treated are: the equil. between a crystal and its mother phase, the equil. form of a crystal, the adhesion energy (Dupre formula) and the wetting of a crystal, the thermodn. and kinetics of homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, the nucleation of polymorphs and the Ostwald ripening, elementary growth mechanisms of certain crystal faces, and the effect of impurities on the crystal morphol. and habit. [on SciFinder(R)]

This paper discusses the difference between Harsanyi and Bayesian equilibria for games of incomplete information played onuncountable belief spaces. A conjecture belonging to ergodic theory is presented. If the conjecture were valid then there would exist a game played on an uncountable belief space with a common prior for which there are Bayesian equilibria but no Harsanyi equilibrium.

The effect of terminal sterilization by gamma-irradiation on several ricinoleic acid based polyanhydrides was investigated. The following polymers were used: poly(ricinoleic acid maleate) [P(RAM)], poly(ricinoleic acid succinate) [P(RAS)], poly(hydroxy stearic acid succinate) [P(HSAS)], poly(hydroxy stearic acid maleate) [P(HSAM)], and their copolymers with sebacic acid. The polymers were irradiated with an absorbed dose of 2.5 or 10 Mrad by means of a 60Co source under dry ice or at room temperature. No differences were found between samples irradiated under dry ice and at room temperature. Polymers prepared from monomers containing maleate residues, which contain double bonds adjusted to the anhydride linkage along the polymer chain, decreased in molecular weight, became insoluble, and showed fast hydrolytic degradation. For example, p(RAM), p(HSAM), and their copolymers with sebacic acid decreased in Mw from about 10,000 to about 2000, and from about 30,000 to about 5000, respectively, while polymers based on RAS and HSAS remained stable. This phenomenon was explained by an anhydride interchange-self-depolymerization process of the unsaturated anhydride bonds induced by gamma-irradiation. This explanation was supported by the depolymerization of another class of polymers having an anhydride bond between two double bonds, fumaric acid anhydride polymers. The anhydride bond that lies between two double bonds was found to be more sensitive to gamma-irradiation. This anhydride bond may be cleaved to form two radicals that further react with aliphatic anhydride bonds along the polymer chain to form inter- and/or intracyclization products.

In several biological systems, the electrical coupling of nonoscillating cells generates synchronized membrane potential oscillations. Because the isolated cell is nonoscillating and electrical coupling tends to equalize the membrane potentials of the coupled cells, the mechanism underlying these oscillations is unclear. Here we present a dynamic mechanism by which the electrical coupling of identical nonoscillating cells can generate synchronous membrane potential oscillations. We demonstrate this mechanism by constructing a biologically feasible model of electrically coupled cells, characterized by an excitable membrane and calcium dynamics. We show that strong electrical coupling in this network generates multiple oscillatory states with different spatio-temporal patterns and discuss their possible role in the cooperative computations performed by the system.

In this paper, we show that test makers and test takers have a strong and systematic tendency for hiding correct answers – or, respectively, for seeking them – in middle positions. In single, isolated questions, both prefer middle positions over extreme ones in a ratio of up to 3 or 4 to 1. Because test makers routinely, deliberately and excessively balance the answer key of operational tests, middle bias almost, though not quite, disappears in those keys. Examinees taking real tests also produce answer sequences that are more balanced than their single question tendencies, but to a lesser extent than the correct key. In a typical 4-choice test, about 55% of erroneous answers (which are the only answers whose position is determined by the test taker, not the test maker) are in the two central positions. We show that this bias is large enough to have real psychometric consequences, as questions with middle correct answers are easier and – what's more important – less discriminating than questions with extreme correct answers, a fact some of whose implications we explore.

This study investigated the willingness of Israeli adolescents to seek help for emotional and health problems, and their preference for various helping agents. Nearly fifteen hundred students in grades 7-12 participated in a comprehensive survey of attitudes, health status, and concerns, and the data were analyzed. Gender and age were identified as factors associated with help-seeking attitudes. Females reported a higher level of distress and greater willingness to seek help than did males. Younger adolescents tended to state that they would turn to parents for help, whereas older adolescents increasingly preferred peers. In general, the adolescents preferred to seek help from family and peers for emotional and social problems, rather than turning to professionals. Adolescents in grades 9-10 reported the highest level of distress and were least willing to seek help for interpersonal problems and depressed mood. Overall, level of distress was not directly related to willingness to seek help. In subgroups of depressed and suicidal adolescents, an inverse relationship was found between willingness to seek help and levels of depression and suicidal ideation. Recommendations for health care services and counseling programs are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Mast cells and eosinophils are believed to interact during the late and the chronic stages of allergic inflammation. OBJECTIVE: In this study we investigated whether eosinophils can cause activation and consequent histamine release of already challenged mast cells, a situation likely to take place during the allergic late-phase reaction. METHODS: Rat peritoneal mast cells presensitized with IgE anti-dinitrophenol-human serum albumin and challenged by dinitrophenol-human serum albumin or compound 48/80 were incubated with either eosinophil sonicate or major basic protein (MBP). Eosinophils were purified from the peripheral (>98%) blood of mildly allergic patients. Heparin and pertussis toxin and different extracellular Ca(2+) concentrations were used to modulate mast cell reactivation by MBP. Histamine release was assessed as a marker of mast cell activation. RESULTS: IgE-challenged mast cells were sensitive to reactivation induced by eosinophil sonicate and MBP. Reactivation was not cytotoxic for the mast cells. Mast cells previously challenged with compound 48/80 did not respond to subsequent MBP activation. Furthermore, heparin and pertussis toxin both inhibited mast cell reactivation induced by MBP. The ability of eosinophil sonicate and MBP to activate mast cells was not significantly affected at the different Ca(2+) concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we have shown a direct activating activity of eosinophils, partially due to MBP, toward IgE-challenged and immunologically desensitized mast cells. This suggests that in vivo mast cells can be reactivated during a late-phase reaction to release histamine by a non-IgE-dependent mechanism.

The experimental work characterizing the anabolic effect of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in bone has been performed in nonmurine ovariectomized (OVX) animals, mainly rats. A major drawback of these animal models is their inaccessibility to genetic manipulations such as gene knockout and overexpression. Therefore, this study on PTH anabolic activity was carried out in OVX mice that can be manipulated genetically in future studies. Adult Swiss-Webster mice were OVX, and after the fifth postoperative week were treated intermittently with human PTH(1-34) [hPTH(1-34)] or vehicle for 4 weeks. Femoral bones were evaluated by microcomputed tomography (microCT) followed by histomorphometry. A tight correlation was observed between trabecular density (BV/TV) determinations made by both methods. The BV/TV showed >60% loss in the distal metaphysis in 5-week and 9-week post-OVX, non-PTH-treated animals. PTH induced a approximately 35% recovery of this loss and a approximately 40% reversal of the associated decreases in trabecular number (Tb.N) and connectivity. PTH also caused a shift from single to double calcein-labeled trabecular surfaces, a significant enhancement in the mineralizing perimeter and a respective 2- and 3-fold stimulation of the mineral appositional rate (MAR) and bone formation rate (BFR). Diaphyseal endosteal cortical MAR and thickness also were increased with a high correlation between these parameters. These data show that OVX osteoporotic mice respond to PTH by increased osteoblast activity and the consequent restoration of trabecular network. The Swiss-Webster mouse model will be useful in future studies investigating molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and treatment of osteoporosis, including the mechanisms of action of known and future bone antiresorptive and anabolic agents.

Monitoring the expression of therapeutic genes in targeted tissues in disease models is important to assessing the effectiveness of systems of gene therapy delivery. We applied a new light-detection cooled charged-coupled device (CCCD) camera for continuous in vivo assessment of commonly used gene therapy delivery systems (such as ex vivo manipulated cells, viral vectors, and naked DNA), without the need to kill animals. We examined a variety of criteria related to real-time monitoring of luciferase (luc) gene expression in tissues including bone, muscle, salivary glands, dermis, liver, peritoneum, testis, teeth, prostate, and bladder in living mice and rats. These criteria included determination of the efficiency of infection/transfection of various viral and nonviral delivery systems, promoter specificity, and visualization of luciferase activity, and of the ability of luciferin to reach various organs. The exposure time for detection of luc activity by the CCCD camera is relatively short (approximately 2 minutes) compared with the intensified CCD camera photon-counting method (approximately 15 minutes). Here we transduce a variety of vectors (such as viruses, transfected cells, and naked DNA) by various delivery methods, including electroporation, systemic injection of viruses, and tail-vein, high-velocity-high-volume administration of DNA plasmids. The location, intensity, and duration of luc expression in different organs were determined. The distribution of luciferin is most probably not a barrier for the detection of in vivo luciferase activity. We showed that the CCCD photon detection system is a simple, reproducible, and applicable method that enables the continuous monitoring of a gene delivery system in living animals.