cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced reward-related responding following cholera toxin infusion into the nucleus accumbens.

In recent years, considerable focus has been directed to understanding how drugs of abuse affect neuronal function at the molecular level. For example, repeated administration of stimulants or opiates can induce long-lasting alterations in gene expression, transcription factors, and signal transduction pathways. Our laboratory previously showed that intraaccumbens infusion of cholera toxin (CTX), which alters the GS protein such that production of cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (AMP) is upregulated, causes pronounced, long-lasting motor activation and sensitization to stimulants. In the present experiments, the effect of intraaccumbens infusion of cholera toxin on reward-related responding was investigated. The conditioned reinforcement (CR) paradigm was employed, which measures an animal's instrumental response to obtain presentation of a stimulus previously paired with a primary reward. When this stimulus supports acquisition of a new operant response (lever-pressing), it is termed a conditioned reinforcer (CR). In the first experiment, the effects of bilateral intraaccumbens infusion of CTX (100 ng/1 μl) were examined on previously-established responding. CTX treatment resulted in enhanced responding for the CR. This enhancement developed over several days and reached its peak 3 days following infusion. In the second experiment, the influence of CTX was examined on acquisition of responding for the CR. The group treated with CTX (100 ng) discriminated between the CR and control (NCR) lever earlier than the vehicle-infused group, and showed greater levels of responding on the CR lever. In the third experiment, it was determined that infusion of CTX (300 ng bilaterally) into the anterior dorsal striatum did not affect levels of responding, although a later test with cocaine in these animals (25 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) (i.p.) indicated that they were capable of potentiated responding. These data are interpreted as evidence that the GS protein-cyclic AMP second messenger system within the nucleus accumbens is directly involved in reward-related behavior. Synapse 26:46–54, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Design of drainage blankets for leachate recirculation in bioreactor landfills using two-phase flow modeling

Drainage blankets (DB) are used for leachate recirculation in bioreactor landfills and consist of highly permeable material placed over a large area of the landfill with the leachate injection pipe embedded in the material at specified locations. DBs are generally installed at different depth levels during the waste filling operations. Very limited information is reported on performance of DBs, and that which exists is based on a small number of field monitoring and modeling studies. A rational method for the design of landfills using DBs has not been developed. This study performs a parametric analysis based on a val- idated two-phase flow model and presents design charts to guide the design of DBs for given hydraulic properties of MSW, the leachate injection rate and the dimensions and locations of the DB as measured from the leachate collection and recirculation system (LCRS) located at the bottom of the landfill cell. Numerical simulations were performed for the two established MSW conditions: homogeneous-isotropic and heterogeneous-anisotropic waste. The optimal levels of leachate saturation, wetted width, wetted area and developed pore water and pore gas pressures were determined, and design charts using the nor- malized parameters were developed. An example is presented on the use of design charts for typical field application.
Lymphangiosarcoma of the edematous thigh after radiation therapy for carcinoma of the vulva

A 66-year-old patient was treated with external radiation therapy for an advanced carcinoma of the vulva. Seven years later, a lymphangiosarcoma developed in her edematous lower extremity. Lymphangiosarcomas have been reported to occur in postmastectomy patients; however, this is only the third case in a patient with a gynecologic primary malignancy. In anticipation of possible increased use of radiation therapy in vulvar carcinoma, gynecologists should be aware of this rare, highly aggressive neoplasm.
Two new actions of sea nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) nematocyst venom: studies on the mechanism of actions on complement activation and on the central nervous system.

Chrysaora quinquecirrha (sea nettle) nematocyst venom is lethal to rainbow killifish (Adina xenica) when injected intraperitoneally or topically applied to the exposed brain or denuded epithelium. The lethal activity is thermostable requiring 100 °C heat for inactivation. This paper reports here for the first time that the venom also activates the complement system with the subsequent formation of the C5b-9 terminal complement complex. The events are associated with both a strong chemoattractant release and the tissue damage. These are also, at least in part, responsible for the pathogenesis of some clinical signs and symptoms associated to the jellyfish stings.
Designed β-sheet-forming peptide 33mers with potent human bactericidal/permeability increasing protein-like bactericidal and endotoxin neutralizing activities

Novel peptide 33mers have been designed by incorporating beta-conformation stabilizing residues from the beta-sheet domains of alpha-chemokines and functionally important residues from the beta-sheet domain of human neutrophil bactericidal protein (B/PI). B/PI is known for its ability to kill bacteria and to neutralize the action of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) which can induce septic shock leading to eventual death. Here, the goal was to make short linear peptides which demonstrate good beta-sheet folding and maintain bioactivity as in native B/PI. A library of 24 peptide 33mers (betapep-1 to betapep-24) were synthesized with various amino acid substitutions. CD and NMR data acquired in aqueous solution indicate that betapep peptides form beta-sheet structure to varying degrees and self-associate as dimers and tetramers like the alpha-chemokines. Bactericidal activity toward Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa was tested, and betapep-19 was found to be only about 5-fold less potent (62% kill at 1.2 x 10(-7) M) than native B/PI (80% kill at 2.9 x 10(-8) M). At LPS neutralization, betapep-2 and -23 were found to be most active (66-78% effective at 1.2 x 10(-6) M), being only about 50-100-fold less active than B/PI (50% at 1.5 x 10(-8) M). In terms of structure-activity relations, beta-sheet structural stability correlates with the capacity to neutralize LPS, but not with bactericidal activity. Although a net positive charge is necessary for activity, it is not sufficient for optimal activity. Hydrophobic residues tend to influence activities indirectly by affecting structural stability. Furthermore, results show that sequentially and spatially related residues from the beta-sheet domain of native B/PI can be designed into short linear peptides which show good beta-sheet folding and retain much of the native activity. This research contributes to the development of solutions to the problem of multiple drug-resistant, opportunistic microorganisms like P. aeruginosa and of agents effective at neutralizing bacterial endotoxin.
Epidemiologic insights on the role of fibroblast growth factor 23 in cardiovascular disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) regulates phosphate and vitamin D homeostasis and rises as kidney function declines. Animal studies have demonstrated direct and indirect effects of FGF23 that may promote heart disease. Herein, we review the recent epidemiologic literature evaluating the relationship between FGF23 and cardiovascular disease. RECENT FINDINGS In observational prospective studies, higher FGF23 associates with a greater risk of incident cardiovascular disease including ischemic heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. These studies establish a temporal sequence of events over long-term follow-up that suggest a possible role of FGF23 in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis. In most studies, risk is generally graded; however, in the largest study to date, higher FGF23 within the low-normal range was not associated with higher risk. In several recent studies higher FGF23 associated more strongly with the risk of congestive heart failure compared with atherosclerotic events, a finding consistent with surrogate endpoints and animal experiments. Currently, the utility of FGF23 as a predictive biomarker of cardiovascular risk is not established, and interventions to reduce FGF23 need to be studied to confirm its possible pathophysiologic role. SUMMARY Higher FGF23 is associated with the subsequent development of cardiovascular disease, and perhaps most notably heart failure, in a growing number of studies. These findings bolster ongoing efforts to lower FGF23 using strategies to reduce phosphate intake and absorption.
Japanese sogo shosha and the U.S. export trading companies

Recent legislation in the U.S. concerning export trading companies has drawn attention to the Japanese general trading companies. While the intent of the ETC Act was not to replicate the sogo shosha model in the U.S., there are some parallels which we can identify. In this paper we examine the evolving forms of the sogo shosha and ETCs, and show how they compete directly in some areas of international trade. Although early performance results for U.S. ETCs are not encouraging, longer term results are expected to improve. To support this expectation, we identify current problems and offer recommendations for improvement. These recommendations are framed in the context of the U.S. business environment, and implications for public policy are assessed.
Flow and heat transfer in a lid-driven cavity filled with a stably stratified fluid

Abstract Three-dimensional numerical simulations of fluid flow and heat transfer in a lid-driven cavity filled with a stably stratified fluid have been performed to study the effect of a sliding lid on the flow and thermal structures in a shallow cavity. The cavity is heated from above and cooled from below. The Richardson numbers investigated are 0.1, 1, and 10 for two values of Rayleigh numbers 1 × 10 4 and 1 × 10 6 . The Prandtl number is fixed at 6.0 (water). The flow is found to be three-dimensional in nature. Interesting flow features are predicted and include longitudinal circulations for certain flow conditions.
Products of exponentials of hermitian and complex symmetric matrices

A conjecture involving exponentials of Hermitian matrices is stated, and proved when one of the matrices has rank at most one. As a consequence, the complete conjecture is proved when the matrices are 2×2. A second conjecture involving exponentials of complex symmetric matrices is also stated, and completely proved when the matrices are 2×2. The two conjectures have similar structures but require quite different techniques to analyze.
Standard-setting measurement issues and the relevance of research

(2007). Standard-setting measurement issues and the relevance of research. Accounting and Business Research: Vol. 37, Special Issue: International Accounting Policy Forum, pp. 7-15.
Chaperone‐like activity of a synthetic peptide toward oxidized γ‐crystallin

alphaA-Crystallin can function like a molecular chaperone. We recently reported that the alphaA-crystallin sequence, KFVIFLDVKHFSPEDLTVK (peptide-1, residues 70-88) by itself possesses chaperone-like (anti-aggregating) activity during a thermal denaturation assay. Based on the above data we proposed that the peptide-1 sequence was the functional site in alphaA-crystallin. In this study we investigated the specificity of peptide-1 against gamma-crystallin aggregation in the presence of H2O2 and CuSO4. Peptide-1 was able to completely protect against the oxidation-induced aggregation of gamma-crystallin. Removal of N-terminal Lys or the replacement of Lys with Asp (DFVIFLDVKHFSPEDLTVK, peptide-2) did not alter the anti-aggregation property of peptide-1. However, deletion of KF residues from the N-terminus of peptide-1 resulted in a significant loss of its anti-aggregation property. Bio-gel P-30 size-exclusion chromatography of gamma-crystallin incubated with peptide-2 under oxidative conditions revealed that a major portion of the peptide elutes in the void volume region along with gamma-crystallin, suggesting the binding of the peptide to the protein. Peptide-1 and -2 were also able to prevent the UV-induced aggregation of gamma-crystallin. These data indicate that the same amino acid sequence in alphaA-crystallin is likely to be responsible for suppressing the heat-denatured, oxidatively modified and UV-induced aggregation of proteins.
A C-Terminal Region of Yersinia pestis YscD Binds the Outer Membrane Secretin YscC

YscD is an essential component of the plasmid pCD1-encoded type III secretion system (T3SS) of Yersinia pestis. YscD has a single transmembrane (TM) domain that connects a small N-terminal cytoplasmic region (residues 1 to 121) to a larger periplasmic region (residues 143 to 419). Deletion analyses established that both the N-terminal cytoplasmic region and the C-terminal periplasmic region are required for YscD function. Smaller targeted deletions demonstrated that a predicted cytoplasmic forkhead-associated (FHA) domain is also required to assemble a functional T3SS; in contrast, a predicted periplasmic phospholipid binding (BON) domain and a putative periplasmic "ring-building motif" domain of YscD could be deleted with no significant effect on the T3S process. Although deletion of the putative "ring-building motif" domain did not disrupt T3S activity per se, the calcium-dependent regulation of the T3S apparatus was affected. The extreme C-terminal region of YscD (residues 354 to 419) was essential for secretion activity and had a strong dominant-negative effect on the T3S process when exported to the periplasm of the wild-type parent strain. Coimmunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that this region of YscD mediates the interaction of YscD with the outer membrane YscC secretin complex. Finally, replacement of the YscD TM domain with a TM domain of dissimilar sequence had no effect on the T3S process, indicating that the TM domain has no sequence-specific function in the assembly or function of the T3SS.
Reactions of Diorganocadmium Compounds with Other Dialkylmetal Compounds and Macrocycles: Synthesis of Organocadmate Anions1

Combining R2Cd (R an alkyl or Ph group), the corresponding R2Mg compound, and 1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazatetradecane, 2,1,1-cryptand, or 2,2,1-cryptand in solution quantitatively produces R3Cd- and RMg(macrocycle)+ ions. Solutions obtained by combining the same macrocycles with R2Cd alone or with R2Cd plus the corresponding R2Zn compound do not contain significant amounts of ions; rapid exchange of R groups in these solutions, however, may be due to formation of trace amounts of R3Cd- ions.
Rapamycin Exerts Antifungal Activity In Vitro and In Vivo against Mucor circinelloides via FKBP12-Dependent Inhibition of Tor

The zygomycete Mucor circinelloides is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that commonly infects patients with malignancies, diabetes mellitus, and solid organ transplants. Despite the widespread use of antifungal therapy in the management of zygomycosis, the incidence of infections continues to rise among immunocompromised individuals. In this study, we established that the target and mechanism of antifungal action of the immunosuppressant rapamycin in M. circinelloides are mediated via conserved complexes with FKBP12 and a Tor homolog. We found that spontaneous mutations that disrupted conserved residues in FKBP12 conferred rapamycin and FK506 resistance. Disruption of the FKBP12-encoding gene, fkbA, also conferred rapamycin and FK506 resistance. Expression of M. circinelloides FKBP12 (McFKBP12) complemented a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strain lacking FKBP12 to restore rapamycin sensitivity. Expression of the McTor FKBP12-rapamycin binding (FRB) domain conferred rapamycin resistance in S. cerevisiae, and McFKBP12 interacted in a rapamycin-dependent fashion with the McTor FRB domain in a yeast two-hybrid assay, validating McFKBP12 and McTor as conserved targets of rapamycin. We showed that in vitro, rapamycin exhibited potent growth inhibitory activity against M. circinelloides. In a Galleria mellonella model of systemic mucormycosis, rapamycin improved survival by 50%, suggesting that rapamycin and nonimmunosuppressive analogs have the potential to be developed as novel antifungal therapies for treatment of patients with mucormycosis.
Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Sleep disturbances are most prevalent among older adults and often go untreated. Treatment options for sleep disturbances remain limited, and there is a need for community-accessible programs that can improve sleep. Objective To determine the efficacy of a mind-body medicine intervention, called mindfulness meditation, to promote sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep disturbances. Design, setting, and participants Randomized clinical trial with 2 parallel groups conducted from January 1 to December 31, 2012, at a medical research center among an older adult sample (mean [SD] age, 66.3 [7.4] years) with moderate sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] >5). Interventions A standardized mindful awareness practices (MAPs) intervention (n = 24) or a sleep hygiene education (SHE) intervention (n = 25) was randomized to participants, who received a 6-week intervention (2 hours per week) with assigned homework. Main outcomes and measures The study was powered to detect between-group differences in moderate sleep disturbance measured via the PSQI at postintervention. Secondary outcomes pertained to sleep-related daytime impairment and included validated measures of insomnia symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue, as well as inflammatory signaling via nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Results Using an intent-to-treat analysis, participants in the MAPs group showed significant improvement relative to those in the SHE group on the PSQI. With the MAPs intervention, the mean (SD) PSQIs were 10.2 (1.7) at baseline and 7.4 (1.9) at postintervention. With the SHE intervention, the mean (SD) PSQIs were 10.2 (1.8) at baseline and 9.1 (2.0) at postintervention. The between-group mean difference was 1.8 (95% CI, 0.6-2.9), with an effect size of 0.89. The MAPs group showed significant improvement relative to the SHE group on secondary health outcomes of insomnia symptoms, depression symptoms, fatigue interference, and fatigue severity (P Conclusions and relevance The use of a community-accessible MAPs intervention resulted in improvements in sleep quality at immediate postintervention, which was superior to a highly structured SHE intervention. Formalized mindfulness-based interventions have clinical importance by possibly serving to remediate sleep problems among older adults in the short term, and this effect appears to carry over into reducing sleep-related daytime impairment that has implications for quality of life. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01534338.
The one dimensional chain structures of vanadyl glycolate and vanadyl acetate

The solvothermal reaction, at 200 °C, of vanadium pentoxide and lithium hydroxide in acetic acid or ethylene glycol leads to the formation of vanadyl acetate and vanadyl glycolate respectively. The structure of the acetate contains vanadium in octahedral coordination whereas the glycolate contains VO5 square pyramids. The VO6 octahedra in the acetate, VO(CH3COO)2, are joined through the vanadyl groups, giving a rather long VO bond of 1.684(7) A and a short trans V-O bond of 2.131(7) A, and by bridging acetate groups. The vanadium atoms interact along the ⋯VO⋯VO⋯ chain giving one-dimensional antiferromagnetic behavior. In contrast in the glycolate, the apical VO bond is shorter, 1.58(1) A, and the square pyramids share edges in a two up–two down fashion to give chains of formula VO(OCH2CH2O). Magnetic susceptibility of vanadyl glycolate is consistent with an isolated spin dimers model.
Circulating fibroblast growth factor-23 is associated with increased risk for metachronous colorectal adenoma.

Background: Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) is a phosphaturic peptide and a key component of an endocrine feedback loop along with the hormonal vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH) 2 D. Vitamin D has been shown to be inversely related to colorectal neoplasia; therefore, we hypothesized that the effect of FGF-23 on vitamin D metabolite concentrations could have implications for the risk of colorectal neoplasia. Materials and Methods: The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the association between circulating concentrations of FGF-23 and the risk of metachronous (recurrent) colorectal adenomas. FGF-23 levels were assessed in 100 male and female participants from the Ursodeoxycholic Acid Trial, 50 of whom had a metachronous colorectal adenoma and 50 who did not. Results: Compared to the lowest tertile of FGF-23, the adjusted odds ratios (95% CIs) for the second and third tertiles were 2.80 (0.94 to 8.31) and 3.41 (1.09 to 10.67), respectively (P-trend=.03). In a linear regression model, there was also a statistically significant inverse relationship between FGF-23 and 1,25(OH) 2 D (β-coefficient=-1.2; P=.001). In contrast, no statistically significant trend was observed between FGF-23 and 25(OH)D concentrations (β-coefficient=0.55; P=.10). Conclusions: The current work presents novel preliminary evidence of a relationship between FGF-23 and the risk for colorectal neoplasia. FGF-23 activity may be mediated through biologic effects on individual serum and colonic 1,25(OH) 2 D levels, or it may be independent from the vitamin D pathway. Further studies in larger populations are necessary for confirmation and expansion of these hypothesis-generating results.
A unified way of comparing the reliability of coherent systems

Consider a coherent system S hat has n nodes and a structure function /spl phi/. The state of S is determined by the "states of the components allocated at the n nodes" and /spl phi/. If the reliabilities of these it components are expressed by an n-dimensional vector p, then the reliability of S is a function of p. Using the concepts of node-criticality introduced by Boland et al. (1989), the main theorem in this paper proposes a unified approach by which the reliabilities of S corresponding to 2 different values of p can be compared. The conditions in the main theorem are both necessary and sufficient for k-out-of-n systems. Application of this theorem to various situations yields a unified approach for obtaining previous results in the literature. Also, the application of this theorem immediately extends the results established for k-out-of-n systems to coherent systems.
The effects of the GnRH agonist, [(imBzl)-D-His6, Pro9-NEt]-GnRH, on the response to stress in rats

Abstract The antigonadal activity of potent gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs may be associated with undesirable secondary effects on other aspects of the endocrine system. In preliminary studies, rats treated with GnRH agonists were noted to have altered adrenal weights. To determine whether this was associated with alterations in the pituitary-adrenal axis we have studied male and female rats treated with the GnRH agonist [(imBzl)-D-His6, Pro9-NEt]-GnRH (GnRH-A). Animals receiving daily doses of this peptide showed normal adrenal corticosteroid responsivity to both ether and immobilization stress. Brain, pituitary, and plasma concentrations of immunoreactive (IR) β-endorphin and ACTH were unaffected in treated animals after four weeks of daily injections, although after one week plasma levels of the two hormones were transiently elevated in female rats. Adrenal, thyroid, and pituitary lobe weights were unchanged with treatment, except for an increase in anterior pituitary weight in males receiving the lowest dose of GnRH-A. In conclusion, long-term treatment with GnRH-A, while significantly affecting gonadal and secondary sexual tissue, had little impact on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system or on stress responsivity in rats.
Delegation of Coordination and Outcomes in Cross-Sector Partnerships The Case of Service Learning Partnerships

This article furthers knowledge on cross-sector partnerships. It distinguishes between partnerships that produce predefined outcomes and those that produce co-defined ones. Predefined outcomes are defined by one partner prior to the formation of the partnership and could have been attained easily with alternative partners. Co-defined outcomes are defined by partners in mutual consultation and tailored to the resources and goals of the participants. The article identifies delegation as a factor that crucially defines whether partnerships produce pre- or co-defined outcomes. Delegation occurs when there is a clear-cut division between coordination and participation so that staff members engaged as coordinators are otherwise disengaged from the partnership. Delegated partnerships—those with coordinators engaged only in coordinating duties—are likely to produce predefined outcomes whereas undelegated partnerships are likely to produce co-defined outcomes. The article builds on a grounded theory study of 11 service learning partnerships formed by institutions of higher education and community organizations.
Self-Healing of Microcracks in Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) Under a Natural Environment

This paper builds on previous self-healing engineered cementitious composites (ECC) research by allowing ECC to heal outdoors, in the natural environment, under random and sometimes extreme environmental conditions. Development of an ECC material that can heal itself in the natural environment could lower infrastructure maintenance costs and allow for more sustainable development in the future by increasing service life and decreasing the amount of resources and energy needed for repairs. Determining to what extent current ECC materials self-heal in the natural environment is the first step in the development of an ECC that can completely heal itself when exposed to everyday environmental conditions. This study monitored outdoor ECC specimens for one year using resonant frequency (RF) and mechanical reloading to determine the rate and extent of self-healing in the natural environment. It was found that the level of RF, stiffness, and first cracking strength recovery increased as the duration of natural environment exposure increased. For specimens that underwent multiple damage cycles, it was found that the level of recovery was highly dependent on the average temperature and amount of precipitation between each damage event. However, RF, stiffness, and first cracking strength recovery data for specimens that underwent multiple loading cycles suggest that self-healing functionality can be maintained under multiple damage events.
Reducing the energy demand of corn-based fuel ethanol through salt extractive distillation enabled by electrodialysis

The thermal energy demand for producing fuel ethanol from the fermentation broth of a contemporary corn-to-fuel ethanol plant in the U.S. is largely satisfied by combustion of fossil fuels, which impacts the possible economical and environmental advantages of bioethanol over fossil fuels. To reduce the thermal energy demand for producing fuel ethanol, a process integrating salt extractive distillation—enabled by a new scheme of electrodialysis and spray drying for salt recovery—in the water-ethanol separation train of a contemporary corn-to-fuel ethanol plant is investigated. Process simulation using Aspen Plus® 2006.5, with the electrolyte nonrandom two liquid Redlich-Kwong property method to model the vapor liquid equilibrium of the water-ethanol-salt system, was carried out. The integrated salt extractive distillation process may provide a thermal energy savings of about 30%, when compared with the contemporary process for separating fuel ethanol from the beer column distillate. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012
Relative ability of mitogens to stimulate production of interferon by lymphoid cells and to induce suppression of the in vitro immune response.

SummarySeveral T cell mitogens, con-canavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin P (PHA-P), and staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), were compared for their ability to inhibit the in vitro antibody response and to stimulate the production of mitogen (antigen) -type interferon in mouse spleen cell cultures. It was found that the ability to inhibit the plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to sheep red blood cells was proportional to the ability of these mitogens to induce interferon in the cultures. SEA was the most effective inhibitor of the PFC response and the best inducer of mitogen-type interferon, followed by Con A, with PHA-P being the least effective. The data suggest that SEA would be the most suitable inducer of mitogen-type interferon in quantity as a prerequisite to purification and characterization of the molecule. The data are supportive of previous studies suggesting a role for mitogen (antigen) -type interferon in regulation of the immune response via suppressor T cells.We wish to thank Ms. Phyllis ...
Figure-ground separation by a neural dynamical system

This paper describes a neural network inspired dynamical system approach to a perceptual grouping problem-figure-ground separation. In this approach, a non-linear differential equation is defined at each pixel site and coupled with those at its neighbours. The steady state solution would determine whether a pixel is part of a salient structure or background/noise. The neighbourhood couplings are used to achieve spatial interactions that are essential to perceptual grouping, such as excitation and inhibition. Experimental results on the grouping of dots in synthetic and real-world images demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.
Real time uses of color for electron microscopy via a television‐rate digital frame store

An on-line television-rate digital frame store device is utilized to provide color representations of a wide range of electron microscope images and image data. Various types of hardware devices in the frame store coupled with software manipulations via the host computer make rapid image acquisition, modification, measurement, and full-color display possible in real time either from micrographs or directly from an electron microscope. Lookup tables used in conjunction with grey-level image memories can be controlled from a menu display to provide a wide range of color-coding schemes and sequencing. It is also possible to use color graphics overlays and alpha numeric displays along with full-color image displays. This paper will describe many of the recent applications of color developed for electron microscopy studies of materials.
Regression of Mature-Equivalent Production on Age at Calving

Abstract Regressions of mature-equivalent yield on age at calving were computed separately for each breed lactation number for 198,088 first lactations, 136,038second lactations, and 85,013 third-lactation records of five major dairy breeds. Holstein records were also analyzed separately by geographical regions. The total and intra-herd-year-season regressions of mature-equivalent production on age were frequently very different. The within-regressions were usually much larger than the total regressions. This was due to a confounding of age with herd production. On a within-parity basis, the present Dairy Herd Improvement Association age factors failed to adjust the intraherd regression of production on age to zero. Of the 30 intraherd regressions of milk production on age, 24 were positive. Age-factor errors may in some instances lead to serious misranking of sires where age and regional distributions of daughters of bulls are widely different.
SEROLOGIC RESPONSES TO NONPREVALENT INFLUENZA A VIRUSES DURING INTERCYCLIC PERIODS

Sera collected at different times in the course of the Tecumseh Study of Respiratory Illness have been tested for the presence of antibodies to a variety of nonprevalent human and animal type A influenza viruses. In sera collected during the 1966-1968 period of H2N2 prevalence, rises in antibody titer were detected against the H3 antigen. The frequency of these rises in titer increased gradually and significantly as the time of emergence of the H3N2 virus approached. Occasional rises in Hsw1 antibody titer and presence of such antibody in sera obtained from young children were also detected in specimens collected at that time. In pre-vaccination 1976 serum collection, the prevalence of antibody against Hsw1N2 was significantly higher in certain age groups than that found in 1966-1968. During the 1976-1977 period, evidence for increase in H1N1 antibody frequency was found in nonvaccinated children, again before the emergence of the H1N1 strain. Possible interpretations of the results are discussed.
Race of Interviewer Effects and Interviewer Clustering

Traditional approaches to understanding race of interviewer (ROI) effects have focused more on respondent error than interviewer and survey design error. Respondents are hypothesized to alter their responses to certain items in an effort to maintain a favorable impression for the interviewer. Yet, this framework assumes respondents, interviewers, and questions all work in concert to produce the effect. The variability among these components of the survey system actually makes producing a statistically significant interviewer quite difficult. We argue that it is those interviewers who are assigned higher workloads, and therefore interact with more respondents, who are exacerbating the ROI effects to the point of statistical significance. We analyze individual and aggregate pre-election data from the 1984 National Black Election Study (NBES), finding support for our hypotheses. Feeling thermometer scores that were initially influenced by the interviewer’s race, were subsequently reduced to non-significance when interviewer workload was considered. Our findings suggest the often elusive ROI effect is potentially more related to survey design features than psychological processes related to impression management.
Effect of Notch inhibition on radiation in an explant model of glioblastoma multiforme

e22080 Background: Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is highly radioresistant, possibly due to a subpopulation of Brain Tumor “Stem-like‘ Cells (BTSC) capable of repopulating the tumor. The Notch signa...
Effects of the Microparticle Shape on Cellular Uptake

Physical forms of microparticles and nanoparticles, such as the size, charge, and shape, are known to affect endocytosis. Improving the physical designs of the drug carriers can increase the drug uptake efficiency and the subsequent drug efficacy. Simple shapes, such as sphere and cylinder, have been studied for their ability for endocytosis. To have a better understanding of the shape effect on cellular uptake, different particle shapes were prepared, using the keyboard character shapes, and their impacts on cellular uptake were examined. The results showed that shapes with higher aspect ratios and sharper angular features have a higher chance of adhering to the cells and become internalized by the cancer cells. The local interaction between the cell membrane and the part of the microparticle in contact with the cell membrane also plays a crucial role in determining the outcome.
Medic: metaprogramming and trace-oriented debugging

Modern programmers enjoy a wealth of high-level and graphical tools for understanding and debugging programs. Nevertheless, programmers often resort to the simple and the time-honored technique of inserting print statements into programs to reveal progress and to expose intermediate values. This trace debugging (a.k.a. printf debugging) technique persists because it has many advantages. Traditional trace debugging also has several drawbacks, including the need to modify the source program and the need for additional tools when trace output becomes too voluminous. Medic, our new debugging and program-exploration tool for Racket, augments the traditional examination of control and state with output processing, metaprogramming, and visualization features. Medic allows programmers to leverage the benefits of trace debugging while addressing many of its drawbacks.
Optimization of Fracture Resistance and Stiffness of Heat-Polymerized High Impact Acrylic Resin with Localized E-Glass FiBER FORCE® Reinforcement at Different Stress Points

Purpose Dentures are subject to fracture through flexural stresses during masticatory function. Distribution of stresses under flexural loading varies from compressive to tensile stress along the thickness of the denture cross section. The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of reinforcing compressive, tensile, and no stress regions of flexurally loaded rectangular bars of heat-cured denture base acrylic resin reinforced with tough E-Glass FiBER FORCE (GFF) on their fracture resistance under flexural loading. Materials and Methods Forty rectangular specimens (65 mm long × 10 mm wide × 2.5 mm thick) were prepared and divided into four groups (n = 10). Group FN had no fiber reinforcement, group FM had fiber in the middle at the no-stress neutral axis, group FC had fiber close to the surface on the compressive stress side, and group FT had the fiber close to the surface on the tensile stress side. The effect of GFF reinforcement on flexural strength (FS), flexural toughness (TG), and flexural modulus of elasticity (MOE) was evaluated. Results The mean and (SD) of the FS, TG, and MOE varied as follows. FS (MPa): group FN: 91.49 (7.88); group FM: 102.83 (13.5); group FC: 107.68 (11.21); group FT: 141.46 (14.77). TG (mJ/mm3): group FN: 0.171 (0.026); group FM: 0.236 (0.033); group FC: 0.156 (0.032); group FT: 0.347 (0.010). MOE (MPa): group FN: 2682 (761); group FM: 2601 (417); group FC: 4188 (1012); group FT: 4215 (674). Statistical analysis showed that reinforcement on the tensile side of the neutral axis yielded improvement in all properties evaluated. Conclusions Placement of the GFF close to the tensile stress side surface of the bar increased the resistance to elastic deformation (i.e., higher MOE or stiffness) and the stress level needed for flexural fracture (i.e., higher FS). In addition, more energy was absorbed by reinforced specimens before fracture occurred (i.e., higher toughness). Localized reinforcement targeting tensile stress centers is thus a practical way to improve clinical durability of dentures against intra- and extraoral fracture.
Political Liberty Today: is it Being Restricted or Enlarged by Economic Regulation?

The liberty of any given citizen is inhibited by four great enemies. The first enemy is outer—the inhibition of the liberty of one by the liberty of others. The other three are inner enemies—illness, poverty, ignorance. The outer enemy is commonplace to political scientists. And so it is this inner triumvirate against freedom which I wish first and mainly to discuss. Worst of the three is ignorance. Pure liberty would consist simply in doing what one wants to do. Illness is enemy to this ideal not merely because illness weakens wants, but also because it aborts the very formation of virile wants. Poverty is enemy not only because it stunts the growth of healthy wants, but because it circumvents efficacy of efforts to fulfill any and all wants. Ignorance, however, is worst of the three, not only because it fortifies the other enemies, inner and outer, but because it also converts such regulation of elemental wants as is made inevitable by civilization into the psychological poison of aggression and thereby estops fructifying sublimation of the crasser forms of freedom.
Increased excretion of fecal bile acids by an oral hydrophilic colloid.

SummaryAn oral hydrophilic colloid (9.6 gm/day), after a 4-week preexperimental control period, was fed for a 6-week experimental period to 2 normally active young adult males on a self-selected mixed diet, with the following results: Total fecal bile acids per 24 hours obtained during the experimental period averaged 3 times (302%) the excretion level of the control period. Serum cholesterol levels during the experimental period averaged 17% lower than during the control period. These differences were statistically highly significant by t test (p < 0.005). Total neutral sterol excretion per 24 hours in the experimental period was unchanged from the values measured during the control period. The mechanism by which the mucilloid increases fecal bile acid excretion is unknown.
Aero-Optic Characterization of Supersonic Boundary Layers in the Trisonic Gasdynamic Facility

An aero-optic characterization of the empty tunnel test section wall boundary layers was conducted in the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Trisonic Gasdynamics Facility with freestream Mach numbers of 1.5, 1.9, 2.3 and 3.0. A Malley probe and Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor were used to acquire spatially and temporally resolved wavefront data. At each Mach number, aero-optic data were acquired at multiple freestream densities and streamwise location in order to establish scaling relationships. The overall aberration levels ranged between 10-50 nm of rms Optical Path Difference (OPD) over a 3 cm viewing aperture and exhibited a linear dependence on freestream density, as expected. OPD was also observed to generally increase with downstream location, although not for every case tested. A companion paper (Ref. 13) examines the detailed spatio-temporal characteristics and scaling of the data.
The Measures and Implementation Effect of Government-led Leisure Sports in China

In this article,by the method of literature and logical analysis,the paper discussed the development process of the leisure sports in China from the measures in policy,funds,facilities,human resource allocation,and other important measures.It takes the cases of the achievements of recreational sports of Guangdong province,Beijing,Tianjin and Hebei region as the example,references the demo-activities in the national sports event organizations and explains the solutions in operating huge sports venues so as to verify the achievements and demo-experiences of leisure sports in the current background.
Classification and Analysis of Beta-spline Curve End Conditions

The complete definition of a curve or surface by an open Beta-spline formulation requires the specification of an end condition in the case of a curve, or a boundary condition for a surface. Different techniques have various geometric properties which require careful study to enable the selection of an appropriate approach. A classification and explanation of various end conditions and boundary conditions for uniform B-spline curve and surface representations, as well as an analysis of their geometric properties, was previously presented by the author in [3]. Analogous discussions for the Beta-spline curve and surface representations are presented in this section and Chapter 16, respectively.
Diamond wire machining of wood

Wood machining with fixed abrasive diamond wire was investigated. Advantages of diamond wire sawing include the thin kerf and flexibility to change cutting directions. Advancements in new high speed diamond wire cutting machines have made this process suitable for wood machining. Two cutting configurations using a looped and an oscillatory wire saw were studied. Experiments investigating the effects of wire speed, wire feed rate, coolant, and cutting direction on cutting white oak (Quercus alba L.) and eastern white pine (Pinus strobes L.) were conducted. The results show that the diamond wire saw can effectively machine both types of wood. The looped wire saw machined the wood with the fastest feed rate, and had very good surface quality. The oscillatory wire saw machined with a slower wire speed and lower feed rate, and the surface roughness was not compromised. Overall, both wire saws yielded good surface quality when machining the pine and oak with various feed rates.
Abstract 168: Contribution of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Signaling to Fate Specification in Cardiomyocytes

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the pivotal proangiogenic growth factors that has long contributed to our knowledge of blood vessel and circulatory maintenance as well as angiogenesis in both pathology and pathophysiology. However, the non-canonical functions of VEGF in cardiac morphogenesis have not been well characterized. Here, we examined how VEGF regulates cardiomyocyte cell fate. Using chimeric embryos harboring both wild type and VEGF-null embryonic stem cells, we observed that derivatives of VEGF null cells were preferentially recruited to the atrium of the heart in comparison to the ventricles. To further provide physiologic context of this finding, we used reporter-LacZ staining and RT-PCR and found that endogenous VEGF was indeed expressed at much lower levels in the atrium but highly expressed in the ventricle early in cardiac morphogenesis. These data lead to our hypothesis that cell-autonomous expression of VEGF is a determinant of atrial vs. ventricular cardiomyocyte cell fate. To test this hypothesis, we used a VEGF knock-in mouse model of Sm22Cre x Rosa 26 VEGF. VEGF overexpression in cardiomyocytes (and smooth muscle) at E8.5 resulted in lethality by P1 and thickened atrial and ventricular walls in mutant embryos as characterized by histology (H&E, IF). We further explored the molecular changes underlying this phenotype via microarray and RT-PCR and find disruptions in molecular markers necessary for wall development, specifically: Notch-1, BMP10, Nrg-1. Taken together, our data indicates that aberrant embryonic VEGF signaling disrupts several critical signaling pathways and that overexpression leads to disruption of cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiac morphogenesis. These findings add to the foundation of better understanding heart development, laying the groundwork for future therapy of congenital and acquired cardiac disease.
Toolsets for the Development of Highly Interactive and Information-Rich Environments

This paper describes a unique set of programming toolsets which are designed specifically to aid in the authoring of immersive virtual environment (VE) applications. The first toolset provides a wide range of user interface options through a pen based metaphor, and benefits applications which have a high degree of interactive complexity. The second toolset allows high level control of audio annotations, and benefits applications which provide information to the user via the audio modality. The toolsets are designed to provide abstraction from the basic VE software system, to allow rapid prototyping and experimentation, and to be reusable across multiple applications. Two applications which have made extensive use of both toolsets are also presented.
Evaluation of assimilated SMOS Soil Moisture data for US cropland Soil Moisture monitoring

Remotely sensed soil moisture data can provide timely, objective and quantitative crop soil moisture information with broad geospatial coverage and sufficiently high resolution observations collected throughout the growing season. This paper evaluates the feasibility of using the assimilated ESA Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) Mission L-band passive microwave data for operational US cropland soil surface moisture monitoring. The assimilated SMOS soil moisture data are first categorized to match with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) survey-based weekly soil moisture observation data, which are ordinal. The categorized assimilated SMOS soil moisture data are compared with NASS's survey-based weekly soil moisture data for consistency and robustness using visual assessment and rank correlation. Preliminary results indicate that the assimilated SMOS soil moisture data highly co-vary with NASS field observations across a large geographic area. Therefore, SMOS data have great potential for US operational cropland soil moisture monitoring.