cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fecal metabolomics reveals products of dysregulated proteolysis and altered microbial metabolism in obesity-related osteoarthritis.

Summary Objective The objective of this exploratory study was to determine if perturbations in gut microbial composition and the gut metabolome could be linked to individuals with obesity and osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Fecal samples were collected from obese individuals diagnosed with radiographic hand plus knee OA (n=59), defined as involvement of at least 3 joints across both hands, and a Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade 2-4 (or total knee replacement) in at least one knee. Controls (n=33) were without hand OA and with KL grade 0-1 knees. Fecal metabolomes were analyzed by a UHPLC/Q Exactive HFx mass spectrometer. Microbiome composition was determined in fecal samples by 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing (rRNA-seq). Stepwise logistic regression models were built to determine microbiome and/or metabolic characteristics of OA. Results Untargeted metabolomics analysis indicated that OA cases had significantly higher levels of di- and tripeptides and significant perturbations in microbial metabolites including propionic acid, indoles, and other tryptophan metabolites. Pathway analysis revealed several significantly perturbed pathways associated with OA including leukotriene metabolism, amino acid metabolism and fatty acid utilization. Logistic regression models selected metabolites associated with the gut microbiota and leaky gut syndrome as significant predictors of OA status, particularly when combined with the rRNA-seq data. Conclusions Adults with obesity and knee plus hand OA have distinct fecal metabolomes characterized by increased products of proteolysis, perturbations in leukotriene metabolism, and changes in microbial metabolites compared with controls. These metabolic perturbations indicate a possible role of dysregulated proteolysis in OA.
BOREAS RSS-14 Level-3 Gridded Radiometer and Satellite Surface Radiation Images

The BOREAS RSS-14 team collected and processed GOES-7 and -8 images of the BOREAS region as part of its effort to characterize the incoming, reflected, and emitted radiation at regional scales. This data set contains surface radiation parameters, such as net radiation and net solar radiation, that have been interpolated from GOES-7 images and AMS data onto the standard BOREAS mapping grid at a resolution of 5 km N-S and E-W. While some parameters are taken directly from the AMS data set, others have been corrected according to calibrations carried out during IFC-2 in 1994. The corrected values as well as the uncorrected values are included. For example, two values of net radiation are provided: an uncorrected value (Rn), and a value that has been corrected according to the calibrations (Rn-COR). The data are provided in binary image format data files. Some of the data files on the BOREAS CD-ROMs have been compressed using the Gzip program. See section 8.2 for details. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).
Late Paleo-Indian Activity At The Lubbock Lake Site

Excavations at Lubbock Lake (41 LU1), Southern High Plains of Texas, revealed the presence of a complex, late Paleo-Indian feature containing a camping area and bison (Bison antiquus) kill/butcheri...
Management of Dry Eye in Sjögren's Syndrome

The treatment of dry eye in Sjogren’s syndrome varies based on the severity of the disease. First-line therapy usually includes environmental changes and lubrication of the ocular surface with the use of artificial tears and/or ointments. Punctal occlusion may also help by extending available lubrication via natural or artificial tears. However, the occlusion of the puncta is usually recommended after ocular inflammation is addressed by topical medications. The main anti-inflammatory topical treatment for Sjogren’s syndrome-related dry eye is topical cyclosporine A. Cyclosporine A 0.05 % is the only commercially available ophthalmic emulsion approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to be used in the treatment of dry eye. In severe cases, a 1 % compounded preparation of the cyclosporine or more frequent instillation of 0.05 % cyclosporine may be more efficient. Topical steroids can be considered as a short-term “pulse treatment” for inflammatory exacerbations of the disease given the high risk of complications with chronic use. In refractory cases, other anti-inflammatory treatments including autologous serum and topical tacrolimus may be considered. Contact lenses may help with the healing of the superficial keratitis or sterile ulcers. For the proper management of Sjogren’s syndrome-related dry eye, it is important to diagnose the disease in its early stages and start topical or local anti-inflammatory treatment before irreversible damage occurs in the lacrimal glands and on the ocular surface. The ocular surface complications of such as sterile corneal ulcers, opacification, and perforation may necessitate extensive surgeries, including corneal transplantation or keratoprosthesis implantation for the restoration of vision.
Blockade by lipoxygenase inhibitors of ca2+-dependent insulin secretion from permeabilized rat islets

Abstract To evaluate the regulation and effects of pancreatic islet lipoxygenase, adult rat islets were permeabilized, using digitonin or staphylococcal α-toxin, and then were studied in a medium simulating an intracellular milieu at fixed ambient concentrations of Ca2+. Permeabilized islets retained 12-lipoxygenase activity, as indicated by conversion of tritiated arachidonic acid to a predominant peak of [3H]12-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE); this activity was inhibited (89–98%) by the lipoxygenase blockers nor-dihydroguaiaretic acid (35 μM), BW755c (250 μM) or ETYA (35 μM). Lesser amounts of compounds coeluting with 15- and 11-HETE (but little or no 5-HETE) were formed; however, 11-HETE (and possibly some 15-HETE) was probably synthesized (at least in part) via cyclooxygenase, as suggested by the partial synthesis blockade induced by 50 μM ibuprofen. The production of 12-HETE did not require the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+ or ATP; it also was not stimulated by addition of cyclic AMP, a phorbol ester, or calmodulin. However, it was augmented modestly by provision of a basal cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration of 60–80 nM, with no further increase at physiologically elevated levels of 260–530 nM. Elevations in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentrations induced insulin release which was inhibited by cooling, epinephrine or protein kinase inhibitors and, therefore, was exocytotic in nature. Lipoxygenase inhibitors blocked this insulinotropic effect of calcium at submaximal or saturating Ca2+ concentrations (with or without its potentiation by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, an activator of protein kinase C) by 53–82%. However, they did not reduce the Ca2+-independent secretory effects (at subnanomolar Ca2+ concentrations) of the phorbol ester alone. Similar results were seen using dibutyryl cyclic AMP to activate protein kinase A. The α2-adrenergic agonists epinephrine or clonidine inhibited Ca2+-, TPA- or cyclic AMP-induced insulin release without reducing HETE formation. We conclude that (1) islet lipoxygenase is constitutively expressed and is not physiologically regulated by α2-adrenergic agonism, Ca2+ or protein kinases; (2) lipoxygenase modulates insulin release; HETE production is not merely an epiphenomenon reflecting the activation (or inhibition) of exocytotic secretion; (3) islet lipoxygenase inhibitors reduce insulin secretion, at least in part, by blocking the direct effects of Ca2+ on exocytosis and/or its synergism with Ca2+-binding proteins such as protein kinase C; and (4) these same inhibitors do not directly poison protein kinase C or A, or the exocytotic apparatus. Furthermore, the retention of significant activity and biological effects of lipoxygenase in leaky islets suggests that this enzyme may be associated with, and act upon, cell membranes in islets.
Tissue-specific induction of Hsp90 mRNA and plasma cortisol response in chinook salmon following heat shock, seawater challenge, and handling challenge.

In studying the whole-body response of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to various stressors, we found that 5-hour exposure to elevated temperature (mean 21.6°C; + 10.6°C over ambient) induced a marked increase in Hsp90 messenger RNA accumulation in heart, brain, gill, muscle, liver, kidney, and tail fin tissues. The most vital tissues (heart, brain, gill, and muscle) showed the greatest Hsp90-mRNA response, with heart tissue increasing approximately 35-fold. Heat shock induced no increase in plasma cortisol. In contrast, a standard handling challenge induced high plasma cortisol levels, but no elevation in Hsp90 mRNA in any tissue, clearly separating the physiological and cellular stress responses. We saw no increase either in tissue Hsp90 mRNA levels or in plasma cortisol concentrations after exposing the fish to seawater overnight.
Effect of hypophysectomy and growth hormone on serum and antral gastrin levels in the rat.

The effects of hypophysectomy and subsequent replacement therapy with growth hormone on serum and antral gastrin levels was investigated in both fasted and nonfasted pair-fed rats. Hypophysectomy caused a 57% decrease in serum and 47% decrease in antral gastrin content in 18-hr fasted animals. In nonfasted animals, hypophysectomy resulted in a 42% fall in serum gastrin and a 76% fall in antral gastrin. Animals were given injections of growth hormone over a 10-day period, then fasted 16 to 18 hr before being killed. Doses of 100 to 200 µg per 100 g of body weight were ineffective, but a dose of 500 µg per 100 g was sufficient to restore completely serum gastrin levels to intact control values. In nonfasted rats this same dose raised serum gastrin to intact levels and increased antral gastrin significantly over hypophysectomized levels, but did not increase it to control values. When given to pair-fed intact animals, growth hormone caused slight but not significant elevations in serum and antral gastrin. The effect of growth hormone on gastrin secretion and/or synthesis may be a significant physiological factor in the regulation of normal gastrointestinal function and growth.
Ignition delays, heats of combustion, and reaction rates of aluminum alkyl derivatives used as ignition and combustion enhancers for supersonic combustors

The work was based on adapting an apparatus and procedure developed at Southwest Research Institute for rating the ignition quality of fuels for diesel engines. Aluminum alkyls and various Lewis-base adducts of these materials, both neat and mixed 50/50 with pure JP-10 hydrocarbon, were injected into the combustion bomb using a high-pressure injection system. The bomb was pre-charged with air that was set at various initial temperatures and pressures for constant oxygen density. The ignition delay times were determined for the test materials at these different initial conditions. The data are presented in absolute terms as well as comparisons with the parent alkyls. The relative heats of reaction of the various test materials were estimated based on a computation of the heat release, using the pressure data recorded during combustion in the bomb. In addition, the global reaction rates for each material were compared at a selected tmperature and pressure.
Critical reflections on school-based occupational therapy

This article describes the process of facilitating change to practice that is more client-centered and occupation-based in a diverse suburban public school district in the USA from 2001 to 2006. The author sets the context, describes the process that included the use of the School AMPS, and considers factors that facilitated and constrained change.
Leisure and work ethics and locus of control

Abstract Equivocal findings regarding the relationship between attitudes toward leisure and the extent to which people feel in control of their own fate led to the consideration of possible mediating influences. The current study was an attempt to examine the relationship between locus of control and the affective domain of leisure attitude, or leisure “ethic,” while controlling for the influence of work ethic. The possibility of differences between males and females and students and nonstudents led to four separate subgroup analyses. Results indicated that of the four groups, only female students showed a substantial relationship between locus of control and leisure ethic. In this group, leisure ethic was associated with an external locus of control, the tendency to regard the control of life's circumstances as lying outside oneself. In none of the groups was the influence of work ethic great enough to make an appreciable difference in the relationship between locus of control and leisure ethic. The grou...
The optical crystallographic properties of the xanthyl derivatives of some barbiturates

The optical crystallographic properties of the xanthyl derivatives of fourteen commonly-used barbiturates and the micro-melting points of these same derivatives and five additional ones are presented. The crystallographic properties, especially the three principal indexes of refraction, readily serve to identify the compounds in question. The crystallographic properties are of particular value when the melting points of the derivatives are close in range.
Talker-specific perceptual adaptation during online speech perception

Despite the ubiquity of between-talker differences in accent and dialect, little is known about how listeners adjust to this source of variability as language is perceived in real time. In three experiments, we examined whether, and when, listeners can use specific knowledge of a particular talker's accent during on-line speech processing. Listeners were exposed to the speech of two talkers, a male who had an unfamiliar regional dialect of American English, in which the /ae/ vowel is raised to /ei/ only before /g/ (e.g., bag is pronounced /beig/), and a female talker without the dialect. In order to examine how knowledge of a particular talker's accent influenced language processing, we examined listeners' interpretation of unaccented words such as back and bake in contexts that included a competitor like bag. If interpretation processes are talker-specific, the pattern of competition from bag should vary depending on how that talker pronounces the competitor word. In all three experiments, listeners rapid...
Traumatically-Induced Embolus to the Hand from a Thrombosed PTFE Vascular Access Graft

We report a case of a traumatically-induced embolus from a thrombosed PTFE vascular access graft in a patient who had undergone a successful cadaveric renal transplant. Although usually thought to be without subsequent sequelae, thrombosed PTFE grafts can be a source of emboli to the hand in active young patients. Diagnosis, etiology, and management are discussed. Therapeutic intervention includes exclusion of the graft from the arterial circulation to the hand and removal of all existing thrombus.
Emancipation of the Unveiled: Turkmen Women under Soviet Rule, 1924–29

In the Soviet campaign to abolish "backwardness" in Central Asia, some of the fiercest battles were fought over the fate of Muslim women. It was impossible to build a socialist society without freeing women from their subordinate status and recruiting them into Soviet collective farms, factories, and schools, Soviet authorities believed. By doing away with "archaic" and "degrading" customs, the Soviet regime hoped to transform Central Asian women into free individuals and active Soviet citizens. In much of Central Asia, the effort to transform the lives of women centered on the campaign against female seclusion and the veil. The Bolsheviks viewed the veil as an appalling manifestation of female inferiority, and the veiled woman herself as a potent symbol of Central Asian backwardness. Soviet propaganda vividly and indignantly described Muslim women who were covered from head to toe with heavy fabric, secluded in the female quarters of their houses, and prohibited from speaking to men who were not their relatives. A campaign to promote unveiling culminated in the hujum (onslaught) of 1927, in which thousands of women tore off and burned their veils in public squares.' Yet the unveiling campaign-and indeed, the veil itself-was generally limited to the urban and sedentary agricultural areas of what are today Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In Turkmenistan, as in other parts of Central Asia with a recent history of pastoral nomadism, women were not secluded and did not wear the paranji and chachvon, the heavy veil and cloak that were the focus of Soviet activists' attention.2 How, then, did Soviet
A compact Petri net representation and its implications for analysis

We explore a property-independent, coarsened, multilevel representation for supporting state reachability analysis for a number of different properties. This multilevel representation comprises a reachability graph derived from a highly optimized Petri net representation that is based on task interaction graphs and associated property-specific summary information. This highly optimized representation reduces the size of the reachability graph but may increase the cost of the analysis algorithm for some types of analyses. We explore this tradeoff. To this end, we have developed a framework for checking a variety of properties of concurrent programs using this optimized representation and present empirical results that compare the cost to an alternative Petri net representation. In addition, we present reduction techniques that can further improve the performance and yet still preserve analysis information. Although worst-case bounds for most concurrency analysis techniques are daunting, we demonstrate that the techniques that we propose significantly broaden the applicability of reachability analyses.
Piezoelectrically actuated miniature peristaltic pump

There is a range of NASA experiments, instruments and applications where miniature pumps are needed. To address such needs, a piezoelectrically actuated miniature pump is being developed. This pump employs a novel volume displacing mechanism using flexural traveling waves that acts peristaltically and eliminates the need for valves or physically moving parts. This pump is being developed for planetary instruments and space applications. Finite element model was developed using ANSYS for the purpose of prediction of the resonance frequency of the vibrating mode for the piezo-pump driving stator. The model allows determining simultaneously the mode shapes that are associated with the various resonance frequencies. This capability is essential for designing the pump size and geometry. To predict and optimize the pump efficiency that is determined by the volume of pumping chambers the model was modified to perform harmonic analysis. Current capability allows the determination of the effect of such design parameters as pump geometry, construction materials and operating modes on the volume of the chambers that are formed between the peaks and valleys of the waves. Experiments were made using a breadboard of the pump and showed water-pumping rate of about 4.5 cc/min. The pump is continually being modified to enhance the performance and efficiency.
THE RESISTANCES OF CONALBUMIN AND ITS IRON COMPLEX TO PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL TREATMENTS

Abstract 1. 1. As compared to the uncomplexed protein, the iron complex of conalbumin is generally much more stable to physical and chemical treatments. In addition to the previously reported greater resistance to thermal denaturation and enzymic hydrolysis, the iron complex was also much more resistant to physical treatment with denaturing concentrations of organic solvents and urea, to chemical treatment with disulfide-breaking reagents, and to iodination. 2. 2. Iron conalbumin could be chemically modified by disulfide-breaking reagents or by iodination so as to change its physical and chemical properties without any apparent change in its chromogenic capacity with iron. 3. 3. It was concluded that the formation of the iron complex might not only protect the active center so that the chromogenic capacity was retained but also stabilized the molecule in some manner so that modification of other parts of the molecule could occur without denaturation.
Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Materials for Rigidizable Space Systems:

This paper describes the results obtained from a research program performed to develop thermoplastic-based composites specifically designed for deployment in low Earth orbit through inflation of compact structures followed by rigidization. For the past few years, ILC has been developing lightweight, low bulk, inflatable, rigidizable strut systems for erecting large structures in space. The composite system currently used in the development programs is a thermoset matrix (low offgassing epoxy) with carbon reinforcement. Such systems have high power requirements for erection and curing, have limited shelf life before deployment, and contain low-molecular-weight species that can result in significant offgassing. Thermoplastic systems eliminate shelf-life constraints, can potentially reduce energy requirements, and should reduce offgassing. Such systems, however, must provide equivalent mechanical performance and energy requirements if they are to be a viable alternative to the currently used material system....
Light refraction by mean temperature gradients in the near-earth atmosphere

Visible light ray paths in the atmospheric surface layer are numerically computed by division of 500- to 5000-m ranges into small intervals so that the ray path height and thus refractive index gradient is nearly constant for each step. Meteorological conditions are varied by using different combinations of sensible heat fluxes, surface stresses, and surface roughnesses. Although the effect of water vapor gradients can be substantial, their effect is not included here. The results are confined to heights of less than 5 m because of the restrictive values chosen for the ratio of the eddy diffusivity of heat to that of momentum. Mirages hide lower portions of images and the minimum height seen varies approximately inversely proportionally to the observer height. Image distortion and laser beam displacement or angle of arrival can be used to determine the mean refractive index gradient, which determines the temperature gradient in the absence of large moisture gradients along the propagation path. A simple, non-iterative formula relating laser beam displacement or angle of arrival to the average temperature gradient can be used only if the beam height varies less than 10% throughout the path.
Multisensor image cueing (MUSIC)

There have been many years of research and development in the Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) community. This development has resulted in numerous algorithms to perform target detection automatically. The morphing of the ATR acronym to Aided Target Recognition provides a succinct commentary regarding the success of the automatic target recognition research. Now that the goal is aided recognition, many of the algorithms which were not able to provide autonomous recognition may now provide valuable assistance in cueing a human analyst where to look in the images under consideration. This paper describes the MUSIC system being developed for the US Air Force to provide multisensor image cueing. The tool works across multiple image phenomenologies and fuses the evidence across the set of available imagery. MUSIC is designed to work with a wide variety of sensors and platforms, and provide cueing to an image analyst in an information-rich environment. The paper concentrates on the current integration of algorithms into an extensible infrastructure to allow cueing in multiple image types.
Absorption of in vivo inert gas bubbles.

Abstract The resolution rates of gas bubbles in perfused tissue are examined using a mathematical model which is consistent with transient-state and steady-state data from large gas pocket experiments. The tissue surrounding the bubble is assumed to have an infinite number of infinitesimally small capillaries (distributed sink). The time for complete disappearance of a bubble depends on initial bubble size. blood perfusion rate of the tissue, physical characteristics of the inert gas and the fraction (1 − Pa/Pg), where Pa and Pg are inert gas partial pressures in the surrounding tissue and inside the bubble, respectively. Calculated time for disappearance of a nitrogen bubble of 1 mm radius in an O2-breathing man is 100–250 min, depending on blood perfusion. Breathing of air increases the time of persistence of the bubble about 10-fold. The ‘transient state’, when gas is dissolving in the immediate surroundings of the bubble, is most influential when there is no perfusion and the partial pressure gradient gas volume is the largest. However, our major conclusion is that the initial transient state has little effect on total lifetime of the bubble in any case.
Intense laser pulse amplification using Raman backscatter in plasma channels

Abstract It has been proposed that the Raman backscatter interaction in a plasma can be used to amplify ultra-intense laser pulses. To accomplish this, energy is transferred from a long drive pulse at frequency ωpump to an intense seed pulse at frequency ωseed, with a Langmuir plasma wave at frequency wp mediating the transfer; the frequencies are chosen to satisfy the resonant condition ωp=ωpump−ωseed. Diffraction of the pulses limits the interaction length in a uniform plasma, and hence the energy transfer between the pulses. However in a parabolic plasma density channel it is shown, through two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, that such a plasma channel can be used to guide both the amplified and drive pulses over an interaction distance much greater than a diffraction length. The seed pulse is amplified by a factor of more than 200 in energy for pulses whose widths are matched to the channel size, and achieve a peak intensity of more than 6×1017 W/cm2. Unmatched pump pulses are seen to generate much smaller gain.
Local hand flaps

Abstract Wounds of the hand continue to be a challenge for the hand surgeon. The repair of hand wounds has evolved from the simple, such as allowing primary closure, to the complex, such as free tissue transfer. This evolution has occurred because of better understanding of the vascular supply to the skin of the hand along with the development of improved, more sophisticated surgical technique. Our review of the literature has shown numerous local hand flaps that have stood the test of time. Though lower on the reconstructive ladder, these flaps continue to aid the hand surgeon in dealing with soft tissue losses of the hand. It would be impossible to catalogue all local hand flaps in this article. Thus, we present many of the most useful and historic flaps, which we feel should be a part of every hand surgeon's armamentarium. Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
Switching in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Abstract Several different types of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films prepared by rf-sputtering techniques were investigated for potential threshold and memory switching applications. In no case was true reversible switching observed, as is routinely found in a wide array of chalcogenide-glass films prepared with similar device geometries and deposition procedures. We conclude that the presence of large concentrations of positively and negatively charged defect centers is essential for useful switching devices, in accordance with a recent model. Non-ohmic effects in the highest-quality a-Si:H films were investigated, and the Schottky-barrier height at the Mo-Si interface was determined to be (0.7 ± 0.13) eV.
Photoinitiated polymerization of vinyl monomers by benzophenone t-butyl peresters

Benzophenone peresters undergo efficient photodecomposition when irradiated at 366 nm. This article reports peresters derived from benzophenone p,p′-dicarboxylic acid 1 which may produce radicals at two different centers in the same molecule. These peresters represent a unique new example of an efficient photoinitiator for acrylate and styrene polymerization.
Effects of localized injections of neuropeptide Y antibody on motor activity and other behaviors.

Abstract Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was shown to increase feeding when injected into the hypothalamus. Neuropeptide Y antibody (aNPY) decreased feeding in the ventromedial area of the hypothalamus as well as when it was injected into the ventromedial or ventrolateral areas of the thalamus, but not when injected into other hypothalamic areas. The decrease in feeding produced by aNPY in the hypothalamus was associated with a sterotypic increase in general activity in the hypothalamus, circling in the ventromedial thalamic area, and barrel rolling in the ventrolateral thalamic area. Neuropeptide Y antibody also reduced by 54–73% the time it required for mice to recover from anesthesia. The marked increase in stereotypic activity and enhanced recovery from anethestic suggest that blocking endogenous NPY released the brain areas from inhibitory control. These studies further confirm a physiological role for NPY in the central nervous system.
Role of statin drugs in acute coronary syndromes

The statin class of drugs has demonstrated clinical efficacy in reducing long-term recurrence of myocardial infarction, ischemic events, and sudden death. The drugs have now been shown to exert beneficial influences on the vascular endothelium, monocytes/macrophages, platelets, smooth muscle cells, and the inflammatory process. Recent experimental studies have documented protection during myocardial ischemia, preservation of post-infarction left ventricular function, and reduction of hypertensive-induced hypertrophy of the myocardium. Several of these pleiotropic effects have been documented before a decline in lipid levels was observed. Recent clinical trials have suggested efficacy of the statin drugs in acute coronary syndromes of unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction. Thus, a promising future for the statin drugs will involve administration to patients with acute coronary syndromes.
Immunoconversion against Sarcocystis neurona in normal and dexamethasone-treated horses challenged with S. neurona sporocysts.

Abstract Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is a common neurologic disease of horses in the Americas usually caused by Sarcocystis neurona . To date, the disease has not been induced in horses using characterized sporocysts from Didelphis virginiana , the definitive host. S. neurona sporocysts from 15 naturally infected opossums were fed to horses seronegative for antibodies against S. neurona . Eight horses were given 5×10 5 sporocysts daily for 7 days. Horses were examined for abnormal clinical signs, and blood and cerebrospinal fluid were harvested at intervals for 90 days after the first day of challenge and analyzed both qualitatively (western blot) and quantitatively (anti-17 kDa) for anti- S. neurona IgG. Four of the challenged horses were given dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg orally once daily) for the duration of the experiment. All challenged horses immunoconverted against S. neurona in blood within 32 days of challenge and in CSF within 61 days. There was a trend ( P =0.057) for horses given dexamethasone to immunoconvert earlier than horses that were not immunosuppressed. Anti-17 kDa was detected in the CSF of all challenged horses by day 61. This response was statistically greater at day 32 in horses given dexamethasone. Control horses remained seronegative throughout the period in which all challenged horses converted. One control horse immunoconverted in blood at day 75 and in CSF at day 89. Signs of neurologic disease were mild to equivocal in challenged horses. Horses given dexamethasone had more severe signs of limb weakness than did horses not given dexamethasone; however, we could not determine whether these signs were due to spinal cord disease or to effects of systemic illness. At necropsy, mild–moderate multifocal gliosis and neurophagia were found histologically in the spinal cords of 7/8 challenged horses. No organisms were seen either in routinely processed sections or by immunohistochemistry. Although neurologic disease comparable to naturally occurring equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) was not produced, we had clear evidence of an immune response to challenge both systemically and in the CNS. Broad immunosuppression with dexamethasone did not increase the severity of histologic changes in the CNS of challenged horses. Future work must focus on defining the factors that govern progression of inapparent S. neurona infection to EPM.
In situ metal ion contamination and the effects on proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance

Abstract Automotive fuel cell technology has made considerable progress, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are regarded as a possible long-term solution to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, reduce fossil fuel dependency and increase energy efficiency. Even though great strides have been made, durability is still an issue. One key challenge is controlling MEA contamination. Metal ion contamination within the membrane and the effects on fuel cell performance were investigated. Given the possible benefits of using stainless steel or aluminum for balance-of-plant components or bipolar plates, cations of Al, Fe, Ni and Cr were studied. Membranes were immersed in metal sulfide solutions of varying concentration and then assembled into fuel cell MEAs tested in situ. The ranking of the four transition metals tested in terms of the greatest reduction in fuel cell performance was: Al3+ ≫ Fe2+ > Ni2+, Cr3+. For iron-contaminated membranes, no change in cell performance was detected until the membrane conductivity loss was greater than approximately 15%.
Empire and Nation in Comparative Perspective: Frontier Administration in Eighteenth-Century China

R. Bin Wong espouses the principle of symmetry in comparative analysis. 35 If we are to view China through European eyes, we should equally view Europe through Chinese eyes. This leads him to develop new perspectives on both regions. What is a major focus of attention in one society may only be a minor key in another. Even though the repertory of human perceptions, administrative structures, or economic modes of production is finite, different forms take prominence in different places. What happens if we apply, even crudely, the principle of symmetry to the Qing-Ottoman comparison? An Ottoman administrator looking at the Qing would find much that was strangely familiar. The Mongolian jasak confirmed lands by the Qing look very much like yurts, "summer and winter pasturelands the limits of which were determined and were entered in the imperial registers. " 36 The "feudatories" of the early Qing [sanfan] were large-scale timars. Both were grants of large territories to provincial military rulers in return for service to the state. And coerced population movements [surgun] were prominent features of the Ottoman and Qing states. 37 Both of these states, during times of expansion and conquest, chose analogous methods of controlling the newly incorporated populations. For administering conquered nomads, it was convenient to
Production of lesions in guinea pig brain by radon seeds.

SummaryGold and glass radon seeds of varying strength were inserted into one cerebral hemisphere of mature guinea pigs and duration of survival up to one week observed. Animals having glass seeds of greater initial strength than 1.5 mc died within 2 days, whereas those with seeds of less than 0.7 mc survived. As glass seeds of about 0.5 mc produce lesions several millimeters in diameter, they may be used for short-term experimental production of lesions in this small animal. Gold seeds, however, cannot be used for this purpose.
Erratum to: A Penrose-Like Inequality for General Initial Data Sets

Two errors in [1] have recently been pointed out by Jan Metzger. The first concerns the constant σ in the statement of Theorem 1.2. Namely, this constant is in fact zero. To see this fix large L > 0. Let zL ∈ C∞(M) be identically 1 up to height L (in M × R), and be zero above height 2L , with |∇zL | < 2L−1. It follows that ‖ ∇zL ‖L2(M)∼ L−1/2. Hence, we find that σ = 0 by letting L → ∞. The second error concerns Lemma 2.2. Namely, the quantity H − q(N ) may not necessarily approach zero as r → 0. This may be seen by examining certain spherically symmetric examples. Lemma 2.2 is not necessary in order to establish the main result. More precisely, the Penrose-like inequality with a corrected definition of σ may be derived from the ideas in this paper, together with some additional arguments. The details will be given by the author in a separate paper.
Can the Internal Iliac Artery Be Safely Covered during Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic and Iliac Artery Aneurysms

Aneurysmal involvement of the common iliac (CIA) or the internal iliac arteries (IIA) have been relative contraindications for safe endovascular aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Our goal was to review our experience in dealing with this problem by performing permanent coverage of one or both IIA during endoluminal repair of aneurysms of the aortoiliac region and to develop a safe, durable strategy. Of the 228 consecutive patients who had endoluminal repair of abdominal aortic (AAA) and iliac artery (IAA) aneurysms between 4/1999 and 4/2001 at our institution, 49 patients underwent coverage and/or coil embolization of one or both IIA during repair because of complex aortoiliac anatomy. These patients were evaluated prospectively for short-term adverse outcome. The results showed that CIA or IIA aneurysms can be managed safely during endoluminal repair of AAA. The IIA can be covered or embolized with minimum adverse consequences in patients who have inadequate CIA for deployment of the aortic or iliac endograft. Unilateral IIA occlusion is well tolerated. We advocate that whenever bilateral IIA occlusion is necessary during endovascular aneurysm repair, one of the IIAs should be revascularized if it is not aneurysmal.
Action of sulfhydryl reagents on cholinergic mechanisms in synaptosomes.

Abstract The mechanism by which certain sulfhydryl blocking reagents affect the release of radioactive acetylcholine ([3H]ACh) from synaptosomal preparations of rat cerebral cortex was studied. N-Ethylmaleimide (NEM) or p-hydroxymercuribenzene sulfonate (pHMBS), at a concentration of 0.5 mM, produced a marked release of [3H]choline and [3H]ACh. The release induced by these reagents was independent of [Ca2+]0 and was observable within 30 sec of incubation. Pretreatment for 2 min with pHMBS inhibited high affinity uptake of choline. Using a fluorescence probe, these blocking reagents were shown to cause a rapid increase of synaptosomal fluorescence, indicating that these reagents had depolarized the preparation. Although the incorporation of [3H]NEM into the synaptosomal cytoplasm and particulate fractions was very rapid, an impermeant-NEM derivative (glutathione-maleimide) also release [3H]ACh from the P2 fraction, suggesting that the release of ACh by sulfhydryl blocking reagents is at least partly due to a membrane effect.
Matrix forming capabilities of three calcium diluents

AbstractThe formulation of drug substances with excipients capable of forming a matrix structure is an approach which has been successfully applied to sustain medicament release following oral administration. Investigations of materials which possess matrix forming properties have been limited to a few polymeric substances such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, acrylic copolymers, and cellulose derivatives 1-5 Calcium sulfate dihydrate, dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, and tribasic calcium phosphate have previously been used as fillers/diluents in the formulation of solid dosage forms. All three diluents exhibit poor solubility in media of pH 1.1 and are practically insoluble in media of pH 4.0 to 7.5. In addition, when blended with one of three drug candidates and compressed these materials sustain drug release via a matrix diffusional process at higher pH corresponding to that of the human intestine. These findings led to an investigation of these calcium diluents as matrix forming agents in sust...
Apparent nuclear localization of unoccupied receptors for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that unoccupied 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 receptors are associated with crude chromatin under hypotonic conditions in vitro . The data presented herein show that unoccupied 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 receptors appear to be associated with chromatin prior to solubilization by dilution/homogenization in both high and low salt buffers. Additionally the unoccupied receptors are recovered nearly quantitatively from purified nuclei. These results suggest that unoccupied 1,25-dihydroxyitamin D 3 receptors may be localized within nuclei in vivo .
Hydrophilic modification of engineering polymers

Abstract Water-soluble carboxylated polymers were synthesized from engineering polymers via the metallation of poly(oxy-1,4-phenylenesulphonyl-1,4-phenyleneoxy-1,4-phenyleneisopropylidene-1, 4-phenylene) and poly(oxy-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) with n-butyllithium followed by reaction with carbon dioxide. Interactions between lithium sites on the polymer backbones cause the precipitation of highly metallated polymers. Precipitation of PPO occurs at approximately 15% metallation based on polymer repeat unit. Reproducibility problems are encountered with highly metallated, precipitated polymers. An ester-functional comb-type graft copolymer is synthesized via the anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) from metallated sites on PPO. The ester functionalities can be transesterified with hydroxy functional reagents to yield well-defined comb-type graft terpolymers. Transesterification of oligomeric polyethylene glycol onto PPO-MMA yields a comb-type graft terpolymer with nonionic hydrophiles.
Gastro-Intestinal hemorrhage from otherwise symptomless lesions, with special reference to duodenal ulcer

H EMATENIESIS or melena, or both, are reliable evidence of gross hemorrhage from the upper portion of the gastro-intestinal tract, which may be due to a variety of causes. When such hemorrhage is associated with a history of upper abdominal pain or discomfort related to the digestive cycle and with other digestive disturbances, one logically assumes the presence of some type of intrinsic lesion of the stomach or duodenum until proved otherwise. Every now and then one sees patients whose sole complaint is the vomiting of blood and the passing of t a r ry stools, singly or repeatedly, and of varying degrees of severity. Such patients have never experienced pain, discomfort or indigestion. What are the circumstances that give rise to such a state of affairs, and to what extent do gastro-duodenal lesions, so-called silent, concealed or asymptomatic lesions, play a role?
Glucose feedback inhibition of amylase activity in Aspergillus sp. and release of this inhibition when cocultured with Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract The effect of starch and glucose concentration on amylase activity produced by Aspergillus niger, A. foetidus and A. awamori was determined. Up to 15 U ml−1 of amylase activity was observed in extracellular fluid of cultures grown with 1–2% starch for 7 days; however, no amylase activity was detectable in the extracellular fluid of otherwise identical cultures grown with 3–5% starch, even though these cultures contained substantial concentrations of glucose (16–20 mg ml−1) which could only have been derived from starch hydrolysis. When extracellular fluid from the 5% starch cultures was dialysed to remove soluble sugar, high level of amylase activity was observed. Addition of increasing amounts of glucose to the dialysed extracellular fluid resulted in increasing levels of inhibition of amylase activity. Coculture of the Aspergillus species with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an efficient sugar fermenting yeast, in 5% starch medium resulted in low sugar concentration and high amylase activity (>18 U ml−1) in the extracellular fluid. Amylase activity in cultures grown with glucose was comparable to that observed in cultures grown with glucose plus starch or starch only. These results lead us to conclude that amylase activity in the Aspergillus species studied is subject to feedback inhibition by glucose but is not subject to catabolite repression by glucose or starch as previously believed. Furthermore, the amylase activity in these organisms appears to be inducible by starch.
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Hydricity of Ruthenium(II) Hydride Complexes

Despite the fundamental importance of the hydricity of a transition metal hydride (ΔGH–°(MH) for the reaction M–H → M+ + H–) in a range of reactions important in catalysis and solar energy storage, ours (J. Am. Chem. Soc.2009, 131, 2794) are the only values reported for water solvent, and there has been no basis for comparison of these with the wider range already determined for acetonitrile solvent, in particular. Accordingly, we have used a variety of approaches to determine hydricity values in acetonitrile of Ru(II) hydride complexes previously studied in water. For [Ru(η6-C6Me6)(bpy)H]+ (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine), we used a thermodynamic cycle based on evaluation of the acidity of [Ru(η6-C6Me6)(bpy)H]+ pKa = 22.5 ± 0.1 and the [Ru(η6-C6Me6)(bpy)(NCCH3)1/0]2+/0 electrochemical potential (−1.22 V vs Fc+/Fc). For [Ru(tpy)(bpy)H]+ (tpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine) we utilized organic hydride ion acceptors (A+) of characterized hydricity derived from imidazolium cations and pyridinium cations, and determined K f...
Characterizations of acts and perpetrators of political violence in three elite U.S. daily newspapers

(1987). Characterizations of acts and perpetrators of political violence in three elite U.S. daily newspapers. Political Communication: Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 1-9.
Antitubercular nitrofuran isoxazolines with improved pharmacokinetic properties

A series of tetracyclic nitrofuran isoxazoline anti-tuberculosis agents was designed and synthesized to improve the pharmacokinetic properties of an initial lead compound, which had potent anti-tuberculosis activity but suffered from poor solubility, high protein binding and rapid metabolism. In this study, structural modifications were carried on the outer phenyl and piperidine rings to introduce solubilizing and metabolically blocking functional groups. The compounds generated were evaluated for their in vitro antitubercular activity, bacterial spectrum of activity, solubility, permeability, microsomal stability and protein binding. Pharmacokinetic profiles for the most promising candidates were then determined. Compounds with phenyl morpholine and pyridyl morpholine outer rings were found to be the most potent anti-tuberculosis agents in the series. These compounds retained a narrow antibacterial spectrum of activity, with weak anti-Gram positive and no Gram negative activity, as well as good activity against non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a low oxygen model. Overall, the addition of solubilizing and metabolically blocked outer rings did improve solubility and decrease protein binding as designed. However, the metabolic stability for compounds in this series was generally lower than desired. The best three compounds selected for in vivo pharmacokinetic testing all showed high oral bioavailability, with one notable compound showing a significantly longer half-life and good tolerability supporting its further advancement.
Microneurographic evidence of sudden sympathetic withdrawal in carotid sinus syncope; treatment with ergotamine

A proportion of patients with carotid sinus syncope (CSS) remain symptomatic even after pacemaker implantation because of persistence of a vasodepressor component. We report a patient with CSS whose syncopal episodes could be reproduced by carotid sinus massage and were due to profound hypotension associated with sudden sympathetic withdrawal, based on direct measurements of sympathetic nerve traffic. A double-blind trial with inhaled ergotamine provided significant symptomatic relief.