cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive Fusion Protein Contains High and Low Affinity ATP-binding Sites That Are Functionally Distinct

N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) has been shown to be involved in numerous intracellular membrane fusion events of both the regulated and constitutive secretory pathways. Sequence analysis indicates that the NSF subunit contains two nucleotide-binding sites, both with the classical Walker A and B motifs. In this report, we examine the nucleotide binding properties of NSF. The homotrimer contains three high affinity ATP-binding sites with Kd = 30-40 nM for ATP and Kd = 2 microM for ADP. This class of binding sites did not bind AMP, adenine, or GTP. A second class of lower affinity nucleotide binding sites with a Kd = 15-20 microM was also detected. Using various mutant forms of NSF, the high affinity nucleotide-binding sites were localized to the D2 domains and the low affinity sites were localized to the D1 domains. Functionally it is these lower affinity sites in D1 that are crucial for NSF activity. Nucleotide concentration greatly affected the ability of NSF to interact with alpha-SNAP.SNARE (soluble NSF attachment protein-SNAP receptor) complex, suggesting that only when the D1 domain ATP-binding sites are occupied does NSF bind to the alpha-SNAP.SNARE complex.
Structure of the serotype f polysaccharide antigen of Streptococcus mutans

Abstract The structure of the serotype f polysaccharide antigen of Streptococcus mutans was determined by methylation analysis, periodate oxidation, and partial methanolysis, and the configuration of the anomeric linkages by 13 C-n.m.r. spectroscopy, indicating the trisaccharide repeating unit →3)-α- l -Rha p -(1→2)-[α- d -Glc p -(1→3)]-α- l -Rha p -(1→. The structure of the backbone of the polysaccharides was confirmed by demonstrating immunological identify between the product of Smith degradation of the S. mutans serotype f antigen and the group A-variant streptococcal polysaccharide.
Disengagement beliefs in South Asian immigrant smokeless tobacco users: A qualitative study

Gutka and tambaku paan (smokeless tobacco products used by South Asian immigrants) are carcinogenic to humans (and perceived as such), yet, one-fourth of South Asian immigrants report current use. This study examined disengagement beliefs that perpetuate gutka/tambaku paan use among South Asians despite awareness of health risks. Six focus groups were conducted with immigrant South Asian adult gutka/tambaku paan users, in Gujarati, Bengali and Urdu languages in New York, USA. Participants included 39 South Asian adults residing in the New York City Metropolitan area, current (a minimum of weekly gutka or tambaku paan use in the last 12 months) or former (regular use prior to past 12 months) gutka or tambaku paan users and self-reported spoken fluency in Gujarati, Urdu or Bengali languages. Participants identified many health risks associated with gutka/tambaku paan use including locked jaw, high blood pressure and cancer. Five themes of disengagement beliefs emerged: (a) skepticism about the gutka/tambaku...
Neuroprotectin D1 Synthesis and Corneal Nerve Regeneration after Experimental Surgery and Treatment with PEDF plus DHA

Purpose. This study was conducted to define whether pigment epithelial–derived growth factor (PEDF), together with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), enhances the synthesis of neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1) and the regeneration of corneal nerves damaged after surgery.
Orbital ice: An exact Coulomb phase on the diamond lattice

We demonstrate the existence of an orbital Coulomb phase as the exact ground state of a p-orbital exchange Hamiltonian on the diamond lattice. The Coulomb phase is an emergent state characterized by algebraic dipolar correlations and a gauge structure resulting from local constraints (ice rules) of the underlying lattice models. For most ice models on the pyrochlore lattice, these local constraints are a direct consequence of minimizing the energy of each individual tetrahedron. On the contrary, the orbital ice rules are emergent phenomena resulting from the quantum orbital dynamics. We show that the orbital ice model exhibits an emergent geometrical frustration by mapping the degenerate quantum orbital ground states to the spin-ice states obeying the 2-in-2-out constraints on the pyrochlore lattice. We also discuss possible realization of the orbital ice model in optical lattices with p-band fermionic cold atoms.
Investigating the Guidance Offered to Teachers in Curriculum Materials: The Case of Proof in Mathematics

Despite widespread agreement that proof should be central to all students’ mathematical experiences, many students demonstrate poor ability with it. The curriculum can play an important role in enhancing students’ proof capabilities: teachers’ decisions about what to implement in their classrooms, and how to implement it, are mediated through the curriculum materials they use. Yet, little research has focused on how proof is promoted in mathematics curriculum materials and, more specifically, on the guidance that curriculum materials offer to teachers to enact the proof opportunities designed in the curriculum. This paper presents an analytic approach that can be used in the examination of the guidance curriculum materials offer to teachers to implement in their classrooms the proof opportunities designed in the curriculum. Also, it presents findings obtained from application of this approach to an analysis of a popular US reform-based mathematics curriculum. Implications for curriculum design and research are discussed.
Corrosion behaviour of surgical implant materials: II. Effects of surface preparation

In this further study of implant corrosion, the effects of various pretreatments and surface preparations on corrosion rate were determined. The results show that electropolished surfaces corrode most slowly, while sand-blasted finishes are the least resistant. Also, it is concluded that in the usual surgical implant applications, surface scratching is of minor importance. Possible methods for passivating prior to implantation in the body include exposure to either HNO3 or oxygenated saline solution. In general, oxygenated isotonic sodium chloride is very effective in reducing the subsequent corrosion rate and is strongly recommended for stainless steel and Vitallium implants.
Concentration of proteins using carboxymethyldextran

Abstract Carboxymethyldextran was used to displace several proteins from DEAE-cellulose in highly concentrated form, and the concentrated protein fractions were examined directly by gel electrophoresis. The concentration of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II demonstrates the application of the method to a labile enzyme. The concentration of goat γ-globulin by sharp elution from CM-cellulose with carboxymethyldextran is also described.
Striatal substance P cell clusters coincide with the high density terminal zones of the discontinuous nigrostriatal dopaminergic projection system in the cat: a study by combined immunohistochemistry and autoradiographic axon-tracing.

Abstract A portion of the nigrostriatal projection that originates from presumably dopaminergic neurons in the caudal pars compacta of the substantia nigra and the suprajacent pars dorsalis (retrorubral area), was shown by [ 3 H]amino acid autoradiographic tracing to distribute nonhomogeneously in the head of the caudate nucleus, such that zones of high density termination are in register with the archipelago of substance P cell clusters revealed immunohistochemically in the same and adjacent tissue sections of the cat's brain. Axons from this same portion of the substantia nigra distribute densely at caudal levels of the putamen where again substance P-immunoreactive striatal cells are numerous. In nearby tissue sections from the same cases, tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity suggested only subtle variations in the density of the catecholamine axon network within the striatum. Thus, whereas dopamine axons are distributed densely throughout the striatum, those originating from cells in the caudal pars compacta et dorsalis of the substantia nigra and ending in the head of the caudate nucleus appear to terminate preferentially within the substance P cell clusters. These data suggest that the striatal substance P cells, which send their axons selectively to the entopeduncular nucleus and substantia nigra, but much less so to the globus pallidus, are a major target of nigrostriatal dopamine transmission. This result is discussed with respect to the anatomical, neurochemical and functional organization of the striatifugal projection system.
Surface salt bridges modulate DNA wrapping by the type II DNA-binding protein TF1.

The histone-like protein HU is involved in compaction of the bacterial genome. Up to 37 bp of DNA may be wrapped about some HU homologues in a process that has been proposed to depend on a linked d...
Cell-Substratum Adhesion Strength as a Determinant of Hepatocyte Aggregate Morphology

Cultured hepatocytes typically form multicellular aggregates which are either monolayered or spheroidal in morphology. We propose that the aggregate morphology resulting from a particular cell-substratum interaction has a biophysical basis: when cell contractile forces are greater than cell-substratum adhesion forces, spheroidal aggregates form; when cell contractile forces are weaker than cell-substratum adhesion forces, cells remain essentially spread and form monolayered aggregates. We tested this hypothesis by systematically varying the morphology of hepatocellular aggregates formed on substrata coated with a series of different concentrations of Matrigel, and correlating aggregate morphology with the cell-substratum adhesion strength measured in a shear flow detachment assay. Aggregate morphology was binary-spheroidal aggregates formed at low Matrigel concentrations and monolayered aggregates formed at high Matrigel concentrations. Cell-substratum adhesion strength was similarly binary, with low adhesion strengths correlated with spheroidal aggregates and high adhesion strengths correlated with formation of monolayered aggregates. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 53: 415-426, 1997.
Male backlash, bargaining, or exposure reduction?: women’s working status and physical spousal violence in India

Labor force participation of women is expected to decrease the risk of spousal violence by enhancing their bargaining power or diminishing their contacts with abusive partners. The opposite effect is predicted when female employment induces male backlash. I identify the effect of female employment on spousal violence by exploiting the exogenous variations in rural women’s working status driven by rainfall shocks and the rice–wheat dichotomy. The instrumental variable regression result indicates that female employment significantly reduces the incidence of spousal violence. This result is mainly driven by the exposure reduction effect that dominates male backlash. There is, however, no evidence on the bargaining effect.
Short-term changes in plasma levels of hormones during establishment and defense of a breeding territory in male song sparrows, Melospiza melodia

Abstract When territorial male song sparrows are captured and removed from their territories, previously unmated and nonterritorial males will take over those vacant territories within 12–72 hr. Plasma levels of testosterone are elevated in these replacement males as well as in their neighbors. Since the latter already have territories, it is suggested that the agonsitic interactions over territory boundaries, or behavioral stimuli from challenging males, rather than ownership of a territory per se, stimulates secretion of testosterone. To test this hypothesis further, male song sparrows were challenged by experimental simulation of a territorial intrusion. This procedure involved placing a caged male song sparrow in the center of the subject's territory and playing tape recorded conspecific song through an adjacent speaker. Responding males were then captured at intervals after onset of the intrusion. Plasma levels of testosterone were significantly higher in males exposed to experimental territorial intrusion than they were in controls, supporting the hypothesis that behavioral stimuli emanating from an intruding male can act as supplementary information stimulating secretion of testosterone.
A multiple tree algorithm for the efficient association of asteroid observations

In this paper we examine the problem of efficiently finding sets of observations that conform to a given underlying motion model. While this problem is often phrased as a tracking problem, where it is called track initiation, it is useful in a variety of tasks where we want to find correspondences or patterns in spatial-temporal data. Unfortunately, this problem often suffers from a combinatorial explosion in the number of potential sets that must be evaluated. We consider the problem with respect to large-scale asteroid observation data, where the goal is to find associations among the observations that correspond to the same underlying asteroid. In this domain, it is vital that we can efficiently extract the underlying associations.We introduce a new methodology for track initiation that exhaustively considers all possible linkages. We then introduce an exact tree-based algorithm for tractably finding all compatible sets of points. Further, we extend this approach to use multiple trees, exploiting structure from several time steps at once. We compare this approach to a standard sequential approach and show how the use of multiple trees can provide a significant benefit.
Hysteroscopic Endocervical Resection

A new method was developed to access the uterine cavity in women in whom cervical stenosis precludes hysteroscopic surgery. Thirty-three women with intractable uterine bleeding were chosen to undergo either hysteroscopic myometrial resection or myomectomy. All of them had cervical stenosis that would, in the authors' opinion, not permit safe dilatation to 9 mm, the minimum diameter necessary to introduce a gynecologic resectoscope. Endocervical resection was performed in all 33 patients, with safe, easy access to the uterine cavity. No cases of fluid overload or excess bleeding occurred. We conclude that hysteroscopic endocervical resection is a safe method to create a portal of entry to the uterine cavity in women with absolute or relative cervical stenosis.
Integration of first-principles methods and crystallographic database searches for new ferroelectrics: Strategies and explorations

Abstract In this concept paper, the development of strategies for the integration of first-principles methods with crystallographic database mining for the discovery and design of novel ferroelectric materials is discussed, drawing on the results and experience derived from exploratory investigations on three different systems: (1) the double perovskite Sr(Sb1/2Mn1/2)O3 as a candidate semiconducting ferroelectric; (2) polar derivatives of schafarzikite MSb2O4; and (3) ferroelectric semiconductors with formula M2P2(S,Se)6. A variety of avenues for further research and investigation are suggested, including automated structure type classification, low-symmetry improper ferroelectrics, and high-throughput first-principles searches for additional representatives of structural families with desirable functional properties.
The Sleeping Analyst, The Waking Dreams: Commentary on Papers by Richard A. Chefetz and David G. Mark

The discussion applies the basic psychological concepts of emotion schemas and the referential process to the case material presented by Drs. Richard Chefetz and David Mark. Emotion schemas are types of memory schemas that develop in an interpersonal field. They include subsymbolic processes, symbolic imagery, and linguistic codes, integrated to varying degrees. In treatment both participants come in with their emotion schemas, developed in the course of their lives, activated in the events of the day; communication between analyst and patient occurs on all levels in subsymbolic somato-sensory and symbolic verbal forms. The discussion of Dr. Chefetz's presentation emphasizes the relationships among multiple schemas of self and others, within the patient and between patient and analyst. The discussion of Dr. Mark's three cases focuses on connections and disconnections within the schemas as well as between them and emphasizes the pivotal role of imagery in connecting subsymbolic experience and words, and in...
Small carcinomas of the breast.

Fifty-seven of 919 consecutive breast carcinomas were described as measuring 1 cm or less on gross examination, but microscopic review showed that only 23 (2.8%) were actually less than 10 mm in diameter. Of these, two were reclassified as atypical epithelial hyperplasias rather than carcinomas. Fourteen of the small tumors had been discovered by self-examination, two by routine physical examination, and the remainder because of nipple discharge or scaling. Two (12%) of the small carcinomas had axillary lymph node metastases, as compared to 46% for all cases, and only one patient developed disseminated disease and has since died. Seven of the 21 carcinomas are of a histologic type usually associated with a relatively good prognosis, including five cases of carcinoma and two well-differentiated carcinomas. Some tumors were associated with atypical epithelial hyperplasia in other portions of the breast consistent with a multicentric proliferative process, but there was no unusual degree of atypia consistent with field changes immediately adjacent to the small cancers.
Studies on 4-methylumbelliferone caprylate as a substrate for hog pancreatic lipase

Abstract The proposal that 4-methylumbelliferone esters are substrates for pancreatic lipase was evaluated. Purified pancreatic lipase was found to give only 0.2% the activity with 4-methylumbelliferone caprylate (4-MUCA) as compared to triolein when the usual titrimetric method of assaying lipase was employed. It was demonstrated by fluorometric assay that purified pancreatic lipase has slight activity on the proposed substrate, probably due to incomplete purification, which is indicated by the electrophoresis experiment. Pancreatic extract catalyzes the hydrolysis of 4-methylumbelliferone caprylate when measured by the titrimetric method or the fluorometric method, which indicates a 4-methylumbelliferone esterase. The pancreatic lipase and the 4-MUCA esterase were partially separated by electrophoresis.
Sclerosing Mesenteritis: Clinical Features, Treatment, and Outcome in Ninety-Two Patients

Background & Aims: Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare non-neoplastic disease that affects the small bowel mesentery with chronic fibrosing inflammation. There are few data on the natural history and therapeutic options for this condition. Methods: We performed a retrospective and prospective study to describe the clinical characteristics, therapy, and outcome of all cases of sclerosing mesenteritis diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, from 1982–2005. Results: Ninety-two cases were identified; 70% were male, with a median age of 65 years (interquartile range, 55–72). Common presenting symptoms included abdominal pain in 70%, diarrhea in 25%, and weight loss in 23%. Treatment included medical therapy alone in 26%, surgery alone in 13%, surgery followed by medical therapy in 9%, and 52% received no treatment. Ten percent responded to surgery alone, 20% responded to additional medical treatment after surgery, and 38% responded to medical therapy alone. Tamoxifen in combination with prednisone was used in 20 patients, and 60% improved. Non-tamoxifen–based regimens were used in 12 patients, and 8% improved. Eighteen deaths were noted during the study period, and 17% were attributed to complications of sclerosing mesenteritis or its treatment. Conclusions: Although a relatively benign condition, sclerosing mesenteritis can have a prolonged debilitating course with a fatal outcome. Our results suggest that symptomatic patients might benefit from medical therapy, particularly tamoxifen and prednisone combination treatment. Long-term follow-up is needed to substantiate these results.
The continued promise of stem cell therapy in regenerative medicine.

Abstract The use of stem cells is galvanizing regenerative medicine research. An analysis of recent trends as typified by articles published between 2009 and 2010 in the journals Cell Transplantation--The Regenerative Medicine Journal and Medical Science Monitor demonstrate the increasing importance of stem cell research as being on the cutting edge of regenerative medicine research. The analysis revealed an even split between transplantation and non-transplantation studies, showing that both the applicability and general research is being pursued. New methods and tissue engineering are also highly important components of regenerative medicine as demonstrated by a number of the stem cell studies being involved with either ex vivo manipulation, or cotransplantation with other cells or biomaterials. This suggests that the best results may be achieved with adjuvant therapies. The non-transplantation studies were more focused on manipulation of transplantable agents including cells and scaffold systems, as well as the use of medicines and dietary supplements. The further elucidation of disease mechanisms was a major contribution. This analysis suggests that regenerative medicine is proceeding at a rapid pace and the next few years should be of considerable interest with the initial results of pioneering stem cell therapies being announced.
Observations on the possible pathogenicity of paracolon bacilli as incitants of diarrheal diseases in infants and children

1. Clinical and bacteriological data are presented on 49 infants and children harboring paracolon bacilli in the intestinal tract. 2. All strains of paracolon bacilli isolated from these patients produced acid and gas from glucose, and the majority of them failed to form acid or acid and gas from lactose even when the incubation period was extended to 3 weeks. 3. Thirty-nine of the 49 patients presented evidence of diarrheal disease during hospitalization. Of these, 25 carried paracolon bacilli but no other pathogenic or potentially pathogenic enteric microorganisms. In the remaining 14 cases, in addition to paracolon bacilli, other enteric organisms were present, namely, paratyphoid or dysentery bacilli, B. proteus or B. morganii type I. Eleven of these patients were admitted to this hospital solely because of diarrheal disease, whereas in the remaining cases hospitalization was required because of other disorders such as upper respiratory infections, otitis media, etc. Three patients of this group died ; the others recovered from the diarrheal disease. 4. Six patients harboring paracolon bacilli in the intestinal tract were admitted without evidence, but with history of diarrheal disorder. 5. Paracolon bacilli were present in the intestinal tract in 4 individuals who presented neither history nor evidence of diarrhea. A report on the incidence of paracolon bacilli in the feces of healthy infants will appear in the Journal of Pediatrics. 6. The majority of patients harboring paracolon bacilli were infants and children under two years of age.. Of the 49 individuals, 31 were less than six months old; 35 one year or less, and only 6 were older than two years. 7. The significance of paracolon bacilli as saprophytes or potentially pathogenic microorganisms acting as primary or secondary incitants of diarrheal disease is discussed.
High-frequency micro-ultrasound for vascular access in young children--a feasibility study by the High-frequency UltraSound in Kids studY (HUSKY) group.

SummaryBackground Cannulation of small arteries and veins in young children can be challenging. Although anesthesiologists frequently use ultrasound for placement of central venous lines and nerve blocks, its use for cannulation of small, peripheral vessels is less helpful. Ultrasound systems (7-15 MHz) currently used in clinical practice focus poorly at the sub-10-mm space and thus lack the resolution to allow accurate ultrasound-guided cannulation of small vessels. High-frequency micro-ultrasound (HFMU) is a new technology that allows higher resolution (15–50 MHz) compared with conventional ultrasound. Limited human studies have been performed thus far with HFMU, and none have been performed in young children or for vascular access. Methods This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using HFMU to visualize and cannulate peripheral arteries and central veins in children under the age of 6 years old. The diameter of radial and ulnar arteries was also measured. Results The anesthesiologists involved in this study found the 50 MHz HFMU probe useful for cannulation of peripheral arteries, especially in the youngest children. The higher-frequency probes were less helpful for internal jugular vein cannulation because it was not always possible to view the carotid artery while cannulating the vein. Conclusions The experience gained in this feasibility study suggests that HFMU could be a valuable addition to our armamentarium for difficult vascular access in the future.
Adaptations for rapid and forceful contraction in wing muscles of the male golden-collared manakin: sex and species comparisons.

The courtship display of the male golden-collared manakin (Manacus vitellinus) of Panamanian rainforests is noteworthy for several types of whip-crack-like sounds created by a rapid overhead flip of the wings. We have hypothesized that this courtship behavior, which is not performed by females, is associated with steroid-sensitive and sexually dimorphic neuromuscular systems. Presumably, muscles creating the motion of the wingsnap in males are specialized for greater force generation and speed of contraction. We tested this hypothesis by examining mass, fiber diameter, metabolic enzyme activity, and myosin isoform expression in several muscles of male and female manakins and in both sexes of a non-wingsnapping bird, the zebra finch (Taenopygia guttata). We have identified three wing muscles, the scapulohumeralis caudalis, the supracoracoideus, and the pectoralis major, that differ in one or more of these characteristics across sex and species, suggesting they are specialized for faster contraction and greater force production in male manakins. These muscles normally function to raise and lower the wings during flight. As this movement is the principal motion of the wingsnap, these adaptations presumably underlie the performance of the wingsnap display.
AlN films grown by electric field induced flux of Al cations

Abstract Thin films of aluminum nitride (AlN) have been grown on (0001) oriented sapphire ( α -Al 2 O 3 ) substrates through the use of an externally applied electric field. By applying an electric field with an appropriate electrode material, at elevated temperatures, across Al 2 O 3 , a flux of Al 3+ cations toward the cathode was induced. The cations arriving at the surface of the Al 2 O 3 then reacted with a nitrogen gas atmosphere to form a thin epitactic film of AlN on the Al 2 O 3 .
The Language of Treatment: Argot in a Therapeutic Community.

Abstract The specialized language, or argot, of a group can be analyzed in connection with group members' behavior to reveal aspects of the group's culture and to help understand the behavior of its members. In comparison with prison argot, the argot of therapeutic community residents is primarily protherapy and integratiue in character. One of the reasons why this may be the case is that whereas prison argot is created by the inmates themselves and oriented to the antiadministration outlook of prison inmates, therapeutic community argot is created by staff and is geared to treatment goals. Moreover, the staff have themselves been through the same kinds of experience residents are undergoing, the argot is transmitted through other residents, and the structure of the house is such that formalized treatment roles have been created, superseding the establishment of informal inmate roles. Though it is not known to what extent the cultural orientation revealed in this therapeutic community's argot facilitates ...
Proximal thoracic aortic diameter measurements at CT: Repeatability and reproducibility according to measurement method

To determine the variability in CT measurements of proximal thoracic aortic diameters obtained using double-oblique short axis and semiautomatic centerline analysis techniques. Institutional review board approval, with waiver of informed consent, was obtained for this HIPAA-compliant, retrospective study. Cardiac gated thoracic aortic CT scans were evaluated in 25 patients. Maximum aortic diameter measurements at the annulus, sinuses, sinotubular junction and ascending aorta were generated using double-oblique short axis and semiautomatic centerline analysis techniques. Intraobserver and interobserver variability and variability between techniques were assessed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, Spearman's correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots. Mean intraobserver diameter differences using double oblique views ranged from -0.3 to 0.6 mm. The 95 % confidence interval for difference in diameters was ±2.4 to ±5.1 mm for radiologist #1 and ±2.6 to ±5.2 mm for radiologist #2, depending on location. Mean intraobserver diameter differences using centerline analysis ranged from 0.2 to 2.3 mm, and the 95 % confidence interval for difference in diameters was ±2.0 to ±4.6 mm, depending on location. Significant interobserver differences were seen for both double oblique views and centerline analysis. Measurements obtained using the two methods were strongly correlated (r = 0.81-0.99), although they were consistently larger using centerline analysis (95 % confidence interval, ±1.8 to ±3.2 mm). Although measurement variability of the proximal thoracic aorta was generally low using double oblique and centerline analysis techniques, differences of up to approximately 5 mm in diameter occurred within the 95 % confidence interval. Neither technique was clearly more reliable than the other.
Affective language and humor appreciation after right hemisphere brain damage.

Many adults with right hemisphere brain damage exhibit difficulties in the comprehension and expression of emotional language and humor. Affective comprehension deficits range in severity and can be modulated by task and response demands as well as by the strength of emotional content. Expressive emotional language deficits, as characterized by reduced emotional intensity, are more pervasive than comprehension deficits. Deficits in humor appreciation generally affect the ability to integrate an incongruous element (e.g., a punch line) with the preceding context. Several co-occurring disorders (e.g., depression, cognitive and visuoperceptual deficits, and reduced auditory comprehension) may exacerbate problems with affective language and humor. Although some formal measures evaluate humor appreciation, none specifically addresses emotional language. While no hard data exist regarding efficacy of treatment for deficits in affective language or humor processing, several suggestions for such treatment are provided.
389 LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF TESTICULAR VOLUME DURING EARLY INFANCY

In an attempt to correlate possible changes in testicular volume with the rise in gonadotropins and testosterone which occurs during early infancy, we followed the testicular volume of 10 normal infants during the first 5 months of life. Using a calibrated orchidometer with reference beads of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 m1, a single observer performed testicular measurements at birth and at monthly intervals thereafter. Infants with hydrocele or undescended testes were excluded from the study. The mean testicular volumes for each side are shown in the following Table: The mean testicular volume increased from birth to one month of age, reaching a peak at 2 to 3 months and decreased thereafter. Mean testicular volume at 1 month of age was significantly higher than at birth (p < 0.0025), and at 5 months significantly lower than at 2 months of age (p < 0.05). We conclude that changes in testicular volume closely parallel the known rise in gonadotropins and testosterone which occurs during early infancy.
Limiting Cardiac Ischemic Injury by Pharmacological Augmentation of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor–AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Signal Transduction

Background—Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) exerts a protective effect on ischemic myocardium by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Small molecules that increase the affinity of MIF for its receptor have been recently designed, and we hypothesized that such agonists may enhance AMPK activation and limit ischemic tissue injury. Methods and Results—Treatment of cardiomyocytes with the candidate MIF agonist, MIF20, augmented AMPK phosphorylation, increased by 50% the surface localization of glucose transporter, and enhanced by 25% cellular glucose uptake in comparison with MIF alone. In mouse hearts perfused with MIF20 before no-flow ischemia and reperfusion, postischemic left ventricular function improved commensurately with an increase in cardiac MIF-AMPK activation and an augmentation in myocardial glucose uptake. By contrast, small-molecule MIF agonism was not effective in cells or tissues genetically deficient in MIF or the MIF receptor, verifying the specificity of MIF20 for MI...
Nonequilibrium occupancy of tail states and defects in a -Si:H: Implications for defect structure

A detailed investigation of the electron and hole occupancy of tail states in undoped amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) as well as changes in the dangling-bond occupancy as a function of excitation intensity was carried out using light-induced electron-spin-resonance (LESR) measurements. For very thick films the band-tail electron and hole densities are not proportional. Over a wide range of excitation conditions the excess hole density is constant, suggesting the presence of charged defects with a density that is 5\char21{}10 times larger than the neutral defect density in annealed or as-grown a-Si:H. Light soaking increases mainly the neutral defect density. The dependence of the excess hole density on film thickness and absorption profiles indicates that this effect is a bulk property, which may be masked in thinner films by the comparatively high interface defect density. Model calculations of nonequilibrium occupation statistics confirm the experimental results. For a defect distribution that includes charged defects, the calculations suggest a very small positive LESR signature of the dangling bond, in spite of the high density of charged defects in the material, as a necessary consequence of the asymmetries observed between electron and hole capture rates and tail-state distributions. The calculations demonstrate that the lack of this signature does not imply a defect structure that contains predominantly neutral defects.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia of the ovary the value of sonography

Leukemic involvement of ovary has been found in up to 30% of patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) at autopsy, but is rarely found clinically. Since the ovary may be a sanctuary for ALL to reseed the marrow, early clinical detection of ovarian involvement is important. The use of sonography in evaluating the ovary is suggested as part of the management routine in ALL. It can be used prior to cessation of chemotherapy and on subsequent follow-up to assess the state of the ovary. A case is presented in which a young woman with ALL in remission developed a pelvic mass, documented by ultrasound, subsequently shown to represent leukemic infiltration of the ovary.
22.2 A 69.5mW 20GS/s 6b time-interleaved ADC with embedded time-to-digital calibration in 32nm CMOS SOI

Low-power time-interleaved ADCs with high sampling rates of over 10GS/s are in high demand for wireline communication systems. However, the time-interleaved channels suffer from process mismatch, particularly for timing skew. Although a power-consuming two-rank track-and-hold (T/H) can prevent such timing-skew problems, distributed T/Hs can be used for lower-power operation with timing-skew calibration to meet the skew specifications of 200fsrms for 6b resolution and 10GHz input signals. Instead of using software calibration with Fourier analysis [1-3], requiring a special input reference signal [4], or relying on the statistics of the input signal [5], this work presents a low-complexity on-chip background calibration technique to reduce gain, offset, and delay mismatches between channels. This enables small-size transistors to be used in comparators and clock delivery circuits to avoid serious noise coupling and save considerable power for such an ultra-high-speed system. The presented 8-way time-interleaved 20GS/s 6b ADC achieves an SNDR of 30.7dB at Nyquist and consumes only 69.5mW.
Power constrained distributed estimation over noisy channels in WSNs

We consider distributed estimation of a random scalar parameter in a wireless sensor network (WSN), where, by employing a simple uncoded analog amplify-and-forward transmission scheme, the measurements are sent from the sensors to the fusion center (FC) over noisy wireless channels. Under a total transmission power constraint, we study the power allocation among the sensors to minimize the estimation mean-square error (MSE) at the FC. We present an effective solution which allows for correlated sensor observations. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Safety Precautions in Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Patients with Known Blood-Borne Infections: A Survey-Based Study

PurposeA survey-based study was conducted to gather expert experience on safety procedures used when performing Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) on patients with known infectious hepatitis or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).MethodsSix hundred eighty-four fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons were surve
Lamins Regulate Cell Trafficking and Lineage Maturation of Hematopoietic Cells

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells reside preferentially in adult marrow microenvironments together with nucleated erythroblasts and megakaryocytes, whereas other blood cells readily cross the endothelial barrier into the circulation. Since the nucleus is the largest organelle in blood cells, we hypothesized that [1] cell sorting across microporous barriers is regulated by nuclear deformability as controlled by lamin-A and -B, and [2] lamin levels directly modulate hematopoietic programs. Mass spectrometry-calibrated intracellular flow cytometry indeed reveals a lamin expression map that partitions human blood lineages between marrow and circulating compartments (P = 0.00006). B-type lamins are highly variable and predominate only in CD34+ cells, but migration through micropores and nuclear flexibility in micropipette aspiration both appear limited by lamin-A:B stoichiometry across hematopoietic lineages. Differentiation is also modulated by overexpression or knockdown of lamins as well as retinoic acid addition, which regulates lamin-A transcription. In particular, erythroid differentiation is promoted by high lamin-A and low lamin-B1 expression, whereas megakaryocytes of high ploidy are inhibited by lamin suppression. Lamins thus contribute to both trafficking and differentiation.
The Economics of Grain Price Volatility

Recent volatility of prices of major grains has generated a wide array of analyses and policy prescriptions that reveal the inability of economists to approach a consensus on the nature of the phenomenon and its implications for policy. This review of market events and their economic interpretations finds that recent price spikes are not as unusual as many discussions imply. Further, the balance between consumption, available supply, and stocks seems to be as relevant for our understanding of these markets as it was decades ago. Though there is much to be learned about commodity markets, the tools at hand are capable of explaining the main forces at work, and of giving good guidance to policymakers confronted with a bewildering variety of expensive policy prescriptions.
Communication and Instruction in an Online Graduate Education Course.

Computer‐mediated distance education holds potential for providing professional development opportunities for teachers. This study investigated teaching and learning through written asynchronous and synchronous communications in an online graduate education course. Types of student participation during four weeks of discussions in the course, two weeks involving discussion boards (asynchronous) and two involving chat sessions (synchronous), were analyzed to better understand the instruction and learning taking place through each mode. Surveys of students' perceptions of various aspects of the online course including their learning through discussion boards and chat sessions were gathered. Findings suggest instructional practices for online education that draw on the strengths of each written communication mode while diminishing their weaknesses.
The peak load reduction hypothesis for avian hatching asynchrony

According to the Peak Load Reduction Hypothesis, avian parents establish within-brood hatching asynchrony (via early incubation of first-laid eggs) in order to lower the maximum level of the brood's daily food demands. By offsetting the individual demand curves by a day or more, parents may be able to achieve adaptive levels of effort relief. We examined the potential parental savings from this strategy by developing a simple analytical model wherein individual offspring demand curves were either aligned (as in synchronous hatching) or displaced by a hatching interval variable (asynchronous hatching). Parental savings were calculated for various common brood sizes and hatching intervals.
Augmentation of Vasoactive Substances by Tetraethylammonium Chloride

This investigation attempts to demonstrate the mechanism by which substances that block autonomic ganglionic transmission increase the pressor and depressor activities of a variety of drugs. Short-lived hypertension and a high degree of vascular responsiveness is induced by combining cord destruction, inactivation of the carotid sinus mechanism and nephreetomy. The increased responsiveness is found to be due to removal of the compensatory nervous mechanisms which tend to oppose changes in blood pressure. It may be reduced or abolished by hepatectomy, severe hypotension and shock.
A phase cell cluster expansion for Euclidean field theories

We adapt the cluster expansion first used to treat infrared problems for lattice models (a mass zero cluster expansion) to the usual field theory situation. The field is expanded in terms of special block spin functions and the cluster expansion given in terms of the expansion coefficients (phase cell variables); the cluster expansion expresses correlation functions in terms of contributions from finite coupled subsets of these variables. Most of the present work is carried through in d space time dimensions (for 4; the details of the cluster expansion are pursued and convergence is proven). Thus most of the results in the present work will apply to a treatment of 4: to which we hope to return in a succeeding paper. Of particular interest in this paper is a substitute for the stability of the vacuum bound appropriate to this cluster expansion (for d = 2 and d = 3), and a new method for performing estimates with tree graphs. The phase cell cluster expansions have the renormalization group incorporated intimately into their structure. We hope they will be useful ultimately in treating four dimensional field theories.
ELECTRON-SPIN-RESONANCE SPECTRA OF SPINACH PHOSPHODOXIN AND SPINACH CHLOROPLASTS.

Abstract It has been found that: the dark electron-spin-resonance spectrum of spinach chloroplast fragments is reduced in the presence of spinach phosphodoxin; the light-induced electron-spin-resonance spectrum of spinach chloroplast fragments is increased in the presence of spinach phosphodoxin; and spinach phosphodoxin alone exhibits a pH-dependent, light-induced spin signal.
Gel filtration in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride of the α-subunit (and its fragments) of the receptor for immunoglobulin E

Abstract The mol. wts of the α-chain of the receptor for immunoglobulin E and several of its enzyme-cleaved fragments have been evaluated by gel filtration on Sepharose 6B in 6 M guanidine HCl. The mol. wt of α-chains treated with endoglycosidase was 30% less than that of untreated α-chains. α-Chains digested with papain eluted in a single peak with a mol. wt approximately one-half of that of undigested α-chains. The results support the proposal that papain cleaves α-chains into two fragments of similar size [Goetze et al. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 6341–6349].
Equilibrium and non-equilibrium radiation observed in shock-tube studies of methane oxidation

Abstract Equilibrium emission intensities between 3700 and 5152 A have been accounted for in terms of absolute emission intensities associated with the recombination reactions between CO and O to form CO 2 and O plus O yielding O 2 , as well as emission from the Schumann-Runge bands of O 2 . Absolute radiation intensities observed for CO-O recombination are consistent with the experimental results described in earlier publications. Observed equilibrium emission intensities in fuel-lean and stoichiometric mixtures at 3100 and 3180 A correspond to radiation from electronically excited OH. Our results indicate that simplified smeared-line band models do not agree with the observed data at 3100 and 3180 A. In view of the known spectral structure of the twelve contributing main and satellite vibration-rotation bands near the band origins, failure of the simplified band models is readily intelligible. In a fuel-rich mixture, the observed radiation is much greater than can be accounted for by radiation from known emitters. Previously published, non-LTE populations for the first electronically excited states of OH, CH and C 2 have been reevaluated for argon-diluted mixtures of CH 4 and O 2 behind reflected shock waves. In these studies, absolute emission intensities were measured from OH at 3100 and 3180 A, from CH at 3922 and 4297 A, and from C 2 at 4689 and 5152 A. Equilibrium absorption coefficients have been measured for H 2 O at temperatures between 2200 and 3100°K. Induction times observed for the onsets of measurable emission from electronically excited species and the times required to reach maximum emission increase in the order OH ∗ , CH ∗ , C ∗ 2 . In conclusion, we define an elaborate spectroscopic procedure for mapping the complete concentration-time profiles for all of the chemical species that occur in a representative reaction scheme. The consistency of the postulated reaction mechanisms and rates may be verified by detailed comparisons of calculated and observed concentration-time histories. This program has not yet been successfully completed.
Software characterization independent of hardware

This paper describes a software simulation methodology which is being developed for flexible, macro-level computer systems modeling. This methodology enables one to vary the host hardware configuration under consideration without requiring alterations to the software system characterization, or vice versa. The SOFT-SIM methodology forms the basis for a computer systems simulator which will exhibit independent, data-defined software and hardware specifications. Fully defined software systems and/or probabilistic job mix scenarios can be addressed with this methodology.