cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lobster Sniffing: Antennule Design and Hydrodynamic Filtering of Information in an Odor Plume

The first step in processing olfactory information, before neural filtering, is the physical capture of odor molecules from the surrounding fluid. Many animals capture odors from turbulent water currents or wind using antennae that bear chemosensory hairs. We used planar laser-induced fluorescence to reveal how lobster olfactory antennules hydrodynamically alter the spatiotemporal patterns of concentration in turbulent odor plumes. As antennules flick, water penetrates their chemosensory hair array during the fast downstroke, carrying fine-scale patterns of concentration into the receptor area. This spatial pattern, blurred by flow along the antennule during the downstroke, is retained during the slower return stroke and is not shed until the next flick.
The benzil-benzilic acid rearrangement in high-temperature water

The rearrangement of benzil is base (and not acid) catalyzed under conventional conditions (water–dioxane mixture around 100 °C). We examined this reaction in high-temperature water (HTW) between 300–380 °C with the intent of studying a reaction that proceeds solely by base catalysis in this more environmentally benign medium. The rearrangement proceeds in neutral HTW without addition of base, but the yield of rearrangement products is nearly insensitive to pH at near-neutral conditions. Adding larger amounts of base, however, leads to much higher yields and 100% selectivity to rearrangement products. Likewise, adding larger amounts of acid leads to comparable yields, but less than 100% selectivity. The selectivity to rearrangement products generally increased with pH at near-neutral and basic conditions whereas the selectivity to benzil decomposition products (a competing thermal pathway) exhibited a maximum at near-neutral conditions. We conclude that the benzil rearrangement is catalyzed by acid, base, and water in HTW. The dominant mechanism shifts as the pH changes. This system shows that mechanisms that are unimportant at conventional reaction conditions can become dominant in HTW. It also demonstrates the ability to use pH to direct the selectivity of a reaction in HTW.
Higher therapeutic CsA levels early post transplantation reduce risk of acute GVHD and improves survival.

Higher therapeutic CsA levels early post transplantation reduce risk of acute GVHD and improves survival
Discrete observability of the heat equation on bounded domains

The problem of discrete observation for the heat equation is considered. It is shown that under a wide variety of conditions it is possible to recover the initial data for the heat equation from measurements that are discrete in time and space. The conditions under which the initial data is recoverable depend on the geometry of the underlying domain and consequently on the spectrum of the associated eigenvalue problem.
Experimental investigations on the effect of light scattering upon the refractive index of colloidal particles

Abstract Interferometric measurements on a series of monodisperse polyvinyltoluene and polystyrene latices of systematically varied particle size show that the refractive index of colloidal particles derived from experiment by means of mixture rules is an apparent quantity. It decreases with increasing particle size, and also with increasing aggregation, at constant size of the primary particles. It is shown that this effect can be caused only by the effect of light scattering upon the experimentally measured quantities. An experimental extrapolation method is described by means of which the true refractive index of the colloidal particles can be obtained. The latter is independent of particle size.
Multiple P2Y receptors mediate contraction in guinea pig mesenteric vein.

Abstract Vasoconstrictor responses to exogenous adenine and pyrimidine nucleotides were measured in endothelium-denuded segments of guinea pig mesenteric vein and compared with responses in mesenteric artery. The rank order of potency for nucleotides in veins was: 2-MeSADP = 2-MeSATP > UTP > ATPγS = α,βMeATP > UDP = ATP > ADP >> β,γ-D-MeATP = β,γ-L-MeATP. In contrast 2-MeSADP, UTP, and UDP were inactive in arteries, and the rank order of potency of other nucleotides differed; that is, α,βMeATP > β,γ-D-MeATP > β,γ-L-MeATP = ATPγS = 2-MeSATP > ATP > ADP. In veins, UTP, ATP, and 2-MeSATP were more efficacious contractile agents than α,β MeATP. In addition, the ability to desensitize responses to these nucleotides and inhibit them with various blockers differed. The response to α,βMeATP in veins exhibited rapid desensitization and was inhibited by pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonic acid tetrasodium (PPADS) and suramin. The response to 2-MeSATP in veins did not desensitize; nor was it inhibited by prior α,βMeATP desensitization, but it was inhibited by PPADS, suramin, and the selective P2Y 1 receptor antagonist adenosine 3′,5′-bisphosphate (ABP, 10–100 μM). Responses to ATP and UTP in veins did not desensitize and were not inhibited by PPADS, suramin, ABP, or α,βMeATP desensitization. In conclusion, our results suggest that venous contraction to a variety of nucleotides is mediated in large part by P2Y receptors including P2Y 1 receptors and an UTP-preferring P2Y receptor. A small component of contraction also appears to be mediated by P2X 1 receptors. This receptor profile differs markedly from that of mesenteric arteries in which P2X 1 receptors predominate.
Antireproductive effects of a potent gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist in the male rat

Administration of a potent antagonist of gondadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist [Ac-dehydro-Pro1, pCl-D-Phe2, D-Trp3,6]-N alpha-MeLeu7-GnRH to adult male rats for 2 weeks resulted in decreased testosterone production and sexual organ weights and in disrupted spermatogenesis. The results demonstrate the essential role of gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the maintenance of reproductive functions and have implications for the regulation of male fertility.
Evolution and accomplishments of VLSI yield management at IBM

The methods developed at IBM to manage and improve the yield of some of its newer FET semiconductor products are described. A number of visual inspection and electric monitoring techniques have evolved since discrete semiconductors were manufactured. The data obtained with these techniques are used in self-checking yield models to give the relative yields for all the yield components. The results are applied not only to day-to-day control of the manufacturing lines, but also in the long-range forecasting and planning of future semiconductor integrated circuit products. An example is given comparing the actual and planned yield of a 64K-bit random access memory chip as a function of time. The results show the yield enhancement that was obtained with redundant circuits and additionally with the use of partially functional products. Another example shows the decrease in fault levels over a span of more than ten years.
Realization of All-dielectric Optical Metamaterials

We present experimental realization of zero-index all-dielectric optical metamaterials. The metamaterials exhibit a nearly isotropic response, leading to angular selectivity of transmission and enhanced directive emission from quantum dots placed within the metamaterial. Article not available.
Risk factors for postvitrectomy fibrin formation.

We prospectively studied 194 patients undergoing vitrectomy between July 1988 and April 1989 to determine the incidence of postvitrectomy intraocular fibrin formation and the association of a variety of preoperative and intraoperative variables with the formation of severe postvitrectomy fibrin. Overall, 62 (32%) patients developed postvitrectomy fibrin; 25 (13%) had mild fibrin formation, 13 (6.5%) had moderate fibrin formation, and 24 (12.4%) had severe fibrin formation. By logistic multivariate analysis, preoperative factors that were independently predictive of severe fibrin formation included severe flare (P = .004), the presence of a previously placed scleral buckle (P = .001), and poor preoperative visual acuity (P = .007). Anterior epiretinal membrane dissection was the only intraoperative factor that was independently associated with an increased fibrin risk (P = .0003). A risk score derived from the multivariate analysis effectively categorized patients according to their likelihood of developing severe postvitrectomy fibrin. Results of this study may be useful in designing prophylactic interventions to decrease postvitrectomy fibrin formation.
Sodium depletion enhances fibrosis and the expression of TGF-β1 and matrix proteins in experimental chronic cyclosporine nephropathy

Abstract The major limitation to the clinical use of cyclosporine (CsA) is renal toxicity. In the past, the lack of an animal model of chronic CsA nephropathy has hampered the study of its pathogenesis. Rats given CsA and placed on a low sodium diet (LSD) develop a histology similar to human lesions of chronic CsA nephropathy, a phenomenon not observed in animals on a normal sodium diet (NSD). We have previously shown that transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is involved in the CsA-induced renal fibrosis in rats on a LSD. We hypothesized that sodium depletion is critical to the increase in TGF-β1 expression, which, in turn, results in excessive matrix accumulation. Pair-fed rats were placed on a NSD or LSD, treated with CsA or vehicle, and killed at 7 or 28 days (N = 4 to 6 in each group). All rats achieved similar blood pressure control, and all CsA-treated rats achieved similar CsA blood levels. However, while CsA did not affect creatinine clearance in rats on a NSD, it lowered creatinine clearance in rats on a LSD ( P P P P P P
Defect-reduction mechanism for improving radiative efficiency in InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes using InGaN underlayers

The influence of a dilute InxGa1-xN (x ∼ 0.03) underlayer (UL) grown below a single In0.16Ga0.84N quantum well (SQW), within a light-emitting diode (LED), on the radiative efficiency and deep level defect properties was studied using differential carrier lifetime (DCL) measurements and deep level optical spectroscopy (DLOS). DCL measurements found that inclusion of the UL significantly improved LED radiative efficiency. At low current densities, the non-radiative recombination rate of the LED with an UL was found to be 3.9 times lower than the LED without an UL, while the radiative recombination rates were nearly identical. This suggests that the improved radiative efficiency resulted from reduced non-radiative defect concentration within the SQW. DLOS measurement found the same type of defects in the InGaN SQWs with and without ULs. However, lighted capacitance-voltage measurements of the LEDs revealed a 3.4 times reduction in a SQW-related near-mid-gap defect state for the LED with an UL. Quantitative a...
Development of the object concept as manifested in changes in the tracking behavior of infants between 7 and 20 weeks of age

Abstract The tracking behavior of infants up to 5 months of age was studied, using linear and circular trajectories, with partial occlusion of the trajectories. Results indicate that it is not until the age of about 16 weeks that infants can be said to be tracking a moving object as an object.
THE USE OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY DATA WITH JOB'S METHOD

Abstract The popularity of Job's method is to some extent based upon the large number of physical properties which are thought to be suitable for use with it. Among these properties, the electrical conductivity has enjoyed some popularity but has led to results which are often at variance with the results of studies using other properties or other methods. In order to find the source of this discord, a thorough theoretical and experimental analysis of this particular procedure has been performed.
Pilot test and validation of the Peak Day method of prospective determination of ovulation against a handheld urine hormone monitor

Transient exposures may influence fertility and early embryonic development. To assess the time of conception in vivo and conduct concurrent biomonitoring, ovulation must be identified prospectively. We report on the development and validation of a simple, prospective method, the Peak Day method, to determine likely day of ovulation based upon daily observations of cervical fluid. We recruited 98 women to learn the Peak Day method from a brochure, 26 of whom concurrently used the method with blinded daily urine hormone monitoring (estrone glucuronide and luteinizing hormone). All women were instructed to complete an exposure questionnaire immediately upon identifying ovulation. Briefly, the exposure questionnaire captured time-varying and transient exposures such as medication use, water consumption, and amount of sleep. We assessed timely completion of the exposure questionnaire, agreement of women’s estimated day of ovulation (EDO) and the EDO by expert review, and agreement between the EDO by expert review and by blinded urine monitoring. Of 147 cycles evaluated, women selected an EDO in 130 (88%) and subsequently completed the periovulatory exposure questionnaire in 122 (94%) cycles. Of the 26 cycles evaluated with blinded hormonal monitoring, the Peak Day “best quality” algorithm, based upon cervical fluid, identified ovulation ± 3 days of the urine monitor in 24 cycles (92%). With simple written instructions, women can identify an estimated day of ovulation and perform periovulatory exposure assessment. The Peak Day method is highly cost-effective and could be applied by researchers to target periconceptional or very early developmental stage exposure assessment.
Differential expression of kainate receptors in the basal ganglia of the developing and adult rat brain

Glutamate is the principal excitatory transmitter of the mammalian brain and plays a particularly important role in the physiology of the basal ganglia structures responsible for movement regulation. Using in situ hybridization with oligonucleotide probes, we examined the expression patterns of the five known kainate type glutamate receptor subunit genes, KA1, KA2 and GluR5-7, in the basal ganglia of adult and developing rat brain. In the adult rat, a highly organized and selective pattern of expression of the kainate subunits was observed in the basal ganglia and associated structures as well as in other regions of the brain. KA2 mRNA was abundant in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra pars compacta, and was present at lower levels in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars reticulata. Neither KA1 nor GluR5 expression was observed in the basal ganglia of adult rats, although these messages were present in other regions. GluR6 was highly expressed in the striatum and subthalamic nucleus and to a lesser extent in the substantia nigra pars reticulata, while no hybridization signal was detectable in the large, presumably dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta. In contrast, GluR7 was strongly expressed in the substantia nigra pars compacta, was present at lower levels in the striatum, globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars reticulata, and was not detectable in the subthalamic nucleus. During postnatal development, expression of the kainate receptor subunits was characteristically highest on postnatal day 1 and declined to adult levels by day 20; however, in the globus pallidus we did observe the transient expression of KA1 and GluR5 between day 1 and day 10. These results demonstrate that the neuronal structures comprising the basal ganglia express a distinct combination of kainate receptor subunit genes, suggesting that the pharmacological properties of the resultant glutamate receptors are likely to be regionally specific. The organization of expression of these genes is established early in life, which is consistent with the important role they may play in establishing the functions of the motor system.
A 22S cryomacroglobulin with antibody-like activity. I. Physico-chemical characterization and modification of its cryoproperties.

Abstract A 22S cryomacroglobulin, MO-IgM(κ), was purified from the serum of a patient with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia and was subjected to various studies. Results of physico-chemical characterization indicated that this 22S material is a dimer of 19S proteins which are held together through non-covalent bonding. Elevation of temperature, exposure to mild acid or alkali, or to high ionic strength, or dilution of protein concentration thus resulted in the dissociation of 22S to 19S proteins and abolished the cryoproperties. Subunit structure and chain compositions of the cryomacroglobulin appeared to be similar to those of noncryo-IgM proteins. However, amino acids analyses revealed that the μ-chain obtained from the 22S component contained fewer basic (lysine and arginine) and aromatic (tyrosine and phenylalanine) and more glutamic residues than the μ-chains associated with three different monoclonal noncryo-IgM proteins and normal human macroglobulin. Amino acid compositions of κ-type L-chain associated with the 22S protein, however, differed little from those of κ-type L-chains isolated from non-cryo-IgM proteins, normal human macroglobulin or noncryo-IgGl protein. The unusual solubility properties of MO-IgM were not affected by either addition of various mono- and dissaccharides or removal of sialic acids. However, the cryoproperties of the 22S component could be either completely or partially abolished by admixing of its own Fabμ-containing fragments (Fabμ or F(ab′) 2μ ) subunits (7S or 8S), or μ(+L) chain fraction. On the contrary to the solubilizing effects of these fragments or subunits, L-chain with intact intra-chain disulfide bridges (L ss -chain) obtained from the 22S protein itself enhanced the cryoproperties of MO-IgM. Noncryomacroglobulins associated with either κ or λ-type L-chains, IgG isolated from the patient's own serum, normal human IgG and Fc fragment thereof, L ss -chains prepared from noncryo-IgM proteins or the patient's own IgG, and Bence-Jones proteins of either κ or λ-type all had no appreciable effect on the solubility of the 22S cryomacroglobulin at 0°C. The cryoproperties of this IgM are suggestive as being due to an immune complex formation between antigen 19S and antibody 19S proteins. Since the cryoproperties were enhanced only be L-chain associated with the cryomacroglobulin, it seems by deduction that the specificity of antibody 19S protein may be directed toward variable halves of the L-chain of antigen 19S.
Activation of endothelial cell phospholipase D by sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate.

We have investigated the activation of phospholipase D (PLD) by sphingosine and its derivatives in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAEC) prelabeled with [32P]orthophosphate or [32P]lyso phospholipids. Sphingosine, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, stimulated the hydrolysis of [32P]phosphatidylcholine (PC) resulting in the production of [32P]phosphatidic acid (PA), suggesting PLD activation. In the presence of ethanol (150 mM), the accumulation of [32P]phosphatidylethanol was also observed. The sphingosine-induced stimulation of PLD activity was not affected by treatment with the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor staurosporine or by down-regulation of PKC with TPA and was independent of extracellular Ca2+, suggesting that the PLD activation was independent of PKC and Ca2+. Chelation of intracellular Ca2+ with BAPTA actually potentiated the sphingosine-stimulated [32P]PC hydrolysis. Furthermore, the activation of PLD by sphingosine was not abolished by treatment of BPAEC with either cholera o...
Modeling an In-Register, Parallel “Iowa” Aβ Fibril Structure Using Solid-State NMR Data from Labeled Samples with Rosetta

Summary Determining the structures of amyloid fibrils is an important first step toward understanding the molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases. For β-amyloid (Aβ) fibrils, conventional solid-state NMR structure determination using uniform labeling is limited by extensive peak overlap. We describe the characterization of a distinct structural polymorph of Aβ using solid-state NMR, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Rosetta model building. First, the overall fibril arrangement is established using mass-per-length measurements from TEM. Then, the fibril backbone arrangement, stacking registry, and "steric zipper" core interactions are determined using a number of solid-state NMR techniques on sparsely 13 C-labeled samples. Finally, we perform Rosetta structure calculations with an explicitly symmetric representation of the system. We demonstrate the power of the hybrid Rosetta/NMR approach by modeling the in-register, parallel "Iowa" mutant (D23N) at high resolution (1.2A backbone rmsd). The final models are validated using an independent set of NMR experiments that confirm key features.
Mid-infrared digital electronic camera system for assessing natural resources

Water strongly absorbs mid-infrared (1300-2500 nm) radiation, resulting in this region of the spectrum being sensitive to the water content within features. Little information is available on using an electronic digital camera filtered to this region of the spectrum to assess natural resources. The objectives of this study were to assemble an electronic digital camera system obtaining mid-infrared imagery and to show practical applications of the system for assessing natural resources. The system consists of a near-infrared to mid-infrared light sensitive camera (900-1700 nm, 14-bit radiometric resolution) containing a 640 by 512 indium gallium arsenide area array, a computer, an image acquisition card, a camera-link cable, a keyboard, a color monitor, a camera tripod, a generator, a camera mount, and a mid-infrared narrow bandpass filter (1632-1648 nm). The components of the system allow users to obtain ground or airborne imagery. Ground-based imagery and data were useful for separating succulent from nonsucculent plant parts. Airborne imagery provided useful information for differentiating vegetation, soil, and water and for identifying management practices such as irrigation. Findings of this study indicate that an electronic digital camera filtered to the mid-infrared region of the optical spectrum has high potential for assessing natural resources.
Continuous Point Source Plume Behavior Out to 160 Miles

Abstract In order to study the behavior of the plume emitted from the air-cooled nuclear reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory on central Long Island, radioactive argon-41 has been measured by an airborne gamma-ray spectrometer as far as 160 n mi downwind on a day with neutral stability. A vertical cross section at 144 n mi, obtained by a vertical “saw-tooth” sampling technique, shows the plume to be well organized with a nearly uniform vertical distribution to at least 2000 ft. The peak concentration, when corrected for radioactive decay, decreases by about a factor of 7–10 over a distance of 150 n mi and a travel time of 10–12 hr. The lateral standard deviation of the plume appears to fit an extension of the Pasquill-Gifford “D” curve with distance, where σy (n mi) is approximately equal to two-thirds of the travel time in hours.
Improved chromatic performance of endomicroscope optics for broadband imaging

The long-term purpose of this project is to build inexpensive endomicroscope systems from optical plastics that operate over a wide spectral range. We report on a design of a plastic achromatic doublet using PMMA and optical grade polystyrene, as well as a design of an achromatized endomicroscope system using the same materials. The fabrication of such optical elements and systems is feasible using methods such as diamond turning or diamond milling. Finally, a multispectral Shack-Hartmann test bed has been created that can measure the chromatic focal shift of a lens over a broad spectral band (from 400 nm to 1,000 nm) and detect shifts in focal length down to 90 nanometers. The multispectral Shack-Hartmann test bed has been used to characterize the chromatic focal shift of a glass singlet lens and a glass achromat triplet lens. The lenses were tested from 500 nm to 700 nm in 5 nm and 10 nm steps, respectively. In both cases, we found close agreement between test results obtained from a ZEMAX model of the test bed and those obtained by experiment.
Stimulant action of 4-(m-chlorophenylcarbamoyloxy)-2-butynyltrimethylammonium chloride (McN-A-343) on muscle spindles in the rat.

Abstract Addition of McN-A-343 in concentrations of 2 × 10 −6 − 8 × 10 −6 g/ml to a Krebs' solution bath surrounding the rat caudal muscle in situ caused an appearance of activity in afferent arising from muscle spindles. Sensory organs supplied by faster conducting afferents (28–40 m/sec) exhibited lower threshold to McN-A-343 and attained higher levels of sustained discharging in response to the drug than the ones supplied by slower conducting fibers (10–28 m/sec). The excitatory action of McN-A-343 was antagonized in a competitive-like manner by tubocurarine but was not affected by hexamethonium or atropine. It is suggested that McN-A-343 acts in the muscle spindle system at nicotinic cholinoceptive drug-receptor sites, possibly located on intrafusal muscle fibers.
Glass bead‐filled polypropylene part II: Mold‐filling studies during injection molding

Five glass bead-filled polypropylene composites, which had been rheologically characterized, were used in mold-filling studies to investigate the influence of rigid beads (0 to 26 vol percent) in complex flow fields. The two basic flows studied were simple shear flow in an edge-gated, rectangular cavity and stagnation flow leading to diverging radial flow in a center-gated, rectangular cavity. Pigmented tracer elements were used to illustrate flow patterns and to distinguish the skin-core structure which is a consequence of the injection molding process. Despite the strong dependence of the rheological properties (both viscous and elastic) and physical properties (density, thermal conductivity, etc.) on bead volume fraction, the basic character of the polymer dominated the flow behavior of each composite and the flow patterns were unaffected by the beads. Injection pressures were increased with increasing bead fraction to maintain the same, constant volumetric flow rate (2.21 in.3/min) for each composite. Relative injection forces follow closely the relative viscosit trend.
Visual receptive-field characteristics of posterior thalamic and pretectal neurons in the rabbit

Summary Receptive fields were determined for 309 cells recorded from the posterior thalamus of 42 Dutch belted rabbits. The responses of the cells to visual stimulation were classified according to receptive field configuration and trigger features as being one of several types: (1) oriented direction-selective, (2) oriented, (3) concentric, (4) direction-selective, (5) movement-sensitive, (6) uniform, (7) diffuse, or (8) no response. Neurons located within nuclei or portions of nuclei which receive a direct projection from the retina (lateral geniculate, dorsal layers of the superior colliculus, dorsal portion of the posterior thalamic nucleus, and dorsal portion of the pretectal nucleus) had highly specific receptive field characteristics,i.e., the first 5 types. Neurons located within areas which do not receive direct retinal projections, but do not receive visual projections from the superior colliculus and visual cortex (ventral layers of the superior colliculus, ventral portion of the posterior thalamic nucleus, ventral portion of the pretectal nucleus, lateral posterior nucleus, and dorsal medial geniculate nucleus) had much less selective receptive fields,i.e., the last 3 types. Neurons in regions receiving only indirect visual projections showed rapid adaptation or habituation to repeated sensory stimulation, while those located in the direct retinal pathway did not. Responses to auditory or somatosensory stimulation were recorded from cells in the indirect visual areas only.
Influence of carbon content and ferrite morphology on the sensitization of duplex stainless steel

The influence of ferrite morphology and carbon content on the intergranular corrosion behavior of 308 stainless steel was investigated using four wrought alloys and six weld deposited alloys. The four wrought alloys were heat treated at four different annealing temperatures to introduce four different amounts of ferrite. The annealed samples along with the weld deposited alloys were aged at temperatures ranging from 480 to 700°C for times varying between 15 min and 1000 h and then tested for intergranular corrosion susceptibility in acidified copper-copper sulfate solution. For a given carbon content there exists a critical amount and distribution of α-γ boundary area above which the alloy is immune and below which it is susceptible to intergranular corrosion. For amounts and distributions of α-γ boundary area less than the critical value two types of sensitization behavior are possible. First, there may be a sufficient amount and distribution of α-γ boundary area to insure rapid healing of the sensitized microstructure. Second, there may be an inadequate amount or distribution of α-γ boundary area to produce either immunity or rapid healing and the alloy behaves as a fully austenitic alloy regardless of the amount of ferrite present. A model is presented which describes as a function of carbon content the critical amounts and distributions of α-γ boundary area required for rapid healing and immunity to sensitization.
Lessons Learned from Use of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Africa

Because antiretrovirals are becoming increasingly available in developing countries we reviewed the findings of studies that have documented highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use in Africa to identify lessons learned. With the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines used as a frame of reference we assessed the feasibility of implementing such programs in Africa. Moreover clinical and laboratory outcomes were compiled to determine the effectiveness of HAART programs. We searched academic databases and recent conference abstracts for studies and we included all studies that documented patients receiving HAART in Africa. In particular we examined studies for such program features as type of regimen and frequency of monitoring in addition to evaluations of patient outcomes. Twenty-eight articles and abstracts involving studies from 14 African countries were reviewed. Overall 6052 patients (96.4%) were receiving HAART mainly consisting of 2 nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and 1 nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor. All studies reported an increase in mean and median CD4 cell counts and a median of 73% of patients achieved undetectable viral loads by the end of the study period. Monitoring of CD4 cell count and viral load at 6-month intervals was completed by all studies. The median weight gained was 5.0 kg and the median mortality rate was 7.4% (range 0%–27%). Six studies reported that 68%–99% of patients took 195% of medications. Five studies measured drug resistance; most cases of resistance involved NRTIs. Many studies reported positive health outcomes including high levels of treatment adherence that were comparable to those of industrialized countries. Regimens and monitoring means based on WHO guidelines were implemented—and at times exceeded—in all studies reviewed. We found compelling evidence that HAART can be feasibly administered in resource-limited settings. (authors)
A pilot trial of hyperfractionated thoracic radiation therapy with concurrent cisplatin and oral etoposide for locally advanced inoperable non–small-cell lung cancer: a 5-year follow-up report

Abstract Purpose: To improve the outcome of patients with locally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we conducted a pilot trial of concurrent chemoradiation therapy using a cisplatin and oral etoposide regimen given concurrently with hyperfractionated radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: In this single-institution pilot trial, we enrolled 23 patients with inoperable Stage IIIa (4) and IIIb (19) NSCLC. Treatment consisted of two cycles of chemotherapy with oral etoposide 50 mg one day alternating with 50 mg b.i.d. (50 mg/day if BSA is 2 ) on days 1–21 and intravenous cisplatin (40 mg/m 2 ) on days 1 and 8 of a 28-day cycle. Radiation therapy was given twice a day (1.2 Gy per fraction), 5 days a week, to a total dose of 69.6 Gy in 58 fractions over 6 weeks. Results: Overall, 18 (78%) of the 23 patients completed the chemotherapy as planned and 21 (91%) received thoracic irradiation per protocol. One patient died of radiation pneumonitis. Fourteen (78%) of 18 evaluable patients achieved objective responses. The median survival duration was 9.3 months for all patients and 20.2 months for 15 patients who had no more than 5% weight loss. After a minimum follow-up of 5 years, five patients (1 IIIa, 4 IIIb) are still alive and disease-free, which gives an actual 5-year survival rate of 22%. Four of the five 5-year survivors were among those who completed the treatment as planned. Conclusion: This long-term survival outcome compares favorably with that of other chemoradiation therapy trials and even with those reported in multimodality trials including surgery. These results suggest that intensive concurrent chemoradiation therapy is feasible, and some patients with locally advanced inoperable NSCLC may enjoy long-term survivorship following nonsurgical therapy.
A Review of: “DNA Microarrays and Related Genomics Techniques: Design, Analysis, and Interpretation of Experiments”, by D. B. Allison, G. P. Page, T. M. Beasley, and J. W. Edwards (Eds.)

DNA Microarrays and Related Genomics Techniques: Design, Analysis, and Interpretation of Experiments is written as an overview of topics in the microarray literature: ensuring quality data, designi...
Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Clinical Strains of CDC Group IVc-2

CDC group IVc-2 is a gram-negative, oxidase-positive, nonfermentative bacillus that has been implicated in human infections, including septicemia and peritonitis. Biochemically it most closely resembles Bordetella bronchiseptica and Alcaligenes sp. Results of cellular fatty acid (CFA) and 16S rRNA gene analysis were combined with biochemical data to assist in identification and classification. The predominant CFAs were hexadecanoic acid (16:0), cis-9-hexadecanoic acid (16:1ω7c), cis-11-octadecanoic acid (18:1ω7c), and Δ-cis-9,10-methylenehexadecanoic acid (17:0cyc). Small amounts (2 to 5%) of 3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid (3-OH-14:0), tetradecanoic acid (14:0), 2-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid (2-OH-16:0), and Δ-cis-11,12-methyleneoctadecanoic acid (19:0cyc) were also consistently present. The highest 16S rRNA gene similarity was with Ralstonia eutropha and Ralstonia solanacearum. The CFA and 16S rRNA gene sequence data support the inclusion of CDC group IVc-2 in the recently created genus Ralstonia, which includes R. eutropha, R. pickettii, and R. solanacearum.
Oblique subduction, footwall deformation, and imbrication: A model for the Penokean orogeny in east-central Minnesota

The Penokean orogeny was a major early Proterozoic (1875-1825 Ma) tectonic event in the Great Lakes region. In east-central Minnesota, it is marked by multiply deformed and highly metamorphosed supracrustal rocks of the early Proterozoic Denham and Thomson Formations. Structural features similar to those in the supracrustal rocks also exist in the basement Archean (2700 Ma) McGrath Gneiss. Such features are here explained in a tectonic model consisting of southward-directed oblique subduction along the Great Lakes tectonic zone. Intense deformation occurred in the footwall of the major thrust, which marked the boundary between downgoing and overriding plates during A-type (continental) subduction. Sedimentary rocks (Thomson Formation) deposited on the footwall during loading caused by thrusting eventually became incorporated into the deformation zone. Early-formed structures related to footwall deformation are a dominantly well-developed foliation in the gneiss and isoclinal, recumbent folds with a bedding-subparallel foliation in the Denham and lower Thomson Formations. Progressive metamorphism during subduction reached the garnet zone of the amphibolite facies. Various deformation inversions show that this early phase of deformation involved extreme flattening (with Z vertical) and large amounts of extension in both the north-south and east-west directions. Footwall deformation was followed by imbrication and accretion onto the hanging wall during uplift associated with continued compression and isostatic rebound. Later-formed structures associated with imbrication and deformation within the hanging wall consist of folding of the foliation and development of shear zones in the McGrath Gneiss and open to close, upright-to-overturned folds in the Denham and Thomson Formations. The peak metamorphic event (represented by staurolite) occurred after the later deformation at temperatures of about 470-530 °C and a minimum pressure of 3.4 kbar (minimum depth of 12.4 km). Increasing temperature associated with decreasing pressure (uplift) is explained by conductive relaxation caused by crustal thickening and erosion. This tectonic model may have more widespread implications for explaining similar structural features found in many Precambrian terranes worldwide.
Race Consciousness in Higher Education: Does 'Sound Educational Policy' Support the Continued Existence of Historically Black Colleges?

The author proposes that to achieve the constitutional mandate of equal educational opportunity for African-Americans seeking higher education, southern states with formerly de jure systems of higher education must reconceive the missions of their higher education systems to include the preservation of historically Black institutions (HBIs) for two reasons. First, preserving HBIs, coupled with aggressive affirmative action admission and hiring policies at predominantly white state colleges and universities, provides the maximum opportunity for African-Americans to obtain higher education. Second, historically Black educational institutions serve a vital role in preserving the positive aspects of African-American culture, which facilitates the delivery of quality education. [FN15] Reliance on indigenous cultural values helps sustain racial minorities against the adverse consequences of and double-mindedness created by racial domination. Such reliance, in the context of education, also serves to remediate the inequality resulting from race-based dominance by affirming the ability of African-American students to learn, grow, and develop both inside and outside the dominate culture's social, economic, and political systems.
Potential of Immuno ^ Positron Emission Tomography for Tumor Imaging and Immunotherapy Planning

In this issue of Clinical Cancer Research , Borjesson et al. ([1][1]) report the results of the first clinical trial using the long-lived positron emitter 89Zr for immuno–positron emission tomography (PET). A series of 20 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were imaged up
Fear of Heights in Infants

Based largely on the famous “visual cliff” paradigm, conventional wisdom is that crawling infants avoid crossing the brink of a dangerous drop-off because they are afraid of heights. However, recent research suggests that the conventional wisdom is wrong. Avoidance and fear are conflated, and there is no compelling evidence to support fear of heights in human infants. Infants avoid crawling or walking over an impossibly high drop-off because they perceive affordances for locomotion—the relations between their own bodies and skills and the relevant properties of the environment that make an action such as descent possible or impossible.
Analyzing the Errors of Unsupervised Learning

We identify four types of errors that unsupervised induction systems make and study each one in turn. Our contributions include (1) using a meta-model to analyze the incorrect biases of a model in a systematic way, (2) providing an efficient and robust method of measuring distance between two parameter settings of a model, and (3) showing that local optima issues which typically plague EM can be somewhat alleviated by increasing the number of training examples. We conduct our analyses on three models: the HMM, the PCFG, and a simple dependency model.
Forebrain contribution to the induction of a brainstem correlate of conditioned taste aversion: I. The amygdala.

The induction of c-Fos-like immunoreactivity (c-FLI) in the intermediate division of the nucleus of the solitary tract (iNTS) has been shown to be a reliable cellular correlate of the acquisition and/or behavioral expression of a conditioned taste aversion (CTA). To begin to define neuroanatomical structures and pathways that contribute to this cellular response and to CTA learning in general, electrolytic lesions of the amygdala were combined with immunostaining for c-FLI. Rats were given either unilateral or bilateral electrolytic lesions of the amygdala or "sham' operations. Following surgery "paired' animals were given a single conditioning trial consisting of intraoral infusion of 5 ml 0.15% sodium-saccharin followed by injection with LiCl (0.15 M, 20 ml/kg, i.p.) while "unpaired' controls received a non-contingent saccharin-LiCl presentation. When tested, unilateral-lesioned rats displayed a CTA by rejecting the saccharin, but increases in c-FLI were evident only on the side of the iNTS contralateral to the lesion. Rats with bilateral lesions showed no evidence of having acquired a CTA and no increase in c-FLI in iNTS relative to unpaired controls. These findings support involvement of amygdala in CTA learning and suggest that a lateralized connection between amygdala and iNTS is necessary for the conditioned c-FLI which is induced by exposure to a conditioned aversive taste.
MeCP2 modulates gene expression pathways in astrocytes

Mutations in MECP2 encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) cause the X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome patients exhibit neurological symptoms that include irregular breathing, impaired mobility, stereotypic hand movements, and loss of speech. MeCP2 protein epigenetically modulates gene expression through genome-wide binding to methylated CpG dinucleotides. While neurons have the highest level of MeCP2 expression, astrocytes and other cell types also express detectable levels of MeCP2. Recent studies suggest that astrocytes likely control the progression of Rett syndrome. Thus, the object of these studies was to identify gene targets that are affected by loss of MeCP2 binding in astrocytes. To identify gene targets of MeCP2 in astrocytes, combined approaches of expression microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation of MeCP2 followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) were compared between wild-type and MeCP2-deficient astrocytes. MeCP2 gene targets were compared with genes in the top 10% of MeCP2 binding levels in gene windows either within 2 kb upstream of the transcription start site, or the ‘gene body’ that extended from transcription start to end site, or 2 kb downstream of the transcription end site. A total of 118 gene transcripts surpassed the highly significant threshold (P 1.2) in expression microarray analysis from triplicate cultures. The top 10% of genes with the highest levels of MeCP2 binding were identified in two independent ChIP-seq experiments. Together this integrated, genome-wide screen for MeCP2 target genes provided an overlapping list of 19 high-confidence MeCP2-responsive gene transcripts in astrocytes. Validation of candidate target gene transcripts by RT-PCR revealed that expression of Apoc2, Cdon, Csrp and Nrep were consistently responsive to MeCP2 deficiency in astrocytes. The first MeCP2 ChIP-seq and gene expression microarray analysis in astrocytes reveals a set of potential MeCP2 target genes that may contribute to normal astrocyte signaling, cell division and neuronal support functions, the loss of which may contribute to the Rett syndrome phenotype.
Detection of anoxia‐responsive genes in cultured cells of the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), using an optimized, genome‐wide oligoarray

The breadth of mechanistic analyses of environmental stress responses is greatly enhanced by the use of contemporary post-genomic screening technologies, notably including massively parallel transcript analysis by microarray. These genome-wide investigations are entirely dependent upon the creation of a suite of resources that are directed against the species under investigation. Here, the authors describe the use of in silico techniques for the filtering of large-scale EST data sets for the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, down to a non-redundant collection of c. 21 500 BLAST-identified sequences. The authors describe simple optimization procedures to compare the performance of different oligonucleotide probes predicted to hybridize to each of the trout sequences, so that the best performing probe could be selected. The collection of optimized probes was then submitted to a commercial oligoarray fabrication platform and the arrays used for specific experiments. This design approach leverages publicly available sequence data, thereby dramatically reducing production costs. Given an ability to incorporate additional sequence data, and inexpensively commissioning the updated oligoarray designs, this offers a highly cost-effective route to array experiments even for non-model species. The authors have validated this new microarray by investigating the in vitro responses of cultured rainbow trout cells following anoxia exposure for up to 24 h. The array displays a dynamic range of 104, which greatly exceeds that for cDNA probes, and offers improved consistency between arrays. The authors define 57 genes displaying significant responses and interpret the genes identified within the context of responses to oxygen deprivation.
Regulation of early xenopus embryogenesis by smad ubiquitination regulatory factor 2

Background: Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor (Smurf) 1 and 2 are E3 ubiquitin ligases originally identified as inhibitors of transforming growth factor beta signaling and are shown to modulate multiple cellular activities. The roles of Smurfs in vertebrate embryogenesis, however, are not completely understood. Results: Here we investigate the function of Smurf2 during early Xenopus development. We show that distinctly from Smurf1, overexpression of Smurf2 in presumptive mesoderm interfered with mesoderm induction and caused axial defects, whereas knockdown of Smurf2 with antisense morpholino oligonucleotides resulted in expansion of the mesoderm. These results imply that Smurf2 may modulate nodal-mediated mesodermal induction. Consistently, ventral expression of Smurf2 induced a partial secondary axis with head structures. In the ectoderm, Smurf2 resembled Smurf1 in controlling neural and epidermal marker expression and influencing head formation. Smurf1, but not Smurf2, additionally affected neural tube closure. Interestingly, both Smurfs could enhance as well as repress neural crest markers, implying that they modulate their targets dynamically during neural plate border specification. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that Smurf1 and Smurf2 have overlapping and distinct functionalities during early frog embryogenesis; collectively, they regulate ectodermal and mesodermal induction and patterning to ensure normal development of Xenopus embryos. Developmental Dynamics 241:1260–1273, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.