cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the impact of quorum sensing transcriptional regulator SdiA on long-term persistence and fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in weaned calves.

Abstract Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) colonization of bovine intestine is mediated through the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-encoded type III secretion system and secreted virulence proteins that promote colonization of the recto-anal junction (RAJ) of the large intestine of cattle. The quorum sensing transcriptional regulator SdiA, a homolog of LuxR, has been shown in vitro to repress LEE strongly when overexpressed from a multi-copy recombinant plasmid or when its activity is enhanced by the binding of N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones (AHLs), the quorum sensing signals that are detected by SdiA. Since LEE has been shown to be essential for colonization and persistence of O157 in bovine intestine, we examined whether a mutation in sdiA, which normally represses LEE in vitro, would also exert negative effect on colonization and long-term persistence of O157 in weaned calves. Ten-week old weaned calves (n = 4/group) were inoculated orally with 1010 cfu of either the wild-type or sdiA mutant strain. Initial fecal shedding of the sdiA mutant and the wild-type strain were similar in magnitude and declined during the first 2 weeks post-inoculation. The sdiA mutant was detected in feces of only one of the four calves at low levels (≥102 cfu/g feces) from days 19 − 27 post-inoculation, whereas, the fecal shedding of the wild-type strain persisted at approximately 4-logs in all four calves from days 19 − 27. We also confirmed that SdiA represses ler, which encodes a positive transcriptional regulator of LEE, in response to AHLs, and reduces adherence of O157 to HEp-2 cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that although in vitro the sdiA gene represses LEE and LEE-mediated adherence to cultured cells, the presence of sdiA is necessary for colonization of bovine large intestine that in turn promotes persistent fecal shedding of O157 by these animals.
Comparative numerical integration of simple atmospheric models on a spherical grid

The non-divergent barotropic model, the two-layer quasi-geostrophic baroclinic model, and the two-layer balanced baroclinic model of variable static stability are integrated in parallel on a spherical grid with comparable boundary and initial conditions for the case of 00 GCT, 3 7 December 1957. The integrations of the barotropic and quasigeostrophic models show the expected accuracy decay to 72 hr, characterized by excessive momentum transport into the jet and an overall failure to predict significant baroclinic development. The balanced model displays an initially similar behavior, although the vertical motions are about twice those of the quasi-geostrophic case. Beyond 12 hr the balanced model's vertical motions become excessively cellular and of increased magnitude, and a progressively serious distortion of the solutions takes place by 24 hr. The energy transformations of the variable-stability model indicate a disturbance evolution significantly different from that of the quasi-geostrophic model, although beyond 12 hr these transformations are themselves seriously influenced by the computed vertical motions. A number of recommendations for further tests are made, of which the improvement of the finite-difference schemes is probably the most important. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1963.tb01404.x
The influence of atmosphere on electrical transport in graphene

Abstract The effect of atmospheric adsorbates, composed of dry oxygen (O 2 ) and ambient air, on electrical transport in high-quality and moderate-quality graphene samples was investigated. Atmospheric doping is seen to affect different samples at different rates but in all samples hole-doping is observed within several minutes of O 2 or ambient exposure. After an initial rapid increase, the doping rate falls off dramatically. It is shown that carrier mobility ( μ ) can be either improved or degraded depending on the nature of the impurities affecting transport. The former case represents the first experimental demonstration of an improvement in carrier mobility with increased doping in graphene. A model is derived to understand the interplay between charge screening and impurity scattering. The study points to the possibility that oxygen and water molecules mitigate carrier scattering from negatively-charged impurities but cause increased carrier scattering from positively-charged impurities.
Residency Aware Inter-VM Communication in Virtualized Cloud: Performance Measurement and Analysis

A known problem for virtualized cloud data centers is the inter-VM communication inefficiency for data transfer between co-resident VMs. Several engineering efforts have been made on building a shared memory based channel between co-resident VMs. The implementations differ in terms of whether user/program transparency, OS kernel transparency or VMM transparency is supported. However, none of existing works has engaged in an in-depth measurement study with quantitative and qualitative analysis on performance improvements as well as tradeoffs introduced by such a residency-aware inter-VM communication mechanism. In this paper we present an extensive experimental study, aiming at addressing a number of fundamental issues and providing deeper insights regarding the design of a shared memory channel for co-resident VMs. Example questions include how much performance gains can a residency-aware shared memory inter-VM communication mechanism provide under different mixtures of local and remote network I/O workloads, what overhead will the residence-awareness detection and communication channel switch introduce over the remote inter-VM communication, what factors may exert significant impact on the throughput and latency performance of such a shared memory channel. We believe that this measurement study not only helps system developers to gain valuable lessons and generate new ideas to further improve the inter-VM communication performance. It also offers new opportunities for cloud service providers to deploy their services more efficiently and for cloud service consumers to improve the performance of their application systems running in the Cloud.
The Past, Present, and Future of a Regional Sociological Association

The papers in this special issue provide a comprehensive, in-depth look at the Pacific Sociological Association. In this Epilogue, I call attention to some of the most important challenges and opportunities facing the organization raised by the contributors to this volume.
Fatty acid regulation of glucose metabolism in the intact beating rat heart assessed by carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy: the critical role of pyruvate dehydrogenase

Abstract Although the myocardium is capable of utilizing both glucose and fatty acid substrates, glucose metabolism is inhibited in the presence of fatty acid during normal perfusion conditions. Fatty acid regulation of glucose utilization in intact beating rat hearts was studied with 13C-enriched substrates and 13C and 31P NMR spectroscopy at 8.5 T. During [1-13C]glucose and insulin perfusion, the 13C appeared in alanine, lactate and the glutamate isotopomers, indicating glycolytic flux through pyruvate and glucose-supported tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle oxidation, respectively. Following the addition of hexanoic acid, 1 m m , [1-13C]glucose metabolism proceeded through the hexokinase and phosphofructokinase reactions, as evidenced by continued production of [3-13C]alanine and [3-13C]lactate, but was completely inhibited at the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) reaction as evidenced by a lack of appearance of the 13C label in the glutamate isotopomers. This inhibition of PDH was associated with increased PCr ATP levels and was readily reversed by removal of hexanoic acid. Addition of dichloroacetate, 5 m m , which increases the active form of PDH, to fatty acid and glucose containing perfusate reinstituted carbon flux through the PDH reaction, indicating that the mechanism of fatty acid cessation of PDH flux is by reversible inactivation of the PDH enzyme complex. Thus the point of inhibition and mechanism of action of fatty acid modulation of glucose metabolism can be continuously and non-destructively studied in the intact beating heart with 13C and 31P NMR and is primarily attributable, in this model, to reversible PDH enzyme inactivation.
BSSS53 as a Donor Source for Increased Whole‐Kernel Methionine in Maize

Increasing the whole-kernel methionine [MET; 2-amino-4-(methylthio)-butyric acid] level of maize (Zea mays L.) would improve the quality of the grain for poultry feed. Our objective was to increase the MET levels of A632, B73, Mo17, A632/Mo17, B73/A632, and B73/Mo17, with the high-MET inbred BSSS53 as a donor parent. Backcross-derived lines were evaluated per se in trials during 3 yr, and hybrids among subsets of these lines were evaluated in three replicates during 1998. Methionine levels of the best A632 recoveries were increased by 17% after three backcrosses and 11% after four backcrosses. Methionine levels of the best B73 recoveries were increased by 20% after three backcrosses and 17% after four backcrosses. In the Mo17 genetic background, MET levels of the best recoveries were increased by 55% after three backerosses and 31% after four backcrosses. Crosses among the highest MET backcross-derived lines produced hybrids with significant 23 to 43% increases in whole-kernel MET compared with corresponding control hybrids. Significant increases in the MET levels of experimental hybrids indicate that BSSS53 is a useful donor source of whole-kernel MET and that selection within normal dent maize germplasm can be effectively utilized to produce high-MET hybrids.
Manipulation of neuropeptide biosynthesis through the expression of antisense RNA for peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase

Stable cell lines with significantly elevated or diminished levels of a key neuropeptide processing enzyme, peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), were generated by transfection of a mouse pituitary cell line with expression vectors containing PAM cDNA in the sense or antisense orientation. By evaluating the ability of these cell lines to alpha-amidate endogenous neuropeptides, a rate-limiting role for PAM in neuropeptide alpha-amidation was demonstrated. Overexpression of either the full-length PAM precursor with its trans-membrane domain or a soluble protein containing only the monooxygenase domain of PAM led to increased alpha-amidation of endogenous neuropeptides. Overexpression of the full-length PAM led to an unexpected decrease in the endoproteolytic processing of endogenous prohormone; conversely, underexpression of PAM led to significantly enhanced endoproteolytic processing of endogenous prohormone. These data suggest that PAM may have additional functions in peptide processing.
The Art of Redirection: One Library's Experiences and Statistical Results From the Deployment of Mobile Redirect Script

Although institutions have produced a proliferation of mobile Web sites to respond to the increased demand for mobile resources, getting mobile device users to those sites has proven to be an issue. One simple method involves the use of script that automatically redirects mobile devices from an institution's regular Web site to a mobile site. This article documents the experience of the University of New Mexico's Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center with its mobile redirect strategy. The strategy is presented here in its evolving entirety, along with statistics of Web site usage to evaluate the success of the effort.
Ultrasonographic Median Nerve Changes After a Wheelchair Sporting Event

Abstract Impink BG, Boninger ML, Walker H, Collinger JL, Niyonkuru C. Ultrasonographic median nerve changes after a wheelchair sporting event. Objectives To investigate the acute median nerve response to intense wheelchair propulsion by using ultrasonography and to examine the relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) signs and symptoms and the acute median nerve response. Design Case series. Setting Research room at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Participants Manual wheelchair users (N=28) competing in wheelchair basketball. Intervention Ultrasound images collected before and after a wheelchair basketball game. Main Outcome Measures Median nerve cross-sectional area, flattening ratio, and swelling ratio and changes in these after activity. Comparison of median nerve characteristics and patient characteristics between participants with and without positive physical examination findings and with and without symptoms of CTS. Results Significant changes in median nerve ultrasound characteristics were noted after activity. The group as a whole showed a significant decrease in cross-sectional area at the radius of 4.05% ( P =.023). Participants with positive physical examinations showed significantly different ( P =.029) and opposite changes in swelling ratio compared with the normal group. Subjects with CTS symptoms had a significantly ( P =.022) greater duration of wheelchair use (17.1y) compared with the asymptomatic participants (9y). Conclusions Manual wheelchair propulsion induces acute changes in median nerve characteristics that can be visualized by using ultrasound. Studying the acute median nerve response may be useful for optimizing various interventions, such as wheelchair set up or propulsion training, to decrease both acute and chronic median nerve damage and the likelihood of developing CTS.
An FDA approved neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist is effective in reducing intraabdominal adhesions when administered intraperitoneally, but not orally.

Postoperative adhesions pose a continued healthcare problem. We previously demonstrated that intraperitoneal (IP) administration of a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist (NK-1RA) at surgery reduces intraabdominal adhesions in rats. The NK-1RA aprepitant (Emend™, Merck) is clinically approved for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting; however, its effects on adhesion formation are unknown. Thus, we determined the effects of IP and oral administration of aprepitant on adhesion formation in a rat model. Adhesions were surgically induced in rats that were randomized to receive either one or five oral preoperative doses or a single intraoperative IP dose of aprepitant (50 mg/kg). Adhesions were scored at 7 days. In similar experiments using IP dosing, animals were sacrificed at 24 h and peritoneal fluid, and tissue were collected to assess fibrinolytic activity and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) mRNA levels, respectively. IP aprepitant reduced adhesion formation by 33% (p < 0.05) compared with controls while oral aprepitant had no effect. Compared to controls IP aprepitant reduced tPA activity by 55% (p < 0.05), increased PAI-1 mRNA levels by 140% (p < 0.05), and had no affect on tPA mRNA levels. These data suggest that aprepitant maybe a useful pharmacologic agent for reducing adhesion formation clinically.
Carbon content of sediments of small reservoirs

Carbon content was measured in sediments deposited in 58 small reservoirs across the US. Reservoirs varied from 0.2 to 4,000 km{sup 2} in surface area. The carbon content of sediment ranged from 0.3 to 5.6 percent, with a mean of 1.9 {plus minus} 1.1 percent. No significant differences between the soil and sediment carbon content were found using a paired t-test or ANOVA. The carbon content of sediments in reservoirs was similar to the carbon content of surface soils in the watershed, except in watersheds with shrub or steppe (desert) vegetation. Based on the sediment accumulation rates measured in each reservoir, the calculated organic carbon accumulation rates among reservoirs ranged from 26 to 3,700 gC m{sup {minus}2} yr{sup {minus}1}, with a mean of 675 {plus minus} 739 gC m{sup {minus}2} yr{sup {minus}1}. The carbon content and accumulation rates were highest in sediments from grassland watersheds. High variability was found in carbon content, carbon accumulation, and sediment accumulation rates due to individual watershed and reservoir characteristics rather than to any broad physiographic patterns. The carbon accumulation rates in these reservoir sediments indicate that reservoir sediments could be a significant sink of organic carbon.
The Role of Immune System in the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis

Psoriatic involved skin contains an increased number of activated T cells. The mechanism through which these T cells achieve and maintain their activated state is unknown, and both antigen-dependent and -independent mechanisms may contribute. Recently a novel pathway of antigen-independent T-cell activation has been described. This pathway is identified by a monoclonal antibody that binds to a T-cell membrane surface molecule termed "UM4D4." This molecule is expressed on a minority (20%) of psoriatic peripheral blood T cells but on a majority (75%) of the T cells in lesional skin. Thus, UM4D4 could play a role in antigen-independent T-cell activation in psoriasis. Indeed the monoclonal antibody anti-UM4D4 consistently induces proliferation of psoriatic UM4D4+ T-cell clones. The activity of antigen-dependent pathways are also enhanced in psoriatic epidermis in as much as involved skin relative to uninvolved skin contains an increased number and function of antigen-presenting cells. Upon activation, the lesional T cells release lymphokines. Central to the immune hypothesis of psoriasis is that some of these T-cell lymphokines act on keratinocytes to induce changes characteristic of psoriasis. Indeed lymphokines from lesional psoriatic T-cell clones directly alter in vitro keratinocyte phenotype through induction of intercellular adhesion molecule-I (ICAM-1) and HLA-DR cell-surface expression. Furthermore, the lymphokines also enhance keratinocyte growth. These data suggest a critical role for the immune system in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
A comparison study on integrating electronic health records into priority simulation in undergraduate nursing education

Background: Electronic Health Records (EHR) make real time point of care efficient. We implemented EHR into our existing simulation exercise and attempted to evaluate the students’ perception on the effectiveness of the simulation in our undergraduate nursing students in comparison to the same cohort who had the same simulation without using electronic health records in the prior year. Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to assess the difference on simulation effectiveness perceived by the students in the group with and without utilizing EHR in simulation exercise. Method: A descriptive research design and convenience sampling was used to compare the effectiveness of perception data collected from the students after the simulation in these two groups. The difference in perception was compared by using the t-test. Result: There is no statistically significant change in students’ perception (t = .79, p = .42) between the simulation (SIM) and the simulation with EHR integration (SIMEHR) group. The confidence in providing care and knowing the patient by utilizing electronic health records has been reported as between somewhat agree to strongly agree.
The Structure of Knowledge and Dynamics of Scholarly Communication in Agenda Setting Research, 1996–2005

By conducting a citation analysis of bibliographic references in combination with a network analysis of cocitation referencing in 56 journal publications in the area of agenda-setting research from 1996 to 2005, this paper aims to identify current exemplary publications and authoritative works in the knowledge production and dissemination process and to examine the nature of knowledge-sharing networks among the community of scholars who contribute to the growth of common knowledge in the study of agenda setting. The findings shed light on the intellectual history of agenda-setting scholarship and offer insight on subspecialties and intellectual linkages among key literature in this vigorous and ever-evolving field of inquiry.
A method of measuring protein dry weight in solutions of unknown salt concentration and an application to lipoproteins

Abstract The dialysis bag dry weight method was developed for the measurement of dry weights of lipoproteins subfractionated on density gradients where total recovery of lipoprotein in the gradient was to be determined. Use of the conventional method for dry weight determination was precluded because of inconsistent concentration changes which would occur in the dialysis step due to differences in both the lipoprotein and salt concentration among gradient fractions. The method described consists of transfer of measured undialyzed samples into previously weighed bags followed by dialysis against water, lyophilization of the protein-bag combination and calculation of the protein dry weight as the difference between the bag weight and the total weight. Since the method described incorporates dialysis in the assay, it is capable of giving an accurate protein dry weight measure of a non-predialyzed sample, whereas the conventional dry weight method gives an accurate value only of a previously dialyzed sample. The increase in the standard deviation of the overall dialysis bag method was shown to be less than double that of the conventional method for a sample of known salt concentration and there is no distinguishable difference in the central values obtained by the two methods. The particular usefulness of this method for lipoprotein solutions was presented.
Urban versus rural trauma recidivism: is there a difference?

Understanding the characteristics of trauma recidivists may allow trauma centers to tailor prevention programs. We hypothesized that there would be an increased incidence of violent injuries and falls in the urban vs. rural recidivists, respectively. Trauma admissions from 2000 to 2011 were queried for incidences of recidivism. Age (<65 or ≥65 years), gender, Injury Severity Score (ISS, <9 or ≥9), mortality, and injury cause (fall, violence, or other) were analyzed with univariate analyses to test for differences between urban and rural patients. Significant variables were then included in a binary logistic model and further stratified based on environment. There were a total of 19,600 trauma admissions from 2000 to 2011, representing 18,711 unique patients, with 1,690 admissions (8.6 %) attributed to 801 recidivists (4.3 %). The overall percentages of recidivist trauma admissions attributed to urban and rural patients were 8.6 and 6.9 %, respectively (p < 0.001). When adjusting for age ≥65 years as well as falls and violent injuries, patients from urban environments were at 1.12 times higher odds of being a recidivist than their rural counterparts [odds ratio (OR) 1.12; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.25; p = 0.039]. When stratified into rural and urban groups, falls and violent injuries were significant in both groups of recidivist admissions; however, age ≥65 years was only significant in rural recidivist admissions. An urban trauma admission had 12 % higher odds of being attributed to a recidivist than its rural counterpart, when controlling for age and mechanism of injury (MOI). Age ≥65 years was a significant variable in rural but not urban recidivist admissions. Characterizing the recidivist may allow for targeted prevention and intervention programs to decrease repeat hospital visits.
AN EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH TO TEACHING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Communicating with subordinates in a helpful and empathic manner is a skill often needed by supervisors in organisations. A model is outlined here which discusses subordinate‐oriented communication at five levels of effectiveness. A supervisory training programme is also discussed emphasising the use of role playing in teaching effective and empathic communication responses. And finally, various training techniques are suggested which will help the trainee supervisor in implementing the concepts learned into actual practice Pre‐ and post‐test scores from a recent training programme are presented and discussed.
Digital replantation distal to the proximal interphalangeal joint

Microvascular replantation of digits distal to the proximal interphalangeal joint were reviewed in 24 digits in 18 patients. Of the 24 digits studied, five were seen in patients who had a single digit amputated and replanted, 10 were seen in patients who had multiple distal digital amputations and replantations; and eight were seen in patients who had other proximal digital replantations or other associated hand injuries in addition to the distal replantations. Survival rate in this study was 96%, and the mean active range of motion at the proximal interphalangeal joint was 95° with 8.9° active motion at the distal interphalangeal joint. Two-point discrimination averaged 11 mm, and all patients had some cold intolerance. The nine students in this study required a mean 1.7 months to return to school; nine patients were workers and required a mean of 5.1 months to return to work. Acceptance for the procedures was overwhelmingly good. Replantation of an amputated digit distal to the proximal interphalangeal joint in selected cases can be a worthwhile procedure.
Tough-to-brittle transitions in ceramic-matrix composites with increasing interfacial shear stress

The possibility of decreasing ultimate tensile strength associated with increasing fiber/matrix interfacial sliding is investigated in ceramic-matrix composites. An axisymmetric finite-element model is used to calculate axial fiber stresses versus radial position within the slipping region around an impinging matrix crack as a function of applied stress and interfacial sliding stress tau. The stress fields, showing an enhancement at the fiber surface, are then utilized as an effective applied field acting on annular flaws at the fiber surface, and a made I stress intensity is calculated as a function of applied stress, interface tau and flaw size. The total probability of failure due to a pre-existing spectrum of flaws in the fibers is then determined and utilized within the Global Load Sharing model to predict fiber damage evolution and ultimate failure. For small fiber Weibull moduli (m approximate to4), the local stress enhancements are insufficient to preferentially drive failure near the matrix crack. Hence, the composite tensile strength is weakly affected and follows the shear-lag model predictions, which show a monotonically increasing strength with increasing tau. For larger Weibull moduli (m approximate to 20), the composite is found to weaken beyond about tau = 50 MPa and exhibit reduced fiber pullout, both leading to an apparent embrittlement and showing substantial differences compared with the shear-lag model. Literature experimental data on an SiC fiber/glass matrix system are compared with the predictions. (C) 2000 Acta Metallurgica Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. Ali rights reserved.
Radiation from a double layer jet

The aerodynamic radiation caused by two acoustic point sources located symmetrically on the sides of a double layer jet which produces a velocity discontinuity was examined, with attention given to the effect on the sound by the stream. Basic equations were defined in terms of wave propagation in the fluid in motion and a Fourier transformation. It was found that the radiation due to a point source on one side of the jet is enhanced by the presence of sound transmitted from the other side. The effect is expressed as a function of the reflection coefficient, wherein the reflections take place at the vortex interfaces separating the fluid in motion from the fluid at rest. The intensity patterns were determined to be kidney-shaped, lung-shaped, and heart-shaped, and characterized by a deep valley in the directivity pattern. The significance of the findings for STOL aircraft ejector thrust augmentation is mentioned.
Unified control flow and data dependence traces

We describe the design, generation, and compression of the extended whole program path (eWPP), representation that not only captures the control flow history of a program execution but also its data dependence history. This representation is motivated by the observation that, typically, a significant fraction of data dependence history can be recovered from the control flow trace. To capture the remainder of the data dependence history, we introduce disambiguation checks in the program whose control flow signatures capture the results of the checks. The resulting extended control flow trace enables the recovery of otherwise irrecoverable data dependences. The code for the checks is designed to minimize the increase in program execution time and the extended control flow trace size when compared to directly collecting control flow and address traces. Our experiments show that compressed eWPPs are only one-quarter of the size of combined compressed control flow and address traces. However, their collection incurs a 5× increase in runtime overhead relative to the overhead required for directly collecting the control flow and address traces, respectively.
A parametric model for prediction of low toughness values in materials

One of the basic factors which contributes to the reliability of a structure is the toughness of the material used. Through several convenient methods for evaluation of the material toughness have been introduced and accepted, the scatter in toughness values has remained a subject of debate. In this respect the studies concerning the experimental determination of probability distribution for toughness have led to different models depending on type of the data used. Noting that the choice of model has a profound effect on probability estimates particularly in the region of importance, lower tail, in this paper a suitable model is introduced for this region. It is discussed that this model can describe the lower tail behavior of the frequently used distributions for toughness and for that some reasons are given. An estimating procedure and some numerical examples using data on two types of steel are also presented.
An unusual presenting symptom of sarcoidosis: Neurogenic bladder dysfunction

Approximately 5% to 16% of patients with sarcoidosis have involvement of the nervous system.1 In a series of 37 patients with neurosarcoidosis 50% to 85% of the presenting symp- toms were neurological in origin. These symptoms ranged from cranial nerve palsies, polyneuritis, meningeal involve- ment, muscle disease and Guillain-Barresyndrome.2 We re- port on a patient with neurosarcoidosis whose initial present- ing symptom of urinary frequency was secondary to neurogenic bladder dysfunction. CASE REPORT A 40-year-old black man without significant medical his- tory presented with progressive paraplegia and urinary fre- quency. He denied any history of gross hematuria, decreased force of stream or dysuria, and urinalysis demonstrated no infection. Urodynamic evaluation revealed a hyperreflexic bladder contraction with evidence of detrusor-sphincter dys- synergia on urethral pressure profile (fig. 1). Cystoscopy was unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed enhancement of the spinal cord at T8 to T9 consistent with inflammation (fig. 2). A subsequent chest x-ray revealed mul- tiple lesions consistent with granulomas. Biopsies of a lesion near the left upper lobe bronchus revealed noncaseating granulomas with giant cells. Potassium hydroxide and silver stains, and stains for fungus and tuberculosis were negative. Diagnosis was neurosarcoidosis and the patient was started on 40 mg. prednisone daily. DISCUSSION
Inhibition of fibroblast growth factors

The potential roles of members of the fibroblast growth factor family in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis and their mechanisms of release from cells are discussed. Furthermore, we review methods of therapeutic targeting of these polypeptides. In particular, we focus on the possibility to inhibit fibroblast growth factors with drugs that mimic heparin-like cellular binding sites and thus can interfere with growth factor receptor recognition. In addition, we discuss antibodies, antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, and ribozymes as approaches to inhibit production and activity of these growth factors.
Use of nonobese diabetic mice to understand human type 1 diabetes

In 1922, Leonard Thompson received the first injections of insulin prepared from the pancreas of canine test subjects. From pancreatectomized dogs to the more recent development of animal models that spontaneously develop autoimmune syndromes, animal models have played a meaningful role in furthering diabetes research. Of these animals, the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse is the most widely used for research in type 1 diabetes (T1D) because the NOD shares several genetic and immunologic traits with the human form of the disease. In this article, the authors discuss the similarities and differences in NOD and human T1D and the potential role of NOD mice in future preclinical studies, aiming to provide a better understanding of the genetic and immune defects that lead to T1D.
Distributed database access in a corporate environment using Java

Abstract Most of the Java applets on the Web today are developed primarily for visualization and 3D interactive animation. Serious doubts have been raised about the feasibility of using Java in the domain of enterprise applications. Compared with the conventional CGI-based approach for developing database applications, Java-based approach provides a high degree of flexibility, scalability, portability and robustness. Through the use of HORB, a software tool based on the concept of Object Request Broker, Java client and server objects can be created easily and accessed transparently. A methodology using Java and HORB for developing database applications is proposed, with the objective to establish a robust Web infrastructure in a corporate environment.
Anomalous Anomalies in Averaged Hydrographic Data

Abstract A comparison of a recently assembled hydrographic database for the North Atlantic with the Lovitus atlas shows striking differences in the vicinity of the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Current. On isopycnal surfaces in the main thermocline, isolated pools of warm, saline water are found in the Levitus database but are absent in the new database. Using synoptic data as a proxy for temporally averaged climatological data, it is shown that the anomalous features can be accounted for by the differences in the averaging process. To produce a gridded database from irregularly spaced station data, Levitus averaged the data on pressure surfaces while the new database was prepared with averaging an potential density surfaces. It is shown that averaging on a pressure surface in an area of sharply sloping isopycnals produces a water mass with a θ–S signature uncharacteristic of the local water mass(es). The anomalous potential temperatures and salinities that result are compared to the large-scale wate...
The effects of steam and carbon dioxide on calcite decomposition using dynamic X-ray diffraction

The effects of steam (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) on the rates of calcite decomposition have been studied using dynamic X-ray diffraction (DXRD). Because the DXRD technique allows for considerably better control of heat and mass transfer complications, intrinsic decomposition rates are obtained for temperatures between 440–560°C and up to H2O and CO2 pressures of 0.2135 and 0.00087 atm, respectively. It is shown that the observed enhancement effect of steam is related to its adsorptive properties which are faster and more significant than CO2 adsorption. This, in turn, leads to the hypothesis of a quantitative Langmuir-Hinshelwood model which is totally compatible with the kinetic data. Separate adsorption experiments show that the effect of steam pressure is limited due to adsorption saturation capacity and the model is used to predict the steam pressure required to produce 95% of the maximum effect of steam as a function of temperature.
Low-thrust mission simulation - Feedback to hardware definition.

Low thrust mission simulation dependence on hardware definition, discussing power plant characteristics, jet velocity and thrustor efficiency
Relating spatial scale to patterns of polychaete species diversity in coastal estuaries of the western United States

Historically, studies in landscape ecology have investigated how variation in spatial scale can affect the complex interactions observed in an ecosystem. In this study I describe survey data collected as part of the United States National Coastal Assessment that were used to discern the role sampling scale can play in detecting the relationship between physical factors and patterns of polychaete species diversity in marine estuaries. In this survey, sampling sites were randomly selected at three spatial scales using a probability based site selection algorithm applied to a GIS representation of all U.S. west coast estuaries. At each sampling scale, data relating to species diversity and environmental condition were collected. My analyses revealed that polychaetes displayed an increase in diversity towards the equator. It appears that across latitude both the rate of increase in and total diversity were affected by variation in the spatial scale over which the survey was conducted. Variation in scale also affected interpretations of the magnitude to which physical factors may potentially relate to species diversity across latitude. The data suggested that increased sampling scales obscured negative relationships between physical factors and species diversity across the estuaries sampled in this study. The results of this study demonstrate how assessments of the strength of the relationship between physical factors and species diversity in coastal communities can be strongly affected by variation in sampling scale.
Intraocular Pressure and Ocular Pulse Amplitude Comparisons in Different Types of Glaucoma Using Dynamic Contour Tonometry

Purpose: To compare the intraocular pressures (IOP) and ocular pulse amplitudes (OPA) in patients with different types of glaucoma, ocular hypertension (OHT), and normal controls (NC) using dynamic contour tonometry (DCT) and the goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT). Methods: 906 eyes of 501 adult patients in the following five groups were included in this cross-sectional study: primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), normal tension glaucoma (NTG), Pseudoexfoliative Glaucoma (PXG), OHT, and NC. The following tests were performed simultaneously during a single visit: IOP using DCT and GAT; OPA using DCT and central corneal thickness (CCT) using ultrasound pachymetry. Mixed effects regression models were used to compare the DCT and GAT IOP measurements in the five groups; the effect of CCT on IOP and the relationship between OPA and IOP within each group. Results: DCT consistently had higher IOP values than GAT in POAG, PXG, NTG, and controls (p < 0.001) but not in OHT (p = 0.84). DCT IOP did not change while G...
Folliculitis Ulerythematosus Reticulata: A Report of Four Cases and Brief Review of the Literature

Abstract: Folliculitis ulerythematosus reticulata (FUR) is an uncommon genodermatosis best classified as one of the keratosis pilaris atrophicans group of disorders. It is characterized by erythema and follicular plugging of the cheeks that evolves into honeycomb atraphy. Associated cutaneous and visceral abnormalities can occur. This report describes four patients with FUR. one with an unaffected twin, a finding not previously reported. The significance of an early and accurate diagnosis is emphasized.
Lidocaine inactivation demonstrates a stronger role for central versus medial extended amygdala in medial forebrain bundle self-stimulation

Abstract Given recent attention to the role of the extended amygdala (EA) in brain reward processes, this study examines the relative contributions of the medial versus central aspects of that forebrain macrostructure to the rewarding effects of medial forebrain bundle (MFB) stimulation. Thirty-one rats were self-stimulated at either the rostral or caudal MFB before and after lidocaine-induced inactivation of an EA target. Relative to non-injection baseline tests, the injection of 0.5 or 1.0 μl of 4% lidocaine into the central EA structures of the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the central sublenticular EA, and the interstitial nucleus of the posterior limb of the anterior commissure frequently and substantially disrupted the rewarding effect of MFB stimulation, whereas comparable saline infusions did not. The effects were most pronounced when the central EA was inactivated either bilaterally or ipsilateral to the stimulation site. Contralateral inactivation was less effective but did impair the stimulation’s reward effects in several cases. Inactivation of medial EA structures did not have as great or as consistent effects on stimulation reward value except when the lidocaine infusion encroached on the MFB itself. These results support prior demonstrations of the EA’s role in brain reward and motivational processes and further show that the central rather than medial aspects of the EA are particularly relevant. The results are discussed in the context of possible anatomical substrates supporting MFB self-stimulation.
Changes in transfer RNA in developing brine shrimp

Summary Aminoacyl-tRNAs prepared with tRNA from two developmental stages of the brine shrimp, Artemia salina , were fractionated by reversed-phase column chromatography. Between the encysted gastrula stage and the nauplius larva stage, quantitative changes occur in the isoaccepting tRNAs for nine amino acids. The tRNAs for nine others remained unchanged. No qualitative difference was found between the tRNAs of these two stages.
The long and the short of telomeres in bone marrow recipient SCID patients

Telomeres are noncoding DNA regions at the end of the chromosomes that are crucial for genome stability. Since telomere length decreases with cell division, they can be used as a signature of cell proliferation history. T-cell reconstitution in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) subjects, recipients of T-cell-depleted, allogeneic-related bone marrow cells, is due to the development and maturation of donor T-cell precursors in the infant’s vestigial thymus and to homeostatic proliferation of mature T cells in the peripheral organs. Since T-cell function, thymic output, and T-cell clonal diversity are maintained long term in these patients, we investigated whether donor T-cell engraftment resulted in increased telomere shortening. Our study of seven SCID patients, following successful bone marrow transplantation, demonstrates that the patients’ peripheral T cells did not exhibit greater than normal telomere shortening.
T cell recognition of the A2 domain of coagulation factor VIII in hemophilia patients and healthy subjects.

Summary. Hemophilia A patients treated with coagulation factor VIII (FVIII), and also some healthy subjects, may develop anti-FVIII antibodies (Ab), whose synthesis is driven by FVIII-specific CD4+ T cells. Some Ab block the procoagulant function of FVIII (inhibitors). Many inhibitors recognize epitopes on the FVIII A2 domain. Here, we have sought to identify A2 epitopes recognized by CD4+ T cells. We tested the proliferative response of CD4+ blood lymphocytes (BL) from hemophilia patients and healthy subjects, to overlapping synthetic peptides spanning the A2 domain sequence. Many A2 peptides induced proliferative responses of CD4+ BL from one or more subjects. The peptide-induced responses were strongest in hemophilia patients with inhibitors, weakest in healthy subjects. A2 peptides comprising residues 371–400, 621–650 and 671–690 elicited frequent and strong responses in hemophilia A patients, and especially in those with inhibitors. Healthy subjects recognized frequently only the sequence 371–400. A three-dimensional model of the A2 domain suggests that these CD4+ epitope sequences have structural features typical of ‘universal’ CD4+ T epitopes.
Down-regulation of gonadotropin release by the ovine fetal pituitary gland by the superagonist D-Trp6pro9NET-LRF

D-Trp6Pro9NET-LRF (Trp6-LRF) a superagonist analogue of LRF has caused suppression of gonadotropin secretion when administered chronically in animals and in humans, but has not been studied in the fetus. In 3 chronically catheterized ovine fetuses ages 105-130 days (term 147±3), spontaneous LH pulses of 3-8 ng/ml occurred every 3-4 hrs with baseline levels of less than 1 ng/ml. FSH levels ranged from 4-8 ng/ml and did not vary with the LH discharge. Administration of 5 μg synthetic LRF IV produced a mean incremental increase (Δ) of LH of 6.8 ng/ml (range 5.8-7.7 ng/ml), while the mean Δ of FSH was 1.9 ng/ml (0.9-2.9 ng/ml). After the first 10 μg dose of Trp6-LRF IV, the mean Δ of LH was 16.4 ng/ml (4.9-25.6 ng/ml), and the mean Δ of FSH was 3.9 ng/ml (2.9-4.7 ng/ml). Elevated levels of LH and FSH were sustained for 2 hrs after the agonist. A second 10 μg dose given 24 hrs later did not induce a significant rise in LH or FSH. Intravenous LRF elicited a minimal rise in LH and FSH during a 2-14 day study period, without measurable LH pulses. The findings are consistent with an initial phase in which Trp6-LRF stimulates FSH and LH release followed by a prolonged phase of refractoriness to either LRF or the LRF agonist. The later effect is consistent with down-regulation of fetal pituitary LRF receptors. These observations provide further support for the influence of endogenous fetal LRF on fetal gonadotropin secretion and of neuroendocrine control mediated by LRF as early as 105 days of gestation.
Multi-scale pore morphology in directed vapor deposited yttria-stabilized zirconia coatings

Abstract A high pressure, electron-beam directed-vapor deposition process has been used to deposit partially stabilized zirconia containing 7% mass yttria at deposition pressures of 7.5–23 Pa. Anisotropic, ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) was then used to determine the surface area, shape and orientation of pores within the coatings. The total surface area of the ellipsoidal shaped pores was found to increase with deposition pressure. However, the through-thickness thermal conductivity measurements reveal the existence of a minimum thermal conductivity in coatings deposited at an intermediate pressure. Observations of the anisotropic X-ray scattering intensity at this intermediate pressure indicated greater proportions of both feather-like (oblate) pores with their major dimension at about 60° to the plane of the coating and fine columnar (prolate) pores oriented perpendicular to the coating plane. Since these oblate pore orientations are most efficient at impeding conductive thermal transport through the coating, it is believed that the change in preferred pore orientations with pressure is responsible for the higher thermal resistance of coatings grown in the intermediate pressure regime.
In vitro growth of two related leporipoxviruses in lymphoid cells

We examined the in vitro growth patterns of two leporipoxviruses, malignant rabbit fibroma virus (MV) and Shope fibroma virus (SFV), in lymphoid cells. MV replicates well in normal spleen cells in vitro. At low m.o.i. (0.001), dramatic virus growth occurs in unstimulated cell cultures. This growth is enhanced by addition of the T lymphocyte mitogen, concanavilin A, or the B lymphocyte mitogen, Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. Shope fibroma virus does not grow in lymphocytes in culture, with or without mitogen stimulation. MV itself profoundly inhibits lymphocyte mitogenesis, while SFV does not. MV and SFV added to normal lymphocytes do not appear to alter their viability in culture. Thus, MV appears to be novel in its ability to replicate to high titer in resting lymphocytes. This growth pattern may be useful in understanding MV-induced immunologic dysfunction.