cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase I study of urate oxidase in the reduction of acute graft-versus-host disease after myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Abstract Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a donor T cell driven response against host tissue that can complicate allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). During acute GVHD, endogenous adjuvants such as uric acid are released by damaged host tissue, activating alloreactive donor T cells. A phase I study was conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital between 2007 and 2010 to test the hypothesis that reduction of uric acid levels during allogeneic HSCT can modulate the development of acute GVHD. Twenty-one patients with hematologic malignancies in complete remission undergoing myeloablative peripheral blood HSCT received recombinant urate oxidase at .20 mg/kg for 5 consecutive days during conditioning. Results were compared with all patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT at our institution during the same time period who met the same inclusion and exclusion criteria but were not enrolled in the study. The only major adverse event was a case of hemolytic anemia in a patient who had glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of grades II to IV acute GVHD, which was significantly decreased in the treatment group in the intention-to-treat analysis (57% [12/21] versus 24% [5/21], P = .036) and in the per-protocol analysis (P = .017). Patients who developed acute GVHD had a higher level of serum uric acid during the pretransplantation period compared with those who did not (P
In Vitro Studies on the Effect of Erythropoietin on Glucosamine-l-14C Incorporation Into Rat Bone Marrow Cells

It has been shown that glucosamine-l-14C is incorporated into the stroma (acid-insoluble fraction) of rat bone marrow cells in culture. Erythropoietin preparations at stages of purification ranging from untreated anemic plasma to one highly purified material (approximately 900 U/mg protein) caused increased glucosamine uptake into these bone marrow cell cultures. It is therefore assumed that erythropoietin is the agent responsible for this effect, which first becomes measurable after about 3 hr of incubation. A fixed amount of incorporating capacity appears after erythropoietin is added to the culture. The response to erythropoietin is a logarithmic function of the dose over a considerable part of the range tested. The radioactivity incorporated into the stroma has been identified in 3 classes of compounds: a) material not solubilized by 0.05N H2SO4 at 80 C (44% of total radioactivity in the original sample); b) material so far not identified which stayed at the origin of the paper-chromatographic system ...
A simple assay for evaluating inhibitors of proteoglycan-ligand binding.

Proteoglycans, once thought to primarily serve as structural components of extracellular matrix, are now being focused on for their role in tissue and cell regulation, particularly angiogenesis. Many growth factors, notably the fibroblast growth family (FGF) which now numbers 19 members, bind to heparin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans and this binding has been shown to have a significant impact on the availability and activity of these growth factors. Proteoglycans can serve as both temporal and spatial regulators and effective inhibitor design may depend on disruption of these interactions. We have developed a simple assay for evaluating small inhibitors of proteoglycan-ligand binding. The assay is based on cell-free incubation of the reactants and filtration across a cationic membrane. Conditions were established that allow one to semiquantitatively determine binding constants for both direct proteoglycan as well as soluble inhibitor affinity. The assay has been demonstrated using a model heparan sulfate proteoglycan preparation (perlecan from cultured bovine endothelial cells) and FGF-2. Protamine sulfate, sucrose octasulfate, and heparin were analyzed as model inhibitor molecules. This type of assay may have wide application as a fast and easy screening tool for small potential agonists and antagonists of proteoglycan-protein interactions. © 2000 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC00: 8714Ee, 8715Kg, 8715Rn, 8780-y
Features and classification methods to locate deciduous trees in images

We compare features and classification methods to locate deciduous trees in images. From this comparison we conclude that a back-propagation neural network achieves better classification results than the other classifiers we tested. Our analysis of the relevance of 51 features from seven feature extraction methods based on the graylevel co-occurrence matrix, Gabor filters, fractal dimension, steerable filters, the Fourier transform, entropy, and color shows that each feature contributes important information. We show how we obtain a 13-feature subset that significantly reduces the feature extraction time while retaining most of the complete feature set's power and robustness. The best subsets of features were found to be combinations of features of each of the extraction methods. Methods for classification and feature relevance determination that are based on the covariance or correlation matrix of the features (such as eigenanalyses or linear or quadratic classifiers) generally cannot be used, since even small sets of features are usually highly linearly redundant, rendering their covariance or correlation matrices too singular to be invertible. We argue that representing deciduous trees and many other objects by rich image descriptions can significantly aid their classification. We make no assumptions about the shape, location, viewpoint, viewing distance, lighting conditions, and camera parameters, and we only expect scanning methods and compression schemes to retain a “reasonable” image quality.
Concept of an optical leaky-wave antenna embedded in a Fabry-Pérot resonator

We investigate the radiation of an optical leaky-wave antenna embedded in a Fabry-Perot resonator (FPR), resonating in the direction of the guided leaky wave. Leaky-wave radiation is achieved via the generation of a -1 Floquet harmonic in a dielectric waveguide due to the inclusion of a periodic set of perturbations. The FPR is formed by confining the dielectric waveguide and the leaky-wave section between two partially reflective mirrors. We report the design principles that are required to achieve a pencil beam at broadside as a superposition of leaky waves that travel inside the FPR in two opposite directions. We also investigate the tunability of the radiation by using semiconductor regions in the waveguide and thereby exciting and controlling excess carriers. We report simulation results related to a realistic design as a proof of the concept.
Con A-induced suppressor cells in man. I. Induction and characterization of suppressor cells

Abstract Con A-induced suppressor cells were studied in autologous co-cultures of normal human lymphocytes. Lymphocytes pretreated with 5 µg/ml, 20 µg/ml, or 50 µg/ml of Con A were cultured for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Subsequently, the whole mononuclear (MN) cell subpopulation or T-enriched, B-enriched, and monocyte-enriched fractions were added to freshly obtained lymphocytes, stimulated with 5 µg/ml of Con A and cultured for a further 96 hours. MN cells pretreated with 5 µg/ml of Con A did not significantly affect the DNA synthesis in co-cultures with unfractionated MN cells, while cells pretreated with 20 µg/ml or 50µg/ml for 48 and 72, but not for 24 hours, possessed the suppressive activity. The suppressor cells were found in T-, but not B-enriched subpopulations. Moreover, suppression was induced by T-enriched fraction from MN cells pretreated with 5 µg/ml of Con A, while unfractionated cells failed to exhibit inhibitory activity. The degree of T-cell-induced suppression was dose-dependent. Irradiation with 3000 R diminished the suppressive activity of cells derived from 48-hour cultures and abrogated the activity of cells from 72-hour cultures. The present data indirectly prove that Con A-induced suppressor cells are radiosensitive T lymphocytes. The observation that induction of suppressor cells by Con A is dose- and time-dependent provides the further insight into regulatory immunological mechanism in humans.
Heterologous URA3MX cassettes for gene replacement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Heterologous gene replacement cassettes are powerful tools for dissecting gene function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Their primary advantages over homologous gene replacement cassettes include reduced gene conversion (leading to efficient site-specific integration of the cassette) and greater independence of strain background. Perhaps the most widely used cassettes are the MX cassettes containing the dominant selectable kanamycin resistance gene (kanr), which confers resistance to G418 (Wach et al., 1994). One limitation of the kanMX cassettes is that they are not counterselectable and therefore not readily recyclable, which is important when constructing strains with more than one gene deletion. To address this limitation, and to expand the choices of heterologous markers, we have created two new MX cassettes by replacing the kanr ORF from plasmids pFA6-kanMX3 and pFA6-kanMX4 with the Candida albicans URA3 ORF. These plasmids, pAG60 (CaURA3MX4) and pAG61 (CaURA3MX3) are identical to the kanMX cassettes in all other respects but have the added advantage of being counterselectable and therefore readily recyclable in S. cerevisiae.
On the covering multiplicity of lattices

Let the lattice ? have covering radiusR, so that closed balls of radiusR around the lattice points just cover the space. The covering multiplicityCM(?) is the maximal number of times the interiors of these balls overlap. We show that the least possible covering multiplicity for ann-dimensional lattice isn ifn≤8, and conjecture that it exceedsn in all other cases. We determine the covering multiplicity of the Leech lattice and of the latticesIn, An, Dn, En and their duals for small values ofn. Although it appears thatCM(In)=2n?1 ifn≤33, asn ? ? we haveCM(In)~2.089...n. The results have application to numerical integration.
Geothermal energy—A sustainable resource of enormous potential

Geothermal energy is available at many locations on the earth’s surface. This clean and reliable energy has enormous potential and can be used to partially replace the conventional fuels that are currently used; the total magnitude of this resource is much larger than the potential contained in all of the fossil and uranium reserves worldwide. Geothermal energy will become increasingly significant during the next century; enhanced thermal energy R&D is expected to lead to commercial development some time after 2010, depending on energy costs at that time.
The thyroglobulin gene as the first thyroid-specific susceptibility gene for autoimmune thyroid disease

Recent linkage and association studies provide evidence for thyroglobulin (Tg) being an autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) susceptibility gene. The Tg locus has been reported to be linked with AITD in two independent studies, and further analysis demonstrated that markers within the Tg gene were associated with AITD. Furthermore, missense single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Tg gene were shown to be associated with autoimmune thyroiditis in both mice and humans. If Tg is confirmed as a susceptibility gene for AITD, it could provide a novel therapeutic target.
A Critical Evaluation of the Deviation Time Method to Calculate Discontinuity Radias From Well Tests in Composite Reservoirs

Reservoirs with a fluid bank, or a burning front, reservoirs with a reduced or an increased permeability region around the wellbore, and geothermal reservoirs are often modeled as composite reservoirs. Reservoirs with a fluid bank include reservoirs undergoing waterflood, chemical flood, polymer flood, CO/sub 2/ flood, and steam injection. Eight well tests reported in the literature exhibiting composite reservoir behavior have been analyzed using the deviation time method. The dimensionless deviation times obtained from pressure and pressure derivative responses for a well in a composite reservoir are used for analyzing the well tests. Analysis shows the estimate of discontinuity radius to be sensitive to both the real and the dimensionless deviation times used. The estimate discontinuity radius from the deviation time method may represent a lower bound for discontinuity radius, if the swept region is not cylindrical. Also, obtaining an accurate deviation time for small mobility contrasts may be difficult.
Effects of halothane on cerebral synaptic density.

Abstract A selected area of the superior sagittal cortex of 28 rats was examined for changes in synaptic density after chronic exposure to halothane. Rats were exposed to either 50, 100, or 200 ppm halothane from conception to 28 days of age. Synapses were stained with ethanolic phosphotungstic acid and morphometric measurement was carried out with a graphic digitizer. The density of cerebral synapses in rats exposed to halothane was significantly lower than those in control rats. Halothane appeared to reduce synaptic density in a linear dose-dependent effect between 0 and 100 ppm of halothane. This effect appeared to plateau between 100 and 200 ppm halothane. These results have implications in relation to the effects of halothane on the development of synaptic organization and the maturation of synaptic contacts.
Another factor besides hydrophobicity can affect signal peptide interaction with signal recognition particle.

Translocation of alkaline extracellular protease (AEP) into the endoplasmic reticulum of Yarrowia lipolyticais cotranslational and signal recognition particle (SRP)-dependent, whereas translocation of P17M AEP (proline to methionine at position 17, second amino acid in the pro-region) is posttranslational and SRP-independent. P17M signal peptide mutations that resulted in more rapid SRP-dependent translocation of AEP precursor were isolated. Most of these mutations significantly increased hydrophobicity, but the A12P/P17M mutation did not. The switch from SRP-dependent to SRP-independent translocation without a decrease in hydrophobicity (wild type to P17M) and restoration of SRP-dependent translocation without an increase in hydrophobicity (P17M to A12P/P17M) indicate that some factor(s) in addition to hydrophobicity determines selection of targeting pathway. Models of extended forms of wild type and A12P/P17M signal peptides are kinked, whereas the P17M signal peptide is relatively straight. Possibly the conformation/orientation of signal peptides at the ribosomal surface affects SRP binding and consequently the targeting route to the endoplasmic reticulum. Kinked signal peptides might approach SRP more closely more often. Most likely, these effects were only detectable because of the short length and low average hydrophobicity of the AEP signal peptide.
SOLANUM TUBEROSUM AGGLUTININ ACCUMULATION DURING TUBER DEVELOPMENT

Summary The deposition of potato lectin during tuber growth was studied using tissue printing and ELISA techniques. Lectin accumulation starts early during tuber formation. When the stolon shows the first signals of radial growth, immunologically detectable lectin appears in the cortex and pith regions. By the time the tuber reaches 1 cm diameter, the lectin is distributed in the whole tuber with a stronger staining on the epidermis. This pattern is maintained until maturity. Lectin activity in mature tubers shows higher levels on the epidermal/peridermal tissues as judged by the binding of a fluorescent ligant (N,N',N"-triacetyl chitotriose dansyl hydrazone) to tissue prints. Quantification of lectin content by ELISA shows that it accumulates throughout tuber growth, although lectin accumulates at a higher rate at the beginning of the exponential growth phase. The lectin content at the beginning of the exponential growth is 8 mg/g protein against 4 g/kg protein at maturity. However, lectin content reaches its maximal level at maturity.
The perceived cause of work success as a mediator of sex discrimination in organizations

Abstract This investigation was designed to determine whether attributional processes mediate discriminatory reward allocation in organizations. Subjects, who were given different causal explanations for the work success of four male or female employees, rated the appropriateness of several personnel actions and indicated their preference among them for each employee. Results indicated that, as expected, the causal explanations typically used to account for a woman's work success (luck, effort, task difficulty) as contrasted with that typically used to account for a man's work success (ability) produced tendencies to award fewer and less desirable organizational rewards. This was true whether the employee being considered was male or female. Thus, the data suggest that the differential causal explanations that arise from sex differences, not the sex differences themselves, result in the unequal treatment of equally successful men and women. Implications of this finding both for future research and for organizational practices are discussed.
Consequences of a triaxial intrinsic state for 24Mg

Abstract Stripping intrinsities predicted by various deformed Hartree Fock solutions for 24 Mg are compared with those known experimentally. The axial solution is favored although the triaxial is lower in energy. A possible explanation could be the recent findings of Goodman et al.
The importance of Planolites in the Cambrian substrate revolution

Abstract Early Cambrian subtidal shelf substrates were characterized by low water content and steep chemical gradients, conditions likely facilitated by the presence of microbial mats as reflected by an abundance of microbially-mediated sedimentary structures in Lower Cambrian strata. Such substrate conditions would have been unfavourable for burrowing by benthic metazoans. A combination of environmental restrictions and a lack of adaptations to vertical burrowing likely prevented most benthic metazoans from burrowing infaunally in Early Cambrian subtidal shelf substrates. The eventual acquisition of burrowing adaptations by benthic metazoans later in the Cambrian promoted an increase in the depth and intensity of bioturbation and initiated a transition toward well-hydrated substrates in which extensive infaunal activity was possible. Siliciclastic units of the Lower Cambrian succession in the White–Inyo Mountains, eastern California, contain abundant horizontal bioturbation on bedding planes, as documented by bedding plane bioturbation indices, but little vertical bioturbation, as shown by ichnofabric indices and x-radiography. Planolites , a simple horizontal trace fossil, represents the dominant type of bioturbation in these units. Planolites is found in a range of diameters, indicating that more than one species of tracemaker likely produced this type of trace. Although these Planolites do not have a vertical component, their abundance on bedding planes indicates that the activities of Planolites tracemakers had a significant impact on subtidal shelf substrates, represented by Lower Cambrian units in the White–Inyo Mountains, early in the Cambrian substrate revolution.
Reliability of children's self-reported cigarette smoking.

Abstract Youth who first smoke cigarettes during childhood are a high risk for habitual smoking. Evaluating the reliability of children’s smoking initiation is essential to research efforts to explain or prevent smoking onset. The present study is the first to establish reliability of self-reported smoking behavior with questionnaire data from elementary school children (N = 1,184). Data from a longitudinal investigation are used to examine the consistency of children’s self-reported smoking across items and over time. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses demonstrate that children report having tried smoking and lifetime use remarkably consistently. However, only about half the children reliably estimated their grade at first use. The study results suggest that some but not all standard questionnaire items yield reliable self-report data about initial smoking behavior from respondents as young as 8 to 11 years.
Highly stable, mesoporous mixed lanthanum–cerium oxides with tailored structure and reducibility

Pure and mixed lanthanum and cerium oxides were synthesized via a reverse microemulsion-templated route. This approach yields highly homogeneous and phase-stable mixed oxides with high surface areas across the entire range of La:Ce ratios from pure lanthana to pure ceria. Surprisingly, all mixed oxides show the fluorite crystal structure of ceria, even for lanthanum contents as high as 90%. Varying the La:Ce ratio not only allows tailoring of the oxide morphology (lattice parameter, pore structure, particle size, and surface area), but also results in a fine-tuning of the reducibility of the oxide which can be explained by the creation of oxygen vacancies in the ceria lattice upon La addition. Such finely controlled syntheses, which enable the formation of stable, homogeneous mixed oxides across the entire composition range, open the path towards functional tailoring of oxide materials, such as rational catalyst design via fine-tuning of redox activity.
Selective InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice etch stop layers for GaSb substrate removal

This paper reports the use of an InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice (SLS) as an etch stop layer for GaSb substrate removal with a BCl3/SF6 etch chemistry. Optimum chamber conditions were determined by measuring etch rates and selectivities for two types of superlattices. It was found that selectivity of GaSb over a superlattice is maximized if the reactive ion etching (RIE) chamber pressure is maximized and BCl3 is 80 % of the gas mixture. Selectivities of up to about 475 were measured. Greater selectivity was achieved with superlattices composed of thicker InAs layers.
Calcium Sensing Properties of the RCK1 Domain of the Human BK Channel: Effects of the D362/367A Mutation

Recent studies suggest that Ca2+-dependent activation of the large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channel is controlled by two RCK (Regulators of K+ Conductance) domains located in the C-terminus, encompassing high affinity Ca2+-sites D362/367 and M513 in RCK1, and a Ca2+-bowl (D894-898) in RCK2 (Schreiber, et al, 1999, Lingle et al. 2002, Bao et al. 2004). Previously, we characterized Ca2+-induced conformational changes and the role of the Ca2+ bowl in the hSloRCK2 domain using solution-based analysis (Yusifov et al., PNAS 2008).Using a similar approach, we are now investigating the Ca2+-dependent properties of the WT and D362/367A mutations of a purified protein corresponding to the amino acid sequence (322IIE¼DPL667) that forms the human BK channel's RCK1 domain.The calcium-binding activity of purified RCK1 (10ug), loaded on a nitrocellulose membrane, was directly probed by dot blot analysis of 45Ca2+-binding. Albumin and Troponin were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. RCK1 showed remarkable calcium-binding ability when compared to Albumin.Circular Dichroism (CD) analysis of the WT-RCK1 revealed a calcium-dependent spectral change, corresponding to an increased β-strand content of ∼9% as the free [Ca2+] was increased from 0.015 to 31.2μM. This change was paralleled by a similar decrease in α-helix content, while the turns and unordered fractions remained practically unchanged.On the other hand, the CD spectra of RCK1-D362/367A mutant displays ∼7-8% increased beta content, similar to the calcium-bound form of WT-RCK1. The Far-UV CD spectra obtained of hSloRCK1-D362/367A mutant in increasing free Ca2+ displayed no changes, suggesting a lack of substantial Ca2+-dependent structural changes. Based on these findings, we propose that the D362/367A mutation in hSloRCK1 may lead to a conformational state of hSloRCK1 that is unable to translate Ca2+-binding to channel gating.
Requirement error abstraction and classification: an empirical study

Software quality and reliability is a primary concern for successful development organizations. Monitoring and controlling quality by helping developers detect as many faults as possible is a subjective and intricate approach. Due to the inherent difficulties and limitations, additional methods are required to obtain a more complete solution to the software quality problem. This paper analyzes the software quality problem from a different perspective involving a step back from faults to focus on the fundamental causes of faults. The first step in this direction is the application of the Error Abstraction Process (EAP) to the requirements phase of the software lifecycle to develop a Requirement Error Taxonomy (RET). This paper presents an empirical study on the application of the EAP and RET to requirement documents in a controlled classroom setting. The results show that the EAP significantly improves the productivity of subjects, that the RET is useful for improving software quality, that it provides useful insights into the requirements document, and that various context variables also impact the results. These results are promising and are important to motivate further investigation, to refine the RET, and to derive more formalized tools and methods for assisting developers. The result of this investigation will be a sound verification process for requirements phase.
Investigation of the electrochemical processes related to IT coupling with ET by hydrophilic droplet electrodes

Abstract The electrochemical processes of ion transfer (IT) at a water/1,2-dichloroethane (W/DCE) interface coupling with electron transfer (ET) at an aqueous solution/Pt interface have been investigated systematically by hydrophilic droplet electrodes with cyclic voltammetry and Osteryoung square wave voltammetry. Here a disk Pt electrode is covered fully with an aqueous droplet containing redox couple of K3Fe(CN)6 and K4Fe(CN)6, and this assembly is immersed into the DCE phase. Based on this simple three-electrode setup, we can observe that the reduction of K3Fe(CN)6 and the oxidation of K4Fe(CN)6 on the Pt electrode are coupled with respective Cl− and K+ transfer processes at the W/DCE interface. The complicated mechanism of coupling processes has been discussed and evaluated by the analysis of several influence factors, such as, concentrations and ratios of redox couple in the aqueous droplet, and phase volume ratios. In addition, the Gibbs energies of different ions transfer at the W/DCE interface have been accurately determined by OSWV with K+ or Cl− as the internal reference ion. This method has also been demonstrated to be a useful tool to detect several ions simultaneously.
A Method for Exploring Adult Neurogenesis in the Songbird Brain

The avian brain is a valuable model for exploring adult neurogenesis. Here we use immunohistochemical methods to detect cell division and the incorporation of new neurons in the adult zebra finch brain. The nonradioactive, relatively inexpensive thymidine analog bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) is used to label replicating DNA in dividing cells. The brain is harvested, fixed, and dehydrated before being embedded in polyethylene glycol (PEG), which results in superior histology compared to frozen specimens. After the PEG-embedded brain tissue is sectioned and mounted on slides, standard immunohistochemical procedures are used to detect both BrdU and the neuron-specific marker Hu.
A study of catecholamine-containing cells in the hearts of fetal and postnatal rabbits by fluorescence and electron microscopy.

This investigation was undertaken to localize and characterize catecholamine-containing cells in the hearts of fetal and early postnatal rabbits in an attempt to provide some information about their function or functions. Rabbits ranging in age from 18 days of gestation to 35 days postnatal were prepared for fluorescence histochemistry of catecholamines and for electron microscopy. Small intensely-fluorescent (SIF) cells and granule-containing cells (both presumed to store catecholamines) were demonstrated in the hearts of 20-day fetuses and all older animals. Clusters of these cells were found in glomus-like structures located in the connective tissue around the aorta and pulmonary artery. Ultrastructurally these cells contain many dense-core vesicles (amine-type storage vesicles) and are innervated by nerve terminals containing 500 A clear vesicles. Many are adjacent to blood vessels. It is suggested that some of these catecholamine-containing cells may be secretory. Also it is plausible that the glomus-like bodies, due to their similarities to the carotid body, may have a chemoreceptor function.
Propagation of action potentials between parallel chains of cardiac muscle cells in PSpice simulation.

Propagation of action potentials between parallel chains of cardiac muscle cells was simulated using the PSpice program. Excitation was transmitted from cell to cell along a strand of three or four cells not connected by low-resistance tunnels (gap-junction connexons) in parallel with one or two similar strands. Thus, two models were used: a 2 × 3 model (two parallel chains of three cells each) and a 3 × 4 model (three parallel chains of four cells each). The entire surface membrane of each cell fired nearly simultaneously, and nearly all the propagation time was spent at the cell junctions, thus giving a staircase-shaped propagation profile. The junctional delay time between contiguous cells in a chain was about 0.20.5 ms. A significant negative cleft potential develops in the narrow junctional clefts, whose magnitude depends on several factors, including the radial cleft resistance (Rjc). The cleft potential (Vjc) depolarizes the postjunctional membrane to threshold by a patch-clamp action. Therefore, ...
Effects of peripheral versus central administration of the endogenous glucocorticoid, corticosterone, and the glucocorticoid receptor agonist, RU 28362, on LH release in male rats

Abstract The current studies evaluated the effects of the synthetic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist, RU 28362, and the endogenous, non-selective receptor ligand, corticosterone (Cort), on pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in male rats. Steroids were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) in animals previously implanted with intracardiac venous catheters, or administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) to other groups of animals. A dose-proportionate decrease in plasma LH was observed following either s.c. or i.c.v. administration of RU 28362; pretreatment with the GR antagonist, RU 38486, blunted the inhibitory impact of RU 28362 on circulating LH. In other experiments, s.c. injection of Cort elicited divergent, dose-dependent patterns of LH release. While the lowest peripheral dose (0.25 mg Cort/kg) promoted a transient elevation in plasma LH, higher doses exerted a progressively greater inhibitory effect on hormone release. The suppressive effects of the highest s.c. dose (2.5 mg Cort/kg) were reversed by pretreatment with the RU 38486, but not by the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU 26752. Plasma LH levels were transiently elevated following i.c.v. administration of graded doses of Cort. The lowest dose (0.1 μg Cort/rat) only facilatated LH release, but higher doses (1.0 and 10.0 μg/animal) elicited a biphasic LH response, which was characterized by an initial elevation, then subsequent reduction in plasma LH below preinjection baseline levels. Prior administration of the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU 26752, attenuated the stimulatory impact of i.c.v. Cort on LH release, while both RU 26752 and RU 38486 reversed the secondary decline in plasma LH. In summary, the present studies provide evidence that GR are inhibitory to LH release and that glucocorticoids may act to diminish LH, in part, through mechanisms initiated within the CNS. Systemic administration of the non-selective ligand, Cort, resulted in divergent, dose-dependent effects on LH release; the inhibitory effects of high doses of this steroid are apparently mediated by GR. In contrast to the bidirectional effects of s.c. Cort, i.c.v. delivery of the glucocorticoid resulted in a transient elevation in plasma LH; attenuation of this increase in hormone release by prior administration of RU 26752 supports the involvement of Cort-preferring mineralocorticoid receptors (CR) in central facilitory actions of Cort. The current results suggest that CR and GR mediate divergent effects of circulating glucocorticoids on LH release, and that the dose-dependent LH response to systemic injections of Cort may reflect specific patterns of occupancy of high affinity CR versus low affinity GR.
Transient Mydriasis with Cholinergic Supersensitivity: Is it related to Adie Tonic Pupil?

We report 3 cases of intermittent mydriasis preceding the demonstration of cholinergic supersensitivity. All 3 patients were women with a history of migrainous headaches, although the headaches were not necessarily associated with the mydriatic episodes. One patient ultimately developed classic Adie pupil. Our cases raise several important questions regarding so-called “benign pupillary dilation of the young” and its relationship with Adie tonic pupil. Our demonstration of probable transient parasympathetic dysfunction suggests that pharmacologic testing with dilute pilocarpine should be considered in patients reporting isolated intermittent mydriasis.
Perspectives Threatened species: university natural science collections in the United States

(2004). Perspectives threatened species: University natural science collections in the United States. Systematics and Biodiversity: Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 285-286.
Functional anthology of intrinsic disorder. 2. Cellular components, domains, technical terms, developmental processes, and coding sequence diversities correlated with long disordered regions.

Biologically active proteins without stable ordered structure (i.e., intrinsically disordered proteins) are attracting increased attention. Functional repertoires of ordered and disordered proteins are very different, and the ability to differentiate whether a given function is associated with intrinsic disorder or with a well-folded protein is crucial for modern protein science. However, there is a large gap between the number of proteins experimentally confirmed to be disordered and their actual number in nature. As a result, studies of functional properties of confirmed disordered proteins, while helpful in revealing the functional diversity of protein disorder, provide only a limited view. To overcome this problem, a bioinformatics approach for comprehensive study of functional roles of protein disorder was proposed in the first paper of this series (Xie H., Vucetic S., Iakoucheva L.M., Oldfield C.J., Dunker A.K., Obradovic Z., Uversky V.N. (2006) Functional anthology of intrinsic disorder. I. Biological processes and functions of proteins with long disordered regions. J. Proteome Res.). Applying this novel approach to Swiss-Prot sequences and functional keywords, we found over 238 and 302 keywords to be strongly positively or negatively correlated, respectively, with long intrinsically disordered regions. This paper describes ~90 Swiss-Prot keywords attributed to the cellular components, domains, technical terms, developmental processes and coding sequence diversities possessing strong positive and negative correlation with long disordered regions.
Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ thin-film evolution during growth - a photoluminescence study

An in-depth understanding of the defect formation and resulting changes in material quality occurring during the Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ growth process is vital to the successful and widespread use of this photovoltaic material. In an attempt to develop such an understanding, we investigated the growth of Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ thin films from (In,Ga)/sub 2/Se/sub 3/ precursors. This was achieved by using energy- and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopies to characterize a series of thin films, each removed at a different point along the reaction pathway of the "three-stage" growth process. The resulting thin films are representative of the absorber layer as it proceeds from a Cu-rich to Cu-poor state. The experimental results support a growth model incorporating changes in the dominant defect states and improvement in the recombination lifetime during this final stage of the growth process as the material transitions to a Cu-poor phase.
Infrared Spectra of Intumescent Chars

The utility of infrared Fourier transform photothermal beam deflection spectroscopy (PBDS) for the examination of intumescent systems was explored. Infrared spectra were recorded of a model system consisting of a mixture of pentaerythritol and (NH4)2HPO4, and of a film of a commercial fire-retardant paint painted on sheet metal, at various stages before, at, and after intumescence. Although the morphology of the materials changes greatly during the thermal decompositions, infrared spectra can be recorded which can provide useful information about the systems and intumescent chars.
Economies of Scope and Multiproduct Clubs

This article addresses the potential optimality of joint provision of multiple public goods when the joint cost function of such goods exhibits economies of scope. On one hand, the joint provision of public goods in multiproduct clubs leads to cost savings under economies of scope. However, there is an efficiency loss from such clubs because consumption group sizes cannot be set individually for each good. The article analyzes these costs and benefits and derives conditions under which multiproduct clubs are desirable.
Microsystem Technologies for Medical Applications

Medical technologies are evolving at a very rapid pace. Portable communication devices and other handheld electronics are influencing our expectations of future medical tools. The advanced medical technologies of our future will not necessarily be large expensive systems. They are just as likely to be small and disposable. This paper reviews how microsystems are already impacting health care as commercial products or in clinical development. Example systems for point-of-care testing (POCT), patient monitoring tools, systemic drug delivery, local drug delivery, and surgical tools are described. These technologies are moving care from hospitals to outpatient settings, physicians' offices, community health centers, nursing homes, and the patients' homes. Microsystems that are rapidly adopted fulfill significant medical needs and are compatible with existing clinical practice.
A Preliminary Study of Career Education in Middle School

Career exploration programs for school students are beneficial to their academic and career development (Smith, 2000). However, almost half of the students who have completed vocation preparation programs said they did not have a career plan or no one helped them develop a plan of study (Southern Regional Education Board, 1998). The majority had not met with a counselor or their parents to plan for their studies. Such lack of counseling may have limited students’ vision of career choices (Hager, Straka & Irwin, 2007). Therefore, career education should begin early (Arrington, 2000). Also, a survey of Oklahoma parents (n = 500) found that a majority of parents (54%) thought schools should begin to teach students about career options and opportunities in middle school compared to 28% in high school and 18% in elementary school (PGI Research, 1998). Almost 40% of the children surveyed started to talk to their parents seriously while they were in middle grades about careers or jobs after high school. This percentage was higher than others in any other range of grades. However, few studies were found addressing career education, including career development programs in middle schools.
Adaptive resource utilization via feedback control for streaming applications

A large emerging class of interactive multimedia streaming applications that are highly parallel can be represented as a coarse-grain, pipelined, data-flow graph. One common characteristic of these applications is their use of current data: a task would obtain the latest data from preceding stages, skipping over older data items if necessary to perform its computation. When parallelized, such applications waste resources because they process and keep data in memory that is eventually dropped from the application pipeline. To overcome this problem, we have designed and implemented an adaptive resource utilization (ARU) mechanism that uses feedback to dynamically adjusts the resources each task running thread utilizes so as to minimize wasted resource use by the entire application. A color-based people tracker application is used to explore the performance benefits of the proposed mechanism. We show that ARU reduces the application's memory footprint by two-thirds compared to our previously published results, while also improving latency and throughput of the application.
Cardiopulmonary baroreflex inhibition of sympathetic nerve activity is preserved with age in healthy humans

1. We tested the hypothesis that the ability of the cardiopulmonary baroreflex to produce sympathoinhibition is reduced with age in humans. Eleven young (23 +/- 1 years, mean +/- s.e.m.) and ten older (64 +/- 1) healthy adult males were studied under supine conditions (control) and in response to cardiopulmonary baroreflex stimulation evoked by acute central circulatory hypervolaemia (10 deg head-down tilt). The two groups were normotensive and free of overt cardiovascular disease. 2. Supine baseline (control) levels of efferent muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) burst frequency were twice as high in the older men (41 +/- 2 vs. 21 +/- 2 bursts min-1, P < 0.05). In both groups in response to head-down tilt arterial blood pressure and heart rate were unchanged, peripheral venous pressure (PVP) increased (P < 0.05), MSNA total activity decreased (P < 0.05), antecubital venous plasma noradrenaline concentrations did not change significantly, and forearm blood flow and vascular conductance increased (vascular resistance decreased) (all P < 0.05). The mean absolute DeltaMSNA/DeltaPVP was similar in the young and older men, although the higher control levels of MSNA in the older men resulted in a smaller percentage DeltaMSNA/DeltaPVP (P < 0.05). Per DeltaPVP, the reduction in forearm vascular resistance was smaller in the older men, but there were no age group differences when expressed as increases in forearm vascular conductance. 3. These results indicate that the ability of the cardiopulmonary baroreflex to inhibit MSNA is well preserved with age in healthy adult humans. As such, these findings are not consistent with the concept that this mechanism plays a role in the age-associated elevation in basal MSNA.
ANA ROCA & M. CECILIA COLOMBI (eds.), Mi lengua: Spanish as a heritage language in the United States

Ana Roca & M. Cecilia Colombi (eds.), Mi lengua: Spanish as a heritage language in the United States . Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. 2003. 320 pp. $29.95. The teaching of Spanish to native speakers has been packaged under diverse names, emerging most recently as “Spanish as a Heritage Language.” Whether it is couched as developmental bilingual education, maintenance bilingual education, Spanish for native speakers, or heritage language development, advocates for programs of academic excellence in two languages have been dealt a stunning blow by recent federal school reform measures. The No Child Left Behind Act, passed in 2001, eliminates, for all intents and purposes, the Bilingual Education Act (Title VII), as programs for English language learners have been subsumed under Title III of NCLB. All reference to bilingual education has been expunged from federal parlance, replaced in both form and substance by English language acquisition programs. The former Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA), the repository of research on minoritized languages in the United States, has been transformed into the Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited-English-Proficient Students. Needless to say, support for native-language instruction is not found in Title III, as English language acquisition takes center stage. Add to this scenario the referenda passed in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts dismantling bilingual education, as well as the anti-immigrant sentiment sweeping the country, and the prospect of fostering Spanish as a heritage language seems dismal indeed.
Endothelial cell NADPH oxidase mediates the cerebral microvascular dysfunction in sickle cell transgenic mice

SPECIFIC AIMSAlthough blood cell-endothelial cell adhesion and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis of sickle cell disease (SCD), the nature of the linkage between these vascular responses in SCD remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to determine whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to enhanced leukocyte and platelet adhesion responses in the microvasculature during SCD and to identify potential enzymatic and cellular sources of these ROS.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. Reduced leukocyte and platelet adhesion in βS/SOD-1TgN chimeric mice, with normal SOD expression by circulating βS blood cells but overexpression of SOD in the vessel wall, strongly implicates endothelial cell-associated superoxide in these adhesion responsesOne objective of this study was to determine whether genetic overexpression of cytosolic (CuZn) superoxide dismutase (SOD) in vascular endothelial cells alters the elevated blood cell adhesion responses noted in a mouse model of SCD. The role of endot...
Introduction to Ramps

Receptor activity modifying proteins (RAMPs) are single transmembrane proteins discovered for their role in the regulation of translocation of certain G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to the plasma membrane. Since its discovery in 1998, several pivotal advances have been made in understanding the function of this family of proteins. This chapter provides a basic introduction to RAMPs as well as details on the various chapters in this book.
Adaptive antenna processor test results

Summary form only given. A two-element adaptive array processor (AAP) was designed, built and tested. The primary purpose of this development was to demonstrate the operational airborne utility and to quantify the amount of jam resistance improvement offered by the AAP when operating in conjunction with a tactical anti-jam (AJ) radio set employing fast frequency hopping. Performance was measured with and without the AAP against three spatially and frequency disjoint jammers in order to quantify the anticipated AJ improvement offered by the array. Using a 10% bit error rate as the performance figure of merit, it was shown that 53% of the azimuths achieved at least 20 dB of improvement over the radio operating alone, while greater than 75% of the azimuths realized greater than 15 dB. >
Food retail buyer behaviour in the People's Republic of China: a grounded theory model

Purpose – Seeks to summarize relevant literature reporting on western research and to use a grounded theory approach to form the model. Also to develop a Chinese retailer new product decision process model. And consider unique aspects of Chinese culture and the ongoing economic transitions.Design/methodology/approach – Foreign producers have little knowledge about the internal operations of China's chain stores. As China's markets open to the world, an understanding of the ways in which retailers and suppliers interact in China – especially the ways in which they make product selection decisions – will be crucial to companies expanding into this area of the world.Findings – Results are presented from in‐depth interviews with retail food buyers in China. Interviews were conducted during 1999‐2000 in Shanghai and Beijing. The interview data are used to develop a model of buyer‐seller relationships that lends itself to a better understanding of the complexities – cultural and market‐related – of retailer‐sup...