cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
STUDENT GOALS AND THE UNIVERSITY: CONGRUENCIES AND INCONGRUENCIES*

An inescapable requirement for university administrators is one present in all complex organizations; namely, to assess the effective ness of their system in achieving the goals for which it exists. The difficulty of the task is derived partly from the lack of clarity as to the university's purposes, and partly from the absence or non acceptance of criteria of effectiveness. Perhaps there is no long-range solution for any university which must continually respond to a rapidly changing society because of its role as a primary source of knowledge, ideas, and potential leaders. Nevertheless the number of people involved, the high cost of education, the need for brainpower, as well as a critical position in today's world, more than substantiates the need to continue the search for meaningful criteria with which to analyze and evaluate the performance of universities. This paper focuses attention on an under-used and under-estimated source of
Discontinuous shear thinning in ordered suspensions.

The flow properties of concentrated suspensions having crystalline order at rest are reported. The suspensions contain charge stabilized particles and the softness of particle interaction is altered by varying the suspending phase ionic strength. The suspensions display a yield stress ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\mathit{y}}$, and for stresses larger than ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\mathit{y}}$, shear thin. At a critical shear stress, suspension viscosity discontinuously drops 1--3 orders of magnitude. The scaling of critical stress, yield stress, recoverable strains, and zero-frequency modulus on volume fraction and ionic strength are discussed.
Magnetic Field Data on Fermilab Energy Saver Quadrupoles

The Fermilab Energy Saver/Doubler (Tevatron) accelerator contains 216 superconducting quadrupole magnets. Before installation in the Tevatron ring, these magnets plus an additional number of spares were extensively tested at the Fermilab Magnet Test Facility (MTF). Details on the results of the tests are presented here.
Environmental Impact Assessment—a capstone course for Environmental Studies and Science majors at Regis University

Environmental Impact Assessment, ENVS 450, was developed as the capstone course for Environmental Science and Studies majors at Regis University, Denver, CO. The students were asked to complete an environmental assessment (EA) for Groundwork Denver, a local environmental justice nonprofit. The class wrote an EA about a proposed open space project for a former brownfield. The assessment included potential effects of certain actions on the surrounding environment during construction and maintenance of the open space. After the completion of the EA, the class presented a 50-page report and an oral presentation to Groundwork Denver, local citizens, and class speakers outlining work completed over the semester. I then surveyed students about their perceived learning during the course. Students reported that the coursework was challenging, interesting, and impacted them personally by the collaborative work done with the community and Groundwork Denver.
Stress and property control in sputtered metal films without substrate bias

Abstract Previous investigations of sputtered metal and silicon films have revealed that deposit characteristics commonly associated with bias sputtering, such as low resistivity and compressive internal stress, can also be obtained without substrate bias under certain conditions such as a low pressure of the working gas. More recently it was found that increased rates of sputtering raise the pressure threshold below which these benefits are attained. The present investigation extends these observations for a variety of discharge geometries, and for other film properties. Measurements of substrate heating rates and inert gas entrapment are also examined to assess the possibility that momentum transfer is the mechanism controlling the modification of properties.
The what, how, and why of wavelet shrinkage denoising

Wavelet shrinkage denoising provides a novel method of reducing noise in signals. The author demonstrates 1D and 2D examples, tests the performance of various ideal and practical Fourier- and wavelet-based denoising procedures, and makes recommendations for practitioners. It is is concluded that it is unlikely that one particular wavelet shrinkage denoising procedure will be suitable, no less optimal, for all practical problems. However, it is likely that there will be many practical problems, for which after appropriate experimentation, wavelet-based denoising with either hard or soft thresholding proves to be the most effective procedure. Using wavelet-based denoising of the log-periodogram to estimate the power spectrum might prove to be one such important application with great promise for further development.
“Into Thin Air” and the Genetics of Complex Traits

Even after detailed analyses of past events, future events are difficult, if not impossible, to predict. Few are those who could have predicted that a long and monotonous DNA molecule would potentially revolutionize the future of science and medicine. Even after the acceptance of DNA as the basic hereditary material, few predicted either the rapid rate of discovery of genes and mutations that cause the simply inherited mendelian diseases or the speed at which international public and private efforts made it possible to read the complete sequence of the human genome. Today, genes are implicated in all aspects of the human condition, ranging from susceptibility to common diseases to differences in clinical outcomes. Further analysis of the human genome sequence has led to the identification of millions of single-nucleotide variations (single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]), which form the backbone of interindividual variations in disease susceptibility, clinical outcome, and response to therapy (pharmacogenetics). Massive efforts are currently underway to unleash the potential usefulness of SNPs in clinical medicine. The ultimate goal is to develop “personalized medicine” by creating SNP profiles for identification of those at increased risk in a preclinical setting, providing information about the pathology of disease in subgroups of patients, and targeting drugs and other treatments to those patients who are most likely to respond. See p 826 We have witnessed (and sometimes participated in) a plethora of association studies exploring susceptibility genes for …
Chronicle of a (football) death foretold: the imminent demise of a national pastime?

Football today, most conspicuously at the professional level (National Football League), is the economic and cultural colossus of American spectator sports. To speak of its ‘life cycle’, then, would seem nonsensical: although it has a clear ‘birth’, to speak of its ‘death’ might seem ridiculously premature. Yet, recent developments make imagining such a death possible. In this essay, I will explore two current controversies – over ‘athletes’ rights' at the collegiate level and the dangers of traumatic head injury at all levels – that have the potential to destroy American football at least in the form we know it today. And it will trace the factors behind those controversies – the insistent and persistent ‘amateurism’ of American college athletes and the fundamental violence of the game itself – back to their origins. What might end American football as we know it was present in the game from nearly its beginning.
Internet: a framework for analyzing online human service practices

SUMMARY The Internet and related electronic communication technologies are used by human service professionals for many functions ranging from the storage and transmission of sensitive medical information to online counseling. Yet, there are many aspects of telecommunications law that work against privacy and thus the potential for ethical dilemmas has increased. This paper explores and discusses the complex reasons contributing to these ethical dilemmas. The article also presents a human service oriented framework, INTERNET, for analyzing and resolving these dilemmas.
Efficient Activity Retrieval through Semantic Graph Queries

We present an efficient retrieval approach for activity detection in large surveillance video datasets based on semantic graph queries. Unlike conventional approaches, our zero-shot retrievalmethod does not require knowledge of the activity classes contained in the video. We propose a novel user-centric approach thatmodels queries through the creation of sparse semantic graphs based on attributes and discriminative relationships. We then pose search as a ranked subgraph matching problem and leverage the fact that the attributes and relationships in the query have different levels of discriminability to filter out bad matches. Rather than solving the NP-hard exact subgraph matching problem, we develop a novel maximally discriminative spanning tree (MDST) as the relaxation of a given query graph, and then describe a matching algorithm that recovers matches to this tree in linear time using maximally discriminative subgraphmatching (MDSM).We utilize theMDST tominimize the number of possible matches to the original query while guaranteeing that the best matches are within this set. We test this algorithm on two large video datasets: the 35-GB Virat Ground dataset and a 1-TB aerial data collection from Yuma. These datasets yield graphs with 200,000 nodes and 1 million nodes, respectively, with an average degree of 5. Our approach finds complex, large-scale queries in seconds while maintaining comparable precision and recall to slower current approaches.
β Persei: Radio Star and Probable X-ray Star

The eclipsing and spectroscopic binary β Persei (Algol) is a radio star which, since the initial radio detection1 in October 1971 through extensive observations2 in January and February 1972, has shown progressively stronger and more frequent radio flaring. I point out here that the simplest interpretation of virtually all of the β Persei data is in terms of a variable thermal bremsstrahlung source with such high temperatures during peak levels of the recent flaring that it must have become a variable X-ray source.
Behavioral state organization of very low birth weight infants: Effects of developmental handling during caregiving

Handling infants for nursing care in the neonatal intensive care unit has been associated with physiological and behavioral distress. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an individualized approach to nursing care designed to reduce stressors and support behavioral organization would positively affect behavioral state organization during caregiving. The developmental approach was contrasted with a traditional approach in 38 infants (< 1700 g, 53% female, 85% white) at 28, 30, and 32 weeks postconceptional age. Subjects served as their own controls in a cross-over design, with assessment of four caregiving sessions at each age. Results showed that with developmental caregiving, time spent in sleep and drowsy wakefulness was higher, and time in alert and non-alert wakefulness and fuss/cry was lower than with traditional caregiving. Results demonstrate a positive effect of developmental handling for behavioral state organization. However, the findings for the alert state were unexpected and require further exploration of how alertness may be promoted without the physiological and behavioral costs of disorganized arousal.
Target detection during image formation for ultrawideband radar

In this work, we introduce a detection scheme that is able to identify regions of interest during the intermediate stages of an image formation process for ultra-wideband (UWB) synthetic aperture radar. Traditional detection methods manipulate the data after image formation. However, this approach wastes computational resources by resolving to completion the entire scene including area dominated by benign clutter. As an alternative, we introduce a multiscale focus of attention (FOA) algorithm that processes intermediate radar data from a quadtree-based backprojection image formation algorithm. As the stages of the quadtree algorithm progress, the FOA thresholds a detection statistic that estimates the signal-to-background ratio for increasingly smaller subpatches. Whenever a subpatch fails a detection, the FOA cues the image formation processor to terminate further processing of that subpatch. We demonstrate that the FOA is able to decrease the overall computational load of the image formation process by a factor of two. We also show that the new FOA method provides fewer false alarms than the two-parameter CFAR FOA over a small database of UWB radar data.
Focal adhesion kinase, paxillin, and bcl-2: analysis of expression, phosphorylation, and association during morphogenesis.

Cell adhesive mechanisms which determine tissue architecture during morphogenesis are tightly regulated and have an impact on apoptosis, cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Bcl-2 is a death repressor that protects cells from apoptosis initiated by a variety of stimuli including loss of cell adhesion. Utilizing the kidney as a model of an organ that undergoes three-dimensional development we demonstrate that bcl-2 directly associates with paxillin. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK)(p125) and paxillin(p68) were highly expressed and tyrosine phosphorylated during development but declined to low levels following renal maturation (postnatal day 20) in normal mice. The decline in the expression of p125 FAK and p68 paxillin occurred together with an increase in specific cleavage products of lower molecular weights. Mice deficient in bcl-2 are born with renal hypoplasia and succumb to renal failure as a result of renal multicystic disease. In kidneys from postnatal day 20 bcl-2 −/− mice, tyrosine phosphorylation of p125 FAK and p68 paxillin was not down-regulated. However, the level of expression was similar to that of normal mice. These results demonstrate that the developmentally regulated expression and phosphorylation of FAK and paxillin, in the presence of bcl-2, is necessary for normal morphogenesis. The interaction of paxillin with bcl-2 during nephrogenesis may provide an alternative to integrin(s) signaling through paxillin/FAK thus bypassing the need for adhesion-mediated survival during three dimensional morphogenesis. Dev Dyn 1999;215:371–382. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Tumor regression by anti-CD40 and interleukin-2: role of CD40 in hematopoietic cells and organ-specific effects

CD40 stimulation can synergize with interleukin (IL)-2 for antitumor responses against mouse metastatic renal cell carcinomas, with coincident increases in tumor-specific CD8+ T-cell responses and dendritic cell numbers in both the spleen and liver. Because CD40 is present on various hematopoietic-derived cells, endothelial cells, and some tumors themselves, this study was performed to determine whether the antitumor effects of CD40 stimulation and IL-2 were primarily mediated by CD40+ hematopoietic-derived cells. Bone marrow chimeras were created by reconstituting lethally irradiated CD40+/+ recipients with bone marrow from CD40-/- or CD40+/+ mice. Chimeric mice were then implanted orthotopically with renal cancer cells, followed by treatment with anti-CD40 agonist monoclonal antibodies and IL-2. Immune parameters of the spleen and liver were assessed after therapy and correlated with antitumor responses. The antitumor effects in the CD40-/- bone marrow transplantation chimeras were almost completely abrogated after treatment, and this shows that hematopoietically derived CD40+ cells are the principal targets for CD40 stimulation in this model. Although both spleen and liver showed reductions in CD8+ T-cell and dendritic cell expansion in the CD40-/- versus CD40+/+ chimeras after therapy, only the liver exhibited no significant increases in either CD8+ T cells or dendritic cells after treatment. CD40 cells on hematopoietic cells are the primary target for anti-CD40 and IL-2 therapy. The results also suggest that the immunologic events in the liver may be more revealing that those in lymphoid organs with regard to critical events related to responses after therapy.
Influence of Short Term Inhibitor Treatment on the Flowering of Lemna perpusilla 6746

Short term inhibitor treatment can be used to examine the processes that occur during an inductive dark period in the short day plant Lemna perpusilla Torr., strain 6746. Several inhibitors of protein biosynthesis are most effective in reducing per cent flowering when treatment occurs over the 2-hour intervals beginning at the 12th hour or the 14th hour of a 8 (16) photoperiodic cycle. The antimetabolite, 5-fluorouracil, is most effective when treatment occurs early in the dark period. Evidence is cited suggesting that distilled water incubation inhibits flowering by interfering with protein biosynthesis.
Separation of Tilletia indica chromosomes using CHEF gel electrophoresis

Electrophoretic karyotypes were deter? mined for single teliospore isolates and monosporidial lines of Tilletia indica, causal agent of Karnal bunt disease of wheat. Good separation of chromosomes of T. indica was achieved using 0.7% chromosomal grade agarose and a 3-15 minute ramped switching interval for 168 hours at 60 volts. At least 11 chromosomes were observed in T. indica, ranging in size from ca 1 to over 3.3 megabases. Many isolates contained unique karyotypes. Substantial variation in banding intensity was observed within many isolates, indicating the pos- sible presence of multiple chromosomes within single bands. Electrophoretic karyotypes of single teliospore isolates from infected wheat seeds were compared with those of monosporidial isolates derived therefrom. Some differences were observed in karyotypes of te? liospore and monosporidial lines, indicating that al- terations in karyotype may occur through meiosis in T. indica. Southern blot hybridization revealed that the large subunit ribosomal DNA gene is located on the largest chromosome in T. indica.
Parabolized Navier-Stokes algorithm for chemically reacting flows

A second-order parabolized Navier-Stokes algorithm based on the MacCormack (1969) explicit scheme is used to study three-dimensional chemically reacting flows with finite-rate chemistry. The method can treat the chemical source term implicitly, and it accounts for the multicomponent diffusion and convection of the chemical species. The method is demonstrated with the nonreacting case of a Mach-3 flow over a double-wedge compression corner and the case of streamwise hydrogen injection at sonic velocity in a Mach-2.44 vitiated air stream.
Systematic variations of argon diffusion in feldspars and implications for thermochronometry

Abstract Coupled information about the time-dependent production and temperature-dependent diffusion of radiogenic argon in feldspars can be used to constrain the thermal evolution attending a host of Earth and planetary processes. To better assess the accuracy of thermal models, an understanding of the mechanisms and pathways by which argon diffuses in feldspars is desirable. Here we present step-heating Ar diffusion experiments conducted on feldspars with diverse compositions, structural states, and microstructural characteristics. The experiments reveal systematic variations in diffusive behavior that appear closely related to these variables, with apparent closure temperatures for 0.1–1 mm grains of ∼200–400 °C (assuming a 10 °C/Ma cooling rate). Given such variability, there is no broadly applicable set of diffusion parameters that can be utilized in feldspar thermal modeling; sample-specific data are required. Diffusion experiments conducted on oriented cleavage flakes do not reveal directionally-dependent diffusive anisotropy to within the resolution limits of our approach (approximately a factor of 2). Additional experiments aimed at constraining the physical significance of the diffusion domain are presented and indicate that unaltered feldspar crystals with or without coherent exsolution lamellae diffuse at the grain-scale, whereas feldspars containing hydrothermal alteration and/or incoherent sub-grain intergrowths do not. Arrhenius plots for argon diffusion in plagioclase and alkali feldspars appear to reflect a confluence of intrinsic diffusion kinetics and structural transitions that occur during incremental heating experiments. These structural transitions, along with sub-grain domain size variations, cause deviations from linearity (i.e., upward and downward curvature) on Arrhenius plots. An atomistic model for Arrhenius behavior is proposed that incorporates the variable lattice deformations of different feldspars in response to heating and compression. The resulting implications for accurately extrapolating laboratory-derived diffusion parameters to natural settings and over geologic time are discussed. We find that considerable inaccuracies may exist in published thermal histories obtained using multiple diffusion domain (MDD) models fit to Arrhenius plots for exsolved alkali feldspar, where the inferred Ar partial retention zones may be spuriously hot.
SOME TRENDS IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN DOCUMENTATION

In this inevitably personal view, where I have taken documentation to embrace libraries and information centres, services and systems, I propose to stress Research rather than Development—with one exception. Other authors will be considering the application of research results in operational systems of documentation but Herbert Coblans, as a librarian first, would have—and did—welcome the development of automated aid in the basic library processes—to this we shall return.
Correction of systematic errors in automatically produced boundaries from low-contrast ventriculograms

Poor contrast in the apex zone and nonhomogeneous mixing of the dye with the blood in the left ventricle causes the left ventricle pixel-based classifiers operating on ventriculograms to yield boundaries which are not close to ground truth boundaries as delineated by the cardiologist. They have a mean boundary error of about 6.4 mm and an error of about 12.5 mm in the apex zone. These errors have a systematic positional and orientational bias, the boundary being under-estimated in the apex zone. This paper discusses two calibration methods: the identical coefficient and the independent coefficient to remove these systematic biases. From these methods, we constitute a combined algorithm which reduces the boundary error compared to either of the calibration methods. The algorithm, in a greedy way, computes which and how many vertices of the left ventricle boundary can be taken from the computed boundary of each method to best improve the performance. The corrected boundaries have a mean error of less than 3.5 mm with a standard deviation of 3.4 mm over the approximately 6/spl times/10/sup 4/ vertices in the data set of 291 studies. Our methodology reduces the mean boundary error by 2.9 millimeters over the boundary produced by the classifier. We also show the calibration algorithm performs better in the apex zone where the dye is unable to reach. For end-diastole, it reduces the error in the apex zone by 8.5 millimeters over the pixel-based classifier boundaries.
The effect of a Beare-Stevenson syndrome Fgfr2 Y394C mutation on early craniofacial bone volume and relative bone mineral density in mice

Quantifying the craniofacial skeletal phenotype during development highlights potential effects of known mutations on bone maturation and is an informative first step for the analysis of animal models. We introduce a novel technique to easily and efficiently quantify individual cranial bone volume and relative bone mineral density across the murine skull from high resolution computed tomography images. The approach can be combined with existing quantitative morphometric methods to provide details of bone growth and bone quality, which can be used to make inferences about regulatory effects local to individual bones and identify locations and developmental times for which additional analyses are warranted. Analysis of the Fgfr2+/Y394C mouse model of Beare-Stevenson cutis gyrata syndrome, an FGFR-related craniosynostosis syndrome, is used to demonstrate the method. Mutants and unaffected littermates display similar bone volume and relative bone density at birth, followed by significant differences at postnatal day eight. The change in rates of bone volume growth occurs similarly for all bones of the skull, regardless of origin, location or association with craniosynostosis. These results suggest an association between low bone density, low bone volume, and Fgfr craniosynostosis mutations. Our novel technique provides an initial quantitative evaluation of local shifts in bone maturation across the skull of animal models.
Empirical assessment of college student-athletes' persistence in e-learning courses: A case study of a U.S. National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) institution

In recent years, the application of Information Technologies (IT) has fostered a tremendous growth in e-learning courses at colleges and universities in the United States. Subsequently, some colleges and universities have reported dropout rates of over 60% in e-learning courses. This research investigated persistence in e-learning courses of 187 college student-athletes. To predict the persistence of college student-athletes enrolled in e-learning courses, a conceptual model was proposed and assessed based on students' factors. The factors investigated included students' attitude toward computers, students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, students' perceived satisfaction, and students' previous academic performance measures (high school grade point average (GPA) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score). These factors have previously shown tendencies toward persistence in e-learning courses. Results of this study indicate that students' high school GPA was a significant predictor of e-learning course persistence for college student-athletes.
Discrete lens array optimization for MIMO communication

Continuous Aperture Phased MIMO (CAP-MIMO) is a novel transceiver architecture that combines the concept of beamspace MIMO and analog beamforming to fully exploit the advantages of high-dimensional MIMO channels with the lowest possible transceiver complexity. CAP-MIMO theory dictates that the analog beamformer affect a spatial Fourier transform. A CAP-MIMO prototype uses a discrete lens array (DLA) designed for broadside focusing, which approximates the Fourier transform well near broadside but degrades at larger angles. This paper discusses the optimization of the DLA to achieve a closer approximation to the Fourier transform over a wider angular spread. Numerical results obtained using an iterative algorithm are presented that demonstrate the more uniform performance achieved by the optimized DLA.
A stable and accurate current-comparator-based quadrature-current reference for power frequencies

A current-comparator technique for obtaining a pure quadrature-current reference for power frequencies is described. The current in a solid dielectric capacitor of relatively high capacitance value or in an electronic inductor is compared, using the current comparator, to the current in a “lossless” gas-dielectric capacitor of relatively low capacitance value. The difference current derived from the output of the detection winding is added, through a feedback circuit, to the current in the solid dielectric capacitor or the electronic inductor resulting in a stable and pure quadrature current. The instability and loss angle of the quadrature current are not more than ±5 ppm and ±5 μrad, respectively. This quadrature current source is used to provide a reference current in an active/reactive power comparator bridge for calibration of active/reactive power meters.
Microarray Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles in Cells Transfected With Nonviral Vectors

Inefficient gene delivery is a critical factor limiting the use of nonviral methods in therapeutic applications including gene therapy and tissue engineering. There have been few efforts to understand or engineer the molecular signaling pathways that dictate the efficacy of gene transfer. Microarray analysis was used to determine endogenous gene expression profiles modulated during nonviral gene transfer. Nonviral DNA lipoplexes were delivered to HEK 293T cells. Flow cytometry was used to isolate a population of transfected cells. Expression patterns were compared between transfected and nontransfected samples, which revealed three genes that were significantly upregulated in transfected cells, including RAP1A, a GTPase implicated in integrin-mediated cell adhesion, and HSP70B′, a stress-inducible gene that may be important for maintaining cell viability. Furthermore, RAP1A was also significantly upregulated in untransfected cells that were exposed to lipoplexes but that had not expressed the transgene as compared to control, untreated cells. Transfection in the presence of activators of upregulated genes was enhanced, demonstrating the principle of altering endogenous gene expression profiles to enhance transfection. With a greater understanding of signaling pathways involved in gene delivery, more efficient nonviral delivery schemes capitalizing on endogenous factors can be developed to advance therapeutic applications.
Penetration of cosmic ray muons into the Earth

Abstract I present a new analytic solution to the integro-differential equation that describes the underground propagation of cosmic ray muons. The exact solution is given in the form of an infinite series in inverse powers of the muon energy. Convergence is proved for sufficiently high energies. The series is shown to be summable in closed form, in certain approximations. The closed forms provides analytic continuations to low energies of the series solution. One approximation resembles a well-known solution that ignores discrete energy loss, but this approximation introduces additional constants. I apply the approximate solution using an expression for the surface muon flux, derived from the primary flux, as a boundary condition. The result predicts the underground muon vertical intensity over seven orders of magnitude (10 km depth), compares favorably with published Monte Carlo calculations, and can be performed in seconds on a personal computer. As an application, the same approximation predicts the “catastrophic” energy-loss event rate at Soudan II.
Stochastically weighted average conditional moment tests of functional form

We develop a new consistent conditional moment test of functional form based on nuisance parameter indexed sample moments first presented in Bierens. We reduce the nuisance parameter space to known countable sets, which leads to a weighted average conditional moment test in the spirit of Bierens and Ploberger’s integrated conditional moment test (ICM). The weights are possibly stochastic in an arbitrary way, integer-indexed and flexible enough to cover a range of tests from average to higher quantile to maximum tests. The limit distribution under the null and local alternative belong to the same class as the ICM statistic, hence our test is admissible if the errors are Gaussian, and a flat weight leads to the greatest weighted average local power.
Leukotriene B4 induced decrease in mechanical and thermal thresholds of C-fiber mechanonociceptors in rat hairy skin.

Abstract We have recently shown that leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a product of the 5-lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism, sensitizes nociceptors to mechanical stimuli. The present study examined whether LTB4 also induced a thermal sensitization of cutaneous C-fiber high-threshold mechanonociceptors (C-HTMs). C-HTMs were characterized according to their responsiveness to noxious mechanical, thermal and chemical stimuli, including glacial acetic acid, bradykinin and capsaicin. C-HTMs were found to be either heat responsive (heat C-HTMs) or heat and chemically responsive (polymodal C-HTMs). Ninety-four percent of polymodal C-HTMs and 60% of C-HTMs were sensitized to thermal and mechanical stimuli by LTB4 (75 ng). All sensitized C-HTMs showed decreases in both thermal and mechanical thresholds. LTB4 lowered in both subclasses of C-HTMs average thermal threshold from 45 to 35°C and produced an average decrease in the mechanical threshold of approximately 82–86%. For both heat and polymodal C-HTMs, the magnitude of LTB4-evoked decreases in thermal and mechanical thresholds was similar to that produced by 75 ng of PGE2. The possibility was discussed that LTB4 may contribute to the component of hyperalgesia that is resistant to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents.
STUDIES OP CERTAIN RED PIGMENTS FORMED FROM 2-THIOBARBITURIC ACIDa

SUMMARY Methods for the preparation of pigments from thiobarbituric acid and oxidized milk fat, malonaldehyde, and 2-sulfanilamidopyrimidine are presented, and the general characteristics of the pigment preparations are described. Various oxidized vegetable oils were found to react with thiobarbituric acid to produce the characteristic red color. The chromatographic adsorption techniques investigated did not prove satisfactory for isolation and purification of the pigment preparations. Attempts to form chemical derivatives were unsuccessful, and the solubility characteristics of the pigments prevented the determination of molecular weights by colligative properties. Elemental analyses of pigment preparations were not sufficiently consistent to justify definite conclusions. A spectrophotometric technique permitting calculation of the stoichiometry of the malonaldehyde-thiobarbiturie acid pigment is presented. Results suggest an equimolar reaction without loss of water. Other spectral data indicate the pigment is degraded to yield equal quantities of malonaldehyde and thiobarbituric acid. A second malonaldehyde-thiobarbiturie acid pigment with an absorption maximum of 507 mμ was isolated. The spectral techniques indicated a combining ratio of 3 aldehyde molecules to 1 thiobarbituric acid molecule for this pigment.
Transduction of an IL-2 Gene into Human Melanoma-Reactive Lymphocytes Results in Their Continued Growth in the Absence of Exogenous IL-2 and Maintenance of Specific Antitumor Activity

IL-2-dependent activated cells undergo apoptotic death when IL-2 is withdrawn either in vitro or after in vivo cell transfer. To attempt to sustain their survival after IL-2 withdrawal, melanoma-reactive human T lymphocytes were retrovirally transduced with an exogenous human IL-2 gene. Transduced PBMC and cloned CD8+ T cells produced IL-2 and maintained viability after IL-2 withdrawal. Upon restimulation, IL-2 transductants proliferated in the absence of exogenous IL-2 and could be actively grown, and their survival could be maintained without added IL-2 for over 8 wk. PBMCs similarly transduced with a control vector did not produce IL-2 and failed to proliferate in the absence of IL-2. A CD8+ T cell clone, when transduced with an IL-2 gene, manifested the same phenotypes as PBMCs in the absence of exogenous IL-2. Furthermore, an Ab reactive with the α-chain of IL-2R complex reduced the viability mediated by IL-2 secretion of the IL-2 transductants. Moreover, transduction of an IL-2 gene did not affect the high degree of recognition and specificity of transductants against melanoma targets. These tumor-reactive IL-2 transductants may be valuable for in vitro studies and for improved adoptive transfer therapies for patients with metastatic melanoma.
Differential Complement Resistance Mediates Virulence of Haemophilus influenzae Type b

Studies were undertaken to gain insight into the virulence of type b in contrast to the other Haemophilus influenzae capsular types. A relationship was found between the comparative virulence of H. influenzae types in humans and their resistance to the bactericidal effect of antibody-free complement. Type b was most resistant to the bactericidal effect of complement. The other types could be divided into three groups based upon their susceptibility to complement; this grouping was also related to their structural similarities. No association between virulence and either the biotype, source of isolate, in vitro association with peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes, or the total amount of capsular polysaccharide was found. However, among the type b strains, higher levels of cell-associated polysaccharide were associated with increased resistance to complement. The relative virulence of the six H. influenzae types in the infant rat model was generally similar to that in humans. After intraperitoneal challenge, type b and type a strains had the lowest 50% effective doses for bacteremia, removed by several logs from the values of the other types. By intranasal challenge, type b strains produced higher rates and levels of bacteremia than did type a strains. High levels of natural bactericidal antibodies to types c and e were found in adult female rats; this finding alone could not account for the differences in virulence among the H. influenzae types in the infant rat model. We propose that the virulence of type b strains is due to their greater resistance to the bactericidal activity of serum complement alone. Resistance to type b disease requires serum antibody to induce the complement-mediated reaction.
The Mechanism of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Transcriptional Repression during the Unfolded Protein Response

The unfolded protein response (UPR) aids cellular recovery by increasing the capacity and decreasing the protein load of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Although the main pathways of the UPR are known, the mechanisms of UPR-associated transcriptional repression have not been explored in mammalian cells. Previous studies indicate that endogenous cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mRNA levels and protein maturation efficiency decrease when the UPR is activated. In the present study, we demonstrate that inhibition of CFTR expression under ER stress leads to reduced cAMP-activated chloride secretion in epithelial monolayers, an indication of diminished CFTR function. Moreover, ER stress and the UPR obliterate endogenous ΔF508 CFTR mRNA expression in CFPAC-1 cells without affecting recombinant ΔF508 CFTR mRNA levels or mRNA half-life. These results emphasize that transcriptional repression of CFTR under ER stress, in concert with decreased CFTR maturation efficiency, leads to diminished function. Using human CFTR promoter reporter constructs, we confined the ER stress-associated CFTR transcriptional repression to the minimal promoter. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays established the binding of the UPR-activated ATF6 transcription factor to this region during ER stress, which links the repression to the UPR. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) revealed hypermethylation of CpG sites inside and in the vicinity of the MAZ transcription factor binding region of CFTR, demonstrating methylation-dependent repression. Using pharmacological inhibitors, we show that both DNA methylation and histone deacetylation contribute to CFTR transcriptional inhibition. These studies provide novel insight into the mechanism of gene repression during the mammalian UPR.
Investigation of afebrile neonates with a history of fever.

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to describe clinically significant infections in a cohort of afebrile neonates who underwent an emergency department (ED) septic workup because of the history of a measured fever at home. METHODS Retrospective medical record review of all infants (3/4)28 days of age who presented to our tertiary care pediatric ED between Jan. 1, 1999, and Aug. 22, 2002, underwent lumbar puncture in the ED, had a reported temperature at home of >or=38 degrees C, and an ED triage temperature of <38 degrees C. Laboratory and radiographic results were tabulated. RESULTS During the study period, 206 neonates underwent lumbar puncture in our ED. Of these, 108 were excluded because their home temperature was not documented, and 71 were excluded because they were still febrile on presentation to the ED. The study group consisted of the remaining 27 subjects, 4 of whom had received acetaminophen prior to ED arrival. Infections were confirmed in 10 (37%) subjects (3 urinary tract infections, 2 aseptic meningitis, 1 enterovirus meningitis, 1 respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis, 1 rotavirus enteritis and 2 pneumonias). CONCLUSIONS Clinically important infections are not uncommon among afebrile neonates undergoing ED septic workup because of a measured fever at home. Some diagnostic testing is warranted in this group, although the clinical utility and indications for specific test modalities remain unclear.
Effective Medium Theory of DNA-linked Gold Nanoparticle Aggregates: Effect of Aggregate Shape

Abstract : We present a dynamical effective medium theory (EMT) of the dielectric properties of nanoparticle aggregates formed from DNA-linked gold nanoparticles. Experimental measurements show that such aggregates have reduced UV extinction and plasmon bands that are considerably red-shifted and broadened relative to the plasmon absorption feature observed in spectra of dispersed colloid. The EMT, which can be used to reproduce the observed spectral changes, is tested by comparing aggregate spectra calculated using the EMT dielectric function with spectra from explicit coupled particle calculations, and good agreement is found. The EMT dielectric function is used as well in discrete dipole calculations to calculate extinction spectra for a variety of aggregate shapes not amenable to analytic solution, and the sensitivity of the spectra to aggregate shape is examined. We find that the spectra are only weakly sensitive to aggregate shape, and conclude that, when calculating extinction of the DNA-linked aggregates for comparison with experiment, spherical shapes can be assumed.
A Study of the Genetic Basis of the Sexual Dimorphism for Wing Length in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

The genetic basis of a sexually dimorphic quantitative character in Drosophila melanogaster was investigated by means of two-way directional selection for increased and decreased differences between male and female wing length. The sex dimorphism (SD), defined as the mean wing length difference between the sexes, within families, provided the criterion for selection.—The two lines (High SD, Low SD) diverged rapidly during the 15 generations of selection, indicating the presence of extensive genetic variability for the genotype-sex interaction underlying the observed sexual dimorphism. There was evidence that genetic variability persisted in both lines when selection was relaxed. Most of the divergence between the two lines remained after 10 generations of relaxed selection.—The change in the level of sex dimorphism in the High line was due primarily to a decrease in male wing length; in the Low line most of the change in SD was the result of a decrease in female wing length. An overall reduction in wing length in both sexes in both lines is interpreted as an effect of inbreeding.—The distribution and nature of the genetic control underlying the SD characteristic of the two selection lines was investigated by chromosome substitution between selection lines using a marked inversion technique. The two lines differed by factors located on each of the three major chromosome pairs. Chromosome III had the greatest effect on the difference in SD level between lines, and showed an overall additive effect when present in homozygous versus heterozygous combination. Chromosome II had the least effect, with a significant dominance effect of the High II being evident when heterozygotes were compared with homozygotes. The effect of the X chromosome was intermediate. There was some evidence of interaction between non-homologous chromosomes.
The Prevention and Management of Air Leaks Following Pulmonary Resection

Alveolar air leaks are a common problem in the daily practice of thoracic surgeons. Prolonged air leak following pulmonary resection is associated with increased morbidity, increased length of hospital stay, and increased costs. This article reviews the evidence for the various intraoperative and postoperative options to prevent and manage postoperative air leak.
Regulation of Plasminogen Receptor Expression on Monocytoid Cells by β1-Integrin-dependent Cellular Adherence to Extracellular Matrix Proteins

Plasminogen binding sites function to arm cell surfaces with the proteolytic activity of plasmin, critical for degradation of extracellular matrices. We have assessed the effects of adhesion of the representative monocytoid cell lines, THP-1 and U937, to purified extracellular matrix proteins on their expression of plasminogen receptors. After adhesion to immobilized fibronectin, adherent and nonadherent subpopulations of cells were separated. Plasminogen binding to the nonadherent population of cells increased 3-fold, whereas binding to the adherent population decreased by 60%. These changes were due to differences in the plasminogen binding capacities of the cells, while the affinities of the cells for plasminogen were unchanged. The up-regulation of receptor expression in the nonadherent cell population was: 1) induced rapidly and reversibly, 2) independent of new protein synthesis, 3) required an interaction between adherent and nonadherent cell populations, and 4) associated with an enhanced ability of the cells to promote plasminogen activation and to degrade fibronectin. Other immobilized adhesive proteins, laminin and vitronectin, also supported up-regulation of plasminogen receptors in the nonadherent cells. Carboxypeptidase B treatment eliminated the increment in the plasminogen binding capacity of the nonadherent cells, suggesting that the increase in binding was due to exposure of new carboxyl-terminal lysyl residues on the cell surfaces. Furthermore, both the adherence of the cells and up-regulation of plasminogen binding sites was abolished by beta1-integrin monoclonal antibodies. These results suggest that proteins found in extracellular matrices have the capacity to modulate the expression of plasminogen binding sites, thus regulating local proteolysis and cell migration.
Expression of target optical properties in subsurface polarization-gated imaging.

We examined the expression of target optical properties in subsurface polarization imaging under linearly and circularly polarized illumination. Reflecting, scattering, and absorption targets were imaged in tissue mimic phantoms. The polarization gated images were compared with raw and unpolarized images to determine image enhancement as a function of target depth. The experimental results were also compared with Monte-Carlo simulations to study the model’s applicability. Our results indicated that polarization imaging provided a means to separate different optical targets where they would otherwise appear similar under unpolarized light.
A Novel Family of Mobile Genetic Elements is Limited to the Germline Genome in Tetrahymena thermophila

In the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, extensive DNA elimination is associated with differentiation of the somatic macronucleus from the germline micronucleus. This study describes the isolation and complete characterization of Tlr elements, a family of approximately 30 micronuclear DNA sequences that are efficiently eliminated from the developing macronucleus. The data indicate that Tlr elements are comprised of an approximately 22 kb internal region flanked by complex and variable termini. The Tlr internal region is highly conserved among family members and contains 15 open reading frames, some of which resemble genes encoded by transposons and viruses. The Tlr termini appear to be long inverted repeats consisting of (i) a variable region containing multiple direct repeats which differ in number and sequence from element to element and (ii) a conserved terminal 47 bp sequence. Taken together, these results suggest that Tlr elements comprise a novel family of mobile genetic elements that are confined to the Tetrahymena germline genome. Possible mechanisms of developmentally programmed Tlr elimination are discussed.