cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trying on--Being in--Becoming: Four Women's Journey(s) in Feminist Poststructural Theory.

The article discusses the narrative of four women in academia spanning a ten-year relational journey. As a performance collaborative autoethnography, it explores and presents theories of subjectivity and transitional space. Through journals, e-mails, and dialogue, the authors are trying on, being in, and becoming feminist poststructural thinkers/inquirers/teacher educators. The authors further explore the following: How has theory changed their subjectivity, lived experiences and relationships, and moved them from comfortable spaces of knowing to uncomfortable places of becoming? In a series of poetry and performance narratives, the authors chart their own linked journey(s) in pursuing these questions. As autoethnographers, the authors grapple with meanings and moments of loss, desire, guilt, and love as a practice of hypomnemata. This study represents a reflective mining of such treasures, capturing moments of rereading and meditation, and a pause, even if an illusionary one, in our intellectual, spiritu...
DTI at 7 and 3 T: systematic comparison of SNR and its influence on quantitative metrics.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and advanced related methods such as diffusion spectrum and kurtosis imaging are limited by low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at conventional field strengths. DTI at 7 T can provide increased SNR; however, B0 and B1 inhomogeneity and shorter T2⁎ still pose formidable challenges. The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare SNR at 7 and 3 T for different parallel imaging reduction factors, R, and TE, and to evaluate SNRs influences on fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). We found that R>4 at 7 T and R≥2 at 3 T were needed to reduce geometric distortions due to B0 inhomogeneity. For these R at 7 T, SNR was 70–90 for b=0 s/mm2 and 22–28 for b=1000s/mm2 in central brain regions. SNR was lower at 3 T (40 for b=0 s/mm2 and 15 for b=1000 s/mm2) and in lateral brain regions at 7 T due to B1 inhomogeneity. FA and ADC did not change with MRI field strength, SENSE factor or TE in the tested range. However, the coefficient of variation for FA increased for SNR <15 and for SNR <10 in ADC, consistent with published theoretical studies. Our study demonstrates that 7 T is advantageous for DTI and lays the groundwork for further development. Foremost, future work should further address challenges with B0 and B1 inhomogeneity to take full advantage for the increased SNR at 7 T.
Titration calorimetry of aqueous alumina suspensions part II. Discussion of enthalpy changes with pH and ionic strength

Abstract Between pH 9.5 and 5.75, proton adsorption enthalpies for alumina decrease; most of the decrease occurs in the pH 7.5-5.75 range. Enthalpies are also lower at 0.1 than at 0.001 M ionic strength (NaCl) in this pH range. Below pH 5.75, however, enthalpy values do not vary with pH and ionic strength given the precision of the data. Possible explanations for these effects are discussed including inherent heterogeneous site distributions, steric interactions, counterion association with the charged surface and electrostatic contributions. The enthalpy decrease with decreasing pH is most likely due to the presence of 2 or 3 distinct proton binding sites on the alumina surface. At high pH the predominant H+ binding sites may be singly coordinated surface hydroxyl (SOH) groups bound to Al atoms in octahedral coordination with a smaller contribution from doubly coordinated SOH groups bound to one Al atom in tetrahedral and one in octahedral coordination. Below pH 5.75, the predominant H+ binding site may be a singly coordinated SOH group bound to an Al atom in tetrahedral coordination. Extensive disruption of lateral H-bond formation between adjacent, oppositely charged SOH groups by bound counterions (Na+, Cl−) at 0.1 M ionic strength in the pH range 5.75 to 9.5 may be responsible for the lower enthalpies found in this pH region. The more constant enthalpy values below pH 5.75 may reflect the prevention of extensive lateral H-bond formation due to significant counterion binding at both ionic strengths.
Microwave-assisted C–H bond activation using a commercial microwave oven for rapid deuterium exchange labeling (C–H → C–D) in carbohydrates

Abstract Studies have shown that facile hydrogen → deuterium exchange in two model carbohydrates via stereospecific C–H bond activation could be achieved using a pre-sonicated Raney Nickel ® catalyst and microwave irradiation. Using a simple commercial microwave oven and a silica-gel bath, monosaccharide and disaccharide samples underwent isotopic exchange using microwave irradiation for sequential 15 s intervals. The influence of chilling between irradiation intervals was examined. The results revealed increasing levels of 2 H incorporation without either epimerization or concomitant decomposition seen earlier in non-optimized experiments.
Pressure and stress induced polymorphism of compounds with rutile structure

The literature on pressure-induced polymorphism of compounds normally having the rutile structure is reviewed. It is concluded that the α-PbO2 and CaCl2 structures produced in TiO2 and the difluorides are probably not thermodynamically stable phases. The possibility of a Raman mode instability induced by stress is pointed out.
Contracting for High School and Beyond.

For a large, multipurpose longitudinal study, the Center for Education Statistics seeks a contractor who has the technical and managerial skills and trained personnel needed for nationwide surveys.
Spectroscopic Determination of C2 Densities in AR/H 2/CH 4 and AR/H2/C60 Microwave Plasmas For Nanocrystalline Diamond Synthesis

We have measured the steady state concentration of gas phase C2 in Ar/H2/CH4 and Ar/H2/C60 microwave plasmas used for the deposition of nanocrystalline diamond films. High sensitivity white light absorption spectroscopy is used to monitor the C2 density using the d {su3}Π ← a3Π(0,0) vibrational band of C2 as chamber pressure, microwave power, substrate temperature and feed gas mixtures are varied in both chemistries. Understanding how these parameters influence the C2 density in the plasma volume provides insight into discharge mechanisms relevant to the deposition of nanocrystalline diamond.
The role of the frontal cortex in the mouse in behavioral sensitization to amphetamine

Abstract Pharmacological studies have shown that a variety of neuroeffectors are involved in behavioral sensitization to amphetamine-induced stereotypy. In the present work, the effect of some of these drugs on sensitization was studied after intracortical administration in order to determine the role of the cortex in mediating their systemic effects. The dopamine antagonists sulpiride and spiperone were both ineffective against the acute response to amphetamine; nevertheless, both blocked the induction of sensitization, suggesting that the mesocortical dopamine pathway is not involved in the acute response but is necessary for the induction of sensitization. Both CPP, an NMDA receptor antagonist, and THIP, a GABAA agonist, blocked the acute response and the induction of sensitization to amphetamine. On the other hand, mecamylamine, the nicotinic cholinergic antagonist, failed to affect either the acute response or the induction of sensitization, which suggests that the cortex is not a locus of its activity. Anisomycin, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, and diltiazem, a calcium-channel blocker, were both ineffective against the acute response, but both blocked induction. All of the drugs, except CPP and THIP, were ineffective against the expression of sensitization; therefore, the ability of the other drugs to block expression must reside within another locus. Bicuculline injected intracortically in non-convulsant doses produced a stereotypy indistinguishable from that induced by amphetamine; and the effect was readily antagonized by CPP administered either systemically or intracortically. In contrast, sulpiride by either route of administration failed to block the bicuculline-induced stereotypy; we conclude, therefore, that the stereotypic effect of bicuculline is not mediated by dopamine. These results imply that amphetamine-induced stereotypy is mediated in the cortex by the removal of the inhibitory control of the excitatory system. The data also suggest that cortical dopamine, as well as the NMDA and GABAA systems, is important in sensitization to amphetamine. In general the data demonstrate that different neuroeffectors involved in sensitization exert their effects at different brain loci.
Topographic effects on the bottom water circulation of the western tropical North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract A simple numerical model of the abyssal circulation of the ocean is used to explore the possibility, first suggested by Warren (MIT Press, pp. 6–41, 1981), that the northward deepening of the sea floor in the western basin of the tropical North Atlantic Ocean is responsible for the observed eastward confinement of the Antartic Bottom Water current, a result contrary to what the Stommel-Arons model predicts. It is shown that (a) a topographic slope of magnitude observed in this region of the Atlantic forces separation of the northward-flowing deep western boundary current at a low latitude, (b) north of this latitude the circulation is dominated by a large-scale cyclonic gyre extending up to where the sea floor becomes flat again, with a northward flow along the eastern boundary as a part of it and a westward flow at about 25°N. Simulated Lagrangian particle trajectories show that new abyssal water from the south is confined to a band next to the eastern boundary in the gyre region as observed. These results are robust under variation of topographic, forcing and frictional parameters, although quantitative aspects and details are sensitive to them. Eastward flow through the Vema Fracture Zone, recently estimated by McCartney et al. ( Journal of Physical Oceanography , 21 , 1089–1121, 1991) to be about 2 Sv, diverts some of the northward-flowing eastern boundry current, but otherwise does not affect the circulation. These results compare favorably with recent observations that report southeastward flow along the western boundary at least down to 8°N and suggest a recirculation of abyssal water in this region, as well as with those that suggest a northern limit of the Antarctic Bottom Water flow along the eastern boundary at about 25°N and a possible westward separation there. An analytical solution of the planetary geostrophic equation applied to an abyssal ocean with topography, which captures some features of the numerical model flow, is presented in the Appendix.
High quality pose estimation by aligning multiple scans to a latent map

We introduce a method for fast and accurate registration of multiple horizontal laser scans obtained by a mobile robot. The method is based on novel representation of the scene geometry called a latent map, which consists of a set of piecewise linear functions defined over a spatial grid covering the scene. The latent map representation is designed to handle the noise, outliers and limited spatial resolution of laser scan data in a principled manner. The main idea of our algorithm is to iterate between optimizing the latent map, and optimizing the alignment between the latent map and the input scans. In order to handle large datasets containing tens of thousands of scans, we introduce a multi-resolution pose estimation procedure, which applies our scan alignment algorithm at multiple resolutions and combines the results. We demonstrate our novel scan matching technique on several challenging data sets, where we obtain state of the art pose and map reconstructions that are markedly superior to what pairwise scan matching methods can achieve.
Conformational changes of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase are essential for catalysis and cofactor binding.

The crystal structure of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CYPOR) implies that a large domain movement is essential for electron transfer from NADPH via FAD and FMN to its redox partners. To test this hypothesis, a disulfide bond was engineered between residues Asp147 and Arg514 in the FMN and FAD domains, respectively. The cross-linked form of this mutant protein, designated 147CC514, exhibited a significant decrease in the rate of interflavin electron transfer and large (≥90%) decreases in rates of electron transfer to its redox partners, cytochrome c and cytochrome P450 2B4. Reduction of the disulfide bond restored the ability of the mutant to reduce its redox partners, demonstrating that a conformational change is essential for CYPOR function. The crystal structures of the mutant without and with NADP+ revealed that the two flavin domains are joined by a disulfide linkage and that the relative orientations of the two flavin rings are twisted ∼20° compared with the wild type, decreasing the surface contact area between the two flavin rings. Comparison of the structures without and with NADP+ shows movement of the Gly631–Asn635 loop. In the NADP+-free structure, the loop adopts a conformation that sterically hinders NADP(H) binding. The structure with NADP+ shows movement of the Gly631–Asn635 loop to a position that permits NADP(H) binding. Furthermore, comparison of these mutant and wild type structures strongly suggests that the Gly631–Asn635 loop movement controls NADPH binding and NADP+ release; this loop movement in turn facilitates the flavin domain movement, allowing electron transfer from FMN to the CYPOR redox partners.
Stent implantation for relief of pulmonary artery stenosis: immediate and short-term results.

Our objective was to assess the immediate and short-term results of stent implantation to relieve pulmonary artery stenosis (PAS). Thirty-seven patients underwent an attempt at stent implantatlon at a medlan age of 7.0 years (range, 0.G31.4 years) and a median weight of 20.5 kg (range, 7.4-85 kg). Twenty-two patients had previous tetralogy of Fallot repair. A total of 55 stents were Implanted successfully in 36 patlents. The peak systolic gradient across the stenotic segment decreased from a mean of 43 2 20.4 mmHg prestent to 13 f 13.9 mmHg (P a:: 0.001) poststent. The diameter of the narrowest segment Increased from a mean of 4.8 f 1.6 mm to 10.5 f 2.6 mm (P ,:I 0,001). The right ventrlcular-to-aortic mean systolic pressure ratio decreased from 0.74 2 0.2 to 0.52 ? 0.1 9 (P c: 0.001). Complications included balloon rupture prior to full stent expansion in 4 patients (in 2 patients the stent was positioned in the superior vena cava, and in 2 in the inferior vena cava), distal migration of a stent which was successfully retrieved at surgery 1 mo later in 1 patient, and tethering of the stent to the balloon requiring surgical removal in 1 patient. One patient died several hours after stent placement. Sixteen patients underwent repeat catheterization at a mean follow-up interval 010.9 * 0.5years (range, 0.2-2.0years). The mean gradient across the stent for these 16 patients was 26.7 f 19.8 mmHg, and there was no change in the mean diameter (9.4 2 3.2 mm). Two patients developed stenosis related to neointimal proliferation at the stent site which was redilated successfully. In conclusion, stent irnplantation is generally safe and effective in relleving PAS. c 1996 WIIO~-LI~~. Inc
Electroencephalography in Survivors of Cardiac Arrest: Comparing Pre- and Post-therapeutic Hypothermia Eras

Electroencephalography in the setting of hypothermia and anoxia has been studied in humans since the 1950s. Specific patterns after cardiac arrest have been associated with prognosis since the 1960s, with several prognostic rating scales developed in the second half of the twentieth century. In 2002, two pivotal clinical trials were published, demonstrating improved neurologic outcomes in patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) after cardiac arrest of shockable rhythms. In the following years, TH became the standard of care in these patients. During the same time period, the use of continuous EEG monitoring in critically ill patients increased, which led to the recognition of subclinical seizures occurring in patients after cardiac arrest. As a result of these changes, greater amounts of EEG data are being collected, and the significance of specific patterns is being re-explored. We review the current role of EEG for the identification of seizures and the estimation of prognosis after cardiac resuscitation.
MRI of orbital hydroxyapatite implants.

Our aim was to use MRI for the postsurgical assessment of a new form of integrated orbital implant composed of a porous calcium phosphate hydroxyapatite substrate. We studied ten patients 24–74 years of age who underwent enucleation and implantation of a hydroxyapatite ball; 5–13 months after surgery, each patient was examined by spinecho MRI, with fat suppression and gadolinium enhancement. Fibrovascular ingrowth was demonstrated in all ten patients as areas of enhancement at the periphery of the hydroxyapatite sphere that extended to the center to a variable degree. The radiologist should aware of the MRI appearances of the coralline hydroxyapatite orbital implant since it is now widely used following enucleation. MRI is a useful means to determine successful incorporation of the substrate into the orbital tissues. The normal pattern of contrast enhancement should not be mistaken for recurrent tumor or infection.
Persistence of psychiatric disorders in pediatric settings.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the longitudinal course of subthreshold and full-criteria child psychiatric disorders. Method Nine hundred ninety-six children, aged 4 to 9 years, from a representative sample of pediatric primary care practices participated in a 1-year follow-up in 1989–1990. Parent interviews included the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, measures of psychosocial problems, stress, social support, possible child abuse, and sociodemographics. Results The initial prevalence of full and subthreshold disorders was 18.8% and 14.0%, respectively. Full and subthreshold disorders were associated with impairment. Approximately 37% of children with full disorders had persistent disorders. Persistence was more common among boys than girls, particularly when comorbidity was present. Children with initial subthreshold disorders only were five times more likely than those without disorder to develop a full disorder. Persistence of full disorders was associated with high initial symptoms. Among boys, persistence was linked to possible child abuse, whereas among girls it was associated with full externalizing disorders that were accompanied by subthreshold internalizing disorders. Conclusions Intervention may be particularly crucial when a high number of symptoms and/or both internalizing and externalizing problems are present. Underscoring the importance of family-centered rather than child-centered interventions, boys whose parents reported possible child abuse were more likely to have persistent disorders.
On the p-adic L-function of Hilbert modular forms at supersingular primes

Abstract In this paper, I discuss the construction of the p-adic L-function attached to a Hilbert modular form f, supersingular or ordinary, which turns out to be the non-archimedean Mellin transform of an h-admissible measure. And h is explicitly given. As a special case, when the Fourier coefficient of f at p | p is zero, plus/minus p-adic L-functions are furthermore defined as bounded functions, and they interpolate special values of L ( f , χ , s ) for cyclotomic characters χ. This can be used to formulate Iwasawa main conjecture for supersingular elliptic curve defined over a totally real field.
A general approach to representing multifaceted personality constructs: Application to state self‐esteem

This article proposes a framework for representing personality constructs at four levels of abstraction. The total aggregation model is the composite formed by the sum of scores on all items in a scale. The partial aggregation model treats separate dimensions of a personality construct as indicators of a single latent variable, with each dimension being an aggregation of items. The partial disaggregation model represents each dimension as a separate latent variable, either freely correlated with the other dimensions or loading on one or more than one higher order factor; the measures of the dimensions are multiple indicators formed as aggregates of subsets of items. The total disaggregation model also represents each dimension as a separate latent variable but, unlike the partial disaggregation model, uses each item in the scale as an indicator of its respective factor. Illustrations of the models are provided on the State Self‐Esteem Scale—including tests of psychometric properties, invariance, and gener...
Ab initio calculation of the vibrationally resolved O 1 s photoelectron spectrum of CO 2

The oxygen $1s$ photoelectron spectrum for ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ has been calculated using ab initio electronic structure theory, a localized hole simulated by the equivalent-cores approximation, and the harmonic-oscillator approximation. The predicted spectrum is found to be in good agreement with a recently reported experimental spectrum, and is in better agreement with the experimental spectrum than is an earlier prediction by Domcke and Cederbaum. The equivalence of the approach taken here and that used by Cederbaum and Domcke is discussed, as well as the reasons for the differences in the calculated results.
Approach to realize wide-scan-angle phased array with enhanced bandwidth and filtering function by using integrated filter/patch

For microstrip patch phased arrays, larger fractional bandwidth (FBW) and wider scan angle are challenging to achieve at the same time. Phased arrays on thin substrates typically can scan to large angles due to the reduction of mutual coupling caused by surface waves. However, thin substrates limit the achievable FBW of the phased array antenna. In this paper, an integrated filter/patch technology is proposed to realize phased arrays with large scan angle capabilities and enhanced bandwidth. In addition, this integrated filter/patch is able to provide filtering function which is desirable for RF front ends. To prove the concept, a 2 nd -order filter/antenna comprised of one cavity resonator and one patch antenna is designed, fabricated and measured. The center frequency and FBW of the filter/antenna are 5.89 GHz and 5.5%, respectively, with the thickness of the antenna layer being 50 mil. As a comparison, the FBW of a regular coax-fed patch antenna on 50-, 75-, and 100-mil-thick substrates is 2.5%, 4.3%, and 6.3%, respectively. Full-wave Floquet analysis is performed to investigate the active impedance behavior of phased arrays using filter/antenna or patch antennas on substrates with different thickness. It is shown that the filter/antenna phased array exhibits the best performance in terms of active reflection coefficient when the array scans to large angles among all cases. Though the patch antenna phased array on 50-mil-thick substrate has the similar active impedance performance, its FBW (2.5%) is much narrower than that (5.5%) of the filter/antenna phased array.
Epidermal growth factor receptor as a therapeutic target for the treatment of colorectal cancer

Colorectal carcinoma is the third most common malignancy worldwide. The use of currently available therapies results in only a modest impact on overall survival of patients with advanced-stage disease. New approaches for the treatment of colorectal cancer are urgently needed. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently dysregulated in colorectal carcinoma, and overexpression of the receptor confers a poor prognosis. Targeting the EGFR has become a rational approach for the treatment of colorectal carcinoma. Several strategies to inhibit the EGFR and its downstream signaling pathways are currently being investigated in preclinical and clinical studies, including monoclonal antibodies directed against the extracellular domain of the receptor and small-molecule inhibitors of its tyrosine kinase activity. Some of these drugs have already been tested in colorectal cancer and have shown preliminary evidence of antitumor efficacy. Important issues to elucidate in the future include the definition of the biologic context in which these drugs are more likely to be effective and the integration of the different agents in current therapeutic strategies for colorectal cancer. This article will provide a comprehensive review of the current available preclinical and clinical data on EGFR-targeted therapies in colorectal cancer.
Preservice teachers' attitudes about and awareness of multicultural teaching and learning

Abstract This study examined preservice teachers' (N = 73) attitudes about and awareness of aspects of multicultural teaching and learning. Subjects provided background information and responded to 43 statements about multicultural education. Results indicate that most respondents are aware of many issues related to multicultural education and anticipate having culturally diverse students in their classrooms. While aware of the need to be able to work with students from diverse cultures, teacher education students are undecided as to just how well their teacher preparation has developed their abilities to teach children from cultural and religious backgrounds that differ from their own, or to communicate with children and families from diverse backgrounds. The authors recommend that teacher training programs address both theory and practice in multicultural education throughout the curriculum in a comprehensive, long-term manner, so that students can acquire the knowledge and confidence necessary to deal with multicultural issues in education with intelligence, professionalism, and understanding.
Feature models, grammars, and propositional formulas

Feature models are used to specify members of a product-line. Despite years of progress, contemporary tools often provide limited support for feature constraints and offer little or no support for debugging feature models. We integrate prior results to connect feature models, grammars, and propositional formulas. This connection allows arbitrary propositional constraints to be defined among features and enables off-the-shelf satisfiability solvers to debug feature models. We also show how our ideas can generalize recent results on the staged configuration of feature models.
Aspects of the problem of variation, origin and evolution of the eutherian auditory bulla

A survey of the variation in the eutherian auditory bulla and a consideration of its ontogeny and its possible mode of origin suggests that the basisphenoid bulla of insectivores, the petrosal bulla of primates, and the widely distributed ectotympanic bulla did not represent the condition of the most primitive eutherians. There is also evidence to refute the widely accepted premise that eutherians primitively had a cartilaginous bulla as adults. Instead, this condition is regarded as a secondary specialization derived from a bony entotympanic bulla. The entotympanic bulla was undoubtedly an early, but probably not the earliest, condition in the Eutheria. The contention that the most primitive eutherians lacked a bony or cartilaginous covering of the middle ear cavity ventrally between the petrosal and the nearly horizontal tympanic ring is supported by a number of lines of evidence. The cited existence of an entotympanic in marsupials is regarded as an independent acquisition, parallel with that in eutherians. Evidence is insufficient, in most cases, to determine whether the types of bullae in which an entotympanic is absent evolved through a stage where the latter was present, or arose de novo from the postulated primitive eutherian condition.
Selective Patterned Growth of Single-Crystal Ag–TCNQ Nanowires for Devices by Vapor–Solid Chemical Reaction†

We report the deterministic growth of individual single-crystal organic semiconductor nanowires of silver‐tetracyanoquinodimethane (Ag‐TCNQ) with high yield (>90%) by a vapor‐solid chemical reaction process. Ag‐metal films or patterned dots deposited onto substrates serve as chemical reaction centers and are completely consumed during the growth of the individual or multiple nanowires. Selective-area electron diffraction (SAED) revealed that the Ag‐TCNQ nanowires grow preferentially along the strong p‐p stacking direction of Ag‐TCNQ molecules. The vapor‐solid chemical reaction process described here permits the growth of organic nanowires at lower temperatures than chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of inorganic nanowires. The single-crystal Ag‐TCNQ nanowires are shown to act as memory switches with high on/off ratios, making them potentially useful in optical storage, ultrahigh-density nanoscale memory, and logic devices.
Activation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by interleukin-2 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor to inhibit Cryptococcus neoformans

The abilities of selected cytokines to activate human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to inhibit and kill the opportunistic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans were studied. PBMC were cultured for 7 days in cell wells containing no cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (vitamin D3), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or interleukin-2 (IL-2) and were then challenged for 24 h with a fixed number of CFU of C. neoformans. The number of CFU increased in wells containing no cytokines, TNF, IFN-gamma, or vitamin D3 and remained about the same in wells containing GM-CSF. In contrast, the number of CFU in wells containing IL-2-stimulated PBMC decreased, suggesting fungicidal activity. Optimal conditions for IL-2 stimulation included a minimum of 5 days of incubation of PBMC with IL-2, a concentration of 100 U of IL-2 per ml, and a high ratio of effectors to fungi. Separation of IL-2-stimulated PBMC based upon their adherence to plastic revealed that antifungal activity resided in the nonadherent fraction. These data demonstrate that IL-2 and GM-CSF are capable of stimulating PBMC-mediated antifungal activity and suggest that these cytokines may play physiological or pharmacological roles in host defenses against cryptococcosis.
Antiviral drug resistance of human cytomegalovirus.

Summary: The study of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) antiviral drug resistance has enhanced knowledge of the virological targets and the mechanisms of antiviral activity. The currently approved drugs, ganciclovir (GCV), foscarnet (FOS), and cidofovir (CDV), target the viral DNA polymerase. GCV anabolism also requires phosphorylation by the virus-encoded UL97 kinase. GCV resistance mutations have been identified in both genes, while FOS and CDV mutations occur only in the DNA polymerase gene. Confirmation of resistance mutations requires phenotypic analysis; however, phenotypic assays are too time-consuming for diagnostic purposes. Genotypic assays based on sequencing provide more rapid results but are dependent on prior validation by phenotypic methods. Reports from many laboratories have produced an evolving list of confirmed resistance mutations, although differences in interpretation have led to some confusion. Recombinant phenotyping methods performed in a few research laboratories have resolved some of the conflicting results. Treatment options for drug-resistant HCMV infections are complex and have not been subjected to controlled clinical trials, although consensus guidelines have been proposed. This review summarizes the virological and clinical data pertaining to HCMV antiviral drug resistance.
Sex differences in plasma homovanillic acid levels in schizophrenia and normal controls: Relation to neuroleptic resistance

Plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) levels were compared in a large number of neurolepticresistant and -responsive schizophrenic patients (male/female = 161/46) and normal controls (67/27), and correlated with various measures of psychopathology. Psychopathology was evaluated with the brief psychiatric rating scale, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia—Change version (SADS-C) and SADS-C Global Assessment Scale, the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms, the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS), and the Quality of Life Scale. No significant differences in pHVA levels between neurolepticresistant ( n = 104) or -responsive ( n = 103) schizophrenic patients, and normal controls, were found; however, there was a main effect for sex, due to higher pHVA levels in women than men. There were no diagnosis × gender or age effects on pHVA levels. No significant correlations were observed between psychopathology ratings and baseline pHVA levels, except with the Hallucinations subscale of SAPS in neuroleptic-responsive patients. Neither duration of neuroleptic washout nor plasma prolactin levels correlated with pHVA levels. Further studies on the origin and significance of the gender difference in pHVA are indicated.
The location of femoral and tibial tunnels in anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction analyzed by three-dimensional computed tomography models.

Background: Characterizationoftheinsertionsiteanatomyinanteriorcruciateligamentreconstructionhasrecentlyreceived increasedattentionintheliterature,coincidingwithagrowinginterestinanatomicreconstruction.Thepurposeofthisstudywas to visualize and quantify the position of anatomic anteromedial and posterolateral bone tunnels in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with use of novel methods applied to three-dimensional computed tomographic reconstruction images. Methods: Careful arthroscopic dissection and anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament tunnel drilling were performed with use of topographical landmarks in eight cadaver knees. Computed tomography scans were performed on each knee, and three-dimensional models were created and aligned into an anatomic coordinate system. Tibial tunnel aperture centers were measured in the anterior-to-posterior and medial-to-lateral directions on the tibial plateau. The femoraltunnelaperturecentersweremeasuredinanatomicposterior-to-anteriorandproximal-to-distaldirectionsandwith the quadrant method (relative to the femoral notch).
Evaluation of a simple method for minimizing iatrogenic blood loss from discard volumes in critically ill newborns and children.

Objective: To validate a simple method avoiding discard volumes in pediatric patients with indwelling arterial and venous lines. Design: Zero-discarding was achieved by passive extracorporeal arteriovenous backflow via standard single pressure transducer equipment. We tested backflow distances (10, 20 and 30 cm beyond the sampling port), corresponding to withdrawal volumes of 0.6 ml, 0.8 ml and 1.0 ml, respectively, in comparison to conventional sampling with discard of 0.6 ml. With the backflow technique, the "withdrawal volume" was flushed back to the patient after sampling. We enrolled 120 patients who were allocated to either of the following paired sampling procedures: 10 cm versus conventional, 20 cm versus conventional, 30 cm versus conventional and two paired conventional samples. The order of the sampling was randomly allocated. Bias and precision were determined using Bland-Altman diagrams and algorithms. Results: No appreciable difference was found for blood gases, hemoglobin, potassium and calcium between the backflow technique and conventional sampling. Sodium results and blood glucose showed a bias towards higher values with the backflow technique (mean difference, sodium, 0.9 mmol/l; glucose, mean difference 0.5 mmol/l, standard deviation 0.44 mmol/l). Conclusions: The backflow technique provides reliable results for blood gases and electrolytes. However, in patients at risk of hypoglycemia, the backflow method should not be used to monitor blood glucose levels.
Comparison of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing and On-Off Keying in Amplified Direct-Detection Single-Mode Fiber Systems

We discuss the use of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) for combating group-velocity dispersion (GVD) effects in amplified direct-detection (DD) systems using single-mode fiber. We review known OFDM techniques, including asymmetrically clipped optical OFDM (ACO-OFDM), DC-clipped OFDM (DC-OFDM) and single-sideband OFDM (SSB-OFDM), and derive a linearized channel model for each technique. We present an iterative procedure to achieve optimum power allocation for each OFDM technique, since there is no closed-form solution for amplified DD systems. For each technique, we minimize the optical power required to transmit at a given bit rate and normalized GVD by iteratively adjusting the bias and optimizing the power allocation among the subcarriers. We verify that SSB-OFDM has the best optical power efficiency among the different OFDM techniques. We compare these OFDM techniques to on-off keying (OOK) with maximum-likelihood sequence detection (MLSD) and show that SSB-OFDM can achieve the same optical power efficiency as OOK with MLSD, but at the cost of requiring twice the electrical bandwidth and also a complex quadrature modulator. We compare the computational complexity of the different techniques and show that SSB-OFDM requires fewer operations per bit than OOK with MLSD.
DETERMINING THE LABELING INDEX IN AUTORADIOGRAPHY

A method is proposed for estimating the labeling index in autoradiographs. It is based on a model for the frequency distribution of grain counts for those cells which have few grains. The method does not require extensive grain counting and provides reasonable estimates even when the background level is high. It is particularly suited for experiments where tumnor cells, labeled in vivo, are autoradiographed after being cultured in vitro.
The Boron Efflux Transporter ROTTEN EAR Is Required for Maize Inflorescence Development and Fertility

Although boron has a relatively low natural abundance, it is an essential plant micronutrient. Boron deficiencies cause major crop losses in several areas of the world, affecting reproduction and yield in diverse plant species. Despite the importance of boron in crop productivity, surprisingly little is known about its effects on developing reproductive organs. We isolated a maize (Zea mays) mutant, called rotten ear (rte), that shows distinct defects in vegetative and reproductive development, eventually causing widespread sterility in its inflorescences, the tassel and the ear. Positional cloning revealed that rte encodes a membrane-localized boron efflux transporter, co-orthologous to the Arabidopsis thaliana BOR1 protein. Depending on the availability of boron in the soil, rte plants show a wide range of phenotypic defects that can be fully rescued by supplementing the soil with exogenous boric acid, indicating that rte is crucial for boron transport into aerial tissues. rte is expressed in cells surrounding the xylem in both vegetative and reproductive tissues and is required for meristem activity and organ development. We show that low boron supply to the inflorescences results in widespread defects in cell and cell wall integrity, highlighting the structural importance of boron in the formation of fully fertile reproductive organs.
SPECT Imaging of Pulmonary Emboli with Radiolabeled Thrombus-Specific Imaging Agents

The safe and accurate diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) remains challenging, and many PE-related deaths still occur before the detection of PE. Current techniques detect PE as "negative images," ie, the absence of contrast or downstream perfusion. There would be advantages to obtaining "positive images" of PE, by targeting imaging agents to components that are present primarily on thromboemboli. In addition to providing alternative means of diagnosing acute PE, they would also enable acute PE to be distinguished from other types of pulmonary arterial obstruction, such as unresolved intravascular defects attributable to previous PE. Positive images of PE require imaging agents to bind onto target antigens that are present predominantly on thromboemboli. The "D dimer" regions of polymerized fibrin are present in high concentrations on thromboemboli and are sufficiently accessible to binding. (99m)Tc-lableled anti-D-dimer deimmunized monoclonal antibody Fab' fragments (DI-DD-3B6/22-80B3) bind specifically to thromboemboli, with a thrombus: blood labeling ratio that allows scintigraphic detection. Another thrombus-specific imaging agent is (99m)Tc-labeled apcitide, a synthetic peptide that binds with a high affinity and specificity to the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor on the membrane of activated platelets. Both of these agents have enabled the detection of lower extremity deep vein thrombi by planar scintigraphy. However, even highly radiolabeled PEs are difficult to distinguish by planar scintigraphy from the large blood pool in the heart and lungs. The spatial and contrast resolution inherent to single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scanning allow the in situ imaging of pulmonary emboli that have been bound by radiolabeled thrombus-specific imaging agents. Preliminary trials in humans with acute PE have shown that the emboli can be detected after intravenous administration of (99m)Tc-lableled anti-D dimer, followed by SPECT scanning. Although clinical results are still preliminary, it appears that imaging of pulmonary emboli with SPECT, after administration of radiolabeled thrombus-specific antibody fragments, is accurate and clinically feasible.
FUS is sequestered in nuclear aggregates in ALS patient fibroblasts

Mutations in the RNA-binding protein FUS have been shown to cause the neuro- degenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We investigate whether mutant FUS protein in ALS patient-derived fibroblasts affects normal FUS functions in the nucleus. We investigated fibroblasts from two ALS patients possessing different FUS mutations and a normal control. Fibroblasts from these patients have their nuclear FUS protein trapped in SDS-resistant aggregates. Genome-wide analysis reveals an inappropriate accumulation of Ser-2 phosphorylation on RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) near the transcription start sites of 625 genes for ALS patient cells and after small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of FUS in normal fibroblasts. Furthermore, both the presence of mutant FUS protein and siRNA knock - down of wild-type FUS correlate with altered distribution of RNA Pol II within fibroblast nu - clei. A loss of FUS function in orchestrating Ser-2 phosphorylation of the CTD of RNA Pol II is detectable in ALS patient-derived fibroblasts expressing mutant FUS protein, even when the FUS protein remains largely nuclear. A likely explanation for this loss of function is the aggre- gation of FUS protein in nuclei. Thus our results suggest a specific mechanism by which mutant FUS can have biological consequences other than by the formation of cytoplasmic aggregates.
Ultrafast X-ray diffraction measurements with a laser-produced plasma source

Summary form only given. We demonstrate picosecond time-resolved X-ray diffraction from GaAs single crystals using a tabletop ultrafast X-ray diffractometer with a laser plasma X-ray source. Excitation of the crystal with 800-nm, 40 fs, 20Hz laser pump pulses initiates rapid lattice dynamics, which, after a variable delay time, are probed by diffracting ultrafast Cu K X-ray pulses from the (111)-planes.
Mutational Analysis of the Chlamydia trachomatis rRNA P1 Promoter Defines Four Regions Important for Transcription In Vitro

We have characterized the Chlamydia trachomatisribosomal promoter, rRNA P1, by measuring the effect of substitutions and deletions on in vitro transcription with partially purifiedC. trachomatis RNA polymerase. Our analyses indicate that rRNA P1 contains potential −10 and −35 elements, analogous toEscherichia coli promoters recognized by E-ς70. We identified a novel AT-rich region immediately downstream of the −35 region. The effect of this region was specific for C. trachomatis RNA polymerase and strongly attenuated by single G or C substitutions. Upstream of the −35 region was an AT-rich sequence that enhanced transcription by C. trachomatis and E. coli RNA polymerases. We propose that this region functions as an UP element.
An Immunocytochemical Study of the Luteinizing Hormone‐Releasing Hormone (LHRH) System in the White‐Footed Mouse: Effect of Blinding and Melatonin

Previous studies have provided evidence that pineal-mediated gonadal atrophy involves the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) system in some rodents. The purpose of the present study was to visualize the LHRH system in the brain of the white-footed mouse by immunocytochemical methods and to assess the influence of blinding or melatonin on the LHRH immunostaining characteristics of the median eminence. Six intact adult female mice and six adult males (two intact, two blinded, and two with subcutaneous melatonin-beeswax implants) treated for 6 wk were sacrificed by perfusion of fixative, and their brains were removed, cut into 60-micron sections and stained for LHRH by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method. Since the tissues were batch-processed in separate wells in a common chamber, semiquantitive comparisons may be made between similar sections from animals subjected to different treatments. The testes were also collected and prepared for microscopic examination. The distribution of LHRH-stained cell bodies and fibers was found to be essentially the same as has been described in other rodents, i.e., predominantly confined to the preoptic area and hypothalamus. The perikarya appear as unipolar and bipolar fusiform cells with "beaded fiber" type processes. In sections that included the median eminence of the blinded and melatonin-treated males, the degree of immunopositive staining appears to be greater than in the median eminence of untreated mice. The histological appearance of the testes from the treated animals revealed a profound inhibition of gametogenesis. These observations support the suggestion that pineal-mediated gonadal atrophy is the result of an inhibition of LHRH release from the median eminence.