cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secretory Immunity in the Female Reproductive Tract

PROBLEM: Antibodies and antibody-producing cells display a different and characteristic distribution in body fluids and tissues. METHOD: We have investigated the tissues of the female reproductive tract to determine whether the distribution of immunoglobulin-producing cells and the contents of cervical secretions were similar to those found in tissues of the secretory immune system. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical examinations of female genital tissues revealed the presence of plasma cells that secrete IgA (and in lower numbers IgM and IgG) especially in the subepithelial layers of the uterine endo- and ectocervix, fallopian tubes, and vagina. Both IgA1- and IgA2-producing plasma cells were found in approximately equal proportions. The presence of J-chain in the IgA-secreting cells suggests the synthesis of polymeric IgA (plgA). Epithelial cells lining the fallopian tube and endocervix were positive for secretory component (SC), which is required for the transepithelial transport of pIgA into external secretions. Cervical mucus was collected and the molecular forms of IgA were separated using column chromatography. Approximately 80% of IgA in cervical mucus was polymeric compared with 55% in the vaginal fluid. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that all effector components of the mucosal immune system are present in the female reproductive tract. The immunization routes that lead to a secretory IgA (S-IgA) response need to be further explored.
The lived experiences of students in nursing: Voices of caring speak of the tact of teaching*

The purpose of this phenomenological, Heideggerian hermeneutical study was to describe the lived experiences of 23 undergraduate nursing students in relation to their perceptions of "caring" experiences in their nursing programs. Data were collected by the primary investigators at a statewide nursing convention, with students relating stories of critical student experiences related to caring. Themes related to caring experiences included "caring as offering," "leaps ahead caring," and "creating a caring place." A recurrent pattern of "power inherent in teaching" was identified across student narratives, suggesting the need to study how teachers can use the tact of teaching to empower students. Implications drawn from the data suggest the need to explore how nursing students' learning is shaped by caring interactions with nurse clinicians and other health professionals as well as with nursing faculty.
Sensing network for electromagnetic fields generated by seismic activities

The sensors network is becoming prolific and play now increasingly more important role in acquiring and processing information. Cyber-Physical Systems are focusing on investigation of integrated systems that includes sensing, networking, and computations. The physics of the seismic measurement and electromagnetic field measurement requires special consideration how to design electromagnetic field measurement networks for both research and detection earthquakes and explosions along with the seismic measurement networks. In addition, the electromagnetic sensor network itself could be designed and deployed, as a research tool with great deal of flexibility, the placement of the measuring nodes must be design based on systematic analysis of the seismic-electromagnetic interaction. In this article, we review the observations of the co-seismic electromagnetic field generated by earthquakes and man-made sources such as vibrations and explosions. The theoretical investigation allows the distribution of sensor nodes to be optimized and could be used to support existing geological networks. The placement of sensor nodes have to be determined based on physics of electromagnetic field distribution above the ground level. The results of theoretical investigations of seismo-electromagnetic phenomena are considered in Section I. First, we compare the relative contribution of various types of mechano-electromagnetic mechanisms and then analyze in detail the calculation of electromagnetic fields generated by piezomagnetic and electrokinetic effects.
The Morphological Changes In The Tissues Of The Rabbit As A Result Of Reduced Oxidation...

Exposure of rabbits to an atmosphere of low oxygen content results in a stimulation of the cardiorespiratory systems, in an extension (hyperplasia) of red bone marrow and probably of a thyroid hyperplasia, with the further production of hydropic and hyaline degeneration in the cells of the parenchymatous organs. An atmosphere of high carbon dioxide and normal oxygen content produces, however, a stimulation of the cardiorespiratory systems, but no marrow extension and, in the concentrations used, but slight hydropic degeneration in the parenchyma of the glandular organs.
Macrophage production of inflammatory mediators is potently inhibited by a butyric acid derivative demonstrated to inactivate antigen-stimulated T cells

The butyric acid derivative, 2-(4-morpholynl) ethyl butyrate hydrochloride (MEB), has been reported to induce antigen-specific T cell unresponsiveness and to block T cell-mediated graft-versus-host disease. As a potential therapeutic agent, it was important to determine the effects of MEB on other cells that contribute to immunopathology. Accordingly, we tested the effects of MEB on macrophage functions. MEB did not affect macrophage viability, phagocytic activity, or the activation-induced up-regulation of molecules associated with antigen presentation: MHC-II, CD86, CD40, or ICAM-1. However, MEB potently inhibited activation-induced production of inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-6, chemokine CCL2 and nitric oxide (NO). MEB inhibited the induction of NO synthase (NOS2), which is necessary for inducible NO, and inhibited nuclear translocation of NFkappaB, suggesting that MEB interferes with the signaling pathway involved in NOS2 induction. Thus, while inducing specific T cell unresponsiveness, MEB also exerts anti-inflammatory activity by acting on macrophages to suppress production of cytokines and NO.
Amniotic fluid cell mosaicism for presumptive trisomy 20.

Trisomy for an F-like chromosome with banding characteristics of chromosome 20 was observed, respectively, in 25 and 8% of amniotic fluid cell clones in two cases of prenatal diagnosis for advanced maternal age. No such aneuploidy was found upon examination of fetal or postnatal tissues. In both instances there were no detectable malformations. It is suggested that propensity to nondisjunction for an F-like chromosome, not unlike tetraploidy, might be another characteristic of amniotic fluid cells in culture.
Childhood fractures are associated with decreased bone mass gain during puberty: an early marker of persistent bone fragility?

Whether peak bone mass is low among children with fractures remains uncertain. In a cohort of 125 girls followed over 8.5 years, 42 subjects reported 58 fractures. Among those, BMC gain at multiple sites and vertebral bone size at pubertal maturity were significantly decreased. Hence, childhood fractures may be markers of low peak bone mass acquisition and persistent skeletal fragility. Introduction: Fractures in childhood may result from a deficit in bone mass accrual during rapid longitudinal growth. Whether low bone mass persists beyond this period however remains unknown. Materials and Methods: BMC at the spine, radius, hip, and femur diaphysis was prospectively measured over 8.5 years in 125 girls using DXA. Differences in bone mass and size between girls with and without fractures were analyzed using nonparametric tests. The contribution of genetic factors was evaluated by mother-daughter correlations and that of calcium intake by Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Fifty-eight fractures occurred in 42 among 125 girls (cumulative incidence, 46.4%), one-half of all fractures affecting the forearm and wrist. Girls with and without fractures had similar age, height, weight. and calcium intake at all time-points. Before and during early puberty, BMC and width of the radius diaphysis was lower in the fracture compared with no-fracture group (p < 0.05), whereas aBMD and BMAD were similar in the two groups. At pubertal maturity (Tanner's stage 5, mean age ± SD, 16.4 ± 0.5 years), BMC at the ultradistal radius (UD Rad.), femur trochanter, and lumbar spine (LS), and LS projected bone area were all significantly lower in girls with fractures. Throughout puberty, BMC gain at these sites was also decreased in the fracture group (LS, −8.0%, p = 0.015; UD Rad., −12.0%, p = 0.004; trochanter, −8.4%, p = 0.05 versus no fractures). BMC was highly correlated between prepuberty and pubertal maturity (R = 0.54–0.81) and between mature daughters and their mothers (R = 0.32–0.46). Calcium intake was not related to fracture risk. Conclusions: Girls with fractures have decreased bone mass gain in the axial and appendicular skeleton and reduced vertebral bone size when reaching pubertal maturity. Taken together with the evidence of tracking and heritability for BMC, these observations indicate that childhood fractures may be markers for low peak bone mass and persistent bone fragility.
Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the black sea

Abstract We have used hydrographic and nutrient data from Cruise No. 49 of the R.V. Atlantis II to the Black Sea to derive a modelfor the flux of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus through the oxygen-sulfide interface that exists between 125 and 250 meters below the surface. Breaks in the potential temperature-salinity diagram indicate that this region is a linear mixing interval of some 250 meters between the cold winter water and above and warmer, more saline, inflow water beneath. A one-dimensional a advection-diffusion model between these boundaries allows us to calculate the ratio of the vertical eddy coefficient to the vertical advective velocity as being 0·09 km. Fitting the vertical profiles of total carbon dioxide, ammonia and phosphate to this model, we observe consumption rates ( J ) of all three species ( J CO 2 = − 1 × 10 −6 mole kg −1 yr −1 , J NH 3 = −0·1 × 10 −6 mole kg −1 yr −1 and J PO 4 = −0·01 × 10 −6 mole kg −1 yr −1 ). These consumption rates are in contrast to the production rates inferred from the stoichiometric oxidation model. The consumption rates is, in fact, a net value representing the difference between chemosynthetic consumption and respiratory production of carbon dioxide by bacteria living at the oxygen-sulfide interface, and similar arguments hold true for ammonia and phosphate. Experimental measurements of chemosynthetic rate by dark uptake of 14 C-bicarbonate yield a value of 36 moles C m −2 yr −1 . We suggest that this is too high and attempt to set an upper limit for the true value by calculating β E , the redox buffer capacity of the deep water, and transporting this upwards. From this, we can calculate various carbon dioxide fixation rates, depending upon the metabolic uses to which the oxidizable equivalents are put. The formation of glucose at 50% efficiency would give a carbon fixation rate of 1·50 moles m −2 yr −1 . A disturbing feature of the proposed model is tha oxydation of sulfide appears to take place in the absence of oxygen.
Behavior of the effective interaction through third order in G

Abstract To investigate the usual assumption of rapid perturbative convergence, the (sd)-shell effective interaction is calculated including effects through third order for mass-18. All JT states are considered. Third order effects on the T =1 states tend to be small compared to corresponding second order effects. Some evidence for non-convergent behavior is found in T =0 states.
Some data on controlled association

Data from four controlled association (CA) conditions were obtained and compared with free association (FA) response distributions for the same stimuli. It was found that over half the CA responses also occur in FA, though at different frequencies, and that a high proportion of the response frequencies in both CA and FA are accounted for by responses common to both. From one to two of the three most frequent responses in CA and FA were, on the average, identical. The FA responses which also occur in CA have higher FA frequencies than those which do not appear in CA. Frequencies of the primary, secondary, and tertiary responses in CA and FA show some differences, mainly with respect to the primary. Responses inappropriate to CA instructions occur in CA and the frequency of such responses is associated with their FA frequencies. FA distributions for several stimuli used across CA conditions could be partially synthesized from the CA distributions. It is concluded that under the conditions of this study, there is substantial similarity in the responses obtained under CA and FA. Conditions which are involved in this result are summarized and contrasted with conditions in which CA responses differ markedly from those obtained in FA.
Chromosomal damage in men occupationally exposed to vinyl chloride monomer and other chemicals.

Abstract Measurements of chromosomal breakage were made in peripheral blood lymphocytes from workers exposed heavily, lightly, or negligibly to VCM at a large rubber/plastics plant. Breakage levels in all three groups were significantly increased over levels in nonindustrial controls. Breakage consisted mostly of simple chromatid gaps. The results suggest that other agents, in addition to VCM, may cause cytogenetic damage in workers employed in the rubber/plastics industry.
Prognostic factors in metastatic malignant melanoma. The southeastern cancer study group experience

Two hundred seventy-seven evaluable patients with metastatic malignant melanoma without prior chemotherapy were entered into combination chemotherapy drug trials in the Southeastern Cancer Study Group during the period between 1974-1978. In order to determine which prognostic factors were favorable for response to chemotherapy and for survival, an analysis was performed utilizing a logistic regression equation. Significant favorable prognostic variables for complete or partial tumor regression included no involvement of lung (P = 0.045), no involvement of liver (P = 0.08), and possibly, receiving treatment schedule 361B of Table 1 (P = 0.093). It was notable that sex and initial performance status were not significant factors. Significant favorable prognostic variables for survival included high initial performance status (P less than 0.001), no involvement of liver (P = 0.005), sex-female (P = 0.056), and bone involvement only (P = 0.057); lack of brain involvement as a favorable factor was of only marginal statistical associated with survival. These data indicate stratification which should be considered in future therapeutic trials, and identify factors which may influence clinical decision making in palliative management of patients with metastatic malignant melanoma.
Commercial communications technology on the digital battlefield

To meet its objectives of winning the information ware and digitizing the battlefield, the U.S. Army must leverage advances in commercial technology. The Department of Defense has adopted a new approach to acquiring and fielding systems in response to economic realities and the need to incorporate rapidly advancing commercial technology into Army systems. This approach calls for the evaluation of commercial breakthroughs in a laboratory environment followed by evaluation by the user in a warfighting experiment. The most promising products are then transitioned to a program executive officer/project manager for accelerated acquisition and fielding. The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Research, Development and Engineering Center Space & Terrestrial Communications Directorate is working with the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to study the applicability of personal communications systems and related technologies for Army applications. The results of this cooperative effort were demonstrated in 1995 through the use of the trunked Land Mobile Radio (LMR) during field exercises. This paper will describe the joint CECOM/ARPA programs that sponsor the evaluation of commercial technologies, characteristics of the LMR and the details of its interface with the legacy systems, and current plans for further experimentation/evaluation.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pancreatic secretion stimulated by the action of alcohol on the gastric antrum.

Perfusion of an antral pouch with ethanol increased the pancreatic volume and enzyme content after a 10–30 min. latent period. Gastric secretion also increased in each experiment, but after a 30–40 min. latent period.
Origin of the Variation of Exciton Binding Energy in Semiconductors

Excitonic effects are crucial to optical properties, and the exciton binding energy E(b) in technologically important semiconductors varies from merely a few meV to about 100 meV. This large variation, however, is not well understood. We investigate the relationship between the electronic band structures and exciton binding energies in semiconductors, employing first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory and the many-body perturbation theory using Green's functions. Our results clearly show that E(b) increases as the localization of valence electrons increases due to the reduced electronic screening. Furthermore, E(b) increases in ionic semiconductors such as ZnO because, contrary to the simple two-level coupling model, it has both conduction and valence band edge states strongly localized on anion sites, leading to an enhanced electron-hole interaction. These trends are quantized by electronic structures obtained from the density functional theory; thus, our approach can be applied to understand the excitonic effects in complex semiconducting materials.
Fracture of vacancy-defected carbon nanotubes and their embedded nanocomposites

In this paper, we investigate effects of vacancy defects on fracture of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube/aluminum composites. Our studies show that even a one-atom vacancy defect can dramatically reduce the failure stresses and strains of carbon nanotubes. Consequently, nanocomposites, in which vacancy-defected nanotubes are embedded, exhibit different characteristics from those in which pristine nanotubes are embedded. It has been found that defected nanotubes with a small volume fraction cannot reinforce but instead weaken nanocomposite materials. Although a large volume fraction of defected nanotubes can slightly increase the failure stresses of nanocomposites, the failure strains of nanocomposites are always decreased.
The Political Impact on Religious Development in Uruguay

University of California at Los Angeles It is an easy and not an essentially inaccurate generalization to say that Latin America is a Catholic world. If we begin to apply the generalization more narrowly, caution and reservations become increasingly necessary. In parts of Haiti, for example, the Catholic veneer is thin. A useful book about Mexico published some years ago carried the intriguing title Idols Behind Altars. Its author did not mean the connotation exactly as it sounds but she might have so meant it. In large parts of Indo-America, especially in those areas such as the Andean highlands and parts of Central America and southern Mexico where the pre-Columbian Indian cultures were best developed and most tenacious, Catholicism has had to make a degree of accommodation which adopted and adapted various pagan practices. The same process occurred about a millennium earlier when Christianity moved into pagan Germany. In Uruguay, too, qualifications and reservations need to be made and caution used, but for different reasons. No early Indian culture or pantheism lived or lasted in Uruguay. There may have been idols but the Charruias, Chanas, and other aborigines were in no position to put them into competition with altars. And yet Uruguay is probably less strongly Catholic than any other country in Latin America. That broad and possibly gratuitous generalization even includes Mexico, where the bitterest friction ever to characterize the Church-State issue in Latin America has flamed and flamed again over long decades. The explanation of the religious picture in Uruguay is an involved and curious complex of social, intellectual, political, psychological, and perhaps other elements. Three historic or demographic factors contribute to an interpretation or explanation of the weakened Catholic position in Uruguay: effective Spanish colonization did not begin until the eighteenth century, by which time the religious fervor of the earlier generations and centuries had in considerable measure atrophied; during that colonial period Uruguay remained largely an ecclesiastical appendage of Buenos Aires and its intensity of spiritual development and devotion was correspondingly diminished. The oldest Uruguayan diocese, that of Montevideo, dates only from 1878, more than half a century after Spanish authority was expelled from the country. In the second place, the revolutionary period was characterized by a large influx of foreigners, especially English and French, who were either non-Catholic or only nominally Catholic. Third, the
Thermoresponsive behavior of poly(n-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels containing gold nanostructures.

We report the changes in the structure and thermoresponsive behavior of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) hydrogels when gold nanostructures are synthesized in situ within the hydrogel matrix. Cross-linked PNIPAm hydrogels were synthesized using NIPAm and 0.00−3.50% (w/w versus NIPAm) of N,N‘-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAm) and/or N,N‘-cystaminebisacrylamide (CBAm) as cross-linking agents. The hydrogels were soaked in potassium tetrachloroaurate to introduce gold ions. The hydrogels containing Au3+ were then immersed in a sodium borohydride solution to reduce the gold ions. Infrared spectroscopy, UV−visible spectroscopy, and equilibrium swelling were used to examine the structural/physical differences between gels of different compositions; UV−visible spectroscopy and mass measurements were used to observe the kinetics and thermodynamics of the hydrogel volume phase transition. These studies revealed several differences in the physical characteristics and thermoresponsive behavior of hydrogels based on c...
EEG during Masturbation and Ejaculation

The occurrence of a distinctive EEG pattern specifically related to sexual arousal and orgasm would provide a reliable and convenient means of identifying such events in the laboratory and would also provide clues to cerebral structures involved in the processes. EEG-polygraph recordings were obtained under rigorously controlled conditions in four normal male subjects during masturbation and ejaculation. The EEG data were subjected to both impressionistic and quantitative analyses. They showed no remarkable changes during the sequence of relevant physiological responses. The sole effect was a slight depression of alpha activity, a well-known nonspecific effect associated with changes in attention and arousal. Examination of the literature shows little agreement among reported results of studies of EEG changes during orgasm. It is likely that at least some reported changes were artifactual. It is concluded that the case for the existence of EEG changes specifically related to sexual arousal and orgasm remains unproven.
Molecular basis of α1-antitrypsin deficiency and its potential therapy by gene transfer

The gene for α1-antitrypsin, a serum anti-protease, has been cloned and sequenced. The underlying mutation in the PiZ allele has been identified as a G to A conversion giving rise to the substitution of glu by lys at position 342. Preparation of specific probes has allowed prenatal diagnosis. Recombinant retroviruses containing the normal human α1-antitrypsin gene have been constructed and used to infect NIH3T3 cells. Analysis of DNA, RNA and protein indicate that successful incorporation of the α1-antitrypsin was achieved and that the gene was capable of being expressed. The feasibility of genetic replacement therapy has been demonstrated and further experiments justified.
Perspectives on cardiac physiological ontogeny in crustaceans

Summary Crustacean embryonic and larval systems offer a unique and valuable tool for furthering our understanding of both developmental processes and physiological regulatory mechanisms. The diverse array of developmental patterns exhibited by crustaceans allows species choice to be based on the specific questions being investigated, where defined larval forms are chosen based on their developmental pattern, degree of maturation or regulatory capabilities. However, this great diversity in developmental patterns, as well as crustacean diversity, can also confound ones ability to define or identify species for investigation. These issues are addressed and suggestions put forth to clarify some of the problems. The complexity and overlapping nature of adult cardio-regulatory systems makes teasing them apart difficult. Embryonic and larval systems exhibit varying degrees of regulatory complexity depending on developmental stage and ontogenetic pattern. This can allow complex adult regulatory systems to be teased apart temporally, as the developing animal builds regulatory pathways. Equally important is the nature of crustacean larvae; many undergo dramatic metamorphoses in cases where the larvae have adaptations to environments different to those of the adult. During environmental transitions physiological adaptations to immediate change should take precedence over long-term adult adaptations. It is therefore possible to look at physiological responses as a function of developmental/environmental adaptation, independent of adult functions.
Comparisons of in vitro fermentation and high moisture forage processing methods for determination of neutral detergent fiber digestibility

Abstract Neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) determined in vitro with rumen inoculum is widely used to assess digestibility and potential energy contributions of feedstuffs. An in vitro fermentation system (IVFS) with potential to improve sample throughput and ease of handling for NDFD determination was investigated. Additionally, methods for preparing high moisture forages and their effect on in vitro NDFD were evaluated. In the IVFS study, a commonly used method that uses Erlenmeyer flasks under continuous CO 2 pressure in water baths (GV) was compared to a system that uses sealed glass tubes in a shaking incubator (TU). Fibrous feeds (alfalfa hay, maize silage, soyhulls, and ryegrass hay) were incubated in duplicate for 24, 30, and 48 h in three fermentation runs (run) in both IVFS. Overall, NDFD was greater for TU than GV at 24 h, and greater for GV than TU at 48 h. Maize silage had lower values with TU than GV, with the difference increasing with fermentation time, possibly due to low pH related to amount of fermentable substrate used. Within-run variability at 48 h was less with GV than TU. Variability of NDFD across runs was or tended to be less for TU at 24 and 30 h, and tended to be less for GV at 48 h. In the forage processing study, silages (alfalfa, maize) and pasture grasses (meadow fescue, orchardgrass, reed canarygrass, ryegrass) were ground with dry ice through a meat grinder to pass 4.5 mm openings. Subsamples were dried in a 55 °C forced-air oven (OD), freeze dried (FD), or retained as undried frozen (UF) material. Samples were fermented in duplicate in TU for 24, 30, and 48 h in two runs. NDFD response to processing varied by forage with FD for orchardgrass and UF for maize silage lower than other treatments for those forages. Overall, NDFD did not differ among processing methods at 24 h, was greatest for OD and UF at 30 h, and for OD at 48 h. Based on NDFD and analytical variability results, TU may be recommended at 24 and 30 h and GV at 48 h, however, substrate amount may need to be restricted in TU to avoid depressing NDFD. Methods of processing high moisture forage samples for NDFD analysis showed no clear advantage for using freeze dried or undried forage over oven dried materials.
Periodic enzyme synthesis and oscillatory repression: Why is the period of oscillation close to the cell cycle time?

Abstract During exponential growth of a cell culture, some enzymes are synthesized periodically. In a synchronous culture, in which all cells undergo DNA synthesis and division more-or-less synchronously, the burst of enzyme synthesis also occurs synchronously in each cell once per division cycle. However, there are a number of interesting cases in which periodic enzyme synthesis continues in the absence of synchronous DNA replication or cell division. In all cases of periodic enzyme synthesis in asynchronous cultures, the time between bursts of enzyme synthesis, though no longer identical to the cell cycle time, is still close to the interdivision time of the growing, replicating cells. The theory of oscillatory repression looks for an explanation of this phenomenon in the periodic repression of gene transcription caused by periodic fluctuations in the concentration of the endproduct of the metabolic pathway of which the enzyme is a part. A major difficulty with this theory is that there is no obvious relationship between the periodicity of the negative feedback loop, which is determined by the kinetics of synthesis and degradation of the individual components of the feedback loop, and the periodicity of the cell cycle, which is determined by overall net synthetic rates of cellular macromolecules. Why should the period of oscillation of a repressible gene transcription system be close to the interdivision time of a population of growing cells? In this paper, I show that the relationship may be coincidental: the two fundamental periods are close to each other because they are both close to the mass-doubling time of the cell culture. That the mean interdivision time must be close to the mass-doubling time is a consequence of “balanced” growth: there is a stable size distribution of cells in a growing culture. That the period of oscillation of the negative feedback loop is also close to the mass-doubling time is shown to be a consequence of the large, nearly constant demand for endproduct and the assumed stability of the enzyme. The period of oscillation is largely attributable to the slow dilution of the stable enzyme by cell growth. For reasonable values of the parameters describing the gene-control system, I show that the enzyme must be diluted by a factor of two (approximately), that is, by the growth accomplished by one mass-doubling (nearly).
Effects of Hydraulic Dredging for Mercenaria mercenaria, Northern Quahog, on Sediment Biogeochemistry

A before-after-control-impact (BACI) experiment was conducted to examine the effects of hydraulic clam dredging on sediment biogeochemistry of a leased shellfish bed of Mercenaria mercenaria, northern quahog, over the course of an entire growing season. Six study plots (0.67 ha each), three dredged and three not dredged, off of Milford, Connecticut, in Long Island Sound, were sampled from May to October 2009 for porewater fluxes of total ammonia, oxygen, and hydrogen. Particulate samples were also analyzed for grain size, total nitrogen, total carbon, total sulfur, and organic carbon. Statistical analysis indicated no significant difference between dredged and not dredged sites. Grain size and oxygen flux explained 22% of the variation in the total benthic species assemblages; grain size and either total carbon or organic nitrogen explained 18% of the variation in molluscan abundance. Our study demonstrates that one-time hydraulic shellfish harvesting had minor effects on the sediment chemistry of a leased clam bed.
Asbestos‐related pulmonary disease in boilermakers

Boilermakers are skilled building tradesmen who construct, repair, and dismantle boilers. The present study reports on the evaluation of members of a Michigan boilermaker's union for the presence of signs and symptoms of chronic pulmonary disease. Study variables included standardized evaluations of chest x-ray findings, pulmonary function testing, physical examination, and respiratory symptoms. An overall participation rate of 69% was achieved. A non-participant survey identified no significant differences between participants and non-participants in dyspnea, cough, age, or smoking history. Among participants with greater than 20 years experience in the trade, the mean FVC was 91% of predicted; the FEV1 was 86% of predicted; 25% showed at least a 1/0 profusion of interstitial markings on chest x-ray; 30% had bilateral pleural abnormalities; and 52% had audible inspiratory rales on physical examination. Forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume at one second both decreased with years in the trade. Chest x-ray findings of interstitial fibrosis and pleural plaques were related to ten or more years in the trade, as were respiratory symptoms of pulmonary rales, wheeze, and dyspnea.
A Response to "Room Temperature Single-Electron Transistor Featuring Gate-Enhanced on-State Current"

The authors of the above-named work [ibid., vol. 30, no. 7, pp. 766?768, Jul. 2009] report a single-electron transistor (SET) operating at room temperature, improving upon previously published work. It is argued that while the fabrication method is a novel and promising approach to SET fabrication, the data presented do not support the assertion that Coulomb blockade (CB) has been observed or that an SET has been demonstrated. The fact that the authors are unable to attribute their findings to CB "orthodox theory" is not surprising, as other phenomena are more likely responsible. Confinement to the cryogenic temperature regime has been one of the biggest technological struggles facing the advancement and proliferation of single electronics, and claims that these significant challenges can be overcome must be carefully validated and understood.
An Accurate Pressure Measurement Method for Solution Studies in the Diamond Anvil Cell in the 0 to 6 Kbar Range

A technique has been developed for accurately inferring pressure in the diamond anvil cell in the relatively low pressure range of 0 to 6 kbar. The method is directly applicable to dilute solution studies using hydrocarbon solvents. A procedure is described for using the method with more concentrated solutions and with moderately polar organic solvents. The frequency shift of anthracene absorbance in five hydrocarbon solvents has been measured in the 0 to 2 kbar range and extended to 6 kbar. Pressures in this range were measured in the diamond anvil cell as a function of applied load. Results indicated serious difficulties in correlating pressure and applied load. A pronounced hysteresis was also observed.
Defibrillation waveform and post-shock rhythm in out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest.

Abstract Background: The importance of the defibrillation waveform on the evolving post-shock cardiac rhythm is uncertain. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate cardiac rhythms following the first defibrillation shock, comparing biphasic truncated exponential (BTE), monophasic damped sinusoidal (MDS), and monophasic truncated exponential (MTE) waveforms in patients experiencing out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods: We reviewed the automated external defibrillator (AED) and emergency medical services (EMS) records of 366 patients who suffered OHCA and were treated with defibrillation shocks by first-tier emergency responders between 1 January 1999 and 31 August 2002 in King County, Washington. The post first shock rhythms were determined at 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 s and compared according to defibrillation waveform. Results: The MDS and BTE waveforms were associated with significantly higher frequency of defibrillation than the MTE waveform, though only the BTE association persisted to 30 and 60 s. No difference in defibrillation rates was detected between MDS and BTE waveforms. By 60 s, an organized rhythm was present in a greater proportion for BTE (40.0%) compared with MDS (25.4%, P =0.01) or MTE (26.5%, P =0.07). Conclusion: In this retrospective cohort investigation, MDS and BTE waveforms had higher first shock defibrillation rates than the MTE waveform, while patients treated with the BTE waveform were more likely to develop an organized rhythm within 60 s of the initial shock. The results of this investigation, however, do not provide evidence that these surrogate advantages are important for improving survival. Additional investigation is needed to improve the understanding of the role of waveform and its potential interaction with other clinical factors in order to optimize survival in OHCA.
Relation of the quality of solvent-extracted soybean oil and residual oil content of meal

Flaked soybeans were extracted by commercial hexane in a continuous countercurrent pilot-plant and in glass extraction-rate apparatus. The quality of the oil extracted at various stages was evaluated in terms of iodine value, saponification value, refractive index, color, refining loss, free fatty acids, phospholipids, and neutral oil. As the residual oil content of the meal decreased, the refining loss, phospholipid content, and color of the extracted oil increased. There was no significant change in other properties. The maximum amount of refined oil was obtained with a meal containing about 1% residual oil.
Molecular characterization of murine pancreatic phospholipase A(2).

The pancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2IB) is considered to be a digestive enzyme, although it has several important receptor-mediated functions. In this study, using the newly isolated murine sPLA2IB cDNA clone as a probe, we demonstrate that in addition to the pancreas, the sPLA2IB mRNA was expressed in extrapancreatic organs such as the liver, spleen, duodenum, colon, and lungs. We also demonstrate that sPLA2IB mRNA expression was detectable from the 17th day of gestation in the developing mouse fetus, coinciding with the time of completion of differentiation of the pancreas. Furthermore, the mRNA expression pattern of sPLA2IB was distinct from those of sPLA2IIA and cPLA2 in various tissues examined. The murine sPLA2IB gene structure is well conserved, consistent with findings in other mammalian species, and this gene mapped to the region of mouse chromosome 5F1-G1.1. Taken together, our results suggest that sPLA2IB plays important roles both in the pancreas and in extrapancreatic tissues and ...
Federal Court Responses to State and Local Claims of “Undue Burden” in Complying with The Americans with Disabilities Act

Are federal courts sympathetic to local and state officials' cost concerns, particularly when it comes to meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act? This is the fundamental query taken up by this analysis. After examining twenty-eight federal ADA cases where state and local officials have gone to court claiming that complying with this civil rights measure would be unduly burdensome, this study comes up with mixed findings. In some cases, the courts have been sensitive to cost concerns but, in others, they have not. Despite these inconclusive findings, this study does cast some light on what state and local officials must do if they expectfederal courts to be sensitive to their concerns.
Transformation of Anaplasma phagocytophilum

Tick-borne pathogens cause emerging zoonoses, and include fastidious organisms such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Because of their obligate intracellular nature, methods for mutagenesis and transformation have not been available. To facilitate genetic manipulation, we transformed A. phagocytophilum (Ap) to express a green fluorescent protein (GFP) with the Himar1 transposase system and selection with the clinically irrelevant antibiotic spectinomycin. These transformed bacteria (GFP/Ap) grow at normal rates and are brightly fluorescent in human, monkey, and tick cell culture. Molecular characterization of the GFP/Ap genomic DNA confirmed transposition and the flanking genomic insertion locations were sequenced. Three mice inoculated with GFP/Ap by intraperitoneal injection became infected as demonstrated by the appearance of morulae in a peripheral blood neutrophil and re-isolation of the bacteria in culture.
Placental Insufficiency Leads to Developmental Hypertension and Mesenteric Artery Dysfunction in Two Generations of Sprague-Dawley Rat Offspring

It is generally accepted that preeclampsia results from reduction in perfusion to the uteroplacental unit leading to maternal hypertension and fetal growth restriction. Placental insufficiency creates an environment of fetal undernutriton, predisposing the fetus to the development of adult disease. In this study, we characterized the development and perpetuation of hypertension in two generations of male and female offspring subjected to an environment of fetal undernutrition via reduced uteroplacental perfusion pressure. Further, we examined vascular responses of resistance arteries in these animals to determine the influence of placental insufficiency on the development and perpetuation of hypertension. Experimental dams underwent a surgical procedure to reduce uteroplacental perfusion pressure, with resulting offspring comprising the first generation (F1). One male and one female from each of the F1 experimental litters served as breeders of the second generation (F2). Weekly systolic blood pressure measurements were obtained from 4 to 24 wk in control, F1, and F2 offspring. Vascular responsiveness to the vasoconstrictors phenylephrine and potassium chloride and the vasorelaxants acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside was determined in the three offspring groups at 6, 9, and 12 wk of age. Our findings indicate that placental insufficiency during a critical developmental window in late gestation leads to hypertension in juvenile Sprague-Dawley rat offspring and is perpetuated in a second generation of offspring in a gender-specific manner. Further, exposure to placental insufficiency during late gestation leads to developmental alterations characterized by vascular hyperresponsiveness, perpetuated to a second generation of offspring in the absence of persistent environmental stimuli, contributing to hypertension.
Tumor pH: Implications for treatment and novel drug design

Although limited data exist, electrode-measured pH values of human tumors and adjacent normal tissues, which are concurrently obtained by the same investigator in the same patient, consistently show that the electrode pH (believed to represent tissue extracellular pH primarily) is substantially and consistently lower in tumor than in normal tissue. In contrast, the 31 P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy-estimated intracellular pH is essentially identical or slightly more basic in tumor compared with normal tissue. As a consequence, the cellular pH gradient is substantially reduced or reversed in these tissues. This difference provides an exploitable avenue for the treatment of cancer. The extent to which drugs exhibiting weakly acid or basic properties are ionized depends on their ionization potential (pKa) and the pH of their milieu. Weakly acidic drugs that are lipid soluble in their nonionized state diffuse freely across the cell membrane and on entering a relatively basic intracellular compartment become trapped and accumulate within the cell. This may lead to substantial (10-fold or more) differences in the intracellular-to-extracellular drug distribution between tumor and normal tissue for cytotoxics, hypoxic cell sensitizers, or other drugs exhibiting appropriate pKa. Experimental in vitro evaluation of these predictions confirms both the predicted pH gradient-dependent changes in cellular drug accumulation and toxicity.
Photoredox behavior and chiral discrimination of DNA bound M(diimine)3n+ complexes (M=Ru2+, Cr3+)

Abstract An overview is given of the rapidly developing field of bioinorganic chemistry involving the interaction of Ru(diimine)32+ complexes with double-stranded DNA. This contribution focusses on the photoredox behavior of these DNA bound systems and the presence of chiral discrimination in the binding process. Cr(diimine)33+ complexes are attractive new candidates for such studies in view of their long-lived room temperature luminescence and strong excited state oxidizing power. For these Cr(III) systems we observe strong quenching of the emission signal in the presence of B-DNA, and provide evidence that this quenching is associated with a photoredox process involving guanine base oxidation. We also demonstrate the value of capillary electrophoresis (CE) as a technique for assessing the relative binding constants and the stereoselectivities of transition metal interactions with DNA. In addition, we explore the use of CE as an alternative approach to help resolve literature disagreements between different Ru(phen)32+/DNA binding models.
STUDIES ON CELL DEFORMABILITY III. Some Effects of EDTA on Sarcoma 37 Cells

The nonlethal procedure of incubation in EDTA solution makes the peripheral regions of ascites sarcoma 37 cells more easily deformable, as reflected in measurements of the decreased amount of negative pressure required to suck out standard hemispherical bulges from the cells into micropipettes. The facilitation of deformability was abolished after reincubation of cells in calcium-containing saline, and this mechanical parameter was partially restored to normal after reincubation in magnesium-containing saline; the mechanical effect of EDTA treatment is, therefore, thought to be due mainly to the removal of calcium from the cell periphery. As EDTA treatment produces no detectable change in cellular electrophoretic mobility, it is concluded that peripheral calcium must be bound to anionic sites deeper than about 10 A from the cellular hydrodynamic slip plane. The data are discussed with emphasis on the view that they should not be extrapolated freely to other cell types.
The RAPID Method for Blood Processing Yields New Insight in Plasma Concentrations and Molecular Forms of Circulating Gut Peptides

The correct identification of circulating molecular forms and measurement of peptide levels in blood entails that the endocrine peptide being studied is stable and recovered in good yields during blood processing. However, it is not clear whether this is achieved in studies using standard blood processing. Therefore, we compared peptide concentration and form of 12 (125)I-labeled peptides using the standard procedure (EDTA-blood on ice) and a new method employing Reduced temperatures, Acidification, Protease inhibition, Isotopic exogenous controls, and Dilution (RAPID). During standard processing there was at least 80% loss for calcitonin-gene-related peptide and cholecystokinin-58 (CCK-58) and more than 35% loss for amylin, insulin, peptide YY forms (PYY((1-36)) and PYY((3-36))), and somatostatin-28. In contrast, the RAPID method significantly improved the recovery for 11 of 12 peptides (P < 0.05) and eliminated the breakdown of endocrine peptides occurring after standard processing as reflected in radically changed molecular forms for CCK-58, gastrin-releasing peptide, somatostatin-28, and ghrelin. For endogenous ghrelin, this led to an acyl/total ghrelin ratio of 1:5 instead of 1:19 by the standard method. These results show that the RAPID method enables accurate assessment of circulating gut peptide concentrations and forms such as CCK-58, acylated ghrelin, and somatostatin-28. Therefore, the RAPID method represents an efficacious means to detect circulating variations in peptide concentrations and form relevant to the understanding of physiological function of endocrine peptides.
Liquid helium refrigerator control

Abstract The application of superconductivity requires the use of a liquid helium refrigeration system to continually maintain a device at a temperature near 4 K. This refrigeration system must be able to operate without constant attention for the device to be practical. The refrigeration system and the controls necessary for unattended operation are discussed. A stable control scheme where an increase in heat load raises the compressor suction pressure, increasing the compressor flow rate and thus increasing the refrigeration capacity, is discussed.