cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The multifunctional role of Notch signaling in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic cancer characterized by uncontrolled growth of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow and currently is incurable. The bone marrow microenvironment plays a critical role in MM. MM cells reside in specialized niches where they interact with multiple marrow cell types, transforming the bone/bone marrow compartment into an ideal microenvironment for the migration, proliferation, and survival of MM cells. In addition, MM cells interact with bone cells to stimulate bone destruction and promote the development of bone lesions that rarely heal. In this review, we discuss how Notch signals facilitate the communication between adjacent MM cells and between MM cells and bone/bone marrow cells and shape the microenvironment to favor MM progression and bone disease. We also address the potential and therapeutic approaches used to target Notch signaling in MM.
Durable virological response and functional cure of chronic hepatitis D after long-term peginterferon therapy.

Background Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection is the most aggressive form of chronic viral hepatitis. Response rates to therapy with 1- to 2-year courses of pegylated interferon alpha (peginterferon) treatment are suboptimal. Aims To evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients with chronic hepatitis D after an extended course of peginterferon. Methods Patients were followed after completion of trial NCT00023322 and classified based on virological response defined as loss of detectable serum HDV RNA at last follow-up. During extended follow-up, survival and liver-related events were recorded. Results All 12 patients who received more than 6 months of peginterferon in the original study were included in this analysis. The cohort was mostly white (83%) and male (92%) and ranged in age from 18 to 58 years (mean = 42.6). Most patients had advanced but compensated liver disease at baseline, a median HBV DNA level of 536 IU per mL and median HDV RNA level of 6.86 log10 genome equivalents per mL. The treatment duration averaged 6.1 years (range 0.8-14.3) with a total follow-up of 8.8 years (range 1.7-17.6). At last follow-up, seven (58%) patients had durable undetectable HDV RNA in serum, and four (33%) cleared HBsAg. Overall, one of seven (14%) responders died or had a liver-related event vs four of five (80%) non-responders. Conclusions With further follow-up, an extended course of peginterferon therapy was found to result in sustained clearance of HDV RNA and favourable clinical outcomes in more than half of patients and loss of HBsAg in a third.
Effect of over-the-counter brimonidine tartrate 0.025% ophthalmic solution on pupil size in healthy adults.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of brimonidine tartrate 0.025% ophthalmic solution on pupil size under scotopic conditions in healthy adults METHODS: Pupil size was measured in 56 eyes of 28 volunteer participants using a pupillometer under scotopic conditions. Age, gender, and iris color were recorded. Subjects using any ophthalmic medications other than artificial tears were excluded. The pupil size was subsequently measured again under scotopic conditions 60 min after instillation of brimonidine tartrate 0.025% ophthalmic solution. RESULTS Statistically significant miosis was seen after instillation of brimonidine tartrate 0.025% (p = 0.04). Average pupil size prior to brimonidine 0.025% instillation was 7.28 ± 1.05 mm, and average pupil size after instillation of brimonidine 0.025% was 6.36 ± 1.68 mm, a reduction of - 23.7% in pupil area. Subjects with light irides demonstrated a greater miotic effect than subjects with dark irides (1.55 mm vs. 0.67 mm, p < 0.0001), with a pupil area reduction of - 37.6% and - 17.4%, respectively. The amount of miosis was independent of initial pupil size. CONCLUSIONS Brimonidine tartrate 0.025% causes significant miosis in scotopic settings, although the effect is not as great in darker colored eyes. Further studies are needed to determine the latency and duration of the effect and whether the amount of miosis is clinically significant.
New Onset Diabetes Mellitus after Transplant: The Challenge Continues

Diabetes is highly prevalent in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and it continues to be the leading cause of ESKD (1). Preexisting diabetes has been shown to be associated with three-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease (2). Further, a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of >7% at 1 year post–kidney transplant has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of subsequent cardiovascular events, even in the setting of nonobstructive coronary disease (3). The reported incidence of new-onset diabetes after transplant (NODAT) is between 4% to 25% (4). This variation in incidence is likely attributable to a lack of a standard definition of NODAT (5). Historically, NODAT has been defined as a random glucose level of >200 mg/dl, or fasting glucose level of >140 mg/dl; however, it was later recommended that NODAT should be diagnosed on the basis of the World Health Organization criteria for diabetes diagnosis, where a fasting glucose level of >126 mg/dl was considered diabetes (6⇓–8). Several studies have shown that NODAT is associated with cardiovascular events, infections, and reduced patient survival (9⇓⇓–12). Therefore, it is important to identify and monitor the risk factors of NODAT in KTRs (13). Nonmodifiable risk factors for NODAT include patient age, ethnic and genetic background, family history, male sex, and cadaveric kidney donor (14⇓–16); whereas modifiable risk factors include obesity, metabolic syndrome, immunosuppressive medications, and viral infections. The observational study in this issue of the …
Assessing the Variability of Near-Boundary Surface and Volume Reverberation Using Physics-Based Scattering Models

The increased importance of responding to regional conflicts has focused Navy attention on littoral waters, with active sonar expected to be a favored mode of operation. Major performance drivers of such systems are the acoustic interactions with the ocean boundaries and fish. The vicinity of the air-sea interface is in particular a complex mix of scattering by surface roughness and scattering from bubble clouds and fish, coupled with boundary-interference effects. The Naval Research Laboratory has recently developed broadband, physics-based scattering strength models that both unify and advance our understanding of boundary scattering at low frequencies (< 5 kHz) by providing a physical basis for isolating scattering mechanisms. In this paper, these models are used to assess both the sensitivity of scattering strength to environmental variables and their utility as tools for estimating these variables. These efforts are supported by a series of data-model comparisons that demonstrate both the environmental variability of acoustic response with frequency and scattering angle, and the importance of using physics-based tools to predict these responses.
Is the thyroid still important in major depression

For more than a century, there have been rich descriptions in the clinical literature of prominent depressive symptoms in patients with thyroid disease, particularly clinical hypothyroidism.1,2 This link between the thyroid and depression1,2 provided optimism that study of the thyroid axis in unipolar depression would unravel the mystery of the etiology of the disorder. An enormous research effort over the last 50 years3 failed to achieve this goal but, nonetheless, produced some important findings. First, the vast majority of patients with major depression are euthyroid.3 Second, basal peripheral thyroid hormone levels are not particularly informative,4 although subjects with depression have higher mean thyroxine (T4) levels compared with when they are remitted and also compared with healthy control subjects.3–7 Moreover, significant decreases in T4 levels occur with response to various treatments, including antidepressant drugs,3–5 electroconvulsive therapy6 and cognitive– behavioural therapy.7 Significant changes in triiodothyronine (T3) levels are inconsistent.3,4 Last, one-quarter to one-third of subjects with depression will have a blunted thyrotropin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH).5,6 This finding is consistent with the increased T4 levels observed in depression3,4 and suggests overactivity of the thyroid axis in depressive illness,8 the pathophysiological significance of which remains to be clarified. Despite the consistent observations about the thyroid and depression reported in both the psychiatric and endocrine literature, interest in the thyroid as a major factor in the biology of depression has waned, and the thyroid axis has received little attention in current models of the etiology of depression.9,10 Recent clinical and preclinical studies would suggest that the thyroid should not be overlooked.
Incomplete stent apposition in Enterprise stent-mediated coiling of aneurysms: persistence over time and risk of delayed ischemic events.

Object Incomplete stent apposition of the closed cell–design Enterprise stent following stent-mediated coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms has been associated with increased risk of periprocedural thromboembolic events. In this study, the authors seek to determine the natural history of incomplete stent apposition and evaluate the clinical implications of the phenomenon. Methods Since January 2009, all patients receiving Enterprise stents in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms at the authors' institution have undergone serial 3-T MRI with incomplete stent apposition identified by the crescent sign on multiplanar reconstructions of MR angiograms. Magnetic resonance images and MR angiograms obtained at 3, 9, and 18 months after stent-assisted coil embolization were analyzed along with admission and follow-up clinical medical records. These records were evaluated for any radiographic and clinical, transient or permanent ischemic neurological events. Results Fifty patients receiving Enterprise ste...
MR imaging of renal collecting system with gadoxetate disodium: feasibility for MR urography.

Purpose To determine the feasibility of using gadoxetate disodium for MR urography. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed 50 consecutive gadoxetate disodium-enhanced abdominal MRI examinations meeting inclusion criteria. For each examination, 30 min postcontrast hepatobiliary phase sequences were reviewed to assess bilateral collecting system segments, including upper pole, interpolar, and lower pole calyces; renal pelvis; and proximal one-third of ureter. Each segment was assessed for degree of opacification (none, <50%, ≥50%, complete) and susceptibility artifact (none, partial thin rim, thick/complete rim, total obscuration). Opacification and susceptibility scores were also calculated for each examination. Results The 50 reviewed examinations were performed on 46 patients (26 women, 20 men; mean age, 57 years) and included a total of 1000 segments. Of these, 808 (80.8%) were opacified completely, 103 (10.3%) were opacified ≥50%, 39 (3.9%) were opacified <50%, and 50 (5.0%) were not opacified. Of 1000 segments, no susceptibility artifact was present in 822 (82.2%), while a partial thin rim was present in 113 (11.3%), a thick/complete rim in 64 (6.4%) and total obscuration in 1 (0.1%). Conclusion Gadoxetate disodium contrast produced a high degree of opacification of the proximal urinary collecting system with low incidence of susceptibility artifact; therefore, it is a feasible contrast agent for MR urography. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:816–823. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spontaneous polarization in the deuterated and undeuterated proton glass Rb/sub 1-x/(NH/sub 4/)/sub x/H/sub 2/AsO/sub 4/

The authors report an investigation of the spontaneous polarization (SP) of mixed single crystals of rubidium ammonium dihydrogen arsenate (RADA) and its deuterated counterpart (DRADA) as well as of pure ferroelectric rubidium dihydrogen arsenate (RDA) and its deuterated counterpart (DRDA). There is a sharp rise in the SP at the ferroelectric transition temperature T/sub c/ for the pure crystals as this transition is first order. The change in the SP in the mixed (x=0.08) crystals below T/sub c/ is gradual, however, indicating the presence of acid hydrogen and ammonium cations that are still mobile and in the paraelectric phase. These mixed crystals show the coexistence of paraelectric/proton glass and ferroelectric order below the glass transition temperature T/sub g/. The maximum values of SP in the deuterated samples are greater than in the undeuterated samples. The maximum values of SP in the mixed crystals below T/sub c/ at the lowest temperatures studied is found to be slightly lower than the corresponding value in the pure crystals. >
A Joint Model for Extended Semantic Role Labeling

This paper presents a model that extends semantic role labeling. Existing approaches independently analyze relations expressed by verb predicates or those expressed as nominalizations. However, sentences express relations via other linguistic phenomena as well. Furthermore, these phenomena interact with each other, thus restricting the structures they articulate. In this paper, we use this intuition to define a joint inference model that captures the inter-dependencies between verb semantic role labeling and relations expressed using prepositions. The scarcity of jointly labeled data presents a crucial technical challenge for learning a joint model. The key strength of our model is that we use existing structure predictors as black boxes. By enforcing consistency constraints between their predictions, we show improvements in the performance of both tasks without retraining the individual models.
Validation of a brief quantitative measure of autistic traits: comparison of the social responsiveness scale with the autism diagnostic interview-revised.

Studies of the broader autism phenotype, and of subtle changes in autism symptoms over time, have been compromised by a lack of established quantitative assessment tools. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS—formerly known as the Social Reciprocity Scale) is a new instrument that can be completed by parents and/or teachers in 15–20 minutes. We compared the SRS with the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in 61 child psychiatric patients. Correlations between SRS scores and ADI-R algorithm scores for DSM-IV criterion sets were on the order of 0.7. SRS scores were unrelated to I.Q. and exhibited inter-rater reliability on the order of 0.8. The SRS is a valid quantitative measure of autistic traits, feasible for use in clinical settings and for large-scale research studies of autism spectrum conditions.
Chapter 4 Stimulated Scattering Effects of Intense Coherent Light

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the development and progress of stimulated scattering studies over the past four to five decades. The chapter focuses on the principles (mechanisms or models), basic experimental features, and technical applications of various stimulated scattering effects and related processes. Stimulated scattering is a very broad research subject. The key issues of the impulsive stimulated (Brillouin, Raman, and thermal) scattering studies are focused on the dynamic responses of short (or ultrashort) laser pulse-induced phonon fields. In a similar manner, studies of stimulated scattering in plasmas are mainly aimed at exploring opto-physical properties of the plasma medium. Other stimulated scattering-related issues, such as the CARS effect is a Raman-enhanced four wave frequency-mixing (FWFM) process, which requires phase-matching condition and can only occur in the forward direction.
Sparse Representations for Pattern Classification using Learned Dictionaries

Sparse representations have been often used for inverse problems in signal and image processing. Furthermore, frameworks for signal classification using sparse and overcomplete representations have been developed. Data-dependent representations using learned dictionaries have been significant in applications such as feature extraction and denoising. In this paper, our goal is to perform pattern classification in a domain referred to as the data representation domain, where data from different classes are sparsely represented using an overcomplete dictionary. We propose a source model to characterize the data in each class and present an algorithm to infer the dictionary from the training data of all the classes. We estimate statistical templates in the data representation domain for each class of data, and perform classification using a likelihood measure. Simulation results show that, in the case of highly sparse signals, the proposed classifier provides a consistently good performance even under noisy conditions.
microRNA regulation of cancer–endothelial interactions: vesicular microRNAs on the move…

Molecular mechanisms that enable cancer cells to recruit endothelial cells are intensely studied. Zhuang et al (2012) in this issue of The EMBO Journal describe a new mode of communication between cancer cells and endothelial cells that drives endothelial migration. The authors characterize a small non‐coding RNA (microRNA‐9) that transfers information from cancer to endothelial cells. This microRNA is transported to endothelial cells in microvesicles, functionally facilitating angiogenesis and tumour growth.
Are Serine Proteases Involved in Immune Complex Activation of Neutrophils

Soybean polypeptides and diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) have been reported to inhibit neutrophil functions such as the oxidative burst, chemotaxis, and/or phagocytosis in response to soluble stimuli; these observations would be compatible with the involvement of an active serine protease in neutrophil stimulation. We have investigated the possibility of such involvement when particulate stimuli such as immune complexes are utilized. The depolarization of the neutrophils' membrane potential, one of the earliest indicators of stimulation, and superoxide production, which is detectable 30-45 sec later, were our indicators of neutrophil response to immune complexes. The neutrophils were equilibrated with, and after 5 min washed free of, up to 60 mM DFP, a potent covalent serine protease inhibitor. At DFP concentrations below 24 mM, such treatment did not perturb neutrophil activation as measured by either of the above parameters, nor did F- alone under comparable conditions. Additionally, the immune complex induced responses of neutrophils preincubated for 3 min with N-alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethylketone (TLCK), L-1-tosylamido-2-phenyl-ethyl-chloromethylketone (TPCK), or phenyl-methyl-sulfonyl-fluoride (PMSF), covalent serine protease inhibitors which have, however, been shown to function in other capacities, e.g., as superoxide dismutases; 1 mM PMSF or 0.5 mM TLCK consistently reduced the observed membrane depolarization, one of the earliest consequences of neutrophil activation, by 20-30%, while 0.1 mM TLCK and 0.01 mM TPCK had little or no effect. The inhibition of superoxide production, a slightly later stimulus response, by PMSF, TLCK, and TPCK was more profound (50-75%); these compounds have, however, been shown to have activities other than serine protease inhibitors--for example, as superoxide dismutases. Since DFP is purely a serine protease inhibitor, and since the three other compounds do not affect depolarization (the earlier and superoxide independent event), our results indicate that active serine proteases do not appear to be necessary for immune-complex-initiated neutrophil stimulation. Other stimuli, which are known to activate neutrophils by different pathways, were not investigated.
An equivalence between zero knowledge and commitments

We show that a language in NP has a zero-knowledge protocol if and only if the language has an "instance-dependent" commitment scheme. An instance-dependent commitment schemes for a given language is a commitment scheme that can depend on an instance of the language, and where the hiding and binding properties are required to hold only on the YES and NO instances of the language, respectively. The novel direction is the only if direction. Thus, we confirm the widely held belief that commitments are not only sufficient for zero knowledge protocols, but necessary as well. Previous results of this type either held only for restricted types of protocols or languages, or used nonstandard relaxations of (instance-dependent) commitment schemes.
Moving a proteomic diagnostic from a clinical need to postmarketing validation

Unlike some tumor types, the majority of the common solid tumors appear not to be driven by single dominant targetable pathways, and even those that are display variable behavior that can9t be completely explained by these mutations. Diseases such as lung cancer are much more complex and heterogeneous, with many distinct and overlapping subsets of tumors within the class, and each subset will demand an in depth analysis to define the optimal therapeutic approach. These groups are starting to be defined by multiple technologies, exemplified by those tumors with mutant EGFR or activated ALK, who achieve substantial clinical benefit from minimally toxic targeted therapy. Even for these subsets, multiple resistance mechanisms have emerged requiring different salvage strategies. DNA sequence analysis will likely yield other small subgroups with direct therapeutic implications, and expression arrays are beginning to identify others, but analysis of the proteome has many theoretical advantages, for a complete knowledge of the proteome would encompass all known mechanisms of functional dysregulation associated with the development of cancer, including DNA mutations, rearrangements, transcriptional alterations and promoter methylation, but also post-translational modifications. This depth of information is still far from reality, however, and the true information content of today9s technologies leaves a lot to be desired. Proteomic-based biomarker development has additional hurdles not found in the development of genomic ones. Analyte lability, chemical reactivity, low abundance of interesting proteins, and lack of a simple method for amplifying specific signals are among these, leading to many sources of systematic bias. However, clinically useful biomarkers will have to be robust enough to withstand routine clinical handling procedures, so we initiated studies using the simple, inexpensive, and rapid technology of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) we studied unfractionated, pretreatment sera to identify NSCLC patients with improved survival after treatment with the EGFR TKIs gefitinib and erlotinib. Mass spectra, independently acquired at two institutions, gave highly concordant results, and were used to generate an algorithm predictive of time to progression and survival. This prediction algorithm was then validated in a blinded manner in two independent cohorts of NSCLC patients treated with EGFR TKIs. This classification algorithm did not predict outcome in three independent cohorts of patients who did not receive treatment with EGFR TKIs. Thus, if upheld in prospective clinical trials, this analysis of pre-treatment peripheral blood might be useful in selecting therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients. We are currently in the process of testing this signature in sample sets from past randomized clinical trials, and a prospective trial is underway. We are currently using much more informative shotgun proteomic analyses to define novel diagnostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets.
Medication adherence and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants: what do we really know?

In their publication in EP-Europace , Vrijens and Heidbuchel1 conclude twice-daily (BID) dosing of non-vitamin K antagonist (VKA) oral anticoagulants ‘may be more forgiving in patients with suboptimal adherence’ than once-daily (OD) dosing. The authors submit the above conclusion is ‘exemplified’ by the PLATO trial, which compared OD clopidogrel to BID ticagrelor in acute coronary syndrome patients; suggesting the reduced rate of cardiovascular events with BID ticagrelor was the result of a ‘greater degree of continuity of drug action’ in the presence of suboptimal adherence.1,2 This theory ignores potential differences in antiplatelet potency between agents, in …
Phase-resolved magnetomotive OCT for imaging nanomolar concentrations of magnetic nanoparticles in tissues

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are increasingly important in magnetic resonance and biomedical optical imaging. We describe a method for imaging MNPs by detecting nanoscale displacements using a phase-resolved spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. Biological tissues and phantoms are exposed to ~800 G magnetic fields modulated at 56 and 100 Hz to mechanically actuate embedded iron oxide MNPs (~20 nm diameter). Sensitivity to 27 μg/g (~2 nM) MNPs within tissue phantoms is achieved by filtering paramagnetic from diamagnetic vibrations. We demonstrate biological feasibility by imaging topically applied MNPs during their diffusion into an excised rat tumor over a 2 hour time period.
Characterization of the lattice displacement waves in premartensitic TiNi

Abstract The premartensitic diffraction effects, which occur in TiNi just above its martensitic transition temperature (Ms). have been investigated by electron diffraction. Many weak extra reflections occur close to fractional positions of the fundamental reciprocal lattice. Their appearance is attributed to lattice displacement waves which become stable in this temperature regime. Dark field microscopy shows that these waves exist in small, isolated regions 100–500 A in diameter. The nature of the waves is characterized in terms of their wave and polarization vectors, using Guinier's law. At least seven crystallographically independent waves are necessary to explain the additional reflections. Five of these describe atomic motions which occur upon the crystal structure transition and so are thought to be intimately related to the martensitic reaction itself. In this respect they are thought to be true premonitory or precursory phenomena. The other waves cannot be directly related to the martensite structure and so may represent different or competing behavior. These structural changes are presumed responsible for changes in various physical properties just above Ms.
First Report of Pyrenophora seminiperda in Turkey and Greece

Pyrenophora seminiperda (Brittleb. & D.B. Adam) Shoemaker (anamorph Drechslera campanulata (Lev.) B. Sutton) is a generalist seed pathogen that can cause high mortality in the seed banks of annual and perennial grasses and a minor leaf spot disease. Its current reported distribution is mainly temperate grasslands, deserts, and winter cereal-growing regions in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Egypt, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States (2). P. seminiperda was originally described in France in the mid-1800s, but there are no recent reports from eastern Europe or Asia (2). In May of 2008, we observed what appeared to be P. seminiperda on seeds from seed bank samples collected in Turkey. Evidence of disease was observed as macroscopic black stromata protruding from the seed. The characteristic club-shaped stromata were collected from a Taeniatherum caput-medusae seed near Pamukkale, Turkey and six Bromus tectorum seeds in Love Valley near Goreme, Turkey. An additional collection from a single undispe...
HIF-1 regulates iron homeostasis in Caenorhabditis elegans by activation and inhibition of genes involved in iron uptake and storage.

Caenorhabditis elegans ftn-1 and ftn-2, which encode the iron-storage protein ferritin, are transcriptionally inhibited during iron deficiency in intestine. Intestinal specific transcription is dependent on binding of ELT-2 to GATA binding sites in an iron-dependent enhancer (IDE) located in ftn-1 and ftn-2 promoters, but the mechanism for iron regulation is unknown. Here, we identify HIF-1 (hypoxia-inducible factor -1) as a negative regulator of ferritin transcription. HIF-1 binds to hypoxia-response elements (HREs) in the IDE in vitro and in vivo. Depletion of hif-1 by RNA interference blocks transcriptional inhibition of ftn-1 and ftn-2 reporters, and ftn-1 and ftn-2 mRNAs are not regulated in a hif-1 null strain during iron deficiency. An IDE is also present in smf-3 encoding a protein homologous to mammalian divalent metal transporter-1. Unlike the ftn-1 IDE, the smf-3 IDE is required for HIF-1–dependent transcriptional activation of smf-3 during iron deficiency. We show that hif-1 null worms grown under iron limiting conditions are developmentally delayed and that depletion of FTN-1 and FTN-2 rescues this phenotype. These data show that HIF-1 regulates intestinal iron homeostasis during iron deficiency by activating and inhibiting genes involved in iron uptake and storage.
Application of a two-dimensional chromatography system for gas-phase photodegradation studies of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins

Abstract Gas-phase photodegradation of polychlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxins was studied with a two-dimensional gas Chromatographic system consisting of two independently operated gas chromatographs interfaced to a photoreactor. Gas flow through the chromatographs and photoreactor were directed with two switching valves. This arrangement permitted isolation and irradiation of solute in the photoreactor for varied periods and under different atmospheres. The irradiation experiments revealed that different dioxin congeners degrade at different rates; e.g., a 20-min irradiation resulted in the degradation of approximately 80% of 2,3,7-trichlorodibenzo- p -dioxin, while only 30% of the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin was found to degrade under the same conditions. As expected, photodegradation rates decreased with an increase in the number of chlorines. Degradation rates were also influenced by the position of chlorine substitutions. The results showed that, in contrast to solution-phase studies, congeners with peri chlorines photodegrade more rapidly than congeners with laterally substituted chlorines. These results indicate that, in the gas phase, more toxic (laterally substituted) congeners are more persistent than less toxic (peri substituted) analogues.
Hydrogen peroxide in the eye lens: radioisotopic determination

Lenses from normal rabbits, mice, rats, cattle, guinea pigs, lambs, chicken, cats, baboons, blue acara (fish) and dogs were examined for the presence of H2O2. No previous reports exist on the presence and levels of H2O2 in normal eye lenses. Freshly isolated lenses of these animals were extracted with trichloroacetic acid and the extract neutralized with Tris. H2O2 was assayed in these extracts by reacting them with l-14C-alpha-ketoglutarate and measuring the 14CO2 produced by peroxide-dependent decarboxylation. Peroxide of the order of 10-−4M was detected in most of the lenses except in baboons wherein it exists between 10-−4 and 10-−5M. Culture experiments with rat lenses demonstrated that GSH may make a major contribution to the formation of H2O2 in the intact lens in vivo.
Cgh Fabrication Techniques And Facilities

Computer-generated holograms (CGHs) are used in a number of important optical technology application areas such as holographic optical elements, optical processing and computing, optical testing, image and information display, beam forming, and beam scanning. Many different CGH fabrication devices (e.g., laser beam scanners, electron beam writers) and facilities have been developed and are in use. However, none of these devices ideally suit the requirements (e.g., resolution, space-bandwidth product, recording material) of many CGH applications. Furthermore, the access of many researchers to these facilities is limited and the technical support available is often poor. New facilities specifically designed for CGH fab-rication would better serve the needs of the CGH research and development community. The requirements for a successful CGH fabrication facility including appropriate technical support for users are established.
Mass urine glucose screening in children

Abstract Urinary glucose screening of school children is not an epidemiologically sound practice for several reasons: Most children destined to develop diabetes over the 12-mo period between tests will be missed, giving a false sense of security; most glucosuria described will be nondiabetic, and the cost-yield ratio will be extremely high. Glucosuria has been found to occur 1 hr after a glucose load in 5% of nearly 6000 nondiabetic children 4–14 yr of age, with considerable age and racial differences in frequency. The testing served no predictive or diagnostic value in the health screening of the children. These observations emphasize the nondiabetic nature of most childhood glucosuria.
Expectancy effects on anxiety and self-generated cognitive strategies in high and low dental-anxious females

Expectancy effects on self-reported anxiety and self-generated cognitive strategies were evaluated in a dental analogue by means of a film response questionnaire and an interview. Seventy-two female college subjects, half high and half low in self-reported dental fear were assigned to three levels of expectancy set (positive, fearful and neutral) induced by means of a slide presentation and verbal set. Although expectancy effects on post-film anxiety were not significant, differences due to dental fear level were found. Interview protocols were rated for general cognitive response style (coping, catastrophizing or no strategy), arousal and absorption. Discriminant function analysis between response styles indicated that arousal level provided a strong contribution to the discriminant functions differentiating between the general response styles, separating non-strategy users from catastrophizers. Specific ratings of reported absorption were related to whether or not cognitive coping strategies were used. Expectancy set was related to the direction of these cognitions. The findings validate the use of dental analogue studies for investigating dental fear.
The Greek demographic expansion: models and comparisons

For much of the first millennium BC, the number of Greeks increased considerably, both in the Aegean core and in the expanding periphery of the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. This paper is the first attempt to establish a coherent quantitative framework for the study of this process. In the first section, I argue that despite the lack of statistical data, it is possible to identify a plausible range of estimates of average long-term demographic growth rates in mainland Greece from the Early Iron Age to the Classical period. Elaborating on this finding, the second section offers a comprehensive rebuttal of the notion of explosive population growth in parts of the eighth and seventh centuries BC. In the third section, I seek to determine the probable scale and demographic consequences of Greek settlement overseas. A brief preliminary look at the relationship between population growth and the quality of life concludes my survey. The resultant series of interlocking parametric models is meant to contextualize the demographic development of ancient Greece within the wider ambit of pre-modern demography, and to provide a conceptual template for future research in this area.
Polymer-modified TN and supertwisted nematic (STN) devices

Polymer modified materials have been shown to be useful in controlling the operational voltages and speed in TN devices; and the operational voltages and the suppression of the `stripe' deformation in STN cells.
On the difference between negative damping and eigenmode synchronization as two phonation onset mechanisms

Negative damping and eigenmode synchronization as two different mechanisms of phonation onset are distinguished. Although both mechanisms lead to a favorable phase relationship between the flow pressure and the vocal fold motion as required for a net energy transfer into the vocal folds, the underlying mechanisms for this favorable phase relationship are different. The negative damping mechanism relies on glottal aerodynamics or acoustics to establish before onset and maintain after onset the favorable phase relationship, and therefore has minimum requirements on vocal fold geometry and biomechanics. A single degree-of-freedom vocal fold model is all that is needed for self-oscillation in the presence of a negative damping mechanism. In contrast, the mechanism of eigenmode synchronization critically depends on the geometrical and biomechanical properties of the vocal folds (at least 2-degrees-of-freedom are required), and has little requirement on the glottal aerodynamics other than flow separation. The favorable phase relation is established once synchronization occurs, regardless of the phase relationship imposed by glottal aerodynamics before onset. Unlike that of the negative damping mechanism, initiation of eigenmode synchronization requires neither a velocity-dependent flow pressure nor an alternating convergent-divergent glottis. The clinical implications of the distinctions between these two mechanisms are discussed.
Bose condensation in supercritical external fields charged condensates

This paper extends a previous one which was applicable only to short range interactions. We study the relativistic field theory of a charged spin-zero boson field in the presence of the Coulomb field of a prescribed (nuclear) charge distribution. It is shown that for a sufficiently intense field the ground state is unstable against the formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate of negatively charged bosons, positively charged bosons escaping the system. When the effects of weak interaction are included, the instability occurs in a weaker field and positrons are emitted. A consistent quantum theory is formulated after the Coulomb interaction of the bosons is included. Properties of the condensate are examined in the limit of large condensate density, in a mean field approximation, which is also studied numerically. Possible implications concerning the existence of abnormally bound nuclei are presented.
Chronic xerostomia increases esophageal acid exposure and is associated with esophageal injury

Objective To assess the effects of chronic xerostomia on parameters of gastroesophageal reflux and esophagitis. Design Observational study of a cohort of male patients with xerostomia and age-matched control subjects. Setting Tertiary-care Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Subjects Sixteen male patients with chronic xerostomia secondary to radiation for head and neck cancers or medications. Nineteen age-matched male control subjects with comparable alcohol and smoking histories. Measurements and main results: Esophageal motility was similar in patients with xerostomia and controls. Clearance of acid from the esophagus and 24-hour intraesophageal pH were markedly abnormal in patients with xerostomia. Symptoms and signs of esophagitis were significantly more frequent in subjects with xerostomia. Conclusions Chronic xerostomia may predispose to esophageal injury, at least in part, by decreasing the clearance of acid from the esophagus and altering 24-hour intraesophageal pH. Esophageal injury is a previously unreported complication of long-term salivary deficiency.
Denaturation of concanavalin A by urea at acid pH

The denaturation of dimeric concanavalin A induced by urea at pH 3 has been studied using optical activity and sedimentation velocity. Under the conditions employed Mn+2 and Ca+2 are dissociated from the protein, but the basic structural elements are little changed from those prevailing in the functional lectin at pH 5.5 [H.E. Auer and T. Schilz, preceding paper in this issue]. The protein passes through three stages as the urea concentration is varied from 0 to 10 M. Below 4 M urea the only effect observed is the loss of optical activity of the aromatic amino acid residues. At 4 M, a conformational change occurs producing extensive aggregation, which persists to 7 M. At 8-10 M urea a disordered monomeric protein molecule prevails. The protein could be reactivated provided that dilution to native conditions was very rapid and the protein concentration remained very low. Kinetics of denaturation were monitored by optical activity at 218, 225 and 283 nm. Transients with one, two or three components were observed, which were resolved by nonlinear regression according to sequential first-order decay laws. First order character was confirmed by independence of the kinetic parameters from protein concentration over a two- to four-fold range. Enthalpies and entropies of activation for the various steps were also determined. The transients at the three wavelengths monitor changes in beta structure, beta turns and aromatic groups, respectively. The urea dependence of the rate constants is unique in most cases. It is concluded that different structural elements of the concanavalin A molecule unfold independently from one another.
Emulsifying Peptides from the Tryptic Hydrolysis of Casein

AHSTRACT: Casein was hydrolyzed by trapsin to 5% degree of hydrolysis, and the hydrolysare was fractionated by ultrafiltration. While sereening for the best emulsifying properties, the retentate fraction was systematically fractionated by ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Residue from 30% ammonium sulfate saturation yielded 3 fractions on anion exchange chromatography. Preparative reverse-phase HPLC was used to isolate 4 peptides with good emulsilying properties for characterization. Computational methods were used to complement amino acid sequencing, and the peptides were identified as origioating from α casein (f167-208), β-casein (f48-63), and (f129-84), A 4th peptide couid not be conclusively identified. Properties of the emulsifying peptides are discussed.
Fine‐needle aspiration of fibromatosis of the breast

Percutaneous fine-needle aspiration of breast fibromatosis yielded clusters of uniform spindle cells. The differential diagnosis of spindle stromal cells obtained by fine-needle aspiration of the breast is discussed. This includes a wide spectrum of both benign and malignant breast lesions that have to be considered prior to suggesting the diagnosis of fibromatosis. Diagn Cytopathol 1987;3:320-2.
A comparison of two faecal collection methods for protein and amino acid digestibility coefficients of menhaden fish meal and two grades of poultry by-product meals for market-size sunshine bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis)

Apparent digestibility and availability coefficients for protein and amino acids in menhaden fish meal (MEN), pet-food grade (PBM-pet,) and feed-grade poultry by-product meal (PBM-feed) were determined for market-size (500 g) sunshine bass in two consecutive trials using passive netting (1.6 mm mesh) followed by manual stripping of faeces. A reference diet resembling a commercial feed was formulated to meet or exceed all known nutritional requirements of hybrid striped bass. Test diets were formulated to contain a 70 : 30 mixture of reference diet to test ingredient with chromic oxide (1%) serving as the inert marker. Diets were extruded under commercial conditions and the reference diet was fed for two weeks in order to acclimate fish to experimental conditions. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate tanks containing 30 fish each. Fish were fed their respective diet twice daily to apparent satiation for two weeks, with faecal collections being conducted on the 7th and 14th day, in each trial. ADC values determined in the net method were highly variable and generally lower than ADCs obtained by stripping. Consistently lower and highly variable chromium concentrations were found in the net method faecal samples and suggest that marker loss relative to nutrient content, or dilution of marker with non-faecal matter, on the net collectors influenced results in that trial. In contrast, the standard errors of ADCs determined in the strip method were less than 5 percentage points in most cases. Protein digestibility ranged from a low of 51% (PBM-feed) to a high of 87% (PBM-pet) in the net method, and from a low of 80% (PBM-feed) to a high of 99% (MEN) in the strip method. With the exception of Lys, no differences in amino acid availabilities among diets were found in the net method. In the strip method, protein digestibility and amino acid availabilities in MEN were generally greater than those found in PBM-pet or PBM-feed, whereas ADCs were not significantly different between the two poultry by-products. Based on the conditions of the present study, net collection of faecal matter can not be recommended for determining the digestibility of nutrients in feed ingredients for market-size sunshine bass. Digestibility coefficients obtained by the strip method for feed and petfood grades poultry by-product were higher than those previously reported and will be facilitate more efficient and economical diet formulations for larger sunshine bass.
The use of sulfide cluster-derived catalysts to understand the promotional effect in hydrotreatment catalysis

Sulfide cluster-derived ensembles are promising models of the active sites in commercial hydrotreatment catalysts. A series of sulfide clusters were adsorbed intact onto high-surface-area γ-alumina, magnesium oxide and activated carbon supports, then pretreated to produce highly dispersed catalytic ensembles with sizes similar to those of their precursor clusters. The activities of the bimetallic cluster-derived catalysts were significantly higher than those of the monometallic catalysts. We took this as evidence that direct interactions between molybdenum and the promoter element cause the promotional effect observed in commercial hydrotreatment catalysts. The hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation activities correlated with the extent of molybdenum reduction. Our results suggested that the active sites in promoted hydrotreatment catalysts are centered on molecular-scale ensembles containing molybdenum, sulfur and the promoter element.
When environmental action does not activate concern: the case of impaired water quality in two rural watersheds.

Little research has considered how residents’ perceptions of their local environment may interact with efforts to increase environmental concern, particularly in areas in need of remediation. This study examined the process by which local environmental action may affect environmental concern. A model was presented for exploring the effects of community-based watershed organizations (CWOs) on environmental concern that also incorporates existing perceptions of the local environment. Survey data were collected from area residents in two watersheds in southwestern Pennsylvania, USA, an area affected by abandoned mine drainage. The findings suggest that residents’ perceptions of local water quality and importance of improving water quality are important predictors of level of environmental concern and desire for action; however, in this case, having an active or inactive CWO did not influence these perceptions. The implications of these findings raise important questions concerning strategies and policy making around environmental remediation at the local level.
Clasho of the paradigms : a critique of an examination of the polynomial regression technique for evaluating catastrophe theory hypotheses

The polynomial regression technique for evaluating catastrophe theory hypotheses (Guastello, 1982b, 1987, 1988) has met with criticism from Alexander, Herbert, DeShon, and Hanges (1992) regarding the specification of terms in the catastrophe model and the order in which they are entered, the role of part-whole correlations, and whether the polynomial regression technique is adequate for discerning the presence or absence of catastrophic structure. Their criticisms are unwarranted and misconceived because of inattention to some fundamental principles of mathematical catastroph theory, misuse of the polynomial regression technique in their simulations, and an outmoded paradigm of scientific inquiry