cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic detection and segmentation of ground glass opacity nodules

Ground Glass Opacity (GGO) is defined as hazy increased attenuation within a lung that is not associated with obscured underlying vessels. Since pure (nonsolid) or mixed (partially solid) GGO at the thin-section CT are more likely to be malignant than those with solid opacity, early detection and treatment of GGO can improve a prognosis of lung cancer. However, due to indistinct boundaries and inter- or intra-observer variation, consistent manual detection and segmentation of GGO have proved to be problematic. In this paper, we propose a novel method for automatic detection and segmentation of GGO from chest CT images. For GGO detection, we develop a classifier by boosting k-NN, whose distance measure is the Euclidean distance between the nonparametric density estimates of two examples. The detected GGO region is then automatically segmented by analyzing the texture likelihood map of the region. We applied our method to clinical chest CT volumes containing 10 GGO nodules. The proposed method detected all of the 10 nodules with only one false positive nodule. We also present the statistical validation of the proposed classifier for GGO detection as well as very promising results for automatic GGO segmentation. The proposed method provides a new powerful tool for automatic detection as well as accurate and reproducible segmentation of GGO.
Measurement of Functional Properties: Overview of Protein Functionality Testing

This section provides an introduction to food protein functionality testing. Factors that must be considered when devising or selecting a valid testing method are summarized.
Some factors affecting the activity of diethylpyrocarbonate as a sterilant.

Quantitative data indicated logarithmic death in 5° Brix Concord grape juice when concentrations of cells under 107/ml were exposed to diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC). Species differed considerably in their resistance; e.g., 50 ppm reduced the viable count of Saccharomyces cerevisiae over nine log10 cycles, whereas 200 ppm reduced the count of Byssochlamys fulva ascospores by only about 1 log. DEPC lethality was enhanced by higher temperatures; destruction at 40 C was 10- to 100-fold greater than at 20 C. Studies on death rates showed that most yeasts and fungal spores were killed during the first hour of exposure, whereas 24 h or longer was needed for maximal destruction of several lactic acid bacteria. Repair of DEPC-induced damage was believed responsible for the slower death rates of the lactics.
Distributed Non-Parametric Representations for Vital Filtering: UW at TREC KBA 2014

Abstract : Identifying documents that contain timely and vital information for an entity of interest, a task known as vital filtering, has become increasingly important with the availability of large document collections. To efficiently filter such large text corpora in a streaming manner, we need to compactly represent previously observed entity contexts and quickly estimate whether a new document contains novel information. Existing approaches to modeling contexts, such as bag of words, latent semantic indexing, and topic models are limited in several respects: they are unable to handle streaming data, do not model the underlying topic of each document, suffer from lexical sparsity, and/or do not accurately estimate temporal vitalness. In this paper, we introduce a word embedding-based non-parametric representation of entities that addresses the above limitations. The word embeddings provide accurate and compact summaries of observed entity contexts further described by topic clusters that are estimated in a non-parametric manner. Additionally we associate a staleness measure with each entity and topic cluster, dynamically estimating their temporal relevance. This approach of using word embeddings, non-parametric clustering, and staleness provides an efficient yet appropriate representation of entity contexts for the streaming setting, enabling accurate vital filtering.
Modeling and experimental results of CdxZn1-xTe detector response

We have developed a model of the statistical variations in the electrical charge transport in CdxZn1-xTe(CZT) detectors. The model includes a simulation of the charge carrier generation for each photon interaction, using a calculated absorption coefficient of the photoelectric absorption. Next, we simulate the induced signal as carriers drift towards the collecting electrode under trapping conditions with negligible detrapping. Finally, a pulse height histogram is composed simulating the spectral response of the detector and incorporating the electronic noise component. A comparison between experimental and calculated CZT spectra was performed. These results and the potential for using the model in detector design will be discussed and presented.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Long-term maintenance of presynaptic function in the absence of target muscle fibers

Here we have investigated the role of the muscle fiber in the maintenance of presynaptic function at frog motor nerve terminals. Muscle fibers were selectively damaged and prevented from regenerating while leaving the motor innervation intact. Presynaptic activity of the resulting target-deprived nerve terminals was assayed using the fluorescent dye, FM1–43. FM1–43 stains nerve terminals in an activity- dependent fashion in that it incorporates into synaptic vesicles and can be released upon stimulation. We demonstrate that nerve terminals permanently deprived of target for 1 to 5 months maintain the ability to release and recycle synaptic vesicles in response to stimulation. The level of presynaptic function of target-deprived nerve terminals was not detectably different from that of nerve terminals in contact with muscle fibers. The remarkable maintenance of presynaptic function in these target-deprived nerve terminals indicates that the molecular machinery required for vesicular release is maintained in a functional state for long periods without target muscle fibers.
The IPC material declaration handbook

The environment, health, and safety committee of the IPC (the trade organization for the electronic interconnect industry) launched a team in April 2003 to assist its member companies in completing material declaration requests. The team was focused on developing guidelines on how to calculate the composition of a printed circuit board and how to analyze raw materials or products for composition data. There was a steering team that oversaw the work, which occurred in two sub teams - an analysis subteam and a calculation subteam. Originally, there was another team focused on the appropriate format for material declaration reporting. However, it was decided early in the project to follow the joint industry material composition declaration guide (JIG) recommendations on both the substances to be reported and the format of those reports. The analysis subteam's tasks were to identify as completely as possible the individual chemicals that make up the substance categories in the JIG, and identify analytical techniques for those chemicals. The team focused on the analytical techniques that are published in EPA SW-846, test methods for evaluating solid waste, physical/chemical methods, which is the EPA Office of solid waste's official compendium of analytical and sampling methods that have been evaluated and approved for use in complying with the RCRA regulations. These analytical techniques seem the most suited to the analysis of solid materials such as electronic products. The analysis subteam evaluated the list of available analyses in SW-846 and included all relevant analytical techniques. However, there are no analytical techniques in SW-846 for many of the substance categories in the joint industry guide. The team also actively pursued other "approved" methods (e.g., DIN methods from Germany, ANSI methods, Japanese methods, etc.). As the handbook will be updated on a regular basis, any new analytical techniques or information can be incorporated into subsequent revisions. The analysis subteam also worked to identify laboratories that can perform the required analyses. The subteam did not qualify or approve laboratories, but just gathered potential laboratory contact information for use by members. As the handbook is updated laboratories can be added and removed from the list. The calculation subteam developed a method for calculating the material composition of a printed circuit board. The calculation method essentially follows the production process, using material composition data, process knowledge, and data files used to manufacture the product in order to add and subtract materials. An example calculation of the develop, etch, and strip process is provided in the paper. The calculation method is easily amenable to use in a spreadsheet program.
Human papillomavirus type 18 E7 protein requires intact Cys-X-X-Cys motifs for zinc binding, dimerization, and transformation but not for Rb binding.

Abstract Human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV-18) E7 proteins bind zinc through Cys-X-X-Cys repeats located at the C terminus of the protein. In order to examine the role of these cysteine motifs in E7 function, we expressed the HPV-18 E7 protein in bacteria and found that purified E7 forms a dimer through interactions with zinc. Mutants with single mutations within the Cys-X-X-Cys motifs bound a reduced level of zinc in a zinc blot assay, while a double mutant lost all zinc-binding activity. When expressed in vivo, none of the mutants cooperated with an activated ras oncogene to transform primary rat embryo fibroblasts, but all mutants retained nearly wild-type Rb-binding activity. The results indicate that the cysteine motifs play an important role in transformation by HPV-18 E7 but do not contribute to Rb binding.
Guidelines and materials to improve undergraduate teaching in the animal sciences.

Projected Program At the outset of the committee deliberations, we assumed that we were talking about a future program, to be adopted in ten years or more, when high school students might have different programs than they do now. We thought that the biological science training might start at the cellular level and include all aspects of cell physiology. From there, the course would progress through tissues, organs, and higher levels of organization until the entire animal was being discussed from a biochemically, physiologically, and anatomically integrated approach. We had to furnish the student with enough biochemistry (or molecular biology) so that he could understand the activities of the cell. After that first introductory year, we began to specialize in the branches that the committee thought important. The first biology course c,~me after preliminary chemistry and physics. We recognized that certain aspects of chemistry and physics would be taught in the high school, but at the moment not enough would be taught to elindnate college chemistry and physics.
Use of Levonorgestrel Emergency Contraception In Utah: Is It More than “Plan B”?

CONTEXT: It is important to understand why some women use levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pills repeatedly because the method is not intended for repeated use and current evidence suggests that it is approximately 77% effective at preventing pregnancy. METHODS: An anonymous patient survey of 1040 women aged 18-29 purchasing levonorgestrel at Planned Parenthood clinics in Utah was conducted during a 4-6-week period in 2007. Chi-square tests and analyses of variance were used to examine associations between selected characteristics and level of levonorgestrel use. Logistic regression was used to assess characteristics independently associated with repeated use. RESULTS: Twenty-nine percent of participants had used levonorgestrel more than twice in the prior year. Fifty-eight percent believed that levonorgestrel is at least 90% effective in protecting against pregnancy; 16% believed that it is 100% effective. In univariate analyses lifetime number of partners currently having multiple partners substance use at last intercourse and perceived effectiveness of levonorgestrel were positively associated with repeated levonorgestrel use in the previous year. The measure most strongly associated with repeated levonorgestrel use in multivariate analyses was perceived effectiveness: Women who believed that the method is 90-99% or 100% effective in preventing pregnancy had greater odds of repeated use than those who believed it is 75-89% effective (odds ratios 1.8 each). CONCLUSION: Women who repeatedly use levonorgestrel may have an inflated perception of its effectiveness. Future research including qualitative research may help clarify factors that lead to inflated perceptions of effectiveness. Copyright (c) 2012 by the Guttmacher Institute.
Dehydroepiandrosterone Restoration of Growth Hormone Gene Expression in Aging Female Rats, in Vivo and in Vitro: Evidence for Actions via Estrogen Receptors

A decline in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and GH levels with aging may be associated with frailty and morbidity. Little is known about the direct effects of DHEA on somatotropes. We recently reported that 17beta-estradiol (E2), a DHEA metabolite, stimulates the expression of GH in vitro in young female rats. To test the hypothesis that DHEA restores function in aging somatotropes, dispersed anterior pituitary (AP) cells from middle-aged (12-14 months) or young (3-4 months) female rats were cultured in vitro with or without DHEA or E2 and fixed for immunolabeling or in situ hybridization. E2 increased the percentage of AP cells with GH protein or mRNA in the aged rats to young levels. DHEA increased the percentages of somatotropes (detected by GH protein or mRNA) from 14-16 +/- 2% to 29-31 +/- 3% (P < or = 0.05) and of GH mRNA (detected by quantitative RT-PCR) only in aging rats. To test DHEA's in vivo effects, 18-month-old female rats were injected with DHEA or vehicle for 2.5 d, followed by a bolus of GHRH 1 h before death. DHEA treatment increased serum GH 1.8-fold (7 +/- 0.5 to 12 +/- 1.3 ng/ml; P = 0.02, by RIA) along with a similar increase (P = 0.02) in GH immunolabel. GHRH target cells also increased from 11 +/- 1% to 19 +/- 2% (P = 0.03). Neither GH nor GHRH receptor mRNAs levels were changed. To test the mechanisms behind DHEA's actions, AP cells from aging rats were treated with DHEA with or without inhibitors of DHEA metabolism. Trilostane, aminogluthemide, or ICI 182,780 completely blocked the stimulatory effects of DHEA, suggesting that DHEA metabolites may stimulate aging somatotropes via estrogen receptors.
Optimization-based reconstruction of sparse images from few-view projections.

In this work, we investigate optimization-based image reconstruction from few-view (i.e. less than ten views) projections of sparse objects such as coronary–artery specimens. Using optimization programs as a guide, we formulate constraint programs as reconstruction programs and develop algorithms to reconstruct images through solving the reconstruction programs. Characterization studies are carried out for elucidating the algorithm properties of ‘convergence’ (relative to designed solutions) and ‘utility’ (relative to desired solutions) by using simulated few-view data calculated from a discrete FORBILD coronary–artery phantom, and real few-view data acquired from a human coronary–artery specimen. Study results suggest that carefully designed reconstruction programs and algorithms can yield accurate reconstructions of sparse images from few-view projections.
mTOR-Dependent Regulation of PHLPP Expression Controls the Rapamycin Sensitivity in Cancer Cells

PHLPP belongs to a novel family of protein phosphatases that serve as negative regulators of Akt. There are two isoforms, PHLPP1 and PHLPP2, identified in this family. Our previous studies indicated a tumor suppressor role of both PHLPP isoforms in colon cancer. Here we report that the expression of PHLPP is controlled by mTOR-dependent protein translation in colon and breast cancer cells. Treating cells with rapamycin or knockdown of mTOR using RNAi results in a marked decrease of PHLPP protein expression. In contrast, stable knockdown of TSC2, a negative regulator of mTOR activity, increases PHLPP expression. The rapamycin-mediated down-regulation of PHLPP is blocked by expression of a rapamycin-insensitive mutant of p70S6K. In addition, depletion of 4E-BP1 expression by RNAi results in an increase of PHLPP expression and resistance to rapamycin-induced down-regulation. Moreover, inhibition of mTOR activity by amino acid or glucose starvation reduces PHLPP expression in cells. Functionally, we show that rapamycin-mediated inhibition of PHLPP expression contributes to rapamycin resistance in colon cancer cells. Thus, our studies identify a compensatory feedback regulation in which the activation of Akt is inhibited by up-regulation of PHLPP through mTOR, and this mTOR-dependent expression of PHLPP subsequently determines the rapamycin sensitivity of cancer cells.
The activation of human [Glu1]plasminogen by human single-chain urokinase

The activation of human [Glu1]plasminogen ([Glu1]Pg) by single-chain human urokinase (SCUKase) displays a substantial lag phase at physiological levels of [Glu1]Pg. Employing a monoclonal antibody that exhibits a high level of specificity for SCUKase, as compared to two-chain urokinase (TCUKase), we have demonstrated conclusively that during this lag phase a progressive loss of SCUKase occurs, most likely resulting from its conversion to TCUKase, in a reaction catalyzed by plasmin (HPm). The overall activation of [Glu1]Pg by SCUKase is inhibited by physiological levels of Cl- and stimulated by epsilon-amino caproic acid. Kinetic studies demonstrate that both these effects are based on first, the reaction of [Glu1]Pg with the TCUKase that is formed during the activation, and, second, the concomitant rate at which HPm is provided for the conversion of SCUKase to TCUKase. The results indicate that at physiological levels of [Glu1]Pg, its activation in the presence of SCUKase is regulated in one manner by the rate at which SCUKase is converted to TCUKase, in a process that is strongly influenced by physiological levels of Cl-. Finally, and importantly, we show that SCUKase possesses very little, if any, inherent ability to activate [Glu1]Pg at a rate that influences the kinetics of HPm generation under physiological conditions of [Glu1]Pg and Cl- concentrations.
Aerodynamic Design and Analysis of a High Pressure Ratio Aspirated Compressor Stage

The pressure ratio of axial compressor stages can be significantly increased by controlling the development of blade and endwall boundary layers in regions of adverse pressure gradient by means of boundary layer suction. This concept is validated and demonstrated through the design and analysis of a unique aspirated compressor stage which achieves a total pressure ratio of 3.5 at a tip speed of 1500 ft/s. The aspirated stage was designed using an axisymmetric through-flow code coupled with a quasi three-dimensional cascade plane code with inverse design capability. Validation of the completed design was carried out with three-dimensional Navier-Stokes calculations. Spanwise slots were used on the rotor and stator suction surfaces to bleed the boundary layer with a total suction requirement of 4% of the inlet mass flow. Additional bleed of 3% was also required on the hub and shroud near shock impingement locations. A three-dimensional viscous evaluation of the design showed good agreement with the quasi three-dimensional design intent, except in the endwall regions. The three-dimensional viscous analysis predicted a mass averaged total pressure ratio of 3.7 at an isentropic efficiency of 93% for the rotor, and a mass averaged total pressure ratio of 3.4 at an isentropic efficiency of 86% for the stage.Copyright © 2000 by ASME
Higher Duplicability of Less Important Genes in Yeast Genomes

Gene duplication plays an important role in evolution because it is the primary source of new genes. Many recent studies showed that gene duplicability varies considerably among genes. Several considerations led us to hypothesize that less important genes have higher rates of successful duplications, where gene importance is measured by the fitness reduction caused by the deletion of the gene. Here, we test this hypothesis by comparing the importance of two groups of singleton genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sce). Group S genes did not duplicate in four other yeast species examined, whereas group D experienced duplication in these species. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found group D genes to be less important than group S genes. Specifically, 17% of group D genes are essential in Sce, compared to 28% for group S. Furthermore, deleting a group D gene in Sce reduces the fitness by 24% on average, compared to 38% for group S. Our subsequent analysis showed that less important genes have more cis-regulatory motifs, which could lead to a higher chance of subfunctionalization of duplicate genes and result in an enhanced rate of gene retention. Less important genes may also have weaker dosage imbalance effects and cause fewer genetic perturbations when duplicated. Regardless of the cause, our observation indicates that the previous finding of a less severe fitness consequence of deleting a duplicate gene than deleting a singleton gene is at least in part due to the fact that duplicate genes are intrinsically less important than singleton genes and suggests that the contribution of duplicate genes to genetic robustness has been overestimated.
Polyamine biosynthesis and skin tumor promotion: Inhibition of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-promoted mouse skin tumor formation by the irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase α-difluoromethylornithine

Abstract Application of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to mouse skin leads to the induction of ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) and the accumulation of putrescine. The relevance of these TPA-induced changes to the mechanism of tumor promotion was determined using α-difluoromethylornithine, an irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase. α-Difluoromethylornithine applied to the skin of mice or administered in drinking water in conjunction with applications of TPA to 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-initiated mouse skin inhibited the formation of mouse skin papillomas by 50 and 90% respectively; TPA-induced ornithine decarboxylase activity and the accumulation of putrescine were almost completely inhibited.
Renal failure in patients with AIDS-related complex.

Abstract The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC) can be associated with nephropathy and renal failure. As the number of AIDS and ARC patients continues to increase dramatically, urologists will be called upon more frequently to help evaluate these patients for reversible causes of renal failure and to obtain tissue for pathologic diagnosis. Eight patients with ARC and renal failure were recently evaluated. Renal biopsies in 4 patients revealed focal and segmental glomeruloselerosis while 2 others showed proliferative and necrotizing glomerulonephritis with crescents. The implications of this study are that ARC patients with renal failure should be fully evaluated and be considered for long-term dialysis. However, the results of renal biopsies in these patients are unlikely to affect patient treatment.
Pressure Exchange in Multidimensions

Direct flow induction devices based on pressure exchange are highly efficient and very compact because of the effective use of the non-steady flow and the reversible pressure work on the fluid-fluid interfaces. These technical advantages will broaden their practical applications to such areas as air conditioning, water desalinization and gas turbine cycles etc. The current paper will discuss in detail the concept of pressure exchange. The physical mechanism of pressure exchange is explored by studying a one dimensional shock tube and a simple two-dimensional example by use of the computational analysis. A novel three-dimensional pressure exchange ejector invented by Garris will be introduced.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
A Human Dimensions Inquiry in Watershed Analysis: Listening to Constituents' Views of Contested Legitimacy on the National Forest

To understand the human dimension of a watershed from the points of view of its residents, qualitative data were collected using an approach that included both individual interviews and group discussions designed to include a full range of watershed stakeholders. A set of interrelated legitimacy patterns were apparent in the data, ranging from perceptions of exclusion and alienation to more extreme manifestations such as constitutionalist challenges to federal authority and conspiracy theories about an enormous, impending United Nations “Park” in the Cascades. Two related theoretical concepts, (1) a shift in social priorities for public lands, linked to certain economic transitions and (2) a legitimation problem, in which an excluded populace contests the legitimacy of federal management of public land, add credence to these patterns and the human dimension conditions that they suggest.
Exact solutions of nonlinear differential equations arising in third grade fluid flows

Abstract Exact solutions for a class of non-linear second-order differential equations arising in a third grade fluid flow, at a rotating cylinder (unbounded domain case) and between rotating cylinders (bounded domain case), are obtained. Furthermore, the exact solutions are compared with the numerical ones. It is observed that the difference between the exact and the numerical solutions is about 1% for small R (the non-dimensional distance between the cylinders) and is about 3% when R =100. This difference increases with an increasing R . Moreover, for large R it is not easy to obtain meaningful results numerically. Hence, these exact solutions for various values of the parameters R and ω (rotation parameter) are useful for experimental and numerical studies, and warrant further study.
Laser diode requirements for magneto-optical storage devices

There are several characteristics of laser diodes that influence the performance of a magneto-optical (MO) storage device. A few of the important optical characteristics include divergence angles, wavelength, astigmatism, polarization, and power output. Due to the large variation in these characteristics from commercial devices, compromises must be made in order to design an optical system that is manufacturable. In this paper we discuss how variations in the laser optical characteristics affect spot quality on the recording medium. Optical characteristics of a sample population of laser diodes are measured, and a hypothetical optical system is evaluated.
Minimizing Drift in Electrical Conductivity Measurements in High Temperature Environments using the EM-38

The EM-38 is a noninvasive instrument, commonly used for monitoring salinity, mapping bulk soil properties, and evaluating soil nutrient status. Users in the Southwest USA have observed as much as 20% “drift” in the measurement of bulk soil electrical conductivity (ECₐ) with this instrument. This drift has usually been ignored or compensated for by statistical procedures. We performed laboratory and field experiments to determine if the drift is due to calibration instability of the instrument or to heating of the instrument by the sun. In laboratory experiments, after a warm-up period, the instrument provided constant readings in the range 25 to 40°C; above 40°C the response of the instrument was unpredictable. In field experiments, where we placed the EM-38 in a fixed location we observed an unexpected response at air temperatures below 40°C. Temperature sensors in different locations on the instrument demonstrated that temperature differences between the instrument's transmitting and receiving coils and the control panel (CP) were as great as 20°C. As the instrument is temperature compensated from this CP, erroneous compensation occurred when the instrument was placed in direct sunlight. In this study, we demonstrate that differential heating of the EM-38 is one cause of drift and erroneous bulk electrical conductivity measurement; shading the instrument substantially reduced this problem, effectively extending the reliable working temperature range by minimizing drift.
Poly(methyl methacrylate)/Laponite Nanocomposites: Exploring Covalent and Ionic Clay Modifications

Laponite clay was modified with combinations of organic ammonium surfactant and/or covalently bound poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Two polymer attachment methods were explored, one through reaction of a methacrylate compound with the clay's silanol group followed by in situ free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA), and the other through attachment of an ATRP initiator followed by brush polymerization. The free-radical method yielded clays with ca. 75 wt % of polymer bound though multiple attachment sites to the clay, whereas the ATRP method yielded ca. 68 wt % of bound polymer attached only at the chain end. The PMMA-modified clays were very dispersible in organic solvents and were solvent-blended with commercial PMMA at 1, 3, 5, and 10 wt % concentrations. The resulting nanocomposites were optically transparent and homogeneous. TEM images showed mixed intercalated and exfoliated dispersions. DMA analysis showed an increase in room temperature modulus of 50% at 5 wt % concentration for ...
AGE-ASSOCIATED DECLINE OF IMMUNE FUNCTIONS IN MICE CONGENIC AT THE H-2 LOCUS

Two different strains of congenic mice were used to study the influence of the H-2 complex on the age-associated decline of different parameters of the immune function. Aged C57BL/10 and C57BL/10.BR mice demonstrated significantly reduced plaque forming cell (PFC) responses to both T-dependent and-independent antigens. However, the response to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) was more significantly affected suggesting that T-cells were impaired to a greater extent than B-cells. Congenic differences were only observed in young mice in the SRBC-specific response, while both young and old congenics demonstrated significantly different responses to TNP-LPS. Thymic weight, mitogenic responses and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production also diminished with aging. Natural killer (NK) activity appeared to be more affected with aging than any of the other immune responses as it almost disappeared in old mice. NK activity did not differ between congenic mice of the same age. In an attempt to restore immune functions in aged mice, animals were treated with the immunostimulant poly (I•C). Of all the immune parameters tested only NK activity and antibody responses were affected. Our data suggest that there is an H-2 dependence in age-specific change of immune functions. It appears that H-2 controlled age-associated changes affect the functional status of the cells more than frequency.
Nuclear quadrupole coupling in copper(I) coordination compounds. Tris(trimethylphosphinesulfide)copper(I) ion

Nuclear quadrupole resonances have been measured for both 63Cu and 65Cu nuclei in the Cu[(CH3)3PS]3+ cations of both the perchlorate and tetrafluoroborate compounds. The 63Cu resonances are at 24.815 ± 0.001 MHz and 24.838 ± 0.001 MHz, respectively, indicating that the anion contributes little to the electric field gradient tensor. An extended Huckel molecular orbital calculation was used to calculate coupling constants which agreed with experiment to within a factor of 3. The difference can be accounted for on the basis of the use of a Slater type basis set of orbitals and the variation of the Sternheimer factor with the charge on the copper atom.
Using Species Composition Data from a Trawl Survey to Determine Potential Bycatch of the Commercial Trawl Fishery for Horseshoe Crab Limulus polyphemus in the Middle Atlantic Bight

Abstract The National Marine Fisheries Service has encouraged regional management councils to develop fisheries ecosystem plans that, among other things, identify the bycatch species within each fishery and describe each species' spatial and temporal distribution. Horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus have been harvested along the eastern coast of the USA since the 1800s; however, a fishery management plan was only recently created for this species, and bycatch in the horseshoe crab trawl fishery has not been quantified. We identified species likely to be caught as bycatch in the commercial fishery by using species composition data from a fishery-independent horseshoe crab trawl survey conducted in 2005 and 2006. Seventy-six taxa were caught, including 47 finfish species from 33 families. Skates (family Rajidae) comprised more than one-half of the total biomass caught, and horseshoe crabs comprised one-third of the total biomass. Catch per unit effort (kg/km towed) was greatest for little skate Leucoraja eri...
Electroencephalographic rhythms from the depths of the parietal, occipital and temporal lobes in man.

Abstract Further studies have been done in an effort to establish additional patterns of the electric activity in the depths of the human brain. It has been demonstrated that somatic, sensory, motor, auditory and visual activity can be recorded from the depths of the brain. Synchronous activity recorded from the ventromedial part of the frontal lobe, parts of the temporal lobe, parts of the parietal lobe and the region of the hypothalamus indicates connections between these regions. Profound changes in the electric activity in these regions during acute episodes of agitation and hallucination have been observed.
Normal polymorphic variations and transcription of the decay accelerating factor gene in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria cells.

Abstract In paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), an acquired hemolytic anemia, deficiency of decay accelerating factor (DAF) renders blood cells susceptible to increased deposition of autologous complement activation fragments (C3b) and complemented-mediated injury. To investigate the mechanism of the DAF defect, DNA and mRNA from normal and PNH leukocytes were compared in blot hybridization assays by using DAF cDNA and oligonucleotide probes. Southern analyses of DNA from normal cells revealed a single gene spanning approximately equal to 35 kilobases of DNA. Six HindIII banding patterns were distinguishable among normal individuals. In family studies, the patterns segregated as three homozygous and three heterozygous genotypes deriving from three haplotypes: A, B, and C with frequencies of 0.47, 0.36, and 0.17, respectively. Oligonucleotide mapping localized the polymorphic HindIII sites to two noncoding regions in the vicinity of exons encoding (i) the protein oligosaccharide-rich domain and (ii) the mRNA 3'-untranslated region. Analyses of DNA from DAF-negative leukocytes of eight PNH patients demonstrated restriction fragment profiles identical to those of normal individuals for all enzymes studied. Three patients had the BC (normals = 3/32), three patients had the AA (normals = 6/32), and two patients had the AC (normals = 8/32) HindIII genotype. Of the three PNH patients exhibiting the BC genotype, family studies of two demonstrated the expected inheritance patterns, and RNA gel blot analyses of two showed mRNA transcripts indistinguishable from those in normal cells. The absence of DAF gene or mRNA alterations in affected PNH cells that lack other glycolipid-anchored proteins as well as DAF argues that the lesion underlying PNH cells resides in the glycolipid-anchor pathway.
Template-determined, variable rate of RNA chain elongation

Abstract Qβ replicase polymerizes MDV-1 RNA at a markedly variable rate. Electrophoretic analyses of partially synthesized strands showed that a few of the elongation intermediates are much more abundant than others, reflecting a variable rate of chain elongation. Our data suggest that at a relatively small number of specific sites in the sequence of this RNA, the progress of the replicase is temporarily interrupted, and then resumes spontaneously, with a finite probability. Since the time spent between these pause sites is negligible compared with the time spent at pause sites, the mean time of chain elongation is well approximated by the sum of the mean times spent at each pause site. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the most prominent elongation intermediates indicated that they all have the potential to form a 3′ terminal hairpin structure. This suggests that the marked variability in the rate of chain elongation is due to the formation of terminal hairpins in the product strand, or the reformation of hairpins in the template strand. A survey of the literature shows that this phenomenon occurs with most, if not all, nucleic acid polymerases. Structure-induced pauses may play a role in the regulation of nucleic acid synthesis.
Comparison of the phenol-reagent and bromsulfalein-binding methods for determination of protein and its measurement in mast cells.

Abstract A critical comparison of the phenol-reagent and bromsulfalein-binding methods for the determination of protein revealed no significant difference in sensitivity or reproducibility. Both methods have advantages over others commonly used and are well adapted for use in the microgram range. In the phenol-reagent method, precipitation of protein by trichloroacetic acid prior to analysis was found to be essential for some materials (e.g., normal rat mast cells) and not for others (e.g., neoplastic mouse mast cells, bovine plasma albumin, or human serum albumin). Removal of particular nonprotein amino acids and their derivatives may be required since they contribute to the color measured, but the bromsulfalein-binding method is free of such interference. Use of an empirical factor for standardization based on relation of protein nitrogen to absorbance measured, which compensates for differences in proportion of reactive groups in different proteins and which has been in use for the bromsulfalein method, is also recommended for the phenol-reagent method. Mean protein values of 155 ± 3.2 and 131 ± 2.1 μ g 10 6 cells, respectively, for normal rat and neoplastic mouse peritoneal mast cells were obtained, although the values are subject to significant biological variation. However, over the number of generation transplants of the neoplastic cells studied (Nos. 479–500), no consistent influence on protein content was found. Additional chemical differences between the normal and neoplastic mast cells were shown.
Sustained viral activity of epstein-Barr virus contributes to cellular immortalization of lymphoblastoid cell lines

EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) are used as a resource for human genetic, immunological, and pharmacogenomic studies. We investigated the biological activity of 20 LCL strains during continuous long-term subculture up to a passage number of 160. Out of 20 LCL strains, 17 proliferated up to a passage number of 160, at which point LCLs are generally considered as “immortalized”. The other three LCL strains lost the ability to proliferate at an average passage number of 41, during which these LCLs may have undergone cellular crisis. These non-immortal LCL strains exhibited no telomerase activity, decreased EBV gene expression, and a lower copy number of the EBV genome and mitochondrial DNA when compared with immortal LCLs. Thus, this study suggests that sustained EBV viral activity as well as telomerase activity may be required for complete LCL immortalization.
Development and validation of the Child Activity Limitations Interview: a measure of pain-related functional impairment in school-age children and adolescents

Recurrent pain in childhood are common and frequently impact children's everyday functioning. However, there are currently limited tools available to measure the impact of recurrent pain on children's daily activities, in particular, that can be used to identify appropriate targets for intervention and measure response to such interventions. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new measure, the Child Activity Limitations Interview (CALI), to improve the assessment of functional impairment due to recurrent pain in school-age children and adolescents, and to compare this measure to the Functional Disability Inventory. Participants included 189 children, aged 8-16 years (M=12.4, SD 2.5), 60% female, 40% minority, who were part of a longitudinal study of recurrent pain in children with headaches, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and sickle cell disease. Measures of socio-demographics, pain, anxiety and depression, and functional disability were completed. A subset of participants (47%) were re-administered the CALI 1 month later and completed prospective ratings of pain and activity limitations using the CALI in daily diaries. Internal consistency of the CALI was excellent (alpha=0.88, child version; alpha=0.95, parent version). One-month test-retest reliability (r = 0.33, child report) and cross-informant reliability (r = 0.43) were moderate. Results demonstrate support for face, construct, and concurrent validity as well as responsiveness to pain symptom fluctuation. Findings demonstrate that the CALI is a promising measure for assessing and monitoring subjective report of functional impairment in school-age children and adolescents with recurrent and chronic pain.
The failure of histidine and vitamin C, and of ether, to improve the peripheral circulation; report of studies on subjects with normal arterial circulation and with occlusive arterial diseases.

Clinical experience has not confirmed previous observations that intravenous injection of vitamin C and intramuscular injection of histidine monohydrochloride are useful in the treatment of peripheral ischemia observed in arteriosclerosis obliterans. Clinical experience with intravenous injection of ether has failed to indicate that this method of treatment is of value in improving the peripheral arterial circulation in thrombo-angiitis obliterans and arteriosclerosis obliterans.
Minimum delay communication in energy harvesting systems over fading channels

We consider an energy harvesting wireless system where data is stored in a data buffer and energy is harvested from various sources and stored in an energy buffer. The transmitter tries to minimize a delay criterion, e.g., average delay in the data buffer or probability of overflow, subject to the hard power constraints imposed by the available energy. We show that if the average rate of data arrival is larger than a certain threshold, then the probability of overflow is lower bounded by a constant and the average delay is infinite, and if it is smaller than this threshold, then there exists a sequence of simple policies such that the probability of overflow goes to zero faster than 1/LK for any K ≥ 2, where L is the length of the data buffer, and average delay is upper bounded by some constants. Furthermore, we extend the results into a multiple access channel (MAC) with two users, and study two situations, when the energy buffers of the two users are separate, and when the energy buffers of the two users can cooperate.
Hereditary tyrosinemia and abnormal pyrrolemetabolism

A patient with hereditary tyrosinemia is described who developed metabolic and clinicalchanges compatible with acute intermittent porphyria.
A validational note on the revised Socialization Scale of the California Psychological Inventory

The revised (1987) Socialization Scale of the California Psychological Inventory was studied in a sample of 121 delinquent and nondelinquent males to determine if the revised scale, compared to the original version of the scale (1957), could differentiate among a group of nonoffenders and a comprehensive typology of offenders. Results of an ANOVA and product-moment correlations provided significant and considerable support for the discriminability of the revised So Scale. Obtained results indicate that the revised instrument can differentiate offenders from nonoffenders to about the same, or a greater, degree than the original scale.
Thyroid Hormone Stimulates Protein Synthesis in the Cardiomyocyte by Activating the Akt-mTOR and p70S6K Pathways

Abstract Thyroid hormones affect cardiac growth and phenotype; however, the mechanisms by which the hormones induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy remain uncharacterized. Tri-iodo-l-thyronine (T3) treatment of cultured cardiomyocytes for 24 h resulted in a 41 ± 5% (p < 0.001) increase in [3H]leucine incorporation into total cellular protein. This response was abrogated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, wortmannin. Co-immunoprecipitation studies showed a direct interaction of cytosol-localized thyroid hormone receptor TRα1 and the p85α subunit of PI3K. T3 treatment rapidly increased PI3K activity by 52 ± 3% (p < 0.005), which resulted in increased phosphorylation of downstream kinases Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). This effect was abrogated by pretreatment with wortmannin or LY294002. Phosphorylation of p70S6K, a known target of mTOR, occurred rapidly following T3 treatment and was inhibited by rapamycin and wortmannin. In contrast, phosphorylation of the p85 variant of S6K in response to T3 was not blocked by LY294002, wortmannin, or rapamycin, thus supporting a T3-activated pathway independent of PI3K and mTOR. 40 S ribosomal protein S6, a target of p70S6K, and 4E-BP1, a target of mTOR, were both phosphorylated within 15–25 min of T3 treatment and could be inhibited by wortmannin and rapamycin. Thus, rapid T3-mediated activation of PI3K by cytosolic TRα1 and subsequent activation of the Akt-mTOR-S6K signaling pathway may underlie one of the mechanisms by which thyroid hormone regulates physiological cardiac growth.
INDO-MO study of long-range EPR couplings in aliphatic formate radicals

Abstract In aqueous solution at ca. 25°C, simple aliphatic formate radicals of formula ·C(X1)(X2)-O-CHO and ·C(X1)(X2)-C(X3)(X4)-O-CHO (where an (X-) group is an H- or a substituent such as a CH3-) are well known to generally display γ- and δ-CH formyl-proton couplings, the size of these couplings varying with the nature of the (X-) groups. The origin of this variation is probably that the nature of the (X-) groups tends to affect the (s-trans)-to-(s-cis) conformational isomerization of a given radical. By means of a detailed INDO-MO study of the simplest examples, ·CH2-O-CHO (1) and ·CH2-CH2-O-CHO (2), of these two specified general radical formulas, carried out by considering all conceivable bond rotations, we have shown that the previously reported variation of these long-range couplings with the nature of the (X-) groups is reasonable; that the conformational dependence of the long-range couplings is in accordance with the W-plan bond arrangement; that the experimental long-range formyl-proton couplings in 1 and 2 are consistent with 1 and 2 existing predominantly in the s-trans conformation; and that the signs of these long-range couplings in 1 and 2 are probably positive.
Laser enhanced (optical) NMR spectroscopy, the role of atomic hyperpolarisability

Abstract The role of hyperpolarisability in laser enhanced NMR (LENS) spectroscopy is developed for atoms, taking into account rigorously the combined effect of three angular momenta, L, S , and I . The results show that when there is no resultant electronic angular momentum in an atom (or diamagnetic molecule) the magnetic electric electric electronic hyperpolarisability can mediate the effect of a circularly polarised laser on an NMR spectrum, producing in theory a richly varied spectrum that depends on g factors controlled by L, S and I .