cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphatase activity stimulated by Na+ plus K+: implications for the (Na+ plus K+)-dependent adenosine triphosphatase.

Abstract The effects of monovalent cations on the phosphatase activity of a partially purified (Na + plus K + )-dependent ATPase preparation were studied using as substrates p -nitrophenyl phosphate (NPP; NPPase activity) and acetyl phosphate (AcP; AcPase activity). K + -dependent NPPase activity was stimulated by Na + at low KCl concentrations but more markedly by Na + in the presence of CTP or AcP; the stimulation represented a decrease in the concentration of KCl for half maximal activation, K 0.5 . K + -dependent AcPase was also stimulated by Na + through a reduction in K 0.5 for KCl, and the K 0.6 for Na + activation was the same as that for the NPPase activity. Oligomycin and N -ethylmaleimide (NEM) inhibited activation of phosphatase activity by Na + and by Na + plus CTP or AcP but did not affect K + -dependent phosphatase activity in the absence of Na + . Moreover, NEM diminished the Na + -induced change in the K 0.5 of the AcPase for KCl. The data are considered in terms of K + -and (Na + plus K + )-activated pathways for the phosphatases with the latter being analogous to the (Na + plus K + )-activated ATPase pathway involving a Na + -dependent phosphorylation of the enzyme. In addition, the stimulation of NPPase activity after phosphorylation by AcP or CTP suggests that the hydrolytic site is not identical with (although sensitive to) the site for Na + -dependent phosphorylation.
Female and male adolescents' subjective orientations to mathematics and the influence of those orientations on postsecondary majors

Although important strides toward gender parity have been made in several scientific fields, women remain underrepresented in the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, and computer sciences (PEMCs). This study examines the effects of adolescents' subjective orientations, course taking, and academic performance on the likelihood of majoring in PEMC in college. Results indicate that racial-ethnic and gender underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are interrelated and should be examined with attention to the intersecting factors influencing female and racial-ethnic minority adolescents' pathways toward careers in these fields. Among those who major in PEMC fields, women closely resemble men with respect to their subjective orientations. The effects of subjective orientations on women's chances of majoring in PEMC vary by their secondary school mathematics course completion levels. Women who take more mathematics courses are more likely to major in PEMC; however, course taking alone does not attenuate gender disparities in declaring these majors. High mathematics ability (as measured by standardized test scores in the 10th grade) appears to be positively associated with women's selection of social, behavioral, clinical, and health science majors. This association is less robust (and slightly negative) for women in PEMC. While advanced course taking appears to assist women in selecting PEMC majors, women who enter these fields may not be as strong as those who select other, less male-dominated scientific fields.
Challenges to rebuilding the US food pyramid.

Purpose of review Twelve years have passed since the US Department of Agriculture introduced the Food Guide Pyramid as a single visual expression of the major food groups and their relative amounts in a healthy diet. Unfortunately, no regular review has been conducted to incorporate new knowledge. Some feel that the pyramid format is too limited for modern use, while others wish it to continue with new information. It seems timely to review what features of the pyramid design have been useful over past years and how it can be improved with new concepts while maintaining ease of understanding by the average consumer. Recent findings Examples are presented of adapting the pyramid to diets promoted by a special group or to support particular dietary beliefs, in contrast to the goal of seeking a single standardized format. Inherent limitations of the pyramid format are discussed. One proposal is discussed which seeks to redesign the pyramid into a modern educational tool presenting current concepts supported by recent studies and outcomes data. Popular beliefs about what is a healthy diet have perhaps never been as varied as now. This is partly due to sharply differing opinions about which highly publicized weight-loss diet is most effective. Summary The educational benefits of the pyramid format need objective study in view of the inherent limitations of that configuration. Only when the specific visual advantages for the consumer are shown can a decision be made as to the benefit of major new efforts to construct a single modern pyramid.
Leveraging Prior Quantitative Knowledge to Guide Drug Development Decisions and Regulatory Science Recommendations: Impact of FDA Pharmacometrics During 2004–2006

The End-of-Phase 2A meetings are proposed to identify opportunities to make innovative medical products available sooner and to increase the quality of drug applications through early meetings between sponsors and the FDA. This article summarizes the overall experience across 11 pilot End-of-Phase 2A meetings since 2004. Four case studies are presented in more detail to demonstrate the various issues and methods encountered at these meetings. Overall, industry and FDA scientists ranked these meetings to be "very helpful" (average score of 4 on a scale of 1 to 5). In almost all the instances the sponsors changed their drug development plans subsequent to these extensive quantitative analyses-based meetings. A draft Guidance is being developed to be issued in 2008, and we hope this initiative will be resourced by then.
Middle School Mathematics Instruction in Instructionally Focused Urban Districts

Direct assessments of instructional practice (e.g., classroom observations) are necessary to identify and eliminate opportunity gaps in students’ learning of mathematics. This study examined 114 mi...
Increased bone marrow microvessel density in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma carries a poor prognosis.

Abstract Solid organ tumors associated with neoangiogenesis, as measured by increased microvessel density (MVD), have poorer prognoses. A similar observation of increased MVD has been made in hematologic malignancies; however, its prognostic significance remains unknown. We investigated changes in MVD in 122 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients uniformly treated according to the “Total Therapy” protocol (remission induction followed by tandem autotransplants and interferon maintenance) from a set of 231 patients. MVD was measured as mean of 10 fields (MVD) and the single highest field (SHF) on anti-CD34-stained Zenker-fixed paraffin-embedded bone marrow biopsy sections at 400x magnification. MVD was markedly elevated in this population, with a median of 4.4 vessels/field (range, 0.6 to 55.7), and SHF was 13 vessels/field (range, 2 to 80). When compared to 54 patients with less than 4 MVD, 67 patients with mean MVD of greater than 4 had a significantly inferior median duration of event-free survival (EFS) (2.7 v 4.3 years; P = .03), overall survival (OS) (4.3 v 7.9+ years, P = .006), and median complete response (CR) duration (2.2 v 6.8+ years, P = .003). A similarly significant unfavorable relationship to EFS and OS was present for SHF greater than 13. On multivariate analysis of other previously recognized prognostic factors ( β 2 -microglobulin [β2M], C-reactive protein [CRP], and Bartl grade; and deletion 13), MVD ≤ 4 emerged as a major favorable prognostic variable for OS followed by CRP ≤ 4, P = .006. Thus, tumor-associated angiogenesis as reflected by MVD is a biologically relevant and important prognostic feature that can be targeted by antiangiogenesis therapy such as thalidomide, which has remarkable antitumor activity in advanced and refractory multiple myeloma.
The ethics of energy transitions

Energy transitions raise significant questions of ethics and justice. This is particularly true today as the US and the world contemplate large-scale transformations of energy systems: the greening of energy production, the construction of smart grids and the rise of big data in energy services, the creation of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, and the rise of unconventional oil and gas. These transitions have the potential to influence not only energy production and delivery but also the social, economic, and political organization of the energy sector. Even more fundamental issues may also be at stake as individuals and communities reconfigure values, behaviors, relationships, and institutions around new energy technologies. This article defines the ethics of energy transitions, examines its major components, highlights the relationship between ethics, energy, and human thriving, and suggests strategies for the energy sector to use to factor ethics more fully into the design and planning of energy change.
Catastrophic health insurance and HMO's☆

Abstract The catastrophic health insurance bills introduced during the 96th U.S. Congress failed to consider the current role that Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO's) play in providing catastrophic protection and the potential negative impact such legislation may have on their competitive position. This article demonstrates that HMO's are providing this coverage by using the simulated health care expenditures for families in one HMO. The estimated proportion of families that incur catastrophic expenditures varies from 0.3 to 14.4%, depending on the definition used for catastrophic. The paper closes with a discussion of the potential adverse impact that the legislation would have had on HMO's.
Membrane structure and function of malaria parasites and the infected erythrocyte.

According to the World Health Organization the global estimate of malaria is over 200 million infections, the majority of which are caused by the most life-threatening species, Plasmodium falciparum (Report of the Steering Committees of the Scientific Working Groups on Malaria, World Health Organization, June 1983). The causative agent of the disease, the malarial parasite, requires two hosts: a blood-sucking mosquito and a blood-containing vertebrate. Commonly, infection of the vertebrate begins when an infected mosquito bites a suitable vertebrate and injects minute sporozoites into the bloodstream. Within 30 mm the introduced sporozoites leave the bloodstream and enter parenchymal cells of the liver (mammals) or endothelial cells (birds). In these sites the parasite undergoes asexual multiplication (= exo-erythrocytic schizogony) producing daughter progeny called merozoites. The exo-erythrocytic merozoites are released from the tissues into the circulation where they invade red blood cells. Within an erythrocyte the merozoite undergoes asexual multiplication (= erythrocytic schizogony) producing a substantial number of merozoites. The erythrocyte lyses, merozoites are released, and invasion of another erythrocyte may then take place. The synchronous rupture of the red cell and merozoite release is marked by the periodic fever–chill cycles so characteristic of the malarial infection. Some merozoites continue to reinvade other erythrocytes and multiply by asexual means, whereas others enter erythrocytes and differentiate into sexual stages, male or female gametocytes. When a suitable mosquito feeds on an infected vertebrate gametocytes are ingested and the sexual cycle of development is initiated. In the mosquito stomach the gametocytes transform into gametes, fertilization takes place, the resultant worm-like zygote penetrates the cells of the mosquito gut and comes to lie on the outer surface of the stomach. Here each zygote forms a cyst-like body, the oocyst, within which thousands of sporozoites are produced by asexual multiplication. When the swollen oocysts burst, sporozoites are freed and these make their way to the salivary gland. At the next blood feeding the mosquito injects the infective sporozoites and the life-cycle is completed.
Use of thermochromatic liquid crystals in the study of jet impingement cooling: sensitivity of transient heating methods

In the cooling of surfaces jet impingement arrays have been found to provide effective surface heat transfer. Considerable work has been done in identifying the optimal jet array geometry, including jet diameter, spacing and relative distance to the surface to be cooled. Most all of these studies rely on surface averaged heat transfer results. However, there are applications where the local distribution of the impingement heat transfer is important. The magnitude of the local variations may cause serious problems in terms of surface temperature gradients. Thermochromic liquid crystals provide a means to directly measure the surface temperature which can be used to study the local heat transfer coefficient distribution. Both steady state and transient methods have been identified. The steady state method is a direct application of Newton's Law of Cooling. The transient method establishes a step change in the surface boundary condition and solves the conduction problem in the surface substrate. This method can have advantages of lower experimental uncertainty. However, there are practical issues of time response that need to be addressed to determine actual local heat transfer coefficient. This paper addresses the issues associated with the transient method and provides results of impingement cooling. Of primary concern is the transient response and how that is related to the actual instantaneous convective condition at the surface. Results show a nonsteady convective coefficient which must be corrected based on the experimental design parameters.
Effects of 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene on the Superantigen Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin (TSST-1)-Induced Proliferation and Antibody Secretion by Human Lymphocytes

Toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST-1), a 22-kDa exotoxin secreted by Staphylococcus aureus, can act as a nominal antigen and induce proliferation and immunoglobulin secretion in human B-cells. The purpose of the present studies was to examine the effect of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), a well-characterized immunosuppressant of both cell-mediated and humoral immunity in murine lymphocytes, upon the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and TSST-1-induced immune responses in human lymphocytes. The MLR, using human tonsillar lymphocytes (HTL) from four different donors, was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner from 1 to 100 μ m . The IC50 for the suppression of the MLR ranged from 10 to 40 μ m . TSST-1 is a potent stimulator of T-cells bearing specific VB regions on the T-cell receptor (TCR). In contrast with the results from the MLR, DMBA inhibited TSST-1-induced T-cell proliferation only at 100 μ m in HTL. A similar profile of activity was determined with splenic T-cells from a single donor. TSST-1 has also been demonstrated to induce specific B-cell proliferation and differentiation in the presence of irradiated T-cells. TSST-1-induced B-cell proliferation was only consistently and markedly inhibited by DMBA at 100 μ m in tonsillar and splenic lymphocytes. In contrast, TSST-1-induced B-cell differentiation, as manifested by IgM and IgG secretion, was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner from 1 to 100 μ m DMBA in B-cells from human tonsils and spleens. These preliminary results suggest that TSST-1-induced immunoglobulin secretion may be a powerful model for the study of the modulation of human B-cell effector function by xenobiotics in vitro.
Training a better radiologist.

Radiology and radiologists are both the beneficiaries and the victims of the technology explosion that has fueled the development and evolution of imaging equipment. Although improvements in imaging technology allow the confident diagnosis of an ever broader array of abnormalities, they require the constant acquisition of new knowledge and image interpretation skills. The trend toward minimally invasive surgery has driven similar changes in interventional radiology. New devices to alter regional blood flow have changed the approach to patient care, often obviating the need for surgery. Percutaneous ablation techniques are increasingly becoming the preferred treatment for patients with primary or secondary malignancies involving the liver or kidneys. Despite these dramatic changes in our field, our training programs have remained static. We attempt to explore the options that should be considered. What are the deficiencies in the current radiology training structure? How could it be adjusted to produce radiologists better equipped to practice radiology?
Changing concept is in obstetric antibiotic prophylaxis

The evolution of antibiotic prophylaxis in cesarean section is traced from the discovery of sulfa compounds in the 1940s to the present. Prolonged courses of antibiotics, initiated before the surgical incision, have given way to shorter, three-dose and even single-dose regimens administered after clamping of the umbilical cord. Several factors have been proposed to help identify patients at greatest risk of infection. Guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis are reviewed. The effects of antibiotics on host flora are described, and the implications of bacterial resistance for selection of a prophylactic agent, particularly with respect to induction of the Richmond-Sykes type I β-lactamase enzyme, are discussed.
Detection of genetic variants of haemophilia B with an immunosorbent technique.

Summary. With an immunosorbent technique, we have found multiple genetic variants of haemophilia B. In one variant there is no detectable material that cross-reacts with a human anti-factor-IX antibody. This variant is defined as negative for cross-reacting material (CRM−). There is also a CRM+ variant in which the factor-IX deficient plasma has the capacity to neutralize as much antibody as does normal plasma. There is an intermediate variety that neutralizes the specific antibody to a degree which is proportional to the factor-IX clotting activity. This last group has been designated as having reduced cross-reacting material (CRMR). The CRMR group is probably heterogeneous, and it is likely that many genetic variants of haemophilia B exist.
Acetaldehyde production and transfer by the perfused human placental cotyledon

Fetal injury associated with maternal ethanol ingestion is a major cause of congenital anomalies and mental retardation. Studies with animals suggest that acetaldehyde, the primary hepatic oxidative metabolite of ethanol, may contribute to fetal damage. It is not known, however, whether acetaldehyde reaches the human fetus, either by placental production or transfer. Studies utilizing the perfused human placental cotyledon show that the human placenta oxidizes ethanol to acetaldehyde, releasing it into the fetal perfusate. Moreover, when acetaldehyde is present in the maternal perfusate, it is transferred to the fetal side, reaching approximately 50 percent of the maternal level. These findings suggest that the human placenta may play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of ethanol-associated fetal injury.
Diagnostic practices of evaluators of drunken drivers.

This study was designed to evaluate the impact of driving under the influence (DUI) arrest history on the diagnostic decisions of DUI evaluators and the reported bases on which alcohol-related diagnostic decisions are made in DUI cases. Subjects were 70 (out of a potential 140) Illinois certified DUI evaluators who responded by mail to one of four case summaries containing different information about a "client's" drinking history and arrest history. Results indicated a significant difference in the frequency with which these DUI evaluators noted whether the "client" had an alcohol problem, with zero, one and two DUI arrests yielding approximately 30%, 15%, and 50% alcohol diagnoses in the absence of DSM-III criteria supporting such a diagnosis. Collaborative reports by significant others and alcohol-related tests (e.g., Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test) were the two most frequently reported bases. The costs of such diagnostic unreliability and the disadvantages of collaborative reports and screening tests are discussed.
Identity Consequences of Religious Changing: Effects of Motivation for Change on Identity Outcomes

Abstract Comparisons of religious identity are made between two types of religious changers: (1) converts, those individuals who have changed their religious group affiliation due to change of religious belief, and (2) alternators, who have changed their religious group affiliation for some motive other than a change of belief. The religious changers are drawn from a variety of religious affiliations using a convenience sample. Analysis is quantitative, using logistic regression analysis and difference of means testing. Predictions based in identity theory (Stryker 1980, 1987) argue that converts will show higher levels of salience and commitment to the religious identity as well as behave in ways more appropriate to the religion. Results indicate no postconversion difference between the two types. The project is a first attempt to use identity theory to address the consequences of identity change based on differing motivations. The literature is advanced through the application of quantitative methodolog...
Stabilization of nanocrystalline grain sizes by solute additions

This paper will review the grain growth in nanocrystalline materials with emphasis on the grain size stabilization that can result from solute additions. The grain growth in nominally pure nanocrystalline metals will be presented followed by descriptions of the stabilization of nanocrystalline grain sizes by kinetic approaches and thermodynamic strategies. The descriptions of nanocrystalline grain size by solute additions will be taken from the literature as well as from recent research in the authors’ laboratory. Examples of kinetic stabilization, which involves reduction of the grain boundary mobility, include second phase drag, solute drag, chemical ordering, and grain size stabilization. The thermodynamic stabilization, which is due to the lowering of the specific grain boundary energy by solute segregation to the grain boundaries, will be described for systems including Pd–Zr, Fe–Zr, Ni–W, Ni–P, and Co–P. Recrystallization during grain growth will be presented for the Ti–N system. Finally, a summary of alloys where nanocrystalline grain sizes can be maintained at annealing temperatures close to the melting point will be presented.
On the economics of Spirulina production in Chile with details on drag-board mixing in shallow ponds

The northern coastal zones of Chile are ideally suited for mass cultivation of microalgae due to the availability of flat land, clear sky during the entire year, and stable weather conditions. Therefore an economic analysis has been carried out on a Spirulina production facility located 600 km north of Santiago. The site selected is close to the ocean and to the outlet of the Huasco River whose flow rate is 2 m3 • s-1. The lowest winter temperature there is 11°C and the highest summer temperature is 26°C. Rainfall is practically nonexistent in the zone.
Automatic Social Circle Detection Using Multi-View Clustering

With the development of information technology, online social networks grow dramatically. They now play a significant role in people's social life, especially for the younger generation. While huge amount of information is available in online social networks, privacy concerns arise. Among various privacy protection proposals, the notions of privacy as control and information boundary have been introduced. Commercial social networking sites have adopted the concept to implement mechanisms such as Google circles and Facebook custom lists. However, the functions are not widely accepted by the users, partly because it is tedious and labor-intensive to manually assign friends into circles. In this paper, we introduce a social circle discovery approach using multi-view clustering. First, we present our observations on the key features of social circles: friendship links, content similarity and social interactions. We propose a one-side co-trained spectral clustering algorithm, which is tailored for the sparse nature of social network data. We also propose two evaluation measurements. One is based on quantitative similarity measures, while the other employs human evaluators to examine pairs of users selected by the max-risk evaluation approach. We evaluate our approach on ego networks of twitter users, and compare the proposed technique with single-view clustering and original co-trained spectral clustering techniques. Results show that multi-view clustering is more accurate for social circle detection; and our proposed approach gains significantly higher similarity ratio than the original multi-view clustering approach.
The tri-gamma system: A model of the Intrinsic mechanism of control of cardiac contractility

Abstract The relationship between the peak tension developed in an isometric contraction of rabbit papillary muscle and the rate and pattern of stimulation has been analyzed both with the muscle in normal Krebs solution and in Krebs solution containing three times normal calcium. A hypothetical model (the complexity of which has been minimized) is presented that satisfactorily describes, quantitatively, the experimental results. The model equations describe how the magnitude of a quantity, an activator of contraction (e.g., calcium), varies with time and stimulation in each of three (possibly four) compartments or sites in the muscle. Finally, a demonstration is given of the ability of the model to account for the response of the muscle to more familiar patterns of stimulation than those used in formulating the model, such as a train of stimuli followed by a single test stimulus, paired pacing, post-extrasystolic potentiation, and negative and positive staircase.
CC chemokine receptor 8 potentiates donor Treg survival and is critical for the prevention of murine graft-versus-host disease

The infusion of donor regulatory T cells (Tregs) has been used to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in mice and has shown promise in phase 1 clinical trials. Previous work suggested that early Treg migration into lymphoid tissue was important for GVHD prevention. However, it is unclear how and where Tregs function longitudinally to affect GVHD. To better understand their mechanism of action, we studied 2 Treg-associated chemokine receptors in murine stem cell transplant models. CC chemokine receptor (CCR) 4 was dispensable for donor Treg function in the transplant setting. Donor Tregs lacking CCR8 (CCR8−/−), however, were severely impaired in their ability to prevent lethal GVHD because of increased cell death. By itself, CCR8 stimulation was unable to rescue Tregs from apoptosis. Instead, CCR8 potentiated Treg survival by promoting critical interactions with dendritic cells. In vivo, donor bone marrow–derived CD11c+ antigen-presenting cells (APCs) were important for promoting donor Treg maintenance after transplant. In contrast, host CD11c+ APCs appeared to be dispensable for early activation and expansion of donor Tregs. Collectively, our data indicate that a sustained donor Treg presence is critical for their beneficial properties, and that their survival depends on CCR8 and donor but not host CD11c+ APCs.
Personality, sex-role orientation, and psychological health in stereotypically masculine groups of males

Sex-role identity and personality characteristics were examined in 104 male members of two stereotypically “masculine” groups; i.e., college football players and police cadets. Sex-role identity as measured by the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) was roughly equivalent to that found in a normative sample of males. This was in contrast to society's stereotypic view of football players and police as “macho” males who possess few feminine or expressive traits. Personality profiles for individuals' scores on the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) showed that subjects did not differ significantly from “average” males on any of the scales. Correlations between masculinity and femininity scores from the BSRI and CPI scale scores suggest that the CPI is more strongly related to instrumental/masculine traits; direct measure of one's expressive/feminine traits may not be possible with this measure; and little overlap exists between the two measures.
The Supramolecular Chemistry of β-Sheets

Interactions among β-sheets occur widely in protein quaternary structure, protein–protein interaction, and protein aggregation and are central in Alzheimer’s and other amyloid-related diseases. This Perspective looks at the structural biology of these important yet under-appreciated interactions from a supramolecular chemist’s point of view. Common themes in the supramolecular interactions of β-sheets are identified and richly illustrated though examples from proteins, amyloids, and chemical model systems. β-Sheets interact through edge-to-edge hydrogen bonding to form extended layers and through face-to-face hydrophobic or van der Waals interactions to form layered sandwich-like structures. Side chains from adjacent layers can fit together through simple hydrophobic contacts or can participate in complementary interdigitation or knob–hole interactions. The layers can be aligned, offset, or rotated. The right-handed twist of β-sheets provides additional opportunities for stabilization of edge-to-edge cont...
NO adsorption on Ge(1 0 0) studied by TPD

Abstract We present temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) studies of the adsorption of submonolayer coverages of nitric oxide on a Ge(1 0 0) surface at low temperatures, followed by electron irradiation which alters the surface chemistry. Desorption peaks near 180 K indicate the non-dissociative nature of the adsorption, in addition to evidence for dissociation and recombination–desorption as N 2 molecules. Desorption after electron dosing of the surface indicates that this system exhibits electron-stimulated associative desorption of N 2 , and the likely involvement of NO dimers on the surface which also produce N 2 O desorption.
Dynamics of soil—tool interaction

Abstract Fast Fourier transform and harmonic analysis techniques are used to analyze the time varying nature of tillage tool draft. The results indicate that the dominant harmonic corresponds to the soil-fracture mode. A sinusoidal oscillation of the tillage tool appears to slightly reduce the time average draft when the oscillator is in phase with the pattern of force peaks caused by relative movement of the tillage tool in the soil. Higher order periodic oscillation of the tillage tool may have more potential for reducing draft.
Tracking Left Ventricular Performance Noninvasively: Response of the Peak Ear Pulse Derivative During Cardiac Catheterization

The peak derivative of the ear densitograph displacement pulse was monitored on 12 patients undergoing routine coronary angiography and left ventricular angiography. Simultaneous recording of cardiac output, heart rate, systolic time intervals, and ear densitogram were obtained throughout the progression from before angiographic injections to postcoronary angiography to after left ventricular angiography. The peak derivative of the ear densitogram (PD) consistently tracked mean systolic ejection rate, and changes in PD showed good correlation with changes in ejection rate (r=.749, p
Do assembly bonus effects occur on disjunctive tasks? A test of Steiner’s theory

Two experiments were run to test Steiner’s hypothesis that actual group performance on disjunctive tasks is equal to potential group performance (based upon the individual competencies of group members), minus losses due to faulty group processes. On no task did groups perform significantly worse than predicted, and on one of the four tasks groups performed significantly better than predicted from individual performance. It was concluded that actual group performance on disjunctive tasks is equal to potential group performance, minus losses due to faulty group processes, plus assembly bonus effects.
Long-term exposure to methotrexate induces immunophenotypic changes, decreased methotrexate uptake and increased dihydrofolate gene copy number in jurkat T cells

Methotrexate (MTX) treatment of rheumatoid arthritis may require increasing doses to maintain clinical efficacy. An overall plateau of clinical response is reached after only six months of treatment. To study the immunologic, biochemical and genetic effects of MTX on T cells, the Jurkat T cell line was made MTX-resistant by serial addition of methotrexate sodium into culture medium. Cells proliferated and divided successfully in MTX concentrations ranging to 15 μM. MTX resistance of Jurkat T cells in vitro was accompanied by significantly (P < 0.05) decreased expression of CD2, CD3, CD4, CD28, and CD69, IL-2 production, and MTX uptake assessed by cell association or disassociation of 3 [H] -MTX or fluoresceinated MTX (FMTX) , respectively. In addition, there was DHFR gene amplification and increased levels of DHFR in all resistant cell lines. Both permanent and transient phenotypic changes developed in resultant cell lines exposed to increasing concentrations of MTX in vitro. Expression of CD4 and CD25 and sensitivity to MTX returned to near-parental levels after removal of MTX from culture medium, whereas expression of CD26 and MTX uptake were significantly increased. Expression of CD2, CD3, CD69 and IL-2 production as well as the DHFR levels did not return to the parental phenotype after removal from MTX. We conclude that MTX-cultured cells express depressed levels of cell-surface markers vital for T cell function and activation. The return of enhancement of these cell-surface markers critical to T cell activation suggests a possible mechanism for the severe flares experienced by rheumatoid arthritis patients when drug treatment is discontinued.
Gaseous hydrogen assisted crack growth in 18 nickel maraging steels

Abstract Both the 18Ni (200) and 18Ni (250) maraging steels exhibited K-independent (Stage II) sustained-load crack growth in gaseous hydrogen over the stress-intensity range investigated. 18Ni (200) maraging steel was found to be less susceptible to gaseous hydrogen embrittlement than the higher strength 250 grade. Stage II crack growth at low temperatures in both steels appears to be rate limited by the same thermally activated hydrogen transport process characterized by an activation energy of about 18 kJ/mole. A dramatic decrease in susceptibility to gaseous hydrogen was observed at higher temperatures. The change in susceptibility occurred abruptly over a temperature range of about 5°C, at temperatures that depended on alloy composition and/or strength level. This transition may be associated with either hydrogen transport, or the mechanism by which hydrogen weakens the interatomic bonds. Additional work designed to elucidate the phenomenology and mechanism of gaseous hydrogen embrittlement is currently in progress.
Changes in the rate of production of superoxide anion in tails of Rana catesbeiana tadpoles during spontaneous and triiodothyronine-induced metamorphosis.

Abstract 1. 1. The time course of changes in the rate of production of superoxide anion (O2) was compared with that of β-glucuronidase in tails of Rana catesbeiana tadpoles during spontaneous and triiodothyronine (T3)-induced metamorphosis. 2. 2. Superoxide production increases in tadpole tail tissue undergoing regression in vivo during spontaneous metamorphosis and in response to T3 treatment. 3. 3. The specific activity of β-glucuronidase rises three-fold relative to control levels in tadpoles treated with T3in vivo. 4. 4. The time of onset of the rises in β-glucuronidase activity precedes the onset of tissue regression and the onset of the increase in superoxide production precedes the rise in β-glucuronidase activity.
Kinetics of oxidation of the bound cytochromes in reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas viridis

The initial oxidized species in the photochemical charge separation in reaction centers from Rps. viridis is the primary donor, P+, a bacteriochlorophyll dimer. Bound c-type cytochromes, two high potential (Cyt c 558) and two low potential (Cyt c 553), act as secondary electron donors to P+. Flash induced absorption changes were measured at moderate redox potential, when the high potential cytochromes were chemically reduced. A fast absorption change was due to the initial oxidation of one of the Cyt c 558 by P+ with a rate of 3.7×106s-1 (τ=270nsec). A slower absorption change was attributable to a transfer, or sharing, of the remaining electron from one high potential heme to the other, with a rate of 2.8×105s-1 (τ=3.5 μsec). The slow change was measured at a number of wavelengths throughout the visible and near infrared and revealed that the two high potential cytochromes have slightly different differential absorption spectra, with α-band maxima at 559 nm (Cyt c 559) and 556.5 nm (Cyt c 556), and dissimilar electrochromic effects on nearby pigments. The sequence of electron transfers, following a flash, is: Cyt c 556→Cyt c 559→P+. At lower redox potentials, a low midpoint potential cytochrome, Cyt c 553, is preferentially oxidized by P+ with a rate of 7×106s-1 (τ=140 nsec). The assignment of the low and high potential cytochromes to the four, linearly arranged hemes of the reaction center is discussed. It is concluded that the closest heme to P must be the high potential Cyt c 559, and it is suggested that a likely arrangement for the four hemes is: c 553 c 556 c 553 c 559P.
Self-informant agreement for personality and evaluative person descriptors: Comparing methods for creating informant measures.

Little attention typically is paid to the way self-report measures are translated for use in self-informant agreement studies. We studied two possible methods for creating informant measures: (a) the traditional method in which self-report items were translated from the first- to the third-person and (b) an alternative meta-perceptual method in which informants were directed to rate their perception of the targets' self-perception. We hypothesized that the latter method would yield stronger self-informant agreement for evaluative personality dimensions measured by indirect item markers. We studied these methods in a sample of 303 undergraduate friendship dyads. Results revealed mean-level differences between methods, similar self-informant agreement across methods, stronger agreement for Big Five dimensions than for evaluative dimensions, and incremental validity for meta-perceptual informant rating methods. Limited power reduced the interpretability of several sparse acquaintanceship effects. We conclude that traditional informant methods are appropriate for most personality traits, but meta-perceptual methods may be more appropriate when personality questionnaire items reflect indirect indicators of the trait being measured, which is particularly likely for evaluative traits.
P061 SHP-1 inhibitors to enhance signaling and IFN-Γ production by activated T cells, mediate antitumor effects of through IFN-g, and to augment blockade of CTLA-4 by ipilimumab

Introduction The Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase 1 (SHP-1) is a key negative regulator of signal transduction in response to cytokines, such as IL-2 and IFNs, in both activated T and somatic cells. SHP-1 inhibition might thus augment intracellular signaling and antitumor effects of cytokines and other immune enhancing therapeutics. Methods To assess SHP-1 signaling, immunoblot and murine tumor growth was evaluated. Results Sodium stibogluconate (SSG) inhibited SHP-1 and had syngeneic anti-tumor activity mediated via activating Th1 cells when combined with IL-2 or IFN-α2 in mice; further it required IFNg for anti-tumor action. Based further upon enhanced IFN-α2 signaling and antitumor effects for human tumor xenografts, a Phase I trial of SSG was undertaken. This confirmed patient safety of SHP-1 inhibition both alone and in combination and also identified increased SHP-1 substrates (pSTAT1, pSTAT3, pLck and pSlp76) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the patients following SSG but no marked potentiation of signaling response to IFN-α2. To identify more potent inhibitors of SHP-1 for cytokine augmentation, a library of 34,000 drug-like compounds was assessed by high throughput screening. Among the leads inhibitory at low [nM] for recombinant SHP-1, tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor-1 (TPI-1) selectively increased SHP-1 phospho-substrates (pLck-pY394, pZap70, and pSlp76) in Jurkat T cells but had little effect on pERK1/2 or pLck-pY505 regulated respectively by phosphatases SHP-2 or CD45. TPI-1 induced IFN-γ (+) mouse splenic cells >50× more effectively than SSG and also induced IFN-γ (+) cells in human PBMCs in vitro. TPI-1 inhibited (83%, p Conclusion Our data provide evidence for the first time that targeting SHP-1 augments the efficacy of CTLA-4 blockade. It also suggests SHP-1 inhibitors as platforms for dissecting cytokine modulation and potential candidates for further development and clinical translation.
Fluorescence interferences in Raman scattering from combustion products

Spectral interferences to Raman bands due to laser-induced fluorescence are examined in exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine operating on different fuels and fuel/air mixtures. A broadband fluorescence spectrum is observed in all cases, but the relative fluorescence intensity depends strongly on the particular engine operating condition. Elimination of the fluorescence background by various exhaust conditioning devices confirmed the fact that aerosols of hydrocarbons or other organic compounds are the principal source.
An efficient rank detection procedure for modifying the ULV decomposition

The ULV decomposition (ULVD) is an important member of a class of rank-revealing two-sided orthogonal decompositions used to approximate the singular value decomposition (SVD). The problem of adding and deleting rows from the ULVD (called updating and downdating, respectively) is considered. The ULVD can be updated and downdated much faster than the SVD, hence its utility.
Assessing the physical condition of children

Summary This paper is concerned with a detailed account of the componentswhich are employed in the Grid technique to represent and define the physical status of growing children at a given moment and their physical progress from one observation to the next. To evaluate status it is necessary to fix upon three components: physique, development, and nutritional grade. To evaluate progress one needs to note only from a child's channel course and auxodrome how sequential states behave with the passing of time. Photographs of children arrayed in accordance with their Grid positionshelp to illustrate what physique, development, and nutritional grade signify when taken singly or in various combinations. The clearest understanding of what physique signifies is obtainedby comparing children in different channels who have reached the same developmental level; conversely, the best illustration of development is given by comparing children in the same channel who have reached different levels. Thus, for children in the same channel, increasing level leads merely to increase in absolute body size and not to alterations in physique. The role of age, which is concerned only with progress, is fully discussed.The sole value of age, in the matter of judging growth and development, is its function of determining, with the help of a child's auxodrome, whether that child is keeping to his own specific schedule of development or not. The outstanding and fundamentally important characteristic which physique, developmental rate, nutritional grade, and age schedule (auxodrome) possess is that in health they remain constant during the prolonged ten-to twelve-year period of school life in which children through the impetus of growth are undergoing continuous and ultimately great change in body size. The invariancy of these components when all else is changing sets the pattern of satisfactory growth no matter how children may differ or be alike in other respects. An evaluation of growth and development for the purposes of assessing the physical condition of children thus depends far more upon noting whether changes have occurred in the components that should normally remain constant than upon dealing with attributes that are changing from day to day.
Interpolation in output-feedback tube-based robust MPC

The theoretical framework of tube-based robust model predictive control (MPC) for linear systems subject to bounded, additive disturbances has recently drawn attention. This paper considers an extension of this framework, specifically the use of interpolation methods for the terminal controller, which can increase the overall controller's region of attraction for a modest increase in complexity. Standard interpolation-based robust MPC guarantees robust asymptotic convergence of the closed-loop system to a robust invariant set. This paper shows that, by choosing a modified cost function and control law, robust exponential convergence can also be guaranteed.
The seed bank in a population of an endemic plant species and its ecological significance

Abstract A large seed reserve was present at a population site of the narrowly endemic winter annual plant species Leavenworthia stylosa Gray. From the seed bank present in the soil in the spring of 1971, seedlings were produced in the autumn of each of seven subsequent years (1971–1977). The presence of a large seed bank ensures continuation (without immigration) of the population at a given site, even if seeds are not produced every year, and it increases the size, and thus the genetic diversity and stability, of the effective breeding population. The implications of natural seed banks to preservation of plant species are discussed.
The knowledge merchants.

Since World War II, increased funding by government and industry has turned the ‘education business’ of American universities into ‘knowledge business’. Interactions between universities and industry can take the form of consulting, affiliate programmes, contracts, extradepartmental research and development, exchanges of scientists, research agreements and the involvement of venture capital companies. The experiences of the School of Pharmacy, University of California at San Francisco, with these interaction models are described and evaluated.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FOR THE EVALUATION OF HYDRONEPHROSIS, REFLUX AND RENAL SCARRING IN CHILDREN

Purpose: We studied the effectiveness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for evaluating hydronephrosis, differential renal function, vesicoureteral reflux and renal scarring in children.Materials and Methods: A total of 16 patients with hydronephrosis were evaluated with MRI. Coronal T1 and axial T1 and T2-weighted images were obtained before and after the administration of intravenous contrast material. Patients with vesicoureteral reflux underwent magnetic resonance voiding cystourethrography. Differential renal function was estimated from differential parenchymal volumes determined from MRI using computer software. The results were compared to standard imaging modalities.Results: A total of 19 MRI studies were performed in 16 patients, including 3 for ureteropelvic junction obstruction, 11 for vesicoureteral reflux and 2 for other conditions. MRI provided the best anatomic detail and clear corticomedullary differentiation. MRI identified renal scarring and cortical thinning in 8 cases, while mercaptoa...