cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Polydimethacrylates and Their Composites by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

The objective was to characterize, by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), the polymeric materials used to restore teeth and, in particular, to assign a glass transition temperature, T g. Generally, in DMA work, Tg is taken as the temperature at which the internal damping, i.e., tanδ, has a maximum value. However, in the present work it was shown that the classical method of assigning T g corresponds more closely to an assignment based on changes in elastic modulus. On this basis, a bis-GMA copolymer and a proprietary dental composite, both polymerized by exposure to light, were assigned Tg values of -25°C and +10°C, respectively. The composite had an even lower value, Tg =-10°C, after saturation with water. The value of Tg can be increased considerably by treatments which are known to increase the degree of polymerization, i.e., by heating or by γ-irradiation.The present findings imply that composites made by photopolymerization may undergo marked changes in mechanical state (becoming glassy, leathery, and...
Log-Pearson Type 3 Distribution and Its Application in Flood Frequency Analysis. II: Parameter Estimation Methods

A number of parameter estimation methods for the log-Pearson type 3 distribution have been explored in the hydrologic literature, including the method of moments (MOM) in both log space and real space, maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs), and the method of mixed moments (MXM). Several studies have compared MLE and MXM estimators to a so-called Bulletin 17B MOM estimator, but only marginal gains in accuracy are reported and the conclusions are often conflicting. This paper resolves these discrepancies. The observed performance of MLEs can depend critically on the convergence criteria and parameter constraints. Reasonable constraints on parameters can also improve the performance of log space MOM estimators. The method of mixed moments does very well in comparison to MOM and MLE in the absence of regional information. However, a Monte Carlo analysis demonstrates that log space MOM estimators with regional skew information as recommended by Bulletin 17B are likely to be more attractive, and the more precise...
Sildenafil monotherapy in portopulmonary hypertension can facilitate liver transplantation

Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH), or pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with cirrhosis, carries a high mortality and often precludes liver transplantation. Many POPH patients have preserved or increased cardiac output; therefore, decreasing pulmonary artery pressure rather than improving cardiac output is more important in reducing liver transplant risk, and this makes sildenafil an attractive therapeutic option. We assessed the clinical response of patients with POPH treated with sildenafil monotherapy. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 10 patients with POPH and sildenafil monotherapy. Eight of 10 patients had hepatitis C virus infection. Patients took 31 +/- 14 mg (mean +/- standard deviation) thrice daily and were followed for 21 +/- 16 months. The World Health Organization functional class improved from 3.0 +/- 0.0 to 2.3 +/- 0.5 at 1 year (P < 0.05). Four of 8 patients increased the 6-minute walk distance at 1 year by 30 m or more. Three patients became transplant-eligible, 1 of whom underwent successful transplantation, and 3 patients have been stable without progression of liver disease or POPH. The remainder were not transplant candidates because of refractory POPH (n = 2) or other comorbidities (n = 2). We conclude that sildenafil may be an effective therapy for POPH that can stabilize or improve hemodynamics in patients with POPH and thereby facilitate liver transplantation.
HCl Leaching Rate and Microstructure of Phase‐Separated Borosilicate Glasses

The leaching rate in HCl solution and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of a borosilicate glass (SiO2 70, B2O3 23, and Na2O 7 wt%) were measured as a function of heat treatment for glass-in-glass phase separation. The leaching rate varied together with Ty, approaching an equilibrium value unique to the heat-treatment temperature. As the heat-treatment temperature decreased, the equilibrium leaching rate increased. These results plus electron microscopy of sample structure established that the leaching rate is primarily controlled by the composition of the chemically less durable phase, and the effect, if any, of microstructure size is small. In contrast to previous reports, extremely long heat-treatment times were required to attain the equilibrium composition.
Structural Determinants of Myosin I Mechanosensing: The N Terminal Region

Myosin-I molecular motors are mechanically and kinetically tuned to function in a host of cellular processes. The myosin-I family members Myosin-IB (Myo1b) and Myosin-IC (Myo1c) have similar structures and ATPase kinetics; however, they display very different behaviors when mechanical loads are placed on the motors. The ATP-dependent, actin-detachment kinetics of Myo1c are not significantly affected by loads that resist the myosin powerstroke of <2 pN, allowing the myosin to generate power and act as a molecular transporter. In contrast, similar loads slow the ATP-dependent, actin-detachment kinetics of Myo1b by two-orders of magnitude, enabling the myosin to function as a tension-sensing anchor. We recently determined the crystal structure of the Myo1b motor domain and found that the N-terminal region (NTR) is in a conformation not seen in other myosin structures. Because the NTR sequence is highly variable and alternatively spliced within the myosin-I family, we investigated the role of the NTR in tuning the mechanochemical properties of myosin-I. We expressed recombinant constructs of Myo1b and Myo1c that had their NTRs deleted or swapped, and we characterized their kinetic and mechanochemical properties using in vitro motility assays, stopped-flow techniques, and single molecule optical trapping techniques. Our results show that the NTR plays an important role in tuning the mechanochemical properties of Myo1b and Myo1c, however the effects of this tuning are very different between these isoforms. These differences in the role of the NTR suggest that the sequence diversity and alternative splicing of this region may play a vital role in generating diversity of myosin-I function in the cell. This work was supported by grants from the NIH (GM057247 to E.M.O. and HL123623 to M.J.G.).
Clinical report of microphthalmia and optic nerve coloboma associated with a de novo microdeletion of chromosome 16p11.2

Anophthalmia and microphthalmia are etiologically and clinically heterogeneous. We present a 13-year-old boy with microphthalmia and multiple anomalies who was evaluated as part of our research into the etiology of microphthalmia. His clinical features included left microphthalmia, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous and posterior coloboma, right posterior pole coloboma, pectus excavatum, mild hypotonia, mild delays in speech and motor development, and an anxiety disorder with social difficulties. Investigations with a chromosome microarray revealed a de novo deletion of chromosome 16p11.2 of approximately 882 kb in size. Deletions of this region of chromosome 16p11.2 are a newly delineated microdeletion syndrome, but this is the first report of microphthalmia and coloboma associated with monosomy for 16p11.2, and emphasizes the clinical variability that can be present with this deletion. This report contributes to the growing knowledge regarding this microdeletion and suggests that rare copy number changes may be a cause of microphthalmia and other eye anomalies. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Sulfonyl Isocyanates and Sulfonyl Isothiocyanates

Abstract The literature dealing with sulfonyl isocyanates since 1972 is reviewed. Along with the sulfonyl isocyanates. the preparations and reactions of sulfonyl isothiocyanates are also reviewed. The paper is divided into three sections—Introduction, Preparations and Reactions. The chief sources of sulfonyl isocyanates are reactions of sulfonamides with phosgene, of sulfonyl ureas with phosgene, and of sulfonyl halides with metal cyanates. The principal sources of sulfonyl isothiocyanates are iminothiocarbamate salts when treated with thionyl chloride, phosphorus halides, or methyl chlorocarbonate. The iminothiocarbamate salts are prepared from sulfonamides. carbon disulfide. and metal hydroxides. The reactions of the isocyanates and isothiocyanates are categorized under reactions with arides, carbon-carbon unsaturated bonds, carbon-nitrogen double bonds, hydroxylgroups. amines. amino acids, amino alcohols, amides. aldehydes and ketones, C-H acidic compounds, phosphorus compounds, silicon compounds, tin ...
Role of serotonin in nocturnal and diurnal surges of prolactin in the pregnant rat.

Abstract Two surges of PRL designated as nocturnal (N) and diurnal (D) are observed during early pregnancy. The present study was undertaken to determine the involvement of serotonin (5-HT) in regulating these PRL surges. On day 7 of pregnancy intracarotid catheters were implanted, and blood samples were obtained at 0200 and 0400 h on day 8 and between midnight and 0600 h on day 9 to monitor the N surge. Rats were killed by decapitation, brains were quickly removed, frozen on dry ice, and stored at –70 C until later determination of indole and catecholamines. Pretreatment 24 h earlier with para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA; 250 mg/kg BW), an inhibitor of 5-HT biosynthesis, did not affect the N PRL surge, although the hypothalamic concentrations of 5-HT and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid were greatly reduced. On the other hand, administration at 2400 h of ketanserin (KET; 10 mg/kg BW, ip) or LY-53857 (5 mg/kg BW, ip), two selective 5-HT2 antagonists, significantly (P < 0.025 for KET and P < 0.01 f...
Catalysis of phosphodiester transesterification by dinuclear Cu(II) complexes: The role of the second Cu(II) ion

Abstract Two novel dinuclear Cu(II) complexes are prepared and shown to be highly active catalysts for phosphodiester transesterification. Comparative studies on the dinuclear complexes and corresponding mononuclear complexes reveal that one dinuclear complex achieves high activity by double Lewis acid and double general base catalysis while the other exploits single Lewis acid and double general base catalysis.
The effect of mono-dispersed water mist on the suppression of laminar premixed hydrogen-, methane-, and propane-air flames

Abstract Computational simulations are used to predict and understand the influence of fine water mists on the suppression of laminar, freely propagating methane–, propane–, and hydrogen–air atmospheric-pressure premixed flames. The model solves a coupled, chemically reacting, two-phase-flow problem. Flame suppression is measured in terms of a reduction in burning velocity. The effects of droplet diameter, net water loading, and fuel–air stoichiometry are reported. The results show similar qualitative features for all the flames. Generally speaking, smaller droplets are more effective than the larger droplets. Sufficiently small droplets (approximately 10 μm diameter for methane–air flames) are in a small-droplet limit, where even smaller droplets have the same suppression characteristics for the same net mass loading. Droplets above a certain diameter (approximately 30 μm for methane–air flames) lead to a turning-point extinction, where the burning velocity at the turning point is approximately half of the unperturbed burning velocity without any water-mist loading.
Extractives of Polygala macradenia gray (polygalaceae)

Abstract Four new, highly substituted xanthones have been isolated from the extracts of Polygala macradenia Gray (Polygalaceae). The assigned structures of 1,2,3,4-tetramethoxy-7-hydroxyxanthone (3), 1,2,3,4,6,7-hexamethoxyxanthone (7), 1-methoxy-2,3,6,7-dimethylenedioxyxanthone (10), and 1,2,3-trimethoxy-6,7-methylenedioxyxanthone (13) are based on spectroscopic properties of the parent compounds and some of their simple derivatives.
Lactational and Systemic Responses to the Supplementation of Protected Methionine in Soybean Meal Diets

Abstract Twenty-seven Holstein cows (14 primiparous and 13 multiparous) were randomly assigned to diets containing soybean meal without or with 15g of added DL-methionine daily, provided as 50g of ruminally protected methionine product, during wk 4 through 16 postpartum. Cows were fed a 15.3% crude protein total mixed diet of (dry matter basis) 30% corn silage, 15% alfalfa hay, and 55% concentrate mix. Yields of milk (32.9 and 35.2 kg/d), 4% fat-corrected milk (27.8 and 29.5 kg/d), and solids-corrected milk (28.5 and 30.1 kg/d) were higher for cows fed supplemental methionine. Milk protein percentage (2.99 and 3.06) was increased with supplemental methionine, while the percentage of fat (2.96 and 3.00), solids-not-fat (8.69 and 8.73), and total solids (11.67 and 11.71) were similar among diets. Dry matter intake (19.3 and 21.3 kg/d) was higher with methionine supplementation. Ruminal pH, volatile fatty acids, ammonia, and serum urea were generally unaffected by methionine supplementation. Concentrations of methionine in arterial and venous serum were elevated slightly by methionine supplementation, but the first-limiting amino acid for milk production, as calculated by several methods, was not changed.
Initial Experience with an Online Catalog at the Boys Town Center Library

In January of 1981, the Center for the Study of Youth Development initiated an online catalog of the holdings of its specialized library consisting of 10,000 monographs, journals, vertical file materials, etc. The present article discusses the reactions of the end-user or patron population to the resource. The background of the library automation project-including issues of cost-effectiveness, increased power, and user utility-is discussed in order to establish the initial goals of this activity. Attention is given to how the project was implemented; this includes a comparison of preliminary goals with what ultimately was delivered. The transition from a COM catalog to the online catalog required training of patrons (some of whom had little or no experience with a computer terminal), and only half of the Center staff participated in the initial training sessions. Preliminary patron behavior is reviewed, and an attempt to informally analyze both positive and negative experiences is offered. The initial exp...
Glomerular Filtration Rate in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

Schwartz et al. (1) have reported a new formula for estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR)1 in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This is an excellent analysis based on a carefully described, prospectively recruited cohort of children with various types of kidney diseases that have compromised function. The analysis is precise and the results seem to provide a more accurate, noninvasive method of estimating the GFR of children. The obvious first question raised about a study is: Why is it important? In this case, aren’t there existing methods of estimating GFR in these children, and wouldn’t a measured GFR be more accurate and reliable? As indicated in the article, there are 2 important reasons to have an improved method for readily estimating GFR: Knowledge of the GFR would be valuable in adjusting the doses of nephrotoxic medications in children with CKD, and the method is a useful tool in plotting the decline of renal function if it is coupled with intermittent direct measures. As important as these reasons are, they may understate the importance and significance of this work. First, some background. The nephrology community, including the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), professional associations such as the American Society of Nephrology and the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, and patient advocacy and support organizations such as the National Kidney Foundation, have developed educational programs to alert …
Testing specific cognitive abilities by telephone and mail

Abstract The two goals of this research were to develop a brief battery of tests of specific cognitive abilities that can be administered via telephone to adolescents and to assess the psychometric properties of the battery. In a sample of 212 adolescents from 10 to 15 years of age, factor analyses supported the hypothesized structure of verbal, spatial, perceptual speed, and memory abilities, with three tests intended to mark each factor. For a subsample of 62 subjects, retest correlations were .81, .73, .82, and .57, respectively, for the four specific cognitive abilities; scores from telephone testing and face-to-face testing correlated near the reliabilities of the telephone tests. Recommendations are made for shortening the 60-min battery to 35 min by using only two tests to mark each factor.
A structural model of leisure constraints negotiation in outdoor recreation.

A conceptual model tested the leisure constraints negotiation process of outdoor recreation: motivation and the constraints to participate likely influenced by negotiation efforts. Higher motivation to participate encourages using negotiation strategies and resources to overcome constraints. Experiencing constraints was thought to trigger negotiation efforts. Drawing from social cognitive theory, negotiation-efficacy was proposed to encourage motivation, diminish the perception of constraints and promote negotiation efforts, which indirectly influenced positive participation. The model tested used data collected from a random sample of Arizona residents through hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Results support the conceptual model and suggest the constraints negotiation process is a dynamic interaction of influences promoting outdoor recreation participation.
Morphology and function of canine small intestinal autografts: with particular interest in the influence of ex vivo graft irradiation.

Abstract The intestinal transplantation procedure obligates an early functional deficit in intestinal grafts. Graft irradiation has been used to modulate post-transplant immune reactions; however, irradiation may cause further deterioration of the function of the transplanted intestine. Using the canine model, we investigated the influence of the transplant procedures, with and without ex vivo graft irradiation, on early intestinal graft function and histopathology. Outbred hound dogs underwent autointestinal transplantation with (n = 8) or without (n = 5) 7.5 Gy ex vivo graft irradiation. Mucosal cytochrome P450 and P-glycoprotein, routine immunohistopathology, and intestinal absorptive function were studied. Weight gain was slow after surgery, but was comparable in the irradiated and nonirradiated groups. During the early post-transplant period, both groups showed defects in intestinal absorption, associated with decreased cytochrome P450 3A4 activity and reduced P-glycoprotein expression, regardless of graft irradiation. These changes returned to normal in both groups by day 28. Histopathologically, epithelial apoptosis showed a slight increase 1 hour after transplantation; however, there was no evidence of histopathologic abnormalities including arterial changes associated with irradiation. In addition, the frequency of T and B lymphocytes in the lamina propria were not significantly influenced by the transplant surgery or ex vivo irradiation. Thus, early after transplantation, intestinal function was impaired and effectiveness of orally administered immunosuppressive drugs was significantly altered. Graft irradiation did not induce further defects in intestinal function or cause histopathologic abnormalities.
The Role of Cloud Top Entrainment in Cumulus Clouds

Abstract The entrainment process and its resultant effects on the microphysics and dynamics within cumuli are not yet clearly understood. This research was undertaken to discover the role which cloud top plays in the entrainment process and to determine whether observed downdraft magnitudes could be explained on the basis of evaporative cooling. An instrumented King Air research aircraft was used to acquire thermodynamic, microphysical and dynamical data within and near cumulus clouds of the high plains and midwestern United States. Temperature and liquid water content measurements made within the clouds were used to discover the source for any entrained air via a thermodynamic treatment initially pursued by Dufour (1956), and later expanded by Paluch (1979) and Betts (1982). The entrainment source regions found were either at or above the aircraft sampling level in 78 of the 87 cases examined. It was found that the environment within 20 mb of cloud top was the source for entrained air in these 78 cases. ...
Two techniques for evaluating small molecule-macromolecule binding in complex system

Abstract Two techniques are proposed for the evaluation of multiple binding in complex systems. These techniques can be applied to reactions where more than one class of binding sites is present or where there are interactions between equivalent sites. The first technique employs a Klotz or Scatchard plot to evaluate three stoichiometric binding constants and the total number of sites. Furthermore the individual site binding parameters can be determined for several very important systems such as a macromolecule with two classes of independent sites or a macromolecule with three sites that are equivalent but not independent. For a system with many classes of independent sites, a second technique employs a continuous distribution of binding constants to analyze the reaction. This method does not require the assumption of a functional form for the distribution or a knowledge of the number of classes.
Global uniformly convergent finite element methods for singularly perturbed elliptic boundary value problems: higher-order elements

Abstract In this paper, we develop a general higher-order finite element method for solving singularly perturbed elliptic linear and quasilinear problems in two space dimensions. We prove that a quasioptimal global uniform convergence rate of 0( N x −( m +1) In m+1 N x + N v −(m+1) In m+1 N v ) in L 2 norm is obtained for a reaction-diffusion model by using the m th order ( m ≥ 2) tensor-product element, thus answering some open problems posed by Roos in [H.-G. Roos, Layer-adapted grids for singular perturbation problems, Z. Angew. Math. Mech. 78(5) (1998) 291–309] and [H.-G. Ross, M. Stynes and L. Tobiska, Numerical Methods for Singularly Perturbed Differential Equations (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1996) 278]. Here, N x and N v are the number of partitions in the x - and y -directions, respectively. Numerical results are provided supporting our theoretical analysis.
The rearrangement route to 3-carboxy- and 3-hydroxymethyl-2-azabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes: 3,5-methanoprolines.

Improved stereocontrolled syntheses of 5-anti-hydroxy-3-exo-methoxycarbonyl-2-azabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes have been effected from pyridine. The key step in the electrophilic addition−rearrangement of 2-azabicyclo[2.2.0]hex-5-ene precursors incorporates either a 3-endo-phenyl group, as an acid precursor, or a 3-endo-phenyldimethylsilylmethyl group, as a potential hydroxymethyl and acid precursor.
MuGFET carrier mobility and velocity: Impacts of fin aspect ratio, orientation and stress

A detailed study of the impacts of fin aspect ratio and crystalline orientation and process-induced channel stress on the performance of multi-gate transistors is presented. It is found that CESL-induced stress provides for the greatest enhancement in effective carrier mobility and ballistic velocity, for n- and p-channel FinFETs and Tri-Gate FETs. Extracted carrier velocity values in short-channel FinFETs still depend largely on carrier mobility.
Optoelectronic loop design with 1000 finesse Fabry-Perot etalon

A 10.287 GHz optoelectronic oscillator is experimentally demonstrated that uses a 1000 finesse Fabry-Perot etalon as the mode selector instead of an rf filter. The results are compared with a standard optoelectronic loop with an rf filter. The substitution of the rf filter with the optical filter results in a higher rf stability and lower phase noise.
Generalized Quadrangles of Even Order

Abstract The quadrangles constructed by Tits using ovoids in finite desarguian planes are shown to be special cases of an abstractly much larger class which also includes a recent generalization of Thas. The general construction is obtained by coordinatizing a quadrangle in terms of a certain group of collineations. Special emphasis is placed on quadrangles having certain properties in common with the known quadrangles of even order.
The Etymology of Queer

(2005). The Etymology of Queer. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 17-19.
Triamminechromium(III) complexes of tripolyphosphate and adenosine tri- and diphosphate

Abstract Triamminechromium(III) tripolyphosphate consists of two isomers which can be separated by ion exchange chromatography on Dowex-1. The major isomer is bidentate meridional with one uncoordinated phosphate and a coordinated water, while the minor isomer is tridentate and facial. The meridional isomer converts slowly to the facial one (t 1 2 = 93 hr). Triamminechromium ATP also has facial and meridional forms that can be separated by Dowex MP-1 chromatography. The facial isomers are resolved by chromatography on cross-linked cycloheptaamylose into four isomers, but the meridional ones are only partially separated. Triamminechromium ATP isomers can be converted to triamminechromium tripolyphosphate by sequential treatment with periodate and diethylenetriamine. Meridional forms retain their CD spectra under these conditions, but facial forms lose ellipticity as they form a tridentate species. Two of the facial isomers that are slower to lose ellipticity are tentatively assigned as the isomers with coordinated water anti to the uncoordinated phosphate. The same treatment causes triamminechromium ADP to eliminate triamminechromium pyrophosphate. After periodate treatment, triamminechromium ADP exhibits an unusual pH-sensitive spectral shift in its visible and CD spectra.
Use of the Innovation–Decision Process Teaching Strategy to Promote Evidence-Based Practice

The purpose of this article is to describe the innovation–decision process teaching strategy (I-DPTS) based on the model of diffusion of innovations [Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press]. A goal of baccalaureate nursing education is to develop competencies required for evidence-based practice. Such practice merges clinician expertise, patient preferences, and critical evaluation of the literature to improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs [Melnyk, B. M. (2005). A primer on evidence-based practice. Paper presented at the Purdue School of Nursing Seventh Annual Helen R. Johnson Leadership Conference, West Lafayette, IN]. Several strategies to promote evidence-based practice have appeared in the literature. However, when they are examined in light of the innovation–decision process (Rogers, 2003), they do not address all the essential steps for adoption to occur. The I-DPTS allows students to achieve competencies necessary to overcome barriers associated with implementing best practices. This strategy was successfully implemented in a senior-level introductory nursing research class. Community representatives identified practice issues that could be addressed by student groups. After conducting a search of the literature, students analyzed the evidence, determined best practice based on the evidence, and developed a policy for implementation in clinical settings. At course end, representatives were invited to attend oral and poster presentations. Use of the I-DPTS better prepares students to implement best practice as they embark on their professional careers.
Improving color constancy of object colors

In a study of improving the color constancy of object colors, the spectral reflectances of the eight CIE color-rendering test samples (Munsell painted papers) were chosen as reference reflectance distributions. Many other distributions, more highly structured than those of the reference set, were synthesized by computer so as to be rendered by illuminant D65 at the chromaticity at which one or another of the CIE-Munsell samples is rendered by D65. The chromaticities, at which each of the synthesized reflectances is rendered by each of 30 additional illuminants, define both dominant wavelength and chroma vector for the resulting 50,000 illuminant–sample combinations. For most natural illuminants, and for present commercial lamplights, color constancy is maximized by synthesizing each sample reflectance from three relatively narrow components, 50–60 nm at half height, peaking at wavelengths near 450 nm, 530 nm, and 610 nm.
Species differences in luteinizing hormone as inferred from slope variations in a radioligand receptor assay.

Luteinizing hormone preparations from a variety of sources were compared with respect to the slopes of their radioligand uptake inhibition curves. The system utilized human luteinizing hormone as the radioligand and homogenates of testis from mature rats as the receptor source. Based on the weighted mean values from replicate slope measurements, four major groups could be detected. In order of decreasing slope steepness, these were: Group I = human urinary LH, monkey pituitary LH, human pituitary LH and human chorionic gonadotropin; Group II = bovine pituitary LH, ovine pituitary LH, rat pituitary LH and equine pituitary LH; Group III = rabbit pituitary LH and chicken pituitary LH; Group IV = porcine pituitary LH and canine pituitary LH. There was no overlap of 95% fiducial limits for calculated slope values between groups. These groupings are at variance in some instances with those of a previous report (Endocrinology 73: 509, 1963), based on slopes of dose response curves obtained using the ventral pros...
High Energy Elastic Scattering of Electrons on Protons

The theory of the elastic scattering of electrons on protons at very high energies is discussed in detail. A formula is given for the cross section. This formula contains certain parameters which depend on the action of the virtual photon and meson fields. In particular, curves have been calculated on the assumption of scalar and pseudoscalar meson theory. While these perturbation theory calculations are not very trustworthy, and the results depend on the choice of coupling constants, it is felt that qualitative features can be checked with experiment. It is concluded that at low relativistic energies ($El50$ Mev) the experiment provides a valuable check on quantum electrodynamics. At higher energies it should yield data on the nature of the meson cloud of the proton.
Design of vectors for efficient expression of human purine nucleoside phosphorylase in skin fibroblasts from enzyme-deficient humans

Abstract Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP; purine-nucleoside orthophosphate ribosyltransferase, EC 2.4.2.1) deficiency is an inherited disorder associated with a severe immune defect that is fatal. Enzyme replacement therapy is an attractive approach to treatment of this disease. To this aim we constructed retroviral vectors containing a human PNP cDNA and a selectable gene encoding neomycin phosphotransferase. PNP expression was controlled by either the early promoter from simian virus 40, the immediate early promoter from human cytomegalovirus, or the retroviral promoter. Cultured skin fibroblasts from two unrelated PNP-deficient patients that were infected with these vectors expressed mean PNP activities of 0.03, 0.74, and 5.9 mumol/hr per mg of protein, respectively. The latter infectants had PNP activities eight times the level of 0.74 mumol/hr per mg of protein observed in normal skin fibroblasts, enabling rapid metabolism of exogenous deoxyguanosine, the cytotoxic metabolite that accumulates in the plasma of PNP-deficient patients. These experiments indicate that viral long terminal repeat was the strongest promoter for expression of PNP and suggest the potential of human skin fibroblasts as vehicles for therapeutic gene expression.
Structure of the MADS-box/MEF2 Domain of MEF2A Bound to DNA and Its Implication for Myocardin Recruitment.

Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) regulates specific gene expression in diverse developmental programs and adaptive responses. MEF2 recognizes DNA and interacts with transcription cofactors through a highly conserved N-terminal domain referred to as the MADS-box/MEF2 domain. Here we present the crystal structure of the MADS-box/MEF2 domain of MEF2A bound to DNA. In contrast to previous structural studies showing that the MEF2 domain of MEF2A is partially unstructured, the present study reveals that the MEF2 domain participates with the MADS-box in both dimerization and DNA binding as a single domain. The sequence divergence at and immediately following the C-terminal end of the MEF2 domain may allow different MEF2 dimers to recognize different DNA sequences in the flanking regions. The current structure also suggests that the ligand-binding pocket previously observed in the Cabin1-MEF2B-DNA complex and the HDAC9 (histone deacetylase 9)-MEF2B-DNA complex is not induced by cofactor binding but rather preformed by intrinsic folding. However, the structure of the ligand-binding pocket does undergo subtle but significant conformational changes upon cofactor binding. On the basis of these observations, we generated a homology model of MEF2 bound to a myocardin family protein, MASTR, that acts as a potent coactivator of MEF2-dependent gene expression. The model shows excellent shape and chemical complementarity at the binding interface and is consistent with existing mutagenesis data. The apo structure presented here can also serve as a target for virtual screening and soaking studies of small molecules that can modulate the function of MEF2 as research tools and therapeutic leads.
Fuzzy number neural networks

This paper presents a practical algorithm for training neural networks with fuzzy number weights, inputs, and outputs. Typically, fuzzy number neural networks are difficult to train because of the many α-cut constraints implied by the fuzzy weights. A transformation is used to eliminate these constraints and allow use of standard unconstrained optimization methods. The algorithm is demonstrated on a three-layer network.
Inclusion chemistry for the modeling of heme proteins

Early attention to the modeling of heme proteins is enhancing the understanding of biochemistry. Those studies are also contributing to the development of techniques for the modeling of still more intricate, multifunctional, variously selective natural systems. Selectivity in simple systems may involve the molecular capability to bind only one of a family of related species or it may mean the ability to select and control one of a number of possible functions of a given bound species. Complicated systems simultaneously combine the two kinds of simple selectivities for two or more different classes of guest, often with synergistic interrelationships. The subject is developed around examples of binary, tertiary, and quarternary complexes designed to model the behavior of monooxygenases.
Is it wise to target the late costimulatory molecule OX40 as a therapeutic target

The immune response triggered following pathogen recognition, though required to clear the infection, can be detrimental if it is produced in excess or fails to resolve promptly. Excessive inflammation contributes to infectious and noninfectious pathologies in the gut (such as inflammatory bowel disease), lung (such as bronchiolitis), and in a variety of autoimmune conditions. T cells contribute significantly to pathology during inflammation. Global anti-inflammatory strategies can alleviate the consequences of exuberant inflammation by suppressing T cell activity, but may leave the patient vulnerable to opportunistic infection. More specific therapies aim to suppress only those T cells involved in the disease process, and one such approach is to target late costimulatory molecules. These are not expressed on naive or resting memory cells. Rather, they have a specific window of expression and their ligation results in the production of abundant inflammatory cytokines. By targeting these molecules, it is hoped that inflammation will reduce, but that therapies will be specific enough to avoid, global immune suppression. This review focuses on the late costimulatory molecule OX40, compare it with other T cell costimulators, and highlight why it is a more suitable target for immune intervention than other immune suppressive strategies.
Unusual presentation of iatrogenic phenytoin toxicity in a newborn.

Background Medication errors may produce severe toxicity resulting in hospitalization. This can be compounded if the physician obtains the wrong concentration from a reference manual and a pharmacy miscalculates the conversion. We report a child presenting with ileus, hypothermia and lethargy after receiving supratherapeutic dosing of phenytoin after a concentration miscalculation.
Uses and abuses of two-dimensional echocardiography

Abstract The rapid proliferation of new cardiac diagnostic methods during the past decade has inevitably resulted in a number of problems and uncertainties in the assimilation and clinical application of these techniques. Two-dimensional echocardiography is an important example of such a new method which because of its wide applicability, safety and ease of application has grown especially rapidly in its clinical availability and use. This brief review will consider some of the principal ‘uses and abuses' of two-dimensional echocardiography that have emerged to date.
Race, Social Background, and School Choice Options.

This research contributes to discussions about social inequality in school choices in two ways. First, educational choices include the multitude of options families may consider, including choosing a home in a particular area and home-schooling. Decision-making is considered not at a single point in time, but over children's educational careers. Second, this research explores school choices across school district boundaries to include school choices in suburban and rural, as well as urban districts. I use data from a random sample of families with school-aged children living in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area (including some counties in New Jersey) and other counties throughout Pennsylvania to explore the options that families consider for their children's schooling. The data paint a picture of two constellations of families: those who are white, suburban, and middle-income (who primarily select schools based on their neighborhoods and residences), and those composed of lower-income and urban families ...
Tomato Fruit Carboxypeptidase (Properties, Induction upon Wounding, and Immunocytochemical Localization)

Carboxypeptidase activity was characterized during ripening and wounding of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) fruit. The fruit enzyme shares substrate specificity and susceptibility to the inhibitors diisopropyl fluorophosphate and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride with other plant carboxypeptidases. The abundance and stability of wound-induced carboxypeptidase were developmentally regulated. Oxidative stress caused by cupric ions impaired the membrane permeability in the slices from pink fruit, resulting in leakage of the carboxypeptidase into the medium and in its redistribution in the cell. The patterns of carboxypeptidase activity did not parallel the cupric ion effect on ethylene levels. Immunogold electron microscopy studies indicated that the fruit carboxypeptidase is associated with electron-dense inclusions in the vacuole.
HIV Testing, Human Rights, and Global AIDS Policy: Exceptionalism and Its Discontents

Two years ago, in May 2007, UNAIDS and WHO issued new guidelines on HIV testing. Prepared to meet the demands of the AIDS pandemic and the prospects of extending the benefits of antiretroviral therapy to regions where such treatment had been all but out of reach, the new guidance was the product of an extended period of sometimes acrimonious controversy both within the two UN agencies and globally. Those pressing for change had argued that a paradigm of testing that had emerged at a time when little could be done for those infected with HIV was inappropriate to the current moment. Those who viewed with skepticism, if not hostility, the claims that current practice and stringent ethical standards had become an impediment to effectively confronting the challenge of AIDS saw in the proposed changes a threat to the bedrock ethical principles of informed consent. In the end, of course, decisions about HIV testing will be taken by nation - states, with the recommendations of international organizations constituting but one element, however important, that will shape policy. Nevertheless, an examination of the history and the dynamics of the recent controversy and its outcome will provide a unique resource to those faced with policy choices; it will also provide a unique opportunity to lay bare the complex and politically charged relationships evolving between public health and human rights.
Jumonji Modulates Polycomb Activity and Self-Renewal versus Differentiation of Stem Cells

Summary Trimethylation on histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) by Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) regulates the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The mechanisms controlling the activity and recruitment of PRC2 are largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that the founding member of the Jumonji family, JMJ (JUMONJI or JARID2), is associated with PRC2, colocalizes with PRC2 and H3K27me3 on chromatin, and modulates PRC2 function. In vitro JMJ inhibits PRC2 methyltransferase activity, consistent with increased H3K27me3 marks at PRC2 targets in Jmj −/− ESCs. Paradoxically, JMJ is required for efficient binding of PRC2, indicating that the interplay of PRC2 and JMJ fine-tunes deposition of the H3K27me3 mark. During differentiation, activation of genes marked by H3K27me3 and lineage commitments are delayed in Jmj −/− ESCs. Our results demonstrate that dynamic regulation of Polycomb complex activity orchestrated by JMJ balances self-renewal and differentiation, highlighting the involvement of chromatin dynamics in cell-fate transitions.
Ontogeny of a sexual dimorphism in tiger salamanders

Sexual dimorphism results when the sexes differ in the degree to which trait elaboration confers a reproductive or survival advantage. Trait size dimorphism is often reported in terms of allometry,...
The additive and interactive effects of parenting style and temperament in obese youth seeking treatment.

The objective of this study is to examine maternal parenting behaviours, child temperament and their potential interactions in families of obese children and demographically similar families of nonoverweight children.
Vaginal Involvement in a Patient With Sarcoidosis

We report the case of a woman who presented with vaginal symptoms and was proven to have biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis of the vaginal wall. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of this entity. An additional unusual finding was that her symptoms of gynecologic sarcoidosis occurred at the time of initial presentation of her pulmonary sarcoidosis.
Photoconductivity in dispersed organic systems

Abstract The photoconductivity of solid solutions of the leucobase of malachite green in various organic media was investigated. In these systems carrier transport occurs by direct interaction between the leucobase molecules. No direct participation of the organic matrix in the mechanism of charge transfer was observed. A model is proposed which links charge transfer in these systems with impurity conduction in semiconductors.
PGC-1α regulates a HIF2α-dependent switch in skeletal muscle fiber types

The coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 α (PGC-1α) coordinates a broad set of transcriptional programs that regulate the response of skeletal muscle to exercise. However, the complete transcriptional network controlled by PGC-1α has not been described. In this study, we used a qPCR-based screen of all known transcriptional components (Quanttrx) to identify transcription factors that are quantitatively regulated by PGC-1α in cultured skeletal muscle cells. This analysis identified hypoxia-inducible factor 2 α (HIF2α) as a major PGC-1α target in skeletal muscle that is positively regulated by both exercise and β-adrenergic signaling. This transcriptional regulation of HIF2α is completely dependent on the PGC-1α/ERRα complex and is further modulated by the action of SIRT1. Transcriptional profiling of HIF2α target genes in primary myotubes suggested an unexpected role for HIF2α in the regulation of muscle fiber types, specifically enhancing the expression of a slow twitch gene program. The PGC-1α–mediated switch to slow, oxidative fibers in vitro is dependent on HIF2α, and mice with a muscle-specific knockout of HIF2α increase the expression of genes and proteins characteristic of a fast-twitch fiber-type switch. These data indicate that HIF2α acts downstream of PGC-1α as a key regulator of a muscle fiber-type program and the adaptive response to exercise.
The Counterplanning Process: A Model of Decision-Making in Adverse Situations

A heuristic model of human reasoning is discussed where the reasoner must contend with dynamically-changing goals and actions of other actors in the world. A process model based on heuristic strategies is presented for decision making in obstructive and constructive counterplanning situations. The former situation is characterized by an actor striving to thwart the goals and plans of a second actor. The latter, is the dual situation; it provides general means for an actor to pursue his goal in spite of attempts by others to block his plans. The model has been implemented as part of the POLITICS system, a computer program that understands simple natural language accounts of international political conflicts. KEY UORDS AND TOPICS: p l a n n i n g , c o u n t e r p l a n n i n g , n a t u r a l languaqe , h e u r i s t i c s , i n f e r e n c e , r u l e b a s e d systems. '
Experimental cholelithiasis in the rabbit induced by cholestanol feeding: effect of neomycin treatment on bile composition and gallstone formation

Fed cholestanol is converted by the rabbit to 5α-bile acids which coprecipitate with the normally occurring 5β-bile acids to form gallstones composed of calcium and sodium glycoallodeoxycholate and glycodeoxycholate. The present study shows that oral administration of large doses of neomycin prevents gallstone formation in the cholestanol-fed rabbit and reduces the elevated concentration of allodeoxycholic acid in bile, with a reciprocal increase in allocholic acid concentration. The reduction in the concentration of allodeoxycholic acid and in the incidence of gallstones is proportional to the dose of neomycin; at a concentration of allodeoxycholic acid below about 20% of total bile acids, gallstone formation does not occur. Neomycin probably exerts its action by modifying the anerobic intestinal flora which dehydroxylate allocholic acid to allodeoxycholic acid; if so, this suggests that both hepatic and bacterial transformations are essential steps in the pathogenesis of cholestanol-induced cholelithiasis. The bile of rabbits on a normal diet contains allodeoxycholic acid (5% of total bile acids). A similar decrease in allodeoxycholic acid concentration and reciprocal increase in allocholic acid concentration is observed when neomycin is administered to rabbits on a normal diet.
Evaluation of contaminated drinking water and preterm birth, small for gestational age, and birth weight at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina: a cross-sectional study.

Background Births during 1968-1985 at Camp Lejeune were exposed to drinking water contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and benzene.