cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of inline filtration on the potency of drugs administered intravenously.

The binding of cephalothin sodium, phenobarbital sodium, dexamethasone sodium phosphate, isoproterenol hydrochloride, digoxin, dactinomycin and phenytoin sodium to three intravenous inline filters--a 5-micrometer stainless steel depth filter, a 0.2-micrometer cellulose ester membrane and a 0.2-micrometer polycarbonate membrane--was studied. The experiments were conducted simulating inline i.v. filtration of these drugs in three i.v. solutions--lactated Ringer's, 5% dextrose and normal saline. Cephalothin was assayed colorimetrically, phenobarbital and phenytoin spectrophotometrically, and the other drugs by radiotracer technique. Binding of the drugs to the filter was found to be insignificant from a therapeutic standpoint, except for dactinomycin which bound to the 0.2-uicrometer filters. The binding of dactinomycin was approximately 13% of the amount administered through cellulose ester and polycarbonate membranes, respectively. The binding occurred during the initial period of filtration of the drug solution. It was concluded that inline filtration of drugs administered in relatively high does should not present any problem concerning the reduction of the therapeutic potency because of filtration.
Delivery of small-interfering RNA (siRNA) to the brain

Background: Two fundamental difficulties in the delivery of drugs to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases are the systemic delivery of therapeutics across the bloodbrain-barrier (BBB), and the targeting of drugs to specific tissues or cells within the brain. With the advent and promise of RNA-based therapeutics that utilize RNA interference (RNAi) to trigger specific silencing of genes within diseased tissues, the necessity to surmount such obstacles has become even more urgent. Objective: Most pre-clinical and clinical studies on delivery of RNAi to the CNS have utilized invasive, intra-cerebral delivery of RNA to the targeted tissue. Thus, methods need to be developed to facilitate delivery of therapeutically significant quantities of RNA to the CNS via the systemic route, and to elicit clinically significant RNAi effects within the CNS tissues. Methods: Cell-penetrating-peptides (CPPs) are ‘molecular delivery vehicles’ that can traverse cell membranes and co-transport peptides or polynucleotides...
Interaction of cationic detergents, cetyl- and dodecyl- trimethylammonium bromides, with lysozyme

Binding of lysozyme with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and dodecyl-trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) at various detergent concentrations and pH was studied at 25Â°C by equilibrium dialysis technique. In the case of CTAB, binding isotherms at pH 5.0, 7.0, and 9.0 show cooperative binding at all the concentrations of the detergent and the binding ratios increase with pH. Cooperative binding is also shown by DTAB at all the concentrations and pH, but the binding ratios are lower compared to CTAB. The Gibb's free energy change calculated on the basis of Wyman's binding potential concept increases with pH, indicating increased binding strength of CTAB at higher pH.The UV difference spectra of CTAB and DTAB with lysozyme and its model compounds such as L-Trp, L-Tyr.HCl and L-Phe show two peaks at 297 nm and 250 nm at pH 9.0 indicating the possible involvement of tryptophans as the binding sites along with the carboxylate anion or the phenolic group of a tyrosine on lysozyme. The effect of higher ionic strength on the binding of CTAB with lysozyme at pH 9.0 is evidenced by lower binding ratios and decreased intensities of the UV difference bands, thus indicating the involvement of electrostatic interactions. However, the hydrophobic interactions between the detergents and the aromatic amino acid residues in lysozyme contribute more to the binding strength.The binding of these cationic detergents by lysozyme induces conformational changes in the enzyme. They are followed by the circular dichroism (CD) technique which shows a decrease in the aromatic bands in the 320-250 nm region. In the 250-200 nm region, the I¸ 222 values obtained at various concentrations of CTAB in the complex indicate an increase in the I±-helical content indicating a more ordered structure. The CD spectra of lysozyme-DTAB complex were found to be very similar to those of CTAB complex, but the effect was less pronounced probably due to the decrease in the hydrocarbon chain length.Therefore, it is concluded that hydrophobic interactions play an important role in the detergent binding, whereas electrostatic interactions play only a minor role. Â© 1984 BY THE JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY.
Aromatic N-donor ligands as chelators and sensitizers of lanthanide ion emission

Abstract Recent advances in the coordination of lanthanide ions and sensitization of their luminescence with aromatic N-donor ligands are presented.
Icon systems for object-oriented system design

We describe the construction of a design tool for a CASE enrionment; its purpose is to assist the object-oriented software designer in visually investigating a system's inheritance structure and messaging relationships, and in composing and evaluating alternative designs. By employing a visual-reasoning database system, it also supports the designer in building and modifying a dynamic, personalized view of the object-oriented system during the design process. The foundation of the visual database system is the concept of an abstract icon system. In showing how the software tool is based on the database system, we demonstrate how to represent an object-oriented system as an abstract icon system. We discuss the representation of classes, types and messaging relationships, as well as other features of object-oriented languages. This language independent approach permits the isolation of language dependencies in the tool's implementation.
Effect of growth temperature on photoluminescence from ion-beam-doped molecular beam epitaxial Si:As

Abstract Low energy (500 eV) ion beam doping with As + ions during silicon molecular beam epitaxial growth has been exploited to obtain thick (about 5 microm) homo-epitaxial 3×10 16 cm −3 Si:As layers on n + (5×10 18 Sb doped) silicon substrates. These samples grown over a range of growth temperatures, 500–800 °C, were studied using low temperature (4.2 K) photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). The PL results for two growths, at 500 and 800°C, are presented here. Present in both spectra, although less intense for the 500°C sample, are three sharp lines due to the decay of arsenic-bound excitons: the no-phonon, transverse acoustic-phonon-assisted and transverse optic-phonon-assisted (TO) lines. A much broader and weaker Sb-BE(TO) peak from the nearly degenerate substrate was also observed. Only the higher temperature sample was free of the additional peaks (generally with lower energy than the arsenic-bound exciton peaks, due to residual ion-induced lattice defects) and the emission background rising below 900 meV for 500°C growth. This broad background signal appeared to be related to the presence of electron traps in the 500°C samples at a concentration of about 2×10 14 cm −3 as determined by DLTS. However, the 800°C sample was of much better electronic quality since it exhibited no electron traps in DLTS (sensitivity, approximately 10 13 traps cm −3 ) and had a PL spectrum containing only sharp, relatively intense, bulk-like bound exciton peaks.
Sexual Selection and Trichromatic Color Vision in Primates: Statistical Support for the Preexisting‐Bias Hypothesis

Abstract: The evolution of trichromatic color vision in primates may improve foraging performance as well as intraspecific communication; however, the context in which color vision initially evolved is unknown. We statistically examined the hypothesis that trichromatic color vision in primates represents a preexisting bias for the evolution of red coloration (pelage and/or skin) through sexual selection. Our analyses show that trichromatic color vision evolved before red pelage and red skin, as well as before gregarious mating systems that would promote sexual selection for visual traits and other forms of intraspecific communication via red traits. We also determined that both red pelage and red skin were more likely to evolve in the presence of color vision and mating systems that promote sexual selection. These results provide statistical support for the hypothesis that trichromatic color vision in primates evolved in a context other than intraspecific communication with red traits, most likely foragin...
Rapid microdetermination of hemoglobin iron: Standardization of hemoglobin

Abstract A simple method for the determination of iron in hemoglobin is described. It includes a rapid (3-minute) digestion of red cell hemolysate by nitric acid and subsequent analysis of the iron in the residue. Inclusion of phosphate in the nitric acid prevented apparent loss of standard iron by volatilization or formation of unreactive iron oxides. Accuracy is proven by recovery of standard iron, comparative analysis of hemoglobin iron, and iron additions to redetermined base values.
Antioxidative ability of native and thermized sour whey in oxidation-catalysed model systems†

Antioxidative properties of sour (cottage) were evaluated with (thermized) and without (native) heat treatment (80°C for 30 min). A model system comprising a Tween 20 stabilized peanut oil in phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) emulsion containing lipid oxidation catalysts, FeCl 3 , H 2 O 2 and ascorbate was used. Native sour whey powder (SWP) was significantly better than thermized whey in terms of limiting the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and peroxide value. Antioxidative ability was best at pH 3.0 and decreased with increasing pH. SWP (20%, w/v) was significantly better than all commonly used antioxidants tested after 96 h of incubation at 40 °C.
Dominance and the social behavior of adult female bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata)

Female bonnet macaques are ranked according to naturally occurring dyadic aggressive interactions. Several possible correlates of these ranks are examined. Maternal rank and early life history are found to be highly correlated with rank. In addition, a number of social relationships (female/female presentations, female/female mounts, contact among females and aggression) are found to be related to rank. The meaning of rank outside of head to head encounters is discussed.
Some examples of big data in railroad engineering

The railroad industry is an infrastructure intensive industry that relies on significant amounts of information and data to operate and maintain each railroad. Using the US railroad industry as a model, this data collection encompasses the full range of railroad activities from tracking of goods shipments and car locations to managing train crews to inspecting and maintaining the infrastructure. This paper will look at this last area, inspection and maintaining the infrastructure and in particular the 330,000 km (200,000 miles) of railroad track in active use in the US. Using a broad range of inspection vehicle to collect data and a new generation of maintenance management software systems to analyze and interpret this data, railroads represent an industry that is starting to make extensive use of its “big data” to optimize its capital infrastructure and safely manage its operations while keeping costs under control. This paper presents examples of collection, storage and use of “big data” in the railroad engineering environment.
In vitro and in vivo studies in rats with LY293558 suggest AMPA/kainate receptor blockade as a novel potential mechanism for the therapeutic treatment of anxiety disorders.

Rationale Although convergent evidence exists for a role of glutamate in the regulation of anxiety, the involvement of specific glutamate receptor subtypes has yet to be defined.
Climate change interactions affect soil carbon dioxide efflux and microbial functioning in a post-harvest forest.

Forest disturbances, including whole-tree harvest, will increase with a growing human population and its rising affluence. Following harvest, forests become sources of C to the atmosphere, partly because wetter and warmer soils (relative to pre-harvest) increase soil CO2 efflux. This relationship between soil microclimate and CO2 suggests that climate changes predicted for the northeastern US may exacerbate post-harvest CO2 losses. We tested this hypothesis using a climate-manipulation experiment within a recently harvested northeastern US forest with warmed (H; +2.5 °C), wetted (W; +23 % precipitation), warmed + wetted (H+W), and ambient (A) treatments. The cumulative soil CO2 effluxes from H and W were 35 % (P = 0.01) and 22 % (P = 0.07) greater than A. However, cumulative efflux in H+W was similar to A and W, and 24 % lower than in H (P = 0.02). These findings suggest that with higher precipitation soil CO2 efflux attenuates rapidly to warming, perhaps due to changes in substrate availability or microbial communities. Microbial function measured as CO2 response to 15 C substrates in warmed soils was distinct from non-warmed soils (P < 0.001). Furthermore, wetting lowered catabolic evenness (P = 0.04) and fungi-to-bacteria ratios (P = 0.03) relative to non-wetted treatments. A reciprocal transplant incubation showed that H+W microorganisms had lower laboratory respiration on their home soils (i.e., home substrates) than on soils from other treatments (P < 0.01). We inferred that H+W microorganisms may use a constrained suite of C substrates that become depleted in their “home” soils, and that in some disturbed ecosystems, a precipitation-induced attenuation (or suppression) of soil CO2 efflux to warming may result from fine-tuned microbe-substrate linkages.
Low maternal weight, failure to thrive in pregnancy, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to correlate low maternal pregravid weight, delivery weight, and poor gestational weight gain with perinatal outcomes. Study design Maternal and perinatal data from January 1997 to June 2001 were obtained from a perinatal database at MetroHealth Medical Center. Low maternal weight (LMW) was defined as pregravid or delivery weight 2 . Low maternal weight gain was defined as 19.8, 2 ), and normal gestational weight gain (0.27-0.52 kg/wk). Chi-square and t tests were used where appropriate. P Results A percentage (2.6%) of 15,196 subjects began pregnancy weighing ≤100 pounds; 0.15% weighed 2 . Pregravid LMW was highly correlated with ethnicity (Asians, 8.6%; Hispanics, 4.3%; Caucasians, 2.5%; African Americans, 1.9%; P 2 was associated with preterm labor (PTL) (RR, 1.22, 95% CI, 1.02-1.46), IUGR (RR, 1.67, 95% CI, 1.2-2.39), and LBW ( P 2 at delivery. Low delivery BMI was associated with birth weight Conclusion Low weight and BMI at conception or delivery, as well as poor weight gain during pregnancy, are associated with LBW, prematurity, and maternal delivery complications.
Observations of amplitude saturation in ELF/VLF wave generation by modulated HF heating of the auroral electrojet

[1] We present detailed observations of the onset of amplitude saturation in ELF/VLF waves generated via modulated HF heating of naturally-forming, large-scale current systems, such as the auroral electrojet. Broadband ELF/VLF measurements at a ground-based receiver located near the High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) HF transmitter in Gakona, Alaska, exhibit variations in signal amplitude which are qualitatively consistent with a hard-limiting approximation of the saturation process. A method to approximate the saturation curve as a function of HF power from experimental data is presented, and the results indicate that a � 5–10% reduction in generated ELF signal amplitude is typical at the maximum radiated HF power level (771 kW) for modulation frequencies between 1225 Hz and 3365 Hz. For HF transmissions using sinusoidal amplitude modulation, the saturation dominantly affects the second harmonic of the generated ELF/VLF signal, with amplitudes on average 16% lower than expected at the maximum HF power level. Citation: Moore, R. C., U. S. Inan, and T. F. Bell (2006), Observations of amplitude saturation in ELF/VLF wave generation by modulated HF heating of the auroral electrojet, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L12106, doi:10.1029/2006GL025934.
Social Interactions of School-Aged Children With CFA: Mothers' Perspectives and Advice.

Objective: To learn about (1) mothers' perspectives on their children's social experiences and (2) how mothers interpret social situations and provide guidance to their children in challenging situations. Design: This was a qualitative study analyzing narratives. Mothers participated in a semistructured interview; mothers and their children participated in a social coaching task involving responses to hypothetical situations. Transcripts of audio recordings were used to create thematic coding categories, and transcripts were reviewed and coded. Setting: Children were patients at a reconstructive plastic surgery center in an urban hospital and medical school; families were recruited from a regional support group associated with the hospital. Participants: Mothers of nine children with congenital craniofacial anomalies, aged 9 to 14 years. Main Outcome Measures: Thematic narrative coding categories, focusing on mothers' perspectives on children's actual social experiences (from the interview) and mothers' a...
Thermoperiodism and the thermal environment of the pitcher-plant mosquito, Wyeomyia smithii.

Wyeomyia smithii Coq. (Diptera: Culicidae) completes its pre-adult development only within leaves of the purple pitcher-plant, Sarracenia purpurea. Between early June and mid-October in northern New York State, the daily temperature cycle in leaves lagged the photic cycle by 0-6 h and exhibited a mean daily amplitude of 14.5°C.Thermoperiod acts as a potent zeitgeber. At constant temperatures, W. smithii respond to the shorter dark period of a symmetric skeleton photoperiod as "day". However, a superimposed thermoperiod having the thermophase coincident with the longer dark period overrides this tendancy. Thermoperiods may also perturb the photoperiodic clock but W. smithii compensate for the range of phase relationships between the photic and thermal cycles observed in nature.Compared with constant temperatures, W. smithii develop more slowly but exhibit a 7-fold increase in fecundity when reared under fluctuating temperatures. The net result is a 50% greater capacity for increase in the latter regimen. These results suggest that maximum fitness in W. smithii is achieved through the action of, and not despite, thermal heterogeneity.
Dense hydroxylapatite: fatigue and fracture strength after various treatments, from diametral tests

Dense hydroxylapatite was examined with the diametral test at different loading rates, after treatment in different solutions, and under static load. The fatigue tests showed that hydroxylapatite is quite resistant to fatigue as compared with other oxides. The simple Weibull distribution of strengths was not obeyed. Different solution treatments and implanting the hydroxylapatite did not appreciably change its strength.
Biosynthesis of triiodothyronine sulphate by beef thyroid in vitro.

IT is well recognized that the thyroid gland contains the L-amino acids, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), monoiodotyrosine (MIT), diiodotyrosine (DIT) and iodinated thyronines which are free (unconjugated) but are bound to thyroglobulin. The release of these iodinated amino-acids occurs after digestion by protein-hydrolysing enzymes or chemicals, but the possibility of observing any T3 and/or T4 sulphate conjugates per se in thyroid tissues seems unlikely since hydrolytic procedures would have precluded their isolation.
Enhancer-associated long noncoding RNAs: A novel frontier with new perception in cardiac regeneration.

Heart is the first organ to form and function during embryogenesis; nonetheless, its patho-physiological complications still remain eminent. Heart failure (HF) is not only a major health concern of the present population but also an emerging threat for future generations [1]. Its global mortality and morbidity has pressed scientists to attain better understanding about the molecular basis of this disease. Postnatal heart shows lower rate of cardiomyocyte proliferation. Moreover, following cardiac injury, the poor regenerative potential combined with progressive loss of cardiomyocytes leads to heart failure. Apart from cardiac transplantation, induction of inherent cardiac regeneration is an attractive therapeutic option for myocardial injuries and associated heart failure. In addition, clinical trials have shown that stem cell-based therapeutic strategies are promising for cardiac regeneration. However, lack of efficient regeneration and poor cell survival results in cardiac dysfunction and eventually advances to clinical failure [2]. Human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells can self-renew and maintain their pluripotency to orchestrate differentiation into any cell types, including cardiomyocytes. However, despite significant advantages of pluripotency, lack of molecular mechanism and challenges in the maturation of stem cells into cardiomyocytes are well known roadblocks in achieving successful clinical efficacy. Although various strategies have been proposed to enhance efficiency of cell-based therapies, their clinical benefits, specifically
International Relations Scholarship, Academic Institutions and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

This paper explores the role of academic scholarship and practice in constituting, aggravating, and resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The first section of the paper examines how scholarly discourse and methods of analysis contribute to shaping (mis)understandings of on-the-ground conflict dynamics. To demonstrate this point, the paper first overviews conventional social science methods used in mainstream international relations (IR) scholarship that tend to reify, freeze and homogenize ‘the conflict’ as well as conflict parties and then uses a different scholarly approach—namely a processual, peace-studies-oriented methodology—that provides a very different ‘picture’ of the conflict, its parties and appropriate strategies of engagement in the pursuit of peace. The second section of the paper uses three brief case studies to demonstrate how Israeli and Palestinian academics help constitute ‘the conflict’ and its parties not only through their scholarship but also through their ‘practice’. These e...
Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes respond to waves of chemoattractant, like Dictyostelium.

It has been assumed that the natural chemotactic signal that attracts human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) over long distances to sites of infection is in the form of a standing spatial gradient of chemoattractant. We have questioned this assumption on the grounds, first, that standing spatial gradients may not be stable over long distances for long periods of time and, second, that in the one animal cell chemotaxis system in which the natural chemotactic signal has been described in space and time, aggregation of Dicytostelium discoideum, the signal is in the form of an outwardly relayed, nondissipating wave of attractant. Here, it is demonstrated that PMNs alter their behavior in each of the four phases of a wave of PMN chemoattractant, fashioned after the Dictyostelium wave, in a manner similar to Dictyostelium. These results demonstrate that PMNs have all of the machinery to respond to a natural wave of attractant, providing support to the hypothesis that the natural signal that attracts PMNs over large distances to sites of infection in the human body may also be in the form of a wave. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 56:27–44, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Endothelial cell PTP1B regulates leukocyte recruitment during allergic inflammation

Pulmonary eosinophilia is a consistent hallmark of allergic lung inflammation. Infiltration of eosinophils into ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged lungs is dependent on the adhesion molecule vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) on endothelial cells. Ligation of VCAM-1 activates endothelial cell protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), which is required for VCAM-1-dependent leukocyte migration in vitro. To examine whether nonhematopoietic PTP1B modulates eosinophil recruitment in vivo, mice deficient in PTP1B were irradiated and received wild-type hematopoietic cells to generate chimeric PTP1B−/− mice. In response to OVA challenge, the chimeric PTP1B−/− mice had reduced eosinophilia in the lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage, indicating a role for PTP1B in nonhematopoietic cells during leukocyte recruitment. To determine whether endothelial cell PTP1B modulates eosinophil recruitment, mice with an inducible endothelial cell-specific PTP1B deletion (iePTP1B mice) were generated and the PTP1B deletion was induced after antigen sensitization before antigen challenge. In response to OVA challenge, the iePTP1B mice with the endothelial cell PTP1B deletion had an increased accumulation of eosinophils bound to the luminal surface of the endothelium in the lung vasculature and had a decrease in leukocyte recruitment into the lung tissue. In the iePTP1B mice, expression of adhesion molecules, cytokines, or chemokines that regulate leukocyte recruitment during inflammation was not altered, consistent with other studies that deletion of endothelial adhesion molecule signals does not alter lung cytokines and chemokines. In summary, these data suggest that VCAM-1 activation of PTP1B in the endothelium is necessary for eosinophil recruitment during allergic inflammation. Moreover, these studies provide a basis for targeting VCAM-1-dependent signaling pathways in allergy therapies.
Circular Rainbow seen from a Hill-top

READING Mr. Fleming's letter in your issue of January 31 (p. 310), I am moved to put on record an observation of my own involving shadows and rainbows upon a cloud. On August 19, 1878, I was encamped upon a plateau known as Table Cliff, in the southern part of Utah Territory. The plateau has its longer dimension north and south, and ends southward in an acute promontory, precipitous toward the south, west, and east. The altitude is about 10,000 feet. On that day the air was moist, and scattering clouds were to be seen both in the valley beneath and in the sky above. A strong wind blew from the west. On that side of the promontory the air was clear; but at the crest a cloud was formed, so that the view eastward was completely cut off. This phenomenon is not unusual on mountain summits, and has been plausibly explained as due to the sudden rarefaction of the air on the lee-side of an obstacle. Standing on the verge of the cliff just before sunset, I saw my own shadow and that of the cliff distinctly outlined on the cloud. The figure appeared to be about fifty feet distant, and was not colossal. About the head was a bright halo with a diameter several times greater than the head. Its colours included only a portion of the rainbow series, but I neglected to record them, and do not venture to recite from memory. At the usual angle outside there appeared two rainbows of great brilliancy, likewise concentric with the head. They did not describe complete circles, but terminated at the left and beneath, where they met the shadow of the cliff. I estimated that 225° of arc were displayed. The phenomenon was continuous for some hours, the cloud-mass being persistent in position, notwithstanding the fact that its particles had a velocity of twenty-five or thirty miles an hour.
Jackson receives 2003 Hydrology Section Award

Thomas J. Jackson received the Hydrology Section Award at the 2003 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, last December. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the science of hydrology.
Panini: a concurrent programming model with modular reasoning

Pervasive and oblivious interference makes modular reasoning about concurrent programs difficult. This work presents Panini, a concurrent programming model with sparse and cognizant interference that enables modular reasoning.
The V3 Domain of SIVmac251 gp120 Contains a Linear Neutralizing Epitope

Antisera to 21 synthetic peptides containing hydrophilic sequences of simian immunodeficiency virus strain mac251 (SIVmac251) gp120 and gp32 were tested for the ability to neutralize SIVmac251. Goat antisera raised to peptides SP-1 and SP-1V containing the carboxy-terminal portion of the V3 domain of SIVmac251 gp120 between amino acids 327 and 339 inhibited syncytium formation (90% inhibition at a 1/1024 dilution) and cell killing of CEMx174 cells by SIVmac251 (50%) inhibition of cell killing at a dilution of 1/5832), SIVDeltaB670 (1/568), and SIVsmH4 (1/740). Neutralizing antibodies to SIVmac251, SIVDeltaB670, and SIVsmH4 could be adsorbed by peptides containing a neutralizing V3 sequence of SIVmac251 gp120 (GLVFHSQPIND, amino acids 329-339) but not by peptides lacking this sequence. This V3 neutralizing region corresponds to a homologous V3 neutralizing site within HIV-2 gp120 reported by Bjorling et al. 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 6082-6086, 1994, J. Immunol. 152, 1952-1959). Antibodies in 20 of 31 sera obtained from rhesus macaques infected with SIVmac251 reacted with a peptide containing the entire V3 sequence of SIVmac251 gp120, whereas no sera contained antibodies reacting with the V3 neutralizing site between amino acids 329 and 339. Low levels of antibody-mediated recognition and subsequent lack of selective pressure against this linear V3 neutralizing site might in part explain why this region is not a dominant neutralizing site and also why sequences within V3 do not vary during the course of SIV infection.
Towards a science of informed matter

Over the last couple of decades, a call has begun to resound in a number of distinct fields of inquiry for a reattachment of form to matter, for an understanding of 'information' as inherently embodied, or, as Jean-Marie Lehn calls it, for a "science of informed matter." We hear this call most clearly in chemistry, in cognitive science, in molecular computation, and in robotics-all fields looking to biological processes to ground a new epistemology. The departure from the values of a more traditional epistemological culture can be seen most clearly in changing representations of biological development. Where for many years now, biological discourse has accepted a sharp distinction (borrowed directly from classical computer science) between information and matter, software and hardware, data and program, encoding and enactment, a new discourse has now begun to emerge in which these distinctions have little meaning. Perhaps ironically, much of this shift depends on drawing inspiration from just those biological processes which the discourse of disembodied information was intended to describe.
Normal and Natural, or Burdensome and Terrible? Women with Spinal Cord Injuries Discuss Ambivalence about Menstruation

Literature on women’s reproductive health experiences after spinal cord injuries (SCI) documents a temporary period of amenorrhea after women’s injuries. However, research is lacking on how women with SCI feel about amenorrhea or menstruation. That is, we do not know the meanings that women with permanent, physical disability ascribe to their experiences of simultaneously “normal” and “abnormal” reproductive processes. Prioritizing a feminist disability perspective and using interview data from a snowball sample of 20 women with SCI in Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, we outline how interviewees are ambivalent (yet also slightly negative) towards menstruation and amenorrhea within the context of their disability, and may be both different from and similar to able-bodied women in their attitudes and experiences as a result.
Venturing a 30-Year Longitudinal Study.

Longitudinal inquiry has long been recognized as a uniquely powerful method for seeking understanding of psychological development. A 30-year longitudinal venture is described--its theoretical motivation, methodological rationale, and details of implementation. Some of the novel and implicative findings the study has generated are briefly described. Common to all of the results is an absolute reliance on long-term, widely ranging, independent data. Although specific aspects of the study have appeared over the years, its intentions and scope are recounted only here. By and large, the organizing constructs of ego-control and ego-resiliency find impressive support in various empirical inquiries, here quickly described. Methodologically, a number of savvy research procedures useful and perhaps even necessary in longitudinal research are conveyed. The troublesome burdens but ever-alluring attractions of longitudinal inquiry are noted. A forthcoming Web site will contain the extensive 30-year longitudinal data bank together with explanatory information. Psychological investigators may find these imminently available data resources useful.
No holds barred

Science and Cultural Crisis: An Intellectual Biography of Percy Williams Bridgman (1882–1961). By Maila L. Walter. Stanford University Press: 1990. Pp.362. $42.50.
Laboratory testing of flat oval transitions to determine loss coefficients (RP-1606)

Pressure loss coefficients were measured for 8 converging-concentric, 15 converging-eccentric, 8 diverging-concentric, and 15 diverging-eccentric flat oval transition fittings. All tests were performed in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 120-2008, Method of Testing to Determine Flow Resistance of HVAC Ducts and Fittings, except (1) the entrance duct length to the test fitting was increased to 12 hydraulic diameters and (2) the fitting loss coefficient was calculated as the slope of the linear regression of pv8 (downstream velocity pressure) versus Δpt,1-2 (zero-length total pressure loss of a test fitting) instead of pv7 (upstream velocity pressure) versus Δpt,1-2. An Excel template file was developed to perform experimental data processing, graphical expression, and uncertainty analysis. Two pressure loss coefficient equations were developed, one for converging and a second for diverging fittings based on the experimental data. The loss coefficient regression equations will be added to the ASHRAE Duct Fit...
Lack of chondrogenic expression in mouse limb bud micromass cultures exposed to exogenous β galactosidase or N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase

The effect of two exoglycosidases, beta-galactosidase and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (GlcNAc-ase) on chondrogenic expression of stage 19 mouse limb bud micromass cultures was investigated. Chondrogenic expression was monitored by Alcian blue staining and immunofluorescent localization of cartilage-specific proteoglycan and type II collagen. Chondrogenesis was inhibited by exposure to 0.1 U/ml beta-galactosidase or 0.025 U/ml GlcNAc-ase for 24 h or longer in culture. The effect of both enzymes was concentration and time dependent. Exoglycosidic hydrolysis of galactose or N-acetylglucosamine was substantiated by treatment with HRP-conjugated peanut agglutinin and succinylated wheat germ agglutinin, respectively. Cells treated with beta-galactosidase appeared to be flattened with a stellate morphology, whereas GlcNAc-ase-treated cells were bipolar forming ridge-like mounds that had a directional orientation. The antichondrogenic effect was not alleviated when the cells were induced to assume a spherical shape upon treatment with cytochalasin D. DNA measurements indicated that the lack of chondrogenic expression was not related to cell attachment or cell proliferation. These data support the hypothesis that the expression of specific terminal sugars on cell surface glycoconjugates of limb bud cells represents an important component of the chondrogenic process.
Wolinella recta in adult gingivitis and periodontitis.

Wolinella recta has been associated with adult periodontitis, but its role in the disease remains uncertain. This report clarifies the distribution of W. recta in periodontally healthy and diseased subjects, and treated patients with recurrent disease. A specific polyclonal rabbit antiserum against W. recta strain 372 was used for indirect immunofluorescence localization of W. recta in dental plaque from untreated and treated patients. Supragingival plaque was collected from 15 periodontally healthy individuals (H), 10 adults with mild gingivitis (G1), 8 with severe gingivitis (G2) and 15 with periodontitis (AP). Subgingival samples from 23 diseased sites (G2 and AP) were examined as well. There was a significant difference (p = 0.000) between the proportions of W. recta in subgingival (4.4%) vs. supragingival (0.3%) plaque samples from AP. A significant difference (p = 0.000) in W. recta proportions was also detected between subgingival plaque samples of AP (4.4%) vs. G2 (1.2%). No significant difference in the mean % of W. recta was found between supragingival plaque of AP (0.3%) and G2 (0%), and samples of G1 (0.01%) and H (0.1%). In a separate study, 85 adults previously treated for moderate to severe adult periodontitis were monitored over a 12-month period for evidence of disease recurrence. Recurrent disease was detected at 32 sites in 18 subjects. Of these, 20 sites in 13 subjects were positive for W. recta. With subjects as the experimental unit, a significant increase in the proportions of W. recta was found at sites with recurrent disease (3.12%) as compared to stable, paired control sites (0.24%), but only when sites with breakdown and positive for W. recta were compared with their controls. These results indicate that W. recta is associated with some, but not all sites with advanced adult periodonlilis. The association of W. recta with gingivitis was not statistically significant.
Photonic crystal slabs

The dispersion relation, density of states, and wave functions of the electromagnetic guided modes of a free standing photonic crystal slab are computed. The solution of Maxwell's equations are obtained from a self-consistent matrix eigenvalue problem solved by a fast computer routine. Comparison is made with experiments on an electrically injected photonic crystal microcavity light source.
Impurity resonances in carbon nanotubes

Analytical expressions are derived for the self-energies of electrons in carbon nanotubes while interacting with impurity atoms. Results are reported for armchair and zigzag tubes. It is shown that the impurity causes a bound electron donor or acceptor state beneath every semiconductor band edge. If the tubes are metallic, these bound states become resonance states. The analytical formulas give resonance shapes in good agreement with former numerical calculations.
Bulklike hot carrier dynamics in lead sulfide quantum dots.

Hot electronic dynamics in lead sulfide nanocrystals is interrogated by degenerate pump−probe spectroscopy with 20−25 fs pulses over a broad frequency range around three times the nanocrystal band gap. For each nanocrystal diameter, an initial reduction in absorption is seen only at the peak of the quantum confined E1 transition, while increased absorption is seen at all other wavelengths. The signals from the nanocrystals are ∼300 times weaker than expected for a two-level system with the same absorbance and molar extinction coefficient and are weaker near time zero. These results appear to be inconsistent with quantum confinement of the initially excited high energy states. Arguments based on carrier scattering length, the wave packet size supported by the band structure, and effective mass are advanced to support the hypothesis that, for many direct-gap semiconductor quantum dots, the carrier dynamics at three times the band gap is localized on the 1−2 nm length scale and essentially bulklike except fo...
Convex optimization of subspace fitting autofocus for stripmap SAR images

There are many different autofocus algorithms for correcting phase errors in stripmap SAR images. In this paper, we develop a mathematically principled model-based phase error estimation method for stripmap SAR images. The proposed phase estimation method uses classical subspace fitting techniques that are well known in the array processing literature. The novelty in this paper is the development of the proposed autofocus method and how the phase estimates are found using convex optimization. It is shown that the proposed method is non-iterative in the sense that iterations between the image domain and the range compressed domain to obtain our phase error estimates are not needed. It is also shown that the phase error estimates can be applied while simultaneously forming the SAR image using the convolution back-projection algorithm.
Activation of Dioxygen by Halocarbon Ions

Tandem mass spectrometry is used to show that low energy collisions of ionized halocarbenes, including CBr 2 •+ and CBrCl •+ , with molecular oxygen lead to (i) decarbonation with formation of the dihalogen molecular cation and (ii) oxygenolysis yielding BrCO + . Both reactions may occur via the same ion-molecule addition product of molecular oxygen and the ionized carbene. Reaction is favored at low collision energies, such as are encountered in an ion trap. Insights into the energetics of the reactions of CBr 2 •+ with O 2 are obtained from ab initio molecular orbital theory. Other aspects of the positive ion chemistry of dioxygen with various halogen-containing ions are also discussed. Dioxygen activation by halocarbon ions suggests additional channels that might affect the fate of halocarbons and the ozone balance in the atmosphere.
Fiber optic laser light scattering measurement of ciliary function of the fallopian tube

A fiber-optic laser light-scattering system (FLS) for measuring ciliary function was evaluated by means of three sets of in vitro experiments. First, FLS performance was compared to that of a previously proven benchtop laser system (BLS). Using tissue excised from rabbit fallopian tubes, ciliary beat frequency (CBF) of each sample was measured with FLS and BLS. Paired CBF measurements showed excellent correlation between the two systems (r =0.93). Second, the FLS was used to evaluate the dependency of CBF on temperature (T) by using tissue sampies of rabbit oviductal fimbna. Regression analysis of CBF vs T showed a linear relationship over the range of 18-37°C for both individual samples (r =0.98) and pooled data from all experiments (r = 0.84). Fmally, the relalionship between CBF and ciliary ovum transport rate (TR) was tested by using T to modulate CBF of rabbit fimbria, in vitro. The relationship was linear over the range of CBF from 10 to 30 Hz (r2 = 0.83). At 37°C, CBF = 31±1 Hz, and TR = O.12±.02 mm/sec. equal to ovum transport rate in situ. The FLS is a valuable tool for characterizing ciliary activity and thus ovum transport function. Owing to the fact that ciliary dyskinesia resulting from disease of the fallopian tube is associated with infeitility, the FLS may be useful to acquire data important to the clinical evaluation of fallopian tube function and female infertility.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Low-cost single-camera imaging system for aerial applicators

Agricultural aircraft provide a readily available and versatile platform for airborne remote sensing. Although various airborne imaging systems are available, most of these systems are either too expensive or too complex to be of practical use for day-to-day aerial application operations. The objective of this study was to develop a low-cost, user-friendly imaging system that can be easily installed on aerial applicators. An imaging system was assembled using off-the-shelf electronics. The system consisted of a digital camera to capture color images, a GPS receiver to geotag images, a video monitor to view live images, and a remote control to trigger the camera. The camera was attached to an aerial applicator and the GPS unit and video monitor were installed in the cockpit. The parameters of the camera were optimized to acquire images under various altitudes, speeds, and ground cover conditions. Geotagged images taken from individual sites or large areas were viewed and mosaicked together using free and inexpensive software. Aerial applicators can assemble such a system and use it to generate additional revenues from remote sensing services. Analysis of sample images has shown that the imaging system has potential for crop condition assessment and pest detection.
Use of and spending on supportive care medications among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer

The study objective was to provide population-based estimates of supportive care medication (SCM) use among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer and determine factors related to SCM receipt. This retrospective cohort study of community-based Medicare beneficiaries used the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (1997–2007). Dependent variables comprised use and spending on SCMs for three medication classes: opioids, antidepressants/sedative/hypnotics (ASH), and antiemetics. Independent variables of interest were supplemental insurance coverage, cancer site, and treatment. Multivariate models determined factors affecting receipt of, and spending on, SCMs. We also compared SCM use and spending among beneficiaries with and without cancer in order to understand what portion of SCM use and spending could be attributed to cancer as opposed to other comorbid conditions. A total of 1,836 Medicare beneficiaries with cancer and 9,898 beneficiaries without cancer were eligible for the study. Beneficiaries with cancer were more likely to receive opioids, ASH, and antiemetics compared to non-cancer beneficiaries. Adjusted annual payments for antiemetics were on average $637 higher in with cancer versus without cancer (p < 0.01), while ASH payments were $184 lower (p < 0.01). Opioid spending was similar among cancer and non-cancer users. Relative to colon cancer, beneficiaries with prostate cancer were least likely to receive any of the three SCM classes. Receipt of antineoplastic treatment increased the probability of use of all three classes of SCMs. Insurance coverage did not influence the use of or spending on opioids or antiemetics, but was associated with both outcomes for ASH. The use of all three SCM classes was significantly lower during years before Part D implementation of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit and was higher after implementation of Part D. This study provides population-based information on SCM use among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer. Cancer site and treatment modality were important predictors of SCM use.
Preparation of an antigen-binding fragment from murine T lymphocyte membranes.

Abstract BALB/c mice were immunized with the random sequence polypeptide [Glu 60 Ala 40 ] n (GA). ∗ Spleen and lymph nodes were used to prepare T lymphocyte suspensions via nylon-wool columns. These cells were radiolabelcd with 125 I by the lactoperoxidase procedure and then ruptured by nitrogen cavitation. Membrane fragments were isolated by sucrose density centrifugation and subsequently solubilized in Triton X-100. Nonspecific material was removed by passing the solubilized membranes through an immunoadsorbent composed of d -GA (i.e. [ d -Glu 60 - d -Ala 40 ] n ) covalently bound to Sepharose 4B. The nonadherent fraction was subsequently passed through l -GA Sepharose and the adherent material eluted with 3 M NaCNS. After removal of salt and relabeling, the eluate was readsorbed onto and eluted from a fresh l -GA column. This material bound almost completely to l -GA immunoadsorbents (80–85%) but at control levels (8–10%) to immunoadsorbents composed of d -GA, d -GAT (i.e. [ d -Glu 60 - d -Ala 30 - d -Tyr 10 ] n ) or l -GAT. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed only one component with a molecular weight of 60,000–70,000. Gel filtration chromatography in the presence of Triton X-100 indicated a higher molecular weight, probably due to aggregation and/or detergent binding. Membranes were also prepared from normal, non-immune BALB/c mice and fractionated over immunoadsorbent columns in the manner described. On the basis of incorporated radiolabel, the total amount of antigen-binding membrane recovered was 15% of that obtained in immune animals. These membranes demonstrated no specificity in binding to either l -GA or d -GA immunoadsorbents.