cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contrasting Effects of Stored Allogeneic Red Blood Cells and Their Supernatants on Permeability and Inflammatory Responses in Human Pulmonary Endothelial Cells

Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) is a common life-saving clinical practice in severely anemic or hemorrhagic patients; however, it may result in serious pathological complications such as transfusion-related acute lung injury. The factors mediating the deleterious effects of RBC transfusion remain unclear. In this study, we tested the effects of washed long-term (RBC-O; >28 days) versus short-term (RBC-F; <14 days) stored RBCs and their supernatants on lung endothelial (EC) permeability under control and inflammatory conditions. RBCs enhanced basal EC barrier function as evidenced by an increase in transendothelial electrical resistance and decrease in permeability for macromolecules. RBCs also attenuated EC hyperpermeability and suppressed secretion of EC adhesion molecule ICAM-1 and proinflammatory cytokine IL-8 in response to LPS or TNF-α. In both settings, RBC-F had slightly higher barrier protective effects as compared with RBC-O. In contrast, supernatants from both RBC-F and RBC-O disrupted the EC barrier. The early phase of EC permeability response caused by RBC supernatants was partially suppressed by antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine and inhibitor of Src kinase family PP2, while addition of heme blocker and inhibition of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3), stress MAP kinases, receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE), or Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) signaling were without effect. Morphological analysis revealed that RBC supernatants increased LPS- and TNF-α-induced breakdown of intercellular junctions and formation of paracellular gaps. RBC supernatants augmented LPS- and TNF-α-induced EC inflammation reflected by increased production of IL-6, IL-8, and soluble ICAM-1. These findings demonstrate the deleterious effects of RBC supernatants on EC function, which may have a major impact in pathological consequences associated with RBC transfusion.
Comment on "No consistent ENSO response to volcanic forcing over the last millennium".

Dee et al. (Reports, 27 March 2020, p. 1477) claimed that large volcanic eruptions do not produce a detectable El Nino response. However, they come to the wrong conclusion because they have ignored the fundamental climate response to large volcanic eruptions: Volcanic eruptions cool the surface, thus masking the relative El Nino warming.
Selective determination of grain size in the electrodeposition of nanocrystalline nickel foils

Abstract There are many synthesis methods through phase space to produce nanostructures in metals. Condensation methods with rapid solidification are extensively explored from the gas or liquid phase. In particular, electrodeposition using pulsed currents favors continuous nucleation in the processing of structures to produce free-standing sheets as well as protective coatings for surfaces. An analysis approach used to develop the method for refining the structure and surface finish for nanocrystalline gold-copper alloy coatings relates the energy in each deposition pulse to the constituent grain size that forms during growth. Application is now pursued to evaluate a select determination of the grain size for nanocrystalline nickel foils synthesized by pulsed electrodeposition. The mechanical behaviors of hardness and rate-sensitivity of strength are assessed as function of grain size.
Matrix-matched two-point calibration based on the standard dilution analysis method

Abstract A two-point calibration, based on the standard dilution analysis (SDA) method, is used to achieve accurate results while analyzing complex-matrix samples by different atomic spectrometry methods. Only two calibration solutions are required per sample. Solution 1 (S1) is 50% sample and 50% of a standard containing the analytes and an internal standard (IS), and Solution 2 (S2) is 50% sample and 50% blank. The concentration of analyte in the sample is calculated from (i) the slope and intercept of an analyte vs. IS plot, (ii) the concentration of analyte in the standard added to S1, and (iii) the signal intensity of the IS present in S1. Unlike recently published work on SDA, the method presented here requires no mixing of S1 and S2, no second IS species, and no instrumental modifications or extra equipment. In this proof-of-concept study, the new approach has been used to determine Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in different matrices: 1% v/v HNO3, 20% v/v HNO3, 0.1% m/v Na, and 0.1% m/v Ca. The analytes were accurately determined by microwave-induced plasma optical emission spectrometry (MIP OES), inductively coupled plasma OES (ICP OES), and ICP mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using the new method. The results were compared to those from external standard calibration (EC), internal standardization (IS), and standard additions (SA). Similar and often superior recoveries compared with EC, IS and SA were achieved with the matrix-matched two-point calibration method.
Lower Use of Biologics for the Treatment of Asthma in Publicly Insured Individuals

Background Despite bearing a disproportionate burden of poorly controlled asthma, publicly insured individuals are less likely to receive biologics. Objective To assess biologic use by payer among individuals with asthma. Methods We used IQVIA's National Disease and Therapeutic Index, a nationally representative, all-payer audit of ambulatory care in the United States, to describe the patterns of use by payer. Results Asthma treatment visits in which a biologic product was reported increased from approximately 0.1% of asthma-related visits in 2003 to 1% in 2015 and doubled to 2% by 2019. Omalizumab use initially increased from 2003 to 2006 and plateaued till 2015 when its use declined modestly, coinciding with the release of additional biologic products. In 2019, omalizumab accounted for 37% of biologic treatment visits, mepolizumab 21%, benralizumab 27%, dupilumab 15%, and reslizumab Conclusion Biologics were uncommonly used among patients with asthma, and the basis for disproportionately lower use of biologics among the publicly insured, where the burden of uncontrolled asthma is greatest, merits further investigation.
The association of preoperative TNF-alpha inhibitor use and reoperation rates in spinal fusion surgery.

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Preoperative TNF-AI use has been associated with increased rate of postoperative infections and complications in a variety of orthopedic procedures. However, the association between TNF-AI use and complications following spine surgery has not yet been studied. PURPOSE The purpose of the present study was to assess the risk of reoperation in patients prescribed TNF-AI undergoing spinal fusion surgery. STUDY DESIGN This is a retrospective review. PATIENT SAMPLE A total of 427 patients who underwent spinal fusion surgery at a large healthcare system from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2018. OUTCOME MEASURE Reoperation within 1 year. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent spinal fusion surgery at a large healthcare system from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2018. There were three distinct cohorts of spine surgery patients under study: patients with TNF-AI use in 90 days before surgery, patients with non-TNF-AI DMARD medications use in the 90 days before surgery, and patients taking neither TNF-AI nor other DMARD medications in 90 days before surgery. The primary outcome of interest was reoperation for any reason within 1 year following surgery. RESULTS Our study included 90 TNF-AI, 90 DMARD, and 123 control patients. Reoperation up to 1-year postsurgery occurred in 19% (n=17) of the TNF-AI group, 11% (n=10) of the DMARD group, and 6% (n=7) of the control group. The reasons for reoperation for TNF-AI group were 47% (n=8) infection and 53% (n=9) other causes which included failure to fuse and adjacent segment disease. Reasons for reoperation at 1 year were 40% (n=4) infection and 60% (n=6) other causes for DMARD patients and 14% (n=1) infection with 86% (n=6) other causes for control patients. The cox-proportional hazard model of reoperation within 1 year indicated that the odds of reoperation were 3.1 (95% CI:1.4–7.0) and 2.2 (95% CI 0.96–5.3) times higher in the TNF-AI and DMARD groups, respectively, compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS Patients taking TNF-AIs before surgery were found to have a significantly higher rate of reoperation in the 1 year following surgery compared to controls. The higher rate of reoperation associated with TNF-AI use before spinal fusion surgery represents the potential for higher morbidity and costs for patient which is important to consider for both surgeon and patient in preoperative decision making.
Non-Discrimination: FRAND's Last Stand?

In this essay, we explore possible interpretations of this component of the FRAND commitment and the conclusions of two courts that have examined this issue. Enforcement of the ND prong enables a level playing field for competition and investment by SEP licensees. Moreover, enforcement of the ND prong can be an effective means to assess fair and reasonable royalty rates in the fractious environment of FRAND compliance under some circumstances. If SEP holders commit to royalty terms before a standard is approved and released by the SDO, and if the ND prong of the FRAND commitment requires that such terms apply to future licensing negotiations, this would have the ancillary benefit of mitigating concerns about holdup that might arise after firms and consumers have committed to the standard.
Anorectal Physiology Testing

This chapter aims to outline the basic principles in using anorectal manometry including indications, methods, and result interpretation. The use of defecography, an important adjunct in pelvic floor investigation, will be discussed at the end of the chapter.
Temporal analysis of type 1 interferon activation in tumor cells following external beam radiotherapy or targeted radionuclide therapy

Rationale: Clinical interest in combining targeted radionuclide therapies (TRT) with immunotherapies is growing. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) activates a type 1 interferon (IFN1) response mediated via stimulator of interferon genes (STING), and this is critical to its therapeutic interaction with immune checkpoint blockade. However, little is known about the time course of IFN1 activation after EBRT or whether this may be induced by decay of a TRT source. Methods: We examined the IFN1 response and expression of immune susceptibility markers in B78 and B16 melanomas and MOC2 head and neck cancer murine models using qPCR and western blot. For TRT, we used 90Y chelated to NM600, an alkylphosphocholine analog that exhibits selective uptake and retention in tumor cells including B78 and MOC2. Results: We observed significant IFN1 activation in all cell lines, with peak activation in B78, B16, and MOC2 cell lines occurring 7, 7, and 1 days, respectively, following RT for all doses. This effect was STING-dependent. Select IFN response genes remained upregulated at 14 days following RT. IFN1 activation following STING agonist treatment in vitro was identical to RT suggesting time course differences between cell lines were mediated by STING pathway kinetics and not DNA damage susceptibility. In vivo delivery of EBRT and TRT to B78 and MOC2 tumors resulted in a comparable time course and magnitude of IFN1 activation. In the MOC2 model, the combination of 90Y-NM600 and dual checkpoint blockade therapy reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival compared to single agent therapy and cumulative dose equivalent combination EBRT and dual checkpoint blockade therapy. Conclusions: We report the time course of the STING-dependent IFN1 response following radiation in multiple murine tumor models. We show the potential of TRT to stimulate IFN1 activation that is comparable to that observed with EBRT and this may be critical to the therapeutic integration of TRT with immunotherapies.
Assessment of Household Food Insecurity During a Medical Mission to Chincha, Peru.

Introduction Food insecurity directly influences health outcomes and is an important consideration for medical missions seeking to address chronic disease, particularly those serving disaster-prone communities. The region of Peru in which we held an inaugural mission is vulnerable to developing food insecurity following natural disasters. We, therefore, sought to evaluate food insecurity to understand the community's needs and inform future public health efforts. Methods In this cross-sectional pilot study, a convenience sample representing the households of patients attending a student-run health fair at the community medical center in Chincha, Peru was assessed for food insecurity. An adult female (n = 30) of each randomly selected family attending the fair was asked to complete the Household Food Security Survey (HFSS) developed by the US Department of Agriculture. The survey items were aggregated into a single, continuous food security scale reflecting the severity of hunger within a household. Results Two-thirds of respondents (n = 20) acknowledged anxiety about having enough food at home over the past 12 months, making it the most common concern. Nearly three in five respondents were concerned about their ability to provide a balanced diet. We found that 16.7% of all households were food insecure with severe hunger, 26.7% were food insecure with moderate hunger, 30% were food insecure without hunger, and 26.7% were food secure. Conclusion Nearly three-quarters of families attending our clinic experience some degree of food insecurity. Families with children were disproportionately affected. The high levels of food insecurity many years after a natural disaster support the development of future social programs such as food pantries. We intend to continue our partnership in Chincha and perform the HFSS survey on a periodic basis to monitor hunger.
Characterization of Porous Materials by Ultrasonic Spectroscopy

The problem of determining pore size and pore concentration In cast and weld material as well as in composites are of technological importance. In this paper analytical and experimental work is presented to correlate ultrasonic attenuation due to porosity in a solid body. From the spectral behavior of the attenuation coefficient both pore size and pore concentration ca be determined. The method is applicable if the total pore volume is less than 6% and if grain scattering is negligible.
Anomaly of the human left renal vein

A case of the anomalous course of the renal vein is described. The vein trunk is divided into two crura: a thinner, anterior which passes in front of the abdominal aorta, and a thicker, posterior which lies behind the aorta. Both crura terminate in the inferior vena cava.
The divining root: moisture-driven responses of roots at the micro- and macro-scale

Water is fundamental to plant life, but the mechanisms by which plant roots sense and respond to variations in water availability in the soil are poorly understood. Many studies of responses to water deficit have focused on large-scale effects of this stress, but have overlooked responses at the sub-organ or cellular level that give rise to emergent whole-plant phenotypes. We have recently discovered hydropatterning, an adaptive environmental response in which roots position new lateral branches according to the spatial distribution of available water across the circumferential axis. This discovery illustrates that roots are capable of sensing and responding to water availability at spatial scales far lower than those normally studied for such processes. This review will explore how roots respond to water availability with an emphasis on what is currently known at different spatial scales. Beginning at the micro-scale, there is a discussion of water physiology at the cellular level and proposed sensory mechanisms cells use to detect osmotic status. The implications of these principles are then explored in the context of cell and organ growth under non-stress and water-deficit conditions. Following this, several adaptive responses employed by roots to tailor their functionality to the local moisture environment are discussed, including patterning of lateral root development and generation of hydraulic barriers to limit water loss. We speculate that these micro-scale responses are necessary for optimal functionality of the root system in a heterogeneous moisture environment, allowing for efficient water uptake with minimal water loss during periods of drought.
Two-dimensional digital microfluidic system by multilayer printed circuit board

We report a true 2D (i.e., direct physical access to each electrode in a M/spl times/N grid) electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) chip for the first time by adopting a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) as the substrate. Incorporating mature PCB technology and introducing land grid array (LGA) sockets in the packaging, this new fabrication scheme is expected to make reconfigurable digital microfluidics practical in terms of chip cost (i.e., low enough to be disposable) and system flexibility (i.e., scalable).
Identification and Isolation of Ovalbumin-synthesizing Polysomes I. SPECIFIC BINDING OF 125I-ANTI-OVALBUMIN TO POLYSOMES

Abstract Polysomes involved in ovalbumin synthesis were identified by the binding of 125I-anti-ovalbumin to hen oviduct polysomes. Techniques were developed for the isolation of undegraded hen oviduct polysomes and for the preparation of 125I-γ-globulin free of ribonuclease activity. The distribution of 125I-anti-ovalbumin in the polysome profile is in accordance with the size of the polysomes that are expected to be synthesizing ovalbumin. Anti-ovalbumin does not react with polysomes extracted from tissues that do not synthesize ovalbumin, and antibodies directed against a protein that is not synthesized in the oviduct do not bind to hen oviduct polysomes. These criteria indicate that the reaction is specific for polysomes that synthesize ovalbumin. Polysomes that bind 125I-anti-ovalbumin can be precipitated by the addition of ovalbumin and an excess of specific antibody.
Imagined Commodities: Non-Trade Policies in the Doha Round

The Doha Development Agenda was sold to the world in 2001 as the solution to an ailing trade round. This paper uses automated text analysis to explore the different approaches of the EU and US, two of the world's largest markets, to the round between 2001 and 2007. It assess the extent to which these two actors have used development rhetoric to placate interest groups at home and make friends abroad.
Minimum-time trajectory planning for industrial robots with general torque constraints

There are a number of trajectory planning algorithms which generate the joint torques/forces required to drive a robot along a given geometric path in minimum or near-minimum time [1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9]. These methods make fairly specific assumptions about the form of the joint torque/force constraints, thereby limiting their applicability. A method, called the perturbation trajectory improvement algorithm (PTIA), is developed here which can generate the joint positions, velocities, and torques required to move a robot along a specified geometric path in minimum time under very general torque constraints. The PTIA starts with a non-optimal trajectory which meets all the required torque constraints, and perturbs the trajectory in such a way as to always decrease the traversal time for the path. This perturbation process continues until the torque constraints prevent any further improvement in the traversal time. The torque constraints may be expressed in terms of quantities related to torque rather than torque itself; it is possible, for example, to limit velocity, acceleration, jerk, and motor voltage, either singly or in combination. The perturbation trajectory planner also is very simple to implement, and many of the calculations are independent of each other and can therefore be done in parallel, As a demonstrative example, the PTIA is applied to the first three joints of the Bendix PACS Arm.
Expression of Kv1.3 potassium channels regulates density of cortical interneurons.

The Kv1.3 protein is a member of the large family of voltage-dependent K+ subunits (Kv channels), which assemble to form tetrameric membrane-spanning channels that provide a selective pore for the conductance of K+ across the cell membrane. Kv1.3 differs from most other Kv channels in that deletion of Kv1.3 gene produces very striking changes in development and structure of the olfactory bulb, where Kv1.3 is expressed at high levels, resulting in a lower threshold for detection of odors, an increased number of synaptic glomeruli and alterations in the levels of a variety of neuronal signaling molecules. Because Kv1.3 is also expressed in the cerebral cortex, we have now examined the effects of deletion of the Kv1.3 gene on the expression of interneuron populations of the cerebral cortex. Using unbiased stereology we found an increase in the number of parvalbumin (PV) cells in whole cerebral cortex of Kv1.3−/− mice relative to that in wild-type mice, and a decrease in the number of calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR), neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and somatostatin (SOM) interneurons. These changes are accompanied by a decrease in the cortical volume such that the cell density of PV interneurons is significantly increased and that of SOM neurons is decreased in Kv1.3−/− animals. Our studies suggest that, as in the olfactory bulb, Kv1.3 plays a unique role in neuronal differentiation and/or survival of interneuron populations and that expression of Kv1.3 is required for normal cortical function. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 73:841–855, 2013
Electroantennogram responses of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, to the volatile constituents of nectarines

Electroantennograms (EAGs) were recorded from laboratory-reared, male and female Ceratitis capitata (medfly) in response to individual volatiles identified from ripe nectarines. Uniformity in EAG response between the sexes was observed for most test compounds. Only 10 volatiles, of the 44 nectarine volatiles tested, elicited significantly different EAG responses between the sexes. No correlation was observed between the magnitude of antennal responsiveness and the concentration of a particular volatile in the headspace odor of ripe nectarines. The most abundant ('major') nectarine volatiles were among the least EAG stimulatory compounds tested. And certain 'minor' and 'trace' volatiles were the most potent compounds in eliciting EAGs. Moreover, the magnitude of antennal response to a nectarine volatile was related to the functional-group, chain-length, and unsaturation of the compound. The degree of potency of the compounds was as follows: six-carbon unsaturated aldehydes and alcohols >or= methyl and ethyl hexanoates and octanoates >or= hexenyl acetates and monoterpenes>shorter chain-length acetates and alcohols>lactones. Unsaturated aldehydes, alcohols, and acetates generally elicited larger EAGs than their saturated analogs, with the (E)-2-isomers being the most potent isomeric configurations. In addition, medfly antennae exhibited 'long recovery' periods (i.e., >10 sec.) for the EAG tracings to return to baseline potential after stimulations with certain classes of compounds, e.g., C6 to C8 acid esters, monoterpenes, and hexen-1-ols. The potential adaptiveness to medflies for selective sensitivity to these volatiles is discussed.
Use of a “composite” vascular access graft in a young child on hemodialysis

Although arterio-venous fistulae (AVF) are currently considered to be the first choice of permanent vascular access for hemodialysis, there are some patients who are not candidates for fistulae and synthetic grafts provide other options. The Thoratec (Vectra) polyurethane vascular access graft is a new prosthetic graft that may be cannulated within days of insertion due to "self-sealing" properties. However, a tendency for kinking at the suture site due to the strong elasticity of this graft, leading to undesirable complications such as thrombosis, have been reported. We describe a surgical modification of the anastomosis by interposing a segment of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft (ePTFE, Venaflo) between the native vessels and the polyurethane graft sections in a pediatric patient. This modification may overcome the kinking complication associated with use of the polyurethane graft and the resulting thrombosis.
Breaking Out of Moral Typecasting

In their recent paper, Kurt Gray and Daniel Wegner offer a model of moral cognition, the “Moral Typecasting” thesis, in which they claim that perceptions of moral agency are inversely related to perceptions of moral patiency. Once we see someone as a moral agent, they claim, we cannot see them as a moral patient (and vice versa). In this paper, I want both to challenge the conception of morality on which the typecasting thesis is fundamentally based and to raise some concerns with the data offered in favor of moral typecasting. I first argue that the dyadic definition of morality is far too narrow to fully capture either all of morality or all of moral psychology. Further, even setting aside the problems with the dyadic notion of morality, I argue that the experimental data Gray and Wegner appeal to fail to demonstrate the sort of mutual exclusivity of and causal interaction between moral perceptions that the moral typecasting thesis proposes. Rather, I suggest, the perceptual differences that do show up in the cited studies arguably arise not from a psychological tendency towards moral typecasting, but from confounding features of the characters in the stimuli.
Immunization of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson, against bacterial kidney disease: preliminary efficacy evaluation

Abstract. A bacterin for immunization against bacterial kidney disease of salmonid fishes caused by Renibacterium salmoninarum is described. Cultures were grown in Evelyn's KDM2 medium containing 10% calf serum in a fermenter under the following conditions: pH 7.2, 15°C, 800ml/min air, 200 rev/min agitation and 5–15 days of incubation. Possible substitutes for calf serum were 10% horse serum 0.15% starch and leptospira medium. The bacterins were inactivated with 0.3% formalin and no adjuvants were used. Other tests evaluated pH-lysed bacterin, 50% concentrated bacterin and 50% concentrated pH-lysed bacterin. Juvenile rainbow trout, salmo gairdneri Richardson, were vaccinated either by intraperiotoneal (i.p.) injection, 2 min immersion or 2-step hyperosmotic infiltration. Fish were held from four to six weeks at 11°C, then challenged by i.p. injection with the homologous virulent bacterium. Fish died from days 19 to 40 after challenge. The best preparation was pH-lysed bacterin given by a single i.p. injection; hyperosmotic and immersion vaccination were not effective. Typically when 80% or more of unvaccinated controls were infected as detected by Gram stain, 10% or less of the vaccinated fish were infected.
TRANSFER OF PERCEPTUAL LEARNING: ROLE OF TACTUAL-KINESTHETIC FEEDBACK REEXAMINED

Albino rats were pre-exposed to stimuli in an otherwise visually sparse environment, with visibility and opportunity to manipulate the forms controlled during rearing. Analysis indicated that pre-exposing animals to stimuli which provided either tactual-kinesthetic feedback or highly visible forms significantly facilitated subsequent discrimination learning. The findings question the adequacy of either an attention-getting or tactual-kinesthetic feedback to account for differences in transfer effects in studies using two- and three-dimensional forms. It is suggested that the visibility of the forms and the opportunity to inspect the forms during pre-exposure is the important variable in studies of this type.
Generation of Thymic Epithelial Cell Progenitors by Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Thymopoiesisis regulated by the thymic microenvironment, of which epithelial cells are the major components. Both cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs) have been shown to arise from a common progenitor cell. Here we show for the first time that mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can be selectively induced in vitro to differentiate into cells that have the phenotype of thymic epithelial progenitors (TEPs). When placed in vivo, these mESC-derived TEPs self-renew, develop into TECs, and reconstitute the normal thymic architecture. Functionally, these ESC-derived TEPs enhanced thymocyte regeneration after bone marrow transplantation and increased the number of functional naive splenic T cells. In addition to providing a model to study the molecular events underlying thymic epithelial cell development, the ability to selectively induce the development of TEPs in vitro from mESCs has important implications regarding the prevention and/or treatment of primary and secondary T-cell immunodeficiencies.
Diagnostic utility of FDG PET in multiple myeloma.

Abstract Objective. Very little information is available regarding the diagnostic utility of positron emission tomography with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG PET) in multiple myeloma. Our objective was to further define the role of FDG PET in the clinical assessment of patients with multiple myeloma. Design and patients. Nine whole-body PET scans (45 min after intravenous administration of 370–555 MBq FDG) were performed in six patients (age 38–62 years, 5 males) with multiple myeloma for evaluation of the extent of disease at the time of initial diagnosis (n=3) and for assessment of therapy response (n=3). Three patients had PET scans both before and after therapy. Prior treatments included chemoradiation therapy (n=2) and chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation (n=1). Correlative imaging data were available in all patients and included skeletal radiographic survey (n=6), bone scan (n=3), and spinal CT or MRI (n=4), and were all obtained within 3 months of the PET study. Validation was by clinical or imaging follow-up. Results. In three patients with both pre- and post-therapy PET scans, PET demonstrated a favorable treatment response, by showing a decline in lesion metabolic activity (n=1), or progression of disease, by showing development of new lesions or higher lesion glucose metabolism (n=2), concordant with the clinical evaluation, while the other imaging studies showed no discernible interval changes. PET detected multiple hypermetabolic lesions in one patient with a negative bone scan and concordant positive skeletal radiographic survey. Bone scans underestimated the extent of disease in two other patients in comparison with PET. PET also detected a few early marrow lesions with subtle radiographic changes while all radiographically aggressive lytic lesions corresponded to intense hypermetabolism on PET. Conclusion. PET can detect early marrow involvement of multiple myeloma and is useful in assessing the extent of active disease at the time of initial presentation and in evaluating treatment response.
Phosphate incorporation into "nuclear" residual proteins of goose erythrocytes.

Abstract Minor fractions of “residual proteins” from erythroblast-enriched avian erythroid cells were found to incorporate significantly larger amounts of radiophosphate than similar fractions from mature erythrocytes. This higher level of incorporation could not be detected in the bulk, unfractionated residual proteins from cell populations, respectively, enriched in erythroblasts, reticulocytes, or mature erythrocytes, probably because of variable amounts of phosphate-free protein. It was confirmed that when avian erythroid cells incorporated radiophosphate, specific activities of chromosomal “residual proteins” were orders of magnitude greater than those of histones, although levels of alkali-labile phosphate were only a fewfold higher. The phosphate incorporated into the residual proteins was not in the form of free nucleotide, inorganic phosphate, phospholipid or nucleic acid. The prospect of contamination by unextracted histones was reduced by washing the nuclear preparations with acidified organic solvents, in which some histones are soluble. Furthermore, histones and hemoglobin can be distinguished from residual proteins by characteristic mobilities in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with sodium dodecylsulfate. The radiophosphate bound by residual proteins was distributed among virtually all of the components resolved by zonal electrophoresis, including bands characteristic of erythrocytes. At least one major radioactive peak, extracted in phenol at pH 9.4, did not migrate with a pronounced band of protein and other components of high specific activities may be resolved from concomitant proteins on sequential electrophoresis in different systems. The role of increased protein phosphorylation in immature erythroid cells is unknown.
Database management for life sciences research

The life sciences provide a rich application domain for data management research, with a broad diversity of problems that can make a significant difference to progress in life sciences research. This article is an extract from the Report of the NSF Workshop on Data Management for Molecular and Cell Biology, edited by H. V. Jagadish and Frank Olken. The workshop was held at the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, Feb. 2-3, 2003.
Calculation of stenotic valve area

Calculation of stenotic valve area can aide in the determination of the severity of the lesion. While use of Doppler derived pressure gradients are widely used and easily interpreted, certain situations may make these measurements less reliable. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the technique for measuring the stenotic valve area and illustrate situations where this added information may be of diagnostic benefit.
On the power and limitations of strictness analysis

Strictness analysis is an important technique for optimization of lazy functional languages. It is well known that all strictness analysis methods are incomplete, i.e., fail to report some strictness properties. In this paper, we provide a precise and formal characterization of the loss of information that leads to this incompletenss. Specifically, we establish the following characterization theorem for Mycroft's strictness analysis method and a generalization of this method, called ee-analysis, that reasons about exhaustive evaluation in nonflat domains: Mycroft's method will deduce a strictness property for program P iff the property is independent of any constant appearing in any evaluation of P. To prove this, we specify a small set of equations, called E-axioms, that capture the information loss in Mycroft's method and develop a new proof technique called E-rewriting. E-rewriting extends the standard notion of rewriting to permit the use of reductions using E-axioms interspersed with standard reduction steps. E-axioms are a syntactic characterization of information loss and E-rewriting provides and algorithm-independent proof technique for characterizing the power of analysis methods. It can be used to answer questions on completeness and incompleteness of Mycroft's method on certain natural classes of programs. Finally, the techniques developed in this paper provide a general principle for establishing similar results for other analysis methods such as those based on abstract interpretation. As a demonstration of the generality of our technique, we give a characterization theorem for another variation of Mycroft's method called dd-analysis.
Incentive theory: IV. Magnitude of reward

Incentive theory is successfully applied to data from experiments in which the amount of food reward is varied. This is accomplished by assuming that incentive value is a negatively accelerated function of reward duration. The interaction of the magnitude of a reward with its delay is confirmed, and the causes and implications of this interaction are discussed.
A class of heuristics for the constrained forest problem

The constrained forest problem seeks a minimum-weight spanning forest in an undirected edge-weighted graph such that each tree spans at least a specified number of vertices. We present a structured class of greedy heuristics for this NP-hard problem, and identify the best heuristic.
Agricultural Productivity, Technology, and Environmental Quality

ROVIDING FOR human needs with limited resources requires the efficient organization of production and an equitable system of distribution. These issues have been the central concern of economics. In the early history of economics scholars concerned themselves with trade, the organization of markets, and the development of a political system compatible with a world of mercantilism and men with new-found freedom. For neoclassical economists faced with industrialization, the answer to problems of distribution seemed to be efficient production and Pareto optimality--in other words, more for everyone. As material living standards and population densities increased, the problem of pollution or garbage management emerged. There is still the problem of providing for the world's population through increased production of goods and services, while at the same time there is much concern that our production will generate waste products in such abundance that the quality of life and maybe even life itself may be diminished. Thus, Ruttan [21] noted two challenges to man: providing adequate sustenance and managing the production and distribution of garbage. It is not my purpose to show that agriculture is ecologically sick. However, there are, it seems, a number of environmental problems related to the pressure for productivity and the resulting adoption of industrial products and techniques that require our attention as agricultural economists. I have characterized these problems as technical externalities, estimation of the costs and benefits of technology, economic growth, and property rights, each of which will be discussed in turn. We need not review the dramatic increases that have been made in increasing the output of American agriculture. There is no need to develop a long theoretical explanation for the phenomenon of technological advance that has made this increased output possible while using fewer market-valued resources per unit of output. We are concerned here with the unresolved relationships between technology, productivity, and quality of life. We can and should be con
Compressibility effects on dynamic stall

Abstract Dynamic stall delay of flow over airfoils rapidly pitching past the static stall angle has been studied by many scientists. However, the effect of compressibility on this dynamic stall behavior has been less comprehensively studied. This review presents a detailed assessment of research performed on this subject, including a historical review of work performed on both aircraft and helicopters, and offers insight into the impact of compressibility on the complex aerodynamic phenomenon known as dynamic stall. It also documents the major effect that compressibility can have on dynamic stall events, and the complete change of physics of the stall process that can occur as free-stream Mach number is increased.
Chronic elevations in salt intake and reduced renal mass hypertension compromise mechanisms of arteriolar dilation.

Alterations in the reactivity of arterioles to vasodilator agonists were assessed in the skeletal muscle microcirculation of age-matched, normotensive male Sprague-Dawley rats fed either a high salt (4% NaCl, HS) or a low salt (0.4% NaCl, LS) diet and in reduced renal mass hypertensive rats on a high salt diet (HSRRM) for 4 weeks. The in situ superfused cremaster muscle was prepared for observation by television microscopy. Changes in the microvessel diameter in response to acetylcholine, iloprost, cholera toxin, forskolin, or sodium nitroprusside were measured with a video micrometer. Arteriolar responses to each of the agonists were decreased under both HS and HSRRM conditions. Maximum arteriolar diameter (determined during superfusion with Ca2+-free solution containing 10(-4) M adenosine) was reduced in HS and HSRRM rats, suggesting anatomic remodeling of the vessels. In normotensive animals on the HS diet, the decreased reactivity was in proportion to the remodeling so the sensitivity index (vascular reactivity corrected for the anatomic remodeling) was not altered. Vascular responses in HSRRM rats were depressed to an extent disproportionate to the remodeling, so that the sensitivity index to the vasodilator agonists was significantly reduced. We conclude that HSRRM hypertension and HS diet (independent of hypertension) can have significant effects on the structure of microvessels and on the reactivity of the arterioles to dilator agonists. The severity of these alterations is greater in HSRRM hypertension than in normotensive rats on HS diets.
An essential domain in Saccharomyces cerevisiae U14 snoRNA is absent in vertebrates, but conserved in other yeasts.

U14 is a small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) required for early cleavages of eukaryotic precursor rRNA. The U14 RNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is distinguished from its vertebrate homologues by the presence of a stem-loop domain that is essential for function. This element, known as the Y-domain, is located in the U14 sequence between two universal sequences that base pair with 18S rRNA. Sequence data obtained for the U14 homologues from four additional phylogenetically distinct yeasts showed the Y-domain is not unique to S.cerevisiae. Comparison of the five Y-domain sequences revealed a common stem-loop structure with a conserved loop sequence that includes eight invariant nucleotides. Conservation of these features suggests that the Y-domain is a recognition signal for an essential interaction. Several plant U14 RNAs were found to contain similar structures, though with an unrelated consensus sequence in the loop portion. The U14 gene from the most distantly related yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, was found to be active in S.cerevisiae, showing that Y-domain function is conserved and that U14 function can be provided by variants in which the essential elements are embedded in dissimilar flanking sequences. This last result suggests that U14 function may be determined solely by the essential elements.
Chondroitin 4-sulfate: Comparison of the structures of the potassium and sodium salts

Analysis of the X-ray diffraction pattern from an oriented, polycrystalline fiber of a potassium chondroitin 4-sulfate proteoglycan shows that the polysaccharide chains have a left-handed 3-fold helical secondary structure stabilized by intraand intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Two antiparallel chains pass through each trigonal unit cell, which has dimensions a = b = 1·385 nm, c = 2·776 nm and space group symmetry P3221. The cations and water molecules in the crystals are not all periodic and only one potassium ion and four water molecules per disaccharide were located by difference Fourier methods. Sodium chondroitin 4-sulfate forms an analogous structure with polyanions of similar geometry. However, the packing arrangements in the two salts are quite different, presumably because of the different co-ordination preference of K+ and Na+. Thus the relatively small differences between these two cations are greatly amplified by the idiosyncratic polymer networks they promote.
Female sexual abusers of children

Abstract In 1996, the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) investigated more than two million reports alleging maltreatment of more than three million children. More than one million of these children were identified as victims of abuse. Of the one million children, 12% were sexually abused. The sexual abuse of children by women, primarily mothers, once thought to be so rare it could be ignored, constituted 25% (approximately 36 000 children) of the sexually abused victims. This statistic is thought to be underestimated due to the tendency of non-disclosure by victims. This paper examines the statistical data regarding sexual abuse by women, the psychological profiles of these women, how and why society excuses female abusers, the impact on the sexually abused children, and available treatments for the perpetrators.
Cerebral infarction during hypertensive encephalopathy: Case report with pathologic and atypical radiographic findings.

Neuroimaging of patients with hypertensive encephalopathy frequently reveals white matter changes that reverse with control of blood pressure. We report a young woman who presented with hypertensive encephalopathy but with unusual radiographic findings. Her course and atypical appearance on magnetic resonance imaging raised suspicion for encephalitis, but autopsy disclosed a large cerebral infarction, an uncommon complication during this clinical syndrome. The discovery of a pheochromocytoma at autopsy was also unexpected and may be associated with the unusual features of this case. The clinical, pathologic, and radiographic descriptions of this case may offer further insight into the pathophysiology of hypertensive encephalopathy.
Stable string bit models

In string bit models, the superstring emerges as a very long chain of ``bits,'' in which $s$ fermionic degrees of freedom contribute positively to the ground state energy in a way to exactly cancel the destabilizing negative contributions of $d=s$ bosonic degrees of freedom. We propose that the physics of string formation be studied nonperturbatively in the class of string bit models in which $sgd$, so that a long chain is stable, in contrast to the marginally stable ($s=d=8$) superstring chain. We focus on the simplest of these models with $s=1$ and $d=0$, in which the string bits live in zero space dimensions. The string bit creation operators are $N\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}N$ matrices. We choose a Hamiltonian such that the large $N$ limit produces a string moving in one space dimension, with excitations corresponding to one Grassmann light-cone world sheet field ($s=1$) and no bosonic world sheet field ($d=0$). We study this model at finite $N$ to assess the role of the large $N$ limit in the emergence of the spatial dimension. Our results suggest that stringlike states with large bit number $M$ may not exist for $N\ensuremath{\le}(M\ensuremath{-}1)/2$. If this is correct, one can have finite chains of string bits, but not a continuous string, at finite $N$. Only for extremely large $N$ can such chains behave approximately like a continuous string, in which case there will also be the (approximate) emergence of a new spatial dimension. In string bit models designed to produce a critical superstring at $N=\ensuremath{\infty}$, we can then expect only approximate Lorentz invariance at finite $N$, with violations of order $1/{N}^{2}$.