cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of Functional Materials Based on Liquid Crystalline Droplets

This brief perspective focuses on recent advances in the design of functional soft materials that are based on confinement of low molecular weight liquid crystals (LCs) within micrometer-sized droplets. While the ordering of LCs within micrometer-sized domains has been explored extensively in polymer-dispersed LC materials, recent studies performed with LC domains with precisely defined size and interfacial chemistry have unmasked observations of confinement-induced ordering of LCs that do not follow previously reported theoretical predictions. These new findings, which are enabled in part by advances in the preparation of LCs encapsulated in polymeric shells, are opening up new opportunities for the design of soft responsive materials based on surface-induced ordering transitions. These materials are also providing new insights into the self-assembly of biomolecular and colloidal species at defects formed by LCs confined to micrometer-sized domains. The studies presented in this perspective serve additionally to highlight gaps in knowledge regarding the ordering of LCs in confined systems.
Lethality and Double-strand Scissions from 14C Decay in the DNA of Micro-organisms

14C-2-thymidine was incorporated into the DNA of E. coli B/r and of coliphage T4. The labelled organisms were stored for several years at -196 degrees C. Both were periodically assayed for loss of viability, and the coliphage also for the appearance of double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA. E. coli B/r exhibited a survival curve with a substantial initial shoulder, extrapolation number 5-2 +/- 2-3, and a final exponential portion corresponding to a lethal efficiency per 14C decay per 2-5 X 10(9) daltons of DNA, of 0-009 +/- 0-002. For coliphage T4, our best estimate for the lethal efficiency per 14C decay is 0-03 +/- 0-04, and that for the DNA breakage efficiency is -0-002 +/- 0-004. The large standard errors result from the very small number of 14C decays occurring in each phage. These results suggest that 14C decay in the DNA of micro-organisms does not cause DSBs but does cause potentially lethal damage to the thymine bases in which decay occurs, and that wild-type E. coli can repair a large number of such DNA lesions.
Controlling DNA methylation: many roads to one modification

Genetic, biochemical and cytological studies on DNA methylation in several eukaryotic organisms have resulted in leaps of understanding in the past three years. Discoveries of mechanistic links between DNA methylation and histone methylation, and between these processes and RNA interference (RNAi) machineries have reinvigorated the field. The details of the connections between DNA methylation, histone modifications and RNA silencing remain to be elucidated, but it is already clear that no single pathway accounts for all DNA methylation found in eukaryotes. Rather, different taxa use one or more of several general mechanisms to control methylation. Despite recent progress, classic questions remain, including: What are the signals for DNA methylation? Are ‘de novo’ and ‘maintenance’ methylation truly separate processes? How is DNA methylation regulated?
The role of the primate extrastriate area V4 in vision

Area V4 is a part of the primate visual cortex. Its role in vision has been extensively debated. Inferences about the functions of this area have now been made by examination of a broad range of visual capacities after ablation of V4 in rhesus monkeys. The results obtained suggest that this area is involved in more complex aspects of visual information processing than had previously been suggested. Monkeys had particularly severe deficits in situations where the task was to select target stimuli that had a lower contrast, smaller size, or slower rate of motion than the array of comparison stimuli from which they had to be discriminated. Extensive training on each specific task resulted in improved performance. However, after V4 ablation, the monkeys could not generalize the specific task to new stimulus configurations and to new spatial locations.
Uptake and release of calcium by rat brain synaptosomes.

Abstract Rat brain synaptosomes, prepared by discontinuous Ficoll density gradient centrifugation, accumulated 45Ca during brief incubations in modified Krebs-Ringer media. Uptake of 45Ca was increased by 5 mM glutamate and 50 mM KCl, conditions that depolarize nerve cells; uptake of 22Na was also increased by these agents. With 0.2 mM diphenylhydantoin, the increased 45Ca uptake due to KCl was diminished, whereas that due to glutamate was less affected; conversely, with 0.15 μM tetrodotoxin the increased 45Ca uptake due to glutamate was diminished, whereas that due to KCl was less affected. Both diphenylhydantoin and tetrodotoxin diminished the augmented uptake of 22Na due to KCl and glutamate; thus the increased uptake of 45Ca under depolarizing conditions may be dissociated from the increased influx of sodium. Ruthenium red decreased the uptake of 45Ca under all conditions, as did procaine and the lanthanide Pr3+. Neither 5 mM lutamate nor 50 mM KCl increased 45Ca uptake by brain mitochondria under comparable experimental conditions, whereas ATP increased the uptake by mitochondria but not that by these synaptosomes. Altering the sodium gradient by equimolar substitution of lithium or choline for sodium in the medium increased 45Ca uptake, whereas 22Na uptake was decreased. Inhibiting the sodium pump by ouabain or strophanthidin also increased 45Ca uptake, and increased 22Na uptake as well. The increased uptake of 45Ca induced by ouabain was inhibited by diphenylhydantoin and tetrodotoxin. Measurements of the total calcium content showed that conditions producing an increased uptake of 45Ca also produced a net uptake of calcium, rather than merely accelerating a 45Ca40Ca exchange. Experiments measuring the loss of previously accumulated 45Ca showed that directly decreasing the sodium gradient or inhibiting the sodium pump slowed the loss of 45Ca. These data are considered in terms of calcium influx through ‘leak’ pathways and gated channels (sensitive to membrane depolarization) and of net efflux dependent on a coupled sodium-calcium exchange mechanism.
Immunological Reversal of Autoimmune Diabetes Without Hematopoietic Replacement of ß Cells

Type 1 diabetes mellitus results from the autoimmune destruction of the β cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans and is recapitulated in the nonobese diabetic strain of mice. In an attempt to rescue islet loss, diabetic mice were made normoglycemic by islet transplantation and immunization with Freund9s complete adjuvant along with multiple injections of allogeneic male splenocytes. This treatment allowed for survival of transplanted islets and recovery of endogenous β cell function in a proportion of mice, but with no evidence for allogeneic splenocyte–derived differentiation of new islet β cells. Control of the autoimmune disease at a crucial time in diabetogenesis can result in recovery of β cell function.
Behavioral interactions caused by combined administration of morphine and MK-801 in rats

Rationale: The NMDA antagonist MK-801 reportedly blocks experience-dependent changes in sensitivity to morphine, including tolerance to its analgesic actions and sensitization to its locomotor-stimulating effects. However, evidence in the existing literature suggests that some of MK-801’s effects are additive (or synergistic) with those of morphine. Objectives: Experiments were conducted to characterize the effects of acute and repeated administration of the combination of MK-801 and morphine on analgesia, locomotor activity, and drug discrimination in rats. Methods: In each experiment, rats were first tested repeatedly after treatment with the combination of MK-801 and morphine, and then after treatment with either drug alone. Results: The analgesic effects of MK-801 combined with morphine were greater than those of morphine alone, but tolerance to the combination of drugs developed at a similar rate as to morphine alone. The locomotor-stimulating effects of MK-801 combined with morphine were also greater than those of either drug alone, and locomotor sensitization developed to the combination of drugs but not to either drug alone at the low doses used. Rats learned to discriminate a combination of MK-801 and morphine from vehicle as quickly as they learned to discriminate morphine alone from vehicle, but those trained with the combination of MK-801 and morphine responded primarily at the vehicle-appropriate lever when given either drug alone. Conclusions: Since behavioral adaptations readily occur in the presence of MK-801, it appears that NMDA antagonists fail to invariably block the cellular plasticity that underlies such adaptations. Rather, the expression of adaptations in drug sensitivity appears related, at least in part, to the continued presence of the discriminative stimulus cues that are present during conditioning. Although NMDA receptors are important for some forms of cellular plasticity, the present studies illustrate the difficulty in interpreting behavioral studies in which MK-801 is given with morphine.
Cycloaddition reactions of 2,3-didehydrothiophene generated by flow vacuum thermolysis of thiophene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride

Abstract Flow vacuum thermolysis (FVT) of thiophene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride ( 2 ) in the presence of 2,3-dimethylbutadiene ( 6 ) gives, in addition to 5,6-dimethylthianaphthene ( 9 ). small quantities of a dihydrodimethylthianaphthene ( 12 ) and another dimethylthianaphthene ( 13 ) which is probably also formed by dehydrogenation of 12 with chloranil. The partial structures of these minor products are consistent with their being formed by a [2+2]-cycloaddition between 6 and an intermediate aryne, 2,3-didehydrothiophene ( 1 ), followed by a rearrangement of the resulting adduct 11 and dehydrogenation. FVT of 2 in the presence of 2,5- ( 17b ) or 3,4-dimethylthiophene ( 17c ) also gave a mixture of the dimethylthianaphthenes ( 18 22 , 23 ) which can be rationalized as arising by a [4+2]- and two [2+2]-cycloadditions of the aryne 1 to the thiophenes 17 with subsequent desulfurization. The lack of equilibration of the products 18 , 22 and 23 , was demonstrated and their origin as a function of the structure and reactivity of the aryne 1 discussed.
Segmental motion in polyoxymethylene

The proton spin-lattice relaxation times (T1) of melt-crystallized, solution-crystallized, and solid-state-polymerized polyoxymethylene (POM) were measured between −60 and +150°C. The three types of samples each have a pronounced T1 minimum near room temperature which is a high-frequency manifestation of the γ process. From the quantitative dependence of the relaxation intensity on crystallinity as well as from the absolute magnitude of the relaxation times, it is concluded that the γ process in POM arises from hindered rotation of noncrystalline chain segments. The relation between the relaxation times and the long period indicates that these noncrystalline segments constitute disordered lamellar surface layers, the thickness of which depends on thermal history of the material. The temperature dependence of the motion of the relatively thin surface layers of solution crystallized POM is quite straightforward. The γ process in the bulk-crystallized material involves cooperative motion, however, leading to temperature-dependent kinetic parameters.
Endothelial Cell Loss in Penetrating Keratoplasty

Quantitative specular endothelial microscopy was performed on 39 donor corneas before operation and at three and 12 months following penetrating keratoplasty. The central endothelial cell density of these corneas had decreased by 18.3% at three months after operation and by 33.6% at the end of one year. This decrease in cell density probably results both from cell death and from migration of cells toward the peripheral cornea. Postoperative cell counts were correlated closely with preoperative counts but not with donor age. Therefore, it is important to screen donor corneas before operation with the clinical specular microscope.
The superconductors (Tl, Pb)Sr2CaCu2O7 and (Tl, Pb)Sr2Ca2Cu3O9: Neutron powder diffraction, high resolution electron microscopy and X-ray absorption studies

Abstract The structures of (Tl, Pb)Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 7 ( T c =85 K) and (Tl, Pb)Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 9 ( T c =122 K) have been investigated using neutron powder diffraction and electron microscopy. They are isostructural (14/mmm) with the corresponding thallium/barium end members of compositions (TlBa 2 Ca n −1 Cu n O 2 n +3 ), possessing two or three CuO 2 -sheets separated by (Tl, Pb)O- and Sr 2 O 2 -sheets. X-ray microanalysis and neutron diffraction are consistent with fully occupied strontium sites in both materials. However, the diffraction results suggest considerable site disorder in the (Tl, Pb) and Ca-sites. High resolution electron microscope images indicate occasional defects and, in the case of (Tl, Pb)Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 9 , occasional intergrowth of a structure containing 4-layers of copper. X-ray absorption measurements are consistent with formal oxidation states of 4+ for Pb and 3+ for thallium in these materials.
Mass growth in space vehicle and exploration architecture development

Abstract Inert or dry mass in aerospace systems has historically grown during aerospace vehicle development because of a number of factors: changing requirements, uncertainty in the performance of the initial technology selection, addition of redundancy, errors in the original design, as well as uncertain masses and loads. In the case of exploration architectures for lunar missions, compounding effects of a multi-staged mission design makes mass-efficient vehicles a necessity for achieving the total delta-V performance required to reach the lunar surface and return to Earth. Current standards and guidelines for mass growth risk mitigation are compared, including the industry and NASA standard methods for risk management and mitigation through the application of mass margin. Historical mass growth trends are analyzed, and average levels of growth are compared to the standard margin allocation levels. Analysis of the available historical data shows that the mean inert mass growth is 28%, and 30% of historical programs experience inert mass growth in excess of the allowable growth and margin recommended level of 32.5%. As an illustrative example of the mass growth of lunar exploration architectures the mass growth sensitivity of the Apollo architecture is calculated. Results show that a kilogram of mass growth on the lunar ascent stage is compounded over 800 times in gross mass.
Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Augments and 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Inhibitors Limit CD40 and CD40L Expression in Human Vascular Cells

Background— Although CD40 signaling participates in atherosclerosis, links between lipid risk factors and this inflammatory pathway remain obscure. Cardiovascular risk reduction by 3-hydroxy-3-meth...
Multiplex DNA Sequencing

The increasing demand for DNA sequences can be met by replacement of each DNA sample in a device with a mixture of N samples so that the normal throughput is increased by a factor of N. Such a method is described. In order to separate the sequence information at the end of the processing, the DNA molecules of interest are ligated to a set of oligonucleotide "tags" at the beginning. The tagged DNA molecules are pooled, amplified, and chemically fragmented in 96-well plates. The resulting reaction products are fractionated by size on sequencing gels and transferred to nylon membranes. These membranes are then probed as many times as there are types of tags in the original pools, producing, in each cycle of probing, autoradiographs similar to those from standard DNA sequencing methods. Thus, each reaction and gel yields a quantity of data equivalent to that obtained from conventional reactions and gels multiplied by the number of probes used. To date, even after 50 successive probings, the original signal strength and the image quality are retained, an indication that the upper limit for the number of reprobings may be considerably higher.
Quantification of Prostate and Seminal Vesicle Interfraction Variation During IMRT

Purpose To quantify the interfraction variability in prostate and seminal vesicle (SV) positions during a course of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using an integrated computed tomography (CT)–linear accelerator system and to assess the impact of rectal and bladder volume changes. Methods and Materials We studied 15 patients who had undergone IMRT for prostate carcinoma. Patients had one pretreatment planning CT scan followed by three in-room CT scans per week using a CT-on-rails system. The prostate, bladder, rectum, and pelvic bony anatomy were contoured in 369 CT scans. Using the planning CT scan as a reference, the volumetric and positional changes were analyzed in the subsequent CT scans. Results For all 15 patients, the mean systematic internal prostate and SV variation was 0.1 ± 4.1 mm and 1.2 ± 7.3 mm in the anteroposterior axis, −0.5 ± 2.9 mm and −0.7 ± 4.5 mm in the superoinferior axis, and 0.2 ± 0.9 mm and −0.9 ± 1.9 mm in the lateral axis, respectively. The mean magnitude of the three-dimensional displacement vector was 4.6 ± 3.5 mm for the prostate and 7.6 ± 4.7 mm for the SVs. The rectal and bladder volume changes during treatment correlated with the anterior and superior displacement of the prostate and SVs. Conclusion The dominant prostate and SV variations occurred in the anteroposterior and superoinferior directions. The systematic prostate and SV variation between the treatment planning CT and daily therapy as a result of the rectal and bladder volume changes emphasizes the need for daily directed target localization and/or immobilization techniques.
Polyribonucleotides containing thiopurines: Synthesis and properties of poly(1-methyl-6-thioguanylic acid)

The synthesis of 1-methyl-6-thioguanosine 5'-diphosphate and its conversion to poly(1-methyl-6-thioguanylic acid) by means of polynucleotide phosphorylase are described. The polymer exhibited cooperative behavior (Tm = 294 K in the absence of added NaCl) characteristic of a highly stacked single-stranded helical array. In a high salt environment (0.5 M NaCl) the melting was much less cooperative and gave a higher Tm (313 K); this is suggestive of interstrand aggregation involving hydrogen bonding. The polynucleotide exhibited a remarkably high pKa (6.2) compared to that of the mononucleotide (2.6), and formed a very stable acid structure (Tm = 356 K in 50% ethylene glycol). Comparisons with poly(1-methyl-6-thioinosinic acid) and poly(6-thioguanylic acid) establish that both the 2-amino group and the 1-methyl group are required for the formation of the stable acid structure.
Evaluation of a new computerized psychomotor test battery: effects of alcohol.

: In order to better evaluate the effects of centrally active drugs, a new computer based set of psychomotor tests was developed. Compared to the older apparati, the new set is very flexible and easy to operate allowing the measurement of hand/eye coordination, attention and several types of reaction skills. To evaluate the sensitivity and usefulness of the new tests, the effects of alcohol (oral doses of 0.5 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg) were studied in twelve healthy volunteers. The peak blood alcohol concentration after the larger dose was 0.86 g/l, and the effects were clearly seen with all new tests. The smaller dose of alcohol gave 0.33 g/l peak blood alcohol concentration and it impaired significantly only coordination at 1 hr after drinking. The results suggest that the new tests are at least as sensitive and reliable as older psychomotor tests detecting the effects of central depressant agents. The advantage of the new tests is that they are easy to operate and easy to modify without any specific programming skills. Because they can be used with a computer which is easy to transport, these tests are suitable for use in clinical areas to conduct studies with patients.
The anatomy of the pelvic floor

The pelvic organs are suspended by the pelvic ligaments and supported by the levator ani muscles. Breaks in the connective tissue, and neuromuscular damage affecting the pelvic floor muscles cause pelvic organ prolapse. Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound have begun to define the dynamics of the pelvic floor and document the specific tissue lesions involved in this process.
Why ecology needs archaeologists and archaeology needs ecologists

Over the past five decades, ecologists and archaeologists have dismantled two longstanding theoretical constructs. Ecologists have rejected the “balance of nature” concept and archaeologists have dispelled the myth that indigenous people were “in harmony with nature”. Rejection of these concepts poses critical challenges to both fields as current disciplinary approaches are inadequate to grapple effectively with real-world complexities of socioecological systems. In this review, we focus on the relationship between human action and ecosystem change by examining some of the long-term impacts of prehistoric agriculture. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we present results from two studies that suggest that even relatively non-intensive and short-term agriculture can transform ecological systems for a very long time. It is therefore imperative that ecologists and archaeologists work more closely together, creating a truly cross-disciplinary alliance that will help to advance the fields of archaeology and ecology.
Immunization entry at the point of service improves quality, saves time, and is well-accepted.

Objective. Computer-based immunization tracking is a routine part of many pediatric practices; however, data quality is inconsistent and entry often relies on dedicated data entry personnel and is time-consuming, expensive, or difficult. The purpose of this study was to evaluate data quality, nursing satisfaction, and reduction in documentation burden after the introduction of a point-of-service immunization entry system in an inner-city pediatric primary care center. Design. Prospective preintervention and postintervention study. Methods. Visit records from all pediatric nonurgent care visits for patients Results. One hundred forty-seven (63.6%) of 231 preintervention and 132 (51.4%) of 257 postintervention children received at least 1 immunization (immunized) during the study visit. Gender and mean age were similar for immunized children in the 2 groups. In the preintervention group, 56 (37.9%) of 147 immunized children had at least 1 dose missing (a total of 128 of 343 doses administered) from the immunization tracking database compared with none in the postintervention group. Medical record review showed that 92.6% of preintervention and 91.4% of postintervention children were on-schedule after the study visit. However, missing data lead to the misclassification of preintervention children—only 68.4% were reported by the database to be on-schedule. All 9 nurses reported using the program all the time to enter immunizations, 89% said that the program required somewhat or a lot less time, and 100% strongly recommended continued use of the program. All 9 nurses also reported that they would be somewhat or very unenthusiastic about the system if labels were not available. During the 12 months after introduction of the system, 8273 forms containing immunization information were printed, preventing nurses from having to write >101 000 dates. Conclusions. Immunization entry by nurses at the time of immunization preparation improves the quality of tracking data, reduces misclassification of immunization needs, saves time, and can be well-accepted. It is likely that poor data quality in some tracking systems has led to falsely low immunization coverage estimates. Systems such as the one in this study can improve quality and should be integrated into routine clinical practice.
Design and implementation of WAVE/DSRC payment systems

Developments in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) have led to tremendous enhancements in the present transportation systems providing various applications, including public safety, electronic payment applications, traffic management, and entertainment content distribution. IEEE 802.11p and IEEE 1609-family standards are developed to provide vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-roadside (V2R), and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications in vehicular environments. IEEE 1609.11 focuses on the electronic payment applications for vehicle-to-roadside communications. In this paper, the design and implementation of a WAVE/DSRC payment system for vehicular communications is presented. In this system, two major components, onboard units (OBUs) and roadside units (RSUs), are implemented on Linux-based platform. Moreover, the implemented system also has been evaluated via on-road testing which proves the system is reliable and trustworthy.
Dispersal modes affect tropical forest assembly across trophic levels

We examined assemblages of trees and two major groups of vertebrate seed dispersers, birds and primates, in Ugandan protected areas to evaluate the roles of dispersal limitation and species sorting in community assembly. We conducted partial Mantel tests to investigate relationships between community similarity, environmental distance and geographic distance. Results showed that environmental factors, specifi cally temperature and rainfall, signifi cantly and more strongly structured tree assemblages than geographic distance. Analysis of tree dispersal modes revealed wind-dispersed tree guilds were signifi cantly dispersal limited but trees dispersed by animals were not. For assemblages of vertebrate seed dispersers, dispersal limitation signifi cantly and more strongly structured assemblages of primates than species sorting whereas environmental factors signifi cantly and more strongly structured assemblages of birds than dispersal limitation. We therefore examined whether trees dispersed by primates were more dispersal limited than trees dispersed by birds. We found consistent trends that primate fruit trees were more dispersal limited than bird fruit trees using three defi nitions of dispersal syndromes based on fruit color. Our results suggest that the dispersal abilities of primary consumers may aff ect the distribution of primary producers at large spatial scales.
A Review of Combined Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry

Abstract The area of research involving the on-line combination of mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography has recently experienced a period of intense growth. A dependable LC-MS combination is eagerly awaited for by many researchers. The salient features of the combination aspect of LC-MS are analyzed in this review. LC-MS may operate in either the off-line or the on-line mode. The off-line mode is illustrated with the analytical measurement of biologically important peptides.
A School‐Based Multilevel Preventive Intervention: Issues in Program Development and Evaluation

This article describes conceptual, methodological, and practical issues of prevention research generally and specifically relevant to a school-based primary and secondary prevention effort to reduce the prevalence of learning and emotional disorders in primary grade children.
Some quantitative aspects of ion regulation in teleosts

Abstract 1. 1. Data are presented which indicate that little or no significant transfer of water or ions occurs across the general body surface of teleosts. 2. 2. The contribution of chloride cells to regulation of sodium is limited and/or totally unnecessary in some teleosts in fresh water. 3. 3. Data relating to permeability changes of gills of euryhaline fishes transferred from sea water to fresh water are discussed.
Phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase/AKT and survivin pathways as critical targets for geranylgeranyltransferase I inhibitor-induced apoptosis

Geranylgeranyltransferase I inhibitors (GGTIs) represent a new class of anticancer drugs. However, the mechanism by which GGTIs inhibit tumor cell growth is still unclear. Here, we demonstrate that GGTI-298 and GGTI-2166 induce apoptosis in both cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant human ovarian epithelial cancer cells by inhibition of PI3K/AKT and survivin pathways. Following GGTI-298 or GGTI-2166 treatment, kinase levels of PI3K and AKT were decreased and survivin expression was significantly reduced. Ectopic expression of constitutively active AKT2 and/or survivin significantly rescue human cancer cells from GGTI-298-induced apoptosis. Previous studies have shown that Akt mediates growth factor-induced survivin, whereas p53 inhibits survivin expression. However, constitutively active AKT2 failed to rescue the GGTIs downregulation of survivin. Further, GGTIs suppress survivin expression and induce programmed cell death in both wild-type p53 and p53-deficient ovarian cancer cell lines. These data indicate that GGTI-298 and GGTI-2166 induce apoptosis by targeting PI3K/AKT and survivin parallel pathways independent of p53. Owing to the fact that upregulation of Akt and survivin as well as inactivation of p53 are frequently associated with chemoresistance, GGTIs could be valuable agents to overcome antitumor drug resistance.
Rare sensory and autonomic disturbances associated with vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency is an important nutritional disorder causing neurological manifestations of myelopathy, neuropathy and dementia. Sub-acute combined degeneration (SCD) with involvement of the posterior columns in the cervical and thoracic cord is a common presentation of this disorder. In this case report, we describe a 43 year old woman with pernicious anemia and myelopathy with atypical clinical features. The patient presented with motor symptoms, a sensory level and bladder dysfunction. She had severe autonomic disturbances including an episode of unexplained bronchospasm, which has not been previously reported as a manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency. We review the literature regarding these rarely reported features of vitamin B12 deficiency, and discuss aspects of management of this reversible condition. We emphasize the importance of awareness of autonomic disturbances in B12 deficient individuals.
Chronic anterior pallidal stimulation for Parkinson's disease.

We present the case of a 51-year-old female who had a four-year history of Parkinson's disease with severe “on-off ” and disabling progression of symptoms on chronic levodopa therapy.
Experience with fast neutron therapy for unresectable carcinoma of the pancreas

Abstract The records of 70 patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas treated with radiotherapy were reviewed. Fifteen were treated with 50-MeVd→Be neutrons or a combination of 50-MeVd→Be neutrons and 25–32 MeV photons (neutron group), 30 with external beam photons alone (photon group) and 25 with radioactive gold-grain implantation (198Au-implant group). The 12-month survival rate was 40 % ( 6 15 ) for the neutron group; three patients in this group were living at the time of analysis, 16, 19, and 42 months from the date of diagnosis. By comparison, the 12-month survival rate was 2396 (7/30) for the photon group mad 32% ( 8 25 ) for the 198Au-implant group. The actuarial survival curve for the neutron group was significantly better than the survival curve for the pboton group (Wilcoxon test7: p = .03). Altbough the difference between the survival curves for the neutron and 198Au-implant groups is not statistically significant, the neutron patients presented more advanced disease than those treated with radioactive gold-grain implants. No radiotherapy complications were observed in the neutron group, whereas 396 ( 1 30 ) of patients in the photon group and 2496 ( 6 25 ) of patients in the 198Au-implant group developed major complications.
Dietary energy density increases during early childhood irrespective of familial predisposition to obesity: results from a prospective cohort study.

This study compared 4-year changes in daily energy density (ED; kcal/g) in children born at different risk for obesity, characterized the stability of ED and examined associations between ED and child body composition. Prospective cohort study to measure habitual dietary ED of children who are born at different risk for obesity. Children who were born at high risk (n=22) or low risk (n=27) for obesity based on maternal pre-pregnancy weight. Three-day food records were collected from children's mothers at child ages 3, 4, 5 and 6 years. Three categories of ED were computed (food only, food and milk, and food and all beverages) and body composition assessed at each year. The mean (±s.e.m.) ED increased over time across all children (linear trend: P 0.05). Dietary ED increased in young children, irrespective of their predisposition to obesity, between the ages of 3 and 6 years. The genes that promote childhood obesity may not exert their influence through dietary ED, which may be more strongly influenced by environmental factors.
Impact of Pulmonary Hypertension on Tricuspid Valve Function

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) results in increased right ventricle (RV) afterload leading to RV remodeling, tricuspid regurgitation (TR), and RV failure. Though characterizing the mechanisms of TR in PAH may suggest new treatment strategies, the mechanisms leading to TR in PAH have not been characterized. In the present study, eleven porcine tricuspid valves were studied in an in vitro right heart simulator. Annular dilatations of 1.2 and 1.4 times normal area, papillary muscle (PM) displacement simulating concentric RV dilatation and eccentric RV dilatation due to concomitant left ventricle dysfunction, and two levels of PAH hemodynamics were simulated independently and in combination. Relative TR, tenting area (TA) along each coaptation line, and coaptation area (CA) of each leaflet were quantified. Results showed a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in TR with both increased mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and annular dilatation of 1.4 times normal. Increased mPAP significantly decreased TA but tended to increase CA, while PM displacement significantly increased TA but did not affect CA, suggesting competing effects of transvalvular pressure and leaflet tethering. Annular dilatation significantly decreased anterior and posterior CA but did not affect TA. These results may inform future TV repairs in PAH to reduce TR and improve RV hemodynamics.
Variation in plant species composition in and adjacent to 64 ponds in SE Norwegian agricultural landscapes

Abstract All vascular plants, classified by life and growth form into aquatic species (hydrophytes and helophytes) and terrestrial species of pond margins, were inventoried in 64 SE Norwegian agricultural landscape ponds and their adjacent margins for which also 56 explanatory variables were recorded. Gradients in species composition, found separately for aquatic and terrestrial species by parallel DCA and GNMDS ordinations, were interpreted by correlation and geostatistical analyses. The main gradients in species composition given by the first DCA ordination axes for aquatic and terrestrial species were strongly correlated, and both were related to water chemical and geographical variables. The second gradient in aquatic species composition was only weakly related to explanatory variables while for terrestrial species the second axis (like the first) was related to geographical, water chemical and some anthropological impact variables. The spatial structure of most explanatory variables was relatively weak, with a range of influence of 3–6 km. Species composition gradients and species richness variation of the investigated ponds and pond margins were thus to a large extent explained by the same variables. Like species richness, species composition was relatively weakly related to recorded explanatory variables. These two main characteristics of the investigated ecosystem thus both underpin the view that apparent randomness is important in this ecosystem and that ponds and their adjacent margins represent islands in the agricultural landscape that accumulate species more or less individualistically.
A Production Approach to Performance of Banks with Microfinance Operations

Banking institutions, nowadays, serve as intermediaries of funds to a variety of clients, including the micro enterprisers. This study analyzes and measures the performance of rural and thrift banks with microfinance operations in the Philippines, using combined measures of data envelopment analysis and traditional financial performance indicators. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) method is employed to measure the productive efficiency of these banks under the production approach. The variable returns to scale is also used, with the assumption that not all banks are operating at optimal scale over the long-run period. DEA findings reveal that sample banks performed below the production frontier. The average technical efficiency score of these banks is 66.09% and additional 33.91% is needed to reach the production frontier. Overall, thrift banks are found to be more productively efficient than rural banks as depository banks. The authors have also found a strong relationship between financial performance measures and bank's productive efficiency. For thrift banks, sustainability, ROE and ROA measures showed a statistically significant positive correlation to the banks' productive efficiency while a negative relationship was observed in rural banks. Lastly, the authors can suggest that both DEA's productive efficiency and financial performance measures are consistently and strongly correlated when evaluating the overall performance of banks with microfinance operations.
Diamide amino-imidazoles: a novel series of γ-secretase inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract The synthesis and structure–activity relationship (SAR) of a novel series of di-substituted imidazoles, derived from modification of DAPT, are described. Subsequent optimization led to identification of a highly potent series of inhibitors that contain a β-amine in the imidazole side-chain resulting in a robust in vivo reduction of plasma and brain Aβ in guinea pigs. The therapeutic index between Aβ reductions and changes in B-cell populations were studied for compound 10h.
Vassar Miller, swimming on concrete.

Vassar Miller, born in 1924 with cerebral palsy, became a significant poet of astonishing range and power, in spite of her profound physical hardships. In eight books, culminating in publication of her collected poems, If I Had Wheels or Love (1991). Her major subjects are her affliction, her sexuality, poetry itself, and---most often---her religious faith, all eloquently reflected through her command of both formal prosodies and organic verse forms, as well as through her anger and her somtimes wicked wit. Bruce Kellner was her correspondent, initmate friend, explicator in printer, and occasional partner in poetry readings, for nearly twenty-five years, until her death in 1998. His memoir accounts for their relationship.
FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF STAPHYLOCOCCI WITHIN HUMAN LEUKOCYTES

A specific serum factor was required for rapid phagocytosis of pathogenic staphylococci by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes when the ingestion process was studied in siliconed glass systems and the concentrations of staphylococci were maintained at low levels. In contrast to certain other microbes, the resistance to phagocytosis which characterized pathogenic staphylococci was relative, and phagocytosis was readily accomplished when large populations of staphylococci were present in the test system. A factor promoting phagocytosis was present in eight of eight normal adult sera. In contrast, the sera of twenty-eight of thirty normal rabbits did not promote phagocytosis. Serum obtained from 2 rabbits maintained in the rabbit colony for several months acquired the ability to opsonize pathogenic staphylococci. The phagocytosis-promoting factor was almost completely removed by prior absorption of test sera with the homologous strain. The factor was incompletely removed by absorption with heterologous strains of pathogenic staphylococci and was not significantly reduced by absorption with coagulase-negative staphylococci or unrelated microorganisms. Present evidence suggests that the factor promoting phagocytosis is a thermostable opsonin. While the activity of heated serum could not be restored by the addition of small amounts of fresh serum or complement, the addition of large amounts of complement partially restored opsonic activity. Incubation of staphylococci in fresh serum prior to heat inactivation did not reduce subsequent phagocytosis, further suggesting the heat stability of the phagocytosis-promoting factor. Preliminary studies correlating the presence of antistaphylococcal hemagglutinins and phagocytosis-promoting factor in certain sera suggest that the two factors were not necessarily related. The phagocytosis of staphylococci in fresh human serum was inhibited by the addition of fresh or inactivated rabbit serum. Further studies on the nature of such inhibition are in progress. Once ingestion was accomplished, coagulase-positive staphylococci consistently survived in significant numbers within the cytoplasm of human granulocytes. Coagulase-negative staphylococci appeared to be destroyed within the leukocyte and could not be recultured from the cytoplasm following 3 to 4 hours of intracellular residence.
Practical Workload Assessment in the Development Process

The objective was to structure the concept of workload in a practical way which would permit Human Factors Systems Engineers to apply this concept to various phases of the development process. Workload is a qualitative rather than absolute concept which, like motivation, is inferred to exist by measuring the relative behavioral reactions to certain conditions. Workload may be thought of as an intervening variable between physical, mental, visual, vocal, or auditory antecedent conditions, and whatever performance-based, subjective or physiological measures that may be sensitive enough to reflect changes in the antecedent conditions. The practical approach has been to consider workload as the number of things to do modified by the level of difficulty. This concept has successfully permitted HF Systems Engineers to assess operator workload at progressive levels of system development.
Temporary and permanent government spending in an open economy: Some evidence for the United Kingdom

Abstract This paper investigates the effects of government spending changes on a small open economy in an intertemporal substitution framework. If agents internalize the government's budget constraint, temporary and permanent spending have different implications for wealth and consequently different effects on output and the balance of trade. Estimation of these effects isolates the different channels through which government spending can influence economic activity. Main findings for the United Kingdom are that government spending (i) crowds out private spending, (ii) is directly productive, and (iii), when rising permanently, leads to a negative wealth effect which induces a large rise in work effort.
Electron-irradiation-induced nucleation and growth in amorphous LaPO4, ScPO4, and zircon

Synthetic LaPO4, ScPO4, and crystalline natural zircon (ZrSiO4) from Mud Tanks, Australia were irradiated by 1.5 MeV Kr+ ions until complete amorphization occurred as indicated by the absence of electron-diffraction maxima. The resulting amorphous materials were subsequently irradiated by an 80 to 300 keV electron beam in the transmission electron microscope at temperatures between 130 and 800 K, and the resulting microstructural changes were monitored in situ. Thermal anneals in the range of 500 to 600 K were also conducted to compare the thermally induced microstructural development with that produced by the electron irradiations. Amorphous LaPO4 and ScPO4 annealed to form a randomly oriented polycrystalline assemblage of the same composition as the original material, but zircon recrystallized to ZrO2 (zirconia) + amorphous SiO2 for all beam energies and temperatures investigated. The rate of crystallization increased in the order: zircon, ScPO4, LaPO4. Submicrometer tracks of crystallites having a width equal to that of the electron beam could be “drawn” on the amorphous substrate. In contrast, thermal annealing resulted in epitaxial recrystallization from the thick edges of the TEM samples. Electron-irradiation-induced nucleation and growth in these materials can be explained by a combination of radiation-enhanced diffusion as a result of ionization processes and a strong thermodynamic driving force for crystallization. The structure of the amorphous orthophosphates may be less rigid than that of their silicate analogues because of the lower coordination across the PO4 tetrahedron, and thus a lower energy is required for reorientation and recrystallization. The more highly constrained monazite structure-type recovers at a lower electron dose than the zircon structure-type, consistent with recent models used to predict the crystalline-to-amorphous transition as a result of ion irradiation.
Contact stomatitis to rubber products

Abstract The literature is reviewed with respect to reported cases of rubber-induced contact stomatitis. In the case reported here, a 25-year-old woman had redness and swelling of the buccal mucosa in an area contacted by orthodontic rubber bands. Standardized epicutaneous patch tests using a specific test series for rubber components were carried out to confirm clinical suspicion of allergic contact stomatitis to rubber.
Probing the Role of Dynamics in Hydride Transfer Catalyzed by Lactate Dehydrogenase

The dynamic nature of the interconversion of pyruvate to lactate as catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is characterized by laser-induced temperature jump relaxation spectroscopy with a resolution of 20 ns. An equilibrium system of LDH·NADH plus pyruvate and LDH·NAD+ plus lactate is perturbed by a sudden T-jump, and the relaxation of the system is monitored by NADH emission and absorption changes. The substrate binding pathway is observed to be similar, although not identical, to previous work on substrate mimics: an encounter complex is formed between LDH·NADH and pyruvate, which collapses to the active Michaelis complex. The previously unresolved hydride transfer event is characterized and separated from other unimolecular isomerizations of the protein important for the catalytic mechanism, such as loop closure, a slower step, and faster events on the nanosecond-microsecond timescales whose structural basis is not understood. The results of this study show that this approach can be applied quite generally to enzyme systems and report on the dynamic nature of proteins over a very wide time range.
Adiponectin in relation to childhood myeloblastic leukaemia.

Adiponectin, an adipocyte-specific secretory protein known to induce apoptosis, has been reported to be inversely related to breast and endometrial cancers and recently found to inhibit proliferation of myeloid but not lymphoid cell lines. We hypothesised that adiponectin may be inversely associated with acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML), but not with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of B (ALL-B) or T (ALL-T) cell origin in children. Blood samples and clinical information were collected over the period 1996–2000 from 201 children (0–14 years old) with leukaemia (22 AML, 161 ALL-B and 18 ALL-T cases) through a national network of childhood Hematology-Oncology units in Greece and from 201 controls hospitalised for minor pediatric ailments. Serum adiponectin levels were measured under code, at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA using a radioimmunoassay procedure. Each of the three leukaemia groups was compared with the control group through multiple logistic regression. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for an increase of adiponectin equal to 1 s.d. among controls were estimated controlling for gender, age, as well as for height and weight, expressed in age–gender-specific centiles of Greek growth curves. Adiponectin was inversely associated with AML (OR=0.56; 95% CI, 0.34–0.94), whereas it was not significantly associated with either ALL-B (OR=0.88; 95% CI, 0.71–1.10) or ALL-T (OR=1.08; 95% CI, 0.67–1.72). Biological plausibility and empirical evidence point to the importance of this hormone in the pathogenesis of childhood AML.