cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uterine allergy: a cause of preterm birth?

Objective : To identify the origin of eosinophils in cases of eosinophil-associated preterm delivery. Methods : From an established set of 465 consecutive non-anomalous singleton infants delivered at 22–32 weeks' gestation, we retrieved 161 cases of preterm delivery following spontaneous onset of preterm labor, 78 cases with maternal preeclampsia, 33 cases of abruption, and 193 cases of premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Charts were reviewed, and the placenta, umbilical cord, and membranes were examined histologically. In cases with extravascular eosinophils showing evident gradient toward the amniotic cavity, the origin of the eosinophils (fetal or maternal) was determined by the proximity to fetal or maternal vessels. Results : Histologic evidence of an eosinophilic gradient toward the amniotic cavity was present only in the fetal (including umbilical cord and chorion) compartments. This eosinophilic gradient was present in 19% (90 of 465) of preterm delivery cases and was significantly more common in cases of PROM (54 of 193, 28%) and preterm labor (34 of 161, 21%) than abruption (two of 33, 6%) and preeclampsia (none of 78) ( P Conclusion : An eosinophilic gradient toward the amniotic cavity, present in nearly a fifth of cases of preterm delivery, is probably of fetal origin, making it unlikely that a maternal “allergy-like” mechanism is a cause of preterm delivery.
A mechanism for the differential regulation of gonadotropin subunit gene expression by gonadotropin-releasing hormone.

Abstract The hypothalamic hormone gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is released in a pulsatile fashion, with its frequency varying throughout the reproductive cycle. Varying pulse frequencies and amplitudes differentially regulate the biosynthesis and secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) by pituitary gonadotropes. The mechanism by which this occurs remains a major question in reproductive physiology. Previous studies have been limited by lack of available cell lines that express the LH and FSH subunit genes and respond to GnRH. We have overcome this limitation by transfecting the rat pituitary GH3 cell line with rat GnRH receptor (GnRHR) cDNA driven by a heterologous promoter. These cells, when cotransfected with regulatory regions of the common alpha, LH beta, or FSH beta subunit gene fused to a luciferase reporter gene, respond to GnRH with an increase in luciferase activity. Using this model, we demonstrate that different cell surface densities of the GnRHR result in the differential regulation of LH and FSH subunit gene expression by GnRH. This suggests that the differential regulation of gonadotropin subunit gene expression by GnRH observed in vivo in rats may, in turn, be mediated by varying gonadotrope cell surface GnRHR concentrations. This provides a physiologic mechanism by which a single ligand can act through a single receptor to regulate differentially the production of two hormones in the same cell.
Eliot's THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK and Shakespeare's HAMLET

(2004). Eliot's THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK and Shakespeare's HAMLET. The Explicator: Vol. 63, No. 1, pp. 43-47.
Energy-dependent separable potentials

A method for constructing energy-dependent separable potentials of the form $V=\ensuremath{\lambda}(E)|vglv|$ from (complex) elastic scattering phase shifts is presented. The energy-dependent coupling constant $\ensuremath{\lambda}(E)$ is shown to satisfy a dispersion relation as a consequence of the requirement of multichannel unitarity. It is this knowledge of the analytic properties of $\ensuremath{\lambda}(E)$ which makes it possible to solve the inverse problem. It is further demonstrated that in some cases the inverse problem can still be solved analytically even when the phase shift changes sign below the inelastic threshold.
Urbanization and Competitive Party Politics

T HIS ARTICLE EXAMINES the relationship between urbanization and two-party competition at the county level in ten states. The primary stimulus for this research stems from the apparently contradictory findings of Gold and Schmidhauser in their study of Iowa and the Ohio case as presented by Eulau.' Eulau's study had been inspired by V. 0. Key's then recently published American State Politics2. Key compared the voting behavior of metropolitan as compared to non-metropolitan voters in several northern states and found notable differences. The ecological factor that attracted the attention of Eulau and then Gold and Schmidhauser was the urbanization of American counties and the impact of this ecological process on contemporary American politics and the possible implications of the process for competitive party politics in the future. Both articles accept as their working hypothesis the idea that counties "high" on an indicator of urbanization should also be "high" on an indicator of politicalparty competition. The results of these two efforts to examine in detail what Key had painted in broad strokes is a sharp contradiction: In Ohio urbanization is strongly associated with two party competition but in Iowa it is not. In this article we will briefly review the methods used to measure urbanization and party competition in Iowa and Ohio and then apply standardized measures of our own to test the hypothesis that
For-Profit College Entry and Cost Efficiency: Stochastic Frontier Estimates vs Two-Year Public and Non-Profit Colleges

This paper provides stochastic frontier cost and (in)efficiency estimates for private for-profit colleges with comparisons to public and private non-private colleges. The focus is on the two-year U.S. higher education sector where there exists the largest and fastest growing entry of for-profit colleges. Unbalanced panel data is employed for four academic years, 2005-2009. Translog cost frontiers are estimated with an inefficiency component that depends upon environmental factors defined by college specific characteristics. More experienced public and private non-profit colleges are found to be more cost efficient relative to the newer entrants. In addition, the newer for-profits exhibit greater efficiency variability but also show some evidence of efficiency gains over the academic years. There is some cursory evidence that for-profit entry is positively correlated, albeit weakly, with greater public college sector inefficiency.
ℌ 2 adaptive control

Model reference adaptive control laws are derived using an ℌ 2 optimization approach. In addition, this leads to ℌ 2 forms of well known σ- and ℯ- modification based adaptive control architectures. It is shown that ℌ 2 adaptive control leads to smaller tracking errors without requiring high adaptation gain. Instead it provides an optimal time varying adaptation gain that results in improved performance without tuning of the adaptation gain.
Image mirroring, rotation, and interpolation in wavelet domain

JPEG2000, the international standard for still image compression, uses wavelet transform. JPEG2000 uses the 9/7 Daubechies filter and the 5/3 Le Gall filter for transformation. In this paper, we present a method for image mirroring and rotation in the wavelet domain, by manipulating the transformation coefficients. Our technique requires no additional complexity and the perfect reconstruction property is preserved. The paper also discusses a method to achieve image interpolation, which constructs a higher resolution image from a lower resolution one. The wavelet domain coefficients of the image are utilized for the same. For comparison purposes, the low frequency components obtained after the wavelet transform of the image are considered as the low resolution image. Then we predict the rest of the components in order to reconstruct the higher resolution image. The reconstructed image is then compared with the original image.
Methylation of cytoplasmic adenovirus RNA synthesized early and late in productive infection

Summary [ 3 H]-methyl methionine was incorporated into poly A containing cytoplasmic RNA synthesized during productive infection with adenovirus 2. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cytoplasmic RNA lacking poly A demonstrated that the methionine methyl was not incorporated into purine rings: Preparations labeled with [ 3 H]-uridine contained peaks of cellular 5S RNA and viral 5.5S RNA in addition to tRNA. In contrast RNA labeled with [ 3 H]-methyl methionine yielded only tRNA, with no detectable incorporation into the unmethylated 5S and 5.5S RNAs. The poly A containing RNA labeled with [ 3 H]-methyl methionine was annealed to adenovirus DNA; 39% of RNA synthesized early in infection formed hybrid and more than 35% of late RNA was virus specific.
Binding of methylmercury and methylmercury-thiol complexes by myelin isolated from mice of differing selenium status.

The chemical form of methylmercury found in the body provides evidence of the intimate involvement of glutathione and glutathione metabolites with methylmercury. The involvement of glutathione in converting protein bound methylmercury to low molecular weight methylmercury-selenium compounds was shown earlier. The effectiveness of selenium in modifying mercury metabolism has attracted increasing attention. After finding that concurrent equimolar selenite injections increased the uptake of mercury but did not alter the mercury distribution in the brain and that selenium reversed the effect of mercury upon glutathione peroxidase, Prohaska and Ganther suggested a complex of mercury and selenium may be involved in the interaction of mercury and selenium. However, considering that the protective effect of selenium is exerted within the tissue without decreasing the concentration or amount of mercury in the tissue, selenium is probably not simply chelating the bulk of brain mercury. The purpose of the following experiments was to determine the binding characteristics of thiol-metabolites of methylmercury to myelin isolated from the central nervous system. The possible alteration of such binding by dietary selenium was also investigated.
Beads, Bifaces, and Boats: An Early Maritime Adaptation on the South Coast of San Miguel Island, California

Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites on California's Channel Islands provide evidence for early maritime activity, including the use of seaworthy boats. Numerous early shell middens have been identified, but specific information on the maritime peoples who occupied them is limited. Our research at CA-SMI-608, a roughly 9,500-year-old shell midden on San Miguel Island, produced a relatively large assemblage of bifaces and other chipped stone artifacts, shell beads, worked bone, and well-preserved faunal remains. Food remains are dominated by mussels, abalones, and other shellfish from the rocky intertidal, but fish, sea mammal, and sea bird remains were also recovered. These data provide a detailed view of early maritime activities along an arid coastline previously considered marginal to human settlement.
Studies on Primer Binding of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Using a Fluorescent Probe

Abstract The fluorescent nucleotide analog, 2′,3′-trinitrophenyladenosine-5′-triphosphate (TNP-ATP), was utilized to quantify the affinities of human immunodeficiency virus-1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) for its substrates. Interaction of this probe with the enzyme brings about a twofold increase in the magnitude of fluoresence emission from the probe, and a blue-shift in wavelength maximum, from 561 to 553 nm. TNP-ATP binds HIV-1 RT with a dissociation constant of 21 μM. The presence of millimolar levels of deoxynucleoside triphosphates or micromolar levels of an oligonucleotide primer analogue, p(dT)12-18, suppressed this enhancement of fluoresce. The fact that inhibition was achieved with much lower levels of primer than of dNTPs suggests that TNP-ATP is a probe for the binding site of primer of the enzyme, rather than that of deoxynucleoside triphosphate. In support of this, the effect of TNP-ATP on the kinetics of DNA synthesis catalyzed by the enzyme indicated that the probe is a competitive inhibitor with respect to template-primer. The ability of primers and primer analogs to reverse the fluoresence enhancement was determined, and the corresponding affinities of these compounds for reverse for reverse transcriptase were calculated. The affinity increased with primer length, increasing more than 50-fold from a span of 5 to 15 nucleotide residues. The interaction of polydeoxynucleotides was consistent with a model in which the enzyme bound at adjacent internal sites of about 15 residues in length. Several mammalian and bacterial transfer RNA primers were tested, including the natural primer, tRNALys3. The affinities were found to be between 0·55 and 1·2 μM, with no obvious selectivity for the natural primer, which had a Kd of 0·79 μM. These results are discussed within the context of data for HIV-1 RT obtained by other methodologies.
Photocatalyzed oxidation of ethanol and acetaldehyde in humidified air

Abstract Photocatalyzed oxidation of ethanol and acetaldehyde in humidified air was carried out to establish a first complete kinetic model for a photocatalyzed multispecies network. Two photocatalysts were examined in a batch, recirculation reactor, near-UV illuminated TiO 2 (anatase) coated (i) on the surface of a nonporous quartz glass plate and (ii) on a porous ceramic honeycomb monolith. The former contained only illuminated (active) surfaces, the latter consisted of substantial “dark” surfaces coated with a thin layer of illuminated (active) catalyst. Ethanol was photooxidized to acetaldehyde and formaldehyde intermediates, and eventually to carbon dioxide and water products. The catalyst and monolith surfaces adsorbed appreciable fractions of the trace ethanol, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, carbon dioxide, and water present. Ethanol, acetaldehyde, and carbon dioxide adsorption isotherms were measured on both catalysts; the formaldehyde adsorption isotherms were assumed identical to those of acetaldehyde. On the fully illuminated glass plate reactor, all four species were accounted for, and closure of a transient carbon mass balance was demonstrated. Completion of a transient carbon balance on the monolith reactor required inclusion of additional reaction intermediates (acetic and formic acids), which appear to reversibly accumulate on only the dark surfaces. The ethanol and acetaldehyde photocatalyzed oxidation kinetic networks were modeled using Langmuir–Hinshelwood rate forms combined with adsorption isotherms for reactant, intermediates, and product CO 2 . For both the quartz plate and monolith catalysts, satisfactory kinetic models were developed to predict the entire time course of ethanol and acetaldehyde multicomponent batch conversions.
Mapping of power consumption and friction reduction in piezoelectrically-assisted ultrasonic lubrication

Ultrasonic lubrication has been proven effective in reducing dynamic friction. This paper investigates the relationship between friction reduction, power consumption, linear velocity, and normal stress. A modified pin-on-disc tribometer was adopted as the experimental set-up, and a Labview system was utilized for signal generation and data acquisition. Friction reduction was quantified for 0.21 to 5.31 W of electric power, 50 to 200 mm/s of linear velocity, and 23 to 70 MPa of normal stress. Friction reduction near 100% can be achieved under certain conditions. Lower linear velocity and higher electric power result in greater friction reduction, while normal stress has little effect on friction reduction. Contour plots of friction reduction, power consumption, linear velocity, and normal stress were created. An efficiency coefficient was proposed to calculate power requirements for a certain friction reduction or reduced friction for a given electric power.
PREMEDICATION WITH DROPERIDOL: A DOUBLE-BLIND STUDY

1. In a double-blind study involving 514 adult patients, a comparison was made of the effectiveness and safety of droperidol and secobarbital as premedicant drugs prior to anaesthesia and surgery. 2. The three groups studied ( the third group receiving a placebo ) had a homogeneity of distribution which gives credence to the results. 3. Subjectively, droperidol produced drowsiness in a significantly larger number of patients, statistically, than did secobarbital or the placebo. 4. Objectively, droperidol was rated as providing good sedation in a significantly larger percentage of patients, statistically, than received secobarbital or the placebo. 5. Untoward effects on the respiratory or cardiovascular systems were not seen following either of the premedicant drugs employed. 6. Droperidol is believed to be a useful, safe, and effective drug for premedication.
An evaluation of epidemiological methods of monitoring human populations for increased genetic risk

Abstract Nine epidemiological methods presently available to study humans for increased genetic risk were reviewed. None of the methods directly associated with mutational endpoints were of sufficient power to be practical for monitoring groups of individuals exposed to potentially mutagenic chemicals. The most promising methods found were those which indirectly evaluate mutagenic effects. These were methods for studying delayed or decreased fertility, and fetal wastage. Significant findings in such studies in the future may reveal that chemically induced mutations are occurring in humans.
Comment on ``Cepstrum pitch determination'' [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 41, 293-309 (1967)]

In a paper by A. Michael Noll [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 41, 293–309 (1967)], the use of the cepstrum was proposed to determine the pitch of a signal. This paper shows that such a method does not work on periodic signals.
Flavonoids and Antioxidant Capacity of Various Cabbage Genotypes at Juvenile Stage

Ten fresh cabbage genotypes (Brassica oleracea var capitata) representing fresh-market, processing, and storage types were evaluated for total phenols, antioxidant capacity, and flavonoids at the 3-wk juvenile stage, at which time plants are uniform in size when grown under identical soil and environmental conditions. The genotypes studied, 'Bobcat', 'Fresco', 'Little Rock', 'Marvelon', 'Rinda', 'Ramada', 'Transam', 'Genesee', 'Huron,' and 'Octoking', showed significant variations in concentration of phenolic phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity. Total phenols ranged from 110.2 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g in 'Genesee' to 153.3 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g in 'Bobcat'. Total antioxidant capacity varied from 108.4 to 176.1 mg vitamin C equivalents/100 g, and flavonoids from nondetectable to 2.61 mg quercetin/100 g and from 1.30 to 7.03 mg kaempferol/100 g. Apigenin, luteolin, and myricetin were not detected. Five nutritional soil supplements from agricultural and food processing sources (quercetin flavonoid complex, commercial vegetable juice, crushed onion, crushed garlic, and green tea) were added to the cabbage genotype 'Rinda' once a week for 3 wk to assess their efficacy in increasing phenolic concentrations in cabbage leaves. Addition of the supplements generally resulted in increased levels of total phenols (97% with commercial vegetable juice), antioxidant capacity (41% with crushed onion), and quercetin plus kaempferol (110% with commercial vegetable juice) in the juvenile 'Rinda' plants with no significant increase with the addition of green tea. Nutritional soil supplements could provide enhanced levels of bioactive phenolic compounds as antioxidants in cabbaee and therefore to consumers.
The impact of the biotechnology industry on local economic development in the Boston and San Diego metropolitan areas

Abstract High-technology/knowledge-intensive industries have become of increasing importance as sources of job growth and revenue to communities seeking to develop their economies. Communities want these industries so that they can be as economically vigorous as possible. However, although high-tech industries such as biotechnology are coveted as drivers of economic development, the local development impact of these clusters of regional innovation is not entirely positive. This is especially true with regard to the impact upon the low and semi-skilled populations. In some regions, the new growth generated by high-tech clusters has converted relatively inexpensive open space into haphazard commercial and industrial use that has contributed to sprawl, transportation congestion, lack of affordable housing, and gentrification. These problems are particularly evident in the Boston and San Diego metropolitan areas, which rank as the second and third largest U.S. biotechnology clusters respectively. This paper seeks to gauge the local economic development impact—especially with regard to the labor and real estate markets—of the biotechnology clusters in the San Diego and Boston metropolitan areas.
A model for finite-deformation nonlinear thermomechanical response of single crystal copper under shock conditions

Abstract A physically consistent framework for combining pressure–volume–temperature equations of state with crystal plasticity models is developed for the application of modeling the response of single and polycrystals under shock conditions. The particular model is developed for copper, thus the approach focuses on crystals of cubic symmetry although many of the concepts in the approach are applicable to crystals of lower symmetry. We employ a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into isochoric elastic, thermoelastic dilation, and plastic parts leading to a definition of isochoric elastic Green-Lagrange strain. This finite deformation kinematic decomposition enables a decomposition of Helmholtz free-energy into terms reflecting dilatational thermoelasticity, strain energy due to long-range isochoric elastic deformation of the lattice and a term reflecting energy stored in short range elastic lattice deformation due to evolving defect structures. A model for the single crystal response of copper is implemented consistent with the framework into a three-dimensional Lagrangian finite element code. Simulations exhibit favorable agreement with single and bicrystal experimental data for shock pressures ranging from 3 to 110 GPa.
Characteristics and Intraoperative Treatments Associated with Head and Neck Free Tissue Transfer Complications and Failures

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between perioperative patient characteristics and treatment modalities (eg, vasopressor use and volume of fluid administration) with complications and failure rates in patients undergoing head and neck free tissue transfer (FTT).Study DesignA retrospective review of medical records.SettingPerioperative hospitalization for head and neck FTT at 1 tertiary care medical center between January 1, 2009, and October 31, 2011.Subjects and MethodsConsecutive patients (N = 235) who underwent head and neck FTT. Demographic, patient characteristic, and intraoperative data were extracted from medical records. Complication and failure rates within the first 30 days were collectedResultsIn a multivariate analysis controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, reason for receiving flap, and type and volume of fluid given, perioperative complication was significantly associated with surgical blood loss (P = .019; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.16), while the rate of intraoperative fluid...
Bid activation during induction of extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis in eosinophils

Eosinophils readily undergo apoptosis when removed from a physiological environment via activation of the intrinsic cell death pathway. This can be further enhanced by certain chemicals (for example, glucocorticoid), or by extrinsic means (that is, Fas receptor engagement). In this investigation, we examined the relative importance of these pathways in cultured human peripheral blood eosinophils in the context of expression and activation of the BH3-only Bcl2 homologue Bid. Bid activation was examined under conditions where programmed cell death was either stimulated (via Fas engagement or glucocorticoid treatment) or inhibited (interleukin-5 (IL-5)) relative to control. Full-length Bid was found to be highly expressed in eosinophils, and processed to a similar extent during either agonist anti-Fas or glucocorticoid treatment. IL-5 blocked intrinsic Bid activation during factor withdrawal or glucocorticoid treatment, and partially attenuated that caused by Fas activation. Caspase 8 (but not caspase 9) antagonism partly but significantly affected receptor-mediated Bid activation and cell death; these processes were not altered by either caspase inhibitor during simple factor withdrawal or glucocorticoid treatment. Bid processing appears to be central to both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of cell death in eosinophils. The role of IL-5 in blocking the intrinsic pathway of eosinophil apoptosis is underscored. Results of specific inhibition support the existence of Bid activation pathways in eosinophils other than those mediated by the classic initiator caspases.
The potent hepatocarcinogen methapyrilene does not form DNA adducts in livers of Fischer 344 rats

The antihistamine methapyrilene hydrochloride has been shown to be a potent hepatocarcinogen in Fischer 344 rats. It has also been evaluated in a number of short-term in vitro genotoxicity assays resulting in conflicting reports. Short-term in vivo assays suggest that it may act as a promoter. We studied its ability to form DNA adducts in the target organ using the highly sensitive 32P-postlabeling technique. Methapyrilene failed to induce formation of DNA adducts in hepatocellular DNA at doses which induced S-phase DNA synthesis. These data suggest that methapyrilene does not induce the carcinogenesis process through a direct genotoxic mechanism.
Two youths who clutter, but is that the only similarity ?

Abstract This article describes the clinical profile of two youngsters who clutter. Although both subjects share key characteristics, they differ in other respects. As we gain more systematic information on the nature and symptomatology of cluttering, we may conclude that it is not a homogeneous but a heterogeneous phenomenon.
Deictic use as a threshold for imaginative thinking: a Peircean perspective

This investigation traces the ontogeny of the use of “I” and how its symbolic use promotes imaginative thinking. Peirce's triadic system is contrasted with Vygotsky's binary system to highlight the import of Thirdness in characterizing the ontogeny of person deictics within conversational roles. Person deictics, such as “I”, are first indexes. Later when their social function/meaning is apprehended, they serve as symbols as well; still later they are used psychologically in self to self monologues, and acquire distinctive interpretants when used unconventionally. Early indexical uses of “I” are non-symbolic – “I” referring to self only absent recognition of conversational roles. “I” is employed symbolically when its referent shifts and when its invariant meaning (speaker) is apprehended. Person deictics enhance the emergence of imagination when the symbolic use transcends their inter-psychological regulation through human to human conversation to their intra-psychological function in self to self discours...
Selective antagonism of frog cerebellar synaptic transmission by manganese and cobalt ions

Parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synaptic transmission of the frog cerebellum can be selectively blocked by Mn2+ and Co2+. The interaction of these cations with Ca2+ indicates that they act, as has been found for other chemical synapses, at the presynaptic terminals where Ca2+ is required for release of neurotransmitters. Climbing fiber-Purkinje cell synaptic transmission was similarly blocked by Mg2+, Mn2+ and Co2+.
Curcumin Selectively Induces Apoptosis in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Cell Lines and Patients’ PBMCs: Potential Role for STAT-3 and NF-κB Signaling

Curcumin inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in a number of tumor cell lines and animal models. Human clinical trials indicated no dose-limiting toxicity when administered at doses up to 8g per day. The purpose of this study was to address the antitumor effect of curcumin on cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with CTCL compared with healthy donors’ controls. Curcumin at 5‐20mM for 24 and 48hours induced apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner in three CTCL cell lines (namely MJ, Hut78, and HH). Curcumin at 5‐20mM for 48hours also caused more apoptosis in patients’ PBMCs compared with healthy donors’ PBMCs (Po0.05). Curcumin decreased protein and mRNA expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3, bcl-2, and survivin in three cell lines and in patients’ PBMCs. Curcumin inhibited STAT-3 and IkB-a phosphorylation, as well as suppressed DNA binding of nuclear factor (NF)-kB in these cells. Caspase-3 was activated and poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase was cleaved after curcumin treatment. These data suggest that curcumin selectively induces apoptosis in association with the downregulation of STAT-3 and NF-kB signaling pathways in CTCL cells. Our findings provide a mechanistic rationale for the potential use of curcumin as a therapeutic agent for patients with CTCL.
Thermoregulatory responses in mice following acute administration of principal nitrogenous excretory substances

This study was designed to assess the effects of some key excretory nitrogenous substances on body temperature and selected ambient temperature (Ta) in the mouse. In the first experiment, a dosage-response curve was developed to assess the effects of urea, creatinine, and ammonium chloride on colonic temperature at a Ta of 20 degrees C. All three substances elicited a drop in body temperature at a critical dosage. The threshold dosages were 3280 mg/kg for urea, 1279 mg/kg for creatinine, and 365 mg/kg for ammonium chloride. In a second experiment the selected Ta was monitored using a temperature gradient system. Mice were injected with dosages of the nitrogenous substances that had previously been shown to cause hypothermia at a Ta of 20 degrees C. Urea and ammonium chloride had no significant effect on the selected Ta nor on the colonic temperature after 90 min in the temperature gradient. Creatinine elicited a slight lowering of the selected Ta but had no effect on colonic temperature. The thermoregulatory responses to extremely toxic dosages of the nitrogenous substances appear to be quite dissimilar to that when animals are treated with xenobiotic compounds.
Genius Thus Munificently Employed!!!": Philanthropy and Celebrity in the Theaters of Garrick and Siddons

The essay argues that David Garrick and Sarah Siddons—two of the most financially successful celebrities of their time—cultivated their parental public images in print and portrait culture by capitalizing on the level of their participation in benefits for actors and in the Drury Lane Theatrical Fund. By negotiating what I call the “philanthropic triad,” or the contradictory roles of beggar, miser, and benefactor, Garrick constructed his paternal benefaction along a public axis that promoted him as a “father and guardian” of the English stage and its actors. By contrast, Siddons played the role of maternal benefactress, largely rejecting the concept of supporting the public good and instead aligning herself with the private and domestic. In so doing, Siddons not only countered the sexually charged representations of actresses of the time, but also addressed the related question of what level of compensation actresses deserved to receive. This essay thus suggests that the cultural portrayal of benefit performances reveals the often-paradoxical reception of both philanthropy and celebrity, especially as it was inflected by gender, during the period.
Acceptable risk bases for design of structures

Structural design standards provide the foundation of good engineering practice and a framework for addressing safety and serviceability issues rationally. Structural reliability methods provide the tools for managing uncertainties in modern codified structural design. Current probability-based structural codes are based on performance measures expressed as notional reliabilities of structural components. These notional reliabilities, encapsulated in reliability indices, were obtained by calibrating the proposed codes to traditional practice rather than from quantitative risk analysis. Because the reliability estimates are based on models of real systems, they may not correspond to historical failure rates, and therefore confound the process of risk communication among structural engineers, building or regulatory officials, and the public. The research and professional engineering communities must work together to confront future challenges arising from new trends in structural engineering practice towards tailoring building design to performance expectations of the building owners, occupants and the public. In this context, the prospects of basing future codes on a quantitative acceptable risk measure warrant further examination.
Wrinkle Recovery for Cellulosic Fabric by Means of Ionic Crosslinking

Methods are developed for imparting crease angle recovery performance to cellulosic fabrics based on durable ionic crosslinks. These methods, which avoid the formaldehyde release of conventional fi...
Geostatistical Integration of Yield Monitor Data and Remote Sensing Improves Yield Maps

Grain yield maps must accurately display general yield patterns as well as details of local yield variation. Different geostatistical procedures for creating interpolated yield maps by integrating yield data with remotely sensed vegetation indices (VI) were evaluated. Yield monitor data and a multispectral satellite image at 4-m spatial resolution were collected in an irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) field and a rainfed soybean [Glycine max. (L.) Merr.] field. Ordinary kriging (OK), cokriging (CK), simple kriging with varying local means (SKLM), and kriging with external drift (KED) were compared using grain yield as primary variable and three different VI as secondary variables. At both sites, SKLM performed best in terms of the precision of grain yield maps and maps that depicted true yield patterns. Utilizing the most suitable vegetation index at each site and SKLM as interpolation method, the root mean squared error of yield predictions was increased by nearly 20% over OK. Methods such as KED or CK resulted in only small improvement of yield maps over those obtained with OK. Utilizing the satellite image decreased errors associated with yield monitor operations and allowed better prediction in areas where no reliable yield measurements were available. Due to the robust nature of modeling the relationship between primary and one or more secondary variables, the SKLM method has considerable potential for use in commercial precision-farming software. Future efforts on improving yield mapping should concentrate on obtaining improved yield monitor data and imagery and developing yield-sensitive VI for high-yielding crops.
Studies on the Genetic Control of a Nitrogenase Component in Leguminous Root Nodules

An attempt was made to determine whether Rhizobium or the host legume carries genetic information required for synthesis of the enzyme complex nitrogenase. No rhizobial mutants were found which could reduce N2. Anaerobically-grown rhizobial cells contained neither component of nitrogenase. Rhizobium strain 32H1 was used to produce root nodules on Vigna sinensis and Phaseolus aureus. Other V. sinensis plants were inoculated with Rhizobium strain 29C2. The iron-molybdenum component of nitrogenase (fraction I) from these three combinations was purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and preparative electrophoresis. The final sample formed a single band after analytical electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel. No differences in mobility were observed between the three nitrogenase samples during short periods of analytical electrophoresis. Longer periods of electrophoresis produced degradative products with similar electrophoretic mobilities from each nitrogenase sample. Amino acid analysis of fraction I samples from the three host-symbiont combinations suggested that the protein from the V. sinensis-Rhizobium 29C2 combinations was different from the other two samples. These results are interpreted as preliminary evidence that Rhizobium carries the genetic information for fraction I of nitrogenase.
A novel corrective pullthrough surgery in a mouse model of Hirschsprung's disease

Abstract Background/Purpose The study aimed to develop a mouse model of post-pullthrough Hirschsprung's disease that will allow investigation of mechanisms that cause postoperative complications. Methods We developed a novel microsurgical pullthrough operation on Balb/C mice and evaluated its effect on growth rate and stooling pattern. Histologic assessment of the pullthrough colon was performed. The pullthrough operation was then performed on Ednrb−/− mice that have aganglionic megacolon and Ednrb+/+ littermate controls, and the outcomes compared. Results The Balb/C pullthrough group had 97% survival at 1 week and 70% survival at 2 weeks. Body weight of the pullthrough animals declined 15% in the first week after surgery and subsequently normalized. The stooling pattern showed consistently softer stools in the pullthrough group, but no difference in frequency compared to controls. Histopathologic analyses 4 weeks postoperatively showed well-healed coloanal anastomoses. Two-week survival after pullthrough surgery in Ednrb−/− and Ednrb+/+ mice was 50.0%, and 69.2%, respectively ( P = NS). Increased mortality in the Ednrb−/− mice was related to the technical challenge of performing microsurgery on smaller-sized mice with poor baseline health status. Conclusions Our microsurgical pullthrough operation in mice is feasible and allows systematic investigations into potential mechanisms mediating post-pullthrough complications and poor long-term results in mouse models of Hirschsprung's disease.
High speed, high precision, measurement techniques for ferrous material part position alignment

Electromagnetic measurement techniques for high speed, high precision, ferrous material part position alignment intended to provide high speed, high precision, robust part position alignment that is competitive with existing vision and contacting (touch probe) methods are discussed. It is shown that the techniques are applicable to both translational and rotational alignment problems consisting of symmetric or asymmetric surface projections and edges and are able to determine sensor designs to achieve maximum spatial resolution for a given alignment problem, to estimate spatial location much more accurately than by processing the actual sensor generated signal alone, since advanced information about the part is used in the location estimation process, and to use sensors that are inexpensive and easy to construct, making the method cost competitive with other forms of part alignment presently used. >
How are vertical shear wave splitting measurements affected by variations in the orientation of azimuthal anisotropy with depth

Splitting measurements of teleseismic shear waves, such as SKS, have been used to estimate the amount and direction of upper mantle anisotropy worldwide. These measurements are usually made by approximating the anisotropic regions as a single, homogeneous layer and searching for an apparent fast direction (φ~) and an apparent splitting time (Δt~) by minimizing the energy on the transverse component of the back-projected seismogram. In this paper, we examine the validity of this assumption. In particular, we use synthetic seismograms to explore how a vertically varying anisotropic medium affects shear wave splitting measurements. We find that weak heterogeneity causes observable effects, such as frequency dependence of the apparent splitting parameters. These variations can be used, in principle, to map out the vertical variations in anisotropy with depth through the use of Frechet kernels, which we derive using perturbation theory. In addition, we find that measurements made in typical frequency bands produce an apparent orientation direction that is consistently different from the average of the medium and weighted towards the orientation of the anisotropy in the upper portions of the model. This tendency of the measurements to mimic the anisotropy at the top part of the medium may explain why shear wave splitting measurements tend to be correlated with surface geology. When the heterogeneity becomes stronger, multiple scattering reduces the amplitude of the tangential-component seismogram and the associated splitting time, so that a null result may be obtained despite the fact that the waves have travelled through a strongly anisotropic medium. Regardless of the amount of vertical heterogeneity, we find that there is very little dependence on backazimuth for the measured fast-axis direction or splitting time if the top and bottom halves of the medium average to similar fast-axis directions. If, however, the average fast-axis direction in the top half of the model differs from that in the bottom half, splitting-time measurements will show a significant dependence on backazimuth, but fast-axis direction measurements will remain relatively constant.
APOD: Anonymous Physical Object Delivery

Delivery of products bought online can violate consumers' privacy, although not in a straightforward way. In particular, delivery companies that have contracted with a website know the company selling the product, as well as the name and address of the online customer. To make matters worse, if the same delivery company has contracted with many websites, aggregated information per address may be used to profile customers' transaction activities. In this paper, we present a fair delivery service system with guaranteed customer anonymity and merchant-customer unlinkability, with reasonable assumptions about the threat model.
Enhancing adherence in clinical research

This article presents overviews of adherence or compliance in clinical care and research, focusing on the need to enhance research adherence. The scope of the clinical research enterprise and costs of conducting clinical research are summarized. Costs associated with suboptimal adherence in clinical care and research also are addressed, along with their implications for enhancing adherence. Methodological problems and statistical challenges (including intent-to-treat) associated with poor adherence are reviewed. Addressing social factors, regimen characteristics, behavioral patterns, and systems issues can affect adherence. Strategies for enhancing adherence in clinical research subjects, including pre-randomization screening, behavioral and educational interventions, monitoring, and enhancing subjects' status and contingencies for adhering are discussed. Integrating adherence-enhancing strategies throughout research phases, from pre-randomization screening during recruitment to endpoint, has the potential to improve the quality and outcome of research while limiting costs.
IMAGE ANALYSIS OF ANDROGEN RECEPTOR IMMUNOSTAINING IN PROSTATE CANCER ACCURATELY PREDICTS RESPONSE TO HORMONAL THERAPY

AbstractPurpose: Immunostaining for androgen receptor in prostate tumor specimens has revealed that the majority of primary and advanced stage cancers are positive for this regulatory transcription factor. Consequently, its use as a marker for tumor behavior and therapeutic response has been discounted. However, past reports have noted significant heterogeneity of androgen receptor immunostaining between prostate tumor cells in contrast to staining homogeneity in normal epithelium, which indicates that variability in androgen receptor content may exist within certain tumor specimens. To analyze this phenomenon more thoroughly and to determine whether this variability possesses clinical correlates, androgen receptor immunostaining profiles within androgen receptor positive prostate tumor specimens were categorized using an image analysis based system.Materials and Methods: Tumor specimens were obtained before hormone therapy from 44 patients with advanced stage prostate cancer and 4 with early stage diseas...
Experiments and Results

In this chapter, a collection of experiments and results are provided. There are two main sections of experiments: those designed to support the theory discussed in Chap. 4, and a sufficiently complete performance analysis. The first set of experiments study the uniqueness and robustness properties of the Simple K-Space approach. First, an experiment designed to demonstrate that any small change in the sketch results in a corresponding change in the model, indicate a local type of uniqueness (in general). Then, in order to study the robustness of SKS, the model is fixed and the test sketch varied in relatively small increments from the sketch that constructed the (constant) model to a completely different sketch. Analysis of the accumulators from this experiment reveals that initially there is strong peak, which diminishes as the test becomes inconsistent with the model. Thus, SKS directly incorporates tolerance into the methodology. The second set of experiments includes testing the performance on synthesized sketch-based password and two databases of hand-drawn sketches (one includes pressure information and the other does not).
Synthetic Test Installation for Converter Valves for HVDC Transmission

A synthetic valve test facility employing a unique low voltage off-commutation scheme has been constructed for the development and testing of Liquid Metal Plasma Valves for HVDC transmission. The installation is capable of testing valves up to a voltage and current of 200 kV and 1800 A, respectively. It possesses a high degree of operational flexibility and is able to closely simulate the working duty of converter valves used in HVDC terminals. The operating characteristics of the test installation have been illustrated.
Through patient eyes: Can third-year medical students deliver the care patients expect?

Introduction: Patient-centered approaches have a positive impact on adherence to treatment, self-management of chronic disease, and patient satisfaction. We seek to graduate physicians who provide effective Patient-Centered Care (PCC). The aims of this research were to (a) include the patients’ perspectives in describing behaviors essential to effective PCC, (b) create an authentic, credible tool to assess these behaviors in third-year medical students, and (c) validate the assessment tool through the eyes of our patients. Methods: To develop and validate PCC behaviors we (a) developed PCC descriptors that included patient perspectives, (b) developed scenarios for students to demonstrate PCC, (c) administered the PCC-Objective Structured Clinical Exam, and (d) used the patient perspective to validate results. Results: Faculty and students found the PCC-OSCE to be an authentic experience. Students received abundant individualized feedback and demonstrated strong performance in communicating effectively, avoiding medical jargon, listening actively, demonstrating empathy, and leading critical conversations. Patient critiques of exemplary performances confirmed that the PCC-OSCE assesses elements the patients viewed as essential to PCC. Conclusion: Incorporating the patients’ perspective aids in better understanding professional competencies and legitimizes the assessment.
Quantitative measurement of NO density by resonance three-photon ionization.

An ionization probe and measurement procedures are developed to permit accurate NO density measurements with good spatial and temporal resolution and with the high sensitivity and good discrimination inherent in resonance-enhanced multiple-photon ionization processes. The use of NO as a calibration standard for density measurements of other molecules and combustion radicals is discussed.