cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unique morphology of HeLa cell attachment, spreading and detachment from microcarrier beads covalently coated with a specific and non-specific substratum

A SEM and TEM evaluation of adhesion of HeLa-S3 cells to suspensions of culture microcarriers coated with various substrata revealed two unique cell morphologies. One is similar to that for cells attaching to culture dishes and the other one only appeared with microcarriers stirred under high shear conditions. The usual appearance of a spreading cell is to change from a sphere to the shape of a 'fried egg'. This proceeded in HeLa cells by a radial extension of the filopodia in between which the cytoplasm subsequently filled. Fluorescent antibody staining of actin suggested that more actin was present at the periphery of the spreading edges of the cell than inwards. The above morphology was characteristic of HeLa cell attachment to gelatin-coated microcarriers. However, the morphology of the attachment to microcarriers coated with non-biological substances such as negatively charged sulfonate groups or positively charged polyethyleneimine or even with the attachment protein laminin was quite different. Here the cells attached and began to spread as with gelatin-microcarriers, however, the spreading was not radial but occurred from one or two major regions of the cell periphery. The cell then appeared to constrict with the formation of a substratum attached pedestal upon which the cell body was perched. With time the cell pinched-off from pedestal. Evidence indicated that the pedestal was quite fragile. Furthermore, fluorescent antiactin staining indicated that the initial spreading region contained abundant actin which was depleted upon pedestal formation and detachment. The above in addition to previous kinetic measurements provided the information to classify cell substrate attachment materials into two distinct types. One is specific substrata which promote normal attachment and spreading and appear to interact with specific cell surface proteins. The other is non-specific substrata which in high shear conditions induces pedestal formation followed by pinching-off of the cells. Had previous attachment assays been done under high shear as done with the microcarriers and HeLa cells it is likely that substrata classified as specific might be reclassified into non-specific.
Abstract 3260: Allele-specific tumor spectrum inPtenknockin mice

Germline mutations in the PTEN tumor suppressor cause Cowden and Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndromes, two dominantly inherited disorders characterized by mental retardation, multiple hamartomas and variable cancer risk. Here we modeled three sentinel mutant alleles of PTEN identified in Cowden patients and show that the nonsense Pten Δ4–5 and missense Pten C124R and Pten G129E alleles lacking lipid phosphatase activity cause similar developmental abnormalities but distinct tumor spectra with varying severity and age-of-onset. Allele-specific differences may be accounted by loss-of-function for Pten Δ4-5, hypomorphic function for Pten C124R and gain-of-function for Pten G129E . These data demonstrate that the variable tumor phenotypes observed in Cowden and Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome patients can be attributed to specific mutations in PTEN that alter protein function through distinct mechanisms. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3260.
Pelvic venous hypertension: an unseen venous disease

tomy without oophorectomy, implying some vascular protection from estrogen. Current thinking is that hormone replacement therapy should not be used to prevent heart attacks, based on the women’s health initiative Phase 1. Phase 2 with hysterectomized patients is ongoing. At present we do know that estrogens have actins in all layers of the arterial wall. The poster presented these actions and the rationale for estrogen protection from atherosclerosis.
PARTIAL RECONSTITUTION OF A PATIENT WITH CONGENITAL THYMIC DYSPLASIA BY FETAL TISSUE AND TRANSFER FACTOR

Attempts at immunologic reconstitution of patients with congenital thymic dysplasia have been disappointing. We have studied an 18 month old male with chronic history of mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC), diarrhea, repeated infections and failure to thrive. He had a marked deficiency of T-cell functions with a decrease in circulating T-cells, absent cutaneous reactivity to skin test antigens and absent PHA responsiveness in vivo and in vitro. Although lymphopenic he had adequate numbers of circulating B-cells and plasma cells in his bone marrow aspirates. B-cell functions including levels of serum immunoglobulins, isohemagglutinins and pokeweed mitogen responsiveness were within the normal range. Implanted tissues from a female abortus of 16 weeks gestation restored in vivo and in vitro PHA responsiveness within 24 hours. Karyotypic and HL-A analyses demonstrated that chimerism had not occurred. In an attempt to augment persistently negative responses to Candida antigen, multiple doses of transfer factor (2.4 × 108 lymphocytes/dose) were administered. Peripheral T-cell rosettes increased from 5% to 40% without change in his response to Candida antigen or his clinical CMC. After eight months of continuing transfer factor therapy the patient has tripled his weight and remains clinically stable.
Return of the ego--self-referent information as a filter for social prediction: comment on Karniol (2003).

Assessing the status of the self in social prediction, Karniol (2003) questioned the prevalent metatheory of egocentrism. According to this metatheory, situational cues automatically activate self-referent knowledge. People then use this knowledge to predict the responses of others, be they individuals or groups. To the extent that individuating information about others is also available, the resulting predictions are compromises between that additional information and the predictor’s own egocentric generalizations. This metatheory has rarely, if ever, been articulated so clearly, perhaps because its assumptions have been uncritically accepted for too long. Karniol’s exposition is thus a breath of fresh air. It forces the field to review the validity of these assumptions, not in the least because Karniol presents an alternative view, which reverses the received wisdom at every turn. The alternative protocentrism paradigm considers beliefs concerning the attributes of the generalized or prototypical person to be the bedrock of social prediction. Protocenters are said to influence predictions in two ways. First, people assume by default that they share the attributes of the protocenter. Thus, many attributes of the self match the protocentric attributes because the former are derived from the latter. Because many protocentric attributes also affect how other individuals are perceived, these others appear to be similar to the self. This similarity is, however, fully mediated by the shared protocentric source. Second, people recognize idiosyncratic differences between themselves (or another individual) and the protocenter by way of direct comparisons. Attributes tagged as being distinctive then form the core of the self-concept. The theoretical value of the protocenter model depends on the clarity of its conceptual structure; its empirical viability will depend on the success with which it can account for existing data and its fertility in generating novel and testable hypotheses. In my view, three conceptual issues need to be resolved for the protocentrism paradigm to become more compelling. In regard to its empirical status, I review three sets of findings from research on consensus estimation. These findings lead me to conclude that at the present time the conventional view of egocentrism is supported rather well.
Modeling and Simulation of a Bio-Mimetic MEMS Actuator With Self-Sensing for Thrombus Retrieving

A new bio-mimetic MEMS actuator device with self-sensing used for thrombus retrieving is presented. The device contains four laterally apposed triangular teeth forming a square which is inspired by the jaws of an earthworm that has radial teeth around a circular mouth. Each tooth is fixed only at the perimeter of the square and consists of several layers including piezoelectric material (PZT) layers, electrode layers (Ti/Pt) and diffusion barrier layers. Due to mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients of different layers, each of the four triangular teeth would initially curve up after the micro fabrication opening the “jaws” of the device. The teeth can then be driven to a closed position by applying an electric field to the PZT layers. The self-sensing method of the piezoelectric device is used for detecting the external force exerted by the teeth and feedback control system in this bio-mimetic MEMS actuator device. The mathematic model which can be used to calculate and control the residual stress causing the curvature of these teeth is discussed. Additionally, residual stress coupled with the piezoelectric stress and external force is also considered. The materials and thickness are optimized by using the linear model developed in this paper. Moreover, with this mathematic model and geometry of these teeth, the motion tracks driven by two different modes are simulated.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Review: The Fiber Width of Coalinga Chrysotile: Reduced Respirability due to its Thick Nature in an Aerosol and its ``Ultra-Thin'' Nature in Aqueous Solution (In Vivo):

Deposition of particles in the lung is largely controlled by aerodynamic diameter, and fibers greater than a certain diameter cannot reach the alveoli. Coalinga type chrysotiles form long, thick fibers when aerosolized, which are largely nonrespirable and thus have far less potential to produce disease than true long ‘‘nonCoalinga’’ chrysotile fibers that are largely thin and mainly respirable. Increased width and reduced respirability, which was first recognized more than 25 years ago, contribute to its lack of biological activity. There is direct qualitative and quantitative evidence to support the enhanced thickness of Coalinga type chrysotiles in an aerosol and indirect evidence by mass concentration measurements. Coalinga chrysotile fibers in aqueous
Remote door lock controller [for disabled persons]

The remote door lock controller remotely unlocks a door mechanism using a wireless remote controller. Such a device is very helpful for people with limited motor abilities since it is nearly impossible for them to perform certain simple physical tasks, such as locking or unlocking a door. Tasks which most of us take for granted can prove to be extremely difficult if not impossible for those with physical disabilities. The device is made up of two major parts: the wireless remote controller, and its receiver which also the controls the door lock mechanism. In operation, the user locks or unlocks a door, by pressing the appropriate button on the remote controller. Also, the door can be locked and unlocked, as one normally locks a door by using its key. A signal scrambler on the receiver/door lock controller is employed making unauthorized access next to impossible.
Sexually Transmitted Infection History among Adolescents Presenting to the Emergency Department

Abstract Background Adolescents and young adults account for about half of the annual diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the United States. Screening and treatment for STIs, as well as prevention, are needed in health-care settings to help offset the costs of untreated STIs. Objective Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence and correlates of self-reported STI history among adolescents presenting to an emergency department (ED). Methods Over two and a half years, 4389 youth (aged 14–20 years) presenting to the ED completed screening measures for a randomized controlled trial. About half (56%) reported lifetime sexual intercourse and were included in analyses examining sexual risk behaviors (e.g., inconsistent condom use), and relationships of STI history with demographics (sex, age, race, school enrollment), reason for ED presentation (i.e., medical or injury), and substance use. Results Among sexually active youth, 10% reported that a medical professional had ever told them they had an STI (212 females, 35 males). Using logistic regression, female sex, older age, non-Caucasian race, not being enrolled in school, medically related ED chief complaint, and inconsistent condom use were associated with increased odds of self-reported STI history. Conclusions One in 10 sexually active youth in the ED reported a prior diagnosed STI. Previous STI was significantly higher among females than males. ED providers inquiring about inconsistent condom use and previous STI among male and female adolescents may be one strategy to focus biological testing resources and improve screening for current STI.
A heavy traffic limit theorem for networks of queues with multiple customer types

The central result of this paper is a heavy traffic limit theorem for the vector of total station workloads in an open network of queues with multiple customer types, under first-come-first-served and priority disciplines. The limit process is a regulated Brownian motion on the nonnegative orthant, with parameters specified from the first two moments of the interarrival and service time distributions and a matrix of reduced routing information. Through the phenomenon of state space collapse, associated limit results for queue length, workload and sojourn time processes by customer type are obtained jointly as simple transformations of the total workload limit process. Diffusion approximations based on the theorem are discussed.
A Systems Framework for Evaluation of Faculty Web-Work.

A systems theory of evaluation provides a framework and critical indicators for evaluating effectiveness of Web-mediated faculty work in creating and transferring knowledge.
Modulation of the Endocannabinoid System in Cardiovascular Disease. Therapeutic Potential and Limitations

Endocannabinoids, endogenous lipid mediators generated by virtually all cell types both in the brain and peripheral tissues, elicit a broad range of biological effects similar to those of marijuana. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) comprises the endocannabinoids, the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis and degradation, putative membrane transporter(s) involved in their cellular uptake and (possibly) release, and the G protein-coupled receptors that mediate their effects, including CB1 and CB2 as well as additional, as yet unidentified, receptors.1–4 GPR55 has recently been proposed to be a cannabinoid receptor,5 although its in vivo biological functions have not yet been identified. Arachidonoyl ethanolamide (anandamide [AEA]) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol are the 2 best characterized endocannabinoids. AEA can be a full or partial agonist at CB1 receptors, depending on the system, and has low efficacy at CB2 receptors, whereas 2-arachidonoylglycerol is a full agonist at both CB1 and CB2 receptors. AEA also binds to vanilloid VR1 receptors, although with an affinity an order of magnitude lower than its affinity for CB1 receptors.3 Both AEA and 2-arachidonoylglycerol are generated in the cell membrane from membrane phospholipid precursors, and the synthesis of both ligands involves multiple, parallel biosynthetic pathways.4,6,7 In contrast, their enzymatic degradation occurs through unique pathways, AEA being degraded primarily by fatty acid amidohydrolase (FAAH),8 whereas 2-arachidonoylglycerol is degraded mainly by monoglyceride lipase, although additional enzymes may make a minor contribution to the in vivo degradation of both ligands.9 In the absence of a cellular storage mechanism for endocannabinoids, their tissue levels are determined by the balance between the rate of their “on-demand” synthesis and their enzymatic degradation. The CB1 receptor is predominantly expressed in the central nervous system,3 but is also present at much lower, yet functionally relevant, levels in …
Moisture effects on the dielectric properties of soils

Laboratory-measured dielectric property data and related electromagnetic wave propagation parameters are reported for a broad range of soil textures. The dielectric permittivity and phase velocity are shown to be very strong functions of volumetric soil moisture. A polynomial model for predicting soil moisture from permittivity measurements at 100 MHz is presented.
Pregnancy-related cell traffic, microchimerism and autoimmunity: the possibility of reducing autoimmune disease prevalence

Evidence of bidirectional cell traffic between fetal and maternal departments is well established in pregnancy. The amount of cell traffic varies, however, with mode of delivery. Maternal–fetal traffic is highest with vaginal and lowest with cesarean section delivery. Fetal–maternal cell traffic follows opposite dynamics. Cell traffic has the potential to establish microchimerism of donor cells within the recipient. The presence of such microchimerism in recipients of cell traffic has been associated by some investigators with the occurrence of autoimmune diseases. Since this association between cell traffic, microchimerism and the development of autoimmune diseases has remained unproven, this article proposes that, if microchimerism is causally connected to the occurrence of autoimmune diseases, the prevalence of autoimmune diseases in offspring should correlate with their mode of delivery. The design of appropriate population studies would seem to be urgent because confirmation of this hypothesis would ...
On the average delay for routing subject to independent deflections

Consider a packet walking along a directed graph with each node having two edges directed out. The packet is headed towards one of N destinations, chosen according to a probability distribution p. At each step, the packet is forced to use a nonpreferred edge with some probability q, independently of past events. Using information theory and sequential analysis, it is shown that the mean number of steps required by the packet to reach the destination is roughly, at least H(p)/(1-h(q), where h is the binary entropy function and H(p) is the entropy (base two) of p. This lower bound is shown to be asymptotically achievable in the case where the packet always begins at a fixed node. Also considered is the maximum, over all pairs of nodes in a graph, of the mean transit time from one node to the other. The work is motivated by the search for graphs that work well in conjunction with deflection routing in communication networks. >
Research on Workspace of A Two-arm Surgical Robot

The drawbacks of traditional minimally invasive thoracic and celiac surgeries performed by doctors holding instruments directly could be overcame by using robots. In this paper, the forward kinematic model of the two-arm minimally invasive thoracic and celiac surgical robot developed by the authors is established, and the original workspace of two operation instruments of the robot's two arms in which two operation instruments cooperate is analysed based on it. Due to the complexity of the original workspace leading to the difficulty in finding the shape, position and volume of the original workspace, the redefined workspace and the way to find it are put forward, and the shape, position and volume of the redefined workspace could be found easily by that way.
Reproductive demography of two closely related Emydine Turtles in a spring fed system

Freshwater turtles are appropriate organisms for studying maternal investment in offspring because, unlike most long-lived vertebrates, turtles show high fecundities and most provide no parental care. We studied reproductive patterns of two emydine freshwater turtle species, the Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) and the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) at Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas during the 2009 nesting season. Forty-six percent of all nesting Texas river cooters and 25% of all nesting red-eared sliders nested twice, with some Texas river cooters nesting more than twice. Mean egg mass, egg length, and egg width decreased in subsequent clutches in Texas river cooters. However, there was an insufficient sample size of subsequent clutches (n = 6) to draw conclusions for red-eared sliders. Red-eared sliders did not show a positive relationship between clutch size and body size. We found that in both species there was a positive relationship between egg width and egg mass in relation to maternal body size. However, only Texas river cooters showed a positive relationship between clutch size and maternal size, while only red-eared sliders showed a positive relationship between egg length and maternal size. By comparing reproductive parameters of these two coexisting populations, we concluded that the members of these two species allocate resources differently for reproduction.
Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic oral health disparities among US older adults: oral health quality of life and dentition

Objective This study aims to examine if older adults living in poverty and from minority racial/ethnic groups experienced disproportionately high rates of poor oral health outcomes measured by oral health quality of life (OHQOL) and number of permanent teeth. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of 2,745 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2008. Oral health outcomes were assessed by questionnaire using the NHANES-Oral Health Impact Profile for OHQOL and standardized examination for dentition. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to determine the association between oral health outcomes and predictors of interest. All analyses were weighted to account for complex survey sampling methods. Results Both poverty and minority race/ethnicity were significantly associated with poor oral health outcomes in OHQOL and number of permanent teeth. Distribution of scores for each OHQOL domain varied by minority racial/ethnic group. Conclusions Oral health disparities persist in older adults living in poverty and among those from minority racial/ethnic groups. The racial/ethnic variation in OHQOL domains should be further examined to develop interventions to improve the oral health of these groups.
Business Policy and Metaphysics: Some Philosophical Considerations

Business policy is described as an exercise in applied metaphysics. Policy making requires the manager to go beyond knowledge derived purely from direct experience, to deal with questions concerning the nature and structure of reality, and to create methods for acquiring knowledge about the world in which his enterprise operates. Twelve approaches that typify the field of business policy are summarized and classified as to their primary metaphysical assumptions, using two key dimensions, rationalism versus existentialism and empiricism versus idealism.
Analytical and Experimental Lateral Load Behavior of Unbonded Posttensioned Precast Concrete Walls

The use of unbonded posttensioned (UPT) precast concrete walls with horizontal joints as the primary lateral load resisting system in seismic zones has been considered in several previous studies. This paper introduces a design-oriented analytical model that uses simple formulae to estimate the nonlinear lateral load behavior of UPT walls, and compares this simple model with available experimental results. A previously developed UPT wall model based on fiber elements is also compared with experimental results. Each model is formulated to consider several critical limit states in the lateral load behavior of UPT walls. Comparisons showed generally good agreement between analytical and experimental results for three different test walls under monotonic and cyclic loading. The simple model is found to be sufficiently accurate for seismic design of UPT walls, and the fiber model is found to be sufficiently accurate for estimating UPT wall response under earthquake loading.
The GO system prevents ROS‐induced mutagenesis and killing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Inactivation of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutM, mutY, or mutT gene conferred a 2.4-, 17.2-, or 38.1-fold increase in spontaneous mutation frequency, respectively. Importantly, the mutY and mutT strains each displayed a robust H2O2-induced mutation frequency. In addition, the mutM, mutY, and mutT mutations severely sensitized P. aeruginosa to killing by H2O2, suggesting that these gene products act to repair one or more cytotoxic lesions in P. aeruginosa. Nucleotide sequence analysis of a fragment of the rpoB gene from rifampicin resistant mutM-, mutY-, and, mutT-deficient strains was consistent with this conclusion. These findings are discussed in terms of possible roles for mutM, mutY, and mutT in contributing to survival and mutagenesis of P. aeruginosa colonizing the airways of cystic fibrosis patients.
Living donor small bowel transplantation: Literature review 2003–2006

: The experience with living donors for intestinal transplantation is limited. However, Intestinal Registry data suggest that the outcomes of the procedure are comparable with those obtained with intestinal transplant from deceased donors. In selected cases, this strategy may have a role in the treatment of patients with irreversible intestinal failure suffering life-threatening complications from total parenteral nutrition. The present review covers most of the published data on this topic between 2003 and 2006, with special reference to living donor intestinal transplantation of pediatric recipients.
A Max-Flow/Min-Cut Algorithm for Linear Deterministic Relay Networks

The linear deterministic model of relay networks (LDRN) is a generalization of the traditional directed network model which has become popular in the study of the flow of information over wireless communication networks. The max-flow/min-cut theorem for a multicast session over a directed network has been extended to this wireless relay model. The result was first proved by a random coding scheme over large blocks of transmitted signals. In this paper, in the special case of a unicast session, a simple capacity-achieving transmission scheme for LDRN which codes over one symbol of information at each use of the network is obtained by a connection to the submodular flow problem and through the application of tools from matroid theory and submodular optimization theory. Polynomial-time algorithms for calculating the capacity of the network and the optimal coding scheme are implied by our analysis.
Future microprocessors and off-chip SOP interconnect

Limits to chip power dissipation and power density and limits on the benefits of hyperpipelining in microprocessors threaten to stop the exponential performance growth in microprocessor performance that we have grown accustomed to. Multicore processors can continue to provide historical performance growth on most modern consumer and business applications. However, power efficiency of these cores must also be improved to stay within reasonable power budgets. This can be achieved by simplifying the processor core architecture, and reversing the trend toward ever more-complex and less power-efficient cores. To maintain overall performance growth with stunted per-core and per-thread performance, growth rates will require an even more rapid increase in the number of cores per die. Growing performance by increasing the number of cores on a die at this rate, however, puts unprecedented requirements on the corresponding growth of off-chip bandwidth. We argue that contrary to the international roadmap for semiconductors (ITRS) predictions, off-chip signaling frequencies are likely to exceed the frequencies of processor cores in the not too distant future, consistent with the system-on-package (SOP) concept in the first paper of this issue. If this approach is followed, a 1-TFlops multiprocessor die with 1 TB/s of off-chip bandwidth is feasible at reasonable cost before the end of the decade.
Effects of periodic flow fluctuations on magnetic resonance flow images

The effects of periodic velocity fluctuations on magnetic resonance flow images are investigated experimentally and theoretically. In the experiments, laminar pipe flow of water was examined. The flow was driven by a constant pressure head with a superimposed sinusoidal component with the frequency ωz varied from 0 to 1 Hz, whereas in the simulations ωz was between 0 to 65 Hz. The velocity profiles obtained from the experimental results compare well with the theoretical calculations. Both theory and experiment show that flow fluctuations produce artifacts in the form of “ghosts” of the primary image, which are spaced at equal intervals in the phase encoding (flow) direction. The distance between ghosts depends on the fluctuation frequency and on the experimentally specified parameters (phase encoding gradient step, repetition time, phase encoding duration, and time difference between phase encoding gradient lobes). The amplitudes of the ghosts depend on amplitude of the flow fluctuation and diminish at frequencies higher than 30 Hz. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 50: 1662–1671, 2004
The universal equilibrium spectra of turbulent velocity and scalar fields

Kolmogoroff’s (1941) theory of local isotropy and universal similarity predicts that all turbulent velocity spectra are reducible to a single universal curve for the highest wave-numbers and that under certain conditions dimensional analysis may be used to predict spectral shapes. Identical arguments predict that the fine structure of conserved dynamically passive scalar fields mixed by turbulence will also be universally similar. A single-electrode conductivity probe in a bridge circuit was used to measure the spectra and decay of a random homogeneous field of concentration and temperature behind a grid, and a Lintronic constant-temperature hot-film anemometer was used to measure the decay of velocity field. These experimental measurements of absolute turbulent velocity, temperature, and concentration spectra in salt water are here compared with the general predictions of universal similarity and local isotropy theories, as well as a prediction by Batchelor (1959) of the exact large wave-number spectral form for scalar mixing at high Schmidt number (v D). The spectral shapes are found to have the predicted similarity forms, and the data are consistent with Batchelor’s predicted spectrum of the scalar field.
Spawning ascent durations of pelagic spawning reef fishes

Predation risks have been hypothesized to influence spawning behaviors of coral reef fishes that broadcast gametes pelagically. The duration of spawning ascents of 13 species were measured from video footage at a single spawning site for mul- tiple coral reef fishes to investigate if this behavior was influenced by varying risks of predation. Fishes that spawned in pairs had as- cents of longer duration than group-spawning species. Duration of spawning ascents did not vary between fishes spawning at daytime and dusk, nor between group-spawning species with specific anti-predatory morphological adaptations. These results indicate that risk of predation may not significantly influence the duration of spawning ascents of pair spawning reef fishes at our study site, while group-spawning behaviors are influenced by predation. Avoidance of egg predation by benthic organisms and female mate choice are more likely to influence the pelagic spawning behaviors of all fishes observed (Current Zoology 58 (1): 95-102, 2012).
Vitamin C or not to see: A diagnostic dilemma

Scurvy is a severe deficiency of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Despite it’s perceived rarity in developed countries, certainpopulations are at higher risk of developing scurvy, and a delay in diagnosis can lead to significant morbidity and possibly death. In this case, a 46-year-old female was admitted to the hospital with subtle mood changes, memory loss, and generalized failureto thrive. Physical exam revealed a petechial rash. Evaluation and workup by multiple physicians revealed no source for hercondition, which continued to deteriorate. Finally, because of the patient’s rash, a nutritional history was taken which was highlyconcerning for scurvy. An ascorbic acid level was ordered and returned at 0 mg/dl (reference range 0.2-2 mg/dl), confirming theclinical diagnosis of scurvy. Ascorbic acid repletion reversed her symptoms and she was discharged home uneventfully. Ascorbicacid is vital for the integrity of skin and soft tissues. Due to its high prevalence in the diets of most developed countries, scurvyhas become a rare diagnosis that many providers do not recognize. Despite its rarity, certain populations are still at risk andproviders should remain cognizant of the diagnosis, especially when classic manifestations such as a petechial rash or bleedinggums are seen.
Effects of Auxotrophic Mutations on the Adaptation to Inositol Degradation in Aerobacter Aerogenes.

SummaryThe ability of amino acid and of purine and pyrimidine auxotrophs of Aerobacter aerogenes to form adaptive enzymes for the degradation of myo-inositol has been investigated. It was found that adaptive enzyme synthesis by the amino acid auxotrophs could be stimulated in the absence of growth by addition of the required nutrilite, but not by addition of (NH4)2SO4. In contrast, adaptation in the guanine and pyramidine auxotrophs was enhanced by addition of (NH4)2SO4 alone. In all cases, dividing cells attained higher levels of adaptive enzyme than resting cells. The bearing of these results on the mechanism of adaptation is discussed. The poor utilization of histidine by strain 50 for growth on inositol does not seem to be due to the effect of histidine on adaptation,; but rather seems to suggest a metabolic relationship between inositol and histidine.
Therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

SUMMARY Hepatitis C is the silent epidemic of the 1970s and 1980s. Interferon alfa is currently the only effective treatment. Enthusiasm for interferon therapy must be tempered because advanced disease usually requires years or even decades to develop and does not occur in all patients. Few patients with chronic hepatitis C derive long-term improvement from a single 6-month course of interferon therapy. Most initial responders relapse and require long-term interferon treatment to suppress the virus. Obviously, the initial goals and expectations for interferon therapy require rethinking. Therapy should not be undertaken by physician or patient with the idea that therapy will be limited to 6 months. The most appropriate goal of therapy now appears to be the long-term control of the biochemical, virologic, and histologic activity of the disease. Unfortunately, the most effective therapeutic regimen for achieving this goal is not yet known and will require continued clinical research.
The Effect of Lipoprotein-Associated Cyclosporine on Drug Metabolism and Toxicity in Rats

Purpose: The objective of the study was to examine the effect of lipoprotein-associated cyclosporine on hepatic metabolism, hepatic lipoprotein receptors, and renal toxicity in comparison to the current commercially available cyclosporine (CSA) product. Methods: Rats within the same group were given one of the following treatments: 10 mg/kg of CSA, plasma-CSA, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-CSA, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-CSA, LDL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-CSA, 1 mL/kg of vehicle, or saline intravenously for 14 days. Urine and blood samples were evaluated for renal function. Hepatic microsomes were prepared for immunoblotting and in vitro catalytic assays of CYP activity. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to examine genetic regulation. Results: (1) There were no statistical differences in cholesterol levels in lipoprotein-associated CSA groups as compared with vehicle controls. (2) A significant decrease in creatinine clearance was seen in the plasma-CSA treated group (56%; P
Simulation Modeling to Secure Environmental Flows in a Diversion Modified Flow Regime

AbstractThis paper describes the development and application of a spreadsheet model to evaluate effects of water management on diversion modified flow regimes, enabling the exploration of novel ways to meet proposed environmental flow standards. Mill Creek, a northern California river with an altered flow regime that impacts aquatic species, was used as a case study. Test cases examined how water management alternatives, such as groundwater pumping, water rights transfers, and water exchange agreements, can improve environmental flow allocations given irrigation water demands. Four test cases include passage flows for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout, a minimum instream flow, 80% of natural flow, and a spring recession flow with functional flow components. The model identified late October as consistently water-scarce, even in wet years. These analyses suggest that fall shortages for fish migration could be eliminated through a water exchange agreement combined with use of wells. All cases except the mi...
Differences in Reading Between Word Search and Information Relevance Decisions: Evidence from Eye-Tracking

We investigated differences in reading strategies in relation to information search task goals and perceived text relevance. Our findings demonstrate that some aspects of reading when looking for a specific target word are similar to reading relevant texts to find information, while other aspects are similar to reading irrelevant texts to find information. We also show significant differences in pupil dilation on final fixations on relevant words and on relevance decisions. Our results show feasibility of using eye-tracking data to infer timing of decisions made on information search tasks in relation to the required depth of information processing and the relevance level.
Chronic Plasmodium chabaudi Infection Generates CD4 Memory T Cells with Increased T Cell Receptor Sensitivity but Poor Secondary Expansion and Increased Apoptosis

Exposure to blood-stage malaria infection is often persistent, leading to generation of CD4 effector and effector memory T cells that contribute to protection. We showed previously that chronic exposure to blood-stage Plasmodium chabaudi offers the best protection from parasitemia and pathology in reinfection cases, correlating with an increase in Th1 cells. Although much is known about the features of resting or exhausted memory T cells (Tmem), little is known about the functional capacities of chronically stimulated but protective T cells. To determine the functional capacity of CD4 T cells generated by chronic infection upon reexposure to parasite, we compared their responses to known features of classical Tmem. The numbers of cytokine-producing T cells increased following infection in the polyclonal populations, suggesting an increase in pathogen-specific T cells. Malaria antigen-specific B5 T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic (Tg) T cells from chronic infection proliferated on reinfection and were highly sensitive to TCR stimulation without costimulation, as shown for Tmem in acute stimulations. However, B5 Tmem did not accumulate more than naive B5 T cells in vivo or in vitro and became apoptotic. Failure to accumulate was partly the result of chronic stimulation, since eliminating persistent parasites before reinfection slightly increased the accumulation of B5 Tg T cells upon reinfection. The levels of specific gamma interferon-positive, interleukin-10-positive T cells, which protect animals from pathology, increased after malaria infection. These data demonstrate that although chronic infection generates a protective T cell population with increased TCR sensitivity and cytokine production, they do not reexpand upon reexposure due to increased apoptosis.
Spatial distribution of organic functional groups supported on mesoporous silica nanoparticles: a study by conventional and DNP-enhanced 29Si solid-state NMR

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy, both conventional and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced, was employed to study the spatial distribution of organic functional groups attached to the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles via co-condensation and grafting. The most revealing information was provided by DNP-enhanced two-dimensional 29Si-29Si correlation measurements, which unambiguously showed that post-synthesis grafting leads to a more homogeneous dispersion of propyl and mercaptopropyl functionalities than co-condensation. During the anhydrous grafting process, the organosilane precursors do not self-condense and are unlikely to bond to the silica surface in close proximity (less than 4 A) due to the limited availability of suitably arranged hydroxyl groups.
Clinical outcomes after intensive VDT-PACE therapy for relapsed multiple myeloma.

8600 Background: The combination of bortezomib, dexamethasone, thalidomide, cisplatin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and etoposide (VDTPACE) was developed as an intense regimen for disease control ...
The Use of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound in Treating and Preventing Injuries in the Young Dancer

Ultrasound has become widely used in the field of sports medicine and particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of dance injuries. There are many uses for ultrasound in the treatment of young dancers, including diagnosis of soft tissue injuries, guidance for advanced injections and procedures, as well as newer uses during the pre-participation examination to help with risk assessment and injury prevention. In this chapter we will discuss the more common diagnoses seen in the young dancer that can be evaluated using ultrasound imaging, treatment options with ultrasound guidance, and pertinent uses during the pre-participation examination.
Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis: recovery against the odds

A 22-year-old woman presented with diabetic ketoacidosis, acute right eye blindness and complete ophthalmoplegia. Despite early suspicion and treatment for rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis, her extensive spread of infection led to right internal carotid artery occlusion and cavernous sinus thrombosis, right-sided cerebral watershed infarctions and large abscesses in her right cerebellum, temporal lobe and pons. She underwent surgical removal of her right eye, paranasal sinuses, maxilla and palate, suboccipital craniectomy and shunting for hydrocephalus. Despite the grave prognosis, she has gradually improved and has remained on antifungal treatment for the 18 months since presentation. We discuss the factors that may have influenced her recovery. The case highlights the aggressive nature of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis, the need for multiple surgeries and the ethical issues in managing such patients.
Knowledge Constraints and Firm Scale

I propose a resolution to the high-returns-to-R&D puzzle. The R&D investments of small and medium firms (lower 2/3 of the firm scale distribution) exhibit evidence of bunching below an upper-bound. No such bunching exists for physical investment. I show that a constraint on knowledge accumulation rationalizes this pattern and resolves the R&D puzzle. Structural estimation indicates the constraint is binding for the 20%-25% highest growth R&D-performing small and medium firms. Counter-factual analysis shows slackening the constraint significantly increases firm growth rates and the total size of the economy. A validation test indicates the constraint is related to frictions in human-capital accumulation within firms.
Genome and Plausible Genopsych

Genome is the springhead of brain. Then it is logical to think that genome has genopsych the self programming property of genome, the same way as the brain has mind. Self programmability of genome and the functioning of living systems may be described in terms of statistical thermodynamics.
Hydrogen/Deuterium (H/D) Exchange Catalysis in Alkanes

The catalytic exchange of hydrogen and deuterium (H/D exchange) in light alkanes has been studied for almost a century. While alkanes and their C–H bonds are relatively inert, H/D exchange studies have shown that a large number of materials can catalytically activate these bonds. These studies helped elucidate the mechanisms by which alkane C–H bonds interact with catalytic materials. This Review serves to highlight this area of research, focusing on two main classes of heterogeneous materials, metals and metal oxides, and their trends in reactivities and selectivities are described in detail. Furthermore, the ability of these materials to carry out C–H bond activation and H/D exchange catalysis is compared with that of molecular organometallic complexes, and the mechanistic relationships and similarities in these processes are proposed.
The Develpment of Super-Strong Polymers in Planar Directions (Abstract)

Over the last decade there has been considerable interest toward the development of polymer morphologies with high tensile modulus and strength by inducing a high degree of chain extension and orientation using various techniques. In general, the high modulus products from all the above techniques are uniaxially drawn filaments or films which fibrillate readily because of their lateral weakness. As a result, the development of polymer compositions with ultra-high mechanical performance in more than one direction has been achieved only by the construction of fiber reinforced composite structures.
Peptide Hormones, Cytosolic Calcium and Renal Epithelial Response

The response of renal cells to extracellular signals has recently attracted increasing experimental evaluation. The cellular response to a variety of peptide hormones, neurotransmitters and growth factors are fundamental to understanding how the signals mediated by circulatory substances, which interact with cell surface receptors, produce their effects intracellularly. The cellular responses to a wide variety of signal molecules are somewhat limited. Occupancy of receptors initiates the production of intracellular messengers including cAMP, cGMP and the second messenger molecules derived from phosphoinositides (1–3). The phosphoinositides constitute 5–8% of lipids in the cell membranes of eukaryotic cells and are essential for cell viability (4). These phosphoinositides are storage forms for the messenger molecules that transmit signals across the cell membrane and evoke responses to extracellular signals.
Incidence of malocclusion in asthmatic children.

This study examined the relationship of a compromised airway in asthmatic children, i.e. mouthbreathing, and the effect that the airway compromise has on occlusal and facial characteristic. The study consisted of sixty-four children of both sexes, ranging in age from three to sixteen years. Thirty-two subjects were from the pulmonary and allergy clinic of the Floating Hospital, New England Medical Center, who were present for follow-up and/or treatment of asthma. Thirty-two randomly selected children were selected from the pediatric clinic in Tufts University School of Dental Medicine to serve as controls. The two groups were equally balanced according to age, sex and race. A statistically significant relationship was found between the frequency of crossbites and the frequency of mouth breathing. Additionally, a statistically significant relationship was found between the frequency of crossbites and the facial type in the experimental group. The frequency of crossbites appears to be related to abnormal facial types.
Evaluation of laser desorption mass spectrometry and UV accelerated aging of dyes on paper as tools for the evaluation of a questioned document

Laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS) may be used for the detection and identification of dyes found in inks. Naturally-aged and artificially-aged blue and black ballpoint pen inks containing the cationic dye methyl violet were analyzed on paper. The average molecular weight of the dye sample was calculated from LD mass spectral data and plotted versus time. The resulting aging curves demonstrate that, as dye degradation increases, the average molecular weight of the dye decreases. Typical variables involved in ink aging, such as the type of paper and ink formulation, were investigated. Results show that these variables influence the rate of dye degradation. Furthermore, UV accelerated aging has been developed and tested as an alternative to thermal approaches.