cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathophysiology of hyperinsulinemia following pancreas transplantation: altered pulsatile versus Basal insulin secretion and the role of specific transplant anatomy in dogs.

Objective To evaluate the effect of the anatomical alterations of the pancreas required for transplantation on pulsatile insulin secretion. Background Data Pancreas transplantation involves anatomical changes that have unknown consequences on glucose homeostasis. Pancreas transplant patients are free of exogenous insulin requirements, yet appear to have endogenous hyperinsulinemia. The effect of surgical alterations on posttransplant insulin release is not completely known, specifically with regards to possible alterations in patterns of pulsatile release. Methods Pulsatile and invariant basal insulin secretion was studied in normal dogs (n = 4) and three canine models of the anatomical alterations of pancreas transplantation: 70% partial pancreatectomy (PPX, n = 4), partial pancreatectomy with splenocaval venous diversion (SC, n = 4), and partial pancreatectomy with remnant autotransplantation (PAT, n = 4). Plasma insulin kinetics were determined for each dog, and then blood sampled at 1-minute intervals in a fasted and IV glucose-stimulated state twice to delineate the time structure of insulin secretion by multiple parameter deconvolution analysis utilizing dog-specific insulin half-lives. Results Fasting plasma glucose concentrations in each group were similar, but all surgical groups were hyperglycemic with IV glucose challenge. Secretory pulse amplitude was decreased with decreased β cell mass (PPX), partially normalized with systemic insulin release (SC), and further normalized with denervation (PAT). Interpulse interval and pulse duration were increased in all surgical groups when stimulated. Denervation of PAT resulted in a threefold increase in fasting basal invariant insulin secretion. Stimulated basal insulin secretion is inconsequential. Conclusions Hyperinsulinemia and apparent insulin insensitivity after pancreas transplantation may be due to increased less potent basal secretion in the fasting state and less frequent, less discrete pulsatile insulin secretion in the simulated state.
Conserved KIR Allele-Level Haplotypes Are Altered by Microvariation in Individuals with European Ancestry

NK cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) haplotype-specific DNA fragments were sequenced to identify centromeric and telomeric allele-level haplotype structures and their frequencies from 76 unrelated individuals with European ancestry. Analysis was simplified by redefining the 5' boundary of the centromeric KIR gene cluster to include only exons 7-9 of KIR3DL3. Three consensus allele-level haplotypes were identified for a centromeric gene presence/absence structure designated as Cen-A1. KIR3DL3*00201 (exons 7-9)∼KIR2DL3*001∼KIR2DL1*00302 was the most frequent (37.5%) centromeric structure. Single consensus haplotypes were observed for haplotype structures Cen-B1 and Cen-B2. Six Tel-A1 and two Tel-B1 consensus haplotypes were observed; the most prevalent (23.0%) was KIR2DL4*00102∼KIR3DL1*002∼KIR2DS4*00101∼KIR3DL2*002. A small number of nucleotide substitutions (≤3) in the coding regions of the functional KIR genes created microvariants of the consensus haplotypes. Eight less common haplotype structures were also detected. Four carried hybrid genes formed during gene deletion events, two carried an insertion with a 2DL5/3DP1 fusion gene and two included a very large insertion. These data show that the KIR gene complex is composed of a limited number of conserved allele-level centromeric and telomeric haplotypes that have diversified by mutation, recombination within a locus and unequal crossing over.
87 THE EFFECT OF CYCLOOXYGENASE INHIBITION ON RETINAL (RBF) AND CHOROIDAL (ChBF) BLOOD DURING HYPERCARBIA IN NEWBORN PIGLETS

The effect of cyclooxygenase inhibition on ChBF and RBF during hypercarbia was investigated in tracheotomized, paralyzed and mechanically ventilated newborn piglets. The animals were assigned to a placebo group (n=5) or an indomethacin (Indom) group (n=6). The results were (flow expressed as ml/min/100g tissue X ± SEM):
Indices of marine degradation: Their utility

Improved definition of pollutant effects in coastal marine environments is needed for two principal reasons. First, we need better understanding of how much pollutant degradation exists. Then we need more agreement on its social importance. Only then can society decide more consistently and equitably how much pollutant impact is tolerable and how much is too much. Scientists alone cannot define “unreasonable degradation” in a social sense, of course, but we can define quantitative scales of degradation and (together with nonscientists) specify ranges on these scales of “warning” and “alarm.” Rationales are presented for the urgency of these improvements. A strategy is described for indexing the socially relevant features of coastal environments at greatest risk from pollutants. The strategy differs from most existing environmental indices in several respects. Each of the 11 indices proposed is constrained by the following design criteria: (1) socially relevant, (2) simple and easily understood by laymen, (3) scientifically defensible, (4) quantitative and expressed probabilistically, and (5) acceptable in terms of cost. Evaluations of the draft indices are being completed by more than 50 collaborating scientists. One index is described to illustrate the utility of simple, socially relevant measures of marine degradation.
Social anxiety modulates risk sensitivity through activity in the anterior insula

Decision neuroscience offers the potential for decomposing differences in behavior across individuals into components of valuation intimately tied to brain function. One application of this approach lies in novel conceptualizations of behavioral attributes that are aberrant in psychiatric disorders. We investigated the relationship between social anxiety and behavior in a novel socially determined risk task. Behaviorally, higher scores on a social phobia inventory (SPIN) among healthy participants were associated with an increase in risky responses. Furthermore, activity in a region of the dorsal anterior insula (dAI) scaled in proportion to SPIN score in risky versus non-risky choices. This region of the insula was functionally connected to areas in the intraparietal sulcus and anterior cingulate cortex that were related to decision-making across all participants. Overall, social anxiety was associated with decreased risk aversion in our task, consistent with previous results investigating risk taking in many everyday behaviors. Moreover, this difference was linked to the anterior insula, a region commonly implicated in risk attitudes and socio-emotional processes.
Analysis of bistability in a ring-channel waveguide.

We present the theory of operation of a ring-channel waveguide coupled to two line channels in which the ring has an optical-power-dependent refractive index. The bistability of the device is analyzed in terms of the geometry of the ring, the nonlinear properties of the ring or the cladding, the coupling coefficients, and the optical losses. A numerical example demonstrates that when InSb is used at a wavelength of 5 μm, switching can take place with a power level of 1.5 μW.
Hypercellular/heterotopic ganglia in omphalomesenteric duct remnants.

Omphalomesenteric duct remnants (ODR) including Meckel diverticula often present with symptoms of bowel obstruction. Their histologic features are varied and include heterotopic gastrointestinal mucosa and/or pancreatic tissue within the wall. Abnormalities of the submucosal plexus of Meissner, however, have not been documented in the literature. Thus, we have examined a number of ODR for evidence of ganglion abnormalities. Fifty-three cases of ODR were retrieved from our archives, along with 25 nonduodenal small bowel control specimens obtained from autopsies of patients without clinical or pathologic evidence of enteropathy. Histologic criteria for the diagnosis of abnormal hypercellular/heterotopic ganglia (HHG) in ODR were defined as a single submucosal ganglion/plexus containing >10 neurons, or >5 submucosal ganglions per high-power (×40) field, or heterotopic ganglion cells within the muscularis mucosa or the lamina propria. HHG, histologically indistinguishable from intestinal neuronal dysplasia type B, were found in more than half of the ODR (ODR: 51.9%, n = 50 vs. control: 4%, n = 25, P = 3.6 × 10−6), particularly those excised for obstructive complications (ODR with acute abdomen: 65.7%, n = 35, vs. ODR without acute abdomen: 33.3%, n = 15, P = 0.035). HHG were present in equal numbers of inflamed and noninflamed ODR (inflamed: 53.6%, n = 28, vs. noninflamed: 59.1%, n = 22, P = 0.70). A similar incidence was found in ODR with heterotopia and without (with heterotopia: 61.1%, n = 18, vs. without: 53.1%, n = 32, P = 0.59). ODR frequently contained HHG histomorphologically similar to those found in intestinal neuronal dysplasia, type B (IND-B). The overrepresentation of HHG in symptomatic ODR patients suggests an association with bowel obstruction. The data did not demonstrate a relationship with either inflammation or heterotopia.
First test results from a high-resolution CdZnTe pixel detector with VLSI readout

We are developing a CdZnTe pixel detector with a custom low- noise analog VLSI readout for use in the High-Energy Focusing Telescope balloon experiment, as well as for future space astronomy applications. The goal of the program is to achieve good energy resolution (< 1 keV FWHM at 60 keV) and low threshold in a sensor with approximately 500 micrometers pixels. We have fabricated several prototype detector assemblies with 2 mm thick, 680 by 650 micrometers pitch CdZnTe pixel sensors indium bump bonded a VLSI readout chip developed at Caltech. Each readout circuit in the 8 X 8 prototype is matched to the detector pixel size, and contains a preamplifier, shaping amplifiers, and a peak stretcher/discriminator. In the first 8 X 8 prototype, we have demonstrated the low-noise preamplifier by routing the output signals off-chip for shaping and pulse-height analysis. Pulse height spectra obtained using a 241Am source, collimated to illuminate a single pixel, show excellent energy resolution of 1.1 keV FWHM for the 60 keV line at room temperature. Line profiles are approximately Gaussian and dominated by electronic noise, however a small low energy tail is evident for the 60 keV line. We obtained slightly improved resolution of 0.9 keV FWHM at 60 keV by cooling the detector to 5 degree(s)C, near the expected balloon- flight operating temperature. Pulse height spectra obtained with the collimated source positioned between pixels show the effect of signal sharing for events occurring near the boundary. We are able to model the observed spectra using a Monte-Carlo simulation that includes the effects of photon interaction, charge transport and diffusion, pixel and collimator geometry, and electronic noise. By using the model to simulate the detector response to uncollimated radiation (including the effect of finite trigger threshold for reconstruction of the total energy of multi-pixel events), we find the energy resolution to be degraded by only 10% for full-face illumination, compared to the collimated case. The small value of the degradation is due directly to the low readout noise and amplifier threshold.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Surface subdivision schemes generated by refinable bivariate spline function vectors

The objective of this paper is to introduce a direct approach for generating local averaging rules for both the 3 and 1-to-4 vector subdivision schemes for computer-aided design of smooth surfaces. Our innovation is to directly construct refinable bivariate spline function vectors with minimum supports and highest approximation orders on the six-directional mesh, and to compute their refinement masks which give rise to the matrix-valued coefficient stencils for the surface subdivision schemes. Both the C1-quadratic and C2-cubic spaces are studied in some detail. In particular, we show that our C2-cubic refinement mask for the 1-to-4 subdivision can be slightly modified to yield an adaptive version of Loop's surface subdivision scheme.
Triplet Excitation Spectrum of Phenanthrene Crystals

Abstract The triplet excitation spectrum in molecular crystals is difficult to observe by direct means because of the weak absorption of the triplet state. In particular cases, however, this spectrum can be observed indirectly by looking at the delayed fluorescence which results from triplet-triplet annihilation.(1) This delayed fluorescence is unobservable in phenanthrene for the intensities which are available in a high resolution measurement of the triplet excitation spectrum. Yee and El Sayed(2) have shown that a portion of the excitation spectrum of polycrystalline phenanthrene from 4750 A to 4500 A can be observed at 77 A by detecting the phosphorescence from a radiative trap. For this purpose a large concentration (2%) of chrysene-d 12 was used as an impurity. In the present work the excitation spectrum of single crystals of phenanthrene was obtained at room temperature by detecting the phosphorescence from a smaller concentration (0.04%) of 3-bromopyrene. 3-bromopyrene was chosen for this purpose ...
ORIENTATIONALLY-SELECTED TWO-DIMENSIONAL ESEEM SPECTROSCOPY OF THE RIESKE-TYPE IRON-SULFUR CLUSTER IN 2,4,5-TRICHLOROPHENOXYACETATE MONOOXYGENASE FROM BURKHOLDERIA CEPACIA AC1100

Burkholderia cepacia AC1100 is able to use the chlorinated compound 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) as the sole source of carbon and energy. CW EPR and one-dimensional ESEEM spectroscopy studies performed earlier indicate the presence of a Rieske-type [2Fe-2S] cluster with two coordinated histidine residues in 2,4,5-T monooxygenase from B. cepacia. This paper describes the application of two-dimensional ESEEM (called HYSCORE) spectroscopy for further characterization of the nitrogens surrounding the reduced Rieske-type cluster. The HYSCORE spectra measured at field positions in the neighborhood of the principal directions of the g tensor contain major contributions from cross-peaks correlating the two double-quantum transitions from each histidine nitrogen. These allow the estimation of the diagonal components of the hyperfine tensors along the principal axes of the g tensor: 4.05, 3.88, and 4.01 MHz (N1) and 4.71, 5.07, and 5.02 MHz (N2). Other spectral features from the histidine nitrogens ...
Instability of an Annular Liquid Sheet Surrounded by Swirling Airstreams

A theoretical model to predict the instability of an annular liquid sheet subjected to coaxial swirling airstreams is developed. The model incorporates essential features of a liquid sheet downstream of a prefilming airblast atomizer such as three-dimensional disturbances, inner and outer air swirl, finite film thickness, and finite surface curvature. Effects of flow conditions, fluid properties, and film geometry on the instability of the liquid sheet are investigated. It is observed that the relative axial velocity between the liquid and the gas phases enhances the interfacial aerodynamic instability by increasing the growth rate and the most unstable wave number. At low velocities, a combination of inner and outer airstreams is more effective in disintegrating the liquid sheet than only the inner or only the outer airstream. Also, the inner air is more effective than the outer air in promoting disintegration. Swirl not only increases the growth rate and the range of unstable wave numbers but also shifts the dominant mode from the axisymmetric mode to a helical mode. With the presence of air swirl, the most unstable wave number and the maximum growth rate are higher than their no-swirl counterparts
Hypothalamic progestin receptors: evidence for two classes of high affinity binding sites.

Two types of progestin-binding macromolecules were separated from female rat hypothalamic cytosol with hydroxylapatite chromatography. The sedimentation coefficient of the first binding component (fraction 1) was 4S in a hypotonic sucrose density gradient, and the apparent dissociation constant (Kd) for R5020 (17,21-dimethyl-19-nor-pregna-4,9-diene-3,20- dione) was 1.39 nM. This component coeluted with transcortinlike binding activity, but appears not to be transcortin on the basis of its heat lability and low cortisol displacement of bound [3H]R5020. The other binding component, eluted in fraction 4, had a sedimentation coefficient of 7S and an apparent Kd for R5020 of 0.36 nM. Both R5020 binding activities increased in magnitude after estradiol benzoate priming of ovariectomized and adrenalectomized rats. The binding components in fractions 1 and 4 increased approximately 2- and 3-fold, respectively. Both R5020 binding activities were progestin specific and had similar steroid specificities. [3H]R5020 w...
Gastrointestinal permeability in patients with irritable bowel syndrome assessed using a four probe permeability solution

Background Abnormal gastrointestinal permeability has been linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The lactulose-to-mannitol ratio is traditionally used to assess small intestine permeability while sucralose and sucrose are used to assess colonic and gastric permeability respectively. We used a single 4-probe test solution to assess permeability throughout the gastrointestinal tract in IBS patients and healthy controls by measuring the recovery of the probes in urine after ingestion using a modified liquid chromatography mass spectrometry protocol.
Electric field effects on the octanedithiol wire

We theoretically study the electric field profile and the voltage profile across a model molecule in a metal-molecule-metal junction under bias. The model system is octanedithiol (S-(CH 2 ) 8 -S) sandwiched between two gold electrodes (Au[111]). We use a simple, but approximate, method to investigate the voltage profile across the molecule and the change of electronic states under a given bias. The key simplification is to artificially shift the two metal (Au) Hamiltonians relative to each other within a closed system to simulate the external bias of an open system. The Hamiltonian of the closed system is calculated within density functional theory using local orbitals and the electronic structure of the entire system is determined self-consistently. In the final step after charge transfer has taken place, we remove the artificial metal Hamiltonian shifts to reveal an oppositely biased system with a built-in electric field across the molecule. The electric field effects on the electronic structure of the molecule are analyzed by tracking the on-site orbital energies (diagonal Hamiltonian matrix elements) and the projected electronic density of states onto atoms along the molecular wire.
InP based photonic integrated circuits for DWDM optical communication

We review and discuss several new advances in InP based photonic integrated circuits and their application to 100Gb/s coherent transmission applications.
Parallel and Gaussian frequency hopping for dynamic coexistence in the unlicensed band

With the surge of short-range wireless applications, more networks are being deployed in the unlicensed radio band. The challenge that emerges is to accommodate these networks without breaching current rules and regulations on frequency usage. This paper studies the coexistence of several independent and dynamic wireless networks using the frequency hopping technique. We propose a novel hopping scheme that minimizes mutual interference and allows more networks to collocate effectively, but does not violate restrictions imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding frequency constraint (related to the minimum number of frequencies in a hopping set) and time constraint (related to the maximum duration of using a particular frequency). The coexisting networks follow the Gaussian distribution in choosing transmission frequencies from parallel hopping spaces without the overhead of extra message exchange among networks. Simulation results on key metrics such as channel collision rate, goodput, and fairness in channel usage are presented to establish the viability of the proposed scheme in comparison with other contemporary approaches. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (This work has been supported in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant no. CNS-0435105. A preliminary and partial presentation of this study has appeared in the proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), Dresden, Germany, June 2009.)
Antigenic Structure of the Human Muscle Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Main Immunogenic Region

The main immunogenic region on the α1 subunits of muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors provokes half or more of the autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis and its animal model. Many of these autoantibodies depend on the native conformation of the receptor for their ability to bind with high affinity. We mapped this region and explained the conformation dependence of its epitopes by making chimeras in which sequences of human muscle α1 subunits were replaced in human neuronal α7 subunits or Aplysia acetylcholine binding protein. These chimeras also revealed that the main immunogenic region can play a major role in promoting conformational maturation and, consequently, assembly of receptor subunits.
Possible Doping Mechanism in a-Si:H—THE Impurity-Defect Complex Model

The present status of understanding the doping mechanism in hydrogenated amorphous silicon was reviewed. In particular, we focused on a possible final state of the doping process — the impurity-defect complex. Both theoretical and experimental evidences favor the formation of the impurity-defect complex. However, the microscopic process of forming this final state is still controversial.
The tooth as a foreign body in soft tissue after head and neck trauma

Thorough evaluation of dentition is important in the management of craniofacial trauma. Avulsed or fractured teeth in the pulmonary and gastrointestinal tracts can lead to serious complications that are well described. However, the penetration of avulsed teeth into soft tissues of the head and neck is unusual and may not be recognized. Two cases in which a tooth became a foreign body in these soft tissues are illustrative. One patient had bronchoscopy for possible aspiration of an avulsed maxillary canine; it was later found embedded in the premaxillary tissues. The other patient had a right mandibular molar propelled into the posterior triangle of the left side of the neck. Physicians must be aware of dental injury resulting from facial trauma and account for all teeth as part of their evaluation, keeping an open mind as to where a missing tooth might be located.
The combined effects of balloon valvuloplasty and surgical weight loss in treatment of aortic stenosis

We report a case of a patient with a congenitally bicuspid aortic valve and extreme obesity who developed severe aortic stenosis. She dramatically improved after the combined use of balloon valvuloplasty and Roux en Y gastric bypass. Gastric bypass surgery has promise for patients with congenital cardiac disease whose treatment is complicated by extreme obesity.
Perceived aggressive instructor communication and student state motivation, learning, and satisfaction

This study examined the relationship between perceived instructor aggressiveness (i.e., argumentativeness, verbal aggressiveness) and student outcomes (i.e., state motivation, affective learning, cognitive learning, satisfaction). Participants were 96 undergraduate students enrolled at a small midwestern university. Results indicate that students’ reports of instructors who are perceived as both high in argumentativeness and low in verbal aggressiveness were positively correlated with their own reports of state motivation, affective learning, cognitive learning, and satisfaction. Future research should continue to explore the role that perceived instructor argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness plays in the college classroom.
The biological foundations of space and the evolution of spatial dimension

Abstract This paper continues an investigation into the biological foundations of space, i.e. ‘where-ness’ and dimension. The thesis is put forward that the origin and form of physical space, the space of our or any organism's world, derives not from an independent external universe but instead arises from the structure and function of the organism itself. In particular, we demonstrate that the dimensionality of an organism's body concept, and of the space within which an organism conceives itself to be embedded, depends upon the degree of asymmetry in its spatial function. Generally, the number of spatial dimensions in the world of an organism reflects the number of dimensions of spatial asymmetry in its nervous system. And by analogy we show that the human conceives himself to be embedded in three-space not because the ‘world out there’ is intrinsically three-dimensional, but because the human nervous system is functionally asymmetric in three dimensions. It is further shown that concomitant with the evolution of multicellular organisms, as expressed in the progression of asymmetry in external body form and spatial function [from spherical symmetry, through radial and bilateral, to (brain) asymmetry in humans], the number of spatial dimensions in the world has evolved from zero to three. Thus, space (‘where-ness’ and dimension) is founded upon biology in the most generic sense.
Dendro-dendritic synapses in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat

Summary Dendro-dendritic synapses have been found in the three major laminae of the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat. Some of these synapses were seen to be reciprocal between two different types of dendrites. It was postulated that one of the dendrites belongs to a hitherto unidentified ‘Class V’ cell, and the other to a geniculo-striate relay cell. Possible functions for dendro-dendritic synapses in the lateral geniculate nucleus are discussed.
One-boson-exchange potential model for the Λp interaction (II)

Abstract This paper describes a one-boson-exchange potential model for the Λp interaction, which includes the ΣN channel explicitly. This model is an extension of a model we have previously discussed [1]. The extension consists of the addition of a unitary singlet pseudo-scalar meson (χ0) and an octet of scalar bosons. This extension enables us to fit the experimental low-energy Λp data with values of some meson-baryon couplings closer to generally preferred values than was possible with the previous model. In particular, the coupling of the unitary singlet vector meson (ω) to baryons is gω2/4π = 4.5 in this model, whereas it was 24.9 in the earlier model. The present model contains the effects of nonets of pseudoscalar, vector and scalar bosons. The parameters of the model are boson and baryon masses, the couplings of the bosons to baryons and a spin-independent, channel-independent hard-core radius. SU(3) was used to relate the couplings. Four parameters of the model were adjusted to reproduce the most recent low-energy Λp data; all other parameters were fixed beforehand from other considerations. The adjusted parameters are the hard-core radius, the mass and coupling of a unitary singlet scalar boson, and the coupling of the neutral isospin-one member of the octet of scalar bosons to protons. The model provides a very good fit to the experimental Λp cross section data up to and above the ΣN threshold. The ( 3 S 1 − 3 D 1 ) partial cross sections are dominant just below the ΣN threshold, but one is not resonant there as it was the earlier model [1].
Invariant NKT cell regulation of autoimmunity

Accumulating evidence supports the notion that invariant NKT cells that recognize glycolipids presented by CD1d can play a role in the regulation of certain types of autoimmunity. Focusing mainly on studies of type 1 diabetes and several other common autoimmune diseases, we present an overview of the available knowledge and current speculations on the immunoregulatory mechanisms of NKT cells. Targeting invariant NKT cells with specific glycolipids that bind to CD1d might prove to be a powerful means of modulating autoimmunity.
Genetic effects of impure and pure saccharin in yeast

Yeast cells were grown in media containing impure or purified saccharin preparations. Dose-dependent increases in frequencies of cells possessing aberrant cell morphologies were revealed by light microscopy. At each test dose, cells grown in impure saccharin exhibited up to sevenfold higher frequencies of mitotic crossing-over or gene conversion in three of four assays for genetic recombination than cells grown in purified saccharin from the same lot. With one exception, the sweetener produced by the Maumee process caused larger increases in recombination and gene reversion than the sweetener produced by the Remsen-Fahlberg process. The several test markers did not respond equally to any test saccharin. Cells grown in liquid media containing no saccharin or two of three test concentrations of saccharin produced cell titers that were approximately equivalent.
Multiphoton tissue FRET demonstrates in vivo BAD/Bcl-xL heterodimerization in injured axons following traumatic brain injury in rats

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains the most common cause of death in persons under age 45 in the Western world. A devastating element of TBI is the diffuse and widespread injury of axons in a process known as traumatic axonal injury (TAI). TAI is a difficult entity to study as gross protein or molecular analyses have been largely precluded due to the requisite for specifically localizing protein changes to axons rather than the supporting glia or neuronal soma. As such, much of the mechanistic insight into TAI pathogenesis thusfar has come through histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses. In order to address the next generation of questions in TAI pathogenesis it has become critical to develop methodologies that allow for direct examination of protein-protein interactions in relation to sites of TAI. In the current communication, we report on a modified method of multiphoton Fluorescent Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) microscopy that allows for the direct assessment of protein-protein interactions in aldehyde fixed tissue sections through the use of a conventional dual-label immunofluorescent approach. In the utilization of this technique, we explored whether the bcl-2-related proteins BAD and Bcl-xL heterodimerize in a pro-apoptotic fashion within traumatically injured axons following TBI. Adult SD rats were subjected to impact acceleration TBI and euthanized at multiple time points. Vibratome sections derived from adult SD rats that had previously undergone impact acceleration TBI were processed for immunohistochemical double labeling with anti-BAD 1° antibody/Alexa 488 2° antibody, followed by anti-Bcl-xL 1° antibody/Alexa 555 2° antibody. Images were processed for spectral bleedthrough, and efficiency/distance calculations were performed. BAD/Bcl-xL heterodimerization was examined in relation to cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation, by employing a third immunofluorescent label visualized with an Alexa 647 dye. Multiphoton FRET microscopy was carried out upon 40 micron thick sections. Further, to determine if FRET analysis could be performed in thick tissue specimens, 100 and 200 micron thick sections were examined as well. At 6h postinjury, swollen axons in medial lemniscus demonstrated a mean energy transfer efficiency greater than 20% indicating formation of Bad-Bcl-xL complexes. Thick tissue specimens up to 200 microns thick likewise demonstrated FRET efficiencies greater than 20%. Specimens positively labeled for either cytochrome c or caspase-3 demonstrated FRET efficiencies greater than 10%. The current investigation demonstrates FRET microscopy can be employed to assess protein-protein interactions in aldehyde-fixed tissue sections through multi-label immunofluorescent methodologies. It is believed that the current approach will have widespread applicability as examination of protein-protein interactions within in vivo systems may now be assessed on the cellular and subcellular level within aldehyde fixed tissue sections.
Post-contrast T1-weighted sequences in pediatric abdominal imaging: comparative analysis of three different sequences and imaging approach.

Post-contrast T1-weighted imaging is an essential component of a comprehensive pediatric abdominopelvic MR examination. However, consistent good image quality is challenging, as respiratory motion in sedated children can substantially degrade the image quality. To compare the image quality of three different post-contrast T1-weighted imaging techniques—standard three-dimensional gradient-echo (3-D-GRE), magnetization-prepared gradient-recall echo (MP-GRE) and 3-D-GRE with radial data sampling (radial 3-D-GRE)—acquired in pediatric patients younger than 5 years of age. Sixty consecutive exams performed in 51 patients (23 females, 28 males; mean age 2.5 ± 1.4 years) constituted the final study population. Thirty-nine scans were performed at 3 T and 21 scans were performed at 1.5 T. Two different reviewers independently and blindly qualitatively evaluated all sequences to determine image quality and extent of artifacts. MP-GRE and radial 3-D-GRE sequences had the least respiratory motion (P < 0.0001). Standard 3-D-GRE sequences displayed the lowest average score ratings in hepatic and pancreatic edge definition, hepatic vessel clarity and overall image quality. Radial 3-D-GRE sequences showed the highest scores ratings in overall image quality. Our preliminary results support the preference of fat-suppressed radial 3-D-GRE as the best post-contrast T1-weighted imaging approach for patients under the age of 5 years, when dynamic imaging is not essential.
Behavioral controls of food intake

Recent conceptualizations of food intake have divided ingestive behavior into multiple distinct phases. Here, we present a temporally and operationally defined classification of ingestive behaviors. Importantly, various physiological signals including hypothalamic peptides are thought to impact these distinct behavioral phases of ingestion differently. In this review, we summarize a number of behavioral assays designed to delineate the effects of hormone and peptide signals that influence food intake on these ingestive mechanisms. Finally, we discuss two issues that we have encountered in our laboratory which may obstruct the interpretation of results from these types of studies. First, the influence of previous experience with foods used in these behavioral tests and second, the importance of the nutrient composition of the selected test foods. The important conclusion discussed here is that the behavioral analysis of ingestion is accompanied by theoretical constructs and artificial divisions of biological realities and the appreciation of this fact can only increase the opportunities of contemporary behavioral scientists to make significant and novel observations of ingestive behaviors.
The Relevance of Bilingualism Questionnaires in the Personalized Treatment of Bilinguals With Aphasia

Bilingualism questionnaires are important intake instruments to develop clinically useful individual bilingualism histories on dual-language users. Insights from these questionnaires enhance diagno...
The regulation of the Na/Ca exchanger and plasmalemmal Ca2+ ATPase by other proteins.

Na/Ca exchanger (NCX) and plasma membrane Ca 2+ ATPase are the Ca 2+ efflux mechanisms known in mammalian cells. NCX is the main transporter to efflux intracellular Ca 2+ in the heart. NCX protein contains nine putative transmembrane domains and a large intracellular loop joining two sets of the transmembrane domains. The intracellular loop regulates the activity of the NCX by interacting with other proteins and nonprotein factors, such as ions, PIP2. Several proteins that are associated with NCX have been identified recently. Similarly, plasmalemmal Ca 2+ ATPase (PMCA) has 10 putative transmembrane domains, and the C-terminal intracellular region inhibits transporter activity. There are several proteins associated with PMCA, and the roles of the associated proteins of PMCA vary from specific localization to involving PMCA in signal transduction. Elucidation of structural and functional roles played by these associated proteins of NCX and PMCA will provide opportunities to develop drugs of potential therapeutic value.
ACCEPTANCE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY: UNDERSTANDING THE USER AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

A systematic analysis of acceptance of computer technology was conducted to identify variables that would provide insight to understanding technology acceptance. This led to a development of a comprehensive qualitative model that captures the individual and the organizational user characteristics that influence the acceptance of computer technology. This model suggests that designers must be mindful of the role that sociological and organizational variables play in technology acceptance. Such factors go beyond basic usability issues in the design process. Attention to these variables may increase the acceptance and therefore the diffusion of new computer technologies.
A retrospective study of the time to clinical endpoints for advanced prostate cancer.

Authors from the National Cancer Institute present a study which assessed the time to androgen independence and overall survival for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. They reported a longer than expected survival with androgen-independent prostate cancer, and make original observations on the time to metastatic disease for patients with no evidence of radiographic disease. The new wave of chemotherapeutic agents for hormone-resistant prostate cancer has generated a new interest in producing more. Dr Cora Sternberg from Rome presents information on satraplatin, a third-generation orally available platinum analogue that shares more structural similarities with cisplatin. There are several other papers in this section on prostate bladder and renal cancer, and finally a paper from London on penile cancer, asking what surgical resection margins are required to achieve oncological control, and finding that the traditional 2 cm margin may be unnecessary, with excision margins of only a few millimetres needed to give excellent control. OBJECTIVE To determine the natural history of patients with prostate cancer who start initial androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for biochemical failure with no radiographic evidence of disease (D0) or with radiographic metastatic disease (D2), as the history is either not well-defined or is changing, and such data are critical for guiding therapy after prostate cancer recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively assessed the time to androgen-independence (AI), defined as the first sustained rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level on ADT, time to metastatic disease and overall survival for 80 patients with metastatic prostate cancer in clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute. RESULTS ADT was initiated after metastatic disease in 37 patients and before metastatic disease in 43 patients; in these 43 patients, the median time to developing metastatic disease on ADT was 37.8 months. The median time to AI from the initiation of ADT was 19.3 and 13.1 months in D0 and D2 patients, respectively. The median overall survival from the start of ADT was 89.0 and 63.0 months, and the median overall survival from the time of AI was 63.1 and 44.2 months in D0 and D2 patients, respectively. These 80 patients, which included 43 who had no metastatic disease when starting ADT, had a median survival of 54.8 months after AI prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS We describe the natural history of AI prostate cancer in D0 patients who eventually developed metastasis, and in D2 patients. The results suggest a longer than expected survival with AI prostate cancer, and to our knowledge this is the first study to report the time to metastatic disease for D0 patients from ADT and from AI. These results can be used to help design clinical trials in patients with D0 prostate cancer.
Turbulence in a microscale planar confined impinging-jets reactor

Confined impinging-jets reactors (CIJR) offer many advantages for rapid chemical processing at the microscale in applications such as precipitation and the production of organic nanoparticles. It has been demonstrated that computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a promising tool for “experiment-free” design and scale-up of such reactors. However, validation of the CFD model used for the microscale turbulence applications requires detailed experimental data on the unsteady flow, the availability of which has until now been very limited. In this work, microscopic particle-image velocimetry (microPIV) techniques were employed to measure the instantaneous velocity field for various Reynolds numbers in a planar CIJR. In order to illustrate the validation procedure, the performance of a particular CFD model, the two-layer k–e model, was evaluated by comparing the predicted flow field with the experimental data. To our knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to directly measure and quantify velocity and turbulence in a microreactor and to use the results to validate a CFD model for microscale turbulent flows.
On the possible role of crystals in the origins of life, II. The adsorption of Amino Acids by apatite crystals

Abstract This is the second of a series of reports on the possible role of crystals in the origins of life. It deals specifically with the adsorption of Amino Acids by apatite crystals. Very little previous work has been concerned with the polymerization of biological monomers under conditions recently supposed to have existed on prebiotic earth. It has been suggested that microcrystals, such as the apatites, may possess adsorptive properties. Such crystals distributed around the shores of the ocean could have provided a massive opportunity for furthering dehydration reactions. With this in mind results are given and discussed relative to amino acid adsorption.
The Physical Basis for the Head-to-Tail Rule that Excludes Most Fullerene Cages from Self-Assembly

In the companion article, we proposed that fullerene cages with head-to-tail dihedral angle discrepancies do not self-assemble. Here we show why. If an edge abuts a pentagon at one end and a hexagon at the other, the dihedral angle about the edge increases, producing a dihedral angle discrepancy (DAD) vector. The DADs about all five/six edges of a central pentagonal/hexagonal face are determined by the identities—pentagon or hexagon—of its five/six surrounding faces. Each “Ring”—central face plus specific surrounding faces—may have zero, two, or four edges with DAD. In most Rings, the nonplanarity induced by DADs is shared among surrounding faces. However, in a Ring that has DADs arranged head of one to tail of another, the nonplanarity cannot be shared, so some surrounding faces would be especially nonplanar. Because the head-to-tail exclusion rule is an implicit geometric constraint, the rule may operate either by imposing a kinetic barrier that prevents assembly of certain Rings or by imposing an energy cost that makes those Rings unlikely to last in an equilibrium circumstance. Since Rings with head-to-tail DADs would be unlikely to self-assemble or last, fullerene cages with those Rings would be unlikely to self-assemble.
Computer simulation of sputtering II

Abstract The conclusions of the first paper in this series have been confirmed by simulations in which the copper target is represented by a composite potential function consisting of a Born-Mayer repulsive potential segment, a cubic potential matching segment, and a Morse potential attractive segment. Surface layer relaxation has been included, and surface layer atom binding energies for the most primitive planes of copper have been determined to be:E b(100)=2.4 ± 0.1 ev, E b(100)=2.1 ± 0.1 eV and E b(111)=2.4 ± 0.1 ev. For argon sputtering copper there is no detectable change in the spot patterns between the two models, and the sputtering yields agree within the uncertainty of the simulation. Sputtering yield vs. energy curves now agree quite closely with the experimental data. For sputtering at 5 keV the energy distribution of the sputtered atoms appears to have the form dN/dE ∼ E−1.4. The argon copper sputtering efficiency matches smoothly into the polycrystalline experimental data reported by H. H. A...
Attenuation of sol-gel waveguides measured as a function of wavelength and sample age

Solution chemistry techniques are of interest for the deposition of thin film planar waveguides due to the ease of fabrication, the compositional range available, and the routine synthesis of guides with losses < 0.5 dB ((lambda) equals 632.8 nm). In this work, the wavelength dependence and attenuation of sol-gel waveguides were measured as a function of composition and time in storage, or aging. The compositions investigated in this work were (in mole %) 65SiO2:35TiO2, 50SiO2:50TiO2 and 41.5SiO2:41.5TiO2:17Al2O3 waveguides. Initial losses of the waveguides were < 0.5 dB/cm ((lambda) equals 632.8 nm). The initial wavelength dependence of the guides was also measured. In waveguides where the losses are intrinsically or Rayleigh scatter limited, a dependence of (lambda) 4 is expected. However, the wavelength dependence measured for the sol-gel guides varied with composition. After periods in storage, waveguide attenuation was remeasured, and the guides were found to have deteriorated, with higher losses. The rate of deterioration varied with composition. Possible causes of the deterioration of the guides are presented and discussed.
Serendipity and International Experience in Political Science: The Bulgaria/Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Connection

an international perspective may raise questions that on first sight are only tangentially related to our primary research focus. Happily, the result may be a richer professional life and the promise of a more explanatory political science. Since my graduate school days in the late 1960s, I was aware of the importance of conducting comparative research. Although my primary focus since then has been on judicial politics and related topics in American politics, I had long ago internalized the view that the com-
Mean circulations of boundary-layer rolls in lake-effect snow storms

An observational study of the roll-average flow fields of boundary-layer rolls is presented. Data used for this purpose were collected by dual-Doppler radar and aircraft measurements taken over southern Lake Michigan during the 1983/1984 field operations of Project Lake Snow. The roll circulations agreed well with findings of past observational, numerical and theoretical studies, with cross-roll components roughly 10% of the convective internal boundary layer (CIBL)-mean wind speeds and weaker vertical components. Along-roll winds were systematically stronger in the rollupdraft regions than in the roll-downdraft regions, probably due to distortion of the along-roll wind profile by the rolls. Comparison of observed wind profiles to those required by roll formation mechanisms found by past numerical and theoretical studies suggested that the observed rolls were formed by the along-roll wind shear (Asai, 1970) or wind shear curvature (Kuettner, 1971) in the lowest 0.2Z i, whereZ i is the height of the top of the CIBL.
Continued study of the ultrastructure of the gingiva in the diabetic mouse.

Abstract A continued study of gingival biopsies from the Jackson strain diabetic mouse revealed not only an amorphous thickening of the basement membranes of the blood vessels, but also a lamellar thickening. The normal control blood vessels had basement membrane widths in the 2000-A range, whereas the diabetic animals exhibited an average width of 8000 A. These changes were significant at the 0.1% level. Other changes seen in our studies were: (1) an alteration in the endothelial lining of the blood vessels which appeared as an increase in pseudopod or flap formation on the luminal side, and (2) the appearance of large dense bodies within the epithelial cell mitochondria in the mouse which to our knowledge has not been previously described.