cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular determinants of drug access to the receptor site for antiarrhythmic drugs in the cardiac Na+ channel

The clinical efficacy of local anesthetic and antiarrhythmic drugs is due to their voltage- and frequency-dependent block of Na+ channels. Quaternary local anesthetic analogs such as QX-314, which are permanently charged and membrane-impermeant, effectively block cardiac Na+ channels when applied from either side of the membrane but block neuronal Na+ channels only from the intracellular side. This difference in extracellular access to QX-314 is retained when rat brain rIIA Na+ channel alpha subunits and rat heart rH1 Na+ channel alpha subunits are expressed transiently in tsA-201 cells. Amino acid residues in transmembrane segment S6 of homologous domain IV (IVS6) of Na+ channel alpha subunits have important effects on block by local anesthetic drugs. Although five amino acid residues in IVS6 differ between brain rIIA and cardiac rH1, exchange of these amino acid residues by site-directed mutagenesis showed that only conversion of Thr-1755 in rH1 to Val as in rIIA was sufficient to reduce the rate and extent of block by extracellular QX-314 and slow the escape of drug from closed channels after use-dependent block. Tetrodotoxin also reduced the rate of block by extracellular QX-314 and slowed escape of bound QX-314 via the extracellular pathway in rH1, indicating that QX-314 must move through the pore to escape. QX-314 binding was inhibited by mutation of Phe-1762 in the local anesthetic receptor site of rH1 to Ala whether the drug was applied extracellularly or intracellularly. Thus, QX-314 binds to a single site in the rH1 Na+ channel alpha subunit that contains Phe-1762, whether it is applied from the extracellular or intracellular side of the membrane. Access to that site from the extracellular side of the pore is determined by the amino acid at position 1755 in the rH1 cardiac Na+ channel.
Flowfield Characteristics and Perf ormance Limitations of Quasi-Steady Magnetoplasmadynamic Accelerators

Measurements of terminal voltage, exhaust velocity, current and potential distributions in a quasi-steady MPD arc operating over a range of currents from 3 to 25 kA countervene previous indications of basic limitations on MPD performance. Terminal voltage fluctuations, previously used as an indicator of a unique limiting value of the parameter current squared over mass flow, are shown to be related to cathode surface area rather than to interelectrode plasma phenomena. With improved electrodes and insulators, satisfactory arc operation at specific impulses somewhat beyond previously proposed limits has been demonstrated, and the significant thrust producing mechanisms in such arcs have been identified.
An unusual connective tissue disease in mother and son: A “new” type of Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome?

A 23-year-old woman and her 2 1/2-year-old son both had large hernias, positional foot deformities, abnormal thoracic shape, asthma, and severe eczematoid dermatitis. Their facial appearance was quite similar and included asymmetry with prominent nasal bridge and small jaw. In addition, the mother had severe thoracolumbar kyphoscolosis and "cigarette paper" scars over her legs. She died after rupture of a a thoracic aortic aneurysm and was found on postmortem examination to have cystic medionecrosis of the aorta and myxomatous degeneration and elongation of the mitral and tricuspid valves. The family history was otherwise negative; there was no consanguinity. The connective tissue disease in this mother and her son appears to be a previously unrecognized dominantly-inherited disorder with some similarity to classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Protocadherin-18 is a novel differentiation marker and an inhibitory signaling receptor for CD8+ effector memory T cells.

CD8+ tumor infiltrating T cells (TIL) lack effector-phase functions due to defective proximal TCR-mediated signaling previously shown to result from inactivation of p56lck kinase. We identify a novel interacting partner for p56lck in nonlytic TIL, Protocadherin-18 (‘pcdh18’), and show that pcdh18 is transcribed upon in vitro or in vivo activation of all CD8+ central memory T cells (CD44+CD62LhiCD127+) coincident with conversion into effector memory cells (CD44+CD62LloCD127+). Expression of pcdh18 in primary CD8+ effector cells induces the phenotype of nonlytic TIL: defective proximal TCR signaling, cytokine secretion, and cytolysis, and enhanced AICD. pcdh18 contains a motif (centered at Y842) shared with src kinases (QGQYQP) that is required for the inhibitory phenotype. Thus, pcdh18 is a novel activation marker of CD8+ memory T cells that can function as an inhibitory signaling receptor and restrict the effector phase.
Conceptual design of a reversed-field pinch fusion neutron source

The conceptual design of an ohmically-heated, reversed-field pinch (RFP) operating at 5 MW/m2 steady-state DT fusion neutron wall loading and ∼ 100 MW total fusion power is presented. These results are useful in projecting the development of a cost effective, low input power (∼ 200 MW) source of DT neutrons for large-volume (∼ 10 m3), high-fluence (3.4 MW y/m2 per year at 80% availability) fusion nuclear technology testing.
On a higher order analysis of laminated composite strips with extension-twist coupling

Abstract A finite displacement analysis for extension-twist coupling in pretwisted laminated composite strips is presented. A new formulation of the kinematics is constructed by neglecting the terms of order of the square of the maximum strain magnitude in the strain–displacement relations. The closed-form extension-twist relationships are derived and the influence of out-of-plane shear strains on the results is estimated. The accuracy of the model is assessed through comparison with test data and analytical predictions.
Behavioral effects of isatin on open field activity and immobility in the forced swim test in rats.

Abstract Isatin is an endogenous selective inhibitor of monoamine oxidase (MAO) B, related to tribulin, whose activity and excretion in urine is increased during stress and anxiety. A previous study from our laboratory hypothesized that isatin may be a component of an alarm substance that rats secrete in the forced swim test. The present study tested that hypothesis by examining isatin's behavioral effects on open field activity and in the forced swim test. Male rats injected (i.p.) with isatin (0–160 mg/kg) ambulated less in the open field and were more immobile in the forced swim test than controls. These results did not support the hypothesis that alarm substance contains isatin and suggest, instead, that isatin has sedative or anxiolytic activity.
Bridging the Divide: Developing Culturally-Responsive Curriculum for K-12 Computer Science Education (Abstract Only)

In order to increase the computer science pipeline, emphasis must be placed on not only who is taught, but also how they are taught. Traditional computer science pedagogy has been unsuccessful in attracting, engaging, instructing, and retaining underrepresented students. Culturally-responsive pedagogy must be leveraged to successfully instruct a diverse range of computer science students. With the onset of technologies such as Facebook, iPods, Xbox, smart phones, mobile applications, and more, underrepresented students are already actively engaged in utilizing computer technology. However, in order to transition them from consumers to creators of this technology, culturally-responsive curriculum must teach fundamental concepts such as algorithms, problem solving, and abstraction in the context of issues that affect their daily lives. This workshop is designed to help K-16 computer science educators, professionals, and others understand and identify activities and assignments that infuse culturally-responsive content throughout. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of culturally-responsive pedagogy, its importance in computer science, and how to begin infusing more of it into lessons and activities. Laptops are recommended.
Prediction of dilation and permeability changes in rock salt

A numerical procedure has been developed for predicting dilation (porosity) and gas permeability changes in rock salt. The hierarchical single-surface constitutive model of Desai and co-workers is used a finite element program to calculate the state of stress and strain surrounding excavations in rock salt. The elastoplastic constitutive model accounts for strain hardening, a non-associative volumetric response and stress-path-dependent behaviour. The calculated stress and strain fields are used in a flow model based on the equivalent channel concept to predict permeability. Parameters for both the mechanical and permeability models are developed from laboratory test results. Two field experiments adjacent to underground excavations are modelled. The extent of the dilated rock zone around the excavation is predicted well, but the magnitude of the porosity and gas permeability is underpredicted very near the excavations. This discrepancy is attributed to model parameters derived from loading-only laboratory tests, whereas significant unloading occurs in the field. The shape of the yield surface was found to be an important factor in dilation and permeability predictions. Similar stress, strain and permeability fields were obtained with different model types (plane strain or axisymmetric) and initial stress states, and with instantaneous and progressive excavation.
Microarray Data Analysis Toolbox (MDAT): for normalization, adjustment and analysis of gene expression data

Summary: We introduce a novel Matlab toolbox for microarray data analysis. This toolbox uses normalization based upon a normally distributed background and differential gene expression based on five statistical measures. The objects in this toolbox are open source and can be implemented to suit your application. Availability: MDAT v1.0 is a Matlab toolbox and requires Matlab to run. MDAT is freely available at http://microarray.omrf.org/publications/2004/knowlton/MDAT.zip
OntoMatch: A monotonically improving schema matching system for autonomous data integration

Traditional schema matchers use a set of distinct simple matchers and use a composition function to combine the individual scores using an arbitrary order of matcher application leading to non-intuitive scores, produce improper matches, and wasteful and counterproductive computation, especially when no consideration is given to the properties of the individual matchers and the context of the application. In this paper, we propose a new method for schema matching in which wasteful computation is avoided by a prudent, and objective selection and ordering of a subset of useful matchers. This method thus has the potential to improve the matching efficiency and accuracy of many popular ontology generation engines. Such efficiency and quality assurance are imperative in autonomous systems because users rarely have a chance to validate the processing accuracy until the computation is complete. Experimental results to support the claim that such an approach monotonically improves the matching score at successive application of the matchers are also provided.
Confronting Young People's Perceptions of Whiteness: Privilege or Liability?

Using the autobiographies of 193 young whites, I show how contemporary whiteness is characterized by a tension between perceptions of whiteness as a liability versus a privilege. I discuss how many young whites believe whiteness to be both a cultural and economic disadvantage and suggest how these perceptions can interfere with antiracism. Finally, I suggest some pedagogical strategies for educators to use in teaching students about race and ethnicity that might help to dislodge some of these fictions of whiteness.
Visual serial search across number and letter sets.

Srimmary.-To discover whether visual serial search time for numbers differed significantly from time for letters, a repeated-measurements design was used with 24 undergraduate women. Performance on number targets 0 to 9 was significantly moe rapid than performance on the letter targets A to J, I to R, or Q to Z By controlling confounding effects due to redundancy, the possibility that the outcomes might be related to the balance of linear and curvilinear target feamres was strengthened.
The Neurotoxicological Consequences of Developmental Exposure to PCBs

The articles highlighted in this issue are three reports by Kevin Crofton and colleagues dealing with neuromodulatory effects of PCB (Gilbert, Mundy, and Crofton, pp. 102-111; Roegge et al., pp. 121-130; and Crofton et al., pp. 131-140).
Automated analysis of voltage sags, their causes and impacts

This paper focuses on voltage sags. It introduces an automated approach to the analysis of voltage sags, their causes and impacts. The sag analysis is performed using software tools developed for this purpose. First, the software performs detection, classification and characterization of voltage sags. Next, if the voltage sag is caused by a fault, the software finds the fault location. Finally the software allows replaying of the sag waveforms for the purpose of evaluating of the impacts on equipment operation.
Molecular determinants of substrate recognition in hematopoietic protein-tyrosine phosphatase.

Abstract The extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 2 (ERK2) plays a central role in cellular proliferation and differentiation. Full activation of ERK2 requires dual phosphorylation of Thr183 and Tyr185 in the activation loop. Tyr185 dephosphorylation by the hematopoietic protein-tyrosine phosphatase (HePTP) represents an important mechanism for down-regulating ERK2 activity. The bisphosphorylated ERK2 is a highly efficient substrate for HePTP with a kcat/Km of 2.6 × 106 m–1 s–1. In contrast, the kcatK/m values for the HePTP-catalyzed hydrolysis of Tyr(P) peptides are 3 orders of magnitude lower. To gain insight into the molecular basis for HePTP substrate specificity, we analyzed the effects of altering structural features unique to HePTP on the HePTP-catalyzed hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate, Tyr(P) peptides, and its physiological substrate ERK2. Our results suggest that substrate specificity is conferred upon HePTP by both negative and positive selections. To avoid nonspecific tyrosine dephosphorylation, HePTP employs Thr106 in the substrate recognition loop as a key negative determinant to restrain its protein-tyrosine phosphatase activity. The extremely high efficiency and fidelity of ERK2 dephosphorylation by HePTP is achieved by a bipartite protein-protein interaction mechanism, in which docking interactions between the kinase interaction motif in HePTP and the common docking site in ERK2 promote the HePTP-catalyzed ERK2 dephosphorylation (∼20-fold increase in kcat/Km) by increasing the local substrate concentration, and second site interactions between the HePTP catalytic site and the ERK2 substrate-binding region enhance catalysis (∼20-fold increase in kcat/Km) by organizing the catalytic residues with respect to Tyr(P)185 for optimal phosphoryl transfer.
Predictors of stethoscope disinfection among pediatric health care providers.

Background Stethoscopes are contaminated with bacteria, but predictors of stethoscope disinfection frequency are unknown. We sought to describe health care provider stethoscope disinfection attitudes and practices and determine predictors of frequent disinfection. Methods We used an anonymous online survey of nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians at a pediatric hospital. We assessed frequency and methods of disinfection, perceptions of contamination, and barriers to disinfection. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify independent predictors of disinfecting after every use. Results One thousand four hundred one respondents completed the survey: 76% believed that infection transmission occurs via stethoscopes, but only 24% reported disinfecting after every use. In multivariate analyses, belief that infection transmission occurs via stethoscopes significantly increased the odds of disinfection after every use (odds ratio [OR], 2.06 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38-3.06]). The odds of disinfection after every use were significantly decreased in those who perceived the following barriers: lack of time (OR, 0.31 [95% CI: 0.18-0.54]), lack of access to disinfection material (OR, 0.41 [95% CI: 0.29-0.57]), or lack of visual reminders to disinfect (OR, 0.22 [95% CI: 0.14-0.34]). Conclusion Only a minority of pediatric health care providers reported disinfecting their stethoscopes after every use. Increasing access to disinfection materials and visual reminders in health care facilities may improve stethoscope disinfection practices.
Actuating Cycloaromatization of a Bicyclo[7.3.1]enediyne by Annelation: An Example of Inverse Dependence on Bridge Atom Hybridization

Although the acetylenic carbon atoms in 2 are closer together than those in 1, only the latter undergoes Bergman cyclization. In contrast, in analogous enediynes without an annelated cyclohexane ring a change in the hybridization of the bridging carbon atom from sp2 to sp3 leads to a dramatic increase in the cyclization rate.
Characterization of the Cytolytic T-Lymphocyte Response to a Candidate Vaccine Strain of Equine Herpesvirus 1 in CBA Mice

The cytolytic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response to respiratory infection with equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) in CBA ( H-2 k ) mice was investigated. Intranasal (i.n.) inoculation of mice with the attenuated EHV-1 strain KyA resulted in the generation of a primary virus-specific CTL response in the draining mediastinal lymph nodes 5 days following infection. EHV-1-specific CTL could be restimulated from the spleen up to 26 weeks after the resolution of infection, indicating that a long-lived memory CTL population was generated. Depletion of CD8 + T cells by treatment with antibody and complement prior to assay eliminated CTL activity from both primary and memory populations, indicating that cytolytic activity in this model was mediated by class I major histocompatibility complex-restricted, CD8 + T cells. A single i.n. inoculation with KyA induced protective immunity against infection with the pathogenic EHV-1 strain, RacL11. The adoptive transfer of splenocytes from KyA-immune donors into sublethally irradiated recipients resulted in a greater than 250-fold reduction in RacL11 in the lung. The elimination of both CD4 + and CD8 + T cells from the transferred cells abrogated clearance of RacL11, while the selective depletion of either subpopulation alone had little effect. These results suggested that both lymphocyte subpopulations contribute to viral clearance, with either subpopulation alone being sufficient.
Spontaneous remission of primary hyperparathyroidism: a case report and meta-analysis of the literature.

Background. In a minority of patients, primary hyperparathyroidism spontaneously remits either by autoinfarction or by hemorrhage into or around the adenoma. We describe a case of autoparathyroidectomy occurring in a 63-year-old man 9 years after three parathyroid glands were removed during a total thyroidectomy. This case is compared with 50 previously reported cases of autoparathyriodectomy, and a meta-analysis is performed. Methods. Case report, literature review, and meta-analysis were done using statistical software (SigmaStat 2.0, SPSS, Chicago). Results. Fifty cases of autoparathyroidectomy were summarized according to the three etiologies. The greatest biochemical aberration was found in the acute intracapsular hemorrhage group, with [Ca++] falling from a mean 15.1 mg/dL to 8.9 mg/dL. The average drop in parathyroid hormone was 69% across all groups, comparing favorably to surgical resection. Conclusions. Autoparathyroidectomy is a rare but described outcome of unoperated primary hyperparathyroidism that may delay or supplant operative management. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck27: XXX–XXX, 2005
The Impact of International Accounting Standards on Firms

The aim of this paper is to provide some arguments for the effects of the adoption of the International Accounting Standards on firms. Therefore, IAS impact on firms' management and financial statements are analysed. Provided financial statements intend to support or reject findings in the literature for IAS effects on them.
Masculinity, Hierarchy, and the Auto Racing Fraternity: The Pit Stop as a Celebration of Social Roles

The burgeoning popularity of NASCAR Winston Cup stock car racing promotes the growing association between entertainment, advertising, and the public enactment of gender roles. This article offers consideration of the competitive combination of fraternal institutions and technology that produces such a distinctive, influential entertainment spectacle. Such competition—in particular, the crescendo of pit stops—promotes the products of sponsors as well as influential models of masculine social conduct and collective behavior. Unlike other masculine rituals, the actions of stock car racers are meant to have direct association with our lives. Woven throughout these exemplars is the technological Doppelganger: the race car. Both a mode of association and means of distinction between fans and racers, the race vehicle emerges as a multifaceted social construct reflecting the intentions of advertisers, the interests of the racing fraternity, the expectations of fans, and the regional roots of stock car racing.
The role of chemokines in human cardiovascular pathology: enhanced biological insights.

A growing body of experimental evidence supports the pivotal role of chemokines in the pathogenesis of vascular disease. The endothelial expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is apparently essential for the earliest cellular responses of atherogenesis. Many atherogenic and anti-atherogenic stimuli can be construed to exert their effects predominantly upon MCP-1 expression within the vascular wall. The atherogenic effects of interleukin-8 (IL-8) seem to be mediated through the down-regulation of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). Biological expression of these two important vascular chemokines is further modulated by NF-κB. The delineation of these molecular forces that drive atherogenesis increasingly underscores the pivotal role of various chemokines. It is anticipated that more precise delineation of these patterns of gene expression will help to identify molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.
Learning Non-Explicit Control Parameters of Self-Organizing Systems

Controlling self-organizing systems with given control parameters is often unintuitive and inefficient for the user. Typically, there is some emergent behavior that the user would like to produce that is not directly controllable. Our goal is to develop an autonomous and domain-independent learning framework for adding non-explicit control parameters to self-organizing systems that provide users with more intuitive real-time control of the system. These additional controls are created by using regression to learn a mapping between the explicit control parameters and the non-explicit control parameters.
Statistical Errors in Biasing Monte Carlo Simulations With Applications to Polarization-Mode Dispersion Compensators

The possible sources of error in Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are errors in physical modeling, coding errors (bugs), statistical errors, and algorithmic errors. While most algorithmic errors lead to large statistical errors, subtle algorithmic errors that do not lead to statistical errors are at least theoretically possible. These sources of error are reviewed, with the emphasis on statistical errors. Methods for calculating the statistical error in two types of biasing MC simulation, i.e., 1) standard importance sampling and 2) multicanonical, are described. The former requires a priori knowledge of how to bias the simulation, while the latter does not. Examples are drawn from the work of the author and his colleagues on calculating the effects of polarization-mode dispersion in optical fiber communication systems. Potential pitfalls when MC simulation codes are not carefully validated and statistical errors are not carefully monitored are described. A proposal for "best practice" in which statistical errors are always presented in conjunction with MC simulations is made
A degree-day model for Fuller's rose beetle, Pantomorus cervinus (Boheman) (Col., Curculionidae) egg hatch.

Fuller's rose beetle, Pantomorus cervinus (Boheman), egg hatch was studied in 11 constant temperature laboratory experiments, 5 with eggs laid under the calyx of grapefruit and 6 using wax paper as an oviposition substrate. Egg hatch was modeled using a linear degree-day model. Egg developmental thresholds (and degree-days) for 50 and 99% egg hatch were 11.7 (251.2) and 10.2 (351.4) °C, respectively. Under low humidity conditions, egg development continued as a function of temperature, although egg hatch was greatly reduced. A management program is proposed in which the degree-day model for 99% egg hatch is used in conjunction with foliar pesticide treatments applied 351.4 degree-days 10.2 °C prior to harvest to insure that all eggs are hatched at harvest. Zusammenfassung Ein Grad-Tag-Modell zur Berechnung des Schlupfzeitpunktes der Larven von Pantomorus cervinus (Boheman) (Col., Curculionidae) In 11 Laborversuchen wurde bei konstanten Temperaturen das Schlupfen der Eier von Pantomorus cervinus untersucht. Bei 5 Versuchen wurden die Eier unter den Kelch einer Grapefruit abgelegt, in den 6 anderen Experimenten wurde Wachspapier als Eiablagesubstrat verwendet. Das Schlupfen der Eier wurde nach einem linearen Grad-Tag-Modell berechnet. Nach dieser Berechnung liegen bei einem Schlupfprozent von 50 die Entwicklungsschwelle und die Grad-Tage bei 11,7°C und 251,2 Grad-Tagen, bei einem Schlupfprozent von 99 bei 10,2 °C und 351,4 Grad-Tagen. Auch bei geringer Luftfeuchte ist die Entwicklung der Eier eine Funktion der Temperatur, aber die Schlupfrate ist dann stark reduziert. Es wird ein Kontrollprogramm empfohlen, bei dem das Grad-Tag-Modell fur eine 99%ige Schlupfrate dazu verwendet wird, um 351,4 Grad-Tage bei 10,2 °C vor der Ernte mit der Pestizidausbringung zu beginnen, damit bis zum Zeitpunkt der Ernte alle Eier geschlupft sind.
Presley’s Pauses: Unearthing Force in California’s Land and Water Regimes and Frank Norris’s The Octopus

Considered against the backdrop of California’s pastoral obsession to realize Eden, Frank Norris’s The Octopus: A Story of California (1901) reveals how his respective brand of American naturalism interprets the changes to California’s physical space during the 1880s. Through his preoccupation with the pervasive discourse of force-theory that dominated late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century thought and his penchant for drama and romance, The Octopus becomes much more than an epic tale of struggle between the railroad and the wheat ranchers. Rather it explains the various layers of conquest and imperialist discourse within the text which both promote and explain the drastic reengineering of California’s land and water resources during this period. By reading Norris’s deterministic program through an ecocritical lens, we see how the novel sheds light on California’s past, present, and future environmental transformations revealing a Golden State that is more of a tarnished ideal rather than the earthily paradise so many longed to find.
Iron- or copper-dependent lipid peroxidation of lipoproteins at inflammatory sites: potential role in the mediation of tissue damage

Oxygen-derived free radicals generated during inflammatory responses contribute to tissue injury by a number of mechanisms including the initiation of lipid peroxidation. This process may directly cause cellular damage or generate toxic intermediates that alter cell function. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease in which the presence and action of free radicals can be examined by studying the contents of the synovial fluid. In rheumatoid synovial fluid there is evidence of lipid peroxidation as indicated by the finding that low-density lipoproteins (LDL) isolated from the fluid contain elevated levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. Both the mechanism of lipid peroxidation of LDL and the possibility that the altered LDL might contribute to tissue damage were investigated. Similar lipid peroxidation of LDL occurred when plasma LDL was incubated with micromolar concentrations of iron or copper. Peroxidation of LDL was diminished by superoxide dismutase, indicating that the process involved the action of the superoxide anion. The possibility that the altered LDL inhibited cellular function was examined by studying its effect on mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation. Marked inhibition of lymphocyte function was noted, that could be correlated with the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in the LDL preparation. The inhibitory effect of the altered LDL was not prevented by superoxide dismutase. The possibility that immunological reactivity might contribute to the peroxidation of LDL was also examined. In these studies a marked increase in copper-dependent superoxide-medi-ated lipid peroxidation was noted when LDL was incubated with mitogen-activated lymphocytes. This finding suggested that lipid peroxidation of synovial fluid LDL may be greatly facilitated by the action of the local immunological activity in the joint space. The results suggest that lipoproteins may have a complex modulatory influence on inflammation. Low levels of LDL may undergo peroxidation, but not to a sufficient degree to become inhibitory of cell function. In this manner LDL may protect other tissues by serving as a terminal ‘sink’for free radical reactivity. With more intense inflammation lipid peroxidation of LDL proceeds, causing the altered lipoproteins to become inhibitory of cellular function.
Cell motility in a new single-cell wound model

Until now researchers have used a monolayer of cultured cells to investigate cell motility toward an injured cell. However, we suspect that, when using this method, adjacent cells move to the free space due to relief of contact inhibition. The current study was designed to investigate the cell motility nearby an injured cell in varying cell connectivity. A low-power laser beam was used to damage one cell selectively with the silver coating beads. After injury, we observed the cell motility in three different cell types: (1) those immediately adjacent to the injured cell, (2) those removed from the injured cell by interposition of another cell, and (3) those removed from the injured cell by free space. The cells that are in direct contact with the injured cell moved toward the injured cell within 1.5-3.0 h. Indirectly connected cells and cells with no contact, on the other hand, showed no significant movement toward the injured cell. This suggests that the cell motility toward the cell injury is not only due to relief of contact inhibition but might also be caused by cell-to-cell signaling via cell connection. The current method will provide a tool to create a cell injury without damaging adjacent cells.
ESTIMATING PREVALENCE FROM THE RESULTS OF A SCREENING TEST

This paper deals with some basis properties of screening tests. Such tests purport to separate people with disease from people without. Minimal criteria for such a process to be a test are discussed. Various ways of judging the goodness of a test are examined. A common use of tests is to estimate prevalence of disease; frequency of positive tests is shown to be a bad estimate, and the necessary adjustmants are given.
Urbanization is a major influence on microplastic ingestion by sunfish in the Brazos River Basin, Central Texas, USA.

Microplastics, degraded and weathered polymer-based particles, and manufactured products ranging between 50 and 5000 μm in size, are found within marine, freshwater, and estuarine environments. While numerous peer-reviewed papers have quantified the ingestion of microplastics by marine vertebrates, relatively few studies have focused on microplastic ingestion by freshwater organisms. This study documents microplastic and manufactured fiber ingestion by bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and longear (Lepomis megalotis) sunfish (Centrarchidae) from the Brazos River Basin, between Lake Whitney and Marlin, Texas, USA. Fourteen sample sites were studied and categorized into urban, downstream, and upstream areas. A total of 436 sunfish were collected, and 196 (45%) stomachs contained microplastics. Four percent (4%) of items sampled were debris on the macro size scale (i.e. >5 mm) and consisted of masses of plastic, metal, Styrofoam, or fishing material, while 96% of items sampled were in the form of microplastic threads. Fish length was statistically correlated to the number of microplastics detected (p = 0.019). Fish collected from urban sites displayed the highest mean number of microplastics ingested, followed by downstream and upstream sites. Microplastics were associated with the ingestion of other debris items (e.g. sand and wood) and correlated to the ingestion of fish eggs, earthworms, and mollusks, suggesting that sunfish incidentally ingest microplastics during their normal feeding methods. The high frequency of microplastic ingestion suggest that further research is needed to determine the residence time of microplastics within the stomach and gut, potential for food web transfer, and adverse effects on wildlife and ecosystemic health.
Enhancement of Thermal Sensitivity of Xenografted Human DLD-2 Tumors by Administration of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor

It has previously been shown that administration of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) to mice bearing xenografted human DLD-2 carcinomas produces significant increases in tumor growth rates and decreased intratumor hypoxia, effects which appear to be secondary to changes in the vasculature. In this study, we treated DLD-2 tumors with FGF-2 (ip, 0.25 mg/kg, q.i.d. x 7) beginning on day 15 after implantation, when average tumor volumes were 238 mm3. One day after cessation of administration of FGF-2 (day 22 after implantation, average tumor volume 1748.1 mm3), clamped tumors were given hyperthermia (42.5 degrees C, 60 min) by water bath heating. The slower-growing tumors in the control mice (sham-injected with Hanks' basic salt solution) were clamped and subjected to hyperthermia treatment at equivalent average tumor volumes (1882.7 mm3), which occurred on day 26 after implantation. Tumors in control groups were clamped but not heated. The time needed for neoplasms to grow to twice their volumes at the time of hyperthermia treatment was 68 days for the FGF-2-treated neoplasms and 47 days for the controls, while 26 and 31 days were needed for the control groups which were not treated with heat. The relative growth delay induced by hyperthermia is therefore 16 (47-31) days for control neoplasms and 42 (68-26) days for FGF-2-treated tumors. Therefore, tumors in the mice injected with FGF-2 were significantly more sensitive to the hyperthermia than controls, by a factor of about 2.6 (42/16). This result indicates that administration of growth factors such as FGF-2 to mice bearing tumors may produce an increased sensitivity of the tumors to hyperthermia.
Progresses of Rapid Detection Technique for Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most important food-borne pathogens,which can cause serious listeriosis disease.So we pay more and more attention to it.A variety of rapid detection techniques have been developed rapidly.This paper summarized and discussed the rapid detection techniques for Listeria monocytogenes that based on routine culture,molecular biology,immunology and sensor technology.
Digital SLR Astrophotography: Astrophotography with non-SLR-digital cameras

If your digital camera is not a DSLR, it has a smaller sensor with a higher noise level, making it unsuitable for deep-sky work. More importantly, it doesn't have interchangeable lenses. Those facts don't make it useless. Non-SLR digital cameras have one great advantage – their shutters are almost totally vibration-free. This enables them to get sharp images of the sun, moon, and planets (Figures A.1–A.3). In fact, a Nikon Coolpix 990 is my usual camera for photographing lunar eclipses. The coupling of camera to telescope has to be afocal; that is, the camera is aimed into the telescope's eyepiece. Numerous adapters to hold the camera in place are available; my favorite, which only works with older Nikon cameras, is a ScopeTronix eyepiece that threads directly into the filter threads of the camera. With a bright image of the Moon, the camera can be hand-held. Set the camera to infinity focus (the mountain symbol), turn off the flash, and focus the telescope while viewing the display on the camera. If the Moon fills the field, the camera can autoexpose; otherwise, you'll have to set the exposure manually by trial and error. Set the self-timer (delayed shutter release) so that the picture will not be taken until you have let go of the the camera and it has stopped vibrating. The examples shown here are single images, but you can of course take many exposures of the same object and combine them with RegiStax (p. 206).
The Historical Significance of Anaesthesia Events at Pearl Harbor

Up to the end of World War II, less than 10% of the general anaesthetics administered was with intravenous barbiturates. The remaining 90% of anaesthetics given in the USA were with diethyl ether. In the United Kingdom and elsewhere, chloroform was also popular. Diethyl ether administration was a relatively safe and simple procedure, often delegated to nurses or junior doctors with little or no specific training in anaesthesia. During the Japanese attack on the US bases at Pearl Harbor, with reduced stocks of diethyl ether available, intravenous Sodium Pentothal(®), a most 'sophisticated and complex' drug, was used with devastating effects in many of those hypovolaemic, anaemic and septic patients. The hazards of spinal anaesthesia too were realised very quickly. These effects were compounded by the dearth of trained anaesthetists. This paper presents the significance of the anaesthesia tragedies at Pearl Harbor, and the discovery in the next few years of many other superior drugs that caused medical and other health professionals to realise that anaesthesia needed to be a specialist medical discipline in its own right. Specialist recognition, aided by the foundation of the National Health Service in the UK, the establishment of Faculties of Anaesthesia and appropriate training in pharmacology, physiology and other sciences soon followed. Modern anaesthesiology, as we understand it today, was born and a century or more of ether anaesthesia finally ceased.
Crystal Symmetry and the Diffraction Pattern

In Chap. 1 we introduced the concepts of external symmetry of crystals, form and habit, mirrors, rotation, and center of symmetry. We alluded to the relation between these external manifestations of regularity in solids and the internal regularity of atomic arrangements, but we deferred any detailed discussion of that topic until now. While we noted that in principle all n-fold rotational axes could occur, we said that only 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 6-fold axes were compatible with the translational repetition of a crystal lattice. In this chapter we will prove that statement. We introduced the 14 Bravais lattices — we shall now demonstrate how these lattices may be identified as the only ones necessary to describe all crystalline solids. The reader might imagine that when we begin to discuss the arrangement of atoms in the unit cells of the Bravais lattices, an infinite number of arrangements would be possible. Instead we shall show that the limitations on atomic arrangements imposed by symmetry constrain the number of patterns to only two for one-dimensional crystals, seventeen for two-dimensional crystals, and two hundred thirty for three-dimensional crystals.
The use of a hydrophobic bonding constant for structure-activity correlations.

Evidence is presented to show that, assuming other factors constant, the variation in biological response in a set of congeneric drugs can be represented as a function of the partition coefficient. The form of this function is the same as the form of the normal distribution. Building upon this foundation, one can use substituent constants to quantitatively separate the hydrophobic bonding and the electronic and steric effects of substituents. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work was supported by Research Grant GM-07492 from the National Institutes of Health.
Studies of Superconducting Nb3AxB1 − x Alloys

Pseudobinary alloys of the form Nb3AxB1 − x (where A and B represent the nontransition elements Al, Ga, Ge, and Si) were prepared and studied using X-ray diffraction. An A15 phase of Nb3Si and Al5 ternary derivatives were identified. The variation of the superconducting transition temperature T c and the Al5 lattice parameter a 0 as a function of composition was measured.
How to Make an Active Zone: Unexpected Universal Functional Redundancy between RIMs and RIM-BPs

RIMs and RIM-binding proteins (RBPs) are evolutionary conserved multidomain proteins of presynaptic active zones that are known to recruit Ca(2+) channels; in addition, RIMs perform well-recognized functions in tethering and priming synaptic vesicles for exocytosis. However, deletions of RIMs or RBPs in mice cause only partial impairments in various active zone functions and have no effect on active zone structure, as visualized by electron micrographs, suggesting that their contribution to active zone functions is limited. Here, we show in synapses of the calyx of Held in vivo and hippocampal neurons in culture that combined, but not individual, deletions of RIMs and RBPs eliminate tethering and priming of synaptic vesicles, deplete presynaptic Ca(2+) channels, and ablate active zone complexes, as analyzed by electron microscopy of chemically fixed synapses. Thus, RBPs perform unexpectedly broad roles at the active zone that together with those of RIMs are essential for all active zone functions.
Theorizing sexuality, by Stevi Jackson and Sue Scott, New York, Open University Press, 2010, 166 pp., $38.16 (paperback), 978-0335218240

In the introduction to Theorizing Sexuality, Jackson and Scott explain their aim to create ‘a distinctively sociological approach to sexuality in order to emphasize the centrality of the social in ...
Institutionalizing postpartum intrauterine device (IUD) services in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Nepal: study protocol for a cluster-randomized stepped-wedge trial.

During the year following the birth of a child, 40% of women are estimated to have an unmet need for contraception. The copper IUD provides safe, effective, convenient, and long-term contraceptive protection that does not interfere with breastfeeding during the postpartum period. Postpartum IUD (PPIUD) insertion should be performed by a trained provider in the early postpartum period to reduce expulsion rates and complications, but these services are not widely available. The International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FIGO) will implement an intervention that aims to institutionalize PPIUD training as a regular part of the OB/GYN training program and to integrate it as part of the standard practice at the time of delivery in intervention hospitals. This trial uses a cluster-randomized stepped wedge design to assess the causal effect of the FIGO intervention on the uptake and continued use of PPIUD and of the effect on subsequent pregnancy and birth. This trial also seeks to measure institutionalization of PPIUD services in study hospitals and diffusion of these services to other providers and health facilities. This study will also include a nested mixed-methods performance evaluation to describe intervention implementation. This study will provide critical evidence on the causal effects of hospital-based PPIUD provision on contraceptive choices and reproductive health outcomes, as well as on the feasibility, acceptability and longer run institutional impacts in three low- and middle-income countries. Trial registered on March 11, 2016 with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02718222 .
Medial Gastrocnemius Flap

This chapter describes the key steps of a medial pedicled gastrocnemius flap for soft tissue coverage of knee defects, proximal tibial wounds, and distal thigh wounds. In addition to providing step-by-step instructions, postoperative care, and complications, a sample dictation is provided.
Visual programming in an X Windows workstation environment

The concept of visual programming, merged with contemporary user interfaces for workstations has tremendous potential to transform non high level programmers into visual programmers. Furthermore, visual programming provides an excellent prototyping environment, one which allows the user to intuitively grasp difficult concepts. In this paper we describe our visual programming environment, termed Eyes, and explain how we intend to apply it toward education.
Differentiating Renal Neoplasms From Simple Cysts on Contrast-Enhanced CT on the Basis of Attenuation and Homogeneity

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to compare the attenuation and homogeneity of renal neoplasms with those of cysts on contrast-enhanced CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A total of 129 renal neoplasms and 24 simple cysts were evaluated. Two readers determined whether each mass was qualitatively heterogeneous or homogeneous. Mean, minimum, and maximum attenuation values were measured. Statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS. A total of 116 heterogeneous renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) (99 clear cell, four papillary, four oncocytic, seven chromophobe, and two unclassified RCCs), 13 homogeneous RCCs (10 papillary, two oncocytic, and one chromophobe RCC), and 24 cysts (all of which were homogeneous) were evaluated. All homogeneous RCCs had mean attenuation values of more than 42 HU, whereas renal cysts had mean attenuation values of up to 30 HU (p < 0.001). Two readers qualitatively and identically categorized all RCCs as homogeneous or heterogeneous (κ = 1.0; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION. Homogeneous simple renal...
Experimental evaluation of a vibration-based leak detection technique for water pipelines

Conventional water pipeline leak detection surveys employ labour-intensive acoustic techniques, which are usually expensive and not amenable for continuous monitoring of distribution systems. Many ...
Variable refocusing flip angle single-shot fast spin echo imaging of liver lesions: increased speed and lesion contrast

To evaluate acquisition time and clinical image quality of a variable refocusing flip angle (vrf) single-shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) sequence in comparison with a conventional SSFSE sequence for imaging of liver lesions in patients undergoing whole-body PET/MRI for oncologic staging. A vrfSSFSE sequence was acquired in 43 patients with known pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors undergoing 68Ga-DOTA-TOC PET on a simultaneous time-of-flight 3.0T PET/MRI. Liver lesions ≥1.5 cm with radionucleotide uptake were analyzed. Contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were measured, and four blinded radiologists assessed overall image quality. Differences in repetition time and CNR were assessed using a paired Student’s t test with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Inter-reader variability was assessed with Fleiss’ kappa statistic. 53 eligible lesions in 27 patients were included for analysis. vrfSSFSE demonstrated higher mean lesion CNR compared to SSFSE (9.9 ± 4.1 vs. 6.7 ± 4.1, p < 0.001). Mean repetition time (TR) was 679 ± 97 ms for the vrfSSFSE sequence compared to 1139 ± 106 ms for SSFSE (p < 0.0001), corresponding to a 1.7-fold decrease in acquisition time. Overall quality of liver lesion and common bile duct images with the vrfSSFSE sequence was graded as superior than or equivalent to the SSFSE sequence for 59% and 67% of patients, respectively. Compared to conventional SSFSE, vrfSSFSE resulted in improved lesion contrast on simultaneous PET/MRI in patients with liver metastases. Due to decreased SAR demands, vrfSSFSE significantly decreased TR, allowing coverage of the entire liver in a single twenty-second breath hold. This may have important clinical implications in the setting of PET/MRI, where scan time is limited by the necessity of whole-body image acquisition in addition to bed specific imaging.