cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of standardized uptake values in normal structures between PET/CT and PET/MRI in an oncology patient population.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare and correlate standardized uptake values (SUV) derived from magnetic resonance attenuation correction (MRAC) with those derived from computed tomography attenuation correction (CTAC) in an oncology patient population.
Active-site models for complexes of quinolinate synthase with substrates and intermediates

Quinolinate synthase (QS) catalyzes the condensation of iminoaspartate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate to form quinolinate, the universal precursor for the de novo biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. QS has been difficult to characterize owing either to instability or lack of activity when it is overexpressed and purified. Here, the structure of QS from Pyrococcus furiosus has been determined at 2.8 A resolution. The structure is a homodimer consisting of three domains per protomer. Each domain shows the same topology with a four-stranded parallel β-sheet flanked by four α-helices, suggesting that the domains are the result of gene triplication. Biochemical studies of QS indicate that the enzyme requires a [4Fe–4S] cluster, which is lacking in this crystal structure, for full activity. The organization of domains in the protomer is distinctly different from that of a monomeric structure of QS from P. horikoshii [Sakuraba et al. (2005), J. Biol. Chem. 280, 26645–26648]. The domain arrangement in P. furiosus QS may be related to protection of cysteine side chains, which are required to chelate the [4Fe–4S] cluster, prior to cluster assembly.
Socioeconomic Position, Rural Residence, and Marginality Influences on Obesity Status in the Adult Mexican Population

This paper assesses individual and social environment determinants of obesity in the adult Mexican population based on socioeconomic position, rural residence, and areal deprivation. Using a nationally representative health and nutrition survey, this analysis considers individual and structural determinants of obesity from a socioeconomic position and health disparities conceptual framework using multilevel logistic regression models. We find that more than thirty percent of Mexican adults were obese in 2006 and that the odds of being obese were strongly associated with an individual's socioeconomic position, gender, place of residence, and the level of marginalization (areal deprivation) in the place of residence. Surprisingly, areas of the country where areal deprivation was highest had lower risks of individual obesity outcomes. We suggest that programs oriented towards addressing the health benefits of traditional food systems over high-energy dense refined foods and sugary beverages be promoted as part of a public health program aimed at curbing the rising obesity prevalence in Mexico.
Electric welding of glass

ALTHOUGH glass can be ground, sawed, and drilled in the solid state, its hardness is such that many operations are performed most easily on glass which has been reheated to a plastic state. From early antiquity, fire and heat have been used for sealing, moulding, and joining glass parts together. Flame heating applications are limited by inherent disadvantages — flame heating is surface heating; steep temperature gradients occur which sometimes boil away volatile constituents; and flame heating is difficult to restrict into sharply localized paths without excessive sacrifice in heat.
Dimensional Hausdorff properties of singular continuous spectra.

We present an extension of the Gilbert-Pearson theory of subordinacy, which relates dimensional Hausdorff spectral properties of one-dimensional Schrodinger operators to the behavior of solutions of the corresponding Schrodinger equation. We use this theory to analyze these properties for several examples having the singular-continuous spectrum, including sparse barrier potentials, the almost Mathieu operator and the Fibonacci Hamiltonian.
Effects of ethephon on tabasco pepper fruit ripening and abscission at the fruit-receptacle junction

Abstract Effects of ethephon on tabasco (Capsicum frutescens L.) pepper fruit ripening and abscission at the fruit–receptacle abscission zone (FR–AZ) were studied in two lines, ‘McIlhenny Select’ and ‘Hard Pick’. Fruit color development and changes in fruit detachment force (FDF) were correlated in both tabasco lines; FDF decreased significantly at color stages 3 and 4 in ‘McIlhenny Select’ fruit and at stages 5 and 6 in ‘Hard Pick’ fruit based on a scale of 0 for green-mature and 7 for red-mature. The two tabasco lines had different FDF at the FR-AZ; FDF was significantly lower in ‘McIlhenny Select’ than in ‘Hard Pick’ after color stage 3 and was 5-fold lower in ‘McIlhenny Select’ than in ‘Hard Pick’ at the red-mature stage. There were also differences between the two lines in the time for reduction of FDF, which occurred 40 and 42 days after anthesis (DAA) in water-treated ‘McIlhenny Select’ and ‘Hard Pick’ fruit, respectively. Ethephon treatment (1000 μl l−1) decreased FDF at 36 DAA in ‘McIlhenny Select’ and 38 DAA in ‘Hard Pick’. Ethephon applied at 29 and 32 DAA decreased the fruit development period by 3–7 days in both lines. Ethephon did not affect ‘McIlhenny Select’ fruit at 35 and 38 DAA, while treatment of ‘Hard Pick’ fruit of the same developmental stage shortened the developmental period.
Estimating Origin-Destination Flows Using Mobile Phone Location Data

Using an algorithm to analyze opportunistically collected mobile phone location data, the authors estimate weekday and weekend travel patterns of a large metropolitan area with high accuracy.
Diagnostic and prognostic value of ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring.

Abstract To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of continuous ambulatory ECG (AECG) monitoring, we studied 124 patients with chest pain syndromes by stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and AECG. MPS was classified as normal or with fixed or reversible defects involving one or more than one vascular territory. Positive AECGs were divided into those with mild (≤1.5 mm), moderate (1.5 to 2.5 mm), and severe (≥2.5 mm) ST segment displacement. Among 61 patients with a negative AECG, 93% had limited ischemia or normal scintigraphic studies. All 24 patients with moderately or severely positive AECGs had reversible defects on MPS. Among those with severely positive AECGs, nine (75%) had multivessel scintigraphic ischemia. Severe ST segment depression on AECG was highly related to multivessel perfusion defects and to a large amount of myocardium in jeopardy. A negative AECG generally indicated limited or absent ischemia and thus a more benign prognosis. Induced symptoms and the daily ischemic burden were not related to the severity of induced AECG or MPS abnormalities. AECG may provide independent information as to the severity and related risk of ischemia.
Out-of-Plane Behavior of URM Walls Strengthened with Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix Composite

AbstractThe use of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls is common practice in different types of construction, such as interior or exterior walls. URM walls are typically deficient in flexural capacity when subjected to out-of-plane loading caused by high wind pressure or earthquakes. Retrofitting masonry walls with novel materials, such as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, has shown enhancement of the flexural capacity and pseudoductility. This study evaluates the feasibility of fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) as an alternative external strengthening technology to improve out-of-plane behavior of URM walls. This paper reports experimental results on flexural capacity of nine clay brick walls of which six were strengthened with two different amounts of FRCM, namely one and four reinforcement fabrics. Experimental evidence shows significant improvements in the structural performance in terms of flexural capacity and stiffness of the strengthened walls. An analysis, disregarding arching ef...
Progress of cereal transformation technology mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Monocotyledonous plants were believed to be not transformable by the soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens until two decades ago, although convenient protocols for infection of leaf disks and subsequent regeneration of transgenic plants had been well established in a number of dicotyledonous species by then. This belief was reinforced by the fact that monocotyledons are mostly outside the host range of crown gall disease caused by the bacterium and by the failures in trials in monocotyledons to mimic the transformation protocols for dicotyledons. However, a key reason for the failure could have been the lack of active cell divisions at the wound sites, which are the basis of tissue culture and transformation in dicotyledons, in monocotyledons. The complexity and narrow optimal windows of critical factors, such as genotypes of plants, conditions of the plants from which explants are prepared, tissue culture methods and culture media, pre-treatments of explants, strains of A. tumefaciens, inducers of virulence genes, transformation vectors, selection marker genes and selective agents, kept technical hurdles high. Eventually it was determined that rice and maize could be transformed by co-cultivating cells of callus cultures or immature embryos, which are actively dividing or about to divide, with A. tumefaciens. Subsequently, these initial difficulties were resolved one by one by many research groups, and the major cereals are now transformed quite efficiently. As many as 15 independent transgenic events may be regenerated from a single piece of immature embryo of rice. Maize transformation protocols are well established, and almost all transgenic events deregulated for commercialization after 2003 were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Wheat, barley and sorghum are also among those plants that can be efficiently transformed by A. tumefaciens.
A reexamination of important N2 cross sections by electron impact with application to the dayglow: The Lyman-Birge-Hopfield Band System and N I (119.99 nm)

The emission cross section (cascade plus direct excitation) and predissociation cross section for the Lyman-Birge-Hopfield band systems is experimentally measured. The results are compared to electron energy loss measurements of the direct excitation cross section. An analytic approximation to the measured cross section is obtained which demonstrates the extreme simplicity of the collision strengths at energies above the cross-section peak. Cross sections are also obtained for the FUV atomic nitrogen multiplets. Available cross sections for N I emission at 119.99 nm are discussed in detail.
Circumferentially sinusoidal stress and strain in shells of revolution

Abstract The system of equations of the linear theory of isotropic elastic shells of revolution for stress and strain sinusoidal in the polar angle of the base plane with period 2 π is reduced to two simultaneous second order ordinary differential equations which are remarkably similar to the corresponding equations for symmetric bending. The reduction makes extensive use of the static geometric analogy to simplify the analysis and allows for the possibility of a non-periodic displacement field. The problem of asymmetric twisting and bending of ring shell sectors associated with the non-periodic displacement state is formulated for the first time within the framework of shell theory.
New species of Hypocreales (Fungi, Ascomycetes)

The new ascomycetes Hypomyces succineus, Podostroma eperuae, and Nectria phialotrichi are proposed. Hypomyces succineus occurs on basidiomata of Pholiota sp. in New York; its anamorph is described as the new species Cladobotryum succineum. Podostroma eperuae occurs on decaying pods of a species of Eperua found in French Guiana and Guyana. Its anamorph is unknown. Nectria phialotrichi occurs on perithecia of Nectria sp. and bark in Guyana; its anamorph is referred to the anamorph genus Onychophora.
Goffman revisited: Relatives vs. administrators in nursing homes

This case study applies Goffman's “total institutions” paradigm to a skilled nursing facility and shows that his characterization of relatives as collusive agents in a “betrayal funnel” is more accurate in the prepatient phase than after admission. When they encounter administrative resistance to their suggestions, some relatives become militant reformers. This paper describes ten gatekeeping tactics employed by administrators to neutralize such relatives, and four gatestorming tactics utilized by relatives to affect change. The author concludes that while Goffman's work is still relevant, his tendency to stereotype total institutions is misleading and his manner of reporting field work obscures the true role of the participant-observer.
The gene organisation of a small RNA-containing insect virus: comparison with that of mammalian picornaviruses.

Abstract The coding regions of an insect virus, cricket paralysis virus, have been mapped using pactamycin. The results suggest that the genome of this virus functions as a polycistronic mRNA, the structural proteins being encoded by the 5′ end of the RNA in an order similar to those of mammalian picornaviruses. High-molecular-weight proteins of unknown function map at the 3′ end of the genome.
Upregulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and effects of transforming growth factor-β 1 in Peyronie's disease

Peyronie's disease (PD) is characterized by fibrosis in the tunica albuginea (TA) of the penis, which becomes bent as a result. We have previously shown that transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1) is upregulated in the TA of patients with PD and can initiate PD-like lesions in rat models. In this study we isolated three types of fibroblasts: P cells from the lesions of PD patients, C cells from the normal-appearing areas of the TA of the same patients, and N cells from the TA of patients without PD. We examined these cells for the expression of two fibrogenic cytokines, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 (MCP-1). We found that CTGF was expressed at similar levels in P, C, and N cells, whereas MCP-1 was significantly more expressed in P cells than in C cells and more in C cells than in N cells. Higher MCP-1 expression was also found in the lesions than in normal TA. Treatment with TGF-beta1-induced higher expression of MCP-1 but not CTGF in all three types of cells, with C cells being the most responsive. Based on these observations, we propose that MCP-1 could be a novel therapeutic target in PD.
Endomitosis in the mealy bug, Planococcus citri (Homoptera: Coccoidea)

Endomitosis in the Malpighian tubules of the mealy bug Planococcus citri (Risso) is described. The stages are identified on the basis of the length of the chromosomes and the distance between the sister chromatids or chromosomes. The appearance of the chromosomes in the various stages of endomitosis is compared to that in other hemipteran insects. During anaphase and telophase of endomitosis the ends of the sister chromatids and chromosomes tend to stay together longer than the other parts. It is suggested that in holokinetic chromosomes special regions for holding the chromatids together are concentrated near the ends of the chromosomes.
Heritage and ethnic identity: preserving Chinese cemeteries in the United States

This paper critically examines the role of ethnic community in the process of heritage management and preservation. Drawing on two heritage projects dedicated to historic Chinese American cemeteries – the nineteenth-century Chinese Memorial Shrine in Los Angeles, California and Concordia Chinese Cemetery located in El Paso, Texas – this study examines how heritage serves as a central referent in constructing a collective identity that gives continuity and political unity to an ethnic community. Heritage preservation, as a practice connecting the past and present, provides us with insight not only into the historic meanings attached to heritage, but also the contemporary values and ideologies of communities with regard to their efforts in interpreting the past. This paper highlights the relationship between identity politics and heritage, suggesting that heritage becomes a vital means of identity formation which helps articulate cultural traditions in the face of a dominant national culture that essentiali...
Return to Play After Chondroplasty of the Knee in National Football League Athletes

Background:Knee injuries, including articular cartilage damage, are common in football players and are potentially career threatening. The rate of return to play (RTP) as well as the factors affecting return after arthroscopic chondroplasty of the knee is performed in National Football League (NFL) athletes are not known.Purpose:To determine the rate of return to regular season NFL competition after arthroscopic knee surgery including chondroplasty of articular cartilage lesions. In addition, identification of factors that influence successful return was investigated.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:Athletes in the NFL who underwent arthroscopic chondroplasty at a single institution were identified. Retrospective chart review and review of the NFL online database were utilized to determine the rate of RTP and factors affecting an athlete’s ability to return. Chi-square and Student t tests were used to assess differences among players who were and were not able to RTP, and logistic re...
Heat Balance of the Upper Ocean under Light Winds

Abstract Measurements of the components of the heat balance of the upper 30 m of the ocean were made in the Bermuda area in August and September 1974. The quantities measured included surface downwelling and underwater downwelling and upwelling irradiance, surface net irradiance, heat content, and the bulk meteorological variables. Under conditions of light winds, one or more layers of 1 to 10 m thickness form and persist at the surface. In some cases the bottom of the layers have sufficiently high Richardson numbers so that no vertical transport occurs through them, vastly simplifying the measurements and interpretation of their heat balance. These data illustrate several such cases. The net flux of heat from the layer at the surface is usually much larger than the bulk formulas predict in these light wind cases. When the winds are calm and the sea glassy, total heat fluxes of several kilowatts per square meter occur for several hours in the afternoon. This has been observed previously in the Sargasso Se...
Effects of lattice distortion and Jahn-Teller coupling on the magnetoresistance of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 and La0.5Ca0.5CoO3 epitaxial films

Studies of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 epitaxial films on substrates with a range of lattice constants reveal two dominant contributions to the occurrence of colossal negative magnetoresistance (CMR) in these manganites: at high temperatures (T → TC, TC being the Curie temperature), the magnetotransport properties are predominantly determined by the conduction of lattice polarons, while at low temperatures (T ≪ TC/, the residual negative magnetoresistance is correlated with the substrate-induced lattice distortion which incurs excess magnetic domain wall scattering. The importance of lattice polaron conduction associated with the presence of Jahn–Teller coupling in the manganites is further verified by comparing the manganites with epitaxial films of another ferromagnetic perovskite, La0.5Ca0.5CoO3. Regardless of the differences in the substrate-induced lattice distortion, the cobaltite films exhibit much smaller negative magnetoresistance, which may be attributed to the absence of Jahn–Teller coupling and the high electron mobility that prevents the formation of lattice polarons. We therefore suggest that lattice polaron conduction associated with the Jahn–Teller coupling is essential for the occurrence of CMR, and that lattice distortion further enhances the CMR effects in the manganites.
Apoptotic Cells Are Cleared by Directional Migration and elmo1- Dependent Macrophage Engulfment

Apoptotic cell death is essential for development and tissue homeostasis. Failure to clear apoptotic cells can ultimately cause inflammation and autoimmunity. Apoptosis has primarily been studied by staining of fixed tissue sections, and a clear understanding of the behavior of apoptotic cells in living tissue has been elusive. Here, we use a newly developed technique to track apoptotic cells in real time as they emerge and are cleared from the zebrafish brain. We find that apoptotic cells are remarkably motile, frequently migrating several cell diameters to the periphery of living tissues. F-actin remodeling occurs in surrounding cells, but also within the apoptotic cells themselves, suggesting a cell-autonomous component of motility. During the first 2 days of development, engulfment is rare, and most apoptotic cells lyse at the brain periphery. By 3 days postfertilization, most cell corpses are rapidly engulfed by macrophages. This engulfment requires the guanine nucleotide exchange factor elmo1. In elmo1-deficient macrophages, engulfment is rare and may occur through macropinocytosis rather than directed engulfment. These findings suggest that clearance of apoptotic cells in living vertebrates is accomplished by the combined actions of apoptotic cell migration and elmo1-dependent macrophage engulfment.
Management Intensity and Transportation Development

The article addresses the importance of effective management of modes of transportation and infrastructure in developing nations. The article focuses on managerial intensity in both industrial tran...
CORRELATED CHANGES IN δ‐CRYSTALLIN SYNTHESIS AND ION CONCENTRATIONS IN THE EMBRYONIC CHICK LENS: SUMMARY, CURRENT EXPERIMENTS AND SPECULATIONS

Summaryand Implications We have described a correlation between the ratio of synthesis of the higher to the lower molecular weight polypeptides of δ-crystallin and the intracellular concentrations of Na+ and K+ in the cultured embryonic chick lens. The only structural differences we have found between the larger and smaller δ-crystallin polypeptides are two, acidic, methionine-containing tryptic peptides which are absent from the lower molecular weight polypeptides. We do not yet know whether the alteration in the ratio of synthesis of the polypeptides is regulated at the post-transcriptional or post-translational level. We are continuing to investigate this problem by studies on the cell-free synthesis of δ-crystallin and by analysis of the sequences and organization of δ-crystallin DNA. One implication of these experiments concerns protein synthesis in cataractous lenses, as has been reviewed elsewhere.15 Numerous cataracts are associated with appreciable changes in ion concentrations, particularly with an increase in Na+ and a decrease in K+. Differential reduction in crystallin synthesis has now been correlated with an increase in the Na+/K+ ratio in three types of cataracts, namely, in hereditary cataracts in mice (Nakano mouse),29 in galactose cataracts in rats,30 and in drug-induced experimental cataracts in rats.31 It seem reasonable to propose that changes in ion concentrations will be correlated with alterations in protein synthesis in other cataracts and. possibly, with other diseases which result in electrolyte imbalances within cells.
Bromophenol blue staining of tumors in a rat glioma model.

OBJECTIVE: For patients with gliomas, decreasing the tumor burden with macroscopic surgical resection may affect quality of life, time to tumor progression, and survival. Injection of bromophenol blue (BPB) may enhance intraoperative visualization of an infiltrating tumor and its margins and improve the extent of resection. In this study, we investigated the uptake of BPB in experimental rat brain tumors. METHODS: We first conducted a toxicity study with bolus intravenous injections of 5, 60, and 360 mg/kg doses of BPB in nontumor-bearing Fischer 344 rats. No adverse effects were observed in any of the animals during the 60 day observation period. We then injected 9L tumor cells intracerebrally into Fischer 344 rats and approximately 2 weeks later, administered a bolus intravenous injection of 5 to 360 mg/kg BPB. Fifteen minutes after BPB injection, we sacrificed the animals and removed their brains. In a subsequent study, we injected 180 mg/kg BPB and sacrificed animals at several time points to monitor tumor staining over time. RESULTS: The stain was clearly visible and localized to the tumor for all BPB concentrations 60 mg/kg or greater, and in an additional experiment, we found that tumor staining persisted for at least 8 hours after BPB injection. CONCLUSION: We conclude that BPB helped visualize experimental tumors at time points from a few minutes to several hours after injection. Because BPB also proved to be nontoxic to the animals at effective concentrations, we believe the compound may be potentially useful in helping neurosurgeons visualize brain tumors in humans.
Coefficient Alpha and Composite Reliability with Interrelated Nonhomogeneous Items.

The relationship between Cronbach's coefficient alpha (a) and the reliability of a composite of a prespecified set of interrelated nonhomogeneous components is examined. It is shown that a can over- or underestimate scale reliability at the population level. The bias is expressed in terms of structural parameters and illustrated on simulated data. The relevance of substantive considerations about, and examination of, the latent structure of an item set prior to estimation of composite reliability using at is emphasized and demonstrated using a structural equation modeling approach.
THE DIMENSION OF QUASIHOMOGENEOUS PLANAR LINEAR SYSTEMS WITH MULTIPLICITY FOUR

A linear system of plane curves satisfying multiplicity conditions at points in general position is called special if the dimension is larger than the expected dimension. A (−1) curve is an irreducible curve with self intersection −1 and genus zero. The Segre–Harbourne–Hirschowitz Conjecture states that if a linear system is special then a multiple of some fixed (−1) curve is contained in every curve of the linear system. This conjecture is proven for linear systems with multiplicity four at all but one of the points.
Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization by Two Collinear Subthreshold Laser Pulses

Two nitrogen laser pulses of subthreshold irradiance were used to achieve matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization in a collinear configuration. Optimum laser pulse delay times yielding maximum guest ion intensities were determined for four different matrices between 4.2 ns for sinapinic acid (SA) and 12.5 ns for 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB). The signal decay times followed an opposite trend to the position of maxima, DHB being the fastest decaying (1.1 ns) and SA the slowest (9.8 ns). Collinear subthreshold experiments allow for a two orders of magnitude improvement in spatial and time resolution over post-ionization experiments. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fabrication conditions for efficient organic photovoltaic cells from aqueous dispersions of nanoparticles

For environmentally friendly and cost-effective manufacturing of organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, it is highly desirable to replace haloarenes with water as the active layer fabrication solvent. Replacing an organic solvent with water requires retooling the device fabrication steps. The optimization studies were conducted using poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as active layer materials. These materials were dispersed in water as blend and separate nanoparticles using the miniemulsion method. Topologies of the active layers were investigated using atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy techniques. We have identified two essential steps to fabricate efficient OPVs from aqueous dispersions: (1) treatment of the hole-transport layer with UV-O3 to make the surface hydrophilic and (2) the use of an electron-transporting buffer layer for efficient charge extraction. We have also identified relative humidity and substrate temperature as key fabrication parameters for obtaining uniform active layer films. The OPV devices were fabricated using PEDOT:PSS as the hole-transport layer and PCBM as electron-transport layer with Ca/Al as the counter electrode. Efficiencies of 2.15% with a fill factor over 66% were obtained; the efficiency and the fill-factor is the highest among all aqueous processing of P3HT–PCBM nanoparticle solar cells.
Effect of Strychnine Sulfate on Locomotor Activity

The effect of strychnine sulfate upon spontaneous locomotor activity in an open field was determined for 20 naive male Wistar rats. The experimental Ss were injected ip with 1.0 cc/kg of a 01% solution of strychnine sulfate in normal saline and the control Ss received a similar injection of 1.0 cc/kg of normal saline. All Ss were given 2 trials 7 days apart in the open field, with the injections preceding the second trial. The behavioral change from Trial 1 to Trial 2 for the control group was compared with that for the experimental group. Strychnine sulfate significantly reduced spontaneous locomotor activity in rats. A significant correlation was found between scores on the first and second trials of the experimental Ss. It was suggested that the concept of “orienting-exploratory behavior” could account for reduced locomotor activity.
AlphaIIbbeta3 priming and clustering by orally active and intravenous integrin antagonists.

Background Drugs that block platelet-platelet and platelet-fibrin interactions via the alpha(IIb)beta(3) (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa) receptor are used daily in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. Along with expected increases in spontaneous bleeding, clinical trials have revealed a surprising increase in thrombosis when these drugs are used without other anticoagulants. A better understanding of their mechanisms can minimize these risks. Objectives This study tested the hypothesis that interventions designed to block fibrinogen binding inevitably leave the alpha(IIb)beta(3) receptor in an activated state. It compared the effects on platelet function and alpha(IIb)beta(3) conformation of the orally active compounds orbofiban and roxifiban, the i.v. agents eptifibatide and tirofiban, and echistatin, an arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) disintegrin. Methods The integrin antagonist concentrations required to saturate platelets and to block platelet-platelet and platelet-fibrin interactions were determined by flow cytometry, aggregometry, and clot-based adhesion assays, respectively. Analytical ultracentrifugation measured each antagonist's effects on the solution structure of alpha(IIb)beta(3). Fluorescence anisotropy provided equilibrium and kinetic data for integrin:antagonist interactions. Results Both orally active drugs bound more tightly and inhibited platelet aggregation and adhesion to fibrin more effectively than echistatin. Analytical ultracentrifugation yielded this order for perturbing alpha(IIb)beta(3) conformation (priming) and promoting oligomerization (clustering): echistatin > eptifibatide > orbofiban > tirofiban > roxifiban. Roxifiban was also most effective at disrupting the rapidly forming/slowly dissociating alpha(IIb)beta(3):echistatin complex. Conclusions Our results suggest that the same molecular mechanisms that enable glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors to bind tightly to the alpha(IIb)beta(3) receptor and block fibrinogen binding contribute to their ability to perturb the resting integrin's conformation, thus limiting the safety and efficacy of both oral and i.v. integrin antagonists.
Repair of DNA containing Fapy.dG and its beta-C-nucleoside analogue by formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase and MutY.

Fapy.dG is produced in DNA as a result of oxidative stress. Under some conditions Fapy.dG is formed in greater yields than 8-oxodG from a common chemical precursor. Recently, Fapy.dG and its C-nucleoside analogue were incorporated in chemically synthesized oligonucleotides at defined sites. Like 8-oxodG, Fapy.dG instructs DNA polymerase to misincorporate dA opposite it in vitro. The interactions of DNA containing Fapy.dG or the nonhydrolyzable analogue with Fpg and MutY are described. Fpg excises Fapy.dG (K(M) = 2.0 nM, k(cat) = 0.14 min(-1)) opposite dC approximately 17-fold more efficiently than when mispaired with dA, which is misinserted by DNA polymerase in vitro. Fpg also prefers to bind duplexes containing Fapy.dG.dC or beta-C-Fapy.dG.dC compared to those in which the lesion is opposite dA. MutY incises dA when it is opposite Fapy.dG and strongly binds duplexes containing the lesion or beta-C-Fapy.dG. Incision from Fapy.dG.dA is faster than from dG.dA mispairs but slower than from DNA containing 8-oxodG opposite dA. These data demonstrate that Fapy.dG closely resembles the interactions of 8-oxodG with two members of the GO repair pathway in vitro. The similar effects of Fapy.dG and 8-oxodG on DNA polymerase and repair enzymes in vitro raise the question as to whether Fapy.dG elicits similar effects in vivo.
Induced homotypic sprouting of serotonergic fibers in hippocampus. II. An immunocytochemistry study.

The dorsal hippocampus of the rat normally receives its 5-HT innervation from two homologous groups of cells in the median raphe nucleus via the cingulum bundle-induseum griseum (CB-IG) and the fornix-fimbria (FF) (J. Comp. Neurol., 179 (1978) 641–667 and Brain Res. Bull., 10 (1983) 445–451). 5-HT immunoreactive (IR) fibers are distributed in a laminar pattern in the hippocampus. These fibers have large varicosites and are densely distributed in the infragranular layer of dentate gyrus, in the stratum lacunosum-moleculare of the cornu Ammonis and in the are fasciola cinerea (FC). The present study provides evidence that the density of the 5-HT-IR fibers in the dorsal hippocampus is greatly decreased but maintained a similar laminar pattern 3 days after lesioning by microinjection of 4 μg of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamne (5,7-DHT) into the CB-IG. An apparently normal density and distribution pattern of the 5-HT-IR fiber is seen by 42 days postlesion. The FC in the hippocampus is among the first regions reinnervated by 5-HT-IR fibers with very dense and large varicosities. The restitution of 5-HT-IR fibers in the dorsal hippocampus after the 5,7-DHT lesion in the CB-IG is accompanied by a marked increase in the number and intensity of 5-HT-IR fibers in the FF. No evidence of a regeneration of 5-HT-IR fibers is seen distal to the injection site in the CB-IG. These observations provide direct evidence for homotypic collateral sprouting in the CNS induced by removal of a single fiber type.
Polystyrene degradation in model extrusion experiments

An investigation has been made of the magnitude and the source of degradation of polystyrene in model extrusion experiments. A preformed solid plug of a narrow-distribution, high molecular weight polystyrene (Mw = 2 × 106) was used for each experiment. The extrusions were performed with an Instron capillary rheometer at constant temperatures from 160° to 220°C. The molecular weight changes occurring in the capillary reservoir during the pass of the capillary and in the hot extrudate were evaluated. Molecular weights and distributions were obtained by gel permeation chromatography. A significant degradation was observed in the capillary reservoir. The degree of degradation was independent of polymer flow. The polystyrene near the walls reacted more extensively than that closer to the axis, but a constant degradation was observed along the axis. The molecular weight profile across the capillary reservoir was attributed to a selective thermo-oxidative degradation (160° and 190°C). Changes in molecular weight due to mechanical degradation in the capillary were observed only at 160°C. This reaction was referred to as a mechano-oxidative process, as no degradation could be detected in the absence of oxygen. At 160°C, selective migration of macromolecules (fractionation) during extrusion did not occur to any significant extent, nor could any thermo-oxidative degradation of the extrudate be detected. When a small amount of antioxidant (Ionol) was added to the polystyrene, no selective degradation did occur at the walls of the capillary reservoir during extrusion at 160° and 190°C.
SOME ASYMMETRICAL DRIVE SUMMATION PHENOMENA

There have been a number of studies of the effect of an irrelevant thirst drive upon the performance of hungry rats (Kendler, 1945; Siegel, 1946; Kendler & Law, 1950; Danziger, 1953; Levine, 1956). In each case it was reported that a high irrelevant thirst is detrimental to food-relevant performance. (The thirst is said to be irrelevant because no water was present in the experimental situation.) In the Kendler and Law and the Levine studies, comparable decrements were found in the water-relevant performance of animals under high irrelevant hunger. In all of these studies the high irrelevant drive condition was 22 hr. (except that Danziger used 17 hr.); only Kendler (1945 ) varied the intensity of the irrelevant drive in a systematic way between 0 and 22 hr. Kendler found chat the resistance to extinction of the bar-press response was an inverted U-shaped function of the intensity of the irrelevant thirst drive. As the hours of irrelevant drive increased from zero there was first a facilitation of the performance, and then at a high level of irrelevant drive a decrement in performance was found. Kendler interpreted the facilitory phase as evidence for Hull's drive summation hypothesis and the decrement phase as indicating that for the high irrelevant drive case some adjustment was required in that hypothesis (Hull, 1943, p. 245). Subsequent Es, perhaps because generally they have found decrements in performance, have tended to emphasize the possibility of interference or inhibition factors. The present study reports an investigation of drive summation phenomena under a broader range of irrelevant drive conditions than has been used before. METHOD
Effect of field-dependent mobility on m.o.s. transistor characteristics

The authors calculate the characteristics of m.o.s.t.s, taking full account of the surface electric-field dependence of mobility in the channel, which is very significant for thin-oxide or high-gate-voltage devices. An approximation is used for the average effect of background ionised impurity charge. Fields along the channel are assumed to have a negligible influence on mobility.
Transmembrane signaling in bacterial chemoreceptors

Bacterial chemoreceptors mediate chemotaxis by recognizing specific chemicals and regulating a noncovalently associated histidine kinase. Ligand binding to the external domain of the membrane-spanning receptor generates a transmembrane signal that modulates kinase activity inside the cell. This transmembrane signaling is being investigated by novel strategies, which have revealed a remarkably subtle conformational signal carried by a signaling helix that spans the entire length of the >350-A-long receptor. Multiple, independent lines of evidence indicate that, in the periplasmic and transmembrane domains, conformational signaling is a piston-type sliding of the signaling helix towards the cytoplasm.
Protons from deuteron bombardment of Be7

Abstract Protons from the reaction Be 7 (d, p)Be 8 leading to Be 8 excitations up to 11 MeV have been examined with a NaI(T1) scintillation spectrometer. No groups attributable to Be 8 are observed except those corresponding to the ground state (p 0 ) and first excited state (p 1 ), along with a continuum extending to over 11 MeV excitation. Resonances are found at bombarding energies of0.900±0.025 (p 0 and p 1 ) and1.475±0.010MeV (p 1 ) with centre- of-mass widths120±40 and71±8keV, respectively, corresponding to states in B 9 at 17.19 and 17.63 MeV. The excitation energy and width of the first excited state of Be 8 areE x = 2.90±0.06 andΓ cm = 1.53±0.04MeV. The reduced width of this state and the γ-γ interaction radius extracted from a single-level analysis are compared with those found in He 4 (α, α) and B 10 (d, α) reactions.
Making a decision about ERT/HRT. Evidence to consider in initiating and continuing protective therapy.

PREVIEWAs menopause approaches, many women find that the specters of Alzheimer's disease, coronary artery disease, and osteoporosis loom large. Consultation with a physician about estrogen or hormone replacement therapy can be invaluable in addressing these concerns. Here, Dr Nerhood discusses research findings about the effects of estrogen and hormone replacement therapy, pointing out what is known and acknowledging what is not yet resolved about how to best use such therapy to the advantage of postmenopausal women.
Adoptive immunotherapy for stage IV renal cell carcinoma: a novel protocol utilizing periodate and interleukin-2-activated autologous leukocytes and continuous infusions of low-dose interleukin-2

Abstract In a pilot study involving 13 patients with advanced stage IV renal cell carcinoma, anti-tumor effects and toxicity of a novel form of adoptive immunotherapy were determined. The protocol utilizes infusions of autologous mononuclear leukocytes treated with the oxidizing mitogen sodium periodate (IO 4 − ) and cultured in medium containing human recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2), and continuous infusions of low-dose IL-2 (mean ± SD dose=39.5 ± 8.6 × 10 3 U/kg/24 hours). Leukocytes (5 to 10 × 10 9 ) were removed by leukapheresis three times per week, mononuclear cells were separated, activated with IO 4 − and cultured in medium containing IL-2 (500 U/ml) for 48 to 72 hours. The cells were re-infused following the next leukapheresis procedure. IL-2 was administered five days per week. Treatment was continued for two three-week cycles. An increase in peripheral blood mononuclear cells bearing the natural killer cell (NK) surface marker, Leu 11, an increase in NK- and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and a slight increase in spontaneous cytotoxicity for non-NK targets were noted. Regressions (more than 50 percent decrease in tumor mass) of pulmonary, liver, bone, or soft tissue metastases were induced in six patients. Severe fluid retention did not develop in any patient and no patient required treatment in the intensive care unit. Five of the patients who showed a response have experienced a relapse at 5.2 ± 1.0 (mean ± SD) months. These observations indicate that IO 4 − /IL-2-activated killer cells plus continuous infusions of low-dose IL-2 can result in regression of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
Relationship of perceived risks of smoking cessation to symptoms of withdrawal, craving, and depression during short- term smoking abstinence

The current study examined the relationship between perceived risks of quitting smoking and the self-reported experience of risks (e.g., cravings) during short-term abstinence. Participants (n=55) were daily smokers enrolled in a study of contingency management for smoking cessation with biochemically confirmed abstinence for 1 week. Participants were divided into groups of higher and lower perceived risk of quitting. There were no differences by risk group in demographics or baseline smoking, nicotine dependence, cravings, withdrawal, and depression. Although participants with higher levels of perceived risks reported a similar pattern of cravings and withdrawal symptoms during abstinence, they experienced higher levels of cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and depression than participants with lower risk beliefs. There were no differences in the relationship of risk to withdrawal symptoms by gender. Smokers with higher levels of perceived risk may find it more difficult to quit and remain abstinent due to higher levels of anticipated or experienced withdrawal symptoms and may benefit from targeted behavioral interventions with regard to risk perception and enhanced coping with withdrawal and other effects of smoking cessation.
Scheme dependence and equivalence of sensitivity for nonlinear problems

In static nonlinear structural analysis, there are several schemes widely employed to calculate the responses of structures. Examples are the Newton-Raphson method, displacement control method, arc length method, and work control method. It is known that the responses obtained are independent of the schemes chosen for the analysis problem. It is shown in this paper that if sensitivities of response variables are computed, different schemes do give rise, in general, to different results. However, these sensitivities are all equivalent. A systematic approach is derived in order to show this equivalence. This approach is derived in incremental form using the analytical differentiation approach. Numerical examples for validating the present approach include a nonlinear elastic spring model and geometric nonlinear analysis of trusses. The finite element method is used in the truss examples. Interestingly, it is also found that the finite difference method performs poorly in obtaining the sensitivities corresponding to the arc length and work control methods, especially for structures with limit point response.
Economic assessment of anaerobic digestion systems for dairy waste disposal and energy recovery: Effect of selected institutional and technological chances

Abstract The technical and economic feasibilities of on-farm anaerobic digestion for a 100-head dairy are evaluated with special attention to efficient biogas utilization. A mixed-integer programming model is used which incorporates time-of-day on-farm energy use and options for: electricity load management, conventional waste disposal, sales of electricity to the utility by the farmer, installation of a heat exchanger in conjunction with the digester, and biogas storage. A second aspect analyzes the effect of some of the institutional and technological changes affecting adoption of anaerobic digestion systems. The few institutional arrangements considered are marginal cost pricing versus average cost pricing by the utility and the impact of allowing the farmer to sell electricity to the utility. The technological changes considered are a 20% increase in digester efficiency and a 20% decrease in digester fixed cost. The 20% decrease in digester fixed cost could also be attained through an institutional arrangement such as capital tax credits. However, no particular tax policy is analyzed in this paper. It was found that under baseline marginal cost prices of $3.69/GJ for natural gas, $0.036/kWh (off peak), $0.061/kWh (peak) and $0.04/kWh (partial peak), a 100-head dairy should not install an anaerobic digester. Under marginal cost pricing, breakeven prices are $7.64/GJ, $0.78/kWh (off peak), $0.115/kWh (peak) and $0.082/kWh (partial peak) for a system which incorporates a plug flow digester with a heat exchanger, a 32 kW generator and sale of electricity to the utility. Optimal management implies sale of electricity in peak and partial peak periods, purchase of electricity in off peak and partial peak periods and that all thermal demands are met by waste heat from the 32 kW generator. Without the option of selling to the utility, the breakeven prices are significantly higher. Comparing average cost pricing to marginal cost pricing by the utility indicates that average cost pricing acts as a greater incentive to the adoption of anaerobic digestion. Load management has significant returns under marginal cost pricing. A 20% increase in digester efficiency or decrease in digester fixed cost will result in similar reductions in breakeven prices by 6 to 9% if sales of electricity to the utility can take place. When sales cannot occur, increasing efficiency is no stimulus to adoption, because excess biogas is flared. However, decreasing digester fixed cost still has a strong effect.