cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of fasting on human brain acid-base homeostasis using natural abundance 13C and 31P MRS

Purpose To use 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and 31P MRS to develop a direct assay for regional [HCO3−] in the human brain and to define brain pH and physiological response of [HCO3−] to fasting. Materials and Methods Seven healthy subjects underwent MRS examinations on a 1.5T MRI scanner. Subjects were well fed with repeated examinations performed after 4 and 12 hours of fasting. Proton noise decoupling 13C MRS were acquired using pulse and acquired acquisition while 31P MRS were acquired using a 2D chemical shift imaging method with relaxation time (TR) of 2 seconds. Results Fasting brain bicarbonate concentrations (6.7 ± 2.5 mM for 12-hour fasting, P = 0.002 and 8.3 ± 2.1 mM for 4-hour fasting, P = 0.015) are significantly reduced compared to fed state (11.6 ± 1.3 mM). However, no significant difference in brain pH was observed, confirming the critical role of pCO2 in intracerebral pH homeostasis. Conclusion We demonstrated that the intracellular HCO3− in human brain is readily modified by diet but appears to have no measurable effect on cerebral pH. Natural abundance 13C can provide useful information relevant to human brain pH homeostasis by providing information for HCO3−. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:398–401. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Silicon void nano-waveguides for guiding and confining light

We present theoretical and experimental evidence of a novel wavelength-insensitive waveguide geometry for guiding and confining light in nanometer-wide low-index materials, based on the discontinuity of the electric field at high-index-contrast interfaces.
Material requirement planning systems development

Abstract Material requirement planning systems are becoming an integral part of many manufacturing information systems. MRP is both a scheduling and control technique designed to minimize inventory investment, to maximize production efficiency, and to improve customer service. The purposes of this paper are to describe the inputs to an MRP system; discuss the logic of an MRP system; and provide examples of various exception reports generated by an MRP system. A listing of an MRP program with documentation is provided, also.
An Exploratory Examination of Students' Family Policy Beliefs

Family policy is coming to be recognized as an important component of programs focusing on family issues. As political leaders continue to engage in debates about family issues and family service professionals report spending more time on policy issues within their professional practice, attention to policy issues has become more important in the education of students in family courses. Because of the increasing presence of public policy study within the family studies curricula, it is important to consider students' policy perceptions and experiences as they enter family policy classes. Argued here is that students are more likely to become engaged with family policy topics that are timely and meaningful to them. This research examines student perceptions of various policy topics and issues in an attempt to better design courses with family policy content.
Flash exposure system for thin photoresist films

The formation of an image in a photoresist during photolithographic processing requires the exposure of the photoresist through a mask to a light source in the spectral region to which the photoresist is sensitive. The functional advantage of the flash exposure of photoresist is presented, which includes the elimination of oxygen effects, the reduction of diffraction and standing wave effects, and the enhancement of pattern-edge acuity. The effects of both broad and narrow band sources are also shown with emphasis on proximity printing techniques. Finally, the optical, electrical and physical design parameters for a practical flash exposure system are discussed.
Superior mesenteric artery occlusion models shock-induced gut ischemia-reperfusion

Abstract : Background. Superior mesenteric artery occlusion (SMAO) is a simple and reproducible model of shock- induced gut ischemia/reperfusion, but some argue that it is not clinically relevant. The purpose of the current study was to compare SMAO to a standard model of controlled hemorrhage (CH) and uncontrolled hemorrhage (UH). Methods. Rats had femoral lines and a jejunal mucosal laser Doppler placed followed by SMAO (60 min of ischemia, no resuscitation), controlled hemorrhage (40 mm Hg for 60 min, 2:1 resuscitation shed blood and lactated Ringers), or uncontrolled hemorrhage (liver injury, 3:1 resuscitation with lactated Ringers). Base deficit, lactate, and jejunal mucosal flow (as a percentage of baseline) were recorded during ischemia and for 120 min after reperfusion. Jejunal tissue was harvested for morphological evaluation. Comparison among groups was by analysis of variance (ANOVA), and significance was set at P less than 0.05. Results. Mucosal blood flow was similar among groups at the onset of reperfusion (CH, 16.9 + or - 5.0% versus UH, 10.9 + or - 3.1% versus SMAO, 13.9 + or - 6.2%) and during the initial period of reperfusion. By 120 min, however, flow in CH (75.4 + or - 2.5%) was significantly higher that in either UH (36.4 13.1%) or SMAO (31.7 + or - 8.4%). Histological injury was less with CH, while base deficit was significantly higher in CH at the onset of reperfusion ( - 24 + or - 2 versus UH, -10 + or - 3 and SMAO, -6 + or - 3 mM/L) but comparable by the end (CH, -17 + or - 4 versus UH, -16 + or - 3 and SMAO, -17 + or - 2 mM/L). Conclusion. SMAO is a clinically relevant model of shock-induced gut ischemia/reperfusion.
Appendiceal granulation polyps: a complication of Mitrofanoff procedure.

Abstract We describe an unusual complication of appendicovesicostomy—the development of multiple polyps in the appendiceal conduit—in a patient with spina bifida.
Use of Thyroxine-binding Prealbumin in the Nutritional Assessment of Children with Cancer

The level of thyroxine-binding prealbumin was evaluated in 87 pediatric cancer patients ages 1 through 16 years whose cancer was newly diagnosed but untreated, and 39 children with benign disease or no disease. There was no difference in levels of thyroxine-binding prealbumin between the patients with either malignant or benign disease, nor was there a difference between diagnostic categories. Prealbumin values did correlate with age. When the data were compared, there was a correlation between nutritional status and prealbumin level when the total population (N = 126) was age corrected, but not within the malignant disease group by itself. This confirms data that suggest malnutrition in children with cancer is not a result of protein depletion.
Combining low-frequency and spread-spectrum watermarking

Low-frequency watermarks and watermarks generated using spread spectrum techniques have complementary robustness properties. In this paper, we combine both watermarking paradigms to design an oblivious watermark that is capable of surviving an extremely wide range of severe image distortions. An image is first watermarked with a low- frequency pattern and then a spread spectrum signal is added to the watermarked image. Since both watermarks are embedded in a different portion of the frequency space, they do not interfere. For the low-frequency watermark, we modify the NEC scheme so that the original image is not needed for watermark extraction. The image is first normalized nd the watermark is embedded into the lowest frequency discrete cosine modes by encoding a binary pattern using a special quantization-like function. The low-frequency watermark is combined with a spread spectrum signal added to the middle frequencies of a DCT. The resulting double watermarked image is extremely robust with respect to a very wide range of quite severe image distortions including low-pass filtering, pixel permutations, JPEG compression, noise adding, and nonlinear deformations of the signal, such as gamma correction, histogram manipulations, and dithering.
Effects of Intravenous versus Intraruminal Injections of Acetate on Feed Intake of Goats

Abstract Sodium acetate injections into the rumen depressed feed intake while the same amounts injected intravenously had no such effect. Specifically, goats fed a grain ration ad libitum were injected either intraruminally or intravenously with acetate solutions concomitantly with eating spontaneous meals. Five-minute injections of acetate given intravenously caused blood levels to increase to 8 to 12mm while injections given intraruminally caused an increase of only 0.5 to 1.0mm. These data suggest that receptors sensitive to acetate are more likely to be situated in the lumen side of the ruminoreticulum than in an area where they would respond to blood levels. Although it seems apparent that there are acetate receptors in ruminants, it cannot be concluded that the feed intake depression following an acetate injection is related to satiety.
Reading The Bone People ‐ cross‐culturally

: This paper offers two different interpretations of The Bone People, a novel by New Zealand Maori Keri Hulme. The first interpretation is one that might be made by a reader who is not familiar with Maori life in New Zealand and not familiar with other literary works by Hulme or other New Zealand Maori writers; the second interpretation is one that might be made by a Pacific-island reader or one who is familiar with Maori values and literature. The difference between the two interpretations indicates that readers from different backgrounds have different imaginative experiences when they read the same literary text. This paper suggests that investigating the responses of readers from different cultural groups to the same text may contribute to cross-cultural understanding by shedding light on the values and priorities that members of the same culture have in common. Prospective teachers may gain insight into the ways other peoples understand and express such values. Students and teachers may also gain a richer experience of the literatures written in English from within other cultures if they know about the priorities and values of peoples living in that society.
Electrochemical studies of porphyrin redox reactions as cytochrome models

Abstract A series of Fe(III) derivatives of mesoporphyrin IX have been examined electrochemically. These derivatives contain histidine and methionine which have been covalently attached to the porphyrin ring via the propionic acid side chains. These studies show that the attached ligands are capable of intramolecular coordination with the iron to give distinctive electrochemical properties. The pH-dependence of the formal potentials for the various derivatives is presented in the light of the characteristics of cytochrome c. Various approaches to heme model compounds for electrochemical studies are reviewed.
Mathematical characterization of a general bicrystal

Abstract A mathematical analysis for determining the five parameters which are necessary to describe a general bicrystal is given to develop an accurate and fast technique for completely describing a bicrystal according to a standard manner without any particular reference to a grain boundary structural model. The intrinsic problem of the degeneracy associated with the five bicrystal parameters is discussed with relation to (a) geometrically characterizing the bicrystal and (b) relating some bicrystal property to the five degrees of freedom associated with a bicrystal. Other special bicrystal variables are derived that relate the change in orientation of a crystal plane in one grain to an adjacent plane in the other grain of the bicrystal. These bicrystal variables are discussed in relation to two bicrystal properties, i.e the propagation of either a cleavage crack or a dislocation loop across a grain boundary. The misuse of the twist and tilt variables is discussed and their real crystallographic meaning is derived in terms of the total Burgers vector of the bicrystal.
Midden formation and intrasite chemical patterning in Kalinga, Philippines

Middens are surprisingly fluid entities in occupied communities, as shown by ethnoarchaeological research in Dalupa, Kalinga Province, northern Luzon, the Philippines. This study combines ethnoarchaeological observations of midden formation and disturbance in Dalupa with data from soils and sediments in natural, habitation, and midden contexts, including elemental data for 80 samples collected using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy. Most surface samples from habitation areas cluster with midden samples, although samples from the lower parts of theses profiles resemble samples from natural contexts around Dalupa. One explanation is a changing spatial distribution of active middens due to changes in house placement and occupation in Dalupa's history. Some habitation areas that chemically resemble middens may once have held middens, as suggested by the periodic changes in midden location from the cleaning and management of extramural space. Surface scatters of human and animal refuse throughout the habitation area may also contribute to this pattern. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bilateral foveal neurosensory detachment in hypertensive retinopathy demonstrated by optical coherence tomography

Bilateral foveal neurosensory detachment in hypertensive retinopathy demonstrated by optical coherence tomography
Applying lessons from professional education to the preparation of the professoriate

The pedagogies used in professional education to develop students' identities in the domains of knowledge, skills, and values can help doctoral programs better prepare future faculty members.
A test can be reproducible but still not useful

Good correlation between pathologists in assigning dates to endometrial biopsy specimens did not translate into good agreement in the dichotomous diagnosis of in-phase or out-of-phase. Design and analysis of reproducibility studies is complex; although alternative approaches are certainly reasonable, we believe it unlikely that they would have changed our fundamental conclusion.
Crisscrossed stripe order from interlayer tunneling in hole-doped cuprates

Motivated by recent observations of charge order in the pseudogap regime of hole-doped cuprates, we show that crisscrossed stripe order can be stabilized by coherent, momentum-dependent interlayer tunneling, which is known to be present in several cuprate materials. We further describe how subtle variations in the couplings between layers can lead to a variety of stripe ordering arrangements, and discuss the implications of our results for recent experiments in underdoped cuprates.
Genotoxicity screening for N-nitroso compounds. Electrochemical and electrochemiluminescent detection of human enzyme-generated DNA damage from N-nitrosopyrrolidine

We report for the first time voltammetric/electrochemiluminescent sensors applied to predict genotoxicity of N-nitroso compounds bioactivated by human cytochrome P450 enzymes.
ERK5 Protein Promotes, whereas MEK1 Protein Differentially Regulates, the Toll-like Receptor 2 Protein-dependent Activation of Human Endothelial Cells and Monocytes

Endothelial cell (EC) Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) activation up-regulates the expression of inflammatory mediators and of TLR2 itself and modulates important endothelial functions, including coagulation and permeability. We defined TLR2 signaling pathways in EC and tested the hypothesis that TLR2 signaling differs in EC and monocytes. We found that ERK5, heretofore unrecognized as mediating TLR2 activation in any cell type, is a central mediator of TLR2-dependent inflammatory signaling in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, primary human lung microvascular EC, and human monocytes. Additionally, we observed that, although MEK1 negatively regulates TLR2 signaling in EC, MEK1 promotes TLR2 signaling in monocytes. We also noted that activation of TLR2 led to the up-regulation of intracellularly expressed TLR2 and inflammatory mediators via NF-κB, JNK, and p38-MAPK. Finally, we found that p38-MAPK, JNK, ERK5, and NF-κB promote the attachment of human neutrophils to lung microvascular EC that were pretreated with TLR2 agonists. This study newly identifies ERK5 as a key regulator of TLR2 signaling in EC and monocytes and indicates that there are fundamental differences in TLR signaling pathways between EC and monocytes.
Metallurgical reactions in Au/(InGe) ohmic contacts to GaAs

Abstract The Au/(InGe) contact to GaAs was investigated to discover the metallurgical structure of the contact-GaAs interface. A variety of intermetallic phases in the form of precipitate particles or thin films were identified, and their presence was correlated with the temperature at which the contacts were fired. The possibility of predicting the structures of the fired contacts from simple metallurgical phase diagrams is discussed, and some evidence on the influence of the precipitating phases on the electrical character of the contacts is reviewed.
Alcohol production by Clostridium acetobutylicum induced by methyl viologen

Controlled batch experiments performed withClostridium acetobutylicum show that methyl viologen induces solvent production at near neutral pH. At a pH of 6.8, significant ethanol production was observed in presence of methyl viologen. At pH 5, production of butanol and ethanol are favored at the expense of acetone.
Multiple effects of glucocorticoids on TSH secretion in unanesthetized rats.

We have measured thyroid and adrenocortical function in unanesthetized stressfree rats after stimulation by cold exposure, TRF, or TSH. Initial studies suggested an inverse relationship between the 2 systems in response to cold. Dexamethasone was administered to rats prior to cold exposure to determine if suppression of ACTH would alter the response of the hypothalamo—pituitary— thyroid axis (HPTA). 250 μg dexamethasone/ 100 g bw inhibited the HPTA response to cold but did not suppress TRF induced TSH release. Therefore this dose of steroid inhibits coldinduced TRF release. Since the cold response, but not the TRF response, was blocked by dexamethasone we also conclude that the response to acute cold is mediated via TRF release. This dose of dexamethasone actually enhanced the pituitarythyroid response to TRF. This effect is exerted at the level of the pituitary since the thyroid response to TSH was unaltered. A lower dose of dexamethasone (25 μg/100 g bw) accentuated the HPTA response to cold and since t...
Facial recognition and brain asymmetries: Clues to underlying mechanisms

A series of similar faces was presented to either the left or right visual field of three adults with brains surgically split along the corpus callosum. The left hemisphere displayed a marked and persistent deficit in performing a match-to-sample task, whereas the right hemisphere performed the task well. Additional test results suggest that the superiority is not specific to faces and is also not caused by specialized differences in sensory processes, but rather is related to differences in each hemisphere's ability to encode stimuli that cannot be adequately differentiated with a verbal description.
Standardization of XML Database Exchanges and the James Webb Space Telescope Experience

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been working with various standard communities such the Object Management Group (OMG) and the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) to assist in the definition of a common extensible Markup Language (XML) for database exchange format. The CCSDS and OMG standards are intended for the exchange of core command and telemetry information, not for all database information needed to exercise a NASA space mission. The mission-specific database, containing all the information needed for a space mission, is translated from/to the standard using a translator. The standard is meant to provide a system that encompasses 90% of the information needed for command and telemetry processing. This paper will discuss standardization of the XML database exchange format, tools used, and the JWST experience, as well as future work with XML standard groups both commercial and government.
The abrasive wear of short fibre composites

Abstract The wear rate and the friction coefficient of short fibre composites (carbon fibre- or glass fibre-reinforced plastics) made by injection moulding are measured and the microstructures are examined by scanning electron microscopy. The wear rate is found to be a function of abrasive particle size and the fibre orientation with respect to the sliding direction. The friction coefficient varies with abrasive particle size due to a ploughing action. The evidence of the lateral flaking mechanism due to the crack generation/propagation effect is presented. A new, theoretical wear equation is derived from the combination of flaking theory and fracture mechanics concepts which is an extension of two previous semi-empirical expressions.
Microcomputer controlled titration calorimeter

Abstract A very sensitive microcomputer-controlled titration calorimeter of high precision is described in this article. An Ohio Scientific microcomputer (8K bytes RAM, 6502 microprocessor, 8K bytes BASIC-in-ROM) performs all the routines of a stepwise calorimetric titrat At modarate cost the time and the skill required of the operator have been substantially reduced, while the reproducibility of the measurements has bee
Self-organisation processes in the carbon arc for nanosynthesis

The atmospheric pressure carbon arc in inert gases such as helium is an important method for the production of nanomaterials. It has recently been shown that the formation of the carbon deposit on the cathode from gaseous carbon plays a crucial role in the operation of the arc, reaching the high temperatures necessary for thermionic emission to take place even with low melting point cathodes. Based on observed ablation and deposition rates, we explore the implications of deposit formation on the energy balance at the cathode surface and show how the operation of the arc is self-organised process. Our results suggest that the arc can operate in two different ablation-deposition regimes, one of which has an important contribution from latent heat to the cathode energy balance. This regime is characterised by the enhanced ablation rate, which may be favourable for high yield synthesis of nanomaterials. The second regime has a small and approximately constant ablation rate with a negligible contribution from latent heat.
The Circulation in the Gulf of Mexico Derived from Estimated Dynamic Height Fields

Abstract Monthly mean dynamic height topographies for the upper 500 m of the Gulf of Mexico, seasonal mean topographies for the upper 1000 m and annual topographies for the deep flow are presented. The dynamic height values on a 1° × 1° grid were determined from observed temperature values and salinities derived from mean T-S relations. The seasonal intrusion of the Loop Current is observed and found to vary directly with the geostrophic transport through the Yucatan Straits. At the Straits, the transport in the upper 500 m is a maximum in June. The transports in the upper 500 m of an anticyclone in the western Gulf are a maximum in winter and summer, and a minimum in spring and fall. There is a permanent westerly flow on the Texas Shelf. After turning cyclonically, this flow joins the eastward transport of the northern limb of the anticyclone in the western Gulf of Mexico. Most of this eastward flow recirculates in the anticyclone; however, a portion flows cast across the central Gulf to become entrained...
The Promise of Writing to Learn

This essay situates the phenomenon of writing and learning in historical, pedagogical, and theoretical frameworks to isolate write-to-learn methods derived from the “British model” of language and learning. Writing as a mode of learning has maintained its status partly because of the rise of rhetoric and composition as a specialized field and because cross-curricular writing instruction has been offered as one answer to alleged “crises” of literate standards and competence in public and higher education. Generally, the author claims that typical accounts of writing as a unique tool for promoting learning ignore the complexities of cultures, classrooms, assignments, and other media that might equally facilitate learning. The author's reading of 35 studies of writing and learning is that they do not provide the long-sought empirical validation of writing as a mode of learning. He argues that this research is grounded in the same assumptions about language and learning as are common in the lore and practice ...
Valence and Instrumentality Contributions to Understanding Occupational Preference.

Abstract Studies on the expectancy model have presented conflicting results concerning the usefulness of valence ratings. There has been some support for valence as significantly adding to the predictability of occupational preference, while other studies have indicated that instrumentality ratings alone are sufficient.
Induced swelling in radiation damaged ZrSiO4

Abstract A hydrothermal gelation method was used to prepare phase pure polycrystalline ZrSiO4 which was sintered to 95% theoretical density. Actinide doped samples containing 10 wt% 238Pu were prepared by an analogous procedure and incurred bulk radiation damage through internal alpha-decay processes. Undoped samples were subjected to external irradiation from 5.5 MeV alpha sources, and from a 60Co gamma source. Actinide doped ZrSiO4 exhibits dose dependent swelling caused by displacement processes leading to ingrowth of amorphous regions. Bulk density and XRD measurements, as a function of dose, showed first order exponential ingrowth behavior similar to that observed in other actinide doped materials. Results are compared with reported data for naturally damaged crystals subjected to significantly lower alpha decay rates. No significant dose rate dependence on damage ingrowth has been observed. Kinetic models for the observed dose dependent swelling are proposed and rate constants for damage ingrowth in synthetic and natural crystals are compared. To study localized damage induced by both external alpha and gamma irradiation, vibrational Raman measurements were obtained for several accumulated doses. Results indicate that the initial stage of damage ingrowth is confined to the silicate sublattice. Vibrational results will be discussed in terms of microstructural changes which result from irradiation.
What did they do? understanding clickstreams with the WebQuilt visualization system

This paper describes the visual analysis tool WebQuilt, a web usability logging and visualization system that helps web design teams record and analyze usability tests. The logging portion of WebQuilt unobtrusively gathers clickstream data as users complete specified tasks. This data is then aggregated and presented as an interactive graph, where nodes of the graph are images of the web pages visited, and arrows are the transitions between pages. To aid analysis of the gathered usability test data, the WebQuilt visualization provides filtering capabilities and semantic zooming, allowing the designer to understand the test results at the gestalt view of the entire graph, and then drill down to sub-paths and single pages. The visualization highlights important usability issues, such as pages where users spent a lot of time, pages where users get off track during the task, navigation patterns, and exit pages, all within the context of a specific task. WebQuilt is designed to conduct remote usability testing on a variety of Internet-enabled devices and provide a way to identify potential usability problems when the tester cannot be present to observe and record user actions.
The Incidence Algebra of Polyhedra over the Minkowski Algebra

Abstract The Minkowski algebra of polyhedra over an ordered field is introduced, and the incidence algebra of polyhedra over this algebra is considered. The Gram– Sommerville and Gauss–Bonnet theorems and their analogs for relatively open convex polyhedra are given by various Mobius inversion formulas. Cheeger's Chern–Gauss–Bonnet density formula for piecewise flat spaces is generalized to non-compact and unbounded polyhedra, and its non-numerical forms are naturally expressed in terms of interior cone chains. The tangential densities and interior cone functions are defined as the dual versions of the Chern–Gauss–Bonnet densities and exterior cone functions. The tangential density formulas and their non-numerical forms are similarly represented in terms of exterior curvatures and exterior cone chains.
Changes in heart rate with growth and activity of white-tailed deer fawns (Odocoileus virginianus)

Abstract 1. 1. Heart rates of five unrestrained white-tailed deer fawns were monitored for 24 hr periods at intervals between birth and weaning at about 100 day of age (25 kg body weight). 2. 2. Mean heart rates during lying-resting activity declined exponentially with body weight to about 54% of the neonatal rate. 3. 3. Increases in the mean heart rate with spontaneous changes in activity from lying to lying-ruminating, standing, foraging, walking and running were related curvilinearly to body weight. 4. 4. Heart rates for these same activities were higher when fawns were alarmed or excited.
Androgenic regulation of dendritic trees of motoneurons in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus: Reconstruction after intracellular iontophoresis of horseradish peroxidase

Androgen-sensitive motoneurons in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) in adult male rats were labeled after intracellular iontophoresis of horseradish peroxidase, after which they were fully reconstructed in three dimensions in order to measure their dendritic trees. Three groups of rats were compared: intact adult male rats and male rats castrated as adults and given Silastic tube implants containing either testosterone or nothing. In the high-androgen groups (intact males and testosterone-treated castrates), soma size and the diameter of the first-order dendrites were larger than in blank-treated castrates. Moreover, the terminal dendrites in all groups possessed growth cones, implying that the dendrites of these motoneurons are capable of growth in adulthood. However, there were no statistically significant group differences in the length, membrane surface area, or volume of the dendritic trees, or in the orientation or branching symmetry of dendrites. In general, there were positive correlations between the size of the motoneuronal soma and various measures of the size of the dendritic tree and between the diameter of individual stem (first-order) dendritic branches and the size of remainder of that dendrite. These data suggest that there may be a modest effect of androgen on the size of the dendritic trees of SNB motoneurons in adulthood, although the effect is much smaller than has previously been reported.
CD14: Chaperone or Matchmaker?

In this issue of Immunity, Lee et al. (2006) describe a physical and functional relationship between Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and the pattern recognition protein CD14. In the presence of CD14, TLR3-mediated signal transduction events are amplified.
Behavioral measures of drift in Mus musculus.

Three populations of randomly bredMus musculus, differing in size and generations of isolation, were scored on a battery of 16 behavioral and 4 physical measures. The pattern of population differences in wheel activity, open-field behavior, skin conductance, and shuttle-box behavior is consistent with the operation of drift associated more closely with small population size than with generations of separation. Other possible explanations are less likely.
IN-PLANE DISTORTION-INVARIANT RECONNAISSANCE FILTERS

ABSTRACT New distortion-invariant correlation filters for reconnaissance applications (rotation-invariance) are considered. These use circular harmonic functions (CHFs) combined with minimum averagecorrelation plane (MACE) filter techniques and new generalized rotation-invariant MACE filters usingsymmetry requirements. I . INTRODUCTION Correlators represent the one technique that allows parallel recognition of multiple objects inclutter. Optical techniques are the preferable way to implement correlators with a number of such architectures existing [1 -3] that are very compact, rugged, well engineered and operate at high frame rates (up to 5000 frames/sec). Thus, such hardware is a reality. Much attention has been given to the synthesis of distortion-invariant filters for correlators. These recognize an object independent of its orientation. The most well-known filters are synthetic discriminant functions (SDFs) [4] andMACE filters [5]. These have concentrated on aspect view 3-D distortions. Here we consider new
Protective studies in sheep immunized with cuticular collagen proteins and peptides of Haemonchus contortus.

Summary Twenty-eight nonsibling sheep aged approximately 12 months and raised in a helminth-free environment were used in two protection studies. Immunizations were conducted by two intramuscular injections 30 days apart with a synthetic 18AA cuticle collagen peptide and native cuticle collagens derived from the third- and fourth-stage larvae of Haemonchus contortus. Ten days following the last immunization, the sheep were each given 500 infective H. contortus larvae per day for five consecutive days by intraruminal injection. Both collagen materials induced antibodies reactive with cuticle collagens; however, neither induced reproducible protection to H. contortus infections in vaccinated/ infected sheep. In the most extensive test, there were no statisical differences in mean faecal worm egg count for 56 days post worm challenge, in mean numbers of H. contortus and female fecundity ratios at necropsy of immunized and unimmunized sheep. Failure to reproducibly immunize sheep with cuticle collagens may be due to the inability of antibodies or host immune cells to reach the collagen epitopes in the nematode cuticle without prior surface coat removal as postulated in human nemaiode studies.
Pc-G/trx-G and the SWI/SNF connection: developmental gene regulation through chromatin remodeling.

Summary: Pc-G and trx-G genes are responsible for maintenance of transcriptional regulation and provide a cellular memory mechanism throughout development. Studies in fly, yeast, mouse, and human have implicated modulation of higher-order chromatin structure as an important component in this process. Specifically, connections between SWI/SNF complexes and trx-G genes have provided a mechanistic link between chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation. Here we discuss recent genetic and biochemical data that has shed light on the molecular mechanisms and pathways associated with Pc-G and trx-G function in developmental processes such as cell cycle control and hematopoiesis. genesis 26:189–197, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Group B streptococcus: to culture or not to culture?

OBJECTIVE: To determine if universal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) culturing and antibiotic prophylaxis of obstetric patients decreased the incidence of neonatal early-onset GBS sepsis and mortality and maternal chorioamnionitis. STUDY DESIGN: A time series observational study was conducted to compare the cohort of all obstetric patients delivering at the University of Chicago neonatal center from January 1989 through December 1993, before a GBS surveillance policy existed, with the cohort delivering January 1994 through December 1996, after initiation of a GBS policy. Included in the policy were universal GBS cultures at 28 weeks’ gestation, antibiotic prophylaxis at the time of labor for all those with positive cultures and for all with risk factors of preterm delivery, preterm premature rupture of membranes, prolonged rupture of membranes greater than 18 hours, and a previous child affected by GBS or maternal fever in labor. Predictor variables were GBS culturing and antibiotic usage; outcome variables were incidence of GBS sepsis and mortality in the neonates and maternal chorioamnionitis. χ-squared and Fisher exact analyses were used with p < 0.05 being significant. RESULTS: Before the GBS policy, there were 16,272 deliveries with a 2.24/1000 deliveries rate of early-onset GBS sepsis (n = 35); after initiating the GBS policy, 9130 deliveries occurred with an early-onset GBS sepsis rate of 2.29/1000 (n = 20). Early-onset GBS sepsis case fatality rates before and after initiation of the policy were 14.3% and 0%, respectively (p = 0.09). Antibiotic use almost doubled (relative risk = 1.84; confidence interval, 1.74 to 1.93, p < 0.001) over the two time periods, and the relative risk of chorioamnionitis decreased to 0.95 (confidence interval, 0.73 to 0.99, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Despite universal GBS culturing and very liberal use of antibiotics in labor, we were unable to effect a statistically significant change in the rate of early-onset GBS sepsis or mortality, and there was only a slightly decreased chorioamnionitis rate.
Histochemical study of the amphibian digestive tract during normal and thyroxine-induced metamorphosis. I. Alkaline phosphatase

This histochemical study comprises a comprehensive overview of acid phosphatase distribution along the entire length of the digestive tract from esophagus through large intestine of growing and metamorphosing larvae and mature frogs of a single anuran species, Rana pipiens. The main site of enzyme localization throughout the length of the tube is the supranuclear area of the mucosal epithelium. However, activity of the enzyme varies markedly, not only in different locations (e.g., weak in the esophagus, strong in the small intestine), but also in different stages of larval development. During limb bud—early metamorphic stages (I—XX), activity is localized only in epithelial cells (supranuclear zone and scattered basal foci) and in glands of the stomach. Activity in these sites increases when remodeling of the digestive tract begins in the latter stages of this period. By mid-metamorphosis (XXI—XXII), shortening of the tract has become maximal, and acid phosphatase-positive epithelial cells have degenerated and sloughed into the lumen. In contrast, enzyme activity appears (albeit transitorily) in a new location, namely, in connective tissue thickening along the length of the tract. A similar histochemical picture can be induced precociously by thyroxine treatment. By the end of metamorphosis (XXIII—XXV), activity again appears in mucosal epithelium, but in newly differentiated adult-type cells as well as in gastric and initially-forming esophageal glands (the only two types of multicellular glands in the digestive tract). In adult frogs, activity remains in these sites and in scattered points (probably phagocytes) in the connective tissue; however, activity is generally weaker than in early-stage larvae.
ADAPTATION OF GROUP B COXSACKIE VIRUS TO ADULT MOUSE PANCREAS

An alteration of tissue tropism of a Coxsackie virus has been observed following different methods of propagation of the virus in animals. Tropism for the adult mouse pancreas, as described by Pappenheimer, appeared to be irrevocably lost following prolonged brain-to-brain transfer. It was present in the same strain on reisolation from human feces, was intensified following pancreas transfers, and suppressed by brain transfers. Pancreatotropism may be correlated with the titer of virus in the pancreas.
The Retirement of Kyoto as Imperial Capital

Underlying the critique that Kyoto has turned into a theme park of Japanese culture is the sentiment that this city could do better than function as a site of leisure and amusement for visitors. Such a status is beneath a former imperial capital with a political and cultural history unmatched by any other Japanese city in longevity and significance. Kyoto’s struggle against obsolescence dates back to the time of the establishment of a rival centre, the shogun’s capital in Edo in early seventeenth century. This article argues that in the ensuing three centuries, Kyoto underwent a gradual retirement as imperial capital until the year 1895, when the celebration of the 1,100th anniversary of the city’s foundation catalysed the museumification process. Considering Kyoto from the perspective of architectural history, it examines the formal and spatial expression of the making, unmaking, and memorialising of imperial authority.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease During Pregnancy.

Physicians treating patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis will often need to care for them throughout pregnancy and deal with the surrounding issues of fertility, childbirth, and sexuality. Patients often worry about continuing medications during pregnancy and feel particularly at risk for poor birth outcomes. However, because pregnancy outcomes are most closely tied to disease activity at the time of conception, patients who are in remission when they conceive will have the most successful pregnancies. The overriding principle in treating pregnant patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is continued and close surveillance of disease activity, with aggressive medical, and if indicated, surgical treatment. With few exceptions, medicines used to induce remission before pregnancy should be continued throughout pregnancy. Pregnant women with active IBD should be followed by a gastroenterologist with experience in the issues surrounding pregnancy, and by an obstetrician with access to a tertiary referral center. Properly treated and followed, patients with IBD can expect outcomes from their pregnancies that approximate those of patients without the disease.
Evolutionary genetics of birds. V. Genetic distances within Mimidae (mimic thrushes) and Vireonidae (vireos)

Genetic distances (D's) between five species within each of the families Mimidae and Vireonidae were estimated from frequencies of protein electromorphs at 23 loci. For three mimid species in the genus Toxostoma, $$\bar D$$ equals 0.084 (range, 0.069–0.104); and among three mimid genera, $$\bar D$$ equals 0.223 (0.167–0.278). These distances typify values previously reported in other birds at comparable levels of taxonomic recognition. In sharp contrast, the mean genetic distance among five congeneric species of Vireonidae is far higher, $$\bar D$$ =0.360 (0.027–0.578). One possible explanation for these results is that Vireo species are considerably older, on the average, than are species of Toxostoma or than are members of several other avian genera assayed to date. Conventional thought about the origin and relative age of the Vireonidae appears compatible with this explanation. Although genetic distances in the Vireonidae are large by “avian standards,” they remain modest or even small in comparison with distances between many nonavian vertebrate congeners. Results for the Mimidae and the Vireonidae are directly contrasted with genetic distances in well-known genera of Amphibia and Reptilia.
Effects of conjugated linoleic acid and troglitazone on lipid accumulation and composition in lean and Zucker diabetic fatty (fa/fa) rats.

Dietary CLA has been shown to enhance glucose tolerance in several animal models, but in mice it induces insulin resistance and lipodystrophy. In this study, the effects of 2 wk of diet supplementation with either 1,5% CLA or 0.2% troglitazone (TZD), an insulin-sensitizing thiazolidinedione, on glucose tolerance, lipid accumulation, and composition of both lean and Zucker diabetic fatty (fa/fa; ZDF) rats were examined. Compared with lean rats, which maintained normal glucose tolerances after 2 wk of feeding regardless of diet, ZDF rats fed a control diet (CON) had significantly worsened glucose tolerance. ZDF rats fed CLA and TZD diets, however, maintained normal glucose tolerances. In contrast to the significantly elevated lipid levels in ZDF rats fed the CON diet, concentrations of plasma FFA and TG in ZDF rats fed CLA and TZD diets were normalized. A similar reduction of plasma lipid levels was observed in lean rats fed CLA and TZD compared with lean rats fed the CON diet. Although ZDF CON rats developed significant hepatic steatosis, both CLA-and TZD-fed rats had hepatic TG levels similar to those of lean rats. Both lean and ZDF rats fed the CLA diet had reduced adipose mass compared with respective genotype controls; however, TZD had no effect. Ratios of 16∶1/16∶0 and 18∶1/18∶0 FA, surrogate markers for stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1) activity, were reduced in livers of ZDF rats fed CLA and TZD diets. These results show that, like TZD, CLA normalizes glucose tolerance and plasma lipids and also improves hepatic steatosis and FA composition in ZDF rats. The effects of CLA and TZD on hepatic lipid composition suggest that the effects of these two agents on glucose tolerance may be associated with a reduction in SCD-1.
Effective Delivery of Stem Cells Using an Extracellular Matrix Patch Results in Increased Cell Survival and Proliferation and Reduced Scarring in Skin Wound Healing

Wound healing is one of the most complex biological processes and occurs in all tissues and organs of the body. In humans, fibrotic tissue, or scar, hinders function and is aesthetically unappealing. Stem cell therapy offers a promising new technique for aiding in wound healing; however, current findings show that stem cells typically die and/or migrate from the wound site, greatly decreasing efficacy of the treatment. Here, we demonstrate effectiveness of a stem cell therapy for improving wound healing in the skin and reducing scarring by introducing stem cells using a natural patch material. Adipose-derived stromal cells were introduced to excisional wounds created in mice using a nonimmunogenic extracellular matrix (ECM) patch material derived from porcine small-intestine submucosa (SIS). The SIS served as an attractive delivery vehicle because of its natural ECM components, including its collagen fiber network, providing the stem cells with a familiar structure. Experimental groups consisted of wounds with stem cell-seeded patches removed at different time points after wounding to determine an optimal treatment protocol. Stem cells delivered alone to skin wounds did not survive post-transplantation as evidenced by bioluminescence in vivo imaging. In contrast, delivery with the patch enabled a significant increase in stem cell proliferation and survival. Wound healing rates were moderately improved by treatment with stem cells on the patch; however, areas of fibrosis, indicating scarring, were significantly reduced in wounds treated with the stem cells on the patch compared to untreated wounds.
Electronic relaxation of molecular exciplexes in the vapor phase

Abstract Interaction of electronically excited TCNB (tetracyanobenzone) and ground-state MB (methylated benzenes) leads to the formation of fluorescent exciplexes in the vapor phase. Studies of exciplex fluorescence as a function of excess vibrational energy in TCNB and of temperature and pressure of added buffer gas, lead to the conclusion that the low-frequency inter-molecular vibrations play a very important role in the radiationless deactivation of exciplexes. The results also indicate that collisional relaxation of low-frequency intermolecular vibrations proceeds much more rapidly than that of high-frequency intramolecular vibrations.
Three Dimensional Display Of Scientific Data

Modern scientific data sets require new algorithms and hardware for display and interpretation tasks. We present a discussion of the new display requirements and of techniques currently under developed for this purpose. Special emphasis is placed on holographic and interactive devices. We also present examples of the application of these new techniques to fluid mechanics data.