cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A differential effect of IgM and IgG antibodies on the blastogenic response of lymphocytes to rubella virus

Abstract Peripheral blood lymphocytes of rabbits immunized with live rubella vaccine respond to rubella virus antigens in tissue culture with increased DNA synthesis as measured by incorporation of 3 H-thymidine. This reaction can be inhibited by rubella antibody. A dose dependent effect was observed when antibodies in whole serum were mixed with virus prior to addition to lymphocyte cultures. When antisera were fractionated and their individual immunoglobulins tested, a paradoxical effect was obtained. Immune IgG although it was highly effective in neutralizing the virus was incapable of inhibiting the lymphocyte response and at times caused an increased response. In contrast, immune IgM which was less efficient in neutralizing virus caused significant suppression of the blastogenic reaction. By themselves these results might have signified that IgG and IgM antibodies have different specificities or different binding properties with respect to viral surface antigens. However, immune complexes consisting of virus and IgM reduced response of both rubella immune and normal rabbit lymphocytes to PHA. This nonspecific inhibitory action required a specific step of antigen and IgM antibody interaction and normal IgM-virus mixtures or mixtures of anti-rubella IgM and poliovirus or influenza virus did not suppress lymphocyte response to PHA. Anti-rubella IgG complexed with rubella virus did not suppress the PHA response. The IgG function was apparently limited to neutralization of the infectivity of rubella virus whereas the major role of IgM was manifested through its suppressive effect on lymphocyte reactions.
The paredon, Mexico, obsidian source and early formative exchange.

In 1975, archeological surface surveys of trade routes located again a pre-Hispanic obsidian source in central Mexico first reported in 1902. Initial trace element studies of the Paredon source through an analysis by neutron activation have been compared with similar studies of the obsidian found at Chalcatzingo 150 kilometers from the source. These comparisons indicate that obsidian from Paredon, rather than Otumba, was of primary importance during the Early Formative in central Mexico.
Indentation Properties and Glycosaminoglycan Content of Human Menisci in the Deep Zone

Menisci are two crescent shaped fibrocartilaginous structures that provide fundamental load distribution and support within the knee joint. Their unique shape transmits axial stresses (i.e. "body force") into hoop or radial stresses. The menisci are primarily an inhomogeneous aggregate of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) supporting bulk compression and type I collagen fibrils sustaining tension. It has been shown that the superficial meniscal layers are functionally homogeneous throughout the three distinct regions (anterior, central and posterior) using a 300 μm diameter spherical indenter tip, but the deep zone of the meniscus has yet to be mechanically characterized at this scale. Furthermore, the distribution and content of GAG throughout the human meniscal cross-section have not been examined. This study investigated the mechanical properties, via indentation, of the human deep zone meniscus among three regions of the lateral and medial menisci. The distribution of GAGs through the cross-section was also documented. Results for the deep zone of the meniscus showed the medial posterior region to have a significantly greater instantaneous elastic modulus than the central region. No significant differences in the equilibrium modulus were seen when comparing regions or the hemijoint. Histological results revealed that GAGs are not present until at least ~600 μm from the meniscal surface. Understanding the role and distribution of GAG within the human meniscus in conjunction with the material properties of the meniscus will aid in the design of tissue engineered meniscal replacements.
Target of Rapamycin-dependent Activation of S6 Kinase Is a Central Step in the Transduction of Nutritional Signals during Egg Development in a Mosquito

Female mosquitoes are effective disease vectors, because they take blood from vertebrate hosts to obtain nutrients for egg development. Amino acid signaling via the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway has been identified as a key requirement for the activation of egg development after a blood meal. We report the characterization of the TOR kinase and one of its major downstream targets, S6 kinase, of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti during egg development in adult females. Both TOR and S6K mRNA are expressed at high levels in the ovaries and in lower levels in fat body and other tissues. After a blood meal, the subcellular localization of TOR shifts from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane of fat body cells. By detecting phosphothreonine 388 of mosquito S6 kinase, we show that TOR activity strongly increases in fat body and ovaries after a blood meal in vivo. Furthermore, phosphorylation of S6 kinase increases in in vitro cultured fat bodies after stimulation with amino acids. This increase is sensitive to the TOR inhibitor rapamycin in a concentration-dependent manner but not to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase inhibitor LY294002, the MAPK inhibitor PD98059, or the translational inhibitor cycloheximide. RNA interference-mediated reduction of S6 kinase strongly inhibits the amino acid-induced up-regulation of the major yolk protein vitellogenin in vitro and effectively disrupts egg development after a blood meal in vivo. Our data show that TOR-dependent activation of S6 kinase is a central step in the transduction of nutritional information during egg development in mosquitoes.
Dissecting innate immune responses with the tools of systems biology

Systems biology strives to derive accurate predictive descriptions of complex systems such as innate immunity. The innate immune system is essential for host defense, yet the resulting inflammatory response must be tightly regulated. Current understanding indicates that this system is controlled by complex regulatory networks, which maintain homoeostasis while accurately distinguishing pathogenic infections from harmless exposures. Recent studies have used high throughput technologies and computational techniques that presage predictive models and will be the foundation of a systems level understanding of innate immunity.
Embedded Librarianship: What Every Academic Librarian Should Know.

Alice L. Daugherty and Michael F. Russo, Eds. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2013, 201 pp., ISBN: 978-1-61069-413-1, paper, $65.00.In Embedded Librarianship: What Every Academic Librarian ...
Transition State Imbalances in Gas Phase Proton Transfers. Ab Initio Study of the Carbon-to-Carbon Proton Transfer from the Protonated Acetaldehyde Cation to Acetaldehyde Enol

The identity carbon-to-carbon proton transfer between oxygen-protonated acetaldehyde (syn and anti) and acetaldehyde enol (syn and anti) has been studied by ab initio methods at the 6-311+G**//6-31...
Paired-associate learning and bidirectional associative recall in first, third, fifth, and seventh graders

Abstract First-, third-, fifth-, and seventh-grade children learned a paired-associate list of seven pairs of familiar pictures to a criterion of one perfect trial, followed by modified-free recall. First and third graders required significantly more acquisition trials than fifth and seventh graders. Various component analyses, including stage analyses, were conducted to isolate the reasons for the differential learning rates. Both S-R and R-S recall were demonstrated to be invariant across all grade levels. Associative symmetry was demonstrated for all grade levels using both the conventional statistical analysis and a conditional probability analysis.
Interaction of the Circadian Cycle with the Cell Cycle in Pyrocystis fusiformis

Dividing pairs or single cells of the large dinoflagellate, Pyrocystis fusiformis Murray, were isolated in capillary tubes and their morphology was observed over a number of days, either in a light-dark cycle or in constant darkness. Morphological stages were correlated with the first growth stage, G(1), DNA synthesis, S, the second growth stage, G(2), mitosis, M, and cytokinesis, C, segments of the cell division cycle. The S phase was identified by measuring the nuclear DNA content of cells of different morphologies by the fluorescence of 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dichloride.Cells changed from one morphological stage to the next only during the night phase of the circadian cycle, both under light-dark conditions and in continuous darkness. Cells in all segments of the cell division cycle displayed a circadian rhythm in bioluminescence. These findings are incompatible with a mechanism for circadian oscillations that invokes cycling in G(q), an hypothesized side loop from G(1). All morphological stages, not only division, appear to be phased by the circadian clock.
Piecemeal Graph Exploration by a Mobile Robot

We study how a mobile robot can learn an unknown environment in a piecemeal manner. The robot's goal is to learn a complete map of its environment, while satisfying the constraint that it must return every so often to its starting position (for refueling, say). The environment is modeled as an arbitrary, undirected graph, which is initially unknown to the robot. We assume that the robot can distinguish vertices and edges that it has already explored. We present a surprisingly efficient algorithm for piecemeal learning an unknown undirected graph G=(V, E) in which the robot explores every vertex and edge in the graph by traversing at most O(E+V1+o(1)) edges. This nearly linear algorithm improves on the best previous algorithm, in which the robot traverses at most O(E+V2) edges. We also give an application of piecemeal learning to the problem of searching a graph for a “treasure.”
Should Intelligent Design be Taught in Public School Science Classrooms

A variety of different arguments have been offered for teaching “both sides” of the evolution/ID debate in public schools. This article reviews five of the most common types of arguments advanced by proponents of Intelligent Design and demonstrates how and why they are founded on confusion and misunderstanding. It argues on behalf of teaching evolution, and relegating discussion of ID to philosophy or history courses.
Climate change, human health, and epidemiological transition.

The health of populations depends on the availability of clean air, water, food, and sanitation, exposure to pathogens, toxins and environmental hazards, and numerous genetic, behavioral and social factors. For many thousands of years, human life expectancy was low, and population growth was slow. The development of technology-based civilizations facilitated what Abdel Omran called “epidemiological transition,” with increasing life expectancy and rapid population growth. To a large extent, the spectacular growth of human populations during the past two centuries was made possible by the energy extracted from fossil fuels. We have now learned, however, that greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion are warming the planet's surface, causing changes in oceanic and atmospheric systems, and disrupting weather and hydrological patterns. Climate change poses unprecedented threats to human health by impacts on food and water security, heat waves and droughts, violent storms, infectious disease, and rising sea levels. Whether or not humanity can reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly enough to slow climate change to a rate that will allow societies to successfully adapt is not yet known. This essay reviews the current state of relevant knowledge, and points in a few directions that those interested in human health may wish to consider.
Mate choice and sexual conflict in Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifera)

Male mate choice in Brachionus plicatilis is based on information from coronal receptors and contact chemoreception of a glycoprotein signal on the body surface of females. Male mating behavior is modulated by mating signal quality and strength, which determines male mating persistence and circling intensity. We probe the sensory abilities of males by better resolving their discrimination of female age. Males preferentially initiate mating with young females, but not too young. Males circle 0.2 h old females just hatched from resting eggs only about 1/2 as frequently as 12 h old females. Males are even more discriminating of females with whom they copulate, preferring 3 h old females significantly more than 0.2 h or 6 h old females. In contrast, males cannot distinguish between virgin females and those who have already copulated. Similarly, males circled and copulated with females hatching from resting eggs with equal frequency as those hatching from amictic eggs. The counterpoint to male mate choice is female resistance to mating. When males contact females, the females respond with one of four behaviors: no response, acceleration, foot flipping, or coronal retraction. In 65% of male–female encounters, there was no initial response by females. However, when males began circling females, females accelerated 11.1 times more often than when males were absent. The second type of evasive female behavior was foot-flipping, which tends to knock off males attempting to circle the female. In the presence of circling males, females performed foot-flipping behavior three times more often than in the absence of males. Coronal retraction, where they stop swimming and withdraw their corona, was observed less frequently than acceleration or foot-flipping, and there was no difference in the presence or absence of males. These data are interpreted in the context of sexual conflict, where the behaviors that optimize male and female fitness differ.
Cytoplasmic protein mRNA interaction mediates cGMP-modulated translational control of the asialoglycoprotein receptor.

Abstract Expression of the asialoglycoprotein receptor by the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HuH-7 in response to intracellular cGMP concentrations was previously shown to be regulated at the translational level. In a cell-free system, initiation of asialoglycoprotein receptor mRNA translation was dependent on the presence of the 7-methylguanylate cap site and was independent of 8-bromo-cGMP levels in which the cells were grown prior to RNA isolation. Stable transfection of COS-7 cells with deletion constructs of the asialoglycoprotein receptor H2b subunit localized the cGMP-responsive cis-acting element to the mRNA 5′-untranslated region (UTR). Addition of biotin (an activator of guanylate cyclase) induced the expression of β-galactosidase present as a chimeric plasmid containing the H2b 187-nucleotide 5′-UTR. An RNA gel retardation assay identified a 37-nucleotide cognate sequence within this 187-nucleotide region. Titration of the 5′-UTR with a cytosolic fraction isolated from HuH-7 grown in the presence or absence of 8-bromo-cGMP or biotin provided direct evidence for an RNA-binding protein responsive to intracellular levels of cGMP. Based on these findings, it seems reasonable to propose that reduction of intracellular levels of cGMP by biotin deprivation results in a negative trans-acting factor associating with the 5′-UTR of asialoglycoprotein receptor mRNAs, thereby inhibiting translation.
Pre- and post-palatoplasty Eustachian tube function in infants with cleft palate

Objective One past study conducted in 1986 reported Eustachian tube dilation with swallowing during the forced response test (FRT) in a very high percentage (>80%) of cleft palate patients both before and after palatoplasty. The present study was designed to determine the reproducibility of those results.
The effects of FSH-priming and dominant follicular regression on the superovulatory response of cattle

Thirty superovulatory treatments were administered to 19 mixed-breed, nonlactating cows. In 10 superovulatory treatments, the cows were primed with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) on the second and third day of the estrous cycle, and in another 10 superovulatory treatments, the cows received no priming dosage of FSH. Initiation of the superovulatory treatments in both groups was determined by ultrasonically monitoring for regression of the dominant anovulatory follicle. Still another 10 superovulatory treatments were begun on Day 10 without regard for regression of the dominant anovulatory follicle and without a priming dosage of FSH. The mean days for starting the superovulatory treatment in the FSH-primed cows, in the nonprimed cows and in the controls were 10.5, 11.9 and 10 days, respectively. All cows were treated with eight injections of FSH at 12-hour intervals in a declining dosage (36 mg total). Cows were bred naturally and embryos collected nonsurgically seven days later. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the total number of embryos or transferable embryos in the three treatment groups. In this study neither priming on Days 2 or 3 nor initiating the superovulatory treatment, based on the morphologic regression of the dominant anovulatory follicle, was an effective means for improving the superovulatory response in cattle.
The Effect of Photon Transport on the Performance of Electronic Imaging Detectors

The use of electronic imaging detectors in radiography and fluoroscopy allows the spatial variation of transmitted radiation intensity to be measured directly and stored in electronic devices for subsequent analysis and display. By eliminating the conventional use of photographic film in conjunction with scintillation screens or image intensifiers, potential cost and performance benefits can be accrued. Most electronic imaging detectors considered to date have poor resolution characteristics. However, this is usually due to problems in fabrication and charge readout and not to fundamental limits in performance. Fundamental limitations in the performance of electronic detectors result from charge deposited away from the position where an X-ray photon is initially absorbed and are dictated by the material composition of the detector. The charge transport arises from either secondary photons or secondary electrons. In this paper, we present preliminary results on computer calculations of the effects of secondary radiation transport on the intrinsic imaging characteristics of electronic imaging detectors as a function of their elemental composition.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Discussion of “graphical determination of specific‐volume anomaly and current”

Ocean surveys inthe California Current may expect to encounter temperatures from 3°C to 20°C, salinities from 32.50 ‰ to 34.60 ‰, and 105Δst values from 70 to 390 with depths down to 1000 m. These ranges involve four charts outlined in Figure 1 and one chart in Figure 5 of Callaway's article and subsequently published by the U. S. Navy Hydrographic Office. A single alignment chart can be prepared for the computation of the dynamic depths for the California limits.
Transcriptomic Analysis of Starch Biosynthesis in the Developing Grain of Hexaploid Wheat

The expression of genes involved in starch synthesis in wheat was analyzed together with the accumulation profiles of soluble sugars, starch, protein, and starch granule distribution in developing caryopses obtained from the same biological materials used for profiling of gene expression using DNA microarrays. Multiple expression patterns were detected for the different starch biosynthetic gene isoforms, suggesting their relative importance through caryopsis development. Members of the ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch synthase, starch branching enzyme, and sucrose synthase gene families showed different expression profiles; expression of some members of these gene families coincided with a period of high accumulation of starch while others did not. A biphasic pattern was observed in the rates of starch and protein accumulation which paralleled changes in global gene expression. Metabolic and regulatory genes that show a pattern of expression similar to starch accumulation and granule size distribution were identified, suggesting their coinvolvement in these biological processes.
Arsenic in sediments, groundwater, and streamwater of a glauconitic Coastal Plain terrain, New Jersey, USA—Chemical “fingerprints” for geogenic and anthropogenic sources

Abstract Glauconite-bearing deposits are found worldwide, but As levels have been determined for relatively few. The As content of glauconites in sediments of the Inner Coastal Plain of New Jersey can exceed 100 mg/kg, and total As concentrations (up to 5.95 μg/L) found historically and recently in streamwaters exceed the State standard. In a major watershed of the Inner Coastal Plain, chemical “fingerprints” were developed for streambed sediments and groundwater to identify contributions of As to the watershed from geologic and anthropogenic sources. The fingerprint for streambed sediments, which included Be, Cr, Fe and V, indicated that As was predominantly of geologic origin. High concentrations of dissolved organic C, nutrients (and Cl−) in shallow groundwater indicated anthropogenic inputs that provided an environment where microbial activity released As from minerals to groundwater discharging to the stream. Particulates in streamwater during high flow constituted most of the As load; the chemical patterns for these particulates resembled the geologic fingerprint of the streambed sediments. The As/Cr ratio of these suspended particles likely indicates they derived not only from runoff, but from groundwater inputs, because As contributed by groundwater is sequestered on streambed sediments. Agricultural inputs of As were not clearly identified, although chemical characteristics of some sediments indicated vehicle-related inputs of metals. Sediment sampling during dry and wet years showed that, under differing hydrologic conditions, local anthropogenic fingerprints could be obscured but the geologic fingerprint, indicating glauconitic sediments as an As source, was robust.
Some dynamic theory of macroeconomic policy effects on income and prices under the government budget restraint

Abstract Consider a macroeconomic model with constant capacity, an inflation adjustment process depending on excess demand, a government budget restraint, and plausible assumptions. Steady-state equilibrium paths have constant (possibly zero) inflation rates. Stability is assured if the endogenous policy variable is money, government purchase, or the tax rate; if it is government debt instability is assured (contrary to Blinder-Solow). Exogenous increases in money or government purchases raise prices in the short and long run. An open market purchase raises prices in the short run, but if money is endogenous it reduces money and prices in the long run.
Effects of Speed and Limb Dominance on Eccentric and Concentric lsokinetic Testing of the Knee.

This study investigated the effects of speed and limb dominance on torque values and ratios of the quadriceps and hamstrings during both eccentric and concentric exercise. Both knees of 12 males an...
Dietary fish oil inhibits bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in the rat.

Intratracheal bleomycin induces pulmonary fibrosis in experimental animals, but the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Since altered levels of fatty acid metabolites are associated with bleomycin-induced lung injury, we examined the effects of a change in dietary fat on bleomycin-induced fibrosis. Previously we have shown that an essential fatty acid-deficient diet can reduce the severity of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. The present study examined the effect of replacement of usual dietary fat with menhaden oil, rich in eicosapentaenoic acid, on the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Weanling rats were raised on a standard laboratory diet or a diet consisting of a fat-free powder to which was added 25% (w/w) of menhaden oil. After 8 weeks of feeding, the animals received either U units of bleomycin or an equivalent volume of saline intra-tracheally. In animals receiving the laboratory diet, bleomycin treatment produced a 44% increase in total lung protein content when compared to saline-tr...
A time to bury the dead

At the Leon River Medicine Wheel, safely hidden in a central Texas forest, far from paved roads, they always begin the reburial ceremony with a flag song. The first thing erected at the cemetery after the tall protective fence was a flagpole. Carrying the colors is a privilege of the warrior societies—now called veterans' organizations in deference to white opinion. At this particular ceremony, the Kiowa Black Leggings do the honors, and the drum is in fine form.
Hydrogen analysis of soda-lime silicate glass

Abstract Hydrogen profiles in two hydrated soda-lime glasses were measured with a resonant nuclear reaction. In a glass with a transformed, hydrated layer, reliable hydrogen analyses could be obtained only by cooling the sample rapidly from the hydrating temperature to well below 0 ° C, and holding it at this temperature before and during analysis. If the glass was held at room temperature in a vacuum or in ambient air, it lost substantial amounts of hydrogen from the hydrated layer. A commercial soda-lime glass showed little difference between measured hydrogen levels in cooled samples and samples held and measured at room temperature, confirming that this glass does not have a transformed hydrated layer. The ratio of hydrogen to exchanged sodium in both of these glasses was three (within experimental error), suggesting hydronium for sodium ion exchange. The interdiffusion model for this exchange is the most successful.
Low-density lipoprotein apheresis using the Liposorber dextran sulfate cellulose system for patients with hypercholesterolemia refractory to medical therapy.

A subset of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) have an inadequate lipid-lowering response to diet and drug treatment and should be considered for low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-apheresis therapy. This procedure selectively removes apolipoprotein B-containing particles [LDL, very-low-density lipoprotein, lipoprotein(a)] from plasma independent of diet and drug therapy. Methods for performing LDL-apheresis include dextran sulfate cellulose adsorption, immunoadsorption, and heparin-induced extracorporeal precipitation. The Liposorber Study Group evaluated LDL removal using the Liposorber® LA-15 LDL-apheresis System in 64 patients with FH who had not responded adequately to diet and maximal drug therapy. Mean acute reductions in LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) were 76% in heterozygous FH (HtFH) patients and 81% in homozygous FH (HoFH) patients. Time-averaged levels of LDL-C were lowered 41% in HtFH and 53% in HoFH patients. Hypotension was the most frequent side effect, occurring in 3% of procedures. The Liposorber® LA-15 System has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is recommended for 1) patients with functional homozygous FH (LDL-C level >500 mg/dL; 2) patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and LDL-C levels ≥200 mg/dL; 3) patients without CAD, but an LDL-C level ≥300 mg/dL. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Unipolar depression with bipolar family history: links with the bipolar spectrum.

The aim of the present paper was to find if unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) with bipolar family history could be included in the bipolar spectrum, by comparing it to unipolar MDD without bipolar family history, and to bipolar II disorder, on typical bipolar variables. A sample of 280 consecutive bipolar II outpatients, and a sample of 135 consecutive unipolar MDD outpatients, presenting for major depressive episode (MDE) treatment, were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn). Hypomanic symptoms during the MDE were systematically assessed. Clinical variables used to validate the inclusion of unipolar MDD with bipolar family history in the bipolar spectrum were young age of onset, many MDE recurrences, atypical features, and depressive mixed state (DMX; an MDE plus >2 concurrent hypomanic symptoms), following many previous studies reporting that these variables were typical features of bipolar disorders. Means were compared by t-test and frequencies by χ2 test (stata 7). Two-tailed P < 0.05 was chosen. Unipolar MDD with bipolar family history was present in 20% of MDD patients. Comparisons among unipolar MDD with bipolar family history (UP+BPFH), unipolar MDD without bipolar family history (UP–BPFH), and bipolar II (BPII), found that UP+BPFH versus UP–BPFH had a significantly lower age, lower age of onset, fewer recurrences, and more DMX; that UP+BPFH versus BPII had no significant differences (apart from recurrences); and that UP–BPFH versus BPII had significantly different age, age of onset, recurrences, atypical features, and DMX. Findings suggest that UP+BPFH shows many bipolar signs, and that it could therefore be included in the bipolar spectrum. Unipolar MDD with bipolar family history had a clinically significant 20.0% frequency in the unipolar MDD sample, supporting the clinical usefulness of this depression subtype. The subtyping of MDD based on bipolar family history could have treatment implications.
Aorta–Pulmonary Artery Shunts with Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Tube

Abstract Ten patients underwent an aorta-pulmonary artery shunt with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tube between December, 1976, and October, 1977. Five of them were less than 1 month old. The diameter of the PTFE tube was 5 mm in 9 patients and 4 mm in 1 patient. Seven patients survived the operation. One of them had a clotted shunt, which was reoperated on successfully. Three patients died in the postoperative period, and all had a patent shunt. Overall patency was 90% (9/10). Congestive heart failure refractory to medical treatment developed in 1 patient with a patent Blalock-Taussig and PTFE shunt. In our institution, the Blalock-Taussig shunt is the procedure of choice. The PTFE shunt is used when the anatomy of a patient is unsuitable for a Blalock-Taussig shunt. A tube diameter of 5 mm is optimal for infants when further growth is considered, even if digitalization is necessary to control congestive heart failure.
Prolyl hydroxylation- and glycosylation-dependent functions of Skp1 in O2-regulated development of Dictyostelium

O(2) regulates multicellular development of the social amoeba Dictyostelium, suggesting it may serve as an important cue in its native soil environment. Dictyostelium expresses an HIFα-type prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H1) whose levels affect the O(2)-threshold for culmination implicating it as a direct O(2)-sensor, as in animals. But Dictyostelium lacks HIFα, a mediator of animal prolyl 4-hydroxylase signaling, and P4H1 can hydroxylate Pro143 of Skp1, a subunit of E3(SCF)ubiquitin-ligases. Skp1 hydroxyproline then becomes the target of five sequential glycosyltransferase reactions that modulate the O(2)-signal. Here we show that genetically induced changes in Skp1 levels also affect the O(2)-threshold, in opposite direction to that of the modification enzymes suggesting that the latter reduce Skp1 activity. Consistent with this, overexpressed Skp1 is poorly hydroxylated and Skp1 is the only P4H1 substrate detectable in extracts. Effects of Pro143 mutations, and of combinations of Skp1 and enzyme level perturbations, are consistent with pathway modulation of Skp1 activity. However, some effects were not mirrored by changes in modification of the bulk Skp1 pool, implicating a Skp1 subpopulation and possibly additional unknown factors. Altered Skp1 levels also affected other developmental transitions in a modification-dependent fashion. Whereas hydroxylation of animal HIFα results in its polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, Dictyostelium Skp1 levels were little affected by its modification status. These data indicate that Skp1 and possibly E3(SCF)ubiquitin-ligase activity modulate O(2)-dependent culmination and other developmental processes, and at least partially mediate the action of the hydroxylation/glycosylation pathway in O(2)-sensing.
Giant Cell Arteritis Manifesting as Chronic Cough and Fever of Unknown Origin

A 57-year-old white man sought medical attention because of chronic cough and fever of unknown origin. An extensive work-up over 4 weeks, including repeated blood cultures, chest roentgenograms, a gallium scan, and computed tomographic scans of the sinuses, chest, and abdomen, was nondiagnostic. The patient was referred to our institution for bronchoscopy. Further analysis of his history revealed that he had a headache in conjunction with the cough and an episode of a flashing color design in his left eye 1 week before assessment. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 115 mm in 1 hour. A biopsy of the temporal artery showed granulomatous inflammation of the vessel wall with multinucleated giant cells, histiocytes, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and few eosinophils. The multinucleated giant cells were closely related to the fragmented elastic lamina. Corticosteroid therapy resulted in prompt resolution of the chronic cough and fever. Giant cell arteritis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic cough.
Formulation of the thermal problem

This paper describes the thermal problem and presents the experimental data for validation. The thermal problem involves validating a model for heat conduction in a solid. The mathematical model is based on one-dimensional, linear heat conduction in a solid slab, with heat flux boundary conditions. Experimental data from a series of material characterization, validation, and accreditation experiments related to the mathematical model are provided. The objective is to use the series of experiments to assess the model, and then use the model to predict regulatory performance relative to a regulatory requirement. The regulatory requirement is defined in terms of the probability that a surface temperature not exceed a specified temperature at the regulatory conditions.
Digital Subtraction Arteriography: Now And The Future

Roentgen discovered x-rays in late 1895 and published his first paper on the subject December 28, 1895. Almost immediately it was recognized that blood and surrounding tissues provided similar x-ray attenuation and that studies of the cardiovascular system would require the use of some intravascular contrast medium. The first arteriogram was reported in January, 1896, by Haschek and Lindenthal who injected the arteries of a cadaver forearm with a medium that was largely calcium carbonate. It was not until 1927 that Moniz of Portugal reported the first successful arteriograms in patients. He studied the intracranial vasculature with iodinated contrast material which was injected by means of a needle placed in a surgically exposed carotid artery. In 1929, Dos Santos and his colleagues performed aortography with the contrast agent injected into the aorta by way of a translumbar approach. The same group also used one of the earliest pressure injections to ensure rapid delivery of the contrast material. These workers were using iodine as the atom which was incorporated into the contrast medium. Iodine has good biological compatibility and shows an abrupt increase in its x-ray attenuation coefficient at 33 kiloelectron volts and in the energy range commonly used in diagnostic x-ray images it is more efficient in producing x-ray shadows than lead. Iodine remains the contrast atom of choice.
Severe Gastroenteritis Associated with Vibrio hollisae Infection: Report of Two Cases and Review

Vibrio hollisae, one of the more recently described halophilic Vibrio species, is infrequently associated with gastrointestinal disease and only rarely recovered from individuals presenting with gram-negative sepsis. In this report we describe two cases of severe gastrointestinal disease associated with V. hollisae in otherwise healthy individuals. In one of these individuals, severe epigastric pain was apparently associated with signs of pseudoappendicitis, necessitating exploratory surgery. In both individuals, infection was associated with the ingestion of raw shellfish. These cases are discussed in light of previous reports on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and spectrum of disease caused by this unusual pathogen.
Sixty years of Sino-Afghan relations

Afghanistan and the People's Republic of China (PRC) established diplomatic relations in 1955. Since that time, the changing relationship of China with Afghanistan has mirrored those of the PRC with other nation states. What began as an attempt by the PRC to establish international legitimacy for its new government and to offer third-world nations a socialist-communist path other than following the Soviet Union turned into a quest for natural resources. Using a variety of primary sources, including recently declassified intelligence files, secondary sources and open source material, this article traces the development of this changing relationship, demonstrating how it has complemented or complicated the United States' relationship with Afghanistan. It also shows how changing world events have affected the Chinese perception of the role Afghanistan can play in its foreign policy. The article concludes with a presentation of what role China is playing and can play in Afghanistan today, ending with a discus...
Silicon power Zener transient suppressors

Transient voltage protection for transistors, integrated circuits, and SCR's can be achieved by using many matched Zener diodes paralleled on a common heat sink. The assembly reacts instantaneously and limits the voltage to a pre-determined value. It does not introduce extraneous noise into the circuit and it is immediately operational after the transient is gone.
A liquid chromatographic method for quantitating amitriptyline in brain tissue.

A previously reported method for measuring tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) in plasma was modified to measure TCA, specifically amitriptyline (AMI) and nortriptyline (NOR) in rat brain tissue. Brains obtained from drugfree and AMI-treated rats were extracted and assayed using a Waters high-performance liquid chromatograph. Drug-free brain tissue contained no substances which interfered with the assay of these TCAs. Drug recovery averaged 90±3.4% (x±SEM). Seven intra-run assays of a spiked brain tissue sample yielded coefficients of variation of 2.7% for AMI and 1.8% for NOR. Seven inter-run assays of the same sample varied 4.2% for AMI and 3.5% for NOR. Five separate assays of a brain homogenate sample spiked with 50 ng/ml of drug yielded values of 50±2.1 SEM ng/ml for AMI and 54±1.1 SEM ng/ml for NOR. Standard curves were linear when constructed from samples in a concentration range of 250–3,000 ng/g wet weight tissue (r=0.96, P<0.001).
Comparison of multilevel modeling and the family-based association test for identifying genetic variants associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure using Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 simulated data

Identifying genetic variants associated with complex diseases is an important task in genetic research. Although association studies based on unrelated individuals (ie, case-control genome-wide association studies) have successfully identified common single-nucleotide polymorphisms for many complex diseases, these studies are not so likely to identify rare genetic variants. In contrast, family-based association studies are particularly useful for identifying rare-variant associations. Recently, there has been some interest in employing multilevel models in family-based genetic association studies. However, the performance of such models in these studies, especially for longitudinal family-based sequence data, has not been fully investigated. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the performance of the multilevel model in the family-based genetic association analysis and compared it with the conventional family-based association test, by examining the powers and type I error rates of the 2 approaches using 3 data sets from the Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 simulated data: genome-wide association single-nucleotide polymorphism data, sequence data, and rare-variants-only data. Compared with the univariate family-based association test, the multilevel model had slightly higher power to identify most of the causal genetic variants using the genome-wide association single-nucleotide polymorphism data and sequence data. However, both approaches had low power to identify most of the causal single-nucleotide polymorphisms, especially those among the relatively rare genetic variants. Therefore, we suggest a unified method that combines both approaches and incorporates collapsing strategy, which may be more powerful than either approach alone for studying genetic associations using family-based data.
Effects of child interview method on accuracy and completeness of sexual abuse information recall

To determine if there were differences between using anatomically correct dolls, drawings, or verbal descriptions in the accuracy and completeness of information, 45 girls aged 9 to 10 were studied. The children were shown a 12-minute videotape designed to provide information on sexual abuse and its prevention. Participants were interviewed individually and requested to tell everything they remembered about the videotape using 1 of the 3 methods. Results indicated that the children in the group using either dolls or drawings obtained higher scores, but the differences between groups were not statistically significant.
Stability of Kindergarten Children's Career Aspirations

211 kindergarten children were interviewed in September and again in May concerning their career aspirations. On both occasions the interviewer asked for a first career choice; if something other than a real job was given, the interviewer asked for a second choice. During the September interview, 74% supplied a “real” career as their first choice and 10% gave real career responses as a second choice. Eight months later, 89% gave real careers as a first choice. Of those giving a real career response on the first occasion 46% chose the same occupation at the second interview, suggesting that kindergarten children have realistic career aspirations, and these aspirations are stable. Nonreal career aspirations appear to diminish during this period. Children from inner city schools had higher rates of nonreal responses and lower stability of choice than other groups.
Endocrine Disrupting Activities of the Flavonoid Nutraceuticals Luteolin and Quercetin

Dietary plant flavonoids have been proposed to contribute to cancer prevention, neuroprotection, and cardiovascular health through their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, and antiproliferative activities. As a consequence, flavonoid supplements are aggressively marketed by the nutraceutical industry for many purposes, including pediatric applications, despite inadequate understanding of their value and drawbacks. We show that two flavonoids, luteolin and quercetin, are promiscuous endocrine disruptors. These flavonoids display progesterone antagonist activity beneficial in a breast cancer model but deleterious in an endometrial cancer model. Concurrently, luteolin possesses potent estrogen agonist activity while quercetin is considerably less effective. These results highlight the promise and peril of flavonoid nutraceuticals and suggest caution in supplementation beyond levels attained in a healthy, plant-rich diet.
Transverse Cracking of Concrete Bridge Decks: Effects of Design Factors

Early transverse cracking is one of the dominant forms of bridge deck defects experienced by a large number of transportation agencies. These cracks often initiate soon after the bridge deck is constructed, and they are caused by restrained shrinkage of concrete. Transverse cracks increase the maintenance cost of a bridge structure and reduce its life span. Most of the past efforts addressing transverse bridge deck cracking have focused on changes over the years in concrete material properties and construction practices. However, recent studies have shown the importance of design factors on transverse bridge deck cracking. This paper presents results of a comprehensive finite-element (FE) study of deck and girder bridge systems to understand and evaluate crack patterns, stress histories, as well as the relative effect of different design factors such as structural stiffness on transverse deck cracking. The results of this study demonstrate the development of transverse deck cracking and emphasize the importance of these design factors. They also recommend preventive measures that can be adopted during the design stage in order to minimize the probability of transverse deck cracking.
Hybridization and Cytonuclear Associations among Native Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Introduced Rainbow Trout, and Their Hybrids within the Stehekin River Drainage, North Cascades National Park

Abstract Historic introductions of nonnative rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss into the native habitats of cutthroat trout O. clarkii have impacted cutthroat trout populations through introgressive hybridization, creating challenges and concerns for cutthroat trout conservation. We examined the effects of rainbow trout introductions on the native westslope cutthroat trout O. c. lewisii within the Stehekin River drainage, North Cascades National Park, Washington, by analyzing 1,763 salmonid DNA samples from 18 locations with nine diagnostic nuclear DNA markers and one diagnostic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) marker. Pure westslope cutthroat trout populations only occurred above upstream migration barriers in the Stehekin River and Park Creek. Two categories of rainbow trout admixture were observed: (1) less than 10% within the Stehekin River drainage above the Bridge Creek confluence and the middle and upper Bridge Creek drainage and (2) greater than 30% within the Stehekin River below the Bridge Creek conflue...
Voltage-clamp study on GABA response desensitization in single pyramidal cells dissociated from the hippocampus of adult guinea pigs

Acutely dissociated pyramidal cells prepared from the hippocampus of adult guinea pigs were used for the present study. The characteristic dual response of pyramidal cells to GABA as demonstrated in the in vivo and slice preparations was retained in the dissociated cells. The results show that the fading of the GABA hyperpolarizing response during prolonged GABA application cannot be accounted for by the development of an opposing depolarizing response, nor can it be explained by changes in the intracellular ionic composition during GABA action. The data strongly suggest that GABA receptors mediating the hyperpolarizing response exhibit desensitization and the time course of the GABA response is significantly controlled by this property of the receptors.
Method of projection operators for photonic band structures with perfectly conducting elements

We introduce the method of projection operators based on plane-wave expansion to compute photonic band structures in periodic media containing perfectly conducting elements. Eigenfunctions of a unit configuration potential generate suitable projection operators in the form of a set of eigenvectors in the Fourier domain. By simply applying a projection operator onto a proper subspace, a quadratic or cubic eigensystem for finitely conducting media can be transformed into an ordinary symmetric eigensystem in the limit of perfect conductors. The procedure is equivalent to finding solutions of wave equations under the condition that the electromagnetic fields are entirely zero inside periodic perfect conductors. The methodology developed here, in fact, can be viewed as a generalization of the conventional metal waveguide or cavity theory. The method is numerically handy, fast, and readily extendible to general metallodielectric photonic crystals. As examples, we present photonic band structures in two-dimensional metal and metallodielectric cylinder structures.