cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Fractional Ground Cover on the Climate Sensitive High Plains Using AVIRIS and Landsat TM Data

The High Plains is an economically important and climatologically sensitive region of the United States and Canada. The High Plains contain 100,000 sq km of Holocene sand dunes and sand sheets that are currently stabilized by natural vegetation. Droughts and the larger threat of global warming are climate phenomena that could cause depletion of natural vegetation and make this region susceptible to sand dune reactivation. This thesis is part of a larger study that is assessing the effect of climate variability on the natural vegetation that covers the High Plains using Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 data. The question this thesis addresses is how can fractional vegetation cover be mapped with the Landsat instruments using linear spectral mixture analysis and to what accuracy. The method discussed in this thesis made use of a high spatial and spectral resolution sensor called AVIRIS (Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer) and field measurements to test vegetation mapping in three Landsat 7 sub-scenes. Near-simultaneous AVIRIS images near Ft. Morgan, Colorado and near Logan, New Mexico were acquired on July 10, 1999 and September 30, 1999, respectively. The AVIRIS flights preceded Landsat 7 overpasses by approximately one hour. These data provided the opportunity to test spectral mixture algorithms with AVIRIS and to use these data to constrain the multispectral mixed pixels of Landsat 7. The comparisons of mixture analysis between the two instruments showed that AVIRIS endmembers can be used to unmix Landsat 7 data with good estimates of soil cover, and reasonable estimates of non-photosynthetic vegetation and green vegetation. Landsat 7 derived image endmembers correlate with AVIRIS fractions, but the error is relatively large and does not give a precise estimate of cover.
Black English in the Integrated Workplace

The existence of what has been designated "two separate societies" one Black, one White (Kerner Commission, 1968)raises the question of the extent to which these two societies have also developed as distinct speech communities. Because race continues to be a critical variable in social and economic relations, as well as in public policy formation, the nature of sociolinguistic differences and cooperation between the African American and White American speech communities has implications for the whole of the communications discipline. This article is concerned with the impact of the industrial work setting on the cross-cultural communication aspects of African American -White American communication. The thesis is that the production demands of industrialized work settings have generated a lingua franca that has Black English at its base. If this hypothesis proves to be true, it carries with it significant implications for communication and language professionals as well as social policy planners.
The Role of the Insulin-like Growth Factor System in Human Cancer

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the role of the insulin-like growth factor system in human cancer. The normal process of growth and differentiation results from the genetically programmed action of a number of different cellular and extracellular factors. Derangement in the function of one or more of those agents can result in a pathologic phenotype, including neoplastic growth. A family of growth factors shown to be intimately involved in the regulation of cell growth as well as in cellular transformation is the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family. IGF-I and IGF-II are mitogenic polypeptides produced in the largest amounts by the liver and secreted into the circulation, where they mediate the effects of growth hormone (GH) on longitudinal growth. In addition to ligands and receptors, the IGF system comprises a third category of molecules, which bind IGFs in the circulation and in extracellular compartments. Six IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) have been characterized to date. Binding of IGFs to the IGF-I receptor induces receptor autophosphorylation. The cell cycle consists of four major phases: (1) the presynthetic phase, G; (2) the phase of DNA synthesis, S; (3) the premitotic phase, G; and (4) mitosis, M. IGF-I, IGF-II, and insulin are chemotactic agents for the human melanoma cell line A2058, as assayed in a modified Boyden chamber. The chapter also gives selected examples of IGF involvement in human cancer. The wealth of information generated in the IGF field, as well as continued research efforts, both basic and clinic, promise to produce rational therapeutic approaches for those cancers in which the IGF system is involved.
Rising Health Care Expenditures: A Demand Side Analysis

In this paper we consider a utility-maximization model for health care. On the basis of the equilibrium conditions derived for patients and the providers of the medical service, we evaluate the importance of cost-sharing between the patients and the third party and provide an explanation for the rising medical expenditures. We effectively assume that some form of third-party payer is always involved in the health care market and this involvement has significant consequences for the incentives of both consumers and providers of health care. The proposed demand specification explains why the empirical estimates of the price elasticity of demand for medical services could exhibit a wide range. We analyze how medical insurance can result in a market failure and evaluate ideas that can correct some of the distortions in resource allocation for medical services. Some guidelines also emerge for a national health insurance policy.
Study of Four Programs of Heavy Resistance Exercises for Development of Muscular Strength

Abstract This study was concerned with determining which of four methods of weight training might be superior so far as strength development was concerned. Eight groups of university freshmen were utilized in the study and the statistical significance of the differences in the amount of strength that was gained was determined by the use of t-formulas. The results of this research suggests that those methods which employ heavy weights so as to allow a maximum number of five executions are probably the superior methods for the development of muscular strength.
Copper metalloregulation of gene expression.

Publisher Summary Bacterial Cu metalloregulation system is found in the gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus hirae. Cu metalloregulation of transcription occurs for ATPase genes in bacteria and certain fungi. The En hirae CopY is a transcriptional repressor that limits the expression of the CopA and CopB P-type ATPases in cells cultured in medium containing minimal Cu(lI) levels. An increase in medium Cu(II) levels results in Cu ion uptake, routing of the Cu(l) ions to CopY by the CopZ metallochaperone, and the subsequent dissociation of CuCopY from the copA and copB genes. In contrast to the En. hirae CopY metalloregulation, Sa. Cerevisiae copper metalloregulation involves two transcriptional activators, Acel and Macl. Both the factors reside within the yeast nucleus and are regulated in their function in a Cu-dependent manner. Addition of Cu salts to the growth medium (at greater than micromolar concentrations of Cu) induces Ace1-dependent transcription within 10 min. Cu binding to Ace1 stabilizes a distinct conformation that enables CuAce1 to bind to DNA in a specific manner. Cu(I) ions activate Acel by formation of a tetracopperthiolate cluster within the DNA-binding domain.
The initial step of glycerolipid metabolism in Leishmania major promastigotes involves a single glycerol‐3‐phosphate acyltransferase enzyme important for the synthesis of triacylglycerol but not essential for virulence

The synthesis of the major phospholipids, including those that play an essential role in Leishmania virulence, initiates with the acylation of glycerol-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetonephosphate at the sn-1 position by glycerol-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetonephosphate acyltransferases respectively. In this study, we show that Leishmania major promastigotes express a single glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase activity important for triacylglycerol synthesis but not essential for virulence. The encoding gene, LmGAT, expressed in yeast results in full complementation of the lethality of a mutant, gat1Deltagat2Delta, lacking glycerol-3-phosphate activity. Biochemical analyses revealed that LmGAT is a low-affinity glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase and exhibits higher specific activity with unsaturated long fatty acyl-CoA donors. A L. major null mutant, Deltalmgat/Deltalmgat, was created and a thorough analysis of its lipid composition was performed. Deletion of LmGAT resulted in a complete loss of Leishmania glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase activity and a major reduction in triacylglycerol synthesis. Consistent with the specificity of LmGAT for glycerol-3-phosphate but not dihydroxyacetonephosphate, Deltalmgat/Deltalmgat mutant expressed normal levels of the ether-lipid derivatives and virulence factors, lipophosphoglycan and GPI-anchored proteins, gp63, and its virulence was not affected in mice.
14-3-3 Isoforms bind directly exon B of the 5’UTR of human surfactant protein A2 mRNA (717.5)

Human surfactant protein A, an innate immunity molecule is encoded by two genes SFTPA1 (SP-A1) and SFTPA2 (SP-A2). The 5’ untranslated (5’UTR) splice variant of SP-A2 (ABD), but not of SP-A1 (AD), ...
Funktionen einer komplexen Veränderlichen

Es seien a 0, a 1, a 2,...,a n ,... komplexe Zahlen, die nicht samtlich verschwinden. Die Potenzreihe besitze den Konvergenzradius R, R > 0. Wenn R = ∞ ist, heist f(z) eine ganze Funktion. Es sei 0 ≦ r < R; dann strebt die Zahlenfolge gegen 0, also gibt es darin ein grostes Glied, das Maximalglied, dessen Wert mit µ(r) bezeichnet wird. Es ist somit fur n = 0, 1, 2, 3,.., r ≧ 0 [I, Kap. 3, § 3].
Red Blood Cell Transfusion Risks in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease

Prior to the introduction of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), red blood cell (RBC) transfusions were frequently required when iron and anabolic steroids failed to improve the clinical symptoms of anemia associated with hemoglobin (Hb) levels that were commonly less than 7 g/dl. After the approval of EPO in the United States in 1989, the Hb levels of patients on hemodialysis dramatically improved and the need for RBC transfusions decreased significantly. The need for RBC transfusion remains for patients who require an immediate increase in their RBC mass due to symptomatic anemia and is likely to increase due to changes in the management of anemia in dialysis patients resulting from clinical trials data, regulatory changes, and new reimbursement policies for EPO. The safety of the blood supply has greatly improved over the last few decades, and the risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases has now been dramatically reduced. Noninfectious complications of transfusion currently cause the majority of morbidity and mortality associated with transfusion in the United States. Transfusion also brings a risk of alloimmunization, a particular concern for dialysis patients waiting for kidney transplantation. Knowledge of the risks of RBC transfusions will help clinicians better assess the risks and benefits of transfusing patients with ESRD. This article reviews the modern day infectious and noninfectious risks of allogeneic RBC transfusions.
Structured Light-Based 3D Reconstruction System for Plants

Camera-based 3D reconstruction of physical objects is one of the most popular computer vision trends in recent years. Many systems have been built to model different real-world subjects, but there is lack of a completely robust system for plants. This paper presents a full 3D reconstruction system that incorporates both hardware structures (including the proposed structured light system to enhance textures on object surfaces) and software algorithms (including the proposed 3D point cloud registration and plant feature measurement). This paper demonstrates the ability to produce 3D models of whole plants created from multiple pairs of stereo images taken at different viewing angles, without the need to destructively cut away any parts of a plant. The ability to accurately predict phenotyping features, such as the number of leaves, plant height, leaf size and internode distances, is also demonstrated. Experimental results show that, for plants having a range of leaf sizes and a distance between leaves appropriate for the hardware design, the algorithms successfully predict phenotyping features in the target crops, with a recall of 0.97 and a precision of 0.89 for leaf detection and less than a 13-mm error for plant size, leaf size and internode distance.
Purpose in life predicts allostatic load ten years later

article i nfo Objective:Living a purposeful life is associated with better mental and physical health, including longevity. Accu- mulating evidence shows thattheseassociationsmightbeexplainedbythe association between lifepurposeand regulation of physiological systems involved in the stress response. The aim of this study was to investigate the prospective associations between life purpose and allostatic load over a 10-year period. Methods: Analyses were conducted using data from the Midlife in the United States(MIDUS) survey. Assessment of life purpose, psychological covariates and demographics were obtained at baseline, while biomarkers of allostatic load were assessed at the 10-year follow-up. Results: We found that greater life purpose predicted lower levels of allostatic load at follow-up, even when con- trolling for other aspects of psychological well-being potentially associated with allostatic load. Further, life pur- pose was also a strong predictor of individual differences in self-health locus of control—i.e., beliefs about how much influence individuals can exert on their own health—which, in turn, partially mediated the association be- tween purpose and allostatic load. Although life purpose was also negatively linked to other-health locus of control—i.e., the extent to which individuals believe their health is controlled by others/chance—this association did not mediate the impact of life purpose on allostatic load. Conclusion: The current study provides the first empirical evidence for the long-term physiological correlates of life purpose and supports the hypothesis that self-health locus of control acts as one proximal psychological mechanism through which life purpose may be linked to positive biological outcomes.
Native american medicinal plants. anemonin from the horse stimulant Clematis hirsutissima

Anemonin, the dilactone of cyclobutane-1,2-diol-1,2-diacrylic acid derived from the cyclodimerization of protoanemonin, a known blistering agent, was isolated from Clematis hirsutissima, a plant used by the Nez Perce and Teton Sioux nations as a horse stimulant.
Pre-reconstruction three-material decomposition in dual-energy CT

It is of clinical interest to quantify the concentration of materials in a three-component mixture with known chemical compositions, such as bone-mineral density (BMD) in a trabecular bone composed of calcium hydroxyappitite (CaHA), yellow- and red-marrow, and iron content in the liver composed of soft tissue, fat, and iron. Both pre- and postreconstruction dual-energy CT methods have been used to achieve this goal. The pre-reconstruction method is more accurate due to the elimination of beam-hardening artifacts. After obtaining the equivalent densities of the two basis materials, however, it is unclear how to accurately estimate the concentration of each material in the presence of the third material in the mixture. In this work, we present a pre-reconstruction three-material decomposition method in dualenergy CT to quantify the concentration of each material in a three-component mixture with known chemical compositions. This method employs a specific physical constraint on the equivalent densities of the two basis materials obtained from the conventional basis-material decomposition. We evaluated this method using simulation studies on two types of three-component mixtures: bone-water-fat and Iron-water-CaHA. The results demonstrated that an accurate estimation of the concentration for each material can be achieved with the proposed method.
Is enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy an effective intervention in eating disorders? A review.

In this study the author reviews the current empirical research regarding Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E) in the treatment of the full range of eating disorders (EDs): anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorder not otherwise specified. All peer-reviewed outcome studies identified through electronic bibliographic databases and manual searches of article reference lists are reviewed. A total of six studies (n = 6) were found. The author reports the results of these studies consisting of open-trials of CBT-E applied to different ED diagnoses, comparing two forms of CBT-E (focused and broad) to waitlist, and comparing CBT-E plus Motivation Focused Therapy. There is evidence to support the use of CBT-E for the treatment of EDs; however, this evidence is tentative as CBT-E is still in its early phases of empirical testing. No trials found CBT-E to be ineffective. Although these research designs are not randomized control trials, these results are promising for ED research. There are fe...
Relationship between sites 1,2 and acceptor, donor sites for the binding of aminoacyl tRNA to ribosomes.

There appear to be at least two sites on the ribosome for the specific binding of Phe-tRNA. We have designated these as site 1 and site 2. From the complex of [14C]Phe-tRNA, poly U, and ribosomes polyphenylalanine was made with [12C]Phe-tRNA. We have defined that those [14C]phenylalanine which are bound to site 2 will end up in the NH2-terminal and those that are bound to site 1 will end up in the position next to the NH2-terminal position of polyphenylalanine. These two sites have often been called the donor site and the acceptor site. When aminoacyl tRNA or peptidyl tRNA is bound to the donor site it can donate its amino acid or peptide to puromycin forming aminoacyl puromycin, or peptidyl puromycin. The acceptor site is the site where ribosome accepts aminoacyl tRNA during polypeptide synthesis. In an attempt to correlate our sites 1 and 2 with acceptor and donor sites, the effects of magnesium ions and tetracycline on these sites were studied. In low Mg++, the donor site, as well as site 2 were occupied. Tetracycline (0.5 mM) preferentially inhibited the binding of phenylalanyl tRNA to site 1 as well as to the acceptor site. From these studies we have concluded that site 1 is the acceptor site and site 2 is the donor site.
The criminological potential of pure sociology

The pure sociology perspective invented by Donald Black, a general theoretical framework for the prediction and explanation of social reality, has considerable potential for the scientific understanding of criminal behavior. Several scholars have profitably drawn upon Black’s proposal that a significant amount of crime is a form of disputing or social control, especially to explain violent conflict. However, pure sociology has not yet been extended and applied to criminal behavior more broadly. A pure sociology of predatory behavior, for instance, would address the location and direction in social space of predators, prey, and third parties. In expanding criminological thought, however, pure sociology also challenges it. Pure sociology explanations are not restricted by time or place, a feature not easily realized with a concept so closely tied to a relatively recent social invention: the state. Additionally, the supra-psychological, -anthropocentric, and -teleological nature of pure sociology generates explanations of behavior that are at odds with many of the assumptions of traditional criminology. Ultimately, then, pure sociology yields a new paradigm for the explanation of behavior the state defines as criminal.
Bispecific antibodies directed to CD4 domain 2 and HIV envelope exhibit exceptional breadth and picomolar potency against HIV-1

In the absence of an effective HIV-1 vaccine, passive immunization using broadly neutralizing Abs or Ab-like molecules could provide an alternative to the daily administration of oral antiretroviral agents that has recently shown promise as preexposure prophylaxis. Currently, no single broadly neutralizing Ab (bNAb) or combination of bNAbs neutralizes all HIV-1 strains at practically achievable concentrations in vivo. To address this problem, we created bispecific Abs that combine the HIV-1 inhibitory activity of ibalizumab (iMab), a humanized mAb directed to domain 2 of human CD4, with that of anti-gp120 bNAbs. These bispecific bNAbs (BibNAbs) exploit iMab’s potent anti–HIV-1 activity and demonstrated clinical efficacy and safety to anchor and thereby concentrate a second broadly neutralizing agent at the site of viral entry. Two BibNabs, PG9-iMab and PG16-iMab, exhibit exceptional breadth and potency, neutralizing 100% of the 118 viruses tested at low picomolar concentrations, including viruses resistant to both parental mAbs. The enhanced potency of these BibNAbs was entirely dependent on CD4 anchoring, not on membrane anchoring per se, and required optimal Ab geometry and linker length. We propose that iMab-based BibNAbs, such as PG9-iMab and PG16-iMab, are promising candidates for passive immunization to prevent HIV-1 infection.
Plumb Poisoning in Pediatrics Patients

Objective: To describe the morbi-mortality in pediatric patients intoxicated with plumb and to demonstrate that children are at higher risk in our city, which is associated to the proliferation of clandestine batteries smelting.
Natural and experimental alteration of thyroid function in domestic animals.

IN MAN the recognition, prevention and treatment of a wide variety of thyroid disorders is generally a problem of physical and mental well being. In the domestic animals, particularly the farm mammals, the role of the thyroid gland in efficient livestock production can be evaluated on an economic as well as a physical basis. It is clearly recognized that the thyroid is of importance not only in the regulation of general body metabolism, but in the survival of the newborn, metamorphosis and growth, reproduction, lactation, egg production and the adaptability of species, breeds, strains and lines to specific environmental conditions. On the basis of current researches one may hypothesize that the rapid and efficient growth of a particular hybrid chicken may be the result of mild inherent hyperthyroidism or that the failure of a cow to produce large quantities of milk may be the result of inherent hypothyroidism. As a result of the many techniques now available for the experimental production and maintenance...
Rapid-scan pulse voltammetry.

Abstract In pulse voltammetry slow scan-rates (1–5 mV/sec) are generally used, so long scan-times are needed to cover reasonable potential ranges. Data are presented to show that fast pulse voltammetry with stationary electrodes and the dropping mercury electrode can provide useful analytical data which fit the theory of conventional pulse voltammetry. The possibility of reducing the capacitive currents and increasing the apparent faradaic current in cyclic pulse voltammetry is also shown.
Conduction Band Minima in AlAs and AlSb

The photoresponse of surface barrier rectifiers made by evaporating a metal such as gold or platinum on a cleaved surface of AlAs and AlSb has been measured in the front wall configuration. The photoresponse of such units for hv > E_g, where E_g is the energy gap, will be proportional to the absorption coefficient as long as the optical attenuation length is large compared to both the width of the space-charge region and the minority carrier diffusion length. The analysis is essentially the same as that for p-n junctions with the exception that the barrier is at the surface and hence more sensitive to photons of high absorption coefficient. Photoinjection of carriers from the metal into the semiconductor for photon energies where hv < E_g can also be observed.
Equalizer: Dynamic Tuning of GPU Resources for Efficient Execution

GPUs use thousands of threads to provide high performance and efficiency. In general, if one thread of a kernel uses one of the resources (compute, bandwidth, data cache) more heavily, there will be significant contention for that resource due to the large number of identical concurrent threads. This contention will eventually saturate the performance of the kernel due to contention for the bottleneck resource, while at the same time leaving other resources underutilized. To overcome this problem, a runtime system that can tune the hardware to match the characteristics of a kernel can effectively mitigate the imbalance between resource requirements of kernels and the hardware resources present on the GPU. We propose Equalizer, a low overhead hardware runtime system, that dynamically monitors the resource requirements of a kernel and manages the amount of on-chip concurrency, core frequency and memory frequency to adapt the hardware to best match the needs of the running kernel. Equalizer provides efficiency in two modes. Firstly, it can save energy without significant performance degradation by GPUs use thousands of threads to provide high performance and efficiency. In general, if one thread of a kernel uses one of the resources (compute, bandwidth, data cache) more heavily, there will be significant contention for that resource due to the large number of identical concurrent threads. This contention will eventually saturate the performance of the kernel due to contention for the bottleneck resource, while at the same time leaving other resources underutilized. To overcome this problem, a runtime system that can tune the hardware to match the characteristics of a kernel can effectively mitigate the imbalance between resource requirements of kernels and the hardware resources present on the GPU. We propose Equalizer, a low overhead hardware runtime system, that dynamically monitors the resource requirements of a kernel and manages the amount of on-chip concurrency, core frequency and memory frequency to adapt the hardware to best match the needs of the running kernel. Equalizer provides efficiency in two modes. Firstly, it can save energy without significant performance degradation by throttling under-utilized resources. Secondly, it can boost bottleneck resources to reduce contention and provide higher performance without significant energy increase. Across a spectrum of 27 kernels, Equalizer achieves 15% savings in energy mode and 22% speedup in performance mode. Throttling under-utilized resources. Secondly, it can boost bottleneck resources to reduce contention and provide higher performance without significant energy increase. Across a spectrum of 27 kernels, Equalizer achieves 15% savings in energy mode and 22% speedup in performance mode.
Creating a Forum on the Contribution of Architectural Engineering Education to the Profession

Architectural engineers in practice receive their formal education from a wide variety of sources, including the academic institution they attended. An academic education program does not have to have ‘‘architectural engineering’’ ~AE! in the title in order to contribute to the profession or to train students to be productive in the industry. The membership of the AE profession is made up of individuals from a wide variety of experience, practice, and educational backgrounds, not just the faculty and graduates of the AE schools. With only 14 ABET-accredited AE schools ~several additional AE programs are in various stages of development!, it is clear that a large number of those practicing in the AE field are not graduates of educational departments with the words Architectural Engineering in their names. In the past, this journal has published large numbers of papers from authors who neither graduated from nor worked at one of the AE schools. Many technical and academic papers from various architecture and engineering programs concentrating in some aspect of building design, construction, and operation have also been published in the pages of the Journal of Architectural Engineering ~JAE!. Promoting an AE-based education is one part of the mission of the Architectural Engineering Institute ~AEI! of ASCE. This not only encompasses various forms of outreach and continuing education efforts, but also includes the role of supporting and coordinating the voice of the ABET AE programs. This activity within AEI is centered on the Academic Council, which is composed of the Chairs and Department Heads of the AE programs within the United States. As of the date of this writing, there are 14 ABETaccredited programs in the U.S., with several others established, offering classes, or in the planning and proposal stages. While this is still a small amount compared with, for instance, the total number of traditional civil engineering schools, it is significant to note that from the mid-1980s until fairly recently, the number of ABET AE schools held constant at 13. This recent increase in AE program development is also matched by an increased interest in building design and construction by the more traditional civil, mechanical, electrical, and related engineering programs in this country. As the industry expands and buildings become more complex, the need for graduates from all sources with specific expertise in AE-related disciplines will continue to grow. The AE-related academic programs should continue to take the lead in defining the
Comparison of Common Solvent Evaporation Techniques in Organic Analysis

Abstract Isolation of organic constituents from water frequently involves an extraction with a large volume of organic solvent which must be reduced to achieve the desired sensitivity. The objective of this research was to evaluate common solvent evaporation techniques to determine which are acceptable for use in pollutant analysis. Techniques for solvent reduction from 200 to 10 mL (macro) and 8 to 0.2 mL (micro) were evaluated. The macro concentration technques included Kuderna-Danish (K-D) concentration, rotary evaporation, evaporation on a hot plate in an Erlen-meyer flask, and heated nitrogen blowdown in an Erlenmeyer flask. The micro techniques included micro K-D concentration, nitrogen blowdown, and nitrogen blowdown with a modified Snyder column. A series of model compounds covering a wide range of boiling points (108° to 323°C) and polarity was used. Based upon recovery efficiency alone, nitrogen blowdown was significantly superior to the other macro techniques; however, its extreme slowness gave...
Human Growth Hormone Radioreceptor Assay using Cultured Human Lymphocytes

RADIOMMUNOASSAY has been widely applied to the measurement of circulating growth hormone. Although sensitive and precise methods for measuring immunoreactive growth hormone in plasma are available, there have been no methods for quantitatively measuring the biological activity of growth hormone. Hormone receptor interactions have been studied extensively (refs. 1 and 2 and further refs. in ref. 1) and precise sensitive methods have been developed for measuring the concentration of polypeptide hormones based on their interaction with a biological tissue3,4. These biological methods not only have the precision and frequently the sensitivity of the radioimmunoassay but in addition they have biological specificity.
Elephantiasis: a disease of development in north east Ghana.

Abstract A reconnaissance survey for the presence of lymphatic filariasis is made in 41 chiefdoms of north east Ghana. Four disease levels are identified culminating in hyperendemic disease foci associated with two Government-introduced rice irrigation projects. Attention is also drawn to the disease effects of small village dams. Multiple concurrent infections are noted. Within the most stricken irrigation villages, aspects of concealment, stigma and marriage are considered. Failure to control lymphatic filariasis has led to hospital avoidance and neglect of the disease jointly by patients, physicians and nurses. Culpability rests with the irrigation authority and Government health services. An outline is given of possible measures for disease control. A multisectoral policy of ‘prevention before development’ is strongly advocated.
Regulation of B family DNA polymerase fidelity by a conserved active site residue: characterization of M644W, M644L and M644F mutants of yeast DNA polymerase ε

Regulation of B family DNA polymerase fidelity by a conserved active site residue : characterization of M644W, M644L and M644F mutants of yeast DNA polymerase epsilon.
Renal artery stenosis and hypertension after abdominal irradiation for hodgkin disease Successful treatment with nephrectomy

Hypertension secondary to stenosis of the left renal artery developed in a thirteen-year-old male six years after completion of inverted Y irradiation (3,600 rad) for abdominal Hodgkin disease. Surgical treatment with nephrectomy resulted in control of the hypertension without the use of antihypertensive agents. We review the literature for this unusual complication of abdominal irradiation, and recommend that a 99mTc-DMSA renal scan, selective renal vein sampling for renin determinations, and renal arteriography be performed on any patient in whom hypertension develops following abdominal irradiation in childhood.
18 New Form of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

A new form of adrenal hyperplasia in a 12-year-old boy is being described. The unique features are: 1. classical signs of primary hyperaldosteronism, i.e. mild hypertension, hypokalemic alkalosis, low plasma renin, hypervolemia and fixed hyperaldosteronism unaffected by sodium restriction or excess; 2. low normal plasma levels of cortisol, corticosterone but elevated plasma aldosterone; 3. elevated plasma ACTH; 4. low normal urinary free cortisol, 17OH, 17KS, pregnanetriols which respond poorly to ACTH; 5. normal rise of plasma testosterone to chorionic gonadotrophin; 6. marked decrease of aldosterone production and marked fall in elevated blood pressure following treatment with glucocorticoids; 7. after 6 months of prednisone therapy blood pressure and aldosterone response to restriction and administration of sodium remain normal. Turnover rates of corticosterone (B), desoxycorticosterone (DOC), cortisol (F), and desoxycortisol (S) studied under conditions of: sodium restriction and excess; ACTH stimulation; Metyrapone inhibition and Decadron suppression in 2 normotensive siblings and father reveal that only the patient demonstrates deficiency in cortisol secretion but the hypertensive mother has an abnormal aldosterone regulation. On the basis of steroidal data obtained, a partial 17-hydroxylase defect in the adrenal and not the gonad appears to explain the syndrome best. This form of hypertension is noteworthy because it is alleviated by medical treatment and may be misdiagnosed as primary hyperaldosteronism.
Performance comparison of wide bandgap semiconductor rf power devices

Impressive radio frequency power performance has been demonstrated by three radically different wide bandgap semiconductor power devices, SiC metal semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs), SiC static induction transistors (SITs), and AlGaN heterojunction field effect transistors (HFETs). AlGaN HFETs have achieved the highest fmax of 97 GHz. 4H-SiC MESFETs have achieved the highest power densities, 3.3 W/mm at 850 MHz (CW) and at 10 GHz (pulsed). 4H-SiC SITs have achieved the highest output power, 450 W (pulsed) at 600 MHz and 38 W (pulsed) at 3 GHz. Moreover, a one kilowatt, 600 MHz SiC power module containing four multi-cell SITs with a total source periphery of 94.5 cm has been demonstrated.
Morphological studies of poly(olefin sulfones) by light scattering

Poly(olefin sulfones) are readily degraded by an electron beam and thus could be used as electron beam resists. However, films greater than 3000 A thick crack during formation and especially during solvent development following exposure to an electron beam. As crystallinity accentuates cracking owing to swelling stresses at the crystalline–amorphous interface, the morphology of various poly(olefin sulfones) was studies by light scattering. Materials investigated were solvent-cast and hot-pressed films of poly(butene-1 sulfone) (PBS), poly(cyclopentene sulfone) (PCPS), poly(bicycloheptene sulfone) (PBCHS), and two terpolymers of poly(cyclopentene sulfone–co–butene-1 sulfone), in which the molar ratios of cyclopentene to butene-1 were 50/50 (TP1) and 70/30 (TP2). All hot-pressed samples showed scattering patterns characteristic of randomly oriented rod-like superstructures 8–10 μm in length. Among the solvent-cast films, however, only PBS and TP2 samples scattered light indicative of crystallinity. Scattering from these samples were analyzed in terms of “random orientation fluctuation” light scattering theory. Correlation distances of 1.7 and 1.5 μm for the PBS and TP2, respectively, were obtained. The solvent-cast crystalline films (PBS and TP2) had a tendency to crack during dissolution as did the amorphous films of PCPS and PBCHS, indicating that cracking depends on the glass temperature as well as crystallinity. Only the amorphous terpolymer TP1 did not crack, presumably owing to its relatively low glass temperature effected by the butene-1 moiety.
SUICIDAL INTENT AND RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIORS IN ADOLESCENTS. • 3

Objective: We hypothesized that adolescents who report suicidal intent are more likely to report risky sexual behaviors than those without suicidal intent.
Positivity preserving pointwise implicit schemes with application to turbulent compressible flat plate flow

A family of positivity preserving pointwise implicit schemes applicable to source term dominated problems is constructed, where the minimum order of spatial accuracy is one and the maximum is three. It is designed for achieving steady state numerical solutions and is constructed through the analysis of appropriate model problems, where the convective fluxes for the higher-order members are prescribed by the Chakravarthy–Osher family of total variation diminishing (TVD) schemes. Multidimensionality is facilitated by operator splitting. Numerical experimentation confirms the stability, convergence, accuracy, positivity, and computational efficiency associated with the proposed schemes. These schemes are ideally suited to solving the low-Reynolds number turbulent k–ϵ equations for which the positivity of k and ϵ and the presence of stiff source terms are critical issues. Hence, using a finite volume formulation of these schemes, the low-Reynolds number Chien k–ϵ turbulence model is implemented for a flat plate geometry and a series of turbulent flow (steady state) computations are carried out to demonstrate the positivity, robustness, and reliability of the algorithm. The free-stream and initial k and ϵ values are specified in a very simple manner. Algorithm convergence acceleration is achieved using Multigrid techniques. The k–ϵ model flow predictions are shown to be in agreement with empirical profiles. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PHYLOGENETIC ORIGINS OF ANTIBODY STRUCTURE III. ANTIBODIES IN THE PRIMARY IMMUNE RESPONSE OF THE SEA LAMPREY, PETROMYZON MARINUS

The sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, has been found to produce specific antibodies after immunization with bacteriophage f2. Antibody activity is localized in 6.6S and 14S fractions of lamprey serum. The 6.6S antibodies were purified by a combination of zone electrophoresis, ion exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. Antigenic analysis of the 6.6S antibodies showed them to be free of other serum proteins and antigenically similar or identical to the 14S fraction. Evidence has been obtained which suggests that the 6.6S immunoglobulins consist of light components (molecular weight 25,000) and heavy components (molecular weight 70,000). In the immunoglobulin, these polypeptides appear to be linked via weak interactions but not by interchain disulfide bonds. Molecular weight analyses support the view that the chains can undergo concentration-dependent dissociation in aqueous solutions. Amino acid analyses showed that the compositions of the light and heavy components were similar and that aspartic acid or asparagine was the predominant amino terminal residue. Starch gel electrophoresis indicated that the subunits of lamprey antibodies are diffusely heterogeneous. The heavy chain mobility corresponded to that of µ-chains and resembled that of heavy chains of shark and sting ray immunoglobulins. In the course of the fractionation a 46S natural hemagglutinin composed of lower molecular weight subunits was isolated. This hemagglutinin did not resemble the lamprey immunoglobulin although it had a similar zone electrophoretic mobility in the β-region. These studies are consistent with the hypothesis that µ-chains were the earliest of the heavy chain classes to emerge and further support the view that the multichain structure of immunoglobulins is a fundamental feature of antibody molecules.
Synthetic polyhydroxypolyamides from galactaric, xylaric, D‐glucaric, and D‐mannaric acids and alkylenediamine monomers—some comparisons

The condensation polymerization in a methanol solution of four different esterified aldaric acids (D-glucaric, meso-xylaric, meso-galactaric, and D-mannaric) with even-numbered alkylenediamines (C2–C12) gave polyhydroxypolyamides whose water solubilities and melting points were compared. In general, an increase in the alkylenediamine monomer length resulted in decreased polyamide water solubility. Differences in the polymer melting points and water solubilities were linked primarily to conformational differences of the monomer aldaryl units; for example, polyamides from meso-galactaric acid with an extended zigzag conformation aldaryl monomer unit had higher melting points and lower water solubilities than those from D-glucaric and meso-xylaric acids. The latter acid monomer units tended toward bent conformations that served to diminish intermolecular attractive forces between polymer chains, affecting polymer solubility and melting characteristics. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 594–603, 2000
Permaleic Acid: Baeyer–Villiger Oxidation of Cyclododecanone

A simple procedure for the preparation of 12-dodecanolide from cyclododecanone is available.
Development of a cascaded controller for temperature and core growth rate in vapour-phase axial deposition

AbstractA cascaded feedback control strategy for an industrial vapour-phase axial deposition (VAD) process is investigated in this paper. VAD is a widely used process in the creation of high-purity glass for optical fibre. In previous work a soot tip surface temperature controller was developed for the VAD process to reduce the effects of core soot temperature variation on deposition geometry, leading to a more stable process. However, it is desired to regulate both the core soot and clad soot such that they deposit at the same axial rate to provide a more uniform product. This paper presents the development of a cascaded controller strategy and process model to couple and regulate the surface temperature and deposition rates of core and clad soot. Simulation studies demonstrate a potential improvement in the uniformity of the core and clad soot geometry over the soot product length.
The climatology of parameterized physical processes in the GEOS-1 GCM and their impact on the GEOS-1 data assimilation system

Abstract The Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) General Circulation Model (GCM) is part of the GEOS Data Assimilation System (DAS), which is being developed at the Goddard Data Assimilation Office for the production of climate datasets. This study examines Version 1 of the GEOS CYCM by evaluating the quality of the fields that relate most closely to the GCM physical parameterizations and examines the impact of the GCM climate errors on the climate of the DAS assimilated fields. The climate characteristics are evaluated using independent satellite and ground-based data for comparison. The GEOS-1 GCM shows reasonably good agreement with available observations in terms of general global distribution and seasonal cycles. The major biases or systematic errors are a tendency toward a dry tropical atmosphere and an inadequate cloud radiative impact in the extratropics. Other systematic errors are a generally wet subtropical atmosphere, slightly excess precipitation over the continents, and excess cloud radiat...
A better currency for investing in a sustainable future

Net energy analysis should be a critical energy policy tool. We identify five critical themes for realizing a low-carbon, sustainable energy future and highlight the key perspective that net energy analysis provides.
Doxycycline Pleurodesis in Rabbits : Comparison of Results With and Without Chest Tube

We have reported previously that there is a high incidence of hemothorax and substantial mortality in rabbits that are given tetracycline derivatives intrapleurally. However, such complications have not been reported in humans when pleurodesis is attempted with tetracycline derivatives. One primary difference in the two situations is that a chest tube is placed only in humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that chest tube placement would prevent the development of hemothoraces and lead to better pleurodesis in rabbits given doxycycline intrapleurally. Eighty New Zealand White male rabbits received doxycycline, 20 mg/kg, in a total volume of 2 mL. One half of the rabbits were randomized to receive a chest tube at the time of the injection and were subjected to pleural fluid aspiration twice daily. The remaining rabbits (control group) received no chest tube and no aspiration. Ten rabbits from each group were killed on days 4, 7, 14, and 28. The intrapleural injection of doxycycline induced the production of large exudative effusions. The insertion of chest tubes prevented the development of hemothorax (0/20 in chest tube group, 15/20 in control group, p
Artifacts associated with the chemical leaching of sediments for rare-earth elements☆☆☆

Using radioactive Eu as a tracer for rare-earth elements (REE), simple experiments were carried out to determine if an re-adsorption artifact occurs during the chemical leaching of marine sediments. Fourteen commonly used chemical leaching solutions were used with and without (controls) the presence of Buzzards Bay (Massachusetts, U.S.A.) sediment. All controls show 100% recovery of soluble 152Eu, indicating no adsorption or precipitation during handling. In contrast, almost all chemical leaching solutions show poor recoveries even at low (2–4) pH. Even for HCl and HNO3, recoveries ranged from 25% to 85% at ≤ 0.2 M. Hydroxylamine hydrochloride in acetic acid, for example, shows only 33% and 57% recoveries for 0.02 M and 0.04 M concentrations, respectively. The results show that large-scale re-adsorption of REE onto sediments occurs even at low pH associated with mineral acids, organic chelators and reductive solutions. Given their large hydrolysis constants, a case is made that one would expect that REE, like Pb and Th, to exhibit significant re-adsorption onto sediments following their dissolution from specific phases. This result reinforces concerns in the literature that chemical leaching techniques have major artifacts associated with non-selectivity and re-adsorption of trace metals. Interpretations of REE diagenesis and authigenesis, based on chemical leaching data, should be viewed with caution.
A psychoepidemiologic approach to the study of disaster

Several researchers have called for an interdisciplinary approach to the study of disaster. In this article, the authors discuss conceptual issues related to stress, distress, and disaster; survey pertinent contributions by reseachers; and provide a rationale for the use of a comprehensive, psychoepidemiologic model of distress as a possible means of systematizing research in the area. A review of the model's components, which include exposure to stressors, vulnerability, and psychological and social resources, is presented. Various ways to implement the model practically and methodologically in disaster research also are discussed.