cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cloning, Annotation and Developmental Expression of the Chicken Intestinal MUC2 Gene

Intestinal mucin 2 (MUC2) encodes a heavily glycosylated, gel-forming mucin, which creates an important protective mucosal layer along the gastrointestinal tract in humans and other species. This first line of defense guards against attacks from microorganisms and is integral to the innate immune system. As a first step towards characterizing the innate immune response of MUC2 in different species, we report the cloning of a full-length, 11,359 bp chicken MUC2 cDNA, and describe the genomic organization and functional annotation of this complex, 74.5 kb locus. MUC2 contains 64 exons and demonstrates distinct spatiotemporal expression profiles throughout development in the gastrointestinal tract; expression increases with gestational age and from anterior to posterior along the gut. The chicken protein has a similar domain organization as the human orthologue, with a signal peptide and several von Willebrand domains in the N-terminus and the characteristic cystine knot at the C-terminus. The PTS domain of the chicken MUC2 protein spans ∼1600 amino acids and is interspersed with four CysD motifs. However, the PTS domain in the chicken diverges significantly from the human orthologue; although the chicken domain is shorter, the repetitive unit is 69 amino acids in length, which is three times longer than the human. The amino acid composition shows very little similarity to the human motif, which potentially contributes to differences in the innate immune response between species, as glycosylation across this rapidly evolving domain provides much of the musical barrier. Future studies of the function of MUC2 in the innate immune response system in chicken could provide an important model organism to increase our understanding of the biological significance of MUC2 in host defense and highlight the potential of the chicken for creating new immune-based therapies.
A rapid and simple radioassay for inosinic acid: pyrophosphate phosphoribosyltransferase in the presence of xanthine oxidase and vice versa.

Abstract A simple and rapid technique for measuring IMP:pyrophosphate phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRibTase) activity of rat intestinal homogenates, in the presence of xanthine oxidase, is described. By introducing 2.5 × 10−5 m allopurinol (4-hydroxypyrazolo [3,4-d]pyrimidine) into the reaction mixture, the [8-14C]hypoxanthine (Hx) is converted only to [8-14C]inosinic acid (IMP). The xanthine oxidase activity is completely inhibited under this condition. When xanthine oxidase is not blocked, diversion of substrate to urate can invalidate assays of HPRibTase. Using [8-14C]Hx as substrate, in the presence and absence of allopurinol, the activity of both HPRibTase and xanthine oxidase of the same tissue homogenate is determined. We have simplified the conventional chromatographic separation of the reactant products by spotting the reactant on DEAE cellulose paper followed by repeated washings with 4 m m ammonium formate solution. The unreacted radiosubstrate is washed off, and the [8-14C]IMP or [8-14C]uric acid formed remains adsorbed on the paper. The major advantages of this method are speed, reproducibility, sensitivity, ability to process many samples, and a low blank value. Our studies on the enzyme distribution along the intestinal villus have shown that while most of the HPRibTase activity is associated with rapidly multiplying crypt cells, the xanthine oxidase activity is more evenly distributed along the villus, and the activity is effected more by exongeneous effectors. The colon has the highest HPRibTase and lowest xanthine oxidase activity of all the intestinal mucosa cells. Small bowel mucosa is high both in xanthine oxidase and HPRibTase.
IELs: enforcing law and order in the court of the intestinal epithelium

Summary: The intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) are mostly T cells dispersed as single cells within the epithelial cell layer that surrounds the intestinal lumen. IELs are, therefore, strategically located at the interface between the antigen-rich outside world and the sterile core of the body. The intestine of higher vertebrates has further evolved to harbor numerous commensal bacteria that carry out important functions for the host, and while defensive immunity can effectively protect against the invasion of pathogens, similar immune reactions against food-derived antigens or harmless colonizing bacteria can result in unnecessary and sometimes damaging immune responses. Probably as a result of this unique dilemma imposed by the gut environment, multiple subsets of IEL have differentiated, which all display characteristics of ‘activated yet resting’ immune cells. Despite this common feature, IELs are heterogeneous with regard to their phenotype, ontogeny, and function. In this review, we discuss the different subtypes of IELs and highlight the distinct pathways they took that led to their unique differentiation into highly specialized effector memory T cells, which provide the most effective immune protection yet in a strictly regulated fashion to preserve the integrity and vital functions of the intestinal mucosal epithelium.
Quantum correlations in two-boson wave functions

We present the Schmidt decomposition for arbitrary wave functions of two indistinguishable bosons, extending the recent studies of entanglement or quantum correlations for two fermion systems [J. Schliemann et al., Phys. Rev. B 63, 085311 (2001) and quant-ph/0012094]. We point out that the von Neumann entropy of the reduced single-particle density matrix remains to be a good entanglement measure for two identical particles.
Secular trends in diagnostic code density in electronic healthcare data from health care systems in the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project

Abstract Large observational vaccine safety studies often use automated diagnoses extracted from medical care databases to identify pre-specified potential adverse events following immunization (AEFI). We assessed the secular trends and variability in the number of diagnoses per encounter regardless of immunization status referred as diagnostic code density, by healthcare setting, age, and pre-specified condition in eight large health care systems of the Vaccine Safety Datalink project during 2001–2009. An increasing trend in diagnostic code density was observed in all healthcare settings and age groups, with variations across the sites. Sudden increases in diagnostic code density were observed at certain sites when changes in coding policies or data inclusion criteria took place. When vaccine safety studies use an historical comparator, the increased diagnostic code density over time may generate low expected rates (based on historical data) and high observed rates (based on current data), suggesting a false positive association between a vaccine and AEFI. The ongoing monitoring of the diagnostic code density can provide guidance on study design and choice of appropriate comparison groups. It can also be used to ensure data quality and allow timely correction of errors in an active safety surveillance system.
Capillary Electrophoresis in Biotechnology

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a versatile micro/macroanalytical technique gaining widespread usage for the separation and analysis of ionic substances. It has captured the attention of those working in a variety of arenas focused on biologically-active molecules. Its appealing characteristics include unprecedented mass sensitivity and the ability for precise, automated electrophoretic separation of microvolume samples with relatively short analysis times. Such versatility in bioanalysis makes it an inviting replacement for some of the labor-intensive, time-consuming methodologies performed via electrophoretic gels. Moreover, CE compliments the ease and speed of HPLC while eliminating the problem of excessive solvent volume usage and hazardous waste disposal. Further attractive characteristics of this technology include the analyses of a diverse spectrum of analytes, ranging from small organic ions to macromolecular protein complexes and DNA. While combining some of the most robust aspects of traditional electrophoresis, chromatography, and capillary technology, recent CE research and development has focused on avenues leading to improving detection and understanding and employing the basic chemistry of CE vis-a-vis new applications.
Scanning patterns in aphasic patients during matching-to-sample tests.

Abstract Aphasic patients showed altered scanning of a visual display in a matching-to-sample task when only the type of sample stimulus was varied. The patients glanced more frequently at the correct choice during the performance of tasks on which error scores showed that they were deficient. Scanning changes occurred even on tasks which the patients performed errorlessly at the time of testing, but on which they had previously shown difficulty. Scanning patterns were thus more sensitive than error scores in detecting language difficulty.
A comparison of herpes simplex virus specific antibodies found in human milk and serum.

ABSTRACTS: It is not known if milk antibody protects infants from herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. As a first step to test this hypothesis, anti-HSV antibodies were studied in human milk. Paired serum and milk samples were analyzed for anti-HSV antibodies by ELISA, Western biot analysis (WBA), neutralization (NT) plaque assay, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay. Nineteen of the 20 serum samples showed anti-HSV activity by ELISA and ADCC, and 18 showed activity by WBA and NT. We found a significant association between the immunoassays for detection of anti-HSV antibodies in sera. Fewer of the human milk samples showed anti-HSV activity: only one milk sample was positive by ELISA and one by NT assay, four by ADCC and 12 by WBA. The milk sample from the seronegative donor was also negative. We found a poor association of antibody titers in human milk and serum antibody titers using ELISA, NT, and ADCC assays. There was a significant (p = 0.022) association between serum and milk results using WBA. Among the four assays, WBA was the most sensitive for antibody detection. It will be used in an on-going prospective study to determine the role of anti-HSV antibody in the protection against HSV infections in infants.
Insulin-like growth factors protect against diabetic neuropathy: effects on sensory nerve regeneration in rats.

Neuropathy is an enigmatic and debilitating complication of diabetes. A consensus as to the pathogenesis of this disorder has yet to emerge. Recently, it has been found that the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) regulate peripheral nerve regeneration, and IGF content is reduced in various diabetic tissues. We tested herein the hypothesis that IGF administration can prevent or ameliorate the impairment of sensory nerve regeneration in streptozotocin diabetic rats. Miniosmotic pumps released small local doses of IGF-I from a catheter routed near a site of sciatic nerve crush or larger systemic doses of IGF-I or IGF-II from a distant subcutaneous site. Whether administered locally or systemically, IGFs protected against the impairment of sensory nerve regeneration. Surprisingly, this protection was obtained despite unabated hyperglycemia. Therefore, the neuropathy involving sensory nerve regeneration in diabetes can be ameliorated or prevented by IGF treatment, independently of hyperglycemia. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Quantum Walks Through a Waveguide Maze

Two of the major goals of the field of quantum information are to build a quantum computer—one that processes bits of information according to quantum rather than classical rules—and to figure out what to do with one, once you have it. The field that encompasses the latter goal is quantum algorithms. It has not been easy to develop quantum algorithms, but within the past 10 years, a fruitful approach has arisen based on what are known as quantum walks, which in the classical world are the basis for a description of diffusion processes. On page 1500 of this issue, Peruzzo et al. ( 1 ) describe a device they have built that substantially improves our ability to perform quantum walks. They used it to follow two photons that are performing a quantum walk along a line.
Lung damage from exposure to pulsed ultrasound

Motivated by a recent finding that threshold pressures for hemorrhage in mouse lung exposed to the fields of an electrohydraulic lithotripter were less than 2 MPa, we extended the exposures to pulsed ultrasound. Sharply defined thresholds of the order of 1 MPa were found with 10 microseconds length pulses and roughly twice that value for 1 microsecond pulses. The thresholds at 4 MHz are greater than at 1 MHz. The thresholds are comparable for focused and unfocused fields. As would be expected for a cavitation-like phenomenon, temporal average intensity is a very poor predictor of this effect. In the extreme case, lesions were found at temporal average intensities on the order of 1 mW/cm2.
Regiochemistry of the dipolar cycloadditions of nitrile oxides to unactivated olefins. Application to the stereoselective elaboration of β-hydroxycarbonyl compounds.

Abstract The 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitrile oxides 1 with z -disubstituted olefins 2 proceeds with a high degree of regioselectivity to give the isoxazolines 4 , whereas addition to E -disubstituted olefins 3 affords mixture of the isomeric isoxazolines 4 and 5 ; the isoxazolines 4 may be converted into the corresponding β-hydroxyketones 6 by reduction/hydrolysis.
The salt-finger zone

In order to investigate the stability of infinitely long fully developed salt fingers Stern (1975) has proposed a model in which the basic configuration is independent of the vertical and is sinusoidal in the horizontal direction, with constant background gradients of temperature and salinity. The present study deals with a model of finite vertical extent where τ, the ratio of the diffusivities of salt and heat, is small, and where the constant background salt gradient is replaced by a salt difference between the reservoirs above and below a salt-finger region of finite depth. Steady-state solutions in two and three dimensions are obtained for the zero-order (τ = 0) state in which rising (sinking) fingers have the salinity of the lower (upper) reservoir. For two-dimensional fingers the horizontal scale corresponding to maximum buoyancy flux turns out to be 1.7 times the buoyancy-layer scale associated with the background stable temperature gradient. Heat, salt and buoyancy fluxes are calculated. A boundary-layer analysis is given for the (salt) diffusive correction to the zero-order solution. The same set of calculations is carried out for salt fingers in a Hele-Shaw cell. An assessment of Schmitt's (1979a) model of a finger zone of finite depth shows that the parametric restrictions required by the model cannot be satisfied when Stern's idealization is used for the final state. The present model appears to be preferable for constructing a Schmitt-like theory for τ [Lt ] 1.
Delivery outcomes in women undergoing elective labor induction at term

To determine elective induction of labor outcomes in term, low-risk women who delivered in a community teaching hospital. This is a retrospective cohort study of women admitted from January 1, 2006 to January 31, 2010, for elective induction of labor. A comprehensive search of the perinatal database identified low-risk patients at ≥39 weeks gestation and ≤41 weeks with singleton pregnancies in vertex presentation. Data abstracted from manual chart review included patient demographics, admission cervical examination, and induction method. Outcome measures were delivery method and cesarean indications. Time categories calculated were mean times from induction to delivery, delivery to discharge, and total hospital length-of-stay. Descriptive statistics, frequencies, and percentages were reported using multiple regression analysis, analysis of variance, and effect tests with respective values reported. Data were analyzed using JMP software by SAS Institute Inc. Of the 1,159 women identified, 848 records passed exclusion criteria. Vaginal delivery was accomplished for 694 (81.8 %) of patients. The most common induction agent was oxytocin (73.7 %). Induction of labor with oxytocin and artificial rupture of membranes revealed a statistically significant shorter length of induction with average induction of labor for oxytocin of 11.9 h. Multiparous patients of parity >1 and patients presenting with cervical dilation of 3–4 cm had a statistically significant higher probability of vaginal delivery. Patients induced with a foley bulb or dinoprostone had statistically longer induction times (28.2 and 24.9 h, respectively) and had a statistically significant higher probability of cesarean delivery. Multiparous patients and patients with a favorable cervix (>2 cm) were more likely to have a vaginal delivery and shorter length of induction.
Site-specific Loading of an MCM Protein Complex in a DNA Replication Initiation Zone Upstream of the c-MYC Gene in the HeLa Cell Cycle

The MCM proteins participate in an orderly association, beginning with the origin recognition complex, that culminates in the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication. Among these, MCM proteins 4, 6, and 7 constitute a subcomplex that reportedly possesses DNA helicase activity. Little is known about DNA sequences initially bound by these MCM proteins or about their cell cycle distribution in the chromatin. We have determined the locations of certain MCM and associated proteins by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) in a zone of initiation of DNA replication upstream of the c-MYC gene in the HeLa cell cycle. MCM7 and its clamp-loading partner Cdc6 are highly specifically colocalized by ChIP and re-ChIP in G(1) and early S on a 198-bp segment located near the center of the initiation zone. ChIP and Re-ChIP colocalizes MCM7 and ORC1 to the same segment specifically in late G(1). MCM proteins 6 and 7 can be coimmunoprecipitated throughout the cell cycle, whereas MCM4 is reduced in the complex in late S and G(2), reappearing upon mitosis. MCM7 is not visualized by immunohistochemistry on metaphase chromosomes. MCM7 is recruited to multiple sites in chromatin in S and G(2), at which time it is not detected with ORC1. The rate of dissemination is surprisingly slow and is unlikely to be simply attributed to progression with replication forks. Results indicate sequence-specific loading of MCM proteins onto DNA in late G(1) followed by a recruitment to multiple sites in chromatin subsequent to replication.
Anticipation in familial chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Anticipation, a phenomenon in which an inherited disease is diagnosed at an earlier age in each successive generation of a family, has been demonstrated in certain heritable neurological disorders and in multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other haematological neoplasms. The present study was conducted to determine whether anticipation occurs in familial chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Fourteen published reports of multigenerational familial CLL were analysed for anticipation, together with 10 previously unreported families with familial CLL, and the difference in disease-free survival between generations was determined. The difference between age at onset for each affected parent–child pair was tested against the null hypothesis that there was no difference in age at onset. The age at onset of the studied cases was also compared with that of the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program of the U.S. National Cancer Institute. The median ages at onset in the child and parent generations of all families (51·0 and 72·0 years respectively) were significantly different (P < 0·000001), and the null hypothesis was rejected (P < 0·000001). A significant difference was observed between the ages of onset of the child generation and the SEER population (P < 0·00001), but not between the parent generation and the SEER population. Anticipation characterizes familial CLL.
Progressive psychiatry: A research agenda

It is possible to create a new research agenda based on an alternative perspective of human behavior and mind. After describing the theoretical tenets of this alternative perspective, illustrations of a new research agenda are presented. Such a research agenda would: (1) create new points of departure; (2) examine social relations underlying all variables; (3) more fully explore “unexplained variance;” (4) focus on the adaptive interaction of individuals within their world. Such research aims towards enhancing human uniqueness, action, and spirit.
Generalized integral transform solution for boundary layer flow over a sphere

SUMMARY The generalized integral transform technique is applied to the boundary layer equations for flow over a sphere in their primitive variables. Even though a diffusion-based eigenvalue problem is used, the velocity profile, shear stress and separation point have been calculated with high accuracy. Low-order approximations are shown to be accurate near the surface and the predictions of the separation point is very good. Comparison with finite difference results shows the better convergence behaviour of the integral transform method. The application of integral transformations in the solution of linear diffusive problems is well known and has been reviewed by Mikhailov and Oziqik.' Recently a generalization of the integral transform method has been developed and successfully applied to diffusionxonvection problem~.~.~ The application of this method to partial differential equations has some similarity to the method of lines and spectral methods, because it transforms all the existing derivatives (except those in the parabolic direction) into algebraic terms. This procedure generates a system of ordinary differential equations which can be readily integrated. However, the generalized integral transform approach analytically operates the equations using an integral transformation. This transformation is generated by an eigenvalue problem based on the original set of equations, including the diffusive terms and, sometimes, convective terms. It represents the unknown functions using exact infinite series expansions in terms of the orthogonal set of eigenfunctions. Thus the unknown function dependence on all but one of the independent variables is known analytically. This enables one to use the series truncation error to monitor the accuracy of the solution during the integration procedure. Since ordinary differential equation solvers are extremely reliable and powerful nowadays, this method avoids completely the problems of stability and internal iterative procedures present in the finite difference solutions of non-linear partial differential equations. Although the generalized integral transform technique still has some shortcomings, e.g. some inability in handling non-homogeneous boundary conditions, it is undoubtedly a powerful method of solving partial differential equations. The generalized integral transform method has been applied to convective heat transfer in ducts,'-6 parabolic diffusion problems in finite and the Navier-Stokes equations in a square ~avity.~ Its application to parabolic diffusion problems in external domains is the aim
Properties of GaAs alloy diodes

Abstract GaAs p+n alloy diodes have been developed which look attractive as varactors and high speed switches. The forward current in these diodes, which varies with voltage as exp( q V nkT ) where n is nearly one, is neither a simple diffusion current nor due to recombination in the space charge region. It can, however, be explained if one assumes that the alloyed junction is a metal-semiconductor (Schottky) barrier with a metal-semiconductor work function of 0·95 V, or if one assumes that in the alloyed region the band gap of the GaAs has been reduced to less than 1·0 V. The absolute value of the current, its temperature dependence, as well as its voltage dependence can be explained by either of these two models. Since in both these models the current is injected from the n-type base region, the lack of injection luminescence and the extremely short switching times can also be explained. Because there is no direct evidence for the reduction in band gap, the Schottky barrier model seems the more likely explanation. While these diodes may be attractive, the presence of this type of forward currents in GaAs transistors and GaAs tunnel diodes would be deleterious and may explain experimental results in these devices.
Rectus Urethromyoplasty of Radical Prostatectomy Anastomosis Decreases Postoperative Incontinence and Anastomotic Stricture; Technique and Preliminary Results

ABSTRACTPurpose: To investigate the effect of rectus urethromyoplasty on vesicourethral anastomosis healing during radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and in an animal model.Materials and Methods: Three groups of 10 female rats were studied. After complete urethral transection, group A animals underwent a primary urethral anastomosis, while rectus urethromyoplasty was used to reinforce the anastomosis of the animals in group B. Group C animals served as controls. All animals underwent urodynamic evaluation one month postoperatively, then were sacrificed for histological analysis. In 3 clinical subjects at the time of RRP, a 2-3 cm x 6-8 cm. strip of rectus muscle was isolated with its blood supply intact, emanating from an inferior epigastric artery pedicle. This muscular band was used to encircle the vesico-urethral anastomosis, suspending it slightly but without tension, and securing it to the pubic symphysis.Results: The micturition pattern, bladder capacity, and leak point pressure of the 3 groups ...
INFERENCE ON SEGMENTED COINTEGRATION

A cointegration relation is often interpreted as a long-run equilibrium relation whereas short-run deviations are allowed to a certain extent. In practice, however, real data often fail to confirm cointegration for a well understood economic relation. This paper proposes that in many cases failure of confirming cointegration is due to nonstationary deviations in a relatively small portion of the data period (“short-run”) whereas a cointegration relation prevails in the other periods. We call such a situation segmented cointegration. We study in this paper how to detect segmented cointegration and how to identify the period of short-run deviations.I thank Pentti Saikkonen and three anonymous referees for helpful comments. I am deeply indebted to Peter Phillips for encouragement, discussion, and helpful comments on this work. The research of this paper is supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (grant HKUST6178/98H) and FRAP B of SUNY-Albany (account 320-9709W).
Dietary fiber content and composition of different forms of fruits

The dietary fiber contents of 19 different forms of seven fruits were analyzed by two methods and compared. Fiber content measured by the AOAC method was always greater than that obtained by the Uppsala method; the two sets of fiber data were significantly different (P < 0.002). Fiber contents of different forms of oranges, peaches and plums were similar. Fiber contents of four berries (blackberries, cranberries, red respberries, strawberries) ranged from 1.0 to 7.0% fresh weight. Peeling or canning changed the uronic acid and neutral sugar contents of the soluble and insoluble fiber fractions of several fruits. Measurement of more fiber in fruits by the AOAC versus the Uppsala method is similar to the results obtained when grain products and legumes, but not vegetables, were analyzed.
Synthesis and Characterization of ABA Triblock Copolymers Containing Smectic C* Liquid Crystal Side Chains via Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization Using a Bimetallic Molybdenum Initiator

A series of monomers suitable for ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) containing a side chain liquid crystal mesogen have been synthesized, where the mesogen is biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid 4-(1-butoxycarbonyl-ethoxy)phenyl ester (abbreviated as BPP4). Two of the monomers have BPP4 attached to norbornene with a 6- or 10-carbon spacer ((R)-4‘-(5-bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-yl-pentyloxy)-BPP4, NB6wBPP4, and (R)-4‘-(10-bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-yl-decyloxy)-BPP4, NB10wBPP4, respectively), and the third monomer has BPP4 attached to norbornadiene via a 10-carbon spacer ((R)-4‘-(10-bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-dien-2-yl-decyloxy)-BPP4, NBD10wBPP4). The monomers were polymerized by ROMP using the bimetallic initiator, {Mo(NAr)(ORF6)2[=CHC5H4]}2Fe (Ar = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, ORF6 = OCMe(CF3)2). ABA triblock copolymers were also synthesized where the B = NBD10wBPP4 or NBnwBPP4 (n = 6, 10) and A = methyltetracyclododecene (MTD). All polymerizations are living with isolated yields greater than 90% and polydispersi...
Locomotor response to changes in food intake and ambient temperature in rats with hypothalamic lesions

Abstract The changes in wheel running activity in response to changes in the availability of food and to changes in ambient temperature were studied in rats made hypoactive by the placement of either ventrolateral or ventromedial electrolytic hypothalamic lesions. Even though wheel running activity was decreased by approximately 90% and 60% by ventrolateral and ventromedial lesions, respectively, the relative changes in this activity that occur when the feeding regimen is changed sequentially from restricted food intake to ad lib food intake to complete food deprivation, and when ambient temperature is decreased from 24.5°C to 19°C were not impaired. These data suggest that, although ventrolateral and ventromedial hypothalamic lesions decrease spontaneous locomotor activity, they do not impair the locomotor response to changes in environmental stimuli.
An alternative derivation of the Wigner-Weisskopf approximation

Abstract The Wigner-Weisskopf approximation for the lineshape function for a two-level atom coupled to an electromagnetic field is derived by application of a mathematical approximation known as the “principle of averaging”. The present approach not only affords a new perspective, but also has some advantages over previous ones.
Impact parameter dependence of electronic and nuclear energy loss of swift ions: H+→ He and H+→ H

Abstract In this paper we report the calculation of impact parameter dependent energy losses of protons on hydrogen and helium for projectile energies from a few eV/amu up to 900 keV/amu using electron-nuclear dynamics (END). In each case it is found that, for smaller impact parameters, there is an initial rise in energy deposition at low projectile energies due to nuclear stopping. At somewhat larger energies, the nuclear contribution decreases, and the energy loss is primarily due to electronic stopping. As the ionization channel is not explicitly open in these calculations, these results are somewhat below experimental results at energies above the ionization threshold. Agreement with other calculations and the scanty experimental evidence is good.
Charge Injection Electrostatic Atomizer Modeling

The charge injection electrostatic atomizer is rooted in the theoretical, and now experimentally verified, observation that spray mean droplet size, if larger than about one micron, is solely dependent on charge density level. The SPRAY TRIODER atomizer represents the first, and the simplest, example of this spray technique. By submerging a field emission electron gun in the spray liquid, it is possible to spray low conductivity fluids, at high volumetric flow rates, using compact devices. Extensive testing of devices involving an electron gun formed by an emitter cathode centrally positioned immediately upstream from an orifice anode, has permitted the formulation of a simplified description of overall operating behavior. Tests show that output charge density is completely describable in terms of the electrohydrodynamics of the anode, independent of the details of the cathode, electrode position, internal fluid mechanics, orifice shape, materials of construction, or spray fluid properties. Within narrow ...
Abstract PL08-01: Differential splicing of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes between African and Caucasian Americans: Contributing factor in prostate cancer health disparities?

There are striking population disparities in prostate cancer (PCa) risk and survival outcome borne out of current health statistics data. This is particularly evident between African Americans (AA) and their Caucasian American (CA) counterparts. Epidemiologic studies have shown that higher mortality and recurrence rates of PCa is still seen in AA men even after adjustment for socioeconomic status, environmental factors and health care access. To test whether differential mRNA splicing may play a role in PCa health disparities, RNA from PCa and patient-matched normal prostate needle biopsies from AAs and CAs was processed and hybridized onto the Affymetrix human Exon 1.0 ST arrays. A 4-way statistical design (10% FDR, >1.5 fold-change) was employed in the following comparisons: AA normal vs. CA normal, AA cancer vs. CA cancer, AA cancer vs. AA normal, and CA cancer vs. CA normal. Our analysis identified >800 genes undergoing differential mRNA splicing between AA and CA cancer specimens. Notably, many of these genes reside within canonical oncogenic signaling pathways. To further delineate the functional consequences of these splice variants, exon-specific and/or exon junction-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were employed to suppress splice variants for 4 oncogenes (PIK3CD, FGFR3, MET and RASGRP2) in PCa cell lines derived from the AA and CA patient populations. The targeted knockdown of population-specific splice variants appears to have differential effects on cell proliferation and invasive. For example, the splice variant for phosphoinositide-3 kinase delta (PI3KCD) found in AA PCa specimens encodes a more aggressive version of the gene (i.e., leading to greater proliferation and invasion of cancer cells) compared to the variant counterpart found in CA PCa specimens. Taken together, our data suggest that differential mRNA splicing may be critical in PCa health disparities between the AA and CA populations. These findings should advance our knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying PCa health disparities, and may facilitate the development of novel strategies for PCa detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy in the AA population. This work was supported by NCI grant 5U01-CA-116937, ACS-IRG-08-091-01 and the Affymetrix Collaborations in Cancer Research Program. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):PL08-01.
Experimental and theoretical determination of the electronic structure and optical properties of three phases of {ZrO2}

The addition of suitable dopants to ZrO[sub 2] can induce dramatic phase stabilization, and this dopant-induced phase stabilization is the basis of transformation toughening of zirconia-based structural ceramics. We have determined the electronic structure of three phases of ZrO[sub 2], cubic, tetragonal, and monoclinic, using vacuum-ultraviolet and x-ray-photoemission spectroscopies, coupled with [ital ab] [ital initio] band-structure and optical property calculations using the orthogonalized linear-combination-of-atomic-orbitals method, in an attempt to understand the complex interaction of the stabilizing dopants and associated atomic defects with the crystal structures of ZrO[sub 2] and their phase transitions. The experimental samples were single or polycrystalline stabilized materials which contain atomic defects, while the calculations were performed for undoped idealized ZrO[sub 2] structures without atomic defects. Reasonable agreement is found between experiment and theory at this level. The primary difference among the three phases of ZrO[sub 2] is the hybridization or mixing of the Zr 4[ital d] ([ital x][sup 2][minus][ital y][sup 2] and [ital z][sup 2]) and the Zr 4[ital d] ([ital xy], [ital yz], and [ital zx]) bands, which form the conduction bands as the symmetry decreases from cubic to monoclinic. This leads to a complex evolution of the O 2[ital p] to Zr 4[ital d]more » and the O 2[ital s] to Zr 4[ital d] interband transitions. In addition, in the real materials, the presence of yttrium stabilizer introduces additional Y 4[ital p] valence bands and Y 4[ital d] conduction bands. The effective coordination of zirconium by oxygen is reduced from eightfold to sevenfold by the presence of the stabilizing ions and defects and this leads to the introduction of an occupied Zr 4[ital d] valence band suggestive of the presence of Zr[sup 2+].« less
Chimeric NK-receptor–bearing T cells mediate antitumor immunotherapy

NKG2D is an activating cell-surface receptor expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and some T-cell subsets. Its ligands are primarily expressed on tumor cells. The aim of this study was to determine whether chimeric NK-receptor—bearing T cells would directly kill tumor cells and lead to induction of host immunity against tumors. Chimeric NK receptors were produced by linking NKG2D or DNAX activating protein of 10 kDa (Dap10) to the cytoplasmic portion of the CD3ζ chain. Our results showed that chimeric (ch) NKG2D-bearing T cells responded to NKG2D-ligand–bearing tumor cells (RMA/Rae-1β, EG7) but not to wild-type tumor cells (RMA). This response was dependent upon ligand expression on the target cells but not on expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, and the response could be blocked by anti-NKG2D antibodies. These T cells produced large amounts of T-helper 1 (Th1) cytokines and proinflammatory chemokines and killed ligand–expressing tumor cells. Adoptive transfer of chNKG2D-bearing T cells inhibited RMA/Rae-1β tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, mice that had remained tumor-free were resistant to subsequent challenge with the wild-type RMA tumor cells, suggesting the generation of immunity against other tumor antigens. Taken together, our findings indicate that modification of T cells with chimeric NKG2D receptors represents a promising approach for immunotherapy against cancer.
Residential mobility during pregnancy and the potential for ambient air pollution exposure misclassification.

Studies of environmental exposures and adverse birth outcomes often rely on maternal address at birth obtained from the birth certificate to classify exposure. Although the gestational age of interest is often early pregnancy, maternal addresses are not available for women who move during pregnancy when using maternal addresses abstracted from birth certificates. The aim of this study was to explore the extent of ambient air pollutant exposure misclassification due to maternal residential mobility during pregnancy among the subgroup of a New York birth cohort. The authors obtained the maternal addresses at birth from the New York Birth Certificate, and the maternal addresses by gestational age from the National Birth Defect Prevention Study for New York participants for the study period 1997-2002. Among the 1324 mothers, 172 (13.0%) moved once during pregnancy and 46 (3.5%) moved at least twice. When accounting for multiple addresses among some individuals, of the 218 mothers who moved, 38 (2.9%) moved in the 3rd to 8th weeks after conception (critical period, not exclusive from the 1st trimester), 80 (6.0%) moved in the 1st trimester, 112 (8.5%) in the 2nd trimester, and 51 (3.9%) in the 3rd trimester. Air monitoring data from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation were used as surrogates to compute the ambient ozone and PM(10) exposures for mothers with complete residential data. This study estimates exposure using maternal address at birth obtained from birth certificates, compared to exposure estimates when using maternal addresses by gestational age obtained from maternal interview, the gold standard. Average exposures during pregnancy were similar when using interview based versus birth certificate addresses (0.035 vs. 0.035 ppm for ozone, and 20.11 vs. 20.09 microg/m(3) for PM(10), respectively). Kappa statistics and percent agreement were calculated to measure the degree of agreement for dichotomous exposure measurements ( =median) and weighted kappa for quartile exposure measurements by gestational age. All the statistics indicated a high agreement between the two measurements. For mothers who moved, the majority maintained their address in the same exposure region. Given the low mobility during pregnancy and the short distance moved, the exposure assignment did not change substantially when using the more accurate interview based addresses in this study. However, the level of observed agreement may decrease for studies that require smaller geographic zones for exposure assignments or with more mobile study populations.
Budget for dissolved silica in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract Measurement of the silica flux through the Straits of Gibraltar shows a loss of 3.6 × 103 moles/second. Estimated influx from rivers and the Black Sea is 3.9 × 103 moles/sec. Apparently no substantial fraction of dissolved silica is lost as the rivers flow into the sea, nor from the water in the sea. Latest flow measurements at Gibraltar suggest a residence time of 170 yr for water in the sea. Diversion of Nile River water—8 % of the total silica input—should have no measurable effect on the silica concentration of the Mediterranean for a long time.
A reusable perfusion supporting tissue-mimicking material for ultrasound hyperthermia phantoms

A new ultrasonically and thermodynamically tissue‐mimicking material is reported. The material is well suited for use in phantoms for testingultrasound hyperthermia systems or related predictive models. Controlled convective heat transfereffects, mimicking to some extent perfusive heat transfer in tissues, can be instituted in the material with appropriate fluid sources and sinks. The material consists of closely packed agar spheres varying in diameters from 0.3–3.6 mm. The interstitial space between spheres is filled with 10% n‐propanol solution. The material has two practical advantages over the solid‐gel‐type tissue‐mimicking materials. The first advantage is that it allows rapid return of a hyperthermia phantom to thermal equilibrium following a heating test by rapid circulation of the perfusion fluid. The second advantage is that the material is in a ‘‘liquid’’ form. It can be easily siphoned in and out of phantom containers of any geometric shape for different purposes without change in its physical properties. Methods for measuring ultrasonic and thermodynamic properties of the material and the results of the measurements are reported. The physical parameters measured are the intensity attenuation and absorption coefficients, the ultrasonic speed, the thermal conductivity, specific‐heat capacity and the mass density. Temperature measurements in a hyperthermia phantom made of the material are also reported.
Neuropsychological characteristics of nonepileptic seizure semiological subgroups

The present study sought to identify neuropsychological characteristics of patients with nonepileptic seizures (NESs) based on seizure semiological subgroups and to make comparisons among NES subgroups and with patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). A total of 173 patients with NESs and 180 patients with TLE were included in this study. Statistical comparisons were made between a NES four-subgroup model, a NES two-subgroup model, and patients with TLE on neurocognitive measures. A trend toward declining performance was noted across the subjective, catatonic, minor motor, and major motor subgroups, respectively. The nonmotor subgroup showed stronger performance on verbal intelligence, naming, verbal learning, and verbal memory compared with the TLE group. The motor subgroup generally performed equivalently to the patients with TLE. Results indicate that patients with more dramatic seizure semiology appear to have lower neurocognitive functioning at a level comparable to that of patients with TLE. Patients with NESs with the least dramatic semiology appear to have fewer neurocognitive abnormalities.
Gravitational vacuum polarization. I. Energy conditions in the Hartle-Hawking vacuum.

When a quantum field theory is constructed on a curved background spacetime, the gravitationally induced vacuum polarization typically induces a nonzero vacuum expectation value for the quantum stress-energy tensor. It is well known that this gravitational vacuum polarization often violates the pointwise energy conditions and sometimes violates the averaged energy conditions. In this paper I begin a systematic attack on the question of where and by how much the various energy conditions are violated. To keep the discussion manageable, I work in the test-field limit, and focus on conformally coupled massless scalar fields in Schwarzschild spacetime, using the Hartle-Hawking vacuum. The discussion invokes a mixture of analytical and numerical techniques, and critically compares the qualitative behavior to be expected from the Page approximation with that adduced from the numerical calculations of Anderson, Hiscock, and Samuel. I show that the various pointwise energy conditions are violated in a series of onionlike layers located between the unstable photon orbit and the event horizon, the sequence of violations being DEC, WEC, and (NEC+SEC). Furthermore, the ANEC is violated for some of the null geodesics trapped in this region. Having established the basic machinery in this paper, the Boulware vacuum will be treated in a companion paper, while studies of the Unruh vacuum should be straightforward, as should extensions to nonconformal couplings, massive scalars, and Reissner-Nordstr\"om geometries.
Predictors of personal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposures among pregnant minority women in New York City

As part of a multiyear birth-cohort study examining the roles of pre- and postnatal environmental exposures on developmental deficits and asthma among children, we measured personal exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among 348 pregnant women in northern Manhattan and the South Bronx, New York. Nonsmoking African-American or Dominican women were identified and recruited into the study. During the third trimester of pregnancy, each subject wore a personal air monitor for 48 hr to determine exposure levels to nine PAH compounds. In this study, we examined levels of exposures to PAHs and tested for associations with potential predictor variables collected from questionnaires addressing socioeconomic factors and day-to-day activities during pregnancy as well as activities and environmental exposures during the 48-hr monitoring period. Reliable personal monitoring data for women who did not smoke during the monitoring period were available for 344 of 348 subjects. Mean PAH concentrations ranged from 0.06 ng/m3 for dibenz[a,h]anthracene to 4.1 ng/m3 for pyrene; mean benzo[a]pyrene concentration was 0.50 ng/m3. As found in previous studies, concentrations of most PAHs were higher in winter than in summer. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed associations between personal PAH exposures and several questionnaire variables, including time spent outdoors, residential heating, and indoor burning of incense. This is the largest study to date characterizing personal exposures to PAHs, a ubiquitous class of carcinogenic air contaminants in urban environments, and is unique in its focus on pregnant minority women.
Norms of powers of absolutely convergent fourier series

Letf(t) = ∑a k e ikt be infinitely differentiable on R, |f(t)|<1. It is known that under these assumptions ‖n‖ converges to a finite limitl asn → ∞ (l 2 = sec(arga),a = (f′(0))2 -f″(0)). We obtain here more precise results: (i) an asymptotic series (in powers ofn -1/2) for the Fourier coefficientsa nk off n , which holds uniformly ink asn → ∞; (ii) an asymptotic series (this time only powers ofn -1 are present!) for ‖f n ‖; (iii) the fact that ifi j f (j)(0) is real forj = 1,2,..., 2h + 2 then ‖f n ‖ = l + o(n -h ),n → ∞. More generally, we obtain analogous finite asymptotic expansions whenf is assumed to be differentiable only finitely many times.