cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SUPER POINCARÉ GROUPS AND DIVISION ALGEBRAS

The Super Poincare Groups in d = 3, 4, 6 and 10 are represented by graded matrices over the four division algebras. It is shown that classical superstring actions can be written in the same dimensions in terms of the supergroup elements. Possible applications are discussed.
Yponomeuta cagnagella (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae): a Palearctic ermine moth in the United States, with notes on its recognition, seasonal history, and habits

The European small ermine moth, Yponomeuta cagnagella (Hubner), recently established in Ontario, is now known from various localities in New York (new United States record). In eastern North America, this univoltine species feeds chiefly on European spindle tree, Euonymus europaeus L., but also accepts other species of Euonymus . In the European literature, Y. cagnagella is commonly referred to as the spindle ermine moth. Data are presented on its life history and habits, based on study of a New York population. Known locality records for New York and Ontario are given, and information on host preferences, recognition features of the adult and larva, and a hypothesis on the mode of introduction into North America are provided.
Computational Structural Biomechanical Models to Guide Tissue Engineered Heart Valve Leaflet Fabrication

Abstract A computational structural deterministic modeling strategy has been developed and experimentally validated to (1) assist tissue engineering scaffold fabrication, and as a consequence to improve in vivo scaffolds performances, and (2) provide a better understanding of cellular mechanical and metabolic response to local micro-structural deformations of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Image analysis software was developed and tested on electrospun poly (ester urethane) urea (PEUU) scaffolds, collagen gels, decellularized tissues. The algorithm analyzed SEM and multi-photon images (maximum imaging penetration depth: 160 µm) providing a full 3D characterization of engineered constructs morphology (n ≥ 6). The detected material topologies were adopted to generate statistically equivalent scaffold biomechanical models minimizing the difference between the real material and network model architectural features. The mechanical response at the macro scale was fully characterized by stress control biaxial tests (n ≥ 6). The experimental biaxial response was used to calibrate a Finite Element Model able to predict, for a given material topology, the mechanical response at both organ (cm), cells (100 µm) and fiber (1 µm) levels. Scaffold networks models were imported in Abaqus, Yeoh strain energy with incompressibility hypothesis and t2d2h elements were adopted. Stress vs. strain prediction was produced for four different scaffold groups: isotropic ES-PEUU, anisotropic ES-PEUU, Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells integrated PEUU, Polystyrene micro-spheres integrated (10 µm diameter) proving the flexibility of the modeling approach. At mesoscopic level nuclear aspect ratio vs. strain curve for the rat VSMCs embedded into the scaffold was produced and compared with previous experimental findings. At the microscopic level the single fiber initial shear modulus was quantified from the strain energy function material parameters, and compared with Atomic Force Microscopy measurements on single PEUU fibers. The developed generalist modeling approach bridges scaffold fabrication parameters, micro architecture, and organ level - cell level mechanical response.
An In vitro model of ageing of human articular cartilage sulphated-proteoglycans

Abstract Six cases of non-pathological articular cartilage were studied by organ explant culture to assess alterations in tissue sulphated proteoglycans (PGs) as a function of time in culture and donor age. Neosynthesized 35 SO 4 -labeled and endogenous, or already existing, uronic acid-containing PG populations were studied at several time points over 3–4 weeks. PG extractability did not vary with donor age. The proportion of non-extractable endogenous, but not of neosynthesized, PGs increased with time in culture. Sepharose CL-2B chromatography of neosynthesized and endogenous PGs eluted with associative buffer (0.5 M sodium acetate, pH 5.8) revealed 4 PG subpopulations with K av s of 0.05, 0.28, 0.68 and 0.9–1.0. With culture time, the percentage distribution of newly synthesized PG subpopulations of large hydrodynamic size increased significantly with a concommitant decrease in the relative amount of smaller PGs. Isopycnic cesium chloride density gradients were performed on pooled Sepharose CL-2B peaks under associative (0.5 M GuHCl) and dissociative (4 M GuHCl) conditions to assess component subclasses of PG aggregates and PG monomers within each PG subpopulation. An analysis of the K av , 0.05 subpopulation indicated an enrichment in dense PG aggregate (A1) and PG monomer (D1). Both A1 and D1 decreased with in vitro age parallelled by an increase in the respective subclasses of least buoyant density, A4 and D4. Sepharose CL-2B chromatography of D1 fractions within this PG subpopulation indicated a progressive decrease in PG monomer hydrodynamic size with time in culture. In contrast to these age-in-culture related alterations in neosynthesized PGs, the endogenous PGs showed neither a significant change in distribution of PG subpopulations nor PG subclasses over the time period of study. These findings showed the ability of human articular cartilage in alter the profile of neosynthesized PG while maintaining the in situ PG population during in vitro cartilage aging. Such findings suggest that this system may be useful in the elucidation of specific changes in articular cartilage PGs associated with time in culture.
Computer Assisted Printed Character Recognition in Document Based Images

Abstract Printed character recognition is important in the context of document image analysis. Document image analysis analyzes the document images to extract the text and graphics information from image. Text extraction is followed by the character recognition .This paper reviews various phases of machine printed character recognition in document image.
Investigation of the Space Distribution of the Velocity of Surface Acoustic Waves in Plastically Deformed Steel by the Laser Method

We study the influence of plastic deformation of St.3 steel on the velocity of Rayleigh surface acoustic waves measured by the method of laser recording. It is shown that plastic strains lead to the formation of anisotropy of the acoustic properties mainly determined, according to the data of evaluation of residual mechanical stresses, by the texture of steel.
The Influence of Certain Communicator Characteristics on Lip Reading Efficiency

(1960). The Influence of Certain Communicator Characteristics on Lip Reading Efficiency. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 419-425.
The unforgivable humiliation: A Dilemma in couples' treatment

Therapists sometimes encounter cases of intense marital discord in which the disaffected spouse seems unable to specify the reason for his or her discontent except in the vaguest, most general terms. Such cases may be extraordinarily difficult to treat, as the disaffected partner may seem impervious to any attempt at negotiation, to the point of dissolution of the marriage. The reason for the disaffected spouse's intransigence may seem unclear to the other spouse, to the therapist, and even to herself/himself. We hypothesize an explanation for this phenomenon in terms of the disaffected partner's experience of having suffered humiliation at the hands of the other spouse and offer a plan for treatment, citing case materials.
Water-Insoluble Complexes of Poly(l-Lysine) with Mixed Alkyl Sulfates: Composition-Controlled Solid State Structures

Structures of the water-insoluble complexes of poly(l-lysine) with octyl and octadedecyl sulfates, and with the mixtures of these surfactants, were examined via X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The solid-state structures of the complexes were shown to be governed by their compositions. In the stoichiometric poly(l-lysine) complex with octadecyl sulfate, surfactant chains crystallize on a hexagonal lattice. In the poly(l-lysine)−octyl sulfate complex of nearly stoichiometric composition, the surfactants are arranged on an alkane-type two-dimensional lattice. In the complex with 20 mol % octadecyl sulfate and about 75 mol % octyl sulfate, the longer surfactant chains form hexagonal crystalline blocks, and the shorter chains are arranged on an alkane-type two-dimensional lattice. In the poly(l-lysine) complex with 10 mol % octadecyl sulfate and about 85 mol % octyl sulfate, all surfactant chains are arranged on a two-dimensional alkane-type lattice. All complex...
Chaotic mixing of two similar fluids in the presence of a third dissimilar fluid

Two-dimensional chaotic mixing of similar Newtonian fluids in the presence of an advected dissimilar minor phase fluid body with specified size, interfacial tension, and viscosity ratio was numerically investigated. Interfacial tension was sufficiently high to allow only small deformations in the dissimilar minor phase body. Mixing was confined to a rectangular cavity with periodically driven upper and lower surfaces. Regions of regular motion (i.e., islands) of comparable size to the minor phase body were eventually destroyed or replaced by the minor phase body. Islands persisted for longer times when the initial separation distance between the minor phase body and island was large or when the viscosity ratio was small. When interfacial tension was small enough to deform the minor phase body more readily, islands showed little indication of instability. Results suggest opportunities for improving mixing uniformity in practical processes and disclose how interactions between dissimilar fluids affect mixing.
Human–yeast chimeric repair protein protects mammalian cells against alkylating agents: enhancement of MGMT protection

Chemotherapeutic DNA alkylating agents are common weapons employed to fight both pediatric and adult cancers. In addition to cancerous cells, nontarget tissues are subjected to the cytotoxicity of these agents, and dose-limiting toxicity in the form of myelosuppression is a frequent result of treatment. One approach to prevent myelosuppression that results from the use of chemotherapeutic agents is to increase the levels of DNA repair proteins in bone marrow cells. Here we report our second successful attempt to create a fusion protein that possesses both direct reversal and base excision repair pathway DNA repair activities. The chimeric protein is composed of the human O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase (MGMT) and the yeast Apn1 proteins and retains both MGMT and AP endonuclease activities as determined by biochemical analysis. We have also demonstrated that the chimeric protein is able to protect mammalian cells from the DNA alkylating agents 1,3-bis (2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). The protection by the chimeric protein against BCNU is even greater than MGMT alone, which has potential translational significance given that MGMT is currently in clinical trials. Additionally, we show that the chimeric MGMT-Apn1 protein can protect mammalian cells from dual treatments of BCNU and MMS and that this effect is greater than that provided by MGMT alone. The data support our previous finding that a protein with multiple DNA repair activities can be constructed and that this and other constructs may play an important clinical role in guarding against dose-limiting effects of chemotherapy, particularly in situations of multiple drug use.
Size of Cell-Surface Kv2.1 Domains is Governed by Growth Fluctuations

The Kv2.1 voltage-gated potassium channel forms stable clusters on the surface of different mammalian cells. Even though these cell-surface structures have been observed for almost a decade, little is known about the mechanism by which cells maintain them. We measure the distribution of domain sizes to study the kinetics of their growth. Using a Fokker-Planck formalism, we find no evidence for a feedback mechanism present to maintain specific domain radii. Instead, the size of Kv2.1 clusters is consistent with a model where domain size is established by fluctuations in the trafficking machinery. These results are further validated using likelihood and Akaike weights to select the best model for the kinetics of domain growth consistent with our experimental data.
Use of the Synthetic Peptide Neurogranin(28-43) as a Selective Protein Kinase C Substrate in Assays of Tissue Homogenates

The synthetic peptide neurogranin(28-43), the sequence of which is homologous to the phosphorylation site of the brain specific protein kinase C (PKC) substrates neurogranin and neuromodulin, was tested for its utility as a PKC substrate in crude tissue homogenates. The phosphorylation of neurogranin(28-43) shows time- and protein concentration-dependency. In prolonged incubations, the addition of the protein phosphatase inhibitor sodium pyrophosphate results in increased phosphorylation of neurogranin(28-43). The phosphorylation of neurogranin(28-43) was compared to that of another widely used PKC substrate, S6(229-249). Neurogranin(28-43) is as potent as S6(229-249) and more selective than S6(229-249) as a PKC substrate. Greater than 95% of phosphate incorporation into neurogranin(28-43) can be inhibited by a selective PKC inhibitor, PKC(19-36). Kinetic analysis of neurogranin(28-43) phosphorylation in hippocampal homogenate revealed an apparent Km of 147 nM, virtually identical to previously published Km observed for phosphorylation of the substrate by purified PKC. In addition, we assayed several neuronal and nonneuronal tissues using neurogranin(28-43) as substrate in the presence or absence of detergent. We show that the relative PKC activity assayed with neurogranin(28-43) correlates well to the relative amount of PKC known to be present in various neuronal and nonneuronal tissues. Overall, this report shows that neurogranin(28-43) can be used to selectively assay PKC, even in tissue containing low PKC activity.
Frataxin gene of Friedreich's ataxia is targeted to mitochondria

Friedreich's ataxia is caused by a triplet repeat expansion in intron 1, a noncoding region of the frataxin gene (X25). We have generated a chimeric gene composed of the frataxin gene fused with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene as a reporter. Transfection of the fusion construct into living COS cells revealed that the frataxin-GFP construct localizes to organelles that double-label with 8-(4'-chloromethyl) phenyl-2,3,5,6,11,12,14,15-octahydro-1H,4H,10H-13H-diquinolizin o-8H-xanthylium chloride (CMXRos), a novel mitochondrial dye. Thus, frataxin appears to be a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein.
Fermi Sea of Heavy Electrons (a Kondo Lattice) is Never a Fermi Liquid

I demonstrate a contradiction which arises if we assume that the Fermi surface in a heavy-electron metal represents a finite jump in occupancy. Therefore it does not and the resulting density of states has a sharp, deep anomaly at the Fermi energy which will appear in vacuum tunneling and many other experiments.
Large-scale, surface tension assisted Ball-in-Pit self population for chip-to-chip passive alignment

The Ball-in-Pit passive layer-to-layer self-alignment technique has previously been shown to achieve submicron alignment between stacked chips. This structure sandwiches a precision sapphire ball between inverse pyramidal pits etched on the faces of chips to be aligned. In this work, we present a universal and low-cost fluidic approach to self-populate balls into a large-scale array of etched pits. This population technique could be used to populate pits on a wafer, a multichip interposer, or individual chips.
Plant-determined variation in the cardenolide content, thin-layer chromatography profiles, and emetic potency of monarch butterflies,Danaus plexippus reared on the milkweed,Asclepias eriocarpa in California.

This paper is the first in a series on cardenolide fingerprinting of the monarch butterfly. New methodologies are presented which allow both qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the constituent cardenolides which these insects derive in the wild from specificAsclepias foodplants. Analyses of thin-layer Chromatographic profiles ofAsclepias eriocarpa cardenolides in 85 individual plant-butterfly pairs collected at six widely separate localities in California indicate a relatively invariant pattern of 16–20 distinct cardenolides which we here define as theAsclepias eriocarpa cardenolide fingerprint profile. Cardenolide concentrations vary widely in the plant samples, but monarchs appear able to regulate total storage by increasing their concentrations relative to their larval host plant when reared on plants containing low concentrations, and vice versa. Forced-feeding of blue jays with powdered butterfly and plant material and with one of the constituent plant cardenolides, labriformin, established that theA. eriocarpa cardenolides are extremely emetic, and that monarchs which have fed on this plant contain an average of 16 emetic-dose fifty (ED50) units. The relatively nonpolar labriformin and labriformidin in the plant are not stored by the monarch but are metabolized in vivo to desglucosyrioside which the butterfly does store. This is chemically analogous to the way in which monarchs and grasshoppers metabolize another series of milkweed cardenolides, those found inA. curassavica. It appears that the sugar moiety through functionality at C-3′ determines which cardenolides are metabolized and which are stored. The monarch also appears able to store several lowRf cardenolides fromA. eriocarpa without altering them. Differences in the sequestering process in monarchs and milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus) may be less than emphasized in the literature. The monarch is seen as a central organism involved in a coevolutionary triad simultaneously affecting and affected by both its avian predators and the secondary chemistry of the milkweeds with which it is intimately involved.
Single Molecule Studies of Protein Surface Adsorption Kinetics

The fact that most protein-based biotechnological and medical procedures involve protein-surface interactions demands that the protein-surface adsorption process be studied in greater detail to prevent undesirable nonspecific adsorption of proteins to surfaces. To solve this problem, the mechanisms responsible for protein adsorption to surfaces must be identified and quantified. Unlike conventional bulk measurements where adsorbed proteins of one kind cannot be differentiated from another, single-molecule imaging studies can identify the adsorption mechanisms using real-time imaging of the adsorption process. Here we report on Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy imaging of single Streptavidin-Cy3 molecules interacting with hydrophobic fused-silica surfaces. The results reveal the different mechanisms responsible for protein-surface adsorption, and their kinetics. We have observed reversible and irreversible adsorptions due to the intrinsic interaction of proteins with surfaces at the water-surface interface, and irreversible adsorptions due to the protein deposition process at the air-surface interface. We will discuss the extent of contribution to total surface-protein adsorption for each adsorption mechanism.
Low molecular weight dermatan sulfate as an antithrombotic agent. Structure-activity relationship studies

A structure-activity relationship of low molecular weight dermatan sulfate was undertaken to understand better this new non-heparin, glycosaminoglycan-based antithrombotic agent. A dermatan sulfate prepared from bovine intestinal mucosa [average molecular weight (MWavg) 25,000], and currently in clinical trials as an antithrombotic agent, was used in this study. Dermatan sulfate was partially depolymerized using hydrogen peroxide and copper(II) as catalyst to MWavg 5600 to obtain a low molecular weight dermatan sulfate. This low molecular weight dermatan sulfate was then fractionated by gel permeation chromatography to obtain four subfractions having MWavg 7800, 5500, 4200 and 1950. The dermatan sulfate, low molecular weight dermatan sulfate and its subfractions showed substantially different optical rotations. The 1H-NMR spectroscopic analysis of dermatan sulfate samples showed some differences including increased content of GalpNAc4S6S residues and improved resolution in ring resonances for low molecular weight dermatan sulfate fractions, primarily the result of reduced molecular weight and lowered heterogeneity. Saccharide compositional analysis relied on chondroitin ABC lyase treatment followed by capillary electrophoresis. Polyacrylamide gel-based oligosaccharide mapping was also performed by treating dermatan sulfate samples with chondroitin B, AC and ABC lysases. These analyses showed increased amounts of sulfation as the MWavg decreased. In vitro bioassay showed maximum anti-Xa activity in the 4.2 kDa fraction and maximum heparin cofactor II-mediated anti-IIa activity in the 5.5 kDa fraction. The in vivo antithrombotic activity of these fractions was measured using a modified Wessler stasis thrombosis model. The 4.2 kDa fraction showed greater antithrombotic activity than the other low molecular weight dermatan sulfate fractions, dermatan sulfate, and low molecular weight dermatan sulfate. This enhanced activity may result from several structural features of the 4.2 kDa fraction including: a high content of 4,6- and 2,4-disulfated disaccharide sequences; the requirement of specific chain length; a change in the ratio of iduronic to glucuronic acid; and the presence of chondroitin ABC lyase resistant material.
The relation of pepsinogen group II (PGII) expression to intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer

Aims : A substantial minority of intestinal metaplasia (IM)-associated stomach cancers express a gastric product—pepsinogen group II (PGII). The aim of this study was to examine PGII expression as it relates to IM and to tumour heterogeneity. Methods and results : The extent of IM was divided into four levels: none, minimal, moderate, extensive. Stomach specimens (N = 165) were stained for PGII and two tumour markers, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) and p53. PGII was more likely to be expressed with moderate or extensive IM than with minimal or no IM (P = 0.05). Cancers that expressed PGII were more likely to be of high stage than those that did not (P = 0.035). Of 25 cases that expressed all three markers (PGII, EGFr, p53), 20 (80%) had stage 3 or 4 disease, compared with 11 (37%) advanced cancers expressing none of the markers (P = 0.001). Cancers expressing one or two markers were between these extremes. Conclusions : PGII+ cancers in IM-associated gastric cancers may derive from residual gastric glands, or may arise from postinduction reversion to a gastric phenotype from intestinalized cells. This is supported by the more frequent association of PGII expression with the most extensive degrees of IM and its association with high-stage cancers that display heterogeneity in tumour marker expression.
Lake Michigan water levels and the development of Holocene beach-ridge complexes at Two Rivers, Wisconsin: Stratigraphic, geomorphic, and radiocarbon evidence

Two beach-ridge complexes formed at Two Rivers, Wisconsin, on the west shore of Lake Michigan during the past 5700 yr. Auger drilling, closely spaced vibracoring, and subsurface geophysical profiling using ground-penetrating radar along two east-west transects across ridges and swales indicate that several facies of beach sediment are capped with dune sand. 14C ages were obtained from basal-peat deposits collected from swales between successive beach ridges. Associated lake levels were interpreted from the elevation of coarse foreshore deposits observed on the east (basinward) side of the next lakeward beach ridge. 14C ages, geomorphic relationships, and stratigraphic interpretations indicate that progradation and water-level drop followed a major transgression. Lake level fluctuated on a scale of 1.7–2 m during the past 3000 yr.
THE FORMATION AND INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF COHERENT VORTICES IN THE WAKE OF A PITCHING AIRFOIL

Abstract An experimental study of the stretching and rolling of free shear layers released at the trailing edge of a pitching airfoil was conducted. Data were obtained in a water tunnel, in the wake of a pitching NACA 0012 airfoil, by laser-Doppler velocimetry. The free shear layer quickly stretches while it rolls up, forming a series of well-defined regions of distributed vorticity referred to here as coherent vortices or vortical structures. The structure of the evolving velocity field was captured by tight measuring grids. The velocity profiles associated with the coherent vortices exhibit what is often called a viscous core. It is shown that the vortical cores observed are not the result of viscous action at all. Vortex cores are thus created which are not “viscous cores” but rather “inviscid cores.” It is also demonstrated that the large-scale characteristics of the vortical field are invariant to the laminar or turbulent character of the feeding shear layer.
Race/ethnicity and validity of self-reported pneumococcal vaccination

National and state surveys show large disparities in pneumococcal vaccination status among Whites, Blacks and Latinos aged ≥ 65. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is any difference in the validity of self-report for pneumococcal vaccination by race/ethnicity that might contribute to the substantial disparities observed in population-level coverage estimates. Self-reported vaccination status was compared with medical record documentation for samples of White, Black, and Latino members of a large health plan to examine whether differences in validity of self-report contribute to observed disparities. Sensitivity was significantly lower for Blacks (0.849, 95% CI 0.818–0.876) and Latinos (0.869, 95% CI 0.847–0.889) than for Whites (0.931 95% CI 0.918–0.942). Specificity was somewhat higher for Blacks than for Latinos and Whites, but the differences were not statistically significant. Coverage for Whites, Blacks and Latinos, respectively, was 84.3%, 73.5%, and 82.3% based on self-report, but 74.8%, 71.9%, and 84.2% based on medical records. The results of this study suggest that differential self-report error, i.e., summative effect of over-reporting and under-reporting within a race-ethnic group, may contribute to the size and direction of race-ethnic disparities in pneumococcal vaccination observed in surveys.
The effects of feral goats (Capra hircus) on island ecosystems

Abstract Feral goats ( Capra hircus ) are implicated in habitat destruction, and alteration of species composition on sensitive insular ecosystems. In the absence of population control, goats have become the ecologically dominant species on many islands with the results that numerous endemic plant species have been extirpated, or are threatened by excessive grazing. It is demonstrated that removal of goats can lead to rapid recovery of suppressed vegetation. The problems associated with excessive numbers of feral goats have rarely been studied or formally recognised. Extensive and intensive research is critically needed if affected island ecosystem are to be preserved or restored.
Evidence for a peripheral dopaminergic mechanism in the antihypertensive action of lergotrile

Abstract Lergotrile (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) lowered blood pressure significantly in spontaneously hypertensive rats. This effect was antagonized by pretreatment with haloperidol, pimozide, or domperidone. In normotensive rats, administration of haloperidol or domperidone rapidly increased serum prolactin levels. Haloperidol also increased striatal levels of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid; however, domperidone did not, which confirms that this latter blocker probably acts primarily as a peripheral dopamine antagonist. Taken together, these data suggest that lergotrile lowers blood pressure in hypertensive rats mainly by stimulating peripheral dopamine receptors.
Design point characteristics of a 15-to-80 kNe nuclear-reactor Brayton-cycle power system

Nuclear reactor Brayton cycle space power system design point characteristics, discussing cycle parameters, working fluid, turbine inlet temperature, operating pressure level, etc
Social plasticity and early-diapausing females in a primitively social bee.

Abstract Many of the females of the first summer brood of the sweat bee Halictus rubicundus mate, soon vanish from the nesting site, undergo diapause, and return unworn the following spring to found their own nests without ever functioning as workers. Roughly half a season's foundresses may originate in this way. This finding contradicts previous assumptions regarding timing of reproductive production in sweat bees and offers a remarkable example of intraspecific social diversity; some females in the population behave as solitary bees while others are social. Such behavior may be widespread in bees and wasps, for it is almost undetectable with ordinary field techniques. These findings require the reevaluation of previous studies of sweat bee life cycles and of theories and models of the evolution of primitive insect societies.
Tapered withdrawal of phenytoin removes protective effect in EAE without inflammatory rebound and mortality

Axon degeneration has been identified as a major contributor to non-remitting neurological deficits in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), which has elicited substantial interest in the development of neuroprotective therapies. Sodium channel blockers, including phenytoin, carbamazepine, flecainide and lamotrigine, have been shown to protect axons from degeneration, attenuate immune cell infiltrates and slow the acquisition of neurological deficits in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of MS. However, the sudden withdrawal of sodium channel blockers, phenytoin and carbamazepine, is associated with severe exacerbation of EAE characterized by massive inflammatory infiltrates and high mortality. In the present study, we asked whether a slow, tapered withdrawal of phenytoin treatment from mice with EAE produced sudden worsening similar to that of sudden withdrawal. Our results demonstrate that gradual withdrawal of phenytoin treatment from mice with EAE is associated with worsening of clinical scores which approach non-treated levels, but was not associated with increased immune cell infiltrates or deaths as have been observed with abrupt withdrawal. These observations support sodium channel blockers as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of MS, but indicate caution if treatment is ceased.
A Gamma Wear Process

Life distribution properties of a device subject to wear occurring randomly in time as a gamma process are related to the corresponding properties of the probability of surviving a specified amount of wear.
Health services research and quality of care. Assignments for the 1990s.

The unabated rise in health care costs is bringing health services research into center stage as an applied science to help guide health care managers purchasers and regulators. To be equal to the task health services research must pursue at least four intellectual agendas: the study of efficacy (knowing what works) the study of appropriateness (using what works) the study of the execution of care (doing well what works) and the study of the purposes of care (the values that underlie action). The responsibility for the financing and conduct of the research agendas varies with the level of aggregation of data and effort needed for each topic. All four topics must be pursued effectively if health care quality is to be successfully defined measured and protected. (authors)
GWAS to Therapy by Genome Edits

Disorders of hemoglobins are the most common monogenic diseases in the world, with substantial morbidity and mortality resulting from either defective function of the protein, such as in sickle cell anemia, or from insufficient protein production, such as the thalassemias ( 1 ). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated two genes other than the globin genes as potential modulators of the pathology of these diseases by influencing the amounts of fetal hemoglobin (HbF). On page 253 in this issue, Bauer et al. ( 2 ) characterize common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in one of these genes, BCL11A . SNPs associated with mild increases in HbF amounts reside within a powerful tissue- and developmental stage–specific BCL11A enhancer (see the figure). Genome engineering reveals that this enhancer is essential for erythroid expression of BCL11A, and as a consequence, for globin gene expression. This exquisite specificity points to genome editing as a plausible approach to lasting corrective cell-specific therapy for certain hemoglobinopathies.
Shrapnel-Induced Mandibular Hypomobility

b p a v ( w andibular hypomobility can develop from direct inury to, or as a result of disorders affecting, the suporting structures of the temporomandibular joint. his can be subdivided into intra-articular and extrarticular processes. Ankylosis is commonly associated ith trauma (31% to 98%), followed by infections 10% to 49%) and systemic disease (10%). Temporoandibular joint ankylosis is an intra-articular process haracterized by fibrous, fibro-osseous, or osseous bliteration of the joint space. Pseudoankylosis inolves extracapsular causes of restricted jaw motion hat include, but are not limited to, coronoid-zygoatic fusion, coronoid hypertrophy, and muscular brosis. Shrapnel injuries can be as devastating as igh-velocity gunshot wounds, with functional and sthetic consequences, depending on the velocity, ize, shape, and jagged edges of the fragments. raumatic life support measures are paramount durng the immediate postinjury setting. The airway and emodynamic status must be maintained, because the xygen-carrying capacity is essential for wound healng and the prevention of infection. A secure airay controlled with an endotracheal tube or trachestomy needs early consideration because bleeding nd edema can result in airway compromise. The
Structure−Activity Relationships of 1-(2-Deoxy-2-fluoro-β-l-arabino- furanosyl)pyrimidine Nucleosides as Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Agents

Since 2'-fluoro-5-methyl-beta-L-arabinofuranosyluracil (L-FMAU) has been shown to be a potent anti-HBV agent in vitro, it was of interest to study the structure-activity relationships of related nucleosides. Thus, a series of 1-(2-deoxy-2-fluoro-beta-L-arabinofuranosyl)pyrimidine nucleosides have been synthesized and evaluated for antiviral activity against HBV in 2.2.15 cells. For this study, L-ribose was initially used as the starting material. Due to the commercial cost of L-ribose, we have developed an efficient procedure for the preparation of L-ribose derivative 6. Starting from L-xylose, 6 was obtained in an excellent total yield (70%) through the pyridinium dichromate oxidation of the 3-OH group followed by stereoselective reduction with NaBH4. It was further converted to the 1,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-alpha-L-arabinofuranose (10), which was then condensed with various 5-substituted pyrimidine bases to give the nucleosides. Among the compounds synthesized, the lead compound, L-FMAU (13), exhibited the most potent anti-HBV activity (EC50 0.1 microM). None of the other uracil derivatives showed significant anti-HBV activity up to 10 microM. Among the cytosine analogues, the cytosine (27) and 5-iodocytosine (35) derivatives showed moderately potent anti-HBV activity (EC50 1.4 and 5 microM, respectively). The cytotoxicity of these nucleoside analogues has also been assessed in 2.2.15 cells as well as CEM cells. None of these compounds displayed any toxicity up to 200 microM in 2.2.15 cells. Thus, compound 13 (L-FMAU), 27, and 35 showed a selectivity of over 2000, 140, and 40, respectively.
Studies on the in vivo metabolism of lipoic acid. I. The fate of dl-lipoic acid -S35 in normal and thiamine-deficient rats

Abstract The in vivo distribution, utilization, and rate of elimination of lipoic acid-S35, both in normal and thiamine-deficient rats, was investigated. About 40% of the activity was recovered in 24-hr. urine, with 90% of the activity in the total sulfur fraction. Of the injected dl -lipoic acid, 9% was excreted as such, 34% of which was in the (+) form as determined by microbiological assay. Blood, spleen, and liver of the deficient animals yielded greater recovery of activity. Intraperitoneal injection of dl -lipoic acid was toxic to deficient animals but, unlike neopyrithiamine, had no effect on thiamine excretion.
Kriging Nonstationary Data

Abstract Spatial data modeled to have come from a random function with a nonstationary mean are considered. The spatial prediction method known as kriging exploits second-order spatial correlation structure to obtain minimum variance predictions of certain average values of the random function. But to do so, it must be assumed that either the mean function (the drift) is known up to a constant or the second-order structure (the variogram) is known exactly. Knowledge of the drift allows the (stationary) variogram to be estimated and leads to ordinary kriging. Knowledge of the variogram allows the drift to be estimated and leads to universal kriging. More usually, neither is known. This article shows how median polish of gridded spatial data provides a resistant and relatively bias-free way of kriging in the presence of drift, yet yields results as good as the mathematically optimal (but operationally difficult) universal kriging. Comparisons are performed on two data sets.
In Vitro Human Skin Model To Evaluate Water Permeability and Determine Wound Dressings' Occlusivity

Wound dressings' occlusivity is directly correlated with water permeability and may affect wound healing. This study evaluated the wound dressings' occlusivity in comparison to their ability to ret...
Effects of pulsed ultrasound on the frog heart. II: An investigation of heating as a potential mechanism

Abstract This study investigated heating as the possible mechanism for the reduction in aortic pressure observed as a result of exposure of frog hearts in vivo to a single, high intensity pulse of ultrasound. The threshold for producing reduced aortic pressure with 5 ms pulses of ultrasound was found to be approximately 5–10 MPa peak positive pressure ( I SPPA ∼ 350–1000 W/cm 2 ) at both 1.2 MHz and 3.7 MHz. Theoretical estimates and experimental measurements of heating, though, indicate that heating rates at threshold exposures for these two frequencies differ by as much as a factor of 10. As a result, heat alone does not appear to be the primary mechanism responsible for the observed effects on the heart.
Effects of male ejaculate on female reproductive output and longevity in Photinus fireflies

In many insects, nuptial gifts in the form of spermatophores have been shown to increase female fecundity and to contribute to female somatic maintenance. Examining how variation in male spermatoph...
Drivers of change in estuarine-coastal ecosystems: Discoveries from four decades of study in San Francisco Bay

[1] Poised at the interface of rivers, ocean, atmosphere and dense human settlement, estuaries are driven by a large array of natural and anthropogenic forces. San Francisco Bay exemplifies the fast-paced change occurring in many of the world's estuaries, bays, and inland seas in response to these diverse forces. We use observations from this particularly well-studied estuary to illustrate responses to six drivers that are common agents of change where land and sea meet: water consumption and diversion, human modification of sediment supply, introduction of nonnative species, sewage input, environmental policy, and climate shifts. In San Francisco Bay, responses to these drivers include, respectively, shifts in the timing and extent of freshwater inflow and salinity intrusion, decreasing turbidity, restructuring of plankton communities, nutrient enrichment, elimination of hypoxia and reduced metal contamination of biota, and food web changes that decrease resistance of the estuary to nutrient pollution. Detection of these changes and discovery of their causes through environmental monitoring have been essential for establishing and measuring outcomes of environmental policies that aim to maintain high water quality and sustain services provided by estuarine-coastal ecosystems. The many time scales of variability and the multiplicity of interacting drivers place heavy demands on estuarine monitoring programs, but the San Francisco Bay case study illustrates why the imperative for monitoring has never been greater.
Measurements of the surface flow above round bubble plumes

Abstract When a bubble plume exists beneath a free surface, such as after a subsea gas well blowout, a generally horizontal flow occurs in the vicinity of the surface and this flow is influenced by the fact that the surface is free. Two very different theories for such surface flows have been developed in the past and the bases of these theories are reviewed here. The results of measurements of surface flows above plumes of relatively large scale are given. These are compared with both of the existing theories. One theory is found to be accurate at small radii from the plume centre and the other theory is found to be accurate at large radii. The needed boundary condition for the theory that is accurate at large radii is supplied by the results of the theory that is accurate at small radii.
Ecotoxicity of Tributlytin

Laboratory testing and field trials have established that TBT is toxic to nontarget aquatic organisms at low environmental concentrations. This toxicant is slow-acting and can adversely affect aquatic organism development from fertilized egg through various early life stages, as well as, reproductive functions in mature individuals. Sensitivity to TBT varies among aquatic species with gastropods and bivalves being the most susceptible (0.02-0.14 ppb), followed by crustaceans (0.09-0.14 ppb), algae (0.1-0.35 ppb), and fish ( \geq 0.2 ppb).
Negative-ion formation from surface scattering at finite temperatures

Abstract Temperature effects on negative-ion formation in positive-ion-surface scattering are studied within the framework of the time-dependent Anderson-Newns model. It is shown that the negative-ion formation is significantly enhanced at finite temperature T , provided k B T is not less than the Anderson correlation energy U , where k B is the Boltzmann constant. In the transient region (femtosecond timescale), temperature effects are, however, masked by large energy fluctuations.
Effects of portacaval shunt and portacaval transposition on hepatocellular and hepatic reticuloendothelial cell activity in the dog

Abstract Quantitative reduction of portal blood flow following a portacaval shunt (PCS) adversely affects hepatocyte function, but does not alter HRES activity [L.P. Edgcomb, J.A. Knol, and F.E. Eckhauser. J. Surg. Res.33: 233, 1982] . To determine whether similar changes occur after qualitative alteration of portal blood flow, portacaval transpositions (PCT) were constructed in six conditioned mongrel dogs. Estimated hepatic blood flow (EHBF) was determined scintigraphically by the rate of hepatic uptake of a 500-μCi dose of 99mTc-sulfur colloid (Tsc). Hepatic reticuloendothelial cell (RES) phagocytic (PI) and degradative (DI) indices were calculated from the half-time blood disappearance of 131I-labeled RES test lipid emulsion, and the half-time urine appearance of free 131I, respectively. Opsonic activity (OI) was determined by gelatin latex particle agglutination and normalized to control values. Hepatocellular function was assessed by serial determinations of albumin (Alb), and pyruvic and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminases (SGPT and SGOT). All studies were performed prior to and at 3, 6, and 9 weeks following PCS or PCT. Conclusions: In the dog, neither PCS nor PCT adversely affected HRES activity. Hepatocellular function and OI remained unchanged following PCT but deteriorated significantly after PCS. Observed changes in hepatocyte function and OI following PCS suggest that hepatocellular integrity and serum opsonic activity may be interrelated.
Identification of a novel cardiac lineage-associated protein(cCLP-1): A candidate regulator of cardiogenesis.

Abstract We describe the isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone, called cCLP-1, that is a candidate for the previously described early cardiac-specific transcription factor BBF-1. BBF-1 binds the MEF2 (or element B) binding site within the cardiac myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) gene promoter. We used the element B sequence as a probe to screen an expression library constructed from mRNA obtained from the presumptive heart-forming regions of stage 6 chicken embryos. This yielded the cCLP-1 cDNA clone. Gel-shift analysis of stage 6 embryonic chicken protein extracts suggests that a protein that is recognized by the anti-cCLP-1 antibody binds to the same element B binding site to which BBF-1 binds. cCLP-1 mRNA was detected early in chicken development, prior to cardiac fate assignment at stage 4. The expression pattern of cCLP-1, based on whole mountin situhybridization, coincides remarkably well with the established morphogenetic field of early heart formation. The nuclear localization of cCLP-1 is phosphorylation-dependent, suggesting that cCLP-1 may be a member of that class of transcription factors whose activity is regulated by cytoplasm to nucleus transport. Taken together, these data suggest that cCLP-1 may encode a novel transcription factor whose expression pattern is in agreement with that of the cardiogenic precursor cells of the early chicken embryo.
Lamin A variants that cause striated muscle disease are defective in anchoring transmembrane actin-associated nuclear lines for nuclear movement

Mutations in LMNA, which encodes A-type lamins, result in disparate diseases, known collectively as laminopathies, that affect distinct tissues, including striated muscle and adipose tissue. Lamins provide structural support for the nucleus and sites of attachment for chromatin, and defects in these functions may contribute to disease pathogenesis. Recent studies suggest that A-type lamins may facilitate connections between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton mediated by nuclear envelope nesprin and SUN proteins. In mammalian cells, however, interfering with A-type lamins does not affect the localization of these proteins. Here, we used centrosome orientation in fibroblasts, which requires separate nuclear and centrosome positioning pathways, as a model system to understand how LMNA mutations affect nucleus-cytoskeletal connections. We find that LMNA mutations causing striated muscle diseases block actin-dependent nuclear movement, whereas most that affect adipose tissue inhibit microtubule-dependent centrosome positioning. Genetic deletion or transient depletion of A-type lamins also blocked nuclear movement, showing that mutations affecting muscle exhibit the null phenotype. Lack of A-type lamins, or expression of variants that cause striated muscle disease, did not affect assembly of nesprin-2G and SUN2 into transmembrane actin-associated nuclear (TAN) lines that attach the nucleus to retrogradely moving actin cables. Nesprin-2G TAN lines were less stable, however, and slipped over the nucleus rather than moving with it, indicating that they were not anchored. Nesprin-2G TAN lines also slipped in SUN2-depleted cells. Our results establish A-type lamins as anchors for nesprin-2G–SUN2 TAN lines to allow productive movement and proper positioning of the nucleus by actin.
A formal approach to perfective software maintenance: integration using a basis

We investigate how a formalism, common to many areas of applied mathematics and engineering, known as a basis can be applied to perfective maintenance and integration in software engineering, using an object-oriented approach. It is concluded that this formalism serves as a mathematical model for perfective software maintenance and integration activities. Theorems and properties about the model are reported as guides to software maintenance. The model and formal maintenance techniques have been applied to a software system in the management information systems area to demonstrate this approach to perfective maintenance and to assist in validating the model.