cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Concentration of phytosterols for analysis by supercritical fluid extraction

Fractionation of sterols from plant lipid mixtures was accomplished using a multistep supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) procedure. Samples of seed oils, margarine, corn germ oil, and corn fiber oil were extracted to yield enriched phytosterol fractions. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) was utilized to separate and determine the concentration of the plant sterols in the extracts from the various samples. The sterol concentration in the original samples varied from 2.2 mg/g in soybean oil to 13.2 mg/g in oil extracted from corn fiber. After the SFE-based fractionation of the samples, the sterol concentration was increased to 64.4 mg/g in the extract from soybean oil and 166.2 mg/g in the extract from corn fiber oil. Oil extracted from corn bran, which measured 8.6 mg/g in the original oil, increased to 322.2 mg/g using the fractionation process. The benign conditions utilized by SFE and SFC proved to be effective for the analyses of these compounds without inducing degradation of the analytes.
Decentralization, privatization and the solvency of local governments in reforming economies : the case of Budapest

In many reforming socialist economics like Hungary, the ownership of previously state-owned assets has been transferred to local governments as part of the decentralization and privatization reforms. The authors discuss these recent reforms in Budapest, and examine their impact on the solvency of local governments there. The analysis suggests that a continuation of the current pricing policies now in place in Budapest will pose serious long-run solvency problems for the new local governments that have been given ownership of the assets, effectively decapitalizing many of them. Even so, the privatization is unlikely to lead to a change in these pricing policies, and it may well lead the local governments to undertake actions that adversely affect the broader stabilization program.
Calcium mobilization and influx during the biphasic cytosolic calcium and secretory responses in agonist-stimulated pituitary gonadotrophs.

Abstract Stimulation of enriched pituitary gonadotrophs by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) elicits dose-dependent biphasic elevations of cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) and luteinizing hormone (LH) release, with rapid initial peaks followed by sustained plateaus during continued exposure to the agonist. A potent GnRH-antagonist, [N-acetyl- d -p-Cl-Phe 1,2, d -Trp3, d -Lys6, d -Ala10]GnRH, prevented the biphasic [Ca2+]i and LH responses when added before GnRH, and rapidly abolished both responses to GnRH when added during the plateau phase. In low Ca2+ medium the LH peak responses to GnRH were reduced and the subsequent sustained responses were almost completely abolished; reduction of extracellular Ca2+ during exposure to GnRH caused a prompt decline of LH release. The initial [Ca2+]i peak is derived largely from intracellular calcium mobilization with a partial contribution from calcium influx, while the sustained phase is dependent on the entry of extracellular Ca2+ through both L-type and dihydropyridine-insensitive channels. The presence of L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCC) in pituitary gonadotrophs was indicated by the ability of elevated extracellular [K+] to stimulate calcium influx and LH release, and the sensitivity of these responses to dihydropyridine agonist and antagonist analogs. In cells pretreated with high [K+], the peak [Ca2+]i response to GnRH was enhanced but the subsequent plateau phase was markedly attenuated. This divergent effect of sustained membrane depolarization on the biphasic [Ca2+]i response suggests that calcium entry through VSCC initially potentiates agonist-induced mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular storage sites. However, established Ca2+ entry through depolarization-activated VSCC cannot be further increased by agonist stimulation because both processes operate through the same channels, probably by changes in their activation-inactivation kinetics. Finally, the reciprocal potentiation by the dihydropyridine agonist, BK 8644, and GnRH of [Ca2+]i and LH responses confirms that both compounds act on the same type of channels i.e., L-type VSCC, that participate in agonist-mediated calcium influx and gonadotropin secretion.
How and when did Old World ratsnakes disperse into the New World

To examine Holarctic snake dispersal, we inferred a phylogenetic tree from four mtDNA genes and one scnDNA gene for most species of the Old World (OW) and New World (NW) colubrid group known as ratsnakes. Ancestral area distributions are estimated for various clades using divergence-vicariance analysis and maximum likelihood on trees produced using Bayesian inference. Dates of divergence for the same clades are estimated using penalized likelihood with statistically crosschecked calibration references obtained from the Miocene fossil record. With ancestral areas and associated dates estimated, various hypotheses concerning the age and environment associated with the origin of ratsnakes and the dispersal of NW taxa from OW ancestors were tested. Results suggest that the ratsnakes originated in tropical Asia in the late Eocene and subsequently dispersed to the Western and Eastern Palearctic by the early Oligocene. These analyses also suggest that the monophyletic NW ratsnakes (the Lampropeltini) diverged from OW ratsnakes and dispersed through Beringia in the late Oligocene/early Miocene when this land bridge was mostly composed of deciduous and coniferous forests.
The role of wall calcium in the extension of cell walls of soybean hypocotyls.

Calcium crosslinks are load-bearing bonds in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) hypocotyl cell walls, but they are not the same load-bearing bonds that are broken during acid-mediated cell elongation. This conclusion is reached by studying the relationship between wall calcium, pH and the facilitated creep of frozenthawed soybean hypocotyl sections. Supporting data include the following observations: 1) 2-[(2-bis-[carboxy-methyl]amino-5-methylphenoxy)methyl]-6-methoxy-8-bis[carboxymethyl]aminoquinoline (Quin 2) and ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) caused only limited facilitated creep as compared with acid, despite removal of comparable or larger amounts of wall calcium; 2) the pH-response curves for calcium removal and acid-facilitated creep were different; 3) reversible acid-extension occurred even after removal of almost all wall calcium with Quin 2; and 4) growth of abraded sections did not involve a proportional loss of wall calcium. Removal of wall calcium, however, increased the capacity of the walls to undergo acid-facilitated creep. These data indicate that breakage of calcium crosslinks is not a major mechanism of cell-wall loosening in soybean hypocotyl tissues.
Failed back syndrome.

Background:Failed back syndrome (FBS) is a well-recognized complication of surgery of the lumbar spine. It can result in chronic pain and disability, often with disastrous emotional and financial consequences to the patient. Many patients have traditionally been classified as “spinal cripples” and a
Initial state, parton saturation and thermalization

Abstract The early time behavior of heavy ion collisions involves new forms of matter such as the Color Glass Condensate and the Glasma. An area of much recent work involves attempts to understand the development of the Glasma into a thermalized Quark Gluon Plasma. The evolution of the Glasma involves turbulent Yang–Mills fields, and might also have condensates and non-trivial topological excitations. The proton–nucleus collision experiments at the LHC accelerator may provide unique insight into these forms of matter and the role they play at various times in hadronic collisions. I introduce and review aspects of these forms of matter as related to experiments at the LHC and RHIC accelerators.
Seasonal variations in river discharge and nutrient export to a Northeastern Pacific estuary

Abstract Seasonal variations in dissolved nitrogen and silica loadings were related to seasonal variability in river discharge. Dissolved nutrient concentrations measured weekly at three stations in the Yaquina River, Oregon from 1999 through 2001, and then monthly in 2002 were used as the basis for developing a nutrient loading regression as part of a larger agency program for evaluating nutrient processes. Because realistic models of nutrient transport require dense data sets to capture both long and short term fluctuations in nutrient concentrations, data at one freshwater station also were collected hourly for the same years using an in-stream monitor. The effects of storm events on dissolved nutrient transport were examined during three storms, including one in a high rainfall-discharge year, and two in average years, one of which followed a drought year. During the drought year (WY2001), total dissolved nitrate input was considerably less than in wetter years. Dissolved nitrate concentrations, however, were unusually high in the first winter storm runoff after the drought. The freshwater dissolved nitrate nitrogen loads varied from 40,380 kg day−1 during a high-flow storm event to 0.11 kg day−1 during late summer, low flow conditions. Dissolved silica dynamics differed from those of nitrate because during storm events, silica concentrations in the Yaquina River decreased to near zero at the storm height, probably due to dilution by near surface or overland flow, and later recovered. During the time interval studied, over 94% of the dissolved nitrate and silica were transported from the watershed during the winter months of greater rainfall, indicating that seasonality and river flow are primary factors when considering nutrient loadings from this watershed system.
Epidermal Differential Impedance Sensor for Conformal Skin Hydration Monitoring

We present the design and use of an ultrathin, stretchable sensor system capable of conformal lamination onto the skin, for precision measurement and spatial mapping of levels of hydration. This device, which we refer to as a class of ‘epidermal electronics’ due to its ‘skin-like’ construction and mode of intimate integration with the body, contains miniaturized arrays of impedance-measurement electrodes arranged in a differential configuration to compensate for common-mode disturbances. Experimental results obtained with different frequencies and sensor geometries demonstrate excellent precision and accuracy, as benchmarked against conventional, commercial devices. The reversible, non-invasive soft contact of this device with the skin makes its operation appealing for applications ranging from skin care, to athletic monitoring to health/wellness assessment.
Bone marrow and peripheral blood involvement in mantle cell lymphoma

The peripheral blood smears, bone marrow aspirates and biopsies of 46 patients with mantle cell lymphoma were reviewed. The diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma was established in all cases on extramedullary tissue samples using standard morphologic, phenotypic and molecular genetic criteria. 27/35 patients (77%) had circulating lymphoma cells (median 20% of all circulating white blood cells; range 5–90%) identified by morphology at some point during the course of their disease. No statistical difference in survival was detected in patients with or without peripheral blood involvement. Lymphoma was identified in bone marrow aspirate specimens from 33/40 patients (83%) and in bone marrow biopsy specimens from 39/43 patients (91%). The pattern of marrow biopsy involvement was nodular (31 cases; 82%), interstitial (19 cases; 50%), paratrabecular (17 cases, 45%) and diffuse (12 cases; 32%). Although the median survival of patients with ≥ 50% bone marrow involvement was 13 months, and the median survival of patients with ≤ 50% was 49 months, no statistically significant differences between these small subgroups were observed. Mantle cell lymphoma frequently involves the peripheral blood and bone marrow. Its appearance is distinctive but variable, and immunophenotypic studies as well as morphologic confirmation by a biopsy of tissue other than bone marrow is still required for diagnosis.
Evidence-based radiology and the ACR Appropriateness Criteria.

The ACR Appropriateness Criteria® are an important effort aimed at establishing when imaging should be used in medicine. However, substantial improvements in the Appropriateness Criteria® are necessary for them to meet current standards for evidence-based guidelines. In this article, we provide concrete suggestions for improving the evidence basis of the Appropriateness Criteria®.
Coconstructing heritage at the gettysburg storyscape

Abstract Cultural production has been integral to the study of tourism. Employing the Gettysburg storyscape, the present study illustrates the way in which a text is coconstructed by both marketers and consumers through negotiation and embodied performance. Within a coconstruction model of culture, rather than merely appropriating existing meanings of the past, a text is informed by and depends upon the contingencies of the present. It is also shown how a landscape is being symbolically transformed and used by service providers and tourists alike to negotiate, define, and strengthen social values of patriotism and national unity, in times when these values are most needed.
Figo IIIB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix: an analysis of prognostic factors emphasizing the balance between external beam and intracavitary radiation therapy.

Purpose: To define patient, tumor, and treatment factors that influence the outcome of patients with FIGO Stage IIIB squamous cell carcinoma of the intact uterine cervix. Methods and Materials: The records of 1,096 patients treated with radiation therapy between 1960 and 1993 for FIGO Stage IIIB squamous cell carcinoma of the intact uterine cervix were reviewed retrospectively. Of these, 983 (90%) were treated with curative intent and 113 were treated only to achieve palliation of symptoms. Of 907 patients who completed the intended curative treatment, 641 (71%) were treated with a combination of external beam irradiation (EBRT) and intracavitary irradiation (ICRT) and 266 (29%) were treated with EBRT only. The median duration of treatment for these 907 patients was 51 days. Between 1966 and 1980, only 52% of patients who completed treatment with curative intent received ICRT, compared with 92% of patients treated during 1981–1993, an increase that reflects an evolution in the philosophy of treatment for advanced tumors. In general, the intensity of ICRT correlated inversely with the dose of EBRT to the central pelvis. Median follow-up of surviving patients was 134 months. Results: For 983 patients treated with initial curative intent, disease-specific survival (DSS) was significantly worse for those who were 52 Gy of EBRT to the central pelvis had DSS rates of 27–34%, compared with 53% for patients treated with lower doses of EBRT to the central pelvis and more intensive ICRT (p 52 Gy of EBRT to the central pelvis (57–68%), compared with those who had 48–52 Gy (28%) and those who had ≤ 47 Gy of EBRT to the central pelvis (15%) (p < 0.0001). Outcome was also compared for four time periods during which different treatment policies were in place for patients with Stage IIIB disease. The highest DSS (51%) and lowest actuarial complication rate (17%) were achieved during the most recent period (1981–1993) when modest doses of EBRT were combined with relatively intensive ICRT (p < 0.01 for both comparisons). Conclusion: Aggressive use of ICRT, carefully balanced with pelvic EBRT, is necessary to achieve the best ratio between tumor control and complications for patients with FIGO Stage IIIB carcinoma of the cervix. In our experience, the highest DSS rates and the lowest complication rates were achieved with a combination of 40–45 Gy of EBRT combined with ICRT.
Unity and Diversity in American Political Culture: An Exploratory Study of the National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity

Drawing on participant observation and quantitative analysis, this paper investigates the National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity, a series of local conversation projects organized by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1995 and 1996. After linking this program to debates about American political culture, the paper analyzes the observational and survey data in light of five hypotheses about the conversations. The conversations reveal fundamental, unresolved dilemmas regarding the compatibility between American identity and ethnic pluralism, although the participants sometimes cope with these dilemmas in culturally creative ways.
A Targeted RNA Interference Screen Reveals Novel Epigenetic Factors That Regulate Herpesviral Gene Expression

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus (HSV) utilizes and subverts host chromatin mechanisms to express its lytic gene products in mammalian cells. The host cell attempts to silence the incoming viral genome by epigenetic mechanisms, but the viral VP16 and ICP0 proteins promote active chromatin on the viral genome by recruiting other host epigenetic factors. However, the dependence on VP16 and ICP0 differs in different cell lines, implying cell type-dependent functional contributions of epigenetic factors for HSV gene expression. In this study, we performed a targeted RNA interference (RNAi) screen for cellular chromatin factors that are involved in regulation of herpes simplex virus (HSV) gene expression in U2OS osteosarcoma cells, a cell line that complements ICP0 mutant and VP16 mutant virus replication. In this screen, we found the same general classes of chromatin factors that regulate HSV gene expression in U2OS cells as in other cell types, including histone demethylases (HDMs), histone deacetylases (HDACs), histone acetyltransferases (HATs), and chromatin-remodeling factors, but the specific factors within these classes are different from those identified previously for other cell types. For example, KDM3A and KDM1A (LSD1) both demethylate mono- and dimethylated H3K9, but KDM3A emerged in our screen of U2OS cells. Further, small interfering RNA (siRNA) and inhibitor studies support the idea that KDM1A is more critical in HeLa cells, as observed previously, while KDM3A is more critical in U2OS cells. These results argue that different cellular chromatin factors are critical in different cell lines to carry out the positive and negative epigenetic effects exerted on the HSV genome. IMPORTANCE Upon entry into the host cell nucleus, the herpes simplex virus genome is subjected to host epigenetic silencing mechanisms. Viral proteins recruit cellular epigenetic activator proteins to reverse and counter the cellular silencing mechanisms. Some of the host silencing and activator functions involved in HSV gene expression have been identified, but there have been indications that the host cell factors may vary in different cell types. In this study, we performed a screen of chromatin factors involved in HSV gene regulation in osteosarcoma cells, and we found that the chromatin factors that are critical for HSV gene expression in these cells are different from those for previously studied cell types. These results argue that the specific chromatin factors operative in different cell lines and cell types may differ. This has implications for epigenetic drugs that are under development.
System-Wide Energy Optimization for Multiple DVS Components and Real-Time Tasks

Most dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVS) techniques adjust only CPU parameters, however, recent embedded systems provide multiple adjustable clocks which can be independently tuned. When considering multiple components, energy optimal frequencies depend on task set characteristics such as the number of CPU and memory access cycles. In this work, we propose a realistic energy model considering multiple components with individually adjustable frequencies such as CPU, system bus and memory, and related task set characteristics. The model is validated on a real platform and shows less than 2% relative error compared to measured values. Based on the proposed energy model, we present an optimal static frequency assignment scheme for multiple DVS components to schedule a set of periodic realtime tasks. We simulate the energy gain of the proposed scheme compared to other DVS schemes for various task and system configurations, showing up to a 20% energy reduction.
A high frequency battery model for current ripple analysis

In applications where batteries work together with power electronic circuits, the current ripple generated by the power electronics will be shared by both the battery and passive components in the circuit. The amount of ripple absorbed by the battery depends on its impedance at the switching frequency of power electronics. This paper presents an impedance based high frequency battery model derived from test results of a NiMH battery using a novel battery impedance tester. The possible reasons for the battery impedance characteristics in high frequency region, including skin effect and proximity effect, are also discussed. This battery model can be directly used in current ripple analysis, passive components design and control strategy optimization of power electronic circuits. The effect of the passive component values on the battery current ripple is analyzed using the ac equivalent circuit of the test setup.
Unusual Finding in a Patient for Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm Repair

A56-YEAR-OLD woman with a 4.8-cm sinus of Valsalva aneurysm presented to the authors’ institution for repair. he initially had presented at an outside hospital with the chief omplaint of chest pain. Myocardial ischemia and infarct were xcluded. A cardiac catheterization revealed normal coronary rteries. A chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed an ortic root aneurysm located at the right coronary sinus of
The nature of Bi3+ luminescence in garnet hosts

Abstract The room temperature photoluminescence and excitation spectra of Bi3+ in the (Y,Gd)3(Al,Ga)5O12 garnets is reported and analyzed. The luminescence spectra of these materials under 1S0 → 3P1 Bi3+ excitation consist of two bands in the UV and the visible spectral regions. The UV emission band is attributed to the 3P0,1 → 1S0 emission of isolated Bi3+ ions and is observed for the first time in garnet host lattices. Previous reports of Bi3+ luminescence in (Y,Gd)3Ga5O12 garnets only reported the visible emission and attributed this emission to an impurity trapped exciton, implying a strong interaction between the host lattice conduction band and the Bi3+ excited states. We disagree with this interpretation of the visible emission band. Our results show a strong dependence of the visible band intensity on the Bi3+ concentration and lead us to conclude that this emission is related to Bi3+ pairs and/or clusters in the garnet host lattice. There does not appear to be any interaction between the host lattice conduction band and the 3P0,1 excited states of Bi3+.
Efficient self-phase modulation in submicron silicon-on-insulator waveguides

We investigate experimentally and theoretically self-phase modulation and group velocity dispersion induced spectral broadening of picosecond pulses in silicon wires. Already for very low peak powers the limit for dense wavelength demultiplexing is reached.
The Analog Processing System for the Liquid Argon Calorimeter for SLD at SLAC

The analog processing system for the Liquid Argon Calorimeter for the SLD project at SLAC is described. Amplification, storage of the analog information, and multiplexing is realized on specially developed hybrids, which will be mounted directly on the detector. This leads to a substantial reduction of the cable plant. Test results for the amplifier and for the sampling and multiplexing hybrid (CDU hybrid) are presented. The latter hybrid contains a custom monolithic device, the Calorimeter Data Unit (CDU).
Activity of Hickory Shuckworm from Collections in Traps

Hourly sampling of catches in traps equipped with blacklight lamps indicated that the activity of Laspeyresia car yana (Fitch) was greatest in the 1st hour after sunset and then gradually diminished throughout the night.
Role of Gardnerella vaginalis in the Pathogenesis of Bacterial Vaginosis: A Conceptual Model

Background Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal discharge and is associated with important public health complications such as preterm birth and acquisition or transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infections. Continued controversy concerning the pathogenesis of BV has led to a lack of progress in prevention and management of this infection. Methods Development of a conceptual model for the pathogenesis of BV based on review of past and current research. Results Our model suggests that BV is initiated by the sexual transmission of Gardnerella vaginalis, which has the appropriate virulence factors to adhere to host epithelium, create a biofilm community, and successfully compete with lactobacilli for dominance in the vaginal environment. The genetic diversity of G. vaginalis may result in virulent and avirulent strains. Symbiotic relationships with normally dormant vaginal anaerobes lead to increases in the latter which contribute to the symptoms of BV. Conclusions G. vaginalis is the pathogen responsible for the initiation of BV. Future research should focus on preventing its transmission and improved therapeutics for the biofilm infection that is caused by this pathogen and host anaerobes.
Developmental manipulation of the circadian pacemaker in the cockroach: relationship between pacemaker period and response to light

Previous research has shown that fundamental properties of the circadian pacemaker that drives the rhythm of locomotor activity in the cockroach Leucophaea maderae L. are permanently altered by exposure of animals to 22 or 26 h light cycles during post-embryonic development (Barrett & Page, 1989; Page & Barrett, 1989). The present results document differences between animals exposed to either constant darkness (DD) or constant light (LL) during postembryonic development in the free-running period, the phase shifting response to light pulses, and the response to an LL to DD transition of the adult pacemaker. In addition, the changes in pacemaker period and in the phase shifting response that result from raising animals in several different lighting conditions are shown to be strongly correlated. The data suggest there is a developmentally labile interdependence between the period of the pacemaker and its sensitivity to light.
Self-focus, gender, and habitual self-handicapping: Do they make a difference in behavioral self-handicapping?

In this experiment we examined the effects of public self-focus on individuals’ behavioral self-handicapping tendencies. When faced with a threatening evaluation, a person may choose to self-handicap behaviorally. Men, more than women, and trait self-handicappers have been shown to self-handicap behaviorally. How do situational factors such as self-focus interface with these personal characteristics to affect such actions? Self-focus of attention was expected to make the self-evaluation implications of an upcoming performance more salient and to cause the self-focused performer to self-handicap behaviorally. Persons who were low or high in habitual self-handicapping were presented with an important intellectual evaluation and were allowed to practice for the upcoming test. Results showed that men self-handicap more by practicing less when they are self-focused, but women do not self-handicap under self-focus and self-handicapping instruction conditions. The implications of these findings for understanding the antecedent conditions of self-handicapping are discussed in the context of other recent work.
Leverages and bottlenecks of MCMs

Summary form only given. The authors discuss the fundamental issues confronting designers and manufacturers of the multichip modules (MCMs). All of them ultimately determine the product cost, be it the in-process and final test yields, the engineering effort in design and manufacturing support, or the MCM quality and reliability. Challenges are compounded in a situation where MCMs are assembled with chips and/or substrates obtained from an outside supplier. Issues range from the design groundrules to the lack of (comprehensive) standards, to the question of responsibility for assurance of quality and reliability, to the profit margins potentially reduced by shipping unpackaged chips. The initial driving force for MCMs has been the improved performance over the SCMs facilitated by the reduced interchip wiring delays. In this decade, all high end mainframes employ MCMs capable of carrying as many as 144 chips and handling up to 4.5 kW. Another driving force is the volume and weight reduction, and the reliability enhancement achievable with silicon-on-silicon MCMs. The growing pinout demand of all but the memory chips pushes the SCM packaging costs beyond those deemed possible with the MCMs. >
The vital status of human buccal epithelial cells and the bacteria associated with them.

Summary Objective We have shown that buccal epithelial cells (BEC) from humans can contain a polymicrobial intracellular flora. Members of that flora can induce proinflammatory responses. However, our subjects all had healthy oral mucosa. This might reflect tolerance of bacterial invasion by live BEC. Alternatively, inflammation might not occur if invaded cells were mostly dead, and thus unable to mount a response. This study addressed that issue, by determining the vital status of BEC and the bacteria associated with them. Design Initial experiments indicated that BEC were anomalously permeable to the DNA stain propidium iodide. We used that property to develop a protocol that combined the DNA stains SYTO ® 9 and propidium iodide (indicators of bacterial viability) with the esterase substrate calcein blue AM (an indicator of BEC viability), and Annexin V Alexa Fluor ® 647 conjugate (an apoptosis marker). That protocol was applied to BEC collected from 36 human subjects. Results On average, 70% of BEC displayed calcein blue staining, with no binding of Annexin V, 25% showed signs of apoptosis, and 5% did not stain with calcein blue. The mean percent of BEC with live cell-associated bacteria was 29%. Collectively, 25% of total BEC displayed calcein blue staining and live (SYTO ® 9 stained) bacteria. Only 1% of total BEC were negative for calcein blue and associated with live bacteria. Conclusions Our findings suggest that live BEC are tolerant of bacterial invasion. This may be due to complex interactions between members of the polymicrobial flora and their host BEC.
Plasma estrogen concentrations after oral and vaginal estrogen administration in women with atrophic vaginitis

In this open-label, randomized, multiple-dose, two-treatment crossover study, 24 postmenopausal women with moderate to severe atrophic vaginitis received 0.3 mg conjugated estrogens daily for 14 days: 7 days orally (0.3 mg tablet) and 7 days vaginally (0.5 g cream). Steady-state plasma concentrations of E2 and estrone were one-third lower after vaginal versus oral administration of conjugated estrogens.
On quotients of real algebraic surfaces in CP3

We give explicitly the surgeries governing the changes of quotient manifolds of real algebraic surfaces in CP3. We also make a number of general observations regarding quotients of complex surfaces under antiholomorphic involutions.
Regulator of G protein signaling 2 is a functionally important negative regulator of angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibroblast responses

Cardiac fibroblasts play a key role in fibrosis development in response to stress and injury. Angiotensin II (ANG II) is a major profibrotic activator whose downstream effects (such as phospholipase Cβ activation, cell proliferation, and extracellular matrix secretion) are mainly mediated via Gq-coupled AT1 receptors. Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS), which accelerate termination of G protein signaling, are expressed in the myocardium. Among them, RGS2 has emerged as an important player in modulating Gq-mediated hypertrophic remodeling in cardiac myocytes. To date, no information is available on RGS in cardiac fibroblasts. We tested the hypothesis that RGS2 is an important regulator of ANG II-induced signaling and function in ventricular fibroblasts. Using an in vitro model of fibroblast activation, we have demonstrated expression of several RGS isoforms, among which only RGS2 was transiently upregulated after short-term ANG II stimulation. Similar results were obtained in fibroblasts isolated from rat hearts after in vivo ANG II infusion via minipumps for 1 day. In contrast, prolonged ANG II stimulation (3–14 days) markedly downregulated RGS2 in vivo. To delineate the functional effects of RGS expression changes, we used gain- and loss-of-function approaches. Adenovirally infected RGS2 had a negative regulatory effect on ANG II-induced phospholipase Cβ activity, cell proliferation, and total collagen production, whereas RNA interference of endogenous RGS2 had opposite effects, despite the presence of several other RGS. Together, these data suggest that RGS2 is a functionally important negative regulator of ANG II-induced cardiac fibroblast responses that may play a role in ANG II-induced fibrosis development.
A natural ZVS medium-power bidirectional DC-DC converter with minimum number of devices

This paper introduces a new bidirectional, isolated DC-DC converter. A typical application for this converter can be found in the auxiliary power supply of hybrid electric vehicles. A dual half-bridge topology has been developed to implement the required power rating using the minimum number of devices. Unified zero-voltage switching was achieved in either direction of power flow with neither a voltage-clamping circuit nor extra switching devices and resonant components. All these new features allow high power density, efficient power conversion, and compact packaging. Complete descriptions of operating principle and design guidelines are provided in this paper. An extended state-space averaged model is developed to predict large- and small-signal characteristics of the converter in either direction of power flow. A 1.6-kW prototype has been built and successfully tested under full power. The experimental results of the converter's steady-state operation confirm the soft-switching operation, simulation analysis, and the developed averaged model. The proposed converter is a good alternative to full-bridge isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter in medium-power applications.
Isolation of polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite markers for the little greenbul (Andropadus virens)

Thirteen polymorphic microsatellite markers have been developed for the little greenbul, Andropadus virens. The number of alleles range from two to 15 per locus with the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.15 to 0.92. Eight sets of primers also amplify in closely related species, Andropadus laterostris and Andropadus tephrolaemus. These markers will be useful for analysis of questions concerning population genetic structure and models of speciation.
Creatinine generation is reduced in patients requiring continuous venovenous hemodialysis and independently predicts mortality

Background. Existing systems for grading severity of acute kidney injury (AKI) rely on a change of serum creatinine concentration over a defined time interval. The rate of change in serum creatinine increases by degree of reduction in glomerular filtration rate, but is mitigated by low creatinine generation rate (CGR). Failure to appreciate variation in CGR may lead to erroneous conclusions regarding severity of AKI and distorted predictions regarding patient outcomes based on AKI severity. Methods. Cohort study of 103 patients who received continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD) over a 2-year period in a tertiary care hospital setting. Study participants entered the cohort when they were anuric, receiving a stable and uninterrupted dose of CVVHD with serum creatinine in steady state. They were followed until hospital discharge. CGR was measured based on dialyzate effluent volume and effluent creatinine concentration (prospective cohort) and via effluent volume and serum creatinine concentration (retrospective cohort). Results. CGR (mean 10.5, range 1.7–22.4 mg/kg/day) was substantially lower in this patient population than what would be predicted from existing equations. Correlates of CGR in multivariable analysis included the length of hospitalization prior to measurement and presence of an oncologic diagnosis. Lower CGR was independently associated with in-hospital mortality in unadjusted analysis and after multivariable adjustment for measures of severity of illness. Conclusions. Grading systems for severity of AKI fail to account for variation in CGR, limiting their ability to predict relevant outcomes. Calculation of CGR is superior to other risk metrics in predicting hospital mortality in this population.
Neurosteroid Influences on Sensitivity to Ethanol

Harrison and Simmonds (1984) provided the first clear evidence that neuroactive steroids act at specific neurotransmitter receptors, investigating the potentiation of muscimol-induced GABAA responses by alphaxalone (3α-hydroxy 5α -pregnane l l,20-dione) in cortical slices. Within 2 years, a progesterone metabolite (3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one, 3α,5α-THP, allopregnanolone) and a deoxycorticosterone metabolite (3α,21-dihydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one, 3α,5α-THDOC, tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, THDOC) were shown to be positive modulators of GABAA receptors (Majewska et al., 1986). That same year, publications showed that ethanol has direct action at GABAA receptors (Allan and Harris, 1986, Suzdak et al., 1986). Thus, the GABAA receptor complex was identified as a membrane-bound target providing a pharmacological basis for shared sensitivity between neurosteroids and ethanol. The common behavioral effects of ethanol and neuroactive steroids were compared directly using drug discrimination procedures (Ator et al., 1993). The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor complex, a membrane-bound ionophore important for excitatory glutamate neurotransmission, was shown to be antagonized by low concentrations of ethanol (Lovinger et al., 1989). Since data were emerging for neurosteroid activity at NMDA receptors (Wu et al., 1991), the stage was set for the suggestion that neurosteroids, and physiological states that alter circulating neuroactive steroids, could affect sensitivity to alcohol (Grant et al., 1997). The unique interface of ethanol and neurosteroids encompasses molecular, cellular, physiological and behavioral processes. This review will highlight a variety of mechanisms by which neurosteroids affect sensitivity to ethanol, including metabolic pathways, physiological states associated with activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes, and the effects of chronic exposure to ethanol, in addition to behavioral implications.
In Vivo Analysis of DNA-Protein Interactions on the Human Erythropoietin Enhancer

The erythropoietin (EPO) gene is one of the best examples of a mammalian gene controlled by oxygen tension. The DNA elements responsible for hypoxia-induced transcription consist of a short region of the proximal promoter and a <50-bp 3' enhancer. The elements act cooperatively to increase the transcriptional initiation rate approximately 100-fold in response to low oxygen tension in Hep3B cells. Two distinct types of transactivating proteins have been demonstrated to bind the response elements in the human EPO enhancer in vitro: one shows hypoxia-inducible DNA binding activity, while the other activity binds DNA under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. We have investigated the DNA-protein interactions on the human EPO enhancer in living tissue culture cells that produce EPO in a regulated fashion (Hep3B) and in cells that do not express EPO under any conditions tested (HeLa). We have identified in vivo DNA-protein interactions on the control elements in the human EPO enhancer by ligation-mediated PCR technology. We show that the putative protein binding sites in the EPO enhancer are occupied in vivo under conditions of normoxia, hypoxia, and cobalt exposure in EPO-producing cells. These sites are not occupied in cells that do not produce EPO. We also provide evidence for a conformational change in the topography of the EPO enhancer in response to hypoxia and cobalt exposure.
Permselectivity of Cat Liver Blood-Lymph Barrier to Endogenous Macromolecules

The restrictive properties of liver blood-lymph barrier to endogenous plasma protein fractions of varying molecular size were studied at different hepatic venous pressures (and lymph flows) using steady-state lymph to plasma protein concentration ratios. At control hepatic venous pressures (0-2 mmHg) the lymph to plasma venous concentration ratios of the various protein fractions indicate significant selectivity by the liver blood-lymph barrier to macromolecules on the basis of molecular size. The sieving observed was consistent with equivalent pore radii of 180-250 A. The transsinusoidal oncotic pressure gradient ranged between 4.0 and 8.0 mmHg at control venous pressures. As venous pressure was increased, liver lymph flow and lymph to plasma protein concentration ratio increased while the blood-lymph oncotic pressure gradient decreased. Liver lymph flow was linearly related to hepatic venous pressure. At lymph flow less than or equal to 10 x control, there is no longer a sieving effect on plasma protein; findings consistent with por radii in excess of 1000 A. The results of this study suggest that maximal sieving by the liver blood-lymph barrier occur at normal capillary filtration rates and support the possibility that the interstitium is the rate limiting barrier for blood to lymph transport of macromolecules in the liver.
Biochemical, electron microscopic, and cytochemical studies of ATPase localization in avian, murine, and human oviducts.

Human mouse and avian oviduct mucosa was studied histochemically and with light and electron microscope for the presence and localization of adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases); peritoneal fluid and serum were also studied. ATPase activity was found in oviductal fluid in all 3 species; no ATPase activity was found in sera and only very small amounts in peritoneal fluid. Light microscopy revealed ATPase-secreting cells most heavily concentrated in the lower preampulla of hens oviducts. ATPase secreting cells in human and mouse oviducts varied with age and hormonal states. Infant postmenopausal and follicular phase oviducts showed few active sites; oviducts from secretory phase oviducts had very high activity along the preampullar mucosal surface. Highest ATPase activity was demonstrated in and on the surface of secretory cells bordering the lumen.
Arthropods of the great indoors: characterizing diversity inside urban and suburban homes

Although humans and arthropods have been living and evolving together for all of our history, we know very little about the arthropods we share our homes with apart from major pest groups. Here we surveyed, for the first time, the complete arthropod fauna of the indoor biome in 50 houses (located in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, USA). We discovered high diversity, with a conservative estimate range of 32-211 morphospecies, and 24-128 distinct arthropod families per house. The majority of this indoor diversity (73%) was made up of true flies (Diptera), spiders (Araneae), beetles (Coleoptera), and wasps and kin (Hymenoptera, especially ants: Formicidae). Much of the arthropod diversity within houses did not consist of synanthropic species, but instead included arthropods that were filtered from the surrounding landscape. As such, common pest species were found less frequently than benign species. Some of the most frequently found arthropods in houses, such as gall midges (Cecidomyiidae) and book lice (Liposcelididae), are unfamiliar to the general public despite their ubiquity. These findings present a new understanding of the diversity, prevalence, and distribution of the arthropods in our daily lives. Considering their impact as household pests, disease vectors, generators of allergens, and facilitators of the indoor microbiome, advancing our knowledge of the ecology and evolution of arthropods in homes has major economic and human health implications.
A Living, Working Faith: Remembering Our Colleague Derrick A. Bell, Jr. as Teacher

In Constitutional Conflicts: The Perils and Rewards of Pioneering in the Law School Classroom, Derrick Bell described his innovative text and “participatory“ approach to course design that placed students in the role of advocates, judges, op-ed writers, and, ultimately, teachers of the materials. By foregrounding the role of students and decentering the teacher in the classroom phase of the course, Professor Bell created a structure based on the “Paolo Freire ideal: that students become teachers and teachers become students.” Using this passage as a lens, this essay reflects on the implications of Professor Bell’s radically imaginative ideas about law school pedagogy. I argue that Professor Bell’s participatory approach to the classroom, exam design, and grading informs a pedagogy grounded in an abiding faith in students’ capacities as agents, as active participants in their own learning. Professor Bell’s ideas were not only radical but prescient: his teaching practice anticipated the recommendations of the Carnegie Report and others that law schools adopt a more integrated approach to pedagogy and avoid exclusive reliance on Socratic dialogue as the method for developing students’ cognitive capacity, lawyering skill, and ethical sense.
Mechanical Robustness of Solder Connections to Thick Film Gold

Thick film gold metallization is required for many high reliability circuits, especially those subjected to operation in high temperature or high humidity environments. Traditionally, wire bonded bare die are used on these circuits, but there is a trend to replace them with BGA packaged devices. State-of-the-art, chip scale packages increase circuit volume by less than 20 percent, while their use greatly simplifies testing and repair, as compared to wire bonded die. The use of small, high density I/O pad arrays for attachment of BGA packages, necessitates very careful control of the solder reflow process to avoid excessive leaching of the gold into the solder. Also, unlike passive chip components and leaded devices, the solder filet associated with a solder ball attachment does not distribute mechanical loads over an extended area. Consequently, the stresses imposed on fine pitch, BGA pads are much higher than those imposed by other components. During aging, the gold metallization is converted to gold-tin...
Preconditioning CS exposure: Variation in place of conditioning and of presentation

Two groups of rats were given preconditioning CS (PCS) exposures in an operant box after learning to bar press for food. One-half of two other groups were given similar PCS exposures in a holding cage, but otherwise were treated identically. One group that got PCS in the operant box and one that did not were given 10 CS-US (buzzer-shock) pairings in the operant chamber while the other two were identically conditioned in a cylindrical chamber. A fifth group got only the US. CS presentations following conditioning produced the most suppression of bar pressing for Ss that got no PCS, intermediate suppression if the PCS was given in the holding cage, and no suppression if preexposures occurred in the operant chamber. These effects were independent of place of conditioning.