cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IPSC-derived 3D human fatty liver models

Abstract Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide (Younossi et al., 2019). As more individuals develop obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, the global prevalence of NAFLD is likewise increasing, affecting as high as a billion people. NAFLD is a spectrum disease that includes a progression from benign hepatic steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in its most severe form. Approximately 17% of the population advances to liver fibrosis and cancer making NAFLD/NASH the second-most common reason for liver transplantation (Mikolasevic et al., 2018). With the shortage of organ donors, limited supply of healthy liver tissue, and failure of animal models to accurately predict human toxicity, there is a growing interest in hepatocyte-based in vitro systems for research to generate results that better predict human pathophysiology. In this chapter, we will discuss the inherent challenges involved in recapitulating the complex liver tissue in vitro. We will highlight the recent advances in human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) technology including three-dimensional (3D) self-organized cell culture models such as spheroids and organoids and the emergence of microphysiological systems that have facilitated the use of iPSC-derived hepatocytes. These hepatocytelike cells isolated from healthy individuals and patients with liver disease or who harbor single nucleotide polymorphisms that make them high risk of developing fatty liver disease have become promising platforms to model in vitro NAFLD for dissecting basic liver biology and for applications in therapeutic screening and clinical evaluation.
Towards Perovskite Vapor Transport Deposition: PbI 2 Deposition and Modeling in a Close Space Vapor Transport Configuration

Interactions between temperature, pressure, and deposition rate are explored for the deposition of PbI 2 in a close space vapor transport (CSVT) geometry. The data presented here confirm that PbI 2 deposition occurs through diffusive mass transport based on strong correlations between the deposition rate and PbI 2 concentration gradient from the source and to the substrate. The calculated deposition rates from a one-dimensional diffusive mass transport model are found to be in good agreement with the experimentally-measured values. Additionally, the deposition temperature and pressure are found to strongly affect the morphology of equally-thick PbI 2 films, where higher temperature produces a rougher morphology and higher pressure leads to a more open grain structure.
Academic Achievement and Postsecondary Educational Attainment of Domestically and Internationally Adopted Youth

Adopted youth often do not achieve in school as well as their non-adopted peers. We used data from the High School Longitudinal Study to examine high school and postsecondary achievement outcomes i...
The Corvair Turbosupercharged Engine

This paper describes the engine designed for the Monza Spyder by supercharging the engine used previously. An exhaust driven supercharger compressor was chosen. The paper discusses engine modification, induction system, engine output and performance, and testing and development. /GMRL/
The effects of FK506 on retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve crush.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was twofold: to determine whether immunophilins were present in the rat retina and to determine the physiologic consequence of their presence. METHODS Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis were performed on rat retinal tissue, and the immunophilin FKBP12 was found to be present in retina. Immunohistochemical studies showed the presence of FKBP12 in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). In rats, optic nerve crush was performed on one side and a sham operation on the other side. By gavage, animals were given 5 mg/kg per day of the FKBP12 ligand FK506 in sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or in PBS alone. Eight days after nerve crush, the total number of back-labeled RGCs was estimated from retinal wholemounts. RESULTS In control eyes, the number of labeled ganglion cells was 74,104 +/- 4,166 (mean +/- SEM) in rats receiving vehicle and 74,993 +/- 3,098 in animals receiving FK506 daily. Eight days after optic nerve crush, 27,775 +/- 3,332 labeled ganglion cells were counted in retinas of animals receiving vehicle (n = 11), whereas 33% more ganglion cells (37,118 +/- 2,475) were counted in animals receiving FK506 daily (n = 11). This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The data presented demonstrate that the immunophilin FKBP12 is present in retina and specifically in RGCs. In addition, the FKBP12 ligand FK506 confers neuroprotection on RGCs after optic nerve crush. This neuroprotection may occur as a result of FK506's ability to interfere with apoptotic mechanisms after optic nerve crush.
Substrate-velocity relationships for the Trichoderma viride cellulase-catalyzed hydrolysis of cellulose.

The influence of substrate and enzyme concentrations on the rate of saccharification of two defined insoluble cellulose substrates, Avicel (FMC Corp., Philadelphia, Pa.) and Solka-Floc (James River Co., Berlin, N.H.), by the cellulase enzyme system of Trichoderma viride was evaluated. In the assays, enzyme concentrations ranging from 0.004 to 0.016 IU/ml and substrate concentrations up to 10% (wt/vol) were used. Analysis by initial velocity methods found the maximum velocity of saccharification to be nearly equivalent for the two substrates and the Km for the two substrates to be of a similar magnitude, i.e., 0.20% (wt/vol) for Solka-Floc and 0.63% (wt/vol) for Avicel. Studies in which relatively high substrate concentrations (greater than 15 times the Km) were used demonstrated that the enzyme exhibited very different apparent substrate inhibition properties for the two substrates. The rate of saccharification of Avicel at relatively high substrate concentrations was up to 35% lower than the maximum rate which was observed at lower substrate concentrations. The Avicel concentration corresponding to the maximum rate of saccharification was dependent on the enzyme concentration. In contrast to the results with Avicel, the enzyme did not exhibit substrate inhibition with the Solka-Floc substrate. Potential differences in the degree of substrate inhibition with different substrates, as reported here, are particularly relevant to the experimental design of comparative studies.
PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTION | The Last Millennium

Evidence for climate variability and change during the period of roughly the past millennium is reviewed. Insights are available from both empirical reconstructions based on natural archives (‘proxy’ records) of climate and from the results of simulations using theoretical models of the climate system. Both empirical and model-based approaches provide a fairly consistent picture of past changes. Significant regional climate changes are established as having taken place in past centuries, including periods of substantial cooling and warming in certain regions (e.g., Europe) and notable periods of drought and wetness in other regions (e.g., equatorial Africa and the desert Southwest of the United States). Some of these changes may be associated with the response of the climate to natural changes in radiative forcing of the climate, variations in solar output over time, and the effects of atmospheric aerosols due to past explosive volcanic eruptions. At hemispheric or global scales, the late twentieth-century warming appears to be without precedent in at least the past 1000 years. Model simulation studies suggest that this warming is due, in large part, to human or ‘anthropogenic’ climate impacts, particularly the increased concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere due to fossil fuel burning.
Association of post-cesarean delivery endometritis with colonization of the chorioamnion by Ureaplasma urealyticum.

Objective To determine if asymptomatic antenatal colonization of the chorioamnion with Ureaplasma urealyticum is a risk factor for the development of post-cesarean delivery endometritis. Methods The chorioamnion was cultured at cesarean delivery for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, mycoplasmas, Chlamydia trachomatis , and Trichomonas vaginalis in 575 singleton gestations with intact membranes. Culture results were compared with the clinical outcome. Postoperative endometritis was defined as a temperature of 38C with uterine tenderness and without other nonpelvic sources of fever. Results Fifty-eight (10%) of the 575 women developed endometritis. Women with spontaneous labor developed endometritis twice as often as those delivered for medical or obstetric indications (17 versus 8%, P =.002). Endometritis occurred in 28% of women with U urealyticum present in the chorioamnion at cesarean delivery, compared with only 8.4% if the culture was negative and 8.8% if only bacteria other than U urealyticum were isolated ( P P ≤ .002). Regression analysis controlling for gestational age and incision type revealed a threefold increased risk of endometritis if the chorioamnion was colonized with U urealyticum at cesarean (odds ratio [OR] 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1\2–8.3) and an eightfold risk (OR 7.7, 95% CI 1.9\2–31.5) in women in whom the onset of labor was spontaneous. Conclusion Colonization of the chorioamnion with U urealyticum in women with intact membranes being delivered by cesarean is a significant, independent predictor of subsequent endometritis.
A Technical Note of Testing Smoke-exhaust Fans with Two Standards

Smoke-exhaust fans are used in smoke management systems to create a smoke free zone for the safe evacuation of people and the fire fighting. The nature of this application calls for running tests of such a fan at a designated temperature for a specified period of time and, maybe, for some specific operational modes. In the simplest abstraction, such a test can be conducted with methods and setups described in either ISO 5801 or other prevalent trade standards with heat added to the system. In real applications, however, the requirements of reaching the test temperature at a specified rate and measuring fan performance at that temperature for a required period of time represent a major extrapolation, both technically and economically, from fan performance testing at ambient conditions. In particular, it was found that the design and construction of the re-circulation type setup cited in various proposed and formal standards, for energy conservation, present an engineering challenge in terms of heat loss/pressure resistance management and economics.
Construction of a Human-BAC Array for a high resolution analysis of genomic changes in cancer

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 169 A high density BAC array of the human genome will be very useful to assess global genomic DNA changes in cancer cells and deletion syndromes at a very high resolution using CGH (comparative genomic hybridization) techniques. We are generating an array of over 32,000 BAC clones to give comprehensive coverage of the genome. To begin this process on a small scale, a BAC array of chromosome 8 was developed and tested. This array contains 1463 BAC clones creating a tiling path along the chromosome 8 and includes 48 BAC clones from chromosome X. The BAC clones DNA were amplified using the Phi29 DNA polymerase to generate the required amounts; a modified protocol allowed for efficient amplification of large number of BAC clones. Labeling/hybridization protocols were optimized to detect single copy changes using a panel of cell lines with an increasing number of X chromosomes. DNA from a breast cancer cell line (SKBR3) with two known amplified regions in 8q21 and 8q24 was hybridized to evaluate the usefulness of this high density BAC array. We identified 6 distinct amplified and 3 deleted regions in 8q. Each of these regions was verified by q-PCR (quantitative PCR) and FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization). These techniques were also used to define the precise boundaries of amplicons in an independent manner. In addition, expression of genes that were part of the amplified/deleted regions was evaluated by expression arrays and q-PCR. Similar high-resolution amplification/deletion maps of chromosome 8 of several pancreatic cancer cell lines are generated. The entire 32,000 BAC clone array is now being assembled, and it is anticipated that a high-resolution analysis will help identify hitherto unknown genomic changes that will lead to a better understanding of cancer.
Grasp recognition and manipulative motion characterization from human hand motion sequences

We are developing a system capable of observing a human performing a task and understanding the task well enough to replicate it. This approach is called Assembly Plan from Observation. In order to replicate the observed task, we have to analyze the entire sequence. This can be done by first segmenting the task sequence into its constituent pre-grasp, grasp, and manipulation phases. This paper describes the different analyses that can be done subsequent to the temporal segmentation. These include human grasp recognition, extraction of object motion, and the spatiofrequency (spectrogram) analysis of the manipulation phase. >
EFFECT OF CERTAIN POLYCYCLIC HYDROCARBONS ON THE INCORPORATION OF AMINO-ACIDS INTO SOLUBLE RIBONUCLEIC ACIDS.

ONLY a few reports on the biochemical action of poly-cyclic hydrocarbons have appeared. Gilleland and Bond1 observed an increase in the RNA/DNA ratio in Escherichia coli cells which were grown in the presence of certain polycyclic hydrocarbons. McCarter and Quastler2 have shown that 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) inhibits the incorporation of thymidine into DNA in the growing hair follicle. This communication describes the biochemical effects of DMBA and 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) on the formation of aminoacyl–sRNA.
Evaluation of tropical cloud regimes in observations and a general circulation model

Tropical cloud regimes defined by cluster analysis of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) cloud top pressure (CTP)–optical thickness distributions and ISCCP-like Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) general circulation model (GCM) output are analyzed in this study. The observations are evaluated against radar–lidar cloud-top profiles from the atmospheric radiation measurement (ARM) Program active remote sensing of cloud layers (ARSCL) product at two tropical locations and by placing them in the dynamical context of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). ARSCL highest cloud-top profiles indicate that differences among some of the six ISCCP regimes may not be as prominent as suggested by ISCCP at the ARM tropical sites. An experimental adjustment of the ISCCP CTPs to produce cloud-top height profiles consistent with ARSCL eliminates the independence between those regimes. Despite these ambiguities, the ISCCP regime evolution over different phases of the MJO is consistent with existing MJO mechanisms, but with a greater mix of cloud types in each phase than is usually envisioned. The GISS Model E GCM produces two disturbed and two suppressed regimes when vertical convective condensate transport is included in the model’s cumulus parameterization. The primary model deficiencies are the absence of an isolated cirrus regime, a lack of mid-level cloud relative to ARSCL, and a tendency for occurrences of specific parameterized processes such as deep and shallow convection and stratiform low cloud formation to not be associated preferentially with any single cloud regime.
Josephson experiments on the high-temperature superconductors

(1996). Josephson experiments on the high-temperature superconductors. Philosophical Magazine B: Vol. 74, David Pines-Forty-five Years of Many-Body Theory, pp. 509-522.
Laser vaporization for the synthesis of nanoparticles and polymers containing metal particulates

Abstract The application of laser ablation has been widely used for the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials and film deposition. Of particular interest are the combinations of laser ablation techniques with other chemical and physical processes to synthesize new materials with novel properties. In this paper, we specifically address two areas of materials chemistry which promise far-reaching progress for the development of novel materials with unusual properties. The first area deals with the synthesis of polymeric materials containing ultrafine metal particles. This has been achieved by combining recent advances in laser vaporization/ionization of metals with the very fast propagation rates characteristic of ionic polymerization. In the experiments, laser vaporization of metal targets is used to generate ultrafine metal particles and cations which are capable of catalyzing the cationic polymerization of isobutylene. High molecular weight polymers containing submicron metal particles have been obtained. This method can lead to the generation of new polymeric materials with unique properties. In the second area, combination of laser vaporization of metals with gas phase chemical reactions followed by controlled condensation from the vapor phase is used to synthesize nanoscale metal oxide, carbide and nitride particles with controlled sizes and compositions. The microscale structures of the SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 particles exhibit interesting web-like morphology with a significant volume of voids. Raman, IR, XPS, mass spectrometric and electron microscopic studies of these particles will be presented. These materials may have special applications in catalysis and as reinforcing agents for liquid polymers.
Mask roughness and its implications for LER at the 22- and 16-nm nodes

Line-edge roughness (LER) remains the most significant challenge facing the development of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) resist. The mask, however, has been found to be a significant contributor to image-plane LER. This has long been expected based on modeling and has more recently been demonstrated experimentally. Problems arise from both mask-absorber LER as well as mask multilayer roughness leading to random phase variations in the reflected beam and consequently speckle. Understanding the implications this has on mask requirements for the 22-nm half pitch node and below is crucial. Modeling results indicate a replicated surface roughness (RSR) specification of 50 pm and a ruthenium capping layer roughness specification of 440 pm. Moreover, modeling indicates that it is crucial to achieve the current ITRS specifications for mask absorber LER which is significantly smaller than current capabilities.
Solubility of Surface Enamel Treated with Precipitate-Free Aqueous Solutions of Stannous Fluoride

The antisolubility effect of some precipitate-free, dilute aqueous solutions of stannous fluoride against acid demineralization was determined through an in vitro decalcification test on the intact surface enamel of human teeth. Significant decrease in solubility occurred after treatment in spite of the highly reduced concentrations of titratable stannous ions found.
USE OF GNOTOBIOTIC METHODS FOR A CHILD WITH SEVERE COMBINED IMMUNODEFICIENCY|[lpar]|SCID|[rpar]| TRANSPLANTED WITH MARROW FROM AN UNRELATED MIXED LYMPHOCYTE CULTURE |[lpar]|MLC|[rpar]| COMPATIBLE DONOR

A male infant in a family with the autosomal form of SCID was delivered vaginally. SCID was diagnosed on cord blood and later confirmed. He was kept free of infection by reverse isolation in a laminar flow hood from age 1 week until transplant 5 months later. Before transplant, decontamination was begun with chlorhexidine for the skin and oral cephaloridine, neomycin and mycostatin for the upper respiratory and GI tracts. Within 3 days and thereafter all cultures (including washed stools) revealed no growth.
Superconductor metal oxide catalyst in a chemiluminescence chromatography detector

The superconducting oxygen-deficient perovskite, YBa2Cu3O7, was used to catalyze redox reactions between organic species and NO2 in a chromatography detector based upon chemiluminescence. The reactions were studied at catalyst temperatures ranging from 200°C to 350°C and at make-up gas flow-rates of 3.5–36.5 ml/min. By changing the flow-rate or the catalyst temperature, one can alter the sensitivity of analyte response in redox chemiluminescence and the selectivity ratios. Alcohols and alkenes responded the most strongly, with ethanol being detected at the level of 0.5 ng. Ammonia, acetaldehyde, acetone, methylethylketone, acetonitrile and nitromethane were also sensitively detected. Chromatographic analyses of oxygenates, e.g., methyl tert.-butyl ether or alcohols, in paraffinic matrices such as gasoline were demonstrated.
U.S.-Russian Bilateral Transparency Regime to Verify Nonproduction of HEU

A bilateral U.S.-Russian regime to confirm that that neither country secretly produces fresh highly enriched uranium (HEU) would be an important nonproliferation and nuclear threat reduction initiative. It would close the remaining loophole in the emerging system of international controls of fissile materials and make reductions in the U.S. and Russian HEU stockpiles irreversible. An HEU nonproduction transparency regime appears feasible. Applicable monitoring technologies and procedures already exist and have been tested operationally. U.S.-Russian cooperation in the areas of HEU and plutonium disposition and other nuclear technology applications could provide Russia with a needed incentive to participate in the proposed regime.
Enhancing the Development of Language and Thought Through Conversations with Young Children

Abstract While much research has documented the lack of dialogue between children and teachers in classrooms, relatively little research has focused on the conversations of teachers who facilitate this type of verbal interaction with young children. This study, based on ethnographic fieldwork in a preschool classroom, was designed to address that gap in the literature, with particular emphasis on one teacher's ability to involve children in meaningful dialogue. The teacher had been evaluated by parents, children, supervisors, and other teachers as particularly sensitive and responsive in her interactions with young children. The study examines these interactions through an analysis of a sample of her questions recorded in formal field notes and selected videotaped dialogues. Results indicated that this teacher asked questions which encouraged open, extended conversations; eschewed questions which solicited brief, factual answers; and maintained relatively long, natural, and child-centered conversations wi...
An Extended Phosphate Linkage: Synthesis, Hybridization and Modeling Studies of Modified Oligonucleotides

Abstract Novel stretched oligonucleotides (A-D) containing a 3′-α-C-methylene phosphodiester bridge (5-atoms long) have been synthesized on an automated synthesizer utilizing phosphoramidite chemistry. The key building-block 1-[3′-O-β-cyanoethyldiisopropylaminophosphiryl-2,3-dideoxy-5-O-dimethoxytriphenylmethyl-3-C-(hydroxymethyl)-β-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl]thymine (21) was prepared in a stereoselective manner from thymidine. Hybridization studies indicated a drop (1.8–3.0°C/mod.) in affinity for the complementary RNA and DNA targets. Molecular modeling results indicated that the 5-atom modified backbone had a different geometry around the phosphodiester linkage compared to the natural phosphodiester linkage. The stretched backbone may not be useful for antisense or triplex constructs, however it may find applications in biochemical/enzyme studies. †Present address: Ribozymes Pharmaceuticals Inc., 2950 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301.
Evaluating Summer Camps 1979 — Problems of Measuring Behaviour Change in Children

To develop experience in assessing behaviour change in children, sixteen children attending week-long summer camps run by the Department of Psychiatry, Adelaide Children's Hospital in January 1979, were assessed every two months for six months. Target complaints, symptom checklists and measures of social behaviour were chosen as being most likely to be sensitive to behaviour change. Hypotheses about the summer camp experience having an influence on severity of target behaviour problems, symptoms indicating child psychiatric disorder, peer group participation, mastery of aggression and development of conscience and social values were not convincingly supported. Agreement between camp staff and parents rating the children's social behaviour using the same instrument a week apart was poor. Simple ranked adjective scales have advantages over goal attainment scaling for rating target complaints. Implications for treatment evaluation in child psychiatry are discussed.
Suppression of Entangled Diblock Copolymer Diffusion at and below the Order-Disorder Transition

The polymer-mode coupling (PMC) theory is applied to simultaneously treat diblock copolymer self-diffusion above and wel below the order-disorder transition (ODT). This requires combining the PRISM theory of diblock melts including recent extensions to estimate the location of the ODT and quantitatively describe scattering data, with the PMC approach. New dynamic scaling laws are derived and both model calculations and quantitative applications to experiments are presented
A study of mutational robustness as the product of evolutionary computation

This paper investigates the ability of a tournament selection based genetic algorithm to find mutationally robust solutions to a simple combinatorial optimization problem. Two distinct algorithms (a stochastic hill climber and a tournament selection based GA) were used to search for optimal walks in several variants of the self avoiding walk problem. The robustness of the solutions obtained by the algorithms were compared, both with each other and with solutions obtained by a random sampling of the optimal solution space. The solutions found by the GA were, for most of the problem variants, significantly more robust than those found by either the hill climbing algorithm or random sampling. The solutions found by the hill climbing algorithm were often significantly less robust than those obtained through random sampling. .
Experimental Proposal for Achieving Superadditive Communication Capacities with a Binary Quantum Alphabet

We demonstrate superadditivity in the communication capacity of a binary alphabet consisting of two nonorthogonal quantum states. For this scheme, collective decoding is performed two transmissions at a time. This improves upon the previous schemes of Sasaki et al. [Phys. Rev. A 58, 146 (1998)] where superadditivity was not achieved until a decoding of three or more transmissions at a time. This places superadditivity within the regime of a near-term laboratory demonstration. We propose an experimental test based upon an alphabet of low photon-number coherent states where the signal decoding is done with atomic state measurements on a single atom in a high-finesse optical cavity.
Cognitive pluralism: A sociocultural approach

In this paper, I refer to two notions which are basic to the theory of Cognitive Pluralism. First, there are multiple semiotic means. Language is a primary one, but it is not the only one. Second, semiotic means are based on cultural practices. In the theory of Cognitive Pluralism, as in other pluralistic theories, musical and mathematical notation systems, diagrams, maps, and other semiotic means are examined. The use of diverse cognitive approaches is illustrated by the accounts of experienced thinkers. I discuss analytical and analogue cognitive styles in mathematics in relation to historically shifting emphases in the discipline. The developmental and cultural implications of this theory are illustrated with analyses of narratives as they are retold by children. In closing, a contrast between Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences and the theory of Cognitive Pluralism is presented.
Anisotropic elastic materials capable of a three-dimensional deformation (static or dynamic) with only one displacement component and uncoupling of all three displacement components

Abstract It is shown that there are anisotropic elastic materials that are capable of a non-uniform three-dimensional deformation with only one displacement component. For wave propagation, the equation of motion can be cast in the form of the differential equation for acoustic waves. For elastostatics, the equation of equilibrium reduces to Laplace’s equation. The material can be monoclinic, orthotropic, tetragonal, hexagonal or cubic. There are also anisotropic elastic materials that uncouple all three displacement components. The governing equation for each of the uncoupled displacement can be cast in the form of the differential equation for acoustic waves in the case of dynamic or Laplace’s equation in the case of static. The material can be orthotropic, tetragonal, hexagonal or cubic.
Management of Anemia: Erythropoietin Therapy or Red Blood Cell Transfusion?

SUMMARY Erythropoietin therapy was approved for use as a blood conservation intervention beginning in 1989 for patients with medical anemia and in 1997 for surgical patients. The adoption of this strategy has been rapid in some settings (e.g., renal failure patients), progressive in others (e.g., cancer patients), and slow in others (e.g., surgery patients). At the same time, the risks of blood transfusion have declined substantially whereas the costs of blood transfusion have increased significantly. Issues regarding the risks and costs associated with blood transfusion have led to a reevaluation of clinical transfusion practices. The evolution of new techniques such as acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) and the novel erythropoiesis-stimulating protein (NESP) bring new options to allogeneic blood transfusion. Erythropoietin therapy, with or without autologous blood procurement, is undergoing new scrutiny as an alternative to blood transfusion. This is not only because of traditional concerns regarding blood risks but because of new blood inventory and cost considerations.
Detection of Anticapsular Antibodies to Bacteroides asaccharolyticus in Serum from Rabbits and Humans by Use of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

A sensitive serologic test, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), was used to detect serum IgG antibodies directed specifically to a capsular antigen of Bacteroides asaccharolyticus (previously known as Bacteroides melaninogenicus subspecies asaccharolyticus). Anticapsular IgG was measured in 30 specimens of rabbit serum after the animals were immunized with whole B. asaccharolyticus, the two subspecies of B. melaninogenicus, and several other bacterial species. Species-specific anticapsular IgG was demonstrated (P less than 0.001). Levels of anticapsular IgG greater than control levels were likewise detected in serum from two humans, including one patient who had periodontitis and from whom B. asaccharolyticus was isolated, and a laboratory worker who had extensive exposure over a two-year period to B. asaccharolyticus. The ELISA was found to be a relatively simple, sensitive tool for measurement of serum IgG. Its application to detection of immunoglobulins of other classes, including secretory IgA, is anticipated, provided adequate standardization methods are used.
A test for additive decomposability of irreducibles over a finite field

Abstract A polynomial h over a field F is said to be additively decomposable over F if there exist polynomials f and g in F [ x ] each of degree >1 such that the roots of h are precisely all sums α + β of roots α of f and β of g . This paper derives a test for determining whether or not a given irreducible over a finite field is additively decomposable.
Foot-ground forces on sloping ground when lifting

Slipping risk associated with manual material handling on inclined surfaces was investigated using a 24 factorial experimental design under controlled laboratory conditions. The reaction force data at the shoe sole-sloping surface interface, the box trajectories, and the subjects’ assessment of the risk involved in carrying out the prescribed tasks were obtained and analysed both analytically and statistically. The results of these analyses are presented in this paper.
Dosimetric consequences of rotational errors in radiation therapy of pediatric brain tumor patients

Purpose To quantify the rotational offsets and estimate the dose effect of rotation on the target volume and normal tissues in children with brain tumor.
Mild renal insufficiency is associated with reduced coronary flow in patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have increased risk for cardiovascular events. However, the association between these pathophysiological processes is unclear. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the association between early CKD and coronary microvascular disease in patients with normal or mildly diseased coronary arteries. A total of 605 patients with normal or mildly diseased coronary arteries based on angiography underwent coronary flow reserve (CFR) evaluation using intracoronary adenosine. Patients were divided based on glomerular filtration rate (GFR). CKD was defined as calculated GFR 2 . Patients with normal GFR (≥60 ml/min/1.73 m 2 , n =481) had higher CFR compared to those with CKD ( n =124, CFR=3.0±0.8 vs 2.6±0.6, P
Analysis of metabolic profiles of steroids in faeces of healthy subjects undergoing chenodeoxycholic acid treatment by liquid-gel chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

The multicomponent analysis of faecal steroids is described. Steroids were removed from faeces by solvent stripping in a Soxhlet apparatus and the resulting extracts were fractionated by diethylaminohydroxypropyl Sephadex column chromatography into neutral sterols, free bile acids, glycine conjugated bile acids, taurine conjugated bile acids and sulphated steroids. In this study the method has been applied for faecal steroid analyses of healthy subjects undergoing chenodeoxycholic acid therapy. Chenodeoxycholic acid administration causes a considerable increase in the concentration of faecal lithocholic acid which is a known comutagenic bile acid. Furthermore it has been shown that conjugated bile acids can account for between 10 and 20% of the faecal bile acid pool. The method described is convenient and may be useful for epidemiological studies which require a large number of faecal samples to be analysed.
Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of tomato extensin monomers and potato lectin

Abstract Extensins are basic hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs) of the primary cell wall. They exist mainly as an insoluble network, but also as soluble precursors which are readily eluted from intact cultured cells by dilute salt solutions. Although generally regarded as monomeric, these soluble network precursors exhibit anomalous behaviour on gel electrophoresis and gel filtration, which has recently led to an alternative view of soluble extensin as globular-like aggregates of covalently crosslinked monomers. This discrepancy needs to be resolved as it impinges directly on mechanisms of wall assembly. Therefore, using matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) we measured the molecular masses of P1 and P2, two highly glycosylated soluble extensins from tomato. P1 was 89.7 kDa while P2 was 132.1 kDa. MALDI-TOF MS control experiments with the related HRGP, potato lectin, showed that it occurred as a mixture of monomers and dimers. This excludes the likelihood of oligomer disruption and confirms earlier conclusions that soluble extensins exist mostly as monomers.
PROTOPLASMIC POTENTIALS IN HALICYSTIS : III. THE EFFECTS OF AMMONIA.

The nature and origin of the large "protoplasmic" potential in Halicystis must be studied by altering conditions, not only in external solutions, but in the sap and the protoplasm itself. Such interior alteration caused by the penetration of ammonia is described. Concentrations of NH4Cl in the sea water were varied from 0.00001 M to above 0.01 M. At pH 8.1 there is little effect below 0.0005 M NH4Cl. At about 0.001 M a sudden reversal of the potential difference across the protoplasm occurs, from about 68 mv. outside positive to 30 to 40 mv. outside negative. At this threshold value the time curve is characteristically S-shaped, with a slow beginning, a rapid reversal, and then an irregularly wavering negative value. There are characteristic cusps at the first application of the NH4Cl, also immediately after the reversal. The application of higher NH4Cl concentrations causes a more rapid reversal, and also a somewhat higher negative value. Conversely the reduction of NH4Cl concentrations causes recovery of the normal positive potential, but the threshold for recovery is at a lower concentration than for the original reversal. A temporary overshooting or increase of the positive potential usually occurs on recovery. The reversals may be repeated many times on the same cell without injury. The plot of P.D. against the log of ammonium ion concentration is not the straight line characteristic of ionic concentration effects, but has a break of 100 mv. or more at the threshold value. Further evidence that the potential is not greatly influenced by ammonium ions is obtained by altering the pH of the sea water. At pH 5, no reversal occurs with 0.1 M NH4Cl, while at pH 10.3, the NH4Cl threshold is 0.0001 M or less. This indicates that the reversal is due to undissociated ammonia. The penetration of NH3 into the cells increases both the internal ammonia and the pH. The actual concentration of ammonium salt in the sap is again shown to have little effect on the P.D. The pH is therefore the governing factor. But assuming that NH3 enters the cells until it is in equilibrium between sap and sea water, no sudden break of pH should occur, pH being instead directly proportional to log NH3 for any constant (NH4) concentration. Experimentally, a linear relation is found between the pH of the sap and the log NH3 in sea water. The sudden change of P.D. must therefore be ascribed to some system in the cell upon which the pH change operates. The pH value of the sap at the NH3 threshold is between 6.0 and 6.5 which corresponds well with the pH value found to cause reversal of P.D. by direct perfusion of solutions in the vacuole.
Assessment of global and regional myocardial function in the mouse using cine and tagged MRI.

Mouse models are expected to play an important role in future investigations of human cardiac diseases. In the present report, MRI methods for determining global and regional cardiac function in the mouse are demonstrated. ECG-gated cine images were acquired in five C57BL/6 mice at physiological temperatures (37°C) and heart rates of 500 ± 50 beats per minute. Left ventricular mass, ejection fraction, and cardiac output were estimated from the resulting images. Regional myocardial function was also determined in three animals by application of 2D SPAtial Modulation of Magnetization (SPAMM) in combination with the cine protocol. The quality of the tagged images was sufficient to allow mapping of myocardial strains and displacements. The results of the regional strain analysis were consistent with similar studies in larger animals. This work demonstrates the first characterization of regional myocardial function in the mouse via SPAMM techniques. Magn Reson Med 49:760–764, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Medical and Psychosocial Associates of Nonadherence in Adolescents With Cancer

The current study examined adherence to medication regimens among adolescents with cancer by applying the Pediatric Self-Management Model. Adolescents and their parents reported on adherence to medication, reasons for nonadherence, and patient-, family-, and community-level psychosocial variables. Adolescent- and parent-reported adherence were significantly correlated, with about half of the sample reporting perfect adherence. The majority reported “just forgot” as the most common reason for missed medication. Patient-, family-, and community-level variables were examined as predictors of adherence. With regard to individual factors, adolescents who endorsed perfect adherence reported a greater proportion of future-orientated goals and spent fewer days in outpatient clinic visits. For family factors, adolescents who endorsed perfect adherence reported greater social support from their family and were more likely to have a second caregiver who they perceived as overprotective. The community-level variable ...
Prevalence of self-reported epilepsy, health care access, and health behaviors among adults in South Carolina.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from South Carolina for 2003–2005 were used to determine epilepsy prevalence and prevalence variation by demographic subgroups, and to compare health insurance coverage, health care visits, and health-related behaviors among persons with epilepsy and the general population. Two percent of respondents reported they had ever been told by a doctor that they had epilepsy, and 1% reported active epilepsy. Almost half of those with active epilepsy reported a seizure in the prior 3 months. More than one-third of respondents with active epilepsy reported that there was a time in the past 12 months when they needed to see a doctor but could not because of cost. Persons with epilepsy were more likely to smoke and have less physical activity. Persons with epilepsy need better access to health care, as well as interventions focused on smoking cessation and increased physical activity.
Work-Family Balance: Counseling Strategies to Optimize Health:

This article both describes and demonstrates a brief counseling strategy for optimizing the overall health of three clients. Using the concept of positive spillover between the family domain and the work domain, a detailed health assessment, health status profiling, and a health resource enhancement strategy provided the vehicle to increase the client's work-family balance. The collaborative counseling strategy to optimize the clients' overall health seemed to increase the clients' desire to effect and maintain change in their lives. Additionally, the health status of key family members was positively and indirectly affected by this approach.
Distributional inequalities and van der Corput's lemma

Abstract An approximation method and distributional inequalities are used to generalize a classical lemma due to van der Corput.
Turnover of S35-sulfate in epiphyses and diaphyses of suckling rats. Nature of the S35-labelled compounds.

S35-sulfate was injected intraperitoneally- into 7-day-old rats and their long bones were removed after intervals of time. The epiphyses were separated from the diaphyses for analysis. From the diaphyses freed of bone marrow about 82 per cent of the S35 which they contained was extracted with a 2.5 N solution of sodium hydroxide. More, about 91 per cent of the S35, was thus extracted from the epiphyses. Dialysis of the extracts against water showed that the fraction of S35 which was dialyzable decreased rapidly with time. After 1 hour about 80 per cent and 50 per cent of the S35 in the extracts of diaphyses and epiphyses, respectively were found in the dialysates, after 24 hours about 20 per cent and 4 per cent, and after 120 hours 12 per cent and 1 per cent. Similar values for the S35 in inorganic sulfate were found when the extracts were chromatographed on an anion exchange resin, dowex-2. The S35, other than inorganic sulfate, was in the form of bound sulfate, which was released by acid hydrolysis. Uronic acid and hexosamines, primarily galactosamine, were associated with the S35. Indeed, on paper electrophoretograms and paper chromatograms the major S35-labelled component which was seen resembled chondroitin sulfate in its mobility. On the paper chromatograms, also a second S35-labelled component with a mobility lower than that of chondroitin sulfate was found. It is unlikely that the latter is a breakdown product of chondroitin sulfate, produced in the course of extraction with the sodium hydroxide solution. In fact, both components were also found in sodium versenate homogenates which had been dialyzed extensively against water. On the basis of these results it is suggested that the greatest part of the S35-labelled materials previously demonstrated by autoradiography to be progressively deposited in the metaphyses after 24 hours,—as the concentration of S35-sulfate concurrently decreased in the epiphyseal cartilage plates,—are akin to the chondroitin sulfate of the epiphyseal cartilage plates and are derived from the latter.
A fitting algorithm for Markov-modulated poisson processes having two arrival rates☆

Abstract Point processes with fluctuating arrival rates arise in many current applications of queueing theory, notably in communications modeling. Markov-modulated Poisson processes (MMPP) have been used to describe such processes because they incorporate a mechanism to account for the temporal inhomogeneity of the arrival rates, yet yield analytically tractable queueing results. An iterative statistical procedure is developed for fitting MMPP having two arrival rates to observational data. The procedure is largely numerical-experimental and is motivated by maximum likelihood estimation.
Transposition of the penis and scrotum.

SUMMARY A case of transposition of the penis and scrotum is reported. This is the ninth case reported in the literature, the second to be operated upon and the first where an associated hypospadias was also repaired. The embryology, clinical picture, and treatment of this malformation are briefly discussed.
Electrical characterization of a JFET-accessed GaAs dynamic RAM cell

A complete one-transistor dynamic RAM cell in GaAs is discussed. Read and write operations is monitored by observing the capacitance of the storage node. Storage times on the order of a few seconds are obtained at room temperature with an activation energy slightly less than half the zero-temperature bandgap. >
Evidence for serotonin involvement in the NAIMC excitatory neurotransmission in the catfish intestine

1. Four putative neurotransmitters (serotonin, substance P, ATP (alpha-beta-methylene-ATP), and vasoactive intestinal peptide, VIP) of the non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) innervation were examined for their role in the NANC excitatory neurotransmission in channel catfish intestine after adrenergic and cholinergic blockade. 2. VIP at concentrations ranging from 10(-12)M to 10(-4)M did not produce either a relaxant or a contractile response in these segments. 3. Serotonin, substance P and alpha-beta-methyl-ATP produced contractile responses in a dose-dependent manner. Their EC50 values were 5 x 10(-7)M, 5 x 10(-9)M and 5 x 10(-9)M and 5 x 10(-6)M, respectively. 4. Electrical field stimulation of the intestinal segments produced a predominant excitatory response after complete blockade of adrenergic and cholinergic divisions, suggesting a predominant NANC excitatory innervation. 5. Three types of serotonin receptor antagonists, namely methiothepin (predominantly a 5-HT1 antagonist), ketanserin (a selective 5-HT2 antagonist), methysergide and cyproheptadine (predominantly 5-HT2 blockers) and metoclopramide (a selective 5-HT3 blocker) were tested for their effectiveness against serotonin and EFS-induced contractions. Methiothepin, methysergide, cyproheptadine and metoclopramide produced significant blockade of the response to serotonin, whereas only methiothepin and cyproheptadine produced blockade of EFS-induced response. 6. Three agents tested for substance P blockade, namely spantide, 4-11 fragment of substance P, and methysergide (also a serotonin blocker), did not produce significant inhibition of the response to either substance P or EFS. 7. Suramin at a dose that blocked the ED50 concentration of ATP did not produce a significant blockade of the response to EFS suggesting that ATP-involvement in the NANC-e neurotransmission is unlikely. 8. This study confirmed the involvement of serotonin in the expression of non-adrenergic non-cholinergic excitatory response of the channel catfish intestine.