cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Specificity questions concerning the clone 33 anti-fas ligand antibody.

Two letters presented in the current issue of Cell Death Differentiation raise concerns about the specificity of a reagent used to analyze the expression of FasL on cells. The antibody under question, clone 33, is marketed by Transduction Laboratories (Lexington, KY, USA) which is now owned by Pharmingen (itself a subsidiary of Becton Dickenson). While other antibodies against FasL have been questioned for not being able to recognize the protein under certain conditions, Clone 33 is unusual because it has been reported to provide false positive identification of FasL in cells. Clone 33 also is unique because it has been used to document FasL expression in a number of prominent publications. ± 6 Although the questions concerning the specificity of clone 33 were raised publicly over a year ago, the antibody continues to be used by investigators and has proponents defending its use. Nowhere is the controversy more clearly presented than in the two letters in this issue, where seemingly contradictory data on the specificity of this antibody are presented! In this Editorial, we will review the background of clone 33, analyze the data presented in the two letters and come to a consensus on the appropriate use of this reagent.
Stratigraphic and sedimentological evidence bearing on structural repetition in early Archean rocks of the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa

Abstract The 3.5–3.3 Ga-old Swaziland Supergroup in the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa, includes a lower, predominantly volcanic unit, the Onverwacht Group, and an upper, largely sedimentary section, the Fig Tree and Moodies Groups. Although Viljoen and Viljoen concluded that the Onverwacht Group exceeds 15 km in stratigraphic thicknesses, more recent workers have suggested that it represents a much thinner section of rocks repeated by folding and faulting. Our mapping indicates that the upper half of the Group includes at least 8 km of unrepeated stratigraphic section. Inferences of structural repetition have arisen in part because a major shear zone is present in the upper half of the Onverwacht Group on the west limb of the Onverwacht anticline. Shearing and the overturning of large blocks of the igneous sequence have combined with the later intrusion of felsic magma to produce a generally stratiform, highly complex zone of deformation up to 2 km wide. The displacement across the zone is unknown, but the presence of unfaulted sections of this part of the stratigraphic sequence indicates that the gross stratigraphic arrangement of units within the Group has not been significantly altered. Structures previously mapped as major fold hinges within the upper part of the Onverwacht Group can be shown to have formed by local deformation and reflect neither large-scale folding nor structural repetition of the rocks. Several kilometers higher in the section, rocks of the uppermost Onverwacht and Fig Tree Groups are stacked and repeated in a series of thrust nappes. Individual nappes extend for up to 15 km along strike and include as much as 900 m of allochthonous volcanic and sedimentary rocks. They were apparently emplaced by faulting or gravity sliding at or near the Earth's surface. Their formation involved the movement of sheets made largely up of sedimentary rocks along shear surfaces within underlying, much weaker, serpentinized ultramafic komatiites. Locally, the sheets were deformed to form fold nappes. The lower limbs of the fold nappes commonly show extreme attenuation and brittle deformation whereas the upper limbs are largely intact. The thrust faults are the loci of small hypabyssal igneous bodies that appear to be co-magmatic with a suite of upper Fig Tree volcanic rocks. This style of faulting has not affected rocks of the overlying Moodies Group. Although estimates of the timing of deformation are as yet imprecise, these features suggest that it occurred during a late Fig Tree phase of tectonism and volcanism.
Integration of avian sarcoma virus DNA in chicken cells.

Abstract We have used restriction endonucleases and hybridization reagents specific for various regions of the avian sarcoma virus (ASV) genome to assess the structure and sites of integration of proviruses found in chicken cells, the natural host for thiss viris, after infection in culture. Colonies of ASV-transformed chicken fibroblasts were shown to contain new proviruses located at from one to several sites in the host genome; the sites of integration appeared to differ in each of the nine colonies studied. Fractionation of chromosomes from lymphoblastoid cells infected in mass culture with ASV also failed to reveal preferred sites for insertion of ASV proviruses. Thus, in chicken cells, as well as in heterologous cells[ Hughes S. H.et al. (1978) .Cell15, 1397–1410; Sabran, J. L.,et al. (1979) .J. Virol.29, 170–185; Martin, S.et al. (1979) .Virology,96, 530–546; Gilmer, T., and Parsons, J. T. (1979) .J. Virol.32, 762–770], many regions of cellular DNA can accomodate an ASV provirus, and these regions are distributed over several chromosomes. Although proviruses are found at many sites in cellular DNA, the structure of proviral DNA appears to be invariant in infected chicken cells. Viral DNA is linked to cellular DNA near or at the extremities of a ca. 330-nucleotide sequence repeated at the ends of unintegrated linear DNA. The repeated structure is composed of sequences derived from both the 3′ and the 5′ ends of viral RNa. The resulting structure for ASV DNA can be written “cell DNA-3′5′-gag-pol-env-src-3′5′-cell DNA,” as similarly deduced from studies of ASV proviruses in nonpermissive, heterologous host cells[ Hughes, S. H.,et al. (1978) .Cell15, 1397–1410]. The colonies examined in detail were obtained by suspending cells in agar 3 to 6 days after infection. Some but not all of these colonies appeared to be clonal, as judged by the physical mapping of integrated proviruses. Colonies obtained from cells placed in agar directly after infection did not appear clonal by this criterion; explanations for this anomalous behavior are considered.
Statistical issues in the study of air pollution involving airborne particulate matter

Epidemiological research in the early 1990s focusing on health effects of airborne particulate matter pointed to a statistical association between increases in concentration of particles in ambient air and increases in daily nonaccidental mortality, particularly among the elderly. These results appear consistent across a range of U.S. cities. This and other scientific and policy information formed the basis on which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) promulgated revised, stricter air quality standards for particulate matter in 1997. The schedule for implementing the revised standards is coincident with the completion by USEPA of a Second National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review for ambient particulate matter by July 2002 based on current science and policy information. Concurrently, the U.S. Congress directed USEPA to seek advice from the National Academy of Sciences, resulting in formation of the National Research Council Committee on Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter. In its 1998 report, the Committee identified 10 research priorities for setting regulatory standards for particulate matter. The 10th priority addressed statistical issues. To explore these issues, the National Research Center for Statistics and the Environment and the USEPA organized a 1998 interdisciplinary Workshop on Particulate Methodology. A primary objective of the Workshop was to initiate a statistical research program relevant to setting air quality standards for ambient particulate matter pollution to be completed during the second NAAQS review. This paper reports findings and recommendations from the Workshop and an agenda for statistical research motivated therefrom relevant to the study of air pollution involving particulate matter and to setting particulate matter air quality standards. Published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Continuous estrogen/progestin therapy in menopause

The incidence of vaginal bleeding, endometrial histology, menopausal symptoms, blood pressure, and serum lipid concentrations were evaluated in 26 women who received either continuous conjugated equine estrogens and medroxyprogesterone acetate (group I, N = 16) or cyclic conjugated equine estrogen + medroxyprogesterone acetate (group II, N = 10) over a 9-month treatment period. At the end of therapy, endometrial biopsy specimens in group I revealed inactive endometrium, whereas one of ten biopsy specimens in group II showed proliferative endometrium. Blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were not significantly altered from baseline in either group during the 9-month treatment. Vaginal bleeding was virtually eliminated in group I by the end of the study, while 80% of the patients in group II continued to have cyclic menses (p less than 0.001). This pilot study suggests that continuous conjugated equine estrogen plus medroxyprogesterone acetate therapy appears to be a satisfactory method of postmenopausal hormone replacement, effectively reducing menopausal symptoms without any apparent short-term alterations in serum lipids. It has the added benefit of eliminating cyclic menstrual flow.
Mammary tumour virus and casein gene transcription during mouse mammary development.

MORPHOGENESIS and differentiation of the murine mammary gland is dependent on the interaction of peptide and steroid hormones. These hormones cause mammary growth through proliferation of ductal and alveolar epithelial cells1,2 and differentiation of the gland for the production of the milk proteins, casein and α-lactalbumin2–4. Mammary development frequently increases the incidence and results in an earlier onset of mammary tumours5,6. The influence of mammary development upon tumorigenesis has been correlated with the appearance of mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) particles6–10. Importantly, the production of MMTV particles is dependent on alveolar differentiation and function7,11. Lactating mammary glands from BALB/c mice contained considerably lower levels of MMTV RNA than glands from C3H mice infected with the milk-transmitted virus MMTV-S (ref. 12). In this study we have examined the influence of the hormonal changes that occur during mammary development on MMTV and casein expression by molecular hybridisation with specific complementary DNA (cDNA) probes to MMTV 70S RNA and casein 15S mRNA. Hence, the relationship between MMTV expression and the expression of a normal differentiated mammary function—the production of casein mRNA—was determined. We have quantitated MMTV RNA and casein mRNA in developing mammary tissues from BALB/c and BALB/cfC3H mice that have a low and high incidence of mammary tumours respectively6,13. These studies demonstrate that the hormonal alterations occurring during mammary development enhanced MMTV RNA expression to a greater extent in the high than the low tumour-incidence strain, whereas similar changes in the level of casein mRNA were observed in both strains during mammary development.
The Social Networks of Women Experiencing Domestic Violence

The research literature has demonstrated that battered women living in shelters experience impaired social support. This study examines this phenomenon among battered women living in the community. This study compared a group of pregnant battered women (n=145) and a group of pregnant nonbattered women (n=58) in terms of their structural [e.g., total number of supporters, network members in violent relationships with their partners (an index of homophily or nonhomophily) and functional (e.g., emotional)] social support. Four reasons for impaired support in battered women were proposed and examined, including social isolation, failure to disclose abuse, homophily, and low SES. Only homophily was related to impaired support among battered women. In addition, the relationship between structural and functional support and mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, self-esteem) was examined. Criticism, practical support, homophily, and disclosure were all significant predictors of mental health for battered women. Implications for community-based interventions are discussed in the context of current intervention strategies with battered women.
Urine concentration dynamics in the postprandial and the fasting Myotis lucifugus lucifugus

Abstract 1. 1. The postprandial bat initially increased urine flow rate and urine concentration and 7–9.5 hr later decreased urine flow rate while maintaining an elevated urine concentration. 2. 2. The fasting bat produced an increasingly concentrated urine at a uniform rate. 3. 3. The relationship of osmotic clearance to urine flow rate in the postprandial bat suggests an increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in the bat kidney in response to food intake and a decrease in GFR when wastes have been removed. 4. 4. Alterations in GFR with feeding may aid this periodically feeding insectivore to minimize urinary water loss.
Selection of a fixative for identifying t cell subsets, b cells, and macrophages in paraffin-embedded mouse spleen.

Fixation techniques were investigated for their ability to preserve morphology, esterase activity and cell surface antigens in paraffin-embedded mouse lymphoid tissue. The avidin-biotin-peroxidase system was used to stain antigens Thy-1.2, Lyt-1, Lyt-2, RA32C2 and F4/80. Conventional fixatives were compared with fixatives containing periodate and lysine plus paraformaldehyde and/or glutaraldehyde. Conventional fixatives preserved esterase activity but not many cell surface antigens. Periodate-lysine fixatives allowed better preservation of membrane antigens, but esterase activity was often lost at antigen-preserving concentrations of paraformaldehyde or glutaraldehyde. However, a periodate-lysine fixative containing both paraformaldehyde and glutaraldehyde preserved esterase and showed good to excellent staining of Lyt-1, Thy-1.2, RA32C2, and F4/80. Lyt-2 could not be stained with any fixative, but was well preserved in frozen material post-fixed with periodate-lysine based fixatives. We conclude that with proper fixation immune cell surface markers can be identified in paraffin-embedded tissue.
THE CHEMISTRY OF THE SEX HORMONES

THERE HAVE BEEN few fields of organic chemistry in which the develop-ments have been so rapid and dramatic as in the field of the sex hop mones. Within the space of a decade we have seen not only the isolation of the various female and male sex hormones but also the elucidation of the molecular structure of these complicated compounds and their preparation in the laboratory from inactive substances. In making these achievements possible certain contributions wereof prime importance. For the isolation of a hormone a reliable bioassay procedure is necessary, and it was the develop-ment of the Allen-Doisy vaginal smear method for assay of the estrogens which made possible the isolation of the interesting series of these hormones which we now know. This method is based on the fact that the course of the estrual cycle of the rat or mouse is characterised by changes in the nature of the vaginal epithelium.
Mechanisms of early skeletal relapse following surgical advancement of the mandible

Summary Despite recent innovative technical and biological advances, surgical advancement of the mandible does not demonstrate uniform skeletal stability. In fact, the results of recent investigations have shown that considerable skeletal relapse occurs quite early in the post-surgical period. This article reviews current literature to implicate the factors primarily responsible for early skeletal relapse following surgical advancement of the mandible via the modified sagittal split ramus osteotomy. Three specific mechanisms which commonly predispose this orthognathic procedure to skeletal relapse are delineated. Prolonged skeletal stabilisation with control of the proximal segment of the mandible is advocated to insure predictably stable results.
Phosphorylation Site Identification via Ion Trap Tandem Mass Spectrometry of Whole Protein and Peptide Ions: Bovine α-Crystallin A Chain

Tandem mass spectrometry was applied both to ions of a tryptic fragment and intact protein of bovine α-crystallin A chain to localize the single site of phosphorylation. The [M + 19H]19+ to [M + 11H]11+ charge states of both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated bovine α-crystallin A chain whole protein ions were subjected to collisional activation in a quadrupole ion trap. Ion parking was used to increase the number of parent ions over that yielded by electrospray. Ion−ion proton-transfer reactions were used to reduce the product ion charge states largely to +1 to simplify spectral interpretation. In agreement with previous studies on whole protein ion fragmentation, both protein forms showed backbone cleavages C-terminal to aspartic acid residues at lower charge states. The phosphorylated protein showed competitive fragmentation between backbone cleavage and the neutral loss of phosphoric acid. Analysis of which backbone cleavage products did or did not contain the phosphate was used to localize the site ...
Regression tree for stability margin prediction using synchrophasor measurements

A regression tree-based approach to predicting the power system stability margin and detecting impending system event is proposed. The input features of the regression tree (RT) include the synchronized voltage and current phasors. Modal analysis and continuation power flow are the tools used to build the knowledge base for offline RT training. Corresponding metrics include the damping ratio of the critical oscillation mode and MW-distance to the voltage collapse point. The robustness of the proposed predictor to measurement errors and system topology variation is analyzed. The optimal placement for the phasor measurement units (PMUs) based on the importance of RT variables is suggested.
998-61 Population Prevalence of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Little is known about the epidemiology of Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome in the general population. Virtually all previous studies have been either case series from tertiary care centers or limited to young adult males screened for military training. To date, there are no detailed studies of the prevalence of WPW in the general population. To determine the prevalence of WPW in the general population, we used the Marshfield Epidemiologic Study Area (MESA), a population laboratory of 50,000 people residing in 12 contiguous zip codes in central Wisconsin. Prevalence was determined as of 7/1/91 among MESA residents who had a diagnosis of WPW between 1/1/79 and 6/30/91. Cases were identified by reviewing the medical records and electrocardiograms of: a) all 32 MESA residents with the WPW diagnosis identified by International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) Code 426.7 as a hospital discharge or outpatient clinic diagnosis, b) 600 patients with suspected supraventricular arrhythmias identified by three ICD 9 codes, and c) all patients who had an invasive electrophysiology study for overt WPW syndrome in our institution over the last 10 years. Results We identified 25 prevalent cases of WPW resulting in an overall population prevalence of 5.1/10,000 (95% C.I., 3.1–7.1). Age specific-prevalence rates per 10,000 were: 0–19 years –2.0; 20–39 years –5.5; 40–59 years –9.6; g 60 years –4.8. There was no significant difference in males versus females. Al1 25 verified cases were identified from the 32 potential cases with ICD-9 Code 426.7, indicating that this code is 100% sensitive and has a 78% positive predictive value for WPW syndrome. Conclusions 1) The prevalence of WPW in the general population is lower than that reported in selected populations and appears to be highest in those of late middle-age. 2) Based on the findings of our study, we estimate that there are approximately 130,000 individuals in the United States with electrocardiographic documentation of WPW.
Diisopropylphosphorofluoridate-induced muscle hyperactivity associated with enhanced lipid peroxidation in vivo.

Abstract Acute exposure to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors such as organophosphates and carbamates induces functional changes at the neuromuscular junctions, leading to fasciculations that ultimately cause muscle fiber necrosis. There is recent evidence that oxygen free radical formation may be a factor in the toxicity of these insecticides. One of the targets of free radical-induced injury is lipid peroxidation. The role of lipid peroxidation in diisopropylphosphorofluoridate (DFP)-induced muscle necrosis was investigated by quantifying two products resulting from the oxidation of lipids in muscle tissue—the thiobarbituric acid-malondialdehyde complex (TBA-MDA) and F2-isoprostanes, the latter being a novel and extremely accurate marker of lipid peroxidation in vivo. When compared with control animals, significant increases in MDA of 96% and in F2-isoprostanes of 56% were found in the diaphragms of rats treated with 2.0 mg/kg DFP after 60 min (P
Clinical outcomes of Fontan conversion surgery with and without associated arrhythmia intervention

Abstract Objective To characterize mortality and morbidity outcomes in patients undergoing surgical Fontan conversion. Background Indications for and anticipated clinical outcomes associated with Fontan conversion are controversial. Methods A retrospective single-center cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing Fontan conversion between 1990 and 2006 stratified according to concomitant arrhythmia surgery. Results Forty patients underwent Fontan conversion at a median age of 19.0 years and were followed for 4.2 years. Six (15%) died, two perioperatively, three early postoperatively, and one following heart transplant. Older age was a univariate risk factor. Major perioperative complications occurred in 9 of 35 (26%) early survivors. Patients with concomitant arrhythmia surgery ( N =21) were older at conversion and had longer interoperative intervals. They experienced a reduction in prevalence (95% vs. 28%, P P =0.001) of atrial tachyarrhythmias, in contrast to patients without arrhythmia surgery (47% vs. 53%; 3.3 vs. 3.9, P =NS). NYHA functional class improved in both groups. In a subgroup ( N =14) with non-urgent late postoperative catheterization, filling pressures were unchanged from preoperative values. Conclusions Mortality and morbidity after Fontan conversion are substantial, but survivors experience a subjective improvement in functional status. Concomitant arrhythmia surgery reduces the arrhythmia burden without a detectable increase in complication rates.
Quantitative analysis of photoalignment of liquid crystals on coumarin-containing polymer films

Polymers containing 6- and 7-substituted coumarin moieties were prepared as photoalignment films through linearly polarized UV-irradiation to a varying fluence for an investigation of liquid crystal orientation. Model coumarin monomers and dimers were also synthesized and characterized as part of a novel approach to the interpretation of liquid crystal orientation in terms of the extent of dimerization, X . The experimental data for X as a function of fluence were used to validate the first-order kinetics with an exponentially decaying rate constant as the reaction proceeds. The kinetic model was employed to describe the evolutions of coumarin dimer's and monomer's orientational order. The model was instrumental to the visualization of liquid crystal orientation on photoalignment films at the early and the late stages of dimerization. Furthermore, the observed crossover in liquid crystal orientation was successfully interpreted by considering three factors: the relative abundance of coumarin dimers to monomers, their orientational order parameters, and the energetics of molecular interaction.
A NEGLECTED COMPONENT OF NURTURING GIFTEDNESS: AFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract Research on giftedness and programs for fostering its development often neglect the affective component: the social, emotional and personal components which release (or block) a person's abilities. One problem of gifted children is that their accelerated intellectual development may outstrip affective development. Nonetheless, available research findings paint a positive picture of the social‐emotional characteristics of such children. Among other things they tend to be highly motivated, have a positive self‐concept and be particularly sensitive to social and ethical issues. This suggests that designers of learning experiences should pay greater attention to the affective aspects of instruction. All subject areas offer opportunities for stressing the affective dimension, science as much as literature. This involves creating a classroom climate which offers an “invitational” environment. The highly developed social values of gifted children suggest that they can be encouraged to apply their talent...
Towards a US‐Russian security condominium? The strategic offensive reductions treaty and nuclear arms control

The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT) of May 2002 and other developments in US‐Russian relations indicate a depolarization of their political relationship that opens the door to further cooperation in nuclear and other matters. The deployment of jointly agreed missile defenses and other new departures in security may result from the improvement in relations between Washington and Moscow after 9/11. Instead of evolving on autopilot toward further stagnation in nuclear arms control, US and Russian leaders may prefer to move in the direction of a nuclear condominium that favors a defense protected build‐down of offensive weapons and additional security cooperation against nuclear and missile proliferation. This study considers how SORT reductions would affect US and Russian security by comparing alternative US and Russian SORT‐compliant force postures. In addition, the study also considers the implications of introducing various levels of anti‐missile defenses into the equation of offensive force ...
Relation‐based intervention with at‐risk mothers: Outcome in the second year of life

Il a ete demontre que le groupe d'intervention a domicile mere-nourrisson de l'Universite de Californie a Los Angeles avait eu un impact positif durant les deux premieres annees de l'enfant sur deux indices du soutien de la mere et sur trois domaines de developpement mere-enfant et de developpement de l'enfant: (1) La receptivite de la mere aux besoins de son enfant et le developpement qui y est lie de la securite de l'attachement chez l'enfant; (2) l'encouragement a l'autonomie de son enfant que prodigue la mere et le developpement de son autonomie qui y est lie chez l'enfant; (3) l'encouragement a participer a des tâches que prodigue la mere a son enfant et le developpement de sa participation a completer des tâches qui y est lie chez l'enfant. Lorsque les enfants avaient deux ans, les meres faisant l'objet de l'intervention, compare a celles qui n'avaient pas fait l'objet de l'intervention, utilisaient aussi des methodes de controle verbalement persuasives et non coercitives et importunes, et leurs enfants reagissaient de facon plus positive a ces controles. Les meres qui n'avaient pas connu l'aide de l'intervention avaient bien plus de difficultes a controler leur enfant si c'etait un garcon, par rapport a une fille. Elles utilisaient des methodes de controle moins appropriees et lse garcons reagissaient plus negativement a ces controles. La nature du developpement de l'utilisation que fait la mere de controles appropries et de la reaction de l'enfant a ce controle fut elucidee en determinant, a partir de l'echantillon total, quels antecedents constates a l'âge de 12 mois influencerent les indices de controle soit independamment de ou en interaction avec le statut d'intervention. L'endurance de l'enfant dans la situation de test fut un indicateur independant de controle maternel approprie et la reaction positive de l'enfant a ce controle en l'absence d'intrusion maternelle mit mieux en valeur l'impact de l'intervention sur ce controle.
Modifications of B, I, i, and Lewisb Antigens in a Patient with DiGuglielmo's Erythroleukemia

Loss of red blood cell antigens has been documented in patients with acute myelocytic leukemia and includes loss of A, B, and H antigens in the ABO system as well as antigens of the Rh, MNSsU, Lewis and Ii systems. The following case represents partial loss of the B, I and Lewisb antigens in a patient with erythroleukemia. Also, the loss of the I antigen was associated with a concomitant increase in i antigen, a known but rare finding. These changes within the ABO, Ii, and Lewis systems do not appear to be coincidental, as these blood group systems share a common biochemical backbone.
SU-E-T-567: Evaluation of Contrast Induced CT Artifact for Intracavitary Brachytherapy

Purpose: Use of heterogeneity correction has only recently been applied in brachytherapy. Vaginal packing with gauze is used in gynecological brachytherapy to physically move the bladder and rectum farther from the applicator, reducing dose to these structures. The Alatus balloon packing system accomplishes the same task, but use of contrast in the balloon can also obscure these structures on CT images. This work was designed, and conducted using a prostate phantom, to determine the optimal contrast concentration in terms of streak artifact and noise and whether patient anatomy would be obscured by high contrast concentration. Methods: A 60 cc syringe was filled with Omnipaque contrast liquid (350 mg I/ml) of varying concentrations (100% contrast to pure water as well as air) and placed in the phantom rectum in a CIRS prostate phantom (used to permit consistent measurement CT scan was then acquired. The mean CT number of a region of interest inside the prostate was determined, along with the percent noise. Additionally, the distance between the rectum and prostate was determined to see if resolution near the high density material was lost. Results: The mean CT number of the region of interest did not change from air or water in the syringe through the 100% contrast scan, but the noise increased from 12% to 33%. In all scans the 2 mm distance from the edge of the rectum to the prostate was readily seen. Conclusion: Previous work has shown that overriding the density in the Alatus balloon packing system for gynecological brachytherapy can lead to additionally radioprotection of the bladder and rectum. This study shows that use of undiluted contrast does not lead to unacceptable streak artifacts that would obscure anatomy, and can be clinically implemented.
Determinants of compensation: A study of pay, performance, and gender differences for fundraising professionals

This study examines the determinants of compensation for fundraising professionals by addressing the following research questions: (1) Is there a significant pay-performance relationship? (2) What are the factors that affect bonus and salary? (3) Is there a gender-pay gap for individuals who are in the role of fundraisers? Data were collected over a four-year period from a national sample of fundraising professionals employed across all industry classifications. Amount of money raised was the primary performance variable of interest. Bivariate tests for differences between males and females, as well as two-stage simultaneous regressions, were used to determine the effects of fundraising performance on the pay of fundraisers. Results indicated a significant and positive pay-performance linkage across all fundraising positions, particularly for chief development officers, as well as a consistent gender-pay gap across fundraising positions.
Empirical Evidence on the Formation of Price Expectations

Abstract This article investigates empirical evidence on the structure of price expectations in the United States during the post-Korean War period. The study utilizes semiannual data which describe price expectations for six months and twelve months ahead. The objective is to use these two sets of data to test some of the well-known expectational hypotheses. Incidental to this we determine whether expectations satisfy the rationality hypothesis, and we briefly consider the accuracy of the predictions.
Control of goal-oriented, rapid arm movements by individuals with diabetes mellitus

Diabetic subjects completed a series of rapid, goal-directed arm movements under two conditions of unexpected external loading. Evaluation of electromyographic (EMG) patterns revealed that cocontraction and triphasic activity were predominantly associated with inertial and spring loading, respectively. During inertial load responses some EMG patterns indicated a modified cocontraction pattern. Response accuracy was unaffected by type of load but movement time was greater for the inertial load condition.
Development of a screening tool for identifying women with menorrhagia for hemostatic evaluation.

Objective A study was conducted to develop a short, easy to administer screening tool useful for stratifying women with unexplained menorrhagia for hemostatic testing for underlying bleeding disorders. Study Design One hundred forty-six women with a physician diagnosis of menorrhagia underwent comprehensive hemostatic testing for the diagnosis of bleeding disorders, including von Willebrand disease, platelet dysfunction, and coagulation factor deficiencies. A 12 page questionnaire of bleeding symptoms was administered. Bleeding symptoms with high predictive values for laboratory hemostatic abnormalities were combined and used as single variables to calculate sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values in order to develop a short screening tool to identify females for testing and evaluation. Results A combination of 8 questions in 4 categories resulted in a sensitivity of 82% (95%CI 75-90) for bleeding disorders. Adding a pictorial blood assessment chart score > 100 increased the sensitivity of the screening tool to 95% (95%CI 91-99). Conclusion These results demonstrate the feasibility of a simple questionnaire based screening tool to identify females for testing and evaluation for bleeding disorders.
Astrometric search for unseen stellar and sub-stellar companions to nearby stars and the possibility of their detection

Unseen companions to nearby stars are found astrometrically through perturbations in the proper motion from photographs taken with long-focus telescopes. The number of known unseen astrometric companions to nearby stars with photocentric orbits has grown by thirty percent in the last few years. Individual cases are discussed and optimum epochs given for resolution of the components. Orbital analysis of the photocentric positions on the photographic plates provides all information for accurate mass determination of the components except for Δm and angular separation, ϱ, of the two components which must come from another technique. There are potentially thirty low luminosity stars including some likely sub-stellar objects whose masses could be instantly found with the observations of these additional two parameters.
Parameter Estimation and Model Discrepancy in Control Systems with Delays

Abstract In this paper we consider the problems of parameter estimation and model discrepancy for control systems governed by differential equations. We consider the case where one assumes both modeling and measurement errors. Modeling errors are an important source of model discrepancy which can greatly limit the usefulness of a model for prediction and design. Although Bayesian analysis is a powerful method for dealing with model discrepancy, it is well known that this approach tends to be very sensitive to prior assumptions about the model bias. We present an approach based on science based hierarchical modeling with uncertain disturbances to help develop prior knowledge about model discrepancy in order to improve the model's predictive usefulness. We apply these ideas to examples involving control systems defined by ordinary differential and delay differential equations to illustrate the ideas and suggest future area of research.
Ion Microprobe Analysis for Niobium Hydride in Hydrogen-Embrittled Niobium.

Abstract : Hydrogen embrittled niobium samples have been examined in an ion microprobe to verify the mechanism of embrittlement by stress induced precipitation of hydride. A fractured Nb-2 at.% H sample was examined in detail. Mass analyzed images of the fracture region of the sample were obtained using Nb(+), NbH(+), H(+), and NbO(+) ions. The images clearly demonstrate the presence of a hydrogen-rich phase at the fracture site. NbH(+)/Nb(+) ratios at the fracture site and away from it appear characteristic of niobium hydride and Nb-H solid solution respectively. Scanning electron microscope and electron diffraction studies together with the ion microprobe analysis provide strong evidence in support of the theory of hydrogen embrittlement by stress-induced precipitation of niobium hydride.
Differential effects of age on subpopulations of hippocampal theta cells.

Abstract The possible contribution of age-related changes in the firing properties of hippocampal theta cells to spatial learning deficits was addressed in the present study. The behavioral correlates of theta cells in strata oriens, pyramidale, and granulosum were compared as young and old rats performed a radial maze spatial working memory task. Behaviorally, the old animals made significantly more errors on the maze and required more time to solve the task than did young animals. Firing rates were compared in four different locomotion states: still, running radially inward and radially outward, and forwadd motion. The discharge rates of theta cells in strata pyramidale and granulosum were significantly modulated by these movements in both age groups. Stratum oriens theta cells recorded from young animals, on the other hand, were not movement-sensitive, while similar cells from old animals demonstrated exaggerated responses to movement. In old animals, the mean discharge rates were higher in stratum granulosum and lower in stratum oriens than in the young rats. The discharge rates of cells in stratum pyramidale did not differ between age groups. These region specific changes in the firing characteristics of hippocampal theta cells are likely to have important consequences for information processing in this structure.
Electrocatalytic conducting polymers: Oxygen reduction by a polythiophene-cobalt salen hybrid

The electrocatalytic reduction of O{sub 2} to H{sub 2}O is critical to energy conversion (fuel cell) technologies. The fact that this process requires the near synchronous delivery of four electrons has resulted in many innovative catalyst designs. The authors have been interested in designing conductive polymeric systems wherein the well-defined catalyst is in essence amalgamated with a conductive support. By careful design, the authors report herein a system which retains the molecular identity of the transition metal catalyst and is intimately integrated in a highly conducting polymeric material.
After-potential of spinal axons in vivo.

A method is evolved whereby the after-potential sequence intrinsic to longitudinal dorsal column myelinated fibers may be studied in isolation from those events occurring in intact spinal cord subjected to an afferent volley. The recovery sequence intrinsic to dorsal column fibers, after refractoriness is over, is characterized by supernormality approximately four to five times greater than that seen in peripheral nerve. This supemormality averages 15.7 ± 4 per cent (current calibration) at peak and decays exponentially with a half-time of 7.5 msecs. It is not followed by subnormality unless conditioning is repeated more than three times at frequencies greater than 100/sec. Characterization of the recovery curve of dorsal column fibers permits by exclusion, the allocation of the origin of DRV to structures more centrally located. DCV (the dorsal column counterpart of DRV) is seen to exist equally developed in active and passive dorsal column fibers.
Immunochemical Studies with Lysine Vasopressin

Lysine vasopressin (LVP) has been coupled to bovine serum albumin by 2 techniques. One method employed toluene-2,4-diisocyanate and the other a carbodiimide. LVP conjugates of both types proved to be potent antigens and specific antibody to LVP was obtained by immunization of rabbits with each type of conjugate. The LVP specific antibody was demonstrated by a radioimmunoassay method. Precipitating antibodies reacting with albumin and various conjugates were also found. LVP was iodinated with 131I or 125I and preparations of high specific activity were obtained. Up to 90% of the radioactivity was immunologically reactive. No precipitation was observed with LVP or LVP-131I and antiserum alone. LVP-131I bound to antibody was detected and separated from free LVP-131I by precipitation of the antibody bound LVP-131I with goat anti-rabbit gamma globulin serum. This reaction could be inhibited competitively by unlabeled LVP so that as little as 15 μMg (4 μU) unlabeled hormone was detected. In inhibition studies 1...
The effect of pretraining procedures and discriminative stimuli on the development of food selection behaviors in the toad (Bufo terrestris)

The present research explored the ability of the toad (Bufo terrestris) to discriminate between palatable and unpalatable prey objects based on prey color (Experiment 1) and background color (Experiment 2). The first experiment investigated the effects of prior experience with a prey object on the subsequent discrimination task. The results indicated that prior positive experience with the palatable prey object facilitated the early development of the discrimination. The second experiment showed that the toad could discriminate between identical prey objects on the basis of background color.
Understanding the human estrogen receptor-alpha using targeted mutagenesis.

Abstract The estrogen receptor-alpha is a wonderfully complex protein important in normal biology, breast cancer, and as a target for anti-cancer agents. We are using the available structures of the hERα as well as secondary structure predictions to guide site-directed mutagenesis in order to test the importance of specific interactions and regions in the ligand-regulated activity of the protein. In one area of interest, we are investigating the role of the F domain in the ligand-stimulated activity of the hERα. Results from our laboratory and others suggest that the F domain modulates the activity of the hERα. In order to better understand the role of the F domain in the hERα, we have constructed mutants within this region. Mutations within a predicted alpha-helical region alter the response of the ER to estradiol (E2), eliminate or impair the agonist activity of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT), and alter the ability of E2 to overcome 4-OHT's antagonist activity. Deleting the F domain increases the affinity of the receptor for E2; by contrast, mutating a residue in the middle of the predicted helix to a proline does not alter the affinity for E2, but does change the binding mechanism from a positive cooperative to a noncooperative interaction. These and other results show the F domain exhibits substantial functional complexity, and support the idea that this domain modulates the activity of the hERα. In a second area of interest, we are investigating the role of hydrophobic and hydrogen-bonding interactions at the start of helix 12 in the activity of the hERα. Leucine-536 (L536) has been proposed to participate in hydrophobic interactions that form part of a capping motif stabilizing the start of helix 12. When mutated, the resulting receptors exhibit a reduced response, or even an inverted response, to E2 and 4-OHT on both ERE-driven and AP-1-driven promoters. Interestingly, these mutated receptors also exhibit altered interactions with probes that recognize the agonist-bound and 4-OHT-bound conformations of the ERα. Thus, L536 couples the binding of ligand with the conformation of the receptor. Overall, these results show that combining structure-based hypotheses with functional tests of the ER's activity can identify regions and interactions that are important in the ligand-stimulated activity of the protein.
The Role of Clinical Engineering in Health-Care Delivery

Modern health-care delivery is becoming increasingly dependent on the contributions of engineering science and technology. The important and often critical need for such technological support has resulted in the establishment of a clinical engineering role at a number of hospitals. The literature quotes numerous examples of the contributions such a capability can make to the delivery of quality patient care.
Making Judgments Based on Similarity and Proximity

In this study, we investigate the conceptual structure of the metaphor “SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITY.” The results of four experiments suggest a tight mental link between similarity and proximity. Two experiments revealed that people judge entities to be more similar to each other when they are placed closely in space, while two other experiments showed that entities are judged to be closer to each other when they are thought to be more similar. We discuss this bidirectional metaphor transfer effect in light of approaches to metaphor understanding, including the long-standing view that metaphorical mappings are assumed to be asymmetrical. We also consider the implications of this bi-directional mapping for high level cognition.
Oligodendrocytes express functional A1 adenosine receptors that stimulate cellular migration

A1 adenosine receptors (A1ARs) exert important effects in the central nervous system. However, the expression and function of A1ARs in oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and oligodendrocytes (OLGs) is unclear. To address this issue, we examined A1AR expression during different stages of oligodendrocyte development. Radioreceptor studies showed that membranes prepared from OPCs and OLGs expressed high-affinity A1ARs with Kd values of 1.35 +/- 0.33 and 1.2 +/- 0.27 nM for [3H]CCPA, 1.17 +/- 0.24 and 1.4 +/- 0.34 nM for [3H]DPCPX, respectively. Bmax values were 64.31 +/- 6.14 and 75 +/- 6 fmol/mg protein for [3H]CCPA, and 153 +/- 12 and 205 +/- 17.8 fmol/mg protein for [3H]DPCPX, respectively. Activation of A1ARs using N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) reduced both forskolin- and N-ethylcarboxyamidoadenosine (NECA)-stimulated cAMP accumulation, but did not affect basal cAMP levels. Activation of A1ARs by CPA stimulated OPC migration, but did not affect cell viability, proliferation, or differentiation. These results show that OPCs and OLGs express functional A1ARs that can stimulate the migration of OPCs.
MicroRNA expression profiling in cancer from a bioinformatics prospective

A new type of noncoding short single-stranded RNA molecules, microRNA (miRNA), has recently emerged as one of the most important new classes of cellular regulators. Recent advances in miRNA research have provided evidence that aberrant expression of specific miRNAs is associated with a broad spectrum of human diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, psychological disorders and others. Global microRNAome profiling has demonstrated drastic changes in expression of multiple miRNAs in many common human cancers. miRNA expression signatures have been shown to provide a more accurate method of classifying cancer subtypes than transcriptome profiling of an entire set of known protein-coding genes. miRNA profiling also allows classification of different stages in tumor progression and can predict disease outcome in some cases. Further characterization of these abnormal miRNA expression signatures and identification of the most significant and informative aberrantly expressed miRNAs could lead to the development of tissue- and biofluid-specific diagnostic markers, as well as a new type of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics. As researchers continue to study miRNA expression in cancer and focus on most relevant miRNAs, the further advancement of miRNA-detection technologies and bioinformatics algorithms is critical for successful identification of the most informative diagnostics markers among the tissue-specific miRNAs.