cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brain Tissue PO2 Measurement During Normoxia and Hypoxia Using Two-Photon Phosphorescence Lifetime Microscopy.

Key to the understanding of the principles of physiological and structural acclimatization to changes in the balance between energy supply (represented by substrate and oxygen delivery, and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation) and energy demand (initiated by neuronal activity) is to determine the controlling variables, how they are sensed and the mechanisms initiated to maintain the balance. The mammalian brain depends completely on continuous delivery of oxygen to maintain its function. We hypothesized that tissue oxygen is the primary sensed variable. In this study two-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy (2PLM) was used to determine and define the tissue oxygen tension field within the cerebral cortex of mice to a cortical depth of between 200–250 μm under normoxia and acute hypoxia (FiO2 = 0.10). High-resolution images can provide quantitative distributions of oxygen and intercapillary oxygen gradients. The data are best appreciated by quantifying the distribution histogram that can then be used for analysis. For example, in the brain cortex of a mouse, at a depth of 200 μm, tissue oxygen tension was mapped and the distribution histogram was compared under normoxic and mild hypoxic conditions. This powerful method can provide for the first time a description of the delivery and availability of brain oxygen in vivo.
Effect of rare earth addition on {101̅2} twinning induced hardening in magnesium

Abstract We investigated the effect of Gd and Ce additions in magnesium on sigmoidal hardening behavior associated with { 10 1 2 } twinning after extrusion. Compression along extrusion direction revealed that rare earth additions enhance the flow stress, while 〈 c + a 〉 softening was expected. This phenomenon has been explained by the enhancement of 〈 c + a 〉 dislocations activity and the ensuing increase in forest hardening due to solute drag. It is expected that dislocation transmutation of basal to prismatic will be enhanced during { 10 1 2 } twin growth in rare earth containing alloys, which would exacerbate 〈 c + a 〉 entanglement with the dislocation forests inside the twins. Forest hardening events overcompensated for the softening effects from lowering the critical resolved shear stresses of 〈 c + a 〉 dislocations, and resulted in higher flow stress for the binary rare earth containing alloys.
Reappraising the French role in nineteenth-century Egyptian education

This article explores the origins of French influence in Egyptian education by examining the circumstances under which Muhammad Ali Pasha (r. 1805–1848) sent two organized student missions to study...
Immunization with tumor neoantigens displayed on T7 phage nanoparticles elicits plasma antibody and vaccine-draining lymph node B cell responses

The aim of this preclinical study was to evaluate T7 bacteriophage as a nanoparticle platform for expression of neoantigens that could allow rapid generation of vaccines for potential studies in human cancer patients. We have generated recombinant T7 phage vaccines carrying neoepitopes derived from mutated proteins of B16-F10 melanoma tumor cells. With the single mutated amino acid (AA) centered, peptides were expressed on the outer coat of T7 phage. All peptides with 11 and 34 AAs were successfully expressed. Trimers of the 11-AA peptides were successfully expressed in only 3 of 8 peptides. The 11-AA peptide was better in stimulating antibodies selective for the mutated region than the longer 34-AA peptide. We observed a dose response for vaccines which provides an initial framework of the minimum phage required for vaccination. A single injection with phage-peptide vaccines in both monomer and trimer formats produced significant immune responses in mice on day 21, as assessed by lymph node cell counts, next generation sequencing (NGS), and plasma titers against T7 phage and vaccine peptides. A trimer provided no additional serum response to the monomer format. Immunization of mice with a mixture of 8 different peptide vaccines resulted in antibodies to most of the peptides. It was encouraging that induced antibodies had higher binding to the mutated peptides compared to the corresponding normal peptides. The NGS of lymph node cells demonstrated a low B cell receptor diversity and clonal hyperpolarization in vaccine-draining lymph nodes in comparison to those in unvaccinated mice nodes. The NGS data also revealed phenomenal increase in IgG and other class-switched antibodies following vaccination. These results agree with the higher plasma titers of IgG antibodies against T7 phage and vaccine peptides. Antibodies bound whole B16-F10 cells, lysates and multiple bands on Western blot. This indicates that these vaccine peptides successfully induced antibodies that bind full proteins from which the vaccine peptides were derived. We demonstrate a preclinical platform for rapid production of vaccines that can deliver mutated peptides and stimulate an appropriate B cell response. We anticipate further research in utilizing the cells from a tumor or vaccine draining lymph node as a resource for therapeutic anticancer reagents.
ACT-R Modeling to Simulate Information Amalgamation Strategies

Today, military decision-making is dependent on the ability to amalgamate information across sources of varying degrees of agreement. Given the increasing volume of information, automated methods to assist in the identification and prioritization of the most valuable or relevant information has become paramount. Relevant information is not only critical to situational awareness and the military decision-making process, but vital to mission success. Towards this end, the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has undertaken a research initiative to model and test how analysts perceive the Value of Information (VoI) in varying military context. The goal of this effort is to develop methodologies useful in the development of automated information agents. As a part of the VoI initiative, ARL conducted an experiment with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) at the US Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (ICOE), where data was collected on how intelligence analysts’ amalgamate information given information content and source reliability within complementary and contradictory conditional associations. The resulting experimental data was incorporated into an Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) model. Exercising the ACT-R cognitive model resulted in some interesting response behaviors not observed in the initial experiment. In an effort to better understand the perceptions (cognitive underpinnings) of a military intelligence analyst, this paper extends the previous effort and utilizes a crowdsourced experiment within Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk). The experiment captures many of the same conditional ratings encountered by the military analysts. Data gained from the Mturk experiment will be examined using the ACT-R model as a simulation to determine whether the same data distributions exist within a wider audience and as a direct comparison to the analyst’s responses. This paper will examine the Mturk experimental design, discuss the experimental apparatus implementation and provide an overview of the ACT-R model utilized to replicate the amalgamation strategies.
Dielectronic recombination rates for Ar(14/sup +/)

Dielectronic-recombination-rate coefficients for the Ar(14/sup +/) target ion have been recalculated, and an improved estimate of the contribution of high Rydberg states has been included. This corrects and supersedes our earlier work for this ion. The temperature range considered was 0.2< or approx. =kT< or approx. =2keV.
Interpreters: From Algebra to LISP

The interpretive style of computing is founded in abstract algebra and applied in implementations of computer languages from BASIC to LISP and PROLOG. This chapter begins with the abstract algebra of the subject, continues with interpreters for LISP, and concludes by mentioning the LISP compiler.
The effect of a supervised exercise trial on exercise adherence among African American Men: a pilot study.

Objective The objective of this pilot study was to determine the effect of a supervised short-term exercise trial on exercise adherence in a sample of African American males. Methods We observed exercise adherence rates among a group of African American men in response to an exercise intervention. Exercise adherence was determined by dividing the total number of actual sessions attended by the total number of possible sessions (12 sessions). A participant was classified as an adherer if they completed 9 out of 12 exercise sessions (75%). Results Seventy-one percent of the study participants (12/17) completed at least 75% of the study sessions and therefore adhered to the study protocol. Among the adherers, 7 out of 12 (58%) had adherence rates of 100%. Five participants withdrew from the exercise group due to lack of time and lack of interest. Conclusion Exercise adherence rates among African-American men in this study were favorable during this supervised exercise intervention and were comparable to adherence rates observed in other supervised exercise interventions. Recommendations based on this pilot study are provided to reduce participant withdrawal and to inform future large-scale studies.
Host cell invasion by Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Streptococcus pneumoniae remains one of the world’s leading invasive human pathogens causing pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. Infants and toddlers between 18 months and 4 years of age are particularly susceptible (Tuomanen et al., 1995). Virtually every child up to age 5 will experience pneumococcal otitis media while the incidence of pneumonia (1000 per 100,000 inhabitants) and meningitis (10 per 100,000 inhabitants) is much lower. However, pneumococcal meningitis continues to be a serious threat with a mortality of 25% and a morbidity of 80% in children. Despite the development of novel antibiotics, the mortality from pneumococcal meningitis has not changed significantly during the last 20 years. Taken together with increasing antibiotic resistance among pneumococci, it has become imperative to improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which this bacterium colonizes, invades and kills its victims. The development of vaccines and novel adjunctive drugs targeting defined pneumococcal virulence determinants is a crucial goal of current research.
An SSVEP based brain computer interface system to control electric wheelchairs

Brain-computer interface (BCI) based systems can be used to control external devices by translating a certain set of patterns in the brain signals into actions. An example of this is a BCI controlled wheelchair, with the actions being navigating the wheelchair. In this paper, a Steady State Visual Evoked Potential (SSVEP) based BCI system that controls the operations (forward, reverse, left, and right) of an electrical wheelchair is presented. This system utilizes four LEDs with different flickering frequencies as a visual stimulation source. By providing concentration to these visual stimulation sources, the SSVEP signals are entrained in the occipital and posterior region of the brain. The acquired SSVEP signals are classified into four different frequency ranges representing each of the directions using suitable signal processing algorithms. Based on this classification, a specific control signal is derived to navigate the wheelchair in the desired direction. This system can assist individuals who suffer from neuromuscular degenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Locked-in Syndrome (LIS), etc., with the navigation of an electric wheelchair using their brain waves. Five peripheral safety sensors are mounted on the wheelchair to avoid the risk of collisions while operating the wheelchair. Once an obstacle is detected by these sensors, a control signal is sent from the Arduino microcontroller to stop the wheelchair. Three experiments were conducted on four subjects to measure the accuracy and reliability of the system. Our results show that the presented system allows the user to navigate to their intended direction with an average accuracy of 79.4%. Also, the safety mechanism incorporated results in an accuracy of 100% obstacle avoidance. Our results show that on average a user can navigate 50 feet set path in approximately five minutes.
A review of cost-effectiveness studies in ovarian cancer.

BackgroundOvarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of all cancer-related deaths among women. While the costs of diagnosis and treatment impact the affected individual and the health system, the mo...
Representation of Groups

Group action is extremely important in quantum mechanics. Suppose the Hamiltonian of a quantum system is invariant under a symmetry transformation of its independent parameters such as position, momentum, and time. This invariance will show up as certain properties of the solutions of the Schrodinger equation.
Sorting Out the Role of α-Synuclein in Retromer-Mediated Endosomal Protein Sorting:

Retromer is a phylogenetically conserved, multisubunit coat complex that controls endosomal protein trafficking and sorting. Mutations in the retromer gene VPS35 cause late-onset Parkinson disease, suggesting that trafficking defects cause neurodegeneration. Sorting nexins assist retromer to guide cell surface proteins to their assigned destinations, and our interest here is sorting nexin 3 (Snx3). Snx3 binds to membranes via a phox homolog (PX) domain that binds phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P), and in human cells its cargo proteins are the transferrin and Wnt receptors and the divalent metal ion transporter, whereas in yeast the best characterized cargo is the iron permease Ftr1. We recently discovered that α-synuclein inhibits Snx3-retromer recycling of Ftr1 in an unexpected way: α-synuclein, which avidly binds to negatively charged lipids, blocks the association of Snx3 to early endosomes. Here, we discuss mechanisms by which α-synuclein can disrupt Snx3-retromer-mediated recycling.
The Evolving and Complementary Impacts of Transportation Infrastructures on Population and Employment Change in the United States, 1970–2010

Transportation infrastructures play an essential role in influencing population and employment change. While railroads, highways, and airports were constructed in different time periods, now they complement each other in terms of providing accessibility. This study uses county-level data to examine the impacts of the three forms of transportation infrastructure on population and employment change in the continental United States from 1970 to 2010. The findings suggest that transportation infrastructures play evolving but complementary roles in affecting population and employment change during the study period: railroads act as a distributive factor, highways take a facilitator role, and airports behave like growth poles. Diversification of the roles indicates that transportation infrastructures have evolved from a pure growth factor to an essential multifaceted development element of human society.
Big Diffeomorphism Groups and Minimal Models

The last chapters contained much general information about the definition and basic properties of the Donaldson polynomial invariants. Here we shall study these invariants in more detail for certain classes of algebraic surfaces. In general, it seems to be quite difficult to say much about the Donaldson polynomials without having some a priori information on what they must look like. Such information is provided by the property that they are natural under orientation-preserving diffeomorphisms of spinor norm 1. More precisely, let A(M) be the arithmetic group of of all automorphisms of (H 2 (M),q M ) and let D(M)be the subgroup of A(M)consisting of those automorphisms which are of the form ψ *, whereψ is an orientation-preserving diffeomorphism of M. Let D* (M) be the subgroup of index at most two of D(M) consisting of elements of D(M)which have real spinor norm one. Then the Donaldson polynomials, which are polynomials in p with coefficients in the symmetric algebra on H 2 (M),have coefficients invariant under D* (M). Thus, if a simply connected 4-manifold M has a relatively large diffeomorphism group, or more precisely, if D* (M)is a large subgroup of A(M),then the subring of polynomials invariant under D* (M) will be correspondingly smaller and the nature of the Donaldson invariants will be restricted significantly.
Surgery of the Temporomandibular Joint: Discectomy and Arthroplasty

Surgery of the temporomandibular joint apparatus is rarely the first line of treatment for articular disc disorders or internal derangements. However, persistent symptoms following nonsurgical treatment modalities, as well as failed prior less invasive joint procedures (e.g., arthrocentesis, arthroscopy), may warrant open-joint surgery.
Risk of colon adenoma in patients with breast cancer.

1541Background: In our clinical practice at a tertiary cancer center, we have observed increased adenoma detection rate (ADR) in patients with breast cancer. Here, we describe ADR in patients with ...
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Metal Phthalocyanines: d7 and d9 Cases

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of cobalt(II) phthalocyanine (CoPc), copper(II) phthalocyanine (CuPc), and mixtures of the two adsorbed on the Au(111) face are reported. Based upon the s...
Residential urban stormwater runoff: A comprehensive profile of microbiome and antibiotic resistance

Non-point stormwater runoff is a major contamination source of receiving waterbodies. Heightened incidence of waterborne disease outbreaks related to recreational use and source water contamination is associated with extreme rainfall events. Such extreme events are predicted to increase in some regions due to climate change. Consequently, municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) conveying pathogens to receiving waters are a growing public health concern. In addition, the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria in various environmental matrices, including urban runoff, is an emerging threat. The resistome and microbiota profile of MS4 discharges has yet to be fully characterized. To address this knowledge gap, we first analyzed the relationship between rainfall depth and intensity and E. coli densities (fecal indicator) in stormwater from four MS4 outflows in Columbus, Ohio, USA during the spring and summer of 2017. Microbial source tracking (MST) was conducted to examine major fecal contamination sources in the study sewersheds. A subset of samples was analyzed for microbial and resistome profiles using a metagenomic approach. The results showed a significant positive relationship between outflow E. coli density and rainfall intensity. MST results indicate prevalent fecal contamination from ruminant populations in the study sites (91% positive among the samples tested). Protobacteria and Actinobacteria were two dominant bacteria at a phylum level. A diverse array of ARGs and potentially pathogenic bacteria (e.g. Salmonella enterica Typhimurium), fungi (e.g. Scedosporium apiospermum), and protists (e.g. Acanthamoeba palestinensis) were found in urban stormwater outflows that discharge into adjacent streams. The most prevalent ARGs among samples were β-lactam resistance genes and the most predominant virulence genes within bacterial community were related with Staphylococcus aureus. A comprehensive contamination profile indicates a need for sustainable strategies to manage urban stormwater runoff amid increasingly intense rainfall events to protect public and environmental health.
Size-dependent inhibitory effects of antibiotic nanocarriers on filamentation of E. coli

Multidrug membrane transporters exist in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, which causes multidrug resistance (MDR) and urgent need of new and more effective therapeutic agencies. In this study, we used three different sized antibiotic nanocarriers to study their mode of actions and their size-dependent inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli (E. coli). The antibiotic nanocarriers (AgMUNH-Oflx NPs) with 8.6×102, 9.4×103 and 6.5×105 Oflx molecules per nanoparticle (NP) were prepared by functionalizing the Ag NPs (2.4 ± 0.7, 13.0 ± 3.1 and 92.6 ± 4.4 nm) with a monolayer of 11-amino-1-undecanethiol (MUNH2) and covalently linking ofloxacin (Oflx) with the amine group of AgMUNH2 NPs, respectively. We designed a modified cell culture medium for nanocarriers to be stable (non-aggregated) over 18 h of cell culture, which enables us to quantitatively study their size and dose dependent inhibitory effects against E. coli. We found that inhibitory effects of Oflx against E. coli highly depend upon dose of Oflx and size of nanocarriers, showing that the equal amount of Oflx delivered by the largest nanocarriers (92.6 ± 4.4 nm) were the most potent with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) and created the longest and highest percentage of filamentous cells, while the smallest nanocarriers (2.4 ± 0.7) were the least potent with the highest MIC50 and produced the shortest and lowest percentage of filamentous cells. Interestingly, the same amount of Oflx on 2.4 ± 0.7 nm nanocarriers showed the 2x higher MIC and created the 2x shorter filamentous cells than free Oflx, while the Oflx on 13.0 ± 3.1 and 92.6 ± 4.4 nm nanocarriers exhibited 2x and 6x lower MICs, and produced 2x and 3x longer filamentous cell than free Oflx, respectively. Notably, three sized AgMUNH2 NPs (absence of Oflx) showed negligible inhibitory effects and did not create filamentous cells. The results show that the filamentation of E. coli highly depends upon the sizes of nanocarriers, which leads to the size-dependent inhibitory effects of nanocarriers against E. coli.
Cxcl8/PKC Signaling in the Endothelial Cell Niche Regulates Long-Term Hematopoietic Stem Cell Fate

The sinusoidal endothelial cell niche is a component of the hematopoietic microenvironment with an important role in regulating hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) fate. Mechanisms by which the niche control the long-term functional and phylogenetic diversity of the hematopoietic system are poorly understood. We performed gene expression profiling on FACS-purified endothelial cells from the zebrafish caudal hematopoietic territory (CHT), the sinusoidal endothelial niche equivalent to the mammalian fetal liver. Kdrl:GFP+lyve1b:DsRed+ CHT endothelial cells were compared to kdrl:GFP+lyve1b:DsRed- non-CHT endothelial cells by bulk RNA-seq and 106 genes were downregulated in the CHT with q Disclosures Zon: Amagma Therapeutics: Current equity holder in private company, Other: Founder; CAMP4 Therapeutics: Current equity holder in private company, Other: Founder; Celularity: Consultancy; Scholar Rock: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Founder; Cellarity: Consultancy; Fate Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Founder.
The spaciousness of self-awareness: A phenomenological account of self-reflexivity in Patañjali´s Yoga philosophy

Like many other discussions regarding the nature of self-awareness in Classical Indian philosophical traditions, the commentators of Patanjali’s Yogaśāstra deployed the metaphor of light or luminos...
The African Union and the path to an African Renaissance

The current development initiative by the African Union (AU) has been declared ‘the New African Renaissance.’ This paper traces the origin and meaning of African Renaissance and argues that the AU ...
Person–Environment Fit and Retention of Racially Minoritized College Students: Recommendations for Faculty, Support Staff, and Administrators

Although colleges in the United States have become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, degree attainment remains disproportionately low among students from underrepresented and minoritized racial backgrounds. In this paper, we discuss the interactive influence of both person and environment factors in shaping academic persistence and argue that college administrators, faculty, and student support staff can intervene and take specific steps to improve the academic experience of racially minoritized college students. To this end, we offer specific evidence-based recommendations for campus leaders and stakeholders on how to adapt their campus community to facilitate the requisite person–environment fit to maximize academic persistence.
The current social environment and its association with serious psychological distress among adults who identify as lesbian, gay, and bisexual: findings from the National Health Interview Survey (2013–2018)

Our primary study objective was to identify risk factors for serious psychological distress (SPD) within the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population, while accounting for the differences across these groups compared to heterosexual adults. We hypothesized that LGB adults had a higher risk for SPD compared to heterosexual adults, and that variation existed in SPD risk factors between LGB groups. National Health Interview Survey data collected from 2013 to 2018 were pooled to examine risk factors for SPD among gay men (n = 1752), bisexual men (n = 509), lesbian women (n = 1421), bisexual women (n = 1235), heterosexual men (n = 80,191) and heterosexual women (n = 97,909). A multivariate logistic regression model estimated SPD risk factors. Bisexual women were at higher risk for SPD [adjusted odds ratio (AOR )= 2.5; 95% CI 1.8, 3.5]compared to heterosexual women. Bisexual (AOR = 3.8; 95% CI 1.9, 7.4) and gay men (AOR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.4, 3.0) were at increased risk for SPD compared to heterosexual men. Younger vs older adults were more likely to identify as bisexual or gay (18–25 years vs 65 years and older identifying as gay men 17.0% vs 9.5%; bisexual men 33.4% vs 8.0%; lesbian 18.0% vs 8.6% and bisexual women 37.7% vs 3.5%). Gay men were more likely to live alone compared to other groups (34.5% vs 16.9% heterosexual men, 31.8% bisexual men, 17.6% heterosexual women, 20.7% lesbian, 19.7% bisexual women). Living alone increased risk for SPD among men (AOR = 2.2; 95% CI 1.6, 3.0). Sexual minorities have increased mental health risks compared to heterosexual adults. Word Count: 248.
Nadir creatinine in posterior urethral valves: How high is low enough?

available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25347379 Editorial Comment: In the past many of us ordered voiding cystourethrograms in patients with known multicystic dysplastic kidneys (MCDKs) because vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) occurs in 10% to 20% of these individuals. 1-3 In this series 133 patients with MCDK were retrospectively reviewed. Only 4 patients underwent ureteral reimplantation for indications including breakthrough urinary tract infection (2 patients), evidence of dysplasia/scarring (1) and nonresolving VUR (1). If we presume that surgical correction in the context of dysplasia and nonresolving VUR is somewhat arbitrary, only 2 of 133 patients may have benefited from antireflux surgery in this setting. The authors make the case that as long as the families of children with MCDK are alert for signs and symptoms of urinary tract infection, voiding cystourethrography may be unnecessary in boys and girls with MCDK. Abstract available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26292912 Editorial Comment: In this series of boys with posterior urethral valves identified between 1993 and 2004 chronic renal insufficiency was defined as stage 2 or greater disease with a median fol- lowup of 9.4 years. A total of 29 patients demonstrated chronic renal insufficiency, with 9 reaching end-stage renal disease. Nadir creatinine (NC), defined as lowest serum creatinine recorded in the first year, predicted renal insufficiency, with development of chronic renal insufficiency in 100% of patients with a NC of more than 0.85 mg/dl and in only 5% of individuals with a NC of 0.4 mg/dl or less. Of the patients with nadir creatinine between 0.4 and 0.85 mg/dl 28% manifested chronic renal insufficiency. NC remains a useful tool to determine prognosis in boys with posterior urethral valves.
Can Survey Respondents with Visual Deficits Complete My Web Survey

It is another ordinary day at the survey research center, and a Web survey designer is drinking coffee while reading over a request for a proposal to conduct a Web survey. The request states that because the sponsor is a U.S. Government agency, the Web survey must be accessible and must conform to Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Conformance with Section 508 is an unfamiliar requirement, so the Web survey designer investigates by typing “Section 508” in the Google search window. The first ten of 13.8 million results appear. The results page offers some links which reference the standard and others that provide checklists. The designer needs to understand this requirement before the survey research center can bid on the task, let alone conduct the survey if their bid is accepted.
High Temperature Superconductors

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Physical Properties of the High-Temperature Superconductors 3 Solid State NMR Investigation of Metals and Superconductors 4 NMR Studies of the HTS in the Normal State 5 NMR Studies of the HTS in the Superconducting State 6 Summary and Future Directions 7 Biographical Sketches Related Article
Serial Position Effect

The serial position effect is the tendency for individuals to most easily learn and remember items at the beginning and end of a list. Keywords: memory; cognition
Transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells alters responsiveness to inflammatory cytokines

Background Inflammation is commonly associated with lung tumors. Since inflammatory mediators, including members of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokine family, suppress proliferation of normal epithelial cells, we hypothesized that epithelial cells must develop mechanisms to evade this inhibition during the tumorigenesis. This study compared the cytokine responses of normal epithelial cells to that of premalignant cells.
The synthesis and breakdown of nucleic acids in mammalian cells transformed by oncogenic viruses. I. Purification and properties of an endonuclease from baby hamster kidney cells transformed by polyoma virus.

Abstract Continuous lines of baby hamster kidney cells transformed by polyoma virus (BHK21 C13/PyH3) have a number of nuclease activities. In order to understand how nucleic acids are synthesized and hydrolyzed by such transformed cells, a nuclease has been purified 1000-fold. The enzyme is optimally active at an alkaline pH (8.7 to 9.5) and hydrolyzes RNA and heat-denatured DNA. Native DNA is highly resistant to the enzyme. The RNase and DNase activities appear to reside in the same protein. The relative rates of hydrolysis of a number of synthetic polynucleotides, RNA, and DNA are as follows: polyuridylate (100), polydeoxythymidylate (71), polycytidylate (46), polyinosinate (33), polyadenylate (18), ribosomal-RNA (16), heat-denatured Escherichia coli DNA (7), transfer RNA (4), polydeoxyadenylate (2), polydeoxycytidylate (l2), and polyguanylate (0). The enzyme prefers, as substrates, polynucleotides which lack an ordered structure. The hydrolysis of polyadenylate or polydeoxythymidylate yields oligonucleotides with terminal 5'-phosphates. A concentration of 0.04 m NaCl or KCl inhibits the enzyme. The enzyme should be useful in preparing 5'-phosphoryl-terminated oligonucleotides from DNA. A similar enzyme appears to be present in a continuous line of baby hamster kidney cells (BHK21 C13).
Strategies for broadcasting updates by proactive routing protocols in mobile ad hoc networks

Proactive routing protocols for mobile ad hoc networks are table-driven, where each node tries to maintain routing information about every other node in the network at all times. Mobility of the nodes in the network causes creation of new links or breaking of old links, changing network routes dynamically. These changes require a proactive routing protocol to regularly broadcast updates in the network to enable other nodes to maintain correct routing information. The performance of a proactive protocol depends on the particular strategy the protocol uses to broadcast these updates. The updating strategies used by the current proactive protocols to broadcast detected link changes in the network are found to be inefficient. We propose three new strategies for broadcasting proactive updates in the network. Analysis of these updating schemes using simulations shows that the proposed schemes lead to significant savings in the amount of routing control traffic generated in the network. At the same time, the performance of these schemes is satisfactory in terms of the data throughput, route success rate, etc. For example, for a moderately sized network, simulation results show that the proposed schemes can lead to more than 45% savings in terms of routing control traffic, while maintaining decent performance of the network.
The alien hand syndrome

A 77-year-old woman presented with the complaint of observing her left hand moving without her knowledge while watching television. Her left hand stroked her face and hair as if somebody was controlling it. These movements lasted only half an hour but on recovery, she had left hemiparesis. Alien hand syndrome as the presentation of cardioembolic stroke is extremely rare but can be terrifying to patients.
Fluoroimmunoassay studies with solubilized antigens from Borrelia burgdorferi.

Sodium deoxycholate-solubilized Borrelia burgdorferi antigen was prepared for use in a solid-phase fluoroimmunoassay (FIA-L) to detect antibodies in Lyme disease. Serum specimens were tested by FIA-L and by a microimmunofluorescence test. The FIA-L results are comparable to those of the standard microimmunofluorescence test. The overall agreement was 0.98. Moreover, the FIA-L procedure is simple and rapid; fluorescence is objectively determined and is proportional to antibody titer. Images
Time Course of Forward Masking Tuning Curves in Cat Primary Auditory Cortex

Brosch, Michael and Christoph E. Schreiner. Time course of forward masking tuning curves in cat primary auditory cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 923–943, 1997. Nonsimultaneous two-tone interactions we...
Detection of dengue-2 viral RNA by reversible target capture hybridization.

A reversible target capture (RTC) sandwich hybridization technique has been developed for the detection of dengue-2 viral RNA. The RTC is a form of sandwich hybridization that utilizes two probes: a poly(dA)-tailed capture probe and a labeled detector probe. Following hybridization of both probes to the analyte in solution, the poly(dA)-tailed capture probe is used to selectively remove the hybrids by capture on oligo(dT)-coated paramagnetic beads. AFter elution from the beads, the presence of specific hybrids is revealed by detection of the labeled probe. After optimization of all parameters by using 32P-labeled probes, digoxigenin was used as a label to preclude the use of radioisotopes. The sensitivity of the developed RTC procedure was determined. The lowest amount of virus detectable in cell culture lysates by using 32P-labeled probes was 20 PFU, while with digoxigenin-labeled probes, 200 PFU was detectable. The RTC procedure also detected dengue-2 virus in infected mosquitoes, both individually and in pools. The RTC has the advantage of being performed directly on crude samples, eliminating the need for phenol extraction and purification of target nucleic acids. These results indicate that the RTC procedure is sensitive, rapid, and easy to perform and that its use in surveillance programs will allow detection of dengue virus in pools of mosquitoes more rapidly than current procedures. Images
Nutrient contribution of breakfast, secular trends, and the role of ready-to-eat cereals: a review of data from the Bogalusa Heart Study

Breakfast consumption has been identified as an important factor in the nutritional well-being of children. Several studies have indicated that omission of breakfast or consumption of an inadequate breakfast is a factor contributing to poor school performance and to dietary inadequacies that are rarely compensated for in other meals of the day. Differences have also been observed in the nutrient density of the breakfast meal, depending on whether it was consumed at school or at home. Ready-to-eat cereals make a significant contribution to the nutritional quality of diets of children and young adults. The Bogalusa Heart Study, which began 25 y ago, is an epidemiologic investigation of cardiovascular risk factors and environmental determinants in a biracial pediatric population. The purpose of this review is to present data from the Bogalusa Heart Study and other studies supporting the statements above.
Magnitude and sources of variation in albedo within an alpine tundra

Temporal and spatial variations of albedo in a mid-latitude alpine tundra are assessed in order to develop a classification of surface cover mapping units which is useful for surface climate simulations. The largest temporal changes in albedo result from alterations in moisture conditions at the tundra surface associated with snowpack ripening and precipitation. Surface albedo varies under high atmospheric transmission conditions (clear skies) from 0.168 to 0.205; under low transmission conditions (cloudy) there was little variation in the surface albedo with the solar zenith angle and the value of the albedo was approximately equal to that under clear skies when 45° >z > 30°.
The Structure of Policy Thinking in Adolescence: A Research Note.

Drawing on findings reported in an earlier issue of this Review , the present Note examines the extent to which nine forms of reasoning about the problem of poverty cohere into recognizable structures or cognitive styles among a small sample of eighth and twelfth graders. The degree of structured policy thinking among the respondents is lower than might have been predicted on the basis of cognitive developmental theory. Moreover, a respondent's amount of political interest, activity, motivation, and knowledge is a more accurate guide to his policy-thinking style than is his age. This finding also does not accord with cognitive developmental expectations. When these data are taken together with findings reported in the earlier article, we can conclude only that political involvement and individual maturation interact in complex ways in the development and structuring of policy thinking.
A finite group attached to the laplacian of a graph

Abstract Let F = diag(ϕ1, ⋯ ϕn−1, 0), ϕ1 | ⋯ | ϕn-1, denote the Smith normal form of the laplacian matrix associated to a connected graph G on n vertices. Let h denote the cardinal of the set {i | ϕi > 1}. We show that h is bounded by the number of independent cycles of G and we study some cases where these two integers are equal.
Patterned Polymer Nanofibers Based Biosensors

“Label-free” biomolecule sensors for detection of inflammatory cardiovascular biomarker associated with vulnerable coronary vascular plaque were designed and fabricated using micro and nano-textured polystyrene structures that functioned as sensing elements coupled with electronic measurement equipment. We demonstrated that scaling down the surface texturing from the micro to the nanoscale enhances the amplitude of the measured signal strength. We believe that the nanoscale fiber morphology provides size matched spaces for trapping and immobilizing the protein biomolecules resulting in enhanced detection and signal strength. We selected polystyrene as the model system and demonstrated the detection of human serum C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). We employed these findings in designing a platform “lab-on-a-chip” protein sensor. Comparative studies were performed on two different polystyrene textured surfaces: a polystyrene microsphere mat, and an electrospun polystyrene nanofiber matrix.
Respiratory syncytial virus infection in immunosuppressed animals: implications in human infection.

Neonatal cotton rats were treated with cyclophosphamide parenterally for three weeks before intranasal inoculation of live respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Immunosuppressive therapy resulted in severe depletion of lymphocytes from the peripheral circulation, the spleen, and the thymus. In contrast to normal rats, immunosuppressed animals developed severe pulmonary pathology with marked infiltration of foamy macrophages. Persistent degeneration and regeneration of bronchial epithelial cells were also observed, in which RSV antigens could be demonstrated by the immunoperoxidase technique. In addition, large quantities of live virus were recovered from the respiratory tract of these animals for as long as six weeks after infection. Systematic dissemination of RSV, which has never been documented in immunocompetent control rats, was found in four of the cyclophosphamide-treated animals. These results support clinical observations that cellular immunity may be very important in the pathogenesis of RSV infection in the human host.
In vitro studies of the combined effect of ampicillin and sulfonamides on Nocardia asteroides and results of therapy in four patients.

Abstract The minimal inhibiting concentrations (MIC) of ampicillin, trisulfapyrimidines, and various combinations of these drugs were determined for four clinical isolates of Nocardia asteroides on Mueller-Hinton agar. The combination of ampicillin and sulfonamides was found to be synergistic for three of the four isolates when an inoculum of 103 to 104 organisms per ml was used. (Synergism was defined as occurring when the MIC of each of the drugs in combination was one-quarter or less of the MIC of each drug alone.) All four isolates were inhibited by concentrations of the drugs in combination that were clinically achievable. Combined therapy with ampicillin and sulfonamides was used in four immunologically suppressed renal transplant patients who had pulmonary infection with N. asteroides. Clinical improvement was noted within 2 weeks in all patients, and the pulmonary infiltrates cleared by 6 months in three patients. One patient died from an unrelated illness 10 days after starting therapy. The disease was arrested in two patients who were maintained on full immunosuppressive therapy.
Magnetic Field Structure in Black-Hole Accretion Flows

We present an analysis of the magnetic field structure found in a set of four general relativistic 3D MHD simulations of accreting tori in the Kerr metric with different black hole spins. The global structure of the system is described in terms of five separate regions, and each region has a distinctive geometry of magnetic field. As the black hole spin increases, the tightness of the azimuthal winding of field-lines around the event horizon grows sharply as the frame-dragging enforces rotation in the Boyer-Lindquist frame. The electro-magnetic stress associated with this winding field-lines becomes essential in the outward angular-momentum transfer when the black-bole rotates faster.
Optical quality GaInAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Ga47In53As films have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on InP substrates. The unintentionally doped material has a free electron concentration of 8 × 1015cm-3 and exhibits sharp (~5 meV linewidth) exciton recombination in the 4K photoluminescence. The films were grown on (100) InP surfaces which were thermally cleaned in the arsenic beam. The effects of the substrate temperature during growth, the Ga to In flux ratio and the group V to group III flux ratio on the 4K photoluminescence are reported.
A comparison of some pharmacological actions of morphine and delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the mouse.

The effects of morphine and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the tail-flick reflex, body temperature, and catecholamine synthesis were examined in the mouse in order to compare their effects in a single species and strain under uniform conditions. Naloxone antagonism of THC and cross-tolerance between morphine and THC were also studied. Both morphine and THC produced antinociception, hypothermia, and increased catecholamine synthesis at 30 min after s.c. injection. Morphine produced greater increases in dopamine synthesis and was a more potent antinociceptive agent, while THC produced greater increases in norepinephrine synthesis and was a more potent hypothermic agent. Naloxone pretreatment (1 mg/kg) partially antagonized the hypothermia and increase in catecholamine synthesis produced by THC. There was also crosstolerance between morphine and THC, but it was asymmetric in that THC-tolerant animals were crosstolerant to only the hypothermic action of morphine and morphine-tolerant animals cross-tolerant to only the antinociceptive action of THC.
Quantifying Chaperone-Mediated Transitions in the Proteostasis Network of E. coli

For cells to function, the concentrations of all proteins in the cell must be maintained at the proper levels (proteostasis). This task – complicated by cellular stresses, protein misfolding, aggregation, and degradation – is performed by a collection of chaperones that alter the configurational landscape of a given client protein through the formation of protein-chaperone complexes. The set of all such complexes and the transitions between them form the proteostasis network. Recently, a computational model was introduced (FoldEco) that synthesizes experimental data into a system-wide description of the proteostasis network of E. coli. This model describes the concentrations over time of all the species in the system, which include different conformations of the client protein, as well as protein-chaperone complexes. We apply to this model a recently developed analysis tool to calculate mediation probabilities in complex networks. This allows us to determine the probability that a given chaperone system is used to mediate transitions between client protein conformations, such as folding, or the correction of misfolded conformations. We determine how these probabilities change both across different proteins, as well as with system parameters, such as the synthesis rate, and in each case reveal in detail which factors control the usage of one chaperone system over another. We find that the different chaperone systems do not operate orthogonally and can compensate for each other when one system is disabled or overworked, and that this can complicate the analysis of “knockout” experiments, where the concentration of native protein is compared both with and without the presence of a given chaperone system. This study also gives a general recipe for conducting a transition-path–based analysis on a network of coupled chemical reactions, which can be useful in other types of networks as well.
Long-term strength development of high-volume fly ash concrete

Abstract This paper presents long-term data on the initial work carried out on high-volume fly ash concrete at CANMET laboratories. In the laboratory investigations, a concrete block measuring 1·5 m × 1·5 m × 1·5 m was cast indoors under controlled temperature conditions. The concrete contained 147 kg/m 3 of ASTM Type II cement and 187 kg/m 3 of ASTM Class F fly ash. The density of the concrete was high, of the order of 2500 kg/m 3 . The strength development of the concrete has been monitored over a period of 3 1 2 years, and it reached a maximum compressive strength of 70 MPa at 1 1 2 years. The modulus of elasticity of this concrete at 2 years was 47 GPa. The penetration of chloride ions in this concrete, when measured according to AASHTO T277-831, was 53 coulombs at 3 1 2 years. Following its excellent performance in the laboratory investigations, this concrete was utilized in a field application, a brief description of which is also presented.
Testing of the line element of special relativity with rotating systems

Experiments with rotating systems are examined from the point of view of a test theory of the Lorentz transformations (LTs), permitting, in principle, the verification of the simultaneity relation. The significance of the experiments involved in the testing of the LTs can be determined using Robertson's test theory (RTT). A revised RTT is discussed, and attention is given to the Ehrenfest paradox in connection with the testing of the LTs.