cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Etoposide-induced DNA damage in human tumor cells: requirement for cellular activating factors.

Abstract Previous studies with the multidrug-resistant human HL60 cell line have shown a 3–4-fold decrease in VP-16 accumulation compared to the sensitive cell line, while the degree of resistance to VP-16 was 300-fold, indicating that other mechanisms of resistance are also operative. Since VP-16 has been shown to interfere with topoisomerase II activity, we have evaluated VP-16-dependent DNA strand break formation in the drug-sensitive and -resistant HL60 cells. Studies reported here show that the drug-resistant HL60 cells are extremely resistant to VP-16-dependent DNA cleavage compared to the sensitive cells. This decrease in DNA cleavage in the of VP-16 was, in part, related to a 2–3-fold decrease in both the amount and activity of topisomerase II in the resistant cell line compared to the sensitive cells. Nuclei from the resistant cell line were markedly more resistant to VP-16-dependent DNA cleavage than the WT cell nuclei. Interestingly, WT nuclei were found to be relatively more resistant to VP-16-induced DNA cleavage than the intact WT cells. Addition of WT cytosolic proteins to WT nuclei, however, significantly stimulated VP-16-dependent DNA cleavage and slightly increased DNA cleavage in resistant cell nuclei. In contrast, cytosolic proteins from the resistant cells had no effect on DNA cleavage in nuclei isolated from either cell line. These observations indicate that a decrease in the amount and activity of topoisomerase II in resistant HL60 cells translates into a decrease in VP-16-dependent DNA breakage and contributes to the resistance to VP-16. Furthermore, the cytosolic fraction from WT cells contains some factor, not present in the resistant cells, which is necessary for the maximal drug-induced DNA cleavage.
Mechanisms of Dynamic Deformation and Dynamic Failure in Aluminum Nitride

Abstract Uniaxial quasi-static, uniaxial dynamic and confined dynamic compression experiments have been performed to characterize the failure and deformation mechanisms of a sintered polycrystalline aluminum nitride using a servohydraulic machine and a modified Kolsky bar. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are used to identify the fracture and deformation mechanisms under high rate and high pressure loading conditions. These results show that the fracture mechanisms are strong functions of confining stress and strain rate, with transgranular fracture becoming more common at high strain rates. Dynamic fracture mechanics and micromechanical models are used to analyze the observed fracture mechanisms. TEM characterization of fragments from the confined dynamic experiments shows that at higher pressures dislocation motion becomes a common dominant deformation mechanism in AlN. Prismatic slip is dominant, and pronounced microcrack–dislocation interactions are observed, suggesting that the dislocation plasticity affects the macroscopic fracture behavior in this material under high confining stresses.
Thoracic neurosecretory structures in Brachyura. III. Microanatomy of peripheral structures.

Abstract The trunks of the brachyuran pericardial organs consist of an inner core of nerve fibers, connective tissue, and blood vessels and an outer cortex of secretory terminals. The terminals contain granules which can be visualized by darkfield, phase, or electron microscopy. A thin (less than 1 μ), amorphous, acellular epineurium separates the terminals from the surrounding hemolymph. Selective stains suggest that there may be three kinds of secretory terminal in the crab, Carcinus. The cortex ranges from about 20% of total pericardial organ volume in some specimens of Carcinus down to a negligible percentage in Libinia. Secretory granules form less than 10% of the volume of the terminals in the cortex. The electron dense secretory granules have an outer membrane. They range in diameter from about 0.05 to 0.5 μ. In Carcinus large (0.17 μ) and small (0.14 μ) granules occur in separate terminals. In Cancer only one population of granules has been found (0.15 μ). In Libinia terminals appear to contain either one (0.09 μ) or two populations (0.06 and 0.15 μ). In Carcinus and Cancer a third kind of terminal appears to contain vesicles about 0.03 to 0.05 μ in diameter.
Highly sensitive visible-blind extreme ultraviolet Ni/4H-SiC Schottky photodiodes with large detection area

Ni/4H-SiC Schottky photodiodes of 5 mm×5 mm area have been fabricated and characterized. The photodiodes show less than 0.1 pA dark current at −4 V and an ideality factor of 1.06. A quantum efficiency (QE) between 3 and 400 nm has been calibrated and compared with Si photodiodes optimized for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) detection. In the EUV region, the QE of SiC detectors increases from 0.14 electrons/photon at 120 nmto30 electrons/photon at 3 nm. The mean energy of electron-hole pair generation of 4H-SiC estimated from the spectral QE is found to be 7.9 eV.
Spin excitations in a two-dimensional antiferromagnet with mobile holes

The spin dynamics of a two-dimensional antiferromagnet doped with a finite concentration n of mobile holes is studied. The holes weaken the antiferromagnetic order by dilution, but more importantly by disrupting the antiferromagnetic order as they move. We calculate the renormalization of the spin excitations induced by hole motion. Spin-wave theory is applied to the t-J model and the range of small hole concentrations, n\ensuremath{\ll}1, is considered. We find that the spin-wave spectrum is significantly softened upon doping, and that strong damping effects set in at a low concentration, resulting from decay of spin waves into ``electron-hole'' pair excitations. This implies that the spin-wave spectrum and eventually the antiferromagnetic order will collapse as the hole concentration increases. A comparison is made with measurements of spin-wave softening in doped copper oxide superconductors and other layered magnetic systems. Implications for hole motion are also briefly discussed.
Millay's I Shall Go Back Again to the Bleak Shore

(2001). Millay's I Shall Go Back Again to the Bleak Shore. The Explicator: Vol. 59, No. 3, pp. 142-144.
Frontotemporal dementia versus Alzheimer's disease: Differential cognitive features

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a common neurodegenerative dementia that can be difficult to distinguish clinically from Alzheimer's disease (AD). The differential distribution of pathology in FTD and AD predicts the presence of differential cognitive features on mental status examination. We compared 39 FTD patients with 101 AD patients on the Consortium to Establish a Registry in AD examination supplemented by cognitive areas from the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination. The FTD patients were diagnosed using noncognitive clinical and neuroimaging criteria and were comparable to the AD patients in terms of gender, educational level, and dementia severity ratings. The FTD patients performed significantly better than the AD patients on constructions and calculations. These findings were at the lower limits of normal for older normal controls and persisted after covarying for younger age and higher Mini-Mental Status Examination scores in the FTD group. In addition to personality and neuroimaging features, relatively preserved performance of elementary drawings and calculations in FTD suggests additional features for distinguishing FTD patients from comparably demented AD patients.
Scalable Parallel Application Launch on Cplant&#8482;

This paper describes the components of a runtime system for launching parallel applications and presents performance results for starting a job on more than a thousand nodes of a workstation cluster. This runtime system was developed at Sandia National Laboratories as part of the Computational Plant (Cplant™) project, which is deploying large-scale parallel computing clusters using commodity hardware and the Linux operating system. We have designed and implemented a flexible runtime system that allows for launching parallel jobs on thousands of nodes in a matter of seconds. The interactions of the components are described, and the key issues that address the scalability and performance of the runtime system are discussed. We also present performance results of launching executables of varying sizes on more than a thousand nodes.
Placental transfer of analogs of glucose and amino acids in experimental intrauterine growth retardation.

Summary: We have employed the model in which one uterine artery is ligated to study maternofetal transport and tissue uptake of glucose and amino acids in the intrauterine growth-retarded rat. On the 18th day of gestation, the artery supplying one uterine horn was ligated. Two days later the rats received [3H]2-deoxyglucose and |14C]α-aminoisobutyric acid iv. One hour later the growth-retarded and control fetuses were delivered by Cesarean section and appropriate blood samples were obtained. The growth-retarded fetuses had an average weight reduction of 27%, significantly increased placental to fetal weight ratio and brain to body ratio, and a significantly reduced liver to body ratio. Total radioactivity derived from tritiated deoxyglucose in whole fetal tissues, placenta, liver, and brain were significantly decreased in the intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR) fetuses; this was also true per gram of tissue except for liver. Liver to plasma, brain to plasma, and whole fetal tissue to plasma 3H ratios were significantly increased in the IUGR group. The radioactivity derived from [14C]α-aminoisobutyric acid was significantly reduced in whole fetal tissues, placenta, liver, and brain in the IUGR fetuses whether expressed per whole organ or per gram of tissue. Significant differences in liver to plasma, brain to plasma, and whole tissue to plasma 14C ratios were not observed. Speculation: The large reduction in maternofetal transfer of deoxyglucose and α-aminoisobutryric acid when uterine blood flow is reduced raises the possibility that one of the major causes of retarded growth in utero is a diminished supply of glucose and amino acids to the fetus. The fetal liver appears to be especially effective in increasing its extraction of 2-deoxyglucose from fetal plasma during this period of nutrient restriction. Since a major cause of fetal growth retardation in man is an impairment in maternal circulatory supply to the placenta, a similar mechanism of growth retardation may contribute to human IUGR. The possibility that nutritional supplementation may be of value in improving the growth conditions for the fetus when uterine blood flow is restricted would seem worthy of further investigation. More information is also required about the mechanisms responsible for the apparent improved extraction of glucose from plasma in IUGR.
Role of activated astrocytes in neuronal damage: Potential links to HIV-1-associated dementia

HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD) is an important complication of HIV-1 infection. Reactive astrogliosis is a key pathological feature in HAD brains and in other central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Activated astroglia may play a critical role in CNS inflammatory diseases such as HAD. In order to test the hypothesis that activated astrocytes cause neuronal injury, we stimulated primary human fetal astrocytes with HAD-relevant pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β. IL-1β-activated astrocytes induced apoptosis and significant changes in metabolic activity in primary human neurons. An FITC-conjugated pan-caspase inhibitor peptide FITC-VAD-FMK was used for confirming caspase activation in neurons. IL-1β activation enhanced the expression of death protein FasL in astrocytes, suggesting that FasL is one of the potential factors responsible for neurotoxicity observed in HAD and other CNS diseases involving glial inflammation. Our data presented here add to the developing picture of role of activated glia in HAD pathogenesis.
Phenotypic and reversion analysis of a Salmonella typhimurium constructed to have an arginine codon at the hisG46 missense codon.

Abstract Of the 6 single-base mutations that would be predicted to change the missense mutation hisG46 away from a proline codon in the Salmonella/microsome mutagen selection assay for histidine-independent revertants, only 5 have been observed. We have used site-specific mutagenesis to make the unobserved mutant [CCC (proline) → CGC (arginine)] codon in the Salmonella genome. Experiments with this arginine mutant demonstrate that, like bacteria containing the hisG46 mutation, bacteria with the arginine missense mutation are histidine auxotrophs which are capable of reversion to histidine independence. However, unlike the ATP phosphoribosyltransferase coded by the hisG46 his G gene (with a proline), the arginine mutant enzyme is partially active. This is indicated by a histidine-independent phenotype when the arginine his G gene is present in multiple copies.
Sumoylation and the function of CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα̤)

CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBP alpha) is the founding member of a family of basic region/leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors and is a master regulator of granulopoiesis. It is expressed at high levels throughout myeloid differentiation and binds to the promoters of multiple myeloid-specific genes at different stages of myeloid maturation. Profound hematopoietic abnormalities occur in mice nullizygous for C/EBP alpha including a selective early block in the differentiation of granulocytes. Mutations in C/EBP alpha are present in a subset of patients with AML presenting with a normal karyotype. These mutations can result in the expression of a 30 kDa dominant negative C/EBP alpha isoform, which contributes to loss of C/EBP alpha function. The molecular basis for this observation remains unknown. In addition to phosphorylation, C/EBP alpha is modified, post-translationally by a small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) at a lysine residue (K159), which lies within the growth inhibitory region of the C/EBP alpha protein. Sumoylation at K159 in the C/EBP alpha protein prevents association of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex with C/EBP alpha, thereby hampering transactivation. In this review, the functional implications of post-translational modification, particularly sumoylation, of C/EBP alpha in normal granulopoiesis and leukemia are considered.
Determination of surface area and volume of nanoparticle aggregates deposited in the human respiratory tract using DMA data

A method is proposed for using size distribution data obtained with a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) to calculate the total surface area and volume of electrically conducting nanoparticle chain aggregates deposited in the human respiratory tract. The method consists of two steps: (1) the electrical mobility diameter of conducting aggregates determined with a DMA is used to calculate the diffusion-equivalent diameter and (2) the theory of idealized aggregates developed by Lall and Friedlander [(2006). On-line measurement of ultrafine aggregate surface area and volume distributions by electrical mobility analysis: I. Theoretical analysis. Journal of Aerosol Science 37, 260] is applied in calculations for the aggregate surface area and volume. The results of calculations using the volume distribution of a sample of diesel exhaust particles indicate that deposited aggregates have a larger total surface area than do electrical-mobility-equivalent spheres, even though the deposited aggregates have a much smaller total volume. The proposed method for calculating diffusion-equivalent diameter from electrical mobility diameter is also employed to show that the deposition data reported in literature for diesel exhaust particles and petrol particles agree well when the deposition fractions are plotted as functions of diffusion-equivalent diameter.
Synthesis and multitopic complex formation of a photochromic bis(crown ether) based on benzobis(thiazole).

2,7-Bis[2-(6,7,9,10,12,13,15,16-octahydro-5,8,11,14,17-pentaoxabenzocyclopentadecen-2-yl)vinyl]-benzo[1,2-d;3,4-d‘]bisthiazole, 2, with crown ether styryl moieties substituted on a heterocyclic cor...
Mammary Neoplasia after in vitro X-irradiation of Mammary Tissue

WE have been unable to find any reports that mammary neoplasia can be induced in rats by in vitro exposure of mammary tissue to ionizing radiation. (Our use of the term in vitro implies the removal of mammary tissue, its exposure to radiation in vitro and its subsequent transplantation into the same or another rat.) Dao et al.1 have shown that mammary tissue taken from a rat given 7,12-dimethyl-alpha-benzanthracene (DMBA) when transplanted into another rat often developed mammary neoplasia in the transplant, and Brennan et al.2,3 have reported that the exposure of mammary tissue in vitro to DMBA, with autologous transplantation into the same rat, often resulted in mammary neoplasia in the transplant. For the case of the experiments of Brennan et al., a troublesome question remains. Was some DMBA transferred with the mammary transplant ? If so, then the induction may have taken place in the transplanted tissue and may consequently have been in vivo. Brennan et al. attempted to control the transfer of DMBA by washing the mammary tissue and to monitor the DMBA remaining in the mammary tissue by use of ultraviolet fluorescence. It is not, however, clear whether an ultraviolet control was performed, so it is possible that the subsequent neoplasia was in fact caused by the exposure to ultraviolet light.
Protection by indole-3-carbinol against covalent binding of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites to mouse liver DNA and protein

Indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C) is a compound present in many cruciferous vegetables that has been shown to reduce aryl hydrocarbon-induced neoplasia in experimental animals. We examined the relationship between the ability of I-3-C to alter the activity of hepatic aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH), and its ability to inhibit the covalent binding of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) metabolites to DNA and protein. Using an in vitro system and a hepatic postmitochondrial fraction from mice that had been treated by gavage with I-3-C, we found that up to 90% of the covalent binding of BaP metabolites to macromolecules was eliminated, while AHH activity was unchanged. In experiments in vivo, treatment of mice by gavage with I-3-C before [14C]BaP resulted in up to an 80% decrease in covalent binding of 14C to DNA or protein with no concomitant decrease in hepatic AHH activity. These results suggest that I-3-C administered in vivo confers protection against the binding of BaP oxidation products to hepatic cellular macromolecules.
Exposure of emergency department personnel to tuberculosis: PPD testing during an epidemic in the community

Study objective: The present epidemic of tuberculosis has increased the risk of transmission of tuberculosis to health care workers in general and emergency department staff in particular, who often treat patients with tuberculosis before their diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of tuberculosis exposure among the nursing and physician staff of an urban ED. Design: Observational study of self-reported purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test results and tuberculosis exposure. Setting: Urban, public ED. Participants: Attending physicians, resident physicians, and registered nurses. Interventions: None Results: Questionnaires were sent to all attending physicians, resident physicians, and registered nurses in the ED at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center requesting information on the subject's present and prior PPD status, known exposure to tuberculosis, and duration of time and average number of hours worked in the ED. Ninety-six of 129 questionnaires (74%) were returned. Five of the respondents had been immunized with Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin vaccine (BCG) and 10 of the respondents were PPD positive before beginning work in the ED. Of the other 81 respondents, 31% (25 of 81) had become PPD positive while working in the ED. The majority of these conversions (15 of 25) occurred in the first 6 months of 1993. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed nearly a 40% risk of PPD conversion after 60 months of full-time work in the ED. Conclusion: As measured by self-reported PPD status, a high rate of exposure to tuberculosis has been observed among the ED staff at Harbor-UCLA Medica Center. The highest rate of PPD conversion has been noted most recently, suggesting that there has been a significant increase in staff exposure to tuberculosis during 1992 and the beginning of 1993. Systematic monitoring of PPD conversion rates among ED staff is necessary to determine the adequacy of ED respiratory isolation procedures during the current tuberculosis epidemic.
Fluctuation-induced diamagnetism and dimensionality in superconducting layered compounds: TaS/sub 2/(pyridine)/sub 1///sub 2/ and NbSe/sub 2/

The results of an investigation of fluctuation-induced diamagnetism in superconducting layered compounds are presented. These results are used to establish the dimensionality of the superconducting fluctuation effects near T/sub c/. Compounds studied include the intercalated compound TaS/sub 2/(pyridine)/sub 1///sub 2/, and unintercalated NbSe/sub 2/ and TaS/sub 1//sub .//sub 6/Se/sub 0//sub .//sub 4/. The susceptibility above T/sub c/, and magnetization in the superconducting state, were measured in fields up to 327 Oe with a superconducting quantum-interference magnetometer suitable for a broad range of sensitive magnetic measurements. The operation and performance of this magnetometer are discribed. Results for TaS/sub 2/(pyridine)/sub 1///sub 2/ indicate that in low fields and near T/sub c/, the fluctuation effects are three-dimensional in nature, where this is established via a comparison with previous results for an isotropic alloy, Pb--5-at.% Tl. This conclusion as to the dimensionality of the superconducting effects is in accord with the qualitative predictions of the Lawrence-Doniach theory for weakly-coupled superconducting layers. Data for NbSe/sub 2/ have a number of complicating features, and firm conclusions regarding this material could not be drawn.
Cation → anion energy transfer in [Cr(en)3][Cr(CN)6]·2H2O

Abstract Energy transfer from Cr(en) 3 3+ to Cr(CN) 6 3− has been observed in [Cr(en) 3 ][Cr(CN) 6 ]·2H 2 O with an efficiency close to unity. The 4 T 2 & rt arrow-wavy; 2 E intersystem crossing efficiency in Cr(en) 3 3+ is also unity.
Effect of pentobarbital anaesthesia on the turnover of [3H] noradrenaline in peripheral tissue of cats

Abstract The effect of pentobarbital anaesthesia on the turnover of dl-[ 3 H]-noradrenaline in heart, iris and anterior tibialis has been studied in cats. In comparison with results obtained in unanaesthetised animals, a four-fold decrease in the rate of [ 3 H]-noradrenaline turnover was observed in cats under pentobarbital anaesthesia. In addition, it was noted that the body temperature of the anaesthetised animals fell steadily during the course of experiment. The decrease in [ 3 H]-noradrenaline turnover seen during pentobarbital anaesthesia was reversed when the body temperature of the anaesthetised animals was maintained at 38–40°, suggesting that the effect of pentobarbital on [ 3 H]-noradrenaline turnover seen in these experiments was a consequence of the decrease in body temperature.
"One Medicine" for Animal and Human Health

Suggested Citation for this Article: Potter P. "One medicine" for animal and human health [about the cover]. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2004 Dec [date cited].http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1012.AC1012
Chemical and isotopic study of extraterrestrial particles from the ocean floor

We report chemical, mineralogic and Rb-Sr data on deep-sea spherules and on particles from an Antarctic Ocean core in which an excess Ir content has been identified. ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr compositions in the deep-sea spherules are determined to 1–2‰ and are in the range 0.730–0.757. The ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr compositions and the Sr concentrations are in the range observed for the majority of chondritic meteorites. ^(84)Sr/^(88)Sr ratios are normal to within 1%. Extreme depletion of Rb relative to the chondritic abundance is found in the deep-sea spherules. These data support the inference based on chemical composition and mineralogy that the deep-sea spherules are produced by the ablation or heating of meteoroids in the Earth's atmosphere with substantial loss of Rb by volatilization. Most terrestrial sources for the deep-sea spherules can be excluded, based on the chemical composition and on the Sr isotopic composition. The results on vesicular, Ir-rich particles from the Antarctic Ocean core give ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr in the range 0.703–0.705 and within the range observed for ocean island basalts but significantly above mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). A crystalline basaltic particle from this core shows non-radiogenic ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr= 0.701 ± 0.001, in the range observed for MORB and basaltic achondrites. The Sr data on the vesicular particles do not provide positive support for an extraterrestrial provenance for these materials. The basaltic particles cannot reasonably be the primary source of the high Ir concentration and some other lithic component remains to be identified.
A map approach to the solution of a class of boolean functional equations

Typically, simultaneous Boolean equations are expressed by a set of relations Fi = fi, i = 1,2 ?, where the Fi and fi are switching functions of N binary variables. In many logical design problems, a special type of Boolean equation is often encountered; namely, F(A0, A1 ?, An?1, X0, X1 ?, Xm?1) = f(a1, a2 ?, ak, X0, X1 ?, Xm?1), in which the arguments Ai's and Xi's are binary variables and the a1's are implicit functions of the Ai's only. This paper presents a somewhat new approach to solving such special types of Boolean functional equations. The solution function (see reference 1) can be formulated and mapped on a Veitch chart, especially tailored to the present problem, and all possible sets of solutions of the implicit functions ai's which satisfy the original functional equation are obtained simultaneously. Other possible applications and extensions of this method are discussed also.
The effects of feedback and consequences on transitional cursive letter formation

Twelve first-grade students were employed to analyze the effects of (1) Verbal and Visual Feedback, (2) Verbal and Visual Feedback plus immediate rewriting of trained letters with one or more incorrect letter strokes, and (3) Potential Reinforcement on cursive letter strokes. Students practised both a set of trained and a set of untrained letters during each session. Feedback and reinforcement was administered only for trained letter strokes. The percentage of correct trained letter strokes increased during all conditions. Performance on the untrained but practiced and trained letter strokes followed the same general trend in response pattern. No consistent pattern of generalization was demonstrated with untrained and unpracticed letter strokes.
Heat transfer performance of a cooling system using vibrating piezoelectric beams

A prototype of a miniature cooling system for microelectronics using vibrating piezoelectric beam was proposed and constructed. The flow patterns and cooling effects of the system were investigated experimentally. The vibration characteristics of the piezoelectric beam were simulated by the finite element method. Cooling effects were measured in terms of the temperature drop of the heat source above the vibrating beam. The electric field applied on the piezoelectric beam and the gap between heat source and actuator were adjusted to find the best cooling result. A temperature drop of 25.9 °C from 92 °C can be observed for the heat source when operating at a certain condition, which indicates the feasibility of using the present miniature cooling system in small devices. The heat transfer performance of the cooling system was analyzed as well. The results show that the enhancement of heat transfer between the heat source and the beam can be up to 210% with the acoustic streaming generated by the beam vibration in the present experimental studies. The enhanced heat transfer can be attributed to the generation of vortical streaming by the vibrating beam which was also captured in the flow visualization experiments.
Painful Vulvar Ulcers in Young Virginal Adolescent Girls

Background Vulvar lesions are uncommon in virginal adolescent girls. The etiology may be infectious but also vascular, neoplastic, hematologic, drug induced or traumatic. Methods The cases of never sexually active menstruating adolescent girls presenting with single vulvar ulcers were reviewed for the years 1995–1997 Results Three adolescent girls, ages 13–14 presented with a single 2–3 centimeter wide, shallow, painful ulcer of the labia minora. The edges of the ulcer were smooth but associated with a mild cellulitis. The ulcer followed symptoms of a mild upper respiratory infection that was associated with malaise. The CBC with differential was normal in all girls. All subjects were negative for mononucleosis(EBV), cytomegalovirus(CMV), herpes simplex, chlamydia, syphilis and pathogenic bacteria. None of the patients had ever traveled outside of the United States. The ulcers and systemic symptoms resolved over 2–6 weeks with sitz baths, rest and antibiotics. None of the patients who have now been followed up to a minimum of one year have had a recurrence. Conclusions The etiology for a large painful ulcer of the labia in these early adolescent girls remains unknown. Like the EBV ulcers of the labia, these ulcers appear to resolve without sequelae with conservative supportive therapy. Further studies of pathogenesis are needed.
Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Flag:

Congress frequently seeks to reverse the policies of the U.S. Supreme Court. Much is known about the circumstances in which lawmakers confront the Court and whether they are likely to succeed. Still, we do not know how individual members of Congress make these decisions. Why do some mem bers defer to judicial policymaking, while others openly oppose it? The case of the Flag Protection Amendment of 1990, considered in response to the Court's decisions on the issue of flag burning, provides an illustrative setting in which to examine this question. Despite evidence that congres sional reaction to judicial policy is distinctive, our model of the vote sug gests that the nature of institutional conflict does not shape the decision. Rather, members largely reflect ideological and constituent preferences when deciding whether to reverse the Court.
Isolation and partial characterization of a mucin-type glycoprotein from plasma membranes of human melanoma cells

Plasma membranes were isolated from HM7 melanoma cells grown in the presence of [3H]glucosamine and Na235SO4 or [3H]mannose and [14C]glucosamine. The labelled glucoconjugates were solubilized with 0.6 M lithium diiodosalicylate/0.5% Triton X-100. Fractionation of glycoconjugates by repeated chromatography on columns of Sepharose CL-6B and DEAE-Sepharose and by affinity chromatography on WGA-Sepharose yielded three radiochemically homogenous glycoproteins. One of these having an apparent molecular weight of 100 000 was found to contain clusters of (AcNeu)1 or in2 a [Gal a GalNAc] linked O-glycosidically to the protein. One other glycoprotein contained both O-glycosidically and N-glycosidically-linked oligosaccharides, and the third contained only N-glycosidically-linked carbohydrates. Preliminary results indicate that the 100 000 molecular weight mucin-type glycoprotein is present in significantly reduced quantities in cultured human fetal uveal melanocytes. Further, the bulk of the glycoproteins from the melanocytes were of lower molecular size compared to those from the melanoma cells.
EFFECT OF COUNTY-LEVEL INCOME ON VEHICLE AGE DISTRIBUTION AND EMISSIONS

In conjunction with a statewide emissions inventory of on-road mobile sources in Tennessee, a county-by-county analysis of vehicle registration data was performed. Several interesting trends were observed in the kinds and ages of vehicles driven in Tennessee counties compared with national statistics and compared with the average personal income of county residents. In particular, median vehicle age correlated strongly with average personal income for each county. Vehicle fleets were oldest in lowestincome counties and newest in the highest-income county; median vehicle age was 10.8 years in the former and only 5.9 years in the latter. This difference in vehicle age results in average mobile-source emissions factors 63% higher for nitrogen oxides, 73% higher for carbon monoxide, and 104% higher for volatile organic compounds in the lowest-income counties than in the highest-income counties, based on the MOBILE6 emissions model run for calendar year 2000. The low-income counties also registered 76% more li...
The effect of hydrogen on mechanical properties in Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al

The effect of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of the metastable β alloy Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al was examined. The material was beta annealed and water quenched (B/WQ) to yield a nominally all-β microstructure, with a small volume fraction of athermal omega present. Tensile and notched bend bar tests were performed with differing levels of hydrogen concentration (~0 to >30 at. pct) obtained by Sieverts (gaseous) charging prior to beta annealing. The β phase was transformed to orthorhombic alpha double prime martensite (β") upon deformation. The volume fraction and morphology of the alpha double prime depended on the hydrogen concentration. The deformation-induced martensitic transformation changed from being stress-induced to being strain-induced with increased hydrogen concentration. High hydrogen concentrations also resulted in changes in fracture mode. At high hydrogen concentrations, where little or no martensite formed upon deformation, “intrinsic” (i.e., independent of microstructural modification) hydrogen effects were observed in the β phase. These intrinsic hydrogen effects, deleterious in nature, were taken to be evidence of hydrogen embrittlement in the body-centered cubic β phase.
Improved focusing capability for inelastic X-ray spectrometer at 3-ID of the APS: A combination of toroidal and Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirrors

Abstract We have combined a toroidal and a KB mirror system in tandem to improve the focal spot size for the momentum-resolved inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS) spectrometer at Sector 3 in APS. This combination provides a factor of 40 gain in flux density and 20 μm (H)×17 μm (V) (FWHM) in beam size at the sample position, enhancing the capability of the beamline for high-pressure measurements.
Alternative semantics for temporal logics

Abstract The relationship between alternative underlying semantics for temporal logics is studied. A number of constraints on the allowable sets of computation paths can be built into a logic to try to ensure that the abstract computation path semantics of a concurrent program accurately reflects essential aspects of ‘real’ concurrent programs. Three such constraints are suffix closure (Lamport, 1980), fusion closure (Pratt, 1979) and limit closure (Abrahamson, 1980). Another common constraint is that the set of paths be R -generable, i.e., generated by some binary relation (Manna and Pnueli, 1979). We show that each of the first three constraints is independent of the others, and their conjunction is precisely equivalent to the fourth constraint.
Low-temperature studies of recoil reactions

Abstract The Szilard-Chalmers reaction has been investigated in a number of crystalline compounds with a special effort being made to maintain the temperature at low values during bombardment, storage and dissolution. Evidence of rapid thermal annealing at moderate temperatures is found. The data suggest that it will for this reason be extremely difficult to obtain reliable information on the true yields of the hot-atom processes which occurred before any annealing took place.
Cervical kyphosis in diastrophic dwarfism: CT and MR findings

A 3-year-old boy with diastrophic dwarfism was evaluated for truncal and upper extremity weakness. A severe cervical gibbus was found. Cord compression was documented with MRI.
An instrument to facilitate construction of miniature vascular suture lines.

Abstract A microvascular suture technique has been devised employing an instrument tipped with a silicone "thimble" into which the needle is driven. Rotating the shaft of the instrument completes the needle's excursion and steadies it for regripping with the needleholder.
Do Common User Interface Design Patterns Improve Navigation

The Internet has become a growing channel for consumer purchases. Half of all U.S. consumers made at least one purchase on-line in 2001. However, many consumers report frustration with the lack of ...
The in vitro growth response of Giardia trophozoites from the rabbit.

SYNOPSIS. A visual technic has been developed for determining concentration of Giardia trophozoites in culture tubes. Such a technic is desirable because the nature of Giardia growth makes routine enumeration of these organisms by hemocytometer or electronic cell counter expensive in both time and material. The visual method of counting Giardia trophozoites was correlated with counts of the same suspensions of organisms using an electronic particle counter. As a part of the correlation, the growth response, as measured by electronic cell counter, was established for 8 primary axenic cultures of Giardia trophozoites from the rabbit. The average starting number of organisms was 3.7 ± 0.6 × 103 per ml, the average number of organisms at the peak of logarithmic growth was 1.78 ± 0.2 × 105 per ml, and the generation time was 18.1 ± 1.6 hr. These data are compared with the available literature data quantitating Giardia growth.
Robots and therapeutic play: Evaluation of a wireless interface device for interaction with a robot playmate

Rehabilitation robots in home environments has the potential to dramatically improve quality of life for individuals who experience disabling circumstances due to injury or chronic health conditions. Unfortunately, although classes of robotic systems for rehabilitation exist, these devices are typically not designed for children. And since over 150 million children in the world live with a disability, this causes a unique challenge for deploying such robotics for this target demographic. To overcome this barrier, we discuss a system that uses a wireless arm glove input device to enable interaction with a robotic playmate during various play scenarios. Results from testing the system with 20 human subjects shows that the system has potential, but certain aspects need to be improved before deployment with children.
Malignant potential of polypoid lesions of the colon and rectum.

More than half of some 2000 polypoid lesions of the colon and rectum studied in the Department of Pathology of Henry Ford Hospital, over a recent 5-year period, were diagnosed as adenomatous polyps. Approximately one quarter were considered non-neoplastic—hyperplastic, mucosal, and inflammatory polyps. Little evidence can be found to support a contention that any of these lesions predispose to the development of cancer; origin of carcinoma in such polyps is believed to be a rare event. The papillary or villous adenoma, on the other hand, is a potentially serious lesion. Although the incidence of progression to frank cancer does not appear great, many papillary adenomas, particularly the larger ones, contain foci of invasive cancer. Additionally, even when they do not, there is a risk of repeated local recurrence unless bowel resection is carried out. It appears that most carcinomas are carcinomas from their inception.
Neonatal porcine endometrial development and epithelial proliferation affected by age and exposure to estrogen and relaxin.

Abstract In the pig, temporospatially regulated proliferation of uterine luminal (LE) and glandular (GE) epithelium between birth (postnatal day = PND 0) and PND 15 is essential for success of endometrial development. Exposure of gilts to estrogen (E) or relaxin (RLX) during this period disrupts uterine development, and neonatal E exposure can compromise adult uterine function. Neonatal uterotrophic effects of E and RLX, administered for 2 days beginning on PND 12, can be inhibited with the antiestrogen ICI 182,780 (ICI) indicating crosstalk between RLX and E signaling systems. Here, objectives were to determine effects of: (study 1) neonatal age and (study 2) exposure to E, RLX, and ICI on porcine neonatal uterine histoarchitecture and patterns of epithelial cell proliferation as reflected by proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index. In study 1, uteri were obtained on PND 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15. Glandular epithelium, absent at birth, was observed by PND 3. Overall, epithelial labeling index increased from birth to PND 3, declined from PND 6–9 in LE and GE, and increased to PND 15 in GE. In study 2, uteri were collected on PND 14 after administration of vehicle, E, or RLX for 2 days, or following pretreatment with ICI. Alone, E was uterotrophic and adenogenic and increased labeling index in both LE and GE. Both RLX and ICI increased proliferation in GE. Effects of E and RLX were attenuated by ICI, providing further support for crosstalk between these signaling systems in the developing neonatal porcine endometrium.
Noise reduction technique for scanning tunneling microscopy

Noise stemming from mechanical vibration, electronic noise, or low frequency (1/f power spectrum) inherent in the tunneling process, often limits the resolution, speed, or range of application of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). We demonstrate a technique for minimizing the effect of these noise sources on the STM image. In our method, the tunneling tip is vibrated parallel to the sample surface at a frequency f0, above that of the feedback response frequency. Two signals are obtained simultaneously: the conventional topography, and a differential image corresponding to the amplitude of current modulation at f0. The resultant ac signal can be simply related to the normal STM topographic image, with significant improvement in the signal‐to‐noise ratio.
Guide to the Phonetic Symbols of Spanish by FACE, TIMOTHY L.

The article reviews the book "Guide to the Phonetic Symbols of Spanish," by Timothy L. Face.
Radiotherapy for vaginal carcinoma: a 23-year review.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate prognostic variables and morbidity in patients with vaginal carcinoma. 34 patients, mean age 67 years (+/- 8 SD), were treated between 1976 and 1994. 14 patients had a history of prior hysterectomy. In 13 of the 34 patients the tumour site was the upper vagina, in 9 it was the middle third, in 8 the lower third and in 4 the entire length of the vagina. Disease stage was I in 9 patients, II in 16, III in 7 and IV in 2. There were four treatment groups: external beam therapy + intracavitary brachytherapy (Group WPIC, n = 15); external beam therapy + interstitial brachytherapy (Group WPIS, n = 10); external beam therapy alone (Group WP, n = 7); and brachytherapy alone (Group BA, n = 2). Kaplan-Meier estimates and log-rank tests were used to evaluate survival. Disease-specific 5-year survival was 68% for 28 patients with squamous cell carcinoma and 50% for 6 patients with adenocarcinoma (p-value 0.3). 5-year survival was 78% for stage I disease, 63% for stage II, 33% f...
Logical positivism, analytic method, and criticisms of ethnophilosophy

: I argue that the analytic method has been circularly used to analyze the concept of “philosophy,” and that the result of this analysis has also been used to criticize African ethnophilosophy as nonphilosophical. I critically examine the criticism that ethnophilosophy implies cognitive relativism and the criticism that it implies authoritarianism. I defend ethnophilosophy against these criticisms, arguing that they are rooted in logical positivism, the view that philosophy essentially involves the use of the methods of science and logical analysis. I argue that such analysis and criticisms, given their pedigree, do not provide an adequate or accurate picture of the nature of philosophy.
Current concepts of the pathogenesis of optic neuritis associated with multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Optic neuritis may occur as an isolated entity or as a manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS), a widespread central nervous system demyelinating disease. Clinical, electrophysiological, magnetic resonance imaging and neuropathologic data support the hypothesis that “idiopathic” optic neuritis represents a restricted form of MS. The current evidence for viral, cell mediated, and antibody-induced etiologies of MS and optic neuritis are reviewed.
Noise reduction strategies in freehand elasticity imaging

We are developing a clinical ultrasonic imaging system for real-time estimation and display of tissue elastic properties. We have demonstrated that real-time feedback of elasticity images is essential for obtaining high-quality data (consecutive images with high spatial coherence). The key element to successful scanning is real-time visual feedback which guides the patient positioning and compression direction. Our data have clearly demonstrated nonlinearity in the strain properties of different tissue types. We have also demonstrated that a comparison of the area of a breast lesion observed in strain images versus B-mode images is a sensitive criterion for differentiating malignant from benign tumors. Frame-to-frame variability in strain images somewhat degrades the ability to observe these phenomena. Three strategies for reducing frame-to-frame strain image noise are described. The combination of these post-processing strategies provides a significant improvement in the quality of long sequences of strain images.
A novel mobility-variation-free extraction technique of capacitance coupling coefficient for stacked flash memory cell

We propose a novel extraction technique of the control gate capacitance coupling coefficient (/spl alpha//sub g/) of a stacked gate flash memory cell. Five novel test patterns, that the CBCM (charge based capacitance measurement) method is applied to, are developed to directly measure all the capacitances connected to the floating gate. Comparison of extracted /spl alpha//sub g/ with the TCAD results proves the validity of this technique. Moreover, we have confirmed that conventional techniques, which use the channel current characteristics, overestimate the /spl alpha//sub g/ variation due to channel mobility variation. Therefore direct /spl alpha//sub g/ extraction using our proposed technique is necessary for precise process monitoring.
Capacity-efficient restoration for optical networks

Traditional, ring-based restoration reserves half the network capacity for backup. Using generalized loopback, an alternate method for restoration, we show roughly 20% capacity enhancement and investigate tradeoffs between efficient capacity and robustness to double failures.
Random-subset fitting of digital holograms for fast three-dimensional particle tracking [Invited]

Fitting scattering solutions to time series of digital holograms is a precise way to measure three-dimensional dynamics of microscale objects such as colloidal particles. However, this inverse-problem approach is computationally expensive. We show that the computational time can be reduced by an order of magnitude or more by fitting to a random subset of the pixels in a hologram. We demonstrate our algorithm on experimentally measured holograms of micrometer-scale colloidal particles, and we show that 20-fold increases in speed, relative to fitting full frames, can be attained while introducing errors in the particle positions of 10 nm or less. The method is straightforward to implement and works for any scattering model. It also enables a parallelization strategy wherein random-subset fitting is used to quickly determine initial guesses that are subsequently used to fit full frames in parallel. This approach may prove particularly useful for studying rare events, such as nucleation, that can only be captured with high frame rates over long times.