cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circulating cardiac troponin I levels in Kawasaki disease.

In addition to the vascular findings of Kawasaki disease (KD), clinical, electrocardiographic, and/or echocardiographic signs of myocarditis are recognizable in the acute phase of KD in many patients. The mechanism of myocarditis and an association with the development of subsequent coronary artery abnormalities in KD is unknown. Previous studies of serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) measurements in pediatric populations have suggested a possible utility of measurements in diagnosis and follow-up of KD. We designed a retrospective study to evaluate cTnI measurements during acute KD and to assess the predictive value of cTnI measurements in acute KD for the subsequent development of coronary artery abnormalities. Twenty-nine children were studied. Group 1 consisted of 15 KD patients who developed coronary artery abnormalities as detected by transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation. Group 2 consisted of 14 KD patients with persistently normal coronary artery findings on echocardiograms. A control group consisted of 11 children, none of whom were known to have had clinical findings of KD or myocarditis. The mean cTnI values for all three groups were lower than the values suggestive of cardiac damage: group 1 = 0.11 ± 0.16 ng/ml, group 2 = 0.15 ± 0.34 ng/ml, and control = 0.04 ± 0.08 ng/ml. The current study demonstrates that there is no significant elevation of cTnI in KD patients. Additionally, there is no correlation between cTnI measurements and the finding of myocarditis, as reflected by decreased cardiac function, or the subsequent development of coronary artery abnormalities.
Sequence Dependence and Differential Expression of Gγ5 Subunit Isoforms of the Heterotrimeric G Proteins Variably Processed after Prenylation in Mammalian Cells

Abstract Between 1 and 2% of proteins coded for in the human genome, including all G protein γ subunits, are predicted to be prenylated. Subsequently, prenylated proteins are proteolytically cleaved at the C terminus and carboxymethylated. These reactions are generally obligatory events required for functional expression of prenylated proteins. The biological role of prenyl substrates has made these reactions significant targets for anticancer drug development. Understanding the enzymology of this pathway will be key to success for this strategy. When Gγ1, -2, -4, -10, -11, -12, and -13 were expressed in HEK293 cells they were completely processed according to the current understanding of the prenylation reaction. In contrast, Gγ5 was processed to two forms; a minor one, fully processed as predicted, and a major one that was prenylated without further processing. When the Ca1a2X motif of Gγ5, CSFL, was exchanged for that of Gγ2, CAIL, Gγ5 was completely processed. Conversely, Gγ2-SFL was incompletely processed. Differential processing of Gγ5 was found due to the presence of an aromatic amino acid in its Ca1a2X motif. Retrieving endogenous Gγ subunits from HEK293 or Neuro-2a cells with FLAG-Gβ constructs identified multiple Gγ subunits by mass spectrometry in either cell, but in both cases the most prominent one was Gγ5 expressed without C-terminal processing after prenylation. This work indicates that post-prenylation reactions can generate multiple products determined by the C-terminal Ca1a2X motif. Within the human genome 10% of predicted prenylated proteins have aromatic amino acids in their Ca1a2X sequence and would likely generate the prenylation pattern described here.
The CNS-specific hyaluronan binding protein, BEHAB, is expressed during periods of glial cell generation and motility

Abstract BEHAB, a gene encoding a hyaluronan binding protein, is expressed only in the central nervous system. BEHAB is almost identical to brevican, but the predicted BEHAB protein is shorter than that of brevican, and does not include glycosaminoglycan addition sites. During brain development BEHAB is expressed at high levels in the proliferative ventricular zone coincident with the peak period of glial cell generation. BEHAB is also expressed during reactive gliosis and in primary glioma. The extracellular protein encoded by BEHAB may play a role in glial cell generation or motility.
Comparison between moisture sorption isotherms obtained using the new Vapor Sorption Analyzer and those obtained using the standard saturated salt slurry method

The moisture sorption isotherm is an important tool, useful for both processing and product stability applications. The saturated salt slurry method has been a standard method of generating isotherms for many years. Recently, the Vapor Sorption Analyzer (VSA) has been introduced as a new type of isotherm generating instrument and is the first instrument specifically designed to produce both equilibrium and non-equilibrium isotherms. This research compared the equilibrium isotherms generated by these two methods for five food materials and found no significant differences, demonstrating that the VSA can obtain saturated salt slurry equivalent isotherms in much less time and without visible mold growth.
Superoxide Dismutase Activity in Mesocarp Tissue from Divergent Cucumis melo L. Genotypes

Muskmelons (Cucumis melo L.) are well-known as excellent sources of several vitamins, minerals and non-enzymatic antioxidant phytochemicals such as vitamin C and pro-vitamin A. Less well-studied is their potential role as sources of enzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), which have been associated with enhanced reactive oxygen species scavenging capacity in some muskmelon fruits. In this study, we investigated the variability in SOD activities among diverse advanced breeding lines and commercial muskmelon cultivars grown in two different soil types—clay or sandy loam. Specific and total SOD activities varied significantly among the genotypes (P ≤ 0.001), compared to soil type (P ≤ 0.055). Netted (cantaloupe) genotypes generally had the lowest SOD activities compared to the green- and orange-fleshed honey dew types. Casaba type fruit had average SOD activities that were ∼ 1.6-fold greater than those of honey dew types, and ∼ 9.0-fold greater than those of cantaloupe types. These data indicate there is useful genetic diversity among commercial melon varieties and in exotic genotypes that could be used to develop C. melo as a functional food with enhanced SOD content.
Describing multiple aspects of use situation: applications of Design Information Framework (DIF) to scenario development

Scenarios have been broadly used to describe the context of a user's experience with products. Even though multiple aspects of user experience may be embedded in scenarios, they are not generally incorporated in a structured way. This research intends to develop methods of constructing scenarios by integrating multiple aspects of use situations with a coherent and accurate structure for evaluation. We introduce Design Information Framework (DIF) as a mechanism to accommodate multiple viewpoints and to represent them for effective management of design information. This research addresses the incorporation of this framework in a structured form of scenario generation to facilitate design problem identification and analysis from holistic viewpoints.
Genetic approaches for the investigation of genes associated with coronary heart disease.

Summary Because of new techniques for gene mapping, newmodeling techniques, advances in biocomputing powerand bioinformatics, and the multiple types of clinicalstudies and large patient databases described in thisarticle, we are on the verge of a new understanding ofthe inherited component of CHD. Identifying causativegenes for this disease is likely several years away atbest. Before that time, however, a new understandingwill be reached of the relation between inherited risksand outcomes in cardiovascular disease. With the devel-opment of the SNP Consortium and its associated tech-nology, we also have the promise of a detailed catalogueof disease-modifying genes that may open the door totherapeutic advances. Thus we find ourselves in anexciting time—one that should provide the basis for adeeper understanding of the mechanisms underlyingthe etiology of CHD and that will certainly lead to noveldiagnostic, risk-stratifying, and therapeutic tools withinseveral years. References 1.Wilson PWF, Myers RH, Larson MG, et al. Apoprotein E alleles,dyslipidemia, and coronary heart disease. JAMA 1994;272:1666-71.2.Lander ES, Schork NJ. Genetic dissection of complex traits. Science1994;265:2035-48.3.Davies JL, Kawaguchi Y, Bennett ST, et al. A genome-wide searchfor human type 1 diabetes susceptibility genes. Nature 1994;371:130-6.4.Hanis CL, Boerwinkle E, Chakraborty R, et al. A genome-widesearch for human non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes genesreveals a major susceptibility locus on chromosome 2. NatureGenetics 1996;13:161-6.5.Pericak-Vance MA, Bass MP, Yamaoka LH, et al. Completegenomicscreen in late-onset familial Alzheimer disease: evidence for a newlocus on chromosome 12. JAMA 1997;278:1237-41.American Heart Journal
Fusion: interactive coordination of diverse data, visualizations, and mining algorithms

Fusion is a web-based system that enables end-users to rapidly and dynamically construct personalized visualization workspaces without programming. Users first use advanced data schemas to link diverse data sources. Then they use visualization schemas to coordinate visualization components and data-mining algorithms according to the unique needs of their data and tasks. They create a custom interactive visualization workspace that can be published on the web. This is accomplished through the Fusion model and user interface that is based on schema concepts that are easy to learn and simple to use.
Reformulation of the nonlocal coherent-potential approximation as a unique reciprocal-space theory of disorder

The nonlocal coherent-potential approximation (NLCPA) has recently been introduced for describing short-range correlations in disordered systems, for example short-range ordering e ects in alloys. As a generalisation of the widely-used coherent-potential approximation (CPA), the NLCPA determines an e ective medium via the self-consistent embedding of a cluster with periodic Bornvon Karman boundary conditions imposed. Whilst this approach has the advantageous property of preserving the single-site translational invariance of the underlying lattice, it has recently been shown to yield spurious and non-unique results below some critical cluster size. In this paper we reformulate the NLCPA as a unique and systematic theory and show that the previous formalism is a specific limiting case of the new formulation. We explicitly demonstrate the theory for a one-dimensional tight-binding model in order to compare with exact numerical results.
A generalized scaled equation of state for n -alkanes (methane to n -nonane) in the critical region

A generalized scaled equation of state has been developed to calculate thermodynamic properties of n-alkanes from methane (CH4) to n-nonane (C9H20) in the critical region. The equation is valid in the reduced density range 0.7⩽ρc⩽1.3 at T=Tc and up to 1.2Tc at ρ=ρc.
Self-reported and objectively measured sedentary behavior in bariatric surgery candidates.

Abstract Background Sedentary behavior (SB), independent of physical activity, represents a significant health risk. We previously used objective measures to demonstrate that bariatric surgery candidates engage in high levels of SB overall, but supplementing these measures with subjective reports would provide information about time allocated to different forms of SB. The aim of this study was to examine self-reported time spent performing specific types of SB and discrepancy between self-reported and objectively measured estimates of total sedentary time in bariatric surgery candidates. Methods A total of 52 bariatric surgery candidates (87% female; age=46.2±9.1 years; body mass index [BMI] = 45.3±6.7) completed the 9-item Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) as a subjective measure of SB and wore the SenseWear Armband (SWA; SenseWear, Pittsburgh, PA) as an objective measure. Paired samples t tests and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) assessed measurement discrepancy. Results Television-viewing was the most frequently performed type of SB (2.7±1.6 hours per day), followed by paper/computer work (1.9±1.8 hours per day), driving/riding in automobile (1.2±1.1 hours per day), and sitting/talking on telephone (1.1±1.2 hours per day). On average, the SBQ and SWA produced similar estimates of daily sedentary time (hours per day) at the group level (9.6±4.8 versus 9.3±1.9; mean difference=–.34±4.6; P = .59), although agreement between the measures at the individual level was poor (mean absolute value of difference=3.8±2.8 hours per day; ICC=.22; P = .06). Conclusion Television-viewing was the single SB in which participants most frequently engaged and thus may be an important modifiable target for reducing total sedentary time in bariatric surgery candidates. The SBQ and SWA can be used similarly to describe SB levels in this patient population at the group level; however, ability of these measures to produce comparable estimates of sedentary time for any individual patient is limited.
Effects of Certain Ataraxic Agents on Mice Activity

A combination of a test for spontaneous motor activity (SMA) and rolling roller performance (RRP) was employed to evaluate certain centrally acting compounds on mice. These tests are useful for detecting compounds that selectively depress spontaneous activity without producing concomitant motor deficit.
Connecting Trade Unions to the Community: Promoting Employment for Individuals with Mental Health Conditions

The findings of a research effort that sought to define the mutual interests of unions and individuals with mental health conditions, their family members, and service providers are reported. The data were gathered from a nonrandom sample of trade union experts in disability policy and procedures. The research question posed is: What is the potential for unions to serve as a source of work options, valuable information on workplace cultures, and workplace supports to individuals with mental health conditions? Reported are the practices and existing supports in current union activities and related situations that might be adopted to assist persons with mental health conditions. The opportunities for the future for providers, individuals, and union representatives, including information on union apprenticeships and how to work with unions on job maintenance, accommodation, and retention issues for individuals with mental health conditions is provided. For social service providers clarification is offered co...
Ethanol Inhibits Insulin Receptor Tyrosine Kinase

Background: Ethanol inhibits insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin signaling in various cell types. The tyrosine autophosphorylation of the IGF-I and insulin receptors appears to be a target for ethanol, as well as other receptor tyrosine kinases. Methods and Results: The effect of ethanol on purified recombinant insulin receptor kinase activity was examined. A noncompetitive inhibition was observed at pharmacologically relevant concentrations of ethanol. Both peptide substrate tyrosine phosphorylation and kinase autophosphorylation are inhibited by ethanol. Near equivalent inhibition of kinase activity was noted for 300 mM methanol, 150 mM ethanol, 20 mM 1-propanol, and 10 mM 1-butanol. Conclusion: The findings identify a direct protein interaction site of ethanol, and provide insight into the mechanism by which ethanol inhibits receptor tyrosine kinase activity.
Ultrastructure of fertilization in a cryptomonad

By means of various electron microscopic techniques, the ultrastructure of fusing gametes in a cryptomonad is described for the first time. The isolate used in this study is bisexual, and vegetative cells may act as isogametes. Plasmogamy usually is initiated at the posterior end of one gamete and the mild-ventral region of the other gamete. A posterior, pointed protuberance may be a specialized mating structure which initiates the fusion process. Fusion proceeds toward the anterior end, forming a quadriflagellate cell which becomes spherical and settles to the bottom of the culture flask. The quadriflagellate, spherical cell contains two nuclear-nucleomorph-chloroplast complexes which remain intact throughout karyogamy. During karyogamy the nuclei are positioned close to each other and become lobed on the sides where fusion takes place. At the points where the lobes touch, the nuclear membranes break down and direct karyogamy is initiated. Nuclear fusion continues and eventually a single zygotic nucleus is formed. The zygote nucleus and the two nucleomorphs and chloroplasts become enclosed in a common periplastidial compartment. The nucleomorphs, however, remain apart and do not fuse. Meiosis presumably is zygotic, but the stages of post-karyogamy remain to be elucidated.
Emergency department utilization by adolescents

Abstract Purpose: To review adolescents' utilization of a hospital emergency department (ED) in a rural area, to identify their characteristics, and to explore their motivation to seek health care in this setting. Methods: A retrospective chart survey of all 4932 adolescent visits (ages 12–18 years, 55.5% females) to the ED in a small town with a population of 55,000 serving a rural area was conducted for the calendar year 1989. Chief complaints and diagnoses were retrospectively categorized according to six groups: injury, pulmonary problems, Ob/Gyn, infection, nonspecific pain (complaint/no diagnosis (diagnoses), and "other". Results: There was an increasing number of visits with increasing age. Adolescents with private insurance, who accounted for 50% of patients, were more likely than self-paying adolescents (14%) and adolescents on Medicaid (36%) to have a primary care source and to have access to a telephone. Injury was the most common diagnosis with motor vehicle accidents (MVA) accounting for 15% of all injuries. Self-paying adolescents and those on Medicaid were more likely to be diagnosed with an infection or an Ob/Gyn problem than adolescents with health insurance. Only 5.9% of adolescents were admitted to the hospital service. 8.5% of adolescents were discharged from the ED without a diagnosis. 78% of these had complained about nonspecific pain. Conclusions: Many adolescents in this rural area were found not to have an identified primary care source and to seek health care in EDs. Illnesses that could have been prevented or treated in a more cost-effective setting thus become "emergencies." Primary care sources are needed that are accessible and acceptable to adolescents.
The RHIC HBT puzzle, chiral symmetry restoration, and pion opacity

We present a relativistic quantum wave-mechanical optical model treatment of the opacity and refractive effects of pions emerging from a hot dense expanding source. The Klein-Gordon equation with Bjorken-cylinder geometry is solved for distorted waves representing the emerging pions. These waves are combined with a hydro-inspired pion source function to predict HBT radii and pion spectra. The model, when using a very deep potential well, has produced excellent HBT radii and spectrum fits to RHIC s N N = 200 GeV Au+Au data from STAR, reproducing the observed small source sizes, R O / R S ≈ 1 , the low-momentum behavior of the radii, and the pion spectrum in shape and magnitude. The calculations represent a new tool for investigating the presence and characteristics of chiral symmetry restoration in heavy ion collisions.
Effects of Magnetic Fields on Tomato Ripening

ACCORDING to Duclaux1, Pasteur explored the possibility of the effect of a magnetic field on the production of optical isomers of tartaric acid. He theorized that the Earth's magnetic field caused tartaric acid to be of one optical isomer in nature, whereas laboratory synthesis produced a mixture of both isomers. Recently, Krylov and Tarakonova2 proposed an auxin-like effect of a magnetic field on germinating seeds. They called this effect magnetotropism. Auxins or, synthetic plant growth regulators have been used to stimulate ripening of immature fruits3.
New implementation of the SME filter approach to multiple-target tracking

The symmetric measurement equation (SME) approach to multiple target tracking is markedly different from multiple target tackers based on probabilistic data association. THe key idea in the SME approach is to transform the original measurements data in such a way that the pairing of measurements and tracks becomes embedded in a nonlinear state estimation problem. In previous articles, a single extended Kalman filter (EKF) was used to derive estimates of each target's position and velocity. SImulation trials have shown the EKF implementation sometimes produces large estimation errors in the neighborhood of crossing targets. One of the causes of this unsatisfactory performance is the numerical instability of the EKF. Due to the recent discovery of anew iterated filter (NIF) based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, a better implementation of the SME approach is now possible. Improvements resulting from this recent work are demonstrated through Monte Carlo simulations comparing the performance of the EKF implementation of the SME, the NIF implementation of the SME, the Joint Probabilistic Data Association filter, and the associated filter (a benchmark).
Observation of electron traps in electrochemically deposited CdTe films

The I–V and C-V data of Schottky devices formed on electrodeposited n-CdTe films are interpreted to determine the principle trap energy and density. The observed trap is an electron trap located at 0.55 eV below the conduction band with a density of ∼7 × 1015/cm3. This correlates well with the values reported for CdTe prepared by different methods. Nickel is found to be an injecting contact to electrodeposited CdTe films. Au/n-CdTe barrier height is determined to be 0.75–0.85 eV for Schottky devices.
Electrophysiological properties and chemosensitivity of guinea pig nodose ganglion neurons in vitro

Conventional intracellular recording techniques were employed to obtain information on the electrophysiological and pharmacological characteristics of C-type neurons in the guinea pig nodose ganglia. Approximately 90% of the cell bodies gave rise to axons with conduction velocities consistent with C-fibers (0.9–1.1 m/s). The average resting membrane potential and input impedence was about −60 mV and 45 Mω, respectively. Orthodromic electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve 20–30 mm caudal to the ganglion produced overshooting action potentials in the nodose neurons. The falling phase of the action potential was followed by a transient (50–300 ms) fast hyperpolarization (AHPfast). In 20% of C-type neurons the AHPfast was followed by a slowly developing, long-lasting afterhyperpolarization (AHPslow) that limited the ability of the neuron to fire action potentials at high frequency. The AHPslow magnitude was dependent on the number of spikes, had a reversal potential of −87 mV, and was abolished by 100 μM cadmium chloride, suggesting that it is produced by a calcium-dependent potassium current. In about 30% of the nodose neurons, hyperpolarizing current steps from resting potential produced a time- and voltage-dependent anomalous rectification in the electrotonic potential. External cesium (1 mM), but not barium (100 μM) reversibly blocked this effect. Single-electrode voltage-clamp measurements revealed a slowly developing inward current in these neurons that grows in magnitude with step hyperpolarizations from resting potential, and has an estimated reversal potential of about −44 mV. These properties suggest that this current is analogous to Ih observed in many peripheral and central neurons. Autacoids including serotonin, histamine, several prostanoids, peptidoleukotriene, and bradykinin, were examined for their ability to affect the excitability of the nodose neurons. Serotonin was the only autacoid capable of depolarizing the membrane potential to action potential firing threshold. The serotonin-induced membrane depolarization was associated with a significant increase in input conductance. Histamine depolarized the membrane potential of the C-type neurons in 28/30 neurons. Bradykinin, prostacyclin, and leukotriene C4 were found to cause membrane depolarizations in a subset (73%, 31%, and 50%, respectively) of nodose neurons. The AHPslow was virtually abolished by bradykinin, prostacylin, and in a subset of neurons, leukotriene C4. Inhibition of the AHPslow was accompanied by a change in the accommodative properties of the neurons, reflected by the increased frequency at which the neuron could successfully elicit repetitive action potentials. The results demonstrate that most autacoids do not overtly evoke action potentials in the somata of the guinea pig nodose ganglion C-type neurons, rather they influence their excitability by producing subthreshold membrane depolarizations and by modulating the rate of neuronal discharge.
WorldView-2 data simulation and analysis results

The WorldView-2 sensor, to be launched mid-2009, will have 8 MSI bands - 4 standard MSI spectral channels and an additional 4 non-traditional bands. Hyperspectral data from the AURORA sensor (from the former Advanced Power Technologies, Inc. (APTI)) was used to simulate the spectral response of the WorldView-2 Sensor and DigitalGlobe's 4- band QuickBird system. A bandpass filter method was used to simulate the spectral response of the sensors. The resulting simulated images were analyzed to determine possible uses of the additional bands available with the WorldView-2 sensor. Particular attention is given to littoral (shallow water) applications. The overall classification accuracy for the simulated QuickBird scene was 89%, and 94% for the simulated WorldView-2 scene.
Chromosomal proteins of Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Chromatin from Phycomyces sporangiophore possesses a relatively large quantity of histones, which appear to consist of F1, F2b, F2a2 and F2al. F3 seems to be missing. The molecular weight distributions of non-histone chromosomal proteins show differences, both qualitative and quantitative, during sporangiophore development.
Electron Tunneling and Band Structure of SrTi O 3 and KTa O 3

The tunneling characteristics of In-SrTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$:Nb and In-KTa${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$:Ca Schottky barriers have been studied at different temperatures and for different concentrations of carriers. The plot of differential resistivity shows a distinct peak at forward biases which is attributed to the critical point in the density of states at the bottom of the semiconductor conduction band. From the position of the peak, the density-of-states effective masses ${m}_{d}$ have been found to be $1.3{m}_{0}$ in SrTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and $0.69{m}_{0}$ in KTa${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. In combination with magnetoresistance data, the widths of the conduction bands have been determined. The over-all widths of the $d$ bands are about 3.4 and 6.8 eV for SrTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and KTa${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, respectively. Finally, in the theoretical part, the conduction-band structure of transition-metal perovskites is discussed.
Credit by CLEP: A Disconcerting Look at a Good Idea

Abstract Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) reviewed its policy of awarding academic credit to students for successful completion of the General College Level Examination Program (CLEP), which many institutions use to determine whether students should be awarded credit for knowledge and skills acquired through off-campus programs, life experiences, or self-study. The review revealed several areas of concern about the use of CLEP at VWCC. The findings from this study should be of interest to all institutions that either now award CLEP credit or are considering the adoption of a CLEP credit policy: (1) Faculty review committees questioned the content validity of several of the examinations. (2) Administration of the examinations to VWCC students who successfully completed CLEP courses produced low correlations between CLEP scores and course grades. (3) CLEP policies vary considerably among Virginia's institutions of higher education and this creates serious transfer problems. (4) There are advantages...
Comparison of the Effects of Alcohol and Acetaldehyde on Proopiomelanocortin mRNA Levels and β-Endorphin Secretion from Hypothalamic Neurons in Primary Cultures

Abstract The effects of acute and chronic treatments with ethanol and acute treatments with an ethanol metabolite, acetaldehyde, on proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA expression were compared with those of these agents on the secretion of a POMC gene product, β-endorphin (β-EP) peptide. The level of POMC mRNA in cultured cells was determined using an RNase protection assay, and the accumulation of immunoreactive β-EP (IR-β-EP) peptide in the culture medium was measured by radioimmunoassay. Treatment of hypothalamic cells with 25-, 50-, and 100-m M doses of ethanol or 12.5 and 25 μ M acetaldehyde for 3 h increased POMC mRNA levels. The stimulatory effect of ethanol on POMC mRNA levels lasted for a period of 12 h, although the percentage increase of the ethanol-stimulated mRNA level was gradually reduced over time. Acute treatments with ethanol and acetaldehyde also elevated IR-β-EP secretion from the cultured neurons for a period of 12 h, and the IR-β-EP secretory response developed desensitization after 24 h of ethanol incubation. The close association between the ethanol-induced IR-β-EP secretion and ethanol-regulated POMC mRNA expression suggests that ethanol regulates both secretion and production of β-EP peptide in the hypothalamic neurons.
Objective measurements of haze following phototherapeutic excimer laser ablation of cornea

We report on the use of a recently developed scatterometer to make objective measurements of haze that develops following excimer laser ablation of cornea. Phototherapeutic keratectomies (PTK), 6.0 mm dia, 0.25 mm transition zone, 150 micrometers stromal depth, were done on 4 pigmented rabbits using the VISX Model 20/20 laser system. Scatterometer measurements were made on the normal cornea prior to ablation and at various times up to 125 days postablation and are compared to slit-lamp photographs. Scattering from 3 of the eyes exhibited nearly identical behavior, peaking 20-25 days after treatment at 10 to 12 times the preablation level and then diminishing slowly. Scattering from the fourth eye peaked 14 days after treatment at 28 times the preablation level and remained well above the level of the other three eyes throughout the experimental period. These results suggest that identical PTK treatments can lead to different degrees of subepithelial haze.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The IKK Kinases: Operators of Antiviral Signaling

The ability of a cell to combat an intracellular pathogen requires a mechanism to recognize the threat and elicit a transcriptional response against it. In the context of virus infection, the cell must take measures to inhibit viral replication, meanwhile, convey warning signals to neighboring cells of the imminent threat. This immune response is predominantly mediated by the production of cytokines, notably, interferon beta (IFNβ). IFNβ signaling results in the transcriptional induction of over one hundred antiviral gene products whose timely expression renders infected cells more capable of inhibiting virus replication, while providing the uninfected cells with the reinforcements to generate a less permissive cellular environment. Induction of IFNβ and many aspects of the antiviral response pivot on the function of the IKK and IKK-related kinases. Despite sharing high levels of homology and some degree of functional redundancy, the classic IKK kinases: IKKα and IKKβ, and the IKK-related kinases: TBK1 and IKKɛ, perform distinct roles in regulating the host antiviral defense. These kinases serve as molecular operators in their cooperative ability to integrate incoming cellular cues and act on a range of essential antiviral transcription factors to reshape the cellular transcriptome during infection.
Sources of Commodity Market Instability in U.S. Agriculture

Cash receipts from U.S. farm marketings rose by 42% from 1972 to 1973, the largest year-to-year increase in sixty years. However, the 1916-17 and 1941-42 increases were only slightly smaller. Research completed in the early 1960s suggested that the importance of the farm income instability problem was at that time of small and declining importance (Firch 1964). The volatility of farm income that has occurred in the last ten years suggests a need to reevaluate the extent and sources of this instability. Most of the literature on the sources of
Kallmann syndrome associated with complex chromosome rearrangement

We report on a male with Kallmann syndrome (KS) and an apparently balanced complex chromosome rearrangement (CCR): 46,XY,t(3; 9)(9;12)(q13.2;q21.2p13;q15). This is the first known report of a CCR in the KS and the second reported case of a definitive autosomal chromosome abnormality with KS. Possible relationships between the cytogenetic abnormality and KS are discussed.
Loxoscelism and Necrotic Arachnidism

AbstractThe Brown recluse spider has emerged into a potent venomous creature. Loxoscelism and necrotic arachnidism is not an infrequent medical problem. Spiders other than L. reclusa are capable of inflicting painful and persisting necrotic wounds, however, management of the local cutaneous lesions are similar. Systemic complications of loxoscelism appear to be characteristic for spiders of the genus loxosceles. The authors review an indepth discussion of the spider, venom, diagnosis, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, treatment, and prevention. The literature on loxoscelism is contradictory because of the individuality of the reaction. Experience with many patients is the only guide to management of these cases.
Significance of Roentgenographic Abnormalities in Children Hospitalized for Asthma

The relatively high incidence off roentgenographic abnormalities in patients hospitalized for acute asthma has led some to recommend that all such patients receive chest x-ray examination upon admission to the hospital. We studied the incidence and clinical predictability off the roentgenographic findings by asking the admitting physician to indicate, prior to obtaining a roentgenogram, whether he thought pneumonia, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum or other significant abnormality was present. A treatment plan was also outlined at that time. Seven off 128 patients (5.5 percent) had roentgenograms suggestive off pneumonia or pneumothorax; three off these were suspected clinically. In 14 cases the clinical suspicion off pneumonia or pneumothorax was not borne out roentgenographicaDy. The initial treatment plan was altered in only three cases. The low incidence off roentgenographic abnormalities and the failure off these minor abnormalities to substantially influence treatment suggest that routine chest roentgenograms may not have to be performed on all children hospitalized for acute asthma.
Bidirectional movement of water through the skin of a nonsweating animal

Abstract Exchange of water between body fluids and a saturated atmosphere was measured in dogs using D 2 O as the tracer. Bidirectional transfer rates were calculated from a series of eight experiments in which the tracer was placed first in the chamber. Outward diffusion of D 2 O averaged 32.5 ± 5.9 (S.D.) gm. per square meter per hour and inward 26 ± 13.4 gm. per square meter per hour. Outward transfer was calculated from a second series of nine experiments in which the D 2 O was injected intravenously into the dog and averaged in this series 34.5 ± 15.5 gm. per square meter per hour. Mean water loss through the skin of these nonsweating animals was greater than absorption even in a saturated atmosphere.
Qualitative predictions in model ecosystems

We compare qualitative predictions of press perturbation response from community matrix models with those of a range of numerical simulations on the same models. A technique of weighting the proportion of countervailing feedback cycles in qualitative response predictions (weighted predictions) was tested against quantitative predictions from the inverse community matrix. Specifically, in nine each of 5- and 10- variable models (of varying complexity) we randomly assigned quantitative values of interaction strength and measured correspondence with qualitative predictions in terms of response strength and sign. Based on the techniques and analyses presented herein, we report an expanded scope of inference for qualitative models of any size and complexity and conclude that system structure is of overriding importance.
A rationale for the design of cell‐specific toxic agents: The mechanism of action of 6‐hydroxydopamine

Progress towards the development of new therapeutic agents is increasingly dependent upon rational experimental designs patterned after the mechanism of action of ‘lead’ discoveries [ I] . An elusive but much sought-after goal of medical research has been the development of specific, site-directed therapeutic agents. These agents would have little or no general toxicity towards the host but would seek-out a specific pathogen or cell type and then express a lethal toxicity. The rationale presented in this commentary is patterned after the mechanism of action of a specific, site-directed toxic agent. The behavior of certain derivatives of biogenic amines, of which 6hydroxydopamine (6-HD) is the prototype, displays an impressive cellular specificity coupled with a lethal toxicity which is expressed only at specific cell types [2-41. This phenomenon occurs as a consequence of the substrate specificity of an active transport mechanism located in the plasma membrane of sympathetic neuronal terminals. This mechanism accepts the amine derivative in place of the naturally occurring amine and thus raises the intracellular concentration of the derivative to a critical concentration which triggers a local toxicity. Thus, in this case there are two requirements for the expression of specific site-directed toxicity. One, the presence of an active transport mechanism localized in the plasma membrane of the cell and two, the molecular properties of the derivative which is transported into the cell. The present commentary is restricted to a description of the mechanism by which amine derivatives, such as 6-HD, produce a localized neurodegeneration of sympathetic nerve terminals. However, specific transport systems are known which can elevate the intracellular concentration of a variety of substances including amino acids, sugars, fats, and fatty acids. Such transport systems are present presumably to differing degrees in many, if not all, cell types including neoplastic cells. The present approach to the design of cell-specific toxic agents does not appear to be generally applicable to transport system common to many cell types. However, the variation in specificity and affinity for various compounds among different cell-types is sufficient to justify the proposed rationale. If such compounds also possessed the molecular properties common to the active form of 6-HD it is possible that they might be cell-specific toxic agents. An example of the application of this rationale has already led to the development of 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine [5] and 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine [6] compounds which appear to induce degeneration in serotonergic neurons. Thus, the critical question pertaining to this rationale for the development of site-specific toxic agents concerns specific molecular mechanism by which 6-HD precipitates the cytotoxicity.
Activation Energies for Densification, Creep, and Grain‐Boundary Sliding in Nitrogen Ceramics

The activation energies for densification, creep, and grain-boundary sliding in HP-Si3N4 are consistent and large, approaching the heat of sublimation of Si3N4. If solution-precipitation through the intergranular glass (or fluid) is invoked as a common underlying mechanism, then it can be concluded that the high activation energy results from the high heat of solution of the crystal into the glass. This is consistent with the finding that it is difficult to retain Si3N4 in a glassy state.
Alterations in phosphoinositide metabolism associated with 17β-estradiol and growth factor treatment of MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Steady-state levels of phosphatidyl inositol (Ptdlns)turnover are examined in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in response to estradiol treatment. Elevated levels of Ptdlns are observed 12–24 h after estradiol treatment, occur at estradiol concentrations as low as 10–12m, and are competitively blocked by the antiestrogen LY117018. MCF-7 cells secrete a transforming growth factor (TGF) α-like material which can partly replace estradiol in conferring tumorgenicity in nude mice. We show that acute or chronic treatment of MCF-7 cells with TGFα results in elevated Ptdlns turnover and that chronic treatment increases growth rate. In contrast TGFβ is growth inhibitory and blocks estradiol-induced increases in Ptdlns turnover. A phosphatidyl inositol 4,5-bisphosphate specific phospholipase-C activity has been identified and is elevated in association with estradiol treatment. These data are consistent with estradiol-induced autocrine growth factors, including TGFα, acting through the Ptdlns turnover pathway as par...
The use and limitations of endocervical Gram stains and muco urulent cervicitis as predictors for Chlamydia trachomatis in female adolescents

We evaluated the presence of polymorphonuclear cells on endocervical Gram stains and clinical indices of cervicitis as predictors of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in 193 sexually active female adolescents; 148 (77%) subjects had no complaints. C. trachomatis was isolated from 34 (18%) subjects. The incidence of C. trachomatis differed by race: it was isolated from 30% of black subjects and 7% of nonblack subjects. Polymorphonuclear cells on Gram stains were found to be associated with the presence of C. trachomatis (chi 2 = 33.2, p less than 0.0001). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for polymorphonuclear cells to predict the presence of C. trachomatis were 91% (31/34), 65% (103/159), and 36% (31/87), respectively. When examined by ethnicity, polymorphonuclear cells remained significantly associated with C. trachomatis for black subjects (chi 2 = 24.3, p less than 0.001) but not for nonblack subjects (chi 2 = 2.49, p less than 0.1). Mucopurulent discharge, friability, or erythema-edema of ectopy were not reliable indicators for C. trachomatis. Endocervical Gram stains alone are useful to identify populations at risk for C. trachomatis infection. Caution must be advised when interpreting data from different population groups because of the variability in C. trachomatis prevalence.
Issues in the realization of strained-layer quantum well optoelectronic devices

Ion-beam processing is the ideal complement to modern lattice-mismatched (strained-layer) heteroepitaxy for optoelectronic device fabrication. Bandstructure engineering of optoelectronic devices through the use of lattice strain is presented, and the effects of ion-beam processing on III–V strained-layer heteroepitaxial structures are summarized. Representative results from ion-implanted optoelectronic devices are presented to illustrate these principles.
CBIR for mammograms using medical image similarity

One fundamental problem remains in the area of medical image analysis and retrieval: how to measure radiologist's perception of similarity between two images. This paper develops a similarity function that is learned from medical annotations and built upon extracted medical features in order to capture the perception of similarity between images with cancer. The technique first extracts high-level medical features from the images to determine a local contextual similarity, but these are unordered and unregistered from one image to the next. Second, the feature sets of the images are fed into the learned similarity function to determine the overall similarity for retrieval. This technique avoids arbitrary spatial constraints and is robust in the presence of noise, outliers, and imaging artifacts. We demonstrate that utilizing unordered and noisy higher-level cancer detection features is both possible and productive in measuring image similarity and developing CBIR techniques.
Service-Learning in Community Action Research: Introduction to the Special Section

This special section focuses on service-learning in community action research, with an emphasis on Theory, Research, and Practice. This Introduction is organized into three sections. In the first section, a brief description of service-learning is provided, and the general goals of the special issue are delineated. The second section provides a rationale for the special section, including a brief discussion of (a) the relevance of service-learning to psychology in general, (b) the importance of stimulating additional systematic community-based research in the area of service-learning, and (c) the ways in which the goals and outcomes of service-learning reflect the values and assumptions in community psychology. Finally, the third section sets the stage for readers by providing a brief description of each article in the special section.
Bending of Laminated Anisotropic Shells by a Shear Deformable Finite Element.

Abstract A shear deformable finite element is developed based on generalised (i.e. accounting for shear deformations) first-approximation shell theories. Numerical results are presented for the bending of layered, anisotropic, composite shells. Various shell theories (e.g. those of Sanders, Love and Donnell, etc.) are included as special cases of the present element, and can be obtained by giving numerical values to appropriate tracers. The present finite-element solutions are compared with the exact solutions for certain shell problems and with other solutions available in the literature. The agreement is found to be very good. Numerical results showing the effect of orientation of layers, boundary conditions and material orthotropy on deflections are presented.
A 32kB 2R/1W L1 data cache in 45nm SOI technology for the POWER7TM processor

Increasing demand for parallelism due to out-of-order and multi-threading computation requires fast and dense arrays with multi-port capabilities. The load-store-unit (LSU) of the POWER7™ microprocessor core has a 32kB L1 data cache composed of four 8kB blocks. In a two-cycle back-to-back operation it supports concurrently two independent read and one write operations. Organized in banks of 16 cells each, the two reads operate independently in any of these banks, including two reads within the same bank, even the same cell. A bank selected for write is blocked for any read operation. If read and write collide within the same bank, collision-control circuitry provides write-over-read priority. Each read port provides 4B from 1 of 256 locations, whereas the double-bandwidth write operation provides individual control of 8B to 128 locations.
Characterization of Continuous Cast AA2037 Al Alloy

The microstructure of a contiuous cast Al alloy was characterized with transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy, as well as x-ray microanalysis. Several precipitate phases were identified as a function of prior thermomechanical treatment in order to understand the improvement of fatigue properties resulting from those treatments.