cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protonmotive force driven 6-deoxyglucose uptake by the oral pathogen, Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt.

Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt was grown in glucose-excess continuous culture to repress the glucose phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system (PTS) and allow investigation of the alternative glucose process using the non-PTS substrate, (3H) 6-deoxyglucose. After correcting for non-specific adsorption to inactivated cells, the radiolabelled glucose analogue was found to be concentrated approximately 4.3-fold intracellularly by bacteria incubated in 100 mM Tris-citrate buffer, pH 7.0. Mercaptoethanol or KCl enhanced 6-deoxyglucose uptake, enabling it to be concentrated internally by at least 8-fold, but NaCl was inhibitory to its transport. Initial uptake was antagonised by glucose but not 2-deoxyglucose. Evidence that 6-deoxyglucose transport was driven by protonmotive force (Δp) was obtained by inhibiting its uptake with the protonophores, 2,4-dinitrophenol, carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazine, gramicidin and nigericin, and the electrical potential difference (ΔΨ) dissipator, KSCN. The membrane ATPase inhibitor, N,N1-dicyclohexyl carbodiimide, also reduced 6-deoxyglucose uptake as did 100 mM lactate. In combination, these two inhibitors completely abolished 6-deoxyglucose transport. This suggests that the driving force for 6-deoxyglucose uptake is electrogenic, involving both the transmembrane pH gradient (ΔpH) and ΔΨ. ATP hydrolysis, catalysed by the ATPase, and lactate excretion might be important contributors to ΔpH.
Retroviral pseudo-virus carrying the envelope proteins of neurotropic Friend murine leukemia virus effectively transferred retroviral vector into glial cells

We isolated the neurotropic Friend murine leukemia virus, FrC6 and its molecular clone A8, which proliferated in rat glial cell lines in vitro and in the rat brain in vivo. To investigate the contribution of viral envelope proteins to the neurotropism of A8 virus, the retroviral pseudo-virus carrying the envelope proteins of A8 virus and Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) was produced by transfecting the env gene of A8 virus (A8env) in the MoMLV based packaging cell, psi CRE. The phenotypically mixed pseudo-virus infected the rat glial cell lines as well as NIH 3T3 cells, whereas the psi CRE-produced pure pseudo-virus without A8env expression infected the glial cells at lower efficiency. Furthermore, the psi CRE cells with A8env expression produced pseudo-virus at a higher titer than normal psi CRE cells. The infectivity of the phenotypically mixed pseudo-virus to the glial cells was abolished by a neutralizing antibody against A8 virus, which did not reduce the ability of the psi CRE-produced pure pseudo-virus to infect NIH 3T3 cells. These results indicated that the envelope protein of A8 virus is assembled into the pseudo-viral particles and that it contributes to glial cell infection by the A8 virus.
Performance of an HF chain-reaction laser with high initiation efficiency

Output-pulse observations are presented for a tranverse electrically initiated, helium-diluted HF laser pumped by the H 2 + F 2 chain reaction. Performance of this laser is studied over a wide range of the gas composition and for initial pressures between 0.1 and 0.5 atm. The gas mixture was stabilized by premixing O 2 , F 2 , and He and flowing this mixture into a cold trap (84 K) before mixing with H 2 . Optimum conversion of electrical-initiation energy into laser energy was found for a 240-torr mixture with a mole ratio 1 F 2 :0.23 H 2 :0.08 O 2 :12 He which, when initiated with a 25-kV, 333-pF discharge, gave a pulse energy of 0.150 J. This corresponds to a ratio of laser output energy to electrical input energy of 144 percent. After unnecessary losses are taken into account, this ratio becomes 160 percent.
Transmission electron microscopy study of zirconia-alumina nanolaminates grown by reactive sputter deposition. Part I : zirconia nanocrystallite growth morphology

Abstract Pure zirconia films and zirconia–alumina nanolaminate films grown by reactive sputter deposition are studied by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The phase composition and morphology associated with zirconia crystallite growth are investigated by examining films containing zirconia layers of varying thickness. These studies, performed at room temperature, suggest that the zirconia crystallites initially grow in the tetragonal phase to a critical size of 6.0±0.2 nm, in agreement with a value of 6.2 nm predicted by end-point thermodynamics. Past the critical size, incorporation of additional zirconia molecules into the zirconia layers is accomplished predominantly by transformation of the growing crystallites to the monoclinic phase, and less frequently by deposition of amorphous zirconia. Transformation to the monoclinic phase is accompanied by a highly faulted intermediary phase. The subsequent growth behavior of monoclinic crystallites is consistent with a three-dimensional interface-controlled, diffusion-limited growth process with a growth exponent between 3 and 4. Nanoindentation measurements of nanolaminates with 5-nm thick zirconia layers give a hardness of ~8 GPa for the upper strata where the morphology of the tetragonal zirconia layers contains an intrinsic roughness. The hardness increases to ~10 GPa closer to the substrate where the laminar morphology is more pronounced. Young's modulus is between 156 and 195 GPa for these same nanolaminates.
Preparation of the Patient for Palliative Procedures

The primary intent of surgical procedures traditionally has been the achievement of cure. Palliative surgery is emerging as an equally legitimate strategy of care; its goals are symptom relief and enhanced quality of life based on the patient's preferences. The key to successful palliative surgery is understanding patient and family dynamics, interdisciplinary team approaches, and producing a consistent and rational treatment plan. Far from condemning a patient, palliative surgery has a potential place in many treatment plans for enhanced quality of life and longevity.
Binding of IAA and ABA to phospholipid bilayers

The plant hormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) are shown to bind differently to phospholipid bilayer membranes. As followed by fluorescence polarization of membrane interior (1,6 diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene) and aqueous interface (1-(4-trimethylammoninum-phenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and octadecyl-anthracene-9-carboxylate) probes, non-dissociated IAA binds to liquid crystalline state membranes composed of either saturated or unsaturated phospholipids. Weak binding (Kd = 3.4 mM) is also measured by a novel method following a change in fluorescence polarization of IAA as it binds. Particularly altered by IAA are the aqueous interface probes indicating that IAA acts on the membrane surface. In sharp contrast, ABA does not appreciably affect polarization of the same probes on the same series of phospholipid bilayers that are affected by IAA. From these observations and prior reports of the hormones' effects on phospholipid vesicle permeability, aggregation and fusion, we propose that IAA perturbs the membrane surface while ABA acts at regions of membrane packing defects.
High Steady-State Levels of Uric Acid Produced in Rats by Dietary Training and Potassium Oxonate

To reduce the inherent variability in serum uric acid levels of animals allowed ad libitum exposure to food containing potassium oxonate and uric acid, male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to eat their daily food allotment in a 1.25-hr period each morning. After training the rats were fed a food mixture containing 5% potassium oxonate and 2% uric acid (w/w each). Serum blood levels of uric acid reached a steady state within 2 hr; these levels were maintained for an additional 4 hr. It is believed that the stomach emptying rate is a zero-order process under these experimental conditions.
Specific elicitors of glyceollin accumulation in the Pseudomonas glycinea-soybean host-parasite system

Abstract Specific elicitors of the soybean phytoalexin glyceollin were detected in the cellular envelopes of incompatible races of Pseudomonas glycinea. Sodium dodecyl sulphate solubilized the elicitors from isolated cellular envelopes and, with one exception, these preparations from five bacterial races had the same specificity for elicitation of glyceollin accumulation in cotyledons of cultivars Acme and Harosoy soybeans as did the respective live bacterial cells. Elicitor activity was not detected in lipopolysaccharide preparations, exopolysaccharide fractions or the culture fluids of the various P. glycinea races.
Resting Kinetics of Thallium-201 in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

The thallium washout was analyzed in 40 patients with angiographically documented CAD, using circumferential time-activity profiles of the initial and four-hour delayed images. A net washout pattern (fewer counts in delayed images than initial images) was observed in the distribution of normal and diseased vessels. A negative washout (washin) (a net increase in counts in The four-hour delayed images) was observed only in the presence of diseased vessels, even if the initial scans were normal. Quantitative analysis of thallium kinetics was shown to be important in rest images, and should be performed even if the initial images appear normal.
Elements proximal to and within the transmembrane domain mediate the organelle-to-organelle movement of bZIP28 under ER stress conditions

Summary Arabidopsis bZIP28, an ER membrane-associated transcription factor, is activated in response to conditions that induce ER stress–adverse environmental conditions or exposure to ER stress agents such as tunicamycin and dithiothreitol. Upon stress treatment, bZIP28 exits the ER and moves to the Golgi, where it is proteolytically processed, releasing its transcriptional component, which relocates to the nucleus. In this study, we tracked the movement of GFP-tagged bZIP28 in an effort to understand its mobilization from the ER and release from the Golgi. We identified a small region in bZIP28 that is rich in dibasic amino acids and proximal to the transmembrane domain required for its movement from the ER. In response to ER stress, bZIP28 showed enhanced interaction with Sar1 and Sec12, components of the COPII machinery. We demonstrated that the dibasic amino acid-rich region in bZIP28 is involved in the interaction with Sar1. Upon migration to the Golgi, bZIP28 is proteolytically processed by proteases S1P and S2P. We found a putative helix-breaking residue in the transmembrane domain of bZIP28 to be crucial for its processing and liberation from Golgi bodies. Thus, in response to stress, bZIP28 moves from organelle to organelle by interaction of critical elements in the molecule with the transport and/or proteolytic machinery resident in the various organelles.
A study of planning dose constraints for treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using a commercial inverse treatment planning system

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop and test planning dose constraint templates for tumor and normal structures in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using a specific commercial inverse treatment planning system. Methods and materials Planning dose constraint templates were developed based on the analyses of dose–volume histograms (DVHs) of tumor targets and adjacent sensitive structures by clinically approved treatment plans of 9 T1–2 and 16 T3–4 NPC patients treated with inverse planned intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IP-IMRT). DVHs of sensitive structures were analyzed by examining multiple defined endpoints, based on the characteristics of each sensitive structure. For each subgroup of patients with T1–2 and T3–4 NPC, the resulting mean values of these defined endpoint doses were considered as templates for planning dose constraints and subsequently applied to a second group of patients, 5 with T1–2 NPC and 5 with T3–4 NPC. The 10 regenerated plans (called new plans) were compared to the original clinical plans that were used to treat the second group of patients, based on plan conformity index and DVHs. Results The conformity indices of the new plans were comparable to the original plans with no statistical difference ( p = 0.85). Among the serial sensitive structures evaluated, there was a significant decrease with the new plans in the dose to the spinal cord when analyzed by the maximum dose ( p = 0.001), doses encompassing 1 cc of the spinal cord volume ( p = 0.001) and 3 cc of the spinal cord volume ( p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean maximum dose to the brainstem between the new plans and the original plans ( p = 0.36). However, a significant difference in the mean maximum dose to the brainstem was seen among the different T-stages ( p = 0.04). A decrease with the new plan to the brainstem in the doses encompassing 5% and 10% of the volume was of borderline statistical significance ( p = 0.08 and p = 0.06, respectively). There were no statistical differences between the new plans and the original plans in the mean doses to the chiasm, optic nerve, or eye for each of the endpoints considered. For parallel sensitive structures in the new plans, there was a significant increase in the average mean dose to the parotid glands ( p = 0.01), a decrease that was of borderline significance in the average mean dose to the temporomandibular joint ( p = 0.07), but no difference in the average mean dose to the ear. Conclusions The statistical analysis showed that new plans are comparable to the original plans for most of the sensitive structures except for a trade-off between a dose reduction to the spinal cord in the new plans and an increase in the mean dose to the parotid glands. These tested planning dose constraint templates can serve as good "starting points" for an inverse plan of NPC using a specific commercial inverse treatment planning system.
Simple, rapid method for quantification of tricuspid regurgitation by two-dimensional echocardiography

Functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is usually due to pulmonary hypertension with subsequent right ventricular and tricuspid valve anular dilatation. The correlation between anular dilatation and TR severity is unclear. Unfortunately, there is no simple, accurate method of assessing the presence and severity of TR. Real-time (color flow) Doppler echocardiography, a sophisticated but expensive technique, facilitates noninvasive determination of the presence and severity of TR by the area and depth of color-encoded, systolic turbulent reflux into the right atrium. In this study, TR severity (0 to 4+), assessed by color flow Doppler, was correlated with diastolic and systolic tricuspid valve anulus dimension, measured by computerized calipers, from the apical 4-chamber and right ventricular inflow 2-dimensional views. Forty-six patients were studied: 32 with 0 to 2+ TR and 14 with functional 3 to 4+ TR. TR severity correlated significantly with the tricuspid valve anulus in both diastole and systole. The correlation was best in the apical 4-chamber view during systole (r = 0.88, p less than 0.0001). No patient with tricuspid valve anulus in systole less than 3.2 cm or in diastole less than 3.4 cm had severe (3 to 4+) TR. Thus, measurement of the tricuspid valve anulus by 2-dimensional echocardiography is a simple, noninvasive method to identify patients with moderate to severe TR.
Phase-guided thread-to-core assignment for improved utilization of performance-asymmetric multi-core processors

CPU vendors are starting to explore trade offs between die size, number of cores on a die, and power consumption leading to performance asymmetry among cores on a single chip. For efficient utilization of these performance-asymmetric multi-core processors, application threads must be assigned to cores such that the resource needs of a thread closely matches resource availability at the assigned core. This significantly complicates the task of an average programmer. The contribution of this work is a technique for automatically determining the mapping between threads and performance-asymmetric cores of a processor. Our approach, which we call phase-guided thread-to-core assignment, builds on a well-known insight that programs exhibit phase behavior. We first take code sections and group them into clusters such that each section in a cluster is likely to exhibit similar runtime characteristics. The key idea is that with this clustering, characteristics of a small number of representative sections in a cluster give insight into the behavior of the entire cluster. Thus the exhibited characteristics of the representative sections on different types of cores can be used for automating thread-to-core assignment at a lower runtime cost. Variations of our technique show up to an average 150% improvement in throughput over the stock Linux scheduler for systems with a constant feed of jobs, while maintaining comparable fairness and efficiency.
From research to public policy: the prevention of motor vehicle injuries, childhood drownings, and firearm violence.

PURPOSE. The purpose of this article is to review the development of the modern sciences of injury epidemiology and injury prevention and to illustrate the use of applied research in formulating effective public policy. SEARCH METHODS. MEDLINE searches were conducted from 1966 to 1990, and bibliographies of articles thus obtained were reviewed. Fugitive sources were identified by multiple means. MAJOR FINDINGS. Motor vehicle fatality rates on a per mile driven basis have been reduced by 50% over the past 25 years, largely through attention to the road environment and design of motor vehicles. Passive restraint systems such as air bags promise further reductions. Drowning has emerged as a leading cause of death among young children. Complete pool fencing is expected to prevent many of these events. Firearm violence, particularly among young people, is rapidly increasing. Firearms are hazardous consumer products but are not addressed as such by our current regulatory structure and intervention agenda. CONCLUSIONS. Epidemiologic and other applied research can make important contributions to the development of public policies designed to prevent injury. Such policies often address the design and performance of hazardous products and environments and consider individual behavior change as only a secondary objective.
PHOSPHORUS BUDGET OF A MUSSEL POPULATION1

The phosphorus budget of a Modiolus demissus population in a Georgia intertidal salt marsh was studied. Percentage phosphorus in mussel bodies decreased from 1% of the dry weight in small individuals to 0.6% in adults. There was also a seasonal variation in phosphorus content of adults; the maximum occurred during spawning early in September, the minimum in November. The standing crop of phosphorus in the population was 37.2 mg P/m2, the body fraction comprising 67%, the shell 30%, and the liquor 3%. Prorated losses and elimination rates (µg P/m2 day) of the population were: mortality 21; gametes 11; dissolved organic 23; phosphate 260; and feces 460. Quantities of phosphorus present in natural marsh water (mg P/m2) were: particulate 14; phosphate 19; and dissolved organic 6. The mussel population removed 5.4 mg P/m2 of particulate phosphorus and 0.07 mg P/m2 of phosphate daily, of which 0.78 mg P/m2 was required as food and 4.7 mg P/m2 was deposited as pseudofeces. The turnover time of phosphorus in the population was 115 days. The major effect of the population on the ecosystem was the removal of particulate matter from sea water; the turnover time of the particulate phosphorus in the water was 2.6 days under the supposition that the mussel population was the only agent involved. Mussels are more important as biogeochemical agents than as energy consumers. Determination of the participatory turnover time of a substance via any route in a system sets the maximum turnover time of that system. Determination of the turnover time of a substance for an entire system fixes the maximum flux rate via any one route in the system.
The Prayer of a Married Man Is Equal to Seventy Prayers of a Single Man The Central Role of Marriage Among Upper-Middle-Class Muslim Egyptians

This study examines the central role of marriage among upper-middle-class Muslim Egyptians in Cairo, Egypt. It is based on ethnographic fieldwork carried out over a total of 20 months by the author between 1988 and 1996. Using religious and legal sources as well as semistructured interviews and participant observation among two generations of 20 households, this study indicates that marriage continues to occupy a significant place in the life course of both upper-middle-class Muslim men and women. This article indicates that societal norms, as well as family structure and expectations, influence the prevalence of marriage as a necessary rite of passage for achieving adulthood among this class of Egyptians. Furthermore, this article describes the actual customs, beliefs, and practices associated with Muslim Egyptian marriages to counteract the Western bias that often obscures studies of this area of the world.
Role of expectancy factors in behavioral self-control therapies: an experimental inquiry.

Summary.-Most research in the area of behavioral self-control has focused either on its efficacy or its more obvious components, e.g., self-monitoring and self-reward. Expeccancy factors have been relatively ignored. Utilizing a smoking-reduction paradigm, the present study investigated the possibility that positive expectancy may be related to success in behavioral self-control therapies. Two groups of volunreer srudents who wished to reduce their smoking behavior were caught Homme's (1965) coverant self-control procedure. One group was told that the technique was 80% effective, while the other was informed that ir was 15% effective. Alchough analysis of variance indicated no significant differences between groups per se, a Newman-Keuls analysis indicated that for the group with high expectancy reduction either reached or approached significance over the control group's level during three of the four weeks of treatment Data suggested that, although its exact role requires further research, expectation is an important variable in behavioral self-control.
The Expansion of Blast Furnace Capacity, 1938–52: A Study in Geographical Cost Differentials

The great expansion of American blast furnace capacity since 1938 has worked significant changes in the geographical distribution of the industry. Many persons have assumed that the furnaces erected at new locations have abnormally high costs for their mineral raw materials, and that their survival, like their origin, is dependent on the boom market of wartime and postwar, Federal financing, and accelerated amortization for tax purposes. This analysis is not correct. From the viewpoint of raw materials cost, the furnaces at relatively new locations in Utah, California, and northeast Texas, are lust as efficient as the furnaces at older locations such as Chicago and Pittsburgh. The data for the cost analysis which follows were collected directly from the firms involved.
Vaccines targeting the neovasculature of tumors

Angiogenesis has a critical role in physiologic and disease processes. For the growth of tumors, angiogenesis must occur to carry sufficient nutrients to the tumor. In addition to growth, development of new blood vessels is necessary for invasion and metastases of the tumor. A number of strategies have been developed to inhibit tumor angiogenesis and further understanding of the interplay between tumors and angiogenesis should allow new approaches and advances in angiogenic therapy. One such promising angiogenic approach is to target and inhibit angiogenesis with vaccines. This review will discuss recent advances and future prospects in vaccines targeting aberrant angiogenesis of tumors. The strategies utilized by investigators have included whole endothelial cell vaccines as well as vaccines with defined targets on endothelial cells and pericytes of the developing tumor endothelium. To date, several promising anti-angiogenic vaccine strategies have demonstrated marked inhibition of tumor growth in pre-clinical trials with some showing no observed interference with physiologic angiogenic processes such as wound healing and fertility.
Binding of Norwalk Virus-Like Particles to ABH Histo-Blood Group Antigens Is Blocked by Antisera from Infected Human Volunteers or Experimentally Vaccinated Mice

Attachment of Norwalk (NV), Snow Mountain (SMV), and Hawaii (HV) virus-like particles (VLPs) to specific ABH histo-blood group antigens was investigated by using human saliva and synthetic biotinylated carbohydrates. The three distinct Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs) have various capacities for binding ABH histo-blood group antigens, suggesting that different mechanisms for NLV attachment likely exist. Importantly, antisera from NV-infected human volunteers, as well as from mice inoculated with packaged Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicons expressing NV VLPs, blocked the ability of NV VLPs to bind synthetic H type 1,
Profound hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass facilitates survival without a high complication rate in a swine model of complex vascular, splenic, and colon injuries.

Background Induction of a profound hypothermia for emergency preservation and resuscitation in severe hemorrhagic shock can improve survival from lethal injuries, but the impact of hypothermia on bleeding and infectious complications has not been completely determined. Study Design Uncontrolled hemorrhage was induced in 26 swine (95 to 135 lbs) by creating an iliac artery and vein injury, and 30 minutes later, by lacerating the descending thoracic aorta. Through a left thoracotomy approach, profound total body hypothermia (10° C) was induced (2° C/min) by infusing cold organ preservation solution into the aorta. The experimental groups were: vascular injuries alone (group 1, n=10), vascular and colon injuries (group 2, n=8), and vascular, colon, and splenic injuries (group 3, n=8). All injuries were repaired during 60 minutes of low-flow cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with hemodilution and profound hypothermia; then the animals were slowly rewarmed (0.5° C/min) back to normothermia. Survivors were monitored for 6 weeks for postoperative bleeding, neurologic deficits, cognitive function (learning new skills), organ dysfunction, and septic complications. Results Six-week survival rates were 90% in group 1, 87.5% in group 2, and 75% in group 3 (p > 0.05). One animal in each group died from acute cardiac failure during the early postoperative phase. Splenic salvage was possible in all animals, and none required complete splenectomy for hemorrhage control. All surviving animals were neurologically intact, displayed normal learning capacity, and had no longterm organ dysfunction. None of the animals had postoperative hemorrhage or experienced septic complications. One animal in group 3 died on the ninth postoperative day because of bowel obstruction (volvulus). Conclusions Induction of profound hypothermia can preserve the viability of key organs during repair of lethal injuries. This strategy can be used even in the presence of solid organ and bowel injuries to improve survival, without any considerable increase in postoperative complication rates.
The transmembrane helices of the L, M, and N subunits of Complex I from E. coli can be assigned on the basis of conservation and hydrophobic moment analysis

An assignment of the transmembrane helices of subunits L, M, and N of the Escherichia coli Complex I has been made from the helices as determined in a recent crystal structure [Efromov et al., Nature (2010) 465, 441–446]. The amino acid sequences of the three subunits were evaluated for hydrophobicity, and hydrophobic moments, to identify the helices that are likely to be in contact with membrane lipids. Using 29 closely related species, a similar analysis of average conservation, and conservation moments was performed. In each subunit, transmembrane helices 9 and 12 are predicted to form the discontinuous helices, which are likely to play a key role in function.
Effect of Ethyl Alcohol on Visual Evoked Potentials

Effects of ethyl alcohol on visual evoked potentials were studied in 12 healthy volunteers. Alcohol significantly reduced the amplitude and prolonged the latency of the N2-P2 components of the centrally derived flash evoked potential. Amplitude attenuation was positively correlated with alcohol doses of 0.8 and 1.2 g/ kg. Analysis of subsets of data revealed the amplitude attenuation to be time related and not present in the initial five responses after alcohol. Possible neurochemical mechanisms related to the amplitude attenuation are discussed.
Elevated free cortisol index in pregnancy: Possible regulatory mechanisms

Abstract Biologically active plasma free cortisol increases markedly in pregnancy. In this investigation the free cortisol index (FFI) in the plasma of pregnant and nonpregnant women was measured by a charcoal adsorption technique. The circadian FFI patterns were virtually identical in the two groups, but in gravid women there was a substantial and sustained elevation of the FFI. Sequential studies during gestation and post partum revealed increasing responsiveness of the maternal adrenal glands to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and decreasing suppressibility of the FFI by dexamethasone as pregnancy advanced. Persistence of normal circadian rhythmicity in spite of a continuously elevated FFI and resistance to dexamethasone suppression suggest control of cortisol secretion by normal regulatory mechanisms in pregnancy with resetting of the maternal feedback mechanisms to higher levels. This resetting and the lack of manifestations of cortisol excess in prognancy might result from tissue refractoriness to cortisol. Elevated free cortisol would be needed to maintain homeostasis. The necessary increase in the production of cortisol could be facilitated by an enhanced responsiveness of the maternal adrenal glands to ACTH.
Complement-Binding Donor-Specific Anti-HLA Antibodies and Risk of Primary Graft Failure in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract Detection of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA) has been associated with graft rejection in all forms of transplantation. The mechanism by which DSA increase the risk of graft failure remains unclear. We hypothesized that complement-binding DSA are associated with engraftment failure in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and analyzed 122 haploidentical transplant recipients tested prospectively for DSA. Retrospective analysis to detect C1q binding DSA (C1q+DSA) was performed on 22 allosensitized recipients. Twenty-two of 122 patients (18%) had DSA, 19 of which were women (86%). Seven patients with DSA (32%) rejected the graft. Median DSA level at transplant for patients who failed to engraft was 10,055 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) versus 2065 MFI for those who engrafted (P = .007). Nine patients with DSA were C1q positive in the initial samples with median DSA levels of 15,279 MFI (range, 1554 to 28,615), compared with 7 C1q-negative patients with median DSA levels of 2471 MFI (range, 665 to 12,254) (P = .016). Of 9 patients who were C1q positive in the initial samples, 5 patients remained C1q positive at time of transplant (all with high DSA levels [median, 15,279; range, 6487 to 22,944]) and experienced engraftment failure, whereas 4 patients became C1q negative pretransplant and all engrafted the donor cells (P = .008). In conclusion, patients with high DSA levels (>5000 MFI) and complement-binding DSA antibodies (C1q positive) appear to be at much higher risk of primary graft failure. The presence of C1q+DSA should be assessed in allosensitized patients before HSCT. Reduction of C1q+DSA levels might prevent engraftment failure in HSCT.
Youth, Technology, and DIY Developing Participatory Competencies in Creative Media Production

Traditionally, educational researchers and practitioners have focused on the development of youths' critical understanding of media as a key aspect of new media literacies. The 21 st Century media landscape suggests an extension of this traditional notion of literacy - an extension that sees creative designs, ethical considerations, and technical skills as part of youth's expressive and intellectual engagement with media as participatory competencies. These engagements with media are also part of a growing Do-It-Yourself, or DIY, movement involving arts, crafts, and new technologies. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a framework and a language for understanding the multiple DIY practices in which youth engage while producing media. In the review, we will first provide a historical overview of the shifting perspectives of two related fields—new media literacies and computer literacy —before outlining the general trends in DIY media cultures that see youth moving towards becoming content creators. We then introduce how a single framework allows us to consider different participatory competencies in DIY under one umbrella. Special attention will be given to the digital practices of remixing, reworking, and repurposing popular media among disadvantaged youth. We will conclude with considerations of equity, access, and participation in after-school settings and possible implications for K-12 education.
Does Hard Work Pay Off? The Influence of Perceived Effort on Romantic Attraction

This study examines how a person’s willingness to exert effort affects how others perceive their romantic desirability. The study also examines whether the participants’ implicit theory of personality (incremental or entity) influences ratings of the target’s romantic desirability based on the target’s level of effort. Seventy-eight (17 males, 61 females) single college students participated in the study. Participants read one of four descriptions of a target. The descriptions manipulated both the target’s ability (hard work or natural ability) and success (successful or unsuccessful). Participants also completed a measure to assess their implicit theory of personality. Participants then rated the target’s desirability. There was a significant difference in desirability ratings of the target for the main effect of ability. There were no other significant differences found between the variables. The findings suggest that when a person expends effort, they are more romantically desirable regardless of how successful they are. Findings also suggest that a person’s implicit theory of personality does not interact with the target’s effort to affect romantic desirability.
Mobilization of Genetic Information in the Early Rabbit Trophoblast

Any broad understanding of the cellular and molecular aspects of embryonic implantation in the mammalian uterus would be expected to benefit from experimental evidence obtained from as great a variety of mammals as possible. Not only have two sharply divergent strategies been evolved for regulating the implantation event—allowing a division between those manmials capable of inducing a reversible growth arrest in the blastocyst and those incapable of doing so—but it is apparent that further refinements in implantation mechanisms characterize individual families or even genera of mammals—such as the single implantation site available to the several hundred embryos of the elephant shrew (Van der Horst and Gillman, 1942). Furthermore, as the implantation event requires the interaction of two competent tissues, the achievement of this competence by each tissue must be understood before a satisfactory comprehension of the event can be achieved.
18F-Fluorothymidine radiation dosimetry in human PET imaging studies.

3′-Deoxy-3′-18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) is a PET imaging agent that shows promise for studying cellular proliferation in human cancers. FLT is a nucleoside analog that enters cells and is phosphorylated by human thymidine kinase 1, but the 3′ substitution prevents further incorporation into DNA. We estimated the radiation dosimetry for this tracer from data gathered in patient studies. Methods: Time-dependent tissue concentrations of radioactivity were determined from blood samples and PET images of 18 patients after intravenous injection of 18F-FLT. Radiation-absorbed doses were calculated using the MIRD Committee methods, taking into account variations that were based on the distribution of activities observed in the individual patients. Effective dose equivalent (EDE) was calculated using International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 60 tissue weighting factors for the standard man and woman. Results: For a single bladder voiding at 6 h after 18F-FLT injection, the 18F-FLT EDE (mean ± SD) was 0.028 ± 0.012 mSv/MBq (103 ± 43 mrem/mCi) for a standard male patient and 0.033 ± 0.012 mSv/MBq (121 ± 43 mrem/mCi) for a standard female patient. The organ that received the highest dose was the bladder (male, 0.179 mGy/MBq [662 mrad/mCi]; female, 0.174 mGy/MBq [646 mrad/mCi]), followed by the liver (male, 0.045 mGy/MBq [167 mrad/mCi]; female, 0.064 mGy/MBq [238 mrad/mCi]), the kidneys (male, 0.035 mGy/MBq [131 mrad/mCi]; female, 0.042 mGy/MBq [155 mrad/mCi]), and the bone marrow (male, 0.024 mGy/MBq [89 mrad/mCi]; female, 0.033 mGy/MBq [122 mrad/mCi]). Conclusion: Organ dose estimates for 18F-FLT are comparable to those associated with other commonly performed nuclear medicine tests, and the potential radiation risks associated with 18F-FLT PET imaging are within accepted limits.
Pitfalls in the use of breath pentane measurements to assess lipid peroxidation

Literature values for breath pentane, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, vary by 1,000-fold in healthy subjects. This report describes multiple technical artifacts that may explain this disparity. First, we found that a major component of human breath (probably isoprene) co-eluted with pentane on columns used by some investigators, resulting in erroneously high determinations. Second, despite washouts using pentane-free air, ambient pentane dissolved in body fat may result in breath concentrations many times greater than that due to endogenous production. True endogenous breath pentane may never have been accurately determined.
Humanitarian Occupation: The international law of occupation

This is a review of the second edition of The International Law of Occupation by Eyal Benvenisti (OUP 2012), which appeared in Volume 23(1) (February 2013) of the European Journal of International Law.
Phylogenetic examination of two chemotypes of Lupinus leucophyllus

Lupines (Lupinus spp.) are a common legume found on western U.S. rangelands. Lupinus spp. may contain quinolizidine and/or piperidine alkaloids that can be toxic and/or teratogenic to grazing livestock. Lupinus leucophyllus and Lupinus polyphyllus in particular represent important species in the rangelands of southeast Washington and northeast Oregon. The objectives of this study were to identify the alkaloid profiles of these two species, and to explore the phylogenetic relationship among the different populations using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Two chemotypes were found among the 14 accessions of Lupinus leucophyllyus. Chemotype A contained anagyrine, a potent teratogen in cattle, and thus would pose a risk to cause crooked calf syndrome in grazing cattle, while Chemotype B did not contain anagyrine and poses no teratogenic risk. No alkaloids were detected in the L. polyphyllus plants collected in this area. Phylogenetic analysis showed that L. leucophyllus accessions with the same chemotype that were geographically proximal were closely grouped in the cladogram; however, accessions that were geographically proximal that represented different chemotypes did not cluster together. Taken together, these results suggest that for the studied species, chemotype is the principle factor in determining relatedness followed by geography.
Influence of Nonvisual Secondary Tasks on Driver's Pedestrian Detection

The most frequent type of fatal traffic accident is caused by "aimless driving" in Japan. In many cases the victims are pedestrians on straight roads, where there are usually fewer objects drivers need to pay attention to than at intersections. In this study, the authors investigate driver gazing for detecting pedestrians in such situations. To make subjects seem "aimless," they gave them nonvisual secondary tasks of four difficulty levels while they tried to watch pedestrians and press a key to answer their moving direction. The result indicated that even nonvisual tasks influence eye movement and the subjects fail to react properly.
Joint Source Deblending and Reconstruction for Seismic Data

The goal of simultaneous shooting is to acquire better seismic data more quickly at lower total cost. Effective source deblending techniques provide us with one of the tools for accomplishing this goal. The use of compressive sensing theory gives us another tool by helping to increase the effective spatial bandwidth of our acquired data. Seismic surveys designed to collect both optimally sampled and blended data can reduce acquisition costs and significantly improve image quality. In this paper, we consider a joint deblending and reconstruction problem using the framework of a synthesis-based basis pursuit denoising model. The combination of a “deblending” operator together with a “restriction” operator leads to a joint inversion in which the data are both deblended and reconstructed at regular sampling intervals. Our inversion model can be further constrained by down-weighting the evanescent portion of the wavefield. We illustrate our method using both synthetic and real data examples simulating continuous-time recording under ocean bottom node (OBN) settings.
Effect of exposure to greater active videogame variety on time spent in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity.

Background This investigation examined whether exposure to greater active videogame variety increases moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA). Methods Twenty-three participants (age = 22.7 ± 4.2 yrs; body mass index = 23.5 ± 3.0 kg/m2; self-reported MVPA = 298.7 ± 116.7 min/wk; 62.2% female; 73.9% Caucasian) participated in VARIETY (4 different active videogames during 4, 15-min bouts) and NON-VARIETY (only 1 active videogame during 4, 15-min bouts) counterbalanced sessions. VARIETY provided a different active videogame in each bout. NON-VARIETY provided participants their most highly liked active videogame in each bout. The Sensewear Mini Armband objectively assessed MVPA. Results For MVPA minutes, a session × bout (p < 0.05) interaction occurred. In NON-VARIETY, bouts 2, 3, and 4 had significantly (p < 0.05) fewer minutes than bout 1, with no decrease occurring in VARIETY. In bout 4, VARIETY had significantly (p < 0.05) more minutes than NON-VARIETY. A main effect of session (p < 0.05) occurred for MVPA minutes and energy expenditure, with VARIETY achieving greater amounts (31.8 ± 14.3 min vs. 27.6 ± 16.9 min; 186.1 ± 96.8 kcal vs. 171.2 ± 102.8 kcal). Conclusions Exposure to greater activity variety within a session increased MVPA. Future research should examine exposure to a variety of activities over a longer time frame with participants of differing lifestyles in free-living environments.
Research on Construction of Data Analysis Center for Zhejiang Grid

Improving the management of online monitoring data can effectively enhance the condition-based maintenance(CBM) and asset management level for electric power companies.This paper discusses how to develop a standard unified platform based on plant information(PI) database and achieve the management of a large number of online monitoring devices in the province,including real-time monitoring,advanced analysis and assistant decision making.Illustrated with the case of online monitoring of transformer oil chromatogram,the software function design and professional analysis function are elaborated.It is proved in practice that the data analysis center could deal with the management problems of online monitoring devices effectively and improve CBM technology.
Analysis of Three Methods for Extracting Volatile Constituent from DangGui by Combination of Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry

Objective: To analyze volatile constituents from Gansu DangGui(angelica sinesis).Method: Volatile constituents of DangGui were extracted with the method of normal pressure steam distillation(NPSD),aether ultrasonic extraction and supercritical CO2fluid extraction(SFE-CO2),volatile ingredients were separated and analyzed by combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry,their relative percentage were calculated.Result: Altogether 29 kinds of ingredients were identified from volatile oil extracted from NPSD,27 kinds of ingredients from volatile oil extracted from aether ultrasonic extraction and 25 kinds from volatile oil from SFE-CO2.There were certain differences among the volatile oil extracted from three methods in the ingredients and contents,and also some similarities,the main ingredient was ligustilide,which reached 55.89% with the method of NPSD,78.27% with the method of aether ultrasonic extraction and 78.19% with SFE-CO2.Conclusion: Contents of ligustilide with the method of NPSD are less than obtained ligstilide by the methods of SFE-CO2and aether ultrasonic extraction.
Different plasma ionized calcium correlations with blood pressure in high and low renin normotensive adults in Utah

Plasma ionized calcium levels have been shown to be lower than normotensive control levels in hypertensive patients with low plasma renin activity and higher than control levels in hypertensive patients with high renin activity; they did not differ between high and low plasma renin activity groups of normotensive controls. To see if ionized calcium may have different relationships with blood pressure across renin categories in normotensive individuals, plasma ionized calcium was measured on 875 healthy individuals, ages 3 to 83, who had never been diagnosed as having hypertension. Blood pressures were measured in the sitting, standing, and supine positions, along with pressures measured during two stress maneuvers: isometric handgrip and a 50 degrees tilt from a supine position. There was no linear correlation of blood pressure with plasma ionized calcium in the entire sample of youths or adults. However, after dividing the adults into tertiles based on plasma renin activity, there were significant inverse correlations between ionized calcium and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the low renin group (r = -0.16 to -0.25, P less than or equal to .05), while the systolic blood pressure correlations were significantly positive in the high renin group (r = 0.14 to 0.22, P less than or equal to .05). Adults with normal renin levels did not have any significant correlations of plasma ionized calcium with blood pressure. These confounding effects of renin were greater for systolic than for diastolic blood pressure. These correlations within renin tertiles occurred even though there were no differences in mean blood pressure, plasma ionized calcium, total plasma protein and plasma sodium across renin categories.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Comparison of Two-Stage Approaches for Fitting Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equation Models with Mixed Effects

ABSTRACTSeveral approaches exist for estimating the derivatives of observed data for model exploration purposes, including functional data analysis (FDA; Ramsay & Silverman, 2005), generalized local linear approximation (GLLA; Boker, Deboeck, Edler, & Peel, 2010), and generalized orthogonal local derivative approximation (GOLD; Deboeck, 2010). These derivative estimation procedures can be used in a two-stage process to fit mixed effects ordinary differential equation (ODE) models. While the performance and utility of these routines for estimating linear ODEs have been established, they have not yet been evaluated in the context of nonlinear ODEs with mixed effects. We compared properties of the GLLA and GOLD to an FDA-based two-stage approach denoted herein as functional ordinary differential equation with mixed effects (FODEmixed) in a Monte Carlo (MC) study using a nonlinear coupled oscillators model with mixed effects. Simulation results showed that overall, the FODEmixed outperformed both the GLLA and...