cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatically determining the dimensions of digitally stored images

We frequently encounter digitally stored images whose formatting information, the number of lines and pixels, has been lost. Without the formatting information the image becomes practically inaccessible. Formatting loss can be caused by: (1) Legacy images - they come somewhere from the dim past; (2) Image acquisition devices that do not store the dimensions; (3) The proliferation of storage standards using headers that require software for new formats. In order to use the image, the dimensions must be recovered. We developed a robust method that determines the width and height of images stored in lexicographic order. We constructed an approximately periodic function from contiguous image data. Similar to a periodic function, the auto-correlation function of the contiguous data exhibits peaks spaced with a period that is equal to the width of the images. The height is determined by dividing the file's size by the width. We tested the algorithm on 42 medical images and one aerial photo. We created a larger test base by cropping regions of different sizes from the images and sub- sampling the images into several sizes. The algorithm found the correct dimensions in all cases except one - when the region consisted of periodic data. In this case, the auto- correlation function has peaks due to the periodicity of the data that cannot be discerned form the periodicity of the line lengths since all the peaks of the auto-correlation function are equal. The algorithm cannot discern the correct width among the ambiguous peaks. In practice, periodicity will never happen in real medical images.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Histones induce phosphatidylserine exposure and a procoagulant phenotype in human red blood cells.

Background Extracellular histones exert part of their prothrombotic activity through the stimulation of blood cells. Besides platelets, histones can bind to red blood cells (RBCs), which are important contributors to thrombogenesis, but little is known about the functional consequences of this interaction.
On the vertical distribution of a benthic harpacticoid copepod: field, laboratory, and flume results☆

Abstract To identify a target species for the investigation of factors influencing the vertical distribution of subtidal meiofauna, we conducted a year-long survey of the 2-mm-scale vertical distribution of harpacticoid copepods at a site at 5 m depth in St George Sound, Florida (29°51′N, 84°31′W). We found that Leptastacus cf. rostratus Nicholls seldom occurs in surface sediments and that its population maximum is in the 2nd cm of sediment. The results of a preference experiment suggest that factors intrinsic to the sediment column do not cause L. cf. rostratus to be rare in the 0–1-cm layer. A flume experiment demonstrated that this species burrows deeper into the sediment in response to increased flow, suggesting that Leptastacus cf. rostratus finds the surface sediments unattractive under high-flow conditions. Our results suggest that near-bottom flow influences the vertical distribution of Leptastacus at this subtidal site.
Two-dimensional chemical-state plot for lead using XPS

Abstract Distinguishing among various lead compounds using XPS is facilitated by the use of two-dimensional chemical-state plots, following Wagner [1–7]. The present data constitute the first known use of NOO Auger lines in such plots. The relative positions of lead compounds can be rationalized on the basis of extraatomic relaxation and final-state energy arguments.
Review essay / profiling: Theory and practice

derick Schauer, Profiles, Probabilities, and Stereotypes Cambridge, MA: Belknap/Harvard University Press, 2003. xiii + 359 pp.
The diagnosis and therapy of acute suppurative arthritis.

Acute suppurative arthritis is a form of joint disease demanding prompt diagnosis and therapy. Twenty-four cases are reviewed, and it is suggested that in addition to clinical findings, analysis of synovial fluid is essential. Synovial leukocyte count greater than 50,000 cells per cu. mm., with 90 per cent or more polymorphonuclear leukocytes and a synovial fluid-blood sugar difference of over 40 mg. per cent all support the diagnosis. Adequate treatment consists of early therapy with systemic antibacterial agents, repeated needle aspiration of the joint and appropriate physiotherapy. Acute arthritis suppurative es un morbo articular que require promptitude del diagnose e del therapia. Es revistate 24 casos. Es suggerite que analyses de liquido synovial es essential como addition al studio del datos clinic. Numerationes del leucocytos synovial de plus que 50.000 per mm3 con plus que 95 pro cento de polymorphonuc1eares e un differentia del nivellos de sucro in liquido synovial e sanguine de plus que 40 mg per 100 ml es argumentos in supporto del diagnose. Un tractamento adequate consiste del prompte application systemic de agentes antibacterial, de repetite aspirationes articular a agulia, e del appropriate mesuras physiotherapeutic.
Morphological correlates of long-term potentiation imply the modification of existing synapses, not synaptogenesis, in the hippocampal dentate gyrus.

This report evaluates two morphological markers of synaptogenesis following the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus of the anesthetized rat. These two morphological features, polyribosomes and multiple synaptic contacts, are known to increase in number with synaptogenesis in the mature hippocampus. The analysis focused on the middle third of the dentate molecular layer. As shown previously, this is the region of primary synaptic activation in our electrophysiological protocol and the region of localized morphological changes with LTP. Here the incidence of a polyribosome at the base of a dendritic spine declined 57% with LTP. In addition, the number of multiple synaptic contacts decreased 18% there with LTP. Both decreases were more pronounced immediately following conditioning stimulation than at later intervals. Beacause both morphological features decrease with LTP but increase with synaptogenesis, the data do not support the hypothesis that new synapses form with LTP. Instead, the data add further support to the view that the strengthening of existing excitatory synapses underlines LTP.
Cytomegalovirus infection in pregnancy.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is of great importance to obstetrician-gynecologists because maternal infection is relatively common and can result in severe injury to the fetus. The greatest risk to the fetus occurs when the mother develops a primary CMV infection in the first trimester. Forty to 50% of infants delivered to mothers with primary CMV infections will have congenital infections. Of these neonates, 5–18% will be overtly symptomatic at birth. Approximately 30% of severely infected infants die, and 80% have severe neurologic morbidity. Eighty-five to 90% of infants will be asymptomatic, and 10–15% of these babies subsequently have sequelae such as visual and auditory defects. If the mother develops a recurrent or reactivated CMV infection during pregnancy, the risk of a severe congenital infection is very low. Perinatal infection, as opposed to congenital infection, may result from exposure to the virus during delivery or lactation and rarely leads to serious sequelae. Antimicrobial therapy and immunotherapy for CMV are, at present, unsatisfactory. Therefore, all patients, pregnant women in particular, must be educated about preventive measures.
Constraints on anomalous spin-spin interactions from spin-exchange collisions

A comparison between existing measurements and calculated cross sections for spin exchange between alkali-metal atoms and noble gases (specifically sodium and helium) is used to constrain anomalous spin-dependent forces between nuclei at the atomic scale ($~{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ cm). Combined with existing stringent limits on anomalous short-range, spin-dependent couplings of the proton, the dimensionless coupling constant for an axial vector interaction of the neutron arising from exchange of a boson of mass $\ensuremath{\lesssim}100$ eV is constrained to be ${g}_{A}^{n}/\sqrt{4\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\hbar}c}l2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. Constraints are established for a velocity- and spin-dependent interaction $\ensuremath{\propto}(\mathbf{I}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathbf{v})(\mathbf{K}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathbf{v})$, where $\mathbf{I}$ and $\mathbf{K}$ are the nuclear spins of He and Na, respectively, and $\mathbf{v}$ is the relative velocity of the atoms. Constraints on torsion gravity are also considered.
Foxd3 regulates neural crest multipotency and self-renewal

Concurrent session 4: Neural and tissue specific stem cells Program/Abstract # 29 Foxd3 regulates neural crest multipotency and self-renewal Nathan A. Mundell, Audrey Y. Frist, Patricia A. Labosky Departments of Pharmacology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA The neural crest (NC) is a specialized group of progenitor cells that arise from the developing spinal cord. At the onset of migration, NC is a heterogeneous pool of multipotent and fate-restricted progenitors that follow regionally defined pathways to sites of differentiation, giving rise to a variety of cell types including neurons, glia, melanocytes, smooth muscle, and cartilage. The forkhead transcription factor Foxd3 is required for self-renewal and maintenance of a multipotent state in two other progenitor cell types: embryonic stem cells and trophoblast stem cells. Foxd3 is also one of the earliest molecular markers of the NC. NC deletion of Foxd3 in the mouse embryo results in severe defects including craniofacial defects, and complete loss of the enteric nervous system. The progenitor pool is depleted and much of the NC is lost by apoptosis in mutant embryos. Lineage labeling of Foxd3 mutant embryos demonstrates that vagal NC fails to migrate into the foregut, and is greatly reduced in the outflow tract of the heart. Surprisingly, reduced cardiac NC mediates cardiovascular remodeling but not parasympathetic innervation of the heart. In vitro clonal analysis of multipotency demonstrates that Foxd3 mutant NC has reduced potency to differentiate into multiple lineages. Serial neurosphere culture experiments indicate that mutant NC does not maintain progenitor self-renewal. These results demonstrate a global role for Foxd3 in NC maintenance along the anteriorposterior axis, and establish the requirement of Foxd3 in maintenance of NC stem cell subpopulations. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.05.038 Program/Abstract # 30 The role of Gli3 in the neurogenesis of the forebrain Hui Wang, Guannan Ge, Sohyun Ahn Unit on Developmental Neurogenetics, PGD, NICHD, NIH,
Methane adsorbed on graphite. III. The bilayer and trilayer.

Models for the monolayer, bilayer, and trilayer of methane (${\mathrm{CH}}_{4}$ and ${\mathrm{CD}}_{4}$) adsorbed on the basal plane of graphite are studied using the quantum-mechanical cell model. The calculations are made for a range of temperatures from the ground state to near the two-dimensional triple line. This microscopic finite-temperature model gives quantitative results for structural and thermodynamic properties. The results include the following: the equilibrium structure for the system, the conditions for monolayer-bilayer and bilayer-trilayer coexistence, comparisons to three-dimensional bulk solids, incommensurability to the substrate, and the chemical potential for the entire temperature range for a stable solid film. The results show that the bilayer and trilayer films are significantly compressed at coexistence. The planar nearest-neighbor distance (at coexistence) is less than that of the corresponding bulk solid. However, the chemical potential of the film is still below that of bulk value.
Effect of temperature on x-ray--induced light emission from powders of amino acids and trypsin.

Abstract The following was observed in studies of the effect of temperature on the intensity of X-ray-induced emission from powders of aromatic amino acids and proteins: The thermal coefficients for quenching of both fluorescence and phosphorescence are much different at temperatures below about 150 °K and above 240 °K. The ratios of the coefficients measured in the two temperature regions varied from 3 to 50 in the four compounds studied. The E q for tryptophan fluorescence in powders exposed to X-rays near 300 °K is much less than the coefficient for quenching ultraviolet-induced fluorescence from tryptophan in solution. The quenching coefficient for fluorescence is invariably smaller than that for phosphorescence. The E q = 0.21 ± .07 eV per molecule for the quenching of trypsin phosphorescence in the range T > 200 °K is essentially the same as that for tyrosine phosphorescence. This value is approximately twice that of 0.1 eV per molecule for the thermal enhancement of trypsin inactivation by ionizing radiations in the same temperature range. Crude measurements suggest that the thermal coefficient for quenching of trypsin fluorescence is also less than the corresponding activation energies for trypsin inactivation. Analysis of the data has led to the following conclusions: (1) Quenching is a function of the macromolecular organization of proteins. (2) Thermal enhancement of enzyme inactivation yields does not depend critically upon indiscriminate quenching to prevent emissive loss of potential inactivating energy from the irradiated molecules. (3) Either the interaction of specific excited aromatic residues with radiosensitive structures does not provide a large contribution to enzyme inactivation or the specific interactions account for only a small fraction of total quenching. The present results emphasize again the differences between the excitation events produced by X-ray-induced electrons and low-energy ultraviolet. Although trypsin fluorescence appears to be from tryptophan, X-rays cause a great enhancement in trypsin of phosphorescence typical of that from tyrosine: excitations by “ionizing” radiations must be involved in intersystem crossing with high probability. “Red” components not found in ultraviolet-induced emission are also observed.
ERYTHROPOIESIS DURING AMPHIBIAN METAMORPHOSIS : III. Immunochemical Detection of Tadpole and Frog Hemoglobins (Rana catesbeiana) in Single Erythrocytes.

Rabbit antibodies specific for the major tadpole and frog hemoglobin components of R. catesbeiana were used for the detection of the two hemoglobins inside single cells. The antisera, after fractionation by ammonium sulfate precipitation and diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-cellulose chromatography, were conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate for the antifrog hemoglobin serum and tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate for the antitadpole hemoglobin serum. The conjugated fractions, refractionated by stepwise elution from a DEAE-cellulose column, were used for the fluorescent staining of blood smears, liver tissue imprints, and smears of liver cell suspensions. Both simultaneous and sequential staining with the two fluorescent preparations indicated that larval and adult hemoglobins were not present within the same erythrocyte during metamorphosis. In other experiments, erythroid cells from animals in metamorphosis were spread on agar containing specific antiserum. Precipitates were formed around the cells which contain the particular hemoglobin. The percentages of cells containing either tadpole or frog hemoglobin were estimated within the experimental error of the method. The data showed that the two hemoglobins are in different cells. It is concluded that the hemoglobin change observed during the metamorphosis of R. catesbeiana is due to the appearance of a new population of erythroid cells containing exclusively frog hemoglobin.
Accurate, high-throughput, low-cost testing of infrared focal plane arrays for defense-related systems

Rockwell has combined two independent, lower-cost testing approaches proven out on the U.S. Air Force's Manufacturing Technology for HgCdTe Focal Plane Arrays (MANTECH) program and the Ballistic Missile Defense Office's (BMDO, formerly Strategic Defense Initiative Office (SDIO)) Hybrids With Advanced Yield for Surveillance (HYWAYS) program. These two testing approaches are, respectively, cryoprobing focal plane arrays and using multiple device test dewars. These approaches will be combined for significantly lower testing costs for defense-related programs such as the Air Force's AGM-130 program. The revised methodology utilizes the low-cost approach of cryoprobing batches of up to nine focal plane arrays, mounted on test carriers, to screen out the predominant failure causes, followed up with final acceptance testing of the arrays passing the cryoprobe test in multiple device dewars. This approach is projected to reduce the testing costs by a factor of 1.6 compared with the current testing approach of single device dewar testing. Planned improvements of increasing the degree of automation and improving the cryoprobe station to measure noise are expected to further reduce testing costs by an additional factor of six.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Numerical simulation of convective diffusion at a rectangular channel flow electrode

Abstract The magnitude of the current is numerically computed for a mass transfer limited electrochemical reaction at a plane electrode in a rectangular channel under conditions of steady state, fully developed laminar flow. The procedure is based on the backward implicit finite difference numerical method, applied to solve the differential equation governing convective diffusion. The, convergence and error limits inherently present in the procedure are evaluated over a wide range of conditions, and compared with results obtained for the explicit finite difference method and the implicit Crank-Nicolson method. The backward implicit method is highly advantageous, for solving problems of the type investigated. Very good agreement is obtained with other experimental and semi-empirical studies over a wide range of operational parameters of the channel electrode.
Estimation of the dissociation constant of naloxone in the naive and morphine-tolerant guinea-pig isolated ileum: analysis by the constrained Schild plot.

Abstract The pA 2 values for naloxone-morphine were determined using ilea taken from naive and morphine-tolerant guinea-pigs. This constant decreased from 8.56 (±0.22) in the naive to 7.95 (±0.12) in tolerant tissues. The values of the pA 2 's were based on Schild plots using conventional regression techniques; this regression resulted in values of -log K B of 8.79 (±1.5) and 8.18 (±1.2) in naive and morphine-tolerant ilea, respectively. While pA 2 differed, the difference in -log K B was not statistically significant. Since these two values are theoretically equivalent, the above finding appears paradoxical. Constraining the slope of the Schild plot to the theoretically required −1 resolved this discrepancy by reducing the error inherent in the calculation of -log K B determined by conventional regression.
Inhibition of Luteinizing Hormone Release by Morphine and Endogenous Opiates in Cultured Pituitary Cells

Morphine sulfate was found to have a direct inhibitory effect on both basal and GnRH-stimulated LH release by cultured rat pituitary cells. The inhibitory effect of morphine on LH release was prevented by the opiate antagonist naltrexone, and treatment of cells with naltrexone or β-endorphin antiserum significantly increased basal LH release. Also, incubation of pituitary cells with CRF caused a significant decrease in basal LH release, an effect that was reversed by naltrexone. Saturable opiate-binding sites were demonstrated in enriched gonadotrophs by [3H]etorphine binding studies. The ability of morphine to inhibit gonadotropin secretion through a direct action on pituitary opiate receptors suggests that long term exposure to exogenous opiates may suppress reproductive function at the hypophyseal level. In addition, the converse effects of CRF and naltrexone or β-endorphin antiserum on LH release indicate that intrapituitary opioid peptides could exert a paracrine inhibitory action on the gonadotroph....
Human Innate Mycobacterium tuberculosis–Reactive αβTCR+ Thymocytes

The control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is heavily dependent on the adaptive Th1 cellular immune response. Paradoxically, optimal priming of the Th1 response requires activation of priming dendritic cells with Th1 cytokine IFN-γ. At present, the innate cellular mechanisms required for the generation of an optimal Th1 T cell response remain poorly characterized. We hypothesized that innate Mtb-reactive T cells provide an early source of IFN-γ to fully activate Mtb-exposed dendritic cells. Here, we report the identification of a novel population of Mtb-reactive CD4− αβTCR+ innate thymocytes. These cells are present at high frequencies, respond to Mtb-infected cells by producing IFN-γ directly ex vivo, and display characteristics of effector memory T cells. This novel innate population of Mtb-reactive T cells will drive further investigation into the role of these cells in the containment of Mtb following infectious exposure. Furthermore, this is the first demonstration of a human innate pathogen-specific αβTCR+ T cell and is likely to inspire further investigation into innate T cells recognizing other important human pathogens.
Alternate pathways of metribuzin metabolism in soybean: Formation of N-glucoside and homoglutathione conjugates

Abstract Metribuzin [4-amino-6- tert -butyl-3(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one] metabolism was studied in soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr. Tracy]. Pulse treatment studies with seedlings and excised mature leaves showed that [5- 14 C]metribuzin was absorbed rapidly and translocated acropetally. In seedlings, >97% of the root-absorbed 14 C was present in foliar tissues after 24 hr. In excised leaves, 50–60% of the absorbed 14 C remained as metribuzin 48 hr after pulse treatment, 12–20% was present as polar metabolites, and 20–30% was present as an insoluble residue. Metabolites were isolated by solvent partitioning, and were purified by adsorption, ion-exchange, thin-layer, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The major metabolite (I) was identified as a homoglutathione conjugate, 4-amino-6- tert -butyl-3- S -(γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-β-alanine)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one. Metabolite identification was confirmed by qualitative analysis of amino acid hydrolysis products, fast atom bombardment (FAB), and chemical ionization (CI) mass spectrometry, and by comparison with a reference glutathione conjugate synthesized in vitro with a hepatic microsomal oxidase system from rat. Minor metabolites were identified as an intermediate N -glucoside conjugate (II), a malonyl N -glucoside conjugate (III), and 4-malonylamido-6- tert -butyl-1,2,4-triazin-3,5(2H,4H)-dione ( N -malonyl DK, IV) by CI and FAB mass spectrometry. Alternative pathways of metribuzin metabolism are proposed.
Tetrahymena: the key to the genetic analysis of the regulated pathway of polypeptide secretion?

The ciliated protozoa Tetrahymena thermophila and T. pyriformis have long been popular among molecular biologists as model organisms in which to elucidate the function of telomeres and have been instrumental in the study of ribosomal catalytic activity and the development of ribozymes (1, 2). In a smaller way they have captured the imagination of cell biologists for the remarkable way in which they embody the attributes of multicellular organisms in a single primitive cell (Fig. 1). They move, they have the equivalent of mouth parts to ingest bacteria that they deliver to digestive vacuoles and excrete the residues at their rear ends. They also have an osmoregulatory mechanism incorporated in a tubular-vesicular system that functions not unlike a kidney to permit them to live in saline or hypoosmotic environments (3). What recently has emerged is that they may provide a very powerful genetic tool for elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulated secretion of proteins, polypeptide hormones, and neurotransmitters. Regulated exocytosis in metazoans takes a number of distinct forms exemplified by release of the amine neurotransmitters of synaptic vesicles mediated by changes in membrane potential, the fusion of glucose transporter containing vesicles in muscle and fat in response to insulin stimulation, the release of pancreatic digestive enzymes by gut peptides and neuronal stimulation and insulin secretion in response metabolic signals. The SNARE hypothesis (4) points to a common molecular mechanism of exocytosis; nevertheless, fundamental differences remain in the biogenesis of dense core vesicles (DCV) containing polypeptide hormones or digestive enzymes, which form directly from the trans–Golgi network, and the synaptic vesicles and glucose transporter vesicles, which appear to be derived from an early endosome compartment (5). The DCVs cannot be recycled in the same way as synaptic or transporter vesicles because their cargo is derived from the …
A numerical simulation of short fiber orientation in compression molding

A computer simulation has been developed to predict the orientation of fibers in a thin, flat part that is compression molded from sheet molding compound. The simulation combines a finite element/control volume simulation of the mold filling flow, a second order tensor representation of the fiber orientation state and a finite element calculation for the transient orientation problem. Sample results and comparison with experiments are presented. Predictions compare favorably with experiments on SMC (sheet molding compound) plaques and a model suspension of nylon fibers and silicon oil.
Hepatic T2‐weighted MRI: A prospective comparison of sequences, including breath‐hold, half‐Fourier turbo spin echo (HASTE)

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively compare the hepatic contrast characteristics of conventional spin-echo (CSE) and fast spin-echo (FSE) sequences with breath-hold T2-weighted images acquired with half-Fourier turbo spin echo (HASTE). Forty-five patients were examined with a phased-array surface coil. Nineteen patients had focal hepatic lesions, including eight malignant tumors, 10 cavernous hemangiomas, and one hepatic adenoma. Twenty-six patients had no focal hepatic lesions. T2-weighted images with comparable TE were acquired with CSE, FSE, and HASTE pulse sequences. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for liver, spleen, and lesions were measured. FSE demonstrated significantly better quantitative performance than CSE for liver-spleen CNR (P = .0084). No statistically significant difference was demonstrated between FSE and CSE for liver or spleen SNR. FSE demonstrated clear scan time and resolution advantages over CSE. HASTE performed significantly poorer than CSE and FSE for liver-spleen CNR (P < .0001), liver SNR (P = .0002 for CSE and P < .0001 for FSE), and spleen SNR (P < .0001). Optimized FSE images with a short echo train length performed comparably to CSE images of equivalent TE. Liver-lesion CNR was suppressed on HASTE images, suggesting that long echo train length FSE sequences could diminish solid lesion detection compared to CSE and short echo train length FSE.
Transport in nearly-free-electron metals. II. Phonon-limited relaxation time at high temperature

The problem of electron transport at high temperatures has been attacked for a model divalent metal, using principally a two-plane-wave approximation and taking into account the Fermi-surface distortion. The electron mean free path is found as a function of position on the Fermi surface for phonon scattering only. The limiting high-temperature form of phonon-scattering structure factor is used and the effective electron-relaxation time is found by a somewhat novel iteration scheme that converges rapidly. Without loss of generality the electric field is chosen to act along a symmetry direction of the lattice. For the purpose of this application the phonon dispersion and anisotropy are disregarded. Simple consideration of two sets of Brillouin zones shows that their effects can be roughly superimposed for the usual nearly-free-electron metal. For a reasonably chosen set of material parameters the calculated dependence of electron relaxation time as a function of $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}$ is used to find the conductivity.
An evaluation of findings in giardia infestation

Giardia lamblia was present in the stools of 78 out of 2,522 unselected patients studied at the North Carolina Baptist Hospital over a three year period ending December 31, 1949. Gastrointestinal complaints, most frequently pain and diarrhea, were present in 40 per cent of the infected patients. Accessory laboratory studies, including blood counts and roentgen studies of the gastrointestinal tract and gallbladder, were of no diagnostic aid. The patients who had blood in the stools, anemia, fever, weight loss, or other systemic manifestations usually had other findings besides Giardia to account for their complaints. Giardia infestation is common, but usually produces few or no symptoms. It can be rapidly eliminated with Atabrine, and may disappear spontaneously.
Pure-Dipolar Nuclear Spin-Lattice Relaxation in Nematic Liquid Crystals

Abstract A technique is described for exploiting the large nuclear dipole-dipole interactions in nemaic liquid crystals to study the details of the spin-lattice relaxation mechanisms, including cross relaxation effects. This technique provides a means for selectively preparing the magnetization in such a way as to enhance the relative contribution of a selected group of spins. Data illustarating this technique are presented for the nematic phase of MBBA. Further, the orientational dependence of the pure-dipolar spin-lattice relaxation time T1D for MBBA is shown to be similar to that of the laboratory frame spin-lattice relaxation time T1 and markedly different from the orientational dependence of the rotating-grame spin-lattice relaxation time T1a.
EEG Frequency Analysis in Conversion and Somatoform Disorder

Patients with "hysterical" neurologic symptoms have long puzzled neurologists and psychiatrists. "Hysteria" has recently been subdivided into conversion and somatoform disorder. We applied computerized EEG frequency analysis to 10 patients with diagnosed conversion disorder, 10 somatoform disorder patients, and 10 control subjects. One minute EEG samples composed of 4 sec epochs were recorded from left frontal (F7-C3), right frontal (F8-C4), left posterior (T5-01) and right posterior (T6-02) derivations. Spectral power was calculated for 4 bands (0.25-4HZ, 4.25-8Hz, 8.25-13Hz, and 13.25-30Hz), and for the full frequency range. Low (0.25-8Hz) and high (8.25-30Hz) frequency bands were compared to determine high/low power ratios on the left and right (PHLL) and (PHLR), ratios of left/right front (PLRF) and posterior (PLRP) power, mean alpha frequency deviation frontally (FLRF) and posteriorly (FLRP), and mobility of left and right frontal power (MOLF and MORF). No significant differences were found between conversion disorder patients and controls in PHLL, PHLR, PLRP, and MORF. PLRF, FLRF and MOLF differed significantly between patients and controls. Power and frequency ratios of right frontal mobilities suggested a decrease in high frequency power, reduction in mean alpha frequency, and lower predominant frequency in the right frontal area in somatoform disorder patients as compared to controls, but significance was not reached. Somatoform and conversion disorder patients differed significantly in these spectral measures. These observations suggest that the two "hysterical" disorders may have distinct pathophysiology, and may be due to eventually identifiable cerebral dysfunction in some cases.
Abstract 515: Membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase cooperates with KrasG12D to promote pancreatic fibrosis through transforming growth factor-β activation of pancreatic stellate cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Pancreatic cancer is associated with a pronounced fibrotic reaction that was recently shown to limit delivery of chemotherapy. To identify potential therapeutic targets to overcome this fibrosis, we examined the interplay between fibrosis and the key proteinase membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP, MMP-14) that is required for growth and invasion in the collagen-rich microenvironment. In this report we show that compared to control mice (Kras+/MT1-MMP-) that express an activating mutation necessary for pancreatic cancer development, KrasG12D, littermate mice that express both MT1-MMP and KrasG12D (Kras+/MT1-MMP+) developed a greater number of large mucin-containing papillary lesions with a high degree of cellular atypia. These lesions were associated with a significant amount of surrounding fibrosis, increased α-smooth muscle actin positive cells in the stroma, indicative of activated myofibroblasts, and a greater extent of Smad2 phosphorylation. To further understand how MT1-MMP promotes fibrosis, we established an in vitro co-culture model to examine the effect of expressing MT1-MMP in PDAC cells on stellate cell collagen deposition. Conditioned media from MT1-MMP-expressing PDAC cells grown in 3D collagen enhance Smad2 nuclear translocation, promote Smad2 phosphorylation and increase collagen production by stellate cells. Inhibiting the activity or expression of the TGF-β type I receptor in stellate cells attenuated MT1-MMP-conditioned media induced collagen expression by stellate cells. Additionally, a function-blocking anti-TGF-β antibody also inhibited MT1-MMP-induced collagen mRNA expression in stellate cells. Overall, we demonstrate that the bona fide collagenase MT1-MMP paradoxically contributes to fibrosis in vivo by increasing TGF-β signaling and that targeting MT1-MMP may help to mitigate fibrosis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 515. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-515
Unfalsified adaptive control for resettable systems

A switching algorithm in the framework of unfalsified adaptive control is formulated for an uncertain system whose state can be reset in a certain set repeatedly. The behavior of the system with its state in or around the set is of interest and the reset process is performed when a switching occurs. The traditional meaning of a feasible controller is modified and, hence, a candidate controller that locally stabilizes the uncertain system with its state in or around the set for small reference signals, becomes a feasible controller. In addition to a cost function in a switching algorithm for unfalsified adaptive control, a secondary cost function is constructed and is utilized in the switching algorithm. At each switching moment, this secondary cost function supports the selection process of the switching algorithm by providing an additional selecting criterion for candidate controllers with small primary cost values. Even with the introduction of the secondary cost function, the number of switchings is still guaranteed to be finite, provided that the primary cost function satisfies assumptions.
Does the AIDS epidemic threaten economic growth

Abstract This study examines the claim that the AIDS epidemic will slow the pace of economic growth. We do this by examining the association, across 51 developing and industrial countries for which we were able to assemble data, between changes in the prevalence of AIDS and the rate of growth of GDP per capita. Our analysis uses well-established empirical growth equations to control for a variety of factors possibly correlated with AIDS prevalence that might also influence growth. We also account for possible simultaneity in the relationship between AIDS and economic growth. Our main finding is that the AIDS epidemic has had an insignificant effect on the growth rate of per capita income, with no evidence of reverse causality.
Cancer pharmacogenomics: strategies and challenges

Genetic variation influences the response of an individual to drug treatments. Understanding this variation has the potential to make therapy safer and more effective by determining selection and dosing of drugs for an individual patient. In the context of cancer, tumours may have specific disease-defining mutations, but a patient's germline genetic variation will also affect drug response (both efficacy and toxicity), and here we focus on how to study this variation. Advances in sequencing technologies, statistical genetics analysis methods and clinical trial designs have shown promise for the discovery of variants associated with drug response. We discuss the application of germline genetics analysis methods to cancer pharmacogenomics with a focus on the special considerations for study design.
The method of creative telescoping

An algorithm for definite hypergeometric summation is given. It is based, in a non-obvious way, on Gosper's algorithm for definite hypergeometric summation, and its theoretical justification relies on Bernstein's theory of holonomic systems.
Quantifying β-Cells in Health and Disease: The Past, the Present, and the Need

Through the studies of a number of pathologists, the past has taught us a great deal about islet pathology. A reduction in the quantity of β-cells in hyperglycemic individuals was described over 110 years ago by Eugene Opie (1) in an elegant report that included hand-drawn color micrographs. These illustrations clearly bring attention to the fact that the islet has lost numerous cells and that it also contains hyaline deposits, which we now recognize may be part of the destructive process. The past also included quantification of the number of endocrine cells by MacLean and Ogilvie (2) who demonstrated that β-cell mass is decreased in patients with phenotypic type 2 diabetes, but that the mass of α-cells is not diminished. And then, over 50 years ago, Bell (3) published a report of his studies of hyalinosis in islets that were based on the examination of pancreas sections from 3,959 individuals who were not known to have diabetes and 1,661 with diabetes. He observed hyaline to be more frequent in individuals with diabetes and that the number of affected individuals increased with age. While diabetes was certainly not the epidemic we now face, Bell stated in his commentary that “Hyaline islets are an expression of unrecognized or potential diabetes”—a clear recognition of the link of these deposits to diabetes and the problem of undiagnosed diabetes. The present includes the study by Saisho et al. (4), which appears in this issue of Diabetes Care . This article builds on the past and the present. The authors describe their findings in pancreas samples obtained at …
Secondary wave phenomena following an underwater explosion

Underwater explosions produce apowerful shockwave followedbya secondarypressurewave,which results from the contraction of the gaseous products created by the explosion. Analytical tools were employed in order to find the variation of the secondarywave pressure as a function of time for 60 lbs of HBX-1 explosive at a 7.315m (24 ft) depth of detonation. These tools included the Navier–Stokes equations, the volume-of-fluid model of two-phase flow, and the so-called similarity equations, which are experimentally derived and embody the behavior of the shockwave and the period of the secondary wave. Heat-transfer phenomena were carefully assessed, and it was found that both the magnitude of the maximum pressure and the time of its occurrence are highly insensitive to heat transfer. During its evolution, the shape of the bubble created by the explosion passes through a range of significantly different geometries. At a time equal to half the bubble period, the shape ismore or less spherical. At the end of a full period, the bubble is toroidal in shape. Owing to the buoyancy of the bubble, it experiences a vertical rise as a function of time. The maximum rise is approximately 2 m. The rising bubble causes the displacement of the surface of the water.
IL-6 Trans-Signaling System in Intra-Amniotic Inflammation, Preterm Birth, and Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes

Classic IL-6 signaling is conditioned by the transmembrane receptor (IL-6R) and homodimerization of gp130. During trans-signaling, IL-6 binds to soluble IL-6R (sIL-6R), enabling activation of cells expressing solely gp130. Soluble gp130 (sgp130) selectively inhibits IL-6 trans-signaling. To characterize amniotic fluid (AF) IL-6 trans-signaling molecules (IL-6, sIL-6R, sgp130) in normal gestations and pregnancies complicated by intra-amniotic inflammation (IAI), we studied 301 women during second trimester (n = 39), third trimester (n = 40), and preterm labor with intact (n = 131, 85 negative IAI and 46 positive IAI) or preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM; n = 91, 61 negative IAI and 30 positive IAI). ELISA, Western blotting, and real-time RT-PCR were used to investigate AF, placenta, and amniochorion for protein and mRNA expression of sIL-6R, sgp130, IL-6R, and gp130. Tissues were immunostained for IL-6R, gp130, CD15+ (polymorphonuclear), and CD3+ (T cell) inflammatory cells. The ability of sIL-6R and sgp130 to modulate basal and LPS-stimulated release of amniochorion matrix metalloprotease-9 was tested ex vivo. We showed that in physiologic gestations, AF sgp130 decreases toward term. AF IL-6 and sIL-6R were increased in IAI, whereas sgp130 was decreased in PPROM. Our results suggested that fetal membranes are the probable source of AF sIL-6R and sgp130. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR revealed increased IL-6R and decreased gp130 expression in amniochorion of women with IAI. Ex vivo, sIL-6R and LPS augmented amniochorion matrix metalloprotease-9 release, whereas sgp130 opposed this effect. We conclude that IL-6 trans-signaling molecules are physiologic constituents of the AF regulated by gestational age and inflammation. PPROM likely involves functional loss of sgp130.
Identifying breakpoints in public opinion

While polls are traditionally used for observing public opinion, they provide a point snapshot, not a continuum. We consider the problem of identifying breakpoints in public opinion, and propose using micro-blogging sites to capture trends in public opinion. We develop methods to detect changes in public opinion, and find events that cause these changes.Our experiments show that the proposed methods are able to determine changes in public opinion and extract the major news about the events effectively. We also deploy an application where users can view the important news stories for a continuing event and find the related articles on web.
ESR and electrical conduction in polypropiolamide

ESR and electrical conductivity measurements have been made on a recently prepared polymer, polypropiolamide. The polymer was obtained as a fine powder which exhibited a nearly Lorentzian line with a width between derivative maxima of 5.2 ± 0.1 gauss and a g value of 2.0036 ± 0.0005. The signal intensity increased with increasing molecular weight. The signal was retained in a dilute solution in formic acid with a slight narrowing of the line. Permanent changes were produced in the spectra at room temperature by heat treatments of the polymer at temperatures up to 800°K. The changes were similar for samples sealed in tubes containing air, dry nitrogen gas and a vacuum of 3 × 10−5 mm of Hg. Spectra obtained at temperatures up to 500°K showed no dependence on the presence or absence of oxygen in the ambient atmosphere. The deresistance of pressed pellets of the polymer was measured in the temperature range 450°K to 525°K, and the results were described by the relation R = R0cE/kT. The activation energy E had a value of 1.2 ± 0.2 ev and the resistivity at 500°K was approximately 1013 ohm-em. The ESR signal is attributed to an intrinsic property of the polymer which is associated with a conjugated bond system along the polymer backbone. Neither the activation energy nor the magnitude of the resistivity suggest that the delocalized electrons associated with the conjugated bond system have produced unusual electrical characteristics in the polymer.
Peritoneal washings are not predictive of occult peritoneal disease in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract BACKGROUND: Evaluation of peritoneal cytology provides valuable staging information in patients with gastric and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, but its usefulness in patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of peritoneal cytology in patients with potentially resectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma. This study evaluated a possible association between positive peritoneal cytology and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, which is commonly used in these patients and may result in peritoneal biliary leakage and peritoneal seeding. STUDY DESIGN: From October 1997 through June 2000 26 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent staging laparoscopy immediately before planned open exploration and resection. Peritoneal washings were obtained during laparoscopic examination before any biopsies were taken. Cytologic analysis was performed using the Papanicolau technique. RESULTS: There were 18 men and 8 women, with a median age of 69 years (range 42 to 81 years). The most common presenting symptom was jaundice (n = 19). Previous biliary drainage was performed in 23 patients: 9 percutaneous and 14 endoscopic. Metastatic disease was suspected preoperatively in six patients, three to the liver, two to the peritoneum, and one to regional lymph nodes, all of which were confirmed at laparoscopy. Laparoscopy identified five additional patients with metastatic disease. Peritoneal cytology was positive for malignant cells in two patients, both of whom had gross peritoneal metastases. Nine other patients had metastatic disease to distant sites within the abdomen, but none had positive cytology. Overall, six patients had metastatic disease to the peritoneal cavity, only one of whom had undergone earlier percutaneous biliary drainage. CONCLUSIONS: Peritoneal cytology was not predictive of occult metastatic disease. Laparoscopic staging identified some patients with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma, but analysis of peritoneal cytology provided no additional information. There was no association between percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and peritoneal tumor seeding.
Nuclear Reaction Probe of Oxygen Vacancy Migration in Electrically Fatigued PZT Thin Film Capacitors

The migration of oxygen vacancies and their entrapment near film-electrode interfaces has been proposed as a cause of fatigue (i.e., polarization weakening) in ferroelectric thin film capacitors. To test this idea, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films were epitaxially deposited by laser ablation on LaAlO3 substrates with yttrium barium cuprate (YBCO) base electrodes. Thin film capacitors were formed by deposition of noble metal (Pt) cap electrodes; half of them were then electrically fatigued by repeated polarization reversals (108 cycles). The distributions of oxygen in the two halves were then compared by means of accelerator-based nuclear backscattering (using the narrow elastic resonance at 3.045 MeV in the scattering of 4He from 160) throughout the bulk of the PZT films and especially right under the Pt electrodes. We were unable to detect any difference in the oxygen profiles to within the accuracy of measurement, which was about 1 % of the oxygen concentration. Compositional changes, at least involving oxygen, do not seem to be responsible for the striking electrical alterations seen in fatigued PZT.