cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modulation of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone-Induced Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Activation by Dual-Specificity Protein Phosphatase 1 in LβT2 Gonadotropes

As the regulator of pituitary reproductive hormone synthesis, the hypothalamic neuropeptide GnRH is the central regulator of reproduction. A hallmark of GnRH action is the differential control of gene expression in pituitary gonadotropes through varied pulsatile stimulation. Among other signaling events, GnRH activation of the ERK family of MAPKs plays a significant role in the transcriptional regulation of the luteinizing hormone β-subunit gene and regulation of cap-dependent translation. We evaluated the ERK response to different GnRH pulse amplitudes in the gonadotrope cell line LβT2. We found that low-amplitude stimulation with GnRH invokes a rapid and transient ERK activation, whereas high-amplitude stimulation invokes a prolonged activation specifically in the cytoplasm fraction of LβT2 cells. Nuclear and cytoplasmic targets of ERK, Ets-like gene 1, and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E, respectively, are similarly activated. Feedback control of ERK activation occurs mainly through the dual-specificity protein phosphatases (DUSPs). DUSP1 is localized to the nucleus in LβT2 cells but DUSP4, another member implicated in GnRH feedback, exists in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Manipulation of nuclear DUSP activity through overexpression or knockdown of Dusp1 modulates the ERK response to low and high GnRH pulse amplitudes and activation of the Lhb promoter. Dusp1 overexpression abolishes sustained ERK activation and inhibits Lhb promoter activity induced by high amplitude pulses. Conversely, Dusp1 knockdown enhances ERK activation by low-amplitude stimulation and increases stimulation of Lhb promoter activity. We conclude that DUSP1 feedback activity modulates ERK activation and the transcriptional response to GnRH.
An Analysis of Strength and Ductility of Ultrafine Grained Al Alloys

This paper brings together and compares data of various ultrafine grained (UFG) Al alloys processed through different routes. In general, the trend of decreasing ductility with increasing strength was observed for the UFG alloys. As compared to the coarse grained (CG) alloys, the UFG alloys show a lower ductility, a lower extent of work-hardening and a lower uniform elongation. Unlike the CG alloys, which show a large fraction of uniform to total elongation, in UFG alloys this fraction varies with processing technique. It is shown here that aging of some UFG Al alloys improves ductility. Further, it is shown that increasing the equivalent strain of pre-deformation increases ductility. From this it was inferred that high angle grain boundaries have an important influence on ductility. The variation of ductility with strain rate sensitivity has been found to match both the analytical prediction as well as data of various materials.
Graphene formation mechanisms on 4H-SiC(0001)

Graphene is created through thermal decomposition of the Si face of $4H\text{-SiC}$ in high-vacuum. Growth temperature and time are varied independently to gain a better understanding of how surface features and morphology affect graphene formation. Growth mechanisms of graphene are studied by ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). On the route toward a continuous graphene film, various growth features, such as macroscale step bunching, terrace pits, and fingers, are found and analyzed. Topographic and phase AFM analysis demonstrates how surface morphology changes with experimental conditions. Step-bunched terraces and terrace pits show a strong preference for eroding along the ${11\overline{2}0}$ planes. Data from AFM are corroborated with STM to determine the surface structure of the growth features. It is shown that elevated finger structures are SiC while the depressed interdigitated areas between the fingers are comprised of at least a monolayer of graphene. Graphene formation at the bottom of terrace pits shows a dependence on pit depth. These features lend support for a stoichiometric view of graphene formation based on the number of decomposing SiC bilayers.
Fine structure splittings in some highly ionized n = 3 doublets

Abstract Relativistic Z -expansion coefficient are calculated for 2 P and 2 D splittings in ions of the NaI, A1I, C1I, KI and CoI isoelectronic sequences. Good agreement with empirical results is found, and interpolation formulae valid at high Z are presented.
Design and Application of High Resolution Multi-Detector Arrays for Gamma Ray Spectroscopy

Proposes the development of new detector systems which are capable of high resolution and at the same time have a large P/T (defined as the ratio of the number of counts in the full energy peak to the total number of counts). Points out that at the present time these requirements are best met by reversed bias high purity germanium detectors surrounded by an anti-Compton shield made from Bismuth Germanate (Bi/sub 4/Ge/sub 3/O/sub 12/). Reports that Bismuth Germanate is a relatively new scintillation material which is now commercially available.
Searching for Africa in Brazil: Power and Tradition in Candomblé by Stefania Capone, translated by Lucy Lyal Grant, Duke University Press: Durham and London, 2010, xiv + 316 pp. ISBN 978 0 8223 4625 8, US$84.95 (hardback); ISBN 978 0 8223 4636 4, US$23.95 (paperback)

Searching for Africa in Brazil: Power and Tradition in Candomble by Stefania Capone, translated by Lucy Lyal Grant, Duke University Press: Durham and London, 2010, xiv + 316 pp. ISBN 978 0 8223 462...
Influence of corticosteroids and vitamin E deficiency on onset of radiation-induced cataract

Abstract Cataracts characteristic of those arising from radiation exposure have been reported among the astronaut and cosmonaut corps. This being the case it is critical to appreciate how radiogenic cataracts relate to those arising from other exogenous causes such as therapeutics, which may, one day, have to be administered on an extended mission. Because they produce precisely the same clinical picture, corticosteroids are examples of a class of drugs that potentially can exacerbate damage to the lens from radiation. On the other hand, Vitamin E, a free radical scavenger, has been shown to ameliorate oxidative damage as caused by ionizing radiation and evidence is accumulating that it may constitute protection from radiogenic damage. An experimental study was conducted to understand if corticosteroids with, and in the absence of Vitamin E deficiency modulate the onset of cataract induced by ionizing radiation. The right eyes of seventy-two 28-day-old Brown–Norway rats were irradiated with 6 Gy of 240 kV X-rays, the shielded left eyes served as controls. Half of the animals were maintained on a Vitamin E free diet after irradiation, the others were kept on standard chow. Fifty per cent of the animals in each nutritional group received dexamethasone. The initial daily dose of 10 mg/kg body weight injected subcutaneously was reduced to 0.5 mg/kg over the course of six months. Cataract onset and development were followed by weekly slit-lamp exam. After six month the lenses were harvested for microscopic analyses. Irradiated eyes in all treatment subgroups showed early cataract onset [5 wks vs. 11 wks in controls (p Radiation, at the applied dose, was the predominant risk factor for early cataract onset. However, corticosteroids accelerate cataract formation. The surprising protective influence of Vitamin E deficiency may be the result of a stathmokinetic effect on mitosis – a possibility that is supported by lens epithelial histopathology in the regions of cell mitosis and differentiation.
An S-matrix approach to Glauber theory☆

Abstract We present an S-matrix approach to Glauber theory based on an eikonal-Hamiltonian formalism. The variant of Glauber's multiple diffraction theory obtained here is rigorously unitary. The construction of the appropriate composite scattering amplitudes requires only two-body phase shift data.
EXPOSING THE MECHANISM AND TIMING OF IMPACT OF NONINDIGENOUS SPECIES ON NATIVE SPECIES

The nonnative mudsnail Batillaria attramentariawas introduced to the west coast of North America in the early part of this century and has been displacing the native mudsnail Cerithidea californica on a marsh-by-marsh basis. We combined detailed, quan- titative field data on this invader and its interactions with the native snail in an individual- based model that allowed us to address both general questions about the mechanism of displacement of native species and more specific concerns about detecting the trajectory and impact of the invasion. In empirically parameterized simulations the native snail was driven extinct within 55-70 yr after introduction of Batillaria, which closely matches direct field estimates. We then tested the relative importance of Batillaria's demonstrated advan- tages in parasitism resistance (top-down effect), exploitative competition (bottom-up effect), and mortality rate (demographic advantage) in driving its displacement of Cerithidea. With its demographic advantage maintained, but without its advantages in competition and par- asitism, Batillaria still drove Cerithidea extinct within 90 yr. Only when Batillaria's mor- tality rate was set equal to that of Cerithidea could the native snail persist indefinitely, demonstrating this factor's overwhelming influence on the success of this invasion. The difference in mortality between the species was large relative to the other differences, but further simulations showed that the importance of this difference stems not just from its magnitude, but also from the sensitivity of this system to this demographic rate. Identifi- cation of the relative importance of mechanisms that contribute to an invader's success is one of the major benefits of such modeling efforts. To identify empirically measurable quantities that provide the earliest warning of impact on the native species, we tracked many population- and individual-level responses of Cer- ithidea to Batillaria's invasion, including population density, biomass, egg production, mean size, proportion of infected individuals, and individual growth rate, as well as availability of shared food resources. We used the empirically observed parameter values and an initial number of Batillaria invaders in these simulations that guaranteed extinction of Cerithidea within 90 yr. Despite a rapid initial increase in invader populations, all metrics for Cerithidea were slow to exhibit signs of impact. Most took at least 25 yr from invasion to exhibit detectable changes, by which time the nonnative species was established at high densities (.3000 snails/m 2 ). Cerithidea egg production was the fastest, most consistent response metric exhibiting declines within 20-25 yr after invasion in ;90% of simulations. Difficulty in finding reliable, early warning metrics has crucial implications for how we should view and conduct monitoring programs and risk assessment analyses.
Protein kinase A mediates regulation of gap junctions containing connexin35 through a complex pathway.

Abstract Connexin 35 (Cx35) is a major component of electrical synapses in the central nervous system. Many gap junctions containing Cx35 are regulated by dopamine receptor pathways that involve protein kinase A (PKA). To study the mechanism of PKA regulation, we analyzed direct phosphorylation of Cx35 by PKA in vitro and studied the regulation of neurobiotin tracer coupling in HeLa cells expressing Cx35 or Cx35 mutants that lack phosphorylation sites. In Cx35-transfected cells, application of the PKA activator Sp-8-cpt-cAMPS caused a significant decline in coupling, while a PKA inhibitor, Rp-8-cpt-cAMPS, significantly increased tracer coupling. In vitro phosphorylation and mutagenic analysis showed that PKA phosphorylates Cx35 directly at two major sites, Ser110 in the intracellular loop and Ser276 in the carboxyl terminus. In addition, a minor phosphorylation site in the C-terminus was identified by truncation of the last 7 amino acids at Ser298. The mutations Ser110Ala or Ser276Ala significantly reduced regulation of coupling by the PKA activator while a combination of the two eliminated regulation. Truncation at Ser298 reversed the regulation such that the PKA activator significantly increased and the PKA inhibitor significantly decreased coupling. The activation was eliminated in the S110A, S276A, S298ter triple mutant. We conclude that PKA regulates Cx35 coupling in a complex manner that requires both major phosphorylation sites. Furthermore, the tip of the C-terminus acts as a “switch” that determines whether phosphorylation will inhibit or enhance coupling. Reliance on the combined states of three sites provides fine control over the degree of coupling through Cx35 gap junctions.
On the Renormalization of the Covariance Operators

Many background error correlation (BEC) models in data assimilation are formulated in terms of a smoothing operator B, which simulates the action of the correlation matrix on a state vector normalized by respective BE variances. Under such formulation, B has to have a unit diagonal and requires appropriate renormalization by rescaling. The exact computation of the rescaling factors (diagonal elements of B )i s a computationally expensive procedure, which needs an efficient numerical approximation. In this study approximate renormalization techniques based on the Monte Carlo (MC) and Hadamard matrix (HM) methods and on the analytic approximations derived under the assumption of the local homogeneity (LHA) of B are compared using realistic BEC models designed for oceanographic applications. It is shown that although the accuracy of the MC and HM methods can be improved by additional smoothing, their computational cost remains significantly higher than the LHA method, which is shown to be effective even in the zeroth-order approximation. The next approximation improves the accuracy 1.5‐2 times at a moderate increase of CPU time. A heuristic relationship for the smoothing scale in two and three dimensions is proposed for the first-order LHA approximation.
Fiber-based flexible thermoelectric power generator

Abstract Flexible thermoelectric power generators fabricated by evaporating thin films on flexible fiber substrates are demonstrated to be feasible candidates for waste heat recovery. An open circuit voltage of 19.6 μV K per thermocouple junction is measured for Ni–Ag thin films, and a maximum power of 2 nW for 7 couples at ΔT = 6.6 K is measured. Heat transfer analysis is used to project performance for several other material systems, with a predicted power output of 1 μW per couple for Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3-based fiber coatings with a hot junction temperature of 100 °C. Considering the performance of woven thermoelectric cloths or fiber composites, relevant properties and dimensions of individual thermoelectric fibers are optimized.
Recovery of Point-Injected Labeled Nitrogen by Corn as Affected by Timing, Rate, and Tillage

Point-injection technology is being developed to improve fertilizer management, particularly N management. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the rate (number) and timing of point-injections of an ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3 ) solution on N uptake and corn growth and to measure any differences due to tillage. Nitrogen-15 depleted NH 4 NO 3 (AN) was hand-injected beside individual plants at the V1, V5, and/or V9 growth stages at rates of 50, 100, and/or 200 kg N ha −1 with fall moldboard plow (MP), fall chisel plow (CP), and ridge-till (RT) systems (...)
Growth Patterns of Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius barbouri) from Central Florida

Abstract: We studied growth in snout–vent length (SVL) and body mass of Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius barbouri) in Volusia County, Florida, with the use of mark–recapture techniques. Between February 1992 and December 2000, we PIT-tagged (Passive Integrated Transponder) 665 individuals of approximately 1 yr of age or greater that were subsequently recaptured at least once. Because snakes can be definitively aged at 1 yr, this resulted in a large sample of snakes of known age that were followed for up to 7 yr. Seventy-five of these individuals PIT tagged at 1 yr were identified from photographs of neonates born in captivity, allowing us to relate adult growth to neonate traits. Our data suggest that Pygmy Rattlesnakes in central Florida exhibit highly variable patterns of growth that are related to a mild climate that allows feeding and growth throughout the year, and to a fluctuating prey base that results in irregular growth patterns often unlike those predicted by typical growth equatio...
Electron stimulated desorption of hydrogen from W(110)

Adsorption of H on W(110) at 90 K gives rise to H+ desorption under electron impact with high disappearance cross section, σ = 5 × 10−17cm2, while adsorption at 300 K does not yield H+. For saturated or nearly saturated layers formed at 90 K H + persists to 300 K. The amount of H desorbed by ESD is very small, as shown by thermal desorption and work function measurements. It is postulated that the H+ yielding state corresponds to adsorption at imperfections which are filled randomly at 90 K but for kinetic reasons not at 300 K. Once filled, however, they stay filled to 300 K for near-saturation coverages, but not when there are alternate sites available at lower θ, and stay empty on recooling. The cross section for H+ production was estimated from the H+/e− ratio as σH+ = (5 ± 1) × 10−23 (WH) cm2, where H/W is the ratio of H+ yielding hydrogen to W atom latter corresponding to 1.4 × 1015atoms/cm2. It was also found that submonolayer coverages of Ag post-adsorbed on H1/W(110) increase the yield and disappearance cross section of the H+ yielding state, but do not lead to appreciably more total electron stimulated H desorption. Small amounts of CO kill H+ production.
The zinc finger domain of the 43-kDa receptor-associated protein, rapsyn: role in acetylcholine receptor clustering.

We injected rat myotubes with proteins and antibodies to assess the importance of the zinc finger (ZnF) domain of the 43-kDa receptor-associated protein, rapsyn, in clustering acetylcholine receptors (AChR). Injection of rat myotubes with a fusion protein containing the ZnF domain of rapsyn disrupted AChR clusters. Clusters were unaffected by a fusion protein containing a double mutant that does not bind zinc. Similar results were obtained with the purified wild type and mutant ZnF domains. The ZnF of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein had no effect. AChR clusters were also disrupted in myotubes injected with antibodies to the ZnF domain, followed by injection of anti-antibodies. Injection of antibodies directed against a different rapsyn epitope or against the cytoplasmic domain of the AChR had no effect. In transfection experiments with HEK 293 cells, the ZnF domain failed to associate with membrane aggregates containing full-length rapsyn, AChR, or rapsyn and AChR together. We conclude that the ZnF domain of rapsyn provides a binding site essential for AChR clustering, but that this site is unlikely to be involved in high affinity binding of rapsyn to itself or to AChR.
CORRELATION OF β-ENDORPHIN AND PROSTAGLANDIN E2 LEVELS IN PROSTATIC FLUID OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PROSTATITIS WITH DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT RESPONSE

Purpose: The chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a clinically defined symptom complex of unclear etiology. We have noted increased oxidative stress in the prostatic fluid of these patients, implying an active inflammatory response. Immune cells can produce the natural opioid β-endorphin at the site of injury, which may modulate pain. We measured β-endorphin and the inflammatory marker prostaglandin E2 in the expressed prostatic secretions of men with prostatitis, and correlated the results with symptoms.Materials and Methods: Expressed prostatic secretions samples from 70 patients and 8 asymptomatic controls were collected and frozen. β-Endorphin and prostaglandin E2 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results were stratified according to prostatitis category and compared in individuals before and after therapy.Results: In symptomatic patients β-endorphin and prostaglandin E2 were not significantly different in categories II, IIIa and IIIb expressed prostatic secretions but they were higher th...
Forward error correction for advanced optical transmission

In this tutorial paper, we compare performance of several classes of forward error correction schemes suitable for advanced optical transmission. The first class is based on the concatenation of two RS codes. The second class is based on turbo product codes with BCH codes as component codes. The third class is based on low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes that have attracted much attention over the past decade. The fourth class of codes to be presented is generalization of both turbo product and LDPC codes, known as generalized LDPC (GDLPC) codes. To increase the coding gain while keeping the codeword length reasonable low, the class of nonbinary LDPC codes is introduced. A sophisticated simulator that models all major transmission impairments is used to assess the performance of the error correction schemes.
The autoradiographic uptake and turnover of [1-3H]-galactose in mouse periodontal tissues

Abstract In 5-week-old Brookhaven National Laboratory short-lived mice, [3H]-galactose was utilized in all the oral tissues studied. Uptake and turnover of the tracer assessed by autoradiography revealed three uptake peaks. Synchronous fluctuation of total grain counts was repeatedly observed in different periodontal tissues. Acid glycosaminoglycans were strongly labelled and the neutral glycosaminoglycan fraction of the tissues was labelled to a lesser degree. The radiotracer became incorporated during their synthesis. The complex plots derived may represent several metabolic events occurring simultaneously. The uptake of radiotracer in fibrogenic, osteogenic and cementogenic cells was low. Accumulation of matrical output, however, was significant. The matrical output of the cementogenic cells and the osteogenic layer mesial to the alveolar bone was the highest of all the oral tissues studied throughout the 30-day period.
Influence of an anti-angiogenic treatment on 9L gliosarcoma : oxygenation and response to cytotoxic therapy

Tissue oxygen tensions were measured in subcutaneously growing rat 9L gliosarcoma under normal air and carbogen breathing conditions prior to and after i.v. administration of a perflubron emulsion. When these animals were treated with the anti-angiogenic agents TNP-470 and minocycline for 5 days prior to oxygen measurement, tumor hypoxia was decreased compared with untreated tumors. Hypoxia, defined as the percent of pO2 readings < or = 5 mm Hg, was decreased from 71% in untreated air-breathing controls to 34% in animals treated with the anti-angiogenic agents, the perflubron emulsion and carbogen breathing. These effects were manifest in the increased response of the tumor to single-dose (10, 20 and 30 Gy) radiation therapy. Twenty-four hours after treatment with BCNU oxygenation of the tumors was not altered; however, 24 hr after administration of adriamycin oxygenation of the tumors was increased such that hypoxia in adriamycin-treated tumors in animals receiving the perflubron emulsion and carbogen was reduced to 21%. Tumor growth delay in the s.c. tumors was increased by the addition of treatment with the anti-angiogenic agents from day 4 through day 18 post-tumor cell implantation along with BCNU or adriamycin on days 7-11. Administration of the perflubron emulsion and carbogen breathing resulted in increased tumor growth delay with the chemotherapeutic agents alone and in combination with the anti-angiogenic agents. Life span in animals bearing intracranially implanted 9L gliosarcoma progressively increased with administration of the anti-angiogenic agents and then the anti-angiogenic agents and perflubron emulsion/carbogen compared to treatment with BCNU or adriamycin.
Dissolved DMSO production via biological and photochemical oxidation of dissolved DMS in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is an important degradation product of the climate-influencing gas dimethylsulfide (DMS). In the Ross Sea, Antarctica, dissolved DMSO (DMSOd) concentrations exhibited substantial seasonal and vertical variations. Surface water DMSOd concentrations in pre-bloom waters were very low ( < 1 nM) but increased rapidly up to 41 nM during the spring Phaeocystis antarctica bloom (late November). Increases in DMSOd concentrations lagged by several days increases in DMS concentrations. Although DMSOd concentrations reached relatively high levels during the spring bloom, concentrations were generally higher (36.3-60.6 nM) during summer (January), even though phytoplankton biomass and DMS concentrations had decreased by that time. During both seasons, DMSOd concentrations were substantially higher within the surface mixed layer than below it. DMSOd production from biological DMS consumption (BDMSC) was higher during late November (3,4-5,2 nMd -1 ) than during the summer (0.7-2.4 nM d -1 therefore, production via BDMSC alone could not explain the higher DMSOd concentrations encountered during the summer. Mixed layer-integrated DMSOd production from BDMSC was 2.5-13.7 times greater than production from dissolved DMS photolysis during the P. antarctica bloom, while photolysis contributed 1.3 times more DMSO than BDMSC before the bloom. The DMSO yield from BDMSC was consistently higher within the upper mixed layer than at depths below. Experimental incubations with water from the mixed layer showed that exposure to full spectrum sunlight for 72 h caused an increase in the DMSO yield whereas exposure to only photosynthetically active radiation did not. This suggests that ultraviolet radiation is a potential factor shifting the fate of biologically consumed DMS toward DMSO. In general, the highest DMSO yields from BDMSC were in samples with slow biological DMS turnover, whereas fast turnover favored sulfate rather than DMSO as a major end-product. This study provides the first detailed information about DMSOd distribution and production in the Ross Sea and points to DMSOd as an important biological and photochemical degradation product of DMS and a major reservoir of methylated sulfur in these polar surface waters.
Screening Practices for Identifying Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents

Abstract Objective To characterize pediatrician and family physician (FP) screening practices for type 2 diabetes among adolescents and to examine the impact of the 2010 American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines, recommending use of Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional mail survey of a random sample of 1,400 U.S. pediatricians and FPs and we received 604 eligible responses. Our main outcome measure was the types of tests ordered by physicians, particularly HbA1c, when presented with a hypothetical scenario. Results The overall response rate was 52% (57% for pediatricians and 48% for FPs). Fasting glucose and HbA1c were the most commonly ordered tests. Overall, at least 58% of physicians ordered HbA1c; 35% ordered HbA1c in conjunction with fasting tests; and 22% ordered HbA1c alone or with nonfasting tests. Only 38% of providers were aware of the new ADA recommended HbA1c screening guidelines. However, a majority (67%) said they would change their screening practices. In the context of the guidelines, 84% of physicians would now order HbA1c. Furthermore, there was a large increase in the proportion of physicians who would shift to using HbA1c only or with other nonfasting tests. Conclusions When screening adolescents for type 2 diabetes, providers are more likely to order HbA1c and order fewer fasting tests in response to the new ADA guidelines. HbA1c has lower sensitivity and higher costs than other testing modalities in children, therefore increasing uptake of this test (HbA1c) in children may have implications for both detection rates and healthcare costs.
A nipple-valve technique for ureteroneocystostomy in pediatric kidney transplantation.

The ureteroneocystostomy in kidney transplantation can be performed with a variety of techniques. Over a 20-yr period, we utilized a technique of nipple-valve ureteroneocystostomy for the pediatric kidney transplants performed at our institution. The distal ureter is everted upon itself and anchored in place with four interrupted sutures to create a nipple valve, which is then inserted into the bladder and sewn mucosa-to-mucosa with the same sutures. The muscularis layer is closed around the ureter without tunneling and without routine ureteral stenting. After 109 transplants, patient survival was 97.2, 97.2, and 86.9% at one, five, and 10 yr, respectively. Graft survival was 91.7, 71.7, and 53.9% at one, five, and 10 yr, respectively. The most common cause of graft loss was acute or chronic rejection, seen in 75% of those experiencing graft loss. Two patients (1.8%) developed pyelonephritis in the transplanted kidney. Nipple-valve ureteroneocystostomy in pediatric kidney transplantation is a safe and simple method for performing the ureterovesical anastomosis with a low rate of pyelonephritis after transplantation.
Evaluation of rice anther culture lines for tolerance to the rice water weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Preliminary field evaluation of 43 rice anther culture lines in 1990 for resistance to the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, identified several lines with potential for tolerance. The seven most promising lines (952836, 953508, 953509, 953510, 953511, 953527, and 953541) were evaluated for tolerance in 1991 and 1992. The parameters used to assess tolerance included rice water weevil larval population, root pruning damage, plant height, and grain yield. Significant differences were found among the lines tested with regard to rice water weevil larval populations, root damage ratings, plant height, and grain yields. The comparison of insecticide treated and untreated plots indicated that lines 952836 and 953527 exhibited moderate levels of tolerance to the rice water weevil. Tolerance in the lines was expressed, in part, as the ability to recover from root pruning damage and to produce high grain yields.
Galactosyl human serum albumin-NMP1 conjugate: a near infrared (NIR)-activatable fluorescence imaging agent to detect peritoneal ovarian cancer metastases.

Patient survival depends on the completeness of resection of peritoneal ovarian cancer metastases (POCM), and therefore, it is important to develop methods to enhance detection. Previous probe designs based on activatable galactosyl human serum albumin (hGSA)–fluorophore pairs, which target lectin receptors expressed on POCM, have used only visible range dyes conjugated to hGSA. However, imaging probes emitting fluorescence in the NIR range are advantageous because NIR photons have deeper in vivo tissue penetration and result in lower background autofluorescence than those emitting in the visible range. A NIR-activatable hGSA fluorophore was synthesized using a bacteriochlorin-based dye, NMP1. NMP1 has two unique absorption peaks, one in the green range and the other in the NIR range, but emits at a NIR peak of 780 nm. NMP1, thus, has two different Stokes shifts that have the potential to allow imaging of POCM both at the peritoneal surface and just below it. hGSA was conjugated with 2 NMP1 molecules to c...
PhotochemCAD 2: a refined program with accompanying spectral databases for photochemical calculations.

The PhotochemCAD program has been revised extensively. Calculations can be performed using eight modules (oscillator strength, transition dipole moment and natural radiative lifetime, Forster energy transfer, multicomponent analysis, blackbody radiator, artificial spectrum creation, transmission calculation, and analysis of energy transfer among linear multichromophore arrays). The user interface has been streamlined to facilitate visual display, operation of the various modules, input of user data via a wizard and output of spectra and calculations. The database of absorption and fluorescence spectra has been expanded to 150 photochemically relevant compounds. A database of solar spectra has been added. The program runs under Windows and is equipped with extensive literature references and help features, including a tutorial section with video files.
Comparison of three methods for quantitating respiratory response to hypoxia in man.

Three methods of quantitating the respiratory response to acute hypoxia were compared in nine normal young men: 1) Steady state CO2 response at PO2 = 200 and 40 torr. 2) Progressive hypoxia with PACO2 held at the subjects resting value and 5 torr- above this. 3) A single breath test which uses a single vital capacity inspiration of a hypoxic and/or hypercapnic gas and is presumed to stimulate primarily peripheral chemoreceptors. In methods 1 and 2 the ventilatory response to hypoxia (defined as the increment in ventilation produced by reduction of PaO2 from above 200 to 40 torr measured at the subjects' normal or standardized arterial PCO2) averaged 19.9 and 20.9 L(min × m2). Ventilation (mean of 2nd and 3rd spontaneous breaths) following a single vital capacity breath of 15% CO2 in N2 averaged 30.3 L(min × m2) more than after a control breath of 5 % CO2 on O2. Hypoxic depression of ventilation occurred in 3 subjects during testing with method 1 and in 1 subject with method 2.
TWO PARA-BIBLICAL NOVELLAE FROM QUMRAN CAVE 4: A REEVALUATION OF 4Q550

In an article published in 1992,' JIT. Milik presented a first edition of several fragments from Qumran Cave 4 previously described by J. Starcky as "les restes d'un texte pseudo-historique se situant A 1'6poque perse rappellent Esther ou Daniel."2 According to Milik, these fragmentswhich he organizes into six manuscript groups (under the sigla 4QprEsthara'f) and dates to the second half of the first century BCE3"s'agissant effectivement, a notre avis, de ?proto-Esther>>, de >, d' >, de <<sources?, des versions du livre d'Esther conservees en Hebreu, Grec, Latin (et jusqu'a un passage en Armenien)."4 These six manuscripts are further divided by Milik into three distinct groups (a-c, d and f, e), each representing successive layers of the same "Estherian" motif.5 Milik's identification of these fragments as a "proto-version" of the Hebrew text has been subsequently adopted by F. Garcia Martinez,6 H. Stegemann,7 and S. White Crawford,8 whereas
Community Context, Social Integration Into Family, and Youth Violence

The purpose of this study is to analyze the extent to which neighborhood-level family structure and feelings of family integration are associated with acts of violence among 16,910 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The results from our hierarchical linear models indicate that adolescents who live in neighborhoods with lower proportions of single-parent families and who report higher levels of family integration commit less violence. We also find that neighborhood-level family structure shapes the extent to which social integration into family matters: In neighborhoods that are considered higher risk environments (i.e., contain greater proportions of single-parent families), family integration is often less effective in deterring youth violence than it is in lower risk environments.
Negotiation of speech style in Japanese women's language: vantage theory as cognitive sociolinguistics

Dans le cadre de la theorie des points de vue, l'A. met en lumiere les systemes de categorisation utilises par les femmes japonaises dans des negociations verbales. Le monde du travail au Japon est domine par les hommes. Les femmes y ont progressivement acquis une place et un role. L'A. formalise le style discursif des femmes qui travaillent en appliquant la theorie des points de vue a la dynamique sociolinguistique des relations de pouvoir
Stimulus-specific adaptation in auditory thalamus of young and aged awake rats

Novel stimulus detection by single neurons in the auditory system, known as stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA), appears to function as a real-time filtering/gating mechanism in processing acoustic information. Particular stimulus paradigms allowing for quantification of a neuron's ability to detect novel or deviant stimuli have been used to examine SSA in the inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body (MGB), and auditory cortex of anesthetized rodents. However, the study of SSA in awake animals is limited to auditory cortex. The present study used individually advanceable tetrodes to record single-unit responses from auditory thalamus (MGB) of awake young adult and aged Fischer Brown Norway (FBN) rats to 1) examine the presence of SSA in the MGB of awake rats and 2) determine whether SSA is altered by aging in MGB. MGB single units in awake FBN rats displayed SSA in response to two stimulus paradigms: the oddball paradigm and a random blocked/interleaved presentation of a set of frequencies. SSA levels were modestly, but nonsignificantly, increased in the nonlemniscal regions of the MGB and at lower stimulus intensities, where 27 of 57 (47%) young adult MGB units displayed SSA. The present findings provide the initial description of SSA in the MGB of awake rats and support SSA as being qualitatively independent of arousal level or anesthetized state. Finally, contrary to previous studies in auditory cortex of anesthetized rats, MGB units in aged rats showed SSA levels indistinguishable from SSA levels in young adult rats, suggesting that SSA in MGB was not impacted by aging in an awake preparation.
Study procrastination, achievement, and academic motivation in web-based and blended distance learning

Growth in distance education is increasing the need to examine students' learning strategies in distance and blended learning environments. Students' cramming or spaced-review behaviors were measured and compared across delivery formats as well as examined related to course achievement and attitudes across a term. Although theory would predict that spaced study rather than last minute cramming would yield higher achievement, researchers report mixed findings in both areas. One hundred fifty-seven students in distance and blended course formats were blocked into 5 groups based on their cramming/spaced-review patterns a week prior to each of 3 posttests. Significant differences were observed in cramming/spaced-review behaviors between delivery formats and for achievement and attitudes.
Metacognition of Problem-Solving Strategies in Brazil, India, and the United States

Metacognition, the observation of one's own thinking, is a key cognitive ability that allows humans to influence and restructure their own thought processes. The influence of culture on metacognitive strategies is a relatively new topic. Using Antonietti's, Ignazi's and Perego's questionnaire on metacognitive knowledge about problem-solving strategies (2000), five strategies in three life domains were assessed among student samples in Brazil, India, and the United States (N=317), regarding the frequency, facility, and efficacy of these strategies. To investigate cross-cultural similarities and differences in strategy use, nationality and uncertainty avoidance values were independent variables. Uncertainty avoidance was expected to lead to high frequency of decision strategies. However, results showed no effect of uncertainty avoidance on frequency, but an effect on facility of metacognitive strategies. Comparing the three cultural samples, all rated analogy as the most frequent strategy. Only in the U.S. sample, analogy was also rated as the most effective and easy to apply strategy. Every cultural group showed a different preference regarding what metacognitive strategy was most effective. Indian participants found the free production strategy to be more effective, and Indian and Brazilian participants found the combination strategy to be more effective compared to the U.S. participants. As key abilities for the five strategies, Indians rated speed, Brazilians rated synthesis, and U.S. participants rated critical thinking as more important than the other participants. These results reflect the embedded nature and functionality of problem solving strategies in specific cultural environments. The findings will be discussed referring to an eco-cultural framework.
Intercalation of ethylene glycol into yttrium hydroxide layered materials.

Intercalation of ethylene glycol into layered yttrium hydroxide containing nitrate counterions was accomplished by heating the reagents in a methanol solution of sodium methoxide under autogenous pressure at 413 K for 20 h. The resulting crystalline material had an expanded interlayer distance of 10.96 A, confirming the intercalation of an ethylene glycol derived species. Characterization of the material by FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and the catalytic transesterification of tributyrin with methanol was consistent with direct bonding of ethylene glycolate anions (O2C2H5−) to the yttrium hydroxide layers, forming Y−O−C bonds. The layers of the material are proposed to be held together by H-bonding between the hydroxyls of grafted ethylene glycol molecules attached to adjacent layers. Glycerol can also be intercalated into yttrium hydroxide layered materials by a similar method.
Characterization of urinary insulin-like growth factor binding proteins.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are important mitogens that are present in many body fluids, where they are commonly bound with high affinity to IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs). We investigated human urine for the presence of IGFBPs. Western ligand blots of concentrated, dialyzed normal urine disclosed the presence of two major bands with IGF binding activity, one at 40-44 kilodaltons and another at 31 kDa. Deglycosylation with endoglycosidase F, and immunoprecipitation with alpha HEC1 antibody revealed these proteins to be hIGFBP-3 and hIGFBP-2, respectively. Comparison of IGFBPs in normal serum and urine showed a reversal of the hIGFBP-2/hIGFBP-3 ratio in urine compared to serum, with hIGFBP-2 being the predominant binding protein in normal urine. The 150 kDa form of hIGFBP-3 was absent in normal urine. In patients with renal disease, the urinary IGFBP (U-IGFBP) pattern was altered. Patients with glomerular disease and proteinuria had elevated U-hIGFBP-3, whereas patients with renal failure who dis...
DISPERSION RELATIONS FOR p-n SCATTERING

The application of dispersion relations to low-energy $p\ensuremath{-}n$ scattering is examined. It is shown that Khuri's dispersion relation can be extended to include tensor forces, but serious difficulties appear on attempting to include exchange forces. The application of the relativistic field theory dispersion relations to low-energy scattering is made by using the effective range formula. The spurious poles of the $S$-matrix are related to the two- and three-pion terms in the unphysical region contribution for forward scattering.
Older Age But Not Donor Health Impairs Allogeneic Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Mobilization

We evaluated stem cell mobilization in 195 consecutive sibling donors who underwent a uniform mobilization regimen of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) at 10μg/kg/day divided into twice daily dosing. On day 5, peripheral blood (PB) CD34 cells/μL were measured immediately prior to peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) apheresis. Failed mobilization was defined as
Gold metallization for aluminum nitride

A metallization scheme for gold on AlN is investigated that incorporates three layers sputter-deposited in succession on the AlN substrate, without breaking vacuum: 20 nm of Ti to promote adhesion, a 100 nm thick TiSiN barrier layer, and 230 nm Au. The stability of the scheme was studied after annealing in vacuum up to 800 °C for 30 min and at 400 °C in Ar ambient for 300 h, using 2 MeV 4He++ backscattering spectrometry, sheet resistance measurements, and adhesion tests. It is shown that the incorporation of the diffusion barrier prevents the interaction of the Ti from the adhesion layer with the gold layer and thereby preserves the integrity of the metallization scheme. This metallization scheme may be applicable to other substrate materials.
Solution Structure and Structural Dynamics of Envelope Protein Domain III of Mosquito- and Tick-Borne Flaviviruses †

The mosquito-borne West Nile (WNV) and dengue 2 (DEN2V) viruses and tick-borne Langat (LGTV) and Omsk hemorrhagic fever (OHFV) viruses are arthropod-borne flaviviruses (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus). These viruses are quite similar at both the nucleotide and amino acid level, yet they are very divergent in their biological properties and in the diseases they cause. The objective of this study was to examine the putative receptor-binding domains of the flaviviruses, the envelope (E) protein domain III (D3), which assume very similar structures either as part of the whole envelope protein or as individual entities, and to define the biophysical properties that distinguish among these viruses. Circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to monitor the solution structure of these proteins. While the spectroscopic results found that the D3 from each of these viruses is composed of either β-sheets or β-turns, which is consistent with X-ray crystal data for tick-borne en...
The benzodiazepines and inosine antagonize caffeine-induced seizures

The induction of generalized tonic-clonic seizures in mice by the methylxanthine stimulant caffeine is described. These seizures are indistinguishable in quality from those induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), and pretreatment with low doses of caffeine potentiates PTZ-induced seizures. Benzodiazepines inhibit caffeine-induced seizures with a rank order potency that parallels their affinities for the central nervous system (CNS) benzodiazepine receptor in vitro. Inosine, a purine that has recently been shown to be a competitive inhibitor of [3H] diazepam binding in vitro, antagonizes caffeine-induced seizures, while 7-methyl-inosine, a purine that lacks receptor binding inhibitory activity, has no effect on seizures. Since the benzodiazepines, inosine, caffeine, and pentylenetetrazol all competitively inhibit [3H] diazepam binding and have marked effects on inducing or antagonizing seizures, further study of this receptor-ligand system may provide additional insights that concern possible biochemical mechanisms of seizures.
Improved nucleic acid triggered probe activation through the use of a 5-thiomethyluracil peptide nucleic acid building block.

To improve the efficiency of a nucleic acid triggered probe activation (NATPA) system a 5-thiomethyluracil peptide nucleic acid (PNA) building block has been synthesized. Attachment of imidazole and a coumarin ester to uracils at the ends of two PNAs resulted in a 550 000-fold acceleration of DNA-triggered coumarin release relative to imidazole and a 6-fold increase in kcat relative to a system which had these groups attached to the amino and carboxy ends of PNAs.
Apomorphine-like effect of an aminotetralin on the linguomandibular reflex of the cat.

Abstract Low doses of 5,6-dihydroxy-2-dimethylaminotetralin (M-7) produced inhibition of the linguomandibular reflex in the cat. This inhibition was similar to that produced by apomorphine and was blocked by haloperidol, bulbocapnine or chlorpromazine. M-7 also had a brief but marked hypertensive effect. Gradual bradycardia also developed. These results indicate that M-7 inhibits the linguomandibular reflex by interaction at dopamine receptors, or ‘apomorphine’ receptors.