cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the effects of erythrocytes on mitogen-dependent clonal proliferation of murine B lymphocytes

Addition of intact erythrocytes to semisolid agar cultures of murine B cells dramatically improves cloning efficiency and affects colony morphology. In this study, we investigated possible mechanisms through which this might occur. Specific modification of sheep erythrocyte (SRBC) membranes by treatment with trypsin but not other enzymes improved colony potentiation and erythrocytes from rats, mice, and humans were also effective after trypsin treatment. In addition, autoantibody-coated murine erythrocytes were superior to normal cells in this regard. These observations suggest that erythrocytes enhance lymphocyte survival and/or proliferation by means of particular membrane-mediated processes. The possible importance of erythrocytes as scavengers of toxic hydroxyl radicals was also investigated. Deliberately generated radicals formed by addition of dihydroxyfumaric acid and iron were effectively countered by addition of SRBC. More detailed analyses revealed that of several endogenously produced toxic species, hydrogen peroxide may be the most important under ordinary culture conditions. That is, addition of catalase but not superoxide dismutase or mannitol improved cloning efficiency in cultures lacking SRBC. These studies suggest that erythrocytes have a beneficial effect on lymphocyte survival and function in culture through at least two mechanisms.
Oxidants, nitrosants, and the lung

Abstract The respiratory tract is subjected to a variety of environmental stresses, including oxidizing gases, particulates, and airborne microorganisms, that together, may injure structural and functional lung components and thereby jeopardize the primary lung function of gas exchange. To cope with such various environmental threats, the lung has developed elaborate defense mechanisms that include inflammatory-immune pathways as well as several antioxidant systems. These defense systems operate largely in extracellular spaces, thus protecting underlying bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells from injury, although these cells themselves are also active participants in such (inflammatory) defense mechanisms. Although potentially harmful, oxidants are increasingly recognized as pathophysiologic mediators produced primarily by inflammatory-immune cells as a host defense mechanism, but also by various other cell types as an intracellular mediator in various cell responses, thus affecting inflammatory-immune processes or inducing resistance. The molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in such processes are the focus of much current investigation. Nitric oxide, a messenger molecule produced by many lung cell types, also modulates oxidant-mediated processes, thereby giving rise to a new family of reactive nitrogen species ("nitrosants") with potentially unique signaling properties. The complex role of oxidants and nitrosants in various pathophysiologic processes in the lung have confounded the design of therapeutic approaches with antioxidant substrates. This review discusses current knowledge regarding extracellular antioxidant defenses in the lung, and oxidant/nitrosant mechanisms operating under inflammatory-immune conditions and their potential contribution to common lung diseases. Finally, some recent developments in antioxidant therapeutic strategies are discussed.
Molecular analysis of a perchlorate reductase from a perchlorate-respiring bacterium Perc1ace

Summary Perchlorate (ClO 4 – ) is a major ground water pollutant of public health concern. ClO 4 – reductase is the key enzyme in the pathway of ClO 4 – breakdown. ClO 4 – reductase from cell-free extracts of the ClO 4 – -respiring bacterium perc1ace was purified 10-fold by ion-exchange and molecular exclusion fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The ClO 4 – reductase catalyzed the reduction of ClO 4 – at a V max and K m of 4.8 U mg protein –1 and 34.5 M, respectively. ClO 4 – reduction was achieved in the temperature range of 20 to 40C and with optimum activity at 25C to 30C and pH 7.5 to 8.0. Molecular masses of two subunits of ClO 4 – reductase were determined by SDS-PAGE to be 35 kDa and 75 kDa. MALDI-TOF/MS analysis of a trypsin digest of the 35 kDa subunit, revealed several tryptic peptides. Amino acid sequences of 22 tryptic peptides of the 35 kDa ClO 4 – reductase subunit were obtained by electrospray mass spectrometry. GenBank protein Blast analysis of the amino acid sequences revealed relevant similarity to reductases, dehydrogenases and heme proteins. Data obtained are useful towards the identification of the overall genetic determinants of ClO 4 – reduction and specific in situ detection of ClO 4 – as well as NO 3 -reducing bacteria in ground water.
Trusted Display on Untrusted Commodity Platforms

A trusted display service assures the confidentiality and authenticity of content output by a security-sensitive application and thus prevents a compromised commodity operating system or application from surreptitiously reading or modifying the displayed output. Past approaches have failed to provide trusted display on commodity platforms that use modern graphics processing units (GPUs). For example, full GPU virtualization encourages the sharing of GPU address space with multiple virtual machines {\em without} providing adequate hardware protection mechanisms; e.g., address-space separation and instruction execution control. This paper proposes a new trusted display service that has a minimal trusted code base and maintains full compatibility with commodity computing platforms. The service relies on a GPU separation kernel that (1) defines different types of GPU objects, (2) mediates access to security-sensitive objects, and (3) emulates object whenever required by commodity-platform compatibility. The separation kernel employs a new address-space separation mechanism that avoids the challenging problem of GPU instruction verification without adequate hardware support. The implementation of the trusted-display service has a code base that is two orders of magnitude smaller than other similar services, such as those based on full GPU virtualization. Performance measurements show that the trusted-display overhead added over and above that of the underlying trusted system is fairly modest.
Comparison of methods for the detection of node group membership in bipartite networks

Most real-world networks considered in the literature have a modular structure. Analysis of these real-world networks often are performed under the assumption that there is only one type of node. However, social and biochemical systems are often bipartite networks, meaning that there are two exclusive sets of nodes, and that edges run exclusively between nodes belonging to different sets. Here we address the issue of module detection in bipartite networks by comparing the performance of two classes of group identification methods – modularity maximization and clique percolation – on an ensemble of modular random bipartite networks. We find that the modularity maximization methods are able to reliably detect the modular bipartite structure, and that, under some conditions, the simulated annealing method outperforms the spectral decomposition method. We also find that the clique percolation methods are not capable of reliably detecting the modular bipartite structure of the bipartite model networks considered.
From Baghdad to Bethesda: Infection Control Considerations for Iraqi-War Related Injuries

Abstract ISSUE: Literature from the Vietnam War, Iran-Iraq War, and field reports from Landsthul Regional Medical Center and USNS Comfort, identified multidrug-resistant acinetobacter (MDRA) and other gram-negative rods (GNR) as war-zone community-acquired pathogens both colonizing and infecting war casualties. PROJECT: Infection control professionals (ICPs) formed a multidisciplinary team to design a surveillance protocol for patients admitted with injuries from the Iraqi War theatre. Surveillance cultures of skin (axilla) and wound sites were collected at time of admission. Patients remained in an established cohort with contact precautions until final culture results were released from the laboratory. RESULTS: Between April and August 2003, 55 war casualties met admission criteria to the hospital. A total of 11 patients (20%) were identified with MDRA. Patients were maintained on contact precautions throughout length of stay, preventing transmission to other patients and averting a nosocomial outbreak of MDRA within the facility. LESSON LEARNED: Communication with frontline healthcare workers in the war theatre is essential to prevent transmission of multidrug-resistant pathogens through the spectrum of military treatment facilities (MTFs). Surveillance screening protocols for patients admitted from areas of global conflict are instrumental in the early identification of multidrug-resistant pathogens and instituting appropriate transmission-based precautions. NOTE: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Toxoplasma gondii Relies on Both Host and Parasite Isoprenoids and Can Be Rendered Sensitive to Atorvastatin

Intracellular pathogens have complex metabolic interactions with their host cells to ensure a steady supply of energy and anabolic building blocks for rapid growth. Here we use the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii to probe this interaction for isoprenoids, abundant lipidic compounds essential to many cellular processes including signaling, trafficking, energy metabolism, and protein translation. Synthesis of precursors for isoprenoids in Apicomplexa occurs in the apicoplast and is essential. To synthesize longer isoprenoids from these precursors, T. gondii expresses a bifunctional farnesyl diphosphate/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (TgFPPS). In this work we construct and characterize T. gondii null mutants for this enzyme. Surprisingly, these mutants have only a mild growth phenotype and an isoprenoid composition similar to wild type parasites. However, when extracellular, the loss of the enzyme becomes phenotypically apparent. This strongly suggests that intracellular parasite salvage FPP and/or geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) from the host. We test this hypothesis using inhibitors of host cell isoprenoid synthesis. Mammals use the mevalonate pathway, which is susceptible to statins. We document strong synergy between statin treatment and pharmacological or genetic interference with the parasite isoprenoid pathway. Mice can be cured with atorvastatin (Lipitor) from a lethal infection with the TgFPPs mutant. We propose a double-hit strategy combining inhibitors of host and parasite pathways as a novel therapeutic approach against Apicomplexan parasites.
Collision-induced dissociation and theoretical studies of Ag+(methanol)n, n = 1-4

Collision-induced dissociations of the Ag+(methanol)n complexes for n = 1−4 are studied using kinetic energy dependent guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry. In all cases, the primary products are endothermic loss of an intact neutral ligand from the complex. The cross section thresholds are interpreted to yield 0 and 298 K bond dissociation energies (BDEs) after accounting for the effects of multiple ion−molecule collisions, internal energy of the complexes, and unimolecular decay rates. These values are compared with theoretical values obtained using high-level ab initio calculations. Generally, good agreement is found except for the third ligand. The nature of the bonding in these complexes and their BDEs are examined in detail. Although the effect is not as dramatic as in singly or doubly ligated copper complexes, 5s−4dσ hybridization found in the Ag+(methanol)n complexes, n = 1 and 2, enhances the BDEs.
Grasping the complexity of IS development projects

To improve performance of IS development projects, first measure the key dimensions of project complexity and understand how they affect project outcomes.
Specificity of memory representations for spoken words.

Many theories of spoken word recognition assume that lexical items are stored in memory as abstract representations. However, recent research (e.g., Goldinger, 1996) has suggested that representations of spoken words in memory are veridical exemplars that encode specific information, such as characteristics of the talker’s voice. If representations are exemplar based, effects of stimulus variation such as that arising from changes in the identity of the talker may have an effect on identification of and memory for spoken words. This prediction was examined for an implicit and explicit task (lexical decision and recognition, respectively). Comparable amounts of repetition priming in lexical decision were found for repeated words, regardless of whether the repetitions were in the same or in different voices. However, reaction times in the recognition task were faster if the repetition was in the same voice. These results suggest a role for both abstract and specific representations in models of spoken word recognition.
Simples and the possibility of discrete space

What are the necessary and jointly sufficient conditions for an object's being a simple (an object without proper parts)? According to one prominent view, The Pointy View of Simples, an object is a simple if and only if the region occupied by that object contains exactly one point in space. According to another prominent view, MaxCon, an object is a simple if and only if it is maximally continuous. In this paper, I argue that both of these views are inconsistent with the possibility of discrete space. I then go on to formulate analogues to these two views that are consistent with this possibility, and argue that if we are willing to grant the possibility of discrete space, we should endorse the analogue to The Pointy View of Simples over the analogue to MaxCon.
Automation: Key to cycle time improvement in semiconductor manufacturing

“Cycle Time Drives Everything”. The commitment of product delivery on time is paramount in any industry. It is particularly important in the brutal fast paced semi-conductor manufacturing industry due to tremendous competition in the market. Up until the manufacturing of 200mm wafers, cycle time was largely dependent on the “human” factor. With the advent of 300mm wafers, along with increasing market and customer needs it is hard to imagine semiconductor manufacturing without Factory Automation. In this paper, automation refers to direct equipment control, automated material transportation, and realtime lot dispatching. The paper focuses on implementation of automation on diffusion batch furnaces. Major work was done from the Equipment Interface (EI) perspective along with Real Time Dispatch (RTD) and the furnace software integration. Although the paper focuses on automation based on Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) batch process manufacturing platform, the same logic can be applied to other batch process manufacturing systems. All batch processes as the name suggests process multiple wafers at the same time. A single batch consists of multiple types of wafers namely product wafers, monitor wafers and extra/side dummies (also referred to as fillers) each with a specific function in forming a batch. It is important how these wafers are delivered to the process tools and managed pre/post processing while maintaining safety, efficiency and productivity of the batch tool. An optimized strategy for batch preparation and dispatch showed overall 30% reduction in total dispatch time. A major part of these changes revolved around the filler wafer management which can be sub-divided based on filler wafer process counts and their thickness accumulation. Wait time improvement of 20% is seen on the tool set wh
Neurohypophyseal dopamine biosynthesis in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

A study was performed to investigate the neurohypophyseal dopaminergic axis in terms of its biosynthetic activity and possible changes associated with spontaneous hypertension (SHR). An in vitro system was used in which isolated neuro-intermediate lobes were incubated with the catecholamine precursor, 3H-tyrosine. Dopamine (DA) content and 3H-DA were monitored using electrochemical detection coupled with high pressure liquid chromatographic separation. A time course study showed that there was significant incorporation of 3H-tyrosine into 3H-DA. In the SHR, both neurohypophyseal DA content and biosynthetic activity were reduced. Tissue levels of 3H-DA decreased from 651 to 297 dpm/posterior pituitary. A test of the effect of dehydration on neurohypophyseal dopaminergic activity revealed that water deprivation (48 hrs) caused an increase in DA biosynthesis in the hypertensive, but not the normotensive animal. This may have been due to a greater stimulation of the neurohypophyseal axis in the SHR since thes...
Information Technology as a Target and Shield in the Post 9/11 Environment

This paper draws upon Normal Accident Theory and the Theory of High Reliability Organizations to examine the potential impacts of Information Technology being used as a target in terrorist and other malicious attacks. The paper also argues that Information Technology can also be used as a shield to prevent further attacks and mitigate their impact if they should occur. A Target and Shield model is developed, which extends Normal Accident Theory to encompass secondary effects, change and feedback loops to prevent future accidents. The Target and Shield model is applied to the Y2K problem and the emerging threats and initiatives in the Post 9/11 environment.
Neural mechanisms of context effects on face recognition: Automatic binding and context shift decrements

Although people do not normally try to remember associations between faces and physical contexts, these associations are established automatically, as indicated by the difficulty of recognizing familiar faces in different contexts ("butcher-on-the-bus" phenomenon). The present fMRI study investigated the automatic binding of faces and scenes. In the face-face (F-F) condition, faces were presented alone during both encoding and retrieval, whereas in the face/scene-face (FS-F) condition, they were presented overlaid on scenes during encoding but alone during retrieval (context change). Although participants were instructed to focus only on the faces during both encoding and retrieval, recognition performance was worse in the FS-F than in the F-F condition ("context shift decrement" [CSD]), confirming automatic face-scene binding during encoding. This binding was mediated by the hippocampus as indicated by greater subsequent memory effects (remembered > forgotten) in this region for the FS-F than the F-F condition. Scene memory was mediated by right parahippocampal cortex, which was reactivated during successful retrieval when the faces were associated with a scene during encoding (FS-F condition). Analyses using the CSD as a regressor yielded a clear hemispheric asymmetry in medial temporal lobe activity during encoding: Left hippocampal and parahippocampal activity was associated with a smaller CSD, indicating more flexible memory representations immune to context changes, whereas right hippocampal/rhinal activity was associated with a larger CSD, indicating less flexible representations sensitive to context change. Taken together, the results clarify the neural mechanisms of context effects on face recognition.
Antioxidant response genes sequence variants and BPD susceptibility in VLBW infants

Lung injury resulting from oxidative stress contributes to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) pathogenesis. Nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor-2 (NFE2L2) regulates cytoprotective responses to oxidative stress by inducing enzymes containing antioxidant response elements (ARE). We hypothesized that ARE genetic variants will modulate susceptibility or severity of BPD in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. Blood samples obtained from VLBW infants were used for genotyping variants in the SOD2, NFE2L2, GCLC, GSTP1, HMOX1, and NQO1 genes. SNPs were genotyped utilizing TaqMan probes (Applied Biosystems (ABI), Grand Island, NY), and data were analyzed using the ABI HT7900. Genetic dominance and recessive models were tested to determine associations between SNPs and BPD. In our cohort (n = 659), 284 infants had BPD; 135 of whom developed severe BPD. Presence of the hypomorphic NQO1 SNP (rs1800566) in a homozygous state was associated with increased BPD, while presence of the NFE2L2 SNP (rs6721961) was associated with decreased severe BPD in the entire cohort and in Caucasian infants. In regression models that adjusted for epidemiological confounders, the NQO1 and the NFE2L2 SNPs were associated with BPD and severe BPD, respectively. Genetic variants in NFE2L2-ARE axis may contribute to the variance in liability to BPD observed in preterm infants. These results require confirmation in independent cohorts.
Sucking while swimming: evaluating the effects of ram speed on suction generation in bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus using digital particle image velocimetry.

It is well established that suction feeding fish use a variable amount of swimming (ram) during prey capture. However, the fluid mechanical effects of ram on suction feeding are not well established. In this study we quantified the effects of ram on the maximum fluid speed of the water entering the mouth during feeding as well as the spatial patterns of flow entering the mouth of suction-feeding bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus . Using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) and high-speed video, we observed the flow in front of the mouth of three fish using a vertical laser sheet positioned on the mid-sagittal plane of the fish. From this we quantified the maximum fluid speed (measured at a distance in front of the mouth equal to one half of the maximum mouth diameter), the degree of focusing of water flow entering the mouth, and the shape of the ingested volume of water. Ram speed in 41 feeding sequences, measured at the time of maximum gape, ranged between 0 and 25 cm s–1, and the ratio of ram speed to fluid speed ranged from 0.1% to 19.1%. In a regression ram speed did not significantly affect peak fluid speed, but with an increase in ram speed the degree of focusing of water entering the mouth increased significantly, and the shape of the ingested volume of water became more elongate and narrow. The implications of these findings are that (1) suction feeders that employ ram of between 0% and 20% of fluid speed sacrifice little in terms of the fluid speeds they generate and (2) ram speed enhances the total body closing speed of the predator.
Studies on brain lesions after administration of monosodium L-glutamate to mice. II. Absence of brain damage following administration of monosodium L-glutamate in the diet.

The effects of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) on the brain of mice were examined by light-microscopy under the intended conditions of use of this material. Basal diet containing 5, 10 or 15% w/w MSG was fed to pregnant, lactating and weanling mice ad libitum, resulting in the ingestion of 14.0, 42.8 or 42.0 g/kg body wt. of MSG a day respectively. Mice at the same developmental stages were given the basal diet and 5% w/w MST in aqueous solution ad libitum, the maximum ingestion of MSG being 16.9, 31.4 and 26.8 g/kg body wt. a day respectively. Light-microscopy examination revealed no pathological changes in the hypothalamic arcuate nuclei (AN) of all treated mice, i.e., pregnant females and their fetuses, lactating females and their sucklings, and weanlin mice. Pregnant females and their fetuses, and weanling mice, injected subcutaneously with either 5.0 or 4.0 g/kg body wt. of MSG, showed "Glu-type lesions" in the hypothalamus.
Summative Evaluation, Formative Evaluation, and Tactical Research

Cindy Johnson, a county employment and training counselor, sits and waits for her 19 workshop participants to show up at a dingy conference room, where the wall clock always reads 5:20.Finally, three people trudge in. Jacqueline Nash, 34, hasn't worked since 1985. Scott Sandrow, a 19-year-old father, can boast a job history of only six weeks of flipping burgers before being fired. John Jordan, a 45-year-old laborer with two school-age children, has been out of work nearly a year.Ms. Johnson passes around purple file folders containing job-hunting tips and forms to be completed. 'I can't read,' blurts out Mr. Jordan. The counselor carefully explains the program's sole requirement: Apply for two dozen jobs in the next 60 days, or risk losing your food stamps. Ten of the job "contacts " must be in person. Their meeting that morning counts as one job contact, Ms. Johnson adds. If they walk across the hall to the state's employment bureau, that will count as another contact. Shops across the street are another...
Textural differences between AA and SS blood specimens as detected by image analysis

High-resolution image analysis was employed in the analysis of round (discoid) erythrocytes from hematologically normal (AA) individuals, AA individuals with nonspecific anemia, individuals with sickle cell trait (AS), individuals with SC disease (SC), and individuals with sickle cell anemia (SS). The shape feature Form Factor (4 pi Area/Perimeter2) was used to select round cells and to exclude sickle and other abnormal cells. Textural features extracted from round cells of SS and SC patients were found to differ from those derived from cells of normal andanemic AA individuals. Two textural features, Standard Deviation of Run Length Matrix Counts and Rotation Moment of the Cooccurrence Matrix, discriminated between patients mean values from AA samples and those from SS samples. The ability of textural features to separate round cells into classes based on genotype suggests that high resolution image analysis may be an effective tool in the study and monitoring of sickle cell disease.
The Asymmetry of the By-relation

By using the definite article in the title of his paper 'The Trouble with Level-Generation' (Mind, October I982), Hugh J. McCann implies that there is only one major trouble. His paper shows there are at least two. One trouble he discusses at length, the difficulty in accounting for the asymmetry of level-generation by reference to a distinction between acceptable and unacceptable counterfactual conditionals. When he concludes with an expression of scepticism about the existence of levelgeneration, he is enmeshed in the second trouble, that of deciding whether the principle Level-generation is an asymmetrical relation that holds between act-tokens is a stipulation that partly defines the technical term levelgeneration or is a substantial thesis about the proper treatment of such examples as 'Sam signalled a turn by extending his arm out the window' and the first sentence of this paragraph. Either way the principle is taken, Alvin Goldman's arguments in A Theory of Human Action (Princeton University Press, I977) from the existence of level-generation to the distinctness of act-tokens are in trouble. If the principle is a substantial thesis, it must be established before the arguments reach their intended conclusions. If it is a matter of definition that level-generation relates distinct act-tokens, the arguments beg the question by assuming the existence of level-generation in the first place. On this second understanding, one who denies that Sam's signalling is an acttoken distinct from Sam's extending his arm ought indeed to deny that the example involves level-generation. The example still involves an asymmetry, however; and if we don't call it the asymmetry of level-generation, we can call it something else. I suggest that the first trouble with levelgeneration should encourage us to look for an alternative account rather than to be sceptical about the existence of a genuine asymmetry to be accounted for. Let us say it is the asymmetry of the by-relation. Since this technical term, which Goldman also uses, is less frequently discussed, we have more freedom to stipulate how it should be understood. Let us understand the by-relation to have greater scope than level-generation. No act-token, much less two distinct act-tokens, is required for the by-relation to be exemplified. The sun heats the earth by its radiation. It affects the tides by its gravitational attraction. G. E. M. Anscombe provides an instructive example: the U.S. President is the U.S. Commander-in-Chief by being President (' "Under a Description" ', Nous, May 1979). Things of all sorts, persons, objects, actions, events, and processes, can have one characteristic by having another. The by-relation relates distinct items, but not necessarily distinct persons, objects, or actions. Sam has the characteristic
Veiled constructions: Conflict, migration and modernity in eastern Sri Lanka

This article analyses transformations of rural gender relations and local patterns of religious consumption amongst female Muslim migrants from eastern Sri Lanka to the Middle East. Migration has l...
Multicomponent-liquid–fuel vaporization with complex configuration

Abstract An analysis is presented for multicomponent-liquid–fuel vaporization in a general geometrical situation, e.g., a dense spray. Variable transport properties and only Stefan flow are considered. The problem is separated, using a mass-flux potential function, into a one-dimensional problem for the quasi-steady, gas-phase scalar properties and a three-dimensional problem for the mass-flux potential. The theory predicts scalar gas-phase profiles and vaporization rates for any value of the Lewis number. Transient heat- and mass-diffusion in the liquid interiors is considered with special attention given to the fast- and slow-diffusion limits. Eight droplets in a cubic array are considered in the calculations with a blended liquid mixture of heptane, octane, and decane. Comparisons are made amongst the results for the various liquid-diffusion models: transient behavior, the fast-vaporization limit, and the slow-vaporization limit.
Application of adaptive basis functions for a diagonal moment‐matrix solution of two‐dimensional field problems—TE case

In this work, we present the application of specially constructed adaptive basis functions to generate a diagonal matrix in the method-of-moments solution procedure for the calculation of a scattered electromagnetic field from arbitrarily shaped two-dimensional cylinders excited by a transverse electric incident electromagnetic wave. Several numerical examples are also presented to validate the new method. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 29: 270–273, 2001.
Quantification of Ferritin from Staple Food Crops

Ferritin−iron has been shown to be as bioavailable as ferrous sulfate in humans. Thus, biofortification to breed crops with high ferritin content is a promising strategy to alleviate the global iron deficiency problem. Although ferritin is present in all food crops, its concentration varies between species and varieties. Therefore, a successful ferritin biofortification strategy requires a method to rapidly measure ferritin concentrations in food crops. The objective of this study was to develop a simple and reliable ELISA using an anti-ferritin polyclonal antibody to detect ferritin in various crops. Crude seed extracts were found to have 10.2 ± 1.0, 4.38 ± 0.9, 1.2 ± 0.3, 0.38 ± 0.1, and 0.04 ± 0.01 μg of ferritin/g of dry seed in red beans, white beans, wheat, maize, and brown rice, respectively. Although the measured absolute concentrations of ferritin values were low, the presented method is applicable for rapid screening for the relative ferritin concentrations of large numbers of seeds to identify ...
Fluoroquinolones should be avoided in myasthenia gravis.

We had just finished intubating our patient with myasthenia gravis (just using etomidate) and were about to order levofloxacin for pneumonia, when the neurology resident rushed up and said, ‘‘Wait, whatever you do, don’t give her levofloxacin!’’ A month before, a patient with myasthenia gravis had been admitted to the neurology service for pneumonia and had a protracted myasthenic crisis after the administration of a fluoroquinolone. We were lucky our neurology resident was familiar with the case, because this information had not filtered down to the emergency department. A literature review quickly identified several case reports of prolonged myasthenic crises after the administration of fluoroquinolones to patients with myasthenia gravis. In addition, an in vitro study demonstrated that these agents diminish the amplitude of miniature endplate potentials and currents. The Myasthenia Gravis
Comparison of Calcium Intake and Perceptions of Taste Enjoyment Among Adolescents in a Midwestern Urban School District

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To state whether taste enjoyment for food items containing calcium predicts calcium intake in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine whether adolescents who enjoy the taste of foods containing calcium have higher calcium intakes. Volunteer participants at Appleton Area Public School District, Appleton MN, were recruited from the middle schools and high schools. There were 677 participants who ranged in age from 11 to 19 years. The subjects completed a food frequency questionnaire previously validated to measure calcium intake (JADA 89:1484-88). Taste enjoyment scores for 56 foods were also calculated. A correlation test does not indicate a strong linear relationship between average taste enjoyment and average calcium intake for adolescents. However, the results of the t-tests indicate significant differences exist between gender for calcium consumption as well as perceptions of taste enjoyment for many calcium containing foods. Males consume more calcium from the following foods on a daily basis: cheese sauce, fast food milkshake, egg McMuffin, fast food hamburger, fast food cheeseburger, and custard pie. Whereas females consume more calcium from skim milk, flavored yogurt, broccoli, tofu, and frozen yogurt. Compared to females, males prefer the taste of whole milk, low-fat milk, cheese sauce, American cheese, blue cheese, fast food milkshake, eggnog, chocolate milk, figs, pancakes, egg McMuffin, fast food hamburger, fast food cheeseburger, bean burrito, creamed fish, shellfish, canned salmon, sardines, custard, and pudding. Whereas females prefer the taste of skim milk, flavored yogurt, broccoli, grain bread, muffins, and frozen yogurt. Although significant differences exist between gender for both calcium intake and perception of taste enjoyment, perception of taste enjoyment by adolescents as a group does not predict their behavior to consume the items identified in this survey. These results suggest that other variables besides perception of taste enjoyment influence calcium consumption behavior in adolescents.
Expression of GFP-actin leads to failure of nuclear elongation and cytokinesis in Tetrahymena thermophila.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged actin was used to investigate the distribution and function of actin in Tetrahymena. A strain that expresses both GFP-actin and endogenous actin was developed by transformation of Tetrahymena thermophila with a ribosomal DNA-based replicative vector. Confocal microscopy of living cells and immunogold electron microscopy confirmed localization of GFP-actin to basal bodies and the contractile ring. Incorporation of the fusion protein into these and other actin-related structures correlated with severe impairment of macronuclear elongation and cytokinesis. At 30 °C macronuclear elongation failed to occur in 25% of the transformants despite completion of micronuclear division. At 20 °C macronuclear elongation failed to occur in 2% of the population. Arrest of cytokinesis coincided with failure of macronuclear elongation. Arrested cells developed into homopolar doublets with two sets of oral structures. This study indicates a requirement for actin in nuclear elongation and cytokinesis. Although GFP-actin can interfere with the functioning of actin-containing structures, the GFP-actin transformant strain can be used to monitor actin distribution and dynamics and is therefore an important new tool for further studies of Tetrahymena actin.
Effects of crystallization on the coercivity in Fe78Si9B13 amorphous alloy

Abstract Attempts were made to correlate the coercivity with microstructural evolution in order to understand the origin of magnetic hardening of an Fe 78 Si 9 B 13 amorphous alloy. This metallic glass was devitrified so as to produce a series of specimens with increasing crystallinity. Initially, the coercivity increases with increasing density of α -iron crystallites in the glassy matrix. The maximum coercivity is obtained after a heat treatment at 600 °C for 30 min. The microstructure of the alloy with maximum coercivity is characterized by α -iron grains which coexist with a metastable lamellar Fe 3 B compound at the grain boundaries. For high temperature anneals the replacement of the Fe 3 B phase by equilibrium Fe 2 B with equiaxed morphology caused the coercivity to decrease.
Physical aging behavior of miscible blends of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)

Abstract The influence of blend composition on volume relaxation behavior was determined for miscible blends of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN). The volume relaxation rates displayed an approximately linear dependence on blend composition for all of the aging temperatures employed which were 15, 30, and 45°C below Tg. No unique behavior was observed for the blends compared to the pure polymers in terms of glass transition fragility observed by differential scanning calorimetry or the variation of density with composition. The dynamic mechanical β-relaxation process for PMMA was observed in the PMMA/SAN blends, and the intensity of the relaxation diminished with increasing SAN content. These results were contrasted with previous findings by the present authors on blends of atactic polystyrene (a-PS) with poly(2,6-dimethyl phenylene oxide) (PPO). Fragility, density, and secondary relaxation features of the PMMA/SAN and a-PS/PPO blends were influenced by the respective nature of interactions in these mixtures, and the volume relaxation rates were consistent with these characteristics. An apparent failure of time–aging time superposition was noted for PMMA due to overlapping α- and β-relaxations.
Pi pi scattering amplitude in the low-energy region

Recent unambiguous experimental $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ phase shifts are shown to be consistent at least up to 850 MeV with crossing and analyticity requirements, using the rigorously provable integral equations of Roy. We compute the $s$- and $p$-wave phase shifts in the experimentally unknown region from threshold to 500 MeV. We find the scattering lengths ${a}_{0}^{0}=0.15\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07$ and ${a}_{0}^{2}=\ensuremath{-}0.053\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.028$. We also calculate the $s$-, $p$-, and $d$-wave amplitudes in the subthreshold region and show that the current-algebra predictions of Weinberg are strongly supported by the data. We consider some phenomenological models which are in agreement with the data and discuss why their predictions are similar to Weinberg's.
To succor the sick: crossroads of US healthcare’s future and Charity Hospital’s past

The ongoing reconstruction of the American medical system draws in the human drama central to the reconstruction of New Orleans’ Charity Hospital, mortally wounded by Hurricane Katrina and yet poignantly illustrating the new era decentralizing medical care. Second in the United States only to New York City’s Bellevue Hospital in age, the history of Charity Hospital winds through epidemics, wars, physician duels, and hurricanes to the current day. The ongoing political duel between proponents of the Affordable Care Act and the resistant Louisiana state government pits Charity Hospital as the symbolic centerpiece of the question—what does it mean to care for the sick? Various actors in the stage of this acclaimed level one trauma center offer differing responses. The nineteenth century Charity physicians, Drs. Choppin and Foster, offered their position on absolute dedication to one’s patients, even at the expense of dueling colleagues for refusing to relinquish ownership of the patient. The Hurricane Katrina-era physicians, Drs. Deblieux and DeBoisBlanc, propose a different response during their five-day battle with no power and waning supplies to keep their stranded patients alive, waiting for rescue. Analyzing the insights at this intersection of human and societal forces, present and past may produce guidance for how to proceed forward rather than regressing, or rather, for how to move deeper into the intersection of the patient and physician.
Identification and genetic control of two rabbit IgM allotypic specifications

Two allotypes of rabbit IgM immunoglobulins have been identified with antisera obtained by cross immunization of rabbits with cold agglutinins. These two allotypic specificities, n81 and n82 allotypes segregate as if controlled by allelic genes; in addition, the n locus is closely linked to the a locus which controls the variable part of the heavy chain.
Effect of the fluid core on changes in the length of day due to long period tides.

The long period luni-solar tidal potential is known to cause periodic changes in the earth's rotation rate. It is found that the effect of a dissipationless fluid outer core is to reduce the amplitudes of these tidal perturbations by about 11 percent. When the fluid core effect is added to Agnew and Farrell's (1978) estimate of the effect of an equilibrium ocean, the result is in accord with observation. The effects of dissipative processes within the fluid core are also examined. Out-of-phase perturbations are found which could be as large as about 10 ms at 18.6 yr. It is concluded, however, that the poorly understood decade fluctuations in the earth's rotation rate will prohibit observation of this effect.
Holography with non-coherent light

Abstract A new technique of making holograms with non-coherent light has been demonstrated using continuous-spectrum white light zirconium arc source. Such a technique, employing diffraction gratings as beam splitters and beam deflectors, allows easy control of the modulation transfer function so as to produce low-pass, band-pass or high-pass characteristics by simply changing the position of either one of the gratings or the recording plane.
Characterization and localization of glutathione-S-transferases in rat brain and binding of hormones, neurotransmitters, and drugs.

: Rat brain glutathione-S-transferases are rich in Yb type subunits with major RNA transcripts coding for a relatively uncommon Yb3 form. The Yb-containing isoenzymes of brain cytosol bind glucocorticoids and are covalently labeled with dexamethasone 21-methanesulfonate. Certain neurotransmitters, hormones, and drugs, such as serotonin, dopamine, glucocorticoids, thyroxine, apomorphine, and benzodiazepine derivatives, are effective inhibitors of brain glutathione transferase activity. Immunocytochemical studies show that Yb forms are localized in ependymal cells, subventricular zone cells, astrocytes, tanycytes, and astrocyte foot processes on blood vessels, but Yb was not detected in oligodendrocytes or neurons. Based on their localization and binding properties, brain glutathione-S-transferases have the potential to function in intracellular binding of a variety of compounds and thereby govern their uptake and release in brain, transport to neurons, as well as in their detoxification.
Transient precordial ST elevation by a spasm of the conus artery during right coronary angiography.

Abstract During coronary angiography of right coronary artery (RCA), a catheter wedged into a conus artery, and a remarkable coved-type ST elevation was seen in precordial lead through V1–3. LCA angiography did not show any abnormal findings, but we recognized a slow contrast flow in a conus artery by RCA angiography. The patient was free from chest pain, and a ST elevation was improved. The slow flow of a conus artery was recovered within five minutes. Precordial ST elevation may be caused by a catheter-induced spasm of a conus artery.
Problem Solving, Psychology of

Problem-solving is the process by which a person represents the goal to be accomplished, determines a procedure for reaching the goal, executes that procedure, and evaluates the success of the solution attempt. Keywords: representation; search; analogy; expertise; insight
Rho family of guanine exchange factors (GEFs) in cellular activation: who's dancing? And with whom?

Over the past decade, an increasing appreciation has developed for the role of small GTP-binding proteins (GTPases) as critical molecular switches. Small GTPases function as important regulators of multiple cellular processes by transducing signals from extracellular stimuli to intracellular effector pathways. The three primary members of the Rho family of GTPases include Rho, Rac, and Cdc42, whose collective activation is most closely linked to actin cytoskeletal rearrangement (see review1). Classically, Rho activation promotes the assembly of contractile actomyosin stress fibers, Rac activation produces lamellipodia and membrane ruffles, and Cdc42 induces filopodia formation. Because they regulate essential cellular processes such as cell shape, migration, transcription, vesicle trafficking, and barrier function, these proteins represent important potential targets for therapeutic intervention in a diverse array of human diseases. As a result, Rho GTPase regulatory pathways have been the focus of intensive investigation. Rho GTPases are inactive when GDP-bound and active when GTP-bound. Cycling between these states is controlled by three known classes of regulatory proteins: GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs), guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (GDIs), and guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). GAPs and GDIs negatively regulate Rho GTPase activation by promoting the GDP-bound state. Conversely, activation of the Rho family is directly controlled by the GEFs, which stimulate the exchange of GDP for GTP (see Figure). GEFs work immediately upstream …
Measuring perceived similarity among outdoor recreation activities: A comparison of visual and verbal stimulus presentations

Abstract The utility of existing empirical classification research for advancing the theoretical understanding of leisure behavior has been limited, in part, by a lack of stability of classification results across studies. The purpose of this paper was to compare the stability of activity classifications produced by two methods of presenting activity stimuli in similarity rating tasks. In Phase I of the study, two methods of presenting recreation activities (photographs and verbal descriptions) were compared in terms of the similarities among 15 outdoor recreation engagements. In Phase 2, the same 15 photographs were rated in terms of activity, setting, and social group content and compared to the results of the first phase. Multidimensional scalings of the similarity data indicated that subjects judge similarity among photographic representations in terms of activity and setting characteristics. Similarity ratings of the verbal descriptions of the photographs were based on activity and social group chara...