cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using natural variation in Drosophila to discover previously unknown endoplasmic reticulum stress genes

Natural genetic variation is a rich resource for identifying novel elements of cellular pathways such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. ER stress occurs when misfolded proteins accumulate in the ER and cells respond with the conserved unfolded protein response (UPR), which includes large-scale gene expression changes. Although ER stress can be a cause or a modifying factor of human disease, little is known of the amount of variation in the response to ER stress and the genes contributing to such variation. To study natural variation in ER stress response in a model system, we measured the survival time in response to tunicamycin-induced ER stress in flies from 114 lines from the sequenced Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel of wild-derived inbred strains. These lines showed high heterogeneity in survival time under ER stress conditions. To identify the genes that may be driving this phenotypic variation, we profiled ER stress-induced gene expression and performed an association study. Microarray analysis identified variation in transcript levels of numerous known and previously unknown ER stress-responsive genes. Survival time was significantly associated with polymorphisms in candidate genes with known (i.e., Xbp1) and unknown roles in ER stress. Functional testing found that 17 of 25 tested candidate genes from the association study have putative roles in ER stress. In both approaches, one-third of ER stress genes had human orthologs that contribute to human disease. This study establishes Drosophila as a useful model for studying variation in ER stress and identifying ER stress genes that may contribute to human disease.
The role of progesterone in the production of cyclic vaginal changes in the female guinea pig.

THE synergistic action of estrogen and progesterone in the production of growth changes in the uterus and mammary glands of the mouse, rat, rabbit and cat, and in the evoking of heat responses in the mouse, rat, guinea pig and hamster is well known (Hisaw, Meyer and Weichert, 1928; Weichert, 1928; Comer and Allen, 1929; Knaus, 1930; Turner and Schultze, 1931; Turner and Frank, 1932; Turner and de Moss, 1934; Turner and Gomez, 1934; Freud and deJongh, 1935; Hisaw, 1935; Dempsey, Hertz and Young, 1936; Boling and Blandau, 1939; Ring, 1944; Frank and Fraps, 1945). As far as the vagina is concerned, progesterone has been shown to participate in the changes leading to mucification (Hisaw, Meyer and Weichert, 1935; Klein, 1935; Jones and Astwood, 1942). The possibility that progesterone might have a part in producing the cornification seen during estrus does not seem to have been suggested. The report of Hansel, Asdell and Roberts (1949)
Osteogenin promotes reexpression of cartilage phenotype by dedifferentiated articular chondrocytes in serum-free medium

Abstract Chondrocytes lose their phenotypic traits, including type II collagen, after serial passage in monolayer cultures. Osteogenin, a bone morphogenetic protein, induces cartilage and bone in nonskeletal sites. This investigation examined the ability of osteogenin to promote the reexpression of cartilage phenotype by dedifferentiated chondrocytes obtained from rabbit articular cartilage. The results revealed that osteogenin, in synergism with selected growth factors, promoted the reexpression of type II collagen and proteoglycans by dedifferentiated chondrocytes in agarose. Insulin, a constituent of the basal medium, appeared to be essential for the colony-forming aspect of this phenomenon, since when insulin was replaced by insulin-like growth factor-1 colony formation did not occur. Epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor appeared to be an optimal combination for the action of osteogenin. Neutralizing antibodies to transforming growth factor-β did not influence the response to osteogenin. It is noteworthy that, compared to freshly passaged cells, those stored in liquid nitrogen were not as responsive to osteogenin and growth factors. A higher concentration of fibroblast growth factor in conjunction with osteogenin and PDGF, increased the responsiveness of frozen cells only in part, as the Alcian blue-positive proteoglycan matrix was not restored completely.
Prediction of H Exchange from Perfectly Funneled Structure Based Models

Simulations based on perfectly funneled landscapes have been able to capture many of the fundamental aspects of protein folding. When frustration is low enough the topology becomes the main factor determining the folding process. In the most fundamental implementation of the minimal frustration principle only native interactions significantly contribute to the stabililization of the protein structure. Using these ideas and coarse grain models an extensive sampling of the energy landscape could be achieved. We explored the use of such models to interpret subtle dynamic motions near the native state and whether they are able to give a quantitative description of the native protein ensembles. For this aim we developed a method for the quantitative comparison of the local stability of proteins simulated using perfectly funneled structure based models, and detailed experimental measurements of single residue hydrogen/deuterium exchange of backbone amides (HDX) which depends on structural and dynamic properties. The method was applied to ubiquitin, cytochrome-C, HEWL, S6, and IkBalpha70-206. The predicted exchange patterns agree with the experimentally determined HDX protection factors under native conditions. A variety of simulation models with homogeneous, heterogeneous, additive as well as non additive contact potentials were evaluated for their agreement with experiment. We also compare the results obtained using different criteria for structurally defining the open and closed states based on the number of native contacts of each residue, the dynamics of hydrogen bonded residues or a combination of both criteria.
Revisiting Allostery in the Lac Repressor Protein

The lac repressor protein (lac) is an allosterically regulated transcription factor which controls expression of the lac operon in bacteria. Binding of a small molecule inducer to a site 40A away from the DNA-binding domain relieves repression through what is thought to be local unfolding of the hinge helix. Despite decades of characterization, our understanding of this allosteric transition remains incomplete_mostly inferred from partial crystal structures. In principle, high-resolution solution NMR could provide detailed structural and dynamical information unobtainable by crystallography. However, due to lac's high molecular weight (70 kDa free, 85 kDa operator-bound), low solubility, and transient stability, such studies have been limited to the non-allosteric, isolated DNA-binding domain. We present, for the first time, a high-resolution solution NMR study of intact wild-type lac in all of its relevant functional states, including the poorly characterized lac-inducer-operator ternary complex. Non-uniform sampling was employed extensively in order to obtain backbone resonance assignments. Our initial results suggest that induction may not proceed simply through unfolding of the hinge helix but rather involves a more complex interplay between changes in structure and dynamics. Research supported by NIH GM102447.
Electromagnetic blood flow meter yielding a base line without interruption of flow.

Summary and conclusionThe necessity of implanting an occlusion bag to secure a base line at zero flow has been eliminated. This has been accomplished by placing the pick-up electrodes in the magnetic field to eliminate the transformer emf induced in the input lead circuit. As the sleeve is moved parallel to flow axis a point is found at which the a.c. voltage between electrodes vanishes regardless of whether the magnet is on or off. Thus, the baseline is obtained by merely switching off the magnet. The circuit has been improved to a point where the animal can be handled without interference with the recording of blood flow.
The D(3He, pn)3He, D(3He, 2p)T and 3He(3He, 2p)4He reactions

Abstract The D( 3 He, pn) 3 He, D( 3 He, 2p)T and 3 He( 3 He, 2P) 4 He reactions have been studied at several angles by observing two of the three final particles in coincidence and analysing their energies with a two-parameter pulse-height analyser. The D( 3 He, pn) 3 He reaction was found to proceed through 3 He-n and p-n final state interactions. The D( 3 He, 2p)T proceeds predominantly through excited states of 4 He. No evidence was found for a strong p-p final state interaction. The quantum numbers for the second excited state of 4 He are suggested as 1 − ( T = 2). The 3 He( 3 He, 2p) 4 He reaction proceeds predominantly through the ground state and first excited states of 5 Li. Again, no evidence was found for a strong p-p final state interaction.
The other fiber, the other fabric, the other way

Coaxial cable and distributed switches provide a way to configure high-speed Fiber Channel fabrics. This type of fabric provides a cost-effective alternative to a fabric of optical fibers and centralized cross-point switches. The fabric topology is a simple tree. Products using parallel busses require a significant change to migrate to a serial bus. Coaxial cables and distributed switches require a smaller technology shift for these device manufacturers. Each distributed switch permits both medium type and speed changes. The fabric can grow and bridge to optical fibers as the needs expand. A distributed fabric permits earlier entry into high-speed serial operations. For very low-cost fabrics, a distributed switch may permit a link configured as a loop. The loop eliminates half of the ports when compared to a switched point-to-point fabric. A fabric of distributed switches can interface to a cross-point switch fabric. The expected sequence of migration is: closed loops, small closed fabrics, and, finally, bridges, to connect optical cross-point switch fabrics. This paper presents the concept of distributed fabrics, including address assignment, frame routing, and general operation.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Development of a model for prediction of survival in pediatric trauma patients: comparison of artificial neural networks and logistic regression.

Abstract Background/Purpose: There is a paucity of outcome prediction models for injured children. Using the National Pediatric Trauma Registry (NPTR), the authors developed an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict pediatric trauma death and compared it with logistic regression (LR). Methods: Patients in the NPTR from 1996 through 1999 were included. Models were generated using LR and ANN. A data search engine was used to generate the ANN with the best fit for the data. Input variables included anatomic and physiologic characteristics. There was a single output variable: probability of death. Assessment of the models was for both discrimination (ROC area under the curve) and calibration (Lemeshow-Hosmer C-Statistic). Results: There were 35,385 patients. The average age was 8.1 ± 5.1 years, and there were 1,047 deaths (3.0%). Both modeling systems gave excellent discrimination (ROC A(z): LR=0.964, ANN=0.961). However, LR had only fair calibration, whereas the ANN model had excellent calibration (L/H C stat: LR=36, ANN=10.5). Conclusions: The authors were able to develop an ANN model for the prediction of pediatric trauma death, which yielded excellent discrimination and calibration exceeding that of logistic regression. This model can be used by trauma centers to benchmark their performance in treating the pediatric trauma population. J Pediatr Surg 37:1098-1104. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Minimum-free-energy method of spectral estimation: autocorrelation-sequence approach

A new method of parametric spectral estimation, which is called minimum-free-energy (MFE) estimation, is introduced. The MFE method produces a generic theoretic estimation model that is particularly relevant to signal-analysis problems that suffer from incomplete and/or noisy data. In the general MFE formulation, the objective function is defined as a linear combination of a mean-square-error-energy expression and a signal entropy expression. This objective function form is analogous to a free-energy function in statistical thermodynamics. The negative coefficient of the entropy term is represented by an effective signal-processing temperature that drives noise-induced fluctuations in the statistical model. The model parameters that characterize the spectrum are determined commensurate with a minimum of the objective function. The mathematical details and solution methods are developed for a specific embodiment of the MFE method, called the MFE-ACS method, in which the error energy is defined as the window-weighted sum of the absolute square of the difference between the initial and final estimated values of the autocorrelation sequence. The order of the autocorrelation sequence used corresponds to the parametric model order for the spectral estimation procedure. Simulations for a variety of narrow-band and broadband test signals and combinations thereof are presented. These simulations are performed for a variety of signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) scenarios. The MFE algorithms have a broad application domain because they are not restricted to narrow-band sources as are the signal–noise-subspace algorithms. The MFE-ACS algorithm is shown to compare quite favorably with the signal-subspace Tufts–Kumaresan noise-reduced modified-covariance algorithm for closely separated narrow-band sources in the low-SNR regime (∼10 dB).
GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE COLONY STIMULATING FACTOR (GM-CSF) AUGMENTS LEUKOTRIENE B 4 PRODUCTION BY NEONATAL NEUTROPHILS (N-PMN) STIMULATED WITH TYPE III GROUP B STREPTOCOCCUS (III GBS) ♦ 1352

GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE COLONY STIMULATING FACTOR (GM-CSF) AUGMENTS LEUKOTRIENE B 4 PRODUCTION BY NEONATAL NEUTROPHILS (N-PMN) STIMULATED WITH TYPE III GROUP B STREPTOCOCCUS (III GBS) ♦ 1352
Are technicolor models compatible with a very heavy top quark

Abstract We consider the phenomenological constraints on technicolor and extended technicolor (ETC) interactions required to give a realistic quark-lepton spectrum consistent with limits on flavor-changing neutral currents. Treating ETC interactions as higher-dimensional vertices in an effective-field theory of technicolor, we outline a phenomenologically acceptable technicolor model with a walking SU 2 technicolor and a single generation of technifermions. Without fine-tuning or violating known constraints, we argue that both the strange-quark mass and a top-quark mass on the order of 100 GeV can be plausibly accommodated However, the precise ETC group and the dynamical mechanism responsible for its breaking are not determined.
Effect of N9-methylation and bridge atom variation on the activity of 5-substituted 2,4-diaminopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines against dihydrofolate reductases from Pneumocystis carinii and Toxoplasma gondii.

The effect of N9-methylation and bridge atom variation on inhibitory potency and selectivity of 2,4-diaminopyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines against dihydrofolate reductases (DHFR) was studied. Specifically three nonclassical 2,4-diamino-5-((N-methylanilino)methyl)pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines with 2‘,5‘-dimethoxyphenyl (2), 3‘,4‘-dichlorophenyl (3), 1‘-naphthyl (4), one classical analogue with a 4‘-L-glutamate substituent (10), and four nonclassical 2,4-diamino-5-((phenylthio)methyl)pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines with 3‘,4‘-dimethoxyphenyl (5), 3‘,4‘-dichlorophenyl (6), 1‘-naphthyl (7), and 2‘-naphthyl (8) substituents were synthesized. The classical and nonclassical analogues were obtained by displacement of the intermediate 2,4-diamino-5-bromomethylpyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 14, with appropriately substituted N-methylaniline, thiophenols, or 4-(N-methylamino)benzoyl-l-glutamate. Compounds 2−8 and 10 were evaluated against Pneumocystis carinii (pc), Toxoplasma gondii (tg), and rat liver (rl) DHFRs. The N-methyl and thiom...
Valanimycin biosynthesis: investigations of the mechanism of isobutylhydroxylamine incorporation.

The incorporation of [15N, 18O]-isobutylhydroxylamine into the antibiotic valanimycin by Streptomyces viridifaciens has been shown to proceed with loss of the 18O label, thereby demonstrating that the azoxy oxygen atom of valanimycin is not derived from the oxygen atom of isobutylhydroxylamine.
Effect of pores and He bubbles on the thermal transport properties of UO2 by molecular dynamics simulation

The thermal conductivities of UO2 single crystals containing nanoscale size pores and He gas bubbles are calculated using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics as a function of pore size and gas density in the bubble. As expected, the thermal conductivity decreases as pore size increases, while the decrease in thermal conductivity is determined to be more substantial than the predictions of traditional analytical models by Loeb and Maxwell-Eucken. However, the recent model of Alvarez, which is applicable when the phonon mean-free path is comparable to the pore size, is able to quantitatively reproduce the simulation results. The thermal conductivity of UO2 of the small pores considered here is reduced further when the pore is filled with He gas. This surprising result is due to the penetration of the helium atoms into the lattice where they act as phonon scattering centers.
EFFECTS OF METRAZOL, CARBON DISULFIDE, AND AUDITORY STIMULATION ON AN EXTINGUISHED CONDITIONED RESPONSE IN RATS'

Gellhorn (2) has reported a series of studies performed to determine whether convulsions induced by metrazol, ECS, or insulin hypoglycemia affect the acquisition and/or extinction of a simple conditioned avoidance response. Using a 2-compartment box, a barrier, and shock, rats were taught a barrier jumping response in order to escape shock in one compartment. A bell was generally the conditioned stimulus, although in some cases a light was used. A number of Gellhorn's findings are pertinent to the present study. He found that a conditioned avoidance response, extinguished by lack of reinforcement, could be reinstated following 3-5 convulsions induced by ECS or metrazol. Reinstatement lasted 5-10 days following which gradual decrease in frequency of response occurred. The author reported that with the use of insulin only in the case of production of a coma state was the conditioned avoidance response reinstated. In this case the recovered response lasted as long as several months without reinforcement. Gellhorn presented evidence which was interpreted as indicating that the coma state is the effective factor in reinstatement of the extinguished response. We have reported (5) that exposure of rats to a period of treadmill running following extinction of a conditioned fear response was effective in reinstating the response. It was found that, although full pattern seizures including tonic-clonic spasms and a coma were most effective in reinstating the extinguished response for a 3-week period without reinforcement, the high level of excitement produced by running the mill was effective in reinstating the response even in animals not showing the seizures for a period of approximately 14 days. It has also been found (6) that exposing a strain of mice, bred for high incidence of sound-induced fits, to high frequency sound resulted in the reinstatement of an extinguished conditioned fear response in varying degrees of completeness for approximately 10 days without reinforcement. Occurrence of complete pattern convulsions, including coma state, was apparently not necessary in order for the extinguished response to be reinstated. PROBLEM The present study was designed to compare the effectiveness of mecrazol, carbon disulfide, and auditory stimulation in reinstating an extinguished conditioned response.
GABAergic effects of reserpine following chronic treatment.

Reserpine-induced depression has been used as an animal model to screen for antidepressant agents. Chronic (14-day) tretment with reserpine resulted in a significant increase in β-adrenergic receptor binding in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, which was partially prevented by chronic treatment with either the antidepressant imipramine, the GABA-A agonist THIP or, the GABA-B agonist baclofen. Chronic treatment with reserpine also significant increased 3H-GABA receptor binding, which was partially prevented by chronic treatment with either imipramine or THIP. Both subchronic and chronic administration of reserpine resulted in a decrease in GABA concentrations in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. These data demonstrate the effect of reserpine treatment on the GABA-ergic system, and add further support for a functional coupling between the noradrenergic and GABA-ergic systems, which may be important for the mechanism of action of antidepressant agents.
Prospective comparison of helical CT of the abdomen and pelvis without and with oral contrast in assessing acute abdominal pain in adult Emergency Department patients.

Purpose: This prospective study compares the agreement of nonenhanced helical computed tomography (NECT) with oral contrast-enhanced computed tomogra- phy (CECT) in Emergency Department (ED) patients presenting with acute abdominal pain. Materials and methods: One hundred eighteen patients presenting to the ED with acute abdominal pain undergoing CT were enrolled over a 13-month period using convenience sampling. Exclusion criteria included acute trauma, pregnancy, unstable patients, and patients suspected of having urinary calculi. Patients were scanned helically using 5-mm collimation before and approximately 90 min after oral contrast administration. Both exams were prospectively interpreted by different attending radiologists in a blinded fashion using an explicit data sheet specifying the presence or absence of 28 param- eters relating to various common diagnoses. Results: The 118 patients had a mean age of 49 years, a male: female ratio of 7:13, and a median height, weight, and BMI of 166 cm, 80 kg, and 29, respectively. The most common indications for the study included appendicitis (32%) and diverticular disease (12%). Pain maximally localized to the right lower quadrant in 37% and the left lower quadrant in 21%. There were 21 patients that had significant disagreement of interpretations between NECT and CECT resulting in a simple agreement of 79% (95% CI: 70-87%). For specific radiologic param- eters, agreement ranged from 77 to 100%. A post hoc agreement analysis was subsequently performed by two radiologists and only five paired scans were identified as discordant between the NECT and CECT. For only one of these patients did both radiologists agree that there was a definite discordant result between the two studies. A final unblinded consensus review demonstra- ted that much of the disagreement between the inter- pretations was related to interobserver variation. Conclusion: There is 79% simple agreement between NECT and CECT in diagnosing various causes of acute abdominal pain in adult ED patients. Post hoc analysis indicates that a significant portion of the discordance was attributable to interobserver variability. This data suggests that NECT should be considered in adult ED patients presenting with acute abdominal pain.
Apparatus for operant measure of sexual behavior in female rats.

Summary.-An apparatus for the operant evaluation of sexual behavior in female rats is presented. When a female rat presses either of two levers, one of rwo sexually active male rats is released from a holding cage into an area where mating can occur. Measures of the male rat's sexual behavior are many, obvious, and objective. Mounts, intromissions, ejaculations, and their interrelationships have been reported earlier (Beach, 1940; Larsson, 1956). Measures of the female's sexual behavior are fewer and freq~~ently confounded by the male's activity. Factoring out the effects of the male's performance, as with the copulatory quotient (CQ), Beach (1943) still does not make the female's performance free of the male's. The finger test proposed by Ball (1934) does make the female independent of the male but is too unnatural to be considered an adequate test of sexual activity. Pierce and Nuttall (1961) have presented a situation giving the female some control over the situation by allowing her to pace her sexual activity, but the major part of the initiation of the activity still rests with the male. Several studies have attempted to use instrumental techniques to assess sexual motivation. Schwartz (1955) found that under some conditions bar pressing was an indicator of sexual motivation. Male rats were trained to press a bar on a VI schedule for food reinforcement to obtain a receptive female for a series of single copulatory contacts. It was found that bar-pressing rate tended to rise when ejaculation was imminent, although it was mentioned that bar-press rate was not a sensitive indicator of differences in motivation after differing periods of sexual exhaustion. Moss (1968), using food for reinforcement, observed the bar-press durations by intact female rats, ovariectomized female rats, pseudopregnant female rats, and intact male rats. It was shown that the bar-press duration (d) was a reliable indicator of sexual arousal in the female rat. Also, the d in the intact male rat increased throughout copulation with a receptive female, with the longest d occurring just before ejaculation. The average d of ovariectomized female rats was low, but when injections of estrogen and progesterone were given, it tended to increase and approach that of a normal female in estrus.
Instanton-induced azimuthal spin asymmetry in deep inelastic scattering

We propose a new dynamical mechanism for spin asymmetries in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering, utilizing strong vacuum fluctuations of the gluon field described semiclassically by instantons. Those can generate large asymmetry because they can simultaneously generate (i) a chirality flip of the struck quark; (ii) large O(1) $T$-odd phase due to its final state interaction. The absolute magnitude of the effect is estimated using known parameters of the instanton ensemble in the QCD vacuum and known structure and fragmentation functions, without any new free parameters. The result agrees in sign and (roughly) in magnitude with the available data on single particle inclusive DIS. Furthermore, our predictions uniquely relate effects for longitudinally and transversely polarized targets.
Associations Between Student Achievement and Student Learning Implications for Value-Added School Accountability Models

Accountability systems that measure student learning rather than student achievement have the potential to more accurately evaluate school quality. However, one methodological concern has remained surprisingly absent from discussions of value-added modeling. Standardized assessments that exhibit either positive or negative correlations between achievement and achievement gains will produce value-added estimates that contradict actual patterns of school effectiveness. This study uses student-level state assessment data to explore the ramifications of these relationships for value-added indicators. Within this state’s assessment, the author finds strong negative relationships between achievement and subsequent achievement gains—initially low-scoring students appeared to gain more than their high-achieving peers. Because students are not randomly assigned to schools by achievement, these child-level correlations strongly influence school-level value-added estimates, in some cases quite dramatically. However,...
On force regulation strategies in predictable environments

This paper is focused on investigating force regulation strategies employed by human central nervous system (CNS). The mechanism responsible for force control is extremely important in people's lives, but not yet well understood. We formulate the general model of force regulation and identify several possible control strategies. An experimental approach is used to determine which of the force control strategies could actually be used by the CNS. Obtained results suggest that the force regulation process involves not only the pure force controller, but also a coupled motion controller, relying on the internal model of the environment.
Comparison of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (Osteoprogenitors) Harvested From Proximal Humerus and Distal Femur During Arthroscopic Surgery

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the relations between age, gender, and number of viable mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in concentrated bone marrow (BM) obtained from the proximal humerus and distal femur during arthroscopic surgery. Methods BM was aspirated from either the proximal humerus ( n = 55) or distal femur ( n = 29) during arthroscopic surgery in 84 patients (51.3 ± 11.6 years). MSCs were obtained from fractionated bone marrow after a 5-minute spin at 1,500 rpm. Volume of BM and number of nucleated cells (NCs) were calculated, and samples were cultured for 6 days, after which point colony-forming units (CFUs) were quantified and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis was performed. Simple linear regression was used to explore relations between age, gender, volume of aspirated BM, and MSCs per milliliter. Results BM aspirations yielded a mean quantity of 22.6 ± 12.3 mL. After centrifugation, 30.0 ± 16.7 × 10 6 nucleated cells/mL of concentrated BM were harvested. The proximal humerus provided 38.7 ± 52.6 × 10 6 , and the distal femur, 25.9 ± 14.3 × 10 6 , for an overall 766.3 ± 545.3 MSCs/mL of concentrated BM (proximal humerus: 883.9 ± 577.6, distal femur: 551.3 ± 408.1). Values did not significantly differ by age, gender, or donor site. Conclusions Arthroscopic aspiration of bone marrow from the proximal humerus and distal femur is a reproducible technique and yields reliable concentrations of MSCs. The use of an intraoperative concentration method resulted in consistent amounts of MSCs in all clinically relevant age groups without a significant drop of the number of isolated MSCs. Clinical Relevance Human MSCs derived from concentrated bone marrow aspirate are a promising biological addition that may have practical use in the future of soft tissue augmentation. Arthroscopic techniques for bone marrow aspiration that do not require an additional surgical site for aspiration (e.g., iliac crest) or a second operative procedure may facilitate future use of MSCs in arthroscopic surgery.
Spectroscopy of Na2 by photoassociation of laser-cooled Na.

We have observed the spectrum of long range molecular states of singly excited Na 2 formed by photoassociation during ultracold associative ionization collisions of laser-cooled Na atoms. The low kinetic energy of the collision allows us to obtain very high resolution spectra and to observe states close to the dissociation limit. The spectrum shows regular vibrational series characteristic of the 1/R 3 long range portion of the 1 g potential (asymptotically S 1/2 +P 3/2 ) as well as molecular hyperfine structure within these peaks. We extract potential parameters and compare with recent theory
Generalized compensation in stock-recruit functions: properties and implications for management

Brooks, E. N., and Powers, J. E. 2007. Generalized compensation in stock-recruit functions: properties and implications for management. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 413-424.A general stock-recruit function that explicitly defines density-dependent and -independent components of mortality over multiple stages is derived. By generalizing the stock-recruit function and the timing of density-dependent compensation, the impacts of different sources and magnitudes of mortality during the recruitment phase can be evaluated. Given reasonably comparable stage durations, compensation in early stages of a multistage process dominates density-independent effects; in later stages, density-dependent and -independent factors compete on a more even scale. Ratios of equilibrium statistics associated with the stock-recruit function under alternative compensation timing scenarios can be determined from the ratio of the compensation terms in the models when all scenarios assume the same type of stock-recruit function (Ricker or Beverton-Holt). This analytical result facilitates evaluation of proposed impacts or rehabilitation strategies without the need for a full stock assessment. Exogenous mortality has more impact on the maximum excess recruitment if that rate occurs later in the recruitment interval, especially if it takes place after compensation. Reparameterizing this generalized stock-recruit function in terms of steepness and virgin recruitment, we show that steepness is not influenced by the timing of compensation nor by the length of the recruitment interval; the level of virgin recruitment, however, is affected by both.
Triiodothyronine: to be or not to be, that is the question.

riiodothyronine (T,) has been suggested for the treatT ment of the postcardiotomy patient for more than 5 years. The initial studies, which came from Capetown, concerned brain-dead animals and patients and suggested that this hormone might be useful in cardiac and renal transplantation if given to the donor. Subsequent studies by Novitsky and associates [l, 21 in pigs and baboons placed on cardiopulmonary bypass and given global myocardial ischemia demonstrated significant efficacious effects in the former but fewer in the latter. The initial clinical data generated by this same principal investigator involved 10 cases of profound postcardiotomy low cardiac output and suggested a beneficial effect in weaning from assist devices and catecholamines [3]. No concurrent group of nontreated patients was used in that study. The more recent trial [4], which was randomized and blinded, demonstrated that patients with ejection fractions of 0.30 or less receiving coronary artery bypass operations had lower requirements for pressor and diuretic support but had no significant improvement in hemodynamic variables. Those patients with ejection fractions greater than
Crosscorrelation of M-sequences and GMW-sequences with the same primitive polynomial

Abstract The periodic crosscorrelation function of an M-sequence and a GMW-sequence that have been constructed from the same primitive polynomial is calculated in terms of the perodic crosscorrelation function of two smaller M-sequences. Along the way, a rather nice property satisfied by a collection of differences arising from the trace function Trmn: GF(2n)→GF(2m) is described and a connection to sonar sequences is made.
Constraints on the baryogenesis scale from neutrino masses

Over the past few years it has been realized1 that at temperatures above ~m w/αw transitions that violate baryon (B) and lepton (L) number occur rapidly since, due to the electroweak anomaly, these quantum numbers are not conserved. Indeed, $$ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{\partial _\mu }j_\mu ^B = \frac{{g_2^2}}{{32{\pi ^2}}}{n_f}(\frac{1}{3}x3)F_{\mu v}^a\tilde F_a^{\mu v}} \\ {{\partial _\mu }j_\mu ^L = \frac{{g_2^2}}{{32{\pi ^2}}}{n_f}F_{\mu v}^a\tilde F_a^{\mu v}} \\ {{\partial _\mu }j_\mu ^{B - L} = 0.} \end{array} $$
Developmental expression of keratan sulfate-like immunoreactivity distinguishes thalamic nuclei and cortical domains.

Proteoglycans influence axonal outgrowth in several experimental paradigms, and their distribution during development suggests a role in axon guidance. We have used a monoclonal antibody, 5D4, that recognizes an epitope on sulfated keratans (KS), to define the distribution of keratan sulfate proteoglycans (KSPGs) in the developing thalamus and cortex of the rat. During development, 5D4 immunolabeling is present on thalamic axons as they grow through the internal capsule and subplate but is not present in the adjacent pathway for cortical efferent axons. Individual thalamic nuclei differ markedly in their expression of KSPGs; these distinctions persist throughout the period of developmentally regulated expression. Major cortical domains also differ in their expression of KSPGs, which are expressed throughout medial (cingulate and retrosplenial) cortex well before neocortex. Immunolabeling for KSPGs diminishes 2 weeks after birth; in the adult it is associated with small glia. The 5D4 epitope is present on several KSPGs (320, 220, and 160 kD) on Western blots during development but only in a broad 200-kD band in adult brain. Immunolabeling is degraded on sections and Western blots by keratanase II but not by keratanase I or chondroitinase ABC, confirming that the antibody recognizes KS. Bands identified by 5D4 on Western blots differ from those identified by antibodies to known KSPGs (aggrecan, claustrin, SV2, ABAKAN, phosphacan-KS), indicating that 5D4 is labeling KSPGs not previously described in the brain. The selective expression of KSPGs during development suggests that they may be a part of the molecular identity of thalamic nuclei and cortical domains that defines their connectivity. J. Comp. Neurol. 380:533–552, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
H and other transfers in enzymes and in solution: theory and computations, a unified view. 2. Applications to experiment and computations.

Equations obtained in part I for the free-energy barrier to one-step enzymatic reactions between bound reactants are discussed. The rate is expressed in terms of λ_o (protein reorganization energy), ΔG° (standard free energy of reaction of the H-transfer step), bond breaking/bond forming term, w (work terms), and H-transmission property. Two alternative approximations for the coupling of the bond breaking/bond forming and protein are distinguished experimentally in favorable cases by the ΔG° where the maximum deuterium kinetic isotope effect occurs. Plots of log rate versus ΔG° and properties such as ΔS* and ΔS° are discussed. The weak or zero T-dependence of the kinetic isotope effect for wild-type enzymes operating under physiological conditions is interpreted in terms of vanishing (or isotopically insensitive) w plus transfer from the lowest H-state. Static and dynamic protein flexibility is discussed. While the many correlations accessible for electron transfers are not available for H-transfers in enzymes, a combination of experiment, computation, and analytical approaches can assist in evaluating the utility of the present equations and in suggesting further experiments and computations. A protein reorganization energy λ_o is obtained in the literature from the extended valence bond formalism where diabatic electronic states are used. A method is suggested for extracting it when instead a bond distance difference coordinate is used. The results may provide a bridge between the two approaches.
Tuning biphenyl dioxygenase for extended substrate specificity

Highly substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to be very resistant to aerobic biodegradation, particularly the initial attack by biphenyl dioxygenase. Functional evolution of the substrate specificity of biphenyl dioxygenase was demonstrated by DNA shuffling and staggered extension process (StEP) of the bphA gene coding for the large subunit of biphenyl dioxygenase. Several variants with an extended substrate range for PCBs were selected. In contrast to the parental biphenyl dioxygenases from Burkholderia cepacia LB400 and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707, which preferentially recognize either ortho- (LB400) or para- (KF707) substituted PCBs, several variants degraded both congeners to about the same extent. These variants also exhibited superior degradation capabilities toward several tetra- and pentachlorinated PCBs as well as commercial PCB mixtures, such as Aroclor 1242 or Aroclor 1254. Sequence analysis confirmed that most variants contained at least four to six template switches. All desired variants contained the Thr335Ala and Phe336Ile substitutions confirming the importance of this critical region in substrate specificity. These results suggest that the block-exchange nature of gene shuffling between a diverse class of dioxygenases may be the most useful approach for breeding novel dioxygenases for PCB degradation in the desired direction.
Reverse mathematics and rank functions for directed graphs

A rank function for a directed graph G assigns elements of a well ordering to the vertices of G in a fashion that preserves the order induced by the edges. While topological sortings require a one-to-one matching of vertices and elements of the ordering, rank functions frequently must assign several vertices the same value. Theorems stating basic properties of rank functions vary significantly in logical strength. Using the techniques of reverse mathematics, we present results that require the subsystems \({\ensuremath{\vec{RCA}_0}}\), \({{\vec{ACA}_0}}\), \({{\vec{ATR}_0}}\), and \({{\vec{\Pi^1_1 - CA}_0}}\).
Cytomegalovirus immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome manifesting as acute appendicitis in an HIV-infected patient

Appendicitis occurs with increased frequency in HIV infected compared to HIV uninfected persons. CMV-related appendicitis specifically presents with typical appendicitis symptoms including surgical abdomen, fever and leukocytosis and may have a more severe course with higher mortality than other types of infective appendicitis. We report the first case of CMV appendicitis as a manifestation of Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS). The patient was a 38 year old woman with a recent diagnosis of HIV infection who complained of right lower quadrant pain, anorexia, nausea and fevers two weeks after initiating antiretroviral therapy. Acute appendicitis was suspected and the patient underwent an appendectomy. Pathologic examination of the resected appendiceal tissue demonstrated inflammation with perforation and cytopathic changes typical of CMV that were positive for CMV by immunostain. This presentation of CMV abruptly after antiretroviral therapy initiation with a pronounced cellular infiltration of the tissue, is consistent with CMV-IRIS presenting as appendicitis. Appendicitis can be a rare manifestation of CMV-IRIS in HIV-infected patients who start antiretroviral therapy. Evaluation of appendiceal tissue for cytopathic changes and CMV should be considered in acute appendicitis in HIV infected persons.
How to compute a slot marker — Calculation of controller-managed spacing tools for efficient descents with precision scheduling

This paper describes the underlying principles and algorithms for computing the primary Controller-Managed Spacing (CMS) tools developed at NASA for precisely spacing aircraft along efficient descent paths. The trajectory-based CMS tools include slot markers, delay indications and speed advisories. These tools are one of three core NASA technologies integrated in NASA's ATM Technology Demonstration-1 (ATD-1) that will operationally demonstrate the feasibility of fuel-efficient, high throughput arrival operations using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and ground-based and airborne NASA technologies for precision scheduling and spacing.
Voiding function after a modified no-tension pubovaginal sling

Voiding dysfunction following sling procedures for correction of genuine stress urinary incontinence (GSI) is a frequently reported complication. This study sought to determine if voiding dysfunction could be reduced by eliminating sling tension against the urethra. Participants were diagnosed with GSI and randomized to one of two surgical groups. One received a conventional suburethral sling and the other received a modified sling placed at the mid-urethra without tension. Voiding trials after surgery monitored for voiding dysfunction. Multichannel urodynamic studies were performed pre- and post-operatively. Cure rates for GSI were similar for the two groups (91.7 vs. 88.5%). The 27 patients in the modified group voided an average of 5 days earlier than the 21 patients in the conventional group. Conventional group patients were more likely to have urinary retention (125 vs. 49 cc, p=0.03). The modified group had a lesser change in average closure pressure following surgery. Results suggested a higher increase in urethral resistance in the conventional group (0.72 vs. 1.88 cm H2O ml(-2) sec2). No differences were seen in symptomatic urinary urgency or urge incontinence following surgery. This study demonstrated a no-tension sling at the mid-urethra to afford equivalent cure of GSI with significant reduction of voiding dysfunction.
Resetting the epigenetic histone code in the MRL-lpr/lpr mouse model of lupus by histone deacetylase inhibition.

The baseline level of gene expression varies between healthy controls and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, and among SLE patients themselves. These variations may explain the different clinical manifestations and severity of disease observed in SLE. Epigenetic mechanisms, which involve DNA and histone modifications, are predictably associated with distinct transcriptional states. To understand the interplay between various histone modifications, including acetylation and methylation, and lupus disease, we performed differential expression histone modification analysis in splenocytes from the MRL-lpr/lpr mouse model of lupus. Using stable isotope labeling in combination with mass spectrometry, we found global site-specific hypermethylation (except H3 K4 methylation) and hypoacetylation in histone H3 and H4 MRL-lpr/lpr mice compared to control MRL/MPJ mice. Moreover, we have identified novel histone modifications such as H3 K18 methylation, H4 K31 methylation, and H4 K31 acetylation that are dif...
Improved low-distortion ΔΣ ADC topology

Architectural considerations for ΔΣ modulator ADC are critical to achieve wideband and low-power data conversion. A low-distortion single-loop ΔΣ modulator provides improved performance, and allows robust performance insensitive to circuit errors. However, it requires multiple signal summation at the input of the quantizer, and suffers from reduced signal processing time available for DAC linearization. It is also difficult to incorporate double sampling in the low-distortion modulator. This paper suggests an improved low-distortion modulator topology, derived by signal flow graph manipulations, to overcome these limitations.
PIRD: P2P-Based Intelligent Resource Discovery in Internet-Based Distributed Systems

Internet-based distributed systems enable globally scattered resources to be collectively pooled and used in a cooperative manner to achieve unprecedented petascale super computing capabilities. Numerous resource discovery approaches have been proposed to help achieve this goal. To report or discover a multi-attribute resource, most approaches use multiple messages with each message for an attribute, leading to high overhead. Anther approach can reduce multi-attribute to one index, but it is not practically effective in an environment with a large number of different resource attributes. Furthermore, few approaches are able to locate resources geographically close to the requesters, which is critical to system performance. This paper presents a P2P-based intelligent resource discovery (PIRD) mechanism that weaves all attributes into a set of indices using locality sensitive hashing, and then maps the indices to a structured P2P. It further incorporates Lempel-Ziv-Welch algorithm to compress attribute information for higher efficiency. In addition, it helps to search resources geographically close to requesters by relying on a hierarchical P2P structure. PIRD significantly reduces overhead and improves the efficiency and effectiveness of resource discovery. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of PIRD in comparison with other approaches. It dramatically reduces overhead and yields significant improvements on the efficiency of resource discovery.