cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies of NMDA- and non-NMDA-mediated neurotoxicity in cultured neurons.

Abstract The neurotoxic effects of various glutamate agonists were studied using whole fetal rat brain cultures. The results showed that L -glutamate ( L -glu) and N -methyl- D -aspartate (NMDA) were the most potent agonists for inducing neurotoxicity, producing significant toxicity at 0.10 and 0.01 mM concentrations, respectively. Kainic acid (KA) and quisqualic acid (QA) also produced neurotoxicity, but only at a relatively high concentration (1.0 mM). No other glutamate agonist tested produced neurotoxicity in the cultures following brief incubations. The effects of each agonist were found to be Ca 2+ dependent, and the selective NMDA Ca 2+ channel agonist, (5R,10S)-(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate (MK-801), blocked the toxicity produced by all the glutamate agonists. Thus, the results of this study found little or no evidence for a direct non-NMDA receptor mediated neurotoxicity. These results suggest that the neurotoxicity produced by the non-NMDA agonists may be due to one of the following mechanisms: (i) non-specific binding of non-NMDA agonists to NMDA receptor; (ii) release of L -glu via non-NMDA agonists induced depolarization of cell membrane and subsequent activation of NMDA receptor by released L -glu; (iii) inhibition of L -glu uptake by non-NMDA agonists resulting in activation of L -glu receptors including NMDA receptors. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.
Dosimetry on transverse axes of 125I and 192Ir interstitial brachytherapy sources

Dose rates along the transverse axes of {sup 125}I model 6702, {sup 125}I model 6711 and {sup 192}Ir 0.2-mm steel sources for interstitial brachytherapy have been measured in a solid-water phantom for distances up to 10 cm using LiF thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). Specific dose rate constants, the dose rates in water per unit source strength 1 cm along the perpendicular bisector of the source, are determined to be 0.90{plus minus}0.03, 0.85{plus minus}0.03, and 1.09{plus minus}0.03 cGy h{sup {minus}1} U{sup {minus}1} for {sup 125}I model 6702, {sup 125}I model 6711 and {sup 192}Ir 0.2-mm steel sources, respectively (1 U=unit of air kerma strength =1 {mu}Gy m{sup 2} h{sup {minus}1}=1 cGy cm{sup 2} h{sup {minus}1}). In older and obsolete units of source strength (i.e., mCi apparent), these are 1.14{plus minus}0.03, 1.08{plus minus}0.03, and 4.59{plus minus}0.15 cGy h{sup {minus}1} mCi{sup {minus}1} (apparent). Currently accepted values of specific dose rate constant for {sup 125}I sources are up to 20% higher than our measured values which are in good agreement with the results of our Monte Carlo simulations. But for {sup 192}Ir there is good agreement between our measured value of the specific dose rate constant and currently accepted values. The radial dose function formore » {sup 125}I model 6702 is found to be consistently larger than that for {sup 125}I model 6711, with an increasing difference as the distance from the source increases. Our measured values for the radial dose function for {sup 125}I sources are in good agreement with the results of our Monte Carlo simulation as well as the measured values of Schell {ital et} {ital al}. (Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. {bold 13}, 795--799 (1987)) for model 6702 and Ling {ital et} {ital al}. (Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. {bold 9}, 1747--1752 (1983)) for model 6711.« less
Parameters affecting the acquisition of Sidman avoidance

Four studies were conducted to investigate the source of reinforcement of Sidman avoidance. First it was found that the acquisition of avoidance was seriously impaired if there was no immediate stimulus consequence of responding, i.e., proprioceptive and auditory feedback. The second study showed that if the shock-shock interval was split so that only responses occurring in one half of the interval were effective in postponing shock, then learning was impaired. It made little difference which half of the interval was used. The third study demonstrated that Ss learn Sidman avoidance more quickly with a variable shock-shock interval than with the usual fixed-interval procedure. The results of the second and third experiments argue against the view that avoidance is reinforced by the decrease in conditioned aversiveness that occurs at long post-shock times. The final experiment indicated that Ss do not learn Sidman avoidance if the response-produced delay of shock is preceded by a shock, hence it seems unlikely that the crucial source of reinforcement is merely an overall reduction in shock density. All of the findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the avoidance response is reinforced by the decrease in conditioned aversiveness of stimuli at short post-response times. This seems to be the case even at the beginning of acquisition.
Qualitative survey of two coleopteran predators of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) and Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) using a multiple prey gut content ELISA

A multiple serodiagnostic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MS ELISA) is described that facilitated the simultaneous examination of insect predation on two economically important cotton pests, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). Using this MS ELISA in combination with specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to both B. tabaci and P. gossypiella , we assayed 663 collops beetles, Collops vittatus (Say), and 613 convergent ladybird beetles, Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, for the presence of prey remains in the gut. A large proportion of each beetle population tested positive, suggesting that collops and ladybird beetles are active predators on both B. tabaci and P. gossypiella. The advantages and limitations of our multiple prey gut content assay (MS ELISA) are discussed.
Contributions of Trabecular Rods of Various Orientations in Determining the Elastic Properties of Human Vertebral Trabecular Bone

Osteoporosis is an age-related disease characterized by low bone mass and architectural deterioration. Other than bone volume fraction (BV/TV), microarchitecture of trabecular bone, such as trabecular type (rods or plates), connectivity, and orientation of the trabecular network is also believed to be important in governing the mechanical properties of trabecular bone. A recent study [1] showed that the microarchitecture alone affects elastic moduli of trabecular bone and, further, that trabecular plates make a far greater contribution than rods. In human vertebral trabecular bone, the roles of transverse vs. vertical rods in conferring mechanical properties of trabecular bone have been debated [2, 3]. It has been suggested that the role of transverse trabecular rod is critical in determining elastic modulus of vertebral trabecular bone. However, without explicit classifications of trabecular type, or orientation assessment at an individual trabecula level, it is not possible yet to test this hypothesis in human trabecular bone samples despite the development of three-dimensional (3D) micro computed tomography (μCT) and μCT based finite element (FE) models of human trabecular bone. With the newly developed technique of complete volumetric decomposition and individual trabecula based orientation analyses [4], now it is possible to quantitatively examine the contributions of trabecular rods of various orientations in the elastic properties of vertebral trabecular bone.© 2007 ASME
The divergent effects of endotoxin fractions on human plasma and leukocytes.

Abstract Bacterial endotoxin is a lipid-polysaccharide-protein complex with many biological effects. We have fractioned crude endotoxin by centrifugation, acid hydrolysis and column chromatography into preparations of various molecular weights containing primarily polysaccharide or polysaccharide with known amounts of lipid. These fractions were tested in vitro for stimulation of kininogen depletion in heparinized human plasma and for stimulation of lysozyme leak from isolated human polymorphonuclear granulocytes. All fractions regardless of molecular size were capable of stimulating kininogen depletion in plasma, with the fraction highest in polysaccharide being the most potent. In contrast, only the large molecular size fractions were capable of interacting with granulocytes to produce a lysozyme leak, and the polysaccharide fraction was completely ineffective. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that endotoxin has a polysaccharide antigen which reacts with antibody and complement in plasma to stimulate kinin-forming enzymes. However, chemically unaltered endotoxin of large molecular size is necessary for interaction with granulocytes and complement to stimulate phagocytic activity by the cells. Correlating these data with those previously obtained, we conclude that the endotoxin-granulocyte interaction is likely to be more important in producing toxicity and kinin formation in vivo than the endotoxin-plasma interaction.
Correlation of antioxidant depletion and mechanical performance during thermal degradation of an HTPB elastomer

Abstract Thermal degradation studies of a stabilized HTPB based elastomer were conducted at temperatures from 50 °C to 110 °C. The concentration of extractable antioxidant (AO2246) in the polymer was quantified via AO extraction and a gas chromatography-based method using internal standards. The decrease in extractable AO levels as a function of time and temperature was evaluated and correlated with mechanical property changes. Most importantly, AO depletion features were found to be temperature dependent. At elevated temperatures (>80 °C) extractable AO levels decreased rapidly and faster than the concurrent loss in mechanical properties. While extractable AO concentrations decrease quickly, the material is able to maintain some useful mechanical properties, perhaps via non-extractable or grafted AO species formed during degradation providing additional protection. At lower aging temperatures extractable or free AO levels decreased more slowly than the mechanical properties. Therefore, for condition monitoring purposes a universal correlation between AO levels and aging state or material condition could not be established. Most importantly, however, loss of mechanical properties and oxidative degradation is observed at lower temperatures despite significant levels of free antioxidant in the material. The antioxidant appears to be limited in its effectiveness to completely prevent degradation reactions, or only fractions of the total AO available are actually involved in the inhibition process.
Vaccinia Virus F13L Protein with a Conserved Phospholipase Catalytic Motif Induces Colocalization of the B5R Envelope Glycoprotein in Post-Golgi Vesicles

The wrapping of intracellular mature vaccinia virions by modified trans-Golgi or endosomal cisternae to form intracellular enveloped virions is dependent on at least two viral proteins encoded by the B5R and F13L open reading frames. B5R is a type I integral membrane glycoprotein, whereas F13L is an unglycosylated, palmitylated protein with a motif that is conserved in a superfamily of phospholipid-metabolizing enzymes. Microscopic visualization of the F13L protein was achieved by fusing it to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP). F13L-GFP was functional when expressed by a recombinant vaccinia virus in which it replaced the wild-type F13L gene or by transfection of uninfected cells with a plasmid vector followed by infection with an F13L deletion mutant. In uninfected or infected cells, F13L-GFP was associated with Golgi cisternae and post-Golgi vesicles containing the LAMP 2 late endosomal-lysosomal marker. Association of F13L-GFP with vesicles was dependent on an intact phospholipase catalytic motif and sites of palmitylation. The B5R protein was also associated with LAMP2-containing vesicles when F13L-GFP was coexpressed, but was largely restricted to Golgi cisternae in the absence of F13L-GFP or when the F13L moiety was mutated. We suggest that the F13L protein, like its human phospholipase D homolog, regulates vesicle formation and that this process is involved in intracellular enveloped virion membrane formation.
In-plane inertial coupling in tuned and severely mistuned bladed disks

A model has been developed and verified for blade-disk-shaft coupling in rotors due to the in-plane rigid body modes of the disk. An analytic model has been developed which couples the in-plane rigid body modes of the disk on an elastic shaft with the blade bending modes. Bench resonance test were carried out on the M.I.T. Compressor Rotor, typical of research rotors with flexible blades and a thick rigid disk. When the rotor was carefully tuned, the structural coupling of the blades by the disks was confined to zero and one nodal diameter modes, whose modal frequencies were greater than the blade cantilever frequency. In the case of the tuned rotor, and in two cases where severe mistuning was intentionally introduced, agreement between the predicted and observed natural frequencies is excellent. The analytic model was then extended to include the effects of constant angular rotation of the disk.
Micro-system for the primary immunization of baboon (Papio cynocephalus) peripheral blood mononuclear cells with sheep erythrocytes in vitro.

Abstract A micro-culture system for the stimulation of baboon peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) in vitro was established. PBMC cultures in 96-well microtiter plates were maintained in 300 μl of culture medium containing a murine mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) supernatant and SRBC. Cultures of 7.5 × 105 PBMC and 6 × 106 SRBC resulted in the highest anti-SRBC plaque-forming cell (PFC) response. It was also determined that the presence of 50 μl of murine MLR supernatant was required for optimal PFC generation and that the cultures required supplementation with nutrient cocktail 3 days post-immunization. Although PFC were detectable on days 4–8, the maximum expression of PFC occurred on day 7.
Development of vaginal erosion and vesicocutaneous fistula following midurethral transvaginal tape with PelviLace for treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common diagnosis that greatly impacts quality of life for many women. Current therapies implement the use of suburethral slings, either synthetic or xenografts, to remedy this condition. In this study, we report on a patient with SUI, treated with PelviLace® Biourethral Support, who suffered multiple issues postoperatively.
Civilians in a World at War, 1914–1918

Tammy M. Proctor. Civilians in a World at War, 1914–1918. New York: New York University Press, 2010. Pp. 400. More historians ought to write broader histories than they do, to try to escape the ext...
Comments on “Coastally Trapped Wind Reversals along the United States West Coast during the Warm Season. Part II: Synoptic Evolution”

The authors have done a service to the coastal meteorological community by publishing their climatology on coastally trapped events (Bond et al. 1996; Mass and Bond 1996). They are to be complimented for their useful research, which has long been needed but has not been done on account of the extensive effort required. Unfortunately, the authors make interpretative statements in Mass and Bond (1996) (hereafter referred to as MB) that do not seem to be supported. This comment expresses alternative views on some of these statements.
The Radiative Cooling Calculation for Application to General Circulation Experiments

Abstract The Atmospheric Radiation Tables (ART) of Elsasser and Culbertson were used to calculate the atmospheric radiation, and the results are compared with those of other methods. The cooling rate calculated from ART agrees well with cooling rates calculated by more accurate methods, but the downward flux of water vapor bands computed from ART was found to be too small. This discrepancy may be attributed to smaller absorptivities used for the construction of their tables and to the assumption of the absorption coefficients at low temperature. The absorption functions in Yamamoto's chart were then used for the radiative flux calculations, and the downward flux obtained with this chart was found to be more reliable. To reduce computing time, the absorption functions of water vapor and carbon dioxide in Yamamoto's chart were expressed in the form of analytical functions. Numerical integration was carried out to obtain the net flux distribution in the atmosphere. The results compare favorably with those of...
Developmental and hormonal regulation of midgut remodeling in a lepidopteran insect, Heliothis virescens

Midgut tissue undergoes remodeling during metamorphosis in insects belonging to orders Lepidoptera and Diptera. We investigated the developmental and hormonal regulation of these remodeling events in lepidopteran insect, Heliothis virescens. In H. virescens, programmed cell death (PCD) of larval midgut cells as well as proliferation and differentiation of imaginal cells began at 108 h after ecdysis to the final larval instar (AEFL) and proceeded through the pupal stages. Expression patterns of pro- cell death factors (caspase-1 and ICE) and anti-cell death factor, Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) were studied in midguts during last larval and pupal stages. IAP, Caspase-1 and ICE mRNAs showed peaks at 48 h AEFL, 96 h AEFL and in newly formed pupae, respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis substantiated high caspase-3 activity in midgut at 108 h AEFL. Application of methoprene, a juvenile hormone analog (JHA) blocked PCD by maintaining high levels of IAP, downregulating the expression of caspase-1, ICE and inhibiting an increase in caspase-3 protein levels in midgut tissue. Also, the differentiation of imaginal cells was impaired by methoprene treatment. These studies demonstrate that presence of JHA during final instar larvae affects both midgut remodeling and larval-pupal metamorphosis leading to larval/pupal deformities in lepidopteran insects, a mechanism that is different from that in mosquito, Ae. aegypti where JHA uncouples midgut remodeling from metamorphosis.
CHARACTERIZATION OF ALPHA-ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS IN NEONATAL PIGLET AORTAS BY RADIOLIGAND BINDING

Vascular smooth muscle cell membranes were prepared from neonatal piglet aortas by homogenization, low speed centrifugation to remove intact cells and ultracentrifugation. Aliquots of the membrane preparation containing 100 micrograms of membrane protein (Lowry assay) were then incubated in tris buffer pH 7.45 at 25°C with varying concentrations of either tritiated prazosin (selective alpha-1 antagonist) or tritiated yohimbine (selective alpha-2 antagonist). Incubation was stopped by addition of ice cold tris; radioligand bound to the membrane preparation was separated from free radioligand by rapid filtration. Non-specific binding (other than to alpha receptors) to membrane prep or filter was quantified by identical procedure with the addition of 10 mM 1-norepinephrine to the incubation medium to occupy alpha receptors. No specific binding of prazosin to membrane preparations was observed. Specific, saturable binding of yohimbine was observed and was analyzed by Scatchard plot giving a dissociation constant of 2.4 nM and a receptor content of 100 fmole/mg membrane protein. These preliminary observations suggest that the major alpha receptor subtype in the neonatal piglet aorta is the alpha-2 receptor, and there may be no alpha-1 receptors present.
Inhibition of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumorigenesis and DMBA-DNA adduct formation by curcumin.

Curcumin, a constituent of the traditional Indian spice and medicine turmeric, was evaluated for its capacity to inhibit the mammary tumor initiating activity of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and the in vivo formation of mammary DMBA-DNA adducts in the female rat. Administration (i.p.) of curcumin at 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg doses was associated with a significant decrease in the number of palpable mammary tumors and mammary adenocarcinomas. The in vivo formation of mammary DMBA-DNA adducts also was depressed for animals administered curcumin doses from 50 mg/kg to 200 mg/kg. There was, however, no significant enhancement of liver glutathione-S-transferase activity following curcumin administration. Therefore, curcumin when administered i.p. can act as an effective chemopreventative agent towards DMBA-induced rat mammary tumorigenesis and mammary adduct formation.
Pubertal growth and development and prenatal and lactational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene

Abstract Objectives: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) are ubiquitous toxic environmental contaminants. Prenatal and early life exposures affect pubertal events in experimental animals. We studied whether prenatal or lactational exposures to background levels of PCBs or DDE were associated with altered pubertal growth and development in humans. Study design: Follow-up of 594 children from an existing North Carolina cohort whose prenatal and lactational exposures had previously been measured. Height, weight, and stage of pubertal development were assessed through annual mail questionnaires. Results: Height of boys at puberty increased with transplacental exposure to DDE, as did weight adjusted for height; adjusted means for those with the highest exposures (maternal concentration 4+ ppm fat) were 6.3 cm taller and 6.9 kg larger than those with the lowest (0 to 1 ppm). There was no effect on the ages at which pubertal stages were attained. Lactational exposures to DDE had no apparent effects; neither did transplacental or lactational exposure to PCBs. Girls with the highest transplacental PCB exposures were heavier for their heights than other girls by 5.4 kg, but differences were significant only if the analysis was restricted to white girls. Conclusions: Prenatal exposures at background levels may affect body size at puberty. (J Pediatr 2000;136:490-6)
Primary amyloidosis of the ureter and renal pelvis.

We present a rare case of primary amyloidosis involving the ureter and renal pelvis. Histologic examination is required to distinguish this condition from transitional cell carcinoma. Intra-operative diagnosis of amyloidosis by frozen section may allow for a conservative surgical approach.
Computing homology using generalized Gröbner bases

A well-known theorem due to Manin gives a relationship between modular symbols for a congruence subgroup @C"0(N) of SL"2(Z) and the homology of the modular curve X"0(N), making the homology easier to compute. A corresponding theorem of Ash (1992) allows for explicit computation of the homology of congruence subgroups of SL"3(Z) with coefficients in a given representation V. Applying Ash@?s theorem requires finding the invariants of an ideal in the group algebra Z[SL"3(Z)] on V. We employ a generalized notion of Grobner bases for a non-commutative group algebra in order to determine a minimal generating set for the desired ideal.
Studies of peat as the input to coalification, I. Rationale and preliminary examination of polysaccharides in peats

Abstract It is widely believed that minerals of the huminite and vitrinite groups in coals consist to an important extent of a cross-linked macromolecular network, but in spite of debate that has extended over 60 years or more, the nature of the starting materials for this network, and the manner in which it is formed, are still not satisfactorily settled, though some advances resulting from the use of cross-polarization, magic-angle spinning, 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance and pyrolysis techniques have been made recently. In a preliminary study peats in two cores from the Florida Everglades were fractionated by procedures adapted from those used in soil science. Measurements of optical rotation and viscometric molecular weights show that the plant polysaccharides are already altered in surface litter. Acid hydrolysates of whole peat and the humic acid and humin fractions gave distributions of sugars different from what is expected from plant polysaccharides; that is, hemicelluloses and α-cellulose seem to have been at least partly destroyed and various bacterial and/or fungal polysaccharides added. Better procedures for the fractionation and analysis of peat are needed.
Constructing a Historiography of Mexican Women and Gender

Although the initial motivation for the first conference was to bring together scholars working on Mexican women’s history in the revolutionary and post-revolutionary period, largely in order to publish a much-needed comprehensive collection about women’s experiences during this period of Mexican history, subsequent conferences have expanded to explore women’s and gender history (including the history of masculinity as well as femininity and the history of sexuality) over a much broader period: from the colonial era up to the present, widening its impact on Mexican historiography. However, since my work, which I used as a base for formal presentations and less formal discussions at the first and second conferences, focuses on women’s organising and representations of women and femininity in the post-revolutionary period, my discussion of the impact of these conferences focuses on the first two conferences and the exchanges they encouraged regarding women’s and gender history in the revolutionary and post-revolutionary periods. The Mexican Revolution was a bloody civil war between classes, ‘Indians’ and Mestizos, regions and political orientations and approaches to reform. Historians have long debated both the causes and consequences of this war, arguing especially over the degree to which the Revolution and the post-revolutionary reform process which followed represented a popular movement giving agency to subaltern groups such as peasants, labour, indigenous groups and women; or constituted a populist and/or authoritarian political and social phenomenon – which served merely to co-opt these popular forces to serve the interests of middle and upper class elites. 3 Certainly the Revolution was a reaction to the authoritarian and oligarchical tendencies of the ‘Porifiriato’ (the period in which Porfirio Diaz served as Mexico’s president, 1876–1911). Further, during the first decade of the twentieth century, political and economic trends combined to exacerbate such tendencies, and many working class Mexicans became increasingly angered by their inability to benefit from the Porfiriato’s alleged modernisation. At the same time, middle-sector Mexicans became frustrated
Quantum Entanglement in Carbon Nanotubes

With the surge of research in quantum information, the issue of producing entangled states has gained prominence. Here, we show that judiciously bringing together two systems of strongly interacting electrons with vastly differing ground states---the gapped BCS superconductor and the Luttinger liquid---can result in quantum entanglement. We propose three sets of measurements involving single-walled metallic carbon nanotubes which have been shown to exhibit Luttinger liquid physics, to test our claim and as nanoscience experiments of interest in and of themselves.
Protection of auditory receptors and neurons: evidence for interactive damage.

The complex architecture of the inner ear, aptly named the labyrinth by early anatomists, houses the senses of both hearing and balance. The cochlea distributes pressure variations derived from sound along the length of its coils, in a frequency-dependent manner. As these variations in fluid pressure move the basilar membrane that divides the cochlea longitudinally, they deform the stereocilia of sensory cells known as hair cells in the attached epithelium. After amplification of basilar membrane motion by the mechanically active outer hair cells, the inner hair cells convert the stimulus into neuronal impulses via afferent synapses with the dendrites of primary auditory neurons. The hair cells and neurons are the most vulnerable elements in the cochlea, and damage to them is the most common cause of permanent hearing loss (Fig. 1). The paper by Duan et al. (1) in this issue of PNAS advances the possibility, emerging over the past few years, that damage to hair cells and neurons can be prevented. Moreover, it does so in a surprising and unexpected manner. Figure 1 Scanning electron micrographs of the normal ( a ) and damaged ( b ) cochlear sensory epithelium. In the normal cochlea, the stereocilia of a single row of inner hair cells (IHCs) and three rows of outer hair cells (OHCs) are present in an orderly array. In the damaged cochlea, hair cells are missing, and stereocilia are abnormal, leading to hearing loss. Duan et al . (1) present data indicating that hair cell damage can be prevented by protecting the postsynaptic structures of their associated sensory neurons. (Micrographs are courtesy of Elizabeth M. Keithley.) Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) can result from a variety of causes, including genetic disorders, infectious disease, overexposure to intense sound, and certain drugs. By far the most prevalent cause of the loss of sensorineural elements from the cochlea …
Deformation processed composite wires from gas-atomized CuCrAg powder

Abstract Deformation processed Cu7.7Cr2.2Ag composite wires produced from gas-atomized powder show substantial strengthening beyond that observed for wires produced from an arc-melted casting og higher Cr content. Development during processing of an elongated fiber shape from the primary spheroids appears to be dependent on morphology, but this does not seem to be deleterious to the cold worked strength.
Ventricular tachycardia induced by atrial stimulation in patients without symptomatic cardiac disease

Ten patients with an unusual form of ventricular tachycardia (VT) are described. All were young (mean age 21 years) at the onset of VT, symptoms were of long duration (mean 7 years), none had symptomatic organic heart disease, VT was induced by atrial and ventricular stimulation, VT had a characteristic QRS morphologic picture resembling right bundle branch block with left-axis deviation and 9 had early retrograde His deflections during VT. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) was excluded in every patient by electrophysiologic study, although QRS morphologic characteristics and clinical stability of these patients during tachycardia frequently led to the diagnosis of SVT before referral. Four patients received verapamil during electrophysiologic testing. Verapamil slowed and terminated VT in all. Three patients are being treated chronically with oral verapamil, 3 patients with conventional antiarrhythmic agents and 1 with a radiofrequency ventricular pacemaker.
The neural basis for motor learning in the vestibulo-ocular reflex in monkeys

Abstract The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is a simple movement that undergoes motor learning in adult humans and monkeys. The time course of this learning suggests that it results from gradual changes in the efficacy of existing synapses. Available data indicate that the site of motor learning may be on cells in the brain stem that receive inhibition from the cerebellar flocculus. The flocculus does not appear to be the site of motor learning in the VOR, although it must be intact for learning to occur. We suggest that the output from the flocculus provides visual signals that guide the learning process at its target neurons. Parallels between learning in the VOR and in other motor systems suggest that the neural basis for learning and the role of the cerebellum may be similar in all systems.
Panel regression formulas for estimating stature and body mass from immature human skeletons: a statistical approach without reference to specific age estimates

Abstract Anthropologists require methods for accurately estimating stature and body mass from the human skeleton. Age-structured, generalized Least Squares (LS) regression formulas have been developed to predict stature from femoral length and to predict body mass in immature human remains using the width of the distal metaphysis, midshaft femoral geometry ( J ), and femoral head diameter. This paper tests the hypothesis that panel regression is an appropriate statistical method for regression modeling of longitudinal growth data, with longitudinal and cross-sectional effects on variance. Reference data were derived from the Denver Growth Study; panel regression was used to create one formula for estimating stature (for individuals 0.5–11.5 years old); two formulas for estimating body mass from the femur in infants and children (0.5–12.5 years old); and one formula for estimating body mass from the femoral head in older subadults (7–17.5 years old). The formulas were applied to an independent target sample of cadavers from Franklin County, Ohio and a large sample of immature individuals from diverse global populations. Results indicate panel regression formulas accurately estimate stature and body mass in immature skeletons, without reference to an independent estimate for age at death. Thus, using panel regression formulas to estimate stature and body mass in forensic and archaeological specimens may reduce second stage errors associated with inaccurate age estimates.
Annual meeting of the committee on insulation

LOOKING BACK at the recent annual meeting of the committee held in Baltimore, it is possible to segregate the material presented in the various progress reports of research into a few groups which indicate the directions in which recent research effort has been directed. As has been usual in past years, the points of departure in nearly all cases have been the problems of practice. Even in those instances in which the work has been done by physicists and chemists, and so is of more fundamental character, there is distinct evidence of effort to link the work with some of the more common manifestations of dielectric behavior as found in practice.
Forgetting rates for verbal, pictorial, and figural stimuli

Literature on forgetting rates is reviewed and related methodological issues are discussed. Descriptive data from 50 subjects are provided for tests which were developed to assess forgetting rates for words, pictures and designs. The three tests are well-matched on initial learning at criterion and have comparable variance and skewness of score distributions. Forgetting rates were similar across the initial 10-min retention interval, but there was a more rapid loss of words than pictures and designs from 10 min to 2 hr, especially in male subjects. Memory for words and pictures steadily declined between 10 min and 48 hr, but there was no further loss for designs after 2 hr. These findings suggest that nonverbal memory storage is more stable than verbal memory storage over intervals of hours to days. Modest sex differences are discussed in terms of potential differences in organization of brain function. The potential utility of these tests in further elucidating the nature of memory impairment in clinical populations is addressed.
Glans penis involvement: an under-recognized manifestation of chronic GVHD

Genital manifestations of chronic GVHD (cGVHD) are generally thought to be limited to female patients, and organ system assessment forms generated by NIH Chronic GVHD Consensus Group include only female genital tract findings. It is not clear whether male genital organ involvement is truly a rare phenomenon in cGVHD, or is simply under-recognized. We report here glans penis involvement in a 41-year-old man, which was discovered when he presented with flare of his cutaneous and oral cGVHD.
Valley splitting in strained silicon quantum wells modeled with 2° miscuts, step disorder, and alloy disorder

Valley splitting (VS) in strained SiGe∕Si∕SiGe quantum wells grown on (001) and 2° miscut substrates is computed in a magnetic field. Calculations of flat structures significantly overestimate, while calculations of perfectly ordered structures underestimate experimentally observed VS. Step disorder and confinement alloy disorder raise the VS to the experimentally observed levels. Atomistic alloy disorder is identified as the critical physics, which cannot be modeled with analytical effective mass theory. NEMO-3D is used to simulate up to 106 atoms, where strain is computed in the valence-force field and electronic structure in the sp3d5s* model.
c-Jun N-terminal Kinase Contributes to Apoptotic Synergy Induced by Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand plus DNA Damage in Chemoresistant, p53 Inactive Mesothelioma Cells

Apoptotic resistance of cancer cells may be overcome by the combination of treatments that activate the two major apoptotic pathways: (i) the death receptor pathway activated by death ligands and (ii) the DNA damage pathway activated by chemotherapy. We have previously shown that mesothelioma cells, resistant to most treatments, are sensitive to the combination of the death ligand tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) plus chemotherapy. We investigated a possible role for c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in the synergistic effect, knowing that JNK can be activated separately by TRAIL and by DNA damage. We chose to study the M28 and REN human mesothelioma cell lines, which are p53-inactivated, to avoid an interaction between p53 and JNK. We showed that JNK was activated by TRAIL and by etoposide and that the activation was enhanced by the combination of the two treatments. We found this activation to be caspase-independent. To inhibit the JNK pathway, we used either dominant-negative constructs of JNK1 and JNK2 (compared with dominant-negative caspase 9) or a chemical inhibitor of the JNK pathway (SP600125). In cells treated with TRAIL plus etoposide, JNK inhibition increased cell survival and decreased apoptosis significantly. In transfected M28 cells, the effect of JNK inhibition was as great as that of the dominant-negative caspase 9 construct. We conclude that JNK contributes to the synergistic effect of TRAIL combined with DNA damage by mediating signals independent of p53 leading to apoptosis.
Spin-glass response time in Ag:Mn: Exponential temperature dependence.

The time dependence of the magnetization of the dilute spin-glass Ag:Mn (2.6 and 4.1 at.%) prepared in the field-cooled state has been measured after the field has been cut off at a constant waiting time. The time dependence is found to be of the stretched exponential form, with a rate constant which varies exponentially with inverse temperature. This result appears consistent with an exponential distribution of independent, random free-energy levels in the spin-glass phase.
Exomethylene Cephams via Zinc/Ammonium Chloride Reduction of Acetoxymethyl Cephems.

Abstract 3-Exomethylene cephalosporins have been prepared in good yield by reduction of esters of cephalosporanic acids with activated zinc dust and ammonium chloride.
An Affine-Invariant Tool for Retrieving Images from Homogeneous Databases

In this paper, we examine the complexities involved in retrieving images from a database comprised of objects of very similar appearance. Such an operation requires a process that can discriminate among images at a very fine level, such as distinguishing among various species of fish. Furthermore, incidental environmental factors such as change in viewpoints and slight, nonessential shape deformation must be excluded from the similarity criteria. To this end, we propose a new method for content-based image retrieval and indexing, one that is well suited for discriminating among objects within the same class in a way that is insensitive to incidental environmental changes. The scheme comprises a global alignment and a local matching process. Affine transform is used to model the different viewpoints associated with positioning the camera, while multi-dimensional indexing techniques are used to make the global alignment scheme efficient. A local matching process based on dynamic programming allows the optimal matching of local structures using cost metrics that may ignore nonessential local shape deformation. Results show the method's ability to cancel out visual distortions caused by a changing viewpoint, and its tolerance to noise, occlusion, and slight deformations of the object.
The relationship between journal productivity and obsolescence

This study examined the relationship between journal productivity and journal obsolescence for a database of references from articles dealing with desalination. Although these two variables have often been studied in isolation, no previous studies have examined their interaction within a single subject literature. It was hypothesized that those journals that were most productive would, on the average, have relatively short active lives, and that as journal productivity decreased, the average active lives of the articles contributed by a journal would increase. The number of references to a particular journal in the database was used as a measure of that journal's productivity. The measure of obsolescence used was the median age of the references to a particular journal. The hypothesized inverse linear relationship was not found to hold, although the data did exhibit an inverse tendency. It was found that highly productive journals did tend to have low journal median citation ages, and that high journal median citation ages were always associated with journals that were unproductive in terms of the numbers of references to those journals in the database. These extreme cases appeared to be distributed in a hyperbolic manner. The remaining journals, which were not highly productive and did not have high journal median citation ages, appeared to be distributed in a random manner. © 1986 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ultrasonic communication in Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Male Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) produce trains of 125 kHz sound pulses with a striated tymbal located on each tegula. There are nine striae on each tymbal making possible 36 sound pulses during each pulse train. The tymbals are activated by downward pressure of the forewings against the tegular-wing coupler. The sound is produced in two temporal patterns—a slow phase and a buzz phase. The sound produced by a calling male affects the behavior of both male and female C. cephalonica. It may also play a defensive role against other moth species competing with C. cephalonica for the same food resource. C. cephalonica infestations can be discovered and located by detecting male sound. Males can be accurately separated from females either by the presence of sound in living specimens or the presence of striated tymbals on dead specimens.
Modulation of NFκB Activity and E-cadherin by the Type III Transforming Growth Factor β Receptor Regulates Cell Growth and Motility

Transforming growth factor β is growth-inhibitory in non-transformed epithelial cells but becomes growth-promoting during tumorigenesis. The role of the type I and II receptors in tumorigenesis has been extensively studied, but the role of the ubiquitously expressed type III receptor (TβRIII) remains elusive. We developed short hairpin RNAs directed against TβRIII to investigate the role of this receptor in breast cancer tumorigenesis. Nontumorigenic NMuMG mouse cells stably expressing short hairpin RNA specific to mouse TβRIII (NM-kd) demonstrated increased cell growth, motility, and invasion as compared with control cells expressing shRNA to human TβRIII (NM-con). Reconstitution of TβRIII expression with rat TβRIII abrogated the increased growth and motility seen in the NM-kd cells. In addition, the NM-kd cells exhibited marked reduction in the expression of the adherens junction protein, E-cadherin. This loss of E-cadherin was due to increased NFκB activity that, in turn, resulted in increased expression of the transcriptional repressors of E-cadherin such as Snail, Slug, Twist, and Sip1. Finally, NMuMG cells in which TβRIII had been knocked down formed invasive tumors in athymic nude mice, whereas the control cells did not. These data indicate that TβRIII acts as a tumor suppressor in nontumorigenic mammary epithelial cells at least in part by inhibiting NFκB-mediated repression of E-cadherin.
Norms of size and annual increments of five anatomical measures of the mandible in girls from 3 to 16 years of age

Abstract Mixed longitudinal sample was composed of fifty girls observed annually for a minimum of 6 years during childhood and adolescence. Data were derived from cephalograms; measurements were corrected for distortion and enlargement. Means and standard deviations of size and annual increments were computed at each age for ramus height, body length, maximum length, bigonial width and bicondylar width. Growth was greatest in depth (maximum length and body length), next in width (bicondylar width and bigonial width) and least in height (ramus height). The increment rate of mandibular growth decreased over the childhood period, then increased until the circumpuberal maximum was reached, and subsequently decreased. Circumpuberal increase was greater in maximum length, ramus height and bicondylar width, than in body length and bigonial width.
A unique parameterization for the transition potential in muonic x-rays

A single-parameter form approximating the transition potential in muonic atoms is presented. The single-parameter form yields comparable results with that obtained by the Barrett form in radial moment analysis. The single parameter,β, is isotopically independent and is uniquely defined by the particular transition of a given element.
The mitochondrial permeability transition pore regulates Parkinson's disease development in mutant α-synuclein transgenic mice

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder caused by neurodegeneration in neocortex, substantia nigra and brainstem, and synucleinopathy. Some inherited PD is caused by mutations in α-synuclein (αSyn), and inherited and idiopathic PD is associated with mitochondrial perturbations. However, the mechanisms of pathogenesis are unresolved. We characterized a human αSyn transgenic mouse model and tested the hypothesis that the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) is involved in the disease mechanisms. C57BL/6 mice expressing human A53T-mutant αSyn driven by a thymic antigen-1 promoter develop a severe, age-related, fatal movement disorder involving ataxia, rigidity, and postural instability. These mice develop synucleinopathy and neocortical, substantia nigra, and cerebello-rubro-thalamic degeneration involving mitochondriopathy and apoptotic and non-apoptotic neurodegeneration. Interneurons undergo apoptotic degeneration in young mice. Mutant αSyn associated with dysmorphic neuronal mitochondria and bound voltage-dependent anion channels. Genetic ablation of cyclophilin D, an mPTP modulator, delayed disease onset, and extended lifespans of mutant αSyn mice. Thus, mutant αSyn transgenic mice on a C57BL/6 background develop PD-like phenotypes, and the mPTP is involved in their disease mechanisms.