cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface and Interface Energies of Complex Crystal Structure Aluminum Magnesium Alloys

Alloying Al with Mg can improve its structural properties but also can lead to the formation of grain-boundary precipitates of β-Mg2Al3 that lead to failure by intergranular fracture and corrosion. Simulating the properties of the β phase is difficult because it has a complex structure with more than 1000 atoms per unit cell. We approximate the experimental β structure by the β′ structure, which has about 300 atoms per unit cell, and we compute the fracture behavior of the material from density functional theory calculations of relevant surface and interface energies. We report also on experimental measurements of the orientation and fracture properties of the α-Al(Mg)–β-Mg2Al3 interface and compare them with the atomistic simulations. We have computed the surface energy of face-centered cubic α-Al with up to 10 at. pct Mg, as well as the decohesion energy of β′-Mg2Al3 and the interfacial decohesion energy between β′-Mg2Al3 and pure α-Al with geometry similar to that observed experimentally. We find that the β′-Mg2Al3 decohesion energy is nearly isotropic and is lower than the pure Al surface energy and the α-Al–β′-Mg2Al3 interface decohesion energy. This result is consistent with the experimental observations of fracture within the β phase rather than at the α-Al(Mg)–β-Mg2Al3 interface or within the α-Al(Mg) phase.
First Report of Phytophthora Sansomeana Causing Wilting and Stunting on Corn in Ohio

During the spring of 2004, corn seedlings with symptoms of wilting and stunting were observed in corn fields with emergence problems in Madison and Brown counties, Ohio. Phytophthora isolates were recovered from sections of root tissue of diseased seedlings placed on dilute V8 media amended with pentachloronitrobenzene, iprodione, benlate, neomycin sulfate, and chloramphenicol. Colonies were rosaceous on potato dextrose agar, with a growth rate of 5 mm per day. Homothallic isolates with paragynous antheridia were observed on lima bean agar (LBA); oogonia were 35 to 50 μm in diameter. Sporangia were ovoid to obpyriform, nonpapillate, with an average size of 49 × 30 μm. Pathogenicity was tested on corn seeds using a petri dish assay with 3-day-old cultures on LBA and a sand-cornmeal cup test amended with inoculum from 7-day-old cultures on LBA (1). After 1 week in the petri dish assay, the seeds failed to germinate completely and were covered with white, fungal-like, aerial mycelia and the pathogen was recovered from brown discolored radicle roots. In the cup assay, 2-week-old seedlings developed the same symptoms observed in the field; the pathogen was also isolated from brown discolored roots. In both assays, no symptoms developed in the noninoculated controls. Both pathogenicity tests were repeated two times. Genomic DNA was extracted from mycelia of two isolates and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified and sequenced using ITS6/ITS4 primers (2). Both isolates had identical ITS sequences (GenBank Accession No. GQ853880). A BLAST search of the NCBI database showed 100% homology with the sequence of the haplotype isolate of Phytophthora sansomeana (Accession No. EU925375). P. sansomeana is a new species characterized principally by a large oogonial diameter (37 to 45 μm), rapid growth rate (7 to 10 mm/day), and an ITS sequence falling in Cooke's clade 8 (4). Pathogenicity tests, morphological characteristics, and the ITS sequence analysis indicate that P. samsomena is the causal agent of the symptoms observed on corn seedlings. P. sansomeana has been reported as a pathogen of soybean in Indiana, Douglas-fir in Oregon, and weeds in alfalfa fields in New York (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. sansomeana infecting corn in Ohio, albeit other isolates have previously been recovered from soybean in the state. There are four previous reports of Phytophthora spp. affecting corn in the United States and Mexico (3). Crop rotation will have little effect in management of this pathogen since corn and soybean are produced in the same fields continuously throughout the state. References: (1) K. E. Broders et al. Plant. Dis. 91:727, 2007. (2) D. E. L. Cooke et al. Fungal Genet. Biol. 30:17, 2000. (3) D. F. Farr et al. Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN. 1989. (4) E. M. Hansen et al. Mycologia 101:129, 2009.
Volcanic Experimentation: Using Mentos and Soda to Teach Causal Research in a Marketing Research Class

The reaction that occurs when Mentos are added to bottled soft drinks has become a staple demonstration in earth science courses to explain how volcanoes erupt. This paper presents how this engaging exercise can be used in a marketing research course to provide hands-on experience with problem formation, hypothesis testing, and causal research. A detailed description of the process is provided, including a preliminary think-pair-share activity, hypothesis development, experimental design, and execution. Postmortem discussion guidelines that reinforce the linkage between the activity and course learning objectives are included.
Individualised college teaching

Individualised instruction has grown in importance in education in the last few decades. Its increasing importance is clearly shown by the rise in the number of publications in this area in recent years. The ~&cation Index listed four or five articles per year on individualised instruction during the forties and fifties, 35 articles per year during the sixties, and over a hundred articles a year during the seventies (Kozak, 1974). The growth in interest in individualised instruction has been especially dramatic at the college level. After Skinner's (1954) development of teaching machines, college teachers began experimenting with various techniques for individualising college teaching, including programmed learning, computer-assisted instruction and total system of self-paced learning such as Keller's
Slingshot cofilin phosphatase localization is regulated by Receptor Tyrosine Kinases and regulates cytoskeletal structure in the developing Drosophila eye

Animal development requires that positional information act on the genome to control cell fate and cell shape. The primary determinant of animal cell shape is the cytoskeleton and thus the mechanisms by which extracellular signals influence the cytoskeleton are crucial for morphogenesis. In the developing Drosophila compound eye, localized polymerization of actin functions to constrict the apical surface of epithelial cells, both at the morphogenetic furrow and later to maintain the coherence of the nascent ommatidia. As elsewhere, actin polymerization in the developing eye is regulated by ADF/cofilin ('Twinstar', or 'Tsr' in Drosophila), which is activated by Slingshot (Ssh), a cofilin phosphatase. Here we show that Ssh does act in the developing eye to limit actin polymerization in the assembling ommatidia, but not in the morphogenetic furrow. While Ssh does control cell shape, surprisingly there are no direct or immediate consequences for cell type. Ssh protein becomes apically concentrated in cells that express elevated levels of the Sevenless (Sev) receptor-tyrosine kinase (RTK), even those which receive no ligand. We interpret this as a non-signal driven, RTK-dependent localization of Ssh to allow for locally increased actin filament turnover. We suggest that there are two modes of actin remodeling in the developing eye: a non-RTK, non-Ssh mediated mechanism in the morphogenetic furrow, and an RTK and Ssh-dependent mode during ommatidial assembly.
Near-infrared laser welding of aortic and skin tissues and microscopic investigation of welding efficacy

Ex vivo specimens of human and porcine aorta and skin were welded using either Cr4+:YAG or Erbium fiber lasers tuned to the water absorption band at 1440-1460 nm. Welding was performed without the use of protein solders or glues. Welding efficacy was monitored by measuring the tensile strength of the welded tissue and the extent of collateral tissue damage. Full thickness tissue bonding with no collateral damage was observed with porcine aorta samples. The optimum tensile strength for porcine and human aorta was 1.33 ± 0.15 kg/cm2 and 1.13 ± 0.27 kg/cm2 respectively for welding at 1460 nm, while that for porcine and human skin was 0.94 ± 0.15 kg/cm2 and 1.05 ± 0.19 kg/cm2 respectively achieved with welding at 1455 nm. The weld strength as a function of laser wavelength demonstrated a correlation with the absorption spectrum of native water suggests that absorption of light by water in the tissue plays a significant role in laser tissue welding.
The third place

This article examines the benefits that accrue from the utilization and personalization of places outside the workplace and the home. It is argued that participation in these third places provides people with a large measure of their sense of wholeness and distinctiveness. Third places are characterized in terms of sociability and nondiscursive symbolism. The benefits of third place involvement are discussed with reference to diversity and novelty, emotional expressiveness, color, and perspective.
Immunocytochemical detection of a murine leukemia virus-related nuclear antigen in mouse oocytes and early embryos

Abstract The expression of murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-related antigens in oocytes and early embryos of Swiss mice was studied by the unlabeled antibody peroxidase-antiperoxidase method using an antiserum to the major core protein, p30, of AKR MuLV. This procedure resulted in an intense staining, at antibody dilutions up to 1:500, of the germinal vesicles of oocytes and the interphase nuclei of early embryos. Nuclear staining was restricted to a specific period of oocyte growth and embryo development. It developed gradually in oocytes having reached one third to one half the full-grown size and persisted until meiotic maturation. In early embryos, nuclear staining was present from the one-cell stage to the morula, but disappeared during transition from morula to blastocyst and was not seen in expanded blastocysts. Nuclear staining was abolished by absorption of the anti-p30 serum with detergent-disrupted virions of Gross(A), AKR, Kirsten and Moloney MuLV, and Kirsten MSV(MuLV), but not with the Friend and Rauscher strains of MuLV, the xenotropic BALB:virus 2, a mouse tropic and an amphotropic clone of wild mouse MuLV, or with FeLV and RSV. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that the nuclear antigen (termed germinal vesicle antigen) reacting with the anti-p30 serum is the product of a cellular gene having a normal function in early embryonic development, and that sequences related to this gene are incorporated into the genome of AKR-type MuLV.
Plastic deformation of silicon dendritic web ribbons during the growth

The distribution of slip dislocations in silicon dendritic web ribbons due to plastic deformation during the cooling phase of the growth was studied. The results show the existence of two distinguishable stress regions across the ribbon formed during the plastic deformation stage, namely, shear stress at the ribbon edges and tensile stress at the middle. In addition, slip dislocations caused by shear stress near the edges appear to originate at the twin plane.
Impaired Collateral Vessel Development Associated With Reduced Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in ApoE−/− Mice

Background—The impact of disordered lipid metabolism on collateral vessel development was studied in apolipoprotein (apo)E−/− mice with unilateral hindlimb ischemia. Methods and Results—Hindlimb blood flow and capillary density were markedly reduced in apoE−/− mice versus C57 controls. This was associated with reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the ischemic limbs of apoE−/− mice. Cell-specific immunostaining localized VEGF protein expression to skeletal myocytes and infiltrating T cells in the ischemic limbs of C57 mice; in contrast, T-cell infiltrates in ischemic limbs of apoE−/− mice were severely reduced. The critical contribution of T cells to VEGF expression and collateral vessel growth was reinforced by the finding of accelerated limb necrosis in athymic nude mice with operatively induced hindlimb ischemia. Adenoviral VEGF gene transfer to apoE−/− mice resulted in marked augmentation of hindlimb blood flow and capillary density. Conclusions—These findings thus undersc...
The distribution of the auriculotemporal nerve around the temporomandibular joint

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this cadaver dissection was to study the position of the auriculotemporal nerve in relation to the mandibular condyle, capsular tissues, articular fossa, and lateral pterygoid muscle and to evaluate the anatomic possibility of nerve impingement or irritation by the surrounding structures. Study design. Eight cadaveric heads (16 sides) were dissected. The auriculotemporal nerve was identified by following its course around the middle meningeal artery. The course of the nerve trunk was dissected from the middle meningeal artery to the terminal branches within the temporomandibular disk. The horizontal distance between the auriculotemporal nerve and the medial portion of the condyle/condylar neck was measured. The vertical distance from the most superior portion of the articular condyle to the superior border of the auriculotemporal nerve was measured. Results. The auriculotemporal nerve was identified on each side, and a single trunk was evident along the medial aspect of the condylar neck. At the posterior border of the lateral pterygoid muscle, the nerve trunk was in direct contact with the condylar neck in every specimen. The average vertical distance between the superior condyle and the nerve was 7.06 mm (± 3.21 mm); the range was 0 to 13 mm. The vertical distance between the nerve and the superior condyle on one side of the specimen did not correlate with the distance on the contralateral side. Conclusion. The auriculotemporal nerve trunk has a close anatomic relationship with the condyle and the temporomandibular joint capsular region, and there is evidence of a possible mechanism for sensory disturbances in the temporomandibular joint region. In all cases, the nerve was in direct contact with the medial aspect of the capsule or condylar neck. Because there is no correlation between the positions of the nerves on the right and left sides, only one side may be affected. The nerve was also observed to course in direct apposition to the lateral pterygoid muscle. The findings support the hypothesis that the anatomic and clinical relationship of the auriculotemporal nerve to the condyle, articular fossa, and lateral pterygoid muscle may be causally related to compression or irritation of the nerve, producing numbness or pain, or both, in the temporomandibular joint region.
Autism and Tuberous Sclerosis.

Autism is a behavior disorder with genetic influences indicated from twin and family studies and from the co-occurrence of autism with known genetic disorders. Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a known genetic disorder with behavioral manifestations including autism. A literature review of these two disorders substantiates a significant association of autism and TSC with 17-58% of TSC subjects manifesting autism and 0.4-3% of autistic subjects having TSC. In initial data collected on 13 TSC probands and 14 autistic probands in our family study of autism and TSC, we identified 7 TSC subjects with autism. The seven TSC autistic probands are similar to non-TSC autistic probands on the Social and Communication domains of the Autism Diagnostic Inventory (ADI) (Le Couteur et al., 1989), but show fewer Repetitive Rituals. There are more male TSC probands with autism than female, despite an equal sex ratio among TSC probands. The TSC probands with autism have significantly more seizures and mental retardation than those without autism; however, the extent and etiology of associations require further study. Our preliminary findings suggest that a fruitful approach for delineating genetic influences in autism may come from further investigation of possible mechanisms underlying the association of autism and TSC.
Storage of dried grass wafers: Moisture relationships, safe storage periods and changes in durability

Abstract The behaviour in store of milled and wafered S23 Ryegrass, S48 Timothy and Eynsford Lucerne was studied: A storage trial was carried out at 21°C and 5 r.h. levels from 67–90% on milled and whole dried wafers with and without the addition of a binding agent and/or fungus inhibitor (propionic acid). The addition of propionic acid (33% by weight of 99% solution) had a marked effect, no mould was present at 80% r.h. after 440 days compared with less than 20 days for untreated material. A complementary study established moisture content/r.h. equilibrium relationships. The hysteresis lag between wetting and drying curves was less than 2% at 70% r.h. and curves were similar for three crops studied. Changes in the durability of wafers manufactured with and without the addition of a binding agent, were recorded over a period of 9 months. Where a binding agent was included, wafers were more durable and consistent in manufacture than corresponding untreated wafers. The durability of all wafers declined slightly over the period.
Characterization of a new defective strain of TMV

Abstract A new nitrous acid-induced defective strain of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) designated PM5 was isolated and some of its characteristics were studied. The coat protein of this defective strain showed a change from arginine to cysteine at position 112 in the amino acid sequence of the protein. The protein aggregated into rodlike structures similar to aggregated TMV protein but the subunits seem to be more loosely packed with a tendency to stacked disk configuration.
Interplay of Microtubule Dynamics and Sliding during Bipolar Spindle Formation in Mammalian Cells

Accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis relies on the organization of microtubules into a bipolar spindle. Kinesin-5 proteins play an evolutionarily conserved role in establishing spindle bipolarity [1, 2] and clinical trials are currently evaluating inhibitors of human kinesin-5 (i.e., Eg5) for chemotherapeutic potential. However, in mammalian somatic cells, Eg5 activity is dispensable for maintenance of bipolar spindles once they are formed [3, 4], suggesting distinct requirements for establishment versus maintenance of spindle bipolarity. By combining Eg5 inhibition with RNA interference of other spindle proteins, we show that mitotic cells deficient in MCAK fail to maintain spindle bipolarity in the absence of Eg5 activity. Collapse of bipolar spindles in MCAK-deficient cells is driven by pole-focusing activities and is independent of MCAK function at centromeres, implicating hyperstabilized non-kinetochore microtubules in spindle collapse. Conversely, destabilizing nonkinetochore microtubules in early mitosis reduces the reliance on Eg5 for establishment of spindle bipolarity and renders cells partially resistant to Eg5 inhibitors. Thus, the temporal requirement for microtubule sliding generated by Eg5 activity during bipolar spindle assembly in mammalian cells is regulated by changes in the dynamic behavior of microtubules during mitosis.
Identification of a host protein essential for assembly of immature HIV-1 capsids

To form an immature HIV-1 capsid, 1,500 HIV-1 Gag (p55) polypeptides must assemble properly along the host cell plasma membrane. Insect cells and many higher eukaryotic cell types support efficient capsid assembly1, but yeast2 and murine cells3,4 do not, indicating that host machinery is required for immature HIV-1 capsid formation. Additionally, in a cell-free system that reconstitutes HIV-1 capsid formation, post-translational assembly events require ATP and a subcellular fraction5, suggesting a requirement for a cellular ATP-binding protein. Here we identify such a protein (HP68), described previously as an RNase L inhibitor6, and demonstrate that it associates post-translationally with HIV-1 Gag in a cell-free system and human T cells infected with HIV-1. Using a dominant negative mutant of HP68 in mammalian cells and depletion–reconstitution experiments in the cell-free system, we demonstrate that HP68 is essential for post-translational events in immature HIV-1 capsid assembly. Furthermore, in cells the HP68–Gag complex is associated with HIV-1 Vif, which is involved in virion morphogenesis and infectivity. These findings support a critical role for HP68 in post-translational events of HIV-1 assembly and reveal a previously unappreciated dimension of host–viral interaction.
Electrodeposited Cobalt-Tungsten as a High-Temperature Diffusion Barrier for Graphite-Fiber/Nickel Composites

There is a growing demand for advanced composites which can maintain their structural strength in high-temperature environments, particularly for aerospace applications. The use of graphite fiber/nickel metal matrix composites would be desirable if the deterioration of mechanical properties resulting from interdiffusion of carbon and nickel at temperatures in excess of 600°C could be avoided. The present research concerns an electrodeposited cobalt alloy coating containing 5-10.5 at-% tungsten, which was designed to serve as a diffusion barrier between graphite fibers and a nickel matrix. The resulting graphite/Co-W/Ni composite was tested under various time/temperature conditions, and the coating was shown to inhibit diffusion for up to 24 hr at 800°C. Annealed and unannealed coated fibers were analyzed by x-ray diffraction and by transmission electron microscopy The as-deposited coating was found to contain both h.c.p. and f.c.c. cobalt, whereas only f.c.c. was observed after annealing at 1100°C for 1.5 hours. WC was found at the coating/fiber interface.
Equilibrium sorption of Cr6+ by a consortia of denitrifying bacteria

The accumulation of metal ions on to biological materials is a promising method for removing these toxic materials from waste or ground-waters. A fractional factorial statistical experimental design was used to ascertain which experimental parameters affect the sorption of Cr6+ by a consortium of denitrifying bacteria using a minimum number of experiments. Analysis of this set of experiments found that the steady state sorption behavior could be described by Langmuir isotherms. Observed variations in the isotherm parameters were due to the imposed changes in the experimental variables. In particular, solution pH and the state of the biomass were found to have the greatest influence upon the amount of chromium that was taken up, while other factors had less significance, but were still important.
Wavelength conversion for 112Gbit/s PolMux-RZ-QPSK signals based on four-wave mixing in high-nonlinear fiber using digital coherent detection

Dual-pump wavelength conversion for 112 Gbit/s polarization multiplexing RZ-QPSK signals based on four-wave-mixing in 1 km high-nonlinear fiber with digital coherent detection has been demonstrated for the first time. Less than 2 dB-penalty is achieved after wavelength conversion in this scheme.
Ceramic Coatings for Nuclear Reactors A Progress Report

Ceramic coatings were prepared from materials having low absorption coefficients for thermal neutrons. They were specifically designed for application to typical high-temperature alloy parts for use in nuclear reactors. Best results were obtained with boron-free coatings of the frit-refractory type, in which a high-barium frit containing small amounts of phosphate, beryllia, lime, zinc oxide, and titania was milled with additions of ceria or mixtures of chromic oxide and ceria. Coating compositions and test data are given. Summary and Conclusions A total of 85 new frits and more than 200 new coatings were prepared and tested in the development of ceramic coatings for the protection of high-temperature alloys against oxidation in air at elevated temperatures. The coatings which were designed especially for use in nuclear reactors, where only materials of low absorption coefficients for thermal neutrons can be used, may be suitable for more conventional purposes. The development work is still in progress, but the results to date may be summarized as follows: (1) Boron-free frits have been developed and tested that have average neutron absorption coefficients in the range 0.15 to 0.50 barn, fritting temperatures of 2600°F. or below, and fiber-deformation softening temperatures of 1450°F. or above. (2) The best frits developed to date are of the barium silicate type and contain small amounts of BeO, CaO, ZnO, and P2O5. Some of them also contain TiO2. (3) Coatings containing these frits, with admixtures of clay and various refractory oxides, have been developed and tested. The firing temperatures of the most promising of these coatings are in the range 1850° to 2250°F. (4) Of the refractory oxides used as mill additions in the coatings, best results were obtained with Cr2O3 and CeO2 and mixtures of the two. (5) The best ratio of frit to refractory oxide for all frits is 65 to 35 parts by weight. (6) Coatings were applied and adhered well to all the following alloys: types 309, 310, and 321 stainless steel, Inconel, Nichrome V, Stellite 25, and S-816. (7) The protection given to the various coated alloy specimens varied with the composition of the alloys as well as with the composition of the coatings. Type 321 stainless steel was the most difficult to protect, and Nichrome V and Inconel were the easiest to protect. Type 310 stainless steel was relatively easy to protect. (8) The best evaluation of the degree of oxidation of a coated specimen during long-time heating in air was obtained by microscopic comparison of metallographic sections of tested and untested coated specimens and determinations of the depth of external oxidation, maximum depth of stringer penetration, and number of stringers per inch of specimen. (9) The better coatings reduced greatly both the depth of stringer penetration and number of stringers per inch on type 310 stainless steel tested at 1900°F. for approximately 150 hours.
Dimensions of poly(trimethylene oxide) chains in a theta-solvent

Abstract Fractions of poly(trimethylene oxide) CH2)3]x of relatively high degree of polymerization x were studied in liquid-liquid phase equilibria in the poor solvent cyclohexane. The results thus obtained indicate that the ideal or theta-temperature for this system is 27.0 ± 0.5°C. Intrinsic viscosities measured under these conditions were used to obtain a value for the characteristic ratio 〈r 2 〉 0 nl 2 of the unperturbed dimensions of these chains relative to the number of skeletal bonds and the average square of their length. The resulting value, 3.86 ± 0.08, is unusually low, a fact which may be attributed to the high degree of conformational randomness in this chain molecule. Consideration of poly(trimethylene oxide) to be an alternating copolymer of ethylene and oxymethylene provides some additional information of interest. It clearly demonstrates that a chemical copolymer can have configuration-dependent properties which are vastly different from those of its parent homopolymers.
Clinical outcomes of steroid-insensitive asthma

Background Steroid insensitivity increasingly is being recognized in patients with severe, chronic asthma. Virtually no data exist regarding the clinical outcomes of steroid insensitive (SI) asthma despite clear expectations of poorer longitudinal course for this condition. Methods We obtained 2-year follow-up data from 34 pediatric patients who had been evaluated for steroid insensitivity at a national asthma referral center. Outcomes evaluated included current oral glucocorticoid (GC) dose; number of GC bursts, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations for asthma in the prior 12 months; Asthma Functional Severity; Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life; and Pediatric Asthma Caregiver's Quality of Life. Results At follow-up, patients with SI asthma and their caregiving parent both reported poorer quality of life (QOL) compared with those with steroid sensitive (SS) asthma (adolescent: 4.6 ± 0.4 versus 5.6 ± 0.3; P P Conclusions Steroid insensitivity was associated with significantly poorer QOL at 2-year follow-up. Steroid insensitive patients did not show poorer clinical outcomes compared with SS patients as assessed by current steroid requirements and health care utilization. Overall, the observed pattern of results suggests that SI asthma may be a worse form of asthma because a more fixed pattern of lung obstruction has developed. Further longitudinal study of the clinical and cellular outcomes of SI asthma is needed to more fully characterize the types and magnitude of risks associated with SI status.
Mechanism of action of imiquimod 5% cream in the treatment of anogenital warts.

Objective: The objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to evaluate the mechanism of action of imiquimod cream in the treatment of anogenital warts, and to apply the findings to the results of previously conducted safety and efficacy trials.Methods: Imiquimod (16 patients) or placebo (3 patients) cream was applied 3 times a week for up to 16 weeks; cream remained on the skin overnight for 8 +/- 2 hours. Wart biopsies were taken at prestudy, week 6, and the end of treatment (just prior to clearance or at week 16) and analyzed using PCR for HPV/DNA and RT-PCR for mRNA to identify cytokines, cellular markers, markers of proliferation and differentiation, and viral gene products. Efficacy was assessed based on wart area regression as documented by wart area measurements and photographs.Results: All patients enrolled in the trial had HPV type 6/11. All imiquimod-treated patients experienced a >/=75% clearance in baseline/target wart area. Imiquimod treatment stimulated significant increases in mRNA for IFN-alpha, 2'5' AS and IFN-gamma. Increases in mRNA for CD4, CD8, and TNF-alpha were also observed, suggesting activation of a T-helper type-1 cell mediated response. During the trial one of the vehicle treated patients also experienced spontaneous wart clearance; comparisons of the cytokine levels for this patient were similar to those observed for the imiquimod treated patients.Conclusions: The results of this mechanism of action trial indicate that the stimulation of local cytokines and cellular infiltrates by imiquimod leads to a reduction of HPV types 6 and 11 viral load with subsequent wart regression and normalization of keratinocyte proliferation without evidence of scarring. In two previous randomized vehicle-controlled trials evaluating patients with anogenital warts, the majority of patients had HPV-DNA types 6 or 11 as assessed by in situ hybridization. These results provide additional insight into the mechanism of total clearance for these otherwise healthy patients. The Th1 response demonstrated in this trial also explains the lower total clearance rates demonstrated in HIV-positive and AIDS patients.
B‐CAM/LU expression and the role of B‐CAM/LU activation in binding of low‐ and high‐density red cells to laminin in sickle cell disease

Red blood cells from patients with sickle cell disease (SS RBC) adhere to laminin and over-express the high-affinity laminin receptor basal cell adhesion molecule/Lutheran protein (B-CAM/LU). This receptor has recently been shown to undergo activation in vitro through a protein kinase A-dependent mechanism. Low-density SS RBC express two-thirds more B-CAM/LU than high-density SS RBC. However, high-density SS RBC have been identified as most adherent to laminin under flow conditions. We investigated the ability of low- and high-density SS RBC to interact with laminin under various conditions and explored factors that might be responsible for the differences in B-CAM/LU-laminin interaction between high- and low-density SS RBC. We confirmed that high-density SS RBC adhere to laminin more strongly than low-density SS RBC under flow conditions. However, low-density SS RBC bind soluble laminin most strongly and are the most adherent to laminin under static conditions. Soluble recombinant Lutheran extracellular domain protein completely blocked SS RBC adhesion to laminin under both static and flow conditions. The protein kinase A inhibitor 14-22 amide inhibited adhesion to laminin during flow by high-density SS RBC from patients with strongly adherent cells but had no effect on adhesion observed after a static phase. Deletion of the cytoplasmic domain of B-CAM as well as mutation of the juxtamembranous tyrosine residue failed to reduce B-CAM-mediated adhesion to laminin by transfected MEL cells. These studies confirm that B-CAM/LU is the most critical receptor mediating adhesion to laminin under both static and flow conditions. Dense SS RBC are most adherent to laminin despite bearing fewer laminin receptors, apparently due to a reversible protein kinase A-dependent process that is unlikely to involve direct phosphorylation of B-CAM/LU. Our results also suggest that the nature of the interaction of B-CAM/LU with laminin may be different under static and flow conditions.
Loneliness predicts postprandial ghrelin and hunger in women

Loneliness is strongly linked to poor health. Recent research suggests that appetite dysregulation provides one potential pathway through which loneliness and other forms of social disconnection influence health. Obesity may alter the link between loneliness and appetite-relevant hormones, one unexplored possibility. We examined the relationships between loneliness and both postmeal ghrelin and hunger, and tested whether these links differed for people with a higher versus lower body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2)). During this double-blind randomized crossover study, women (N=42) ate a high saturated fat meal at the beginning of one full-day visit and a high oleic sunflower oil meal at the beginning of the other. Loneliness was assessed once with a commonly used loneliness questionnaire. Ghrelin was sampled before the meal and postmeal at 2 and 7h. Self-reported hunger was measured before the meal, immediately postmeal, and then 2, 4, and 7h later. Lonelier women had larger postprandial ghrelin and hunger increases compared with less lonely women, but only among participants with a lower BMI. Loneliness and postprandial ghrelin and hunger were unrelated among participants with a higher BMI. These effects were consistent across both meals. These data suggest that ghrelin, an important appetite-regulation hormone, and hunger may link loneliness to weight gain and its corresponding negative health effects among non-obese people.
Determining resuscitation status: A survey of medical professionals

Regarding the determination of resuscitation status (RS) and the writing of do-not-resuscitate orders, we compared the recent Presidential Guidelines with the attitudes and perceptions of 143 medical professionals in a major medical center. Seventy-four percent of respondents believed that RS was primarily determined by the physician. Only 1% believed the patient decides and a minority (40%) believed the patient should decide; 61% would want to decide for themselves if they were ill. Most respondents agreed that neither patients nor staff were well-informed about the individual patient's RS. When presented case vignettes requiring a decision about RS, the respondents frequently chose a RS contrary to the wishes of a competent patient. The findings of this survey point to the significant differences between the Presidential Commission's guidelines and the actual attitudes and perceived practices of clinicians.
Relation of exercise Doppler left ventricular filling to thallium lung uptake

Abstract The exercise-induced changes in left ventricular filling in patients with coronary artery disease are poorly understood. Therefore these changes were studied in relation to a noninvasive indicator of exercise pulmonary venous congestion, the lung-to-heart (L:H) ratio on symptom-limited thallium stress testing. Fifty-six patients undergoing diagnostic treadmill testing were studied; 50 of them had technically adequate Doppler recordings and became the subjects of this study. Doppler left ventricular filling was assessed with patients in the supine position both before and after exercise. Measurements included early (E) and late (A) filling velocities, their ratio, the diastolic time-velocity integral, and the diastolic filling time. The L:H ratio was considered abnormal if it was greater than the upper 95% confidence limit for a separate group of normal subjects. Twelve subjects had a documented prior myocardial infarction, 16 had stress-induced ischemia, and 20 had abnormal L:H ratios. A greater E and a longer diastolic filling time in the group with an abnormal L:H ratio were the only postexercise measurements that differed; however, E was the only filling parameter that both differed between groups after exercise (abnormal L:H group 87 ± 25 cm/sec; normal 68 ± 20 cm/sec; p p
Urinary growth hormone excretion in the assessment of children with disorders of growth.

Summary OBJECTIVE We wished to evaluate the use of urinary GH measurements when compared to conventional GH provocation tests in the assessment of short children. DESIGN Children presenting for the first time to a regional growth clinic were assessed clinically by one observer. Investigations comprising standard GH provocation tests and measurement of urinary GH were undertaken to exclude GH deficiency. PATIENTS Fifty-eight children aged 58-16 years were enrolled. Ten were diagnosed on clinical assessment as GH deficient, 43 had delayed growth and/or familial short stature, and five had idiopathic short stature; the 48 children in the last two groups were defined as short normal. MEASUREMENTS GH secretion was evaluated by two standard provocation tests and by the measurement of GH in five overnight urine collections. A normal peak GH concentration was defined as <16 μ/l. The values for urinary GH excretion were compared to normal ranges (2 standard deviations from the mean), established in healthy schoolchildren of normal stature. RESULTS All children considered GH deficient on clinical grounds had low peak GH concentrations on provocation tests, while 8/10 had low values of urinary GH excretion. All short normal children with normal peak GH concentrations (n= 36) on provocation tests and 11/12 children with low peak GH concentrations had urinary GH excretion within the normal range. There was therefore a significant difference in the classification of‘normal’GH secretion in the two tests. If the clinical diagnosis was used as the standard by which GH tests were Judged, the predictive value of a positive urinary GH test in the diagnosis of GH deficiency was 89% compared with 45% for GH provocation tests. CONCLUSION The use of urinary growth hormone measurements leads to the classification of more children with disorders of growth having adequate GH secretion than that derived from GH provocation tests.
Anterior cervical osteophytes as a cause of progressive dysphagia

An uncommon cause of progressive dysphagia may be large cervical osteophytes impinging upon the cervical esophagus. Dysphagia may be due to the mechanical mass effect of a large anterior osteophyte, trapping the esophagus opposite a fixed point such as the cricoid cartilage, or a local inflammatory reaction resulting in cricopharyngeal spasm. We report three patients with progressive dysphagia due to large anterior cervical osteophytes. All three patients were treated with anterior cervical approach with removal of the osteophytes without fusion. A review of the literature in addition to the specific case histories, video fluoroscopic and radiographic findings are presented.
Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Species Composition in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Abstract Using pitfall traps on 12 sites in the southern Appalachian Mountains during 2007–2008, we collected 6552 carabid beetles representing 46 species. We collected 40 species in 14 genera at 9 spruce—fir sites and 29 species in 12 genera at 3 hardwood sites. When adjusted for sampling effort via rarefaction, spruce—fir and hardwood sites did not differ in species richness. However, there were significant differences in species composition. Based on non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) analysis, species assemblages for spruce—fir forest were distinct from those found for hardwood forests, with the 4 northern spruce—fir forest sites clustered independently from the 5 southern spruce—fir sites. Composition by genera varied by season: Pterostichus was the dominant genus in the summer and autumn, and Sphaeroderus was the dominant genus in the winter and spring. The species captured by pitfall traps in this study differed somewhat from the species found at these sites in a previous survey made by hand...
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis: ultrastructural pathology.

Abstract The pathogenesis of lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus infection was studied in mice by associating the development of ultrastructural changes with parallel light microscopic alterations and the build-up of viral antigen as detected by immunofluorescence. From early in the course of the disease, viral antigen was localized in the choroid plexus and ependymal epithelium and the arachnoid cells of the meninges. Typical LCM virus particles were found enmeshed in the microvillous border of the choroid plexus and ependyma as a result of budding from plasma membranes and entrapment beneath overlying macrophages and epithelial projections. These virus particles and nascent budding particles were considered the target of the terminal cell-mediated immune (CMI) response. Arenavirus inclusions were observed in the cytoplasm of the same epithelia throughout the late stages of infection, but such antigen masses were effectively sequestered. On the day before death (day 6 postinoculation), mononuclear cells invaded the choroid plexus by extravasation through the central capillary endothelium and basement lamina, and then via emperipolesis and intercellular migration through the epithelium into the cerebrospinal fluid of the ventricles. The most common invading cell type was considered a medium or large lymphocyte, but monocytes and macrophages were also present. Similar cell types invaded the ependyma and the subarachnoid space of the meninges. No cytopathology was associated with the viral infection of the choroid plexus, ependyma, or meninges, nor with the mononuclear cell influx of the CMI reaction to infection. The parenchyma of the brain remained normal throughout infection; there was no evidence of infection, inflammation, or edema. Because correspondence of the immunopathologic target site and the anatomic location of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier occurred only in the choroid plexus, this organ was considered to have the central role in LCM pathogenesis. Its functional breakdown must be the proximate cause of the convulsive diatheses characteristic of the disease.
Manipulating signaling at will: chemically-inducible dimerization (CID) techniques resolve problems in cell biology

Chemically-inducible dimerization (CID) is a powerful tool that has proved useful in solving numerous problems in cell biology and related fields. In this review, we focus on case studies where CID was able to provide insight into otherwise refractory problems. Of particular interest are the cases of lipid second messengers and small GTPases, where the “signaling paradox” (how a small pool of signaling molecules can generate a large range of responses) can be at least partly explained through results gleaned from CID experiments. We also discuss several recent technical advances that provide improved specificity in CID action, novel CID substrates that allow simultaneous orthogonal manipulation of multiple systems in one cell, and several applications that move beyond the traditional CID technique of moving a protein of interest to a specific spatiotemporal location.
Aziridine synthesis in the presence of catalytic amounts of pyridiniums or viologens

Abstract Pyridinium and viologen species were found to induce an aziridine-forming reaction from various imines and phenyldiazomethane. The reactions were generally high yielding and demonstrated cis-aziridine selectivity.
Privacy-preserving data mining in the malicious model

Most of the cryptographic work in privacy-preserving distributed data mining deals with semi-honest adversaries, which are assumed to follow the prescribed protocol but try to infer private information using the messages they receive during the protocol. Although the semi-honest model is reasonable in some cases, it is unrealistic to assume that adversaries will always follow the protocols exactly. In particular, malicious adversaries could deviate arbitrarily from their prescribed protocols. Secure protocols that are developed against malicious adversaries require utilisation of complex techniques. Clearly, protocols that can withstand malicious adversaries provide more security. However, there is an obvious trade-off: protocols that are secure against malicious adversaries are generally more expensive than those secure against semi-honest adversaries only. In this paper, our goal is to make an analysis of trade-offs between performance and security in privacy-preserving distributed data mining algorithms in the two models. In order to make a realistic comparison, we enhance commonly used subprotocols that are secure in the semi-honest model with zero knowledge proofs to be secure in the malicious model. We compare the performance of these protocols in both models.
Floating Voters and Floating Activists : Political Change and Information

Many studies document positive relationships between political information and campaign participation, but none investigates the relationship between information and interelection change in campaig...
Influence of Post-Irradiation Medication with Antibiotic JM-57h on Survival Time in Mice.

SummaryAntibiotic JM-57h a wide spectrum agent, has been used to combat post-irradiation infection without significantly increasing the total number of survivors. In the group medicated daily an increase in the ST50 day was noted. The results obtained indicate that medication must be started during the first post-irradiation week before massive bacteremia occurs, otherwise such therapy will not be beneficial. At a dose of 0.1 of its LD50, antibiotic JM-57h was well tolerated and produced no fatalities or untoward reactions in CF-1 strain mice.
Energy and rapidity dependence of beauty production at Tevatron

Abstract The CDF and DO experiments have measured b b production in p p interactions at √s = 1800 GeV and 630 GeV (the energy at which the previous measurement was performed by the UA1 experiment). The Tevatron measurements are used to evaluate, for the first time, the center-of-mass energy and rapidity dependence of b-quark production cross section measured with the same detectors. Preliminary results from these measurements are presented and compared with the next-to-leading order QCD predictions.
Occupational crime, occupational deviance, and workplace crime Sorting out the difference

The concept of occupational crime—as one of the principal forms of white collar crime—has been quite familiar and widely invoked since the publication of Clinard and Quinney's influential Criminal Behavior Systems: A Typology. More recently, however, the term occupational crime has been applied to activities quite removed from the original meaning of white collar crime, and it has been used interchangeably with such terms as occupational deviance and workplace crime. In the interest of greater conceptual clarity within the field of white collar crime the argument is made here for restricting the term `occupational crime' to illegal and unethical activities committed for individual financial gain—or to avoid financial loss—in the context of a legitimate occupation. The term `occupational deviance' is better reserved for deviation from occupational norms (e.g. drinking on the job; sexual harassment), and the term `workplace crime' is better reserved for conventional forms of crime committed in the workplace...