cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vagus nerve stimulation paired with tones restores auditory processing in a rat model of Rett syndrome.

Abstract Background Rett syndrome is a rare neurological disorder associated with a mutation in the X-linked gene MECP2. This disorder mainly affects females, who typically have seemingly normal early development followed by a regression of acquired skills. The rodent Mecp2 model exhibits many of the classic neural abnormalities and behavioral deficits observed in individuals with Rett syndrome. Similar to individuals with Rett syndrome, both auditory discrimination ability and auditory cortical responses are impaired in heterozygous Mecp2 rats. The development of therapies that can enhance plasticity in auditory networks and improve auditory processing has the potential to impact the lives of individuals with Rett syndrome. Evidence suggests that precisely timed vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with sound presentation can drive robust neuroplasticity in auditory networks and enhance the benefits of auditory therapy. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of VNS paired with tones to restore auditory processing in Mecp2 transgenic rats. Methods Seventeen female heterozygous Mecp2 rats and 8 female wild-type (WT) littermates were used in this study. The rats were exposed to multiple tone frequencies paired with VNS 300 times per day for 20 days. Auditory cortex responses were then examined following VNS-tone pairing therapy or no therapy. Results Our results indicate that Mecp2 mutation alters auditory cortex responses to sounds compared to WT controls. VNS-tone pairing in Mecp2 rats improves the cortical response strength to both tones and speech sounds compared to untreated Mecp2 rats. Additionally, VNS-tone pairing increased the information contained in the neural response that can be used to discriminate between different consonant sounds. Conclusion These results demonstrate that VNS-sound pairing may represent a strategy to enhance auditory function in individuals with Rett syndrome.
Board of Immigration Appeals Disavows Matter of Garcia-Alzugaray in Unpublished Remand

In an unpublished opinion, the Board of Immigration Appeals disavowed precedent that had controlled refugee adjustment of status since 1986. The Board’s regulatory interpretation contradicted the plain meaning of the governing statute, apparently in an effort to streamline the refugee adjustment process. Thus, the Board improperly allowed policy concerns to trump a statutory mandate. In a second holding, the Board correctly found that refugees are “admitted” to the United States upon resettlement – only to return to its earlier holding that refugee admission is “conditional” in a published decision issued five months later, Matter of D-K-, 25 I. & N. Dec. 761 (B.I.A. 2012). The Article predicts an upcoming published opinion – but not the latter holding.
Representation of Women in Diagnostic Radiology Residency Programs: Does National Institutes of Health Program Ranking Matter?

Abstract Purpose Women are consistently underrepresented in the radiology workforce. The authors examined recent trends in the gender distribution of residents entering diagnostic radiology residency programs. Methods A retrospective review was performed of residents entering US diagnostic radiology residency programs for graduate medical education years 2009 to 2018. Demographic and program data were obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges GME Track Resident Survey. National Institutes of Health (NIH) ranking was determined according to the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the gender distribution of residents according to residency program ranking. Results The final analytic sample included 11,788 residents who entered diagnostic radiology residency programs during the study period, of whom 3,245 (27.5%) were women and 8,543 (72.5%) were men. A higher percentage of female residents entered programs ranked in NIH rank group 1st to 20th (351 of 1,185 [29.6%]) than entered programs that were ranked lower than 20th or were unranked (1,540 of 5,819 [26.5%]; P = .026). Conclusions The present findings confirm repeated reports that women are underrepresented in radiology. The results indicate a need for further study on why a greater proportion of female residents are entering programs with higher NIH rankings. Better understanding of factors and interventions that led to this rise in the percentage of women in higher ranked programs provides an opportunity to expand gender diversity across the field of radiology.
The Declining Credit Quality of US Corporate Debt: Myth or Reality?

In recent years, the number of downgrades in corporate bond ratings has exceeded the number of upgrades. This fact has led some to conclude that the credit quality of U.S. corporate debt has declined. However, declining credit quality is not the only possible explanation. An alternative explanation of this apparent decline in credit quality is that the rating agencies are now using more stringent standards in assigning ratings. An ordered probit analysis of a panel of firms from 1973 through 1992 suggests that rating standards have indeed become more stringent. The implication is that at least part of the downward trend in ratings is the result of changing standards and does not reflect a decline in credit quality.
Cohort profile: the COVID-19 Coping Study, a longitudinal mixed-methods study of middle-aged and older adults' mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in early 2020, has resulted in massive social, economic, political and public health upheaval around the world. We established a national longitudinal cohort study, the COVID-19 Coping Study, to investigate the effects of pandemic-related stressors and changes in life circumstances on mental health and well-being among middle-aged and older adults in the USA. PARTICIPANTS: From 2 April to 31 May 2020, 6938 adults aged ≥55 years were recruited from all 50 US states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico using online, multi-frame non-probability-based sampling. FINDINGS TO DATE: Mean age of the baseline sample was 67.3 years (SD: 7.9 years) and 64% were women. Two in three adults reported leaving home only for essential purposes in the past week (population-weighted proportion: 69%; 95% CI: 68% to 71%). Nearly one in five workers aged 55-64 years was placed on a leave of absence or furloughed since the start of the pandemic (17%; 95% CI: 14% to 20%), compared with one in three workers aged ≥75 years (31%; 95% CI: 21% to 44%). Nearly one-third of adults screened positive for each of depression (32%; 95% CI: 30% to 34%), anxiety (29%; 28% to 31%) and loneliness (29%; 95% CI: 27% to 31%), with decreasing prevalence of each with increasing age. FUTURE PLANS: Monthly and annual follow-ups of the COVID-19 Coping Study cohort will assess longitudinal changes to mental health, cognitive health and well-being in relation to social, behavioural, economic and other COVID-19-related changes to life circumstances. Quantitative and in-depth qualitative interview data will be collected through online questionnaires and telephone interviews. Cohort data will be archived for public use.
Neuropeptides and neurohormones in immune, inflammatory and cellular responses to ultraviolet radiation

Humans are exposed to varying amounts of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) through sunlight. UVR penetrates into human skin leading to release of neuropeptides, neurotransmitters and neuroendocrine hormones. These messengers released from local sensory nerves, keratinocytes, Langerhans cells (LCs), mast cells, melanocytes and endothelial cells (ECs) modulate local and systemic immune responses, mediate inflammation and promote differing cell biologic effects. In this review, we will focus on both animal and human studies that elucidate the roles of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), nerve growth factor (NGF), nitric oxide and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) derivatives in mediating immune and inflammatory effects of exposure to UVR as well as other cell biologic effects of UVR exposure.
Estimating the Effect of Entry on Generic Drug Prices Using Hatch-Waxman Exclusivity

Generic drugs play an important role in disciplining drug prices and controlling rising drug costs. However, the effect that an additional generic drug competitor has on drug prices is difficult to measure because the number of firms competing in a market is endogenously determined. We identify the causal effects of a second and a third generic competitor on generic drug prices by exploiting the 180-day period of marketing exclusivity created by provisions of the Hatch-Waxman Act. The effects of the second and third competitors on price have important implications for drug competition policy and the interpretation of theory relating price to competition in generic drug markets. We find significant biases associated with estimates that do not properly account for endogenous entry. Specifically, we find that the failure to account for endogenous entry leads to significant underestimation of the effects of two and three competitors on generic drug prices, especially among large drugs.
Application of Vibrational Spectroscopy for the Study of Heat‐Induced Changes in Food Components

Vibrational spectroscopic techniques, including Mid-IR, NIR, and Raman spectroscopy, are valuable tools for the study of chemical modifications in food constituents. Advances in instrumentation combined with the development of powerful multivariate data analysis make this technology ideal for understanding the effect of heat in major and minor food components. The aim of this review is to compile the current research on applications of spectroscopy to provide detailed information of chemical and structural changes induced by heat treatment based on variations and evolution of vibrational spectra. Keywords: vibrational spectroscopy; infrared; Raman; heat; thermal; treatment; food; modifications; changes; protein; lipid; carbohydrate
Distinct Triangle Areas in a Planar Point Set

Erdős, Purdy, and Straus conjectured that the number of distinct (nonzero) areas of the triangles determined by nnoncollinear points in the plane is at least $\lfloor \frac{n-1}{2} \rfloor$, which is attained for i¾?n/ 2i¾? and respectively $\lfloor n/2\rfloor$ equally spaced points lying on two parallel lines. We show that this number is at least $\frac{17}{38}n -O(1) \approx 0.4473n$. The best previous bound, $(\sqrt{2}-1)n-O(1)\approx 0.4142n$, which dates back to 1982, follows from the combination of a result of Burton and Purdy [5] and Ungar's theorem [23] on the number of distinct directions determined by nnoncollinear points in the plane.
Major intrinsic polypeptide of lens membrane. Biochemical and immunological characterization of the major cyanogen bromide fragment.

Abstract A protein of M r 26 000 has been shown to be the major component of eye-lens junctions, which are similar but not identical to the gap junctions of liver and other tissues. Cyanogen bromide cleavage of the M r 26 000 polypeptide from bovine lenses yields a major fragment of M r 15 000 (fragment 1). However, if the junctions are first treated with trypsin or carboxypeptidase Y, cyanogen bromide treatment yields a fragment of reduced molecular weight. Since protease treatment has been shown to cleave residues almost exclusively from the carboxy-terminal end of the M r 26 000 polypeptide, it follows that fragment 1 represents the carboxy-terminal half of this molecule, part of which is exposed to proteolytic attack outside the membrane. This latter result is corroborated by the fact that antisera which recognize both the M r 26 000 polypeptide and fragment 1 fail to do so after preadsorption with intact membranes. In addition, comparative amino acid and partial sequence analyses of the M r 26 000 polypeptide and fragment 1 indicate that fragment 1 is more hydrophilic in character, suggesting that much of the amino-terminal half of the M r 26 000 polypeptide is buried within the lipid bilayer.
Biological activity and receptor binding of human prointerleukin-1 beta and subpeptides.

We report here that the human interleukin-1 beta precursor (proIL-1 beta) protein as well as several interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) subpeptides bind cellular receptors specifically and exhibit biological activity by stimulating proliferation of helper T-cells. IL-1 beta polypeptides have been synthesized by in vitro translation of mRNAs transcribed from plasmid vectors containing the bacteriophage SP6 promoter joined to the complete IL-1 beta cDNA or to deletion constructs. The quantity of IL-1 beta in vitro translation products was increased significantly by replacing the cognate IL-1 beta untranslated leader sequence with a 37-nucleotide plant viral untranslated leader. Translation of chimeric mRNAs followed by direct bioactivity assay demonstrated that mature IL-1 beta-(117-269), proIL-1 beta-(1-269), and peptide IL-1-(71-269) were all biologically active. Specific binding to cellular receptors was observed with these three IL-1 beta molecules; moreover, several peptides with minimal biological activity also bound receptor specifically. The biological activity and receptor binding properties of the IL-1 beta proteins reported here contrast with those described by Mosley et al. (Mosley, B., Urdal, D. L., Prickett, K. S., Larsen, A., Cosman, D., Conlon, P. J., Gillis, S., and Dower, S. K. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 2941-2944; Mosley, B., Dower, S. K., Gillis, S., and Cosman, D. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 4572-4576), who reported that proIL-1 beta-(1-269) had no biological activity and does not bind receptor. Our results indicate that proIL-1 beta is active at a relatively high concentration, and analysis of the proIL-1 beta-(1-269) and IL-1-(71-269) bioactivity data suggests a possible relationship with membrane-bound IL-1.
James Q. Wilson's -- And Society's -- Marriage Problems

The role of the marital family in shaping character and cultivating civic virtue occupied a significant place in the later thinking, writing, and advocacy of the late James Q. Wilson. This paper reflects on the legacy of Wilson’s two marriage problems and the use of his work in the same-sex marriage controversy. The first marriage problem Wilson studied, in The Marriage Problem: How Our Culture Has Weakened Families, was the weakening of the family as a bedrock social institution. Marriage, Wilson insisted, is a “fragile institution,” requiring reinforcement by a strong marriage culture. He warned of America becoming “two nations,” divided into two parent, marital families and “fatherless” families. The Marriage Problem addressed a second problem, presented by nature, that marriage, as a social institution, solves: the stark asymmetry in desires and parental investment between mothers and fathers that would, without marriage anchoring men to families, leave women and children vulnerable. Wilson’s analysis of marriage as fixing an evolutionary shortfall has undergirded “responsible procreation” arguments made in party and “friend of the court” briefs filed to defend restrictive state and federal marriage laws against constitutional challenges by same-sex couples. As part of the marriage movement, Wilson joined public statements warning of threats to marriage posed by divorce, “illegitimacy,” cohabitation, and same-sex marriage. Wilson himself filed a “friend of the court” brief advancing “responsible procreation” and paternity as public purposes justifying California’s one man-one woman definition of marriage. This essay examines why the “responsible procreation” defense of marriage, which puts same-sex couples -- who cannot become parents by accident -- beyond the concerns of the state is, increasingly, a loser. It then considers the relevance of Wilson’s analysis of society’s two marriage problems in an era in which, even as marriage becomes available to many same-sex couples previously excluded from it, it seems at risk, for other populations, of disappearing as a way of organizing family life. The essay concludes by observing an important bifurcation within the marriage movement: while some continue to oppose same-sex marriage as inconsistent with marriage’s unique purpose of ordering heterosexual reproduction, others propose an agenda to “strengthen marriage” that accepts marriage equality and addresses a different form of marriage inequality -- the growing marriage divide.
Telmisartan to reduce cardiovascular risk in older HIV-infected adults: A pilot study

AbstractBackground:HIV-infected persons are at increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but traditional CVD therapies are understudied in this population. Telmisartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) agonist that improves endothelial function and cardiovascular mortality in HIV-uninfected populations. We assessed the effects of telmisartan on endothelial function in older HIV-infected persons at risk for CVD in a small pilot study.Methods:HIV-infected individuals ≥ 50 years old on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) with ≥ 1 traditional CVD risk factor received open-label telmisartan 80 mg daily for 6 weeks. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) measured endothelial function. The primary endpoint was 6-week change in maximum relative FMD.Results:Seventeen participants enrolled; 16 completed all evaluations (88% men, 65% non-White, median age 60 years, CD4+T lymphocyte count 625 cells/mm3). Antiretroviral therapy incl...
Electromagnetic radiation and scattering from elliptical torus knots

A mathematically rigorous approach for combining knot theory with Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism was reported by Werner (see IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium Digest, vol.2, p.1468-71, Montreal, Canada, 1997). This analysis methodology was initially used to investigate the electromagnetic characteristics of a special class of knots, known as (p,q)-torus knots. A convenient set of parametric representations was developed by Werner for this particular family of knots by making use of the fact that they may be constructed on the surface of a standard circular torus in R/sup 3/. These parameterizations were then used in combination with Maxwell's equations to derive vector potential and field expressions which describe the radiation and scattering of electromagnetic waves from circular (p,q)-torus knots.
RESPONDING TO THE QUANTITATIVE LITERACY GAP AMONG STUDENTS IN SOCIOLOGY COURSES

The Integrating Data Analysis (IDA) approach to undergraduate education developed by the American Sociological Association (ASA) and the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN) has been embedd...
Optimal coordinated resource allocation in ad hoc network systems: A sequential two-stage approach

Motivated by various problems such as distributed computation and multiagent coordination, an optimal coordinated resource allocation problem under dynamically changing environment has been solved by means of a sequential, two-stage, optimal semistable control approach. Technically we formulate this resource allocation problem into a linear, time-varying quadratic semistabilization problem with topologically changing, distributed iterative algorithms for resource allocation in peer-to-peer networks. To solve this problem, we propose a novel, sequential two-stage design. The first stage is to guarantee the convergence of the optimal policy while the second stage is to derive the explicit recursive formulas for optimal strategies under a finite set of convergence-guaranteed candidate policies.
Complicated Soft Tissue Infection

*Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, †Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, and ‡Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts Reprint Address: David F. M. Brown, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Bulfinch 105, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
Is most glucose absorbed passively in northern bobwhite

Abstract Two hypotheses about gut function have not received general support from studies in birds. Both make assumptions about how natural selection has influenced rates of nutrient uptake. The adaptive modulation hypothesis states that rates of absorption should vary within individuals to accommodate changes in nutrient availability of the diet. The spare capacity hypothesis states that the gut's ability to absorb nutrients should slightly exceed load determined by the organism's food intake. We focus on a recent rejection of these hypotheses in northern bobwhite quail (W. Karasov, personal communication) and demonstrate that a central assumption—that carrier-mediated transport predominates—is not supported. We use a pharmacokinetic technique to show that 52–92% (depending on assumptions of metabolizability and binding) of ingested l -glucose appears in plasma. Because l -glucose is not actively transported, its appearance in plasma must be due to passive absorption. This result suggests that previous studies in birds found uptake capacity to be much less than the observed load because they failed to consider passive absorption. When both passive and carrier-mediated transport are considered, capacity and load are fairly closely matched in quail. Our results also suggest that modulation of carrier-mediated transport may not be selected for in birds, because modulation via passive absorption is faster and requires less energy. An unexplored negative consequence of passive absorption, however, may be nonselective absorption of secondary compounds and toxins.
Safe operating temperatures for pressurized alkaline hydrolysis of HMX-based explosives

Alkaline hydrolysis is used to convert high explosives to nonenergetic, aqueous compounds. Base hydrolysis of high explosives is exothermic (ΔHRXN = 2.3 kJ/g), and thermal runaway of the reaction i...
Anticoagulant and defibrinogenating agents in acute ischemic stroke and cerebral venous thrombosis

Anticoagulants have been used in patients with acute ischemic stroke to limit infarct volume and to prevent reinfarction and thrombotic complications like deep venous thrombosis. Three important randomized trials of anticoagulants have been reported recently. One trial showed that nadroparin reduced the percentage of patients with poor outcome at 6 months. One unblinded trial of subcutaneous unfractionated heparin showed that heparin reduced the rate of early recurrent stroke, but this benefit was offset by an increase in hemorrhages. A trial of the heparinoid ORG 10172 showed no efficacy overall at 3 months, although there was an increase in patients with very favorable outcomes at 7 days. The defibrinogenating agent ancrod has shown promise in a series of small clinical trials, but efficacy has not been established. There are no reliable data on the use of antithrombotic agents to prevent reocclusion after thrombolytic therapy. Anticoagulants are generally recommended in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis, but the recommendation is supported by only one small and methodologically limited trial.
Modern stromatolite reefs fringing a brackish coastline, Chetumal Bay, Belize

Reef-forming stromatolites have been discovered along the windward shoreline of Chetumal Bay, Belize, just south of the mouth of the Rio Hondo. The reefs and surrounding sediment are formed by the precipitation of submicrocrystalline calcite upon the sheaths of filamentous cyanobacteria, principally Scytonema , under a seasonally fluctuating, generally brackish salinity regime (0‰10‰). Well-cemented, wave-resistant buttresses of coalesced stromatolite heads form arcuate or club-shaped reefs up to 42 m long and 1.5 m in relief that are partially emergent during low tide. Oncolitic rubble fields are present between well-developed reefs along the 1.5 km trend, which parallels the mangrove coastline 40-100 m offshore. The mode of reef growth, as illustrated by surface relief and internal structure, changes with increasing water depth and energy, proximity to bottom sediments, and dominant cyanobacterial taxa. Sediment trapping and binding by cyanobacteria are of limited importance to reef growth, and occur only where stromatolite heads or oncolites are in direct contact with the sandy sea floor. Radiocarbon-dated mangrove peat at the base of the reef suggests that it began to form about 2300 yr B.P., as shoreline encrustations that were stranded offshore following storm-induced retreat of the mangrove coast.
Microbial Conversion of β-Myrcene by Aspergillus niger

Etude de l'isomerisation d'un monoterpene acyclique chez Aspergillus niger, par chromatographie phase liquide et phase gazeuse, puis spectrometrie RMN
Characteristics of hydrothermal plumes from two vent fields on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, northeast Pacific Ocean

Deep CTD/transmissometer tows and water bottle sampling were used during 1985 to map the regional distribution of the neutrally-buoyant plumes emanating from each of two major vent fields on the Southern Symmetrical Segment (SSS) and Endeavour Segment (ES) of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. At both vent fields, emissions from point and diffuse hydrothermal sources coalesced into a single 200-m-thick plume elongated in the direction of current flow and with characteristic temperature anomalies of 0.02–0.05°C and light-attenuation anomalies of 0.01–0.08 m−1 (10–80 μg/l above background). Temperature anomalies in the core of each plume were uniform as far downcurrent as the plumes were mapped (10–15 km). Downcurrent light-attenuation trends were non-uniform and differed between plumes, apparently because different vent fluid chemistries at each field cause significant differences in the settling characteristics of the hydrothermal precipitates. Vent fluids from the SSS are metal-dominated and mostly precipitate very fine-grained hydrous Fe-oxides that remain suspended in the plume. Vent fluids from the ES are sulfur-dominated and precipitate a high proportion of coarser-grained Fe-sulfides that rapidly settle from the plume. The integrated flux of each vent field was estimated from measurements of the advective transport of each plume. Heat flux was 1700 ± 1100 MW from the ES and 580 ± 351 MW from the SSS. Particle flux varied from 546 ± 312 g/s to 204 ± 116 g/s at the ES depending on distance from the vent field, and was 92 ± 48 g/s from the SSS.
Divergent perspectives on community convergence

Recent experimental and theoretical studies of community development, as well as more general studies of complex systems, indicate that historical differences and intrinsic indeterminism can lead to long-term community divergence. This observation has sparked a series of new investivations of community structure in systems that developed under controlled or natural conditions.
The relation between adolescent narcissism and internalizing problems depends on the conceptualization of narcissism

Abstract Recent research has reported an association between narcissism in youth and a variety of externalizing behavior problems. The extent to which narcissism, conceptualized in two ways (i.e., as part of psychopathy; as a constellation of maladaptive and adaptive features), was related to internalizing problems in adolescents was examined in this study. Participants were 534 at-risk adolescents ages 16–19, attending a military-style residential program. Psychopathy-linked narcissism was positively associated with self-reported internalizing problems; however, narcissism assessed from the Narcissistic Personality Inventory for Children (NPIC; Barry, Frick, & Killian, 2003 ) was negatively associated with such symptoms. Perceptions of peer relationships appeared to play a role in this latter association. The implications for the understanding of youth narcissism are discussed.
Mass calibration of a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer including the rise time of the delayed extraction pulse.

To utilize fully modern MALDI-TOF and TOF/TOF mass spectrometers with mass resolution exceeding 10,000 and 2 ppm precision of flight time measurements for high mass accuracy, the model of ion motion used in the mass calibration equation must be expanded. The standard three-term equation providing up to 5-10 ppm (rms) mass accuracy with internal standards was modified with an additional term accounting for the finite rise time of the high-voltage extraction pulse. This new four-term calibration equation minimizes the effect of systematic error resulting from the fact that ion velocities are mass dependent due to the rise time of the extraction pulse. Applying this new calibration equation to a mass spectrum obtained in an axial MALDI-TOF MS containing 70 peaks (sodiated PEG), each with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 100, a mass accuracy of 1.6 ppm (rms) was obtained over the mass range 1.0-4.0 kDa compared with 3.6 ppm (rms) with the standard three-term equation. The physical basis of the effects of the finite extraction pulse rise time on mass calibration is examined for axial MALDI-TOF mass spectrometers, as well as for orthogonal acceleration TOF mass spectrometers.
Potential role of PTEN phosphatase in ethanol‐impaired survival signaling in the liver

Chronic ethanol consumption can cause sustained hepatocellular injury and inhibit the subsequent regenerative response. These effects of ethanol may be mediated by impaired hepatocyte survival mechanisms. The present study examines the effects of ethanol on survival signaling in the intact liver. Adult Long Evans rats were maintained on ethanol-containing or isocaloric control liquid diets for 8 weeks, after which the livers were harvested to measure mRNA levels, protein expression, and kinase or phosphatase activity related to survival or proapoptosis mechanisms. Chronic ethanol exposure resulted in increased hepatocellular labeling for activated caspase 3 and nuclear DNA damage as demonstrated using the TUNEL assay. These effects of ethanol were associated with reduced levels of tyrosyl phosphorylated (PY) IRS-1 and PI3 kinase, Akt kinase, and Erk MAPK activities and increased levels of phosphatase tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) mRNA, protein, and phosphatase activity in liver tissue. In vitro experiments demonstrated that ethanol increases PTEN expression and function in hepatocytes. However, analysis of signaling cascade pertinent to PTEN function revealed increased levels of nuclear p53 and Fas receptor mRNA but without corresponding increases in GSK-3 activity or activated BAD. Although fork-head transcription factor levels were increased in ethanol-exposed livers, virtually all of the fork-head protein detected by Western blot analysis was localized within the cytosolic fraction. In conclusion, chronic ethanol exposure impairs survival mechanisms in the liver because of inhibition of signaling through PI3 kinase and Akt and increased levels of PTEN. However, uncoupling of the signaling cascade downstream of PTEN that mediates apoptosis may account for the relatively modest degrees of ongoing cell loss observed in livers of chronic ethanol-fed rats.
The time course of steroid action on blood-to-brain and blood-to-tumor transport of 82Rb: a positron emission tomographic study.

Blood-to-brain and blood-to-tumor transport rate constants for Rb (K1) and apparent tissue blood volume (Vb) were estimated in 8 patients with primary or metastatic brain tumors before and approximately 6 hours after a 100-mg intravenous bolus injection of dexamethasone using /sup 82/Rb and positron emission tomography. Eight additional patients were studied to evaluate test-retest variability and repositioning errors. Six hours following dexamethasone administration tumor K1 (but not Vb) was significantly reduced compared with contralateral control brain regions (p less than 0.03). These data are consistent with our previously published 24-hour-postdexamethasone data and suggest that comparable effects of corticosteroids on brain/tumor capillaries may be observed at 5 to 6 and 24 hours. The time course of dexamethasone-induced alterations in brain/tumor capillary permeability supports the view that these alterations may be responsible for at least some of the antiedema effects of corticosteroids.
The primary cosmic-ray electron spectrum near solar minimum.

Primary cosmic ray electron flux and energy spectrum near solar minimum compared with nonthermal radio emission from high galactic latitudes
Frequency Comb-Based Laser Sensors for Precision Ranging, Spectroscopy and Frequency Transfer

Frequency combs are a coherent broadband light source well-suited to precision sensing. We discuss a sensing approach that makes use of two coherent frequency combs for precision ranging, spectroscopy and frequency transfer over the air.
Vicuñas and Llamas: Parallels in behavioral ecology and implications for the domestication of andean camelids

The age structure, sex composition, and territorial behavior of wild camelids is compared to that of llama herds from the community of Alota, southwestern Bolivia. The parallels suggest that herd management techniques are designed to replicate wild camelid social organization. The predictable camelid territorial behavior in turn facilitates the management of llama herds. The implications of these organizational and territorial parallels are discussed with reference to camelid procurement strategies and domestication.
Morphological changes in thioglycerol-treatedEscherichia coli

Extended exposure ofEscherichia coli 15 THU to 1-thioglycerol resulted in morphological changes. Cells growing with 10 mM 1-thioglycerol were shorter in the stationary phase than untreated organisms. Sixty mM 1-thioglycerol caused the appearance of double cells connected with constricted septal regions. Electron microscopic examination of the elongated cells failed to show septal structures. The specific cause of the appearance of constricted bridges between cells may be the inhibition of ftsA protein by 60 mM 1-thioglycerol.
Diurnal curves of tropospheric ozone in the western United States

Abstract Diurnal curves of tropospheric ozone are characterized for the areas near coniferous forests in the western U.S. A given day of hourly data can be placed into one of 17 classes of diurnal curves simply by knowing the 24-h mean and coefficient of variation of range, or more precisely, by applying equations derived from our discriminant analysis. The variation among curves is known to be related to theory of ozone formation, scavenging, and transport. Season, latitude, and position relative to source areas affect the form of the diurnal curve.
Generalization and Interpretation of Dirac's Positive-Energy Relativistic Wave Equation

We generalize Dirac's new equation so as to describe particles of mass $m$ and arbitrary spin $s$. The same remarkable properties are found: positive energy, non-negative density, a conserved four-vector current, and the impossibility of minimal electromagnetic interaction. We show that the particles described by a subset of these equations are composites of two subparticles interacting by a relativistic action-at-a-distance interaction characterized by two harmonic oscillators. For these composite particles we find a linear relation between the square of the mass and the spin. We emphasize that the essential content of the generalized new Dirac equation is that it constitutes an example of a convariant solution for two interacting particles, and provides an explicit example of a new quantal subdynamics distinct from the (classical) front relativistic dynamics of Dirac.
Specificity and biological activity of extracted murine tumor-specific transplantation antigens.

Crude 3m KCI extracts of the chemically induced C3H/ HeJ fibrosarcomas, MCA-F and MCA-D, possess two immunobiologically active components upon fractionation by preparative isoelectric focusing. Strongly acidic (pl 2.5-3.6) antigens induced potent tumor facilitation while mildly acidic (pl 5.8-6.0) proteins engendered resistance to neoplastic cell challenge. The possibility that these proteins were tumor-specific transplantation antigens (TSTA) was investigated in specificity tests using fractions prepared from the MCA-F and MCA-D. Pre-treatment of individual groups of mice with the tumor-facilitating and immunizing fractions from extracts of two antigenically different fibrosarcomas MCA-F and MCA-D followed 10 days later by challenge of all groups with both neoplasms revealed both responses to be specific for the tumor of origin. The immunizing fractions from MCA-F and MCA-D engendered 50% (p<0.01) and 60% (p<0.01) reduction in the growth of their respective tumor cell challenge. Facilitating antigens of both tumors specifically potentiated only the growth of their parent neoplasms by more than 75% (p<0.01). Non-specific protection was not observed, demonstrating that both fractions bore TSTA activity. Both the resistant state and the condition of facilitated tumor growth engendered by the isolated tumor cell fractions could be adoptively transferred to normal syngeneic recipients via lymphoid cells, and the im-munoprotective fraction evoked specific delayed-type hypersensitivity in immunized hosts. Assessment of the activity of the partially purified TSTA revealed that the immunizing fraction of MCA-F exhibited narrow range dose-response properties. Immunoprotection was demonstrable within a restricted range whether the antigen was administered as whole cells, crude extract, or pIEF purified material. These results indicate that (1) separate tumor-facilitating and immunizing activities are common features of carcinogen-induced tumors; (2) the antigen-induced facilitation of, and resistance to, tumor cell challenge is mediated by lymphoid cells; (3) both moieties display distinct antigenic specificity in vivo; and (4) the restricted range of immunoprotection is a property intrinsic to at least some carcinogen-induced tumors and their antigenic subcellular fractions.
The effects of chronic carbaryl administration on the neuromuscular system of swine.

Abstract Two pigs from a litter of 13-week-old specific pathogen-free pigs were fed a ration containing the cholinesterase-inhibiting insecticide carbaryl (Sevin®) (1-naphthyl- N -methyl carbamate), at the rate of 150 mg/kg (live weight) daily for 72 and 83 days, respectively. Three pigs from the same litter were fed 150 mg/kg of carbaryl daily for 4 weeks and then 300 mg/kg per day, the total feeding period being 46 and 85 days, respectively. Two pigs were maintained on the basal ration as controls. The clinical syndrome of chronic intoxication was characterized by progressive myasthenia, incoordination, ataxia, intention tremor, and clonic muscular contractions terminating in paraplegia and prostration. The females in each group required a larger total dose of carbaryl to induce paralysis and death than did the males. Lesions were confined to the central nervous system and skeletal muscle. The muscular lesions consisted of three morphologically distinct forms: a discrete myodegeneration of traumatic or ischemic type, an acute hyaline and vacuolar myodegeneration healing by discontinuous regeneration, and an acute degenerative process associated with dystrophic calcification apparently centered upon mitochondria or the sarcotubular system. Moderate to severe edema of the myelinated tracts of the cerebellum, brain stem, and upper spinal cord was associated with vascular degenerative changes. The pattern was consistent with a vasogenic type of edema.
The nature of crystal disorder in milled pharmaceutical materials

Abstract The purpose of this study was to study the nature of disorder in milled crystalline materials. Specifically to elucidate if the induced disorder represents crystal defects or amorphous regions. Felodipine and griseofulvin were chosen as model drugs and subjected to milling. Cryomilling was chosen in order to mitigate the influence of heat generated by the process. Amorphous drug samples were produced by quenching the melt. Crystalline, amorphous and cryomilled drug samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermal analysis (DSC), thermal polarization (thermally stimulated polarization current), and surface energy (inverse gas chromatography). The PXRD analysis shows that cryomilling reduces the crystallinity of the two drugs, while maintaining the same crystal form. Heat capacity measurements (DSC) show that milled material for either drug does not exhibit a glass transition but shows instead an exothermic (crystallization like) event. The thermal polarization profiles revealed that none of the modes of molecular motion (polarization peaks) characteristic of the amorphous form were observed in either the unmilled crystalline or milled forms for either drug. For each drug, the polarization spectra of milled forms were similar, but not identical, to those of the corresponding unmilled crystalline materials. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) measurements showed that the surface energy of cryomilled samples was higher than those of the unmilled and amorphous forms for both drugs. The polarization and heat capacity measurements show that the disorder induced by milling either griseofulvin or folodipine consists of crystal defects rather than amorphous regions. The exothermic event in the milled samples is attributed to the crystallization of defects in the crystal. These results when combined with the IGC measurements indicate that the milled material retains its crystalline character, making it more stable (at the core) than the amorphous form. However, the milled material has also the most active surface, making it the more interactive with other surfaces as an activated powder.
Synchronizing the IR camera to capture high-speed thermal transients

Thermal transients caused by electrical switching devices and fast optical or electrical pulses only exist for a very short time (less than 1 millisecond). If the transient happens in a high thermal conductivity material, e.g. silicon wafer, the thermal transient will disappear in a few milliseconds or faster. Most modern IR cameras have external triggering capability. However, the IR camera often runs on its own clock. If the triggering of data acquisition is not synchronized with the camera, there is often an uncertainty of timing, e.g. 16.7 ms for camera running at 60Hz. Even when the IR camera is running at 500 Hz, there is 2 ms uncertainty. Depending on when you push/click the button, the high-speed thermal transients can be missed and they will disappear in the next image. We developed a technique to synchronize the IR camera to capture the thermal transients. By using a delay function, we can control the data acquisition very precisely to study the thermal transients.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Activation of p16 gene silenced by DNA methylation in cancer cells by phosphoramidate derivatives of 2’-deoxyzebularine

We report herein the application of the phosphoramidate ProTide technology to improve the metabolism of the DNA methytransferase inhibitor, zebularine (Z). Zebularine is a riboside that must undergo a complex metabolic transformation before reaching the critical 2'-deoxyzebularine 5'-triphosphate (dZTP). Because 2'-deoxyzebularine (dZ) is not phosphorylated and therefore inactive, the ProTide strategy was employed to bypass the lack of phosphorylation of dZ and the inefficient reduction of zebularine 5'-diphosphate by ribonucleotide-diphosphate reductase required for zebularine. Several compounds were identified as more potent inhibitors of DNA methylation and stronger inducers of p16 tumor suppressor gene than zebularine. However, their activity was dependent on the administration of thymidine to overcome the potent inhibition of thymidylate synthase (TS) and deoxycytidine monophosphate (dCMP) deaminase by dZMP, which deprives cells of essential levels of thymidine. Intriguingly, the activity of the ProTides was cell line-dependent, and activation of p16 was manifest only in Cf-Pac-1 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells.
Halfway houses and parole: A national assesment

During a recent national study of parole, the issues of halfway houses and their use by parolees were examined. These issues have implications for a wide variety of subjects, ranging from scope of clientele to cost effectiveness. This article examines certain critical issues surrounding the use of halfway houses and parole on the national level.
STEADY STATE REPEATING OPTICAL PULSES IN A PERIODIC NONLINEAR FIBER

We consider the self-consistent pulses which can propagate in a periodic fiber with alternating linear (β2≠0, n2=0) and nonlinear (β2=0, n2≠0) sections. The repeating breathing eigen pulse of the wave guide is derived.
Auditory-evoked brainstem responses in the torpid deermouse

This study examined auditory-evoked brainstem responses (ABR) in the deermouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) during torpor and arousal. The ABR of the euthermic deermouse consisted of five waves occurring in a time frame of 10 ms. During torpor, ABR wave I could be elicited at slow, but not fast stimulation rates indicating variability in neural activity along the auditory pathway. Arousal was heralded by the appearance of all the components of the ABR evoked in response to both slow and fast click rates signaling functional restoration of auditory neural activity during this phase.
The Modelling of Ethernet Data and of Signals that are Heavy‐tailed with Infinite Variance*

We provide an overview of some of the research of the last ten years involving computer network data traffic. We describe the original Ethernet data study which suggested that computer traffic is inherently different from telephone traffic and that in the context of computer networks, self-similar models such as fractional Brownian motion, should be used. We show that the on-off model can physically explain the presence of self-similarity. While the on-off model involves bounded signals, it is also possible to consider arbitrary unbounded finite-variance signals or even infinite-variance signals whose distributions have heavy tails. We show that, in the latter case, one can still obtain self-similar processes with dependent increments, but these are not the infinite-variance fractional stable Levy motions which have been commonly considered in the literature. The adequate model, in fact, can either have dependent or independent increments, and this depends on the respective size of two parameters, namely, the number of workstations in the network and the time scale under consideration. We indicate what happens when these two parameters become jointly asymptotically large. We conclude with some comments about high frequency behaviour and multifractals.
Morphine antagonizes TRH-induced intestinal transit and hyperserotonemia in rabbits.

Abstract Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) in microgram quantities to anesthetized rabbits, produces marked stimulation of colonic motility, transit, and fluid accumulation, and is accompanied by a portal hyperserotonemia. In this study we found that pretreatment of rabbits with morphine (10 mg/kg i.v.) completely blocked the TRH-induced colonic transit and increase in luminal fluid, as well as the hyperserotonemia. A small dose of morphine (200 μg) given i.c.v., but not i.v., also inhibited the intestinal transit and portal hyperserotonemia. These results suggest that morphine inhibits TRH-induced intestinal transit and fluid accumulation, at least in part, by inhibition of a neural pathway mediating intestinal serotonin release.