cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mononuclear Phagocytes: Responders to and Producers of Interferon

We have provided evidence that in vivo-induced type I IF enhanced Fc-mediated particle uptake by mouse macrophages. Fc-mediated phagocytosis of opsonized erythrocytes by unelicited fresh or cultivated macrophages was stimulated by 4-8 hours of cultivation with 100 ohms/ml IF. A 1-hour pulse was sufficient when followed by incubation in If-free medium. Pactamycin, a protein synthesis inhibitor, and camptothecin, and RNA synthesis inhibitor, blocked the stimulation of phagocytosis, indicating a requirement for macromolecular synthesis. Binding by the macrophages of a radioiodinated monoclonal antibody with anti-Fc receptor II specificity indicated that the stimulation of phagocytosis did not result from an increase in the numbers of available Fc receptors. Inflammatory macrophages, while more phagocytic than resting cells, could be further stimulated by IF in vitro, as could macrophages stimulated with LPS. In contrast, macrophages obtained from animals treated with IF inducers could not be further stimulated by IF. LPS-prestimulated and normal macrophages showed similar time-course and dose-response curves to IF, indicating that the probable mechanism of stimulation is similar in both types of cells. Cultivated bone marrow-derived macrophages found to be sensitive to IF induction by LPS, poly I.C., or NDV. The induction of IF by either LPS or poly I.C. was greater at 26 degrees C than at 37 degrees C, while no such difference was found using NDV. A 2-hour pulse of LPS was sufficient to induce IF in marrow-derived macrophages. The induced IF activity was shown to be type I IF.
Role of early enteral feeding and acute starvation on postburn bacterial translocation and host defense: prospective, randomized trials.

ObjectivesTo investigate the effect of: a) starvation during the preburn period and b) immediate postburn enteral nutrition on the permeability of the gut to microorganisms and the ability of the host to kill translocated bacteria.DesignProspective, randomized, experimental trials.SettingLaboratory.
A Pooled Cross-Section Time Series Model of Coupon Promotions

Coupons influence consumption through both a price-discounting and advertising effect. These effects have been measured using consumer panel data on the retail consumption of frozen orange juice. Two cross-sectional time series models, estimated with a variance components procedure, show the effectiveness of coupons, assuming habit and nonhabit persistence along with consumer demographics. The response from coupons is shown to be conditioned by the container prices as well as with the characteristics of the redeemer.
Light-directed maskless synthesis of peptide arrays using photolabile amino acid monomers

Novel photolabile amino acid monomers for photolithographic solid-phase peptide synthesis has been developed and a method for the maskless synthesis of individually addressable peptide microarrays using new building blocks has been described; these peptide microarrays are suitable for repetitive epitope-binding assays.
First-principles study of multicontrol graphene doping using light-switching molecules

The high carrier mobility in graphene promises its utility in electronics applications. Azobenzene is a widely studied organic molecule for switchable optoelectronic devices that can be synthesized with a wide variety of ligands and deposited on graphene. Using first-principles calculations, we investigate graphene doping by physisorbed azobenzene molecules with various electron-donating and -accepting ligands. We confirm previous experimental results that demonstrate greater $p$ doping of graphene for the $\mathit{trans}$ compared to $\mathit{cis}$ configuration when using a ${\mathrm{SO}}_{3}$ electron-accepting ligand; however, we find that ${\mathrm{NO}}_{2}$ ligands maximize the $p$-doping difference between isomers. We also examine how these doping effects change when the graphene monolayer is supported on a silica substrate. We then extend these findings by examining the doping effects of an applied electrical bias and mechanical strain to the graphene, which lead to changes in doping for both the $\mathit{trans}$ and $\mathit{cis}$ isomers. These results demonstrate a different type of multicontrol device combining light, electric field, and strain to change carrier concentration in graphene.
Integration of On-Machine Measurements in the Force Modeling for Machining of Advanced Nickel-Based Superalloys

Nickel-based superalloys are specially designed for applications where high strength, creep resistance, and oxidation resistance are critical at high temperatures. Many of their applications are the hot gas sections of turbo-machinery (e.g. jet engines and gas turbines). With greater demands on the performance and efficiency of these types of machines, the firing temperatures are reaching higher levels and nickel-based superalloys are being utilized more because of their excellent mechanical qualities at extreme temperatures. However, the properties that make them attractive for these applications present difficult challenges for the manufacture, particularly machining, of the components that are made from these materials. Considering the extreme environment that these components operate in, part quality, in particular surface quality, is paramount. The damage and stresses introduced to the surfaces of these components during manufacture needs to be well understood and controlled in order to ensure that premature component and machine failures do not occur. With improved process models and on-machine measurement capabilities, the in-process cutting forces and temperatures can be better understood and therefore subsurface damage can be better controlled. Since cutting forces and temperatures are direct contributors to subsurface damage, better control of these aspects would then lead to better control of subsurface damage. This paper discusses the use of on-machine touch probes to measure wear on milling tools and using those measurements to update a mechanistic force model for more accurate prediction of the cutting forces incurred during the milling of nickel-based superalloys.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Ultraviolet-illumination-enhanced photoluminescence effect in zinc oxide thin films

We report an enhancement effect of ultraviolet illumination on the photoluminescence intensities of zinc oxide thin films. Large-grain ⟨0001⟩-textured zinc oxide thin films were deposited on amorphous-fused silica substrates using pulsed laser deposition. We found that the intensities of excitonic emission and green-band emission increased with ultraviolet light exposure time until a maximum value was achieved. We attribute this ultraviolet radiation enhancement effect to oxygen desorption on the surface of the zinc oxide thin film. We have proposed a phenomenological model to explain this interesting photoluminescence behavior.
Word coding: The role of intrinsic and extrinsic features*

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effect of extrinsic cues in processing words. In a serial anticipation task, starting position was constant or varied and the stimulus words were phonetically distinct, highly similar, or highly similar and arranged into a rhyming pattern. Reliance upon external features, temporal constancy cues, was greater when items were phonetically similar than when distinct. Furthermore, rhyming pattern served as an effective external cue, even when practice did not begin on the first item of the sequence on successive trials.
Phenytoin and/or Stiripentol in Pregnancy: Infant Monkey Hyperexcitability

A monkey (Macaca fascicularis) model was used to assess infant hyperexcitability after prenatal exposure to phenytoin (PHT, n = 4), stiripentol (STP, n = 5), or PHT + STP (n = 4). Adult female monkeys were equipped with tether systems and stomach catheters so that drug administration could start 1 month before mating and could be continued throughout gestation. During pregnancy, PHT and STP plasma levels were maintained between 4-12 and 4-10 micrograms/ml respectively (for both monotherapy and polytherapy). Infants were separated from mothers at birth and transferred to the University of Washington's (Seattle) Infant Primate Research Laboratory (IPRL) for postnatal care and testing. Data on a hyperexcitability scale were obtained during cognitive testing for visual and cross-modal recognition memory in 13 infant monkeys when they were between 2 weeks and 3 months of age. The data indicated that infants prenatally exposed to PHT, whether alone or in combination with STP, were at increased risk for hyperexcitability (screeching, refusing to attend to stimuli, lack of visual orientation). This was not true of infants prenatally exposed to STP monotherapy (drug group differences, p < 0.05).
Neurogenesis of the climbing fibers in the human cerebellum: A Golgi study

The prenatal and early postnatal neurogenesis of the human climbing fibers of the lateral cerebellar hemispheres have been studied, with the rapid Golgi method, and correlated with the developmental stages of Purkinje cells. A transitional phase has been established in the neurogenesis of the human Purkinje cell between the second and third stages of Cajal. This phase coincides with the arrival of the climbing fibers. It is characterized by the reabsorption and subsequent transformation of Purkinje cell's basal dendrites into somatic spines. Following the arrival of the climbing fibers and the establishment of contacts, the Purkinje cell is progressively transformed from an immature stellate and nonoriented cell into a monopolar and spatially oriented one which acquires all of its mature morphological and functional features. The human climbing fibers arrive at the Purkinje cell plate by the 28th week of gestation and establish a transient paraganglionic plexus before contacts with these neurons can be recognized. They start to form pericellular nests by the 29th week, and by the 31st week of gestation all Purkinje cells of the lateral hemispheres have pericellular nests around their bodies. These pericellular nests are progressively and rapidly transformed into supracellular “capuchones” which themselves are also short-lived because the climbing process starts readily in them. Supracellular “capuchones” are recognized by the 34th seek and their fibrils start to climb the dendrites of Purkinje cells (young climbing phase) by the 36th week of gestation. The process of climbing the dendrites of the Purkinje cells will continue through late prenatal and early postnatal life. The human climbing fibers are distributed, in the internal granular layer, within narrow and long vertical territories which are transverse to the long axis of the follium. A single climbing fiber is (1) able to establish contacts with many Purkinje cells located within its narrow territory of distribution; (2) has a tendency to establish contacts with small groups of Purkinje cells rather than with isolate neurons; (3) able to send collaterals to several contiguous cerebellar folia; and (4) able to send collaterals to the internal granular layer and to form pericellular nests in it. The human cerebellum may be considered to be subdivided into a series of parallel, narrow, and transverse structural/functional planes, each one characterized by the distribution of a climbing fiber. It should be emphasized that the axonic collaterals of the Purkinje neurons are similarly distributed and oriented within the internal granular layer and could represent elements of the same flat functional planes. Observations made in this study suggest that the disappearance of the lamina dissecans may be, in part, related to the reabsorption of the Purkinje cell's basal dendrites and hence to the arrival of the climbing fibers.
Effects of La0.2Ce0.6Eu0.2F3 nanocrystals capped with polyethylene glycol on human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro

Lanthanide fluoride colloidal nanocrystals offer a way to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer through the enhanced absorption of ionizing radiation, in addition to providing visible luminescence. In order to explore this possibility, tests with a kilovoltage therapy unit manufactured by the Universal X-Ray Company were performed to estimate the energy sensitivity of this technique. La 0.2 Ce 0.6 Eu 0.2 F 3 nanocrystals capped with polyethylene glycol of molecular weight 6000 were synthesized, suspended in deionized water, and made tolerant to biological ionic pressures by incubation with fetal bovine serum. These nanocrystals were characterized by dynamic light scattering, muffle furnace ashing, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Clonogenic assays were performed on the cells to assay the cytotoxicity and radiotoxicity of the nanocrystals on the human pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1, purchased from ATCC.
Avoiding bandwidth collapse in hundreds of coupled silicon micro-resonators

An important scaling relationship is derived and experimentally validated, showing how many silicon microrings can be directly coupled to form a coupled-resonator optical waveguide, depending on the coupling coefficient magnitude and the root-mean-square disorder.
Erotic Daydreams in Virginia Woolf's ORLANDO

In its first sentence, Orlando establishes that its protagonist is male and acts male, although the fashion of his clothing forewarns that his gender could be ambiguous. That ambiguity dissolves a ...
Differential activation of rat liver methionine adenosyltransferase isozymes by dimethylsulfoxide

Summary Dimethylsulfoxide at a concentration of 10% stimulates one isozyme of rat liver methionine adenosyltransferase 50–70 fold when assayed at low (25 μM) methionine. A second liver isozyme is stimulated only 1.5 fold. The dimethylsulfoxide-stimulated liver isozyme elutes from DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-150 later than the less sensitive form. Methionine adenosyltransferases from rat brain, heart, and kidney are not affected, or perhaps slightly inhibited by dimethylsulfoxide. Dimethylsulfoxide activation thus provides a simple test for the relative distribution of liver methionine adenosyltransferase isozymes.
Inflation Forecast Targeting: An Alternative Approach to Estimating the Inflation-Output Variability Tradeoff

We suggest a new way of computing the inflation-output variability tradeoff under inflation forecast targeting. Our approach is based on dynamic, stochastic simulations of the average inflation rate over a two-year horizon using the moving average representation of a vector autoregressive (VAR) model. Using real-time data over two samples, we estimate the inflation-output variability tradeoff for the United States and show that it has shifted favorably over time. We analyze the policy interventions required to achieve target inflation in each sample and compare these interventions over time.
Cenozoic tectonics of the Nicaraguan depression, Nicaragua, and Median Trough, El Salvador, based on seismic-reflection profiling and remote-sensing data

Lakes Nicaragua and Managua are the two largest lakes in Central America, and they cover a combined area of ~9000 km 2 of the presently active Nicaraguan depression and Central America volcanic front. As part of the Subduction Factory focus area of the U.S. National Science “Margins” program, ~1925 km of shallow geophysical data were acquired over Lakes Nicaragua and Managua in May 2006 to establish their late Quaternary structural and stratigraphic history and to better constrain regional models for active tectonics in western Nicaragua, the Gulf of Fonseca, and the Median Trough in El Salvador. In order to investigate regional, upper-crustal deformation resulting from forearc sliver transport and/or slab rollback of the Cocos plate, these new data were integrated with: relocated earthquake epicenters, earthquake focal mechanisms, high-resolution digital topography from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), published global positioning system (GPS) vectors, onland geologic maps, previous maps of lake bathymetry and bottom sediment types, a previously unpublished regional aeromagnetic data set, and multichannel seismic-reflection profiles from the Gulf of Fonseca and Pacific Ocean. These new data sets have improved bathymetric, bottom sediment, and recent fault maps for both Nicaraguan lakes and can be used as new constraints on the regional geology and tectonics. Three regional structural cross sections across the Nicaraguan depression indicate that the basin is a highly asymmetrical half-graben bounded to the southwest by northeast-dipping, oblique-slip normal faults. Late Oligocene to Holocene extension resulted in footwall uplift along the elevated and folded area of the Nicaraguan Isthmus, and the area of greatest subsidence occurs on the footwall block underlying Lake Nicaragua in the southeast. A similar but younger pattern of footwall uplift adjacent to the down-thrown footwall block is present to the northeast beneath Lake Managua and the Gulf of Fonseca. We interpret this structural pattern as a time-transgressive rift opening, where the oldest extension (late Oligocene–early Miocene) began in the southeast and migrated to the northwest. GPS data indicate that this earlier phase of intra-arc normal rifting is presently being superimposed by arc-parallel, right-lateral shear related to the northwestward transport of the Central America forearc sliver.
Lesional T cells and dermal dendrocytes in psoriasis plaque express increased levels of granulysin

Granulysin is a broad-spectrum potent antimicrobial peptide produced by the immunocytes. We determined granulysin levels in certain cutaneous inflammatory diseases and correlated expression of granulysin with the relative risks of secondary infections in these conditions. In immunohistochemistry stains a monoclonal antigranulysin antibody was used at 1:150 dilutions. Compared with atopic dermatitis and nummular eczema lesions where secondary infection with Staphylococcus aureus is very common, we found that a significantly increased number of granulysin-positive T cells (P
Copper, zinc, nickel, and cobalt biosorption potential of Fucus vesiculosus (Phaeophyceae) and Gracilaria tikvahiae (Rhodophyta).

Dried raw and protonated biomasses of the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus and the red seaweed Gracilaria tikvahiae were used to study their biosorption performance for copper, zinc, nickel, and cobalt. Representative samples of both species were collected from Chincoteague Bay, Virginia. A series of “sorbate” or metal concentrations (10-450 mg L-1) were selected for each metal to compare the seaweeds' biosorption performance at pH 4.5 ± 0.1 and 25±1 °C. Samples were analyzed on Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICP-AES). Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models for single solute systems were used to assess sorption performance. Both raw and protonated Fucus vesiculosus exhibited higher affinity for metal ions than Gracilaria tikvahiae , at both high and low ends of the concentration ranges. The protonated red seaweed species had maximum metal uptake values of 0.99 mequiv g-1 (copper), 0.39 mequiv g-1 (zinc), 0.66 mequiv g-1 (nickel) and 0.79 mequiv g-1 (cobalt). In comparison, protonated Fucus vesiculosus sorbed higher amounts (1.63, 1.10, 1.40, and 1.69 mequiv g-1 of the metals in the same order). The prospects of using the brown seaweed species in the treatment of industrial wastewaters in place of expensive, conventional ion-exchange resins are envisaged.
Role of thermoreceptive afferents in behavioral reaction times to warming temperature shifts applied to the monkey's face

Summary Behavioral reaction times (RTs) to warming stimuli were found to co-vary with stimulus parameters and provided an index of warm detection in two rhesus monkeys. In separate electrophysiological experiments, the latency and pattern of discharge in trigeminal thermoreceptive afferents to similar stimuli were investigated and their role in the detection of warming stimuli was assessed by comparing the behavioral and electrophysiological data. The stimulus parameters investigated were the adapted temperature of the skin (25–40 °C), the rate of stimulus change (0.3–5.0 °C/sec), the intensity of the temperature shift (0.4–5.0 °C), and the interstimulus interval (5–20 sec). Interstimulus intervals of less than 20 sec produced increases in RTs. The rate of temperature change was a significant variable determining average RTs: a slow rate of change produced slower and more variable RTs than a faster rate of change. For both monkeys the relationship between average RT and rate of temperature change was monotonic over the range of rates from 0.5 °C to 5.0 °C/sec. With the exception of one monkey at 25 °C, RTs also were faster at the higher adapted temperatures. However, over the range of adapted temperatures and rates of temperature change studied, stimulus intensity was not a significant variable contributing to average RTs. The response of both ‘warm’ and ‘cold’ thermoreceptive afferents was sensitive to the rate of warming the skin. The sensitivity of warm fibers was enhanced by adapting the skin at higher temperatures whereas at any particular rate of warming the response of cold fibers was similar at different adapted skin temperatures. We conclude that the detection of small temperature shifts presented from 25 °C must depend upon activity in cold fibers, since warm fibers were inactive at temperatures below 28 °C. On the other hand, cold fibers conveyed little information to the central nervous system to account for the faster RTs at adapted temperatures above 30 °C while warm fibers were increasingly sensitive in this range. Thus, at higher adapted temperatures, detection by the monkeys of an increase in skin temperature must be dependent upon information relayed by warm fibers.
Body and Consciousness: A Conversation with Antonio Damasio

This is an interview with neurologist Antonio Damasio, MD, PhD, whose work on consciousness has influenced scholars in a variety of fields, including anthropology. Damasio addresses a number of issues, including the neurobiology of altered states, the neurology of flow and other optimal, pleasurable states, and the potential to identify biological markers that are common to the experience of altered states in a variety of cultures. Damasio also discusses the relationship between body and brain, and concludes by discussing the scope of the consciousness problem and contributions to the solution that anthropologists might be well suited to make. Key words: body, consciousness, altered states, interview.
Sodium channels and GABAA receptor-channel complex as targets of environmental toxicants

Voltage-activated sodium channels and GABAA receptor-chloride channel complex are among the most important target sites of various environmental neurotoxicants. Pyrethroids keep the sodium channels open for prolonged periods of time leading to hyperexcitation of the entire nervous system. In rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons and dorsal root ganglion neurons, only about 1% of sodium channel population needed to be modified by the pyrethroid tetramethrin to increase the depolarizing after-potential to the level of the threshold membrane potential for generation of repetitive after-discharges. This concept of toxicity amplification is applicable to other chemicals that go through a threshold phenomenon to exert their effects. The potency of pyrethroids on neuronal sodium channels increased with lowering the temperature with a Q10 value of 0.2. The selective pyrethroid toxicity between mammals and insects can be quantitatively explained on the basis of the differences in 5 factors, i.e. the intrinsic sodium channel sensitivity, the sodium channel modification due to temperature difference, the reversibility of sodium channel, the detoxication of pyrethroids, and body size. These 5 factors are multiplied to approximately 2000 which is in the same order of magnitude as that of the difference in LD50. Dieldrin had a dual action on the GABAA receptor-chloride channel complex of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. The initial transient potentiation of GABA-induced currents after application of dieldrin was followed by a suppression. Dieldrin-induced potentiation of current was observed only when the gamma 2 subunit was present in embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293) transfected with GABA receptor subunits. Dieldrin-induced suppression was observed in the presence and absence of the gamma 2 subunit. The dieldrin suppression of GABA-induced currents is deemed directly responsible for hyperactive symptoms of poisoning in animals.
Morphology and projections of neurobiotin-labeled nucleus tractus solitarii neurons recorded in vitro

Abstract The suitability of the anterograde tracer neurobiotin to provide information about the morphology and projections of extracellularly or intracellularly recorded medial nucleus tractus solitarii (nTS) neurons was evaluated in horizontally oriented rat dorsal medulla in vitro slices. After responsiveness to angiotensin (Ang) II, substance P (SP), and l -glutamate was evaluated, neurons were labeled by electrophoresis of neurobiotin at the recording site. Extracellular application (2 μA for 2 min) produced discrete injection sites (40–70 μm) with a small group of labeled neurons. Ejections into the solitary tract documented that the tracer was not taken up by axons traversing the injection site. Neuronal perikarya, primary and secondary dendrites, and axons exhibited a dense Golgi-like appearance, with well-defined dendritic spines and axonal varicosities. Dendritic or axonal processes could be followed for more than 1 mm from the cell soma in a 50 μm thick section, documenting the horizontal architecture of the medial nTS. Intracellular electrophoresis filled the soma, primary and secondary dendrites, and axon of neurons characterized for responsiveness to peptides, l -glutamate and solitary tract stimulation. The location within the nTS and axonal projections of neurons responsive to Ang II and SP appeared to differ from those of cells responsive to Ang II and l -glutamate. Thus, either extracellular or intracellular application of neurobiotin in the in vitro slice can reveal differences in axonal or dendritic targets of neuronal subgroups responsive to different neurotransmitters or peptides and provide evidence for the likely autonomie significance of the neurons.
A VACUUM ULTRAVIOLET PHOTOIONIZATION DETECTOR

Vacuum ultraviolet ceramic photoionization chamber developed for a rocket astronomy program including its use in the orbiting solar observatory
Probabilities of the Type I Errors of the Welch Tests for the Behrens-Fisher Problem

Abstract The probabilities of the Type I errors of the Welch approximate-t test and the Aspin-Welch test for the Behrens-Fisher problem have been calculated for selected sets of degrees of freedom and nominal significance levels. The results show satisfactory agreement to the desired level. Thus, in practice, one can just use the usual t-table to carry out the Welch approximate t-test without much loss of accuracy.
Standard LISP (reprint)

When it was first formulated in 1960, (1) the programming language LISP was a truly machine independent language. However, even the earliest computer implementation encountered problems in input-output control and the handling of free variables which were not considered in the original paper. Successive implementations of LISP on more sophisticated machines have solved such problems by independent methods and introduced extensions of the language peculiar to those machines. Consequently, a LISP user now faces considerable difficulty in moving a program from one machine to another and is often involved in weeks of debugging in the process. As a possible solution to this problem, this paper is an attempt to provide a uniform subset of LISP 1.5 and its variants as it exists today. The version of LISP described, which we call Standard LISP, is sufficiently restricted in form so that programs written in it can run under any LISP system upwardly compatible with LISP 1.5 as described in the LISP 1.5 Programmer's Manual (2). As function names vary from system to system and input-output control is different, some modification of the code is of course necessary before function definitions can be successfully compiled in any given system. However, this modification is performed automatically by a preprocessor, whloh is custom built for a particular system. This preprocessor is a LISP program which is loaded before any Standard LISP programs are run, and could be built automatically into a system if only Standard LISP programs are run. Parts of this preprocessor are similar for all systems, but some of it is peculiar to a given implementation. Standard LISP preprocessors have been written for SHARE LISP for the IBM 7090 series machines, Stanford LISP/360 for IBM System 360 machines, Stanford AI LISP 1.6 for the PDP-6 and PDP-10, BBN-LISP for the SDS 940 and Texas LISP for the CDC 6600. For convenience in exposition we shall refer to the first four systems as SHARE LISP, LISP/360, PDP LIST and BBN-LISP respectively.
Differential actions of gangliosides on gonadotropin and cholera enterotoxin stimulated adenosine 3′:5′ cyclic monophosphate dependent protein kinase in isolated rat ovarian cells

SUMMARY: Rat ovarian cells were exposed to cholera enterotoxin, and the effect on progesterone synthesis as well as on protein kinase stimulation was examined. Cholera enterotoxin stimulated ovarian steroidogenesis in a dose dependent manner similar to that of hCG. The stimulation of protein kinase by cholera toxin was followed by a lag period, whereas hCG effect was imnediate. Mixed gangliosides, when added to the incubation medium, blocked the cholera enterotoxin-stimulated protein kinase activity and abolished the decrease in exogenous [sH] cyclic AMP receptor activity brought about by the toxin. In contrast, under similar experimental conditions ganglioside addition elicited no effect on protein kinase activation produced by hCG or LH. The data suggest that gangliosides do not appear to be directly involved in gonadotropin binding to ovarian cell membrane and subsequent mediation of physiological response.
Risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Objective Cigarette smoking has been demonstrated to increase the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Whether cessation of smoking decreases this risk remains unclear. We performed a case-control study to examine the effect of smoking and other known risk factors for cerebrovascular disease on the risk of SAH. Methods We reviewed the medical records of all patients with a diagnosis of SAH (n = 323) admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital between January 1990 and June 1997. Controls matched for age, sex, and ethnicity (n = 969) were selected from a nationally representative sample of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We determined the independent association between smoking (current and previous) and various cerebrovascular risk factors and SAH by use of multivariate logistic regression analysis. A separate analysis was performed to determine associated risk factors for aneurysmal SAH. Results Of 323 patients admitted with SAH (mean age, 52.7+/-14 yr; 93 were men), 173 (54%) were hypertensive, 149 (46%) were currently smoking, and 125 (39%) were previous smokers. In the multivariate analysis, both previous smoking (odds ratio [OR], 4.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1-6.5) and current smoking (OR, 5.2; 95% CI, 3.6-7.5) were significantly associated with SAH. Hypertension was also significantly associated with SAH (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.8-3.1). The risk factors for 290 patients with aneurysmal SAH were similar and included hypertension (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.8-3.2), previous smoking (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 2.7-6.0), and current smoking (OR, 5.4; 95% CI, 3.7-7.8). Conclusion Hypertension and cigarette smoking increase the risk for development of SAH, as found in previous studies. However, the increased risk persists even after cessation of cigarette smoking, which suggests the importance of early abstinence from smoking.
Closing the gap: Modeling within-school variance heterogeneity in school effect studies

Effective schools should be superior in both enhancing students’ achievement levels and reducing the gap between high- and low-achieving students in the school. However, the focus has been placed mainly on schools’ achievement levels in most school effect studies. In this article, we focused our attention upon the school-specific achievement dispersion as well as achievement level in determining effective schools. The achievement dispersion in a particular school can be captured by within-school variance in achievement (σ2). Assuming heterogeneous within-school variance across schools in hierarchical modeling, it is possible to identify school factors related to high achievement levels and a small gap between high- and low-achieving students. By analyzing data from the TIMMS-R, we illustrated how to detect variance heterogeneity and how to find a systematic relationship between within-school variance and school practice. In terms of our results, we found that schools with a high achievement level tended to be more homogeneous in achievement dispersion, but even among schools with the same achievement level, schools varied in their achievement dispersion, depending on classroom practices.
Determination of the Standard Potentials and Equilibrium Constants for Eleven Organotin Compounds

Abstract Eleven organotin compounds (OTC) were potentiometrically titrated in methanol to determine their standard potentials,E0, and ionization constants,Keq. The classical method for potentiometry yielded nonreproducible results; therefore an alternate titration method was developed using the OTC as the titrant. The standard potentials,E0, and ionization constants,Keq, were determined by extrapolating the potentiometric titration data to 1.0Mconcentration. The extrapolation yielded twoE0values for the two different species in the solution. The titrations yielded a different end point potentials for anion ligands attached to the same OTC moiety, yet all the equilibrium ionization constants for a given organotin moiety, e.g., Bu3Sn or Bu2Sn, were approximately the same (approximately TBT = 10−3and DBT = 10−4). This suggests a difference in the energy level of the cation species for the accepting of an electron but a dissociation constant which is independent of anion moiety. The twoE0potentials for each of the OTC in methanol are as follows: tri-n-butyltin fluoride, 0.02 and 0.07; tri-n-butyltin chloride, 0.13 and 0.17; tri-n-butyltin bromide, 0.17 and 0.23; tri-n-butyltin iodide, 0.21 and 0.22; tri-n-butyltin laurate, +0.01 and 0.03; tri-n-butyltin naphthalate, −0.01 and 0.00; tri-n-butyltin benzoate, 0.08 and 0.10; di-n-butyltin fluoride, 0.07 and 0.10; di-n-butyltin chloride, 0.22 and 0.49; di-n-butyltin bromide, 0.24, and 0.29; and diphenyltin chloride, 0.21 and 0.33.
Intestinal antimicrobial peptides during homeostasis, infection, and disease

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including defensins and cathelicidins, constitute an arsenal of innate regulators of paramount importance in the gut. The intestinal epithelium is exposed to myriad of enteric pathogens and these endogenous peptides are essential to fend off microbes and protect against infections. It is becoming increasingly evident that AMPs shape the composition of the commensal microbiota and help maintain intestinal homeostasis. They contribute to innate immunity, hence playing important functions in health and disease. AMP expression is tightly controlled by the engagement of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and their impairment is linked to abnormal host responses to infection and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In this review, we provide an overview of the mucosal immune barriers and the intricate crosstalk between the host and the microbiota during homeostasis. We focus on the AMPs and pay particular attention to how PRRs promote their secretion in the intestine. Furthermore, we discuss their production and main functions in three different scenarios, at steady state, throughout infection with enteric pathogens and IBD.
A general method for site-directed mutagenesis in prokaryotes.

The genetic analysis of genes from prokaryotic species for which experimental genetic systems have not yet been developed is often limited by the difficulty of producing mutations in those genes. We report here a general technique applicable to Gram-negative prokaryotes for site-directed mutagenesis of cloned DNA fragments which we have applied to the study of the symbiotic nitrogen fixation genes of Rhizobium meliloti. In particular, we mutagenized cloned R. meliloti restriction fragments in Escherichia coli with transposon Tn5 and then replaced the wild-type parental DNA sequences with the mutant DNA sequences in the R. meliloti genome. Using this method we show that an R. meliloti DNA restriction fragment, cloned previously on the basis of homology to Klebsiella pneumoniae nif genes1, contains gene(s) essential for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In addition, we use this method to construct a physical genetic map of a subset of the R. meliloti nif genes.
Molecular redesign of expanded polystyrene to allow use of carbon dioxide as a foaming agent. I. Reversible binding of CO2

Environmental concerns, associated with the production of expanded plastics using hydrocarbon blowing agents, have spurred interest in environmentally-friendly technology by which cellular materials, particularly expanded polystyrene, can be produced. Consequently, we have explored the possibility of using styrene-based, amino-functional copolymers to generate expandable systems, which would rely solely on CO2 as a blowing agent. Carbon dioxide is an attractive foaming agent in that it can be readily extracted from the air, is nonflammable, and exhibits low toxicity. Using a styrenic copolymer, functionalized with ethylenediamine (EDA), the results of this study show that aminated polymers are capable of reversibly binding weakly acidic gases, CO2 in particular. While the reaction products (polymer-bound zwitterions) are stable under ambient conditions, decarboxylation can be thermally induced cleanly and easily. Work underway in our laboratory shows that microporous, as well as nonporous EDA-functional copolymers, are effective, thermally-reversible sorbents for acid gases. Furthermore, preliminary results show that these materials may also find potential applications in facilitated transport membrane technology. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The effect of MSH/ACTH 4–10 on delayed response performance and post-test locomotor activity in rats

Abstract Delayed response performance was measured in male, Long-Evans rats 1 hr after IP administration of various doses of MSH/ACTH 4–10 or control in a Hunter delayed reaction apparatus. Additional treatments consisting of naloxone 500 μg/kg (IP) and naloxone 500 μg/kg in conjunction with MSH/ACTH 4–10 95 μg/kg were also administered. Directly after delayed response performance was assessed, gross locomotor activity was determined. MSH/ACTH 4–10, at a dose of 95 μg/kg, significantly enhanced retention of a visual stimulus, while MSH/ACTH 4–10, at doses of 195 and 285 μg/kg, significantly impaired delayed response performance. Naloxone treatment resulted in significantly impaired delayed response performance when compared to control. However, naloxone plus MSH/ACTH 4–10 treatment failed to produce a significant difference from control in the delayed response performance paradigm. In post-test locomotor activity determination, an apparent dose-response existed for MSH/ACTH 4–10 with the two highest doses (190 and 285 μg/kg) resulting in significantly increased locomotor activity. The observed delayed response performance data support theories implicating MSH/ACTH peptides in attentional processes involving visual stimuli. The fact that large doses of MSH/ACTH 4–10 disrupt delayed response performance while increasing post-test activity suggest that an optimum level of effect caused by the MSH/ACTH peptide exists in this paradigm.
Weighted Wilcoxon-Type Smoothly Clipped Absolute Deviation Method

Summary Shrinkage-type variable selection procedures have recently seen increasing applications in biomedical research. However, their performance can be adversely influenced by outliers in either the response or the covariate space. This article proposes a weighted Wilcoxon-type smoothly clipped absolute deviation (WW-SCAD) method, which deals with robust variable selection and robust estimation simultaneously. The new procedure can be conveniently implemented with the statistical software R. We establish that the WW-SCAD correctly identifies the set of zero coefficients with probability approaching one and estimates the nonzero coefficients with the rate n−1/2. Moreover, with appropriately chosen weights the WW-SCAD is robust with respect to outliers in both the x and y directions. The important special case with constant weights yields an oracle-type estimator with high efficiency in the presence of heavier-tailed random errors. The robustness of the WW-SCAD is partly justified by its asymptotic performance under local shrinking contamination. We propose a Bayesian information criterion type tuning parameter selector for the WW-SCAD. The performance of the WW-SCAD is demonstrated via simulations and by an application to a study that investigates the effects of personal characteristics and dietary factors on plasma beta-carotene level.
Reports of anesthesia-related adverse events

A case report involving an anesthesia adverse event that was received in the FDA database was used to demonstrate postmarket reporting of medical devices by the manufacturers and the FDA. Even common, everyday adverse events are evaluated and used to improve the safety and efficacy of medical products. Instructions for accessing the FDA MedWatch forms and coding manual are provided, and readers are referred to additional resources on the FDA website.
In vivo detection by 31P NMR of pentose phosphate pathway block secondary to biochemical modulation.

The chemotherapeutic regimen of N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate (PALA) followed 17 h later by 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside (MMPR) and 6-aminonicotanamide (6AN) has been shown to be a potent sensitizer of anti-neoplastic therapy. We undertook this study to compare the therapeutic and metabolic effects of this triple drug combination vs one of its components, 6AN, in a murine mammary carcinoma. After treatment with PALA, MMPR and 6AN, a new peak was detected which was assigned to 6-phosphogluconate (6PG), which is a marker of inhibition of the pentose phosphate pathway at the 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase step. Treatment with PALA, MMPR and 6AN also induced a decrease in the ratios of nucleoside triphosphate/inorganic phosphate (NIP/P i ) and phosphocreatine/inorganic phosphate (PCr/P i ) similar to previous results with a different tumor model. These effects were most pronounced at 6 and 10 h. In addition, an increase in PME'/phosphocholine (PME'=downfield peak in the phosphomonoester region) was detected, which was expected because of the cytotoxic effect of this regimen. Treatment with 6AN alone also resulted in the detection of 6PG with a maximum intensity at 6 h post-6AN. Treatment with 6AN alone induced a smaller change in PME'/PC and failed to cause a decrease in PCr/P i or NTP/P i at 6 and 10 h. The enhanced response to the combination of PALA, MMPR and 6AN vs 6AN alone, both with regard to cytotoxicity and radiosensitization, may be due to energy depletion.
Comparison of optical rhinometry to acoustic rhinometry using nasal provocation testing with Dermatophagoides farinae

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate optical rhinometry (ORM) as an objective evaluation of nasal patency using nasal provocation testing with Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) as compared with acoustic rhinometry.STUDY DESIGN: Prospective pilot.SETTING: Academic rhinologic practice.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Five adult healthy controls and five adult subjects with allergic rhinitis (AR) underwent nasal provocation testing with increasing concentrations of Df while undergoing ORM. The minimum concentration of Df causing a positive reading was recorded. Nasal cross-sectional area was measured before and after testing using acoustic rhinometry. Nasal patency was assessed subjectively after each challenge with the visual analogue scale.RESULTS: The median amount of Df causing a positive response on ORM was less in AR patients as compared to healthy controls, at 5000 AU/mL and greater than 10,000 AU/mL, respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between the change in optical density in ORM and subjective nasal ...
Multivariate tensor-based morphometry on surfaces: Application to mapping ventricular changes in HIV/AIDS

We apply multivariate tensor-based morphometry to study lateral ventricular surface abnormalities associated with HIV/AIDS. We use holomorphic one-forms to obtain a conformal parameterization of ventricular geometry, and to register lateral ventricular surfaces across subjects. In a new development, we computed new statistics on the Riemannian surface metric tensors that encode the full information in the deformation tensor fields. We applied this framework to 3D brain MRI data, to map the profile of lateral ventricular surface abnormalities in HIV/AIDS (11 subjects). Experimental results demonstrated that our method powerfully detected brain surface abnormalities. Multivariate Hotelling's T2 statistics on the local Riemannian metric tensors, computed in a log-Euclidean framework, detected group differences with greater power than other surface-based statistics including the Jacobian determinant, largest and least eigenvalue, or the pair of eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix. Computational anatomy studies may therefore benefit from surface parameterization using differential forms and tensor-based morphometry, in the log-Euclidean domain, on the resulting surface tensors.
Characterization of emissions from a variable gasoline/methanol fueled car.

In response to the occurrence of the increasingly severe ambient ozone exceedances, regional environmental managers are examining the possibility of a cleaner fuel for automobiles. At this time the leading candidate appears to be methanol. In anticipation of a shift to methanol, flexible-fueled automobiles capable of operating on gasoline and/or methanol are being developed. This study examines both the exhaust and evaporative emissions from a prototype General Motors Variable Fuel Corsica. Results are reported for tests conducted at temperatures of 40°, 75°, and 90° F, and for fuels MO M25, M50, M85, and M100. In addition to regulated emissions and fuel economy, emission rates for methanol, aldehydes, and a large number of hydrocarbon compounds were measured. The data indicate that increasing the fuel's methanol content does not affect the exhaust organic emission rate (calculated in accordance with the regulation) from flexible-fueled cars, but formaldehyde and methanol comprise increasingly greater por...
Gender symmetry and asymmetry in violent relationships : Patterns of mutuality among racially diverse women

Three patterns of mutual intimate partner violence (IPV) are proposed, based on frequency and severity: Male primary perpetrator (MPP), female primary perpetrator (FPP), and symmetrical (SYM). Patterns and effects of ethnicity were examined with 445 African American, Euro-American, and Mexican American low-income women experiencing mutual IPV. More relationships were classified as MPP (54%) than SYM (35%) or FPP (11%). Comparing women's and men's perpetration of several types of IPV (e.g., threats, severe physical) indicated MPP-pattern women experienced all IPV types more often and were more likely to sustain injury than their male partners. Fewer gender differences were found in the FPP pattern. Racial/ethnic groups were more similar than different; previously reported differences may be explained by variation in socioeconomic status.
Earth Observation Plan Looks Toward Balancing U.S. Federal Priorities

The U.S. federal government funds about $2.5 billion for Earth observation satellite systems and more than $1 billion for airborne, terrestrial (including freshwater), and marine networks and surveys among 11 departments and agencies. Combined, those Earth observation activities add about $30 billion to the U.S. economy each year.