cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
T-helper lymphocytes specific for myelin basic protein: activation-induced refractoriness of IL-2 production pathways augments an anti-CD4-mediated proliferative deficit.

Abstract Cloned and uncloned lines of encephalitogenic rat T cells produce IL-2 when activated with myelin basic protein (MBP) in the presence of irradiated splenocytes (SPL). Although these T cells use IL-2 as a primary mediator or autocrine growth, regulatory mechanisms controlling production of IL-2 have yet to be fully defined. This study shows that T cells reactivated within ∼7 days of a prior activation were refractory to the reinduction of MBP-stimulated IL-2 production. In contrast, T cells rested for >7 days regained the ability to produce optimal levels of IL-2 during activation with MBP. Cultures containing both activated and resting T cells responded to MBP by producing levels of IL-2 that were similar to those obtained from control cultures of resting T cells. The lack of IL-2 production during this refractory phase was associated with lowered responsiveness to MBP in proliferative assays as evidenced by right-shifted dose-response curves. However, this refractory phase did not affect the magnitude of responses elicited by optimal concentrations of MBP. The dissociation of proliferation from IL-2 production suggested parallel pathways of autocrine growth. Indeed, anti-MBP-proliferative responses were mediated by two distinct mechanisms distinguished by differential susceptibility to the anti-CD4 mAb W3/25. The W3/25-sensitive proliferation was desensitized in chronically activated T cells as well as in T cells activated once in the presence of the anti-CD4 mAb W3/25. Conversely, MBP responsiveness of W3/25-insensitive proliferation was unchanged by both chronic activation and by a prior activation in the presence of W3/25. In cultures of T cells recently activated by MBP in the presence of W3/25, the use of nonirradiated SPL rather than irradiated SPL reversed W3/25-mediated tolerance but did not restore MBP-stimulated IL-2 production. In summary, this study reveals mechanisms whereby the engagement of TcR and CD4 negatively regulates subsequent responsiveness of IL-2 production pathways and thereby impairs restimulation of IL-2-dependent proliferation by MBP-specific T-helper cells.
Effects of Intense Exercise and Moderate Caloric Restriction on Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Inflammation

Abstract Background Obesity is associated with insulin resistance, inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and atherosclerosis. This study investigates the effects of weight loss, intense exercise, and moderate caloric restriction on insulin resistance, lipids, inflammatory biomarkers, carotid artery distensibility index (CaDI), and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT). Methods Seventeen sedentary morbidly obese contestants in the "Biggest Loser" television program completed the 7-month intense-exercise and moderate-restricting calories program; 3 were excluded due to lack of follow-up CIMT. Serum insulin level, glucose, lipid profile, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), resistin, adiponectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tumor necrosis factor receptor-II (TNFRII), lipoprotein a (Lp[a]), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), blood pressure, body fat, weight, CaDI, and CIMT were measured at baseline and 7-month follow-up. CIMT was measured 5-10 mm below the common carotid bifurcation during mid-diastolic phase. CaDI was defined as: (End-systole – End-diastole common-carotid cross-sectional area)/(End-diastole common-carotid cross-sectional-area × systemic pulse pressure) × 1000. Insulin resistance was calculated by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) index. Results At 7-month follow-up, major reductions in weight (−39%), body fat (−66%), serum insulin level (−52%), glucose (−21%), high-sensitivity CRP (−81%), HbA1c (−11%), PAI-1 (−49%), TNFRII (−12%), and CIMT (−25%), and increases in CaDI (132%), resistin (344%), adiponectin (94%), Lp(a) (73%), and SHBG (94%) were observed. The improvement in CaDI was positively correlated with increases in adiponectin, Lp(a), SBHG, and resistin ( r 2 =0.86, P =.009), but inversely with PAI-1, TNFRII, CRP, and IR ( r 2 =−0.64, P =.01). Strong inverse correlation was noted between decreases in CIMT and increases in CaDI ( r 2 =0.65, P =.001). Conclusion In morbidly obese individuals, intense exercise with moderate caloric restriction over 7 months is associated with a dramatic improvement in carotid vascular function and atherosclerosis risk factors, as well as a reduction in inflammatory biomarkers, lipids, insulin resistance, and CIMT.
Pay Attention! Demonstrating the Role of Attention in Learning

In this demonstration, students receive one of three different sets of directions regarding what to learn about a set of stimulus cards. How attention affects memory is shown by students'' tendency to recall best the characteristic they were told to remember.
Automated quantification of DNA demethylation effects in cells via 3D mapping of nuclear signatures and population homogeneity assessment

Today's advanced microscopic imaging applies to the preclinical stages of drug discovery that employ high-throughput and high-content three-dimensional (3D) analysis of cells to more efficiently screen candidate compounds. Drug efficacy can be assessed by measuring response homogeneity to treatment within a cell population. In this study, topologically quantified nuclear patterns of methylated cytosine and global nuclear DNA are utilized as signatures of cellular response to the treatment of cultured cells with the demethylating anti-cancer agents: 5-azacytidine (5-AZA) and octreotide (OCT). Mouse pituitary folliculostellate TtT-GF cells treated with 5-AZA and OCT for 48 hours, and untreated populations, were studied by immunofluorescence with a specific antibody against 5-methylcytosine (MeC), and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) for delineation of methylated sites and global DNA in nuclei (n = 163). Cell images were processed utilizing an automated 3D analysis software that we developed by combining seeded watershed segmentation to extract nuclear shells with measurements of Kullback-Leibler's (K-L) divergence to analyze cell population homogeneity in the relative nuclear distribution patterns of MeC versus DAPI stained sites. Each cell was assigned to one of the four classes: similar, likely similar, unlikely similar, and dissimilar. Evaluation of the different cell groups revealed a significantly higher number of cells with similar or likely similar MeC/DAPI patterns among untreated cells (approximately 100%), 5-AZA-treated cells (90%), and a lower degree of same type of cells (64%) in the OCT-treated population. The latter group contained (28%) of unlikely similar or dissimilar (7%) cells. Our approach was successful in the assessment of cellular behavior relevant to the biological impact of the applied drugs, i.e., the reorganization of MeC/DAPI distribution by demethylation. In a comparison with other metrics, K-L divergence has proven to be a more valuable and robust tool for categorization of individual cells within a population, with potential applications in epigenetic drug screening. © 2009 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Effect of N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide on renal function and hemodynamics in the anesthetized rat

The experimental agricultural fungicide N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) is a nephrotoxicant in the Fischer 344 rat. NDPS induces nephrotoxicity via metabolic bioactivation to one or more metabolites. Both N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide (NDHS) and N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinamic acid (NDHSA), oxidative metabolites of NDPS, are more potent nephrotoxicants than the parent compound. Preliminary studies in our laboratory indicate that altered renal hemodynamics may contribute to the mechanism of NDPS-induced nephrotoxicity. However, it is not known if NDPS affects renal hemodynamics prior to or after altering tubular function. In this study, male Fischer 344 rats (275-300 g) were anesthetized with urethane (1.5 g/kg, i.p.) and prepared for renal function experiments. Renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine flow rate (V) and fraction of GFR excreted as urine (V/GFR) were determined during eight 30 min intervals following NDHS (0.2 or 0.4 mmol/kg, i.p.) or vehicle (sesame oil, 2.5 ml/kg, i.p.) treatment. NDHS (0.2 or 0.4 mmol/kg) decreased GFR while urine flow rate and V/GFR were increased compared to vehicle-treated controls. These alterations in renal function were evident by 2 h post NDHS (0.4 mmol/kg) and by 3 h post-NDHS (0.2 mmol/kg) treatment. RBF of rats receiving NDHS (0.2 or 0.4 mmol/kg) tended to decrease post-NDHS treatment; however, this decrease was not significant. Results of this study indicate that NDHS (0.2 or 0.4 mmol/kg) initially alters renal function by reducing the tubular reabsorption of glomerular filtrate prior to a reduction of GFR and RBF.
Orf135 from Escherichia coli Is a Nudix Hydrolase Specific for CTP, dCTP, and 5-Methyl-dCTP

Abstract Orf135 from Escherichia coli is a new member of the Nudix (nucleoside diphosphate linked to some other moiety, x) hydrolase family of enzymes with substrate specificity for CTP, dCTP, and 5-methyl-dCTP. The gene has been cloned for overexpression, and the protein has been overproduced, purified, and characterized. Orf135 is most active on 5-methyl-dCTP (k cat/K m = 301,000 m − 1s− 1), followed by CTP (k cat/K m = 47,000m − 1 s− 1) and dCTP (k cat/K m = 18,000m − 1 s− 1). Unlike other nucleoside triphosphate pyrophophohydrolases of the Nudix hydrolase family discovered thus far, Orf135 is highly specific for pyrimidine (deoxy)nucleoside triphosphates. Like other Nudix hydrolases, the enzyme cleaves its substrates to produce a nucleoside monophosphate and inorganic pyrophosphate, has an alkaline pH optimum, and requires a divalent metal cation for catalysis, with magnesium yielding optimal activity. Because of the nature of its substrate specificity, Orf135 may play a role in pyrimidine biosynthesis, lipid biosynthesis, and in controlling levels of 5-methyl-dCTP in the cell.
Whole-cell flagellum-based motility studied using back focal plane interferometry in a laser trap transducer

The biflagellated alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii undergoes light-directed motility by controlling the beating patterns of its flagella. The molecular mechanisms of this control system are debated. To help understand the process we are using a laser trap transducer to capture single, swimming Chlamydomonas by their contractile vacuole - the organelle that allows them to regulate cell volume. Trapping the cell by this organelle enables us to accurately and reproducibly measure the swimming force, beat frequencies and waveforms generated by the flagella. This is a unique approach to understanding the motor mechanisms and regulation of flagella in intact cells.
The accumulation of chondritic material.

Melting of solid bodies in chondrule size, discussing accumulation mechanisms involving electrostatic acceleration and gas motions
Social-ecological resources as mediators of two-year diet and physical activity outcomes in type 2 diabetes patients.

Objective: In behavioral research directed at the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the challenge is to understand how interventions might facilitate long-term lifestyle changes. The Mediterranean Lifestyle Program (MLP) is an intervention for postmenopausal women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that has shown promising effects on outcomes that include increased physical activity and reduced fat consumption. The present study extended previous findings by evaluating diet-specific and activity-specific social-ecological resources as possible mediators of intervention effects over a 2-year period. Main Outcome Measures: Percent calories from saturated fat and caloric expenditure per week in all physical activities were assessed with self-report questionnaires. Results: The MLP was successful in increasing participants' use of diet-specific and activity-specific family/friend and neighborhood resources. There was some evidence that changes in those resources mediated intervention effects on saturated fat consumption and physical activity outcomes. Conclusion: The experimental manipulation of mediators and the demonstrated mediational effects provided some support for the conclusion that social-ecological resources can contribute to improvements in healthful lifestyles for women with type 2 diabetes.
Determination of the Number of Clusters in a Data Set: A Stopping Rule × Clustering Algorithm Comparison

The accuracy of â€œstopping rulesâ€ for determining the number of clusters in a data set is examined as a function of the underlying clustering algorithm being used. Using a Monte Carlo study, various stopping rules, used in conjunction with six clustering algorithms, are compared to determine which rule/algorithm combinations best recover the true number of clusters. The rules and algorithms are tested using disparately sized, artificially generated data sets that contained multiple numbers and levels of clusters, variables, noise, outliers, and elongated and unequally sized clusters. The results indicate that stopping rule accuracy depends on the underlying clustering algorithm being used. The cubic clustering criterion (CCC), when used in conjunction with mixture models or Wardâ€™s method, recovers the true number of clusters more accurately than other rules and algorithms. However, the CCC was more likely than other stopping rules to report more clusters than are actually present. Implications are discussed.
Aldosterone Secretion in Dogs Immunized with Hog Renin

Confirming previously reported observations, the plasma of dogs treated for prolonged periods with hog renin was found to neutralize the pressor and aldosterone-stimulating activities of hog and dog renin. The neutralizing activity was presumably due to antirenin antibodies, since the activity was found in the 7S γ-globulin fraction of the plasma. Sodium and potassium excretion and aldosterone secretion were studied in dogs with high circulating antirenin titers. These immunized dogs conserved sodium normally and increased their aldosterone secretion rate when fed a low sodium diet. However, aldosterone secretion was also increased when these dogs were hypophysectomized and subjected to constriction of the aorta just above the openings of the renal arteries. The immunized dogs were found to have high renal renin contents, the amount of renin paralleling the antirenin titer in the blood. Since there is good evidence that aortic constriction increases renin secretion, the data suggest that dogs immunized wi...
An experimental model of hepatic fibrosis induced by the administration of dibutyltin dichloride.

Abstract Dibutyltin dichloride (DBT) was investigated for its ability to induce hepatic fibrosis in rats. Since hydroxyproline does not appear in significant amounts in noncollagen protein and prolyl residues in collagen are not hydroxylated before they are in peptide-bound form, the conversion of isotopically labeled proline to hydroxyproline by prolyl hydroxylase was taken as one parameter reflecting the rate of collagen formation. In vitro collagen synthesis was determined by incubation of liver biopsies with labeled proline, after which incorporation of label into collagenase-digestible protein was compared to incorporation into collagenase-resistant protein. Hydroxyproline content served as a parameter of collagen accumulation. DBT, administered by oral intubation (10 and 20 mg/kg) daily for 4 days, produced inflammation in portal tracts and biliary damage at the end of this period. Prolyl hydroxylase activity was increased over control values in both treated groups, and in vitro collagen synthesis was increased in the higher dose group. DBT, administered by oral intubation (10 and 20 mg/kg) every other day for 12 days, produced extensive inflammation in portal tracts, biliary damage, fibrosis, necrosis, infarcted areas, and granulomatous lesions. In the higher dose group increases in hydroxyproline content, prolyl hydroxylase activity, and relative collagen synthesis in vitro were observed at the end of the 12-day period. DBT did not increase prolyl hydroxylase activity of L929 cells when added to culture media for 24 hr. These results suggest that DBT-induced fibrogenesis is a result of biliary damage and/or inflammatory processes rather than direct stimulation of fibroblasts.
Entrainment of Air at the Transoms of Full-Scale Surface Ships

The authors report on the results from a series of full-scale trials designed to quantify the air entrainment at the stern of an underway vessel. While an extremely complex region to model air entrainment due to the confluence of the breaking transom wave, bubbles from the bow, turbulence from the hull boundary layer, and bubbles and turbulence from propellers, the region is a desirable area to characterize and understand because it serves as the initial conditions of a ship's far-field bubbly wake. Experiments were conducted in 2003 from R/V Revelle and 2004 from R/V Athena II using a custom-built conductivity probe vertical array that could be deployed at the blunt transom of a full-scale surface ship to measure the void fraction field. The system was designed to be rugged enough to withstand the full speed range of the vessels. From the raw time-series data, the entrainment of air at speeds ranging from 2.1 to 7.2 m/s is computed at various depths and beam locations. The data represent the first such in-situ measurements from a full-scale vessel and can be used to validate two-phase ship hydrodynamic computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes and initialize far-field, bubbly wake CFD models.
Special situations: air leak after lung volume reduction surgery and in ventilated patients.

Patients undergoing lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) and those supported by mechanical ventilation are among our most vulnerable patients. Prolonged air leak in these fragile patients can have dire and fatal consequences. This article describes the incidence of prolonged air leak in these populations,thecausesascribedtotheirdevelopment,and strategies that may be applied to their prevention and treatment. PROLONGED AIR LEAK AFTER LVRS LVRS originated in the work of Brantigan and colleagues, 1 published in 1959. The operation received little attention but was resurrected by Cooper and colleagues 2 in 1993. It became a meaningful treatment of severe emphysema during the 1990s. The theoretical benefits included reduction in airway resistance by restoring lung elastic recoil and the tethering function on small airways; restoration of normal chest wall recoil; improved ventilation-perfusion matching; and reduction in end-expiratory volume, allowing for optimized diaphragmatic excursion and generation of negative intrathoracic pressure. 3,4 LVRS
Phospholipids and active sodium transport in toad bladder

Abstract A study has been made of the phospholipids of the urinary bladder of the toad, Bufo marinus , in relation to Na + transport. The phospholipids were found to contain some 22% of the total phosphate in this tissue. The major phospholipid fractions were identified chromatographically as phosphatidyl inositide, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidic acid. The last named compound, although quantitatively one of the least of the phospholipids had the highest rate of incorporation of 32 P i . Although Na + transport was varied over a considerable range by stimulating it with vasopressin or aldosterone, on the one hand, or by inhibiting it by removing Na + from the mucosal medium or K + from the serosal medium, on the other hand, no relation between Na + transport and the levels of the phospholipids or their rates of incorporation of 32 P i was observed. However, a small fraction of the phosphatidic acid phosphate (some 0.1%) appeared to turn over at a rate comparable to that of the phosphate of ATP and the available evidence does not permit assessment of a possible role of this small moiety in the active transport of Na + .
Use of the residue theorem in locating points within an arbitrary multiply-connected region

Abstract A novel application of the residue theorem from complex variable theory is used to construct an algorithm that determines whether or not a given point lies within a two-dimensional region. The method applies to the most geometrically complex domains characterized by multiple connectivity and non-convexity. The usefulness of the technique is demonstrated with two examples of practical engineering interest.
Accumulation of lycopene and inhibition of cyclic carotenoids in Mycobacteriumin in the presence of nicotine

Abstract In Mycobacterium marinum, carotenoid synthesis can be induced either with light or with antimycin A. The major polyene (90%) synthesized is β-carotene. However, when the induced cells are incubated in the presence of nicotine (5 mM), lycopene accumulates rather than β-carotene. On nicotine removal, the accumulated lycopene is converted to β-carotene. These results, therefore, show that (a) nicotine acts by inhibiting the cyclization step, and (b) lycopene can be cyclized in this organism.
Ultraviolet electroluminescence from ZnO/polymer heterojunction light-emitting diodes.

We report ultraviolet electroluminescence at 390 nm from diode structures consisting of electrodeposited ZnO nanorods sandwiched between a transparent SnO2 film and a p-type conducting polymer. The nanorods are embedded in an insulating polystyrene layer. ZnO deposition occurs at 90 °C and produces vertically oriented nanorods with very high uniformity over areas of ∼20 cm2. Electron diffraction shows the nanorods to be single crystalline wurtzite ZnO. As-grown films show a broad electroluminescence band over the visible spectrum. Annealing at moderate temperatures (T = 300 °C) increases the emission and strongly raises the excitonic contribution. Optimally processed films show a narrow ultraviolet electroluminescence line at ∼390 nm.
Kinetics of the Hg(I)/Hg electrode with consideration of specific adsorption

Summary The kinetics of the Hg(I)/Hg electrode reaction in 1 M HClO4 are re-examined with the galvanostatic and coulostatic pulse methods. Results are interpreted on the basis of coupling between double-layer charging and faradaic charge transfer. Such a coupling is clearly established. Adsorption of mercurous ions is tentatively explained by a linear adsorption isotherm.
Correction: Differential effects of growth hormone and alfa calcidol on trabecular and cortical bones in hypophysectomized rats.

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency in children causes severe growth retardation, vitamin D deficiency, and osteopenia. We investigated whether alfacalcidol (1OHD) alone or in combination with GH can improve bone formation. Forty hypophysectomized female rats (HX) at the age of 8 wk were divided into HX, HX + 1OHD (oral 0.25 microg/kg daily), HX+GH (0.666 mg/0.2 mL SC daily) and HX+GH + 1OHD groups for a 4-wk study. Results showed that GH increased body weight, bone area, bone mineral content (BMC), and bone mineral density (BMD), whereas 1OHD only increased BMC and BMD. In cortical bone, GH increased both periosteal and endocortical bone formation resulting in a significant increase in cortical size and area in percentage, whereas 1OHD suppressed endocortical erosion surface per bone surface (ES/BS) without a significant effect on bone formation rate per bone surface (BFR/BS). In trabecular bone, GH mitigated the bone loss by increasing BFR/BS, whereas the 1OHD effect was by suppression of trabecular bone turnover in the HX rats. The combination of GH and 1OHD had no additive effect on increasing trabecular bone mass. In conclusion, GH activates new bone formation and increases bone turnover whereas 1OHD suppresses bone turnover. The combination intervention does not seem to provide any additive benefit.
A phylogenetic test of the calcichordate scenario

The calcichordate scenario of Jefferies and colleagues purports to explain the origin and early evolution of the phyla Echinodermata and Chordata. Calcichordate proponents have argued that echinoderms are the sister group of the chordates and urochordates are the sister group of the craniates. These phylogenetic hypotheses, which differ from the traditional groupings, are derived primarily from morphological interpretations of carpoids (solutes, cornutes, and mitrates), an enigmatic fossil group usually held to be primitive stem-group echinoderms. Although the scenario has received only limited support, it has yet to be falsified. The difficulty with falsifying the calcichordate scenario is proving that the morphological interpretations, for example, that carpoids possessed notochords, dorsal hollow nerve cords, and other typical chordate or craniate characters, are incorrect. Here, rather than argue over the interpretation of fossils, the phylogenetic hypotheses embedded within the scenario are tested. It is found that the calcichordate scenario fails such a test, even if both the Recent and fossils forms are coded according to the calcichordate scenario. It is argued that: (1) the erection of scenarios must follow the construction of a cladogram; and (2) fossils are unable to dictate the relationships among phyla. □Calcichordate scenario, Carpoidea, Deuterostomia, Echinodermata, Chordata, phylogeny, cladistics.
Grad’s 13-Moment System for a Dense Gas of Inelastic Spheres

Recent theories for rapid deformations of granular materials have attempted to exploit the similarities between the grains of deforming granular mass and the molecules of a disequilibrated gas. Methods from the kinetic theory may then be used to determine, for example, the form of the balance laws for the means of density, velocity, and energy and to calculate specific forms for the mean fluxes of momentum and energy and, in these dissipative systems, the mean rate at which energy is lost in collisions.
Dynamics of elastic and inelastic energy transfer between quantum dots in a microcavity

We develop a theory of exciton energy transfer dynamics between two quantum dots in a planar microcavity. We study the dynamics of quantum dot excitons in three different cases: (i) a single dot coupled only to cavity modes, (ii) two dots coupled to cavity modes, and (iii) two dots coupled to cavity modes and to acoustic phonons. In the latter case, we focus on the process of phonon-assisted inelastic exciton energy transfer between the quantum dots. We take into account phonon effects by introducing a light-matter Hamiltonian with operators describing the exciton-photon-phonon coupling and we truncate the Hilbert space by assuming that at most one excitation is present in the system. Using this approach we simulate the exciton dynamics with realistic parameters in the zero temperature limit. From the dynamics we extract the dependence of the characteristic energy transfer rate as a function of the interdot separation. This theoretical approach can be used to optimize exciton energy transfer by designing structures with engineered photon and phonon density of states.
Protein kinase C signaling during T cell activation induces the endoplasmic reticulum stress response

T cell receptor (TCR) ligation (signal one) in the presence of co-stimulation (signal two) results in downstream signals that increase protein production enabling naive T cells to fully activate and gain effector function. Enhanced production of proteins by a cell requires an increase in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone expression, which is accomplished through activation of a cellular mechanism known as the ER stress response. The ER stress response is initiated during the cascade of events that occur for the activation of many cells; however, this process has not been comprehensively studied for T cell function. In this study, we used primary T cells and mice circulating TCR transgenic CD8+ T cells to investigate ER chaperone expression in which TCR signaling was initiated in the presence or absence of co-stimulation. In the presence of both signals, in vitro and in vivo analyses demonstrated induction of the ER stress response, as evidenced by elevated expression of GRP78 and other ER chaperones. Unexpectedly, ER chaperones were also increased in T cells exposed only to signal one, a treatment known to cause T cells to enter the ‘nonresponsive’ states of anergy and tolerance. Treatment of T cells with an inhibitor to protein kinase C (PKC), a serine/threonine protein kinase found downstream of TCR signaling, indicated PKC is involved in the induction of the ER stress response during the T cell activation process, thus revealing a previously unknown role for this signaling protein in T cells. Collectively, these data suggest that induction of the ER stress response through PKC signaling is an important component for the preparation of a T cell response to antigen.
Lavender, Menaced: Lesbianism, Obscenity Law, and the Feminist Antipornography Movement

This article examines the means by which obscenity law, as an instru- ment of heteronormativity, operated against depictions of lesbianism in the post-World War II United States. As persistent obscenity charges served to reify the conflation of lesbianism and obscenity, bolstering an already operative antigay framework, judicial rulings repeatedly ratified this equation, holding depictions of lesbianism to arbitrary and anoma- lous legal standards that insured its continued stigmatization. After an analysis of case law and the legal targeting of lesbian imagery, the article goes on to argue that this hitherto unexamined story provides a crucial backdrop for understanding lesbian responses to the feminist antipor- nography movement that emerged in the 1970s, as lesbians often proved resistant to a movement whose discourse frequently resonated with earlier legal language utilized in the suppression of lesbian imagery. � �handsmovedalonghersides,�fingerstrailinglightly,�and� thenthemoistpartedlipswereonherleftbreast.�Shegasped� ashererectnipplewasdrawnintothehotmound,�thehot� tonguedancedincrazylittlecirclesaroundandaround.�Then� Bettywasdoingthesamethingontherightbreast.� � "I'monfire,"�Jillwhispered � Bettyraisedherhead.�"I'llputthefireouthoney." 1
Polariscope testing of plastic eyeglass frames to predict stress-induced fracture points

Partially transparent plastic eyeglass frames are susceptible to fracture due to stress from oversized lenses. Using a dark field polariscope, likely fracture points can be predicted.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
LPA receptor 2 mediates LPA-induced endometrial cancer invasion.

Abstract Objective We have previously shown that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) promotes the ovarian cancer metastatic cascade. In this study, we evaluated the role of LPA on endometrial cancer invasion. Methods Transient mRNA knockdown was accomplished using pre-designed siRNA duplexes against LPA receptor 2 (LPA2) and human matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7). RT-PCR was used to characterize LPA receptor and MMP-7 expression. Analysis of in vitro invasion was performed with rat-tail collagen type I coated Boyden chambers. Gelatin zymography was used to evaluate the MMP activity in cell culture conditioned media. Cell–cell and cell–matrix attachment was also assessed upon LPA2 knockdown to further illuminate the LPA2 cascade. Results LPA increases HEC1A cellular invasion at physiologic concentrations (0.1–1 μM). Of the four principle LPA receptors, LPA2 is predominantly expressed by HEC1A cells. Transient transfection of LPA2 siRNA reduced LPA2 mRNA expression in HEC1A cells by 93% ( P P P Conclusion LPA2 mediates LPA-stimulated HEC1A invasion and the subsequent activation of MMP-7.
Experimental Assessment of Circle Hook Performance and Selectivity in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Recreational Reef Fish Fishery

AbstractCircle hooks are required when targeting reef fishes in the U.S. federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. However, limited data is available to evaluate circle hook performance (e.g., hooking location and catch rate) or selectivity in this fishery. Therefore, a fishing experiment was conducted to test the performance of a range of circle hook sizes (2/0 and 4/0 Mustad 39940BLN and 9/0, 12/0, and 15/0 Mustad 39960D) in the recreational reef fish fishery, as well as to estimate hook selectivity directly for Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus, the most targeted reef fish in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Reef fish communities were surveyed with a micro remotely operated vehicle equipped with a laser scaler and then fished with one of five circle hook sizes. Hooking location typically was in the jaw for all hooks examined, with the mean percentage of jaw hooking being 94.1% for all reef fishes and 92.9% for Red Snapper. Fish size generally increased with hook size but at the cost of a reduced catch rate. The...
Extensions of closeness centrality

The concept of vertex centrality has long been studied in order to help understand the structure and dynamics of complex networks. It has found wide applicability in practical as well as theoretical areas. Closeness centrality is one of the fundamental approaches to centrality, but one difficulty with using it is that it degenerates for disconnected graphs. Some alternate versions of closeness centrality have been proposed which rectify this problem. This paper points out that these are not true extensions of closeness centrality in the sense that they do not rank the vertices of connected graphs in the same way that closeness centrality does.
Effect of iso- and tere-phthaloyl content on the pore size and the pore size distribution of aromatic polyamide RO membranes

Poly-m-phenylene-iso(x)-co-tere(100-xc)-phthalamide copolymers with different x values were synthesized and viscoelastic properties of the polymer solution were studied in the presence of lithium chloride nonsolvent additive in order to determine the size of the polymer aggregate in the solution. Reverse osmosis membranes were also prepared using the polymers synthesized above. The membrane performance was then tested for the separation of sodium chloride solute and reference organic solutes, in order to obtain the average pore size and the pore size distribution of the membrane. The data for the pore size were further used to calculate the length of the polymer segment in the noncrystalline region. An interesting correlation was found between the above length and the isophythaloyl content, x, of the copolymer.
Necessity, quotation, and truth: An indexical theory

I, here, and now are indexical expressions. They and others like them have come to be much better understood as a result of recent model- theoretic analyses.1 Somewhat unexpectedly, this theoretical work directs our attention to a distinction between “semantic” and “pragmatic” synonymy.
Inducing precocious anaphase in cultured mammalian cells.

The spindle checkpoint, which prevents anaphase onset upon spindle damage or incorrect chromosome alignment, presents a problem for experimental analysis of protein function in anaphase and cytokinesis. This is because the functional disruption of many proteins before anaphase onset can activate this checkpoint, preventing anaphase and subsequent cell cycle events. This paper compares new and old methods of overriding the spindle checkpoint in prometaphase mammalian tissue culture cells. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 52:61–65, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Computer Program to Determine Relations among Genuine Dichotomies: The Phi and G Statistics.

The Phi and G statistics for dichotomus variables are discussed and a Fortran program to compute them is described. Input is to be in card form, output may be printed, punched, or placed on magnetic tape. The punch or tape output is designed to be used as input for the BMD X72 factor analysis program.
Chicken bone lodged in the upper esophagus : CT findings

The authors report a case of a chicken bone lodged in the esophagus at the cervicothoracic junction. Both the radiographic and endoscopic examinations of the esophagus had failed to detect the ingested bone, but computed tomography (CT) demonstrated it as an opaque fragment penetrating the esophageal wall.
Contributions of severe burn and disuse to bone structure and strength in rats

Burn and disuse results in metabolic and bone changes associated with substantial and sustained bone loss. Such loss can lead to an increased fracture incidence and osteopenia. We studied the independent effects of burn and disuse on bone morphology, composition and strength, and microstructure of the bone alterations 14days after injury. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups: Sham/Ambulatory (SA), Burn/Ambulatory (BA), Sham/Hindlimb Unloaded (SH) and Burn/Hindlimb Unloaded (BH). Burn groups received a 40% total body surface area full-thickness scald burn. Disuse by hindlimb unloading was initiated immediately following injury. Bone turnover was determined in plasma and urine. Femur biomechanical parameters were measured by three-point bending tests and bone microarchitecture was determined by micro-computed tomography (uCT). On day 14, a significant reduction in body mass was observed as a result of burn, disuse and a combination of both. In terms of bone health, disuse alone and in combination affected femur weight, length and bone mineral content. Bending failure energy, an index of femur strength, was significantly reduced in all groups and maximum bending stress was lower when burn and disuse were combined. Osteocalcin was reduced in BA compared to the other groups, indicating influence of burn. The reductions observed in femur weight, BMC, biomechanical parameters and indices of bone formation are primarily responses to the combination of burn and disuse. These results offer insight into bone degradation following severe injury and disuse.
Design of a PDP 11/40 simulator

This paper describes a PDP 11/40 simulator written in ALGOL W. The simulator imitates an 11/40 with 4K, a console I/O device, and a rudimentary operating system. The design allows an operator to sit at a remote terminal and perform the same functions that could be performed at the console of an 11/40. Fixed point instructions, traps, interrupts, illegal operation handling, and front panel switch control are implemented. The operating system monitors program execution, provides disk I/O, and establishes the environment in which the program operates. A powerful trace feature prints selected information during program simulation.ALGOL W provides a means to implement a well structured simulator to which additional features and experimental instructions are easily added. The simulator provides an environment where educational, experimental, and debugging work may be readily accomplished.
Admitting children to psychiatric hospitals: a controversy revived.

The issue of child commitment is back. Last heard from as a major policy question in the 1970s, and largely laid to rest in 1979 by the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Parham v. JR. (1), the debate about the circumstances under which children should be subject to mental hospitalization has been revived by a set of legal and economic developments. Although the context has changed, the focus has not. The dispute still centers on two questions: who should have the power to admit children to psychiatric facilities, and what standards should govern those decisions? Concern over the psychiatric hospitalization of children first arose in the early 1970s, as advocates for children’s rights objected to parents’ “voluntarily” admitting their minor children (2). It was charged that this practice resulted in the dumping of unwanted or troublesome children in mental hospitals, in the absence of psychiatric disorder or some indication that hospitalization was required.
Continuous AU intensity estimation using localized, sparse facial feature space

Most work in automatic facial expression analysis seeks to detect discrete facial actions. Yet, the meaning and function of facial actions often depends in part on their intensity. We propose a part-based, sparse representation for automated measurement of continuous variation in AU intensity. We evaluated its effectiveness in two publically available databases, CK+ and the soon to be released Binghamton high-resolution spontaneous 3D dyadic facial expression database. The former consists of posed facial expressions and ordinal level intensity (absent, low, and high). The latter consists of spontaneous facial expression in response to diverse, well-validated emotion inductions, and 6 ordinal levels of AU intensity. In a preliminary test, we started from discrete emotion labels and ordinal-scale intensity annotation in the CK+ dataset. The algorithm achieved state-of-the-art performance. These preliminary results supported the utility of the part-based, sparse representation. Second, we applied the algorithm to the more demanding task of continuous AU intensity estimation in spontaneous facial behavior in the Binghamton database. Manual 6-point ordinal coding and continuous measurement were highly consistent. Visual analysis of the overlay of continuous measurement by the algorithm and manual ordinal coding strongly supported the representational power of the proposed method to smoothly interpolate across the full range of AU intensity.
Membrane matrix disruption by melittin.

Abstract Electron spin resonance spectroscopy was used to examine the interaction of the lytic polypeptide, melittin, with model membrane systems in order to determine the physical basis for its alterations of membrane properties. Sonically dispersed egg lecithin (phosphatidylcholine), phosphatidylserine, extracted Escherichia coli phospholipids, and isolated E. coli membranes were spin-labeled with fatty acid probes and treated with melittin solutions. Spectral analysis indicates that melittin induces a disruption of the phospholipid matrix without a significant change in the mobility of extensive regions of the acyl chains. This perturbation causes a melittin concentration dependent alteration in the capacity of the lipid matrix for spin label such that more of the probe is taken up. The effects are independent of phospholipid composition and the presence of membrane proteins. It is suggested that melittin participates in a hydrophobic interaction with the hydrocarbon region of the bilayer and acts as a disrupter of matrix ordering.
Correlates for posttraumatic stress disorder in Gulf War veterans: a retrospective study of main and moderating effects.

Abstract With a sample of 120 Gulf War veterans, the present study investigated the main effects of childhood and lifetime trauma, combat exposure, and coping strategies on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as combat exposure's moderating effects on the other variables’ relationships with PTSD. Logistic regression results indicated correct classification of PTSD diagnosis for 88% of the participants, with combat exposure and avoidant coping making significant contributions to this classification. Multiple regression results indicated that lifetime trauma, combat exposure, and avoidant coping were strongly related to PTSD symptoms. Multiple regression results also revealed that combat exposure moderated the strength and direction of PTSD's relationships with childhood trauma and avoidant coping. Study findings have implications for longitudinal investigation of PTSD development and preventive interventions.
Cyclin-dependent kinase control of the initiation-to-elongation switch of RNA polymerase II

RNA polymerase II (pol II) frequently pauses in the promoter-proximal region to ensure gene-specific regulation and RNA quality control. New research demonstrates that the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk7 can act to establish the promoter-proximal pause, through its control of the TFIIE-DSIF switch, and to release Pol II from the pause, through its ability to activate Cdk9.
Transfer of care is associated with longer unsuccessful resuscitations

Abstract Objective Accepted guidelines define when to terminate unsuccessful resuscitations. We examined whether such resuscitations last longer for transported arrests in the field compared with those occurring in the emergency department (ED). Methods This was a retrospective study of patients who died in an urban, academic ED over 32 months starting from January 2001. Total length of resuscitation and the interval occurring in-ED were compared for arrests in the ED and transported arrests from the field. Results A total of 132 patients met the criteria, of whom 71 (53.8%) arrested in the field. Mean overall resuscitation times were longer for arrests occurring in the field (44 minutes; 95% confidence interval [CI], 39-48) compared with those in the ED (19 minutes; 95% CI, 16-22; P P > .05). Conclusions Unsuccessful resuscitations were longer and beyond guideline recommendations when arrests occurred in the field and were transported. The interval of resuscitation that occurred in the ED was the same whether or not prehospital resuscitation occurred.
Williams syndrome: Autosomal dominant inheritance

Williams syndrome (WS) usually occurs sporadically. Few familial cases of Williams syndrome have been described, and those reports have often lacked photographic documentation. We describe 3 families, including a 3-year-old boy and his 34-year-old father, a 2-year-old girl and her 30-year-old mother, and a 3-year-old girl and her 31-year-old mother. None of these patients has supravalvular aortic stenosis or chromosome abnormalities. In all 3 families, the parent with Williams syndrome was diagnosed after the identification of the syndrome in the affected child.
Early Marine Migration Patterns of Wild Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki), Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and Their Hybrids

Background Hybridization between coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki) and steelhead or rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has been documented in several streams along the North American west coast. The two species occupy similar freshwater habitats but the anadromous forms differ greatly in the duration of marine residence and migration patterns at sea. Intermediate morphological, physiological, and performance traits have been reported for hybrids but little information has been published comparing the behavior of hybrids to the pure species. Methodology/Principal Findings This study used acoustic telemetry to record the movements of 52 cutthroat, 42 steelhead x cutthroat hybrids, and 89 steelhead smolts, all wild, that migrated from Big Beef Creek into Hood Canal (Puget Sound, Washington). Various spatial and temporal metrics were used to compare the behavior of the pure species to their hybrids. Median hybrid residence time, estuary time, and tortuosity values were intermediate compared to the pure species. The median total track distance was greater for hybrids than for either cutthroat or steelhead. At the end of each track, most steelhead (80%) were located near or north of the Hood Canal, as expected for this seaward migrating species, whereas most cutthroat (89%) were within 8 kilometers of the estuary. Most hybrids (70%) were detected leaving Hood Canal, though a substantial percentage (20%) remained near the Big Beef Creek estuary. More hybrids (7.5%) than pure cutthroat (4.5%) or steelhead (0.0%) were last detected in the southern reaches of Hood Canal. Conclusions/Significance Given the similarity in freshwater ecology between the species, differences in marine ecology may play an important role in maintaining species integrity in areas of sympatry.