cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytokine measurement in biological samples after physicochemical treatment for inactivation of biosafety level 4 viral agents

Physicochemical techniques such as gamma-irradiation, membrane disruption by detergents like sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and fixation with formaldehyde or paraformaldehyde are routinely used to inactivate biological specimens from patients and animals infected with Filoviruses and Arena viruses that must be studied in BSL 4 facilities. The effects of these inactivation techniques on the levels of immunologically active proteins like cytokines and chemokines are not known. Therefore, we investigated the effect of several decontamination techniques on the immunoreactivity and bioactivity of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-12, and IFN-gamma, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and the chemokine IL-8 in biological specimens. SDS (96%-100% reduction), paraformaldehyde treatment (11%-100% reduction), and heat denaturation (75%-100% reduction) were found to decrease markedly the levels of all cytokines and chemokines as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In contrast, gamma-irradiation was found to have little or no effect on the immunoreactivity of these cytokines/chemokines and on the biological activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha. Our data suggest that, of the agents tested, gamma-irradiation is the preferred technique for inactivation of biological specimens containing viral agents that require the use of BSL 4 for immunological studies.
Effect of social context on the impact of coping self-statements.

The present study was designed to evaluate the role of a social context in the impact of coping self-statements. It was hypothesized that the control which coping self-statements exert over anxiety-related behaviors would vary to the extent that the self-statements are socially accessible. Speech-anxious college students were randomly assigned to either a control group or to one of two experimental groups. Control subjects received no coping self-statements while subjects in both experimental groups selected the same coping self-statement. The two experimental groups differed only in whether the coping self-statement was apparently known to the experimenter. On self-report measures, only the social-context group showed improvement over those of the other two groups. The only difference among the groups on behavioral measures indicated that subjects in the social-context group had followed the coping statement by talking more slowly. The results were interpreted as possibly a function of the social conting...
THE SUBJECTIVE LIST THEORY OF WELL-BEING

A subjective list theory of well-being is one that accepts both pluralism (the view that there is more than one basic good) and subjectivism (the view, roughly, that every basic good involves our favourable attitudes). Such theories have been neglected in discussions of welfare. I argue that this is a mistake. I introduce a subjective list theory called disjunctive desire satisfactionism, and I argue that it is superior to two prominent monistic subjectivist views: desire satisfactionism and subjective desire satisfactionism. In the course of making this argument, I introduce a problem for desire satisfactionism: it cannot accommodate the fact that whenever someone experiences an attitudinal pleasure, his welfare is (other things equal) higher during the pleasure. Finally, I argue that any subjectivist about welfare should find disjunctive desire satisfactionism highly attractive.
A new sensitive portable plethysmograph

Abstract A new portable plethysmograph is described which is all metal and, therefore, sturdy and free from the difficulties of deterioration—an important problem when rubber membranes are employed. A device for standardization is incorporated which makes it possible to correct for finger and toe size, thereby resulting in a completed plethysmogram which can be read directly from subject to subject and from time to time in the same subject. This eliminates calculations usually required to convert volume changes to standard units. The plethysmograph also contains a master elapse time recorder which makes it possible to record time even when the camera is off. By means of a baseline adjuster and recorder, gross or large and slow variations in volume of the part can be recorded. The completed plethysmogram is discussed and five types of spontaneous deflections in volume are considered. The plethysmogram shows the volume changes at slow and fast speeds. The former makes it possible to study all five types of spontaneous deflections in volume, while the latter makes it possible to study the configurations of the pulse wave in detail. A discussion of the methods of recording the plethysmogram, precautions and possible errors in recording, and its interpretation are given. The use of plethysmography in the study of peripheral vascular disease, psychogenic states, and states of relaxation and tension are briefly indicated. Detailed applications of the plethysmogram to normal and abnormal clinical states will be presented in the near future. This plethysmograph is a new instrument which is objective, precise, simple, and practical. It has great promise in the study of many problems in health and disease which manifest themselves by disturbances in the blood vessels, lymphatics, and intercellular and intracellular and fluid volumes of the tips of the fingers and toes. By far the greatest number of experimental and clinical applications remain unknown. As with the introduction of any new instrument which has applications in the biologic fields generally and broad use in these fields, the science is in its infancy. It is only with the patient efforts of many investigators, both in the laboratory and the clinic, that the plethysmograph and plethysmogram will develop and reach a state of adequate evaluation and proper usage.
Plastic deformation of 2024-T351 aluminum plate over a wide range of loading conditions

Abstract Plastic deformation of 2024-T351 aluminum plate is studied under multiple load conditions. Uniaxial tension and compression, and pure shear (torsion) tests have been conducted over a wide range of strain rates (10−4–104 s−1) and temperatures (−50 to 450 °C). The results show no strain rate effect on plastic deformation up to strain rates of about 5000 s−1. Strain rate effect is observed in compression tests at strain rates above 5000 s−1. Tests at various temperatures show decrease in stress with increasing temperature. No strain hardening is observed at temperatures of 300 °C and 450 °C. Effective stress vs. equivalent strain curves generated from tension, compression and shear tests do not coincide indicating a discrepancy with the prediction of J2 flow theory based plasticity models. Experimental results from tension and compression tests on specimens machined in different orientations relative to the plate rolling direction show that the 2024-T351 plate has anisotropic properties with regard to plasticity. The experimental data can be used for the evaluation and development of constitutive models for plasticity. Here, the experimental data is used for determining the parameters and examining the validity of the plasticity model of Johnson and Cook (1983) and the anisotropic yield function of Barlat et al. (1991) .
NF-κB-Binding Proteins Induced by HSV-1 Infection of U937 Cells Are Not Involved in Activation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract Molecular interactions between the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were investigated in U937 cells. Nonpermissive HSV-1 infection of U937 cells activated HIV as determined in transient expression assays with hybrid constructions containing the HIV-LTR-directed chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Activation was independent of κB-enhancer elements whereas these elements were required for HSV-1-mediated activation in another cell line (C6). κB-binding proteins were induced in U937 cells by HSV-1 infection. Four species (45, 55, 75, and 75/80 kDa) were identified by DNA-protein cross-linking. Methylation interference analysis defined close contact only with the third residue of the previously established critical contact triplet GGG. Transient expression assays using mutants in HIV-LTR revealed the presence a cis -response element (GGTCA palindrome) in the negative regulatory region.
A Mutation Associated with DCM Increases Phospholamban Oligomerization and Decreases SERCA-Binding, but Does Not Change Phopholamban Tertiary Strucuture or Phosphorylation by PKA

To better understand the pathological mechanism of a human dilated cardiomyopathy phospholamban (PLB) mutation (R9C), we investigated the effects of this mutation on PLB structure and regulatory interactions. Notably, we observed efficient phosphorylation of R9C-PLB by PKA in vitro, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy showed no change in R9C-PLB structure compared to WT. To test R9C-PLB binding interactions in live cells, PLB was expressed as cyan and yellow fluorescent protein (CFP/YFP) fusions in AAV-293 cells, and PLB oligomerization and SERCA-binding were quantified by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). 100 micromolar H2O2 applied to the cells induced a rapid quench of CFP-R9C-PLB fluorescence and a concomitant increase in YFP-R9C-PLB fluorescence, indicating an increase in intraoligomeric FRET after oxidation. FRET enhancement after peroxide addition was not observed for CFP/YFP-WT-PLB. To test whether the FRET increase was due to increased oligomerization or a quaternary conformation change, we measured intraoligomeric FRET in a population of cells expressing a wide range of R9C-PLB protein concentrations. FRET dependence on concentration yielded oligomer intrinsic FRET efficiency (FRETmax) and relative dissociation constant (KD). Compared to WT, R9C-PLB had a decreased KD and increased FRETmax, indicating an increased oligomerization affinity and more compact oligomer structure, respectively. The enhanced oligomerization of R9C-PLB was matched by a decrease in SERCA-binding compared to WT. Overall the data suggest a new mechanism by which the R9C mutation may exert a pathological effect: decreased SERCA regulation and increased oligomerization, as consequences of increased sensitivity of R9C-PLB to oxidation.
Identification of the herbicide surflan and its active ingredient oryzalin, a dinitrosulfonamide, as xenoestrogens

Numerous environmental contaminants have been identified as endocrine disruptors (EDs)--substances that alter endocrine homeostasis by interfering with the biological action, production, or pharmacokinetics of endogenous hormones. Xenoestrogens are those EDs whose biological activity is similar to endogenous estrogen. This report presents data that identified Surflan, a proprietary herbicide emulsion, and its active ingredient oryzalin as xenoestrogens. In vitro, Surflan and oryzalin activated an estrogen-inducible reporter gene, and oryzalin competitively displaced 17beta-estradiol from the estrogen receptor. In vivo, Surflan and oryzalin induced expression of estrogen-regulated high-molecular-weight choriogenin genes in medaka (Oryzias latipes). These results are consistent with the characteristics of previously identified xenoestrogens and indicate that Surflan and oryzalin have the potential to adversely affect numerous estrogen-regulated biological processes.
The tripartite CNTF receptor complex: Activation and signaling involves components shared with other cytokines

Recent efforts to understand the mechanism of action of CNTF have led to the identification of a three-component receptor complex for CNTF. The distributions of these receptor components explain the known target cell specificity of CNTF, and have also helped identify new and unexpected targets of CNTF action. In addition to including a CNTF-specific component, known as CNTFR alpha, the CNTF receptor complex utilizes two receptor components, gp130 and LIFR beta, that are shared with members of a family of broadly acting cytokines, including leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and interleukin-6 (IL6). The finding that the CNTF receptor complex shares components with this family of cytokines has led to the realization that CNTF should also be considered a cytokine--but one that differs from its relatives in that its actions are largely limited to cells of the nervous system due to the restricted expression of one of its receptor components, CNTFR alpha. CNTFR alpha does not play a direct role in signaling, but instead forms a complex with CNTF that promotes its binding to the signal transducing "beta" receptor components, gp130 and LIFR beta. Thus CNTF utilizes identical signal transducing receptor components in neurons that its relatives use on nonneuronal cells to elicit strikingly dissimilar responses, indicating that different cells interpret the same cell surface signal in dramatically different ways. The three CNTF receptor components are initially unassociated on the cell surface, and are brought together in step-wise fashion upon CNTF binding. CNTF first binds to CNTFR alpha, then recruits gp130, and finally complexes with LIFR beta. It is this last step in complex formation, involving heterodimerization between "beta" components, that activates intracellular signaling. Signal initiation is due to activation of members of a family of cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase, known as the Jak/Tyk kinases, which are preassociated with the beta components in an inactive state and then become activated upon beta component dimerization; the Jak/Tyk kinases, in turn, activate a variety of intracellular signaling molecules, such as members of the STAT family of DNA binding transcriptional activators. A detailed understanding of the mechanism of activation of the CNTF receptor complex has led to the realization that all members of the CNTF family of cytokines activate signaling in much the same way, by inducing either homo- or heterodimerization of beta receptor components and thus activation of the preassociated Jak/Tyk kinases; this mode of receptor activation may prove to be more generally applicable to all cytokine receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Potential remediation approach for uranium-contaminated groundwaters through potassium uranyl vanadate precipitation.

Methods for remediating groundwaters contaminated with uranium (U) through precipitation under oxidizing conditions are needed because bioreduction-based approaches require indefinite supply of ele...
Ribosomal protein synthesis during recovery from puromycin treatment

Abstract During recovery from puromycin treatment four 50-S ribosomal proteins are synthesized to a greater extent than all others. An examination of ribosomal proteins synthesized during residual protein synthesis in the presence of puromycin has indicated that puromycin does not inhibit synthesis of all 50-S ribosomal proteins to the same extent.
Comparison of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate adhesive, fibrin glue, and suturing for wound closure in the porcine urinary tract

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate 2-octyl cyanoacrylate glue (OCG) for wound closure in the urinary tract and compare the ability of OCG, fibrin glue (FG), and suture to withstand physiologic and supraphysiologic stress, because the use of tissue adhesives such as OCG or FG might simplify laparoscopic surgery. Methods. Female domestic pigs (n = 22) underwent a 7.5-cm cystotomy. Of these, 8 had closure with OCG and 8 with FG (6 open and 2 laparoscopic in each group). The controls were closed with suture (n = 4) or not at all (n = 2). Postoperative catheter drainage was not used. At 2 days or 4 weeks postoperatively, the bladders were filled with saline to 200 mm Hg pressure and the cystotomy scars inspected for leakage. The excised scars were also examined histologically. Results. The 2 OCG and 2 FG pigs tested on postoperative day 2 leaked at less than 200 mm Hg. None of the 6 OCG pigs tested at 4 weeks leaked at less than 200 mm Hg, including the 2 closed laparoscopically. Of the 6 FG pigs intended for study at 4 weeks, 3 (including the 2 closed laparoscopically) died from a massive urine leak, 1 tested at 4 weeks leaked, and 2 did not leak. Thus, 4 of 6 FG pigs leaked by 4 weeks compared with none in the OCG group (P = 0.06). The histologic examination was similar in the two groups. Conclusions. Preliminary results suggest that OCG provides enough strength to hold together a large bladder wound. In the same model, FG did not consistently provide adequate closure.
Saturated in beer: awareness of beer advertising in late childhood and adolescence.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine exposure, response to, and awareness of beer advertising in 2 age groups, including awareness of a Budweiser advertisement (ad) that portrayed lizards and an animated ferret. Methods In the spring of 2000, 1,996 fourth graders and 1,525 ninth graders attending 1 of 60 South Dakota schools participated in an in-school survey. Several indicators of advertising awareness, exposure, and response were assessed: recognition, product naming, brand naming, and liking in response to stills drawn from 4 masked television beer ads, listing of beer brands, exposure, attention to, and skepticism toward television beer ads. Results Fourteen percent of 4th graders and 20% of 9th graders recognized at least 3 of 4 sample beer ads. Seventy-five percent of 4th graders and 87% of 9th graders recognized the Budweiser ferret ad; about one in three 4th graders could name the brand it advertised, whereas more than three in four 9th graders could do so. When asked to list as many beer brands as they could, almost 29% of 4th graders listed 3 or more beer brands and 82% of 9th graders did so. Ninth graders liked beer advertisements more and paid greater attention to them, but 4th graders were exposed to them more often. Conclusion Television beer ads result in high levels of beer advertising awareness in children as young as age 9, and even higher awareness among 14-year-olds. Practices that expose or appeal to youth, including use of animated characters, should be avoided by beer advertisers.
Managing domestic differences in international negotiations: the strategic use of internal side-payments

When nations negotiate, often the toughest bargaining is not between nations but within them. The reason is simple: proposed international agreements, no matter how much in the “national interest,” inevitably have differential effects on factional concerns, threatening to make winners of some and losers of others. Potential losers often have the power to prevent agreements not to their liking, thereby limiting what is possible in international negotiations. This article uses a negotiation analytic framework to analyze the consequences of such limits. It argues that limits need not be a liability for a divided country—under some circumstances they may provide a bargaining advantage—and demonstrates circumstances under which intracountry differences are desirable and undesirable from a national perspective. More specifically, the article shows that the effect of domestic differences on international negotiations depends on the configuration of domestic interests, on the nature of domestic political processes, and on characteristics of the international bargain. It then explores a particular dimension of the domestic process: the ability to link issues which allow factions to make internal side-payments. It demonstrates that internal issue linkage can have profound effects on the external bargain and explores the strategic implications of side-payments for those who would manage domestic differences in international negotiations.
Destabilization ofrbcS sense transcripts by antisense RNA

Steady-staterbcS mRNA levels are drastically reduced in transgenic tobacco plants that expressrbcS antisense RNAs. We have found that these reductions are not due to an effect of the antisense RNA at the level ofrbcS transcription; rather, the sense mRNAs are more actively degraded in the mutant than wild-type plants. We have examined the kinetics of this turnover process by inhibiting transcription with cordycepin, and have found thatrbcS sense mRNA decay is accelerated about five-fold in the antisense plants. This provides direct evidence that antisense RNAs can serve to destabilize sense transcripts in plants.
Scattering kinetics in a complex tryptophan hydroxylase preparation from rat brainstem raphe nuclei: Statistical evidence that the lithium-induced sigmoid velocity function reflects two states of available catalytic potential

Multiple measures on statistical patterns from a kinetic scattering paradigm for the activities of rat brainstem medial and dorsal raphe nuclear tryptophan hydroxylase preparations are consistent with the previous hypothesis (J. Neural Transmission 45∶1–15, 1979) that the lithium ion induces a state of kinetic bistability in the system. In this context, the lithium-induced sigmoid tetrahydrobiopterin-reaction velocity function is interpreted as a jump between two stable states of differing catalytic potential with a less kinetically accessible domain between them. These dynamics are qualitatively portrayed in three dimensions by Thom's classical cusp catastrophe.
Important Job for a Nervous Glucose Transporter

The endocrine pancreas is innervated by both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which play an important role in controlling insulin and glucagon secretion. However, it is not fully understood how glucose regulates the activity of the autonomic nervous system in the pancreatic islets and what the long-term effects of this activity are on β cell mass and function. The glucose transporter 2 (Glut2), which is widely expressed in pancreatic β cells and in the liver, was previously demonstrated to be expressed also in various areas of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The exact role of Glut2 in the nervous system was not clear, although it has been suggested to participate in central glucose sensing and the control of feeding and glucose homeostasis. Recently, Tarussio et al. studied a mouse model with inactivation of Glut2 in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The absence of Glut2 in the nervous system resulted in decreased β cell proliferation in the postnatal period, which led to an ~30% reduction in β cell mass in adult mice. Although these mice had normal body weight and energy expenditure, they progressively developed β cell dysfunction and glucose intolerance, which were further accelerated by a high-fat diet. The authors demonstrated that the decrease in β cell mass resulted from decreased ability of glucose to stimulate the activity of the parasympathetic system. However, they could not yet identify what are the Glut2-expressing cells in the brain, or how Glut2 expression controls the parasympathetic outflow to the pancreas. In addition to reduced β cell mass, exposure of these mice to high-fat diet resulted in impaired glucose-stimulated first-phase release of insulin and abnormally elevated secretion of glucagon. Because these abnormalities are characteristically observed in patients with type 2 diabetes, the suggested protective effects of parasympathetic activity on β cell mass and function may have an exciting translational potential for diabetes prevention in humans. In addition, it is also possible that postnatal exposure to environmental factors that may interfere with Glut2 expression or function in the brain might increase the risk for the development of glucose intolerance and diabetes later in life. D. Tarussio et al., Nervous glucose sensing regulates postnatal β cell proliferation and glucose homeostasis. J. Clin. Invest. 124 , 413–424 (2014). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/69154
Child maltreatment and gender interactions as predictors of differential neuroendocrine profiles

Child maltreatment is a potent stressor associated with neuroendocrine dysregulation and increased risk for mental and physical disorders throughout the lifespan. Gender differences in stress reactivity and adult psychopathology prevalence may be related to sex-specific responsivity to stress. The purpose of this study is to examine whether gender interacts with the stress of maltreatment to produce differential neuroendocrine profiles in children. Participants included 137 maltreated and 110 nonmaltreated low-income, racially and ethnically diverse children (range: 7.9-10.9 years; M=9.42 years; 52% male) who attended a summer research day camp. Saliva was collected 3 times across the day for 5 days for cortisol and dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) analysis. Department of Human Services records were examined to determine the type, severity, chronicity, onset, and recency of maltreatment for children in the maltreated group. Significant interactions between gender and maltreatment pervasiveness predicted diurnal cortisol, DHEA, and cortisol/DHEA ratio levels. Elevated daily cortisol levels were reported for boys compared to girls in the group with more pervasive maltreatment. Boys with less pervasive maltreatment had lower DHEA and higher cortisol/DHEA ratio levels than girls with similar experiences, nonmaltreated boys, and boys with more pervasive maltreatment. Further results are consistent with down-regulation of cortisol production in girls with more pervasive maltreatment and girls who experienced maltreatment that was early onset and not recent. The effectiveness of interventions for maltreated children may be improved with greater knowledge of how maltreatment differentially affects neuroendocrine regulation by gender.
Fate of carbofuran in laying hens.

Eighty percent of a single oral dose, 2.7 mg/kg, of carbofuran (2, 3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl Nmethylcarbamate-7a-14C) was eliminated in the feces by the end of a 10-day study period. All eggs contained small amounts of carbofuran equivalents, with the maximum, 0.13 ppm, occurring on the 4th day. Residues in the liver and kidney were about 2.6 ppm carbofuran equivalents 6 hours after treatment but declined to 0.2 ppm by 24 hours. Muscle and fat contained about 0.3 ppm residues at 6 hours and less than 0.1 ppm by 24hours. Hydroxylation of the no. 3 carbon of carbofuran and hydrolysis of the carbamate ester were the predominant pathways in the metabolism of this insecticide by laying hens. An identical experiment using carbofuran carbonyl-14C, but at a dosage rate of 0.3 mg/kg, supported the above findings. However, the value of quantitative data from the latter study was limited by indications that carbon-14 dioxide resulting from hydrolysis was incorporated into naturally occurring body chemicals.
Woman vs. Fetus: Frame Transformation and Intramovement Dynamics in the Pro-Life Movement

What happens when insiders challenge a movement's dominant frame? To advance knowledge regarding how movement factions respond to frame transformation proposals, this paper examines an attempt to transform the central framing of the American pro-life movement. Over the past four decades, the American pro-life movement primarily employed a fetal rights frame. Yet a growing contingent of the pro-life movement is attempting to replace fetal-centric rhetoric with a frame claiming abortion is harmful to women. Using a combination of focus groups, interviews, and participant observation, this paper explains why this faction is challenging hegemonic pro-life framing and how more traditional pro-life actors respond. I argue that while ideological and organizational concerns often make transformation of a movement's central framing unlikely, if intramovement challengers can persuasively highlight the resonant appeal of challenging frames, movement colleagues are often willing to partially accommodate transformatio...
Mode of action of cyanohydrins in insects

Fumigation toxicity of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) was compared to very potent natural and synthetic cyanohydrins against the house fly and the lesser grain borer. The concentration of cyanide ion was much higher in the house flies exposed to HCN fumigation than in the flies that were exposed to cyanohydrin fumigation or to topical application of cyanohydrins. The results indicate that the toxic action of cyanohydrins in insects is due to the combined effects of cyanide ion, the aldehyde or ketone produced by the decomposition of the cyanohydrin, and possibly the intact cyanohydrin molecule. © Presticide Science Society of Japan
“Let's Move” Campaign: Applying the Extended Parallel Process Model

This article examines Michelle Obama's health campaign, "Let's Move," through the lens of the extended parallel process model (EPPM). "Let's Move" aims to reduce the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States. Developed by Kim Witte, EPPM rests on the premise that people's attitudes can be changed when fear is exploited as a factor of persuasion. Fear appeals work best (a) when a person feels a concern about the issue or situation, and (b) when he or she believes to have the capability of dealing with that issue or situation. Overall, the analysis found that "Let's Move" is based on past health campaigns that have been successful. An important element of the campaign is the use of fear appeals (as it is postulated by EPPM). For example, part of the campaign's strategies is to explain the severity of the diseases associated with obesity. By looking at the steps of EPPM, readers can also understand the strengths and weaknesses of "Let's Move."
High-level erythroid expression of human alpha-globin genes in transgenic mice.

Abstract The human alpha 1-globin gene was fused downstream of two erythroid-specific DNase I super-hypersensitive sites that are normally located upstream of the human beta-globin locus. This construct was injected into fertilized mouse eggs, and expression was analyzed in 16-day fetal livers and brains. All 11 fetuses that contained intact copies of the transgene expressed correctly initiated human alpha-globin mRNA in the erythroid fetal liver but not in brain. Levels of expression ranged from 4% to 337% of endogenous mouse beta-globin mRNA. A human alpha-globin construct that did not contain super-hypersensitive sites was not expressed. These results demonstrate that human beta-globin locus activation sequences can stimulate high levels of human alpha-globin gene expression in erythroid tissue of transgenic mice. The results also provide a foundation for experiments designed to coexpress human alpha- and beta-globin genes in transgenic mice and suggest a feasible approach for production of a mouse model for human sickle cell disease.
Data envelopment analysis for efficiency measurement in the stochastic case

Abstract The data envelopment analysis for measuring efficiency of decision-making units is generalized here for stochastic variations of input and output data. The case of one output and many inputs is considered for three types of data variations, e.g. in the objective function, in the constraints and the outputs. It is shown that a minimax method of efficiency measurement through chance-constrained programming methods can be suitably applied for the case of chance constraints. Some empirical applications to measurement of efficiency of public schools are also analyzed to test the sensitivity and robustness of the efficiency ranking and measurement.
Troubling Anal Sex: Gender, Power, and Sexual Compliance in Heterosexual Experiences of Anal Intercourse

Existing literatures on anal sex mostly focus on links between anal sex and public health, particularly sexual risk-taking. Drawing upon feminist theoretical frameworks, this study linked anal sex activities of heterosexual men and women to broader issues of sexist power imbalances. This study analyzed survey data from 205 undergraduates to assess the relationship between frequency of vaginal and anal intercourse and ten correlates, including identity, sexual aggression, and attitudinal and behavioral practices. Being single and support for women’s abstinence was negatively correlated with vaginal but not anal sex, while anal sex was connected to support of hegemonic masculinity and lifetime experiences with sexual coercion, particularly for women. Implications for gender and power dynamics of heterosexual anal sex were explored.
Soil characteristics of two similarly‐fertilized florida citrus groves with different groundwater nitrate levels

Abstract Groundwater nitrate concentrations remained sharply different at two sites in the central part of the Florida peninsula over a two‐year observation period. Nitrogen (N) fertilization patterns, both quantity and application methods, and rainfall were approximately the same at both sites. The soil at the low groundwater nitrate site, at depths of 0 to 120 cm, had a higher cation exchange capacity (CEC) and contained more ammonium acetate‐extractable potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg). It also had a greater organic matter content, contained more clay in the 90 to 120‐cm layer and more nitrate in the 1 to 30‐cm layer. There was a sharp difference in depth to groundwater. At Site 1 (high nitrate levels) the water table remained steady at 4 m, while at Site 2 (low nitrate levels), it ranged from 0.9 to 1.1 m in the two wells monitored. The aquifer at Site 1 was unconfined, but was confined at Site 2 by increasing clay contents with depth.
21. Bulimia nervosa: a disturbance of serotonin/orbital frontal cortex modulation?

abnormality in serotonergic function is found throughout the prefrontal cortex. Differences also exist in other brain regions between the findings in depression vs. suicidal behavior. Given that suicidal behavior is also associated with increased lifetime aggression and impulsivity, we have postulated that there is a fundamental deficiency in the restraint mechanisms located in the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, in terms of aggression. We have evaluated serotonergic responses to fenfluramine using positron emission tomography (PET) with F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and found that there are abnormalities associated with depression and a specific abnormality in the prefrontal cortex associated with highly lethal suicidal behavior. The degree of this abnormality in depression is reduced by serotonin release with fenfluramine. The difference between individuals who have made low lethality suicide attempts and those who have made high lethality suicide attempts is also sensitive to the effects of serotonin release. These studies add to the body of literature implicating serotonergic function in suicidality, an abnormality that is independent of that associated with mood disorders.
Some developments in anomalous dispersion for the structural investigation of macromolecular systems in biology

A discussion is given of the anomalous dispersion technique in structure analysis. This is accompanied by a general algebraic analysis with no approximations for any number and type of anomalous scatterer. The resulting relations are largely linear with appropriate selection of unknown quantities. The quantities of interest are expressed only in terms of functions of the nonanomalous parts of the atomic scattering factors and are separate for each type of anomalous scatterer. This theory, the advent of increased ease in performing multiple-wavelength experiments, and some recent progres made in applying a one-wavelength experiment to the solution of a protein structure suggest considerable potential for the future application of the anomalous dispersion technique to structural investigations of complex macromolecular systems in biology.
An algorithm for computing the effective linear elastic properties of heterogeneous materials: Three-dimensional results for composites with equal phase poisson ratios

Abstract An algorithm based on finite elements applied to digital images is described for computing the linear elastic properties of heterogeneous materials. As an example of the algorithm, and for their own intrinsic interest, the effective Poisson's ratios of two-phase random isotropic composites are investigated numerically and via effective medium theory, in two and three dimensions. For the specific case where both phases have the same Poisson's ratio (ν1 = ν 2), it is found that there exists a critical value ν ∗ , such that when ν 1 = ν 2 > ν ∗ the composite Poisson's ratio ν always decreases and is bounded below by ν ∗ when the two phases are mixed. If ν 1 = ν 2 ∗ , the value of ν always increases and is bounded above by ν ∗ when the two phases are mixed. In d dimensions, the value of ν ∗ is predicted to be 1 (2d − 1) using effective medium theory and scaling arguments. Numerical results are presented in two and three dimensions that support this picture, which is believed to be largely independent of microstructural details.
NKG2D recruits two distinct adapters to trigger NK cell activation and costimulation

NKG2D is a receptor on natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes that binds major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-like ligands expressed primarily on virally infected and neoplastic cells. In vitro studies indicate that NKG2D provides costimulation through an associated adapter, DAP10, which recruits phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase. Here we show that in DAP10-deficient mice, CD8+ T cells lack NKG2D expression and are incapable of mounting tumor-specific responses. However, DAP10-deficient NK cells express a functional NKG2D receptor due to the association of NKG2D with another adapter molecule, DAP12 (also known as KARAP), which recruits protein tyrosine kinases. Thus, NKG2D is a versatile receptor that, depending on the availability of adapter partners, mediates costimulation in T cells and/or activation in NK cells.
Judging health systems: reflections on WHO's methods.

Summary The attainment values in WHO's World Health Report 2000 1 are spurious: only 39% are country-level observations. The responsiveness indicators are not comparable across countries; and three values obtained from expert informants were discarded in favour of imputed values. Indices of composite attainment and performance are based on imputations and thus are also meaningless. Member governments were not informed of the methods and sometimes suffered unjust criticism because of the rankings. Judgments about performance should be based on real data, represent methodological consensus, be built from less aggregated levels, and be useful for policy.
An analytical comparison of the three most commonly used prostate-specific antigen assays: Tandem-R, Tandem-E, and IMx.

Abstract Objectives To compare the similarity of individual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) results when using the Tandem-R PSA assay, the Tandem-E PSA assay, or the IMx PSA assay; to assess the lot-to-lot variation within (intra-assay interlot) and between (interassay interlot) the Tandem-R, Tandem-E, and IMx PSA assays; and to evaluate the individual and overall potential lot-to-lot bias of the Tandem-R, Tandem-E, and IMx PSA assays. Methods Forty-nine serum samples (PSA values from 0 to 85 ng/mL) were each tested by three separate lots (manufacturer's reagent materials) of Tandem-R, Tandem-E, and IMx PSA assays. Therefore, a total of nine different lots were utilized per patient sample in this investigation. Analyses primarily focused on three ranges: 0 to 10 ng/mL (low), 10 to 85 ng/mL (high), and 0 to 85 ng/mL (overall). Results In the 0 to 10 ng/mL range, 93% of the assay comparisons yielded an actual difference of less than 1 ng/mL. All three assays demonstrated excellent correlation within and between their three respective lots, within all three ranges. The 95% confidence intervals around the percent coefficient of variation (CV) demonstrated similar results for each assay (CV range, 3.2% to 6.0%). All lots demonstrated an average actual PSA bias of less than ± 1 ng/mL. The average percent PSA bias was also similar between all three assay systems. All lots demonstrated a less than ±4% bias. Conclusions Overall, the Tandem-R and IMx PSA assays yielded slightly lower results than the Tandem-E PSA assay. However, these differences were not statistically significant. In addition, the overall lot-to-lot variation (intra-assay and interassay) was not statistically significant, and the actual or percent PSA bias was minimal with these three assays. Therefore, a clinician can feel confident that a patient's serum sample should yield a similar and interchangeable result, whether it is determined by the Tandem-R, Tandem-E, or IMx PSA assay system.
Wolf in sheep's clothing: acute chloroma disguised as a subdural hematoma.

Background Subdural hematomas are not infrequent among patients with hematologic disorders as they are prone to thrombocytopenia from their disease and chemotherapy. However, rarely these patients can also have leukemic involvement of the subdural space.
Outcomes among valvular heart disease patients experiencing ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the rates and predictors of survival and recurrence among residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, who received an initial diagnosis based on 2-dimensional color Doppler echocardiography of moderate or severe mitral or aortic stenosis or regurgitation and who experienced a first ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), or amaurosis fugax. PATIENTS AND METHODS At the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, we used the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project to identify individuals who met the criteria for inclusion in the study and to verify exclusion criteria. The study included all residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, who experienced a first ischemic stroke, TIA, or amaurosis fugax within 30 days of or subsequent to receiving a first-time 2-dimensional color Doppler echocardiography-based diagnosis of moderate or severe mitral or aortic stenosis or regurgitation between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 1992. The Kaplan-Meier product-limit method was used to estimate the rates of subsequent stroke and death after the ischemic stroke, TIA, or amaurosis fugax. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the effect of several potential risk factors on subsequent stroke occurrence and death. RESULTS For the 125 patients in the study, the Kaplan-Meier estimates of the risk of death and the risk of stroke at 2-year follow-up were 38.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29.9%-47.5%) and 18.5% (95% CI, 10.0%-27.0%), respectively. Compared with the general population, death rates were significantly increased (standardized mortality ratio = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.38-2.19; P P =.40). After adjustment for age, sex, and cardiac comorbidity, neither the type nor severity of valvular heart disease was an independent determinant of survival or subsequent stroke occurrence. CONCLUSIONS Patients with mitral or aortic valvular heart disease who experience ischemic stroke, TIA, or amaurosis fugax have increased rates of death, but not recurrent stroke, compared with expected rates. Other cardiovascular risk factors are more important determinants of survival in these patients than the type or echocardiographic severity of the valvular heart disease.
Numerical Study on Heat Transfer of Inclined Jet Impingement With Explicit Crossflow

Due to its high heat and mass transfer rate, especially near the stagnation region, jet impingement has been widely used in many applications, such as annealing of metal and plastic sheets, cooling of gas turbine blades and electronic components. However, the high heat transfer rate can be strongly affected by the crossflow coming from either the exhaust fluid in an array of jets or other sources. On the other hand, the inclination angle of injection also influences the jet impingement flow and heat transfer, and an inclined jet towards the crossflow may strengthen jet penetration. The combined effect of the crossflow and inclination angle on jet impingement heat transfer makes the problem even more complicated. This paper studied this effect numerically with various parameters, including the velocity ratio of jet to the crossflow, inclination angles, the crossflow temperature as well as the jet-to-target spacing. The heat transfer coefficient distribution and its peak value at the stagnation region are examined and compared. Results show that at small jet-to-target spacing the crossflow can enhance the heat transfer, while at large jet-to-target spacing the heat transfer is reduced due to the crossflow as well as inclination. In some cases jet impingement heat transfer can be higher with an inclined angle than that of a normal jet, given the same crossflow ratio.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Familial porencephaly and congenital hemiplegia.

Breve revue clinique et tomodensitometrique de 2 familles avec six sujets atteints d'hemiplegie infantile dont 5 chez qui une porencephalie congenitale a ete demontree. D'autres cas familiaux ont deja ete publies avec des caracteres comparables et une transmission autonomique dominante probable d'expression variable et de penetrance reduite
Fast supervised dimensionality reduction algorithm with applications to document categorization & retrieval

Retriev al techniques based on dimensionalit y reduction, such as Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI), have been shown to improve the quality of the information being retrieved by capturing the latent meaning of the words present in the documents. Unfortunately, the high computational and memory requirements of LSI and its inabilit yto compute an e ective dimensionality reduction in a supervised setting limits its applicability. In this paper we present a fast supervised dimensionality reduction algorithm that is derived from the recen tly dev eloped cluster-based unsupervised dimensionality reduction algorithms. We experimentally evaluate the quality of the low er dimensional spaces both in the context of document categorization and improvements in retrieval performance on a variety of di erent document collections. Our experiments show that the lower dimensional spaces computed by our algorithm consistently improve the performance of traditional algorithms such as C4.5, k-nearestneigh bor, and Support Vector Machines (SVM), by an average of 2% to 7%. Furthermore, the supervised lower dimensional space greatly improves the retriev al performance when compared to LSI.
Techniques for retaining low performing students: high-need student mentoring program (abstract only)

It has been a challenge to retain computer science students, especially underrepresented students such as woman and minority. This poster describes our experiences in implementing a mentoring program to improve computer science retention and graduate rates at North Carolina A&T State University (NCATSU). NCATSU is among the United States' Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) serving more than 10,000 students. The Department of Computer Science on the average enrolls 195 undergraduate students, among them approximately 90% are African American and 30% are African American woman. The Computer Science Department at NCATSU in an attempt to increase retention and graduate rates of minority and women students developed the High-Need Student Mentoring Program supported by the Department of Education Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP). This poster describes the High-Need Student Mentoring Program (HNSMP). HNSMP is designed to provide special attention to undergraduate students who show signs of having academic difficulty. The goal of this Program is to increase retention by increasing the academic performance of these students. HNSMP's strategy is to assist these students before they reach the point of academic probation or suspension. We will describes data we collected, our findings and challenges we encountered in implementing this program, and our proposed strategies to overcome these challenges. Our experiences and the effective techniques found may be beneficial for other colleges and universities in retaining computer science students, especially African American students.