cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of platelet activity in vivo by amlodipine alone and combined with aspirin

Platelets are known to contribute to the initiation and progression of coronary artery narrowing by atherosclerotic plaques. Platelets also initiate periodic occlusive coronary arterial thrombosis that leads to unstable angina and myocardial infarction. Aspirin is the most widely used platelet inhibitor. However, if blood levels of epinephrine are elevated, some of the platelet inhibition produced by aspirin is diminished. Amlodipine, a second generation dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, was studied in a widely used dog model of experimental coronary artery thrombosis. Amlodipine 1 mg/kg alone or amlodipine 0.4 mg/kg with 5 mg/kg of aspirin IV completely abolished the experimental coronary thrombosis and prevented the exacerbation of coronary thrombosis by epinephrine 0.2 μg/kg/min. This protective effect did not appear until 60 minutes after the amlodipine was given, suggesting a delayed onset of action. Long-acting dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers are used in patients with hypertension, angina, and coronary artery disease. They also may offer the patient some protection against fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction via their platelet-inhibiting effects.
Interaction of a vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride based wetting binder with metal particles for magnetic recording

Abstract The interaction of two commercially available iron alloy particles with a wetting binder based on a vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate copolymer has been investigated. The interaction was studied using the techniques of flow microcalorimetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and microelectrophoresis. The results obtained indicate that whereas both particles interact strongly with the wetting binder, particles of low nickel content are characterized by very high heats of interaction (about 37–47 kcal mol −1 ). The adsorption on both particles appears to obey the Freundlich equation. Binder adsorption on particles results in the development of rather large zeta potentials in tetrahydrofuran solutions. XPS experiments are unable to provide any conclusive evidence for the interaction mechanism.
Optical properties of Mn-doped InAs and InMnAs epitaxial films

Abstract The optical properties of In 1− x Mn x As ferromagnetic semiconductors have been measured over the spectral range of 0.05–3.5 eV to determine their electronic structure. For single-phase InMnAs alloy thin films ( x
Instructor reputation and student ratings of instruction

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between instructor reputation, as perceived by students, and student evaluations of the instructor and course. A total of 754 students from 39 classes participated in the study. Based on what students claimed to have heard about the instructor prior to enrolling in the course, they were classified into one of three groups: positive reputation, no information, and negative reputation. Using these groupings, two analyses were performed. In the first, mean overall ratings for the instructor and course were calculated and presented by class. In the second, both instructor and course ratings were modeled using multilevel regression. Results show large mean differences in both instructor and course ratings between the positive and negative reputation groups. More specifically, students who heard positive information regarding the instructor's reputation rated both the instructor and course higher than students who heard negative information about the instructor.
Protecting the Florida Everglades wetlands with wetlands: Can stormwater phosphorus be reduced to oligotrophic conditions?

Abstract The Florida Everglades is being threatened by high-nutrient stormwater coming from agricultural runoff. The main nutrient problem is phosphorus, which causes the highly oligotrophic sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) communities in the northern Everglades to become eutrophic Typha latifolia/T. domingensis communities. Current government directives require that the total phosphorus concentration of storm water drainage into the Everglades be limited to approximately 10 ppb (μg-P/L). Over 23,000 ha treatment wetlands, referred to locally as stormwater treatment areas (STAs), have been created from farmland to treat the stormwater. They are generally effective in removing 60–80% of the total phosphorus; however, the 10 ppb goal has rarely been achieved. A three-year experiment, involving mesocosms planted with Everglades-native wetland plants was conducted in the Florida Everglades from March 2010 to March 2013. Eighteen flow-through mesocosms (6 m × 1 m × 1 m with 40-cm water depth) received about 2.6 cm/day inflow. The eighteen mesocosms were randomly assigned with six different plant communities with three replicates of each treatment, consisting of sawgrass (C. jamaicense); waterlily (Nymphaea odorata); cattail (Typha domingensis); submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) including Najas guadalupensis, and Chara sp. and a Nymphaea–Eleocharis sp. mixed community; and soil without vegetation as a control. Total phosphorus (TP) in the inflow water was 25 ± 1 μg-P/L (n = 55) over the 3 years. Through 2012 the average outflow of all of the treatments was 34 ± 1 μg-P/L, a 51% decrease from the average outflow of 69 ± 6 μg-P/L for 2011. Outflows began to be routinely lower than the inflow in the 3rd year of the study. The average total phosphorus concentration decreased overall to 19 ± 1 (n = 5) at the end of the study in 2013 suggesting that the suspected phosphorus reflux from the mesocosm soils into the water column slowed after 2–2.5 years of mesocosm operation. Comparing outflows of the individual treatments for 2013, the Nymphaea, control/Chara, and Typha treatments were lower (p
Metabolism of Diltiazem:A Short Efficient Synthesis of N,N-Didesmethyldiltiazem - AnImportant Product of N-Demethylation

An important product of CYP-450 catalyzed N-demethylation of diltiazem is the primary amine didesmethyldiltiazem. An efficient two-step synthesis of this metabolite was developed via N-alkylation of (2S,3S)-cis-3-acetoxy-2,3-dihydro-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,5-benzothiazepin-4-(5H)-one with 2-(t-Boc-amino)ethyl bromide (K 2 CO 3 ) followed by removal of the t-Boc protecting group using TFA. This method avoids the use of a nitrogen mustard electrophile (2-bromoethylamine) and the problematic selective O-acetylation of the HCl salt of the intermediate primary amino alcohol, thus providing the necessary metabolic standard.
Profiling Predicting Social Anxiety From Facebook Profiles

Research on Facebook has suggested that individuals’ profiles are an accurate portrayal of the self and that it may be possible to identify traits such as narcissism and extraversion by viewing a F...
Comparative Efficacy of Substances Employed in Prevention of Intra-Peritoneal Adhesions:

SummarySodium ricinoleate, 1%, papain 1-50,000, and amfetin and defibrinated rabbit's blood were found most efficacious in obviating adhesion formation after painting the traumatized peritoneal surface with iodine. Sodium ricinoleate would appear to be particularly valuable in that it is not rendered inactive in the presence of infection.In this study, the following substances were compared with regard to their relative effectiveness in preventing peritoneal adhesions in rabbits: defibrinated ox blood, defibrinated rabbit blood, amniotic fluid, amfetin,∗ sodium ricinoleate (1%), blood serum of dog, ether, hypertonic glucose (10%), normal saline, papain 1–50,000, air, air and sodium ricinoleate (1%), air and amfetin.The method was as follows: under ether anesthesia, the abdomen of the rabbit was opened and a culture taken with sterile precautions. Intraperitoneal adhesions were produced by roughening the peritoneum and intestines with a knife or rubbing with gauze, and painting the raw surfaces with tinctu...
Cytotoxic activity of doxorubicin "loaded" neutrophils against human mammary carcinoma (HTB-19).

Neutrophils were intra-cellularly “loaded” with the chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin applying a variety of incubation conditions in order to identify parameters which maximize chemotherapeutic incorporation, while simultaneously preserving optimal viability and chemotactic responsiveness. Doxorubicin “loaded” neutrophils (DLN) were produced in triplicate at different combinations of incubation conditions such as temperature (4° C, 37° C); duration (0, 1, 2 hours); and doxorubicin concentration (20, 40, 60µg/ml). Chemotactic responsiveness of rinsed DLN preparations was subsequently assessed against the neutrophil peptide chemotactic agent, formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (fMLP, 10−6 M) utilizing a modified 96-well Boyden chemotactic chamber apparatus. Viable, fMLP-responsive DLN preparations were subsequently detected with MTT vitality staining reagent. At sub-physiological incubation temperatures (4° C), profound declines in the viability of DLN preparations were detected when simultaneously incubated with doxorubicin formulated at concentrations greater than 10µg/ml. In contrast, DLN preparations incubated at 37° C displayed diminished viability only when incubated with doxorubicin formulated at a concentration of 60µg/ml. Viable DLN populations were subsequently evaluated to determine their ability to exertin vitro cytotoxic activity against monolayer populations of human mammary carcinoma (HTB-19) propagated in a tissue culture environment. The lethal effect which DLN preparations inflicted towards HTB-19 populations was substantially greater than was observed with an equivalent population of untreated neutrophils. Maximalin vitro cytotoxic activity was detected with DLN preparations produced at 37° C in the presence of doxorubicin formulated at a concentration of 40µg/ml. In contrast, DLN preparations produced at an incubation temperature of 37° C, and a doxorubicin concentration of 20µg/ml displayed relatively lower levels ofin vitro cytotoxic activity against HTB-19 monolayer populations.
Blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier alteration following intraventricularly administered cholera toxin.

Abstract Cholera toxin (CT) has been reported to double cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) formation following its introduction into the ventricular system of cats and dogs. In our laboratory we noted that CT used in a similar fashion in rabbits and cats resulted in only a slight increase in CSF formation and was associated with a steadily rising protein content in the cisterna magna effluent. To further investigate this finding, rabbits and cats underwent ventriculo-cisternal perfusions, one group with CT introduced into the ventricles and the other without. In the rabbit only, radioiodanated serum albumin (125I-RISA) was given i.v. Other groups of rabbits had125I-RISA or125I-CT injected into the ventricles. The group of rabbits receiving intraventricular CT experienced a 4–10-fold elevation in the amount of both protein and125I-RISA in the cisterna magna effluent compared with the control group. Electrophoretic pattern of the protein present in the effluent was similar to that of rabbit plasma. Autoradiography of the brains of those animals given intraventricular125I-CT were found to have a very high uptake of125I-CT in the choroid plexus and along all exposed ventricular surfaces, a finding not evident when125I-RISA alone was given intraventricularly. It is concluded that CT altered the blood-CSF barriers allowing the reference marker to penetrate these barriers and plasma to leak into the CSF. These findings appear to account for most if not all of what was thought to be an increase in CSF formation in response to intraventricular CT.
Human β-glucuronidase: In vivo clearance and in vitro uptake by a glycoprotein recognition system on reticuloendothelial cells

Abstract Previously reported studies demonstrated that infused human placental β-glucuronidase is rapidly cleared from rat plasma and localizes predominantly in rat liver. Prior treatment of the enzyme with sodium metaperiodate converted the enzyme to a very slow clearance form. This suggested that the clearance system recognized the carbohydrate structure of the glycoprotein hydrolase. This report defines the glycosyl specificity and the cell type(s) involved in the clearance process. Clearance of infused human β-glucuronidase was blocked by simultaneous infusion of glycoproteins which have mannose or N-acetylglucosamine in their exposed nonreducing position, or by some simple sugars (α-methylmannoside, mannose or L-fucose) which block clearance of these glycoproteins. Two immunohistochemical techniques demonstrated preferential localization of human β-glucuronidase in sinusoidal lining cells (nonparenchymal cells) in rat liver. Human placental β-glucuronidase was also taken up by isolated rat alveolar macrophages by the carbohydrate-mediated glycoprotein uptake system recently demonstrated in these cells. This isolated cell uptake system appears to have the same specificity as the system for plasma clearance of infused human placental β-glucuronidase in the intact rat. The combined data from in vivo clearance studies and from studies of enzyme uptake by isolated rat macrophages suggest that a mannose/N-acetylglucosamine-glycoprotein uptake system is expressed on fixed tissue macrophages in the rat, and that this system mediates plasma clearance of infused human placental β-glucuronidase.
The equilibria between various ligands and a ferric metalloporphyrin in aqueous solutions

Abstract The equilibrium constants between the ligands imidazole, pyridine, and histidine and the monomer Fe(III)TPPS and the dimeric O(Fe(III)TPPS) 2 have been measured by spectrophotometric methods. At 25°C the values for K 1 are 1.7 × 10 6 , 1.8 × 10 5 , and 1.5 × 10 3 for imidazole, histidine, and pyridine, while the values of K 2 are 2.8 × 10 −7 and 4.6 × 10 −10 for imidazole and histidine.
Mourning Religion: A Response

Mourning Religion is a brilliant collection of essays responding both to Freud’s essay “Mourning and Melancholia” and Peter Homans’ assertion that the academic study of religion represents a creative expression of mourning the loss of religion in secular (western) society. This essay poses questions concerning the role of theology as a mode of analysis; Ricoeur’s concept of “second naivete” in relation to disillusionment and religion; Celia Brickman’s reflections on globalization, marginalization, and a shift in psychological language from “primitivity” to “vulnerability”; the role of the body in the work of religious studies; melancholia as “re-membering” amid multiplicity and fragmentation; and mourning as protest and resistance. The essay concludes with a reflection on ambiguity and transcendence in dialogue with Freud’s essay “On Transience.”
Thermal properties of fullerenes

Abstract We present the results of specific heat measurements on single crystals of C 60 in (pure) fcc and (toluene containing) orthorhombic phases. The orientational ordering phase transitions are at surprisingly close temperatures (260K and 239K) for the two polytypes. The single crystal results are compared with DSC measurements on powders.
Status of Safeguards Instrumentation

The International Atomic Energy Agency is performing safeguards at some nuclear power reactors, 50 bulk processing facilities, and 170 research facilities. Its verification activities require the use of instruments to measure nuclear materials and of surveillance instruments to maintain continuity of knowledge of the locations of nuclear materials. Instruments that are in use and under development to measure weight, volume, concentration, and isotopic composition of nuclear materials, and the major surveillance instruments, will be described in connection with their uses at representative nuclear facilities. The current status of safeguards instrumentation and the needs for future development are discussed.
Interpeduncular nucleus: differential effects of habenula lesions on choline acetyltransferase and glutamic acid decarboxylase.

The effects of ablation of the habenula on choline acetyltransferase and glutamic acid decarboxylase activities in the interpeduncular nucleus were studied at 3-, 8-, 15-, and 30-day postoperative survival periods. Choline acetyltransferase in the interpeduncular nucleus decreased markedly (P ≤ 0.001) after 3 days of habenular lesion. This is in accord with the time course of degeneration of the habenulointerpeduncular tract, which provides the major cholinergic innervation to that nucleus. In contrast, glutamic acid decarboxylase activity increased slowly to almost twice control values (P ≤ 0.001) at the 30-day postoperative period. These data suggest collateral sprouting of γ-aminobutyric acid-containing terminals within the interpeduncular nucleus in response to degeneration of the habenulointerpeduncular tract terminals by habenular ablation.
A micromechanistic model of the combustion synthesis process: Influence of intrinsic kinetics

A micromechanistic model of the combustion synthesis of NbC has been developed by combining the results of an experimental study of the intrinsic, pore-level kinetic mechanism [C. He. and G. C. Stangle, J. Mater. Res. 10, 2829–2841 (1995)] and a theoretical model developed previously [Y. Zhang and G. C. Stangle, J. Mater. Res. 9, 2592–2604 (1994); 9, 2605–2619 (1994)], in order to account for the various physical and chemical processes that take place during the combustion synthesis process. Results of the present investigation are interpreted from both a macroscopic and a microscopic point of view. Moreover, the relationship between the microscopic processes and macroscopic features of the combustion synthesis process is discussed. The results show that the formation of a combustion wave in the Nb-C system corresponded to establishment of a proper balance between the rates of enthalpy redistribution within the sample. Furthermore, the pore size had a significant influence on the combustion synthesis process: smaller pores gave rise to a higher area of contact between the reactants, which in turn gave rise to a higher rate of enthalpy increase due to the enhanced rate of product formation. The influence of the pore size distribution on the process is also discussed.
Predicting Summer Energy Consumption from Homeowners' Attitudes1

Two surveys examined the relationship between homeowners attitudes toward energy use and their actual summer electric consumption. In Survey 1, 56 couples filled out questionnaires concerning their energy attitudes. A factor analysis of their responses revealed four factors: comfort and health concerns, effort to conserve and monetary savings, role of the individual, and legitimacy of the energy crisis. The factors were entered into a multiple regression analysis to predict actual summer electric consumption. The attitudinal factors together significantly accounted for 55% of the variance in summer electric consumption. The comfort and health factor by itself explained 30% of the consumption variance. Survey 2, consisting of 69 couples, was conducted to elaborate the meaning of the factors. The results of the factor analysis of Survey 2 revealed six factors: comfort, health, individual's role, belief in science, legitimacy of the energy crisis, and effort to conserve. An overall regression analysis showed that the factors significantly explained nearly 60% of the summer consumption variance. The comfort factor was again the best predictor of summer electric consumption, accounting for 42% of the variance. It was concluded that attitudes about one's comfort are significantly related to household energy consumption (primarily air conditioning). The implications formore » energy conservation campaigns were discussed. 10 references, 3 tables.« less
Localization and Signaling of the Receptor Protein Tyrosine Kinase Tyro3 in Cortical and Hippocampal Neurons

Protein phosphorylation serves as a critical biochemical regulator of short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity. Receptor protein tyrosine kinases (RPTKs) including members of the trk, eph and erbB subfamilies have been shown to modulate signaling cascades that influence synaptic function in the central nervous system (CNS). Tyro3 is one of three RPTKs belonging to the "TAM" receptor family, which also includes Axl and Mer. Tyro3 is the most widely expressed of these receptors in the CNS. Despite recent advances suggesting roles for members of this receptor family in the reproductive and immune systems, their functions in the CNS remain largely unexplored. In an effort to elucidate the roles of Tyro3 and its ligand, the protein growth arrest-specific gene6 (Gas6) in the hippocampus and cortex, we performed a detailed study of the localization and signaling of Tyro3 polypeptides in rat hippocampal and cortical neurons. Tyro3 was readily detected in dendrites and in the soma where it was distributed in a punctate pattern. Tyro3 exhibited only a limited level of co-localization with postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95), suggesting that while located within dendrites, it was not confined to the postsynaptic compartment. In addition, Tyro3 was also identified in the axons and growth cones of immature neurons. The prominent expression of Tyro3 in dendrites suggested that it may be capable of modulating signaling pathways triggered by synaptic transmission. We have provided evidence in support of this role by demonstrating that Gas6 induced the phosphorylation of Tyro3 in cortical neurons in vitro, resulting in the recruitment of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI(3)K) signaling pathways. As these pathways play critical roles in the induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), these findings suggest that Tyro3 signaling may influence synaptic plasticity in the dendritic compartment of hippocampal and cortical neurons.
Sites of Aggressor-Victim Memory: The Rwandan Genocide, Theory and Practice

Beginning with Maurice Halbwachs's theory of collective memory and the great body of sociological, historical, and political-science literature on war and aggression that postdates Halbwachs, the author attempts to identify the elements of aggressor-victim memory through a detailed analysis of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. In participant and third-party narratives of the genocide, it is possible to observe a commemorative quality in the campaign of mass murder. The author suggests that the persistence of post-traumatic culture and the failure of dialogue can lead people to kill in remembrance of earlier aggression: in such cases, "acting out" substitutes for "working through," with horrifying consequences.
Causal Attributions and Medical School Admissions

A survey of the causal attributions of successful and unsuccessful medical school applicants yields evidence that attribution theories are applicable to impactful events outside the laboratory. Applicants viewed admission decisions based on controllable factors as fairer than those based on external or ascribed factors, and they demonstrated ego-defensive attributional tendencies by rating controllable factors as more important causes of success than of failure. The extension of social-psychological theories outside the laboratory through survey and other techniques is advocated.
Classifying performance impairment in response to sleep loss using pattern recognition algorithms on single session testing

There is currently no "gold standard" marker of cognitive performance impairment resulting from sleep loss. We utilized pattern recognition algorithms to determine which features of data collected under controlled laboratory conditions could most reliably identify cognitive performance impairment in response to sleep loss using data from only one testing session, such as would occur in the "real world" or field conditions. A training set for testing the pattern recognition algorithms was developed using objective Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) and subjective Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) data collected from laboratory studies during which subjects were sleep deprived for 26-52 h. The algorithm was then tested in data from both laboratory and field experiments. The pattern recognition algorithm was able to identify performance impairment with a single testing session in individuals studied under laboratory conditions using PVT, KSS, length of time awake and time of day information with sensitivity and specificity as high as 82%. When this algorithm was tested on data collected under real-world conditions from individuals whose data were not in the training set, accuracy of predictions for individuals categorized with low performance impairment were as high as 98%. Predictions for medium and severe performance impairment were less accurate. We conclude that pattern recognition algorithms may be a promising method for identifying performance impairment in individuals using only current information about the individual's behavior. Single testing features (e.g.; number of PVT lapses) with high correlation with performance impairment in the laboratory setting may not be the best indicators of performance impairment under real-world conditions. Pattern recognition algorithms should be further tested for their ability to be used in conjunction with other assessments of sleepiness in real-world conditions to quantify performance impairment in response to sleep loss. Â© 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Unequal Protection Under the Law Encoding Racial Disparities for Hispanics in the Case of Smith v. Georgia

We interrogate the Georgia Supreme Court ruling in the 2002 capital murder trial of Brandon Smith to illustrate how “fair cross section” implementation in Georgia’s legal system was used to create ...
On the usage of refined linear models for determining N -way classification designs which are optimal for comparing test treatments with a standard treatment

In this paper we consider experimental settings in whichv test treatments are to be compared to some control or standard treatment and where heterogeneity needs to be eliminated inn-directions. Using techniques similar to those used by Kunnert (1983,Ann. Statist.,11, 247–257) concerning the determination of optimal designs under a refined linear model, some methods are given for constructingn-way classification designs which areA- andMV-optimal for estimating elementary treatment differences involving the standard treatment fromm-way classification designs,m<n, which areA- andMV-optimal for estimating the same treatment differences. Examples are given for the casen=2 to show how the results obtained can be applied.
Reviving Democratic Citizenship

Many of our inherited civic institutions are dead or dying. We need an ambitious reform program to revive democratic life. This essay advances a four-pronged “citizenship agenda”: (1) a campaign finance initiative granting each voter fifty “patriot dollars” to fund candidates and political parties of his or her choice; (2) a proposal for a new national holiday, Deliberation Day, held before each national election, enabling citizens to deliberate on the merits of rival candidates; (3) a system of federally financed electronic news-vouchers to permit professional journalism to survive the destruction of its traditional business model; and (4) a new form of citizenship inheritance, which provides $80,000 to all Americans as they start off life as adults. Working with collaborators, I have developed each of these initiatives at book length. This essay suggests how the “citizenship agenda” yields a whole that is larger than the sum of its parts.
Local Solutions in Potential Theory and Linear Elasticity Using Monte Carlo Methods

A numerical method called the boundary walk method is described in this paper. The boundary walk method is a local method in the sense that it directly gives the solution at the point of interest. It is based on a global integral representation of the unknown solution in the form of potentials, followed by evaluating the integrals in the resulting series solutions using Monte Carlo simulation. The boundary walk method has been applied to solve interior problems in potential theory with either Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions. It has also been applied to solve interior problems in linear elasticity with either displacement or traction boundary conditions. Weakly singular integral formulations in linear elasticity, to which the boundary walk method has been applied, are also derived. Finally, numerical results, which are computed by applying the boundary walk method to solve some two-dimensional problems over convex domains in potential theory and linear elasticity, are presented. These solutions are compared with the known analytical solutions (when available) or with solutions from the standard boundary element method.
Second-surface silvered glass solar mirrors of very high reflectance

This paper reports methods developed to maximize the overall reflectance second-surface silvered glass. The reflectance at shorter wavelengths is increased with the aid of a dielectric enhancing layer between the silver and the glass, while at longer wavelengths it is enhanced by use of glass with negligible iron content. The calculated enhancement of reflectance, compared to unenhanced silver on standard low-iron float glass, corresponds to a 4.4% increase in reflectance averaged across the full solar spectrum, appropriate for CSP, and 2.7% for CPV systems using triple junction cells. An experimental reflector incorporating these improvements, of drawn crown glass and a silvered second-surface with dielectric boost, was measured at NREL to have 95.4% solar weighted reflectance. For comparison, non-enhanced, wetsilvered reflectors of the same 4 mm thickness show reflectance ranging from 91.6 - 94.6%, depending on iron content. A potential drawback of using iron-free drawn glass is reduced concentration in high concentration systems because of the inherent surface errors. This effect is largely mitigated for glass shaped by slumping into a concave mold, rather than by bending.
Molecular Epidemiology of Tuberculosis in a Sentinel Surveillance Population

We conducted a population-based study to assess demographic and risk-factor correlates for the most frequently occurring Mycobacterium tuberculosis genotypes from tuberculosis (TB) patients. The study included all incident, culture-positive TB patients from seven sentinel surveillance sites in the United States from 1996 to 2000. M. tuberculosis isolates were genotyped by IS6110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism and spoligotyping. Genotyping was available for 90% of 11,923 TB patients. Overall, 48% of cases had isolates that matched those from another patient, including 64% of U.S.-born and 35% of foreign-born patients. By logistic regression analysis, risk factors for clustering of genotypes were being male, U.S.-born, black, homeless, and infected with HIV; having pulmonary disease with cavitations on chest radiograph and a sputum smear with acid-fast bacilli; and excessive drug or alcohol use. Molecular characterization of TB isolates permitted risk correlates for clusters and specific genotypes to be described and provided information regarding cluster dynamics over time.
Development of Tl-1223 superconducting tapes

Abstract A superconducting tape based on the TlBa 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 9 (Tl-1223) phase sheathed in silver was fabricated using the powder-in-tube method. Optimal conditions to synthesize powder ( T c =110 K ) and anneal composite tapes were examined. Microstructural examination indicates that cracks are easily healed during a 3 h anneal at the relatively low temperature of 775°C. A transport critical current density J c of 6200 A/cm 2 at 75 K was measured on short lengths of the annealed rolled and pressed 0.20 mm thick tape. The J c value drops to about 250 A/cm 2 at 75 K and 1 T due to the presence of weak links; however, a J c of 1000 A/cm 2 at 45 K is maintained constant to above 6 T. Measurements of magnetic hysteresis loops indicate that the Tl-1223 tape exhibits a high degree of flux pinning. Very little texturing of the superconducting core was evident.
Subcommittee on science reviews NSF

With most attention focused on the appropriations legislation funding the National Science Foundation next year, less notice has been given to the agency's reauthorization legislation. During the last few months, the House Subcommittee on Science has held two hearings on this legislation to solicit views about the agency. Nine witnesses testified at a May 20 hearing. They were asked to address six questions, including some dealing with the balance between curiosity-driven research and strategic research, and between research and education activities. Views were also solicited on the modernization of academic research facilities, inadequately funded fields, international involvement in NSF-supported research, and academic block grants.
The Late Appearance of He I in V445 Puppis

We present a 0.9–2.5 μm spectrum of V445 Puppis obtained about 3 years after maximum brightness. The spectrum shows thermal continuum emission and two narrow, structured emission lines: He I 1.0830 μm and 2.0581 μm. We interpret this to be emission from a hydrogen-deficient, helium-rich, low-temperature nebula surrounded by an optically thick dust shell, probably carbonaceous.
Infrared spectral observation of the interaction of acetone with silica-supported Ni and Co

Abstract Infrared spectra of the adsorbed species produced by acetone on silica-supported Ni and Co have been obtained. Contrary to previous reports acetone does chemisorb on silica-supported Ni at 25 °C but the amount is small. The structure of the adsorbed species is that of acetone coordinated through the oxygen atom. There is also some decomposition to CO and hydrocarbons at 25 °C. On cobalt much more acetone adsorbs with isopropoxide, coordinated acetone, acyl groups and hydrogen-deficient, carbon-containing fragments as the initial surface structures. Low hydrogen conditions favor the formation of oxygen-coordinated acetone and acyl surface species while addition of hydrogen converts acyl to coordinated acetone surface species and coordinated acetone to isopropoxide surface species as well as hydrogenating carbon-containing surface fragments. No infrared evidence was found for free OH groups of alcohols attached to the surface by metal-carbon bonds as has been previously postulated in catalytic hydrogenation reactions.
A new algorithm for adaptive multidimensional integration

Abstract A new general purpose algorithm for multidimensional integration is described. It is an iterative and adaptive Monte Carlo scheme. The new algorithm is compared with several others currently in use, and shown to be considerably more efficient than all of these for a number of sample integrals of high dimension ( n ⪆ 4 ).
Generation Ex Vivo of TGF-β-Producing Regulatory T Cells from CD4+CD25− Precursors

Previously we reported that TGF-β has an important role in the generation and expansion of human “professional” CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in the periphery that have a cytokine-independent mechanism of action. In this study we used low-dose staphylococcal enterotoxin to induce T cell-dependent Ab production. We report that TGF-β induces activated CD4+CD25− T cells to become Th3 suppressor cells. While stimulating CD4+ cells with TGF-β modestly increased expression of CD25 and intracellular CTLA-4 in primary cultures, upon secondary stimulation without TGF-β the total number and those expressing these markers dramatically increased. This expansion was due to both increased proliferation and protection of these cells from activation-induced apoptosis. Moreover, adding as few as 1% of these TGF-β-primed CD4+ T cells to fresh CD4+ cells and B cells markedly suppressed IgG production. The inhibitory effect was mediated by TGF-β and was also partially contact dependent. Increased TGF-β production was associated with a decreased production of IFN-γ and IL-10. Depletion studies revealed that the precursors of these TGF-β-producing CD4+ suppressor cells were CD25 negative. These studies provide evidence that CD4+CD25+ regulatory cells in human blood consist of at least two subsets that have TGF-β-dependent and independent mechanisms of action. TGF-β has an essential role in the generation of both of these T suppressor cell subsets from peripheral T cells. The ability to induce CD4+ and CD8+ cells to become regulatory cells ex vivo has the potential to be useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and to prevent transplant rejection.
A mathematical model of the contraction rate of myocardial cells

Abstract A mathematical model, based on molecular mechanisms that are found in microorganisms and are believed to function in higher organisms, was formulated to describe the contraction rate of rat cardiac cells in response to prolonged perfusion. The describing equation's of the system are three simultaneous nonlinear time-variant differential equations. The parameters represented at different times in culture were estimated from steady state considerations, and the model was then used to predict the dynamic responses observed experimentally. Solutions were obtained by digital computer. The agreement between theoretical and experimental results is good. This model is in the early stages of development and many assumptions remain to be tested. But is has already contributed to the design of experiments for testing those assumptions.
Application of fecal near-infrared spectroscopy and nutritional balance software to monitor diet quality and body condition in beef cows grazing Arizona rangeland

Monitoring the nutritional status of range cows is difficult. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of feces has been used to predict diet quality in cattle. When fecal NIRS is coupled with decision support software such as the Nutritional Balance Analyzer (NUTBAL PRO), nutritional status and animal performance can be monitored. Approximately 120 Hereford and 90 CGC composite (50% Red Angus, 25% Tarentaise, and 25% Charolais) cows grazing in a single herd were used in a study to determine the ability of fecal NIRS and NutbalPro to project BCS (1 = thin and 9 = fat) under commercial scale rangeland conditions in central Arizona. Cattle were rotated across the 31,000 ha allotment at 10 to 20 d intervals. Cattle BCS and fecal samples (approximately 500 g) composited from 5 to 10 cows were collected in the pasture approximately monthly at the midpoint of each grazing period. Samples were frozen and later analyzed by NIRS for prediction of diet crude protein (CP) and digestible organic matter (DOM). Along with fecal NIRS predicted diet quality, animal breed type, reproductive status, and environmental conditions were input to the software for each fecal sampling and BCS date. Three different evaluations were performed. First, fecal NIRS and NutbalPro derived BCS was projected forward from each sampling as if it were a "one-time only" measurement. Second, BCS was derived from the average predicted weight change between 2 sampling dates for a given period. Third, inputs to the model were adjusted to better represent local animals and conditions. Fecal NIRS predicted diet quality varied from a minimum of approximately 5% CP and 57% DOM in winter to a maximum of approximately 11% CP and 60% DOM in summer. Diet quality correlated with observed seasonal changes and precipitation events. In evaluation 1, differences in observed versus projected BCS were not different (P > 0.1) between breed types but these values ranged from 0.1 to 1.1 BCS in Herefords and 0.0 to 0.9 in CGC. In evaluation 2, differences in observed versus projected BCS were not different (P > 0.1) between breed types but these values ranged from 0.00 to 0.46 in Hereford and 0.00 to 0.67 in CGC. In evaluation 3, the range of differences between observed and projected BCS was 0.04 to 0.28. The greatest difference in projected versus observed BCS occurred during periods of lowest diet quality. Body condition was predicted accurately enough to be useful in monitoring the nutrition of range beef cows under the conditions of this study.
Anti-CD25 Antibody (Daclizumab) Maintenance Therapy in Pancreas Transplantation

Abstract Background Calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) are the basis of contemporary immunosuppression in clinical pancreas transplantation (PT). Nevertheless, CNI toxicities, especially nephrotoxicity, have stimulated the search for CNI-sparing protocols. We performed a retrospective analysis of 25 PT patients with progressive CNI toxicities that were switched to a daclizumab (DAC)–based maintenance regimen. Methods From 2003 to 2007, 25 PT patients with progressive CNI toxicity (predominantly nephrotoxicity) were identified and switched from CNI to monthly DAC maintenance therapy. The DAC group was compared with matched control subjects (1:1) by transplant type and number, age, year of transplant, and duct management. Results and conclusions Results showed improved graft survival rates and decreased immunologic loss rates at 1, 3, and 5 years in the DAC group compared with the control group. There was no difference in patient survival rate between the 2 groups. Analysis demonstrates that DAC maintenance therapy is safe and effective for PT patients experiencing CNI toxicities. A randomized trial to compare DAC- and CNI-based regimens is needed in CNI-intolerant patients, with particular attention to the impact on renal function and patient morbidity (eg, infection rates).
On Some Pacific Species of Labidocera and Stephos Reported By C. B. Wilson (1950) 1)

[Der Vergleich gegenwartiger Studien uber die Verbreitung von Labidocera in der westlichen Hemisphare mit Aufzeichnungen von C. B. Wilson enthullt grosse Unterschiede von erheblicher zoogeographischer Bedeutung. Bezugsexemplare von Labidocera, die in der westlichen Hemisphare gesammelt, von Wilson identifiziert und im U. S. National Museum deponiert worden waren, wurden erneut untersucht. Dabei stimmte in vielen Fallen die etikettierte Identitat nicht mit dem Inhalt uberein, wahrend in anderen Fallen der etikettierte Ort trotz Benutzung der gleichen Standortsnummer nicht mit dem veroffentlichten Ort ubereinstimmte. Es wird vorgeschlagen Wilson's Aufzeichnungen, nach denen indopazifische Spezies, wie zum Beispiel L. detruncata, im atlantischen Ozean und atlantische Endeme, wie zum Beispiel L. nerii, L. aestiva, und L. wollastoni, im Stillen Ozean vorkommen, zu verwerfen. Es wird ferner vorgeschlagen, 4 von Wilson beschriebene Spezies in den Rang von Synonymen zu verweisen, namlich: L. albatrossi = L. acutifrons, L. insolita = L. aestiva, L. tenuicauda = (pars) L. trispinosa und (pars) L. detruncata, Stephos perplexus = Undinula vulgaris., Der Vergleich gegenwartiger Studien uber die Verbreitung von Labidocera in der westlichen Hemisphare mit Aufzeichnungen von C. B. Wilson enthullt grosse Unterschiede von erheblicher zoogeographischer Bedeutung. Bezugsexemplare von Labidocera, die in der westlichen Hemisphare gesammelt, von Wilson identifiziert und im U. S. National Museum deponiert worden waren, wurden erneut untersucht. Dabei stimmte in vielen Fallen die etikettierte Identitat nicht mit dem Inhalt uberein, wahrend in anderen Fallen der etikettierte Ort trotz Benutzung der gleichen Standortsnummer nicht mit dem veroffentlichten Ort ubereinstimmte. Es wird vorgeschlagen Wilson's Aufzeichnungen, nach denen indopazifische Spezies, wie zum Beispiel L. detruncata, im atlantischen Ozean und atlantische Endeme, wie zum Beispiel L. nerii, L. aestiva, und L. wollastoni, im Stillen Ozean vorkommen, zu verwerfen. Es wird ferner vorgeschlagen, 4 von Wilson beschriebene Spezies in den Rang von Synonymen zu verweisen, namlich: L. albatrossi = L. acutifrons, L. insolita = L. aestiva, L. tenuicauda = (pars) L. trispinosa und (pars) L. detruncata, Stephos perplexus = Undinula vulgaris.]
Geomorphic response to historical agriculture at Monument Hill in the Blue Ridge Foothills of Central Virginia

Abstract Historical forest clearance and agriculture have had profound effects on the landscape of the southeastern United States. This study examines a site called Monument Hill located in the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia in order to better understand the long-term effects of historical agriculture on soil and streams. This site, deeply gullied and drained by an incised first-order stream, was first settled in the mid-eighteenth century and became part of a large nineteenth-century plantation. A thick sediment fan at the base of the hill buried and preserved a historical soil surface, archaeological artifacts, and woody debris datable by dendrochronology. The geomorphology of the site, along with limited historical data and tree ages from the mature second-growth forest cover, has enabled reconstruction of the sequence of land-use changes and measurement of geomorphic response over two and a half centuries. The original forest at the site was cleared between 1767 and circa 1800, probably to grow tobacco followed by wheat or corn. Soil erosion and depletion resulted in land abandonment and gullying. Forest regrowth began circa 1831, with tree establishment occurring rapidly in the 1860s and 1870s and peaking around 1888. A volume of 33,700 m3 of sediment was removed from the gullies at an average rate of approximately 130 tons/ha/year during the disturbance and reforestation period. Only about 40% of this gully material is present in the sediment fan at the bottom of the hill, so the rest must have been transported downstream as bed and suspended load. The small stream in the valley was inundated with sediment and aggraded. After the sharp decrease in sediment supply that accompanied reforestation, the stream incised deeply into its alluvial deposits at rates up to 90 mm/year during the late nineteenth century. The study site is typical of many first-order drainages found throughout the region but experienced its peak erosive land use relatively early (by circa 1830) compared to areas further south and west. Minor stream adjustment continues to occur at this site. It is therefore likely that low-order streams in other parts of the Southern Piedmont and Appalachian regions that experienced a more recent peak in erosive agricultural land use will continue to adjust their channel morphology for decades.
A Direct Interaction between Oncogenic Ha-Ras and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Is Not Required for Ha-Ras-dependent Transformation of Epithelial Cells

Cells expressing oncogenic Ras proteins transmit a complex set of signals that ultimately result in constitutive activation of signaling molecules, culminating in unregulated cellular function. Although the role of oncogenic Ras in a variety of cellular responses including transformation, cell survival, differentiation, and migration is well documented, the direct Ras/effector interactions that contribute to the different Ras biological end points have not been as clearly defined. Observations by other groups in which Ras-dependent transformation can be blocked by expression of either dominant negative forms of Phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase or PTEN, a 3-phosphoinositide-specific phosphatase, support an essential role for PI 3-kinase and its lipid products in the transformation process. These observations coupled with the in vitro observations that the catalytic subunits of PI 3-kinase, the p110 isoforms, bind directly to Ras-GTP foster the implication that a direct interaction between an oncogenic Ras protein and PI 3-kinase are causal in the oncogenicity of mutant Ras proteins. Using an activated Ha-Ras protein (Y64G/Y71G/F156L) that fails to interact with PI 3-kinase, we demonstrate that oncogenic Ha-Ras does not require a direct interaction with PI 3-kinase to support anchorage-independent growth of IEC-6 epithelial cells. We do find, however, that IEC-6 cells expressing an oncogenic Ha-Ras protein that no longer binds PI 3-kinase are greatly impaired in their ability to migrate toward fibronectin.