cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility to murine cytomegalovirus retinitis during progression of MAIDS: Correlation with intraocular levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ

Purpose. To correlate tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) synthesis with histopathologic disease and virus replication within murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV)-infected eyes during progression of murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS). Materials and methods. Groups of normal mice and mice with MAIDS of 2-weeks (MAIDS-2), 4-weeks (MAIDS-4), and 12-weeks (MAIDS-12) duration were infected uniocularly with MCMV by subretinal MCMV injection. MCMV-inoculated eyes from all mice were subjected to histopathologic analysis, quantitative plaque assay, or cytometric bead array analysis for quantification of TNF-α and IFN-γ. Results. Whereas MCMV-inoculated eyes of normal, MAIDS-2, and MAIDS-4 mice were resistant to MCMV retinitis, all MCMV-inoculated eyes of MAIDS-12 mice developed retinitis. Surprisingly, MCMV-inoculated eyes of MAIDS-4 mice without retinitis harbored high amounts of infectious virus at a level equivalent to that of MCMV-inoculated eyes of MAIDS-12 mice that developed ret...
Vertical Mass Transport in Cumulonimbus Clouds on Day 261 of GATE

Abstract The model of Sikdar, for inferring upward transport of mass in a cumulonimbus cloud from expansion of the anvil in a satellite picture sequence, is refined and tested. In the present mass transport model, the anvil is configured as a stack of slabs, and the thickness of each slab is inferred from cloud radiance, by means of multiple scattering results. In addition, mass transport from the base of the anvil to the base of the cumulonimbus cloud is required to decrease according to the formula of Austin and Houze, in which the entrainment is inversely proportional to total cloud depth. With a sounding of ambient temperature and water vapor mixing ratio, the model yields profiles of upward mass transport and production of condensate. The model is applied to seven cumulonimbus clouds in the eastern Atlantic Occean on 18 member 1974, one of the last days of the GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment. Transports of the present model at the base of the anvil average 27 &times 1010 g s-1. This is 2.5 times la...
Label-free and Real-Time Sequence Specific DNA Detection Based on Supramolecular Self-assembly

A new label-free, optical method was developed to detect sequence-specific DNA based on supramolecular self-assembly. A cationic phenylene ethynylene oligomer with two pairs of positively charged s...
PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR DEFICIENCY IN AUTISTIC CHILDREN

15 autistic children were matched with normals on the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-motor Integration. The two groups were subsequently compared on ability to (1) increase geometric figure-copying performance using additional information provided during subsequent trials, (2) make figure-ground resolutions, (3) perform a fine motor integration task, and (4) cope with background interference while responding on the Developmental Test of Visual-motor Integration. The primary deficit observed in the autistic subjects appeared to be defective monitoring of the motor response.
Transient ATM Kinase Inhibition Disrupts DNA Damage–Induced Sister Chromatid Exchange

Cells derived from ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) patients exhibit defective cell cycle checkpoints because of mutations in the gene encoding ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated). After exposure to ionizing radiation (IR), A-T cells exhibit sensitivity to IR-induced cellular damage that results in increased chromosome aberrations and cell death (radiosensitivity). ATM is a member of a family of kinases that become activated in response to DNA damage. We showed that even transient inhibition of ATM kinase for 1 hour, initiated 15 minutes after cellular irradiation, resulted in an accumulation of persistent chromosome aberrations and increased cell death. Using reversible inhibitors of DNA-PK (DNA-dependent protein kinase), another kinase involved in responding to DNA damage, and ATM, we showed that these two kinases acted through distinct DNA repair mechanisms: ATM resolved DNA damage through a mechanism involving sister chromatid exchange (SCE), whereas DNA-PK acted through nonhomologous end joining. Furthermore, because DNA damage–induced SCE occurred in A-T fibroblasts that lack functional ATM protein, and the inhibitors of ATM kinase had no effect on DNA damage–induced SCE in A-T fibroblasts, we showed that the consequences of short-term inhibition of the kinase activity of ATM and adaptation to ATM protein disruption were distinct. This suggests that A-T fibroblasts have adapted to the loss of ATM and have alternative mechanisms to initiate SCE.
Tolerance: Is It Achievable in Pediatric Solid Organ Transplantation?

In the clinical arena of transplantation, tolerance remains, for the most part, a concept rather than a reality. Although modern immunosuppression regimens have effectively handled acute rejection, nearly all organs except the liver commonly suffer chronic immunologic damage that impairs organ function, threatening patient and allograft survival. In addition to the imperfect control of the donor-directed immune response, there are additional costs. First, there is the burden of mortality from infection and malignancy that can be directly attributed to a crippled immune system. Second, there are insidious effects on renal function, cardiovascular profile (hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia), bone health, growth, psychological and neurocognitive development, and overall quality of life. It is likely that the full consequences of lifelong immunosuppression on our pediatric transplant recipients will not be fully appreciated until survival routinely extends beyond 1 or 2 decades after transplantation. Therefore, it can be argued that the holy grail of transplantation tolerance is of the utmost importance to children who undergo solid organ transplantation.
Multiple Activation Loop Conformations and Their Regulatory Properties in the Insulin Receptor's Kinase Domain

Low catalytic efficiency of protein kinases often results from intrasteric inhibition caused by the activation loop blocking the active site. In the insulin receptor's kinase domain, Asp-1161 and Tyr-1162 in the peptide substrate-like sequence of the unphosphorylated activation loop can interact with four invariant residues in the active site: Lys-1085, Asp-1132, Arg-1136, and Gln-1208. Contributions of these six residues to intrasteric inhibition were tested by mutagenesis, and the unphosphorylated kinase domains were characterized. The mutations Q1208S, K1085N, and Y1162F each relieved intrasteric inhibition, increasing catalytic efficiency but without changing the rate-limiting step of the reaction. The mutants R1136Q and D1132N were virtually inactive. Steric accessibility of the active site was ranked by relative changes in iodide quenching of intrinsic fluorescence, and A-loop conformation was ranked by limited tryptic cleavage. Together these ranked the openness of the active site cleft as R1136Q ≈ D1132N ≥ D1161A > Y1162F ≈ K1085N > Q1208S ≥ wild-type. These findings demonstrate the importance of specific invariant residues for intrasteric inhibition and show that diverse activation loop conformations can produce similar steady-state kinetic properties. This suggests a broader range of regulatory properties for the activation loop than expected from a simple off-versus-on switch for kinase activation.
The association between floral longevity and pollen removal, pollen receipt, and fruit production in flame azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum)

Floral longevity is an important feature of a plant’s reproductive strategy. The goal of this study was to examine flower life span in the shrub flame azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum (Michx.) To...
Fast and near-optimal timing-driven cell sizing under cell area and leakage power constraints using a simplified discrete network flow algorithm

We propose a timing-driven discrete cell-sizing algorithm that can address total cell size and/or leakage power constraints. We model cell sizing as a "discretized" mincost network flow problem, wherein available sizes of each cell are modeled as nodes. Flow passing through a node indicates the choice of the corresponding cell size, and the total flow cost reflects the timing objective function value corresponding to these choices. Compared to other discrete optimization methods for cell sizing, our method can obtain near-optimal solutions in a time-efficient manner. We tested our algorithm on ISCAS'85 benchmarks, and compared our results to those produced by an optimal dynamic programming- (DP-) based method. The results show that compared to the optimal method, the improvements to an initial sizing solution obtained by our method is only 1% (3%) worse when using a 180nm (90 nm) library, while being 40-60 times faster. We also obtained results for ISPD'12 cell-sizing benchmarks, under leakage power constraint, and compared them to those of a state-of-the-art approximate DP method (optimal DP runs out of memory for the smallest of these circuits). Our results show that we are only 0.9% worse than the approximate DP method, while being more than twice as fast.
Stimulation of fat-body production in the polyps of the coral Pocillopora damicornis by the presence of mutualistic crabs of the genus Trapezia

A mutualism exists between the xanthid crabs of the genusTrapezia and their host corals,Pocillopora damicornis. It has previously been established that these obligate coral residents benefit the coral hosts by defending them against echinoderm predators and by increasing the survival of polyps located deep between the coral branches. In turn, the corals apparently benefit the crabs by producing lipid-filled structures on which the trapezid crabs feed; these fat bodies may contain some of the lipid which in previous studies of coral metabolism has been termed “excess”. It was determined by experiments conducted at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology that the presence of crabs in colonies ofP. damicornis stimulates the polyps to produce the lipid-filled fat bodies; removal of crabs causes corals to cease producing fat bodies. A structure very similar to the fat bodies ofP. damicornis has been reported inAcropora durvillei. Both of these coral genera ordinarily possess xanthid-crab mutualists. This association between branching corals and crustaceans may have evolved because corals of these genera provide shelter among their branches and because these shallow-water corals are evidently capable of releasing lipid which is excess to the corals' metabolic needs, but which can be utilized by the crabs.
PKCδ-dependent activation of ERK1/2 leads to upregulation of the human NHE2 transcriptional activity in intestinal epithelial cell line C2BBe1

The apical Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) isoform NHE2 is involved in transepithelial Na+ absorption in the intestine. Our earlier studies have shown that mitogenic agent phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (P...
Conformational and SAR analysis of NAALADase and PSMA inhibitors.

Abstract Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a 110 kDa type II transmembrane protein that is expressed exclusively by prostate tumor cells and as such is a clear cellular target in the development of a new method for fast and reliable diagnosis of prostate cancer. PSMA is highly homologous to the neuropeptidase NAALADase, and it has been shown that inhibitors of NAALADase also strongly bind to PSMA. In an effort to better understand the structural basis of the inhibitory activity of more than 60 NAALADase inhibitors synthesized and tested by our group, we used Monte Carlo calculations employing the Merck Molecular Force Field to explore the conformational space available to a set of PSMA inhibitors. Conformational analysis indicated that the lower the number of unique conformations accessible by an inhibitor, the greater the biological activity displayed by the compound against LnCAP cells. This suggests that the difference in activity is largely entropy based. The key conformations associated with high activity are used to develop a simple pharmacophore model that led to the design of new, conformationally restricted analogues with potentially high activity in rational drug design.
Exploiting Classes in Modeling and Display Software

The class concept is one component of objectoriented programming systems that has proven useful in organizing complex software. In experimenting with classes for geometric modeling applications, we have devised a class hierarchy that yields some conceptual order in the midst of diverse representations of shapes. Rather than search for a uniform primitive representation, we accept the diversity and build a framework combining dissimilar models in an orderly manner.
TerCharts: a VBA-MS Excel multiternary and multipurpose charting utility for data analysis, presentation, and modeling in environmental and earth sciences

TerCharts is a comprehensive, fast, flexible, and versatile ternary charting utility that can be used for ternary data presentation analysis and modeling across many scientific disciplines. TerCharts is developed using Microsoft (MS) Excel 2003 and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) which is an object oriented programming language developed by MS as a tool to enhance the capabilities of MS products. The Excel–VBA interface is important because normally chemical, geochemical, and mineralogical data used in teaching and basic research are processed using Excel spreadsheets, making TerCharts a more convenient tool for generating ternary charts which in turn can be used for data presentation and analysis. Ternary charts generated by this utility can be improved, edited, and modified utilizing MS Excel’s powerful charting and editing techniques.
Competition and nationally optimum resource allocation under the presence of urban traffic congestion

Abstract The present paper compares the market city size and the socially optimal city size in a model which allows for traffic congestion. It establishes that under the assumptions of constant returns to scale and perfect competition for commuter train companies, market forces alone will produce optimality in traffic congestion, in resource allocation for traffic facilities, and in the city size. The notion of optimality in this paper is in the sense of maximizing the welfare of the entire nation, rather than that of the city residents.
The Lynching of Cleo Wright: Federal Protection of Constitutional Rights during World War II

Unlike the previous 3,842 lynchings that occurred between 1889 and 1941, that of Cleo Wright in Sikeston, Missouri, early in 1942 drew the United States Department of Justice directly into that area of civil rights for the first time.' This unprecedented activity marked a turning point in the long, unheralded struggle for racial equality that had been fought largely in the courts and at times in the streets since the century began. It also reflected the impact of both New Deal ideology and World War II circumstances, which signaled even greater federal support for civil rights enforcement during the postwar era. Despite Jim Crow laws and lynchings in the South and de facto segregation and riots in the North, efforts by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), liberal lawyers, and federal judges had begun to alter the legality of racial discrimination long before the death of Cleo Wright. Their counterattack began during the Progressive Era, resurrected the Civil War amendments, and won cases before the United States Supreme Court of Chief Justice Edward Douglass White (1910-1921). Most notably, they succeeded in using the Thirteenth and Fifteenth amendments to strike down peonage and the "grandfather clauses, " respectively, and the Fourteenth Amendment to point up the rights of black citizens affected by residential segregation and separate-but-equal accommodations. Hardly dismantling "the legal structure of racism," those victories held out hope and set precedent for fundamental changes that came during the Great Depression. An improved and increasingly black-dominated NAACP legal staff, a law profession reconsidering its values in an era of great change, and a Supreme Court whose majority increasingly embraced judicial activism on behalf of minorities brought about a constitutional revolution in civil rights. Their endeavors-which began in the early 1930s and took root in 1937 as Hugo L. Black's appointment
Social Cognition Skills among Females with Fragile X.

Emotion perception and perspective-taking skills were examined among women with or without the fragile X gene. The performance of 56 control women was compared to the performance of 46 women who were carriers of the fragile X gene. Twenty-seven of the carrier women had 0–1% cytogenetic expression and did not appear affected by the gene, whereas the remaining 19 women had ≥2% cytogenetic expression and did appear affected by the gene. The emotion perception task employed was one for which deficits have been reported among individuals with autism. The results show that performance on this emotion-perception test and the perspective-taking measure was significantly related to full-scale IQ scores, but not to fragile X group status when effects of IQ were removed. Thus the results do not support the hypothesis that perspective-taking or emotion perception deficits are a component of the fragile X phenotype in females and represent an important differentiation between fragile X and autism.
Derivatives of the Rotation and Stretch Tensors

Previous work on representing the rotation and stretch tensors, their time derivatives and their gradients with respect to the deformation gradient tensor is reviewed and some new results are presented. The correspondence between rates and gradients leads to a unification and clarification of previous results and to new representations of the gradients.
BARTER'S SYNDROME: EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM TREATMENT WITH PROPRANOLOL (P) AND IBUPROFREN (I)

Two brothers (RB age 19, JB age 9) with a three-year history of hypokalemic alkalosis, increased peripheral renin activity (PRA), normotension, and decreased growth rate (GR) were treated with P (2 mg/kg). This resulted in a marked decrease in PRA and an 8-20% increase in plasma volume as measured by 125I-tagged albumin. Serum K was unaffected but when spironolactone and K supplements (600 meq/day) were added, it was maintained above 3.0 meq/1. One year later I was added to this regimen resulting in a further decrease in PRA. K supplements were discontinued but serum K remained above 3.0 meq/1. Prior to therapy with P and Iw, growth rates were 3.0-5.0 cm/year. Both have grown at 7.0-12.0 cm/year since therapy was initiated. Results are shown below: It is concluded that I is useful in the long-term therapy of Barter's syndrome and that the growth rate can be normalized if K balance is restored.
Epidemiology of Type 2 Diabetes: Focus on Ethnic Minorities

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic debilitating condition that affects approximately 18.2 million people or 6.3% of the United States population [1]. Diabetes is classified under four major categories [2]. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by beta cell destruction resulting in absolute insulin deficiency, occurs mostly in childhood, and accounts for 5% of all cases of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is characterized predominantly by insulin resistance with relative insulin deficiency, occurs typically in adulthood, and accounts for 90% of all cases of diabetes. Gestational diabetes typically occurs during pregnancy, resolves postdelivery, and accounts for 3% of all cases of diabetes. A fourth category includes cases of diabetes that result from diverse etiologies and they account for about 2% of all cases of diabetes.
Measures of relative model fit

Most software for statistical model fitting reports the value of the maximized log likelihood function, but the numerical value is difficult to interpret because of its log scale, its dependence on the sample size, and the possible omission of constants. A sample-size-scaled version of the likelihood function summarizes the model fit. A related index uses the mean of the contributions to the likelihood function. The ratio or difference of either index for two models is a summary measure of relative model fit. We discuss these measures and briefly consider interval estimation for them.
Telemetry controlled simultaneous microstimulation and recording device for studying cortical plasticity

This paper describes a telemetric interactive intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) and simultaneous recording device developed to deliver chronic microstimulation to the ipsilateral cortex and monitor evoked responses from the contralateral cortex. The embedded device was developed utilizing a Programmable System on a Chip (PSoC) microcontroller that can be remotely configured through Bluetooth. This device, with dimensions of 42 mm × 71 mm, can deliver monophasic, biphasic or pseudophasic stimulation pulses (peak current: ≤ 100 μA, duration: ≤ 10 ms, delay: ≤ 40 ms, repetition rate: 0.5 to 1 Hz) to a physiologically identified site in primary somatosensory cortex (SI) and record single and multiunit responses within 367 to 6470 Hz from a homotopic site in contralateral SI. This device was bench tested and validated in vivo in rat.
Observation of O v visible transitions in a tokamak divertor plasma

We report the observation of two unusually bright, visible lines from Be I--like oxygen, an impurity intrinsic to tokamak plasmas. Collisional-radiative (CR) models using detailed atomic structure are used to predict line brightnesses in agreement with observations. Because the O V ion exists in the divertor region of a tokamak, and since visible transitions can be easily measured, these lines can serve as a useful diagnostic of impurity concentration and ion temperature in a region of the plasma crucial to impurity control and energy balance.
Distinct reaction pathways followed upon reduction of oxy-heme oxygenase and oxy-myoglobin as characterized by Mossbauer spectroscopy

Activation of O2 by heme-containing monooxygenases generally commences with the common initial steps of reduction to the ferrous heme and binding of O2 followed by a one-electron reduction of the O2-bound heme. Subsequent steps that generate reactive oxygen intermediates diverge and reflect the effects of protein control on the reaction pathway. In this study, Mossbauer and EPR spectroscopies were used to characterize the electronic states and reaction pathways of reactive oxygen intermediates generated by 77 K radiolytic cryoreduction and subsequent annealing of oxy-heme oxygenase (HO) and oxy-myoglobin (Mb). The results confirm that one-electron reduction of (FeII−O2)HO is accompanied by protonation of the bound O2 to generate a low-spin (FeIIIO2H-)HO that undergoes self-hydroxylation to form the α-meso-hydroxyhemin-HO product. In contrast, one-electron reduction of (FeIIO2)Mb yields a low-spin (FeIIIO22-)Mb. Protonation of this intermediate generates (FeIIIO2H-)Mb, which then decays to a ferryl complex...
STUDIES ON HYMENOCALLIS HENRYAE (AMARYLLIDACEAE)

The first reported field data on the morphology and ecology and confirmatory cytological data are presented forHymenocallis henryae. Its taxonomic status and possible relationship toH. palmeri are discussed.
Activation-independent platelet adhesion and aggregation under elevated shear stress

Platelet aggregation, which contributes to bleeding arrest and also to thrombovascular disorders, is thought to initiate after signaling-induced activation. We found that this paradigm does not apply under blood flow conditions comparable to those existing in stenotic coronary arteries. Platelets interacting with immobilized von Willebrand factor (VWF) aggregate independently of activation when soluble VWF is present and the shear rate exceeds 10 000 s–1 (shear stress = 400 dyn/cm2). Above this threshold, active A1 domains become exposed in soluble VWF multimers and can bind to glycoprotein Ibα, promoting additional platelet recruitment. Aggregates thus formed are unstable until the shear rate approaches 20 000 s–1 (shear stress = 800 dyn/cm.2). Above this threshold, adherent platelets at the interface of surface-immobilized and membrane-bound VWF are stretched into elongated structures and become the core of aggregates that can persist on the surface for minutes. When isolated dimeric A1 domain is present instead of native VWF multimers, activation-independent platelet aggregation occurs without requiring shear stress above a threshold level, but aggregates never become firmly attached to the surface and progressively disaggregate as shear rate exceeds 6000 s–1. Platelet and VWF modulation by hydrodynamic force is a mechanism for activation-independent aggregation that may support thrombotic arterial occlusion.
Joinder of criminal offenses: A review of the legal and psychological literature.

Criminal courts routinely allow a defendant to be tried for multiple charges in a single trial. The practice is known as joinder of offenses. The issue of joinder of offenses is examined from a legal and psychological perspective. Relevant court decisions and their implications are discussed. In addition, the recent research conducted by social scientists concerning the possible reasons for the prejudicial effects of joinder of offenses is critically reviewed. Suggestions are offered, based upon previous joinder research, for the direction of future research into the loci of the effect and into potential remedies.
PERCUTANEOUS NEPHROSTOMY DRAINAGE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NEONATAL ANURIA SECONDARY TO RENAL CANDIDIASIS

We report a case of anuria in a premature neonate secondary to bilateral ureteropelvic junction obstructions related to Candida bezoars. Percutaneous decompression and drainage of both kidneys contributed significantly to the successful management of renal candidiasis in this patient. A review of the literature is presented.
Actin structural proteins in cell motility.

The machinery for cell locomotion is based in a network of polymerized actin filaments supporting the peripheral cytoplasm. This network or ‘gel’ consists of actin filaments in a variety of configurations, including cables, loose bundles, and branching arrays; all formed by the interaction of actin-associated proteins with actin filaments. For cell locomotion to occur, this network must be reversibly disassembled or ‘solated” to allow protrusion, then re-assembled to stabilize the resulting extension. Thus, proteins to promote both ‘solation’ and ‘gelation’ of actin are important for efficient cell locomotion. Because of their distribution, control, and in vitro effects on actin filaments, two such proteins, gelsolin and actin-binding protein (ABP) should play especially important roles in cell motility. Support for this premise is found in in vivo studies of mouse kidney fibroblasts which demonstrated increased translocational locomotion after cytoplasmic gelsolin expression was increased genetically and in melanoma cells missing actin-binding protein which behave as expected for a cell unable to achieve efficient actin gelation. Since malignant transformation is known to affect the expression and distribution of several of these actin structural proteins, including gelsolin, further investigations of the role these proteins play in cell motility will be important to the determination of tumor cell motility and hence metastatic propensity.
Government‐induced market failure: A note on the origins of FHA mortgage insurance

The conventional wisdom regarding the creation of federal housing programs during the Great Depression cites market failure as the key factor leading to government action. A review of the historical record regarding one program in particular, the Federal Housing Administration's insurance of real‐estate mortgages, suggests a more complex picture. Amortized loans were not created anew by the FHA but had been developed previously by various financial institutions; their use by national banks was restricted by law. What market failure occurred seems to have been induced, at least in part, by the federal government.
Characterization of Al/Si junctions on Si(100) wafers with chemical vapor deposition-based sulfur passivation

Chemical vapor deposition-based sulfur passivation using hydrogen sulfide is carried out on both n-type and p-type Si(100) wafers. Al contacts are fabricated on sulfur-passivated Si(100) wafers and the resultant Schottky barriers are characterized with current–voltage (I–V), capacitance–voltage (C–V) and activation-energy methods. Al/S-passivated n-type Si(100) junctions exhibit ohmic behavior with a barrier height of <0.078 eV by the I–V method and significantly lower than 0.08 eV by the activation-energy method. For Al/S-passivated p-type Si(100) junctions, the barrier height is ~0.77 eV by I–V and activation-energy methods and 1.14 eV by the C–V method. The discrepancy between C–V and other methods is explained by image force-induced barrier lowering and edge-leakage current. The I–V behavior of an Al/S-passivated p-type Si(100) junction remains largely unchanged after 300 °C annealing in air. It is also discovered that heating the S-passivated Si(100) wafer before Al deposition significantly improves the thermal stability of an Al/S-passivated n-type Si(100) junction to 500 °C.
Comparison of cecal abrasion and multiple-abrasion models in generating intra-abdominal adhesions for animal studies

The formation of postoperative adhesions is a common problem in abdominal surgery that may lead to serious complications. Appropriate animal adhesion models are essential for the investigation of adhesiogenesis and the development of new anti-adhesive products. Although animal models have been developed to study the process of adhesion formation in the abdomen, they are not effective in generating adhesions located over small bowel where adhesions are most commonly observed in clinical practice. Twenty-nine Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to standardized cecal abrasion (group 1; n=9), or two types of multiple abrasion, in which cecal and 3 or 5 abrasions were performed on small bowel (group 2, n=10; and group 3, n=10). An observer blinded to the randomization assessed the difficulty of adhesiolysis on a 6-point scale, and the locations of the adhesions were recorded 21 days after the initial surgery. Adhesiolysis was significantly more difficult in group 3 than in group 1 (p=0.01). The number of animals that had adhesions between the small bowel segments and the total number of locations where small bowel adhered were significantly greater in group 2 and 3 than in group 1 (p<0.05 for all comparisons). Abrasions to the small bowel created consistent adhesions that have clinical characteristics of intra-abdominal adhesions as compared to the standard cecal abrasion model and that can be used in future animal studies on adhesions.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae basic region-leucine zipper protein regulatory networks converge at the ATR1 structural gene.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells express a family of transcription factors belonging to the basic region-leucine zipper family. Two of these proteins, yAP-1 and Gcn4p, are known to be involved in oxidative stress tolerance and general control of amino acid biosynthesis, respectively. Strains lacking theYAP1 or GCN4 structural gene have very different phenotypes, which have been taken as evidence that these transcriptional regulatory proteins control separate batteries of target genes. In this study, we provide evidence that both yAP-1 and Gcn4p control the expression of a putative integral membrane protein, Atr1p. Both yAP-1 and Gcn4p can elevate resistance to 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole and 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide but only if the ATR1 gene is intact. Expression ofATR1 is enhanced in the presence of constitutively active alleles of YAP1 and GCN4. Regulation ofATR1 transcription by yAP-1 and Gcn4p occurs through a common DNA element related to the yAP-1 recognition element found upstream of other yAP-1-regulated genes. These data provide the first indication of overlap between the regulatory networks defined by yAP-1 and Gcn4p.
THE INFLUENCE OF MATCHING AND MOTOR‐IMITATION ABILITIES ON RAPID ACQUISITION OF MANUAL SIGNS AND EXCHANGE‐BASED COMMUNICATIVE RESPONSES

Establishing a relation between existing skills and acquisition of communicative responses may be useful in guiding selection of alternative communication systems. Matching and motor-imitation skills were assessed for 6 children with developmental disabilities, followed by training to request the same set of preferred items using exchange-based communication and manual signs. Three participants displayed both skills and rapidly acquired both communicative response forms. Three others displayed neither skill; 1 mastered exchange-based responses but not manual signs, and neither of the other 2 easily acquired either response form.
Cardiac Neuronal Imaging at the Edge of Clinical Application

Cardiac neuronal innervation plays an important role in normal cardiac function and is adversely affected in the presence of disease. In particular, radiotracer imaging of cardiac sympathetic function has been extensively investigated and not only provides a method of assessing the severity of disease but also has repeatedly been shown to be prognostically useful with a potential for helping to guide patient management. SPECT imaging of myocardial uptake of (123)I-mIBG, an analog of the sympathetic neurotransmitter norepinephrine, has been the most studied, but PET neurotracers, such as (11)C-HED, are also under investigation. The ability of cardiac neuronal imaging to visualize and measure underlying molecular processes should allow it to provide a perspective on cardiac disease that other testing modalities cannot.
Factors Predicting Rural Chinese Adolescents' Anxieties, Fears and Depression

This study examined age, gender, birth order and self-perceived level of achievement and popularity, as predictors of anxieties, fears and depression in Chinese adolescents. A sample of 398 rural C...
The service architecture of real-time video analytic system

Videos are an important source of information and require extremely computation expensive analysis in order to understand the high level semantics. The computational difficulties in extracting embedded information and bridging the semantic gap present the major challenges in interoperability, scalability and real-time response of video analytic systems. In this paper, we propose an intelligent video analytic system VIP (Video Intelligence Platform) that provides a distributed scalable infrastructure for supporting near real-time video stream analysis. VIP is based on serviceorient architecture (SOA), in which the video analysis computation modules are wrapped as services and composed in a directed acrylic graph (DAG) structure to represent the application requirements. VIP leverages UIMA (Unstructured Information Management Architecture) framework as the data flow control engine and multiple commodity databases as the storage and computation resources. The actual executions of video analysis have been pushed down into database engine to minimize the data movement cost. We initially choose video surveillance in retail store as a representative application domain. As a case study, a prototype system has been developed to achieve fundamental functions of real-time video surveillance, including video capture/store, human detection/ tracking and customer shopping trajectory analysis.
Protection against loss of innate defenses in adulthood by low advanced glycation end products (AGE) intake: role of the antiinflammatory AGE receptor-1.

Context: Increased oxidant stress and inflammation (OS/infl) are linked to both aging-related diseases and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Whereas AGE receptor-1 (AGER1) reduces OS/infl in animals, this has not been assessed in normal humans. Objective: The objectives of the study were to determine whether AGER1 correlates with AGEs and OS/infl and a reduction of dietary AGEs (dAGEs) lowers OS/infl in healthy adults and chronic kidney disease (CKD-3) patients. Design: This study was cross-sectional with 2-yr follow-up studies of healthy adults and CKD-3 patients, a subset of which received a reduced AGE or regular diet. Setting: The study was conducted at general community and renal clinics. Participants: Participants included 325 healthy adults (18–45 and >60 yr old) and 66 CKD-3 patients. Intervention: An isocaloric low-AGE (30–50% reduction) or regular diet was given to 40 healthy subjects for 4 months and to nine CKD-3 patients for 4 wk. Main Outcome: Relationships between age, dAGEs, serum AG...
The physical and NMR characterizations of allyl‐ and crotylcelluloses

Tri-O-allylcellulose (degree of polymerization, DP ∼112) was prepared in ∼91% yield, and tri-O-crotylcellulose (DP ∼138) was prepared in ∼56% yield from microcrystalline cellulose (DP ∼172, and polydispersity index, PDI ∼1.95) using modified literature methods. Number-average molecular weight (Mn = 31,600), weight-average molecular weight (Mw = 191,800), and PDI = 6.07 data suggested that tri-O-allylcellulose may be crosslinking in air to generate branched chains. The polymer was stabilized with 100 ppm butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT). The material without BHT experienced glass transition (Tg, differential-scanning calorimetry, DSC) between −2 and +3 °C, crosslinked beyond 100 °C, and degraded at 298.6 °C (by thermogravimetric analysis, TGA). Mn (45,100), Mw (118,200), PDI (2.62), and thermal data (Tg − 5 to +3 °C, melting point 185.8 °C, recrystallization 168.9 °C, and degradation 343.6 °C) on tri-O-crotylcellulose suggested that the polymer was formed with about the same polydispersity as the starting material and is heat stable. While allylcellulose generated continuous flexible yellow films by solution casting, crotylcellulose precipitated from solution as brittle white flakes. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) data on allylcellulose films (Tg − 29.1 °C, Young's modulus 5.81 × 108 Pa) suggest that the material is tough and flexible at room temperature. All 1H and 13C resonances in the NMR spectra were identified and assigned using the following methods: Double-quantum filter correlation spectroscopy (DQF COSY) was used to assign the network of seven protons in the anhydroglucose portion of the repeat unit. The proton assignments were verified and confirmed by total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY). A combination of heteronuclear single-quantum coherence (HSQC) and 13C spectroscopies were used to identify all bonded carbon–hydrogen pairs in the anhydroglucose portion of the repeat unit, and assign the carbon nuclei chemical shift values. Heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) spectroscopy was used to connect the resonances of methines and methylenes at positions 2, 3, and 6 to the methylene resonances of the allyl ethers. TOCSY was used again to identify the fifteen 1H resonances in the three pendant allyl groups. Finally, a combination of HSQC, HMBC, and 13C spectroscopies were used to identify each carbon in the allyl pendants at 2, 3, and 6. Because of line broadening and signal overlap, we were unable to identify the conformational arrangement about the C5 and C6 bond in tri-O-allyl- and tri-O-crotylcelluloses. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1889–1902, 2000
Mechanisms underlying in vivo polysaccharide‐specific immunoglobulin responses to intact extracellular bacteria

Polysaccharides (PS) have historically been viewed as T cell-independent antigens. However, in this paper I propose a new concept, based on substantial data from my laboratory over the previous 10 years, that during infections with PS-encapsulated extracellular bacteria, PS-specific IgG responses are largely CD4(+) T cell dependent. Thus, capsular PS is typically encountered by the immune system covalently attached to the underlying subcapsular bacterial domain. I speculate that noncovalent association of PS with immunogenic proteins within the bacterial particle leads to recruitment of protein-specific CD4(+) T cell help for the anti-PS response. However, differences in the composition and/or structure of the subcapsular domain of different extracellular bacteria may result in distinct anti-PS responses as well as differential effects on the immune response to coimmunizing soluble antigens. CD4(+) T cell help for IgG anti-PS responses during infections with extracellular bacteria is likely to promote opsonic clearance of these rapidly growing pathogens. However, the expression of immunosuppressive components by certain bacteria may also serve to dampen such responses.
Comparison Between Potentiometric and Stripping Voltammetric Detection of Trace Metals: Measurements of Cadmium and Lead in the Presence of Thalium, Indium, and Tin

Recent advances in ion-selective electrodes have pushed the detection limits of direct potentiometry to the nanomolar concentration range. Here we present a direct comparison of the sensitivity and selectivity of potentiometric and stripping-voltammetric measurements of cadmium and lead. While both techniques offer a similar sensitivity, the potentiometric method offers higher selectivity in the presence of excess of metal ions (e.g., thallium, tin) that commonly interfere in the stripping-voltammetric operation. Because of the complementary nature of the potentiometric and stripping-voltammetric methods, it is recommended that these techniques will be selected based on the specific analytical problem or used in parallel to provide additional analytical information.
Importance of Large Intestine in Regulating Bile Acids and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 in Germ-Free Mice

It is known that 1) elevated serum bile acids (BAs) are associated with decreased body weight, 2) elevated glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels can decrease body weight, and 3) germ-free (GF) mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a lack of intestinal microbiota results in more BAs in the body, resulting in increased BA-mediated transmembrane G protein–coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) signaling and increased serum GLP-1 as a mechanism of resistance of GF mice to diet-induced obesity. GF mice had 2- to 4-fold increased total BAs in the serum, liver, bile, and ileum. Fecal excretion of BAs was 63% less in GF mice. GF mice had decreased secondary BAs and increased taurine-conjugated BAs, as anticipated. Surprisingly, there was an increase in non–12α-OH BAs, namely, β-muricholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), and their taurine conjugates, in GF mice. Further, in vitro experiments confirmed that UDCA is a primary BA in mice. There were minimal changes in the mRNA of farnesoid X receptor target genes in the ileum (Fibroblast growth factor 15, small heterodimer protein, and ileal bile acid–binding protein), in the liver (small heterodimer protein, liver receptor homolog-1, and cytochrome P450 7a1), and BA transporters (apical sodium dependent bile acid transporter, organic solute transporter α, and organic solute transporter β) in the ileum of GF mice. Surprisingly, there were marked increases in BA transporters in the large intestine. Increased GLP-1 levels and gallbladder size were observed in GF mice, suggesting activation of TGR5 signaling. In summary, the GF condition results in increased expression of BA transporters in the colon, resulting in 1) an increase in total BA concentrations in tissues, 2) a change in BA composition to favor an increase in non–12α-OH BAs, and 3) activation of TGR5 signaling with increased gallbladder size and GLP-1.
Use a SEM on a Production Line

The use of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) as an in-line, quality control tool to selectively sample-screen semiconductor devices for metallization anomalies is recommended in future procurements. Experiences with failed devices at GSFC have led to development of an inspection technique and a subsequent specification which are discussed in this report. Criteria (with typical demonstrative photographs) are proposed for distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable units and the viewing parameters necessary to effect meaningful examination are given; viz., the angle of sample tilt relative to the primary beam, the proper sample rotation relative to contact windows, and the necessary magnification range. The proposed sampling and inspection procedure is designed to create minimum perturbation in the normal manufacturing process and to detect, at an early stage, those metallization anomalies which affect device reliability and which cannot be resolved by the optical microscope during preseal visual inspection. The procedure, as well as lot acceptance plan, is outlined pointing out both the advantages to the user and the manufacturer. Preliminary results and manufacturers' acceptance of this plan will be discussed.
Testing Guidelines for Evaluation of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity of Food Additives in Females

The original Redbook issued by the Food and Drug Administration in 1982 pro-vided guidelines for testing the effects of direct food additives and color additives on mothers and developing embryos. The tests included brief teratol-ogy/developmental toxicity studies and longer studies spanning several generations called multigeneration reproduction studies. In 1993, the draft version of Redbook II was made available for public comment. In it, the revised chapter on reproduction and developmental toxicity is the result of extensive literature review and public comment. It includes discussions of the major mani-festations of an effect on the developing organism — death, structural anomaly, altered or retarded growth, and functional deficiency — and evaluation of these manifestations with respect to dosage and other factors. Additional test end-points and developmental landmarks are included and evaluated. The use of the degree of maternal toxicity in assessing fetotoxicity or embryotoxicity is discussed. FDA'...
Simultaneous tracking and action recognition for single actor human actions

This paper presents an approach to simultaneously tracking the pose and recognizing human actions in a video. This is achieved by combining a Dynamic Bayesian Action Network (DBAN) with 2D body part models. Existing DBAN implementation relies on fairly weak observation features, which affects the recognition accuracy. In this work, we use a 2D body part model for accurate pose alignment, which in turn improves both pose estimate and action recognition accuracy. To compensate for the additional time required for alignment, we use an action entropy-based scheme to determine the minimum number of states to be maintained in each frame while avoiding sample impoverishment. In addition, we also present an approach to automation of the keypose selection task for learning 3D action models from a few annotations. We demonstrate our approach on a hand gesture dataset with 500 action sequences, and we show that compared to DBAN our algorithm achieves 6% improvement in accuracy.