cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Role of Ischemia vs. Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure Associated with Acute Obstructive Uropathy

Obstructive uropathy can cause irreversible renal damage. It has been hypothesized that elevated hydrostatic pressure within renal tubules and/or renal ischemia contributes to cellular injury following obstruction. However, these assaults are essentially impossible to isolate in vivo. Therefore, we developed a novel pressure system to evaluate the isolated and coordinated effects of elevated hydrostatic pressure and ischemic insults on renal cells in vitro. Cells were subjected to: (1) elevated hydrostatic pressure (80 cm H2O); (2) ischemic insults (hypoxia (0% O2), hypercapnia (20% CO2), and 0 mM glucose media); and (3) elevated pressure + ischemic insults. Cellular responses including cell density, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and intracellular LDH (LDHi), were recorded after 24 h of insult and following recovery. Data were analyzed to assess the primary effects of ischemic insults and elevated pressure. Unlike pressure, ischemic insults exerted a primary effect on nearly all response measurements. We also evaluated the data for insult interactions and identified significant interactions between ischemic insults and pressure. Altogether, findings indicate that pressure may sub-lethally effect cells and alter cellular metabolism (LDHi) and membrane properties. Results suggest that renal ischemia may be the primary, but not the sole, cause of cellular injury induced by obstructive uropathy.
Sequence stratigraphy, structural style, and age of deformation of the Malaita accretionary prism (Solomon arc–Ontong Java Plateau convergent zone)

Possibilities for the fate of oceanic plateaus at subduction zones range from complete subduction of the plateau beneath the arc to complete plateau–arc accretion and resulting collisional orogenesis. Deep penetration, multi-channel seismic reflection (MCS) data from the northern flank of the Solomon Islands reveal the sequence stratigraphy, structural style, and age of deformation of an accretionary prism formed during late Neogene (5–0 Ma) convergence between the 33-km-thick crust of the Ontong Java oceanic plateau and the 15-km-thick Solomon island arc. Correlation of MCS data with the satellite-derived, free-air gravity field defines the tectonic boundaries and internal structure of the 800-km-long, 140-km-wide accretionary prism. We name this prism the “Malaita accretionary prism” or “MAP” after Malaita, the largest and best-studied island exposure of the accretionary prism in the Solomon Islands. MCS data, gravity data, and stratigraphic correlations to islands and ODP sites on the Ontong Java Plateau (OJP) reveal that the offshore MAP is composed of folded and thrust faulted sedimentary rocks and upper crystalline crust offscraped from the Solomon the subducting Ontong Java Plateau (Pacific plate) and transferred to the Solomon arc. With the exception of an upper, sequence of Quaternary? island-derived terrigenous sediments, the deformed stratigraphy of the MAP is identical to that of the incoming Ontong Java Plateau in the North Solomon trench.
Reflection–absorption-based near infrared spectroscopy for predicting water content in bio-oil

Abstract A novel fiber-optic NIR system based on reflection–absorption phenomenon for predicting water content in bio-oil was developed. System successfully overcomes from the sampling limitations posed by dark and sticky nature of bio-oil. Spectral information in near infrared region (900–2100 nm) was obtained for bio-oils with varied levels of water content. The feasibility of designing an NIR system for estimating the water content in bio-oil was tested by applying multivariate analysis to the spectral data. Two important techniques of multivariate data analysis, principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS) were independently applied to experimental results to construct theoretical models. The calibration results demonstrated that spectral information can successfully predict the bio-oil water content (from 16% to 36%) with less than 2% of error and with a high coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.85). The reliability of a fiber-optic NIR system for predicting the bio-oil water content indicates that there is potential for utilization of NIR spectroscopy in monitoring bio-oil quality during production.
Adsorbate effects on glycothermally produced α-alumina particle morphology

Abstract α-Alumina particles were precipitated in 1,4-butanediol at constant temperature and stirring rate for 36 h. Adsorbates were added to determine their effect on particle morphology and nucleation. Degradation of the solvent was characterized and evaluated for morphological effect. The addition of hydroxyl ions promoted the formation of plate-like morphologies by increasing the growth rates perpendicular to the basal plane. Acetic acid demonstrated preferential adsorption to the {1 1 2 2} habit plane without affecting nucleation kinetics. Strong adsorption by pyridine stabilized a plate-like morphology, but affected nucleation kinetics to inhibit the formation of a monosized powder. The effect of solvent degradation products and water upon morphological development is unresolved.
Drugs and the single woman: pharmacy, fashion, desire, and destitution in India.

A cultural imaginary identified as “fashion” links single women with problems of desire in contemporary India, setting the stakes not only for independent living, but also for the ways distresses may be read and treated. From celebrity cases to films to clinical practices oriented around pharmaceuticals, the mechanisms of this imaginary locate female personhood at a series of critical junctures or “hinges,” from pharmaceuticals to drugs of vice, from desire to expressions of disorder, and from singularity or independence to destitution. In each of these turns, as psychiatrists read female bodies for signs of affliction and media portray counter trajectories of aspiration and downfall, certain realities are shielded from consideration, including sexual violence in intimate settings.
Early non-invasive detection of fetal Y chromosome sequences in maternal plasma using multiplex PCR

Abstract Objective Clinical indications for fetal sex determination include risk of X-linked disorders, a family history of conditions associated with ambiguous development of the external genitalia, and some fetal ultrasound findings. It is usually performed in the first trimester from fetal material obtained through CVS and is associated with an approximately 1% risk of miscarriage. Ultrasound fetal sex determination is often performed after 11 weeks of gestation. This study aims to validate a reliable method for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of fetal gender using maternal plasma cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) for fetal sex assessment in the first trimester of pregnancy and test its clinical utility in the diagnosis of potentially affected pregnancies in carriers of X-linked disorders. Study design In the validation study, blood samples from 100 pregnant women at 6–11 weeks of gestation were analysed. In the clinical study, 17 pregnancies at risk of having an affected fetus were tested. 7ml of maternal blood in EDTA were obtained and cffDNA was extracted using a commercially available kit. DNA was enzymatically digested using a methylation sensitive endonuclease ( Aci I) to remove maternal unmethylated sequences of the RASSF1A gene. A multiplex PCR was performed for the simultaneous amplification of target sequences of SRY and DYS14 from chromosome Y, along with RASSF1A and ACTB sequences. Amplification of these loci indicates fetal gender, confirms the presence of cffDNA and allows assessment of digestion efficiency. Results After establishing the appropriate experimental conditions, validation studies were successful in all 100 cases tested with no false negative or false positive results. Y chromosome-specific sequences were detected in 68 samples, and 32 cases were diagnosed as female based on the amplification of RASFF1A sequences only, in the absence of ACTB . In the clinical studies, fetal sex was correctly diagnosed in 16 pregnancies, and one case was reported as inconclusive. Conclusions Fetal sex assessment by detecting Y chromosome sequences in maternal blood can be routinely used from the 6th week of gestation. Reliable fetal sex determination from maternal blood in the 1st trimester of gestation can avoid conventional invasive methods of prenatal diagnosis.
Persistent treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine slows clinical progression of Alzheimer disease.

Introduction There are no empiric data to support guidelines for duration of therapy with antidementia drugs. This study examined whether persistent use of antidementia drugs slows clinical progression of Alzheimer disease (AD) assessed by repeated measures on serial tests of cognition and function.
Evidence for Notch-mediated lateral inhibition in organizing butterfly wing scales

Here I present gene expression data that implicate a Notch-mediated lateral inhibition process in the spatial organization of butterfly wing scales. During early pupal development the receptor molecule Notch is expressed in a grid-like pattern in the wing epithelium, resulting in parallel rows of uniformly spaced cells with low Notch expression. Previous work has shown that these low-Notch cells express a homolog of the achaete-scute proneural transcription factors and develop into scales. All of these observations are consistent with the Drosophila model of Notch-mediated bristle determination and support the hypothesis that bristles and scales share an underlying patterning mechanism.
Congenital aortopulmonary septal defect. Clinical and hemodynamic findings, surgical technic, and results of operative correction.

The clinical, hemodynamic, and angiographic findings in six patients with aortopulmonary septal defect are described. A basal systolic murmur was present in each of the patients and in none was a continuous murmur audible or recordable. Five of the patients had experienced diminished cardiac reserve and at right heart catheterization a large left-to-right shunt and severe pulmonary hypertension were found. In the sixth patient the predominant circulatory shunt was right-to-left. The diagnosis was established preoperatively in all patients with the aid of indicator-dilution curves, injections of Kr85 and selective angiography. The defect was successfully divided and closed at open operation in the five patients with predominant left-to-right shunts. Two of them were operated upon with the aid of general hypothermia and three with cardiopulmonary bypass. Postoperatively all patients have been improved and the pulmonary artery pressure has fallen markedly. The clinical picture, hemodynamic findings, and surg...
Protein engineering of toluene-o-xylene monooxygenase from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1 for oxidizing nitrobenzene to 3-nitrocatechol, 4-nitrocatechol, and nitrohydroquinone

Toluene-o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1 was found to oxidize nitrobenzene (NB) to form m-nitrophenol (m-NP, 72%) and p-NP (28%) with an initial rate of 0.098 and 0.031 nmol/(min mg protein), respectively. It was also discovered that wild-type ToMO forms 4-nitrocatechol (4-NC) from m-NP and p-NP with an initial rate of 0.15 and 0.0082 nmol/(min mg protein), respectively, and 3-NC (12%) and nitrohydroquinone (NHQ, 88%) from o-NP with an initial rate of 0.11 and 0.8 nmol/(min mg protein), respectively. To increase the oxidation rate and alter the oxidation regiospecificity of nitro aromatics as well as to study the role of the active site residues I100, Q141, T201, and F205 of the alpha hydroxylase fragment of ToMO (TouA), DNA shuffling and saturation mutagenesis were used to generate random mutants. The mutants were initially identified by screening via a rapid agar plate assay and then were further examined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). Several mutants with higher rates of activities and with different regiospecificities were identified; for example, Escherichia coli TG1 cells expressing either TouA mutant M180T/E284G or E214G/D312N/M399V produce 4-NC 4.5- and 20-fold faster than wild-type ToMO (0.037 and 0.16 nmol/min mg protein from p-NP, respectively). TouA mutant A107T/E214A had the regiospecificity of NB changed significantly from 28% to 79% p-NP. From 200 microM NB, TouA variants A101T/M114T, A110T/E392D, M180T/E284G, and E214G/D312N/M399V produce 4-NC whereas wild-type ToMO does not. From m-NP, TouA mutant I100Q produces 4-NC (37%) and NHQ (63%), whereas wild-type ToMO produces only 4-NC (100%). Variant A107T/E214A acts like a para enzyme and forms p-cresol as the major product (93%) from toluene with enhanced activity (2.3-fold), whereas wild-type ToMO forms 32%, 21%, and 47% of o-, m-, and p-cresol, respectively. Hence, the non-specific ToMO was converted into a regiospecific enzyme, which rivals toluene 4-monooxygenase of P. mendocina KR1 and toluene o-monooxygenase of Burkholderia cepacia G4 in its specificity.
Speech timing of grammatical categories

Abstract A series of experiments was performed to determine how the duration of a word spoken in a sentence is influenced by: (1) the grammatical category to which it belongs, and (2) the position of the word in a constituent. Experiment I contained Noun-Verb homophones (e.g. “I saw the coach…” — noun; “I saw him coach…” — verb), in sentences matched for phonetic environment and stress pattern. Results support the notion that Nouns are longer than Verbs in typical sentences. Experiment II, however, demonstrated that the duration of Noun-Verb homophones in matched clause-final position is approximately equal. Experiment III contained transitive and intransitive Verbs in matched sentences. The results of Experiments II and III provided support for a lengthening account based on constituent-final position, while ruling out an account based on a debatable deletion site. Results of Experiment IV generalized the account of constituent-final lengthening for Nouns and Verbs to additional major categories, by comparing the duration of the phrase-initial Adjective two with the phrase-final Adverb too. Finally, Experiment V tested the distinction between minor and major categories. Results demonstrated that the Preposition to is shorter than the Adjective two by approximately 50 percent. Taken in sum, these findings indicate that it is sufficient to make a binary distinction between major and minor categories for purposes of a theory of speech timing and speech synthesis. Durational effects traditionally ascribed to differences within the class of major categories can be accounted for solely in terms of constituent boundaries, already required in the theory to account for three other classes of phenomena.
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus as a Vector To Deliver Virus-Like Particles of Human Norovirus: a New Vaccine Candidate against an Important Noncultivable Virus

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is a major causative agent of food-borne gastroenteritis worldwide. Currently, there are no vaccines or effective therapeutic interventions for this virus. Development of an attenuated vaccine for HuNoV has been hampered by the inability to grow the virus in cell culture. Thus, a vector-based vaccine may be ideal. In this study, we constructed a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV-VP1) expressing VP1, the major capsid protein of HuNoV. Expression of the capsid protein by VSV resulted in the formation of HuNoV virus-like particles (VLPs) that are morphologically and antigenically similar to native virions. Recombinant rVSV-VP1 was attenuated in cultured mammalian cells as well as in mice. Mice inoculated with a single dose of rVSV-VP1 through intranasal and oral routes stimulated a significantly stronger humoral and cellular immune response than baculovirus-expressed VLP vaccination. Moreover, we demonstrated that mice inoculated with rVSV-VP1 triggered a comparable level of fecal and vaginal IgA antibody. Taken together, the VSV recombinant system not only provides a new approach to generate HuNoV VLPs in vitro but also a new avenue for the development of vectored vaccines against norovirus and other noncultivable viruses.
Peer Rejection in Childhood: Effects on Maternal Depression and Behavior Problems in Toddlers

The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual model that would clarify how a woman's recollections of peer and parent rejection in childhood influence her emotional well-being and, resultantly, her own child's behavior problems. Given current interest in peer versus parent influences, the authors used a design and analysis to reveal the unique contributions of peer and parent rejection. The participants were a community sample of 88 mothers and their 2 1/2-year-old children. The study found that mothers' recollections of peer rejection in childhood were significantly associated with depressive symptomatology, but recollections of parental rejection in childhood were unrelated to current depressive symptoms. Recollections of peer rejection during childhood, internal representation of self, and depressive symptoms made significant, unique contributions to the variance in behavior problems in their children. Together, these variables significantly explained 27% of the variance in the final model.
Management of Early Leaf Spot of Peanut with Pyraclostrobin as Affected by Rate and Spray Interval

Abstract Field tests were conducted in Tifton, Georgia, in 1998 to 2000 and in Plains, Georgia, in 1999 and 2000 to determine the efficacy of pyraclostrobin on early leaf spot (Cercospora arachidic...
Can't we all just get along? Tension mounts between publishers and librarians

Purpose – This article aims to describe legal and political maneuvers that have occurred recently between librarians and publishers.Design/methodology/approach – The article focuses on three events: two concerning actual and threatened legal action from publishers against librarians; another involving the resignation of librarians from an editorial board over a dispute with the journal's publisher.Findings – The article exposes a growing tension between librarians and publishers in areas regarding free speech and copyright.Originality/value – The article provides succinct overviews of these related events.
What does business and industry expect from computer science graduates today

In developing a curriculum that produces graduates that are readily accepted in today's business and industry the question arises, “What courses in a student's background are most vital?” To address this question a questionnaire was constructed and sent to 500 businesses and industries in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and Florida. This short paper reports the rather startling findings of this survey.
Electronic Band Structure Calculations of theMNX(M=Zr, Ti;X=Cl, Br, I) System and Its Superconducting Member, Li-Dopedβ-ZrNCl

Electronic band structure calculations have been performed for {beta}-ZnNCl, {beta}ZnNBr, {alpha}-ZrNBr, {alpha}-ZrNI, and {alpha}-TiNX (X = Cl, Br, I) using the extended Hueckel method. These calculations reveal that n-doped {beta}-ZrNCl has a single narrow band at the Fermi level which is stabilized by overlap of 4dz{sup 2} orbitals on zirconium with respect to the remainder of the conduction band states. This band shows only a small degree of dispersion and can essentially be described as a localized Zr-Zr bond when the carrier concentrations are low. The calculated band structure is consistent with the experimental observations of activated carrier transport, and an indirect optical band gap in {beta}-ZrNCl and {beta}ZrNBr. A simple picture is presented which describes a mechanism for strong electron-phonon coupling in the {beta}-ZrNX structure, suggesting that {beta}-Li{sub x}ZrNCl is a classical BCS superconductor. This localized 4dz{sup 2} band at the Fermi level is absent in the electronic band structures of {alpha}-ZrNX and {alpha}-TiNX compounds. The dispersion relations for these compounds show a direct optical band gap, as observed experimentally. The absence of significant metal-metal bonding in {alpha}-MNX compounds implies that n-doping will be more difficult to achieve in compounds adopting this structure. The relative stability of {alpha}- andmore » {beta}-polymorphs is also discussed.« less
The HLA class II genes and products: the HLA-D region

Abstract In the late 1960s it became clear that certain anomalous proliferative responses in mixed leukocyte cultures (MLC) 1,2 involving cells identical for the HLA A, B and C antigens were a result of disparity for what is now referred to as the HLAD-region 3–5 . Later came thefirst evidence that products of the HLA-D region could be defined serologically 6 and a distinction emerged between epitopes recognized on D region products by antibodies (Ia) and those recognized by T lymphocytes (LD). HLA-A, Band C antigens are now known as class I MHC products and D antigens as class II products. Today our understanding of the D region is based not only on serological and T-lymphocyte responses to class II products but also on protein and DNA studies. Here Fritz Bach summarizes this understanding, with emphasis on the T-lymphocyte defined LD system.
RACE, SOVEREIGNTY, AND CIVIL RIGHTS: Understanding the Cherokee Freedmen Controversy

Despite a treaty in 1866 between the Cherokee Nation and the federal government granting them full tribal citizenship, Cherokee Freedmen—the descendants of African American slaves to the Cherokee, as well as of children born from unions between African Americans and Cherokee tribal members—continue to be one of the most marginalized communities within Indian Country. Any time Freedmen have sought the full rights and benefits given other Cherokee citizens, they have encountered intense opposition, including a 2007 vote that effectively ousted them from the tribe. The debates surrounding this recent decision provide an excellent case study for exploring the intersections of race and sovereignty. In this article, I use the most recent Cherokee Freedmen controversy to examine how racial discourse both empowers and diminishes tribal sovereignty, and what happens in settler-colonial contexts when the exercise of tribal rights comes into conflict with civil rights. I also explore how settler colonialism as an analytic can obscure the racialized power dynamics that undermine Freedmen claims to an indigenous identity and tribal citizenship.
A study on conflicts during an interdisciplinary capstone design experience

When teams are formed there is often conflict that arises. However, not all conflict is detrimental to the final deliverables of the team. Conversely, extreme presence of conflict or the wrong type of conflict is counterproductive. We studied two types of new teams. One type of new team was composed solely of students majoring in engineering, while the second type was composed of students majoring in engineering and students majoring in management. Models were fit with a superset of variables to determine the causes of task, relational, and process conflict. Our overarching goal is to understand the factors which each of the student groups perceive to cause conflict such that we can tailor our instruction toward helping the two different groups to work together as a successful project team. Among the findings are that the variables influencing the types of conflict between the two types of students are distinct.
Hybrid modes on anisotropic dielectric rods

The boundary value problem for wave propagation on a cylindrical anisotropic rod has been solved for hybrid modes, i.e., those having angular dependence. Solutions for the rod radius, normalized by the free space wavelength, as a function of the phase velocity, are presented for various values of the transverse and longitudinal dielectric constants. When the rod is terminated by conducting end plates, a high Q microwave resonator results. The electric and magnetic energies stored in the rod have been calculated, as has the cavity Q . Experimental resonant frequencies for various modes in an X -band cavity using a ruby laser rod are compared with theory.
Erythromycin enhances gastric emptying in patients with gastroparesis after vagotomy and antrectomy

We studied the effect of erythromycin on gastric emptying in nine patients with gastroparesis following truncal vagotomy and antrectomy, and assessed their clinical response to chronic oral erythromycin. Gastric emptying was evaluated using a solid-phase radio-labeled meal. Patients were studied after erythromycin 200 mg intravenously (N = 9) and after an oral suspension of erythromycin 200 mg (N = 7) each given 15 min after ingestion of the meal. Three parameters of gastric emptying were analyzed: half-emptying time (T1/2), area under the curve, and percent gastric residual at 2 hr. Nine patients were subsequently placed on oral suspension erythromycin 150 mg three times a day before meals (range 125-250 mg three times a day) and symptoms of nausea, vomiting, postprandial fullness, and abdominal pain were assessed before and after erythromycin. Intravenous erythromycin markedly accelerated the gastric emptying (all three parameters studied) of solids (P < 0.01) in seven of nine patients with postsurgical gastroparesis [baseline T1/2 154 +/- 15 min; after intravenous erythromycin, T1/2 56 +/- 17 min (mean +/- SEM)]. Oral erythromycin enhanced (P < 0.05) the gastric emptying rate (T1/2, area under the curve) in five of seven patients (baseline T1/2 146 +/- 16 min; after oral erythromycin, T1/2 87 +/- 20 min). Of the nine patients who were placed on oral maintenance erythromycin, three showed clinical improvement after two weeks. In summary, erythromycin significantly enhances gastric emptying in many patients with vagotomy and antrectomy-induced gastroparesis; however, only a small subset of patients respond clinically to chronic oral erythromycin.
Infrared /JHK/ photometry of meteorites and asteroids

The paper reports JHK colors observed for ten asteroids and synthesized JHK colors for seven meteorite groups, samples of iron and nickel metal, pyroxene, olivine, feldspar, a lunar anorthite and some terrestrial mineral samples. Pronounced differences are apparent between the chondritic and achondritic meteorite classes; the chondritic classes show less subdued trends in J-H color which reflect their metamorphic grade. We find small but significant differences between the JHK colors of the predominant C and S classes of asteroids. All JHK colors of asteroids observed here fall within the limited domain defined by the various chondritic and iron-rich meteorites but are strikingly different from those of most achondritic meteorites.
The Origins of Gene Instability in Yeast

Two unstable mutations at the his4 locus of yeast are due to the insertion of the transposable elements Ty912 and Ty917 into the his4 regulatory region. The two transposons are related, one being derived from the other by a substitution of 4000 base pairs of DNA. Element Ty912 includes identical terminal repeats, whereas the terminal repeats of Ty917 are not identical. Transposition of Ty912 or Ty917 generates 5-base-pair duplications of the target DNA at either end of the element. Expression and reversion of a his4 gene containing Ty912 or Ty917 is controlled by three unlinked regulatory genes. The properties of these regulatory genes are similar to those described for the controlling elements in maize.
Financial and stock market variables as predictors of management buyouts

This paper investigates whether publicly held firms which change to private ownership through management buyouts (ex-public firms) possess characteristics prior to the change which differentiate them from firms which remain publicly owned. The financial characteristics of ex-public firms for the year immediately prior to going private were analyzed. A multivariate framework was developed to determine which attributes best distinguished firms going private via management buyouts from similar firms not going private. A discriminant function was developed using seven ratios: (1) concentration of ownership, (2) cash flow to net worth, (3) cash flow to total assets, (4) price/earnings ratio, (5) price/book value ratio, (6) book value of depreciable assets in relation to original costs, and (7) dividend yield. The model demonstrated a classification accuracy of 77.8 percent for the original sample and 81.4 percent in a hold-out sample validation. These findings imply that financial characteristics alone provide a means by which firms going private via management buyouts can be separated from others. Therefore one can argue that, regardless of the stated motive for going private, financial characteristics either are explicit decision variables or directly reflect non-financial reasons for management buyouts.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: Diagnosis, pathophysiology, treatment, and future perspectives

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare life-threatening disease in which the immune system becomes overactive due to its inability to effectively respond to infections and/or shut down the immune response to such infections. The discovery of genetic defects in the secretory pathway of natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T cells in some patients with this disease has raised important questions of the role of cytotoxic cells in the control of infections and in immune regulation. This review will give a brief overview of the clinical presentation and accepted treatment of HLH. Furthermore, it will give an in-depth review into the known genetic defects and current knowledge of the pathophysiology of this disorder, and will highlight recent evidence suggesting that cytotoxic defects in CD4+ T regulatory cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of HLH.
Temporal effects of environmental enrichment-mediated functional improvement after experimental traumatic brain injury in rats.

Background. Environmental enrichment (EE) enhances motor and cognitive performance after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, whether the EE-mediated benefits are time dependent and task specific is unclear. A preliminary study, in which only half of the possible temporal manipulations were evaluated, revealed that the beneficial effects of enrichment were only observed when provided concurrently with specific training (ie, motor or cognitive), suggesting task-specific dependence. Objective. To further assess the effects of time of initiation and duration of EE on neurobehavioral recovery after TBI by evaluating and directly comparing all the temporal permutations. Methods. Anesthetized adult male rats received either a cortical impact or sham injury and were then randomly assigned to 8 groups receiving continuous or early and delayed EE with either 1 or 2 weeks of exposure. Functional outcome was assessed with established motor (beam-balance/walk) and cognitive (Morris water maze) tests on postinjury d...
Severity of episcleritis and systemic disease association

Abstract Objective To analyze patient characteristics and correlate between the site and severity of the inflammation and ocular and/or systemic disease association in a cohort of patients with episcleritis. Design Retrospective case series. Methods Medical records of 100 patients with episcleritis were reviewed. Data were analyzed using a customized database software. Results The age range at presentation was 18 to 76 years (mean, 43; median, 44). Sixty-nine percent of the patients were female. Thirty-two (32%) patients had bilateral involvement. The episcleritis was nodular in 23 eyes (16%). Half of the patients had a concurrent eye disease. Associated systemic disease was found in 36 patients (36%). In two patients, episcleritis preceded a systemic vasculitic disease (Wegener granulomatosis and Cogan syndrome). Ocular complications included uveitis (11.4%), corneal involvement (15%), and glaucoma (7.8%). No significant correlation of the site and severity of inflammation to the presence of associated systemic or ocular diseases was found. The mean follow-up was 16.5 months. Twenty-eight patients experienced recurrence of episcleritis during the follow-up. Half of the patients required treatment with oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Conclusions Episcleritis is usually a benign, self-limited disease, but it should not be trivialized since it may be associated with systemic disease and ocular complications. A careful review of systems should be performed in all patients presenting with episcleritis, and this should be repeated at least annually during the follow-up. A thorough eye examination is obviously essential to detect and treat ocular complications.
Veteran status and paid sex among American men: results from three national surveys.

Surprisingly little population-based, social scientific research directly examines the association between veteran status and ever paying for sex although there are theoretical reasons to expect that such an association might emerge across the life course. In this article, we examined the relationship between veteran status and ever paying for sex among American men who turned 18 years old between 1922 and 2010 using data from three independent national samples: Wave 1 of the 2005–2006 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP); the 1992 National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS); and pooled data from the 1991, 1993, 1994, and 2010 General Social Survey (GSS). In all three datasets, we found that veterans were significantly more likely than non-veterans to report ever having paid for sex: rates across the three sub-studies ranged from 10.86 to 14.57 % among non-veterans and from 25.27 to 33.92 % among veterans. In multivariate models that controlled for demographic and early-life factors to the extent possible with available data, the odds of ever paying for sex were estimated to be 2.25–3.10 times higher among veterans than among non-veterans. In a supplemental analysis using data from the GSS, we found that longer duration of service was associated with an increased odds of ever paying for sex. While these results do not demonstrate a causal relationship between serving in the military and ever paying for sex, the strength and consistency of the findings provide compelling evidence of an association that is worthy of further theorizing and empirical investigation. There is considerable room for advancing knowledge related to the influence of military service on the initiation, maintenance, frequency, and timing of paid sexual relationships in relation to other life events.
Nyström-Clenshaw-Curtis quadrature for integral equations with discontinuous kernels

A new highly accurate numerical approximation scheme based on a Gauss type Clenshaw-Curtis quadrature for Fredholm integral equations of the second kind x(t) + ∫ab k(t, s)x(s)ds = y(t), whose kernel k(t,s) is either discontinuous or not smooth along the main diagonal, is presented. This scheme is of spectral accuracy when k(t,s) is infinitely differentiable away from the diagonal t = s. Relation to the singular value decomposition is indicated. Application to integro-differential Schrodinger equations with nonlocal potentials is given.
WE-D-332-06: Validation of CT Dose-Reduction Simulation

Purpose: To develop and validate a CTdose reduction simulation model. Method and Materials: A noise model was developed incorporating the mechanisms of stochastic noise in energy‐integrating x‐ray detectors, tube current modulation, bowtie beam filtering, and electronic system noise by adding synthetic noise to projection data (sinogram).Experiments were performed to determine the parameters required for the noise model, and the effects of various components were studied. Various scans were performed on an empty gantry, cylinder phantom, cadaver head, and a skull (an asymmetric object) at varyious flux levels. Seventeen clinical scans from three different centers were included. As a validation, the outputs of the simulations were compared to actual measurements in both the sinogram and image domain. Four‐alternative forced‐choice (4AFC) observer studies were performed to confirm the realistic appearance of simulated images. Tests were conducted to establish the “just noticeable difference (JND)” in noise levels, and the sensitivities of observers to changes in noise levels were determined. Results: The gaussian random noise generator was found to be appropriate for simulations. Measurements demonstrated a match of the noise variance to within 5% in the sinogram domain, which propagates into the image domain. The 4AFC observer studies indicated that the simulated imagery was realistic, with no detectable difference between simulated and original imagery (25%±7.9%). The JND studies indicated that observers reliably detected noise‐levels differences corresponding to 20–30% changes in tube current, implying that accuracies in simulation on the order of ∼9% would result in images that could not be reliably differentiated from original images.Conclusion: The dose‐reduction simulation tool demonstrated excellent image fidelity. The methodology promises to be a useful tool for radiologists to explore dose reduction protocols in efforts to produce diagnostic images with radiation dose “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA).
Subchronic toxicity of fumonisin B1 to male and female rats.

Fumonisins are a class of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme and other Fusarium spp. These compounds are widely distributed in corn. Equine leukoencephalomalacia, pulmonary oedema in swine, and nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and liver cancer in male rats, all of which are caused by toxic F. moniliforme have been experimentally reproduced using fumisin B1 (FB1) (ca 90–94% purity). To investigate the effect of purified ( ≥ 99% purity) FB1, to compare the effects of FB1 in males and females, and to obtain dose‐response information for FB1, three rats per sex were fed diets containing 0, 15, 50 or 150 FB1 for 4 weeks. Serum chemical, organ weight and histopathological evidence showed that 150 mg/kg FB1 was hepatotoxic in both sexes. Nephrosis was found in males fed ≥ 15 mg/kg and females fed ≥ 50 mg/kg FB1. Altered sphingolipid profiles, specifically increased free sphinganine concentrations and increased sphinganine: sphingosine ratios, were found in the liver, kidney, serum and urine of FB1‐fed rat...
Idiopathic generalized tonic-clonic seizures limited to exercise in a young adult.

Abstract Loss of consciousness limited to exercise should suggest a cardiovascular etiology even when clonic activity is reported. Infrequently, epilepsy patients report a preponderance of their seizures related to exertion. In these patients, seizures also occur independent of exercise. This is a report of a normal young adult woman with episodes of loss of consciousness limited to exercise. During cardiac stress testing with simultaneous electroencephalography, she developed generalized paroxysms of epileptiform discharges preceding a generalized tonic–clonic seizure. This case demonstrates the utility of simultaneous cardiac stress testing with electroencephalography in confirming exercise-related seizures and distinguishing epilepsy from syncope.
Evaluating the probability of a good selection

We present a two-stage experiment design for use in simulation experiments that compare systems in terms of their expected (long-run average) performance. This procedure simultaneously achieves the following with a prespecified probability of being correct: (a) find the best system or a near best system; (b) identify a subset of systems that are more than a practically insignificant difference from the best; and (c) provide a lower bound on the probability that the best or near best system has actually been selected. The procedure assumes normally distributed data, but allows unequal variances.
The stability and sensitivity of measures of thought, perception and emotional arousal

The paper presents evidence concerning the stability and sensitivity of three classes of behavioral measures: a) word association quality, b) perceptual coping style, and c) skin resistance level and reactivity across a 21-day interval. Acute schizophrenic males were administered these measures 7 and 28 days following admission to a State hospital. Half of the patients were assigned to active phenothiazine medication at 7 days and half continued on placebo.
Energetics of the Nanocrystalline Titanium Dioxide/Aqueous Solution Interface: Approximate Conduction Band Edge Variations between H0 = −10 and H- = +26

A reflectance method has been used to assess conduction band edge energies (Ecb) for nanocrystalline TiO2(anatase) electrodes in contact with aqueous electrolytes. The measurements, which were made over a range of nearly 40 pH units, reveal a Nernstian dependence of Ecb upon pH over most of this range, i.e., a −64 mV shift per unit decrease in log(proton activity) between H0 = −8 and H- = +23. Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) measurements have established that charge compensating proton uptake occurs at potentials negative of Ecb. Uptake occurs over the entire EQCM-accessible pH range (H0 = −5 to pH = +11). The combined findings are inconsistent with Ecb control solely via surface protonation and deprotonation reactions, whose pKa's occur in the vicinity of pH 4 and 10. They are consistent, however, with a mechanism whereby: (a) electrochemical generation of Ti(III) trap sites, in the log(proton activity) range from H0 = −8 to H- = +23, is accompanied quantitatively by proton intercalat...
Quantum microcanonical entropy of a pair of observables

The quantum analogue of the classical theory of the joint microcanonical entropy of a pair of observables is investigated for a system of a large number of identical non-interacting subsystems. It is shown that the quantum joint entropy coincides with the classical joint entropy of an appropriately chosen auxiliary classical system, and known results for classical systems are applied to prove the equivalence of the quantum microcanonical and quantum canonical ensembles.
Relative abuse liability of lorazepam and diazepam: an evaluation in 'recreational' drug users.

Abstract The subjective, psychomotor and cognitive effects of oral doses of lorazepam (0, 1.5, 3 and 6 mg) and diazepam (0, 10, 20 and 40 mg) were studied under double-blind conditions in 14 volunteers with histories of ‘recreational’ benzodiazepine use/abuse. For each subject, drug was administered over 4 test days in a 2 (drug) by 4 (dose level) mixed design. Drug was the between-groups factor while dose was the within-subjects factor. Test days were separated by at least 1 week. The results showed that subjective ratings of drug ‘liking’ and the psychomotor and cognitive effects of lorazepam were generally similar to those of diazepam over the range of doses studied. Lorazepam, however, tended to produce effects of longer duration than diazepam. Since previous studies have shown that diazepam has a relatively high abuse liability among the benzodiazepines, the present findings suggest that lorazepam shares this property with diazepam is subjects with a history of ‘recreational’ drug use/ abuse.
Abstract IA21: Changing chasses and inventing elements: Developing a combined systems biology and engineering approach to designing complex function in cells

To meet the goal of creating reliable, predictable, efficient, and transparent methods to harness cellular capabilities for human benefit, it is necessary both to have standard libraries of elements from which useful pathways can be constructed and an understanding of the how host physiology and the environment impacts the functioning of these heterologous circuits. We show how variations in cellular and environmental context affect the operation of the basic central dogma functions underlying gene expression. Then we describe progress on creating a complete, scalable, and relatively homogeneous and designable sets of part families that can control central dogma function predictably in the face of varying configurations, genetic contexts, and environments. We show the challenges that arise in attempting this in applications such as a tumor destroying bacteria. Citation Format: Adam P. Arkin. Changing chasses and inventing elements: Developing a combined systems biology and engineering approach to designing complex function in cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chemical Systems Biology: Assembling and Interrogating Computational Models of the Cancer Cell by Chemical Perturbations; 2012 Jun 27-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(13 Suppl):Abstract nr IA21.
Measurement Methods to Determine Compliance with Ambient Air Quality Standards for Suspended Particles

One of the most important parts of formulating a National Ambient Air Quality Standard is specifying the measurement methods for determining and attaining compliance. The samples taken for compliance are often pushed beyond their original purpose to identify sources, to evaluate the effectiveness of controls, and to determine relationships between pollution levels and public health. A full understanding of available sampling and analysis methods is needed, as well as an analysis of their costs, before acceptable monitoring approached can be specified. This review identifies issues related to measurement methods used to determine compliance with standards, describes current and future measurement methods and their limitations, and determines the extent to which existing technology can meet short-term and long-term needs for measuring compliance.
Francisella virulence: significant advances, ongoing challenges and unmet needs

Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, is an organism of concern as a potential biowarfare agent. Progress towards understanding the molecular basis of pathogenicity has been hampered by a lack of tools with which to manipulate the pathogen. However, the availability of genome sequence data for a range of strains and the development of a range of plasmids and mutagenesis protocols for use in Francisella has resulted in a huge advance in understanding. No licensed vaccine is yet available. Various approaches towards a new vaccine are being evaluated, but novel adjuvants and delivery systems are needed to induce the complex response required for immunity. Better animal models to more accurately represent human responses to infection are also required.
New adaptive designs for delayed response models

Abstract Adaptive designs are effective mechanisms for flexibly allocating experimental resources. In clinical trials particularly, such designs allow researchers to balance short- and long-term goals. Unfortunately, fully sequential strategies require outcomes from all previous allocations prior to the next allocation. This can prolong an experiment unduly. As a result, we seek designs for models that specifically incorporate delays. We utilize a delay model in which patients arrive according to a Poisson process and their response times are exponential. We examine three designs with an eye towards minimizing patient losses: a delayed two-armed bandit rule which is optimal for the model and objective of interest; a newly proposed hyperopic rule; and a randomized play-the-winner rule. The results show that, except when the delay rate is several orders of magnitude different than the patient arrival rate, the delayed response bandit is nearly as efficient as the immediate response bandit. The delayed hyperopic design also performs extremely well throughout the range of delays, despite the fact that the rate of delay is not one of its design parameters. The delayed randomized play-the-winner rule is far less efficient than either of the other methods.