cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physicochemical and Functional Relationships of Immune Complexes

The biological properties of immune complexes depend on the nature of antigens and antibodies comprising these complexes. The lattice of immune complexes influences their tissue deposition, complement activation, and interaction with Fe receptors. The lattice of immune complexes depends on the valence of antigens, the antigen-antibody ratio, the association constant of these reactants and the concentration of antigen and antibody. Kupffer cells effectively remove large-latticed immune complexes from the circulation due to their Fe receptors. This system is saturable, leading to prolonged circulation of the complexes and enhanced deposition in tissues. Small-latticed immune complexes are slowly removed from the circulation by yet unidentified mechanisms. The renal glomerulus serves as an example of immune complex deposition from the circulation. Only large-latticed complexes are deposited in the glomerular capillary wall in the subendothelial area and the mesangial matrix. An influx of bone marrow-derived monocytes participates in the disposal of immune complexes deposited in these areas of the glomerulus, the resident mesangial cells do not phagocytize these substances. The subepithelial deposits of immune complexes appear to be locally formed and not deposited from the circulation.
Near ultraviolet photodetector fabricated from polyvinyl-alcohol coated In2O3 nanoparticles

Abstract A near ultraviolet (UV) photodetector is fabricated from colloidal In2O3 nanoparticles coated with polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA). The device exhibits lower dark current and higher responsivity compared with a photodetector fabricated from uncoated In2O3 nanoparticles. The rise and fall time of the PVA coated photodetector is about 500 s and 1600 s, respectively, one half of the uncoated device. The faster response time of the PVA enhanced photodetector is due to surface passivation which reduces the surface defects while enhancing desorption of oxygen from the nanoparticle surface, thus increasing free carrier concentration.
A real-time, embedded face-annotation system

Face detection and recognition have numerous multimedia applications of broad interest, one of which is automatic face annotation. There exist many robust algorithms tackling these problems but most of these algorithms are computationally demanding and have only been implemented in PC- or server-based environments. In this demonstration we show a real-time face-annotation system on a commercial PDA development platform. We examine the challenges faced in the design and development of a practical system that can achieve detection and recognition in real-time using limited memory and computational resources which are common constraints for embedded applications.
03. An Integrative Approach to Fibromyalgia: Evidence-based Modalities With a Case Study Discussion.

Focus Areas: Integrative Approaches to Care, Alleviating Pain Fibromyalgia is a difficult disorder both to diagnose and treat. To complicate this further, patients often present with several co-existing conditions, medical and/or psychological, that may involve a great deal of symptom overlap. Patients often are only moderately if at all responsive to traditional medications and physical therapy modalities. This often leaves patients feeling frustrated, confused, and misunderstood, leading to secondary psychological processes that impact both the pain experience itself and quality of life. Patients often seek CAM therapies as primary treatments regardless of the level of research evidence available. Helping them maintain a sense of hope and selectively directing them to coordinated evidence-based treatments is crucial to their continued healing. This panel will discuss the role of multiple complementary practices, as well as the research basis for each, in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Starting with the role of the integrative physician in evaluation and establishing a treatment protocol and examining the roles of traditional Chinese medicine, chiropractic, massage/energy techniques and health psychology in the long-term process of care. Issues around coordination of care, patient compliance with sometimes overwhelming lifestyle changes, mood shifts, maintaining hope, and continued provider communication around progress and plan changes will be addressed. These topics will also be applied and addressed within a case study format that will involve attendees’ participation.
Analytical solutions to vibration of generally layered composite beams

Abstract Dynamic equations governing the free vibration of laminated composite beams are developed using Hamilton's principle. The effects of transverse shear and rotary inertia are included in the energy formulation. Analytical solutions are obtained by the method of Lagrange multipliers wherein the free vibration problem is posed as a constrained variational problem, the constraints being imposed through Lagrange multipliers. Natural frequencies and mode shapes of clamped-clamped and clamped-supported composite beams are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the methodology.
Interior gradient estimates for solutions of certain fully nonlinear elliptic equations

Korevaar has given a new proof for interior gradients estimates for solutions of prescribed mean curvature equations in [N. J. Korevaar, Proc. Sympos. Pure Math. 45, Part 2 (1986)]. Interior gradient estimates for elliptic Weingarten equations are also obtained in [N. J. Korevaar, Ann. Inst. H. Poincare 43 (1987), 1–17]. In this paper we apply the normal perturbation method introduced in [N. J. Korevaar, Proc. Sympos. Pure Math. 45, Part 2 (1986);N. J. Korevaar, Ann. Inst. H. Poincare 43 (1987), 1–17] to generalize the result in [N. J. Korevaar, Ann. Inst. H. Poincare 43 (1987), 1–17] to more general fully nonlinear elliptic equations.
177. A single bout of exercise augments the expansion of multi-virus specific T-cells in healthy humans

Viral infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The adoptive transfer of multi-virus specific cytotoxic T-cell lines (CTLs) expanded from a suitably matched donor can reproducibly control infections after HSCT. However, the failure to generate sufficient numbers of virus-specific CTLs ex vivo can often result in inadequate restoration of antiviral immunity and poor prognosis. Because exercise mobilizes large numbers of viral specific T-cells into the bloodstream, we hypothesized that a single bout of exercise would increase the expansion of multi-viral-specific CTLs in would be HSCT donors. Healthy CMV and EBV seropositive subjects performed 30-min of cycling exercise at +15% of the individual blood lactate threshold. A fixed number of PBMCs isolated before and immediately after exercise were pulsed with overlapping peptides spanning all target viral antigens and expanded with IL-4, IL-7 and IL-15 over 9-days. Exercise remarkably increased the expansion of cytomegalovirus (CMV) pp65 (∼3.8-fold), CMV IE-1 (∼4.7-fold) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BMLF-1 (∼2.8-fold) specific CTLs over 9-days, although did not reliably increase the expansion of EBV LMP-2 specific CTLs. All virus-reacting cells were of a CD62L- memory phenotype and remained elevated after exercise even when adjusted for input T-cell numbers. We conclude that exercise may serve as a simple strategy to reliably augment the ex vivo expansion of viral-specific CTLs for adoptive transfer immunotherapy after HSCT.
Imaging characteristics of a conical primary, aspheric secondary x-ray telescope.

The imaging effectiveness of an x-ray telescope consisting of a simple conical primary reflector and an aspheric secondary reflector is compared with a paraboloidal primary, hyperboloidal secondary of the same dimensions (Wolter type II). The rms spot size for the Wolter type II is considerably smaller being 1/28 as large as that of the cone–asphere for incident collimated light 1 min off the optical axis and ⅙ as large for incident light 12 min off the optical axis for a typical configuration. The cone–asphere spot size, on the other hand, is one half as large as that for a hyperboloidal primary, asphere secondary telescope of the same dimensions.
Family labor supply and aggregate fluctuations

Abstract This paper considers an economy which is populated by a continuum of identical families consisting of two members. The two members have different productivities and the family faces a fixed utility cost if both members supply labor simultaneously. Although both family members have the same preferences, they display very different elasticities of labor supply. A real business cycle model is calibrated and it is seen that this cross-sectional heterogeneity results in interesting forms of aggregation bias.
A Model for the Evolution of the Mammalian T-cell Receptor α/δ and μ Loci Based on Evidence from the Duckbill Platypus

The specific recognition of antigen by T cells is critical to the generation of adaptive immune responses in vertebrates. T cells recognize antigen using a somatically diversified T-cell receptor (TCR). All jawed vertebrates use four TCR chains called α, β, γ, and δ, which are expressed as either a αβ or γδ heterodimer. Nonplacental mammals (monotremes and marsupials) are unusual in that their genomes encode a fifth TCR chain, called TCRµ, whose function is not known but is also somatically diversified like the conventional chains. The origins of TCRµ are also unclear, although it appears distantly related to TCRδ. Recent analysis of avian and amphibian genomes has provided insight into a model for understanding the evolution of the TCRδ genes in tetrapods that was not evident from humans, mice, or other commonly studied placental (eutherian) mammals. An analysis of the genes encoding the TCRδ chains in the duckbill platypus revealed the presence of a highly divergent variable (V) gene, indistinguishable from immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) chain V genes (VH) and related to V genes used in TCRµ. They are expressed as part of TCRδ repertoire (VHδ) and similar to what has been found in frogs and birds. This, however, is the first time a VHδ has been found in a mammal and provides a critical link in reconstructing the evolutionary history of TCRµ. The current structure of TCRδ and TCRµ genes in tetrapods suggests ancient and possibly recurring translocations of gene segments between the IgH and TCRδ genes, as well as translocations of TCRδ genes out of the TCRα/δ locus early in mammals, creating the TCRµ locus.
Lafayette’s World Wide Web site attracts visitors from all over the world

Describes Lafayette College’s World Wide Web site which offers visitors quick and easy access to a wide variety of information about the college, its people and programmes, as well as its use by students for research and presentation of their results. Notes that usage of the site has been growing steadily since it went public.
Magnetic Resonance of Some Optically Oriented Excited Ions of Zn and Cd

Using the strong spin dependence of large cross-section Penning reactions between $\mathrm{He}(^{3}S_{1})$ atoms and group-II metal atoms, it is shown that optical pumping can be extended to the excited states of ions. Magnetic resonance is observed for ${\mathrm{Cd}}^{+}$ $5^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}$ and ${\mathrm{Zn}}^{+}$ $4^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}}$ and $4^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}$ excited ion levels. The measured lifetimes of these levels are 0.773 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.027, 2.22 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.11, and 1.61 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.10 \ensuremath{\mu}sec, respectively.
Oral Physiology and the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging1

Since initiation of the oral physiology component of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging in 1978 almost 500 individuals have been examined. Participants are generally healthy males and females ranging in age from 25 to 93. The goal of this study is to determine oral health status during the “normal” process of aging. A dental/medical history and subjective reports of oral motor, oral sensory and salivary function are elicited. The current objective test battery includes an oral exam, salivary flow rate determination, and assessment of taste, temperature, texture and pressure differentiation, as well as olfaction, and oral motor function. Results indicate no age-related changes occur in stimulated parotid or unstimutated or citrate-stimulated submandibular salivary flow rates. In addition, oral motor and oral sensory skill deficits were found to be generally independent of age. However, olfactory ability, as measured by an olfactory recognition test, declined after age 65 for both sexes, as did the ability of older subjects to judge pressure differences applied to the tongue.
Impurity-induced local disorder in the ordered state of the superionic conductor β - Ag 2 Se

M\"ossbauer studies of $^{119}\mathrm{Sn}$ impurities dissolved in the superionic conductor ${\mathrm{Ag}}_{2}$Se show a dramatic decrease in the resonance absorption intensity 56 K below the normal superionic transition temperature ${T}_{c}=406$ K. This effect is found to be independent of impurity concentration (0.5-2 at.%) and is reversible with temperature. A mechanism is suggested which relates this new phenomenon to the onset of a local order-disorder phase transition brought about by the fast hopping of ${\mathrm{Ag}}^{+}$ ions surrounding the impurity Sn atom. Differential thermal analysis of the same samples showed that this "local melting" does not affect the transition temperature of the bulk. The present observations demonstrate that local disorder induced by the Sn impurity coexists with the bulk ordered phase far below ${T}_{c}$.
Future Orientation and Saving for Medium-Term Expenses

This study examined the gap between planning and doing among 3,666 future orienters in the 2010 Survey of Consumer Finances. Future orienters were those who expected at least one foreseeable major expense in 5–10 years. A theory of planned behavior cumulative logistic model testing saving implementation as a strategy was rejected. Then a multinomial logistic regression was estimated. The odds to be currently saving or to have already saved were higher for those with longer planning horizons, moderate risk tolerance, those who were married, White people, blue-collar workers, and those with self-discipline in spending and saving habits. A favorable attitude toward installment credit increased the likelihood of not saving. The number rather than the type of expense was more influential in saving although health, family, and general purchases decreased the odds of saving. Attitudes, norms, and behavior control helped explain a lack of saving among future orienters.
Payers Test Reference Pricing And Centers Of Excellence To Steer Patients To Low-Price And High-Quality Providers

Hospitals frequently exhibit wide variation in their prices, and employers and insurers are now experimenting with the use of incentives to encourage employees to make price-conscious choices. This article examines two major new benefit design instruments being tested. In reference pricing, an employer or insurer makes a defined contribution toward covering the cost of a particular service and the patient pays the remainder. Through centers of excellence, employers or insurers limit coverage or strongly encourage patients to use particular hospitals for such procedures as orthopedic joint replacement, interventional cardiology, and cardiac surgery. We compare these two types of benefit designs with respect to consumer choice and how they balance price and quality. The article then examines their potential role in the policy debate over appropriate coverage and cost-sharing requirements.
Urban seventh graders and smoking: a health risk behavior assessment.

Health risk behaviors undertaken in adolescence, such as smoking, can have a lasting impact on both short-term and long-term health developments. To better describe the health risk behaviors of an adolescent urban population, a study was conducted at two parochial middle schools in the southwest section of Philadelphia. The study purpose was to describe (1) the types of health risk behaviors being undertaken by a seventh grade student population, (2) the frequency of health risk behaviors, and (3) the age of initiation of the health risk behavior, e.g., age when they first began smoking. A descriptive, correlational study was undertaken with 106 urban seventh graders (ages of 11-13 years) from two seventh grade classes. Using the Youth Risk Behaviors Surveillance System Questionnaire, information was collected about health risk behaviors. Correlational statistics indicated significant correlations between students who smoke and alcohol use, dieting, and not feeling safe in their neighborhood. Interestingl...
The effects of particle size on SnO electrode performance in lithium-ion cells

It was observed that by decreasing the SnO particle size, while maintaining the same grain size, the reversible and initial specific capacities increased. It is believed that as the particle size decreases the number of Li-ion insertion sites increase and Li-ion diffusion distances decrease thus, increasing both the initial and reversible capacities. A reversible specific capacity of 657 mA h/g was achieved for SnO, which is one of the highest to date for insertion anodes.
Evaluating research institutions: Lessons from the CGIAR

Investing in research is a long-term, risky proposition. In agriculture, it could take fifteen years or more for a research finding to show an improvement in a farmer’s field. Yet, research institutions, like other organizations it needs to be evaluated. For more than twenty years, independent panels of outside experts have evaluated each of the international research centers that the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) supports. This paper examines the evolution of this review system, outlines the key methodological challenges faced, and draws lessons for others engaged in evaluating research institutions. It notes that the scope of the CGIAR reviews have been broadened over time in response to users’ concerns. Reviews now cover four dimensions of performance: research results, quality and relevance of research, vision and strategic directions, and management efficiency. The methodological challenges faced in measurement, valuation, and attribution are reviewed, along with practices found to be helpful in addressing these concerns. The paper concludes that the panel approach to institutional evaluation has served CGIAR’s needs well, and recommends it as an evaluation technique for integrating quantitative and qualitative dimensions of institutional performance.
Value‐centric framework and pareto optimality for design and acquisition of communication satellites

Investments in space systems are substantial, indivisible, and irreversible, characteristics of high-risk investments. Traditional approaches to system design, acquisition, and risk mitigation are derived from a cost-centric mindset, and as such they incorporate little information about the value of the spacecraft to its stakeholders. These traditional approaches are appropriate in stable environments. However, the current technical and economic conditions are distinctly uncertain and rapidly changing. Consequently, these traditional approaches have to be revisited and adapted to the current context. We propose that in uncertain environments, decision-making with respect to design and acquisition choices should be value-based. We develop a value-centric framework, analytical tools, and an illustrative numerical example for communication satellites. Our two proposed metrics for decision-making are the system's expected value and value uncertainty. Expected value is calculated as the expected NPV of the satellite. The cash inflow is calculated as a function of the satellite loading, its transponder pricing, and market demand. The cash outflows are the various costs for owning and operating the satellite. Value uncertainty emerges due to uncertainties in the various cash flow streams, in particular because of market conditions. We propagate market uncertainty through Monte Carlo simulation, and translate it into value uncertainty for the satellite. The end result is a portfolio of Pareto-optimal satellite design alternatives. By using value and value uncertainty as decision metrics in the down-selection process, decision-makers draw on more information about the system in its environment, and in making value-based design and acquisition choices, they ultimately make more informed and better choices. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An analysis of chemical reactor stability and control—Va Two-phase systems in physical equilibrium—1☆

Abstract Pertinent to the design of any chemical reactor is a knowledge of its transient characteristics, in particular the stability of a steady state both to small and large disturbances. The dynamic behaviour of the well-agitated continuous reactor both with and without control devices has been extensively studied for homogeneous reacting media. It is the purpose of this work to consider the natural behaviour of reacting systems involving two fluid phases in the well-agitated continuous reactor operating under constant conditions. To this end models of the physical rate processes of interfacial heat and mass transfer are constructed for perfectly mixed systems and analysed for multiplicity and stability of steady-state solutions. Some methods of non-linear mechanics are applied, and phase plots resulting from digital computer solutions of the non-linear transient equations are constructed for some chosen numerical examples. The study includes systems in which phases are in physical equilibrium, in which there are resistances to interfacial heat and mass transfer and in which components of a phase are in chemical equilibrium, the reaction rate being controlled by the transfer of mass. It is found that the number of possible steady-state solutions to the non-isothermal equations depends on the rates of exchange of heat and material between the phases. Phase plots are shown for systems which have no stable state, but exhibit continued oscillations in temperature and concentration. Other examples are shown of systems which possess more than one steady state. In some cases a majority of these states are unstable. In this paper dilute immiscible liquid-liquid systems will be examined.
Effects of Rumen-Inert Fat on Lactation, Reproduction, and Health of High Producing Holstein Herds

Two hundred twenty of 443 cows freshening between June 1989 and March 1990 in five commercial Holstein herds were fed .45 kg/d of rumen-inert fat from calving until 200 DIM. Control diets were fed as TMR and contained, on average, 3.7 to 4.8% supplemental fat (DM basis). Test herds had rolling herd averages of 9300 to 13,250 kg of milk. Production of 4% FCM and milk increased 1.01 (3.3%) and 1.50 kg/d (4.6%), respectively, for primiparous cows fed additional fat. Multiparous cows from four herds demonstrated no response; multiparous cows in one herd increased production of 4% FCM by 2.88 kg/d (8.2%), milk by 2.45 kg/d (6.4%), and milk fat by .14kg/d (10.6%) in response to additional fat. An explanation of response differences among herd for multiparous cows was not possible. For primiparous and multiparous cows, increased genetic potential increased treatment response. Increased body condition score at calving influenced treatment response of multiparous cows. Thinner cows produced more milk and less milk fat in response to additional dietary fat than did fatter cows. Most reproductive indices were unaffected by treatment. Cows receiving additional fat had lower, but nonsignificantly lower, incidences of most health disorders. Responses to rumen-inert fat by cows receiving high concentrations of dietary fat were marginal and were affected by body condition score at calving and by genetic potential.
Early Planted, Early Maturing Soybean Cropping System: Growth, Development, and Yield

An early planted, early maturing soybean [Glycine mar (L.) Merr.] cropping system could stagger harvest maturity and increase the number of options available for subsequent crops. However, premature flowering of early maturing cultivars could reduce canopy closure at flowering (CCRI) or at beginning seed fill (CCRS) as well as vegetative mass at R5 (VMR5). This study was conducted to determine the Maturity Group (MG) best suited for this early planted cropping system, and to relate growth, development, and environmental parameters to yield. Two cultivars each from MG 00,0,I,II,III, and IV were planted in six Kentucky field environments ranging from 36°40' to 38°7'N lat from 1986 to 1989. Vegetative, pod-set, and seed-fill durations were generally shorter in early-maturing cultivars, but also interacted with environment. Maturity groups 00 and 0 had inadequate canopy closure at R1 and R5, inadequate vegetative mass at R5, and produced lowest overall yields. While MG I and II appeared to be most sensitive to vegetative and pod-set rainfall and seed-fill temperatures, MG II produced the best mean yield. Seed-fill duration and rainfall were apparently more important for MG III and IV than for earlier MGs. Maturity Group II appears to be more adaptable than other MGs in these early planted, early maturing soybean cropping systems in Kentucky. Contribution from the Kentucky Agr. Ex . Stn. as Journal Article no. 91-3-66. Partially funded by the Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board.
Application of pulsed field gradient NMR with high gradient strength for studies of self-diffusion in lipid membranes on the nanoscale.

This work demonstrates the feasibility of noninvasive studies of lipid self-diffusion in model lipid membranes on the nanoscale using proton pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR spectroscopy with high (up to 35 T/m) gradient amplitudes. Application of high gradients affords for the use of sufficiently small diffusion times under the conditions when the width of the gradient pulses is much smaller than the diffusion time. As a result, PFG NMR studies of partially restricted or anomalous diffusion in lipid bilayers become possible over length scales as small as 100 nm. This length scale is important because it is comparable to the size of membrane domains, or lipid rafts, which are believed to exist in biomembranes. In this work, high-gradient PFG NMR has been applied to study lipid self-diffusion in three-component planar-supported multibilayers (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine/sphingomyelin/cholesterol). The degree of lipid orientation in the bilayers was determined with 31P NMR. A special insert was...
Galmatheia: an FUV imaging spectrograph

Galmatheia is a proposed far-ultraviolet (FUV) 900 - 1850 angstrom imaging spectrograph optimized for the study of diffuse emission. Its spectra will be used to study hot galactic plasmas, characterize the formation/destruction cycle and distribution of H2 in the ISM, and determine the optical properties of dust and its spatial distribution through the Galaxy. Galmatheia is a dual reflective spectrograph consisting of two elliptical diffraction gratings and a common cylindrical mirror, slit and detector. Its 5(sigma) sensitivity to C IV/O VI emission in a one-day pointing an order of magnitude fainter than any previous detection or to theoretical predictions.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Penetration of external field into regular and random arrays of nanotubes : Implications for field emission

We develop an analytical theory of polarization of a vertically aligned array of carbon nanotubes (NTs) in external electric field. Such arrays are commonly utilized in field-emission devices, due to the known electrostatic effect of strong field enhancement near the tip of an individual NT. A small ratio of the NT radius to the separation between neighboring NTs allows us to obtain asymptotically exact solution for the distribution of induced charge density along the NT axes. For a regular array, this solution allows us to trace the suppression of the field penetration with increasing the density of NTs in the array. We demonstrate that for a random array, fluctuations in the NT density terminate the applicability of our result at distances from the NT tips much larger than the field penetration depth, where the induced charge density is already exponentially small. Our prime conclusion is that, due to collective screening of the external field by the array, the field-emission current decreases drastically for dense arrays compared to an individual NT. We argue that the reason why the strong field emission, described by the Fowler-Nordheim law and observed in realistic arrays, is the strong dispersion in heights of the constituting NTs.
How important is common scab in seed potatoes

Common scab occurs ubiquitously even on unfarmed land. The literature indicates that harvested tubers become scabby by infection through soil containingStreptomyces scabies and not from scabby seed tubers. Furthermore, it is very difficult and requires many repeated plantings of scabby tubers to infest clean fields with common scab.
Human cationic amino acid transporters hCAT-1, hCAT-2A, and hCAT-2B: three related carriers with distinct transport properties.

In this study, we aimed at analyzing the human homologues of the murine cationic amino acid transporters mCAT-1, mCAT-2A, and mCAT-2B. cDNAs encoding hCAT-1 had been previously reported by two inde...
Regulation of neuronal muscarinic acetylcholine receptor number by protein glycosylation

Tunicamycin, a potent inhibitor of protein glycosylation, was used to study the role of protein glycosylation in the regulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) number in cultures of N1E-115, a murine neuroblastoma cell line. At a concentration of 0.35 microgram/ml, tunicamycin inhibited macromolecular incorporation of [3H]mannose by 75-80%, whereas incorporation of [3H]leucine was reduced by only 10%. Treatment with tunicamycin caused a 30% decrease in total membrane mAChR number within 48 h as determined by a filter-binding assay using [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB), a highly specific muscarinic antagonist. Tunicamycin also inhibited the recovery of total membrane mAChR by 70% following carbachol-induced down-regulation. The rate of mAChR degradation (control t1/2 12-14 h) was unaffected by incubation with tunicamycin. Intact cell binding studies using [3H]QNB (a membrane-permeable ligand) to measure total cellular (internal plus cell surface) mAChR and [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS, a membrane-impermeable ligand) to measure cell surface mAChR were conducted to determine whether tunicamycin selectively depleted cell surface mAChR. With 12 h of treatment with tunicamycin, cell surface mAChR number declined by 35%, whereas total cellular mAChR fell by only 10%. The ratio of cell surface receptor to total receptor decreased by 45% after 24 h. These results indicate that protein glycosylation is required for the maintenance of cell surface mAChR number. Incubation with tunicamycin causes a selective depletion of cell surface mAChR, implying that protein glycosylation plays a critical role in transport and/or incorporation of mAChR into the plasma membrane.
High frequency phonocardiography

Abstract A systematic study of the high frequency components of the heart sounds and murmurs was made by means of a new standardized and calibrated phonocardiograph provided with a variable band pass filter. The frequency bands 500–1000 c.p.s. and higher were particularly studied but comparison was also made with the vibrations found in lower bands. This study was made in forty-seven subjects including five subjects without evidence of heart disease. The study revealed that the groups of high frequency vibrations were normally shorter than the equivalent group of lower bands; they often (but not always) appeared at the beginning of equivalent vibrations; they often presented a relative increase of amplitude. Several clinical phenomena were better revealed by the study of high frequency bands including the physiologic or pathologic splitting of the first and second sounds, the opening snap, and certain murmurs. The high frequency bands often revealed more clearly the “shape” of a murmur. In some cases, splitting of the heart sounds or the existence of a murmur was revealed only by these bands. The high frequency bands revealed that in about 25 per cent of the cases the first sound was composed of two simple vibrations (or groups of vibrations). These were identified through their time of occurrence as coinciding with mitral closure and aortic opening. One of the two may disappear in the highest band. The high frequency bands revealed that in more than one-third of the cases the second sound was composed of two simple vibrations (or groups of vibrations). These were identified as coinciding with aortic closure and pulmonic closure. The latter usually disappeared in the highest band except in cases of pulmonary hypertension. The optimum and maximum frequency bands in both normal subjects and clinical cases were studied for the first and second sounds, as well as for the third and fourth. A similar study was made in regard to the “ejection sound” and the opening snap of the mitral valve. Murmurs recorded in the high frequency range either disappeared, were still present, or became more clearly visible. The murmurs of mitral and aortic insufficiency were usually in the last group and were sometimes recorded only in the high frequency range. Detailed observations were made in the various valvular defects. It is concluded that the study of the high frequency vibrations of the phonocardiogram presents great interest both in normal subjects and in clinical cases. In the latter, it may be of diagnostic importance. Problems of cardiovascular physiology and pathology may at times be clarified by this study.
Commentary on “Transference as a Therapeutic Instrument”: Clara Thompson: A Significant but Forgotten Voice From the Past

(2014). Commentary on “Transference as a Therapeutic Instrument”: Clara Thompson: A Significant but Forgotten Voice From the Past. Psychiatry: Vol. 77, No. 1, pp. 20-24.
Maternal plasma visfatin in preterm labor.

Objective. Visfatin, a novel adipokine with diabetogenic and immunoregulatory properties, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance, as well as in various acute and chronic inflammatory disorders. We have previously reported that amniotic fluid concentrations of visfatin are higher in patients with preterm labor (PTL) and intra-amniotic infection than in patients with PTL without infection. The aim of this study was to determine whether spontaneous PTL with intact membranes and intra-amniotic infection/inflammation (IAI) is associated with changes in maternal plasma circulating visfatin concentrations.Study design. This cross-sectional study included patients in the following groups: (1) normal pregnant women (n = 123); (2) patients with an episode of PTL and intact membranes without IAI who delivered at term (n = 57); (3) PTL without IAI who delivered preterm (n = 47); and (4) PTL with IAI who delivered preterm (n = 57). Plasma visfatin concentrations were determined by ELISA. Non-...
Intravesical suramin in the prevention of transitional cell carcinoma

Objectives. To examine the effects of intravesical suramin on N-methyl-N-nitrosurea (MNU)-induced bladder tumors in Fischer 344 rats.
Suppressor T Cells, Immunoglobulin and Igh Restriction

Why do some T cell express idiotypes that are serologically similar to those of the B cells, since it is now well established that T cells do not use Ig genes for their antigen specific receptors? In this review article, we have summarized some the evidence for the influence of Igh linked genes on the Suppressor T cell repertoire, using anti-u treated mice as a model system. We investigated whether B cells and Ig molecules play a role in the generation of Ts repertoire. While our results clearly confirmed that B cells and Ig are important in the establishment of Ts repertoire, our experiments failed to resolve the fundamental question - 'what dictates the Igh restriction specificity of Ts?' Ts cells from anti-u treated mice did not lose all Igh restriction specificity. Instead, they expressed an altered restriction specificity. These results suggest that there are at least two independent mechanisms responsible for the generation of the suppressor T cell repertoire. A pre-selected germ line one, which is Ig independent, and a mature one, which is Ig dependent. The precise mechanisms responsible for the generation of germ line Ts repertoire remain to be determined.
Bureaucratic capacity and state-society relations in China

In view of the efforts of post-Mao state-rebuilding, how does bureaucratic capacity affect the pattern of state-society interaction in China, where a robust civil society is still missing? Using the case of China’s population control, we analyze the linkage between bureaucratic capacity and state-society relations. The study demonstrates remarkable resilience of the party-state and its transformative thrust in reformist China. Through a mix of mass mobilization and institutional building, the Chinese state remains puissant in extending social control over its people. Equally important, bureaucratic capacity is a major predictor of state coerciveness. Other things being equal, localities with stronger bureaucratic capacity tend to develop a less antagonist and more cooperative state-society relationship. Bureaucratic capacity can serve as remedy to despotic or authoritarian rule despite the lack of an autonomous civil society. This finding has important implications for the potential of democratization in China.
EFFECT OF HOT-AIR LANCE ON CRACK SEALANT ADHESION

The hot-air lance (HAL) is widely used in crack-sealing work based on the premise that it improves sealant adhesion. However, the effectiveness of the HAL in promoting adhesion is uncertain. The authors' goal was to measure the adhesion strength of bituminous crack sealant to dry asphalt concrete (AC) and assess the effect of the HAL on adhesion. To this end, they monitored the use of the HAL in the field and reproduced its effect on asphalt binders and AC pavements by using an automated HAL in a series of laboratory experiments. In those experiments, we looked at the effect of heat treatment on binder oxidation and embrittlement by means of infrared spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography, and goniometry. They also compared the adhesion strength of three sealants applied to unheated, heated, and overheated AC substrates prepared with quartz or limestone aggregates. The results show that sealant adhesion and failure mechanisms are governed by the sealant source, the type of aggregate in the AC mix, and the heat treatment on the rout prior to pouring the sealant. The HAL does not oxidize the binder, but it may cause embrittlement by raising the asphaltenes content of the binder. Normal heat treatment has little effect on sealant adhesion to dry AC, but overheating can cause a 50% reduction in adhesion strength and lead to premature sealant failure. To retain the possible benefits of the HAL in sealing damp cracks and to prevent overheating, the HAL should be operated at reduced temperatures.
A Functional Polymorphism in the HTR2C Gene Associated with Stress Responses: A validation study

Abstract Previously we have shown that a functional nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs6318 on the HTR2C gene located on the X-chromosome, is associated with hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to a laboratory stress recall task. The present paper reports a validation of the cortisol response to stress in a second, independent sample. The study population consisted of 60 adult participants (73.3% males). Consistent with our prior findings, compared to Cys23 G allele carriers, persons homozygous for the Ser23C allele had a significantly greater average cortisol response (p = 0.007) and area under the curve (p = 0.021) over the course of an emotional stress recall protocol. Also parallel to our prior report, the change in cortisol from baseline to the average during the stress protocol was roughly twice as large among Ser23C homozygotes than among persons with Cys23 G. These findings validate our initial observation of association between rs6318 and cortisol response to an acute stressor, and extend the results to include females.
TOPOLOGICALLY MASSIVE SUPERGRAVITY

Abstract The locally supersymmetric extension of three-dimensional topologically massive gravity is constructed. Its fermionic part is the sum of the (dynamically trivial) Rarita-Schwinger action and a gauge-invariant topological term, of second derivative order, analogous to the gravitational one. It is ghost free and represents a single massive spin 3/2 excitation. The fermion-gravity coupling is minimal and the invariance is under the usual supergravity transformations. The system's energy, as well as that of the original topological gravity, is therefore positive.
Transmission of maternal cytomegalovirus-specific immunity in the guinea pig

The prenatal and perinatal transmission of maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific immunity was studied in the guinea pig by cross-fostering newborns of seropositive and seronegative mothers. Resistance to CMV was assessed by challenging the newborn and adult offspring with sublethal doses of CMV and following the course of their acute CMV disease. Newborns were found to acquire detectable CMV antibody via the placental route but not the breast milk route. When compared to neonates with no acquisition of CMV immunity, neonatal offspring born to or foster fed on seropositive mothers were protected against generalized CMV infection to various degrees. The immunity transferred by pregnant mothers that had seroconverted prior to pregnancy was short lived and was more protective in newborns with detectable CMV antibody. Mothers that experienced primary CMV infection during pregnancy conferred on their progeny the most significant and long-lasting resistance against CMV challenge. This study demonstrates that newborn guinea pigs may acquire CMV-specific immunity from seropositive mothers; the degree of protection against CMV infection depends on the route of acquisition of immunity and on the time of maternal seroconversion.
TH‐D‐201C‐03: Correlation between MR Diffusion Tensor Imaging Derived Dimensional Ellipsoid Ratio as a Function of Tissue Anisotropy and Multiple Sclerosis Induced Variation

Purpose: The diffusion fractional ellipsoids derived in ratios ((XMS −XNC)/XNC) are compared from both the Monte Carlo simulation and the deviated diffusion profile between normal brains and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS) patients. We construct a map to evaluate the water diffusion in (1) standard sorted (2) non‐sorted and (3) normalized space of directional diffusivity and diffusionanisotropy indices. Method and Materials: The sensitivity coefficients are derived analytically between the anisotropy indices and diffusivities in the symmetric prolate λ1>λ2=λ3 and oblate λ1 20. Conclusion: Sensitivity analysis is demonstrated as a standard to derive the dimensional ellipsoid ratio as a function of anisotropy level and tissue type. A multiple sclerosis induced oblate ratio ellipsoid was observed in both of the genu and splenium corpus callosum while prolate ratio was found in the internal capsule and thalamus. In contrast both the radial and axial diffusivity decrease in the caudate nucleus.
Effect of adrenalectomy on chlordecone potentiation of carbontetrachloride hepatotoxicity.

Abstract The propensity of chlordecone (CD) to potentiate CCl 4 hepatotoxicity in rats of either sex has been well documented. The objective of the present study was to investigate the hepatotoxic effects of CD-CCl 4 interaction in adrenalectomized rats. Adrenalectomized rats were maintained on 0 or 10 ppm CD and on day 15 they received a single ip injection of 25 μ L CCl 4 /kg. Hepatotoxicity was assessed by hepatofunctional, biochemical and histopathological parameters, 24 hrs after CCl 4 challenge. CCl 4 -induced hepatobiliary dysfunction and elevation of serum enzymes (GPT, GOT, ICD and OCT) were evident. Hepatic dysfunction was most severe in adrenalectomized rats receiving CD-CCl 4 combination treatment. Histopathology of liver exhibited extensive fatty infiltration in the entire lobular structure accompanied by some necrosis. These data indicate that the capacity of CD to potentiate CCl 4 hepatotoxicity is unaffected in adrenalectomized rats.
Chemomyectomy of the orbicularis oculi muscles for the treatment of localized hemifacial spasm.

Objective To report our experience with doxorubicin chemomyectomy as an alternative to other treatments for hemifacial spasm (HFS). Design A prospective, open study Phase I clinical trial of chemomyectomy. Setting A hospital-based, referral neuro-ophthalmology and oculoplastic service. Patients and methods Repeated (1-6, median: 4) local injections of doxorubicin were given in the eyelids of 8 patients (5 men, 3 women, average age: 71). Main outcome measures Eyelid strength, self-reported spasm, and duration of improvement without seeking additional or alternative treatments. Results Chemomyectomy resulted in permanent (> or = 2.5 years) orbicularis oculi weakness and relief from spasms in the treated areas in 5 patients, although 2 patients requested occasional supplementary botulinum toxin (BT) injections in the facial muscles over the cheek. One patient had a successful result for 3 years, after which spasm recurred. One patient maintains a successful result in the eyelid but had a failed microvascular decompression in the lower face. One incompletely treated patient required microvascular decompression following spread of spasms to the lower branches of the facial nerve and increased severity of the HFS. One patient required eyelid surgery because of concurrent spastic entropion. One patient treated with a higher concentration than currently used required closure of a skin ulcer. Conclusions Doxorubicin chemomyectomy is an effective alternative to conventional therapy for properly selected patients affected by HFS, particularly older patients with relatively localized eyelid muscle spasms. The modified technique of doxorubicin chemomyectomy has developed to the point where its safety is demonstrated and its risks are known.
Minimally invasive cancer surgery improves patient survival rates through less perioperative immunosuppression

The import of the immune system to cancer survival is paramount. Immune effector cells are intimately involved in the patient's response to cancer. People with decreased immune function develop cancer more frequently. In the early stages of solid organ malignancies, surgery can potentially be curative. Surgical intervention, in and of itself, is immunosuppressive. Surgical resections are traditionally performed through large incisions. Technologic advances have allowed minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to evolve to the point it is now being used for cancer treatment. Recent minimally invasive series have reported improved survival and recurrence rates, as compared with historical data. We hypothesized that outcome differences for cancer patients undergoing open surgery vs. MIS are due to differential inhibition of immune effector cell function, in response to the different surgical stimulus. This increased immunosuppression after open surgery could potentially inhibit immune effector cell tumor surveillance as well as inhibit scavenging of any residual or micrometastatic disease or of tumor cells shed at the time of the operation. The less immunosuppressive MIS may leave immune function above a threshold level where remaining tumor is cleared. This difference would lead to less recurrence and to survival advantages. A deeper understanding of the integral components of the immune response to surgery would open the door for immunomodulation strategies and be of great clinical utility in guiding neoadjuvant, surgical, or adjuvant therapeutic decisions.