cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cutoff Wavenumbers and Modes for Annular-Cross-Section Waveguide with Eccentric Inner Conductor of Small Radius

Analytical expressions are derived for the cutoff wavenumbers and the corresponding modes in annnlar-cross-section waveguides having inner conductors of small radius. Waveguides with circular and rectangular outer boundary are considered. In tbe case of the circular eccentric annular waveguide, comparison is made between the values of cutoff wavenumbers computed from the expressions derived in this paper and data obtained by a more rigorous numerical technique.
Inversion of Microearthquake Arrival Time Data At the Los Alamos Hot Dry Rock Reservoir

The Los Alamos Hot Dry Rock Reservoir is an experimental geothermal project in north-central New Mexico. A fractured zone was created within otherwise impermeable igneous and metamorphic rock by injecting water into a borehole under high pressure, at about 3.5 km depth. During the injection process, the seismic waves created by the fracturing events were recorded by seismometers located in four nearby boreholes. A subset of the arrival times from these microearthquakes is iteratively inverted for the threedimensional P-wave and S-wave velocity structures and the hypocenter parameters, using the separation of parameters technique. The inversion results indicate that the P wave and S wave velocities decrease by at least 20% within the fractured zone. Also, the hypocenters are rotated into a more planar and compact distribution relative to the initial locations based on a homogeneous velocity model, suggesting that the hypocenter locations are significantly improved.
Price caps and the error in X-factor calculations

Abstract Calculation of the X-factor used for price caps has a fundamental flaw when it is based on conventional growth accounting total factor productivity analysis. This error is discussed and the appropriate corrective action is indicated. In an example based on the X-factor used for determining the change in the price for local exchange carriers’ interstate access service in the United States, it is shown that the appropriate X-factor is about 25 percent greater than that based on conventional growth accounting total factor productivity analysis.
Underwater communication using weakly dispersive modal pulses

In the modal description of sound propagation, signal distortion is caused primarily by dispersion, which is largely controlled by the product I(m; f)β(m; f). Here m is mode number, f is acoustic frequency, I is the action and β is the waveguide invariant. A modal pulse with fixed m and variable f that satisfies Iβ ≈ 0 over the entire frequency band is referred to in this letter as a weakly dispersive modal pulse. The manner by which weakly dispersive modal pulses can be exploited in underwater communications applications is described and illustrated. The connection between weakly dispersive modal pulses and weakly divergent beams is discussed.
Attempts to protect severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice with antibody enriched for reactivity to Cryptosporidium parvum surface antigen-1.

Abstract Cryptosporidium paruum is a protozoal pathogen which infects the gastrointestinal epithelium of mammals causing diarrhoea, the duration and severity of which is determined by the immunocompetency of the host. Currently, there is no effective treatment or prevention. We evaluated the ability of surface antigen-1 (SA-1), defined as those antigens recognized by neutralizing mAb 17.41, to elicit a protective antibody response when used as an immunogen. A SA-1 enriched fraction was obtained by immunoaffinity chromatography and was used to immunize a naive Holstein calf. SA-1 immune serum from this calf detected C. parvum epitopes to a 1:10 000 dilution in a dot blot assay, and sporozoite surface epitopes at a 1:10 000 dilution in a live immunofluorescence assay. Western blot analysis showed that SA-1 immune bovine serum recognized a similar pattern of C. parvum antigens as the defining mAb 17.41. Oral passive transfer of SA-1 immune bovine serum did not protect severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice or suckling BALB /c mice from initial infection with C. paruum , or terminate a persistent infection in scid mice.
The hepatic stem cell niche: Identification by label‐retaining cell assay

Label retention assays remain the state-of-the-art approach to identify the location of in-traorgan epithelial stem cell niches, in situ and in vivo. They are commonly used in organs with rapid cell turnover but have not been applied to the liver, where cell turnover is very slow. We used a sublethal dose of acetaminophen administered coincident with bromode-oxyuridine to load possible hepatic stem cells in mice with label and then administered a second, sublethal chase of acetaminophen to accomplish “washout” of label from transit amplifying cell populations. Conclusion Four possible hepatic stem cell niches are identified by this approach: the canal of Hering (proximal biliary tree), intralobular bile ducts, periductal “null” mononuclear cells, and peribiliary hepatocytes. These results confirm several different and often contradictory lines of investigation regarding the intrahepatic location of stem/progenitor cells and suggest that the liver has a multi-tiered, flexible system of regeneration rather than a single stem/progenitor cell location.
Fluorometric assay to compensate for non-viable cells during electroporation.

A fluorometric assay is described that allows adjustment for non-viable cells that result during electroporation. The technique, unlike others, relies on only one dye, requires a single instrument, and eliminates the need for a separate cell counting step. Murine melanoma (B16-F10) cells were electroporated using electric fields ranging from 400 to 2500 V/cm in the presence of SYTOX®-green. Compensation for the fluorescence resulting from non-viable cells was facilitated by a correction curve established by lysing a known number of cells in the presence of SYTOX®-green. In uncorrected data, an applied electric field of 2500 V/cm increased dye delivery but also reduced cell viability significantly. Compensating for the fluorescence of non-viable cells showed that changing the field strength to 800 V/cm or 2500 V/cm from 400 V/cm had only marginal effects on membrane pore formation. The fluorometric assay was used to compare electroporation in high conductivity (PBS) and a low conductivity medium (LC-PBS). Statistically significant increases of 10 to 30-fold were observed for cells electroporated at 400 V/cm and 800 V/cm in LC-PBS.
Adaptive Imaging for Lesion Detection Using a Zoom-in PET System

Positron emission tomography (PET) has become a leading modality in molecular imaging. Demands for further improvements in spatial resolution and sensitivity remain high with growing number of applications. In this paper we present a novel PET system design that integrates a high-resolution depth-of-interaction (DOI) detector into an existing PET system to obtain higher-resolution and higher-sensitivity images in a target region around the face of the high-resolution detector. A unique feature of the proposed PET system is that the high-resolution detector can be adaptively positioned based on the detectability or quantitative accuracy of a feature of interest. This paper focuses on the signal-known-exactly, background-known-exactly (SKE-BKE) detection task. We perform theoretical analysis of lesion detectability using computer observers, and then develop methods that can efficiently calculate the optimal position of the high-resolution detector that maximizes the lesion detectability. We simulated incorporation of a high-resolution DOI detector into the microPET II scanner. Quantitative results verified that the new system has better performance than the microPET II scanner in terms of spatial resolution and lesion detectability, and that the optimal position for lesion detection can be reliably predicted by the proposed method.
Chemokines and the hippocampus: A new perspective on hippocampal plasticity and vulnerability

The hippocampus is critical for several aspects of learning and memory and is unique among other cortical regions in structure, function and the potential for plasticity. This remarkable region recapitulates development throughout the lifespan with enduring neurogenesis and well-characterized plasticity. The structure and traits of the hippocampus that distinguish it from other brain regions, however, may be the same reasons that this important brain region is particularly vulnerable to insult and injury. The immune system within the brain responds to insult and injury, and the hippocampus and the immune system are extensively interconnected. Immune signaling molecules, cytokines and chemokines (chemotactic cytokines), are well known for their functions during insult or injury. They are also increasingly implicated in normal hippocampal neurogenesis (e.g., CXCR4 on newborn neurons), cellular plasticity (e.g., interleukin-6 in LTP maintenance), and learning and memory (e.g., interleukin-1β in fear conditioning). We provide evidence from the small but growing literature that neuroimmune interactions and immune signaling molecules, especially chemokines, may be a primary underlying mechanism for the coexistence of plasticity and vulnerability within the hippocampus. We also highlight the evidence that the hippocampus exhibits a remarkable resilience in response to diverse environmental events (e.g., enrichment, exercise), which all may converge onto common neuroimmune mechanisms.
Similar times of differentiation of acid phosphatase heterozygotes in two syngens of Tetrahymena pyriformis

Abstract Genetic control of acid phosphatase isozymes has been described in two genetic species of Tetrahymena pyriformis: syngen 1 and syngen 7 ( Allen et al., 1963a , Allen et al., 1963b ; Phillips, 1968 ). Previous work showed that the isozyme variations revealed by starch gel electrophoresis in syngen 1 were under the control of two alleles at a single locus and that phenotypic assortment takes place in heterozygotes during clonal development. Three allelic variants have been identified in syngen 7 using similar methods. The syngen 7 isozymes are different from those in syngen 1 in pattern, pH, and temperature stability. Despite these differences, heterozygotes in both syngens undergo phenotypic assortment at about the same time in the life cycle, so that within about 250 fissions after conjugation the majority of sublines resemble one or the other of the parental types.
Interaction of dimethylsulfoxide and arachidonic acid with the teratogenic effects of caffeine in mice

Dose-response of the teratogenic effect of caffeine (CA) and the potential role of facial hematomas in the pathogenesis of caffeine-induced cleft palate were investigated using CD1 mice treated with 150, 200, or 250 mg CA/kg i.p. on gestational day (GD) 12. Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO; 20%) and arachidonic acid (AA, 200 mg/kg) were administered along with CA (200 mg/kg) to study their interaction with CA-induced teratogenesis and elevation in maternal glucocorticoids (MGC, measured by RIA) on GD 13 and 14. Dose-dependent increase in the incidence of cleft palate (CP) was noted in CA-exposed mice. High maternal deaths, an increased number of resorptions, gross facial hematomas (GFH), and club foot (CF) were produced only by the highest (250 mg/kg) dose of CA. Palates from all offspring with GFH were clefted at this dose level. None of the control or CA-treated nonclefted offspring had GFH or microscopic hematomas (MH). At 200 mg/kg of CA, DMSO in combination with CA actually increased CA-induced CP from 30% to 100% and also produced 100% GFH as compared to 0% by CA alone at this dose. Greater than 50% of clefted offspring without GFH, given either dose (200 or 250 mg/kg) of CA, had MH. Very high levels of MGC were present in CA-treated mice on GD 13 and 14. Although simultaneous administration of DMSO reduced the magnitude of CA-induced MGC elevations on GD 14, the MGC levels remained high for greater than 24 hours following CA exposure. Increase in maternal mortality and fetal resorptions, a decrease in the number of live pups and their body weights, and no change in the incidence of CP were seen when CA-treated mice were simultaneously exposed to AA. These results suggest a correlation between caffeine-induced FH and CP; a role for increased hematomagenic effects of DMSO in its potentiation of the cleft-palatogenic effect of caffeine; and absence of a role for AA-mediated effects of MGC in the causation of CA-induced CP and other malformations. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On rational solution of the state equation of a finite automation (abstract only)

In this paper we contribute some interesting results on the state space approach following the work of Lee [2], Yang and Huang [1].We prove that the necessary and sufficient condition for the state equation of a finite automaton M to have a rational solution is that the lexicographic Godel numbers of the strings belonging to each of the end-sets of M form an ultimately periodic set.A state space approach was proposed by Lee[2] as an alternative way to analyze finite automata. The approach is based on the transformation of a set of words into a formal power series over the field of integers modulo 2 and also obtaining a state equation in some linear space associated with the automaton. Some useful algorithms associated with the state space approach were discussed by Yang and Huang[1] along with a condition for the state equation to have a rational solution when the automaton has either 4 or 8 states.The question of existence of a rational solution of a state equation is certainly an interesting one and it is not difficult to see that the condition given by Yang and Huang [1] is by no means necessary even for automata with only 4 states.The main objective of our present work is to give the necessary and sufficient condition for the state equation of an automaton to have a rational solution and thus provide a complete answer to the question left open by Yang and Huang [1]. We also show that the condition obtained in [1] is a special case of our theorem.Furthermore, we discuss a practical method for determining whether the state equation of an automaton has a rational solution and also how to obtain the rational solution in case it exists.
Some effects of protein-calorie undernutrition on the developing central nervous system of the rat.

Some effects of undernutrition were noted in the brains of 21-day-old rat pups undernourished from birth by being reared by nursing dams fed on a low protein diet. As compared to the normally fed control pups, the body weight, brain weight, and thickness of the parietal neocortex and paravermal cerebellar cortex were significantly lower in the undernourished pups (p < 0.001), while the thickness of the cortices of the dentate gyrus and hippocampus CA3 only reached significance at the 5% level. Again, as compared to the control pups, the number of spines per unit length on the distal dendritic segments of the pyramidal cells of lamina III of the parietal neocortex and of the hippocampus CA3 reached significance at the 5% level whereas that of the granule cells of dentate gyrus and Purkinje cells of the paravermis did not reach significance at the 5% level. The myelination of the pyramidal tract and spinal trigeminal tract in the lower medulla was less advanced in the undernourished pups. To date, the demonstration of precise functional correlates for the observed changes of morphological and physiological parameters in animals subjected to undernutrition has been elusive. An approach that may lead to unraveling this problem is suggested in a discussion of relating sources of input to the specific dendritic segments where the spine counts were made.
Mechanisms of resistance to Colorado potato beetle in several potato lines and correlation with defoliation

Eight potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) lines and a control (cv. Russet Burbank) were screened for suitability to Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Chrysomelidae), and for defoliation levels in the field to determine whether laboratory-obtained measures of performance are useful for predicting defoliation. Several lines caused reduced larval growth rates and survival compared to the control. Forty-eight hour weight gains by fourth instar larvae, after adjustment for consumption rates, were reduced on three lines, suggesting that these lines had antibiosis-like effects. Lines having very low suitability in the laboratory showed very low defoliation levels in the field, whereas lines that were highly suitable in the laboratory tended to suffer extensive defoliation in the field. Correlation analyses suggested that fourth instar growth rates or larval survival rates are useful measures for predicting defoliation in the field.
Reproductive mode and the genetic benefits of polyandry

Behavioural ecology is currently undergoing a paradigm shift, with the traditional concepts of the choosy, monogamous female and the coadapted gene complex increasingly giving way to the realization that sexual reproduction engenders conflicts, promotes polyandry, and thereby provides females with a cryptic arsenal of postcopulatory processes with which to safeguard their investment in large, costly eggs. As research focuses on reproduction from the female perspective, evidence is emerging that polyandry can provide genetic benefits that enhance female reproductive success. In this review, we propose that reproductive mode is a critically important factor influencing the type of genetic benefits that females gain by mating with more than one male. Among the hypotheses that propose genetic benefits to polyandry, there is a distinction between those that posit benefits from intrinsic (additive) effects of paternal genes in offspring, and those that propose a benefit resulting from defence against incompatibility. Polyandry to acquire superior paternal genes and polyandry as a defence against incompatibility are not mutually exclusive hypotheses. However, evidence from reproductive physiology, immunology and evolutionary conflict theory suggest that development of the embryo within the female makes polyandry for incompatibility avoidance far more important for viviparous females than for females that lay eggs.
Drift and Conductivity Mobility in Silicon

Drift mobility measurements have been made on eleven silicon single crystals ranging in resistivity from 19 to 180 ohm cm. The drift mobility of electrons (${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{n}$) in the purest $p$-type crystals and of holes (${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{p}$) in the purest $n$-type crystals can be expressed by the formulas ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{n}=(2.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}{T}^{\ensuremath{-}2.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1}$ and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{p}=(2.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}{T}^{\ensuremath{-}2.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1}$ between 160 and 400\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. At 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{n}$ and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{p}$ are 1350\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}100 and 480\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ (volt ${\mathrm{s}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{c})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, respectively. The conductivity of some of these crystals was measured between 78 and 400\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and provides independent evidence for the temperature dependences of mobility quoted in the foregoing.Below 100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K hole mobility in the $n$-type crystals decreases markedly, probably at least in part because of short-time trapping of the injected holes.
Effects of ionizing radiation on perfluorosulfonic acid ion‐exchange polymer

The effects of β and γ radiation on the Nafion perfluorinated ion-exchange polymer have been examined and the radiolysis products have been identified. The polymer degrades by simple chain scission, and the rate of degradation is not affected by the state of polymer hydration of the nature of the ion which occupies an exchange site.
Adenovirus early region 4 and viral DNA synthesis.

Abstract Mutants of human adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) lacking early region 4 (E4) display a complex phenotype that includes a delay in the onset of viral DNA replication in low-multiplicity infections. Studies of viral DNA replication in vitro have not revealed a requirement for E4 products in DNA synthesis and, for most E4 mutants, defects in DNA replication are not apparent at high multiplicities of infection. The effects of E4 mutations on DNA replication therefore may reflect a role for E4 in the regulation of replication rather than in the process of DNA synthesis. The E4 mutant H5dl 1014 carries two deletion mutations that together destroy all E4 open reading frames (ORFs) except ORF 4. Immunoprecipitation measurements of the level of the ORF 4 product confirm that H5dl 1014 accumulates the ORF 4 product in somewhat larger amounts than wild-type Ad5, H5dl 1014 is profoundly defective in viral DNA replication at a multiplicity of infection (50 PFU/cell) and time (24 hr after infection) that permit mutants lacking all seven E4 products to accumulate approximately normal amounts of DNA. In contrast, H5dl 1019, a derivative of H5dl 1014 in which the expression of ORF 4 is prevented by a mutation in the ORF 4 ATG initiator codon, produces DNA normally under these conditions. The product of ORF 4 therefore is necessary for the inhibition of viral DNA replication in H5dl 1014-infected cells. H5dl 1014 also inhibits, in trans, the synthesis of viral DNA by other E4 mutants that lack both E4 ORFs 3 and 6. Viruses that possess either of those ORFs are not subject to inhibition, indicating that the ORF 3 and 6 products antagonize the effect of ORF 4. These observations are consistent with a regulatory role for the E4 ORF 3, 4, and 6 products in vital DNA replication in adenovirus-infected cells.
Synchronization of Chemical Micro-oscillators

Many phenomena of biological, physical, and chemical importance involve synchronization of oscillatory elements. We explore here, in several geometries, the behavior of diffusively coupled, nanoliter volume, aqueous drops separated by oil gaps and containing the reactants of the oscillatory Belousov- Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. Avariety of synchronous regimes are found, including in- and antiphase oscillations, stationary Turing patterns, and more complex combinations of stationary and oscillatory BZ drops, including three-phase pat- terns. A model consisting of ordinary differential equations based on a simplified description of the BZ chemistry and diffusion of messenger (primarily inhibitory) species qualitatively reproduces most of the experimental results. SECTION Kinetics, Spectroscopy
Synthesis of dehydro-oogoniol and oogoniol: the adrenosterone route

Abstract Dehydro-oogoniol(3β,11α,15β,29-tetrahydroxystigmasta-5,24(28)(E)-dien-7-one), a female-activating hormone of the water mold Achlya, has been synthesized from 4-androstene-3,11,17-trione by a series of highly stereoselective reactions. One of these involved 1,4-addition of the magnesium cyanocuprate derivative of 3-(1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-4-methylpentyl bromide to 3β-hydroxy-15β,16β-epoxy-11-oxo-(17E)-pregna -5, 17(20)-diene 3-tert -butyidimethylsilyl ether. The structure of an intermediate, 3β,11β,15β-triacetoxy-5-cholesten-24-one, was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Oogoniol [(24R)-3β,11α,15β,29-tetrahydroxy-stigmast-5-en-7-one] was synthesized in a similar manner by reaction of the magnesium cyanocuprate of (S)-3-(1-methylethyl)-5-[(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)oxy]pentyl bromide with the above epoxy pregnadiene
Re: Efficacy of Everolimus in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Double-Blind, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Phase III Trial

Experts’ summary: This multi-institutional, double-blind, randomized, phase 3 study evaluated the efficacy of everolimus (RAD-001) as compared with placebo in patients with metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who had progressed while on or within 6 mo of stopping vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)–targeted therapy (eg, sunitinib and/or sorafenib). The primary outcome of interest was progression-free survival, defined as the time from randomization to documented progression of disease or death, regardless of cause. Secondary end points of the study included overall survival, drug safety, objective tumor response rate based on measurable lesions, symptoms related to disease, and quality of life (QoL) evaluation. Overall, 272 and 138 patients were randomized to receive everolimus or placebo, respectively. An intention-to-treat analysis was used, and patients were stratified based on previous anti-VEGF therapy and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center prognostic score. Although the study was designed to stop after 290 documented progression events, findings demonstrated a significant efficacy of everolimus over placebo at the second interim analysis; therefore, the study was discontinued after only 191 observed progression events. Patients receiving everolimus demonstrated both a decreased risk of progression (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22–0.40) and increased median progression-free survival (4.0 versus 1.9 mo) compared with those receiving placebo, and this effect was seen across all subgroups. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups, but this was likely due to a majority of the placebo arm crossing over to the everolimus group once disease progression had occurred. Although adverse events were more common in the everolimus group, no difference in health-related QoL was seen between the two arms.
Accurate methods for frequency responses and their sensitivities of proportionally damped systems

Abstract A modal acceleration method for frequency responses and a double modal acceleration method for their sensitivities are derived for proportionally damped systems in this paper. These two methods are based on the power series expansion and modal superposition of the dynamic flexible matrix. Three steps are required to calculate the sensitivities of the frequency responses by using the proposed methods. Two modal truncation schemes, middle–high-modal truncation and low–high-modal truncation, are presented according to the values of the excited frequencies. General stiffness and mass matrices, which are the combinations of stiffness and damping matrices, mass and damping matrices, respectively, are introduced before the power series expansion is applied. This makes the modal truncated errors of frequency responses and their sensitivities reduce quickly with an increase of the number of the power series item. The modal truncated errors of the frequency responses and their sensitivities are also presented to examine the advantages and convergence of the two modal acceleration methods. It can be seen that the methods for the frequency responses and their sensitivities of undamped systems can be looked as a particular case of the present methods. Although the frequency responses and their sensitivities are discussed in this paper, the proposed methods are also valid for the frequency response functions, responses in time domain and their sensitivities. The results of a two-dimensional frame show that the proposed acceleration methods are efficient.
Depressed mood enhances anxiety to unpredictable threat

Background Depression and anxiety disorders (AD) are highly comorbid, but the reason for this comorbidity is unclear. One possibility is that they predispose one another. An informative way to examine interactions between disorders without the confounds present in patient populations is to manipulate the psychological processes thought to underlie the pathological states in healthy individuals. In this paper we therefore asked whether a model of the sad mood in depression can enhance psychophysiological responses (startle) to a model of the anxiety in AD. We predicted that sad mood would increase anxious anxiety-potentiated startle responses.
Morphologic asymmetries of the face: A review ☆

It has been suggested that asymmetries in the morphological properties of the face contribute to or produce asymmetries in facial emotional expression. Over 50 years of research on hard tissue, soft tissue, and facial surface asymmetries is reviewed here. Generally, it appears that if consistent asymmetry characterizes facial morphology, it is extremely small in magnitude or characterizes regions yet to be examined. In contrast, marked homology and asymmetry in regional size and area has been noted often. At present, it does not appear that asymmetry in facial morphology is associated with facial expressive asymmetry, with the latter more likely to be an outcome of functional brain asymmetry.
Intramural Comparison of NIST Laser and Optical Fiber Power Calibrations

The responsivity of two optical detectors was determined by the method of direct substitution in four different NIST measurement facilities. The measurements were intended to demonstrate the determination of absolute responsivity as provided by NIST calibration services at laser and optical-communication wavelengths; nominally 633 nm, 850 nm, 1060 nm, 1310 nm, and 1550 nm. The optical detectors have been designated as checks standards for the purpose of routine intramural comparison of our calibration services and to meet requirements of the NIST quality system, based on ISO 17025. The check standards are two optical-trap detectors, one based on silicon and the other on indium gallium arsenide photodiodes. The four measurement services are based on: (1) the laser optimized cryogenic radiometer (LOCR) and free field collimated laser light; (2) the C-series isoperibol calorimeter and free-field collimated laser light; (3) the electrically calibrated pyroelectric radiometer and fiber-coupled laser light; (4) the pyroelectric wedge trap detector, which measures light from a lamp source and monochromator. The results indicate that the responsivity of the check standards, as determined independently using the four services, agree to within the published expanded uncertainty ranging from approximately 0.02 % to 1.24 %.
Sindbis Viral Vectors Transiently Deliver Tumor-associated Antigens to Lymph Nodes and Elicit Diversified Antitumor CD8+ T-cell Immunity

Tumors are theoretically capable of eliciting an antitumor immune response, but are often poorly immunogenic. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) have recently emerged as a promising strategy for the immunogenic delivery of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) to cancer patients. However, safe and effective OV/TAA therapies have not yet been established. We have previously demonstrated that vectors based on Sindbis virus (SV) can inhibit tumor growth and activate the innate immune system in mice. Here, we demonstrate that SV vectors carrying a TAA generate a dramatically enhanced therapeutic effect in mice bearing subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, and lung cancers. Notably, SV/TAA efficacy was not dependent on tumor cell targeting, but was characterized by the transient expression of TAAs in lymph nodes draining the injection site. Early T-cell activation at this site was followed by a robust influx of NKG2D expressing antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8+ T cells into the tumor site, subsequently leading to the generation of long-lasting memory T cells which conferred protection against rechallenge with TAA-positive as well as TAA-negative tumor cells. By combining in vivo imaging, flow cytometry, cytotoxicity/cytokine assays, and tetramer analysis, we investigated the relationship between these events and propose a model for CD8+ T-cell activation during SV/TAA therapy.
Femtosecond coherence spectroscopy using spectrally selective differential photodetection

Abstract We present a novel, spectrally selective, detection scheme for pump–probe femtosecond coherence spectroscopy (FCS) that attenuates the non-oscillatory background signal so that the coherent oscillations are more clearly revealed. The method is based on spectral dispersion of the probe beam after it has traversed the sample, followed by detection of spectrally specific portions with a differential detector containing two balanced photodiodes. By appropriately choosing the spectral windows detected by each photodiode, we show how vibrational oscillations can be selectively enhanced or suppressed. Information about the phase behavior of the vibrational modes is also revealed using this detection scheme.
In silico analysis of gene expression profiles in the olfactory mucosae of aging senescence-accelerated mice.

We utilized high-density Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays to investigate gene expression in the olfactory mucosae of near age-matched aging senescence-accelerated mice (SAM). The senescence-prone (SAMP) strain has a significantly shorter lifespan than does the senescence-resistant (SAMR) strain. To analyze our data, we applied biostatistical methods that included a correlation analysis to evaluate sources of methodologic and biological variability; a two-sided t-test to identify a subpopulation of Present genes with a biologically relevant P-value <0.05; and a false discovery rate (FDR) analysis adjusted to a stringent 5% level that yielded 127 genes with a P-value of <0.001 that were differentially regulated in near age-matched SAMPs (SAMP-Os; 13.75 months) compared to SAMRs (SAMR-Os, 12.5 months). Volcano plots related the variability in the mean hybridization signals as determined by the two-sided t-test to fold changes in gene expression. The genes were categorized into the six functional groups used previously in gene profiling experiments to identify candidate genes that may be relevant for senescence at the genomic and cellular levels in the aging mouse brain (Lee et al. [2000] Nat Genet 25:294–297) and in the olfactory mucosa (Getchell et al. [2003] Ageing Res Rev 2:211–243), which serves several functions that include chemosensory detection, immune barrier function, xenobiotic metabolism, and neurogenesis. Because SAMR-Os and SAMP-Os have substantially different median lifespans, we related the rate constant α in the Gompertz equation on aging to intrinsic as opposed to environmental mechanisms of senescence based on our analysis of genes modulated during aging in the olfactory mucosa. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Reply by Authors to J. M. Kuhlman

tinuity condition was replaced by an additional control point located on the body surface near the juncture. Calculated surface pressure coefficient distributions were quite smooth and agreed well with experimental results at zero and nonzero angle of attack, as seen in Fig. 1 taken from Ref. 4. Comparisons are made with experimental results of Ref. 7. Solutions obtained using the piecewise linear source singularity for this class of axisymmetric bodies oscillated wildly when the source strength was forced to remain continuous across a jump in body curvature. Also, the source strength distributions obtained for the accurate flowfield representation (no continuity requirement at the juncture) displayed a discontinuous jump at the juncture from positive (source) within the nose to negative (sink) within the cylinder. This jump in strength was apparently necessary to turn the flow to be tangential to the cylindrical portion of the body just downstream of the juncture. It is expected that elimination of these continuity requirements for the linear axial source method used for the second example in Ref. 1 should lead to significant improvements in accuracy. However, it must be noted that these comments support the basic conclusion of D'Sa and Dalton, that axial-singularity methods are less reliable than a surface-singularity formulation, since accurate axial-singularity results appear to require relatively higher numerical precision and, at times, insight into the appropriate choice of element size distribution.
Microglial overexpression of the M-CSF receptor augments phagocytosis of opsonized Aβ

The role of microglia in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has come under intense scrutiny recently because microglia may clear amyloid beta (Abeta) by phagocytosis after immunization of transgenic mice. Increased expression of the macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor (M-CSFR) is an important feature of microglia in AD and transgenic mouse models for AD. Increased expression of M-CSFR on mouse and human microglia accelerates phagocytosis of aggregated Abeta in part through macrophage scavenger receptors. We now show that Abeta phagocytosis by microglia overexpressing M-CSFR is further enhanced by antibody opsonization of Abeta. M-CSFR overexpression increased microglial phagocytosis of opsonized aggregated Abeta in culture medium, and accelerated ingestion of native Abeta from AD brain sections. M-CSFR overexpression also increased microglial expression of Fcgamma receptors, and blocking Fcgamma receptors attenuated the enhanced Abeta uptake observed after M-CSFR overexpression and antibody opsonization. Microglia in AD and in AD mouse models with increased expression of M-CSFR are likely to rapidly ingest opsonized Abeta after immunization, making high intracerebral antibody titers unnecessary.
Enhancement of suppressor T cell activity by lymphocyte promoting factor of Bordetella pertussis.

AbstractLymphocyte promoting factor (LPF), a bioproduct of Bordetella pertussis shown previously to exert immunosuppressive effects, was examined for its effect on Concanavalin A (Con A) induced T lymphocyte supressor activity by human lymphocytes. Suppressor cells (5 ± 104) cells/well) first generated with Con A (10 mμg/ml) for 24h were co-cultured with responder cells (5 × 104 cells/ well for another 72h in the presence of Con A (2.5, 5, 20 mμg/ml). In this culture condition, LPF (20 mμg) and/or histamine 10−5 M or 10−6 M/well were added for comparison. The suppressor activity was assessed by the reduction of the uptake of radioactivity of [3H] thymidine compared to that of Con A alone. Lymphocytes treated with LPF exhibited increase of suppression by 22 to 41%, while LPF and histamine (10−5 M) together further increased the suppression by 35 to 63% compared to controls. Serial studies on cell population in the culture indicated OKT8(+) cells proliferated after day 6 in culture. These results indicated ...
Physical. isolation of hand-reared Hereford bulls increases their aggressiveness toward humans

Hereford bulls hand-reared from birth in individual (N=8) or group (N=9) pens were assessed for aggressiveness toward humans while being driven from their home pens to an empty arena (approximately 100 m distance) and back on 3 consecutive days. Individually reared (IR) bulls were more aggressive toward their handler than their group-reared (GR) counterparts (P < 0.01). Six of 8 IR bulls directed threat behaviors toward the handler on Day 1 compared with only 1 of 9 groupreared (GR) subjects (P<0.025). In addition, 2 IR bulls attacked the handler on more than one occasion; none of the GR bulls initiated attacks. The aggressiveness of the IR bulls was attributed to both hand-rearing and physical isolation from conspecifics. Hand-rearing reduces the animals' fear of humans and physical isolation may prevent animals from learning contextual cues for the expression of normal submissive behaviors.
Spine surgery for cancer

Spinal metastatic disease and spinal cord compression are major causes of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Treatment of metastatic disease of the spine frequently requires surgical decompression, reconstruction, and stabilization in addition to radiation and chemotherapy. Instability of t
Comparative Effects of X-Ray and Ultraviolet Radiation on the Differentiated Chromosomes of the Tomato

Cytological analysis at pachytene of F1 tomato plants from X-ray and ultraviolet pollen treatment has established that there is a higher proportion of deficiencies to translocations following ultraviolet treatment than following X-ray treatment. These results are in agreement with previously-reported research on maize.In contrast with previous reports from maize, both X-ray and ultraviolet treatment produced both terminal and interstitial deficiencies in tomato chromosomes. It is suggested that the high proportion of interstitial to terminal deficiencies results from the high selective effect imposed by pro-ximally-localized breakage resulting in long haplo-lethal deficienciesChromosome breakage, as observed in F1 plants, was highly localized in the chromatic regions of the chromosomes following both X-ray and ultraviolet treatment. A consideration of the cyclic behavior of the chromatic and achromatic regions leads to the proposition that greater chromatin volume at the time of applied radiation results in a greater frequency of breakage (or less restitution) in the chromatic regions than in the achromatic regions.The cytological behavior of a number of translocations and deficiencies is discussed. Of particular interert is the cytological behavior of two deficiencytranslocations produced by ultraviolet radiation. One of these is accompanied by an iso-chromosome which exhibits normal centromeric activity with a submicroscopic centromere. In the other case, rebreakage of a translocated achromatic chromosome segment following chiasma formation provided evidence of the cycly of the achromatic regions through meiotic stages.
Unintended Consequences: A Friendly User Looks at User-Friendly Digitization

Growth in digital capacity and other technological advances have placed us on the cusp of great cultural transformation. As we race headlong into this future, rapid innovation, followed by equally rapid obsolescence, challenges academic administrators who must make decisions involving technology that make them uneasy. This article discusses the implications of some of the major changes in academic technology and identifies possible pitfalls for research libraries arising from this transformation.
Function of microglia in organotypic slice cultures

We have examined the functional characteristics of microglia in an environment where the cytoarchitecture of the brain is preserved. Using organotypic slice culture under serum-free conditions, microglia initially demonstrated a rounded morphology but after 10 days in vitro (DIV), microglia in the slice were highly branched. Stimulation of the microglia at 4 DIV with phorbol ester significantly increased the number of cells stained with nitroblue tetrazolium, an indicator of superoxide anion production, compared to non-stimulated conditions. At 10 DIV, superoxide anion production was significantly less than that seen at 4 DIV and no increase in production was seen with phorbol ester stimulation. Phagocytosis of fluorescent latex beads and chemotaxis of microglia in response to zymosan activated serum was also reduced at 10 DIV compared to 4 DIV. These experiments indicate that microglia at 4 DIV in tissue slice culture have functional characteristics that resemble microglia in primary culture. However, prolonged culture of the slices results in a return of the microglia to a ramified and functionally down-regulated state, reminiscent of an "in vivo"-like environment. The organotypic slice culture, thus, provides a useful model system to I examine the interactions of microglia with neurons and other glia in the normal and injured brain.
Water loss from the great lakes

As marine coastal populations experience and plan for rising ocean levels ( 1 ), residents along the coasts of Earth's largest lake system are encountering the opposite problem: persistent low water levels and a receding shoreline. In January 2013, federal agencies from the United States and Canada documented the lowest water levels ever recorded on lakes Michigan and Huron ( 2 ). Only 6 years earlier, historically low water levels were recorded on Lake Superior ( 3 ), which feeds into the Lake Michigan-Huron system. These low water levels are symptoms of an imbalance in the water budget of the Great Lakes. Adapting to, and potentially mitigating, low water level conditions requires improved quantification of the factors that drive the imbalance.
Magnus Forces on Spinning Supersonic Cones -Part I: The Boundary Layer

A detailed investigation of the laminar boundary-layer flow over a spinning right-circular cone at small angle of attack has shown that there are at least four significant forces contributing to the Magnus force on the cone. In order to calculate these forces, a novel numerical method has been developed which can calculate these small forces over a wide range of flow parameters. The flow conditions have a large influence on the relative magnitude of the Magnus force components, and there can be significant cancelling of the various components.
Two-stage, co-pumped Yb:silica fiber amplifers

High peak power laser systems (such as those for fusion or high field physics) require low level input pulses for amplification. Because many of these systems use Nd:phosphate glass, sources and signal amplifiers are needed around 1053 nm. We have developed such devices in single-mode fiber using Yb:silica as the gain medium. This material provides gain flatness in this region for broadband amplification, high saturation fluence for high-energy output, and it can be pumped with commercial 980-nm pumps made for erbium-doped fiber amplifiers. Due to these and other features, this gain medium is being used in various applications.
The long noncoding RNA Six3OS acts in trans to regulate retinal development by modulating Six3 activity

Background Thousands of different long non-coding RNAs are expressed during embryonic development, but the function of these molecules remains largely unexplored.
Cirrus cloud horizontal and vertical inhomogeneity effects in a GCM

A set of the inhomogeneity factor for high-level clouds derived from the ISCCP D1 dataset averaged over a five-year period has been incorporated in the UCLA atmospheric GCM to investigate the effect of cirrus cloud inhomogeneity on climate simulation. The inclusion of this inhomogeneous factor improves the global mean planetary albedo by about 4% simulated from the model. It also produces changes in solar fluxes and OLRs associated with changes in cloud fields, revealing that the cloud inhomogeneity not only affects cloud albedo directly, but also modifies cloud and radiation fields. The corresponding difference in the geographic distribution of precipitation is as large as 7 mm day−1. Using the climatology cloud inhomogeneity factor also produces a warmer troposphere related to changes in the cloudiness and the corresponding radiative heating, which, to some extent, corrects the cold bias in the UCLA AGCM. The region around 14 km, however, is cooler associated with increase in the reflected solar flux that leads to a warmer region above. An interactive parameterization for mean effective ice crystal size based on ice water content and temperature has also been developed and incorporated in the UCLA AGCM. The inclusion of the new parameterization produces substantial differences in the zonal mean temperature and the geographic distribution of precipitation, radiative fluxes, and cloud cover with respect to the control run. The vertical distribution of ice crystal size appears to be an important factor controlling the radiative heating rate and the consequence of circulation patterns, and hence must be included in the cloud-radiation parameterization in climate models to account for realistic cloud processes in the atmosphere.