Buzzwords in campaign 2000 as possible rank index of contemporary social issues: an informal look.

Frequencies from a 3-mo. sample of words heard in TV speeches are applied as a ranking index to identify current public policy issues.

Blocking the box: an informal look.

Data for 32 1-hr. observations in a residential community showed about 200 violations of a traffic regulation requiring motorists to keep intersections clear. Women driving vans were the least compliant--accounting for approximately 40% of the total.

Diversity and the handicapped: an informal look.

Data for viewings of 58 television game shows suggests none of the 157 observed contestants to be physically handicapped.

Left turning traffic procrastinators: another look.

Replication of an earlier study indicated operators of lead vehicles moved out more slowly when someone was waiting behind them, especially women driving vans.

Gradient in convergent cell movement during Fundulus gastrulation.

This contribution represents a continuation of our studies of a gradient in convergent cell movement in the germ ring (GR) during Fundulus gastrulation (Trinkaus et al. [1992] J. Exp. Zool., 261:40-61). In our previous study, we discovered that cells in the dorsal GR nearest the embryonic shield (ES) move toward the ES at a net faster rate than those farther away and that this is due to less meandering. Those farther away meander more. These data suggest the hypothesis that there is a gradient of cues that direct cells to the ES. If so, cells in the ventral GR, farthest from the ES, should meander even more and hence show little or no convergence toward the ES. To test this hypothesis, we have traced the trajectories of individual cells in the midventral GR during midepiboly and have found that, although the general motile behavior of ventral GR cells is the same as that of dorsal cells, they do indeed meander much more and, as a result, show little or no directional movement toward the ES. Taken together, these results indicate that cells of the germ ring move up a gradient in directionality as they converge toward their target, the embryonic shield. One possible explanation for this is that the embryonic shield attracts cells to itself.

An informal look at use of bakery department tongs and tissues.

Of 108 people observed extracting for purchase rolls or pastries from displayed bulk stock in food supermarket bakery departments, about 90% used their hands for item selection and withdrawal rather than the store provided tongs. In stores where tissues were provided instead of tongs, approximately 60% of the 133 people who were observed used their hands.

Improving health care means spending more time with patients and less time with inventory.

In most hospitals and medical establishments, about 35 percent of their budgets are spent on supplies and labor to manage the inventories, material, and information flows; typically, these are managed as multiechelon systems. The importance of reducing inventory costs, among others, has become relevant in today's health care management. This research applies just-in-time concepts to health care inventories.

Ingression during early gastrulation of fundulus.

This study demonstrates that involution does not occur during early gastrulation of Fundulus heteroclitus, prior to and during germ ring formation. This conclusion has been reached by following the motile behavior of large numbers of individual cells. Instead of involution, superficial deep cells of the marginal region of the blastoderm undergo ingression. They do not leave the surface as members of a flowing cohesive sheet, but sink beneath rather haphazardly as individuals. Indeed, during much of ingression, many marginal cells are so loosely arranged that they move about freely on the yolk syncytial layer. A small proportion of the cells initially at the blastoderm margin undergo ingression there, but most recede from the margin and ingress supramarginally one to three cell diameters from the margin. Cells that are initially supramarginal ingress mainly there, sometimes quite far from the margin. Only a small number moves to the margin and ingresses there. Interestingly, although most ingression takes place supramarginally, much occurs close to the margin-up to one to four cells away. Ingression begins immediately after the onset of epiboly and is most active before appearance of the germ ring; it ceases quite soon thereafter. It is also more active dorsally than ventrally, correlating with the earlier formation of the germ ring dorsally. Ingression constitutes the first invasive cellular activity of development. Significantly, it proceeds by blebbing locomotion, a noncontact inhibiting mode of cell movement. The possible broader import of these discoveries is given appropriate attention.

A JIT-type stocking system for hospital pharmacies: the stockless method.

During the past few years, hospitals have been actively evaluating the use of newer-type stocking systems for their pharmacies. While "stockless," a just-in-time (JIT) variation, appears to be emerging as perhaps the most promising method, it is far from being accepted as the industry standard. Because of growing concern for health care reform, with its cost containment component, it may well be anticipated that both the pace and profoundness of these efforts will continue to intensify.

Cable television home-shopping stations and disabled persons: an informal look.

Based in part as a service to handicapped people, the Federal Communications Commission has granted "must carry" protection to cable television home-shopping stations. An informal inquiry of the product mix presently being offered does not show that this mission is being fulfilled.

The yolk syncytial layer of Fundulus: its origin and history and its significance for early embryogenesis.

Because of its importance in early embryogenesis, the developmental history of the yolk syncytial layer (YSL) of Fundulus has been investigated in detail. As in other teleosts, the Fundulus YSL forms mainly by collapse of certain marginal blastomeres which then merge with the cytoplasm of the yolk cell peripheral to the blastoderm. Nuclei enter the yolk cell from these open blastomeres variably during cleavages 8-11, but most frequently at cleavages 9 and 10. After entry, the first nuclei divide five times and later nuclei divide with them. Thus, nuclei that have invaded at the next cleavage divide four times, etc. When the first YSL nuclei cease dividing, all other YSL nuclei cease dividing with them. These YSL mitoses occur in metachrony. Two or more metachronous waves progress through the YSL cytoplasm at each mitosis. After each nuclear division, the YSL increases in width and its nuclei are quite evenly spaced. After the 5th and last mitosis, when the YSL is at its widest, it contracts in its animal-vegetal axis. This slow contraction has two major effects: 1) narrowing of the YSL, accompanied by crowding of its nuclei and their disappearance beneath the blastoderm to nucleate the internal YSL; 2) epibolic expansion of the I-YSL and the blastoderm, followed soon after by other cell movements of gastrulation. This YSL transition, therefore, sets the stage for the onset of gastrulation. It is preceded by increased duration and variability of succeeding mitoses and, in particular, duration of their interphases, a decrease and deceleration in the rate of the last metachronous waves, and, finally, by the complete cessation of mitosis and the entry of YSL nuclei into permanent interphase.

The midblastula transition, the YSL transition and the onset of gastrulation in Fundulus.

The first signs of cell motility appear in Fundulus toward the end of cleavage, after cleavages 11 and 12. When blastomers cease cleaving, their surfaces undulate and form blebs. At first, these blebbing cell remain in place. Gradually thereafter they begin movement, with blebs and filolamellipodia serving as organs of locomotion. Non-motile cleaving blastomeres have thus differentiated into motile blastula cells. This transformation corresponds to the midblastula transition of amphibian embryos. Gastrulation in Fundulus begins with vegetalward contraction of the external yolk syncytial layer. This causes narrowing of the E-YSL and initiates the epibolic expansion of the blastoderm. Convergent movements of deep cells within the blastoderm begin toward the end of this contraction. The YSL forms as a result of invasion of the yolk cell cytoplasm by nuclei from open marginal blastomers during cleavage. These YSL nuclei then undergo five metachronous divisions. After this, they divide no more. YSL contraction begins approximately 1.5 hours after cessation of these divisions (21-22 degrees C). This cessation of nuclear divisions is preceded by a gradual decrease in rate. (1) The duration of each succeeding mitosis increases steadily and often some nuclei do not divide at mitosis V. (2) The duration of interphases between succeeding mitoses also increases, but to a much greater degree, and the longest interphase by far is the last one, I-IV, between mitoses IV and V. (3) The mitotic waves responsible for mitosis V move much more slowly than those for the first four mitoses and invariably decelerate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

On the convergent cell movements of gastrulation in Fundulus.

Mainly because of its transparency, the Fundulus gastrula constitutes ideal material for direct study of morphogenetic cell movements in vivo. Marking studies show that deep cells of the germ ring converge toward and enter the embryonic shield, where they undergo extension. Those close to the shield move faster. Analysis of videotapes reveals that all deep cells of the dorsal germ ring move toward the shield. But none moves in a direct line. All meander considerably. Germ ring cells nearer the shield move toward it at a higher net rate than those farther away because they meander less. This suggests that exogenous factors promote their directionality. Cells in the prospective yolk sac adjacent to the germ ring also show net convergence, but they meander more. Directional forces are apparently stronger in the germ ring. Converging deep cells move both by filolamellipodia and, less frequently, by blebs. However, there is very little individual cell movement; all cells are almost always in adhesive contact with other cells in moving cell clusters. Clusters vary constantly in size, continually aggregating with other cells and other clusters and splitting. Filolamellipodial cells show contact inhibition of cell movement. Nevertheless, they move and do so directionally, presumably in part because, as members of cell clusters, much of their movement is passive. They also show intercalation or invasive activity, but, consistent with their contact-inhibiting properties, only when neighboring cells separate and provide free space. Cells moving by blebbing locomotion are non-contact inhibiting and intercalate readily. Cell division continues during convergence. Although this temporarily arrests their movement, the daughter cells soon join in the mass convergent movement.

Taste preference for brussels sprouts: an informal look.

An inquiry of the taste preference of 442 business students for brussels sprouts showed about a 50% dislike of the vegetable, 40% indifference, and a 10% like. Some implications of the findings are suggested.

Color preference in sport shoes: an informal look.

Observations on five workdays at a large terminus for a number of commuter rail lines indicated that among 4731 passengers 5% of 2794 men and 31% of 1937 women wore white sport shoes. Questions relative to interpretation are raised.

Medications and information for patients: a quick look.

A replication of a report of patients' failure to ask about medications and desire to know by the National Council on Patient Information and Education showed 97% of 779 students responded that they do ask questions about prescribed medications but also would like more information. Findings are discussed in terms of methodological considerations.

Contemporary opinions on health issues: another look.

In a comparison of 802 undergraduates, in the main between 17 and 23 yr. old, with 211 physicians who responded to an Hippocrates survey, most agreed that a mother should be informed by physicians that her teenage daughter is pregnant, but students were less inclined than physicians to misrepresent to an insurance company the reason for a screening test, and more in favor than physicians of acknowledging an error in medication. Understanding of values is desirable as is their recognition of influences on the future of society.