cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary, Recall, and Decay Kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Antibody Responses.

Studies of two SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines suggested that they yield ∼95% protection from symptomatic infection at least short-term, but important clinical questions remain. It is unclear how vaccine-induced antibody levels quantitatively compare to the wide spectrum induced by natural SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccine response kinetics and magnitudes in persons with prior COVID-19 compared to virus-naive persons are not well-defined. The relative stability of vaccine-induced versus infection-induced antibody levels is unclear. We addressed these issues with longitudinal assessments of vaccinees with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection using quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of anti-RBD antibodies. SARS-CoV-2-naive individuals achieved levels similar to mild natural infection after the first vaccination; a second dose generated levels approaching severe natural infection. In persons with prior COVID-19, one dose boosted levels to the high end of severe natural infection even in those who never had robust responses from infection, increasing no further after the second dose. Antiviral neutralizing assessments using a spike-pseudovirus assay revealed that virus-naive vaccinees did not develop physiologic neutralizing potency until the second dose, while previously infected persons exhibited maximal neutralization after one dose. Finally, antibodies from vaccination waned similarly to natural infection, resulting in an average of ∼90% loss within 90 days. In summary, our findings suggest that two doses are important for quantity and quality of humoral immunity in SARS-CoV-2-naive persons, while a single dose has maximal effects in those with past infection. Antibodies from vaccination wane with kinetics very similar to that seen after mild natural infection; booster vaccinations will likely be required.
The use of chemical weapons: unhealed scars from contemporary mass atrocities.

Many survivors of the Iraqi chemical attack on Halabja, a Kurdish city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) 33 years ago on 16 March 1988, still suffer. All recall the beautiful spring day when Ir...
Adalimumab for CNS sarcoidosis: single-center experience and literature review.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha is critical in the development of granulomas and multiple recent reports have highlighted the role of infliximab, an infused TNF alpha inhibitor, in the treatment of neurosarcoidosis. As a self-injected TNF alpha inhibitor, adalimumab has certain advantages over infused medications, including greater patient freedom and autonomy. Experience with adalimumab is not well reported in the literature. To report clinical experience with adalimumab in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) sarcoidosis by combining observations in our center with those that have been reported in the literature. Patients were identified from the Mass General Brigham Research Patient Data Registry and in the literature by searching PubMed. Patients with CNS manifestations of sarcoidosis treated with adalimumab were included for retrospective review and analyzed for baseline characteristics, treatment indications, outcomes, and adverse effects. Adalimumab was commonly started after failure of or intolerance to infliximab and methotrexate. Of those with adequate follow-up, 5/10 ultimately improved, remission was maintained in 3/10, and 2/10 with active disease remained stable without further worsening. One patient suffered a relapse, likely multifactorial in etiology, but has remained relapse free on adalimumab for 10 months subsequently. Three patients ultimately discontinued adalimumab. Preliminary evidence suggests that adalimumab may be a reasonable therapeutic option for patients with neurosarcoidosis affecting the CNS, including those with medically refractory disease.
The Case for Synergy of Thymic Hormones and Interleukins in Immune Reconstitution

The regulation of T cell development can be viewed as a process requiring the thymus and influenced by endocrine and interleukin-type hormonal influences. Thymic hormones are produced by thymic epithelial cells and regulate the differentiation and function of pre and post-thymic T cells but they do not alone induce intrathymic maturation. Interleukins I and II are produced by activated leukocytes (macrophages and T lymphocytes) and, in addition to regulating mature T cell proliferation, promote in a synergistic manner the proliferation and differentiation of pre T cells (prothymocytes and intrathymic precursors) and of immature thymocytes. Thymic epithelial cells produce thymic hormones and IL1, IL6 and GM-CSF which will, with IL2, promote the responses of immature and mature T lymphocytes. Mixed interleukins, but not thymosin fraction V, promote the development of T cells in neonatal mice and their renewal in aged hydrocortisone-treated mice. Combination treatment with mixed interleukins and thymosin fraction V are synergistic in restoring T cell number and function in secondary T cell immunodeficiency associated with aged hydrocortisone-treated mice.
Testosterone worsens endothelial dysfunction associated with hypercholesterolemia and environmental tobacco smoke exposure in male rabbit aorta.

Abstract Objectives. To assess the effects of interaction of sex hormones, hypercholesterolemia (HC) and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure on endothelium-dependent relaxation, we examined vascular reactivity in vitro in an animal model of atherogenesis. Background. Animal and human studies indicate the presence of interactions between classic coronary artery disease risk factors and endothelium-dependent relaxation. Sex hormones have also been shown to influence release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor. Methods. New Zealand White rabbits were randomized to receive either an HC diet (n = 8) or ETS exposure plus HC diet (n = 8). Eight rabbits receiving a normal diet, without exposure to ETS, served as the control group. The HC diet consisted of 3% soybean oil and 0.3% cholesterol by weight over 13 weeks. The source of ETS was sidestream smoke of 4 cigarettes/15 min, 6 h/day, 5 days/week over 10 weeks in a smoking chamber. Rabbits were killed, and fresh aortic rings were harvested and maintained in oxygenated Krebs solution in an organ bath at 37°C. Rings were precontracted with norepinephrine and exposed to acetylcholine in increasing doses, and isometric tension was recorded. Rings were also exposed to physiologic concentrations (1 nmol/liter) of either 17-beta-estradiol, testosterone or progesterone before precontraction with norepinephrine and relaxation with acetylcholine. Endothelium-independent relaxation was studied using nitroglycerin. The surface area of the ring covered by lipids was measured by Sudan IV staining. Results. HC and ETS significantly reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation (p = 0.01 and p Conclusions. Both HC and ETS are atherogenic and impair endothelial function but do not affect endothelium-independent relaxation. Physiologic levels of estradiol and estradiol plus progesterone do not affect endothelium-dependent relaxation. Physiologic levels of testosterone impair relaxation and augment the endothelial dysfunction associated with ETS exposure and HC. (J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;29:800–7)
Marshall McLuhan: Genealogy and Legacy

Abstract: The well-known roots of Marshall McLuhan's work in the scholarship of Harold Innis and Lewis Mumford are outlined. McLuhan's place within the ferment of the 1960s, developments in the preceding decade in cybernetics, and the earliest support of his work by the National Association of Educational Broadcasters are elaborated as well. Finally, a brief evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of McLuhan's scholarship within the context of his own time is developed. Resume: Cet article retrace les origines bien connues de l'oeuvre de Marshall McLuhan dans les ecrits d'Harold Innis et de Lewis Mumford. L'article examine aussi la place de McLuhan au milieu de l'effervescence des annes soixante, ainsi que certains developpements en cybernetique au cours des dix annees precedentes, et l'appui precoce de la part du National Association of Educational Broadcasters ('L'Association nationale de radiodiffuseurs pedagogiquese). Enfin, l'article developpe une breve evaluation des forces et faiblesses de l'oeuvre de McLuhan dans le contexte de sa propre ere.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT: TONSILS AND ADENOIDS—A PROBLEM REVISITED

Anyone who is sure of the indications for removing tonsils and adenoids is surely naive and anyone who attempts to write about it impolitic, for little in medicine elicits more strong or divergent opinions. Living in Rochester, New York, where Dr. Albert Kaiser carried out his courageous community studies1 over 40 years ago may give me some license to write about the problem but should also keep one humble for even here, its hometown, the study is little known. In the early 19209s Kaiser was able to organize a community-wide program which accomplished the incredible job of removing tonsils and adenoids from 10,000 of the then 50,000 children in Rochester in a 5-month period. The major follow-up data2 were on 5,000 of these children who had the operation and were able to be followed for 10 years after operation. Comparison was made between a subsample of 2,200 of these and a like number who had been recommended for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy but never had had the operation. While there are many defects in this study compared to the ideal controlled trial, it would comfort Dr. Kaiser to know that no other study since has been able to do much better, since clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of an operation can rarely be controlled in the sense of random assignment of patients and practically never double blind (this would require sham operations). It is worth reading Kaiser9s works again for, though widely touted as a condemnation of the procedure, they are in fact no such thing.
Numerical Investigation of Low-Reynolds Number Airfoil Flows Using Transition-Sensitive and Fully Turbulent RANS Models

A numerical analysis is performed to study the pre-stall and post-stall aerodynamic characteristics over a group of six airfoils using commercially available transition-sensitive and fully turbulent eddy-viscosity models. The study is focused on a range of Reynolds numbers from 6 × 104 to 2 × 106, wherein the flow around the airfoil is characterized by complex phenomena such as boundary layer transition, flow separation and reattachment, and formation of laminar separation bubbles on either the suction, pressure or both surfaces of airfoil. The predictive capability of the transition-sensitive k-kL-ω model versus the fully turbulent SST k-ω model is investigated for all airfoils. The transition-sensitive k-kL-ω model used in this study is capable of predicting both attached and separated turbulent flows over the surface of an airfoil without the need for an external linear stability solver to predict transition. The comparison between experimental data and results obtained from the numerical simulations is presented, which shows that the boundary layer transition and laminar separation bubbles that appear on the suction and pressure surfaces of the airfoil can be captured accurately by the use of a transition-sensitive model. The fully turbulent SST k-ω model predicts a turbulent boundary layer on both surfaces of the airfoil for all angles of attack and fails to predict boundary layer transition or separation bubbles. Discrepancies are observed in the predictions of airfoil stall by both the models. Reasons for the discrepancies between computational and experimental results, and also possible improvements in eddy-viscosity models, are discussed.© 2014 ASME
Invited Review: Bovine Studies on Optimal Lengths of Dry Periods,

Milk production per cow has increased as a result of progressive changes in the genetics and management of the dairy animal population. A management constant during many decades of progress has been the widely adopted dry period length of 51 to 60 d. The scientific basis for that industry standard was examined to assess its validity as the appropriate standard for the modern dairy industry. If subsequent milk yields can be sustained fully after dry periods that are shorter than the current standard, then considerable milk is being forfeited by retaining longer dry periods. Conversely, failure to allow any dry period will result in a significant decrease in subsequent milk synthesis and secretion. Most studies to determine the minimum length of dry period required have involved retrospective analyses of observational data. Only five experiments have been reported in which dairy cows were assigned, at random, to planned 30- and 60-d dry periods. Estimates of the change in subsequent milk production when days dry were decreased from 50 to 57 d to 30 to 34 d ranged from a 10% decrease to a 1% increase. However, lower yields after shorter dry periods may be partially offset by greater milk yields in the previous lactation if such cows are milked 3 to 4 wk longer. Environmental factors that influence milk production as well as the biological processes that occur within the mammary gland during the nonlactating period must be considered when dry period lengths are compared. Importantly, additional animal trials that specifically assign cows randomly to the dry period lengths to be evaluated are needed to determine optimal dry period lengths for modern dairy cows in differing management scenarios.
Marked Variation in Serum Chromogranin A Levels in a Patient on Chronic Omeprazole Therapy

Serum chromogranin A (CgA) is used as a standard marker in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors. We report a case with wide fluctuation (more than 10-fold) in serum CgA levels in a patient on chronic omeprazole therapy. A 67-year-old woman with hypothyroidism presented for evaluation of facial flushing for 1 year. Flushing had increased in intensity over the past several months without any provocative factors. She denied any diarrhea, wheezing, headache, palpitations or facial erythema. Her home medications were aspirin, omeprazole, levothyroxine, and raloxifene. The patient reported no improvement in flushing on stopping raloxifene. Physical exam was unremarkable. On blood testing, she was noted to have mildly elevated serum CgA of 18.8 ng/mL (range 1.9 - 15 ng/mL). Other endocrine tests including serum tryptase, 24-hour urine N-methylhistamine, 24-hour urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, metanephrines, catecholamines, and serum calcitonin were unremarkable. Serum CgA was repeated because of her continued symptoms. Repeat blood test showed markedly increased CgA value (128 ng/mL). She underwent a CT chest/abdomen/pelvis and octreotide scan. The octreotide scan showed uptake in the right axillary and subcarinal regions. She subsequently underwent endoscopic bronchial ultrasound and mediastinal biopsy of two lymph nodes. Biopsy was negative for any pathological process. PET scan was done to rule out occult malignancies and was negative. Echocardiogram was normal. She was also seen by neurology with unremarkable workup. CgA levels were repeated over a course of three months and levels varied from 126 to 182 ng/mL. She was asked to hold omeprazole for 2 weeks and CgA levels dropped to 24 ng/mL. The patient resumed omeprazole due to worsening reflux. Repeat CgA level three months later on omeprazole was 18 ng/mL. Venlafaxine and paroxetine were tried for flushing but she could not tolerate these due to side effects. It had been previously established that medications which stimulate neuroendocrine cells, in particular proton pump inhibitors (PPI) could lead to falsely elevated CgA levels. The interesting aspect in this case is increase in CgA more than 10-fold and the marked variation in CgA levels while on omeprazole (18 - 182 ng/mL). There is marked variability in serum CgA levels in presence of a PPI as seen in our case. Clinicians should consider repeat testing of CgA levels in setting of abnormal values and also consider stopping contributing medications before testing and making important clinical decisions. J Med Cases. 2015;6(5):232-234 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2135w
Cloning, sequencing, and expression of a human brain ecto-apyrase related to both the ecto-ATPases and CD39 ecto-apyrases

Abstract An extracellular ATPase (E-type ATPase) clone was isolated from a human brain cDNA library and sequenced. The transcript shows similarity to the previously published chicken smooth muscle and rat brain ecto-ATPase cDNAs, human CD39L1 cDNA (putative human ecto-ATPase), and mammalian CD39 (lymphoid cell activation antigen, ecto-apyrase, ATPDase, ATP-diphosphohydrolase) cDNAs. The full-length human brain cDNA encodes a 529 amino acid glycoprotein with a putative membrane spanning region near each terminus, with the majority of the protein found extracellularly. Expression of this clone in mammalian COS-1 cells yielded NaN3-sensitive ATPase and ADPase activity detectable both on intact cells and cell membrane preparations. The nucleotide hydrolysis ratio of the expressed protein is approx. 2.75:1 (ATPase:ADPase activity), classifying it as an ecto-apyrase. However, this hydrolysis ratio is intermediate between that observed for the ecto-ATPases and the CD39 ecto-apyrases (L. Plesner, Int. Rev. Cytol. 158 (1995) 141–214). Quantitative analyses of amino acid identities and similarities between this ecto-apyrase and other vertebrate E-type ATPases suggest that this human brain enzyme is nearly equally related to the ecto-ATPases and the CD39s, and phylogenetic analysis suggests that it could be an ancestral enzyme from which both ecto-ATPases and CD39 ecto-apyrases are derived.
Optimal distributed prediction and estimation controller with application to adaptive optics and optical interferometry

In this paper we address the problem of designing a controller to compensate for phase errors in an array of ground based telescopes, subject to atmospheric distortion. Since the observations from the telescopes are coherently combined to improve resolution, this problem calls for two classes of control loops: a) local control on each telescope to compensate for random phase distortions, b) global control to align all phases coherently so that the array would act as a virtual telescope with a large aperture. By proper use of frequency decomposition, we show that a globally stable system can be designed where the local and global control systems are decoupled. This is obtained by assigning the control of high frequency disturbances to the local controller, and the overall control of low frequency disturbances to the global control system. These two controllers work at different sampling frequencies and can be decoupled using well known results from Multi Rate Processing techniques used as the basis of Quadrature Mirror Filters and Wavelets decompositions. The feasibility of this approach will be tested using data from the Naval Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI) in Flagstaff, AZ (USA).
Growth of high quality CdTe on Si substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

We have systematically studied the growth of CdTe (lll)B on Si(001)with different atomic step structures, defined uniquely by miscut tilt angle and direction. X-ray double crystal rocking curve (DCRC) analysis has been used to evaluate the crystalline quality and twin content of the films. High-resolution electron microscopy has been used to examine the CdTe(lll)B/Si(001) interface and to follow the microstructural evolution as a function of distance from the interface. Our results show that the formation of double domains and twins is very sensitive to the tilt parameters. When growth conditions are optimized, twins are not observed at distances greater than about 2.5 microns from the substrate surface. The best quality films exhibit a DCRC FWHM of 60 arc sec, for a film thickness of 17 µm, the lowest value ever reported for heteroepitaxial growth of CdTe on Si or GaAs. In efforts to improve the nucleation process, precursors such as Te and As have been used, and we have shown that they improve the stability of the heterointerface.
Mesoscale Conditions for the Severe Convection of 3 April 1974 in the East-Central United States.

Abstract Hourly surface observations from more than 200 stations, together with routine radar and rawinsonde data, are used to elucidate the mesoscale conditions for the extraordinarily widespread severe convection in the central United States on 3 April 1974. Strong mesoscale pressure fluctuations on an hourly time scale, particularly intense north of the Ohio River, were superposed on a substantial synoptic-scale pressure fall associated with the northeastward advance of a deep cyclone toward the Great Lakes. Most of this mesoscale variation was associated with 10 wayepackets of considerable spatial and temporal continuity. The character of the accompanying wind and weather fluctuations was highly suggestive of gravity-wave activity. The packets were aligned approximately along the low-level wind flow and propagated to its right at speeds of ∼30 kt. Three major regions of organized convection were present, also oriented approximately parallel to the low-level flow and separated by ∼150 n mi. These regio...
Electron-spin polarization in low-energy electron diffraction from tungsten (001)

Combined measurements in low-energy electron diffraction of both electron-spin polarization and intensity are described for beams from W(001). Polarization and intensity are determined in the energy range 20-150 eV for both the 10 and 11 beams at normal incidence and for the 00 beams at angles of incidence from 10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} through 18\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} in 1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} steps. Electron-spin polarizations in the range + 60%- -80% are observed with polarization values highly dependent on both the energy and the angle of incidence of the primary electron beam. For the 00 beam at 11\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} angle of incidence and for the 10 beam at normal incidence, comparisons of the present intensity and polarization data with the results of recent theoretical calculations are encouraging with respect to gross features.
Regulatory aspects of teratology: Role of the food and drug administration

The Food and Drug Administration is a scientific regulatory agency whose consumer protection activities cover a wide range of products including foods and additives, and pesticide residues on foods; drugs; cosmetics; medical devices; and radiation-emitting electronic products. Amongst its concerns is the possible teratogen effects of regulated products to which the pregnant woman is exposed. The policies and programs of the agency directed toward reducing such risks to the unborn are reviewed. These measures include guidelines for animal reproduction studies and for clinical trials involving women to childbearing potential; labeling of products to disclose known or possible harm to the fetus or embryo; surveillance procedures designed to detect previously unsuspected adverse effects of marketed products; research activities designed to develop better understanding of developmental toxicology and improved techniques for detecting embryocidal and embryotoxic effects; and educational efforts directed both to professionals and the public regarding hazards to the unborn of agency-regulated products.
Jointly constrained bilinear programs and related problems: an overview

Abstract Linear complementarity, quadratic programming and (separably constrained) bilinear programming problems are all special cases of jointly constrained bilinear programs. In this paper we review current theory and procedures for bilinear programs and related problems. The key notion of convex envelopes that drives the general procedure is explored and some minor extensions to known results are presented. Extensions and directions for future research are also discussed.
Arrested Reactive Milling Synthesis and Characterization of Sodium‐Nitrate Based Reactive Composites

Arrested reactive milling was used to synthesize three composite powders using sodium nitrate as an oxidizer, and magnesium, aluminum, and mechanically alloyed aluminum-magnesium (Al0.5Mg0.5) as respective fuels. Both magnesium and aluminum powders formed flakes with varying thickness from hundreds of nm to several μm sandwiched between sodium nitrate particles. Three-dimensional composite and nanocomposite particles were formed with AlMg mechanically alloyed powder. No change in the crystallinity of any components was observed from X-ray diffraction patterns of the composite materials. Materials were characterized using differential thermal analysis (DTA) and simultaneous thermogravimetry (TG), carried out in argon. In composite materials, the decomposition of sodium nitrate starts at lower temperatures than for pure sodium nitrate. Weight loss is observed to start at relatively low temperatures. The most significant exothermic events occur at substantially higher temperatures, and therefore in a material that may have been significantly altered from its initial state. The results of thermal analysis indicate that the composite with mechanically alloyed AlMg powder is most stable at low temperatures. Ignition of the prepared composites was studied using a thin layer of powder coated on an electrically heated filament. These experiments showed that the composite with mechanically alloyed AlMg powder ignites at lowest temperatures and thus is expected to have the shortest ignition delays in practical applications. The emission spectra of the prepared composites burning in air are presented.
Current driven electromagnetic ion cyclotron instability

When an electron distribution drifts relative to the ions along a d.c. magnetic field, it is known that, above some critical drift velocity, a nearly field-aligned electromagnetic ion cyclotron instability may be excited. We extend the study of this instability over wide variations in plasma parameters, ion β in particular, and beyond marginal stability.Above threshold the most unstable waves propagate very obliquely to the ambient d.c. magnetic field at wavenumbers of the order of an inverse ion Larmor radius. At low ion β the critical electron drift normalized to the ion thermal velocity scales inversely as β i- ½ while, for β i>10-2, the critical drift scales as the ion thermal velocity. For the Te≈Tielectromagnetic ion cyclotron instabifity begins to have a lower threshold than the corresponding electrostatic instability at β i≈me/Mi. In a moderately high β i, homogeneous, collisionless plasma the electromagnetic ion cyclotron instability appears to have the lowest threshold of any current driven instability.
Arterial Complications Associated with Thoracic Outlet Compression Syndrome

Abstract Six patients with major arterial lesions were encountered in a group of 40 patients undergoing operation for thoracic outlet compression syndrome. In each instance a bony abnormality was present: either a fully articulating cervical rib (Gruber type III) or an anomalous first rib articulating with the second rib at the site of the scalene muscle insertion. Two patients had brachial artery embolism, and another had a cerebrovascular accident secondary to retrograde vertebral artery embolism and associated with subclavian artery thrombosis. Two patients had subclavian artery aneurysms, one of which proved to be a difficult surgical problem. A brief discussion of each patient is given, with emphasis on the importance of distinguishing between patients who have osseous abnormalities and those who do not when patients are evaluated for operation for thoracic outlet syndrome.
An optimized kinetic model of H2/CO combustion

We propose a H2–CO kinetic model which incorporates the recent thermodynamic, kinetic, and species transport updates relevant to high-temperature H2 and CO oxidation. Attention has been placed on obtaining a comprehensive and kinetically accurate model able to predict a wide variety of H2–CO combustion data. The model was subject to systematic optimization and validation tests against reliable H2–CO combustion data, from global combustion properties (shock-tube ignition delays, laminar flame speeds, and extinction strain rates) to detailed species profiles during H2 and CO oxidation in flow reactor and in laminar premixed flames.
Pathogenic autoantibody-inducing γ δ T helper cells from patients with lupus nephritis express unusual T cell receptors

In previous work, we found that only 59 (15%) of 396 “autoreactive” T cell clones derived from five patients with lupus nephritis had the ability to selectively augment the production of pathogenic anti-DNA autoantibodies and the majority (4959) of those autoimmune T helper (Th) clones were CD4+. Surprisingly, 7 of those Th clones were CD4−CD8− and γδ TCR+, capable of augmenting the production of pathogenic anti-DNA autoantibodies up to 125-fold. The γδ The clones responded in a MHC-nonrestricted manner to some endogenous autoantigen associated with heat shock proteins (HSP60) on the lupus B cells. The γδ TCR genes expressed by 4 of these Th clones were amplified and sequenced here. Three of the 4 Th clones, each from a different lupus patient, expressed a gene from the Vγ1 subgroup. Moreover, 2 of the Th clones expressed Vδ5, and the others Vδ1 or Vδ3. These TCRs are rarely expressed by peripheral blood γδ T cells of normal adult humans. The predominant γδ T cells in human peripheral blood express Vγ2 (Vγ9) and Vδ2 TCR genes, including HSP-responsive T cells. None of the lupus Th clones expressed this combination of TCR genes. In addition, some of these pathogenic autoantibody-inducing Th clones from the lupus patients had limited diversity and few N-nucleotide additions in their γδ TCR junctional regions (CDR3), thus resembling fetal γδ thymocytes early in ontogeny.
Orientation relationships in graphitic cast irons

Ferrite/graphite and martensite/graphite interfaces in three commercial cast irons have been analyzed using transmission electron microscopy. Two recurring orientation relationships have been found to account for over 60 pct of the ferrite/graphite interfaces analyzed. A similar pair of relationships discovered in martensitic material strongly suggests that the prior austenite/graphite interface was also ordered. The same relationships were prominent in gray and ductile irons. One of the relationships observed can be transformed through the Kurdjumov-Sachs relationship to a previously-reported austenite/graphite relationship.
Effects of mechanical harvesting on Myriophyllum spicatum L. regrowth and carbohydrate allocation to roots and shoots

A July harvest of Myriophyllum spicatum L. disrupted seasonal patterns of total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) allocation between the roots and shoots, relative to that of plants on an unharvested control plot. Biomass, TNC plant−1, and TNC m−2 were lower in the harvested plot 11 months after the harvest. A summary of literature data indicates that regrowth diminishes as harvests occur later in the growing season, perhaps because late harvests alter TNC storage more effectively.
Preclinical toxicology studies with azithromycin: genetic toxicology evaluation

Azithromycin was subjected to a series of three in vitro and one in vivo genetic toxicology assays for the detection of drug-associated gene or chromosomal effects. In the Ames Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA1535, TA1537, TA98 and TA100, the presence of azithromycin was not associated with any increase in the number of his- revertants. Urine from mice dosed with up to 200 mg/kg of azithromycin also had no effect on the number of revertants in these same strains suggesting the absence of mutagenic excretory products following oral exposure. When tested up to the cytotoxic level of 240 μg/ml, of azithromycin caused to increase in the mutant frequency at the thymidine kinase locus of L5178Y/TK cells. Both the mammalian and microbiol gene mutation assays mutagenic included the presence of rat-liver postmitochondrial (S9) fraction for the detection of mutagenic biotransformation products. Mitogen-stimulated human lymphocytes cultured in the presence of 2.5–7.5 μg/ml azithromycin for 24 h or 30.0–40.0 μg/ml azithromycin for 3 h in the presence of rat S9 had chromosomal aberration frequencies that were no different than negative control cells even though slight to moderate mitotic suppression was associated with these concentrations. In vivo assessment of this compound was completed in male and female mice with a single oral dose of 200 mg/kg followed by sacrifice at 6, 24 or 48 h later and metaphase analysis of bone marrow for chromosomal aberrations. No statistically significant elevations of chromosomally aberrant cells were found. We conclude that azithromycin does not cause gene mutations in microbial or mammalian cells, or chromosomal aberrations in cultured human lymphocytes or in mouse bone marrow in vivo.
Synthesis and growth regulator activity of fatty acyl derivatives of d-glucose and d-galactose

Abstract In an attempt to gain information about one or more components of the brassin complex, fatty acid esters of d -glucose and d -galactose were prepared and tested for growth regulator activity in a bean hypocotyl bioassay. 4- O -Acyl- d -glucoses and, perhaps, 1- O -acyl- d -galactoses had a similar qualitative activity to that of the brassin complex. 3- O -Acyl- d -galactoses inhibited elongation of bean hypocotyls and stimulated rooting. 3- And 6- O - acyl- d -glucoses both stimulated and inhibited elongation, depending on the source of fatty acids; in both cases, stimulation was observed when safflower oil was used as the source of fatty acids and inhibition was observed when peanut oil was used as the source of fatty acids. Fatty alkyl β- d -galactopyranosides were inactive.
Increased colonic apelin production in rodents with experimental colitis and in humans with IBD

Apelin and its receptor, the APJ receptor, are expressed in the gastrointestinal tract. The aims of this study were to examine the effects of sodium dextran sulfate (DSS)-induced experimental colitis in rats and mice and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans on intestinal apelin production, and the influence of exogenous apelin on colonic epithelial cell proliferation in mice. In rodents with experimental colitis, colonic apelin mRNA levels were elevated during the inflammatory reaction as well as during the tissue repair phase that ensues after DSS withdrawal. Fluctuations in colonic apelin expression were paralleled by similar changes in apelin immunostaining. Apelin immunostaining was increased in the surface epithelium, in epithelial cells along the length of the tubular gland and in the stem cell region at the gland base. In ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease patients, apelin immunostaining revealed a pattern of increased intestinal apelin content similar to that observed in rodents with experimental colitis. Administration of synthetic apelin to mice during the recovery phase of DSS-induced colitis stimulated colonic epithelial cell proliferation significantly. Our observations that colonic apelin production is increased during and after DSS exposure indicate that apelin plays multiple roles during the different stages of colitis. Additionally, the stimulatory action of exogenous apelin on colonic epithelial proliferation suggests that the increased apelin production during intestinal recovery stage may contribute to the repair of the intestinal epithelium in experimental rodent models of colitis and in IBD patients.
3D root canal modeling for advanced endodontic treatment

More than 14 million teeth receive endodontic (root canal) treatment annually. Before a clinician's inspection and diagnosis, destructive access preparation by removing teeth crown and dentin is usually needed. This paper presents a non-invasive method for accessing internal tooth geometry by building 3-D tooth model from 2-D radiographic and endoscopic images to be used for an automatic prescription system of computer-aided treatment procedure planning, and for the root canal preparation by an intelligent micro drilling machine with on-line monitoring. It covers the techniques specific for dental application in the radiographic images acquirement, image enhancement, image segmentation and feature recognition, distance measurement and calibration, merging 2D image into 3D mathematical model representation and display. Included also are the methods to form references for irregular teeth geometry and to do accurately measurement with self-calibration.
Tautomerism in cytidine.

The large change in the electronic absorption spectrum of cytidine on going from an aqueous to an aprotic medium is attributed to the existence of a hydrogen bonded solvent-solute complex in solvents capable of donating a proton. The spectrum of cytidine in a variety of solvents and the spectra of a number of nontautomerising model compounds are presented. The tautomerisin of cytidine and its biological implications are discussed.
Use of fluid attenuating inversion recovery, MR angiogram, and diffusion-weighted MRI techniques for assessment of pontine infarction in a patient treated with radiation therapy for pituitary neoplasm

Radiation exposure may lead to accelerated atherosclerosis. [1-3] We report a case in which magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), fluid attenuating inversion recovery (FLAIR), and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) MRI assisted in the evaluation of a patient who had received radiation therapy for a pituitary adenoma. The patient was a 50-year-old man with a history of hypercholesterolemia and hypertension, treated with enalapril, who had undergone transphenoidal hypophysectomy with resection of a chromophobe pituitary adenoma in 1977 after presenting with bitemporal hemianopsia. In late 1982, the patient developed persistent headaches and decreased temporal vision in his left eye; a CT revealed recurrent pituitary adenoma and the patient underwent a second transphenoidal hypophysectomy. He received postoperative radiation therapy of 5,000 cGy to a 4.5 x 4.5-cm field by 360 degree rotational technique over 5 weeks and began hormone replacement with testosterone, L-thyroxine, and hydrocortisone. The patient was neurologically asymptomatic until March 1996 when he developed the acute onset of hiccups, dysarthria, dysphagia, unsteady gait, and mild left facial and left upper extremity weakness. On examination 2 days after the onset of his symptoms, he displayed an ataxic dysarthria and subtle left facial weakness. Tandem gait was unsteady and mild dysmetria of the left upper extremity was present. Conventional MRI sequences were performed …
Optical measurement of discharge valve modal parameters for a rolling piston refrigeration compressor

In this paper we describe the methodology and results of an experiment to measure the fundamental undamped natural frequency and damping ratio for the discharge reed valve in a rolling piston rotary compressor. The small size and extreme flexibility of the valve assembly required the use of a non-contacting measurement technique; thus, an optical displacement follower was chosen as the primary transducer. The measurement system also incorporated a strain gage load cell and PC-based signal processing software. The sensitivity of the system modal parameters to design variables such as valve preload geometry, lubricant viscosity, and retaining screw torque was investigated. Eventually, the measured stiffness, fundamental natural frequency and equivalent viscous damping ratio were incorporated as valve model parameters in a comprehensive computer simulation program for the compressor. Results show that this reed valve design is lightly damped, and that the fundamental natural frequency is a strong function of preload geometry. Lubricant viscosity and retaining screw torque had little effect on the modal parameters.
Multivariate geostatistical trend detection and network evaluation of space-time acid deposition data—I. Methodology

Abstract A multivariate geostatistical technique is presented to address two key issues of trend detection and network evaluation of acid deposition data. The proposed technique is specifically designed to be compatible with the distinctive characteristics of acid deposition variables such as non-stationary of their spatial means, non-stationary of their spatial covariances, their complex periodic and non-periodic temporal trends, and the common imbalance between the availability of their spatial and temporal data. To accomplish this, the time series at each measurement point is viewed as a separate, but correlated one-dimensional regionalized variable. Each variable is assumed to be a sum of periodic (e.g. seasonal) and non-periodic (e.g. anthropogenic) temporal random variables, each characterized by its own temporal variogram. To obtain an initial estimate of the frequency of the involved periodic trends, direct quadratic spectrum estimation is conducted. Based on fitted direct and cross variograms, various forms of estimation such as co-kriging of non-periodic components can be performed. The estimated time series may then be tested for the presence of long-term trends. In addition, the fitted sill values of any variogram model at different stations form elements of a coregionalization matrix. This matrix may be regarded as the variance-covariance matrix for the particular temporal-trend scale presented by the variogram model. A coregionalization matrix can be used to generate a spatial correlogram. Viewing the estimated integral scale of each spatial correlogram as an indicator of the radius of information-influence of each measurement station, a monitoring network can be evaluated for its adequacy of coverage at different temporal-trend scales. A coregionalization matrix can also be decomposed through principal-component analysis in order to determine any potential spatial groupings and/or to generate regional indicators of changes at different temporal scales.
FlgM proteins from different bacteria exhibit different structural characteristics

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are a unique class of proteins that do not require a stable structure for function. The importance of IDPs in many biological processes has been established but there remain unanswered questions about their evolution and conservation of their disordered state within a protein family. Our group has been studying the structural similarities among orthologous FlgM proteins, a model class of IDPs. We have previously shown that the FlgM protein from the thermophile Aquifex aeolicus has more structure at A. aeolicus' physiological temperature (85 °C) than is observed for the Salmonella typhimurium FlgM, suggesting that the disordered nature of FlgM varies among organisms and is not universally conserved. In this work, we extend these studies to the FlgM proteins from Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and Bacillus subtilis. We demonstrate that the B. subtilis, E. coli, and S. typhimurium FlgMs exist in a premolten globule-like conformation, though the B. subtilis FlgM is in a more compacted conformation than the other two. The P. aeruginosa and P. mirabilis FlgM proteins exist in a currently unknown conformation that is not either coil-like or premolten globule-like. The P. aeruginosa FlgM appears to contain more weak intramolecular contacts given its more compacted state than the P. mirabilis FlgM. These results provide experimental evidence that members of the same protein family can exhibit different degrees of disorder, though understanding how different disordered states evolve in the same protein family will require more study.
Drug abuse research and HIV/AIDS : a national perspective from the US

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the lead Federal agency charged with research on reducing the demand for illicit drugs in the US, has actively pursued the associated challenge of reducing drugs-related HIV transmission. Drug abuse-related spread of the virus occurs not only through sharing contaminated needles but also sexually to partners and perinatally from infected mothers to their offspring. Through a national research and demonstration program, NIDA supports primary AIDS risk reduction activities focused on identifying effective drug abuse prevention and treatment strategies. AIDS is increasingly a disease found in women, children, minorities, and people who live in rural areas. NIDA's efforts are clearly responsive to the changing nature of this epidemic. Among the many promising initiatives currently underway are a medications development program to find new pharmacotherapies for treating drug addiction; an array of National AIDS Outreach Demonstration Projects implementing alternative control strategies for drug abusers not attracted to or successful in drug abuse treatment; establishment of several treatment research units for designing and conducting studies on treatment effectiveness; and a variety of programs aimed at identifying and potentially reducing the risks of prenatal drug use to both mother and child. Effective dissemination of our findings is particularly critical to the overall impact of our research efforts. Collaborative activities teaming NIDA with a multitude of organizations also addressing AIDS related issues are designed to provide a synergistic impact on this complex and multifaceted public health crisis.
Editorial Multiplicity Has More Potential Than Singularity

Presents an editorial on the developing concept in artificial intelligence referred to as "muliplicity." The term “Singularity” is used to describe a hypothetical punctuation point sometime in the future where Artificial Intelligence (AI) will surpass human intelligence. The concept has been popularized by science fiction author Vernor Vinge and Ray Kurzweil. “Superintelligence,” a 2014 book by Nick Bostrom, explores a similar theme. Recently, Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates publicly expressed fears about the dangers of post-Singularity AI and robotics. Here, it is suggested that "Singularity" is distracting attention from a far more realistic and important development that we might call “Multiplicity.” Multiplicity characterizes an emerging category of systems where diverse groups of humans work together with diverse groups of machines to solve difficult problems. Multiplicity combines the wisdom of crowds with the power of cloud computing.
Solvent-induced morphology changes in thin silver films

Abstract Thin Ag films supported on dielectric materials have been extremely popular as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. In an effort to characterize SERS-active films under the conditions of typical SERS experiments, we have extended our previous work to elucidate the effect of solvent exposure on thin Ag film optical properties and surface morphology. When thin Ag films are dipped in a solvent, a common method for analyte application, the optical extinction spectra blue-shift more than 20 nm with a significant reduction in optical density. Over a time period of 60 min, the optical spectra gradually shift back toward the original pre-dipped profiles, but do not return completely. While it is known that the solvent modifies the local dielectric, the effect of solvent on the Ag surface morphology has only briefly been addressed. In this study, atomic absorbance spectrometry was employed to rule out significant loss of Ag from the substrate during the dipping process. A numerical algorithm was developed for automated analysis of atomic force microscopy images. With this algorithm, for a typical 1 μm × 1 μm scan, approximately 2000 Ag islands can be evaluated for height, radius, and the distribution in both these values. In addition, radial distribution functions are easily generated. Based on an atomic force microscopic investigation of Ag films before and after solvent exposure, the dominant morphological change in Ag islands appears to be an overall increase in aspect ratio. This increase in aspect ratio is consistent, according to the electromagnetic theory, with observed trends in the optical spectra.