cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) adsorption to polyvinyl chloride using a nonionic surfactant

The effect of poloxamer 407 (Pluronic® F-127), a nonionic surfactant, on the adsorption of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was assessed. G-CSF, at concentrations less than 15 μ/ml, was combined with human serum albumin (HSA), poloxamer 407, and HSA plus poloxamer 407 in dextrose 5% in water (D5W) and the percent of G-CSF bound to PVC compared with G-CSF in D5W alone. The concentrations of poloxamer 407 evaluated for their effect on G-CSF adsorption to PVC were 0.005, 0.05, and 0.5% (w/w), whereas solutions which contained HSA with or without poloxamer 407 employed HSA at a concentration of 2 mg/ml only. A concentration of 0.05% w/w poloxamer 407 in a solution of G-CSF in D5W provided a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the percent of G-CSF bound to PVC compared to a solution of G-CSF alone. Poloxamer 407 alone at a concentration of 0.05% w/w was just as effective as HSA alone (2 mg/ml) at inhibiting adsorption of G-CSF to PVC. However, inhibition of G-CSF surface adsorption to PVC was not dependent on the concentration of poloxamer 407 when the surfactant was combined with HSA. Incorporation of poloxamer 407 at each of the three concentrations selected in a G-CSF/HSA solution provided no additional reduction in G-CSF adsorption to PVC when compared to a G-CSF solution which contained only HSA at a concentration of 2 mg/ml. Over the G-CSF concentration range of 0.3–300 ng/ml, the amount of G-CSF adsorbed per square centimeter of PVC was significantly greater at 45°C compared to G-CSF solutions evaluated at 22°C. Poloxamer 407 at a concentration of 0.05% w/w may show promise as a solvent additive with which to minimize G-CSF adsorption to PVC.
The Cranial Base in Fetal Macaca nemestrina: A Quantitative Analysis of Size and Shape

The applicability of Fourier analysis to quantitate the midsagittal cranial base has been demonstrated utilizing fetal Macaca nemestrina. This methodology accurately measures the irregular form of the endocranial profile, minimizes the effects of size, and maximizes shape differences. This method provides a quantitative dimension to the descriptive analysis of shape change previously observed with a combined histologic and cephalometric analysis.
Aberrations in lenslike antiguides for semiconductor lasers

A lenslike diverging medium is potentially useful in semiconductor lasers. A laser of this type was previously fabricated and tested. The performance was substantially better than a comparable laser without a lenslike region, although refinements of the design were needed to obtain an output beam that was essentially diffraction limited. For this type of laser, the structure of the wafer is designed so that the effective refractive index depends on x, the lateral distance from the center of the wafer. The shape of the wavefronts of the mode depends on the functional form of the index of refraction. In principle, the index can be tailored so that the wavefronts will be cylindrical. In practice, this profile will not be achieved perfectly, and it is important to be able to calculate the aberrations that are introduced. It is also useful to calculate the index profile that would result in ideal cylindrical wavefronts. Equations are derived for the mode wavefronts given the index profile and for the index profile that will result in a given wavefront, and examples are discussed.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Angiogram-Negative Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Outcomes Data and Review of the Literature

Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is most commonly caused by rupture of a saccular aneurysm or other structural pathologies. Occasionally, no structural cause for the hemorrhage can be identified by radiographic imaging. These hemorrhages, termed angiogram-negative SAH, are generally considered to have a better prognosis than aneurysmal SAH. Angiogram-negative SAH subgroups include benign perimesencephalic SAH (PMH) and aneurysmal-type SAH. Outcome data for these subgroups differ from those for the group as a whole. We report data for 31 patients who presented to our institution from 2006 to the present. We performed a retrospective chart review, and report outcome data that include rates of rehemorrhage, hydrocephalus, vasospasm, permanent ischemic deficits, headaches, and outcomes based on modified Rankin Scale scores. We also performed a review of the literature and meta-analysis of the data therein. We compared rates of complications in the PMH subgroup and the diffuse-type hemorrhage subgroup. The chart review revealed no poor outcomes and no rehemorrhages in the patients with PMH. In the diffuse hemorrhage subgroup, 1 patient had a rehemorrhage and 2 patients had a poor outcome. Our literature review found an OR of 6.23 for a good outcome for PMH versus diffuse-type hemorrhage, and an OR of 2.78 for rehemorrhage in PMH versus diffuse-type hemorrhage. Angiogram-negative SAH is not a benign entity. Complications are present but are significantly reduced, and outcomes are improved, compared with aneurysmal SAH.
Depressive symptoms among Latino farmworkers across the agricultural season: Structural and situational influences.

Immigrant Latino farmworkers confront multiple challenges that threaten their mental health. Previous farmworker mental health research has relied primarily on cross-sectional study designs, leaving little opportunity to describe how farmworker mental health changes or to identify factors that may contribute to these changes. This study used prospective data obtained at monthly intervals across one four-month agricultural season from a large sample of Latino farmworkers in NC (N=288) to document variation in depressive symptoms across the agricultural season and delineate structural and situational factors associated with mental health trajectories across time. Depressive symptoms generally followed a U-shaped distribution across the season, but there was substantial variation in this pattern. Structural stressors like marital status and situational stressors like the pace of work, crowded living conditions, and concerns about documentation predicted depressive symptoms. The pattern of results suggests that strategies to address mental health problems in this vulnerable population will require coordinated action at the individual and social level.
The potential of consumer health informatics

Objectives To describe the rapidly evolving field of consumer health informatics (CHI), which is empowering the patient and the public. Data Sources Published articles, research studies, and government reports pertaining to interactive health communication and CHI. Conclusions Application of CHI can provide information to patients and the public, promote self-care, enable informed decision-making, promote healthy behaviors, and promote peer information exchange and social support. Quality, research methodology, and accessibility must all be increased to ensure that CHI achieves its potential to improve the nation's health. Implications for Nursing Practice With the advent of the internet, the profusion of consumer health-related web sites, online support groups, and electronic patient-centered communications present new challenges for clinical practice. Health care providers have important roles in helping their patients as well as the public locate, assess, and interpret health information.
Building and breeding molecules to spy on cells and tumors

Imaging of biochemical processes in living cells and organisms is essential for understanding how genes and gene products work together in space and time and in health and disease. Such imaging depends crucially on indicator molecules designed to maximize sensitivity and specificity. These molecules can be entirely synthetic, entirely genetically encoded macromolecules, or hybrid combinations, each approach having its own pros and cons. Recent examples from the author's laboratory include peptides whose uptake into cells is triggered by proteases typical of tumors, monomeric red fluorescent proteins and biarsenical-tetracysteine systems for determining the age and electron-microscopic location of proteins.
Permanganate ion oxidations X. Kinetics and mechanisms of the initial stage in the oxidation of 4‐hydroxy‐2‐pyrimidinethiols

Permanganate ion rapidly oxidizes the thiol group in 2-thiouracils (2,3-dihydro-2-thioxo-4(1H)-pyrimidinones, 4-hydroxy-2-pyrimidinethiols) to the corresponding uracil-2-sulfonates in phosphate-buffered solutions. The oxidations, which are first order in oxidant and first order in reductants, are characterized by relatively small energies of activation (Ea ≅ 4.3–6.7kcal/mol) and relatively large negative entropies of activation (ΔS‡ = −24.9–−34.4 eu). The relative rates of oxidation of 2-thiouracil (2), 6-methyl- (4), 6-n-propyl- (6), 1,6-dimethyl-(8), and 3,6-dimethyl-2-thiouracil (9) are 1.00:1.23:0.98:7.32:2.54. The rate of oxidation of 1,3,6-trimethyl-2-thiouracil (12) is several orders of magnitude slower than that of the other thiouracils. Although the thiol group or thiolate anion is probably involved in the rate-determining step, several other possible mechanisms are also considered.
Acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) in human B cells: Correlation of expression with stages of B-cell differentiation

Abstract Normal and malignant cells of the B cell lineage were examined for their expression of acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) and correlation of ANAE expression with cytoplasmic immunoglobulin (CIg), a marker which defines plasma cells. Resting peripheral blood B cells are ANAE − . In contrast, the majority, but not all, benign plasma cells and the malignant plasma cells of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia and multiple myeloma express ANAE in a distinctive staining pattern, i.e., multiple, variably sized nodules of reaction product in the paranuclear Golgi zone, which is distinguishable from that of monocytes and T cells. A variable proportion of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated B cells and the cells in each of three immunoglobulin-secreting B cell lines also expressed ANAE. In these instances the percentage ANAE + cells exceeded the percentage CIg + cells. A variable proportion of the neoplastic cells, 21–76%. in 4 of 25 cases of B-chronic lymphocyte leukemia (CLL) unassociated with monoclonal serum proteins and 2 of 4 cases associated with monoclonal serum protein production expressed ANAE in a staining pattern similar to that of plasma cells but with weaker intensity. B-CLL and plasma cell ANAE activity was inhibited by sodium fluoride, similar to monocyte and dissimilar from T cell ANAE activity. The malignant cells of acute myelogenous and lymphoblastic leukemia were ANAE − . These findings suggest that B cells express ANAE as they differentiate into plasma cells and/or are activated. Moreover, variable ANAE expression is another example of inter- and intratumor heterogeneity displayed by certain B cell malignancies.
The D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH 23390 increases cocaine self-administration in the rat

Rats trained to intravenously self-administer cocaine hydrochloride on a fixed ratio-5 schedule were subjected to a series of systemic injections of the D1 dopamine receptor selective antagonist SCH 23390 and the D2 dopamine receptor selective antagonist spiperone. SCH 23390 produced a dose-dependent increase in cocaine intake at doses of 5, 10 and 20 micrograms/kg, but the D2 antagonist failed to reliably increase responding except at a dose of 10 micrograms/kg. These results suggest that the D1 antagonist may be more effective at blocking mesolimbic dopamine activity, and that selective D1 receptor activation may be an important component of psychostimulant reward.
A new technique for unbiased external ion accumulation in a quadrupole two-dimensional ion trap for electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

External ion accumulation in a two-dimensional (2D) multipole trap has been shown to increase the sensitivity, dynamic range and duty cycle of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer. However, it is important that trapped ions be detected without significant bias at longer accumulation times in the external 2D multipole trap. With increasing ion accumulation time pronounced m/z discrimination was observed when trapping ions in an accumulation quadrupole. In this work we show that superimposing lower rf-amplitude dipolar excitation over the main rf-field in the accumulation quadrupole results in disruption of the m/z discrimination and can potentially be used to achieve unbiased external ion accumulation with FTICR.
Genome Editing of the Blood: Opportunities and Challenges.

The ability to remove blood cells, including hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), from a person and then re-transplant them [hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)] is a well-established treatment paradigm that can be used in both the autologous setting or in the allogeneic setting. Using allogeneic HSCT can cure different genetic diseases of the blood but has significant limitations. An alternative to allogeneic HSCT is to transplant genetically modified HSCs instead. A powerful approach to the precision modification of HSCs is to use genome editing whereby the genome is modified with spatial precision (at an exact location) in the genome and sometimes with nucleotide precision (the exact nucleotide changes are introduced). The progress and challenges of genome editing of blood are discussed.
An origin of Tc enhancement in the oxide superconductor Ba(Pb, Bi)O3

Abstract It is proposed that a large T c enhancement of the Ba(Pb 1−x Bi x )O 3 superconductor with x ≈ 0.25 is due to the pre-existing charge density wave formed at a higher temperature, whose gap edge singularity helps to increase the density of states at the Fermi level. A scenario of the successive phase transitions as x varies gives some clue as to why “high- T c ” is often associated with the marginal instability of the metal-non-metal transition. Recent finding of T c ∼ 20 K in (Ba 0.9 K 1 BiO 3 (x ∼ 0.2) is interpreted in this context.
Laminar burning speeds and flame structures of mixtures of difluoromethane (HFC-32) and 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a) with air at elevated temperatures and pressures

Laminar burning speeds and flame structures of difluoromethane (HFC-32)/air and 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a)/air mixtures have been studied. Experiments have been carried out in constant-volume spherical and cylindrical vessels coupled with a schlieren/shadowgraph system and high-speed complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera. Laminar burning speed was determined using a thermodynamic model that employs the pressure rise history of the combustion process. Experiments were conducted for different initial conditions over a wide range of equivalence ratios. Laminar burning speeds of HFC-152a/air mixtures have been measured over the temperature range of 298 K to 580 K and pressure range of 1 to 8 bar. Laminar burning speeds of HFC-32/air mixtures have been measured for the temperature range of 350 K to 475 K and pressure range of 2 to 6.8 bar. Correlations have been developed for laminar burning speeds of HFC-32 and HFC-152a to demonstrate the temperature and pressure dependency of laminar burni...
Cotton Mather and the Meaning of Suffering in the Magnalia Christi Americana

When Cotton Mather's Magnalia Christi Americana was finally published in London in 1702, the anxious historian set a day of thanksgiving to God, “ for His watchful and gracious Providence over that Work, and for the Harvest of so many Prayers, and Cares, and Tears, and Resignations.” From 1693 to 1697, Mather had labored over the seven books of his immense ecclesiastical history of New England. Readers of the Magnalia have often dismissed the work as unwieldy, pedantic, incomprehensible. As one anonymous critic complained in 1818, it is “ a chaotick mass of history, biography, obsolete creeds, witchcraft, and Indian wars, interspersed with bad puns, and numerous quotations in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, which rise up like so many decayed, hideous stumps to arrest the eye and deform the surface.”Despite the difficulties presented by the Magnalia, however, American colonial historians have recognized Mather's history as the “ greatest effort in the century to organize the experience of this people.” Cotton Mather was one of the many second- and third-generation ministers who feared that the New England people were declining in piety and descending into moral corruption.
Yield of resonance states in irradiated argon

Abstract The ionization efficiencies of several molecules have been measured at the wavelengths 1067 A and 1048 A. These parameters correlate with the magnitude of the “Jesse effect” arising from the lowest resonance states in irradiated argon. The excitation yield for these states is deduced.
A multiresidue screen for the analysis of toxicants in bovine rumen contents

Analysis of rumen contents is helpful in solving poisoning cases when ingestion of a toxic substance by cattle or other ruminant animals is suspected. The most common technique employs extraction of the sample with organic solvent followed by clean-up method(s) before analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry equipped with a library of mass spectra to help identify unknowns. A rapid method using magnesium sulfate, primary secondary amine, and C18 sorbents following principles of QuEChERS to clean up rumen contents samples is reported herein. The method was validated to analyze fortified bovine rumen contents to detect commonly found organophosphorus pesticides, carbamates, and several other compounds such as atropine, 4-aminopyridine, caffeine, scopolamine, 3-chloro-4-methylaniline, strychnine, metaldehyde, and metronidazole. For each compound, the ratio of 2 ions from the mass spectrum was monitored in fortified rumen contents. The ion ratio of fortified sample was compared with the ion ratio of standard sample spectrum and was found to be within 20%, with the exception of aldicarb and 4-aminopyridine with ion ratio of 26% and 29%, respectively. Usefulness of the method was demonstrated by not only analyzing bovine rumen contents but also canine and avian gastrointestinal contents submitted for organic chemical screening.
Ionizing radiation damage to cells: Effects of cell cycle redistribution

If a population of cycling cells is exposed to a fixed dose of ionizing radiation delivered over time T, it is sometimes observed that increasing T increases the amount of cell killing. This is essentially because at first the radiation preferentially kills cells in a sensitive portion of the cycle and the surviving, more resistant cells then have time to reach more sensitive stages. We refer to this effect as population resensitization, caused by redistribution within the cell cycle. We investigate the effect theoretically by employing the McKendrick-von Foerster equation for age-structured proliferating cell populations, generalized by introducing a radiation damage term. Within our formalism, we show that population resensitization occurs whenever: (a) prior to irradiation the cell population has the stable age-distribution approached asymptotically by an unirradiated population, and (b) T is sufficiently small. Examples and other cases are outlined. The methods of Volterra integral equations, renewal theory, and positive semigroup theory are applied. The effect of varying T is evaluated by considering the ultimate amplitude of the stable age-distribution population at times much greater than both the irradiation duration and the average cell-cycle time. The main biological limitations of the formalism are the following: considering only radiation damage which is not subject to enzymatic repair or quadratic misrepair, using an overly naive method of ensuring loss of cell cycle synchrony, neglecting nonlinear effects such as density inhibition of growth, and neglecting radiatively induced perturbations of the cell cycle. Possible methods for removing these limitations are briefly discussed.
The pathological left-handedness syndrome☆

A clinical syndrome of pathological left-handedness (PLH) is proposed to identify the pattern of correlative changes in lateral development associated with early brain injury in some manifest left-handers. This syndrome is believed to be caused by a hemispheric lesion that is predominantly left-sided (or bilateral asymmetric), which onsets before Age 6, and which encroaches upon the critical speech zones of the frontotemporal/frontoparietal cortex. The pattern of changes may include any or all of the following features: shifts in manual dominance, trophic changes in the extremities, transfer of hemispheric speech, and/or intrahemispheric reorganization of visuospatial cognitive functions. Although some of these correlates of PLH have long been known, they have not been recognized as an interrelated pattern of traits that constitute a clinical syndrome. Identification of these individuals, all manifest left-handers, will be shown to have implications for diagnosis/remediation and for models of recovery of function.
Effects of intracellular ruthenium red on excitation-contraction coupling in intact frog skeletal muscle fibres.

1. Ruthenium Red (RR) blocks sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release in disrupted muscle preparations and this block has been used as a marker for the physiological Ca2+ release pathway. To investigate whether RR can also affect SR Ca2+ release in living muscle, optical signals reflecting Ca2+ release have been measured in intact single frog twitch fibres microinjected with RR. 2. The total myoplasmic concentration of RR, [RRT], was obtained from measurements of RR-related absorbance and apparent diffusion constant, Dapp, of RR in myoplasm was estimated. The value of Dapp was about 1/30 of that expected and can be explained if the majority of RR (approximately 97%) was bound in myoplasm and free [RR] was only 1/30 of [RRT]. 3. Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release following action potential stimulation was assessed from a Ca2+-related change in intrinsic birefringence. The birefringence signal was blocked in the presence of RR and the degree of block was clearly dependent upon [RRT]. At 16 degrees C the estimated [RRT] for half-block of the birefringence signal was 23 +/- 4 microM (+/- S.E. of mean; n = 3), and for half-block of the Ca2+ release process itself was 72 +/- 14 microM. The estimated free [RR] for half-block is then 0.8 +/- 0.1 and 2.4 +/- 0.5 microM, respectively. In the cold (6-8 degrees C), the half-blocking concentration of RR, referred to [RRT], appeared to be about 3-fold smaller than that observed at 16 degrees C. 4. The values estimated for the free [RR] which caused half-block of Ca2+ release in intact muscle fibres are in the range reported for RR's action in disrupted preparations, thus supporting the conclusion that the RR-blockable channel observed in disrupted muscle is the physiologically important Ca2+ release channel. 5. Intramembrane charge movements in skeletal muscle are thought to underlie the dependence of SR Ca2+ release on transverse tubular membrane potential. Charge movements were measured in RR-injected fibres at 4-6 degrees C using a three-microelectrode, middle-of-the-fibre voltage-clamp technique. Injected fibres did not survive well in solutions made hypertonic to prevent fibre movement and allow measurement of suprathreshold charge; therefore charge movements below contraction threshold were studied in isotonic solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Dynamic surface properties of phosphatidylglycerol-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine mixed films

Abstract This paper studies the dynamic surface pressure-area (π-A) behavior of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) with a mixed fatty acid distribution (bacterial) in pure and binary mixed films with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPL). At 23°C, bacterial PG films generate maximum dynamic surface pressures of only 48–49 dyn/cm on a 0.15 M sodium chloride subphase for both dilute and surface excess initial conditions. By contrast, binary mixed films of 90:10 DPL/PG reach maximum π values of the order of 70 dyn/cm at similar conditions, the same as for pure DPL films. A collapse plateau ratio criterion is used to show that respreading after dynamic compression past film collapse is enhanced in 90:10 DPL/PG films as compared to pure DPL for a dilute surface initial condition, but not for the surface excess condition, at room temperature. Respreading in pure bacterial PG films is also slightly improved over corresponding pure DPL films for some initial conditions at 23°C, but the magnitude of this effect is not as large as might be expected from the significant unsaturated and cyclopropane fatty acid percentage present in bacterial PG. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements on DPL/PG mixtures show decreasing T c with peak broadening as the percentage of bacterial PG is increased. The experiments here do not establish a clearly required functional role for 10% PG in pulmonary surfactant surface behavior. Further surface studies are suggested before long-term clinical trials of PG containing mixtures for exogenous replacement therapy in Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) are initiated on a widespread basis.
COMPARISON OF CAPILLARY AND VENOUS BLOOD SAMPLING FOR QUANTITATION OF PLASMA CHOLESTEROL

Plasma (P) cholesterol (C) levels in 181 subjects measured using a capillary blood gas-liquid chromatography(GLC) micromethod (20 μl of plasma), were compared to C levels in venous blood using ferric-chloride automated colorimetric methods (AA-1). For the GLC, 20μl of plasma was saponified with tetramethylammonium hydroxide-isopropanol (with 5 α cholestane as internal standard) and was extracted with tetrachlorethylene:methyl butyrate 1:3 v/v. After addition of water, the tetrachlorethylene lower phase was injected into the GLC and C concentration determined “by peak-height ratio comparison with reference P. In 181 subjects C (mean ±SD) for the AA-1 method (which required 5 ml plasma and venesection) was 235± 54 essentially identical to C measured by the GLC method, 235±57 mg/100ml. The correlation of the C levels by AA-1 and GLC was very close, r=0-96, p 200 mg/100 ml and those with TG<200. The close concordance of the GLC capillary method with the venous blood AA-1 method allows reduction in sample size to 20 μl plasma, negates the necessity for venesection, and facilitates lipid studies in infants and children.
Quantum antiferromagnets in one and two dimensions

Abstract We review some theoretical developments of the last few years on the low-temperature behavior of quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnets in one and two dimensions. For simple two-dimensional systems without frustration, it is now clear that the ground state has Neel order, for any value of the quantum spin. Theoretical predictions for the behavior as T → 0 of the diverging correlation length, the spin-wave frequencies and damping rates, and the form of the static and dynamic spin-correlation functions, have been obtained from a combination of renormalization group and scaling analyses, spin-wave hydrodynamics, and computer simulations of classical systems. Results are in good agreement with neutron experiments on La 2CuO4 and K2NiF4. For the S = 1 antiferromagnetic chain, with a Haldane gap, a recent development is the realization that there should be two effective S = ½ degrees of freedom localized at the ends of a finite chain. These have been observed in recent spin resonance experiments on NENP with dilute concentrations of Cu or Zn substituted for the Ni.
Coping among older-adult, long-term cancer survivors

This research focuses on the coping behavior of older adult, long-term cancer survivors. Specifically, it identifies the personal (including race and gender) and illness/treatment characteristics of survivors that are significantly associated with the use of specific coping styles: planning, acceptance, venting, denial and seeking social support. It also examines the mediating role that these forms of coping play in terms of psychological distress: anxiety, depression and cancer-related worries. Multivariate analysis of data from a random sample of 321 long-term survivors in a major cancer center tumor registry is used to address the above issues. The most prominent forms of coping used by long-term survivors were planning and acceptance; least used were venting and denial. Increased age was associated with lower use of all forms of coping, but cancer type was not. Denial as a form of coping was associated with higher anxiety, depression and cancer-related worries. While race was not found to be a significant predictor of coping style, it was a significant predictor of three dimensions of psychological distress, anxiety, depression and cancer-related worries, with African Americans exhibiting lower levels of distress than Whites. The relevance of these findings for health and social service practitioners is discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interaction of Vibrio vulnificus with Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes: Association of Virulence with Resistance to Phagocytosis

The results of studies described in this report support the ideas that virulence of Vibrio vulnificus is associated, at least in part, with resistance to phagocytosis and that the ability of the bacterium to resist phagocytosis results from its possession of an antiphagocytic surface antigen. These conclusions are based on the observations that (1) human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) exhibited a significantly weaker chemiluminescent response and phagocytic response when interacting with a virulent strain of the bacterium than when challenged with a weakly virulent strain of the bacterium; (2) rabbit antiserum to the virulent bacterium, but not normal rabbit serum, significantly enhanced the chemiluminescent response of PMNLs challenged with the virulent bacterium and significantly enhanced ingestion of the bacterium by the PMNLs; and (3) the opsonic activity of the antiserum was removed by adsorption with a formalin-killed, whole cell preparation of the virulent bacterium. The halophilic bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, also called "lactose-positive Vibrio species" and Beneckea vulnifica [1], is a recently recognized pathogen which causes wound infections, septicemia, meningitis, pneumonia, and keratitis [1-5]. Various conditions which deleteriously affect host defense mechanisms, such as diabetes, congestive heart disease, and hepatic disease, are known to predispose humans to life-threatening infection by V. vulnificus [3]; however, very little is known concerning the bacterial components or products that may be important in the pathogenesis of disease caused by the bacterium. The studies reported here were designed to elucidate the bacterial factors yielding resistance to phagocytosis.
Examination of the Shoulder in the Overhead and Throwing Athlete

The advent of arthroscopy and the scientific study of the efficacy and accuracy of that examination have led to important advances in our understanding of the shoulder examination in the overhead and throwing athlete. In this review, we address current physical examination techniques and how to perform them, and explore their reported clinical efficacy, providing the practicing clinician with a better understanding of the proper application and interpretation of the shoulder examination in the overhead and throwing athlete.
X-ray photoelectron diffraction study of oxygen adsorption on the stepped copper surfaces (410) and (211)

Abstract We report the first structural investigation of adsorption on stepped metal surfaces using core-level azimuthal X-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD). The specific systems studied are oxygen adsorption on Cu(410) and Cu(211). Both surfaces show enhanced oxygen adsorption rates compared to the simple low-index surfaces of the terraces, suggesting adsorption sites on the steps. Kinematical LEED analyses verify the step structure of both clean Cu(410) and Cu(211), and also indicate a reconstruction of Cu(211) for exposures ≳ 3 L into a surface with diatomic step heights. At higher exposures of ≳ 75 L, Cu(211) is further observed to facet. Cu(410) is by contrast very stable in structure up to 1200 L exposure. Detailed azimuthal XPD data were obtained for O 1s emission from both surfaces at a low and a high exposure to oxygen. Pronounced diffraction features are seen; these are observed to be sensitive to both the polar angle of emission and the degree of exposure. By comparing the experimental data with single-scattering cluster calculations for different possible adsorption geometries, the most likely adsorption sites for atomic oxygen were deduced. Oxygen is found to lie predominantly on the steps for low exposures of both surfaces: for 0.75 L exposure on Cu(410) it occupies a two-fold site at the top of the step and for 5 L exposure on reconstructed Cu(211), a four-fold site at the bottom of the step. Vertical positions are determined with an estimated accuracy of ± 0.2 A. At higher exposures ≳ 40 L for the Cu(410) surface, both step and (100) terrace sites are found to be occupied in a modified c(2 × 2) structure. O 1s polar -scan data for Cu(410) also verify that the initial adsorption site is on the step. Such angle-resolved XPS measurements thus have considerable promise for stepped-surface structural studies.
Effects of procaine amide, quinidine and ethmozin on delayed afterdepolarizations.

We studied the effects of three chemically different antiarrhythmic drugs on ouabain-induced delayed afterdepolarizations (DAD) in canine Purkinje fibers. The three drugs, ethmozin, 4.6 × 10-6 M; procaine amide, 1.1 × 10-4 M; and quinidine, 1.13 × 10-6 M reduced DAD amplitude equivalently at drive cycle lengths < 500 ms. Quinidine and procaine amide in these concentrations had no effect on the action potential characteristics except for a prolongation of action potential duration (APD) induced by procaine amide. Ethmozin reduced action potential amplitude, maximum upstroke velocity of phase 0 (Vmax), and APD measured to 50% and full repolarization (APD50 and APD100). Rate dependent changes in Vmax and maximum diastolic potential (MDP) were not exaggerated by quinidine in the ouabain intoxicated Purkinje fibers. The DAD coupling interval was increased as DAD amplitude decreased with all three drugs. Although ethmozin, procaine amide and quinidine similarly reduced DAD amplitude; procaine amide and quinidine exerted these effects in the absence of other transmembrane potential effects, whereas ethmozin did so only in concentrations that depressed the action potential as well.
VEGF inhibits PDGF-stimulated calcium signaling independent of phospholipase C and protein kinase C.

Introduction Despite advances in both open and endovascular techniques for treatment of arterial occlusive disease, restenosis because of neointimal hyperplasia continues to be a major cause of graft failure and restenosis. This phenomenon has been attributed to vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) activation by several potent mitogens including platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) released at the site of injury. PDGF is known to stimulate calcium influx in VSMC that has been shown to be critical for VSMC migration and proliferation. We have previously shown that VEGF inhibits PDGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation. The objective of this set of experiments was to investigate whether VEGF modulated PDGF-stimulated Ca 2+ influx in VSMC. Materials and methods Primary cultured human aortic SMC were grown to subconfluency and assigned to the following groups: no stimulation, stimulation with PDGF-BB (20 ng/ml), stimulation with VEGF 165 (40 ng/ml), or a combination of PDGF-BB + VEGF 165 . Ca 2+ influx was measured using a Fura-2 fluorescence assay. The intracellular Ca 2+ fraction was assayed with the Fura-2 assay by using Ca 2+ -free media. Phospholipase Cγ 1 (PLCγ 1 ), protein kinase C (PKC), and Akt phosphorylation was assessed with standard immunoblotting techniques at 1, 5, and 10 min time points. Ca 2+ -calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) activity was extrapolated from the phosphorylation of Phospholamban B (PLB), a well-known protein substrate, at 1, 5, and 10 min time points. Results PDGF stimulation resulted in a 328 ± 9 n m total calcium influx in VSMC. The combination of VEGF + PDGF resulted in a 273 ± 21 n m total calcium influx, an amount significantly less than with PDGF alone ( P m intracellular calcium release. The addition of VEGF to PDGF resulted in an intracellular calcium release of only 15 ± 11 n m , a significant decrease compared to PDGF alone ( P 1 , PKC, and Akt was equivalent at 1, 5, and 10 min between the PDGF and the PDGF + VEGF treatment groups. There was an increase in CaMKII activity at 1 and 5 min time points in both the PDGF and PDGF + VEGF treatment groups suggesting that extracellular calcium influx is sufficient for CaMKII activation. Conclusion VEGF inhibits PDGF-stimulated total calcium influx and, in particular, PDGF-stimulated intracellular calcium release in VSMC. The equivalent phosphorylation of PLCγ1, PKC, and Akt suggests that the inhibitory mechanism by VEGF on calcium influx occurs downstream of these proximal mediators. The inhibition of intracellular calcium release did not inhibit CaMKII activity. VEGF may play an important role in modulating PDGF induced VSMC proliferation by specifically inhibiting intracellular calcium release in response to PDGF.
Is there a long-term drift in triple point of water cells?

A recent study identified boron, sodium, aluminium and silicon as the dominant impurities in triple point of water (TPW) cells. These results suggest that borosilicate glass is a less than ideal container as it is the most likely source of the contaminating elements. An estimate for the rate of change of the equilibrium temperature of TPW cells is presented using results recently obtained at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and supplemented by those reported in 1982 by Furukawa and Bigge of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). An analysis of the two data sets suggests that a decrease of 4 µK per year is appropriate in describing the average behaviour of TPW cells. The conclusion is speculative in that the behaviour of the various cells has not been monitored over a period of time to track the nature of the changes. Rather, the analysis assumes that the changes have occurred continuously and linearly with time.
Effects on Fitness and Behavior of Monarch Butterfly Larvae Exposed to a Combination of Cry1Ab-Expressing Corn Anthers and Pollen

Anthers and pollen from corn, Zea mays L., expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-derived protein frequently fall onto common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca L., growing in and near corn fields. Previous studies have shown that, alone, Bt anthers do not pose a significant risk to the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus L. To examine how exposure to a combination of Bt anthers and pollen affects larval fitness and behavior, three studies were conducted. A laboratory study using severed leaves in petri dishes and two studies with caged milkweed plants (tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica L., and common milkweed) in an environmentally controlled rearing room. In the petri dish bioassay, additive effects of Bt anthers and pollen were detected. The data suggest that the additive effects may be attributed to behavioral changes in larval feeding such as detecting and avoiding Bt anthers. An additive effect also was seen in both cage studies. In the common milkweed cage study, larvae exposed to Bt anthers and pollen took 1.8 d longer to develop and pupae weighed 6.4% less than those exposed to non-Bt anthers and pollen. These effects are similar to those found in a previous study with naturally deposited levels of Bt anthers and pollen, even though the anther levels we tested were two to three times greater. Despite these effects, when put into the context of risk, Bt corn is not likely to pose a significant risk to the monarch butterfly population in North America.
An Overview Of Results From Laser Isotope Separation Research At Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

Spectroscopic results achieved through expansion cooling of the heavy molecules SF6, 238UF6, and 235UF6 are presented and discussed. The impact of these new results on the theoretical understanding of these molecules is illustrated and implications for Laser Isotope Separation by two-step photodissociation and multi-step photodissociation methods are discussed.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measuring disease progression in giant axonal neuropathy: implications for clinical trial design.

As part of a natural history study of giant axonal neuropathy, we hypothesized that the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale and the Gross Motor Function Measure would show a significant change over 6 months, reflecting subjects’ decline in motor function. The Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale was performed on 11 subjects and the Gross Motor Function Measure was performed on 10 subjects twice with a six-month interval. A paired two-tailed t-test was used to assess the difference in each subject’s score. Significant changes were found over six months of 11.7 ± 11.0 (P = 0.006) for the Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale and –10.0 ± 13.5 (P = 0.043) for the Gross Motor Function Measure, reflecting subjects’ decline in motor function on examination and by report. These standardized assessments of clinical function are the first to be validated in giant axonal neuropathy and will be used in an upcoming gene therapy clinical trial.
THE CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF TRIS (ACETYLACETONATO)-ALUMINUM(III) AND -COBALT(III)

Abstract The structures of tris(acetylacetonato)-Al(III) and -Co(III), M(CH3COCHCOCH3)3, have been determined by 3-dimensional single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. These isomorphous complexes belong to the monoclinic crystal system and contain four molecules in the space group P21/c. The unit cell dimensions of tris(acetylacetonato)Al(III) are: a = 14.069 ± 0.009 A, b = 7.568 ± 0.005 A, c = 16.377 ± 0.010 A, β = 99°00′ ± 5′. The unit cell dimensions of tris(acetylacetonato)Co(III) are: a = 13.951 ± 0.009 A, b = 7.470 ± 0.005 A, c = 16.222 ± 0.011 A, β = 98°29′ ± 5′. 1505 photographically recorded reflections for the Co complex and 1569 reflections for the Al complex were evaluated by microphotometer techniques. Refinement was by least squares methods to a conventional unweighted R factor of 0.07 for the Al complex and 0.08 for the Co complex. The structures consist of discrete molecules held together by van der Waals forces. Distortions of the octahedral configuration of O atoms about the Co atom are...
The High-Latitude Ionosphere and Its Effects on Radio Propagation

The ionosphere is indeed the place where Earth and space come together. Correspondingly, the ionosphere is subject to the details and complexities of both Earth and space. If one is to develop a logical understanding of even a limited portion of the ionosphere, that knowledge will be constructed on a foundation of many facts of nature. Awareness of those facts will in turn be supported by a vast historical array of scientific effort to ascertain the fundamentals of Earth and space that combine to form the ionosphere as we know it. Fortunately for us, R.D. Hunsucker and J.K. Hargreaves have written a book that goes from the Earth up and comes from the Sun down to arrive at a remarkably detailed physical description of the ionosphere and its impact on human activities, especially radio-frequency (RF) communications.
Prognostic significance of cellular vascular endothelial growth factor expression in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia.

The impact of elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression on the course of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is unknown. By radioimmunoassay, we measured pretreatment cellular VEGF protein in bone marrow samples from 184 (148 chronic and 36 accelerated/blastic phases) CML patients and found the levels to be 1.6-fold higher than in 31 normal control bone marrow samples ( P = .000 01). No significant differences were found in VEGF levels by different phases of CML ( P = .1). VEGF levels correlated with older age ( P = .01) and higher platelet count ( P = .0003), but also with smaller spleen size ( P = .004), lower white blood cell count ( P = .0006), and lower percentage of peripheral blasts ( P = .04). With the use of Cox proportional hazard model and VEGF levels as a continuous variable, high VEGF levels correlated with shorter survival of patients in chronic CML ( P = .008). Multivariate analysis showed that VEGF was not independent of the synthesis stage ( P = .09). These data suggest that VEGF plays a role in the biology of CML and that VEGF inhibitors should be investigated in CML.
Prions and their partners in crime

Prions, the infectious agents of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), have defied full characterization for decades. The dogma has been that prions lack nucleic acids and are composed of a pathological, self-inducing form of the host's prion protein (PrP). Recent progress in propagating TSE infectivity in cell-free systems has effectively ruled out the involvement of foreign nucleic acids. However, host-derived nucleic acids or other non-PrP molecules seem to be crucial. Interactions between TSE-associated PrP and its normal counterpart are also pathalogically important, so the physiological functions of normal PrP and how they might be corrupted by TSE infections have been the subject of recent research.
Vapor Transport Controlled Process Models for AlN Bulk Sublimation Growth

Sublimation vapor transport method is a widely used technique for the production of optoelectronic materials, such as AlN single crystals. Inductively heated method is most commonly used in high temperature materials processing. In the literature, a one-step reaction with two vapor species, i.e. aluminum (Al) vapor and nitrogen (N2 ) gas, is usually assumed and a diffusion-controlled growth mechanism is used with thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. In the growth experiments, crystal growth may be in the kinetic controlled region, the interplay between surface kinetics and vapor transport is important. Temperature field with inductively heated method will be simulated in this paper. Afterwards, three growth models are proposed. One model is called the traditional model assuming thermodynamic equilibrium and diffusion as the rate-limiting process, and two other models are developed based on equilibrium partial pressure of either aluminum vapor or reaction nitrogen gas. The predicted growth rates by three models are compared. The advantage and disadvantage of different models are discussed.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Natural disasters and local demographic change in the United States

Classic studies on local demographic consequences of natural disasters in the United States are now more than 30 years old, raising questions about how and to what extent relevant patterns have changed over intervening years, as the number and cost of recorded environmental hazards have increased. This study examines these questions at the county level for the nation as a whole, using recent census and hazards data in conjunction with statistical methods that account for spatial dependencies among neighboring counties. Results indicate a positive correlation between cumulative disaster impact during the 1990s and changes in local population and housing units; they also reveal patterns of increased socioeconomic polarization among local residents. These findings differ from earlier studies and put recent case studies in broader context, suggesting that current disaster recoveries contribute to the growth of larger and more unequal populations in environmentally hazardous places.