cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fate of l-[3,5-3H]tyrosine in cell-free extracts and tissue cultures of melanoma cells: A new assay method for tyrosinase in living cells☆

On incubation of l-[3,5-3H]tyrosine (1 mm) with a cell-free extract of cultured melanoma cells (cell line C2M) in the presence of dopa (0.1 mm), tritium was released as water at a steady rate for about 15 hr, or until 20% of the radioactivity had been converted to water. Some radioactivity was also found in dopa and melanin, but no appreciable amount in any other compounds. A cell-free extract of amelanotic cultured cells (cell line C2W) did not produce tritiated water or melanin. When C2M cells were cultured in Eagle's minimum essential medium containing l-[3,5-3H]tyrosine, they produced tritiated water, melanin and protein, but no substantial amount of dopa, while C2W cells produced only tritiated protein. The tyrosinase reaction proceeded linearly for 24 hr in growing cultures. During incubation of a cell-free extract of C2M cells or cultivation of these cells, the ratio of the sum of the radioactivities of water, dopa and melanin i.e., the radioactivity disappearing from tyrosine for melanin synthesis, to that of water, ΔTyW, was fairly constant, being 1.4 for the cell-free extract and 1.1 for the culture. The values of the ratio, ΔTyW, were very similar for reactions with a wide range of reaction rates and with different sources of cell-free extract, including human melanoma. Using the ratio ΔTyW, the tyrosinase activity in intact cells in culture as well as in cell-free extracts can be determined as the rate of hydroxylation of tyrosine simply by assaying the radioactivity of the water produced.
Adsorption and Desorption Kinetics of Pyrene onto a Great Lakes Sediment

Abstract The rate of adsorption and desorption of hydrophobic pollutants with lake sediments, or other particulate matter, may influence the ultimate fate of these chemicals. This study examined the kinetics of pyrene adsorption onto, and desorption from, a Great Lake sediment. The data were evaluated by two separate mathematical models. The batch pore surface diffusion model (BPSDM) predicted initial kinetics much better than a radial diffusion model (RDM). This is because the BPSDM incorporates film diffusion which the RDM neglects. In nonturbulent environments, or systems of low particle concentration, film diffusion has been shown to be the rate limiting step for the initial adsorption rate. Hysteresis was experimentally observed for pyrene desorption; therefore, both models overpredicted the rate of pyrene desorption. These results indicate that 1) hydrophobic chemicals may be less available for biological degradation and 2) particle concentration may influence the initial rates of adsorption and desorption.
Countably additive gambling with a general expected reward

Optimal strategies and the optimal return function are characterized for a Borel gambling problem in which the utility of a strategy is the expectation under the strategy of a general, measurable function g defined on the space of all infinite histories. These results are based on a previous paper with Lester Dubins where g was assumed to be shift-invariant.
IMEC’s CATHEDRAL-II System

IMEC’s CATHEDRAL-II system is a design-style-specific system for the synthesis of digital signal processing (DSP) chips. CATHEDRAL-II includes transformations, data path synthesis, scheduling, and controller design. See also IMEC’s CATHEDRAL-2nd System, IMEC’s CATHEDRAL-III System, and Philip’s PIRAMID System, which uses the CATHEDRAL-II system as its synthesis engine.
Asymptotic properties of quantiles for truncated and contaminated data

The asymptotic normality for quantiles of truncated and contaminated data is proved. An representation for these quantiles is given. The representation reduces to the Bahadur-Kiefer representation of quantiles if the data are not truncated. An application to analysis of data from unreplicated fractional factorial experiments is given.
Cystic fibrosis in pregnancy

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cystic fibrosis have resulted in increased survival for those afflicted with this disease. As a result, more women are reaching their reproductive years and will subsequently conceive. Multiple organ systems are affected during the course of cystic fibrosis and may impact on pregnancy; however, pulmonary complications play a major role in morbidity and mortality. Therefore, this article primarily focuses on the pulmonary aspects of cystic fibrosis as they relate to pregnancy. The current literature suggests a favorable outcome for the pregnancy when there is limited pulmonary dysfunction. Chronic severely impaired pulmonary function is associated with poorer pregnancy outcome; however, it is the acute deterioration of pulmonary function that may in fact be associated with the highest morbidity and mortality for both mother and infant. Aggressive management of pulmonary infection and function is essential, and pulmonary status should be evaluated on a monthly basis. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) can be used to monitor pulmonary status. Close surveillance, aggressive management, and a team approach can and has resulted in successful pregnancy outcome in those women with cystic fibrosis.
Certified nursing assistants' perceptions of nursing home patient safety culture: is there a relationship to clinical outcomes?

Objectives The main objective of this study was to examine whether certified nursing assistants' (CNAs') perceptions of patient safety culture (PSC) were correlated with clinical outcomes (rates of falls, pressure ulcers, and daily restraint use) in a random sample of nursing homes. An additional objective was to describe facility-level and CNA-level characteristics that were associated with CNA PSC scores. Design We conducted a secondary data analysis using data that adapted the Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) for nursing homes. The HSOPSC data were merged with data from the Minimum Data Set (MDS), Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) system, and Area Resource File (ARF). Participants and Setting CNAs from a random sample of 72 nursing homes in 5 randomly selected states during the first 2 quarters of 2005. Measurements The relationships between clinical outcomes and CNA PSC scores were evaluated. The relationships between CNA PSC and facility characteristics, such as profit status and bed occupancy, and CNA characteristics such as education and tenure were also assessed. Data were analyzed using Poisson, multinomial logistic, and linear regression, and generalized estimating equations (GEE); descriptive statistics were compiled for demographic data. Results Of 2872 CNAs, 1579 completed the survey, for a 55% response rate. Results of regression analyses suggest that higher (more developed and more desirable) CNA PSC scores were associated with increased reporting of falls (B = 0.015; P = .000). Facilities with higher total CNA PSC scores were more likely to report moderate restraint use, whereas facilities with lower CNA PSC scores were more likely to report high restraint use (B = 0.172; P = .017). CNA PSC scores were not associated with differences in pressure ulcer rates. Conclusions This study represents an important step in the evaluation of CNA PSC in nursing homes and shows that a relationship exists between PSC and selected clinical outcomes. Future work on nursing home PSC and additional clinical as well as workforce outcomes is indicated.
Postnatal maturation of neurons in the cat's lateral geniculate nucleus

The maturation of dendrites in the cat's dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus was studied in Golgi Kopsch preparations of kittens from 3 days to 8 weeks postnatal. During the first postnatal week, more than a month after their birthdate, cells are immature and lack dendrites, bearing only multiple somatic processes or a few short thick extensions. Cells enter an active phase of dendritic extension during the second postnatal week. Growth cone-like structures and filopodia occur at the ends of dendrites and also at dendritic branch points. Assignment to general cell classes based on dendritic disposition is possible only after this period, and characteristic grapelike appendages are obvious after the third week. Mature cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus are not considered spiny, yet spines and hairs are ubiquitous on most cells once dendrites elongate and remain numerous on peripheral dendrites even after the soma and proximal dendrites become smooth, by 4–6 weeks. The decline of spine levels continues after this period. All cells go through a similar but nonsynchronous sequence of maturation. Large cells may mature first, but no correlation was noted between rate of maturation and laminar location or retinal representation. In the second and thirdpostnatal weeks, although the terminal arbors of retinal axonspre-synaptic to geniculate cells have already attained their final topography and laminar placement, the shape and synaptic relations of axon terminal swellings remain immature (Mason, 1982a,b) through the most active phase of dendritic outgrowth. After 3 weeks, both retinal axons and target geniculate cell dendrites finalize the shapes of characteristic appendages and synaptic relations in tandem. Potential interactions between immature axon terminal arbors and dendrite-bare geniculate cells during dendrite outgrowth and subsequent remodeling of structural details are discussed.
Extended Criteria Donor and Severe Intraoperative Glucose Variability: Association With Reoperation for Hemorrhage in Liver Transplantation

Reoperations for hemorrhage following liver transplantation (OLT) are commonly associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We sought to determine the incidence and risk factors for reoperation for hemorrhage among adult liver transplantations. We retrospectively analyzed 668 patients transplanted between January 2004 and November 2007. Within 30 days following transplantation one hundred eleven patients (16.6%) underwent 156 reoperations for hemorrhage, averaging 1.4 reoperations per patient. More than half of the reoperations occurred during the first 2 postoperative days. One-third of patients required 2 or more reoperations. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed 4 independent risk factors: grafts from donors with multiple extended criteria, severe intraoperative glucose variability, intraoperative use of vasopressors, and red blood cell transfusion requirement. In conclusion, we identified several independent risk factors for reoperation due to hemorrhage following OLT. Avoidance of severe intraoperative glucose variability and careful evaluation of the benefits and risks of utilizing extended criteria donors must be considered before transplantation.
3-D Organ Surface And Volume Determination From S.P.E.C.T. Data

An algorithm has been developed to determine the surface of an organ in vivo from the 3-D discrete intensity measurements of radionuclide uptake provided by Single Photon Emission Computed Tomographic (S.P.E.C.T.) data. The surface, which need not be convex, is covered by triangular tiles whose vertices are determined to lie on the organ boundary from examination of a density function along lines normal to the organ surface. This approximation is repeatedly refined by replacing the longest edge, and the two tiles that share it, with two new edges sharing a new vertex near the midpoint of the replaced edge, and four new tiles. Volume is defined as the sum of the products of the area of each tile and the dot product of its outward unit normal and centroi d vector. The tile and vertex data also lend themselves to a computationally straightforward projective display of the tiled surface, viewed and illuminated from arbitrary angles. A cine loop of these projections at equally spaced viewing angles provides an informative representation of organ structure and function.
Tight linkage of pyruvate kinase (PKLR) and glucocerebrosidase (GBA) genes

Two polymorphisms, one in the liver-type pyruvate kinase gene (PKLR) and one in the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA), both of which are on band q21 of chromosome 1, were found to be tightly linked. Each of three Gaucher disease mutations in 112 chromosomes studied was associated with a unique haplotype. With a conservative assumption about the length of time that the Gaucher disease mutation has been present in the Jewish population, we deduce that the genetic distance between these two loci is probably under 0.2 centimorgans. Four haplotypes are produced by these polymorphic loci, but two of these are relatively uncommon because the polymorphic sites are in linkage disequilibrium. Nonetheless these markers are potentially useful in the prenatal diagnosis of pyruvate kinase deficiency in families who have at least one affected child and may also be helpful in heterozygote detection in families with Gaucher disease where a specific mutation producing the disease in unknown.
Photic resetting of the human circadian pacemaker in the absence of conscious vision.

Ocular light exposure patterns are the primary stimuli for entraining the human circadian system to the local 24-h day. Many totally blind persons cannot use these stimuli and, therefore, have circadian rhythms that are not entrained. However, a few otherwise totally blind persons retain the ability to suppress plasma melatonin concentrations after ocular light exposure, probably using a neural pathway that includes the site of the human circadian pacemaker, suggesting that light information is reaching this site. To test definitively whether ocular light exposure could affect the circadian pacemaker of some blind persons and whether melatonin suppression in response to bright light correlates with light-induced phase shifts of the circadian system, the authors performed experiments with 5 totally blind volunteers using a protocol known to induce phase shifts of the circadian pacemaker in sighted individuals. In the 2 blind individuals who maintained light-induced melatonin suppression, the circadian syst...
Antibunching and photoemission waiting times

We discuss antibunching of photons in terms of the distributions of waiting between successive photoemissions and compare it with definitions of antibunching based on the two-time intensity correlation function. We illustrate our results for photon sequences emitted by parametric oscillators. Curves are presented to illustrate the behavior.
Determination of the phospholipid composition of bovine muscle by high performance liquid chromatography with emphasis on the choline and ethanolamine plasmalogens

Abstract Bovine muscle phospholipids contain large proportions of plasmalogens. A method for the separation of the plasmalogens from the corresponding diacyl compounds by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has not been available although HPLC has many other advantages for lipid separations. The separation of phospholipid classes by HPLC was modified in order to separate hydrolysis products of plasmalogens from other phospholipids. The choline and ethanolamine glycerophospholipids were collected from the first HPLC separation, hydrolyzed at room temperature with 50 m m HCl in chloroform-methanol-water (50:47·5:2·5, by vol), and rechromatographed. In bovine semimembranosus muscle, the content of each phospholipid determined by phosphorus assay was 38·2, 21·4, 10·6, 17·9, 4·3, 2·4, and 5·2% for acid-stable choline glycerophospholipids, choline plasmalogens, acid-stable ethanolamine glycerophospholipids, ethanolamine plasmalogens, inositol glycerophospholipids, serine glycerophospholipids, and sphingomyelin, respectively. This HPLC method efficiently separated the phospholipid species, especially the lyso compounds corresponding to plasmalogens. The gradient of the solvent system composed of hexane-2-propanol (3:2 by vol), A, and hexane-2-propanol (3:2 by vol) with 5·5% water, B, was adjusted. For the gradient elution for the phospholipid class separation, the initial solvent ratio was 50% B, and B was increased to 100% at 10·5 min and decreased to 50% at 22 min, whereas, for resolution of lyso compounds from diacyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine and diacyl-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, the initial solvent ratio was 50% B, then 100% B at 17 min, and 50% B at 38 min. With HPLC separation of phospholipid classes and mild acid hydrolysis of choline and ethanolamine glycerophospholipids prior to rechromatography, it is possible to recover quantitatively all of the phospholipid components for any desired assay or determination of composition.
Fast communication: A variable-step-size NLMS algorithm using statistics of channel response

This paper proposes a new variable-step-size control for the normalized least-mean-square (NLMS) algorithm. A step-size vector is used, with a different value for each adaptive weight. With prior knowledge of the channel impulse response statistics, the optimal step-size vector is obtained by minimizing the mean-square deviation (MSD) between the optimal and estimated filter coefficients. In addition, filter convergence is proved and the relationship between the proposed and existing algorithms are analyzed. The proposed method achieves better steady-state performance compared to existing algorithms. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through computer simulations.
Pediatric Management of Robin Sequence

The care of infants with Robin sequence is discussed with special reference to upper airway obstruction and feeding difficulties. The use of nasopharyngeal tubes is recommended initially to alleviate the immediate consequences of hypoxia. Modifications in feeding procedures are minor and involve enlarging the hole in the nipple and keeping the nipple and infant positioned appropriately.
A review of direct sufficient conditions in optimal control theory

The development of conditions sufficient to ensure that a proposed solution to a continuous-time optimal control problem is indeed a solution has proceeded along two general lines. One of these, with origins in field theory, is identified with the works of Weierstrass, Hamilton, Jacobi and Bellman; the other line, which we call the direct theory, is related to the saddle-point theory of mathematical programming, to Pontryagin's theory of optimal processes, and to some extent to the variational calculus. The direct sufficient conditions are the subject of this paper. It is found that four important direct sufficient conditions are of varying scope and that one of these conditions subsumes the others. The differences among the conditions are illustrated by both theorem and example, and speculations are offered on the possibilities for the development of additional direct sufficient conditions. The most powerful results found are mustered in the paper's final theorem.
Mucinous histology is a risk factor for nodal metastases in endometrial cancer.

Abstract Objectives Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the endometrium (MUC) is a rare histological variant of endometrial carcinoma accounting for 1–9% of endometrioid tumors. Few studies have characterized its clinical behavior. This is a case–control study at a single institution comparing the risk factors and clinical course of MUC relative to endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Methods A case–control study was performed including patients treated for endometrial cancer between 1996 and 2006. 41 cases of mucinous adenocarcinoma were identified. Each case was matched with two controls of endometrioid histology by age and histological grade. Cases and controls were compared with regard to known risk factors for endometrial cancer and the extent of disease at diagnosis. Chi-square tests were used to compare proportions and Student's t -tests for the comparison of means. Multivariate regression was used to identify the independent predictors of lymph node metastases. Overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared with the Log-rank test. p Results Cases and controls were matched by age and FIGO grade and were found to be similar in regard to ethnicity, body mass index and medical history. No significant difference in myometrial invasion (MI)>50% or the presence of lymph-vascular space invasion was found between cases and controls, however, 17% of patients with MUC had lymph node metastases compared to 3% of controls (p=.01). Multivariate analysis controlling for both tumor grade and depth of MI identified mucinous histology as an independent predictor of lymph node metastasis (p=.02). There was no difference in adjuvant treatment, recurrence rate or survival between the two groups. Conclusion Mucinous differentiation was found to be an independent predictor of lymph node metastasis in the study population. Comprehensive surgical staging including retroperitoneal node dissection should be strongly considered in all endometrial cancer patients with predominantly mucinous histology.
MODELING APPROACH FOR TRANSIT SIGNAL PREEMPTION

A simulation/assignment-based approach is introduced for evaluating the regionwide effect of signal preemption strategies for bus transit operations. The model addresses both the propagation and interaction of traffic with the bus operations as well as the routing behavior of drivers in response to the introduced preemption control. Furthermore, the need and feasibility of conducting this evaluation at the systemwide level is discussed and demonstrated. An example traffic network that includes Cermak Road in Chicago, Illinois, is used to demonstrate the applicability of the modeling approach.
Neurophysiologic assessment of brain maturation after an 8-week trial of skin-to-skin contact on preterm infants.

Abstract Objective Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) promotes physiological stability and interaction between parents and infants. Analyses of EEG-sleep studies can compare functional brain maturation between SSC and non-SSC cohorts. Methods Sixteen EEG-sleep studies were performed on eight preterm infants who received 8 weeks of SSC, and compared with two non-SSC cohorts at term (N = 126), a preterm group corrected to term age and a full-term group. Seven linear and two complexity measures were compared (Mann–Whitney U test comparisons p Results Fewer REMs, more quiet sleep, increased respiratory regularity, longer cycles, and less spectral beta were noted for SSC preterm infants compared with both control cohorts. Fewer REMs, greater arousals and more quiet sleep were noted for SSC infants compared with the non-SSC preterms at term. Three right hemispheric regions had greater complexity in the SSC group. Discriminant analysis showed that the SSC cohort was closer to the non-SSC full-term cohort. Conclusions Skin-to-skin contact accelerates brain maturation in healthy preterm infants compared with two groups without SSC. Significance Combined use of linear and complexity analysis strategies offer complementary information regarding altered neuronal functions after developmental care interventions. Such analyses may be helpful to assess other neuroprotection strategies.
Lactase potential of various microorganisms grown in whey

Abstract Microbial cell preparations from selected microorganisms were evaluated for their ability to hydrolyze lactose to monosugars in a pH adjusted whey medium. Optimal pH and temperature for such activity were established. Freeze-dried crude cell preparations of lactase from mold, yeast, and bacteria, depending on species and strain, hydrolyzed 5 to 80% lactose in nutrient whey during 5-hour incubation under optimal conditions. Molds had the lowest lactase activity but the highest cell yields, and bacteria produced the highest lactase activity and lowest cell yields. Activity was increased up to 34% with freeze-dried yeast and bacteria cell preparations given individual physical and chemical treatments. Washing with toulene proved most effective. Mold preparations gave lower activity after similar treatments. Crude cell preparations showing highest lactase activity in deproteinized whey medium among molds were Neurospora crassa; the yeast, Saccharomyces fragilis; and the bacterium, Lactobacillus hel-veticus.
Monoamine oxidase VI. Physicochemical properties of plasma monoamine oxidase

Abstract The following physicochemical properties of crystalline plasma amine oxidase (monoamine: O2 oxidoreductase (deaminating), EC 1.4.3.4) were determined. The value of s°20,w in 0.06 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.0 was 9.2 S. The molecular weight, determined by the Archibald approach-to-equilibrium method was found to be 261 000 ± 11 900. Sedimentation-viscosity studies yielded a molecular weight of 247000. The intrinsic viscosity of the enzyme in 0.06 M phosphate buffer (pH7.0) was found to be 4.8ml/g. The partial specific volume was determined to be 0.76. Mobility studies were made at several pH's and the isoelectric point of the enzyme was about 4.5. The amino acid composition of the enzyme is given. Evidence is presented to show that the plasma amine oxidase is a glycoprotein.
Catheter Ablation of Mitral Isthmus Ventricular Tachycardia Using Electroanatomically Guided Linear Lesions

Mitral isthmus ventricular tachycardia uses a reentrant circuit with a critical isthmus of conduction bounded by the mitral valve proximally and a remote inferior infarction scar distally. Successful catheter ablation requires placement of a lesion to transect the isthmus so as to prevent wavefront propagation. We report a case with previously unsuccessful ablation in which focal isthmus ablation failed to eliminate arrhythmia. Electroanatomic mapping demonstrated a wide tachycardia isthmus, and a linear lesion placed from the edge of the inferior infarct (as demonstrated on the three-dimensional voltage electroanatomic map) to the base of the mitral valve successfully eliminated tachycardia. In some patients with mitral isthmus VT, a wide isthmus requires linear lesion placement to fully transect the isthmus and eliminate tachycardia. Electroanatomic mapping can be used to define isthmus boundaries and thus guide successful ablation.
Comparison of acellular (B type) and whole-cell pertussis-component diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccines as the first booster immunization in 15-to 24-month-old children

We compared an acellular (B type) pertussis-component diphtheria-tetanuspertussis (DTP-Ac) vaccine containing equal amounts of filamentous hemagglutinin and lymphocytosis-promoting factor with a conventional whole-cell vaccine as the first booster immunization in 162 healthy children 15 to 24 months of age. Fewer local reactions (e.g., erythema, swelling, and tenderness at the injection site) were seen in DTP-Ac vaccine recipients during the first 48 hours of observation. This group also had fewer episodes of fever (≥38°C) and other systemic reactions (e.g., irritabillty, drowsiness, and anorexia). Overall, 57% of the DTP-Ac vaccine recipients had no obvious adverse reactions, in contrast to 5% in the comparison group. At 4 to 8 weeks after vaccination, serum antibody responses to filamentous hemagglutinin and lymphocytosis-promoting factor were greater in recipients of the acellular vaccine as determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We conclude that this B-type acellular vaccine is both immunogenic and much less likely to cause an adverse reaction than a currently licensed whole-cell vaccine, and is suitable for routine booster immunizing doses to protect against pertussis.
Effective Thermal Conductivity of Coal Ash Deposits at Moderate to High Temperatures

The effective thermal conductivity of coal ash deposits strongly influences heat transfer in pulverized coal-fired boilers. In this study thermal conductivity measurements were performed over a wide range of temperatures for fly ash, slagging deposits, and fouling deposits. The effects of ash particle size, thermal history, and physical structure of the deposit are discussed. Thermal history and deposit structure were observed to have the greatest influence on the local thermal conductivity, which increased by an order of magnitude with particle melting. Conductivities for solid-porous deposits were twice those of the same sample in particulate form.
Epistemic Aspects of Economic Practice and the Need for Professional Economic Ethics

This paper explores ethical burdens facing the economics profession which are associated with epistemic features of economic practice. Economists exert power over those they purport to serve by virtue of epistemic asymmetry between themselves and others, i.e., the intellectual monopoly they enjoy over a vitally important body of knowledge. But they also face the problem of epistemic insufficiency, which implies that they may do substantial harm as they try to do good. The paper explores the ethical entailments of the epistemic features of economics, and argues that managing the ethical challenges requires a new field of inquiry, the field of professional economic ethics, and not just a code of conduct.
MHC class II biosynthesis by activated rat CD4+ T cells: development of repression in vitro and modulation by APC-derived signals.

Abstract This study focused on synthesis of MHC class II glycoproteins (MHCII) by rat CD4 + T-helper cells. During activation in Con A and IL-2, purified rat splenic CD4 + T cells expressed abundant surface MHCII together with transcripts for I-A α/β, invariant chain, and the type III and type IV MHC class II transactivator (CIITA). Activated thymic CD8 + CD4 − and CD8 + CD4 + T cells exhibited essentially the same phenotype. MHCII synthesis by CD4 + T cells enabled presentation of myelin basic protein (MBP) to antigen-specific responders. T cell expression of MHCII was due to direct biosynthesis rather than adsorption from professional APC; indeed, T cell-mediated expression of MHCII was optimal in the absence of professional APC. Despite periodic reactivation with Con A during 3–4 weeks of culture, CD4 + T cells repressed MHCII synthesis and reverted to a MHCII − phenotype. These short-term lines resembled established lines of MBP-specific T cells in that mitogenic activation elicited extensive blastogenesis without MHCII synthesis. Activation-dependent synthesis of MHCII however was partially restored in lines of mitogen-stimulated T cells when the cultures were reconstituted with irradiated splenic APC. These data indicate that most naive rat CD4 + T cells exhibit activation-dependent synthesis of MHCII whereas continuously propagated T cells require an APC-derived signal to support MHCII synthesis.
Parameter Estimation Using Multiple Matrix Sampling: Simulated Versus Empirical Data Results

AbstractMonte Carlo studies offer the opportunity to manipulate data sets with specified characteristics and to examine the generalizability of statistical procedures in ways that are not practical using actual (empirical) data. To determine whether computer-generated (simulated) data results accurately represent empirical data, this study replicated an investigation of the effects of item sampling plans in the application of multiple matrix sampling using both simulated and empirical data sets. Although results were similar, the empirical data results were more precise. This study suggests that, for some investigations, it may be important to confirm simulated study with empirical study.
Annual variation in Finch numbers, foraging and food supply on Isla Daphne Major, Galápagos.

(1) We report some effects of an annually variable and unpredictable rainfall upon Darwin's Finches on the Galapagos. Finch numbers, foraging and food supply were studied on I. Daphne Major in December of 1973 and 1977, and compared. 1973 was the second of two successive wet years and 1977 was a drought year. (2) Seed numbers and biomass were approximately one order of magnitude lower in the drought year than in the wet year. Small and soft seeds were absolutely and relatively rarer in the drought year than in the wet year. (3) Similarly finch numbers and biomass were approximately one order of magnitude lower in the drought year than in the wet year. Numbers of G. scandens declined less than did number of G. fortis. Both species exhibited unabalaced sex ratios, in favour of males, in the dry year in contrast to balanced sex ratios in the wet year. Male scandens were heavier on average in the wet year, but male fortis were heavier in the dry year. (4) The foraging of scandens, a cactus (Opuntia) specialist, was similar in the two years. The foraging of fortis in the dry year differed from foraging in the wet year in three important respects: fortis devoted a disproportionate amount of time to feeding on small seeds while tending to avoid seeds of Opuntia, they fed more on floral and extra-floral parts of Opuntia and they fed on Tribulus cistoides, a large and hard fruit which was absent from their diet in the wet year. As a consequence of feeding more on Opuntia, fortis foraging was more similar to scandens foraging in the dry year than in the wet year. (5) The results are discussed in relation to expectations from competition theory. The decline in numbers in relation to a decline in food supply was expected, but a convergence in diets was not. The convergence is attributed to the recent renewal of a single resource, Opuntia flowers, against a background of general resource scarcity. Diet overlap and limitation of numbers by food provide indirect evidence of interspecific competition; scandens, with an included niche, was competitively superior to fortis.
The effect of SO2 on 14C translocation in Agropyron smithii RYDB

Abstract Translocation of photoassimilated 14CO2 by individual leaves of Agropyron smithii was stimulated by exposure of tillers to 200 μg m−3 SO2. In response to increased sink demand of expanding leaves, labeled leaves exposed to SO2 exported an average of 12% more carbon than control leaves. The relative concentration and relative partitioning of 14C in developing leaves was 177 and 153% greater, respectively, in tillers on the SO2 treatment than in control tillers. Below-ground 14C concentrations were greater in SO2-exposed tillers only on the early-growing-season sampling date. The concurrent increase in translocation to above-ground sinks in tillers exposed to SO2 and of relative rhizome 14C concentration indicates a stimulation in reproductive and leaf growth with 200 μgm−3 SO2. Productivity, photosynthetic, and 14C-partitioning responses were compared in monitoring the subtle effects of low-level SO2 exposure.
Hölder continuity of the gradient of solutions of uniformly parabolic equations with conormal boundary conditions

We study solutions of the conormal derivative problem for uniformly parabolic equations in divergence form. Under weak regularity hypotheses on the operator, the global Holder continuity of the gradient of a weak solution is established. The method of proof is based on [5] and the results extend those in [7, Section V.7].
Evidence-based criteria for pain of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome in women.

Objectives No diagnostic physical signs, urologic findings, or laboratory tests are available for interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS). Its diagnosis is determined by symptoms and the exclusion of mimicking diseases. We hypothesized that certain pain characteristics are sensitive criteria for diagnosing IC/PBS. Methods In women with recent-onset IC/PBS recruited in 2004 to 2006 for the case-control study, “Events Preceding Interstitial Cystitis,” we identified the locations of each patient’s pain and in a nonleading way asked about the effects of 17 different experiences (criteria) on the pain. We identified a set of criteria that described the largest number of patients in the Events Preceding Interstitial Cystitis study. In a secondary analysis of another cohort recruited by others in 1993 to 1997, the Interstitial Cystitis Database, we determined the proportion of patients captured by these same criteria. Results In the Events Preceding Interstitial Cystitis study, pain that worsened with a certain food or drink and/or worsened with bladder filling and/or improved with urination was reported by 151 (97%) of 156 patients. These were the only three criteria that applied directly to the bladder. The same three criteria described the pain of 262 (97%) of 270 women in the Interstitial Cystitis Database who “definitely” had IC/PBS. Conclusions An hypothesis generated in one IC/PBS patient group and tested in another—pain that worsened with certain food or drink and/or worsened with bladder filling and/or improved with urination—was described by 97% of the patients with IC/PBS in each cohort. This triad might describe the pain of IC/PBS and contribute to a sensitive case definition. Estimating specificity awaits comparison with other diseases with similar symptoms.
The estrogen-receptor complex is bound at unusual chromatin regions.

Abstract The estrogen receptor of MCF-7 cells labeled with high specific activity estradiol was used to mark the chromatin binding sites for this regulatory molecule. Many of these sites are especially sensitive to nuclease, and produce on digestion a series of uniquely sedimenting products [16]. Several of these have been examined in some detail in this paper. These include a form of receptor that sediments in trace digests at 9S but in more extensive digests at 7S, fast mononucleosomes of about 12.5S, and a specie at 15S. Two components of digests, fast mononucleosomes and dinucleosomes were isolated and subjected to further digestion. Much of the hormone on these isolated particles was found to be sensitive to additional hydrolysis, although some was nuclease resistant. It appears that a major fraction of the hormone receptor complexes bound to MCF-7 cell chromatin occurs at nucleosome-free regions which can be detected as transient hydrolysis intermediates.
A comparison of intra-arterial and intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator on autologous arterial emboli in the cerebral circulation of rabbits.

The efficacy of thrombolytic therapy for treatment of embolic stroke has been a subject of both experimental and clinical examination. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy, in regard to reduction of volume of ischemic brain, of two different modes of administration (ie, intra-arterial and intravenous) of tissue-type plasminogen activator (TPA) given 30 minutes after experimental embolic stroke in rabbits. A randomized, blinded, controlled experimental trial was undertaken. Embolic stroke was simulated in rabbits by injecting fragments of autologous arterial thrombus into one internal carotid artery. Thirty minutes after embolization, the rabbits were blindly treated with 2 mg/kg intra-arterial TPA, 2 mg/kg intravenous TPA, or saline (all n = 10). Six hours after embolization the rabbits were killed. The brains were perfused with triphenyltetrazolium chloride and cut into 0.5-cm-thick coronal sections, and the areas of ischemia were measured. Administration of TPA resulted in a significant reduction in the volume of ischemic cerebral injury (P < .0001): control animals sustained ischemic injury to 20.1 +/- 4.6% (mean +/- SD) of total brain compared with 4.6 +/- 4.1% for animals treated with intra-arterial TPA and 3.4 +/- 2.6% for those treated with intravenous TPA. The difference between intra-arterial and intravenous TPA treatment was not significant (P = .786). In this rabbit model of embolic stroke, administration of TPA within 30 minutes resulted in a dramatic reduction in the amount of ischemic injury, with equal efficacy for the two modes of administration. These results favor the treatment of acute embolic stroke with intravenous TPA, given the rapidity with which intravenous therapy can be established in the clinical setting.
Evaluation of a Monolith-Supported Pt/Al2O3 Catalyst for Wet Oxidation of Carbohydrate-Containing Waste Streams

Catalytic oxidation of glucose and cellulose has been demonstrated in a monolith reactor, a novel contacting device for the oxidation of carbohydrate feedstocks that allows the processing of nonsoluble components without reactor plugging. Catalytic enhancement is observed for glucose oxidation, and the catalyst promotes selectivity to two-carbon carboxylic acids. It is proposed that catalytic oxidation of glucose occurs through parallel pathways: thermal oxidation to a wide range of organic acids and selective catalytic oxidation to low molecular weight acids. On the other hand, cellulose oxidation was not always enhanced by the presence of the catalyst. Here, the effect of the catalyst was to enhance the conversion of the organic acids produced during thermal oxidation. However, these organic acids also catalyzed the primary conversion of cellulose, thus the conversion of cellulose decreased as the reaction temperature was increased. A kinetic model is provided that is consistent with the inverse temper...
The Effects of Continuous, High Intensity, White Noise on the Human Sleep Cycle

Eight male college students slept for 8 consecutive nights under conditions of 93 ± 2 dB white noise (N) and under normal quiet conditions (Q). On N nights the percentage of total sleep time spent in stage REM was decreased (p < .001), the percentages of stages 1 and 2 were increased (p < .05, p < .001, respectively) and REM latency was increased (p < .02) compared to Q nights prior to N nights. On Q nights following N nights the percentages of stage REM increased above baseline levels indicating compensatory recovery effects from REM sleep deprivation on the prior N nights. Stages 3 and 4 remained unchanged throughout the study. The reduction in stage REM on N nights was directly attributed to the effects of noise on the CNS and not a secondary result of an increased number of awakenings on N nights.
Spatial and temporal patterns of E74 transcription during Drosophila development

The E74 gene occupies one of the early puff loci (74EF) central to the Ashburner model for the ecdysone-induced puffing pattern in Drosophila. In support of this model, we show that the E74A promoter is directly activated by ecdysone and is subsequently repressed by ecdysone-induced proteins. Further support derives from the correspondence observed between 74EF puff size and the accumulation of nascent transcripts on the E74A unit. These transcripts elongate at 1.1 kb/min so that this 60 kb unit acts as a timer, delaying the appearance of its mRNA by 1 hr. E74A transcription is induced in a variety of ecdysone target tissues in late third instar larvae and during each of the ecdysone pulses that mark the six stages of Drosophila development. These results support an extension of the Ashburner model in which ecdysone pulses coordinate tissue development. The temporal pattern of E74B transcription overlaps but is distinct from that of E74A.
Long-term behavioral deficits following pilocarpine seizures in immature rats

The effect of seizures on subsequent long-term behavior was studied in immature rats. A similar severity of seizures were induced in 20-day old rats (P20) and 45-day old rats (P45) by intraperitoneal injections of pilocarpine at doses of 200 mg/kg and 380 mg/kg, respectively. Immediately after injection of pilocarpine, prolonged seizures with electroencephalographic ictal discharges were observed in both groups of rats. These seizures were followed by seemingly complete neurological recovery. In rats that received pilocarpine at P45 spontaneous recurrent seizures appeared after 4-10 days and persisted until completion of the study at P100. Behavioral tests performed when the rats were fully mature demonstrated that they were more aggressive when handled, more active in open field, and had deficits in learning platform position in the water maze as compared to controls. Furthermore, flurothyl seizure latency was significantly lower in pilocarpine-treated P45 rats than controls. Histology examination showed gross cell loss in the CA3 subfield of the hippocampus in four out of six pilocarpine-treated rats while no cell loss was found in control rats. Rats that received pilocarpine at P20, despite having more severe seizures than the P45 rats, had no histological lesions, did not develop spontaneous recurrent seizures, and had no significant difference in the flurothyl seizure latency test when compared to their controls. While there was no difference between the control and pilocarpine-treated rats in the handling and open field test, P20 rats receiving pilocarpine were slower in learning platform position in the water maze than the controls. Rats receiving pilocarpine at P45 performed significantly more poorly than rats treated at P20 in the water maze. These results suggest that prolonged seizures in immature rats can cause long-term behavioral deficits. However, the severity and nature of these deficits are highly age dependent.
Where there is no obstetrician – increasing capacity for emergency obstetric care in rural India: An evaluation of a pilot program to train general doctors

Abstract Background Maternal mortality continues to be high in rural India. Chief among the reasons for this is a severe shortage of obstetricians to perform cesarean delivery and other skills required for emergency obstetric care (EmOC). In 2006, the Government of India and the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) with technical assistance from Jhpiego, instituted a nationwide, 16-week comprehensive EmOC (CEmOC) training program for general medical officers (MOs). This program is based on an earlier pilot project (2004–2006). Objective To evaluate the pilot project, and identify lessons learned to inform the nationwide scale-up. Methods The lead author (CE) visited trainees and their facilities to evaluate the project. Eight data collection tools were created, which included interviews with informants (program/government staff, regional/international experts, trainees and trainers), facility observation, and facility-based data collection of births and maternal/newborn deaths during the study period. Results More trainees performed each of the basic EmOC skills after the training than before. After training, 10 of 15 facilities to which trainees returned could provide all signal functions for basic EmOC whereas only 2 could do so before. For comprehensive EmOC, 2 facilities with obstetricians were providing all functions before and 2 were doing so after, even though the specialists had left those facilities and services were being provided by CEmOC trainees. Barriers to providing, or continuing to provide, EmOC for some trainees included insufficient training for cesarean delivery, lack of anesthetists, equipment and infrastructure (operating theater, blood services, forceps/vacuum, manual vacuum aspiration syringes). Conclusion Although MOs can be trained to provide CEmOC (including cesarean delivery), without proper selection of facilities and trainees, adequate training, and support, this strategy will not substantially improve the availability of comprehensive EmOC in India. Recommendations To implement a successful nationwide scale-up, several steps should be taken. These include, selecting motivated trainees, implementing the training as it was designed, improving support for trainees, and ensuring appropriate staff and infrastructure for trainees at their facilities before they return from training.
Unique DNA-binding protein in the serum of patients with various neoplasms.

ONE of the major deficiencies in cancer medicine is the inability to detect low level malignant growth such as tumours at an early stage of development or residual malignant growth after therapy. Biochemical assays for malignancy have centred around carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and α-foetoprotein (AFP)1, both of which are proteins found normally in embryonic tissues and only at low levels in mature, normal adults. Adult human serum contains a set of proteins with affinity for DNA2 and, as we report here, foetal human serum contains additional DNA-binding proteins not observed in adult sera. Patients with a wide variety of malignant disorders have been assayed for their complement of serum DNA-binding proteins; foetal species were present in the majority of sera examined.