cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of serologic evidence of cat scratch disease in patients with neuroretinitis.

Abstract Objective To determine the prevalence of Bartonella henselae seropositivity in patients with a clinical diagnosis of neuroretinitis. Design Retrospective, clinic-based, cross-sectional study. Participants Eighteen consecutive patients seeking treatment at the Casey Eye Institute from November 1993 through November 1998 who had neuroretinitis. Methods The billing and photographic records of the Casey Eye Institute were searched for patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of neuroretinitis or Leber's idiopathic stellate neuroretinitis. Charts were then reviewed to determine the results of B. henselae antibody titers and other pertinent clinical information. Main outcome measures Results of B. henselae serologic testing. Results Fourteen of 18 patients with neuroretinitis had serologic studies. Nine of the 14 tested patients (64.3%) were found to have elevated IgM or IgG for B. henselae , suggesting current or past infection. Patients with positive serologic analysis results tended to have worse vision at presentation. There were no other obvious differences between seropositive and seronegative groups in this study, including duration or quality of recovery. Conclusions At our tertiary care ophthalmology institution, most tested patients with neuroretinitis had evidence of past or present cat-scratch disease based on positive serologic analysis for B. henselae , a much greater prevalence than is expected to be found in the general population or in patients with idiopathic uveitis. Further study is indicated to clarify the prevalence of cat-scratch disease in neuroretinitis and the role and efficacy of antibiotics in treatment.
Wave propagation in hyperbolic metasurfaces

The unique combination of reduced dimensionality and unusual electromagnetic response in metasurfaces [see N. Yu and F. Capasso, Nat. Mater. 13, 139 (2014)] have recently led to the development of exciting applications, such as lenses able to control the direction of incoming beams [see F. Monticone, et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 203903 (2013)], 2D waveguides supporting surface plasmons (SPPs) [see M. Jablan, et al, Phys. Rev. B., 80, 245435 (2009)], or ultrathin reconfigurable antennas [see J. S. Gomez-Diaz, et al, Opt. Express, 21, 24856 (2013)]. In a related context, bulk hyperbolic media [see V. P. Drachev, et al, Phys. Rev. B., 21, 1699 (2013)] are well-known for combining dielectric and metallic properties in a single structure, thus providing interesting phenomena such as the increase of the local density of states of a dipole located in their vicinity or negative refraction.
Characterization of monoclonal antibodies to fimbria-associated adhesins of Bacteroides loescheii PK1295.

Abstract Bacteroides loescheii PK1295 fimbriae, which mediate the lactose-sensitive coaggregation with Streptococcus sanguis 34 and the lactose-insensitive coaggregation with Actinomyces israelii PK14, were injected into mice to raise adhesin-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Supernatants of hybridomas were screened for the capacity to inhibit coaggregation and agglutinate intact bacteria. Of the 10 MAbs that were isolated, 4 were specific and potent inhibitors of the coaggregation between B. loescheii and S. sanguis and two other MAbs specifically inhibited the B. loescheii-A. israelii interaction. None of the six MAbs which inhibited adherence were capable of agglutinating whole cells of B. loescheii, whereas the four remaining MAbs agglutinated whole cells but had no effect on coaggregation. Fab fragments of two MAbs, one that inhibited the coaggregation with S. sanguis and another that inhibited the interaction with A. israelii, also were shown to inhibit the respective coaggregation interactions, suggesting that each of the immunoglobulins recognized its adhesin molecule at or near the active sites. By immunoblotting or immunoprecipitation, the S. sanguis adhesin-specific MAbs reacted with a 75-kilodalton polypeptide present in fimbria-enriched preparations, whereas the A. israelii adhesin-specific MAbs recognized a 45-kilodalton polypeptide in the same preparations. By screening hybridoma supernatants directly for their capacity to block coaggregation, we isolated MAbs which were used to establish that the B. loescheii-S. sanguis and the B. loescheii-A. israelii interactions were mediated by different adhesins.
Reliability Implications of NBTI in Digital Integrated Circuits

Bias temperature instability (BTI) in MOSFETs in one of the major reliability challenges in nano-scale technology. This paper evaluates the severity of Negative BTI (NBTI) degradation in two major circuit applications: random logic and memory array. Simulation results obtained from 65nm PTM node shows that NBTI induced degradation in random logic is considerably lower than that of a single transistor. Simple delay guard-banding can efficiently mitigate the impact of NBTI in random logic. On the other hand, NBTI degradation in memories results in severe READ stability degradation, especially when combined with random process variation. Moreover, in scaled technology nodes, finite number of Si-H bonds in the channel can induce a statistical random variation in the degradation process. Simulations using 32nm/22nm Predictive Technology Model (PTM) shows that statistical random variation of NBTI, on top of random dopant fluctuation (RDF) results in significant random Vt variation in PMOS transistors, resulting in considerable degradation in static noise margin (SNM) of memory cells.
Foreign Policy Options under Dependence: A Theoretical Evaluation with Evidence from Ecuador

Scholarly studies that consider the relationship between economic dependence and foreign policy reveal a wide variety of dependent foreign policy behaviour. As a body, the dependent foreign policy literature lacks the theoretical continuity needed to understand and organise this empirical diversity. Such foreign policy diversity is particularly observable in capitalist Latin America. Despite the entire region's significant economic weakness and dependence on the USA, leaders implement foreign policies as defiant as Oscar Arias's peace plan for Central America and as apparently acquiescent as Carlos Salinas de Gortari's agreeing to a Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the USA. Progress in theory building in the area of dependent foreign policy, therefore, has particular implications for the study of Latin American foreign policy, which has been dominated by individual case studies that too rarely place their findings in a theoretical context.
Chronic administration of S-(-)-pentobarbital in pigeons and rats: tolerance development.

Abstract The development of tolerance to pentobarbital and cross-tolerance to other barbiturates has been documented in both laboratory animals and man. This study was undertaken to determine the extent of tolerance development to S-(−)-pentobarbital in rats and pigeons receiving 10 mg/kg/day S-(−)-pentobarbital, PO. In addition, the extent of cross-tolerance was determined to R-(+)-pentobarbital and both isomers of secobarbital. Rats were trained to respond under a variable-interval 60-sec (VI60) schedule of food presentation while pigeons were trained to respond under a multiple fixed-ratio 30, fixed-interval 600-sec schedule of food presentation. After responding had stabilized, dose-response curves were determined for R-(+)-pentobarbital, S-(−)-pentobarbital, R-(+)-secobarbital, and S-(−)-secobarbital in both species. Upon the completion of the acute dose-response curves, both rats and pigeons were given 10 mg/kg/day S-(−)-pentobarbital, PO for 30 consecutive days prior to the redetermination of all four dose-response curves. Upon the completion of this second determination of each curve, the daily administration of the S-(−)-pentobarbital was discontinued, and the rats and pigeons remained drug free for 30 days. Following this 30-day drug free period, dose-response curves for the isomers of both pentobarbital and secobarbital were redetermined for a third time. In rats receiving chronic S-(−)-pentobarbital, a 1.5-fold shift to the right (tolerance) was observed in the dose-response curve for the R-(+)- and S(−)-isomers of pentobarbital, and a somewhat smaller shift was observed in the dose-response curves for the isomers of secobarbital. In pigeons receiving 10 mg/kg/day S-(−)-pentobarbital, no shift was observed in the dose-response curve for either isomer of pentobarbital or secobarbital. Upon the discontinuation of the chronic S-(−)-pentobarbital treatment no signs of withdrawal were observed in either species, and in rats the dose-response curves shifted back toward their original positions. Thus, in rats, 10 mg/kg/day of S-(−)-pentobarbital produced a tolerance to the effectsof S-(−)-pentobarbital and a cross-tolerance to R-(+)-pentobarbital and both isomers of secobarbital. A similar tolerance was not observed in pigeons receiving 10 mg/kg/day of S-(−)-pentobarbital. No signs of physical dependence were observed in either species.
Cathodoluminescence of InP

Cathodoluminescence studies were carried out on p‐type InP having carrier concentrations ranging from 7.2×1016 to 7.4×1018 cm3 in the temperature range of 80–580 K. It was found that low‐temperature spectra exhibited peaks at 1.41 and 1.38 eV. These peaks were attributed to band‐to‐band and band‐acceptor transitions, respectively. The dependence of the band‐to‐band peak on temperature was used to extend knowledge of the temperature dependence of the energy gap of InP to 550 K. It was shown that the half‐width of the cathodoluminescence peak can be used for the determination of carrier concentration and carrier‐concentration inhomogeneities in the material. The variations of the cathodoluminescence peak height with temperature indicated the possibility of Auger recombination for high carrier concentrations (7.4×1018 cm3) at temperatures above 450 K.
Amino acid utilization by Gymnodinium breve

Abstract The marine dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve utilizes erogenous amino acids for the synthesis of proteins in the light. During logarithmic growth, l -valine and l -methionine are incorporated into proteinaceous material which is retained by the cell. Glycine is also incorporated, but the glycine-containing proteins are extruded. When cells are no longer growing exponentially, all proteins that incorporated these supplied amino acids are extruded. The pronase-susceptible extruded material has a MW in excess of 300 000. When chloramphenicol is used to inhibit protein synthesis, glycine is not taken up. l -Methionine is rapidly metabolized intracellularly and is used in the synthesis of other macromolecules. l -Valine accumulates intracellularly and remains unaltered. Glycine and l -methionine appear to be transported via facilitated diffusion systems, while l -valine uptake appears to be active.
Thermal aberration control for low-k1 lithography

For many years, we have used a lens aberration controller that works via positioning elements of the projection lens assembly. While this has worked well, its disadvantage is that controllable aberrations are only relatively low order components and not enough for the degree of compensation of thermal aberrations required by leading-edge lithography. We have developed two methods to overcome thermal aberrations specific to dipole illumination exposure. One scheme is process-dedicated aberration control by the conventional aberration controller. The other is aberration control system using infra-red irradiation. This system can compensate uniform astigmatism which is generated by asymmetric setting of illumination light sources, such as dipole illumination schemes. Theses two techniques allow us to increase productivity by reducing pattern imaging performance degradation due to thermal aberrations. These schemes are applicable not only to current systems but also to next generation very low k1 lithography systems with very high throughput.
Spontaneous selective epitaxial growth of compositionally modulated AlGaAs with an orientation-dependent band gap

We have demonstrated selective epitaxial growth of Al_xGa_(1-x)As, with an abrupt transition in the bandgap lateral to the growth direction. Spontaneous compositional modulation, with an associated reduction in the effective bandgap, occurs in AlGaAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy on the sides of grooves in a GaAs substrate. The bandgap is observed to be dependent on the groove orientation. Possible mechanisms for the orientation dependent growth are discussed.
Convergence of BDF approximations for nonsolvable differential algebraic equations

Abstract It is shown that a BDF method applied to a differential algebraic equation, F ( t , z , z ') = 0, can have a unique limit as the stepsize goes to zero even if the differential algebraic equation does not have unique solutions.
Automatic Localization of Anatomical Point Landmarks for Brain Image Processing Algorithms

Many brain image processing algorithms require one or more well-chosen seed points because they need to be initialized close to an optimal solution. Anatomical point landmarks are useful for constructing initial conditions for these algorithms because they tend to be highly-visible and predictably-located points in brain image scans. We introduce an empirical training procedure that locates user-selected anatomical point landmarks within well-defined precisions using image data with different resolutions and MRI weightings. Our approach makes no assumptions on the structural or intensity characteristics of the images and produces results that have no tunable run-time parameters. We demonstrate the procedure using a Java GUI application (LONI ICE) to determine the MRI weighting of brain scans and to locate features in T1-weighted and T2-weighted scans.
Chaoborus (Diptera: Chaoboridae) mandibles—paleolimnological indicators of the historical status of fish populations in acid-sensitive lakes

Paleolimnological analyses of Chaoborus mandibles were used to assess the status of fish populations over the previous 150 to 300 years in five lakes from the Adirondack region of New York State. Windfall Pond (pH 6.5) has not acidified and currently has viable fish populations. Big Moose Lake (pH 5.0) has acidified in recent years, and the number of fish populations declined from 14 in the 1930's to seven in the early 1980's. The occurrence of only migratory Chaoborus (subgenus Sayomyia) in the cores indicated the long term presence of fish populations in Windfall Pond and Big Moose Lake. Brooktrout Lake (pH 5.0), Deep Lake (pH 4.7) and Upper Wallface Pond (pH 4.8) have all acidified in recent years, and all three are currently fishless. Chaoborus (Sayomyia) was present throughout the Brooktrout Lake core, but the entirely limnetic species, C. americanus, appeared in the topmost interval in the core. The appearance of C. americanus in the top of the core indicated a recent elimination of fish from Brooktrout Lake, probably during the 1970's. Elimination of fish by the 1940's was inferred for Deep Lake because C. americanus appeared above the 1930 level and replaced C. trivittatus as the dominant. Dominance of C. americanus throughout the Upper Wallface Pond core indicated that planktivorous fish were never present. These results strongly suggest that stratigraphic analyses of Chaoborus mandibles provide a useful assessment of the general status of historical fish populations in Adirondack lakes. The technique should be useful in other regions, as well as for applications other than those concerning lake acidification.
Autokinetic drifts and gaze deviation

A new method for evaluating the resting direction of the eyes based on the use of afterimages was developed. With this technique, the effect of gaze deviations relative to the individually determined resting direction was investigated among naive subjects. Moderate gaze deviations have no effect on reports of autokinesis. Only at extreme deviations which approach anatomical limits is the direction of reported autokinetic movement biased in the direction of the deviation. The possible contribution of efferent and afferent mechanisms to autokinesis is discussed.
Electrostatic Interaction between the S4-S5 Linker and the Cytoplasmic End of S6 Regulates BK Channel Gating

In voltage gated K+ (KV) channels interactions between the S4-S5 linker and the cytoplasmic end of S6 mediates the coupling between voltage sensor movements and pore opening. BK channels are activated by both voltage and intracellular Ca2+ and the channel protein is comprised of a central pore formed by S5-S6 from four subunits, voltage sensing domains (VSD, S1-S4) and a large cytosolic domain (CTD) that contains Ca2+ binding sites. Although the membrane-spanning VSD and pore are similar to that of KV channels, BK channels show unique structural and functional properties including an additional transmembrane segment S0, scattered distribution of gating charges in S1-S4, and an allostric mechanism of voltage dependent gating. Furthermore, it is thought that Ca2+ activates the channel by changing the conformation of the CTD to pull S6 directly. Therefore, it is not clear if the S4-S5 linker interacts with S6 in BK channels to regulate gating. Here we show an electrostatic interaction between E219 in the S4-S5 linker and E321/E324 in S6 that regulates BK channel activation. E219 mutations to neutral and positively charged residues increase Ca2+ sensitivity, alter the voltage range of activation, and reduce the intrinsic open probability of the pore in the absence of Ca2+ and voltage sensor activation. These changes in channel gating are abolished by the double mutation E321A/E324A, supporting that E219 interacts with E312/E314 to regulate BK channel gating. We studied coexpression of BK channel subunits with either E219R or E321A/E324A mutations, or both, and the results suggest that E219 interacts with E321/E324 in a neighbor subunit more strongly than with that in the same subunit, unlike the interactions in KV channels that are within the same subunit.
Quantitative comparison and evaluation of two commercially available, two‐dimensional electrophoresis image analysis software packages, Z3 and Melanie

While a variety of software packages are available for analyzing two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) gel images, no comparisons between these packages have been published, making it difficult for end users to determine which package would best meet their needs. The goal here was to develop a set of tests to quantitatively evaluate and then compare two software packages, Melanie 3.0 and Z3, in three of the fundamental steps involved in 2-DE image analysis: (i) spot detection, (ii) gel matching, and (iii) spot quantitation. To test spot detection capability, automatically detected protein spots were compared to manually counted, "real" protein spots. Spot matching efficiency was determined by comparing distorted (both geometrically and nongeometrically) gel images with undistorted original images, and quantitation tests were performed on artificial gels with spots of varying Gaussian volumes. In spot detection tests, Z3 performed better than Melanie 3.0 and required minimal user intervention to detect approximately 89% of the actual protein spots and relatively few extraneous spots. Results from gel matching tests depended on the type of image distortion used. For geometric distortions, Z3 performed better than Melanie 3.0, matching 99% of the spots, even for extreme distortions. For nongeometrical distortions, both Z3 and Melanie 3.0 required user intervention and performed comparably, matching 95% of the spots. In spot quantitation tests, both Z3 and Melanie 3.0 predicted spot volumes relatively well for spot ratios less than 1:6. For higher ratios, Melanie 3.0 did much better. In summary, results suggest Z3 requires less user intervention than Melanie 3.0, thus simplifying differential comparison of 2-DE gel images. Melanie 3.0, however, offers many more optional tools for image editing, spot detection, data reporting and statistical analysis than Z3. All image files used for these tests and updated information on the software are available on the internet (http://www.umbc.edu/proteome), allowing similar testing of other 2-DE image analysis software packages.
A Parallel Row-Based Algorithm for Standard Cell Placement with Integrated Error Control

A new row-based parallel algorithm for standard-cell placement targeted for execution on a hypercube multiprocessor is presented. Key features of this implementation include a dynamic simulated-annealing schedule, row-partitioning of the VLSI chip image, and two novel approaches to control error in parallel cell-placement algorithms: (1) Heuristic Cell-Coloring; (2) Adaptive Sequence Length Control.
Stable Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry for Membrane Transporter Quantitation

This review provides an introduction to stable isotope dilution mass spectrometry (MS) and its emerging applications in the analysis of membrane transporter proteins. Various approaches and application examples, for the generation and use of quantitation reference standards—either stable isotope-labeled peptides or proteins—are discussed as they apply to the MS quantitation of membrane proteins. Technological considerations for the sample preparation of membrane transporter proteins are also presented.
Regional distribution of myocardial β-adrenoceptors in the cat

Abstract The purpose of this study was to delineate the distribution of β-adrenoceptor density in the cat heart, with an emphasis on areas within the left ventricle. β-Adrenoceptor densities, determined for hearts obtained from five cats, were not significantly different in the left and rights atria, i.e. 47.6 ± 7.2 and 32.8 ± 7.5 fmol/mg protein, respectively. β-Adrenoceptor densities for the septum and right ventricle were 105.4 ± 15.0 and 65.0 ± 14.0 fmol/mg protein, respectively. The β-adrenoceptor density for the proximal distribution of the left anterior descending artery LV1, distal distribution of the left anterior descending artery LV2 and posterior wall of the left ventricle LV3 were: 81.3 ± 11.5, 145.1 ± 20.8 and 165.4 ± 35.8 fmol/mg protein, respectively. Thus, the distribution of the β-adrenoceptor densities was greatest in the apex of the left ventricle. The data suggest that there are regional differences in the β-adrenoceptor densities among the areas of the heart and within the left ventricle. These differences may be related to functional differences.
Mutations disrupting neuronal connectivity in the Drosophila visual system

Abstract The photoreceptor neurons (R cells) of the Drosophila compound eye elaborate a precise array of neuronal connections in the brain. These projections exhibit target specificity and create topographic maps (retinotopy). We have screened histologically for mutations disrupting R cell connectivity in developing tissue. Eighty mutations were isolated from over 6000 ethyl-methane sulfonate-mutagenized lines. Characterization of these mutations included genetic mosaic analysis to determine whether the gene is required in the retina or in the optic ganglia. Most mutations were found to affect connectivity indirectly by disrupting development more generally in the eye or brain. Genes were identified as candidates for playing direct roles in R cell connectivity by affecting axonal outgrowth ( eddy ), target recognition ( limbo and nonstop ), and retinotopy ( limbo ).
Some results on many-body scattering theory

Several problems are considered related to the study of the T-matrix in the manybody scattering situation. Expanding previous results, the T-matrix is studied outside the realm of perturbation theory, with relation to establishing its analytic properties under the rotation of the final momenta from real to complex values, k + (1 + 8)k. The geometry of the contour distortion is expressed so as to involve nonperturbative Tmatrix element subblocks with incoming and outgoing momenta uniformly rotated. An unrelated elementary Hilbert space argument is given to bound the contributions of high-energy intermediate states to the resolvent identity.
Joint Channel Assignment and Space-Division Multiple Access Scheduling in Wireless Mesh Networks

In recent years, wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have been widely deployed to provide wireless access to the Internet. However, due to inter-link interference, the aggregated capacity of WMNs is limited, even with multiple channels. As a result, many links in WMNs are suppressed since interfering links cannot be active (i.e., transmitting packets) simultaneously. In this paper, we propose a joint design of channel assignment and space-division multiple access (SDMA) technique with the objective of maximizing the number of active links in WMNs. We assign different channels to transmission links based on their interference relationship to alleviate the interference. We also apply the SDMA technique to link scheduling, which enables two interfering links that share the same destination to communicate simultaneously on the same channel. By utilizing SDMA, more concurrent transmission links can be accommodated such that the network capacity can be greatly improved. We formulate this joint design into an optimization problem, prove its NP-hardness and then provide two heuristic algorithms to give practically good solutions to the problem. %David update begin Our simulation results demonstrate that when 90% SDMA pairs are compatible, the proposed algorithms can increase the percentage of active links in a WMN by up to 40% as compared to non-SDMA schedules.
Some iterations for factoring a polynomial. II a generalization of the secant method

This paper describes an iterative method for factoring a polymonial that bears the same relation to Bairstow's method as the secant method in a single variable bears to Newton's method. Like the secant method, the generalized secant method requires only one function evaluation for each iteration, and like the secant method it converges to a simple factor with order $${{\left( {1 + \sqrt 5 } \right)} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\left( {1 + \sqrt 5 } \right)} 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}$$ .
Nonlinear oscillatory convection in the presence of a vertical magnetic field

Convection rolls in a fluid layer heated from below become unstable to disturbances in the form of waves travelling along the axis of the rolls when the Rayleigh number exceeds a critical value R II . This transition to a time-dependent form of convection also occurs in the presence of a vertical magnetic field when the fluid is electrically conducting. In this paper the finite-amplitude properties of these waves are investigated for the values 0.1 and 0.025 of the Prandtl number. It is shown that the onset of oscillations reduces the heat transport by convection and that a mean flow in the direction of propagation is associated with the waves. Although the magnetic field has an inhibiting influence on steady convection, the inhibiting influence on the onset of oscillations is even stronger such that in some cases a higher heat transport is obtained in the presence of a magnetic field than in its absence. For similar reasons subcritical finite-amplitude onset of travelling-wave convection occurs for sufficiently large magnetic field strengths. Finally the stability of travelling-wave convection is investigated and the Rayleigh number R III for the transition to asymmetric wave convection is determined.
Strength capabilities and subjective limits in repetitive manual exertions: task and hand dominance effects.

Strength and subjectively determined exertion limits are used widely for ergonomic evaluation. Although compilations of such data for the hand and finger exist, several important limitations include the use of inexperienced participants and constrained postures. In this study both strength and maximum acceptable limits (MAL, 2-hour duration) were obtained from both industrial workers and inexperienced volunteers in 10 simulated hand-intensive automotive assembly tasks. To expand the applicability of the results, the effects of hand-dominance were also determined. Results were compared with existing recommendations (by Kodak and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists threshold limit value for hand-intensive activities), and showed that across the diverse tasks the former yields values slightly below the 1st percentile of MAL, whereas the latter values are slightly higher than the 25th percentile. MALs were found to be approximately 50% of strength, consistent with earlier reports, an...
FAMILY VIOLENCE AND HOMELESSNESS: The Relevance of Trauma Histories in the Lives of Homeless Women

Studies of homeless women reveal high lifetime rates of childhood physical and sexual abuse and of assault by intimate male partners. The extent of family violence in the lives of homeless women is examined, as are parallels between the long-term effects of childhood abuse and characteristics identified in homeless women. Implications for research and service provision are discussed.
A Qualitative Study of Substance Use and Sexual Behavior Among 18- to 29-Year-Old Men While Incarcerated in the United States

The article describes men’s perceptions of and experience with substance use and sexual behavior during incarceration. Grounded theory content analyses were performed on qualitative interviews conducted with 80 men, aged 18 to 29, in four U.S. states. Participants believed that drugs were easily available in prison. Half reported using substances, primarily marijuana or alcohol, while incarcerated. Key themes included the role of correctional personnel in the flow of substances in prison and the economic significance of substance traffic king. With regard to sexual behavior, most men acknowledged that it occurred but were hesitant to talk in-depth about it. There was a strong belief in “don’t look, don’t tell,” and sex in prison was often associated with homo sexual behavior or identity. Sex during incarceration was reported by 12 men, mostly with female partners. Participants were pessimistic about HIV/STD/hepatitis prevention efforts inside correctional facilities. These findings highlight the need for ...
Optimized step potential models for n-alkanes and benzene

Abstract Vapor pressure, density, and internal energy data from the literature are correlated in terms of the intermolecular interactions as represented by stepwise potential energies. Discontinuous molecular dynamics simulations are performed for united atom hard chain models of ethane, n-butane, n-hexane, n-octane, and benzene. Assuming square-well attractions ending at r/σ=1.2, 1.5, 1.8, and 2.0, the depths of each well are regressed by computing the physical properties from thermodynamic perturbation theory at each set of trial depths and minimizing the deviations from experimental observation. The result is an equation-of-state for each fluid derived directly from the intermolecular potential model. Because molecular dynamics form the basis for the reference fluid simulations, transport properties may also be derived. Vapor pressure, density, and internal energy are correlated to roughly 1% average absolute deviation. The trends in the resulting potential models suggest that the change in disperse attractions with distance may vary from one functional group to another. For example, the optimized potential model for benzene diminishes to zero more slowly than the model for ethane.
Partial liquid ventilation enhances surfactant phospholipid production

Objective : To study the effect of partial liquid ventilation on phospholipid metabolism. Design : Prospective, controlled laboratory study. Setting : University-affiliated animal research facility. Subjects : Mature New Zealand white rabbits (n = 17). Interventions : The rabbits were sedated, anesthetized, and instrumented with tracheostomy and the insertion of an arterial catheter. The rabbits were sequentially assigned to receive conventional mechanical ventilation or partial liquid ventilation with Perflubron (18 mL/kg by bolus fill). Ventilator strategies were identical in both groups and consisted of an FIO 2 of 0.5, positive end-expiratory pressure of 4 cm H 2 O, effective tidal volume of 8 to 13 mL/kg, and rate to maintain Pco 2 of 30 to 40 torr (4.0 to 5.3 kPa). Phosphatidylcholine was labeled in vivo by injection of 3 H-methylcholine (25 μCi/kg iv). Ventilation was continued for 5.5 hrs. Measurements and Main Results : When animals were killed, phosphatidylcholine was extracted from the total lung lavage and from the pulmonary parenchyma. After the separation of phospholipids by thin-layer chromatography, the 3 H activity was determined by liquid scintillation counting. Inorganic phosphorus was also determined to assess the enrichment of the phosphatidylcholine. The 3H-phosphatidylcholine activity in the partial liquid ventilation treated- vs. control rabbits demonstrated a 53% increase (p = .051) in the lavage and a 48% increase (p =.013) in the parenchyma for a net 50% (p =.012) total pulmonary increase. The phospholipid content of the partial liquid ventilation treated- vs. the control rabbits demonstrated a 78% increase (p =.046). Conclusions : We conclude that partial liquid ventilation with Perflubron appears to have no negative impact on phospholipid metabolism but rather enhances surfactant phospholipid synthesis and secretion.
Determination of profiles of non-collagenous proteins from rat bones by sodium dodecyl sulfate high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract Sodium dodecyl sulfate-high-performance liquid chromatographic (SDS-HPLC) techniques for screening profiles of bone non-collagenous proteins (NCP) are described and compared with sodium dodecyl sulfate—polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) techniques. NCPs were obtained from long bones of neonatal and mature rats by sequential extraction with 4 M guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) and 0.25 M EDTA followed by desalting. Desalted extracts were subjected to SDS-PAGE and SDS-HPLC. The results of the two analyses were comparable. There were differences in NCP profiles between mature rats and pups and between the GdnHCl and EDTA extracts. The methods described can be used for qualitative comparison of treatments and as a basis for further study.
Accent Marking in Text Vocabularies

Author's Summary— The use of the acute and grave accents for marking primary and secondary word stress is unsatisfactory. They should be replaced by the symbols that have been adopted by the Association phonetique internationale.
FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH COLLEMBOLA AND MITES ISOLATED FROM SCABBY POTATOES

Collembola and mites from the lesions of tubers infected with the acid scab organism were tested for the presence of fungal potato pathogens.Streptomyces spp. were found on and in the bodies of these arthropods.Verticillium albo-atrum was present on the external surface and in the body of the Collembola. Various other soil-inhabiting fungi which are not known to be potato pathogens and which were found on and in the bodies of these arthropods are noted.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ and its ligands attenuate biologic functions of human natural killer cells

Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production and cytolytic activity are 2 major biologic functions of natural killer (NK) cells that are important for innate immunity. We demonstrate here that these functions are compromised in human NK cells treated with peroxisome proliferator-activated-gamma (PPAR-gamma) ligands via both PPAR-gamma-dependent and -independent pathways due to variation in PPAR-gamma expression. In PPAR-gamma-null NK cells, 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14) prostaglandin J(2) (15d-PGJ(2)), a natural PPAR-gamma ligand, reduces IFN-gamma production that can be reversed by MG132 and/or chloroquine, and it inhibits cytolytic activity of NK cells through reduction of both conjugate formation and CD69 expression. In PPARgamma-positive NK cells, PPAR-gamma activation by 15d-PGJ(2) and ciglitazone (a synthetic ligand) leads to reduction in both mRNA and protein levels of IFN-gamma. Overexpression of PPAR-gamma in PPAR-gamma-null NK cells reduces IFN-gamma gene expression. However, PPAR-gamma expression and activation has no effect on NK cell cytolytic activity. In addition, 15d-PGJ(2) but not ciglitazone reduces expression of CD69 in human NK cells, whereas CD44 expression is not affected. These results reveal novel pathways regulating NK cell biologic functions and provide a basis for the design of therapeutic agents that can regulate the function of NK cells within the innate immune response.
Effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on endotoxin-induced oxidation of plasma cysteine and glutathione in mice.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDMSC) are emerging as a therapeutic modality in various inflammatory disease states, including acute lung injury (ALI). A hallmark of inflammation, and a consistent observation in patients with ALI, is a perturbation in the systemic redox environment. However, little is known about the effects of BMDMSC on the systemic redox status. The objective of the present study was to determine whether exogenously infused BMDMSC protect against endotoxin-induced oxidation of plasma cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) redox states. To determine the effect on the redox state if BMDMSC, mice received endotoxin intraperitoneally (1 mg/kg), followed by intravenous infusion of either 5×105 BMDMSC or an equal volume of saline solution. Control mice received intraperitoneal endotoxin followed by 5×105 lung fibroblasts given intravenously. Cys, cystine (CySS), GSH, and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) concentrations were determined by HPLC. Results showed sequential preservation of plasma Cys and GSH levels in response to BMDMSC infusion. The data show that BMDMSC infusion leads to a more reducing Cys and GSH redox state. The findings are the first to demonstrate that BMDMSC have antioxidant effects in vivo, and add to our understanding of the systemic effects of BMDMSC in lung injury.
Toxoplasma gondii merozoite gene expression analysis with comparison to the life cycle discloses a unique expression state during enteric development

Considerable work has been carried out to understand the biology of tachyzoites and bradyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii in large part due to in vitro culture methods for these stages. However, culturing methods for stages that normally develop in the gut of the definitive felid host, including the merozoite and sexual stages, have not been developed hindering the ability to study a large portion of the parasite’s life cycle. Here, we begin to unravel the molecular aspects of enteric stages by providing new data on merozoite stage gene expression. To profile gene expression differences in enteric stages we harvested merozoites from the intestine of infected cats and hybridized mRNA to the Affymetrix Toxoplasma GeneChip. We analyzed the merozoite data in context of the life cycle by comparing it to previously published data for the oocyst, tachyzoite, and bradyzoite stages. Principal component analysis highlighted the unique profile of merozoites, placing them approximately half-way on a continuum between the tachyzoite/bradyzoite and oocyst samples. Prior studies have shown that antibodies to surface antigen one (SAG1) and many dense granule proteins do not label merozoites: our microarray data confirms that these genes were not expressed at this stage. Also, the expression for many rhoptry and microneme proteins was drastically reduced while the expression for many surface antigens was increased at the merozoite stage. Gene Ontology and KEGG analysis revealed that genes involved in transcription/translation and many metabolic pathways were upregulated at the merozoite stage, highlighting unique growth requirements of this stage. To functionally test these predictions, we demonstrated that an upstream promoter region of a merozoite specific gene was sufficient to control expression in merozoites in vivo. Merozoites are the first developmental stage in the coccidian cycle that takes place within the gut of the definitive host. The data presented here describe the global gene expression profile of the merozoite stage and the creation of transgenic parasite strains that show stage-specific expression of reporter genes in the cat intestine. These data and reagents will be useful in unlocking how the parasite senses and responds to the felid gut environment to initiate enteric development.
The use of simulated or concentrated natural solar radiation for the TiO2-mediated photodecomposition of Basagran, diquat, and diuron

Suspensions of TiO2 were illuminated with simulated or concentrated solar radiation to mineralize solutions of the herbicides Basagran, Diquat, and Diuron. The design of a functional recirculating system is reported. Decomposition rates were significantly increased when concentrated solar radiation was used. Decomposition rates also depend on the compound studied. This study demonstrates the possibility of using high intensity concentrated solar radiation for the TiO2-mediated photocatalytic decomposition of water-borne organic wastes.
The Rise and Fall of Body Size Estimation Research in Anorexia Nervosa: a Review and Reconceptualization

Research on body image in anorexia nervosa is seriously deadlocked, characterized by impenetrable concepts and unacceptable methodology. In this review the problems associated with the Body Size Estimation (BSE) methods generally used are discussed and it is investigated how the research in this area can be revitalized. It is concluded that there is clear evidence that anorexic patients overestimate their own body size, and that this implies a disturbance of the body image rather than of body (size) perception. This disturbance is probably best explained by the influence of thoughts or feelings to be fat on the visual body image. It is recommended that future research departs from a theory that emphasizes the top-down influence of thoughts and feelings on basic visual processes. Much can be expected from the field of the cognitive neurosciences, and an example of such a theory is provided.© 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and Eating Disorders Association
RADAR: a rigorously annotated database of A-to-I RNA editing

We present RADAR--a rigorously annotated database of A-to-I RNA editing (available at http://RNAedit.com). The identification of A-to-I RNA editing sites has been dramatically accelerated in the past few years by high-throughput RNA sequencing studies. RADAR includes a comprehensive collection of A-to-I RNA editing sites identified in humans (Homo sapiens), mice (Mus musculus) and flies (Drosophila melanogaster), together with extensive manually curated annotations for each editing site. RADAR also includes an expandable listing of tissue-specific editing levels for each editing site, which will facilitate the assignment of biological functions to specific editing sites.
The Service Teacher in Professional Education

One of the characteristic features of higher education in the United States is the large number of college professors who are teaching service courses in professional and technical schools. These are teachers who are at some distance, socially, psychologically, and physically from colleagues in their own fields. Their major responsibilities are to provide services—teaching either general principles ancillary to the main line of professional work or courses which "round-off" the total educational program. They do not have the satisfaction of seeing students go on to major in their own specialties. A case in point is the first-year faculty of medical schools.
Density separation of protein from oat flour in nonaqueous solvents

Protein and carbohydrate fractions in oat flour were separated on the basis of density using nonaqueous solvent systems. Optimum solvent densities and solvent:flour ratios for maximum yield of protein fraction were determined. Fractions with over 70% protein content can be separated; however, they represent only about 40% of the protein available in the flour. The carbohydrate fraction contains about 10% protein, with approximately half the protein available in the flour remaining in this fraction. Functional properties of the protein fractions such as hydration capacity, emulsifying activity, emulsion stability and nitrogen solubilities were determined.
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: CT in evaluation and staging.

Among 63 patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), 29% (n = 18) had positive computed tomographic (CT) findings, with frequencies of 65% (n = 13) among patients thought to have stages II-IV disease at clinical examination and 12% (n = 5) among patients thought to have stage I. Among eight patients with atypical CTCL variants such as cutaneous large-cell lymphoma, only one had negative findings at CT; extracutaneous disease was not suspected in five before they underwent CT. In contrast, CT findings were positive in only 5% (n = 2) of patients with classic early mycosis fungoides-type CTCL (scaling patches, small epidermotropic CD4+ cells), and CT is unlikely to provide substantial information in this patient subgroup. Contrary to earlier reports, the authors' data suggest that body CT is extremely useful in staging and evaluating patients with CTCL. CT should be included in the evaluation of atypical CTCL variants, Sezary syndrome, advanced-stage mycosis fungoides, and cases in which the CTCL subtype is unclear.
Treatment of Drug-resistant Pneumococcal Meningitis

The approach to therapy in patients with pneumococcal meningitis has changed considerably over the past 20 years. Given the emergence of pneumococcal strains that are intermediately susceptible or highly resistant to penicillin, penicillin is not recommended as empiric therapy for presumed pneumococcal meningitis; the combination of vancomycin and a third-generation cephalosporin (either cefotaxime or ceftriaxone) should be used, pending isolation of the organism and in vitro susceptibility testing. For patients with pneumococcal meningitis caused by highly penicillin- or cephalosporin-resistant strains, the addition of rifampin can be considered if the organism is susceptible in vitro, the expected clinical or bacteriologic response is delayed, or the pneumococcal isolate has a cefotaxime or ceftriaxone minimal inhibitory concentration greater than 4 μg/mL. Meropenem is not a good option for monotherapy of highly penicillin- or cephalosporin-resistant strains, but use of a fluoroquinolone with in vitro activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae (specifically moxifloxacin) is an option in patients failing standard therapy; if used, however, it should be combined with a third-generation cephalosporin or vancomycin. Newer glycopeptides, daptomycin, and linezolid require further study to determine their efficacy in patients with pneumococcal meningitis.