cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myocardial hydrophilic polymer emboli following cardiac catheterization: a case report and literature review.

Abstract Background Intravascular polymer emboli have been reported in the skin, lungs, and brain following vascular procedures utilizing hydrophilic polymer coated devices. The Cook arterial introducer sheath was the first of these devices to be introduced, after which case reports followed documenting sterile inflammation at the sheath access site, characterized histologically by perivascular granulomas containing hydrophilic polymer. More recently, hydrophilic polymer emboli have been reported in the vessels of the lungs and brain in association with ischemia and infarct following vascular procedures using polymer coated devices. Methods We report a case of intravascular myocardial emboli associated with acute myocardial infarction following cardiac catheterization. The patient was a 65-year-old man who received cardiac catheterization with placement of a bare metal stent following myocardial infarction. One month later, the patient presented with angina and died shortly after admission. Results Autopsy revealed hemopericardium with rupture of the left ventricle through an aneurismal defect within the area of prior infarction. Microscopically, an area of acute infarction was present within the aneurismal defect. Numerous small and medium-sized vessels within the left ventricle were occluded by basophilic amorphous granular material with an inflammatory giant cell response. Conclusion The emboli were most frequent in the area of acute infarction, suggesting that the emboli may have resulted in ischemia leading to the patient's death. This is the third documented case of intramyocardial polymer emboli following cardiac catheterization and the first case to our knowledge to document an association between intravascular myocardial polymer emboli and acute myocardial infarction.
REGIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY FOR DEVELOPING AREAS

ICOUNTRIES THAT have reached a certain stage in the development of their economies are frequently beset by problems which, for want of a better expression, might be called "regional." It would be more accurate to refer to them as problems of spatial organization. The manner in which people and the activities they engage in are distributed in space, and the network of interactions among them, will have many ramifications and effects on social values and collective aspirations, t This can be shown most readily by considering the types of problem with which y_eg!onal policy is chiefly concerned, viz., which geographic areas to favor in the allocation of ._r_es~urces, what strategies to follow in regional
Aspects of the Behavior of Cold Perturbations in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico: A Case Study

Abstract Between 2 March and 13 May 1983, while using in situ and satellite data, three cold perturbations were observed off the West Florida Shelf. These perturbations moved southward along the boundary of the Loop Current at speeds of about 4 to 10 km day−1. Geostrophic current and current meter data indicated a cyclonic circulation associated with the cold perturbations. The geostrophic current indicated northward flow on the west side of the warm filaments that formed on the shoreward side of the cold perturbation, and weak southward flow on the east side. However, the current meter data only gave indications of northward flow in the filaments. The current meter array may not have been able to discriminate the entire flow pattern in the filaments.
Straightened Sternal Wire Causes Iatrogenic Pectus Carinatum After Cardiac Surgery

Pectus carinatum is a protrusion deformity of the anterior chest wall that is most likely caused by a disproportionate growth of the costal cartilages compared with the remainder of the thoracic skeleton. A young boy had previously undergone corrective congenital heart operation, after which a prominent sternal protrusion was noted. During the past year, the protrusion had greatly increased in size and had become recurrently infected. Chest X-ray showed that a sternal wire, the ends of which were pointing toward the skin, had straightened. Operative intervention included removal of the offending wire, draining a chronic abscess, and shaving the protruding sternum so that it conformed to the rest of the sternum.
Age-related changes in the redox status of the housefly, Musca domestica

The objective of this study was to further test the hypothesis that aging in the housefly is associated with increased oxidative stress. Age-related changes in the concentration of glutathione, NAD and NADP, which undergo oxidation-reduction reactions, and of H2O2, a potent cellular oxidant, were examined in the homogenates of adult male houseflies at 4, 8, 12 and 16 days of age. Sixteen days of age represents the beginning of the dying phase of the population when about 20% mortality usually occurs. Results indicate that the ratios of reduced/oxidized forms decline with age; H2O2 concentration steadily increases with age. Results suggest that the intracellular redox potential of the housefly becomes progressively more pro-oxidizing or less reducing during the aging process.
Rapid screening procedure for methionine levels in maize and soybean

Methionine is an essential amino acid critical to human, livestock, and poultry nutrition. A microbiological method has been tested for use as a rapid, inexpensive, and reliable means of screening maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed for methionine concentration. Maize and soybean meal samples with various methio nine contents were defatted before enzymatic proteolysis. An aliquot of each hydrolyzate was added to liquid media free of methionine, autoclaved, and inoculated with a bacteria auxotrophic for methionine. After incubation for 20 h, the turbidity of the cultures was measured and methionine concentration was calculated from standard curve data. Significant positive correlation (r = 0.74 maize; r = 0.88 soybean) was found between the microbiological and chemical determinations. These results demonstrate that the less expensive microbiological procedure would have great utility in a methionine enhancement plant breeding program
Cedar Point: A Park in Progress

This is a biography of an amusement park, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, by its marketing director. This life history, using sources close to the park and in the popular press ouer many decades, traces the many shifts in circumstance, philosophy and mood in its development ouer a span from 1897 to its present status as “one of the great parks of the country.” This case study of a single park that has incorporated characteristics of many growth stages ofparks ingeneral serues as a capsule history: from its beginnings as a resort; expansion of rides and attractions during the flush years of the 1920s; the backsliding deterioration of the Depression years and the immediatepost- War period; the decline of the big-city parks and the moue to the suburbs in the 50s; and the Disney effect: the advent of the national super theme park, with its revolutionary impact on the traditional park concept. According to Hildebrandt, Cedar Point is “the only modern superpark that also has an ancient history…. the only old-time amusement park to successfully make the transition to the new amusement park culture.”
Metabolic and physical control of cell elongation rate: in vivo studies in nitella.

Several levels of control of elongation rate are revealed through the detailed study of responses of the Nitella internode to abrupt shifts in turgor. The immediate response, which apparently reflects the physical state of the cell, is approximately described by the equation r = ( P — Y ) m where r is rate, P is pressure, Y is the wall9s yielding threshold, and m is related to the wall9s apparent fluidity (reciprocal viscosity). Because P and Y are in the range 5 to 6 atmospheres, and ( P — Y ) is roughly 0.2 atmosphere, elongation rate is initially extremely sensitive to changes in P. A small step-down in turgor (0.7 atmosphere) stops growth, and a similar rise greatly accelerates it. These initial responses are, however, soon (15 minutes) compensated by changes in Y. An apparent metabolism-dependent reaction (azide-sensitive) lowers Y ; strain hardening (azide-insensitive) raises it. These two opposing processes, acting on Y , serve as a governor on ( P — Y ), tending to maintain it at a given value despite changes in P. This ability to compensate is itself a function of turgor. Turgor step-downs are less and less well compensated, leading to lower rate, as turgor falls from 5 atmospheres to about 2 atmospheres where growth appears not to resume. This is the lowest attainable yield value, Y 1 . The turgor dependency of compensation reflects a turgor requirement of the Y -lowering (“wall-softening”) process. Thus the relation between steady state, r s , and turgor is an indirect one, derived from time-dependent alterations of the cell wall. This relationship superficially resembles the instantaneously valid one in that, roughly, r s = ( P — Y 1 ) m s . Y 1 and m s , however, have much lower values than Y and m . The duality of the elongation rate versus turgor relation and the prominent role of Y in regulating rate are the major features of growth control in Nitella.
Direct Repair of 3,N4-Ethenocytosine by the Human ALKBH2 Dioxygenase is blocked by the AAG/MPG Glycosylase

Abstract Exocyclic ethenobases are highly mutagenic DNA lesions strongly implicated in inflammation and vinyl chloride-induced carcinogenesis. While the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase, AAG (or MPG), binds the etheno lesions 1, N 6 -ethenoadenine (ɛA) and 3, N 4 -ethenocytosine (ɛC) with high affinity, only ɛA can be excised to initiate base excision repair. Here, we discover that the human AlkB homolog 2 (ALKBH2) dioxygenase enzyme catalyzes direct reversal of ɛC lesions in both double- and single-stranded DNA with comparable efficiency to canonical ALKBH2 substrates. Notably, we find that in vitro , the non-enzymatic binding of AAG to ɛC specifically blocks ALKBH2-catalyzed repair of ɛC but not that of methylated ALKBH2 substrates. These results identify human ALKBH2 as a repair enzyme for mutagenic ɛC lesions and highlight potential consequences for substrate-binding overlap between the base excision and direct reversal DNA repair pathways.
Development of a Questionnaire to Assess University Students’ Intentions to Use Behavioral Alcohol-Reduction Strategies

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of a new self-report questionnaire designed to assess college students’ intentions to employ 31 specific alcohol-reduction strategies. Method: Students attending a large public university were recruited to complete alcohol-reduction, drinking history, and personality questionnaires online. Results: Based on item–total correlations and principal components analysis, the authors eliminated 3 items and calculated average intention ratings across the remaining 28 items. The resulting scale had appropriate unidimensionality and excellent internal consistency. Correlations of intention questionnaire scores with measures of drinking history, alcohol outcome expectancies, sensation seeking, and impression management provided some support for criterion and discriminant validity of the questionnaire. Conclusion: This questionnaire could be employed as an outcome measure to evaluate prevention programs and as a clinical tool to identify clients who have lit...
COINTEGRATION OF REGIONAL GSP WITH NATIONAL GDP

Gross state product for the eight BEA regions are tested for stationarity and for cointegration with national gross domestic product. All eight regional GSP and GDP are characterized by a random walk. None of the eight regional GSP are cointegrated with GDP. Between the regions, the results are mixed, however we conclude that there is no cointegration between any of the regions. The results imply that there is no equilibrating mechanism that keeps the regions from drifting apart from each other or from national GDP.
Conformal field theory correlations in the Abelian sandpile model.

We calculate all multipoint correlation functions of all local bond modifications in the two-dimensional Abelian sandpile model, both at the critical point, and in the model with dissipation. The set of local bond modifications includes, as the most physically interesting case, all weakly allowed cluster variables. The correlation functions show that all local bond modifications have scaling dimension 2, and can be written as linear combinations of operators in the central charge $\ensuremath{-}2$ logarithmic conformal field theory, in agreement with a form conjectured earlier by Mahieu and Ruelle in Phys. Rev. E 64, 066130 (2001). We find closed form expressions for the coefficients of the operators, and describe methods that allow their rapid calculation. We determine the fields associated with adding or removing bonds, both in the bulk, and along open and closed boundaries; some bond defects have scaling dimension 2, while others have scaling dimension 4. We also determine the corrections to bulk probabilities for local bond modifications near open and closed boundaries.
A comparison of positive family history definitions for defining risk of future disease

The relative risk of developing future coronary heart disease (CHD) or hypertension between positive and negative family history families is compared for different definitions of a positive family history when applied to life-table data for 94,292 persons. Having two or more first degree relatives with CHD identifies 8% of the population with relative risks of 3.3-5.9 for CHD before age 50. A quantitative family history score (FHS) compares the family's age and sex specific disease incidence to that expected in the general population and predicts future disease incidence in unaffected family members slightly better (relative risks = 3.4-6.9 for CHD before age 50). Using only one affected relative, even if affected at an early age (less than 55 years old) does not discriminate low and high risk families as well (relative risks = 1.4-3.9 for CHD before age 50). Similar results were obtained for family history of hypertension. There is an increase in future disease incidence for all ages with increasing FHS values (p less than 0.0001), which can be used as a continuous or categorical variable in analysis where family history is associated with a particular variable under study. These results provide a rational basis for choosing and applying specific definitions of a positive family history of coronary disease or hypertension in clinical, epidemiologic and genetic studies.
Neutral steroid losses and cholesterol absorption in gnotobiotic baboons

Abstract Two infant baboons maintained under germfree conditions showed losses of neutral sterols during intestinal transit. Losses of[4-14C]β-sitosterol during 7-day stool collection could not be attributed to methodologic losses, absorption as measured by serum radioactivity, or degradation to labeled CO2. Percent cholesterol absorption was highest during the 12 weeks following birth and decreased to normal levels by 27 weeks of age. Serum cholesterol levels decreased rapidly when the animals were converted from a gnotobiotic to a conventional environment.
Automatic (prelexical) phonetic activation in silent word reading: Evidence from backward masking

Abstract Visual access to a printed word may be accompanied by a very rapid activation of phonetic properties of the word as well as its constituent letters. We suggest that such automatic activation during word identification, rather than only postlexical recoding, routinely occurs in reading. To demonstrate such activation, we varied the graphemic and phonetic properties shared by a word target and a following pseudoword mask. Graphemic ( mard ) and homophonic ( mayd ) masks, equated for number of letters shared with a word target ( made ), both showed a masking reduction effect relative to a control mask. There was an additional effect of the homophonic mask over the graphemic mask, attributable to phonetic activation. A second experiment verified this pattern of mask reduction effects using conditions that ruled out any explanation of the effect that does not take account of the target-mask relationship. We take the results to suggest that a phonetic activation nonoptionally occurs (prelexically) during lexical access.
Simulation of organic liquid flow in porous media using estimated and measured transport properties

Many numerical models which describe the movement of a separate organic liquid phase in the subsurface require information about the relationships between capillary pressure and saturation, and between relative permeability and saturation. An evaluation of the information available for these relationships suggests that substantial discrepancies may be introduced into simulations if estimated, rather than measured, data are employed. The purpose of this study was to quantify these deviations. Two-phase displacement simulations were performed in one and two dimensions for several organic liquid-water systems. Both constant-head and constant-flux boundary conditions were employed at a variety of flow rates and time scales, using both measurements and estimates of capillary pressure and relative permeability for a sandy aquifer material. The results demonstrate that the use of estimated transport relationships produces significantly different predictions of organic liquid migration. The magnitude of the deviations between predictions may be as high as 25% or more after relatively short displacement periods, depending on the boundary conditions of the simulated scenario, as well as on the physical characteristics of the two-phase system. For the systems examined, most of the deviations resulted from the estimates for relative permeability to the organic liquid. Thus, improved methods for the estimation of the relative permeability to the organic liquid are needed to reduce the uncertainty in displacement simulations.
Building dynamic web applications with ASP.Net and ColdFusion MX 7.0: a comparative approach

This paper presents a web application - an online shopping cart designed with two popular web server technologies, ASP.Net and ColdFusion MX 7.0. The purpose of this presentation is to show how this application can be used as a template by instructors in Information Technology courses by providing: A comparative analysis on how different server technologies deal with essential elements of a web application leading to an increase in both breadth and depth of knowledge in students. A discussion on how active learning as discussed by VanDeGrift (1) and group participation can be encouraged in the classroom while having students complete this project. A discussion on how instructors can use this web application to implement a top-down approach teaching style which as shown by Hadjilogiou (2) is effective and can succeed if the goals of the course are explained upfront and the required materials made available. The top down approach of teaching style provides students with the much needed time and exposure to build applications that have a reference to the real world.
Social and environmental influences on egg size evolution in frogs

The reproductive strategies of frogs are highly diverse, but analysis of these strategies in a phylogenetic context has lagged behind other taxa. Here we investigate associations between aspects of parental care and egg size in a phylogenetic context. We obtained data on egg size and parental care strategies in various species of frogs from the scientific literature. We developed a phylogenetic supertree of frogs by combining the results of multiple phylogenetic analyses using matrix representation parsimony. We used phylogenetic pairwise comparisons to investigate the correlation between various forms of parental care and egg size across the order Anura. We also investigated correlations between tadpole carnivory and egg size, and phytotelm breeding and egg size. We also investigated the association of egg size with several environmental factors. Parental care, male parental care, direct development, stream breeding and montane breeding habitats were all associated with large egg size. Female care (in species with trophic egg feeding), carnivory, use of small pools (phytotelmata) and use of temporary pools were not associated with egg size.
Semi-automated alignment and quantification of peaks using parallel factor analysis for comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography-diode array detector data sets.

Parallel factor analysis was used to quantify the relative concentrations of peaks within four-way comprehensive two dimensional liquid chromatography–diode array detector data sets. Since parallel factor analysis requires that the retention times of peaks between each injection are reproducible, a semi-automated alignment method was developed that utilizes the spectra of the compounds to independently align the peaks without the need for a reference injection. Peak alignment is achieved by shifting the optimized chromatographic component profiles from a three-way parallel factor analysis model applied to each injection. To ensure accurate shifting, components are matched up based on their spectral signature and the position of the peak in both chromatographic dimensions. The degree of shift, for each peak, is determined by calculating the distance between the median data point of the respective dimension (in either the second or first chromatographic dimension) and the maximum data point of the peak furthest from the median. All peaks that were matched to this peak are then aligned to this common retention data point. Target analyte recoveries for four simulated data sets were within 2% of 100% recovery in all cases. Two different experimental data sets were also evaluated. Precision of quantification of two spectrally similar and partially coeluting peaks present in urine was as good as or better than 4%. Good results were also obtained for a challenging analysis of phenytoin in waste water effluent, where the results of the semi-automated alignment method agreed with the reference LC–LC MS/MS method within the precision of the methods.
Drama as an art form: Four critical approaches

When Plato banished the poets from his ideal commonwealth, he made exceptions for those who sang the praises of the gods or of good men, but he specifically excluded all dramatic poets, the makers of tragedy and comedy. Plato's charge against poets in general is based on the contention that since the physical world is an imperfect copy of divine archetypes, poets in representing nature create works that are twice removed from truth. When he turns specifically to the dramatic poets, whose appeal is to "a promiscuous gathering in a theatre," Plato argues in Book X of the Republic that drama corrupts because it involves the representation or imitationthe Greek word is mimesisof good as well as bad characters. While attending a comic performance, for example, a spectator will enjoy the buffooneries of the actors, "instead of being disgusted with their ribaldry." The spectator may then imitate such actions in his private life. Plato therefore bans the playwrights for watering, in F. M. Cornford's translation, "the growth of passions which should be allowed to wither away." In what is clearly an attempt to answer Plato, Aristotle implies in bis Poetics that watching a play need not be harmful. On the contrary, unwholesome passions-i.e., the spectator's emotions of pity and fear-will be purged by means of tragic catharsis. (In the Tractatus Coislinianusf which is sometimes attributed to Aristotle, comedy likewise brings about a catharsis of pleasure and laughter.) With this argumentand I am fully aware that scholars disagree on what he meant by "catharsis"-Aristotle freed the drama, at least temporarily, from the clutches of moralists and gave a considerable boost to the critical concept of mimesis, for at its most fundamental level tragedy was to Aristotle an imitation of an action. Though Erich Auerbach has shown in his classic study that imitation as practiced by modern realists is not quite the same as the mimesis of the ancients, we are justified, I think, in applying that critical label to Hugo Raud-
Topological vacua and spontaneous CP violations in Yang-Mills theories

From the consideration of the topological structures of Yang-Mills theories, we obtain the results thatSU(2) Yang-Mills theory in the Minkowski space has the vacua of topologyZ⊕Z 2. Therefore, we argue that the physical vacuum ofSU(2) Yang-Mills theory needs to be described by two vacuum angles θ and $$\tilde \theta $$ . Consequently, even if θ=0, a non-vanishing angle $$\tilde \theta $$ can still induce spontaneous CP violations in such gauge theories.
Myocyte function and [Ca 2+]I homeostasis during early allogenic heart transplant rejection

Background. Recent studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that in vivo contractile function of rejecting mouse heterotopic abdominal heart allografts 5 days after transplantation is depressed to 40% of that of syngenic controls, and that this depression of function is prevented by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N G -monomethyl-L-arginine. However, the mechanisms of altered myocyte function caused by nitric oxide production in this setting are not established. Methods. We measured intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] I ) transients (fluo-3, confocal microscopy), fractional shortening (video motion), and L-type Ca 2+ currents (whole-cell patch clamp) 5 days after transplantation in ventricular myocytes freshly isolated from syngenic (Balb/C into Balb/C) and allogenic (Balb/C into C3H) transplants. Results. L-type Ca 2+ currents, [Ca 2+ ] i transient amplitudes, and fractional shortening did not differ between nonrejecting, syngenic and rejecting, allogenic transplants. Catecholamine responsiveness as analyzed by the change in the peak [Ca 2+ ] i transient induced by 100 nM isoproterenol was also similar. Superfusion with L-arginine, an NOS substrate, caused decreased shortening with no change in [Ca 2+ ] i transients in allogenic myocytes, but had no effect in syngenic myocytes. Conclusions. Depressed contractile function of rejecting allogenic heart transplants in vivo appears to be caused in part by an NOS-dependent decrease in myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity.
The relationship between some measures of synaptic ultrastructure as a function of distance from the soma on lamprey reticulospinal neurons.

Synaptic junctions located on the dendrites of lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) reticulospinal neurons labelled with intracellularly-injected horseradish peroxidase were studied. The normal ultrastructure of the synaptic junctions was defined and several quantitative measures made from each junction in order to test the hypothesis that distally-located synapses are ultrastructurally different from those located at proximal dendritic sites. A total of 820 contacts from one neuron and 279 from a second neuron ranging from 20 to 340 μm from the soma were quantified. The vast majority of the presynaptic endings contained round, clear-cored vesicles and formed an asymmetrical membrane differentiation with the postsynaptic dendrite. A small fraction of the population contained flattened or pleomorphic vesicles and these synapses were equally distributed with respect to distance from the soma. Many of the terminals contained a few large dark- and clear-cored vesicles. Four quantitative measures of each synaptic contact were made. These included vesicle number, length of differentiated membrane, vesicle area and terminal area. Four ratios relating the different quantitative measures were also calculated. Each ratio or measurement from the synaptic junctions was plotted as a function of distance from the soma to determine if differences existed at any distance. It was found that synaptic junctions are uniformly similar and that distal junctions did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) from those at proximal dendritic sites. It is concluded that if distal synapses do compensate for their remote location they do this in some other way, possibly by increasing the number of synaptic contacts made by each presynaptic axon.
We Did Not Use Telemedicine That Time:Can Critical Incidents Analysis Explain Non-Use?

This paper discusses findings from four case studies of patient-present telemedicine consultation services, in which “hub” specialist physicians provide assistance to “spoke” clinicians located at a distance, using video conferencing and sometimes also electronically exchanging other clinical information. In interviews we sought to identify why clinicians sometimes choose not to use telemedicine consultation services. Hub specialists (who provide the telemedicine consultation services) and doctors, nurses, and social workers (“spoke clinicians,” who receive these services) were asked to discuss their views about telemedicine systems strengths and weaknesses in the context of specific clinical episodes. For this paper we analyzed critical incident narratives to reveal insights regarding two research questions: 1) From clinicians who sometimes use telemedicine, what can we learn from their critical incident stories in which telemedicine was not used yet the clinician feels it might have been helpful? What c...
Results of New Air Caloric Testing Method Among Normal Subjects II. Monophasic Testing

A new caloric irrigation method is described. In the new method, the temperature of a continuous aural irrigation is switched between hot and cold values at precisely specified times. The durations of hot and cold pulses have been calculated to produce specific caloric stimulation intensities based on known heat transmission characteristics of the labyrinth area. A brief "washout" irrigation is used to eliminate promptly all caloric stimulation effects at the conclusion of each test. The present study concentrated upon the question of how long the "washout" pulse should be in order to obtain optimum results. Repetitive application of a uniform stimulus intensity to 6 normal subjects indicated that short inter-test intervals can be used without causing vestibular habituation. Prompt removal of the caloric stimulus can be accomplished by proper timing the "washout" phase of the new technique.
Some semantic reasons why iconicity between lexical categories and their discourse functions isn't perfect

Un nom et un verbe sont consideres comme des representations diagrammaticalement iconiques de leurs fonctions discursives lorsque, dans un enonce donne, le degre de manifestation des contrastes categoriels formels reflete le degre de prototypicalite de la fonction discursive. Afin de determiner pourquoi l'iconicite est si repandue dans les langues, l'A. met ici de cote les cas ou l'iconicite fonctionne parfaitement et se penche sur ceux ou elle presente des defauts, en l'occurrence les SN generiques et les verbes lexicalement statifs en anglais, dans lequels des contrastes morphosyntaxiques associes aux noms et aux verbes se detachent de maniere reguliere dans des contextes discursifs a la fois prototypiques et non prototypiques. L'A. montre que dans ces cas d'iconicite imparfaite, la categorialite est conforme aux demandes fonctionnelles, mais que ces demandes sont essentiellement semantiques et non liees aux fonctions du discours
Spreading of T-cell autoimmunity to cryptic determinants of an autoantigen.

Immunization with myelin basic protein (MBP) induces experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), a prototype of CD4+ T-cell mediated autoimmune disease. In rodents, MBP-reactive T-cell clones are specific for a single, dominant determinant on MBP and use a highly restricted number of T-cell receptor genes. Accordingly, EAE has been prevented by various receptor-specific treatments, suggesting similar strategies may be useful for therapy of human autoimmune disease. Here we report that in (SJL x B10.PL)F1 mice, immune dominance of a single determinant, MBP:Ac1-11, is confined to the inductive phase of EAE. In mice with chronic EAE, several additional determinants of MBP in peptides 35-47, 81-100 and 121-140 recall proliferative responses. Most importantly, reactivity to the latter determinants was also detected after induction of EAE with MBP peptide Ac1-11 alone; this demonstrates priming by endogenous MBP determinants. Thus, determinants of MBP that are cryptic after primary immunization can become immunogenic in the course of EAE. Diversification of the autoreactive T-cell repertoire due to 'determinant spreading' has major implications for the pathogenesis of, and the therapeutic approach to, T-cell driven autoimmune disease.
Fabrication of dense thin sheets of γ-TiAl by hot isostatic pressing of tape-cast monotapes

Abstract A method is described for the fabrication of dense thin sheets of γ titanium aluminide (γ-TiAl) by a powder metallurgy route involving hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of tape-cast monotapes. Gamma-TiAl powder (particle size
Shear resistance of composite resin to enamel using color-modifying resins and variously applied unfilled bonding resins

Abstract The effects of bond layer thickness of color-modifying resins and variously applied unfilled resins on composite resin/enamel shear bond strengths were compared. Composite resin columns were bonded to etched enamel surfaces in vitro with either applied unfilled resins or with filled color-modifying resins. The bond layer thickness and the force required to shear the 17 specimens of each of six groups were measured. ANOVA with Tukey's test was performed to determine if significant differences at the α = 0.05 level existed for the mean bond layer thicknesses as well as the mean forces required to debond the specimens of six groups. Color modifying resins resulted in a 5 to 327 times greater bond thickness than the unfilled resins. Only one of the unfilled resin groups showed a statistically significant difference in shear resistance compared with a color-modifying resin group. The method of application and resulting thickness of unfilled resin appeared to have little effect on composite resin/enamel shear bond strengths.
Unrealized Partisans, Realized Independents, and the Intergenerational Transmission of Partisan Identification

Carmines, McIver, and Stimson (1987) argue that there has been a "dramatic change" in the intergenerational transmission of partisanship and independence and that the growth in Independents is largely accounted for by "unrealized partisans." We show that both conclusions are a function of ignoring sizable numbers of families in which parents' partisanship is indeterminate. Unrealized partisanship has been an important cause of dealignment, but it accounts for much less than the entire increase in the proportion of Independents. Moreover, transmission rates within Independent families have been consistently high; since 1964 independence has been passed on to offspring more efficiently than partisanship. The scope and usefulness of Carmines et al.'s theory is thus undermined by its failure to accommodate several types of families that made a sizable contribution to the increase in the proportion of Independents over the past 30 years.
Large-scale, hot-filament-assisted synthesis of tungsten oxide and related transition metal oxide nanowires.

A scalable and versatile method for the large-scale synthesis of tungsten trioxide nanowires and their arrays on a variety of substrates, including amorphous quartz and fluorinated tin oxide, is reported.The synthesis involves the chemical-vapor transport of metal oxide vapor-phase species using air or oxygen flow over hot filaments onto substrates kept at a distance.The results show that the density of the nanowires can be varied from 10 6 –10 10 cm � 2 by varying the substrate temperature.The diameter of the nanowires ranges from 100–20 nm.The results also show that variations in oxygen flow and substrate temperature affect the nanowire morphology from straight to bundled to branched nanowires.A thermoA model is proposed to show that the condensation of WO2 species primarily accounts for the nucleation and subsequent growth of the nanowires, which supports the hypothesis that the nucleation of nanowires occurs through condensation of suboxide WO2 vapor-phase species.This is in contrast to the expected WO 3 vapor-phase species condensation into WO3 solid phase for nanoparticle formation.The as-synthesized nanowires are shown to form stable dispersions compared to nanoparticles in various organic and inorganic solvents.
Forcible rape: An evolutionary perspective

Abstract In humans, forcible rape is usually defined as copulation achieved by violence or threat of violence without the free consent of the female. Although rape is universally considered a heinous and punishable crime, it remains a serious and growing problem in many modern cultures. Rape has been perceived as the pathological result of (1) the psychological dysfunction of individual rapists or (2) the sexism inherent in male-dominated societies. Both sociocultural hypotheses recommend that rape be controlled through the rehabilitation of diseased rapists, diseased societies, or both. Exploration of rape in nonhuman animals and a wider application of evolutionary principles to human behavior have generated an alternative evolutionary view of rape as a potentially adaptive rather than a necessarily pathological act. The expanded biological model explores both the ultimate consequences of rape, in terms of a cost/benefit analysis of its expected effects on inclusive fitness, and its immediate proximate control, in terms of the intrinsic motivating variables and external stimuli that determine its probability of occurrence for specific individuals in specific instances. Ultimately, rape is expected to occur only when its potential benefit (production of an extra offspring) exceeds its potential cost (energy expended and risk taken owing to some probability of resistance or retribution that would reduce a rapist's reproductive success). We agree with the sociocultural view that rape is a violent rather than a sexual act. Proximately, rape appears to be motivated by male hostility, with increasing hostility increasing the probability of rape. The external stimulus for rape is a sufficiently vulnerable female. Here vulnerability varies inversely with the probability and severity of resistance or retribution expected by a rapist (i.e., the expected cost of rape in inclusive fitness). Both the frequency and patterns of rape observed in nature are either equally or more consistent with the sociobiological predictions than with the sociocultural predictions. The biological perspective implies that a society can most effectively control rape by ensuring that a rapist can expect to pay a sufficient cost to outweigh any potential benefit.
Cosmology and GUTs: the matter of the Universe

Abstract To illustrate the interaction of Grand Unified Theories (GUTs), supersymmetry (SUSY), and cosmology, a worked example is carried out. This example is the dark matter problem, or “What is the dominant matter of the Universe?” It is shown that if GUTs are assumed then the primordial perturbations are probably adiabatic, if inflation is assumed then Ω = 1 and GUTs first name is probably SUSY. If Ω = 1 , big bang nucleosynthesis tells us that the bulk of the matter is non-baryonic. SUSY-GUTs gives us some possible candidate inos to which massive neutrinos, axion or planetary mass black holes can be added. These candidates can be classified hot (or warm) or cold types of dark matter. It is shown that hot gives Ω = 1 and naturally gives large scale structure but does not give small scale structure or galaxy formation times, whereas cold gives small scale structure and formation times but cannot easily yield Ω = 1 . It is concluded that either a hybrid of both hot and cold or non-random phases for the perturbations may be needed.
Intratumoral injection of dendritic cells derived in vitro in patients with metastatic cancer

BACKGROUND Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent initiators of immune responses, and the infiltration of DCs into tumors may confer an improved prognosis. Whether the injection of DCs directly into tumors can mediate biologic activity was examined. METHODS Patients with metastatic dermal or subcutaneous tumors received granulocyte-macrophage–colony stimulating factor to increase the numbers of peripheral blood monocyte precursors. DCs were then generated from monocytes obtained by phlebotomy with granulocyte-macrophage–colony stimulating factor and interleukin-4 in autologous plasma. Tumors were injected at multiple sites with 30 million autologous DCs per tumor. RESULTS Seven patients with melanoma and three patients with breast carcinoma were treated. Injections were well tolerated. Regression of the injected tumors, beginning as early as 4 days after injection, was observed in four patients with melanoma and in two patients with breast carcinoma. Biopsies of regressing lesions showed lymphocyte infiltration associated with DCs and necrosis. Neutrophils and macrophages were not evident. Lymphocytes expanded from the regressing tumors proliferated in response to heat shock proteins, HSP70 and gp96, derived from autologous tumor. The DCs injected produced interferon-α and expressed Fas ligand mRNA but did not exhibit cytolytic activity in vitro. Expression of the costimulatory molecule, B7-2 (CD86), decreased on DCs after intratumoral injection. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study demonstrates that DCs derived in vitro can exist viably after intratumoral injection and can mediate biologic activity in situ. Tumor-derived heat shock proteins may be involved in the antitumor activity observed. Cancer 2000;89:2646–54. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
The passivity of iron and carbon steel in anhydrous propylene carbonate solutions

Abstract The passivation behavior of high purity iron and 1018 carbon steel in anhydrous propylene carbonate (PC) containing 0.5 M LiClO 4 or 0.5 M LiAsF 6 was studied. The air-formed film on Fe was stable and protective over a wide applied potential range in perchlorate solutions. Scratch tests showed that both bare Fe and steel passivate in the anhydrous PC solutions of either electrolyte by chemisorption of PC molecules below the oxidation potential of PC (PC ox ). At higher potentials, bare Fe passivates in PC/LiClO 4 via the formation of a Fe(ClO 4 ) 2 salt film. The air-formed film on carbon steel was protective up to the PC ox potential in either electrolyte. Above PC ox , deterioration of the air-formed film on steel was associated with sulfide surface inclusions. Pits initiated and grew at these inclusion sites. Scratch tests showed slower repassivation of the bare steel by the Fe(ClO 4 ) 2 salt film than on iron. Sulfides impeded this repassivation. Above PC ox , neither the iron or the steel are passive in PC/LiAsF 6 solutions. The higher solubility of the Fe(AsF 6 ) 2 salt prevents precipitation of a protective salt film.
Numerical boundary conditions for solar magnetohydrodynamic flows using the method of characteristics

We discuss the self-consistent time-dependent numerical boundary conditions on the basis of theory of characteristics for magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations of solar plasma flows. The importance of using self-consistent boundary conditions is demonstrated by using an example of modeling coronal dynamic structures. This example demonstrates that the self-consistent boundary conditions assure the correctness of the numerical solutions. Otherwise, erroneous numerical solutions will appear.
Highly efficient absorbents for post-combustion CO2 capture

Abstract Highly efficient absorbents for CO 2 capture from the flue gas of power station were developed. The development of absorbent for CO 2 separation is the one of the core technologies in the manner of chemical absorption. In this study, novel absorbents for post-combustion CO 2 capture gave the fast absorption rate, higher absorption capacity and fast stripping rate than those of MEA which is the representative chemical absorbent for CO 2 separation. In addition, the newly developed absorbents have been evaluated their capability for CO 2 separation by absorption screening test, VLE and their applications to pilot plant test. At pilot plant test, it was possible to reduce the operation energy of facility because KoSol-1 & 2 needed 1∼2 ∘ C lower temperature of stripper, which have possess more than 50% of total energy required in CO 2 separation process, than that of MEA when the newly developed absorbents, KoSol-1 & 2, were used as an absorbent, respectively. In the case of KoSol-2, the removal efficiency of CO 2 was higher than that of MEA even in the 2 ∘ C lower stripper temperature.
Transparent Conducting Oxides of Relevance to Organic Electronics: Electronic Structures of Their Interfaces with Organic Layers

Transparent conducting oxides (TCO) are a critical component of many organic electronic devices including organic solar cells and light-emitting diodes. In this Perspective, we discuss what we have learned from our theoretical investigations, at the density functional theory (DFT) level, of the electronic structures of several technologically relevant transparent conducting oxides and their interfaces with organic layers. In particular, we describe how DFT calculations can be used to provide a detailed understanding of (i) the impact of surface modification by an organic monolayer on the interfacial electronic structure and the work function; (ii) the electronic characteristics of TCO surfaces as a function of surface hydroxylation and the presence of various intrinsic and extrinsic defects; and (iii) the nature of the charge transfer taking place between an organic semiconducting layer and a TCO electrode when considering the physisorption of a monolayer of π-conjugated organic molecules on the TCO surfaces.
SITA visual field testing in children

Abstract Purpose: The Swedish Interactive Thresholding Algorithm (SITA) is a new testing strategy for the Humphrey perimeter. The standard SITA algorithm shortens test time in adults without increasing variability, but its usefulness for detecting field defects in children has not been investigated. Methods: We evaluated 92 standard SITA 24-2 visual fields of children, most of whom had various types of optic neuropathies (pediatric idiopathic intracranial hypertension, homonymous defects, bitemporal defects, papilledema from brain tumors), and compared them with 49 full threshold 24-2 fields obtained in similar patients. We evaluated outcome measures of foveal threshold, mean defect, pattern standard deviation, false-negative and false-positive rates, and test time. Five children (9 eyes) had both SITA and full threshold testing (FTT). Results: The SITA decreased test time by over 50% compared with FTT (12.6 ± 3.0 minutes vs 6.6 ± 1.6 minutes [ P P Conclusions: SITA shortens test time significantly compared with FTT and does so without jeopardizing interpretability. SITA has less intratest variability than FTT and therefore should be better for detecting and following defects. Caution is advised when following a visual field defect unless the same strategy is used for each evaluation. Switching strategies in the absence of a stable field defect is not recommended. (J AAPOS 2001;5:114-7)
Developmental scalable hierarchies for multi-agent swarms

Hierarchical control structures for multi-agent systems represent a promising middle ground between fully-distributed systems and centralized control. In this paper we present a developmental approach for evolving hierarchical control structures for large (100-800 member), multi-agent swarms. The results show that this approach can successfully generate control hierarchies that improve the performance of fully distributed swarms and that scale well.
Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Ballast Water Management Convention: An Analysis of Legal Mechanisms to Address the Issue of Alien Invasive Species

Alien species, or exotic species, organisms that have been introduced either intentionally or accidentally into ecosystems not their own, can pose a serious threat to the environment. If the natura...