cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IMMUNOLOGICAL TOLERANCE IN BONE MARROW-DERIVED LYMPHOCYTES : II. EFFECTS OF ALLOGENEIC CELL INTERACTIONS AND ENZYMATIC DIGESTION WITH TRYPSIN ON INACTIVATED HAPTEN-SPECIFIC PRECURSORS OF ANTIBODY-FORMING CELLS

The studies presented here have focused on the important question of reversibility of inactivation of DNP-specific B lymphocytes induced by the DNP derivative of the copolymer of D-glutamic acid and D-lysine (D-GL). In so doing, we have analyzed the capacity of a strong T-cell stimulus, such as that provided by the allogeneic effect, and of gentle enzymatic treatment with trypsin to alter, prevent, or reverse the tolerance induced by DNP-D-GL. Under experimental conditions in which DNP-specific B lymphocytes were exposed first to the tolerogenic molecule, and rendered markedly unresponsive by such exposure either in vitro or in vivo, subsequent exposure to an allogeneic effect failed to appreciably reverse or alter the tolerant state. This contrasts directly with the capacity of DNP-D-GL to serve as a stimulus for DNP-specific B lymphocytes when the critical moment of specific binding occurs subsequent to the development of an allogeneic effect. In another series of experiments, the effects of enzymatic treatment with trypsin on the tolerant B-cell population were found to vary depending on the stage of tolerance at which such treatment was performed. Thus, when exposure of cells to DNP-D-GL for a relatively short time in vitro is carried out at low temperature (4°C), the development of tolerance can be interceded by immediate trypsinization. In contrast, cells exposed to DNP-D-GL for longer periods of time and/or at 37°C were not reversed to responsiveness by trypsinization. These data were interpreted to indicate that: (a) the effect(s) of trypsin in reversing (or preventing) tolerance at the cellular level does not depend necessarily on the susceptibility of the tolerogenic moiety to the action of the enzyme, and (b) the generation of the tolerance-inducing signal involves metabolic cellular processes that can be delayed somewhat by low temperature leaving such cells relatively more susceptible to intercedent manipulations such as trypsinization. Taken collectively, therefore, the evidence obtained in these studies reinforces the concept of central tolerance in B cells induced by DNP-D-GL as reflecting sub- or intracellular inactivating events.
IN VIVO ROLES OF BM3R1 REPRESSOR IN THE BARBITURATE-MEDIATED INDUCTION OF THE CYTOCHROME P450 GENES (P450BM-3 AND P450BM-1) OF BACILLUS MEGATERIUM

Abstract We previously showed [Q. Liang, A.J. Fulco, J. Biol. Chem., 270 (1995) 18606–18614) that the binding of Bm3R1 repressor to Barbie box elements and operator sites in the 5′-flanking regions of the P450BM-3 and P450BM-1 (CYP102 and CYP106) genes in Bacillus megaterium was a critical factor in their regulation at the level of transcription. We now describe experiments that delineate specific roles for Bm3R1 in the barbiturate-mediated induction of these genes. We directly demonstrate the interaction of Bm3R1 with Barbie box and operator sequences and show that high in vivo levels of Bm3R1 prevent putative positive factors from binding to Barbie box elements, strongly inhibit the expression of the P450 genes, prolong the lag phase of growth in Bacillus megaterium cultures and increase the sensitivity of the cells to the growth-inhibitory effects of barbiturates. Finally, our data suggest that there may be two forms of Bm3R1, either of which can interact with OIII, the bicistronic operator sequence.
Comparison of Numerical Response and Predation Effects of Two Coccinellid Species on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Homoptera: Adelgidae)

The hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand, is an introduced pest in North America that is native to Asia, and is causing extensive damage to eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis Carriere) and Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana Englemann) in the eastern United States. We compared two coccinellids imported for biological control of the adelgid: Scymnus ningshanensis Yu et Yao from China and Pseudoscymnus tsugae Sasaji and McClure from Japan. In a laboratory study, we measured the numerical response of each beetle species to a range of prey densities, and in field studies we examined the reproductive success and ability of the coccinellids to reduce populations of the hemlock woolly adelgid. In the laboratory, S. ningshanensis showed a positive numerical response as hemlock woolly adelgid density increased, and P. tsugae showed a density-independent response. In field cages, the presence of S. ningshanensis resulted in negative hemlock woolly adelgid population growth, in contrast to positive growth in both control cages and cages containing P. tsugae. Both our laboratory and field experiments suggest that S. ningshanensis has good potential as a biological control agent of hemlock woolly adelgid.
Sex, Aging, and Preexisting Cerebral Ischemic Disease in Patients With Aortic Stenosis

Background Patients undergoing cardiac surgery have a high frequency of preexisting cerebral ischemic lesions, the presence of which appears to predict cognitive sequelae. Patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis (AS) incur an exceptionally high risk for perioperative cerebral ischemia. The extreme risk in this subgroup may arise from the preexisting burden of cerebral ischemic disease. We tested the hypotheses that increasing age, female sex, coronary artery disease, and the severity of AS are predictive of the severity of preexisting cerebral ischemic lesions. Methods A total of 95 subjects were included in this study. Subjects were imaged on 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanners to obtain multimodal image sets which were used for the automatic segmentation of cerebral lesion volume. The dependence of lesion volume upon age, sex, coronary artery disease, and the severity of AS were tested. Results The results demonstrate a strong correlation between aging, female sex, and white matter and ischemia-like lesion volume in patients with aortic stenosis. Conclusions Women and those of advanced age presenting for aortic valve replacement for AS may incur a particularly high risk for postoperative neurologic sequelae due to an exceptional preexisting burden of cerebral ischemic disease.
Properties of mutants of Neurospora crassa with low pyruvic carboxylase activity.

Abstract The car mutant of Neurospora shows low pyruvic carboxylase activity compared to wild type ( car + ). It is probable that the car strains produce quantitatively less carboxylase than car + strains rather than a qualitatively altered enzyme. Carboxylase activity is markedly affected by the carbon source used for growth, much higher activities of car + strains being produced after growth on sucrose or glucose than on xylose. Strains of car show no such variation of carboxylase activity with carbon source. It seems probable that low carboxylase activity is related to the action of the car gene in relieving glucose inhibition. Low tryptophan desmolase activity is also associated with car in ten complete asci tested. Lowered tryptophan desmolase and pyruvic carboxylase activity can be produced by growing Neurospora on a zinc-deficient medium.
Querying external source code files of programs connecting to a relational database

Multiple source code files reference metadata of an existing database. Consequently, any modification that needs to be done in the source code files or in the schema of a database requires asserting the impact of performing such change. This problem of data and control dependencies between a database system and source code has been tackled before by software engineering. Unfortunately, these solutions are cumbersome to implement by requiring a long execution time for obtaining the dependency analysis, and do not allow a flexible analysis of the resulting data. In this research, we present and formalize a novel approach for using keyword search algorithms to analyze the resulting references found between the source code and the database's schema. Our initial findings show that our algorithms are efficient to perform a rapid integration phase, allow complex analysis of the references inside the DBMS (e.g. computation of OLAP data cubes), and provide efficient ranking capabilities.
Spatial variability of plant analysis potassium levels

Abstract Plant samples were taken from a forty‐acre field in an 82.5 ft. grid at two sampling dates each year during a three‐year study. Soil samples were also taken in the same grid. Potassium (K) was analyzed in the plant samples using both a strong acid‐digest and a dilute (2%) acetic acid extraction. Plant K analyzed using both techniques were correlated with soil test K levels. Plant K analyzed with acid‐digestion was also highly correlated with the acetic acid‐extracted K. Mapping of early sampled plant K better represented soil K level patterns than later sampling. Plant K maps described areas of low K not represented by soil K level maps. Plant analysis may be useful in mapping areas for relative K nutrition where soil K analysis is not as descriptive of plant response to fertilizer K.
Peasant men can't get wives: language change and sex roles in a bilingual community'

Language shift from German-Hungarian bilingualism to the exclusive use of German is occurring in the community discussed. Young women are further along in the direction of this change than older people and young men. The linguistic contrast between German and Hungarian is shown to represent the social dichotomy between a newly available worker status and traditional peasant status; thus the choice of language in interaction is part of a speaker's presentation of self. Young women's stated preferences concerning this social dichotomy and their changing marriage strategies indicate that their greater use of German in interaction is one aspect of their general preference for the worker's way of life it symbolizes. Rather than simply isolating a linguistic correlate of sex, the present study suggests that women's speech choices must be explained within the context of their social position, their strategic life choices and the symbolic values of the available linguistic alternatives (language and sex roles; interactional analysis; social determinants of language shift; European bilingualism).
A processed homeobox gene expressed in a stage-, tissue- and region-specific manner in epididymis

Abstract Processed genes are generated by reverse transcription of mRNA and integration at a novel site in the genome and are typically transcriptionally silent. Here, we report that a processed gene on rat chromosome 4 that is highly related to the X chromosome-encoded rat Pem (r.Pem) homeobox gene is transcriptionally active. This processed gene, r.Pem2, is expressed at high levels in epididymis but not in any other tissues that express the r.Pem gene, including testis. Although r.Pem2 lacks all the introns present in the r.Pem gene, it contains splice donor and acceptor sequences within the coding region, permitting it to be spliced and to potentially encode a 57 amino acid polypeptide. r.Pem2 transcripts accumulate in the caput and cauda regions of the epididymis but not in the initial segment. The r.Pem2 gene exhibits different regulation from the r.Pem gene; its expression is induced later during prepubertal development (between days 23 and 30 post partum) and independently of the presence of testosterone. Although the functional significance of r.Pem2 is unknown, its developmental regulation and its apparent acquisition of splicing sites during evolution are unique.
Exercise and time-dependent benefits to learning and memory.

While it is well established that exercise can improve cognitive performance, it is unclear how long these benefits endure after exercise has ended. Accordingly, the effects of voluntary exercise on cognitive function and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels, a major player in the mechanisms governing the dynamics of memory formation and storage, were assessed immediately after a 3-week running period, or after a 1-week or 2-week delay following the exercise period. All exercised mice showed improved performance on the radial arm water maze relative to sedentary animals. Unexpectedly, fastest acquisition (fewest errors and shortest latency) occurred in animals trained following a 1-week delay, while best memory performance in the probe trial was observed in those trained immediately after the exercise period. Assessment of the time course of hippocampal BDNF availability following exercise revealed significant elevations of BDNF immediately after the exercise period (186% of sedentary levels) and at 1 and 2 weeks after exercise ended, with levels returning to baseline by 3–4 weeks. BDNF protein levels showed a positive correlation with cognitive improvement in radial water maze training and with memory performance on day 4, supporting the idea that BDNF availability contributes to the time-dependent cognitive benefits of exercise revealed in this study. Overall, this novel approach assessing the temporal endurance of cognitive and biochemical effects of exercise unveils new concepts in the exercise-learning field, and reveals that beneficial effects of exercise on brain plasticity continue to evolve even after exercise has ended.
Hypersonic plasma particle deposition of Si–Ti–N nanostructured coatings

Si–Ti–N coatings with various compositions were deposited on molybdenum substrates using hypersonic plasma particle deposition (HPPD). In this method, vapor phase precursors (TiCl4, SiCl4 and NH3) are dissociated in a DC plasma arc and the hot gas is quenched in a rapid nozzle expansion to nucleate nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are then accelerated in hypersonic flow, causing them to deposit by ballistic impaction on a substrate placed downstream of the nozzle. Films of 10–25 Am thickness were deposited at rates of 2–10 Am/min, depending on reactant flow rates, at substrate temperatures ranging from 200 to 850 8C. When the reactant gases were premixed the coatings consisted of nc-TiN, nc-TiSi2, nc-Ti5Si3 and amorphous Si3N4. For the unpremixed reactants case, the coatings consisted of free Si, nc-TiN and amorphous Si3N4. Hardness of as-deposited films was evaluated by nanoindentation of polished film cross-sections. Measured hardness values, averaged over 10–15 locations for each film, ranged from 16–24 GPa. In separate experiments with the same conditions, particle size distributions were measured by placing a sampling probe at the same location as the film substrate. The sampled aerosol was rapidly diluted and delivered to a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). In-situ particle size distribution measurements confirmed that the coatings were formed by impaction of nanoparticles in the 5–15 nm range, with higher reactant flow rates producing larger particles. Focused ion beam (FIB) milling was used to observe film cross-section and porosity. For as-deposited films containing pores, in-situ plasma sintering was used to densify the film without grain growth. D 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Pyroelectric waste heat energy harvesting using heat conduction

Abstract Waste heat can be directly converted into electrical energy by performing the Olsen cycle on pyroelectric materials. The Olsen cycle consists of two isothermal and two isoelectric field processes in the displacement versus electric field diagram. This paper reports, for the first time, a procedure to implement the Olsen cycle by alternatively placing a pyroelectric material in thermal contact with a cold and a hot source. Poly(vinylidene fluoride–trifluroethylene) [P(VDF–TrFE)] copolymer thin films with 60/40 VDF/TrFE mole fraction were used. A maximum energy density of 155 J/L per cycle was achieved at 0.066 Hz between 25 and 110 °C and electric fields cycled between 200 and 350 kV/cm. This energy density was larger than that achieved by our previous prototypical device using oscillatory laminar convective heat transfer. However, it was lower than the energy density obtained in previous “dipping experiments” consisting of alternatively dipping the samples in cold and hot silicone oil baths. This was attributed to (1) the lower operating temperatures due to the slow thermal response achieved using heat conduction and (2) the smaller electric field spans imposed which was limited by the smaller dielectric strength of air. However, the proposed procedure can readily be implemented into devices.
Anorexia: A “losing” strategy?

Several theorists have tried to model anorexia on Wasser and Barash’s (1983) “reproductive suppression model” (RSM). According to the RSM, individual females adaptively suppress their reproductive functioning under conditions of social or physiological stress. From this perspective, mild anorexia is viewed as an adaptive response to modern conditions; more severe anorexia is viewed as an adaptation gone awry. Previous models have not, however, examined the full richness of the RSM. Specifically, Wasser and Barash documented not only self-imposed reproductive suppression, but also manipulative reproductive suppression of subordinate females by dominants. I propose that the modern “epidemic” of anorexia is explained neither by adaptive self-suppression nor by environmental mismatch (an adaptation gone awry); I propose that the “epidemic” levels of anorexia seen in modern western society are a direct consequence of intrasexual competition, the scope of which has been enhanced by the power and reach of modern communications media. According to this perspective, anorexia, even in its mild forms, is a manipulative strategy imposed on subordinates by dominants. Anorexia is, in both senses, a “losing” strategy.
Studies on the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism of larval and adult Taenia taeniaeformis

Abstract 1. 1. The cysticercus larva of Taenia taeniaeformis raised in rats and mice differed in chemical composition and the rat larvae had a higher aerobic metabolic rate (rate of oxygen consumption, excretion of end products of aerobic fermentations). 2. 2. Adult tapeworms contained more protein, lipid, and tissue ash than the larvae, but less calcareous corpuscles. In the former the values for glycogen and total carbohydrates coincided closely, while in the cysticercus larva non-glycogen carbohydrates occurred in rather large amounts besides glycogen. 3. 3. Glucose in the medium raised the oxygen consumption of the larval Cysticercus only slightly in saline solutions, but the respiration of worms kept in serum was markedly higher than of those kept in salines. The rates of both aerobic and anaerobic gaseous exchanges were considerably higher in adult tapeworms than in their larvae. 4. 4. Aerobic and anaerobic incubation in sugar-free Tyrode's solution led in both adult and larval worms to rather large losses of dry substance, carbohydrate, and protein, but no lipids were utilized. In most series, some calcareous corpuscle material was used up. Large amounts of tissue ash disappeared from the bodies of only the adult worms under anaerobic conditions. 5. 5. The worms, both adult and larval, excreted lactic, pyruvic, acetic, and succinic acids, as well as ethanol and glycerol. Anaerobiosis decreased the production of pyruvic acid, but increased especially the production of succinic acid. Much greater amounts of succinate were produced by the adult worms than the larvae. This difference was more pronounced under aerobic than under anaerobic conditions. In serum the cysticercus larva eliminated considerably more ethanol than in sugar-free Tyrode's solution. The excretion of fumaric and malic acids was demonstrated only qualitatively; apparently the adult worms produce less malic acid than the larvae. 6. 6. Both larvae and adults excreted carbohydrates when incubated in sugar-free Tyrode's solution. The main sugar eliminated was identified as glucose, but at least two other unidentified sugars were excreted in smaller amounts. Anaerobically less carbohydrate was eliminated than in the presence of oxygen. In serum, on the other hand, the cysticercus larva assimilated sugar. 7. 7. Tentative carbon balances showed that not all the carbon of the metabolized carbohydrate was accounted for by the metabolites studied quantitatively; carbon dioxide of metabolic origin may well be the most important source of the missing carbon, but could not be studied quantitatively because of the overwhelmingly large carbon dioxide reserve represented by the calcareous corpuscles. 8. 8. It is pointed out that the differences between larval and adult Taenia taeniaeformis are essentially quantitative rather than qualitative.
Oxidation of a putrescine-glyoxylate adduct catalyzed by d-amino acid oxidase gives the product-inhibitor 2-carboxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1,3-diazepine

Abstract Results are reported which indicate that the d -amino acid oxidase-catalyzed oxidation of a solution containing putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane) and glyoxylate leads to the formation of 2-carboxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1,3-diazepine ( 7 ) as the product. This unusual monoamidine derivative of oxalic acid was independently synthesized and shown to be identical to the enzymic product. Compound 7 is not only a product of the enzymic reaction, but is also an effective competitive inhibitor of d -amino acid oxidase, with a K i of ca. 20 μ m . The possibility that this putative new metabolite of putrescine may be involved in the mechanism controlling cell proliferation is considered.
Mechanotransduction and the functional response of bone to mechanical strain

Mechanotransduction plays a crucial role in the physiology of many tissues including bone. Mechanical loading can inhibit bone resorption and increase bone formation in vivo. In bone, the process of mechanotransduction can be divided into four distinct steps: (1) mechanocoupling, (2) biochemical coupling, (3) transmission of signal, and (4) effector cell response. In mechanocoupling, mechanical loads in vivo cause deformations in bone that stretch bone cells within and lining the bone matrix and create fluid movement within the canaliculae of bone. Dynamic loading, which is associated with extracellular fluid flow and the creation of streaming potentials within bone, is most effective for stimulating new bone formation in vivo. Bone cells in vitro are stimulated to produce second messengers when exposed to fluid flow or mechanical stretch. In biochemical coupling, the possible mechanisms for the coupling of cell-level mechanical signals into intracellular biochemical signals include force transduction through the integrin-cytoskeleton-nuclear matrix structure, stretch-activated cation channels within the cell membrane, G protein-dependent pathways, and linkage between the cytoskeleton and the phospholipase C or phospholipase A pathways. The tight interaction of each of these pathways would suggest that the entire cell is a mechanosensor and there are many different pathways available for the transduction of a mechanical signal. In the transmission of signal, osteoblasts, osteocytes, and bone lining cells may act as sensors of mechanical signals and may communicate the signal through cell processes connected by gap junctions. These cells also produce paracrine factors that may signal osteoprogenitors to differentiate into osteoblasts and attach to the bone surface. Insulin-like growth factors and prostaglandins are possible candidates for intermediaries in signal transduction. In the effector cell response, the effects of mechanical loading are dependent upon the magnitude, duration, and rate of the applied load. Longer duration, lower amplitude loading has the same effect on bone formation as loads with short duration and high amplitude. Loading must be cyclic to stimulate new bone formation. Aging greatly reduces the osteogenic effects of mechanical loading in vivo. Also, some hormones may interact with local mechanical signals to change the sensitivity of the sensor or effector cells to mechanical load.
STAIRS Search Strategy: Ideas and Opinions

This article concentrates on the practical everyday aspects of search strategy, specifically offering ideas and comments on search strategies for STAIRS users.
Bond rearrangement caused by sudden single and multiple ionization of water molecules

Abstract Bond rearrangement, namely the dissociation of water into H 2 + + O q + following ionization by fast proton and highly charged ion impact, was investigated. Single ionization by fast proton impact exhibits a strong isotopic effect, the dissociation of H 2 O + → H 2 + + O being about twice as likely as D 2 O + → D 2 + + O , with HDO+ → HD+ + O in between. This suggests that the bond rearrangement does not happen during the slow dissociation, but rather during the very fast ionization, and thus H 2 + should also be produced when the water molecule is multiply ionized. We observed that the H 2 + + O + and H 2 + + O 2 + production in 1 MeV/amu F7+ + H2O collisions are 0.209 ± 0.006% and 0.0665 ± 0.003%, respectively, of the main double-ionization dissociation product, H2O2+ → H+ + OH+. This ratio is similar to the triple to double ionization ratio in similar collisions with atomic targets thus suggesting that the bond-rearrangement fraction out of each ionization level is approximately constant. Similar dissociation channels in the heavier water isotopes, which are expected to be smaller, are under study. Finally, the fragmentation of HDO exhibits very strong isotopic preference for breaking the OH bond over the OD bond.
Aerothermochemical Analysis of Erosive Burning in a Laboratory Solid-Rocket Motor

An analysis of steady-state combustion and flow phenomena in a two-dimensional, laboratory-type solidpropellant motor is presented with emphasis on the condition of erosive burning. The problem is treated as a confined, reacting turbulent shear-flow using a second-order turbulence closure model. Low Reynolds number and propellant surface roughness effects are accounted for. Comparison of calculated results with cold flow experimental data confirms that development of the mean velocity profile is initially well described by laminar, 'inviscid" theory. However, due to the rapid development of turbulence within the simulated grain-port, transition to a turbulent velocity profile is predicted to occur at center port Reynolds numbers greater than those obtained in the considered experiments. Transition of the velocity profile is theoretically found to occur prior to the onset of erosive burning in real motor environments. Comparisons of calculated results with measured static pressure distributions have been made for a composite-propellant "slab" motor. Good agreement with static pressure data is obtained for propellant roughness heights which are approximately 10 % of the larger AP crystal diameters, with surface roughness significantly affecting erosive burning. Theoretical comparison with the Lenoir-Robillard model also indicates that the present model predicts a much more rapid decrease in erosive burning as the port hydraulic radius is increased.
The oxidation behavior of Fe-Cr alloys containing HFO2-dispersed phase

The present investigation examines the high-temperature oxidation behavior of Fe-Cr ferritic alloys containing 1.0% Hf which has been convened into an oxide dispersion. The oxide dispersions were produced by an internal oxidation treatment using a 50-50 Cr-Cr2O3 powder mixture in a sealed quartz capsule at 1100°C: the samples were not in direct contact with the powders. The effect of the dispersed oxide was spectacular under isothermal oxidation conditions, but it had almost no effect during thermal cycling conditions. Unlike the TiO2-containing Fe-Cr ferritic alloys, virtually no particle coarsening was observed. The absence of the coarse particles caused poor thermal cycling behavior, whereas in TiO2-containing ferritic alloys, coarse particles acted as oxide pegs giving a keying-on effect.
γδT Cells Are Involved in Liver Transplant Tolerance

Abstract The role of nonconventional T cells in innate and adaptive immunity is just emerging; γδT cells play important roles in anti-tumor and anti-infectious diseases. The involvement of γδT cells in immunologic responses to hematopoietic cell transplantation remains controversial; divergent results have been reported depending on the murine strains and model systems. Whether γδT cells are involved in solid organ transplantation is understudied. We have characterized the γδT cells in mouse livers and spleens to evaluate their contributions to liver transplant tolerance posttransplantation using a murine allogeneic liver transplant model which induces spontaneous T regulatory cell (Treg)-dependent tolerance. Our studies revealed that γδT cells comprised about 20% of the population of liver nonparenchymal cells (NPCs). In naive C3H mice they were CD4, CD8, and NK1.1 negative. The percentage of γδT cells decreased in spontaneously tolerated liver grafts posttransplantation from 20% in naive C3H livers to 20% of CD4+ and 30% of CD8+. Our results suggested that γδT cells are involved in allogeneic immune responses. Whether γδT cells function as the causal or the effector cells in allograft tolerance rejection warrants further investigation.
Laparoscopy in the "normal" infertile patient: a question revisited.

Abstract Study Objective To determine the prevalence of reproductive pathology in a group of infertile women thought to be at low risk for altered pelvic anatomy. Design Retrospective chart review and follow-up (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting Academic-affiliated, private reproductive endocrinology practice. Patients One hundred infertile women. Intervention Diagnostic and/or therapeutic laparoscopy. Measurements and Main Results Of 100 patients with a negative reproductive work-up up to the point of laparoscopy, 68 had pathology of reproductive significance: intrinsic tubal disease 24, peritubal adhesive disease 34, and endometriosis 43, some in combination. Laparoscopy was especially helpful in establishing treatment protocols for older women, who were referred for assisted reproductive techniques earlier than otherwise might have been the case. Women conceived after hormone therapy and after operative intervention. Although the hysterosalpingogram was read as normal in all women, tubal disease was diagnosed laparoscopically, independent of endometriosis, in 27 patients, with 2 having complete obstruction. Endometriosis stage I–II was found in 22 patients, stage III in 13, and stage IV in 6. Conclusion Even in women thought to be at low risk for significant pelvic pathology affecting reproduction, the yield was high. Although some pregnancies were achieved after operative intervention, frequently laparoscopy was helpful in making a decision to go to assisted reproductive technology, particularly when infertility had been of long duration and in older women. Frequently the degree of pathology was such that a full operating suite was necessary to provide adequate instrumentation and anesthesia for operative intervention, which would not have been the case with office laparoscopy.
A Method for Eliciting, Preserving, and Sharing the Knowledge of Forecasters

Abstract As in many domains of modern work, a concern in weather forecasting is the loss of expertise, due either to reassignment or retirement. This note reports upon a project that demonstrates a procedure that can be used to capture forecasters' knowledge of weather concepts. The System To Organize Representations in Meteorology-Local Knowledge (STORM-LK) focuses on weather phenomena in the Gulf Coast region. Forecasters and aerographers at Whiting Field, Naval Air Station, in Pensacola, Florida, participated in a knowledge elicitation procedure that yielded diagrammatic models of their knowledge in the form of “concept maps.” The demonstration suggests the following: 1) the feasibility of using the approach to elicit knowledge so that it might be preserved and shared and 2) the use of concept maps to integrate and navigate through the various instructional and data resources that are used in forecasting. It is envisioned that a knowledge model patterned after STORM-LK could be created for other region...
Network subsystem performance

While many advances have been made in networking, computer architecture, and operating systems, the performance of the combination of these elements as a networked host has been disappointing. Only a fraction of the potential physical layer bandwidth is available to applications running on hosts. This tutorial will focus on the performance of network sybsystems which support asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). From the physical layer through the ATM layer, potential bottlenecks will be identified and characterized to advocate a systems oriented approach to performing future performance optimizations.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A diencephalic slice preparation and chamber for studying neuronal thermosensitivity.

Abstract An in vitro slice preparation and electrophysiological recording chamber for studying neuronal thermosensitivity throughout the hypothalamus are described. A series of eight, 300 μm thick, horizontal tissue slices encompassing most of the hypothalamus are prepared from male Spraque-Dawley rats. Horizontal slice maps showing the major nuclei and fiber tracts are provided. Horizontal tissue slices contain many hypothalamic nuclei as well as the medial forebrain bundle, a large fiber tract interconnecting these nuclei. Three water-perfused thermodes directly beneath the tissue slices are used to produce discrete thermal stimulations of rostral, middle, and caudal nuclear regions. Fine thermocouples monitor slice temperature over each thermode. Limiting microelectrode explorations to regions directly over a thermode eliminates the problems of temperature gradients and permits more accurate manipulation of temperature at the recording site. While this preparation is ideal for characterizing hypothalamic neuronal thermosensitivity, it is also appropriate for electrophysiological studies of other hypothalamic functional systems.
Boundary wave-vortex interaction in channel flow with a wavy wall at high Reynolds numbers

Asymptotic and scaling analyses at high Reynolds numbers are used to investigate channel flow over a wavy wall. Flow is divided into a core away from the boundaries and two viscous wall layers adjacent to the boundaries. The spanwise dependent amplitudes of the Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) and boundary waves contribute to a source term in the system for the longitudinal vortices. The presence of this source term requires streamwise variation of either the TS wave or the boundary wave. For the case where the initial TS wave does not exist, the boundary wave, due to the wavy wall, controls the existence, scales, variations and shape of the longitudinal vortices. For the case where the initial TS wave is present, the wavy wall affects the TS wave and the vortex motion through the boundary wave. The TS wave is subjected to secondary three-dimensional instability for favorable boundary waves due to particular forms of the wavy wall, while the secondary instability can be suppressed by special boundary waves due to some other particular wavy walls.
False reputation in social control

A simulation study is conduced on the spread of reputation in mixed respectful-cheater population. The effects of various mechanism giving raise to false reputation are shown, together with a discussion of foreseen results. The actual results of the simulation are then presented; informational accuracy is found to be an essential condition to maintain an advantage for the norms-followers.
The Relationship Between Public Service Values and Administrative Involvement in Policymaking

This study empirically examines the relationship between public service values and city managers’ involvement in policymaking in an effort to uncover which values are more instrumental in encouraging city managers to engage in particular areas of policymaking. The data for this study were collected from a national sample of city managers across the United States in 2011. This study employs factor and regression analyses. The results show that public service values such as knowledge, collaboration, fiscal realism, and stewardship encourage city managers to get involved in a greater number of areas of the policymaking process. The findings are discussed in light of the contemporary public administration literature with implications for public affairs education.
An Automatic Lithium Drifting Apparatus for Silicon and Germanium Detectors

Drifting a thick lithium-drifted counter (silicon and germanium) is a time-consuming operation that frequently results in a poor device, owing to inadequate knowledge of progress of the drifting operation. The drifting apparatus described here automatically controls the temperature of the detector that is being drifted to maintain the leakage current at a preselected value. While drifting proceeds, a continuous measurement is made of the distance of the lithium-drifted region from the opposite face of the wafer. When the drifted region reaches 30 mil or less from the back of the wafer a meter indicates the thickness of the undrifted region and, when this thickness falls below a preselected value, the temperature of the detector is automatically reduced to room temperature. The need for constant supervision of the drifting operation is thereby eliminated, and reliance on theoretical drift-rate calculations to predict the drift-through time is avoided. The technique has been applied to the manufacture of lithium -drifted silicon detectors with excellent results. The application of the technique to lithiumdrifted germanium ? detectors is also discussed briefly.
Studies on the distribution of the soluble proteins in the nucleus and cortex from the bovine crystalline lens.

The soluble proteins of the bovine cortex, nucleus, and whole lens were examined by free electrophoresis in two buffers (Tris-Veronal pH 8·57, 0·05 m and phosphate, pH 7·7, Γ/2 0·2), by zone electrophoresis on cellulose acetate, and by sedimentation analyses. Three major regions (slow, intermediate, and fast) were detected by electrophoresis in each of the extracts. In the whole lens, the slow region consisted of three components, the intermediate region of four components, and the fast region of two components. The electrophoretic patterns of the cortex, which comprised 89–92% of the total soluble protein, were similar to the electrophoretic patterns of the whole lens. The fast fraction in the cortex (Tris-Veronal buffer) appeared to be homogeneous by electrophoresis; the nucleus and whole lens, heterogeneous. The nucleus was characterized by a high level of slow components and a low level of a fast component with the mobility of α-crystallin. Zone electrophoresis on cellulose acetate provided additional information concerning the complexity of some of the components detected by free electrophoresis. Components with values for S ° 20,w of 22·5, 9·9, 5·7 and 2·8 S were found in the cortex and whole lens. Components with values for S ° 20,w of 18·2, 16·4, 12·8, 9·9 and 2·6 S were found in the nucleus. No substantial amount of a component with the sedimentation coefficient of α-crystallin was detected in the nucleus. The amount of the component ascribed to the α-crystallin fraction, measured by electrophoresis in the cortex and whole lens, was significantly greater than the amount measured by sedimentation analyses.
Potential Application of Pheromones in Monitoring, Mating Disruption, and Control of Click Beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

Wireworms, the larvae stage of click beetles (family, Elateridae), are serious soil dwelling pests of small grain, corn, sugar beet, and potato crops globally. Since the 1950s, conventional insecticides such as lindane provided effective and inexpensive protection from wireworms, and little integrated pest management research (IPM) was conducted. The removal of these products from the agricultural market, particularly Lindane, has resulted in increasing levels of wireworm damage to small grain, corn, and potato crops. The wireworm damage has become an increasing problem for growers, so the demand for a meaningful risk assessment and useful methods to restrict damage is increasing. However, due to the cryptic habitat of the wireworms, pest control is very difficult and leads to unsatisfying results. The prospective appropriateness of sex pheromone traps for employing management strategies against wireworm’s populations was first suggested with experimentation in Hungary and Italy. Simultaneously, considerable work has been done on the identification and use of pheromone traps to monitor population of click beetles. The work has been mostly done in European and former Soviet Union countries. For this paper, we reviewed what work has been done in monitoring the click beetle which was considered as pests and how the pheromones can be used in IPM to monitor and control wireworms/click beetles. Also, the possibilities of using the pheromone-baited traps for mating disruption and control tested in the fields were summarized.
Loss of antiallodynic and antinociceptive spinal/supraspinal morphine synergy in nerve-injured rats: restoration by MK-801 or dynorphin antiserum

Abstract The co-administration of morphine at spinal (i.th.) and supraspinal (i.c.v.) sites to the same rat produces antinociceptive synergy, a phenomenon which may underlie the clinical analgesic utility of this drug. In animals with peripheral nerve injury, however, the antinociceptive potency and efficacy of i.th. morphine is significantly decreased. Here, the possible loss of spinal/supraspinal morphine antinociceptive synergy and relationship to elevation of spinal dynorphin content was studied. Ligation of lumbar spinal nerves resulted in elevated dynorphin in the ipsilateral lumbar and sacral spinal cord. In sham-operated rats supraspinal/spinal co-administration of morphine produced synergistic antinociception which was unaffected by i.th. MK-801 or dynorphin A (1–17) antiserum. In nerve-injured rats, i.th. morphine was inactive against tactile allodynia and showed diminished in potency against acute nociception without supraspinal/spinal antinociceptive synergy. Antiserum to dynorphin A (1–17) or the non-competitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 increased the antinociceptive potency of i.th. morphine, restored supraspinal/spinal morphine antinociceptive synergy and elicited a dose-related i.th. morphine antiallodynic action. These agents did not demonstrate antinociceptive or antiallodynic activity alone and did not alter morphine actions in sham-operated animals. The loss of spinal/supraspinal antinociceptive synergy and lack of antiallodynic activity of spinal morphine appear to be due to the elevation across multiple spinal segments of dynorphin following nerve injury. Pathological actions of elevated dynorphin may directly or indirectly modulate the NMDA receptor, result in a loss of supraspinal/spinal morphine synergy and may thus account for the decreased clinical analgesic efficacy of morphine in peripheral neuropathies.
Observation of stochastic resonance using an optically addressed amorphous silicon/ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator

Abstract The phenomenon of stochastic resonance is predicted and experimentally verified using an amorphous silicon/ferroelectric liquid crystal optically addressed spatial light modulator. We exploit the bistability of aligned ferroelectric liquid crystal for use as the nonlinear element with the noise induced switching intensity set by an optical beam. Readout of the bistable system is also optical. Our measurements show the characteristic improvement in the output signal-to-noise ratio with increasing input noise intensity and the results agree qualitatively with both computer simulations and the predictions of a standard theory of stochastic resonance.
Septic shock and vasopressor requirement is associated with lower vitamin D levels in critically ill children

Vitamin D plays an important role in immune and cardiovascular function. There is evidence that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels are associated with an increased risk of life-threatening infections [1,2]. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency (<20 ng/ml) in critically ill children and to identify any association with illness severity and infection.
Initial understanding of vector concepts among students in introductory physics courses

We report the results of an investigation into physics students’ understanding of vector addition, magnitude, and direction for problems presented in graphical form. A seven-item quiz, including free-response problems, was administered in all introductory general physics courses during the 2000/2001 academic year at Iowa State. Responses were obtained from 2031 students during the first week of class. We found that more than one quarter of students beginning their second semester of study in the calculus-based physics course, and more than half of those beginning the second semester of the algebra-based sequence, were unable to carry out two-dimensional vector addition. Although the total scores on the seven-item quiz were somewhat better for students in their second semester of physics in comparison to students in their first semester, many students retained significant conceptual difficulties regarding vector methods that are heavily employed throughout the physics curriculum.
Evaluation of an injection depot formulation of buprenorphine: placebo comparison.

Aims Buprenorphine is a mu-opioid partial agonist that is marketed in a sublingual formulation as a treatment for opioid dependence. A microcapsule depot sustained-release formulation has been developed which may offer effective treatment of opioid dependence while also minimizing risks of illicit diversion or patient non-compliance. The present study examined the efficacy of depot buprenorphine in suppressing the opioid withdrawal syndrome and in attenuating the effects of exogenous opioid challenge. Design A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial. Setting A closed residential research facility. Participants A total of 15 opioid-dependent participants were enrolled into the 6-week study. Intervention Fifteen participants were randomized to receive a single subcutaneous depot injection containing buprenorphine (58 mg) or placebo. Two participants, both of whom received placebo, terminated participation after depot administration. Thirteen participants (six buprenorphine, seven placebo) completed the 6-week study and were assessed throughout the study for signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal and for response to weekly subcutaneous challenges with 3 mg hydromorphone. Measurement Subjective, physiological and observer-rated indices of opioid withdrawal and opioid agonist effects. Findings Depot buprenorphine provided more effective relief from opioid withdrawal than placebo, as evidenced by significantly fewer buprenorphine participants requiring supplemental medications for withdrawal suppression after depot administration compared to participants receiving placebo. In the weekly hydromorphone challenge sessions, depot buprenorphine significantly reduced opioid response on measures of subjective effects and pupillary diameter. Conclusions Results from this double-blind, placebo-controlled study indicate that depot buprenorphine is effective in providing both withdrawal suppression and opioid blockade. Future studies examining additional doses and repeated dosing regimens with depot buprenorphine are warranted.