cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Individuality of Human Serum by Immunoelectrophoresis

A method is described which implements the direct comparison of serum samples from different individuals by simultaneous electrophoresis followed by simultaneous diffusion and precipitation by anti-human horse serum. Results have been evaluated, with an arbitrary reference grid, by comparison of the numbers of precipitin bands present in the paired immunoelectrophoretograms Graphic representation of these differences distinguishes serum samples of like from those of unlike origin.
Early experience as a variable in mate selection

Summary An experiment has been presented using pigeons as subjects in which early experience with parent colour (black-white) was varied systematically. Parent colour has been shown to influence later mate choice by males but not by females. Alternative explanations offered were: Mate choice in pigeons is predominately a male-dominate process, mate choice in female pigeons may not be a function of early experience, or mate choice in female pigeons may be based on early experience with parental characteristics other than colour.
Thermomechanical wear modelling

It is assumed that the contact between bodies in sliding motion produces a stress field and frictional heat source that may induce severe wear from material yielding or fracture. For this situation, a thermomechanical wear model is used to develop a wear transition equation for identifying the dominant factors that will reduce or control such wear, by employing thermoelasticity analyses and contact mechanics. This equation is used to construct wear maps for ease of analysis. Studies are used to substantiate the thermomechanical wear model with experimental results that emphasise the transition from mild to severe wear for dry and lubricated metallic and ceramic sliding contacts under load.
[14C] – radiolabeling of {[trans-(8β)]-6-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl) ergoline-8-carboxylic acid, 4-methoxycyclohexyl ester (Z)-2-butenedioate [(1:1)]. A potent and selective 5ht2-receptor antagonist

[14C]-Labeled {[trans-(8 β)]-6-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)ergoline-8-carboxylic acid, 4-methoxycyclohexyl ester (Z)-2-butenedioate (1:1)} (LY281067) (10) was synthesized from unlabeled 6-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)ergoline-8-carboxylic acid (2). The [14C] label was introduced into the carboxyl group attached to the 8 position of the ergoline nucleus. This site is stable to metabolism. The synthesis involves removal of the unlabeled carboxyl group from 2 and subsequent reinsertion of a [14C]-labeled carboxyl group into the same position. The radiolabel is not introduced until near the end of the synthesis which allows for ease of handling and scale-up of intermediates.
On the monotonic properties of the residual variance and their applications in reliability

Abstract The residual life of a component of age t denoted by X−t||X>t is of great interest in actuarial studies, survival analysis and reliability. It is well known that the mean residual life function eF(t) = E(X−t||X>t) determines F uniquely and has been extensively studied in the literature. In this paper the monotonic properties of the residual variance σF2(t) are characterized in terms of teh residual coefficient of variation. These characterizations are then used to investigate the behavior of σF2(t) for classes of distributions in reliability. In this connection it has been studied how the aging properties IFR, NBU, NBUE and DMRL of the original distribution are transformed into the aging properties of the distribution of the residual life.
Relationship of Alcohol Use to Combat Exposure, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Aggressive Behaviors Among Army National Guard OIF/OEF Veterans

Previous studies have shown alcohol use to be associated with aggressive behaviors, though results have varied, in particular, when aggression is examined separately as nonphysical versus physical aggression. This topic is especially relevant for returning soldiers who report post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which often accompany postdeployment interpersonal aggression. The present study used survey data obtained from recently returning deployed Army National Guard soldiers ( N = 4,567 soldiers in 50 company-sized units) to test relationships (through structural equation modeling) among combat exposure, PTSD symptoms, alcohol use, and aggressive behaviors, both nonphysical and physical. Combat exposure had no statistically reliable association with aggression. PTSD symptoms (specifically, reexperiencing and sleep difficulty) were positively associated with aggressive behaviors. Combat exposure and PTSD symptoms showed an additional indirect effect through alcohol use on aggression, with str...
Biological Role of Different Antibody Classes

Antibodies are divided into different classes and subclasses (isotypes) according to structural differences in the constant region of the heavy polypeptide chains. The different isotypes mediate speci
Decoding the auditory corticofugal systems

The status of the organization of the auditory corticofugal systems is summarized. These are among the largest pathways in the brain, with descending connections to auditory and non-auditory thalamic, midbrain, and medullary regions. Auditory corticofugal influence thus reaches sites immediately presynaptic to the cortex, sites remote from the cortex, as in perolivary regions that may have a centrifugal role, and to the cochlear nucleus, which could influence early central events in hearing. Other targets include the striatum (possible premotor functions), the amygdala and central gray (prospective limbic and motivational roles), and the pontine nuclei (for precerebellar control). The size, specificity, laminar origins, and morphologic diversity of auditory corticofugal axons is consonant with an interpretation of multiple roles in parallel descending systems.
Bargaining Power, Labor Market Institutions, and the Great Moderation

This paper argues that the low inflation during the Great Moderation had distributional biases and partly resulted from institutional shifts that depressed workers’ bargaining power and thus wage increases. The hypothesis is tested in multiple Phillips curve models using the cost of job loss as a measure of bargaining power for the 1960–2010 sample. Results indicate that rising employment insecurity and a stronger social bargain between firms and their employees — institutions proxied by strikes and the part-time share of employment, and the share of private employees receiving a pension, respectively — have significant negative effects on inflation and improve forecasting accuracy.
Solar through dryer

The design of a solar trough is described which reflects solar radiation onto the bottom of a black metal tray which holds fruit to be dried. Drying results using this solar trough dryer were compared for several fruits with conventional dryers, indicating a 40 to 45% decrease in the required drying time to reach 50% moisture content. (SPH)
The effect of ellagic acid on the uptake, persistence, metabolism and DNA-binding of benzo[a]pyrene in cultured explants of strain A/J mouse lung.

Ellagic acid (EA), a plant phenol found in a variety of fruits and vegetables normally consumed by humans, inhibited the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and covalent binding of B[a]P metabolites to DNA in cultured lung explants from strain A/J mice. Explants were incubated in medium containing EA at concentrations of 10 - 100 microM for 16 h followed by the addition of 1 microM [3H]B[a]P for 24 h. Culture medium was extracted and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. DNA from the explants was extracted, purified and quantitated to determine B[a]P metabolite binding to DNA. EA at concentrations of 10, 25, 50, 100 microM inhibited the metabolism of B[a]P in lung explants by 24-47% and DNA-binding of B[a] metabolites by 36-71%. Analysis of total lipids and trichloroacetic acid insoluble fractions of homogenized lung explants showed two to three times more radioactivity in EA-treated cultures even though EA did not affect the uptake of B[a]P. Explants maintained for four days after the removal of EA and [3H]B[a]P from the culture medium exhibited significant persistence of B[a]P and B[a]P metabolites associated with the total lipid and TCA insoluble fractions and in B[a]P metabolites bound to DNA. H.p.l.c. analysis of the total lipids extracted from homogenized lung explants showed that during the first 3 days of incubation most of the radioactivity in the EA-treated cultures was unmetabolized B[a]P while that in the control cultures existed as metabolites of B[a]P. The inhibition of metabolism of B[a]P and the consistently lower B[a]P-DNA binding in EA-treated mouse lung explants support the role of EA as a naturally occurring inhibitor of B[a]P-induced carcinogenesis.
Calculations for methane scattering from LiF(001)

Calculations are presented for the scattering of ${\mathrm{CH}}_{4}$ molecules from a LiF(001) surface. The theory utilized is a mixed classical-quantum model that includes energy and momentum transfers between the surface and projectile for translational and rotational motions as well as internal mode excitation of the projectile molecule. The translation and rotation motions, including multiphonon excitations with the surface, are treated with classical dynamics. Internal vibrational mode excitation of the molecules is treated quantum mechanically with extension to arbitrary numbers of modes and arbitrary excitation quantum numbers. The results of calculations are compared with recent high-precision measurements of the scattering of ${\mathrm{CH}}_{4}$ molecules from clean, ordered LiF(001). The calculated results for energy-resolved spectra and for the angular distributions are in good agreement with experiment.
Calcium excretion and deposition during sporogenesis in Physarella oblonga.

Calcium excretion and deposition were studied during sporogenesis in the myxomycete,Physarella oblonga. Prior to fruiting, the migrating vegetative plasmodium contains numerous, large channels connected to the external environment. During early sporangial development, these channels become smaller and are isolated as channel remnants. Plasmodial microfilament bundles also disappear at this time. Internally, two types of spheres, each about 0.5–1.5 μm in diameter, are formed in the channel remnants. A dense sphere appears to originate from small particles initially secreted from the mitochondria. These particles then enter the channels and channel remnants by reverse pinocytosis and fuse to form the dense spheres. A second, less dense sphere has no detectable cytoplasmic origin but also appears to form in the channels and channel remnants. Both types of spheres are concentrated by the fusion of channel remnants to form enlarged regions (knots and spikes) of the developing capillitium. Some of the channel remnants also fuse with the outer surface of the sporangium, depositing both spheres to the outside. Both spheres have been studied by various light and electron microscopic techniques and with specific histochemical and analytical procedures. The less dense spheres appear to contain a major portion of calcium in the form of calcium carbonate. These results are compared to other recent studies on calcium deposition in the Myxomycetes and a different mechanism for calcium deposition is proposed.
Effect of para-chlorophenylalanine on the growth and development of the fetal, neonatal, and adult rat

Abstract The chronic administration of para-chlorophenylalanine to maternal and young adult rats resulted in an immediate reduction in food consumption and a concomitant loss in body weight. Similar effects were observed in fetal and neonatal animals. It is suggested that a causal relationship exists between the hunger response(s) and para-chlorophenylalanine. Chlorophenylalanine was evaluated with respect to various parameters related to growth and development of the rat at different ages.
Chromosomal mosaicism associated with a case of cyclopia

Cytogenetic investigation of an infant with cyclopian deformity revealed mosaicism for monosomy of a Group G chromosome (No. 21–22). The lack of uniform chromosomal findings in additional cases of cyclopia and other arhinencephalic conditions suggests that factors other than cytogenetic imbalance (i.e., gene mutation or environmental agents) may be of primary etiologic importance.
Complementary medicine for the allergist.

The objective of this article is to provide a historical overview of the present state of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the treatment of atopic disorders. The evolution of medicine in the United States has been in flux with the advent of newer technologies, new designs in managed care, and integrating the cultural differences into a complex multidisciplinary health care delivery process. There have been several herbal modalities that contain various anti-allergy and asthma components with effects on bronchodilation, congestion, pulmonary function tests, and antagonism of asthma mediators such as histamine and PAF, corticosteroid levels, and clearance of mucus. In the field of allergy, asthma, and immunology, the popularity of CAM is more widespread than other common chronic medical problems. Overall, CAM use has created a $15-billion-a-year industry in dietary supplements alone. This has been especially fueled by the deregulation of the "herbal" industry by the congressional passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. It would appear that our specialty would clearly benefit from expanding its knowledge base about these entities because "allergies" are high on the list of patients seeking CAM. This will prepare us to better coordinate the future possibilities and to "doctor" (i.e., teach) our patients about the risks and benefits of these modalities.
Near neutrality of an oxygen molecule adsorbed on a Pt(111) surface.

The charge state of paramagnetic or nonmagnetic ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ adsorbed on a Pt(111) surface is analyzed using density functional theory. We find no significant charge transfer between Pt and the two adsorbed molecular precursors, suggesting these oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) intermediates are nearly neutral, and changes in magnetic moment come from self adjustment of ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ spin-orbital occupations. Our findings support a greatly simplified model of electrocatalyzed ORR, and also point to more subtle pictures of adsorbates or impurities interacting with crystal than literal integer charge transfers.
Vaginal vault prolapse after nonsurgical and surgical treatment of MÄAdullerian agenesis

Abstract BACKGROUND: Women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome fail to develop mullerian ducts, present with primary amenorrhea, and an absent or rudimentary uterus and vagina. After creation of a neovagina, vaginal vault prolapse may occur because of lack of support to the artificially created vagina. CASES: The first patient presented with vaginal vault prolapse 10 years after her vagina was mechanically dilated. The second patient presented with vaginal vault prolapse 27 years after a McIndoe procedure. CONCLUSION: Women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome with an artificially created neovagina by dilatation or surgical procedure with a graft are at risk for vaginal vault prolapse. They can be successfully treated with abdominal sacrocolpopexy and paravaginal repair.
Evaluation of Automatic Video Summarization Systems

Compact representations of video, or video summaries, data greatly enhances efficient video browsing. However, rigorous evaluation of video summaries generated by automatic summarization systems is a complicated process. In this paper we examine the summary evaluation problem. Text summarization is the oldest and most successful summarization domain. We show some parallels between these to domains and introduce methods and terminology. Finally, we present results for a comprehensive evaluation summary that we have performed.
Glucocorticoid pretreatment induces cytokine overexpression and nuclear factor-κB activation in macrophages

Abstract Background Glucocorticoids are widely used in treating inflammatory diseases. The contribution of adrenal glucocorticoids to inflammatory regulation is unknown. Endogenous glucocorticoids, as distinct from synthetic analogues, not only suppress but also enhance immune functions. Elevated circulating cortisol levels are characteristic of injured patients. In a model of trauma, an early glucocorticoid surge occurs concomitantly with decreased cellular cytokine responses. Cytokine production elevated late after injury is associated with increased mortality. We hypothesized that this glucocorticoid surge mediates the later heightened macrophage responses. Materials and methods The murine macrophage like cells RAW 264.7 were incubated with corticosterone (35 ng/mL), or vehicle control, for 1 h, after which the cells were washed and corticosterone-free medium added. At 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after removal of the corticosterone, the cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-γ. Supernatant tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and nitrite levels were measured. In separate experiments the effect of pretreatment with corticosterone on TNF-α, IL-6, and nitrite mRNA expression as well as nuclear factor-κB and glucocorticoid receptor activity was determined. CD14 receptor expression was determined by flow cytometry. Results Glucocorticoid pretreatment caused significantly increased RAW 264.7 cell production of nitrite, IL-6 and TNF-α. mRNA for these inflammatory mediators was induced 6 h after the corticosterone pretreatment, and was associated with activation of nuclear factor-κB in the presence of activated glucocorticoid receptor. Cell surface-expression of CD14 was likewise increased. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate a novel role for glucocorticoids and provide a mechanism for the late upregulation in macrophage function after injury.
Poincare Invariant Algebra From Instant to Light-Front Quantization

We present the Poincare algebra interpolating between instant and light-front time quantizations. The angular momentum operators satisfying SU(2) algebra are constructed in an arbitrary interpolation angle and shown to be identical to the ordinary angular momentum and Leutwyler-Stern angular momentum in the instant and light-front quantization limits, respectively. The exchange of the dynamical role between the transverse angular mometum and the boost operators is manifest in our newly constructed algebra.
Problems of Market Transformation of the Kazakh Economy

Kazakhstan, like other CIS members, is engaged in macroeconomic reorganization and in the search for concrete avenues of transition to a market economy. The course taken is oriented primarily toward destatization and privatization as the basis for forming fundamentally new agents of property and market relations. State property is transformed into nonstate forms through conversion to joint stock companies and the direct sale of enterprises to private ownership at auctions and through competitive bidding. Many major, strategic goods in basic sectors will be transformed on the basis of individual plans/projects. The republic plans to complete privatization mostly in 1994.
Prenatal effects of dieldrin and photodieldrin in mice and rats.

Abstract Doses of 1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 mg/kg/day of dieldrin and 0.15, 0.30, and 0.60 mg/kg/day of photodieldrin were administered to pregnant CD-1 mice and CD rats by gastric intubation on days 7–16 of gestation. The highest dose of dieldrin induced significant increases in liver/body weight ratios and reduced weight gain in mice, and resulted in 41% mortality in rats. The highest dose of photodieldrin also induced significant increases in mouse liver/body weight ratios, and resulted in 15% mortality in rats. Teratogenic effects were not observed. The higher doses of dieldrin induced an increase in supernumerary ribs and a concomitant decrease in ossification centers in fetal mice indicating toxicity at these dose levels. Similar changes were not found in the rat. Photodieldrin induced no apparent fetal toxicity in either species.
First Observation of Ground State Dineutron Decay: Be 16

We report on the first observation of dineutron emission in the decay of $^{16}\mathrm{Be}$. A single-proton knockout reaction from a $53\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}/\mathrm{u}$ $^{17}\mathrm{B}$ beam was used to populate the ground state of $^{16}\mathrm{Be}$. $^{16}\mathrm{Be}$ is bound with respect to the emission of one neutron and unbound to two-neutron emission. The dineutron character of the decay is evidenced by a small emission angle between the two neutrons. The two-neutron separation energy of $^{16}\mathrm{Be}$ was measured to be 1.35(10) MeV, in good agreement with shell model calculations, using standard interactions for this mass region.
Differential Teacher Grading Behavior toward Female Students of Mathematics.

Entry into many of today's careers is a function of the amount of mathematics studied in schools. In spite of the future relevance of mathematics to most careers, females in our society continue to self-select themselves out of mathematics courses in high school after such courses cease to be required (Fennema, Note 1). Encouraging females to continue their study of mathematics is therefore one of several vital steps that must be taken to overcome much of the occupational segregation that characterizes the American labor
Macroscopic aspects of carrier transport in thin films

Many electrical measurements on thin films are made in the transverse mode, i.e. at right angles to the film area. If the material is trap free, there are then three characteristic lengths which influence the measured properties: the free-carrier Debye length (which governs screening), the diffusion length (which governs carrier survival without recombination) and the film thickness. Recent work on numerical solutions of the transport equations has shown that some of the traditional assumptions about such systems are unsafe, and potentially misleading, as regards both the linearity of the voltage-current relationship and the parameters evaluated therefrom. When the material contains traps there are additional complications because the Debye length is no longer equal to the screening length, the latter being much shorter. We outline a calculation of the new screening length as a function of trap density and energetic position on the basis of a linearized (small signal) model. The ratio of the dielectric relaxation time τD to the carrier lifetime τ0 serves to classify whether a system will exhibit “relaxation” or “lifetime” behavior only if the system is trap free. By way of illustration, these concepts are applied to the interpretation of measurements on GaAs layers. Such layers often appear to be “ohmic”, but naive evaluations of resistivity (for instance) based on that fact alone can lead to order-of-magnitude errors. The conclusions have a general significance: it is of crucial importance that expectations of electrical behavior based on macroscopic transport theory should be correct, which means that the presence of surfaces, interfaces and space charges must be taken into account, as well as the need for current continuity of both carrier types. These considerations are especially relevant to measurements on thin films. They affect not only “injection systems” but potentially all situations which involve local carrier disequilibrium, for whatever (electrical, optical, magnetic) reason.
Histopathological Findings in a male with Late-Onset Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency

Late onset of symptoms in a 12 1/2-year-old male with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency were associated with unusual histological features in the liver. The patient presented with an acute onset of hyperammonemia and altered mental status after a 2-day prodrome of vomiting and lethargy. Physical examination showed a combative and disoriented male with icteric sclerae but with no fever or hepatomegaly. The plasma ammonia level was 282 microM. Enzyme assays of liver tissue obtained by percutaneous needle biopsy showed OTC activity of approximately 3% of normal; carbamyl phosphate synthetase was normal. Histopathological findings included severe microvesicular centrilobular steatosis. Hepatic architecture and reticulin framework were well preserved. Many hepatocyte nuclei were filled with glycogen. Electron microscopy showed mitochondria that were rounded and expanded with cristae at the edge of the mitochondrial membrane. In contrast to other reports, only slight variations in size and shape were seen. Megamitochondria and intramatrical paracrystalline inclusions were not identified. The cytoplasm contained scattered fat globules, peroxisomes, and dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The prominent mitochondrial abnormalities commonly found in OTC deficiency were notably absent.
Academic Dishonesty: Prevalence, Determinants, Techniques, and Punishments

Data from more than 6,000 students regarding the prevalence, causes, techniques, faculty and institutional responsibility, deterrent measures, and punishment dimensions of academic dishonesty are presented.
Improving Student Learning in Large Classes by Incorporating Active Learning with a New Design of Teaching Slides

Recent tests have shown that using teaching slides with sentence headlines supported by visual evidence can significantly improve the transfer and retention of knowledge in large classes. However, some students will not attend class because these slides, when posted as notes, serve as a strong summary of the class. This paper presents the testing of active learning measures incorporated with this new slide design in a large geosciences course. One course section learned from the traditional slides, while a second learned from the new slides with active learning strategies. These strategies, which were fill-in-the-blank notes and a graded in-class activity, were used to encourage attendance. The same instructor taught both sections, in the same classroom, at the same semester time slot. The only differences for the second section included the new slides, the active learning measures, and a larger class size. An exam at the end of six classes revealed that the average score for the traditional slides was 66% correct, while the average score for the new slides with active learning was 71% on sixteen identical questions?a statistically significant increase (p ? 0.01). Additionally, the new slides with active learning led to statistically significant (p ? 0.001) increases in attendance.
Neural network modeling of batch cell growth pattern.

The capability of neural networks in modeling batch cell growth by providing initial conditions only is tested in this study. The neural network tested is of the back-propagation-type including a newly discovered saturation-type transfer function. The simulation and prediction results of this neural network modeling will be demonstrated.
Subarray aperture focusing for power beaming

While at least one example of powering remote vehicles using microwaves has appeared, and beaming solar-derived microwave power from space has long been considered a possible way to supplement our power grid, only the work by Goubau and Schwering (1968) on beam waveguides back in the 1960's has lead to practical applications of the concept. This paper presents results from a recent study by Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, USA on specific aspects of beam steering and beam focusing of a large planar arrays for transmission of power to a relatively small aircraft.
Overlapping activity in anterior insula during interoception and emotional experience

article i nfo Article history: Accepted 5 May 2012 Available online 12 May 2012 Classic theories of emotion posit that awareness of one's internal bodily states (interoception) is a key com- ponent of emotional experience. This view has been indirectly supported by data demonstrating similar pat- terns of brain activity - most importantly, in the anterior insula - during both interoception and emotion elicitation. However, no study has directly compared these two phenomena within participants, leaving it unclear whether interoception and emotional experience truly share the same functional neural architecture. The current study addressed this gap in knowledge by examining the neural convergence of these two phe- nomena within the same population. In one task, participants monitored their own heartbeat; in another task they watched emotional video clips and rated their own emotional responses to the videos. Consistent with prior research, heartbeat monitoring engaged a circumscribed area spanning insular cortex and adjacent in- ferior frontal operculum. Critically, this interoception-related cluster also was engaged when participants rated their own emotion, and activity here correlated with the trial-by-trial intensity of participants' emo- tional experience. These findings held across both group-level and individual participant-level approaches to localizing interoceptive cortex. Together, these data further clarify the functional role of the anterior insula and provide novel insights about the connection between bodily awareness and emotion.
IFN-gamma can promote tumor evasion of the immune system in vivo by down-regulating cellular levels of an endogenous tumor antigen.

Although IFN-gamma has been generally thought to enhance antitumor immune responses, we found that IFN-gamma can promote tumor escape in the CT26 colon carcinoma by down-regulating the protein expression of an endogenous tumor Ag. gp70, the env product of the endogenous ecotropic murine leukemia virus, has been reported to be the immunodominant Ag of CT26. We show that IFN-gamma down-regulates intracellular and surface levels of gp70 protein resulting in a reduced lysis by CTL, which is restored by pulsing IFN-gamma-treated CT26 with the L(d)-restricted immunodominant AH1 epitope derived from gp70. To investigate the role of CT26 sensitivity to IFN-gamma in vivo, we constructed two variants of CT26, CT26.mugR and CT26.IFN, that are unresponsive to IFN-gamma or express IFN-gamma, respectively. We demonstrate using these variants that tumor responsiveness to IFN-gamma promotes a reduction in tumor immunogenicity in vivo that is correlated with an increased tumor incidence in immune mice. Analysis of the tumors from mice challenged with CT26 or CT26.mugR revealed infiltration of CD8 T cells secreting IFN-gamma. We conclude that IFN-gamma secreted by tumor-infiltrating T cells promotes tumor escape through the down-regulation of the endogenous tumor Ag gp70. These findings have impact on the design of effective antitumor vaccine strategies.
Vitamin A, infectious disease, and childhood mortality : a 2⊄ solution ?

Vitamin A was first discovered in 1913. Its deficiency was soon associated in animal models and case reports with stunting, infection, and ocular changes (xerophthalmia) resulting in blindness. The ocular consequences dominated clinical interest through the early 1980s. A longitudinal prospective study of risk factors contributing to vitamin A deficiency and xerophthalmia revealed a close, dose-response relationship between the severity of mild preexisting vitamin A deficiency and the subsequent incidence of respiratory and diarrheal infection (relative risk [RR], 2.0-3.0) and, most dramatically, death (RR, 3.0-10.0). Subsequent community-based prophylaxis trials of varying design confirmed that vitamin A supplementation of deficient populations could reduce childhood (1-5 years old) mortality by an average of 35%. Concurrent hospital-based treatment trials with vitamin A in children with measles revealed a consistent reduction in measles-associated mortality in Africa of at least 50%. It is now estimated that improving the vitamin A status of all deficient children worldwide would prevent 1-3 million childhood deaths annually.
Vascular immunotargeting to lung graft endothelium

versus cooling on the non-perfused pulmonary graft. Methods: Domestic pigs (30,8 0,35 Kg) were anesthetized and divided in 3 groups. In group I lungs were flushed with cold Perfadex , explanted and stored in saline solution (4°C) for 4 hours (Control group HBD, n 5). In the two study groups pigs were sacrificed by myocardial fibrillation and left untouched for 1 hour after death. Lungs in group II were topically cooled (NHBD-TC, n 5) in situ for three hours with saline solution (6°C). Lungs in group III were ventilated (NHBD-V, n 5) in situ for three hours. The left lung was then prepared for evaluation in an isolated circuit. The temperature of the perfusate and the pulmonary artery pressure were gradually increased up to 37,5 °C and 20 mmHg respectively. Functional parameters were assessed at this point. Results: Results are listed in table. Data are presented as mean SEM, ° p 0,05 group NHBD-V vs NHBD-TC, ^ p 0,05 NHBD-V vs HBD, not significant NHBD-TC vs HBD.
Automatic routing using multiple prefix labels

We present Multi-label Automatic Routing (MAR), the first compact routing protocol that attains a low path stretch (ratio of selected path length to the optimal path length) while maintaining a low routing state for mobile networks. MAR is resilient to node movements in the network. In MAR, nodes assign themselves labels based on their location in the network through a distributed algorithm. Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) for the node to label mappings are established in some anchor nodes. Once the labels are established, the routing is automatic based on the positional labels of the nodes and DHT lookups. This eliminates flooding completely. Unlike traditional routing protocols MAR does not need destinations-based routing tables. Hence, MAR has a small routing state. With the use of multiple labels per node, the average path length is close to the shortest path and there are multiple paths between source and destination nodes. In Qualnet simulations MAR shows a path stretch close to or better than traditional table-driven and on-demand protocols like OLSR and AODV. Simulation results also show shorter end-to-end delays due to the automatic routing. The delivery ratio of MAR is comparable to these traditional protocols but with a significantly lower network overhead.
US presidential executive orders and federal energy policy: developing energy management systems to meet federal energy reduction goals

To reduce Federal agency impact on the environment and increase energy security, US Presidents have issued Executive Orders, which along with other legislation aim to improve Federal environmental and energy performance. In order to demonstrate the relationship between policy development at the executive level and management of policy directives, this paper outlines key provisions of Executive Order 13423 and Executive Order 13514, and assesses the effectiveness of the Executive Orders in achieving energy and greenhouse gas reduction in the Department of Defense. The integration of an Environmental Management System with the new ISO 50001 Energy Management System is also examined through a Navy hospital case study to better understand the relation between creating, implementing and managing energy policy directives. A review of how these two management system standards can provide structure in energy and environmental management is discussed in relation to meeting energy goals in Executive Order 13423 and Executive Order 13514.
IL-2 produced by CD8+ immune T cells can augment their IFN-γ production independently from their proliferation in the secondary response to an intracellular pathogen.

Chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii induces a potent resistance against reinfection, and IFN-γ production by CD8 + T cells is crucial for the protective immunity. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the secondary response remain to be elucidated. In the current study, we examined the role of IL-2 in IFN-γ production by CD8 + immune T cells in their secondary responses using T. gondii –specific CD8 + T cell hybridomas and splenic CD8 + immune T cells from chronically infected mice. The majority (92%) of CD8 + T cell hybridomas produced large amounts of IFN-γ only when a low amount (0.5 ng/ml) of exogenous IL-2 was provided in combination with T. gondii Ags. Inhibition of cell proliferation by mitomycin C did not affect the enhancing effect of IL-2 on the IFN-γ production, and significant increases in transcription factor T-bet expression were associated with the IL-2–mediated IFN-γ amplification. Splenic CD8 + immune T cells produced similar low levels of IL-2 in the secondary response to T. gondii , and a blocking of IL-2 signaling by anti–IL-2Rα Ab or inhibitors of JAK1 and JAK3 significantly reduced IFN-γ production of the T cells. This IL-2–mediated upregulation of IFN-γ production was observed in mitomycin C–treated CD8 + immune T cells, thus independent from their cell division. Therefore, endogenous IL-2 produced by CD8 + immune T cells can play an important autocrine-enhancing role on their IFN-γ production in the secondary responses to T. gondii , suggesting an importance of induction of CD8 + immune T cells with an appropriate IL-2 production for vaccine development.
Social Structure from Multiple Networks. I. Blockmodels of Roles and Positions

Networks of several distinct types of social tie are aggregated by a dual model that partitions a population while simultaneously identifying patterns of relations. Concepts and algorithms are demonstrated in five case studies involving up to 100 persons and up to eight types of tie, over as many as 15 time periods. In each case the model identifies a concrete social structure. Role and position concepts are then identified and interpreted in terms of these new models of concrete social structure. Part II, to be published in the May issue of this Journal (Boorman and White 1976), will show how the operational meaning of role structures in small populations can be generated from the sociometric blockmodels of Part I.
Immunochemical determination of dioxins in sediment and serum samples.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are considered highly toxic contaminants and the environmental and biological monitoring of these compounds is of great concern. Immunoassays may be used as screening methods to satisfy the growing demand for rapid and low cost analysis. In this work, we describe the application of an immunoassay that uses 2,3,7-trichloro-8-methyldibenzo-p-dioxin (TMDD) as a surrogate standard for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) to sediment and human serum samples. Sample extraction and preparation methods were developed with the aim to establish the simplest, cost-effective and efficient removal of the matrix interferences in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall method for sediments is based on a hexane extraction; clean up by a multilayered silica gel column and an activated carbon column; an organic solvent exchange with DMSO–Triton X-100 and ELISA measurement. The gas chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry (GC–HRMS) validation studies (n = 13) revealed that the method is suitable for the toxic equivalents (TEQ) screening of dioxin in sediments with a method detection limit of about 100 pg g −1 dry sediment with a precision of 13–33% R.S.D. The analysis of a large number of samples originating from different sources would be required to establish more precisely the screening level, as well as the number of false positives and negatives of dioxin TEQ by the immunoassay for sediments. The immunoassay method for sediment analysis offers improvement in speed, sample throughput, and cost in comparison to GC–HRMS. Dioxins were determined in serum samples after a simple liquid–liquid extraction and solvent exchange into DMSO–Triton X-100 without further dilution. The current method (approximate method LOQ of 200 pg ml −1 serum) is not sufficiently sensitive for the determination of dioxins in serum to measure acceptable exposure limit.
Maturity Effects on Sensory and Storage Quality of Roasted Virginia‐Type Peanuts

Virginia-type peanuts from two yrs were studied to determine differences in sensory and storage characteristics of five mesocarp-color based maturity classes. Peanuts were roasted, stored at 37°C, and sampled over 12 wk to evaluate flavor and oil. Higher intensities of roasted peanutty and sweet and lower painty flavors were found in the most mature classes. Painty increased more quickly in immature classes. Oxidative stability and fatty acid profiles indicated this change. Immature peanuts had lower flavor impact and deteriorated faster. Distributions at progressive harvest dates indicated more immature peanuts in the Extra Large Kernel grade at early harvest. Variability in sensory characteristics of maturity classes and changes in their distribution in size-based commercial grades indicate a high potential for maturity related flavor variation between lots.
miR-34a confers chemosensitivity through modulation of MAGE-A and p53 in medulloblastoma.

Recent studies have established miR-34a as a key effector of the p53 signaling pathway and have implicated its role in multiple cancer types. Here, we establish that miR-34a induces apoptosis, G2 arrest, and senescence in medulloblastoma and renders these cells more sensitive to chemotherapeutic agents. These effects are mediated in part by the direct post-transcriptional repression of the oncogenic MAGE-A gene family. We demonstrate that miR-34a directly targets the 3′ untranslated regions of MAGE-A genes and decreases MAGE-A protein levels. This decrease in MAGE-A results in a concomitant increase in p53 and its associated transcriptional targets, p21/WAF1/CIP1 and, importantly, miR-34a. This establishes a positive feedback mechanism where miR-34a is not only induced by p53 but increases p53 mRNA and protein levels through the modulation of MAGE-A genes. Additionally, the forced expression of miR-34a or the knockdown of MAGE-A genes by small interfering RNA similarly sensitizes medulloblastoma cells to several classes of chemotherapeutic agents, including mitomycin C and cisplatin. Finally, the analysis of mRNA and micro-RNA transcriptional profiles of a series of primary medulloblastomas identifies a subset of tumors with low miR-34a expression and correspondingly high MAGE-A expression, suggesting the coordinate regulation of these genes. Our work establishes a role for miR-34a in modulating responsiveness to chemotherapy in medulloblastoma and presents a novel positive feedback mechanism involving miR-34a and p53, via direct targeting of MAGE-A.
Testing and characterization of the one-bit first-order delta-sigma modulator for on-chip analog signal analysis

Delta-sigma modulation has become popular in modern analog-to-digital modulator design due to its relatively high immunity from process variations. We propose efficient characterization techniques to obtain the key performance parameters of the 1-bit first-order delta-sigma modulator which is intended to be used as an on-chip analog signal digitizer for BIST applications. Numerical simulations have been performed to validate the techniques and the results indicate that accurate estimation of the parameters can be obtained at the presence of noise.
Analysis of the TXDOT RTN and OPUS-RS from the Geoid Slope Validation Survey of 2011: Case Study for Texas

AbstractAs part of the Geoid Slope Validation Survey of 2011 (GSVS11), the global positioning system (GPS) was used in a variety of ways to determine the geodetic coordinates of nearly 400 passive geodetic control marks. The Texas DOT (TXDOT) real-time network (RTN) was one of the GPS positioning tools used. Both 6- and 180-s occupations were performed with the TXDOT RTN, as well as static 20-min occupations [processed using the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) Online Positioning User Service, Rapid-Static (OPUS-RS) tool], and 48+h occupations were adjusted as a network (using the NGS OPUS-Projects tool). Although the original 20-min occupations processed by OPUS-RS had an unforeseen systematic error (invalidating their use in this comparison), a direct comparison between OPUS-RS and the other techniques was still possible by subdividing the OPUS-Projects 48+h receiver independent exchange format (RINEX) files on 218 points into more than 30,000 individual 20-min segments. A comparison between all technique...
Viewpoint: controversies surrounding use of order sets for clinical decision support in computerized provider order entry.

Order sets provide straightforward clinical decision support within computerized provider order entry systems. They make “the right thing” easier to do because they are much faster than writing single orders; they deliver real-time, evidence-based prompts; they are easy to update; and they support coverage of multiple patient problems through linkages among order sets. This viewpoint paper discusses controversies surrounding use of order sets—advantages and pitfalls, decision-making criteria, and organizational considerations, including suggestions for vendors. Order sets have the potential to improve clinician efficiency, provide real-time guidance, facilitate compliance with Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services performance measure sets, and encourage overall acceptance of computerized provider order entry, but may not do so unless these controversies are addressed.
Linear‐dendritic block copolymer hosts for the encapsulation of electro‐optic chromophores via H‐Bonding

Linear-dendritic block copolymer hosts were synthesized by end-functionalizing poly(methylmethacrylate) with dendrons that acted as hydrogen-bonding acceptors for nonlinear optical chromophores. Second harmonic generation experiments indicate that the d 33 coefficients and maximum chromophore loading are increased in linear-dendritic block copolymer hosts over comparable homopolymer hosts. Transmission electron microscopy shows 5―10 nm chromophore domains, confirming the effective spatial dispersion of the chromophores.
Strontium Optical Lattice Clock at JILA

Results from the JILA optical lattice clock are presented. We report on our development of precision tools for the lattice clock, including a stabilized clock laser with sub-Hz linewidth, fs-comb based technology allowing accurate clock comparison in both the microwave and optical domains, and clock transfer over optical fiber in an urban environment. High resolution spectroscopy (Q > 2 times 1014) of lattice confined strontium atoms is used for both a high-performance optical clock and atomic structure measurements. The current accuracy and stability of the lattice clock are also discussed.
ONSET OF TRANSITION IN BOUNDARY LAYERS

SUMMARY Laminar-turbulent transition in boundary layers involves a cascade of weak and strong instabilities. In the model considered here the first instability occurs with respect to two-dimensional TS waves and causes streamwise, nearly periodic concentrations of vorticity. Linear stability analysis of this periodic flow leads to Floquet systems of equations. These systems support different classes of three-dimensional disturbances which may initiate different routes to transition. Numerical solutions by use of accurate spectral methods reveal the spectrum of eigenmodes, growth rates and disturbance velocities. The characteristics of this secondary instability are in good agreement with results of experiments and computer simulations of transition. Non-linear self-interaction of the rapidly growing three-dimensional disturbances can sustain or enhance the vital periodic accumulations of spanwise vorticity once their amplitude exceeds some threshold. This feedback loop is considered to be the key to the transition process. Owing to the broad-band nature of secondary instability, however, the prediction of transition in practice requires additional insight into the 'natural' disturbance background. The sensitivity of the transition process to initial data in a broad band of frequencies and spanwise wave numbers poses new challenges for non-linear theories and numerical simulations.