cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Naturally acquired Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in laboratory pig-tailed macaques

Here we present a case series from a primate research facility. The index case, a 4-year-old pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) experimentally infected with chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIVSF162 P4), developed weight loss and was euthanized. Based on necropsy results the animal was diagnosed with opportunistic atypical mycobacteriosis associated with simian AIDS (SAIDS). Subsequently, tissues from the index animal, as well as tissues and oral mucosal swabs from six SHIV-infected contacts, were analyzed using molecular methods and found to contain nucleic acid sequences characteristic of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). These data suggest that existing protocols fail to reliably detect MTBC infection in laboratory primates used as experimental models.
Inhibition of In Vitro Synthesis of the Second (C2) and Fourth (C4) Components of Complement in Guinea Pig Peritoneal Macrophages by a Soybean Oil Emulsion

Summary: Recently a soybean oil emulsion (Intralipid) (IL) has been released in the United States for use as a parenteral nutrient. The study reported here was undertaken to determine the effect of ingestion of IL on the synthesis and secretion of the second (C2) and fourth (C4) components of complement by guinea pig peritoneal macrophages in vitro. Cells exposed to IL had extensive Oil Red 0-positive granular-appearing accumulations of neutral lipid within the cytoplasm. Control cells did not stain with Oil Red 0. Incubation of the cells with concentrations of IL from 2.3-37.5 mg/100 ml resulted in a significant decrease in the production of both C2 and C4, which could not be explained by variability between plates. The decrease in total C2 or C4 production by cells incubated with IL for 4 hr was similar to the decrease in production by cells incubated with IL for 48 hr. Several lines of evidence indicated that the decrease of C2 or C4 was the result of decreased synthesis of these proteins and not interference of IL with the detection of the proteins or their secretion from the cells. Exposure of the cells to IL at all concentrations caused reduction of the number of cells having pseudopodia and a rounding-up of the cells. IL did not affect the rate of detachment of the cells from the plates through the 48-hr incubation period or the ability of the cells to exclude trypan blue. Total protein synthesis and total lysozyme production by control and IL-treated cells was similar.
Lagrangian Measurements in a Coastal Upwelling Zone off Oregon

Abstract During August 1972 drogue and hydrographic measurements were made in the coastal upwelling zone off the Oregon coast. The study was conducted as a component of the Coastal Upwelling Experiment (CUE-1). Both sub-surface parachute drogues and surface vane drogues were tracked for two periods. The one experiment began as the strong prevailing northerlies that drive the summer upwelling began after a cessation of 11 days. A new cycle of upwelling appeared to begin with progressive upwarping of the pycnocline inshore and the generation of strong surface equatorward motion. The other experiment coincided with the abrupt relaxation of strong northerlies and appeared to represent the onset of the decay phase of the upwelling circulation. The pycnocline broke the sea surface about 5 km from shore creating a highly convergent front which drew in the surface vane drogues. A strong sub-surface temperature inversion appeared to be related to intense sinking of surface water at the front. The onshore motion of...
Emergenesis: Adding to the Psychoeducational Armament:

Literature on the concept of emergenesis as it relates to a family psychoeducational framework for therapeutic efforts is reviewed.
An iterative block-shifting approach to retention time alignment that preserves the shape and area of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry peaks.

Metabolomics, petroleum and biodiesel chemistry, biomarker discovery, and other fields which rely on high-resolution profiling of complex chemical mixtures generate datasets which contain millions of detector intensity readings, each uniquely addressed along dimensions of time (e.g., retention time of chemicals on a chromatographic column), a spectral value (e.g., mass-to-charge ratio of ions derived from chemicals), and the analytical run number. They also must rely on data preprocessing techniques. In particular, inter-run variance in the retention time of chemical species poses a significant hurdle that must be cleared before feature extraction, data reduction, and knowledge discovery can ensue. Alignment methods, for calibrating retention reportedly (and in our experience) can misalign matching chemicals, falsely align distinct ones, be unduly sensitive to chosen values of input parameters, and result in distortions of peak shape and area. We present an iterative block-shifting approach for retention-time calibration that detects chromatographic features and qualifies them by retention time, spectrum, and the effect of their inclusion on the quality of alignment itself. Mass chromatograms are aligned pairwise to one selected as a reference. In tests using a 45-run GC-MS experiment, block-shifting reduced the absolute deviation of retention by greater than 30-fold. It compared favourably to COW and XCMS with respect to alignment, and was markedly superior in preservation of peak area. Iterative block-shifting is an attractive method to align GC-MS mass chromatograms that is also generalizable to other two-dimensional techniques such as HPLC-MS.
Inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation potentiates substrate-induced neurite growth

Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) have major roles in signal transduction and growth control. There are several lines of evidence implicating PTKs in the regulation of axon growth, and this has led to the suggestion that they are centrally involved in the transduction of neuronal growth signals. To test this idea, we assayed the effect of the compounds genistein and lavendustin, specific inhibitors of PTKs, on neurite growth. We find that genistein greatly reduces phosphotyrosine in neurons, as expected from its action on other cells. Surprisingly, administration of genistein or lavendustin potentiated substrate-induced neurite growth in at least several different neuronal types. Stimulation of neurite growth by genistein was abolished by vanadate, providing additional evidence that inhibition of PTKs is responsible for this effect. The potentiation of growth is rather general, in that it occurs on several different extracellular matrix substrates and on two different cell adhesion molecules. Both the initiation of neurite growth and the rate of neurite elongation appear to be potentiated. Our results do not provide evidence for models of substrate-induced signal transduction that involve PTKs asa positive and necessary step, but suggest that such kinases play aregulatory role in neurite elongation. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Increased number of galanin-neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus of neonatally overfed weanling rats.

Perinatal overfeeding is a risk factor for overweight and diabetes during life. Underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are unclear. The peptide galanin is suggested to stimulate food intake by acting within the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN). In early postnatally overfed rats overweight and hyperinsulinemia were observed, accompanied by an increased number of galanin-positive neurons in the PVN at weaning. Our results might indicate malformation of hypothalamic galaninergic neurons due to neonatal overfeeding and hyperinsulinism, respectively, in rats.
Gilbert receives 1999 William Bowie Medal

J. Freeman Gilbert was awarded the William Bowie Medal at the AGU Spring Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on June 2, 1999, in Boston, Massachusetts. The medal recognizes outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and unselfish cooperation in research. Freeman Gilbert was a geophysical pioneer, even as a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he used the Whirlwind computer to apply computational methods to seismic problems. Later at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP),at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he began his professional university career, he wrote a series of papers on the computation of synthetic seismograms in simple media.
Functional effects of single dose first- and second-generation antipsychotic administration in subjects with schizophrenia.

Abstract Using PET with 15 O water, we characterized the time course of functional brain changes following the acute administration of a first- and a second-generation antipsychotic. Volunteers with schizophrenia were scanned while drug-free (baseline) and after single dose administration of haloperidol ( n =6) or olanzapine ( n =6) during a time course adapted to their plasma kinetics. To obtain brain location information, we contrasted each post-drug scan to baseline-acquired scans. We plotted the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) extracted in these locations and calculated the kinetic characteristics of the curves. Further, we compared and contrasted the rCBF changes induced by the drugs over the first 4 h post-drug administration. Dorsal and ventral striatum, thalamus and anterior cingulate cortex were activated with haloperidol, while frontal, temporal and cerebellum regions evidenced reduced flow. With olanzapine, ventral striatum, anterior cingulate and temporal cortices evidenced increases, and thalamus and lingual cortex decreases, in rCBF. Both drugs activated the caudate nucleus. Haloperidol induced greater activation of the dorsal striatum than did olanzapine. These data reveal important differences in patterns of brain activation between the drugs. Differences in the involvement in basal ganglia parallel known differences between the drugs in the emergence of acute EPS upon emergency administration.
Indefinite Kac-Moody algebras of classical type

The first author is supported in pat by NSF under Grant DMS-9025111. The 3rd author is supported in part by NSA/MSP Grant MDA 90-H-4039.
Lead isotope ratios: Tracking the migration of European‐Americans to Grafton, Illinois in the 19th century

Lead isotope analysis was conducted using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) instruments on local soil samples and human premolar tooth enamel from a 19th century population from Grafton, Illinois, USA. The goal of the study was to determine if lead isotope analysis could be used to infer place of birth and patterns of 19th century migration into the city of Grafton. Five soil core samples from a location near Grafton, Illinois, five grave soil samples from the city cemetery and the tooth enamel of 19 human premolars were analysed. The results of the soil core analysis indicated that the lead isotopic signature of Grafton differs significantly from isotope ratios of other geographic areas associated with recorded places of birth of 19th century Jersey County residents. Elemental and isotope analysis of the soil samples indicated that diagenesis was not a factor in the analysis of lead isotopic signatures of enamel. From the lead isotope analysis of human premolars, the geographic origin of 13 of the remaining 15 individuals could be inferred. The inferred geographic origin was supplemented by an analysis of 1860 mortality and census records and demonstrated the utility of using lead isotope analysis in bio-archaeological investigations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Discussion of “Can Structural Reforms Help Europe?” by Gauti Eggertsson, Andrea Ferrero, and Andrea Raffo

“W.S. Gilbert abundantly proves he is still the legitimate monarch of the Realm of Topsy-Turvydom.” In such marvelous terms The Times of London, in 1884, reviewed the premiere of Princess Ida, by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. The critic had captured, concisely, the basic plot of many of the wonderful creations of Gilbert and Sullivan. The premise of those works was to turn around the conventional rules of society and to push the unusual arrangements to their logical consequences. With this trick, the artists created amusing pieces that the audiences of the era (and not a few of our contemporaries) adored. Thinking about the zero lower bound (ZLB) of the nominal interest rate is similar to listening to Gilbert and Sullivan: all our intuitions about economic policy can switch and, in the process, we are entertained. Eggertsson, Ferrero, and Raffo (hereafter EFR) have presented an original and carefully crafted argument that structural reforms may be counterproductive at the ZLB, exactly opposite to their effect under normal conditions. Thus, their thought-provoking and immensely interesting article is an outstanding member of what I would like to call the economics of Gilbert and Sullivan. Why does the ZLB cause this rumpus? For a market economy to work properly, a central piece of the machinery – the savings-investment market – must operate satisfactorily. This market, through its price (the real interest rate), ensures that the desire of households and firms to postpone consumption (savings) is equal to their desire to accumulate capital (investment). Unfortunately, the presence of cash complicates the response of the interest rate to changes in the desire to save and invest. All modern economies have found that a convenient trading arrangement is the use of noninterest-bearing nominal notes issued by a sovereign, which we refer to as cash (or call deposits easily redeemed for cash). This is not the place to review why this is the case. Suffice it to say that these notes are the root of all evil here. Since I started by talking about 19th century art, I fast-forward to the early 21st century. And to reflect geopolitical realities, I travel from old England to contemporary New Jersey – where I write these lines – to introduce the Tony Soprano technology. In a famous episode, Tony (unforgettably interpreted by the recently departed James Gandolfini) hides his
Statistical learning of adjacent and nonadjacent dependencies among nonlinguistic sounds

Previous work has demonstrated that adults are capable of learning patterned relationships among adjacent syllables or tones in continuous sequences but not among nonadjacent syllables. However, adults are capable of learning patterned relationships among nonadjacent elements (segments or tones) if those elements are perceptually similar. The present study significantly broadens the scope of this previous work by demonstrating that adults are capable of encoding the same types of structure among unfamiliar nonlinguistic and nonmusical elements but only after much more extensive exposure. We presented participants with continuous streams of nonlinguistic noises and tested their ability to recognize patterned relationships. Participants learned the patterns among noises within adjacent groups but not within nonadjacent groups unless a perceptual similarity cue was added. This result provides evidence both that statistical learning mechanisms empower adults to extract structure from nonlinguistic and nonmusical elements and that perceptual similarity eases constraints on nonadjacent pattern learning. Supplemental materials for this article can be downloaded from pbr.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.
C4 photosynthesis and leaf anatomy in diploid and autotetraploid Pennisetum americanum (pearl millet)

Abstract The effects of polyploidy on leaf anatomy and C 4 photosynthesis were studied in a diploid and a spontaneous autotetraploid of pearl millet ( Pennisetum americanum ). Dimensions of photosynthetic cells, their numbers per unit leaf area, and numbers of chloroplasts per cell were determined. Photosynthesis was measured by leaf CO 2 -exchange and activities of photosynthetic enzymes. There were exactly half as many photosynthetic cells per unit leaf area in tetraploids as in diploids. In tetraploid plants both mesophyll and bundle-sheath cells were 16 μM longer than in diploids. Changes in other dimensions resulted in a doubling of bundle-sheath cell volume, but only a 45% increase in mesophyll cell volume in tetraploids. There were twice as many chloroplasts per cell in the tetraploids, while the number of chloroplasts per unit leaf area was the same at both ploidy levels. The rate of CO 2 uptake was identical at the two ploidy levels on a leaf area basis, but was twice as high per cell in tetraploid plants. Changes due to polyploidy in contents of chlorophyll and leaf soluble protein, as well as enzyme activities per cell and on a leaf area basis corresponded to changes in photosynthetic rates. The differences in the photosynthetic capacity of this polyploid C 4 plant and those of a previously studied, established and naturally-occuring polyploid C 4 grass ( Panicum virgatum ) are discussed.
Atomic test of the Stokes-Einstein law. II: Diffusion of Xe through liquid hydrocarbons

Mesure du coefficient de diffusion, D, d'atomes 133 Xe diffusant a travers 12 n-alkanes liquides, du n-pentane au n-hexadecane, a 20,0°C. Les variations de D (cm 2 /s) en fonction de la viscosite η(P) est donnee par D=(1,26±0,06)×10 −6 η −0,686±0,011 , ou η 20,0°C varie de facon monotone dans ces solvants de 0,235 cP (pour n-C 5 H 12 ) a 3,48 cP (pour n-C 16 H 34 ). L'observation que D est proportionnel a η a la puissance ∼-2/3, est en accord avec d'autres observations faites sur differents systemes solute-solvant. On suggere quelques ramifications de cette variation
33258 Hoechst enhancement of the photosensitivity of bromodeoxyuridine-substituted cells.

Cells that have incorporated 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) into their DNA become extremely sensitive to photoinduced killing after treatment with the dye, 33258 Hoechst. Under appropriate conditions the dye increases the efficiency of killing by a factor of approximately 104.This enhanced photosensitivity suggests that the combination of BrdU, dye, and light can be used to select conditional lethal mutants.
Initiating the Ketogenic Diet Without the Traditional Fasting Period

Abstract Although the ketogenic diet has existed for over 75 years, the exact mechanism of action is still unknown. In 1921, R.M. Wilder, MD theorized that the ketosis and acidosis resulting from minimal caloric intake produced an anticonvulsant effect. Since then, other investigators have validated the efficacy of the ketogenic diet and it has become a more common therapy for children with intractable seizures. The classic ketogenic diet involves an initial period of starvation that is followed by a diet consisting of a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of fat grams to grams of carbohydrate and protein. The purpose of the fasting phase is to stimulate ketogenisis and to initiate hunger which will encourage the child to consume the diet. Studies have shown that during the fasting period, children can become hypoglycemic and too ketotic. At least one death has been reported during the fasting period of the diet. Medication levels are often unstable during fasting which can cause nausea, vomiting and irritability. For these reasons the ketogenic diet is started at our facility without the traditional fasting phase. On the morning of admission to the hospital, the child is allowed to eat his/her usual breakfast at home (omitting concentrated sweets). Upon admission to the hospital the child is fed ketogenic meals totaling l/3 rd of his/her total daily caloric diet goal. On day 2 of admission the child is fed 2/3rds of his/her total daily caloric goal. Full calories are provided on day 3. The medical charts of eleven consecutive children were reviewed and the highest level of urine ketones registered for each of the three days was recorded. Ketone levels were measured with urinalysis reagent strips and indicated as negative/trace/small/moderate/large. By day 3 100% ( 11) of the children had registered large urine ketones on 2 or more readings. We feel our practice has allowed a smooth transition to the ketogenic diet while minimizing hypoglycemia, excessive ketosis, nausea, and inpatient hospital days.
Quantitative reconstruction of refractive index distribution and imaging of glucose concentration by using diffusing light

We show that a two-step reconstruction method can be adapted to improve the quantitative accuracy of the refractive index reconstruction in phase-contrast diffuse optical tomography (PCDOT). We also describe the possibility of imaging tissue glucose concentration with PCDOT. In this two-step method, we first use our existing finite-element reconstruction algorithm to recover the position and shape of a target. We then use the position and size of the target as a priori information to reconstruct a single value of the refractive index within the target and background regions using a region reconstruction method. Due to the extremely low contrast available in the refractive index reconstruction, we incorporate a data normalization scheme into the two-step reconstruction to combat the associated low signal-to-noise ratio. Through a series of phantom experiments we find that this two-step reconstruction method can considerably improve the quantitative accuracy of the refractive index reconstruction. The results show that the relative error of the reconstructed refractive index is reduced from 20% to within 1.5%. We also demonstrate the possibility of PCDOT for recovering glucose concentration using these phantom experiments.
Fas Is Involved in the p53-Dependent Apoptotic Response to Ionizing Radiation in Mouse Testis

Apoptosis induced in male germ cells following ionizing radiation is dependent on functional p53 (Trp53) being present. We sought to determine whether Fas (Tnfrsf6/CD95/APO-1), an apoptotic factor, is involved in this p53-dependent germ cell death. In p53 knock-out mice exposed to 5 Gy of x-radiation, germ cells were protected from cell death, as assessed by counting apoptotic seminiferous tubules 12 h following radiation. Similarly, spermatid head counts in p53 knock-out mice remained near normal 29 days after exposure to 0.5 Gy of radiation, whereas wild-type animals had a more than twofold reduction in spermatid head counts. Fas mRNA expression remained at pretreatment levels in p53 knock-out mice; however, Fas increased in a time-dependent manner in wild-type mice following exposure to 5 Gy of radiation, indicating that radiation-induced Fas expression is p53-dependent. The functional significance of Fas involvement was demonstrated when lpr cg mice, having a nonfunctional Fas receptor, were exposed to 5 Gy of radiation; the number of apoptotic seminiferous tubules 12 h following radiation was significantly reduced compared to that of wild-type mice. Additionally, lpr cg mice exposed to 0.5 Gy of radiation had increased spermatid head counts 29 days following radiation compared to wild-type mice. Interestingly, gld mice with a non-functional Fas ligand (Tnfsf6/FasL/CD95L) were as sensitive to radiation as wild-type animals, and levels of FasL mRNA were not affected by radiation treatment. These results indicate that apoptosis and up-regulation of Fas following radiation are both p53-dependent events. Although Fas is necessary, in part, for radiation-induced p53-dependent apoptosis, FasL is not. apoptosis, gene regulation, Sertoli cells, spermatogenesis, testis
Characterization of the gene expression profile of neuroblastoma cell line IMR-5 using serial analysis of gene expression

The serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) technique was used to generate a database of the most abundant transcripts of the MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell line IMR-5. A total of 8568 tags were sequenced and shown to represent 4034 unique tags, each of which corresponds to an individual transcript. Expression levels of genes are reflected by the frequency of occurrence of the respective tags. To validate fidelity of SAGE data, relative abundances of seven transcripts were evaluated by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Transcripts that were detected nine times or more (>0.1% of the total tag population) accounted for 36% of the total messenger RNA mass but only 3% of the total number of individual transcripts. A strong preponderance of genes involved in protein synthesis, in particular those encoding for ribosomal proteins, were observed among these high-abundance transcripts. Tags corresponding to the amplified gene DDX1 were conspicuously overrepresented in comparison to the other amplified genes MYCN, neuroblastoma amplified gene and MEIS1, which suggests an additional mechanism apart from genomic amplification contributing to the strong upregulation of this gene. This study provides a comprehensive gene expression profile of neuroblastoma cell line IMR-5 and may be used as a reference database for identification of candidate genes that are involved in etiology and pathogenesis of neuroblastoma.
Resolving Beecher's paradox: getting beyond IRB reform.

Protection of persons participating as research subjects is an essential element of ethical research conduct. There is growing concern that the existing system of institutional review boards (IRBs) and informed consent may not be adequate and is in need of reform. When science and medicine are “merged”; in clinical research, confusion of roles and conflicts of interests arise in relationships between patient‐subjects and physician‐investigators. IRBs have always had a primary role in protection of research participants. Their efforts to protect research subjects may make it more difficult for investigators to conduct research. This tension has lead to the development of an adversarial relationship between IRBs and investigators. Investigators and IRBs are also subject to external pressures that could impact efforts to protect research subjects. Efforts are underway to address these concerns. IRB reform, while needed, is not likely to be sufficient. Adoption of a new paradigm in which IRBs, investigators a...
Spatial analysis of the Federal‐State Cooperative System's public library statistics

The Federal-State Cooperative System (FSCS), a program of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), collects data from over 9,000 public library systems in the United States. This research is an attempt to perform spatial analysis and visually display the data using a geographic information system. To do this, the NCES data has to be joined with GeoLib's spatial data of library outlets' geographic coordinates. The researcher also joined this combined dataset to 2000 Census shapefiles for demographics of the states studied. The study produced several national maps of some library statistics, e.g. total circulation. In addition, block group level maps were produced for some states to display spatial trends within those states. Spatial trends appear with some of the variables and further research can explore the causation behind these correlations.
Lifting Bailey pairs to WP-Bailey pairs

A pair of sequences (@a"n(a,k,q),@b"n(a,k,q)) such that @a"0(a,k,q)=1 and @b"n(a,k,q)[email protected]?j=0n(k/a;q)"n"-"j(k;q)"n"+"j(q;q)"n"-"j(aq;q)"n"+"[email protected]"j(a,k,q) is termed a WP-Bailey Pair. Upon setting k=0 in such a pair we obtain a Bailey pair. In the present paper we consider the problem of ''lifting'' a Bailey pair to a WP-Bailey pair, and use some of the new WP-Bailey pairs found in this way to derive some new identities between basic hypergeometric series and new single-sum and double-sum identities of the Rogers-Ramanujan-Slater type.
Genetic polymorphisms in glutathione S‐transferases and cytochrome P450s, tobacco smoking, and risk of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma

We investigated variation in glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and cytochrome P450s (CYPs), and smoking in a population-based case-control study of NHL including 1,115 women. Although risk of NHL was not altered by variant polymorphisms in GSTs or CYPs, it was significantly changed for DLBCL when considered in conjunction with smoking behavior, though only in nonsmokers. An increased risk of DLBCL in nonsmokers was associated with the variant G allele for GSTP1 (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.0–2.3) and CYP1A1 (OR = 2.4; 95% CI 1.0–5.7), but a decreased risk for the variant G allele for CYP1B1 (OR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–1.0). Our results confer support investigation of the gene-environment interaction in a larger study population of DLBCL. Am. J. Hematol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Coordination between Monroe County and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS)

Abstract Preservation of marine habitats and water quality is paramount to the future economy of the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) together with Monroe County have coordinated their actions to protect benthic habitats, improve water quality in the Sanctuary, and implement stormwater and wastewater infrastructure. Cooperation between the Sanctuary and Monroe County has resulted in the creation of No-Discharge Zones and public works projects both of which have succeeded in reducing pollutants into Sanctuary waters. Efforts to improve communication between the Sanctuary and County should still be made in order for improvements in water quality to be realized.
Surface crystallization of an amorphous alloy metglas 2826

A study of the surface region of the amorphous alloy Metglas 2826 was made using reflection high-energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. Changes in the near surface structure and composition as a result of heat treatment were followed and compared with observations made with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction. Treatment of the surface in an ultraviolet radiation/ozone environment at room temperature to remove absorbed carbon results in surface oxidation, a subsurface crystalline layer, and a varying composition in the near-surface region. Samples thinned to the point where the two surfaces were in close proximity exhibited explosive crystallization behavior when observed in the TEM. The fact that surface-induced crystallization has been shown to occur in this alloy at low and even room temperatures suggests that environmental and mechanical treatments are of some consequence in the practical utilization of this type of material. >
Effectiveness of Treatment Apnea-Hypopnea Index: A Mathematical Estimate of the True Apnea-Hypopnea Index in the Home Setting

Purpose To present a new measurement instrument, the Effectiveness of Treatment Apnea-Hypopnea Index (ET-AHI), which the authors developed to determine an estimate of the therapeutic control of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Materials and Methods The authors retrospectively evaluated a cohort of patients with OSA who initially attempted to use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy and subsequently underwent maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery. The ET-AHI calculations were performed to estimate the level of CPAP adherence that would be necessary to achieve equivalence with the MMA surgical result and to reach effective AHIs of 5 and 15. Results The sample was composed of 37 adult patients (mean age, 44.2 ± 9.0 yr; 73% men) with moderate to severe OSA (baseline AHI, 56.3 ± 22.6). CPAP therapy was highly efficacious (CPAP titration AHI, 4.3 ± 5.9), but no patient could adequately adhere to treatment. MMA produced a significant decrease in OSA (AHI after MMA, 11.6 ± 7.4). The ET-AHI calculations predicted that an 86% adherence rate with CPAP would be necessary to achieve equivalence with MMA, whereas adherence rates of 99% and 79% may be required to achieve effective AHIs of 5 and 15, respectively. Conclusions The ET-AHI has the potential to significantly affect the care of patients with OSA because it may provide the treating clinician with a valuable tool to estimate the control of OSA for any therapeutic intervention. How closely the ET-AHI predicts the true effective AHI in the home setting requires further validation.
Occult Cancer of the Fallopian Tube in BRCA-1 Germline Mutation Carriers at Prophylactic Oophorectomy: A Case for Recommending Hysterectomy at Surgical Prophylaxis

Abstract Objective. BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 germline mutations increase the risk of ovarian and breast cancer. Primary cancer of the fallopian tube is rare; however, recent evidence suggests that patients harboring a germline mutation conferring an increased risk of ovarian cancer may be at risk for fallopian tube cancer as well. We discuss the finding of occult fallopian tube cancer diagnosed at surgical prophylaxis in women harboring BRCA-1 mutations. Methods/Results. Two patients undergoing surgical prophylaxis to address an increase in ovarian cancer risk were discovered to harbor occult primary fallopian tube carcinoma on final pathology review. Mutational analysis confirmed the presence of a deleterious mutation in BRCA-1 in both patients. Conclusion. Currently, consensus opinions regarding ovarian cancer surgical prophylaxis in gene mutation carriers do not include hysterectomy as part of the preventative procedure. This report as well as a growing number of cases of fallopian tube cancer reported in known BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 mutation carriers has important implications for recommendations regarding surgical prophylaxis in these women.
Drinking a lot is good for dendritic cells

Macropinocytosis is the actin-dependent formation of large vesicles, which allow the internalization of large quantities of fluid-phase solute. In the majority of cells examined, an exogenous stimulus is required to induce the initiation of this endocytic pathway. However, dendritic cells are thought to constitutively macropinocytose large quantities of exogenous solute as part of their sentinel function. In this review we discuss the evidence that dendritic cells macropinocytose exogenous solute and subsequently present antigenic peptides derived from internalized material to T cells. In addition, we put these data into the context of immune surveillance in vivo.
Constrained scaling of trimmed NURBS surfaces based on fix-and-stretch approach

A new method to scale a trimmed NURBS surface while holding the shape and size of specific features (trimming curves) unchanged is presented. The new method is fix-and-stretch based: the new surface is formed by fixing selected regions of the given trimmed NURBS surface that contain the trimming curves and stretching the remaining part of the surface to reach certain boundary conditions. The stretching process is performed using an optimization process to ensure that the resulting surface reflects the shape and curvature distribution of the scaled version of the given surface. The resulting surface maintains a NURBS representation and, hence, is compatible with most of the current data-exchange standards. The new approach is more robust than a previous, attach-and-deform based approach (Zhang P, Zhang C, Cheng F. Constrained shape scaling of trimmed NURBS surfaces. In: Proceedings of the 1999 ASME Design Theory and Methodology Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada, 1999) in that it can tolerate scaling factors of bigger values (up to 2 in some cases). The new approach also guarantees that the features remain exactly the same after scaling. Test results on several car parts with trimming curves and comparison with the previous approach are included. The quality of the resulting surfaces is examined using the highlight line model. The presented technique is important for integrating standard parts into a sculptured product.
A molecular orbital study of surface–adsorbate interactions during the oxidation of CO on the Pt(111) surface

Abstract A Langmuir–Hinshelwood type pathway for the oxidation of CO on the Pt(1 1 1) surface is analysed within a tight binding scheme based on the extended Huckel method. A partitioning of the total electronic energy serves to highlight both CO and O derived contributions to the reaction barrier, the extent to which the surface mediates interactions between the adsorbates and the roles of the individual CO and O orbitals in OC–O bond formation. The reaction barrier is interpreted to be the result of a surface-mediated coactivation of CO and O on the surface. In the initial stages of OC–O bond formation a “side-on” donation of electron density from the p-orbitals on O to the empty CO(2π) orbitals on CO occurs. The transition from reactants to products is characterized by the formation of a carboxylate (CO 2 − ) moiety on the surface. The role of the O s and p orbitals in OC–O bonding is discussed.
β-amylase from tap roots of alfalfa

Abstract β-Amylase was purified from tap roots of alfalfa (cv Hi-Phy) using techniques to enrich β-amylase activity, while simultaneously separating it from α-amylase activity. Proteins in crude extracts were precipitated with polyethylene glycol and ethanol, followed by ammonium sulphate fractionation, gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. The purified β-amylase migrated as a single polypeptide with a M r of 57 500 using SDS-PAGE. When electrophoresed using native polyacrylamide gel electrophesis and blotted into starch-containing gels, several β-amylase isoforms were evident. β-Amylase from alfalfa tap roots readily hydrolysed amylopectin, and to a lesser extent, soluble starch, releasing maltose. It also hydrolysed amylose and glycogen; however, activity was lower with these glucans than with amylopectin or soluble starch. No activity was detected when β-limit dextrin was used as substrate. The purified β-amylase had a pH optimum of 7.5, which is higher than those from most other sources.
Tobramycin nephrotoxicity and lethality in coho salmon

Abstract Treatment of Yersinia ruckeri-infected juvenile coho salmon with tobramycin (TBM) revealed significant toxicity of the drug to these fish. In a group of fish receiving only 5 mg/kg/day a cumulative mortality of 100% was observed in 21 days. To verify the site of toxicity, a second study was conducted in order to histologically evaluate specific tissues and to determine dose-response characteristics. TBM produced nephrotoxicity in juvenile coho salmon at dosages only half as great as those required for an equivalent effect in mammals and did so over a much shorter treatment course. Histological examination revealed moderate to complete proximal tubule necrosis at 7.5 mg/kg every other day for 5 days. Lethality occurred at dosages as low as 2 mg/kg/day for 12 days. The data appear to indicate that salmon may be a potential model for studying the nephrotoxic potential of chemicals.
Radioembolization for unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: single center review of imaging response and survival

Purpose: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is often locally advanced at diagnosis, precluding surgical resection. While several chemotherapy and locoregional approaches have been investigated for treatment of unresectable ICC, there exists no widely accepted standard. We report our experience with selective internal radioembolization therapy (SIRT) with yttrium-90 for locally advanced ICC. Materials and Methods: Patients with unresectable ICC who were selected for SIRT were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, performance, and survival data were acquired from patient medical records and the Social Security Death Index. Tumor response and time to progression (TTP) were assessed on CT/MRI using RECIST criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier survival estimator and log-rank tests. Major and minor adverse events (AEs) were assessed up to 30 days. Results: From 6/2008 to 7/2014, 26 patients (mean age 67 12 y) that had previously received chemotherapy (n1⁄413), resection (n1⁄46) or no treatment (n1⁄49) for ICC were selected for SIRT. Tumor lobe included left (n1⁄45), right (n1⁄47) and bilobar (n1⁄414), with average max tumor dimension 6.8 4.4 cm. Disease burden included intrahepatic-only (n1⁄413) and extrahepatic (n1⁄412). All treatments were administered successfully (mean dose 1.58 0.85 GBq) using SIR-Spheres (n1⁄418; Sirtex, N. Sydney, Australia) or Theraspheres (n1⁄48; BTG, London, UK). Seven patients were lost to follow up. Objective response rate was 21% (CR:3, PR:1; SD:7, PD:8). Disease control rate was 58%. Median TTP was 113 (94-169) days. Median TTP in patients with baseline ECOG 0 (n1⁄49) and ECOG Z 1 (n1⁄410) was 169 and 113 days, respectively (p 1⁄4 0.045, log-rank). Median survival from SIRT was 225 (95% CI 153-609) days. Post-treatment survival was significantly prolonged in patients with objective response via RECIST (p1⁄40.021, log-rank). AEs included stroke within 30 days (n1⁄41). Conclusion: SIRT for ICC is feasible and represents a treatment option for unresectable disease. Time to progression is significantly longer in ECOG 0 patients. Post-treatment survival is significantly prolonged in patients with objective response via RECIST.
Specification of Melbin's Frontier Hypotheses: An Application to Outer Space Exploration*

This article evaluates the extent to which Melbin's (1978) ideal type of frontiers can be applied to a new frontier, outer space. Although outer space fits Melbin's model of frontiers in a number of ways, several deviations are also apparent. These deviations from the model are linked to a combination of four characteristics of outer space as a frontier: the highly technological nature of travel, dependence on Earth, government control, and the initially perceived limitlessness of space. This application leads to further specifications of Melbin's conceptualization of frontiers and provides the basis for speculation concerning the future of outer space as a frontier.
Metabolic effects of imidazole in adipose tissue.

Abstract Addition of imidazole (10 mg/ml) to segments of rat epididymal fat reduced the lipolytic response to epinephrine and theophylline and abolished lipolysis in response to cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate. Basal lipolysis was undiminished. Imidazole also prevented the increase in glucose oxidation caused by epinephrine, but had little effect on glucose oxidation caused by insulin. Imidazole inhibited the incorporation of glucose carbons into long-chain fatty acids and glyceride-glycerol. The data are thought to support the suggestion that imidazole stimulates the activity of phosphodiesterase.
INTERMIXING OF ION-IMLANTED AlGaAs/GaAs SUPERLATTICES

Cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy, Sputter-Auger spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy have been used to study intermixing and residual damage in annealed ion-implanted Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As/GaAs superlattices. Several implant species were studied Nse, Si, Mg, Be). Three different regions can be distinguished in the annealed ionimplanted superlattice samples. The topmost region contains a dense network of stacking faults and microtwins, residual damage from an implantation-amorphized region which has recrystallized during annealing. In the second region, which is relatively defect-free, either total, or at least appreciable intermixing of the GaAs and Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As layers occurs. For fixed annealing conditions, the degree of intermixing varies with the mass of the implanted species. The third region contains many small dislocation loops which form by the agglomeration of point defects during implantation or the subsequent annealing process. Raman spectroscopy is used to compare the degree of intermixing and residual damage between AlGaAs alloys generated by superlattice disordering and uniform “as-grown” alloys of the same composition which have undergone identical implant and anneal treatments.
An Internal Domain of Exo70p Is Required for Actin-independent Localization and Mediates Assembly of Specific Exocyst Components

The exocyst consists of eight rod-shaped subunits that align in a side-by-side manner to tether secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane in preparation for fusion. Two subunits, Sec3p and Exo70p, localize to exocytic sites by an actin-independent pathway, whereas the other six ride on vesicles along actin cables. Here, we demonstrate that three of the four domains of Exo70p are essential for growth. The remaining domain, domain C, is not essential but when deleted, it leads to synthetic lethality with many secretory mutations, defects in exocyst assembly of exocyst components Sec5p and Sec6p, and loss of actin-independent localization. This is analogous to a deletion of the amino-terminal domain of Sec3p, which prevents an interaction with Cdc42p or Rho1p and blocks its actin-independent localization. The two mutations are synthetically lethal, even in the presence of high copy number suppressors that can bypass complete deletions of either single gene. Although domain C binds Rho3p, loss of the Exo70p-Rho3p interaction does not account for the synthetic lethal interactions or the exocyst assembly defects. The results suggest that either Exo70p or Sec3p must associate with the plasma membrane for the exocyst to function as a vesicle tether.
The social ecology of the co-occurrence of substance use and early coitus among poor, urban black female adolescents.

Currently, the profession of social work has proclaimed the need for an empirical research agenda to broadenits knowledge base. The profession's positivists rightly argue that a sound knowledge base is derived from rigorous scientific empirical methods. Unquestionably, the Jonckheere's unique contribution to the study of human development has been its emphasis on environmental effects and individual adaptation. Presently, social scientists embrace an ecological perspective when studying how social environmental effects are mediated. As researchers shift to a social ecological perspective, an empirical contextual model will allow the study of racial/ethnic differences in the incidence of adolescent problem behaviors (Stevens, 1998). An examination of the social ecology of poor, urban black female adolescents was undertaken to examine claims of the co-occurrence of early coitus and substance use, behaviors evident in black adolescents. An ecological framework operationalized by the constructs structural str...
A review of equine muscle disorders.

Muscle disorders are a common cause of disability in horses. For many years, clinical manifestations such as muscle pain, exercise intolerance, weakness, and stiffness were believed to be caused by a single syndrome. However, in the past years a broad spectrum of muscle disorders have been recognized including glycogen and polysaccharide storage myopathies, malignant hyperthermia, mitochondrial myopathy, hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and others. For some, a specific mutation has been identified. Recognition of the myopathic clinical phenotype and thorough clinical, electrodiagnostic, and histological evaluations are essential to further our understanding of equine myopathies. Advances in understanding equine myopathies may potentially benefit other species including humans. 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A phylogenetic examination of the primary anthocyanin production pathway of the Plantae

Anthocyanin pigments aid in reproduction and provide ultraviolet protection to land plants. We have examined the phylogenetic relationships among the five primary enzymes responsible for producing anthocyanin pigment in its three major forms. Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), Flavonoid 3’glucosyltransferase (F3GT), flavonoid 3’hydroxylase (F3’H), and flavonoid 3’5’ hydroxylase (F3’5’H) are responsible for the final steps in anthocyanin pigment production. We were interested in how conserved the anthocyanin pathway genes may be among land plants, and evolutionarily how far back into the plant lineage anthocyanin production may be traced. The DFR, ANS, F3GT, and F3’H genes date back 450 million years to the first land plants. Mosses, spike mosses, and ferns express these four products, although there is no evidence of sequence orthologues for these genes in algae. Additionally, F3’5’H is not evident in organisms that predated gymnosperms. Our findings support the hypothesis that “blue” anthocyanin pigments did not evolve until 300-350 mya along with the gymnosperms, although the “red” anthocyanin pigments may be as ancient as the mosses (~450 mya).