cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CLIMP-63 is a gentamicin-binding protein that is involved in drug-induced cytotoxicity

Aminoglycoside-induced nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity is a major clinical problem. To understand how aminoglycosides, including gentamicin, induce cytotoxicity in the kidney proximal tubule and the inner ear, we identified gentamicin-binding proteins (GBPs) from mouse kidney cells by pulling down GBPs with gentamicin–agarose conjugates and mass spectrometric analysis. Among several GBPs specific to kidney proximal tubule cells, cytoskeleton-linking membrane protein of 63 kDa (CLIMP-63) was the only protein localized in the endoplasmic reticulum, and was co-localized with gentamicin-Texas Red (GTTR) conjugate after cells were treated with GTTR for 1 h. In western blots, kidney proximal tubule cells and cochlear cells, but not kidney distal tubule cells, exhibited a dithiothreitol (DTT)-resistant dimer band of CLIMP-63. Gentamicin treatment increased the presence of DTT-resistant CLIMP-63 dimers in both kidney proximal (KPT11) and distal (KDT3) tubule cells. Transfection of wild-type and mutant CLIMP-63 into 293T cells showed that the gentamicin-dependent dimerization requires CLIMP-63 palmitoylation. CLIMP-63 siRNA transfection enhanced cellular resistance to gentamicin-induced toxicity, which involves apoptosis, in KPT11 cells. Thus, the dimerization of CLIMP-63 is likely an early step in aminoglycoside-induced cytotoxicity in the kidney and cochlea. Gentamicin also enhanced the binding between CLIMP-63 and 14-3-3 proteins, and we also identified that 14-3-3 proteins are involved in gentamicin-induced cytotoxicity, likely by binding to CLIMP-63.
Excitability cycle of somatosensory evoked potentials during experimental alcoholization and withdrawal.

It has been postulated that withdrawal from alcohol ingestion by alcoholics, is manifested by hyperexcitability of the central nervous system.
Rous Sarcoma Virus Gag Protein-Oligonucleotide Interaction Suggests a Critical Role for Protein Dimer Formation in Assembly

The structural protein Gag is the only viral product required for retrovirus assembly. Purified Gag proteins or fragments of Gag are able in vitro to spontaneously form particles resembling immature virions, but this process requires nucleic acid, as well as the nucleocapsid domain of Gag. To examine the role of nucleic acid in the assembly in vitro, we used a purified, slightly truncated version of the Rous sarcoma virus Gag protein, ΔMBDΔPR, and DNA oligonucleotides composed of the simple repeating sequence GT. Apparent binding constants were determined for oligonucleotides of different lengths, and from these values the binding site size of the protein on the DNA was calculated. The ability of the oligonucleotides to promote assembly in vitro was assessed with a quantitative assay based on electron microscopy. We found that excess zinc or magnesium ion inhibited the formation of virus-like particles without interfering with protein-DNA binding, implying that interaction with nucleic acid is necessary but not sufficient for assembly in vitro. The binding site size of the ΔMBDΔPR protein, purified in the presence of EDTA to remove zinc ions at the two cysteine-histidine motifs, was estimated to be 11 nucleotides (nt). This value decreased to 8 nt when the protein was purified in the presence of low concentrations of zinc ions. The minimum length of DNA oligonucleotide that promoted efficient assembly in vitro was 22 nt for the zinc-free form of the protein and 16 nt for the zinc-bound form. To account for this striking 1:2 ratio between binding site size and oligonucleotide length requirement, we propose a model in which the role of nucleic acid in assembly is to promote formation of a species of Gag dimer, which itself is a critical intermediate in the polymerizaton of Gag to form the protein shell of the immature virion.
THE RELEVANCE OF INTENSIVE TRAINING IN ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Intensive work in English as a foreign language is often an American university prerequisite to full academic work for entering foreign students. Questionable are the underlying assumptions that English proficiency norms have been established as predictors of academic success and that intensive EFL programs are the best means of increasing English proficiency. With a control group of 15 subjects, who took the compulsory University of Hawaii English Language Institute program for foreign students, and an experimental group of nine subjects, who were allowed to follow their regular academic programs, the hypotheses were tested that there would be no differences between the groups on tests of English skills after one semester or in overall academic success after one school year. No significant differences were found, except that the experimental group earned significantly more semester hours credit during the year. The implications are, at least for many intermediate to advanced foreign students, that intensive EFL work may be a waste of time.
Synthesis of the optically active hexahydrobenzofuran nucleus of the avermectins

Abstract A preparation of an optically pure hexahydrobenzofuranone subunit common to the milbemycin-avermectin macrocycles is reported from 1,4-anhydrosorbitol.
Adaptive Behavior of Learning Disabled and Non-Learning Disabled Children

Adaptive behavior, problem behavior, and self-perception of behavior of 54 learning disabled children and 54 non-learning disabled children were compared to revealed the differences mainstream teachers perceive between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed differences in the first two measures. That is, the groups were different in each subscale of adaptive behavior, including social coping, relationships, pragmatics and production. Analysis of the problem-behavior scale indicated differences between the groups on three of five subscales. In each case, the scores for the LD group were higher indicating less desirable adaptive behavior and more problem behavior in the classroom. Implications of these results are presented as well as recommended use of adaptive-behavior measures for identification and the need to prepare mainstream teachers to deal with maladaptive behaviors in the classroom.
Considerations in processing satellite images

Legislated demands for better control of natural resources have motivated many state and local resource management agencies to investigate application of satellite image data to their management activities. The University of Santa Clara and NASA-Ames Research Center have been jointly considering the problems faced by such agencies. Advantages and disadvantages of using relatively small systems for the required computer processing activities are briefly discussed in the paper. In addition, summaries are provided of current status on investigations of user interface considerations, steps involved in developing local processing capability, and improvement of software transportability.
Hybridization of near-infrared emitting erbium(III) and ytterbium(III) monoporphyrinate complexes with silica xerogel: synthesis, structure and photophysics.

The new erbium(III) and ytterbium(III) monoporphyrinate complexes were synthesized and hybridized into silica xerogel frameworks though the coordination of 5-(N,N-bis(3-propyl)ureyl-1,10-phenanthroline to the lanthanide ions. The complexes are eight-coordinate with strong emissions in solution in the near-infrared region. The resulting silica films are transparent, homogenous, and exhibit strong mechanical strength. The scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope study reveals that the surface of the film is porous with the silica in particulate or rod shapes. Upon visible light excitation, the fluorescence of the porphyrin at ∼ 649 nm with lifetimes of ∼ 3.4 and 3.8 ns for erbium(III) and ytterbium-hybridized films were observed, respectively. The erbium- and ytterbium-hybridized films gave characteristic emissions at 1538 nm with a lifetime of 0.6 μs and at 980 nm with a lifetime of 6.6 μs, respectively. They exhibited a 50 to 70% decrease in lifetime compared to their parent complexes in toluene.
Predictors of instability in children's mental test performance at 24, 48, and 96 months

Abstract Deviations in children's mental test performance from 24 to 48 and 48 to 96 months were examined in a sample of 169 disadvantaged mothers and their first-born children. Deviations from mental test performance were indexed by residuals computed from 24-month Bayley MDI and 48-month WPPSI correlations, and from 48-month WPPSI and 96-month WISC-R correlations. Deviations from predicted values of mental test performance across 24 to 48 months were predicted by maternal personality, the HOME, mother-child interaction, and child problem-solving behavior. Deviations from predicted values across the 48- to 96-month period were predicted by maternal social support and mother interactive behavior from the 24- to 48-month period, and in a separate regression, from children's internalizing behaviors in kindergarden. The results are discussed with regard to the relations between specific aspects of the childrearing environment and child intelligence and the role of child characteristics.
Rripaŋu Yidaki†: Aboriginal social frameworks in a Musical Ecotourism Business

Rripaŋu Yidaki is a grassroots tourism business, dedicated to the craft and study of the didjeridu, initiated, owned, and maintained by one Aboriginal family in the far north of Australia. Its business model, while unconventional, is premised on long-standing local Aboriginal social frameworks, such as kinship networks and exchange customs. Field research and communication with the family and its visitors carried out over the past 2 years indicate that these social frameworks are uniquely suited to meet the stated needs and desires of this family enterprise and its self-selecting clientele. The family's business model also avoids the inequities inherent in the models of more developed and capitalised Aboriginal tourism enterprises seen elsewhere in Australia. While some visitors and promoters have described Rripaŋu Yidaki as an ecotourist enterprise, the term ‘ecotourism’ remains a foreign category to local Aboriginal systems of thought and valuation. Yet virtually all of Rripaŋu Yidaki's operations fit w...
Shape from Phase: An Integrated Level Set and Probability Density Shape Representation

The past twenty years has seen the explosion of the "shape zoo": myriad shape representations, each with pros and cons. Of the varied denizens, distance transforms and density function shape representations have proven to be the most utile. Distance transforms inherit the numerous geometric advantages of implicit curve representations while density functions are unmatched in their approach to the modeling of uncertainty and noise in shape features. We have not seen much rapprochement between these two representations in general. In this work, we introduce a complex wave representation (CWR) of shape which has the ability to simultaneously carry probabilistic information via its magnitude and geometric information via its phase, achieving an integration of distance transforms and density function shape representations. The CWR is a parametric representation with cluster centers akin to a mixture model and curve normal information akin to signed distance functions. We demonstrate the perceptual gains of the CWR, highlight the advantages of the probabilistic aspect for noisy shape alignment by a likelihood approach, and fusing both aspects we show that the CWR leads to a feature space in which kernel PCA yields approximate closed curves and probability density functions.
One hundred years of social psychology quantitatively described

This article compiles results from a century of social psychological research, more than 25,000 studies of 8 million people. A large number of social psychological conclusions are listed alongside meta-analytic information about the magnitude and variability of the corresponding effects. References to 322 meta-analyses of social psychological phenomena are presented, as well as statistical effect-size summaries. Analyses reveal that social psychological effects typically yield a value of r equal to .21 and that, in the typical research literature, effects vary from study to study in ways that produce a standard deviation in r of .15. Uses, limitations, and implications of this large-scale compilation are noted. In 1898 Norman Triplett published an early experiment in social psychology, about an effect of the presence of others on task performance. In the 100 years since Triplett’s investigation, many social psychological effects have been documented. The current article summarizes the best established of these findings, with data from more than 25,000 research studies and 8 million people. Our goal is to quantify the magnitude and variability of social psychological effects. We begin by considering previous summaries of social psychology, note some unresolved issues, and review developments that permit a century of scholarly work to be quantitatively described. For present purposes, we follow Manstead and Hewstone (1995) in regarding social psychology as the study of “the reciprocal influence of the individual and his or her social context” (p. 588).
Utilizing Forecast Band Refinement for Capacitated Production Planning

We present a model for forecast evolution that captures two notions related to forecasts: (1) forecasts are not exact; (2) forecasts over longer horizons are less certain than those over shorter horizons. We model the forecast of discrete demand as a band defined by the lower and upper bounds on demand, such that future forecasts lie within the current band. We develop a capacitated production planning model for a single product with terminal demand. We develop four heuristics for the problem and characterize their performance. In particular, two of the heuristics are optimal for the no holding-cost case. In our computational study, we analyze the performance of our heuristics and compare them to the optimal solution and to a simple heuristic that simulates common industrial practice using point forecasts. We find that two of our heuristics are very close to the optimal solution (less than 0.5% away from optimal on average under the conditions studied). Further, we consider forecast update patterns with primarily early, intermediate, and late information updates and provide insights on the effect of information update patterns on optimal costs.
Optical transmission characteristics of fiber ring resonators

We present the results of an experimental investigation of the transfer characteristics of a fiber ring resonator for various values of the resonator finesse. In particular, we measure the spectral dependence of the intensity transmission and the induced phase shift in the undercoupled, critically coupled, and overcoupled regimes. We also demonstrate tunable optical (true time) group delay via a fiber ring resonator and show that a high finesse is unnecessary. Our laboratory results are in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions.
Strain-Specific Interaction of the Tobacco Etch Virus NIa Protein with the Translation Initiation Factor eIF4E in the Yeast Two-Hybrid System

The NIa protein of potyviruses provides VPg and proteolytic functions during virus replication. It has also been shown to confer host genotype-specific movement functions in plants. Specifically, NIa from tobacco etch virus (TEV)-Oxnard, but not from most other strains, confers the ability to move long distances in Nicotiana tabacum cultivar "V-20." This led to the hypothesis that all or part of NIa may interact with one or more cellular factors. To identify cellular proteins that interact with NIa in a host- or strain-specific manner, a yeast two-hybrid search of a tomato cDNA library was done. Ten proteins that interacted with NIa were recovered, with translation initiation factor eIF4E being by far the most common protein identified. Interaction of eIF4E with NIa was shown to be TEV strain-specific. eIF4E from both tomato and tobacco interacted well with NIa from the HAT strain, but not from the Oxnard strain. However, using chimeric NIa proteins, the determinant for systemic infection of V20 plants was found to be genetically distinct from the determinant controlling eIF4E interaction. In TEV-eIF4E coexpression experiments, evidence suggesting that eIF4E provides a positive effect on genome amplification was obtained.
Evidence-Based Practices With Students Who Are Deaf:

Currently, professionals in all fields that work with students with disabilities, including education, face a “demand” that their decisions about which interventions to use be guided by evidence-ba...
The Next Evolution

Roger M. Nelson, PT, PhD, FAPTA, has served the profession as a clinician, educator, researcher, and mentor for close to 50 years. Dr Nelson received his bachelor of science degree in physical therapy from New York University in 1965. He received his master of science degree from the Sargent College of Allied Health Professions, Boston University, in 1971 and his doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Iowa in 1981. His record of service includes 25 years as a commissioned officer in the US Public Health Service. He has created both national and international collaborations for education, research, and patient care and has been instrumental in gaining the recognition of physical therapists as core members of the health care team. Past Vice President of Expert Clinical Benchmarks at MedRisk Inc, he is professor emeritus at Lebanon Valley College and a former professor at Thomas Jefferson University and the College of Staten Island. Dr Nelson has authored and co-authored more than 50 publications in the peer-reviewed literature and has made more than 180 presentations to local, national, and international scientific meetings. He has published 2 textbooks. He served on the APTA Board of Directors and in the APTA House of Delegates and chaired the task force that developed APTA's Guide to Physical Therapist Practice . Dr Nelson has received numerous US Public Health Service awards and has been honored by APTA as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow. Mr President, McMillan lecturers of prior years, Board of Directors, fellow physical therapists, family, and friends, I want to thank you for this opportunity to share with you today my vision for the next evolution in the physical therapy profession (Figure). Figure. Dr Nelson presenting the 44th Mary McMillan Lecture. I would like to start off with a question for you. What is the …
Seasonal variation in the composition of the drift below a peaking hydroelectric project

We used 0.5 m diameter nets to sample the drift downstream from a peaking hydroelectric project on the Caney Fork River, Tennessee. The relative contribution of the terrestrial, lentic, and lotic environments to stream drift varied seasonally. Stream benthos (primarily Chironomidae and Lirceus fontinalis) occurred in the drift throughout the year; however, their relative importance varied seasonally. Daphnia sp. from the reservoir also occurred in the drift year round with the highest densities in fall and spring when they were the predominant species in the drift. In summer, terrestrial insects apparently utilized exposed portions of the river bed during periods of no power generation. In June as the river stage increased following initiation of generation, adult terrestrial insects became a major component of the drift. Threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) dominated the biomass in the drift during December. Although the importance of stream benthos to fish populations is generally recognized, the contribution of the terrestrial and upstream reservoir environments to the forage base in the tailwater may also be important and should be considered in developing management strategies for tailwater fisheries.
Changes in cyclosporine A levels in pediatric renal allograft recipients receiving recombinant human growth hormone therapy.

GROWTH retardation remains a prominent feature in children after renal transplantation despite a wellfunctioning graft. Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has been utilized to augment linear growth in pediatric renal allograft recipients. Several studies have demonstrated a considerable increase in growth velocity and an improvement in standard deviation scores for height after twelve months of rhGH therapy; the response, however, declines after the second year of treatment. Several concerns have been raised regarding the safety of rhGH therapy in the pediatric renal transplant population. Acute rejection and graft loss have been reported after initiation of rhGH therapy. In mixed lymphocyte cultures, growth hormone potentiates the proliferative and cytotoxic responses and interferon gamma mRNA expression. Growth hormone has also been demonstrated to induce glomerular hyperfiltration and may lead to glomerulosclerosis. Cyclosporine A (CsA), first identified in 1972, is currently used as one of the primary immunosuppressants in all organ transplantation. Just like rhGH, cyclosporine A is extensively metabolized by the cytochrome P450 enzyme in the liver. In transplant recipients, the concomitant use of drugs which interfere with the cytochrome P-450 system must be used with caution since stimulation of its activity increases the clearance of CsA leading to low pharmacologic activity. Growth hormone increases the activity and regulates the gene expression of the hepatic cytochrome P450 at the pretranslational level. The altered regulation of the hepatic cytochrome P450 system by growth hormone may modify CsA metabolism leading to suboptimal blood levels and possibly contribute to the acute rejection reported in pediatric renal allograft recipients receiving growth hormone therapy. We, therefore, evaluated the changes in CsA levels in stable growth retarded pediatric renal allograft recipients who were receiving rhGH therapy.
[(R)‐α‐(2‐Naphthyl)aminomethyl]ferrocene

[221528-09-2] C21H19NFe (MW 341.24) InChI = 1S/C16H14N.C5H5.Fe/c17-16(13-6-2-3-7-13)15-10-9-12-5-1-4-8-14(12)11-15;1-2-4-5-3-1;/h1-11,16H,17H2;1-5H;/t16-;;/m0../s1 InChIKey = YPPPSDHFURWHDL-SQKCAUCHSA-N (the reagent is used as a chiral ligand for asymmetric SN2′ addition of zinc organometallic reagents to allyl chlorides in the presence of catalytic CuBr·SMe2 in allylic substitution reactions) Physical Data: limited, mp 97 °C. Solubility: soluble in common organic solvents such as THF and Et2O. Form Supplied in: orange solid, see patent (reference 1). Purification: it can be purified by free basing the initial hydrochloride salt of the above title compound via aq NaOH followed by biphasic extraction using Et2O and aqueous medium.
Kangiella spongicola sp. nov., a halophilic marine bacterium isolated from the sponge Chondrilla nucula

A novel halophilic bacterium of the genus Kangiella was isolated from a marine sponge collected from the Florida Keys, USA. Strain A79T, an aerobic, Gram-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium, grew in 2–15 % (w/v) NaCl, at a temperature of 10–49 °C and at pH 4.5–10. Phylogenetic analysis placed strain A79T in the family Alcanivoraceae in the class Gammaproteobacteria. Strain A79T showed 98.5 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Kangiella japonica KMM 3899T, 96.6 % similarity to Kangiella koreensis DSM 16069T and 95.6 % similarity to Kangiella aquimarina DSM 16071T. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C11 : 0, iso-C11 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 and iso-C17 : 1ω9c and the G+C content of the genomic DNA was 44.9 mol%. On the basis of physiological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic comparisons, strain A79T represents a novel species in the genus Kangiella, for which the name Kangiella spongicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is A79T ( = ATCC BAA-2076T = DSM 23219T).
Mature vascular endothelium can give rise to smooth muscle cells via endothelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation: in vitro analysis.

Though in the past believed to be a rare phenomenon, endothelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation has been described with increasing frequency in recent years. It is believed to be important in embryonic vascular development, yet less is known regarding its role in the adult vasculature. Using FACS and immunomagnetic (Dynabeads) purification techniques (based on uptake of DiI-acetylated low-density lipoproteins and/or PECAM-1 expression) and double-label indirect immunostaining (for endothelial and smooth muscle [SM] markers), we demonstrate that mature bovine vascular endothelium contains cells of an endothelial phenotype (defined by VE-cadherin, von Willebrand factor, PECAM-1, and elevated uptake of acetylated low-density lipoproteins) that can undergo endothelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation and further differentiate into SM cells (as defined by expression of α-SM-actin, SM22α, calponin, and SM-myosin). “Transitional” cells, coexpressing both endothelial markers and α-SM-actin, were consistently ob...
Recognition of X-Ray Picture Patterns

It is generally a problem to select the appropriate preprocessing and feature-extraction technique in most pictorial pattern recognition applications so that an accurate classification is possible. In this paper a class of pictures of medical importance, namely, chest X-ray pictures, is used to test the proposed preprocessing and feature-extraction technique. The technique presented in this paper is applied only to chest X-ray images; however, the same technique could also be applied to a fairly broad class of picture patterns with only some minor modifications. The proposed preprocessing technique, which utilizes the local and global information of the picture patterns, is to extract the lung boundary. The lung field is then enclosed by a polygon which is the piecewise linear approximation of the lung boundary. The set of texture features, which are the average of some local property measures, is has then extracted in this approximated lung area. The proposed technique been tested on two sets of X-ray picture classes?one with abnormalities caused by a known disease and the others with abnormalities caused by some unkown effects in the lung region. The classification results presented in this paper show the feasibility of the proposed pictorial pattern recognition system in effectively screening out the abnormal pictures without human intervention.
Spectral Analysis of Event-Related EEG Responses During Short-Term Memory Performance

Averaged event-related EEG frequency response profiles were generated from normalized spectral analysis data obtained in 2 studies of short-term memory. A continuous performance task was used requiring a keyboard response to targeted letter sequences presented on a video screen at 2 sec. intervals. Seven 2 Hz frequency bands between 5–15 Hz were evaluated. In the first study (n=14) response profiles from control and target stimuli were compared. This analysis disclosed 1) a short latency increase at 5–7 and 7–9 Hz in posterior cortex that was identical in both conditions and was attributed to frequency manifestations of the extrinsic visual evoked response (VEP), 2) a separate long-latency increase of uncertain origin at 5–7 Hz in anterior cortex only in the task condition, and 3) a generalized mid-latency alpha frequency suppression and recovery pattern (event-related desynchronization, or ERD) in all bands during both conditions. The ERD in bands between 9–13 Hz was significantly increased at left central and bilateral parietal cortex during target recall. The second study (n=26) compared good vs. poor performance in the target recall task. Findings disclosed significant differences at 7–9 Hz localized to posterior temporal cortex bilaterally. These differences included reduced magnitude in the VEP component and increased suppression in the ERD component among good performers.
Overcoming docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer: a perspective review

The treatment of metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer has been historically challenging, with few therapeutic successes. Docetaxel was the first cytotoxic therapy associated with a survival benefit in castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Toxicity is typical of other cytotoxic agents, with myelosuppression being the dose-limiting toxicity and neurotoxicity also a notable side effect for some patients. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of men with castrate-resistant prostate cancer will not respond to docetaxel-based therapy and all patients will ultimately develop resistance. Because it is an effective therapy, docetaxel is likely to remain an important part of the treatment arsenal against metastatic prostate cancer for the foreseeable future, despite its toxicities and limitations. Overcoming docetaxel resistance has been a challenge since docetaxel was first established as front-line therapy for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Recent studies have shown that several new drugs, including cabazitaxel and abiraterone, are effective after docetaxel failure, dramatically changing the therapeutic landscape for these patients. In addition, a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying docetaxel resistance has led to several new treatment approaches which hold promise for the future. This review will discuss recent therapeutic advances in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer as well as ongoing clinical trials.
A Pseudouridine Synthase Homologue Is Critical to Cellular Differentiation in Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii is a haploid protozoan parasite infecting about one in seven people in the United States. Key to the worldwide prevalence of T. gondii is its ability to establish a lifelong, chronic infection by evading the immune system, and central to this is the developmental switch between the two asexual forms, tachyzoites and bradyzoites. A library of mutants defective in tachyzoite-to-bradyzoite differentiation (Tbd−) was created through insertional mutagenesis. This library contains mutants that, compared to the wild type, are between 20% and 74% as efficient at stage conversion. Two mutants, TBD5 and TBD8, with disruptions in a gene encoding a putative pseudouridine synthase, PUS1, were identified. The disruption in TBD8 is in the 5′ end of the PUS1 gene and appears to produce a null allele with a 50% defect in differentiation. This is about the same switch efficiency as obtained with an engineered pus1 deletion mutant (Δpus1). The insertion in TBD5 is within the PUS1 coding region, and this appears to result in a more extreme phenotype of only ∼10% switch efficiency. Complementation of TBD8 with the genomic PUS1 allele restored wild-type differentiation efficiency. Infection of mice with pus1 mutant strains results in increased mortality during the acute phase and higher cyst burdens during the chronic infection, demonstrating an aberrant differentiation phenotype in vivo due to PUS1 disruption. Our results suggest a surprising and important role for RNA modification in this biological process.
Nicotinamide and Nicotinic Acid in Color Preservation of Fresh Meat

SUMMARY —Nicotinamide (NAm) protected the metmyoglobin (MetMb), reducing activity and oxygen consumption of ground beef or pork on refrigeration or freezer storage. Nicotinic acid (NA) increased MetMb in aerobically refrigerated ground meats, while NAm, particularly in combination with ascorbic acid, decreased it. In model systems and meats, hemochrome formation occurred with reduced myoglobin and either NA or NAm, but more readily with NA and at lower pH values. No hemochrome was formed in aerobically stored meats with NA or NAm, even with ascorbic acid present. Anaerobic conditions gave hemochromes, but only at the higher concentrations and lower pHs tried. The implication of these findings to color protection in fresh meats is discussed.
The Effects of Work Intensity on Adolescent Mental Health, Achievement, and Behavioral Adjustment: New Evidence from a Prospective Study

This article examines the effects of work intensity on adolescent mental health, academic achievement, and behavioral adjustment. Questionnaire data were collected yearly from an initial panel of 1,000 randomly selected ninth graders (14-15 years old). Consistent with other studies, students who worked at higher intensity engaged in more alcohol use. The methodological strengths of this research (a representative panel studied prospectively over a 4-year period with minimal attrition and an analysis incorporating key control and lagged variables) provide strong evidence that adolescent work fosters alcohol use. The contention that work of high intensity has deleterious effects on mental health, academic achievement, and 2 other indicators of behavioral adjustment did not withstand our stringent tests. However, high school seniors who worked at moderate intensity (1-20 hours per week) had higher grades than both nonworkers and students who worked more hours per week.
An in vitro model of hematopoietic injury in chronic hypoplastic anemia

Mice treated with high-dose busulfan develop a 'latent' form of bone marrow failure characterized by near-normal peripheral blood counts and marrow cellularity, but marked reductions in marrow pluripotent stem cells (CFUs) and myeloid progenitor cells (CFUc). Spleen cell suspensions from control and 'latent' mice were placed in liquid culture in the presence of colony-stimulating activity. Cells were harvested at intervals up to 14 days and sub-cultured in agar to assay for CFUc. Baseline splenic CFUc did not differ significantly between control and 'latent' mice. Splenic CFUc from control mice increased 50-fold and reached a peak at day 10 in liquid culture. In contrast, splenic CFUc from 'latent' mice increased only 7-fold and reached a peak at day 3. Our results indicate that although splenic CFUc are present in normal numbers in 'latent' mice, their proliferative capacity is markedly reduced, either as the result of defective CFUc self-renewal or defective feed-in from CFUs or both.
Malpighi the Master

This is a monumental historical treatise, centered around one of the founders of scientific biology, the 17th Century Italian, Marcello Malpighi (1628–1694). Its author, the outstanding embryologist and historian of embryology, Howard Adelmann, is best known for his book on the 16th Century anatomist and embryologist, Fabricius. The present treatise, which consists of five folio-size volumes, is a monument not only to Malpighi but also to the author, who spent several decades in preparing it, to the Cornell University Press which edited it, and to the craftsmanship of the printer, the Oxford University Press in England.
Effects of an alleged myostatin-binding supplement and heavy resistance training on serum myostatin, muscle strength and mass, and body composition.

This study examined 12 wk of resistance training and cystoseira canariensis supplementation on serum levels of myostatin and follistatin-like related gene (FLRG) and muscle strength and body composition. Twenty-two untrained males were randomly assigned to a placebo (PLC) or myostatin binder (MYO) group in a double-blind fashion. Blood was obtained before and after 6 and 12 wk of training. PLC and MYO trained thrice weekly using 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions at 85 % to 90 % 1 repetition maximum. MYO ingested 1200 mg/d of cystoseira canariensis. Data were analyzed with 2-way ANOVA. After training, total body mass, fat-free mass, muscle strength, thigh volume/mass, and serum myostatin and FLRG increased for both groups (P 0.05). Twelve wk of heavy resistance training and 1200 mg/d of cystoseira canariensis supplementation appears ineffective at inhibiting serum myostatin and increasing muscle strength and mass or decreasing fat mass.
Closed-Loop Digital PWM Control using a Popular Power Electronics Platform

Abstract This paper describes how a buck converter implemented on a power pole circuit board (a popular platform for study of DC-DC converters) can be digitally controlled using a Texas Instruments Piccolo kit. The control algorithm is implemented using block diagrams in Simulink, and automatically generated code is targeted onto the Piccolo processor. The power pole circuit board and the Piccolo kit are shown to provide an effective platform for the study of digital control algorithms. Various converters can be assembled quickly on the power pole board, and corresponding control algorithms can be rapidly deployed and tested on the Piccolo kit.
Insulin Resistance in Essential Hypertension

An impressive correlation exists between body weight and blood pressure in all age groups. Sixteen percent of the normotensive population is obese, while 44% of the hypertensive population is obese (1–3). Eighty percent of patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) are obese; thus, the prevalence of hypertension is twice as common in obesity or NIDDM compared to the nondiabetic, nonobese population (4). Accordingly, the concept emerges that obesity and diabetes are important determinants of blood pressure. However, little is understood of the basic mechanisms by which the metabolic derangements associated with these states interact to alter target organ structure and function (blood vessel contractility, renal sodium and metabolic balance, cardiac performance and hypertrophy, and sympathetic nervous system responses). Understanding these interactions not only has pathophysiologic relevance, but will provide a rational basis for antihypertensive treatment in the setting of obesity and NIDDM.
Response Statistics of Nonlinear Systems Subjected to Seismic Excitation

Reliability measures are evaluated for simple nonlinear structures subjected to nonstationary earthquake ground motions. Damage-related limit states are considered, and randomness in structural properties is taken into account. Response statistics are computed using a Latin hypercube sampling technique. The reliabilities found are relatively low in comparison with reliabilities of systems subjected only to gravity loads. The large uncertainty in the basic seismic hazard dominates the variability in structural response to earthquake ground motion and is the controlling factor in determining reliability.
Ernst Ludwig Wynder 1922-99.

Ernst Wynder -- epidemiologist and anti-smoking campaigner, who was among the first to identify a connection between smoking and lung cancer.
Tip110: Physical properties, primary structure, and biological functions

HIV-1 Tat-interacting protein of 110kDa (Tip110), also referred to as squamous cell carcinoma antigen recognized by T cells 3 (Sart3), p110 or p110(nrb), was initially identified as a cDNA clone (KIAA0156) without annotated functions. Over the past twenty years, several functions have been attributed to this protein. The proposed biological functions include roles for Tip110 in pre-mRNA splicing, gene transcription, stem cell biology, and development. Dysregulation of Tip110 is also a contributing factor in the development of cancer and other human diseases. It is clear that our understanding of this protein is rapidly evolving. In this review, we aimed to provide a summary of all the existing literature on this gene/protein and its proposed biological functions.
Plantation Indigo and Synthetic Indigo: European Planters and the Redefinition of a Colonial Commodity

As the nineteenth century drew to a close, European planters manufacturing indigo on colonial plantations in Bengal faced a major challenge from synthetic indigo. Synthetic indigo was a symbol of the successful integration of chemistry into industrial manufacturing that had occurred in the second half of the century, and it threatened to displace the colonial commodity. It also fundamentally challenged the colonial program of “improvement” that agricultural indigo represented, and the mode of production consisting of stewardship of plants and the extraction of a commodity within the plantation system. The planters pushed back on the synthetic product by emphasizing the merits of agricultural indigo. As part of this resistance, they claimed that the plant-based dye was “natural” and superior because it was produced through agriculture, and they pointed to the grounding of their methods of production in the layout of land and farming. They argued that when setting their product's value the market should give weight to its unique attributes and the extraordinary quality that nature had bred into the dye. This study reads in this response a critique of the growing ties between manufacturing and science and technology. The planters' critique was not a straightforward critique of the vicissitudes of market, but rather a fight to retain a place for the sort of exchanges and value that plant indigo growers were accustomed to dealing in. They viewed plantation manufacturing as wholesome and organic, and defended it in the name of nature.
Induction of mammary gland hyperplasia in transgenic mice over-expressing human Cdc25B

Cdc25 A and B are dual-specificity phosphatases which have been implicated in neoplastic transformation. Although Cdc25A and Cdc25B have been found to be over-expressed in many cancer cell lines and primary tumors, the physiological roles of Cdc25A and B in vivo are largely undefined. To investigate the roles of these proteins in the oncogenic transformation of the mammary gland we used the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter to target over-expression of the Cdc25B transgene in the mammary glands of transgenic mouse lines. Here we report that the over-expression of Cdc25B enhances the proliferation of mammary epithelial cells resulting in the formation of precocious alveolar hyperplasia. At the molecular level, marked increases in cyclin D1 protein have been found in transgenic mammary epithelial cells. The accelerated growth rate of the mammary epithelial cells could also be attributed to the increased levels of cyclin E/cdk2 activity. In addition, a pronounced decrease in apoptosis was also observed during the involution of mammary gland. The reduction of apoptosis during involution correlated well with the reduced expression of c-myc and p53, both of which have been implicated in apoptosis. Taken together, our results clearly indicate that the deregulated expression of Cdc25B generates mammary gland hyperplasia.
Mutations as Possible Aids for Establishing Genitalic Homologies in the Sexes in Tribolium castaneum

In recent years the external genitalia of insects have been used as taxonomic characters with increasing frequency, since they furnish relatively stable specific characters. At the same time, taxonomists recognize the need for understanding whether structures evidently different in the 2 sexes in a given species, or apparently similar structures within the same sex (but in species in different genera or families), are homologous. Various approaches have been taken in attempting to solve this problem of homology or non-homology at the interordinal level.
FACTORS INFLUENCING FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS’ INTENTION TO STAY

The aim of this study was to identify whether social support, academic fit, the psychological conditions of meaningfulness and availability and engagement can predict first-year students’ intention to stay in an educational environment. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used to achieve the specific research objectives, making use of a convenience sample (n = 304). The measuring instruments were based on the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Psychological Conditions Scale, the Academic Fit Scale, the Work Engagement Scale, and the Intention to Leave Scale. The results indicated that social support had direct and indirect effects (via academic fit) on intention to stay, as did academic fit, the psychological conditions of availability and meaningfulness and engagement. The findings of this study emphasise the importance of helping students at fitting into the academic environment, choosing the right career, and receiving sufficient social support to ensure that they stay on at an academic institution and complete their studies.
Cross-sectional and longitudinal study of the impact of posterior meniscus horn lesions on adjacent cartilage composition, patient-reported outcomes and gait biomechanics in subjects without radiographic osteoarthritis

Summary Objective The aim of this study was to assess cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of meniscal lesions on adjacent cartilage T 1ρ and T 2 relaxation times, patient-reported outcomes and gait biomechanics. Design Thirty patients with no cartilage morphological defects reported by Whole Organ MRI Score (WORMS) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) grading and no radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) (Kellgren–-Lawrence (KL) ≤ 1) were selected, 15 with posterior meniscus horn lesions and 15 matched controls without meniscal lesions. All were imaged on a 3T MR scanner for three consecutive years, except those who dropped from the study. Sagittal and frontal plane kinematic gait data were acquired at baseline. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) survey was taken each time. All images were automatically segmented and registered to an atlas for voxel-by-voxel cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Results Relaxation time comparisons between groups showed elevated T 1ρ of the lateral tibia (LP) and elevated T 2 of the medial tibia (MT) and LT at 1 and 2 years in the lesion group. Longitudinal comparisons within each group revealed greater relaxation time elevations over one and 2 years in the group with lesions. KOOS Quality of Life (QOL) was significantly different between the groups at all time points ( P Conclusions Individuals with healthy cartilage and posterior meniscal horn lesions have increased relaxation times when compared to matched controls, increased relaxation time changes over 2 years, and consistently report a lower KOOS QOL, yet show no difference in gait biomechanics.
Rejoinder to Skyrms and Salmon

I would like to make some general remarks about my paper ‘Some Problems of Inductive Logic’ in view of the commentary by Brian Skyrms printed here and in view of additional commentary on the paper by Richard Cartwright.1 My remarks are not so much intended to rebut specific criticisms as to make it clearer what I am trying to do in the paper, and why I consider its general line of attack important. The fundamental claim of the paper is that the probability calculus, intelligently used, may serve as the sole formal calculus required to represent the valid inductive inferences important for scientific method. (Of course, deductive inference would also be involved.) This is not a novel claim and it has been made in various places by Sir Harold Jeffreys, L. J. Savage, and I. J. Good. But these defenders of the claims are primarily statisticians, and they may quite reasonably be suspected of bias. Nor is the claim very precise, since the probability calculus can receive a great many interpretations. Nonetheless, any attempt to defend it philosophically seems to fall awkwardly between the formal rigorism of the Carnapians, and the formal nihilism of various positions committed to the denial of the relevance of philosophical formalism.
Maternal sepsis complicating arabin cervical pessary placement for the prevention of preterm birth: a case report

Preterm delivery is a major health problem and contributes to more than 50% of all neonatal and infant deaths. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in the use of cervical pessaries as a safe and effective intervention with few maternal side-effects for the prevention of preterm birth in both single and twin pregnancies. A 43-year-old gravida 5, para 1 (previous preterm birth at 24 weeks) patient with an in vitro fertilization twin pregnancy had an Arabin cervical pessary placed at 19 weeks of pregnancy due to the presence of cervical funneling identified by ultrasound screening. She developed chorioamnionitis and sepsis and delivered at 21 3/7 weeks after extraction of the pessary. Severe maternal infection may complicate pessary treatment for the prevention of preterm birth. Careful follow-up is necessary in women with a cervical pessary during pregnancy, particularly when important funneling is present.
Rheumatoid Forefoot Reconstruction in the Nonrheumatoid Patient.

Background:Recurrent pain and deformity following forefoot surgery can cause significant patient disability. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint arthrodesis...