cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Initial lymph node dissection increases cure rates in patients with medullary thyroid cancer.

Objective Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is the third most common type of thyroid cancer. MTC spreads early to local lymph nodes, and most endocrine surgeons recommend total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection (CLND) as the minimum initial operation. We reviewed our experience to determine if the initial operation influences clinical outcomes. Methods Twenty-two patients with sporadic or inherited MTC who received surgery at one academic centre between 1994 and 2004 were identified. Clinical, operative, and pathology findings were reviewed. Results Ten patients had prophylactic thyroidectomy for hereditary MTC, while 12 patients underwent therapeutic operations for sporadic MTC. The average age of the prophylactic group was 11 ± 3, and 43 ± 6 years for the therapeutic group. All patients in the prophylactic group received thyroidectomy without neck dissection. No patient in the prophylactic group had residual disease or required re-operation. In the therapeutic surgery group, three patients were treated with thyroidectomy plus CLND, and nine patients received thyroidectomy alone. The CLND group had a significantly higher cure rate as demonstrated by a lower incidence of residual disease (0% vs . 89%, p = 0.018), and re-operations (0% vs . 78%, p = 0.045). Conclusion Initial CLND for MTC increases cure rates by reducing residual disease and re-operations.
Effects of Azo-Sulfonamides upon Lysozyme:

SummaryEvidence is presented which indicates that certain soluble sulfonamide-azo dyes interfere with the lytic activity of lysozyme upon M. lysodeikticus. One of these compounds, sulfathiazole-disazo-symmetrical-carbamide-2R acid, completely suppresses the lytic effects of the enzyme in a concentration of 1:10,000 of the drug. To our knowledge, these are the first sulfonamides found to exhibit anti-lysozyme properties.
Vertebroplasty comparing injectable calcium phosphate cement compared with polymethylmethacrylate in a unique canine vertebral body large defect model

Abstract Background context Vertebroplasty was developed to mechanically reinforce weakened vertebral bodies. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement has been most commonly used but carries risks of thermal injury and respiratory and cardiovascular complications. Calcium phosphate (CaP) offers the potential for biological resorption and replacement with new bone, restoring vertebral body mass and height. Purpose To compare compressive strength, elastic modulus of the adjacent motion segments, and histologic response of vertebral bodies injected with either CaP or PMMA in a canine vertebroplasty model. Study design By using a canine vertebroplasty model, two level vertebroplasties were performed at L1 and L3 and studied for 1 month (n=10) and 6 months (n=10). In each canine, one vertebral defect was randomly injected with either CaP cement (BoneSource; Stryker, Freiberg, Germany) or PMMA. Methods Twenty dogs had an iatrogenically created cavitary lesion at two nonadjacent levels injected with either CaP or PMMA. Canines from each group were tested mechanically (n=5) and histologically (n=5). Histology consisted of axial sections of the L1 and L3 vertebral bodies and high-resolution contact radiographs. Sections from each specimen were embedded in plastic without decalcification to study the bone-cement interface. Bone-cement interfaces were compared for evidence of necrosis, fibrosis, foreign body response, cement resorption, and new bone formation between the PMMA and CaP treatments groups. Mechanical compression testing was performed on specimens from the 1-month (n=5) and 6-month (n=5) time periods. The T13 vertebral body was used as an intact control for the destructive compression testing of L1 and L3. Each vertebral body was compressed to 50% of its original height under displacement control at 15 mm/min to simulate a nontraumatic loading situation. Force and displacement data were recorded in real time. Results Vertebral sites containing PMMA were characterized by a thin fibrous membrane. PMMA was detected within the trabeculae, vascular channels, and the spinal canal. Unlike PMMA, CaP underwent resorption and remodeling with vascular invasion and bone ingrowth. Woven and lamellar bone was found on the CaP cement surface, within the remodeled material, and on the surrounding trabeculae. Vertebral body compression strength testing revealed no significant difference in vertebral body height and compressive strength between PMMA and CaP. There was a trend for CaP-treated vertebrae to increase in compressive strength from 1 month to 6 months, whereas PMMA decreased compressive strength when compared with adjacent nontreated vertebrae. Conclusion For both short and intermediate time periods, the injection of CaP cement can be an effective method to treat large vertebral defects. Early results indicate that CaP remodeling might result in the resorption of the majority of the cement with replacement by lamellar bone.
Plasticity of Language-Related Brain Function During Recovery From Stroke

Background and Purpose—This study was undertaken to correlate functional recovery from aphasia after acute stroke with the temporal evolution of the anatomic, physiological, and functional changes as measured by MRI. Methods—Blood oxygenation level–dependent contrast and echo-planar MRI were used to map language comprehension in 6 normal adults and in 2 adult patients during recovery from acute stroke presenting with aphasia. Perfusion, diffusion, sodium, and conventional anatomic MRI were used to follow physiological and structural changes. Results—The normal activation pattern for language comprehension showed activation predominately in left-sided Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas, with laterality ratios of 0.8 and 0.3, respectively. Recovery of the patient confirmed as having a completed stroke affecting Broca’s area occurred rapidly with a shift of activation to the homologous region in the right hemisphere within 3 days, with continued rightward lateralization over 6 months. In the second patient, in who...
29: The MFMU cesarean registry: propensity score analysis for bias reduction in comparing elective repeat cesarean delivery with trial of labor after a previous cesarean

Checklist (CBCL). The ASQ is designed to detect developmental delay and the CBCL is a standardized parental report of children’s behavior. We compared the number of children with an abnormal outcome in both arms, as well as the effect of perinatal morbidity, morbidity assessment index for newborns (MAIN score), gestational age at birth and birth weight on long-term outcome. Perinatal morbidity was defined as a 5 minute Apgar score 7, umbilical arterial pH 7.05 or NICU admission. The MAIN score is a validated numeric index of early neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: We approached 488 (75%) of the 660 parents of children randomized in the trial. The response rate was 60%. 27% and 14% of the children had an abnormal score on the ASQ and CBCL, respectively (Table 1). Results of the questionnaires were comparable for both interventions. However, poor neonatal condition after birth and the MAIN score both strongly increased the chance of an abnormal ASQ score (Odds Ratios of 18 (95% CI 1.5-212, p 0.02) and 1.005 (95% CI 1.002; 1.005, p 0.01), respectively). We found no association between birth weight or gestational age at birth and the outcome of the ASQ or CBCL. CONCLUSION: In women with IUGR at term, a policy of induction of labor does not affect developmental and behavioral outcome when compared to expectant management. However, in both policies adverse neonatal outcome and MAIN score (corrected for other possible variables) both have negative effects on the outcome on the long-term child development.
Pretreatment with Low Doses of Norethindrone Potentiates the Osteogenic Effects of Fluoride on Human Osteosarcoma Cells

We recently reported that picomolar doses of norethindrone (NET), a synthetic analog of 19-nortestosterone, significantly stimulated human TESS osteosarcoma cell proliferation, differentiation, and activity in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the possibility that NET interacts with another osteogenic agent, i.e., fluoride, to stimulate human TESS osteosarcoma cell proliferation, differentiation, and activities. Bone cell proliferation was measured by the stimulation in r3H] thymidine incorporation. Differentiation was monitored by the increase in alkaline phosphatase-specific activity. Osteoblastic activity was assessed by the stimulations in collagen synthesis and in osteocalcin secretion (in the presence of 1 nM 1,2S-dihydroxyvitamin D3). When the human TE85 cells were incubated with mitogenic doses of NET and fluoride concurrently, the stimulatory effects of the two agents on these parameters exhibited no significant interaction. The enhancing effect of NET on the osteogenic effect of fluoride was not due to a shift of the fluoride dose response curve. Pretreatment with NET for 24 h followed by a treatment with a mitogenic dose (i.e., 100 pM) of fluoride for an additional 24 h significantly and synergistically potentiated the effects of fluoride on the ['HI thymidine incorporation, alkaline phosphatase-specific activity, collagen synthesis, and osteocalcin secretion, compared with those with the subsequent vehicle (0.05% ethanol) treatments. In contrast, pretreatment with fluoride for 24 h before the addition of NET for 24 h did not produce significant synergistic stimulations in the test parameters. Pretreatment of TESS cells with the same doses of dihydrotestosterone or progesterone prior to treatment with fluoride under the same conditions did not induce synergistic potentiation of fluoride in r3H] thymidine incorporation, suggesting that the synergistic interaction with fluoride is probably not a common property of anabolic sex steroids. In summary, we found that: (1) the osteogenic effects of fluoride and NET were additive when cells were treated with both agents concurrently; (2) a 24-h pretreatment with picomolar doses of NET potentiated the osteogenic actions of fluoride in human TESS osteosarcoma cells; and (3) pretreatment with NET produced a subsequent fluoride response that was synergistic. In conclusion, these findings led us to speculate that the osteogenic actions of NET and fluoride act through different mechanisms, and that NET at low doses has a permissive effect on the osteogenic effects of fluoride, and as such NET may be used in concert with fluoride to increase osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and activity. (J Bone Miner Res 1995;101512-1522)
Kinetic mechanism of myofibril ATPase

The kinetic mechanism of myofibril ATPase was investigated using psoas and mixed back muscle over a range of ionic strengths. Myofibrils were labeled with pyrene iodoacetamide to measure the rate constants for the binding of ATP and formation of the weakly attached state. The velocity of shortening was measured by stopping the contraction at various times by mixing with pH 4.5 buffer. The transient and steady-state rates of ATP hydrolysis were measured by the quench flow method. The results fitted the kinetic scheme [formula: see text] The rate constants (or equilibrium constants for steps 1 and 6) were obtained for the six steps. k5 was calculated from the KM for shortening velocity, K1, and k2. The rate constants were essentially equal for myofibrils and acto-S-1 at low ionic strength. Increasing the ionic strength up to 100 mM in NaCl increased the rate of the hydrolysis step and the size of the phosphate burst and the effective rate of product release became the rate-limiting step. The step calculated from the velocity of shortening, k5, and k2 is 15 nm, based on a model in which step 4 is the force-generating step.
Planar Ventilation-Perfusion Imaging for Pulmonary Embolism: The Case for “Outcomes” Medicine

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has been a significant advancement in scintigraphy, impacting many areas of diagnosis. It has begun to find use in ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy. However, its utility has been limited in the United States because of a lack of an optimal and Food and Drug Administration-approved SPECT ventilatory agent. Although SPECT V/Q can show more and smaller mismatches than planar studies, there is persistent debate regarding the clinical significance of these smaller pulmonary emboli (PE); they may be neither clinically significant nor require treatment. Available data suggest that planar V/Q, SPECT V/Q, and computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) have similar false-negative rates and thus have a similar impact on outcomes. In most cases, emergency department physicians are the first to encounter patients who may have PE, and they frequently use an imaging study as part of the evaluation. We discuss the rational for triaging patients to different imaging modalities with the use of chest radiography and the strengths and weaknesses of each modality. Detailed anatomy is an advantage of CTPA, breast radiation dose is reduced with scintigraphy, and imaging is quicker and more detailed with SPECT. We also review planar and SPECT V/Q and CTPA from the differing vantage points of diagnostic accuracy vs patient outcomes. Whatever modality their patients require, physicians can be confident that they are all similarly efficacious at diagnosing clinically relevant emboli.
Constraints on the anhydrous precursor mineralogy of fine‐grained materials in CM carbonaceous chondrites

— Mass balance calculations were performed to constrain the precursor mineralogy of fine-grained, aqueously altered materials in CM carbonaceous chondrites. The bulk composition of unaltered fine-grained CM materials was estimated and then used to calculate phase proportions for several different initial assemblages. All starting assemblages contain relic, unaltered Fe-poor phases observed in CM chondrites, plus iron sulfides. The original sources of Fe are uncertain, because most primary Fe-rich phases were aqueously altered. Four endmember assemblages are considered by adding Fe metal, Fa50, Fa100, or FeO-rich amorphous materials to the Fe-poor phases. These represent the Fe-bearing phases in CM and/or other chondritic classes. Results indicate that the precursor CM assemblage may have contained a maximum of either ∼10 vol% Fe metal, 57 vol% Fa50, ∼28 vol% Fa100, or 37.0 vol% FeO-rich amorphous materials. Additional calculations were performed in which Fe metal was added to the various FeO-bearing assemblages. These reveal a strong positive correlation between the forsterite/(forsterite + enstatite) ratio and the amount of FeO-bearing phases that coexist with metal. If forsterite was more abundant than low-Ca pyroxene in the accreted CM materials, then these materials must have also contained significant amounts of FeO-rich phases (e.g., at least 36 vol% Fa50, 10 vol% Fa100, or 17 vol% FeO-bearing glasses). Calculated mineral proportions suggest that intact calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) represent only about one-half of the original CAI budget, which is consistent with previous hypotheses that the initial CAI contents of CM and CO chondrites were similar. Some similarities exist between the primary CM assemblages calculated here and the mineralogies of other chondrite classes, but the initial CM materials do not appear to be represented in our meteorite inventory.
Rare‐earth‐metal‐containing polymers. 5. Synthesis, characterization, and fluorescence properties of Eu3+‐polymer complexes containing carboxylbenzoyl and carboxylnaphthoyl ligands

Partially 2-carboxylbenzoyl (1) and 3-carboxyl-2-naphthoyl (2) substituted polystyrene were prepared by the Friedel-Crafts reaction of polystyrene with corresponding dicarboxylic anhydrides. Europium (III) salts of (1) and (2) and the copolymer of 4-vinylbenzoyl 2′-carboxylbenzoate-di(2-benzoyl benzoate) and styrene (5) were prepared. Polymer (5) was prepared by the copolymerization of the Eu3+ salt of 4-vinylbenzoyl 2′-benzoate and 2-benzoylbenzoate (ratio 1:2) with styrene. The fluorescence emission intensity was measured on fine powder samples. The intensity of (5) increased linearly as the Eu content increased. However, for the 1 and 2 systems the intensity reached a maximum at a Eu content as small as 0.5 wt% and remained constant when further increases were made. This phenomenon was accounted for by steric hindrance and a decrease in the freedom of bond rotation, which prevent the formation of multiple coordination linkages between Eu3+ and the benzoate groups.
Loss of biventricular pacing: What is the cause?

61-year-old man with a history of congestive heart failure ue to an ischemic cardiomyopathy was admitted to the oronary care unit for evaluation for potential cardiac translantation. The patient underwent placement of a bivenricular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator 3 months prior o admission because of a left bundle branch block. Despite lacement of the device, he continued to have severe heart ailure. On telemetry, the patient was noted to be in sinus achycardia with a rate of 130 bpm. He was primarily atrial ensed with biventricular pacing. At times, he was noted to ose biventricular pacing. Interrogation of the device howed atrial and ventricular sensing and pacing thresholds ere excellent. Device programming parameters were as ollows: Medtronic InSync II Marquis pulse generator; DDR mode; lower rate limit 70 ppm; maximum tracking ate 150 ppm; AV interval dynamic (minimum 70 ms); VARP 310 ms; PMT on. Evaluation of the marker channels reveals an atrial rate f 450 ms (Figure 1). With no change in the atrial rate, iventricular pacing ceases. What is the cause of loss of iventricular pacing with no change in the atrial rate? What hange in programmer settings will resolve this problem?
Projectively full radical ideals in integral extension rings

Abstract Let R be a Noetherian commutative ring with unit 1 ≠ 0 , and let I be a regular proper ideal of R. The main question considered in this paper is whether there exists a finite integral extension ring A of R for which the nilradical of IA is a projectively full ideal that is projectively equivalent to IA. A related and stronger question that we also consider is whether there exists a finite integral extension ring A of R for which the nilradical J of IA is projectively equivalent to IA and for which all the Rees integers of J are one. The following two results are special cases of the main theorems in the present paper: (1) If R is a Noetherian integral domain, then there exists a finite integral extension ring A of R such that the nilradical of IA is projectively equivalent to IA. (2) If also R contains a field of characteristic zero, then there exists a finite free integral extension ring A of R for which the nilradical of IA is a projectively full ideal that is projectively equivalent to IA.
The disintegration of La131

Abstract The decay of La 131 has been studied with the help of a magnetic lens spectrometer, scintillation spectrometers and scintillation coincidence spectrometers. The half-life is 61±2 min. Three position groups have been found having end-point energies and relative abundances as follows: 1.939±0.045 MeV (27%), 1.424±0.036 MeV (56%), 0.704±0.045 MeV (17%). Gamma rays are found at 115, 169, 214, 254, 285, 364, 417, 445, 511 (annihilation radiation), 597 and 878 keV. The line at 115 keV is strongly internally converted. A disintegration scheme is proposed.
Brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor-1 expression in astrocytes and neurons: implications for its dual function as an apoptotic engulfment receptor.

Abstract Brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor-1 (BAI1) is a transmembrane protein highly expressed in normal brain that has been ascribed two apparently distinct functions: inhibition of angiogenesis and recognition and engulfment of apoptotic cells by phagocytes. A previous localization study reported BAI1 expression only in neurons. Because a phagocytic function of BAI1 could be important for neuroglial antigen processing and presentation, we performed immunolocalization studies in adult mouse brain and cultured neural cells, using a pair of antibodies directed against N- and C-terminal epitopes. BAI1 immunoreactivity is enriched in gray matter structures and largely excluded from myelinated axon tracts. Neuronal BAI1 expression was readily detectable in the cerebellar molecular layer as well as in primary hippocampal cultures. In some brain regions, especially olfactory bulb glomeruli, BAI1 was expressed by GFAP-positive astrocytes. Cultured cortical astrocytes show small (∼0.4 μm2) BAI1 immunoreactive membrane puncta as well as prominent focal adhesion localization in a subset of cells. In mixed neuronal–glial cultures, BAI1-expressing astrocytes frequently contained engulfed apoptotic debris. Cultured astrocytes engulfed apoptotic targets, and BAI1 showed accumulation within the phagocytic cup. We hypothesize that glial BAI1 may subserve an engulfment function in adult brain regions such as olfactory bulb with ongoing apoptotic turnover, whereas neuronal-derived BAI1 may serve primarily as an anti-angiogenic factor in the mature neuropil.
On the choice of laser dyes for use in exciting tyrosine fluorescence decays

The choice of laser dyes for exciting tyrosine fluorescence using synchronously pumped cavity-dumped dye laser systems is discussed. Rhodamine 560 was found to be optimal for a system based on an argon-ion pumping laser, whereas rhodamine 575 was preferred using a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser. Modifications of our fluorescence decay instrument to permit rejection of multiphoton events using a microchannel plate photomultiplier are described. An example of a four-component resolution of tyrosine decays illustrates the dramatic resolution capabilities attainable.
Psychosensory modulation of colonic sensation in the human transverse and sigmoid colon.

Abstract Background & Aims: Psychosensory stimulation increases the perception of stimuli in different regions of the human colon. The aim of this study was to determine the perception of pain and gas during distention of two colonic regions in healthy volunteers during stress and relaxation. Methods: In 22 healthy subjects, phasic distentions of transverse and sigmoid colon were performed using infinitely compliant balloons, and symptoms were measured before and during one of three randomized treatments: sham or active relaxation or mental stress. Anxiety ratings and somatic cold-pain sensitivity were included in a multivariate regression model. Results: Mental stress increased levels of anxiety ( P P P = NS), during transverse colon distentions and the sensations of gas and pain during sigmoid distentions ( P
Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus cytoplasmic membrane proteins by isoelectric focusing.

Cytoplasmic membranes were isolated from late-exponential phase Staphylococcus aureus 6538 P and the membrane proteins examined under non-denaturing conditions by thin-layer isoelectric focusing (TLIEF) in a pH 3.5–9.5 gradient. Isolated membrane preparations retained protein integrity as judged by the demostration of membrane bound adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity in addition to four solubilzed membrane enzyme markers. Membranes were effectively solubilized with 2.5% Triton X-100 (final concentration). Examination of Triton X-100 solubilized membrane preparations established the presence of 22 membrane proteins with isoelectric points between 3.7 and 6.0. The focused proteins displayed the following enzymatic activities and isoelectric points by zymogram methods: ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3), 4.20; malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37), 3.90; lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27), 3.85; two membrane proteins exhibited multiple bands upon enzymatic staining: NADH dehydrogenase (EC 1.6.99.3), 4.25, 4.35; succinate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.99.1), 4.85, 5.10, 5.35.
Effect of posterior cortical lesion on two versions of the brightness-discrimination task

The brightness-discrimination performance of normal and posterior decorticate rats was measured in two test situations designed to provide different spatial task characteristics. A Y-maze and an open field with otherwise matched stimulus properties provided tests with many or few spatial characteristics, respectively. In contrast to predictions from visuospatial integrative interpretations of lesion consequences, the present results indicated no attenuation of the typical operative impairment when the reduced spatial-cue tasks were employed. Furthermore, this outcome was common to both simple acquisition/retention (Experiment 1) and successive discrimination reversal (Experiment 2) versions of the tasks. Interpretations of the relative contribution of memory or visuospatial integrative deficits to the measured behavioral consequences are discussed.
Doing What Comes Naturally

now employed to demonstrate the moral inadequacy, if not deliberate inhumanity, of what he calls the "unnatural science" of biology as projected by Bacon and Descartes. He is not the only observer to become uneasy about the philosophical heritage of the Enlightenment. A current list, which begins with Lewis Mumford and includes such different writers as Theodore Roszak, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Bernard Williams, has warned us against reductionism, lamented our REVIEWS
Spectroscopic and Thermodynamic Characterization of the E151D and E151A Altered Leucine Aminopeptidases from Aeromonas proteolytica

Previous kinetic characterization of the glutamate 151 (E151)-substituted forms of the leucine aminopeptidase from Aeromonas proteolytica (Vibrio proteolyticus; AAP) has provided critical evidence that this residue functions as the general acid/base. The close proximity of similar glutamate residues to the bridging water/hydroxide of the dinuclear active sites of metalloenzymes (2.80 and 3.94 A in carboxypeptidase G2 and 3.30 and 3.63 A in AAP), suggests it may also be involved in stabilizing the active-site metal ions. Therefore, the structural perturbations of the dinuclear active site of AAP were examined for two E151-substituted forms, namely E151D-AAP and E151A-AAP, by UV−vis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. UV−vis spectroscopy of Co(II)-substituted E151A-AAP did not reveal any significant changes in the electronic absorption spectra. However UV−vis spectra of mono- and dicobalt(II) E151D-AAP exhibited a lower molecular absorptivity compared to AAP (23 and 43 M-1 cm-1 vs. 56 an...
Intestinal epithelial membrane changes in rats immune to Trichinella spiralis

Abstract Establishment of Trichinella spiralis infective larvae is blocked to a large degree in the immune rat as compared with the nonimmune host. The rapidity with which this response occurs indicates that most worms are either prevented from penetrating the intestinal epithelium or are rejected immediately after cell entry. It is proposed that interference with larval infectivity is due to alterations in the epithelial cell apical or brush border membrane. Alterations may result from prior infection or may reflect an acute change induced by challenge infection. In either case the establishment of normal populations of larvae in the mucosa is disturbed. Lectin binding capacity of brush border membranes was used to assess possible membrane alterations. This parameter in uninfected (control) rats was compared with that in infected rats, which acquire resistance to subsequent challenge, and in infected rats immediately after a challenge inoculum. Enriched brush border membrane preparations were characterized for their binding of wheat germ agglutinin, which attaches specifically to the carbohydrate, N -acetylglucosamine. Maximum specific binding of 125 I-labeled wheat germ agglutinin occurred within 20 min. The spontaneous rate of dissociation was negligible for 90 min. Highest specific binding resulted at 24°C, pH 6.0 and with 75 μg bursh border membrane protein per assay tube. Results suggested the existence of multiple binding sites. 1 mg of membrane protein from uninfected rats and rats immunized by primary infection maximally bound 9.8 × 10 10 and 4.3 × 10 10 molecules of wheat germ agglutinin, respectively. Binding for the ‘immune’ brush border membrane, as compared with the ‘uninfected’ brush border membrane was reduced during the first 3 weeks of infection and remained low for at least 3 months. No further reduction in binding was observed for brush border membrane isolated within minutes after a secondary infection. These results reveal the induction by a primary infection of changes in brush border membrane structure and the persistance of these changes in the immune host. In view of the rapid turnover time of epithelial tissue the mechanism by which this change is perpetuated speculatively involves immune elements in the lamina propria.
Privileged to Educate: Katharine Drexel and Catholic Social Teaching—An Embodied Pedagogy

Abstract Katharine Drexel was an important educator who taught profound lessons to the Roman Catholic Church and American society about the responsibility of privilege and the irresponsibility of prejudice. As a professed nun dedicated to the education of Black and Native Americans, she taught both intentionally and by example. Religious educators, seeking to educate for peace and justice, often point to Katharine's life work as an example of the application of Catholic social teaching. This article argues that Katharine's educational import in regards to Catholic social teaching goes much deeper than the concrete examples of her life's work. By studying Katharine's life, religious educators can illustrate the foundational attitudes and habits necessary for the principle of social justice to take root. This will be articulated in terms of underlying emphases found in aspects of Katharine's story: emphasis on totality, on clarity of vision and purpose, on evangelization, on family ethical formation, on mor...
Amphiphilic hyperbranched fluoropolymers as nanoscopic 19F magnetic resonance imaging agent assemblies.

Three hyperbranched fluoropolymers were synthesized and their micelles were constructed as potential 19F MRI agents. A hyperbranched star-like core was first synthesized via atom transfer radical self-condensing vinyl (co)polymerization (ATR-SCVCP) of 4-chloromethyl styrene (CMS), lauryl acrylate (LA), and 1,1,1-tris(4′-(2′′-bromoisobutyryloxy)phenyl)ethane (TBBPE). The polymerization gave a small core with Mn of 5.5 kDa with PDI of 1.6, which served as a macroinitiator. Trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA) and tert-butyl acrylate (tBA) in different ratios were then “grafted” from the core to give three polymers with Mn of about 120 kDa and PDI values of about 1.6−1.8. After acidolysis of the tert-butyl ester groups, amphiphilic, hyperbranched star-like polymers with Mn of about 100 kDa were obtained. These structures were subjected to micelle formation in aqueous solution to give micelles having TEM-measured diameters ranging from 3−8 nm and DLS-measured hydrodynamic diameters from 20−30 nm. These micelle...
Effects of Selected Commercial Phosphate Products on the Natural Bacterial Flora of a Cooked Meat System

Four commercial phosphate blends and a neutral pyrophosphate were used at three levels (0.30–0.65%) in the preparation of cooked sausage. Control treatments contained no phosphate. Vacuum-packaged sausage was stored at 5°C for 21 days or held at room temperature (20–22°C) for up to 48 hours after 7 days of refrigerated storage. Mesophilic and facultative anaerobic bacterial counts were highest in control treatments after 14 and 21 days at 5°C and after 24 and 48 hr at 20–22°C. For each phosphate, the level of addition was the determining factor in bacterial inhibition, since the highest phosphate level resulted in the lowest bacterial counts in sausage held at 5°C and 20–22°C. The level of phosphate was more important in prolonging shelf life than was the type of phosphate.
Electroluminescent shockley diodes of GaAs and GaAsl−x, Px

GaAs and GaAs1−xPx p-n-p-n Shockley diode structures have teen prepared by an epitaxial vapor-phase growth technique. The two-terminal devices exhibit a negative-resistance I-V characteristic, which allows them to be used as an electroluminescent diode with a built-in latching capability. The GaAs diodes have breakover voltages between 2 and 30 V at room temperature, and switching characteristics which depend appreciably on the impurity concentrations and thicknesses of the two inner layers. After breakdown, the diodes emit near-bandgap infrared radiation with external quantum efficiencies as high as 0.39%. The emission spectra have been found to consist of two peaks, one corresponding to recombination in the innermost n-layer, and the other corresponding to recombination in one of the two p-type layers. The emission for the GaAs diodes occurs uniformly over the entire surface area. For GaAs1−x Px, the type of compositional grading used between the GaAs substrate and the p-n junction regions has been found to dramatically affect the I-V characteristics and switching capabilities of the Shockley diodes. Most importantly, the emission from the GaAs1−xPx devices occurs in small filaments for alloys with x ≃ 0.18. At high currents, the filaments form an orthogonal grid pattern parallel to {110} planes, thereby demonstrating a clear relationship to lattice-misfit dislocations generated during compositional grading.
Probabilistic Approach To The Inverse Problem In The Scattering Of Elastic And Electromagnetic Waves

The probabilistic approach to the inverse scattering problem is easy to describe: namely, given the results of scattering measurements, to determine the most probable scatterer. We start with a stochastic model of the measurement process in the usual signal-plus-noise form. However, here the signal (i.e., the model of a scattering measurement with no experimental error) is also considered to be random, thereby reflecting our partial lack of a priori knowledge of the nature of the scatterer. In the present treatment, we consider only nonparametric scatterer models (i.e., models involving an essentially infinite number of parameters - at least a number very large compared with the effective number of degrees of freedom in the measurements). We will consider three types of random models of the scatterer: (1) the material property deviations (elastodynamic or electromagnetic) are Gaussian random processes in space, (2) a single property deviation is also a Gaussian random process except for an added positivity bias, and (3) the scatterer has known uniform property deviations in an unknown domain. The inverse scattering problem for all three cases has been solved for the Born approximation using suitable mixtures of analytical and computational approaches. In cases (2) and (3) we employed the conjugate vector technique in order to reduce the computational effort to reasonable size. A special version of case (3), in which internal propagation is negligible, has been treated in the so-called Kirchhoff approximation in the regime of intermediate to high frequencies. A number of results obtained with theoretical synthetic test data will be presented and discussed.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of hyperthermia on the repair of radiation-induced DNA single-and double-strand breaks in DNA double-strand break repair-deficient and repair-proficient cell lines

The effect of heat on the induction and repair of DNA single (ssb) and double (dsb) strand breaks was studied in irradiated exponentially growing or plateau-phase CHO cells and their DNA dsb repair-deficient, radiation-sensitive counterpart, the xrs-5 cells. Induction and repair of DNA ssb was measured by the alkaline unwinding technique, whereas induction and repair of DNA dsb was measured by the non-unwinding filter elution technique. The results indicated that pre-exposure of cells to heat (45ċ5°C) for 8-30 min did not affect the induction of DNA ssb or DNA dsb per Gy and dalton of DNA in CHO or xrs-5 cells, tested either in the exponential or in the plateau-phase of growth. On the other hand, pre-exposure to heat inhibited DNA repair processes and increased the fraction of unrepaired radiation-induced damage measured 2 h after irradiation. Repair of DNA dsb was more heat-sensitive than repair of DNA ssb in both cell lines. Repair of radiation-induced ssb or dsb was inhibited in xrs-5 cells to a larger...
The Status of Black Lawyers

Two decades have passed since the Great Society programs ostensibly widened the doors of opportunity in the United States, including the opportunity to practice law. This article examines the current status of the black bar and evaluates several contemporary theories of professional labor market segmentation. Findings show that the absolute number of black attorneys has increased over the past 15 years, the rate of growth is slowing, the proportion of blacks enrolled in law school has been relatively stable over this period, and that other minorities and women have increased their presence within the bar more than blacks. The evidence establishes the importance of the public sector as a source of employment for black and other minority lawyers. A comparison of the proportions of black lawyers and judges found within several large cities reveals the influence of the black electorate on the racial composition of the bar. The practice of law has generally been opened to blacks, but their distribution across ...
Excitations in quadrupolar-coupled systems

The method of double-time Green's functions is used to study the excitation spectrum of an isotropic spin-one system with quadrupolar coupling. It is shown that the random-phase approximation leads to a violation of a spin-one identity and thus to equivocal results. A consistent theory free from ambiguities is developed. Also, exact upper and lower bounds on the ground-state energy of systems with dipolar as well as quadrupolar coupling are derived and studied.
Socially assistive robotics: human-robot interaction methods for creating robots that care

Socially assistive robotics (SAR) is a new subfield of robotics that bridges HRI, rehabilitation robotics, social robotics, and service robotics. SAR focuses on developing machines capable of assisting users, typically in health and education contexts, through social rather than physical interaction. The robot’s physical embodiment is at the heart of SAR’s effectiveness, as it leverages the inherently human tendency to engage with lifelike (but not necessarily humanlike or otherwise biomimetic) social behavior. This talk will describe research into embodiment, modeling and steering social dynamics, and long-term user adaptation for SAR. The research will be grounded in projects involving analysis of multi-modal activity data, modeling personality and engagement, formalizing social use of space and non-verbal communication, and personalizing the interaction with the user over a period of months. The presented methods and algorithms will be validated on implemented SAR systems evaluated by human subject cohorts from a variety of user populations, including stroke patients, children with autism spectrum disorder, and elderly with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia.
Steen's 1874 paper: historical survey and translation

A remarkable contribution to the theory of differential equations was made by Adolph Steen in 1874. His results were presented in Danish in a journal containing few articles on mathematics and were wholly ignored by the mathematical community for more than a century. During this time much of his work was rediscovered and extended by numerous authors; in fact the relevant literature embraces five languages in addition to the original Danish and is scattered over correspondingly many countries. In Part I we outline the historical development of Steen's ideas and in Part II we reproduce his pioneering article in an English translation. Though correction of a historical injustice is the primary goal, not everything in his paper has been rediscovered by others. Hence some of the results retain, even at this late date, more than merely historical interest.
Reaction of cyanide with cytochrome ba3 from Thermus thermophilus: spectroscopic characterization of the Fe(II)a3-CN.Cu(II)B-CN complex suggests four 14N atoms are coordinated to CuB.

Cytochrome ba3 from Thermus thermophilus reacts slowly with excess HCN at pH 7.4 to create a form of the enzyme in which CuA, cytochrome b, and CuB remain oxidized, while cytochrome a3 is reduced by one electron, presumably with the formation of cyanogen. We have examined this form of the enzyme by UV-visible, resonance Raman, EPR, and electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopies in conjunction with permutations of 13C- and 15N-labeled cyanide. The results support a model in which one CN- binds through the carbon atom to ferrous a3, supporting a low-spin (S = 0) configuration on the Fe; bridging by this cyanide to the CuB is weak or absent. Four 14N atoms, presumably donated by histidine residues of the protein, provide a strong equatorial ligand field about CuB; a second CN- is coordinated through the carbon atom to CuB in an axial position.
Platelet function in hypertension and effect of therapy

Abstract Platelet function was evaluated in 10 hypertensive and 11 normal subjects. In the placebo phase, the plasma beta thromboglobulin level (an index of platelet activation in vivo) was significantly (p
Programmed reduction of ABC transporter activity in sea urchin germline progenitors

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters protect embryos and stem cells from mutagens and pump morphogens that control cell fate and migration. In this study, we measured dynamics of ABC transporter activity during formation of sea urchin embryonic cells necessary for the production of gametes, termed the small micromeres. Unexpectedly, we found small micromeres accumulate 2.32 times more of the ABC transporter substrates calcein-AM, CellTrace RedOrange, BoDipy-verapamil and BoDipy-vinblastine, than any other cell in the embryo, indicating a reduction in multidrug efflux activity. The reduction in small micromere ABC transporter activity is mediated by a pulse of endocytosis occurring 20-60 minutes after the appearance of the micromeres – the precursors of the small micromeres. Treating embryos with phenylarsine oxide, an inhibitor of endocytosis, prevents the reduction of transporter activity. Tetramethylrhodamine dextran and cholera toxin B uptake experiments indicate that micromeres have higher rates of bulk and raft-associated membrane endocytosis during the window of transporter downregulation. We hypothesized that this loss of efflux transport could be required for the detection of developmental signaling molecules such as germ cell chemoattractants. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that the inhibition of ABCB and ABCC-types of efflux transporters disrupts the ordered distribution of small micromeres to the left and right coelomic pouches. These results point to tradeoffs between signaling and the protective functions of the transporters.
Development and evaluation of C-telopeptide enzyme-linked immunoassay for measurement of bone resorption in mouse serum.

Abstract The mouse is increasingly being used as an animal model for the study of skeletal phenotypes in humans, mainly because of the ease of genetic manipulation. Biochemical markers of bone metabolism provide a valuable parameter for the assessment of skeletal metabolism. In the mouse model, assays for bone formation have been available for a long time; however, little is known about bone resorption markers. The present study describes the development of a serum C-telopeptide enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), which measures degradation products of type I collagen that are generated by osteoclastic bone resorption. The C-telopeptide ELISA uses affinity-purified antibodies generated against human sequence DFSFLPQPPQEKAHDGGR. The epitope involves an amino acid sequence, which is identical in the mouse and human C-terminal peptide of type I collagen (α1 chain). Sensitivity of the ELISA used was
Full-Length Characterization of Proteins in Human Populations

Background: Diversity in human proteins often gives rise to pluralities of structurally similar but functionally distinct proteins. Such microheterogeneity generally escapes proteomics discovery technologies, as well as conventional immunometric assays. As an intermediate between these 2 technological approaches, targeted, full-length characterization of proteins using mass spectrometry is a suitable means of defining microheterogeneity evident in human populations. Content: We describe and explore the implications of microheterogeneity using the exemplar of human vitamin D binding protein (Gc-Globulin) as observed in cohorts of 400 individuals. Our investigations yielded: ( a ) population frequency data comparable to genotyping; ( b ) population frequency data for protein variants, with and without genotype linkage; ( c ) reference values for the different protein variants per cohort and genotype; and ( d ) associations between variant, frequency, relative abundance, and diseases. Summary: With the exception of the genotype frequency, such population data are unique and illustrate a need to more fully understand the exact full-length qualitative and quantitative idiosyncrasies of individual proteins in relation to health and disease as part of the standardized biomarker development and clinical proteomic investigation of human proteins.
Increased Plasma Concentrations of Cytoskeletal and Ca2+-Binding Proteins and Their Peptides in Psoriasis Patients

Background: The mechanisms underlying psoriatic pathogenesis are not fully understood and might be elucidated by identifying novel disease-related molecular markers, including autoantigens. Methods: We used 2 proteomic methods to analyze plasma samples from 20 psoriasis patients and 20 matched healthy donors. The first method focused on evaluating changes in glycoprotein concentrations and the plasma proteome, and the second method assessed endogenous proteolytic activity by analyzing the low molecular weight component of plasma. Results: The integrated proteomic and peptidomic analysis identified a number of proteins and their fragments present at different concentrations in the plasma of psoriasis patients and healthy donors. We used ELISA to independently verify the changes in the concentrations of several of these proteins. One intriguing finding, increased concentrations of cytoskeletal and actin-binding proteins and their peptides in psoriatic plasma, suggested disease-related cell leakage of these proteins and their increased proteolysis. Among the increased proteins and peptides were thymosin β 4, talin 1, actin γ, filamin, and profilin. Increased concentrations of Ca2+-binding proteins calgranulins A and B in psoriatic plasma were also observed, confirming previous reports, and appeared to be relevant to the increase of cytoskeletal components. Another notable change in psoriatic plasma was a striking decrease in fibrinogen fragments. Conclusions: The identified increased concentrations of cytoskeletal proteins, their peptides, and calgranulins in psoriatic plasma, as well as the underlying altered protease activity, are proposed to be related to psoriasis pathogenesis.
Unsupervised distributional anomaly detection for a self-diagnostic speech activity detector

One feature that classification algorithms typically lack is the ability to know what they do not know. With this knowledge an algorithm would be able to operate in any domain and only produce results when it is confident that data is within nominal conditions. Otherwise, it could generate warning messages or request more appropriate training material. We present an unsupervised approach capable of working in concert with an existing classifier to detect off-nominal conditions by estimating the divergence between the distribution of input features and a nominal world model. Using a measure of parametric divergence for a mixture of Gaussians and two different estimates for the Kullback-Leibler divergence, we significantly outperform the baseline average log probability thresholding to distinguish nominal conversational audio from a variety of structured noises and incorrectly decoded audio using features from a speech activity detector.