cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Somatostatin gene expression in hypothalamus and cortex of aging male rats.

Somatostatin has been reported to decrease with age in many brain regions and these changes generally have been considered to have important implications for the regulation of both neural activity and neuroendocrine regulatory systems. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the age-related changes in somatostatin concentration in cortex and hypothalamus are attributable to alterations in the regulation of somatostatin gene expression. Hypothalamic and cortical tissue were dissected from young (3–4 month), middle-aged (12–14 month), and old (22 month) male Fischer 344 rats. Total RNA was extracted and dilutions blotted to nitrocellulose. Somatostatin cDNA in expression vector pSP65 was used to produce a 32P-labeled antisense probe for hybridization. After washing, blots were autoradiographed and analyzed by densitometry. Dilutions of total RNA were also probed with 32P-labeled oligo d(pT)16 to determine poly A+RNA levels. Data were expressed as relative somatostatin gene expression (somatostatin mRNA/poly A+RNA). Results indicated that in cortex, relative somatostatin gene expression was similar in young, middle-aged, and old animals (0.54 ± 0.11, 0.60 ± 0.08, and 0.51 ± 0.04, respectively). However, somatostatin gene expression in the hypothalamus decreased consistently with age and ratios in old rats were approximately 50% of levels observed in young animals (p < 0.05). Northern analysis of RNA revealed a single somatostatin transcript of approximately 0.65 kb in all age groups. In situ hybridization analysis of somatostatin mRNA in the hypothalamus indicated that the age-related decrease in somatostatin gene expression is a consequence of decreased expression within specific hypothalamic nuclei rather than a loss of somatostatin-containing neurons. Our results indicate that 1) somatostatin gene expression decreases in hypothalamus but not in cortex of aging rats, 2) the decrease in hypothalamic somatostatin mRNA is due to a decrease in gene expression per cell, and 3) there are no apparent changes in the size of the somatostatin transcript with age. We conclude that increases in steady-state levels of somatostatin mRNA are not a causative factor in the reduction in growth hormone with age. Therefore, relative somatostatin/GRF gene expression or alterations in somatostatin posttranslational processes may be responsible for the decline in growth hormone and these changes may be an early consequence of brain aging.
Conflicts between privacy and property: The discourse in personal and organizational knowledge

The paper critically examines knowledge ownership when personal or organizational knowledge is transferred between individuals or between individuals and organizations. Employing a form of discourse analysis, we analyse the data from three complementary perspectives (international treaties and conventions on privacy and intellectual property, employment and merchant account contracts, and verdicts from knowledge-related legal cases) to unveil the conflicts between privacy and property rights. The results show a dialectical view where ownership shifts between the individual and the organization/community and therefore, the individual may or may not necessarily own what he knows. Privacy and property have been central issues in computational ethics for more than two decades. The use of information systems for strategic purposes offers new challenges for these established ethical concepts. Knowledge is not only a form of property governed by intellectual property law; it is also an individual attribute and, as part of the personality, it may be governed by privacy law. As a result, the dialectical view also shows that the ownership shift between the individual and the organization/community means that the organization may or may not necessarily own what it knows.
Recombinant human factor VIIa for alveolar hemorrhage following allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Abstract The mortality rate of alveolar hemorrhage (AH) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is greater than 60% with supportive care and high-dose steroid therapy. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis to assess the benefits and risks of recombinant human factor VIIa (rFVIIa) as a therapeutic adjunct for AH. Between 2005 and 2012, 57 episodes of AH occurred in 37 patients. Fourteen episodes (in 14 patients) were treated with steroids alone, and 43 episodes (in 23 patients) were treated with steroids and rFVIIa. The median steroid dose was 1.9 mg/kg/d (interquartile range [IQR], 0.8 to 3.5 mg/kg/d; methylprednisolone equivalents) and did not differ statistically between the 2 groups. The median rFVIIa dose was 41 μg/kg (IQR, 39 to 62 μg/kg), and a median of 3 doses (IQR, 2 to 17) was administered per episode. Concurrent infection was diagnosed in 65% of the episodes. Patients had moderately severe hypoxia (median PaO2/FiO2, 193 [IQR, 141 to 262]); 72% required mechanical ventilation, and 42% survived to extubation. The addition of rFVIIa did not alter time to resolution of AH (P = .50), duration of mechanical ventilation (P = .89), duration of oxygen supplementation (P = .55), or hospital mortality (P = .27). Four possible thrombotic events (9% of 43 episodes) occurred with rFVIIa. rFVIIa in combination with corticosteroids did not confer clear clinical advantages compared with corticosteroids alone. In patients with AH following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, clinical factors (ie, worsening infection, multiple organ failure, or recrudescence of primary disease) may be more important than the benefit of enhanced hemostasis from rFVIIa.
The Humboldt high magnetic field center at Berlin

Abstract The “Humboldt High Magnetic Field Center” is operated by the chair for “Magnetotransport in Solids” at the Institute of Physics of the Humboldt University at Berlin. Three different kinds of magnetic field generators cover the range up to 300 T. All field generators are intended for operation in temperatures ranging between 0.3 K and room temperature. Magnetization measurements use both Faraday rotation and compensated pick-up coils. To probe spin and charge carrier systems electromagnetic radiation sources from the visible part of the spectrum to mm-waves are available. Special emphasis is laid on sophisticated measuring- and data acquisition techniques enabling us to obtain a sensitivity in transmission experiments in megagauss fields that is usually achieved only in DC-fields applying multi-sampling methods. The installations of the “Humboldt High Magnetic Field Center” are open to all interested scientists on a mutual cooperation basis.
A SINGLE‐CELL IMMUNOASSAY FOR PHOSPHATE STRESS IN THE DINOFLAGELLATE PROROCENTRUM MINIMUM (DINOPHYCEAE)

Current techniques for studying phytoplankton physiology in the field, such as measurements of biochemical activities, nutrient addition bioassays, and determination of photosynthetic efficiency, are useful for assessing the physiology of the bulk community but suffer from a lack of specificity. This would be improved by the development of single-cell methods for monitoring in situ physiology. Here we develop and test an antibody-based assay for identifying phosphate stress in the model dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (Pavillard) Schiller. Antiserum was raised against a cell-surface alkaline phosphatase purified from P. minimum. Western screening indicated that the antiserum reacted with phosphate-stressed cells but not nitrate-stressed or phosphate-replete cells in culture. Immunodepletion confirmed the identification of this protein as an alkaline phosphatase. Based on Western blots, the antiserum appeared to be specific for phosphate-regulated proteins in P. minimum because there is no discernible cross-reaction with closely related P. micans. A whole-cell immunofluorescence assay was used to identify phosphate stress in field populations of P. minimum from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The percentage of labeled P. minimum cells in this environment during the summer of 1998 decreased through time as the inorganic phosphate concentration increased. The percentage of antibody-labeled cells significantly correlated with the percentage of ELF-97-labeled cells determined as another single-cell assay of phosphate stress. This is the first antibody-based method developed for monitoring cell-specific physiology in a dinoflagellate, and the method described here may serve as a model for developing similar tools in other species of phytoplankton.
Integrating and Expressing Concepts from Calculus I.

ABSTRACT This paper describes how constructing concept maps and writing accompanying interpretive essays can be used in a Calculus I course to improve students' understanding of important concepts and help teachers assess students' knowledge. This combined approach allows students to explicitly communicate their knowledge and offers them a chance to view mathematics as a creative activity.
Differential information economies: Introduction

Since the Cournot-Nash and Arrow-Debreu-McKenzie contributions to equilibrium theory with complete information, two main advances in equilibrium theory with differential information appeared. The first one is by Harsanyi (1967), who introduces differential information into the Cournot-Nash model, and the second one is by Radner (1968), who introduces differential information into the Arrow-Debreu-McKenzie model. Those two papers generated a literature on Bayesian Cournot-Nash equilibrium and on Walrasian expectations equilibrium respectively. In the seventies and eighties there was a growing literature on Rational Expectations Equilibrium (REE), which is a natural extension of the Arrow-DebreuMcKenzie deterministic model of Walrasian equilibrium to a differential information framework. This literature on REE (a non-cooperative equilibrium concept) didn’t provide an adequate explanation as to how prices reveal the same information to agents who are differentially informed, or to put it differently, how agents who have different information obtain the same information from the equilibrium prices. In other words, prices don’t reflect the informational asymmetries of agents and this can be a major criticism of the REE concept under full revelation. A new literature emerges from two early seminal works on cooperative equilibrium concepts with differential information. The first one was by Wilson (1979), who considers the core of an economy with differential information,
Fiasco at Wagner Electric Environmental Justice and Urban Geography in St. Louis

The announcement that the Wagner Electric Company planned to close the Hillside Works in 1981 devastated residents of Wellston, Missouri, even if it did not take them entirely by surprise. Over the previous two decades, the company had diverted production to factories in other cities, trimming its Wellston work force from a peak of six thousand to less than fifteen hundred. For the small, incorporated municipality, located just across the western boundary of St. Louis, the most serious consequence of the plant closing was the loss of revenue. Wagner Electric was the city's largest taxpayer, with an annual assessment of $37,000. Wellston was in no position to absorb such a loss. Once a bustling retail center, it suffered from industrial, commercial, and residential white flight during the 1960s. By 1980, when African-Americans comprised over 90 percent of Wellston's population, one out of three families lived below the poverty line. With an unemployment rate approaching 20 percent, rising crime rates, and the signs of physical decay rampant throughout the city, Wellston was a textbook example of the nation's urban crisis. Wagner Electric's departure would be a tough pill to swallow for a community already mired in hard times.' The news soon became worse. When Wagner Electric abandoned Wellston, few residents knew that its property was contaminated with toxic waste. Only after the company transferred title to the property to St. Louis County did inspectors discover that the company had left behind more than four thousand gallons of oil containing PCBs.2 Initially, the county anticipated converting the 55-acre site into an enterprise zone that would attract new business into the depressed area. Instead, it spent the next decade wrangling with Wagner Electric to determine liability for removing the toxic material and negotiating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to devise an acceptable redevelopment plan for the property. Although a 1987 settlement with Wagner Electric's parent company, Cooper Industries, guaranteed enough money to fund a partial cleanup of the site, redevelopment proceeded at an excruciatingly slow pace. As of April 1997, the site remains mostly vacant.
Occurrence and secretion of prolactin in fetal mouse pituitaries.

SummaryThe presence of a prolactin band in 18-day fetal pituitaries was demonstrated by disc electrophoresis. Five or 10 pituitaries of 13- to 18-day fetal mice from A/Crgl strain were organ cultured with 12-day pregnant nulliparous mammary tissues of the same strain to investigate the capability of prolactin secretion by the fetal mouse pituitary. Mammary tissues cultured with pituitaries of 15- to 18-day fetuses showed secretory material in their alveoli, similar to that seen in cultures containing purified ovine prolactin. Late fetal pituitaries cultured in the presence of hypothalamic homogenate secreted less prolactin than in its absence, indicating the possibility of a prolactin-inhibiting factor in the fetus.
Effects of TCDD-estradiol interactions in three strains of mice

Abstract Interactions of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) and estradiol were studied in three strains of mice: CD-1 and C57B/6 (TCDD sensitive) and DBA/2 (TCDD resistant at lower doses). Immature females were injected with 0–200 ng/kg/day estradiol for 2 weeks s.c. On days 7, 9, 11, and 13, mice received 10 μg TCDD/kg by gavage. Relative uterine weight increased in mice of all three strains treated with estradiol alone. Uterine imbibition was suppressed by TCDD treatment, although this effect was antagonized in a saturable manner by coadministration of estradiol. TCDD induced aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) in liver microsomes of treated mice independent of estradiol dose and strain of mice (the dose of TCDD used was high enough to cause AHH induction in the resistant DBA/2 mice). Treatment of CD-1 mice, but not other strains, with TCDD and estradiol resulted in a decrease in the electrophoretic band of hepatic microsomal proteins comigrating with cytochrome P -450 a and epoxide hydrase.
Phosphonic acids — X steroidal phosphonic esters

Abstract Steroidal phosphonate esters having the dialkoxyphosphinyl group, (RO) 2 P(O)-, as a ring substituent have been synthesized via reaction of the appropriate α, β-unsaturated ketosteroid with trialkyl phosphite in alcohol. By this means a phosphorus substituent has been introduced into the 1-positions of testosterone, hydrocortisone, and cortisone, into the 7-position of testosterone and into the 16-positions of pregnenolone and progesterone. Monodealkylation of the phosphonate derivatives of the latter two substances was effected by warming with alcoholic sodium propylmercaptide.
EXTREMUM SEEKING CONTROL WITH SLIDING MODE

Abstract In this paper, an extremum seeking control algorithm using sliding mode is proposed to find a setpoint which results in an extremum. A reference signal, a sliding mode, and a variable structure control input are designed so that the sliding mode is reached in a finite time, and then the reference signal and the cost function keeps increasing or decreasing for maximum and minimum, respectively in the sliding mode until the extremum is attained. The proposed extremum seeking algorithm ensures a satisfying control performance no matter how the system parameter changes.
Severe Local Storms in the Tropics

The Tropics evoke romantic images of spectacular thunderstorms that tower above an aquamarine sea (Fig. 10.1). These impressive-looking cumulonimbi might lead one to believe that they also have vigorous circulations and thus have the potential to spawn severe weather. Surface station climatologies, satellite imagery, and lightning detection networks all demonstrate that the tropical landmasses have the highest frequency of deep convection in the world. Despite this high count, I will argue that all types of severe weather [tornadoes, hail with a diameter ≥ 20 mm (0.75 in.), and straight-line winds ≥ 26 m s−1 (50 knots or 93 km h−1)], save waterspouts, are rare over the tropical oceans and sporadic over tropical lands. Expansive regions of the Tropics are dominated by marginal conditional instability, dry midlevel air, and subsidence (e.g., the trades), while in the near-equatorial trough, the shear of the horizontal wind is weak, and the conditional instability, though it can reach high values, is spread through a deep troposphere, resulting in only modest updraft velocities. Severe local storms (SLS) thrive on the rapid juxtaposition of air with differing characteristics in the horizontal and especially the vertical. For much of the Tropics, trajectories over homogeneous warm seas erase these differences and soften the gradients conducive for SLS. Over the tropical continents, however, the conditions that favor SLS occur with greater frequency.
A model of density behaviour in tokamaks with carbon limiters

Abstract The application of power to tokamaks with carbon limiters results in an increase in the influxes of fuel φD and carbon impurities φC from the limiter and thus an increase in the plasma density 〈ne〉. This behaviour can be explained by considering the balance between the deuterium in the limiter surface with that in the plasma, the balance of carbon sputtered from the limiter and redeposited there, and the balance of input power with the radiated power and power deposited on the limiter. From this analysis the following approximate scalings with total input power Ptot are obtained for a carbon limiter that is initially saturated with deuterium: the edge electron temperature is nearly constant (Te(a) ∼ constant), the influxes of deuterium and carbon scale linearly with the power (φD ∝ Ptot, φC ∝ Ptot), the volume-average density scales as 〈ne〉 − Ptot/2 and the effective charge of the plasma is roughly constant (Zeff ∼ constant). Also from the model, the scaling of the edge electron temperature with tokamak minor radius is determined, i.e. T e (a) ∼ a 2 3 , and with the limiter area A, i.e. T e (a) ∼ A − 1 3 .
Surface area and volume changes during maturation of reticulocytes in the circulation of the baboon

Changes in the surface area and volume of reticulocytes were measured in vivo during late stage maturation. Baboons were treated with erythropoietin to produce mild reticulocytosis. Reticulocyte-rich cohorts of cells were obtained from whole blood by density gradient centrifugation. The cohorts were labeled with biotin, reinfused into the animal, and recovered from whole blood samples by panning on avidin supports. Changes in the surface area, volume, and membrane deformability were measured using micropipettes during the 2 to 6 weeks subsequent to reinfusion. For the entire cohort, the membrane area decreased by 10% to 15% and the cell volume decreased by approximately 8.5%, mostly within 24 hours after reinfusion. Estimates of the cellular dimensions of the reticulocyte subpopulation within this cohort indicated larger reductions in the mean cell area (12% to 30%) and mean cell volume (approximately 15%) of the reticulocytes themselves. Two weeks after reinfusion, the distribution of cell size for the cohort was indistinguishable from that of whole blood. There was evidence of slightly elevated membrane shear rigidity in some reticulocytes before reinfusion, but this slight increase disappeared within 24 hours after reinfusion. These are the first direct measurements of changes in the membrane physical properties of an identifiable cohort of reticulocytes as they mature in vivo.
Production, characterisation and application of monosize alloy droplets

Monosize alloy droplets are produced by controlled capillary jet break-up, a droplet generating process, also used in ink jet printing technology. With Rayleigh instability controlled through the decoupled process parameters of jet diameter, mass flowrate and perturbation frequency, monosize droplets of desired diameter can be generated at high rates with essentially full yield. The uniform size of droplets assures nearly identical solidification paths for all the droplets generated under fixed process conditions. This permits precise prediction of the motion and thermal and solidification behaviours of the droplets through rigorous process and metallurgical modelling, which is applicable to industrial thermal spray processes as well. Uniform droplets can be in-flight solidified or deposited on a substrate to produce various forms of materials with novel rapid solidification microstructures. Areas of industrial applications are discussed.
Collective modes in a one-dimensional nonuniform fluid model

A one-dimensional fluid with short-range repulsive interaction and one period of cosinusoidal attraction in a periodic container is transformed to a two-mode format. The system has both high-temperature single-phase regions and lowtemperature two-phase regions with a very broad spatial interface that can be stabilized by a weak external field. The case of vanishing external field brings out properties of the mode amplitude dependence which one expects to extend to more complex systems.
OAMulator: a teaching resource to introduce computer architecture concepts

The OAMulator is a Web-based resource to support the teaching of instruction set architecture, assembly languages, memory, addressing, high-level programming, and compilation. The tool is based on a simple, virtual CPU architecture, called the One Address Machine. A compiler allows us to take programs written in a special programming language, called OAMPL, and transform them into OAM assembly. An OAM assembler/emulator interprets and executes OAM assembly code produced by the compiler or written directly by students. The OAMulator is targeted at non-CS students who take introductory courses in information technology or information systems. Such students are normally exposed to concepts of computer hardware and software, but it is difficult for them to make the connection between the two. The OAMulator takes the mystery out of CPU architecture by letting students gain confidence with the concepts of compilers and binary execution. The Web-based deployment allows students to work on problems in convenient locations, at their own pace, and with rewarding interaction.
Direct Evidence for Immiscible Cholesterol Domains in Human Ocular Lens Fiber Cell Plasma Membranes

The molecular structure of human ocular lens fiber cell plasma membranes was examined directly using small angle x-ray diffraction approaches. A distinct biochemical feature of these membranes is their high relative levels of free cholesterol; the mole ratio of cholesterol to phospholipid (C/P) measured in these membranes ranges from 1 to 4. The organization of cholesterol in this membrane system is not well understood, however. In this study, the structure of plasma membrane samples isolated from nuclear (3.3 C/P) and cortical (2.4 C/P) regions of human lenses was evaluated with x-ray diffraction approaches. Meridional diffraction patterns obtained from the oriented membrane samples demonstrated the presence of an immiscible cholesterol domain with a unit cell periodicity of 34.0 A, consistent with a cholesterol monohydrate bilayer. The dimensions of the sterol-rich domains remained constant over a broad range of temperatures (5-20 degrees C) and relative humidity levels (31-97%). In contrast, dimensions of the surrounding sterol-poor phase were significantly affected by experimental conditions. Similar structural features were observed in membranes reconstituted from fiber cell plasma membrane lipid extracts. The results of this study indicate that the lens fiber cell plasma membrane is a complex structure consisting of separate sterol-rich and -poor domains. Maintenance of these separate domains may be required for the normal function of lens fiber cell plasma membrane and may interfere with the cataractogenic aggregation of soluble lens proteins at the membrane surface.
Multiwavelength Observations of Collisional Ring Galaxies. III. Oxygen/Nitrogen Abundances and Star Formation Properties of Ring Knots

This is the third paper in a series examining the multiwavelength properties of a sample of northern ring galaxies, in which we present optical long-slit spectra and broadband BVR and JHK colors of individual star-forming knots embedded in the ring. We present the oxygen and nitrogen abundances of the starburst knots and compare the reddening-corrected colors of individual star clusters with recent models of stellar evolution. We also present kinematic data for one system, LT 41. The star-forming knots in the rings have very similar colors, which implies similar ages in the range 4–80 Myr. These ages are less than the dynamical ages of the rings, which are typically 100–300 Myr. The fact that the implied ages of knots within individual ring galaxies cluster around the same age argues that their formation is recently triggered by a coherent event all around the ring. This strongly supports the triggering of the star formation as being due to the propagation of a radial density wave, as in the classical picture. The ring galaxies are found to have subsolar metallicities in the range one-half to one-fifth solar in [O/H] and [N/H] ratios. There is a suggestion of an increase in the mean nitrogen abundance for the rings of larger linear size, but oxygen abundances show no trend with ring diameter. The uniformity of the oxygen abundances over the sample is consistent with their rather narrow range of K-band luminosities, which suggests that even in strongly disturbed galaxies, when prompt local enrichment is expected to be important, the primary factor governing oxygen metallicity is total luminosity.
Membrane permeation mechanisms of 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides.

Abstract The mechanism of membrane permeation of several 2′,3′-dideoxynucleosides was investigated at 37° with human erythrocytes using an “inhibitor-stop” assay. Transport (per 5 μL cells) via the nucleoside and nucleobase carriers was assessed by inhibition of influx with dilazep and adenine, respectively. Mechanisms of cellular entry were highly individualized: 2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine and 3′-deoxythymidin-2′-ene via nonfacilitated diffusion, with high rates; 2′,3′-dideoxyguanosine mainly via the nucleobase carrier ( K m = 390 μ M, V max = 16 pmol/sec); 2′,3′-dideoxynisine by both nucleobase ( K m 850 μ M, V max = 2.7 pmol/sec) and nucleoside ( K m = 7.4 mM, V max = 16 pmol/sec) carriers, with a low rate of nonfacilitated diffusion; and 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine, equally by the nucleoside carrier ( K m = 23 mM, V max = 65 pmol/sec) and by nonfacilitated diffusion, with a low rate. These results demonstrate that the nucleobase carrier plays an important role in the influx of two of these dideoxynucleosides and that nonfacilitated diffusion is not necessarily the chief mode of membrane permeation of this class of drugs.
Effect of nitridation on crystallinity of GaN grown on GaAs by MBE

Abstract GaN films are grown on [0 0 1] GaAs substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy using a three-step process that consists of a substrate nitridation, deposition of a low-temperature buffer layer, and a high-temperature overgrowth. Films are evaluated by X-ray diffraction and the dependence of crystalline quality on the nitridation temperature is studied. It is demonstrated that nitridation has to be performed at low-temperature to achieve c-oriented α-GaN. Higher nitridation temperature promotes formation of mis-oriented domains and β-GaN inclusions
Management of abdominal compartment syndrome in a very low birth weight neonate using Penrose drains and subsequent management of abdominal-wall defects.

Abstract Percutaneous drainage of the peritoneal cavity has been recently evaluated for the treatment of perforated viscous in the very low birth weight (VLBW) neonate and percutaneous decompression for abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) has been studied in older patient populations. This is the first reported case of using this technique to treat ACS in a VLBW neonate.
Acute urinary tract infection--evaluation and treatment.

Purpose of review The evaluation and management of urinary tract infections in infants and children is undergoing changes due to the impact of evidence-based studies and new technology. Recent findings The uncircumcised male infant is at increased risk for a urinary tract infection, but there is marked difference in the frequency of circumcision carried out to lower the risk of infection in the United States compared with Europe. Commentaries presenting different interpretations of the current data make for interesting reading and present the many sides of this issue. Vesicoureteric reflux, previously viewed as the major risk factor for acquired renal damage, now shares this role with nonreflux nephropathy. Procalcitonin has been evaluated as a biochemical tool to identify patients at risk for kidney damage, with dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy as the reference method to detect renal scarring. Summary The previously accepted concept that vesicoureteric reflux as detected radiologically is almost always the key factor in acquired renal injury secondary to a urinary tract infection is no longer accepted. Current studies show that nonreflux nephropathy occurs as often as reflux nephropathy. There is now a question of the value of imaging studies designed to identify vesicoureteric reflux and of the use of suppressive antibiotics for vesicoureteric reflux. There exist useful evidence-based studies for antibiotic therapy for upper and lower tract urinary tract infections, but no such data are available for guidance in selecting imaging studies for the infant or child with a first febrile urinary tract infection.
Scaling the MAPK signaling threshold during CNS patterning.

Morphogenic gradients originating from signaling centers along the CNS developmental axes contribute to CNS patterning. Reporting in this issue of Developmental Cell , Lanctot et al. (2013) show that the Nde1-Lis1 complex interacts with Brap, a mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway negative regulator, to facilitate position-dependent modulation of neural progenitor fate and CNS patterning.
Frog Perspective on the Morphological Difference Between Humans and Chimpanzees

The body shapes of humans and chimpanzees were compared quantitatively by criteria chosen for their capacity to discriminate well among the body shapes of frogs. By these criteria, the difference in body shape between humans and chimpanzees was found to be greater than that between the most dissimilar pairs of frogs examined--that is, frogs classified in separate taxonomic suborders. Even though the morphological diffference between the two primates is large by frog standards, the biochemical differences between the structural genes of these two species are small. The results of this study give quantitative support to the proposal that morphological evolution and biochemical evolution in structural genes can proceed at independent rates.
Liquid-liquid equilibria of selected dibasic ester + water + solvent ternary systems

Experimental liquid−liquid equilibria for various dibasic ester + solvent + water systems were obtained at 297 K. These systems are suggested as possible substitutes in applications where chlorocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons are used. The dibasic esters can also be used as novel solvents in separation techniques.
1055. High Levels of Human Factor IX Expression in Hemophilia B Mice after Adult Stem Cell-Based Gene Therapy Combined with Non-Myeloablative Conditioning

Top of pageAbstract Various cell types have been targeted for expression of clotting factors in experimental models of hemophilia, with muscle and hepatocyte-directed gene transfer advancing to clinical trials. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are attractive alternative targets because of their self-renewing properties, their ability to generate blood cells over extended periods of time, and their ease of manipulation ex vivo. However, several hurdles must be overcome to make this approach safe and practical. These include the need to express sufficient amount of therapeutic gene products and minimize the risk of insertional mutagenesis and the toxicity of host conditioning to facilitate HSC engraftment. We have previously developed an erythoid cell-specific platform for long-term and systemic therapeutic protein delivery in vivo using an erythroid- specific lentiviral vector. We demonstrated in an immune competent C57BL/6 hemophilia B mouse model, that therapeutic levels of human factor IX (hFIX) can be expressed at low average vector copy (VC) number (250-350 ng/mL with under 0.5 VC per cell). In this study, we examined the level of erythroid-specific protein delivery obtained after engraftment following minimal conditioning, eventually in the presence of in vivo methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT)-mediated drug resistance. Low to moderate levels of hFIX expression were achieved in control, lethally irradiated mice (average 100-200 ng/ml), 4-weeks post-transplantation. In non-myeloablated recipients conditioned with 400 cGy or Busulfan (20 mg/kg, given twice at 48 h and 24 h before engraftment), the levels of hFIX expression were ranged from negligible to low (0-20 ng/ml and 0 |[ndash]| 100 ng/ml, respectively). Four weeks after the first round of BG/BCNU (30 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg, respectively), a wide range of hFIX expression levels were achieved, reaching in some mice levels equivalent to 20% of physiological levels in humans. We are currently monitoring long-term hFIX expression, as well as the average VC number in blood cells and CFUs. Further rounds of drug selection are also in progress. In conclusion, our data suggest that it is possible to express high levels of a secreted protein from HSC-derived erythroid cells engrafted under minimal conditioning. The combined features of reduced intensity conditioning, reduced insertional mutagenesis due to low vector copy number requirement and erythroid-specific transgene expression, as well as long-term protein expression at therapeutic levels, increase the potential applicability of adult stem cell-based gene therapy in non-lethal disorders such as hemophilia.
Modal Characteristics of Simply Supported Lightweight Long Cylinders

In the study of free vibration of solid cylinders a linear viscoelastic cylinder of an infinite length models the medium. The analytical modeling is based on three dimensional wave propagation utilizing constant complex moduli. The solution is achieved by determining the displacement and stress on the surface, and by complying with requirements at the boundary. Analysis was conducted to express displacement stresses at any point of the solid cylinder to boundary stress. Dimensionless natural frequencies and mode shapes for different circumferential and axial wave numbers are determined.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Establishment and characterization of two distinct mouse testicular epithelial cell lines.

Two cell lines have been isolated from testis of immature BALB/c mice. These lines have each been cloned several times and have been established in culture for over 2 years. The cells are epithelial in appearance and do not form tumors when injected into BALB/c - nu/nu mice. l’hc cell lines can be said to be two distinct cell types on the basis of their morphology, hormone response, responses to gonadotropins, and metabolism of steroids. One line (TM4) has been tentatively identified as being of Sertoli cell origin, since it shows a growth response to purified ovFSH and an increase in cAMP in the presence of FSII but not LII. The other line (TM3), believed to be Leydig cells, is not growth-stimulated by either LII or FSII, shows an increase in cAMP in the presence of LII, and a change in the metabolism of Itm4 Cl cholesterol in the presence of LI-I.
Venous thrombosis associated with staphylococcal osteomyelitis in children.

Background Venous thrombosis (VT) in children with Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis occurs rarely. We describe clinical features of infections and molecular characterization of isolates of children at Texas Children's Hospital with S aureus osteomyelitis and VT. Methods We reviewed records and imaging studies (chest radiographs, ultrasound, computed tomography, and MRI) of 9 patients at Texas Children's Hospital with acute S aureus osteomyelitis and new onset VT between August 1999 and December 2004. Isolates were fingerprinted by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and tested for the presence of genes encoding selective virulence factors. Results The mean age of the patients was 10.6 years. All 9 of the patients had osteomyelitis with sites of infection adjacent to the VT. The femoral and popliteal veins were most commonly affected. Two patients had VTs develop on the same side in which a central line had been in place. Four patients had chest radiographs consistent with septic emboli; inferior vena cava filters were placed in 3. Evaluation for hypercoagulable state revealed 3 patients with lupus anticoagulant, 1 with anticardiolipin IgG antibody, and 5 with no defect. Most laboratory abnormalities had resolved at follow-up. Seven patients had infections caused by methicillin-resistant S aureus belonging to the same clonal group (USA300); all were community acquired. Seven isolates carried the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (luk-S-PV and luk-F-PV) genes. Conclusions The predominant community-acquired, methicillin-resistant S aureus clone in Houston, Texas, (USA300) may have a unique propensity to cause VT in association with osteomyelitis. Management of the venous thrombosis in this setting may be complicated by the rapid evolution of septic emboli.
Closures in Binary Partial Algebras

Two procedures for computing closures in binary partial algebras (BPA) are introduced: a Fibonacci-style procedure for closures in associative BPAs, and a multistage procedure for closures in associative, commutative and idempotent BPAs. Ramifications in areas such as resolution theorem proving, graph-theoretic algorithms, formal languages and formal concept analysis are discussed. In particular, the multistage procedure, when applied to formal concept analysis, results in a new algorithm outperforming leading algorithms for computing concept sets.
Clinical Studies of Dental Cements: V. Recall Evaluation of Restorations Cemented with a Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement and a Zinc Phosphate Cement

Patients with restorations cemented with a reinforced zinc oxide-eugenol cement and a zinc phosphate cement were recalled after a four- to seven-year interval. No significant differences in clinical success were observed between restorations luted with the two cements. No significant difference in the incidence of caries at the restoration margins was noted between the cements.
Auditory and Visual Lexical Neighborhoods in Audiovisual Speech Perception

Much evidence suggests that the mental lexicon is organized into auditory neighborhoods, with words that are phonologically similar belonging to the same neighborhood. In this investigation, we considered the existence of visual neighborhoods. When a receiver watches someone speak a word, a neighborhood of homophenes (ie, words that look alike on the face, such as pat and bat) is activated. The simultaneous activation of a word's auditory and visual neighborhoods may, in part, account for why individuals recognize speech better in an auditory-visual condition than what would be predicted by their performance in audition-only and vision-only conditions. A word test was administered to 3 groups of participants in audition-only, vision-only, and auditory-visual conditions, in the presence of 6-talker babble. Test words with sparse visual neighborhoods were recognized more accurately than words with dense neighborhoods in a vision-only condition. Densities of both the acoustic and visual neighborhoods as well as their intersection overlap were predictive of how well the test words were recognized in the auditory-visual condition. These results suggest that visual neighborhoods exist and that they affect auditory-visual speech perception. One implication is that in the presence of dual sensory impairment, the boundaries of both acoustic and visual neighborhoods may shift, adversely affecting speech recognition.
The Match Between Apache Indians Culture And Educational Practices Used In Our Schools: From Problems To Solutions

This study examined cultural values and practices of Apache Indian families in regards to child rearing and how culturally responsive our schools educational practices are with this population of individuals. Findings from this study revealed a potentially negative impact on these students development and academic achievement. Solutions to address the incompatibility were generated.
An algebraic approach to bounded controllability of linear systems

In this paper we present an algebraic approach to the proof that a linear system with matrices (A, B) is null–controllable using bounded inputs if and only if it is null–controllable (with unbounde...
Development of a Discharge Manual for Tracheostomy and Ventilated Children

The purpose of this project was to create a resource manual for parents to prepare them for caring for their child at home. This resource manual also provides a checklist for discharge preparation.
Topic Modeling Based Classification of Clinical Reports

Electronic health records (EHRs) contain important clinical information about patients. Some of these data are in the form of free text and require preprocessing to be able to used in automated systems. Efficient and effective use of this data could be vital to the speed and quality of health care. As a case study, we analyzed classification of CT imaging reports into binary categories. In addition to regular text classification, we utilized topic modeling of the entire dataset in various ways. Topic modeling of the corpora provides interpretable themes that exist in these reports. Representing reports according to their topic distributions is more compact than bag-of-words representation and can be processed faster than raw text in subsequent automated processes. A binary topic model was also built as an unsupervised classification approach with the assumption that each topic corresponds to a class. And, finally an aggregate topic classifier was built where reports are classified based on a single discriminative topic that is determined from the training dataset. Our proposed topic based classifier system is shown to be competitive with existing text classification techniques and provides a more efficient and interpretable representation.
Biochemical Studies on Autism

Like many contemporary clinical designations, the term early infantile autism refers to a clinical syndrome and not an etiologically homogeneous disease. This is a distinction of some importance in evaluating the existing literature on the syndrome and in devising strategies for its biochemical elucidation. The term was coined by Kanner1 in 1944 to identify a syndrome of four key symptoms: the early onset of profound disturbances in relating to others; great difficulty or inability in developing communicative speech; displays of stereotypic motor behavior; and insistence on a stable environment. While Kanner’s clinical descriptions were clear, whether they defined a distinct clinical entity was open to debate.2–6 Currently defined as a syndrome of disturbances in perception, developmental rate, relating, language, and motility, and sanctified by inclusion in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS-III), the question of whether the syndrome should be considered a distinct “disease” is unresolved. What is clear, however, is that the syndrome can be associated with, and may be secondary to, a number of etiologies. Autistic behavior occurs in a significant number of phenylketonurics7 and in about 8% of the cases of maternal rubella.8 It has been found associated with tuberous sclerosis,9 Hurler’s disease, congenital hypothyroidism,10 and some cases of fragile x syndrome.11,12
Electronic Conductivity of Calcia‐Stabilized Zirconia

The promotion of n-type electronic conduction by relatively small concentrations of donors in the presence of a large concentration of calcium, which is an acceptor, is explained by assuming that most of the calcium is present as neutral calcium ion-oxygen vacancy pairs or clusters. Evaluation of experimental data on the basis of this model leads to an enthalpy of pairing of calcium ions with oxygen ion vacancies of –2.7 ev.
Highly Dispersed SiOx/Al2O3 Catalysts Illuminate the Reactivity of Isolated Silanol Sites

The reaction of γ-alumina with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) vapor at low temperatures selectively yields monomeric SiO(x) species on the alumina surface. These isolated (-AlO)3Si(OH) sites are characterized by PXRD, XPS, DRIFTS of adsorbed NH3, CO, and pyridine, and (29)Si and (27)Al DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The formation of isolated sites suggests that TEOS reacts preferentially at strong Lewis acid sites on the γ-Al2O3 surface, functionalizing the surface with "mild" Bronsted acid sites. For liquid-phase catalytic cyclohexanol dehydration, these SiO(x) sites exhibit up to 3.5-fold higher specific activity than the parent alumina with identical selectivity.
A recent perspective on alcohol, immunity and host defense

Multiple line of clinical and experimental evidence demonstrates that both acute, moderate and chronic, excessive alcohol use result in various abnormalities in the functions of the immune system. Altered inflammatory cell and adaptive immune responses in turn result in increased incidence and poor outcome of infections and other organ effects after alcohol use. This review article summarizes recent findings relevant to immunomodulation by alcohol and its consequences on host defense against microbial pathogens and tissue injury.
High habitual dietary α-linolenic acid intake is associated with decreased plasma soluble interleukin-6 receptor concentrations in male twins

Background: a-Linolenic acid (ALA) is associated with a low risk of cardiovascular disease; however, the underlying mechanism is not completely known. Objective: The objective was to examine whether habitual dietary ALA intake is associated with plasma concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers after control for shared genetic and common environmental factors. Design: We cross-sectionally studied 353 middle-aged male twins. Habitual diet was assessed with the Willett food-frequency questionnaire. Fasting plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its soluble receptor (sIL-6R), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) were measured. Linear mixed-effect regression analysis was used to partition the overall association into within- and between-pair associations. Results: A 1-g increment in habitual dietary ALA intake was associated with 11.0% lower concentrations of sIL-6R (P = 0.004) but not of IL-6 (P = 0.31), TNF-a (P = 0.16), or hsCRP (P = 0.36) after adjustment for energy intake, nutritional factors, known cardiovascular disease risk factors, and medications. After further control for shared genetic and common environmental factors by comparison of brothers within a twin pair, a twin with a 1-g higher ALA intake was likely to have 10.9% (95% CI: 3.7%, 17.6%; P = 0.004) lower sIL-6R concentrations than his co-twin with a low intake, whereas ALA intake was not significantly associated with plasma concentrations of IL-6, TNF-a, or hsCRP. These results were validated by using 1000 bootstrap samples. Conclusions: Habitual dietary ALA intake is inversely associated with plasma sIL-6R concentrations independent of shared genetic and common environmental influences. Lowering sIL-6R may be a mechanism underlying the cardioprotective properties of habitual dietary ALA. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00017836. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;92:177‐85.