cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nutritional Aspects of Leukocytic Cytokines

Immune responses result in a variety of metabolic adjustments that are mediated by cytokines of leukocytic origin. Of the dozens of cytokines released during an immune response, interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are the major mediators of intermediary metabolism. These three cytokines act in concert to decrease food intake, increase resting energy expenditure, gluconeogenesis, glucose oxidation, and hepatic synthesis of fatty acids and acute phase proteins, decrease fatty acid uptake by adipocytes and alter the distribution of zinc, iron and copper. Most of these activities result from direct interactions between the cytokine and the responding cells. IL-1, TNF alpha and IL-6 also affect changes in metabolism by changing levels of circulating insulin, glucagon and corticosterone. The nutritional impact of these metabolic changes is dependent upon age. In growing animals, increases in energy expenditure and oxidation of amino acids are balanced by lower needs associated with growth. In adult animals, energy and amino acid requirements are increased by an amount similar to the increased basal metabolic rate and amino acid oxidation. Nutrition also influences the release of cytokines and consequently affects regulation of the immune response. For example, protein deficiency results in decreased IL-1 release and impaired tissue responses to IL-1.
Scientific Overview: 2013 BBC Plenary Symposium on Tobacco Addiction

Nicotine dependence plays a critical role in addiction to tobacco products, and thus contributes to a variety of devastating tobacco-related diseases (SGR 2014). Annual costs associated with smoking in the US are estimated to be between $289 and $333 billion. Effective interventions for nicotine dependence, especially in smokers, are a critical barrier to the eradication of tobacco-related diseases. This overview highlights research presented at the Plenary Symposium of Behavior, Biology and Chemistry: Translational Research in Addiction Conference (BBC), hosted by the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, on March 9–10, 2013. The Plenary Symposium focused on tobacco addiction, and covered topics ranging from basic science to national policy. As in previous years, the meeting brought together globally-renowned scientists, graduate student recruits, and young scientists from underrepresented populations in Texas and other states with the goal of fostering interest in drug addiction research in young generations.
Justine's trial revisited: A space for women's subculture in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

(2001). Justine's trial revisited: A space for women's subculture in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. European Romantic Review: Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 493-516.
Experimental Validation of a Structure–Activity Relationship Model of Skin Irritation by Esters

SAR model development should be a continuous process involving formulation then experimental testing of the model, incorporation of test results into the database, then refinement of the model using the expanded database. The larger database affords greater confidence in its ability to predict the biological response. This iterative procedure was employed with a recently developed structure-activity relationship (SAR) model of human skin irritation. Based on a “leave-one-out” cross validation, the mean sensitivity of the initial model was 0.89, the mean specificity was 0.74. A clinical validation study was conducted to assess the ability of the model to predict human skin irritation by esters commonly used as fragrance ingredients. Esters that were found to cause irritation in rabbits, and that were within the predictive space of the SAR model, were selected for human testing using the patch test procedure. Of the 34 rabbit irritants selected, 16 were predicted by the model to be positive and 18 were predicted to be negative. Patch testing yielded two positive esters, allyl heptanoate and allyl cyclohexanepropionate. These test results were incorporated into the database to refine the SAR model. Best subsets regression and linear discriminant analysis were used to generate 10 submodels consisting of 10 irritants and 50 non-irritants randomly selected from the new database. Physicochemical parameters associated with irritant esters, when compared with non-irritant esters, differed somewhat from those identified in the original model. Irritant esters had lower solubility parameter and water solubility, higher Hansen dispersion and Hansen hydrogen bonding, and lower sum of partial positive charges, when compared with non-irritant esters. The sensitivity of the new model is 0.69 and specificity is 0.67. The results of this study indicate that SAR models based on limited data may not accurately predict the activity of unknown chemicals even though the computationally-derived sensitivity and specificity of the models are high. This finding emphasizes the need for experimental validation of models and their refinement as new data become available.
Molecular Enhancement of Memory Formation

As the work presented in this review attests, important progress has been made in Drosophila and Aplysia, implicating a particular class of transcription factors in memory formation. This progress takes on added significance in light of the recent demonstration that CREB-induced transcription may play an important role in long-term memory induction in mice as well (Bourtchuladze et al. 1994xBourtchuladze, R, Frenguelli, B, Blendy, J, Cioffi, D, Schutz, G, and Silva, A.J. Cell. 1994; 79: 59–68Abstract | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (1285)See all ReferencesBourtchuladze et al. 1994). Despite this exciting progress, it is still premature to order a CREB cocktail and sign up for Jeopardy. Important questions remain. For example, in Drosophila a major step will be identifying the neurons and circuits specifically activated in memory formation, while in Aplysia it will be important to relate the CREB-induced changes in sensory neurons (and perhaps other neural elements) directly to the behavioral expression of long-term memory. In addition, since multiple signal transduction pathways can modulate CREB activation and repression, the current insights gained from Drosophila and Aplysia are likely to be only the tip of the molecular iceberg in memory formation; greater complexities are sure to emerge. But the good news is that we can realistically expect rapid progress as the behavioral, cellular, and molecular tools of the trade continue to be refined and expanded in a variety of experimental systems. The recent work in Drosophila and Aplysia provides an excellent case study of the kind of progress that can be made when different preparations bring their unique strengths to bear on fundamental molecular questions in memory formation.
Incidence and nature of infectious disease in patients treated with anti-TNF agents

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors offer a targeted therapeutic strategy that contrasts with the nonspecific immunosuppressive agents traditionally used to treat most inflammatory diseases. These biologic agents have had a significant impact in ameliorating the signs and symptoms of inflammatory rheumatoid disease and improving patient function. From the onset of clinical trials, a central concern of cytokine blockade has been a potential increase in susceptibility to infections. Not surprisingly, a variety of infections have been reported in association with the use of TNF-alpha inhibitor agents. In particular, there is evidence suggesting an increased rate of granulomatous infections in patients treated with monoclonal TNF-alpha inhibitors. This review provides the incidence and nature of infections in patients treated with TNF-alpha inhibitor agents and reminds the clinician of the required vigilance in monitoring patients.
Controlling the nanofiltration properties of multilayer polyelectrolyte membranes through variation of film composition.

We report the use of a variety of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) as selective skins in composite membranes for nanofiltration (NF) and diffusion dialysis. Deposition of PEMs occurs through simple alternating adsorption of polycations and polyanions, and separations can be optimized by varying the constituent polyelectrolytes as well as deposition conditions. In general, the use of polycations and polyanions with lower charge densities allows separation of larger analytes. Depending on the polyelectrolytes employed, PEM membranes can remove salt from sugar solutions, separate proteins, or allow size-selective passage of specific sugars. Additionally, because of the minimal thickness of PEMs, NF pure water fluxes through these membranes typically range from 1.5 to 3 m3/(m2 day) at 4.8 bar. Specifically, to separate sugars, we employed poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) films, which allow 42% passage of glucose along with a 98% rejection of raffinose and a pure...
Individual Differences in Spatial and Identity Information Processing in Iconic Memory

The literature on iconic memory has provided conflicting evidence on the rate of loss of spatial location and identity information from iconic storage in non-retarded individuals. Some studies which have used the partial report technique indicate that information on spatial location is lost more rapidly than information on identity, while others indicate no difference in the rate of loss for the two types of information. The present investigation was a replication and extension of previous studies to help resolve the discrepancies in findings and to provide a more refined definition of what is meant by information on spatial location and identity. Correlations indicate that there may be two distinct subgroups among the borderline to mild mentally retarded population in terms of their iconic processing abilities.
Evolution of dolichoectasia of the vertebrobasilar system as evidenced by serial computed tomography.

Abstract A case of dolichoectasia of the vertebrobasilar system and carotid arteries is presented. Features considered unique to this case include recurrence of trigeminal neuralgia after a standard surgical procedure, presumably caused by rapidly progressing dolichoectasia of the vertebrobasilar arteries, and progressive calcification and ventriculo-megaly over the course of one and a half years, shown on sequential computed tomographic (CT) scans. Dolichoectasia is discussed briefly as a clinical entity and its characteristic CT scan findings are reviewed.
Towards real-time radiation therapy: GPU accelerated superposition/convolution

We demonstrate the use of highly parallel graphics processing units (GPUs) to accelerate the superposition/convolution (S/C) algorithm to interactive rates while reducing the number of approximations. S/C first transports the incident fluence to compute the total energy released per unit mass (TERMA) grid. Dose is then calculated by superimposing the dose deposition kernel at each point in the TERMA grid and summing the contributions to the surrounding voxels. The TERMA algorithm was enhanced with physically correct multi-spectral attenuation and a novel inverse formulation for increased performance, accuracy and simplicity. Dose deposition utilized a tilted poly-energetic inverse cumulative-cumulative kernel, with the novel option of using volumetric mip-maps to approximate solid angle ray casting. Exact radiological path ray casting decreased discretization errors. We achieved a speedup of 34x-98x over a highly optimized CPU implementation.
A new fault-tolerant algorithm for clock synchronization

Abstract We describe a new fault-tolerant algorithm for solving a variant of Lamport's clock synchronization problem. The algorithm is designed for a system of distributed processes that communicate by sending messages. Each process has its own read-only physical clock whose drift rate from real time is very small. By adding a value to its physical clock time, the process obtaines its local time. The algorithm solves the problem of maintaining closely synchronized local times, assuming that processes' local times are closely synchronized initially. The algorithm is able to tolerate the failure of just under one-third of the participating processes. It maintains synchronization to within a small constant, whose magnitude depends upon the rate of clock drift, the message delivery time and its uncertainty, and the initial closeness of synchronization. We also give a characterization of how far the clocks drift from real time. Reintegration of a repaired process can be accomplished using a slight modification of the basic alborithm. A similar style algorithm can also be used to achieve synchronization initially.
The thermal plasticity of locomotor performance has diverged between northern and southern populations of the eastern newt ( Notophthalmus viridescens )

Many temperate ectotherms undergo thermal acclimation to remain functional over a wide range of body temperatures, but few studies have investigated whether populations of a single species have evolved differences in the thermal plasticity of locomotor performance. Therefore, we asked whether the thermal plasticity of locomotor performance has diverged between northern and southern populations of eastern newts (Notophthalmus viridescens). We acclimated eastern newts from Florida and Maine to cold (6 °C) or warm (28 °C) conditions for 12 weeks. Following acclimation, we measured the burst speed of newts at 6, 11.5, 17, 22.5, 28, and 33.5 °C. We also measured the activities of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in skeletal muscle of newts. The newts from Maine were better able to acclimate to low temperature compared to newts from Florida. Regardless of acclimation, the thermal sensitivity of burst speed was higher in the Florida compared to the Maine population. In general, newts from Maine performed better at low temperatures, whereas newts from Florida performed better at high temperatures. The activities of CK and LDH were lower in cold compared to warm-acclimated newts in the Florida population, but acclimation did not affect the activities of these enzymes in the Maine population. The activities of CK and LDH do not explain differences in the thermal plasticity of locomotor performance between populations. Our results demonstrate that the thermal sensitivity and plasticity of locomotor performance differ between northern and southern populations of eastern newts, suggesting that these traits readily adapt to the thermal environment.
Applicability of the Rasch Model with Varying Item Discriminations.

Among the varieties of logistic models, those at tributed to Birnbaum (involving the parameters of item discrimination, item difficulty, and person ability) and Rasch (involving only item difficulty and person ability) have received attention. The present research simulated the responses of 75 subjects responding to 30 items under the Birn baum model and then attempted a fit to the data using the Rasch model. When item discriminations varied from a variance of .05 to .25 within distribu tions of different form (uniform, normal, and posi tively skewed), the poorest overall fit appeared within the uniform distribution. For each distribu tion there was only a slight increase in the lack of fit as the variances increased.
Neurological Imaging as Evidence in Political Science: A Review, Critique, and Guiding Assessment

EnglishPolitical scientists have access to a number of competing methodologies that marshal different forms of evidence for their arguments about political phenomena. Recently a new form of evidence has appeared in political science research and, more frequently, economics: spatially explicit and time-varying neurological activity of human subjects engaged in political or economic decision-making. As with any of the more standard methodologies, this approach carries with it a set of orienting theories linking hypotheses with the types of data induced to support or falsify these theories. While this new form of evidence is exciting, especially for the empirically minded social scientist, it deserves the utmost scrutiny. I provide a review of how neurological imaging is being used in the social sciences and consider several problems and prospects of using neuroimaging data in political science.French Les sciences politiques ont recours a des methodes de recherche et a des evidences empiriques diverses pour ...
Decisions that make a difference in detecting differential item functioning

There are numerous statistical procedures for detecting items that function differently across subgroups of examinees that take a test or survey. However, in endeavouring to detect items that may function differentially, selection of the statistical method is only one of many important decisions. In this article, we discuss the important decisions that affect investigations of differential item functioning (DIF) such as choice of method, sample size, effect size criteria, conditioning variable, purification, DIF amplification, DIF cancellation, and research designs for evaluating DIF. Our review highlights the necessity of matching the DIF procedure to the nature of the data analysed, the need to include effect size criteria, the need to consider the direction and balance of items flagged for DIF, and the need to use replication to reduce Type I errors whenever possible. Directions for future research and practice in using DIF to enhance the validity of test scores are provided.
Aggressive administration of recombinant oncotoxin AR209 (anti-ErbB-2) in athymic nude mice implanted with orthotopic human non-small cell lung tumours.

Lung cancer remains a significant public health problem in the U.S.A. and will result in an estimated 160 400 deaths in 1997. This appalling number is due in large part to the lack of adequate treatment for tumours that are refractory to surgery with curable intent, or of an adequate salvage therapy for those patients who recur after surgical resection. Because non-small cell lung cancer is refractory to traditional chemotherapy, non-traditional therapies have been developed to treat patients with this disease. Recombinant oncotoxins have been designed to target cells that express certain proteins as part of their cellular membrane. One such oncotoxin, AR209 (formerly OLX-209 [e23(Fv)PE38KDEL]), has the specificity of an anti-ErbB-2 antibody contained within a single-chain antibody domain (e23v) coupled to a portion of the Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE38KDEL). Previous studies demonstrate that this drug is capable of significantly reducing the size of orthotopic lung tumour xenografts. However, most of the treated mice developed tumours once therapy was removed. In this study, mice were treated aggressively using one of four drug treatment schedules. Mice were treated with either intravenous or subcutaneous injections of AR209 over a 2 week period. The data indicate that AR209 significantly reduced the size of tumours and upon microscopic analysis at necropsy, some mice were cured. However, despite the treatment schedule used, many mice contained residual tumour. Residual tumours expressed the ErbB-2 protein, indicating that more aggressive treatment with AR209 may have resulted in higher rates of cure.
"Out of the Parlors and into the Streets": The Changing Tactical Repertoire of the U.S. Women's Suffrage Movements

Little empirical research exists on major changes in the strategies and tactics of social movements, but some researchers argue that organizational readiness and political opportunities produce such changes. This article examines the circumstances that led some state woman suffrage movements to use a bold new tactic, the suffrage parade, beginning in the early twentieth century. An event-history analysis reveals that organizational readiness and political opportunities had little to do with change in the suffragists' strategic approach. Rather, the change occurred when movements consisted of a diverse assortment of organizations, when movement organizations were less centrally structured, when conflict existed among movement members, when movements engaged in fundraising, and when the suffragists had recently experienced significantpolitical defeat. The model of tactical change presented here better explains the impetuses for such a shift than do earlier explanations.
Emergency department presentation and care of heart and heart/lung transplant recipients.

Study objective: Heart and heart/lung transplants are accepted forms of therapy for patients with end-stage cardiac or pulmonary disease. These patients are likely to present postoperatively to the emergency department. To our knowledge, there have been no previous reports in the medical literature of the ED presentation of these patients. Design: We conducted a retrospective review of the records of all patients who had received a heart or a heart/lung transplant at Stanford University Medical Center from 1988 through 1990 and who had at least one ED visit. Measurements and results: Between the time of operation and April 1, 1991, 131 ED visits were recorded. Fever was the single most common presenting complaint, for 48 (37%) of the visits. Difficulty in breathing (13%); gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea (10%); and chest pain (9%) were other common reasons for presentation. Conclusion: The transplant patient, by virtue of requiring chronic immunosuppression, is susceptible to infection with a spectrum of opportunistic organisms. When fever or other symptoms suggest infection, appropriate cultures and aggressive diagnostic procedures (eg, lumbar puncture, bronchoscopy) should be performed.
Changes in ANS and TNS fluorescence in giant axons fromLoligo

Changes in the fluorescence of two N-arylaminonapthalenesulfonate dyes, ANS and TNS, were measured during the action potential and during voltage clamp steps in giant axons from the squid. We hoped to obtain information about alterations in membrane structure that occur during activity.
E-Learning: Is There Anything Special about the "E"?

E-learning has been widely utilized in medical education and suggested by some proponents to represent a fundamental advance in educational methodology. We challenge this conclusion by examining e-learning in the context of broader learning theories, specifically as they relate to instructional design and methods. Core tenets of educational design are applied to e-learning in a unified model for instructional design, and examples of e-learning technologies are examined in the context of medical education, with reflections on research questions generated by these new modalities. Throughout, we argue that e-learning is a tool that, when designed appropriately, can be used to meet worthy educational goals.
Raft.1, a monoclonal antibody raised against the raft microdomain, recognizes G-protein β1 and 2, which assemble near nucleus after Shiga toxin binding to human renal cell line

Raft microdomains are glycolipid-enriched microdomain scaffolding molecules involved in signal transduction. The binding of Shiga toxin to globotriaosyl ceramide in raft microdomains of the human renal tubular cell line ACHN causes temporal activation of Src-kinase Yes. To study the downstream signaling mechanism proceeding to the activation of Yes, we raised monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against raft microdomains. The MAbs were screened on the basis of, first, binding to raft microdomains with dot-blot immunostaining, second, intracellular localization of the epitope by flowcytometry after permeabilization, and third, translocation of the antigen molecules after Stx treatment by immunohistochemical staining. Raft.1 MAb bound to the molecules that accumulated to the particular region near the nucleus after Stx treatment. Two-dimensional Western blotting and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the antigen molecule is GTP binding protein β subunits 1 and 2 (Gβ1 and 2). That Raft.1 recognized Gβ1 and 2 was further confirmed by the reactivity to recombinant Gβ1 and 2 proteins. To our knowledge, this is the first report of production of a MAb recognizing Gβ1 and 2. Because Gβ1 and 2 are highly conserved all through organisms and are deeply involved in signal transduction, Raft.1 is expected to be utilized frequently in research.
Residual porewater pressure and structural response

An ample number of shake table and centrifuge test results are available relative to the seismic response of structures resting on saturated sands. In those tests where large structural settlments occurred, the porewater pressure ratio in elements beneath the structure only rose to values between 0.3–0.5. It is shown in this paper that, if the behaviour of the soil medium is interpreted in terms of the effective stress paths of various elements, these low porewater pressure ratios are enough to cause ‘failure’ in the elements. Finally, it is pointed out that the stress paths of laboratory samples and elements in a two-dimensional medium may be different. Therefore, caution should be exercised in interpreting field behaviour using laboratory test results.
Sedation, cognition, and antihistamines

First-generation antihistamines are well-known to cause subjective drowsiness. A myriad of studies has also been published that suggest a clear relationship between the use of these drugs and objective performance impairment. Although not all of the tests used in these studies have been validated, the data are fairly consistent, and suggest a difference between earlier (first-generation) sedating antihistamines and the newer (second-generation) nonsedating antihistamines.
Solution spraying of poly(methyl methacrylate) blends to fabricate microtextured, superoleophobic surfaces

Abstract We describe a simple technique to prepare superhydrophobic and superoleophobic microtextured surfaces by spray coating a blend of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and the low surface energy molecule 1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (fluorodecyl POSS, γsv ≈ 10 mN/m) using an air brush with a pressurized nitrogen stream. Scanning electron micrographs show the formation of microtextured surfaces possessing re-entrant curvature; a critical feature for obtaining liquid repellency with low surface tension liquids. The surface morphology can be tuned systematically from a corpuscular or spherical microstructure to a beads-on-string structure and finally to bundled fibers by controlling the solution concentration and molecular weight of the sprayed polymer. The oleophobicity of the resulting structures is characterized by advancing and receding contact angle measurements with liquids of a range of surface tensions.
Specifying the values of immobilized enzyme performance parameters in terms of process economic feasibility

Abstract A general method has been developed that specifies the values of defined immobilized enzyme catalyst performance parameters for the economical retrofitting of an in situ soluble enzyme batch process to an immobilized enzyme batch or continuous process. Performance parameters include the immobilized enzyme half-life, the carrier loading, the enzyme—carrier activity expression and the recovery of enzymatic activity during the immobilized enzyme preparation portion of the overall process. Sensitivity analysis suggests which performance parameters should be involved in a course of action taken to improve the feasibility of a potential process and reference is made to reported performance data for some immobilized enzyme preparations.
hERG Subunit-Specific Contributions to Gating and Disease

From the identification of leg-shaking Drosophila mutants to the development of drug safety tests and therapeutic treatments for cancer, the Ether-a-go-go family of ion channels has emerged as a rich collection of important targets for translational research - applications of basic science to problems affecting the human population. Critical to these developments has been the biophysical characterization of channel behavior as it relates to their physiological and pathological roles. We have focused on hERG subunits as components of the repolarizing current cardiac IKr, which is a target for inherited and acquired long QT syndrome (LQTS). In association with the originally-identified hERG 1a isoform, hERG 1b modifies channel gating kinetics, increases current amplitude and alters pharmacological sensitivity to a range of drugs. Computational models and the identification of a LQTS patient with a 1b-specific mutation support a role for 1b in normal repolarization, a conclusion bolstered by new findings of 1b abundance in human donor ventricle. These and other findings regarding the composition and macromolecular context of channels producing cardiac IKr will be discussed.
Age Structure and Species Composition Changes Resulting from Altered Disturbance Regimes on the Eastern Slopes of the Cascades Range, Washington

Abstract Age and diameter distributions are powerful tools for assessing changes in forest structure and composition over time. This study analyzed the age distribution of 2,345 trees from 487 plots in the eastern Washington Cascades to document increases in per-hectare tree densities and shifts in species composition since Euro-American settlement. Diameter distributions of these trees plus an additional 814 snags, stumps, and logs were analyzed to determine the extent and pattern of structural and compositional change resulting from post-settlement fire exclusion and preferential harvest of large ponderosa pine (Pinus pon-derosaDougl. Ex Laws.) and western larch (Larix occidentalisNutt.). Per-hectare densities of most species increased following settlement, with shade-tolerant/fire-intolerant species showing the biggest gain. A comparison of diameter distributions for live and dead trees indicates existing stands may not provide snags and logs of adequate dimensions for future habitat needs. Changes in ...
Diffuse T-wave inversions associated with electroconvulsive therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can lead to ST depression and arrhythmias in patients with coronary artery disease, most likely secondary to increased myocardial oxygen demand. This report describes a case of ECT-associated, global T-wave inversions in a patient with chronic atrial fibrillation treated with digoxin. Laboratory evaluation and echocardiography were normal. These T-wave changes may result from increased sympathetic activity associated with ECT. Prospective studies suggest that this finding may be seen in up to 4% of patients undergoing ECT.
The effects of aluminium composition on the mechanical properties of reactivity sputtered TiAlN films

TiAlN films were deposited on tool materials through an r.f. bias reactive sputtering process. The effects of the aluminium composition in the films on the hardness, oxidation resistance and wear properties were studied. The results indicated that both the aluminium composition and cutting speed had substantial effects on wear resistance. The oxide phases formed at elevated cutting temperatures, especially alumina, had important effects on the cutting performance. An optimum improvement of nine times in wear resistance compared to uncoated tools, was observed. © 1998 Chapman & Hall
A tribute to Dr. David Kline: a new approach to an old peripheral nerve problem--splicing instead of regenerating disrupted axons.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal is to develop a novel method to repair damaged axons. This method relies on acutely restoring axonal continuity rather than the traditional approach of promoting axonal regeneration. METHODS: Micro- and nanoechnological methods, in combination with focal application of electrical fields, are applied to individual and groups of axons both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Application of these techniques has permitted micromanipulation of axons at the cellular level and fusion of axonal membranes. CONCLUSION: Although a great deal more work is necessary, our findings suggest that it may one day be possible to repair acutely disrupted axons by splicing their membranes back together.
EFFECTS OF SURFACE DEFECTS ON FRICTION FOR A THIN SOLID FILM SLIDING OVER A SOLID SURFACE

Effects of the most common surface defects, namely, vacancies, substitutional impurities, steps and facet boundaries, on the force of friction acting on a sliding film are studied theoretically using lowest-order perturbation theory in the force exerted on film due to the surface on which the film is sliding. It is found that the contribution to the force of friction due to point defects, such as vacancies and substitutional impurities, is velocity-independent (i.e., there is {open_quotes}dry friction{close_quotes}). In contrast, for straight line defects, such as steps and facet boundaries, for nearly all orientations of the defect relative to the crystallographic axes, the viscous friction law generally observed in the microbalance experiment is found. Implications for the interpretation of the experimental results are discussed. The range of parameters for which lowest-order perturbation theory is valid is tested by calculating the mean-square atomic displacement and requiring that it be much smaller than the square of an atomic spacing. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Ecosystem health: I. Measuring ecosystem health

Ecosystem analysis has been advanced by an improved understanding of how ecosystems are structured and how they function. Ecology has advanced from an emphasis on natural history to consideration of energetics, the relationships and connections between species, hierarchies, and systems theory. Still, we consider ecosystems as entities with a distinctive character and individual characteristics. Ecosystem maintenance and preservation form the objective of impact analysis, hazard evaluation, and other management or regulation activities. In this article we explore an approach to ecosystem analysis which identifies and quantifies factors which define the condition or state of an ecosystem in terms of health criteria. We relate ecosystem health to human/nonhuman animal health and explore the difficulties of defining ecosystem health and suggest criteria which provide a functional definition of state and condition. We suggest that, as has been found in human/nonhuman animal health studies, disease states can be recognized before disease is of clinical magnitude. Example disease states for ecosystems are functionally defined and discussed, together with test systems for their early detection.
Effects of minimal models on inkblot percepts

Three experiments using brief, audio tape recordings as models, demonstrated observational learning of inkblot percept categories. The tapes created significant increases over baseline scores for all three classes of determinants, and two of three location classes studied; with the exception noted, Ss generalized to a new set of inkblot stimuli the percept categories they had heard. Further, except for one class of determinants, the modeling tapes induced increases in all other categories significantly greater than the spontaneous changes of a non-modeling control group. The implications of the results for observational learning of cognitive behavior and for clinical use of projective techniques were discussed.
Bayesian approach to the choice of smoothing parameter in kernel density estimation

In data driven bandwidth selection procedures for density estimation such as least squares cross validation and biased cross validation, the choice of a single global bandwidth is too restrictive. It is however reasonable to assume that the bandwidth has a distribution of its own and that locally, depending on the data, the bandwidth may differ. In this approach, the bandwidth is assigned a prior distribution in the neighborhood around the point at which the density is being estimated. Assuming that the kernel function is a proper probability distribution, a Bayesian approach is employed to come up with a posterior type distribution of the bandwidth given the data. Finally, the mean of the posterior distribution is used to select the local bandwidth.
Effect of Tablet Deflectors in the Draft Tube of Fluidized/Spouted Bed Coaters

The control of tablet-to-tablet variation that occurs during batch coating operations is important in the pharmaceutical industry. This is particularly true when the coating substance contains an active ingredient (drug). The current work focused on evaluating the effect of tablet deflectors in the spray zone on the variation of coating material received by individual tablets as they pass through the spray. Digital video imaging was used to show how these deflectors changed the solids' velocity and voidage profiles near the spray nozzle. A series of coating experiments was conducted to establish how such deflectors affected the coating variation per tablet per pass and the overall variation in coating received per tablet in a batch coating process. For the optimum deflector considered in this work, the relative standard deviation of coating mass was reduced from 11.3% without any deflector to 6.7%.
Developmental regulation of transcription factor AP-2 during Xenopus laevis embryogenesis.

Abstract We have isolated a cDNA clone encoding the Xenopus homologue of the transcription factor AP-2 (XAP-2). The predicted amino acid sequence derived from the Xenopus cDNA shows very strong conservation with the amino acid sequence of human AP-2, suggesting that this protein is evolutionarily conserved, at least among vertebrates. This is further substantiated by the demonstration that an in vitro translation product of XAP-2 cDNA bound specifically to an AP-2 binding site from the human MT-IIA gene. Northern blot analysis of Xenopus embryo RNA revealed the existence of three major XAP-2 mRNA species that were only detectable after the midblastula transition (when embryonic transcription is activated), with peak accumulation of the transcripts occurring during gastrulation. Therefore, in contrast to other Xenopus transcription factors, XAP-2 is not maternally derived but arises exclusively from zygotic transcription. Unlike the situation in cultured human teratocarcinoma (NT2) cells, retinoic acid treatment did not induce XAP-2 mRNA in Xenopus embryos, even though the treatment had a pronounced morphogenetic effect on the embryos. Our results suggest that XAP-2 may play a distinctive role during Xenopus embryogenesis.
On Representation of Damage Evolution in Continuum Damage Mechanics

The effect of damage patterning on elastic moduli and damage evolution in ideal brittle cracked solids is examined. Key limitations associated with typical continuum damage mechanics approaches are addressed. Critical shortcomings arising from the use of spatially-averaged damage descriptors in the evaluation of effective moduli and thermodynamic forces are investigated using numerical simulations of evolving two-dimensional crack systems. Fundamental elements of a higher-order continuum description of damage based on distribution functions are discussed, which directly include damage interaction effects.
Input control in job shops

Input control plays a critical role in regulating the release of jobs into a production system, and thereby controlling the inventory levels. We model the input control decision as a bicriteria problem that requires the maximization of the sum of job release times subject to minimum total job tardiness. Although the primary objective addresses job completion delays, the secondary objective considers earliness and waiting times. We propose a solution method that decomposes the original problem into a bicriteria problem for the critical jobs and the maximum release time problem for the noncritical jobs. These problems are solved in an iterative manner as the set of critical jobs is repetitively updated until no further improvement takes place. Computational results show the effectiveness of the proposed method as well as the substantial improvement that can be affected in job release times, without adversely affecting the tardiness values, over an approach that considers the single objective of minimizing t...
Childhood violence exposure and the development of sexual risk in low-income African American girls

Low-income, urban African American (AA) girls are at heightened risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and violence exposure may be an important risk factor. AA girls (N = 177) from low-income communities in Chicago completed a 2-year longitudinal study of HIV-risk behavior involving five waves of data collection (ages 12–16 at baseline) and a sixth wave (ages 14–22) assessing lifetime trauma and victimization history. Childhood exposure to violence (CEV) represented reports of physical, sexual, or witnessed violence before age 12. Latent growth curve analysis examined CEV as a covariate of sexual experience, number of sexual partners, and inconsistent condom use trajectories. CEV was associated with greater sexual risk, although the pattern differed across the three outcomes. Overall, findings emphasize the need for early interventions to reduce sexual risk among low-income urban girls who have experienced violence. Efforts to address or prevent violence exposure may also reduce rates of STIs in this population.
Fire prevention during hot work

This document addresses provisions to prevent loss of life and property from fire or explosions as a result of hot work and provides guidance for property owners and managers, supervisors, employees, and contractors who manage, supervise, and perform hot work. It does not address the health effects of working in high-temperature environments.
V-Phaser 2: variant inference for viral populations

Massively parallel sequencing offers the possibility of revolutionizing the study of viral populations by providing ultra deep sequencing (tens to hundreds of thousand fold coverage) of complete viral genomes. However, differentiation of true low frequency variants from sequencing errors remains challenging. We developed a software package, V-Phaser 2, for inferring intrahost diversity within viral populations. This program adds three major new methodologies to the state of the art: a technique to efficiently utilize paired end read data for calling phased variants, a new strategy to represent and infer length polymorphisms, and an in line filter for erroneous calls arising from systematic sequencing artifacts. We have also heavily optimized memory and run time performance. This combination of algorithmic and technical advances allows V-Phaser 2 to fully utilize extremely deep paired end sequencing data (such as generated by Illumina sequencers) to accurately infer low frequency intrahost variants in viral populations in reasonable time on a standard desktop computer. V-Phaser 2 was validated and compared to both QuRe and the original V-Phaser on three datasets obtained from two viral populations: a mixture of eight known strains of West Nile Virus (WNV) sequenced on both 454 Titanium and Illumina MiSeq and a mixture of twenty-four known strains of WNV sequenced only on 454 Titanium. V-Phaser 2 outperformed the other two programs in both sensitivity and specificity while using more than five fold less time and memory. We developed V-Phaser 2, a publicly available software tool (V-Phaser 2 can be accessed via: http://www.broadinstitute.org/scientific-community/science/projects/viral-genomics/v-phaser-2 and is freely available for academic use) that enables the efficient analysis of ultra-deep sequencing data produced by common next generation sequencing platforms for viral populations.
Fragrance material review on trans-β-Ionone

A toxicologic and dermatologic review of trans-beta-Ionone when used as a fragrance ingredient is presented.
The edison line from boulder dam

To transmit its allotment of power from Boulder Dam to its system, the Southern California Edison Company, Ltd., has completed and recently placed in operation a 233-mile, single-circuit, 220-kv line of simple and time-tested design, the principal features of which are here outlined.
Ir gene control of T and B cell responses to determinants in (Glu Lys Ala) terpolymers.

SUMMARY All mice responding to the terpolymer GLA40 make GL, GA and GLA specific antibodies irrespective of their response to GL or GA alone. The mice displayed positive T cell proliferative responses against the homologous terpolymer, but no T cell responses were obtained with GL, which is non-immunogenic in mice. T cells from GLA immune mice, which are also responders to GA, such as mice of H-2 haplotypes a, b, d, k and r, could be stimulated by GA. T cells from GLA immune mice of H-2 haplotypes p and q which are non-responders to GA could not be stimulated by GA. On the other hand, T cells from H-2s mice immune to GLA and which are also responders to GA alone could not be stimulated by GA. Thus mice of H-2 haplotypes p, q and s recognize the terpolymer via ‘GLA' determinants alone, whereas mice of H-2 haplotypes a, b, d, k and r may recognize both GA and GLA determinants in GLA terpolymer.
Identification of genetic defect of an epilepsy: strategies for therapeutic advances.

Summary: Advances in molecular genetics and molecular biology are transforming the biology of human disease. Cures for diseases previously refractory to all treatments have become the reality for some disorders and the legitimate promise for others. In the case of the epilepsies, identification of mutant genes underlying familial epilepsies may lead to a new pharmacology, through the development of in vitro expression systems permitting rapid search for novel drugs, creation of highly specific animal models based on expression of the precise mutation, and correction of disease phenotype by introducing novel and highly specific genetic information into the person with epilepsy.
Collagen-platelet interaction: Separate receptor sites for types I and III collagen

Abstract We have isolated a platelet membrane protein of M r 47 kDa which is responsible for the interaction of platelets with type III collagen. The 47 kDa protein was purified to apparent homogeneity by type III collagen-Sepharose 2B column chromatography and preparative slab gel electrophoreses. The 47 kDa protein blocked the adhesion of platelets to type III but not to type I collagen. Polyclonal antibodies were obtained from rabbits immunized with the purified 47 kDa protein emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant. The polyclonal antibodies inhibited the type III collagen but not type I collagen-induced platelet aggregation. The inhibitory effect of the antibodies on type III collagen-induced platelet aggregation was dose-dependent. Cross-inhibition on platelet aggregation studies showed that type I collagen receptor antibodies (M r 65 kDa) did not inhibit type III collagen-induced platelet aggregation and type III collagen receptor antibodies did not inhibit type I collagen induced platelet aggregation. These results suggest that type I and type III collagens interact with platelets at separate sites.
A survey on image-based continuum-body motion estimation

Abstract This paper presents a survey of the state-of-the-art in motion estimation of continuum objects such as elastic solids (e.g., human organs, skin, and biomedical tissues) and fluids (e.g., clouds, ocean flows, and air flows). The survey is focused on the estimation methodologies, rather than on specific applications. We begin by summarizing the main components and challenges of continuum-motion estimation, and structure our review around these components. We provide a classification of the related work according to their solutions to these challenges. A discussion on the methodologies for quantitative evaluation of methods is also provided. Finally, we conclude the survey by pointing out some open problems in continuum-motion estimation.