cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of a Novel V1-type AVP Receptor Based on the Molecular Recognition Theory

The molecular recognition theory predicts that binding domains of peptide hormones and their corresponding receptor binding domains evolved from complementary strands of genomic DNA, and that a process of selective evolutionary mutational events within these primordial domains gave rise to the high affinity and high specificity of peptide hormone-receptor interactions observed today in different peptide hormone-receptor systems. Moreover, this theory has been broadened as a general hypothesis that could explain the evolution of intermolecular protein-protein and intramolecular peptide interactions. Applying a molecular cloning strategy based on the molecular recognition theory, we screened a rat kidney cDNA library with a vasopressin (AVP) antisense oligonucleotide probe, expecting to isolate potential AVP receptors. We isolated a rat kidney cDNA encoding a functional V1-type vasopressin receptor. Structural analysis identified a 135 amino acid-long polypeptide with a single transmembrane domain, quite distinct from the rhodopsin-based G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. Functional analysis of the expressed V1-type receptor in Cos-1 cells revealed AVP-specific binding, AVP-specific coupling to Ca2+ mobilizing transduction system, and characteristic V1-type antagonist inhibition. This is the second AVP receptor cDNA isolated using AVP antipeptide-based oligonucleotide screening, thus providing compelling evidence in support of the molecular recognition theory as the basis of the evolution of this peptide hormone-receptor system, as well as adds molecular complexity and diversity to AVP receptor systems.
Facets of Career Satisfaction for Women Physicians in the United States: A Systematic Review

Women make up a growing proportion of the physician workforce, and their career satisfaction may affect their health. The authors hypothesized that many facets adversely affecting career satisfaction in women physicians were extrinsic, therefore, preventable or modifiable. The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature in English published through February 2010 to examine facets of career satisfaction of U.S. women physicians. The authors used the women physician AND job satisfaction OR career satisfaction Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms, and reviewed bibliographies of key articles to ensure inclusion of relevant studies. The authors used the "Strengthening the Reporting of Observation Studies in Epidemiology" quality tool. Of an initial 1,000 studies, only 30 met the inclusion criteria. Facets reported most frequently to influence career satisfaction for women physicians were income/prestige, practice characteristics, and personal/family characteristics. Overall, career satisfaction for women and men physicians was 73.4% (range = 56.4% to 90%) and 73.2% (range = 59% to 90%), respectively. When compared with men, women physicians were more concerned with perceived lack of time for relationships with patients, colleagues, and family; less satisfied with mentoring relationships and support from all sources; and less satisfied with career-advancement opportunities, recognition, and salary. Career satisfaction can affect health, as well as health and safety of patients. Many factors adversely affecting career satisfaction for women physicians are extrinsic and, therefore, modifiable.
Feasibility and safety of retroperitoneoscopic laparoendoscopic single-site nephrectomy: technique and early outcomes.

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) nephrectomy is feasible to remove diseased kidneys. Most of such procedures previously reported were performed through a transperitoneal (trans-abdominal) approach. We report the feasibility, safety, and techniques of performing such operations without disturbing the bowels (a retroperitoneal LESS approach). This approach provides acceptable operative outcomes, and is especially valuable for patients who need to have an intact peritoneal envelope, or those with potentially abnormal or obliterated peritoneal space. Study Type – Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4 OBJECTIVES • To retrospectively review our experience with respect to evaluating the feasibility and safety of retroperitoneoscopic laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) nephrectomy. • To present the technical details of such a procedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS • In total, eight retroperitoneoscopic LESS nephrectomies (in seven patients) were completed for a variety of indications in a single centre. • The GelPOINT apparatus (Applied Medical, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA) was used as an access platform through a flank incision (3–5 cm). • Except for a bendable grasper and flexible vascular staplers, all instruments used were conventional straight laparoscopic instruments. • Perioperative data were retrospectively obtained for all patients, including demographic data, operative indications, operative records, length of stay, complications, and pathological analysis. RESULTS • All retroperitoneoscopic LESS nephrectomy procedures attempted were completed successfully without complications. No extra working port was required for any case. • Median (range) operating time was 164 (87–198) min and median (range) estimated blood loss was 50 (10–200) cm3. Median (range) length of hospital stay was 2 (1–3) days. • The median narcotic used was 34 mg of parental morphine sulphate equivalent. The median (range) visual analogue pain scale score at discharge was 2 (0–3) out of 10. • The present single arm observation study is limited by the small patient number and the absence of a control cohort. CONCLUSIONS • Retroperitoneoscopic LESS nephrectomy using the GelPOINT apparatus as an access platform is feasible and safe. • It provides adequate flexibility and spacing of port placements as well as acceptable operative outcomes. • It is especially valuable for those patients who need to maintain peritoneal integrity or those with an abnormal or obliterated peritoneal space.
Deadlocks: From Exhibiting to Healing

Deadlocks are possibly the best known bug pattern in computer systems in general; certainly they are the best known in concurrent programming. Numerous articles, some dating back more than 40 years, have been dedicated to the questions of how to design deadlock free programs, how to statically or dynamically detect possible deadlocks, how to avoid deadlocks at runtime, and how to resolve deadlocks once they happen. We start the paper with an investigation on how to exhibit potential deadlocks. Exhibiting deadlocks is very useful in testing, as verifying if a potential deadlock can actually happen is a time-consuming debugging activity. There was recently some very interesting research in this direction; however, we believe our approach is more practical, has no scaling issues, and in fact is already industry-ready. The second contribution of our paper is in the area of healing multi-threaded programs so they do not get into deadlocks. This is an entirely new approach, which is very different from the approaches in the literature that were meant for multi-process scenarios and are not suitable (and indeed not used) in multithreaded programming. While the basic ideas are fairly simple, the details here are very important as any mistake is liable to actually create new deadlocks. The paper describes the basic healing idea and its limitations, the pitfalls and how to overcome them, and experimental results.
The complexity of processing tree queries in distributed databases

Semi-joins have been introduced to reduce the cost of processing distributed queries. The determine the optimal semi-join processing strategy, one must consider both the reduction effect and the transmission overhead. Researchers have studied the problem of finding the optimal semi-join strategies for processing tree queries. Although a number algorithms have been proposed, they either have a very high complexity or only solve special cases. It is conjectured that the tree query processing problem is inherently difficult. The author formally answers this question by proving it NP-hard. >
Why Did College Cost So Little? Affordability and Higher Education a Century Ago

Public concern about rising costs of higher education in the United States often leads students and their parents along with policy makers to argue that college has become unaffordable. The claim that the price of college today is “too high” is problematic because it is untestable without historical context on how the costs and price of college have changed over time. This analysis attempts to remedy that void by connecting past and present in looking at college tuition and other expenses from a century ago.
Aggregation effects in maximum covering models

The level of aggregation is critical in discrete location analyses as it affects the level of data collection required, computation times and the usefulness of the analyses. We examine the effects of three alternative nodal aggregation schemes on (i) the model's solution times, (ii) the locational decisions indicated by the maximum covering model, (iii) the coverage provided by the “aggregate” solutions compared with the optimal solutions, and (iv) the coverage predicted by the aggregate model compared with the coverage that results from using the aggregate model's facility sites and the disaggregate demands. The results suggest that considerable aggregation can be tolerated without incurring large errors in total coverage, but that location errors are introduced at moderate levels of aggregation. The magnitude of these errors is significantly affected by the aggregation scheme employed.
Stimulation of S-9 fraction metabolism in rat liver and breast by vital dyes

The vital dyes neutral red (NR), methylene blue (MB) and trypan blue (TB) induced microsomal enzymes that metabolize the chemical carcinogens 2-aminoanthracene (2AA), 6-aminochrysene (6AC) and diaminofluorene (DAF). The Ames test was used as a method of assessing the amount of microsomal enzyme activity that occurred in rat breast and liver when treated with NR, MB, and TB. Livers were more readily induced than mammary glands of midpregnant rats. Liver S-9 fraction from rats treated with vital dyes showed an increase in revertant colonies for 2AA, DAF, and 6AC over that from untreated rats whereas breast S-9 fraction from rats treated with vital dyes showed an increase in revertant colonies for 2AA over untreated.
The ghost in the machine: is the bacterial chromosome a phantom chain?

In the classic picture of bacterial genome organization, the bacterial chromosome is considered to be a disordered polymer, like spaghetti confined in a bag. Progress in high-resolution microscopy radically advanced our understanding of chromosomal organization and completely toppled this classic picture. Many experiments in recent years have revealed intriguing order in chromosomal structure at different length- and timescales (1,2). The questions that arise from these observations include: What is the origin of multiscale order? And what does it mean?
Dynamics of 18O Incorporation from H 218O into Soil Microbial DNA

Heavy water (H 218 O) has been used to label DNA of soil microorganisms in stable isotope probing experiments, yet no measurements have been reported for the 18O content of DNA from soil incubated with heavy water. Here we present the first measurements of atom% 18O for DNA extracted from soil incubated with the addition of H 218 O. Four experiments were conducted to test how the atom% 18O of DNA, extracted from Ponderosa Pine forest soil incubated with heavy water, was affected by the following variables: (1) time, (2) nutrients, (3) soil moisture, and (4) atom% 18O of added H2O. In the time series experiment, the atom% 18O of DNA increased linearly (R2 = 0.994, p < 0.01) over the first 72 h of incubation. In the nutrient addition experiment, there was a positive correlation (R2 = 0.991, p = 0.006) between the log10 of the amount of tryptic soy broth, a complex nutrient broth, added to soil and the log10 of the atom% 18O of DNA. For the experiment where soil moisture was manipulated, the atom% 18O of DNA increased with higher soil moisture until soil moisture reached 30%, above which 18O enrichment of DNA declined as soils became more saturated. When the atom% 18O for H2O added was varied, there was a positive linear relationship between the atom% 18O of the added water and the atom% 18O of the DNA. Results indicate that quantification of 18O incorporated into DNA from H 218 O has potential to be used as a proxy for microbial growth in soil.
Linking Feminist Social Work and Feminist Theology in Light of Faith-Based Service Initiatives:

Feminist theology and feminist social work share similar values, social concerns, and institutional challenges, although interdisciplinary dialogue is rarely described in the professional literatur...
Evaluation of topical anesthetics by laser-induced sensation: comparison of EMLA 5% cream and 40% lidocaine in an acid mantle ointment.

Background and Objective: Current techniques for assessing local anesthetics (e.g., pin-prick test) cannot elicit a specific afferent activity without contamination from mechanosensitive receptors. This study was aimed to validate the use of non-scarring laser pulses as a reproducible method to assess effectiveness of topical anesthetics by comparing EMLA 5% cream and 40% lidocaine ointment. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Thirty-two evaluations per compound were achieved in a total of eight healthy subjects. Non-scarring pulses from a 585 nm Pulsed-dye laser and a double-frequency Nd:YAG laser were investigated as pain inducers and the results were statistically analyzed by using a Student t-test. Results Discrimination of anesthesia was better assessed with the 1,064 nm Nd:YAG laser. Anesthesia obtained by EMLA 5% cream was significantly higher than for 40% lidocaine ointment (P <0.0001). For EMLA cream, the number of evaluations with complete anesthesia was twice as much as for 40% lidocaine. Conclusions Non-scarring laser pulses are reliable and reproductive pain inducers for assessing topical anesthetics showing a low intra-individual variation. This technique demonstrated that EMLA 5% cream is significantly more effective than 40% lidocaine ointment. Lasers Surg. Med. 23:167–171, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Split codes and the Mathieu groups

The aim of this article is to present a variation on the theme of the Mathieu groups as automorphism groups of codes. The original theme is exposed in the survey article of Conway [2]. There it is shown that the Mathieu groups MS4 and Ml, form the main constituents of the automorphism groups of the binary and ternary Golay codes. This paper is a study of the mechanism which forces the Golay codes to have such large automorphism groups. It is well known that the Golay codes are examples of the class of codes called quadratic residue codes. We introduce the notion of split quadratic residue codes and show that the Golay codes can also be viewed as split codes. We can then conclude that the permutation group of each Golay code must contain two distinct groups of PSL type and must therefore be quite large. We obtain the isomorphisms between the ordinary and the split codes explicitly. Thus, we can show exactly how the two PSL groups act in the permutation group of each Golay code. The split codes defined here overlap with certain codes studied by Karlin [6] and Pless [9]. In fact, the two isomorphisms which we mentioned above are discussed by Karlin and Pless: Karlin treats the binary Golay code and Pless treats the ternary Golay code. In our approach, both isomorphisms are studied in a uniform fashion. We are also able to find one additional isomorphism of this type. The Parker-Nikolai study [7] makes it seem likely that we have found all of the isomorphisms of this particular kind. The paper is divided into 8 sections titled as follows:
Application of the relativistic local-density approximation to photoionization of the outer shells of neon, argon, krypton, and xenon

Parameters describing the low-energy photoionization of the outer shells of the rare gases Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe have been calculated using a relativistic generalization of the time-dependent local-density approximation. The resulting photoionization cross sections, angular-distribution asymmetry parameters, and spin polarization parameters are presented here. The results are found to be in good agreement with those from the relativistic random-phase approximation (RRPA), even though the present theory is simpler, formally and computationally, than the latter. These results, and those of the RRPA, are generally in good agreement with experiment, illustrating the utility of the present approach to photoionization, especially for heavy atoms in which both relativistic and correlation effects are important.
Temperature dependence of surface charging of NaCl under electron irradiation: role of secondary electron emission

Abstract In initial observations during Auger studies of NaCl, we have observed stable, clearly resolved Auger peaks. With time, however, some of the Auger spectra reveal the occurrence of strong negative charging. This charging appears to be a result of irradiation-induced accumulation of sodium metal on the sample surface. We report the dependence of the strong negatively charged state on temperature. The results are consistent with the above model; the strongly negatively charged surface cannot be maintained at temperatures sufficiently high that sodium metal evaporation occurs.
Readout-segmented EPI for rapid high resolution diffusion imaging at 3T

Readout mosaic segmentation has been suggested as an alternative approach to EPI for high resolution diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). In the readout-segmented EPI (RS-EPI) scheme, segments of k-space are acquired along the readout direction. This reduces geometric distortions due to the decrease in readout time. In this work, further distortion reduction is achieved by combining RS-EPI with parallel imaging (PI). The performance of the PI-accelerated RS-EPI scheme is assessed in volunteers and patients at 3T with respect to both standard EPI and PI-accelerated EPI. Peripherally cardiac gated and non-gated RS-EPI images are acquired to assess whether motion due to brain pulsation significantly degrades the image quality. Due to the low off-resonance of PI-driven RS-EPI, we also investigate if the eddy currents induced by the diffusion gradients are low enough to use the Stejskal-Tanner diffusion preparation instead of the twice-refocused eddy-current compensated diffusion preparation to reduce TE. It is shown that non-gated phase corrected DWI performs equally as well as gated acquisitions. PI-driven DW RS-EPI images with substantially less distortion compared with single-shot EPI are shown in patients-allowing the delineation of structures in the lower parts of the brain. A twice-refocused diffusion preparation was found necessary to avoid blurring in the DWI data. This paper shows that the RS-EPI scheme may be an important alternative sampling strategy to EPI to achieve high resolution T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted images.
Is government capital productive? Evidence from a panel of seven countries

Abstract Using panel data for seven countries in each year between 1963 and 1988, this paper investigates the extent to which government capital contributes to production. No statistically significant evidence is found that government capital is productive.
A case of small intestinal cast causing SBO in complicated intestinal graft-versus-host disease

We report an unusual case of small bowel obstruction caused by an intestinal cast in an 8-year-old female who developed intestinal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following two unrelated bone marrow transplants for aplastic anemia, and highlight the pathophysiology, common presentations, and surgical complications of intestinal GVHD from the surgeons' perspective.
Protective Capacity of Memory CD8+ T Cells Is Dictated by Antigen Exposure History and Nature of the Infection

SUMMARY Infection or vaccination confers heightened resistance to pathogen rechallenge because of quantitative and qualitative differences between naive and primary memory T cells. Herein, we show that secondary (boosted) memory CD8 + T cells were better than primary memory CD8 + T cells in controlling some, but not all acute infections with diverse pathogens. However, secondary memory CD8 + T cells were less efficient than an equal number of primary memory cells at preventing chronic LCMV infection and are more susceptible to functional exhaustion. Importantly, localization of memory CD8 + T cells within lymph nodes, which is reduced by antigen restimulation, was critical for both viral control in lymph nodes and for the sustained CD8 + T cell response required to prevent chronic LCMV infection. Thus, repeated antigen stimulation shapes memory CD8 + T cell populations to either enhance or decrease per cell protective immunity in a pathogenspecific manner, a concept of importance in vaccine design against specific diseases.
Interface effects in titanium and hafnium Schottky barriers on silicon

The effect of Si surface contaminants present prior to metal deposition, and that of post‐metalization anneals has been investigated for Ti and Hf Schottky barriers on Si. These diodes have been prepared in ultrahigh vacuum, characterized with Auger spectroscopy and measured in situ using internal photoemission, and ex situ using current‐voltage measurements. Although barriers to p‐type Si as high as 0.9 eV have been reported in the literature for these metals, barriers of 0.72 eV were the highest observed in this investigation, for surfaces contaminated with significant amounts of oxygen.
Abstract 4916: MAL, a frequently methylated gene marker for early detection of breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Hypermethylation of CpG islands in the promoter region of tumor suppressor genes is a common event in cancer, and often results in transcriptional silencing. Computational searches of existing large databases for genes underexpressed in multiple cancers, combined with CpG island analysis of those genes, identified a novel methylation marker gene in breast cancer called MAL (Maturation-Associated protein for T-Lymphocyte). MAL encodes a 17kD lipid raft protein that is found in mature T-cells and participates in T-cell differentiation and T-cell receptor signaling. Two previous studies have reported gene promoter hypermethylation of MAL in primary breast tumors and breast cancer cell lines. Furthermore, Horne et al found MAL inactivation is predictive of benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. We propose that alteration of MAL expression is functionally important in breast cancer. In addition, we propose that MAL has the potential to serve as a serum methylation marker for early detection of breast cancer. MAL gene methylation as assessed in breast cancer cell lines and primary tumors by quantitative multiplex methylation specific PCR (QM-MSP) showed that it is frequently methylated in cell lines (40/48; 83%), in primary tumors (11/20; 55%) and in distant metastasis (18/35; 51%), but not in normal breast tissues. Hypermethylation of MAL resulted in its decreased expression in the majority of the samples tested. Treatment of breast cancer cell lines with demethylating agents and histone deacetylase inhibitors restored MAL expression, thus establishing epigenetic alterations as the major mechanism of silencing. The function of MAL is being deciphered at both the biological and biochemical level by performing overexpression and knockdown studies in breast cells using already constructed expression vectors. The characterization and validation of MAL, a lipid raft protein, as a potential DNA methylation marker in breast cancer, particularly in serum, could provide a valuable early detection and prediction tool for breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4916.
Geospatial Products and Techniques at the Center for Transportation Analysis

ABSTRACT This paper highlights geospatial science-related innovations and developments conducted by the Center for Transportation Analysis (CTA) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. CTA researchers have been developing integrated inter-modal transportation solutions through innovative and cost-effective research and development for many years. Specifically, this paper profiles CTA-developed Geographic Information System (GIS) products that are publicly available. Examples of these GIS-related products include: the CTA Transportation Networks; GeoFreight system; and the Web-based Multi-Modal Routing Analysis System. In addition, an application on assessment of railroad hazmat routing alternatives is also discussed.
Effect of fundamental frequency on medial [+voice]/[−voice] judgments

Previous research has suggested that the direction of short-duration fundamental frequency (F0) perturbations following consonants helps to signal consonant [+voice]/[-voice] (abbreviated as [voice]) status. It has been proposed that the [voice] cue corresponds to the direction and extent of F0 perturbations relative to the overall intonation contour. A competing view, the low-frequency hypothesis, suggests that F0 participates in a more general way whereby low-frequency energy near the consonant contributes to [+voice] judgments. Listeners identified multiple stimulus series, each varying in voice onset time and ranging from /aga/ to /aka/. The series differed in overall intonation contour as well as in the direction of F0 perturbation relative to that contour. Consistent with one version of the low-frequency hypothesis, the F0 value at voicing onset, rather than the relative direction of the F0 perturbation, was the best predictor of [voice] judgments.
Mars physical parameters as determined from Mariner 9 observations of the natural satellites and Doppler tracking

Mariner 9 Doppler tracking data and television photographs of Deimos and Phobos were analyzed to determine the gravity field, mass, and spin-axis direction of Mars and the natural satellite orbits. The solutions agree with previously published results. Radio data consisted of an apoapsis state vector for each of revolutions 5-195 obtained from one-revolution fits of Doppler data. Optical data consisted of TV photographs of Phobos and Deimos taken between revolutions 25 and 221. A first-order analytical theory, extended to include dominant second-order resonance effects on the Mariner 9 orbit, was used to calculate the motion of the spacecraft, Deimos, and Phobos. The feasibility of combining radio and optical data in long-arc solutions for accurate determination of orbits and physical parameters is demonstrated. The analytical theory developed for the evolution of a highly eccentric orbit in shallow resonance is accurate to plus or minus 1 km in the apoapsis state vector of Mariner 9 over a period of 200 revolutions.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INHIBITION OF HEMOGLOBIN SYNTHESIS IN RABBIT RETICULOCYTES BY THREO-ALPHA-AMINO-BETA-CHLOROBUTYRIC ACID.

Abstract 1. 1. Addition of the valine antagonist, α-amino-β-chlorobutyric acid, to rabbit reticulocytes produces a rapid inhibition of hemoglobin synthesis with a subsequent increase in labelling of protein of the ribosomal fraction. 2. 2. At appropriate antagonist: valine ratios, the incorporation of valine itself occurs at the ribosomal level, but is inhibited in hemoglobin. This indicates that the block in hemoglobin synthesis is caused by substitution of the analogue for valine at specific valine sites, and it is suggested that the loci of these substitutions may be the Val-Val residues on the precursor protein of the β-chain. 3. 3. The antagonist also inhibits [ 14 C]isoleucine incorporation into hemoglobin, but unlike other amino acids, isoleucine does not accumulate in protein of the ribosomal fraction. This observation is discussed in relation to the characteristics of isoleucine incorporation into reticulocyte proteins and the location of residues of this amino acid near the NH 2 -terminal end of the α-chain of rabbit hemoglobin. 4. 4. Synthesis of both the α- and β-chains of hemoglobin is blocked by the antagonist and there is no evidence for the preferential synthesis and release of either chain. 5. 5. Abortive protein formed in the presence of the antagonist is rapidly degraded into trichloroaceeric acid-soluble products.
Expanding Entrepreneurship: Female and Foreign-Born Founders of New England Biotechnology Firms

Research on immigrant entrepreneurs in the United States has focused on small businesses in the retail and food service sectors rather than on high-technology start ups. Scholarship on women and immigrants in the U.S. science and technology workforce has focused on academia rather than scientists in industry. This article aims to bridge the gaps in these two literatures by examining the role of women and immigrants in founding science-based biotechnology firms. This research thus speaks to the sociological perspective on power inequalities for women and foreign-born people in entrepreneurship and in the U.S. science and technology workforce. Opportunities and barriers vary by organizational context, and the flexibility of the biotechnology industry has previously been found to benefit female scientists. But what of foreign-born scientists and women who play founding roles in biotech firms? A survey conducted of 261 biotechnology firms located in Massachusetts and New England in 2006 provides the data. The...
Genetic Analysis of Clindamycin Resistance in Bacteroides Species

The genetic basis of clindamycin and tetracycline resistance in species of Bacteroides was studied in 13 resistant clinical isolates; 10 isolates were resistant to high levels of clindamycin (greater than 160 micrograms/ml) and three were resistant to low levels of clindamycin (5-20 micrograms/ml). All of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline. None of the strains with low-level clindamycin resistance could transfer resistance to either antibiotic. Three isolates resistant to high levels of clindamycin transferred tetracycline resistance to a sensitive Bacteroides fragilis recipient, and one of these (strain 1126) also transferred high-level clindamycin resistance. None of the transfer-proficient strains of Bacteroides contained plasmid DNA. However, DNA homology was detected by hybridization between the clindamycin resistance plasmid pBF4 isolated in France and sequences in our high-level clindamycin-resistant strains from California. A common homologous 4.8 megadalton EcoR1 fragment was identified in the whole cell DNA of the transfer-proficient strain 1126 of B. fragilis and two other species of the B. fragilis group.
A Laboratory Exercise for Genotyping Two Human Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms

The dramatic decrease in the cost of sequencing a human genome is leading to an era in which a wide range of students will benefit from having an understanding of human genetic variation. Since over 90% of sequence variation between humans is in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), a laboratory exercise has been devised in order to illustrate the importance of SNPs. Two separate SNPs are analysed, one of which has a significant effect on a person’s phenotype and one which does not. The genotyping protocol is relatively inexpensive and uses standard molecular biology reagents and equipment.
Characterization of the purified N-type Ca2+ channel and the cation sensitivity of ω-conotoxin GVIA binding

A functional N-type Ca2+ channel (omega-conotoxin GVIA receptor) has been purified from rabbit brain and shown to be composed of four subunits of molecular weights 230 K (alpha 1B), 160 K (alpha 2 delta), 95 K and 57 K (beta 3) [Witcher D. R., De Waard M., Sakamoto J., Franzini-Armstrong C., Pragnell M., Kahl S.D. and Campbell K. D. (1993) Science 261: 486-489]. These four subunits migrate on sucrose density gradients as a single complex and are identified by subunit specific polyclonal antibodies. Polyclonal antibodies against the purified receptor complex immunoprecipitate greater than 90% of the [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA (omega-CgTx) binding sites in solubilized crude rabbit brain membranes. Furthermore, polyclonal antibodies affinity-purified against unique GST fusion proteins from two of the cloned subunits in the complex (alpha 1B and beta 3) specifically immunoprecipitated [125I]omega-CgTx binding sites and not [3H]PN200-110 binding sites. Analysis of [125I]omega-CgTx binding to the purified N-type Ca2+ channel demonstrated that the equilibrium binding was sensitive to increasing cation concentration. The IC50 for calcium and barium was 2.5 and 5 mM, respectively. [125I]omega-CgTx binding was not significantly reduced within 15 min after the addition of 50 mM barium. However, single channel analysis of the purified N-type Ca2+ channel preincubated with 10 microM omega-CgTx demonstrated that in the presence of 50 mM barium and 0.5 microM omega-CgTx, channel activity was detected but at a low open state probability (P < 0.10). These data suggest that the Ca2+ binding site(s) allosterically regulates the omega-CgTx binding site. Since the channel gating persisted in the presence of omega-CgTx, the omega-CgTx binding site may not be located within the pore of the channel and may be different from intra-pore Ca2+ binding sites.
Kinetic spectroscopy of diphenylgermylene Ph2Ge following laser flash photolysis of bis(trimethylsilyl) diphenylgermane (Me3Si)2GePh2

Abstract A transient, λ max 445 nm, was observed in the 266 nm laser flash photolysis of cyclohexane solutions of (Me 3 Si) 2 GePh 2 , and rate constants were recorded for its disappearance in the presence of various trapping agents. The reactivity profile is in accord with the identification of the carrier as diphenylgermylene Ph 2 Ge, that dimerizes to tetraphenyldigermene Ph 2 GeGePh 2 , λ max 320 nm.
Get the Lead Out: Noninvasive Assessment for Lower Extremity Arterial Disease Using Ankle Brachial Index and Toe Brachial Index Measurements

Lower extremity arterial disease affects approximately one third of individuals 66 years of age and older and has a high risk for nonhealing wounds, infection, and limb loss. Much wound care is given by or under the direction of nurses. Therefore, the assessment and management of these patients presents many opportunities and challenges. Assessment is the cornerstone of effective care, but traditional methods of lower extremity arterial assessment, such as pulse palpation and pain history, are insufficient to determine the presence and extent of ischemia. Recently published national guidelines for assessment and management of patients with lower extremity wounds have recommended using noninvasive tests such as the ankle brachial index and toe brachial index to rule out lower extremity arterial disease, which complicates wound healing. However, the ankle brachial index can be falsely elevated in patients with diabetes and renal failure because of calcification of the arteries, which causes them to be incompressible. In these situations, it has been advised to obtain a toe pressure or toe brachial index because digital arteries are usually less affected by calcification. There is a paucity of data about the knowledge of principles and performance of the ankle brachial index/toe brachial index by nurses, particularly in the United States, using pocket-sized portable Doppler equipment. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide an overview and synthesis of relevant studies and published expert opinion regarding noninvasive arterial assessment using ankle brachial and toe brachial indexes as a basis for developing protocols for performing the tests and identifying gaps in research where further investigation is needed.
Somatic Embryogenesis and Plant Regeneration in Tissue Cultures of Panicum miliaceum L. and Panicum miliare Lamk.

Summary Embryogenic callus cultures were initiated from young inflorescence segments of common millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) and little millet (P. miliare Lamk.) on Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with 5% coconut milk and 2.5 mg · l-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Plantlets were produced through somatic embryogenesis when the calli were transferred onto the same nutrient medium but with only 0.2 mg · l-1 of 2,4-D. Young plants were successfully transplanted to pots and grown to maturity in the greenhouse. The plants set seed normally and did not show any phenotypic variability.
New developments: Injectables for urethral incompetence in women

The failure to store urine secondary to bladder outflow incompetence requires a method to increase outflow resistance. Injectable therapy is a modality which causes an additional resistance to the flow of urine. Polytetrafluoroethylene and the use of GAX-Collagen presently under investigation provide excellent efficacy with over 80% of females rendered continent after two treatments. Concerns over particle migration reduce the utility of polytetrafluoroethylene. Thus far the GAX-Collagen appears safe as well as efficacious. The best results with periurethral injections are those females who do not have detrusor abnormalities, who have adequate bladder capacity, and who have no anatomic abnormality. Injectable techniques in the treatment of urinary incompetence are well tolerated by patients of all ages thus reducing the need for major surgery. This modality of treatment should be added to the armamentarium of those individuals involved in the management of females with urinary incontinence.
The Role of Surface Attraction in Perceiving Volumetric Shape

Rock [1973, Orientation and Form (New York: Academic Press)] showed that form perception generally depends more on the orientation of a stimulus in world coordinates than on its orientation in retinal coordinates. He suggested that the assignment of an object's 'environmental orientation' depends on gravity, visual frame of reference, and the observer's ability to impose orientation along one axis or another. This paper shows that the assignment of environmental orientation and perceived 3-D form also depends on the relationship between an object and retinally adjacent surfaces in the scene to which it might be attached. Whereas previous examples have demonstrated effects of orientation on 2-D form, we show that orientation can affect the perceived intrinsic 3-D shape of a volume.
The metallography of multiphase eutectics

Abstract In studying the directional solidification of quaternary eutectics, it was essential that the morphologies of the different phases be clearly observed. To this end, it was necessary to develop metallographic procedures to show the arrangement of the phases in the structures. The unique metallographic problems encountered and the procedures developed in the study of these four-phase alloys are presented in this paper.
Anytime online novelty and change detection for mobile robots

In many mobile robot applications, the high cost of damaging the robot or its environment makes even rare failures unacceptable. To mitigate this risk, a robot must be able to detect potentially hazardous situations before it experiences a major failure. This problem therefore becomes one of novelty and change detection: how a robot can identify when perception inputs differ from prior inputs seen during training or previous operation in the same area. With this ability, the system can either avoid novel locations to minimize risk or stop and enlist human help via supervisory control or teleoperation. We present an anytime novelty detection algorithm that deals with noisy and redundant high-dimensional feature spaces that are common in robotics by utilizing prior class information within the training set. This approach is also well suited for online use when a constantly adjusting environmental model is beneficial. Furthermore, we address the problem of change detection in an environment of repeated operation by framing it as a location-specific version of novelty detection and present an online scene segmentation algorithm that improves accuracy across diverse environments. We validate these approaches through extensive experiments onboard two outdoor mobile robot platforms, show that our approaches are robust to noisy sensor data and moderate registration errors, and argue how such abilities could be key in increasing the real-world applications and impact of mobile robotics. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Most figures in this article are best viewed in color.)
Toxic Properties of a Synthetic Double-stranded RNA: Endotoxin-like Properties of Poly I.Poly C, an Interferon Stimulator

The following three articles report that poly I.poly C, which is of interest as a stimulator of interferon production, has potential side effects.
A study of mechanisms of graphite friction and wear

Abstract A basic research program to determine fundamental phenomena involved in lubrication by graphite and other lamellar solids is described. Lamellar cleavage experiments in known environments of air, ultra-high vacuum, water vapor, and oxygen are reported. A theoretical calculation of the interlamellar binding energy of the ideal graphite lattice is described. A stress-etch process is reported for graphite, in dry oxygen, water vapor, and air environments, which significantly lowers the cleavage energy and provides a basis for understanding lubrication phenomena. A general hypothesis of lamellar solid lubrication is thereby proposed on the basis of interlamellar binding forces. A correlation of this general hypothesis is made with experimental results for the lamellar materials: graphite, molybdenite, pyrophyllite, muscovite, margarite, talc, and phlogopite.
Wall Versus Centerline Polymer Injection in Turbulent Channel Flows

This experimental study compares the mean and turbulence characteristics of turbulent channel flows with polymer injection at the wall and at the centerline to assess the impact of the injection location on drag reduction. It also contrasts the drag reduction performance of a hydrolyzed polymer versus a non-ionic polymer under the same conditions. Wall injection of non-ionic and hydrolized polymers resulted in 23% and 9% larger drag reduction than corresponding centerline injection, respectively. In all cases, the polymer was structured and the presence of macromolecular polymer structures, even when concentrated mostly away from the wall, seemed to be able to affect the turbulence structure in the flow.
SELF-ORGANIZED NETWORKS AS A REPRESENTATION OF QUANTUM STATISTICS

A new class of self organized networks is described that is relevant to understand the emerging order in a large number of complex systems such as growing biological systems, the web, and heterogeneous phases of correlated condensed matter systems formed by doping. The Bose and Fermi quantum distributions are shown to be the right tool to describe the two extreme limit distributions, the fermionic Cayley-tree network and the bosonic scale-free network. In this new large class of self-organized networks the two different types of self organization coexists, maintaining the same 'ergodic' nature and are described by a 'mixed' quantum distribution.
TU-EE-A2-05: Challenges in Limiting Kidney Dose When Delivering Total Body Irradiation (TBI) for Patients with Severe Systemic Sclerosis (SSc)

Purpose: To describe challenges in limiting kidney dose when delivering TBI to SSc patients enrolled on a multicenter Phase II/III SCOT (Scleroderma Cyclophosphamide or Transplantation) protocol. Material and Methods: The SCOT protocol uses a preparative regimen of 800 cGy TBI. The kidney dose is limited to 200 cGy. This level of attenuation is atypical for TBI. Hence, the effect of the block thickness and proximity to the spinal cord was investigated with EDR film in an anthropomorphic phantom using 5 cm thick kidney blocks positioned 3, 5, and 8 cm apart. Due to their poor renal function, the kidneys of SSc patients cannot be localized using intravenous contrast. Therefore, methods of kidney‐localization and block‐positioning were devised. Six patients have been treated on the TBI arm of the trial at Duke and information on kidney shape and the shifts from prone to standing position were recorded using diagnostic ultrasound(US).Results: A 10–20% dose inhomogeneity in the lumbar spine region is achievable with a minimum kidney block separation of 4–5 cm (typical width of a vertebral body). Two methods for kidney localization have been proposed. Block design and placement can be accomplished using a combination of CT and US or CT alone. Kidney‐localization based on the combination of CT and US enables more accurate block‐positioning and reduces the superior‐inferior block margins. Kidney shape proved similar among the six patients imaged, leading to a potential use of standard kidney blocks. The US information revealed a wide range of kidney travel, both inferior and superior with a magnitude as large as 3.3 cm. Conclusions: The dose to the kidneys can be attenuated by 75% (per protocol) during TBI while maintaining a 10–20% dose inhomogeneity. The kidneys can be localized more accurately using both CT and US than CT alone.
Diels−Alder Reaction of an Ene−Phospha−Yne

The Diels−Alder reactions of ethylene with but-3-en-1-yne (reaction 1) or 1-phosphabut-3-en-1-yne (Reaction 2) were examined at the MP4SDTQ/6-311G**/MP2/6-311G** level. While reaction 1 is exothermic (ΔGrxn = −2.70 kcal mol-1), reaction 2 is endothermic (ΔGrxn = 9.38 kcal mol-1, though ΔHrxn = −3.23 kcal mol-1). The activation barrier for reaction 2 is, however, 4 kcal mol-1 lower than for reaction 1 (ΔG⧧ = 35.14 vs 39.22 kcal mol-1, respectively). The ring strain energies for the two cyclic cumulene products are 29.56 kcal mol-1 for 1,2-cyclohexadiene and 23.24 kcal mol-1 for 1-phospha-1,2-cyclohexadiene.
ANTEROLATERAL PAPILLARY MUSCLE RUPTURE DUE TO AN ISOLATED PAPILLARY MUSCLE INFARCT IN A PATIENT WITH NONISCHEMIC CARDIOMYOPATHY

Acute papillary muscle (PM) rupture is an uncommon, catastrophic cardiac emergency resulting in severe mitral regurgitation, congestive heart failure and cardiogenic shock most often seen in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction. The posteromedial papillary muscle is more susceptible to
In Situ Localization and Characterization of Active Proteases in Chronically Inflamed and Healthy Human Gingival Tissues

Background: Studies have indicated an important role for host-derived proteases in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. The objectives of this study were: 1) to develop an assay measuring protease activity in situ and 2) to localize and characterize the enzymatic activity in intact inflamed and healthy gingiva. Methods: Gingival specimens were prepared and overlaid with a quenched fluorescent substrate. Protease activity was visualized by fluorescence microscopy and correlated with histologic features. Results: In inflamed tissues, enzymatic activity was detected mainly in the connective tissue (predominantly matrix metalloproteases) and, to some extent, in the epithelium (predominantly serine proteases). In contrast, clinically healthy tissues failed to exhibit significant amounts of protease activity. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of protease activity in intact tissues were found to be pH dependent. Conclusions: The method described here enabled assessment of active proteases in intac...