cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Context-Dependent Mutations in Generating Compositional and Codon Usage Bias in Grass Chloroplast DNA

Abstract The influence of local base composition on mutations in chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) is studied in detail and the resulting, empirically derived, mutation dynamics are used to analyze both base composition and codon usage bias. A 4 × 4 substitution matrix is generated for each of the 16 possible flanking base combinations (contexts) using 17,253 noncoding sites, 1309 of which are variable, from an alignment of three complete grass chloroplast genome sequences. It is shown that substitution bias at these sites is correlated with flanking base composition and that the A+T content of these flanking sites as well as the number of flanking pyrimidines on the same strand appears to have general influences on substitution properties. The context-dependent equilibrium base frequencies predicted from these matrices are then applied to two analyses. The first examines whether or not context dependency of mutations is sufficient to generate average compositional differences between noncoding cpDNA and silent sites of coding sequences. It is found that these two classes of sites exist, on average, in very different contexts and that the observed mutation dynamics are expected to generate significant differences in overall composition bias that are similar to the differences observed in cpDNA. Context dependency, however, cannot account for all of the observed differences: although silent sites in coding regions appear to be at the equilibrium predicted, noncoding cpDNA has a significantly lower A+T content than expected from its own substitution dynamics, possibly due to the influence of indels. The second study examines the codon usage of low-expression chloroplast genes. When context is accounted for, codon usage is very similar to what is predicted by the substitution dynamics of noncoding cpDNA. However, certain codon groups show significant deviation when followed by a purine in a manner suggesting some form of weak selection other than translation efficiency. Overall, the findings indicate that a full understanding of mutational dynamics is critical to understanding the role selection plays in generating composition bias and sequence structure.
Surgical management of trigeminal neuralgia patients with recurrent or persistent pain despite three or more prior operations.

Objective To compare facial pain outcomes from different surgical techniques for patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (TN) who continue to have persistent or recurrent TN despite multiple operations. Methods Review of a prospective surgical database identified 62 TN patients with ongoing facial pain despite having undergone three or more prior operations (mean = 3.4) from July 1999 to March 2008. The mean patient age was 66.5 years and the mean pain duration was 11.8 years. Twenty-six patients (42%) underwent 33 additional procedures during the follow-up period. In total, 95 operations were performed: posterior fossa exploration (PFE; n = 37, 39%), stereotactic radiosurgery (n = 31, 33%), glycerol rhizotomy (n = 18, 19%), and balloon compression (n = 9, 10%). Follow-up (median = 35 months; range = 1 day to 103 months) was censored at time of subsequent surgery, last patient contact, or death. Results Complete pain relief after surgery (no pain, no medications) was 66% at 1 year and 50% at 3 years. Patients having PFE had better facial pain outcomes (70% complete relief at 3 years) compared to other procedures (36% at 3 years) (hazard ratio = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3-5.1, P Conclusions Although no procedure is best for all patients, PFE gives the operating surgeon the option of performing either a nondestructive (microvascular decompression) or destructive (partial sensory rhizotomy) procedure and is associated with better facial pain outcomes for this difficult patient group.
Lorcaserin: a novel serotonin 2C agonist for the treatment of obesity

AbstractBackground:Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States and its prevalence continues to increase. Adjunctive treatment with pharmacotherapy is often reserved for individuals who fail to achieve their intended weight goals with diet and exercise alone. Current approved therapies for weight loss include phentermine, diethylpropion, orlistat, and phentermine/topiramate. The objective of this paper was to review the place of lorcaserin, a novel serotonin 2C agonist, which was FDA approved in July 2012. Unlike contemporary lipase inhibitors and sympathomimetic amines, lorcaserin is purported to reduce food consumption and increase satiety.Scope:A systematic review of the literature for all relevant articles was performed through January 2013 using MEDLINE, Web of Science, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts using key words related to lorcaserin.Findings:Three phase III clinical studies have been published evaluating the efficacy and safety of lorcaserin in various obese populations. A hig...
Prospective comparison of radionuclide, ultrasound, and computed tomography in the preoperative localization of parathyroid glands.

A total of 51 patients undergoing neck exploration for primary (n=29) or secondary (n=22) hyperparathyroidism were studied by 3 localization techniques: high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scanning, ultrasonography (US), and thallium-technetium subtraction scanning (TTS). The accuracy for locating single adenomas was 93% by CT, 88% by US, and 86% by TTS. The sensitivity for each test was 77%, 52%, and 58%, respectively. At surgery, the mean measurement of the long axis of these glands was 20 mm. The accuracy for locating diffusely hyperplastic glands was 37% by CT, 49% by US, and 31% by TTS. The sensitivity was 33%, 50%, and 26%, respectively. The longest axis averaged 11 mm. No advantage was shown by the use of multiple tests.
Test Results from Coaxial Cavities for Separated-Orbit Cyclotrons

Three different accelerating cavities were tested at ORNL for possible use in separated-orbit cyclotrons (SOC). All cavities were operated at about 49.2 MHz and at, or above, design power levels. The largest of these cavities is a prototype for a 10-to 50-MeV proton SOC having a total of 15 beam holes and a maximum accelerating voltage of about 290 kV. In cross-section, the prototype is a wedge-shaped coaxial line. Its overall width is about 230 in.; its height, 82 in.; and the maximum thickness, 67 in. Four tuners are located in the top of the cavity, opposite the open end of the center stub, for adjusting the cavity frequency and voltage distribution. The cavity was operated at various power levels up to a maximum of 66 kW. At this power input, the X-radiation near the cavity increased markedly with increasing power input. Some difficulty was encountered with multipacting, but the problem diminished steadily with operating time. The other two cavities that have been tested will be used in the Separated-Orbit Cyclotron Experiment (SOCE). One of the cavities is for use in the cyclotron and the other will be used in the injector. Both cavities were operated under vacuum and at power levels in excess of that required.
Intramolecular and intermolecular C-H activation at a cationic PtII center

Abstract Syntheses and C-H bond activation reactions of the novel electrophilic PtII complexes [(tmeda)Pt(CH3)(OEt2)][BAr1], [(tmeda)Pt(CH3)(THF)][BArf], and [(tmeda)Pt(CH3)(NC5F5)][BArf] are described {[BArf]− = [(3,5-C6H3(CF3)2)4B]−} (tmeda is N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine), [(tmeda)Pt(CH3)(OEt2)][BArf] and [(tmeda)Pt(CH3)(THF)][BArf] are unstable at room temperature, yielding methane and the Fischer carbene PtII hydrides, [(tmeda)Pt(=C(CH3)(OCH2CH3))(H)][BArf] and P t ( = C C H 2 C H 2 C H 2 ⎴ O ) ( H ) ] [ B A r 1 ] . The methane liberated from [(tmeda)Pt(CH3)(OEt2-d10)][BArf] consists of an isotopomeric mixture, (CH4, CH3D, CH2D2 and CHD3), indicating a multiple H/D exchange reaction following the C-D activation and prior to methane loss. [(tmeda)Pt(CH3)(THF-d8)][BAr] liberates CH4 and CH3D. Methane-13C, cyclohexane, toluene, and benzene react with [(tmeda)Pt(CH3)(NC5F5)][BArf] to yield methane and new organoplatinum complexes. Deuterated alkanes and arenes react with [(tmeda)Pt(CH3)(NC5F5] [BArf] to give a mixture of methane isotopomers. The relevance of these results to the oxidation of alkanes by aqueous platinum complexes is discussed.
Milk Pricing with “B” Conversion–Uneven Class Use

Abstract A major problem facing the dairy industry is the continued and consistent conversion of manufacturing grade milk to grade A, and the disproportionate effect of this on Class I utilization and, hence, on farm milk blend prices in the parts of the country where most of the grade B is located. Potential supplies of grade A milk are so concentrated and likely to convert to grade A in such substantial quantities that the problem is serious–far more so than in the past. New broader based pooling and pricing procedures which will stabilize interorder blend price relationships and at the same time preserve orderly marketing and deter uneconomic milk movements are needed. The likely economic results of such programs including standby pool, regional pools, national pools, flat Class I pricing and increased Class II prices are analyzed in this paper.
Antibiotic-Impregnated Grafts for Aortic Reconstruction

An infected aorta, or aortic graft, is a challenge to manage. Extra-anatomical bypass followed by resection of the infected aorta has been considered standard practice. Outcomes are far from ideal and anatomical constraints make this impossible at the visceral and thoracic aorta. In situ aortic repair is an alternative and can be accomplished in most cases. Use of this technique has been tempered by concerns of graft durability and reinfection. In vitro and in vivo laboratory experiments have demonstrated antibiotics can be bound to polytetrafluoroethylene and Dacron aortic grafts. In animal models, antibiotic-soaked grafts were resistant to infection when seeded with an intravenous bacteria challenge. Purulent, infected aortic grafts created in animal models by direct bacteria inoculation could be successfully replaced in situ with infection-resistant antibiotic-soaked Dacron grafts. The antibiotic of choice is rifampin, which readily binds to commercially available, off-the-shelf gelatin- or collagen-impregnated Dacron. In humans, rifampin-soaked Dacron has not only been used to reconstruct the aorta in the face of infection, but also in elective aortic reconstruction as a prophylaxis against future infection. Outcomes from case series are difficult to interpret because of the heterogeneous nature of patients presenting with aortic infections. Thirty-day mortality ranges from 7% to 21% and morbidity from 2% to 60%. Amputations are rarely seen in these cases, but are common in extra-anatomical bypass from graft occlusion. Reinfection of the rifampin grafts are seen in 4% to 22% of patients, and 5-year survival is near 50%. In the future, the utility of rifampin-soaked Dacron will have to be tested against the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Improvements in alternative conduits, such as cryopreserved aortic grafts, may diminish the use of antibiotic-soaked grafts, but it will remain a useful tool in the vascular surgeon's armamentarium.
Getting animals to understand the experimenter’s instructions

A general procedure is described whereby animals may be trained to understand certain instructions posed by the E. Animals trained in this way could then provide the answers to some questions that have often been dismissed as anthropomorphic and untestable, such as: Are conditioned reinforcers sought or avoided because of what they signal or for their own sake? Can animals distinguish between “before” and “after”? Can they recall? Special emphasis is paid to some issues in the learned taste aversion literature.
Measurements in buoyancy-assisting laminar boundary layer flow over a vertical backward-facing step—Uniform wall heat flux case

Abstract Measurements and predictions of velocity and temperature distributions in buoyancy-assisting, laminar, mixed convection boundary layer flow over a vertical two-dimensional backward-facing step are presented. The wall downstream of the step was subjected to a uniform wall heat flux, and the wall upstream of the step and the step itself were kept adiabatic. Velocity and temperature distributions were measured simultaneously by using a laser-Doppler velocimeter (LDV) and a cold-wire anemometer. Flow visualization was also carried out to determine the reattachment length. The experiment covered a range of levels of wall heat flux (0 ⩽ q w ⩽ 290 W/m 2 ), free-stream velocities (0.25 ⩽ u ∞ ⩽ 0.7 m/s), and step heights (0.35 ⩽ s ⩽ 0.8 cm). The results indicate that as the wall heat flux increase the Nusselt number increases but the reattachment length decreases. The measured results reveal that axial conduction along the constant heat flux surface is very significant in the recirculation region. This finding necessitates the coupling of the convective heat transfer from the wall to the fluid with the axial conduction along the constant heat flux wall in order to accurately predict the measured data by the numerical solution.
R-function relationships for application in the fractional calculus.

The F-function, and its generalization the R-function, are of fundamental importance in the fractional calculus. It has been shown that the solution of the fundamental linear fractional differential equation may be expressed in terms of these functions. These functions serve as generalizations of the exponential function in the solution of fractional differential equations. Because of this central role in the fractional calculus, this paper explores various intrarelationships of the R-function, which will be useful in further analysis. Relationships of the R-function to the common exponential function, e(t), and its fractional derivatives are shown. From the relationships developed, some important approximations are observed. Further, the inverse relationships of the exponential function, el, in terms of the R-function are developed. Also, some approximations for the R-function are developed.
B-type natriuretic peptide levels: a potential novel "white count" for congestive heart failure.

Abstract Finding a simple blood test to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with congestive heart failure could have a favorable impact on the costs associated with the disease. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is synthesized in the cardiac ventricles, and its level correlates with left ventricular pressure, amount of dyspnea, and the state of neurohormonal modulation, thus making peptide the first potential “white count” for heart failure. Data indicate that serial point-of-care testing of BNP should be helpful in patients presenting to urgent care clinics with dyspnea. BNP may also serve as a screen for patients referred for echocardiography. A low BNP level makes left ventricular dysfunction (both systolic and diastolic) highly unlikely. BNP may also provide an effective means of improving in-hospital management of patients admitted with decompensated congestive heart failure. In some cases, BNP level observations may obviate the need for invasive hemodynamic monitoring and, when such monitoring is used, may help tailor treatment of the decompensated patient. Finally, the role of BNP in the outpatient cardiac or primary care clinic may be one of critical importance in titration of therapies as well as in assessing the state of neurohormonal compensation of the patient.
The flavonoid fisetin promotes nerve cell survival from trophic factor withdrawal by enhancement of proteasome activity.

To explore the possibility that specific flavonoids can substitute for neurotrophic factors, we examined the ability of the flavonol fisetin and several related flavonoids to support the survival of low density, serum-free cultures of rat cortical neurons. Normally these cells die within 24 h in the absence of trophic factors but in the presence of fisetin and several related flavonoids the cells survive and produce long neurites. While the survival-promoting effect of several of the fisetin-related flavonoids was partially dependent on ERK activation, the effect of fisetin was not. Fisetin can enhance glutathione synthesis but the survival-promoting effect of fisetin was also not dependent on glutathione. However, proteasome inhibitors almost completely blocked the ability of fisetin to promote survival. Consistent with this observation, fisetin increased proteasome activity. Together these results demonstrate a new activity for fisetin and tie this activity to its neurotrophic effects.
Preexposure sensitizes rats to the rewarding effects of cocaine.

Abstract During a preexposure period rats were injected once daily with either cocaine HCl (10 mg/kg, IP) or the saline vehicle for 12 consecutive days. Rats that were chronically exposed to cocaine during the pretreatment phase were more responsive to the motor activating effects of a subsequent injection of cocaine than were rats chronically treated with saline. In self-administration testing, saline-pretreated groups did not exhibit a significant preference for a lever producing a cocaine infusion relative to an inactive lever, suggesting that the doses tested (0.225 and 0.45 mg/kg/infusion) were subthreshold for cocaine reward. In contrast, subjects preexposed to cocaine had a higher rate of reinforced responses and exhibited a preference for a lever that resulted in a cocaine infusion. It was unlikely that the higher response rats was due to an elevation in nonspecific activity since inactive lever responding remained low and relatively invariant over the 9 days of testing. Thus the enhanced responding in the cocaine-preexposed rats suggests that the reinforcing effectiveness of the drug had increased. These data indicate that sensitivity to cocaine's behavioral effects can be enhanced and that predisposing factors to cocaine abuse can be manipulated.
F Centers in Thorium Oxide

Single crystals of Th${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ grown in our laboratory have been subjected to ionizing radiations of 2-MeV electrons, ${\mathrm{Co}}^{60}$ $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays, and 150-keV x-rays. The electron-spin-resonance spectrum of these irradiated single crystals indicates that an electron is trapped near an ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{-}}$ vacancy in the crystal lattice of Th${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$. The ESR spectrum is the same regardless of which radiation was used to bombard the samples. Optical and ESR low-temperature studies have demonstrated that no paramagnetic ion impurities are present in the samples prior to irradiation, and similar studies performed on irradiated samples indicate that the observed signal is not the result of valence changes produced by irradiation of ions in the crystal. The observed spectrum can be interpreted as due to a defect having local tetrahedral symmetry which is very slightly distorted axially along the body diagonal in the over-all cubic symmetry of the Th${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ lattice. Room-temperature $g$ values are ${g}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}=1.9739$ and ${g}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}=1.9644$. The linewidth at half-maxima ranges from approximately 32 G at room temperature to less than 1.5 G near liquid-helium temperature. All evidence so far examined leads us to conclude that we have observed the Th${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ $F$ center.
Pressure, volume, temperature relations of ethane

A comprehensive study of pressure, volume, temperature relations for ethane includes new experimental vapor pressures to the critical, orthobaric densities for the coexistence envelope, critical constants (pc = 4871.76 kN m−2 or 48.0807 atm, Tc = 305.33 K, Vc = 0.14556 dm3 mol−1, and pc = 6.870 mol dm−3), virial coefficients B0, C0, and D0, and compression factors Z = pV/RT in the compressed fluid to 400 atm and 623 K. The effect of gravity on the density of near-critical fluids and the critical point was significant even for small fluid heights (2 cm). The diameter of the coexistence envelope, (p1 + pg)/2, had a gradual curvature at all temperatures up to the critical.
Effect of lesions of the medulla oblongata on electrolyte and water metabolism in the rat

Abstract Lesions in the region of the obex of the medulla oblongata destroying the area postrema and solitary nucleus result in a marked elevation of the urinary Na + K+ excretion ratio during the 24-hour period following placement of the lesion. Potassium retention appears responsible for the increase of the Na+ K+ ratio from a preoperative average of 0.52 ± 0.04 (S.E.) to a first postoperative day average of 0.92 ± 0.13 (S.E.). Animals with control lesions more laterally in the medulla oblongata did not show an elevated urinary Na+ K+ ratio.
Studies on the non-oxidative exchange between inorganic phosphate and ATP, as catalyzed by intact mitochondria

Abstract Some observations are presented concerning the ability of mitochondria to exchange inorganic phosphate with adenosinetriphosphate, in the absence of oxidation. This reaction is most rapid and extensive when ATP-splitting is lowest, but if ATP-splitting activity is developed, as by dinitrophenol, the exchange reaction is not restored merely by inhibition of ATP-splitting. The exchange, ATP-splitting, and phosphorylating reactions all appear to be related to one particularly sensitive structure in the granules. It is not possible to decide at this time whether the exchange reaction constitutes a part of the phosphorylating system.
Heat shock proteins are not sensitive indicators of hatchery stress in salmon

Abstract An array of physiological, endocrinological, biochemical and behavioral indicators have been investigated for utility in assessing the level of stress imposed on cultured finfish by rearing conditions and husbandry practices. In the present report, juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were exposed to common forms of hatchery stress and the response of heat shock proteins (hsp) 30, 70 and 90 were measured as possible indicators of stress. Treatments included exposure to two types of anesthesia (tricaine methanesulfonate and 2-phenoxyethanol), formalin, hypoxia, hyperoxia, capture stress, crowding, feed deprivation and cold stress. Exposure of fish to heat stress at 26 °C (ΔT=11 °C) served as a positive control, and untreated fish were used as a negative control. Total RNA was isolated from gill tissue following treatment, and subjected to Northern analysis with cDNA probes specific to the three hsps. Hsp70 and Hsp90 mRNA levels increased three-fold and two-fold above control levels, respectively, following 15-min heat stress. hsp30 mRNA levels were unaffected by 15-min exposure to heat stress, but increased two-fold over control levels following 30-min exposure. In contrast, Hsp mRNA was not upregulated in response to the different hatchery stresses examined. Although cold stress, crowding and capture stress caused an increase in hsp90 mRNA levels, these were not significant. The findings suggest that hsp30, hsp70 and hsp90 are not sensitive indicators of hatchery stress in Atlantic salmon.
Multiresolution probability analysis of random fields

Multiresolution wavelet methods can be used to simplify the statistical analysis of highly correlated non-Gaussian random fields. Specific illustrations are given with the use of high-resolution digital mammograms. Fields of this kind are often difficult to analyze with parametric statistical methods. The introduction of a wavelet expansion simplifies the problem and permits the parametric analysis. The raw image is decomposed, and each expansion component is analyzed separately. The analysis applies to the individual components rather than the raw field. A suitable choice of probability function for modeling the individual components follows from the degree of detail information contained in each expansion component. The method is facilitated by using a linear operator approach. This method leads to a family of probability functions suitable for the random-field modeling of mammograms. In the limiting case the family of probability functions approaches a normal distribution. Generalizations are given that suggest possible extensions to other types of digitized image.
Measuring thirty facets of the Five Factor Model with a 120-item public domain inventory: Development of the IPIP-NEO-120

Abstract The IPIP-NEO ( Goldberg, 1999 ) is a 300-item inventory that measures constructs similar to those in the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992 ). Despite evidence for its reliability and validity, the IPIP-NEO is even longer than the original 240-item NEO PI-R. This article details the development of a 120-item version of the IPIP-NEO from an Internet sample (N = 21,588) and the subsequent testing of its psychometric properties in Goldberg’s (2008) Eugene-Springfield community sample (N = 481), two additional large Internet samples (Ns = 307,313 and 619,150) and a local sample (N = 160). Results indicate that the psychometric properties of the 120-item IPIP-NEO compare favorably to the properties of the longer form.
Pennsylvanian stratigraphic reefs in Kansas, some modern comparisons and implications

Broad platformlike buildups in the Stanton Limestone in southeastern Kansas are composed primarily of lime mud and phylloid algae and are rimmed with skeletal calcarenite composed largely of echinoderm and algal debris. Bordering the buildups are large (1×30 km) channels, lined or filled with similar calcarenite, and a broader basin containing shaly skeletal calcilutite. Grain abrasion and spar cement in the rimming calcarenites indicate water agitation and suggest wave resistance of the buildups during growth. Wave resistance may have been provided by 1) stalked echinoderms, which are resilient when alive and bind sediment with their roots, and also by 2) early drusy cementation of loose sediment to a coherent mass. Comparison to modern channel-separated buildups in the Persian Gulf and the Great Barrier Reef complex brings out the relative significance of organic frameworks in these different geologic settings. Recognized organic frameworks range from absent or insignificant in the Pennsylvanian examples through locally present but insignificant in the Persian Gulf, to apparently important in maintaining the buildups in the Great Barrier Reef. All three examples, however, exhibit patterns of original hydrodynamic control over initiation and gross form of the buildups. Determining significance of organic frameworks to overall buildup growth involves examining both their positions relative to evidence of wave action and the nature of binding in contemporaneous talus produced by wave action on the buildup.
Spectroscopic characterization of trans-gauche isomerization in liquid crystal polymers with two nematic states

Abstract Nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infra-red ( FT i.r.) spectroscopy are used to characterize the trans-gauche isomerization of the methylene groups in a new class of main-chain liquid crystal polymers. This new series of liquid crystalline copolymers is based on the 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(2-R-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane mesogen, where R is F, Cl or CH 3 and flexible spacers containing an odd number of menthylene units. These copolymers are particularly interesting because they show two nematic states. Trans-gauche isomerization is characterized by FT i.r. spectroscopy through measurements of the absorbances of characteristically trans bands, and characteristically gauche bands. Trans-gauche isomerization is characterized by 13 C n.m.r. spectroscopy through measurements of the 13 C chemical shifts in the solid state. FT i.r. spectroscopy shows that an increase in temperature results in an increase in the percentage of gauche isomers for the methylene units in both the spacer and the mesogen. N.m.r. spectroscopy shows 13% more gauche isomers in the high-temperature nematic state, relative to the low-temperature nematic state, for rotation about the C 28 C 29 bond axis in the spacer.
New perspectives on the biology of acute GVHD

The use of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has increased as new techniques have been developed for transplantation in patients who previously would not have been considered HCT candidates. However, its efficacy continued to be limited by the development of frequent and severe acute GVHD. The complex and intricate pathophysiology of acute GVHD is a consequence of interactions between the donor and host innate and adaptive immune responses. Multiple inflammatory molecules and cell types are implicated in the development of GVHD that can be categorized as: (1) triggers that initiate GVHD by therapy-induced tissue damage and the antigen disparities between host and graft tissue; (2) sensors that detect the triggers, that is, process and present alloantigens; (3) mediators such as T-cell subsets (naive, memory, regulatory, Th17 and natural killer T cells) and (4) the effectors and amplifiers that cause damage of the target organs. These multiple inflammatory molecules and cell types that are implicated in the development of GVHD have been described with models that use stepwise cascades. Herein, we provide a novel perspective on the immunobiology of acute GVHD and briefly discuss some of the outstanding questions and limitations of the model systems.
Acknowledging Afghanistan Notes and Queries on an Occupation

This article questions the privileging of gender as the primary axis along which the experience of being a woman in Afghanistan can be understood and attended to. I argue that the privileging of ge...
The role of alveolar recruitment and de-recruitment in pressure-volume hysteresis in lungs☆

Abstract Gil and Weibel (1972) have demonstrated the importance of alveolar recruitment at relatively low inflating pressures, which has also been noted by Klingele and Staub (1970). These findings are incorporated into a model of alveolar mechanics which presents a possible solution to the questions concerning the classical theory of PV hysteresis which are raised by the mercury filled lung and the Tween 20 rinsed lung experiments. A mathematical model was used to test the hypotheses and curves consistent with the experimental data are generated by a small computer. It is concluded that according to the model, the classical theory ofPV hysteresis is valid under normal physiologic conditions but alveolar recruitment and de-recruitment become important factors in alveolar mechanics under conditions of alveolar instability.
Effects of Directional Exercise on Lingual Strength

Purpose To examine the application of known muscle training principles to tongue strengthening exercises and to answer the following research questions: (a) Did lingual strength increase following ...
Remission of metabolic syndrome following a 15-week low-calorie lifestyle change program for weight loss

To evaluate the rate of remission of metabolic syndrome (Met Syn) among patients undergoing a brief, low-calorie lifestyle change weight loss intervention and to compare the baseline characteristics of patients who were remitted and not remitted from Met Syn at post-treatment. Obese adults (N=36) meeting criteria for Met Syn enrolled in an outpatient fee-for-service behavioral weight loss intervention. Participants were assessed on key Met Syn variables (waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and fasting blood glucose) at pre- and post-treatment. The majority of patients (61%) responded to treatment after a 9.9% mean weight loss. Although Met Syn responders did not differ significantly from Met Syn non-responders on any baseline Met Syn criterion variable, responders had significantly lower baseline body mass indices (BMI; kg/m2) and met criteria for fewer baseline Met Syn variables. As expected, Met Syn responders, compared with Met Syn non-responders, had significantly lower post-treatment waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, triglycerides and fasting blood glucose. Patient groups did not differ significantly on weight lost (kg or %), or on the proportion of patients losing ⩾10% of initial body weight. In a community population, Met Syn responds to weight loss through a low-calorie lifestyle intervention; for some patients, however, the recommended 10% weight loss may not be enough for Met Syn remission.
Factors Affecting the Procumbency of Rodent Upper Incisors

The angle at which the upper incisors protrude from the rostrum varies a good deal among different genera of rodents. By contrast, the variation of the degree of procumbency of the lower incisors is much less. It is as though rodents evolved a stable lower incisor form and variously adapted the upper incisor and rostrum to fit it. The difference in the degree of upper incisor procumbency between forms is subjectively obvious. The incisors of a porcupine, for example, project much farther forward from the rostrum than do those of a squirrel. Objective measures of this incisor procumbency, however, are difficult and analyzing the factors that are responsible for differences between forms, more difficult still. I first became interested in the problem of the development of different degrees of upper incisor procumbency among rodents while examining series of the African burrowing genera Cryptomys and Heliophobius . These animals have the most extreme development of proeumbency in the upper incisors of any rodent. Not only do the incisors project far forward from the rostrum, but the roots have extended far back into the skull, reaching to a point behind the cheek teeth. At the opposite end of the scale of upper incisor development we may place such forms as the squirrels and beavers with short, sharply recurved incisors. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the mechanical factors involved in the evolution of these different incisor forms. Most of this work was done at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, California, and I am indebted to the authorities of that institution for the use of specimens of Cryptomys, Thomomys , and Neotoma . My thanks are also due to Dr. William Elder of the University of Missouri for the use of a series of Sciurus niger from the collections of …
PCB metabolism, persistence, and health effects after occupational exposure: implications for risk assessment

Abstract Analysis of the kinetics and congener selectivities for PCB metabolism in occupationally exposed workers shows that the lipid PCB concentrations required for the induction of P4502B cytochromes must be >20 mg/kg; for inducing P4501A and the associated toxic effects, >600 mg/kg. The observed kinetic behavior indicates that the reported statistical associations between serum PCB levels and certain disease states in the general population (lipid PCBs generally 0–2 mg/kg) probably arise from correlations with the factors that control steady-state xenobiotic levels in human serum (notably, P450 activity and serum lipids) rather than from novel toxic activities of the PCBs.
On Memory Requirements for Context-Free Language Recognition

The purpose of this note is to show that it is recursively undecidable how much tape is required by a Turing machine to recognize nonregular context-free languages.
A link between two-sided power and asymmetric Laplace distributions: with applications to mean and variance approximations

Motivated by our investigations of refinements of the project evaluation and review technique (PERT), we have developed a reparameterization of the asymmetric Laplace distribution and found it to be a useful tool for extending and improving various three-point approximations of continuous distributions (pioneered by Pearson and Tukey (Biometrika 52(3/4) (1965) 533)) by specifying the values of two quantiles and the mode.
COMPARATIVE CYTOPATHOLOGY OF CANINE DISTEMPER AND MEASLES VIRUSES IN FERRET KIDNEY CELL CULTURES.

Multinucleated giant cells, cytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions were characteristic findings in ferret kidney cultures inoculated with canine distemper virus. Variations observed among strains were of a quantitative nature and these did not serve as distinguishing features. Contracted giant cells were observed which were interpreted as being degenerative forms of the multinucleated giant cells. Ferret kidney cell cultures inoculated with measles virus showed the same characteristics.
Measurements of the Viscometric Functions for a Fluid in Steady Shear Flows

This paper describes a series of experiments in which the three material functions of steady viscometric flows were measured for a given polyisobutene solution. A number of instruments and measuring techniques were used in order to check the experimental method. The shear stress was determined from the torque transmitted by the fluid in a cone-and-plate apparatus and in Couette flow between concentric cylinders. The results obtained from these measurements were in good agreement with each other. The primary normal-stress difference was determined from the normal force acting on the plate of a cone-and-plate apparatus, and from stress-optical measurements on Couette flow between concentric cylinders. These results are in good agreement with each other. Detailed measurements of the distribution of the normal stress acting on the plate of the cone-and-plate apparatus were made for three cone angles and for two boundary configurations at the rim of the apparatus: from these results a combination of the primary and the secondary normal-stress differences was deduced, thereby making possible the computation of the secondary normal-stress difference. When the normal stress acting on a rigid surface is measured by means of a hole leading to a pressure transducer the results are in error by an amount roughly proportional to the primary normal-stress difference of the fluid (cf. Kaye, Lodge & Vale 1968). In the present experiments this error was determined from measurements of the distribution of the normal stress acting on the plates of a plate-and-plate apparatus, together with the assumption that the error is a function only of the shear rate at the position of the hole in the undisturbed viscometric flow. The values of the measuring error thus obtained are in good agreement with measurements made in Couette flow between concentric cylinders. The secondary normal-stress difference, P$\_{2}$, was measured in a number of different ways. From the results it is suggested that the methods of Jackson & Kaye and of Marsh & Pearson may be imprecise and, in particular, may yield incorrect values for P$\_{2}$. A new, direct, method of estimating P$\_{2}$, suggested by Higashitani & Pritchard (1971) and outlined in appendix A, may provide a more convenient means of determining P$\_{2}$.
Mechanism of dissociative inhibition of HIV protease and its autoprocessing from a precursor.

Dimerization is indispensible for release of the human immunodeficiency virus protease (PR) from its precursor (Gag-Pol) and ensuing mature-like catalytic activity that is crucial for virus maturation. We show that a single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) of a previously reported monoclonal antibody (mAb1696), which recognizes the N-terminus of PR, dissociates a dimeric mature D25N PR mutant with an enhanced dimer dissociation constant (Kd) in the sub-micromolar range to form predominantly a monomer–scFv complex at a 1:1 ratio, along with small (5–10%) amounts of a dimer–scFv complex. Enzyme kinetics indicate a mixed mechanism of inhibition of the wild-type PR, which exhibits a Kd < 10 nM, with effects both on Km and kcat at an scFv-to-PR ratio of 10:1. ScFv binds to the N-terminal peptide P1QITLW6 of PR and to PR monomers with dissociation constants of ≤ 30 nM and ~ 100 nM, respectively. Consistent with an ~ 400-fold increase in the dissociation of the antibody (KAb) on even addition of an acetyl group to P1 of the peptide, the antibody fails to inhibit N-terminal autoprocessing of the PR from a model precursor (at ~ 5 μM). However, subsequent to this cleavage, it sequesters the PR, thus blocking autoprocessing at its C-terminus. A second monoclonal antibody [PRM1 (human monoclonal antibody to PR)], which recognizes part of the flap region (residues 41–47) of the mature PR and its precursor, does not inhibit autoprocessing and ensuing catalytic activity. However, its failure to recognize drug-resistant clinical mutants of PR may be beneficial to monitor the selection of mutations in this region under drug pressure.
Nucleotide sequence 5' of the chicken c-myc coding region: localization of a noncoding exon that is absent from myc transcripts in most avian leukosis virus-induced lymphomas.

Abstract We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the 2.2-kilobase-pair region upstream of the chicken c-myc coding exons. Using RNA blot analysis, we have localized a noncoding exon to a region that is separated from the c-myc coding sequences by an intron of 700-800 base pairs. In most avian leukosis virus-induced lymphomas proviral integration has occurred within, or downstream of, the first exon, thus presumably displacing the regulatory sequences that normally control c-myc expression. More than 70% of the integration sites were clustered in a 250-base-pair region in the first intron, immediately preceding the coding sequences. Sequences from the upstream noncoding exon were absent from the myc transcripts in these lymphomas; RNA transcripts from the normal c-myc allele were not expressed at detectable levels.
Reconstructing powder NQR images with real gradient coils

Abstract Unlike NMR imaging, where only the components of the magnetic field gradients along the main applied field need be considered, all nonzero components of the gradients must be considered for NQR imaging of powder or polycrystalline materials. Any physically realizable gradient coil will have at least two nonzero components. Since the nonzero components are of comparable magnitude, image reconstruction will not be as straightforward as is found for NMR imaging. Here a practical NQR imaging reconstruction technique based on the use of standard techniques but using a nonrectilinear grid is demonstrated for physically realizable gradients. A two-dimensional image constructed using the35Cl NQR signal from a polycrystalline sample of NaClO3is presented to demonstrate the technique.
Safety of a “Drip and Ship” Intravenous Thrombolysis Protocol for Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background The "drip and ship" approach for intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is becoming the standard of care for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in communities without direct access to a stroke specialist. We aimed to demonstrate the safety of our "drip and ship" IVT protocol. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients with AIS treated with IVT between January 2003 and January 2011. Information on patients' baseline characteristics, neuroimaging, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), and mortality was obtained from our stroke registry. A group of patients were treated with IVT by an emergency physician in phone consultation with a board-certified vascular neurologist (BCVN) at 1 of our 3 stroke network–affiliated hospitals (SNAHs). These patients were subsequently transferred to our Joint Commission–certified primary stroke center (CPSC) after completion of IVT ("drip and ship" protocol). The other patients were treated directly by a BCVN at the CPSC. Results We studied 201 patients treated with IVT. Of them, 14% received IVT at a SNAH ("drip and ship" protocol) and 86% were treated at the CPSC. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups with regard to age, National Institutes of Health Stoke Scale score, stroke symptom onset-to-needle time, sICH, or in-hospital mortality. Conclusions Our "drip and ship" protocol for IVT is safe. The protocol was not associated with an excess of sICH or in-hospital mortality compared with patients who received IVT at the CPSC.
Migratory Polyarthritis Associated with Plesiomonas shigelloides Infection

Migratory polyarthritis was observed in a child with Plesiomonas shigelloides infection of the gastrointestinal tract. All symptoms and signs of arthritis resolved following successful treatment of infection with the appropriate antibiotic. Plesiomonas shigelloides should be added to the list of microbial agents associated with polyarthritis.
Uniqueness of primate forelimb posture during quadrupedal locomotion

Among the characteristics that are thought to set primate quadrupedal locomotion apart from that of nonprimate mammals are a more protracted limb posture and larger limb angular excursion. However, kinematic aspects of primate or nonprimate quadrupedal locomotion have been documented in only a handful of species, and more widely for the hind than the forelimb. This study presents data on arm (humerus) and forelimb posture during walking for 102 species of mammals, including 53 nonhuman primates and 49 nonprimate mammals. The results demonstrate that primates uniformly display a more protracted arm and forelimb at hand touchdown of a step than nearly all other mammals. Although primates tend to end a step with a less retracted humerus, their total humeral or forelimb angular excursion exceeds that of other mammals. It is suggested that these features are components of functional adaptations to locomotion in an arboreal habitat, using clawless, grasping extremities.
Stochastic analysis of attrition — a general cell model

Abstract A stochastic treatment of attrition behavior of particulate matter in chemical and mineral processing units has been developed here. A cell model has been formulated which can be applied to batch or continuous systems, to yield the mean particle size distributions and the fluctuations arising from the random nature of attrition in these processes. The model takes into account multiple flow streams, and involves the dependency of the attrition rate on the particle size and number. It handles the dynamics of the process as the transient evolution of the particle size distribution. The application of the model is illustrated in two areas, fluidization and mineral processing, and a numerical example is provided. The method of application and its results, and the contribution of the above model are also detailed. The derivation of the probability balance master equation is based on principles of stochastic processes involving probabilistic models, like the well-known Migration and Illness—Death processes.
A high-gain offset-compensated differential amplifier

An offset-compensated CMOS amplifier with low input capacitance and high gain, ideal for use as a comparator preamplifier, is presented. A capacitive coupling network is used to create a high-impedance load-stage that requires no additional common-mode feedback circuitry. Capacitors are small enough to be constructed using metal fringe structures, resulting in an efficient layout. Analysis, simulation results, and the layout implementation are presented.
The effect of calcitonin on 32 P disappearance from plasma in parathyroidectomized and nephrectomized rats.

SummaryThe effect of salmon calcitonin on the rate of disappearance of simultaneously administered 32P was studied further in rats. It was demonstrated that at 1 hr postin-jection the 32P plasma values were significantly lower in calcitonin-injected rats than in their controls. This difference was seen in normal, thyroidectomized, nephrectomized and parathyroidectomized rats indicating that this was a direct effect of calcitonin independent of renal or parathyroid function. The data in this study confirm the earlier report that calcitonin causes a rapid movement of phosphate out of plasma.Special acknowledgement is made of the assistance of Mrs. Dorothy Raneri who supervised the technical aspects of this work. The technical assistance of Mrs. Rachel McNeil, Mrs. Blanche Holloway, and Mrs. Carol Fashingbauer is also acknowledged.