cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impaired neural synchrony in the theta frequency range in adolescents at familial risk for schizophrenia.

Puberty is a critical period for the maturation of the fronto-limbic and fronto-striate brain circuits responsible for executive function and affective processing. Puberty also coincides with the emergence of the prodromal signs of schizophrenia, which may indicate an association between these two processes. Time-domain analysis and wavelet based time-frequency analysis was performed on electroencephalographic (EEG) data of 30 healthy comparison (HC) subjects and 24 individuals at familial risk for schizophrenia (FR). All participants were between the ages of 13 and 18 years and were carefully matched for age, gender, ethnicity, education, and Tanner Stage. Electrophysiological recordings were obtained from 32 EEG channels while participants performed a visual oddball task, where they identified rare visual targets among standard ‘scrambled’ images and rare aversive and neutral distracter pictures. The time-domain analysis showed that during target processing the FR group showed smaller event-related potentials (ERPs) in the P2 and P3 range as compared to the HC group. In addition, EEG activity in the theta (4-8 Hz) frequency range was significantly reduced during target processing in the FR group. Inefficient cortical information processing during puberty may be an early indicator of altered brain function in adolescents at familial risk for schizophrenia and may represent a vulnerability marker for illness onset. Longitudinal assessments will have to determine their predictive value for illness onset in populations at familial risk for psychotic illness.
Chemical potential of water from measurements of optic axial angle of zeolites.

Values of the uncorrected optic axial angle (2H(alpha)) of a crystal of the calcium zeolite stellerite (CaAl(2)Si(7)O(l8) . 7H(2)0) immersed in calcium chloride solutions of known activity of water (a(w)) are directly proportional to log a(w). A general relationship between the chemical potential of water in the crystal and the optic axial angle is obeyed.
Lung-conserving treatment of a pulmonary oligometastasis with a wedge resection and 131Cs brachytherapy

Abstract Purpose Soft-tissue sarcomas most frequently metastasize to the lung. Surgical resection of pulmonary metastases is the primary treatment modality. Although lobectomy is widely acknowledged as the standard procedure to treat primary pulmonary tumors, the standard for pulmonary metastases is not well defined; furthermore, compromised lung function may tip the scales in favor of a less invasive approach. Here, we report the results of a patient treated with wedge resection and intraoperative cesium-131 ( 131 Cs). Methods and Materials A 58-year-old African American female was diagnosed with the American Joint Committee on Cancer Stage IIA mixed uterine leiomyosarcoma and underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by adjuvant external beam radiotherapy to a total dose of 45 Gy and vaginal brachytherapy to a total dose of 20 Gy. At 2 years, a routine CT scan of the chest revealed metastasis to right upper lobe of the lung. The patient's poor pulmonary function, related to a 45 pack-year smoking history and chronic emphysema, precluded a lobectomy. Results After the patient underwent a lung-sparing wedge resection of the pulmonary right upper lobe metastasis and intraoperative brachytherapy with 131 Cs seeds to a total dose of 80 Gy, she remained disease free in the implanted area. At a 2-year followup, imaging continued to reveal 100% local control of the area treated with wedge resection and intraoperative 131 Cs brachytherapy. The patient had no complications from this treatment. Conclusions Such treatment approach may become an attractive option in patients with oligometastatic disease and compromised pulmonary function.
Scavenging amphipods from the floor of the Philippine trench

Abstract Free vehicle, baited camera, and baited trap stations at 9600 and 9800 m on the bottom of the axis of the Philippine Trench demonstrate the presence of only one mobile scavenger, the amphipod Hirondellea gigas. This amphipod congregates in large numbers, consumes the bait in a matter of hours, and then disperses. Similar concentrations of amphipods have been recorded for all bait studies at hadal depths to date. In none of these did fish appear, even though they are characteristic of all samplings at shallower depths. The reason for this is obscure. Specimens of H. gigas can be classified according to developmental stage and sex. Except for stages ♂1 and ♀2, the stages are equivalent to instars, of which there are seven to eight for females and four for males. Brooding females were not trapped. The growth ratio is relatively constant among instars, except in the female where it decreases markedly during the period when there is a strong increase in the accumulation of reproductive products. Evidence favors the view that females breed only once. If this is so, total fecundity averages about 97 oocytes per female. Many H. gigas individuals had material in their guts that was ingested before being trapped. The fraction of such individuals decreased linearly with increasing maturity. A major fraction of the volume of this ingested material often consisted of bacteria. Several hypotheses are consistent with this result.
Multiple calcium stores: separate but interacting.

Multiple mechanisms exist for increasing the concentration of intracellular calcium. This Perspective by Lee is one in a series on intracellular calcium release mechanisms and focuses on the calcium store operated by nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP). The characterization of the NAADP-operated calcium store as separate from the inositol trisphosphate (IP 3 )-operated and cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR)-operated calcium stores is discussed. Lee also addresses the role of NAADP in regulating intracellular calcium fluctuations during fertilization and hormonal activation of pancreatic acinar cells.
Brief announcement: low depth cache-oblivious sorting

Cache-oblivious algorithms have the advantage of achieving good sequential cache complexity across all levels of a multi-level cache hierarchy, regardless of the specifics (cache size and cache line size) of each level. In this paper, we describe cache-oblivious sorting algorithms with optimal work, optimal cache complexity and polylogarithmic depth. Using known mappings, these lead to low cache complexities on shared-memory multiprocessors with a single level of private caches or a single shared cache. Moreover, the low cache complexities extend to shared-memory multiprocessors with common configurations of multi-level caches. The key factor in the low cache complexity on multiprocessors is the low depth of the algorithms we propose.
Composition-volume relationships of metasomatism

The actual gains and losses that take place in metasomatic alterations cannot be obtained without a knowledge of the relationship between composition changes and volume changes that accompany the process. A general set of equations is derived that allows calculations of gains and losses in terms of the chemical analyses and the specific gravities of the unaltered and metasomatized rocks or minerals. When comparing two rocks, it is necessary to know or assume knowledge of either the volume change or the geochemical behavior of one component in order to solve the problem. When N minerals are compared in a single alteration equation, N-1 additional facts or assumptions with respect to volume change or geochemical behavior are necessary. It is not necessary to calculate the structural formulas for the minerals. Examples are given of various techniques for solving composition-volume relationships. Trace elements should be evaluated in terms of composition-volume relationships because released trace elements are potential ore sources. Trace element data from individual minerals involved in a suspected reaction may be utilized quantitatively as supporting evidence for the reaction.
The reflection effect in very close eclipsing binary systems with distorted components

Abstract The analytical formula for the reflection effect is discussed for a system with spherical components. By numerical integration the reflection is computed at phase angles φ = 0° and 90° . The position of the photocenter at the elongations can then be compared using both approaches. A new method of computing the reflection effect by numerical integration is developed both for the rotational ellipsoids, used extensively in the practical interpretation of light curves and for models used in the theory of distorted components. The surface brightness in the direction of the normal and the fractional temperature increase are given for several models. It is found that the dynamical distortion of the components tends to increase the phase function at φ = 0° but that the photometric darkening of the tidal bulge due to gravity effect tends to decrease the phase function again.
Pilot-Scale Ozone Inactivation of Cryptosporidium and Other Microorganisms in Natural Water

Abstract A pilot-scale study was conducted to evaluate the inactivation by ozone against Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia cysts, poliovirus, and B. subtilis endospores spiked into Ohio River water. The indigenous Ohio River populations of total coliform bacteria, heterotrophic plate count bacteria and endospores of aerobic spore forming bacteria were also evaluated. Endospores were the only organisms found to be more resistant to ozone than Cryptosporidium oocysts. Endospores may serve as an indicator of microbial treatment efficiency. Cryptosporidium oocysts were more resistant than Giardia cysts or poliovirus. Although HPC bacteria were less resistant than Cryptosporidium oocysts, variability limits their usefulness as an indicator of treatment efficiency. Ozone inactivation data generated in a pilot-scale study employing natural surface waters were comparable to inactivation data derived from previously published bench-scale studies using laboratory waters. The ozone requirements for inactivation of Cr...
Molecular recognition in monolayers and species detection by surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy☆

The current emphasis in efforts to produce systems capable of highly specific molecular recognition has produced a wide variety of compounds such as crown ethers, cryptands, cyclodextrins and other inclusion systems. A more desirable approach, and one obviating laborious organic synthesis, would be based upon a mechanism more like that seen in the in vivo antigen-antibody reaction. Sites having the capability for specific molecular recognition based on a predetermined template molecule would allow realization of systems of the desired specificity. The technique of cosorption of a silane and a surface-active molecule onto a glass surface has been comprehensively described by Sagiv and by Maoz and Sagiv and has indicated the feasibility of this approach, e.g. with surface-active dyes. In the present study, adsorbed monolayers were produced with sites based on chosen template molecules, using the Sagiv method, and the systems then reconstituted with the original template molecule as well with molecules of closely similar structure (i.e. porphyrins or chlorophylls). A high degree of recognition was evidenced, as shown by the use of surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy as the detection tool. It was also shown that chemically dissimilar species can be reconstituted into sites formed by other species, provided that the molecular shapes are compatible. The ease of resorption into performed sites is strongly dependent on the presence of amphiphilic character in the molecule re-entering a site.
The Evolving Genome Project: current and future impact.

The National Institutes of Health/Department of Energy Human Genome Project has been funding directed research for only 5 years, and it is understandably difficult to cite important research advances directly attributable to the project. However, the project has been constructive in fostering multidisciplinary group research and an inspiring and synergistic "just do it" attitude in both political and scientific circles, domestically and abroad. This collaborative spirit has spawned large-scale genetic and physical mapping projects, with the most impressive and useful results to date being the dense genetic maps produced by the Genethon, a French organization largely supported by the French muscular dystrophy association. With the genetic and physical map reagents now becoming available, disease-gene cloning is proceeding at an increasingly rapid pace. More important than the predictable acceleration of disease-gene mapping are the unpredictable benefits: Will a dense PCR-based dinucleotide-repeat genetic map open novel alternative approaches to disease-gene isolation? Will it become possible to localize disease genes by simply analyzing unrelated, isolated probands rather than the rarer "extended family"? Proband-based "linkage-disequilibrium cloning" may become possible if adequate density, informativeness, and stability of polymorphic loci are obtained. In addition, "genome exclusion cloning" will be added to the established positional, candidate-gene, and functional-disease-gene-cloning experimental approaches. The anticipated exponential expansion of human genetic disease information over the remainder of the 10-year tenure of the Human Genome Project unveils critical yet unresolved issues for medical education and the practice of medicine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Studying Mental Illness in Context: Local, Global, or Universal?

What are the social and cultural/actors that influence the course and outcome of serious mental illness? What are the basic processes that influence the diagnosis and assessment of persons suffering such illness, and how do we accountfor higher levels of misdiagnosis among members of ethnic minorities in the United States? A review of the current status of these two major research questions illustrates characteristics of current research and the importance of ethnographic studies for advancing our understanding of basic processes.
Vascular smooth muscle cells synthesize two forms of insulin‐like growth factor binding proteins which are regulated differently by the insulin‐like growth factors

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) synthesize insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), which is a mitogen for this cell type in vitro. Since IGF binding proteins (IGFBP) modulate IGF bioactivity, we determined which IGFBPs were secreted by porcine SMC. Porcine SMC secreted 34,000 and 24,000 Mr forms of IGFBPs which were identified as IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4, respectively, by immunoblotting. Northern blot analysis showed single transcripts of 1.6 kb and 2.4 kb for IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4, respectively. Secretion of IGFBP-2 was not regulated to a significant degree, with insulin, IGF-II, IGF-I, forskolin, and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) inducing minimal changes in IGFBP-2 secretion of less than 30% by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Insulin increased (2.8 ± 0.1-fold) the abundance of IGFBP-4 protein in conditioned media (CM) and increased IGFBP-4 mRNA levels. Growth factors for SMC such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ-1) were without effect on either IGFBP-2 or −4. IGF-I treatment decreased the amount of IGFBP-4 present in CM, but a corresponding decrease in IGFBP-4 mRNA levels was not observed. In order to determine if IGFBP-4 could modulate IGF-I bioactivity, IGFBP-4 was added to pSMCs with and without IGF-I. IGF-I alone (20 ng/ml) induced a 1.6 to threefold increase in 3H-thymidine incorporation. Addition of IGFBP-4 (between 50 and 250 ng/ml) to cultures containing IGF-I (20 ng/ml) had no effect on DNA synthesis compared to that observed with IGF-I alone, while 500 ng/ml consistently caused a small decrease (15 ± 5%; mean ± SE). Immunoblotting of the CM obtained at the end of the 3H-thymidine assay showed a loss of intact IGFBP-4 in the cultures containing IGF-I. This corresponded with an increase in the abundance of a 16,000 Mr immunoreactive fragment that did not bind IGF-I. Coincubation with insulin had no effect on the amount of IGFBP-4 that was converted to fragment, suggesting that the reaction was dependent upon IGF-I binding to IGFBP-4. In contrast, addition of IGFBP-4 (500 ng/ml) to human fibroblast cultures with IGF-I (20 ng/ml) almost completely inhibited the stimulatory effect of IGF-I on DNA synthesis and no increase in fragment was detected in the CM. In summary, SMC secrete IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4, both of which have been shown to regulate IGF-mediated DNA synthesis. The factors that regulate the abundance of the two forms of IGFBPs differ suggesting that differential regulation of these substances may be an important mechanism by which SMC growth is regulated. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Statistics of highly magnified gravitational images in clusters of galaxies. I - Implications for the clusters. II - Implications for the sources

A study is presently conducted of the probability distribution of observing images of background galaxies that are gravitationally lensed in the form of elongated arcs by clusters of galaxies, as a function of arc width, curvature radius, and the elongation's orientation. An upper limit is obtained on the size of the cores which is smaller than cluster core radii obtained for the gas from the X-ray surface brightness. It is argued that lensing clusters tend to be elongated along the line of sight; projection effects will enhance surface density. In the second part of this work, it is shown that the number of arcs expected in lensing clusters is primarily dependent on the angular size of the sources, since lower magnification is required to generate an arc of fixed length for a larger source.
Conventionalism and the world as bare sense-data

We are confident of many of the judgements we make as to what sorts of alterations the members of nature's kinds can survive, and what sorts of events mark the ends of their existences. But is our confidence based on empirical observation of nature's kinds and their members? Conventionalists deny that we can learn empirically which properties are essential to the members of nature's kinds. Judgements of sameness in kind between members, and of numerical sameness of a member across time, merely project our conventions of individuation. Our confidence is warranted because apart from those conventions there are no phenomena of kind-sameness or of numerical sameness across time. There is just ‘stuff’ displaying properties. This paper argues that conventionalists can assign no properties to the ‘stuff’ beyond immediate phenomenal properties. Consequently they cannot explain how each of us comes to be able to wield ‘our conventions’.
Effects of isoproterenol and cycloheximide on parathyroid secretion

Tissue slices or dispersed cells of bovine parathyroid gland were incubated with [3H]leucine to label the intracellular proteins and then tested for their secretory response to isoproterenol and cycloheximide at different calcium concentrations. Secretion of the newly synthesized as well as the older PTH and SP-I was stimulated by isoproterenol at all calcium levels tested, even when it was maximally enhanced by low calcium. Cycloheximide interfered with neither the secretory process nor the secretory response to different stimuli, but decreased the amount of PTH and SP-I secreted. We conclude that the inhibitor decreased the secretion by reducing the supply of PTH and SP-I. Calculations derived from the data reveal that, under most secretory conditions, newly synthesized PTH contributed a major portion of the total hormone secretion in bovine parathyroid cells.
Using and Updating Local Norms.

The most useful kind of norms are local norms collected by a test interpreter on a population with which s/he is familiar. We present a rationale for the use of local norms and a procedure, illustrated with an example, for updating a norm group's test score mean and variance. It was concluded that test interpreters should build local norms to be used in conjunction with norms based on a national sample, since local norms can be more recent, relevant, and representative for local groups.
Evaluation of the critical thermal maximum for determining thermal tolerance of freshwater fish

Upper loss of equilibrium and death temperatures were determined by the critical thermal maximum (CTM) method for juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) acclimated to 5 and 15° C, and for pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) acclimated to 10 and 20° C. Temperature increase rates were 1, 6, 18, 30 and 60° C h−1. Analysis of variance showed significant (P < 0.5) differences due to acclimation level, temperature increase rate, and an interaction between these variables. CTM values for coho, a stenothermal fish, were lower than those for pumpkinseed, an eurythermal fish. Generally, higher acclimations and more rapid rates of temperature increase produced higher CTM values. Upward acclimation during testing was detected only for 10° C acclimated pumpkinseed at a 1° C h−1 increase rate Assessments were made of CTM procedural relationships from test data and the literature. A 1° C min−1 (60° C h−1) temperature increase rate is so rapid that internal body temperatures of fish will usually lag behind media temperatures. A standard increase rate of 18° C h−1 (0.3° C min−1 is recommended for routine CTM determinations with fish. Other recommendations are: 1) Test fish should be small, and relatively uniform in size and condition; 2) final loss of ability to return upright should be the loss of equilibrium criterion; 3) death also should be included as a criterion in CTM determinations, with the term ‘lethal thermal maximum’ applied for death temperature; and 4) linearity should be maintained in time-temperature distributions of the heating rate. All procedures are also applicable to determinations of the critical thermal minimum. An amended description of the CTM is given that expands its scope.
SATURATION OF DENSITY-CHARGE ALGEBRA.

Abstract It is shown, with rather general assumptions, that the U(6) W density-charge commutation relations at infinite momentum cannot be saturated with nonexotic states.
Anatomy of the structures medial to the temporomandibular joint.

Objective. To define the relationship of the branches of the trigeminal nerve and the infratemporal vessels to the zygomatic arch and medial capsular ligament of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Material and Method. In a study of 20 cadaveric dissections of the infratemporal fossa, measurements were obtained in anterior-posterior and transverse directions to identify the relationship of the trigeminal nerve, carotid artery, internal jugular vein, and middle meningeal artery to the zygomatic arch. The distance from the lateral to the medial aspect of the glenoid fossa was measured to further delineate the proximity of these structures to the medial portion of the capsule of the TMJ. Results. The mean transverse distance from the zygomatic arch to the middle meningeal artery was 31 mm (range, 21 mm to 43 mm). The mean anterior-posterior distance from the height of the glenoid fossa to the middle meningeal artery was 2.4 mm (–2 mm to 8 mm). The transverse distance from the carotid artery to the zygomatic arch was a mean of 37.5 mm (29 mm to 48 mm) with the mean anterior-posterior distance of –6.5 mm (–21 mm to 6 mm). The mean distance from the internal jugular vein to the zygomatic arch was 38.3 mm (31 mm to 49 mm). The mean anterior-posterior distance was –8.7 mm (–20 mm to 7 mm). The transverse distance from the trigeminal nerve to the arch was a mean distance of 35 mm (24 mm to 46 mm). The mean anterior-posterior distance was 9.2 mm (1 mm to 25 mm). The mean medial to lateral width of the glenoid fossa was 18.7 mm (16 mm to 23 mm). Conclusion. The arteries, nerves, and veins are close to the medial aspect of the TMJ. A knowledge of these relationships can guide the surgeon on the medial aspect of the TMJ and can help to prevent complications associated with these structures. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1999;88:674-8)
Learned food aversion: a component of anorexia syndromes.

Several syndromes that have been characterized in terms of anorexia or appetite loss may actually be due, at least in part, to specific food aversion learning. Evidence reviewed here indicates that a number of experimental treatments, such as tumor implant and subdiaphragmatic vagotomy, that lead to anorexia in laboratory animals also lead to the development of specific aversions to the single available diet. These aversions appear to be responsible for a significant proportion of the ensuing reduction in food intake and body weight. The case for learned food aversions as a contributing factor in clinical problems of appetite loss is more speculative. However, there are certain clinical situations that provide the expected conditions for significant food aversion learning. A careful examination of dietary patterns of patients with these disorders is proposed as a first step toward evaluating the hypothesis that aversion learning is involved in the etiology or maintenance of clinically important anorexia.
Glucan administration potentiates immune defence mechanisms of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque

. Intraperitoncal injection of β-l,3 glucan in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque, greatly reduces mortality from experimental infection with Edwardsiella ictaluri. Anterior kidney phagocytes from fish receiving glucan had enhanced phagocytic and bactericidal ability. The elevated bactericidal ability of phagocytes was not accompanied by increased production of hydrogen peroxide. Fish injected with glucan responded to subsequent E. ictaluri immunizations with higher serum antibody titres relative to the control catfish. The timing of glucan administration and antigen immunization was also important. These results indicate that β-1,3 glucan potentially could be utilized prophylactically as an immunomodulator in channel catfish.
Improved gas chromatography of unesterified fatty acids.

IT has been demonstrated by Bottcher et al.1 and by Hunter et al.2 that unesterified fatty acids can be separated, by gas chromatography, by the use of ‘liquid’ phases of the polyester type. Metcalfe3 has pointed out the necessity to have a highly acidic ‘liquid’ phase in order to suppress the association of the carboxyl group of the fatty acids, and has shown that the separation of C4–C22 fatty acids is very much improved by the incorporation of phosphoric acid in the polyester ‘liquid’ phase. Using a column packing of ‘Celite 545’ previously coated with 25 per cent of diethylene glycol adipate polyester and 2 per cent of phosphoric acid, mixtures of fatty acids were separated at temperatures of 220–235° C., yielding well-defined symmetrical peaks and separating saturated and unsaturated acids from each other.
Covariance Mapping of Ammonia Clusters: Evidence of the Connectiveness of Clusters with Coulombic Explosion

Direct evidence is reported of the connectiveness of charged clusters with highly charged species (N4+, N3+, and N2+) produced upon the interaction of molecular ammonia clusters with an intense femtosecond laser beam (∼1015 W/cm2 at 120 fs). The value of covariance analysis as a general technique for studying dynamical processes in clusters is demonstrated through elucidating the details of various Coulomb explosion events. Positive covariance determinations identify concerted processes such as the concomitant explosion of protonated cluster ions of unsymmetrical size, while anticovariance mapping is exploited to distinguish competitive reaction channels such as the production of highly charged nitrogen atoms formed at the expense of the protonated members of the cluster ion ensemble. The present study demonstrates the great potential which covariance analysis offers in identifying the precursors and products of dynamical events in clusters and in the present case provides further support to the ignition ...
Epigenetic modification and antibody-dependent expansion of memory-like NK cells in human cytomegalovirus-infected individuals

Long-lived "memory-like" NK cells have been identified in individuals infected by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), but little is known about how the memory-like NK cell pool is formed. Here, we have shown that HCMV-infected individuals have several distinct subsets of memory-like NK cells that are often deficient for multiple transcription factors and signaling proteins, including tyrosine kinase SYK, for which the reduced expression was stable over time and correlated with epigenetic modification of the gene promoter. Deficient expression of these proteins was largely confined to the recently discovered FcRγ-deficient NK cells that display enhanced antibody-dependent functional activity. Importantly, FcRγ-deficient NK cells exhibited robust preferential expansion in response to virus-infected cells (both HCMV and influenza) in an antibody-dependent manner. These findings suggest that the memory-like NK cell pool is shaped and maintained by a mechanism that involves both epigenetic modification of gene expression and antibody-dependent expansion.
Three-dimensional MRI microscopy of the normal rat brain.

Magnetic resonance imaging techniques have been developed to enable imaging of the live rat brain with thin (1.2-mm) slices and microscopic pixels (115 × 115 μm). Signal-to-noise ratios high enough to realize the microscopic resolution are obtained with of coils designed for the subject and through the use of three dimensional Fourier spin warp imaging. The technique yields 16 contiguous slices. Correlation with fixed pathologic specimens enables unequivocal identification of gray and white matter structures in the brain of a live 200-g rat. Structures clearly visible in the MR images include Ammon's horn, the hypothalamus, corpus callosum and substantia nigra, as well as a number of brainstem nuclei. © 1987 Academic Press, Inc.
Serum Proteins and the Dysproteinemias

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses plasma or serum proteins and the dysproteinemias. The major proteins of plasma are globular and only a few are fibrous, such as fibrinogen. The process of protein denaturation is the net effect of the alteration of the biological, chemical, and physical properties of a protein by disruption of its structure. There are a number of methods for the determination of total protein in the serum or other body fluids. To determine the amounts of albumins and globulins that make up the total serum proteins, various fractionation techniques have been designed to separate and quantitate the serum proteins. Most fractionation techniques usually first require the determination of the total serum protein, after which the concentrations of the individual fractions are determined by calculations depending upon the fractionation method. In its simplest form, if either the albumin or globulin content is determined, the other can be obtained by subtraction from the total serum protein. The absence of γ-globulins in fetal serum or in serum from precolostral or colostrum-deprived neonatal animals can be readily demonstrated on serum proteins.
Photoelectron Spectroscopy of the Inner Shells

The study of the inner shells of atoms is basically a study of atomic orbitals. The shifts in the binding energies of the core electrons as a function of chemical environment can be considered as a perturbation on the atomic system. Experimentally, PESIS started as a means to obtain information on atomic levels, the utilization of the data for chemical description coming as a by-product of better resolution. Thus, PESIS is in the first place an atomic measurement. It affords elemental identification and is another tool for qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Who will benefit from uterus-sparing surgery in adenomyosis-associated subfertility?

Objective To analyze the determinants of successful pregnancy following laparoscopic adenomyomectomy. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting A general hospital. Patient(s) A total of 102 women who had a desire for pregnancy underwent laparoscopic adenomyomectomy from 2007 to 2012. Intervention(s) Surgical excision of the uterine adenomyosis; statistical analysis for fertility outcomes. Main Outcome Measure(s) Pregnancy rates and the results of univariable and multivariable analyses. Result(s) When the women were divided into ≤39 years and ≥40 years age groups, clinical pregnancy rates were 41.3% and 3.7%, respectively. Factors associated with clinical pregnancy were: history of IVF treatments, posterior wall involvements, and age, with odds ratios of 6.22, 0.18, and 0.77, respectively. In the younger group, 60.8% of women with history of IVF failure showed successful pregnancy after surgery. We experienced 2 cases of placenta accreta in far advanced cases. Conclusion(s) This study demonstrated age as a determinant in fertility outcomes. Surgery could be a beneficial treatment for women who experienced IVF treatment failures, especially at ages of ≤39 years. We could not show a clear benefit of the surgery on fertility outcomes of the group aged ≥40 years. Extremely severe adenomyosis affecting a broad range of the uterine subendomerial myometrium should be treated carefully on a pregnancy course.
The effect of fly ash on fluid dynamics of CO2 scrubber in coal-fired power plant

Abstract Uncaptured fly ash and/or suspended solids from wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) scrubbing solutions are one of several factors that will influence the performance and robustness of carbon dioxide capture systems in coal-fired power plants which will be installed prior to the exhaust stack. In this study, a 100 mm ID packed column scrubber was tested with different concentrations of ash in various chemical solutions to evaluate the influence of solids on the fluid dynamics of the packing material. Data reported here are collected from three solutions including water, 30 wt% MEA (monoethanolamine), and 20 wt% potassium carbonate. The packing selected for this study was a 16 mm polypropylene pall rings. Compressed air was used to simulate flue gas at near ambient temperature and pressure. A series of three experiments was performed, and the results indicated that the flooding point of the packed column was significantly impacted by the addition of 1–3 wt% ash solids into the solution. Solutions (water and 20 wt% potassium carbonate) containing solids had a lower pressure drop at a given superficial gas velocity and early flooding start point (e.g., lower superficial gas velocity at the column flooding point) than that without ash. A higher concentration of ash in the solution correlated to a lower pressure drop at the column flooding point. However, the addition of ash to a 30% MEA solution caused the pressure drop to increase for a given superficial gas velocity. The liquid holdup in the column had a significant increase due to the presence of ash.
The Influence of the Elderly on School Spending in a Median Voter Framework.

Abstract How do the elderly influence school spending if they are a minority of the population? We estimate the determinants of school spending in a median voter model, comparing four assumptions about how the elderly influence the identity of the median voter. Using a county-level panel, we find that elderly preferences are best characterized by assuming all elderly or all elderly migrants vote with the poor. Having more elderly results in a median voter who is further down the community's income distribution. This median voter is poorer, which lowers preferred school spending, and faces a lower tax price, which raises preferred school spending. The evidence suggests that the income effect is slightly larger than the price effect, so the elderly on net cause a very small drop in spending. Thus the widespread concern about the negative impact of population aging on school funding seems to be misplaced.
Sasayaki: an augmented voice-based web browsing experience

While the usability of voice-based Web navigation has been steadily improving, it is still not as easy for users with visual impairments as it is for sighted users. One reason is that sequential voice representation can only convey a limited amount of information at a time. Another challenge comes from the fact that current voice browsers omit various visual cues such as text styles and page structures, and lack meaningful feedback about the current focus. To address these issues, we created Sasayaki, an intelligent voice-based user agent that augments the primary voice output of a voice browser with a secondary voice that whispers contextually relevant information as appropriate or in response to user requests. A prototype has been implemented as a plug-in for a voice browser. The results from a pilot study show that our Sasayaki agent is able to improve users' information search task time and their overall confidence level. We believe that our intelligent voice-based agent has great potential to enrich the Web browsing experiences of users with visual impairments.
Free carrier absorption in quantizing magnetic fields: Nonpolar optical phonon scattering

Abstract A quantum theory of free carrier absorption in nondegenerate semiconductors and in strong magnetic fields which was previously developed to treat the case when acoustic phonon scattering dominates the free carrier absorption process [1] is extended to treat the case when nonpolar optical scattering is important. When the electromagnetic radiation field is polarized parallel to the direction of the applied magnetic field, results are obtained which are similar to those when acoustic phonon scattering is dominant. The free carrier absorption is an oscillatory function of the magnetic field which on the average increases in magnitude with the magnetic field. However, more structure in the free carrier absorption occurs when nonpolar optical phonon scattering dominates. This is due to the fact that there are two periods in the oscillatory magnetic field dependence associated with the emission or the absorption of optical phonons during the intraband transitions. When the cyclotron frequency exceeds the sum of the photon and optical phonon frequencies, i.e. ω c > θ + ω o , the free carrier absorption is predicted to increase linearly with magnetic field when ħω c ⪢ k B T . The magnetic field dependence of the free carrier absorption can be explained in terms of phonon-assisted transitions between the various Landau levels in a band involving the emission and absorption of optical phonons.
Degree of Metamerism

Colorimetric matches between light from objects and a three-primary visual colorimeter are generally metameric, not spectral. The amount of difference between the spectral energy distributions from the object and the calorimeter determines the degree of metamerism. Three indexes of metamerism are considered that depend on this difference. One of these indexes is shown to correlate well with the chromaticity spreads found among observers’ settings for a series of metameric matches. This correlation is independent of luminance. The other indexes do not correlate with the spread of chromaticity of matches by observers.
Investigation of Electromechanical Differences of Linear Induction Machine Operation Regions

The advantages of linear induction machines (LIM) to be applied in the transportation applications are that easy maintenance, no need for the transformation from rotary movement to linear movement, and robust operation to name a few. Control schemes with easy implementation and maximum energy conversion ratio (i.e. force/amp) has been proposed in the literature. In order to achieve maximum deceleration in this control scheme, electromechanical differences of motoring, generating, and electromagnetic braking are explored. It is shown that LIM can work in the region of electromagnetic braking. Simulation results are represented to validate the proposed control scheme.
Crystal structure of a bacterial phosphoglucomutase, an enzyme involved in the virulence of multiple human pathogens.

The crystal structure of the enzyme phosphoglucomutase from Salmonella typhimurium (StPGM) is reported at 1.7 A resolution. This is the first high-resolution structural characterization of a bacterial protein from this large enzyme family, which has a central role in metabolism and is also important to bacterial virulence and infectivity. A comparison of the active site of StPGM with that of other phosphoglucomutases reveals conserved residues that are likely involved in catalysis and ligand binding for the entire enzyme family. An alternate crystal form of StPGM and normal mode analysis give insights into conformational changes of the C-terminal domain that occur upon ligand binding. A novel observation from the StPGM structure is an apparent dimer in the asymmetric unit of the crystal, mediated largely through contacts in an N-terminal helix. Analytical ultracentrifugation and small-angle X-ray scattering confirm that StPGM forms a dimer in solution. Multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic studies show that a distinct subset of bacterial PGMs share the signature dimerization helix, while other bacterial and eukaryotic PGMs are likely monomers. These structural, biochemical, and bioinformatic studies of StPGM provide insights into the large α-D-phosphohexomutase enzyme superfamily to which it belongs, and are also relevant to the design of inhibitors specific to the bacterial PGMs. Proteins 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Control of Viremia and Prevention of Clinical AIDS in Rhesus Monkeys by Cytokine-Augmented DNA Vaccination

With accumulating evidence indicating the importance of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in containing human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) replication in infected individuals, strategies are being pursued to elicit virus-specific CTLs with prototype HIV-1 vaccines. Here, we report the protective efficacy of vaccine-elicited immune responses against a pathogenic SHIV-89.6P challenge in rhesus monkeys. Immune responses were elicited by DNA vaccines expressing SIVmac239 Gag and HIV-1 89.6P Env, augmented by the administration of the purified fusion protein IL-2/Ig, consisting of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and the Fc portion of immunoglobulin G (IgG), or a plasmid encoding IL-2/Ig. After SHIV-89.6P infection, sham-vaccinated monkeys developed weak CTL responses, rapid loss of CD4+ T cells, no virus-specific CD4+ T cell responses, high setpoint viral loads, significant clinical disease progression, and death in half of the animals by day 140 after challenge. In contrast, all monkeys that received the DNA vaccines augmented with IL-2/Ig were infected, but demonstrated potent secondary CTL responses, stable CD4+ T cell counts, preserved virus-specific CD4+ T cell responses, low to undetectable setpoint viral loads, and no evidence of clinical disease or mortality by day 140 after challenge.
Substrate-emitting short-wavelength vertical-cavity lasers for cryogenic optical interconnects

We report on a substrate emitting 885-nm (77 K) vertical cavity lasers (VCL) optimized for operation at cryogenic temperature. Submilliampere threshold currents over a 77-300 K temperature range for 3.8-/spl mu/m-diameter devices and power conversion efficiencies >30% for larger devices at cryogenic temperatures are demonstrated. The investigated VCL structure is shown. The active region contains two 60-/spl Aring/ InGaAs-GaAs quantum wells (QWs).
The Endangered Springflow Act: How the Endangered Species Act Influences Groundwater Law and Protects Springflow in Texas

Many springs in Texas are in danger of drying up as two contradictory forces – drought and development – collide. As groundwater from an aquifer is pumped for irrigation, municipal, or industrial use, the water level in the aquifer is lowered and the result is decreased flow from springs at the surface. The lack of recharge to the aquifer caused by drought exacerbates the decline in groundwater levels and diminished springflow. Reductions in springflow are problematic because springs sustain numerous creeks and rivers, especially during drought when surface runoff from rainfall is low. As springflow decreases, so does the flow of surface water, degrading aquatic habitats, threatening consumptive uses of water, interfering with recreational activities, and harming water quality. While the Texas State Water Plan indicates that water management strategies will focus on surface water in the future, reliance on groundwater supplies, including brackish sources, to support population growth, agriculture, and a booming oil and gas industry will continue.When an endangered species is present in a spring, can the Endangered Species Act influence groundwater management and protect springflow? What regulatory tools can a groundwater conservation district utilize to protect springflow to ensure the long-term survival of rare species? What potential legal vulnerabilities do groundwater districts face if they fail to do so? What options are available under the ESA for the districts to obtain authorization for unavoidable harm to the species? In this paper, we explore the significant and developing relationship between groundwater management and endangered species protection.
Distributed cooperative Web servers

Traditional techniques for a distributed web server design rely on manipulation of central resources, such as routers or DNS services, to distribute requests designated for a single IP address to multiple web servers. The goal of the distributed cooperative Web server (DCWS) system development is to explore application-level techniques for distributing web content. We achieve this by dynamically manipulating the hyperlinks stored within the web documents themselves. The DCWS system effectively eliminates the bottleneck of centralized resources, while balancing the load among distributed web servers. DCWS servers may be located in different networks, or even different continents and still balance load effectively. DCWS system design is fully compatible with existing HTTP protocol semantics and existing web client software products.
Does the Principle of Convergence Really Hold? War, Uncertainty and the Failure of Bargaining

Convergence occurs in war and bargaining models as uninformed rivals discover their opponent's type by fighting and making calibrated offers that only the weaker party would accept. Fighting ends with the compromise that reveals the other side's type. This article shows that, if the protagonists are free to fight and bargain in the time continuum, they no longer make increasing concessions in an attempt to end the war promptly and on fair terms. Instead, the rivals stand firm on extreme bargaining positions, fighting it out in the hope that the other side will give in, until much of the war has been fought. Despite ongoing resolution of uncertainty by virtue of time passing, the rivals choose not to try to narrow their differences by negotiating.
Chemical synthesis of urotensin II, a somatostatin-like peptide in the caudal neurosecretory system of fishes

In the goby, Gillichthys mirabilis, urotensin II (a bioactive neuropeptide present in the urophysis of teleost fish) has the dodecapeptide sequence, H2N-AGTADC-FWKYCV-OH, which is homologous with mammalian somatostatin at positions 1, 2 and 7-9. The Merrifield solid phase synthesis of Gillichthys urotensin II (UII) was accomplished by stepwise assembly from the carboxy terminus using N-alpha-tert, butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) amino acids containing benzyl-derived groups for protection of side-chain functionalities, Coupling of amino acids to the growing peptide was mediated by diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) in the presence of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt). Residual alpha-amino groups remaining after coupling were blocked by acetylation with 1-acetylimidazole. Crude, synthetic UII was extracted from the HF-treated, protected peptide-resin product, reduced with dithiothreitol (DTT), reoxidized at high dilution with O2, and separated into its components using a single, preparative, reverse-phase HPLC step. The pure, synthetic UII, obtained in 7.6% yield from oxidized crude UII, was indistinguishable from pure, native UII in specific bioactivity, amino acid sequence, and retention time in each of two different HPLC systems.