cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exogenous Pubertal Induction by Oral versus Transdermal Estrogen Therapy

Hypogonadal adolescent girls need estrogen therapy for the induction of puberty. For years, oral conjugated estrogens have been used for this purpose, starting at a very low dose, with gradual increments over time, to allow for the maturation of the reproductive organs, in order to mimic physiologic conditions. Several concerns, mainly due to first pass through the liver, are manifest with oral estrogen therapy. With the advent of transdermal estrogens and its improved efficacy profile as well as reduced side effects, it seems reasonable to consider it for pubertal induction. The primary objective of this study was to compare and contrast oral versus transdermal estrogen with regard to metabolism and physiology and to review current available data on transdermal estrogens with respect to exogenous pubertal induction.
Suppression of renin and aldosterone by small amounts of DOCA in normal man.

Previous investigators have suggested that low renin hypertension may be due to an unknown mineralocorticoid. This investigation was designed to simulate the effect of an unknown mineralocorticoid by administration of small amounts of desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) in three normal subjects. The response of 2-h upright plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PA), and urinary aldosterone excretion (UA), as well as extracellular fluid volume, (ECFV) was determined on a high and low salt diet before and during the administration of DOCA for 13 days. After 9 days of DOCA, ECFV increased approximately 2 liters and PRA decreased to levels found in our patients with LRH. PA and UA decreased, appropriately as PRA was suppressed. We would expect an unknown mineralocorticoid to have similar effects on the reninangiotensionaldosterone system. Thus, these results would suggest that in LRH the normal levels of PA and UA are inappropriately elevated in relation to the low PRA.
Effect of Light and Dark on the Intracellular Fate of Photosynthetic Products.

In attempts to distinguish the various pools of metabolic products that may be chemically or physically separated in photosynthesizing cells, C14 labeled compounds have been fed to cells in a number of kinetic studies (2, 3, 7, 10). From these studies it is evident that the photosynthetic intermediates, presumably within the chloroplasts, rapidly acquire the same specific activity as the substrate CO2 and that C'4 enters other (nonplastid) pools more slowly, presumably in the hyaloplasm or vacuoles. Smith, Bassham, and Kirk (10) showed that the active pool of alanine becomes saturated with C'4 within 30 minutes of photosynthesis by Chlorella in C1402. In contrast, the specific activity curve of glutamic acid passes through an inflection after 20 minutes and continues to increase slowly. This was interpreted as evidence for a secondary slowly labeled pool (presumably outside of the plastid). The active pools of several amino acids were found to represent 20 to 25 % of the total pools. It has become possible with the development of the nonaqueous method of isolating chloroplasts to study the intracellular distribution and movement of some of the early products of photosynthesis (4, 13). Leaching of water soluble components during chloroplast isolation in buffered sucrose or saline solutions renders the current aqueous methods of little use in such studies. It has been shown that there is a rapid movement of certain carbon compounds from the chloroplast into its cytoplasmic environment while other carbon compounds particularly those directly concerned with the carbon cycle of photosynthesis (4) are unable to pass readily out of the plastid. It should be possible by using the nonaqueous method of isolating chloroplasts to determine the actual sizes of the chloroplast pools of various compounds and to compare these pools with those found outside of the plastids. The present study involved the use of the nonaqueous method of isolation of plasticls to follow the influence of light and dark onl the fate of some of the early products of photosynthesis.
Type II InAs/GaSb superlattices for high-performance photodiodes and FPAs

The authors report the most recent progress in Type II InAs/GaSb superlattice materials and photovoltaic detectors developed for focal plane array applications with a cutoff wavelength of ∼8 μm. No turn-on of tunneling current was observed even at a reverse bias of-3 V for a 3 μm thick p-i-n photodiodes. The thermally-limited zero bias detectivity under 300 K 2 π FOV was 2∼3×10 11 cm.Hz 1/2 /W at liquid nitrogen temperature, with a current responsivity of 2∼3 A/W and a mean quantum efficiency of∼50%. Initial passivation using SiO 2 has shown to decrease the dark current by ∼30% at a reverse bias of -1 V. The same detector structure was used for focal plane arrays with silicon readout integrated circuit. Concept proof of imaging was demonstrated with a format of 256x256 at liquid nitrogen temperature.
Smart Structures Incorporating Artificial Neural Networks, Fiber-Optic Sensors, And Solid-State Actuators

Neural networks have been shown to be useful in sensor pre-processing and dynamic system modeling and control, as well as various other signal analysis areas. Their application to the problem of developing a real-time smart structure is further indicated by the extremely fast post-learning speed of the neural network. Fiber-optic sensors also possess very high response rates, and sensitivities and are well suited to the detection of structural changes. The integration of these two technologies is a natural step toward a high-speed smart structure. A smart structure that is applicable to airfoil control surfaces as well as artificial human joints is being modeled and built at Florida Institute of Technology. The actuators (muscles) in our model are replaced with shape-memory metal strands. The joint-position sensors of the neuro-muscular system are modeled by fiber-optic sensors. The control (neural) circuits are replaced by an artificial neural network. We are investigating the suitability of each of these subsystems to the problem. The appropriate neural-network architecture, as well as the sensors and actuators, is under investigation, and a prototype system is being fabricated and tested. Results of the modeling, design, and performance will be discussed.
Ball and socket figures between secretory vesicles in mammary epithelial cells

Interaction of adjacent secretory vesicles through ball and socket figures was observed in milk secreting mammary epithelial cells preserved by quick freezing without chemical fixation. Membranes of adjacent vesicles appeared to be fused together. Such vesicle-vesicle interactions have been described in chemically fixed tissues, but it has been argued that these interactions may have been fixation artifacts. Ball and socket figures in quick-frozen cells were smaller than those in chemically fixed cells. However, their existence in cells arrested by quick freezing argues that such vesicle-vesicle interactions occur in living cells.
A correlation of the lower flammability limit for hybrid mixtures

Abstract Hybrid mixtures are widely encountered in industries such as coal mines, paint factories, pharmaceutical industries, or grain elevators. Hybrid mixtures explosions involving dust and gas can cause great loss of lives and properties. The lower flammability limit (LFL) is a critical parameter when conducting a hazard assessment or developing mitigation methods for processes involving hybrid mixtures. Unlike unitary dust or gas explosions, which have been widely studied in past decades, only minimal research focuses on hybrid mixtures, and data concerning hybrid mixtures can rarely be found. Although methods to predict the LFL have been developed by using either Le Chatelier's Law, which was initially proposed for homogeneous gas mixtures, or the Bartknecht curve, which was adopted for only certain hybrid mixtures, significant deviations still remain. A more accurate correlation to predict an LFL for a hybrid mixtures explosion is necessary for risk assessment. This work focuses on the study of hybrid mixtures explosions in a 36 L dust explosion apparatus including mixtures of methane/niacin, methane/cornstarch, ethane/niacin and ethylene/niacin in air. By utilizing basic characteristics of unitary dust or gas explosions, a new formula is proposed to improve the prediction of the LFL of the mixture. The new formula is consistent with Le Chatelier's Law.
Obsessions and Compulsions in Prader-Willi Syndrome

This study examines the nature, severity and correlates of non-food obsessions and compulsions in 91 people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) aged 5-47 years (mean age = 19 years). Prominent symptoms, seen in 37-58% of the sample, included hoarding; ordering and arranging; concerns with symmetry and exactness; rewriting; and needs to tell, know or ask. A remarkably high proportion of participants had moderate to severe symptom severity ratings; 64% showed symptom-related distress, and 80% showed symptom-related adaptive impairment. The study also compared obsessive-compulsive symptoms in 43 adults with PWS to age- and sex-matched non-retarded adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The PWS and OCD groups showed similar levels of symptom severity and numbers of compulsions; they also showed more areas of symptom similarity than difference. Increased risks of OCD in persons with PWS are strongly indicated. Implications are discussed for pharmacotherapy, behavioral therapy and family support.
A computer generated aid for cluster analysis

A computer generated graphic method, which can be used in conjunction with any hierarchical scheme of cluster analysis, is described and illustrated. The graphic principle used is the representation of the elements of a data matrix of similarities or dissimilarities by computer printed symbols (of character overstrikes) of various shades of darkness, where a dark symbol corresponds to a small dissimilarity. The plots, applied to a data matrix before clustering and to the rearranged matrix after clustering, show at a glance whether clustering brought forth any distinctive clusters. A well-known set of data consisting of the correlations of 24 psychological tests is used to illustrate the comparison of groupings by four methods of factor analysis and two methods of cluster analysis.
Librarians in Children's Literature, 1909-2000

Summary The presentations of librarians in thirty-five children's books published between 1909 and 2000 in the United States were described, compared, and analyzed to discover indications of attitudes and beliefs about librarians and to discern evidence of changing roles within the profession of librarianship. In regard to gender and ethnicity, most of the librarians depicted are female and Caucasian, including those in books from recent decades. Consistency in work tasks of librarians is seen throughout the century, but the tools used to perform the work show consistent evolution. Librarians emerge as caring, friendly, and energetic professionals who have positive interactions and relationships with patrons.
An Empirical Study of TCP Vulnerabilities in Critical Power System Devices

Implementations of the TCP/IP protocol suite have been patched for decades to reduce the threat of TCP sequence number prediction attacks. TCP, in particular, has been adopted to many devices in the power grid as a transport layer for their applications since it provides reliability. Even though this threat has been well-known for almost three decades, this does not hold true in power grid networks; weak TCP sequence number generation can still be found in many devices used throughout the power grid. Although our analysis only covers one substation, we believe that this is without loss of generality given: 1) the pervasiveness of the flaws throughout the substation devices; and 2) the prominence of the vendors. In this paper, we show how much TCP initial sequence numbers (ISNs) are still predictable and how time is strongly correlated with TCP ISN generation. We collected power grid network traffic from a live substation for six months, and we measured TCP ISN differences and their time differences between TCP connection establishments. In the live substation, we found three unique vendors (135 devices, 68%) from a total of eight vendors (196 devices) running TCP that show strongly predictable patterns of TCP ISN generation.
An empirical investigation of different strategies for material requirements planning

Abstract Master production scheduling, component lot sizing, and capacity requirements planning represent three important modules of material requirements planning (MRP) systems. Coordinating these three modules has been largely dependent on managerial judgment and experience. In this research, five different strategies for integrating these modules are empirically investigated. These strategies differ mainly in the extent to which the modules are coordinated. The impact of the shop, product, component and cost characteristics is measured by varying ten experimental factors. The research findings so obtained provide several guidelines on the effectiveness of each strategy in different environmental settings.
Expert systems software for civil engineering applications

Abstract Expert systems offer a new and valuable approach to the problem of modelling civil engineering systems. This paper examines the advantages that expert systems offer over more conventional forms of computer programming and describes the components of such systems. It also suggests areas of application for which expert systems are likely to be successful and discusses the process of knowledge acquisition. The paper reviews seven expert systems shells in detail and provides criteria for their evaluation. The capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of each shell are described and conclusions provided as to the appropriate selection of each.
The Nutrition CRSP: What Is Marginal Malnutrition, and Does It Affect Human Function?

This review of the Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program (Nutrition CRSP) describes the results of a longitudinal study of the effects of marginal malnutrition on human function in Egypt, Kenya, and Mexico. Growth-stunting occurred soon after birth and was associated with cognitive and behavioral deficits in infancy and childhood. Maternal nutritional status was implicated in this phenomenon. All three population groups had poor dietary quality and multiple micronutrient deficiencies, which were associated with poor function. Energy deficiency was a problem only in Kenya.
Interactive microcomputer-aided analysis of tensile network structures

Abstract Cable network structures not only provide economical solutions for spanning large-span earth structures but are potentially useful for space applications for three reasons: light structural weight, speed of construction, and reusability. Analysis of cable network systems can be complex because of their geometrically nonlinear behavior. This paper presents interactive microcomputer-aided analysis of tensile network structures. A multi-window graphic-oriented system has been developed for interactive analysis of three different classes of network structures: freely suspended synclastic-surface (dish-shaped) nets, prestressed flat nets, and prestressed anticlastic-surface (saddle-shaped) nets. The program is written in the QuickBASIC programming language for the IBM PS/2 computers. An iterative Newton-Raphson method is employed for the solution of the nonlinear system of equations; incremental loading is used for highly nonlinear network structures. Extensive graphic displays aid the user during preprocessing and postprocessing.
Non-operative management in penetrating abdominal trauma: is it feasible at a Level II trauma center?

Abstract Background The recent mandate for surgical exploration for all penetrating abdominal trauma has been questioned. High-volume centers report good outcomes for non-operative treatment in penetrating trauma for hemodynamically stable patients without peritonitis and with tangential wounds. The applicability of this strategy in smaller hospitals is unknown. Study Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate non-operative management of penetrating abdominal trauma at a Level II trauma center. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients with penetrating abdominal trauma from 2006 through 2008. Demographic information, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Our sample consisted of 86 patients with penetrating abdominal trauma; 12 (14%) had documented peritoneal violation and were managed non-operatively. The average age was 30 years (range 21–39 years), with 50% African American, 33% Caucasian, and 17% Hispanic. Male patients accounted for 92%, and the average Injury Severity Score was 5.2 (range 1–13). Overall non-operative treatment failed in 3 patients (25%); one required drainage of a retrogastric abscess on hospital day 4, and another underwent gastric and diaphragm repair on hospital day 1. The third treatment failure did not require an operation but developed a biloma requiring percutaneous drainage. There were no other complications related to non-operative therapy and no mortalities. The average length of stay was 3.9 days; 83% of patients were discharged home. Conclusions In hemodynamically stable patients without peritonitis and documented isolated injuries to solid organs, non-operative management of penetrating abdominal trauma seems safe; however, it can delay diagnosis of hollow viscus injuries. Until further data emerge, extreme caution should be used in employing non-operative management for penetrating abdominal injuries at small trauma centers.
Emergency overloading of air-cooled oil-immersed power transformers by hot-spot temperatures

The paper points out that during the period of the war the need for obtaining maximum transformer overload capacity is very great, particularly under rare emergency conditions. From a thermal standpoint, the amount of overload is limited by the hottest spot in the transformer winding. To obtain accurate data 1. On the actual hot-spot temperatures under rated load conditions 2. On the increase of the hot spot with load under both ultimate moderate overload and heavy short-time overload conditions approximately 50 heat runs were made on several power transformers of different ratings, representing a wide variety of design conditions. The results of the tests are given in the paper. The subject of how heavy overloads affect the life of transformers, is discussed and temperature limits somewhat higher than those given in the American Standards, Guides for Operation of Transformers, are suggested. Calculated short-time overloads are given to show the effect of transformer characteristics on overload values.
Response time bounds for event handlers in the priority based functional reactive programming (P-FRP) paradigm

Priority-based Functional Reactive Programming (FRP) is a new declarative approach to modeling and building reactive systems. Preempted tasks in P-FRP are aborted and have to restart when higher priority tasks have completed. Unlike the preemptive model of execution, there is no notion of critical instance in P-FRP. Determination of the actual value of Worst-Case Response Time (WCRT) in P-FRP requires evaluation of an exponential number of release scenarios. Such a 'brute-force' computation is expensive and impractical in several situations. In previous work, researchers have presented a polynomial time algorithm which uses fixed point iteration to compute an approximate upper bound on response time. However, this algorithm fails to converge for several task sets and hence is quite limited in use. In this paper, we present a more robust algorithm that computes response time bounds of P-FRP tasks and guarantees a result for all task sets. Experimental results using synthetic task sets of different sizes have also been presented.
TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING STUDENT WRITING

Three techniques for facilitating student writing require little expenditure of money and teacher time.
Low-density microcellular carbon foams

A method has been developed to produce vitreous carbon foams having both low densities (0.03 to 0.10gcm−3) and small cell sizes (∼ 20 μm). This process involves the replication of a porous sacrificial substrate, i.e. sodium chloride. The salt is pressed initially into bars and sintered to give a structure with continuous porosity. The pores are infused with a phenolic solution, the solvent is evaporated, and the resin is pyrolysed within the salt substrate. Extraction of the salt and freeze drying lead to the final carbon foam. The substrate serves two purposes in this process: (1) it prevents shrinkage of the foam during pyrolysis, and (2) it dictates the cell size of the foam.
Fundamental and practical developments of magnetofluidized beds : a review

Abstract This paper presents a review of the literature on the fundamental and practical developments of magnetofluidized beds (MFBs) for reaction, filtration and separation applications in gas—solid, liquid—solid and three-phase systems. A particular interest of our review is the discussion of the basic research and patented developments of magnetically stabilized beds (MSBs). We describe: historical developments of MSBs; the range of stabilized-bed operating conditions; MSBs of mixed-particle systems; nonconventional MSB systems; structure, solid flowability and rheological behavior of MSBs; gas-mixing behavior as well as heat and mass transfer in MSBs; countercurrent and crossflow MSBs as gas—solid contactors; and liquid—solid and three-phase MSBs. We also review the published literature on other MFBs in which the applied magnetic field may not be spatially uniform and the bed may not be stabilized (i.e., bubbling). Following a discussion of the published fundamental research results, we describe a number of recent practical developments of other MFBs, including the fluidized-bed high-gradient magnetic separation (FBHGMS), the magnetic valve for solids (MVS), the magnetic distributor—downcomer (MDD), the magnetic transporter of solids (MTS) and the magnetic recirculator of solids (MRS).
Virulence comparisons of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus U and M genogroups in sockeye salmon and rainbow trout

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is an aquatic rhabdovirus that infects salmonids in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Europe, and Asia. Isolates of IHNV have been phylogenetically classified into three major viral genogroups, designated U, M, and L. To characterize virulence of IHNV in the context of these three viral genogroups, seven strains of IHNV (three U genogroup strains, three M strains, and one L strain) were compared for their pathogenicity in juvenile sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka, kokanee (lacustrine sockeye salmon), and rainbow trout O. mykiss. Fish were waterborne-exposed to the different viral strains, and virulence was assessed by comparing mortality curves and final cumulative percent mortality (CPM) in both species of fish at 10°C and 15°C. In sockeye salmon and kokanee, the U genogroup virus types were extremely virulent, causing average CPMs of 69-100%, while the M genogroup virus types caused very little or no mortality (CPM = 0-4%). The endangered Redfish Lake sockeye salmon stock exhibited extreme differences in susceptibility to the U and M genogroups. Conversely, in two stocks of rainbow trout, the M genogroup virus types were more virulent, inducing average CPMs of 25-85%, while the U genogroup viruses caused lower mortality (CPM = 5-41%). In both fish species, the single L genogroup strain caused low to intermediate mortality (CPM = 13-53%). Viral glycoprotein sequence comparisons of the seven challenge strains revealed three amino acid sites (247, 256, and 270) that consistently differed between the U and M genogroups, possibly contributing to pathogenicity differences.
Responses to context- and individual-specific cues in cotton-top tamarin long calls

Abstract We identified two variants of cotton-top tamarin long calls that occur in different situations: communication between troops and intratroop calling. A discriminant analysis differentiated between the forms of the two variants with a classification accuracy of 98%. Discriminant analyses and analyses of variance also differentiated between the call structures of individual animals for each type of long call. A playback experiment elicited alerting, arousal and aggressive responses only to the calls of nontroop members. Aggressive behaviour patterns were elicited by the intertroop long call variant (Normal Long Call) and not by the within troop variant (Quiet Long Call). The long call variants are perceived as different by the monkeys and elicit functionally different responses. Several parallels exist between the long calls of tamarins and the song of birds.
Lateral resolution challenges for triangulation-based three-dimensional imaging systems

Lateral resolution is a particularly challenging concept to quantify in triangulation-based three-dimensional (3-D) imaging systems. We present these challenges, then describe an artifact-based methodology for evaluating the lateral resolution of a triangulation-based 3-D imaging system that uses laser spots or laser lines. In particular, the response of a 3-D imaging system to a spatial discontinuity (step edge) has traditionally been modeled as a first-order linear system. We model the response of a triangulation-based laser imaging system to a spatial step edge from first principles and demonstrate that the response should be modeled as a non linear system. This model is then used as a basis for evaluating the lateral (structural) resolution of a triangulation-based laser imaging system.
Acoustic and Vibration Responses of Lexan Plate Constructions

Lexan, a commercial form of polycarbonate resin thermoplastic, has some acoustic and vibration damping capabilities, among other properties, which have recommended it for building, vehicle and appliance constructions. However, along the lines of intelligently designed periodic-structure materials, with more recent understanding, these capabilities can be enhanced in different ways, but there has not been a systematic exploration of this process. Such could be useful in the consideration of possible meta-material applications of lexan constructions. This paper makes a report on work in which some construction patterns of lexan structures are tested. Deductions are made from the results in order to aid in the beneficial design of such structures for vibration and acoustic containment.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Comparison of four methods of cleaning hollow-fiber dialyzers for reuse

Four methods of cleaning hollow-fiber artificial kidneys (HFAKs) for reuse were compared in a prospective study. Each cleaning method was randomly assigned and HFAKs were reused until volume loss was greater than or equal to 15 ml, unless discarded for other reasons. HFAKs cleaned with 0.3 M sodium hydroxide averaged 14.5 uses, significantly better (p less than 0.01) than reverse ultrafiltration (6.4 uses), 3% hydrogen peroxide (5.7 uses), or water flush (4.7 uses). Only 1 of 10 HFAKs cleaned with NaOH was discarded owing to volume loss, whereas 25 of 30 HFAKs cleaned by the other methods were rejected for this reason. To relate changes in solute clearance to volume loss, urea and creatinine clearances were determined on HFAKs cleaned by water flush. By the fifth use the average volume had declined to 86.3% of original, but creatinine and urea clearances were reduced, respectively, to 97 and 95% of the original values.
Program control language: a programming language for adaptive distributed applications

Many distributed applications must meet stringent performance requirements even when the performance characteristics of the underlying systems and networks vary significantly at runtime. Runtime adaptation can be used to tolerate such changes, but sophisticated adaptive distributed programs can be extremely challenging to design, implement and debug. This paper proposes a language called Program Control Language (PCL) that provides a novel means of specifying adaptations in distributed applications. PCL is based on an abstract, global representation of a distributed program (a static task graph), which enables a programmer to reason about and to describe a wide range of application-specific adaptation strategies at a high level, using a few key mechanisms. PCL provides simple high-level syntax for local and remote adaptation operations, local and remote performance monitoring (and aggregation), and for performing adaptations synchronously or asynchronously with respect to the execution of the application process initiating the adaptation. The global task graph representation enables remote performance metrics and adaptation operations to be specified in simple global terms by any process, and the compiler and runtime system automatically perform the communication and synchronization required for the remote operations. The paper describes the conceptual adaptation framework, the PCL language, and our implementation of the PCL compiler and runtime system. The paper uses three adaptative applications examples to illustrate the capabilities and benefits of PCL, and to show experimentally that the performance overheads of using PCL for implementing an adaptive application are negligible.
META-ENVIRONMENTS FOR SOFTWARE PRODUCTION

Researchers who create software production environments face considerable problems. Software production environments are large systems that are very costly to develop. Furthermore, software production environments which support particular software engineering methods may not be applicable to a large number of software production projects. These conditions have formed a trend towards research into ways which will lessen the cost of developing software production environments. In particular, the trend has been towards the construction of meta-environments. In this paper, we attempt to categorize current meta-environment approaches. For each of the categories, we review research efforts which illustrate different approaches within that category. We conclude by presenting an emerging common thread of requirements which links this field together.
The distribution, solid-phase speciation, and desorption/dissolution of As in waste iron-based drinking water treatment residuals

Arsenic concentrations and solid-phase speciation were assessed as a function of depth through Fe-media beds for two commercially available products (Granular Ferric Hydroxide-GFH and Bayoxide E33-E33) from pilot-scale water treatment field tests. These results were compared with data from solution (de-ionized water-DI-H2O) concentrations of As equilibrated with Fe-media in an anoxic environment at 4 degrees C. The materials had a high capacity for As (GFH media 9620 mg kg(-1) As, E33 Media 5246 mg kg(-1)). Arsenic concentrations decreased with bed depth. For E33, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy results showed that As(V) was the dominant solid-phase species. For GFH, As(III) was detected and the proportion (relative to As(V)) of As(III) increased with bed depth. Arsenic concentrations in DI-H2O equilibrated with the media were low (35 microg l(-1)) over a period of 50 d. Arsenic concentrations in the equilibrated solutions also decreased with depth. Results from tests on soluble As speciation show that As in solution is in the form of As(V). Kinetic desorption experiments carried out at different pH values (3, 5, 7, 8, and 9) show that the media exhibit some acid/base neutralization capacity and tend to bind As sufficiently. Concentrations of As in the pH desorption experiments were in the same order of magnitude as the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure extractions (tens of microgl(-1)) except at low pH values. For the GFH media tested at a pH of three, As increases in solution and is mainly associated with colloidal (operationally defined as between 0.1 and 1.0 microm) iron.
Measuring Bias in Cyclic Random Walks

We define the notion of the bias of a Bernoulli random variable and demonstrate its relationship to the property that the mod-2 sum of independent variables converges to a fair coin-toss. We then explore generalizations of these ideas to random walks on a finite cyclic group.
Polypeptide hormone receptor phosphorylation: is there a role in receptor-mediated endocytosis of human growth hormone?

To determine whether receptor phosphorylation is a critical step in the internalization of polypeptide hormones and their receptors, we have studied a model system wherein insulin stimulates phosphorylation of its receptor and is also internalized. Using insulin as a positive control, we found that it stimulated a partially purified plasma membrane preparation of IM-9 lymphocytes to autophosphorylate its receptor and to catalyze the phosphorylation of a tyrosine-containing substrate. The human GH (hGH) receptor of the IM-9 lymphocytes, when coupled to [125I]iodo-hGH, migrated as a 140,000-dalton protein on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This protein, in contrast to the insulin receptor, was not phosphorylated by the addition of hGH, nor did hGH stimulate this preparation to phosphorylate the tyrosine-containing substrate poly-(GluNa,Tyr)4:l, casein, or histone f2b under a variety of conditions. We conclude that receptor phosphorylation is not a critical intermediate in the receptor-mediated endocytos...
A novel chicken embryo model for the investigation of drugs with antimetastatic properties

The chicken embryo is known to be immunotolerant to the introduction of human cancer cells. We present a newly developed chicken embryo model suitable for the investigation of the metastatic process and for testing drugs with antimetastatic potential. Fertilized 3 day old chicken eggs were transferred into Petri dishes, and incubated at 37°C. 5-10% of embryos remained viable for 7–10 days. 1x105 cells from 3 different breast cancer cell lines were injected on day 5 of embryonic development in the allantoic sac. Stereomicroscopy allowed us to monitor cancer cell movement in real time ex vivo. After 12 days, embryos were harvested, and livers were taken for further examination. Using histology, metastases were detected and semi quantitatively evaluated. We conclude that it is possible to use a chicken embryo as a live model for monitoring and observing the metastatic process, thereby highlighting this system as a unique and novel method for investigation of drugs with antimetastatic properties. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P60–P60; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.229
THE PRESENCE OF AN α‐GALACTOSIDASE IN BRAIN AND ITS ROLE IN THE DEGRADATION OF THE DIGALACTOSYL DIGLYCERIDE OF BRAIN

— The presence of α-galactosidase activity has been demonstrated in rat brain. This enzyme, located mainly in the crude mitochondrial fraction, actively hydrolysed the substrates p-nitrophenyl-α-galactoside and melibiose, and also catalysed the hydrolysis of digalactosyl diglyceride of both animal and plant origin. The hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-α-galactoside, as catalysed by the α-galactosidase, occurred optimally at pH 4·9, showed an approximate Km of 1·0 × 10−3m, and was markedly inhibited by melibiose, galactose and the mercuric ion.
Multicast loss recovery with active injection

It is well known that request suppression, local recovery and retransmission scoping are the three crucial elements for scalability and efficiency in multicast loss recovery. None of existing multicast loss recovery schemes can simultaneously have good performance in all the three aspects without introducing significant overhead. The scheme proposed in this paper approaches the multicast loss recovery issue from a new perspective and achieves good performance in all the three aspects with very limited overhead. Our analysis shows that the proposed scheme has a significantly better overall performance as compared to existing schemes.
Coronary atherosclerosis is associated with left ventricular dysfunction and dilatation in aortic stenosis.

Patients with aortic stenosis develop widely variable patterns of left ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction. We postulated that coronary atherosclerosis (CAD) may be associated with impaired left ventricular function and chamber dilatation in patients with aortic stenosis. Left ventricular mass and volumes were quantified from two-dimensional echocardiography and correlated with coronary angiography in 78 patients with severe aortic stenosis and no previous myocardial infarction or regional wall motion abnormalities. Eighteen patients (group 1) had smooth coronary arteries, 25 patients had irregular coronary arteries with 50% or less stenosis (group 2), and 35 patients had obstructive CAD (group 3). Even though the calculated valve area was similar in all three study groups, group 1 patients had higher values for ejection fraction (65 +/- 9%, 51 +/- 17%, and 48 +/- 13%; p = 0.0002), systolic mass-to-volume ratio (9.2 +/- 3.9, 5.6 +/- 2.8, and 5.2 +/- 2.2; p = 0.0001), and cardiac index (2.9 +/- 0.7, 2.5 +/- 0.7, and 2.3 +/- 0.6 l/min.min2; p = 0.015) than patients in groups 2 and 3, respectively (mean +/- SD). Mean circumferential wall stress was inversely related to severity of CAD. Multivariate analysis showed that CAD is an independent predictor of ejection fraction and mass-to-volume ratio in this group of patients. Thus, in an elderly population with severe aortic stenosis, patients with both obstructive and nonobstructive CAD have an increased incidence of left ventricular enlargement and systolic dysfunction.
Density dependence, precipitation and biological control agent herbivory influence landscape‐scale dynamics of the invasive Eurasian plant Linaria dalmatica

Summary 1. Resource availability and natural enemies are among the most commonly cited mechanisms affecting competitive ability of invasive plants, but their simultaneous effects on plant dynamics are seldom evaluated in the field. Understanding how endogenous and exogenous factors affect invasive plant abundance is essential when evaluating the impact of classical weed biological control agents because misinterpretations of the mechanisms regulating plant demography may bias inference of herbivore impact. 2. In this study, we report results from a citizen-science monitoring programme initiated to evaluate the effects of the stem-mining weevil Mecinus janthiniformis on the Eurasian invasive weed Dalmatian toadflax Linaria dalmatica. We used a discrete model of population dynamics to evaluate the relative importance of endogenous and exogenous processes affecting changes in ramet density of L. dalmatica at 38 spatially replicated sites in Idaho, USA. 3. Analysis of per-capita population growth rates based on ramet density indicated the presence of direct density dependence, which was most likely due to intraspecific competition. Changes in ramet density were not influenced by the abundance of the resident plant community. 4. Precipitation had a strong, positive effect on ramet density of L. dalmatica, while the abundance of M. janthiniformis had a weaker, but significant, negative effect after accounting for the density dependence. There was no support for an interactive effect between precipitation and herbivory. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that biological control is an important factor affecting weed population growth at the landscape scale, but they also suggest that biological control impact may vary considerably on local infestations due to site-specific variation in rainfall and density-dependent processes. We recommend that invasive plant management strategies integrate precipitation and biological control agent monitoring into their programmes to estimate expected biological control efficacy. Alternative control methods should be prioritized in areas where herbivore impact is expected to be low.
Effects of a Cross-Linguistic Storybook Intervention on the Second Language Development of Two Preschool English Language Learners

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a shared reading experience between parent and child in the child’s home language on the emergent literacy and language acquisition in English of preschool-age English Language Learners. Parents of Spanish-speaking four-year-old Head Start students read storybooks in Spanish with their children concurrently with the use of the English language version of the books in the classroom. A single subject design with multiple baselines across subjects and settings was applied. Observed variables included changes in the frequency of utterances, the Mean Length of Utterance-word, and the frequency of spontaneous or child-initiated utterances in various settings within the Head Start classroom. The results indicated that there might be a relation between the shared reading experience in the home language and the child’s second language acquisition. Additionally, there appeared to be a relation between the behaviors and the settings. Finally, implications of this study were discussed.
The multilayered complexity of ceRNA crosstalk and competition

Recent reports have described an intricate interplay among diverse RNA species, including protein-coding messenger RNAs and non-coding RNAs such as long non-coding RNAs, pseudogenes and circular RNAs. These RNA transcripts act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) or natural microRNA sponges — they communicate with and co-regulate each other by competing for binding to shared microRNAs, a family of small non-coding RNAs that are important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Understanding this novel RNA crosstalk will lead to significant insight into gene regulatory networks and have implications in human development and disease.
CTGF Mediates Smad-Dependent Transforming Growth Factor β Signaling To Regulate Mesenchymal Cell Proliferation during Palate Development

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling plays crucial functions in the regulation of craniofacial development, including palatogenesis. Here, we have identified connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf) as a downstream target of the TGF-β signaling pathway in palatogenesis. The pattern of Ctgf expression in wild-type embryos suggests that it may be involved in key processes during palate development. We found that Ctgf expression is downregulated in both Wnt1-Cre; Tgfbr2(fl/fl) and Osr2-Cre; Smad4(fl/fl) palates. In Tgfbr2 mutant embryos, downregulation of Ctgf expression is associated with p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) overactivation, whereas loss of function of Smad4 itself leads to downregulation of Ctgf expression. We also found that CTGF regulates its own expression via TGF-β signaling. Osr2-Cre; Smad4(fl/fl) mice exhibit a defect in cell proliferation similar to that of Tgfbr2 mutant mice, as well as cleft palate. We detected no alteration in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) downstream targets in Smad4 mutant palates, suggesting that the reduction in cell proliferation is due to defective transduction of TGF-β signaling via decreased Ctgf expression. Significantly, an exogenous source of CTGF was able to rescue the cell proliferation defect in both Tgfbr2 and Smad4 mutant palates. Collectively, our data suggest that CTGF regulates proliferation as a mediator of the canonical pathway of TGF-β signaling during palatogenesis.
Non-cytotoxic, in situ gelable hydrogels composed of N-carboxyethyl chitosan and oxidized dextran

A series of in situ gelable hydrogels were prepared from oxidized dextran (Odex) and N-carboxyethyl chitosan (CEC) without any extraneous crosslinking agent. The gelation readily took place at physiological pH and body temperature. The gelation process was monitored rheologically, and the effect of the oxidation degree of dextran on the gelation process was investigated. The higher the oxidation degree of Odex, the faster the gelation. A highly porous hydrogel structure was revealed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Swelling and degradation of the Odex/CEC hydrogels in PBS showed that both swelling and degradation were related to the crosslinking density of the hydrogels. In particular, the hydrogels underwent fast mass loss in the first 2 weeks, followed by a more moderate degradation. The results of long-term cell viability tests revealed that the hydrogels were non-cytotoxic. Mouse fibroblasts were encapsulated in the hydrogels and cell viability was at least 95% within 3 days following encapsulation. Furthermore, cells entrapped inside the hydrogel assumed round shape initially but they gradually adapted to the new environment and spread-out to assume more spiny shapes. Additionally, the results from applying the Odex/CEC system to mice full-thickness transcutaneous wound models suggested that it was capable of enhancing wound healing.
Cyanobacterial-based approaches to improving photosynthesis in plants

Plants rely on the Calvin-Benson (CB) cycle for CO(2) fixation. The key carboxylase of the CB cycle is ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO). Efforts to enhance carbon fixation in plants have traditionally focused on RubisCO or on approaches that can help to remedy RubisCO's undesirable traits: its low catalytic efficiency and photorespiration. Towards reaching the goal of improving plant photosynthesis, cyanobacteria may be instrumental. Because of their evolutionary relationship to chloroplasts, they represent ideal model organisms for photosynthesis research. Furthermore, the molecular understanding of cyanobacterial carbon fixation provides a rich source of strategies that can be exploited for the bioengineering of chloroplasts. These strategies include the cyanobacterial carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM), which consists of active and passive transporter systems for inorganic carbon and a specialized organelle, the carboxysome. The carboxysome encapsulates RubisCO together with carbonic anhydrase in a protein shell, resulting in an elevated CO(2) concentration around RubisCO. Moreover, cyanobacteria differ from plants in the isoenzymes involved in the CB cycle and the photorespiratory pathways as well as in mechanisms that can affect the activity of RubisCO. In addition, newly available cyanobacterial genome sequence data from the CyanoGEBA project, which has more than doubled the amount of genomic information available for cyanobacteria, increases our knowledge on the CCM and the occurrence and distribution of genes of interest.
Tubular epithelial cell activation and interstitial fibrosis. The role of glomerular ultrafiltration of growth factors in the nephrotic syndrome and diabetic nephropathy

Chronic glomerular proteinuria or the nephrotic syn- atory also demonstrated in rats with streptozotocindrome are associated with worsening tubulointerstitial induced diabetic nephropathy, that there is translocainjury and fibrosis in virtually all immunological or tion of two other growth factor‐cytokines into tubular nonimmunological glomerular diseases [1]. Moreover, fluid, namely hepatocyte growth factor (HGF ) and prospective, randomized clinical trials indicate that the transforming growth factor-b ( TGF-b). The presence degree of glomerular protein ultrafiltration is a major of HGF in diabetic, but not normal, rat glomerular risk factor for onset and progression of both interstitial ultrafiltrate collected by nephron micropuncture has fibrosis and progressive renal failure [2]. been demonstrated by Western immunoblot analysis Currently, therapeutic interventions are primarily [6 ]. Moreover, proximal tubular fluid TGF-b levels aimed at reducing the rate of glomerular protein and bioactivity in diabetic rat glomerular ultrafiltrate ultrafiltration such as with angiotensin I converting has been measured in a highly sensitive and specific enzyme inhibitors. However, it is conceivable that addi- bioassay using mink lung epithelial cells that had been tional treatment strategies may be developed that stably transfected with a TGF-b-sensitive, truncated block pathophysiological, further downstream events, PAI-1 promoter fused to a luciferase reporter, and namely the interaction of ultrafiltered proteins with levels of active and total TGF-b were measured as tubular cells and their activation. luciferase-induced luminescence in cell lysates. In normal rat glomerular ultrafiltrate, total TGF-b levels are <10 pg/ml. In contrast, in rats with diabetic Bioactive proteins in glomerular ultrafiltrate