cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chiral dynamics and hadronic structure

Abstract General aspects of chiral symmetry breaking are discussed in the context of the instanton model of the QCD vacuum. In the long wavelength limit, a Landau-Ginzburg effective Lagrangian is derived after proper coarse graining of the liquid phase. This approach leads naturally to the concept of chiral solitons much like vortex excitation in liquids. Some pertinent issues related to Skyrmions are discussed. The issue of the relevance of confinement versus chiral symmetry in low energy processes is raised in the context of the Cheshire can principle, using the flavor singlet axial current as a specific example.
Variation aware cross-talk aggressor alignment by mixed integer linear programming

The accurate analysis of cross-talk noise in VLSI chips must consider the timing when signals can interfere, i.e., the switching windows. It is important to determine the time-alignment of signal switching events that cause maximal cross-talk noise. Moreover, it is necessary to include the effects of process and environmental variations, as they strongly affect the switching windows, and further complicate the computation of the worst possible noise. We present a general formulation of the worst case noise analysis problem as a mixed-integer-linear-program, (MILP). The formulation captures elaborate cross-talk models that include variational switching windows, victim sensitivity windows, discontinuous switching windows, diversely shaped noise pulses, and logic constraints on switching activity. We demonstrate that our technique correctly predicts the worst noise pulse, including cases even where conventional approaches fail.
Tropical acute rheumatic fever and associatedstreptococcal infections compared with concurrent acute glomerulonephritis

Ninety-three patients with acute rheumatic fever and 195 patients with acute glomerulonephritis were observed in Trinidad during an outbreak of scabies with a high incidence of secondary streptococcal infections. Clinical and laboratory manifestations of ARF were the same as those seen in temperate zones, except that antistreptolysin O titers were less markedly increased. The patients with ARF were similar to those with AGN in respect to sex, race, location of residence, and living conditions, but were older and had markedly fewer skin infections. Currently prevalent nephritogenic streptococcal strains never were isolated from patients with ARF even when M55 streptococci appeared and led to an epidemic of AGN.
Exploring Cardiac Calcium ATPase Dimerization

Previous studies have suggested that the cardiac calcium ATPase (SERCA) can form homo-dimers. To investigate this in heterologous cells, we fused Cerulean (Cer) or yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) to the N-terminus of canine SERCA2a. We measured 18% maximum fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from Cer-SERCA to YFP-SERCA, indicating an interaction between SERCA protomers. To determine whether the measured FRET was specific, we co-transfected cells with unlabeled SERCA to compete for binding with Cer-SERCA and YFP-SERCA. FRET progressively decreased with increasing molar ratios of unlabeled competitor SERCA to a minimum of 5%. Competition with increasing molar ratios of unlabeled phospholamban (PLB) did not reduce the measured FRET or the apparent affinity of the SERCA dimer. In order to determine whether PLB phosphorylation status altered SERCA dimerization, we enhanced phosphorylation of PLB at serine 16 by foskolin or using a phosphomimetic PLB (S16E). This did not alter the maximum FRET or the apparent affinity of the SERCA protomers for each other. Additionally, the apparent affinity was unchanged with various concentrations of cytosolic calcium or ATP, or in the presence of the SERCA inhibitor, thapsigargin. SERCA dimerization was also suggested by co-immunoprecipitation experiments in cells co-transfected with YFP-SERCA and myc-tagged SERCA. Immunoprecipitation with an anti-mycTag antibody co-immunoprecipitated YFP-SERCA, as detected by western blot. To analyze SERCA dimerization in cardiac myocytes, we used benzophenone-4-maleimide crosslinking. Rabbit left ventricular myocytes were isolated and permeabilized in the presence of crosslinker. Western blot analysis revealed two bands: the first at approximately 110 kD, consistent with monomeric SERCA, and the second at approximately 200 kD, a value compatible with the predicted molecular weight of a homo-dimer. Our data suggest that SERCA2a forms obligate homo-dimers in live cells, including cardiac myocytes. We have not determined a regulatory component for this interaction.
Do facial structural characteristics communicate information about health

High levels of sex hormones may lower immunocompetence, making it difficult for a person’s body to fight off infections. Facial characteristics that reveal high levels of sex hormones might signal the presence of a robust immune system. In men, high testosterone levels are associated with prominent cheekbones, wide jaw, and long chin. In women, high estrogen levels are associated with prominent cheekbones, narrow jaw, and short chin. We examined whether facial features associated with immunocompetence positively covary with health. Participants from 2 groups of university students (67 women, 34 men, in total) completed daily measures of psychological, emotional, and physical health over a one-month period. Physiological fitness was assessed via cardiac recovery time following exercise. A facial photograph of each participant was rated along several personality dimensions, activity level, and attractiveness. Using the photographs, we measured participants’ jaw width, chin length, and cheekbone prominence. Results provide unimpressive evidence for the hypotheses that (1) women displaying an estrogenized face and (2) men displaying a testosteronized face are physiologically, psychologically, and emotionally healthier. Discussion highlights directions for future work on whether facial structural characteristics might communicate information about underlying health.
Injectivity of topological categories

Injective objects in concrete categories frequently turn out to be objects with particularly pleasant properties. Often some form of “completeness” provides a characterization of injectivity in such a category, with injective hulls achieved through certain standard completion processes. Several results during the past decade have shown that certain specific ”topological” categories are precisely the injective objects in various natural quasicategories of concrete categories, with injective hulls obtained via certain sieve constructions. When the base category is trivial, some of these results specialize to classical results in certain categories of ordered structures; e.g., the injectives in posets characterized as complete lattices, with injective hulls the MacNeille completions, and the injectives in semilattices characterized as locales, with injective hulls the locale hulls.
Modeling and development of a twisting wing using inductively heated shape memory alloy actuators

Wing twisting has been shown to improve aircraft flight performance. The potential benefits of a twisting wing are often outweighed by the mass of the system required to twist the wing. Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators repeatedly demonstrate abilities and properties that are ideal for aerospace actuation systems. Recent advances have shown an SMA torsional actuator that can be manufactured and trained with the ability to generate large twisting deformations under substantial loading. The primary disadvantage of implementing large SMA actuators has been their slow actuation time compared to conventional actuators. However, inductive heating of an SMA actuator allows it to generate a full actuation cycle in just seconds rather than minutes while still . The aim of this work is to demonstrate an experimental wing being twisted to approximately 10 degrees by using an inductively heated SMA torsional actuator. This study also considers a 3-D electromagnetic thermo-mechanical model of the SMA-wing system and compare these results to experiments to demonstrate modeling capabilities.
Utilizing inertial energy to extend ride-through for matrix converters in adjustable speed drives

This paper presents a new ride-through approach for matrix converters in adjustable speed drives. The improvements consist of a new ride-through control strategy and the addition of three bi-directional switches to isolate the input filter capacitors. This strategy is shown to enable ride-through of multi-second faults by harvesting the inertia in the spinning mass of the motor and load. The control strategy is analyzed followed by simulations with real motor parameters. Through a review of power quality assessments, it is shown that these improvements allow matrix converter based adjustable speed drives to operate in the vast majority of real world fault situations.
Table mountain satellite observations - 1971-72

Reduced photographic plate observations are given for some of the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn. The observations were made with the 24-in. reflector at Table Mountain Observatory in 1971 and 1972, and were corrected for elliptic aberration. The planetary positions were obtained from DE-69 developed at JPL.
Arene ruthenium complexes of the thermally resistant ligand tri-2-pyridylamine

The degradation-resistant ligand tri-2-pyridylamine (tripyam) (1) forms a variety of stable ruthenium complexes. Reaction of (1) with RuCl2(PPh3)3 yields the complex RuCl2(PPh3)(tripyam) (2) and, upon prolonged heating in pyridine, forms RuCl2(py)(tripyam) (3). Complexes (2) and (3) display unusual thermal stability, resisting degradation at temperatures of 270 °C. Reaction of (2) with two equivalents of AgSbF6 in water yields the solvento complex [Ru(PPh3)(tripyam)(OH2)2] (SbF6)2(2a). Reaction of (1) with RuCl3·H2O also yields the trichloro complex RuCl3(tripyam) (4). The organometallic precursor [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 reacts with (1) and either two or four equivalents of AgSbF6 to yield [RuCl(p-cymene)(η2-tripyam)]SbF6(5) and [Ru(p-cymene) (η3-tripyam)](SbF6)2(6), respectively. Each of these complexes has been characterized by spectroscopic techniques and, in the case of (5), by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
The Impact of Visual Perspective and Anger on the Actor-Observer Bias Among Automobile Drivers

Objective. The present study was designed to examine the combined impact of the Actor-Observer Bias and driver anger on attributions of other drivers. Methods. Participants watched a simulated driving sequence in which a car swerved in front of a truck in near collision. Half viewed from the perspective of the offending motorist while the other half viewed from the perspective of a trailing motorist. Participants then rated the general riskiness of the offending motorist and the responsibility of the victim driver. Results. Findings support the visual perspective explanation of the Actor-Observer Bias in that attributions within a single event differed based on the random assignment of visual perspective. However, the nature of the attributions interacted with the level of anger experienced over the incident. Those viewing as a trailing motorist provided greater riskiness ratings for the offending motorist than did those viewing from the perspective of the offending motorist, but only when scoring/rating ...
Organisms, machines, and societies: From the vertical structure of adaptability to the management of information

The adaptability of organisms and human societies depends on the synergistic orchestration of processing modes at many different levels of organization, each with unique informational characteristics. Digital information technology is a narrow transect of this spectrum. Adaptability theory provides a tool for analyzing the interactions between these fundamentally different modes of processing and for delineating the factors that can lead to either positive or negative consequences for human life.
Assessment and management of cardiovascular risk in men.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability for men in the United States. The prevalence of CVD and the number of patients eligible for therapy is expected to increase significantly over the next several decades. The number of patients who are candidates for preventive interventions and treatment for coronary heart disease (CHD) and other forms of atherosclerosis is rising substantially in the United States and the rest of the world. Over 30 million men in the United States have CVD, and the lifetime risk for developing CHD steadily increases with age. This article discusses how to assess cardiovascular risk and minimize that risk in men.
Oxidation of HMG‐CoA Reductase Inhibitors by tert‐Butoxyl and 1,1‐Diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl Radicals: Model Reactions for Predicting Oxidatively Sensitive Compounds During Preformulation

Hydrogen atom abstraction rate constants for the reaction of tert-butoxyl and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical with the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors lovastatin, simvastatin, and statins I-IV were measured. This series of diene-containing drugs is known to be prone to oxidation. The tert-butoxyl radical was generated by the thermolysis of di-tert-butylperoxyoxalate at 40 degrees C. A competitive kinetic method was used to determine the relative rate of hydrogen atom abstraction by tert-butoxyl radical to beta-scission. The absolute rate constants were calculated using the experimentally determined product ratios of t-butanol to acetone and the known rate of beta-scission of tert-butoxyl radical. The rate constants for the reaction with DPPH radical were measured spectrophotometrically by monitoring the loss of DPPH radical as a function of substrate concentration. The rate constants correlate well with the structure of the molecules studied. These kinetic techniques allow for oxidatively sensitive compounds to be identified early in the drug development cycle. The tert-butoxyl radical, a strong hydrogen atom abstractor, is representative of the hydroxyl (. OH) and alkoxyl (. OR) radicals; in contrast the DPPH radical, a much weaker radical, is a good kinetic model for hydroperoxyl (. OOH) and peroxyl (. OOR) radicals. These kinetic methods can be used to quantitatively assess the lability of drug candidates towards reaction with oxygen-centered radicals at an early stage of development and facilitate the design of inhibiting strategies.
Partial Discharge Pattern Recognition for Cast Resin Current Transformer Using Fuzzy Neural Network

This paper proposes a pattern recognition approach based on the fuzzy neural network for identifying insulation defects of cast resin current transformer (CRCT) arising from partial discharge (PD). Pattern recognition of PD is used for identifying defects causing the PD, such as internal discharge, external discharge, corona, etc. This information is vital for estimating the harmfulness of the discharge in the insulation. The PD patterns are collected by a PD detecting system in the laboratory. Several statistical methods are used on the phase related distributions in this paper to extract the features for recognition. A set of features, used as operators, for each PD pattern is extracted through statistical methods. To verify the proposed approach, experiments were conducted to demonstrate the field-test PD pattern recognition of CRCT models with artificial defects are purposely created to produce the common PD activities of insulators by using feature vectors of field-test PD patterns. The experimental data are found to be in close agreement with the recognized data. The test results show that the proposed approach may achieve quite satisfactory recognition of PD patterns.
Carbon Dioxide and Gadopentetate Dimeglumine Venography to Guide Percutaneous Vertebroplasty

Percutaneous vertebroplasty with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is an effective procedure for relieving pain due to vertebral body compression fractures. The technique employs iodinated contrast venography to exclude needle placement directly within the basivertebral complex. We present two cases in which carbon dioxide (CO2) and gadopentetate dimeglumine venography was used to guide percutaneous vertebroplasty in patients with a contraindication to iodinated contrast.
AA amyloidosis associated with a mutated serum amyloid A4 protein

AA amyloidosis invariably has been associated with fibrillar deposits of the acute phase high-density lipoprotein serum amyloid A isotypes SAA1 and SAA2. We now report the first case in a patient with no antecedent history of a chronic inflammatory or neoplastic process whose pathologic renal deposits were comprised of a mutated form of the constitutively expressed serum amyloid A4 (SAA4) protein. Analyses by tandem mass spectrometry of amyloid extracted from kidney biopsies revealed a component identical in sequence to the N-terminal portion of SAA4, except for the substitution of glycine for tryptophan at position 22 (W22G). Sequencing of genomic DNA using SAA4-specific primers showed a TGG to GGG transversion in codon 22 that accounted for the observed modification. Confirmation of the SAA4 nature of the amyloid was obtained immunohistochemically. Notably, only wild-type SAA4 was detected by mass spectrometry in the patient's serum and its concentration was within normal limits. Given the substitution ...
Cooperativity in transcriptional control.

The regulation of eukaryotic genes almost always depends on cooperative interactions between factors. This is essential to allow the rich array of transcriptional responses required for both development and adaptation to the environment. We are only beginning to decipher the mechanisms governing this cooperativity, which include processes such as the cooperative assembly of large DNA-bound protein complexes and the cooperative recruitment of positively and negatively acting co-regulatory proteins.One of the hopes of the genomics revolution is that we will eventually be able to predict how a gene will function, for example, in development, by simply analyzing its sequence. Given the conservation in protein coding sequences between diverse organisms, it is highly likely that the evolution of developmental complexity is due more to the evolution of enhancers than to the evolution of coding regions. If we are ever to predict developmental phenotypes from gene sequences, it will be essential to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms by which transcription factors cooperate with one another to define transcriptional states.Suggestions for further reading
Microlensing search for planets

Abstract Using gravitational microlensing, a space-based wide-field imager could carry out a search for planets with greater sensitivity than any other technique. Because the amplitude of the microlensing signature is independent of planet mass, the survey would extend down to Mars-mass planets, at least a decade below other techniques. While most sensitive to planets in the so-called “lensing zone” (roughly 1–5 AU from star), the microlensing technique probes planets over a broad range of separations, and is the only method that is sensitive to free-floating planets. It is also the only technique capable of conducting a planetary census at a wide range of Galactocentric distances.
Adsorbate Ordering Effects in the Trimerization Reaction of Acetylene on Cu(100)

The trimerization of acetylene to benzene on a Cu(100) surface is reported. The reaction occurs at both room temperature and at or below 200 K depending on the coverage. The reaction yield exhibits a strong coverage dependence, with the yield increasing as the initial acetylene coverage increases. The maximum yield for the room temperature reaction is 30%. The structural properties of the acetylene overlayer have been investigated by LEED, and the results correlated with the reaction yield observations. The results are discussed in light of the coverage dependence of the benzene yield for the same reaction on Cu(110) and Pd(111). It is found that the structural arrangement of the acetylene overlayer on the three different surfaces explains the different coverage dependences of the reaction yield. A unique feature is observed in the thermal desorption data for this system; the mass 26 signal mimics the trimerization reaction rate at high coverages. This is most likely due to the exothermicity of the benzen...
IMMUNOGLOBULINS ON THE SURFACE OF LYMPHOCYTES II. THE BONE MARROW AS THE MAIN SOURCE OF LYMPHOCYTES WITH DETECTABLE SURFACE-BOUND IMMUNOGLOBULIN

Immunofluorescent studies using live cells from antibody-forming organs and anti-immunoglobulin antibodies demonstrate two populations of small lymphocytes which are differentiated by the presence or absence of Ig on their surface membranes. Most of the lymphocytes with detectable surface Ig appear to derive from cells of the bone marrow, while most of the Ig-negative lymphocytes derive from the thymus. Thus, adult mice thymectomized, lethally irradiated, and transplanted with bone marrow cells showed a normal number of lymphocytes with surface Ig but were depleted of the Ig-negative lymphocytes. Injection of thymocytes into these mice did not result in an increase in the number of lymphocytes with surface Ig in spleen and lymph nodes. Most of the injected thymocytes could be identified by means of histocompatibility markers. Also, the spleen and lymph nodes of neonatally thymectomized mice contained lymphocytes with surface Ig but were depleted of the Ig-negative lymphocytes. Attempts were made to identify light chains on thymocytes by a sensitive radioimmunoassay. In some experiments no light chains were detected and in others a small amount, i.e. no more than 2.6% of the amount present on spleen lymphocytes, could be detected. Whether these low figures are significant or represent a small amount of serum contamination is not clear as yet.
Comparison of the increase in body size between 1899 and 1970 in a specially selected group with that in the general population.

Height and weight data for varsity football players from 1899 to 1970 were analyzed for evidence of a secular trend in such a specialized sample. Recent football teams ('61–'70) are, on the average, 2.6 inches (6.6 cm) taller and 35.3 pounds (16.05 kg) heavier than the teams at the turn of the century (1899–1910). The estimated trend over the 70 year span was 0.37 inches (0.94 cm) per decade for stature and 5.04 pounds (2.29 kg) per decade for weight. Unfortunately, it is not possible to partition these trends and obtain separate estimates for the “secular” effects and for those effects that might be attributed to “recruiting practices.” The observed trend for stature in football players corresponds with the upper limit of the estimated range for adult secular trend data for stature from Western European countries, and is greater than that reported for American young adult males both in college and in the general population.
In vivo double-strand breaks occur at recombinogenic G + C-rich sequences in the yeast mitochondrial genome

Abstract An optional 46-base-pair G + C-rich element (GC cluster) in the coding region of the yeast mitochondrial var1 gene inserts preferentially in crosses into recipient alleles that lack the sequence. Unlike a similar gene conversion event involving the insertion of an optional 1143-base-pair intron, the mitochondrial 21S rRNA gene, which requires the action of a protein encoded by a gene within that intron, conversion of the var1 GC cluster does not require any protein product of the mitochondrial genome. We have detected double-strand breaks in the var1 gene in mitochondrial DNA isolated from unmated haploid rho+ and rho- strains at or near the boundaries of the optional GC cluster, as well as at a conserved copy of that sequence 160 base pairs upstream. No double-strand breaks were detected in the recipient var1 DNA molecules in the vicinity of the optional GC cluster target sequence. This contrasts with 21S rRNA-encoding DNA (rDNA) intron conversion where the recipient, but not the donor DNA, is cleaved at the element insertion site. These results suggest that although the 21S rDNA intron and the var1 GC cluster are preferentially inserted into their respective short alleles, these conversions probably occur by different mechanisms.
Analytical chemistry in a drop. Solvent extraction in a microdrop.

An organic microdrop (∼1.3 μL) is suspended inside a flowing aqueous drop from which the analyte is extracted. The drop-in-drop system is achieved by a multitube assembly. The aqueous phase is continuously delivered to the outer drop and is aspirated away from the bottom meniscus of the drop. After the sampling/extraction period, a wash solution replaces the sample/reagent in the aqueous layer, resulting in a clear outer aqueous drop housing a colored organic drop containing the extracted material. This also results in an automatic backwash. The color intensity of the organic drop, related to the analyte concentration, is monitored by a light-emitting diode based absorbance detector. After the analytical cycle, the organic drop is removed and replaced by a new one. The performance of the system is illustrated with the determination of sodium dodecyl sulfate (a methylene blue active substance) extracted as an ion pair into chloroform. This unique microextraction system is simple and flexible, permits autom...
Coping Strategies, Reasons for Driving, and the Effect of Self-Monitoring in Drinking-Driving Situations

Male and female volunteers, who were drinking regularly but had not been convicted of DUI, were recruited for interviews about their past drinking episodes in a variety of locations and the reasons why they had or had not driven after drinking. The results of the initial interviews were used to compile a catalog of reported strategies and reasons for not driving after drinking, reported reasons for driving after drinking, and reported strategies to avoid detection or arrest when driving after drinking. Following the initial interview, each subject was randomly assigned to either a self-monitoring group or a no self-monitoring control group for three monthly follow-up interviews. The results of the follow-up revealed no apparent effect of self-monitoring on a variety of both drinking and drinking-and-driving measures.
Genetic deficiency of the mitochondrial protein PGAM5 causes a Parkinson’s-like movement disorder

Mitophagy is a specialized form of autophagy that selectively disposes of dysfunctional mitochondria. Delineating the molecular regulation of mitophagy is of great importance because defects in this process lead to a variety of mitochondrial diseases. Here we report that mice deficient for the mitochondrial protein, phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 (PGAM5), displayed a Parkinson's-like movement phenotype. We determined biochemically that PGAM5 is required for the stabilization of the mitophagy-inducing protein PINK1 on damaged mitochondria. Loss of PGAM5 disables PINK1-mediated mitophagy in vitro and leads to dopaminergic neurodegeneration and mild dopamine loss in vivo. Our data indicate that PGAM5 is a regulator of mitophagy essential for mitochondrial turnover and serves a cytoprotective function in dopaminergic neurons in vivo. Moreover, PGAM5 may provide a molecular link to study mitochondrial homeostasis and the pathogenesis of a movement disorder similar to Parkinson's disease.
Antibodies directed toward human erythrocyte Ca2+-ATPase: effect on enzyme function and immunoreactivity of Ca2+-ATPases from other sources.

Abstract Antibodies directed against purified human erythrocyte Ca2+-ATPase (purified according to a procedure modified from V. Niggli, J. T. Penniston, and E. Carafoli, 1979, J. Biol. Chem., 254, 9955–9958) were raised in rabbits. In competitive radioimmunoassay tests of immunological cross-reactivity, human erythrocyte Ca2+-ATPase shows a consistent pattern of immunological similarity to the Ca2+-ATPases derived from cell surface fractions of other species, such as rat and dog erythrocyte ghosts, rat corpus luteum plasma membranes, and rat brain synaptic plasma membranes. On the other hand, a purified Ca2+-ATPase preparation from rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum failed to show any immunological similarity to the human enzyme. The amount of Ca2+-ATPase protein in the erythrocyte ghosts was estimated to be about 0.6 μg/mg ghost protein, which was not too different from the calculated value of 1.2 ± 0.2 μg/mg ghost protein (mean ± SD, n = 6) based on the calmodulin binding studies of the erythrocyte ghosts. Anti-Ca2+-ATPase immunoglobulin G inhibited enzyme activity and calcium transport, showing that at least one subpopulation of antibodies can block the active site of the enzyme. The antibodies had no effect on the binding of calmodulin to erythrocyte membranes.
Flap haze after epithelial debridement and flap hydration for treatment of post-laser in situ keratomileusis striae.

PURPOSE To report a case of corneal haze after attempts to eliminate post-laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) lamellar striae. METHODS Case report. RESULTS A 24-year-old woman with visually significant flap striae 2 months after LASIK underwent manual epithelial debridement and flap hydration, refloating, and stretching to eliminate the striae. Three weeks after this intervention, she developed visually significant haze that was confined to the stroma of the flap. The haze slowly improved with use of a topical steroid. CONCLUSION Stromal haze can develop after treatment of flap striae with epithelial debridement and hypo-osmolar irrigation. We speculate that these maneuvers may have induced cell death of anterior keratocytes and led to haze formation, as can occur after simple epithelial debridement and epithelial scrape-photorefractive keratectomy.
Thrombospondin 1 is expressed by proliferating mesangial cells and is up-regulated by PDGF and bFGF in vivo

Thrombospondin 1 has been shown to be linked to PDGF-mediated mesangial cell proliferation and migration in vitro, but little is known regarding its expression or regulation in glomerular disease. Experimental mesangial proliferative nephritis was induced in rats by injection of anti-Thy1 antibody. Mesangial cell proliferation was associated with de novo expression of thrombospondin 1 mRNA (detected by Northern blot and in situ hybridization) and protein (by Western blot and immunostaining). Although some thrombospondin 1 was expressed by platelets and macrophages, double labeling showed that most thrombospondin 1 mRNA and protein were expressed by proliferating alpha-actin-positive mesangial cells. Thrombospondin 1 expression in anti-Thy1 nephritis was complement-dependent and could be reduced by treatment with anti-PDGF or anti-bFGF antibodies. Thrombospondin 1 could also be induced in normal rats by infusion of PDGF and in rats which were primed with low dose anti-Thy1 antibody by infusion of PDGF of bFGF. Thus, this study demonstrates that proliferating mesangial cells express thrombospondin 1 de novo in disease and that thrombospondin 1 expression in vivo is regulated by PDGF and bFGF.
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Manganese in Gallium Arsenide

The paramagnetic spin-resonance spectra of manganese in GaAs have been studied at 77\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Isotropic values for the spectroscopic splitting factor $g$ and for the hyperfine interaction constant $A$ have been measured to be 2.004 and 56 G, respectively. Fine structure lines were not found, even at 4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. A spin Hamiltonian describing the resonance spectra is given. An estimate of the cubic splitting constant $a$ is deduced from the angular variation of the spectrum.
A theoretical study of high electron affinity sulfur oxyfluorides: SO3F, SO2F3, and SOF5

Abstract Gaussian-2 theory was used to study a series of sulfur oxyfluorides that have exceptionally high electron affinities (EAs). Optimized geometries were computed for SO 3 F, SO 2 F 3 , SOF 5 , and their corresponding anions at the MP2(full)/6-311+G(d) level of theory. Both SO 3 F and SOF 5 are found to be stable with respect to dissociation, while SO 2 F 3 is metastable with respect to SO 2 F 2 +F. In all cases, electron attachment results in a shortening of one long SO bond within the molecule and a corresponding increase in the remaining SF and SO bonds; a significant portion of the excess charge is accommodated in an SO bonding orbital. Harmonic vibrational frequencies with IR and Raman intensities were computed for all species, and the calculated vibrational spectra of SOF 5 − and SO 2 F 3 − are compared to the reported experimental spectra. The EAs of SO 3 F, SO 2 F 3 , and SOF 5 are found to be 5.53, 5.50, and 5.14 eV, respectively, all well exceeding the threshold of 3.6 eV that defines a superhalogen species. The corresponding anion vertical detachment energies and neutral vertical attachment energies are also reported here. The calculated EA of SO 3 F is discussed in relation to the gas-phase acidity of FSO 3 H. The homolytic bond dissociation energy of FSO 3 H is found to differ significantly from the previous estimate, suggesting the previous experimental estimate for the EA of SO 3 F [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 114 (1992) 4299] be revised upward from 4.8 to 5.2 eV.
Discrimination between fast- and slow-twitch fibres of guinea pig skeletal muscle using the relative surface density of junctional transverse tubule membrane.

The black reaction of Golgi was used to infiltrate transverse (T) tubules in fast-twitch glycolytic (FW), fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic (FR) and slow-twitch (S) type fibres in muscles of guinea pigs. Non-junctional (fT) and junctional (jT) segments of the T-rubule network are clearly demarcated by this technique. Digitized planimetry and direct measurements were used to determine the proportion of T-tubule network forming junctions with the sarcoplasmic reticulum (%LjT) and to estimate the surface density (surface area per fibre volume) of total and junctional T membrane. From these data, the volume density (number per fibre volume) of junctional feet was calculated. All three types of fibres have approximately equal surface density of T tubules, but the FW and FR fibres have a much higher proportion of jT. The calculated volume density of feet is twice as high in fast-twitch as in slow-twitch fibres.
Classroom note: Compact, convex, and symmetric sets are discs

Define the centre of a parallelogram to be the intersection of its diagonals. It was shown in an earlier paper that the intersection of arbitrarily many parallelograms with the same centre is the unit disc about that centre in a metric defined using ideas from Linear Algebra. In this note, it is shown that this characterizes compact, convex sets, which are symmetric about a point.
Investigation of Intermetallic Compound Growth Enhanced by Electromigration in Pb-Free Solder Joints

An efficient numerical method based on simulated annealing was developed to extract the diffusion and electromigration (EM) parameters for multi-phase intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed between under-bump-metallurgy (UBM) and solder bumps. This method was applied to the growth of Cu-Sn IMCs during thermal aging and electromigration in Pb-free solder joints with Cu UBM. Diffusion coefficients and effective charge numbers of Cu and Sn in IMCs were derived in this study. The simulated annealing approach provided superior efficiency and accuracy over the conventional grid heuristics, and was proven to be particularly useful for analyzing multiple parameters in multiphase systems, such as solder joints. The effect of EM-enhanced IMC growth on stress fields in solder joints was also studied using finite element analysis. The negative volumetric strain appeared to be an important factor contributing to the degradation of EM reliability of solder joints.
A destabilizing effect of severe nose bluntness.

11 Tang, S. C., "Response of viscoelastic cylindrical shells to moving loads," J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 40, 793-900 (1966). 12 Biot, M. A., "Dynamics of viscoelastic anisotropic media," Proceedings, 2nd Midwestern Conference on Solid Mechanics (1955), pp. 94-108. 13 Hilton, H. H. and Dong, S. B., "An analogy for anisotropic nonhomogneous linear viscoelasticity including thermal stresses," Developments in Mechanics (Pergamon Press Inc., New York, 1965), pp. 58-73. 14 Girkmann, K., Fldchentragwerke (Springer-Verlag, Vienna, Austria, 1959).
Split sequence generation algorithms for efficient identification of operational subcubes in faulty hypercubes

Abstract Two new heuristic algorithms are proposed for enhancing operational subcube identification in hypercubes with faulty nodes. Either of the algorithms can adaptively construct a complete binary tree based on the fault set such that subcube identification is greatly improved. They can be used to modify the standard Gray Code or Buddy strategy to provide performance improvement in the identification of higher dimensional operational subcubes with practical time complexities that make them attractive. In essense, the algorithms provide preprocessing techniques based on recursive splitting of the faulty hypercube so that a large number of high dimensional subcubes can be identified. For the identification part, existing schemes can be used to actually harvest the subcubes.
Assessing intermittent pesticide exposure from flea control collars containing the organophosphorus insecticide tetrachlorvinphos.

Assessing intermittent pesticide exposure from flea control collars containing the organophosphorus insecticide tetrachlorvinphos
Inverted Mucoepidermoid Papillomas of the Epiebulbar Conjunctiva

Juxtalimbal epibulbar inverted papillomas that were locally excised without recurrence developed in two women, aged 42 and 51 at the time of initial presentation. There is only one previous report of this unusual conjunctival neoplasm, which documented involvement of the plical, caruncular, or tarsal conjunctiva. The tumor grew by acanthosis of the surface nonkeratinizing squamous epithelium, with invagination into the underlying connective tissue in the absence of inflammation or a tendency toward keratinization. The initial invaginations may be cystic in character, but solid lobules secondarily originated from their walls to push into the connective tissue. Mucus-producing goblet cells were scattered throughout the lesions; highly distinctive eosinophilic globoid bodies, probably reflecting inspissated mucoid material, were found in the walls of the cysts and entrapped within their secretions. Conjunctival inverted papilloma does not exhibit locally aggressive behavior, does not involve extensive segments of the conjunctival epithelium, and does not display diffuse spread or multicentricity. The authors therefore believe that it should be clearly separated from inverted squamous (Schneiderian) papillomas of the nasal cavity and sinuses.
Diagnosis and Management of Periurethral Cysts

Background/Aims: Periurethral cysts are a rare entity that may be confused with urethral diverticula. The protocol for diagnosis and management of these lesions is still unclear. We
Environmentally Induced Failure of Gold Jewelry Alloys

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is an established form of environmental attack in low karatage gold jewelry alloys. The cause of failure is often attributed to exposure to chlorinated solutions. At a certain gold content (usually greater than 14K) the alloy is widely believed protected from SCC. In this study, three commercial 18K gold alloys (yellow gold, nickel white gold, and palladium white gold) were tested in combination with three different household solutions to determine relative corrosion rates. These rates were determined using polarization tests. Once the maximum corrosion rate had been established, SCC tests using the constant potential dead weight method were used to determine time to failure. The resultant failure surfaces were examined to determine mode of fracture, which in all cases was predominantly intergranular. It was found that corrosion rates depended upon both the alloy system and the test solution. SCC was clearly demonstrated in 18K gold alloys, although in all cases times to failure were significantly greater than has been reported for lower karatage alloys. Palladium white gold was far more resistant to SCC than the other systems studied.
Molecular and atomic beam scaltering from surfaces

Abstract It has become commonplace to remark that the field of atomic and molecular beam scattering from surfaces has been growing at a rapid pace and that frequent reviews are amply justified by the rate of progress. A few of the most recent reviews are those by Cole and Frankl,1 emphasizing the quantum regime in both its experimental and its theoretical aspects, by Goodman,2 dealing mainly with theory, and by Madix and Benziger3 on reactive scattering. More general surveys were given by Somojai and Brumbach4 at the first ISISS and by Ceyer and Somorjai.5 All of these papers, of course, contain references to the many earlier reviews. In the present paper, we shall attempt to achieve a broad coverage of the field, with emphasis on only the most recent developments.
Use of Combination Therapy with Cisplatin and Calcitriol in the Treatment of Y-79 Human Retinoblastoma Xenograft Model

Background: Retinoblastoma is the most common primary malignant intraocular neoplasm of childhood. The poor outcomes of patients with metastatic retinoblastoma have encouraged the search for new therapies. In the current study, the efficacy of combination therapy with calcitriol and cisplatin in athymic mice with subcutaneous Y-79 human retinoblastoma tumours was assessed. Methods: 60 athymic mice were subcutaneously injected with human Y79 retinoblastoma cells. Animals were randomised into four groups: group 1, 50 μg of cisplatin; group 2, 0.05 μg of calcitriol; group 3, 0.05 μg of calcitriol and 50 μg of cisplatin; group 4, control. The cisplatin was administered once a week, and the calcitriol was given five times a week. Results: There was a significant inhibition of tumour growth in animals treated with the combination therapy of calcitriol and cisplatin as compared with controls and cisplatin alone (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0041 respectively). In terms of toxicity, serum calcium levels were increased, but there was no mortality and minimal nephrotoxicity in any of the groups. Conclusion: The present study shows that cisplatin given in combination with calcitriol may be a viable multidrug therapy option in the treatment of high-risk retinoblastoma.
The role of platelet cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways in tumor cell induced platelet aggregation.

Abstract Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells induce the aggregation of rat platelets and concomitant production of eicosanoid metabolites (e.g., 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, thromboxane A2). Cyclooxygenase inhibitors, but not lipoxygenase inhibitors, were able to inhibit platelet aggregation induced in vitro by low concentrations of agonists. At high agonist concentrations, neither cyclooxygenase nor lipoxygenase inhibitors affected platelet aggregation; however the combination of both inhibitors resulted in inhibition of aggregation. Also, a low concentration of agonist induced minimal eicosanoid metabolism, whereas a high concentration resulted in increased eicosanoid metabolism. These inhibitors, at the doses tested, did not inhibit protein kinase C activity.
Natural D-glucose as a biodegradable MRI contrast agent for detecting cancer.

Purpose: Modern imaging technologies such as CT, PET, SPECT, and MRI employ contrast agents to visualize the tumor microenvironment, providing information on malignancy and response to treatment. Currently, all clinical imaging agents require chemical labeling, i.e. with iodine (CT), radioisotopes (PET/SPECT), or paramagnetic metals (MRI). The goal was to explore the possibility of using simple D-glucose as an infusable biodegradable MRI agent for cancer detection. Methods: D-glucose signals were detected using chemical exchange saturation transfer (glucoCEST) MRI of its hydroxyl groups. Feasibility was established in phantoms as well as in vivo using two human breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, implanted orthotopically in nude mice. PET and contrast-enhanced MRI were also acquired. Results: Both tumor types exhibited significant glucoCEST signal enhancement during systemic sugar infusion (mild hyperglycemia), allowing their noninvasive visualization. GlucoCEST showed differences between types, while PET and CE-MRI did not. Data are discussed in terms of signal contributions from the increased vascular volume in tumors and especially from the acidic extracellular extravascular space (EES), where glucoCEST signal is expected to be enhanced due to a slow down of hydroxyl proton exchange. Conclusions: This observation opens up the possibility for using simple non-toxic sugars as contrast agents for cancer detection with MRI by employing hydroxyl protons as a natural label. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A GCM study of the response of the atmospheric water cycle of West Africa and the Atlantic to Saharan dust radiative forcing

Abstract. The responses of the atmospheric water cycle and climate of West Africa and the Atlantic to radiative forcing of Saharan dust are studied using the NASA finite volume general circulation model (fvGCM), coupled to a mixed layer ocean. We find evidence of an "elevated heat pump" (EHP) mechanism that underlines the responses of the atmospheric water cycle to dust forcing as follow. During the boreal summer, as a result of large-scale atmospheric feedback triggered by absorbing dust aerosols, rainfall and cloudiness are enhanced over the West Africa/Eastern Atlantic ITCZ, and suppressed over the West Atlantic and Caribbean region. Shortwave radiation absorption by dust warms the atmosphere and cools the surface, while longwave has the opposite response. The elevated dust layer warms the air over West Africa and the eastern Atlantic. As the warm air rises, it spawns a large-scale onshore flow carrying the moist air from the eastern Atlantic and the Gulf of Guinea. The onshore flow in turn enhances the deep convection over West Africa land, and the eastern Atlantic. The condensation heating associated with the ensuing deep convection drives and maintains an anomalous large-scale east-west overturning circulation with rising motion over West Africa/eastern Atlantic, and sinking motion over the Caribbean region. The response also includes a strengthening of the West African monsoon, manifested in a northward shift of the West Africa precipitation over land, increased low-level westerly flow over West Africa at the southern edge of the dust layer, and a near surface westerly jet underneath the dust layer over the Sahara. The dust radiative forcing also leads to significant changes in surface energy fluxes, resulting in cooling of the West African land and the eastern Atlantic, and warming in the West Atlantic and Caribbean. The EHP effect is most effective for moderate to highly absorbing dusts, and becomes minimized for reflecting dust with single scattering albedo at 0.95 or higher.
An empirical investigation of the factor structure of the AUDIT

This study investigated the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test's (AUDIT) factor structure and psychometric properties. The factor structure was derived from a sample of 7,035 men and women primary care patients. A principal components analysis identified 2 factors in the AUDIT data and was supported in a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The 2 factors were Dependence/Consequences and Alcohol Consumption. The CFA also provided support for a 3-factor model whose factors (Alcohol Consumption, Alcohol Dependence, and Related Consequences) matched those proposed by the AUDIT's developers. Psychometric indexes were determined by use of the baseline and 12-month follow-up data of 301 men and women who entered a clinical trial. The results showed that the 2 factors had good reliability. Validity tests supported the interpretation of what the 2 factors measure, its implications for relationships to other variables, and the comparability of the 2- and 3-factor models.