cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative transcriptome analysis of epithelial and fiber cells in newborn mouse lenses with RNA sequencing.

Purpose: The ocular lens contains only two cell types: epithelial cells and fiber cells. The epithelial cells lining the anterior hemisphere have the capacity to continuously proliferate and differentiate into lens fiber cells that make up the large proportion of the lens mass. To understand the transcriptional changes that take place during the differentiation process, high-throughput RNA-Seq of newborn mouse lens epithelial cells and lens fiber cells was conducted to com prehensively compare the transcriptomes of these two cell types. Methods: RNA from three biologic replicate samples of epithelial and fiber cells from newborn FVB/N mouse lenses was isolated and sequenced to yield more than 24 million reads per sample. Sequence reads that passed quality filtering were mapped to the reference genome using Genomic Short-read Nucleotide Alignment Program (GSNAP). Transcript abundance and differential gene expression were estimated using the Cufflinks and DESeq packages, respectively. Gene Ontology enrichment was analyzed using GOseq. RNA-Seq results were compared with previously published microarray data. The differential expression of several biologically important genes was confirmed using reverse transcription (RT)-quantitative PCR (qPCR). Results: Here, we present the first application of RNA-Seq to understand the transcriptional changes underlying the differentiation of epithelial cells into fiber cells in the newborn mouse lens. In total, 6,022 protein-coding genes exhibited differential expression between lens epithelial cells and lens fiber cells. To our knowledge, this is the first study identify ing the expression of 254 long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) in the lens, of which 86 lincRNAs displayed differential expression between the two cell types. We found that RNA-Seq identified more differentially expressed genes and correlated with RT-qPCR quantification better than previously published microarray data. Gene Ontology analysis showed that genes upregulated in the epithelial cells were enriched for extracellular matrix production, cell division, migration, protein kinase activity, growth factor binding, and calcium ion binding. Genes upregulated in the fiber cells were enriched for proteosome complexes, unfolded protein responses, phosphatase activity, and ubiquitin binding. Differentially expressed genes involved in several important signaling pathways, lens structural components, organelle loss, and denucleation were also highlighted to provide insights into lens development and lens fiber differentiation. Conclusions: RNA-Seq analysis provided a comprehensive view of the relative abundance and differential expression of protein-coding and non-coding transcripts from lens epithelial cells and lens fiber cells. This information provides a valuable resource for studying lens development, nuclear degradation, and organelle loss during fiber differentiation, and associated diseases.
1 – Stochastic Processes

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the Kolmogorov construction of a stochastic process. A stochastic process is a family of random variables defined on a probability space. Given a consistent set of distribution functions, there exists a stochastic process defined on a probability space, such that the given distribution functions are the pint distribution functions of the process. A ν-dimensional countable stochastic process is a sequence of ν-dimensional random variables. The chapter presents an overview of the separable and continuous processes. Any ν-dimensional process is stochastically equivalent to a separable stochastic process. The chapter discusses martingales and stopping times.
Comparison of Two Commercial Molecular Tests and a Laboratory-Developed Modification of the CDC 2019-nCoV Reverse Transcriptase PCR Assay for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

We compared the ability of 2 commercial molecular amplification assays (RealTime SARS-CoV-2 on the m2000 [abbreviated ACOV; Abbott] and ID Now COVID-19 [abbreviated IDNOW; Abbott]) and a laboratory-developed test (modified CDC 2019-nCoV reverse transcriptase PCR [RT-PCR] assay with RNA extraction by eMag [bioMerieux] and amplification on QuantStudio 6 or ABI 7500 real-time PCR system [abbreviated CDC COV]) to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in upper respiratory tract specimens. Discrepant results were adjudicated by medical record review. A total of 200 nasopharyngeal swab specimens in viral transport medium (VTM) were collected from symptomatic patients between 27 March and 9 April 2020. Results were concordant for 167 specimens (83.5% overall agreement), including 94 positive and 73 negative specimens. The ACOV assay yielded 33 additional positive results, 25 of which were also positive by the CDC COV assay but not by the IDNOW assay. In a follow-up evaluation, 97 patients for whom a dry nasal swab specimen yielded negative results by IDNOW had a paired nasopharyngeal swab specimen collected in VTM and tested by the ACOV assay; SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 13 (13.4%) of these specimens. Medical record review deemed all discrepant results to be true positives. The IDNOW test was the easiest to perform and provided a result in the shortest time but detected fewer cases of COVID-19. The ACOV assay detected more cases of COVID-19 than the CDC COV or IDNOW assays.
Cat Scratch Disease Is an Entity Often Diagnosed in Breast Imaging Department During Axillary Lymph Node Assessment.

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is an infectious disease process of generally immunocompetent children and young adults. This infection can be introduced through skin trauma by direct exposure to the saliva of an infected kitten or cat. CSD is typically associated with constitutional symptoms and self-limited regional lymphadenopathy. In the sole presence of swollen lymph nodes, however, the differential diagnosis for CSD is relatively broad, including an active infection, an ongoing inflammatory process, and a metastatic process. CSD can present as axillary lymphadenopathy without typical constitutional symptoms. With proper clinical and laboratory investigation, CSD can be accurately identified and correctly diagnosed, as demonstrated in this case series featuring five symptomatic young adults with axillary lymphadenopathy. Breast imaging clinic specializes in lymph node assessment because metastatic lymphadenopathy is one of the most common presenting signs of breast cancer. Most isolated axillary lymphadenopathy without breast mass is benign reactive lymphadenopathy, but biopsy is necessary to exclude malignancies, such as metastatic lymphadenopathy or lymphoma.
From Cheap Labor to Overlooked Citizens: Looking for British Muslim Identities in Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire

Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire is an adaptation of the Greek play Antigone contextualized in a post 9–11 Britain. Seen through the prism of a transnational framework, this novel is a narrative of Briti...
Krüppel-Like Factors 9 and 13 Block Axon Growth by Transcriptional Repression of Key Components of the cAMP Signaling Pathway.

Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) are zinc finger transcription factors implicated in diverse biological processes, including differentiation of neural cells. The ability of mammalian neurons to elongate axons decreases during postnatal development in parallel with a decrease in cAMP, and increase in expression of several Klf genes. The paralogous KLFs 9 and 13 inhibit neurite outgrowth, and we hypothesized that their actions are mediated through repression of cAMP signaling. To test this we used the adult mouse hippocampus-derived cell line HT22 engineered to control expression of Klf9 or Klf13 with doxycycline, or made deficient for these Klfs by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. We also used primary hippocampal cells isolated from wild type, Klf9 -/- and Klf13 -/- mice. Forced expression of Klf9 or Klf13 in HT22 changed the mRNA levels of several genes involved with cAMP signaling; the predominant action was gene repression, and KLF13 influenced ∼4 times more genes than KLF9. KLF9 and KLF13 repressed promoter activity of the protein kinase a catalytic subunit alpha gene in transfection-reporter assays; KLF13, but not KLF9 repressed the calmodulin 3 promoter. Forskolin activation of a cAMP-dependent promoter was reduced after forced expression of Klf9 or Klf13, but was enhanced in Klf gene knockout cells. Forced expression of Klf9 or Klf13 blocked cAMP-dependent neurite outgrowth in HT22 cells, and axon growth in primary hippocampal neurons, while Klf gene knockout enhanced the effect of elevated cAMP. Taken together, our findings show that KLF9 and KLF13 inhibit neurite/axon growth in hippocampal neurons, in part, by inhibiting the cAMP signaling pathway.
Educating Patients on Nutrition Using a Short Computer-Based Video: A Successful Clinic Model

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if computer-based videos can successfully educate patients about the health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet (WFPBD) during the clinic wait time. As physicians, we recognize the importance of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of a video-based educational model in increasing patient knowledge and confidence regarding diet. Methods: Subjects (n = 77) were recruited from an outpatient clinic. An electronic survey was developed and administered to patients before and after watching a 5-minute educational computer-based video about the beneficial health effects of WFPBD. Responses to the survey’s 10 knowledge-based (KB) questions were scoredon a dichotomous incorrect/correct scale, and the survey’s 9 confidence-based (CB) questions were scored on a likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Paired pre- to post-video intervention difference scores (knowledge and confidence) were calculated for each patient and independently analyzed using a related-samples Wilcoxon signed rank test. one-way ANoVA tests were used to investigate survey questions demonstrating the greatest improvement post-video intervention. Results: Statistically significant improvements in patient knowledge and confidence in their knowledge of nutrition after watching the brief educational video on nutrition were found. Patients scored significantly higher post-video intervention than pre-video intervention on KB survey questions (z = 5.748; P< .001) and CB survey questions (z= 6.605; P< .001). Statistical significance remained across all self-reported chronic condition groups, except for obesity (oB) and atherosclerosis (AS) groups for total knowledge and AS group for total confidence. one-way ANoVA tests confirmed that self-reported chronic conditions did not significantly predict baseline (pre-intervention) total KB or CB scores. The exploratory question-specific analysis demonstrated that the survey questions regarding average daily fiber consumption (P< 0.001) and the association of saturated fats with chronic disease (P= 0.001) were the most significant predictors of the increase in patient knowledge post-intervention. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that providing patients with a short computer-based educational video during clinic wait time can significantly increase patient knowledge on the health benefits of a WFPBD. Future studies can test the model on a larger, more varied sample of patients and gauge the longevity of the knowledge gained from this educational model.
Brewed in the North: A History of Labatt’s: by Matthew J. Bellamy, Kingston and Montreal, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2019, 464 pp., CAN $34.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-7735-5915-8

The world of beer writing can generally be arranged into three categories, albeit with some overlap. First are the practical and how-to books, filled with recipes, techniques, and histories of diff...
The Effect of the Number of Labeled Objects on Novel Referent Selection Across Short and Long Time Delays

Children often hear many new words in one conversation, and yet word learning research overwhelmingly focuses on how children learn and retrieve the meanings of single words. The current experiment...
Wrist and Hand Tendons

The wrist and hand are among the most common sites for tendinopathy to develop and can be very challenging to accurately diagnose, and thus, appropriately treat. Tendinopathy of this region is often due to repetitive movements involved in one’s daily work, hobbies, or daily activities, and it can have a large socioeconomic and quality of life impact. Traumatic tendon ruptures and tears occur most typically in sports. This chapter highlights tendinopathies of the wrist and hand with a focus on comparing and contrasting various tendinopathies in close proximity in order to assist the reader in accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Pediatric Clinicians' Use of Telemedicine: Qualitative Interview Study.

Background: Bedside manner describes how clinicians relate to patients in person. Telemedicine allows clinicians to connect virtually with patients using digital tools. Effective virtual communication or webside manner may require modifications to traditional bedside manner. Objective: This study aims to understand the experiences of telemedicine providers with patient-to-provider virtual visits and communication with families at a single large-volume children’s hospital to inform program development and training for future clinicians. Methods: A total of 2 focus groups of pediatric clinicians (N=11) performing virtual visits before the COVID-19 pandemic, with a range of experiences and specialties, were engaged to discuss experiential, implementation, and practice-related issues. Focus groups were facilitated using a semistructured guide covering general experience, preparedness, rapport strategies, and suggestions. Sessions were digitally recorded, and the corresponding transcripts were reviewed for data analysis. The transcripts were coded based on the identified main themes and subthemes. On the basis of a higher-level analysis of these codes, the study authors generated a final set of key themes to describe the collected data. Results: Theme consistency was identified across diverse participants, although individual clinician experiences were influenced by their specialties and practices. A total of 3 key themes emerged regarding the development of best practices, barriers to scalability, and establishing patient rapport. Issues and concerns related to privacy were salient across all themes. Clinicians felt that telemedicine required new skills for patient interaction, and not all were comfortable with their training. Conclusions: Telemedicine provides benefits as well as challenges to health care delivery. In interprofessional focus groups, pediatric clinicians emphasized the importance of considering safety and privacy to promote rapport and webside manner when conducting virtual visits. The inclusion of webside manner instructions within training curricula is crucial as telemedicine becomes an established modality for providing health care.
Pharmacological approaches for bone health in persons with spinal cord injury.

Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in rapid, marked skeletal deterioration below the level of neurological lesion. Ideally, the most effective therapeutic approach would prevent loss of bone mass and architecture shortly after paralysis. Bisphosphonates preserve bone mineral density at the hip but not at the knee, which is the anatomical site most prone to fracture in the SCI population. Denosumab has recently been reported to prevent bone loss in persons with acute SCI but should be continued for an as yet indeterminate time because discontinuation will result in rapid bone loss. Several other novel approaches to preserving bone at the time of acute SCI should be tested, as well as approaches to reverse bone loss in individuals with chronic SCI.
KIMGENS: A novel method to estimate kinship in organisms with mixed haploid diploid genetic systems robust to population structure

MotivationKinship estimation is necessary for evaluating violations of assumptions or testing certain hypotheses in many population genomic studies. However, kinship estimators are usually designed for diploid systems and cannot be used in populations with mixed haploid diploid genetic systems. The only estimators for different ploidies require datasets free of population structure, limiting their usage. ResultsWe present KIMGENS, an estimator for kinship estimation among individuals of various ploidies, that is robust to population structure. This estimator is based on the popular KING-robust estimator but uses diploid relatives of the individuals of interest as references of heterozygosity and extends its use to haploid-diploid and haploid pairs of individuals. We demonstrate that KIMGENS estimates kinship more accurately than previously developed estimators in simulated panmictic, structured and admixed populations, but has lower accuracy when the individual of interest is inbred. KIMGENS also outperforms other estimators in a honeybee dataset. Therefore, KIMGENS is a valuable addition to a population geneticists toolbox. Availability and ImplementationKIMGENS and its association simulation tool are implemented and available open-source at https://github.com/YenWenWang/HapDipKinship. ContactYen-Wen Wang Email: ywang883@wisc.edu
Does Stigma Towards Mental Illness Affect Initial Perceptions of Peer Providers

Peers (i.e. people with lived experience of mental illness and/or addictions) are being hired in large numbers to offer support for people with serious mental illnesses, but little is known about how peer providers are viewed. The goal of this study was to measure reactions towards actors posed as peer providers. Half of study participants interacted with an actor portraying a psychiatrist and half interacted with an actor portraying a peer provider. Ratings such as liking, feeling comfortable, as well as time spent talking were measured. Participants did not report preferring actors in either condition and did not talk more or have less silence with actors in either condition. Participants also were equally willing to see actors portraying peer providers again in the future and recommend them to a family member. Among participants who had received mental health services, there was a trend towards viewing actors portraying peer providers as more friendly and effective. These positive initial perceptions suggest that stigma towards people with mental illness does not taint the initial perception of peer providers.
Managing complex scheduling problems with dynamic and hybrid constraints

The task of scheduling can often be a difficult one because of the inherent complexity of real-world problems. In the field of Artificial Intelligence, many representations and algorithms have been developed to automate the scheduling process. Many state of the art scheduling systems deal with this complexity by making assumptions that simplify the algorithms, but in doing so, miss some opportunities to improve performance. Scheduling problems are temporal in nature, and so they often contain constraints that change over time. Many scheduling systems assume that the problems they are solving are all independent, and so they ignore the similarities between subsequent sets of scheduling constraints. Additionally, scheduling problems often contain a mixture of finite-domain and temporal constraints. Many of the systems that can solve problems of this type do so by creating finite-domain variables to represent the constraints, but then ignore the distinction between the different types of variables when searching for a solution. In this dissertation, I identify opportunities to improve performance by exploiting structure where it has previously been overlooked. Following this approach, I develop a set of techniques that apply to a wide variety of situations that can arise in real-world scheduling problems. First, I consider dynamic scheduling problems with constraints that change over time. To address such problems, I introduce a new representation called the Dynamic Disjunctive Temporal Problem, along with several techniques to improve both efficiency and stability when solving one. Second, I consider scheduling problems in which a mixture of finite-domain and temporal variables can interact through hybrid constraints. I introduce the Hybrid Scheduling Problem to represent such problems, and I present a set of techniques that capitalize on the distinction between variable types to improve efficiency across the problem space. Finally, I conclude by proposing several ways that the dynamic and hybrid representations and techniques can be combined. To compare many of the techniques presented throughout this dissertation in the context of structured, real-world problems, I use them to solve scheduling problems based on actual air traffic control constraints recorded from the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Motion Pictures as Teaching Aids

(1942). Motion Pictures as Teaching Aids. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 13, No. 8, pp. 463-502.
Discrete-event control of combat dynamics in the C/sup 2/ setting

Discrete event dynamic systems (DEDS) are characterized as being constituted of several interacting processes whose output behavior is described by events which occur randomly and asynchronously and, at discrete instants of time. A command and control (C/sup 2/) system in the dynamic and uncertain environment of warfare is modeled as a hierarchical DEDS. It is shown how patterns of events constitute the words of a formal control language which is recognizable by the commander. As an example, the formal control language and an intelligent control strategy are developed for a lower echelon. Appropriate partitioning of the formal control language allows explicit modeling of integrated man-machine control strategies.
Kruppel-like factor 4 signals through microRNA-206 to promote tumor initiation and cell survival

Tumor cell heterogeneity poses a major hurdle in the treatment of cancer. Mammary cancer stem-like cells (MaCSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, are highly tumorigenic sub-populations that have the potential to self-renew and to differentiate. These cells are clinically important, as they display therapeutic resistance and may contribute to treatment failure and recurrence, but the signaling axes relevant to the tumorigenic phenotype are poorly defined. The zinc-finger transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a pluripotency mediator that is enriched in MaCSCs. KLF4 promotes RAS-extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway activity and tumor cell survival in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. In this study, we found that both KLF4 and a downstream effector, microRNA-206 (miR-206), are selectively enriched in the MaCSC fractions of cultured human TNBC cell lines, as well as in the aldehyde dehydrogenase-high MaCSC sub-population of cells derived from xenografted human mammary carcinomas. The suppression of endogenous KLF4 or miR-206 activities abrogated cell survival and in vivo tumor initiation, despite having only subtle effects on MaCSC abundance. Using a combinatorial approach that included in silico as well as loss- and gain-of-function in vitro assays, we identified miR-206-mediated repression of the pro-apoptotic molecules programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) and connexin 43 (CX43/GJA1). Depletion of either of these two miR-206-regulated transcripts promoted resistance to anoikis, a prominent feature of CSCs, but did not consistently alter MaCSC abundance. Consistent with increased levels of miR-206 in MaCSCs, the expression of both PDCD4 and CX43 was suppressed in these cells relative to control cells. These results identify miR-206 as an effector of KLF4-mediated prosurvival signaling in MaCSCs through repression of PDCD4 and CX43. Consequently, our study suggests that a pluripotency factor exerts prosurvival signaling in MaCSCs, and that antagonism of KLF4-miR-206 signaling may selectively target the MaCSC niche in TNBC.
A Multi-Center Analysis Evaluating Factors Associated with Spinal Cord Stimulation Outcome in Chronic Pain Patients

Background. In addition to its conventional use as a treatment for refractory neuropathic extremity pain, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has recently emerged as a possible treatment for visceral and arthritic pain. But concurrent with the expansion of possible conditions amenable to SCS, other studies have questioned the long-term efficacy of SCS for traditional indications. These disparate findings argue strongly for the refinement of selection criteria. The purpose of this study is to identify correlates of outcome for SCS. Methods. Data were retrospectively collected on 244 patients who underwent a SCS trial at two academic medical centers. Success was predefined as ≥50% pain relief sustained for ≥6 months. Variables analyzed for their association with outcome included demographics, location of pain, diagnosis, presence of coexisting diseases, pain descriptors, opioid and adjuvant medication use, duration and pain relief during trial, and complications. Results. The presence of allodynia and/or hyperalgesia correlated with both a positive SCS trial (P = 0.01) and long-term implantation outcome (P = 0.05). History of substance abuse was associated with a negative permanent SCS outcome (P = 0.05) but bore no relationship to trial results. The variable most strongly associated with an SCS outcome was experiencing <50% pain relief during the trial, which strongly presaged a negative result (P < 0.001). Conclusions. Although weak associations with outcome were noted for several clinical variables, none was strongly associated with trial and permanent implantation results. The strongest predictor of a negative SCS outcome was obtaining <50% pain relief during the trial period.
Role of calcium-independent phospholipase A2β in human pancreatic islet β-cell apoptosis

Death of β-cells due to apoptosis is an important contributor to β-cell dysfunction in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Previously, we described participation of the Group VIA Ca2+-indepen...
Gene Distribution in the Human Genome

The human genome encodes the information about the development, physiology, and evolution of our own species. Among the whole DNA stretch with more than 3000 million nucleotides, the most interesting portions are those composed of genes, the DNA fragments that code for a defined biochemical function, such as the production of a particular protein. It is believed that genes are responsible for the major biological functions of the genome, and knowledge about them and their encoded proteins is crucial for basic biology, biomedical research, biotechnology, and health care. In this contribution, we provide an overview of the ongoing research on the gene distribution in the human genome. It has been known for a long time that the distribution of protein-coding genes among human chromosomes is extremely uneven. DNA fragments with different gene densities show different compositional properties, which are believed to be correlated with gene composition, function, and evolution. Around 98% of the human genome does not code directly for proteins and therefore was once dismissed as “junk DNA.” However, many studies have shown that these “junk” sections contain many important features essential for the biological function of a genome. The challenge to understanding how genomes “work” involves more than just the identification of protein-coding segments. We must understand the mechanisms by which all the components of a genome interact to produce a functional cellular system. Keywords: Chromosomal Bands; CpG Islands; EST (Expressed-Sequence Tag); Exon; GC Content; Intron; Isochores; Promoter; Transcript; Splicing
Focal thalamic degeneration from ethanol and thiamine deficiency is associated with neuroimmune gene induction, microglial activation, and lack of monocarboxylic acid transporters.

Background Wernicke's encephalopathy-Korsakoff syndrome (WE-KS) is common in alcoholics, caused by thiamine deficiency (TD; vitamin B1) and associated with lesions to the thalamus (THAL). Although TD alone can cause WE, the high incidence in alcoholism suggests that TD and ethanol (EtOH) interact. Methods Mice in control, TD, or EtOH groups alone or combined were studied after 5 or 10 days of treatment. THAL and entorhinal cortex (ENT) histochemistry and mRNA were assessed. Results Combined EtOH-TD treatment for 5 days (EtOH-TD5) showed activated microglia, proinflammatory gene induction and THAL neurodegeneration that was greater than that found with TD alone (TD5), whereas 10 days resulted in marked THAL degeneration and microglial-neuroimmune activation in both groups. In contrast, 10 days of TD did not cause ENT degeneration. Interestingly, in ENT, TD10 activated microglia and astrocytes more than EtOH-TD10. In THAL, multiple astrocytic markers were lost consistent with glial cell loss. TD blocks glucose metabolism more than acetate. Acetate derived from hepatic EtOH metabolism is transported by monocarboxylic acid transporters (MCT) into both neurons and astrocytes that use acetyl-CoA synthetase (AcCoAS) to generate cellular energy from acetate. MCT and AcCoAS expression in THAL is lower than ENT prompting the hypothesis that focal THAL degeneration is related to insufficient MCT and AcCoAS in THAL. To test this hypothesis, we administered glycerin triacetate (GTA) to increase blood acetate and found it protected the THAL from TD-induced degeneration. Conclusions Our findings suggest that EtOH potentiates TD-induced THAL degeneration through neuroimmune gene induction. The findings support the hypothesis that TD deficiency inhibits global glucose metabolism and that a reduced ability to process acetate for cellular energy results in THAL focal degeneration in alcoholics contributing to the high incidence of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome in alcoholism.
Susceptibility of laboratory-reared northern fowl mites, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Acari: Macronyssidae), to selected acaricides.

Toxicity was determined for 15 acaricides against a laboratory strain of northern fowl mites,Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago). Adult females were exposed to residues on filter paper for 24 h. Three organophosphorous compounds (monocrotophos, cythioate, and famphur) were more toxic to the northern fowl mite than was carbaryl, the most commonly used pesticide in the poultry industry. The other tested compounds were less toxic to the mite than was carbaryl. Four of these, not used previously for northern fowl mite control, had low LC50's for northern fowl mites: aldicarb (0.46); pirimiphos-methyl (0.73); exo, exo-2,8-dichloro-4-thiatricyclo [3.2.1.03.6]octane-4-oxide (AI3-63182) (0.87); and diazinon (2.48).
Analyzing and measuring the latency of the Totem multicast protocols

This article presents, by analysis and measurement, the probability density functions (pdfs) for the latency from origination to message delivery for the Totem multicast protocols, in the presence of message loss and token loss. The Totem protocols provide reliable totally ordered delivery of messages across single and multiple local-area networks (LANs), using a logical token-passing ring on each LAN with gateways that forward messages selectively between LANs. The analysis of the pdfs for the latency involves decomposing the latency into independent components and convolving the pdfs of those components. A comparison of the performance of single-ring, two-ring and four-ring networks shows that, with message filtering in the gateways, multiple-ring networks achieve lower mean latency, less variability, and shorter tails of the latency distribution than an equivalent single ring. The experimental measurements of the pdfs for the latency are similar to those obtained from the analytical formulas, particularly for values of the latency with high probabilities. Limitations of the analytical model, and insight into communication and scheduling of the operating system, are discussed.
SU‐E‐I‐119: Short‐TE 2D Proton Echo Planar Spectroscopic Imaging in Adolescents with Attention‐Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Purpose: This study provides evidence of basal ganglia neurometabolite concentration alteration in adolescents with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using a high‐speed magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging pulse sequence with spatial‐spectral encoding. Methods: Spectroscopy data were acquired on a Siemens Trio 3T scanner with 12‐ channel phased‐array head coil, automatic shimming and outer volume suppression. Raw spectral data were reconstructed with an in‐house processing pipeline written in IDL. Spectra data were analyzed with a prior knowledge based fitting software LC Model. To ensure that differences in tissue concentration did not account for metabolite differences between subject groups, the gray, white and CSF compositions of each imaging voxel was determined by registering FSL segmented whole brain tissue masks with spectroscopic voxels via an in‐house processing program in IDL. FreeSurfer software was used for automatic brain segmentation at the basal ganglia region. Statistical analysis of neurometabolites was carried out in R. Results: Compounds that can be identified using PEPSI acquisition include N‐acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr+PCr), glycerophosphorylcholine/phosphorylcholine (GPC+PC), glutamate/ glutamine (Glx) and myo‐inositol (Ins). Compared with healthy controls, adolescents with ADHD had a significantly lower mean choline level in the left putamen (P = 0.016) and higher mean NAA level in the right putamen (P = 0.032). There were no significant differences in any other metabolite measured at the putamen and thalamus. Conclusions: In our efforts to investigate the pathobiochemical processes of ADHD by using fast short TE PEPSI acquisition method, we have found possible evidence of metabolite level differences between ADHD subjects and healthy controls in left putamen choline and right putamen NAA.
Molecular cloning and expression of chloroplast NADP-malate dehydrogenase during Crassulacean acid metabolism induction by salt stress.

A full-length cDNA clone for NADP+-dependent malate dehydrogenase (NADP-MDH; EC 1.1.1.82) from the facultative CAM plant,Mesembryanthemum crystallinum has been isolated and characterized. NADP-MDH is responsible for the reduction of oxaloacetate to malate in the chloroplasts of higher plants. The cDNA clone is 1747 bp in size and contains a single open reading frame encoding a 441 amino acid long precursor polypeptide with a predicted molecular weight of 47 949. The predicted, mature NADP-MDH polypeptide sequence fromM. crystallinum shares 82.7% to 84% amino acid identity with other known higher plant sequences. Genomic Southern blot analysis ofM. crystallinum DNA indicates that MDH is encoded by a small gene family. Steady-state transcript levels for chloroplast NADP-MDH decrease transiently in the leaves after salt stress and then increase to levels greater than two-fold higher than in unstressed plants. Transcript levels in roots are extremely low and are unaffected by salt-stress treatment. In vitro transcription run-on experiments using isolated nuclei from leaf tissue confirm that the accumulation of NADP-MDH transcripts is, at least in part, the result of increased transcription of this gene during salt stress. The salt-stress-induced expression pattern of this enzyme suggests that it may participate in the CO2 fixation pathway during CAM.
Grass Carp Larvae in the Lower Missouri River and Its Tributaries

Abstract We surveyed the lower Missouri River over its entire length in Missouri and 23 tributaries for larval grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella in 1987 and 1988. Grass carp larvae appeared as early as 23 May and as late as 15 July in 1987. We captured larvae in four tributaries and at three Missouri River stations, all in central Missouri; densities ranged from 0.9 to 67.3 larvae/100 m3. Larvae ranged in total length from 6.1 to 7.9 mm, and there was no relationship between fish length and date of capture. Larval grass carp occurred at three stations, 8, 4, and 2 km from the mouth, on each of two intensively sampled tributaries, Moreau River and Aux Vasse Creek. The greatest densities occurred at the most downstream station in each stream. Whether these larvae were produced in the Missouri River or in the tributaries is not certain; however, their presence at stations 8 km from the mouth in these tributaries suggests that grass carp may be capable of spawning in smaller streams than previously reported....
Forecasting the next 50 years in information technology

Predicting the information technology future? Nah! The great ones couldn't do it. How can we? Thomas Watson, the IBM chairman, said about 50 years ago that "there is a world market for maybe five computers." Ken Olson, founder of DEC couldn't find any "reason anyone would want a computer in their home" in 1977. And even Bill Gates thought in 1981, "640K ought to be enough for anybody." They were all dead wrong!
Intriguing extracellular regulation of BMP signaling.

Extracellular components of the BMP signaling pathway bind specific partners with high affinity, implying regulation by dedicated protein-protein interactions. In this and other recent issues of Developmental Cell , new results by Ambrosio et al. (and others) suggest, however, that these factors interact in more complex ways to regulate BMP signaling on a fine scale.
Functional MRI Statistical Software Packages: A Comparative Analysis

Currently, there are many choices of software packages for the analysis of fMRI data, each offering many options. Since no one package can meet the needs of all fMRI laboratories, it is helpful to know what each package offers. Several software programs were evaluated for comparison of their documentation, ease of learning and use, referencing, data input steps required, types of statistical methods offered, and output choices. The functionality of each package was detailed and discussed. AFNI 2.01, SPM96, Stimulate 5.0, MEDIMAX 2.01, and FIT were tested. FIASCO, Yale, and MEDx 2.0 were described but not tested. A description of each package is provided.
Van der Waals forces in many-layered structures: generalizations of the Lifshitz result for two semi-infinite media.

Abstract We describe a simple prescription for generalizing Lifshitz' formula for the van der Waals interaction between two semi-infinite media separated by a planar slab. The generalization applies to situations involving any finite number of planar layers of different materials interacting across a planar gap. The resulting formulae, which hold for distances of separation large compared with interatomic distances, include all effects of non-additivity of intermolecular forces, of electromagnetic retardation, and of temperature. These factors are ignored by older methods but can be important in condensed systems especially those involving aqueous media.
Activation of Tl, Pb and Bi by 10-160 MeV neutrons: possible application to the analysis of Bi

The medium energy intense neutrons (MEIN) available at the Brookhaven Chemistry Linac Irradiation Facility have an energy distribution up to ∼160 MeV an effective neutron flux of ∼1.3×1011 cm−2s−1. The present work explores the feasibility of using this facility for the analysis of Tl, Pb and Bi by activation with MEIN. The most sensitive reactions, from a practical standpoint, were found to be Tl (n, xn)200Tl (x=4, 6), Pb (n, xn)204mPb (x=0, 3, 4. 5) and209Bi (n, 6n)204Bi. The absolute sensitivities attainable with these reactions are 0.1, 0.05 and 0.08 μg of Tl, Pb and Bi respectively, for 1 h irradiation at 1.3×1011 n cm−2s−1 with samples counted 2 h after the end of irradiation. The advantages of the method over thermal neutron activation analysis are that all three elements can be assayed at the sub-microgram concentration levels by γ-spectrometry with the help of a simple radiochemical purification and the analytical results can be verified by cross checking via the multiple (n, xn) reaction products. However, interference from Bi in the determination of Pb and from Pb and Bi in the determination of Tl limits its usefulness to the analysis of Bi.
Sensory Deprivation and Pain Thresholds

Four days of sensory deprivation produced a significant lowering of thresholds for electrically induced pain.
Preoperative semen analysis as a predictor of seminal improvement following varicocelectomy.

Abstract Objective: To determine the predictive role of preoperative semen analysis on both seminal improvement and pregnancy rates following varicocelectomy. Design: Retrospective data analysis. Setting: Two academic medical center infertility clinics. Patient(s): One hundred ten consecutive patients who underwent varicocelectomies. Seminal improvement data were available for 84 patients, and pregnancy data were available for 58 patients. Intervention(s): Stratification of patients based on preoperative total motile sperm count (TM). Varicocelectomy was performed on all patients. Main Outcome Measure(s): TMs, pregnancy rates, and conception techniques following varicocelectomy of each preoperative group. Result(s): Men with mild to moderate oligoasthenospermia (TM >5 million) had significantly better seminal improvement following varicocelectomy. While preoperative stratification showed no difference in pregnancy rates (when assisted reproductive techniques were included), men who achieved a postoperative TM >20 million were more likely to achieve conception by less invasive techniques (natural and intrauterine insemination vs. in vitro fertilization [IVF]). Conclusion(s): Varicocelectomy may be the most cost-effective initial intervention in males with TM >5 million. Patients with TM
The role of rodents and other wildlife in the epidemiology of swine toxoplasmosis

Abstract Two swine production units and their contiguous wildlife populations were used for this study. These herds were located 7 miles apart in the major swine producing area of south central Georgia. Herd A had a Toxoplasma gondii antibody prevalence of 27.6% in all ages of swine sampled, with an increased incidence of 13.6% over a 5-month period. This herd was maintained under a semi-range condition. The swine in Herd B were maintained exclusively in concrete floored, enclosed buildings. This herd had a 0.85% T. gondii prevalence. Rodents and a few other wildlife and domestic species were trapped in or around both herds. These animals were examined for Toxoplasma antibodies using the same test procedure utilized for swine sera, the indirect immunofluorescent (IIF) test. Additionally, rodent tissues were homogenized and suspensions prepared for interperitoneal (I/P) inoculation into CF 1 laboratory mice. Rodents and wildlife species examined were: Mus musculus, Peromyscus leucopus, Rattus norvegicus, Sigmodon hispidus, Procyon lotor , and Didelphis marsupalis . Feral and domestic animals other than swine that also were tested for the presence of T. gondii antibodies included two cats, two horses, and a dog. The overall prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in all non-porcine species examined was 67% for those animals in and around the premises of Herd A, and 63% for those in and around Herd B. Toxoplasma infectivity of rodents whose tissues were processed and inoculated into laboratory mice correlated well with the results of the IIF test on the serum of these wild rodents. No tachyzoites of T. gondii were found in the peritoneal exudate of laboratory mice post I/P inoculation with wild rodent tissue, with one exception. While there was no significant difference in Toxoplasma infectivity in non-porcine species on these two premises, management practices appeared to be the determining factor in swine infection with T. gondii . Excluding wildlife precluded infection.
Differences that matter in cancer genomics

Correcting for mutational heterogeneity within and between tumor samples improves cancer genome analyses.
Erythropoietin disrupts hypoxia-inducible factor signaling in ovarian cancer cells

Abstract Objective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) on HIF-1α induced angiogenic pathways in ovarian cancer cells. Methods. Using Western blots and both quantitative and non-quantitative RT-PCR, HIF-1α protein and VEGF transcription levels were assessed. Cell growth was measured using flow cytometry. Results. EPO treatment decreased hypoxia-induced HIF-1α protein levels and VEGF transcription, with no effect on cell growth. Inhibition of HIF-1α signaling by EPO was also observed in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Conclusion. These novel findings suggest that EPO may exhibit anti-angiogenic properties, thus encouraging further exploration of signaling pathways between EPO and HIF-1α.
The classical pressure vessel problems for linear elastic materials with voids

The traditional problems of the thick walled spherical and circular cylindrical shells under internal and external pressure are solved in the context of the theory of linear elastic materials with voids. The solutions are quasi-static. The stress distributions are those predicted by isotropic linear elasticity. The displacement and solid volume fraction charge fields exhibit a volumetric viscoelasticity induced by a rate dependence of the volume fraction change.
Functional and structural adaptations of bacterial communities growing on particulate substrates under stringent nutrient limitation

Biomass recycle reactors (BRRs) were used as a model system to study the functional and structural adaptations of mixed bacterial communities in response to the imposition of increasingly severe nutrient limitation. BRRs were fed synthetic media containing either spinach homogenate or autoclaved yeast cells to simulate the complex mixtures of particulate carbon sources that are often present in nature. In the BRRs fed spinach homogenate, the biomass (measured as particulate protein) exhibited a physiological response similar to previous studies as detected by 40–80% reductions in respiratory potential and by relatively stable catabolic ectoenzyme activities. Concomitant adaptations in bacterial community structure were detected by PCR-DGGE and RT-PCR-DGGE of 16S rDNA and 16S rRNA fragments, respectively. The microbial community structure was dynamic even after the biomass had reached a quasi-steady state with respect to physiological measurements. In the BRRs fed yeast cells, respiratory potentials increased 2- to 5-fold during the initial portion of the BRR run and a-glucosidase and b-glucosidase activities increased 2- to 4-fold. Substantial bacterial community shifts were also detected in both the rDNA and rRNA profiles, indicating that this community was also structurally dynamic. These experiments suggest that phylogenetically different bacteria sustained the functional activities in these ecosystems in response to increasingly stringent nutrient limitation.
Alteration of Pharmacokinetic Parameters for Pentobarbital by Ischemic Stroke and Reversion to Normal by Dexamethasone Treatment

The values of the pharmacokinetic parameters for pentobarbital were determined in 18 cats, 12 of which were subjected to acute ischemic stroke by ligation of the left middle cerebral artery (LMCA). All 18 ats received 50 mg/kg sodium pentobarbital during operation. The following three experimental groups were formed: control (sham-operated); ischemic stroke plus administration of 4 mg/kg dexamethasone; and ischemic stroke without dexamethasone administration. Ischemic stroke significantly prolonged the plasma half-life of pentobarbital, but concurrent administration of dexamethasone prevented this effect. Ischemic stroke significantly reduced the plasma clearance of pentobarbital, but dexamethasone prevented this reduction. Ischemic stroke significantly increased the area under the plasma pentobarbital concentration-time curve, but dexamethasone prevented this increase. Ischemic stroke significantly reduced the volume of distribution, but dexamethasone did not prevent this reduction. The alterations of the value of these pharmacokinetic parameters for pentobarbital by ischemic stroke and reversion to normal by dexamethasone treatment are discussed in the light of certain known circulatory changes which occur secondary to ischemic stroke and dexamethasone treatment.