cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunomodulating Drugs in the Management of Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy which can be distinguished from rheumatoid arthritis on the basis of differing patient demographics, genetic predisposition, histopathologic change, radiographic appearance, and clinical course. The cause of psoriatic arthritis remains unknown but appears to be autoimmune in nature as its pathogenesis is characterized by persistent synovial inflammation resulting in damage to the articular cartilage and osteolysis. Compared with rheumatoid arthritis, distinct lymphocyte subpopulations and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels appear to be present within the joint but the importance and therapeutic implications of these differences is uncertain. The clinical presentation of psoriatic arthritis is variable and overlapping patterns of joint involvement affecting both the appendicular and axial skeleton are seen. For patients with mild synovial disease and a favorable prognosis, the use of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for symptomatic relief is often sufficient. However, the destructive potential of psoriatic arthritis is increasingly recognized and patients with more synovial disease and radiographic change at presentation appear to be at risk for greater morbidity and increased mortality. Immunomodulating therapy has the potential to suppress joint inflammation and preserve functional capacity but true disease modification has yet to be shown. The toxicity associated with presently available immunomodulatory agents makes careful patient selection and conscientious monitoring essential. The efficacy of methotrexate and sulfasalazine in patients with psoriatic arthritis is well defined while more anecdotal reports of benefit exist for other agents including the antimalarials, azathioprine, colchicine, cyclosporine, and the retinoids. For all treatment regimens, the magnitude of clinical improvement demonstrated to date has been rather small and quite subjective in character with few controlled studies of adequate size and duration having been reported. Emerging biologic therapies, such as those which target tumor necrosis factor, will hopefully provide future treatment options with greater efficacy and improved safety for patients with psoriatic arthritis.
Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of crystal growth in ferroelectric alloys

The growth rates and chemical ordering of ferroelectric alloys are studied with kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations using an electrostatic model with long-range Coulomb interactions, as a function of temperature, chemical composition, and substrate orientation. Crystal growth is characterized by thermodynamic processes involving adsorption and evaporation, with solid-on-solid restrictions and excluding diffusion. A KMC algorithm is formulated to simulate this model efficiently in the presence of long-range interactions. Simulations were carried out on $\mathrm{Ba}({\mathrm{Mg}}_{1∕3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2∕3}){\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (BMN)-type materials. Compared to the simple rocksalt ordered structures, ordered BMN grows only at very low temperatures and only under finely tuned conditions. For materials with tetravalent compositions, such as $(1\ensuremath{-}x)\mathrm{Ba}({\mathrm{Mg}}_{1∕3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2∕3}){\mathrm{O}}_{3}+x\mathrm{Ba}\mathrm{Zr}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (BMN-BZ), the model does not incorporate tetravalent ions at low temperature, exhibiting a phase-separated ground state instead. At higher temperatures, tetravalent ions can be incorporated, but the resulting crystals show no chemical ordering in the absence of diffusive mechanisms.
Non-equilibrium thermodynamics of creep in polycrystals

Abstract Irreversible thermodynamics is applied to the problem of evaluating terms in the diagonal elements of the stress tensor of a polycrystal which are quadratic in the creep rate and which contribute in the steady state to the third-order coefficients relating the stress to the square of the recoverable strain. These pressure terms are calculated from thermodynamic forces which are derivatives of the entropy with respect to the independent creep rate components attributable to various vacancy and dislocation mechanisms. It is shown that the forces can be obtained, through use of the Onsager-Casimir reciprocity relations, from the phenomenological equations which relate the acceleration and velocity of creep to the stress. A particular example of the calculation is given for the Weertman dislocation-climb mechanism, which postulates that a Frank-Read source is blocked by neighboring sources. It is found that during steady creep, the anelastic terms in the stress which depend on the square of the creep rate exceed in magnitude the nonlinear terms which involve the high-frequency third-order elastic constants.
Toward an Integration of Agent- and Activity-Centric Approaches in Organizational Process Modeling: Incorporating Incentive Mechanisms

This paper presents an approach to organizational modeling that combines both agent-centric and activity-centric approaches. Activity-centric approaches to process modeling capture the mechanistic components of a process (including aspects of workflow, decision, and information), but agent-centric approaches capture specific aspects of the human component. In this paper, we explore an integrative viewpoint in which the transactional aspects of agent-centric concerns--for example, economic incentives for agents to perform--are integrated with decision and informational aspects of a process. To illustrate issues in this approach, we focus on modeling incentive mechanisms in a specific sales process and present results from an extensive simulation experiment. Our results highlight the importance of considering the effects of incentives when decision and informational aspects of a process undergo changes.
Aortic root replacement with the freestyle stentless porcine aortic root bioprosthesis

Abstract Background . Stentless porcine prosthetic valves offer several advantages over traditional valves. Among these are superior hemodynamics, laminar flow patterns, lack of need for anticoagulation and perhaps improved durability. Methods . One hundred and twelve patients were operated on from September 17, 1992 to April 13, 1998 as part of a multi-center worldwide investigation. All patients received a total aortic root replacement. Patients were evaluated postoperatively at discharge, 3 to 6 months, and yearly by clinical exam and color flow Doppler echocardiography. Results . There were 4 deaths either in the hospital or within 30 days after surgery for an operative mortality of 3.6%. No patients experienced structural valve deterioration, non-structural valve deterioration, paravalvular leak, unacceptable hemodynamic performance, or postoperative endocarditis. The linearized rates for survival and thromboembolic complications at 5 years were 82.8% and 90.5% respectively. Excellent hemodynamic function is demonstrated by very low gradients, large EOA, and an exceedingly low incidence of any aortic regurgitation. Conclusions . The Medtronic Freestyle aortic root bioprosthesis can be used safely to replace the aortic root for aortic valve and aortic root pathology. Root replacement allows optimal hemodynamic performance with no significant aortic regurgitation. Early and intermediate results are encouraging, but further follow-up is needed to determine valve durability.
Basic fibroblast growth factor: peritoneal and follicular fluid levels and its effect on early embryonic development

Abstract Objective: To investigate the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) on preimplantation embryos and to evaluate the levels of basic FGF in follicular and peritoneal fluid. Design: Prospective study. Setting: University-based laboratory. Patient(s): Follicular fluids (FFs) were obtained from women undergoing ovulation induction (n = 62) and peritoneal fluids were obtained from women with (n = 49) or without (n = 12) endometriosis. Intervention(s): The effect of basic FGF on mouse embryos was assessed. Basic FGF concentrations were measured in pre-hCG and post-hCG FFs and in peritoneal fluids. Main Outcome Measure(s): Two-cell murine embryos were treated with basic FGF and followed for the rate of blastocyst formation and embryo hatching. Follicular and peritoneal fluid basic FGF levels were measured by ELISA. Result(s): Basic FGF (10 ng/mL) decreased the rate of blastocyst formation and embryo hatching. The level of basic FGF did not change in the FF around ovulation, and there was no correlation between FF basic FGF levels and reproductive parameters, with the exception of age. The levels of basic FGF in the peritoneal fluid of women with or without endometriosis were not different. Conclusion(s): Basic FGF is present in follicular and peritoneal fluids, but its concentration in these fluids does not change during the menstrual cycle or in the presence of endometriosis. Basic FGF inhibits murine preimplantation embryonic development at concentrations 10–100 times higher than the levels detected in follicular and peritoneal fluids.
ER structure and function

The ER forms a contiguous structure of interconnected sheets and tubules that spreads from the nuclear envelope to the cell cortex. Through its attachment to the cytoskeleton, the ER undergoes dynamic rearrangements, such as tubule extension and movement. ER shaping proteins (reticulons and DP1/Yop1p) play key roles in generating and maintaining the unique reticular morphology of the ER. Atlastin and its yeast homologue, Sey1p, mediate homotypic ER membrane fusion, which leads to the formation of new three-way junctions within the polygonal network. At these junctions, the Lunapark protein, Lnp1p, works in conjunction with the reticulons, DP1/Yop1p, and in antagonism to atlastin/Sey1p to maintain the network in a dynamic equilibrium. Defects in ER morphology have been linked to certain neurological disorders.
The analytic methods of operations research

Originally, the techniques used by operational research teams were borrowed from other scientific fields. However, the scope of problems addressed by this new discipline soon led to the development of special analytic methods, including such now familiar terms as linear programming, game theory, dynamic programming, queueing theory, and so forth. This growth was accelerated by the parallel development of the high-speed digital computer and the modern concepts of solution algorithms and simulation models. When computational storage and speed were limited, emphasis was on the exploitation of a problem's special structure; as capabilities have expanded and costs have diminished, emphasis has shifted to the problems of data management for larger-scale problems. Efficient data-structure methods have led to new methods for 'unsolvable' combinatorial problems. Concurrently, there has been an explosion in the theoretical literature. Specialty journals flourish in the various methodological areas, and conference offerings have grown to an unwieldy size. Most major universities now offer courses and degree programmes in O.R., based on topics which were unknown twenty years ago, and which use a wide variety of available textbooks. Furthermore, it is increasingly difficult to draw a firm line between O.R. and other disciplines, as successful techniques are routinely taught and used in their fields of application, including a variety of new disciplines such as transportation and urban planning, waste management, energy analysis, environmental engineering, health care systems, etc. O.R. methods have also had a large influence on theoretical fields, such as mathematics, statistics and economics. Recent developments in selected methodological areas are surveyed to indicate the variety and sophistication of O.R. techniques, and current research trends. Selected bibliographic references provide an introduction to the techniques, or to important new developments. In conclusion, the current crises which have appeared within the profession are discussed, and the prospects of this now-mature field are analysed.
THE GONADOTROPIC ACTIVITY OF THE ANTERIOR PITUITARY OF COCKERELS1

THE DETERMINATION of the gonadotropic activity of the anterior pituitary in the chick has been handicapped until recently because relatively large amounts of avian glandular substance were thought to be necessary to elicit responses in test animals. Recently, however, Jaap (1935), Meyer, Mellish, and Kupperman (1939), Phillips (1942) and Riley and Fraaps (1942), have developed techniques which make it possible to test individual glands. A sensitive test was reported in the two latter papers in which the growth of the vaginal epithelium of rat and mouse was utilized. This technique demonstrated that it was feasible to make a more detailed physiological study of the pituitary of the chick during the first few months after hatching. The time from hatching to 90 days of age is a period of great physiological change in White Leghorns as is evidenced by the fact that the anterior pituitary weight increases more than 9 times and the testicular weight more than 80 times during this interval, Brene-man (1944).
Precision beam pointing for laser communication system using a CCD-based tracker

Spatial acquisition and precision beam pointing functions are critical to spaceborne laser communication systems. A recent system study indicated that a single high bandwidth CCD detector can be used to perform both spatial acquisition and tracking functions. Compared to previous lasercom hardware design, the array tracking concept offers reduced system complexity by reducing the number of optical elements in the design. Specifically, the design requires only one detector and one beam steering mechanism. It also provides means to optically close the point-ahead control loop. The technology required for high bandwidth array tracking was examined and shown to be consistent with current state of the art. It is believed that the single detector design can lead to a significantly reduced system complexity and a lower system cost.
The recognition of symmetric latin squares

A latin square S is isotopic to another latin square S′ if S′ can be obtained from S by permuting the row indices, the column indices and the symbols in S. Because the three permutations used above may all be different, a latin square which is isotopic to a symmetric latin square need not be symmetric. We call the problem of determining whether a latin square is isotopic to a symmetric latin square the symmetry recognition problem. It is the purpose of this article to give a solution to this problem. For this purpose we will introduce a cocycle corresponding to a latin square which transforms very simply under isotopy, and we show this cocycle contains all the information needed to determine whether a latin square is isotopic to a symmetric latin square. Our results relate to 1-factorizations of the complete graph on n + 1 vertices, Kn + 1. There is a well known construction which can be used to make an n × n latin square from a 1-factorization on n + 1 vertices. The symmetric idempotent latin squares are exactly the latin squares that result from this construction. The idempotent recognition problem is simple for symmetric latin squares, so our results enable us to recognize exactly which latin squares arise from 1-factorizations of Kn + 1. As an example we show that the patterned starter 1-factorization for the group G gives rise to a latin square which is in the main class of the Cayley latin square for G if and only if G is abelian. Hence, every non-abelian group gives rise to two latin squares in different main classes. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 16: 291–300, 2008
Ultra-thin ultra-smooth and low-loss silver and silver-silica composite films for superlensing applications

We demonstrate a method to fabricate ultra-thin ultra-smooth and low-loss silver and silver-silica composite films using a germanium wetting layer and a rapid post-annealing treatment. Such achievement satisfies both the demands for superlenses and hyperlenses.
Retinoic acid-dependent transactivation of major histocompatibility complex class I promoters by the nuclear hormone receptor H-2RIIBP in undifferentiated embryonal carcinoma cells.

Abstract H-2RIIBP is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that binds to the region II enhancer of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes. The binding occurs through the GG(T/A)CA motif present also in many other genes. The role of H-2RIIBP in developmental regulation of MHC class I genes has been studied in undifferentiated N-Tera2 embryonal carcinoma cells by transient cotransfection of an expressible H-2RIIBP plasmid and a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene linked to the MHC class I promoter. Transfection of the expression plasmid led to production of H-2RIIBP transcripts and enhanced MHC class I promoter activity in cells that were treated with retinoic acid but not yet differentiated. Retinoic acid concentrations required for transactivation overlapped with those capable of inducing morphological differentiation and expression of endogenous MHC class I genes in these cells. This enhancement was mediated by region II, as a heterologous thymidine kinase promoter driven by region II also served as a target for H-2RIIBP transactivation. Deletion of the bulk of the DNA-binding domain or the ligand-binding domain of H-2RIIBP, but not of the N-terminal domain, abolished transactivation, indicating that the former two domains are critical for the enhancement. Moreover, H-2RIIBP transactivation exhibited a strict cell-type restriction. As observed in other cell lines, N-Tera2 cells that had undergone differentiation failed to elicit transactivation, suggesting that H-2RIIBP acts in concert with a cofactor expressed in undifferentiated N-Tera2 cells that requires retinoic acid for its function. These results suggest that H-2RIIBP can function as a developmentally specific transcription factor for MHC class I genes.
Les rythmes contagieux d’une danse noire : le cake-walk

Cette etude propose une anthropologie du geste d’une danse noire americaine, le cake-walk. En retracant la facon dont le cake-walk a ete transforme par des artistes francais, cette analyse souligne la specificite francaise des perceptions de cette danse qui est vite devenue un phenomene de societe. On remarque la convergence entre deux champs scientifiques, vulgarises et largement repandus dans la presse : la psycho-pathologie et la theorie de l’evolution. Le discours autour du mouvement hysterico-epileptique et celui autour de la regression darwinienne sont superposes dans presque tous les commentaires sur les rythmes entrainants et les gestes du cake-walk, creant des inquietudes sur la contagion et la degenerescence.
Acoustic-phonetic processing in semantic dementia

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, PA, USAAccepted 6 July 2006IntroductionSemantic dementia (SD) results in a progressive loss of conceptualknowledge in the context of preserved syntactic, auditory, and visual spa-tial abilities (Grossman & Ash, 2004; Hodges, 2003; Paterson, Knott, H moderate: 66). The mean MMSEwas 18.75 (mild: 24; moderate: 13.5). Semantic memory impairment asmeasured by the Pyramids and Palm Trees test (Howard & Patterson,1992) averaged, for pictures and words, 43.75/52 (mild: 47.25; moderate:40.25). Average confrontation naming on the Boston Naming Test (Kap-lan, Goodglass, & Weintraub, 1976) averaged 5.75 of 15 (mild: 9; moder-ate: 2.5). All patients passed a pure tone hearing screening at 1, 2, and4 kHz. Patients were instructed through training sessions before each task.All auditory stimuli were digitized and administered by headphones with afrequency response range of 8–25 kHz.Structural MRI scans of milder SD revealed atrophy in the left ventral,anterolateral cortex (see Fig. 1a for VBM analysis of signiﬁcant corticalatrophy in a mild SD patient). Patients with moderate SD showed atrophyspread to the posterior temporal cortex (see Fig. 1b for a VBM analysis ofsigniﬁcant cortical atrophy in a moderate SD patient).Experiment 1: Pure tone acoustic discriminationPure tones varying in frequency from 300 to 5000 Hz were presented inpairs, with a 1000 ms interstimulus interval (ISI). Half the tone pairs wereidentical; the remainder diﬀered by increments of 25–4000 Hz. ParticipantsindicatedwhethereachtonepairwastheSAMEorDIFFERENTwithakeypress.ResultsOverall accuracy of pure tone discrimination was 82.5% (p < .001,binomial test diﬀering from chance). The within-group contrast of mildSD versus moderate SD demonstrated greater discrimination diﬃcultyin moderate SD (mild accuracy: 90%; moderate accuracy: 75%;v
Crystal growth and properties of trinickel boride, Ni3B

Single crystals of Ni3B (orthorhombic, cementite structure) were grown by the Czochralski method at 1080–1090°C, using a pyrolytic BN crucible in a vacuum environment. Crystals up to 1.5 cm in diameter and 5 cm long were prepared at growth rates of 1–2 cm/h. Oriented sections were tested for hardness, Young's moduli, and fracture toughness. Chemical analyses confirmed the crystals to be >99.8 wt% Ni3B, with 0.1 wt% C as the major impurity.
Use of a single-code/default strategy by pigeons to acquire duration sample discriminations

Past evidence that pigeons may adopt a single-code/default strategy to solve duration sample discriminations may be attributable to the similarity between the intertrial interval (ITI) and the retention interval. The present experiments tested whether pigeons would adopt a single-code/default strategy when possible ITI-retention-interval ambiguity was eliminated and sample salience was increased. Previous studies of duration sample discriminations that have purported to show evidence for the use of a single-code/default coding strategy have used durations of 0, 2, and 10 sec (Zentall, Klein, & Singer, 2004). However, the results of Experiment 1 suggest that the use of a 0-sec sample may produce an artifact resulting in inadvertent present/absent sample matching. In Experiment 2, when pigeons were trained with three nonzero duration samples (2, 8, and 32 sec), clear evidence for the use of a single-code/default strategy was found.
The prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency: A review of the research

Abstract This article reviews available evidence regarding the effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs to reduce juvenile delinquency. A broad range of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs are considered. The conclusions reached from this review are that interventions must be broadly based, extend over long time periods of development, and be assessed with fuller characterization of operational regularities.
Application of Post's formula to optical pulse propagation in dispersive media

In this paper we consider the propagation of optical pulses in dielectric media with nontrivial dispersion relations. In particular, we implement Post's Laplace transform formula to invert in time the Fourier-Laplace space coefficients which arise from the joint space solution of the optical dispersive wave equation. Due to the inefficiency of a direct application of this formula, we have considered and present here two more efficient implementations. In the first, the Gaver-Post method, we utilize the well known Gaver functionals but store intermediate calculations to improve efficiency. The second, the Bell-Post method, involves an analytic reformulation of Post's formula such that knowledge of the dispersion relation and its derivatives are sufficient to invert the coefficients from Laplace space to time. Unlike other approaches to the dispersive wave equation which utilize a Debye-Lorentzian assumption for the dispersion relation, our algorithm is applicable to general Maxwell-Hopkinson dielectrics. Moreover, we formulate the approach in terms of the Fourier-Laplace coefficients which are characteristic of a dispersive medium but are independent of the initial pulse profile. They thus can be precomputed and utilized when necessary in a real-time system. Finally, we present an illustration of the method applied to optical pulse propagation in a free space and in two materials with Cole-type dispersion relations, room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) hexafluorophosphate and brain white matter. From an analysis of these examples, we find that both methods perform better than a standard Post-formula implementation. The Bell-Post method is the more robust of the two, while the Gaver-Post is more efficient at high precision and Post formula approximation orders.
Signal Perturbation Technique for Achievement of Linear Position Transfer Characteristic

Improved position detection using a one-dimensional photosensor array has been shown [1], [2] to be possible by applying a high-frequency triangular perturbation signal to a normalized target image. This paper develops an adequate model for describing the receptor system with respect to the perturbation amplitude, the receptor element threshold, and the deadband between elements. From the model, it is shown how the parameters can be adjusted to achieve a linear position transfer characteristic when deadband exists between elements.
Neurological control of horizontal and vertical components of oblique saccadic eye movements

The horizontal and vertical components of oblique saccadic eye movements are not always tightly crosslinked; often they are completely independent. Most of the time the two components do not start and end simultaneously. The neurological bursting and pausing of the extraocular motoneurons that underlie the generation of these oblique movements will, correspondingly, not be synchronized. Evidence for some crosstalk between the horizontal and vertical systems comes from observations that pure horizontal or pure vertical saccades are rarely straight but are almost always curved. The hooks seen frequently in oblique trajectories are caused by dynamic overshoot in one or both components. Vertical saccades are slower than horizontal saccades, with downward saccades being the slowest. Oblique saccades, being the result of the summation of forces of the horizontal and vertical systems, can be faster than either purely horizontal or vertical saccades of the same amplitude.
Multi-Static Sonar Tracking Incorporating Environmentally-Adaptive SNR Estimates

This paper discusses an approach for improving tracking in a multi-static sonar field. Improved SNR estimates for contacts are used in a multiple target tracking algorithm. This paper presents comparative results for simulated and real data using a probabilistic data association (PDA) algorithm and PDA with amplitude information (PDAFAI).
Catecholaminergic neurons of treefrog isthmotrigeminal tegmentum

Neurons that take up 3H-noradrenaline were detected, by autoradiography, around the ventral tip of the isthmic nucleus in treefrogs. No uptake was detected in the adjacent pretrigeminal nucleus, suggesting that this is not homologous to the locus coeruleus.
Dissolved hydrogen and methane in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia

Hydrogen, methane, and relevant microbiological and hydrographic observations were made to study the processes responsible for the observed distributions of the gases in Saanich Inlet, a seasonally anoxic fjord. Concentrations of surface waters were up to 22 (H2) and 13 (CH4) times atmospheric saturation. Below the surface hydrogen fell to undersaturation, rising to above saturation in the anoxic layer. Methane increased to a maximum at 30 m, and after a minimum at 125 m, increased greatly in the anoxic layer. Microbes cultured from inlet surface water produced hydrogen under experimental conditions, not by nitrogen fixation but while apparently denitrifying. Large numbers of protozoa present may provide anaerobic microniches for hydrogen and methane production, as might the intestinal tracts of the large populations of higher organisms in the inlet. Methane profiles in the upper 50 m are typical of waters outside the inlet, indicating regional sources and sinks. Hydrogen production and consumption rates, inferred to be rapid in the anoxic waters, nearly balance so that only slight increases in hydrogen occur there.
Histopathologic lesions in Ducklings caused by Aspergillus flavus cultures, culture extracts, and crystalline aflatoxins.

Abstract The aflatoxins, metabolites produced by some strains of the fungus Aspergillus flavus, are toxic to many animal species. The present report describes the histopathologic lesions induced in ducklings by feeding or repeated oral administration of cultures of the fungus, culture extracts, and pure aflatoxins B1, B2, and G1. The basic pathologic lesions associated with administration of the compounds at any stage of purity consists of hepatic parenchyma necrosis and proliferation of bile ductule cells. Variations occur only in degree and intensity, the severity of damage increasing with successive purification of the toxic compounds. When administered in 5 daily doses, 2.0 μg of aflatoxin B1 initiated clearly defined bile duct hyperplasia. Lesions of similar severity were caused by 15.6 μg aflatoxin and G1 and 50.0 μg aflatoxin B2, indicating lower biological potency of the latter compounds in this subacute assay.
Prognosis for urban noise in the United States—The present to 1990

Abstract A forecast of L dn changes within the residential areas of constant population density is made in terms of external noise levels ( L 1 L 2 ) and ‘vehicle travels’ ( N 1 N 2 ) for cars, trucks and buses. Anticipated increases of N 1 and N 2 have been estimated by the use of trend line analysis (Figs. 3 and 4). A few hypotheses of L 1 and L 2 decrease have been considered. Increase of L dn by more than 3 dB may be expected until 1993.
Effect of facial nerve transection on acetylcholinesterase, choline acetyltransferase and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding in rat facial nuclei

Choline acetyltransferase activity and localization of acetylcholinesterase and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites (muscarinic receptors) in rat facial nuclei were examined 2 weeks after right facial nerve transection or sham control surgery. Choline acetyltransferase activity in the right facial nucleus of nerve-transected rats was only one-third of that in the left nucleus. Histochemical observations revealed loss of acetylcholinesterase from most motoneurons and neuropil of the right facial nucleus after axotomy. Autoradiographic grains, marking muscarinic receptors, were likewise depleted substantially from this region. Facial nuclei of control animals were identical with respect to all of these neurochemical measures and undistinguishable from the left facial nucleus of nerve-transected rats. Cholinergic enzymes are known to be synthesized by motoneurons, but the source of muscarinic receptors in the facial nucleus is not known. Since all three proteins are depleted from the facial nucleus after axotomy of motoneurons, it is concluded that these cells produce cholinergic enzymes and muscarinic receptors. Synthesis of muscarinic receptors by facial motoneurons could indicate these neurons are cholinoceptive. Axotomy should be a useful tool for determining which other neurotransmitter receptors are produced by facial motoneurons and efferent neurons in other cranial nerve nuclei.
Outcomes Research in Otology

Among the otolaryngologic subspecialties, otology has historically been at the forefront of outcomes research in our specialty. Many traditional outcomes reporting tools have been consistently employed in the study of otologic disease and treatment outcomes including standardized reporting schemes for Meniere's disease and facial nerve dysfunction. However, recent interest has surfaced in disease-specific quality-of-life outcomes measures for many otologic diseases such as sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss and suppurative otitis media. Several reliable and validated outcomes tools are available for the assessment of the impact on quality of life and treatment outcomes for common otologic afflictions that carry with them significant quality-of-life burdens. Furthermore, similar outcomes tools have been developed that allow a scientific appraisal of disease status and quality of life for dizziness and tinnitus, which have been traditionally difficult to quantify. Increasing familiarity with these outcomes tools will allow investigators to accurately assess and compare treatments for these otologic diseases and justify treatment initiatives in the future.
Decreased dopamine turnover in the median eminence in response to suckling in the lactating rat

The effects of suckling on the turnover of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) were studied in terminal projection fields of the tuberoinfundibular (median eminence, ME), nigrostriatal (caudate nucleus, CN), incertohypothalamic (medial preoptic nucleus, MPN) and mesolimbic (nucleus accumbens, NA) dopaminergic neurons. Decreased dopamine turnover in the median eminence was found in suckled compared with nonsuckled rats at 10 days postpartum. This effect was specific as dopamine turnover in the CN, NA and MPN and norepinephrine turnover in the ME, NA and MPN were not affected by suckling. The suckling-induced prolactin response is markedly blunted in rats 20 days postpartum. In these rats, median eminence dopamine turnover did not decrease significantly in response to suckling. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that median eminence dopamine is a physiological prolactin inhibitory factor mediating suckling-induced prolactin release.
Toward innovative leadership

Abstract A new breed of executive, an innovative leader, has become vital to the new technological world. To obtain this new breed, new sources must be tapped. Greater use must be made of the graduates of liberal arts colleges, the “alter ego” technique, the task force system, and the research team strategy. However, alterations within the current organization strategies of businesses themselves can help promote the development of innovative leadership. Within the business, authority must reflect the interests of the employees; risk must become an acceptable policy; and communications within. the company should be utilized. Strides must be made to permit the individual himself to develop his potential for innovative leadership. The structures of business should be revamped and acceptable rewards provided in order to facilitate the growth of the new breed of executive.
Prostatic carcinoma with directextension to renal pelvis

Abstract Metastasis of prostatic carcinoma to the kidney is rare. In this unique case the tumorascended the ureter to the renal pelvis.
Reactivity and Mutagenicity of Endogenous DNA Oxopropenylating Agents: Base Propenals, Malondialdehyde, and Nε-Oxopropenyllysine

Malondialdehyde (MDA), a mutagenic product of lipid peroxidation, reacts with DNA to form the premutagenic lesion, pyrimido[1,2-a]purin-10(3H)-one (M1G). M1G is present in normal human tissues, but the contribution of other endogenously produced MDA analogues is poorly understood. Oxidation of the DNA backbone can cause strand breaks and release base propenals, and MDA condensation with proteins yields Ne-oxopropenyllysine. Here we compare the M1G-forming ability and Salmonella typhimurium mutagenicity of MDA with adenine, thymine, and cytosine propenals and Nα-acetyl-Ne-oxopropenyllysine methyl ester. Base propenals are 30−150 times more potent than MDA in M1G formation and are 30−60 times more mutagenic than MDA. In addition, the Fe−bleomycin complex, which generates base propenals, induced M1G, but γ-radiation, which generates mostly MDA, did not. M1G formation by MDA and base propenals was concentration-dependent, time-dependent, and enhanced by acidic conditions. Nα-Acetyl-Ne-oxopropenyllysine methyl...
THE ROLE OF CRYSTALS IN OSTEOARTHRITIS

The interrelationship between crystals and osteoarthritis (OA) has been reviewed twice in recent years. 9,51 Evidence for a causal role of crystals in cartilage degeneration is primarily inferential, based on correlative data; however, the thesis that articular crystals promote cartilage degeneration is supported by clinical observations and experimental evidence of their in vitro effects. More definitive investigations of causality are impeded by the lack of a suitable animal model for studying noninflammatory aspects of crystal deposition, the slow pace of degeneration, and problems with detection of early degeneration and small crystal deposits. The bulk of this article deals with calcium-containing crystals within joints, the class of crystals most common in the osteoarthritic joint. These crystals may cause acute attacks of inflammatory arthritis or periarthritis but, more often, they are associated with an exaggerated form of osteoarthritis (OA). Two general types have been studied best, calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) and basic calcium phosphate (BCP). 19,46 The latter term encompasses at least three major species: tricalcium phosphate, carbonate-substituted apatite, and octacalcium phosphate. 33 There is compelling in vitro evidence that these crystals engender multiple biological effects that promote joint degeneration, and clinical observations support a relationship of both crystal types to OA.
Molecular and developmental analyses of thyroid hormone receptor function in Xenopus laevis, the African clawed frog

The current review focuses on the molecular mechanisms and developmental roles of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) in gene regulation and metamorphosis in Xenopus laevis and discusses implications for TR function in vertebrate development and diversity. Questions addressed are: (1) what are the molecular mechanisms of gene regulation by TR, (2) what are the developmental roles of TR in mediating the thyroid hormone (TH) signal, (3) what are the roles of the different TR isoforms, and (4) how do changes in these molecular and developmental mechanisms affect evolution? Even though detailed knowledge of molecular mechanisms of TR-mediated gene regulation is available from in vitro studies, relatively little is known about how TR functions in development in vivo. Studies on TR function during frog metamorphosis are leading the way toward bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies. In particular, a dual function model for the role of TR in metamorphosis has been proposed and investigated. In this model, TRs repress genes allowing tadpole growth in the absence of TH during premetamorphosis and activate genes important for metamorphosis when TH is present. Despite the lack of metamorphosis in most other vertebrates, TR has important functions in development across vertebrates. The underlying molecular mechanisms of TR in gene regulation are conserved through evolution, so other mechanisms involving TH-target genes and TH tissue-sensitivity and dependence underlie differences in role of TR across vertebrates. Continued analysis of molecular and developmental roles of TR in X. laevis will provide the basis for understanding how TR functions in gene regulation in vivo across vertebrates and how TR is involved in the generation of evolutionary diversity.
An Extension of Iterative Scaling for Decision and Data Aggregation in Ensemble Classification

Improved iterative scaling (IIS) is an algorithm for learning maximum entropy (ME) joint and conditional probability models, consistent with specified constraints, that has found great utility in natural language processing and related applications. In most IIS work on classification, discrete-valued "feature functions" are considered, depending on the data observations and class label, with constraints measured based on frequency counts, taken over hard (0---1) training set instances. Here, we consider the case where the training (and test) set consist of instances of probability mass functions on the features, rather than hard feature values. IIS extends in a natural way for this case. This has applications (1) to ME classification on mixed discrete-continuous feature spaces and (2) to ME aggregation of soft classifier decisions in ensemble classification. Moreover, we combine these methods, yielding a method, with proved learning convergence, that jointly performs (soft) decision-level and feature-level fusion in making ensemble decisions. We demonstrate favorable comparisons against standard Adaboost.M1, input-dependent boosting, and other supervised combining methods, on data sets from the UC Irvine Machine Learning repository.
Honeywell optical investigations on FLASH program

The increasing performance and reduction of life cycle cost requirements placed on commercial and military transport aircraft are resulting in more complex, highly integrated aircraft control and management systems. The use of fiber optic data transmission media can make significant contributions in achieving these performance and cost goals. The Honeywell portion of Task 2A on the Fly-by-Light Advanced System Hardware (FLASH) program is evaluating a Primary Flight Control System (PFCS) using pilot and copilot inputs from Active Hand Controllers (AHC) which are optically linked to the primary flight Control Computers (PFCC). Customer involvement is an important element of the Task 2A activity. Establishing customer requirements and perspectives on productization of systems developed under FLASH are key to future product success. The Honeywell elements of the PFCS demonstrator provide a command path that is optically interfaced from crew inputs to commands of distributed, smart actuation subsystems commands. Optical communication architectures are implemented using several protocols including the new AS-1773A 20 Mbps data bus standard. The interconnecting fiber optic cable plant is provided by our Task 1A teammate McDonnell Douglas Aerospace (West). Fiber optic cable plant fabrication uses processed, tools and materials reflecting necessary advances in manufacturing required to make fly-by-light avionics systems marketable.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Interaction of Transport Phenomena and Surface Reactions

Phenomena that occur when blood contacts a foreign surface are controlled by transport processes in the bloodstream immediately above the surface and by reactions at the surface itself. All constituents of blood that attach to a surface may leave the surface and be replaced by other constituents. Some of the constituents may attach in superposition. This turnover of constituents at the surface is influenced by the nature of the substrate and the shear stress between the blood and the surface. The turnover process is easy to demonstrate with platelets. When platelets depart from a surface, the site they vacate has a higher attractiveness for adhesion of other platelets than the surrounding surface that has not had a cell attached to it, but this enhanced attractiveness diminishes in a few minutes if a new occupant does not occupy the site. As data accumulate, it is beginning to appear that platelet turnover differs between different blood donors but remains relatively constant for each individual unless dietary or pharmacological changes that affect the turnover rate are introduced.
ERP responses to target and nontarget visual stimuli in alcoholics from VA and community treatment programs

This study had three aims: 1) to cross-validate previously reported findings that sober alcoholics compared to nonalcoholic peers have reduced ERP P300 amplitudes to visual target stimuli at the Pz electrode; 2) to test the hypothesis that alcoholics from VA Hospital treatment programs will manifest more ERP indications of brain dysfunction than peer alcoholics from community treatment programs (paralleling our neuropsychological findings in these samples); and 3) to explore differences among the groups in ERP responses to the little-studied nontarget stimuli. Nineteen VA alcoholics, 32 community alcoholics, and 24 peer community controls were given a visual "oddball" stimulus task. The total group of alcoholics had significantly lower P300 amplitudes than controls for target stimuli at the Pz electrode but VA and community alcoholic subgroups did not differ. There were no latency differences between or among the groups. On the nontarget stimuli, alcoholics had significantly higher P100 and lower N100 amplitudes than the controls at all three scored electrodes (Fz, Cz, and Pz). We conclude that cross-validation of reduced P300 amplitudes at Pz in sober alcoholics was obtained but that differences in severity of brain dysfunction, at least as measured by neuropsychological test performance, cannot account for alcoholics' ERP changes relative to controls. Finally, our data suggest that ERP changes to nontarget visual stimuli should be investigated in addition to the more traditional ERP measures to target stimuli.
Systematic review: the long-term effects of false-positive mammograms.

The long-term effects of false-positive mammograms on the psychological well-being of women are poorly understood. This systematic review summarizes 23 observational studies that compared outcomes ...
Performance criteria affecting pointing error and the impact on total cost of ownership

Methods to determine pointing error per the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Vehicle Mounted Earth Station (VMES) license have been presented with accurate measurements. Accurate pointing is a defining requirement for transmitting mobile satellite communication ("Satcom-on-the-move") antennas. Indirectly, pointing error has an immediate impact on the total space segment cost by the user community. The following paper will discuss system performance parameters that affect pointing error, its implications in meeting FCC VMES regulations and impact on leased bandwidth cost, and the overall effect on the user community.
Assembly of an RNA-Protein Complex BINDING OF NusB AND NusE (S10) PROTEINS TO boxA RNA NUCLEATES THE FORMATION OF THE ANTITERMINATION COMPLEX INVOLVED IN CONTROLLING rRNA TRANSCRIPTION IN ESCHERICHIA COLI

Analytical ultracentrifugation and fluorescence anisotropy methods have been used to measure the equilibrium parameters that control the formation of the core subcomplex of NusB and NusE proteins and boxA RNA. This subcomplex, in turn, nucleates the assembly of the antitermination complex that is involved in controlling the synthesis of ribosomal RNA in Escherichia coli and that also participates in forming the N protein-dependent antitermination complex in lambdoid phage synthesis. In this study we determined the dissociation constants (Kd values) for the individual binary interactions that participate in the assembly of the ternary NusB-NusE-boxA RNA subassembly, and we showed that multiple equilibria, involving both specific and nonspecific binding, are involved in the assembly pathway of this protein-RNA complex. The measured Kd values were used to model the in vitro assembly reaction and combined with in vivo concentration data to simulate the overall control of the assembly of this complex in E. coli at two different cellular growth rates. The results showed that at both growth rates assembly proceeds via the initial formation of a weak but specific NusB-boxA complex, which is then stabilized by NusE binding. We showed that NusE also binds nonspecifically to available single-stranded RNA sequences and that such nonspecific protein binding to RNA can help to regulate crucial interactions in the assembly of the various macromolecular machines of gene expression.
Deficits in lexical and semantic processing: Implications for models of normal language

The investigation of language processing following brain damage may be used to constrain models of normal language processing. We review the literature on semantic and lexical processing deficits, focusing on issues of representation of semantic knowledge and the mechanisms of lexical access. The results broadly support a componential organization of lexical knowledge—the semantic component is independent of phonological and orthographic form knowledge, and the latter are independent of each other. Furthermore, the results do not support the hypothesis that word meaning is organized into modality-specific subcomponents. We also discuss converging evidence from functional imaging studies in relation to neuropsychological results.