cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Vehicles and Prodrug Properties and Their Interactions on the Delivery of 6-Mercaptopurine through Skin: Bisacyloxymethyl-6-mercaptopurine Prodrugs

A homologous series of S6-acyloxymethyl-6-mercaptopurine (6-mono-6-MP) and two 9-acyloxymethyl-6-mercaptopurine (9-mono-6-MP) prodrugs have been synthesized and characterized. The ability of the 6-mono-6-MP prodrugs to deliver 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) through hairless mouse skin from isopropyl myristate (IPM) and propylene glycol (PG) has been evaluated There was a good correlation between the log experimental permeability coefficients from the diffusion data and calculated solubility parameters of the prodrugs. Although there was no statistical difference between the rates of delivery of 6-MP by the acetyl through valeryl 6-mono-6-MP prodrugs from IPM, the butyryl and valeryl prodrugs were significantly better at delivering 6-MP from PG. For a given solubility parameter value, the 6-mono-6-MP prodrugs were less soluble in water and IPM, and more soluble in PG than the previously studied S6, 9-bisacyloxymethyl-6-MP (6,9-bis-6-MP) prodrugs. On the other hand, for a given solubility parameter, the 6,9-bis-6-MP prodrugs were generally more effective at delivering 6-MP from IPM and PG. The single 9-mono-6-MP prodrug that was evaluated was much less effective at delivering 6-MP than either the 6-mono- or 6,9-bis-6-MP prodrugs. Thus, it is much less important to mask the imidazole than the thionamide functional group in 6-MP to enhance the topical delivery of 6-MP using a prodrug approach.
Solving Pavlov's puzzle: Attentional, associative, and flexible configural mechanisms in classical conditioning

This article introduces a new “real-time” model of classical conditioning that combines attentional, associative, and "flexible" configural mechanisms. In the model, attention to both conditioned (CS) and configural (CN) stimuli are modulated by the novelty detected in the environment. Novelty increases with the unpredicted presence or absence of any CS, unconditioned stimulus (US), or context. Attention regulates the magnitude of the associations CSs and CNs form with other CSs and the US. We incorporate a flexible configural mechanism in which attention to the CN stimuli increases only after the model has unsuccessfully attempted learn input-output combinations with CS–US associations. That is, CSs become associated with the US and other CSs on fewer trials than they do CNs. Because the CSs activate the CNs through unmodifiable connections, a CS can become directly and indirectly (through the CN) associated with the US or other CSs. In order to simulate timing processes, we simply assume that a CS is formed by a temporal spectrum of short-duration CSs that are activated by the nominal CS trace. The model accurately describes 94 % of the basic properties of classical conditioning, using fixed model parameters and simulation values in all simulations.
A common, non-optimal phenotypic endpoint in experimental adaptations of bacteriophage lysis time

Optimality models of evolution, which ignore genetic details and focus on natural selection, are widely used but sometimes criticized as oversimplifications. Their utility for quantitatively predicting phenotypic evolution can be tested experimentally. One such model predicts optimal bacteriophage lysis interval, how long a virus should produce progeny before lysing its host bacterium to release them. The genetic basis of this life history trait is well studied in many easily propagated phages, making it possible to test the model across a variety of environments and taxa. We adapted two related small single-stranded DNA phages, ΦX174 and ST-1, to various conditions. The model predicted the evolution of the lysis interval in response to host density and other environmental factors. In all cases the initial phages lysed later than predicted. The ΦX174 lysis interval did not evolve detectably when the phage was adapted to normal hosts, indicating complete failure of optimality predictions. ΦX174 grown on slyD-defective hosts which initially entirely prevented lysis readily recovered to a lysis interval similar to that attained on normal hosts. Finally, the lysis interval still evolved to the same endpoint when the environment was altered to delay optimal lysis interval. ST-1 lysis interval evolved to be ~2 min shorter, qualitatively in accord with predictions. However, there were no changes in the single known lysis gene. Part of ST-1's total lysis time evolution consisted of an earlier start to progeny production, an unpredicted phenotypic response outside the boundaries of the optimality model. The consistent failure of the optimality model suggests that constraint and genetic details affect quantitative and even qualitative success of optimality predictions. Several features of ST-1 adaptation show that lysis time is best understood as an output of multiple traits, rather than in isolation.
New OTDR measurement and monitoring techniques

Since its first introduction three decades ago, optical-time-division reflectometry has become an indispensable tool to characterize fiber optic links in long-distance and local-area networks. We review the evolution of this technology and discuss emerging applications.
Personnel exposure rates during simulated biopsies with a real-time CT scanner

Rationale and Objectives. Real-time computed tomography (CT) has the potential to expedite and improve CT-guided needle biopsies by allowing cross-sectional images to be viewed in real time as a needle is advanced toward the target lesion. A major concern about this procedure is the scattered and leaked radiation to which the operator is exposed. This study was undertaken to determine the exposure rates around a CT scanner during CT-guided needle biopsies and to identify the areas of greatest personnel exposure. Materials and Methods. Pig and human cadavers were used to simulate patients undergoing a CT-guided needle biopsy. Various anatomic biopsy sites were used. The radiologist's exposure was assessed by timing the procedure and measuring the exposure rates around the CT scanner with an ionization-chamber survey meter. Ion-chamber measurements multiplied by the time the radiologist spent performing several mock biopsies were compared with film dosimeter results. Doses to the hands, wrists, and whole body were measured with ring, wrist, body, and collar film dosimeters. Results. The average time required to perform a single biopsy was about 1 minute. The dose to the radiologist performing the simulated biopsies was calculated to be 123 mR, 68 mR, 14 mR, and less than 0.5 mR to the fingers, wrist, collar, and body, respectively, as calculated from ionization-chamber and time measurements. These exposure rates correlate well with the film dosimeter readings accumulated during the mock procedures. Conclusion. The dose received by the radiologist performing a CT-guided biopsy was comparable to that of other interventional procedures. In addition, operating from the head of the machine (ie, distal to the bed) appeared to markedly reduce personnel exposure, due to the shielding in the gantry of the CT scanner used in the study.
Biological functions of mouse seminal vesicle fluid. I. Suppression of blastogenic responses of lymphocytes.

The effect of mouse seminal vesicle fluid (SVF) on blastogenic response of splenocytes to mitogens was investigated. SVF significantly suppressed blastogenic response of splenocytes to concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin in a dose-dependent manner, but blastogenic response to lipopolysaccharide was suppressed only at low, although significant, levels, even at high concentrations of SVF. Extensive dialysis did not reduce the capacity of SVF to inhibit blastogenesis of splenocytes. For elucidation of the mechanisms of suppression of blastogenic response, interleukin-2 (IL-2)-dependent cells were cultured in the presence of IL-2 and various concentrations of SVF. The presence of SVF did not inhibit the proliferative response of IL-2-dependent cells to IL-2. These results suggest that the suppression of blastogenic response of T lymphocytes to mitogens in seminal plasma is caused by an undialyzable component (or components) derived from seminal vesicle and is attributable to the alteration of receptors for ...
An interview with Patrick O Brown on the origins and future of open access.

Patrick O Brown, known as Pat, did his undergraduate and medical training at the University of Chicago, where he also studied under Nicholas Cozzarelli for his PhD. He was a paediatrics resident at Children's Memorial Hospital, before taking a postdoctoral research position with Michael Bishop and Harold Varmus at the University of California at San Francisco. He subsequently moved to Stanford where he played an instrumental part in the development of microarray technology and its applications and where he is now a Professor of Biochemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Patrick O Brown. Pat has a long association with BioMed Central, dating from its origins at the beginning of the open access movement, and is on the Editorial Board of BMC Biology; so we asked him to give his own perspective on open access and how it began.
Traumatic brain injury in a county jail population: prevalence, neuropsychological functioning and psychiatric disorders

Primary objective : To determine the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among inmates in a county jail population. Research design : Cross-sectional, observational study. Methods and proced...
Niobium in meteorites

Abstract Spark source mass spectrographic analyses of six chondrites and six achondrites for niobium are reported. The geochemical behaviour of niobium shows a relative coherence between the Ta, Ti, Zr contents of meteorites and lunar samples and a lack of correlation with Ca and Al. The data provide a more substantial basis for the chondritic niobium abundance, which is estimated to be 0.5 ppm, equivalent to 0.9 atoms/10 6 atoms Si.
Effects of low oxygen saturation limits on the ductus arteriosus in extremely low birth weight infants.

Postnatal increase in oxygen promotes constriction of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). According to the findings of prospective observational studies, the clinical practice of targeting lower fractional oxygen saturation between 70 and 90% has been associated with a reduced incidence of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) without affecting survival or neurodevelopmental disability at 1 year of age. Our objective was to investigate the impact of the use of a lower oxygen saturation target range on the incidence of early hemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA) and the need for ductal ligation in extremely low birth weight (ELBW, <1000 g) infants. In this retrospective study, we analyzed data from 263 ELBW infants managed 4 years before (episode I: target oxygen saturation 89 to 94%) and after (episode II: target oxygen saturation 83 to 89%) implementation of the use of lower oxygen saturation limits in two neonatal intensive care units. Infants with a birth weight of 1000 to 1500 g were managed with the same oxygen saturation target range (89 to 94%) during both episodes, and they served as controls. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used as appropriate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to correct for confounders. There was an increase in the incidence of hsPDA (63.2 vs 74.8%, P=0.043), without an increase in the need for surgical ligation (24.2 vs 29.9%, P=0.3) after implementation of the lower oxygen saturation target range policy. After adjusting for confounders, there was an increase in the odds of having an hsPDA (odds ratio (OR) 1.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.03 to 3.06), P=0.04) but the odds for ductal ligation did not change in episode II (OR 1.25, 95% CI (0.70 to 2.25), P=0.4). The incidence of ROP⩾stage III (50.7 vs 15.7%; P<0.0001) and the need for laser ablation (33.8% vs 8.7%; P<0.0001) were significantly reduced. There was no change in the incidence of hsPDA or ductal ligation in the control group. Targeting lower oxygen saturation limits to minimize periods of hyperoxemia in ELBW infants reduced the incidence of severe ROP and the need for laser ablation. The incidence of early hsPDA was increased; however, final closure rate and the incidence of surgical ligation of the ductus arteriosus were not affected.
Characterization of Cyclooxygenase in Laryngeal Papilloma by Molecular Techniques

Objectives: Demonstrate the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in laryngeal papilloma. Discuss the possible causal role of COX-2 in papilloma formation. Consider the potential for treatment of papilloma using selective COX-2 inhibitors. Study Design: Molecular biological analysis of COX-1 and COX-2 in laryngeal papilloma. Methods: Tissue samples from five patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) were analyzed by in situ hybridization, immunohistochemical staining, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) techniques. Results: In situ hybridization to COX-2 mRNA showed strong autoradiographic signal surrounding fibrovascular cores. COX-1 autoradiographic signal was low intensity or nondetectable. Normal buccal mucosa biopsies showed low-density or nondetectable autoradiographic signal for both COX-1 and COX-2 mRNAs. In situ hybridization results were corroborated by RT-PCR studies. Levels of COX-2 mRNA were 13-fold more than those in normal mucosa. Immunohistochemical staining for COX-1 and COX-2 showed a similar pattern to that seen with in situ hybridization in both normal and papilloma tissues. Conclusions: There is an elevation of COX-2 expression in papilloma tissues. This may represent a causal role of COX-2 in the formation and proliferation of laryngeal papilloma. There may also be a role for selective COX-2 inhibition for the treatment of RRP.
Dissipation of acoustic-gravity waves: An asymptotic approach

Acoustic-gravity waves in the middle and upper atmosphere and long-range propagation of infrasound are strongly affected by air viscosity and thermal conductivity. To characterize the wave dissipation, it is typical to consider idealized environments, which admit plane-wave solutions. Here, an asymptotic approach is developed that relies instead on the assumption that spatial variations of environmental parameters are gradual. It is found that realistic assumptions about the atmosphere lead to rather different predictions for wave damping than do the plane-wave solutions. A modification to the Sutherland-Bass model of infrasound absorption is proposed.
Antimicrobial therapy for bronchiectasis.

Abstract Antibiotics have a role in the management of acute exacerbations of bronchiectasis and may also benefit selected subsets of patients with bronchiectasis as a part of a long-term maintenance strategy. At present, there are no Food and Drug Administration-approved antibiotics for acute or chronic management of bronchiectasis. Clinical trials are underway to determine the efficacy and safety of various inhaled antibiotics for chronic therapy for bronchiectasis. Until those results are available, clinicians need to tailor their therapies to individual patients based on their best clinical judgment and information from data and guidelines currently available in the published literature.
Discrepancies in adolescents' and their mothers' perceptions of the family and adolescent externalizing problems

The goal of this study was to examine whether adolescent-mother discrepancies in perceptions of the family predict later adolescent externalizing problems and/or whether adolescent externalizing problems predict later adolescent-mother discrepancies in perceptions of the family. In the spring of 2007 (Time 1) and 2008 (Time 2), surveys were administered to 125 15-18 year-old adolescent and their mothers. SEM results indicated that greater discrepancies in adolescent-mother perceptions of the family predicted higher levels of adolescent externalizing symptomatology (as reported by both adolescents and their mothers). In contrast, higher levels of externalizing symptomatology did not predict later discrepancies in adolescent-mother perceptions of the family. These findings suggest that research on adolescent adjustment should not solely rely on perceptions of the adolescent. In addition, the results highlight the importance of taking both directions of effect into consideration when examining the family and adolescent adjustment.
Electron-trapping materials for adaptive learning in photonic neural networks

Artificial models of biological neural networks can learn from examples and generalize from what they learn, i.e., the learning in them is not rote. This distinctive capability makes them particularly attractive for use as neurocomputing structures in pattern recognition, control, and other complex signal processing tasks. Accordingly, considerable effort is being devoted to the incorporation of the neural paradigm in man-made systems. An important question, encountered in implementation of neurocomputers with adaptive learning ability in photonic hardware, is how to effectively realize programmable nonvolatile analog connection (synaptic) weights between neurons of the network (this incidentally is also an issue in electronic hardware implementation of neural networks). In this paper we consider electron trapping materials (ETMs), a class of infrared stimulable phosphors, as a possible candidate for achieving this goal. We will describe a moderate-sized photonic learning machine, presently under construction, in which the connection weights between neurons, stored in an ETM panel, can be incremented or decremented optically under computer control during learning then frozen in place by means of a novel electronic fixing scheme to form a nonvolatile associative memory. Unique features of several specialized components being used in the machine are also described.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cohorts with familial disposition for colon cancers in chemoprevention trials

Colon cancer provides an attractive setting for chemoprevention trails because of the frequency and variation of familial predisposition that is observed in this malignancy. Additionally, the adenomatous polyp, the precursor of colon cancer, is a valuable intermediate marker for judging the effectiveness of candidate chemopreventive agents. Inherited colon cancer susceptibility varies from mild to severe. Conditions with extreme susceptibility include the autosomal dominantly inherited syndromes of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). These are highly penetrant syndromes with extreme cancer risk. FAP arises from mutations of the APC gene and HNPCC from mutations of the mismatch repair genes. Specific and individual genetic diagnosis is now possible in both syndromes, thus allowing identification of genetically affected individuals for chemoprevention trials. FAP accounts for less than 1% of colon cancers, while HNPCC may be present in up to 5% of cases. Familial clustering is common in the remainder of cases, which are often referred to as sporadic, but probably arise in part from inherited susceptibility. Epidemiologic studies have shown that first-degree relatives have a two- to four-fold increased risk of acquiring colon cancer compared to the general population. Ten percent of individuals in the U.S. have a first-degree with colon cancer. This clinically identifiable higher risk group thus constitutes a large potential cohort for chemoprevention trials. The common familial cases of colon cancer can be further stratified by severity. A relative diagnosed under the age of 50 or two first-degree relatives affected with colon cancer confers an even greater risk for this malignancy, estimated to be four to six times that of the general population. Adenomatous polyps also precede the development of colon cancer in these categories, thereby providing a readily identifiable clinical endpoint to judge the effectiveness of chemoprevention. It is expected that genetic markers will soon be available for more precise identification of common colon cancer susceptibility. Candidate markers include mild mutations of the APC and mismatch repair genes, glutathione transferase isoenzymes, acetylator status, and phospholipase A2 expression. Bile acid concentrations of the bowel may be genetically and/or environmentally determined and likely have a role in colon cancer susceptibility. We recently identified a large kindred with polyp and cancer susceptibility arising from a mild mutation of the APC gene. There are over 4,000 kindred members and mutational testing has demonstrated 140 gene carriers to date. We expect to institute chemoprevention trials in this kindred using adenomatous polyp number as an endpoint of effectiveness. J. Cell. Biochem. 25S:131–135. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Questions of rationality for solvable algebraic groups over nonperfect fields

Dato un gruppo algebrico risolubile, insieme con un suo campo di definizione, si dimostra che e possibile trovare certi sottogruppi di tipi importanti, p. e. tori massimi, senza introdurre alcuna inseparabilita
Non-isotropic hausdorff capacity of exceptional sets of invariant potentials

In the paper we investigate tangential boundary limits of invariant Green potentials on the unit ballB in ℂ n ,n≥1. LetG(z, w) denote the Green function for the Laplace-Beltrami operator onB, and let λ denote the invariant measure onB. If μ is a non-negative measure, orf is a non-negative measurable function onB,G μ andG f denote the Green potential of μ andf respectively. For ξ∈S=δB, τ≥1, andc>0, let $$\mathcal{T}_{\tau ,c} (\zeta ) = \{ z \in B:\left| {1 - \left\langle {z,\xi } \right\rangle } \right|^\tau< c(1 - \left| z \right|^2 )\} $$ . The main result of the paper is as follows: Letf be a non-negative measurable function onB satisfying $$\int_B {(1 - \left| w \right|^2 )^\beta f^p (w)d\lambda (w)< \infty } $$ for some β, 0 n. Then for each τ, 1≤τ<n/β, there exists a setE t ⊂S withH βτ (E t )=0, such that $$\mathop {\lim }\limits_{\mathop {z \to \zeta }\limits_{z \in \mathcal{T}_{\tau ,c} (\zeta )} } G_f (z) = 0,forall\zeta \in S \sim E_\tau $$ In the above, for 0<α≤n,H α denotes the non-isotropic α-dimensional Hausdorff capacity onS. We also prove that if {a k } is a sequence inB satisfying Σ(1−|a k |2) β <∞ for some β, 0 <β<n, and μ=Σδ ak , where δ a denotes point mass measure ata, then the same conclusion holds for the potentialG μ .
Effect of processing parameters on the cohesive strength of laser surface engineered ceramic coatings on aluminum alloys

Abstract The mechanical performance of laser surface engineered ceramic composite (TiC/Al) coating on 2024 and 6061 Al alloy substrates has been evaluated using four-point bend test. The performance of the coating is expressed in terms of the cohesive strength of the coating. Load-displacement measurements carried out during the bend test helps to determine the load corresponding to crack initiation. This load required to initiate fracture in the coating provides a measure of the strength of the coating. A simplistic approach based on elementary beam theory and strength of material in conjunction with rule of mixture was adopted to calculate the cohesive strength of the composite coating. This approach is also further extended for attempts to evaluate apparent residual stress within the coating. Since process parameters exert a significant influence in controlling the end properties of the component, the effect of laser power and laser scan speed on the cohesive strength has also been investigated. It is observed that coatings with lower scan speeds have much higher cohesive strengths and they also seem to have good metallurgical bond with the substrate thus showing better mechanical behavior than the other high scan speeds used in this present study. The apparent residual stress in the coating appears to transform from compressive to tensile in nature with increasing laser scan speed eventually contributing to delamination of the coating.
ON THE RELATION BETWEEN PREFERENCE AND RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

Nevin (1979) noted that preference in concurrent chains and resistance to change in multiple schedules were correlated, in that both measures were affected similarly by variations in parameters of reinforcement such as rate, immediacy, and magnitude. To investigate the relationship between preference and resistance to change directly, we used a within-session procedure that arranged concurrent chains in one half of the session and a multiple schedule in the other half. The same variable-interval schedules served as terminal links in concurrent chains and as the components of the multiple schedule, and were signaled by the same stimuli. After performances had stabilized, responding in the multiple schedule was disrupted by delivering response-independent reinforcement during the blackout periods between components. Both preference in concurrent chains and relative resistance to change of multiple-schedule responding were well described as power functions of relative reinforcement rate, as predicted by current quantitative models (Grace, 1994; Nevin, 1992b). In addition, unsystematic variation in preference and resistance to change was positively correlated, which suggests that preference and resistance to change are independent measures of a single construct. That construct could be described as the learning that occurs regarding the prevailing conditions of reinforcement in a distinctive stimulus situation.
Does cognitive-behavioral therapy cure obsessive-compulsive disorder? A meta-analytic evaluation of clinical significance

Meta-analytic methods were employed to investigate the clinical significance of exposure therapy in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Samples of patients treated in 16 outcome trials were compared with 9 normative samples to clarify how similar the symptoms of treated patients were to those without history of OCD. The Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) was used as the basis for comparison. As expected, substantial improvements during the course of treatment were observed. Additionally, at posttest, the average patient was functioning at a level more similar to the general population than to individuals with untreated OCD. Follow-up scores indicated that clinically significant changes were stable for up to 5 months. Treated patients, however, did remain more symptomatic than members of the general population. The results are discussed in terms of the advantages of routinely including tests of clinical significance in outcome research.
Role of α Class Glutathione S-Transferases as Antioxidant Enzymes in Rodent Tissues

Abstract Glutathione S-transferases (GST) are multifunctional proteins. α class GSTs are known to catalyze glutathione peroxidase reactions, in addition to their major activity, i.e., conjugation of electrophiles to glutathione. In the present work, the contribution of rat and mouse α class GSTs to glutathione-dependent reduction of phospholipid hydroperoxides has been studied., Results of these studies indicate that the α class GST fraction, which consists of three isoforms, has glutathione peroxidase activity toward phospholipid hydroperoxides residing in biological membranes, without the need of prior phospholipase C action. Immunotitration studies using antibodies specific to the α class GSTs, GSTA1-1, GSTA2-2, and GSTA3-3, indicate that these GST isozymes account for approximately half of the glutathione peroxidase activity toward phospholipid hydroperoxides present in the 28,000 g supernatant fractions of rat and mouse liver extracts. GSTs contribute proportionally lesser fraction of this activity in other tissues in which α class GSTs are less prevalent. In mice, the contribution of α class GSTs to the overall glutathione peroxidase activity is indistinguishable in wild-type mice and knockout mice lacking the major selenoenzyme, glutathione peroxidase 1, an enzyme that does not act on intact phospholipid hydroperoxides. These results are consistent with our previous studies on human α class GSTs (Yang, et al. J. Biol. Chem. 276, 19220–19230, 2001) and demonstrate that α class GSTs are of physiological importance, not only in the conjugative detoxification of electrophiles, but are also an essential component of cellular antioxidant defense mechanisms.
992 AMILORIDE SUPPRESSES BLASTOGENESIS AND IMMUNOGLOBU LIN PRODOCTION BY HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLE AR CELLS (PBMs)

992 AMILORIDE SUPPRESSES BLASTOGENESIS AND IMMUNOGLOBU LIN PRODOCTION BY HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLE AR CELLS (PBMs)
Gold Nanorod Based Selective Identification of Escherichia coli Bacteria Using Two-Photon Rayleigh Scattering Spectroscopy

The presence of E. coli in foodstuffs and drinking water is a chronic worldwide problem. The worldwide food production industry is worth about U.S. $578 billion, and the demand for biosensors to detect pathogens and pollutants in foodstuffs is growing day by day. Driven by the need, we report for the first time that two-photon Rayleigh scattering (TPRS) properties of gold nanorods can be used for rapid, highly sensitive and selective detection of Escherichia coli bacteria from aqueous solution, without any amplification or enrichment in 50 colony forming units (cfu)/mL level with excellent discrimination against any other bacteria. TPRS intensity increases 40 times when anti-E. coli antibody-conjugated nanorods were mixed with various concentrations of Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacterium. The mechanism of TPRS intensity change has been discussed. This bionanotechnology assay could be adapted in studies using antibodies specific for various bacterial pathogens for the detection of a wide variety of bacteria...
Social Psychology, Mood, and Helping: Mixed Results for Virtue Ethics

I first summarize the central issues in the debate about the empirical adequacy of virtue ethics, and then examine the role that social psychologists claim positive and negative mood have in influencing compassionate helping behavior. I argue that this psychological research is compatible with the claim that many people might instantiate certain character traits after all which allow them to help others in a wide variety of circumstances. Unfortunately for the virtue ethicist, however, it turns out that these helping traits fall well short of exhibiting certain central features of compassion.
Separation of calcium transients and motion artifact using frequency filtering of fluorescent signals arising from the perfused mouse heart

To eliminate the influence of motion artifacts on measurements of intracellular calcium, a technique was developed using frequency domain analysis which filters motion artifact from the calcium transient signal arising from the perfused mouse heart using the calcium sensitive, fluorescent dye Rhod-2. The perfused mouse heart was stimulated at 8 Hz and placed in a water-jacketed chamber at 37 degree(s)C. After a washout period following Rhod-2 loading, ~6-fold increase in fluorescence above background was detected spectrofluorimetrically at 589nm when excited at 524 nm. Calcium dependent fluorescence transients mixed with motion artifacts and system noise were measured. Simultaneously, heart motion was monitored by recording the reflected excitation light from the heart. A Fourier transform was utilized to separate signals arising from the fluorescence transients and those resulting from motion in the frequency domain. Several major steps were adopted to implement the algorithm for elimination of motion as well as system instability from the transient signals. These included 1) extracting the fluorescence calcium transient signal from the raw data in the frequency domain by subtracting the motion recorded using the reflectance of excitation light, 2) digitally filtering out the random noise using multiple bandpass filters centralized at harmonic frequencies of the 8 Hz signal, and 3) extracting high frequency noise with the Kernel method. Comparing the processed signal of transients acquired with excessive motion artifact to transients acquired with minimal motion obtained by immobilizing the heart against the detection window demonstrated that the filtering techniques helped minimize the effects of motion.
Variations in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation over the past millennium

[1] Hydrologically sensitive tree-ring chronologies from Pinus flexilis in California and Alberta were used to produce an AD 993–1996 reconstruction of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and to assess long-term variability in the PDO's strength and periodicity. The reconstruction indicates that a ∼50 to 70 year periodicity in the PDO is typical for the past 200 years but, was only intermittently a strong mode of variability prior to that. Between AD 1600 and 1800 there is a general absence of significant variability within the 50 to 100 year frequency range. Significant variability within in the frequency range of 50 to 100 years reemerges between AD 1500 and 1300 and AD 1200 to 1000. A prolonged period of strongly negative PDO values between AD 993 and 1300 is contemporaneous with a severe medieval megadrought that is apparent in many proxy hydrologic records for the western United States and Canada.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A PROSPECTIVE TRIAL USING THREE DIMENSIONAL RADIOTHERAPY FOR LUNG CANCER

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the preliminary results of a prospective trial using three-dimensional (3D) treatment for lung cancer. Seventy patients with inoperable Stage I through IIIB lung cancer were treated with three-dimensional thoracic irradiation with or without chemotherapy (35% received chemotherapy). Total prescribed dose to the tumor ranged from 60-74 Gy (uncorrected for lung density). All patients were evaluated for local control, survival, and development of pneumonitis. These parameters were evaluated in respect to and compared with three-dimensional parameters used in their treatment planning. With a minimum follow-up of 6 to 30 months, the 2-year cause-specific survival rate for Stages I and II was 90% and 53% for Stage III (no difference between Stages IIIA and IIIB). Patients with local tumor control had a better 2-year overall survival rate (47%) than those with local failure (31%). Volumetrically heterogeneously calculated doses were important to the accurate delineation of dose-volume coverage as there was a wide range of dicrepancies between a homogeneously prescribed point dose calculation and the heterogeneously calculated volume coverage of that prescription. High-grade pneumonitis was correlated with the location of the tumor with lower lobe tumors having a much higher risk than those with uppermore » lobe tumors. A critical volume effect and threshold dose were apparent in the development of high-grade pneumonitis. Future dose escalation trials in lung cancer should be directed to volumes that limit the amount of elective nodal irradiation. However, the volume of necessary elective nodal irradiation remains unknown and should be studied prospectively. Dose escalation trials are indicated and may be facilitated by smaller target volumes. 22 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.« less
Vascular health risks and fMRI activation during a memory task in older adults.

Vascular problems increase Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk, but the nature of this relationship remains unclear. Older adults having genetic risk for AD show regionally increased functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity during memory, possibly representing compensation for a genetically induced neural deficit. We investigated whether vascular health risks, which similarly could lead to neuropsychological deficits, also showed increased fMRI activity during a memory task performed by 30 cognitively intact, primarily normotensive older adults (mean age = 61). Vascular risk measures included systolic blood pressure (sBP), body mass index (BMI), and total cholesterol. Higher sBP and BMI (but not total cholesterol) were significantly correlated with increased activation in posterior cingulate cortex and frontal, temporal, and parietal regions. In posterior cingulate and parietal cortices, these relationships were evident even within sBP and BMI ranges considered normal, and were independent of hippocampal volume. Our results are similar to those in prior AD risk research, and suggest that fMRI reveals an abnormal response to cognitive processes in cognitively intact older adults with increased vascular risk.
Compositions, inverses and thinnings of random measures

Compositions and inverses of measures on the real line are defined as measures whose cumulative distribution functions (c.d.f.'s) are compositions and inverses, respectively, of the c.d.f.'s of the measures involved. We study the continuity of the composition and inverse operators on measures. We then show how a large class of thinnings of point processes and random measures can be characterized by compositions of random measures. We present several convergence theorems for such compositions. These contain, as special cases, the classical thinning theorem of Renyi and many of its contemporary extensions.
The biosynthesis of ethanolamine plasmalogens by a postmitochondrial fraction from rat brain.

Abstract Ethanolamine plasmalogens were synthesized from 1-14C-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylethanolamine by mitochondrial supernatants of rat brain. The data indicate that the desaturation of the O-alkyl moiety to the O-alk-l-enyl moiety occurs on intact 1-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylethanolamine.
Reporting of Medication Regimen in Applied Studies of Persons with Mental Retardation and ADHD.

The present survey determined whether articles describing attempts to alter behavior in people with mental retardation and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (a) reported whether or not participants were receiving medications, (b) evaluated drugs as independent variables, and (c) evaluated (or discussed) interactions between pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments. All behavior-change articles published from 1991 through 1995 in 10 major journals were evaluated. In contrast to the results of earlier surveys, nearly 40% of studies involving participants with mental retardation provided information about medication. This change appears to represent a significant methodological improvement. Nearly 60% of articles involving persons with ADHD provided information about medication. Studies of drugs were common when participants were people with ADHD, but not when they were people with mental retardation. The psychopharmacology of mental retardation continues to be a small, but important, research area. Studies examining treatment interactions were rare, regardless of participants' characteristics. Given that pharmacological treatments may alter participants' sensitivity to nonpharmacological interventions, further research in this area is sorely needed.
Numerical noise in ocean and estuarine models

Abstract Approximate methods for solving the shallow water equations may lead to solutions exhibiting large fictitious, numerically-induced oscillations. The analysis of the discrete dispersion relation and modal solutions of small wavelengths provides a powerful technique for assessing the sensitivity of alternative numerical schemes to irregular data which may lead to such oscillatory numerical noise. For those schemes where phase speed vanishes at a finite wavenumber or there are multiple roots for wavenumber, oscillation modes can exist which are uncoupled from the dynamics of the problem. The discrete modal analysis approach is used here to identify two classes of spurious oscillation modes associated respectively with the two different asymptotic limits corresponding to estuarine and large scale ocean models. The analysis provides further insight into recent numerical results for models which include large spatial scales and Coriolis acceleration.
Engineering of SERS substrate structure: role of micro- and nanoporosity

Highly active and stable substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) can be fabricated by using colloidal crystals to template gold nanoparticles into structured porous films. The structure-dependent performance of these SERS substrates was systematically characterized with cyanide in continuous flow millifluidic chambers. A matrix of experiments was designed to isolate the SERS contributions arising from nano- and microscale porosity, long range ordering of the micropores, and the thickness of the nanoparticle layer. The SERS results were compared to the substrate structure observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy to correlate substrate structure to SERS performance. The Raman peak intensity was consistently highest for nanoporous substrates with three-dimensionally ordered micropores, and decreases if the micropores are not ordered, or not templated. Removing the nanoscale porosity by fusion of the nanoparticles (without removing the large micropores) leads to drastic plunge in substrate performance. The peak intensity does not strongly correlate to the thickness of the nanoparticle films. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for cyanide in water revealed a limit of detection (LOD) of ca. 150 ppb based on a 5% probability of false alarm. The results make possible the efficient controlled fabrication of stable, reproducible and highly active substrates for SERS-based chemical sensors with continuous sampling.
Radiology in Lithuania : impressions of a visiting professor

In the fall of 1993, 1 had the privilege of spending 3 months as a Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) International Visiting Professor at the Kaunas Medical Academy in Lithuania. This visiting professor program was started in 1986 and is funded by the RSNA Research and Education Fund [1]. It is designed for a visiting professor who can spend 3 months or longer at a radiology residency training program in an evolving country. Lithuania, with a population of about 4 million, is located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, just north of Poland. The land area is approximately equal to that of Switzerland. An independent country until World War II, when it was forcibly occupied and integrated into the Soviet Union, it regained independence in 1990. As a result of 50 years of communist rule, two generations grew up having little knowledge about Western medicine in general and radiology in particular. A communist legacy is still evident not only in education but also in the thought process of the people, although there is a clear desire to integrate into western Europe. Currently Western and Asian consumer goods are readily available, but the country has undergone steep inflation and it is the perception of many that the standard of living continues to decline.
Rotenone potentiates NMDA currents in substantia nigra dopamine neurons

Abstract Rotenone is a pesticide that produces a rodent model of Parkinson's disease. Although much evidence suggests that oxidative stress mediates the toxicity of rotenone on dopamine neurons, rotenone can also potentiate glutamate excitotoxicity. We used whole-cell patch pipettes to investigate actions of rotenone on currents evoked by N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) in dopamine neurons in slices of rat midbrain. After superfusing the slice for 20–30 min, rotenone (100 nM) caused a 162% increase in the average amplitude of inward current evoked by 30 μM NMDA. This effect of rotenone was mimicked by the sodium pump inhibitor strophanthidin (10 μM) and was abolished when pipettes contained an ATP regeneration solution. Although strophanthidin also significantly increased the amplitude of inward currents evoked by (±)-α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA; 10 μM), rotenone failed to potentiate AMPA currents. Because rotenone potentiated NMDA- but not AMPA-dependent currents, this suggests that rotenone acts selectively to augment NMDA receptor function. Furthermore, the failure of rotenone to mimic strophanthidin suggests that rotenone does not inhibit sodium pump activity. Our results suggest that an excitotoxic mechanism might contribute to rotenone neurotoxicity.
Management of on-farm yield trials for testing adaptability of crop varieties

Farmers themselves are allowed to manage on-farm variety adaptability trials (VATs), to represent farmer management practices in preference to research management. In this approach, within-trial uniformity and thus the scientific value of VATs will be lost. A study was conducted using rice to ascertain whether representation of farmer management in VATs is necessary and to test an approach that represents farmer management without losing within-trial uniformity and the scientific value of VATs. In the proposed approach, both the representation of farmer management and within-trial uniformity are reasonably assured through implementation of site-specific farmer practices by research personnel. This approach was compared with complete research management using recommended practices in a VAT conducted with five rice varieties in six farmers' fields over two seasons. When farmer management was implemented by research personnel, popular varieties among farmers were judged most adaptable. However, when VATs were managed using recommended practices, popular varieties among farmers were judged least adaptable. This provided direct evidence to show the usefulness of representation of farmer management and the validity and practical feasibility of the proposed approach in managing VATs.
Psychoanalytic therapy of the borderline patient: treating the fusion-separation contradiction

Definissant la psychopathologie «borderline» comme une recherche de fusion dans les relations intimes et la persistance de l'adaptation a la realite dans les autres situations, l'auteur pense que la therapie psychanalytique est indiquee et que l'objectif therapeutique essentiel est la resolution de la «psychose de transfert»
Remote sounding of trace gases from advanced sounders

Determination of atmospheric carbon requires an unprecedented precision for a satellite sounding measurement. Simulation experiments are used to assess the relative performance of the trace gas retrievals from the NASA AIRS, METOP IASI and NPOESS CrIS instruments.
Two New Species of Calanoid Copepods From the Galapagos Islands With Remarks On the Identity of Three Other Species1)

[Pseudodiaptomus galapagensis n. sp. und Acartia levequei n. sp. werden aus Proben von Academy Bay, Galapagos, beschrieben. Ein Vergleich mit Typus Individuen anderer Spezies zeigt, dass Acarita hamata Wilson, 1950 mit A. bispinosa Carl, 1907 und Acartia ransoni Vaissiere, 1954 mit A. fossae Gurney, 1927 synonym sind und dass Undeuchaeta incisa Esterly, 1911 dem Genus Pseudochirella zugehort., Pseudodiaptomus galapagensis n. sp. und Acartia levequei n. sp. werden aus Proben von Academy Bay, Galapagos, beschrieben. Ein Vergleich mit Typus Individuen anderer Spezies zeigt, dass Acarita hamata Wilson, 1950 mit A. bispinosa Carl, 1907 und Acartia ransoni Vaissiere, 1954 mit A. fossae Gurney, 1927 synonym sind und dass Undeuchaeta incisa Esterly, 1911 dem Genus Pseudochirella zugehort.]
The thermal desorption of oxygen from silver after adsorption from 25 to 150 °C

Abstract The thermal desorption of oxygen from silver powder has been studied from 20 to 350 °C by applying a nominal heating rate of 2 °C/min and measuring the mass lost with a vacuum microbalance. The desorption was carried out after adsorbing oxygen on cleaned silver at temperatures ranging from 25 to 150 °C. The temperature, where the maximum rate of desorption was reached for the first adsorbed state ranged from 63 to 75 °C and depended on the adsorption temperature. Desorption was completed below 130 °C. The data from the adsorbed state were found to be second order and could be fit by a Wigner-Polanyi desorption equation. The desorption parameters obtained from a computerized fit of each complete evolution curve ranged from E = 16 to 28 kcal/mol and from v = 10 7 to 10 15 sec −1 . They depended upon the temperature of adsorption. The second-order desorption probably results from the scission of two molecularly adsorbed species with a yield of one gas-phase molecule and two adatoms.