cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Syphilis and HIV Infection

Gaps in the knowledge of syphilis manifest themselves when researchers examine the interrelationships between syphilis and HIV infections. Syphilis rates began to rise in 1985 after a 5-year constant decline. By 1987 they hit the highest levels since 1950 (25%). Yet the rates of other sexually transmitted diseases have fallen. In the 1970s syphilis rates were much higher in homosexual and bisexual men but safer sex practices with the advent of AIDS awareness reduced these rates greatly. Now syphilis is mainly a heterosexual disease. Researchers cannot grow Treponema pallidum easily in culture in a sustained manner making it difficult to study infection or the efficacy of therapy. Considerable retrospective data in developed and developing countries show that syphilis increases the risk of acquisition and transmission of HIV. Partner selection numbers of partners choice of specific sexual practices frequency of sexual intercourse and specific hygienic or contraceptive practices affect the risk of both HIV infection and syphilis. Some case reports indicate that concomitant HIV infection alters the clinical spectrum of syphilis and the rapidity of disease progression. Prospective epidemiologic studies are needed to investigate how HIV infection changes clinical and laboratory manifestations of syphilis. Some evidence suggests that HIV infected persons who get syphilis tend to develop clinical neurosyphilis which does not respond to treatment (benzathine penicillin). Thus some clinicians treat all HIV infected patients with syphilis with high dosage therapy used for patients with neurologic involvement but this route has not been proven to be beneficial is costly and time-consuming for patients and health providers. The US Centers for Disease Control advises clinicians to carefully test all patients with syphilis for HIV and to conduct monthly VDRL tests for HIV infected syphilis patients for at least 6 months for treatment failures.
Effects of induced chemical changes on interpretation of feeding preference tests

Feeding preferences of a group of specialist and generalist chrysomelid beetles were examined using three test methods: whole plants, excised leaves and leaf discs. Method of testing had a very significant effect on relative preferences of the beetles for corn, bean and squash. In some cases the level of statistical significance for a particular preference was affected by test methodology and in other cases the direction of preference was reversed altogether. The feeding preferences of the specialist beetle species were less affected by test method than were the more generalist species. There was also a much greater effect of the difference in test method between the disc test and whole leaf test than between the whole leaf test and whole plant test. Chemical changes in plants induced by damage are probably quite widespread in plants and investigators should take this into account when designing and interpreting tests of insect feeding preference. RESUME Les effets de la resistance induite sur l'interpretation des experiences de choix alimentaire Les choix alimentaires d'un groupe de chrysomeles specialistes ou generalistes a ete etudie en utilisant 3 methodes: plantes entieres, feuilles coupees, rondelles de feuilles. Les methodes utilisees out eu un effet tres significatif sur les preferences relatives des chrysomeles du mais, du haricot et de la courge. Dans quelques cas le seuil de signification statistique pour un choix particulier a ete modifie par la methode utilisee et dans d'autres cas l'ordre de preference a ete totalement inverse. Les choix alimentaires des specialistes ont ete moins affectes par la methode utilisee que pour les especes les plus generalistes. Il y a eu aussi un effet plus important des differences entre les methodes rondelle de feuilles et feuille entiere qu'entre feuille entiere et plante entiere. Les changements chimiques induits dans les plantes par les degâts sont probablement tres repandus et les chercheurs devraient en tenir compte quand ils programment et interpretent des experiences sur les preferences alimentaires.
Is reduced phase space quantisation equivalent to Dirac quantisation

Two methods of quantising systems with first class constraints are discussed in the context of a simple model: a free particle on the 2-sphere subject to an additional constraint. It is found that reduced phase space quantisation can lead to different energy spectra to those given by Dirac quantisation; however, it can also lead to the same spectrum by a careful choice of the domain of the Hamiltonian. Even though the spectra can be made to agree, the eigenfunctions of the respective Hamiltonians are not the same. Therefore the two methods potentially lead to different predictions for physical measurements of quantities other than the energy. Thus the two methods are not guaranteed to be completely equivalent; moreover, equivalence or inequivalence cannot be established from the spectra alone.
Dissecting local circuits in vivo: integrated optogenetic and electrophysiology approaches for exploring inhibitory regulation of cortical activity

Local cortical circuit activity in vivo comprises a complex and flexible series of interactions between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Our understanding of the functional interactions between these different neural populations has been limited by the difficulty of identifying and selectively manipulating the diverse and sparsely represented inhibitory interneuron classes in the intact brain. The integration of recently developed optical tools with traditional electrophysiological techniques provides a powerful window into the role of inhibition in regulating the activity of excitatory neurons. In particular, optogenetic targeting of specific cell classes reveals the distinct impacts of local inhibitory populations on other neurons in the surrounding local network. In addition to providing the ability to activate or suppress spiking in target cells, optogenetic activation identifies extracellularly recorded neurons by class, even when naturally occurring spike rates are extremely low. However, there are several important limitations on the use of these tools and the interpretation of resulting data. The purpose of this article is to outline the uses and limitations of optogenetic tools, along with current methods for achieving cell type-specific expression, and to highlight the advantages of an experimental approach combining optogenetics and electrophysiology to explore the role of inhibition in active networks. To illustrate the efficacy of these combined approaches, I present data comparing targeted manipulations of cortical fast-spiking, parvalbumin-expressing and low threshold-spiking, somatostatin-expressing interneurons in vivo.
Nuclear magnetic relaxation and molecular motion in phospholipid bilayer membranes

Abstract A theory for spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation of spin- 1 2 nuclei in chain methylene groups of a phospholipid bilayer membrane is developed. A specific motional model based on the dominant fast motion as the result of β-coupled gauche isomerizations is assumed and 1 H and 13 C data are presented to test this assumption. The assumption proves to be adequate in the case of extended membranes but additional fast motions must be considered to explain relaxation rates in vesicular structures.
Petrogenesis of an augite-bearing melt rock in the Chicxulub structure and its relationship to K/T impact spherules in Haiti

GEOPHYSICAL anomalies on the Yucatan peninsula define a buried circular structure with an approximate diameter of 180 km (refs 1–3). These anomalies, along with stratigraphic and petrological data, including evidence for shock metamorphism, have been used to interpret the structure as an impact crater4. This structure, known as Chicxulub, is particularly interesting because it formed at or near the end of the Cretaceous period, in the geographical region where an impact is believed to have occurred, in large part because of a thick ejecta deposit found on Haiti5. Glassy tektite-like relics in this deposit6–9 are unusually calcic (up to 31 wt % CaO; ref. 7), providing a further circumstantial link with the Chicxulub structure, which penetrates a carbonate and evaporite sequence7,8. Here we strengthen this link by showing that a simple chemical relationship exists between the glasses and an augite-bearing melt rock found within the Chicxulub structure, and argue that the composition of this melt rock could not easily have been produced by volcanic processes.
Apolipoprotein E and ALzheimer's Disease: The Tip of the Susceptibility Iceberg

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a true susceptibility polymorphism of the common form of Alzheimer's disease (AD). There are three APOE alleles (epsilon 2, epsilon 3, epsilon 4) that are universally distributed in the population with some variation in allele frequency due to racial and ethnic differences, and are associated with different risks and age of onset distributions. In multiple studies, the positive predictive value for symptomatic possible or probable AD patients who carry at least one epsilon 4 allele was consistently > 95%. Thus, early in the clinical course of dementia, when diagnoses are only 60-70% accurate, the presence of an epsilon 4 allele raises the diagnostic accuracy of AD to 95%. With the anticipation of a second major late-onset AD susceptibility locus on chromosome 12, a matrix of relative susceptibility risks in the population raises many ethical and social questions associated with preclinical prediction. The metabolism of apoE (protein) in the brain is a new and exciting area of neurobiology research made relevant by the association with AD. We have constructed transgenic animals using large human genomic fragments containing human APOE on an APOE-deficit mouse background as well as homologous recombination experiments replacing mouse APOE with human APOE promoter elements. The APOE tissue elements, NOT the human APOE gene coding sequence, is associated with the human pattern of intraneuronal apoE immunoreactivity.
IGF-1 does not moderate the time-dependent transcriptional patterns of key homeostatic genes induced by sustained compression of bovine cartilage.

Summary Objective To determine changes in chondrocyte transcription of a range of anabolic, catabolic and signaling genes following simultaneous treatment of cartilage with Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and ramp-and-hold mechanical compression, and compare with effects on biosynthesis. Methods Explant disks of bovine calf cartilage were slowly compressed (unconfined) over 3-min to their 1mm cut-thickness (0%-compression) or to 50%-compression with or without 300ng/ml IGF-1. Expression of 24 genes involved in cartilage homeostasis was measured using qPCR at 2, 8, 24, 32, 48h after compression ±IGF-1. Clustering analysis was used to identify groups of co-expressed genes to further elucidate mechanistic pathways. Results IGF-1 alone stimulated gene expression of aggrecan and collagen II, but simultaneous 24h compression suppressed this effect. Compression alone up-regulated expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, MMP-13, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif (ADAMTS)-5 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, an effect not reversed by simultaneous IGF-1 treatment. Temporal changes in expression following IGF-1 treatment were generally slower than that following compression. Clustering analysis revealed five distinct groups within which the pairings, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-3 and ADAMTS-5, MMP-1 and IGF-2, and IGF-1 and Collagen II, were all robustly co-expressed, suggesting inherent regulation and feedback in chondrocyte gene expression. While aggrecan synthesis was transcriptionally regulated by IGF-1, inhibition of aggrecan synthesis by sustained compression appeared post-transcriptionally regulated. Conclusion Sustained compression markedly altered the effects of IGF-1 on expression of genes involved in cartilage homeostasis, while IGF-1 was largely unable to moderate the transcriptional effects of compression alone. The demonstrated co-expressed gene pairings suggest a balance of anabolic and catabolic activity following simultaneous mechanical and growth factor stimuli.
John Maynard Smith.

AbstractJohn Maynard Smith was one of the most original thinkers in evolutionary biology of the post neo-Darwinian synthesis age. He was able to define new problems with clarity and by doing so open up new research directions. He did this in a number of areas including game theory and evolution, the evolution of sex, animal behavior, evolutionary transitions and molecular evolution. Although he is best known for his research and his ideas, he was a great expositor and wrote many books, including introductory texts in the areas of evolution and genetics, ecology and mathematical modeling, as well as advanced expositions of research problems.
Bile acid concentrations in serum during infancy and childhood.

Extract: Concentrations of free and conjugated bile acids in cord blood (30 samples) were within the adult range and were significantly higher than in serum from newborns (15 infants). Deoxycholic acid (D) was absent from sera of newborns and present in 7 of 23 cord samples. Only two of nine infants in year 1 of life showed detectable amounts of D. In 25 children, ages 1–13 years, bile acid concentrations in serum fell within the normal adult range. Small amounts of unconjugated bile acids were present in some specimens. Thirty-three children with cystic fibrosis of the pancreas (ages 2–14 years) had serum concentrations within the normal adult range. No correlation with age, sex, or severity of disease was noted. Thirty-two children with a variety of hepatobiliary disorders had significantly elevated concentrations of bile acids with the exception of a few infants with terminal cirrhosis. Determination of patterns and concentrations of bile acids in serum are of limited usefulness in differential diagnosis of these disorders. Speculation: The estimation of bile acids in serum will have to be combined with measurement of bile acids in bile and study of excretion of fecal bile acids if evaluation of bile acid metabolism is to provide better understanding of hepatobiliary disease.
Global finite-energy solutions of the Maxwell-Schrödinger system

The existence of global finite-energy solutions is proved for the initial value problem for the Maxwell-Schrodinger system in the Coulomb, Lorentz and temporal gauges
Cost Optimization of a Multilayer Microchannel Dialyzer

A microchannel-based hemodialyzer offers a novel approach to hemodialysis practice and holds many promises to improve kidney patients’ life quality and dialysis treatment efficiency. The hallow fiber hemodialyzer, a conventional dialysis device, has certain limitations including non-uniformity of the dialysate flow path which necessitates the use of a high dialysate flow rate. The microchannel-based hemodialyzer with flat membranes remarkably improves the mass transfer characteristics and enables the design of a smaller and less expensive unit with lower dialysate-to-blood flow rate ratios [1, 2]. In the microchannel-based design, successive stacked layers alternate between blood flow and dialysate flow. A porous membrane between these layers allows for the transport of toxins from blood side to dialysis fluid side. A schematic view of a single layer is shown in Fig. 1.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
A correlation functional for use with exact exchange in Kohn-Sham density functional theory

Abstract We present a modification of the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) correlation functional form which, when paired with the SC-α approximation to the exact exchange functional, scales the gradient correction to correlation to produce a correlation functional which is compatible with exact exchange. This inexpensive method yields calculated thermochemical properties whose accuracy rivals that of conventional GGAs without the usual compensation of errors between exchange and correlation.
Solvent effects on the fluorescence of benzo(a)pyrene and its 9- and 3-hydroxy derivatives

Abstract The corrected fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of benzo(a)pyrene and its 9-and 3-hydroxy derivatives were obtained in nineteen solvents and native and denatured DNA. Solvent physical properties and empirical parameters, as a function of solvent induced spectral shifts, were used to explain solute-solvent interactions. Spectral changes due to solvent perturbation were related to perturbation caused by DNA complexation.
TU‐D‐ValB‐03: MR‐Guided Mechanically Assisted Interventions

Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) has become the gold standard in the imaging of many soft tissues, osseous and joint conditions, but to date there has been limited success in harnessing this excellent imaging modality for interventional procedures. MRI is an ideal interventional guidance modality: it provides real‐time high‐resolution images at arbitrary direction and is able to monitor therapeutic agents, surgical tools, biomechanical tissue properties, and physiological function. At the same time, MRI poses formidable engineering challenges by limited access to the patient and a strong magnetic field that prevents the use of conventional materials and electronic equipment. Currently, no exigent technical solution exists to assist MRI‐guided needle placement procedures in an accurate, simple, and economical manner. A wide variety of procedures may be performed on open magnets but the trend is to use high field closed magnets, mainly because of improved imaging quality and wider availability of pulse sequences. The higher the field the higher the SNR and the higher SNR can be used to improve spatial and temporal resolution and can make techniques like temperature or flow sensitive imaging, functional brain MRI, diffusion imaging or MR spectroscopy more useful. Considering these trends, we believe that the use of conventional high‐field closed MRI scanners for guidance will allow more successful dissemination of MR‐guided techniques to radiology facilities throughout the country and eventually beyond. The talk will survey major trends and achievements in MR compatible interventional robotics, and present specific research projects and results currently in progress at the Johns Hopkins University and collaborators.
Room-Temperature Spin Memory in Two-Dimensional Electron Gases

Time-resolved Kerr reflectivity of two-dimensional electron gases in II-VI semiconductors provides a direct measure of electron spin precession and relaxation over a temperature range from 4 to 300 kelvin. The introduction of n-type dopants increases the electronic spin lifetimes several orders of magnitude relative to insulating counterparts, a trend that is also observed in doped bulk semiconductors. Because the electronic spin polarization in these systems survives for nanoseconds, far longer than the electron-hole recombination lifetime, this technique reveals thousands of spin precession cycles of 15 gigahertz per tesla within an electron gas. Remarkably, these spin beats are only weakly temperature dependent and persist to room temperature.
Basic research and the success of federal lab-industry partnerships

This paper examines the role that basic research plays in the strategies pursued by industry in their interactions with federal labs. It draws on questionnaire-based data of 229 federal laboratory-industry joint R&D projects with 219 companies and 27 laboratories. The study documents the relative importance of basic research in the success of the interactions by comparing the incidence of basic research on several indicators of success. The study shows that, even though projects involving basic research tend to have higher costs, they also have a high percentage of product outputs in the short term. Typical high payoff strategies for partnership were those in which the company performed several technical roles and the federal laboratory was more narrowly focused.
Auditory midbrain responses parallel spectral integration phenomena

Resolving the frequency components of complex sound spectra including speech is an inherent, important accomplishment of the auditory nervous systems of vertebrates. The critical perceptual unit in the frequency domain, the critical bandwidth, has a simple functional equivalent within the principal midbrain auditory nucleus--the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus.
Control of macromolecular structure and function using covalently attached double-stranded DNA constraints

The biophysical properties of DNA suggest its use for applications beyond serving as the genetic material. Several recent reports describe the use of covalently attached double-stranded DNA for controlling the structures of other macromolecules such as protein and RNA. These exploitations of DNA rigidity are conceptually distinct from many other studies in the area of "DNA nanotechnology". Double-stranded DNA constraints provide a means of introducing selective tension onto other molecules. This should facilitate fundamental investigations of macromolecular folding landscapes and tertiary interactions, as well as allow study of the mechanotransduction of biochemical signals. Use of a DNA constraint as the key element of a sensor has already been demonstrated, and such applications will be enhanced by improvements in the signal readout methods. If practical challenges such as delivery and stability can be addressed, these new efforts may also enable development of selective sensors for in vivo applications.
Oxidative dehydrogenation of methanol catalyzed by samples containing well defined ensembles of vanadium

Abstract Samples containing either vanadium oxide or heteropolyanions having the Keggin structure, [PW 12− n V n O 40 ] (3+ n )− or [SiW 12− n V n O 40 ] (4+ n )− { n = 0, 1, 2, 3} or a modified Keggin structure, [PV 14 O 42 ] 9− , each supported on silica at nearly 100% fraction exposed, were employed to determine the minimum number of adjacent vanadium ions required to catalyze the oxidative dehydrogenation of methanol to make formaldehyde. When the reaction was run under conditions of low differential conversion (where the structures of the substituted Keggin ions were shown to remain largely intact), the turnover frequency per vanadium for the production of formaldehyde increased by less than a factor of 2 as the size of the exposed vanadium ensembles increased from V 1 to V ∞ . Thus, the reaction appears to be independent of the adjacency of vanadium ions. The rate of the principal competing reaction, dehydration of methanol to make dimethyl ether, was found to depend sensitively on surface charge density: it decreased exponentially as the anion charge was made more negative either by replacing P with Si or by replacing W with V. The latter substitution provided a way to prepare catalysts whose activity and selectivity could he increased together.
A microbial modified prisoner's dilemma game: how frequency-dependent selection can lead to random phase variation

Abstract Random phase variation ( RPV ) is a control strategy in which the expression of a cell state or phenotype randomly alternates between discrete ‘on’ and ‘off’ states. Though this mode of control is common for bacterial virulence factors like pili and toxins, precise conditions under which RPV confers an advantage have not been well defined. In Part I of this study, we predicted that fluctuating environments select for RPV if transitions between different selective environments cannot be reliably sensed (J. Theor. Biol. (2005)). However, selective forces both inside and outside of human hosts are also likely to be frequency dependent in the sense that the fitnesses of some bacterial states are greatest when rare. Here we show that RPV at slow rates can provide a survival advantage in such a frequency-dependent environment by generating population heterogeneity, essentially mimicking a polymorphism. More surprisingly, RPV at a faster ‘optimal’ rate can shift the population composition toward an optimal growth rate that exceeds that possible for polymorphic populations, but this optimal strategy is not evolutionarily stable. The population would be most fit if all cells randomly phase varied at the optimal rate, but individual cells have a growth-rate incentive to defect (mutate) to other switching rates or non-phase variable phenotype expression, leading to an overall loss of fitness of the individual and the population. This scenario describes a modified Prisoner's Dilemma game (Evolution and the Theory of Games, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York, 1982, viii, 224pp.; Nature 398 (6726) (1999) 367), with random phase variation at optimal switching rates serving as the cooperation strategy.
Spiral Galaxy Lensing: A Model with Twist

We propose a single galaxy gravitational lensing model with a mass density that has a spiral structure. Namely, we extend the arcsine gravitational lens (a truncated singular isothermal elliptical model), adding an additional parameter that controls the amount of spiraling in the structure of the mass density. An important feature of our model is that, even though the mass density is sophisticated, we succeed in integrating the deflection term in closed form using a Gauss hypergeometric function. When the spiraling parameter is set to zero, this reduces to the arcsine lens.
Parental age as a risk factor in Alzheimer's disease

Because of the associations between Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome, advanced maternal and paternal age, which are risk factors for Down's syndrome, have been proposed as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Parental age data were obtained from a group of patients with Alzheimer's disease and compared with comparable data for a group of nondemented subjects matched for age and socioeconomic level. As a way of detecting a familial causative factor in Alzheimer's disease, life-span data were also collected for parents of patients and control subjects. The results indicated that patients with Alzheimer's disease and nondemented control subjects did not differ in the mean ages of their parents at the time of the patients' or subjects' births, nor did parental age correlate significantly with age at onset of disease. Moreover, the parents of patients with Alzheimer's disease did not differ in mean age at death from the parents of nondemented control subjects.
Continuous ventilation technique for laryngeal mask airway (LMA) removal after fiberoptic intubation in children.

Summary Background : Fiberoptic tracheal intubation through the laryngeal mask airway (LMATM) is a simple technique to establish a safe airway in neonates and infants with a difficult airway. The technique, however, is complicated by the removal of the laryngeal mask from the patient's mouth because of the similarity in length of the LMA and the tracheal tube. Methods : Several solutions have been presented to stabilize the tracheal tube within the trachea during withdrawal of the LMA. With all these techniques ventilation of the patient is interrupted. Results : We present a modified technique, using a double tube assembly, which allows uninterrupted ventilation of the patient during withdrawal of the LMA from the patient's mouth. Conclusions : The technique is simple and safe, can be performed without hurry and carries potential advantages for neonates and children with limited cardiorespiratory reserve.
Fast and efficient synthesis of substituted dibenz[b,f]oxazocines on solid support

Abstract An efficient synthesis of substituted dibenzazocines on solid support is described. The targeted heterocycles are assembled via the nucleophilic aromatic substitution of fluorine in 2-fluoro-5-nitrobenzoic acid with the OH function of the immobilized polysubstituted phenols. High yields and excellent purities of the final products are the distinct characteristics of the resultant 15-member library.
A study of the high-temperature transformations of periclase-carbon refractories using the method of X-ray spectral microanalysis

Etude des transformations a haute temperature des refractaires periclase-carbone par la methode de microanalyse spectrale a rayons X
Mass-production of large size a-Si modules and future plan

Abstract We have achieved stable 8% module efficiency with large area monolithic amorphous silicon pin single-junction cell on 910 mm×455 mm glass substrate. Utilizing this type of modules, we have designed, developed and tested photovoltaic modules integrated with roofing material for personal house. We proved that the modules are suitable for roofing purpose, through the detailed designing, actual installation and the performance evaluation. We will start to produce mass-production of amorphous modules with 20 MW/yr capacity in October 1999 in Toyooka-city, Hyogo-prefecture where we establish Kaneka Solartech Corporation as the production subsidiary. We also achieved 11.3% stable efficiency of hybrid solar cell (25 cm2) with amorphous Si and poly-Si thin film. We will introduce this hybrid cell technologies to Toyooka Plant by adding the CVD for thin-film poly-Si till 2003.
Modeling Pack Ice as a Cavitating Fluid

Abstract Polar ocean circulation is influenced by fluxes of salt and freshwater at the surface as ice freeze in one location, is transported by the winds and currents, and melts again elsewhere. The motion of sea ice, moreover, is strongly affected by internal stresses that arise from the mechanical strength of the ice cover. A simple sea-ice dynamics model, allowing these effects to be included in large-scale climate studies, is presented. In this model a cavitating fluid behaviour is assumed whereby the ice pack does not resist divergence or shear, but does resist convergence. While less realistic than other rheologies that include shear strength, this assumption has certain advantages for long-term climate studies. First, it allows a simple and efficient numerical scheme, in both rectangular and spherical coordinates, which as developed here along with a generation to include shear strength via the Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria. Second, realistic ice transport is maintained, even when the model is driv...
Brain serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations and serotonin synthesis following tetrahydro-beta-carboline administration in mice.

The effects of various tetrahydro-β-carboline (THβC) compounds on serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations and serotonin synthesis in mouse brain were investigated. 6-Methoxy-THβC (6-MeO-THβC) (100 mg/kg i.p.) significantly increased 5-HT concentrations from 15 min until 4 h after administration, and decreased 5-HIAA concentrations from 15 min until 10 h. The lowest dose of 6-MeO-THβC which produced a significant 5-HT increase was 25 mg/kg whereas 12.5 mg/kg produced a significant decrease of 5-HIAA. Comparisons among the THβC's in their ability to decrease 5-HIAA concentrations showed the following order of potency: THβC>6-MeO-THβC>6-MeO-tetrahydroharman>6-OH-THβC, In order to determine the mechanism for the increase in 5-HT and decrease in 5-HIAA produced by 6-MeO-THβC, its effect was compared to that of reference drugs known to inhibit monoamine oxidase (e. g. clorgyline, deprenyl, pargyline) and synaptosomal 5-HT uptake (chlorimipramine, fluoxetine). These comparisons suggested that the increased 5-HT concentration produced by 6-MeO-THβC was primarily the result of its monoamine oxidase-A inhibiting properties, whereas the decrease in 5-HIAA was the result of a combination of monoamine oxidase-A inhibition and 5-HT uptake inhibition. Serotonin synthesis in mouse brain following treatment with various tetrahydro-β-carboline compounds and other drugs affecting serotonin metabolism was determined using the so-called in vivo tryptophan hydroxylase method. This involved administering either saline or test drug followed at various times later by an injection of the decarboxylase inhibitor RO4-4602 (800 mg/kg), killing the mouse 30 min later, and measuring 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) in brain. 6-MeO-THβC at 100 mg/kg decreased the formation of 5-HTP with respect to saline controls from 1 to 4 h after administration, and this decrease was shown to be dose-dependent as measured at 2 h. The other THβC's including THβC, 6-OH-THβC and 6-MeO-tetrahydroharman also decreased 5-HTP formation at 2 h. In order to determine the mechanism for this decreased 5-HTP formation produced by the THβC's, their effects were compared to those of reference drugs known to inhibit monoamine oxidase-A (clorgyline, Lilly 51641), to inhibit synaptosomal serotonin uptake (fluoxetine, chlorimipramine), or to be a serotonin receptor agonist (quipazine). These comparisons suggested that the decrease in 5-HTP formation produced by the THβC's was most likely the result of a combination of monoamine oxidase inhibition plus serotonin uptake inhibition with the latter effect somewhat more potent.
Georges Bank: A leaky incubator of Alexandrium fundyense blooms

A series of oceanographic surveys on Georges Bank document variability of populations of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense on time scales ranging from synoptic to seasonal to interannual. Blooms of A. fundyense on Georges Bank can reach concentrations on the order of 104 cells l-1, and are generally bank-wide in extent. Georges Bank populations of A. fundyense appear to be quasi-independent of those in the adjacent coastal Gulf of Maine, insofar as they occupy a hydrographic niche that is colder and saltier than their coastal counterparts. In contrast to coastal populations that rely on abundant resting cysts for bloom initiation, very few cysts are present in the sediments on Georges Bank. Bloom dynamics must therefore be largely controlled by the balance between growth and mortality processes, which are at present largely unknown for this population. Based on correlations between cell abundance and nutrient distributions, ammonium appears to be an important source of nitrogen for A. fundyense blooms on Georges Bank.
Circadian rhythm of corticosterone in diabetic rats

We proposed that the circadian rhythm of corticosterone in diabetic rats would have a different pattern than that in non-diabetic control rats. To test this hypothesis, 20 male Sprague-Dawley rats were given ad libitum access to a stock diet and housed individually in a light and temperature controlled room. Ten rats were made diabetic by two subcutaneous injections of streptozotocin. Ten rats which were not injected served as controls. Thirteen days after induction of the diabetes, tail blood samples were taken every 4 h for 24 h. Plasma corticosterone levels were significantly higher in diabetic rats than in control rats at 3 time points during the light cycle; however, concentrations were similar during the dark cycle. We speculate that diabetes may cause alterations in the steroid feedback mechanism to the hypothalamus and/or pituitary, resulting in an abnormal circadian rhythm of plasma corticosterone.
Self-similar spacetimes: Geometry and dynamics

The nature and uses of self-similarity in general relativity are discussed. A spacetime may be self-similar (homothetic) along surfaces of any dimensionality, from 1 to 4. A geometric construction is given for all self-similar spacetimes. As an important special case, the “spatially self-similar cosmological models” are introduced, and their dynamical properties are studied in some detail: The initial-value problem is posed, the ADM formulation is established (when applicable), and it is shown that the evolution equations preserve a self-similarity of initial data. The existence of a conserved quantity is deduced from self-similarity. Possible applications to cosmology and singularities are mentioned.
Effects of intracellular lithium on epinephrine-induced accumulation of cyclic AMP in skeletal muscle

Abstract The effects of lithium and of magnesium ions on adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) accumulation in isolated rat hemidiaphragms were investigated. Magnesium ions caused a small but significant increase in the basal concentration of cyclic AMP, whereas lithium ions had no effect. However, pretreatment of tissues with LiCl caused a significant dose-dependent reduction in the effect of epinephrine on the concentration of cyclic AMP. Magnesium ions enhanced the rise in tissue cyclic AMP caused by epinephrine, but this stimulatory effect of magnesium ions was reduced in tissues that had been pretreated with LiCl. It was concluded that lithium ions act at an intracellular site to inhibit hormone-induced accumulation of the cyclic nucleotide and was proposed that magnesium and lithium ions act at different cellular locations to produce their effects on hormone-induced cyclic AMP accumulation.
Information dynamics effects from major world markets to SAARC nations

This paper investigates the impact of major world equity markets on four founding countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). With a population of 1.47 billion, SAARC is the largest regional organization in the world. However, the issue of global integration of equity markets of the SAARC nations has largely been ignored. This study fills this important gap, adding results towards the ongoing debate concerning the issue of global market integration. After the onset of the financial crises of 2008, this issue is imperative. VAR analysis is used to determine whether there is any dependency of SAARC return on the performance of world equity markets. Further, GARCH-in-mean modeling is used to determine whether there is any evidence of Volatility spillover. It is found that volatility in major world markets do not impact returns in SAARC nation, but ample evidence of volatility spillover is found for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Similar results are not obtained for Pakistan.
Abstract P1-16-02: Retrospective Review of Male Breast Cancer Patients: Analysis of Tamoxifen-Related Side Effects

Background: Male breast cancer (MBC) is an uncommon malignancy with approximately 2000 American men diagnosed per year. It has been observed that the side effect profiles and tolerability with anti-hormonal treatments such as tamoxifen differ between women and men. There is a paucity of data specifically evaluating the side effect profiles of antihormonal treatments in MBC patients (pts). Objective: To specifically study the side effects of tamoxifen in a cohort of MBC pts and to determine toxicities in this population. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all MBC pts evaluated at our institution from 1999-2009. Out of a total of 126 MBC pts, 64 met the following inclusion criteria: stage I-III, treated with tamoxifen, and at least one follow-up visit after starting tamoxifen. A descriptive analysis of side effects was performed on these 64 pts. Patient Characteristics and Results: Median follow-up time at our institution was 4.2 years (range 0.3-10.9). Median follow-up from the start of tamoxifen therapy was 4.0 years (range 0.3-19.4). The median age at diagnosis was 61 years (range 30-79). Breakdown by stage included: 29.7% Stage I, 54.7% stage II, and 15.6% stage III. Median initial tumor size was 2.0 cm (range 0.5-6.5). 100% were hormone-receptor positive and 7 tumors (11%) were HER2/neu-positive. Two pts had history of prior therapeutic radiation, and 11 pts (17%) had a prior or concomitant cancer diagnosis, including 6 pts with history of prostate cancer and 2 pts with history of renal cell carcinoma. Sixteen (25%) developed metastatic disease or recurrence. Thirty (47%) pts experienced at least one or more side effect while taking tamoxifen. There were a total of 101 documented side effects (more than one side effect in some pts). The most common toxicity was weight gain (14 out of 64 pts, 22%) and sexual dysfunction/loss of libido (14pts, 22%), followed by hot flashes (8pts, 13%), neurocognitive deficits (6 pts, 1%), thromboembolic events (4 pts, 1%) ocular events (3pts), mood alterations (2pts), depression (2 pts), GI disturbance(2 pts), insomnia (1) and leg cramps (1). Importantly, 13 out of the 64 (20.3%) pts discontinued tamoxifen due to toxicity: 1 for ocular, 2 for neurocognitive deficits, 4 for thromboembolic events, 2 for bone pain, 3 for loss of libido, and 1 for leg cramps. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest retrospective study specifically examining tamoxifen-related side effects among MBC pts. Among MBC pts, there is a high rate of discontinuation of tamoxifen. Further prospective work regarding better understanding of male hormonal biology as well as novel anti-hormonal drug development may be warranted in this unique population. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-16-02.
An on-axis reflective beam expander for pulsed dye laser cavities

Abstract An on-axis reflective beam expanding telescope suitable for pulsed dye laser cavities is introduced. The telescope has minimal aberrations, is extremely inexpensive, and is easy to align. Design considerations and performance of a prototype are discussed.
Permanent iodine-125 interstitial implants for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.

Objective Brachytherapy with temporary implants may prolong survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), but it is associated with relatively high costs and morbidity. This study reports the time to progression and survival after permanent implantation of iodine-125 seeds for recurrent GBM and examines factors predictive of outcome. Methods Forty patients with recurrent GBM were treated with maximal resection plus permanent placement of iodine-125 seeds into the tumor bed. A total dose of 120 to 160 Gy was administered, and patients were followed up with magnetic resonance imaging scans every 2 to 3 months. Results Actuarial survival from the time of implantation was 47 weeks, with 7 of 40 patients still alive at a median of 59 weeks after implantation. Survival was significantly better for patients younger than 60 years, and a trend for longer survival was demonstrated with gross total resection and tumors with a low MIB-1 (a nuclear antigen present in all cell cycles of proliferating cells) staining index. Median time to progression was 25 weeks and, on multivariate analysis, was favorably influenced by gross total resection and patient age younger than 60 years. After implantation, 27 of 30 patients with failure had a local component to the failure. No patient developed symptoms attributable to radiation necrosis or injury. Conclusion Permanent iodine-125 implants for recurrent GBM result in survival comparable with that described in previous reports on temporary implants, but with less morbidity. Results are most favorable for patients who are younger than 60 years, and who undergo gross total resection. Despite this aggressive treatment, most patients die as a consequence of locally recurrent disease.
Oscilloscopic Characterization of an Electronically Ignited Spark Source

The use of a dual-beam, delayed-sweep oscilloscope in the study of the ignition and discharge characteristics of an electronically ignited spark source is described. Transient electrical behavior on a micro and submicrosecond time scale during three stages of spark ignition is discussed, including the triggering and firing of the switching thyratron and the breakdown characteristics of the control spark gaps. Elimination of much of the time jitter in the ignition is discussed. A convenient and straightforward method of monitoring the oscillatory discharge current is presented and used to estimate the residual circuit inductance and resistance. Reactive models are suggested to explain the operation of the source.
Dietary fat effects on hepatic lipid peroxidation and enzymes of H2O2 metabolism and NADPH generation

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of dietary fat quantity and fatty acid composition on hepatic H2O2-metabolizing systems, activities of NADPH-generating enzymes and lipid peroxidation. Onemonth-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed one of six diets: (i) 5% fat, rich in 18∶2n−6 fatty acid (5% N−6); (ii) 20% fat, rich in 18∶3n−3 (N−3); (iii) 20% fat, rich in 18∶2n−6 (N−6); (iv) 20% fat, rich in 18∶1n−9 (N−9); (v) 20% fat, rich in saturated fatty acids (SAT); and (vi) 20% fat, deficient in essential fatty acids (EFAD); for 11 wk. Comparisons between animal groups receiving different fat quantities showed that activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, EC 1.1.1.49) and malic enzyme (ME, EC 1.1.1.40) and the levels of conjugated dienes were significantly lower in the N−6 than in 5% N−6 group. Conversely, activities of catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) and seleniumglutathione peroxidase (SeGSHPx, EC 1.11.1.9) were higher in the N−6 than in 5% N−6 group. Among the five dietary groups receiving 20% fat but differing in fatty acid composition, CAT activity was lower in the N−9 group, SeGSHPx activity was lower in the EFAD group, and glutathione reductase (GSSGR, EC 1.6.4.2) activity was higher in the N−6 than in the N−3, N−9, SAT and EFAD groups. The EFAD group had much higher levels of total lipids and conjugated dienes, as well as activities of NADPH-generating enzymes, including G6PDH, ME and isocitrate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.42), than the other four high-fat groups. The hepatic levels of malondialdehyde were not different among the five groups fed 20% fat. In the EFAD group, higher hepatic lipid content can be attributed to higher activities of NADPH-generating enzymes, and the elevation of conjugated diene levels may be related to increased oxygenation of 20∶−6 (Mead acid)via the lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase pathway. In short, both dietary fat quantity and fatty acid composition selectively affected hepatic H2O2-metabolizing systems, activities of NADPH-generating enzymes and lipid peroxidation status.
THE CELLULAR CHANGES PRODUCED IN TISSUE CULTURES BY HERPES B VIRUS CORRELATED WITH THE CONCURRENT MULTIPLICATION OF THE VIRUS

A sequential study is reported of the morphological changes occurring after herpes B virus infection of cells as revealed in ultrathin sections under the electron microscope. Monolayer cultures of renal epithelial cells prepared from the natural host of the virus, the monkey, were infected, and the cellular alterations were correlated with the appearance of infective virus in the culture fluids. The morphological changes consisted in swelling of the cells and disappearance of the nucleolus, followed by margination and gradual decrease of the nuclear chromatin. The inclusion material corresponded to the clear central areas of the nucleus, where the chromatin had disappeared. In the late stages of infection this inclusion material filled the nucleus and formed a classical type A inclusion body. Characteristic particles appeared in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the infected cells a few hours after inoculation. They had a dense center surrounded by one or two membranes. Those with one membrane ranged in size from 60 to 100 mµ and those with two from 120 to 180 mµ. Particles showing the same wide variation in size and structure were seen both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. They were first visible on the external surface of the swollen but intact cells at about the same time new infective virus became detectable in the culture fluid. A small number of the extracellular, and cytoplasmic, virus particles appeared "binucleated," containing two central bodies, each having its own membrane, both being surrounded by a single external coat. About 180 mµ in diameter, they were randomly distributed among the "mononucleated" particles.