cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toxicity, Immunosuppressive Effects and Carcinogenic Potential of Volatile Nitrites: Possible Relationship to Kaposi's Sarcoma

Volatile nitrite in the form of amyl nitrite was used for 100 years for the treatment of angina pectoris. In spite of recognized toxicity, its use in this form was considered safe. During the 1960s prescriptions were not required for purchase of amyl nitrite (called poppers) and its use for recreational purposes became popular. With reinstatement of the prescription requirement in 1969, non-medicinal, street-variety volatile nitrites were made commercially available in the form of mixtures of impure butyl and isobutyl nitrite; some of these preparations also included amyl nitrite. These products have been found to be profoundly immunosuppressive for human lymphocytes in vitro, and their by-products when metabolized into N-nitroso compounds have been known to be highly carcinogenic in many animal species. Recreational use of inhaled volatile nitrites is prevalent among male homosexuals and the compounds have been suspected as possible cofactors in Kaposi's sarcoma associated with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). This association could be explained by nitrite-induced vasodilation of rectal mucosal vessels providing a port of entry for a transmissible agent, by direct immunosuppression of the host allowing expression of a potentially oncogenic virus by co-carcinogenic effects of by-products by themselves or in conjunction with other putative cofactors such as cytomegalovirus. Nitrites should continue to be considered as a possible cofactor in the etiology of Kaposi's Sarcoma among male homosexuals and possibly those with other manifestations of AIDS.
Phosphorylation of paired helical filament tau in Alzheimer's disease neurofibrillary lesions: focusing on phosphatases.

The major brain abnormalities in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) include extracellular deposits of beta-amyloid, intraneuronal neurofibrillary lesions, and the massive loss of specific subsets of telencephalic neurons. Neurofibrillary lesions contain paired helical filaments (PHFs) that accumulate in the perikarya (e.g., neurofibrillary tangles) and processes (e.g., dystrophic neurites, neuropil threads) of selectively vulnerable telencephalic neurons. The subunits of PHFs are derivatized forms of central nervous system (CNS) tau proteins (CNS tau) known collectively as PHFtau. Until very recently it was thought that the aberrant phosphorylation of PHFtau was the most salient difference between normal human CNS tau and PHFtau. However, this view required modification when it was shown that fetal and biopsy-derived human CNS tau proteins were phosphorylated at nearly all of the same sites found in PHFtau, albeit to a lesser extent. More significantly, these and other studies may be interpreted to su...
Understanding "Dance Understanding"

relations of space and time, of space and proportion, as well as concrete awareness of the movement phrases and body shapes and their connections in the overall performance. Heightened awareness of relationships between the various parts of the moving body, as well as among the dancers working together in a performance, results in a state of "thinking in movement". Following Merleau Ponty, and Maxine Sheets-Johnstone, the movement becomes the presence of thoughtP From this brief overview, it is apparent that dance performance represents an enormously complex set of cognitive operations requiring attention to several different domains. Erlebnis requires thatwe consider kinesthetic processes, feelings, and ideas, all in relation to movement. While Erlebnis appears to be the primary feature of knowledge considered from the point of view of the performer, a performance can also function as symbol for communicating ideas and feelings. Hence, through movement, a performance may present knowledge about something other than itself, as when the movement tells an edifying story or imitates the movements of the planets. In such instances, the performance approaches Erkenntnis, but this does not seem to be its primary function. Because the producer is also the receiver of the knowledge given in the performance, the dancer is in a unique position with respect to knowledge. As the producer, the dancer is in a position to share in the discoveries that unfold during the creative process; as the receiver, he/ she also aware of the outcome that is shared with audiences, critics, and theorists. While a dancer's knowledge may include what has been discovered during the creative process, there are apparent differences between the knowledge experienced directly by the producer and knowledge as it appears to the audience, and in criticism and aesthetic theory. The audience does not undergo the internal feedback of the performer and typically is not on the same level with respect to knowledge of the choreography and training. Rather the audience's knowledge, though firsthand experience, depends on seeing and other sensory and conceptual modes of information, including the kinesthetics, being transmitted and processed by the mind-body systems. The audience's knowledge, as well as that of critics and theorists, predominantly, but in varying degrees, are forms of Erkenntnis or knowledge about the 26 Ann Marie De Angelo, principal dancer, Jeffrey Ballet, Interview, New York, November, 1980. 27 Maxine Sheets-Johnstone, "Thinking in Movement," Journal of Aesthetics andArt Critidsm, 39:4 (1981), 398-407.
1,3‐Difluorobenzene

[372-18-9] C6H4F2 (MW 114.09) InChI = 1S/C6H4F2/c7-5-2-1-3-6(8)4-5/h1-4H InChIKey = UEMGWPRHOOEKTA-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used for construction of substituted difluoroaromatics) Physical Data: mp −59 °C; bp 82 °C; d 1.163 g mL−1. Solubility: soluble in most organic solvents. Form Supplied in: colorless liquid, commercially available. Purification: purified by distillation. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: reagent is harmful by inhalation.
Fluorescent-Antibody Approach to Study of Rhizobia in Soil

Application of fluorescent-antibody (FA) techniques to the study of rhizobia as free-living soil bacteria was explored. Antiserum to a particular strain of Rhizobium japonicum proved specific in both agglutination and FA tests. Within the R. japonicum group, 2 of 12 strains were stained by the conjugate and these fluoresced brightly; all others were entirely negative. FA tests were negative for 7 strains of R. meliloti, 9 strains of R. leguminosarum, 9 strains of R. trifolii, 6 strains of R. phaseoli, and 65 unidentified bacteria isolated from 12 soils. R. japonicum grew in autoclaved soil and was readily detectable by FA examination of contact slides. The FA technique also detected antibody-reacting bacteria in a field soil whose rhizobial content was unknown. Fluorescent cells were probably R. japonicum, since nodules developed on soybean plants grown in the same soil sample and FA preparations of the crushed nodules proved positive. Autofluorescence was not a problem, but nonspecific adsorption of conjugate restricted observations to microscopic fields free from soil particles. Nonspecific adsorption was substantial, irrespective of the soil used. Images
Zur Gewinnung von reinem Lecithin und Colaminkephalin mittels Dünnschicht-Chromatographie

Es wird eine einfache und schnelle Methode fur die Gewinnung von kleinen Mengen Lecithin und Colaminkephalin aus Eigelb, Gehirn und Mitochondrien sowie aus kauflichem Rinderherz-Lecithin beschrieben. Die Phospholipoide werden durch praparative Dunnschicht-Chromatographie an Silicagel-G-Platten mittels verschiedener Mischungen von CHCl3, CH3OH und Wasser getrennt. Zum Nachweis ihrer Reinheit werden die molaren Verhaltnisse von Glycerin, Ester, Vinylather, Cholin- oder Aminorest zu Phosphor bestimmt. Um die notigen funf Bestimmungen fur jedes isolierte Phospholipoid mit ungefahr 0,5 mg Substanz durchzufuhren, wurden besondere mikroanalytische Verfahren entwickelt. Colaminkephalin und Lecithin aus Eigelb und Mitochondrien enthalten nur Diesterphospholipoide, wahrend Colaminkephalin aus Rattenhirn und Lecithin aus Rinderherz zur Halfte aus Plasmalogen bestchen.
Michelson Interferometer as a Remote Gauge

The Michelson interferometer may be used to measure the separation between two parallel surfaces which are distant from the interferometer. A beam of light incident normal to these surfaces must be at least partially reflected back to the interferometer by each surface in order for the technique to work. The results of three measurements using this technique are described, and the effect of dispersion is discussed.
Dynamic Simulation of Gas-Liquid Homogeneous Flow in Natural Gas Pipeline Using Two-Fluid Conservation Equations

Homogeneous two-phase flows are frequently encountered in a variety processes in the petroleum and gas industries. In natural gas pipelines, liquid condensation occurs due to the thermodynamic and hydrodynamic imperatives. During horizontal, concurrent gas-liquid flow in pipes, a variety of flow patterns can exist. Each pattern results from the particular manner by which the liquid and gas distribute in the pipe. The objective of this study is to simulate the non-isothermal, one-dimensional, transient homogenous two-phase flow gas pipeline system using two-fluid conservation equations. The modified Peng-Robinson equation of state is used to calculate the vapor-liquid equilibrium in multi-component natural gas to find the vapor and liquid compressibility factors. Mass transfer between the gas and the liquid phases is treated rigorously through flash calculation, making the algorithm capable of handling retrograde condensation. The liquid droplets are assumed to be spheres of uniform size, evenly dispersed throughout the gas phase. The method of solution is the fully implicit finite difference method. This method is stable for gas pipeline simulations when using a large time step and therefore minimizes the computation time. The algorithm used to solve the nonlinear finite-difference thermo-fluid equations for two phase flow through a pipe is based on the Newton-Raphson method. The results show that the liquid condensate holdup is a strong function of temperature, pressure, mass flow rate, and mixture composition. Also, the fully implicit method has advantages, such as the guaranteed stability for large time step, which is very useful for simulating long-term transients in natural gas pipeline systems.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Scintigraphic detection of salivary aspiration: Description of a new diagnostic technique and case reports

Pneumonia is the feared consequence of persistent aspiration of saliva. Although some persons with impaired protection of the laryngeal airway are thought to be at risk, it is not known with certainty which factors are important. Some patients receive tracheostomies to enhance airway safety, often without clear evidence of aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions. A simple, readily available technique is described by which oral secretions are scintigraphically labeled with technetium-99m sulfur colloid via slow intraoral infusion. Subsequent sequential chest imaging with a gamma camera allows detection and tracking of the aspirated material. Three persons are described in whom this technique was used. Inone, the scintigraphic analysis was instrumental in implicating infected saliva as the likely source of recurrent pulmonary infections. Although the method is useful in detecting aspiration of saliva in high risk persons, more study is needed to equate the degree of aspiration visualized with the risk of pulmonary disease.
Effects of salinization on nutrient transport to lettuce leaves: consideration of leaf developmental stage

Most recent reviews of plant salinity response have included the concept of a nutritional disturbance as one likely mechanism by which shoot growth might be inhibited. None the less, few studies of dicotyledonous plants have presented data on nutrient transport into the most intensively growing shoot tissues. In this paper net nutrient deposition was followed for 3 d in 8 sequential, growing leaves of Lactuca sativa, which were grown either in conditions of moderate salinization, or in a growth-stimulating concentration of NaCl. The nutrient deposition was studied from 0.7 to 3.7 d following completion of stepwise salinization. This deposition was followed in immature leaves, which had attained only 1–2% of ultimate leaf mass by the completion of the study. In such young leaves development is still dominated by cell division. The transport of Ca2+ specifically to the youngest leaves was reduced by more than twice as much as was K+ transport. Transport of the other major divalent cationic nutrient, Mg2+, was not decreased for these leaves. The factors of increase for Na+ and Cl− after 3.7 d after completion of salinization averaged 152 and 62% over control levels for the three youngest leaves (for Na+ and Cl−, respectively). Though significant, these increases were only 27 and 14% as great as increases in three leaf sets of more developed growing leaves. Decreases in net K+ deposition and leaf K+ concentration were not greater for the youngest than they were for the oldest leaves. Net S deposition was reduced 44% more in younger than older growing leaves, but for most leaves not beyond the level expected due to reduced sink strength. The reduction in net P deposition also seemed more related to reduced sink strength, but was reduced to approx. 50% in both younger and more developed growing leaves. While Fe concentration was not reduced by salinization at any developmental stage, Zn2+ net transport and Zn concentration were both reduced in the two youngest leaves (57 and 70%, respectively). Given the moderate treatment imposed (Na:Ca ratio of 22) the results suggest that Ca2+ transport to the youngest leaves is probably highly sensitive to salinization of the root medium and is perhaps a key physiological response in the inhibition of leaf growth.
Multi-module vulnerability analysis of web-based applications

In recent years, web applications have become tremendously popular, and nowadays they are routinely used in security-critical environments, such as medical, financial, and military systems. As the use of web applications for critical services has increased, the number and sophistication of attacks against these applications have grown as well. Current approaches to securing web applications focus either on detecting and blocking web-based attacks using application-level firewalls, or on using vulnerability analysis techniques to identify security problems before deployment.The vulnerability analysis of web applications is made difficult by a number of factors, such as the use of scripting languages, the structuring of the application logic into separate pages and code modules, and the interaction with back-end databases. So far, approaches to web application vulnerability analysis have focused on single application modules to identify insecure uses of information provided as input to the application. Unfortunately, these approaches are limited in scope, and, therefore, they cannot detect multi-step attacks that exploit the interaction among multiple modules of an application.We have developed a novel vulnerability analysis approach that characterizes both the extended state and the intended workflow of a web application. By doing this, our analysis approach is able to take into account inter-module relationships as well as the interaction of an application's modules with back-end databases. As a result, our vulnerability analysis technique is able to identify sophisticated multi-step attacks against the application's workflow that were not addressed by previous approaches. We implemented our technique in a prototype tool, called MiMoSA, and tested it on several applications, identifying both known and new vulnerabilities.
The Choice of Symbols

The advent of the capacity to symbolize, that is, to represent something-whether it be an object, an event, or an idea-by something else is a significant aspect of development during the second year of life. Piaget (1945) has described the beginnings of symbolism involved in children’s play, as it proceeds from imitation in the presence of a model, to deferred imitation, and then to internal mental representation, which begins somewhere between 16 and 20 months, Piaget’s stage 6 of sensorimotor intelligence. Once the child can make-believe in this significantly advanced way of internal imaging, his play proceeds from a more passive use of objects (the doll or toy animal which is caressed or pushed) to the more active participation of the toy; the doll does things like eating or going to bed, and the truck goes under a tunnel. Then, beginning at about 24 to 30 months, the child is capable of introducing an absent object in his play, substituting one object for another. Sarnoff (1970) has reviewed Piaget’s ideas against the background of Ernest Jones’s (1916) paper dealing with the theory of symbolism in its psychoanalytic context. Jones defines a symbol as a manifest expression of an idea that is more or less hidden or secret, so that the connection between the signifier and that which it signifies is an unconscious one. As Sarnoff points out, Piaget’s rich illustrations of play contain few symbols of the type specified by Jones before the age of 3 years, but that by the age of 2 years, some of the linkage between the objects and that which they represent has been lost. Therefore, the personality structure necessary for the formation of psychoanalytic symbols can exist at 24 months of age. That is to say, a child can unknowingly use an object onto
The association for specialists in group work training standards: Some considerations and suggestions for training

Abstract Association for Specialists in Group Work training standards are reviewed, and suggestions for group work training to meet the standards are described, including in-class activities, internship experiences, and continuing education.
An enzyme electrode for the amperometric determination of glucose.

Abstract An amperometric method utilizing a glucose electrode has been developed for the determination of blood glucose. The time of measurement is less than 12 s if a kinetic method is used and 1 min if a steady-state method is used. The long-term stability of the electrode is ca. 0.1% change from maximum response per day when stored at room temperature for over 10 months. The enzyme electrode determination of blood sugar compares favorably with commonly used methods with respect to accuracy, precision, and stability. The only reagent required for blood sugar determinations is a buffer solution. The electrode consists of a metallic sensing layer covered by a thin film of immobilized glucose oxidase held in place by means of cellophane. When poised at the correct potential, the current produced is proportional to the glucose concentration.
Ultrasonic equation of state of rhenium

The elastic constants ${C}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ of single-crystal Re and their pressure derivatives $\frac{d{C}_{\mathrm{ij}}}{\mathrm{dP}}$, measured to 4.2 kbar at 25 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, are, respectively; ${C}_{11}: 6177.3 \mathrm{and} 8.65$; ${C}_{33}: 6828.2 \mathrm{and} 8.45$; ${C}_{13}: 2055.7 \mathrm{and} 2.98$; ${C}_{44}: 1605.4 \mathrm{and} 1.49$; ${C}_{66}: 1714.1 \mathrm{and} 1.56$. The initial pressure derivative of the isothermal bulk modulus, ${K}_{T}^{\ensuremath{'}}={(\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}{K}_{T}}{\ensuremath{\partial}P})}_{P=0}$, calculated from the Voigt-Reuss-Hill approximation, is 5.43, which is significantly larger than the previously reported value of 2.93 based on x-ray-diffraction data. The contributions to ${K}_{T}$ and ${K}_{T}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ from long-range Fermi energy and short-range ion-core repulsive interactions (${K}_{F}$ and ${K}_{\mathrm{SR}}$, respectively) are evaluated by assuming the Born-Mayer potentials for the latter contribution. Using an empirical relationship between atomic volume and ${K}_{T}^{\ensuremath{'}} (\ensuremath{\approx}{K}_{s}^{\ensuremath{'}})$, it is found that the x-ray value for ${K}_{T}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ is probably too low. Evaluation of the Born-Mayer parameters leads to the conclusion that the short-range contribution, rather than the Fermi contribution, dominates ${K}_{T}$, and shear moduli ${C}_{44}$ and ${C}_{66}$, and their pressure derivatives, whereas the Fermi energy is a major contributory factor in the case of shear modulus ${C}_{H}=(\frac{1}{6})({C}_{11}+{C}_{12}+2{C}_{33}\ensuremath{-}4{C}_{13})$. The latter conclusion is strengthened by the nonlinearity of ${C}_{H}$ with respect to pressure, and by the anomalous variation of the superconducting temperature ${T}_{c}$ with pressure, which effect is related to the change in Fermi-surface topology. The value of the Gr\"uneisen-mode gamma ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{H}$ for Re, calculated from the $\frac{d{C}_{\mathrm{ij}}}{\mathrm{dP}}$, 1.83, which is significantly less than thermal gamma ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{th}} (2.39)$ at 300 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K.
High-spin states in neutron-deficient nuclei near A=80

In-beam ..gamma..-ray spectroscopy with the reactions /sup 54/Fe+/sup 28/Si and /sup 56/Fe+/sup 28/Si at beam energies from 80 to 99 MeV were used to study high-spin states in neutron-deficient nuclei in the mass Aapprox.80 region. Measurements of ..gamma..-ray energies, intensities, angular distributions, excitation functions, and ..gamma..-..gamma.. coincidences were used to assign new levels in /sup 79/Rb and /sup 80/Sr. For the first time, high-spin states in /sup 81/Sr have been observed.
Dynamics of linkage disequilibrium in bacterial genomes undergoing transformation and/or conjugation

Bacteria may undergo recombinational exchange either by conjugation followed by crossing over, or by transformation of small segments of DNA into the cell followed by incorporation into the chromosome by gene conversion. These two forms of recombination may have very different consequences on the patterns of linkage disequilibrium seen within bacterial genomes. In this paper deterministic recursions are obtained for three linked loci in populations having these two forms of recombination. Both neutral genetic variation and the case of one selected gene are considered. It is shown that the two forms of exchange have identical consequences on two-locus linkage disequilibria, but that three-locus disequilibria can have different behaviors. Hitchhiking also has different consequences on the pattern of disequilibrium seen between linked neutral genes in the region of the selected locus. Inference of the relative importance of these two modes of recombination from static samples of DNA sequences will hinge on the relationship between linkage map distance and disequilibria.
Recognition as protection/recognition as threat: Understanding the link between minority rights and ethnic hostility

This article seeks to understand what makes an ethnic minority a ‘good candidate’ for minority‐rights arrangements. A good candidate is an ethnic minority whose attributes increase the probability that minority‐rights arrangements will be stable and will be successful in reducing ethnic hostility. The article argues that three factors ‐ the salience of the ethnic identity, the fluidity of the ethnic identity, and the territoriality of the ethnic group ‐ are important in determining what makes a good candidate for minority‐rights arrangements. Specifically, a good candidate has high salience, low fluidity, and low territoriality. The case of the Russian minority in Estonia is used to evaluate this argument.
Landmark perspective: The heritage of the radical neck dissection.

THE SUCCESS of the modern head and neck oncological surgeon in curing patients with head and neck cancer is due in large part to the principles that evolved from the astute clinical observations of George Crile, MD, and the truly imaginative and bold surgical concepts that he fostered. In his monumental article published in JAMA in 1906, he demonstrated the effectiveness of en bloc resection of regional lymph nodes and other lymphatic structures in the neck, including resection of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the internal jugular vein, and the submaxillary salivary gland, in rendering patients free of disease. What led Crile to the surgical concepts he advocated was his observation that patients with head and neck cancer died primarily because the site of origin of the tumor was not controlled and/or the cancer had spread to regional neck structures. His basic premise was that each patient with cancer of the head
Heterogeneity in epidermal basal keratinocytes: morphological and functional correlations

Two structurally distinct populations of basal keratinocytes, nonserrated and serrated, were observed in cynomolgus monkey and human palm epidermis. Anatomical location, fine structural features, and kinetic properties suggest that nonserrated cells represent a stem cell population and that serrated cells help anchor the epidermis to the dermis.
The relationship between treatment exposure times and changes in stuttering frequency during contingent stimulation

Abstract Four adult stutterers were exposed to 60 consecutive minutes of verbal contigent stimulation. In each session subjects spoke until a stuttering frequency stability criterion was met (baserate) followed by 60 min of exposure to the word wrong presented contingently upon each instance of stuttering. The data were analyzed according to changes in stuttering which occured following 20, 40, and 60 min of treatment exposure. The results revealed that stuttering frequency was reduced for all subjects during all three 20-min segments of the treatment condition. The only significant reductions in stuttering frequency, however, occured within the first 20 min of treatment.
Swelling of an internally pressurized nonlinearly elastic tube with fiber reinforcing

We study the effect of swelling on the mechanical response of fiber reinforced tubes within the context of finite elastic deformation. The fibers themselves do not swell, setting up a competition between the matrix, for which swelling tends to open the tube, and the fibers, for which swelling tends to constrict the tube. Balancing these tendencies in the constitutive response can lead to an internal channel opening that remains relatively constant over a wide range of swelling. Further, the hoop stress on the inner wall in such a situation may be compressive, rather than tensile. Both effects may be advantageous in certain settings, including biological organ systems.
Model Conformations of the Carboxyl Telopeptides In Vivo Based on Type I Collagen Fibral Banding Patterns

Abstract Densitometric scans of high resolution banding patterns of uranyl acetatestained, type I collagen fibrils teased from rat tail tendon were correlated with sequence derived model scans. The best model for the α1 carboxyl telopeptide has the first 15 residues in a “S fold” or “random coil” with a net axial displacement of 7 residues (a contracted region) and the last 10 residues extended along the fibril axis. The correlation of both models with experimental scans is significantly improved when two 4D-staggered intermolecular crosslinks are modeled by eliminating four charges in band a3: the two lysines in the α1 carboxyl telopeptides and two hydroxylysines at residues 87 and 88 in the triple helix. The α2 carboxyl telopeptide is modeled as being folded back on the triple helix. Also, as previously found for type I segment long spacing crystallites, the highest correlation of models with the experimental data is obtained when the α2 chain is in the A or reference position of the triple helix (α2, α1, α1). It is further hypothesized that unfolding of the “S fold” or Ȍrandom coil” in the α1 carboxyl telopeptide may be a reversible mechanism for low strain energy dissipation in tendon and other connective tissues.
Cholinergic stimulation activates a non‐selective cation current in canine pyloric circular muscle cells.

1. Cholinergic stimulation of circular muscle from the canine pyloric sphincter results in excitatory junction potentials and an increase in slow-wave frequency. Experiments were performed on isolated pyloric muscle cells to determine the effects of acetylcholine on membrane conductance and voltage-dependent ionic currents. 2. Acetylcholine depolarized circular muscle cells and increased membrane conductance. Under voltage clamp, these effects were associated with the development of an inward current. 3. The ACh-dependent current (IACh) reversed at about -20 mV and was about equally selective for potassium and sodium. Changes in the chloride gradient had no effect on the reversal potential of IACh. 4. The response to ACh was blocked by atropine suggesting that the response was mediated by muscarinic receptors. IACh could not be elicited in the presence of ions normally used to block potassium currents (e.g. bath-applied TEA+ and replacement of Ki+ with Csi+. 5. In some cells single-channel openings could be resolved in response to ACh. These channels had a slope conductance of 30 pS, and open probability increased with depolarization. 6. Acetylcholine had little or no effect on voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents, and increased voltage-dependent outward currents. The latter effect may have been due to increased release of Ca2+ from internal stores. 7. The non-selective cationic current elicited by ACh can explain the excitatory junction potentials in pyloric muscle cells that are generated by transmural nerve stimulation and may also explain the chronotropic effects of ACh on slow waves.
Identification and Expression of Potential Regulators of the Mammalian Mitotic-to-Meiotic Transition

Meiosis is unique to germ cells and occurs in a sex-specific manner. The genes regulating meiotic initiation in either sex are yet to be fully elucidated. Recent studies have revealed the importance of retinoic acid and one of its target genes, Stra8, in meiotic initiation in both sexes. Microarray analysis of whole murine embryonic ovary and postnatal testis time course data revealed a single peak of Stra8 expression in each organ at the onset of meiosis; at Embryonic Day 14.5 in the ovary and 10 days postpartum in the testis. In order to identify other genes involved in the initiation of meiosis in mammals, murine testis and ovary microarray data were examined more closely for transcripts with expression profiles similar to Stra8. Three such candidates include establishment of cohesion 1 homolog 2 (Esco2), encoding a protein essential for sister chromatid cohesion; SET domain, bifurcated 2 (Setdb2), the mouse ortholog of Eggless, which is essential for oogenesis in Drosophila; and ubiquitin-activating enzyme 6 (Uba6), a gene with fivefold higher expression in human and mouse testes than any other organ. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry or immunofluorescence were performed to localize Esco2, Setbd2, and Uba6 expression in the developing testis. The cellular expression pattern localized all three of these transcripts and their respective proteins to germ cells transitioning from mitosis to meiosis, hence supporting the hypothesis of their involvement in the initiation of meiosis. Future research will be directed at determining a specific role for these three proteins in germ cell differentiation.
The contribution of type of daily activity to loading across the hip and knee joints in the elderly.

Abstract Objective In the elderly, we evaluated loading across the hip or knee joints during different daily activities. Methods Elderly people drawn from the community entering an exercise study underwent a full kinetic and kinematics analysis of five different activities, standing, walking, arising from a chair, going downstairs and bending over. Inverse dynamic equations were used to compute forces and torques across the knees and hips during all of these activities. Results 132 elderly people, mean age 75, participated. Compressive forces across the knees and hips were, by far, the greatest vector forces and were highest during stair descent and, to a lesser extent, during walking. Compressive forces were lowest during standing. The highest moments were flexion and adduction moments, and these were maximal during stair descent. Conclusion Of the five activities we studied, descending stairs was associated with the highest calculated forces and torques across the knees and hips, and that may account for its tendency to cause joint symptoms and for its possible association with osteoarthritis incidence. Copyright 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of OsteoArthritis Research Society International .
When cloud meets eBay: Towards effective pricing for cloud computing

The rapid deployment of cloud computing promises network users with elastic, abundant, and on-demand cloud services. The pay-as-you-go model allows users to be charged only for services they use. Current purchasing designs, however, are still primitive with significant constraints. Spot Instance, the first deployed auction-style pricing model of Amazon EC2, fails to enforce fair competition among users in facing of resource scarcity and may thus lead to untruthful bidding and unfair resource allocation. Dishonest users are able to abuse the system and obtain (at least) short-term advantages by deliberately setting large maximum price bids while being charged only at lower Spot Prices. Meanwhile, this may also prevent the demands of honest users from being satisfied due to resource scarcity. Furthermore, Spot Instance is inefficient and may not adequately meet users' overall demands because it limits users to bid for each computing instance individually instead of multiple different instances at a time. In this paper, we formulate and investigate the problem of cloud resource pricing. We propose a suite of computationally efficient and truthful auction-style pricing mechanisms, which enable users to fairly compete for resources and cloud providers to increase their overall revenue. We analytically show that the proposed algorithms can achieve truthfulness without collusion or (t; p)-truthfulness tolerating a collusion group of size t with probability at least p. We also show that the two proposed algorithms have polynomial complexities O(nm + n2) and O(nm), respectively, when n users compete for m different computing instances with multiple units. Extensive simulations show that, in a competitive cloud resource market, the proposed mechanisms can increase the revenue of cloud providers, especially when allocating relatively limited computing resources to a potentially large number of cloud users.
IR detection at room temperature using semiconducting YBaCuO

Semiconducting YBaCuO thin films are a candidate for infrared bolometers operating at room temperature without the need for temperature control. Semiconducting YBaCuO thin films were fabricated by rf magnetron sputtering onto silicon substrates at room temperature. Room temperature deposition provides compatibility with CMOS technology to allow for the fabrication of low cost infrared imaging arrays with focal plane signal processing. The temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the thin films was measured to be as high as 4% K-1 over a wide temperature range near 300 K. In this respect, amorphous YBaCuO thin films provided a higher TCR than epitaxial, tetragonal YBa2Cu3O6+x films. The noise voltage at 30 Hz was measured to be typically less than 1 (mu) V/Hz1/2. If the thin films are integrated into a typical air-gap thermal isolation structure, the projected responsivity Rv would be as high as 3.8 multiplied by 105 V/W with 1 (mu) A of current bias providing an estimated detectivity D* of 1.6 multiplied by 109 cm Hz1/2/W at a frame frequency of 30 Hz.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
SOME ASPECTS OF SECRETION : I. SECRETION OF WATER.

If we increase the osmotic pressure at one end of a Nitella cell by applying a solution of sucrose and if we subsequently submerge the entire cell in water we find that water enters at the end where the osmotic pressure is higher and comes out of the cell at the other end. If similar inequalities of osmotic pressure should arise as the result of metabolism we can understand how a secreting cell might take up water at one spot on its surface and expel it in another spot and thus bring about the secretion of water. The Nitella cell can expel water from a region of the cell which is in contact with water, air, or mineral oil.
Tumor Lysis Syndrome and Acute Kidney Injury: Evaluation, Prevention, and Management

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) describes a constellation of biochemical and clinical abnormalities resulting from rapid and massive tumor cell death. TLS is frequently associated with hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, and secondary hypocalcemia that may lead to serious clinical complications, including acute kidney injury and cardiac arrest. Identification of tumor- and patient-specific risk factors for TLS and early recognition of laboratory and clinical TLS based on established criteria are essential for preventing TLS and forestalling acute kidney injury. Early collaboration between oncologists and nephrologists will help improve assessment of patients' kidney function and risk factors, paving the way for timely and efficacious interventions.
INHIBITION OF PLATELET DEPOSITION WITH LOCAL DELIVERY OF HEPARIN USING A DOUBLE BALLOON CATHETER

Abstract Heparin is an effective agent in the treatment of unstable angina and myocardial infarction. The clinical utility of heparin is limited by bleeding complications. This study was performed to determine whether static delivery of heparin could effectively inhibit further platelet deposition. Thrombogenic graft segments were incorporated into chronic arteriovenous shunts in pigs. Autologous platelets were labeled with 111 Indium. Platelet deposition was quantitated with gamma camera imaging. The grafts were exposed to blood flow for 15 min in order to induce platelet deposition on the thrombogenic surface. Heparin was delivered locally either by direct exposure or with a double balloon catheter. After a 15 minute exposure period, the heparin solution was removed and subsequent platelet deposition was monitored for 90 minutes. Heparin, administered with the double balloon catheter in doses as low as 12.5 U, effectively inhibited further platelet deposition. An intravenous injection of 100 U of heparin, the highest dose use for local delivery, did not perturb bleeding time or the activated partial thromboplastin time. In conclusion, platelet deposition can be inhibited with static local delivery of heparin at doses that are not associated with systemic bleeding. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
Pseudo-Derivative Curves for the Determination of Titration End Points

Abstract The derivative curve of the sigmoids produced during titrations with potentiometric monitoring offers an accurate way of determining the end points of titrations. This paper presents the generation of “pseudo-first-derivative curves,” where advantage is taken of the difference between the sigmoids resulting from two runs of a titrimetric determination due to random error. In situations where the difference between two sigmoids is practically indiscernible, a sigmoid from a titration with a deliberate change in the reaction medium to alter the activity of the analyte will allow the generation of the “derivative curve” from two runs. This technique also provides a convenient method for confirming the presence of a suspected analyte. Intentional additions of extremely small quantities of an analyte will allow qualitative analysis for the added analyte in mixtures of analytes amenable for analysis by potentiometry.
Oxygen ion diffusion in single crystal SrTiO3

Abstract The oxygen ion self-diffusion coefficient has been determined for single crystal SrTiO 3 between 825° and 1525°C. The rate of exchange between oxygen gas enriched with the stable isotope, O 18 , and solid single crystal plates and spheres was measured. Diffusion rates for annealed crystals were independent of oxygen pressure between 15 and 570 torr at 1400°C and probably at lower temperatures. Below 1200°C, oxygen ion diffusion depends on prior heat treatment and dislocation density, although a quantitative relationship was not determined. For a dislocation density of ∼1·4 × 10 6 / cm 2 , the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient can be represented by D = 1·6 × 10 −7 exp(−15·5 ± 2·0 kcal / RT ) between 825° and 1200°C. For a dislocation density of ∼6·6 × 10 5 / cm 2 , the diffusion coefficient can be represented by D = 1·2 × 10 −5 exp(−29·3 ± 3·0 kcal/ RT )between 850° and 1525°C.
Resistance of a Northwestern Crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana), to Elevated Temperatures

Abstract Pacifastacus leniusculus from two populations in Washington State, the central Columbia River and a small tributary, were acclimated at 5 C intervals and exposed to elevated temperatures in 48 hour thermal bioassays. The upper lethal temperature for both crayfish populations increased relatively slightly, from about 28.5 to 31.5 C, over the entire acclimation range. A rise of 1 C in test temperature often represented the difference between zero and total mortality when lethal limits were approached. The ultimate upper lethal temperature was near 32-33 C Statistically significant differences in thermal resistance patterns (slope and spacing of regression lines) occurred between the two crayfish populations at all acclimation levels, but resistance in terms of eventual mortality was similar for practical purposes. Moulting individuals were particularly susceptible to high temperature stress. Mature, pre-breeding female crayfish from the Columbia River during fall appeared less resistant, and egg-be...
Input ordering for low power in CMOS logic gates

The inputs of a gate that are logically equivalent (for example, the inputs of a two-input NAND gate) can have different power consumption associated with signal switching at the inputs because of differences in circuit topology. Since the power consumed by the gate is dependent on the switching frequency of the input signals, the input order (assignment of signals to logically equivalent gate inputs) can be optimized for power by assigning the signal with the highest switching frequency to the gate input which has the lowest power consumption. A detailed analysis is presented with both analytic and empirical models to show the difference in the power consumption that results from input ordering for a two-input NAND gate. Empirical evidence indicates that power savings of up to 40% may be possible in two-input NAND gates, with the potential for greater savings in NAND and NOR gates with larger numbers of inputs.
Removal of estrogenic activity from municipal waste landfill leachate assessed with a bioassay based on reporter gene expression.

The leachate of a municipal waste landfill was tested for estrogenic activity using a reporter-gene-based bioassay with a human breast-cancer-derived cell line (MVLN cells). The leachate was processed with two different membrane-employing processes operating in parallel. One process consists of aerobic biological degradation, ultrafiltration, and subsequent adsorption to activated carbon. The second process was a reverse osmosis treatment of the raw leachate. Both processes are common in the treatment of landfill leachate. Here, the efficacy of the two processes to remove “estrogenicity” was compared. Both treatment processes removed more than 97% of the estrogenic activity, calculated as estradiol equivalents (EEQs), but they were not equally effective. After adsorption to activated carbon, no estrogenicity was detected, whereas concentrated effluent of the reverse osmosis treatment still elicited an estrogenic response in the bioassay. On the basis of chemical analysis, it is proposed that bisphenol A w...
Getting the Most Out of Life: An Examination of Appreciation, Targets of Appreciation, and Sensitivity to Reward in Happier and Less Happy Individuals

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships among happiness, appreciation, and sensitivity to reward. The hypotheses were that happier individuals would report greater appreciation and show a lower “threshold” to experience appreciation than would less happy individuals. In Study 1, participants completed questionnaires assessing their levels of happiness, appreciation, and sensitivity to reward. In Study 2, self–rated “happy” and “unhappy” participants recalled and listed observations from their lives that they either appreciated or were frustrated by during a 1–day period. Results showed that happier individuals, compared to less happy ones, reported greater sensitivity to reward, greater appreciation in general, and greater appreciation for hypothetical stimuli and real–life observations that were recalled from their personal lives. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Appropriateness of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry recommendation of repeating HbA1c analysis for extreme results in clinical practice

Background: The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) recommends that the presence of a variant or modified haemoglobin be considered when any HbA1 c result is below the lower limit of the reference interval or ≥15%. In those instances where a variant haemoglobin is suspected, repeat measurement using an alternative method is the usual course of action. In the present study, we undertook to determine the impact of this guideline on our identification of variant and modified haemoglobins. Methods: All requests for HbA1 c estimation received over a 32-month period, and which gave a result of 15% were re-analysed by a different method and the results compared. Results: Over the 32-month period, 94 samples with a HbA1c result of < 4% or ≥15% were identified. Of these, 80 were re-analysed using a different method. No chromatographic abnormalities were seen and there were no significant differences between the results obtained using the two methods. Conclusions: No variant or modified haemoglobins were identified in this study and this observation is likely to be representative of the ethnic makeup of our patient population. On the basis of this finding, we recommend that laboratories consider local factors when deciding whether to comply with the NACB guidelines.
Resonant electron- CF collision processes

Electronic structure methods are combined with variationalfixed-nuclei electron scattering calculations and nuclear dynamicsstudies to characterize resonant vibrational excitation and electronattachment processes in collisions between low-energy electrons and CFradicals. Several low-lying negative ion states are found which give riseto strong vibrational excitation and which are expected to dominate thelow-energy electron scattering cross sections. We have also studiedseveral processes which could lead to production of negative ions (F- andC-), However, in contrast to other recent predictions, we do not find CFin itsground state to be a significant source of negative ion productionwhen interacting with thermal electrons.
Mathematical Aspects Of Transmission Three-Dimensional Image Reconstruction

ABSTRACTMATHEMATICAL ASPECTS OF TRANSMISSION THREE -DIMENSIONAL IMAGE RECONSTRUCTIONZ.H. Cho* Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Radia-tion Biology, and'Dept. of Electrical Scienceand Engineering, University of CaliforniaLos Angeles, California 90024 called Transverse Axial Tomography (TAT) or CTAT (C for computerized). One may start byinvestigating the algorithmic development from the CTAT concept. Let us assume that a projection at a iven angle e and position 9, is denoted as(see Fig. 1),f(2.0) =f f(x,y)ds L A description of various 3 -D image re- construction algorithms are given, with par- ticular reference to transmission tomography.Fourier, Fourier -convolution and analyticalmethods are presented in detail. I. INTRODUCTION3- Dimensional image reconstruction applied to transverse axial scanning has cre-ated great excitation in many areas of sci-entific disciplines, such as the brain scan- ning in medicine. This development may well have great potential applications in biomedi-cal applications, electron microscopy, radio