cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of a Fluorometric Microplate Assay to Assess the Activity of Prebiotics and Probiotics against Uropathogenic E. coli Adherence to Human Uroepithelial Cells

Urinary tract infections impact ~40-50% of women in the US. Probiotics have gained interest as an alternative treatment as they may compete with pathogens for adherence and colonization of mucosal ...
Sonámbulo por lo real

Poesia completa. Jose Manuel Arango (prefacio del autor). Editorial Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, 2003, 358 pags.
Parathyroid hormone and bone mobilization in vitro.

Abstract A two-phase system in vitro has been developed for studying the bone-mobilizing effects of parathyroid hormone. Phase I consists of the incubation of hormone with ascites cells, and Phase II is the incubation of Phase I supernatant with dead bone powder. The mobilization of labeled calcium from this powder is the index of hormonal activity. The response to hormone is apparent at 10-8 m hormone, appears specific for parathyroid hormone, and has striking analogies to hormone action upon living bone in vivo and in vitro.
mu analysis with real parametric uncertainty

The authors give a broad overview, from a LFT (linear fractional transformation)/ mu perspective, of some of the theoretical and practical issues associated with robustness in the presence of real parametric uncertainty, with a focus on computation. Recent results on the properties of mu in the mixed case are reviewed, including issues of NP completeness, continuity, computation of bounds, the equivalence of mu and its bounds, and some direct comparisons with Kharitonov-type analysis methods. In addition, some advances in the computational aspects of the problem, including a branch-and-bound algorithm, are briefly presented together with the mixed mu problem may have inherently combinatoric worst-case behavior, practical algorithms with modes computational requirements can be developed for problems of medium size ( >
Easement Draftsmanship and Conveyancing

N LAND transactions within recent years, there has been a tendency to place increasing emphasis on easements. Particularly in the acquisition of industrial sites, attorneys for the purchaser have subjected the easements servicing the site to the same meticulous scrutiny given the title to the site itself. Proceeding on the incontestable assumption that the site is valueless unless adequate means of access are available, such attorneys have often insisted upon title insurance guaranteeing the validity of the easements. Even in transactions involving single-family dwellings, under the prod of the requirements of mortgage lenders, property owners have been discarding their informal verbal understandings with neighbors in favor of formal easement arrangements for party driveways and the like. In these circumstances it seems probable that some practical suggestions and observations on some of the drafting and conveyancing problems involved might be welcomed by the profession, and this article is offered with that end in view. Since easements in gross present special problems, the discussion is largely confined to appurtenant easements. The modes of creating private easements, other than by implication or prescription, include the following:1 1. Formal grant. 2. Reservation or exception in a conveyance of land. 3. Covenant.2 4. Unsealed agreement based on valuable consideration.3 5. Conveyance by reference to a plat which depicts easements. 6. Conveyance referring to a recorded declaration of easements. 7. Deed of conveyance otherwise sufficient to convey fee title but which includes language construed to reduce the estate granted to a mere easement.4
Existence of Densities for Statistics in the Cubic Sensor Problem

Let \({\mathop \phi \limits^ \wedge _1}, \ldots ,{\mathop \phi \limits^ \wedge _n}\) be the unnormalized conditional estimates of Φ 1(X(t)),…,Φ n(X(t)) in the cubic sensor problem. For arbitrary n and linearly independent Φ 1,…, Φ n we show that the random variable \(\Phi = \left( {{{\mathop \phi \limits^ \wedge }_1}, \ldots ,{{\mathop \phi \limits^ \wedge }_n}} \right)\) admits a density. This strongly precludes the existence of a finite dimensionally computable realization of the unnormalized conditional density, and it provides an example for a general theorem given in [6].
Stabilized Finite Element Formulations for Incompressible Flow Computations

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses stabilized finite element formulations for incompressible flow computations. Finite element computation of incompressible flows involve two main sources of potential numerical instabilities associated with the Galerkin formulation of a problem. The stabilization techniques that are reviewed more extensively than others are the Galerkin/ least-squares (GLS), streamline-upwind/ Petrov–Galerkin (SUPG), and pressure-stabilizing/Petrov–Galerkin (PSPG) formulations. The SUPG stabilization for incompressible flows is achieved by adding to the Galerkin formulation a series of terms, each in the form of an integral over a different element. These integrals involve the product of the residual of the momentum equation and the advective operator acting on the test function. The natural boundary conditions are the conditions on the stress components, and these are the conditions assumed to be imposed at the remaining part of the boundary. The interpolation functions used for velocity and pressure are piecewise bilinear in space and piecewise linear in time. These computations involve no global coefficient matrices, and therefore need substantially less computer memory and time compared to noniterative solution of the fully discrete equations. It is suggested that for two-liquid flows, the solution and variational function spaces for pressure should include the functions that are discontinuous across the interface.
Interface Reactions of Titanium on Single Crystal and Thin Film Diamond Analyzed by UV Photoemission Spectroscopy

Abstract The reactions of titanium on natural crystals and CVD polycrystalline thin films were studied by uv-photoemission spectroscopy. The focus of this study was to characterize the interface reactions and to determine the Schottky barrier of titanium on diamond, deposited and annealed in UHV. Spectroscopic features attributed to the electronic states of Ti-C were identified, and the formation of titanium carbide was observed as a function of annealing temperature. The onset of a titanium-carbon reaction was observed after the 400°C anneal. A well defined TiC spectra was observed after annealing to 600°C. The Schottky barrier height from Ti on natural p-type diamond (111) was obtained by determining the valence band maximum and the Fermi level, and a barrier height of 1.0±0.2 eV was found.
Reduction of inorganic compounds with molecular hydrogen by Micrococcus lactilyticus. II. Stoichiometry with inorganic sulfur compounds.

Abstract Woolfolk, C. A. (University of Washington, Seattle). Reduction of inorganic compounds with molecular hydrogen by Micrococcus lactilyticus. II. Stoichiometry with inorganic sulfur compounds. J. Bacteriol. 84:659–668. 1962.—Extracts of Micrococcus lactilyticus (Veillonella alcalescens) are capable of utilizing molecular hydrogen for the reduction of metabisulfite (pyrosulfite) to thiosulfate via dithionite as an intermediate. The first step of metabisulfite reduction (i.e., to dithionite) is reversible, and, when dithionite is added as a substrate, there is an evolution of molecular hydrogen accompanied by the formation of equilibrium concentrations of metabisulfite. Kinetic studies indicate that dithionite may be directly reduced to thiosulfate without the formation of sulfoxylate as an intermediate. Although tetrathionate is reduced to thiosulfate with an uptake of hydrogen, polythionates probably are not formed as intermediates in the reduction of metabisulfite to thiosulfate.
Minimizing Average Shortest Path Distances via Shortcut Edge Addition

We consider adding k shortcut edges (i.e. edges of small fixed length *** *** 0) to a graph so as to minimize the weighted average shortest path distance over all pairs of vertices. We explore several variations of the problem and give O (1)-approximations for each. We also improve the best known approximation ratio for metric k -median with penalties, as many of our approximations depend upon this bound. We give a $(1+2\frac{(p+1)}{\beta(p+1)-1},\beta)$-approximation with runtime exponential in p . If we set β = 1 (to be exact on the number of medians), this matches the best current k -median (without penalties) result.
Are Americans More Litigious? Some Quantitative Evidence

Many observers suggest that American citizens sue more readily than citizens elsewhere, and that American judges shape society more powerfully than judges elsewhere. We examine the problems involved in exploring these questions quantitatively. The data themselves indicate that American law’s notoriety does not result from how we handle routine disputes. Instead, it results from the peculiar and dysfunctional way American courts handle particular legal doctrines like class actions.
Organization of replication of ribosomal DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Using recently developed replicon mapping techniques, we have analyzed the replication of the ribosomal DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results show that (i) the functional origin of replication colocalizes with an autonomously replicating sequence element previously mapped to the nontranscribed spacer region, (ii) only a fraction of the potential origins are utilized in a single S phase, and (iii) the replication forks moving counter to the direction of transcription of the 37S precursor RNA stop at or near the termination site of transcription. Consequently, most ribosomal DNA is replicated unidirectionally by forks moving in the direction of transcription and most replicons are larger than the repeat unit. The significance of this finding for the replication of abundantly transcribed genes is discussed.
Sural sensory nerve action potential, epidermal nerve fiber density, and quantitative sudomotor axon reflex in the healthy elderly.

Introduction: Polyneuropathy evaluation in older patients is often challenging due to conflicting data regarding normative values for peripheral nerve testing. Methods: We characterized the results of sural nerve conduction studies, intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD), and quantitative sudomotor axon reflex testing (QSART) in a prospective study of 50 healthy subjects aged ≥60 years. Results: Of the 50 subjects, 48 (96%) had an obtainable sural sensory nerve action potential (SNAP). Using quantile regression, we estimated the lower limit of normal (LLN) for sural amplitudes to be 3 μV for patients 60–70 years, 1 μV for those 70–74 years, and <1 μV (absent) for those ≥75 years of age. IENFD and QSART volume were reduced with advancing age, although IENFD was lower in men and QSART volume was lower in women. Conclusions: We propose that an absent sural SNAP in patients up to 75 years of age should be considered abnormal. Our findings also support age- and gender-stratified normative data for IENFD and QSART. Muscle Nerve 49:564–569, 2014
Analysis of a multi-server queueing model with MAP arrivals of regular customers and phase type arrivals of special customers

Abstract We consider a multi-server queueing model in which two types of arrivals occur. Regular customers arrive according to a Markovian arrival process and special customers arrive according to a phase type renewal process. The service times are exponentially distributed with parameter depending on the type served. While a regular customer requires the attention of only one server, a special customer needs the attention of all servers. An arriving special customer finding the servers busy with a special customer is lost; otherwise, the special customer will enter into service immediately by possibly pre-empting existing services of regular customers. The displaced customers will enter into service once the special customer leaves. The model is analyzed in steady state and some illustrative numerical examples are discussed to bring out the key effect of the special customers on selected system performance measures.
Proceedings of the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM)

The Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) held its annual meeting October 26 through 28, 2006 in New Orleans, with the theme of “Renewal and Revitalization.” Topics included developing appropriate clinical skills, factors influencing teaching effectiveness, enhancing interest in internal medicine, professionalism, recognizing student abuse, and how to incorporate into the clerkship the updated set of goals and objectives developed cooperatively by CDIM and the Society of General Internal Medicine. The CDIM meeting was part of Academic Internal Medicine Week, where educators and administrators involved in student, resident, and fellow education gather for the meetings of their individual organizations as well as for joint sessions of mutual interest. Participants share expertise and develop solutions to common problems. The week's themes included disaster preparedness, teaching patient safety, residents as teachers, improving feedback, and future directions for internal medicine education. Thirty...
5-Amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide is a mutagen in E. coli

Abstract 5-Amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide (5A4IC), the base moiety of a common intermediate in de novo purine biosynthesis, was found to be mutagenic in E. coli . Using a series of mutants in the tryptophan synthetase A gene, 5A4IC was observed to cause transition and transversion mutations at similar levels. At 400 μg/ml in the growth medium, it stimulates the base substitution GC→AT 4.8-fold; AT→GC 20-fold; AT→CG (2 sites)an average of 6.0-fold; AT↔TA 7.8-fold; and GC↔CG 6.1-fold. The transersion GC→TA was not tested. In contrast to the base, 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside is not mutagenic at a similar molar concentration.
Reaction of 2,3-bis(methylthio)pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazol-1-one with BrRe(CO)3(THF)2 : X-ray diffraction structure, redox chemistry, and luminescence behavior of fac-BrRe(CO)3{N,S-2,3-bis(methylthio)pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazol-1-one}

Abstract The reaction of the heterocyclic ligand 2,3-bis(methylthio)pyrrolo[1,2- a ]benzimidazol-1-one with the rhenium(I) compound BrRe(CO) 3 (THF) 2 has been explored and found to give the new complex fac -BrRe(CO) 3 ( N , S -heterocycle) ( 1 ) upon stirring at room temperature. The same product has also been isolated in lower yield by heating BrRe(CO) 5 and the starting heterocycle. Compound 1 has been isolated and characterized in solution by IR and NMR spectroscopies, and the N , S -chelation mode exhibited by the ancillary heterocyclic ligand has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The redox properties of 1 have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, where an irreversible reduction is observed at E p c = - 0.63 V . The nature of the LUMO in 1 has been evaluated through the means of extended Huckel MO calculations, and the electrochemical and MO data are discussed relative to the parent heterocyclic ligand that possesses a low-lying, ligand-based π* LUMO. The photophysical behavior of the starting heterocycle and compound 1 has been analyzed in CH 2 Cl 2 and MeCN solvents; emission quantum yields at room temperature are on the order of 10 −5 in CH 2 Cl 2 and one order of magnitude higher in MeCN. The lowest excited state arises from an intraligand (IL) transition resulting from a π → π* excitation that is confined to the heterocycle.
Terahertz Wave Gas Photonics: Sensing with Gases

A review of the detection of pulsed terahertz waves via field-induced second harmonic generation in gaseous media is presented. The effects of the DC bias field strength, probe pulse energy, nonlinear susceptibility of the gases, gas pressure, and focusing conditions of the terahertz and optical beams are discussed. A Figure-of-merit, which characterizes the sensitivity of gases media, is introduced.
Evaluation of “Increased” Hemoglobin in the JAK2 Mutations Era: A Diagnostic Algorithm Based on Genetic Tests

Recent discoveries in the molecular pathogenesis of both polycythemia vera (PV) and congenital polycythemia (CP) underline the prospect of a genetic diagnosis in these disorders. At the forefront are the mutually exclusive exon 14 (JAK2V617F) and exon 12 JAK2 mutations that are almost always present in PV but not in polycythemias of other causes. Similarly, the molecular basis of CP is being unraveled, and several cases are now associated with germline mutations involving the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) or erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) genes. Therefore, current diagnostic work-up for acquired polycythemia should start with peripheral blood JAK2 mutation screening, whereas VHL and/or EPOR mutations should be considered when CP is suspected. In all instances, serum erythropoietin measurement provides complementary information; the serum erythropoietin level is expected to be decreased in PV regardless of JAK2 mutation status, increased in VHL mutation-associated CP, and decreased or normal in the presence of an EPOR mutation.
Distinctive Self and Occupational Member Concepts in Different Occupational Preference Groups.

Abstract This investigation attempted to test and extend selected aspects of Super's self-concept theory of career development. Four hundred twenty-eight male college student subjects, representing 39 college majors, selected their most-preferred occupational interest areas from a list of 14 factorially separable areas. The students described both themselves and their most-preferred occupational member concepts with Adjective Check List items. Individuals with demonstrably different self-concepts and occupational preferences displayed differences in the concepts that they held of members of their preferred occupational areas. Relatively distinct dimensions of similarity of self and occupational member concepts among students who preferred the same occupational area were also found.
Rating problem behaviors in outpatients with mental retardation: Use of the aberrant behavior checklist

Parent and teacher ratings of behavior problems of an outpatient sample of 110 children, adolescents, and young adults with IQs ranging from severe mental retardation to borderline were obtained using a modified version of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). Using factor analytic techniques, the five-factor structure of the parent data corresponded extremely well with the five factors originally obtained from staff ratings of mentally retarded inpatients (i.e., Irritability, Withdrawal, Hyperactivity, Stereotypies, and Inappropriate Speech). Factor content was virtually identical between the parent and original ABC data with differences involving only one or two items per scale. The teacher data also revealed a factor structure that corresponded to the same five factors as the parent and original data. Although the teacher and parent factors showed a high degree of similarity, the teacher data suggested that the Stereotypies and Inappropriate Speech factors of the parent and original analyses were not the same constructs for teacher respondents. Age was related to the withdrawal factor for parent data; level of intellectual functioning was the only subject characteristic related to factor scale scores in both parent and teacher data. Test-retest reliabilities were adequate to excellent for all factors for both parent and teacher data. Parent-teacher cross-informant reliabilities were adequate for at least four of the factors. The results of the report indicate that the ABC is a useful, reliable instrument for assessing maladaptive behaviors in young, developmentally disabled outpatients.
A computational algorithm for the coverage probability of a first order autogressive process

In this paper, an algorithm is found to compute for an AR(1) time series Xt and k given intervals . The computational time is approximately linear to k and the error bound is of the order k 2. This algorithm can be used to find the extreme value distribution, the first passage time distribution, and the coverage probability for the prediction intervals.
Inactivation of in Apple Juice by Radio Frequency Electric Fields

ABSTRACT: Heat pasteurization may detrimentally affect the quality of fruit and vegetable juices; hence, nonthermal pasteurization methods are actively being developed. Radio frequency electric fields processing has recently been shown to inactivate yeast in water at near-ambient temperatures. The objective of this study was to extend the radio frequency electric fields (RFEF) technique to inactivate bacteria in apple juice. A converged-field treatment chamber was developed that enabled high-intensity RFEF to be applied to apple juice using a 4-kW power supply. Finite element analyses indicated that uniform fields were generated in the treatment chamber. Escherichia coliK12 in apple juice was exposed for 0.17 ms to electric field strengths of up to 26 kV/cm peak over a frequency range of 15 to 70 kHz. The population of E. coliwas reduced by 1.8 log following exposure to an 18 kV/cm field at an outlet temperature of 50 °C. Raising the temperature increased inactivation. Intensifying the electric field up to 16 kV/cm increased inactivation; however, above this intensity, inactivation remained constant. Radio frequencies of 15 and 20 kHz inactivated E. colibetter than frequencies of 30 to 70 kHz. Inactivation was independent of the initial microbial concentration between 4.3 and 6.2 log colony-forming units (CFU)/mL. Applying 3 treatment stages at 50 °C increased inactivation to 3 log. The electric energy for the RFEF process was 300 J/mL. The results of the present study provide the 1st evidence that RFEF processing inactivates bacteria in fruit juice at moderately low temperatures.
Highly crosslinked poly(dimethylsiloxane) microbeads with uniformly dispersed quantum dot nanocrystals.

This study demonstrates how luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots or QDs) can be dispersed uniformly in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) matrix by polymerizing a mixture of the prepolymer oligomers and the nanocrystals with a relatively large concentration of crosslinking molecules. A microfluidic device is used to fabricate PDMS microbeads embedded with the QDs by using flow focusing to first form monodisperse droplets of the prepolymer/crosslinker/nanocrystal mixture in a continuous aqueous phase. The droplets are subsequently collected, and heated to polymerize them into solid microbead composites. The degree of aggregation of the nanocrystals in the matrix is studied by measuring the nonradiative resonance energy transfer (RET) between the nanocrystals. For this purpose, two quantum dots are used with maxima in their luminescence emission spectrum at 560 nm and 620 nm. When the nanocrystals are within the Forster radius (approximately 10 nm) of each other, exciton energy cascades from the QDs which emit at the shorter wavelength to the QDs which emit at the longer wavelength. This energy transfer is quantified, for two concentration ratios of the prepolmer to the crosslinker, by measuring the deviation of the microbead luminescence spectrum from a reference spectrum obtained by dispersing the QD mixture in a solvent (toluene) in which the nanocrystals do not aggregate. For a low concentration of crosslinking molecules relative to the prepolymer (5:1 by weight prepolymer to crosslinker), strong RET is observed as the emission of the 620 nm QDs is increased and the 560 nm QDs is decreased relative to the reference. In the emission spectrum for a higher concentration of crosslinkers (2:1 by weight prepolymer to crosslinker), the resonance energy transfer is less relative to the case of the low concentration of crosslinkers, and the spectrum more closely resembles the reference. This result indicates that the increase in the crosslinker concentration has reduced the nanocrystal aggregation in the cured polymer. The use of crosslinking can serve as a general paradigm for forming, from a prepolymer/nanoparticle mixture, a composite in which the particles are not aggregated. Under the usual conditions the entropic cost to a linearly growing polymer chain of surrounding nanoparticles forces them to aggregate; crosslinking kinetically entraps the particles and circumvents this aggregation driving force. The QD/polymer composite microbeads fabricated in this study find applications in bead-based platforms for high-throughput, multiplexed screening, where the emission spectrum of the QD luminescence can be used as a spectral barcode to label the beads. For microbeads in which the nanocrystals are uniformly dispersed, this barcode is undistorted by energy transfer, and is easily read.
The Social Psychology of Caregiving: Physical and Psychological Costs of Providing Support to the Disabled1

The emphasis of much of the existing research on social support-health relationships has been on the availability and impact of support on the recipient, but social psychologists have paid little attention to the costs to the caregiver of providing that support. In an earlier study (Schulz & Decker, 1985), we found that the long-term coping of individuals experiencing chronic disability as a result of spinal-cord injury was facilitated by the availability of a primary support person, or caregiver. In this study we examined the determinants of well-being of the primary caregiver of the middle-aged and elderly spinal-cord-injured persons. Psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and depression were the dependent measures. The availability of social support, social contact, and feelings of control over one's life were important determinants of caregiver well-being, even after controlling for health and income. In addition, the amount of time spent each day assisting the disabled person was a strong independent correlate of depression, and the extent to which the caregiver felt burdened by the victim was significantly and negatively related to life satisfaction. These results are discussed in the context of a comprehensive stress-coping model. Since data were available from both disabled individuals and their primary support persons, we had the unique opportunity to compare the perspectives of both those giving and receiving daily care. We found no relationship in levels of psychological well-being and depression reported by the disabled person and caregiver; however, caregivers attributed to the victims affective levels similar to their own.
Atuarfitsialak: Greenland’s cultural compatible reform

In 2002, Greenlandic reform leaders launched a comprehensive, nation‐wide reform to create culturally compatible education. Greenland’s reform work spans the entire educational system and includes preschool through higher education. To assist their efforts, reform leaders adopted the Standards for Effective Pedagogy developed at the Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence (CREDE). The standards are principles of effective teaching and learning that have been researched in many other indigenous communities. This study investigated the early stages of Greenland’s reform work of the public school to understand why reform leaders adopted the CREDE standards, and what constraints, if any, the standards posed in the Greenlandic context. The findings suggest the reform was initiated to further decolonize Greenland as a former colony of Denmark. The standards were adopted to assist in this process by increasing Greenlandic students’ linguistic abilities, strengthening native culture and identi...
A mixed reality system for teaching STEM content using embodied learning and whole-body metaphors

This paper describes the development of an MR environment that can be used in teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) topics. Specifically we seek to create a space for facilitating whole-body metaphors where learners use the physical movement and positioning of their entire bodies to enact their understanding of complex concepts.A rigorous technical approach comprised of virtual elements, real users, spatial audio, and an integrated sensor network is presented that fulfills the requirements of an embodied learning environment. An algorithm that uses homography-based multi-projector blending is used to create a large, seamless projection on the floor that affords a human-scale interaction environment. To further improve the immersive quality, projectors are strategically overlapped to minimize user shadows on the projected surface. A hybrid sensor solution using a Kinect and a laser scanner is developed that tracks users' physical movements and extracts relevant game parameters such as position and velocity. Requiring no pre-training or props, this tracking setup is adaptable and shows high performance over a wide range of users, from children to adults. An exhibit employing this MR system was field-tested at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, FL.
Isoflurane Post-treatment Ameliorates GMH-Induced Brain Injury in Neonatal Rats

Background and Purpose—This study investigated whether isoflurane ameliorates neurological sequelae after germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH) through activation of the cytoprotective sphingosine kinase/sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor/Akt pathway. Methods—GMH was induced in P7 rat pups by intraparenchymal infusion of bacterial collagenase (0.3 U) into the right hemispheric germinal matrix. GMH animals received 2% isoflurane either once 1 hour after surgery or every 12 hours for 3 days. Isoflurane treatment was then combined with sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1/2 antagonist VPC23019 or sphingosine kinase 1/2 antagonist N,N-dimethylsphingosine. Results—Brain protein expression of sphingosine kinase-1 and phosphorylated Akt were significantly increased after isoflurane post-treatment, and cleaved caspase-3 was decreased at 24 hours after surgery, which was reversed by the antagonists. Isoflurane significantly reduced posthemorrhagic ventricular dilation and improved motor, but not cognitive, functions in GMH...
Theory of the Hyperfine Structure of NO Molecule. Electronic Structure

The calculation of the coupling constants of the magnetic and electric hfs of the NO molecule is done using the Heitler-London wave function with Hartree atomic wave function. The homopolar ground state is found to be expressed by a linear combination of four Slater determinants. This wave function is used with success to calculate the spin-orbit coupling constant and the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-type doublet separation as well as the hfs coupling constants. The "$s$-character" of the magnetic hfs is explained by the configuration interaction with an excited state of the N atom, in which one of the $2s$-electrons is promoted to the $3s$ orbital. The effective number of the odd electron in the electric hfs is 0.46, and $Q$ for the N nucleus is 0.03\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}24}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. No ionic structure needs to be considered.
Influence of water on the spatial excitation behavior of selected elements in the inductively coupled plasma

Abstract A photodiode array spectrometer has been used to generate vertical spatial emission profiles of elements introduced into an inductively coupled plasma. Atomic (soft) and ionic (hard) lines have been studied in both the presence and absence of water. The data obtained suggest that the amount of water present has a marked influence on the vertical spatial profiles. Both atomic and ionic emission lines are similarly affected. The predominant role of water appears to be kinetic control of analyte desolvation which occurs prior to excitation.
Functional antigen-presenting leucocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells in vitro

Summary Background Differentiated cells derived from pluripotent human embryonic stem (hES) cells offer the opportunity for new transplantation therapies. However, hES cells and their differentiated progeny express highly polymorphic MHC molecules that serve as major graft rejection antigens to the immune system of allogeneic hosts. To achieve sustained engraftment of donor cells, strategies must be developed to overcome graft rejection without broadly suppressing host immunity. One approach entails induction of donor-specific immune tolerance by establishing chimeric engraftment in hosts with haemopoietic cells derived from an existing hES cell line. We aimed to develop methods to efficiently differentiate hES cells to haemopoietic cells, including immune-modulating leucocytes, a prerequisite of the tolerance induction strategies applying to hES cell-mediated transplantation. Methods We developed a method to generate a broad range of haemopoietic cells from hES-generated embryonic bodies in the absence of murine stromal feeder cells. Embryonic bodies were further cultured in the presence of haemopoietic cytokines. In addition to flow cytometric analyses of haemopoietic cell markers, we analysed the hES cell-derived haemopoietic cells by colony-forming assays (for erythroid and myeloid progenitor cells), cytochemical staining, and mixed leucocyte reactions to determine the functional capacity of the generated antigen-presenting cells. Findings 12 independent experiments were done. When selected growth factors were added, leucocytes expressing CD45 were generated and released into culture media for 6–7 weeks. Under the condition used, both erythroid and myeloid progenitor cells were generated. About 25% of the generated leucocytes acquired MHC class II and costimulatory molecule expression. These hES-derived, MHC class II+ leucocytes resembled dendritic cells and macrophages, and they functioned as antigen-presenting cells capable of eliciting allogeneic CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses in culture. Interpretation The hES cell-derived antigen-presenting cells could be used to regulate alloreactive T cells and induce immune tolerance for improvement of the transplant acceptance of hES-cell derivatives.
The cyclization of Xenopus laevis 5 S DNA.

Abstract DNA from Xenopus laevis containing the sequences complementary to 5 S RNA has been studied by the formation of folded rings. Maximal cyclization for fragments 1 to 2 μm in length is 45 to 55%. Thus the efficiency of folded ring formation from this tandemly-repeating DNA is about 50%, assuming that all fragments are 5 S DNA. From the ring frequency as a function of the number of nucleotides removed from the 3′ terminals of the shear-broken fragments, one may calculate that the repeating sequence is approximately 750 nucleotides long, a number that agrees with earlier partial denaturation mapping. The circumference of the folded rings confirms this repeating length since most rings correspond to modular size classes of 0.25-μm increments. Fragments 12 μm long cyclize almost as readily as 1 to 2-μm fragments do. Therefore, the length of the regions ( g -regions) containing the tandemly-repeating 5 S DNA is more than 12 μm. The folded rings are about as stable to linearization by increasing concentrations of formamide as the duplex DNA is to denaturation. This indicates that the local, non-transcribed, spacer portions which represent the majority (83%) of the nucleotides in the tandemly-repeating unit, are probably homogeneous in sequence. The exonuclease-treated 5 S DNA fragments cyclize more rapidly than phage T7 DNA, and the kinetics are in accord with theoretical expectation.
Response availability in free and modified free recall for two transfer paradigms

Two recall tests were compared for the A-B, A-C and A-B, A-Br transfer paradigms and a single-list RI control condition. One measure, modified free recall (MMFR), required Ss to produce 1st- and 2nd-list responses and to pair them with appropriate stimuli. The other measure, free recall (FR), required response recall in the absence of the stimulus terms. Estimates of response availability were higher for leniently scored MMFR (all responses recalled, regardless of pairing) than for FR. Estimates of associative loss, however, were greater when the FR scores, rather leniently than stringently scored MMFR scores, were used as the index of response availability. The implication of these findings for the future use of measures of response availability was discussed.
Meteoric diagenesis, marine diagenesis, and microporosity in Pleistocene and Oligocene limestones, Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands

Abstract Microporosity occurs in Pleistocene and Oligocene limestones cored on Enewetak Atoll. In cores of Pleistocene limestone (10–80 m deep), mi microporosity is present in aragonitic skeletal grains that underwent partial intrafabric dissolution (chalkification) leaving a porous meshwork of aragonite needles. Microporous aragonite is most abundant in 5–10 m thick intervals below zones of intense diagenesis associated with paleo-freshwater lenses. Extensive microporosity was apparently generated by slow intrafabric dissolution of aragonite in mixing zones below freshwater lenses. Microporous aragonite is an intermediate step in the calcitization or dissolution of aragonite. Most calcitized aragonite (neomorphic calcite) formed by precipitation of sparry calcite in (over) microporous aragonite. Aragonitic fossils were not converted to microporous, microcrystalline calcite. Therefore, data from the Pleistocene of Enewetak suggest that widespread, microporous, microcrystalline calcite does not form directly from pure aragonite, at least not in open meteoric systems or mixing zones. Microporous micrite occurs in Oligocene wackestones 930 m deep deposited in a slope environment. The microporous micrite is characterized by equant and prismatic crystals of low-magnesium calcite (LMC). Equant crystals are anhedral to euhedral and 2–10 μm in diameter. Prismatic calcite crystals are subhedral, 5–10 μm wide, and 20–50 μm long. Stable isotopic and trace element geochemistry suggest that microporous micrite formed by diagenetic alteration of high-magnesium calcite (HMC) micrite in deep seawater undersaturated with respect to HMC but supersaturated with respect to LMC (probably near the sediment-water interface). Mineralogy and crystal morphology of the microporous aragonite is very different from microporous shelf limestones in the Thamama Group (Cretaceous, Persian Gulf; see Moshier, 1989). Equant microcrystals of calcite in the Oligocene micrites are similar to those in microporous parts of the Thamama Group. Widespread microporosity in LMC limestones could form by alteration of HMC micrite in mixing zones or in seawater undersaturated with respect to HMC but supersaturated with respect to LMC.
A web utility for OPAC searching by ISBN

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss modifying an existing bookmarklet which is a button‐based tool that adds functionality to a web browser. This modification allows an individual to search a library's OPAC by ISBN for numbers encountered in the body of web documents such as bibliographies or book reviews.Design/methodology/approach – The paper documents the code for the bookmarklet and its modification for different browsers.Findings – The process involves using JavaScript to copy highlighted text from a web page and send it as a search to the local OPAC.Practical implications – This tool allows the user to check if a particular book encountered on the web is held in a local library by highlighting the ISBN tool and clicking a browser button. The utility may be useful to library patrons as a discovery tool for finding books and can be used to automate aspects of daily library operations. Suggested applications and further variations and modifications to search by data elements other than IS...
IMF programs and human rights, 1981–2003

We examined the effects of International Monetary Fund (IMF) supervised programs on changes in government respect for physical integrity rights in developing countries between 1981 and 2003. A longer period under an IMF program increased government use of torture and extra judicial killing and also worsened the overall human rights conditions in developing countries. The use of a two-stage model ruled out the possibility that human rights practices would have worsened even if IMF programs had not been in effect. Previous studies of the impacts of IMF programs also found that they had worsened government respect for human rights. However, those studies did not control for the effects of selection. We found preliminary evidence that the worsened human rights conditions persisted even after the reforms in program lending of the late 1990s.
Early Pneumonectomy for Pulmonary Mucormycosis

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection caused by a rare pathogen most commonly affecting immunocompromised hosts. Successful treatment of pulmonary mucormycosis requires rapid diagnosis, reversal of predisposing factors, aggressive surgical excision, and antifungal therapy. We present a case of pulmonary mucormycosis affecting a young neutropenic male requiring a pneumonectomy.
Domestication and early agriculture in the Mediterranean Basin: Origins, diffusion, and impact

The past decade has witnessed a quantum leap in our understanding of the origins, diffusion, and impact of early agriculture in the Mediterranean Basin. In large measure these advances are attributable to new methods for documenting domestication in plants and animals. The initial steps toward plant and animal domestication in the Eastern Mediterranean can now be pushed back to the 12th millennium cal B.P. Evidence for herd management and crop cultivation appears at least 1,000 years earlier than the morphological changes traditionally used to document domestication. Different species seem to have been domesticated in different parts of the Fertile Crescent, with genetic analyses detecting multiple domestic lineages for each species. Recent evidence suggests that the expansion of domesticates and agricultural economies across the Mediterranean was accomplished by several waves of seafaring colonists who established coastal farming enclaves around the Mediterranean Basin. This process also involved the adoption of domesticates and domestic technologies by indigenous populations and the local domestication of some endemic species. Human environmental impacts are seen in the complete replacement of endemic island faunas by imported mainland fauna and in today's anthropogenic, but threatened, Mediterranean landscapes where sustainable agricultural practices have helped maintain high biodiversity since the Neolithic.
Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and apoptosis revealed by proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of the striata in two mouse models of Parkinson’s disease

The molecular mechanisms underlying the changes in the nigrostriatal pathway in Parkinson's disease (PD) are not completely understood. Here, we use mass spectrometry and microarrays to study the proteomic and transcriptomic changes in the striatum of two mouse models of PD, induced by the distinct neurotoxins 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and methamphetamine (METH). Proteomic analyses resulted in the identification and relative quantification of 912 proteins with two or more unique peptides and 86 proteins with significant abundance changes following neurotoxin treatment. Similarly, microarray analyses revealed 181 genes with significant changes in mRNA, following neurotoxin treatment. The combined protein and gene list provides a clearer picture of the potential mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration observed in PD. Functional analysis of this combined list revealed a number of significant categories, including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress response, and apoptosis. These results constitute one of the largest descriptive data sets integrating protein and transcript changes for these neurotoxin models with many similar end point phenotypes but distinct mechanisms.
Contingency contracting as a therapeutic tool in the deceleration of amphetamine use

This study illustrates the use of contingency contracting in the treatment of drug abuse. Miss X had been a heavy user of amphetamines. A small portable shock dispenser and a contingency contract were used in the treatment. Due to its unreliability, the use of the shock dispenser was cancelled. The contingency contract was used for a 3-month period, during which time there was only one remission, and a 2-year followup indicates no return to amphetamine use.
Cyclooxygenase 2 RNA message abundance, stability, and hypervariability in sporadic alzheimer neocortex

Long-term treatment by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been shown to decrease the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both platelet-activating factor and interleukin-1β, potent mediators of the inflammatory and immune response, strongly induce transcription of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene in brain cells. Using Northern and RT-PCR analysis, we have determined in 15 control and 10 sporadic AD human neocortical samples (age range, 60–82 yr; postmortem interval [PMI] range, 0.7–16.0 hr) the levels of COX-2 RNA in relation to the constitutively expressed COX-1 and β-actin RNA message levels. Our results indicate that in short PMI brain, COX-1 and COX-2 transcripts are relatively low abundance RNA messages, ranging from a mean of 6.8% of the β-actin signal in controls to 8.5% of the β-actin signal in AD-affected brain. A large variation in the signal intensity for COX-2 RNA was noted in both control and AD; although there was a trend for higher COX-2 RNA message abundance in AD neocortex to +11.5% of that of controls, it did not reach statistical significance (ANOVA = 0.45). Several human tissues, including heart, skeletal muscle, lung, kidney, and spinal cord, displayed 4.6- and 2.8-kb COX-2 RNA message isoforms; however, the 4.6-kb COX-2 RNA predominated in the hippocampus and association neocortex. COX-2 RNA message was found to be degraded at similar rates in both control and AD tissues, and a strong positive correlation between the PMI and the intensity of the COX-2 RNA signal was noted (ANOVA = 0.006). Linear regression analysis indicated that the 4.6-kb COX-2 RNA is an unstable short-lived RNA species with a half-life of not more than 3.5 hr, a feature characteristic of immediate early gene transcripts. Individual hypervariability in COX-2 RNA message abundance may reflect various degrees of expression of AD-related inflammatory processes. J. Neurosci. Res. 50:937–945, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Stereospecific synthesis of cis–trans-dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 and K+ complexation by the five dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 isomers

Abstract Stereospecific syntheses of the cis – trans -isomer of dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 allows the K + complexation behavior of all five dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 isomers to be compared.
An Irregular Approach to Large-Scale Computed Tomography on Multiple Graphics Processors Improves Voxel Processing Throughput

While much work has been done on applying GPU technology to computed tomography (CT) reconstruction algorithms, many of these implementations focus on smaller datasets that are better suited for medical applications. This paper proposes an irregular approach to the algorithm design which utilizes the GPU hardware's unique cache structure and employs small x-ray image data prefetches on the host to upload to the GPUs while the devices are operating on large contiguous sub-volumes of the reconstruction. This approach will improve the overall cache hit-rates and thus improve the performance of the massively multithreaded environment of the GPU. Overall, utilizing small prefetches of x-ray image data improved the volumetric pixel (voxel) processing rate when compared to utilizing large data prefetches which would minimize data transfers and kernel launches. Additionally, this approach does not sacrifice performance on small datasets and is thus suitable for medical and industrial applications. This work utilizes the CUDA programming environment and Nvidia's Tesla GPUs.