cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reversal of glycogen storage disease type IIIa-related cardiomyopathy with modification of diet

Glycogen storage disease type III (GSD III) is caused by a deficiency in debranching enzyme, which leads to an accumulation of abnormal glycogen called limit dextrin in affected tissues. Muscle and liver involvement is present in GSD type IIIa, while the defect is limited to the liver only in GSD type IIIb. Besides skeletal muscle involvement, a cardiomyopathy resembling idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is seen. Management consists of maintaining normoglycaemia by supplementation with cornstarch therapy and/or protein. While studies are lacking regarding the best treatment for skeletal muscle disease, a high-protein diet was previously reported to be beneficial. No cases of improvement in cardiomyopathy have been reported. Our patient presented in infancy with hypoglycaemia and hepatomegaly. His prescribed management consisted of cornstarch supplementation and a high-protein diet providing 20% of his total energy needs. At 16 years of age, he developed a severe cardiomyopathy with a left ventricular mass index of 209 g/m2. The cardiomyopathy remained stable on a protein intake of 20–25% of total energy. At age 22 years, the diet was changed to increase his protein intake to 30% of total energy and minimize his cornstarch therapy to only what was required to maintain normoglycaemia. Dramatic improvement in the cardiomyopathy occurred. Over one year, his left ventricular mass index decreased from 159.7 g/m2 to 78 g/m2 (normal 50–86 g/m2) and the creatine kinase levels decreased from 455 U/L to 282 U/L. Avoidance of overtreatment with carbohydrate and a high-protein diet can reverse and may prevent cardiomyopathy.
Subunits of aldose reductase from Rhodotorula

Abstract Gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate—polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis indicate that aldose reductase (polyol: NADP + oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.21) from Rhodotorula is a dimer with a molecular weight of 61 000. The enzyme may be dissociated into two unequal subunits, only one of which has catalytic activity. NADP + appeared to stabilize the dimer.
Factors affecting production rates of cosmogenic nuclides in extraterrestrial matter

Abstract Good production rates are needed for cosmic-ray-produced nuclides to interpret their measurements. Rates depend on many factors, especially the pre-atmospheric object’s size, the location of the sample in that object (such as near surface or deep inside), and the object’s bulk composition. The bulk composition affects rates, especially in objects with very low and very high iron contents. Extraterrestrial materials with high iron contents usually have higher rates for making nuclides made by reactions with energetic particles and lower rates for the capture of thermal neutrons. In small objects and near the surface of objects, the cascade of secondary neutrons is being developed as primary particles are being removed. Deep in large objects, that secondary cascade is fully developed and the fluxes of primary particles are low. Recent work shows that even the shape of an object in space has a small but measureable effect. Work has been done and continues to be done on better understanding those and other factors. More good sets of measurements in meteorites with known exposure geometries in space are needed. With the use of modern Monte Carlo codes for the production and transport of particles, the nature of these effects have been and is being studied. Work needs to be done to improve the results of these calculations, especially the cross sections for making spallogenic nuclides.
Connection handoff policies for TCP offload network interfaces

This paper presents three policies for effectively utilizing TCP offload network interfaces that support connection handoff. These policies allow connection handoff to reduce the computation and memory bandwidth requirements for packet processing on the host processor without causing the resource constraints on the network interface to limit overall system performance. First, prioritizing packet processing on the network interface ensures that its TCP processing does not harm performance of the connections on the host operating system. Second, dynamically adapting the number of connections on the network interface to the current load avoids overloading the network interface. Third, the operating system can predict connection lifetimes to select long-lived connections for handoff to better utilize the network interface. The use of the first two policies improves web server throughput by 12--31% over the baseline throughput achieved without offload. The third policy helps improve performance when the network interface can only handle a small number of connections at a time. Furthermore, by using a faster offload processor, offloading can improve server throughput by 33--72%.
Trauma–Hemorrhage Induces Increased Thymic Apoptosis While Decreasing IL-3 Release and Increasing GM-CSF

Abstract Although the thymus is an important organ in the ontogeny of T lymphocytes, little is known about the effects of hemorrhage and/or trauma on this organ. The objective of this study was to determine whether trauma–hemorrhage induces increased thymic apoptosis and, if so, which mediators may be involved. Male C3H/HeN mice underwent either sham operation, hemorrhagic shock (mean artery blood pressure of 35 ± 5 mmHg for 90 min, followed by blood and fluid resuscitation), fracture of the right tibia, or fracture plus hemorrhage, respectively. At 3 days after the procedure, total viable thymocyte yield, thymocyte apoptosis (flow cytometry), thymus-derived IL-3 (bioassay), and GM-CSF (ELISA) were determined. The results demonstrate that fracture alone induces no significant change in the parameters measured. However, (i) there was a significant decrease in total viable thymocyte yield and an increase in thymocyte apoptosis following hemorrhage or fracture plus hemorrhage; (ii) thymocyte IL-3 release was significantly reduced after hemorrhage as well as fracture plus hemorrhage; (iii) thymus-derived GM-CSF was significantly increased after fracture plus hemorrhage, but not with hemorrhage alone. In conclusion, severe hemorrhage alone or coupled with fracture can induce thymus atrophy via apoptosis. In addition, the decreased IL-3 release suggests that apoptotic thymic involution may be due to the lack of growth factor support. Such dyshomeostasis may contribute to inappropriate/inadequate T cell maturation leading to host immune suppression following trauma–hemorrhage. Increased thymus-derived GM-CSF might be in part responsible for the systemic inflammatory response following trauma–hemorrhage.
N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (w7) stimulation of K+ transport in a human salivary epithelial cell line

Abstract Treatment of a human salivary epithelial cell line, HSG-PA, with the calmodulin antagonist N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W7; 20–70 μM) increased 86Rb (K+) influx and efflux in a manner similar to that resulting from muscarinic (carbachol; Cch) or calcium ionophore (A23187) stimulation. Unlike the Cch or A23187 responses, the W7 responses were not blocked by 0.1 mM atropine (muscarinic antagonist) or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (0.1 μM). Like Cch- or A23187-stimulated 86Rb fluxes, W7-stimulated 86Rb fluxes were substantially blocked by the K+ channel inhibitors quinine (0.25 mM) and scorpion venom-containing charybdotoxin (33 μg/mL), while 5 mM tetraethylammonium chloride (K+ channel blocker), furosemide (0.1 mM; Na+, K+, 2Cl− co-transport inhibitor) and ouabain (10 μM; Na+, K+-ATPase inhibitor) were ineffective. Purified charybdotoxin (10 nM) also blocked W7-stimulated 86Rb influx, as well as 86Rb influx stimulated by Cch or A23187. Although Quin 2 fluorescence measurements indicated that W7 increased free intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), the magnitude of the increase appeared to be insufficient to solely account for the W7-stimulated increases in 86Rb fluxes (i.e. K+ channel activity). Ca2+ was involved in the W7 response, however, as lack of Ca2+ in the incubation medium reduced the W7-stimulated increases in 86Rb influx and efflux. Taken together, our results suggest that W7 increased K+ fluxes in HSG-PA cells by interacting, directly or indirectly, with the K+ transport machinery (K+ channels) in a manner different from that observed during muscarinic stimulation, and also in a manner not accounted for solely by the formation of a typical muscarinic- or calcium ionophore-generated calcium signal.
FX-RLS-Based Feedforward Control for LIDAR-Enabled Wind Turbine Load Mitigation

An adaptive feedforward controller based on a filtered-x recursive least square (FX-RLS) algorithm and a non-adaptive feedforward controller based on a zero-phase-error tracking control (ZPETC) technique have been designed to augment a collective pitch proportional-integral (PI) feedback controller for wind turbine rotor speed regulation and component load reduction when the wind turbine is operating above rated wind speed. The inputs to the adaptive feedforward controller include measurements of the rotor speed error and the incoming wind speed, where wind speed would be provided by a commercial light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system. Simulation results are based on comparison with a PI feedback only controller. Simulations show that augmenting the baseline PI feedback control with ZPETC feedforward control improves the blade loads but worsens the tower loads. The FX-RLS feedforward algorithm gives better performance than both the baseline PI feedback and the ZPETC feedforward in both tower (fore-aft and side-to-side) and blade (flapwise and edgewise) bending moment mitigation. Even with realistic 1 Hz LIDAR data update rate, the FX-RLS feedforward strategy can effectively mitigate the tower and blade bending moment while providing better rotor speed tracking and only a small energy drop.
Mineral and Vitamin Content of Lowbush Blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.)

Ten clones of lowbush blueberries Vaccinium angustifolium Ait. were analyzed for 11 minerals and 5 vitamins. K, Ca, P, Mg, Al, B, Cu, Fe, Na, Mn and Zn were found at average levels of 68.4, 21.3, 12.3, 8.2, 0.3, 0.10, 0.04, 0.31, 0.14, 2.6 and 0.10 mg/100g wet weight, respectively. Vitamins C, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin averaged 6.8, 1.3, 0.05 and 0.02 mg/100g wet weight with vitamin A at 76.6 I.U./100g wet weight. Lowbush blueberries, like highbush and Rabbiteye berries do not qualify as an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. However, lowbush blueberries make a good supplemental source for vitamin C and niacin and a good source for Mn. Their low sodium content is also beneficial.
Structural abnormalities associated with congenital megacolon in transgenic mice that overexpress the Hoxa-4 gene

Congenital megacolon develops in transgenic mice that overexpress the homeobox-containing gene, Hoxa-4. The current study was done to identify abnormalities of the terminal colon that might account for the phenotype. The terminal bowel of transgenic mice was compared with that of control and lethal spotted (ls/ls) mice, a strain in which megacolon also develops. The terminal colon of the transgenic mice contained fewer ganglia than that of controls, but was hypoganglionic, rather than aganglionic like that of ls/ls mice. The neurons present in the adult transgenic colon were significantly increased in size and a subset of very large neurons (> 40 microns in maximum diameter) were observed. Electron microscopic studies of young adult transgenic mice revealed that the ganglia and nerves of the myenteric plexus had the ultrastructure of extraenteric peripheral nerve rather than that of the enteric nervous system (ENS). The myenteric ganglia in the transgenic animals contained Schwann cells associated with a basal lamina that enveloped axons completely and individually, instead of glia. Although collagen is excluded from the ganglia and thin nerve fibers of the normal ENS, a collagen-containing endoneurium surrounded each of the axon-Schwann cell units of the abnormal nerve fibers of the transgenic colon. Some of the neurons of the transgenic mice were located in these nerve bundles rather than in ganglia. There were also smooth muscle abnormalities in the terminal bowel of the transgenic mice. Wide gaps were present in the longitudinal muscle of the transgenic mice; these gaps contained ganglia that were in contact with the adventitia. These longitudinal smooth muscle cells were more irregular than those of controls and they contained fewer puncta adherens; moreover, a larger proportion of the volume of the cytoplasm of transgenic smooth muscle cells was occupied by organelles. Finally, an extensive thickening and reduplication of the basal lamina surrounding the smooth muscle cells of the muscularis mucosa was observed in the transgenic colon and resembled that found in ls/ls mice. These data suggest that both smooth muscle and the innervation of the terminal bowel of neonatal Hoxa-4 transgenic mice are structurally abnormal. Although some of the abnormalities seen in Hoxa-4 transgenic mice are similar to those which arise in ls/ls mice, the two conditions are not identical. In both animals, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that the defects arise as a result of a defective interaction between the precursors of enteric neurons and smooth muscle.
Postextrasystolic Potentiation as a Predictor of Potential Myocardial Viability: Preoperative Analyses Compared With Studies After Coronary Bypass Surgery

The ability to predict reversibility of ventricular dysfunction should be important in determining operability. This study examined the usefulness of postextrasystolic potentiation as such a predictor. Left ventricular wall motion was studied using cineventriculography in 31 patients before and after revascularization surgery. Preoperative ejection fraction and wall motion were analyzed during a sinus beat and after a random ventricular extrasystole, whereas postoperative ejection fraction and wall motion were examined only during a sinus beat. Changes in ventricular motion were correlated with changes in vascular supply achieved by operation. Of the 7 patients whose ejection fraction was improved postoperatively, 6 had shown postextrasystolic potentiation compared with only 10 of the 24 patients without such improvement ( P P
Homogeneous Incorporation of Metal Nanoparticles into Ordered Macroporous Carbons

We present the first examples of ordered macroporous carbons (OMCs) containing metal nanoparticles and hierarchical pore structures. The sol−gel polymerization of formaldehyde with potassium 2,4-dihydroxybenzoate within the void spaces of an ordered array of polystyrene spheres, followed by ion exchange, template removal, and carbonization, affords M-doped OMCs, where M = Co, Ni, Cu.
Colorado tick fever virus: an electron microscopic study.

Abstract Colorado tick fever (CTF) virus was observed by ultrathin section and negative contrast electron microscopy. In sections of infected cultured cells and of mouse brain, virus particles (75 mμ in diameter) with electron dense cores were associated with intracytoplasmic granular matrices, arrays of intracytoplasmic filaments, and fine kinky threads. Occasionally, virus particles were enveloped by membranes of cytoplasmic organelles. Intranuclear filaments in dense arrays were frequently found in infected cells. In negative contrast preparations the virus was round, 80 mμ in diameter, with regularly spaced surface projections suggestive of cubic symmetry. Partial removal of surface components permitted the observation of an inner capsid 50 mμ in diameter. CTF virus was directly compared with reoviruses, which in several ultrastructural characteristics it resembles.
The software concordance: a new software document management environment

In this paper, we describe the efforts of Juniper Networks to implement a Feature Guide documentation manual and discuss the usability merits of this documentation method.
The littoral zone of lake okeechobee as a source of phosphorus after drawdown

Following a period of prolonged drought or intentional lake level drawdown, large littoral areas that once contained submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) are reinundated when lake levels rise. A complete assessment of the contribution made by decomposing SAV to the in-lake phosphorus (P) concentration is important in both the management of Lake Okeechobee and understanding basic P processes. The P contribution to the open waters of Lake Okeechobee from a rapid inundation of exposed SAV was calculated by four methods: cores of field-desiccated SAV, cores of lab-desiccated SAV in the presence and absence of sediments, in situ decomposition, and sequential macrophyte harvesting. P releases, given such an episodic event, were similar among the four methods, ranging from 116±48 to 384±528 mg/m2 in the absence of sediment. When SAV is in contact with sediment, which is the realistic field situation, the amount of P released was four times less (30±14 mg/m2) than in the absence of sediment. The calculated P releases would result in total P concentration increases in the lake from 2 to 15 µg/liter (upper 95% CI=2–25 µg/liter) in the absence of sediment; only 1 µg/liter increase was predicted when SAV released P in contact with sediment. Thus it is unlikely that a significant rise in total P concentrations in the limnetic zone of the lake would occur from the export of P released during the desiccation of SAV in the littoral-marsh zone during a drawdown.
Diallyl trisulfide-induced G2–M phase cell cycle arrest in human prostate cancer cells is caused by reactive oxygen species-dependent destruction and hyperphosphorylation of Cdc25C

Molecular mechanism of cell cycle arrest caused by diallyl trisulfide (DATS), a garlic-derived cancer chemopreventive agent, has been investigated using PC-3 and DU145 human prostate cancer cells as a model. Treatment of PC-3 and DU145 cells, but not a normal prostate epithelial cell line (PrEC), with growth suppressive concentrations of DATS caused enrichment of the G2–M fraction. The DATS-induced cell cycle arrest in PC-3 cells was associated with increased Tyr15 phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) and inhibition of Cdk1/cyclinB1 kinase activity. The DATS-treated PC-3 and DU145 cells also exhibited a decrease in the protein level of Cdc25C and an increase in its Ser216 phosphorylation. The DATS-mediated decrease in protein level and Ser216 phosphorylation of Cdc25C as well as G2–M phase cell cycle arrest were significantly attenuated in the presence of N-acetylcysteine implicating reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cell cycle arrest caused by DATS. ROS generation was observed in DATS-treated PC-3 and DU145 cells. DATS treatment also caused an increase in the protein level of Cdk inhibitor p21, but DATS-induced G2–M phase arrest was not affected by antisense-mediated suppression of p21 protein level. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that DATS-induced G2–M phase cell cycle arrest in human prostate cancer cells is caused by ROS-mediated destruction and hyperphosphorylation of Cdc25C.
Variational principles in dynamic thermoviscoelasticity

Abstract Dual variational principles for steady state wave propagation in three dimensional thermoviscoelastic media are presented. The first one, for the equations of motion, involves only the complex displacement function. The second principle is for the energy equation. These principles are specialized to the case of one dimension. A one-dimensional example, that of wave propagation in a thermoviscoelastic rod insulated on its lateral surface and driven by a sinusoidal stress at one end, is solved using the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The displacement and temperature functions are expressed as series of polynomials. Successive approximations for the solution are compared with a solution obtained by a method of finite differences, and an estimate of the degree of accuracy as a function of the number of terms taken in the series is obtained. It is found that the approximate solution converges rapidly to the correct one.
The African-American Legacy in American Literature:

Since their enforced and brutal emigration to North America about 400 years ago, African-Americans have forged rich and dynamic literary forms that today have become an important and unique aspect of American literature and culture. The sound literary qualities, interesting thematic range, and social significance of this variety of American literature notwithstanding, it has remained largely unknown to the general African-American reading public, including even students of literature. We are, of course, aware of the presence of books by and on African-Americans in our libraries and African-American literature courses in the curricula of African colleges and universities. But such books are generally limited to those of well-known authors, such as Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin, and the courses are offered by only a few privileged institutions and even then on an irregular basis.' The aim of this article, then, is to help acquaint more AfricanAmerican readers, particularly students of literature, with the ways in which the meanings, beauty, and power of African-American literary creations have evolved to enrich American literature and culture. However, due to its time span, generic variations, stylistic complexity, and content range, it would be presumptuous and preposterous to attempt to treat the whole literature here. What follows, then, is a modest effort to review mainly African-American
The response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to iron: genetics, biochemistry and virulence.

During the past decade significant progress has been made towards identifying some of the schemes that Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses to obtain iron and towards cataloguing and characterizing many of the genes and gene products that are likely to play a role in these processes. This review will largely recount what we have learned in the past few years about how P. aeruginosa regulates its acquisition, intake and, to some extent, trafficking of iron, and the role of iron acquisition systems in the virulence of this remarkable opportunistic pathogen. More specifically, the genetics, biochemistry and biology of an essential regulator (Ferric uptake regulator - Fur) and a Fur-regulated alternative sigma factor (PvdS), which are central to these processes, will be discussed. These regulatory proteins directly or indirectly regulate a substantial number of other genes encoding proteins with remarkably diverse functions. These genes include: (i) other regulatory genes, (ii) genes involved in basic metabolic processes (e.g. Krebs cycle), (iii) genes required to survive oxidative stress (e.g. superoxide dismutase), (iv) genes necessary for scavenging iron (e.g. siderophores and their cognate receptors) or genes that contribute to the virulence (e.g. exotoxin A) of this opportunistic pathogen. Despite this recent expansion of knowledge about the response of P. aeruginosa to iron, many significant biological issues surrounding iron acquisition still need to be addressed. Virtually nothing is known about which of the distinct iron acquisition mechanisms P. aeruginosa brings to bear on these questions outside the laboratory, whether it be in soil, in a pipeline, on plants or in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients.
Treatment of infants with neurogenic bladder dysfunction using anticholinergic drugs and intermittent catheterisation.

Summary— The use of anticholinergic drugs in infants with neurogenic dysfunction has not been well documented. In this study, 35 neonates at risk of upper urinary tract damage from neurogenic dysfunction were treated from infancy with anticholinergics, in combination with clean intermittent catheterisation. None of the patients showed upper urinary tract deterioration with follow-up ranging from 6 to 72 months, although 2 required vesicostomy–1 due to difficulty with catheterisation and 1 due to possible anticholinergic side effects. Only 2 (6%) have had clinical pyelonephritis. Twenty-five (76%) are virtually dry between catheterisation. We conclude that anticholinergics are safe and effective, even in the neonatal period, when used in combination with clean intermittent catheterisation for the treatment of neonates with neurogenic bladder dysfunction.
Effects of water and iron content on the rheological contrast between garnet and olivine

Abstract The effects of water and iron content on the relative creep strengths of garnet and olivine were investigated by shear deformation experiments. Garnet and olivine samples were sandwiched together between alumina pistons in a simple shear geometry and were deformed at P = 1–2 GPa, T = 1473 K and strain rates ranging from 10 −5 to 10 −3 s −1 using a Griggs-type solid-medium apparatus. The stress- and strain-rate relation, as well as the deformation microstructures including lattice-preferred orientation and dynamic recrystallization, indicates that the deformation by dislocation creep. The creep tests show that the Fe-rich garnet (Alm 67 Prp 29 Grs 3 ) was slightly weaker than olivine (Fo90), whereas the Mg-rich garnet (Alm 19 Prp 68 Grs 12 ) was significantly stronger than olivine under dry conditions. The wet experiments show that the creep rate of the Mg-rich garnet is more sensitive to water than olivine; the water fugacity exponent on strain rate was estimated to be ∼2.4 for garnet and ∼1.2 for olivine, and the Mg-rich garnet becomes weaker than olivine in a water-rich environment. The experimental results show that the rheological contrast between garnet and olivine depends strongly on water content and to a lesser degree on Fe content. Consequently, the geodynamic behavior of geochemical reservoirs can be sensitive to their chemical environments in the upper mantle.
A tale of two GTPases in cotranslational protein targeting

Guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) comprise a superfamily of proteins that provide molecular switches to regulate numerous cellular processes. The “GTPase switch” paradigm, in which a GTPase acts as a bimodal switch that is turned “on” and “off” by external regulatory factors, has been used to interpret the regulatory mechanism of many GTPases. Recent work on a pair of GTPases in the signal recognition particle (SRP) pathway has revealed a distinct mode of GTPase regulation. Instead of the classical GTPase switch, the two GTPases in the SRP and SRP receptor undergo a series of conformational changes during their dimerization and reciprocal activation. Each conformational rearrangement provides a point at which these GTPases can communicate with and respond to their upstream and downstream biological cues, thus ensuring the spatial and temporal precision of all the molecular events in the SRP pathway. We suggest that the SRP and SRP receptor represent an emerging class of “multistate” regulatory GTPases uniquely suited to provide exquisite control over complex cellular pathways that require multiple molecular events to occur in a highly coordinated fashion.
Clinical Experience of Quinupristin-Dalfopristin for the Treatment of Antimicrobial-Resistant Gram-Positive Infections

Data regarding clinical administration, outcomes, and costs of quinupristin-dalfopristin treatment in 48 patients with serious gram-positive infections in a large teaching hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Thirty-six patients had vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) infections, 10 had methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) infections, and 2 were treated empirically. Overall, 67% of the patients were clinically cured, and 56% had bacteriologic eradication; overall response rate was 48%. Patients with VREF bacteremia had the highest clinical cure (82%) and bacteriologic eradication (73%) rates. Mortality rate was 31%, but 6 of [5 patients who died were treated successfully with quinupristin-dalfopristin. Length of hospital stay was significantly shorter among patients who lived versus those who died (p<0.05). Similarly, the mean hospital cost/patient was significantly lower in patients who lived than in those who died ($35,244 vs $122,922). Quinupristin-dalfopristin is effective in the treatment of both VREF and MRSA or MRSE infections in patients who fail to respond to, or are intolerant of, vancomycin.
An HIV/AIDS vaccine: where do we go from here?

In 1981, five cases of Pneumocystis carinii were reported in gay men from Los Angeles. No one could have realized then that this outbreak of AIDS marked the beginnings of a pandemic that would change the world, affecting more than 60 million people and killing more than 25 million. Understanding, controlling and ultimately eradicating what clearly was a new infectious disease began with the 1983 article by Luc Montagnier’s laboratory in Science[1] describing a new retrovirus associated with AIDS, and the article the subsequent year by Robert Gallo’s group that greatly strengthened the causative association between AIDS and this new virus (HIV) [2].
The Value of Direct Replication

Reproducibility is the cornerstone of science. If an effect is reliable, any competent researcher should be able to obtain it when using the same procedures with adequate statistical power. Two of the articles in this special section question the value of direct replication by other laboratories. In this commentary, I discuss the problematic implications of some of their assumptions and argue that direct replication by multiple laboratories is the only way to verify the reliability of an effect.
How Does Functional Disability Affect Depressive Symptoms in Late Life? The Role of Perceived Social Support and Psychological Resources∗:

This study examines the process whereby functional disability amplifies depressive symptoms through decreasing perceived social support and psychological resources. The study analyzed two waves of panel data (1986 to 1992) of a large sample of older adults from the National Institutes of Aging Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. The results of longitudinal change models and path analyses show that the perceived availability of a confidant, satisfaction with support, sense of control, and self-esteem mediate the effects of disability on increments in depressive symptoms in late life. Psychological resources play a dominant role in mediating the effects of functional impairment. Scales of sense of control and self-esteem account for 53 percent of the total effect of baseline disability and 43 percent of the total effect of changes in disability on changes in the CES-D depression scale. Self-esteem appears to be the strongest mediator.
A Possible Mechanism of Chromosomal Movement in the Scorpion, Centruroides Vittatus (Say)

SUMMARYThe proposal presented indicates that anaphasic chromosomal movement in the scorpion, C vittatus, is associated with enlargement of vesicles some of which apparently are connected to or closely associated with the chromosomal microtubules. Filling of vesicles attached to the centriole end of the tubules could greatly enhance the pulling of the chromosomes toward the centriole region. It is suggested that this mechanism could work in combination with other known phenomena associated with cell division.
Reliable facility location design under disruptions

Distribution networks have been facing an increased exposure to risk of unpredicted disruptions causing significant economic forfeitures. At the same time, the existing literature features very few studies which examine the impact of facility fortification for improving network reliability. In this paper, we present two related models for design of reliable distribution networks: a reliable P-median problem (RPMP) and a reliable uncapacitated fixed-charge location problem (RUFL). Both models consider heterogenous facility failure probabilities, one layer of supplier backup, and facility fortification within a finite budget. Both RPMP and RUFL are formulated as nonlinear integer programming models and proved to be NP-hard. We develop Lagrangian relaxation-based (LR) solution algorithms and demonstrate their computational efficiency. We compare the effectiveness of the LR-based solutions to that of the solutions obtained by a myopic policy which aims to fortify most reliable facilities regardless of the demand topology. Finally, we discuss an alternative way to assess the effectiveness of the design solutions by using the rate of return on fortification investment.
A comparison of three crawfish purging treatments

Abstract Crawfish ( Procambarus clarkii and P. acutus acutus [Girard]) are purged commercially to void digested food from the gut and to improve their outer appearance, increasing their market value. Purging is most commonly done in flow-through systems, but spray systems are gaining in popularity. Three purging treatments were compared: two flow-through treatments using high and low water flow rates and a water spray treatment. Crawfish mortality, purging effectiveness and water quality were compared for the three treatments. Flow-through systems are the industry norm since it was once accepted as fact that crawfish will not purge satisfactorily under a water spray. The results of this research indicate that crawfish purge equally as well in spray systems as in flow-through systems. Water quality was better in the spray treatment than in both the high and low flow rate treatments. Differences in mortality rates between treatments were not significant (P > 0·05) but trends in the data suggest a lower mortality in spray systems.
Storage Stability of Extruded Products from Blends of Meat and Nonmeat Ingredients: Evaluation Methods and Antioxidative Effects of Onion, Carrot, and Oat Ingredients

ABSTRACT: Expanded extrudates were produced from pork meat (20%)-defatted soy flour (25%)-corn starch mixture, with or without additional ingredients: onion powder (1%), alone or in ombination with carrot powder (1.5%) or extract (1.5%), or defatted oat flour (5%). Dried extrudates tored aerobically at 37 °C for 0, 15, 30, or 60 d were evaluated for thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) measured at 450 nm (TBARS@450) and 530 nm (TBARS@530) and for peroxide value (PV). Both TBARS@450 and TBARS@530 were not useful for assessment of either the ingredients or storage time effect. PV decreased between d 0 and d 30 for some products. However, PVs within a given storage time indicated that all the additional ingredient treatments were antioxidative.
High -Speed Surface Flaw Inspection

An optical surface flaw inspection monitor has been developed as a part of Frankford Arsenal's Cartridge Case Measurement Eject System for 5.56 mm small-caliber ammunition. This surface flaw monitor uses scattered light electro-optical instrumentation to detect flaw presence on 100% of the cartridge case surface at case throughput rates exceeding 1200 cases/minute. A line source formed from a laser source with cylindrical optics automatically tracks a spinning cartridge on the perimeter of a wheel-type mechanical handling system. Individual fiber optic elements located at each case position direct scattered light from surface zones of the case to common photomultiplier-based optical detectors. The detected signals are corrected for illumination and receiving optics transmissions and then frequency-processed. The frequency pattern of the detected scattered light relates directly to the type of surface flaw, such as dents and scratches. Go/no-go signals are fed directly to a minicomputer for implementation of a reject function on the mechanical handling hardware.
Use of Interest Inventories With Special Populations: Women and Minority Groups

Recently some investigators (e.g., Carter & Swanson, 1990; Fouad, 1993; Fouad, Harmon, & Hansen, 1994; Ward & Bingham, 1993) have questioned whether interest inventories may be appropriately used f...
Staining of antigen activated lymphocytes (SAAL): a highly specific method for flow cytometric quantitation of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells

Abstract A novel method for quantitative analysis of tumor-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes was developed. Lymphocytes from mice vaccinated with tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) were expanded for 5 days in tissue culture and then stimulated in vitro for 5 h with tumor cells. They were subsequently surface-stained for CD8 and for intracellular interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and analyzed by flow cytometry. The specificity and sensitivity of this assay, staining of antigen-activated lymphocytes (SAAL), was comparable to that of surface staining with major histocompatibily class (MHC) I-peptide tetramers or of staining of peptide re-stimulated CD8+ T cells for intracellular IFN-γ. The assay did not exhibit the high background activity of traditional 51Cr-release assays that without elaborate effector cell purifications commonly fail to distinguish between T cell-mediated antigen-specific cytolysis and non-specific lysis by lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. The described method, which does not require prior identification of individual TAAs and their T cell epitopes nor access to specific reagents such as MHC-peptide tetramers, represents a simple yet useful technique for studying tumor-specific cytolytic T cell responses.
Single top production in association with a Z boson at the LHC

We present results for the production of a $Z$ boson in association with single top at next-to-leading order (NLO), including the decay of the top quark and the $Z$ boson. This electroweak process gives rise to the trilepton signature ${l}^{+}{l}^{\ensuremath{-}}{l}^{\ensuremath{'}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}+\mathrm{\text{jets}}+\mathrm{\text{missing energy}}$. We present results for this signature and show that the rate is competitive with the contribution of the mixed strong and electroweak production process, $t\overline{t}Z$. As such it should be observable in the full data sample from LHC running at $\sqrt{s}=8\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$. The single $\mathrm{\text{top}}+Z$ process is a hitherto unconsidered irreducible background in searches for flavor changing neutral current decays of the top quark in $t\overline{t}$ production. For a selection of cuts used at the LHC involving a $b$-tag it is the dominant background. In the Appendices we also briefly discuss the impact of NLO corrections on the related $tH$ process.
Ethanol and oxidative stress.

This article represents the proceedings of a workshop at the 2000 ISBRA Meeting in Yokohama, Japan. The chair was Albert Y. Sun. The presentations were (1) Ethanol-inducible cytochrome P-4502E1 in alcoholic liver disease, by Magnus Ingelman-Sundberg and Etienne Neve; (2) Regulation of NF-κB by ethanol, by H. Matsumoto, Y. Nishitani, Y. Minowa, and Y. Fukui; (3) Chronic ethanol consumption increases concentration of oxidized proteins in rat liver, by Shannon M. Bailey, Vinood B. Patel, and Carol C. Cunningham; (4) Antiphospholipids antibodies and oxidized modified low-density lipoprotein in chronic alcoholic patients, by Tomas Zima, Lenka Fialova, Ludmila Mikulikova, Ptr Popov, Ivan Malbohan, Marta Janebova, and Karel Nespor; and (5) Amelioration of ethanol-induced damage by polyphenols, by Albert Y. Sun and Grace Y. Sun.
Resource suitability: Methods for analyses

There is a growing need to develop methods for analyzing resource suitability that are both legally defensible and accurate. Three approaches to suitability analysis are reviewed: the US Soil Conservation Service capability classification and important farmlands mapping; the McHarg, or Pennsylvania, suitability analysis method; and Dutch approaches to suitability analysis. Computer applications and the carrying-capacity concept are briefly reviewed. Three applications of suitability analysis are discussed: examples from Medford Township, New Jersey; Whitman County, Washington; and Abuja, the new federal capital city of Nigeria.
Testing for separability of spatial–temporal covariance functions

Abstract Most applications in spatial statistics involve modeling of complex spatial–temporal dependency structures, and many of the problems of space and time modeling can be overcome by using separable processes. This subclass of spatial–temporal processes has several advantages, including rapid fitting and simple extensions of many techniques developed and successfully used in time series and classical geostatistics. In particular, a major advantage of these processes is that the covariance matrix for a realization can be expressed as the Kronecker product of two smaller matrices that arise separately from the temporal and purely spatial processes, and hence its determinant and inverse are easily determinable. However, these separable models are not always realistic, and there are no formal tests for separability of general spatial–temporal processes. We present here a formal method to test for separability. Our approach can be also used to test for lack of stationarity of the process. The beauty of our approach is that by using spectral methods the mechanics of the test can be reduced to a simple two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedure. The approach we propose is based on only one realization of the spatial–temporal process. We apply the statistical methods proposed here to test for separability and stationarity of spatial–temporal ozone fields using data provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Asymptomatic McArdle's disease associated with hyper-creatine kinase-emia and absence of myophosphorylase

Asymptomatic elevations of serum creatine kinase (CK) may be observed in patients undergoing routine health assessment or evaluation for an acute illness. Diverse myopathic conditions may cause asymptomatic hyper-CK-emia, including polymyositis, congenital myopathies, and mitochondrial myopathies.1 Elevations of CK are common in patients with myophosphorylase deficiency (McArdle's disease) not only during episodes of exertional myalgia and cramps, but also during rest.2 We report an asymptomatic patient with negligible muscle glycogen phosphorylase (MGP) activity and marked elevation of CK. Genetic analyses showed that the patient is heterozygous for an uncommon mutation at codon 396 of the MGP gene; the genetic defect affecting the other allele remains undetermined. Case report. A 15½-year-old girl who had extensively participated in competitive athletics and aerobics without neuro-muscular symptoms experienced an acute episode of gastrointestinal discomfort, emesis, and dehydration, unassociated with muscle cramps, myalgia, or pigmenturia, which resolved quickly with the administration of IV fluids. Abnormal laboratory studies included a serum CK of 11,649 U/L, which remained elevated for 14 days with a maximum of 41,000 U/L. Before neurologic evaluation, she refrained from athletic activities for 1 month. Results of her neurologic and general physical examinations were normal, but serum …
Thermal annealing in hydrogen for 3-D profile transformation on silicon-on-insulator and sidewall roughness reduction

A fast, effective process using hydrogen annealing is introduced to perform profile transformation on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and to reduce sidewall roughness on silicon surfaces. By controlling the dimensions of as-etched structures, microspheres with 1 /spl mu/m radii, submicron wires with 0.5 /spl mu/m radii, and a microdisk toroid with 0.2 /spl mu/m toroidal radius have been successfully demonstrated on SOI substrates. Utilizing this technique, we also observe the root-mean-square (rms) sidewall roughness dramatically reduced from 20 to 0.26 nm. A theoretical model is presented to analyze the profile transformation, and experimental results show this process can be engineered by several parameters including temperature, pressure, and time.
CONTINUOUS ANALOG OF THE GAUSS-NEWTON METHOD

A Continuous Analog of discrete Gauss–Newton Method (CAGNM) for numerical solution of nonlinear problems is suggested. In order to avoid the ill-posed inversion of the Frechet derivative operator, some regularization function is introduced. For the CAGNM, a convergence theorem is proved. The proposed method is illustrated by a numerical example in which a nonlinear inverse problem of gravimetry is considered. Based on the results of the numerical experiments, practical recommendations for the choice of the regularization function are given.
Transient binding of an activator BH3 domain to the Bak BH3-binding groove initiates Bak oligomerization

The mechanism by which the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members Bax and Bak release cytochrome c from mitochondria is incompletely understood. In this paper, we show that activator BH3-only proteins bind tightly but transiently to the Bak hydrophobic BH3-binding groove to induce Bak oligomerization, liposome permeabilization, mitochondrial cytochrome c release, and cell death. Analysis by surface plasmon resonance indicated that the initial binding of BH3-only proteins to Bak occurred with similar kinetics with or without detergent or mitochondrial lipids, but these reagents increase the strength of the Bak–BH3-only protein interaction. Point mutations in Bak and reciprocal mutations in the BH3-only proteins not only confirmed the identity of the interacting residues at the Bak–BH3-only protein interface but also demonstrated specificity of complex formation in vitro and in a cellular context. These observations indicate that transient protein–protein interactions involving the Bak BH3-binding groove initiate Bak oligomerization and activation.
An Emergent Phenomenon of American Indian Secondary Students' Career Development Process

Nine single-race American Indian secondary students’ career development experiences were examined through a phenomenological methodology. All 9 participants were in the transition period starting in late secondary school (age 18). Data sources included individual interviews and journal analysis. The phenomenon of American Indian secondary students’ career development process comprised 7 themes, which were integrated into 3 interacting dimensions: introspective, relational, and contextual. Findings reveal unique career development processes for American Indian secondary students living in tribal settings, including career decision process, career options, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy. Implications for school counselors and counselor educators are discussed.
Third order speckle intensity frequency correlations for random media characterization

Summary from only given. Techniques for characterizing random media are motivated in part by recent interest in important applications such as optical imaging in biological tissue. We show for the first time that the third order frequency correlation of measured speckle intensities using coherent light enables the temporal response of a random medium to be obtained. In particular, we present experimental results for a random medium in the weak scattering limit and the diffusive regime, where the field statistics are circular complex Gaussian.
Gamma-ray multiplicity distributions in 16O + 152Sm fusion near and below the Coulomb barrier

Abstract We have studied γ-ray multiplicity distributions for the system 16 O + 152 Sm at five beam energies in the range 60–80 MeV, near and below the Coulomb barrier. The data were obtained using a large array of γ-ray detectors and an efficient evaporation-residue detector system utilizing an electrostatic deflector. The data are in good agreement with predictions of angular momentum distributions calculated using a coupled-channels model incorporating the effects of deformation.