cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomized Pilot Study Comparing Rates of Endocervical Cell Recovery between Conventional Pap Smears and Liquid-Based Cytology in a Pregnant Population.

OBJECTIVE.: To determine whether liquid-based cytology improves Pap smear adequacy, as defined by the presence of endocervical cells, compared with conventional cytology during pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS.: A randomized pilot study was conducted between May 2001 and May 2002. Patients presenting for their first prenatal visit were randomized to receive either a conventional Pap smear or a liquid-based smear (ThinPrep). Rates of endocervical cell recovery and cytologic results were compared between the groups. RESULTS.: Eighty-one patients were enrolled in the study. There were no differences between the groups in age (p = .40), parity (p = .62), gestational age (p = .14), history of abnormal pap (p = .08), previous treatment of neoplasia (p = 1.00), and tobacco use (p = .67). Adequacy of the standard pap versus the liquid-based smear was not different between the two groups (90.5% vs 82.1%, respectively;p = .34). CONCLUSIONS.: The results of this pilot study show that rates of endocervical cell recovery in a pregnant population are not statistically different using conventional or liquid-based cytology. Further research is indicated to assess the utility of the more expensive ThinPrep technology in this population.
Tolerogenic APC suppress both Th1 and Th2 types of immune response-mediated pathogenesis in disease models

Abstract Rationale TGFβ2-treated antigen-pulsed (tolerogenic) antigen presenting cells (APC) generate T regulatory (Tr) cells that mediate tolerance. The mechanisms of tolerogenic APC to suppress immune mediated pathology in the lung were explored. Methods Tolerogenic APC (5×10 5 /mouse) were transferred (retro orbital) into pre-sensitized mice in either OVA-induced mouse asthma model (a Th2-mediated disease model) or Hapten Immune Pulmonary Interstitial Fibrosis (HIPIF) model (a Th1-mediated autoimmune fibrosis model). Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was measured after methacholine (200 mg/ml) challenge using whole body Plethysmography, and mucus production in the airway was visualized by Periodic acid-Schiff staining. Fibrosis was detected by Masson's Trichrome staining specific for collagen and hydroxyproline assay. The effect of Tr cells was detected after they were transferred into another set of pre-sensitized mice in the HIPIF model. Results In OVA-asthma model, tolerogenic APC treatment reduced AHR, mucus production, and cytokine (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, but not IFNγ) production in the asthma mice. In HIPIF model, tolerogenic APC blocked the development of immune mediated fibrosis in the HIPIF lung. Enriched splenic CD8 + T cells from the tolerogenic APC-treated HIPIF mice suppressed the development of immune-mediated fibrosis in the second set of HIPIF mice. Conclusion Adoptively transferred tolerogenic APC block Th2-mediated pathogenesis in the OVA-asthma model and Th1-mediated autoimmune response in the HIPIF model. The suppression of the immune response in the lung of pre-sensitized mice by transferring tolerogenic APC is mediated through the generation of CD8 + Tr cells. Mechanisms of tolerance by tolerogenic APC may lead to potential therapy for immune mediated diseases.
Sexual diversity among black men who have sex with men in an inner-city community

Dramatic increases in HIV-incidence rates have been documented for Black men who have sex with men (MSM). Moreover, MSM has become a more visible HIV-transmission route in the Black community, in part due to public interest in the “down low” (i.e., “straight” men who also have sex with men). Interviews were conducted with 21 Black MSM in central Brooklyn, New York City, in efforts to understand the diversity of MSM experience in a low income, high HIV-prevalence community. Two thirds of the men identified as either heterosexual (43%) or bisexual (24%) and 15 (71%) MSM reported recent sex with women. Conformity to masculine social role expectations made it difficult to identify sex partners in the community; therefore, men relied on private sex clubs and the Internet. The findings suggest that stigma surrounding both HIV and homosexuality may effectively insure that nonheterosexual preferences and practices remain hidden in the Black community. A focus on sexual orientation and bisexuality has obscured the issue of race in the HIV/AIDS epidemic among Black MSM. In the long term, public health promotion and HIV prevention will require greater tolerance and acceptance of sexual diversity in the Black community.
Radiology–Pathology Conference: Colonic schwannoma

We report the radiology and pathology findings on a patient with colonic schwannoma, and review the literature on this very rare tumor.
Eye movements as reflections of perceptual and cognitive processes (abstract only)

Some historical issues regarding the use of eye movements to study cognitive processes will initially be discussed. The development of eye contingent display change experiments will be reviewed and examples will be presented regarding how the development of the technique provided answers to interesting questions. For the most part, examples will be taken from the psychology of reading, but other tasks will also be discussed. More recently, sophisticated models of eye movement control in the context of reading have been developed, and these models will be discussed. Some thoughts on future directions of eye movement research will also be presented.
Relative Resistance of Hollow, Septate Internodes to Twisting and Bending

The aim of this paper was to examine the mechanical behaviour of hollow internodes with transverse nodal septa subjected to bending and twisting and to determine the extent to which this behaviour agreed with predictions made by the theory of elastic stability treating thin walled tubes or ‘shells’. This theory determined the experimental protocol used in this study because it required the empirical determination of two important material properties of stem tissues (i.e. the Young's elastic modulus,E, and the critical shear stress, τ) and required the use of a dimensionless grouping of variables as a descriptor of internodal shape (i.e.l2/2tR, wherelis internodal length,tis wall thickness, andRis external radius). All of these variables were measured for a total of 92 internodes (removed from the stems of field grown plants from a total of six species) followed by correlation analyses to determine whether the ability of internodes to resist twisting relative to bending (summarized by the quotient τ/E) correlated with the shape descriptorl2/2tR. Analyses of the data indicated that: (1) the extent to which nodal septa influenced internodal bending stiffness declined as internodal length increased relative to wall thickness or external radius; and (2) the ability to resist torsion relative to the ability to resist bending declined as internodal length increased relative to wall thickness or external radius. Both of these trends agreed well with the theory of elastic stability. Also, as theory predicts, the mechanical behaviour of internodes was correlated better with the shape descriptorl2/2tRthan with any measure of absolute internodal size (e.g.lort). Thus, internodal shape (in part defined by the spacing of nodal septa which influencesl) largely dictates the mechanical behaviour of stems subjected to twisting or bending.
Effects of atom energy on metal-on-metal film nucleation and growth

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations of the deposition of f.c.c. metal films on f.c.c. metal substrates have been conducted using embeddedatom potentials. The energies of atoms arriving at the substrate were varied over the range 0.1–40 eV. Substrate-film atom combinations have been chosen to investigate the relationship of relative atomic sizes, atomic masses, and heats of mixing with the effects of atom arrival energy. The results were also compared with experimental data in the literature regarding the epitaxy of f.c.c. metal films on Ag and Cu substrates. In the simulations, the deposition of Pd, Ag, Pt, and Au was studied on Cu substrates, and deposition of Ni, Cu and Ag was examined on Ag substrates. As had been noted previously for simulations of Ag deposition on Ag substrates, atom arrival energies of 10 eV and greater resulted in some film-substrate interface mixing. The present results demonstrated that this interface mixing effect could also be strongly influenced by the chemical thermodynamics of the system. For 10 eV depositions of 4 monolayers on Cu(100) substrates, 1 Ag atom (0.005 ML), 4 Au atoms (0.02 ML), and 30 Pt atoms (0.15 ML) were found mixed into the top substrate layer. Both experimental measurements and calculations using the potentials employed in this study show that, for mixing into a Cu host, the heat of solution is positive for Ag, slightly negative for Au, and significantly negative for Pt (3 times the magnitude for Au). In the investigation of heteroepitaxy, Ni and Cu deposited on Ag(100) substrates grew as (100)-oriented films, with their lattice parameters expanded in the plane of the substrate. For oversize atoms deposited on Cu(100) substrates, it was found that increasing misfit was accommodated by shear along close-packed directions in the plane of the substrate surface, producing stacking faults in the growing film. At sufficiently high misfit, these shear lines merge, producing a (111)-oriented film. It is proposed that the experimental observation that Pd grows on Cu(100) with a (100) orientation while Pt grows on the same substrate with a (111) orientation results from the higher initial density of these faults, which makes it more energetically favorable for dislocations to shear the entire film to the (111) orientation as the thickness increases.
THEOLOGY, DECONSTRUCTION, AND RITUAL PROCESS

Abstract. Victor Turner's comparative symbology provides a description of liminality, marginality, and liminoid genres that can be usefully applied to positioning theology in a theory of practice, determining its social location, and assessing its future meaning. This paper argues not only that theological marginality is a result of the secularization of culture but also that the breach with theology's pubiics reflects a more significant internal breach that is essential to theology as a liminoid form of public reflexivity. The paper draws from deconstructionist philosophy and defines the interpretive task of theology as a deconstructionist hermeneutic.
Sleep and growth hormone secretion in women athletes

Six women athletes underwent 24 h multiple sampling studies with electroencephalographic monitoring of sleep for the assessment of growth hormone secretion and sleep pattern. The athletes tended to have more stage 4 sleep, less REM activity and a similar REM density compared to 5 normal women. The nocturnal secretion of growth hormone was elevated in the first hour following sleep onset in the athletes but was otherwise not statistically different from that of the controls. As all but one of the women athletes had exercise-related menstrual irregularities, the findings reported may be associated with exercise amenorrhea.
Three-dimensional imaging laser radar with a photon-counting avalanche photodiode array and microchip laser

We have developed a threedimensional imaging laser radar featuring 3-cm range resolution and single-photon sensitivity. This prototype direct-detection laser radar employs compact, all-solid-state technology for the laser and detector array. The source is a Nd:YAG microchip laser that is diode pumped, passively Q-switched, and frequency doubled. The detector is a gated, passively quenched, two-dimensional array of silicon avalanche photodiodes operating in Geigermode. After describing the system in detail, we present a three-dimensional image, derive performance characteristics, and discuss our plans for future imaging three-dimensional laser radars.
Preparation of deuterium‐labeled nucleosides by platinum‐catalyzed exchange and reduction

Selective incorporation of deuterium by platinum-catalyzed exchange for six ribonucleosides and two 2′-deoxyribonucleosides has been studied as a function of catalyst/substrate ratio, temperature, time and concentration. In addition to exchange of carbon-bound hydrogens in purines, pyrimidines and pyrrolo[2,3-d]-pyrimidines, reactions involving D2-saturated D2O as solvent were used to effect extensive exchange of ribose hydrogens, principally at C-2′. Reduction-exchange of uridine was used to prepare 5,6-dihydrouridine-5,5,6,6,-d4, and 4-amino-5,6-dihydro-7-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)pyrrolo[2,3-d] pyrimidine-2,5,5,6,6-d5 from tubercidin. Sites and extent of deuteration were determined by mass spectrometry and proton magnetic resonance.
EINSTEIN ET « ZWEISTEIN »

Comme le suggere le sobriquet «Zweistein», Wolfgang Pauli fut considere par la communaute des theoriciens de la physique comme son membre le plus eminent apres Albert Einstein. Durant plus de trente-cinq ans, les deux hommes entretinrent des relations intellectuelles et personnelles. Cet article analyse les relations entre quatre themes recurrents de leurs discussions. 1) La theorie de la relativite: a l'âge de 20 ans, Pauli preparait un manuel qui fera autorite sur la relativite, manuel qu'il, revisera vers la fin de sa vie et qui demeure incomparable aux yeux des physiciens et des historiens de la physique. 2) La theorie du champ unifie: meme s'il eprouvait de la sympathie, a l'origine, pour les recherches d'Einstein en vue d'une unification des theories de l'electromagnetisme et de la gravitation a laquelle il apporta plusieurs contributions majeures, Pauli en vint a considerer, une telle entreprise comme sterile. 3) Les fondements de la mecanique quantique: le jugement negatif porte par Pauli sur le programme de recherche, d'Einstein s'accentua en raison de leur profond desaccord sur le role que la mecanique quantique etait appelee a jouer dans les developpements futurs de la physique theorique. 4) La gravitation quantique: Pauli reconnaissait toutefois que, tant qu'une reconciliation fructueuse de la mecanique quantique et de la relativite generale ne serait pas accompli — reconciliation qui nous echappe toujours —, les scientifiques ne pourraient ignorer le defi qu'Einstein adressait a la mecanique quantique.
Developing special library services in Fiji

Fiji is an island nation in the South Pacific, which whilst enjoying swaying palms, coral seas and a relaxed life style, also experiences many of the problems of Third World developing countries.
INTERNATIONAL LENDING AND THE SAMARITAN'S DILEMMA

We analyze how the altruism of an International Financial Institution (IFI) towards its Low-Income member Countries (LICs) alters the effectiveness of its loans. We study IFI loans to a credit-constrained LIC. The IFI's repayment policy is determined by the interplay of its concerns for the welfare of the loan recipient and its fiduciary responsibilities to creditor countries. If the IFI is unable to commit to either the size of future loans or the repayment terms on past loans, conditional loans are superior to unconditional loans. Thus, IFI altruism and the inability to commit are sufficient reasons to equip loans with conditions. Conditional loans produce an efficient allocation of resources, so altruism is not a fundamental reason that loans fail to increase welfare.
A review of the migration of food-contact organotin stabilizers from poly(vinyl chloride)

Abstract The migration of di-n-octyltin-bis(2-ethylhexyl thioglycolate) and di-n-octlytin maleate polymer, two organotin heat-stabilizers approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) used in food packaging, from PVC into foods and food simulants, is reviewed. The effects of other additives to PVC on organotin migration are considered. Methods of detecting organotins in foods and simulants are discussed. Two areas for further inquiry emerge from the review: (1) whether the intact organotin stabilizers or their degradation products migrate into simulating solvents; and (2) whether the bulk polymer or its surface is the more likely source of the stabilizer available for extraction. A bibliography of recent references is given.
Acute hypertriglyceridemia is associated with peripheral vasodilation and increased basal flow in healthy young adults.

Prior studies suggest that acute elevations in plasma triglycerides alter vascular tone and impair endothelial function. To investigate the relation between acute hypertriglyceridemia and vascular function, we examined the effects of high- and low-fat meals on brachial artery reactivity in 14 healthy volunteers. Flow-mediated dilation declined from 14.7 ± 8.3% to 10.6 ± 6.2% after the high-fat meal only (p <0.001), and this decline was associated with a 6% increase in baseline brachial artery diameter (3.50 ± 0.74 mm to 3.70 ± 0.81 mm, p <0.001), but not a decrease in the arterial diameter during hyperemia. The high-fat meal increased serum triglycerides and insulin by 94% and 438%, respectively. To investigate the effects of triglyceride elevation in isolation from hyperinsulinemia, we examined vascular responses to an intravenous infusion of a triglyceride emulsion in 28 subjects. Triglyceride emulsion increased serum triglycerides 197% but had no effect on serum insulin. Brachial artery diameter increased 4%, from 3.68 ± 0.51 mm to 3.81 ± 0.56 mm (p <0.05), and forearm flow increased 36%, reflecting vasodilation of forearm resistance vessels. Flow-mediated dilation and nitroglycerin-mediated dilation were unaffected. The triglyceride emulsion had no direct dilator effect on rabbit aortic tissue in vitro. In conclusion, acute hypertriglyceridemia is associated with vasodilation of conduit and resistance vessels in the arm and does not impair endothelial vasodilator function per se. The dilator effect is not insulin-dependent and does not appear to be a direct effect of triglycerides on vascular tissue.
Export Processing Zones and Economic Development in Asia: A Review and Reassessment of a Means of Promoting Growth and Jobs

. Nearly every developing country in Asia has established export processing (EPZs) and free trade zones (FTZs) to promote economic development. EPZs and FTZs have created new employment, generated foreign exchange, expanded national revenues and increased export flows. But not all have thus benefited. Adverse effects of these industrial enclaves, not offset by national benefits, are varied. The zones mostly have high construction and maintenance costs, primarily employ low-wage, unskilled female labor, offer an unstable employment base, generate little domestic added value, develop few labor or managerial skills, transfer little modern technology or know-how and have weak links to domestic manufacturers. Large EPZs may promote undesirable in-migration from rural areas, produce more dependence on foreign-owned firms that tend to move or cut back production when wages, costs or international trends change. Policy options to prevent or mitigate adverse effects are presented.
Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life Among Primary Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The impact of caring for a child with autism on caregivers’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to compare the HRQOL scores of caregivers of children with autism to those of the general US population and to identify the factors that influence HRQOL. Caregivers of children with autism had lower HRQOL scores than the general population. Care recipient level of functional impairment, social support, use of maladaptive coping, and burden influenced caregiver mental HRQOL. Care recipient extent of behavioral problems and social support influenced caregiver physical HRQOL. Findings emphasize the use of multi-pronged intervention approach that incorporates components aimed at improving family functioning, increasing support services, and assisting caregivers in developing healthy coping skills.
Elbow positioning for maximum grip performance.

Abstract Numerous studies have shown that elbow positioning influences grip measurements. These studies have had various and contradictory results. The intent of this study was to clarify the discrepancies and determine which elbow position yields maximal grip strength. Sixty-four men and 64 women were tested on a Greenleaf Medical EVAL system, once with the elbow in full extension and once with the elbow in 90° of flexion. With larger subject groups and computerized data collection, results indicate that—for both the dominant and nondominant hands and regardless of the gender of the subject—grip strength is significantly greater when measured with the elbow in the fully extended position.
Relative intensities of gamma rays following the decay of Ta182 and Ta183

Abstract The relative intensities of gamma transitions in the W182 and W183 nuclie have been measured with an accuracy of 5% using a bent-crystal gamma-ray spectrometer. A careful analysis of the various corrections applied was made. With only minor exceptions the results are in good agreement with results obtained by other experimenters subssntaining thje technique for measuring precisely gamma ray intensities with a bent-ccrystal spectrometer. The gamma ray branching ratios in W183 obtained in this experiment serve as a basis for a band mixing analysis to be described in the following paper.
Ionization Potentials of KRb, Rb2, and K2 and Triplet Rydberg States of the Ultracold KRb Molecule

Ionization potentials of the alkali diatomic molecules KRb, Rb2, and K2 have been investigated and experimental methods for exploring triplet Rydberg states from the metastable a3Σ+ state of ultracold KRb molecules are proposed.
“Everything That Really Matters”: Social Suffering, Subjectivity, and the Remaking of Human Experience in a Disordering World

When William James launched into the Gifford Lectures of 1901, he admitted to his Edinburgh audience a certain feeling of trepidation. Those lectures, which he would later publish as The Varieties of Religious Experience, evoked in James a sense of consternation because, as he remarked on the occasion, he was neither a theologian, nor a historian of religion, nor an anthropologist. “Psychology is the only branch of learning in which I am particularly versed,” James pleaded.
Brownian motion in a flowing fluid revisited

It is shown how the phenomenon of osmosis may be treated using the phenomenological theory of Brownian motion in a flowing fluid. The theory is also generalized to include viscous stresses in the particle and mixture momentum equations.
Structure of Permian Homoptera and Psocoptera

THE recent note in NATURE1 on the ancestors of some groups of existing insects prompts me to mention certain facts apparently overlooked by Prof. G. Zalessky, and to direct attention to others bearing on the subject. Zalessky announces his discovery that the Permian Psocoptera had a “proboscisshaped” head, provided with a sucking apparatus similar to that of the Homoptera. In 19332 I gave a detailed account, which is not mentioned by Zalessky, of the body structure of the Kansan Permian Psocoptera, and demonstrated then (Fig. 13, and plate 1, Fig. 4) that the head possessed a prominent rostrum. The significant feature of the rostrum of these Psocoptera is the presence of large and generalized maxillary and labial palpi, which are scarcely suggestive of the structure of the piercing beak of the Homoptera. Zalessky also states that he doubts the correctness of Dr. R. J. Tillyard's description of the chewing mouth-parts in Psocidium. This description I corrected in 19323 and at the same time showed Psocidium Till, to be a synonym of Dichentomum Till., as it was later regarded by Dr. Tillyard4.
Magnetofluiddynamic flow with a pressure gradient and fluid injection

The nonlinear partial differential equation of motion for an incompressible fluid flowing over a flat plate under the influence of a magnetic field and a pressure gradient, and with or without fluid injection (or ejection) through the plate is transformed to a nonlinear, third order ordinary differential equation by using a stream function and a similarity transformation. The necessary boundary conditions are developed for flow with and without fluid injection (or ejection), and an example is presented to illustrate the solution to the flow problem. The controlling equation reduces to the well known Falkner-Skan equation when the magnetic field is zero, and if additionally the pressure gradient is zero, the equation reduces to the Blasius equation.
Reoxygenation of vacuum-annealed YBa2Cu3O6.9

Vacuum-annealed samples of single-phase orthorhombic YBa2Cu3O6.9 have been reoxygenated. The vacuum-annealed material is tetragonal, semiconducting at room temperature, and shows no superconductivity. Upon annealing these samples in 640 Torr O2 at 200°C, a partial return of 90 K superconductivity is observed; complete restoration is achieved following 300°C anneals. Oxygen uptake in vacuum-annealed pellets follows an Arrhenius relation with an activation energy of −27 kcal/mol. Deoxygenation and reoxygenation does not seem to affect the structure of the grain interconnects in the material. The maximum oxygen uptake for vacuum-annealed material occurs at 450°C, while the maximum magnetic Meissner effect is observed following oxygen annealing at 350°C.
Epstein-Barr virus: evasive maneuvers in the development of PTLD.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is linked to ∼90% of B-cell lymphomas associated with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD), a serious complication for immunosuppressed transplant recipients. In this paper, we review the myriad ways by which EBV can inadvertently drive the genesis and persistence of B-cell lymphomas, particularly when the antiviral immune response is compromised. Probing the basic mechanisms by which EBV infection proceeds and contributes to malignancy in such cases will hopefully improve our understanding and treatment of PTLD and other EBV-associated malignancies.
Solubilization and properties of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases from bovine spleen and Ehrlich ascites cells.

1. A very gentle procedure for solubilizing poly(2′-(5″-phosphoribosyl)-5′-AMP) (poly(ADP-ribose)) polymerase from Ehrlich ascites cells is described. Incubation of nuclei in 0.25 M sucrose containing 0.02% NaN3 for a period of 7–12 days followed by centrifugation at 105 000 × g for 1 h yields 60–80% of the activity in the supernatant fraction. 2. Soluble and particulate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases from Ehrlich ascites cells and bovine spleen have been compared with respect to stability, pH and cation requirements, and response to various chemotherapeutic agents and polyamines. 3. Major differences in the properties of the soluble and particulate enzymes from spleen suggest the presence of multiple poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases: exhaustive extraction with 0.5 M NaCl releases less than half the total activity in spleen, the pH optimum of the particulate enzyme is 10 or higher and the activity of the insoluble enzymes shows little dependence on the concentrations of Mg2+ or Na+. 4. Soluble enzymes from both spleen and ascites have similar time-course activity profiles and identical pH optima (8.6); also, both activities are stimulated by Mg2+. 5. At its optimal Mg2+ concentration (20 mM), the soluble ascites poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is quantitatively precipitated. 6. Both spleen and ascites soluble activities are sensitive to the known inhibitors and to histones, polyamines, and other polycations. 7. The response of the ascites enzyme to histones is dependent upon MgCl2.
Thermal hotspot reduction in mm-Wave wireless NoC architectures

In the design of high-performance massive multicore chips, power and temperature have become dominant constraints. Traditional multicore designs, based on the Network-on-Chip (NoC) paradigm, suffer from high latency and power dissipation as the system size scales up due to the inherent multi-hop nature of communication. Introducing long-range, low-power, and high-bandwidth wireless shortcuts between far apart cores can significantly enhance the performance of NoC fabrics. The millimeter-wave small-world NoC (mSWNoC) is shown to be capable of improving the overall latency and energy dissipation characteristics compared to the conventional mesh-based counterpart. While there is a significant temperature reduction in the network due to the mSWNoC architecture, a load-imbalanced network is still susceptible to local thermal hotspots. In this paper, we address the problem of network-induced temperature hotspots in mSWNoC by incorporating adaptive routing strategies, which can reduce temperatures even further without compromising the achievable performance benefits.
The effect of dietary fiber type on glycated hemoglobin and renal hypertrophy in the adult diabetic rat

Abstract The effect of various dietary fiber sources on glycated hemoglobin and renal hypertrophy, two longterm indicators of blood glucose control, was studied in diabetic rats. Streptozotocin-treated rats were fed a fiber-free diet or diets containing 8% dietary fiber, using one of the following fiber sources: cellulose, sugar beet fiber, beet fiber treated with calcium carbonate, oat bran, rye bran, barley bran flour, wheat bran, or guar gum. After 28 days, only guar gumfeeding reduced the % glycated hemoglobin relative to the fiber-free control group. Renal hypertrophy was seen in animals from all diabetic groups and was not diminished by any of the fiber sources. In meal-fed animals there was no evidence of expansion of the intestinal contents volume by feeding of any fiber source. Guar gum substantially increased the viscosity of the intestinal contents in 3 of 4 animals. The results are consistent with the use of purified, highly viscous fiber sources for improving glycemic control in insulin-dependent diabetes.
Aspects of electron transfer at a conducting membrane-solution interface

Abstract Polypyrrole films are used as a model for membranes which show electronic, in addition to ionic, charge transfer processes. Steady-state potential vs current data is interpreted in terms of fundamental electrode kinetics. According to the model developed, the ionic and electronic processes represent two parallel paths for charge transfer across the membrane, and the relationship between membrane potential and current is determined by the relative magnitude of the faradaic and ionic resistances.
Antibody effector function is regulated by a combination of adaptive and innate signals.

Background The Fc region of IgG contains a single N-glycosylation site, which is known to be important for effecting immune activation through interaction with Fc receptors and complement molecules. Changes to the structure of these sugars can thus be very influential in determining the specific effector function of individual antibodies. Whereas therapeutic antibodies can be produced with particular effector functions in vitro, little is known regarding how glycosylation is regulated in primary B cells.
Molecular array analyses of 51 pediatric tumors shows overlap between malignant intracranial ectomesenchymoma and MPNST but not medulloblastoma or atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor

Gene microarray has been used to identify prognostic markers and genes of interest for therapeutic targets; a less common use is to show possible histogenetic relationships between rare tumor types and more common neoplasms. Intracranial malignant ectomesenchymoma (MEM) is a pediatric tumor postulated to arise from neural crest cells that contain divergent neuroectodermal and mesenchymal tissues, principally mature ganglion cells and rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). We investigated a case of MEM by molecular, cytogenetic, and gene array analyses and compared results with our previously unpublished series of 51 pediatric tumors including conventional RMS, Ewing sarcoma (EWS), medulloblastoma (MED), atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT), and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST); the latter is a sarcoma also with potential for divergent differentiation. Standard cytogenetic analyses and RT-PCR testing for the classic gene rearrangements seen in RMS [t(2;13)–PAX3/FKHR] and EWS ([t(11;22) & t(21;22)–EWS/FLI-1 & EWS/ERG), were used for characterization of the MEM, with gene expression microarray analyses on all tumor types. Gene rearrangement studies were negative in MEM. Gene expression microarray analyses showed tight clustering of the MEM with the MPNST (n = 2), but divergence from other pediatric tumors. MEM and MPNST both showed complex karyotypes, but without diagnostic translocations. Despite the presence of malignant skeletal muscle differentiation in the MEM, gene array testing showed no overlap with RMS, MED, or ATRT, but rather with MPNST. This suggests a common stem cell origin or embryonic gene recapitulation for these tumors and provides novel insights into their underlying biology.
An X-ray study of the pH property of frog sciatic nerve

Abstract Low-angle X-ray diffraction patterns have been recorded from frog sciatic nerve in pH solutions of 0.1–13.0. The normal X-ray pattern of frog sciatic nerve in Ringer's solution is maintained at pH 4.0–10.0. In acid pH, 2.5–4.0, and in alkaline pH, 10.0–11.0, the nerve myelin is in the partial swollen state. The partial swollen state and the normal state are reversible. Two physical states, the anomalous swollen state and the condensed state, at acid pH below 2.5 and the separated state at alkaline pH above 12.3 have been identified. These three physical states, the anomalous swollen state, the condensed state and the separated state, are reversible with each other on changing the pH solution but the normal state cannot be regained.
Weakly Compressible Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in the Solar Wind and the Interstellar Medium

A new four-field system of equations is derived from the compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations for low Mach number turbulence in the solar wind and the interstellar medium, permeated by a spatially varying magnetic field. The plasma beta is assumed to be of order unity or less. It is shown that the full MHD equations can be reduced rigorously to a closed system for four fluctuating field variables: magnetic flux, vorticity, pressure, and parallel flow. Although the velocity perpendicular to the magnetic field is shown to obey a two-dimensional incompressibility condition (analogous to the Proudman-Taylor theorem in hydrodynamics), the three-dimensional dynamics exhibit the effects of compressibility. In the presence of spatial inhomogeneities, the four dynamical equations are coupled to each other, and pressure fluctuations enter the weakly compressible dynamics at leading order. If there are no spatial inhomogeneities and or if the plasma beta is low, the four-field equations reduce to the well-known equations of reduced magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD). For pressure-balanced structures, the four-field equations undergo a remarkable simplification which provides insight on the special nature of the fluctuations driven by these structures. The important role of spatial inhomogeneities is elucidated by 2.5-dimensional numerical simulations. In the presence of inhomogeneities, the saturated pressure and density fluctuations scale with the Mach number of the turbulence, and the system attains equipartition with respect to the kinetic, magnetic, and thermal energy of the fluctuations. The present work suggests that if heliospheric and interstellar turbulence exists in a plasma with large-scale, nonturbulent spatial gradients, one expects the pressure and density fluctuations to be of significantly larger magnitude than suggested in nearly incompressible models such as pseudosound.
Role of parathyroid hormone in mediating age-related changes in bone resorption in men

Osteoporosis in men is an important and growing public health problem. While there has been extensive work done on defining the mechanism(s) of the age-related increase in bone resorption in women, our knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of bone loss in elderly men is still incomplete. We previously demonstrated that the age-related increase in serum PTH contributes substantially to the increased bone resorption in elderly women, since suppression of PTH levels by an intravenous calcium infusion decreased bone resorption markers to a greater extent in elderly compared to premenopausal women. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the comparable increase in PTH levels in elderly men (age 70-78 years) was driving bone resorption to a greater extent in these men than in younger men (age 40-50 years). PTH secretion was suppressed by an intravenous calcium infusion and the corresponding changes in the bone resorption marker, urine N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) were assessed. In contrast to our previous findings in pre- versus postmenopausal women, suppression of PTH secretion in elderly men did not result in a greater decrease in urine NTx excretion than in the younger men (change in NTx excretion in the elderly men, -2.79+/-1.99 nmol/mmol Cr, versus that in the younger men, -5.07+/-1.39 nmol/mmol Cr, P=0.356). Collectively, these data suggest that the relationship between the age-related increase in serum PTH levels and bone resorption differs between elderly men and women. Since both estrogen and testosterone can attenuate the bone resorbing effects of PTH, it is possible that this difference may be due to the much milder degree of sex steroid deficiency in elderly men as compared to postmenopausal women.
Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Samar and Leyte, Philippines, with a new species

This paper provides the first faunal checklist for Cicadidae (Hemiptera) from Samar and Leyte, Philippines, comprising 13 species belonging to 7 genera. A new species, Huechys funebris sp. nov., is described from Leyte. Oncotympana pallidiventris Stal, Dundubia vaginata (Fabricius), and Nelcyndana sp. are newly added to the cicada fauna of Samar. Information on geographic distributions is provided.
Using the Media to Teach Disability Stereotypes

Arguably the most powerful purveyor of culture for the past 50 years in the United States has been the mass media. In this article I will present ways to use the media to engage students to observe and learn about stereotypes of people with disabilities.
Treatment and Prevention of RSV Bronchiolitis

Respiratory syncytial virus is a leading cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children worldwide, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality in high-risk individuals. The pediatric populations at high risk for severe RSV infections include patients with cardiac disease, lung disease, immunosuppression, premature birth or healthy infants less than six months of age. Supportive care is the primary treatment of RSV lower respiratory tract infections. Other treatment regimens include the use of bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory agents; however, the use of these agents is controversial due to lack of evidence of efficacy in all studies. Ribavirin, an antiviral agent, has been administered for the treatment of RSV lower respiratory tract infections, but its efficacy has been questioned due to flawed study designs. RSV-IVIG and palivizumab are approved for the prevention of RSV infection in selected children at high risk for serious disease. These agents are equally efficacious and expensive; howeve...
Validation Techniques for 6-DOF Vibration Data Acquisition

Multiple Degree of Freedom (MDOF) excitation systems and MDOF vibration control systems continue to improve, and are now standard equipment in many dynamic test laboratories. Determination of an input specification for such MDOF systems is critically dependent on properly acquired field data. Validation of field data will be discussed and demonstrated employing the same transformation tools used in both transformation-based 6-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) vibration control and generalized MDOF vibration specification development (VSD).
Pharmacokinetic Advantage of Intra-arterial Cyclosporin A Delivery to Vascularly Isolated Rabbit Forelimb. I. Model Development

Effective antirejection therapy with minimal systemic morbidity is required if limb transplantation is to become a clinical reality. We investigated whether i.a. infusion of cyclosporin A (CSA) into the vascularly isolated rabbit forelimb will distribute drug homogeneously to the tissues and produce higher local drug levels than same-dose i.v. treatment, thereby improving the therapeutic index. CSA 4.0 mg/kg/day was infused continuously via osmotic minipump into either the right brachial artery (i.a. group) or jugular vein (i.v. group) of New Zealand rabbits. Ligation of all muscles at the right mid-arm level was performed in the i.a. group to eliminate collateral circulation and simulate allografting, while leaving bone and neurovasculature intact. On day 6, CSA concentrations were measured in skin, muscle, bone, and bone marrow samples taken from different compartments of the right and left forearms in the i.a. group and right forearm only in the i.v. group. There were no significant differences between compartmental CSA levels in all tissues examined on the locally treated, right side during i.a. infusion, indicating that drug streaming from the catheter tip is not occurring in our model. During i.a. infusion, mean CSA concentrations were 4- to 7-fold higher in the right limb than in the left limb in all four tissues examined. Tissue CSA levels in the left limb were equivalent to those achieved during i.v. infusion, but CSA concentrations in blood, kidney, and liver were higher during i.a. infusion. These favorable, preliminary, single-dose pharmacokinetic results warrant further investigation in our novel rabbit model.
Vibrational Stark Effects of Nitriles I. Methods and Experimental Results

Vibrational Stark effects, which are the effects of electric fields on vibrational spectra, were measured for the C-N stretch mode of several small nitriles. Samples included unconjugated and conjugated nitriles, and mono- and dinitriles. They were immobilized in frozen 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran glass and analyzed in externally applied electric fields using an FTIR; details of the methodology are presented. Difference dipole moments, ¢I, equivalent to the linear Stark tuning rate, range from 0.01/ f to 0.04/f Debye (0.2/f to 0.7/f cm -1 /(MV/cm)) for most samples, with aromatic compounds toward the high end and symmetric dinitriles toward the low end (the local field correction factor, f, is expected to be similar for all these samples). Most quadratic Stark effects are small and negative, while transition polarizabilities are positive and have a significant effect on Stark line shapes. For aromatic nitriles, transition dipoles and ¢I values correlate with Hammett numbers. Symmetric dinitrile ¢I values decrease monotonically with increasing conjugation of the connecting bridge, likely due to improved mechanical coupling and, to a lesser extent, an increased population of inversion symmetric conformations. ¢I values are close to those expected from bond anharmonicity and ab initio predictions.
Plant architecture without multicellularity: quandaries over patterning and the soma-germline divide in siphonous algae

Multicellularity has independently evolved numerous times throughout the major lineages of life. Often, multicellularity can enable complex, macroscopic organismal architectures but it is not required for the elaboration of morphology. Several alternative cellular strategies have arisen as solutions permitting exquisite forms. The green algae class Ulvophyceae, for example, contains truly multicellular organisms, as well as macroscopic siphonous cells harboring one or multiple nuclei, and siphonocladous species, which are multinucleate and multicellular. These diverse cellular organizations raise a number of questions about the evolutionary and molecular mechanisms underlying complex organismal morphology in the green plants. Importantly, how does morphological patterning arise in giant coenocytes, and do nuclei, analogous to cells in multicellular organisms, take on distinct somatic and germline identities? Here, we comparatively explore examples of patterning and differentiation in diverse coenocytic and single-cell organisms and discuss possible mechanisms of development and nuclear differentiation in the siphonous algae.
Impact of clinical electives and residency interest on medical students' education in musculoskeletal medicine.

Background: Despite the frequency of musculoskeletal conditions seen in a broad spectrum of medical practice, there is compelling evidence that medical schools are inadequately preparing students in this field. We compared medical students across all residency interests with respect to their clinical confidence, cognitive mastery, and perception of education in musculoskeletal medicine. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study of third and fourth-year students at Harvard Medical School was conducted during the 2005-2006 academic year. Two hundred and forty-nine of 337 students completed the survey, yielding an overall response rate of 74%. All participants were asked to complete a nationally validated objective examination in musculoskeletal medicine and a thirty-question survey soliciting their top residency choice, all of the musculoskeletal electives that they had taken, their clinical confidence, and their attitudes toward musculoskeletal education. Results: Residency interest significantly affected the third-year students' performance on the cognitive mastery examination (p = 0.018) and also significantly affected both the third and the fourth-year students' clinical confidence in their ability to perform an examination of the musculoskeletal system (p = 0.023 and p = 0.015, respectively). The students' perception of the importance of musculoskeletal medicine, regardless of their residency interest, correlated with their decision to take musculoskeletal clinical electives (p = 0.009 and p < 0.001 for third and fourth-year students, respectively). Perceived importance was also correlated with higher clinical confidence for third-year students (p = 0.043) and increased examination scores for fourth-year students (p < 0.001). However, only students who listed orthopaedic surgery as their top residency choice demonstrated cognitive mastery in musculoskeletal medicine and reported above-average clinical confidence in their ability to conduct an examination of the musculoskeletal system. Conclusions: Students' residency interest and their perception of the importance of musculoskeletal medicine to their future career influence the education that they receive in this field. In particular, students interested in non-orthopaedic residencies failed to demonstrate cognitive mastery and lacked clinical confidence. Possible approaches for medical schools to tackle this important issue that merit further exploration include requiring additional time for education in musculoskeletal medicine and providing a more structured musculoskeletal curriculum.
Doped sulfone electrolytes for high voltage Li-ion cell applications

We show that, with appropriate doping, the ethersulfone-based electrolytes that we earlier reported to have 5.6 V electrochemical windows but poor cycling performance in Li-ion cells, can succeed. We show they can be used to make cells that, at C/20 charge/discharge rates, have cycling performance equal to those with the standard LiPF6-carbonate electrolytes. A difference in performance that develops at higher C is removed by substituting an ethersulfone with one fewer methyl groups, for lower viscosity.