cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A radioimmunoassay for turkey luteinizing hormone.

Abstract A radioimmunoassay for the measurement of turkey LH (TLH) is described. The antiserum used was developed against purified TLH (No. 70355). Another TLH (CG-C) preparation was used for iodination and as a reference standard. Linear logit vs log dose plots were obtained with standard between 0.10 and 16.0 ng TLH/assay tube. Sera from laying famales, nonlaying females, intact males, castrate males, thyroidectomized males and broody females inhibit bindings of 125 I-TLH, yielding dose-response curves parallel to the standard curve. Sera from a hypophysectomized turkey, at levels up to 200 μl/assay tube did not inhibit binding of 125 I-TLH. Assay of TLH, added to hypophysectomized sera, resulted in essentially 100% recovery. Luteinzing hormone releasing hormone elicited an increase in immuroreactive LH within 10 min after injection. Castration of male turkeys resulted in elevated immunoreactive LH. Manipulation of the pituitary-thyroid axis yielded conflicting results. Thyroidectomy, triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and thyroxine (T 4 ) treatment, and thiouracil feeding had no effect on serum LH, but TRH injection elevated the immunoreactive material. Evidence is presented that suggests TRH releases LH in Aves .
Fat metabolism and diabetes: 2003 American Diabetes Association postgraduate course.

At the American Diabetes Association Postgraduate Course in New York, New York, on 10 January 2003, David E. Kelley (Pittsburgh, PA) discussed the relationship between fat metabolism and diabetes. Over the past few decades, he noted, the prevalence of obesity has doubled in adults and has quadrupled in teenagers, with more than half of U.S. adults now being overweight or obese. This is a manifestation of a much more longstanding trend. Data from military recruitment records, for example, show that the average weight, adjusted for height, has been increasing over the past 150 years. Sixty-one percent of the prevalence of diabetes can be attributed to obesity. There is a strong correlation between BMI and body fat. One of the correlates of insulin resistance is the blood fatty acid (FA) level. In 1963, Randle (1) initially suggested that FAs compete with glucose for metabolism. Kelley showed that, in a euglycemic clamp, when comparing subjects with and without lipid infusion, the former have marked resistance to muscle glucose uptake, with increased glycolysis and decreased glycogen formation—“precisely the profile we get in type 2 diabetes.” FA levels are strong predictors of muscle insulin resistance (2). Muscle fat content is increased in obesity and more so in type 2 diabetes. Electron microscopy shows decreased mitochondrial size in muscle from individuals with type 2 diabetes. Fats may not directly mediate insulin resistance, Kelly noted, but FA-derived muscle diacylglycerol (DAG) and fatty acyl CoA lead to increased intramuscular ceramide, which may directly affect muscle glucose uptake and metabolism. FA oxidation is greater and storage is lower in lean than in obese persons, but Kelley described an “inefficient use of fat” in persons with obesity: the normal insulin-induced increase in FA storage is attenuated and fails to improve with weight loss (3). He noted that while muscle …
Longterm Electrocardiographic Monitoring of Ambulatory Patients with Chronic Airway Obstruction

Twenty-five patients with severe, chronic obstructive airway disease had standard 12-iead electrocardiograms and longterm electrocardiographic monitoring performed while they were in a stable condition. Standard electrocardiograms demonstrated a high incidence of electrocardiographic abnormalities suggestive of right ventricular hypertrophy and/or chronic pulmonary disease, but only 20 percent showed arrhythmia. In contrast, longterm electrocardiographic monitoring demonstrated mat 84 percent of the patients had some disturbance of rhythm, 72 percent ventricular, most commonly multifocal VPC's, and 52 percent had atrial arrhythmias. The results were compared to monitor recordings from ambulatory patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction. The patients with pulmonary disease and the patients with heart disease showed similarity in the frequency and types of ventricular arrhythmias, but atrial disturbances were more common in the patients with pulmonary disorders.
In love and war: racial disharmony and America's discordant racial articulations in the wake of the Jeremiah Wright media spectacle

Abstract Utilizing articulation theory, critical race theory and discourse analysis, this study examines the socio-racial discourses mobilized in response to the Jeremiah Wright media spectacle during the 2008 US presidential election. Two perspectives pervaded the social climate: one advancing racial transcendence and the other color consciousness in the name of addressing ongoing racial oppression. To explore the legitimacy of these claims, an analysis of online posts on YouTube and the Huffington Post revealed three socio-racial discourses: (1) the racial scaffolding of US society must be exposed by “speaking truth to power”; (2) the US has transcended race and oppositional opinions are unpatriotic, anti-America profanity; and (3) claims of enduring racial oppression by African Americans are ungrateful, anti-progress “babble.” This study contends that the simultaneous articulation of multiple socio-racial discourses reflecting divergent commitments calls into question the very foundation of the discour...
Fusionless Treatment of Scoliosis

The recent investigations of convex anterior vertebral body stapling have offered promising early results with use of improved implants and techniques. The use of a shape memory alloy staple tailored to the size of the vertebral body, the application of several staples per level, the instrumentation of the Cobb levels of all curves, and the employment of minimally invasive thoracoscopic approaches all offer substantial improvements over previous fusionless techniques. Patient selection may also play a role in the current success of these fusionless treatments, with perhaps the ideal candidates for this intervention possessing smaller and more flexible curves. Long-term results of the effects on the instrumented motion segments and adjacent spine are not yet available.
Association of pre-pregnancy maternal body mass and maternal weight gain to newborn outcomes in twin pregnancies

Background. The rate of twin gestations is now about 3% of all pregnancies. The study objective was to investigate the association between twin pregnancy newborn outcomes and maternal weight. Methods. Birth certificate information of 1,342 sets of live-born twin deliveries collected in a regional perinatal data system from a contiguous eight-county area in upstate New York was studied. Results. The obese maternal pre-pregnancy BMI category was correlated with an increased odds ratio of a “Type I” (both a ≥36-week gestation and a ≥2,500-g average twin weight) newborn outcome (adjusted OR 1.92; 95% CI: 1.43, 2.56). For total maternal weight gain, there was an increased odds ratio of having a Type I newborn outcome with >25 kg weight gain (adjusted OR 2.24; 95% CI: 1.51, 3.33). Conclusions. Based on this population-based study, we conclude that both maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and total maternal weight gain are associated with twin newborn outcomes.
Ribosomal proteins L7/L12 localized at a single region of the large subunit by immune electron microscopy.

Abstract Ribosomal proteins L 7 L 12 have been mapped by immune electron microscopy. These multiple copy proteins are located at a single region extending from the large subunit, known as the L 7 L 12 stalk. The L 7 L 12 stalk is approximately 100 A long, about 40 A wide and extends at an angle of approximately 50 ° from one side of the central protuberance of the large subunit. In the monomeric 70 S ribosome, the portion of the L 7 L 12 stalk proximal to the 50 S subunit is located in the vicinity of the 30 S-50 S interface. Anti- L 7 L 12 antibody binding to the stalk was shown to be solely dependent upon the presence of L 7 L 12 by the following experiments. Sucrose gradient analysis was used to demonstrate that large subunits depleted of L 7 L 12 were unable to bind anti- L 7 L 12 antibodies and that re-incorporation of L 7 L 12 restored the ability of L 7 L 12 -depleted cores to react with anti- L 7 L 12 antibodies. Anti- L 7 L 12 antibodies pre-absorbed with L 7 L 12 did not react with 50 S subunits. Anti- L 7 L 12 antibodies used in these experiments reacted only with the L 7 L 12 stalk and with no other region of the subunit. This was shown by electron microscopy and by immune electron microscopy in the following ways. Electron microscopy of 50 S subunits, L 7 L 12 -depleted 50 S cores, and reconstituted 50 S subunits was used to demonstrate that stripping removes the L 7 L 12 stalk from more than 95% of the subunits, and that re-incorporation of L 7 L 12 into depleted cores restores the L 7 L 12 stalk. Double-labelling experiments, using monomeric subunits with two or more attached anti- L 7 L 12 immunoglobulins, were used to demonstrate, independently of 50 S subunit morphology, that L 7 L 12 are located only on the L 7 L 12 stalk.
Stable Color Center Laser in OH-Doped NaCl Operating in the 1.41–1.81 µm Region

Over the past year we have been investigating a new color center laser in NaCl [1]. We tentatively attribute the laser action to a new type of color center, namely the F2 + center stabilized beside an O— ion. Optimum laser performance to date displays stable cw operation with tuning from 1.41 to 1.81 gm with a maximum cw output power of 1.25 W when pumped by a 9 W 1.06 μm Nd:YAG laser. The laser crystals can be stored for weeks at room temperature with no apparent degradation, however efficient operation requires that the crystal be cooled to 77 K during laser operation. The crystals are additively colored in a heat pipe, which partially explains the storage and operational stability of the center. In addition, modelocked pulses of 5 psec duration have been generated in a synchronously pumped arrangement, tunable from 1.47 to 1.73 μm with an average power of 450 mw at the peak of the tuning curve.
Wall-bounded shear flow and channel flow of suspensions of liquid drops

Abstract The wall-bounded shear flow and the plane Poiseuille channel flow of monodisperse suspensions of liquid drops are considered by theory and numerical simulation. First, the motion of an individual drop in infinite or semi-infinite shear flow is discussed in the limit of small volume fractions. An expression for the flux of the drops normal to the streamlines of the unperturbed flow is derived in terms of (a) the migration velocity of the drop away from the wall, and (b) the net displacement of a drop’s center after interception with another drop. In the case of two-dimensional infinite shear flow, in the limit of infinite dilution, and in the context of Stokes flow, the self- and gradient-diffusivity are found to diverge, and this underlines the importance of fluid inertia and the necessity to perform renormalization by requiring global constraints. Numerical simulations of pairwise drop interceptions in semi-infinite shear flow above a plane wall reveal that the capillary number, expressing the drop deformability, and the distance of the drop pair from the wall, play an important role in determining not only the magnitude, but also the direction of the net displacement of the drop center after recession. Dynamic simulations of the expansion of a periodic bed of drops distributed randomly within a layer next to a wall illustrate explicitly the formation of a particle-free zone near the wall and the thickening of the bed due to hydrodynamic interceptions at a rate that is a strong function of the capillary number. Results of dynamic simulations of the pressure-driven flow of a two-dimensional suspension in a channel confined between two parallel walls are presented illustrating the effect of the capillary number and of the ratio of the viscosity of the drop and suspending fluid on (a) the time required for the suspension to reach statistical equilibrium, (b) the distribution of the drop number density across the channel width, (c) the mean velocity profile, and (d) the effective viscosity of the suspension. The general features of the flow are found to be in good agreement with published laboratory observations.
Compartmentalization of PDE-4 and cAMP-dependent protein kinase in neutrophils and macrophages during phagocytosis

The compartmentalization of cAMP in human neutrophils during phagocytosis of serum-opsonized zymosan suggests that cAMP is an important second messenger for regulating phagocytosis. Type 4 cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE-4), cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), and adenylate cyclase are the principal effector molecules for cAMP regulation in phagocytes. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that PDE-4 isoforms (HSPDE-4A, HSPDE-4B, HSPDE-4D) were targeted to the forming phagosome in neutrophils, and were colocalized with the catalytic subunit of PKA and degranulated myeloperoxidase. Phagocytosis and accumulation of PDE-4 and PKA near adherent zymosan were inhibited by elevating cAMP levels with forskolin or rolipram. cAMP, PDE-4, and PKA were localized at sites of zymosan adherence in cells treated with cytochalasin D to inhibit phagosome formation, suggesting that zymosan engagement to Fc/CR3 receptors triggers cAMP elevations at sites of phagocytosis. HSPDE-4A, HSPDE-4B, HSPDE-4D, and PKA also were localized at the forming phagosome in monocyte-derived macrophages, and the lysosomal marker CD63 demonstrated the absence of PDE-4 around internalized phagolysosomes. These results suggest that cAMP levels are focally regulated by PDE-4 at the nascent phagosome, and that PKA may phosphorylate proteins associated with pseudopodia formation and phagosome internalization.
Visibility of continuous luminance gradients.

Abstract A plateau of illumination was modulated with various patterns of gradual change: linear slopes and small numbers of low spatial frequency sinusoidal oscillations. Over the range of parameters tested, the threshold contrast necessary for the detection of these modulations was found to be largely independent of the steepness of the gradient, the frequency of the sinusoids, and the size of the target on the retina. Visibility was found to be a function of the fractional change in luminance across the target (contrast) and the pattern of the modulation (characterized by the number of cycles of sinusoid).
Crop Production in a Wheat-Cotton Doublecrop Rotation with Conservation Tillage

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production has dramatically increased in the Southeast, but the role of conservation tillage in doublecropped cotton systems has not been clearly defined. Therefore, from 1988 to 1994, we investigated double-cropped wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and cotton on plots that had been in continuous conservation vs. conventional tillage since 1979. The experimental site was located near Florence, SC, on a Norfolk loamy sand (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic Typic Kandiudult). Conventional tillage consisted of multiple diskings and cultivations; surface tillage was eliminated for conservation tillage. Wheat yields were not significantly affected by tillage, but cotton yields were significantly higher for conservation tillage (P less than or equal to 0.01). Cotton planting dates ranged from 7 to 18 June, and 5 of the 7 yr hd more than 145 frost-free days. Two years had crop failure because of early freezes, and a June drought prevented the planting of cotton in 1 yr. In 4 yr with harvestable yields, seed cotton yields among the eight cultivars ranged from about 500 to 2200 and 300 to 1850 lb/acre for conservation and conventional tillage, respectively. The early maturing cultivar, 'Deltapine (DP) 20,' had the highest seed cotton yields with mens of 1442 and 1123 lb/acre for conservation and conventional tillage, respectively. Development of earlier maturing cotton and wheat cultivars will be important for this cropping system in the northern Coastal Plain portion of the Cotton Belt.
Spins of excited levels of 18F

Abstract Proton-gamma directional correlations through several excited levels of 18F in the reaction 16O(3He, pγ)18F have been studied at 3He energies of 3.6 to 4.0 MeV. Spin assignments of 3, (2), 1, 2, (2) and 1 have been deduced for the 0.94, 1.082, 1.70, 2.53, 3.06 and 3.13 MeV levels, respectively. Limits have been placed on the spins of the 2.10 and 3.35 MeV levels. Quadrupole-dipole mixing ratios for several γ-ray transitions have been deduced.
Teacher educators under surveillance at a religious university

The purpose of this paper is to examine how institutional norms are enforced through surveillance and self-discipline among teacher educators at a religious university. The study builds on prior research regarding university norms and surveillance, as well as religious orientation and prejudice. Eight teacher educators met as part of a larger study on white racial identity and praxis. Focus groups and personal interviews were transcribed and analyzed using situational mapping, a postmodern form of grounded theory. Participants discussed four themes that illustrate surveillance and self-discipline: the university, academic culture, religion and whiteness, and sexism. The data reveal participant responses as highly structured by university norms about what one can and cannot say about particular topics. The results confirm the function of surveillance and norms in a university setting and illuminate the process in a religious context. Data reveal how fear played a part of the process, as participants discip...
The Effect of Tubal and Ovarian Surgery on Ovarian Function in Cycles of Controlled Stimulation in Patients Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization

ABSTRACT The ability of ovaries to respond to induction with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) with regard to prior ovarian and tubal surgery was retrospectively analyzed in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization. Comparing sides within 19 women who had undergone cystectomy on one ovary and no surgery on the other, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) noted in either the number of small, large, or total follicles on day −1, day 0, or day +1 or in the quantity and maturity of oocytes recovered. Similarly, there was no significant difference noted in response to stimulation comparing the ovary ipsilateral to a previous salpingectomy vs the ovary associated with a contralateral tuboplasty (n = 18). In a third cohort, three groups of patients with different surgical histories were evaluated. Comparing women with bilateral cystectomy (n= 15), unilateral cystectomy (n = 18), and bilateral tuboplasty (n = 44), there was no difference in folliculogenesis, estradiol levels, or quantity and maturi...
SU-FF-T-310: DVH Analysis: Consequences for Quality Assurance of Multi-Institutional Clnical Trials

Purpose: The submission of digital treatment planning data is essential for quality assurance (QA) of multi‐institutional clinical trials involving advanced technology delivery techniques. Digitally submitted Dose Volume Histograms (DVHs), however, lack consistency due to algorithmic differences among Treatment Planning Systems (TPSs). To maintain consistency among cases in multi‐institutional clinical trials, the Image Guided Therapy QA Center (ITC) re‐calculates DVHs from submitted 3‐D dose distributions and structure contours. In some recent trials involving high dose gradients, sizeable discrepancies have been observed between DVHs re‐calculated by the ITC and DVHs submitted by participating institutions, making QA review of these data more difficult. Method and Materials: Digitally submitted DVH data were collected from various commercial TPSs for protocols requiring digital data submission. Submitted structure volumes and DVHs were compared to those calculated by the ITC. Comparisons were performed for anatomic structures ranging in size from 450 cc (Lung PTV). Results: Agreement between submitted and re‐calculated DVHs varied with the spatial sampling algorithms used by TPSs and improved as the volume of structures increased. Discrepancies in excess of 15% were observed for structures with volumes < 50 cc. Conclusion: Discrepancies in DVHs calculated by various commercial TPSs have long necessitated re‐calculation of DVHs by the ITC for consistent correlation of dosimetry with outcomes. With increasing dose gradients, however, small changes in computed volumes can result in significant differences between dose coverage statistics reported by the treating institution and those computed for QA review. As a result, apparently protocol‐compliant plans may be judged to violate QA criteria when submitted data are reviewed. Our analysis of DVH discrepancies among various TPSs can help to set QA criteria for present and future protocols, especially those in which high dose gradients are required. Support: NCI grant U24 CA 81647
Youth perceptions about parental spillover: influences and impacts

Work and family mutually influence one another. Whereas evidence supports the impact of spillover between these domains on employees and employers, less evidence exists about how it affects other family members, especially children. Using spillover theory as a framework, youth participants (N=111) completed a self-report survey to test parental spillover and work attitudes. Correlation and independent t-test analyses helped answer hypotheses about the role of family structure on youth perceptions of positive and negative spillover as well as on youth reports of anxiety. Results suggest family structure does impact perceptions of positive spillover and that youth perceptions of negative parental spillover is related to levels of anxiety. These findings are important since the impact of parental spillover on youth largely is absent from spillover research.
Kenneth Burke, Samuel Beckett, and form

Samuel Beckett rejects conventional forms because they are predictable and a reader or viewer of his plays may consider them formless. However, Beckett's plays have strong and clear internal relationships that invite the observer to participate in the making of them. But if the reader or viewer of Beckett's works expects to grapple with his art, he must alter his conceptions and expectations of the form of plays.
Emotional disorder as a social problem: implications for mental health programs.

Development of the community mental health center has opened new possibilities in the mental health field. Realization of this potential, however, demands revision and expansion of our ideological framework. Basic to such a transformation is a conceptual shift in which we redefine mental health problems as primarily social rather than medical disorders.
Preparation and characterization of single-crystal RBa2Cu3O7−δ (R=Er, Ho)

Abstract Large (1.5 mm ×1.5 mm ×0.05 mm ) single crystals of RBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ ( R = Er , Ho ) were grown from nonstoichiometric mixtures of BaCO 3 -R 2 O 3 -CuO. Crystals of ErBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ and HoBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ grown in alum ina crucibles have small orthorhombic distortions and are superconducting with resistive T c (onsets) = 87 and 80 K respectively. Crystals of ErBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ grown in ZrO 2 crucibles show an onset of diamagnetism at 82 K. A number of experiments were carried out in order to optimize the crystal growth parameters and the results of those experiments are reported herein.
Kinetic study of Schottky barrier formation of In on GaAs(110) surface

The kinetics of the Schottky barrier formation of In on GaAs(110) surfaces has been studied by photoemission. A temperature dependence of the profile of the n‐GaAs(110) surface band bending versus In coverage has been observed. At liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT), the band bending attenuation is observed compared with a room and higher temperature band bending profile. Temperature dependence of the In growth mode is also observed. Spectroscopic evidence indicates that the GaAs band bending is correlated with the In metallic cluster growth. The experimental results are discussed in terms of the unified defect model. A possible transition from Bardeen limit (with pinning centers) to Schottky picture (without pinning centers) of the Schottky barrier formation of In on GaAs(110) is also discussed.
Time-resolved photodetachment imaging along the reaction coordinate

Electronic structure evolution in photodissociating anionic systems is revealed by femtosecond time resolved photodetachment imaging spectroscopy. Case studies are presented highlighting the role of the anion (and terminal neutral) excited states and system symmetry.
In Vitro Translation and Assembly of a Complete T Cell Receptor–CD3 Complex

The T cell receptor for antigen (TCR) is a multisubunit complex that consists of at least seven polypeptides: the clonotypic, disulfide-linked α/β heterodimer that is noncovalently associated with the invariant polypeptides of the CD3 complex (CD3-γ, -δ, -e) and ζ, a disulfide-linked homodimer. We achieved the complete assembly of the human TCR in an in vitro transcription/translation system supplemented with dog pancreas microsomes by simultaneous translation of the messenger RNAs encoding the TCR-α, -β and CD3-γ, -δ, -e, and -ζ subunits. CD3-e, one of the subunits that initiates the assembly of the TCR in living cells, forms misfolded, disulfide-linked homooligomers when translated alone. However, co-translation of one of its first binding partners in the course of assembly, CD3-γ or -δ, led to the expression of mainly monomeric and correctly folded e subunits, the only form we could detect as part of a properly assembled TCR complex. In the absence of these subunits, the ER-resident chaperone calnexin interacted with oligomeric, i.e. misfolded, structures of CD3-e in a glycan-independent manner. A glycan-dependent interaction between CD3-e and calnexin was mediated by CD3-γ and concerned only monomeric CD3-e complexed with CD3-γ, but was dispensable for proper folding of CD3-e. We suggest that in addition to its signaling function, CD3-e serves as a monitor for proper subunit assembly of the TCR.
The Teaching of Evaluation in Interdisciplinary Programs: UC Irvine.

This chapter explores one particular interdisciplinary graduate evaluation course, discussing its content, products, strengths, and weaknesses.
EFFECTS OF THIAZIDES ON GLUCOSE UPTAKE AND OXIDATION OF RAT MUSCLE AND ADIPOSE TISSUE.

Abstract The effect of the diabetogenic thiazide drugs on the action of insulin in vitro on muscle and adipose tissue has been studied. In addition the insulin responsiveness of these tissues obtained from rats treated with chlorothiazide for 2 weeks has been assessed. Hydrochlorothiazide (32 and 320 μg.) or diazoxide (60 or 600 μg.) in vitro did not modify basal glucose oxidation of epididymal fat pad or glucose uptake by isolated rat hemidiaphragm. Furthermore, these drugs in vitro did not inhibit the stimulatory effect of insulin. However, adipose tissue obtained from rats injected with 1.5 mg. chlorothiazide/day for 2 weeks was significantly less responsive to insulin than was adipose tissue obtained from saline-injected controls. This decreased response to insulin was not observed using diaphragms from chlorothiazide-injected rats. Chlorothiazide injections had no effect on the blood glucose at the time of sacrifice. These results indicate that the diabetogenic effect of thiazides is probably not due to a direct inhibition of the action of insulin on muscle and adipose tissue, but may reflect an in vivo decrease in adipose tissue responsiveness to insulin.
Panoramic dental radiography as an aid in detecting patients at risk for stroke

Abstract Purpose: Atherosclerotic lesions in the region of the bifurcation of the common carotid artery and in the internal carotid artery are the most common cause of stroke. On occasion these lesions are calcified and visible on a panoramic dental radiograph. Methods: Six subjects receiving outpatient dental treatment and denying a history of previous transient ischemic attacks or stroke had bilateral calcified carotid arterial lesions noted on their routine panoramic dental radiograph. Results: Electronic thermography (ET) demonstrated that these patients had significant temperature differences bilaterally between their medial supraorbital region and the ipsilateral remainder of their forehead when compared with control subjects. These findings are consistent with the presence of calcified stenotic intraluminal plaques altering blood flow, tissue perfusion, and skin temperature readings. The presence of stenotic plaques was verified by Doppler spectral analysis and imaging. Conclusion: ET of the face, currently considered an investigational procedure, demonstrates promise as an ancillary imaging system capable of confirming the diagnosis of patients at risk of stroke. Such individuals should be referred to an appropriate physician for consideration of medications and/or surgical removal of the plaque. In selected individuals, these are safe and relatively reliable methods of preventing stroke.
Akt plays an important role in breast cancer cell chemotaxis to CXCL12

The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is functionally expressed on the cell surface of various cancer cells, and plays a role in cell proliferation and migration of these cells. Specifically, in breast cancer cells the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis has been implicated in cell migration in vitro and in metastasis in vivo, but the underlying signaling mechanisms are incompletely understood. The xenograft-derived MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line (231mfp), which was shown previously to grow more aggressively than the parent cells, showed increased CXCR4 expression at the mRNA, total protein and cell surface expression level. This correlated with an enhanced response to CXCL12, specifically in augmented and prolonged Akt activation in a Gi, Src family kinase and PI-3 kinase dependent fashion. 231mfp cells migrated towards CXCL12—in contrast to the parent cell line—and this chemotaxis was blocked by inhibition of Gi, Src family kinases, PI-3 kinase and interestingly, Akt itself, as could be shown with two pharmacological inhibitors, a dominant negative Akt construct and with Akt shRNA. Collectively, we have demonstrated that prolonged Akt activation is an important signaling pathway for breast cancer cells expressing CXCR4 and is necessary for CXCL12-dependent cell migration.
THE SENSE OF HISTORY IN RECENT SOVIET LATVIAN POETRY

The visitor to the Latvian Song-Festival Centennial celebrated in Riga in 1973, who attended at least two of the five-hour long concerts, the first and the third, was subjected to two expressions of historical awareness. The first concert sang the praises of Lenin and of Latvia as a worthy and grateful member in the sisterhood of friendly communistic republics. Guest choirs from other republics participated, only one third of the program was non-communist and Latvian, and the introductory speeches celebrated the 33rd anniversary of the Latvian Socialist Republic rather than the 100th anniversary of the song festival. The second concert celebrated the choir singers and their conductors; two thirds of the program consisted of Latvian folksongs and of choir music meaningful to Latvians everywhere, some of the songs old and composed to texts by earlier poets expressing the national spirit of the Latvian people: songs about the Castle of Light rising again after centuries; about the blue hills of Latvia and about its immortal heroes; about the defiance of its pines which can break but never will bend.1 The first concert represented the history of the moment, or the political condition of the present. The second reached back far into the past; as the applause proved, it tapped the deepest levels of response in the audience; it showed the people to be in touch not only with their poetic and musical tradition but with the myths, value systems, and dimensions of history that have made up the Latvian experience. A part of Soviet Latvian poetry, significantly not the best, is created like the first concert - through the imposition from without of a political creed and a simplified and false "we". There is no need to dwell upon the view of history as revealed in the praises of Lenin, the Revolution, or the victories of the working class - in the treatment of these topics,
Comparative pathology of microcystin-LR in cultured hepatocytes, fibroblasts, and renal epithelial cells

The cyanobacterial toxin microcystin-LR (MCLR) is a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, and is selectively toxic to the liver in vivo and to isolated hepatocytes in vitro. This selectivity is believed to be due to toxin uptake via bile acid carriers. We investigated at the light and ultrastructural levels the effects of high concentrations of MCLR and long incubation times to determine in vitro whether fibroblasts and kidney cells (non-target cells) respond in the same manner as do hepatocytes (target cells) at low concentrations and short incubation times. Cultured rat skin fibroblasts (ATCC 1213) and rat kidney epithelial cells (ATCC 1571) were incubated with with MCLR at 133 microM for 1-24 hr. Lesions in these cells were compared with those in cultured hepatocytes incubated MCLR at 13.3 microM from 1 to 32 min. Lesions in hepatocytes, kidney cells, and fibroblasts were noted at 4 min, 1 hr, and 8 hr, respectively, after initial exposure to MCLR. Lesions in all three cell types progressed and included plasma membrane blebbing, loss of cell-to-cell contact, clumping and rounding of cells, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and redistribution of cytoplasmic organelles. Loss of microvilli, whorling of rough endoplasmic reticulum, dense staining and dilated cristae in mitochondria, and pinching off of membrane blebs were noted only in hepatocytes. Nuclear changes typical of apoptosis were observed only in fibroblasts and kidney cells. Similarities in responses of different cell types to MCLR exposure probably reflect a common biochemical mechanism of action, i.e., inhibition of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A as described by others.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Evaluation of POCl3 as a solvent for complexation studies

Dissolution de U(VI) et de U(IV) dans un melange POCl 3 /SnCl 4 , breve presentation de l'etude par la spectrometrie d'absorption, la luminescence et la voltammetrie cyclique
Morphotropic phase boundary in Pb (Mg13Nb23) O3-PbTiO3 system

Abstract Dielectric and pyroelectric properties in the solid solution (1 −x) Pb (Mg 1 3 Nb 1 3 ) O 3 : xPbTiO 3 across the morphotropic phase boundary compositions, x = 0.275–0.4, are studied as a function of temperature. The studies revealed that the true morphotropic boundary is in the vicinity of x≈ 0.3 and it has a small curvature.
Finding Free and Open Access Resources: A Value-Added Service for Patrons

Academic libraries are eager to orient patrons to free and open access materials in their databases, digital repositories, and Web sites. These materials include journal literature, textbooks, and open educational resources. Discovery of open access content has been improved by catalogs that index open metadata and link resolvers that point to quality Internet resources. Librarians and staff save patrons time and money by helping them find open course materials and scholarly works, and the library benefits from reduced subscription costs and by promoting local intellectual capital. Nevertheless, finding these materials is still a challenge.
β-adrenergic supersensitivity in rat brainstem during clonidine withdrawal

Abstract The clonidine withdrawal syndrome was studied in the rat by measuring β-adrenergic responses as isoproterenol stimulated cyclic 3′, 5′-Adenosine monophosphate accumulation in brain slices and β-adrenergic membrane receptors as [ 3 H] dihydroalprenolol binding. Supersensitivity of cyclic AMP accumulation was evident in brain-stems of clonidine-treated animals 18 and 24 hours after the last dose, but not in cerebral cortex. In addition there was no indication of changes in either number or affinity of beta-receptors in brainstem. The similarity of these findings to changes in adenylate cyclase activity seen during opiate withdrawal is intriguing.
Counterinsurgency and Union Movement in El Salvador (1967-1968)

The present paper analyzes the wave of protest lead by urban workers and the teacher union in 1967 and 1968 in El Salvador, and the repressive strategies that the State implemented in response to those protests.
All-Fiber Image-Rejection Receiver Front-End for Optical Communication Systems Using High-Birefringence and Polarizing Fibers

Abstract In this paper, we investigate in detail the conditions necessary for proper image-rejection operation and characterize the performance of a single detector, all-optical image-rejection mixer for use in heterodyne receivers. The principal component of the all-optical image-rejection receiver is a length of high-birefringence fiber. A polarizing fiber is also considered as an alternative to the high-birefringence fiber. The image-rejection performance is based on meeting certain required ideal conditions for polarization states of the desired and image channels. To study this, we examine, using the Stokes parameter approach, the evolution of certain figures of merit with distance in single-mode high-birefringence and polarizing fibers. Due to the nearness of the frequencies of the desired, image, and local oscillator (LO) signals, the mismatches from the ideal conditions are very small compared to the beat lengths. Therefore, there is negligible receiver error rate performance degradation. Our results indicate that this all-optical image-rejection receiver implementation is a robust device that is also highly insensitive to temperature variations.
Evidence for κ‐ and μ‐Opioid Receptor Expression in C6 Glioma Cells

The astrocytoma cell line rat C6 glioma has been used as a model system to study the mechanism of various opioid actions. Nevertheless, the type of opioid receptor(s) involved has not been established. Here we demonstrate the presence of high-affinity U69,593, endomorphin-1, morphine, and beta-endorphin binding in desipramine (DMI)-treated C6 cell membranes by performing homologous and heterologous binding assays with [3H]U69,593, [3H]morphine, or 125I-beta-endorphin. Naive C6 cell membranes displayed U69,593 but neither endomorphin-1, morphine, nor beta-endorphin binding. Cross-linking of 125I-beta-endorphin to C6 membranes gave labeled bands characteristic of opioid receptors. Moreover, RT-PCR analysis of opioid receptor expression in control and DMI-treated C6 cells indicate that both kappa- and mu-opioid receptors are expressed. There does not appear to be a significant difference in the level of mu nor kappa receptor expression in naive versus C6 cells treated with DMI over a 20-h period. Collectively, the data indicate that kappa- and mu-opioid receptors are present in C6 glioma cells.
Increased leptin permeation across the blood-brain barrier after chronic alcohol ingestion.

Leptin, a polypeptide mainly produced in the periphery, crosses the blood–brain barrier (BBB) by receptor-mediated transport to exert multiple central nervous system actions including decreased food intake. The reciprocal interactions between leptin transport and alcohol drinking are not clear. In this study, we tested whether alcohol increases leptin entry into brain and, if this occurs, whether it is a consequence of a generalized increase in the permeability of the BBB. BBB permeability to albumin, the increased permeation of which indicates BBB disruption, as well as to leptin was measured after alcohol ingestion. CD1 and B6 mice ingested a 5% liquid alcohol diet or its isocaloric control for 2 weeks. Alcohol ingestion resulted in increased blood-alcohol levels, decreased blood-leptin concentrations, and increased permeation of radioactively labeled leptin across the BBB as shown by in situ perfusion. Although the increased influx of the vascular marker albumin into brain showed partial disruption of the BBB, the influx of 125I-leptin still could be suppressed by excess unlabeled leptin, indicating persistence of its saturable transport system. When given a choice of either alcohol or control diet, even the alcohol-preferring B6 mice showed a significantly greater preference for the control liquid diet, and there was no evidence of BBB disruption or alterated leptin transport. Furthermore, acute alcohol intoxication induced by intraperitoneal injection of 20% alcohol did not result in BBB disruption or increased leptin permeation 4 h later. Thus, partial disruption of the BBB and increased permeation of leptin in both CD1 and B6 mice were only induced by chronic alcohol ingestion. The results showing increased leptin permeation across the BBB lead to the speculation that leptin may serve as a homeostatic feeding signal in these mice.
Measurements of depolarization by dry and humidified salt aerosols using a lidar analogue

Abstract A laboratory light scattering chamber was built to approximate the backscattering geometry of LlDAR. Salt aerosols were generated by a Collison atomizer to produce particles of m.m.d. between 0·2 and 0·4 μm. The aerosols were illuminated with polarized light from an He—Ne laser and gave the following depolarizations when dry: NaC1, 0·25; KC1, 0·20; NaBr, 0·15. After the humidity had been raised so that the salt particles had become droplets, the depolarizations were: NaC1, 0·10; NaBr, 0·09. Aerosols made of polystyrene latex beads (0·50 μm dia.) gave 0·06 depolarization; a dioctyl phthalate (DOP) aerosol gave 0·04 depolarization. The significant non-zero depolarizations for the spherical aerosol particles made the depolarization technique less sensitive than expected to shape changes caused by humidification.
When tourists are your “friends”: Exploring the brand personality of Mexico and Brazil on Facebook

Abstract Adopting Aaker's (1997) framework, this study explored how popular tourist destinations, Mexico and Brazil, communicate their brand personality through Facebook, and which personality traits their Facebook “friends” associate with them. Results of computer-aided content analysis indicated that both countries’ tourism promotion messages emphasize distinct brand personality traits. However, Mexico's public relations efforts were more successful than Brazil's in transferring projected brand personality to its Facebook “friends”.
A prospective study of risk factors for traumatic deaths in a retirement community

We examined possible predictors of traumatic deaths by means of a case-control study nested within a large ongoing cohort study of residents of a Southern California retirement community. Baseline information was collected by means of a detailed mailed health survey completed by 11,888 residents in 1981-1982. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, being widowed or divorced (RR = 6.4, P = 0.009), sleeping 9 or more hours per night (RR = 4.6, P = 0.02), and drinking more than three alcoholic beverages a day (RR = 3.5, P = 0.04) were significant predictors of suicide risk. However, the strongest predictor of suicide was a mental outlook assessment summary score calculated from responses to seven questions derived from the Zung self-rating depression scale. Individuals in the poorest summary score category were 23 times more likely to commit suicide than individuals in the best summary score category (P = 0.004). Women who regularly practiced breast self-examination were also at very low risk for suicide (RR = 0.1, P = 0.0005). The mental outlook assessment summary score was also a predictor of accidental deaths, although the relative risk estimates were lower than those for suicide and the individual questions best predicting risk were different. A history of a serious chronic disease (RR = 2.6, P = 0.01) and moderate alcohol intake of less than two drinks per day (RR = 0.3, P = 0.01) were also predictors of accidental deaths. Estrogen use in women did not predict risk of traumatic deaths. Language: en
Aberrant cell cycle inhibition pattern in human colon carcinoma cell lines after exposure to 5-fluorouracil

Abstract In this report, we describe the use of two human colon carcinoma cell lines, HCT-8 and HT-29, as potential models to study DNA- and RNA-directed cytotoxicity due to 5-fluorouracil (FUra) exposure by flow microfluorimetric analysis of DNA cell content. The sensitivity of the HT-29 line (ec 50 = 0.9 μ M) to FUra was somewhat greater than that of the HCT-8 line (ec 50 = 4 μ M), but each presented a dramatically different DNA histogram after exposure to FUra. In HCT-8, an unexpected and nearly complete disappearance of cells in S-phase occurred, whereas in HT-29 the expected accumulation of cells at the G 1 -S border was observed. The absence of HCT-8 cells in S-phase also occurred as a result of two RNA polymerase inhibitors: actinomycin D and dichloro- D -ribofuranosylbienzimidazole. However, an accumulation of cells in S-phase was observed in the presence of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine. These results suggest that in the HCT-8 cell line, FUra predominantly causes an RNA-related toxicity. By comparison, the rate of formation of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate, the increased dUMP pool size, and low thymidylate synthase activity in the HT-29 line are consistent with its greater susceptibility to DNA-directed toxicity. Further evidence was seen in the prevention of FUra cytotoxicity by thymidine in HT-29, but not in HCT-8 cells. Similarly, Leucovorin synergized the action of FUra in HT-29 but not in HCT-8. Enzymatic correlates supporting these observations are seen in the greater activity of uridine kinase than thymidine kinase (20:1) in HCT-8 cells compared with that in HT-29 cells (4:1).
Separation of Fischer−Tropsch Wax from Catalyst Using Near-Critical Fluid Extraction: Analysis of Process Feasibility

The technical feasibility of a near-critical fluid extraction (NCE) process for the recovery of heavy normal paraffins from a Fischer−Tropsch slurry reactor has been analyzed. Process simulations were carried out using the ASPEN PLUS program, considering 100 individual compounds from C1 to C100. Four light solvents were evaluated: n-pentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, and n-octane. These four compounds are major products of the F−T reaction. Most of the analysis was concentrated in two regions: (1) high solvent/product ratios (ca. 20/1), such that product could be recovered by temperature-retrograde condensation; and, (2) low solvent/product ratios (ca. 3/1). The latter region appeared to require higher extraction temperatures and higher slurry flowrates, but had several attractive features such as lower vapor flowrates, lower solvent makeup rates, and lower energy requirements. The concentration of solvent in the product from the NCE process was never low enough for the process to be self-sufficient in solve...
Physiologic coupling of glial glycogen metabolism to neuronal activity in brain.

Brain glycogen is localized almost exclusively to glia, where it undergoes continuous utilization and resynthesis. We have shown that glycogen utilization increases during tactile stimulation of the rat face and vibrissae. Conversely, decreased neuronal activity during hibernation and anesthesia is accompanied by a marked increase in brain glycogen content. These observations support a link between neuronal activity and glial glycogen metabolism. The energetics of glycogen metabolism suggest that glial glycogen is mobilized to meet increased metabolic demands of glia rather than to serve as a substrate for neuronal activity. An advantage to the use of glycogen may be the potentially faster generation of ATP from glycogen than from glucose. Alternatively, glycogen could be utilized if glucose supply is transiently insufficient during the onset of increased metabolic activity. Brain glycogen may have a dynamic role as a buffer between the abrupt increases in focal metabolic demands that occur during normal ...