cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use-dependent pentobarbital block of kainate and quisqualate currents

Abstract The effects of pentobarbital on whole-cell excitatory amino acid-induced currents were studies in cultured rat cortical neurons. Currents evoked by 40 μM kainate were reversibly inhibited by pentobarbital with an IC50 value of 50 μM. The block of the kainate response by pentobarbital was use dependent, requiring kainate stimulation. In the absence of kainate activation, 10 min perfusions of 100 μM pentobarbital inhibited kainate-induced currents less than 10%. Recovery from pentobarbital block also exhibited use dependence, reversing in 5–10 s with kainate stimulation, while persisting 10 min or more in the absence of agonist. Pentobarbital inhibition of the kainate response was not voltage dependent. Responses evoked by 10 μM quisqualate consisted of a peak current desensitizing to a smaller steady-state current. The co-application of 100 μM pentobarbital reduced the steady-state current by49±5%. The peak current before desensitization, however, was inhibited less than 10%. Currents evoked by 25 μM N-methyl- d -aspartate were not significantly inhibited by co-application of 100 μM pentobarbital. The results suggest that the pentobarbital-induced inhibition of kainate responses involves open channel block and that the block of quisqualate currents primarily involve non-desensitizing receptor channels that generate steady-state currents.
Word grader and powerpoint grader

Word Grader is a document checker for use by instructors in Microsoft Word or Microsoft Office application courses. Word Grader uses Microsoft Word's Compare and Combine feature to merge a student document with the correct version of the assignment. Word Grader counts errors and embeds a grade report in the marked-up document. "PowerPoint Grader" is a companion product that grades Microsoft PowerPoint assignments. PowerPoint Grader extracts the text from a presentation and grades it. It also grades themes and slide layouts. Instructors have downloaded these graders hundreds of times and successfully integrated them into computer science curricula.
Gastrointestinal uptake of liposomes. I. In vitro and in situ studies

Summary The stability of L-a-phosphatidylcholine distearoyl/cholesterol and egg lecithin/cholesterol multilamellar liposomes at acidic pH values, in the presence of bile salts and in the presence of pancreatic lipase, was studied by determining the leakage rates of entrapped markers. Substantial loss of entrapped glucose and complete loss of entrapped carboxyfluorescein were observed under conditions similar to what would be expected in the gastrointestinal tract. Transport studies using in vitro diffusion cells and everted-sac experiments suggest that intact liposomes are not taken up by epithelial cells and that liposomal entrapment does not facilitate the transport of non-absorbable drugs and prevents the transport of absorbable ones. In situ studies seem to confirm this viewpoint since almost all of the liposomes and their entrapped markers remain in the intestine even after 3 h.
The age of the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane

The olive trees (Olea europaea) in the Garden of Gethsemane were radiocarbon-dated with a view to providing an estimate of their ages and in order to determine whether they are even-aged or were planted at different times. All the tree trunks are hollow inside so that the central, older wood is missing. Furthermore, in several trees, a large void in the trunk's centre has led to its breaking-up into different stumps, which makes it very difficult to reconstruct the shape of each stem's basal area. In the end, only three from a total of eight olive trees could be successfully dated. They are of the same age, having started life all through the 12th century, when, during the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Crusaders were committing themselves to the restoration of Christian memories in the Holy Land. The dated ancient olive trees do, however, not allow any hypothesis to be made with regard to the age of the remaining five giant olives. Nonetheless, the dated olive trees of Gethsemane are a typical example of trees being cultivated in order to emphasize a cultural identity.
Analysis of Heat Transfer Regulation and Modification Employing Intermittently Emplaced Porous Cavities

The present work forms a fundamental investigation on the effects of using intermittently porous cavities for regulating and modifying the flow and temperature fields and therefore changing the skin friction and heat transfer characteristics of an external surface. A general flow model that accounts for the effects of the impermeable boundary and inertial effects is used to describe the flow inside the porous region. Solutions of the problem have been carried out using a finite-difference method through the use of a stream function-vorticity transformation. Various interesting characteristics of the flow and temperature fields in the composite layer are analyzed and discussed in detail. The effects of various governing dimensionless parameters, such as the Darcy number, Reynolds number, Prandtl number, the inertia parameter as well as the effects of pertinent geometric parameters are thoroughly explored. Furthermore, the interactive effects of the embedded porous substrates on skin friction and heat transfer characteristics of an external surface are analyzed. The configuration analyzed in this work provides an innovative approach in altering the frictional and heat transfer characteristics of an external surface. 27 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the extremity.

BACKGROUND This study examines prognostic factors and outcomes for a group of patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the extremity treated at a single referral institution. METHODS A total of 239 patients underwent complete surgical excision between July 1982 and July 1996 and were followed prospectively. RESULTS The overall 5-year and 10-year disease specific survival rates for this group were 65% and 59%, respectively. Age >50 years, tumor location, and presentation with local recurrence were all associated with increased risk of local recurrence. Tumor size, grade, depth, and presentation with local recurrence were all associated with adverse disease specific and metastasis free survival. Tumor size ≥10 cm was associated with a particularly unfavorable outcome. CONCLUSIONS The majority of malignant fibrous histiocytomas of the extremity are associated with a relatively favorable prognosis. Size ≥5 cm, deep depth, and high grade are all unfavorable factors. Size ≥10 cm is associated with an even more unfavorable prognosis. Cancer 1999;85:1765–72. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Transposition and distribution of cholesterol in rat erythrocytes.

SummaryUnilamellar vesicles of soy phosphatidylcholine and [14C]cholesterol were incubated with rat erythrocytes for up to 33 hr. From the kinetics of cholesterol equilibration between vesicles and erythrocytes we have calculated that erythrocyte cholesterol is present in two pools that equilibrate with a half-time of 2.3 ± 0.6 hr. The evidence suggests that the two pools, which are of comparable size, reflect the cholesterol present in the inner and outer portions of the lipid bilayer.
Induction and selection of drug resistant mutants of Plasmodium falciparum.

Abstract Conditions for mutagenizing Plasmodium falciparum in culture with the mutagen N -methyl- N ′-nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine have been established. Parasite mutants resistant to aphidicolin, cycloheximide and sinefungin have been selected and subcloned.
Intraspecific variation in wing colour is related to larval energy reserves in monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)

The physiological basis for pigment synthesis in lepidopteran wing scales is well-studied, although less is known about the reasons why individuals of the same species vary in pigmentation. Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) show subtle variations in the shade of orange on their wings and this is known to predict flight ability and mating success. The present study tests the possibility that the shade of orange is associated with the amount of residual energy reserves carried over from the larval stage. Using monarchs reared in captivity under identical conditions (n = 207), the residuals of a regression of wing size and mass at eclosion, which indicate larval energy reserves, are obtained. This measure is positively related to adult longevity without feeding, indicating the importance of this reserve to the monarchs, as well as the value of the measure for this investigation. The shade of orange (i.e. hue) is determined on scanned wings using image analysis. Importantly, orange hue is predicted significantly by residual mass at eclosion (individuals with more mass are redder). The linkage between these traits may explain previous findings whereby redder monarchs fly further and mate more because both behaviours would be enhanced with greater energy stores. The findings of the present study add to a growing body of work showing how intraspecific variation in pigmentation has biological significance to monarchs, and possibly other butterflies. Although much remains to be investigated regarding the physiological underpinnings of this variation, the results of the present study indicate that future efforts should be rewarding.
Paleobotany in cladistics and cladistics in paleobotany: enlightenment and uncertainty

Abstract Data on fossil taxa can, and should, be incorporated into cladistic analyses. Potential problems with such analyses include large amounts of missing data, and uncertainty about homology of parts that are present. Ambiguity of character data may also occur with extant taxa, but rarely to the extent that it occurs in fossil data. Such ambiguity reduces the strength of the test of character congruence among taxa, in effect relaxing the criterion of parsimony. In order to minimize such effects, composite fossil taxa should be avoided when possible, and polymorphisms reduced by breaking terminals into monomorphic subunits. When results including fossils differ radically from those that exclude fossils, such differences should be approached with caution, keeping in mind the reduced strength of the parsimony analysis when large numbers of cells in a matrix are scored as ambiguous. At this point, there is no simple way to compare the “strength” of parsimony between two data sets that have different numbers of characters and/or taxa in relation to missing data. However, methods under development may provide ways to incorporate the effect of missing values into relative measures of group support such as Bremer support, character removal, and the bootstrap.
Differential reinforcement of reaction times in developmental retardates.

Summary.-The effects of differential reinforcement on reaction times to two intensities of reaction signal were investigated in 36 developmental retardates. One group was reinforced for reaction times to the higher intensity signal; a second group was reinforced for reaction times to the lower intensity signal; a third group received no reinforcement. Reaction time decreased as signal intensity increased and decreased over sessions as a function of reinforcement. Likewise, reinforcement either exaggerated or reversed differences in reaction times to each signal depending on the particular reinforcement contingency. Results were discussed in terms of attentional and motivational explanations of effects of signal intensity on reaction times of retardates. Previous research has shown that reaction time in developmental retardates is significantly influenced by the intensity of the reaction signal (Baurneister, Hawkins, & Kellas, 1965; Baumeister & Kellas, 1968). In general, as intensity of reaction signal increases, reaction time decreases. This finding has led to conceptualizations for retardates' performance deficits on this task which emphasize the importance of attentional processes. However, a recent study (Hasazi & Allen, 1973) suggests that this finding may also be attributable to motivational variables. In their study, reaction times to two signal intensities were reinforced with pennies if responses were faster than the median reaction time in the previous session. Mean reaction times of retardates decreased significantly over five sessions with a greater decrease in magnitude occurring to the signal of lower intensity. By the fifth session, there were virtually no differences in responding to the two signals. This finding suggests that the effects of intensity of reaction signal on reaction time in developmental retardates may be attributable to, or at least can be modified by, the operation of motivational variables As such, differences in reaction time to signals of varying intensity may not be so much a function of attentional deficits, as characteristics of the retarded person, as they are a function of developmental retardates' decreased motivation to perform. The present study was designed to study the interactive effects of signal intensity and reinforcement on reaction time of retardates in greater detail.
Embedded EMD algorithm within an FPGA-based design to classify nonlinear SDOF systems

Compared with traditional microprocessor-based systems, rapidly advancing field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology offers a more powerful, efficient and flexible hardware platform. An FPGA and microprocessor (i.e., hardware and software) co-design is developed to classify three types of nonlinearities (including linear, hardening and softening) of a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system subjected to free vibration. This significantly advances the team's previous work on using FPGAs for wireless structural health monitoring. The classification is achieved by embedding two important algorithms - empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and backbone curve analysis. Design considerations to embed EMD in FPGA and microprocessor are discussed. In particular, the implementation of cubic spline fitting and the challenges encountered using both hardware and software environments are discussed. The backbone curve technique is fully implemented within the FPGA hardware and used to extract instantaneous characteristics from the uniformly distributed data sets produced by the EMD algorithm as presented in a previous SPIE conference by the team. An off-the-shelf high-level abstraction tool along with the MATLAB/Simulink environment is utilized to manage the overall FPGA and microprocessor co-design. Given the limited computational resources of an embedded system, we strive for a balance between the maximization of computational efficiency and minimization of resource utilization. The value of this study lies well beyond merely programming existing algorithms in hardware and software. Among others, extensive and intensive judgment is exercised involving experiences and insights with these algorithms, which renders processed instantaneous characteristics of the signals that are well-suited for wireless transmission.
Alpha globulin changes during the development of cellular immunity.

Abstract Hartley guinea pigs were sensitized to 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene, Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37RA , and allogenic skin. During the development of these sensitivities, serum alpha globulin changes were detected by polyacrilamide gel disc electrophoresis. Electrophoretic region 4 (alpha globulins) increased, then subsided, concomitant with the development of cellular immunity. Skin testing did not seem to influence alpha globulin levels in sensitized animals. However, high alpha globulin levels decreased skin test responsiveness. It is suggested that the increased alpha globulin noted here is immunoregulative alpha globulin (IRA).
Temporal expression of TGF-β1, EGF, and PDGF-BB in a model of colonic wound healing

Background.Dehiscence of colonic anastomoses is a multifactorial phenomenon. One mechanism by which this can occur is a deficiency of colonic submucosal collagen. Peptide growth factors (PGFs) have been shown to play a role in the synthesis, deposition, and maturation of collagen. Specifically, in tissues other than the colon, the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) gene has been shown to be temporally associated with expression of the procollagen gene. This study examines the temporal expression of the TGF-β1, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGF-BB) genes and their temporal relationship to the expression of the procollagen type 1 (PROC I) gene. Materials and methods.Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats underwent transection of the descending colon with primary anastomosis. Perianastomotic colonic tissue was harvested on Day 0 and postoperative days 3, 5, 6, 7, and 14. Colonic tissue was analyzed using semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and primers specific for the TGF-β1, EGF, and PDGF-B growth factors. Relative expression ratios of PGFs and PROC I genes were calculated versus a constitutive gene. Results.The data show that although all three of the PGFs genes were expressed in healing postoperative colonic tissue, only TGF-β1showed a significant increase in its level of expression versus a constitutive gene from a mean ratio of 0.4 ± 0.08 on Day 0 to a mean ratio of 1.9 ± 0.27 on Day 7 (P< 0.0001 by ANOVA). The PROC I gene also showed a significant increase in expression (P< 0.001 by ANOVA) in the postoperative period which temporally correlated with the increase in the expression of the TGF-β1gene (r= 0.89,P< 0.05). Conclusions.The temporal correlation between an increase in the gene expression of TGF-β1and PROC I is initial evidence that that TGF-β1plays a significant role in collagen metabolism in a healing colonic anastomosis.
Induction or suppression of expression of cytochrome C oxidase subunit II by heregulin beta 1 in human mammary epithelial cells is dependent on the levels of ErbB2 expression.

The ErbB family of receptor kinases is composed of four members: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ErbB1), ErbB2/neu, ErbB3, and ErbB4. Amplification of the ErbB2/neu is found in about 30% of breast cancer patients and is associated with a poor prognosis. Heregulin (HRG) activates the ErbB2 via induction of heterodimerization with ErbB3 and ErbB4 receptors. With suppression subtractive hybridization, we demonstrated that the expression of cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COXII) is HRG-responsive. Two nontransformed human mammary epithelial cell lines, the HB2 and the HB2(ErbB2) (the HB2 engineered to overexpress ErbB2), displayed an opposite response to HRG-mediated regulation. HRG upregulated mRNA expression of COXII in the HB2 cells, but suppressed COXII expression in the HB2(ErbB2) cells. A human breast cancer cell line (T47D), which expresses ErbB2 at a level similar to that of the HB2 cells, also responded to HRG by increasing COXII mRNA levels. Therefore, HRG regulation of COXII expression depends on the levels of ErbB2 expression. Furthermore, the expression of COXII was inversely correlated to the levels of ErbB2, i.e., the cells overexpressing ErbB2 exhibited lower COXII levels. HRG-evoked signal transduction differed between the cells with normal ErbB expression and the cells overexpressing ErbB2. The activation of both ERK and PI3-K was essential for HRG regulation of COXII, i.e., blockage of either pathway eliminated HRG-mediated alteration. This is the first report demonstrating that the expression of mitochondria-encoded COXII is HRG-responsive. The levels of ErbB2 expression are decisive for the diverse biological activities of HRG.
Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy: Outcomes in 222 Patients

Now that advanced minimally invasive surgical procedures are being performed more frequently, detailed results and outcomes must be reported to the surgical community to assess potential advantages and disadvantages. A number of open approaches are used to resect esophageal cancer. These operations are frequently associated with significant morbidity and a mortality rate reported from experienced centers in the range of 6–7%.1 In a report summarizing nationwide statistics, the mortality rates from esophagectomy ranged from 8% in high-volume centers to as high as 23% in low-volume centers.2 Given concerns over this high morbidity and mortality, patients with esophageal cancer may not even be referred for operation at all. Older patients and those with comorbid conditions may be referred for nonsurgical therapies; for example, photodynamic therapy is used in some centers to treat high-grade dysplasia. Photodynamic therapy, with its low mortality rate (which approaches 0%) is attractive to patients and referring physicians, even though its results have not been proven to equal those of surgical resection.3 Yet, because of the risk of incomplete ablation of Barrett's and the risk of missing an early stage occult cancer that could be potentially cured by resection, most surgeons continue to favor esophagectomy.4 Since the introduction of laparoscopic fundoplication in 1991,5 improvements in instrumentation and optics have allowed the development of minimally invasive approaches to esophageal diseases that have been traditionally managed by open operation. Such diseases include the treatment of achalasia,6 giant paraesophageal hernia,7 and other complex esophageal disorders.8-10 Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has the potential to lower the morbidity of open operation and allow quicker return to normal function. In addition if morbidity is lowered, a greater number of patients may be referred and benefit from MIE. We have previously reported on our initial experience of MIE in 77 patients.10 This report details our growing experience of MIE and describes outcomes in 223 patients.
InGaAs Avalanche Photodetectors

The development of optical fibers with extremely low loss and near zero pulse dispersion in the 1.30-1.55 pm spectral range has generated considerable interest in emitters and detectors for use in optical fiber communication systems utilizing these wavelengths. The InGaAsP quaternary alloy, lattice matched to InP, is one of at least three different semi-conductor alloys being evaluated for detector applications in these systems. In this paper we will review some of the previous results obtained in InGaAsP/InP photodetectors, and discuss the possible mechanisms responsible for the large dark current observed in some of these devices. The material properties and device structures which minimize the dark current are described, and the possibilities of achieving efficient avalanche photodiodes using these materials are evaluated.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Vibrational energy transfer in linear hydrocarbon chains: New quantum results

In this paper we report quantum calculations of the survival probability in linear hydrocarbon chains. We have performed both adiabatic gauge transform calculations and calculations that include corrections beyond the adiabatic approximation. We have managed to perform intermediate steps of the calculations analytically. We require the initial basis set expansion and final summations to be performed numerically. The corrections beyond the adiabatic approximation are shown to be small for this system for multiple time step calculations and large for single time step calculations. We have proved an identity that allows the extension of the calculations for HC2 to longer chains at little computational cost. In particular, we have proved that the quantum solution for any linear hydrocarbon chain can be obtained from the solution of a problem with 3 degrees of freedom. We have performed multi‐step adiabatic calculations for HC2 and HC6 that converge at up to 35–40 fs. We have devised a simple diagrammatic scheme that summarizes our method in a very compact form. Finally, we propose an alternative strategy of calculation that might lead to very fast solutions of the quantum dynamics of this system.
Process verification of two-qubit quantum gates by randomized benchmarking

We implement a complete randomized benchmarking protocol on a system of two superconducting qubits. The protocol consists of randomizing over gates in the Clifford group, which experimentally are generated via an improved two-qubit cross-resonance gate implementation and single-qubit unitaries. From this we extract an optimal average error per Clifford operation of $0.0936$. We also perform an interleaved experiment, alternating our optimal two-qubit gate with random two-qubit Clifford gates, to obtain a two-qubit gate error of $0.0653$. We compare these values with a two-qubit gate error of $\ensuremath{\sim}0.12$ obtained from quantum process tomography, which is likely limited by state preparation and measurement errors.
Mining History: Mobilizing The Past In Struggles Over Mineral Extraction In Peru†

This paper examines how the past is constructed and mobilized within contemporary Peruvian mining politics. Beginning with an exploration of tensions existing within the mining industry's relations...
Bent-core alignment layers

The difficulty of aligning bent-core liquid crystals at a surface is addressed from three directions: We form Langmuir monolayers of bent core molecules at the air-water interface, and explore their orientation and packing. We transfer these films by Langmuir-Schaefer techniques to a solid surface, and test them for the alignment of bulk liquid crystal. We use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to directly probe possible molecular orientation at the water surface, for comparison with experiments. We find that relatively small changes in the bent-core molecule affect both the stability of the films and their ability to promote alignment within liquid crystal cells.
Specific infectivity of different wound tumor virus isolates

Abstract The specific infectivities of certain wound tumor virus (WTV) strains for vector cell monolayers were determined on the basis of counts of virions in droplet residues in the electron microscope and on the numbers of infections they produced on vector cell monolayers. Infectivity for vector cell monolayers is lost completely in 5 to 9 years if an isolate of WTV is maintained in sweet clover without transmission by the vector. This loss does not occur as a single, all-or-nothing change but involves several step-like losses. It is accompanied by a decline in virus concentration in the tumois, but the depreciation of specific infectivity is the principal cause of the loss of infection for vector cell monolayers. The probability that these losses also cause corresponding losses of ability to be transmitted by the vector is discussed.
Assessing physical child abuse risk: The child abuse potential inventory

Abstract To provide information on child abuse assessment, the psychometric base of the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory, a screening scale for physical child abuse, is described. A critical review of studies reporting on the reliability, construct validity, and predictive (concurrent and future) validity of the CAP Inventory physical abuse scale is provided. As part of the section on construct validity, I summarize the physical child abuse risk factors described in the family violence literature and examine the relationship between each of the risk factors and CAP abuse scores. Incremental validity estimates, derived from studies reporting predictive validity data, are reported. The utility of using the CAP abuse scale in treatment evaluation is also discussed. Throughout the review, inconsistencies in study findings and gaps in the psychometric base for the CAP abuse scale are noted.
Preservation of particulate non-lithogenic uranium in marine sediments

Particulate non-lithogenic uranium (PNU), excess U above detrital background levels found in marine particulate matter, is formed in surface waters throughout the ocean. Previous studies have shown that PNU is regenerated completely prior to burial of particles in sediments within well-oxygenated open-ocean regions. However, the fate of PNU has never been examined in ocean margin regions or in anoxic basins. Here we evaluate the preservation of PNU in ocean margin sediments and within semi-enclosed basins using samples from sediment traps deployed at multiple depths and surface sediments. Organic carbon fluxes at the sediment trap locations ranged from 0.1 to 4.3 g/cm 2 kyr, while the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water column ranged from 3 Mt o 270 M. Preservation of PNU increases with decreasing dissolved oxygen concentration, approaching 100% preservation at oxygen concentration 25 M. PNU contributes as much as 40 to 70% of the total authigenic U in sediments in the Santa Barbara Basin and seasonally anoxic Saanich Inlet, and some 10% to 50% of the total authigenic U in sediments off the central California Margin. Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd
Stability of Phases in the Si-C-N-O System

The stability of the phases in equilibrium is calculated for the Si-C-N-O system in order to analyze and predict the reactions in ceramic whisker formation and sintering of silicon nitride composites. Equilibria among SiC, Si3N4, Si2N2O, SiO2, Si, and the gas phase are evaluated at different carbon activities, nitrogen pressures, and temperatures. Phase stability diagrams are constructed as a function of nitrogen and oxygen pressures for two levels of carbon activity. Silicon nitride becomes a stable phase with increasing nitrogen pressure or decreasing carbon activity and temperature, whereas silicon carbide becomes a dominant phase at lower nitrogen pressures or at higher temperatures when carbon activity is unity. The maximum sintering temperature of the SiC/Si3N4 composite is higher with an elevated nitrogen pressure or a reduced carbon activity.
ADDRESSING THE PUZZLE OF RACE

Although racial discrimination poses a devastating instrument of oppression, social work texts lack a clear and consistent definition of race. The solution lies in according race the status of an "actor version" concept, while exploring the origins and variations of race ideas using "scientific observer version" explanations. This distinction provides the means for determining the sources of harmful race ideas, an indispensable first step in combating them. Using recent teaching materials, we can emphasize our common humanity to promote social justice without sacrificing our recognition of the damage inflicted by racial ideas.
Direct photon, J/ψ, and high mass e-pair production

Abstract Results presented at the International Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics, Madrid (Spain) September 6–13, 1989 on direct photon, J/ψ, and high mass electron pair production in the session QCD and Hadronization are summarized.
FDA Recommendations for Preclinical Testing of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Analogues

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists are synthetic analogues synthesized by modifications of the naturally occurring hypothalamic decapeptide GnRH. These modifications significantly increase the biological potency and duration of action of GnRH agonists as well as the solubility, potency, and duration of action of GnRH antagonists while decreasing GnRH antagonists toxicity. The field of GnRH analogues has expanded significantly during the past few years in terms of the number of analogues, therapeutic indications, formulations, and mode of administration. This paper provides recommendations for nonclinical testing of GnRH analogues and reflects the type and degree of toxicity testing expected by the Division. However, these recommendations are not formal guidelines in that alternative testing methods will be considered. Furthermore, these recommendations should not be used as guidance for testing of other new drugs.
Simple affinity purification of antibodies using in vivo biotinylation of a fusion protein

We describe a method for affinity purification of antibodies using gene fusions to the antigen. Fusions are made to a protein domain which is recognized in vivo by biotin ligase and biotinylated at a unique position in the fusion protein. When expressed in E. coli, the fusion protein can be captured from a whole cell lysate using an avidin resin to generate an affinity column which is useful for antibody purification. The procedure is simple, rapid and does not require chemical biotinylation or prior purification of the target antigen.
Authorship productivity in the knowledge management literature

A Lotka analysis was conducted of 14,149 references to knowledge management publications retrieved from a search of the ABI/Inform database. Results indicate that the sample of knowledge management publications conforms to the negative power distribution typical of Lotka analyses. Calculated Lotka constants were within expected parameters. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov test revealed no significant differences between observed and expected distributions. It is concluded that the knowledge management literature conforms to the principles of Lotka's Law. Analysis of author affiliations revealed that academics were prevalent among the most productive authors but that the top five authors in terms of productivity were practitioners.
Fault Protection Design and Testing for the Cassini Spacecraft in a "Mixed" Thruster Configuration

NASA's Cassini Spacecraft, launched on October 15th, 1997 and arrived at Saturn on June 30th, 2004, is the largest and most ambitious interplanetary spacecraft in history. In order to meet the challenging attitude control and navigation requirements of the orbit profile at Saturn, Cassini is equipped with a monopropellant thruster based Reaction Control System (RCS), a bipropellant Main Engine Assembly (MEA) and a Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA). In 2008, after 11 years of reliable service, several RCS thrusters began to show signs of end of life degradation, which led the operations team to successfully perform the swap from the A-branch to the B-branch RCS system. If similar degradation begins to occur on any of the B-branch thrusters, Cassini might have to assume a "mixed" thruster configuration, where a subset of both A and B branch thrusters will be designated as prime. The Cassini Fault Protection FSW was recently updated to handle this scenario. The design, implementation, and testing of this update is described in this paper.
Paraneoplastic pemphigus in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is an autoimmune disorder occurring in the setting of an underlying neoplasm in which patients have polymorphous skin and mucous membrane lesions. We describe a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who developed bullous, ulcerating lesions in an area being treated with radiation therapy. The diagnosis of PNP was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence of the patient's serum on rat bladder. The disorder was refractory to therapy, and ultimately the patient expired.
Noncommercial Fish Consumption and Anglers at Risk

From 1997–1998, the authors carried out Indiana’s first statewide survey of noncommercial fish consumption. The research focused on the health of Indiana residents who were catching and consuming sport fish, because no baseline data were previously available on the issue. This article explores analysis options and problems associated with understanding health risks. The original data were reanalyzed based on current recommendations from state fish consumption advisories, which provided a threshold value of 30.24 grams per day. Attention is given to the results from two surveys used to identify angler groups at risk in the state. The data highlight the analysis potentials and limitations that can be overcome in future surveys.
Progress Report on the Effect of a Fissure Sealant on Bacteria in Dental Caries

Teeth in which caries had penetrated the pits and fissures were sealed with an ultraviolet-light-polymerized adhesive. Samples of carious dentin from both experimental and contralateral control teeth were taken one, two, four, and six months after the sealant had been placed. After six months, the number of microorganisms from the dentin of sealed teeth was substantially lower than that from the dentin of control teeth.
PAGET'S DISEASE OF THE NIPPLE-AREOLA COMPLEX

The histogenesis of Paget's disease has been hotly debated, and only recently has epidermotropic theory become widely accepted. With the evolution of our understanding of breast cancer, it became apparent that the prognosis of Paget's disease was more a reflection of that of the underlying carcinoma, be it intraductal or infiltrating. The standard treatment of Paget's disease remains mastectomy with or without axillary dissection. In this era of breast-conserving surgery, however, there is much evidence to suggest that conservative treatment of Paget's disease of the breast is possible. A breast-conserving algorithm for the treatment of Paget's disease of the breast is proposed. Further refinements or modifications to the algorithm should be made as data from ongoing trials redefine our understanding of breast pathology and treatment.
AMSU-B Observations of Mixed-Phase Clouds over Land

Abstract Measurements from passive microwave satellite instruments such as the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit B (AMSU-B) are sensitive to both liquid and ice cloud particles. Radiative transfer modeling is exploited to simulate the response of the AMSU-B instrument to mixed-phase clouds over land. The plane-parallel radiative transfer model employed for the study accounts for scattering and absorption from cloud ice as well as absorption and emission from trace gases and cloud liquid. The radiative effects of mixed-phase clouds on AMSU-B window channels (i.e., 89 and 150 GHz) and water vapor line channels (i.e., 183 ± 1, 3, and 7 GHz) are studied. Sensitivities to noncloud parameters, including surface temperature, surface emissivity, and atmospheric temperature and water vapor profiles, are also quantified. Modeling results indicate that both cloud phases generally have significant radiative effects and that the 150- and 183 ± 7-GHz channels are typically the most sensitive channels to integrated cloud...
A note on the performance of Chinese American Depository Receipts

In this note, New York Stock Exchange-listed American Depository Receipts (ADRs) from China are examined to determine overall investment performance for the first 3 years of trading. The segmented results show that while Chinese ADRs perform roughly the same as the S&P 500 Index, those trading during the bull market under-performed the market index by over 26% while those trading through the bear market (listed after 1 January 1998) outperformed the S&P 500 by nearly 40%. Furthermore, issues from Hong Kong under-performed the S&P Index by nearly 73% while those issued from other areas of China exceeded the index by over 29%. These results provide evidence that market timing and regional issues affect portfolio returns from Chinese ADRs.
Further Characterization of Staphylococcal Gamma-Hemolysin

It was confirmed that staphylococcal gamma-hemolysin is composed of two separate proteins (gamma-lysin components I and II) which act synergistically. The molecular weights of the two components, determined by gel filtration, are 29,000 and 26,000, respectively, and their isoelectric points, determined by isoelectric focusing, are at pH 9.8 and 9.9. Both components are susceptible to the action of Pronase and subtilisin. A wide range of lipids, some in minute amounts, are capable of inhibiting the hemolytic activity of gamma-lysin.
Flaw Distributions and the Variation of Glass Strength with Dimensions of the Sample

The phenomena associated with the fracture of glass are more logically expressed by a distribution function giving the probability of failure when the tensile stress at a point reaches a given value than by the concept of an intrinsic strength which is a characteristic of the material. In practice it is found that this distribution function has appreciable values only on the surface of glass. Functional equations are developed relating the results to be expected in tension tests and in modulus of rupture tests with one or two loading edges on cylindrical rods. Experiments with acid-polished rods of Pyrex-brand chemical glass require a two-term distribution function dn= (2.9 × 10−9S2+ 7.15 × 10−21.S8) dS to express the results found by a bending test with one loading edge (units, kilograms and millimeters), whereas results given by Bailey for lime-glass rods not polished are expressed by the function dn= 7.3 × 10–32 (units, pounds and inches) for tests with two loading edges.
Methods for choosing the regularization parameter and estimating the noise variance in image restoration and their relation

The application of regularization to ill-conditioned problems necessitates the choice of a regularization parameter which trades fidelity to the data with smoothness of the solution. The value of the regularization parameter depends on the variance of the noise in the data. The problem of choosing the regularization parameter and estimating the noise variance in image restoration is examined. An error analysis based on an objective mean-square-error (MSE) criterion is used to motivate regularization. Two approaches for choosing the regularization parameter and estimating the noise variance are proposed. The proposed and existing methods are compared and their relationship to linear minimum-mean-square-error filtering is examined. Experiments are presented that verify the theoretical results. >
The socio-relational framework of expressive behaviors as an integrative psychological paradigm

This response shows how the socio-relational framework of expressive behaviors may be used to understand and predict social psychological processes, beyond sex differences in the expression of emotion. I use this opportunity to elaborate on several key concepts on the epigenesis of evolved social behaviors that were not fully addressed in the target article. These are: evidence of a natural history of masculine and feminine specialization (sect. R1); phenotypic plasticity and range of reactivity of social behaviors (sect. R2); exploitive and protective functions of social behaviors (sect. R3); and the role of cognition in some affective responses (sect. R4). I conclude by highlighting (in sect. R5) future directions for psychological research from a socio-relational basis.
Gravity-Driven Microfluidic Particle Sorting Device with Hydrodynamic Separation Amplification

This paper describes a simple microfluidic sorting system that can perform size profiling and continuous mass-dependent separation of particles through combined use of gravity (1 g) and hydrodynamic flows capable of rapidly amplifying sedimentation-based separation between particles. Operation of the device relies on two microfluidic transport processes: (i) initial hydrodynamic focusing of particles in a microchannel oriented parallel to gravity and (ii) subsequent sample separation where positional difference between particles with different mass generated by sedimentation is further amplified by hydrodynamic flows whose streamlines gradually widen out due to the geometry of a widening microchannel oriented perpendicular to gravity. The microfluidic sorting device was fabricated in poly(dimethylsiloxane), and hydrodynamic flows in microchannels were driven by gravity without using external pumps. We conducted theoretical and experimental studies on fluid dynamic characteristics of laminar flows in wide...
Time- and Temperature-Dependent Activation of Hepatitis C Virus for Low-pH-Triggered Entry

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important human pathogen associated with chronic liver disease. Recently, based on a genotype 2a isolate, tissue culture systems supporting complete replication and infectious virus production have been developed. In this study, we used cell culture-produced infectious HCV to analyze the viral entry pathway into Huh-7.5 cells. Bafilomycin A1 and concanamycin A, inhibitors of vacuolar ATPases, prevented HCV entry when they were present prior to infection and had minimal effect on downstream replication events. HCV entry therefore appears to be pH dependent, requiring an acidified intracellular compartment. For many other enveloped viruses, acidic pH triggers an irreversible conformational change, which promotes virion-endosomal membrane fusion. Such viruses are often inactivated by low pH. In the case of HCV, exposure of virions to acidic pH followed by return to neutral pH did not affect their infectivity. This parallels the observation made for the related pestivirus bovine viral diarrhea virus. Low pH could activate the entry of cell surface-bound HCV but only after prolonged incubation at 37°C. This suggests that there are rate-limiting, postbinding events that are needed to render HCV competent for low-pH-triggered entry. Such events may involve interaction with a cellular coreceptor or other factors but do not require cathepsins B and L, late endosomal proteases that activate Ebola virus and reovirus for entry.
Complex objects in the temporal object system

In many engineering applications, changes to the state and/or structure of an object needs to be maintained over a period of time. Existing object-oriented data models allow such changes in the state (referred to as version management) and structure (referred to as schema evolution) of an object. However, when the structure changes, the old structure is replaced by the new one. The authors propose a temporal object system (TOS) which maintains changes to both the structure and the state of an object. Objects in this system are referred to as temporal objects and are allowed to evolve over time. The authors discuss how to extend TOS in order to construct complex temporal objects from an aggregation of temporal objects. >
Molecularly-based numerical evaluation of free volume in amorphous polymers

A study of the microstructure of polymers is essential for the understanding of their anomalous diffusion properties. The concept of free volume may be utilized to study relaxation phenomena and diffusion processes in polymers. Since a quantitative definition of free volume is not possible, a new concept called available volume is introduced. A simple geometric definition of available volume, relevant for the diffusion of small molecules in polymers, is given, based on the molecular structure. An initial molecular structure is obtained using a modified RIS (rotational isomeric state) approach. Then, with the aid of a molecular mechanics-based minimization procedure, computationally generated molecular structures for some polymers are used to estimate the available volume, using the proposed geometric definition. Numerically evaluated available volume distributions are then compared for different types of amorphous polymers, e.g. polycarbonates and polyacrylates, stressing their relevance to the diffusion properties.
GaAs, AlGaAs, and InGaAs epilayers containing As clusters: semimetal/semiconductor composites

Abstract A new kind of semiconductor composite material is demonstrated with a dispersion of semimetallic particles with properties common to high-quality single crystals. These materials are arsenides such as GaAs, AlGaAs, and InGaAs containing arsenic clusters. These composites are formed by incorporating excess As in the semiconductor, which precipitate with anneal. The incorporation of the excess As in accomplished by molecular beam epitaxy at low substrate temperatures. We demonstrate that the cluster densities can be controlled with the coarsening anneal. Furthermore, we demonstrate that heterojunctions and doping can be used to control the positioning of the As clusters.