cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-GG-AUD-06: Stray Radiation Exposure During Proton Radiotherapy of the Prostate: The Influence of the Patient On Scatter and Production

Purpose: To characterize the scatter, production, and attenuation of secondary radiation in patients receiving passively‐scattered protonradiotherapy for prostate cancer.Methods and Materials: A proton therapytreatment was simulated using a Monte Carlo model of a double scattering treatment machine. Whole body effective dose (E) from secondary radiation was estimated from a weighted sum of doses to the major organs in an anthropomorphic phantom. The effect of the patient on secondary dose was quantified by comparing E with ambient dose equivalent, H*(10), which was based on free‐in‐air spectral fluence calculations at isocenter. Various treatment parameters (proton beam energy, range modulation width, field size, and snout position) were varied in order to study their influence on E and H*(10). Results: The calculated E for the simulated treatment was 7.8 mSv/Gy, while the calculated H*(10) at isocenter was 16 mSv/Gy. Both E and H*(10) approximately doubled over the range of modulation widths and energies studied. As field size increased from 0×0 to 15×15, E doubled, while H*(10) decreased by 30%. When the snout position was changed from 30 cm to 48 cm, E decreased by less than 20%, while H*(10) decreased by 44% over the same interval. Simulations revealed that, while E is predominated by neutrons generated in the nozzle, neutrons produced in the patient contributed significantly (up to 40%) to dose equivalent in near‐field organs. In most cases, H*(10) provided a conservative estimate of E. However — because H*(10) does not account for neutrons created in the patient — it did not conservatively estimate E for large field sizes, where neutron production in the patient becomes significant. Conclusions:Neutrons generated in the patient contribute significantly to exposures to organs near the irradiated volume. When evaluating stray radiation exposure, production, scatter, and attenuation in the patient should be taken into consideration.
Egg presence and developmental stage influence spawning-site choice by female garibaldi

During the spawning season, male garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus (Pomacentridae), defend algal nests within permanent territories on which females deposit eggs. Eggs in the early stages of development are bright yellow and turn grey as development proceeds. Field observations indicated that females preferentially approached nests with eggs in the early stages of development prior to or in the absence of male courtship and were more likely to spawn in such nests than in empty nests or nests with only eggs in the advanced stages of development. Field experiments involving pairwise manipulations of nests with eggs revealed that, between nests, those that retained eggs in the early stages of development were significantly more likely to receive new eggs before nests that were completely stripped of such eggs or retained only eggs in the advanced stages of development. Within nests containing eggs in both the early and advanced stages of development, females deposited eggs only among other eggs in the early stage. The presence of eggs in the early stage is at least one factor influencing the observed choice pattern. Female preference to deposit eggs among other eggs in the early stages of development is predicted by theoretical and empirical studies on male care strategies and the sources of egg mortality among fishes with paternal egg-care.
Rational software architect: a tool for domain-specific modeling

Rational Software Architect (RSA), the latest generation Rational® modeling tool, is based on EclipseTM Modeling Framework (EMF) technology. RSA offers all the important features of the previous generation of Rational modeling tools, while supporting a much wider range of model formats. RSA diagrams can be used in editing and displaying models derived from any EMF-based metamodel. The combination of RSA and EMF provides a powerful capability for integrating domain-specific languages (DSLs) with UML® in a single toolset. This paper describes how RSA and EMF provide these capabilities and explores some of the ways that IBM is currently exploiting them.
Classification of cell lines derived from undifferentiated lymphomas according to their expression of complement and Epstein-Barr virus receptors: Implications for the relationship between African and American Burkitt's lymphoma

Abstract Twenty-seven cell lines derived from undifferentiated lymphomas of Burkitt's and non-Burkitt's type, 26 of which possess the 8:14 chromosome translocation, have been characterized with regard to their expression of complement and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) receptors and their susceptibility to theophylline-induced modification of receptor expression. The cell lines fall into six groups, three EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA) negative and three EBNA positive. The three EBNA-negative groups appear to represent different stages of differentiation—the first in which EBV to complement receptors are not expressed and cannot be induced, a second in which low levels of both receptors are expressed and induction of higher levels can be achieved with theophylline, and a third in which high levels of complement and EBV receptors are already present. EBNA-positive cell lines are either virus producers or virus nonproducers. Nonproducer lines fall into two groups which are distinguished by their degree of expression of complement receptor. The difference between the groups is particularly well shown by their ability of bind FBC at different temperatures (37 and 0.5°C). EBV producer lines express low levels of both EBV and complement receptors. These data suggest that tumors diagnosed histologically as undifferentiated lymphoma are neoplastic counterparts not of a single cell type, but of a spectrum of cell types, although together these cell types represent only a small part of the B-lymphocyte differentiation sequence. Whether individual tumors contain uniform cell population or cells at different stages of differentiation remains to be determined, but African and American tumors are primarily distinguished by their respectively low and high levels of expression of EBV and complement receptors.
Right Colon, Sigmoid Colon, and Transverse Colon Diverticulitis in the Same Patient: Report of a Case

Although sigmoid colon diverticulitis is frequently seen, right colon and transverse colon diverticulitis remain rare forms of the disease. This case report examined the disease course of a 46-year-old female who first presented to our institution in 1990 with perforated right-sided diverticulitis. During the next 11 years, she developed sigmoid colon diverticulitis and then transverse colon diverticulitis. The right and sigmoid colon diverticulitis were treated with surgery and the transverse colon diverticulitis was managed conservatively. This is the first reported case of a single patient who had separate episodes of diverticulitis in the right, transverse, and sigmoid colon. The evaluation and management of this patient has mirrored a trend in the literature and clinical practice.
Energy transfer mechanisms in LMR rod bundles under mixed convection conditions

Abstract The energy transfer mechanisms operative under mixed convection conditions in heated rod arrays are identified. The relative importance of these various mechanisms of energy transfer has been assessed and is presented in regime maps which allow the designer and experimentalist to rapidly assess the characteristics of an operating regime and the capabilities needed in an analysis tool to treat such a regime. Azimuthal heater rod conduction is important for boron nitride insulated rods typically utilized in out-of-pile sodium tests. Therefore the comparison of energy transfer mechanisms necessitated the development of a correlation for azimuthal heater rod conduction. This correlation has been derived from a physical model formulated to describe this conduction effect. The proposed correlation has been tested against experimental data from out-of-pile tests and has been proven accurate for predicting the azimuthal heater rod conduction effect in LMR rod bundles.
Seismic Design Guidelines for Port Structures

Working Group 34 was formed by the International Navigation Association ‘‘to focus international attention on the devastating effects of earthquakes on port facilities.’’ The Working Group subsequently prepared this book of seismic design guidelines with the hope that it would have broad international support and, through continued revisions, will contribute to mitigating seismic disasters in ports worldwide.
Distribution of Pseudacteon spp. (Diptera: Phoridae), biological control agents of Solenopsis spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Louisiana and associated prevalence of Kneallhazia solenopsae (Microsporidia: Thelohaniidae)

Abstract Phorid flies, Pseudacteon spp. (Diptera: Phoridae), have been released in the United States since 1996 as biological control agents for imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, Solenopsis richteri Forel, and their hybrid (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). A statewide survey was conducted in Louisiana during 2009 and 2010 to determine the distribution of Pseudacteon tricuspis Borgmeier and Pseudacteon curvatus Borgmeier, and to quantify the potential spatial association between the two species. Additionally, collected phorid flies were tested for the microsporidium Kneallhazia ( =Thelohania ) solenopsae (Knell, Allen, and Hazard), another natural enemy of fire ants, to establish an account of the pathogen’s distribution and prevalence in phorid fly populations. P. tricuspis and P. curvatus have expanded their range from four and three separate release sites, respectively, in Louisiana. By 2010, P. tricuspis and P. curvatus occupied approximately 86,600 and 111,900 km 2 , respectively. Overall, P. curvatus was more abundant than P. tricuspis , with 41.9 ± 7.3 (SE) and 9.8 ± 1.5 (SE) females, respectively, collected on average per sampling site in 2009. Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs (SADIE) suggested aggregation for the two phorid fly species. P. tricuspis collections were positively associated with P. curvatus collections, indicating that gaps and clusters of both species generally overlapped. K. solenopsae was detected in 22 of 64 parishes, and among 124 collection sites tested, 19% yielded positive responses for K. solenopsae . P. tricuspis males and females and P. curvatus females were found to harbor K. solenopsae . This study is the first to detect K. solenopsae in P. tricuspis .
The impact of gender and immediacy on willingness to talk and perceived learning

The researchers surveyed 256 undergraduate students at a small liberal arts university for their perceptions of perceived learning, willingness to talk in class, and instructor verbal and nonverbal immediacy behavior, with responses grouped by instructor gender and student gender. Instructor verbal immediacy behavior was positively related to a student's willingness to talk in class, while gender was not a factor for this outcome. Instructor verbal immediacy behavior was positively related to a student's perceived learning. While students perceived more learning from a professor of the same gender, the effect was strongly mediated by instructor verbal immediacy behavior.
Bioethics in popular science: evaluating the media impact of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on the biobank debate

The global expansion of biobanks has led to a range of bioethical concerns related to consent, privacy, control, ownership, and disclosure. As an opportunity to engage broader audiences on these concerns, bioethicists have welcomed the commercial success of Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 bestselling book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. To assess the impact of the book on discussion within the media and popular culture more generally, we systematically analyzed the ethics-related themes emphasized in reviews and articles about the book, and in interviews and profiles of Skloot. We conducted a content analysis of a population of relevant English-language articles and transcripts (n = 125) produced by news organizations and publications in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain/Ireland, and Australia/New Zealand. We scored each article for the emphasis and appearance of 9 ethics-related themes. These were informed consent, welfare of the vulnerable, compensation, scientific progress, control/access, accountability/oversight, privacy, public education, and advocacy. The informed consent theme dominated media discussion, with almost 39.2 percent of articles/transcripts featuring the theme as a major focus and 44.8 percent emphasizing the theme as a minor focus. Other prominent themes and frames of reference focused on the welfare of the vulnerable (18.4 percent major emphasis; 36.0 percent minor emphasis), and donor compensation (19.2 percent major; 52.8 percent minor). Ethical themes that comprised a second tier of prominence included those of scientific progress, control/access, and accountability/oversight. The least prominent themes were privacy, public education, and advocacy. The book has been praised as an opportunity to elevate media discussion of bioethics, but such claims should be re-considered. The relatively narrow focus on informed consent in the media discussion generated by Skloot’s book may limit the ability of ethicists and advocates to elevate attention to donor control, compensation, patenting, privacy, and other ethical issues. Still, ethicists should view the book and a pending major TV film translation as opportunities to highlight through media outreach, consultation exercises and public forums a broader range of bioethical concerns that would otherwise be under-emphasized in news coverage. Such efforts, however, need to be carefully planned and evaluated.
Some yield components and ideotype traits in meadowfoam, a new industrial oil crop

Three populations of Limnanthes alba and five of L. douglasii were investigated for relative growth rates, leaf area index, flowering time, seed and oil yield, seed size and shattering. Within each species the early flowering populations had the highest seed yield. Most accessions developed adequate leaf canopy by the time of onset of flowering.
D2O-Alanine exchange reactions catalyzed by Alanine Racemase and Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase

Abstract NMR studies in D2O (>90%) reveal that Alanine Racemase (5.1.1.1.) from B. subtilis catalyzes the exchange of the α hydrogen of D - and L -alanine with D2O. Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase (2.6.1.2.) and Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (2.6.1.1.) catalyze the exchange of α and β hydrogens of L -alanine. The rates of exchange of α and β hydrogens appear to be of the same order of magnitude. The transaminase catalyzed exchange is enhanced by catalytic amounts of pyruvate. The side chain of L -alanine is held more rigidly at the active site of transaminase so that the planar conjugated system can be extended to include the α and β carbons. A generalized mechanism is proposed for the action of pyridoxal phosphate dependent transaminases which extends Braunstein and Snell mechanism to include the structures which contribute to the labilization of β hydrogens of amino acids by the transaminases that have been studied.
Circular Dichroism and NMR Studies of Metabolically Stableα-Methylpolyamines: Spectral Comparison with Naturally Occurring Polyamines

Abstract Three synthetic polyamine analogs, α-methylspermine, and α,α′-dimethylspermine, were compared with their naturally occurring counterparts, spermidine and spermine, by two different spectral techniques. The interaction of polyamines with oligodeoxynucleotides was measured by circular dichroism in order to monitor the polyamine-induced conversion of right-handed B-DNA to the left-handed Z-form. The methylated analogs were shown to be equally effective as the natural polyamines in inducing the B → Z transition. The pH dependence of the chemical shift of all carbon atoms in each of the five polyamines was measured by 13 C-NMR spectroscopy. With the exception of expected changes in chemical shift due to the presence of the α-methyl substituents, the chemical shifts and pH dependence of all carbon atoms in the three α-methyl polyamines were similar to the corresponding naturally occurring polyamines. The combined data indicate that α-methyl polyamines have physical properties that are very similar to their natural counterparts. The two metabolically stable polyamine analogs, α-methylspermidine and α,α′-dimethylspermine, are therefore useful surrogates for spermidine and spermine in the study of numerous polyamine-mediated effects in mammalian cell cultures and can be used in such studies without the requirement for coadministration of amine oxidase inhibitors.
Cellular distribution of RNA populations in 16-cell stage embryos of the sand dollar, Dendraster excentricus.

Abstract RNA was extracted from pure preparations of micromeres and meso-plus macromeres isolated from 16-cell stage embryos of Dendraster excentricus. Molecular hybridization-competition experiments disclosed that the binding of 16-cell stage labeled RNA to denatured sperm DNA was competed equally well by micromere RNA, meso-plus macromere RNA, total 16-cell RNA and unfertilized egg RNA, indicating the egg-type populations were distributed almost equally in the different blastomeres. In contrast, experiments with 3H-RNA extracted from micromeres obtained from pulse-labeled 16-cell stage embryos showed qualitative differences when unfertilized egg RNA and total 16-cell stage RNA were used as competitors. Such differences in RNA populations could not be detected in 3H-RNA isolated from the meso-plus macromere fraction.
Anterior cervicoplasty in the male patient

Most men develop visible redundant tissue in the anterior neck with aging. Some seek surgical improvement. If the patient does not wish to have a conventional face/neck lift, anterior cervicoplasty is a good option. The procedure accomplishes tightening in the horizontal direction by excising a midline vertical ellipse of skin and subcutaneous fat. The surgeon tightens and lengthens the platysma muscles by suturing the anterior borders of the muscle to each other and by performing one or more Z-plasties in the muscle. A Z-plasty in the skin and subcutaneous tissue predictably creates a mental/cervical crease or angle with precise planning of the location of the horizontal limb. It also provides added length to the vertical skill closure. Every patient has thought that the improved contour of his neck more than offset the presence of a visible scar. In fact, no patient has indicated that his scar has been noticed by others, nor has any patient requested scar revision.
Structural analysis of human phospholipase D1

Activation of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D (PLD) has been proposed to play roles in numerous cellular pathways including signal transduction and membrane vesicular trafficking. We previously reported the cloning of two mammalian genes, PLD1 and PLD2, that encode PLD activities. We additionally reported that PLD1 is activated in a synergistic manner by protein kinase c-alpha (PKC-alpha), ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1), and Rho family members. We describe here molecular analysis of PLD1 using a combination of domain deletion and mutagenesis. We show that the amino-terminal 325 amino acids are required for PKC-alpha activation of PLD1 but not for activation by ARF1 and RhoA. This region does not contain the sole PKC-alpha interaction site and additionally functions to inhibit basal PLD activity in vivo. Second, a region of sequence unique to PLD1 (as compared with other PLDs) known as the "loop" region had been proposed to serve as an effector regulatory region but is shown here only to mediate inhibition of PLD1. Finally, we show that modification of the amino terminus, but not of the carboxyl terminus, is compatible with PLD enzymatic function and propose a simple model for PLD activation.
Challenges of the LHC: the computing challenge

The LHC will generate unprecedented volumes of data, hence meeting the LHC computing needs will require innovative approaches that involve linking storage and computing resources that are distributed worldwide. The success of this strategy will depend on advancing the state of the art in a number of technologies, primarily in the software realm. This paper deals entirely with the LHC off-line computing needs, from raw data to the physics plots (calibration, reconstruction, simulation, analysis).
The Role of History in the DDR

When Walter Ulbricht and other Communist Party leaders returned to Germany from their Soviet exile in April, 1945, they brought with them not only blueprints for the administration and rehabilitation of Germany and for her gradual conversion to socialism,1 but also detailed plans for the Marxist reinterpretation of German history and for the teaching of this revised history in German schools and universities. Work on these plans had been underway for more than a year; it was based on earlier studies designed to refute Nazi conceptions of Germany's past. Similarly, it could draw on efforts to implement the popular-front strategy of the preceding decade, pointing out to non-Marxists that the communist-sponsored anti-fascist popular front (Volksfront) was deeply rooted in German history. This concern with history had gathered further momentum in connection with efforts to denazify German prisoners of war in the Soviet Union. To gain their support for the "National Committee 'Free Germany'," the Volksfront organization set up in the USSR in July, 1943, the communist leaders sought to convince these men that the goals of the Committee accorded with some of the noblest traditions of Germany's past. On this basis outlines were compiled for a new approach to German history, emphasizing the democratic progressive strands of that history. Similarly texts were drawn up to explain the inevitability of the defeat of reactionary Nazism and imperialism at the hands of the forces of progress as represented above all by the Soviet Union. The nation was thus to be led on to the path of peace and progress, but with the ultimate socialist goal barely mentioned. Preparations also were made to train at once teachers who could offer this type of instruction.2
In Therapy We Trust: America's Obsession with Self-Fulfillment

Contents: Chapter 1 ILLNESS A New Cure, A New Faith, 1850-1900 Chapter 2 POVERTY Reformers Offer Treatment, 1890-1930 Chapter 3 MARRIAGE A Science of Personal Relationships, 1920-1940 Chapter 4 WAR The Soldier's Psyche, 1941-1945 Chapter 7 FEELINGS Expressing the Self, 1970-1980 Chapter 8 PERSONAL PROBLEMS and PUBLIC DEBATE
Ladar range image interpolation exploiting pulse width expansion

Laser radar (LADAR) systems produce both a range image and an intensity image. When the transmitted LADAR pulse strikes a sloped surface, the returned pulse is expanded temporally. This makes it possible to estimate the gradient of a surface, pixel by pixel. This paper seeks to find the gradient of the surface of an object from a realistic LADAR return pulse that includes probabilistic noise models. Additionally, optimal and computationally simple interpolation filters are each derived to recover Nyquist-sampled data from data spatially sampled below the Nyquist rate. The filters will then be applied to the embedded information in the gradient to allow the sampling density in the spatial domain to be taken at below the Nyquist criterion while still facilitating an effective 3D reconstruction of an image.
Laser in situ keratomileusis for high hyperopia in awake, autofixating pediatric and adolescent patients with fully or partially accommodative esotropia.

Abstract Purpose: To establish the safety and efficacy of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in pediatric and adolescent patients with bilateral visual acuity of 20/30 or better and accommodative or partially accommodative esotropia. Setting: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA. Methods: The study comprised 30 eyes of 15 consecutive patients with accommodative or partially accommodative esotropia who met eligibility requirements and had bilateral LASIK using the Alcon Summit Autonomous LADARVision® excimer laser to correct a refractive error after January 2001. All patients were awake and autofixating during the procedure. Results: The mean age of the patients was 13.9 years (range 9.1 to 18.8 years) and the mean refractive error, +5.35 diopters (D) (range +3.75 to +8.50 D) with anisometropia of 2.0 D or less. The mean follow-up was 15.7 months (range 9.5 to 22.5 months). No intraoperative complications were encountered. The percentage of undercorrection {100% − [(treatment achieved/treatment attempted) × 100%]} [mean 34% ± 17% (SD), coefficient of variation (SD/mean) 0.50, range 5% to 58%] was higher than expected. Seven patients (47%) required enhancement due to undercorrection of hyperopia with diplopia (6 patients) or astigmatism with decreased visual acuity (1 patient). In this small series, no patient lost best corrected visual acuity or stereo acuity. Conclusion: Laser in situ keratomileusis can safely and effectively reduce refractive error in this group of patients; however, patient selection is extremely critical and enhancement was required in almost half the patients.
Total knees designed for normal kinematics evaluated in an up-and-down crouching machine

We constructed a crouching machine to study the motion of the knee joint, in which a motor was used to wind the quadriceps tendon so as to move the knee from high flexion to extension and back into flexion, while springs simulated hamstrings forces. Seven human cadaveric knees were tested intact and then after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) resection. Motions of the femur, tibia, and patella were recorded by an optical tracking system. We then inserted plastic models representing commonly used total condylar and posterior stabilized knee replacement designs. Femoral motion was described by successive positions of the transverse axis of the femur projected onto the tibial surface. In the knee replacements, motions were similar to that of an ACL-deficient knee. We then tested two new designs with features intended to prevent anterior paradoxical sliding and to promote a medial pivot motion with femoral rollback primarily on the lateral side. The motion path more closely followed that of the normal intact knee. We concluded that motion guiding features in a total knee replacement could reproduce a normal neutral path that might result in functional improvements for the patient.
Neuroprotective effect of acid-sensing ion channel inhibitor psalmotoxin-1 after hypoxia–ischemia in newborn piglet striatum

Na+,Ca2+-permeable acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) is involved in the pathophysiologic process of adult focal brain ischemia. However, little is known about its role in the pathogenesis of global cerebral ischemia or newborn hypoxia-ischemia (H-I). Here, using a newborn piglet model of asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest, we investigated the effect of ASIC1a-specific blocker psalmotoxin-1 on neuronal injury. During asphyxia and the first 30min of recovery, brain tissue pH fell below 7.0, the approximate activation pH of ASIC1a. Psalmotoxin-1 injection at 20min before hypoxia, but not at 20min of recovery, partially protected the striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons in putamen. Psalmotoxin-1 pretreatment largely attenuated the increased protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation of DARPP-32 and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor NR1 subunit and decreased nitrative and oxidative damage to proteins at 3h of recovery. Pretreatment with NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 also provided partial neuroprotection in putamen, and combined pretreatment with psalmotoxin-1 and MK-801 yielded additive neuroprotection. These results indicate that ASIC1a activation contributes to neuronal death in newborn putamen after H-I through mechanisms that may involve protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation of NMDA receptor and nitrative and oxidative stress.
Purine nucleotide synthesis in lymphoblasts cultured from normal subjects and a patient with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.

Human lymphoblasts derived from normal and hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) deficient individuals have been maintained in permanent tissue culture, and comparative studies of their purine metabolism have been undertaken. In agreement with previous observations in fibroblasts, the HGPRT-deficient lymphoblasts (less than 2% normal HGPRT activity) demonstrate threefold increases in the production of purines by the de novo pathway and four- to eightfold increases in intracellular concentrations of 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate (PRPP). The activities of the enzymes of purine metabolism responsible for production and utilization of PRPP were measured under optimal conditions in each cell line. The activities of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT), PRPP synthetase, and PRPP amidotransferase were independent of cell density and were not significantly different in the two cell lines. The K m values of the common substrate, PRPP, were determined in normal lymphoblast extracts for APRT (K m of 0.033 mM), HGPRT (K m of 0.074 mM), and PRPP amidotransferase (K m of 0.3 m M). The relatively low affinity of PRPP amidotransferase for PRPP suggests that deficiency of the HGPRT enzyme with its attendant increase in PRPP concentration should be accompanied by increased in vivo activity of PRPP amidotransferase, the first and presumed rate-limiting enzyme of de novo purine biosynthesis.
A Study of the Feed Consumption of Breeder Males

ABSTRACT Numerous studies have been made previously by various other workers to determine the feed consumption of laying hens, chicks and turkeys. The amount of feed required to obtain certain selected average live weights of young males also has been determined (Titus, 1937) but to the knowledge of the authors, no data have been reported specifically giving the feed consumption of mature breeder males. It has been assumed in most nutritional and economic studies that mature breeder males eat slightly more than the females when fed the same hen ration. This experiment was designed to secure an estimate of the actual feed consumption of such males. Sixteen 1-year-old New Hampshire males (8.7 pound average weight) that were used for breeding purposes at this institution were divided into two groups of eight birds per group. The birds were housed in individual 2′×2′ pens with two birds sharing a waterer and feed hopper. . . .
Risk factors for child neglect

Child neglect is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment in the US, yet it has received comparatively little research attention. This is no doubt in part due to difficulty defining and operationalizing the construct of neglect. Despite these challenges, a small body of literature investigating risk factors for child neglect has accumulated. This paper reviews this literature, providing effect sizes when possible. Parental demographic, psychological, and behavioral characteristics as well as child, family, and neighborhood factors are reviewed. Although few factors have been examined in more than one study, when taken together, the findings suggest that parental behavioral and psychological characteristics may have the largest relations to neglect, and that limited socioeconomic resources are the most consistently documented risk factor for neglect.
The effect of mycophenolate mofetil and polyphenolic bioflavonoids on renal ischemia reperfusion injury and repair.

Purpose: Chronic renal allograft nephropathy is associated with both immune and ischemic injury which may act synergistically to promote an inflammatory response. The immunosupressant mycophenolic acid and the polyphenolic agents curcumin and quercetin possess properties that might ameliorate such injury. We studied the effects of these agents in models of ischemic renal injury and skin allograft rejection. Materials and Methods: Ischemic acute tubular necrosis was produced in rats by renal pedicle occlusion with contralateral nephrectomy. Animals were treated with mycophenolic acid, quercetin and curcumin, or a combination of agents. Animals were killed on days 2 and 7 after operation and tissue samples were collected. Renal tubular apoptosis and cellular proliferation were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Expression of the cytokines RANTES and AIF were evaluated by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Treatment with the polyphenolic compounds alone or in combination with mycophenolic acid was associated with less tubular damage, attenuation of renal inflammation, and prolongation of skin graft survival. A combination of agents decreased serum creatinine on day 2 from 4.5 to 0.9 mg./dl. (p ≤0.01) and at day 7 from 3.8 to 0.6 mg./dl. (p ≤0.01). Treatment with the polyphenolic compounds inhibited apoptosis at day 2. By RT-PCR, RANTES and AIF were detected at high levels on days 2 and 7. Treatment with these agents alone or in combination strongly attenuated this increased expression. Conclusions: The combination of mycophenolic acid with curcumin and quercetin reduces renal injury and facilitates repair. These agents may have a role in therapeutic regimens that are both immunosupressive and renoprotective.
How Aromatic Are Large (4n + 2)π Annulenes?

While the total aromatic stabilization energies (ASE) of the [n]annulenes, from C6H6 to C66H66, converge to ca. 22 kcal/mol, the ASEs per π-electron decrease markedly. Bond length alternation (whic...
Cofactor-mediated Restriction of GATA-1 Chromatin Occupancy Coordinates Lineage-specific Gene Expression

GATA-1 and its cofactor FOG-1 are required for the differentiation of erythrocytes and megakaryocytes. In contrast, mast cell development requires GATA-1 and the absence of FOG-1. Through genome-wide comparison of the chromatin occupancy of GATA-1 and a naturally occurring mutant that cannot bind FOG-1 (GATA-1(V205G)), we reveal that FOG-1 intricately regulates the chromatin occupancy of GATA-1. We identified GATA1-selective and GATA-1(V205G)-selective binding sites and show that GATA-1, in the absence of FOG-1, occupies GATA-1(V205G)-selective sites, but not GATA1-selective sites. By integrating ChIP-seq and gene expression data, we discovered that GATA-1(V205G) binds and activates mast cell-specific genes via GATA-1(V205G)-selective sites. We further show that exogenous expression of FOG-1 in mast cells leads to displacement of GATA-1 from mast cell-specific genes and causes their downregulation. Together these findings establish a mechanism of gene regulation whereby a non-DNA binding cofactor directly modulates the occupancy of a transcription factor to control lineage specification.
Abnormal ballistocardiographic patterns in cardiovascular disease as recorded with the low-frequency, critically-damped ballistocardiograph☆

Abstract Using a high frequency ballistocardiograph, Starr 1,2 has shown that certain abnormal patterns are associated with cardiac disease and that there is an improvement in the pattern of those individuals to whom digitalis is administered. In the present study of pattern abnormalities in disease, the low-frequency, critically-damped ballistocardiograph designed by Nickerson and Curtis 3 has been used because of the belief that it is a superior instrument. 4,5 It has been calibrated by Nickerson, Warren, and Brannon 4 against the method according to the Fick principle, using atrial catheterization. We have attempted to study the patterns qualitatively with the idea of (1) correlating pattern type with specific disease processes, and (2) correlating changes in a series of records with variations in clinical condition following treatment. As an example, we refer to the observations made in patients with coarctation of the aorta, in whom the pattern changes from an abnormal to a normal type after surgical removal of the constricted portion of the vessel. 6
Predicting the anticipated emotional and behavioral responses to an avian flu outbreak.

Background The purpose of this study was to develop a model to predict the emotional and behavioral responses to an avian flu outbreak. Methods The participants were 289 university students ranging in age, income, and ethnic backgrounds. They were presented with scenarios describing avian flu outbreaks affecting their community. They reported their anticipated emotional responses (positive emotion, negative emotion) and behavioral responses (helping, avoidance, sacrifice, illegal behavior) as if the scenarios were actually occurring. They also were assessed on individual differences expected to predict their responses. Results Participants were only modestly familiar with the avian flu and anticipated strong emotional and behavioral responses to an outbreak. Path analyses were conducted to test a model for predicting responses. The model showed that age, sex, income, spirituality, resilience, and neuroticism were related to responses. Spirituality, resilience, and income predicted better emotional responses, and neuroticism and female sex predicted worse emotional responses. Age, sex, income, and spirituality had direct effects on behavior. The emotional responses were directly related to each behavior and mediated the effects of individual differences. Conclusion Emotional responses may be important in predicting behavior after an outbreak of avian flu, and personal characteristics may predict both emotional and behavioral responses.
Lead effects in the chick during selenium deficiency

Abstract 1. Growing chicks (Galius domesticus) were fed a selenium-deficient diet supplemented with 0 or 2000 ppm lead (Pb) and 0 or 0.1 ppm selenium (Se). 2. Selenium addition stimulated growth at 0 but not at 2000 ppm Pb, while Pb depressed growth at both levels of Se. 3. Selenium addition stimulated Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in liver, but Pb was without effect on GSH-Px activity. 4. Lead addition increased non-protein sulfhydryl (NPSH) concentrations in liver, kidney and thigh muscle. NPSH levels were not altered by Se. 5. The reported antagonism between Pb and Se does not appear to be mediated through effects on GSH-Px or NPSH metabolism.
Electrical responses to 1α,25(OH)2-Vitamin D3 and their physiological significance in osteoblasts

Abstract Osteoblasts are a main target for the steroid 1α,25(OH) 2 -Vitamin D 3 (1,25D 3 ), where a major outcome is the modulation of the bone remodeling process. 1,25D 3 deficiency leads to clinical disorders such as osteomalacia and osteoporosis, characterized by a state of insufficiently calcified tissue and bone loss, respectively. In the osteoblast nucleus, 1,25D 3 modulates gene transcription for the synthesis of bone matrix proteins via the Vitamin D receptor (VDR). At the plasma membrane level, 1,25D 3 potentiates ion channel functions, activates signal transduction pathways, and increases cytoplasmic calcium concentrations. So far, no clear physiological significance has been attributed to membrane-initiated 1,25D 3 actions in single cells. To investigate if (a) 1,25D 3 is a modulatory agent of secretion in osteoblasts and (b) the classical VDR is involved in rapid electrical events in the cell membrane, we studied hormone effects on ion channel activities in relation to exocytosis in osteoblasts isolated from VDR knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. This paper is a retrospect of the electrophysiological studies done in our laboratory to date. We found that 1,25D 3 -promoted ion channel responses are coupled to secretion in calvarial osteoblasts, and develop only in the presence of a functional nuclear steroid VDR. This 1,25D 3 -regulated exocytosis in osteoblasts, which takes place within minutes of hormone application, seems to be the natural complement of genomic actions that evolve at a longer time scale. The absence of both 1,25D 3 membrane and nuclear effects in VDR KO osteoblasts may explain bone abnormalities typically found in VDR KO mice.
CD34 progenitor cell subset analyses in normal human bone marrow and marrow harvested after intermediate-dose chemotherapy.

Previous attempts to characterize harvested marrow and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) in order to predict time to and quality of engraftment post autologous bone marrow transplant (autoBMT) have included use of in vitro colony forming unit (CFU) assays. These assays are hampered by interlaboratory variability and are not uniformly predictive. CD34 quantification by flow cytometric technique has also been used to assess the quality of harvested marrow and PBSC. However, a lack of standardization has hampered direct comparison of published reports. We sought to characterize these early lineage-committed CD34+ progenitor cells from non-ficolled harvested marrow with six progenitor cell (PC) panels containing CD34 antibody plus two additional early lineage markers, using multiparameter flow cytometry. The specific gating technique including simultaneous CD34-PE vs. side scatter and forward vs. side scatter, was verified using morphologic analyses of sorted CD34+ cells. An ungated file was initially acquired to assess total CD34+ content. A second file using a CD34 threshold was then acquired to resolve lineage-committed subsets. The % CD34+ cells as well as cells/μl of bone marrow was calculated using cell counts at the time of marrow harvest. Bone marrow (mean total cell dose = 3.8 × 108/kg), obtained from 42 normal donors for allogeneic transplantation was first analyzed. CD34+ cells comprised a mean 1.3% of non-ficolled marrow, with 328 CD34+ cells/μl, and mean CD34+ cells collected was 4.8 × 108/kg. While no significant differences in total cells harvested nor proportion of CD34+ cells was found, a significant decrease in CD34 cells/μl ( = 233, P = .0012) was found in cancer patients. The percentage of CD19+ and CD38+ progenitor cells was significantly increased, while CD5+ and CD71+ cells were decreased. The proportions of all other early lineage-committed CD34 subsets were not different. Measurement of lineage-committed CD34 progenitor cells is a useful technique to characterize harvested marrow and PBSC, and may be applied to predict time and quality of engraftment post ablative conditioning regimens. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The effect of exclusion of the pancreatic secretion by a pancreatic fistula on the reaction of the gastric, duodenal and jejunal contents.

Specimens were obtained of gastric, duodenal and jejunal contents under normal physiologic conditions and their reactions were determined in the fasting state and after various test meals, before and after draining the pancreatic secretion to the outside of the body. The production of a pancreatic fistula caused no change in the reaction of the gastric content during fasting or after the various types of test meal used in the research. However, differences in the reaction of the duodenal content were observed after establishing a pancreatic fistula. Although the range of variation during fasting was quite within normal limits in the two conditions, low determinations were more frequently obtained for the animal with a pancreatic fistula. Protein and carbohydrate meals caused a more rapid decrease of the pH, and the reaction was usually maintained at a decreased level for a longer period before returning toward neutrality than was found before elimination of the pancreatic secretion. These same changes were also observed to a lesser degree with the jejunal content, but only after a protein diet. A comparison of the results following the production of a pancreatic fistula and evulsion of the pancreatic ducts revealed a few more acid determinations in the former after protein and carbohydrate diets. The distinction, however, was slight and should not be emphasized.
Structural insights into sulfite oxidase deficiency

Sulfite oxidase deficiency is a lethal genetic disease that results from defects either in the genes encoding proteins involved in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis or in the sulfite oxidase gene itself. Several point mutations in the sulfite oxidase gene have been identified from patients suffering from this disease worldwide. Although detailed biochemical analyses have been carried out on these mutations, no structural data could be obtained because of problems in crystallizing recombinant human and rat sulfite oxidases and the failure to clone the chicken sulfite oxidase gene. We synthesized the gene for chicken sulfite oxidase de novo, working backward from the amino acid sequence of the native chicken liver enzyme by PCR amplification of a series of 72 overlapping primers. The recombinant protein displayed the characteristic absorption spectrum of sulfite oxidase and exhibited steady state and rapid kinetic parameters comparable with those of the tissue-derived enzyme. We solved the crystal structures of the wild type and the sulfite oxidase deficiency-causing R138Q (R160Q in humans) variant of recombinant chicken sulfite oxidase in the resting and sulfate-bound forms. Significant alterations in the substrate-binding pocket were detected in the structure of the mutant, and a comparison between the wild type and mutant protein revealed that the active site residue Arg-450 adopts different conformations in the presence and absence of bound sulfate. The size of the binding pocket is thereby considerably reduced, and its position relative to the cofactor is shifted, causing an increase in the distance of the sulfur atom of the bound sulfate to the molybdenum.
Mechanisms of Immunity in Typhus Infections IV. Failure of Chicken Embryo Cells in Culture to Restrict Growth of Antibody-Sensitized Rickettsia prowazeki

Rickettsia prowazeki, pretreated with typhus immune human serum, readily infects, and grows in, chicken embryo cells in culture. This finding is similar to those of previous studies which showed that typhus rickettsiae, pretreated with immune serum, grow in cells of the yolk sac of embryonated hen eggs and in the cells of the midgut of the human body louse. In contrast, identically treated typhus rickettsiae were destroyed by human macrophages in culture. Collectively, these observations seem to support an emerging concept that the fate of antibody-sensitized typhus rickettsiae depends upon the presence or absence of certain specialized properties of the host cell into which they gain entrance-nonphagocytic cells or "nonprofessional" phagocytic cells versus certain kinds of "professional" phagocytes. The phenomena involved probably have an important bearing on the mechanisms of the persisting infection and the nonsterile immunity which characterizes convalescence from typhus fever in man. They also form the basis for certain practical technical innovations in the laboratory.
Cloak and Gown: Scholars in the Secret War, 1939-1961

The CIA and its World War II predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), were for many years largely populated by members of Ivy League colleges, particularly Yale. In this highly acclaimed book, Robin Winks explores the underlying bonds between the university and the intelligence communities, introducing a fascinating cast of characters that include safe-crackers and experts in Azerbaijani as well as such social luminaries as Paul Mellon, David Bruce, John P. Marquand, Jr., and William Vanderbilt. This edition of the book includes a new preface by Winks. Reviews of the first edition: "One of the best studies of intelligence in recent years."-Edward Jay Epstein, Los Angeles Times Book Review "The most original book yet written on the interpenetration of counter-intelligence and campus."-Andrew Sinclair, Sunday Times (London) "Winks writes a lively compound of analysis and anecdote to illuminate the bonds between academe and the intelligence community. His book is a towering achievement."-Robert W. Smith, Chicago Sun-Times "Among the more important contributions to the history of Anglo-American espionage to appear this or any other year...Moves with an unfolding pace that any thriller writer might envy. "-Tom Dowling, San Francisco Examiner "A brilliant book."-Sallie Pisani, Journal of American History