cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of canonical variate analysis in the evaluation and presentation of multivariate biological response data

The authors have applied canonical variate analysis procedures for evaluating multivariate responses of fish populations to various contaminant stressors. Using examples of fish populations experiencing high levels of PCBs in a reservoir and mixed contaminants in a stream, the significance of integrated stress responses among sample populations was compared statistically and graphically using two- and three-dimensional data presentations. For fish from both systems, the most powerful axis of discrimination among sample populations was correlated with the activity of the detoxification enzyme, EROD (7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase). Indicators of organ dysfunction were the variables most correlated with the second axis of discrimination among sites in the PCB-contaminated reservoir study. Indicators of lipid metabolism were the variables most correlated with the second and third axes of discrimination among stream fish. Canonical variate analysis procedures are useful for evaluating multivariate response data because they take into account the interrelations and associated among response variables and reveal the integrated nature of organism responses to stress. Using this procedure, the significance of integrated stress responses among different sample populations ca be graphically compared and evaluated using two- or three-dimensional data presentations. These types of graphical displays help provide an understanding of the relationships among sample populations thatmore » may not be evident from tabular or other types of data summaries. In addition, this approach can be useful in helping to identify factors such as toxicants or other environmental stressors which impair the health of aquatic ecosystems.« less
Changes in self estimates of psychological attributes as a function of the direction of discrepancies between initial estimates and reported test scores.

Estimates of amounts of aptitude, interest and personality possessed by the rater were collected from 75 males requesting vocational and educational guidance before and immediately after the interpretation to the counselees of paper-and-pencil psychological tests presumably measuring the estimate attributed. Estimates of the attributes were significantly closer to the test scores following feedback. The discrepancies between test scores and the estimates of attributes after feedback were significantly smaller for those Ss whose estimates before counseling were underestimates of the test scores than for those overestimating. Such differences between the under- and overestimators were most marked for estimates of ability, second for interest, but not significant for temperament.
Cytogenetic effects of vincristine sulfate and ethylene dibromide in human peripheral lymphocytes:Micronucleus Analysis

Micronuclei kinetics and persistence in mononucleated and binucleated human peripheral lymphocytes following short-term (4 hr) and continuous (until harvest) in vitro exposure to vincristine sulfate (VS) and ethylene dibromide (EDB) were studied. Lymphocytes were exposed to chemicals for various doses and harvested at different culture times. Micronucleus frequencies were scored in both mononucleated and binucleated cells on the same slide. VS-treated cells showed a significantly higher incidence of micronucleus in both mononucleated and binucleated cells than controls (P less than 0.01). The cells treated continuously with VS produced comparatively higher frequencies of micronucleated cells than those treated for 4 hr. Highest micronuclei frequencies were observed 24 hr after chemical treatment in both mononucleated and binucleated cells and decreased later with time. However, the micronucleus frequencies remained significantly higher than the controls even in the cells harvested at 144 hr. VS induced a large number of micronucleated cells with multiple micronuclei. VS also caused a severe decrease in nuclear division due to cytotoxic effect. Lymphocytes treated with EDB for 4 hr and continuously showed a statistically higher incidence of micronuclei in binucleated cells compared to the controls (P less than 0.05), whereas in mononucleated cells higher micronucleus frequencies were observed only in cultures treated continuously. Continuous presence of EDB induced both dose- and time-dependent increase of micronuclei in both mono- and binucleated cells (P less than 0.05). EDB induced relatively few multiple micronucleated cells in comparison with VS. EDB did not affect nuclear divisions even with continuous treatment. High micronucleus frequencies observed at 144 hr harvest following 4 hr treatment of both EDB and VS suggest the persistence of DNA damage in cells. These studies suggest that micronuclei kinetics in human peripheral lymphocytes depends on the genotoxic potentially and cytotoxicity of a genotoxicant.
TH‐A(SAM)‐211‐02: Yttrium‐90 Microsphere Therapy Planning and Dose Calculations

Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy, a form of radiation therapy, is an increasingly popular option for care of patients with liver metastases or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. The therapy directly delivers Yttrium‐90 microspheres via the hepatic artery to specifically targeted disease sites. Following Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy, a vast majority of Yttrium‐90 microspheres preferentially lodge in neoplastic tissue due to their embolic size (mean diameter 32 μm) and targeted trans‐arterial delivery. Once embolized the microspheres do not migrate but deposits upto 90% of its energy in the first 5 mm of tissue. Prior to Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy, a 99mTc‐MAA examination is conducted to evaluate catheter placement and lung‐shunt fraction. The lung shunt fraction and absorbed dose estimates for lung and liver that guide Yttrium‐90 administered activity are based on nuclear medicine imaging. A review of the pre‐ and post‐therapy imaging procedures underlying Yttrium‐ 90 microsphere therapy will be presented. Calculation of the lung shunt fraction and dosimetry models to estimate radiation absorbed doses will be discussed. Radiation safety issues will be also be reviewed. Educational Objectives: 1. To understand the imaging sequence for Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy planning and dose calculations 2. To understand calculation of lung shunt fraction and estimation of absorbed dose for lung and liver 3. To become familiar with radiation safety and regulations surrounding Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy
Preoperative Assessment of the Older Patient: A Narrative Review

Importance Surgery in older patients often poses risks of death, complications, and functional decline. Prior to surgery, evaluations of health-related priorities, realistic assessments of surgical risks, and individualized optimization strategies are essential. Objective To review surgical decision making for older adult patients by 2 measures: defining treatment goals for elderly patients and reviewing the evidence relating risk factors to adverse outcomes. Assessment and optimization strategies for older surgical patients are proposed. Evidence Acquisition A review of studies relating geriatric conditions such as functional and cognitive impairment, malnutrition, facility residence, and frailty to postoperative mortality and complications (including delirium, discharge to an institution, and functional decline). Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched for articles published between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2013, that included patients older than 60 years. Results This review identified 54 studies of older patients; 28 that examined preoperative clinical features associated with mortality (n = 1 422 433 patients) and 26 that examined factors associated with surgical complications (n = 136 083 patients). There was substantial heterogeneity in study methods, measures, and outcomes. The absolute risk and risk ratios relating preoperative clinical conditions to mortality varied widely: 10% to 40% for cognitive impairment (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.26 [95% CI, 1.06-1.49] to 5.77 [95% CI, 1.55-21.55]), 10% to 17% for malnutrition (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.88 [95% CI, 0.78-1.01] to 59.2 [95% CI, 3.6-982.9]), and 11% to 41% for institutionalization (adjusted OR, 1.5 [95% CI, 1.02-2.21] to 3.27 [95% CI, 2.81-3.81]).) Risk ratios for functional dependence relating to mortality ranged from an adjusted HR of 1.02 (95% CI, 0.99-1.04) to an adjusted OR of 18.7 (95% CI, 1.6-215.3) and for frailty relating to mortality, ranged from an adjusted HR of 1.10 (95% CI, 1.04-1.16) to an adjusted OR of 11.7 (95% CI not reported) ( P P Conclusions and Relevance Geriatric conditions may be associated with adverse surgical outcomes. A comprehensive evaluation of treatment goals and communication of realistic risk estimates are essential to guide individualized decision making.
Chemo-mechanics of geomaterials : Coupled constitutive laws

Laws of chemo-mechanical behaviour of geological materials can be strongly coupled in the presence of an impact of chemical conditions, such as contamination, dissolution or precipitation of minera...
The role of dissipation in shepherding of ring particles

A discussion is presented on the gravitational interaction between ring systems and nearby satellites. A shepherd satellite lacking damping mechanisms will force oscillations in the motion of a ring particle that are symmetrical with respect to the encounter geometry. If such damping mechanisms as density wave propagation or a dissipative medium are present, a lag in particle response provides the asymmetry that exerts a net torque on the rings. While the torque on a given particle depends on the degree of damping, that dependence disappears when the torque is averaged over a range of orbits spanning resonances if the degree of damping is within a certain range. A torque that is much lower than the standard formula results from excessively weak or strong damping.
Hepatotoxicity and mortality following transarterial chemoembolization with doxorubicin-eluting beads in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and marginal hepatic reserve

Purpose To determine incidence and risk factors of irreversible hepatotoxicity after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with doxorubicin-eluting beads (DEB) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a patient population with high prevalence of hepatic dysfunction. Materials and Methods Records of 48 consecutive patients with HCC who underwent 76 DEB-TACE procedures from 2011-2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Forty-seven (60.3%) and 26 (33.3%) of the procedures were performed in patients with total bilirubin of >2mg/dl and >3mg/dl respectively. Mean Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score prior to TACE was 12.7 (median 13, standard deviation 4.0). Portal vein thrombus, hepatofugal flow, or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) was present prior to 17 procedures (21.8%). Thirty procedures (38.5%) were performed in patients with ascites. TACE was delivered to a segmental or subsegmental hepatic artery (50 procedures; 64.1%), two segmental hepatic arteries (23; 29.5%), or three segmental arteries (3; 3.8%). Hepatotoxicity was defined as new or worsening ascites or NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 3 or 4 toxicity of bilirubin, AST, ALT, creatinine or INR. Rates for death or urgent liver transplantation within 6 weeks of DEB TACE and irreversible hepatotoxicity were determined. Results Reversible hepatotoxicity developed after 13 procedures (16.7%) in 10 patients (20.8%). Irreversible hepatotoxicity developed after 11 procedures (14.1%) in 11 patients (22.9%). One patient required an urgent liver transplant in the setting of irreversible hepatotoxicity within 6 weeks of DEB-TACE. No patient died within 6 weeks of DEB-TACE. Conclusion DEB-TACE can be performed safely in patients with baseline hepatic dysfunction.
Multifunctional Nutrient-Binding Proteins Adapt Human Symbiotic Bacteria for Glycan Competition in the Gut by Separately Promoting Enhanced Sensing and Catalysis

ABSTRACT To compete for the dynamic stream of nutrients flowing into their ecosystem, colonic bacteria must respond rapidly to new resources and then catabolize them efficiently once they are detected. The Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron starch utilization system (Sus) is a model for nutrient acquisition by symbiotic gut bacteria, which harbor thousands of related Sus-like systems. Structural investigation of the four Sus outer membrane proteins (SusD, -E, -F, and -G) revealed that they contain a total of eight starch-binding sites that we demonstrated, using genetic and biochemical approaches, to play distinct roles in starch metabolism in vitro and in vivo in gnotobiotic mice. SusD, whose homologs are abundant in the human microbiome, is critical for the initial sensing of available starch, allowing sus transcriptional activation at much lower concentrations than without this function. In contrast, seven additional binding sites across SusE, -F, and -G are dispensable for sus activation. However, they optimize the rate of growth on starch in a manner dependent on the expression of the bacterial polysaccharide capsule, suggesting that they have evolved to offset the diffusion barrier created by this structure. These findings demonstrate how proteins with similar biochemical behavior can serve orthogonal functions during different stages of cellular adaptation to nutrients. Finally, we demonstrated in gnotobiotic mice fed a starch-rich diet that the Sus binding sites confer a competitive advantage to B. thetaiotaomicron in vivo in a manner that is dependent on other colonizing microbes. This study reveals how numerically dominant families of carbohydrate-binding proteins in the human microbiome fulfill separate and sometimes cooperative roles to optimize gut commensal bacteria for nutrient acquisition. IMPORTANCE Our intestinal tract harbors trillions of symbiotic microbes. A critical function contributed by this microbial community is the ability to degrade most of the complex carbohydrates in our diet, which not only change from meal to meal but also cannot be digested by our own bodies. A numerically abundant group of gut bacteria called the Bacteroidetes plays a prominent role in carbohydrate digestion in humans and other animals. Currently, the mechanisms that allow this bacterial group to rapidly respond to available carbohydrates and then digest them efficiently are unclear. Here, we present novel functions for four carbohydrate-binding proteins present in one member of the Bacteroidetes , revealing that these proteins serve unique and separable roles in either initial nutrient sensing or subsequent digestion. Because the protein families investigated are numerous in other gut bacteria colonizing nearly all humans and animals, our findings are fundamentally important to understanding how symbiotic microbes assist human digestion.
Medical devices for developing countries: Design constraints and approaches

Medical devices intended for use in developing countries have certain differences compared to those used in developed countries. Thus, many of the medical devices built for developed countries may not be compatible with the environment in developing countries. In this specific case study we consider the respiratory problems in India and elucidate design constraints and approaches for the development of medical devices to diagnose them.
Sediment Ponding in the Deep Sea

Echo soundings made over the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, using sound pulses from 0.2 to 1 millisecond long, exhibit evidence that several horizontal layers of sediment extend continuously across the nearly flat floors of enclosed basins. In one basin of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the layers which were sampled by coring proved to be alternate layers of sorted coarse clastic materials and clay; basins investigated by others off the coast of California are similar in this respect. The coarse clastic materials are either volcanic ash, probably transported by air, or sorted sand and silt, probably laid down during the terminal phase of turbidity currents. The author suggests that all enclosed basins of the deep sea will be found to contain such layering and that, in general, other abyssal plains will not. These basinal deposits are referred to as sediment ponds because of their mode of occurrence. Sequences of bedding have been found by echo sounding which have the appearance of having been formed in an enclosed basin and later distorted by tectonic action. The suggestion is made that the flysch of the Alps and other similar sedimentary rocks may have formed originally in ancient enclosed basins .
Development of a large Ka band waveguide array for digital beamforming application

We have presented the design, analysis and development of a Ka band digitally beamformed 1mx1m slot array. The array was found to be successful in meeting the objectives of GLISTIN demonstration antenna, especially with respect to the difficult 0.042° relative beam alignment between sticks.
Noonan Syndrome A Report of Male-to-Male Transmission

A report of three generations of Noonan syndrome, affecting one female and two males, is described. This is the ninth family in which male-to-male transmission has been reported, suggesting an autosomal dominant trait.
Hypercube Vs Cube-Connected Cycles: A Topological Evaluation

Hypercubes and cube-connected cycles di'er in the number of links per node which has fundamental implications on several issues including performance and ease of implementation. In this paper, we evaluate these networks with respect to a number of parameters including several topological characterizations, fault-tolerance, various broadcast and point-to-point communication primitives. In the process we also derive several lower bound figures and describe algorithms for communication in cube-connected cycles. We conclude that while having lower number of links per node in a CCC might not degrade performance drastically (especially for lowe,r dimensions) as compared to a hypercube of a similar size, this feature has several consequences which substantially aid its (VLSI and non- VLSI) implementation.
Simulations of imploding solid liner melting and vaporization vs liner thickness, and evidence for "melt waves"

The Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate (AFRL/DE) has, over the last several years, conducted experiments on the magnetic pressure driven implosion of various metal shells (solid liners). More recently, AFRL/DE has reported on experiments that successfully imploded cylindrical aluminum liners suitable for compressing field reversed configurations (FRC's) to magnetized target fusion (MTF) conditions (1). We have recently done Mach2 (2) MHD simulations of the resistive heating of such imploding liners as a function of their thickness. This was to gain insight on diffusion time effects that conceivably could lead to melt waves for thicker liners, driven with higher currents. For example, scaling the thickness of a liner for successful experiment parameters with the implosion discharge energy might be expected to preserve the timing of liner liquification (or loss of material strength). However, diffusion time effects can complicate this. Our simulations indicate such effects, sometimes referred to as melt waves, for increasing the discharge energy and liner thickness a factor of 4, with the same 10 microsecond current risetime, relative to experimentally successful implosion parameters.
Absorption and Resonance Raman Study of the 2B1(X)−2A2(A) Transition of Chlorine Dioxide in the Gas Phase

The photochemical reaction dynamics of chlorine dioxide (OClO) are investigated using absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The first Raman spectra of gaseous OClO obtained directly on resonance with the {sup 2}B{sub 1}-{sup 2}A{sub 2} electronic transition are reported. Significant scattering intensity is observed for all vibrational degrees of freedom (the symmetric stretch, bend, and asymmetric stretch), demonstrating that structural evolution occurs along all three normal coordinates following photoexcitation. The experimentally measured absorption and resonance Raman intensities are compared to the intensities predicted using both empirical and ab initio models for the optically active {sup 2}A{sub 2} surface. Comparison of the experimental and theoretical absorption spectra demonstrates that the frequencies and intensities of transitions involving the asymmetric stretch are well reproduced by the empirical model characterized by a double-minimum along the asymmetric stretch. However, the ab initio model is also found to reproduce a subset of the experimental intensities. In addition, the extremely large resonance Raman intensity of the asymmetric stretch overtone transition is predicted by both models. The results presented here taken in combination with the model for the {sup 2}A{sub 2} surface in condensed environments suggest that the phase-dependent photochemical reactivity of OClO is due to environment-dependent excited-state structuralmore » evolution along the asymmetric stretch coordinate.« less
Effects of Estradiol on Prolactin Production and Dihydroergocryptine-Induced Inhibition of Prolactin Production in Primary Cultures of Rat Pituitary Cells

We have used primary cultures of male rat anterior pituitary cells to characterize two effects of pretreatment with 17β-estradiol: 1) the ability to overcome the inhibition of PRL accumulation in the medium (production) by dihydroergocryptine, a dopamine agonist, and 2) the stimulation of PRL production. Medium containing untreated serum contained 20 pm estradiol (E2). In this medium, incubation with dihydroergocryptine for 12 or 24 h caused half-maximal inhibition of PRL production at 150 pm; maximal inhibition reduced values to 32% of the control value. Pretreatment with 50 nm E2 for 5 days decreased the maximal inhibition of PRL production caused by dihydroergocryptine to 65% of control values, with little or no effect on the concentration of ergot which caused half-maximal inhibition. In addition, pretreatment with 50 nm E2 did not increase basal PRL production. Medium containing charcoaltreated serum was calculated to contain less than 2 pm E2. In this medium, dihydroergocryptine caused half-maximal ...
Sub-Picosecond Luminescence Spectra of Photoexcited Electrons Relaxation in p-GaAs

Femtosecond lasers have allowed closer examination of the dynamics of photoexcited carriers in semiconductors during the first tens of femtosecond after laser excitation1–3. In particular, the ultrafast thermalization and relaxation of minority photoexcited carriers in p-GaAs have been a subject of intensive experimental investigations. For example, Furuta and Yoshii2 used time resolved photoluminescence to examine minority electron relaxation over a wide range of acceptor concentrations and demonstrated the importance of electron-hole interaction in the relaxation of the photoexcited minority electrons at high acceptor concentrations. However, because the energy used in the photoexcitation excitation process (1.9 eV) generated electrons with energies above the intervalley transfer threshold, energy loss through intervalley phonon emission contributed to the overall energy and momentum relaxation process. More recently, Rodrigus and coworkers3 also examined the relaxation of photoexcited minority electrons in p-GaAs using shorter laser pulses with energies below the intervalley transfer process in order to minimize the role of intervalley phonons and examine the role of e-h in the cooling process. They also compared the measured electron temperatures with Monte Carlo simulations and obtained good agreement between the measured and simulated data.
WHY DON'T CARNIVOROUS PITCHER PLANTS COMPETE WITH NON‐CARNIVOROUS PLANTS FOR NUTRIENTS?

Most field studies suggest that competition for nutrients is important in nutrient-limited systems. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which species avoid competition for nutrients in nutrient-poor but species-rich communities remain poorly understood. I used a model system, the carnivorous pitcher plant Sarracenia alata, to measure competition for nutrients. In a field competition experiment, I increased the potential for nutrient-niche overlap between established juvenile pitcher plants and their non-carnivorous neighbors by denying a unique source of nutrients (prey) to pitcher plants. Contrary to predictions based on nutrient-niche complementarity, prey exclusion did not reduce the performance of pitcher plants competing with non-carnivorous neighbors. Hence, differences in nutrient-source specialization did not explain the coexistence of Sarracenia alata and its non-carnivorous neighbors in the field. Instead, prey exclusion reduced the positive growth response to increased light following the removal o...
Gordon: using flash memory to build fast, power-efficient clusters for data-intensive applications

As our society becomes more information-driven, we have begun to amass data at an astounding and accelerating rate. At the same time, power concerns have made it difficult to bring the necessary processing power to bear on querying, processing, and understanding this data. We describe Gordon, a system architecture for data-centric applications that combines low-power processors, flash memory, and data-centric programming systems to improve performance for data-centric applications while reducing power consumption. The paper presents an exhaustive analysis of the design space of Gordon systems, focusing on the trade-offs between power, energy, and performance that Gordon must make. It analyzes the impact of flash-storage and the Gordon architecture on the performance and power efficiency of data-centric applications. It also describes a novel flash translation layer tailored to data intensive workloads and large flash storage arrays. Our data show that, using technologies available in the near future, Gordon systems can out-perform disk-based clusters by 1.5× and deliver up to 2.5× more performance per Watt.
Dry matter yield, nitrogen absorption, and water uptake by sweet corn under salt stress

Abstract The response to salinity differs greatly among various plant species. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of NaCl salinity on growth of corn in terms of dry matter production and nitrogen and water uptake. Dry matter yield and N and water uptake by sweet corn (Zea mays L; cv. “Florida Stay Sweet") under normal (control) and NaCl salinized (3, 6, and 9 bars osmotic pressures) nutrient solutions were investigated in a walk‐in growth chamber. The 7‐day old seedlings were grown for 14 days in complete Hoagland solution before starting salt treatments. Then, osmotic pressures of the nutrient solutions (except the controls) were raised 1 bar every day by adding 24 mmol, 1.404 g L‐1, NaCl until the desired (3, 6, and 9 bars) salinity levels were attained. The levels of the nutrient solutions in the pots were maintained at the 2‐liter mark by addition of deionized water. The added water to each pot was recorded and considered as water absorbed by plants. Thirty days after the completion of s...
Mechanism of staurosporine-induced apoptosis in murine hepatocytes

Staurosporine (STS) induces apoptosis in various cell lines. We report in this study that primary cultured mouse hepatocytes are less sensitive to STS compared with Jurkat cells and Huh-7 cells. In...
Current management of patients with melanoma who are pregnant, want to get pregnant, or do not want to get pregnant.

The number of pregnant women who are newly diagnosed with malignant disease annually in the U.S. is approximately 1 per 1000 population. Melanoma, breast carcinoma, cervical carcinoma, leukemia, and lymphoma are the most common types of malignant disease that arise during pregnancy. The incidence of melanoma is rising at a rapid rate, and it is projected that 1 in 68 Americans born in the year 2002 will develop an invasive melanoma during their lifetime. Melanoma is the sixth most common malignancy in women. It is the most common malignancy in women ages 25–29 years, and it is associated with a younger age at the time of presentation. These trends suggest that approximately 35% of women with melanoma are of childbearing age. In this issue of Cancer, Daryanani et al. provide further evidence that pregnancy does not have an adverse effect on prognosis in patients with melanoma. The information from this single-institution study is valuable; however, the management of patients with melanoma with respect to pregnancy and hormonal contraception remains a challenge. The purpose of this editorial is to discuss the management of these patients and to enhance the information provided by Daryanani et al. It is clear that we will encounter increasing numbers of women of childbearing age who may be pregnant at the time of diagnosis of melanoma, who may desire to become pregnant after the diagnosis, or who may desire to use oral contraceptive pills to prevent pregnancy after a diagnosis of melanoma. In clinical practice, how these scenarios are approached may vary from institution to institution and from physician to physician. This is simply a reflection of the historic 2130
Changing attentional demands in left hemispatial neglect.

• Seven variations of a letter cancellation test were used to examine how varying attentional demands affect hemispatial neglect in patients with right hemisphere lesions. While the 14 targets always remained in the same location, the number of distractors (zero, nine, 28, or 82) as well as their complexity (one letter or nine different letters) were varied. The percentage of targets canceled in the left hemispace was linearly related to the number of distractors. There were no differences between the complexity conditions. In a second study, the same 14 targets were presented but the distractors (zero, 14, or 41) were all placed on the right. Increasing the number of distractors on the right increased neglect on both sides of the space. Taken together, these results suggest that, while the limited attentional resources of the left hemisphere are biased toward the right hemispace, the absence of contralateral attentional demands allows these resources to be directed ipsilaterally.
The Effect of Ethylenediaminetetraacetate Washing on the Structure of Spinach Thylakoids

The particles removed from spinach thylakoids by washing with ethylenediaminetetraacetate were found to correspond to particles on the outside surface of the thylakoid, and not to the quantasome cores which remain within the membrane.
Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors potentiate bradykinin's inotropic effects independently of blocking its inactivation.

The positive inotropic effects of bradykinin (BK) and 2 analogs resistant to angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) were potentiated on isolated guinea pig atrial preparations by enalaprilat. The stable BK analogs, dextran-BK and [Hyp3-Tyr(Me)8]-BK, were as active as BK. Pretreatment for 5 min with enalaprilat augmented the maximal positive inotropic effect of [Hyp3-Tyr(Me)8]-BK 2.8-fold, from 19% to 53% and that of BK from 28% to 42% over baseline; inotropic responses to dextran-BK (1 μM) were similarly increased. The activity of atrial ACE, a zinc-requiring enzyme, was completely inhibited by 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid (QSA, 10 mM), which raised the maximal inotropic effect of BK to 39% above baseline. This value rose to 67% when in addition to QSA, 1 μM enalaprilat was added; enalaprilat thus, potentiated the effects of BK independently of enzyme inhibition. The positive inotropic effects to BK and its analogs decline with time in the presence of these agonists. After 10 min of exposure, the response to 1 μM [Hyp3-Tyr(Me)8]-BK decreased to about half, and after 20 min, to 0. Enalaprilat, when present in the tissue bath, prevented the decline in inotropy; even after tachyphylaxis occurred, it reversed this decrease in activity when added. The effects of 1 μM [Hyp3-Tyr(Me)8]-BK, in the absence or presence of enalaprilat, were abolished by the BK B2 receptor antagonist icatibant (0.75 μM). The results indicate that ACE inhibitors, by potentiating the BK effects and blocking BK B2-receptor desensitization, may contribute to the beneficial cardiac effects of BK independently of blocking its inactivation.
Activity level and secondary motivation: Incentive

Activity level was monitored in the startbox before a runway trial for a group of eight rats running for food reward, and for a second group of eight rats receiving identical treatment but with no reward given. There was no evidence for an excitatory incentive response, as the groups’ activity levels did not differ during acquisition. In extinction, the previously rewarded animals were more active, suggesting a frustration effect.
The Ariadne approach to Web- based information integration

The Web is based on a browsing paradigm that makes it difficult to retrieve and integrate data from multiple sites. Today, the only way to do this is to build specialized applications, which are time-consuming to develop and difficult to maintain. We have addressed this problem by creating the technology and tools for rapidly constructing information agents that extract, query, and integrate data from web sources. Our approach is based on a uniform representation that makes it simple and efficient to integrate multiple sources. Instead of building specialized algorithms for handling web sources, we have developed methods for mapping web sources into this uniform representation. This approach builds on work from knowledge representation, databases, machine learning and automated planning. The resulting system, called Ariadne, makes it fast and easy to build new information agents that access existing web sources. Ariadne also makes it easy to maintain these agents and incorporate new sources as they become available.
An Economic Analysis of a Regionalized Rural Solid Waste Management System

A quantitative model is developed to examine the possibility of cost savings through cooperative efforts in collecting and disposing of solid waste material. Heuristic algorithms are used to determine the best locations for landfills and the best routes for the collection trucks to follow in serving the five-county study area. The results of the economic analyses indicate that a regional system for solid waste collection and disposal can be justified from a cost standpoint.
Sequence dependence of isothermal DNA amplification via EXPAR

Isothermal nucleic acid amplification is becoming increasingly important for molecular diagnostics. Therefore, new computational tools are needed to facilitate assay design. In the isothermal EXPonential Amplification Reaction (EXPAR), template sequences with similar thermodynamic characteristics perform very differently. To understand what causes this variability, we characterized the performance of 384 template sequences, and used this data to develop two computational methods to predict EXPAR template performance based on sequence: a position weight matrix approach with support vector machine classifier, and RELIEF attribute evaluation with Naive Bayes classification. The methods identified well and poorly performing EXPAR templates with 67–70% sensitivity and 77–80% specificity. We combined these methods into a computational tool that can accelerate new assay design by ruling out likely poor performers. Furthermore, our data suggest that variability in template performance is linked to specific sequence motifs. Cytidine, a pyrimidine base, is over-represented in certain positions of well-performing templates. Guanosine and adenosine, both purine bases, are over-represented in similar regions of poorly performing templates, frequently as GA or AG dimers. Since polymerases have a higher affinity for purine oligonucleotides, polymerase binding to GA-rich regions of a single-stranded DNA template may promote non-specific amplification in EXPAR and other nucleic acid amplification reactions.
A New Tumor Suppressor Gene, Selective for Lung Cancer

sion of this gene occurred in human lung (among more than a dozen human tissues examined), and, moreover, the important observation was made that GPRC5A mRNA was expressed at only very low levels in human lung cancer cells (three of five head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and four of six non – small cell lung cancer cell lines). The authors hypothesized that this decrease in mRNA expression might be associated with the malignant transformation of airway epithelium. The article by Tao et al. ( 2 ) in the current issue of the Journal now provides excellent, detailed experimental evidence for this hypothesis. The key experimental tool in this article has been the use of mice (B6/129sv) in which the Gprc5a gene has been knocked out by homologous recombination. The Lotan group is not the fi rst to have used knockout technology to study the biology of Gprc5a in the mouse lung. Thus, in an elegant study, Xu et al. ( 3 ) used classical recombinant technology to show that Gprc5a is expressed abundantly and specifi cally in the lung during embryonic development and in adult mice. These authors found that the onset of Gprc5a expression in the embryonic mouse lung coincided with the onset of differentiation in the lung, and they suggested that this gene plays an important role in lung maturation and differentiation. The loss of such a differentiating function during carcinogenesis is in accord with classical concepts of cancer as a disease of differentiation ( 4 , 5 ). However, most notably, the lungs of 3-month-old Gprc5a − / − mice appeared histologically normal in spite of the fact that this gene is expressed at high levels in Gprc5a +/+ mice of this age, in both type I and type II pneumocytes. The reason for this lack of phenotype at 3 months of age is unclear, but the authors suggest that the expression of a related gene that regulates G protein signaling (Raig3, also known as Gprc5c) may
Restoring Native Vegetation to an Urban Wet Meadow Dominated by Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) in Wisconsin

Abstract The perennial grass Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) is a widespread invader of North American wetlands. We asked if the use of herbicide with burning, clipping, or seeding could reduce the cover of P. arundinacea and increase cover of native species in a wet prairie that receives stormwater runoff. Two glyphosate treatments decreased P. arundinacea cover, and spring seeding of 33 native species doubled species richness and floristic quality compared to no seeding. Despite an initial decrease in abundance, P. arundinacea cover was no different than control plots two years after seeding and overall native species richness and cover decreased from the previous year. Application of the grass-specific herbicide sethoxydim in the third year of the study reduced P. arundinacea cover and height while allowing native forbs and graminoids to persist. Most of the 75 species identified during the study were perennial, native forbs, and most of the sown species that commonly established in the field h...
In vivo EPR oximetry using two novel probes: fusinite and lithium phthalocyanine.

The concentration of oxygen is an important variable in many physiological and pathological processes; it is not surprising, therefore, that a variety of methods have been developed to measure oxygen tensions in biological systems. Many techniques provide accurate and reliable determinations of in vitro oxygen tensions; in vivo measurements are more difficult, however, and the currently available methodologies have significant limitations. In this study we employ two novel EPR oximetric probes, fusinite and lithium phthalocyanine (LiPc), along with a low frequency (1.1 GHz) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer and surface probe to measure intramuscular oxygen pressures in anesthetized mice. Principles of in vivo EPR oximetry are discussed in a preceding article by Swartz.
Improving Understanding of Climatic Controls on Ecology in Development Contexts

In contexts of development, climate is one of the several inherited background states, a geographic endowment which, along with factors such as soil types, water availability, and geographic location, exerts a strongly coercive influence on ecological system types and character, and consequentially, on human settlement patterns, health characteristics, livelihoods and economies. Climatic determinism has long been offered as an explanation (and with considerable resultant controversy) to explain the impoverishment of tropical regions relative to the economic vibrancy and affluence of societies in the mid-latitudes (Sachs 2000). However, it is indisputable that climate and climatic variability play a highly influential role in human livelihoods, economic development and health outcomes. For the global poor, the role of climate is magnified due to omnipresent vulnerability related to lower levels of the ability to cope with climatic stress. Consequentially, long-term success in poverty alleviation cannot be achieved without comprehension and engagement with issues of climatic variability and climate change.
Reichard, Gladys A. (1893–1955)

Gladys A. Reichard (1893–1955) is best known for her descriptive studies of Native American languages, and for her groundbreaking work on Navaho language and culture. Reichard's sustained work among the Navaho, which she continued for over a decade, led to the crowning achievements of her career, namely, the publication of her 2-volume ethnographic masterpiece, Navajo religion in 1950, followed by her authoritative reference Navajo grammar in 1951.
Lo/Ovral® (Wyeth)

Lo/Ovral is a combination oral contraceptive preparation. It acts mainly through the mechanism of gonadotropin suppression due to the estrogenic and progestational activity of the constituents. The predominant effect of estrogen is to inhibit secretion of FSH, while continued action of progesterone (related, but not equated to progestins) is to inhibit LH. Alterations in the genital tract, such as changes in the cervical mucus and the endometrium, may also contribute to the contraceptive effectiveness.
Liquid Phase Deposition of Barium Hexaferrite Thin Films

In this study we demonstrate for the first time that magnetic films with a complex crystal structure, such as hexagonal barium ferrite BaFe12O19, can be successfully fabricated in aqueous solutions at 60 °C by the liquid phase deposition method (LPD). Highly uniform films with a variable thickness were deposited on (001) Si substrates at 60 °C and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and magnetic force microscopy. As expected, the as-deposited films are amorphous and consist of a mixture of metal oxide/oxyhydroxide intermediates which can be converted into the desired hexagonal barium ferrite phase upon heat treatment at 950 °C in air. The molar ratio of the metal cations in the treatment solution was found to play a crucial role on the composition of the films, with chemically pure BaFe12O19 films forming in solution when the Fe3+/Ba2+ molar ratio is n = 11. The films are constructed by close-packed spheroidal particles and have out-of-plane coercive fields whi...
Electrospinning Bioactive Supramolecular Polymers from Water

Electrospinning is a high-throughput, low-cost technique for manufacturing long fibers from solution. Conventionally, this technique is used with covalent polymers with large molecular weights. We report here the electrospinning of functional peptide-based supramolecular polymers from water at very low concentrations (<4 wt %). Molecules with low molecular weights (<1 kDa) could be electrospun because they self-assembled into one-dimensional supramolecular polymers upon solvation and the critical parameters of viscosity, solution conductivity, and surface tension were optimized for this technique. The supramolecular structure of the electrospun fibers could ensure that certain residues, like bioepitopes, are displayed on the surface even after processing. This system provides an opportunity to electrospin bioactive supramolecular materials from water for biomedical applications.
HIV incidence and its associated factors among men who have sex with men in Jiangsu Province

Objective To understand HIV incidence and its associated factors among men who have sex with men( MSM) in Jiangsu Province. Methods MSM were recruited for questionnaire interview and laboratory test and seropositive samples were tested with BED HIV-1 IgG capture enzyme immunoassay( BED-CEIA) to detect recent HIV-1 infections. Multivariable Logistic regression model was used to analyze associated factors of HIV recent infection and HIV seronegative MSM as controls. Results A total of 2 432 MSM were recruited and HIV incidence was found to be 4. 67%( 95% CI: 3. 44%-5. 89%). Household place,education level,whether had anal sex with male sex partners and the frequency of condom use in the last 6 months,whether use condom in recent homosexual anal sex and whether infected with syphilis were significant different between HIV seronegative MSM and recent infections( all P 0. 05). Associated risk factors of HIV recent infection included immigrants from other provinces,low education level,recent homosexual anal sex without condom and syphilis infection. Conclusions High HIV incidence was shown among MSM in Jiangsu Province and had spread fast in this population. Powerful prevention and control efforts must be made. The main associated risk factors of HIV recent infection were still unprotected anal intercourse and syphilis infection.
Treatment for Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma.

espanolTumor-treating fields are a novel approach to the treatment of cancer. In vitro and animal studies have demonstrated that the use of alternating electrical fields, at a frequency specifically tuned to penetrate tumor cells, interferes with microtubule formation, proper localization of the cytokinetic contractile ring, and chromosomal segregation, leading to cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and reduced clonogenic potential.1- 3 Little progress has been made in the treatment of glioblastoma over the last decade, yet our study demonstrated a significant improvement in both progression-free and overall survival in patients with glioblastoma. EnglishDr Stupp and colleagues1 reported on the combined use of temozolomide and tumor-treating fields (TTFields) compared with temozolomide alone as adjuvant therapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. The study of 315 patients demonstrated improvement in progression-free survival (3.1 months) and overall survival (4.9 months) in the TTFields-treated cohort (210 patients). The question is whether this study, an interim analysis of the total study population of 695 patients, is sufficiently compelling to change current therapies for glioblastoma.
Dynamic Inversion and Control of Nonlinear Systems

In Dynamic Inversion one wishes to use the available control in order to change the differential equations in a desired way. Often there is not enough control to do “complete” inversion, and thus one is led, after performing partial inversion, to the the study of the resulting equations, called the “complimentary dynamics.” This area of activity is primarily of engineering nature, and an example will be given to a nonlinear aircraft model. The presentation of this chapter is based on a talk by Blaise Morton from Honeywell on April 1, 1988 and on the technical report [1].