cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monoclonal antibody characterization of plasmacytoma cells associated with T lymphocytes with a suppressor phenotype

Abstract A panel of monoclonal antibodies was used to characterize the cells from a soft-tissue plasmacytoma removed from the mediastinum of a 47-year-old male. The tumor secreted a κ light chain, and there was no evidence of disseminated disease. A single-cell suspension was prepared, and three distinct populations were identified morphologically. The majority of cells (>90%) were very large plasma cells, with a single nucleolus and abundant cytoplasm. The small cells, representing less than 10% of the total population, were composed of 80% mature lymphocytes and 20% small, normal-appearing plasma cells. The cells were studied by indirect immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies that identify various T and B lymphocyte antigens and heteroantisera that identify immunoglobulin heavy and light chains. The large plasma cells were 92 and 62% reactive with κ and γ heteroantisera, respectively, and 100% stained intensely with OKT10. All of the small cells reacted with the OKT10 antibody. Eighty percent of the small cells reacted with the pan-T antibody anti-Leu-1 and the cytotoxic/suppressor-associated antibody anti-Leu-2, and 50% reacted with the pan-T antibody OKT3 and the HLA-DR antibody. Immunoperoxidase staining of tissue sections demonstrated that the small plasma cells had λ light chain in their cytoplasm, indicating that they were not derived from the same clone as the large plasma cells. This case demonstrates four interesting points: (1) All of the plasma cells and lymphocytes in this tumor stained intensely with OKT10, (2) the large plasma cells expressed κ and γ light and heavy chains, respectively, on their surface membrane, and secreted a κ light chain, while the small plasma cells had λ light chains in their cytoplasm, (3) all of the T lymphocytes that infiltrated this tumor had a suppressor T lymphocyte phenotype, (4) the T65 antigen identified by the anti-Leu-1 and T101 antibodies, and found on normal and malignant T lymphocytes and some malignant B lymphocytes, was not found on these malignant plasma cells.
Vorticity evolution in two- and three-dimensional simulations for shock?bubble interactions

Representative results from a series of simulations for shock–bubble interactions are presented, which contrast the evolution of the simulated flow field under axisymmetry to the evolution when symmetry is relaxed and a non-axisymmetric perturbation is imposed. The evolution is simulated using a multifluid, adaptive Eulerian Godunov code, at a resolution of 128 grid points per bubble radius. For incident shock wave Mach numbers 1.1 0.2. For A 0.2, coherent vortical structures persist only in 2D treatment, while vorticity fields become highly disordered in 3D simulations. However, this distinction between low and high A is absent after integration, as trends in the circulation show 10% larger values of the circulation components in 2D than in 3D, regardless of the value of A.
An analysis of margin configurations for metal-ceramic crowns

Major types of margin configurations for ceramometal crowns are reviewed. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood and poorly practiced aspects of fixed prosthodontics. The resultant underprepared teeth produce discolored gingiva and chalky crowns.
Individual characteristics, early adolescent peer affiliations, and school dropout: an examination of aggressive and popular group types

Abstract Individual characteristics (i.e., teacher-rated aggression and popularity) and peer group membership type in 7th grade was examined in relation to school dropout. Peer group type was characterized according to the proportion of group members who were high on teacher-rated aggression and popularity. Both aggressive and popular group types were linked to dropping out. Being a member of an aggressive group was associated with increased rates of dropout for aggressive, but not nonaggressive, youth. Membership in popular (i.e., majority of members were popular) and zero-popular (i.e., no popular members) groups was linked to dropping out, while membership in a nonpopular group (i.e., a few popular members) appeared to be protective for aggressive youth. Both popular and nonpopular youth who affiliated with aggressive peers had elevated rates of school dropout. All aggressive participants who were socially isolated dropped out, while nonaggressive youth who were socially isolated tended to complete school.
Response of Alveolar Macrophage-Depleted Rats to Hyperoxia

Recently an alveolar macrophage (AM)-depleted rat model has been characterized and it has been demonstrated that AM are required for the endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) release into the alveolar space (J Appl Physiol 1993;74:2812-2819). The current study investigated the response of AM-depleted rats to hyperoxia and evaluated the potential role of AM in the pathogenesis of pulmonary O2 toxicity. Rats were insufflated with Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS), liposome-encapsulated phosphate-buffered saline (PBS-liposomes), or liposome-encapsulated dichloromethylene diphosphonate (Cl2MDP-liposomes) and 2 days later exposed to 100% O2. The effect of hyperoxia was assessed by parameters of O2-induced lung injury (e.g., hematocrit value, pleural effusion volume, effusion protein to plasma protein ratio, and alveolar lavage fluid protein content), TNF release into the alveolar space, and survival. Insufflation of Cl2MDP-liposomes, but not HBSS or PBS-liposomes, caused a sustained depletion of>70%...
Metabolites of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid from bean stems

There is considerable contradiction in the literature concerning the nature and number of radioactive metabolites which can be isolated from bean plants following exposure to C14-labeled 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Thus the isolation of one principal product which was water-soluble and etherinsoluble has been reported (8, 9,10), while on the other hand, Weintraub et al. (17) have suggested that there is an extensive metabolism of the side-chain of 2,4-D, yielding a multiplicity of products. The acid hydrolysis of the water-soluble material gives rise to a radioactive, ether-soluble product, which has been variously identified as 2,4-D (9) or as a substance different from 2,4-D and possibly 6-hydroxy2,4-dichlorophen'oxyacetic acid (6-OH-2 4-D) (8) suggesting that metabolism of the ring occurs. Weintraub (15) has presented evidence that, in microorganisms, one of the chlorine atoms of the 2,4-D is lost. The report by Butts and Fang (6) of the presence of 12 amino acids in the hydrolysis product of the ether-insoluble material suggests the formation of amino acid conjugates of the metabolites of 2,4-D as well. In connection with a study of the induction of callus growth in bean stem sections by 2,4-D (2, 3)? several metabolites of this growth substance were found. The isolation and attempted characterization of these metabolites is presented in this paper. A preliminary report has been published elsewhere (4).
Structure of the reconnection layer at the dayside magnetopause

Abstract A two-dimensional compressible MHD simulation is carried out to study the structure of the reconnection layer at the dayside magnetopause. In particular, this paper investigates systematically the effects of three parameters on the reconnection layer structure. These three parameters are the ratio of the plasma densities and the ratio of the magnetic field strength magnitudes on the two sides of the initial current sheet and the plasma β. In a symmetric configuration, the reconnection layer is found to be bounded by a pair of slow shocks as predicted in Petschek's model. However, under the asymmetric conditions typical of the dayside magnetopause, the reconnection layer is found to be bounded by an intermediate shock on the magnetosheath side and a weak slow shock on the magnetospheric side. Contact discontinuities and slow expansion waves can also be identified in the reconnection layer in some simulation cases. In the presence of a large β, the slow shocks or the intermediate shocks in the reconnection layer become weaker. Finally, it is suggested that the development of the intermediate shock in the reconnection layer at the dayside magnetopause may be attributed to the large difference in the Alfven speeds on the two sides of the dayside magnetopause.
Acoustic properties of straight tone, vibrato, trill, and trillo

Summary Recordings were made of four internationally acclaimed early music singers (two women, two men) as they sustained phonation at target frequencies while producing the vocal ornaments straight tone, vibrato, trill, and trillo. Recordings were analyzed for the presence and amount of fundamental frequency oscillation and the frequency location of the vocal ornament performed with respect to the target tone. Results showed great variability between singers in all measured parameters.
Deep Caribbean Sea warming

Abstract Data collected from hydrographic stations occupied within the Venezuelan and Columbian basins of the Caribbean Sea from 1922 through 2003 are analyzed to study the decadal variability of deep temperature in the region. The analysis focuses on waters below the 1815-m sill depth of the Anegada–Jungfern Passage. Relatively dense waters (compared to those in the deep Caribbean) from the North Atlantic spill over this sill to ventilate the deep Caribbean Sea. Deep warming at a rate of over 0.01 °C decade –1 below this sill depth appears to have commenced in the 1970s after a period of relatively constant deep Caribbean Sea temperatures extending at least as far back as the 1920s. Conductivity–temperature–depth station data from World Ocean Circulation Experiment Section A22 along 66°W taken in 1997 and again in 2003 provide an especially precise, albeit geographically limited, estimate of this warming over that 6-year period. They also suggest a small (0.001 PSS-78, about the size of expected measurement biases) deep freshening. The warming is about 10 times larger than the size of geothermal heating in the region, and is of the same magnitude as the average global upper-ocean heat uptake over a recent 50-year period. Together with the freshening, the warming contributes about 0.012 m decade –1 of sea level rise in portions of the Caribbean Sea with bottom depths around 5000 m.
On the conservation of calcium wave speeds

Abstract Most long distance calcium signals are believed to take the form of actively propagated calcium waves. In 1991, when this proposal was first advanced, all such waves were thought to belong to one class, for which fertilization waves were the prototype. Moreover, the speeds of such waves were found to be conserved at about 10 μm/s for primary fertilization waves and 30 μm/s for waves through fully active systems at 20°C. In 1993, preliminary evidence for a second class of such waves was published and the prototype for these were ones which drive cell cleavage. These move at only about 1 μm/s at 20°C and were, therefore, called slow calcium waves as opposed to the fast ones first considered. Here we compile compelling evidence that slow waves comprise a second distinct class of actively propagated calcium waves. This is based on 30 papers which yield evidence of slow calcium waves in organisms ranging from Dictyostelium to mammals and phenomena ranging from the surface contraction waves seen long ago in axolotl eggs to embryonic cleavage and mitotic waves and to ones recently seen to accompany primary neural induction in axolotls. Ultraslow and ultrafast calcium waves are also considered.
Infrared emission spectrum and potential constants of HCl

Abstract The emission spectrum from a low-pressure hydrogen chloride flame has been recorded in the 3.1–5.3 μm region at high resolution using a 4.5-m grating spectrometer coupled to a PDP-15 computer. The data obtained for the v → v - 1 band sequence, with v = 1 to 6 for H 35 Cl and v = 1 to 5 for H 37 Cl, were combined with other accurate data and analyzed to obtain the vibrational and rotational constants and Dunham coefficients for the H 35 Cl and H 37 Cl molecules. Using this information, eighth-order nonlinear least-squares estimates of the Dunham, Simons-Parr-Finlan, Ogilvie, and Sandeman potential constants were computed. While the values of all four sets of constants display a lack of convergence, the constants of Sandeman's expansion exhibit better statistical behavior than the other three. This suggests that a Sandeman-like inversion of the Simons-Parr-Finlan and Ogilvie potential constants would be worthwhile.
Heating of solar coronal loops by resonant absorption of Alfven waves

Numerical calculations governing the efficiency of coronal loop heating by the resonant absorption of shear Alfven waves are reported. The loop structure is modeled by a class of axisymmetric force-free equilibria of a long straight cylinder, approximating a large aspect ratio loop. For a range of parameters characterizing the evolution of solar coronal loops, the absorption bandwidth falls in the frequency range of the photospheric motions due to granulation and p-modes. Resonant Alfven wave absorption is thus a viable mechanism for coronal loop heating.
Effective sign extension elimination

Computer designs are shifting from 32-bit architectures to 64-bit architectures, while most of the programs available today are still designed for 32-bit architectures. Java™, for example, specifies the frequently used int" as a 32-bit data type. If such Java programs are executed on a 64-bit architecture, many 32-bit values must be sign-extended to 64-bit values for integer operations. This causes serious performance overhead. In this paper, we present a fast and effective algorithm for eliminating sign extensions. We implemented this algorithm in the IBM Java Just-in-Time (JIT) compiler for IA-64™. Our experimental results show that our algorithm effectively eliminates the majority of sign extensions. They also show that it significantly improves performance, while it increases JIT compilation time by only 0.11%. We implemented our algorithm for programs in Java, but it can be applied to any language requiring sign extensions.
The effect of pinning and nucleation field distributions on reversible magnetization behavior

A model has been developed to examine the effect that different distributions of pinning and nucleation fields have upon the reversible magnetization behavior. The model allows each grain to be in one of three states, saturated in the positive and negative directions or containing a domain wall. The nucleation and pinning field distributions determine the rate of change of the number of grains in the three states with field. The results indicate that reversible magnetization curves display a well-defined minimum where the domain wall pinning fields exceed the reverse domain nucleation fields. Where the domain wall nucleation fields exceed the domain wall pinning fields no minimum is seen. The exact shape of the reversible magnetization curve and the position of the minimum are indicative of the dynamics of the reversal process. This model is able to reproduce the form of reversible magnetization curves measured previously in a sintered isotropic NdFeB based magnet and a Sm2(Co, Fe, Cu, Zr)17 type magnet.
Membrane protein organization in ATP-depleted and irreversibly sickled red cells.

It has been proposed that the spectrin-actin submembrane network participates in control of red cell shape and deformability. We have examined ATP- and calcium-dependent changes in organization of spectrin in the membrane employing cross-linking of the nearest membrane protein neighbors by spontaneous or catalyzed (CuSO4, O-phenanthroline) intermolecular disulfide couplings and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Cross-linking of fresh red cells resulted in the formation of spectrin and actin dimers and tetramers. ATP-depleted red cells differed from fresh cells in the presence of an additional reducible polymer of MW > 1 × 106 selectively enriched in spectrin. This polymer formed spontaneously when red cells were depleted of ATP under aerobic conditions. After anaerobic ATP depletion, the polymer formed in ghosts after cross-linking by catalytic oxidation. Polymerization was prevented by maintenance of ATP and coincided with an ATP-dependent discocyte-echinocyte transformation. This suggests that, in ATP-depleted red cells, spectrin is rearranged to establish closer contacts, and that this may contribute to the discocyte-echinocyte transformation. The introduction of greater than 0.5 mM Ca++ into ghosts by inclusion in hemolysis buffer or into fresh red cells (but not ATP-depleted red cells) by treatment with ionophore A23187 spontaneously produced a nonreducible polymer which others have attributed to transamidative cross-linking of spectrin, band 3, and other proteins. Spontaneous formation of both polymer types (reducible in aerobically ATP-depleted red cells and nonreducible in fresh, Ca++ enriched red cells) resulted in stabilization (“autocatalytic fixation”) of spheroechinocytic shape. Irreversibly sickled cells, which have increased calcium and decreased ATP, and exhibit a permanent membrane deformation, failed to form any of the above polymers. This suggests that in contrast to normal cells depleted of ATP in vitro, fixation of ISC shape in vivo is not related to Ca- and ATP-dependent membrane protein polymerization. However, ISCs had an increased propensity to form the reducible, spectrin-rich polymer during a subsequent metabolic depletion in vitro. This was associated with transformation of ISCs into spheroechinocytes. Similar echinocytic ISCs were found to constitute 5–10% of the densest fractions of freshly separated ISCs. ISCs then exhibit sphero-echniocyte transformation, both in vitro and in vivo. We propose that this is due to spectrin reorganization that presumably results from the progressively increasing calcium and decreasing ATP of ISCs. These data provide evidence of altered spectrin organization in membranes of ATP-depleted, calcium-enriched red cells in vitro and in vivo.
A randomization test for a three-period three-treatment crossover experiment

We consider a three-period three-treatment crossover experiment to compare the effects of two drugs with a placebo. Subjects within each successive block of six are randomly assigned to the six pos...
The Effects of Outside Directors and Board Shareholdings on the Relation Between Chief Executive Compensation and Firm Performance

Abstract Critics of corporate governance have suggested that improvements in board monitoring will arise from more independent boards consisting of outside directors and from increased stock ownership by directors. Presumably these changes should result in more rational, more defensible compensation decisions in which pay is clearly tied to results. In this paper, we test the premise that boards with a relatively higher proportion of outsiders and boards with significant shareholdings maintain a closer link between corporate performance and executive pay than do boards with fewer outsiders and boards holding little stock. The results of the study, based on a sample of 268 large corporations, are mixed. As expected, boards with significant shareholdings maintain a stronger linkage between compensation and firm-level performance. This finding persists even after controls are included for CEO and outsider shareholdings. Contrary to expectations, however, evidence was not found that firms with a higher propor...
Diffractive nanoslit lenses for subwavelength focusing

Abstract Creating a subwavelength focus spot from nanoslits becomes possible when diffraction occurs inside strongly anisotropic materials with hyperbolic dispersion. In this work, we study diffraction from nanoslits and numerically show that the interference patterns could be smaller than λ /10. The designs studied in this work are feasible with current nanofabrication techniques. We also review our recent work on metal nanoslit lenses, which behave as conventional convex or concave dielectric lenses depending on the linear polarization of incident light.
Periprosthetic infections due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients with no prior history of tuberculosis

Although uncommon, infection of prostheses with Mycobacterium tuberculosis can be managed successfully if it is diagnosed early and treated correctly. A case of M. tuberculosis infection of a prosthetic knee first diagnosed 4.5 years after initial arthroplasty is described. This case and a review of the literature led to the conclusion that there are two distinct patterns of M. tuberculosis infection following joint implant surgery in patients without a history of tuberculosis. (1) Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection may be an unexpected finding at the time of arthroplasty. These patients generally have favorable outcomes using standard antituberculous chemotherapy, without implant removal. (2) Late-onset M. tuberculosis joint infection may be identified in patients with painful, clinically infected, or malfunctioning prostheses. In these cases, medical treatment alone is usually unsuccessful; prosthesis removal is often required. With recent increases in the incidence of tuberculosis in the United States and the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis, periprosthetic tuberculous infection is likely to become more common.
Advances in fluorescence imaging with quantum dot bio-probes

After much effort in surface chemistry development and optimization by several groups, fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals probes, also known as quantum dots or qdots, are now entering the realm of biological applications with much to offer to biologists. The road to success has been paved with hurdles but from these efforts has stemmed a multitude of original surface chemistries that scientists in the biological fields can draw from for their specific biological applications. The ability to easily modulate the chemical nature of qdot surfaces by employing one or more of the recently developed qdot coatings, together with their exceptional photophysics have been key elements for qdots to acquire a status of revolutionary fluorescent bio-probes. Indeed, the unique properties of qdots not only give biologists the opportunity to explore advanced imaging techniques such as single molecule or lifetime imaging but also to revisit traditional fluorescence imaging methodologies and extract yet unobserved or inaccessible information in vitro or in vivo.
Another Multidisciplinary Look at Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) continues to challenge surgeons and scientists alike. This vexing clinical entity frequently complicates myocardial infarction and carries a poor prognosis both in the setting of coronary disease and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Ischemic mitral regurgitation encompasses a difficult patient population that is characterized by high operative mortality, poor long term outcomes, and frequent recurrent insufficiency after standard surgical repair. Yet optimal surgical repair and improved clinical outcomes can only be achieved with better knowledge of the pathophysiology of IMR which is still incompletely understood. The causative mechanism of IMR appears to lie in the annular and subvalvular frame of the valve rather than leaflet or chordal structure leading to such labels as "ischemic," "functional," "non-organic," and "cardiomyopathy associated" being applied in the clinical literature. Although ischemic mitral regurgitation is a prevailing clinical entity, it has not been consistently defined in the literature, contributing to considerable confusion and contradictory results of clinical studies. As the mechanisms of pathophysiology have been better elucidated, novel surgical and interventional strategies have been developed recently to provide better treatment for this difficult patient population. In this review, we undertake a multidisciplinary update of the pathophysiology, classification, and surgical and interventional treatment of ischemic mitral regurgitation in today's clinical practice.
Effects of training in consultation and instructor feedback on acquisition of consultation skills

Abstract The growing demand for preparation in school-based consultation, combined with the limited training technology available, necessitates intensified efforts to conduct research in this area. This study investigated the effectiveness of a specific approach to consultation training that emphasizes didactic methods, simulation exercises, and videotape analyses. It also examined the effects of instructor feedback on trainees' acquisition of consultation skills. The results indicated that the training approach led to increased acquisition of consultation skills, but that the addition of individualized instructor feedback did not significantly enhance performance across all variables.
Optical Control Panel For Automotive Applications

This paper describes a new type of optical control panel that eliminates any electrical contacts and mechanically moving parts. It has potential for low cost, improved reliability, and diagnosability. In its simplest form, the control panel consists of an optically lossy plastic strip that is illuminated from the back side, and that runs parallel to a segmented screen on the front side. Each of the backlit segments acts as a switch. Normally all switches are in the OFF mode. OFF to ON switching is obtained by bringing a finger or reflector close to a segment so as to reflect and couple light into the strip. The back-coupled light divides into two guided waves that attenuate as they propagate towards the extremities of the strip. Two photodetectors detect these attenuated signals. Switch position is inferred from the ratio of the two detected signals. Three early prototypes were tested, each consisting of seven 5 by 15 millimeter switching segments. In all three cases, switch position was inferred without any ambiguity. This type of optical control panel is easy to incorporate in a display.
A self-consistent model for microcrack-weakened solids

Abstract The paper focuses on the formulation of a self-consistent process model for a perfectly elastic solid weakened by an ensemble of microcracks. The derivation is restricted to the plane stress and strain, and monotonically increasing tensile loads. The proposed formulation does not require introduction of additional, physically unidentifiable, ‘material’ parameters.
PRECANCEROUS AND CANCEROUS LESIONS OF THE ORAL CAVITY

The purpose of this article is to provide the clinician with the clinicopathologic characteristics of oral cancer and its precursors. As can be seen by the previous discussion, numerous variables influence the formation of these lesions, and as yet we are unable to predict the progression of any single, premalignant lesion with certainty. Because of this, only astute clinicians, armed with a healthy level of suspicion, will be able to affect the prognosis of oral malignancies by recognizing these conditions at the earliest possible stage.
Effects of initial surface finish on cam wear

Abstract The effects of manufacturing processes on the run-in wear of cams were investigated. Cams with 12 different surface finish conditions, produced from two different steels by various combinations of machining methods and heat treatments, were tested against a roller follower under constant surface velocity and load in three different oils. The run-in wear modes of the cams were determined through examination by scanning electron microscopy of replicas of cam surfaces. Cam surface parameters and calculated plasticity indices were also monitored during testing. The wear mode of the cams was found to be a result of the surface finishing method and the microstructure of the cam steel. AISI A10 milled cams failed by scuffing, and ground cams by pitting, within the first 2 h of testing, even when run in high viscosity oil. Ion-nitrided and bead-blasted AISI 4140 milled cams showed superior wear resistance, with neither scuffing nor pitting observed even after 500 min of testing. Severity of wear was influenced primarily by the type of machine center used to produce the cams; cams made by analog tracing showed more wear than cams made by computer-controlled machines.
Vascular-enteric fistulas associated with radiation therapy in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background Irradiation therapy is being evaluated widely as an adjunct to therapy of resectable and unresectable pancreatic exocrine carcinoma. Exsanguinating haemorrhage has been an occasional late complication. Case outlines Two patients with unresectable cancer of the pancreas were treated by bypass, chemotherapy and both intra-operative and postoperative irradiation. Both patients died 5–11 months later of gastroduodenal haemorrhage from arterio-enteric fistulas, which were confirmed by autopsy but had been uncontrolled by selective embolisation. A third patient, for whom little other information was available, died of upper abdominal haemorrhage 5 months after a ‘curative’ resection combined with intra-operative and postoperative irradiation. Discussion Judgement in management is difficult because of the poor prognosis from the underlying disease on the one hand versus the fact that site of bleeding has sometimes been from complicating benign disease. Better endovascular techniques of control of such haemorrhage may be developing.
Innovation in rural finance: Indonesia's Badan Kredit Kecamatan program

Abstract Donor agencies and governments are committing increasing resources to microenterprise credit programs, much as they earlier funded rural credit. Yet few programs embody the lessons from this earlier experience. Central Java's Badan Kredit Kecamatan program shows considerable promise in providing the access, convenience, and flexibility desired by poor borrowers while assuring the financial viability of the credit institution by minimizing administrative costs and imposing interest rates sufficient to cover costs and prevent capital erosion. Recent progress has also been made in mobilizing voluntary savings. Strong political support from the government has been crucial to the program's success.
Digging Holes and Building Pillars: Simeon Stylites and the “Geometry” of Ascetic Practice

In Constantine P. Cavafy's 1917 poem, “Simeon,” a young cultured aesthete (probably from Antioch), writes his friend Mebis about a recent chance encounter with the famous stylite that left him “shattered, unnerved, and aghast,” and entirely unfit to resume his sophistic career in belles lettres: Ah, don—t smile; for thirty-five years, think of it—winter, summer, daytime, night, for thirty-fiveyears he's been living, martyring himself, atop a pillar.Before we were born—I—m twenty-nine years old,you are, I think, younger than I am—before we were born, imagine it,Simeon climbed up that pillar.And since that time he has stayed there facing God.1
Correlation of Antibiotic-Induced Endotoxin Release and Cytokine Production in Escherichia coli-Inoculated Mouse Whole Blood Ex Vivo

Escherichia coli were incubated in mouse whole blood ex vivo supplemented with beta-lactam antibiotics that possessed preferential affinities for penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). After 4 h, viable bacteria were undetectable in the presence of any of the 3 antibiotics tested, whereas significant increases in colony-forming units were detected in samples not treated with antibiotics. Differential levels of endotoxin in platelet-rich plasma were detected using the limulus amebocyte lysate assay, according to differential antibiotic affinities for the various PBPs. Levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in antibiotic-treated cultures after 8 h of incubation correlated well with the levels of endotoxin at 4 h (r = .96, P < .0001 for TNF-alpha; r = .91, P = .0002 for IL-6). These data indicate that differential affinities of beta-lactam antibiotics for PBPs affect both endotoxin and cytokine responses ex vivo in mouse blood and correlate with in vivo protective efficacy of these antibiotics in gram-negative experimental models.
DNA-based HIV vaccines do not induce generalized activation in mucosal tissue T cells

HIV preferentially infects activated T cells, and activated mucosal CD4+ T cells are the primary sites of viral replication. One potential explanation for increased HIV acquisition rates in the STE...
Long Memory Methods and Structural Breaks in Public Opinion Time Series: A Reply to Pickup

Mark Pickup does not take issue with our substantive conclusions about the relationship of Liberal Democratic support to leadership approval. However, he does argue that our claim that vote intenti...
Chloramphenicol and tetracycline decrease motility and increase invasion and attachment gene expression in specific isolates of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is one of the most common serovars isolated from humans and livestock, and over 35% of these isolates are resistant to three or more antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella is a public health concern as it is associated with increased morbidity in patients compared to antibiotic sensitive strains, though it is unknown how the antibiotic resistant isolates lead to a more severe infection. Cellular invasion is temporally regulated in Salmonella and normally occurs during late-log and stationary growth. However, our previous work determined that a 30 minute exposure to a sub-inhibitory concentration of tetracycline can induce the full invasion phenotype during early-log growth in certain MDR S. Typhimurium isolates. The current study examined whether sub-inhibitory concentrations of other antibiotics could also induce the invasiveness in the same set of isolates. Ampicillin and streptomycin had no effect on invasion, but certain concentrations of chloramphenicol were found to induce invasion in a subset of isolates. Two of the isolates induced by chloramphenicol were also inducible by tetracycline. RNA-seq analyses demonstrated that chloramphenicol and tetracycline both down-regulated motility gene expression, while up-regulating genes associated with attachment, invasion, and intracellular survival. Eleven fimbrial operons were up-regulated, which is notable as only three fimbrial operons were thought to be inducible in culture; six of these up-regulated operons have been reported to play a role in Salmonella persistence in mice. Overall, these data show that the normal progression of the genetic pathways that regulate invasion can be expedited to occur within 30 minutes due to antibiotic exposure. This altered invasion process due to antibiotics may play a role in the increased intensity and duration of infection observed in patients with MDR Salmonella.
Exact and approximate distributions for linear contrasts of means and variances

A Bayesian analysis is presented for the K-group Behrens-Fisher problem. Both exact posterior distributions and approximations were developed for both a general linear contrast of the K means and the K variances, given either proper diffuse or informative conjugate priors. The contrast of variances is a unique feature of the heterogeneous variance model that enables investigators to test specific effects of experimental manipulations on variance. Finally, important-differences were observed between the heterogeneous variance model and the homogeneous model.
Optimal and heuristic procedures for component log-splitting in multi-stage manufacturing systems

Component lot-splitting considerations, in which the lot-size of a component item may cover only a fraction of its parent item's lot-size, have been ignored in the literature when determining lot-sizes of items in multi-stage manufacturing systems. In this paper, a multi-stage lot-sizing problem is formulated under a specified component lot-splitting policy for the case of noninstantaneous production of items and constant demand for the end item. Optimal and heuristic solution procedures for the formulated problem are provided, including experimental results of comparison between these procedures. It is shown that considerable cost savings can result if the component lot-splitting approach is employed under favorable conditions in multi-stage manufacturing environments. In addition, reduced inventory levels are achieved which translate into lower working capital requirements and a less cluttered shop floor. The heuristic procedure is recommended as an acceptable alternative to the optimal procedure if the number of items in the multi-stage system is large or if inventory carrying and setup/order costs cannot be accurately estimated. Further, component lot-splitting considerations may be ignored if production rates of facilities in the system are in balance. Finally, a methodology for application of the component lot-splitting policy where the end item demand is time-varying is discussed.
Vascular supply to the ventral pelvic region of anurans as related to water balance

The ventral pelvic integument of anurans in hypervascular as compared to other skin regions. Recent studies indicate that this area is primarily responsible for water uptake and rehydration. Nine species representing four genera of terrestrial and aquatic Anura were dissected for comparison of vascularity in the pelvic area. Major differences in the ventral pelvic integumental vessels were found between aquatic and terrestrial genera. These variations are described, and names are suggested for previously unnamed vessels. Changes in vascularity are discussed and related to the literature on Anura pertinent to rehydration rates, tolerance of desiccation, resistance to desiccation, and habitat. Data from this study and previous studies suggest a correlation among the parameters discussed and habitat. The suggestion is made that when species are classified as xeric, mesic, or aquatic on the basis of the habitat in which they live, their responses to rehydration, tolerance to desiccation, and vasculatity should be considered, as these characteristics more accurately represent the micro-habitat.
An Assessment of the Quality of Homicide Data in the Supplementary Homicide Reports: A Research Note

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) is a national-level incident-based data clearinghouse for homicide events in the USA used in countless research studies to track homicide trends, test theory, and analyze policy. Despite its wide use, the SHR has well-known limitations. This research note examines the accuracy of the information in the SHR by comparing homicide cases in Newark, New Jersey with their respective data to determine the level of disagreement between the data sources, which variables exhibit the greatest disagreement, and the case-related variables related to the disagreement. Uniquely, we do this for cases where offenders are known in the SHR. Our findings suggest that variables such as victim-offender relationship and circumstance have high disagreement even when the SHR reports an offender, and that the most important covariate of this is time to close the homicide investigation with an arrest. Research implications of the results are discussed.
Assessment of irrigation dynamics in magnetic-resonance guided laser induced thermal therapy (MRgLITT)

Background and Objectives Magnetic-Resonance Guided Laser-Induced Thermal Therapy (MRgLITT) is a minimally-invasive ablation procedure for treating intracranial pathology using laser energy delivered through a fiber-optic. Saline irrigation is used to cool the fiber-optic, but factors affecting irrigation efficacy are not well studied, and quantitative information regarding irrigation speed and volume during MRgLITT procedures have not been reported. Here, we aimed to characterize variables affecting irrigation efficacy in MRgLITT. Methods We investigated the irrigation setup of the Visualase thermal therapy system during MRgLITT procedures (Visualase Inc., Houston, TX). Using the system's peristaltic pump, irrigation flow rate was quantitated by measuring volume over five one-minute intervals. Pump settings 1–10 were assessed with and without the position-locking, resistance-imparting bone anchor in both single and double-catheter setups. Multiple tightness settings of the bone anchor were tested, and flow rates were analyzed. Results Rate of flow increased non-linearly with pump setting (F(1,4) = 2168.86; P < 0.001) in both single and double catheter setups. The lowest pump setting had a flow rate of 24 cc/min, while the highest setting was 36 cc/min. The rate of change in flow successively decreased without plateau. Tightness setting of the bone anchor affected flow in a reverse sigmoid pattern, with no impact on rate until after two quarter-turns, which produced a marked decrease in flow up to one-half of the initial rate (F(1,4) = 12818.96; P < 0.001). Conclusion Flow rate through the cooling catheter in MRgLITT follows a non-linear pattern with increasing peristaltic pump speed. This rate is subject to significant changes when the bone anchor is tightened more than two quarter-turns. These findings serve as a foundation for future studies aimed at understanding the effect of irrigation speeds in achieving optimal ablation volumes. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:273–280, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lisofylline, a Novel Antiinflammatory Agent, Protects Pancreatic β-Cells from Proinflammatory Cytokine Damage by Promoting Mitochondrial Metabolism

Proinflammatory cytokine-mediated pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction is a key pathological event in type I diabetes mellitus. Lisofylline (LSF), an anti-inflammatory agent, has been shown to protect pancreatic islets from IL-1 beta-induced inhibitory effects on insulin release. However, the mechanism of LSF action is not known. Increasing evidence suggests that the mitochondria play an important role in regulating the beta-cell insulin release capacity and the control of cellular viability. To examine the direct effects of LSF on beta-cells, insulin-secreting INS-1 cells were exposed to a combination of recombinant IL-1 beta, TNF alpha, and IFN gamma with or without LSF for 18 h. Basal and glucose-stimulated static insulin release were measured using RIA. INS-1 cell viability was determined using in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and LIVE/DEAD dual fluorescence labeling. To evaluate INS-1 mitochondrial function, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) metabolism, change in mitochondrial membrane potential, and intracellular ATP levels were assessed. Cytokine addition reduced basal (7.8 +/- 0.30 vs. 10.0 +/- 0.46 ng/ml.h; P < 0.005), glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (11.6 +/- 0.86 vs. 17.4 +/- 1.86 ng/ml.h; P < 0.005), and MTT metabolism in INS-1 cells. Over 40% of the cytokine-treated beta-cells exhibited nuclear DNA breakage, whereas the control cell death rate remained at 1-2%. Simultaneous application of LSF and cytokines to INS-1 cells restored insulin secretion, MTT metabolism, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell viability to control levels. LSF increased beta-cell MTT metabolism as well as insulin release and glucose responsiveness. In summary, proinflammatory cytokines lead to a reduction of glucose-induced insulin secretion, mitochondrial activity, and viability in INS-1 cells. LSF at concentrations achievable in vivo protected beta-cells from the cytokine effects. The mechanism of LSF-induced protection may be by promoting mitochondrial metabolism.
Migration, Remittances, and Household Strategies ∗

In this review, I examine the meaning, place, and role of remittances for migrants (movers) and for their sending households and communities. I define remittances as more than economic and explore the cultural and social value of remittances as well as the ways in which transnational space is created as movers and nonmovers interact. Although remittances are often critical to the well-being and survival of migrant sending households, this review also defines the costs that movers face as they remit and the positive as well as negative impacts remittances can hold for sending households.
Childhood Cancer Survivors: Attained Adult Heights Compared with Sibling Controls

As part of a large collaborative study, the authors administered a pretested questionnaire to 62 childhood and adolescent cancer survivors and 62 same-sex sibling controls. The authors requested information regarding attained adult height on the questionnaire. Mean adult height of survivors (172.2 cm) was less than that of controls (174.1 cm), at a borderline significant difference of p = 0.0757. Multivariate analysis examined four potential, independent variables as possible predictors of this difference. The presence of brain tumor (vs. nonbrain tumor) (p < .0001) and diagnosis at an early age (≤ 8 years vs. 9-15 years) (p = .05) were factors significantly related to the differential; sex of patient and type of therapy were not. Our findings thus identify malignancy site and age at diagnosis as important predictors of adult height in childhood and adolescent cancer survivors.
Complex Formation among Murine Cytomegalovirus US22 Proteins Encoded by Genes M139, M140, and M141

The murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) proteins encoded by US22 genes M139, M140, and M141 function, at least in part, to regulate replication of this virus in macrophages. Mutant MCMV having one or more of these genes deleted replicates poorly in macrophages in culture and in the macrophage-dense environment of the spleen. In this report, we demonstrate the existence of stable complexes formed by the products of all three of these US22 genes, as well as a complex composed of the products of M140 and M141. These complexes form in the absence of other viral proteins; however, the pM140/pM141 complex serves as a requisite binding partner for the M139 gene products. Products from all three genes colocalize to a perinuclear region of the cell juxtaposed to or within the cis-Golgi region but excluded from the trans-Golgi region. Interestingly, expression of pM141 redirects pM140 from its predominantly nuclear residence to the perinuclear, cytoplasmic locale where these US22 proteins apparently exist in complex. Thus, complexing of these nonessential, early MCMV proteins likely confers a function(s) independent of each individual protein and important for optimal replication of MCMV in its natural host.
Immune-Modulating Formulas Who Wins the Meta-Analysis Race?

Most agree that enteral nutrition is the ideal way to feed critically ill patients who have a functional gastrointestinal tract, but selecting the appropriate enteral formula can be difficult. Specifically, the use of immune-modulating diets has brought much excitement as well as debate. Literature to date presents both positive and potential adverse effects. To aid the clinician in the decision-making process, this article reviews the current research and recommendations regarding the use of immune-modulating diets.
Ig gene somatic hypermutation in mice defective for DNA polymerase δ proofreading

This study is an investigation of the possible role of DNA polymerase (pol) delta with an inactivated exonuclease (exo) in somatic hypermutation (SHM). Analysis of endogenous heavy chain transcripts revealed no difference in mutation frequency and pattern between exo(-/-), exo(+/-) and exo(+/+) mice. The lack of an effect of the pol delta exo mutation on SHM could be due to: (i) normally pol delta is used in SHM, but the exo is prevented from proofreading, (ii) normally pol delta is used, but the decrease in fidelity of the exo(-) pol does not increase hypermutation frequency enough to be detected, and (iii) pol delta is not used in SHM. Based on the finding in the exo(-/-) mice and the current understanding of the process of SHM, it is concluded that pol delta is not normally involved in creating the mutations. The majority of the mutated sequences obtained in this study, including many from the exo(-/-) mice, were from genes which had switched to a gamma heavy chain class. Thus, the pol delta proofreading activity is not required for class switch recombination (CSR). Genealogical trees observed with multiple mutated sequences of various Ig classes show that CSR and SHM occur intermingled during expansion of a cell clone, raising the possibility that they may occur at the same time.