cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spreading depression and reverberatory seizures induce the upregulation of mRNA for glial fibrillary acidic protein.

The present study evaluates the relative roles of seizure activity and spreading depression in upregulating glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA expression. Stimulating electrodes were placed bilaterally in the angular bundle, and recording electrodes were placed bilaterally in the dentate gyrus of adult rats. Intense electrographic seizures were induced by delivering stimulus trains through one stimulating electrode. In some cases, spreading depression accompanied the seizures, while in other cases the seizures occured in the absence of spreading depression. Animals were killed 24 h following the last stimulus train, and the forebrains were prepared for quantitative in situ hybridization. Seizure activity and spreading depression led to significant increases in GFAP mRNA levels in the hippocampal formation. Seizure activity alone (without spreading depression) induced a 4-fold increase in GFAP mRNA levels in the hilus and molecular layer of the dentate gyrus and in stratum lacunosum-moleculare of the hippocampus. When seizure activity was accompanied by spreading depression, there was a 10-fold increase in GFAP mRNA levels in these same regions. Regional differences within the hippocampal formation in glial cell response were evident. While GFAP mRNA levels in stratum lacunosum-moleculare of the hippocampus were upregulated by seizure activity and spreading depression, levels in hippocampal stratum radiatum of the hippocampus remained unchanged. The results suggest that abnormal neuronal activity can influence glial cell gene expression and that spreading depression is a stronger signal than seizure activity in upregulating GFAP mRNA levels.
Methionine metabolism in human pregnancy

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia during pregnancy, which is a consequence of perturbations in methionine and/or folate metabolism, has been implicated in adverse outcomes such as neural tube defects, preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion, and premature delivery. The adaptive changes in methionine metabolism during pregnancy in humans have not been determined. Objective: Our objective was to examine the kinetics of methionine and its rate of transsulfuration and transmethylation in healthy women with advancing gestation. Design: The whole-body rate of appearance (Ra) of methionine and phenylalanine was measured in healthy pregnant women during the first (n ¼ 10), second (n ¼ 5), and third (n ¼ 10) trimesters of pregnancy. These data were compared with those for nonpregnant women (n ¼ 8). Tracers [1- 13 C]methionine, [C 2 H3]methionine, and [ 2 H5]phenylalanine were administered as prime-constant rate infusions. The effect of enteral high-protein, mixed-nutrient load on tracer-determined variables was also examined. Results: In pregnant women, the Ra of phenylalanine was significantly (P , 0.05) lower in the first trimester than in the second and third trimesters and was significantly lower than that in nonpregnant women. A linear positive correlation was evident between gestational age and phenylalanine Ra. The fractional rate and total rate of transsulfuration of methionine was significantly (P , 0.05) higher during the first trimester, whereas the rate of transmethylation was higher during the third trimester. Plasma concentrations of total cysteine and homocysteine were lower during pregnancy. Conclusions: Uncomplicated pregnancy in humans is associated with a higher rate of transsulfuration early in gestation and a higher rate of transmethylation of methionine in late gestation. These data may have implications for understanding the role of methionine and homocysteine in complications of pregnancy and for the nutritional care of pregnant women. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;91:357‐65.
Perceived situational control of daily activities: A new tool

This article reports the development of a tool for the measurement of Situational Control of Daily Activities (SCD) in an institutional setting for the elderly. Specific items for the SCDA were derived from the analysis of field notes from an exploratory study Content validity was established by a panel of judges. Test-retest reliability for 20 subjects was .96. Intercoder reliability (among the investigator and two independent coders) was 1.0 for the overall category of “self-” or “other-” determination for each respondent and .98 for categorization by activity for the respondents. Factor analysis of 79 subjects revealed the presence of two factors in the structure, Factor I, Control of Socializing and Privacy, and Factor II, Control of Physical Care. Further work is needed to refine the items and then the tool should be tested with larger samples.
Intracoronary irradiation markedly reduces neointimal proliferation after balloon angioplasty in swine: Persistent benefit at 6-month follow-up

Objectives.: This study examined the long-term efficacy of intracoronary irradiation for limiting neointimal proliferation after overstretch balloon angioplasty in a porcine model of restenosis. In...
Sonographic hepatization of the gallbladder: a cause of nonvisualization of the gallbladder by cholecystosonography.

Dans 3 cas la vesicule biliaire normale, invisible a l'echographie en echelle des gris a ete mise en evidence a l'echographie en temps reel
Impact glasses from the Apollo 14 landing site and implications for regional geology

[1] Lunar impact glasses possess the unmodified refractory element ratios of the original fused target materials at the sites of impacts. These target materials are regolith developed on different terrains and local rock types. Almost 800 glasses from the Apollo 14 landing site have been analyzed by electron microprobe in this study. These glasses show significant variation and hint at the existence of multiple terrains of differing compositions near the landing site. To test this idea, we have used Clementine color image data to construct iron and titanium maps from which a petrologic map in an elemental system analogous to the sample database was made. This map shows the regional provenance of Apollo 14 samples and suggests that the highlands in the Fra Mauro region of the Moon consist of a potassium, rare Earth element, and phosphorus (KREEP)-rich, basaltic debris layer that overlies a more feldspathic terrain in some areas. This mapping effort demonstrates the efficacy of using Clementine image data to place lunar sample information into a regional, and ultimately global, context. Lunar impact glasses and orbital data can provide geochemical constraints on the local and regional geology of the Moon.
Effect of Cortisporin Otic Suspension on Cochlear Function and Efferent Activity in the Guinea Pig

To predict cochlear receptor cell insult from therapeutic aminoglycoside antibiotics, we sought to determine whether the presence of subtoxic concentrations of Cortisporin otic suspension in the cochlea can be detected by measuring changes in efferent suppression of compound action potentials recorded from the round window. Olivocochlear efferent suppression in an earlier study was reversibly inhibited by injections of gentamicin in guinea pigs. Using that same technique, we found that 2.0 microliter of Cortisporin otic suspension (neomycin, polymyxin B, hydrocortisone) placed on the round window of guinea pigs in varying concentrations causes a rapid, permanent alteration in thresholds. Solutions of Cortisporin otic suspension diluted to a concentration of 1:20 yield a reversible loss of efferent suppression without measurable changes in compound action potential. These data suggest that the presence of Cortisporin otic suspension can be detected functionally in the cochlea at very low concentrations prior to the development of a threshold shift.
Studying and applying channeling at extremely high bunch charges

The potentially high plasma densities possible in solids might produce extremely high acceleration gradients. However solid-state plasmas could pose daunting challenges. Crystal channeling has been suggested as a mechanism to ameliorate these problems. A high-density plasma in a crystal lattice could quench the channeling process. There is no experimental or theoretical guidance on channeling for intense charged particle beams. An experiment has been carried out at the Fermilab A0 photoinjector to observe electron channeling radiation at high bunch charges. An electron beam with up to 8 nC per electron bunch was used to investigate the electron-crystal interaction. No evidence was found of quenching of channeling at charge densities two orders of magnitude larger than in earlier experiments. Possible new channeling experiments are discussed for the much higher bunch charge densities and shorter times required to probe channeling breakdown and plasma behavior.
Kainate and quisqualate receptor autoradiography in rat brain after angular bundle kindling.

Abstract The kainate and quisqualate types of excitatory amino acid receptor were visualized autoradiographically in brain sections from rats kindled by stimulating the angular bundle. Kainate receptors were labeled with [3H]kainate and quisqualate receptors with l -[3H]glutamate. When assayed one day after the last evoked seizure, kainate receptor binding had declined by 24–29% in stratum lucidum of hippocampal area CA3 and by 12–14% in the inner third of the dentate molecular layer, but was unchanged in the neocortex and basolateral amygdala. Saturation binding curves revealed that, under the conditions of these experiments, [3H]kainate labeled a single class of binding sites with a KD of 33–36 nM. In stratum lucidum of area CA3, kindling reduced the density of kainate receptors without altering their affinity for kainate. At the same time, quisqualate receptor binding had declined by 20–35% in many layers of the hippocampal formation and neocortex, but remained unchanged in the basolateral amygdala. Repeated stimulation or repeated seizures were required to produce these effects, since both kainate and quisqualate receptor binding were unchanged one day after a single afterdischarge. These receptor changes largely or completely reversed during a 28-day period without further stimulation. Thus maintenance of the kindled state probably cannot be explained by a long-lasting change in the expression of kainate or quisqualate receptors. The transient, regionally-selective down-regulation of these receptors may represent a compensatory response of forebrain neurons to repeated stimulation or seizures.
Effect of energy selection on quantitative analysis in secondary ion microanalysis

Abstract Systematic change of voltage on the components of the secondary ion (SI) extraction system of our AEI-IM20 ion microprobe produced major changes of relative intensities of secondary ions passing through the mass spectrometer. The repeller, which bends the SI beam through about 60°, has the greatest effect, and can be used to plot the energy distribution. The extractor and the deflecting and focusing components have smaller but significant effects. Because low-energy secondary ions have a near-symmetrical distribution, whereas high-energy ones have an assymetric distribution favoring high energies, tuning of the acceptance band to higher energy reduces interference from low-energy ions, which tend to be unwanted molecular ions, at the expense of reduced transmission. Tuning to lower energy increases interference but gives higher transmission. The former condition is desirable for instruments restricted to low mass resolution, whereas both conditions are valuable for instruments adjustable for both high and low mass resolution. Other important factors are (a) sensitivity to surface irregularities which perturb SI energy collection, and (b) change in derived “temperatures” from thermodynamic sputtering models merely from tuning the energy acceptance band. Careful attention to the above factors yielded reproducible SI ratios for the binary series of plagioclase feldspars.
Lab-on-a-chip sensing using ultra-compact Si nanophotonic structures

The combination of Si-based ultra-high Q micro-resonators and ultra-compact photonic crystal on-chip spectrometers has enabled highly-sensitive lab-on-a-chip sensing structures with orders-of-magnitude smaller size compared to conventional bulk sensing systems. Details of the design along with their experimental demonstrations will be presented.
Real time monitoring of biomaterial-mediated inflammatory responses via macrophage-targeting NIR nanoprobes.

Medical implant-mediated inflammatory responses, often involving high levels of macrophages, are typically determined by histological analyses. These methods however are time consuming and require many animals to monitor the kinetics of inflammatory reactions and to generate reproducible outcomes. Recent studies have shown that activated macrophages in inflamed tissue express high levels of folate receptor (FR). In this study, FR-targeting NIR nanoprobes were fabricated and then tested for their ability to detect and quantify the extent of biomaterial-mediated inflammatory responses in vivo. Indeed, FR-targeting nanoprobes preferentially accumulate on activated macrophage surfaces. When administered intravenously, we found that the FR-targeting nanoprobes distinctively gathered in the inflamed tissues and that a different extent of FR-targeting nanoprobe gathering could be found in tissues implanted with different types of biomaterials. Most importantly, we found that there was a good relationship between the extent of inflammatory reactions and the intensity of nanoprobe-associated NIR signal in tissue. Our results support that FR-targeting NIR nanoprobes can be used to monitor and quantify the extent of macrophage recruitment and the degree of an implants' biocompatibility in real time.
An unusual case of peritoneal dialysis malfunction.

1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Nephrology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA; and 2Department of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Correspondence: D Askenazi, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Nephrology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7th Avenue South, ACC 516, Birmingham, Alabama 35233, USA. E-mail: daskenazi@peds.uab.edu
Hybridization properties of immobilized nucleic acids

The 5'-end attachment of oligonucleotides to dextran supports facilitates the study of the hybridization properties of an immobilized oligonucleotide system. The hybridization properties which were studied include: hybridization capacity and kinetics, hybridization-complex stability, and reagents influencing hybridization efficiency. Results of these experiments reveal that the hybridization efficiencies of support-bound oligonucleotides were 75-80% and 40-50% for single-stranded oligonucleotide targets and long double-stranded targets, respectively. These hybridization efficiencies are dependent upon prehybridizing the support-bound oligonucleotides with dextran sulfate. In addition, comparisons of the relative hybridization efficiencies of the support-bound oligonucleotide and nitrocellulose-based systems have been made which indicate a retention of 13-28% of target sequences on the filters and a detection efficiency of 8-20%.
Comparison of Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value, and Negative Predictive Value of Stress Testing Versus 64-Multislice Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography in Predicting Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease Diagnosed by Coronary Angiography

Sixty-four-multislice coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and coronary angiography were performed in 145 patients (mean age 67 ± 10 years), and stress testing was performed in 47 of these patients to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of coronary CTA and of stress testing in diagnosing obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with suspected CAD. In 145 patients, coronary CTA had 98% sensitivity, 74% specificity, 90% positive predictive value, and 94% negative predictive value in diagnosing obstructive CAD. In 47 patients, stress testing had 69% sensitivity, 36% specificity, 78% positive predictive value, and 27% negative predictive value for diagnosing obstructive CAD, whereas coronary CTA had 100% sensitivity, 73% specificity, 92% positive predictive value, and 100% negative predictive value for diagnosing obstructive CAD. In conclusion, coronary CTA has better sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value than stress testing in diagnosing obstructive CAD.
Crystal Growth of Sodium Acid Urate

Symptoms of gouty arthritis are caused by the deposition of needle crystals of sodium acid urate in intrasynovial fluids. Since only the needle habit causes the inflammatory reaction, any compound that retards needle axis growth may be a potential drug for this disease. This study was designed to test a number of compounds for their inhibitory effect on the needle axis growth rate of sodium acid urate crystals. Instrumentation for single crystal alignment and crystal growth measurement is described. Growth data are presented as a function of the degree of supersaturation. The inhibitory effect of benzalkonium chloride was measured. Photomicrographs of crystals, grown in the presence of surface-active agents, show the habit changes which can be obtained.
Coeditors' Introduction: Home, School, and Program Influences on Bilingualism and Biliteracy

A mantra in the research literature is that explicit, systematic instruction in the “big five” components of reading—phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency (Snow, Burns...
Synthesis and analytical applications of sodium N-bromo-p-nitrobenzenesulfonamide

Abstract Sodium N-bromo-p-nitrobenzenesulfonamide (bromamine-N) is useful as an oxidizing titrant. The synthesis, composition and structure are reported. Direct titrations of ascorbic acid, glutathione, thioglycolic acid, methionine, sulfite and arsenite are described. The procedures are simple and rapid; errors are within ± 0.5%. The compound is a somewhat better titrant for those species than the chlorine analogs such as chloramine-T and chloramine-N.
Automation of the Derivation of Dispersion Relations: II. Higher Order Dielectric Functions in Hot Plasmas

Symbol manipulation by computer was used to carry out the analytic operations leading to the evaluation of higher-order dielectric functions connected with electrostatic modes in hot plasmas. Application was made to mode-mode coupling between amplifying waves in a beam-plasma system. The basic input data were the Vlasov-Poisson equations. A perturbation calculation was carried out to fourth order in terms of an unspecified zeroth order distribution function. The analytic results were then converted automatically to FORTRAN statements in terms of the plasma dispersion function. The third-order dielectric function was evaluated numerically for the purpose of comparison with the experimental results of Carr et al. on mode-mode mixing. PL/1-FORMAC was the programming medium used for the symbol manipulation.
Species association changes across a gradient of freshwater, oligohaline, and mesohaline tidal marshes along the lower Savannah River

In the present study, plant species patterns and associated environmental factors of freshwater, oligohaline, and meschaline marshes of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge were compared. DECORANA, an ordination method, was used to group vegetation classes. Discriminant function analysis was applied to resulting classes to quantify differences in salinity, elevation, and distance from tidal channels among classes. Nine vegetation classes across freshwater and brackish marshes corresponded significantly to salinity differences between sites. Combinations of elevation and distance from tidal channel were significant in separating vegetation classes within sites.Scirpus validus (Vahl) was the only species to occur over the entire range of measured physical parameters and accounted for much of the overlap between vegetation classes. The proportion of correctly classified vegetation classes between sites was 70%. Within each site, the proportion of correct classification was lower in the freshwater marsh (77% correct classifications) when compared with the oligohaline (82%), strongly oligohaline (83%), and mesohaline (85%) sites. Although overlap among classes was greater in the more diverse freshwater marsh, our results may reflect differences in the steepness of environmental gradients between sites and the scale at which physical parameters were measured rather than actual plant distribution overlap. Results suggest that resources are more finely divided among species in the freshwater marsh, resulting in a less distinct dominance hierarchy when compared with the mesohaline marsh.
A mathematical model of water flux through aortic tissue

Water flux in porcine aortic segments produced by the sudden application of a hydrostatic pressure gradient has been described in a recent paper by Harrison and Massaro (1976) . A mathematical model is developed here to explain the results obtained when pressure is applied to either covered or uncovered samples. The model predicts that the rate of exudation in both instances should be substantially identical for a period of time ∼0.2τ, where τ is the consolidation time. The consolidation time is proportional to the hydraulic resistance to liquid flow, and inversely proportional to the compressive stiffness of the artery. The existence of a time-dependent water flux in an artery in vivo during periodic pressurization is predicted by the mathematical model if the resistance to water flow at the endothelium is not excessive. The pore pressure within the bulk of the media is predicted to pulsate in a highly unexpected fashion. These predictions follow naturally from the fact that the consolidation phenomenon in large arteries, as determined by the compression tests of Harrison and Massaro, is of long duration, much longer than the period of a heartbeat. Pressure gradients in vivo in interstitial fluid are then confined to a very small fraction of the total arterial wall thickness. A potential for plasma “sloshing” across the endothelial junctions exists. The convective flux of water across an endothelial layer may therefore be of a pulsatile character in normal arteries in vivo .
Idiopathic Multiple Hemorrhagic Sarcoma (Kaposi)

Idiopathic multiple hemorrhagic sarcoma was described by Kaposi in 1872 under the title “idiopathic multiple pigment sarcoma.” At that time a number of conditions, since regarded as entities, were confused both clinically and histologically—affections such as some of the lymphoblastomas or lymphogranulomas and some of the sarcomas. Previous to 1872, the Kaposi type of sarcoma had been observed and described under several names. Kaposi placed most of the conditions under the general heading of sarcoid tumors. He described A, B, and C sarcomatoses, the B type representing what has since been known as Kaposi9s sarcoma. In recent years the term sarcoid has been limited— with the exception of the Spiegler-Fendt sarcoid, which is probably a lymphoblastoma (Zeisler; Lewis and Satenstein)—to two affections which are thought to belong to the tuberculosis group of skin diseases. Some of the original sarcoid tumors are now known to be sarcomas, while others are recognized as lymphoblastomas. Even Kaposi9s sarcoma B—idiopathic multiple hemorrhagic sarcoma—is now thought by some investigators to be more or less closely related to the lymphogranulomas. Since Kaposi9s original contributions, a voluminous literature has developed. Kren, for instance, has written a monograph of 113 pages which contains ten pages of closely crowded references. Many of the articles are argumentative. While all authors agree that the disease is a clinical and histological entity (not an etiologic entity), there is considerable controversy relative to nosology, pathogenesis, cytology, and histological minutiae. A glance at the bibliography of the affection indicates this difference of opinion, since many authors have expressed their convictions in the names they have given the disease, as shown in Table I. Regardless of the controversy over nomenclature and classification, however, the affection is generally known as Kaposi9s sarcoma, or multiple idiopathic hemorrhagic sarcoma, as suggested by Kobner in 1891.
Distribution of 5-S RNA in erythroid cells

Abstract 1. 1. The distribution and proportion of 5-S RNA in erythroid cell ribosomes were studied by Sephadex-gel filtration and polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in an attempt to find some correlation between 5-S RNA content of ribosomes and cell maturation. 2. 2. Ribosomes were isolated from phenylhydrazine-induced reticulocytes. Both free and membrane-bound ribosomes were examined. These ribosomes all contained 5-S RNA as a constant proportion of the total rRNA. Ribosomes isolated from normal circulating erythroid cells and reticulocytes of varying ages also contained the same proportion of 5-S RNA. 3. 3. It is concluded that one cannot distinguish between ribosomes from cells of varying age and presumably of different functional capabilities on the basis of gross 5-S RNA content.
RECONSTITUTION OF A PROTEIN DISULFIDE CATALYTIC SYSTEM

Abstract Disulfide bonds are important for the structure and stability of many proteins. In prokaryotes their formation is catalyzed by the Dsb proteins. The DsbA protein acts as a direct donor of disulfides to newly synthesized periplasmic proteins. Genetic evidence suggests that a second protein called DsbB acts to specifically reoxidize DsbA. Here we demonstrate the direct reoxidation of DsbA by DsbB. We have developed a fluorescence assay that allows us to directly follow the reoxidation of DsbA. We show that membranes containing catalytic amounts of DsbB can rapidly reoxidize DsbA to completion. The reaction strongly depends on the presence of oxygen, implying that oxygen serves as the final electron acceptor for this disulfide bond formation reaction. Membranes from a dsbBnull mutant display no DsbA reoxidation activity. The ability of DsbB to reoxidize DsbA fits Michaelis-Menten behavior with DsbA acting as a high affinity substrate for DsbB with a K m = 10 μm. The in vitro reconstitution described here is the first biochemical analysis of DsbB and allows us to study the major pathway of disulfide bond formation in Escherichia coli.
Quercetin: Synergistic action with carboxyamidotriazole in human breast carcinoma cells

Abstract Quercetin, a plant flavonoid, blocks signal transduction pathways by inhibiting 1-phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (EC 2.7.1.67, PI kinase) and 1-phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase (EC 2.7.1.68, PIP kinase), resulting in a reduction of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ) concentration which decreases the release of calcium from intracellular sources. Carboxyamidotriazole (CAD, a novel anticancer agent, inhibits calcium entry into cells. Because both drugs reduce cytosolic calcium levels, we tested the action of quercetin and CAI in human carcinoma cells. Human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-435 cells were grown in minimum essential medium with 10% fetal bovine serum. In growth inhibition assay the IC 50 s for quercetin and CAI were 55 and 4.8μM, respectively; in clonogenic assay, 28 and 1.4μM, respectively. When quercetin and CAI were added to the cultures, synergism was observed in isobolograms in growth inhibition and clonogenic assays. In growth inhibition assay, the best combination was 20 μM quercetin with 4 μM CAI; in clonogenic assay, 30 μM quercetin with 1.2 μM CAI. Since these drugs are in phase I trials the synergistic action of quercetin and CAI may be of interest in clinical trials for breast carcinoma.
Relationship between milking intervals and individual milk weights.

Abstract Starting and finishing times of milkings were used to analyze the relationship between milking interval and individual milk weights of 184,521 test-day records on 19,-905 cows of five dairy breeds in 555 herds. Morning milk production exceeded evening milk production by approximately .10 kg, with equal intervals between milking for an average of 150 days in milk. The difference between morning and evening milk production was primarily a function of the milking interval and the number of days in milk lactation-to-date. As the number of days in milk increased, there was a decrease in the difference between morning and evening production of about .35 kg for each 100 days in milk. Morning milk production exceeded evening milk production approximately 1.2 kg for every hour increase in the evening-morning interval beyond 12 hours. Wide deviations from a 12-hour milking interval may produce biased and misleading estimates of the producing ability of cows tested under the alternate morning-evening production testing scheme, if adjustments are not made for unequal milking intervals.
Assay of mannose-6-phosphatase in untreated and detergent-disrupted rat-liver microsomes for assessment of integrity of microsomal preparations

An accurate, precise, and convenient procedure was developed for measurement of the latency of the low-Km mannose-6-phosphatase activity for the purpose of assessment of the membrane permeability barrier in microsomes. This approach is based on previous work of Arion et al. [J. Biol. Chem. (1976) 251, 4901-4907] and consists of measurement of mannose-6-phosphatase activity in the untreated microsomal fraction and in the corresponding microsomes that are fully disrupted in order to eliminate the membrane permeability barrier. Complete disruption of rat liver microsomes was achieved by incubation for 60 min at 0 degree C in the presence of 4 mM zwitterionic detergent 3-[(3-cholamido-propyl)dimethyl-ammonio]-2-hydroxy-1-propane sulphonate (Chapso). That the microsomal membrane permeability barrier was eliminated under those conditions was suggested by the fact that the enzyme activation (up to 50-fold) produced by this pretreatment was at least as large as the effect of any other previously reported disruptive procedure. Disruption of the microsomes by Chapso or by ultrasonication markedly enhanced the thermolability of the mannose-6-phosphatase activity. In addition, exposure of the microsomes to high concentrations of Chapso produced enzyme inactivation that could be partially reversed by dilution of the detergent prior to assaying the enzymic activity. Investigation of these enzyme inactivation phenomena under various incubation conditions for disruption of the microsomes by Chapso and for subsequent assay of mannose-6-phosphatase activity in the presence of Chapso enabled us to define conditions under which instability of the enzyme was undetectable. Using these optimized procedures for disruption of microsomes and assay of hexose-6-P phosphohydrolase, we found that the low-Km mannose-6-phosphatase activity of untreated rat liver microsomes consistently was less than 5% of the total enzyme activity in the fully disrupted microsomes. Accurate and precise assay of the structural latency of mannose-6-phosphatase in membrane preparations must be performed under well-controlled conditions, with special attention to the marked thermolability of the enzyme in the presence of detergent, and is a prerequisite for using this approach for the purpose of assessing intactness of microsomal preparations.
Multiple concerns in aspect-oriented language design: a language engineering approach to balancing benefits, with examples

Some in the aspect-oriented community view a programming language as aspect-oriented only if it allows programmers to perfectly eliminate scattering and tangling. That is, languages that do not allow programmers to have maximal quantification and perfect obliviousness are not viewed as aspect-oriented. On the other hand, some detractors of aspect-oriented software development view maximal quantification and perfect obliviousness as causing problems, such as difficulties in reasoning or maintenance.Both views ignore good language design and engineering practice, which suggests trying to simultaneously optimize for several goals. That is, designers of aspect-oriented languages that are intended for wide use should be prepared to compromise quantification and obliviousness to some (small) extent, if doing so helps programmers solve other problems. Indeed, balancing competing requirements is an essential part of engineering. Simultaneously optimizing for several language design goals becomes possible when one views these goals, such as minimizing scattering and tangling, not as all-or-nothing predicates, but as measures on a continuous scale. Since most language design goals will only be partially met, it seems best to call them "concerns."
Measurement of QALYS and the welfare implications of survivor consumption and leisure forgone.

In previous work (Health Econ. 2004; 13: 417–427; Health Econ. 2006; 15: 319–322) has suggested that survivor consumption costs should be included in cost-utility analyses only if the corresponding utility gains are also included. Here, it is further argued that the welfare implications of survivor consumption are already known because unlike new medical treatments or interventions whose complex and uncertain outcomes and third-party purchasing make the welfare implications unclear, survivor consumption must have passed a private market welfare test. That is, the gains must have exceeded the costs in order for the survivor consumption to be purchased; therefore, survivor consumption is welfare increasing. The same would apply for survivor leisure forgone. Implications for cost-benefit analysis are clear, but are less so for cost-utility analysis. Moreover, as it is currently practiced, cost-utility analysis does not evaluate welfare because quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) do not meet all the criteria for representing utility. Therefore, rather than using QALYs to analyze welfare, cost-QALY analysis should be differentiated from cost-utility analysis. The former should continue to employ existing QALYs as a measure of health-focused effectiveness, but the latter should develop a new broader measure that meets the criteria for representing utility, and either this new measure or cost-benefit analysis should be used to evaluate welfare. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Desulfurization of High-Sulfur Jet Fuel by π-Complexation with Copper and Palladium Halide Sorbents

Deep desulfurization of a high-sulfur jet fuel (for fuel cell applications) was achieved by adsorption with π-complexation sorbents. The total sulfur content of JP-5 jet fuel was removed from 1172 ppmw S to below 1 ppmw S. The following sorbents were prepared and tested: CuCl supported on activated carbon (CuCl/AC), PdCl2/AC, PdCl2/Al2O3, and Cu(I)−Y zeolite. Comparison of these sorbents as well as other known sorbents showed that PdCl2/AC had the highest sulfur selectivity and capacity. It was found that significant breakthrough occurred at about 6.0 mL/g for desulfurization of JP-5 by PdCl2/AC. Ab initio molecular orbital computation was performed for the bond energies between different sulfur molecules and these sorbents. For methylated benzothiophene, the main sulfur molecules in jet fuels, the bond energies (and the separation factors for organosulfur/benzene) followed the order PdCl2 > CuCl > Cu−Y. This result was in agreement with the experimental breakthrough data. The spent PdCl2/AC was regenera...
Ultrafast X-ray Experiments Using Terahertz Excitation

With the availability of the first generation of X-ray free electron lasers, pump-probe measurements with femtosecond resolution and high brilliance are now possible. For condensed matter systems, a wealth of modes in the mid-infrared (MIR) and terahertz (THz) regime determine the physics such that targeted excitation with ultrashort pulses at long wavelength becomes an important tool. We will briefly discuss the methodology of pump-probe experiments at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and then review methods of generation of intense THz and MIR pulses. This is followed with recent examples from atomic and condensed matter physics at LCLS, and we conclude with an outlook of future developments in this field.
Loop Current Response to Hurricanes Isidore and Lili

Abstract Recent hurricane activity over the Gulf of Mexico basin has underscored the importance of the Loop Current (LC) and its deep, warm thermal structure on hurricane intensity. During Hurricanes Isidore and Lili in 2002, research flights were conducted from both National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WP-3D aircraft to observe pre-, in- and poststorm ocean conditions using airborne expendable ocean profilers to measure temperature, salinity, and current structure. Atmospheric thermodynamic and wind profiles and remotely sensed surface winds were concurrently acquired as each storm moved over the LC. Observed upper-ocean cooling was about 1°C as Isidore moved across the Yucatan Straits at a speed of 4 m s−1. Given prestorm ocean heat content (OHC) levels exceeding 100 kJ cm−2 in the LC (current velocities >1 m s−1), significant cooling and deepening of the ocean mixed layer (OML) did not occur in the straits. Estimated surface enthalpy flux at Isidore’s eyewall was 1.8 kW m−2, where the...
Linkage of Circulating Eosinophils to Markers on Chromosome 5q

Although peripheral blood eosinophilia is strongly associated with the risk of developing asthma, genetic determinants of eosinophilia have not been extensively studied. We used sib-pair analysis to assess linkage of circulating eosinophils (as a percent of total white blood cells [WBC]) to nine markers located in chromosome 5q31-33. The study was divided into two phases. Of 246 sib pairs available for the first phase, 35 were classified as low concordant (LC) (both sibs had <= 2% circulating eosinophils), 18 were defined as high concordant (HC) (both sibs had 5% or more circulating eosinophils), and 26 were defined as discordant (one sib had <= 2% and the other sib had 5% or more circulating eosinophils). Significant evidence for linkage among low concordant sib pairs was found for several markers in the region under study, with a peak for marker D5S500 (proportion of alleles shared identical by descent [ibd] = 0.68 +/- 0.05 [mean +/- SE], p = 0.0004). A cross-validating study was done in which an additional 19 sib pairs that were low concordant for circulating eosinophils were studied. Evidence for linkage was also observed in this subset. Results were independent of current wheezing, total serum IgE levels, and other potential confounders. A multipoint analysis done for all low-concordant sib pairs available showed that the maximal logarithm of the odds favoring genetic linkage (LOD) score (2.4, p = 0.0004) was observed in correspondence with marker D5S658. We conclude that a locus or loci may be present in chromosome 5q31-33 that controls for circulating eosinophils as a proportion of total WBC.
The Yule—Simon Model in its Limiting Case as a Pure Migration Process

In this paper the author offers an analytical solution to a problem first raised in 1973, namely, what is the equilibrium distribution of city sizes implied by the Yule–Simon model, when the total population of the urban system in question is stationary? Under the assumption that in-migration and out-migration rates are uncorrelated with city sizes, it is shown that Fisher's log-series distribution is that distribution. Fisher's log-series distribution yields a much less concentrated size distribution than does the Yule distribution, which is the equilibrium distribution associated with a pure growth process. Thus, we might expect a lower level of concentration or city size inequality when the overall urban system is stationary than when it is growing.
Femur strength as influenced by growth, bone-length and gravity with the male rat

Abstract Bending measurements with fresh, wet femurs from 76 normal male white rats indicate material strength σ u to increase with age t in proportion to the square L 2 of bone-length. For conditions of constant t , however, σ u is inversely proportional to L 4 . In studies where experimental treatment influences size, experimental values of σ u should, therefore, be compared neither to those from rats of the same age and differing size, nor to those from the same size but differing age. Comparison relative to the value of the quantity σ u L 4 × 10 55day ÷ t is proposed. This comparison was demonstrated by determining whether smaller size alone could account for the greater σ u of 26 rats reared during a week's centrifugation at 3 times normal gravity (3 g ). The experimental σ u was 40% greater than expected for control rats of comparable size and age.
An Optical Probe for On-Line Measurement of Velopharyngeal Valve Opening

This paper describes the design and initial evaluation of a device to transduce opening magnitude and movement of a valve used to separate the oral and nasal cavities. Miniature optoelectric components have been used to construct a device which meets a number of a priori design objectives. Usefulness of the device and direction for future research are discussed.
Dimerization of mammalian progesterone receptors occurs in the absence of DNA and is related to the release of the 90-kDa heat shock protein

Abstract In this study we have demonstrated that dimerization of mammalian progesterone receptors (PR) occurs in the absence of DNA. A specific immune coisolation assay was performed on extracts of T-47D human breast cancer cells with a monoclonal antibody specific for the full-length B form of progesterone receptor (PR-B). This resulted in coisolation of significant amounts of truncated form-A receptors (PR-A), indicating the presence of stable PR-A.PR-B dimers in solution. A positive correlation was observed between the ability of different receptor forms to oligomerize in solution and their ability to bind to specific DNA sequences. The ability to form stable PR-A.PR-B oligomers in the absence of DNA was also found to correlate with release of 90-kDa heat shock protein (hsp90) from the unactivated PR complex. These results support the hypothesis that dimerization in the absence of DNA is an important mechanism controlling receptor DNA-binding function and that hsp90 release may be a key step regulating dimerization. This suggests that hsp90 may function to repress DNA-binding activity indirectly by blocking receptor dimerization.
Substance P innervation of the rat and cat thalamus. II. Cells of origin in the spinal cord

Evidence in the preceding paper suggests that fibers and terminals immunopositive for substance P (SP) in somatosensory thalamic nuclei are part of the spinothalamic tract (STT). In this paper, more direct evidence on this point is provided by immunocytochemistry for SP on the cervical spinal cord, alone or combined with the retrograde transport of colloidal gold-labeled wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to enzymatically inactive horseradish peroxidase (WGAapoHRP-Au). In cats and rats pretreated with colchicine and/or anterolateral chordotomy (to increase SP content in cell bodies), many small to large cell bodies are SP-immunopositive especially in laminae I and V, but also in more ventral laminae of the upper cervical cord. SP neurons are also present in the dorsolateral funiculus (in the lateral spinal nucleus, LSN, in rats) but not in the lateral cervical nucleus or in the internal basilar nucleus. In both species there is a considerable degree of overlap in the distribution of SP-positive neurons and that of STT neurons. SP immunocytochemistry in rats after WGAapoHRP-Au injection in the somatosensory thalamus reveals SP-positive STT neurons in LSN, in lamina I and in lamina V, and, to a lesser extent, in more ventral laminae. These results demonstrate that SP is a marker and/or neuromediator for some STT neurons. Together with the evidence discussed in the preceding paper, the results also suggest that SP-positive neurons may be involved in the transmission of nociceptive input.
Studies of auditory neurophysiology in non-echolocating bats, and adaptations for echolocation in one genus, Rousettus

1. Six species of New Guinea megachiropteran bats have been studied electrophysiologically. Five are non-echolocating, one (Rousettus amplexicaudatus) has evolved an echolocation capability independent of echolocating microchiropteran bats. The purpose of the study was to compare auditory responses of non-echolocating bats with those of the echolocating bats studied to date, and to determine what adaptations have occured in Rousettus to permit echolocation. 2. Evoked potentials were recorded from the posterior colliculus and more peripheral levels in anesthetized preparations. 3. Emitted sounds of each species were recorded and are described (Fig. 1). All bats emit sounds at frequencies up to 60 kc/s or higher. 4. All species were found to have similar audiograms, broadly tuned with greatest sensitivity around 45–50 kc/s. Rousettus was unexceptional (Fig. 2). No “off”-responses were seen. 5. All species showed capabilities of frequency resolution comparable to that seen in microchiropteran bats emitting FM pulses (Fig. 3). Rousettus was not conspicuously different in this respect. 6. The non-echolocating bats showed very slow recovery of responsiveness following an initial sound (Fig. 4) and poor ability to follow trains of stimuli at a high repetition rate compared with echolocating bats. Rousettus differed dramatically from its non-echolocating relatives in recovering quickly and in following with little reduction in response amplitude at a frequency of 200/sec. In all species, recovery rate was inversely related to stimulus intensity. In Rousettus even stimuli 20–30 db fainter than an initial sound elicited good responses at 2 msec or greater intervals (Fig. 5). 7. Rousettus and its non-echolocating relatives showed generally smaller changes in sensitivity with changes in stimulus angle than are seen in microchiropteran bats. Greatest sensitivity was uniformly at 60–80° to one side, with relatively reduced sensitivity to sounds coming from directly in front, consistent with pinna position and with the lack of necessity for hearing sounds from directly ahead. Rousettus did not differ in any apparent way from the non-echolocating bats (Figs. 7, 8). 8. It is concluded that non-echolocating bats, like other small mammals, lack several of the auditory adaptations considered to be adaptations for echolocation: sharp restriction of sensitivity to the region of emitted sounds, sensitivity at extremely high frequencies, fast temporal resolution, facilitation of responsiveness to the second of a pair of sounds, and sharply directional hearing in front of the bats. 9. The only conspicuous difference between Rousettus and its non-echolocating relatives was in recovery rate. This suggests that fast temporal resolution is perhaps the most important of the necessary neural adaptations for echolocation.
Electron/atom transfer in halo-bridged homobimetallic complexes. structure and donor-acceptor properties of face-to-face dicopper complexes with teraazamacrocyclic ligands.

The syntheses and donor−acceptor properties of some novel, halo-bridged dicopper(II) complexes of α,α‘-bis(5,7-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-6-yl)-o-xylene are reported. These complexes were characterized by their magnetic and electrochemical behavior, X-ray structure analysis, FAB mass spectroscopy, and electronic spectra. The bromo-bridged complex crystallized in the tetragonal system, space group P4(3)2(1)2, with a = 12.6584(5) A, c = 28.6483 (14) A, Z = 4, R = 0.071, and Rw = 0.147. The chloro-bridged complex crystallized in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c, with a = 32.749(2) A, b = 18.8915(9) A, c = 26.022(2) A, β =114.831°, Z = 12, R = 0.080, and Rw = 0.132. Both molecules have C2 symmetry. The two copper(II) ions are axially bridged by a bromine or a chlorine, and the two macrocycles are bridged by an o-xylene group. Each complex displays a cofacial ring arrangement. The Cu−X distance (where X = Cl, Br) is shorter than the sum of van der Waals radii of Cu and X. The phenyl ring...