cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polynucleotide phosphorylase and RNA helicase CshA cooperate in Bacillus subtilis mRNA decay

Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase), a 3' exoribonuclease that degrades RNA in the 3'-to-5' direction, is the major mRNA decay activity in Bacillus subtilis. PNPase is known to be inhibited in vitro by strong RNA secondary structure, and rapid mRNA turnover in vivo is thought to require an RNA helicase activity working in conjunction with PNPase. The most abundant RNA helicase in B. subtilis is CshA. We found for three small, monocistronic mRNAs that, for some RNA sequences, PNPase processivity was unimpeded even without CshA, whereas others required CshA for efficient degradation. A novel colour screen for decay of mRNA in B. subtilis was created, using mRNA encoded by the slrA gene, which is degraded from its 3' end by PNPase. A significant correlation between the predicted strength of a stem-loop structure, located in the body of the message, and PNPase processivity was observed. Northern blot analysis confirmed that PNPase processivity was greatly hindered by the internal RNA structure, and even more so in the absence of CshA. Three other B. subtilis RNA helicases did not appear to be involved in mRNA decay during vegetative growth. The results confirm the hypothesis that efficient 3' exonucleolytic decay of B. subtilis RNA depends on the combined activity of PNPase and CshA.
A Clock Jitter Tolerant ΣΔ Modulator Employing a Hybrid Loop Filter in CMOS 40NM Technology

A Sigma-Delta Modulator (ΣΔ) that employs a hybrid loop filter to reduce its sensitivity to clock jitter is proposed. Part of the loop filter is implemented in the digital domain. The clock jitter effects are significantly reduced without changing the loop gain properties. The ΣΔ Modulator is implemented in TSMC 40 nm CMOS technology and occupies a 0.06 mm2. The solution consumes 6.9mW and operates at a clock rate of 500 MS/s. In the presence of 20psrms clock jitter (peak to peak jitter of almost 215 ps) and bandwidth of 10 MHz, the measured peak signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and peak signal-to-noise+distortion ratio (SNDR) are 65 dB, and 64 dB, respectively.
Percutaneous coronary interventions: scaffolds versus stents

Abstract Atherosclerosis causes coronary artery disease that imposes a major health and economic burden on both the developed and developing nations. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the most reliable means of investigating and quantifying the severity of coronary artery occlusive disease. After successful recanalization of the vessel, stenting is mandatory, to ensure long-term vessel patency. The development of coronary-artery stents was a major advance in interventional cardiology. There have been recent controversies regarding which stents are better. Conventional stents, which are metallic, cage-like structures, have some limitations; notably, they leave a permanent implant. Recently, PCI with bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) has emerged as an interesting alternative since the presence of the prosthesis in the coronary artery is transient. We take a closer look at which stents are better with evidence from the recent literature.
A Government Out of Sight: The Mystery of National Authority in Nineteenth-Century America

While it is obvious that America's state and local governments were consistently active during the nineteenth century, a period dominated by laissez-faire, political historians of twentieth-century America have assumed that the national government did very little during this period. A Government Out of Sight challenges this premise, chronicling the ways in which the national government intervened powerfully in the lives of nineteenth-century Americans through the law, subsidies, and the use of third parties (including state and local governments), while avoiding bureaucracy. Americans have always turned to the national government - especially for economic development and expansion - and in the nineteenth century even those who argued for a small, nonintrusive central government demanded that the national government expand its authority to meet the nation's challenges. In revising our understanding of the ways in which Americans turned to the national government throughout this period, this study fundamentally alters our perspective on American political development in the twentieth century, shedding light on contemporary debates between progressives and conservatives about the proper size of government and government programs and subsidies that even today remain 'out of sight'.
The Physical World as a Virtual Reality

This paper explores the idea that the universe is a virtual reality created by information processing, and relates this strange idea to the findings of modern physics about the physical world. The virtual reality concept is familiar to us from online worlds, but our world as a virtual reality is usually a subject for science fiction rather than science. Yet logically the world could be an information simulation running on a multi-dimensional space-time screen. Indeed, if the essence of the universe is information, matter, charge, energy and movement could be aspects of information, and the many conservation laws could be a single law of information conservation. If the universe were a virtual reality, its creation at the big bang would no longer be paradoxical, as every virtual system must be booted up. It is suggested that whether the world is an objective reality or a virtual reality is a matter for science to resolve. Modern information science can suggest how core physical properties like space, time, light, matter and movement could derive from information processing. Such an approach could reconcile relativity and quantum theories, with the former being how information processing creates space-time, and the latter how it creates energy and matter.
Hunter-Gatherer Color Naming Provides New Insight into the Evolution of Color Terms

Most people name the myriad colors in the environment using between two and about a dozen color terms, with great variation within and between languages. Investigators generally agree that color lexicons evolve from fewer terms to more terms, as technology advances and color communication becomes increasingly important. However, little is understood about the color naming systems at the least technologically advanced end of the continuum. The Hadza people of Tanzania are nomadic hunter-gatherers who live a subsistence lifestyle that was common before the advent of agriculture (see Supplemental Experimental Procedures, section I;), suggesting that the Hadzane language should be at an early stage of color lexicon evolution. When Hadza, Somali, and US informants named 23 color samples, Hadza informants named only the black, white, and red samples with perfect consensus. Otherwise, they used low-consensus terms or responded "don't know." However, even low-consensus color terms grouped test colors into lexical categories that aligned with those found in other world languages. Furthermore, information-theoretic analysis showed that color communication efficiency within the Hadza, Somali, and US language communities falls on the same continuum as other world languages. Thus, the structure of color categories is in place in Hadzane, even though words for many of the categories are not in general use. These results suggest that even very simple color lexicons include precursors of many color categories but that these categories are initially represented in a diverse and distributed fashion.
Second-trimester prediction of delivery of a small-for-gestational-age neonate: integrating sequential Doppler information, fetal biometry, and maternal characteristics

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive accuracy of second-trimester ultrasound parameters, maternal characteristics, and sequential Doppler changes between first and second trimesters for the prediction of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants (birth weight < 10th percentile). Methods We conducted a prospective study of singleton pregnancies enrolled in the first trimester with subsequent second-trimester follow-up. Maternal characteristics, uterine artery (UtA) pulsatility index (PI), fetal biometry, and umbilical artery (UA)-PI were ascertained. UtA and UA-PI change from first to second trimester was calculated (ΔUtA-PI and ΔUA-PI). These parameters were tested for their ability to predict delivery of an SGA infant. Results Among 1982 women, 172 delivered an SGA neonate. African-American ethnicity, nulliparity, tobacco use, and low abdominal circumference (AC) z-score were independent predictors of SGA. No difference was found in the magnitude of ΔUtA-PI and ΔUA-PI between SGA and no-SGA. Receiver–operating characteristics curve analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.700 for AC z-score. The combination of low AC and bilateral notching had high specificity (99%) but low sensitivity (7%) for SGA prediction. Conclusions A small second-trimester fetal AC is a specific marker for SGA when found with bilateral UtA notching. Only a small proportion is predicted by the factors studied, suggesting a small contributory role or later evolution of SGA. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Processes of Care in Breast Reconstruction and the Long-Term Impact of a Comprehensive Breast Center.

Increased emphasis has been placed on process outcomes for breast cancer care, but limited data exists on these measures for breast reconstruction. These processes are likely to be impacted by increased centralization of care into comprehensive breast centers (CBC). Our study objectives were to define measures for processes of care in breast reconstruction and to determine the effect of a CBC on these measures. A 5-year review was performed of patients who underwent mastectomy with or without reconstruction for a newly diagnosed breast cancer between 2010 and 2014, which spans from 1 year before to 4 years after introduction of our CBC. A total of 4179 patients were reviewed. The referral rate for immediate reconstruction increased from 40.0 to 70.8 % (p < .001), and the immediate reconstruction rate increased from 36.7 to 65.0 % (p < .001), both plateauing in the fourth study year. The interval between surgical oncology and plastic surgery consultation decreased (from 9.2 to 2.5 days; p < .001), and stabilized in the second study year. The interval between plastic surgery consultation and surgery decreased throughout the entire study period (from 37.6 to 20.8 days; p < .001), resulting in continued improvements in the interval between surgical oncology consultation and surgery (from 46.8 to 23.3 days, p < .001). In breast reconstruction, a CBC results in improvements in process outcomes, some of which are realized in the short-term and others in the long-term. The timeliness of treatment of patients who undergo immediate postmastectomy reconstruction can be similar to targets set for patients who undergo mastectomy alone.
Going forth in the laboratory

FORTH is a computer language that is useful for writing programs to control experiments. The language is extensible in that new capabilities may be added to FORTH by using FORTH. This article describes a FORTH application word set for animal psychophysics. The words in the application word set facilitate the translation from state diagrams of behavioral psychophysical procedures to experiment-control programs.
The use of a multidisciplinary group meeting for families of critically ill trauma patients

Family members of any trauma patient admitted to the Level I trauma center are invited by the trauma staff to attend weekly multidisciplinary meetings. By the use of these meetings, family concerns can become a positive care factor and the tasks of nurses, doctors and social workers alike made easier.
Neutral Current 1π 0 Production at MiniBooNE

We describe the analysis employed in measuring neutral current single {pi}{sup 0} production at MiniBooNE and report the first absolute differential cross sections (as functions of {pi}{sup 0} angle and {pi}{sup 0} momentum). We find total flux-averaged cross sections of (4.73{+-}0.05{sub stat}{+-}0.40{sub sys})x10{sup -40} cm{sup 2} and (1.42{+-}0.05{sub stat}{+-}0.14{sub sys})x10{sup -40} cm{sup 2} for v{sub {mu}} and v-bar{sub {mu}} induced NC 1{pi}{sup 0} production, respectively. We also include a measurement of the total cross section for v{sub {mu}}-induced exclusive resonant NC 1{pi}{sup 0} production.
Feeding the Flock and the Family: Work and Family Challenges Facing Ordained Clergy Women

Abstract In this paper, we focus on the ministry, an occupation in which a juxtaposition of three salient structural characteristics poses special challenges for women in balancing their work and family roles. In our study of ordained clergy women, we examine the impact of itineracy (i.e., repeated relocation of the clergy required by the United Methodist Church) and of being female in a male-dominated profession, particularly one that has traditionally been structured as a “two-person career.” The gendered demands of this occupation emerge as a central concern in our analysis, which is guided by the conceptual frameworks of Goffman (“gender display”), West and Zimmerman (“doing gender”) and DeVault (“feeding the family”). We argue that the challenges clergy women face — as well as the coping strategies they employ in addressing these challenges — center around the competing pressures from the workplace and the family to recreate their “femaleness.”
A decision theory method for the analysis of texture

A decision theory method (DTM) is presented for the analysis of texture. It is based on the principles of statistical decision theory. This method, combined with other procedures described, is versatile enough to deal with a wide range of problems involving either statistical or structural textures. Its ability to perform scene segmentation using textural information, and edge/border detection, and to provide discrimination/recognition of both spatially and chromatically textured scenes is demonstrated with examples. Generation of 2D filters that act as textural feature detectors is illustrated with the help of interval covering theory.
Transforming growth factor-α inhibition of luteinizing hormone-stimulated androgen production by ovarian theca-interstitial cells: mechanism of action.

We have previously demonstrated that TGFα inhibits theca-interstitial cell (TIC) androgen production by specifically blocking LH stimulation of 17α-hydroxylase/C17–20 lyase (P45017α) activity. The purpose of the present studies was to examine the mechanism by which this block occurs. TIC were isolated from hypophysectomized immature rats by Percoll gradient centrifugation and cultured up to 6 days in serum-free medium with LH (0–100 ng/ml) and TGFα (0–100 ng/ml). When freshly isolated TIC were treated with TGFα alone (100 ng/ml) there was no change in PKA activity from basal levels. LH (100 ng/ml) stimulated a significant increase in PKA activity that was abolished by TGFα. TGFα did not diminish LH stimulation of cAMP production. TGFα alone did not alter the basal expression of cholesterol side-chain cleavage (P450scc), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) or P45017α mRNAs. LH stimulated dose-related increases in P450scc (80-fold), 3β-HSD (5-fold) and P45017α (35-fold) mRNAs. Concomitant treatment with TGFα (100 ng/ml) inhibited LH stimulation of P45017α mRNA >90% and P450scc mRNA 35% while 3β-HSD mRNA was stimulated 2-fold. Time course studies demonstrated that the effects of TGFα were present at 2 days in culture. At 4 and 6 days in culture there were small, if any, increases in mRNA levels stimulated by LH. There were no significant effects of TGFα at 4 or 6 days. Our data demonstrate that TGFα inhibition of TIC androgen production involves suppression of P450scc and P45017α mRNA expression by inhibiting LH stimulation of PKA activity.
The most common words used in conversations: Western Massachusetts

Abstract The vocabulary used in unguarded conversations was sampled from a general adult population in western Massachusetts. A total of 25,000 words was collected, 2,268 of which were different. Samples were collected by means of portable tape recorders. The inventory revealed results similar to those of Berger (1967b) that were obtained in an inventory made in northeastern Ohio. The words collected and their frequencies of occurence are presented in the appendix, in alphabetical order. The results indicate a need for additional sampling within the eastern dialect region.
Coldwater fish oxythermal habitat in Minnesota lakes: influence of total phosphorus, July air temperature, and relative depth

An empirical model was developed that describes the influence of lake productivity, climate, and morphometry on coldwater fish oxythermal habitat. An oxythermal habitat variable called temperature ...
First Spacecraft Orbit of Mercury

[1] After a 7.9-billion-kilometer flight since its launch on 3 August 2004—which included flybys of Earth, Venus, and Mercury—NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft entered a planned, highly elliptical orbit around the closest planet to our Sun on 17 March. Engineers in the mission operations center at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) in Laurel, Md., which manages the mission for NASA, received radiometric signals indicating a successful orbit insertion at 9:10 P.M. local time. “Tonight we will have orbited the fifth planet in the solar system. This is a major accomplishment,” Ed Weiler, NASA assistant administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, said at a 17 March public forum at JHU/APL, noting that spacecraft have previously entered orbit around several other planets. “You only go into orbit for the first time around Mercury once in human history, and that is what was accomplished tonight.”
The British Empire Revisited Through the Lens of the Eastern Question

The Bulgarians are rendered helpless in the rhetoric of the Bulgarian Agitation, a movement in Britain that produced numerous texts in response to the Ottoman massacre of thousands of Bulgarians after their uprising in April 1876. The compassion shown for the Bulgarian victims in the rhetoric of the Agitation is sincere only in moral and humane terms; open and direct political solidarity with the Bulgarians’ strident appeals for independence is missing from it. Even the morally and culturally charged pro-Agitation arguments launched by Gladstone and his followers conformed to British national interests, especially as contrasted to Bulgarian viewpoints.
Do food blogs serve as a source of nutritionally balanced recipes? An analysis of 6 popular food blogs

Abstract Objective To determine whether sampled food blogs provide nutritionally balanced recipes. Methods Two entree recipes per season, per year (2010–2011) were selected from 6 highly ranked food blogs (n = 96). Food Processor Nutrition and Fitness software was used to analyze sodium, saturated fat, and energy content. Analysis was separated by protein type (vegetarian, poultry, red meat, and seafood). Results Recipes met energy recommendations but were excessive in saturated fat and sodium. Vegetarian and seafood recipes were significantly lower in risk nutrients compared with red meat and poultry recipes. Red meat recipes were not significantly different from poultry recipes for risk nutrients studied; poultry recipes were higher in sodium and energy compared with red meat recipes. Conclusions and Implications The public should be aware of the nutritional limitations of popular food blogs; dietitians could assist in modifying blog recipes for individuals and partner with bloggers to improve the nutritional profile of recipes.
Anomalous cluster detection

We consider the problem of anomalous cluster detection (ACD) on a graph under the elevated mean Gaussian model, where each node is associated with a feature. Under the null hypothesis, features are i.i.d. standard Gaussian, while under the alternative, there is an unknown connected cluster of nodes whose features are i.i.d. Gaussian with positive mean and unit variance instead. For this problem the GLRT scan statistic is usually adopted; however there are very few practical algorithms that target arbitrarily connected clusters. We formulate this problem as an integer program (IP) in terms of indicator variables, and characterize the connectivity of a cluster by a linear matrix inequality (LMI) constraint. We then propose a convex relaxation of the IP together with a rounding scheme, leading to a completely convex formulation for computing the scan statistic over arbitrarily connected clusters. Synthetic and real experiments justify our idea.
Reduced interleukin-10 secretion at birth is associated with sensitization to furred pets during early childhood

Abstract Rationale Interleukin-10 (IL-10) response profiles and the timing and nature of environmental exposures may contribute to the development of allergic sensitization during early childhood. Methods Cord blood obtained from infants enrolled in the COAST project were stimulated in vitro with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 24 hours, and supernatant fluids were analyzed for IL-10 by ELISA. Values for IL-10 secretion were compared to allergen-specific IgE results evaluated at age 2 years for the following antigens: D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, Alternaria alternata , dog dander, cat dander, milk, egg, peanut, and soy. Results Infants who were sensitized to any aeroallergen had significantly lower levels of IL-10 than those that were not (median 89.7 vs 107.4 pg/ml, p=0.04). When individual allergens were evaluated, IL-10 secretion profiles were not associated with sensitization to mites or Alternaria , but were significantly lower with both dog (median 73.7 vs 107.0 pg/ml, p=0.001) and cat (median 71.4 vs 107.3 pg/ml, p=0.007) sensitization. IL-10 secretion profiles were not associated with the development of food allergen sensitization (median 97.9 vs 104.6 pg/ml, p=0.18). Conclusions Reduced IL-10 responses at birth are associated with increased risk for the development of sensitization to some, but not all, allergens following early life exposures.
Conformational studies of (S)idazoxan and (S)methoxyidazoxan using AM1 and PM3 semiempirical molecular orbital methods

Semiempirical calculations of the α-2 receptor antagonist, Idazoxan, its methoxy derivative, and their respective cations and anions revealed the most stable conformers were significantly affected by electrostatic interactions. These studies showed the importance of the intramolecular electrostatic interactions between the oxygen of the benzodioxane ring and the nitrogens of the imidazoline ring in determining the global minima of these molecules. The NH bond of the imidazoline ring was attracted to the dioxane oxygen and caused the imidazoline ring to rotate to a position allowing close proximity of these groups
CD81 Promotes Both the Degradation of Transferrin Receptor 2 (TfR2) and the Tfr2-mediated Maintenance of Hepcidin Expression *

Mutations in transferrin receptor 2 (TfR2) cause a rare form of the hereditary hemochromatosis, resulting in iron overload predominantly in the liver. TfR2 is primarily expressed in hepatocytes and is hypothesized to sense iron levels in the blood to positively regulate the expression of hepcidin through activation of the BMP signaling pathway. Hepcidin is a peptide hormone that negatively regulates iron egress from cells and thus limits intestinal iron uptake. In this study, a yeast two-hybrid approach using the cytoplasmic domain of TfR2 identified CD81 as an interacting protein. CD81 is an abundant tetraspanin in the liver. Co-precipitations of CD81 with different TfR2 constructs demonstrated that both the cytoplasmic and ecto-transmembrane domains of TfR2 interact with CD81. Knockdown of CD81 using siRNA significantly increased TfR2 levels by increasing the half-life of TfR2, indicating that CD81 promotes degradation of TfR2. Previous studies showed that CD81 is targeted for degradation by GRAIL, an ubiquitin E3 ligase. Knockdown of GRAIL in Hep3B-TfR2 cells increased TfR2 levels, consistent with inhibition of CD81 ubiquitination. These results suggest that down-regulation of CD81 by GRAIL targets TfR2 for degradation. Surprisingly, knockdown of CD81 decreased hepcidin expression, implying that the TfR2/CD81 complex is involved in the maintenance of hepcidin mRNA. Moreover, knockdown of CD81 did not affect the stimulation of hepcidin expression by BMP6 but increased both the expression of ID1 and SMAD7, direct targets of BMP signaling pathway, and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, indicating that the CD81 regulates hepcidin expression differently from the BMP and ERK1/2 signaling pathways.
Ultraviolet, pulsed laser photolysis of Fe(CO)5 in NaY zeolite

The photolytic decomposition of zeolite entrapped Fe(CO)5 using the third harmonic (355 nm) of a pulsed (∼ 20 ns) Nd:YAG laser has been examined by infrared spectroscopy. A small fraction of the iron formed by complete decarbonylation remains in an atomically dispersed form, as evidenced by its recombination with CO to form Fe(CO)5. Oxidation of the iron to form zeolite-entrapped Fe2O3 is evident from the XPS and diffuse reflectance data.
Global Impacts and Regional Actions: Preparing for the 1997–98 El Niño

Abstract It has been estimated that severe El Nino–related flooding and droughts in Africa, Latin America, North America, and Southeast Asia resulted in more than 22 000 lives lost and in excess of $36 billion in damages during 1997–98. As one of the most severe events this century, the 1997–98 El Nino was unique not only in terms of physical magnitude, but also in terms of human response. This response was made possible by recent advances in climate–observing and forecasting systems, creation and dissemination of forecast information by institutions such as the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction and NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, and individuals in climate–sensitive sectors willing to act on forecast information by incorporating it into their decision–making. The supporting link between the forecasts and their practical application was a product of efforts by several national and international organizations, and a primary focus of the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric...
Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms of the Anti-Atherogenic Actions of Flavonoids in Normal and Obese Mice

Obesity is a major and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and it is strongly associated with the development of dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Flavonoids, a diverse group of polyphenol compounds of plant origin widely distributed in human diet, have been reported to have numerous health benefits, although the mechanisms underlying these effects have remained obscure. We analyzed the effects of chronic dietary supplementation with flavonoids extracted from cranberry (FLS) in normal and obese C57/BL6 mice compared to mice maintained on the same diets lacking FLS. Obese mice supplemented with flavonoids showed an amelioration of insulin resistance and plasma lipid profile, and a reduction of visceral fat mass. We provide evidence that the adiponectin-AMPK pathway is the main mediator of the improvement of these metabolic disorders. In contrast, the reduced plasma atherogenic cholesterol observed in normal mice under FLS seems to be due to a downregulation of the hepatic cholesterol synthesis pathway. Overall, we demonstrate for the first time that the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of flavonoids are determined by the metabolic state.
Plancherel-Rotach-type asymptotics for orthogonal polynomials associated with exp(- x 6 /6)

Abstract All orthogonal polynomial systems satisfy a recurrence formula: xpn(x) = an + 1 pn + 1(x) + bnpn(x) + anpn − 1(x). (1) In case the weight function (over (− ∞, ∞)) is exp ( −x 6 6 ), b n = 0 , and the an also satisfy the recurrence formula: n = an2(an + 22an + 12 + an + 14 + 2an + 12an2 + an + 12an2 + an4 + 2an2an−12 + an−14 + an−22 an2). The existence of an asymptotic series for an has been recently proved by A. Mate and P. G. Nevai. The present paper is based on the above two recurrence formulas. First, we apply Shohat's method to (1) to obtain a differential equation for Pn(x). Then, by applying the asymptotics of an to this differential equation, we obtain Plancherel-Rotach-type asymptotics for Pn(x) in the interval ¦x¦ ⩽ cx n , where xn denotes the largest zero of Pn(x), and 0
Murine postthymectomy autoimmune oophoritis develops in association with a persistent neonatal-like Th2 response.

Abstract Autoimmune oophoritis develops in some patients despite evidence of impaired cellular immunity. Here, using the murine postthymectomy model of autoimmune oophoritis, we investigate the hypothesis that neonatal thymectomy induces autoimmune oophoritis by disrupting the normal postnatal balance of T helper cell regulation. Stimulated CD4 + splenic lymphocytes from adult mice sham-operated as neonates produced the expected T helper type 1 (Th1) predominant response normally seen in adult mice (low levels of interleukin-4 and high levels of interferon gamma). In contrast, cells from adult mice thymectomized as neonates produced an inappropriate neonatal-like Th2-predominant response (high levels of interleukin-4 and low levels of interferon-gamma). Manipulations that restored the postnatal shift to an adult Th1-dominant pattern ameliorated the autoimmune oophoritis. Thus, neonatal thymectomy abrogates the postnatal shift to a Th1-dominant pattern, and the resulting persistent neonatal-like Th2-dominant response is tightly associated with the development of postthymectomy autoimmune oophoritis. These results (i) suggest that the postnatal shift to the normal adult Th1/Th2 balance is established by a thymus-dependent process and (ii) raise the possibility that specific genetic defects, as yet to be determined, might mimic the effect of neonatal thymectomy in this model, impair the development of normal Th1/Th2 balance, and be a cause autoimmunity. These results hold implications for the pathogenesis and possibly for the therapy of autoimmune polyglandular failure in humans.
The Effects of Perceptual Priming on 4-Year-Olds' Haptic-to-Visual Cross-Modal Transfer

Four-year-old children often have difficulty visually recognizing objects that were previously experienced only haptically. This experiment attempts to improve their performance in these haptic-to-visual transfer tasks. Sixty-two 4-year-old children participated in priming trials in which they explored eight unfamiliar objects visually, haptically, or visually and haptically together. Subsequently, all children participated in the same haptic-to-visual cross-modal transfer task. In this task, children haptically explored the objects that were presented in the priming phase and then visually identified a match from among three test objects, each matching the object on only one dimension (shape, texture, or color). Children in all priming conditions predominantly made shape-based matches; however, the most shape-based matches were made in the Visual and Haptic condition. All kinds of priming provided the necessary memory traces upon which subsequent haptic exploration could build a strong enough representat...
What is the value added by human intervention in protein structure prediction

This article presents results of blind predictions submitted to the CASP4 protein structure prediction experiment. We made two sets of predictions: one using the fully automated SAM-T99 server and one using the improved SAM-T2K method with human intervention. Both methods use iterative hidden Markov model-based methods for constructing protein family profiles, using only sequence information. Although the SAM-T99 method is purely sequence based, the SAM-T2K method uses the predicted secondary structure of the target sequence and the known secondary structure of the templates to improve fold recognition and alignment. In this article, we try to determine what aspects of the SAM-T2K method were responsible for its significantly better performance in the CASP4 experiment in the hopes of producing a better automatic prediction server. The use of secondary structure prediction seems to be the most valuable single improvement, though the combined total of various human interventions is probably at least as important.
Patterns of lodgepole pine regeneration following the 1988 Yellowstone fires

Abstract In 1988, fires killed extensive lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud) in Yellowstone National Park. This species bears both serotinous and non-serotinous cones, with the former most common in fire-origin stands of an even-aged character. Reconnaissance of burned stands indicated that former even-aged communities regenerated effectively. Others did not. The larger and more uniformly-sized seedling under formerly even-aged communities suggests primarily a single wave of regeneration there. Seedlings appeared to initiate to some degree over multiple years under other stands, but not sufficiently to make them well stocked. Four different regeneration pathways seem to characterize the natural reforestation of lodgepole pine following the 1988 fires. These include: (1) a dense, uniformly distributed cohort that will develop as a single-storied stand; (2) lodgepole pine islands that form over long periods around isolated seedlings; (3) a moderate to low density cohort that will gradually fill with multiple age classes over a protracted period; and (4) a cohort of only widely scattered single seedlings that initially form as small nearby tree islands, and may eventually converge into a more continuous stand with multiple age classes.
Strong weak CP hierarchy from nonrenormalization theorems

We point out that the hierarchy between the measured values of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) phase and the strong CP phase has a natural origin in supersymmetry with spontaneous CP violation and low-energy supersymmetry breaking. The underlying reason is simple and elegant: in supersymmetry the strong CP phase is protected by an exact nonrenormalization theorem while the CKM phase is not. We present explicit examples of models that exploit this fact and discuss corrections to the nonrenormalization theorem in the presence of supersymmetry breaking. This framework for solving the strong CP problem has generic predictions for the superpartner spectrum and for CP and flavor violation, and predicts a preferred range of values for electric dipole moments.
Fluorescence monitoring of ATP-stimulated, endothelium-derived nitric oxide production in channels of a poly(dimethylsiloxane)-based microfluidic device

Intracellular nitric oxide (NO) production in a microfluidic endothelium is detected using fluorescence microscopy. Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (bPAECs) were loaded with the fluorescence probe diaminodifluorofluorescein diacetate (DAF-FM DA), and the subsequent fluorescent DAF-FM DA/NO adduct was measured. Solutions of bradykinin, a well-known stimulus of endothelium-derived NO, activated nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the immobilized bPAECs. This activation was inhibited using l-nitro arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), a competitive inhibitor of NOS. Importantly, the NO production was also stimulated with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) using concentrations as low as 1 μM. Previous reports on stimulating NO production using an immobilized endothelium in microfluidic channels were limited by the requirement of ATP concentrations of at least 100 μM, a value that is not physiologically relevant. The ability to monitor NO production with ATP concentrations that are similar to in vivo levels of ATP in...
DEHYDROGENATION OF CYCLOHEXANE IN A PALLADIUM-CERAMIC MEMBRANE REACTOR BY EQUILIBRIUM SHIFT

With the advances in new inorganic materials and processing techniques, there has been renewed interest in exploiting the benefits of membranes in many industrial applications. Inorganic and composite membranes are being considered as potential candidates for use in membrane-reactor configuration for effectively increasing reaction rate, selectivity and yield of equilibrium limited reactions. To investigate the usefulness of a palladium-ceramic composite membrane in a membrane reactor-separator configuration, we investigated the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane by equilibrium shift. A two-dimensional pseudo-homogeneous reactor model was developed to study the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane by equilibrium shift in a tubular membrane reactor. Radial diffusion was considered to account for the concentration gradient in the radial direction due to permeation through the membrane. For a dehydrogenation reaction, the feed stream to the reaction side contained cyclohexane and argon, while the separation side used ...
An interpretation of absolutely and convectively unstable waves using series solutions

Integral solutions are found for linear wave equations, which, depending on the parameters, exhibit either absolute or convective instability. Series solutions are constructed to examine the instability behavior on a bounded domain. Solutions with non-real wave-numbers can be interpreted as a superposition of eigenmodes with jump-periodic boundary conditions. We show that an initial disturbance can be represented by not only periodic modes, but also spatially growing (or decaying) modes, and arbitrary modes using a Galerkin approach. For the examples presented here, growth in any such series solution matches the growth predictions obtained from the long-time asymptotic behavior of the integral solutions.
Studies of Some Marine Phosphorites from Baja California: ABSTRACT

Along the western coast of Baja California, between approximately 24.5° and 27° N. lat., extensive fine-grained phosphate deposits occur on a 100-km.-wide continental shelf. They are found from a depth of 100 m. to the shore where carbonate apatite makes up to 25 per cent by weight of present and more ancient barriers built up in front of coastal lagoons. Their similarity with ancient phosphorites, believed to have developed on large shallow submarine platforms, prompted a study of these sediments. Intense seasonal upwelling of deep nutrient-rich waters from the California Current controls the hydrography of the whole shelf, and shallow ridges form an effective sill restricting circulation over it. A reducing environment has developed and iron sulfides are prese t nearly everywhere. Locally produced organic matter is being supplied continuously to the bottom through the oxygen-deficient waters, this at a fairly high rate because of shallow depths. Conditions favorable to the preservation of large quantities of non-oxidized inorganic phosphate in the sediments are in this way maintained. Whether or not this situation results in the present formation of calcium phosphate minerals cannot be ascertained. Apatite could be measured quantitatively by X-ray diffraction down to very low levels. This shows the persistence of a rich zone over 20-30 km. along the coast between depths of 60-100 m. From several evidences these deposits represent ancient barriers reworked during the last transgression. Onshore similar phosphatic sands over 50 ft. thick are kno n to exist in the vicinity of the lagoons. From geological considerations and geochemical arguments the average age of these deposits is Pliocene to Pleistocene. They could be as old as Miocene. They appear in equilibrium with their modern environment and, if so, could continue to develop, but unambiguous evidences concerning their present growth have been difficult to obtain. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1758------------
Vanishing Higgs one-loop quadratic divergence in the scotogenic model and beyond

Abstract It is shown that the inherent one-loop quadratic divergence of the Higgs mass renormalization of the standard model may be avoided in the well-studied scotogenic model of radiative neutrino mass as well as other analogous extensions.
First-principles elastic and structural properties of uranium metal

Density-functional electronic structure calculations have been used to investigate the ambient pressure and low-temperature structural and elastic properties of uranium metal. The equilibrium volume and bulk modulus have been calculated within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). Also, the effect of the relativistic spin-orbit interaction on these properties has been investigated. Calculated structural properties of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-U compare very favorably with experimental data. The nine elastic constants of this ground-state orthorhombic phase have also been calculated, and compare reasonably well with experimental data, especially when experimental data are extrapolated to zero temperature. The results of the present investigation suggest that density-functional theory, in its GGA formulation, accurately describe the electronic structure of uranium, and possible correlation effects are well accounted for within this theory.
Regulation of creatine kinase isoenzymes in human placenta during early, mid-, and late gestation.

Objective:Creative kinase (CK) isoenzymes play an important role in cellular energy transduction. Two isoenzymes of creatine kinase, ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase (uMtCK) and cytosolic brain creatine kinase (BCK), are postulated to form the creatine phosphate (CP) shuttle, in which creatine serves to transport high-energy phosphate from the mitochondria to its site of utilization. Coordinate regulation of these genes is essential for efficient energy transduction. We examined human CK isoenzyme regulation in placentas during all three trimesters of gestation to define the mRNA and protein expression patterns of uMtCK and BCK and to test the CP shuttle hypothesis.Methods:Placental samples were collected from a total of 26 patients from the first, second, and third trimesters. Total RNA and protein were prepared from each sample and quantified. Quantitative RNA analysis was performed by gel electrophoresis and dot blot techniques using isoenzyme-specific human cDNA probes for uMtCK and BCK. Prote...
Studies on fungi encountered in the atmosphere. I. The presence of fungous spores and of pollens in KOH preparations.

In the diagnosis of superficial fungous infection direct microscopic examination of clinical material by means of the KOH preparation is the simplest and yet the most useful single laboratory procedure. From suspected mycotic skin lesions the materials for examination are obtained by scraping the more active borders with a scalpel or a currette, or by snipping off the tops of any available vesicles or vesiculo-pustules. These skin scrapings and/or tops of vesicles are placed on a microscopic slide, mounted with a drop or two of 10-20 % potassium hydroxide solution under a coverslip, flamed and then examined under the microscope for the characteristic branching hyphal filaments of the superficial pathogenic fungi such as the dermatophytes. By reason of the ease of performance and well-defined results of the test, it has become a routine procedure in many dermatologie clinics.
A Predictive Approach to Nutrient Criteria

Violation of a water quality standard triggers the need for a total maximum daily load (TMDL); this should result in actions that improve water quality, but sometimes at significant cost. If the standard is well-conceived, a designated-use statement characterizes societal values, and a criterion provides a measurable surrogate for designated use. This latter provision means that scientists measure the criterion and view violations of the criterion as equivalent to noncompliance with the designated use. However, if a criterion is not a good indicator of designated use, it is apt to result in misallocation of the limited resources for water quality improvement through the TMDL process. This concern provides the basis for our assessment of the national nutrient criteria strategy recently proposed by the U.S. EPA. We acquired data sets for four case studies (Lake Washington, Neuse River Estuary, San Francisco Bay, and Lake Mendota) and then used expert elicitation to quantify designated-use attainment for eac...
Efficient level set methods for constructing wavefronts in three spatial dimensions

Wavefront construction in geometrical optics has long faced the twin difficulties of dealing with multi-valued forms and resolution of wavefront surfaces. A recent change in viewpoint, however, has demonstrated that working in phase space on bicharacteristic strips using eulerian methods can bypass both difficulties. The level set method for interface dynamics makes a suitable choice for the eulerian method. Unfortunately, in three-dimensional space, the setting of interest for most practical applications, the advantages of this method are largely offset by a new problem: the high dimension of phase space. In this work, we present new types of level set algorithms that remove this obstacle and demonstrate their abilities to accurately construct wavefronts under high resolution. These results propel the level set method forward significantly as a competitive approach in geometrical optics under realistic conditions.
Optical waveguide gratings in chalcogenide glass

Fabrication results are reported for making optical gratings in chalcogenide glasses. Two approaches are being investigated: 1) thermal nanoimprinting of the glass using a mold master, and 2) direct patterning of the chalcogenide glass using a combination of electron beam lithography (EBL) and reactive ion etching (RIE). Preliminary results are presented for the nanoimprint and EBL experiments. The nanoimprint results show very smooth sidewalls.
Ventricular Fibrillation-Induced Cardiac Arrest in the Rat as a Model of Global Cerebral Ischemia

Cardiopulmonary arrest remains as one of the leading causes of death and disability in Western countries. Although ventricular fibrillation (VF) models in rodents mimic the “square wave” type of insult (rapid loss of pulse and pressure) commonly observed in adult humans at the onset of cardiac arrest (CA), they are not popular because of the complicated animal procedure, poor animal survival, and thermal injury. Here, we present a modified, simple, and reliable VF-induced rat model of CA that will be useful in studying the mechanisms of CA-induced delayed neuronal death, as well as the efficacy of neuroprotective drugs. CA was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats using a modified method of von Planta et al. (J Appl Physiol 65:2641–2647, 1988). In brief, VF was induced in anesthetized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated rats by an alternating current delivered to the entrance of the superior vena cava into the heart. Resuscitation was initiated by administering a bolus injection of epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate followed by mechanical ventilation and manual chest compressions and countershock with a 10-J direct current. Neurological deficit score was higher in the CA group compared to the sham group during early reperfusion periods, suggesting brain damage. Significant damage in the CA1 hippocampus (21 % normal neurons compared to control animals) was observed following histopathological assessment at 7 days of reperfusion. We propose that this method of VF-induced CA in the rat provides a tool to study the mechanism of CA-induced neuronal death without compromising heart functions.
Notch1 activation increases hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal in vivo and favors lymphoid over myeloid lineage outcome.

Hematopoietic stem cells sequentially pass through a series of decision points affecting self-renewal or lineage-specific differentiation. Notch1 receptor is a known modulator of lineage-specific events in hematopoiesis that we assessed in the context of in vivo stem cell kinetics. Using RAG-1−/−mouse stems cells, we documented increased stem cell numbers due to decreased differentiation and enhanced stem cell self-renewal induced by Notch1. Unexpectedly, preferential lymphoid over myeloid lineage commitment was noted when differentiation occurred. Therefore, Notch1 affects 2 decision points in stem cell regulation, favoring self-renewal over differentiation and lymphoid over myeloid lineage outcome. Notch1 offers an attractive target for stem cell manipulation strategies, particularly in the context of immunodeficiency and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.