cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microarray analysis of gene expression in granulosal cells from persistent follicles in cattle.

Abstract Granulosal cells form highly specialized membrane connections with the oocyte and each other, allowing the passage of regulatory molecules and metabolites between cells. Gene expression changes in granulosal cells may adversely affect oocyte competence resulting in early embryonic loss. The present study was conducted to analyze global gene expression profiles in granulosal cells from persistent ovarian follicles in cows. Cows were assigned randomly to two groups: growing follicles on day 8 and persistent follicles on day 15 of the estrous cycle (estrus=day 0). Cows in the persistent follicle group received progesterone from CIDR-B devices on days 4 through 13. Granulosal cells were collected from both growing and persistent follicles and used in a direct comparison microarray experiment using a bovine long oligo array representing ∼8400 known genes. Analysis of the microarray data revealed up-regulation of 272 genes ( M -value≥0.9) and down-regulation of 203 genes ( M -value≤−0.9) in granulosal cells from persistent follicles in comparison to growing follicles. Grouping of these genes into themes revealed altered expression of many genes involved in energy and protein metabolism, amino acid transport and apoptosis in granulosal cells of persistent follicles. These data suggest that aged granulosal cells may have a reduced capacity to provide energy and amino acids to the oocyte.
The Effects of Hematopoietic Growth Factors on Neurite Outgrowth

Stem cell factor (SCF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) are initially discovered as the essential hematopoietic growth factors regulating bone marrow stem cell proliferation and differentiation, and SCF in combination with G-CSF (SCF+G-CSF) has synergistic effects on bone marrow stem cell mobilization. In this study we have determined the effect of SCF and G-CSF on neurite outgrowth in rat cortical neurons. Using molecular and cellular biology and live cell imaging approaches, we have revealed that receptors for SCF and G-CSF are expressed on the growth core of cortical neurons, and that SCF+G-CSF synergistically enhances neurite extension through PI3K/AKT and NFκB signaling pathways. Moreover, SCF+G-CSF induces much greater NFκB activation, NFκB transcriptional binding and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) production than SCF or G-CSF alone. In addition, we have also observed that BDNF, the target gene of NFκB, is required for SCF+G-CSF-induced neurite outgrowth. These data suggest that SCF+G-CSF has synergistic effects to promote neurite growth. This study provides new insights into the contribution of hematopoietic growth factors in neuronal plasticity.
Lower Use of Hospice by Cancer Patients who Live in Minority Versus White Areas

Although hospice care can alleviate suffering at the end of life for patients with cancer, it remains underutilized, particularly by African Americans and Hispanics. To examine whether the racial composition of the census tract where an individual resides is associated with hospice use. Retrospective analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare file for individuals dying from breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer (n = 70,669). Hospice use during the 12 months before death. Hospice was most commonly used by individuals who lived in areas with fewer African-American and Hispanic residents (47%), and was least commonly used by individuals who lived in areas with a high percentage of African-American and Hispanic residents (35%). Hispanics (odds ratio 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.29–0.91) and African Americans (0.56, 0.44–0.71) were less likely to use hospice if they lived in a census tract with a high percentage of both African Americans and Hispanics than if they lived in a low minority tract. African Americans and whites were less likely to receive hospice care if they lived in a census tract with a high percentage of Hispanics than if they lived in a low minority area. Increasing hospice use may require interventions to improve the delivery of hospice care in minority communities.
Nonlinear Behavior of Muscle Responses for Four Static Postures Observed at Work

The primary objective of the study was to explore the nonlinear characteristics of surface myoelectrical activity of the biceps muscle during four static postures observed on the assembly line. The results showed significant differences in the largest Lyapunov exponents between four postures. The surface EMG of the biceps brachii was more chaotic under the maximum loading in MVC posture with elbow fully extended (180 degrees) and static posture with 180 degrees shoulder flexion compared to two other static postures. Based on the Kaplan-Yorke dimension, it was found that dimensional complexity was higher for MVC posture than for posture with 135 degrees shoulder flexion, posture with 180 degrees shoulder flexion, and posture with 90 degrees shoulder flexion and abduction. Interaction effects of posture and trial with respect to the largest Lyapunov exponents and Kaplan-Yorke dimension characteristics of the EMG signals showed higher levels of chaos and complexity patterns in MVC postures compared to other ...
STUDIES IN THE SUSPENSION OF THE “FLOW” OF SOCIAL LIFE

This article examines the suspension of activity in two different contexts—private and public social isolation. Drawing on Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi's theory of “flow” and Randall Collins' theory of emotional energy, we explore the link between the absence of social exchanges and the capacity to acquire emotional energy. Qualitative reports drawn from 248 participants reveal a distinct architecture to the experiences of both private and public isolation.
A simple multilead needle electrode for intracerebral electroencephalographic recording

Abstract 1. 1. A needle electrode is described from which simultaneous recordings can be obtained at various points in the depth of the brain. 2. 2. This electrode has been used to localize focal intracerebral pathology in dogs and monkeys.
Coping With Daily Strain Among Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents

Pregnant and parenting adolescents and professionals identified sources of strain from daily interactions. Pregnant adolescents predicted more exposure to difficult situations and more trouble handling those situations than parenting teenagers actually experienced. Urban, suburban, and rural teenage parents differed on the type of problems and amount of strain encountered. Social supports and cognitive coping strategies were found to moderate the effects of environmental stressors and to reduce depression and anxiety. The findings suggest that clinical efforts to promote skill in interpersonal conflict resolution, cognitive coping strategies, and developing and maintaining social supports may help adolescents manage the multiple stressors of parenting.
Shopping patterns: An exploration of some situational determinants

Given the importance of specific behaviors, particularly choice behaviors, to marketing decisions, researchers have focused much of their attention on investigating determinants of choice behavior. Broader units of analysis, namely patterns of consumer behaviors, however, may also be useful in shaping marketing strategy. In fact, some research demonstrates that definite consumer shopping patterns exist. The present study goes beyond previous research by investigating the situational influences of time pressure and gift/self shopping on prestore and store visit shopping patterns.
Modeling the on-state characteristics of the emitter switched thyristor

Abstract Analytical models for the on-state characteristics of the Emitter Switched Thyristor have been developed, which allow calculation of the on-state voltage drop, latching current, holding current, and parasitic thyristor latching current as a function of the device's physical and material parameters. The model is based on the equivalent circuit representation of the EST using a thyristor in series with a lateral MOSFET. The behavior of the forward conduction characteristic as a function of various device geometrical parameters is discussed and included in the model. The analytical model is compared with the experimental data obtained from 600 V forward blocking unit cell devices fabricated using an IGBT process sequence.
Conservative Management of Presumed Low-Grade Gliomas in the Asymptomatic Pediatric Population

Objective The optimal management of asymptomatic children with small, nonenhancing intracranial lesions presumed to be low-grade gliomas (LGGs) is not entirely clear in the literature. However, surgical intervention via resection or biopsy is not without risk and is of questionable long-term benefit in children with stable lesions. We present a series of 12 patients with incidentally detected, small, nonenhancing, intracranial lesions that were managed with watchful waiting and serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a series of 12 children (eight boys, four girls) with T1 hypointense and T2 hyperintense intracranial lesions Results Most patients (n = 5, 41.7%) received MRI studies after suffering a traumatic injury with evidence of an abnormality seen on computed tomography scan. Others received MRI scan as part of headache work-up (n = 4, 33.3%). The majority of lesions were located infratentorially (n = 8, 66.7%), whereas other locations included the frontal lobe and thalamus. The median age of the patients upon identification of the intracranial abnormality was 10 years (range, 1–19 years of age). Patients were followed for a median of 16.7 months (range, 2.7–59.5 months). The most common diagnosis based on clinical and radiographic features of these lesions consisted of LGG. No patient underwent surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy except one patient, in whom the lesion grew in size. Surgical pathologic diagnosis in this case confirmed World Health Organization grade II astrocytoma. Conclusions Our case series suggests that conservative management and close follow-up of incidental radiographic lesions consistent with LGGs is a safe and effective initial strategy in the pediatric population. In cases in which lesion size or quality changes, surgical resection may be necessary to confirm diagnosis. Further studies that include a larger number of patients and longer follow-up period are required to compare outcomes between this approach and initial surgical, radiation, or chemotherapy management strategies.
Bode plot construction for real-valued rational functions

Abstract Bode plots have proved to be an invaluable system analysis and design tool. Bode plot construction rules have been developed for rational functions in s = σ+j, where s is restricted to lie on the imaginary axis as s = j. However, there are just as many analysis and design problems requiring s to lie on the real axis as s = σ. Unfortunately, no Bode plot construction methods have been developed for the real-s case. This paper develops these construction methods and relates them to the classical Bode plot methods. Several illustrative examples in networks, electronics, controls, communications and distributed systems are presented to demonstrate the importance and utility of these results.
Classification of simple z-graded lie superalgebras and simple jordan superalgebras

(1977). Classification of simple z-graded lie superalgebras and simple jordan superalgebras. Communications in Algebra: Vol. 5, No. 13, pp. 1375-1400.
Sodium Reduction and Its Effect on Food Safety, Food Quality, and Human Health

ABSTRACT: Sodium is an essential nutrient with important functions in regulating extracellular fluid volume and the active transport of molecules across cell membranes. However, recent estimates from NHANES III (Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) data show that over 95% of men and over 75% of women exceed the recommended daily tolerable upper intake of sodium. Since these high levels of dietary sodium are associated with a high prevalence of hypertension, prehypertension and, possibly, other adverse effects on health, many national and international health organizations recommend that sodium intake be significantly decreased. Traditionally, salt (sodium chloride) has been used as a food preservative that kills or limits the growth of foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms by decreasing water activity. Salt also performs other important functions in foods by adding flavor and masking bitter tastes, controlling growth of yeast and fermentative bacteria, and promoting binding of proteins and other components in foods to achieve desired textures. Many processed foods contain high levels of salt and several countries have developed national programs for significantly reducing the sodium chloride content in many processed foods and encouraging a decrease in discretionary salt use. This review considers published data on the apparent adverse health effects of excess salt intake as well as the important functions of salt in different foods and possible strategies for reducing sodium levels in processed foods while still producing safe foods that consumers find acceptable.
Living Donor Lobar Lung Transplantation: Current Status and Future Directions

Living lobar lung transplantation was developed as a procedure for adult and pediatric patients considered too ill to await cadaveric transplantation. One hundred thirty-eight living lobar transplants have been performed in 133 patients at our institution between January 1993 and September 2004. Actuarial 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival are similar to ISHLT registry data. There has been no donor mortality, and morbidity has been relatively low. Long-term postoperative pulmonary function studies demonstrate the relatively smaller-sized lobes can provide similar pulmonary function and exercise capacity to bilateral cadaveric lung transplants. Living lobar lung transplantation should be considered a viable option in patients with end-stage lung disease deemed unable to await a cadaveric organ and in those patients in which further deterioration would make cadaveric transplantation inappropriate.
Cytoskeletal reorganizations in human umbilical vein endothelial cells as a result of cytokine exposure.

Abstract Treatment of HUVECs in culture with several cytokines and phorbol esters caused reorganizations of the actin and microtubule networks, as well as a redistribution of focal contract proteins. However, expression of the cytoskeletal proteins which link cells, via integrins, to the substrate, was not significantly affected. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy of endothelial cells after treatment with interleukin-1α and β, γ-interferon, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate allowed us to observe reductions in the areas of cell-cell contact, redistribution of the stress fiber network, and concomitant changes in focal contacts. Microtubule arrays in TNF-treated cells became bundled. Phorbol esters induced formation of microtubule organizing centers not seen in resting or TNF-treated HUVECs. Talin was distributed along stress fibers and not exclusively in focal contacts. Vitronectin receptor was observed in focal contacts, occasionally at cell-cell contacts, and in vesicular structures close to the lumenal surface, after both types of treatment. Although these morphological changes were easily observed by indirect immunofluorescence, no quantitative differences in specific cytoskeletal proteins were detected by immunoblots and [ 35 S]cysteine metabolic labeling experiments.
The Effect of Population Distribution and Method of Theta Estimation on Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) Using the Rating Scale Model

A simulation study was conducted to investigate the effect of population distribution on maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) and expected a posteriori estimation (EAP) in computerized adaptive testing (CAT) based on Andrich's rating scale model. Comparisons were made among MLE and EAP with a normal prior distribution and EAP with a uniform prior distribution within two data sets: one generated using a normal trait distribution and the other using a negatively skewed trait distribution. Descriptive statistics, correlations, scattergrams, and accuracy indices were used to compare the different methods of trait estimation. EAP estimation with a normal prior or uniformprior yielded results similar to those obtained with MLE, even though the prior did not match the underlying trait distribution. An additional simulation study based on real data suggested that more work is needed to determine the optimal number of quadrature points for EAP in CAT based on the rating scale model. The choice between MLE and EAP f...
Respiratory Muscle Strength in the Physically Active Elderly

Advancing age is associated with a decline in the strength of the skeletal muscles, including those of respiration. Respiratory muscles can be strengthened with nonrespiratory activities. We therefore hypothesized that regular exercise in the elderly would attenuate this age-related decline in respiratory muscle strength. Twenty-four healthy subjects older than 65 years were recruited (11 males and 13 females). A comprehensive physical activity survey was administered, and subjects were categorized as active (n = 12) or inactive (n = 12). Each subject underwent testing of maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures (PI(max) and PE(max)). Diaphragmatic thickness (tdi) was measured via two-dimensional B-mode ultrasound. There were no significant differences between the active and inactive groups with respect to age (75 vs. 73 years) or body weight (69.1vs. 69.9 kg). There were more women (9) than men (3) in the inactive group. Diaphragm thickness was greater in the active group (0.31 +/- 0.06 cm vs. 0.25 +/- 0.04 cm; p = 0.011). PE(max) and PI(max) were also greater in the active group (130 +/- 44 cm H(2)O vs. 80 +/- 24 cm H(2)O; p = 0.002; and 99 +/- 32 cm H(2)O vs. 75 +/- 14 cm H(2)O; p = 0.03). There was a positive association between PI(max )and tdi (r = 0.43, p = 0.03). Regular exercise was positively associated with diaphragm muscle thickness in this cohort. As PE(max) was higher in the active group, we postulate that recruitment of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles during nonrespiratory activities may be the source of this training effect.
International non‐governmental organizations, ‘good government’ and the ‘new policy agenda’: Lessons of experience at the programme level

(1994). International non‐governmental organizations, ‘good government’ and the ‘new policy agenda’: Lessons of experience at the programme level. Democratization: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 504-515.
The Optics of Miniature Digital Camera Modules

Designing lenses for cell phone cameras is different from designing for traditional imaging systems; the format poses unique challenges. Most of the difficulty stems from the scale of the system, which is based on the size of the sensor.
Detection, survival rates and dynamics of a cryptic plant, Asclepias meadii: applications of mark-recapture models to long-term monitoring studies

Summary 1 Analysis of population trajectories is central to assessing risk in populations of conservation concern. In animal studies, researchers realize that probabilities of detection of individuals are often less than one. Plants can also escape detection due to dormancy, herbivory, or observer error, but such information is rarely incorporated into population studies. 2 We monitored a population of Asclepias meadii, a rare long-lived prairie perennial. Despite standardized methods, numbers of observed plants fluctuated greatly from 1992 to 2006. Individual plants often had periods of 1–5 years between initial and final sighting when no stems were found. To determine the actual population trajectories, we estimated rates of survival and population growth using mark-recapture models. We also estimated initial and resighting probabilities of detection. In 2007, we repeated surveys to identify reasons for low detection probabilities. 3 We estimated 95% annual survival and a population growth rate of 1.023. Probabilities of initial detection were low (typically from 0.120 to 0.311 depending on prairie burn treatment), whereas average probability of detection for marked plants was 0.728. 4 Comparisons of survival estimates from 15- and 8-year data sets revealed that survival estimates decline in the final years of a multi-year period, probably due to heterogeneity in encounter histories. 5 By conducting three different surveys in 2007, we found that both herbivory over a multiple-week period and observer error contributed substantially to gaps in detection. 6 Synthesis. Probabilities of detection that are less than one complicate interpretation of population dynamics, whether of mobile animals or inconspicuous plants. Our work illustrates three general points that could apply to many plant population studies: (i) mark-recapture models may provide insights on vital rates and population trajectories despite the extreme variability in count data that can arise because of low detectability, (ii) probabilities of initial detection can be quantified and can be considerably less than probabilities of resighting, and (iii) repeated surveys can help researchers determine the degree to which dormancy, herbivory, or observer error contribute to low probabilities of detection. Consideration of these points can improve the design and analysis of monitoring programs.
Fatty acid composition of Simonsiella strains.

Gas-liquid chromatography of methyl esters of bound fatty acids extracted from the cells of 48 Simonsiella strains showed that these aerobic, gliding, multicellular-filamentous bacteria have fatty acid profiles of the pattern considered typical of Gramnegative eubacteria. All strains contained predominantly tetradecanoic acid (29.5%), 9-hexadecenoic acid (22.2%), an unidentified acid with an equivalent chain length of approximately 20 carbon atoms (15.8%), and dodecanoic acid (11.4%).
Stability of nucleolar 45-S RNA.

Abstract With respect to sedimentation, nucleolar 45-S RNA was stable for 48 h at room temperature in 0.05 M sodium acetate buffer at pH 5.1 and in Tris buffer at pH 9.0 for 2 h. No change in the sedimentation pattern occurred after dialysis, incubation with EDTA or incubation with proteolytic enzymes. Heating nucleolar 45-S RNA produced more slowly sedimenting RNA the higher the temperature of incubation. Presumably because of fragmentation, similar results were produced by incubation at pH 3.0 and also by ribonuclease.
A Critical Examination of Research on the Psychological Profiles of White-Collar Criminals

This article critically reviewed 16 studies on the demographic and psychological characteristics of white-collar criminals. Some of the more-supported findings imply white-collar offenders are older, Caucasian, employed, and have a high school diploma or higher education. They also tended to be low in conscientiousness, agreeableness, and self-control. The most prominent limitations of the reviewed studies were the lack of a uniform definition of white-collar crime, not controlling for extraneous variables, and failing to control for type I error. Future research needs to explore how female white-collar offenders may be unique from male white‐collar offenders. Several psychological variables (e.g., criminal thinking, psychopathy, motivations) could be investigated to further treatment practices.
First Spacelab flight

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are combining efforts to place Spacelab into earth orbit for its first mission. (Originally scheduled for October 28, the flight has now been postponed for 1 to 3 months.) This mission will be the first in a series o f flights of a working laboratory in space to utilize the region outside of the earth's atmosphere. Scientists will be in the Spacelab to do experiments on a range of disciplines.
Retrospective cohort study of 148 patients with polyclonal gammopathy

Objective To quantify clinical conditions and laboratory values associated with moderate to marked polyclonal gammopathy. Patients and Methods Patient characteristics, laboratory correlates, evolving disease states, and survival of all patients seen at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn, during 1991 with a polyclonal gamma globulin level of 3.0 g/dL or higher were reviewed in this retrospective cohort study. Results One hundred forty-eight patients were identified (median age, 58 years; 59% female). In 130 patients (88%), only 1 diagnosis was identified. Liver disease was the most common single disease association in 79 (61%) of 130 patients, followed by connective tissue diseases in 28 (22%), chronic infections in 8 (6%), hematologic disorders in 6 (5%), and nonhematologic malignancies in 4 (3%). No difference in gamma globulin levels existed between groups. With a median follow-up of 67 months, 90 (63%) of 143 patients for whom follow-up was available were alive. By multivariate analysis, age, albumin concentration, disease group, and platelet count were predictive of survival. No patient developed myeloma or a clonal plasmaproliferative disorder. Conclusion Moderate to marked polyclonal gammopathy may reflect an underlying condition: liver disease, connective tissue disease, hematologic disorder, infection, or malignancy.
Inhibitory Effect of Tumor Suppressor p53 on Proinflammatory Chemokine Expression in Ovarian Cancer Cells by Reducing Proteasomal Degradation of IκB

Ovarian cancer, one of inflammation-associated cancers, is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Inflammation in the tumor microenvironment is associated with peritoneal tumor dissemination and massive ascites, which contribute to high mortality in ovarian cancer. Tumor suppressor p53 is frequently deleted or mutated in aggressive and high-grade ovarian cancer, probably aggravating cancer progression and increasing mortality. We therefore investigated the influence of p53 on proinflammatory chemokines in ovarian cancer cells. A PCR array of the chemokine network revealed that ovarian cancer cells with low or mutated p53 expression expressed high levels of proinflammatory chemokines such as CXCL1, 2, 3 and 8. Transient transfection of p53 into p53-null ovarian cancer cells downregulated proinflammatory chemokines induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF), a proinflammatory cytokine abundantly expressed in ovarian cancer. Furthermore, p53 restoration or stabilization blocked TNF-induced NF-κB promoter activity and reduced TNF-activated IκB. Restoration of p53 increased ubiquitination of IκB, resulting from concurrently reduced proteasome activity followed by stability of IκB. A ubiquitination PCR array on restoration of p53 did not reveal any significant change in expression except for Mdm2, indicating that the balance between p53 and Mdm2 is more important in regulating NF-κB signaling rather than the direct effect of p53 on ubiquitin-related genes or IκB kinases. In addition, nutlin-3, a specific inducer of p53 stabilization, inhibited proinflammatory chemokines by reducing TNF-activated IκB through p53 stabilization. Taken together, these results suggest that p53 inhibits proinflammatory chemokines in ovarian cancer cells by reducing proteasomal degradation of IκB. Thus, frequent loss or mutation of p53 may promote tumor progression by enhancing inflammation in the tumor microenvironment.
Superoxide Dismutase in Bovine Fetal Ductus Arteriosus, Thoracic Aorta, and Pulmonary and Umbilical Arteries

SummarySoon after birth the lumens of the ductus arteriosus (DA) and umbilical artery (UA) are obliterated. It has been suggested that oxygen toxicity, resulting from an increased oxygen tension, is the cause of this destruction with superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals being implicated as mediators. A deficiency of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in these tissues was hypothesized as being responsible for an increase in the levels of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. SOD levels were determined enzymatically and immunochemically in four tissues obtained from thirteen bovine fetuses. SOD levels in the DA and UA were found by both assays to be statistically significantly lower than that found in such permanent vessels as the pulmonary artery and thoracic aorta. These data are in support of the hypothesis that a lower level of SOD in the ductus arteriosus and umbilical artery may contribute to the rapid deterioration of these tissues upon exposure to greatly increased oxygen tensions.The kind assistance of Io...
The Impact of Network Size and Mobility on Information Delivery in Cognitive Radio Networks

There have been extensive works on the design of opportunistic spectrum access and routing schemes to improve spectrum efficiency in cognitive radio networks (CRNs), which becomes an integral component in the future communication regime. Nonetheless, the potentials of CRNs in boosting network performance yet remain to be explored to reach the full benefits of such a phenomenal technique. In this paper, we study the end-to-end latency in CRNs in order to find the sufficient and necessary conditions for real-time applications in finite networks and large-scale deployments. We first provide a general mobility framework which captures most characteristics of the existing mobility models and takes spatial heterogeneity into account. Under this general mobility framework, secondary users are mobile with an mobility radius $\alpha$ , which indicates how far a mobile node can reach in spatial domain. We find that there exists a cutoff point on $\alpha$ , below which the latency has a heavy tail and above which the tail of the latency is bounded by some Gamma distributions. As the network grows large, the latency is asymptotically scalable (linear) with respect to the dissemination distance (e.g., the number of hops or euclidean distance). An interesting observation is that although the density of primary users adversely impacts the expected latency, it makes no influence on the dichotomy of the latency tail in finite networks and the linearity of latency in large networks. Our results encourage CRN deployment for real-time and large applications, when the mobility radius of secondary users is large enough.
Cell interactions in humoral and cell-mediated immunity.

THYMUS-derived lymphocytes (T-cells) play an important role in the initiation of both humoral and cell-mediated immunity1–3. We have investigated whether the helper function and the cell-mediated killer function of lymphocyte populations are performed by the same cells, by assaying thymus-derived lymphocytes both for their capacity to cooperate in vitro with bone marrow-derived lymphocytes (B-cells) in the induction of plaque-forming cells and for their capacity to cause in vitro complement independent lysis of target cells.
Physico-chemical comparison of α-crystallin from whole bovine lens and from lens nucleus

Values determined for intrinsic viscosity, coefficient of refractive index increment, and partial specific volume for α-crystallin of whole lens show good agreement with values from the literature for α-crystallin of the lens nucleus. Some electrophoretic evidence presented shows no distinction between α-crystallin from peripheral and inner portions of bovine lens. It is concluded that available physico-chemical data fail to prove that α-crystallin from the lens nucleus differs from α-crystallin obtained by extraction of whole lens.
Locality in structured peer-to-peer networks

Distributed hash tables (DHTs), used in a number of structured peer-to-peer (P2P) systems, provide efficient mechanisms for resource placement and location. A key distinguishing feature of current DHT systems, such as Chord, Pastry, CAN and Tapestry, is the way they handle locality in the underlying network. Topology-based node identifier assignment, proximity routing, and proximity neighbor selection are examples of heuristics used to minimize message delays in the underlying network. While these heuristics are sometimes effective, they all rely on a single global overlay that may install the key of a popular object at a node far from most of the nodes accessing it. Furthermore, a response to a lookup message does not contain any locality information about the nodes holding a copy of the object. We address these issues in Plethora, a novel two-level overlay P2P network. A local overlay in Plethora acts as a locality-aware cache for the global overlay, grouping nodes close together in the underlying network. Local overlays are constructed by exploiting the organization of the Internet into autonomous systems (ASs). We present a detailed experimental study that demonstrates performance gains in response time of up to 60% compared to a single global Pastry overlay. We also present efficient distributed algorithms for maintaining local overlays in the presence of node arrivals and departures.
CandlES: communication and lighting emulation software

We present Communication and Lighting Emulation Software (CandLES), a model of wireless Visual Light Communications (VLC) that aids the design of dual-use communication and fully functional indoor lighting systems. Given a system design and an environment specification, CandLES characterizes the overall communications performance with respect to key metrics, which include achievable datarate, error rate and coverage, as well as lighting performance with respect to illumination coverage. The system and environment specifications that can be set are detailed and flexible, making CandLES a powerful tool for improving the design of such a system as well as testing its robustness to different environments.
An HMM Approach to Vowel Restoration in Arabic and Hebrew

Semitic languages pose a problem to Natural Language Processing since most of the vowels are omitted from written prose, resulting in considerable ambiguity at the word level. However, while reading text, native speakers can generally vocalize each word based on their familiarity with the lexicon and the context of the word. Methods for vowel restoration in previous work involving morphological analysis concentrated on a single language and relied on a parsed corpus that is difficult to create for many Semitic languages. We show that Hidden Markov Models are a useful tool for the task of vowel restoration in Semitic languages. Our technique is simple to implement, does not require any language specific knowledge to be embedded in the model and generalizes well to both Hebrew and Arabic. Using a publicly available version of the Bible and the Qur'an as corpora, we achieve a success rate of 86% for restoring the exact vowel pattern in Arabic and 81% in Hebrew. For Hebrew, we also report on 87% success rate for restoring the correct phonetic value of the words.
Sharing Centers: An Alternative Approach to Show and Tell.

Show and tell is a common activity in many early childhood settings yet many teachers question its value. The purpose of this article is to review the benefits and limitations of the traditional approaches to show and tell and to present an alternative approach based upon appropriate practices that was implemented in a multi-age classroom of 3- to 5-year-old children.
Membranous Nephropathy: A Concern for Malignancy

Numerous authors have long felt that there is an association between malignancy and membranous glomerulonephritis. Most physicians have not noticed this association since the number of patients that they clinically observe is so low that such a relationship might not be obvious. The present study was undertaken to establish whether the relationship is real and to determine exactly how prevalent. Our results indicate the relationship definitely does exist, confirming studies that have shown a relationship based on positive staining for cancer antigens in kidney biopsy specimens. In addition, the study indicates that malignancy will become detectable within a relatively short period after the diagnosis of membranous glomerulonephritis, and that the malignancy rate is five times greater than the incidence in a baseline population. This risk is also highest in the elderly.
Network patterns: designing effective user interfaces for connections management at work

New collaborative technologies are making modern work a highly social process in the era of Web 2.0, yet as a result, it is increasingly challenging for workers to maintain knowledge of and manage their connections. Former netWORKing studies have suggested integrating communication and information with models of social networks. To elucidate these netWORK processes and explore the viability of organizing connections at work in terms of a social network of contacts, we conducted field studies investigating patterns of people's subjective ego-centered netWORKs. Different netWORK categorizing and structuring strategies are identified and user interface design implications are proposed for connections management systems.
Microvoid Formation during Shear Deformation of Ultrahigh Strength Steels

Shear tests were performed on ultrahigh strength steels under both quasistatic and dynamic conditions, aimed at elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of shear localization underlying both adiabatic shear localization and fracture processes. Experiments were also devised to study the effect of hydrostatic pressure and austenitizing temperature on the critical strain to localization. Experimental evidence strongly suggests that strain localization in the steels investigated is driven by microvoid softening controlled by nucleation at 100 nm scale particles. This is supported by the observed pressure dependence of the instability strain, enhanced resistance to shear instability with particle dissolution, and direct observation of microvoids at these particles in deformed material. For the steels investigated with approximately equivalent strength levels, a direct correlation between the crack extension force and shear instability is demonstrated. Consequently, both fracture toughness and shear localization are dependent on the size, type, and distribution of second phase particles.
Escherichia coli RNA polymerase-associated SWI/SNF protein RapA: evidence for RNA-directed binding and remodeling activity

Helicase-like SWI/SNF proteins are present in organisms belonging to distant kingdoms from bacteria to humans, indicating that they perform a very basic and ubiquitous form of nucleic acid management; current studies associate the activity of SWI/SNF proteins with remodeling of DNA and DNA–protein complexes. The bacterial SWI/SNF homolog RapA—an integral part of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase complex—has been implicated in remodeling post-termination DNA–RNA polymerase–RNA ternary complexes (PTC), however its explicit nucleic acid substrates and mechanism remain elusive. Our work presents evidence indicating that RNA is a key substrate of RapA. Specifically, the formation of stable RapA–RNA intermediates in transcription and other, independent lines of evidence presented herein indicate that RapA binds and remodels RNA during transcription. Our results are consistent with RapA promoting RNA release from DNA–RNA polymerase–RNA ternary complexes; this process may be accompanied by the destabilization of non-canonical DNA–RNA complexes (putative DNA–RNA triplexes). Taken together, our data indicate a novel RNA remodeling activity for RapA, a representative of the SWI/SNF protein superfamily.
Cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with previously completed stroke

It has been assumed that patients with neurological residua after a completed stroke are at increased risk of neurological complications associated with cardiac operations requiring cardiopulmonary bypass. To evaluate these assumptions, we reviewed retrospectively 1,163 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac operations with cardiopulmonary bypass. Among these 1,163 patients were 43 patients having a previously completed stroke with neurological residua, but without clinically significant extracranial carotid artery disease. Forty-one underwent coronary artery bypass grafting; of these, 1 required concomitant aortic valve replacement, 1 had mitral valve replacement, and 1 had aortic valve replacement. There was one death in this group of 43 patients, due to massive pulmonary embolism. Only 1 of these 43 patients experienced new neurological symptoms after operation, which would appear to indicate that patients with a previous, completed stroke may not be at increased risk of neurological complications from cardiac operations requiring cardiopulmonary bypass.
Bone: the conundrum of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

The incidence of osteoporosis induced by glucocorticoid treatment is second only to that owing to oestrogen deficiency. Treatment and prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis are, however, problematic. Can a new framework for the development of national guidelines help steer the diagnosis and management of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis towards calmer seas?
A static laser light scattering assay for surfactant-induced tau fibrillization.

Abstract Static light scattering is an important solution-based method for assaying spontaneous protein aggregation reactions. But the reliability of the measurements when conducted in the presence of fibrillization inducers has been questioned. Here the utility of static laser light scattering for quantitative assay of anionic micelle-induced protein fibrillization was characterized using tau protein, the major component of neurofibrillary lesions of Alzheimer’s disease. Both inducer micellization and tau fibrillization made significant contributions to light scattering intensity. The intensity arising solely from micellization was quantified using proteins that promoted inducer micellization but could not fibrillize, such as mixed histones and assembly-incompetent mutant htau40I277P/I308P. When corrected for micellization, reaction progress curves for wild-type tau fibrillization were sigmoidal and correlated well with measurements of total filament length made by transmission electron microscopy. The utility of the improved laser light scattering assay was demonstrated by quantifying the effect of inducer concentration on tau assembly kinetics using a three-parameter Gompertz growth function. Results showed that alkyl sulfate detergent accelerated tau nucleation as reflected by shorter lag times and modulated prenuclear equilibria to yield more filament mass at reaction equilibrium.
Rigid-Band Model of Alloys

The electronic structure of normal alloys is considered. This structure is divided into two categories, geometric and density of states. The geometric structure is the shape of constant-energy surfaces in reciprocal space. Under three conditions, the geometric structure of the alloys is the same as that of the pure solvent, but the density of states is different. These conditions are that: (a) the excess charge of the solute localizes around it; (b) the mean free path of the electrons is many interatomic spacings; (c) the electron states of interest in the pure solvent are in one band and are greatly separated in energy from the other bands. Under these same conditions, even when the electronic specific heat of dilute alloys is found experimentally to depend on only the electron per atom ratio and the change in volume produced by alloying as predicted by the rigid-band model, the value of the specific heat in the alloy still differs from the value given by the rigid-band model because the density of states of the alloy is different from that of the pure solvent. As a sideline of this investigation, it is pointed out that an expansion of the electronic structure of the alloy in terms of the concentration of the solute is not valid for concentrated alloys and only has validity in the dilute limit.
A NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SINGLE-WELL STEAM ASSISTED GRAVITY DRAINAGE PROCESS (SW-SAGD)

Steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is an effective method to produce heavy oil and bitumen which are important energy resources. In a typical SAGD approach, steam is injected into a horizontal well located directly above a horizontal producer helping to displace heated oil. Single-well (SW) SAGD attempts to create a similar process using only one horizontal well. To improve early-time response of SW-SAGD, it is necessary to heat the near-wellbore area to reduce oil viscosity and allow gravity drainage to begin. Ideally heating should occur with minimal circulation or bypassing of steam. We have investigated early-time processes to improve reservoir heating. A numerical simulation study was performed to gauge combinations of cyclic steam injection and steam circulation prior to SAGD in an effort to better understand and improve early-time performance. Results from this study, include cumulative recoveries, temperature distributions, and production rates. It is found that cyclic steaming of the reservoi...
Moral hazards and Moral Economies: The Combustible Politics of Healthcare User Fees in Malawian History

AbstractThe history of user fees in colonial Nyasaland and postcolonial Malawi demonstrates that public sector medical services have long had moral and political import. During the colonial era, British officials in the peripheral protectorate of Nyasaland provided free (if sparse) healthcare for Africans. This investment sought not only to improve labour supply and productivity, but also to address a growing concern that cosmologies of vernacular healing helped to mobilise political resistance. Biomedical services for Africans expanded after the mchape anti-witchcraft movement of the early 1930s, and again during World War II. In 1964 British demands for fiscal retrenchment as a condition of independence spurred Prime Minister Hastings Kamuzu Banda to institute user fees on the first day of Malawi's independence. Popular resistance to the fees contributed to a political crisis that resulted in the resignation of many of Banda's advisers. Postcolonial Malawi's persistent investment in hospitals over prima...
Effect of catalyst loading on gasliquid mass transfer in a slurry reactor: A statistical experimental approach

On a utilise un plan d'experience statistique afin d'etudier les effets de la pression, de la temperature, du chargement de catalyseur et de la vitesse de melange sur les solubilites (C * ) et les coefficients de transfert de matiere volumetriques gaz/liquide (k L a) pour H 2 , N 2 , CO, CH 4 et C 2 H 4 dans un melange liquide d'hexanes contenant un catalyseur a l'oxyde de fer dans un reservoir agite de 4 litres. Des correlations statistiques ont ete etablies pour les valeurs de k L a pour les gaz utilises. C'est la vitesse de melange et la concentration de solides qui agissent le plus sur k L a. A de faibles concentrations de catalyseur, on a observe un maximum dans k L a et a des concentrations >37% massique, k L a diminue de plus d'un ordre de grandeur.
Distribution of Arrival Times of Air Shower Particles

We have studied the instantaneous distribution of particles in extensive air showers at sea level by measuring the relative delays between particles with three liquid scintillation counters. The delays measured were in the range from 5 to 300 m\ensuremath{\mu}sec. The sizes of the showers were in the range from ${10}^{5}$ to ${10}^{6}$ particles. Using statistical methods of analysis we have found that at a given instant most electrons with energies of \ensuremath{\sim}20 Mev lie in a flat disk of thickness between 1 and 2 meters. The particles which can penetrate at least 20 cm of lead lie in a disk of thickness between 2 and 3 meters. The disk of penetrating particles follows behind the disk of electrons by less then 3 meters.
Halogenated blue pigments of a deep sea gorgonian

Abstract Three halogenated azulenes (2-4), one of the chiral, have been isolated from a deep sea gorgonian which was collected by minisubmersible at −350 m.