cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CD1d-restricted type II NKT cells are sufficient for the down regulation of immunosurveilance against a nonregressor syngeneic colon carcinoma

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4879 Despite the progress in understanding tumor immunosurveillance and advances in tumor immunotherapy, therapeutic immunity to cancer is still not an established modality of treatment. One of the reasons for the failure of antitumor immune response is the existence of mechanisms for tumor tolerance. In this context, different T cell subsets with suppressive function have been described, as the widely studied CD4+CD25+ T regulatory (Treg) cell. Another cell reported to suppress anti-tumor immune responses is the CD1d-restricted natural killer (NK) T cell. Our laboratory previously demonstrated the role of suppressive CD4+ CD1d-dependent CD4+ NKT cells both in an immunogenic regressor tumor model and in a nontransfected, nonregressor, syngeneic tumor model, the lung metastases of the CT26 colon carcinoma. The existence of suppressive NKT cells in the CT26 tumor model is confirmed by the observation that both CD4+ T cell-depleted mice and CD1d KO mice, which lack CD1d-restricted NKT cells, were significantly resistant to lung metastases. In the same tumor model, we have now excluded an additional suppressive role of the Treg cell, as the depletion of Treg cells did not protect the mice from tumor growth. We then investigated whether the regulatory NKT cell is the better characterized Vα14-Jα18+ (type I) NKT cell, whose activation has been shown to be beneficial in a number of tumor models, or is the different and less well characterized non-Vα14-Jα18+ (type II) NKT cell. Although CD1d KO mice were significantly protected from tumor growth, Jα18 KO mice, which lack the type I NKT cell, were not. Moreover, like NKT cell-intact wild type mice, but unlike CD1d KO mice, Jα18 KO mice do not have any tumor antigen-specific lytic activity in vivo. These results indicate that type II NKT cells, in the absence of type I NKT cells, are sufficient for the down regulation of the immunosurveillance and the cytotoxic immune response against the CT26 tumor. Taken together all the observations suggest that the immunosuppressive CD4+ NKT cell is the type II NKT cell. As confirmation of this conclusion, CD4+ T cell-depleted Jα18 KO mice were protected from tumor growth. Finally, these findings may distinguish the different roles of these two NKT cell subsets in the regulation of tumor immunity and resolve an apparent paradox regarding the function of NKT cells in tumor immunology.
Life Modeling of Atmospheric and Low Pressure Plasma‐Sprayed Thermal‐Barrier Coating

The cycles-to-failure vs cycle duration data for three different thermal barrier coating systems, which consist of atmospheric pressure plasma-sprayed ZrO2-8 percent Y2O3 over similarly deposited or low pressure plasma sprayed Ni-base alloys, are presently analyzed by means of the Miller (1980) oxidation-based life model. Specimens were tested at 1100 C for heating cycle lengths of 1, 6, and 20 h, yielding results supporting the model's value.
Volumes of hyperbolic Haken manifolds, II

In [14] a program was initiated for using the topological theory of 3-manifolds to obtain lower bounds for volumes of hyperbolic 3-manifolds. In [1], by a combination of new geometric ideas with relatively standard (but specifically 3-dimensional) topological techniques, we showed that every closed, orientable hyperbolic 3-manifold whose first Betti number is at least 3 has volume exceeding 0.92. By contrast, the best known lower bound [10,5] for the volume of an arbitrary closed hyperbolic 3-manifold is approximately 0.0012. In [3] we showed that every closed, orientable hyperbolic 3-manifold whose first Betti number is 2 has volume exceeding 0.34. The proof depended on supplementing the results and techniques of [1] with ingenious elementary arguments due to Zagier [11] and numerical computations. In the present paper we shall show that if one excludes certain special manifolds, such as fiber bundles over S 1, then the lower bound of 0.34 also holds for hyperbolic 3-manifolds with Betti number 1. The proof depends heavily on the results of [1] and [3], but it involves much deeper topological ideas than these papers. The new topological results needed for the proof occupy most of the present paper. To some extent these results have the flavor of general topology, but the proofs make use of such specifically low-dimensional techniques as the characteristic submanifold theory [9, 8], the interaction between trees and incompressible surfaces, and Scott's theorem [12] that surface groups are locally extended residually finite. Before giving a precise statement of our main result we must review a few elementary notions from 3-manifold theory.
NHERF-1: Modulator of Glioblastoma Cell Migration and Invasion

The invasive nature of malignant gliomas is a clinical problem rendering tumors incurable by conventional treatment modalities such as surgery, ionizing radiation, and temozolomide. Na + /H + exchanger regulatory factor 1 (NHERF-1) is a multifunctional adaptor protein, recruiting cytoplasmic signaling proteins and membrane receptors/transporters into functional complexes. This study revealed that NHERF-1 expression is increased in highly invasive cells that reside in the rim of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumors and that NHERF-1 sustains glioma migration and invasion. Gene expression profiles were evaluated from laser capture-microdissected human GBM cells isolated from patient tumor cores and corresponding invaded white matter regions. The role of NHERF-1 in the migration and dispersion of GBM cell lines was examined by reducing its expression with small-interfering RNA followed by radial migration, three-dimensional collagen dispersion, immunofluorescence, and survival assays. The in situ expression of NHERF-1 protein was restricted to glioma cells and the vascular endothelium, with minimal to no detection in adjacent normal brain tissue. Depletion of NHERF-1 arrested migration and dispersion of glioma cell lines and caused an increase in cell-cell cohesiveness. Glioblastoma multiforme cells with depleted NHERF-1 evidenced a marked decrease in stress fibers, a larger cell size, and a more rounded shape with fewer cellular processes. When NHERF-1 expression was reduced, glioma cells became sensitized to temozolomide treatment resulting in increased apoptosis. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence for NHERF-1 as a participant in the highly invasive phenotype of malignant gliomas and implicate NHERF-1 as a possible therapeutic target for treatment of GBM.
Monitoring during the surgical treatment of scoliosis

Publisher Summary This chapter explores that scoliosis is a relatively common problem in the general community. A variety of types of scoliosis are recognized. These include idiopathic scoliosis that can be present at adult, adolescent, or congenital portions of the life spectrum and degenerative scoliosis that is common among the elderly. Other secondary causes of scoliosis include many neuromuscular disorders. The chapter discusses the variety of techniques available to monitor the spinal cord during scoliosis surgery. They offer the opportunity of alarms for high-risk situations. Scoliosis correction surgery has an inherent risk of spinal cord injury. It also reviews that monitoring is associated with substantial reductions in postoperative neurological deficits in scoliosis surgery, though it does not prevent all deficits. When monitoring does raise an alarm, a variety of possible interventions are available for consideration.
Two Navy Virtual World Collaboration Applications: Rapid Prototyping and Concept of Operations Experimentation

Traditionally, US Navy has had a number of Undersea Warfare applications which require rapid prototyping capabilities as well as the need to perform cost effective concept of operations exercises. Recent investigations into the use of virtual world technologies at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) have focused on confined physical spaces that are easily replicated in a virtual environment. For example, a command & control center is a physical environment in which people interact with each other and the space they are in (i.e., attack consoles, displays, etc.) to manage information flow and decision making. Being able to optimally configure and reconfigure such a space is a critical step in the design process to ensure the end meets the necessary mission requirements. Previously the Navy has deployed small scale physical models to visualize spatial relationships (though not allowing human interaction) or large full scale models at more substantial costs. Leveraging cutting-edge virtual world technologies, today’s engineers can bring rapid prototyping to the next dimension. By transforming physical mock ups into virtual objects the costs of rapid prototyping can be drastically reduced. By extension, the designs evaluated inside the virtual worlds can then be tested under synthetic situations through concept of operations exercises.
Electromigration threshold for Cu/low k interconnects

Electromigration (EM) statistics and critical current-density line-length product (jL)/sub c/ were investigated for Cu interconnects integrated with oxide, CVD low k, porous MSQ, organic polymer dielectrics. The EM activation energy was found to be about 0.8 to 1.0 eV, which is commonly associated with mass transport at the Cu/SiN/sub x/ cap-layer interface. The lower EM lifetime and threshold product (jL)/sub c/ can be attributed to a smaller back stress due to less thermomechanical confinement in the low k structures. The confinement effect can be expressed in terms of an effective modulus B to account for EM behavior and threshold products of low k structures. For all the ILDs studied, (jL)/sub c/ showed no temperature dependence but for the organic polymer, j dependence was observed.
Preparation of School Psychologists for School-Based Consultation: A Training Activity and A Service to Community Schools.

Abstract Presents a set of training experiences to develop school-based consultation skills in preservice school psychologists and discusses problems in implementing this model of service. Based on their experience in training school psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, the authors report on preparing students to deal with teacher and principal expectations. Also discussed are methods for mobilizing teachers to plan more precisely to meet the needs of individual pupils in the classroom. A distinction is made in the paper between school-based and community-based mental health consultation.
The efficacy of three different mask styles on a PAP titration night

Abstract Background This study compared the efficacy of three different masks, nasal pillows, nasal masks and full face (oronasal) masks, during a single night of titration with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Methods Fifty five subjects that included men (n = 33) and women (n = 22) were randomly assigned to one of three masks and underwent a routine titration with incremental CPAP applied through the different masks. Results CPAP applied through the nasal pillows and nasal mask was equally effective in treating mild, moderate, and severe sleep apnea. However, CPAP applied through the oronasal mask required a significantly higher pressure compared to nasal masks to treat moderately severe (2.8 cm of H2O ± 2.1 SD) and severe (6.0 cm of H2O ± 3.2 SD) obstructive sleep apnea. Conclusion CPAP applied with either nasal mask was effective in treating mild, moderate, and severe sleep apnea. The oronasal mask required significantly higher pressures in subjects with moderate to severe disease. Therefore, when changing from a nasal to an oronasal mask, a repeat titration is required to ensure effective treatment of sleep apnea, especially in patients with moderate to severe disease.
The power of inertia

The connected “package” of practices and relationships which make up an art world, such as the world of music making, creates a powerful inertia, since it is always easier to use the already present elements of the package. Innovation is possible and occurs whenever people are willing to go to the trouble of doing things the hard way.
Meiotic Chromosome Alterations produced by Progesterone

ADMINISTRATION of progestins has been shown to suppress spermatogenesis in intact animals and humans, but the mechanisms involved have not been fully defined1–3. Using an adaptation of the method of Eik-Nes4 we have shown that perfusion of the canine testis with progesterone causes alterations in the meiotic chromosomes—chiefly sticky degeneration and improper spreading with clumping of the chromosomes.
Communication operations on coarse-grained mesh architectures

Abstract In this paper we consider three frequently arising communication operations, one-to-all, all-to-one, and all-to-all. We describe architecture-independent solutions for each operation, as well as solutions tailored towards the mesh architecture. We show how the relationship among the parameters of a parallel machine and the relationship of these parameters to the message size determines the best solution. We discuss performance and scalability issues of our solutions on the Intel Touchstone Delta. Our results show that in order to cover a broad range of scalability for a particular operation, multiple solutions should be employed.
Abstract 2687: Krüppel-like factor 8 targets matrix metalloproteinase-14 to promote breast cancer invasion and metastasis .

Kruppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) regulates critical gene transcription and invasion events associated with cancer, including epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and extracellular matrix degradation. Here, we report a novel KLF8-to- matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP14) signaling that promotes human breast cancer cell EMT, invasion and metastasis. Cell-surface protein biotinylation and streptavidin pull-down showed that overexpression of KLF8 induced cell-surface accumulation of MMP14 in MCF-10A cells in a FAK-dependent manner, which was correlated with increased MMP14 activity and the ectodomain shedding of E-cadherin. On the other hand, knockdown of KLF8 in MDA-MB-231 cells reduced expression and activity of MMP14 on the cell surface. Promoter reporter assays and chromatin and oligonucleotide precipitations determined that KLF8 activated the human MMP14 gene promoter both directly and indirectly via beta-catenin. Importantly, Matrigel invasion assays showed that MMP14 was required for the KLF8-induced MCF-10A cell invasion in vitro. Experiments using nude mice demonstrated that MMP-14 overexpression downstream of KLF8 in the MDA-MB-231 cells makes a significant contribution to the invasion and angiogenesis in the local primary tumors and lung metastasis. Taken together, this work identified a novel role and mechanisms for MMP14 downstream of KLF8 in the progression of breast cancer metastasis. Citation Format: Heng Lu, Liu Hu, Lin Yu, Xianhui Wang, Chao Shen, Tianshu Li, Debarati Mukherjee, Satadru Lahiri, Melissa Wason, Jihe Zhao. Kruppel-like factor 8 targets matrix metalloproteinase-14 to promote breast cancer invasion and metastasis . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2687. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2687
Space Charge Effects on the Interfacial Conduction in Sr-Doped Lanthanum Gallates: A Quantitative Analysis

The origin of the blocking effects of the grain boundary on the electrical conduction in 1 mol % Sr-doped LaGaO3 has been investigated. The oxygen partial pressure and the temperature dependences of the partial electronic and ionic conductivities of the grain boundary have been quantitatively analyzed based on the space charge models. The Mott−Schottky model has accurately reproduced those conductivity behaviors. The results clearly demonstrate that the space charge controls the grain boundary conduction in the material. The space charge potential estimated was about 0.4 V. Owing to the higher effective charge of the oxygen vacancy compared to that of the electron−hole leading to more severe depletion in the space charge zone, the electron−hole transference number increases in the space charge zone such that the grain boundary becomes mixed conducting, while the bulk is predominantly ionic conducting as experimentally observed.
7-methoxy-9-methylhexadeca-4(E),8(E)-dienoic acid from Lyngbya majuscula

Abstract A new fatty acid, 7-methoxy-9-methylhexadeca- 4(E),8(E)-dienoic acid, has been isolated from a toxic, deep-water variety of the marine blue-green alga Lyngbya majuscula.
The Pursuit of Inclusion: Recent Trends in Minority Enrollments in Higher Education:

Using "Fall Enrollments" and "The American Freshman" survey data, this article addresses two related questions: How has the ethnic-racial composition of various types of higher educational institutions changed in recent years, and how have chances of attending various types of institutions changed for students from different ethnic-racial backgrounds? Within the higher education system, the signs of stability outweighed the signs of change. The racial composition of the student bodies at 2-year and 4-year institutions was remarkably similar throughout the 1980s. The distribution of students from each minority group among the main divisions of the system also remained largely steady, suggesting that no group "traded down" in the educational hierarchy to cope with rising costs. At the elite Intitutions, Blacks did not lose ground but remained underrepresented; the greater ethnic-racial diversity at these institutions largely reflected an infusion of Asian-American students. In light of these data, explanati...
NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS The Nonuse Phenomenon

Most people do not use neighborhood parks. The causes and implications of nonuse are summarized. Ways to measure nonuse and a new approach to recreation planning based on user objectives are outlined. Design and management solutions are described to reduce levels of nonuse and make neighborhood parks more effective urban recreation places
Intravenous urocortin II decreases blood pressure through CRF2 receptor in rats

Urocortin II (Ucn II) is a new member of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family that binds selectively to the CRF subtype 2 receptor (CRF(2)). CRF or urocortin injected intravenously (i.v.) induced hypotension. We investigated the influence of iv human Ucn II (hUcn II) on basal mean blood pressure (MAP) and on the sympathetic mediated hypertensive response to TRH analog, RX-77368 injected intracisternally (i.c.) 20 min after hUcn II in urethane-anesthetized rats. Ucn II (3, 10, and 30 microg/kg, i.v.) significantly decreased basal MAP from baseline by -20.9+/-6.5, -21.3+/-5.4 and -46.8+/-6.5 mm Hg, respectively, after 10 min. RX-77368 (30 ng, i.c.) elevated MAP for over 90 min with a maximal hypertensive response at 20 min. Ucn II (3, 10, and 30 microg/kg, i.v.) did not alter the 20 min net rise in MAP induced by RX-77368 (35.7+/-7.1, 32.6+/-3.3 and 24.6+/-6.9 mm Hg, respectively) compared with vehicle (33.6+/-4.3 mm Hg). The selective CRF(2) antagonist, astressin(2)-B (60 microg/kg, i.v.) abolished hUcn II hypotensive action while having no effect on basal MAP. These data show that iv hUcn II induces hypotension through peripheral CRF(2) receptor while not altering the responsiveness to sympathetic nervous system-mediated rise in MAP.
Fuzzy function approximation and intelligent agents

A neural fuzzy system can learn an agent profile of a user when it samples user question-answer data. A fuzzy system uses if-then rules to store and compress the agent's knowledge of the user's likes and dislikes. A neural system uses training data to form and tune the rules. The profile is a preference map or a bumpy utility surface defined over the space of search objects. Rules define fuzzy patches that cover the surface bumps as learning unfolds and as the fuzzy agent system gives a finer approximation of the profile. The agent system searches for preferred objects with the learned profile and with a new fuzzy measure of similarity. The appendix derives the supervised learning law that tunes this matching measure with fresh sample data. We test the fuzzy agent profile system on object spaces of flowers and sunsets and test the fuzzy agent matching system on an object space of sunset images. Rule explosion and data acquisition impose fundamental limits on the system designs.
Hydrogen Atom Abstraction by Metal−Oxo and Metal−Superoxo Complexes: Kinetics and Thermodynamics

The superoxochromium complex CraqOO2+ abstracts a hydrogen atom from CMe3CHO in acidic aqueous solution with k = 0.16 M-1 s-1. This rate constant is only ∼102 times smaller than that for the reaction of CraqO2+ with the same aldehyde, k = 23 M-1 s-1, in contrast to the much greater reactivity difference between alkoxyl and alkylperoxyl radicals, kt-BuO/kt-BuOO ≈ 106. The absolute rate constants for hydrogen atom abstraction from a common reagent by metal-oxo and -superoxo species and the corresponding organic oxygen-centered radicals, RO• and ROO•, can now be compared for the first time: kBuO (9 × 107 M-1 s-1) > kCrO(23) ≥ kBuOO(8) > kCrOO (0.16). The reactivity of individual species is explained by the energetics of the O−H bonds in ROH, ROOH, CraqOH2+, and CraqOOH2+.
Data‐adaptive algorithms for calling alleles in repeat polymorphisms

Data-adaptive algorithms are presented for separating overlapping signatures of heterozygotic allele pairs in electrophoresis data. Application is demonstrated for human microsatellite CA-repeat polymorphisms in LiCor 4000 and ABI 373 data. The algorithms allow overlapping alleles to be called correctly in almost every case where a trained observer could do so, and provide a fast automated objective alternative to human reading of the gels. The algorithm also supplies an indication of confidence level which can be used to flag marginal cases for verification by eye, or as input to later stages of statistical analysis.
Integrated quantum photonics: On-chip teleportation

Quantum teleportation is achieved on a photonic chip, paving the way for scalable quantum information processing based on linear optical networks.
Holopoetry, hypertext, hyperpoetry

Eduardo KacThe School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Art and Technology Department725 W Meirose 2F, Chicago, Illinois 60657ABSTRACTThe author discusses the development of holographic visual poetics based on motion, discontinuous viewing zones, andmetamorphosis. He explains how it came about ten years ago, defines the basic principles of this new poetry, and gives detaileddescription of three recent pieces. Next, the author discusses the notion of hypertext and hyperpoetry, and observes the similarconcerns of holopoetry and hyperpoetry. He concludes with a call for the development of new poetic forms in the digital age.1. BEFORE HOLOPOETRYI will start by examining briefly the course that led to the development of holopoetry ten years ago. It was in 1983 thatI created my first holopoem, but my interest for linear and visual poetry developed early in adolescence. A turning point for mewas winning at seventeen years of age a national poetry contest in 1979, in Brazil, with a short poem in verse entitled Duvida("Doubt"). The poem was published the same year in the literary supplement ofthe Rio de Janeiro newspaper Tribuna da Imprensaand in the following year in an anthology, Cern Poemas Brasileiros ("One Hundred Brazilian Poems"), published by EditoraVertente, from Sao Paulo. The structure of this as well as of other poems I was writing at the time followed syntactic conventionsand used the line as breath unit. I started to participate in recitals and in public readings.In the late 1970's Brazil was slowly going through a period of redemocratization, following more than one decade ofmilitary dictatorship, torture ofpolitical prisoners, and censorship. I became interested in body politics, and found myself readingWilhelm Reich, Herbert Marcuse, and Roland Barthes, among others. Having diligently read and studied the work of the mostimportant modern and contemporary Brazilian poets as well as some of the most prominent modern and contemporary Americanand European poets, I noticed that works that openly expressed what I perceived as political issues related to the human body wereabsent from Brazilian poetry. I also studied poets ofthe past such as Catullus, Martial, Aretino, Bocage, Rimbaud, and others, whohad celebrated the body free-spiritedly. The poetry I developed after that hadstrong political overtones and was built on the "forbidden" vocabulary I foundabsent from the modern and contemporary work I admired. This style focused
Altered Ligand Binding Properties and Enhanced Stability of a Constitutively Active Estrogen Receptor: Evidence That an Open Pocket Conformation Is Required for Ligand Interaction†

To elucidate the ligand binding properties of the estrogen receptor (ER) and how ligand access to and release from the ligand binding pocket is affected by the conformational state of the receptor, we have measured the rates of estradiol association and dissociation, the equilibrium binding, and the stability of estradiol binding to denaturants, comparing wild-type human ER and a point mutant (Y537S ER) that shows full constitutive activity, i.e., the same full transcriptional activity in the absence or presence of estrogen. Ligand binding kinetics and affinity were measured with the full-length (1-595) ERs and with truncated forms of both receptors containing domains C through F (including the DNA binding, hinge, and ligand binding domains, amino acids 175-595) or domains E and F (the ligand binding domain; amino acids 304-595). With all ERs, the rates of ligand association and dissociation were considerably slower with the Y537S mutant ER than with wild-type ER (6-fold and 3-4-fold, respectively). These marked differences in ligand on and off rates for the wild-type and Y537S receptors result in a predicted (k-1/k+1) and measured Kd that is 2-fold lower for Y537S ER compared to wild-type ER. The binding of estradiol by wild-type ER was disrupted by high concentrations of urea (above 2 M), whereas the Y537S ER was distinctly more resistant to this disruption. These results are consistent with a model in which wild-type ER in the absence of ligand adopts a transcriptionally inactive collapsed pocket conformation, stabilized by specific interactions of Y537 with nearby regions of ER. When estradiol is bound, the wild-type ER adopts a transcriptionally active, closed pocket (ligand occupied) conformation. By contrast, the Y537S mutant ER favors the transcriptionally active closed pocket conformation, whether occupied by ligand or not, the latter state (closed pocket but unoccupied) accounting for its constitutive activity. Our findings suggest that the entry or exit of ligand from the binding pocket requires that ER adopt an open pocket conformation. The reduced rates of ligand association and dissociation in the constitutively active form of the ER, as well as its greater resistance to disruption of ligand binding by urea, support the supposition that the rate at which this open pocket conformation can be accessed from the unoccupied or ligand-occupied Y537S ER is slower than from the unoccupied or occupied forms of wild-type ER. Thus, the binding and release of ligand by ER require that the receptor access an open pocket state, and the ease with which this state can be accessed is affected by mutations that alter receptor conformation.
Association of number of retrieved oocytes with live birth rate and birth weight: an analysis of 231,815 cycles of in vitro fertilization

Objective To determine if number of retrieved oocytes correlates with live birth rate and incidence of low birth weight (LBW). Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Women undergoing fresh embryo transfer with the use of either autologous (n = 194,627) or donor (n = 37,188) oocytes whose cycles were reported to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology in the years 2004–2010. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Live birth rate, birth weight, birth weight z-score, LBW. Result(s) For both autologous and donor oocyte cycles, increasing number of retrieved oocytes paralleled live birth rate and embryos available for cryopreservation in most analyses, with all models adjusted for age and previous births. For cycles achieving singleton pregnancy with the use of autologous oocytes via transfer of two embryos, a higher number of retrieved oocytes was associated with lower mean birth weight, lower birth weight z-score, and greater incidence of LBW. In contrast, for cycles using donor oocytes, there was no association of number of retrieved oocytes with measures of birth weight. Conclusion(s) A higher number of retrieved oocytes was associated with an increased incidence of LBW in autologous singleton pregnancies resulting from transfer of two embryos, but not in donor oocyte cycles. Although the effect of high oocyte number on the incidence of LBW in autologous cycles was of modest magnitude, further study is warranted to determine if a subgroup of women may be particularly vulnerable.
Late Quaternary paleolimnology of Walker Lake, Nevada

Diatoms, crustaceans, and pollen from sediment cores, in conjunction with dated shoreline tufas provide evidence for lake level and environmental fluctuations of Walker Lake in the late Quaternary. Large and rapid changes of lake chemistry and level apparently resulted from variations in the course and discharge of the Walker River. Paleolimnological evidence suggests that the basin contained a relatively deep and slightly saline to freshwater lake before ca. 30000 years B.P. During the subsequent drawdown, the Walker River apparently shifted its course and flowed northward into the Carson Sink. As a result, Walker Lake shallowed and became saline. During the full glacial, cooler climates with more effective moisture supported a shallow brine lake in the basin even without the Walker River. As glacial climates waned after 15000 years ago, Walker Lake became a playa. The Walker River returned to its basin 4700 years ago, filling it with fresh water in a few decades. Thereafter, salinity and depth increased as evaporation concentrated inflowing water, until by 3000 years ago Walker Lake was nearly 90 m deep, according to dated shoreline tufas. Lake levels fluctuated throughout this interval in response to variations in Sierra Nevada precipitation and local evaporation. A drought in the Sierras between 2400 and 2000 years ago reduced Walker Lake to a shallow, brine lake. Climate-controlled refilling of the lake beginning 2000 years ago required about one millennium to bring Walker lake near its historic level.
Automated Tornado Damage Assessment and Wind Speed Estimation Based on Terrestrial Laser Scanning

AbstractThere are more than 1,000 tornadoes in the United States each year, yet engineers do not typically design for tornadoes because of insufficient information about wind loads. Collecting building-level damage data in the aftermath of tornadoes can improve the understanding of tornado winds, but these data are difficult to collect because of safety, time, and access constraints. This study presents and tests an automated geographic information system (GIS) method using postevent point cloud data collected by terrestrial scanners and preevent aerial images to calculate the percentage of roof and wall damage and estimate wind speeds at an individual building scale. Simulations determined that for typical point cloud density (>25 points/m2), a GIS raster cell size of 40–50 cm resulted in less than 10% error in damaged roof and wall detection. Data collected after recent tornadoes were used to correlate wind speed estimates and the percent of detected damage. The developed method estimated wind speeds f...
Apologies, Expectations, and Violations: An Analysis of Confirmed and Disconfirmed Expectations for Responses to Apologies

After hurting someone, individuals will sometimes apologize. Research has not explored the degree to which individuals expect their apologies to be accepted and the reactions individuals have when apologies are not accepted. The researchers use Expectancy Violation Theory to understand the relationship between expectations, responses to apologies. The researchers gathered data on hurtful events using critical event questionnaires, and results indicated that while accepting an apology is positively evaluated by apologizers, this relationship is moderated by their expectations of acceptance prior to the actual response to the apology. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
Public Opinion, Risk Perceptions, and Genetically Modified Food Regulatory Policy: Reassessing the Calculus of Dissent among European Citizens

The underlying assumption of multinational corporations and US government campaigns to inform citizens worldwide of the advantages of genetically modified (GM) foods has been straightforward: if citizens better understand GM science and benefits, they will become less wary of GM foods. To test the assumptions of proponents regarding science-based information campaigns, we use heteroskedastic probit analysis to analyze responses to the 1999 Eurobarometer survey. The results suggest that pro-GM food campaigns, directed at enhancing citizens’ understanding of the underlying science and biotechnology of GM food benefits, may not be as effective as GM proponents expect, and may even be counterproductive. The analysis also reveals, however, that support for GM foods is likely to be linked to citizens’ trust in government. Thus, campaigns stressing the regulatory capacity and willingness to protect public health, safety, and the environment, rather than merely leavening citizens’ understanding of the genetic sci...
Haematopoietic cell transplantation for acute leukaemia and advanced myelodysplastic syndrome in Fanconi anaemia.

Summary Acute leukaemia or advanced myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS ≥ 5% blasts) in Fanconi anaemia (FA) patients is associated with a poor prognosis. We report 21 FA patients with acute leukaemia or advanced MDS who underwent haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) at the University of Minnesota between 1988 and 2011. Six patients had biallelic BRCA2 mutations. Eight patients received pre-transplant cytoreduction, with 3 achieving complete remission. HCT donor source included human leucocyte antigen-matched sibling (n = 2) or alternative donors (n = 19). Neutrophil engraftment was 95% for the entire cohort, and the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease was 19%. 5-year overall survival (OS) was 33%, with a relapse rate of 24%, with similar OS in patients with biallelic BRCA2 mutations. Our study supports the use of HCT in the treatment of FA patients with acute leukaemia or advanced MDS, however, the role of chemotherapy prior to HCT remains unclear for this population. FA patients with biallelic BRCA2 are unique and may benefit from higher dose chemotherapy relative to other complementation groups.
Preliminary Studies with an Implantable Multimodal A‐V Pacemaker for Reciprocating Atrioventricular Tachycardias

The efficacy of a recently developed programmable implantable pacemaker which can be used in the management of supraventricular tachycardias (with, or without, associated bradyarrhythmias) was evaluated in the cardiovascular laboratory and at the bedside in the coronary care unit. Although this pacemaker functions primarily in a DVI-DVO mode, it was also made (iatrogenically) to operate in a DOO mode. The study was performed in six patients with reciprocating atrioventricular tachycardias (four of the long P-R--short R-P type and two of the short P-R--long R-P type). Both DVI-DVO and DOO pacing abolished all episodes of tachycardia in five of the patients. However, DOO pacing was also capable of initiating episodes of tachycardia in two of the six patients. The events observed in two of the patients raise the possibility that (reversed) ventriculoatrial sequential pacing may be required in some tachycardias of the short P-R--long R-P type. This preliminary study suggests that programmability of pacing modes, rates, and intervals is a desirable feature that pacemakers used to manage drug-resistant tachycardias should have.
Assessing Environmental Health Concerns Associated with Nitrous Oxide

Concerns about the effects of occupational exposure to nitrous oxide have existed for a decade. Unfortunately, data are lacking that document biologically tolerable exposure levels. Current guidelines regarding use of N2O are reviewed.
Autonomic nervous system function in severe breath-holding spells

This study attempted to determine noninvasively whether a dysregulation of autonomic nervous system reflexes exists in children with severe cyanotic breath-holding spells (BHS). This was a cross-sectional study performed in the neurophysiology laboratory at a tertiary care hospital. Patients, 18 months of age and older taken from a referral population of children with severe cyanotic BHS and normal controls, were studied. Fourteen children with cyanotic BHS and 12 controls were evaluated. Several noninvasive measures of parasympathetic and sympathetic reflex functions were assessed and statistically analyzed using analysis of variance and covariance, and Fisher's exact tests. The cyanotic BHS group had a significantly greater increase in pulse rate at 15 s of standing after rising from the supine position (P < .06), with a trend toward a concomitant higher mean arterial pressure (P < .09). After adjusting for age, sex, and mean supine systolic and diastolic blood pressures, breath-holders had a greater decrease in diastolic blood pressure (P < .02) without an increase in systolic blood pressure after standing from the supine position. Breath-holders also had significantly abnormal 30:15 R-R interval ratios compared with controls (P < .002). These results support the hypothesis that children with cyanotic BHS have underlying autonomic nervous system dysregulation. This dysregulation may contribute to the pathophysiology of severe BHS in these children.
Prolonged fatigue in Ukraine and the United States: Prevalence and risk factors.

Background: Prolonged, severe, unalleviated fatigue may be disabling whether it occurs on its own or in conjunction with medical or psychiatric conditions. This paper compares the prevalence and correlates of prolonged fatigue in general population samples in Ukraine versus the US. Methods: Population surveys were conducted in 2002 in both Ukraine (Ukraine World Mental Health [WMH] Survey) and the US (National Comorbidity Survey-Replication; NCS-R). Both surveys administered the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0), which contained modules assessing: neurasthenia (prolonged fatigue); mood, anxiety, and alcohol/drug use disorders; chronic medical conditions; and demographic characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine risk factors in each country. Results: The lifetime prevalence of prolonged fatigue was higher in Ukraine (5.2%) than the US (3.7%). In both countries, one-fifth of individuals with prolonged fatigue had no medical or DSM-IV psychiatric condition. ...
A correlation of the ionization energies of water and ethers with the polar and inductive substituent constants

On demontre que les energies d'ionisation des ethers, R2O, sont une fonction lineaire des constantes substituentes polaires et inductives. Les groupes alkyls qui donnent des electrons abaissent l'energie d'ionisation du «lone-pair» de l'atome d'oxygene. L'eau est inclue dans la correlation de meme que lether le plus simple. On trouve qu'avec bonne approximationEI=10,00+ 2,57Σσ* ouEI=12,59+28,0ΣσI.
TRANSFER OF PRODUCTS BETWEEN EPIPHYTIC MARINE ALGAE AND HOST PLANTS1,2

SUMMARY The red alga Smithora naiadum is normally found only as an epiphyle on the sea grasses Phyllospadix scouleri and Zostera marina. I used 32P and 14CO2 to examine the chemical communication between host and alga. Both 32P and the product of 14CO2 light fixation moved from the host to the alga. Reverse movement between host and epiphyte was also demonstrated. Part of this transfer occurred through the plant and part occurred by leakage from the host into the medium and subsequent uptake by the alga. Although plants were initially labeled in the light, transfer of 14C was light independent. Transfer of 14C-labeled products between host and epiphyte was also shown for Punctaria orbiculata and Z. marina; for Microdadia coulteri on Grateloupia doryphora, and between Gonimophyllum skottsbergii and Botryoglossum ruprechtiana. Epiphyte-host associations do not require a penetrating rhizoid for an exchange of the isotopes tested. By their proximity alone, epiphytic flora are apparently capable l exchanging products before these are diluted by the sea.
Fractionating Soybean Storage Proteins Using Ca2+ and NaHSO3

Individual soybean storage proteins have been identified as having nutraceutical properties, especially β-conglycinin. Several methods to fractionate soy proteins on industrial scales have been published, but there are no commercial products of fractionated soy proteins. The present study addresses this problem by using calcium salts to achieve glycinin-rich and β-conglycinin-rich fractions in high yields and purities. A well-known 3-step fractionation procedure that uses SO2, NaCl, and pH adjustments was evaluated with CaCl2 as a substitute for NaCl. Calcium was effective in precipitating residual glycinin, after precipitating a glycinin-rich fraction, into an intermediate fraction at 5 to 10 mM CaCl2 and pH 6.4, eliminating the contaminant glycinin from the β-conglycinin-rich fraction. Purities of 100%β-conglycinin with unique subunit compositions were obtained after prior precipitation of the glycinin-rich and intermediate fractions. The use of 5 mM SO2 in combination with 5 mM CaCl2 in a 2-step fractionation procedure produced the highest purities in the glycinin-rich (85.2%) and β-conglycinin-rich (80.9%) fractions. The glycinin in the glycinin-rich fraction had a unique acidic (62.6%) to basic (37.4%) subunit distribution. The β-conglycinin-rich fraction was approximately evenly distributed among the β-conglycinin subunits (30.9%, 35.8%, and 33.3%, for α', α, and β subunits, respectively). Solids yields and protein yields, as well as purities and subunit compositions, were highly affected by pH and SO2 and CaCl2 concentrations.
Formation and Reversible Dissociation of Coiled Coil of Peptide to the C-Terminus of the HSV B5 Protein: A Time-Resolved Spectroscopic Analysis

An understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the newly characterized herpes simplex virus (HSV) B5 protein is important to further elucidate the HSV cell entry and infection. The synthetic peptide of B5 (wtB5) was functionalized with the nonlinear optical chromophore cascade yellow and its molecular dynamics was probed at physiological and endosomal pH (pH 7.4 and 5.5, respectively). Steady-state CD spectroscopy was utilized to characterize the peptides at different pH. These spectra showed structural changes in the peptide with time measured over several days. Nonlinear optical measurements were carried out to probe the interactions and local environment of the labeled peptide, and the increase in the two-photon cross section of this system suggests an increase in chromophore-peptide interactions. Time-resolved fluorescence upconversion measurements reflected changes in the hydrophilic and hydrophobic local environments of the labeled peptide-chromophore system. Ultrafast depolarization measurements gave rotational correlation times indicative of a reversible change in the size of the peptide. The time-resolved results provide compelling evidence of a reversible dissociation of the coiled coils of the wtB5 peptide. This process was found to be pH-insensitive. The data from this unique combination of techniques provide an initial step to understanding the molecular dynamics of B5 and a framework for the development of novel imaging methods based on two-photon emission, as well as new therapeutics for HSV.
Spatial random utility model with an application to recreation demand

Abstract The paper examines the relevance of unobserved spatial dependence between individual decision-makers in the analysis of discrete choices. To incorporate spatial interdependencies in the behavioral analysis, we propose a spatial random utility model of recreation demand. The model combines the set-theoretic concept of spatial neighborhood, endogeneity of spatial interdependencies, and unobservable individual preferences. Our estimation procedure uses an efficient pseudo maximum likelihood estimator. We apply the model to the study of recreational travel demand in Iowa and evaluate the significance of unobserved spatial interdependencies between individual households in recreational travel choices.
An efficient approach for solid-phase synthesis of peptidomimetics based on 4-imidazolidinones

Abstract An efficient method for the incorporation of an imidazolidinone moiety into peptide sequences via an alkylidene bridge between two neighboring amide bonds is presented. A benzotriazole-mediated reaction of aldehydes with resin-bound peptides provides N-terminal 4-imidazolidinone-peptide derivatives. The generated five-membered ring, which will be expected to have similar properties to ‘pseudo-prolines’, can be acylated at the secondary amine to allow elongation of the peptide backbone. NMR studies of imidazolidinone-containing peptides show the existence of cis/trans isomerization, typical for proline-based peptides.
An approach to gas flow measurement by laser induced fluorescence. Application to chemical vapor deposition

Abstract A method to measure gas flow features in a chamber at a reduced pressure is presented. This method is an application of the Laser Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy, where iodine gas is excited by Ar + ion laser light widened like a sheet by a galvano-mirror. The two-dimensional concentration profile of iodine gas is achieved after numerical processing of fluorescence images taken by a high sensitivity video system. Some characteristics are clarified for the gas flow in a chamber at a reduced pressure as a simulation of the chemical vapor deposition process. The diffusion process is proved to be the most dominant process. The gas concentration near the substrate is found to be very high due to the gas collection effect, when the reactant gas is consumed on the substrate.
Laryngotracheal separation and diversion for complicated esophageal atresia with intractable salivary aspiration

Chronic salivary aspiration results in progressive pulmonary deterioration. Laryngotracheal separation and diversion were performed to prevent salivary aspiration in a patient following complex repair for esophageal atresia with distal tracheoesophageal fistula. This highly effective and potentially reversible procedure should be considered for treatment of chronic salivary aspiration in selected patients.