cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Verb Mutability Effect: Studies of the Combinatorial Semantics of Nouns and Verbs

Publisher Summary This chapter investigates the combinatorial semantics of nouns and verbs in sentences: specifically, the phenomenon of meaning adjustment under semantic strain. The first issue in semantic adjustment is the locus of change. It presents the verb mutability hypothesis—the semantic structures conveyed by verbs and other predicate terms are more likely to be altered to fit the context than the semantic structures conveyed by object-reference terms. The meaning adjustment initiated in response to a mismatch with context is nevertheless characterized by orderly semantic processes. This chapter concerns with the combination of meaning—specifically, how the meanings of nouns and verbs combine to make new sentence meanings. It focuses on cases where the noun and verb are semantically ill-matched. Understanding such cases is not only useful in explaining metaphorical extension but also in constraining the set of explanations that can apply in normal sentence processing.The pattern of verb adjustment suggests a middle course between an extreme contextual negotiation position, in which words have no inherent meaning, meaning is entirely contextually bound, and a fixed-meaning approach, in which rigid word meanings are simply concatenated. The change of meaning occurs to accommodate contextual constraints, but this change involves computations over the internal structure of the word meanings, particularly that of the verb.
Genetic Expression of Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylase Induction: GENETIC SPECIFICITY RESIDES IN THE FRACTION CONTAINING CYTOCHROMES P448 AND P450

Abstract Intraperitoneal administration of aromatic hydrocarbons such as β-naphthoflavone or 3-methylcholanthrene stimulates hydroxylation activity toward carcinogens such as benzo[a]pyrene in the C57BL/6J inbred mouse strain, but this effect is virtually absent in the DBA/2J inbred mouse strain. Aryl hydrocarbon (benzo[a]pyrene) hydroxylase activity was examined in vitro with various combinations of the solubilized NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, phospholipid, and cytochrome P448 or P450 fractions obtained from liver microsomes of β-naphthoflavone-treated mice of both strains. The results obtained indicate that the genetic difference in the inducible hydroxylase activity resides entirely in the fraction containing cytochromes P448 and P450. With respect to the reconstitution of d-benzphetamine N-demethylase and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activities in vitro, each of these solubilized reductase, lipid, and cytochrome fractions—alone or in combination—from mouse liver can be interchanged successfully with those from rat liver, indicating a lack of species specificity in the hepatic monooxygenase system between mouse and rat.
Two different allelic mutations in the lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) gene resulting in classic LCAT deficiency: LCAT (tyr83–>stop) and LCAT (tyr156–>asn).

The molecular defects in the lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) gene have been identified in a 52-year-old patient with classic LCAT deficiency, presenting with corneal clouding and proteinuria. Plasma total cholesterol was normal, triglycerides were elevated, whereas high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (8 mg/dl) and plasma cholesteryl esters (6% of total cholesterol) were markedly reduced. Plasma cholesterol esterification rate (pCER) was zero, alpha-LCAT activity, assayed using an HDL-like proteoliposome substrate was reduced to 1.6% of control, and LCAT mass was 3.7% of normal plasma levels. DNA sequence analysis of the proband's LCAT gene identified a C to A substitution, converting tyr83 to a stop codon, and a T to A transition, replacing tyr156 by asn. Restriction analysis of PCR-amplified DNA from the proband, a control and his four children using the enzymes Acc I and Rsa I established that the patient is a compound heterozygote for both mutations. The two children, heterozygous for the stop codon defect, were phenotypically indistinguishable from the two with the tyr156 defect. In vitro expression of LCAT (tyr156–>asn) in human embryonic kidney-293 cells established the functional significance of this mutation. The secreted translation product had only 6% of control mass and no detectable CER; however, the residual LCAT mass of the in vitro expressed LCAT (tyr156–>asn) demonstrated a specific alpha-LCAT activity of 30% of control, suggesting that this amino acid substitution results in a mutant enzyme that retains some enzymic activity, but may be rapidly catabolized. In summary, we have identified two unique defects in the LCAT gene that lead to the expression of classic LCAT deficiency in this kindred.
Cardiac autonomic testing and treating heart disease. "A clinical perspective".

BackgroundCoronary heart disease (CHD) is a major health concern, affecting nearly half the middle-age population and responsible for nearly one-third of all deaths. Clinicians have responsibilitie...
The association between mental health and violence among a nationally representative sample of college students from the United States

OBJECTIVES: Recent violent attacks on college campuses in the United States have sparked discussions regarding the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and the perpetration of violence among college students. While previous studies have examined the potential association between mental health problems and violent behavior, the overall pattern of findings flowing from this literature remain mixed and no previous studies have examined such associations among college students. METHODS: The current study makes use of a nationally representative sample of 3,929 college students from the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) to examine the prevalence of seven violent behaviors and 19 psychiatric disorder diagnoses tapping mood, anxiety, personality, and substance use disorders. Associations between individual and composite psychiatric disorder diagnoses and violent behaviors were also examined. Additional analyses were adjusted for the comorbidity of multiple psychiatric diagnoses. RESULTS: The results revealed that college students were less likely to have engaged in violent behavior relative to the non-student sample, but a substantial portion of college students had engaged in violent behavior. Age- and sex-standardized prevalence rates indicated that more than 21% of college students reported at least one violent act. In addition, more than 36% of college students had at least one diagnosable psychiatric disorder. Finally, the prevalence of one or more psychiatric disorders significantly increased the odds of violent behavior within the college student sample. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that violence and psychiatric disorders are prevalent on college campuses in the United States, though perhaps less so than in the general population. In addition, college students who have diagnosable psychiatric disorders are significantly more likely to engage in various forms of violent behavior. Language: en
Effective interactions for inelastic deuteron scattering

Abstract The effective nucleon-deuteron interaction to be used in a microscopic description of inelastic scattering is discussed. Reasonable agreement with experiment is obtained when exchange terms and a phenomenological immaginary interaction are included.
A silicon carbide face cooled ceramic Nd:YAG laser

We present lasing results of a SiC face cooled 4% Nd:YAG ceramic in an unstable cavity mode configuration (slope efficiency 35%) under quasi-CW pump conditions. This work demonstrates the first time lasing of a high temperature bonded, anti-reflection (AR) coated bonded SiC/Nd:YAG assembly. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) modeling of the temperature, stress, thermal lensing and polarization loss of the SiC/Nd:YAG stack under lasing conditions are presented.
THE DISCOVERY AND RECOVERY OF TIME IN HISTORY AND RELIGION

"I am burning my dreaming." These are the words of an elderly, indigenous Aus tralian whose connection to his land, people, and language, to his sense of time and place?to most everything he held dear?was strained and finally broken by an imposing white culture.1 "I am burning my dreaming" Dreaming, or "Alcher inga," is a reference to what has come to be known as Aboriginal Dreamtime?to that ever-present, primal moment when great spirits and cultural heroes walked the earth, shaping the features of the natural and cultural Aboriginal world, its valleys and mountains, its digging sticks and spears, its customs and laws, its songs and rituals. Patterns and rhythms of daily living are intimately connected to and established by the Dreaming. In the time of the original Dreaming, the "time before time," words and musical notes were deposited in the footprints and trails of the divine beings; the words and notes became the songs and stories embedded in sacred landscapes, lyrically describing a detailed relation among spirits, hu mans, plants, animals, and the land. The land, then, embodies the Dreaming, and it thereby connects time to place. This palpable connection to the Dreaming is central to indigenous Australian culture and religion. To break the connection is to break a life. "I am burning my dreaming." This is a profound expression of loss?the loss of a personal and cul tural identity that had been physically and spiritually rooted in a distinct sense of time and place. It is also a weighty warning that the planet may lose this profound cultural heritage and achievement. About this man and his loss William Gallois offers an elegant comment: "It was thus that an ecology of time was ruptured, for the flux of being that was, is and should be was destroyed" (167). Gallois's Time, Religion and History is above all a book committed to the dis covery and recovery of time?to the ecologies of time: those complex and diverse nexuses of human activity and notions of time that are fashioned in different cul tures at different times. Gallois would also like his book to be about how the
The Variation with Wavelength of the Spectral Emissivity of Iron and Molybdenum

The spectral emissivity of iron and molybdenum has been investigated as a function of wavelength in the visible spectrum. A gradual rise in the emissivity for both metals was observed as the blue end of the spectrum is approached. The increase in the emissivity of iron with decrease in wavelength is much greater than that observed for molybdenum. The emissivity of iron in the body-centered form at temperatures below 1178°K is observed to be higher at all wavelengths than it is for the higher temperature face centered cubic form.
Characterization of brain neurons that express enzymes mediating neurosteroid biosynthesis.

Allopregnanolone (ALLO) and tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC) are potent positive allosteric modulators of GABA action at GABAA receptors. ALLO and THDOC are synthesized in the brain from progesterone or deoxycorticosterone, respectively, by the sequential action of two enzymes: 5α-reductase (5α-R) type I and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3α-HSD). This study evaluates 5α-R type I and 3α-HSD mRNA expression level in mouse brain by using in situ hybridization combined with glutamic acid decarboxylase 67/65, vesicular glutamate transporter 2, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and S100β immunohistochemistry. We demonstrate that 5α-R type I and 3α-HSD colocalize in cortical, hippocampal, and olfactory bulb glutamatergic principal neurons and in some output neurons of the amygdala and thalamus. Neither 5α-R type I nor 3α-HSD mRNAs are expressed in S100β- or glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive glial cells. Using glutamic acid decarboxylase 67/65 antibodies to mark GABAergic neurons, we failed to detect 5α-R type I and 3α-HSD in cortical and hippocampal GABAergic interneurons. However, 5α-R type I and 3α-HSD are significantly expressed in principal GABAergic output neurons, such as striatal medium spiny, reticular thalamic nucleus, and cerebellar Purkinje neurons. A similar distribution and cellular location of neurosteroidogenic enzymes was observed in rat brain. Taken together, these data suggest that ALLO and THDOC, which can be synthesized in principal output neurons, modulate GABA action at GABAA receptors, either with an autocrine or a paracrine mechanism or by reaching GABAA receptor intracellular sites through lateral membrane diffusion.
Conveying movement in music and prosody.

We investigated whether acoustic variation of musical properties can analogically convey descriptive information about an object. Specifically, we tested whether information from the temporal structure in music interacts with perception of a visual image to form an analog perceptual representation as a natural part of music perception. In Experiment 1, listeners heard music with an accelerating or decelerating temporal pattern, and then saw a picture of a still or moving object and decided whether it was animate or inanimate – a task unrelated to the patterning of the music. Object classification was faster when musical motion matched visually depicted motion. In Experiment 2, participants heard spoken sentences that were accompanied by accelerating or decelerating music, and then were presented with a picture of a still or moving object. When motion information in the music matched motion information in the picture, participants were similarly faster to respond. Fast and slow temporal patterns without acceleration and deceleration, however, did not make participants faster when they saw a picture depicting congruent motion information (Experiment 3), suggesting that understanding temporal structure information in music may depend on specific metaphors about motion in music. Taken together, these results suggest that visuo-spatial referential information can be analogically conveyed and represented by music and can be integrated with speech or influence the understanding of speech.
Two models for rapidly calculating bidirectional reflectance of complex vegetation scenes: Photon spread (PS) model and statistical photon spread (SPS) model

Two computationally fast Monte Carlo algorithms (models) are described for calculating the bidirectional reflectance factors (BRFs) from architecturally realistic canopies and from statistically ch...
Advocacy for Survivors With or At Risk for Lymphedema

Objectives To discuss various advocates and advocacy roles integral to the multidisciplinary oncology lymphedema care team. Data Sources Review and research articles, and Web sites. Conclusion The professional and lay awareness of lymphedema, risk profiles, patient education, and treatment have improved significantly over the past two decades, although gaps are still present that require attention. Implications for Nursing Practice Nurses must be familiar with the common concepts related to lymphedema, risk profiles, recognition of symptoms, and referral options for the treatment of oncology patients with or at risk for lymphedema.
New observations concerning choroidal osteomas

The clinical and laboratory findings in fifteen patients with nineteen eyes containing choroidal osteomas are summarized. The first case of the disease in a male patient is reported as well as the development of a second tumor in the previously uninvolved eye of an adult patient and the marked enlargement of the tumor in another. The possible etiology of the choroidal osteomas is discussed.
The Social Security reform debate: effects of financial and labor market institutions:

Abstract Social Security is a defined benefit (DB) pension plan. Proposals for “reforming” Social Security suggest replacing it with a defined contribution (DC) savings plan. This paper compares the financial and non-financial aspects of DB pensions and DC savings plans, and discusses how changing financial and labor markets affect the interpretation of these plans. Recent wage stagnation has strengthened the arguments for “reform,” but a return to the more historical pattern of wage growth would undermine the arguments for reform.
Imidization and interdiffusion of poly(amic ethyl ester) precursors of PMDA/3,4′-ODA

Para-, meta-, and mixed isomeric poly(amic ethyl ester) precursors of the polyimide based on pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 3,4′-oxydianiline (3,4′-ODA) were synthesized. The intrinsic viscosity of each of the isomers was measured in an NMP solution and found to be less than corresponding isomers derived from PMDA and 4,4′-oxydianiline (4,4′-ODA) precursors with comparable molecular weight. The imidization and solvent retention were measured as a function of imidization temperatures, Ti using forward recoil spectrometry (FRES). For samples cast from a single solvent, either N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), no difference was observed in the temperature-dependent imidization behavior between the isomers. In all cases the imide fraction f increased as Ti increased, and reached a value of unity, i.e., full conversion at 400°C. At the same Ti, samples cast from DMSO showed a slightly higher f than samples cast from NMP. FRES and time of flight FRES (TOF-FRES) were used to measure the interdiffusion distance, w, of deuterium-labeled tracers into nondeuterated base layers of the polyimide of PMDA/3,4′-ODA treated at various Ti. The primary determinant of w for all isomers was Ti, and the particular isomer used as either the base or the tracer molecule did not seem to affect w. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 2247–2258, 1998
Measurements of scalar dissipation in the reaction zones of turbulent nonpremixed H2-air flames

Abstract A new diagnostic system has been developed to obtain spatially and temporally resolved simultaneous multiple point measurements of species concentrations and temperatures in turbulent flames. The diagnostic approach is based on pulsed Raman scattering induced by a KrF excimer laser. The system has been applied in the reaction zones of turbulent nonpremixed H 2 -air flames to obtain statistics of species concentrations, temperature, and mixture fraction (ξ). Results of means, and fluctuations of the measured quantities do not differ markedly from the published point measurements in similar flames, validating the diagnostic approach. Instantaneous, one-dimensional (radial) scalar dissipation rates (χ) are measured in the reaction zones of the nonpremixed H 2 -air flames using the multipoint, multispecies detectivity of the diagnostic system. Radial profiles and probability density functions (pdfs) of scalar dissipation are reported. The pdfs of scalar dissipation are log-normally distributed and negatively skewed. The radial profiles of mean scalar dissipation are similar to ξ rms 3 , consistent with the k-e models of turbulent combustion. Measurements of χ are compared to laminar flamelet model calculations. Laminar flame strain rate parameters (a) estimated from the scalar dissipation measurements range from a = 50–1000s −1 , much lower than the extinction strain rates ( a ≈ 12,000s −1 ) of H 2 -air flames.
Probability Distributions for Complex Systems: Adaptive Umbrella Sampling of the Potential Energy

An adaptive umbrella sampling molecular dynamics algorithm based on the potential energy is introduced to reduce the simulation time required for deriving equilibrium properties of molecular systems. The potential energy, in contrast to the commonly used umbrella potentials, is of particular interest for complex systems because it does not depend on assumptions about the geometry nor on a knowledge of the important conformations and transition states that are involved in the equilibration. The method is illustrated by applying it to the threonine dipeptide and to met-Enkephalin. For the threonine dipeptide, potentials of mean force for all dihedral angles of the system are derived from a single 10 ns run. The accuracy of the potentials is confirmed by comparison with previous results. Met-Enkephalin is found to sample several different conformations at 300 K. Three representative structures are used to cluster the dominant conformations. Equilibrium distributions of dihedral angles and the distance betwee...
Observations of polar mesospheric summer echoes using PFISR during the summer of 2007

Abstract The Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) has been running nearly continuously throughout the summer of 2007, which permits an unprecedented, long-term study of polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSE) at UHF. When not being used for other operations, PFISR runs in its International Polar Year (IPY) mode. 176 examples of PMSE have been identified in the IPY dataset during the summer of 2007 on 42 different days. IPY data were examined from March through mid-September. The first event was observed on May 27, and the last on August 10. During the four months from May 14 through September 14 the IPY mode was run 57% of the time and PMSE was detected 3.3% of the time the mode was running. Thirty-eight percent of the days with data during these four months had at least one PMSE event. Seventy-three percent of the events occurred during the daytime, and of the 48 events at night, 31 were accompanied by auroral precipitation. The events that did not occur with aurora show a strong correlation with solar zenith angle, which suggests a dependence on background ionization. Events were observed in range gates centered at 81.2 and 85.5 km, with 141 of the 176 events in the lower gate. The events have a mean duration of 19.6 min, but events lasting as long as 106 min have been observed. The events have a mean reflectivity of 1.3 × 10 - 17 m - 1 , which is a lower bound due to the possibility that the beam is not filled. A Lorentzian power spectrum was assumed to fit for the half-power half-width (HPHW) of the measured autocorrelation functions. The HPHWs which could be measured have a mean of 14.8 m/s, with a standard deviation of 11.1 m/s.
Data visualization and social data analysis

Analysts in all areas of human knowledge, from science and engineering to economics, social science and journalism are drowning in data. New technologies for sensing, simulation, and communication are helping people to both collect and produce data at exponential rates.
Climatic and human influences on fire regimes in mixed conifer forests in Yosemite National Park, USA

Abstract The goal of this study was to identify the influence of interannual and interdecadal climate variation and changes in land use on fire regimes in fire prone mixed conifer forests in the central Sierra Nevada in Yosemite National Park, California. We quantified fire frequency, fire return interval, fire extent, and season of fire for a 400 year period using fire-scar dendrochronology. The influence of regional climate variability and land use on fire occurrence and extent was assessed by relating the fire record to regional climate reconstructions and to documentary records of settlement and land use. The timing and extent for fires was related to interannual and interdecadal variation in drought and temperature linked to variation in the Pacific North America Pattern (PNA), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and El Nino–Southern Oscillation (NINO) had little effect on fire. The occurrence of large fires was also influenced by interactions among climate patterns and they occurred more often than expected in PNA+ NINO3-years. At interdecadal time scales area burned was positively correlated with temperature and the PNA. Fire occurrence and extent declined with mid-19th century Euro-American settlement and land use change and fire was nearly eliminated after 1900 when a fire exclusion policy was implemented. A two-fold increase in rate of burning in the late 18th and early 19th century corresponds with spread of non-native disease to Native American populations during the Spanish Colonial Period but the PNA was also mainly positive during this period. Fire regimes were sensitive to shifting modes of climate and land use which can lead to variable pathways of forest development and hence forest structure. Forest structure at the time of Euro-American settlement reflects this sensitivity and managers should consider presettlement conditions as only a guide for restoration planning in forests highly altered by fire exclusion under a changing climate. Moreover, considering winter PNA could provide managers with an early indication of conditions during the fire season that are conducive to widespread fire.
Degrees of freedom optimal transmission for the two-cluster MIMO multi-way relay channel

This paper investigates the degrees of freedom (DoF) of the two-cluster multi-way relay channel. Two cases are investigated: the case when there are 2 users in each cluster with arbitrary number of antennas and the case when there are 3 users in each cluster in the symmetric setting, i.e., all the users have the same number of antennas. For the 2-user case, a DoF upper bound is derived based on cut set bound by allowing user cooperation between clusters. Conditions when the DoF upper bound can be achieved using signal space alignment are established based on the relative number of antennas between the users and the relay. For the 3-user case, a new DoF upper bound is derived using genie-aided approach and channel enhancement. The DoF upper bound can be achieved using signal space alignment for several scenarios of interests. The results point out the insight that increasing the number of users in each cluster cannot provide a further DoF gain compared to the 2-user case, when the relay has limited number of antennas.
Impact of Running Away on Girls' Sexual Onset

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to longitudinally examine the impact of running away on sexual onset, and to determine the 12-month prevalence of sexual onset among runaway females. Methods The sample consists of adolescent females from Waves 1 and 2 of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 4,564; age range = 11–18 years). Voluntary or involuntary sexual onset at Wave 1 results in exclusion from the analysis. A logistic regression model is fit, which examines sociodemographic characteristics, protective factors (e.g., parental and academic bonds), and running away and other risk behaviors on sexual onset. Results Our study confirms that more than one out of thee females becomes sexually active within 12 months of running away. Only 17% of females who never report a runaway episode experience sexual onset. School bonds, dating and romance, alcohol use, delinquency, and runaway behavior have main effects in the longitudinal analysis. Runaways are 1.7 times more likely to report sexual onset. Conclusions This study applies the risk amplification model to runaways in the general population. Running away is a turning point in the developmental trajectory, and puts girls at risk of sexual onset a year later compared to their nonrunaway counterparts. A multipronged approach is needed to address the sexual risk characteristics of girls who return home.
Deposition and Modeling of Hard, Wear-Resistant SiCN Coatings

Hard, wear-resistant SiCN coatings were produced via a thermal plasma chemical vapor deposition process in a triple torch reactor. Vaporized hexamethyldisilazane (HMDSN) and nitrogen and/or hydrogen gases were dissociated through the argon plasma as additional reactants. Several SiCN coatings were synthesized with varying reactant flows and substrate temperature. Film composition, morphology, and mechanical performance were examined. Hardness and elastic modulus increased with decreasing N:H gas ratio, decreasing roughness, and the inclusion of nanocrystallites. A kinetic reaction mechanism determined that the atomic species primarily existed in the substrate boundary layer. The Damkohler number was calculated to predict the necessary reactant composition for morphologically smooth films.
Animal Protein and the Risk of Kidney Stones: A Comparative Metabolic Study of Animal Protein Sources

Purpose: We compared the effect of 3 animal protein sources on urinary stone risk.Materials and Methods: A total of 15 healthy subjects completed a 3-phase randomized, crossover metabolic study. During each 1-week phase subjects consumed a standard metabolic diet containing beef, chicken or fish. Serum chemistry and 24-hour urine samples collected at the end of each phase were compared using mixed model repeated measures analysis.Results: Serum and urinary uric acid were increased for each phase. Beef was associated with lower serum uric acid than chicken or fish (6.5 vs 7.0 and 7.3 mg/dl, respectively, each p <0.05). Fish was associated with higher urinary uric acid than beef or chicken (741 vs 638 and 641 mg per day, p = 0.003 and 0.04, respectively). No significant difference among phases was noted in urinary pH, sulfate, calcium, citrate, oxalate or sodium. Mean saturation index for calcium oxalate was highest for beef (2.48), although the difference attained significance only compared to chicken (1.6...
γ-tocopherol-rich supplementation additively improves vascular endothelial function during smoking cessation.

Oxidative stress and inflammation persist years after smoking cessation thereby limiting the restoration of vascular endothelial function (VEF). Although short-term smoking cessation improves VEF, no studies have examined co-therapy of antioxidants in combination with smoking cessation to improve VEF. We hypothesized that improvements in γ-tocopherol (γ-T) status during smoking cessation would improve VEF beyond that from smoking cessation alone by decreasing oxidative stress and proinflammatory responses. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in otherwise healthy smokers (22 ± 1 years; mean ± SEM) who quit smoking for 7 days with placebo (n=14) or γ-T-rich supplementation (n=16; 500 mg γ-T/day). Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), cotinine, and biomarkers of antioxidant status, oxidative stress, and inflammation were measured before and after 7 days of smoking cessation. Smoking cessation regardless of supplementation similarly decreased plasma cotinine, whereas γ-T-rich supplementation increased plasma γ-T by seven times and its urinary metabolite γ-carboxyethyl hydroxychroman by nine times (P<0.05). Smoking cessation with γ-T-rich supplementation increased FMD responses by 1.3% (P<0.05) beyond smoking cessation alone (4.1 ± 0.6% vs 2.8 ± 0.3%; mean ± SEM). Although plasma malondialdehyde decreased similarly in both groups (P<0.05), plasma oxidized LDL and urinary F2-isoprostanes were unaffected by smoking cessation or γ-T-rich supplementation. Plasma TNF-α and myeloperoxidase decreased (P<0.05) only in those receiving γ-T-rich supplements and these were inversely related to FMD (P<0.05; R=-0.46 and -0.37, respectively). These findings demonstrate that short-term γ-T-rich supplementation in combination with smoking cessation improved VEF beyond that from smoking cessation alone in young smokers, probably by decreasing the proinflammatory mediators TNF-α and myeloperoxidase.
Echocardiographic and Radionuclide Pulmonary Blood Flow Patterns After Transcatheter Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Background Transcatheter occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has been associated with protrusion of the occluder device into the left pulmonary artery (LPA). This study was conducted to evaluate the significance of occluder protrusion and its implications for potential obstruction of the LPA and associated decrease of left lung perfusion. Methods and Results Fifty-two patients underwent successful transcatheter PDA occlusion over a period of 5 years. In this study, 49 were reexamined between March and June 1995. In addition to clinical and echocardiographic examination, lung scintigraphy was performed. Protrusion into the LPA was present in 5 of 49 patients (10%). In these patients, maximal flow velocity in the LPA was significantly (P<.01) increased. Decreased left lung perfusion, defined as <40% of total pulmonary blood flow, was found in 7 of 49 patients (14%). Although mean left pulmonary perfusion was significantly (P=.02) decreased in patients with protrusion, there was considerable overlap ...
New quinone diimine complex of zinc with pH-dependent emission in the visible region.

The new emissive complex, Zn(bqdi)(H2O)22+, was synthesized, and its photophysical properties were investigated. Zn(bqdi)(H2O)22+ emits strongly in the visible region at pH = 8.0, but the intensity decreases by a factor of 8 at pH = 3.0. The ability of the complex to “turn on” its emission as a function of pH may prove useful in switching or sensing applications.
Expression of ICAM-1, TNF-α, NFκB, and MAP kinase in tubers of the tuberous sclerosis complex

Abstract Individuals affected with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) develop cortical tubers characterized by disorganized cytoarchitecture and morphologically abnormal cell types, such as dysplastic neurons (DNs) and giant cells (GCs). As part of ongoing cDNA array analysis to study the molecular pathogenesis of tuber formation, we detected increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) mRNA, a cell adhesion molecule (CAM) that functions in cytokine signaling, in tubers. Western and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that ICAM-1 protein was selectively expressed in tubers, but was only minimally expressed in control cortex, adjacent nontuberal cortex, or in non-TSC focal cortical dysplasia. Increased expression of ICAM-1 was found in mice in which the Tsc1 gene was conditionally inactivated in astrocytes. Expression of molecules involved in ICAM-1 activation and cytokine signaling were increased in tubers, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Numerous CD68-immunoreactive macrophages were observed clustered around GCs further supporting an inflammatory response in tubers. Expression of caspase 8 and Fas support cytokine activation and detection of TUNEL reactivity suggests ongoing cell death in tubers. Specific alterations in ICAM-1, TNF-α, NF-κB1, and MAPK expression coupled with the detection of numerous CD68-immunoreactive macrophages suggests activation of proinflammatory cytokine signaling pathways in tubers that may culminate in cell death.
A rare case of cerebellar glioblastoma multiforme in childhood: MR imaging

Glioblastoma multiforme is a highly malignant brain neoplasm that is very rarely discovered in childhood but accounts for approximately 17% of intracranial tumors in the adult. Only approximately 25 children with glioblastoma multiforme in the cerebellum have been described in the literature. We report on a 4 1/2-year-old girl with this tumor in the cerebellar hemisphere and discuss the magnetic resonance imaging findings.
Use of secondary enrichment for isolation of Salmonella from naturally contaminated environmental samples

Since the implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), the need for on-farm food safety risk assessment and management has greatly increased. In order to provide accurate risk assessments, attention should be focused on better characterization of the Salmonella isolation and identification techniques. In this work, we compared the isolation ability of 4 Salmonella-specific protocols: immunomagnetic separation (DB), tetrathionate (TT) broth, Rappaport-Vassiliadis R10 (RV) broth, and a secondary enrichment (TR) procedure as well as 2 selective solid media (brilliant green agar, BG; and xylose-lysine tergitol 4, XLT4). All 4 methods were compared in litter and drag swab samples that were collected weekly during the broiler grow out period in 7 houses. There were 65/126 (51.6%) pooled litter samples positive and 115/304 (37.8%) drag swab samples positive for Salmonella by at least one method. Of the 65 positive litter samples, DB, RV, and TT isolated 1 (2.7%), 31 (47.7%), and 23 (35.4%) of the samples as positive when using BG agar, respectively. The TR protocol identified 83.1% (54/65) of the positive samples as positive when using BG agar. In the drag swab samples, DB did not identify any samples as positive, whereas TT and RV found 28 (25.7%) and 26 (23.9%) of the 109 samples to be positive when using BG agar, respectively. Again, the TR protocol identified the highest percentage of positive samples (94.5%). An analysis of agreement, kappa, revealed that TT and RV did not always agree on which samples were positive, although the number of samples identified as positive by both were not different. A comparison between the 2 agar plates used, BG and XLT4, showed that they had high agreement when the secondary enrichment protocol was used, but agreement was only moderate to low when the other 3 methods were used.
Homotopy and isotopy in dimension three

Let M be a closed p2-irreducible 3-manifold. It is a long standing problem to decide if homotopic homeomorphisms of M must be isotopic. The answer is now known to be affirmative if M is Haken, [Wal], see also [L], or if M is a Seifert fiber space [Ho-R] [Bon] [B-R] [A] [R] [Scl] [B-O], and for a few other special manifolds [B-R]. Thus is now seems reasonable to conjecture that the answer is always affirmative. However, if one considers reducible manifolds, there is a counter example [F W]. In this paper, we further enlarge the class of 3-manifolds for which the above conjecture can be proved. If a closed P2-irreducible 3-manifold is non-orientable, it must be Haken, so we consider only orientable 3-manifolds in the rest of this paper. Let M be an orientable 3-manifold, let F be a closed orientable surface not S 2 and let f: F ~ M be an immersion which injects n~ (F). Let Mr denote the cover of M such that nj (Mr) equals f,(nl(F)) and let M denote the universal cover of M. We will suppose that the lift of f into MF is an embedding. (Note that this is automatic iff is least area in the smooth or PL sense.) Thus the pre-image in M of f(F) consists of an embedded plane /7 which covers F in M,, and the translates of // by hi(M). We will say that f has the k-plane property if, given k distinct translates of H, some pair is disjoint. In this paper we will consider the case when k equals 3. A map with the 3-plane property has no transverse triple points. We will say that f has the 1-line-intersection property if two distinct translates of /7 are disjoint or intersect transversely in a single line. The main result of this paper is THEOREM 1.1. Let M be a closed orientable irreducible 3-manifold which is neither Haken nor a Seifert fiber space. If there is a closed orientable surface F, not S z, and an immersion f:F~M which injects nl(F) and has the 3-plane and l-line-intersection properties, then homotopic homeomorphisms of M are isotopic. In [H-S], we show that if M satisfies the hypotheses of this theorem, and M is homotopy equivalent to an irreducible 3-manifold N, then M and N are homeomor
A peptomimetic inhibitor of BCL6 with potent antilymphoma effects in vitro and in vivo

The BCL6 transcriptional repressor is the most commonly involved oncogene in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs). BCL6 lymphomagenic activity is dependent on its ability to recruit corepressor proteins to a unique binding site on its N-terminal BTB domain. A recombinant peptide fragment of the SMRT (silencing mediator for retinoid and thyroid hormone receptor) corepressor that blocks this site can inhibit BCL6 biologic functions. Shortening and conversion of this peptide to D-amino acid and retro configuration as well as the addition of a fusogenic motif yielded a far more potent and stable BCL6 inhibitor that still retained the specificity of the original SMRT fragment. Like the L-peptide, retroinverso BCL6 peptide inhibitor (RI-BPI) selectively killed BCR rather than OxPhos-type DLBCL cells. The RI-BPI could recapitulate the failure to form germinal centers seen in BCL6 null mice yet was nontoxic and nonimmunogenic even when administered for up to 52 weeks. RI-BPI showed superior duration of tissue penetration and could accordingly powerfully suppress the growth of human DLBCLs xenografts in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, RI-BPI could kill primary human DLBCL cells but had no effect on normal lymphoid tissue or other tumors.
Implantation of the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve into the pronator quadratus for treatment of painful neuroma

A neuroma of the palmar cutaneous branch (PCB) of the median nerve can cause pain in the scar following carpal tunnel release, with secondary decreased wrist range of motion and decreased grip strength. The results of PCB resection and implantation of the PCB into the pronator quadratus muscle are reported in a series of 13 patients. Pain relief was demonstrated before surgery by anesthetic block of the PCB, which did not result in sensory loss in the distribution of the median nerve. Results, at a mean of 19 months after surgery, were excellent (no residual pain, return to previous jobs) in six patients and good (some residual pain, return to a different job, stable or improved grip strength and wrist range of motion) in seven patients.
Preparation of Samples for Leaf Architecture Studies, A Method for Mounting Cleared Leaves

Premise of the study: Several recent waves of interest in leaf architecture have shown an expanding range of approaches and applications across a number of disciplines. Despite this increased interest, examination of existing archives of cleared and mounted leaves shows that current methods for mounting, in particular, yield unsatisfactory results and deterioration of samples over relatively short periods. Although techniques for clearing and staining leaves are numerous, published techniques for mounting leaves are scarce. Methods and Results: Here we present a complete protocol and recommendations for clearing, staining, and imaging leaves, and, most importantly, a method to permanently mount cleared leaves. Conclusions: The mounting protocol is faster than other methods, inexpensive, and straightforward; moreover, it yields clear and permanent samples that can easily be imaged, scanned, and stored. Specimens mounted with this method preserve well, with leaves that were mounted more than 35 years ago sh...
THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE COLOR AND ANATOMY OF TOMATO LEAVES

DURING THE COURSE of studies on the effects of temperature on the growth of tomato plants, it was noted that the color of the leaves varied depending upon the temperature to which the plants were subjected during growth. Two general trends were evident: (1) the lower the phototemperature, the lighter the color, and (2) the lower the nyctotemperature, the darker the color. Plants in any one series which had all received the same phototemperature could be arranged in order of increasing leaf color and this was the order of decreasing nyctotemperature. Color differences were observable if the nyctotemperatures varied by as little as 3?C., and were quite obvious for 6?C. differences. Similarly, series of plants which had all received the same nyctotemperatures could be arranged according to decreasing leaf color, and this was the order of decreasing phototemperature. The results of a visual evaluation of leaf color are presented in fig. 1.
Phasic and Tonic Patterns of Locus Coeruleus Output Differentially Modulate Sensory Network Function in the Awake Rat

Neurons of the nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) discharge with phasic bursts of activity superimposed on highly regular tonic discharge rates. Phasic bursts are elicited by bottom-up input mechanisms involving novel/salient sensory stimuli and top-down decision making processes; whereas tonic rates largely fluctuate according to arousal levels and behavioral states. Although it is generally believed that these two modes of activity differentially modulate information processing in LC targets, the unique role of phasic versus tonic LC output on signal processing in cells, circuits, and neural networks of waking animals is not well understood. In the current study, simultaneous recordings of individual neurons within ventral posterior medial thalamus and barrel field cortex of conscious rats provided evidence that each mode of LC output produces a unique modulatory impact on single neuron responsiveness to sensory-driven synaptic input and representations of sensory information across ensembles of simultaneously recorded cells. Each mode of LC activation specifically modulated the relationship between sensory-stimulus intensity and the subsequent responses of individual neurons and neural ensembles. Overall these results indicate that phasic versus tonic modes of LC discharge exert fundamentally different modulatory effects on target neuronal circuits within the rodent trigeminal somatosensory system. As such, each mode of LC output may differentially influence signal processing as a means of optimizing behaviorally relevant neural computations within this sensory network. Likely the ability of the LC system to differentially regulate neural responses and local circuit operations according to behavioral demands extends to other brain regions including those involved in higher cognitive functions.
The Role of Amino Acids in Extracellular Loops of the Human P2Y1 Receptor in Surface Expression and Activation Processes

Abstract The P2Y1 receptor is a membrane-bound G protein-coupled receptor stimulated by adenine nucleotides. Using alanine scanning mutagenesis, the role in receptor activation of charged amino acids (Asp, Glu, Lys, and Arg) and cysteines in the extracellular loops (EL) of the human P2Y1receptor has been investigated. The mutant receptors were expressed in COS-7 cells and measured for stimulation of phospholipase C induced by the potent agonist 2-methylthioadenosine-5′-diphosphate (2-MeSADP). In addition to single point mutations, all receptors carried the hemagglutinin epitope at the N- terminus for detection of cell-surface expression. The C124A and C202A mutations, located near the exofacial end of transmembrane helix 3 and in EL2, respectively, ablated phospholipase C stimulation by ≤100 μm 2-MeSADP. Surface enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detection of both mutant receptors showed 1000-fold greater than for the wild-type receptor. The double mutant receptor C42A/C296A exhibited no additive shift in the concentration-response curve for 2-MeSADP. These data suggest that Cys42 and Cys296 form another disulfide bridge in the extracellular region, which is critical for activation. Replacement of charged amino acids produced only minor changes in receptor activation, with two remarkable exceptions. The E209A mutant receptor (EL2) exhibited a >1000-fold shift in EC50. However, if Glu209 were substituted with amino acids capable of hydrogen bonding (Asp, Gln, or Arg), the mutant receptors responded like the wild-type receptor. Arg287 in EL3 was impaired similarly to Glu209 when substituted by alanine. Substitution of Arg287 by lysine, another positively charged residue, failed to fully restore wild-type activity.
Lowering glucose depletes a thapsigargin-sensitive calcium pool and inhibits transcription of the S14 gene.

S14 is a nuclear protein that is rapidly and synergistically induced by glucose and thyroid hormone, and the level of it's messenger RNA correlates with hepatocyte and adipocyte lipogenesis. We previously reported that the calcium ionophore A23187 markedly inhibits the carbohydrate response of the S14 gene without inhibiting glucose metabolism. Because the calcium ionophore not only increased intracellular cytosolic free calcium but also depletes intracellular calcium stores, we examined which of these two possibilities accounts for the regulation of S14 gene transcription. We found that increasing cytosolic calcium with arginine vasopressin is insufficient to inhibit S14 gene transcription. Furthermore, reduction of intracellular calcium by addition of EGTA to medium containing A23187 leads to further inhibition of S14 transcription. Measurement of intracellular free calcium in indo-1-loaded hepatocytes showed no significant changes induced by high glucose. These results suggested that depletion of an in...