cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Macronuclear Subunits of Tetrahymena thermophila Are Functionally Haploid

In Tetrahymena thermophila the major argument for the existence of diploid subunits has been that some loci show a delay in the accumulation of stable subclones during macronuclear assortment. This delay is based on the assumption that throughout the life cycle there are 45 subunits. We find that for at least 50 fissions after conjugation there is sufficient DNA for 66 haploid subunits. These additional subunits early in the life cycle are sufficient to explain the observed accumulation of stable subclones in all instances. This removes the need to invoke diploidy to explain assortment, thus resolving the question of subunit ploidy in favor of haploidy.
Cyclogenesis in Polar Air Streams

Abstract Two case studies of cyclogenesis that occurred in polar air streams behind or poleward of major frontal bands are presented. Based on the results of the studies, and on other evidence, characteristics of the type of disturbance in question are described. The cyclones in polar air masses are generally of small dimension, being spaced at intervals of 1000–1500 km when they occur in multiple form. They form most often over the oceans in winter, originating in regions of low-level heating and enhanced convection and acquiring a comma-shaped cloud pattern as they mature. They are associated with well-developed baroclinity throughout the troposphere and are located on the poleward side of the jet stream in a region marked by strong cyclonic wind shear and by conditional instability through a substantial depth of the troposphere. Instability mechanisms for their formation are discussed. It is concluded that they are primarily a baroclinic phenomenon that owe their below average size to the effect that s...
Agricultural advisory committees : How they rate their effectiveness in guiding research

University faculty located and conducting research at off-campus agricultural research centers often are advised by committees representing agribusiness, producers, and extension personnel. A two-page questionnaire was sent in 1996 to the directors, faculty, and members of the advisory committees of three research centers each in Arkansas, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Texas and two research centers in Kansas to assess opinions about the composition, structure, goals, and effectiveness of agricultural advisory committees. All occupational groups surveyed felt that advisory committees can provide valuable input for agricultural research, but were less convinced that they accomplish their goals. In general, research center directors, extension personnel, and research faculty tended to be more reserved than agribusiness and producer respondents in their opinions on the performance of advisory committees. Respondents believed that agricultural research advisory committees should comprise representatives of agribusiness, area producers, extension personnel, and research faculty who are chosen by those groups, although research center directors did not support extension personnel or research faculty having a voice in the selection process. Committee members should serve a term of 3 to 4 years. Goals should be more defined and should help to identify needs and guide research by providing direction and focus, being an advocate for the research center, and providing input on fund raising and management. Improved communication, more meetings with definite agendas, and better attendance were identified to help improve the success of advisory committees. Overall, the potential for benefit is high, but agricultural advisory committees often are perceived as needing to improve their effectiveness.
The source of leptin, but not leptin depletion in response to food restriction, changes during early pregnancy in mice

Maternal food restriction during pregnancy results in adverse consequences for offspring, including obesity and cardiovascular disease. Early pregnancy is a critical period for this programming effect. Leptin is a regulator of energy homeostasis that also affects placental and fetal development. As food restriction results in decreased serum leptin levels, at least in non-pregnant animals, leptin depletion may be one mechanism by which food restriction affects development. The objective of this study was to test whether moderate food restriction affects serum leptin concentrations during the first half of pregnancy. We found that restriction to 50% of ad libitum consumption levels resulted in a significant decrease in serum leptin concentrations in both pregnant and non-pregnant female mice. There was no significant difference in serum leptin concentrations between non-pregnant females and at pregnancy day 11.5 when fed ad libitum. However, there was a difference in the source of leptin during pregnancy, with greater production in visceral fat in pregnant mice, and greater production in subcutaneous fat in non-pregnant mice. Leptin concentrations were dependent on time of day and time of sampling relative to feeding, particularly in restricted mice. There was a significant difference in serum leptin concentrations between fed and restricted mice when they were fed and sampled in afternoon, but not when they were fed and sampled in morning. We conclude that food restriction results in a significant decrease in leptin concentration during the first half of pregnancy in mice, but that detection of this relationship is subject to experimental design considerations.
Comparing Chemistry Faculty Beliefs about Grading with Grading Practices

In this study, we seek to understand the beliefs that chemistry faculty hold when grading student solutions in problem solving situations. We are particularly interested in examining whether a conflict exists between the chemistry faculty beliefs and the score they assign to students' solutions. The three categorical values identified in a similar physics education study were evident as themes in our study: (i) a desire to see students' explanation of their reasoning; (ii) a reluctance to deduct points from a student's answer that might be correct; and (iii) projection of correct thought processes onto a student solution, even when the student does not explicitly show thought processes. The scoring of each student solution depended significantly on the weight given to each theme by an instructor. In situations where a participant expressed all the three themes, the conflict was resolved by laying a burden of proof on either the student or the instructor. In this study, a sizable minority of the participating faculty acted inconsistently, in that they stated they valued students showing their reasoning when solving problems, but they graded student work in a way that would discourage students from showing their reasoning.
Characteristics of Atmospheric Noise from 1 to 100 KC

The results of some preliminary statistical measurements of the envelope of narrow band atmospheric noise are presented for a range of center frequencies from 1 to 100 kc. The variation of level and dynamic range, as a function of frequency, is examined and compared with results expected on the basis of lightning discharge spectra, thunderstorm distribution, and propagation phenomena.
New Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Phytoalexin with Prenylated Benzenoid and But-2-enolide Moieties

A new pigmented, optically active, low molecular weight metabolite has been isolated from peanut (Arachis hypogaea) kernels challenged by four species of Aspergillus. The structure of the new compound, termed SB-1, was elucidated by analysis of 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectrometric data. The SB-1 molecule bears prenylated benzenoid and but-2-enolide moieties and represents an unusual class of compounds. The closest known analogue to SB-1 was isolated from heartwood of Pericopsis elata. Both A. hypogaea and P. elata belong to the family Leguminosae. The new metabolite was accumulated in different peanut genotypes challenged by five Aspergillus species and may be an important representative of a new class of peanut phytoalexins. SB-1 production often exceeds production of major known stilbenes. Keywords: Peanuts; Arachis hypogaea; groundnuts; phytoalexin; but-2-enolide; stilbene; structure elucidation; NMR; HPLC-MS
Aequorin-based homogeneous cortisol immunoassay for analysis of saliva samples.

Homogeneous assays are attractive because they are performed in only one phase, namely, the liquid phase, and thus, they do not require separation of phases as their heterogeneous counterparts do. As opposed to heterogeneous assays, the signal generation in a homogeneous assay is a direct result of analyte binding, which allows the multiple washing and incubation steps required in an indirect heterogeneous assay format to be eliminated. Moreover, homogeneous assays are usually fast and amenable to miniaturization and automation. In this article, we describe the development of a homogeneous assay for the hormone cortisol using the bioluminescent photoprotein aequorin as a reporter molecule. A cortisol derivative was chemically conjugated to the lysine residues of a genetically modified aequorin in order to prepare an aequorin–cortisol conjugate capable of binding anticortisol antibodies. The binding of anticortisol antibodies to the aequorin–cortisol conjugate resulted in a linear response reflected in the...
The Role of the Upper Lateral Cartilages in Aesthetic Rhinoplasty

Background Reducing lateral nasal tip width in order to optimize shape while still maintaining function presents a challenge to the operating surgeon. Techniques for the reduction of tip width are typically limited to resection, plication, or medial augmentation of the lower lateral cartilages (LLC). Objective This study describes a reduction of both the length and width of the lateral half of the upper lateral cartilages (ULC) to effect a change in nasal tip shape in selected individuals. Methods Between January 2003 and February 2005, we reviewed the records of 217 patients undergoing primary rhinoplasty; of these, 43 patients underwent partial resection of the ULC to alter nasal tip shape. In this selected group of patients, resection of a portion of the ULC infralaterally was performed, along with partial resection of the LLC. Results No patients noted increased difficulty breathing postoperatively, so nasal valve function was maintained. Reduction of superior lateral tip width was observed in all patients. Conclusions Judicious modification of the lateral portion of the ULC — taking care to maintain adequate length and breadth of the medial portion of the cartilage in selected individuals — results in significant improvement in nasal tip width. A specific subset of our patients, approximately 20%, benefited from this approach. Conservative resection of the ULC can enhance nasal tip shape. While clearly not applicable in the majority of patients, the described technique represents a useful addition to the algorithm we may employ in determining the surgical approach in patients seeking aesthetic rhinoplasty.
SINGLE-SITE PACING IS ASSOCIATED WITH SUPERIOR ATRIAL MECHANICS COMPARED TO DUAL-SITE PACING IN DOGS

Although traditionally the right atrium is paced via a lead in the right atrial appendage (RAA), concern has been raised that doing so can cause atrial dyssynchrony, analogous to ventricular dyssynchrony from right ventricular apical pacing. This dyssynchrony has been postulated to result in adverse
The European Economic Community and National Civil Servants of the Member States-A Comment

In a recent issue of this journal, Lawrence Scheinman and Werner Feld undertook a brief analysis of the relationship between the European Economic Community (EEC) and national civil servants of the member states who have worked with the Community both as Eurocrats and as members of the various working groups of the Community.' This comment is an attempt to add to the material presented by those two authors.
Thickness Dependence of Epitaxial TiSi2 on Si(111).

The epitaxy and morphology of TiSi2 on Si(l11) are studied as a function of Ti thickness. Titanium thicknesses of 1–2 monolayers and Ti films with thicknesses of 50Awere examined. The titanium silicide films were formed on atomically clean Si substrates by ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) deposition of Ti followed by in situ annealing. In situ LEED and AES measurements characterized the reaction process. For room temperature deposition of less than two monolayers of Ti the LEED pattern associated with the reconstructed substrate disappeared, and the 1x1 bulk pattern also disappeared completely. Annealing at 200°C resulted in a decrease in the Ti AES signal indicating interdiffusion. For annealing up to 500°C, a series of changes in the LEED patterns were observed, which indicated that the disordered layer transformed to an ordered surface layer. Annealing to higher temperature resulted in the reappearance of the diffraction pattern associated with the 7x7 reconstructed Si(111) surface. This indicated three dimensional island growth. For the TiSi2 formed by in situ annealing of 50A of Ti on Si(111), three different types of island morphologies were observed and identified as the C49 phase of TiSi2. The C49 TiSi2 was proven to be an epitaxial titanium silicideby HRTEM and SAD. Two different orientation relationships of the TiSi2 islands are found: 1) [3 1 1] C49 TiSi2 // [112]Si and (130) C49 TiSi2 //(11 1) Si, and 2) [1 1 2] C49 TiSi2 // [110] Si and (021) C49 TiSi2 //(1 11) Si. The C49 nucleation and island morphologies are discussed in terms of the character of the epitaxial interface.
Before the beginnings of "poetry" and "rhetoric": Hesiod on eloquence

Abstract : Traditional histories of rhetoric assume that the practical oratory of lawcourts and political assemblies is the “primary,” original form of rhetoric in its “preconceptual” or predisciplinary origins in archaic Greece. Hesiod9s “Hymn to the Muses,” however, presents both prince and bard as practicing an art of psychagogic suasion, and presents the prince9s discursive power as dependent on, and derived from, the paradigms of eloquence and wisdom embodied in the epideictic/poetic discourse of the bard: epideictic is the “primary” form of “rhetoric” in Hesiod9s world. Hesiod9s account agrees with what is known about the discursive practices of oral/traditional societies worldwide.
Research productivity in animal learning from 1953 to 2000

Searches conducted with Medline and PsycInfo showed that the number of publications dealing with learning in animals increased between 1975 and 2000 and that the increase was substantially greater in Medline than in PsycInfo. An examination of major journals dealing with behavioral studies of conditioning and learning for the years 1953, 1963, 1973, 1983, 1993, and 2000 revealed a different pattern of results. The number of papers published in these journals increased from 1953 to 1973 but has been declining steadily since then. However, this decline was partially offset by an increase in the number of experiments published in each paper. Substantially more experiments were published in 2000 than in 1963 or 1953. The number of core authors in the field also peaked in 1973 and has been declining since. However, there were only seven fewer core authors in 2000 than in 1983, and 1983 had as many core authors as 1963. These data suggest that pessimism about the status of behavioral studies of learning is not warranted if research activity is considered over a 40-year period. Furthermore, increased interest in the neural and biological mechanisms of learning should bode well for the status of behavioral research, because one cannot examine the physiological mechanisms of a behavioral process without first clearly understanding the phenomenon at the behavioral level.
Vascular occlusion produced over 24 hours increases spinal cord tolerance to occlusion.

Occlusion over a 24-hr period of vessels which supply the spinal cord was tolerated better than occlusion of the same vessels acutely. Spinal cord ischemia was produced in 12 New Zealand White rabbits by transection of four of five pairs of lumbar segmental arteries arising from the abdominal aorta plus 30-min occlusion of the remaining segmental artery pair either acutely or 24 hr later. Of these 12 rabbits, 6 were occluded acutely and served as controls. Recovery, or failure to recover, as assessed by examining the rabbits for permanent loss of sensory and motor function in the hindlimbs, was compared in the two groups. The duration of the temporary occlusion was sufficient to lead to a total or near total loss of sensory and motor function in all control rabbits but resulted in no deficit in all but 1 of the rabbits which had the occlusion produced in two stages. These results have implications for the care of patients subjected to spinal cord ischemia during and after operations on the thoracic aorta.
Induction of neoplasia in vitro in hamster kidney tissue by adenovirus 7-SV40 "hybrid" strain (LLE46).

SummaryNewborn hamster kidney cell cultures were transformed in vitro by LLE46 virus, an adenovirus 7-SV40 hybrid, and by SV40. The cultures transformed by both viruses consisted of rapidly growing cuboidal and polygonal cells, although those in the LLE46 cultures were smaller and had less tendency to grow in clumps. Neither infectious adenovirus 7 nor SV40 could be recovered from the transformed cells. More than 90% of the cells in both the LLE46 and the SV40 cultures contained persistent intranuclear SV40 T antigen while no adenovirus 12 or 7 T antigens were demonstrable. Tumors were rapidly produced when both types of transformed cells were injected into newborn hamsters, and into irradiated young adult hamsters. As previously described, the tumors produced by the SV40 transformed cells were predominantly carcinomas with areas of tubular differentiation. Those produced by the LLE46 transformed cells, however, were predominantly undifferentiated and histologically similar to adenovirus 12 tumors. Althou...
Measurement of associations of pharmaceuticals with dissolved humic substances using solid phase extraction.

Abstract An innovative method was developed to determine association of carbadox, lincomycin and tetracycline with dissolved humic acids using solid phase extraction (SPE). Dissolved organic matter (DOM) and DOM-bound pharmaceuticals passed through the SPE cartridge while the cartridge retained freely dissolved pharmaceuticals from water. This method was validated by comparison with the results measured using the common equilibrium dialysis technique. For the SPE method pharmaceutical interaction with DOM required ∼30 h to approach the equilibration, whereas 50–120 h was needed for the equilibrium dialysis technique. The uneven distributions of freely membrane-penetrating pharmaceuticals and protons inside vs. outside of the dialysis cell due to the Donnan effect resulted in overestimates of pharmaceutical affinity with DOM for the equilibrium dialysis method. The SPE technique eliminates the Donnan effect, and demonstrates itself as a more efficient, less laborious and more accurate method. The measured binding coefficients with DOM followed the order of carbadox
Model of Semidiurnal Pseudo Tide in the High-Latitude Upper Mesosphere

We present numerical results for the m = 1 meridional winds of semi diurnal oscillations in the high-latitude upper mesosphere, which are generated in the Numerical Spectral Model (NSM) without solar excitations of the tides. Identified with heuristic computer runs, the pseudo tides attain amplitudes that are, at times, as large as the non-migrating tides produced with standard solar forcing. Under the influence of parameterized gravity waves, the nonlinear NSM generates internal oscillations like the quasi-biennial oscillation, that are produced with periods favored by the dynamical properties of the system. The Coriolis force would favor at polar latitudes the excitation of the 12-hour periodicity. This oscillation may help explain the large non-migrating semidiurnal tides that are observed in the region with ground-based and satellite measurements.
The forecasting potential of complex models

The nature and use of “complex” models for forecasting and policy simulation are analyzed on theoretical and empirical-performance grounds. The analysis suggests that while the accuracy of complex models in forecasting trends in such fields as economic and energy is, and will remain, undistinguished, complex models' special virtues of preserving counter-intuitive results and representing subsystem interdepedence could be used to better advantage than current practice permits. Suggestions for such improvements, through more diversified model structures, micro-process models in addition to the typical macro models, a mix of mechanically- and judgmentally-operated models, and the modeling of policy response, are reviewed.
Virtue and Disagreement

One of the most prominent strands in contemporary work on the virtues consists in the attempt to develop a distinctive—and compelling—account of practical reason on the basis of Aristotle’s ethics. In response to this project, several eminent critics have argued that the Aristotelian account encourages a dismissive attitude toward moral disagreement. Given the importance of developing a mature response to disagreement, the criticism is devastating if true. I examine this line of criticism closely, first elucidating the features of the Aristotelian account that motivate it, and then identifying two further features of the account that the criticism overlooks. These further features show the criticism to be entirely unwarranted. Once these features are acknowledged, a more promising line of criticism suggests itself—namely, that the Aristotelian account does too little to help us to resolve disputes—but that line of objection will have to be carried out on quite different grounds.
Variability in gustatory quality identification

A total of 60 male and 60 female non-smoking undergraduates were tested on two gustatory screening tasks in which solutions representing the four basic taste qualities were used. The solution concentrations chosen were low, but supposedly distinct as to their qualities. Only 16% of the males were able to identify all solutions correctly, i.e., to a criterion of 4 correct out of 7 presentations, as compared to 34% of the females. A further 28% of the males consistently confused the sour and bitter qualities as did 10% of the females. A correction procedure used in one part of the experiment did not prevent this confusion. We suggest that the sour-bitter confusion may be the gustatory analogue of abnormal color vision.
Analysis of the adaptive correlation enhancer

Adaptive filtering has become a major component in the field of digital signal processing, presumably because of the self-adjusting property of the filters. Because noise statistics are often unknown or are time-varying, designing a fixed filter that performs well in all cases may not be possible. The adaptive filter is able to adjust the impulse response according to the input data and normally provide a filter suitable for processing the current input data. The majority of adaptive algorithms require the use of feedback and the minimization of an error criterion, such as mean-squared error (MSE). To minimize the error, the coefficients of the filter are recursively updated in a manner that forces error reduction. The most well-known technique for adjusting the filter weights is the method of steepest descent, which searches for the minimum point on a performance surface by finding the gradient and adjusting the filter weights in a direction opposite the gradient [l, 21. Computation of the gradient requires knowledge of the correlation matrix of the input data and a cross-correlation vector between the input data and data which represent the desired filter output. These statistical quantities are normally not known in advance, making the method of steepest descent extremely difficult to implement. Because the necessary statistical parameters were not available, instantaneous estimates were used, which led to the popular least-mean-square (LMS) adaptive filter update algorithm [ 1,2 1. The LMS algorithm, while easy to implement, is capable of providing excellent performance, even though it has relatively slow convergence characteristics and its performance is governed by the ratio of the maximum and
EXTINCTION OF HUMAN AVOIDANCE AS A FUNCTION OF DURATIONS OF CS EXPOSURE DURING FLOODING

Sunnasy.-Seven groups of subjects learned an avoidance response (CSUCS interval = 4.5 sec.) and were then given different treatments of flooding. The 0-sec., 3-sec., 10-sec., and 20-sec. groups were administered the CS for 0, 3, 10, and 20 sec., respectively, on each of the 15 trials. The 10-sec.-variable group was exposed to different durations of CS on 15 trials such that the average exposure per trial was 10 sec. The 3-sec.-exposure-control group was exposed to the CS for 3 sec. on each of the 50 trials. All these groups could make the button-press avoidance response during treatment but the response had no effect on the CS. The CS was offset after the predetermined time. A CS-only group was given 15 trials during which it could terminate the CS by making the button-press avoidance response. Testing during extinction showed that the CS-only, 0-sec., and 3-sec. groups were more difficult to extinguish than the 10-sec. and 20-sec. groups. There was no difference between the 3-sec. and 3-sec.-exposure-control groups. The 10-sec. group showed quicker extinction compared to the 10-sec.-variable and 3-sec.-exposure-control groups. It is argued that flooding is effective when the duration of CS exposure per trial is greater than the CS-UCS interval.
Computer Attitudes of Teachers and Students in Relationship to Gender and Grade Level

The two studies reported here examined teachers' and students' Efficacy and Sex-typing attitudes toward computers in schools from contrasting settings. The first study analyzed computer attitudes o...
ANALYSIS AND SIMULATION OF LONG-RANGE CORRELATIONS IN CURVED SPACE

Numerical simulation and analysis of long-range correlations in curved space are studied. The study is motivated by the problem of constructing accurate models of large-scale porous media which usually contain long-range correlations in their various properties (such as their permeability, porosity, and elastic moduli) within and between their strata that are typically curved layers. The problem is, however, relevant to many other important models and phenomena in which extended correlations in curved space play a prominent role. Examples include the nonlinear σ-model in a curved space, models for describing the long-range structural correlations of amorphous semiconductors that consist of polytopes (tilings of positively-curved three-dimensional space), long-range correlations in the extrapolar total zone, and models in which the Universe is created by bubble nucleations and contain long-range correlations in the fluctuations in the curved spacetime. The study is also relevant to the important industrial problem of designing highly curved objects, such as cars and ships, which use composite materials that contain extended correlations in their property values. We study such correlations along two- and three-dimensional curves, as well as curved surfaces. We show that such correlations are well-defined only on developable surfaces, i.e. those that can be flattened to form planar surfaces without any stretching or distortion, and preserve the distance between two points on such surfaces after the stretching. If a given curved surface is not developable, but can be approximated as piecewise developable, one may still define and analyze extended correlations on it. Representative examples are presented and analyzed.
A feminist voice in the enlightenment salon: Madame de Lambert on taste, sensibility, and the feminine mind

This essay demonstrates how the early Enlightenment salonniere madame de Lambert advanced a novel feminist intellectual synthesis favoring women's taste and cognition, which hybridized Cartesian (specifically Malebranchian) and honnete thought. Disputing recent interpretations of Enlightenment salonnieres that emphasize the constraints of honnetete on their thought, and those that see Lambert's feminism as misguided in emphasizing gendered sensibility, I analyze Lambert's approach as best serving her needs as an aristocratic woman within elite salon society, and show through contextualized analysis how she deployed honnetete towards feminist ends. Additionally, the analysis of Malebranche's, Poulain de la Barre's, and Lambert's arguments about the female mind's gendered embodiment illustrates that misrepresenting Cartesianism as necessarily liberatory for women, by reducing it to a rigid substance dualism, erases from view its more complex implications for gender politics in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, especially in the honnete environment of the salons.
The Small Heat-Loss Problem

and that u,>O, u,bO for all (x, t)EST. This is the small heat-loss problem which arises by analyzing the boundary layer effects when one considers the ignition model for a rigid explosive in a bounded container 0. A detailed development of the small heat-loss problem can be found in Kassoy-Poland [3], and our motivation for considering this problem was by private communication with Kassoy. We outline a formulation of the problem in Section 2. Our results also provide a counterexample to a theorem (Theorem 2.1, [4, p. 1501) purportedly proven by Pao. Problem (D) satisfies all the hypotheses of Theorem 2.1 in [4]. Theorem 4.3 in Section 4 proves that the solution u(x, t) tends to -ln( 1 t) uniformly on 0 < t < T-c 1 as x + cc. This is contrary to the claim by Pao that u(x, t) --+ 0 as x + co.
Developing a Brief Monitoring Procedure for Alcohol-Dependent Liver Graft Recipients

To address the occurrence of deaths in later postoperative years among alcohol-dependent liver graft recipients, the authors developed the Brief Active Focused Follow-Up protocol as an instrument for monitoring alcohol use following liver transplant. In this preliminary study, patient receptiveness to its use was tested and its ability to identify patient drinking was noted. Alcohol-dependent liver transplant recipients (N=24) and alcohol-dependent nontransplant patients (N=25) were asked to rate their receptiveness to the Brief Active Focused Follow-Up in three areas. Subjects used a five-point scale for which 5 indicated the highest positive response. Liver transplant recipients responded positively to the Brief Active Focused Follow-Up, with mean responses of 4.92, 4.08, and 4.63 with regard to clarity, usefulness, and ease of completion, respectively. Nontransplant subjects responded similarly, with mean responses of 4.88, 4.12, and 4.52. The two groups were not significantly different in their receptiveness to the Brief Active Focused Follow-Up interview. The Brief Active Focused Follow-Up identified alcohol use within the last 30 days: 8% (N=2 of 24) in the transplant group, and 56% (N=14 of 25) in the nontransplant group. These results suggest that 1) this manualized, brief monitoring technique is well received by alcohol-dependent liver transplant patients, and 2) the Brief Active Focused Follow-Up's "user friendliness" makes it a potentially appropriate instrument for long-term monitoring of alcohol use among alcohol-dependent liver graft recipients.
Affinity Labeling of Rat Glutathione S-Transferase Isozyme 1-1 by 17β-Iodoacetoxy-estradiol-3-sulfate *

Abstract Rat liver glutathione S-transferase, isozyme 1-1, catalyzes the glutathione-dependent isomerization of Δ5-androstene-3,17-dione and also binds steroid sulfates at a nonsubstrate inhibitory steroid site. 17β-Iodoacetoxy-estradiol-3-sulfate, a reactive steroid analogue, produces a time-dependent inactivation of this glutathioneS-transferase to a limit of 60% residual activity. The rate constant for inactivation (k obs) exhibits a nonlinear dependence on reagent concentration withK I = 71 μm andk max = 0.0133 min−1. Complete protection against inactivation is provided by 17β-estradiol-3,17-disulfate, whereas Δ5-androstene-3,17-dione andS-methylglutathione have little effect onk obs. These results indicate that 17β-iodoacetoxy-estradiol-3-sulfate reacts as an affinity label of the nonsubstrate steroid site rather than of the substrate sites occupied by Δ5-androstene-3,17-dione or glutathione. Loss of activity occurs concomitant with incorporation of about 1 mol14C-labeled reagent/mol enzyme dimer when the enzyme is maximally inactivated. Isolation of the labeled peptide from the chymotryptic digest shows that Cys17 is the only enzymic amino acid modified. Covalent modification of Cys17 by 17β-iodoacetoxy-estradiol-3-sulfate on subunit A prevents reaction of the steroid analogue with subunit B. These results and examination of the crystal structure of the enzyme suggest that the interaction between the two subunits of glutathione S-transferase 1-1, and the electrostatic attraction between the 3-sulfate of the reagent and Arg14 of subunit B, are important in binding steroid sulfates at the nonsubstrate steroid binding site and in determining the specificity of this affinity label.
Two decades of community-based learning

Community-based learning is now more than a variation on community service. It is now a powerful pedagogy that can be used to enhance the common good. This pedagogy has proven itself to be an educational resource whose time has come.
Depth profiling of light elements using elastic recoil coincidence spectroscopy (ERCS)

Abstract We have developed elastic recoil coincidence spectroscopy (ERCS), a technique with high sensitivity to profile light elements, ranging from H up to O, in thin polymer foils or in thin samples containing heavier elements. In this technique, MeV He+ ions are incident on a thin target, typically 2 μm thick, and the energies of both the forward-scattered He ions and the elastically recoiled light atoms are detected in coincidence. Concentration-versus-depth profiles can be derived from the measured number of coincidence events for a depth range of up to l μm and for all recoiled light elements. This is done by relating each pair of energies of scattered and recoiled atoms to a depth where scattering has occurred and to the mass of the recoiled elements. To analyze the coincidence spectra and to derive concentration-versus-depth profiles, computer programs have been developed. To demonstrate the capabilities of ERCS we have chosen polycarbonate films (48 at.% C, 9 at.% O) and have derived the expected uniform concentration-depth profiles from the coincidence spectra for a depth range of 1 μm. In a second experiments, ERCS was applied to profile B and O in a thin boron-diffused Si window.
Fluorinated benzamide neuroleptics—III. Development of (S)-N-[(1-allyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-5-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-2,3-dimethoxybenzamide as an improved dopamine D-2 receptor tracer

Abstract We have prepared five new analogs ( n -propyl, iso -propyl, allyl, n -butyl, and iso -butyl) of the dopamine D-2 receptor antagonist, FPMB which result from modifications of the ethyl group at the pyrrolidine nitrogen in FPMB. As expected, all new derivatives showed higher apparent lipophilicity (logK w ), with iso -butyl being the most lipophilic (logK w = 2.52), followed by the allyl derivative (log K w = 2.43). The allyl group showed the largest increase in affinity (from 0.26 nM for the ethyl substituent to 0.03 nM for the allyl substituent, almost 10-fold), followed by the n -propyl substituent which showed approximately five-fold better affinity than did the ethyl substituent. Radiosynthesis of ( S )- N -[(1-allyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-5-(3-[ 18 F]fluoropropyl)-2,3-dimethoxybenzamide ([ 18 F]fallypride) was carried out by nucleophilic substitution reaction of ( S )- N -[(1-allyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-5-(3-tosyloxypropyl)-2,3-dimethoxybenzamide with no carrier added 18 F − . [ 18 F]Fallypride was obtained in approximately 20–40% yields (EOS/EOB, decay corrected) in specific activities of 900–1700 Ci/mmol after reverse phase HPLC purification in 60 min from EOB. High striatal uptake (upto 2.5% injected dose/g) of [ 18 F]fallypride in rats was observed with striatal/cerebellar ratios of 17, 42, 63 and 122 at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min post-injection, respectively. PET experiments with [ 18 F]fallypride in a cebus monkey showed a brain uptake of 0.10% injected dose/cc. In rhesus monkeys [ 18 F]fallypride showed rapid specific uptake in the striata (0.04-0.06% injected dose/cc) with striata/cerebellum ratios of approx. 3.0 at 14 min, 5.0 at 35 min and 8 at 70 min post-injection. Specifically bound [ 18 F]fallypride was displaced with haloperidol (1 mg/kg) with a half-life of 18 min in the rhesus monkey.
The wizard of Hox

Comment on Lawrence et al, page [3988][1] In this issue of Blood, Lawrence and colleagues provide strong evidence that HoxA9 plays a key physiologic role in the proliferation of early mouse hematopoietic stem progenitor cells. Members of this group showed previously that overexpression of HoxA9
A complex microworld in the gut: Gut microbiota and cardiovascular disease connectivity

Millions of healthy bacteria colonize our guts from the moment we are born. Changes in the composition and abundance of these commensals affect the entire immune system and can predispose us to a variety of diseases, including intestinal infections, inflammatory and metabolic diseases, and cancer. The gut microbiome interacts not only with the host mucosa but also with potential pathogens; understanding what interactions and pathways are crucial for maintaining homeostasis and protecting the host from harmful bacteria and diseases can open new avenues to developing gut microbiota–based therapeutic approaches. In 'Bench to Bedside', Michael R. Howitt and Wendy S. Garrett examine the importance of metabolic crosstalk between the microbiota and the host in human metabolism and the development of cardiovascular disease. This adds one more layer of complexity to understanding what contributes to this pathology and how to harness the microbiota and their metabolic pathways to prevent it. In 'Bedside to Bench', Nobuhiko Kamada, Grace Chen and Gabriel Nunez discuss how targeting interactions between commensals and bacteria causing intestinal disease can lead to effective therapies to control these infections, which currently seem to lack an adequate treatment. Unraveling how commensals help the host prevent or block colonization of these pathogens can suggest new ways to increase our armamentarium to deal with these sometimes deadly intestinal infections.
Competing nucleation pathways in a mixture of oppositely charged colloids: out-of-equilibrium nucleation revisited.

Recent simulations of crystal nucleation from a compressed liquid of oppositely charged colloids show that the natural Brownian dynamics results in nuclei of a charge-disordered FCC (DFCC) solid whereas artificially accelerated dynamics with charge swap moves result in charge-ordered nuclei of a CsCl phase. These results were interpreted as a breakdown of the quasiequilibrium assumption for precritical nuclei. We use structure-specific nucleus size coordinates for the CsCl and DFCC structures and equilibrium based sampling methods to understand the dynamical effects on structure selectivity in this system. Nonequilibrium effects observed in previous simulations emerge from a diffusion tensor that dramatically changes when charge swap moves are used. Without the charge swap moves diffusion is strongly anisotropic with very slow motion along the charge-ordered CsCl axis and faster motion along the DFCC axis. Kramers–Langer–Berezhkovskii–Szabo theory predicts that under the realistic dynamics, the diffusion ...
Gemcitabine and vinorelbine in recurrent advanced non-small cell lung cancer: sequence does matter

Gemcitabine and vinorelbine have demonstrated clinical efficacy both as single agents and in combination in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This phase II trial evaluated biweekly gemcitabine and vinorelbine in NSCLC patients who have had one prior chemotherapeutic regimen and have had disease progression. Gemcitabine (1,200 mg/m2 IV over 30 min) was followed by vinorelbine (30 mg/m2 IV over 6–10 min) on days 1 and 15 of each 28 day cycle. Chemotherapy was given for six cycles unless disease progression or unacceptable toxicity was seen. From 11/1998 to 10/2000, 15 of 20 patients enrolled (6 males, 9 females) were evaluable for response and survival. Two patients had grade 4 neutropenia, and one patient had grade 4 thrombocytopenia. The only non-hematologic grade 3 toxicities were fatigue, phlebitis, and arthralgias. No objective responses were observed, but 11 patients had stable disease for a mean of 6 months. The median survival time was 9.4 months (95% CI = 4.2, 14.8), with a median time to progression of 4.2 months (95% CI = 1.9, 5.6). The 1 year survival was 47%. While this schedule of gemcitabine and vinorelbine was well tolerated, it was felt to be inactive. In vitro and pharmacokinetic studies published after the completion of our trial, suggest gemcitabine followed by vinorelbine may have antagonistic effects leading to lower dose delivery of both drugs. Our study was the only study of gemcitabine and vinorelbine in second-line NSCLC in the literature without an objective response. Our study was the only second-line study that administered gemcitabine prior to vinorelbine. First-line studies in the literature that administered vinorelbine prior to gemcitabine had, on average, a 1.7 month higher median survival (10.0 vs. 8.3 mos; P value <0.001). Because of the lack of response, further studies using this drug sequence, dose, and schedule for gemcitabine and vinorelbine are not recommended.
Oxygen Concentrations in Coal and Fly Ash Standards

Oxygen concentrations in the National Bureau of Standards Coal and Ash Standard Reference Materials (SRM Nos. 1632, 1633, 1632a, 1633a, 1635) are reported. Values are also reported for several commercially available standard coals. Analytical aspects of the 14 MeV instrumental neutron activation analysis technique are discussed, along with considerations on the selection of calibration standards and pre-analysis sample handling techniques.
A PALAEOMAGNETIC STUDY OF JURASSIC AND CRETACEOUS SEDIMENTS

Summary. Representative samples of Cretaceous and Jurassic arenaceous rocks and some Jurassic limestone samples were collected. The arenaceous rocks were generally either too weakly magnetized for the measurement of their remanent magnetization, or were unstable; higher intensities of magnetization were recorded in the limestones. The magnetic directions of the few reversed Jurassic limestones indicate a pole position near Omsk. X-ray analysis indicates that the detrital iron ore mineral present was goethite. It is concluded that the palaeomagnetic unsuitability of these Jurassic and Cretaceous deltaic deposits results from the weathering conditions in the source area.
Effect of dietary protein and environmental factors on lactation performance in rats

Abstract The effects of dietary protein and environmental conditions on lactation performance in rats were evaluated. Female rats were fed from conception until day 9 of lactation diets containing 21% wheat protein (21W), 21% casein + methionine (21CM) or 11% casein + methionine (11CM). At parturition, dams were kept in their normal environment (20°C) or were exposed to crowded conditions or an elevated ambient temperature (30°C). Feeding poor-quality protein (21W) or a lower amount of high-quality protein (11CM) reduced day 8 pup weights and average daily gains (ADG). Pup ADG's nursed by crowded dams fed either 11CM or 21CM were greater than those of pups nursed by noncrowded dams. Pup ADG's were reduced by heat exposure in dams fed 21CM but not in pups raised by dams fed diets reduced either in protein quality (21W) or protein quantity (11CM). Thus lactation performance was not further reduced by heat exposure in dams fed poor-quality wheat protein in spite of reduced food consumption and increasing lactation weight loss in these dams. The study indicates that lactating rats have considerable ability to raise their litters under potentially adverse conditions.
The extrapyramidal systems of the spinal cord: Results of combined spinal and cortical lesions in the macaque

In order to study the contribution of the extrapyramidal systems of the spinal cord to the control of tone and movement of skeletal muscle, lesions were made in the ventral half of the spinal cord in four macaques. Ablation of area 4 of the contralateral cerebral cortex was added in three animals several months later. Comparisons of neurological examinations performed (a) preoperatively, (b) following cord lesions, and (c) following combined spinal and cortical lesions led to the following conclusions: (1) spinal lesions resulted in increased resistance to passive movements which may have contributed to the loathness to move and inability to perform some movements that also followed these lesions: (2) return of motor function following cortical ablation appeared to depend upon the integrity of the spinal extrapyramidal tracts: (3) spasticity which had resulted from loss of extrapyramidal tracts was enhanced by subsequent loss of cortical area 4 even when all known inhibitory spinal pathways were already severed. Alternative mechanisms for transmission of cortically initiated inhibition to the cord are discussed and it is suggested that the manner in which the extrapyramidal systems function may not be rigid in the affected animal.
Minimizing Rulesets for TCAM Implementation

Packet classification is a function increasingly used in a number of networking appliances and applications. Typically, this consists of a set of abstract classifications, and a set of rules which sort packets into the various classifications. For packet classification at line speeds, Ternary Content-Addressable Memories (TCAMs) have become a norm in most networking hardware. However, TCAMs are expensive and power-hungry. Hence, a packet classification ruleset need to be minimized before populating the TCAM. In this paper, we formulate the Ruleset Minimization Problem for TCAM as an abstract optimization problem based on two-level logic minimization, and propose an exact solution and a number of heuristics. We present experimental results with two different datasets-artificial filter sets generated using ClassBench tool suite and a real firewall Access Control List (ACL) from a large enterprise. We observe an average reduction of 41% in artificial filter sets and 72.5% reduction in the firewall ACL using the proposed heuristics.