cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GENETICS OF MURINE LIVER AND KIDNEY ARYLSULFATASE B

Mice from 12 inbred strains were surveyed for variation of kidney and liver arylsulfatase levels. Kidney variation was due to differences in the activity of arylsulfatase B. Twofold higher activities of arylsulfatase B in SWR/J kidney compared to A/HeJ kidney were determined by an autosomal gene which may be identical to the structural gene for arylsulfatase B since the SWR/J enzyme was more heat-stable than the A/HeJ enzyme. C57BL/6J mice possessed twofold higher liver arylsulfatase levels than did A/HeJ mice. The major portion of this variation could be attributed to differences in arylsulfatase B, and appeared to be inherited in autosomal fashion. Although some evidence supports the existence of a major locus influencing liver arylsulfatase activity, this must be substantiated by further studies. Whatever the nature of the genetic factors involved, they do not appear to involve structural genes since no differences were discernible between the enzymes of the two strains relevant to Km, heat stability, electrophoretic mobility, pH optimum, activation energy, or response to several inhibitors. Furthermore, the rank ordering of strains on the basis of kidney arylsulfatase activity differed markedly from that which pertained to liver activity. Kidney arylsulfatase levels, but not brain or liver arylsulfatase activities, appear subject to androgenic influences.
Fire as a Once-Dominant Disturbance Process in the Yellow Pine and Mixed Pine-Hardwood Forests of the Appalachian Mountains

In the southern and central Appalachian Mountains, dendroecological techniques conducted on fire-scarred trees in the yellow pine and mixed pine-hardwood forests of the Appalachian Mountains have shown that widespread fires burned about once every 7 years (range from 5 to 13 years) from the mid-1700s until 1925–1945 when a policy of widespread fire suppression was introduced and human-ignited fires were greatly reduced. This recent absence of fire has contributed to major changes in tree establishment rates, structural changes in forest stands, and changes in species composition. Major pulses of establishment in the first half of the twentieth century feature tree species that are shade-tolerant and fire-intolerant, replacing species adapted to repeated fires. Southern pine beetles have also dramatically reduced the abundance of yellow pines in xeric upland forests in recent decades. Yellow pines soon may be lost as a major component of Appalachian pine-oak forests as the forest floor develops a thick litter layer covered by ericaceous shrubs that were historically controlled by fire, especially on dry, low quality sites such as ridgetops and south- and southwest-facing slopes. Efforts to restore these pine/mixed hardwood ecosystems by reintroducing fires may be ineffective as land management agencies face forests best characterized as hybrid landscapes where effects of fire are largely unknown.
Design, analysis and experimental evaluation of a virtual-synchronous-machine-based STATCOM with LCL filter

To address the generation uncertainty problems introduced by renewable energy power plants, STATCOMs are a typical solution to smoothen the point of common coupling (PCC) voltage in order to facilitate the integration of the renewables. A recently proposed control method — virtual synchronous machine (VSM), which controls grid-interfaced inverters to behave like synchronous machines so as to be more compatible with the existing power grid, has been applied to STATCOM and shows an improved performance over conventional D-Q frame based STATCOMs, along with tunable parameters that can be adjusted to different scenarios. In this paper, the idea is extended to a realistic STATCOM with LCL filter to mitigate harmonics and also some practical concerns about the active power compensation during transients, which is introduced uniquely by the VSM control method. Also a scaled down test bed is constructed to validate the control schemes.
Measurement of Fission Neutron Spectrum and Multiplicity using a Gamma Tag Double Time-of-flight Setup

Abstract Recent efforts have been made to improve the prompt fission neutron spectrum and nu-bar measurements for Uranium and Plutonium isotopes particularly in the keV region. A system has been designed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) utilizing an array of EJ-301 liquid scintillators as well as lithium glass and plastic scintillators to experimentally determine these values. An array of BaF 2 detectors was recently obtained from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to be used in conjunction with the neutron detectors. The system uses a novel gamma tagging method for fission which can offer an improvement over conventional fission chambers due to increased sample mass. A coincidence requirement on the gamma detectors from prompt fission gammas is used as the fission tag for the system as opposed to fission fragments in a conventional fission chamber. The system utilizes pulse digitization using Acqiris 8 bit digitizer boards which allow for gamma/neutron pulse height discrimination on the liquid scintillators during post processing. Additionally, a 252Cf fission chamber was designed and constructed at RPI which allowed for optimization and testing of the system without the need for an external neutron source. The characteristics of the gamma tagging method such as false detection rate and detection efficiency were determined using this fission chamber and verified using MCNP Polimi modeling. Prompt fission neutron spectrum data has been taken using the fission chamber focusing on the minimum detectable neutron energy for each of the various detectors. Plastic scintillators were found to offer a significant improvement over traditional liquid scintillators allowing energy measurements down to 50 keV. Background was also characterized for all detectors and will be discussed.
Effects of five hours of restraint stress on subsequent sleep in the rat

Rats subjected to 5-h restraint stress showed no significant difference from sleep-deprived controls in amount of slow sleep obtained during any part of a 12-h poststress recording period. This result contrasts with reports of increased slow sleep in rats and cats following stress and with anecdotal reports of stress-induced insomnia in humans. Stressed animals did show less paradoxical sleep than controls during the first 6 h after treatment.
Chronic administration of aluminum-fluoride or sodium-fluoride to rats in drinking water: alterations in neuronal and cerebrovascular integrity

This study describes alterations in the nervous system resulting from chronic administration of the fluoroaluminum complex (AlF3) or equivalent levels of fluoride (F) in the form of sodium-fluoride (NaF). Twenty seven adult male Long-Evans rats were administered one of three treatments for 52 weeks: the control group was administered double distilled deionized drinking water (ddw). The aluminum-treated group received ddw with 0.5 ppm AlF3 and the NaF group received ddw with 2.1 ppm NaF containing the equivalent amount of F as in the AlF3 ddw. Tissue aluminum (Al) levels of brain, liver and kidney were assessed with the Direct Current Plasma (DCP) technique and its distribution assessed with Morin histochemistry. Histological sections of brain were stained with hematoxylin & eosin (H&E), Cresyl violet, Bielschowsky silver stain, or immunohistochemically for beta-amyloid, amyloid A, and IgM. No differences were found between the body weights of rats in the different treatment groups although more rats died in the AlF3 group than in the control group. The Al levels in samples of brain and kidney were higher in both the AlF3 and NaF groups relative to controls. The effects of the two treatments on cerebrovascular and neuronal integrity were qualitatively and quantitatively different. These alterations were greater in animals in the AlF3 group than in the NaF group and greater in the NaF group than in controls.
Process Demands of Rejection Mechanisms of Recognition Memory

A surge of research has been conducted to examine memory editing mechanisms that help distinguish accurate from inaccurate memories. In the present experiment, the authors examined the ability of participants to use novelty detection, recollection rejection, and plausibility judgments to reject lures presented on a recognition memory test. Participants studied a list of word pairs that were arranged in a category relationship (both words from the same category) or an unrelated relationship (both words from different categories) under full or divided attention. At test, participants were given a yes/no recognition test in which they were to respond after seeing the test items for 400 ms or 2,800 ms. Some of the test items were rearranged word pairs that were consistent with the study relationship, whereas others were inconsistent with the study relationship. The results demonstrate that the participants required full attention at study to use novelty detection, recollection rejection, and plausibility judgments to reject lures. Moreover, the results indicate that a long response deadline at test was needed for participants to use both recollection rejection and plausibility judgments to reject lures.
The staining of mucopolysaccharides with gallocyanin and metal mordants.

Some salts of tin, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum and tungsten can act as mordants which can combine with polysaccharides and their presence can be detected as colored compounds with an acid alcoholic solution of gallocyanin. None of these metals produced color reaction when used alone. Titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum and tin form a blue gallocyanin color with salivary, laryngeal, bronchial, gastrointestinal, uterine cervical gland mucins, cartilage and rat mast cells. In addition, tin (IV), titanium (IV), hafnium, niobium and tantalum stained Brunner gland bluish violet to a purple. Gallocyanin mordanted with molybdenum and tungsten stained collagen, reticulum and cartilage blue to dark blue. In addition, tungsten stained some elastic fibers a bright red violet. Paneth cells were stained dark blue by niobium, molybdenum and acidified titanium potassium oxalate. Molybdenum could be extracted by alkalis and titanium by strong acids after tissues have been mordanted. Methylation prior to mordanting inhibits staining of the mucosubstances by titanium. Sulfation enhances staining reactions by titanium and molybdenum.
Health promotion in the elderly with coronary artery disease

The number of elderly Americans, those over the age of 65 years of age, continues to climb. A lifetime of poor nutrition and lack of exercise has led many elderly patients to experience coronary artery disease (CAD) later in life, leading to invasive procedures and other forms of disease management that contribute to mounting health care costs and lower quality of life. Although health promotion has been accepted as the necessary answer to this problem by many in the healthcare community, many physicians are still lacking in promoting this concept, often due to the lack of insurance reimbursements. This paper will explore three key disciplines linked to health promotion in the elderly and why this topic is so vital for our future.
Large-scale coordination: developing a framework to evaluate socio-technical and collaborative issues

Collaborative logistics, logistics-based networks, focused logistics, and distributed adaptive logistics refer to innovative approaches to logistics planning/execution encompassing automated, adaptive technologies, and proactive human collaboration. Because these approaches are collaborative and distributed in nature, they create novel challenges for coordination and collaboration within socio-technical systems, which encompass the collaborative technologies, the people or machines engaged in collaboration, and the social context of collaboration and coordination. The present challenges need to be met by theoretical models incorporating multidisciplinary perspectives in the study of collaboration. The current paper introduces a collaboration framework which may inform the design and implementation of collaborative technologies and systems, to include distributed logistics teams, from a socio-technical perspective.
Changes in Oral Feeding in Preterm Infants 2 Weeks After Hospital Discharge

Abstract The purpose of this analysis was to measure changes in preterm infant feeding skill between discharge and two weeks post-discharge. Data were from 2 samples—22 preterm infants who participated in a non-experimental study of feeding readiness and 63 preterm infants who participated in a study of four oral feeding approaches. Both studies were approved by the institutional review board; parents gave informed consent. The Early Feeding Skills Assessment was used to measure feeding skills. Data were analyzed descriptively and by analysis of variance and regression. Analysis revealed that feeding skills changed selectively from discharge to post-discharge and that discharge skills were predictive of post-discharge skill. Changes that occur in feeding skills during the immediate post-discharge period have received little attention from researchers. The findings suggest that enhanced predischarge assessment and parent teaching maybe necessary to reduce reported parental stress associated with feeding the newly discharged infant and to promote a positive feeding experience.
Personal digital collections

The vast growth in digital content generated by individuals marks a new social trend known as “Generation C” (www.trendwatching.com/trends/GENERATION_C.htm). Personal content ranges from informal to formal, and includes scholarly papers, blogs, genealogical records, personal webpages, photo albums, family videos, music collections, power point presentations, bookmarks, personal correspondence, articles, computer programs, audio recordings (e.g. research interviews), spaces in collaborative systems, and personal digital libraries. Digital storage available for personal use continues to increase dramatically in capacity while declining in cost. Panelists will address challenges in the design of personal digital collections such as gathering, organizing, preserving, segmenting, accessing, and using digital content. Panelists are leaders in their field, representing an array of perspectives.
Occurence and regulation of Calvin cycle enzymes in non-autotrophic Beggiatoa strains

To date only marine strains of the genus Beggiatoa have been proven to have the capacity for lithoautotrophic growth. The two best characterized freshwater strains (B18LD and OH-75-2a) — previously tested with no evidence of autotrophic potential — were reinvestigated in the current study. Heterotrophically grown cells from exponential or early stationary phase showed extremely low ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) activities (0.002–0.2 nmol CO2·mg prot-1 min-1). After acetate limitation terminated growth both strains demonstrated increased RuBisCO activity with a maximum achieved 1–3 days into stationary phase. For a single growth cycle, activity could increase by more than 100-fold (strain OH-75-2a), but the highest activity achieved was less than 5% of that observed in a lithoautotrophic control. Phosphoribulokinase activity was approximately an order of magnitude greater than the corresponding RuBisCO activity and showed a similar pattern of regulation. A gene probe derived from the RuBisCO large subunit gene of Anacystis nidulans hybridized strongly with DNA from strain OH-75-2a and the autotrophic marine control but not with DNA from strain B18LD.
Obstetrician-gynecologists' knowledge of preterm birth frequency and risk factors.

Objectives. To assess obstetrician-gynecologists' knowledge of preterm birth, including prevalence, risk factors, and utility of various tests in predicting increased risk.Methods. A questionnaire was mailed to 1193 members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Results. The response rate was 59%. The majority of respondents were familiar with basic preterm birth prevalence rates. However, 21% underestimated the proportion of women with presumptive preterm labor in whom preterm birth will not occur. The majority (55%) overestimated the proportion of preterm births accounted for by multiples. Twelve percent indicated bed rest as a proven method for improving newborn outcome. Respondents were fairly accurate as to which factors produce the biggest increased risk of spontaneous preterm labor or rupture of membranes; however, they tended to overestimate the risk associated with smoking, hypertension, and non-gestational diabetes. They tended to underestimate, or were unsure of, the predict...
Carnitine Supplementation Induces Acylcarnitine Production in Tissues of Very Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase-Deficient Mice, Without Replenishing Low Free Carnitine

Deficiency of very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) results in accumulation of C14-C18 acylcarnitines and low free carnitine. Carnitine supplementation is still controversial. VLCAD knockout (VLCAD(+/-)) mice exhibit a similar clinical and biochemical phenotype to those observed in humans. VLCAD(+/-) mice were fed with carnitine dissolved in drinking water. Carnitine, acylcarnitines, and gamma-butyrobetaine were measured in blood and tissues. Measurements were performed under resting conditions, after exercise and after 24 h of regeneration. HepG2 cells were incubated with palmitoyl-CoA and palmitoyl-carnitine, respectively, to examine toxicity. With carnitine supplementation, acylcarnitine production was significantly induced. Nevertheless, carnitine was low in skeletal muscle after exercise. Without carnitine supplementation, liver carnitine significantly increased after exercise, and after 24 h of regeneration, carnitine concentrations in skeletal muscle completely replenished to initial values. Incubation of hepatic cells with palmitoyl-CoA and palmitoyl-carnitine revealed a significantly reduced cell viability after incubation with palmitoyl-carnitine. The present study demonstrates that carnitine supplementation results in significant accumulation of potentially toxic acylcarnitines in tissues. The expected prevention of low tissue carnitine was not confirmed. The principle mechanism regulating carnitine homeostasis seems to be endogenous carnitine biosynthesis, also under conditions with increased demand of carnitine such as in VLCAD-deficiency.
Cementogenic Repair of Root Fractures

Results of longitudinal radiographic and clinical studies of 65 anterior maxillary and mandibular simple root fractures and of a histologic study of six of these fractures have revealed that the integrity of the periodontal membrane is the essential requisite in root repair; that cementum will be found at the two fractured ends of the segments if other factors necessary for root repair are present; that the pulp is not necessary for root repair; that the prognosis for midroot and apical fractures is more favorable than for cervical fractures; and that the prognosis for vertical fractures is unfavorable. The practical applications of this study support the conservative and preventive approach to treatment—most simple root fractures are reparable and the fractured teeth need not necessarily be extracted.
TOPICAL TRENDS IN A CORPUS OF PERSUASIVE WRITING

Many writing assessments use generic prompts about social issues. However, we currently lack an understanding of how test takers respond to such prompts. In the absence of such an understanding, automated scoring systems may not be as reliable as they could be and may worsen over time. To move toward a deeper understanding of responses to generic issue prompts, we analyzed topical trends in test takers' responses and correlated these trends with those found in the news. We found evidence that many trends are similar across essays and the news. However, we also observed some interesting differences. Based on these analyses, we make recommendations in this paper for developers of writing assessments and automated scoring systems.
Absolute measurements of light emission from CO+2 and CO in the interaction of He(23S) with CO2

A flowing afterglow has been used to produce metastable He(2 super 3 S). It is shown that when He(2 super 3 S) interacts with a diatomic or triatomic molecule, its electronic excitation energy can be transferred to electronic and vibrational excitation of the molecule. To examine this mechanism, the rates for the production of electronically excited molecules, observed spectroscopically between 190 and 750 nm in the reaction of He(2 super 3 S) with CO2, have been measured. Results are tabulated.
Visible and ultraviolet absorption spectra of metal chelates of para-substituted tetraphenylporphines

The visible and ultraviolet spectra of the Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Pd(II), and Pt(II) chelates of tetraphenylporphine, tetra(p-methoxyphenyl)porphine, and of tetra(p-chlorophenyl)porphine are described, and variations are interpreted on the basis of the influence of ligand structure and nature of the central metal ion on chemical binding. A correlation of the data obtained from infrared studies with the visible and ultraviolet spectra of these chelates is also presented. The coordinate bond strength seems to change in the order Cu(II) p-chlorophenyl > p-methoxyphenyl.
Analysis of waste-heat thermoelectric power generators

A real thermoelectric power generator utilizing waste heat is proposed. The generator is treated as an external and internal irreversible heat engine. The specific power output of the generator is analyzed and compared with that of the Carnot, endoreversible and external reversible thermoelectric heat engines.
Inverse planning for low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy by simulated annealing under fuzzy expert control

Simulated annealing (SA) is a multivariate combinatorial optimization process that searches the configuration space of possible solutions by a random walk, guided only by the goal of minimization of the objective function. The decision-making capabilities of a fuzzy inference system are applied to guide the SA search, to look for solutions which, in addition to optimizing a plan in dosimetric terms, also present some clinically desirable spatial features. No a priori constraints are placed on the number or position of needles or on the seed loading sequence of individual needles. These additional degrees of freedom are balanced by giving preference to consider plans with seed distributions that are balanced in the right/left and anterior/posterior halves in each axial slice, and with local seed density that is about uniform. Piecewise linear membership functions are constructed to represent these requirements. Before a step in the random search is subject to the SA test, the expert functions representing the spatial seed-distribution requirements are evaluated. Thus, the expert planner’s knowledge enters into the decision as to the “goodness” of a seed configuration regarding the spatial seed-distribution goals. When a step in the random walk yields a seed configuration that is found wanting, a specific number of additional steps in the local neighborhood is attempted until either improvement in the spatial requirements is achieved, or the allowed number of attempts is exhausted. In the latter case, the expert system desists and the unfavorable step is taken, moving on to the simulated annealing test. The number of attempts is determined by the fuzzy logic inference engine and depends on just how badly the expert requirement is not met. The program is interfaced with a commercial treatment planning system (TPS) to import optimized seed plans for isodose display and analysis. Execution in a 1.5 GHz computer is less than a minute, adequate for real-time planning. Results for phantom and real patients are dosimetrically comparable to generic methods such as modified peripheral loading, but in some cases, fewer needles and less radioactivity are required. Sensitivity to simulated random seed placement error is similar to manual plans.
Trends in Utilization of Management Strategies for Newly Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation Patients in the United States: 1999 to 2008

Objective: To describe the trend in atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment strategies in newly diagnosed AF patients between 1999 and 2008. Methods: The study was a retrospective cohort study of commercial health plans claims data. Newly diagnosed adult AF patients with ≥1 claim for an AF-related intervention within 12 months of diagnosis were identified. Based on initial treatment, patients were classified into pharmacotherapy or nonpharmacotherapy groups. Pharmacotherapy group was subcategorized into rate-control or rhythm-control groups. Linear regression to assess linear trend and multinomial logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with treatment choice were conducted. Results: Three thousand ninety-four newly diagnosed AF patients were identified. Eighty percent of these patients were initiated on pharmacotherapy with the majority (84%) receiving rate-control medications only. Relative distribution of the 3 treatment groups remained similar over the study period. However, within the rate-contr...
Giving Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus More BiTE

Two of the most exciting new areas of cancer therapy are the use of oncolytic viruses and immune-stimulating monoclonal antibodies. Each approach has shown great promise in animal models and some successes in early clinical trials, but there remain significant barriers to highly effective therapy. To date, the two technologies have been developed independently of each other, for the most part. However, in this issue of Molecular Therapy, Yu et al.1 describe experiments that combine the strengths of both approaches by creating an oncolytic vaccinia virus (VV) that has the ability to home to tumors where it can replicate and induce tumor lysis but also has the ability to secrete a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) that can bind T cells to tumor cells and additionally induce immune-mediated tumor cell destruction (Figure 1).
Large-eddy simulation of air flow around a wall-mounted circular cylinder and a tripod tower

This paper models the air flow around a wall-mounted tripod platform that mimics a meteorological tripod tower placed in shallow water for air–sea interaction measurements to study the flow distortion by the tower. We adopt large-eddy simulation technique, which is based on the characteristic Galerkin, fractional four-step finite element method. For model validation, we examine flow characteristics around a wall-mounted circular cylinder with two length-to-diameter ratios of 2.5 and 10. The results are in good agreement with existing experimental data and numerical simulations. The tip, von Karman, and horseshoe vortices around the cylinder are properly resolved. Several differences are manifest between the short- and long-cylinder cases. In particular, the downdraft behind the top free end of the long cylinder is much stronger than that of the short cylinder. The vorticity intensity in the wake region of the long cylinder is also stronger than that of the short cylinder. Furthermore, the vortex shedding ...
Rates of Evolution of Hominoid Seminal Proteins are Correlated with Function and Expression, Rather than Mating System

In species where females mate with multiple males during a single ovulatory cycle, sperm competition is hypothesized to increase the rate of adaptive evolution of proteins expressed in male reproductive tissues through recurrent selective sweeps (positive selection). The hominoids, comprising apes and humans, are a group of closely related primates with extensive variation in mating behaviors and predicted levels of sperm competition. Since previous studies of individual male reproductive genes have shown evidence of positive selection, we estimated rates of evolution of a comprehensive set of proteins expressed in ejaculated semen. Our results show that these proteins in hominoids do not have elevated rates of nonsynonymous substitutions (Ka) compared with a control dataset of nonreproductive genes. Species with greater sperm competition do not have faster rates of seminal protein evolution. Although at these broad levels our hypotheses were not confirmed, further analyses indicate specific patterns of molecular evolution. Namely, the Ka of seminal genes is more strongly correlated with measures of tissue specificity than nonreproductive genes, suggesting that the former may more readily adapt to tissue-specific functions. Proteins expressed from the seminal vesicles evolve more rapidly than those from other male reproductive tissues. Also, several gene ontology categories show elevated rates of protein evolution, not seen in the control data set. While the generalization that male reproductive genes evolve rapidly in hominoids is an oversimplification, a subset of proteins can be identified that are likely targets for adaptive evolution driven by sexual selection.
Optical and Electron Microscopic Studies of Cotton Fiber Structure

The appearance, growth, and structure of a cotton fiber are described, and photomicrographs and electron micrographs are used to illustrate both gross and fine features of the cell wall morphology.Heretofore, microscopy of the fiber has been limited to the use of dispersion, swelling and staining methods, in plain and polarized light. The development during the present study of methods for isolation of individual components of the cell wall for purposes of electron microscopy has permitted interesting observations with the light microscope. Quantitative measurements of shrinkage in the isolated primary wall of the cotton fiber during mercerization confirm its restrictive influence on the fiber during swelling in various agents.Electron microscope studies have been made on isolated primary wall fragments which have been purified by removal of noncellulosic constituents by extraction. These have revealed that the cellulosic portion of the membrane is a network of fibrils interlaced in a sort of fabric in wh...
Sufficient dimension reduction and prediction in regression

Dimension reduction for regression is a prominent issue today because technological advances now allow scientists to routinely formulate regressions in which the number of predictors is considerably larger than in the past. While several methods have been proposed to deal with such regressions, principal components (PCs) still seem to be the most widely used across the applied sciences. We give a broad overview of ideas underlying a particular class of methods for dimension reduction that includes PCs, along with an introduction to the corresponding methodology. New methods are proposed for prediction in regressions with many predictors.
Double-stranded nucleic acids found in tissue infected with the satellite of tobacco ringspot virus

Abstract We have purified a multicomponent population of RNAs from tissue infected with the satellite of tobacco ringspot virus (S-TRSV) that is not present in tobacco ringspot virus-(TRSV-)infected tissue or in uninfected tissue. Many of the properties are characteristic of dsRNA, or the so-called replicative form of small RNA viruses; i.e., a sharp melting profile at relatively high temperature and high hyperchromicity and buoyant density in cesium sulfate; the RNAs are infective only after denaturation and quick quenching, followed by addition of TRSV. The infectivity is not destroyed prior to denaturation either by pancreatic RNase (in high ionic strength buffer) or by incubation with formaldehyde. Other properties are not typical of dsRNAs: At least 83% of the RNAs elute from CF-11 cellulose columns in buffer (0.1 M NaCl, 0.05 M Tris, 0.001 M EDTA, pH 6.9)/ethanol mixtures that typically elute ssRNAs but not dsRNAs. The RNA is composed of many components, some of which are up to 20 times the mass one would expect from the known mass of the corresponding RNAs found in S-TRSV virions. Pancreatic RNase, at relatively high concentrations, converts these higher-molecular-weight dsRNAs into dsRNAs of lower molecular weight. These lower-molecular-weight double-stranded components retain a high level of infectivity after denaturation (with added TRSV).
How to make contact to organic semiconductor devices

The process of charge injection plays an important role in organic semiconductor devices. We studied the behavior of metal contacts with a host-guest organic semiconductor using a variety of techniques. These studies helped determine the dependence of the charge injection efficiency on parameters such as the energy barriet at the interface, the mobility of the organic semiconductor, its carrier density (doping level) and thickness. The implications of our findings on the performance of organic light emitting diodes and thin film transistors will be discussed and guidelines for forming Ohmic contacts will be presented.
Urban sector income distribution and economic development

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between measures of urban sector inequality and economic development for a sample of 25 developing and newly industrialized countries. A U-shaped relationship is found in which bottom urban quintiles' income shares initially decline and then rise as per capita income increases. This relationship is strengthened when an estimate of urban per capita income replaces national per capita income as the development measure. The curves suggest that per capita incomes of the bottom quintiles will never decline as development proceeds, but may rise only very slowly.
Passive induction of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a widely used animal model of the human demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis. EAE is initiated by immunization with myelin antigens in adjuvant or by adoptive transfer of myelin-specific T cells, resulting in inflammatory infiltrates and demyelination in the central nervous system. Induction of EAE in rodents typically results in ascending flaccid paralysis with inflammation primarily targeting the spinal cord. This protocol describes passive induction of EAE by adoptive transfer of T cells isolated from mice primed with myelin antigens into naive mice. The advantages of using this method versus active induction of EAE are discussed.
Finite element computation of antenna impedance including feed modeling

In this paper, we discuss the frequency-domain FEM computation of antenna input impedance using curved, mixed-shaped "edge" elements. The antenna feed is treated as a waveguide and is included as part of the model. The feeding waveguide is truncated with a first-order absorbing boundary condition and the solution domain with a second-order condition. A monopole antenna on top of a conducting box is analyzed and good impedance results are obtained.
A Chemical Abstracts Training Seminar for Science Librarians

Science librarians at the New York Public Library without a strong educational background in chemistry often had difficulty in searching the printed Chemical Abstracts. A one-hour seminar was held to teach the fundamentals of Chemical Abstracts with an emphasis on findings references to well known chemical substances. Uses of the Index Guide, Author Index, General Subject Index, Chemical Substance Index, Chemical Formula Index, Patent Index, and Index of Ring Systems were shown. A brief discussion of online searching of Chemical Abstracts followed. Participants were given a set of exercises and a reading list of guides to the chemical literature.
Transforming growth factor α-mediated gastroprotection against stress ulceration in the rat: involvement of capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons

Abstract Exogenously administered TGFα has been shown to protect rodent gastric mucosa against injury caused by acid-dependent and acid-independent injury. The present study examined whether the gastroprotective effects of TGFα on stress-induced gastric ulceration in the rat involves activation of capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons. Fasted male SD rats were subjected to water restraint stress (WRS) for four hours. Thereafter, rats were euthanized; the stomach opened and macroscopic areas of gastric ulceration quantitated (mm 2 ). Gastric tissue contents of TGFα and the sensory neuropeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were determined by radioimmunoassay. Prior to stress rats received TGFα 50, 100 or 200 μg/kg by intraperitoneal injection. Sensory denervation was accomplished by high dose capsaicin treatment. WRS caused severe ulceration in the gastric corpus; 46.1 + 6.6 mm 2 . Parenteral administration of TGFα caused dose-dependent reduction in gastric injury: 34.7 + 4.9 mm 2 with 50 μg/kg (p 2 with 100 μg/kg (p 2 with 200 μg/kg (p
Carbon isotope ratios of amylose, amylopectin and mutant starches

Abstract Carbon isotope ratios (expressed as δ13C values) were determined for various sources of starch and the starch fractions amylose and amylopectin. The δ13C values of amylose were consistently less negative, 0.4–2.3 ‰, than those of amylopectin in kernal starch from maize (Zea mays) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) and in tuber starch from potato (Solanum tuberosum). Kernel starch isolated from the maize mutants wx1 and ae1, with known genetic lesions in the starch biosynthetic pathway, also showed significant differences in δ13C values. Collectively, these results suggest that variation in carbon isotope ratios in the amylose and amylopectin components of starch may be attributed to isotopic discrimination by the enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis.
Speaking of Silence

In a previous article (Capps 2011) I discussed a short story and essay I wrote in high school and showed that themes that had figured prominently in my later writings were prefigured in these earlier writings. Invoking John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress (1957) I concluded that the high school boy who lives inside of me has been my faithful companion throughout the years. In this article I focus on a sermon I preached in my senior year of high school and on several poems I wrote that year. The sermon and poems reflect my interest at the time in the harmful effects of silence on human relationships. An article that focused on the son of Saint Augustine (Capps 1990b) signaled my return to the issue of silence after a thirty-year hiatus. My subsequent reading of Alice Miller’s Breaking Down the Wall of Silence (1991) and The Truth Shall Set You Free (2001) helped me to understand why silence had been a personal issue for me. It also encouraged me to listen to the fledgling poet who lives within me and to appreciate his insights concerning silence and love.
Universal Reference RNA is not a representative normal sample for oligonucleotide microarray studies.

Translational research has been defined as the scientific study using human material that will ultimately generate patient specific data. A major caveat in human directed study is the availability of high quality and quantities of patient derived homogeneous cells for analysis. Whereas there exist sources for which tumor tissue and blood samples can be made available, the same cannot be said for normal tissue. The absence of normal control tissue has led to the creation of pooled cell lines and tissues for purchase known as “reference RNA”. Although initially created for purposes of standardization, the difficulty associated with acquiring normal tissue has led some investigators to use sources of universal pooled RNA for comparative analysis with clinical tissue specimens. In order to study the effects of using Universal Reference RNA on expression profiling experiments we have evaluated the performance of universal RNA compared to RNA obtained from a purified population of colon epithelial cells in defining a set of altered transcripts in colon cancer.
Sol-gel synthesis of ferroelectric lithium tantalate ceramics: FTIR investigation of the molecular modification of tantalum ethoxide

Several sol-gel syntheses make use of “additives” in the sol-preparation step. These additives can react with metal alkoxides causing important structural changes. In order to demonstrate the nature of the reactions involved in the molecular modification process, a model system based on Ta(OC2H5)5, acetic acid and acetylacetone (as modifiers), was studied using FTIR spectroscopy. At room temperature, both modifiers react with the ethoxide to cause formation of new organotantalum precursors. The acetic acid modification was observed from the characteristic symmetric and asymmetric vibrations of the COO groups. The average difference in wave numbers (δv = vasymm – vsymm) between the two of 140 cm−1, observed for different ratios of ac/Ta, signifies a bridging nature of the acetate group. For ac/Ta ≥ 1, formation of ethyl acetate, probably as a result of the reaction between ethanol and excess acetic acid, was also observed using FTIR. Results of the acetylacetone modification showed the enol form of acetylacetone which has its v(C–O) and v(C–C) vibrations centered around 1625 cm−1, split into two bands at 1581 and 1518 cm−1, respectively, indicative of chelation of the acetylacetanate ligand to Ta. In the case of acetylacetone modification, the formation of ethanol was confirmed by FTIR analysis of the liquid fraction distilled at ∼80 °C.
Intraoral squamous cell carcinoma: Epidemiologic patterns in connecticut from 1935 to 1985

There were 6181 cases of invasive intraoral squamous cell carcinoma accessioned by the Connecticut State Tumor Registry from 1935 to 1985. Cases were analyzed for age, sex, lesion site, and histologic differentiation. Crude, age-specific, and age-adjusted incidence rates plus birth cohort analyses were also calculated. It was found that incidence rates for both men and women increased over the 51-year period of study. For men, age-adjusted incidence rates (1970 United States standard) increased from 4.9/100,000 in 1935 to 1939 to 8.5/100,000 in 1980 to 1985; for women, rates increased from 0.5/100,000 to 3.3/100,000 for the same period. The male-to-female ratio for intraoral squamous cell carcinoma declined dramatically from 9.8 to 2.6 during the 51-year study period primarily because of the steep rate of increased incidence in women relative to that seen in men. The peak age of intraoral squamous cell carcinoma was the seventh decade. Age-specific analysis showed that the older the age group, the higher the incidence for both sexes. During recent years, there was evidence of slightly increased incidence in men younger than 40. The tongue was the most common site for intraoral squamous cell carcinoma, followed closely by the floor of the mouth. Moderately differentiated tumors were most common (54.3% of the total), followed by both well-differentiated cases (29.1%) and those that were poorly differentiated (16.6%).
Computed cranial tomography in the investigation of acoustic neurilemmomas.

SUMMARY Computed Cranial Tomography (CT) was performed in 17 patients with 18 acoustic neurilemmomas. Fourteen of 15 (93%) tumours with diameters above 1.5 cm were detected. Smaller lesions are below the threshold of detection by this method with current technology. Intravenous contrast enhancement and meticulous technique are essential for diagnosis. An indirect sign of large cerebellopontine angle masses, distortion of the quadrigeminal plate-ambient cistern junction is described. The place of CT in the sequential pre-operative evaluation and post-operative management of patients with suspected cerebellopontine angle lesions is considered.
Mono-hydroxy methoxychlor alters levels of key sex steroids and steroidogenic enzymes in cultured mouse antral follicles

Methoxychlor (MXC) is an organochlorine pesticide that reduces fertility in female rodents by decreasing antral follicle numbers and increasing follicular death. MXC is metabolized in the body to mono-hydroxy MXC (mono-OH). Little is known about the effects of mono-OH on the ovary. Thus, this work tested the hypothesis that mono-OH exposure decreases production of 17β-estradiol (E₂) by cultured mouse antral follicles. Antral follicles were isolated from CD-1 mice (age 35-39 days) and exposed to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), or mono-OH (0.1-10 μg/mL) for 96 h. Media and follicles were collected for analysis of sex steroid levels and mRNA expression, respectively. Mono-OH treatment (10 μg/mL) decreased E(2) (DMSO: 3009.72±744.99 ng/mL; mono-OH 0.1 μg/mL: 1679.66±461.99 ng/mL; 1 μg/mL: 1752.72±532.41 ng/mL; 10 μg/mL: 45.89±33.83 ng/mL), testosterone (DMSO: 15.43±2.86 ng/mL; mono-OH 0.1μg/mL: 17.17±4.71 ng/mL; 1 μg/mL: 13.64±3.53 ng/mL; 10 μg/mL: 1.29±0.23 ng/mL), androstenedione (DMSO: 1.92±0.34 ng/mL; mono-OH 0.1 μg/mL: 1.49±0.43ng/mL; 1 μg/mL: 0.64±0.31 ng/mL; 10 μg/mL: 0.12±0.06 ng/mL) and progesterone (DMSO: 24.11±4.21 ng/mL; mono-OH 0.1μg/mL: 26.77±4.41 ng/mL; 1 μg/mL: 20.90±3.75 ng/mL; 10 μg/mL: 9.44±2.97 ng/mL) levels. Mono-OH did not alter expression of Star, Hsd3b1, Hsd17b1 and Cyp1b1, but it did reduce levels of Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1 and Cyp19a1 mRNA. Collectively, these data suggest that mono-OH significantly decreases levels of key sex steroid hormones and the expression of enzymes required for steroidogenesis.
Catholic and Non-Catholic NGOs Fighting HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa Issue Framing and Collaboration

While governments in sub-Saharan Africa work to provide in-country relief for the HIV/AIDS crisis, much health care and infrastructure comes from local or international non-governmental organizatio...
Multifunctional polymeric nanoparticles from diverse bioactive agents.

We present a rational approach for assembling diverse bioactive agents, such as DNA, proteins, and drug molecules, into core−shell multifunctional polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) that can be internalized in human breast cancer cells. Using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), block copolymers containing small-molecule drug segments (>50% w/w) and tosylated hexaethylene glycol segments were prepared and assembled into PNPs that allowed for the surface conjugation of single-stranded DNA sequences and/or tumor-targeting antibodies. The resulting antibody-functionalized particles were readily uptaken by breast cancer cells that overexpressed the corresponding antigens.
Treatment of urethral condyloma acuminatum with 5-fluorouracil cream

Total eradication of intraurethral condyloma acuminatum was accomplished in 10 of 11 patients by intraurethral administration of 5 percent 5 fluorouracil cream.
Automated product concept design: unifying aesthetics and engineering

An experimental computer-aided design tool that actively assists in conceptual industrial design of consumer electronics products with injection-molded housings is discussed. This concept phase design tool uses manufacturing, ergonomic, aesthetic, and styling considerations to improve the entire product development process. The model's organization level performs spatial partitioning of components. The surfacing level generates an enclosure for product design. The third level adds style-specific details, and the fourth level applies graphical elements such as color or decals. Examples are presented to show that the system can create designs both meaningful to humans and distinctive in style over a range of products. >