cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smooth Muscle Titin Zq Domain Interaction with the Smooth Muscle α-Actinin Central Rod

Actin-myosin II filament-based contractile structures in striated muscle, smooth muscle, and nonmuscle cells contain the actin filament-cross-linking protein α-actinin. In striated muscle Z-disks, α-actinin interacts with N-terminal domains of titin to provide a structural linkage crucial for the integrity of the sarcomere. We previously discovered a long titin isoform, originally smitin, hereafter sm-titin, in smooth muscle and demonstrated that native sm-titin interacts with C-terminal EF hand region and central rod R2-R3 spectrin-like repeat region sites in α-actinin. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis of RNA from human adult smooth muscles and cultured rat smooth muscle cells and Western blot analysis with a domain-specific antibody presented here revealed that sm-titin contains the titin gene-encoded Zq domain that may bind to the α-actinin R2-R3 central rod domain as well as Z-repeat domains that bind to the EF hand region. We investigated whether the sm-titin Zq domain binds to α-actinin R2 and R3 spectrin repeat-like domain loops that lie in proximity with two-fold symmetry on the surface of the central rod. Mutations in α-actinin R2 and R3 domain loop residues decreased interaction with expressed sm-titin Zq domain in glutathione S-transferase pull-down and solid phase binding assays. Alanine mutation of a region of the Zq domain with high propensity for α-helix formation decreased apparent Zq domain dimer formation and decreased Zq interaction with the α-actinin R2-R3 region in surface plasmon resonance assays. We present a model in which two sm-titin Zq domains interact with each other and with the two R2-R3 sites in the α-actinin central rod.
Effects of cluster particle correlations on local parity violation observables

We investigate effects of cluster particle correlations on two- and three-particle azimuth correlator observables sensitive to local strong parity violation. We use two-particle angular correlation measurements as inputs and estimate the magnitudes of the effects with straightforward assumptions. We found that the measurements of the azimuth correlator observables in the STAR experiment can be entirely accounted for by cluster particle correlations together with a reasonable range of cluster anisotropy in nonperipheral collisions. Our result suggests that new physics, such as local strong parity violation, may not be required to explain the correlator data.
A sensitive bioluminescent immunoassay for dinitrophenol and trinitrotoluene.

Abstract A bioluminescent immunoassay for measuring dinitrophenol and trinitrotoluene (TNT) has been developed. The DNP and TNT were covalently linked to firefly luciferase, resulting in a conjugate containing 1 mol of DNP or trinitrophenyl (TNP) per mole of luciferase. The conjugate retained 90% of its original catalytic activity. When the conjugate was incubated with immobillzed anti-TNT or anti-DNP and varying concentrations of free TNT or DNP-leucine, the amount of conjugate bound was inversely proportional to the concentration of the free compound. Using this procedure it is possible to detect 2.5 pmol of DNP-leucine and 1.0 pmol of TNT. If the TNP or DNP is linked to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase instead of luciferase, much lower quantities of antigen can be detected. This is due to the fact that this enzyme has a large turnover number so that amplification is possible. The NADH produced is measured using immobilized bacterial NADH:FMN oxidoreductase and luciferase. With this procedure, 10 amol (10 −17 mol) of antigen can be measured. These procedures should be suitable for measuring any antigen.
An engineering design methodology with multistage Bayesian surrogates and optimal sampling

This paper presents an adaptive, surrogate-based, engineering design methodology for the efficient use of numerical simulations of physical models. These surrogates are nonlinear regression models fitted with data obtained from deterministic numerical simulations using optimal sampling. A multistage Bayesian procedure is followed in the formulation of surrogates to support the evolutionary nature of engineering design. Information from computer simulations of different levels of accuracy and detail is integrated, updating surrogates sequentially to improve their accuracy. Data-adaptive optimal sampling is conducted by minimizing the sum of the eigenvalues of the prior covariance matrix. Metrics to quantify prediction errors are proposed and tested to evaluate surrogate accuracy given cost and time constraints. The proposed methodology is tested with a known analytical function to illustrate accuracy and cost tradeoffs. This methodology is then applied to the thermal design of embedded electronic packages with five design parameters. Temperature distributions of embedded electronic chip configurations are calculated using spectral element direct numerical simulations. Surrogates, built from 30 simulations in two stages, are used to predict responses of new design combinations and to minimize the maximum chip temperature.
TWO SMALL SUBUNITS IN ARABIDOPSIS RNA POLYMERASE II ARE RELATED TO YEAST RPB4 AND RPB7 AND INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER

An Arabidopsis cDNA (AtRPB15.9) that encoded a protein related to the RPB4 subunit in yeast RNA polymerase II was cloned. The predicted molecular mass of 15.9 kDa for the AtRPB15.9 protein was significantly smaller than 25 kDa for yeast RBP4. In SDS-PAGE, AtRPB15.9 migrated as the seventh or eighth largest subunit (i.e. apparent molecular mass of 14-15 kDa) in Arabidopsis RNA polymerase II, whereas RPB4 migrates as the fourth largest subunit (i.e. apparent molecular mass of 32 kDa) in yeast RNA polymerase II. Unlike yeast RPB4 and RPB7, which dissociate from RNA polymerase II under mildly denaturing conditions, plant subunits related to RPB4 and RPB7 are more stably associated with the enzyme. Recombinant AtRPB15.9 formed stable complexes with AtRPB19.5 (i.e. a subunit related to yeast RPB7) in vitro as did recombinant yeast RPB4 and RPB7 subunits. Stable heterodimers were also formed between AtRPB15. 9 and yeast RPB7 and between yeast RPB4 and AtRPB19.5.
Magnetic resonance imaging anatomy of the female urethra: A direct histologic comparison

Objective To define the urethral structures visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relevant to stress urinary incontinence. Methods The urethra and surrounding tissues were harvested from 13 female cadavers (ages 21–81) and fixed in 10% buffered formalin. High-resolution T 1 - and T 2 -weighted images were obtained at 1.5 tesla. Mallory trichrome-stained histologic sections were prepared in corresponding planes from the cadaveric specimens. Immunohistologic stains for smooth muscle (actin) and vascular endothelium (CD-34 and factor VIII) were obtained on two specimens. Histology and MRI were compared using side-by-side correlation of projected images and by superimposing projected images. Comparison was also made to a non-cadaveric urethral MRI of a 29-year-old woman and to the MRI of another specimen imaged pre- and post-fixation. Results Distinct layers of the cadaveric urethra were seen best on proton density and T 2 -weighted images. From the center to the periphery, a series of concentric rings were visible: an inner bright ring, the mucosa; a dark ring, the submucosa; an outer bright ring, the smooth muscle of the urethra in a loose connective tissue matrix; and a peripheral dark ring, the striated urogenital sphincter muscle of the urethra in dense connective tissue. No significant alterations were caused by fixation. These cadaveric images matched the non-cadaveric MRI of the 29-year-old woman. Conclusion The internal urethral anatomy visible on high-resolution MRI can be identified and confirmed histologically, and these findings may form the basis for future anatomic investigation of stress urinary incontinence and other urethral abnormalities.
In 1995 a correlation between malnutrition and poor outcome in critically ill patients still exists.

After more than two decades of nutritional awareness, we designed a prospective study to determine whether malnutrition is still a significant issue in hospitalized patients. Patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) were divided into well-nourished and malnourished groups, according to their nutritional status as assessed by serum albumin level and weight/height ratio. Severity of illness, as assessed by the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS), was used to further stratify the study population. All patients were followed clinically until discharge or death and their outcome recorded. Of 129 patients studied, 43% were malnourished. Length of hospital stay (p = n.s.), incidence of complications (p < 0.01), and number of patients not discharged from hospital (p < 0.05) were greater in the malnourished patients than in the well-nourished. In patients with less severe degrees of illness, the existence of malnutrition led to a worse outcome than in sicker patients. To further assess the clinical setting in which hospital-related malnutrition develops or is exacerbated, postoperative patients admitted to the ICU (n = 66) were also studied in a nutritional survey; the results of this survey indicate that: (a) the incidence of malnutrition in the surgical population is similar to that in the whole study population, and (b) hospital-related malnutrition in surgical patients mainly develops during their preoperative stay in general wards. Whereas our conclusion that patients' outcome is adversely affected by a poor nutritional status is not new or startling, malnutrition continues to be a persistent problem in hospitalized patients, which can be readily identified using simple and easily available indices and, furthermore, readily treated.
Anti-IL2 induction in liver transplantation with 93% rejection-free patient and graft survival at 18 months.

Background Induction with the use of monoclonal antibodies targeting the alpha-chain (CD25) of the high-affinity IL2 receptor may avoid many of the adverse events associated with polyclonal antibodies and significantly impact on rejection-free long-term survival in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods Forty-two consecutive deceased donor primary OLT were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received two 20-mg doses of basiliximab (days 0 and 4 after OLT) followed by tacrolimus (0.15 mg/kg/day; 10–15 ng/mL target trough levels), and steroids (methylprednisolone 1 g intraoperatively followed by tapering doses). Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) 1 g every 12 h was added to the drug combination as needed. The mean follow-up period was 19.3 months (range: 4.8–35.9 months). Results The average Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was 26 (range: 15–40). A total of 39 patients (93%) remained rejection-free during follow-up with an actuarial rejection-free probability of 95% within 3 months. The actuarial patient and graft survival rate (Kaplan–Meier estimated) at 2 years was 93%. Twenty-five patients (60%) were completely off steroids within 3 months post-OLT (mean: 51.1 days, range: 10–90 days). By the 10th month post-OLT, 30/39 (77%) of the patients were completely off steroids. At last follow-up, 30/39 (77%) are on tacrolimus monotherapy with an average dose of 4 mg per day. Six patients (15%) are on double therapy, receiving a combination of tacrolimus and prednisone (two patients) or tacrolimus and MMF (two patients) or tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid (two patients). Only three patients (8%) are receiving triple therapy at last follow-up. Nine patients (21%) experienced at least one episode of infection. Only six (26%) of a total of 23 hepatitis C virus (HCV) recipients developed histology-proven HCV recurrence, with a mean onset of recurrence post-OLT of 3.2 months (range: 1.3-6.3 months). Of these six patients, two are presently undergoing treatment with interferon and ribavirin, one was treated and became HCV RNA negative, one was not treated, one declined treatment, and two died of HCV recurrence. None of the 42 study patients developed cytomegalovirus infection or posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease. Conclusions These preliminary data suggest that basiliximab, given in combination with a tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen, is safe and associated with a low incidence of acute rejection and excellent short-term rejection-free graft and patient survival rate after OLT.
Circadian Rhythms: ICER is nicer at night (sir!)

Autoregulated expression of a gene encoding multiple transcription factors, including the newly discovered repressor protein, ICER, may play a fundamental role in the regulation of circadian rhythms.
Should routine breast cancer staging include MRI

MRI can identify cancer foci that are not evident clinically or detected by mammography. The detection of additional cancer with MRI has been interpreted as evidence that the imaging procedure is beneficial to patients; however, the available data do not support this contention. The author of this Viewpoint discusses why the routine incorporation of MRI into the presurgical workup should not be included for the vast majority of patients with breast cancer.
Decreased use of antibiotics using a neonatal sepsis screening technique

Antibiotic use was evaluated in an intensive care nursery before (1975–77, Group 1) and after (1978–80, Group 2) a "sepsis scree" was used at the bedside. All babies were evaluated prospectively, but the sepsis screen was available within an hour to influence decisions about antibiotics only in Group 2. The screen was positive if two or more of five simple tests were positive when investigation for possible sepsis was initiated. Group 1 and Group 2 had similar numbers of babies with proven sepsis and positive sepsis screens, and similar reasons for investigation, but there was a marked decrease ( P
Priestly Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible: A Summary of Recent Scholarship and a Narrative Reading

The field of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament has come to no consensus on the meaning of sacrifice in ancient Israel. The most influential theory of the meaning of biblical sacrifice, at least in the Priestly Writing (P) of the Pentateuch, is that of Jacob Milgrom. Milgrom argues that the purification sacrifice, as presented by P in Leviticus 1–7, is key to understanding P's sacrificial system, as its blood provided a ritual detergent on the altar for Israel's unintentional sins and impurities, thus permitting the continued presence of God in the sanctuary. Milgrom's theory has recently come under challenge, and a reading of P's narrative throughout the entire Pentateuch, and not only in Leviticus 1–7, shows that, for the Priestly Writing, sacrifice seems to draw Israel's attention to the differences between the divine and human realms, and thus points to Israel's moral failings in relationship to the divine law, as well as to the punishment Israel will suffer for this failure.
Group-Based Self-Evaluation Outside of the Laboratory: Effects of Global Versus Contextual Status:

An event-contingent diary methodology was used to study the impact of intergroup and intragroup factors on self-evaluations in naturally occurring groups. Participants reported their contextual group status, group identification, and self-evaluations each time they self-categorized as a group member throughout a 1- week period. Indicators of global group status, interdependence, and permeability of group boundaries also were obtained. Multilevel modeling revealed that contextual status and global status interacted to predict self-evaluations. Contextual status had a stronger relationship with self-evaluations for members of global low-status groups than for members of high-status groups. Analyses of intragroup factors revealed that greater group interdependence but not permeability of group boundaries also was associated with higher self-evaluations. The effects of both contextual status and group interdependence were mediated by group identification.
Transient responses to tone bursts.

Abstract Investigating theoretical conditions under which linearly-operating tuned structures produce click-like transient responses to onsets and offsets of trapezoidal tone bursts, we come to the following conclusions: (1) each of the four corners of the trapezoidal tone burst is capable of eliciting such a response; (2) the amplitude of the response and its dependence on the frequency of the modulated tone both depend on the phase of the modulated sinusoid at the time a corner occurs; (3) such responses will arise in structures having sufficiently steep band edges, provided that the frequency of the modulated tone is well outside the pass band of the structure - for a corner in cosine phase, the sustained slope of the low-frequency band edge must be greater than zero and that of the high-frequency band edge must be greater than 12 dB/Oct, for a corner in sine phase the sustained slope of the low-frequency band edge must be greater than 6 dB/Oct and that of the high-frequency band edge must be greater than 18 dB/Oct; (4) they will not arise in response to tone bursts whose frequencies fall within the pass band of the structure; (5) nor will they arise in response to a trapezoidal tone burst of any frequency applied to structures (such as simple microphones or drivers) following second-order dynamics and having both spectral zeros at infinity. We present theoretically derived relationships between the amplitude of transient responses and the tone-burst frequency, not only for the corners of trapezoidal tone bursts, but also for tone bursts of more general shapes. We conclude that, owing to its extraordinarily steep high-frequency rolloff, the filter associated with each cochlear axon is well suited to extracting temporal information from onset or offset singularities in modulated tones whose frequencies are above the characteristic frequency of the filter. Applying the theory to observed onset and offset responses to high-intensity tone bursts in auditory afferents of the Mongolian gerbil, we conclude that some of the responses we observed must have been sculpted in part by cochlear nonlinearities.
Alternative regulation and the efficiency of local exchange carriers: evidence from the Ameritech states

Abstract This paper examines growth in total factor productivity (TFP) before and after the implementation of alternative regulatory schemes for Ameritech operating companies. A model of TFP growth developed by the FCC is used. Results indicate that the introduction of price cap and incentive regulation leads to statistically significant increases in TFP growth. Results indicate that regulators may need to increase current productivity offsets to achieve a more equitable sharing of productivity gains between shareholders and ratepayers.
Inhibitory Learning is Modulated by Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Prior research has established that stimulating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors can facilitate learning and memory. However, most studies have focused on learning to emit a particular behavior, while little is known about the effects of nicotine on learning to withhold a behavioral response. The present study consisted of a dose response analysis of the effects of nicotine on negative occasion setting, a form of learned inhibition. In this paradigm, rats received one type of training trial in which presentation of a tone by itself was followed immediately by food reward. During the other type of trials, the tone was preceded by presentation of a light and no food was delivered after the tone. Rats gradually learned to approach the cup in anticipation of receiving food reward during presentations of the tone alone, but withheld that behavior when the tone was preceded by the light. Nicotine (0.35 mg/kg) facilitated negative occasion setting by reducing the number of sessions needed to learn the discrimination between trial types and by reducing the rate of responding on non-reinforced trials. Nicotine also increased the orienting response to the light, suggesting that nicotine may have affected the ability to withhold food cup behavior on non-reinforced trials by increasing attention to the light. In contrast to the effects of nicotine, rats treated with mecamylamine (0.125, 0.5, or 2 mg/kg) needed more training sessions to discriminate between reinforced and non-reinforced trials compared to saline-treated rats. The findings indicate that nicotinic acetylcholine receptors may be active during negative occasion setting and that nicotine can potentiate learned inhibition.
Teaching Internationally: Matching Part-Time MBA Instructional Tools to Host Country Student Preferences:

While marketing professors are increasingly being asked to teach internationally, little is known about global students’ perceptions of how various instructional activities influence their learning experience. Consequently, marketing professors may be unsure which educational activities to incorporate into their overseas courses. This study investigates how various educational tools affect MBA students’perception of overall learning through a survey administered in an international marketing class in the People’s Republic of China, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings reveal that students have differing opinions, by country, on the impact of these instructional activities. Pedagogical ideas are provided to help instructors maximize teaching effectiveness in global locations.
Travelers' risk of malaria by destination country: A study from Japan

Summary Background Country-specific information on the incidence of malaria in travelers provides the most reliable data on which to base the pre-travel risk assessment. Some such studies have been conducted among Western travelers; however, to our knowledge, there have been no reports on Japanese travelers. Methods Malaria cases that were diagnosed between April 1999 and December 2005 and were reported to the national infectious disease surveillance body were used as the numerators after grouped into countries of disease acquisition. The denominators, the numbers of Japanese travelers visiting individual countries were derived from the recipient countries and obtained through a Japanese organization. Results In addition to the well-documented high risks in sub-Saharan countries, our study showed that travelers to Papua New Guinea were exposed to a significantly high risk of malaria. In Asia, Myanmar had the highest risk. Generally, malaria incidence rates among Japanese travelers were lower than those previously reported on Western travelers. However, the rates were rather comparable to the data obtained recently. Conclusions These malaria incidence data in travelers should be taken into consideration for pre-travel risk assessment. They need to be constantly updated, and at the same time, limitations in data interpretation that are inherent in various study methodologies should also be clarified.
Modeling of amphiphilic polymers and their interactions with nonionic surfactants

Abstract We review the findings of theoretical studies in which Monte Carlo simulations, molecular dynamics, self-consistent field models or various analytical calculations were used to examine the self-assembly of nonionic amphiphilic polymers in solution. We also review results from similar studies that were aimed at investigating the interactions of these macromolecules with nonionic surfactants. The results of these studies are particularly useful in clarifying the morphology of the associated complexes. The findings also provide qualitative guidelines for tailoring the structure of the polymers/surfactants to yield the desired visco-elastic behavior in the host fluid. These guidelines facilitate the fabrication of complex fluids that find applications in enhanced oil recovery and as coatings, paints and films.
Predicting cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to cotrimoxazole in HIV-infected individuals receiving primary Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the incidence of cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to cotrimoxazole in the setting of primaryPneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) prophylaxis; to measure the incidence of severe reactions; and to identify predictors for these outcomes.
Comparison of α-tubulin mRNA and heat shock protein-70 mRNA in gerbil brain following 10 min of ischemia

Abstract In situ hybridization and Northern blot analysis were used to characterize the mRNA expression of α-tubulin, a neuroprotein crucial for neuronal structural and functional restoration, in comparison to that of the stress inducible heat shock protein-70 (HSP-70), in the same gerbil brain following 10 min of forebrain ischemia. The HSP-70 expression was noted in the dentate granule layer 1 h postischemia (PI) and became prominent in all pyramidal cell fields of the hippocampus in addition to the dentate layer at 6 h PI. The induction of HSP-70 persisted in CA1 and CA2 regions and partly in dentate gyrus for up to the 1 day PI period examined. There was no significant HSP-70 expression in any of the regions of the nonischemic or 15 min PI brain. α-Tubulin, on the other hand, was expressed in all pyramidal fields of the hippocampus as well as dentate gyrus in nonischemic controls. A decline was noted in the CA1 region 1 h PI onward and was maximal at 6 h PI. Its expression, however, increased at 24 h PI (significant only in comparison to 15 min and 6 h PI but not to control) when it became rather strong in the dentate gyrus. Thus, the temporal pattern of expression of α-tubulin sharply contrasted with that of HSP-70 in the PI brain as it declined in the vulnerable CA1 region during the 1st 24 h PI, i.e., the period when HSP-70 was induced and its expression was lowest in the 6 h group when HSP-70 peaked. It was maximum in the dentate gyrus at 24 h PI when HSP-70 was marginally detectable in that region. These studies indicate that in early recirculation period following prolonged ischemia, HSP-70 mRNA is expressed in both vulnerable regions as well as in regions of the brain that are destined to survive while α-tubulin is diminished in vulnerable regions. These data suggest a positive correlation between the loss of α-tubulin mRNA and delayed neuronal necrosis that follows in the vulnerable CA1 region.
A Cascadable Pragmatic Block Decoding Algorithm Exploiting Channel Measurement Information

The complexity of algorithms to perform soft decision decoding on block codes has impeded their inclusion in practical systems. A well-known class of algorithms for decoding block codes utilizing channel measurement information along with the algebraic properties of the code are the Chase algorithms.1 In this paper a decoding method similar to Chase's third algorithm is presented. However, in this method, a single test pattern or alternate codeword makes up one stage of the decoder. The method uses information from the previous decoding(s) to assist in generating a test pattern. This single stage ‘Second Chance Algorithm’ can then be extended to a ‘Third Chance Algorithm’ (and beyond) to enhance performance. The method does not invoke the hard decision decoder as often as the Chase algorithms.
Publishing on the Internet — a proposal for the future☆

Abstract This TrAC Internet column contains some comments on the mechanics of this column, current electronic publishing and some musings on the future of electronic publishing. I would hope this will stimulate some lively discussions on these matters.
Types and kinematic stability of triple junctions

A triple junction is kinematically stable if the orientation of each plate boundary remains constant relative to other boundaries in the triple junction during a finite time-interval. Instantaneous relative-velocity vectors have been used elsewhere to indicate the relative motion of plates during a finite time-interval — a technique that is not generally valid where finite relative plate motion is not circular. In the typical case in which all three plates have non-zero velocities around different plate-specific poles of rotation, the direction and magnitude of relative plate velocity varies systematically with time. Five plate-boundary types are considered in evaluating triple-junction stability: ridges (R), right-lateral and left-lateral transform faults (FR and FL) and trenches in which the overriding plate is clockwise (TC) or anticlockwise (TA) from the trench, judged by a rotation around the triple junction. One hundred twenty five triplet combinations of boundary types are possible. Some combinations display symmetry with other combinations. Grouping all similar configurations, 25 types of triple junctions can be distinguished, of which 19 types may be stable when finite relative motion is circular. Vectorial descriptors of the geometry of ridges, transform faults and trenches permit the listing of general conditions for the kinematic stability of triple junctions, under conditions of both circular and non-circular relative motion. The TJ1 model for the evolution of RRR triple junctions provides estimates of the variation in the geometry of triple junctions in which spreading is orthogonal and near-symmetric. RRR triple junctions at which spreading is orthogonal and symmetric are always stable when the finite relative motion of all corresponding plates is circular; however, TJ1 indicates that RRR triple junctions are not generally stable when relative motion is non-circular. In general, triple junctions are not kinematically stable, but evolve with changes in the finite relative motion of plates.
Nanoparticle dispersion in environmentally relevant culture media: a TiO 2 case study and considerations for a general approach

Nanoparticle exposure in toxicity studies requires that nanoparticles are bioavailable by remaining highly dispersed in culture media. However, reported dispersion approaches are variable, mostly study-specific, and not transferable owing to their empirical basis. Furthermore, many published approaches employ proteinaceous dispersants in rich laboratory media, both of which represent end members in environmental scenarios. Here, a systematic approach was developed to disperse initially agglomerated TiO2 nanoparticles (Aeroxide® TiO2 P25, Evonik, NJ; primary particle size range 6.4–73.8 nm) in oligotrophic culture medium for environmentally relevant bacterial toxicity studies. Based on understanding particle–particle interactions in aqueous media and maintaining environmental relevance, the approach involves (1) quantifying the relationship between pH and zeta potential to determine the point of zero charge of select nanoparticles in water; (2) nominating, then testing and selecting, environmentally relevant stabilizing agents; and (3) dispersing via “condition and capture” whereby stock dry powder nanoparticles are sonicated in pre-conditioned (with base, or acid, plus stabilizing agent) water, then diluted into culture media. The “condition and capture” principle is transferable to other nanoparticle and media chemistries: simultaneously, mechanically and electrostatically, nanoparticles can be dispersed with surrounding stabilizers that coat and sterically hinder reagglomeration in the culture medium.
Geriatric health care policy in the United States and Canada: A comparison of facts and values in defining the problems

Abstract Providing health care services to an aging population creates fundamental problems in how to balance the competing claims of access, quality, and cost. The definition of these problems encompasses both factual and value-laden dimensions. An understanding of how these factors shape policy development can be gained from a comparative examination of the experience of other countries in responding to the emerging geriatric health care “crisis.” In this regard, Canada has become a significant model for the organization and funding of health care services. This analysis centers on three elements of the geriatric health care dilemma: the factual basis of projections; the role played by significant social values; and the relationship between the ethics and the politics of health care. An examination of these factors reveals significant differences between the U.S. and Canada regarding how health care in general, and geriatric care in parlicular, is considered an individual right and a social responsibility. The implications of these differences for crossnational comparisons in geriatric health care policy are explored.
Twelve-year outcome of patients with an abnormal exercise radionuclide left ventricular angiogram and angiographically insignificant coronary artery disease

This study examines the long-term prognosis of patients with an abnormal exercise radionuclide angiogram in the absence of significant angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD). In general, patients without significant CAD have an excellent prognosis, but the long-term outcome for the subset of patients with an “ischemic” exercise test is not known. In this study, 161 patients with normal coronary arteries or insignificant CAD (<50% left main and <70% left anterior descending, left circumflex, or right), resting left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction ≥0.50, and an abnormal exercise radionuclide angiogram (LV ejection fraction that decreased with exercise or peak exercise LV ejection fraction <0.60) were followed for a median duration of 11.3 years. The mean Δ LV ejection fraction was −0.07, 98 patients (61%) had a decrease in LV ejection fraction of ≥5 units, and 40 patients (25%) had peak exercise LV ejection fraction <0.50. During follow-up there were 19 deaths (only 1 of which was cardiac), 7 nonfatal myocardial infarctions, and 9 revascularization procedures. At 12 years, overall survival was 88%, better than the expected survival for the age- and sex-matched general population. Survival free of cardiac death or myocardial infarction was 94% and survival free of any cardiac event including revascularization was 88%. Thus, patients with an abnormal exercise radionuclide angiogram but without significant CAD have an excellent long-term prognosis.
Influence of age, grey matter, and memory performance on fMRI activation in older adults

inferior frontal gyrus (p .002) and bilateral frontopolar regions (p’s .001). For delayed cued recall, correlations were identified in left superior frontal gyrus (p .01), right superior frontal gyrus (p .001) and right superior parietal cortex (p .001). No significant correlations were identified for delayed free recall or delayed recognition. Conclusion: These results suggest that in MCI, cognitive impairments are associated with reduced cerebral perfusion. Furthermore, since we corrected for partial volume effects, correlations between perfusion and cognition cannot be explained by brain tissue loss alone. Memory impairments in MCI may be those most influenced by executive functioning, as evidenced by the greatest deficits in immediate and delayed cued recall. Furthermore, the results from the correlations highlight the importance of multiple frontal regions as well as posterior association areas, typically implicated in MCI, in potentially substantiating these cognitive impairments. In conclusion, these results suggest that perfusion MRI can be used to stage cognitive deficits in MCI.
The ambrosia fungus of Xylosandrus germanus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae).

L'ambrosie de X. g. (Blandford) a ete identifie comme etant l'Ambrosiella hartigi Batra, aucune autre espece de cryptogame n'ayant ete identifiee dans le mycangium du coleoptere. Ce champignon ainsi que trois especes de Fusarium ont ete identifies a partir des parois des galeries du coleoptere
Thermally controlled bubble collapse in binary solutions

Abstract This paper theoretically analyzes thermally controlled bubble collapse in binary solutions. Using a finite difference approach with an adaptive grid, three aspects of bubble collapse are investigated: counter-diffusion, initial bubble diameter, and absorber cooling rate. Results illustrate how counter-diffusion of the absorbent, acting to preserve the bubble life span, is offset by convective mass transfer arising from bubble interface motion. Predicted bubble mass transfer rates for an ammonia water system increase with the square of the bubble radius (diameters: 1.8–5.6 mm) and with increased absorber cooling rates. Model predictions compare well with simple semi-empirical correlations for bubble heat and mass transfer coefficients.
Health Disparities and the Cancer Survivor

Disparities on the basis of race and ethnicity have been described in a variety of survivorship outcomes, including late and long-term effects of treatment, surveillance and health maintenance, and psychosocial outcomes. However, the current body of literature is limited in scope and additional research is needed to better define and address disparities among cancer survivors.
The impact of environmental and genetic factors on neonatal late-onset sepsis

Objective To assess the genetic contribution to late-onset sepsis in twins in the newborn intensive care unit. Study design A retrospective cohort analysis of twins born from 1994 to 2009 was performed on data collected from the newborn intensive care units at Yale University and the University of Connecticut. Sepsis concordance rates were compared between monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the impact of selected nongenetic factors on late-onset sepsis. The influence of additive genetic and common and residual environmental effects were analyzed and quantified. Results One hundred seventy monozygotic and 665 dizygotic twin pairs were analyzed, and sepsis identified in 8.9%. Mean gestational age and birth weight of the cohort was 31.1 weeks and 1637 grams, respectively. Mixed-effects logistic regression determined birth weight (regression coefficient, −0.001; 95% CI, −0.003 to 0.000; P = .028), respiratory distress syndrome (regression coefficient, 1.769; 95% CI, 0.943 to 2.596; P P P = .002) of the variance in liability to late-onset sepsis was due to genetic factors alone, and 51.0% ( P = .001) the result of residual environmental factors. Conclusions Our data support significant genetic susceptibility to late-onset sepsis in the newborn intensive care unit population.
A Theorem on Least Squares and Vector Correlation in Multivariate Linear Regression

Abstract This paper shows that the least-squares estimate of the matrix of coefficients in a multivariate linear regression model maximizes the squared vector correlation coefficient between the dependent variables and a linear transformation of the explanatory variables.
Thermodynamics of Energy Storage by Melting Due to Conduction or Natural Convection

This paper describes the most basic thermodynamic aspects of the process of energy storage by melting of a phase change material when the energy source is a stream of hot single-phase fluid. The first part of the paper considers the melting process ruled by pure conduction across the liquid phase, and the second part deals with the quasi-steady melting dominated by natural convection. The paper establishes the relationship between the total irreversibility of the melting process and design parameters such as the number of heat transfer units of the heat exchanger placed between the energy source and the phase change material, the duration of the melting process, and the position of the energy storage process on the absolute temperature scale. It is shown that the exergy transfer to the melting material is maximized when the melting temperature (Tm ) equals the geometric average of the environment temperature (Te ) and the temperature of the energy source (T∞ ) , in other words when Tm =(Te T∞ )1/2 . This conclusion holds for both conduction-dominated melting and convection-dominated melting.
Molecular basis for Epstein-Barr virus induced pathogenesis and disease.

In summary, information obtained from single gene transfer into EBV-negative cell lines is consistent with molecular genetic analysis of in vitro transformation by the whole virus in emphasizing the role for EBNA2 and LMP-1 in cell growth transformation. In addition, the functions of the latent infection proteins in tissue culture cells is consistent with the pathology of the EBV-associated lesions. The repertoire of viral proteins displayed in vivo varies with the different tissues infected and the differentiation state of infected cells, and is likely to reflect, in part, the activity of the latent infection promoters in these cells. Recent methods for obtaining specific virus mutants will enable more complete characterization of the EBV latent infection proteins and their roles in EBV-induced immortalization and pathogenesis [79].
Calcitonin secretion in vitro. III. Synergistic secretory effects of enteric polypeptide hormones.

Crude and highly purified preparations of enteric peptide hormones were shown to stimulate trout calcitonin (tCT) secretion in vitro. Since the maximal stimulatory effects of crude pancreozymin secretin preparations were seen to be greater than the secretory effects obtained with the individual purified enteric peptides, the current study has focused on the secretory effects of several combinations of enteric peptides. The additive and synergistic secretory effects of various specific peptide combinations are demonstrated. Marked (85-fold) stimulation of tCT secretion occurs in response to combinations of synthetic secretin (5 × 10−5M) with pentagastrin (10−6M) or the carboxylterminal octapeptide of pancreozymin (10−6M). These findings have significance with regard to the potentiation of hormone action, and are preliminary evidence for the presence of separate receptors for various enteric peptide secretagogues on C-cells. (Endocrinology 100: 1679, 1977)
A novel technique for detection of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, in the Gulf of Mexico from remotely sensed ocean color data

Abstract Karenia brevis , a toxic dinoflagellate that blooms regularly in the Gulf of Mexico, frequently causes widespread ecological and economic damage and can pose a serious threat to human health. A means for detecting blooms early and monitoring existing blooms that offers high spatial and temporal resolution is desired. Between 1999 and 2001, a large bio-optical data set consisting of spectral measurements of remote-sensing reflectance ( R rs ( λ )), absorption ( a ( λ )), and backscattering ( b b ( λ )) along with chlorophyll a concentrations and K. brevis cell counts was collected on the central west Florida shelf (WFS) as part of the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB) and Hyperspectral Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (HyCODE) programs. Reflectance model simulations indicate that absorption due to cellular pigmentation is not responsible for the factor of ∼3–4 decrease observed in R rs ( λ ) for waters containing greater than 10 4 cells l −1 of K. brevis . Instead, particulate backscattering is responsible for this decreased reflectivity. Measured particulate backscattering coefficients were significantly lower when K. brevis concentrations exceeded 10 4 cells l −1 compared to values measured in high-chlorophyll (>1.5 mg m −3 ), diatom-dominated waters containing fewer than 10 4 cells l −1 of K. brevis . A classification technique for detecting high-chlorophyll, low-backscattering K. brevis blooms is developed. In addition, a method for quantifying chlorophyll concentrations in positively flagged pixels using fluorescence line height (FLH) data obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is introduced. Both techniques are successfully applied to Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and MODIS data acquired in late August 2001 and validated using in situ K. brevis cell concentrations.
Conical three-photon-excited stimulated hyper-Raman scattering

We investigate the nonlinear interaction of tightly focused femtosecond infrared laser pulses in fused silica and sapphire. For fused silica, emission occurs in the form of a cone with a structured spectrum centered near the third harmonic of the fundamental laser frequency. The emission spectrum evolves with successive laser pulses, suggesting a Raman origin for the emission with laser-induced structural changes of the material. For sapphire, only the third-harmonic component is observed, also in the form of conical emission. The proposed explanation for these observations, three-photon-excited hyper-Raman emission, provides a tool for probing the vibrational and structural properties of solid-state materials.
Correlation and geochronology of middle Eocene strata from the Western United States

Abstract In this study I integrate marine and continental biostratigraphy, magnetic polarity stratigraphy, and radioisotopic chronology in a synthetic correlation of middle Eocene strata from the western United States. More than 2000 m of section were sampled from volcaniclastic deposits, Aycross and Tepee Trail Formations (northwestern Wyoming); lacustrine and fluviatile deposits, Washakie Formation (southwestern Wyoming); and intertonguing marine and continental strata, La Jolla and Poway Groups (San Diego area, California). Detailed demagnetization studies on numerous pilot samples from all three field areas revealed moderately complex magnetizations. Most sample NRM's are dominated by a strong normal polarity magnetic component; alternating field demagnetization does not consistently isolate the primary magnetization. High blocking temperature hematite is frequently a significant carrier of remanence. Therefore, most samples were subjected to detailed, stepwise alternating field and thermal demagnetization to 600–650°C. The East Fork Basin area (northwestern Wyoming) magnetic polarity sequence consists of five major polarity intervals, A- to E-; the thick Washakie Formation sequence contains four, A+ to D-; and the San Diego area sequence has four polarity intervals, A- to D+. A new biochronologic interval, the Shoshonian Land Mammal Subage (Earliest Uintan), is defined and characterized. In all three field areas Shoshonian (Earliest Uintan) faunas and the Bridgerian/Uintan boundary occur within a single long reversed polarity interval. Correlation of marine biostratigraphy between the San Diego area section and deep sea sections allows precise identification of San Diego polarity interval B+ as Chron C21N. Therefore, the Bridgerian/Uintan boundary and earliest Uintan faunas occur within the reversed interval of Chron C20R. High-temperature, KAr dates bracketing this horizon in northwestern Wyoming provide an age estimate of approximately 49.5 Ma for the top of Chron C21N and 49 Ma for the Bridgerian/Uintan boundary. Berggren et al. (1985) use the age estimate of 49.5 Ma for the top of anomaly 21 (younger boundary of Chron C21N) as one calibration point for the generation of a Paleogene geochronology. The methodology and conclusions of this geochronology are compared to those of other recent geochronologies. Data from independent studies integrating high temperature radioisotopic dates, biochronology, and magnetochronology are used to test the validity of the Berggren et al. (1985) geochronology.
Conservation of enhancer location in divergent insects

Dorsoventral (DV) patterning of the Drosophila embryo is controlled by a concentration gradient of Dorsal, a sequence-specific transcription factor related to mammalian NF-κB. The Dorsal gradient generates at least 3 distinct thresholds of gene activity and tissue specification by the differential regulation of target enhancers containing distinctive combinations of binding sites for Dorsal, Twist, Snail, and other DV determinants. To understand the evolution of DV patterning mechanisms, we identified and characterized Dorsal target enhancers from the mosquito Anopheles gambiae and the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. Putative orthologous enhancers are located in similar positions relative to the target genes they control, even though they lack sequence conservation and sometimes produce divergent patterns of gene expression. The most dramatic example of this conservation is seen for the “shadow” enhancer regulating brinker: It is conserved within the intron of the neighboring Atg5 locus of both flies and mosquitoes. These results suggest that, like exons, an enhancer position might be subject to constraint. Thus, novel patterns of gene expression might arise from the modification of conserved enhancers rather than the invention of new ones. We propose that this enhancer constancy might be a general property of regulatory evolution, and should facilitate enhancer discovery in nonmodel organisms.