cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ALLOANTIBODY PRODUCTION MEASURED BY PLAQUE ASSAY IN RELATION TO STRONG AND WEAK HISTOINCOMPATIBILITY

A plaque technique which provides a sensitive and quantitative determination of allohemolysin (isohemolysin) production by lymphoid cells of mice and Syrian hamsters is described. Much ongoing attention has been given to minimizing sources of spurious plaques while improving the reproducibility of the technique. Primary intravenous immunization with allogeneic blood cells led to the early appearance of plaque-forming spleen cells responding to both strong and weak histocompatibility antigens in inbred strains of mice. The strongest histoincompatibility (A/J --> BL/6), characterized by H-2 plus non-H-2 differences and a median skin allograft survival time of 8.2 +/- 0.5 days, gave a peak average plaque production of 29.6 per 10 x 10(6) viable spleen cells after 6 days. At the other extreme with an average allograft survival time of 91 days, C3H(H-1(a)) --> C3H.K(H-1(b)) showed a feeble production of plaque-forming cells with a peak response of 3.7 per 10 x 10(6) viable spleen cells at 9 days. Histocompatibility antigens determined by genes at the H-1, H-Y, and H-X loci were demonstrated to be erythrocyte antigens as well. Peak plaque production occurred earlier and reached higher levels across the stronger histocompatibility barriers (H-2 plus non-H-2 or H-2 alone) in temporal accord with the rapidity of skin allograft rejection. Weak H-Y or H-1 differences leading to prolonged allograft survival were associated with moderate, but not commensurate delays in the initial occurrence and recruitment of plaque-forming cells. With one exception (C57BL/10 --> B10.A), the average plaque counts found at the peak of the primary responses were inversely proportional to the median survival times of skin allografts in the same strain combinations. Nevertheless, in light of the disparity between the times of allograft rejection and the time course of appearance of plaque-forming cells with the "weaker" congenic combinations, the early 19S antibodies do not appear to be directly involved in allograft rejection. There appears to be no limitation in the weakness of histocompatibility antigens capable of evoking antibodies detectible by plaque assay. The extent to which molecular species of mouse antibodies other than 19S hemolysins are induced and detected under the conditions employed remains to be determined. The responses in strain combinations involving stronger histocompatibility barriers were characterized by exponential increases in plaque-forming cells, for 2 to 4 days until maximal levels were reached. Repeated immunization in several trials led to substantial increases over the maximum primary response in the number of demonstrable plaque-forming cells. Further preliminary results are reported concerning alloimmune plaque production in three strains of Syrian hamsters exhibiting intermediate to weak histocompatibility differences.
Modeling a severe supply chain disruption and post-disaster decision making with application to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami

Modern supply chains are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions, and a disruption in one part of the world can cause supply difficulties for companies around the globe. This article develops a model of severe supply chain disruptions in which several suppliers suffer from disabled production facilities and firms that purchase goods from those suppliers may consequently suffer a supply shortage. Suppliers and firms can choose disruption management strategies to maintain operations. A supplier with a disabled facility may choose to move production to an alternate facility, and a firm encountering a supply shortage may be able to use inventory or buy supplies from an alternate supplier. The supplier’s and firm’s optimal decisions are expressed in terms of model parameters such as the cost of each strategy, the chances of losing business, and the probability of facilities reopening. The model is applied to a simulation based on the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, which closed several facilities of key s...
SALT GLAZES FOR STRUCTURAL BUILDING UNITS

The conditions necessary for the formation of a clear, transparent salt glaze on structural building units are described. Laboratory trials, which were made under these conditions or slight modifications of them, were studied by means of enlarged photographs of the surfaces and thin sections of the glazes. These pictures illustrate the process of formation of the glaze and show that glazes more than 0.001 in. thick are susceptible to crazing. Salt glazes usually are formed from 0.003 to 0.004 in. thick in order to obtain a smooth brilliant glaze, but such glazes craze badly. Much better glazes may be obtained with only a sufficient number of saltings to give a glaze thickness of approximately 0.001 in., followed by a maturing or smoothing treatment in which the salting temperature is held for some time, or borax is used during the latter part of the salting and (or) the early part of the cooling period.
Incorporation of adenine-4, 6-C14 into nucleic acids.

Der Umbau von 4,6-C14-Adenin in Ribo- und Desoxyribonukleinsaure wurde im Gewebe von jungen Mausen vom Stamm Webster 17 h nach intraperitonealer Injektion von markiertem Purin analysiert. Das Verhaltnis der spezifischen Aktivitat von RNA zu DNA variiert von 1,1 bis 1,6 fur samtliche Gewebe, ausgenommen Leber, wo ein Verhaltnis von 6,4 gefunden wurde.
Bottom pressure measurements across the Antarctic circumpolar current and their relation to the wind

Abstract Data from three years of pressure gauge measurements in the Drake Passage are interpreted in terms of fluctuations in transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The pressure data are compared with wind-stress data calculated from gridded southern hemisphere atmospheric-pressure data. Transport fluctuations with periods longer than 30 days are highly correlated with fluctuations in wind stress integrated over the Southern Ocean, with transport lagging wind by about nine days. The results are consistent with the rate at which momentum is supplied to the current system by wind stress.
Management Innovators: The People and Ideas That Have Shaped Modern Business

Executive Overview The article reviews the book “Management Innovators: The People and Ideas That Have Shaped Modern Business,” by Daniel A. Wren and Ronald G. Greenwood.
Exhaustion of nucleation in a closed system

We determine the distribution of cluster sizes that emerges from an initial phase of homogeneous aggregation with conserved total particle density. The physical ingredients behind the predictions are essentially classical: Supercritical nuclei are created at the Zeldovich rate, and before the depletion of monomers is significant, the characteristic cluster size is so large that the clusters undergo diffusion-limited growth. Mathematically, the distribution of cluster sizes satisfies an advection partial differential equation (PDE) in "size space." During this creation phase, clusters are nucleated and then grow much larger than the critical size, so nucleation of supercritical clusters at the Zeldovich rate is represented by an effective boundary condition at zero size. The advection PDE subject to the effective boundary condition constitutes a "creation signaling problem" for the evolving distribution of cluster sizes during the creation era. Dominant balance arguments applied to the advection signaling problem show that the characteristic time and cluster size of the creation era are exponentially large in the initial free-energy barrier against nucleation, G*. Specifically, the characteristic time is proportional to e(2/5)G*/kBT} and the characteristic number of monomers in a cluster is proportional to e(3/5)G*/kBT. The exponentially large characteristic time and cluster size give a posteriori validation of the mathematical signaling problem. In a short note, Marchenko [JETP Lett. 64, 66 (1996)] obtained these exponentials and the numerical prefactors 2/5 and 3/5. Our work adds the actual solution of the kinetic model implied by these scalings, and the basis for connection to subsequent stages of the aggregation process after the creation era.
Communication Training in Corporate Settings: Lessons and Opportunities for the Academe

Today, communication skills are among the most popular content areas in employee training. This survey of training managers examined the status of communication training in businesses and identified the lessons and opportunities for business communication faculty. Results indicated that communication training in businesses tend to focus on managerial and interpersonal communication including teamwork, problem solving, effective meetings,and motivating people. Supervisors and customer service personnel received communication training most frequently. Training managers felt that course development,teaching, and evaluation strategies used in communication training can be applied to undergraduate business communication courses. Also, communication training in businesses offers opportunities for business communication faculty to expose students to real‐world problems, do joint planning and evaluation of courses, and provide continuing education to trainers.
Alternate functions of the single-minded and rhomboid genes in development of the Drosophila ventral neuroectoderm.

Abstract We have investigated the roles of the single-minded (sim) and rhomboid (rho) genes in generating distinct cell fates in the Drosophila embryonic neuroectoderm. We show that sim functions to repress ventral ectodermal cell fates, as in sim mutants mesectodermal cells adopt the fates of neighboring ventral ectodermal cells and targeted sim expression in P[paired-Ga14]/P[UAS-sim] embryos results in loss of epidermal cells. We also find that rho is not required for early expression of sim or ventral nervous system defective in mesectodermal or ventral ectodermal cells; targeted ho expression in P[paired-Ga14]/P[UAS-rho] embryos results in lateral-to-ventral cell fate shifts in the developing neuroectoderm; and midline-targeted rho expression can rescue the medial denticle fusions in rho mutant cuticles.
Abstract 1835: Phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) selective inhibitors as candidate drugs for prostate cancer

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Our laboratory used an insertional somatic mutagenesis screen in mice to identify novel genes that may drive prostate cancer initiation and progression. Using this screen, we have identified candidate prostate cancer genes including the candidate oncogene phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D). Investigation of PDE4D showed that it was over-expressed in human prostate cancer cell lines and in human prostate cancers. Stable knockdown of PDE4D by shRNA reduced the growth and migration of prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Several small molecule PDE4D-selective inhibitors have been developed, including cilomilast and NVP-ABE171, and we have used them as potential anti-prostate cancer drugs in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitors were able to reduce the growth of prostate cancer cells in the context of epithelial mono-cultures or co-cultures that modeled stromal-epithelial interactions. Daily oral administration of PDE4D inhibitors for 6 weeks also reduced the growth of several prostate cancer xenograft lines in vivo through a dramatic induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, NVP-ABE171 and cilomilast also reduced the size of the prostates of treated mice without impacting overall animal health or the sizes of other organs. Under in vitro conditions in which prostate cancer cell growth was inhibited by either NVP-ABE171 or cilomilast, we also observed changes in the activation of potential downstream molecular targets of PDE4D inhibition including the sonic hedgehog and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. We are continuing studies with these inhibitors to further support the use of NVP-ABE171 and cilomilast as anti-prostate cancer drugs and to understand their mechanism(s) of action in the prostate. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1835. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1835
The optical anisotropy of sheared hematite suspensions

Abstract Simultaneous linear dichroism and linear birefringence measurements were used to study sheared suspensions of colloidal hematite (α-Fe2O3) particles. Particles of three different axis ratios were synthesized. The particles were characterized using electron microscopy, and the three samples had axis ratios of 2.6 ± 0.14, 3.61 ± 0.24, and 5.82 ± 0.58 with mean lengths of 0.315, 0.360, and 0.485 μm, repsectively. The particles were suspended in two Newtonian fluids, glycerin (viscosity = 17 P) and low molecular weight polybutene (viscosity = 220 P), and each suspension was subjected to transient shear flow in a Couette flow cell. The role of polydispersity in particle size on the relative orientations of the real and imaginary parts of the refractive index tensor was examined. It was demonstrated that when polydispersity in particle size exists, an asymmetric orienting field such as a simple shear flow generally results in birefringence and dichroism that are not coaxial. It was also found that at a wavelength of 632.8 nm, the particles can be adequately modeled as Rayleigh scatterers, and absorption can be neglected.
An influence diagram based multi-criteria decision making framework for multirobot coalition formation

Novel systems allocating coalitions of humans and unmanned heterogeneous vehicles will act as force multipliers for future real-world missions. Conventional coalition formation architectures seek to compute efficient robot coalitions by leveraging either a single greedy, approximation, or market-based algorithm, which renders such architectures inapplicable to a variety of real-world mission scenarios. A novel, intelligent multi-criteria decision making framework is presented that reasons over a library of coalition formation algorithms for selecting the most appropriate subset of algorithm(s) to apply to a wide spectrum of complex missions. The framework is based on influence diagrams in order to handle uncertainties in dynamic real-world environments. An existing taxonomy comprised of multiple mission and domain dependent features is leveraged to classify the coalition formation algorithms. Dimensionality reduction is achieved via principal component analysis, which extracts the most significant taxonomy features crucial for decision making. A link analysis technique provides the mission specific utility values of each feature-value pair and algorithm in the library. Experimental results demonstrate that the presented framework accurately selects the most appropriate subset of coalition formation algorithm(s) based on multiple mission criteria, when applied to a number of simulated real-world mission scenarios.
Working memory loads affect location-based negative priming differently than inhibition of return

Although some experimental research suggests that location-based negative priming (L-NP; slowed responding to stimuli presented at previously ignored locations) and inhibition of return (IOR; slowed responding to stimuli presented at previously attended locations) are caused by a common underlying mechanism, there is reason to doubt this claim. Evidence for this is briefly reviewed and four experiments are reported where L-NP and IOR are examined under different memory load conditions. We found that L-NP remained intact under a visual-spatial and verbal memory load (Experiments 1, 2, and 4) in accordance with predictions, but a visual-spatial memory load eliminated IOR (Experiment 3). These data support claims that IOR is dependent on visual-spatial memory and are the first to establish that L-NP, unlike identity-based negative priming (I-NP), is not reduced with a memory load. These data bolster claims that at least one of the processes that contribute to L-NP differs from the processes that produce IOR.
The Thickness of the Liquid Microlayer Between a Sliding Bubble and a Heated Wall: Comparison of Models to Experimental Data

Sliding vapor bubbles are known to create high heat transfer coefficients along the surfaces against which they slide. The details of this process remain unclear and depend, in part, on the evolution of the liquid microlayer that forms between the bubble and the surface. A mechanistic model of the micro-layer thickness verified by direct observation of the microlayer thickness is needed. This paper describes a comparison of measurements from a recent set of experiments to the results of microlayer models from the literature and to the predictions of a new model presented here for the first time. The measurements were produced by a laser-based method developed to measure the thickness of the liquid microlayer between a cap-shaped sliding bubble and an inclined heated wall. Microlayer thicknesses of 22 to 55 microns were obtained for saturated FC-87 and a uniform-temperature surface inclined at 2° to 15° from the horizontal. The basis of each model, input requirements, limitations, and performance relative to this data set are discussed.© 2007 ASME
A TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDY OF DEEP-SEA MANGANESE NODULES.

Abstract Two Pacific Ocean manganese nodules, one from the ocean basin and one from a sea-mount, were examined in transmission electron microscopes at 100 and 650 kV. Of the many specimens examined, ten electron diffraction crystal spot patterns were identified. Sodium birnessite was observed six times and todorokite, Giavanoli's synthetic birnessite, hydrohausmanite and γ-Fe 2 O 3 one time each. Ferric hydroxide was synthesized in the laboratory and shown to be the same as the primary iron mineral observed in the manganese nodules. The ferric hydroxide had a particle size range from 30 to 450 A. Manganese oxide particles were frequently embedded in a mass of smaller ferric hydroxide particles.
Institutional considerations in developing a faculty learning community program

For successful implementation of FLCs, consider leadership recommendations for institutional change, reasons for choosing the FLC model, and institutional conditions that may facilitate or hinder FLC development.
Inhibition of ERK Oscillations by Ionizing Radiation and Reactive Oxygen Species

The shuttling of activated protein kinases between the cytoplasm and nucleus is an essential feature of normal growth factor signaling cascades. Here we demonstrate that transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) induces oscillations in extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) cytoplasmic-nuclear translocations in human keratinocytes. TGFα-dependent ERK oscillations mediated through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are inhibited by low dose X-irradiation (10 cGy) and low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (0.32–3.26 µM H2O2) used as a model reactive oxygen species (ROS). A fluorescent indicator dye (H2-DCFDA) was used to measure cellular ROS levels following X-irradiation, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and H2O2. X-irradiation did not generate significant ROS production while 0.32 µM H2O2 and TPA induced significant increases in ROS levels with H2O2 > TPA. TPA alone induced transactivation of the EGFR but did not induce ERK oscillations. TPA as a cotreatment did not inhibit TGFα-stimulated ERK oscillations but qualitatively altered TGFα-dependent ERK oscillation characteristics (amplitude, time-period). Collectively, these observations demonstrate that TGFα-induced ERK oscillations are inhibited by ionizing radiation/ROS and perturbed by epigenetic carcinogen in human keratinocytes. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The effect of divalent cations on Na+ tolerance in Charophytes. II: Chara corallina

Abstract The comparative Na+ tolerance of Chora buckellii cultured in freshwater (FW) or artificial Waldsea water (AWW, which contains about 110 mol m−3 each Na +, Mg2+, Cl− and SO2-4 was tested with respect to the external Na+ to Ca2+ ratio (Na: Ca). Fifty per cent of FW cells subjected to 70 mol m−3 NaCl, which raised Na:Ca from 10: 1 to 700: 1 and the external osmotic pressure from 0.024 to 0.402 MPa, died within 6 d. Death was associated with the loss of Na/K selectivity, H+ -pump activity and turgor. Restoration of Na:Ca to 10:1 in high Na+ medium with CaCl2 ensured 100% survival and maintained H+-pump activity and Na/K selectivity of FW cells. Turgor was regulated within 3 d with net uptake of Na +, K+ and Cl− in the vacuolc. Mg2+ was not as effective as Ca2+ in enhancing survival or maintaining H+ -pump activity and Na/K selectivity of FW cells in the presence of elevated Na+. However, turgor was regulated within 3 d by accumulation of Cl− and an unknown cation in the vacuole. All AWW cells subjected to an increase of 70 mol m −3 NaCl, which raised Na: Ca from 16:1 to 25: 1 and the external osmotic pressure from 0.915 to 1.22 MPa, survived and maintained H + -pump activity. Turgor was regulated within 6d by accumulating Na +, K+ and Cl− in the vacuole. All AWW cells subjected to 70molm−3 NaCl in a medium in which Na:Ca was equal to 700:1 survived and maintained H + -pump activity, but showed loss of Na/K selectivity. Turgor was regulated with an unknown osmoticum(a) within 6 d.
Commercial availability of a house dust mite patch test.

The house dust mite long has been studied for its potential role in atopic dermatitis. Its part in the pathogenesis of asthma and allergic rhinitis has been studied and is accepted. Testing for the dust mite allergen in this arena is performed with radioallergosorbent tests (RASTs) and prick testing. For several reasons, including the lack of a standardized testing tool, the difficulty in removing dust from the environment and the lack of association of dust and skin disease by patients, the role of the house dust mite in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and skin disease has been questioned. Chemotechnique Diagnostics (Malmo, Sweden) now provides a standardized dust mite allergen in petrolatum in 2 concentrations. Dermatophagoides mix is a 50:50 mix of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae at concentrations of 20% and 30%. The availability of a standardized patch test allergen for the house dust mite provides a better tool to investigate the role of this allergen as a contactant.
Introduction to "New Conceptualizations of Transfer of Learning"

Understanding how to get learners to transfer their knowledge to new situations is a topic of both theoretical and practical importance. Theoretically, it touches on core issues in knowledge representation, analogical reasoning, generalization, embodied cognition, and concept formation. Practically, learning without transfer of what has been learned is almost always unproductive and inefficient. Although schools often measure the efficiency of learning in terms of speed and retention of knowledge, a relatively neglected and subtler component of efficiency is the generality and applicability of the acquired knowledge. This special issue of Educational Psychologist collects together new approaches toward understanding and fostering appropriate transfer in learners. Three themes that emerge from the collected articles are (a) the importance of the perspective/stance of the learner for achieving robust transfer, (b) the neglected role of motivation in determining transfer, and (c) the existence of specific, v...
Parental Vocalizations and Perceived Immaturity in Down Syndrome

Previous findings suggest that children with Down syndrome may be perceived as more youthful than other children with mental retardation. In this study whether perceptions of youthfulness can be linked to parenting behavior, in particular increased prosodic adjustments characteristic of infant-directed speech, is investigated. The prosodic characteristics of parental language targeted to children with Down syndrome and children with other etiologies of mental retardation were compared. Results show that parents of children with Down syndrome raised their voice pitch significantly more (i.e., spoke in a higher register) and spoke with a significantly wider mean pitch variance than parents of children in the comparison group. Implications are discussed for parent-child interactions in children with different genetic mental retardation syndromes.
Bilateral gemination with talon cusp: report of case

A rare finding of bilateral gemination of central incisors with a talon cusp on one geminated tooth is reported.
Design and characterization of a high quality, variable taper samarium cobalt undulator

Abstract A very high quality, planar undulator with continuously variable gap and magnetic field taper has been designed and built for near-infrared free-electron laser experiments. The design, assembly and results of the first application of a simulated annealing technique for electron trajectory optimization of this all samarium cobalt undulator are described.
Foreclosure filings and sheriff's sales experienced by low‐income first‐time home buyers

Abstract This article examines how well a group of low‐income households that became first‐time homeowners in Philadelphia in 1995 met their mortgage obligations over the seven years after purchase, as reflected in key indicators such as rates of foreclosure filings and sheriff's sales. It also considers whether participation in low‐income homeownership programs operated by the Delaware Valley Mortgage Plan (DVMP)—a local bank consortium—and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) affected these rates. The overall incidence of foreclosure filings and sheriff's sales among sample households is quite high for both program participants and nonparticipants. However, DVMP and PHFA participants had a lower incidence of foreclosure filings and sheriff's sales than nonparticipant households did. Program effects, particularly in the case of sheriff's sales, are concentrated among that part of the sample whose 1995 incomes were above 125 percent of the poverty line.
Statistical Significance of Long-Range `Optimal Climate Normal' Temperature and Precipitation Forecasts.

Abstract A simple approach to long-range forecasting of monthly or seasonal quantities is as the average of observations over some number of the most recent years. Finding this “optimal climate normal” (OCN) involves examining the relationships between the observed variable and averages of its values over the previous one to 30 years and selecting the averaging period yielding the best results. This procedure involves a multiplicity of comparisons, which will lead to misleadingly positive results for developments data. The statistical significance of these OCNs are assessed here using a resampling procedure, in which time series of U.S. Climate Division data are repeatedly shuffled to produce statistical distributions of forecast performance measures, under the null hypothesis that the OCNs exhibit no predictive skill. Substantial areas in the United States are found for which forecast performance appears to be significantly better than would occur by chance. Another complication in the assessment of the ...
Detection of carriers in hereditary galactosaemia.

ATTEMPTS are being made1 to detect the heterozygous state for galactosaemia by means of the uridine diphosphoglucose consumption test on erythrocytes —a test devised by us for the detection of galactosaemia2. This test was designed so as to give a maximum of difference between normal persons and persons having congenital galactosaemia, in which no galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase is discernible in erythrocytes3,4. In order to magnify this difference and hence provide an unambiguous proof for the clinician2,3 this reaction mixture is over-incubated. With near-normal activities, the reaction is brought close to the equilibrium point (cf. refs. 2, 4, 5), and the rates measured are obviously not maximum rates. Experiments in which aliquots for uridine diphosphoglucose determination were taken at 5, 10 and 20 min. incubation time designed to give a quantitative expression of maximum rates have also been carried out5. In this work we used the consumption as well as the combined epimerase test2,3, and yet, only in about two-thirds of the specimens did we succeed in obtaining linearity between incubation time and conversion. Accordingly, we believe it even less likely that the unmodified clinical consumption test (in which only one aliquot at 30 min. incubation is drawn) should be able to detect heterozygous carriers. Therefore, as stated previously2,6, we do not recommend the consumption test for the latter purpose.
Basin Street blues: drainage and environmental equity in New Orleans, 1890-1930

Before 1900, Blacks typically occupied the swampy portions of New Orleans, Louisiana. As the city embarked on an ambitious Progressive Era public works project to improve drainage in the 1890s, it began to overhaul environmental conditions. This process, if carried out according to rational engineering principles, would serve the entire city equitably. At the same time as the improvements, Jim Crow policies appeared in the political landscape and presented a potential challenge to equity in the engineering project. An examination of the design and delivery of drainage and sewerage services compared with racial segregation offers insights into the discussion of environmental equity and also the agents of segregation in New Orleans. By 1930, engineering concerns overcame racist tendencies in delivering public services. Drainage allowed Blacks to move into previously uninhabited portions of the city, but Jim Crow policies ultimately limited their movement out of the lowest sections of the city.
Glutathone and Glutathione Ethyl Ester Supplementation of Mice Alter Glutathione Homeostasis during Exercise

The present study examined the effect of glutathione (GSH) and glutathione ethyl ester (GSH-E) supplementation on GSH homeostasis and exercise-induced oxidative stress. Male Swiss-Webster mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: starved for 24 h and injected with GSH or GSH-E (6 mmol/kg body wt, i.p.) 1 h before exercise, starved for 24 h and injected with saline (S); and having free access to food and injected with saline (C). Half of each group of mice was killed either after an acute bout of exhaustive swimming (E) or after rest (R). Plasma GSH concentration was 100-160% (P < 0.05) higher in GSH mice vs. C or S mice at rest, whereas GSH-E injection had no effect. Plasma GSH was not affected by exercise in C or S mice, but was 44 and 34% lower (P < 0.05) in E vs. R mice with GSH or GSH-E injection, respectively. S, GSH- and GSH-E-treated mice had significantly lower liver GSH concentration and the GSH:glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio than C mice. Hepatic and renal GSH and the GSH:GSSG ratio were significantly lower in E vs. R mice in all groups. GSH-E-treated mice had a significantly smaller exercise-induced decrease in GSH vs. C, S, and GSH-treated mice and no difference in the GSH:GSSG ratio in the kidney. Activities of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in the liver and kidney were not affected by either GSH treatment or exercise. GSH concentration and the GSH:GSSG ratio in quadriceps muscle were not different among C, S and GSH-treated mice, but significantly lower in GSH-E-treated mice (P < 0.05). Hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content was greater in exercised mice in all but GSH-E-treated groups. GSH and GSH-E increased MDA levels in the kidney of E vs. R mice, but attenuated exercise-induced lipid peroxidation in muscle. Swim endurance time was approximately 2 h longer in GSH (351 +/- 22 min) and GSH-E (348 +/- 27) than S mice (237 +/- 17). We conclude that 1) acute GSH and GSH-E supplementation at the given doses does not increase tissue GSH content or redox status; 2) both GSH and GSH-E improve endurance performance and prevent muscle lipid peroxidation during prolonged exercise; and 3) while both compounds may impose a metabolic and oxidative stress to the kidney, this side effect is smaller with GSH-E supplementation.
Contact resistance of epitaxially interfaced bridged silicon nanowires

Single crystal Si nanowires are grown between highly doped prefabricated silicon electrodes in the form of nano bridges. Resistance values extracted from the current-voltage measurements for a large number of the nano-bridges with varying lengths and diameters are used to propose a model which highlights the relative contribution of the contact resistance to the total resistance for nanowire based devices. We estimate the specific contact resistance based on our empirical model to be in the range 3.74times10-6 - 5.02times10-6 Omega-cm2 for our epitaxially interfaced Si nano-bridges. This value is almost two orders of magnitude lower than that of previously reported contact made to silicon nanowires with an evaporated metal film.
A Logic Model Framework for Evaluation and Planning in a Primary Care Practice-based Research Network (PBRN)

Evaluating effective growth and development of a practice-based research network (PBRN) can be challenging. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a logic model and how the framework has been used for planning and evaluation in a primary care PBRN. An evaluation team was formed consisting of the PBRN directors, staff, and its board members. After the mission and the target audience were determined, facilitated meetings and discussions were held with stakeholders to identify the assumptions, inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and outcome indicators. The long-term outcomes outlined in the final logic model are 2-fold: (1) improved health outcomes of patients served by PBRN community clinicians and (2) community clinicians are recognized leaders of quality research projects. The logic model proved useful in identifying stakeholder interests and dissemination activities as an area that required more attention in the PBRN. The logic model approach is a useful planning tool and project management resource that increases the probability that the PBRN mission will be successfully implemented.
Seismic constraints on the depth and composition of the mantle keel beneath the Kaapvaal craton

S–P travel-time residuals and receiver-function images are used to infer the Vp/Vs (compressional to shear wave velocity) ratio of the lithospheric mantle beneath southern African and the topography of the underlying 410-km discontinuity. Low Vp/Vs ratios provide evidence independent of geochemical observations for a highly depleted root (Mg#f92–94) beneath the Kaapvaal craton. The receiver-function images, on the other hand, consistently show a flat 410-km discontinuity beneath the entire array. This observation, after combined with the results of geodynamical modeling, allows us to place limits on the thickness of this chemical boundary layer, which is between f160 and f370 km. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Cosmogenic and nucleogenic 3He in apatite, titanite, and zircon

Cosmogenic ^3He was measured in apatite, titanite, and zircon and cosmogenic ^(21)Ne in quartz at 13 depth intervals in a 2.7-m long drill core in a Miocene ignimbrite from the Altiplano of Bolivia. All three ^3He depth profiles as well as the ^(21)Ne profile attenuate exponentially with depth, indicating that both of these isotopes are cosmogenic in origin with no significant contribution from other sources. The attenuation lengthscale for ^3He production of Λ = 180 ± 11 g/cm^2 is consistent with expectations for neutron spallation, and is identical to that found for the cosmogenic ^(21)Ne in quartz. By normalizing the measured ^3He concentrations to ^(21)Ne and using the independently known cosmogenic ^(21)Ne production rate, the apparent cosmogenic ^3He production rates in apatite, titanite, and zircon were respectively found to be 112, 97, and 87 atoms/g/yr at sea-level and high latitude. The formal uncertainty on these estimates is ~20% (2σ), and arises in equal parts from uncertainties in the measured ^3He/^(21)Ne ratios and the uncertainty in the ^(21)Ne production rate. However an additional factor affecting the apparent ^3He production rate in these phases arises from the long stopping range of spalled ^3He and tritium (which decays to ^3He). Because all three accessory phases have higher mean atomic number than major rock-forming minerals, they will have lower 3He production rates than their surroundings. As a consequence the long stopping ranges will cause a net implantation of ^3He and therefore higher apparent production rates than would apply for purely in-situ production. Thus these apparent production rates apply only to the specific grain sizes analyzed. Analysis of sieved zircon aliquots suggests that a factor of 2 increase in grain size (from ~50 to ~100 μm cross-section) yields a 10% decrease in apparent production rate. While this effect warrants further study, the grain sizes analyzed here are typical of the accessory phases commonly encountered, so the apparent rates provide an appropriate starting place for surface exposure dating using ^3He in these minerals.
A 5.8mW 3GPP-LTE compliant 8×8 MIMO sphere decoder chip with soft-outputs

A MIMO chip for 3GPP-LTE standard and beyond is described. The chip implements sphere decoding algorithm with 16-core architecture. The chip is flexible to support multiple configurations: antenna arrays from 2×2 to 8×8, modulations from BPSK to 64QAM, FFT sizes from 128 to 2048 and hard/soft outputs. The chip dissipates 5.8mW for the 3GPP-LTE standard in 3.35mm2 area in 65nm CMOS.
Growth and cultivation of the unusual generalized transducing Bacillus bacteriophage SP-15.

Additional properties of SP-15, a generalized transducing bacteriophage notable for the ability to transfer an unusually large fragment of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to Bacillus subtilis and B. licheniformis, are presented together with improved methods that enhance its utility. Simple means have been found to provide the rigid control over moisture that is necessary for the assay of plaque-forming units (PFU). Reproducible procedures for propagating transducing phage, which depend upon an appropriate mixing of PFU with uninfected bacteria, have replaced less reliable methods that utilized infected spores. Transduction of B. subtilis W-23 increased linearly when MgSO4 in recipient cell-SP-15 mixtures was increased from 0.005 to 0.03 m. Methods have been developed that protect SP-15 from the damaging effects of CsCl and of osmotic shock subsequent to dilution. Evidence that the PFU and transducing particles of lysates decay at the same slow rate during extended storage suggests that the decay is a result of damage to protein rather than to DNA. One-step growth experiments, in which SP-15 was propagated on B. subtilis W-23-Sr/1 mg, indicated a latent period of 100 min, a rise period of 60 min, and a burst size of 25 to 34 PFU per infected cell. These findings suggest explanations for some of the technical difficulties SP-15 has presented.
An alteration of the human c-abl protein in K562 leukemia cells unmasks associated tyrosine kinase activity

The v-abl protein is known to be a tyrosine-specific protein kinase. However, its normal cellular homolog, c-abl P150, is not detectably phosphorylated on tyrosine in vivo or in vitro. The lack of associated tyrosine kinase activity for the c-abl protein seems paradoxical since it is the c-abl-derived sequences of the v-abl protein that encode the kinase activity. We have detected an altered human c-abl protein (P210) with associated tyrosine kinase activity in the K562 leukemia cell line. K562 cells are known to have a 9:22 chromosomal translocation involving the c-abl locus and have amplified the c-able gene 4 to 8 fold. The altered P210 human c-abl is serologically and structurally related to the normal c-abl protein. A structural alteration of the human c-abl protein. K562 cells may have unmasked its associated tyrosine kinase activity. This altered c-abl protein may have important implications for a mechanism of activation of this oncogene.
Identification of carbonylated proteins from enriched rat skeletal muscle mitochondria using affinity chromatography-stable isotope labeling and tandem mass spectrometry

We describe a strategy for the identification of carbonylated proteins from complex protein mixtures that combines biotin hydrazide labeling of protein carbonyl groups, avidin affinity chromatography, multiplexed iTRAQ reagent stable isotope labeling, and analysis using pulsed Q dissociation (PQD) operation on an LTQ linear ion trap mass spectrometer. This strategy provided the ability to distinguish biotin hydrazide labeled, avidin purified, carbonylated proteins from non-carbonylated background proteins with affinity for the avidin column, derived from a control sample. Applying this strategy to the identification of crudely enriched rat skeletal muscle mitochondrial protein isolates, we generated a catalogue of over 200 carbonylated proteins by virtue of their quantitative enrichment compared to the control sample. The catalogue contains many mitochondrial localized proteins shown to be susceptible to carbonyl modification for the first time, including numerous transmembrane proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation. Other oxidative modifications (e.g. nitrosylation, hydroxylation) were also identified on many of the carbonylated proteins, providing further evidence of the susceptibility of these proteins to oxidative damage. The results also demonstrate the utility of PQD operation on the LTQ instrument for quantitative analysis of iTRAQ reagent-labeled peptide mixtures, as well as the quantitative reproducibility of the avidin-affinity enrichment method.
A case study of highway traffic flow model - model validation and simulation

In this paper, we present the traffic flow study of the section of Minnesota State Highway 194 between Arlington Avenue and Trinity Road, one of the most heavily traveled and congested roadways in Duluth, Minnesota. Due to the initial unsatisfactory results we found using the Papageorgiou's (1983) traffic flow model, we revised the model while retaining key logical elements. Based on the real data collected from the remote traffic microwave sensor based traffic detector, we identify the model parameters which give the best coincidence between the calibrated model and the real process. The model parameter identification procedure is formulated as an optimization problem which is solved by nonlinear programming. Our simulation results show reasonably good traffic flow estimation with acceptably small error on that road section.
Validation of a formula for predicting daily CD34(+) cell collection by leukapheresis.

AbstractBackground aims. The ability to predict how many CD34+ cells a donor will collect on a given day is vital for efficient leukapheresis. Methods. We validated a formula to predict daily CD34+ cell collections by leukapheresis, calculated as follows: (peripheral blood CD34+ cells/L) × (adjusted collection efficiency of 30%)/body weight (kg), multiplied by the number of liters processed. This validation was performed from 234 donors undergoing 30 L large volume leukapheresis (LVL) and 162 donors undergoing smaller collections (non-LVL). The LVL group consisted of 811 collection events (625 multiple myeloma, 186 non-myeloma). The non-LVL group consisted of 224 collection events (196 multiple myeloma, 28 non-myeloma). All predicted and observed CD34+ cell collection numbers were plotted (predicted versus observed) and assessed using linear regression analyses. Linear correlation coefficients (r-values), slopes and intercepts of the regression lines were evaluated. Results. Predicted versus observed data...
Reye's Syndrome and Salicylate Use, by Karen M. Starko, MD, et al, Pediatrics, 1980;66:859–864; and National Patterns of Aspirin Use and Reye Syndrome Reporting, United States, 1980 to 1985, by Janet B. Arrowsmith et al,Pediatrics, 1987;79:858–863

ABSTRACT OF ORIGINAL ARTICLE (STARKO ET AL). During an outbreak of influenza A, seven patients with Reye's syndrome and 16 ill classmate control subjects were evaluated for characteristics of the patients' prodromal illness and the control subjects' illness and for medication usage. Patients during the prodrome and control subjects had similar rates of sore throat, coyza, cough, headache, and gastrointestinal complaints except for documented fever which occurred significantly more often in patients than in control subjects ( P = .05). While medications which did not contain salicylate were taken as frequently by patients as control subjects, patients took more salicylate-containing medications than did control children ( P < .01). All seven patients took salicylate whereas only eight of 16 control subjects did so ( P < .05) Patients took larger doses of salicylate than did the entire control group ( P < .01). When the eight control subjects who took salicylate were compared with the patients, the patients still tended to take larger doses ( P = .08). Patients with fever took salicylate more frequently than control subjects with fever ( P < .01). In addition, salicylate consumption was correlated with severity of Reye's syndrome ( P < .05). It is postulated that salicylate, operating in a dose-dependent manner, possibly potentiated by fever, represents a primary causative agent of Reye's syndrome . ABSTRACT OF ORIGINAL ARTICLE (ARROWSMITH ET AL). The number of cases of Reye syndrome reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declined markedly between 1980 and 1985. In this article we present pharmaceutical marketing research data that suggest sharp decreases in the use and purchase of children's aspirin between 1980 and 1985. These trends appear to correspond to the decrease in reporting of Reye syndrome cases. Additionally, analysis of physician mentions of aspirin and acetaminophen for treating flu and chickenpox showed statistically significant trends …
A new approach to the zero-dynamics assignment problem for nonlinear discrete-time systems using functional equations

The present research work aims at the development of a systematic method to arbitrarily assign the zero dynamics of a nonlinear discrete-time real analytic system by constructing the requisite synthetic output maps. The problem under consideration is motivated by the need to adequately address the control problem of nonminimum-phase nonlinear discrete-time systems, since the latter represent a rather broad class of systems due to the well-known effect of sampling on the stability of zero-dynamics. In the proposed approach, the above control objective can be attained through: (i) a systematic computation of synthetic output maps that induce minimum-phase behavior while being statically equivalent to the original output maps (both vanish on the equilibrium manifold) and (ii) the subsequent integration into the methodological framework of currently available nonminimum-phase compensation schemes for nonlinear discrete-time systems that rely on output redefinition. The mathematical formulation of the zero-dynamics assignment problem is realized via a system of nonlinear functional equations, and a rather general set of necessary and sufficient conditions for solvability is derived. The solution to the above system of functional equations can be proven to be locally analytic, and this enables the development of a solution method that is easily programmable with the aid of a symbolic software package. The synthetic output maps that induce the prescribed zero dynamics for the original nonlinear discrete-time system can be explicitly computed on the basis of the solution to the aforementioned system of functional equations.