cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the result of a complex interaction between blood elements, disturbed flow, and vessel wall abnormality. In the prevalent view, atherosclerosis is considered a specialized type of chronic, inflammatory, fibroproliferative response of the arterial wall to various sources of injury.1 Several pathologic processes are involved in atherosclerotic plaque evolution: chronic endothelial injury, with increased permeability, endothelial activation, and monocyte recruitment; cellular growth, with smooth muscle cell migration, proliferation, and extracellular matrix synthesis; degeneration, with lipid accumulation, necrosis, and calcification; inflammation, with leukocyte activation and extracellular matrix degradation; and thrombosis, with platelet recruitment and fibrin formation. In addition, biologic processes may be involved in lesion stabilization or even regression. This chapter will review pivotal cellular and mollecular events in the processes of initiation, progression, stabilization and regression of atherosclerotic lesions.
Variability in the Southern Annular Mode determines wildfire activity in Patagonia

[1] Under the current global warming trend, wildfire activity is expected to decrease in biomass-limited fire regimes but increase in drought-limited fire regimes with abundant biomass. We examined the effects of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) on interannual variability in wildfire activity in xeric woodland and temperate rainforest ecosystems across a latitudinal range of 10° in temperate southwestern South America (SSA). Based on 42 fire history sites based on nearly 600 fire-scarred trees (the largest available dataset of annually resolved tree-ring records of fire activity in the Southern Hemisphere), we show that years of widespread fire in both xeric woodland and rainforest ecosystems are associated with positive departures of SAM. The association of positive SAM with increased fire activity is explained by the teleconnection of SAM to spring drought across most of SSA. During the late 20th century, only the rainforest ecosystem shows a strong increase in fire activity, which is consistent both with upward trends in SAM and with warming conditions. We attribute the lack of increased burning in the xeric woodland environment to socioeconomic factors and fire behavior (low severity) that facilitate more effective fire suppression in the xeric woodland habitat. Given projected future increases in SAM and the associated warm-dry trend, wildfire activity in much of SSA is likely to increase during the 21st century.
Cell-specific IRF-3 responses protect against West Nile virus infection by interferon-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

Interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-3 is a master transcription factor that activates host antiviral defense programs. Although cell culture studies suggest that IRF-3 promotes antiviral control by inducing interferon (IFN)-β, near normal levels of IFN-α and IFN-β were observed in IRF-3−/− mice after infection by several RNA and DNA viruses. Thus, the specific mechanisms by which IRF-3 modulates viral infection remain controversial. Some of this disparity could reflect direct IRF-3-dependent antiviral responses in specific cell types to control infection. To address this and determine how IRF-3 coordinates an antiviral response, we infected IRF-3−/− mice and two primary cells relevant for West Nile virus (WNV) pathogenesis, macrophages and cortical neurons. IRF-3−/− mice were uniformly vulnerable to infection and developed elevated WNV burdens in peripheral and central nervous system tissues, though peripheral IFN responses were largely normal. Whereas wild-type macrophages basally expressed key host defense molecules, including RIG-I, MDA5, ISG54, and ISG56, and restricted WNV infection, IRF-3−/− macrophages lacked basal expression of these host defense genes and supported increased WNV infection and IFN-α and IFN-β production. In contrast, wild-type cortical neurons were highly permissive to WNV and did not basally express RIG-I, MDA5, ISG54, and ISG56. IRF-3−/− neurons lacked induction of host defense genes and had blunted IFN-α and IFN-β production, yet exhibited only modestly increased viral titers. Collectively, our data suggest that cell-specific IRF-3 responses protect against WNV infection through both IFN-dependent and -independent programs.
Disposition of high‐dose methotrexate in an obese cancer patient

The disposition of many drugs in obesity is altered, although little is known of the effect of obesity on the pharmacokinetics of anti-cancer drugs. In this report the authors describe the pharmacokinetics of high-dose methotrexate in an obese woman (184% ideal body weight) with osteosarcoma. For this patient, both the volume of distribution at steady-state (0.398 I/kg) and systemic clearance (0.0956 I/h/kg) of methotrexate were increased compared with values observed in adult patients with osteosarcoma. The terminal elimination half-life (9.29 hours) of methotrexate was similar to other reported values in adult patients, thus indicating that increases in methotrexate volume of distribution and clearance may offset each other in obesity. Based on the experience gained from this patient, the authors suggest that renal function and methotrexate serum concentrations should be monitored in obese patients receiving high-dose methotrexate with leucovorin rescue.
Rigorous analysis of a circular patch antenna excited by a microstrip transmission line

Boundary conditions are enforced on a portion of the microstrip feed line as well as the patch antenna. The integral equation for the unknown currents on the antenna and feed is solved by applying the Galerkin method of moments in the Fourier transform domain. The validity of the solution is tested by comparison of computed results with experimental data. The theoretical treatment proves to be applicable to the most common feeding arrangements, namely, the direct edge-feed and proximity coupling excitation. In the latter case, two-layer substrates having distinct dielectric constants are studied. The purpose of the study is to deduce, for a given overall substrate thickness, the smallest line-ground plane separation for which a match of the radiator to the feed line is still possible. The advantages of such a configuration are discussed. >
Animal models of human mitochondrial DNA mutations.

Background Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cause a variety of pathologic states in human patients. Development of animal models harboring mtDNA mutations is crucial to elucidating pathways of disease and as models for preclinical assessment of therapeutic interventions.
Converting a swap-based system to do paging in an architecture lacking page-referenced bits

This paper discusses the modifications made to the UNIX operating system for the VAX-11/780 to convert it from a swap-based segmented system to a paging-based virtual memory system. Of particular interest is that the host machine architecture does not include page-referenced bits. We discuss considerations in the design of page-replacement and load-control policies for such an architecture, and outline current work in modeling the policies employed by the system. We describe our experience with the chosen algorithms based on benchmark-driven studies and production system use.
Multi-resonant plasmonic nanodome arrays for label-free biosensing applications.

The characteristics and utility of plasmonic nanodome arrays capable of supporting multiple resonance modes are described. A low-cost, large-area replica molding process is used to produce, on flexible plastic substrates, two-dimensional periodic arrays of cylinders that are subsequently coated with SiO2 and Ag thin films to form dome-shaped structures, with 14 nm spacing between the features, in a precise and reproducible fashion. Three distinct optical resonance modes, a grating diffraction mode and two localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) modes, are observed experimentally and confirmed by finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) modeling which is used to calculate the electromagnetic field distribution of each resonance around the nanodome array structure. Each optical mode is characterized by measuring sensitivity to bulk refractive index changes and to surface effects, which are examined using stacked polyelectrolyte layers. The utility of the plasmonic nanodome array as a functional interface for biosensing applications is demonstrated by performing a bioassay to measure the binding affinity constant between protein A and human immunoglobulin G (IgG) as a model system. The nanoreplica molding process presented in this work allows for simple, inexpensive, high-throughput fabrication of nanoscale plasmonic structures over a large surface area (120 × 120 mm2) without the requirement for high resolution lithography or additional processes such as etching or liftoff. The availability of multiple resonant modes, each with different optical properties, allows the nanodome array surface to address a wide range of biosensing problems with various target analytes of different sizes and configurations.
Developmental expression of the 25-kDa synaptosomal-associated protein (SNAP-25) in rat brain.

Abstract The developmental expression and subcellular distribution of the neuron-specific 25-kDa synaptosomal protein (SNAP-25) were investigated by using Northern (RNA) blots, immunoblots, and immunocytochemistry. Both SNAP-25 protein and mRNA were present at low levels in embryonic day 15 rat brain, and levels of both increased during early postnatal maturation. Developmental immunoblots with antipeptide antisera demonstrated that a 25-kDa peptide was the major isoform in brain, and this form increased steadily from embryonic day 15 through adulthood. A second 27-kDa immunoreactive isoform was present in brain only during early development. Immunoblots of two-dimensional SDS/polyacrylamide gels revealed the presence of a predominant 25-kDa isoform of SNAP-25 in adult brain. Immunocytochemical studies indicated that as immunoreactivity for SNAP-25 increased during development, the cellular localization of SNAP-25 immunoreactivity concomitantly shifted from axons and cell bodies to presynaptic terminals. These data suggest that the SNAP-25 protein shifts in subcellular localization during development and may play a role in the establishment and stabilization of specific presynaptic terminals in brain.
Aerosol and Microparticle Generation Using a Commercial Inkjet Printer

Simple modifications to widely available commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) inkjet printers and cartridges enabled production of aerosols that were tunable in number, size, and size-distribution width. Aerosols generated from various solutions using an inkjet printer with varying control software settings were dehydrated into solid microparticles for characterization using an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) to determine particle number and size. The duration of microdroplet and microparticle production using this method was adjustable by varying the size of the print job image sent from the control computer. The microparticles created using the inkjet printer were predominantly 1–5 μm in aerodynamic diameter. Tuning of the size of the created microparticle size-distribution was achieved by changing the solute concentration in the printed solution. The size of the dried particles increased monotonically with solute concentration as expected. The aerosol size-distribution width was customizable by varying the...
Two-photon single particle tracking in 3D

Transport processes are important in biology and medicine. Examples include virus docking and infection, endocytosis of extracellular protein and phagocytosis of antigenic material. Trafficking driven by molecular motors inside a complex 3D environment is a shared common theme. The complex sequence of these events are difficult to resolve with conventional techniques where the action of many cells are asynchronously averaged. Single particle tracking (SPT) was developed by Ghosh and Webb to address this problem and has proven to be a powerful technique in understanding membrane- protein interaction. Since the traditional SPT method uses wide field illumination and area detectors, it is limited to the study of 2D systems. In this presentation, we report the development of a 3D single particle tracking technique using two-photon excitation. Using a real-time feedback system, we can dynamically position the sub-femtoliter two-photon excitation volume to follow the fluorescent particle under transport by maximizing the detected fluorescent intensity. Further, fluorescence spectroscopy can be performed in real time along the particle trajectory to monitor the underlying biochemical signals driving this transport process. The first application of this instrument will focus on the study of antigen endocytosis process of macrophages.
Finding the retinal hole in the pseudophakic eye with detachment

The recently developed wide-field indirect contact lenses, recommended and used for pancoagulation of the retina posterior to the equator, have proved to be unexpectedly advantageous for finding retinal breaks anterior to the equator in the pseudophakic eye. Through a 6-mm pupil, it is possible with some ocular rotations, tilting of the lens, and scleral depression to bring into view the retina anterior to the equator and frequently the ora serrata. We found or confirmed 45 small retinal breaks anterior to the equator in 24 retinal detachments in pseudophakic eyes with the wide-field indirect contact lens. The indirect contact lens eliminates the blur that occurs when viewing through the edge of the intraocular lens, and its image suffers less interference from lens and capsular opacities.
NMR studies of the structure of aqueous solutions—I. The aqueous N-methylpropionamide system

Abstract The proton magnetic resonance of aqueous N-methylpropionamide solutions has been studied as a function of the mole fraction of water and as a function of temperature. Shifts to lower applied magnetic fields with a decrease in temperature were observed for both water and NH proton resonances. An increase in water concentration was found to produce a high field shift in the NH proton resonance indicative of a net hydrogen-bond structure breaking effect. The other proton containing groups of N-methylpropionamide were only slightly affected by changes in temperature and concentration. The NMR data indicate that the addition of N-methylpropionamide to water produces an initial structure-making effect in water with a maximum at approximately 0.85 mole fraction of water. The further addition of the organic component to water produces a structure breaking effect with respect to water. The structure of these solutions as obtained from NMR techniques is compared to that suggested from density measurements.
Oral Manifestations of Dermatologic Disease: A Focus on Lichenoid Lesions

Lichenoid changes in the oral mucosa can be encountered in a wide range of lesions with varied etiologies including immune-mediated disorders, reactions to systemic medications and to dental materials. Dysplasia of the oral cavity can exhibit a lichenoid histology, which may mask the potentially cancerous component. Another unusual clinical disease, proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, can often mimic oral lichen planus clinically requiring careful correlation of the clinical and pathologic features.
Effect of fungal damage on seed composition and quality of soybeans

Fungal damage caused by pathogens such asFusarium, Cercospora, andPhomopsis can have a devastating impact on physical quality and farm price of soybeans. In some price-discount schedules, soybeans may be rejected with as low as 5% fungal damage. Although the severity of this problem varies throughout the United States, millions of bushels of fungus-damaged soybeans may be destroyed annually due to a lack of markets. The effect of fungal damage on seed composition was evaluated to assess potential utility of highly damaged soybeans. Graded samples of the cv. Centennial soybean were dried to 10% moisture and blended on a proportional weight basis to derive a series of treatments from 0 to 80% fungal damage. A positive correlation was found between fungal damage and both protein and oil concentrations. This condition was attributed to loss of residual seed mass. As a result, the protein concentration of defatted meal increased from ca. 54 to 66% over the range of 0 to 80% fungal damage. Mycotoxin contamination appeared to be insignificant in these high-protein meals. Fixed colors in bleached, alkali refined oils were intensified by heat treatment prior to extraction. No significant differences, however, were noted in total polar lipid content, phospholipid, or tocopherol composition among treatments of up to 20% fungal damage. Oils from treatments of more than 40% fungal damage were more severely oxidized and could not be degummed effectively. These data suggest that fungus-damaged soybeans may be blended with high-quality soybeans to alleviate the chemical symptoms associated with unacceptable product quality. Thus, through various blend ratios, processors may consider using fungus-damaged soybeans to gain economic advantage, especially when high-quality soybeans have lower protein concentration.
PR Professionals as Organizational Conscience

Scholars have long asserted that public relations (PR) professionals should play the role of organizational conscience, but little research has focused on why and how they play this role effectively. We found that PR professionals who played the role of organizational conscience had broadened conceptions of their roles and responsibilities, including a fervent duty to the public interest. This often put them in the position of providing criticism to powerful organizational players. Rather than raising their ethical concerns as persuasive orators, they used subtle, resourceful, and experiential approaches to persuasion. Playing the role of organizational conscience typically necessitated gaining access to informal coalitions since access to dominant power coalitions often was limited or late. Organizations with participative cultures supported the role of organizational conscience.
Central corneal thickness and its relationship to intraocular pressure in children.

Objective Central corneal thickness (CCT) has emerged as an important predictive factor for the development of glaucomatous damage. Although a child's cornea reaches adult thickness by the age of 3, little has been reported about normal CCT measurements in eyes of children. We wished to test the hypotheses that (1) there is a correlation between increasing CCT and increasing intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eyes of children, (2) the CCT in the eyes of children with ocular hypertension is greater than that in eyes of normal pediatric subjects, and (3) the average CCT of black children is less than that of white children. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of 69 pediatric patients seen in the office of one ophthalmologist between January 1997 and December 2001 in whom CCT was measured by ultrasound pachymetry. We categorized the subjects into diagnostic groups of controls, glaucoma, glaucoma suspects, and ocular hypertension based on IOP, cup-to-disc ratio, and visual field parameters. Results The average CCT for the control patients was 555±37 μm; for patients with glaucoma, it was 563±33 μm; for glaucoma suspects, 559±39 μm; and for those with ocular hypertension, 595±39 μm. The difference between the control and ocular hypertensive groups was significant ( P P = 0.125). Conclusions Central corneal thickness is greater in children with ocular hypertension than in control subjects or those with glaucoma, and the values for CCT in these children correlate closely with values reported for adults. Corneas of black children may be thinner than the corneas of white children.
Surgical Options for Patellar Stabilization in the Skeletally Immature Patient

Patellar dislocations in children and youth are estimated to occur in 29 of 100,000 individuals. Recurrent patellar dislocations in the skeletally immature patient are often associated with distinct pathoanatomies, which include patella alta, trochlear dysplasia, and contractures of the central and/or lateral structures of the extensor mechanism. This paper discusses the features of patellar instabilities classified as traumatic versus atraumatic, congenital versus acquired, and fixed dislocations versus habitual dislocations. Suggestions for the surgical management of these various classifications of patellar instabilities, on the basis of the principle of identification and correction of the pathoanatomies unique to the individual, are provided.
Tachyphylaxis to the stimulant actions of the indirectly acting sympathomimetic amines and acetylcholine on the adrenal medulla

1. Experiments were carried out to study the effects of multiple exposures to sympathomimetic amines and acetylcholine on the secretory response of the perfused adrenal gland of the cat.
Bounded input bounded-output stability of linear time-varying feedback systems

Abstract The bounded-input bounded-output stability of feedback control systems with time-varying gain is studied, and both continuous and sampled-data feedback systems are considered. It is shown that if the total gain deviation from a constant is finite, and if the feedback system with that constant gain is stable, then the output of the time-varying feedback system due to any bounded input is bounded; furthermore, the response of the time-varying system tends to that of the constant gain system. Similar results, somewhat weaker, are obtained for the time-varying sampled-data feedback system.
Coupling of rigid to flexible imaging multifibers

By magnifying the high-quality image produced by a rigid miniature endoscope onto a large flexible multifiber, an instrument has been developed which provides both high resolution and flexibility. It is shown theoretically, and verified experimentally, that the MTF of a system of coupled multifibers is the product of the individual MTFs. Measurements show that the coupled instruments outperform state-of-the-art all-flexible systems. The technique should greatly facilitate observation, display, and photography in percutaneous endoscopy and in a variety of industrial applications.
Role of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and CREB transcription factors in the regulation of Sertoli cell androgen-binding protein expression.

Differentiation of Sertoli cells is marked by the presence of novel gene products such as transferrin and androgen-binding protein (ABP). Transcriptional regulation of Sertoli cell differentiation is, in part, controlled through the binding of specific transcription factors to response elements within these genes promoters. Transferrin gene expression has been shown to be regulated by the binding and interactions of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) to an E-box and cyclic AMP response element (CRE), respectively. Interaction between the bHLH and CREB is facilitated through subsequent binding of CREB-binding protein (CBP)/p300. The hypothesis tested in the current study is that ABP expression is regulated by a similar mechanism. The ABP promoter activation was analyzed through the use of transfection assays, site-directed mutagenesis, and electromobility shift assays (EMSA). Transient transfections of rat Sertoli cells used a reporter construct containing the proximal 619 bp of the ABP promoter. Observations suggest that cAMP and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) upregulate the expression of ABP. Mutational studies of the three E-boxes and the CRE of the 619-bp ABP promoter indicate that all of these elements are critical for stimulation of promoter activity. EMSA revealed a weak interaction between an E-box-2 and the CRE that are overlapping in the promoter. An artificial promoter that contains only an E-box and CRE was created to further test this hypothesis. The artificial promoter was stimulated by both FSH and cAMP. Experiments with mutants of the artificial promoter demonstrate that both response elements contribute to the optimal activation of the promoter construct. The overexpression of the bHLH inhibitor Id (i.e., inhibitor of differentiation) that binds bHLH proteins and eliminates DNA binding was found to suppress hormone activation of the ABP promoter. Combined observations of the ABP promoter and artificial promoter provide insight into a common mechanism for gene regulation in differentiated Sertoli cells involving a role for both the bHLH and CREB family of transcription factors. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 68: 269–278, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An airborne 35 GHz radar interferometer in development at the university of Massachusetts

The Topographic Ice Mapping Mission (TIMMi) instrument is a unique millimeter-wave interferometric radar system operating at 35 GHz (Ka-band). It was constructed, in part, to advance the technology readiness level of NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, a spaceborne platform that will globally map the altimetry of Earth's water to gain insight into surface water interactions and dynamics. Previous ground deployments of TIMMi, while successful in demonstrating the abilities of the system, suffered from poor SNR due to high incidence angles. TIMMi was most recently deployed on an airborne platform to take advantage of the lower angle of incidence and to prove its capability in measuring large swaths of topography at high resolution. This paper outlines some of the challenges and considerations for adapting the smaller Ka-band system to an airborne platform, as well as some preliminary results from these datasets.
The formation of prominences by thermal instability: A numerical study

A two-dimensional model of prominence formation in a region containing a magnetic neutral sheet is constructed for a variety of initial conditions, assuming the coronal plasma to be described by the usual hydromagnetic approximation, with infinite electric conductivity. In each case the magnetic field is initially vertical, varying antisymmetrically with respect to the neutral sheet, to a maximum value at a distance of 70 000 km from the neutral sheet. In the first case, the plasma is initially in hydrostatic equilibrium, whereas in successive cases, the pressure is assumed to be of such a value that the plasma is in lateral equilibrium of total pressure (gas plus magnetic). In a variation of this case, the value of the solar gravitational field was artificially reduced, and the effects considered. Large lateral motions are produced in each case, thus apparently inhibiting the condensation of prominences, with the exception of the unrealistic case of artificially reduced gravity. The results suggest that consideration either of a third component of the magnetic field (horizontal and parallel to the neutral sheet), or a finite conductivity, allowing magnetic recombination across the neutral sheet, or both, would more realistically represent the problem and might thus show the development of prominences.
Sites of termination and relay of pulmonary rapidly adapting receptors as studied by spike-triggered averaging.

Abstract The sites of termination and relay of pulmonary rapidly-adapting receptors (RARs) were determined by averaging the extracellular field potentials produced in the nucleus tractus solitarii of the cat by individual RAR neurons. Action potentials of individual RARs were recorded extracellularly in the nodose ganglion during mechanical stimulation of the receptive field in the lung and used as triggers for the averaging. The averaged records (2000–4000 sweeps) revealed the presence of terminal and focal synaptic potentials. These potentials, indicating the presence of pre- and postsynaptic elements at the recording site, were found ipsilaterally in the caudal medial and commissural subnuclei and contralaterally in the commissural subnucleus.
Disease Management: State of the Art and Future Directions

Disease management (DM) programs have become common in health systems, especially in managed care organizations and hospitals. These programs are designed to improve both the quality of care and the efficiency of health care delivery. However, there may be controversy about the most important outcomes to consider. Furthermore, the effectiveness of DM initiatives is largely undocumented in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to review the issues, methods, and outcomes involved in creating and instituting DM programs. To improve DM efforts within health systems, constructive relationships with practitioners need to be built by involving important individuals early in the process. It is hoped that evidence-based guidelines will further enhance DM efforts. Beneficial DM initiatives require a multidisciplinary focus of cooperation and willingness to share data between distinct professional groups. More thorough analysis of DM programs is needed in many health systems.
Orthodromic Activation of Peptidergic Cells in the Medial Amygdala

Abstract Murphy, S., I. Beall, A. Renner and T. Smock. Orthodromic activation of peptidergic cells in the medial amygdala. Peptides 18(8) 1175–1177, 1997.—Electrical recordings from vasopressin-containing cells in the medial amygdala were obtained. Electrical stimulation of one major afferent structure, the accessory olfactory bulb, invariably elicited single unit discharge in the peptidergic cells and set up a field potential indicating widespread excitation in the structure. Pheromonal stimuli, normally borne into the brain by the accessory olfactory bulb, were ineffective in activating the medial amygdala. These results in combination with preexisting research suggest that the accessory olfactory bulb is an important influence, but not the only influence, on the activity of the peptidergic cells.
A HIGH INTENSITY CESIUM-137 RESEARCH IRRADIATOR

A 12,000-c Cs/sup 137/ research irradiator of the Notre Dame type was constructed at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The irradiator consists of a center tube with two circular arrays of 12 inner and 12 outer tubes around it. 1000-c Cs/sup 137/ sources are disposed in the inner tubes, and samples for irradiation are inserted in the center and outer tubes. The dose rate is 1.4 x 1O/sup 6/ rads/hr in the center tubes and 1 x 10/sup 6/ rads/br in the outer tubes. A plot of the dose variance with vertical movement in the irradiation area is given. (D.L.C.)
Effects of Surfactant Protein‐A on the Interaction of Pneumocystis murina with its Host at Different Stages of the Infection in Mice

ABSTRACT. We examined the effects of surfactant protein A (SP-A), a collectin, on the interaction of Pneumocystis murina with its host at the beginning, early to middle, and late stages of infection. Pneumocystis murina from SP-A wild-type (WT) mice inoculated intractracheally into WT mice (WTS-WTR) adhered well to alveolar macrophages, whereas organisms from SP-A knockout (KO) mice inoculated into KO mice (KOS-KOR) did not. Substitution of WT mice as the source of organisms (WTS-KOR) or recipient host macrophages (KOS-WTR) restored adherence to that found with WTS-WTR mice. In contrast, when immunosuppressed KO and WT mice were inoculated with P. murina from a homologous source (KOS-KOR, WTS-WTR) or heterologous source (WTS-KOR, KOS-WTR) and followed sequentially, WTS-KOR mice had the highest levels of infection at weeks 3 and 4; these mice also had the highest levels of the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and neutrophils in lavage fluid at week 3. Surfactant protein-A administered to immunosuppressed KOS-KOR mice with Pneumocystis pneumonia for 8 wk as a therapeutic agent failed to lower the organism burden. We conclude that SP-A can correct the host immune defect in the beginning of P. murina infection, but not in the middle or late stages of the infection.
Periodic states of adsorption cycles. III. Convergence acceleration for direct determination

Abstract This paper describes several enhancements to accelerate the direct determination of the periodic states of fixed-bed adsorption cycles. The new methods make it possible to calculate the periodic states up to 40 times faster than our original formulation (Croft & LeVan, Chem. Eng. Sci. 49 (1994) 1821) and in many cases 100–1000s of times faster than by just running cycle after cycle. We have tested the methods on several examples and have obtained fast, stable, robust convergence. The enhancements are (i) the use of a hybrid Newton–Broyden method to reduce some of the Jacobian matrix calculation processes required by Newton's method, (ii) the initial application of a novel iterative-secant approach to increase stability and to avoid the calculation of the first Jacobian matrix for the hybrid Newton–Broyden method, (iii) the implementation of a sensitivity interpolation technique with dynamic grid allocation, and (iv) the dynamic specification of integration error tolerances.
Social psychological issues in studying consumer satisfaction with behavior therapy

The study of consumer satisfaction with behavior therapy is seen as a special instance of more general work in attitude formation and change. The latter work rests largely on cognitive, not behavioral, theory and involves a set of methodological concerns not satisfied in current research on consumer satisfaction. Needed are: better theoretical understanding of the processes involved, and greater attention to possible alternative explanations for observed effects; a more informed use of attitude change and attitude measurement technology; more precise distinction among dependent and mediating variables; partialing out or controlling variables which enhance satisfaction but are theoretically irrelevant to treatment per se; a better understanding of limiting factors in the satisfaction with service; and further study of the ways in which extreme satisfaction can inhibit the beneficial effects of therapy. These methodological and conceptual issues arise because previous research on consumer satisfaction has not been driven by theory.
Color Doppler assessment of mitral regurgitation induced by supine exercise in patients with coronary artery disease.

Abstract Development of mitral regurgitation (MR) during acute myocardial ischemia is a well known occurrence. To assess the feasibility and clinical utility of detecting MR during exercise testing, color Doppler examinations were performed in 22 patients with angiographically proved coronary artery disease (CAD) and in 17 normal subjects before, during and after graded supine bicycle exercise. Not only was MR visualized using color Doppler during dynamic testing, but it was also slightly more sensitive (59% vs 54%) and specific (100% vs 88%) than the electrocardiographic response in identifying patients with CAD. When the appearance of MR or diagnostic electrocardiographic changes or both were used to identify patients with CAD, the sensitivity of exercise tolerance testing increased to 82%, although the specificity was 88%. In addition, exercise-induced MR was observed to be as sensitive and specific as exercise-induced wall motion abnormalities. Combining exercise-induced MR with wall motion abnormalities also increased the sensitivity to 82%, with the specificity remaining at 100%. With use of exercise-induced MR, wall motion abnormalities or electrocardiographic changes, the sensitivity and specificity of the exercise test in diagnosing CAD was 91% and 88%, respectively. The degree of MR as estimated by maximal area of regurgitation signals, as well as by its ratio to left atrial area, did not correlate with extent of CAD. However, the presence of exercise-induced MR suggested an increased likelihood of 3-vessel CAD because it was found in 9 of 11 patients with 3-vessel CAD, compared with 2 of 5 patients with 2-vessel and 2 of 6 patients with 1-vessel CAD. Thus, assessment of MR by color Doppler during exercise testing may provide an additional diagnostic criterion for detecting patients with CAD.
Magnetic properties of the Old Crow tephra: Identification of a complex iron titanium oxide mineralogy

[1] The mineralogy and grain-size distribution of the Fe-Ti oxide population of the Old Crow tephra bed, outcropping at the Halfway House loess deposit in central Alaska, are characterized through multiple low- and high-temperature magnetization experiments. The characterization is facilitated by heavy liquid separation of the bulk sample into a low-density ( 2850 kg/m 3 , HD) fraction. Three phases of the magnetite-ulvospinel solid solution series, Fe 3-x Ti x O 4 , x = 0, 0.1, and 0.3 are identified along with one phase of the ilmenite-hematite solid solution series, Fe 2-y Ti y O 3 , y = 0.83. All four phases are present in both density separates, where coarser grains dominate the HD sample and finer more oxidized grains dominate in the LD sample. Low-temperature frequency dependence and field dependence of both the in-phase and quadrature components of magnetic susceptibility are found particularly useful in identifying the magnetic ordering temperature of titanohematite phases with y > 0.8 and may play an equally important role as magnetic indicator of titanomagnetite. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability of low-temperature magnetism to locate a 1 mm thick tephra bed dispersed in loess over 10 cm depth, through the identification of very low concentrations of a titanohematite phase with y = 0.9. The potential for advancing regional correlation of sedimentary deposits through the identification of Fe-Ti oxides common to tephra beds by low-temperature magnetism is illustrated in this study.
Chitosan does not reduce post-prandial urinary oxalate excretion

Chitosan is a positively charged non-absorbable cellulose-like fibrillar biopolymer derived from shellfish which forms films with negatively charged surfaces. We hypothesized that negatively charged oxalate in the intestinal lumen could attach to the positively charged tertiary amino group of chitosan. We studied the effects of chitosan on intestinal oxalate absorption by measuring urinary oxalate excretion following an oral oxalate load with and without accompanying oral chitosan. The subjects consumed a fixed diet and collected urine for 24 h, in divided periods, during control and experimental protocols. Urine was collected with HCl and thymol as a preservative. For the control period, the subjects consumed an oxalate load, 50 g of cooked spinach, with water for lunch; the post-prandial urine collection was divided into three periods of 2 h. For the experimental period, 1 week later, the subjects consumed the same diet as that during the control period, but added 2 g of chitosan to the oxalate load. Post-prandial urinary oxalate excretion was expressed as mg oxalate/g creatinine. The spinach load was associated with a significant post-prandial increase in urinary oxalate during the control period of 25.7±12.8 mg/g creatinine. Accompanying the oxalate load with chitosan was well tolerated. There was no decrease in post-prandial urinary oxalate excretion during the experimental period: oxalate excretion rose by 31.3±16.9 mg/g creatinine (P=0.57, NS). We conclude that chitosan does not reduce acute intestinal oxalate absorption and therefore does not affect post-prandial urinary oxalate excretion.
Synthesis and Reactivity of Dipole-Stabilized but Unchelated α-Aminoorganolithiums

Two N-methyl-5-lithio-2-pyrrolidinones have been prepared by tin−lithium exchange. These two α-aminoorganolithium compounds that are stabilized by an amide dipole, but not by chelation to the amide carbonyl. Both constitute test cases for comparing the stability and reactivity of “dipole-stabilized” and “unstabilized” α-aminoorganolithiums. We find that active methylene protons interfere with the reaction, so geminal disubstitution α to the amide carbonyl was necessary to supress side reactions. These species do not react as efficiently as unstabilized α-aminoorganolithiums, or even as well as chelated dipole-stabilized α-aminoorganolithiums, toward typical electrophiles. The tin−lithium exchange to form these species was also not as facile as with other α-aminoorganostannanes.
The recurrence of deformity after surgical centralization for radial clubhand

Fourteen children representing 19 cases of radial clubhand had centralization of the carpus on the distal ulna during an 18-year period. Age at the time of the initial surgery averaged 3.2 years (range, 0.7-8.1 years) and the follow-up periods averaged 6.5 years (range, 1.5-22.2 years). There were 16 type IV radial and 3 type III clubhands. Preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up x-rays were used to determine the initial deformity, amount of surgical correction, and degree of recurrence. The total angulation (the combination of the radial deviation of the hand and the ulna bow) was measured. The average preoperative angulation measured 83 degrees (range, 55 degrees to 110 degrees ). Centralization corrected the angulation an average of 58 degrees (range, 15 degrees to 95 degrees ) to an average immediate postoperative total angulation of 25 degrees (range, 5 degrees to 60 degrees ). At the final follow-up examination there was a loss of 38 degrees (range, 5 degrees to 105 degrees ) and the total angulation increased to an average of 63 degrees (range, 20 degrees to 120 degrees ). The difference between the preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up angles was statistically significant. There was a significant correlation between the preoperative angle and the final angle, the preoperative angle and the amount of correction, the amount of correction obtained at surgery and the recurrence of the deformity, and the age at time of initial surgery and the amount of recurrence.
BIOASSAY OF HISTAMINE IN THE PRESENCE OF PROSTAGLANDINS

Abstract 1. An Amberlite XAD-2 column in a heated (37 degrees C) jacket was incorporated in between two banks of bioassay organs superfused with Krebs bicarbonate solution in cascade. The column removed prostaglandins, E1, E2 and F2alpha and also rabbit aorta contracting substance (RCS) and possibly slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A). 2. The column gave free passage to histamine in concentrations up to 3000 ng/ml. The method described improved the accuracy of histamine bioassay in the.presence of prostaglandins.
Complications of total elbow arthroplasty.

Abstract The need for revision surgery for loosening exceeds 25% with tightly constrained prostheses but is much less with the semiconstrained designs. Resurfacing prostheses may be unstable if not adequately balanced by static and dynamic soft-tissue constraints. Infection is excessive (4%-9%), but resection arthroplasty is a reasonably good salvage procedure. Implant failure is rare. The ulnar nerve is subject to transient (10%) or, occasionally, partial dysfunction. Routine anterior translocation has been beneficial, but there is considerable variation in technique in this regard. Triceps insufficiency can be virtually eliminated with the Kocher lateral-to-medial or the Bryan lateral-to-medial triceps-sparing approach. Fractures of the ulna usually can be treated by cast application, but humeral fractures may require revision surgery because of component loosening. Some complications are decreasing in frequency, whereas others are becoming more widely appreciated. The procedure remains a challenging one, and is one that should be performed by those who are experienced in elbow surgery and who have a detailed knowledge of the numerous potential pitfalls.
Alternative conformations of a nucleic acid four-way junction.

Abstract A crystal structure of a 108 nucleotide RNA-DNA complex containing a four-way junction was solved at 3.1 A resolution. The structure of the junction differs substantially from the “stacked-X” conformation observed previously, due to a 135° rotation of the branches. Comparison of the two conformers provides insight into the factors contributing to the flexibility of four-way junctions. The stacked-X conformation maximizes base-stacking but causes unfavorable repulsion between phosphate groups, whereas the 135°-rotated “crossed” conformation minimizes electrostatic clashes at the expense of reduced base-stacking. Despite the large rotation of the branches, both junction structures exhibit an antiparallel arrangement of the continuous strands and opposite polarity of the crossover strands.
Are N,N-Dihydrodiazatetracene Derivatives Antiaromatic?

The synthesis and X-ray characterization of two new dialkynylated diazatetracenes and the corresponding N,N-dihydrodiazatetracenes are reported. The dialkynylated heteroacenes are packed in a brick-wall motif that enforces significant overlap of their π-faces. Cyclic voltammetry indicates that the dehydrogenated forms are easily reduced to their radical anions in solution. The planarity of these species validates the discussion of their aromaticity. Nucleus Independent Chemical Shift (NICS) computations demonstrate that both of these 20 π and 24 π electron systems are aromatic. Both experimental and computational results suggest that the aromaticity of the dihydroheteroacenes is reduced.
On the Complexity of Some State-Counting Problems for Bounded Petri Nets

Motivated by an emerging need for pertinent sizing and indexing of various data structures that are used for the efficient storage and processing of the reachability graph of certain bounded PN subclasses, this work investigates the complexity of the cardinality assessment of various marking sets that have been proposed as reasonable (over-)approximations for the set of reachable markings. Along these lines, our main results establish the #P-hardness of the aforementioned estimation for the most prominent of these marking sets. To the best of our knowledge, this is also a first attempt to provide formal #P-hardness results for counting problems that arise in the PN (and the broader DES) modeling framework.
Prenatal diagnosis and circulatory characteristics in tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve.

Abstract Tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve is a form of cyanotic heart disease that can cause severe respiratory distress soon after birth. 1–3 Proper management of the disease is closely linked to its early recognition. Ideally, prenatal diagnosis 4–6 should allow planning of delivery in medical centers equipped to provide prompt medical and surgical care to these potentially critically ill newborn infants. Recently, 2 fetuses with this syndrome were encountered in the Consultative Fetal Echocardiographic Clinic of the University of California Medical Center at San Diego.
Facteurs d'évolution de la réglementation du temps de travail aux Etats‐Unis et en Europe

Resume. En Grande-Bretagne au XIXe siecle, les premieres reglementations sur le temps de travail etaient motivees par des preoccupations humanitaires concernant les femmes et les enfants travaillant dans les usines. Aux Etats-Unis, les lois sur le temps de travail ont initialement ete introduites en reponse aux revendications syndicales et aux conflits sociaux. Durant le XXe siecle, les decideurs politiques ont adopte des lois reduisant le nombre d'heures de travail afin de repartir le travail disponible et resorber ainsi le chomage. Avec l'adoption de la Directive europeenne sur le temps de travail, les vingt annees ecoulees ont reflete un mouvement vers l'integration sociale et politique, les pressions politiques continues dans la lutte contre le chomage, et l'acceptation croissante de l'ergonomie et des methodes d'organisation du travail comme composantes de la reglementation internationale sur la securite.