cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical and echocardiographic characteristics for differentiating between transthyretin-related and light-chain cardiac amyloidoses

Differential diagnosis between transthyretin (TTR) and immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) cardiac amyloidoses is essential due to significantly different prognoses and therapeutic options. Therefore, clinical characteristics of patients with biopsy-proven cardiac amyloidosis were investigated to differentiate TTR from AL amyloidosis. From September 2006 to May 2014, 46 patients were confirmed to have cardiac amyloidosis (TTR, n = 28; AL, n = 18) in our institute. The median age of patients with TTR amyloidosis was 78 years (range 61-90) with 27 (96 %) males, while that of patients with AL amyloidosis was 66 (range 52-76) with 12 (67 %) males. There were no statistically significant differences in echocardiographic findings regarding left ventricular (LV) systolic function or diastolic dysfunction between the two groups. Interestingly, serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in patients with AL amyloidosis were significantly higher than those in TTR amyloidosis patients. In contrast, the LV wall was significantly thicker in patients with TTR amyloidosis than in those with AL amyloidosis. Therefore, the ratio of BNP to LV mass index (LVMI) at presentation in AL amyloidosis patients was significantly higher than that in TTR patients (6.7 vs 2.9, p = 0.0006). A BNP-LVMI ratio of less than 3.5 had a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for TTR amyloidosis of 71 and 83 %, respectively. One-year overall survival was 88.7 % in the patients with TTR amyloidosis and 23.7 % in the patients with AL amyloidosis. Our analysis indicates that the BNP-LVMI ratio, as well as age and sex, may be useful parameters for distinguishing TTR from AL cardiac amyloidosis.
Multiplexed In-cell Immunoassay for Same-sample Protein Expression Profiling

In-cell immunoassays have become a valuable tool for protein expression analysis complementary to established assay formats. However, comprehensive molecular characterization of individual specimens has proven challenging and impractical due to, in part, a singleplex nature of reporter enzymes and technical complexity of alternative assay formats. Herein, we describe a simple and robust methodology for multiplexed protein expression profiling on the same intact specimen, employing a well-characterized enzyme alkaline phosphatase for accurate quantification of all targets of interest, while overcoming fundamental limitations of enzyme-based techniques by implementing the DNA-programmed release mechanism for segregation of sub-sets of target-bound reporters. In essence, this methodology converts same-sample multi-target labeling into a set of isolated singleplex measurements performed in a parallel self-consistent fashion. For a proof-of-principle, multiplexed detection of three model proteins was demonstrated on cultured HeLa cells, and two clinically-relevant markers of dementia, β-amyloid and PHF-tau, were profiled in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded brain tissue sections, uncovering correlated increase in abundance of both markers in the "Alzheimer's disease" cohort. Featuring an analytically powerful yet technically simple and robust methodology, multiplexed in-cell immunoassay is expected to enable insightful same-sample protein profiling studies and become broadly adopted in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics.
Inclusion relations between certain sets of matrices: Marix inclusion relations

In this paper we study inclusion relations between the following four classes of matrices: normal matrices, matrices with equal spectral radius and spectral norm, matrices whose numerical range coincides with the convex polygon spanned by their eigenvalues, and matrices with equal numerical and spectral radii.
Wallace Stevens' Philosophical Evasions

How could thought ever benefit from being formed in poetic language rather than philosophical prose? This essay attempts to clarify a single, relatively narrow respect in which poetry can perform philosophical work that prose, as such, cannot: the evasion of philosophical dogmatism through Stevensian qualification. What Helen Vendler in an early essay calls Stevens’ “qualified assertions,” and what Marjorie Perloff calls Stevens’ “ironic modes," are the basic techniques of Wallace Stevens' anti-dogmatic art.
A study of EST's short-circuit SOA

Forward-biased safe operating area (FBSOA) at a short-circuit state of 600-V and 2500-V emitter-switched thyristors (ESTs) is reported. It is numerically demonstrated that the EST offers a better FBSOA than the insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). The EST exhibits a current saturation because in the short-circuit state, this device operates like an IGBT due to the pinch-off of the lateral N-MOSFET. There are two types of destructive failure mechanisms: one is due to avalanche multiplication while the other is attributed to latch-up of the parasitic thyristor. It is concluded that the EST exhibits a wider FBSOA than an IGBT because of a homogeneous current flow. >
A new recursion for three-column combinatorial Macdonald polynomials

The Hilbert series F@?"@m of the Garsia-Haiman module M"@m can be described combinatorially as the generating function of certain fillings of the Ferrers diagram of @m where @m is an integer partition of n. Since there are n! fillings that generate F@?"@m, it is desirable to find recursions to reduce the number of fillings that need to be considered when computing F@?"@m combinatorially. In this paper, we present a combinatorial recursion for the case where @m is an n by 3 rectangle. This allows us to reduce the number of fillings under consideration from (3n)! to (3n)!/(3!^nn!).
A constructive approach to the solution of a class of boundary value problems of mixed type

The solution of boundary value problems which are described by the linear integrodifferential equation delta xu/delta t(t, x) + u(t,x) - 1/..pi../sup 1///sup 2/ infinity exp(-y/sup 2/) u(t,y) dy = 0, where t epsilon J C R, x epsilon R is discussed. The equation in functional form is interpreted as an ordinary differential equation for the mapping u: J ..-->.. L/sub 2/(R, ..mu..), where L/sub 2/(R,..mu..) is a weighted L/sub 2/-space. Emphasis is on the constructive aspects of the solution and on finding representations of the relevant isomorphisms.
A Primate Model for Autism

We know very little about the causes of autism disorders (ASDs), but one effort, led by D. Amaral, has been investigating the effects of exposing pregnant primates to antibodies taken from human mothers of children with ASD. In their latest study, they collected serum from mothers of ASD children that contained antibodies to 37- and 73-kD fetal brain proteins. These two proteins are specifically associated with ASD in humans. Purified immunoglobulin G (IgG), with or without the antibodies, was intravenously delivered to pregnant rhesus macaques. The findings were fascinating: First, mothers exposed to IgG with antibodies were more protective of their young ones. Second, offspring of these mothers more frequently approached their peers (although this behavior did not elicit effective social interaction). Third, magnetic resonance imaging data showed that these offspring had larger brain volumes, particularly in the white matter of the frontal lobe. The alterations in brain volume were observed only in males, whereas behavioral abnormalities were obvious in both genders. How prenatal exposure to maternal antibodies leads to these fetal brain changes is not yet clear. Despite limitations, this article describes a primate model useful for the study of the development of human ASD—one that uses a specific etiology derived from the clinical population. Among other needed experiments, this model will allow investigation into the histological correlates of ASD and looks promising in establishing specific targets for therapeutic interventions. M. D. Bauman et al. , Maternal antibodies from mothers of children with autism alter brain growth and social behavior development in the rhesus monkey. Transl. Psych. 3 , e278 (2013). [[Full text]][1] [1]: http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v3/n7/full/tp201347a.html
Automorphism groups of simple Kokoris algebras

Abstract The structure of the automorphism groups of certain classes of simple Kokoris algebras is studied in this paper. A solvable locally nilpotent normal subgroup of the automorphism group of an arbitrary Kokoris algebra is described, the factors of its normal series being elementary abelian p -groups. Connections between automorphisms and derivations for two particular classes of algebras, those defined by skew-symmetric bilinear forms and those of dimension p 2 , are detailed. These connections then make it possible to count the number of components of a direct sum decomposition of the normal series factors in terms of the dimensions of specified subspaces of associated Lie algebras of derivations.
Practicum Training in Applied Anthropology

THE CONCEPT OF PRACTICUM TRAINING. Applied anthropology can best be learned by doing it, so "hands-on" experience should be an integral part of the training of the contemporary applied anthropologist, either in regular course work, or as a separate internship activity. However, little information about this aspect of the training process has found its way into the literature. Perhaps student contribution to major applied research projects has simply gotten lost in the overall effort when those projects have been reported in journals, monographs, or technical reports; or perhaps student practicum projects are, by nature, too small in scale or too parochial in interest to appeal to a wide readership. Nevertheless, many in the profession have an interest in training programs (see, for example, Leacock, Gonzalez and Kushner 1974; van Willigen 1979), and it would seem that we should pay some attention t o the development and conduct of student practica. An analysis of their role in the training of applied anthropologists is of sufficient interest to override concerns about the presumed relative triviality of their subjects. I hope that this essay will encourage others involved in the training process to share descriptions and analyses of the practicum facet of training programs with the profession at large. The University of South Florida M.A. program in applied anthropology operates on a "track" system; after an initial period during which all students are exposed to a common core of anthropology theory and data, the students sort out into specialty areas (public archeology, urban anthropology, medical anthropology). A minimum of three courses in the specialty track is required. In the medical anthropology track, the first of these courses is in research design and methodology, using as examples case material in the health-care field. The second part of that methodology sequence is a course designated "Regional Problems in Medical Anthropology. " In this course, the instructor identifies a health-care issue of local significance, and develops a research project which, in alternate years, is a group effort under the aegis of a local health care agency which is concerned with that issue. The major aim of the project development process is for the research t o have a directly applied end-it must d o something (evaluate a program, generate documentation for a needs assesment, etc.) that the agency needs to have done at that time. (See Spicer 1976 and Spicer and Downing 1974 for further discussion of policy relevance in applied anthropological training.) "Basic" research on a given empirical problem, which can be used somehow, sometime later on is avoided. The principal goal of such a project is to train students in utilizing their methodological skills as applied anthropologists who must consider such factors as available time and money, the political constraints under which the agency operates, and the specific deadlines operative in the "real world. "
GSK-3 represses growth factor-inducible genes by inhibiting NF-κB in quiescent cells

GSK-3 is active in the absence of growth factor stimulation and generally acts to induce apoptosis or inhibit cell proliferation. We previously identified a subset of growth factor-inducible genes that can also be induced in quiescent T98G cells solely by inhibition of GSK-3 in the absence of growth factor stimulation. Computational predictions verified by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays identified NF-κB binding sites in the upstream regions of 75% of the genes regulated by GSK-3. p50 bound to most of these sites in quiescent cells, and for one-third of the genes, binding of p65 to the predicted sites increased upon inhibition of GSK-3. The functional role of p65 in gene induction following inhibition of GSK-3 was demonstrated by RNA interference experiments. Furthermore, inhibition of GSK-3 in quiescent cells resulted in activation of IκB kinase, leading to phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα and nuclear translocation of p65 and p50. Taken together, these results indicate that the high levels of GSK-3 activity in quiescent cells repress gene expression by negatively regulating NF-κB through inhibition of IκB kinase. This inhibition of NF-κB is consistent with the role of GSK-3 in the induction of apoptosis or cell cycle arrest in cells deprived of growth factors.
Direct bio-electrocatalysis by multi-copper oxidases: Gas-diffusion laccase-catalyzed cathodes for biofuel cells

Abstract We have studied the bio-electroreduction of oxygen based on direct electron transfer (DET) between laccase and the electrode. Laccase enzymes from two different sources, namely, tree laccase from Rhus vernicifera , and fungal laccase from Trametes hirsuta were used in the study. The gas-diffusion cathode was made using a mixture of teflonized carbon and untreated carbon black, with a nickel mesh that served as a current collector, sandwiched between a hydrophobic gas diffusion layer, and a hydrophilic biocatalytic layer with physically adsorbed laccase enzyme. High current densities: up to 1 mA cm −2 under oxygen (for bio-electrocatalytic oxygen reduction) and increased stability (up to 30 days) has been achieved using teflonized carbon blacks at gas–electrode interface, high surface area carbon black for loading the enzyme. Gas diffusion laccase-catalyzed cathode demonstrates a number of advantageous properties including good adhesion, biocompatibility and high bio-electrocatalytic properties. An open circuit potential (OCP) of 600 mV at pH 7 for tree laccase ( R. vernicifera ) and 725 mV at pH 5 for fungal laccase ( T. hirsuta ) at zero current densities were obtained with respect to SHE reference electrode. Tafel plots obtained confirmed different DET characteristics for the two sources of laccase enzymes, which could suggest different mechanism of charge transfer: 4-electron electroreduction of oxygen using fungal laccase and 2-electron electroreduction using tree laccase. The performance of the cathode was studied in galvanostatic mode and polarization curves at various conditions are reported including those obtained under air and neat oxygen feed from the gas phase.
The Effects of Chemical Additives on the Induction Phase in Solid-State Thermal Decomposition of Ammonia Borane

The thermal decomposition of ammonia borane (AB) in the absence and presence of chemical additives was investigated to develop an approach for reducing the induction period for hydrogen release in the solid state. Gas chromatography techniques were used to measure the yield of hydrogen as a function of time under isothermal conditions between 75 and 90 °C to set the baseline. Solid-state 11B-NMR spectroscopy of the products produced after 1 mol equiv of hydrogen had been desorbed from AB (i.e., polyaminoborane) showed a complex mixture of sp3 boron species. Raman microscopy was used to follow the transformation of crystalline AB to amorphous AB upon heating and the subsequent formation of the diammoniate of diborane (DADB). A gas buret was used to monitor the time-dependent release of hydrogen from AB in the presence of chemical additives. The combination of these approaches provides insight into the mechanism of hydrogen release from solid AB. The release of molecular hydrogen is described by a process i...
Touchology: Towards Interactive Plant Design for Children with Autism and Older Adults in Senior Housing

This paper presents Touchology, interactive plant projects that explore serenity and emotional attachment through meditative touch of plants with interactive audio-visualizations. Gardening is seen to improve mindfulness, memory and cognitive abilities. Those who are unable to benefit from this activity, such as the mentally and physically disabled are less prone to be exposed to the leisure. Due to simple technical setups, the projects presented here can be placed anywhere at the ease of the user. The pilot studies with target populations indicate that calming tangible interaction with plants can evoke mindfulness in a similar way to gardening related experiences.
Hormonal regulation, localization, and functional activity of the progesterone receptor in granulosa cells of rat preovulatory follicles

Progesterone has been implicated to play a critical role in mediating LH induction of ovulation and possibly luteinization. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of various agonists (LH, FSH, forskolin, and GnRH) known to stimulate ovulation on their abilities to induce progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA and protein in rat preovulatory follicles and in cultured rat granulosa cells exhibiting a preovulatory phenotype. In cultured granulosa cells, PR mRNA was induced by LH in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Transcripts of approximately 11.0, 7.2, 6.8, 6.2, 3.4, and 3.1 kilobases in size were induced by ovulatory (500 ng/ml), but not low (50 ng/ml), concentrations of LH and FSH as well as by forskolin (10 microM), GnRH (1 microM), and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (200 nM). Two forms (A and B) of PR protein were also induced in an agonist- and time-dependent manner, with the shorter form A (mol wt, 83,000-85,000) appearing in greater abundance than the longer form B (mol wt, 115,000). Indirect immunofluorescent analyses verified nuclear localization of the induced receptor. Forskolin and progesterone, but not progesterone alone, were able to activate a glucocorticoid (progesterone) response element-E1b-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter construct (12-fold) after transfection into cultured granulosa cells. The antiprogestins RU486 and ZK98299 did not inhibit induction of PR mRNA and protein, but effectively blocked agonist activation of glucocorticoid response element2-E1b-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, as well as LH stimulation of luteinization in vitro. These results provide direct evidence that agonists stimulating diverse intracellular pathways can induce PR in granulosa cells, that progesterone plays a functional role in the luteinization process triggered by the LH surge, and that the effects are mediated at least in part by induction of PR.
Phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase tyrosine 397 critically mediates gastrin-releasing peptide's morphogenic properties.

Wehaveproposedthatgastrin-releasingpeptide(GRP)anditsreceptor(GRP-R)are morphogensthatwhenaberrantlyre-expressedincoloncancerpromotetumorcell differentiation and retard metastasis. Because circumstantial evidence suggested thatthesepropertiesweremediatedvia focaladhesionkinase(FAK), the purposeof this study was to elucidate the role of GRP-induced activation of this enzyme on properties fundamental to metastasis including cell attachment, motility, and deformability. To do this, we studied 293 cells, a non-malignant epithelial cell line that we show expresses GRP and GRPR. To dissect out the role of FAK, 293 cells were modified to inducibly express the dominant negative enzyme FAKrelated non-kinase (FRNK) under control of a Tet-On (i.e., doxycycline-sensitive) promoter.Underserum-freeconditions,GRPactinginanautocrinemannercaused FAKtobephosphorylatedatY397;andthiscouldbecompletelyinhibitedeitherby incubating with the specific GRP-R antagonist D-Phe 6 (bombesin) methyl ester, or byupregulatingFRNKusingdoxycycline.Tomeasurecellattachment,wedesigned a cone-plate viscometer that recorded the shear stress required to detach cells from their underlying matrix. To assess motility, confluent cells were wounded and behavior assessed by time-lapse photography. To measure deformability, we recorded the ability of cells to be completely drawn into a micropipette <50% the size of the non-deformed cell. Control 293 cells adhered more avidly to their underlying matrix, rapidly remodeled wounded tissues without any increase in overall proliferation, and were less distensible than cells treated with antagonist or doxycycline. Thus, these findings suggest that expression of GRP/GRPR in cancer inhibitsmetastasisbyenhancingcellattachmenttothematrix,regulatingmotilityin the context of remodeling, and decreasing deformability. J. Cell. Physiol. 199:
The “Woman Question” in Russian Poland, 1900–1914

By 1900 partitioned Poland and especially its territories under Russian rule had experienced the initial phase of fundamental economic and social transformation from the agrarian to the industrial age. The uneasy transition gave rise to a number of burning "questions" that dominated intellectual and political discourse up to the First World War. This article places the "woman question" within the context of the dynamic change then affecting Poland and in relationship to other important issues of the day. That a "woman question" was even posed indicates that women were at the center rather than periphery of Poland's transformation. How the "woman question" was posed obviously depended on those who posed it. Consequently there were a number of woman questions and envisioned solutions to them. Since the terrain of the "woman question" was contested, this article outlines the positions staked out by a variety of actors, including that of the first generation of Polish feminists. The article concludes with a discussion of the significance of the "woman question" in the larger context of modern Polish history. In particular, it attempts to explain why the "woman question" disappeared from Polish discourse after the Great War, only to resurface at century's end.
Tests for Variation over Groups in Survival Data

Abstract When survival data can be divided into natural groups, such as in a clinical trial with patients from a number of different institutions, the question arises whether effects are different for the different groups. For situations where one is concerned with a random pattern of variation over groups, this article proposes testing the null hypothesis of no variation using statistics based on the sums of martingale residuals over subjects within groups. These tests are closely related to the locally most powerful tests of Liang for testing for variation across a large number of strata. The tests are applied to data from a lung cancer trial conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.
Erythromycin accelerates gastric emptying in a dose-response manner in healthy subjects.

Study Objectives. To evaluate whether a dose-response curve exists for erythromycin, determine the lowest effective dose of erythromycin needed to improve gastric motility, and compare erythromycin's effectiveness with that of metoclopramide in improving gastric emptying. Design. Randomized, crossover, multiintervention trial. Setting. Inpatient clinical research center. Subjects. Ten healthy volunteers (four men, six women) from the general population. Intervention. On each study day, the subjects were infused with erythromycin 0.75 mg/kg, 1.5 mg/kg, or 3.0 mg/kg; metoclopramide 10 mg; or placebo, in random order. Subjects then drank Ensure 200 ml mixed with acetaminophen 1.5 g. Gastric emptying was estimated by comparing the area under the curve after 60 minutes for acetaminophen absorption using four timed blood draws. Measurements and Main Results. Erythromycin increased gastric emptying in a dose-response manner. Erythromycin 3.0 mg/kg and metoclopramide 10 mg were associated with statistically significant increases in liquid gastric emptying compared with placebo. During infusion, nausea and stomach cramping were associated with the 3.0-mg/kg dose of erythromycin; drowsiness was associated with metoclopramide. Conclusion. In patients requiring intravenous erythromycin for gastric motility, the 3.0-mg/kg dose seems the most effective, with a reasonable side effect profile.
High-frequency rearrangements in the chromosome of Mycoplasma pulmonis correlate with phenotypic switching

Summary Mycoplasma pulmonis is a murine pathogen that causes chronic respiratory disease in laboratory rats and mice. Several examples of high-frequency phenotypic switching have been reported for M. pulmonis, the molecular basis of which is unknown. We report here that during growth the M. pulmonis chromosome undergoes DNA rearrangements at a high frequency. Some of the rearrangements we examined correlated with changes in the susceptibility of the cells to mycoplasma virus P1, an example of phenotypic switching involving changes in surface antigen structure. Other rearrangements, unrelated to phenotypic switching, involved a DNA element present in the chromosome in multiple copies. The high level of DNA recombination that occurred in M. pulmonis indicates that this may be one of the most variable genomes studied to date. High levels of DNA recombination may contribute to the unusually high rate of evolution that mycoplasmas are thought to be undergoing. Understanding the molecular basis for this phenomenon may provide an insight into the chronic nature of many mycoplasmal infections.
SALT NUCLEI IN MARINE AIR AS A FUNCTION OF ALTITUDE AND WIND FORCE

Abstract Large differences are shown to occur in the numbers and sizes of sea-salt particles in marine air over the sea as the altitude, position, and the time of sampling are varied. Increases in the amount of air-borne salt near cloud base are related to increases in wind force at the sea surface. The greatest proportionate increase in particle number occurs at the large end of the weight range. Most of the samples reported here were taken near the Hawaiian Islands. The differences in nuclei number and size with increasing altitude in the lower atmosphere are similar in pattern in Hawaii, Florida and South Australia. It is suggested that bursting air bubbles in “white caps” on the open sea are a major source of the salt nuclei, and that a greater portion of the sea surface may act as a source of these particles during average winds than might be judged from the relatively small area usually covered by white caps.
Clinical and translational science: from bench-bedside to global village.

Clinical and translational science has emerged as the cornerstone of biomedicine poised to actualize, during this decade, the healthcare value of national investments that fuel the ongoing revolution in modern science. 1 This integrative field, spanning across medical specialties, represents the pinnacle of the new biology, enabling advances in technology platforms to offer unprecedented opportunities in disease prediction, prevention, and even cure beyond the reach of traditional healthcare solutions. 2 Clinical and translational science is indeed primed to identify the most effective science‐based healthcare decision systems that align clinical care with individual patient and community needs. 3 The emergence of clinical and translational science, as the key paradigm to optimize medical as well as surgical products and services emanating from the intersection of discovery science and healthcare delivery, highlights the requirement for a unifying framework that bridges across the continuum of knowledge creation and deployment, converting discoveries to human application, advancing that information into clinical practice, disseminating best clinical practices into communities, and ultimately modifying the behavior of populations to improve global wellness. 4 Fundamental alignment of basic and clinical sciences; development of newer knowledge domains in health services research, comparative effectiveness, and dissemination science; creation of investigational teams bridging communities of patients and practice; and the reciprocal bidirectional flow of information and inquiry across those communities shaping and prioritizing knowledge domains are central to the broad and timely implementation of clinical and translational science, ensuring global availability of the best patient‐centered algorithms for clinical healthcare delivery. 2 , 4 , 5
A Comparison of Simulated and Observed Boundary-Layer Winds in an Area of Complex Terrain

Abstract The boundary-layer wind field in an area of complex terrain is simulated using an Objective analysis Model. Simulated and observed winds at several stations in the experimental area are compared quantitatively. Wind fields produced by the model am evaluated subjectively by considering whether they reproduce the essential characteristics of the flow in the area. The evaluation indicates that the model provides an accurate simulation of the wind field in the experimental area when the conditions for which the model was developed are satisfied.
Poly-ϵ-caprolactone/gel hybrid scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering†

The aim of this study was to determine the suitability of hybrid scaffolds composed of naturally derived biopolymer gels and macroporous poly-ϵ-caprolactone (PCL) scaffolds for neocartilage formation in vitro. Rabbit articular chondrocytes were seeded into PCL/HA (1 wt % hyaluronan), PCL/CS (0.5 wt % chitosan), PCL/F (1:3 fibrin sealant plus aprotinin), and PCL/COL1 (0.24% type I collagen) hybrids and cultured statically for up to 50 days. Growth characteristics were evaluated by histological analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Neocartilage was quantified using a dimethyl-methylene blue assay for sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for type II collagen (COL2), normalized to dsDNA content by fluorescent PicoGreen assay. Chondrocytes were homogenously distributed throughout the entire scaffold and exhibited a predominantly spheroidal shape 1 h after being seeded into scaffolds. Immunofluorescence depicted expanding proteoglycan deposition with time. The sGAG per dsDNA increased in all hybrids between days 25 and 50. PCL/HA scaffolds consistently promoted highest yields. In contrast, total sGAG and total COL2 decreased in all hybrids except PCL/CS, which favored increasing values and a significantly higher total COL2 at day 50. Overall, dsDNA content decreased significantly with time, and particularly between days 3 and 6. The PCL/HA hybrid displayed two proliferation peaks at days 3 and 25, and PCL/COL1 displayed one proliferation peak at day 12. The developed hybrids provided distinct short-term environments for implanted chondrocytes, with not all of them being explicitly beneficial (PCL/F, PCL/COL1). The PCL/HA and PCL/CS hybrids, however, promoted specific neocartilage formation and initial cell retention and are thus promising for cartilage tissue engineering. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 2010
β-Adrenergic receptor ligand binding by rabbit lung☆

Abstract The β-adrenergic receptor antagonists, [ 14 C]propranolol and [ 3 H]dihydroalprenolol, and [ 3 H]dihydroergocryptine, an α-adrenergic receptor antagonist, were removed to the extent of 94, 84 and 78 per cent, respectively, from medium perfused through rabbit lung. Subcellular fractionation indicated that most (85–97 per cent) of the radiolabel was bound to particulate fractions of lung homogenates. Studies of [ 3 H]dihydroalprenolol binding to membrane preparation, in vitro , revealed the presence of high affinity ( K D = 0.5 nM) and high density (> 1 pmole/mg of protein) β-adrenergic-specific binding sites. Binding was stereospecific since (−)-propranolol was 250-fold more potent than (+)-propranolol in inhibiting the binding of [ 3 H]dihydroalprenolol.
Solution phase synthesis of (1→5)-amide linked sugar amino acid dimers derived from sialic acids

Abstract Carboxy-protected amino derivatives and amino-protected carboxy derivatives of three different C-2 analogs as well as a 2,3-dehydro NeuAc were prepared. These monomers were coupled in solution using BOP activation of the carboxy terminus to form (1→5)-amide linked dimers of sialyl amino acid derivatives.
Synthesis, characterization, and reduction chemistry of mixed-cyclopentadienyl/arylsulfide titanium dichlorides

A series of titanium derivatives [CpTi(SAr)Cl2] containing both cyclopentadienyl and various substituted arylsulfide ligands (SAr = SC6H4Me-4 (1), SC6H2Me3-2,4,6 (2), SC6H2Pri3-2,4,6 (3), SC6H2Ph3-2,4,6 (4)) has been synthesized from the reaction of [CpTiCl3] with 1 equiv of the lithium salt of the corresponding arylsulfides in benzene. X-ray diffraction studies show that each metal center possesses a pseudo-tetrahedral geometry. The compounds undergo one-electron reduction to produce sulfur-bridged dimers of the type [CpTiCl(μ-SAr)]2 (SAr = SC6H2Me3-2,4,6 (5), SC6H2Pri3-2,4,6 (6)). The solid-state structures of these dimers show that the cyclopentadienyl rings are arranged in a transoid fashion about the [Ti(μ-SAr)2Ti] core. The Ti−Ti distances, 3.242(1) and 3.225(1) A, respectively, are similar to those found in previously reported Cp/aryloxide dimers with terminal aryloxides and bridging chlorides.
Leading the Local: Teachers Union Presidents Chart Their Own Course

Teachers unions are among the most powerful, yet least studied, actors in public education today. Although public attention focuses on the influence of national unions, the policies that most affect teachers and schooling are bargained by local unions and school boards. Interviews with 30 recently elected local union presidents reveal that these leaders balance competing interests and obligations, from the concerns and priorities of their members to pressures from state and national affiliates. Although these presidents reaffirm the traditional union agenda, most also advocate an expanded agenda of teacher professionalism and more collaborative approaches to collective bargaining and contract management.
Mean fields of precipitable water over the Indian Ocean during the 1979 summer monsoon from TIROS-N soundings and FGGE data

An assimilation of precipitable water in three layers (Surface-700 mb. 700-500 mb. 500-300 mb) as inferred by TIROS-N precipitable water data and Level 111-b humidity fields from ECMWF (European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecast) during summer 1979 is presented. The domain of the study is the summer MONEX area (30-120° E: 30° N-30° S) and the period covers May. June, July. August and the first half of September 1979. An objective analysis of the satellite data was carried out every 12 hours at 0000 and 1200 GMT. To overcome the lack of satellite data over cloudy areas, some subjective data were inserted taking mean TIROS-N temperature profiles in disturbed areas and assuming a certain profile of relative humidity. The fields obtained from the assimilation of TIROS-N data were merged with Level Ill-b fields. During the merging process higher weight was given over land to Level 111-b fields than to TIROS-N fields whereas the opposite prevailed over the ocean. The accuracy of the final fields has been estimated using the dropsonde soundings performed from research aircraft during MONEX-79. The relative accuracy is about 13 %). The fields reveal the variations of precipitable water associated with the establishment of the SW monsoon. Preonset conditions were characterized by dry air over the Arabian Sea and humid air over the equator. Two weeks prior to the onset, maxima of PW began to move from equatorial regions northward to tht: Arabian Sea. Post-onset fields show the existence of dry air along the African coast and western Arabian Sea due to the inversion layer. and humid air over the eastern Arabian Sea where the inversion layer weakens and convection develops. The major break which occurred around mid-July affected the fields of precipitable water. The first week of the break in the activity of the rnonsoon was characterized by a drop of about 15% of the amount of precipitable water over the Arabian Sea compared to an active period. The fields of vertical wind reveal that convection was inhibited over the eastern Arabian Sea during the break. Two-latitude cross-sections of weekly mean fields were constructed at different longitudes. They show the time evolution of the fields associated with the onset of the Southwest monsoon and with its activeibreak cycle DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.1983.tb00038.x
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PNEUMOCOCCI AND ALLIED ORGANISMS THE REPORT FROM THE CENTRAL LABORATORY TO THE MEDICAL COMMISSION FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISEASES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.

The work carried on under the auspices of the Medical Commission for the Investigation of Acute Respiratory Diseases, at the Bacteriological Laboratory of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, has consisted principally of a comparative study of the morphology, growth characters, fermentative activities, and agglutination reactions of pneumococci and allied organisms isolated by ourselves and the various workers under the Commission. These organisms were from two chief sources: ( a ) from the mouth and naso-pharynx of supposedly normal persons and persons suffering from minor inflammations of the naso-pharynx, and ( b ) from definitely pathologic sources, such as pneumonic sputum, pneumonic lungs, empyaema, the circulating blood of pneumonia patients, septicaemias, meningitis, and various minor lesions, usually due to infection with pneumococci. One of the principal objects of the study was to make a careful comparison, in the light of the most recent knowledge of the biology of the pneumococcus and by the aid of the latest biological and technical methods, of the series of organisms from these two sources, and thus to determine definitely the true nature of pneumococcus-like organisms occurring in the mouths of normal persons. The second and equally important object, ultimately dependent, however, upon the solution of the first, was the determination of the frequency of occurrence of typical pneumococci in the mouths of healthy individuals. The investigations detailed in the present paper have dealt chiefly with the first problem and incidentally with the second, and lead to the following conclusions: ( a ) That organisms, not to be distinguished by morphological characters or by any physiological peculiarities from true pneumococci derived from pathologic sources, occur with frequency in the mouths of healthy persons and those suffering from slight inflammations of the naso pharynx, and that the only permissible and legitimate conclusion is that these organisms are true pneumococci. ( b ) That there are other organisms in normal mouths and from pathologic sources that morphologically or by staining reactions are not definitely to be distinguished from pneumococci, and can only be recognized by a careful study of their fermentative activities and agglutination reactions. These organisms are non-inulin fermenters. ( c ) That the organism known as Streptococcus mucosus is at times found in cultivations from the mouths of apparently healthy individuals, and that, although it shows certain peculiarities distinguishing it from the typical pneumococcus, it is probably very closely related to, and a variety of, this species.
The effects of strain rate, density, and temperature on the mechanical properties of polymethylene diisocyanate (PMDI)-based rigid polyurethane foams during compression

Compressive experiments on three types of rigid polyurethane foams were conducted by employing modified split Hopkinson pressure bars (SHPBs). The foam materials, which were based on polymethylene diisocyanate (PMDI), varied only in density (0.31 × 103, 0.41 × 103, and 0.55 × 103 kg/m3) and were compressed at strain rates as high as 3 × 103 s−1. Dynamic experiments were also performed on these three foam materials at temperatures ranging from 219 to 347 K, while maintaining a fixed high strain rate of ~3 × 103 s−1. In addition, an MTS materials testing frame was used to characterize the low-strain-rate compressive response of these three foam materials at room temperature (295 K). Our study determined the effects of density, strain rate, and temperature on the compressive response of the foam materials, resulting in a compressive stress–strain curve for each material.
A Practical Approach to Inclusion of Electromagnetic Field Nonlinearities in Dynamic Modeling of Large Turbogenerators-Part (I): Basic Principles for Inclusion of Instantaneous Magnetic Saturation

This paper details the salient features of an approach to include the influence of magnetic field saturation, on an instantaneous basis in large turbogenerators, on the values of machine inductances. This is done by means of numerical analysis of two dimentional magnetic fields coupled with a concept of ampere turn drop functions. This method is applied to the determinationof dynamic characteristics of an existing 659 MVA 4-pole turbogenerator, including the instantaneous saturation effect on the inductances, and the effects of instantaneous rotor speed variation coupled with saturation on equivalent damping resistances. Details of this development are given in a set of three companion papers, of which this is Part (I)
Dispersion of Aerosols in Hospitals Utilizing Aerosol Inhalation Therapy

Abstract Uranine dye was used to trace the dispersion of aerosol produced by a DeVilbiss ultrasonic generator used for inhalation therapy of a bedridden hospital patient. Air for ventilation of the hospital room was supplied through ceiling level grilles; air was exhausted through outlets in the hospital corridor. Particles of uranine, formed after evaporation of aerosol droplets, were detected in the hospital corridors by sampling with Millipore HA filter paper and analyzing the sample fluorimetrically for uranine. Our results suggest that infectious agents, as well as dye, could be dispersed throughout the hospital and that inhalation therapy should be administered in hospital rooms where ventilation air is supplied from the corridor and exhausted from the therapy room.
Relationship of p53 and bcl-2 to Prognosis in Muscle-Invasive Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder

AbstractPurpose: We examined the presence of the p53 and Bcl-2 oncoproteins, as detected by immunohistochemistry, in muscle-invasive bladder cancer and correlated this with survival.Materials and Methods: Formalin-fixed cystectomy specimens from 41 consecutive patients with mean follow-up of 52 months were used. Five patients were either lost to follow-up or died of other diseases and were not included in the survival evaluation.Results: Eighteen of 36 patients died of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma. p53 immunostaining was found in 61 percent of patients. In 21 of 23 this staining was homogeneous, with more than 75 percent of cancer cells staining using a DO-1/DO-7 antibody cocktail. p53 staining was not correlated with stage (p greater than 0.25) or grade (p less than 0.10) in these invasive cancer specimens. Contrary to recent studies p53 immunostaining was not correlated with disease-specific survival. Bcl-2 immunostaining was found in 28 percent of patients and was not correlated with grade (p...
Turnover and metabolism of norepinephrine in rat brain after 72 hours on a D-deprivation island.

The changes in norepinephrine turnover and metabolism in brain were examined in rats maintained for 72 h on small square islands of the size shown to produce D-deprivation. The utilization of norepinephrine in brain (as reflected by the rate of disappearance of intracisternally administered norepinephrine-H3 from brain) and the apparent rate of synthesis of norepinephrine were increased after 72 h on the islands. Within 120 min after animals were removed from the islands and placed in “recovery” chambers, the rate of disappearance of norepinephrine-H3 from brain returned to approximately control values; but the apparent increase in norepinephrine synthesis persisted somewhat longer. Since many physiological alterations may have occurred under the stressful conditions of these experiments, it is not possible, on the basis of the present data, to relate (either as a specific cause or effect) the changes in norepinephrine turnover to particular alterations in the sleep cycle.
Précis du plurilinguisme et du pluriculturalisme edited by ZARATE, GENEVIÈVE, DANIELLE LÉVY, & CLAIRE KRAMSCH

The article reviews the book "Precis du plurilinguisme et du pluriculturalisme," edited by Genevieve, Danielle Levy and Claire Kramsch.
What counts? Visual and verbal cues interact to influence what is considered a countable thing.

Many famous paintings illustrate variations in what we here dub “referential depth.” For example, paintings often include not only portrayals of uniquely referenced items, but also reflections of those items in mirrors or other polished surfaces. If a painting includes both a dancer and that dancer’s reflection in a mirror, are there one or two dancers in the painting? Although there are two images of a dancer, both images reference the exact same dancer. Consequently, counting both may seem to violate the constraint against double counting (Gelman & Gallistel, 1978). This illustrates that determining which things “count” in a given context may not be straightforward. Here we used counting tasks paired with illustrations that manipulated referential depth to investigate the conceptual, perceptual, and language variables that may influence whether a “thing” is a “countable thing.” Across four experiments, 316 participants counted items in displays that included both foreground items and items placed inside mirrors, picture frames, and windows. Referential depth and frame boundaries both influenced counting: For one thing, participants were more likely to count items contained by windows than by picture frames or mirrors. Moreover, items in mirrors were rarely counted unless they were interpreted as reflections of items “off screen.” Also, the items contained inside windows were sometimes (~10 % of trials) excluded from the counts, when counting them would require crossing frame boundaries. We concluded that conceptual and perceptual contexts both influence people’s decisions about the physical boundaries of the to-be-counted set and which items within these boundaries are countable.
George III: a revised view of the royal malady.

Abstract George III of England's episodic psychotic illness is described. The data has previously been used to substantiate the diagnosis of an unlikely hereditary metabolic disease, porphyna. A scientistic perspective, aimed at removing psychiatric diagnosis from dependence on subjective evaluations, is corrected by the diagnosis of a mood disorder. His unipolar mania of late onset is a syndrome, the sine qua non of bipolar disorder, in this instance complicated by the toxicity of quinine, antimony, and purgatives.
Development of the declarative memory system in the human brain.

Brain regions that are involved in memory formation, particularly medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures and lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), have been identified in adults, but not in children. We investigated the development of brain regions involved in memory formation in 49 children and adults (ages 8–24), who studied scenes during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Recognition memory for vividly recollected scenes improved with age. There was greater activation for subsequently remembered scenes than there was for forgotten scenes in MTL and PFC regions. These activations increased with age in specific PFC, but not in MTL, regions. PFC, but not MTL, activations correlated with developmental gains in memory for details of experiences. Voxel-based morphometry indicated that gray matter volume in PFC, but not in MTL, regions reduced with age. These results suggest that PFC regions that are important for the formation of detailed memories for experiences have a prolonged maturational trajectory.