cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ebola, global health and the role of technology

That I survived meningitis under circumstances marked by limited technology and health services is certainly instructive for us today as we battle Ebola. Fortunately the fight against this deadly infection need not be with low level technology. The high level technology we need is available and, hopefully, the people to deploy them are reading this right now. What exactly do we need to do? To be clear, tackling any disease outbreak requires a good understanding of the disease as well as the environmental, cultural and political factors that influence the occurrence, distribution and spread of that disease. And so to beat this Ebola outbreak and to prevent a recurrence of similar outbreaks there is need to tackle the disease along with its determinants. The good news is that there are potential technological solutions for every aspect of this Ebola outbreak.
EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES AND MYELOGRAPHY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF ACUTE CANINE MYELOPATHY

Forty-six dogs with either cervical (C1-C5 or C6-T2) or thoracolumbar (T3-L3) acute myelopathy underwent prospective conventional computed tomography (CT), angiographic CT, myelography, and CT myelography. Findings were confirmed at either surgery or necropsy. Seventy-eight percent of lesions were extradural, 11% were extradural with an intramedullary abnormality, 7% were intramedullary, 2% were intradural-extramedullary, and 2% had nerve root compression without spinal cord compression. Intervertebral disc herniation was the most frequent abnormality regardless of signalment or neurolocalization. Twenty-one of 23 Hansen type I disc extrusions but none of the Hansen type II disc protrusions were mineralized. Two chondrodystrophic dogs had acute myelopathy attributable to extradural hemorrhage and subarachnoid cyst. CT myelography had the highest interobserver agreement, was the most sensitive technique for identification of compression, demonstrating lesions in 8% of dogs interpreted as normal from myelography and enabling localization and lateralization in 8% of lesions incompletely localized on myelography due to concurrent spinal cord swelling. None of the imaging techniques evaluated permitted definitive diagnosis of spinal cord infarction or meningomyelitis but myelography and CT myelography did rule out a surgical lesion in those cases. While conventional CT was adequate for the diagnosis and localization of mineralized Hansen type I disc extrusions in chondrodystrophic breeds, if no lesion was identified, plegia was present due to concurrent extradural compression and spinal cord swelling, or the dog was nonchondrodystrophic, CT myelography was often necessary for correct diagnosis.
MITOTIC INDEX OF PSORIATIC LESIONS TREATED WITH ANTHRALIN, GLUCOCORTICOSTERIOD AND OCCLUSION ONLY

Nine patients with psoriasis were studied with regard to the effect of local medication on the mitotic index. Cordran® tape, anthralin and Blenderm® tape were compared with an untreated control. Applications were made 23 of 24 hours for 4 days before the biopsies were taken. Statistically significant differences were seen in the mitotic index when comparing Cordran® vs. Blenderm® tape; Blenderm®tape vs. control; anthralin vs. control and anthralin vs. Cordran® tape.
Electrooptical processor performance model

Electrooptical processing (EOP), a relatively new approach to compact high-speed signal processing, is investigated. It offers a viable alternative to real-time electronic processing for many applications. The most promising EOP, that developed by M. Monahan and K. Bromley [see Proceedings, Electro-Optics/Laser 78 Conference and Exposition ( Industrial & Scientific Conference Management, Chicago, 1978), p. 479], was modeled in terms of system error and noise sources. As an example of model usage, a general expression for EOP dynamic range as a function of model parameters is presented.
In vitro effects of Yunnan Baiyao on canine hemangiosarcoma cell lines.

Yunnan Baiyao is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been utilized for its anti-inflammatory, haemostatic, wound healing and pain relieving properties in people. It has been utilized in the veterinary profession to control bleeding in dogs with hemangiosarcoma (HSA) and has been anecdotally reported to prolong survival times in dogs with this neoplasm. This study evaluated the in vitro activity of Yunnan Baiyao against three canine HSA cell lines after treatment with increasing concentrations of Yunnan Baiyao (50, 100, 200, 400, 600 and 800 µg mL(-1) ) at 24, 48 and 72 h. Mean half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) at 72 h for DEN, Fitz, SB was 369.9, 275.9 and 325.3 µg mL(-1) , respectively. Caspase-3/7 activity increased in correlation with the IC50 in each cell line which was confirmed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL, APO-BRDU Kit; BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA) assay. VEGF in cell supernatant was also quantified. Overall, the study found that Yunnan Baiyao causes dose and time dependent HSA cell death through initiation of caspase-mediated apoptosis, which supports future studies involving Yunnan Baiyao.
Subjective Sexual Arousal and Involvement: Development of Multiple Indicators

Three measures of subjective sexual arousal were observed across four erotic conditions in a sample of 241 college men and women (a) to refine two multi‐item scales of subjective sexual arousal, (b) to determine the convergent and discriminant validity of three measures of sexual arousal, and (c) to relate these operational definitions of subjective sexual arousal to the construct of subjective sexual arousal within Mosher's (1980) involvement theory. From the perspective of involvement theory, subjective sexual arousal is conceived to be an affect‐cognition blend, consisting of awareness of physiological sexual arousal, sexual affects, and affect‐cognition blends, which is transmuted into consciousness and deepens involvement by amplifying the perception of sexual stimulation, sexual cognitions, sexual behavior, physiological sexual response, and itself. Evidence of convergent validity was strong with a median validity coefficient of .51 for the three measures across the four conditions.
Stereochemical Features of C-methylations on the Path to Δ24(28)-Methylene and Δ24(28)-Ethylidene Sterols: Studies on the Recombinant Phytosterol Methyl Transferase from Arabidopsis thaliana

Using a homogenate prepared from Escherichia coli cells that express the sterol methyl transferase (SMT) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana, migration of the hydrogen atom at C-24 to C-25 from the Re-face of the double bond was demonstrated in the biosynthesis of [27-13C] 24(28)-methylenezymosterol (fecosterol) from [27-13C]zymosterol and the chirality of the C-25 stereocenter (25R) was found to be retained after the stereospecific conversion of [27-13C]24(28)-methylenezymosterol to [27-13C](24(28)Z) -ethylidenecholest-8-en-3β-ol. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.
Chromatographic and radioisotpic investigations of the lipid components of runner bean leaves

Abstract The total lipids of runner bean leaves have been separated by chromatography on silicic acid-impregnated paper into at least eleven components. These have been partially identified by their R f values, staining behaviour with various specific reagents, radioisotope incorporation data, and products of milk alkaline hydrolysis. Apart from pigments and glycerides, six phosphatide components were found, five of which have been identified as lecithin, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidyl inositol and phosphatidic acid; also, four distinct glycolipids, and a sulfur-containing lipid were detected. Hydrolysis studies showed that the four glycolipids contained galactose, glucose, glycerol and an unknown sugar in different molecular proportions, and that the sulfolipid contained glucose, the same unknown sugar, and an acid-stable form of sulfur.
An Improved Vibrating Wire Electrode Configuration: Voltammetric Reduction of Acidified Ferricyanide and I2-Catalyzed Iodate

Abstract A working electrode consisting of a high tensile strength tungsten or platinum wire vibrating in a magnetic field was employed in a 3-electrode configuration to obtain well-defined current-voltage curves for reduction of acidified iodate and ferricyanide used as test systems. The projected working area of the electromagnetically driven, 50 micrometer diameter wire approximated that of a DME. Because the electrode configuration possesses several dynamic and measurement features that are novel to electrochemical measurements, the present note includes an outline of the wire's hydrodynamics and electromagnetic behavior. The iodate and ferricyanide voltammograms obtained with a “polarographic” scan rate of ca 0.9 mv sec−1 produced steady limiting currents linear with concentration.
Microstructural transitions in Pt-C alloys during high-voltage-electron-microscope irradiation

Abstract Radiation-induced microstructural changes in Pt-C alloys under irradiation inside a high-voltage electron microscope were investigated as a function of energy and temperature. Electrons of energy > 380 keV can displace C atoms from the monolayer carbon platelets previously created by co-precipitation of C and vacancies on {100} planes. The collapsed vacant sites left behind in the platelets by this direct displacement process amalgamate after a certain incubation dose. At higher energies, > 560 keV, the electrons can impart a considerable energy to the C atoms, which, in turn, become sufficiently energetic to displace the Pt atoms via secondary C-Pt collisions. Consequently, in these energy regimes, significant changes in the alloy microstructure, such as stimulated precipitate coarsening and formation of interstitial loops in the matrix, take place, even though the incident electrons have energies far below the displacement threshold of the matrix element ( ~ 1.3 MeV). The incubation doses for the formation of visible defect clusters inside the C precipitates and in the matrix were measured and fitted to simple analytical formalisms. The present work indicates the importance of accounting for secondary-collision processes in the assessment of radiation damage in alloys in which the alloying elements are drastically different in atomic mass.
Size-dependent melting point depression of nanostructures: Nanocalorimetric measurements

The melting behavior of 0.1\char21{}10-nm-thick discontinuous indium films formed by evaporation on amorphous silicon nitride is investigated by an ultrasensitive thin-film scanning calorimetry technique. The films consist of ensembles of nanostructures for which the size dependence of the melting temperature and latent heat of fusion are determined. The relationship between the nanostructure radius and the corresponding melting point and latent heat is deduced solely from experimental results (i.e., with no assumed model) by comparing the calorimetric measurements to the particle size distributions obtained by transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that the melting point of the investigated indium nanostructures decreases as much as 110 K for particles with a radius of 2 nm. The experimental results are discussed in terms of existing melting point depression models. Excellent agreement with the homogeneous melting model is observed.
Escape from rewarding brain stimulation of dorsal brainstem and hypothalamus.

Abstract Each of 9 albino rats had two bipolar electrodes aimed at lateral hypothalamic and either of two dorsal brainstem (dorsal raphe or locus coeruleus) sites. Every rat bar-pressed for stimulation at each electrode. Then, each animal learned to treadle-press to escape from passive electrical stimulation at each elctrode site. All animals learned to escape from first dorsal brainstem and then lateral hypothalamic stimulation at current intensities which also supported self-stimulation behavior. Animals appeared hyperactive under lateral hypothalamic stimulation (active or passive), but not under dorsal brainstem stimulation.
Quantitative determination of a novel insulin sensitizer and its para-hydroxylated metabolite in human plasma by LC-MS/MS.

Abstract I , 5-{3-[3-(4-phenoxy-2-propylphenoxy)-propoxy]-phenyl}-2,4-thiazolidinedione sodium salt, is a dual α/γ peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonist for potential use in diabetic patients. The compound has a para -hydroxylated metabolite, II , which has also been shown to exhibit PPAR activity. An LC–MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of I and its active metabolite ( II ) in human plasma has been successfully developed. The method consists of treating 0.5 ml plasma with ammonium acetate (pH 9.6; 50 mM) and extracting I , II and internal standard ( III , Fig. 2) with 5 ml ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate is evaporated and the samples are reconstituted in 0.1 ml acetonitrile:0.1% formic acid (65:35, v/v). The entire extraction procedure, as well as sample collection, was performed in glass tubes and vials to overcome the analytes adherence to polypropylene. A linear HPLC gradient was used to separate the analyte, metabolite, internal standard, and other interfering, non-quantitated metabolites. Detection was by negative ionization MS/MS on a turbo ionspray probe. Precursor→product ion combinations were monitored in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The linear range is 0.05–20 ng/ml for I and 0.1–20 ng/ml for II . Recoveries were 59.4, 90.1 and 56.8% for I , II and III , respectively. Intraday variation using this method was ≤7.0% for I and ≤9.2% for II . The method exhibits good linearity and reproducibility for each analyte and good sensitivity, selectivity and robustness when used for the analysis of clinical samples.
Consumer Attitude Toward Adding Quick-Service Foods to In-Flight Meals

Summary This study examines consumer attitude toward the addition of quick-service foods (QSF) to domestic coach class in-flight meals. Multiple regression analysis is used to test two hypotheses. Findings indicate that airline passengers who are satisfied with current airline food do not want QSF added to in-flight meals. However, airline passengers who currently enjoy QSF would like to see the addition of QSF to in-flight meals.
Phenylpropanolamine potentiates caffeine neurotoxicity in rats

Abstract Numerous case reports have documented that phenylpropanolamine (PPA) stimulates the central nervous system with symptoms ranging from anxiety and hallucinations to grand mal seizures produced by overdoses. Most of these reports have occurred following concomitant use of caffeine which in high doses is known to cause seizures and psychotic episodes. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if PPA could potentiate caffeine‐induced seizures in the rat. First, the input rate dependence of caffeine‐induced neurotoxicity was determined by infusing rats intravenously with caffeine at one of three different rates (1.65–8.12 mg/min) until the onset of maximal seizure. This occurred after an average of 12 to 60 min of infusion. The PPA concentrations in serum, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at this pharmacologic endpoint were independent of infusion rate. In another experiment, rats were pretreated with an anorexiant dose of PPA (30 mg/kg ip) either acutely or chronically for 6 d, while control animals received saline solution. All groups were then infused with caffeine at a rate of 4.18 mg/min until onset of seizures. Caffeine concentrations at that time in serum, brain, and CSF were significantly lower in the PPA‐pretreated animals than in the control group. It is concluded that both acute and chronic pretreatment with PPA increases the sensitivity of rats to the neurotoxic effects of caffeine.
Psychosocial factors related to substance abuse among delinquent females: implications for prevention and treatment.

Drug and alcohol abuse were evaluated in a multiethnic sample of 48 delinquent females through self-report ratings. A psychodiagnostic assessment of each subject yielded four personality patterns: the borderline, the antisocial, the neurotic, and the socialized delinquent. Patterns of substance abuse were significantly affected by ethnicity and personality type, with whites and antisocial personalities having the highest usage rates.
Putting Hypersexuality to Work: Black Women and Illicit Eroticism in Pornography

This article focuses on the labor marginalization of black female performers within the pornography industry. Their representations and experiences as sex workers are shaped by a racialized and gendered sexual commerce where stereotypes, structural inequalities, and social biases are the norm. Black women are devalued as hyperaccessible and superdisposable in an industry that simultaneously invests in and ghettoizes fantasies about black sexuality. In light of feminist arguments against the victimization of women by pornography, I have attempted to show that black sex workers, while facing multiple axes of discrimination and harm, also employ hypersexuality and illicit eroticism to achieve mobility, erotic autonomy, and self-care.
A Direct Approach for the Reduction of Diatomic Spectra to Molecular Constants for the Construction of RKR Potentials

Abstract A nonlinear fitting procedure is presented that employs all measured line positions and iteratively compares their values with those calculated from numerically diagonalized model Hamiltonians with adjustable molecular constants. Case (a) wavefunctions with definite parity are introduced as a convenient basis set, and the effects of spin-orbit, spin-spin, spin-rotation, and centrifugal distortion interactions neglected in the Born-Oppenheimer separation are included simultaneously using the Van Vleck transformation. The spectroscopic constants found by this procedure represent the minimum-variance, unbiased set and maintain, to a high degree of accuracy, the separate mechanical and magnetic meanings of the molecular constants. Arguments are presented that such spectroscopic constants with mechanical meaning allow the most accurate construction of potential energy functions using the Rydberg-Klein-Rees (RKR) procedure. Residual mechanical and magnetic ambiguities, such as engendered by Λ-type doubling, are discussed.
Relationship between health status and use of screening mammography and Papanicolaou smears among women older than 70 years of age.

Rates of screening mammography and Papanicolaou smears are high among older women in California. Although screening rates decline with advancing age, women of a similar age have similar screening r...
The inhibitory effects of green, black, and oolong tea on Streptococcus mutans in the human mouth

This study investigated the ability of green, black, and oolong tea to inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans in the human mouth. Tea is known to contain various catechins which have been shown to hinder the in vitro growth of bacteria. Streptococcus mutans is a bacterium known to promote the development of dental caries, which is one of the most common bacterial infections in the world. Twenty-two young adults were divided into groups ingesting either green tea, black tea, oolong tea, or hot water for a period of twenty-one days. Saliva samples were taken once weekly throughout the duration of the study and analyzed using Snyder test agar. It was expected that green tea would show the greatest inhibitory effect on the bacteria, followed by oolong and lastly black tea. Final results indicated that while no large difference was found between the different groups, an overall a decline in bacteria levels across the treatments was shown as the study progressed.
Problems in Defining the Field of Distance Education

In their article “Mapping the Boundaries of Distance Education: Problems in Defining the Field, ‘ ‘ in the first issue of The American Journal of Distance Education, Garrison and Shale criticized Desmond Keegan's The Foundations of Distance Education (1986) as “too narrow a view of distance education.” In the conclusion of their article, they wrote: “We have argued that Keegan's definition is too restrictive in its view that distance education is an industralised form of learning. Moreover, his definition leads to a characterisation of distance education that is unnecessarily bounded by past practice and results in a tautological descriptive definition.” Desmond Keegan was invited to respond to Garrison and Shale.
AUDITORY THRESHOLD IN PRETERM INFANTS

Auditory evoked brainstem and slow cortical potentials(AEBP) (SCP) were studied in 4 preterm infants with gestational ages(GA) less than 28 weeks. Weights ranged from 560-850 gms. AEBP were measured as responses to auditory clicks at sound intensities of 25.45& 65 dBSL. 75 dBSL clicks were used in two infants. 10 clicks per sec were presented monaurally and responses to 2048 clicks were amplified and computer averaged. 256 clicks at a rate of 1/sec at 65 dBSL were averaged for the SCP. No AEBP were obtained in 3 infants at 25 and 26 weeks GA at 25, 45 & 65 dBSL. One infant at 26 weeks had only 2 identifiable waves, I & IV-V. An increase to 75 dBSL resulted in the appearance of BP in 2 infants. 65 dBSL clicks however resulted in SCP with a negative-going deflection between 100 and 200 msec. 2 of the infants developed clearly defined waves 2-3 weeks later at 65 dBSL.
Transient behavior of Hg 1−x Cd x Te films deposited on (100)CdTe substrates by chemical vapor transport

The growth history of Hg1−xCdxTe films deposited on (100) CdTe substrates by chemical vapor transport (CVT) has been studied, for the first time, by using a transient growth technique. The observed morphological evolution of Hg1−xCdxTe films deposited at 545°C shows a transition behavior from three-dimensional (3D) islands to two-dimensional (2D) layer growth. The experimental results indicate that the so-called critical time needed for the above morphological transition is about lh under present experimental conditions. Based on the chemical bonding properties of Hg1−xCdxTe, and on the behavior of the morphological transition, the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode is suggested for the epitaxial growth system. The time dependence of the growth thickness, of the growth rate (R100) along the [100] direction, and of the surface composition all reveal a transient behavior. These are related to the nature of the Hg1-xCdxTe/ (100)CdTe heterojunction and to the surface reactions. Comparison of the growth rates and of the total mass deposited as a function of time shows the relationship between epitaxial growth and mass flux of the Hg1−xCdxTe-HgI2 chemical vapor transport system.
Physicians' diagnoses of psychiatric disorders for people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Objective To examine rates of psychiatric diagnoses given by patients' primary or regular physicians to persons with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), persons with psychiatrically explained fatigue, and a control group. Physicians' psychiatric diagnosis and participants' self-reported psychiatric diagnoses were compared to lifetime psychiatric diagnoses as measured by a structured psychiatric interview. Method Participants were recruited as part of a community-based epidemiology study of chronic fatigue syndrome. Medical records of 23 persons with chronic fatigue syndrome, 25 persons with psychiatrically explained chronic fatigue, and 19 persons without chronic fatigue (controls) were examined to determine whether their physician had given a diagnosis of mood, anxiety, somatoform, or psychotic disorder. Lifetime psychiatric status was measured using the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV (SCID). Participants' self reports of specific psychiatric disorders were assessed as part of a detailed medical questionnaire. Results Physicians' diagnosis of a psychiatric illness when at least one psychiatric disorder was present ranged from 40 percent in the psychiatrically explained group, 50 percent in the control group, and 64.3 percent in the CFS group. Participants in the psychiatrically explained group were more accurate than physicians in reporting the presence of a psychiatric disorder, and in accurately reporting the presence of a mood or anxiety disorder. Conclusions The present investigation found underrecognition of psychiatric illness by physicians, with relatively little misdiagnosis of psychiatric illness. Physicians had particular difficulty assessing psychiatric disorder in those patients whose chronic fatigue was fully explained by a psychiatric disorder. Results emphasized the importance of using participant self report as a screening for psychiatric disorder.
Barriers to and facilitators of child influenza vaccine - perspectives from parents, teens, marketing and healthcare professionals.

Abstract Background The CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination for all children age 6 months and older, yet vaccination rates remain modest. Effective strategies to improve influenza vaccination for children are needed. Methods Eight focus groups with 91 parents, teens, pediatric healthcare staff and providers, and immunization and marketing experts were conducted, audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and coded based on grounded theory. Results Three themes emerged: barriers, facilitators, and strategies. Barriers included fear, misinformation, and mistrust, with exacerbation of these barriers attributed to media messages. Many considered influenza vaccination unnecessary and inconvenient, but would accept vaccination if recipients or other family members were considered high risk, if recommended by their doctor or another trusted person, or if offered or mandated by the school. Access to better information regarding influenza disease burden and vaccine safety and efficacy were notable facilitators, as were prevention of the inconvenience of missing work or important events, and if the child requests to receive the vaccine. Marketing strategies included incentives, jingles, videos, wearable items, strategically-located information sheets or posters, and promotion by informed counselors. Practice-based strategies included staff buy-in, standing orders protocols, vaccination clinics, and educational videos. Teen-specific strategies included message delivery through schools, texting, internet, and social networking sites. Conclusion To improve influenza vaccination rates for children using practice-based interventions, participants suggested campaigns that provide better information regarding the vaccine, the disease and its implications, and convenient access to vaccination. Strategies targeting adolescents should use web-based social marketing technologies and campaigns based in schools.
Polarimeter to measure Mueller matrix components in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared

A system of photopolarimeters to measure the Mueller scattering matrices for either reflective or transparent scattering medium between 0.14 to 12 micrometers will be discussed. The system is based on the photopolarimeters suggested by Azzam and the phase modulation of the incident light by photoelastic or Pockel cell modulators. In the vacuum uv the system is complicated for it must be designed to operate in a vacuum. The technique will allow the analyzation of the data by Fourier techniques.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Suppression of Endogenous Antioxidant Enzymes by 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin–Induced Oxidative Stress in Chicken Liver During Development

Domestic chickens (Gallus gallus) are an excellent model in which to evaluate developmental toxicity and oxidative stress because of their high sensitivity to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The goal of this study was to measure the effects of environmentally relevant doses of TCDD on endogenous hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity in hatchling chickens. The vehicle (sunflower oil) or 2, 20, or 200 pg/g TCDD was injected into chicken eggs before incubation. On hatching, livers were harvested and quickly frozen. The changes in activity of antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GRx), copper zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were determined as indicators of oxidative stress. TCDD exposure was associated with a significant suppression of the activities of the protective endogenous enzymes GPx, GRx, and SOD in the liver, even at the lowest dose. CAT activity was also suppressed, but not significantly. The measured decreases were 37% to 63% for GPx, 50% to 58% for GRx, 30% to 40% for SOD, and 16% to 24% for CAT. Noncomplex dose-response relationships were evident in GPx and GRx, whereas SOD and CAT curves were U-shaped. These results demonstrate that a decreased ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species may result from developmental TCDD exposure at very low doses, contributing to oxidative stress and thus to the embryotoxicity of TCDD.
Discerning the structure and energy of multiple transition states in protein folding using ψ-analysis

Abstract We quantify the degree to which folding occurs along a complex landscape with structurally distinct pathways using ψ-analysis in combination with a protein engineering method that identifies native, non-covalent polypeptide interactions and their relative populations at the rate-limiting step. By probing the proximity of two specific partners, this method is extremely well-suited for comparison to theoretical simulations. Using ubiquitin as a model system, we detect individual pathways with site-resolved resolution, demonstrating that the protein folds through a native-like transition state ensemble with a common nucleus that contains heterogeneous features on its periphery. The consensus transition state topology has part of the major helix docked against four properly aligned β-strands. However, structural heterogeneity exists in the transition state ensemble, wherein peripheral regions are differentially populated according to their relative stability. Pathway diversity reflects the variable order of formation of these peripheral elements, which radiate outward from the common nucleus. These results, which show only moderate agreement with traditional mutational φ-analysis, provide an extraordinarily detailed and quantitative description of protein folding.
Iron deficiency anemia in heart failure

Anemia and iron deficiency are quite prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF) and may overlap. Both anemia and iron deficiency are associated with worse symptoms and adverse clinical outcomes. In the past few years, there has been an enormous interest in the subject of iron deficiency and its management in patients with HF. In this review, the etiology and relevance of iron deficiency, iron metabolism in the setting of HF, studies on iron supplementation in patients with HF and potential cardiovascular effects of subclinical iron overload are discussed.
Single-Species Detection With Airborne Imaging Spectroscopy Data: A Comparison of Support Vector Techniques

Progress in mapping plant species remotely with imaging spectroscopy data is limited by the traditional classification framework, which carries the requirement of exhaustively defining all classes (species) encountered in a landscape. As the research objective may be to map only one or a few species of interest, we need to explore alternative classification methods that may be used to more efficiently detect a single species. We compared the performance of three support vector machine (SVM) methods designed for single-class detection—binary (one-against-all) SVM, one-class SVM, and biased SVM—in detecting five focal tree and shrub species using data collected by the Carnegie Airborne Observatory over an African savanna. Prior to this comparison, we investigated the effects of training data amount and balance on binary SVM and evaluated alternative methods for tuning one-class and biased SVMs. A key finding was that biased SVM was generally best parameterized by crown-level cross validation paired with the tuning criterion proposed by Lee and Liu [1] . Among the different single-class methods, binary SVM showed the best overall performance (average F-scores 0.43–0.78 among species), whereas one-class SVM showed very poor performance (F-scores 0.09–0.46). However, biased SVM produced results similar to those obtained with binary SVM (F-scores 0.40–0.72), despite using labeled training data from only the focal class. Our results indicate that both binary and biased SVMs can work well for remote single-species detection, while both methods, particularly biased SVM, greatly reduce the amount of training data required compared with traditional multispecies classification.
Characterization of diacetyl negative mutants of Streptococcus diacetilactis.

Abstract A procedure for the mutation of lactic streptococci with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitro-soguanidine was used to isolate nondiacetyl producing mutants of Streptococcus diacetilactis . The mutants produced an average of 40% more lactic acid than parent strains; acetaldehyde production varied from quantities equal to the wild type to less than one-third the amount produced by the parents. The mutants possessed a citrate transport system catalyzing the accumulation of citrate at a rate which diminished with time. The diacetyl negative mutants retained inhibitory powers against food spoilage bacteria similar to their respective parents.
Immunological characterization of photosystem II chlorophyll-binding proteins from the cyanobacterium, Aphanocapsa 6714.

Chlorophyll-binding proteins from the cyanobacteriumAphanocapsa 6714 were identified by immunoblotting procedures. Three chlorophyll-binding complexes, CPIII′, CPIIIa, and CPIIIb, were associated with PSII. CPIII′ likely serves as an antenna to PSII inAphanocapsa since it could be removed from active PSII core preparations without loss of activity. The CPIII' proteins cross-reacted to antibodies prepared against the maize PSII light-harvesting complex, LHC-II. The CPIIIa polypeptides cross-reacted to antibodies raised against theChlamydomonas PSII chlorophyll-proteins 5 and 6, indicating that this complex contains the major chlorophyll-binding species of the cyanobacterial PSII core. Lastly, an antibody prepared against the cyanobacterial 36-kDa chlorophyll-binding protein [Pakrasi, H., Riethman, H., and Sherman, L. (1985).Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA82, 6903–6907] recognized only the 36-kDa IIIb apoprotein, indicating that CPIIIb represents a distinct chlorophyll-protein complex.
cDNa cloning and nucleotide sequence comparison of Chinese hamster metallothionein I and II mRNAs

Polyadenylated RNA was extracted from a cadmium resistant Chinese hamster (CHO) cell line, enriched for metal-induced, abundant RNA sequences and cloned as double-stranded cDNA in the plasmid pBR322. Two cDNA clones, pCHMT1 and pCHMT2, encoding two Chinese hamster isometallothioneins were identified, and the nucleotide sequence of each insert was determined. The two Chinese hamster metallothioneins show nucleotide sequence homologies of 80% in the protein coding region and approximately 35% in both the 5' and 3' untranslated regions. Interestingly, an 8 nucleotide sequence (TGTAAATA) has been conserved in sequence and position in the 3' untranslated regions of each metallothionein mRNA sequenced thus far. Estimated nucleotide substitution rates derived from interspecies comparisons were used to calculate a metallothionein gene duplication time of 45 to 120 million years ago.
Host selection and larval interactions among three primary parasitoids of Plathypena scabra (Lep.: Noctuidae)

Three hymenopteran parasitoids that attackPlathypena scabra (F.) larvae often oviposit into consecutive instars of the host. We investigated host discrimination by adults and competitive interactions among larvae of these three parasitoid species. Avoidance of superparasitism byCotesia marginiventris (Cresson) andDiolcogaster facetosa Ashmead was tested. Females of each species were presented either withP. scabra parasitized by a different female of the same species 6 h earlier or unparasitizedP. scabra. Under these conditions,C. marginiventris attacked similar numbers of parasitized and unparasitized hosts.D. facetosa attacked 31% fewer parasitized than unparasitizedP. scabra. The avoidance of multiple parasitism byD. facetosa was studied in a similar bioassay. AlthoughD. facetosa females parasitized fewerP. scabra that had been attacked byC. marginiventris 6 h previously, the reduction in parasitism was only about 23%. In competition studies, immatureD. facetosa were better competitors than immatureC. marginiventris. Aleiodes (=Rogas) nolophanae (Ashmead) was an inferior competitor against bothC. marginiventris andD. facetosa when the duration between parasitism events was 1 h, but their competitive ability increased when they multiply parasitized hosts at least 32 h after the initial oviposition.
Finding Frequent Patterns Using Length-Decreasing Support Constraints

Finding prevalent patterns in large amount of data has been one of the major problems in the area of data mining. Particularly, the problem of finding frequent itemset or sequential patterns in very large databases has been studied extensively over the years, and a variety of algorithms have been developed for each problem. The key feature in most of these algorithms is that they use a constant support constraint to control the inherently exponential complexity of these two problems. In general, patterns that contain only a few items will tend to be interesting if they have a high support, whereas long patterns can still be interesting even if their support is relatively small. Ideally, we want to find all the frequent patterns whose support decreases as a function of their length without having to find many uninteresting infrequent short patterns. Developing such algorithms is particularly challenging because the downward closure property of the constant support constraint cannot be used to prune short infrequent patterns.
Partial purification of Xenopus laevis egg extract factor(s) that induce swelling in permeabilized human sperm

A combination of adsorption (protamine-agarose) and gel filtration (Sephacryl S-300) chromatography was used to enrich for factor(s) in Xenopus laevis frog egg extract that induce nuclear swelling-chromatin decondensation in permeabilized human sperm. It was determined that a 70-fold purification of the factor(s) that induce human sperm nuclear swelling has resulted from the purification scheme. The reduced, active factor(s) have a Kav of 0.12 and an approximate molecular weight of 290,000 daltons. The extract nuclear swelling activity is sensitive to temperatures of 50 degrees C and above, as well as proteolytic treatment. RNase and cycloheximide treatments of the extracts have no effect on the nuclear swelling activity. These data suggest that the egg extract factor(s) that induce nuclear swelling in permeabilized human sperm are protein(s) that are present in the unfertilized frog egg.
An experimental charge density study of mesulergine hydrochloride, a dopamine agonist

Carefully measured high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements at 120(2) K have been used to map the electron deformation density of mesulergine hydrochloride, a dopamine agonist. A total of 52,508 intensities were measured with MoKα radiation to a sinθ/λ)max = 0.84~A−1. Averaging symmetry equivalent reflections yielded 9,418 unique reflections. A least squares refinement procedure was used in which multipole parameters were added to describe the distortions of the atomic electron distributions from spherical symmetry. Maps of the model electron deformation density distribution show the distribution of electron density in mesulergine hydrochloride. Molecular electrostatic potentials have been calculated from the electron densities determined in the least-squares multipole refinement. A region of negative electrostatic potential near N23 in the NHSO2N(CH3)2 substituent suggests that the nitrogen atom would be reactive toward electrophilic attack. Net atomic charges calculated from refined monopole population parameters yielded charges of +0.17 for the NHSO2N(CH3)2 substituent and +0.37 for the ergoline fused ring system. There does not seem to be an area of the molecule that, based on the results of this study, is more electron rich or electron deficient than others. Crystallographic data: C18H26N4O2S⋅HCl, P21, a = 12.1281(3) A, b = 6.1357(4) A, c = 13.5935(4) A, β = 105.14(5)∘, V = 974.14(5) A3, Z = 2.
DYSGRAPHIA AND SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE: A PROCESSING SYNDROME?

Six boys, mean age 9.6, presented with an unusual processing syndrome. All subjects were evaluated for school difficulties. A highly consistent psychoeducational profile was found in all subjects. This consisted of superior verbal intelligence (mean IQ 131) and highly discrepant performance skills (mean IQ 105). In particular, performance skills were found to be impaired in the area of visual motor dexterity for sequential material. Supplementary tests indicated disproportionately lower spelling and math scores. All displayed dysgraphic symptoms of a varying type and degree with handwriting consequently poor to illegible and characterized by reversals, distortions and sequencing errors. Traditionally employed measures of perceptual motor integration e.g. Bender-Gestalt were, however, age appropriate. The findings in this sample, though small, suggest a processing syndrome consisting of high verbal-conceptual abilities accompanied by dysgraphia. whether the dysgraphia results from poor visual perception, visual memory, conceptualization of written form, conception form-motor translation or pure fine motor difficulty is unknown. The data would howevir tend to suggest that the defect is either in visual memory or conceptualization of written form. Reliance on traditional tests of figure copying are invalid screens for some dysgraphic children. Early recognition is important so that their verbal talents can be realized and performance deficits remediated.
Both oxytocin and vasopressin may influence alloparental behavior in male prairie voles

Neuropeptides, especially oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), have been implicated in several features of monogamy including alloparenting. The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of OT and AVP in alloparental behavior in reproductively naive male prairie voles. Males received intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF), OT, an OT receptor antagonist (OTA), AVP, an AVP receptor antagonist (AVPA), or combinations of OTA and AVPA and were subsequently tested for parental behavior. Approximately 45 min after treatment, animals were tested for behavioral responses to stimulus pups. In a 10-min test, spontaneous alloparental behavior was high in control animals. OT and AVP did not significantly increase the number of males that showed parental behavior, although more subtle behavioral changes were observed. Combined treatment with AVPA and OTA (10 ng each) significantly reduced male parental behavior and increased attacks; following a lower dose (1 ng OTA/1 ng AVPA), males were less likely to display kyphosis and tended to be slower to approach pups than controls. Since treatment with only one antagonist did not interfere with the expression of alloparenting, these results suggest that access to either OT or AVP receptors may be sufficient for the expression of alloparenting.
Characterizations of poly(methyl methacrylate) for optical coating or thermal forming operations

The bulk surface and thermal properties and chemical conformation of several poly(methyl methacrylate) samples have been characterized. The results of the analysis have correlated well with the suitability of the thermoplastic sheets for optical coating or thermal forming operation. Techniques for inspection of the plastic sheets appropriate for such special applications have been recommended.
Planetary protection for Mars Sample Return

Abstract A Mars sample return (MSR) mission must deal with two new categories of planetary protection requirements: (1) assuring a very low probability of inadvertent release of the sample in order to provide extra protection against the extremely unlikely possibility of biological hazards in the returned material and (2) keeping the samples free of round-trip Earth organisms to facilitate confirmation of safety after return to Earth. This paper describes the planetary-protection-related technical challenges awaiting an MSR mission as well as the range of capabilities being developed to meet these challenges. Containment assurance requires breaking the chain of contact with Mars: the exterior of the sample container must not be contaminated with Mars material. The sample container and its seals must be designed to survive Earth impacts corresponding to the candidate mission profiles, and the Earth entry vehicle must be designed to withstand the thermal and structural rigors of Earth atmosphere entry (all with an unprecedented degree of confidence). Sample contamination must be avoided by sterilizing the entire spacecraft, a challenge with modern avionics, or by sterilizing the sample collection and containment gear and then isolating it from other parts of the spacecraft.
Culture of adult mouse neurons

Primary neuronal cells used to model physiology are generally limited to embryonic tissue. However, embryonic tissue is not optimal as a model for age-related changes in physiology or late-onset disease. Successful culturing of neurons from adult animals, however, has been historically difficult, if not impossible. Here, we report methodology for routine and reliable cultivation of healthy striatal neurons from adult mice. The new methodology is cost-effective and improves the speed and simplicity of neuronal isolation.
Annealing effects on the photoluminescence and morphology of ZnO nanowires

For the fabrication of ZnO NWs, we have used Si wafers as smooth surface substrates. Gold was deposited on to the substrates with an electron beam evaporator, since it is known that gold particles can serve as the catalyst to grow ZnO NWs on substrates in Vapor-Liquid-Solid (VLS) method. In the VLS method, the mixture of ZnO powder and graphite was placed at 1100 °C and the substrates were at 800 °C in a two-zone furnace. The reduction of ZnO of the source generates Zn vapor that diffuses to gold particles on Si substrates, and the oxidation of Zn-Au alloy grows ZnO crystals. The gold deposited area has ZnO crystal growth and that the gold particles play the role of nucleation sites. ZnO crystals have the dimension of a few hundred nm wide and 2-3 μm long under this particular condition. SEM, XRD, and PL have been used for characterization. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Encoding and incidental memory in children

Abstract First, third, and fifth graders (7.1, 8.8, 11.1 years old) performed semantic, acoustic, and orthographic orienting activities to different words in a list. Without forewarning, their free recall of the words was tested after the orienting activity. The semantic task yielded better recall than the acoustic or orthographic tasks, but the latter two did not differ. Age differences in recall were absent, and the effect of the three orienting tasks did not vary as a function of the child's age. The results support a direct extension of levels of processing theory ( Craik, F. I. M., & Lockhart, R. S. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1972 , 11, 671–684) to children's memory. An obligatory-optional encoding distinction was suggested as a developmentally relevant addition to the levels of processing framework.
Management of sinusitis in adult cystic fibrosis.

Until recently, cystic fibrosis was frequently fatal during childhood. However, with current medical management, many patients are living into adulthood. This has created a new population of patien...
Theoretical cross section of vector-boson pair production from photons

We record here a brief analytic account of the calculation of the electromagnetic production cross section of charged-vector-meson pairs. The differential cross section is given in closed form. The total cross section is expressed as a two-dimensional integral to be evaluated numerically.