cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE BACTERIAL INDUCTION OF HOMOGRAFT SENSITIVITY : II. EFFECTS OF SENSITIZATION WITH STAPHYLOCOCCI AND OTHER MICROORGANISMS

Heat-killed strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus albus can induce in guinea pigs a state of altered reactivity to skin homografts which is indistinguishable from that which results from sensitization with homologous tissues or Group A streptococci. Challenge of suitably prepared recipients with first-set skin homografts obtained from unrelated randomly selected donors elicits white graft reactions or accelerated rejection of such grafts. Other bacteria tested included Lancefield streptococcal groups B, C, D, E, G, H, L, and O, pneumococcus Types II, III, XIV and a rough strain, Corynebacterium xerosis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Aerobacter aerogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Proteus vulgaris, Neisseria catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, and two human virulent strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. None of these microorganisms was active in the induction of homograft sensitivity in the guinea pig. Pretreatment of recipients with Gram-negative bacterial suspensions was associated with a slight increase in the mean survival time of first-set skin homografts. Results of this study suggest the presence in staphylococci, as well as in Group A streptococci, of antigens related in their biologic effects to tissue transplantation antigens.
Customized Minimally Invasive Orbital Decompression for Thyroid Eye Disease

Thyroid eye disease refers to a variety of ophthalmic and orbital findings most commonly associated with Graves’ disease. Due to the heterogeneous expansion of orbital tissues and variable fibrosis, there is wide variance in the phenotypic spectrum. While some patients require only supportive treatment, others may require surgical intervention for vision threatening disease or aesthetic–functional rehabilitation. Orbital decompression was first described by Dollinger in 1911, and remains the treatment of choice for disfiguring proptosis or compressive optic neuropathy (CON) nonresponsive to medical management. Since its initial description, an evolution of surgical approaches and techniques has been described that have greatly facilitated minimally invasive bone and fat removal while concomitantly reducing postoperative diplopia and recovery time. With advances in surgical technique there have also been expanding indications for surgical decompression. Patients with exposure keratopathy related to proptosis, orbital pain, congestive orbitopathy, those who are expected to undergo strabismus surgery, as well as aesthetic indications are now candidates for minimally invasive decompression surgery. Therefore, we counsel patients and surgeons to create a customized rehabilitative approach to restore function and aesthetic appearance to the premorbid state. We will review customized decompression surgery for rehabilitation during the stable phase of disease.
Microdisk resonators for difference frequency generation in THz range

We theoretically investigated and designed a tunable, compact THz source in 1-10 THz range based on a nonlinear optical microdisk resonator. The lack of tunable THz source operating at room temperature is still one of the major impediments for the applications of THz radiation. The proposed device on an insulated borosilicate glass substrate consists of a nonlinear optical disk resonator on top of another disk capable of sustaining THz modes. A pair of Si optical waveguides is coupled to the nonlinear microdisk in order to carry the two input optical waves. Another pair of Si THz waveguides is placed beneath the input optical waveguides to couple out the generated THz radiation from the disk to receiver antenna. Both optical and THz disks are engineered optimally with necessary effective mode indices in order to satisfy the phase matching condition. We present the simulation results of our proposed device using a commercial finite element simulation tool. A distinguished THz peak coincident exactly with the theoretical calculations involving DFG is observed in frequency spectrum of electric field in the microdisk resonator. Our device has the potential to enable tunable, compact THz emitters and on-chip integrated spectrometers.
Instability regimes in flowing suspensions of swimming micro-organisms

The effects of an external shear flow on the dynamics and pattern formation in a dilute suspension of swimming micro-organisms are investigated using a linear stability analysis and three-dimensional numerical simulations, based on the kinetic model previously developed by [D. Saintillan and M. J. Shelley, Phys. Fluids 20, 123304 (2008)]. The external shear flow is found to damp the instabilities that occur in these suspensions by controlling the orientation of the particles. We demonstrate in our simulations that the rate of damping is direction-dependent: it is fastest in the flow direction, but slowest in the direction perpendicular to the shear plane. As a result, transitions from three- to two- to one-dimensional instabilities are observed to occur as shear rate increases, and above a certain shear rate the instabilities altogether disappear. The density patterns and complex flows that arise at long time in the suspensions are also analyzed from the numerical simulations using standard techniques fro...
Spatial learning of adult rats with fetal alcohol exposure: deficits are sex-dependent.

The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on learning in adult offspring were studied in a spatial task in a T-maze. Male and female Long-Evans rats were selected from litters whose dams had received one of three treatments; alcohol in a liquid diet (35% ethanol-derived calories, 35% EDC), pair-fed nutrition control (0% ethanol-derived calories, 0% EDC) or standard control (lab chow, LC). The task included trial-independent (reference memory) and trial-dependent (working memory) components: subjects were required to make a fixed left-right discrimination, and then to alternate left and right choices to escape water. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with a greater number of reference errors for both sexes; only males from the alcohol prenatal treatment group, however, were impaired on the working memory component. These results suggest that prenatal exposure to alcohol can cause behavioral dysfunctions that persist into adulthood. Secondly, the pattern of memory impairments suggests that both sexes may be equivalently damaged in neural areas subserving reference memory, but that males are selectively more vulnerable in neural areas subserving working memory.
Determination of the liquid-liquid surface energy in phase separating glasses

Abstract A new method for the indirect experimental determination of the liquid-liquid surface energy in phase separating glasses is described and applied to compute surface energies in two glass forming systems which exhibit liquid immiscibility. The method is based upon the use of experimentally determined growth and coarsening rates and phase diagram data in conjunction with a corrected version of the LSW (Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner) coarsening law and the Wert-Zener expression for particle growth. The calculated values of the surface energies are somewhat larger than anticipated when compared with previous estimates of liquid-liquid surface energies for immiscible inorganic glasses.
Primary structure of the maltase gene of the MAL6 locus of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

Abstract We have determined the complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of a 2937-bp DNA fragment containing the yeast maltase (EC 3.2.1.20) gene (MAL6S) as well as part of the contiguous maltose permease gene (MAL6T) from the MAL6 locus of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. The MAL6S gene encodes an α-glucosidase that is required for the utilization of maltose as a carbon source by yeast. The 5' transcription initiation sites for both MAL6S and MAL6T were determined by primer extension experiments using reverse transcriptase. The sequence data show one major open reading frame (ORF) of 584 amino acids (aa) for maltase with a calculated Mr of 68 107, somewhat larger than the value of 63000 previously determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis. The nucleotide sequences upstream of both the MAL6S and MAL6T genes, which are divergently transcribed, show common structural features for the transcription initiation of yeast genes as well as signals required for their translation. The codon bias index shows that the MAL6S gene is moderately expressed. The possible significance of two 17-bp dyad symmetric sequences, found in the intergenic region of MAL6S and MAL6T, for the control of expression of these genes is also discussed.
Axonal wiring of guanylate cyclase-D-expressing olfactory neurons is dependent on neuropilin 2 and semaphorin 3F

The olfactory system of the mouse includes several subsystems that project axons from the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb. Among these is a subset of neurons that do not express the canonical pathway of olfactory signal transduction, but express guanylate cyclase-D (GC-D). These GC-D-positive (GC-D+) neurons are not known to express odorant receptors. Axons of GC-D+ neurons project to the necklace glomeruli, which reside between the main and accessory olfactory bulbs. To label the subset of necklace glomeruli that receive axonal input from GC-D+ neurons, we generated two strains of mice with targeted mutations in the GC-D gene (Gucy2d). These mice co-express GC-D with an axonal marker, tau-β-galactosidase or tauGFP, by virtue of a bicistronic strategy that leaves the coding region of the Gucy2d gene intact. With these strains, the patterns of axonal projections of GC-D+ neurons to necklace glomeruli can be visualized in whole mounts. We show that deficiency of one of the neuropilin 2 ligands of the class III semaphorin family, Sema3f, but not Sema3b, phenocopies the loss of neuropilin 2 (Nrp2) for axonal wiring of GC-D+ neurons. Some glomeruli homogeneously innervated by axons of GC-D+ neurons form ectopically within the glomerular layer, across wide areas of the main olfactory bulb. Similarly, axonal wiring of some vomeronasal sensory neurons is perturbed by a deficiency of Nrp2 or Sema3f, but not Sema3b or Sema3c. Our findings provide genetic evidence for a Nrp2-Sema3f interaction as a determinant of the wiring of axons of GC-D+ neurons into the unusual configuration of necklace glomeruli.
Influences of object weight and instruction on grip force adjustments

This study investigated the influence of object weight and instructions on grip force responses in humans. Using a precision grip, subjects lifted a small instrumented test object to a predetermined height. Prior to each set of 40 trials, subjects were verbally instructed to either “hold” or “let go” of the object in response to any change in weight. Unpredictably on some trials (< 20%), a sudden sustained increase (load) or decrease (unload) in vertical load was applied to the object. Grip responses to these induced weight changes were evaluated by measuring grip force, object position, and associated electromyographic (EMG) activity. Grip force changes for a load were over three times greater than those for an unload. Such asymmetry may reflect everyday grasp and manipulation in a gravity-influenced world. Grip force adjustments to loads following “hold” instructions were on the average somewhat larger than those following “let go” instructions, but there was no influence of instructions on responses to unloads. These findings contrast with more robust influences of verbal instruction on automatic postural and proximal upper limb responses and also may suggest that grip force adjustments are influenced to a greater extent by intrinsic task variables than by extrinsic volitional intent. Such organization appears tailored to functional task requirements in natural environmental contexts.
Why Is the Overheating Problem Difficult: the Role of Entropy

The development of computational fluid dynamics over the last few decades has yielded enormous successes and capabilities being routinely employed today; however there remain some open problems to be properly resolved-some are fundamental in nature and some resolvable by operational changes. These two categories are distinguished and broadly explored previously. One, that belongs to the former, is the so-called overheating problem, especially in rarefying flow. This problem up to date still dogs every method known to the author; a solution to it remains elusive. The study in this paper concludes that: (1) the entropy increase is quantitatively linked to the increase in the temperature increase, (2) it is argued that the overheating is inevitable in the current shock capturing or traditional finite difference framework, and (3) a simple hybrid method is proposed that removes the overheating problem in the rarefying problems, but also retains the property of accurate shock capturing. This remedy (enhancement of current numerical methods) can be included easily in the present Eulerian codes.
Comparison of bacon packaging on a life cycle basis: a case study

Abstract This study was conducted to compare the environmental effect of weight reduction and different material composition of packages using life cycle analysis of a traditional bacon package (L-board bacon package) compared to a new light weighted bacon package (OLB bacon package). A sensitivity analysis of the main components for the L-board and OLB bacon package is included to confirm either the potential environmental benefits obtained by weight reduction of the traditional bacon package or changing packaging materials. The L-board bacon package is composed of polyethylene/wax coated paper/polyethylene with an overwrap pouch. The new lightweight OLB-board bacon package is composed of reverse printed oriented polypropylene/expanded polystyrene with adhesive, along with a lighter weight overwrap pouch. Environmental impacts were characterized by life cycle assessment with SimaPro software. The general principles, framework of this study, goal and scope definition of the problem, inventory analysis, and interpretation of the results were conducting according to the ISO 14040 family of standards. The new light weighted OLB-board bacon package shows lower environmental burden than the traditional bacon package in most impact indicators, except the mineral extraction indicator. Based on a sensitivity analysis, it was found that changing the material of the original bacon package reduces more the environmental burden of the final bacon package than reducing the weight of the original bacon board material.
The First Events in Photosynthesis: Electronic Coupling and Energy Transfer Dynamics in the Photosynthetic Reaction Center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides

The rapid electronic state dynamics that occur prior to charge separation in the photosynthetic reaction center of Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 are investigated by “two-color” wavelength-resolved pump-probe and anisotropy measurements. A narrow band (40 fs duration transform limited) pump pulse is used to selectively excite reaction center pigments: the accessory bacteriochlorophyll (B), the upper excitonic state of the special pair (Py+), or the lower excitonic state of the special pair (Py-). Population dynamics are then measured with a 12 fs duration probe pulse across the entire Qy absorption spectral region as a function of time, wavelength, and polarization. Excitation of either Py- or B results in the formation of a distinct optical band at 825 nm exhibiting polarization characteristics consistent with those expected for Py+; the band appears instantaneously upon excitation of Py- with a negative anisotropy and appears somewhat delayed after excitation of B. The dynamics observed following direct ...
Plasma treatment of PDMS for applications of in vitro motility assays

In vitro motility assays are readily used to simplify the complex environments within the cell and in muscle tissue. These assays have afforded considerable insight into the fundamentals of their underlying biophysics, interactions with cargo, intracellular regulation, and motor cooperation/competition. Extension of the standard in vitro motility assay into a more automated and cost-effective fluidic design while providing availability to the scientific community without expertise in lithographic fabrication is critical for the continued advancement of the field. In this work, we utilized a standard plasma cleaner to oxidize the widely prevalent material polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to create flow cells that could be used for in vitro motility assays. Our analysis indicated that a 40 min pre-treatment of the PDMS with plasma exposure resulted in optimal bundle motility. This finding was attributed to the condition at which the least amount of oxygen permeates the PDMS slab, enters the motility buffer, and oxidizes the motor proteins. Based on these findings, we developed a method for constructing microfluidic devices from glass and plasma-treated PDMS molds in which motility could be observed.
Forecasting climate‐induced changes in the survival of Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Effective conservation and management of natural resources requires accurate predictions of ecosystem responses to future climate change, but environmental science has largely failed to produce these reliable forecasts. The future response of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) to a changing environment and continued anthropogenic disturbance is of particular interest to the public because of their high economic, social, and cultural value. While numerous retrospective analyses show a strong correlation between past changes in the ocean environment and salmon production within the north Pacific, these correlations rarely make good predictions. Using a Bayesian time-series model to make successive 1-yr-ahead forecasts, we predicted changes in the ocean survival of Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) from indices of coastal ocean upwelling with a high degree of certainty (R2 = 0.71). Furthermore, another form of the dynamic times-series model that used all of the available data indicated an even stronger coupling between smolt-to-adult survival and ocean upwelling in the spring and fall (R2 = 0.96). This suggests that management policies directed at conserving this threatened stock of salmon need to explicitly address the important role of the ocean in driving future salmon survival.
Photoluminescence Studies of a Quantum Well Modulated by Faceting on Gaas (110) Surfaces

Step bunching during epitaxial growth results in the transformation of a vicinal surface into a periodic array of micro-facets. Molecular beam epitaxial growth on the vicinal GaAs (110) surface exhibits this phenomenon which has primarily been characterized by electron microscopy. GaAs quantum wells with AlAs barriers were grown on GaAs(110) substrates vicinal 0.5-2· towards [010]. The faceting on the vicinal surface creates two distinct quantum well thicknesses. While most of the quantum well is 96A thick, it broadens at the faceted regions. This thickness modulation produces two distinct luminescence peaks. By using temperature dependent photoluminescence, we have observed trends in exciton mobility. The exciton mobility decreases at low temperatures for the 1.0° and 2.0° samples, indicating a scattering mechanism. We will discuss interface roughness and other sources of scattering.
Improving depression treatment for women: Integrating a collaborative care depression intervention into OB-GYN care

Abstract Background Women have higher rates of depression and often experience depression symptoms during critical reproductive periods, including adolescence, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. Collaborative care intervention models for mood disorders in patients receiving care in an OB-GYN clinic setting have not been evaluated. Study design and methodology for a randomized controlled trial of collaborative care depression management versus usual care in OB-GYN clinics and the details of the adapted collaborative care intervention and model implementation are described in this paper. Methods Women over age 18 years with clinically significant symptoms of depression, as measured by a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score ≥ 10 and a clinical diagnosis of major depression or dysthymia, were randomized to the study intervention or to usual care and were followed for 18 months. The primary outcome assessed was change over time in the SCL-20 depression scale between baseline and 12 months. Baseline Results Two hundred five women were randomized: 57% white, 20% African American, 9% Asian or Pacific Islander, 7% Hispanic, and 6% Native American. Mean age was 39 years. 4.6% were pregnant and 7.5% were within 12 months postpartum. The majority were single (52%), and 95% had at least the equivalent of a high school diploma. Almost all patients met DSM IV criteria for major depression (99%) and approximately 33% met criteria for dysthymia. Conclusions An OB-GYN collaborative care team, including a social worker, a psychiatrist, and an OB-GYN physician, who met weekly and used an electronic tracking system for patients was the essential element of the proposed depression care treatment model described here. Further study of models that improve quality of depression care that are adapted to the unique OB-GYN setting is needed.
Cloning of porcine prepro-orexin cDNA and effects of an intramuscular injection of synthetic porcine orexin-B on feed intake in young pigs

Early growth is an important determinant of gain and efficiency in growing pigs. A major limiting factor of piglet growth is feed intake. Orexins, newly discovered neuropeptides, may be important regulators of appetite. The orexin gene, which encodes orexin-A and -B, was recently identified in rodents and man. The objectives of this study were to clone the cDNA for porcine orexin, utilize the cDNA sequence information to produce synthetic hormone, and evaluate the effect of orexin administration on feed intake in weanling pigs. Oligonucleotide primers were designed for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction production of porcine orexin cDNA. The polymerase-chain-reaction products were cloned, sequenced, and found to be 88.5% homologous to the human orexin sequence. Predicted translation of porcine orexin cDNA revealed orexin-A and -B amino acid sequences that were 100% and 96% homologous to the known human peptides, respectively. Porcine orexin-B was synthesized according to the predicted sequence. Twenty-six cross-bred piglets were utilized in three replicates (n = 8-10/replicate). Piglets were weaned between 2-3 wk of age. One week after weaning, equal numbers of animals in each replicate received intramuscular (i.m.) injections of orexin-B (3 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle (sterile water). Feed intake was monitored from -24 to 24 h relative to injection (time 0). The orexin-injected pigs ingested an additional meal at 12 h when compared with the control animals (P = 0.02). Cumulative feed intake was increased by orexin-B administration from 12 to 24 h postinjection (P < or = 0.05). Total feed intake at 24 h was improved by 18% in orexin-treated pigs (P = 0.05). The ability to stimulate appetite during critical periods of early growth, particularly following weaning, could result in significant improvements in swine-production efficiency.
Nutrient intakes in relation to body weight of nonobese and obese elderly females1–2

Abstract This study was designed to determine the relationship between the body weight of 122 noninstitutionalized elderly females and the dietary energy intake computed from food records reflecting usual food intake. Women of 62 to 82 yrs of age were divided into two groups on the basis of their triceps skinfolds; there were 63 nonobese and 59 obese females. To estimate their usual food intake, a 28-day food record (instead of a 7-day food record) was collected, and mean intakes of daily dietary enery and calorie contributing nutrients were computed. Intake of protein from animal origin (p
Black and White Preferences for Neighborhood Racial Composition

The research investigates the existence, nature and magnitude of the preferences of races to voluntarily “self-segregate” into particular areas of urban housing markets. Housing market theory is employed to develop a model showing how housing price variations within a group can provide unambiguous evidence of their preferences for neighborhood racial composition. The model is operationalized in a multiple regression specification wherein the variations in a given racial group's housing prices become a function of the dwelling's attributes and the attributes of the neighborhood (including quality, status, stability and density) as well as housing submarket location and racial composition. The size and statistical significance of the coefficient of the last attribute provides the evidence sought. The regressions are estimated using two micro-household data bases from St. Louis (1967) and Wooster, Ohio (1975), and results compared. Results show that St. Louis black owners had an aversion to larger black proportions within black submarket neighborhoods, with .7% lower housing prices associated with a 1% higher percentage black. Racial effects for black owners in preponderantly white areas and for black renters in all areas were statistically insignificant. St. Louis whites of both tenures did not demonstrate aversion to neighborhoods with higher percentages of blacks as long as they remained 25% black or less. In areas 25–50% black, however, white prices were 1.5% lower for owners and 3.2% lower for renters per 1% higher proportion black. Such associations continued in majority-black areas, although the magnitudes of the price effect became progressively smaller. Wooster whites showed an aversion to living in neighborhoods having even a few percent of blacks, with prices 11% lower for owners and 7% lower for renters in such areas compared to all-white ones.
Effect of repeated nicotine exposure on core temperature and motor activity in male and female rats

Abstract Comparatively little is known about the thermoregulatory effects of single and repeated administration of nicotine. Nicotine is a relatively fast acting drug that induces transient changes in core temperature ( T c ) of rodents. The development of radio telemetry allows one to detect subtle and rapid changes in T c that otherwise are difficult to measure with conventional colonic probe techniques. To this end, T c and motor activity (MA) were monitored by radio telemetry in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats following five daily injections of saline or nicotine tartrate (0.5 mg/kg; sc). The first injection of saline led to a transient increase in T c that was attributed to the handling and injection procedures. Rats dosed with nicotine for the first time were hypothermic for approximately 2 h after injection. The hypothermia was attributed to an impaired increase in T c from handling and injection. A transient hyperthermic response began to develop with each successive injection of nicotine. After the fourth injection of nicotine, T c of male rats increased by 0.5°C above controls; T c of females increased by 0.25°C above controls after the fifth injection. MA also increased transiently with each injection of saline and nicotine. The MA response of females was significantly greater than the males for the second through fifth injections of nicotine. Overall, the thermoregulatory system develops sensitization with 4–5 repeated injections of nicotine. The mediation of a hyperthermic response to a systemically administered cholinergic agonist is a novel effect. It may aid in understanding the delayed hyperthermic response to organophosphate pesticides. The sensitization of the thermoregulatory system to nicotine may shed light on the neuropharmacological mechanisms of this drug.
The Aerosol and Spray Fall-Out Meter

Abstract The fall-out meter is an instrument used in the evaluation of deposits from aerosol and spray clouds. It consists of a motor-driven rotating or transversely moving platform which carries slides beneath a slit in a cover plate. The fall-out meter relates, in time, deposition of particles on a slide with particle spectrum and particle concentration in the aerosol or spray cloud above the slit. Simultaneously, it produces a space dilution of the deposited particles. Examples are given of uses to measure horizontal downwind velocity and lateral and vertical expansion rates of aerosol and spray clouds in the field and their particle-size distributions.
Sjögren-Larsson syndrome: diversity of mutations and polymorphisms in the fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase gene (ALDH3A2)

Sjogren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by ichthyosis, mental retardation, and spastic diplegia or tetraplegia. The disease is caused by mutations in the ALDH3A2 gene (also known as FALDH and ALDH10) on chromosome 17p11.2 that encodes fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH), an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of long-chain aldehydes derived from lipid metabolism. In SLS patients, 72 mutations have been identified, with a distribution that is scattered throughout the ALDH3A2 gene. Most mutations are private but several common mutations have been detected, which probably reflect founder effects or recurrent mutational events. Missense mutations comprise the most abundant class (38%) and expression studies indicate that most of these result in a profound reduction in enzyme activity. Deletions account for about 25% of the mutations and range from single nucleotides to entire exons. Twelve splice-site mutations have been demonstrated to cause aberrant splicing in cultured fibroblasts. To date, more than a dozen intragenic ALDH3A2 polymorphisms consisting of SNPs and one microsatellite marker have been characterized, although none of them alter the FALDH protein sequence. The striking mutational diversity in SLS offers a challenge for DNA-based diagnosis, but promises to provide a wealth of information about enzyme structure-function correlations.
Spurious relevant eigenvalues in the renormalization group for lattice systems

It is known that there can be spurious ("redundant") relevant eigenvalues peculiar to the choice of renormalization group which do not correspond to any singularity in free energy and whose local eigenoperators have correlation functions of short range. One such eigenvalue is discussed in the context of Ising systems and finite lattice calculations on them in both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic domains.
A pepsinogen from dog stomach.

Abstract 1. 1. A pepsinogen has been purified from dog stomach in 20% yield. 2. 2. At pH values below 4 it spontaneously converts to a pepsin, the first order rate constant at pH 2, 22°C, being 11 min −1 . 3. 3. The pepsinogen is stable to denaturation at pH values up to 9, in contrast to the pepsin which is irreversibly denatured above pH 7. 4. 4. Its proteolytic activity against denatured hemoglobin is equal to that of pig pepsin, but in the milk-clotting assay at pH 5.5 its has only 14% the activity.
Priming performance in Alzheimer's disease: The role of task sensitivity

Studies examining implicit memory performance in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have yielded inconsistent findings, with these patients demonstrating impaired performance within some priming studies and intact performance within others. The present study examined the role of task sensitivity in detecting impaired priming in memory-impaired patients. Twelve healthy older adults and 12 AD patients were administered a picture fragment identification test. Task sensitivity was increased by employing stimulus cues expected to produce larger and more variable priming effects than obtained in previous studies. A simple comparison of priming scores revealed that the AD patients demonstrated significantly impaired priming relative to normal control participants. However, further analysis of priming in relation to certain stimulus characteristics revealed that AD patients often demonstrated impaired priming when overall priming effects were large but relatively intact priming when priming effects were small. These findings suggest that the prevention of ceiling effects in control participants may aid in the detection of impaired priming in patient populations.
Transceiver parameter detection using a high conversion gain RF amplitude detector

In this work, we present a wideband CMOS RF amplitude detector for on-chip self-test and calibration. The high conversion gain detector enables accurate on-chip amplitude measurements and allows for accurate transceiver parameter prediction. The detector operates from 500MHz to 9GHz while detecting signal amplitudes from 0 to 0.7V with a sensitivity of −10V/V. Several test cases are presented to demonstrate the functionality of the design and its ability to detect key RF block parameters such as gain, distortion, and phase mismatch. The detector is built in 0.18μm CMOS and consumes less than 0.8mW from a 1.8V power supply.
Modelling and Simulation of Guide-Wire Interaction With Vasculature Using Constrained Multibody Dynamics

In this paper, we describe the mathematical modeling of guide wire dynamics for an intravascular surgical procedure as a problem of constrained multibody dynamics involving surface to surface interactions. The goal of this project is to develop a physics based real time simulator with haptics for the above procedure. The guide-wire is segmented into a finite number of massless and inextensible rods attached with spheres on either sides thus reducing the problem to that of the dynamics of rolling motion of spheres on the re-parameterized surface of vasculature under the action of unilateral constraints with associated Lagrange multipliers. The constrained problem is solved as LCP using Lemke’s method and stabilized using Baumgarte constrain stabilization. The parameters for the constrained violation stabilization are learned real-time using a method based on adaptive control theory. Simulations were performed on geometries representing different sections of vasculature. The results show that this method can be implemented on a full-scale three dimensional vasculature with a hardware interface for haptic feedback.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Hungry, drunk, and not real mad: The effects of alcohol injections on aggressive responding

Two studies were conducted to assess the effects of acute, low-dose ethanol injections on single-subject shock-elicited aggression. Ethanol mixtures of 30% and 60% were used in the first study, and 0% and 30% ethanol mixtures were used in conjunction with 48-h periods of fasting or nonfasting in the second study. The results of the first study, while nonsignificant, indicated that a possible depression of aggressive responding was produced by the low-dose injections. A significant decrease in aggressive responses following low-dose injections was shown in the second study.
The Effect of Active and Passive Household Cigarette Smoke Exposure on Pregnant Women With Asthma

Background The article was designed to estimate the effect of active and passive household cigarette smoke exposure on asthma severity and obstetric and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with asthma. Methods We used a secondary observational analysis of pregnant women with mild and moderate-severe asthma enrolled in a prospective observational cohort study of asthma in pregnancy and a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comparing inhaled beclomethasone and oral theophylline. A baseline questionnaire detailing smoking history and passive household smoke exposure was given to each patient. Smoking status was confirmed in the RCT using cotinine levels. Data on asthma severity and obstetric and neonatal outcomes were collected and analyzed with respect to self-reported tobacco smoke exposure. Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson χ2 statistics were used to test for significance. Results A total of 2,210 women were enrolled: 1,812 in the observational study and 398 in the RCT. Four hundred and eight (18%) women reported current active smoking. Of the nonsmokers, 790 (36%) women reported passive household smoke exposure. Active smoking was associated with more total symptomatic days (P Conclusions Among pregnant women with asthma, active but not passive smoking is associated with increased asthma symptoms and fetal growth abnormalities.
Curvature-induced D-band Raman scattering in folded graphene*

Micro-Raman scattering from folds in single-layer graphene sheets finds a D-band at the fold for both incommensurate and commensurate folding, while the parent single-layer graphene lacks a D-band. A coupled elastic-continuum/tight-binding calculation suggests that this D-band arises from the spatially inhomogeneous curvature around a fold in a graphene sheet. The polarization dependence of the fold-induced D-band further reveals that the inhomogeneous curvature acts as a very smooth, ideal one-dimensional defect along the folding direction.
Transvaginal Sonographic Evaluation of Prostatitis in a Transsexual

A transsexual (male to female) patient reported a 1-month history of pelvic pain. After an unsuccessful transvesical pelvic ultrasound examination, a transvaginal ultrasound examination was attempted through the surgically formed vagina. The utility and indications of this route of examination in transsexuals, as well as the changes that develop in the prostate of patients who receive long-term estrogen therapy, are discussed.
Extension of the open-circuit time-constant method to allow for transcapacitances

The authors review a previously published method (see B.L. Cochrun and A. Grabel, 1973) for determining frequency-domain transfer functions of linear circuits and extend the method to allow for transcapacitors. The method is an extension of the familiar open-circuit time constant analysis technique, which depends on successive analyses of frequency-independent circuits. Where the original technique required finding the resistance seen by each capacitor, the extended technique requires finding a transresistance for each transcapacitor. The authors present a derivation of the generalized time-constant technique and demonstrate its application in a simple circuit. >
Spinal Tumors: Viewpoint—Surgery

The majority of spine tumors encountered by clinicians are metastatic, accounting for approximately 70 % of all spine tumors. Currently a number of treatment modalities are available for treating spinal tumors, including medical therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and radiosurgery. This chapter will describe the current role of surgery in the treatment of spinal tumors and the specific factors that make surgery the preferred treatment in a given situation. As with any type of surgery, patient’s age, performance status, life expectancy, and comorbidities must be taken into account when considering operative management for metastatic spine disease. The goals of surgery are neural decompression, making a diagnosis, pain control, stabilization of spine, and/or cure/locoregional tumor control. The surgical approach depends on location of the tumor, patient’s health status and symptoms, and could be anterior, posterior, lateral, or a combination of these. Cement augmentation is also a good option in many cases. Careful patient selection is the key factor for maximizing the potential benefits and avoiding the associated risks of any treatment modality, be it surgery or radiotherapy.
On arithmetic computations with hereditarily finite sets, functions and types

Starting from an executable "shared axiomatization" of a number of bi-interpretable theories (Peano arithmetic, hereditarily finite sets and functions) we introduce generic algorithms that can be instantiated to implement the usual arithmetic operations in terms of (purely symbolic) hereditarily finite constructs, as well as the type language of Godel's System T. The Haskell code in the paper is available at http://logic.cse.unt.edu/tarau/research/2010/short_shared.hs.
Three tips from a social psychologist for building a social robot

For humanists, artists, and social scientists, the social robot becomes a mirror, reflecting desires and ambitions, changing notions of selves and the boundaries between humans and non-humans. Not surprisingly, the social robot also creates paradoxes. Although efforts to model the human mind on the basis of computers are still widespread, minds are not like computers. Memory, for example, is reconstructed, not accessed. Action flows from perception. Social psychologists distinguish between folk psychology - a model of human mind and action widely shared in a society - and scientific psychology, which we can call the study of how humans create such models. Building social robots will probably require using both folk and scientific ideas about human beings. This paper describes some counter-intuitive experimental findings from social psychology and offers a few tips for building a social robot
Evaluation of p16INK4a, minichromosome maintenance protein 2, DNA topoisomerase IIα, ProEX C, and p16INK4a/ProEX C in cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions

Summary p16INK4a has been shown to be overexpressed in nearly all high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). Other cell-cycle regulators, such as minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (MCM2), DNA topoisomerase IIα (TOP IIA), and ProE X C (a cocktail of MCM2 and TOP IIA), have also demonstrated some value in identifying squamous intraepithelial lesions. Data on direct comparison of those cell regulatory proteins in the detection of squamous intraepithelial lesions, with a focus on low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs), are limited. We immunohistochemically evaluated the diagnostic value of p16, MCM2, TOP IIA, ProE X C, and a cocktail of p16 and ProE X C in 62 cervical biopsy specimens, including 14 cases of benign squamous mucosa (group 1), 34 cases of LSILs (group 2), and 14 cases of HSILs (group 3). The staining intensity and distribution were recorded. The results demonstrated that positive staining for p16 and the p16/ProE X C was observed in 100% of cases in group 3, whereas 79%, 86%, and 79% of cases were positive for CM2, TOP IIA, and ProE X C, respectively. ProE X C and the p16/ProE X C showed positive staining in 94% and 100% of cases in group 2, respectively. In contrast, immunoreactivity for p16, MCM2, and TOP IIA was detected in only 76% of cases in group 2. Importantly, all 8 p16-negative cases in group 2 were positive for p16/ProE X C ( P = .003). Our data indicate that (1) p16 is a more sensitive and specific marker for identifying HSILs; (2) ProE X C is a better marker for the detection of LSILs; and (3) p16/ProE X C provides the highest diagnostic value for the detection of both HSILs and LSILs.
Short-term efficacy and complications of posterior intravaginal slingplasty.

This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and complications of the posterior intravaginal slingplasty (IVS). A retrospective chart review was performed. Ninety IVS procedures were performed from January 2004 to June 2005. The group consisted of predominantly nonsmoking, Caucasian, postmenopausal women with a median age of 62 years and a median parity of 3. The mean follow-up was 33 ± 23.2 weeks with a median of 31.9 weeks. There were no intraoperative bladder, bowel, or vascular injuries. Overall, 11 out of 90 patients developed recurrent or de novo prolapse; 4.4% of these had recurrent apical prolapse. There was a 17.8% incidence of mesh erosion. Only 1 of the 11 patients with recurrent prolapse had concomitant mesh erosion. The procedure demonstrated an unacceptably high erosion rate. The adoption of newer mesh techniques based on the slingplasty concept or the use of the multifilament polypropylene tape should be scrutinized.
GENETIC ALGORITHMS FOR PARTITIONING SETS

We first revisit a problem from the literature, that of partitioning a given set of numbers into subsets such that their sums are as nearly equal as possible. We devise a new genetic algorithm, Eager Breeder, for this problem. The algorithm is distinctive in its novel and aggressive way of extracting parental genetic material when forming a child partition, and its results are a substantial improvement upon prior results from the literature. Then we extend our algorithm to the more general setting, of partitioning a set in the case that the environment provides us a measure of the fitness of individual subsets in the partition. We apply the extension to two artificial problems, one with a targeted partition whose subsets are of very diverse sizes, and one whose subsets are the same size. Finally, we apply our approach to several map coloring problems, and obtain good results there as well. In our different stages of work, we exploit different heuristics, which are attuned to the particular partitioning problem under attack.
An efficient chemical synthesis of carboxylate-isostere analogs of daptomycin

Herein we report a direct and efficient method for the synthesis of four new carboxylate-isostere analogs of daptomycin. The side chain carboxylic acid moieties of the aspartic acids (Asp-3, Asp-7 and Asp-9) and β-methyl glutamic acid (MeGlu-12) were all converted into the corresponding carboxylate isosteres using direct synthetic procedures. The present study also describes an esterification protocol to overcome the possible backbone cyclization of the activated side chain carboxylic acid group of either Asp or Glu onto the backbone amide.
Converting Performance To Dollars From Chapter 4

Table B-1 reports estimates of the impact of several factors on team revenue using different specifications and multiple regression analysis techniques. Model 1 reports the weights that I use for converting performance to dollars in the book. I list alternate specifications for curious readers.
Adolescent self-perceptions of adjustment to childhood arthritis: The influence of disease activity, Family resources, and parent adjustment

Abstract Purpose: To examine the influence of illness parameters, adolescent support resources, and parental adjustment on the psychosocial adjustment of adolescents with arthritis. Method: A sample of 57 adolescents with childhood arthritis, 50 of their mothers, and 40 of their fathers completed paper-and-pencil measures of: (a) perceptions of the severity of the adolescent's illness, (b) social support and family functioning, and (c) adolescent depression and global self-worth. Participants were predominantly white and upper middle class. Data were analyzed using multiple regression strategies. Results: Adolescent perceptions of family functioning and social support were significant predictors of both global self-worth and depression in regression analyses. Additionally, greater functional limitations because of arthritis were predictive of adolescent depression. Conclusion: Family functioning was significantly associated with adolescent adjustment across different conceptulaizations and measures of adjustment.
Efficient circuit partitioning to extend cycle simulation beyond synchronous circuits

Cycle simulation techniques, such as levelized compiled code, can ordinarily be applied only to synchronous designs. They usually cannot be applied to designs containing circuit features like combinational paths, multiple clock domains, generated clocks, asynchronous resets, and transparent latches. This paper presents a novel partitioning algorithm that partitions a non-cycle-simulatable circuit containing these features into sub-circuits that can be cycle simulated. Cycle simulation techniques can be applied to the individual sub-circuits, and the whole collection of sub-circuits can be simulated together using conventional co-simulation techniques. Empirical results demonstrate that this approach brings the benefits of cycle simulation to circuits that were previously impossible to cycle simulate. The partitioning algorithm requires time and space linear in the size of the circuit, and in practice is very fast. We also discuss how the key ideas presented here can be applied to accelerate HDL simulation.