cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Dual bioluminescent reporter transgenic mouse strain for noninvasive bioluminescent imaging of cells that have undergone cre-mediated recombination–a useful model for development research

979 The molecular pathways control normal embryonic development. In different development stage, different genes are activated or silenced. Mouse strains expressing the site-specific recombinase Cre facilitate conditional ablation of gene function when one or several exons of the gene of interest are flanked by loxP sites. Cre expression achieved by classic transgenesis or targeting to an appropriate locus might be tissue specific, temporally restricted or inducible. In such experimental outlines, it is necessary to monitor Cre activity at desired time points as well as to verify that Cre was not active previously during development. Here we describe a transgenic mouse model which has GFP fluorescent gene and two bioluminescent reporter genes Renilla luciferase and Click Beetle Luciferase, preceded by a LoxP-stop-LoxP (L-S-L) cassette–LoxP-Renilla Luciferase-stop-LoxP-Click Beetle Luciferase-eGFP, driven by modified chicken β-actin promoter, which may be useful for identifying the gene expression pattern in different development stage. The β-actin promoter-LoxP-Renilla Luciferase-stop-LoxP-Click beetle Luciferase-eGFP transgenic mice in conjunction with Cre recombinase delivered by a variety of means, allows for spatial and temporal control of gene expression in mouse models. Different tissue cells derived from this strain which expressed Renilla Luciferse would express Click Beetle luciferase and eGFP after Cre-mediated recombination in vitro driven by different promoter. The β-actin promoter-LoxP-Renilla Luciferase-stop-LoxP-Click beetle Luciferase-eGFP mice expressed luciferase and eGFP in a diffuse pattern, as determined by non-invasive, bioluminescent and fluorescent imaging (Xenogen IVIS system) and immunohistology, when crossed to a transgenic mice in which Cre was driven by β-actin promoter (β-actin-Cre). The β-actin promoter-LoxP-Renilla Luciferase-stop-LoxP-Click beetle Luciferase-eGFP transgenic mice should be useful for characterizing Cre mouse strains and for following the fate of cells that have undergone Cre-mediated recombination in vivo.
The Verification of Metaphysical Statements

In this chapter I want to consider the following problem. Suppose we have a metaphysical language (called ‘M’) and a statement in it ‘S’; under what conditions can we say that S in M is verified? It is important to note that I am not asking under what conditions we can say that S is verified in M, but under what conditions S which occurs in M may be said to be verified. The difference between ‘S is verified in M’ and ‘S in M is verified’ should be clear. The former leaves us in M and allows the possibility that S may be verified with reference to M yet not with reference to the extralinguistic state of affairs to which it refers. The latter means that S expressed in the terms used to construct M is verified with reference to that which it intends. So it may be possible to verify, e.g., the statement “the real is the rational” in Hegelian language, i.e., it may be shown to be supported by other statements in Hegel’s system, yet not be verified in terms of the world about us. To put the matter in another way, the first may mean that S is verified in M in the sense that it can be translated into other statements which either are basic statements in M (axioms) or are derivable from such basic statements in M (truth as coherence); the second may mean that what S intends as actually the case, is actually the case (correspondence theory of truth). Let me call the former type ‘formal verification’ and the latter ‘material verification.’
Sleeve gastrectomy prevents hypertension associated with unique shifts in the gut microbiome

Bariatric surgery results in resolution of hypertension in over 50% of patients. While weight loss is a critical component to hypertension resolution after bariatric surgery, there may also be weight loss-independent mechanisms. We hypothesized that sleeve gastrectomy (SG) initiates changes in the gut microbiome which reduce postoperative blood pressure. Male, obese Zucker rats underwent SG, pair-fed sham, or ad-lib-fed sham surgery. Blood pressure measurements were performed 1 week pre-operatively, and at 2 and 6 weeks post-operatively. The stool microbiome composition was determined by 16S rDNA gene at 6 weeks post-operatively. Regression Random Forest modeling was performed to determine an association of the microbial composition with blood pressure. SG and pair-fed rats weighed significantly less than ad-lib-fed sham rats throughout the post-surgical period. At 6 weeks after surgery, SG rats had a significantly lower systolic blood pressure (149.2 ± 1.99 mmHg) than pair-fed (164.7 ± 7.87, p < 0.001) or ad-lib-fed sham rats (167.1 ± 2.41 mmHg, p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in multiple measures of beta diversity between SG rats and pair-fed and ad-lib-fed sham rats. 45.11% of the difference in blood pressure variability between samples was explained with the regression Random Forest model. SG in a rat model prevented hypertension progression independent of weight loss with changes in beta diversity and gut bacterial composition associated with the blood pressure outcome. These findings further support the metabolic efficacy of SG in treating hyperglycemia, cardiac dysfunction, and now hypertension, independent of obesity class.
Impaired KCC2 Function Triggers Interictal-Like Activity Driven by Parvalbumin-Expressing Interneurons in the Isolated Subiculum In Vitro

The decreased expression of the KCC2 membrane transporter in subicular neurons has been proposed to be a key epileptogenic event in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Here, we have addressed this question in a reduced model in vitro and have studied the properties and mechanistic involvement of a major class of interneurons, that is, parvalbumin-expressing cells (PVs). When exposed to the KCC2 blocker VU0463271, mouse subicular slices generated hypersynchronous discharges that could be recorded electrophysiologically and visualized as clusters of co-active neurons with calcium imaging. The pharmacological profile of these events resembled interictal-like discharges in human epileptic tissue because of their dependence on GABAA and AMPA receptors. On average, PVs fired before pyramidal cells (PCs) and the area of co-active clusters was comparable to the individual axonal spread of PVs, suggesting their mechanistic involvement. Optogenetic experiments confirmed this hypothesis, as the flash-stimulation of PVs in the presence of VU0463271 initiated interictal-like discharges, whereas their optogenetic silencing suppressed network hyper-excitability. We conclude that reduced KCC2 activity in subicular networks in vitro is sufficient to induce interictal-like activity via altered GABAergic signaling from PVs without other epilepsy-related changes. This conclusion supports an epileptogenic role for impaired subicular KCC2 function during the progression of TLE.
Functional Criticality Classification of Structural Faults in AI Accelerators

The ubiquitous application of deep neural networks (DNNs) has led to a rise in demand for artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators. This paper studies the problem of classifying structural faults in such an accelerator based on their functional criticality. We analyze the impact of stuck-at faults in the processing elements (PEs) of a $128 \times 128$ systolic array designed to perform classification on the MNIST dataset using both 32-bit and 16-bit data paths. We present a two-tier machine-learning (ML) based method to assess the functional criticality of these faults. We address the problem of minimizing misclassification by utilizing generative adversarial networks (GANs). The two-tier ML/GAN-based criticality assessment method leads to less than 1% test escapes during functional criticality evaluation.
Iran and Saudi Arabia: Taming a Chaotic Conflict

Amid a flurry of recent publications examining the fraught relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim Fraihat has written a superb and concise study that offers a way out of the impasse be...
Management of delayed posttraumatic cervical kyphosis

We describe three patients with misdiagnosed unstable fractures of the cervical spine, who were treated conservatively and developed kyphotic deformity, myelopathy, and radiculopathy. All three patients were then managed with closed reductions by crown halo traction, followed by instrumented fusions. Their neurologic function was regained without permanent disability in any patient. Unstable fractures of the cervical spine will progress to catastrophic neurologic injuries without surgical fixation. Posttraumatic kyphosis and the delayed reduction of partially healed fracture dislocations by preoperative traction are not well characterized in the subaxial cervical spine. The complete evaluation of any subaxial cervical spine fracture requires CT scanning to assess for bony fractures, and MRI to assess for ligamentous injury. This allows for assessment of the degree of instability and appropriate management. In patients with delayed posttraumatic cervical kyphosis, preoperative closed reduction provided adequate realignment, facilitating subsequent operative stabilization.
Effects of melatonin on the chick retinal pigment epithelium: membrane potentials and light-evoked responses.

Dopamine, a retinal neurotransmitter, is known to affect electrical measures of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) function: the standing potential and the DC ERG. To locate the origin of these effects, studies were performed on in vitro preparations of chick retina-RPE-choroid, which were separately perfused on the retinal and choroidal tissue surfaces. Dopamine (250 micrograms) in the retinal bath depolarized the RPE basal membrane, decreased the apparent basal membrane resistance (Rba) and increased the ERG c-wave. At concentrations less than or equal to 100 microM, retinal dopamine often caused a transient basal membrane hyperpolarization, accompanied by an apparent increase in Rba and decrease in c-wave. Surprisingly, 20-100 microM choroidal dopamine induced similar changes in basal membrane potential, resistance and c-wave amplitude, and the transient hyperpolarization and increase in Rba were often more pronounced than at comparable concentrations of retinal dopamine. Experiments in RPE-choroid preparations suggested that the effects of retinal dopamine were not secondary to effects on the neural retina. The effects of retinal and choroidal dopamine in the same tissue often were distinct, suggesting separate receptor populations on the apical and basolateral membranes of the RPE. The c-wave changes could be explained by the changes in Rba, and not by an effect on the light-evoked decrease in subretinal [K+]0. Choroidal perfusion with 50 microM 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (DIDS), which appears to block a Cl- conductance in chick RPE, blocked the effects of dopamine perfusion on either side of the tissue. These results suggest that perfusion with either retinal or choroidal dopamine leads to electrical effects on the RPE basal membrane, possibly via a second-messenger system affecting a basal membrane Cl- conductance. Dopamine could suppress the "light-peak" depolarization of the RPE basal membrane. When either retinal or choroidal dopamine induced a large net change in trans-tissue potential (originating as a change in basal membrane potential), the light peak was severely depressed, while smaller changes produced correspondingly smaller decreases in light-peak amplitude. We found, however, that light-peak amplitude was not significantly reduced when there was little net change in the trans-tissue potential, even though dopamine may have produced sizable transient effects. Thus, despite apparent occupation of dopamine receptors on the RPE, the light peak persisted under these conditions. Similar relations between light-peak amplitude and net change in trans-tissue potential have been observed for a variety of different conditions, suggesting that the effect of dopamine on the light peak is nonspecific.
Stay! Refusing Forms of Evasion

George Yancy’s work is phenomenal in at least two important ways. His judiciously woven and incisive arguments exposing the “continued significance of race” in a climate that makes claims to post-raciality are bold, courageous and thought-provoking. Yancy’s work is also phenomenal because phenomenology grounds his preferred method of analysis. Clevis Headley describes such a method as a “thick philosophical description of concrete experience.” Clearly, Yancy does philosophy from a place of lived embodied experience not for better descriptive purposes but in order to expose the discursive practices that perpetuate racial injustice and that can be erased by abstract theoretical analysis. His is fearless speech that creates risk because whiteness resists exposure.
La muerte de Enrique Granados: contexto y controversia

Enrique Granados (b. 1867 in Lerida) ended his life in the cold waters of the English Channel after the ship on which he was sailing was attacked by a German submarine on March 24, 1916. He was returning from New York, where his opera Goyescas had premiered at the Metropolitan Opera. His career was at its pinnacle, and greater things were no doubt yet to come. Yet, despite the fact that this incident became an international scandal and provoked much outraged commentary, the attack itself has often been inaccurately reported and misinterpreted. Now, more than ninety years after Granados’s death, it is appropriate to examine once again this incident and clarify exactly what did and did not happen, and to gauge the impact of his shocking demise at that time and now.
Resonantly-Pumped Soft X-Ray Lasers Using ICF Drivers

The problem of developing a laser with a transition frequency in the EUV or soft X-ray regime is challenging, due primarily to the difficulty in developing an inversion on a line with appreciable gain under experimentally accessible conditions, and in part to the large local power requirements involved. The development of EUV and soft X-ray lasers would lead to advances in spectroscopy due to the potential for high brightness and narrow line width of the lasing radiation. There may be practical applications for a soft X-ray laser in the area of semiconductor photolithography. Short wavelegth holography may prove to be useful, assuming in both cases that the output laser radiation is sufficiently powerful, coherent and economical, and that production of the laser radiation can be carried out in a practical manner.
Shiftwork as Gendered and Its Impact on Work–Family Balance

Arguably one of the most challenging types of work in terms of work-family conflict is shiftwork. This is particularly the case when such shifts are rotating and inconsistent, and thus cannot be counted on for stability or routine regarding arranging for non-work considerations (e.g., childcare). Historically, shiftwork has been highly gendered, although it became less so during World War II when women were called into manufacturing roles. Despite this, it remains the case that women’s traditional shiftwork roles (e.g., nursing) may be differentially family-friendly as compared to male’s traditional shiftwork roles (e.g., law enforcement). This chapter examines both consistent and rotational shiftwork in terms of their respective effects on work-family outcomes and how these may differ for men and women in shiftwork roles. This chapter also examines how the unique work schedules of shift workers may exacerbate traditional challenges of work-family balance via multiple methods, including the obvious scheduling challenges but also including the less frequently considered challenges of sleep-, affect-, and health-related consequences of shiftwork, and how such outcomes may differ dependent upon gender.
Cyclometallation of the NNN pincer ligand in complexes of platinum

Platinum complexes of the diimino/carbazolyl NNN pincer ligand have been prepared and characterized. Cyclometallation of the mesityl substituent was observed to occur unexpectedly easily in (NNN)PtOTf, which also catalyzed cyclometallation in (NNN)PtMe.
Environmental Impact and Biosecurity of Composting for Emergency Disposal of Livestock Mortalities — Year 2 Project Update

Twenty-seven replicated windrow-type composting test units containing approximately 49 metric tons of 450 kg cattle carcasses have been monitored to evaluate the effectiveness (rate and extent of decay), environmental impacts (air, soil, water quality), and bio-security (containment and inactivation of viral organisms) of mortality composting practices that might need to be used in the event of a livestock disease emergency in Iowa. To evaluate the year-round performance of composting, test units are constructed under three seasonal conditions: hot/dry weather (summer), cold weather (winter), and cool/wet weather (spring). Three cover materials that are likely to be available in an emergency: corn silage; ground cornstalks; and manure capped with ground straw; have been tested extensively. Temporary excavation of unturned test units shows that internal organs and soft tissues (but not skeletal remains) are fully decayed in 180 days or less using any of the three cover materials. Corn silage consistently produces the highest internal temperatures (> 60 °C ), while cornstalks typically exhibit the lowest temperatures. Although high internal temperatures are often equated with rapid microbial activity and high rates of decay, observation of equivalent decay in silage and cornstalk test units suggests that decay rates in the cornstalk units are equally good and that heat is being lost convectively as air moves through the relatively permeable cornstalks. This idea is supported by oxygen concentration data which consistently shows higher O2 concentrations in cornstalk test units than in units constructed with corn silage. Threshold odor data for air samples collected from the surface of test units show that 30-45 cm of cover material is effective at containing odorous gases released during carcass decay. Immune system responses in less than 2% of caged sentinel poultry stationed near composting test units seeded with avian vaccine viruses indicate that this depth of cover material is also effective in retaining viral pathogens. With one exception NDV and AE virus samples contained within dialysis cassettes were inactivated within all test units in less than seven days.
Characterizing non-OCD anxiety disorders in psychiatrically referred children and adolescents.

Abstract Background To characterize childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders in a psychiatric clinic. Methods Subjects were 1375 youth referred to a pediatric psychopharmacology program at a major academic center from 1991–2002. DSM-III-R diagnoses were obtained by Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children. Results Of 1375 referred youth, 794 had at least one non-obsessive-compulsive anxiety disorder, and 581 psychiatric comparison subjects had at least one disruptive behavior disorder and no anxiety disorders. There were 367 (46%) youth with one anxiety disorder, 224 (28%) with two disorders. Most prevalent were separation anxiety (49%), and overanxious disorder (47%). Mean ages of onset ranged from simple phobia (4.1) to panic disorder (8.5). Risk analyses revealed anxiety disorders significantly increased risk for anxiety and mood disorders. Conclusions The full complement of anxiety disorders occurs in youth.
Specific cleavage of adenovirus-associated virus DNA by restriction endonuclease R·EcoRI—Characterization of cleavage products

Abstract The cleavage of adenovirus-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) DNA by the restriction endonuclease R· Eco RI was investigated using neutral and alkaline sucrose sedimentation, electrophoresis in composite agarose-acrylamide gels, and reassociation kinetics. Linear monomeric AAV2 DNA duplexes were cleaved at two specific sites to yield three fragments A, B and C, each of which is equivalent to a unique region of the genome of approximately 57.2, 38.2 and 4.6%, respectively. Fragment C may possibly consist of two smaller fragments, and in this case there would be three, rather than two, specific cleavage sites within a 4.6% region of the genome. Cleavage of oligomeric forms of AAV2 DNA (including linear and circular oligomers and network-like structures) yielded fragments A, B and C and two additional components, AB′ and AB . In alkaline sucrose, both AB′ and AB yielded only A and B strands. Component AB′ had a neutral sucrose sedimentation coefficient and electrophoretic mobility close to those of intact linear monomer AAV duplexes whereas AB sedimented more rapidly in neutral sucrose and was specifically trapped close to the electrophoretic origin in composite gels. In conditions expected to dissociate cohesive ends (80° in 1 × SSC), approximately 50% of both AB′ and AB released equimolar amounts of fragments A and B. Therefore, at least part of both AB′ and AB appear to consist of fragments A and B joined by cohesive ends. The remaining portion of both AB′ and AB apparently consists of more bizzare structures such as branched molecules (originating from DNA networks) or they may contain single-stranded regions. The probable physical order of fragments A, B and C in the AAV genome can be deduced.
General properties of energy independent nuclear optical model potentials

An energy independent optical potential for nucleon-nucleus scattering is formally derived. A simple relation between energy dependent and energy independent potentials is established showing that the latter has the same thresholds as the former. A generalized dispersion relation for energy independent potentials is found and compared to the conventional dispersion relation of the generalized energy dependent optical potentials.
A model for the efficient assignment of emergency response employees

This paper is about analysing and improving the emergency response system to gas leaks of a utility company in central Pennsylvania. We use the past thirty months' gas leak data in each county to specify which employee should report to the location at nights, on weekends, and on holidays. This determination is based on distances between his/her home and the incident. The company requires the response time to be shorter than 45 minutes. In this paper, we focus on mathematical modeling for assigning employees to the three counties of interest. Specifically, we use the center-of-gravity method and linear programming to accomplish these assignments. The recommendation of the model is validated by the results of its successful implementation.
REDD1, a Developmentally Regulated Transcriptional Target of p63 and p53, Links p63 to Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species

We identified REDD1 as a novel transcriptional target of p53 induced following DNA damage. During embryogenesis, REDD1 expression mirrors the tissue-specific pattern of the p53 family member p63, and TP63 null embryos show virtually no expression of REDD1, which is restored in mouse embryo fibroblasts following p63 expression. In differentiating primary keratinocytes, TP63 and REDD1 expression are coordinately downregulated, and ectopic expression of either gene inhibits in vitro differentiation. REDD1 appears to function in the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); we show that TP63 null fibroblasts have decreased ROS levels and reduced sensitivity to oxidative stress, which are both increased following ectopic expression of either TP63 or REDD1. Thus, REDD1 encodes a shared transcriptional target that implicates ROS in the p53-dependent DNA damage response and in p63-mediated regulation of epithelial differentiation.
Primary and induced currents from cable discharges

Analysis of cable discharge events (CDE) starts with the basic wire-to-ground pulse and continues, for shielded cables, with induced currents on the signal lines. These situations can be classified and analyzed through step response and impulse response. The essential behaviors can be derived from the uniformly charged shield being grounded to produce induced current on the data lines at the opposite end. This effect is called the W-pulse and is shown to be a kind of step response for both loads. From this and similar results, the effects on shielded cable lines of the commonly-applied IEC 61000-4-2 platform pulse are derived by convolution. Finally, the induced currents resulting from a charged shielded cable above a ground plane are deduced. Because the coupling from shielded cables to internal lines is almost all inductive, we have bipolar induced pulses with zero charge integral. Thus the bipolar data line response to these shielded cable pulses is a significant hazard for pulsed latchup. We discuss adequacy of the low-voltage IEC direct pin pulse (often called direct pin zap or DPZ) for assessing pulsed latchup on external ports, shielded in particular. Finally, it is shown why having connected cables as part of the regular IEC platform test also helps to test for cable discharge latchup hazards.
Situational Cue and Strategy Influence on Speechreading

The influence of situational cues and reasoning strategies on speechreading was studied in normal-hearing and minimally hearing-impaired adults. Everyday Speech Sentences (Davis & Silverman, 1968) produced by a female talker were videotaped without sound in the context of a visual background scene. A non-verbal acoustic signal was matched to each sentence and dubbed onto the recording. Thus, each test item consisted of an inaudible sentence presented with an optical and acoustic situational cue. The experimental task was structured so that subjects speechread sentences using deductive or inductive reasoning strategies. Results demonstrated greater success in speechreading when sentences were matched with related situational cues than when unrelated cues were provided. This difference was noted only when inductive reasoning was used. The findings suggest that situational cues are most useful to the speechreader when he can be assured that a strong relationship exists between the spoken message and the talk...
Medium size cities

Abstract This paper investigates the role of medium size cities in economies, drawing on the experiences of Brazil, Japan, Korea, the USA and other countries. The paper argues that city size distributions are stable over time and that medium size cities are highly specialized, particularly in manufacturing activities, compared to metro areas. The relationship between medium size cities and metro areas is explored, examining issues of industrial suburbanization, the product cycle, edge city formation, and the advent of information technologies.
Presentation, management, and outcomes of diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic patients admitted for acute coronary syndromes.

Several prior studies have shown that patients with diabetes mellitus have worse in-hospital outcomes compared to non-diabetic patients when admitted for an acute myocardial infarction (MI).1,2 Few studies have examined this same issue among patients admitted across the entire spectrum of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) (unstable angina, non-ST elevation MI, ST elevation MI).3,4 Since patients admitted with these diagnoses make up a large proportion of admissions to cardiology services and diabetic patients represent a sizeable portion of these patients, investigation of this cohort is clinically pertinent. In the present study, we analysed patients with and without diabetes, with the goal of systematically examining similarities and differences in presentation, management, and outcomes when admitted for ACS. We studied 1951 consecutive patients who were admitted to the University of Michigan Medical Center from 27 December 1998 to 16 October 2002 with a diagnosis of ACS. The protocol was approved by the institutional review board at the University of Michigan and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Diabetes was defined as a known history of type I or type II diabetes mellitus treated with diet, oral glucose lowering agents, or insulin. Patients utilising insulin for the management of their diabetes before admission were included in the insulin treated diabetic …
Metal ion insertion into N-alkylated and N,N′-dialkylated porphyrins

Abstract Addition of FeCl 3 /Fe to N-(2,2′-bis-p-chlorophenylethenyl)tetraphenyl porphyrin yields the iron(II) insertion product which has been characterized by extensive 1 H and 2 H NMR studies. The pyrrole protons of this and other N-alkyl porphyrin Fe(II) complexes shown up as four equally intense resonances with chemical shifts at 25 °C of 28, 20, 8 and −6 ppm. The NMR spectra clearly distinguish between N-alkyl porphyrin complexes of Fe(II) and Fe(III) complexes of similar symmetry in which a carbene is inserted into the FeN bond. Treatment of N,N′-bis(2,2′- p -chlorophenylethenyl)tetraphenyl porphyrin with metal carbonyls can result in the rupture of one or both NC bonds. Thus with Fe 3 (CO) 12 the iron(II) carbene complex TPPFe (C = C{C 6 H 4 Cl} 2 ) is formed while Ni(CO) 4 nickel is inserted into one NC bond to form I. ( See next column ).
Effectiveness of Subcutaneously Administered Oxytocin upon Removal of Residual Milk

Abstract Oxytocin was injected subcutaneously into 16 dairy cattle at a level of 20 IU immediately after the pm milking, to obtain residual milk. Intervals of 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes from injection to harvesting residual milk were tested each for one week on alternate weeks over an eight-week period. Milking time for residual milk was standardized to five minutes. The amount of residual milk and per cent residual milk of normal pm milk increased significantly when delay times of ten minutes or longer were compared to a five-minute delay. Mean per cent residual milk for 16 cows based on six-day averages was 16.8%. Per cent residual milk was higher in low producers than in medium producers, but the percentages within each group increased as the level of production increased. Variations in per cent residual milk showed a skewed distribution, with some cows having as high as 68% residual milk. Milk fat per cent increased in residual milk, but not as much in low producers as in medium producers. Oxytocin treatment to remove residual milk did not result in decreased production at the succeeding am milking.
Monoliths from poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate and dimethacrylate for capillary hydrophobic interaction chromatography of proteins

Rigid monoliths were synthesized solely from poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylates (PEGDA) or poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylates (PEGDMA) containing different ethylene glycol chain lengths by one-step UV-initiated polymerization. Methanol/ethyl ether and cyclohexanol/decanol were used as bi-porogen mixtures for the PEGDA and PEGDMA monoliths, respectively. Effects of PEG chain length, bi-porogen ratio and reaction temperature on monolith morphology and back pressure were investigated. For tri- and tetra-ethylene glycol diacrylates (i.e., PEGDA 258 and PEGDA 302), most combinations of methanol and ethyl ether were effective in forming monoliths, while for diacrylates containing longer chain lengths (i.e., PEGDA 575 and PEGDA 700), polymerization became more sensitive to the bi-porogen ratio. A similar tendency was also observed for PEGDMA monomers. Polymerization of monoliths was conducted at approximately 0 degrees C and room temperature, which produced significant differences in monolith morphology and permeability. Monoliths prepared from PEGDA 258 were found to provide the best chromatographic performance with respect to peak capacity and resolution in hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). Detailed study of these monoliths demonstrated that chromatographic performance was not affected by changing the ratios of the two porogens, but resulted in almost identical retention times and comparable peak capacities. An optimized PEGDA 258 monolithic column was able to separate proteins using a 20-min elution gradient with a peak capacity of 62. Mass recoveries for test proteins were found to be greater than 90, indicating its excellent biocompatibility. All monoliths demonstrated nearly no swelling or shrinking in different polarity solvents, and most of them could be stored dry, indicating excellent stability due to their highly crosslinked networks. The preparation of these in situ polymerized single-monomer monolithic columns was highly reproducible. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values based on retention times of retained proteins were all within 2.2%, and in most cases, less than 1.2%. The RSD values based on peak areas were within 9.5%, and in most cases, less than 7.0%. The single-monomer synthesis approach clearly improves column-to-column reproducibility.
A new species of Allium (Liliaceae)

Allium stoloniferum, a new species from southern Mexico, belongs to theA. kunthii alliance on the basis of the appearance of the perianth segments and the presence of long slender rhizomes, but differs by the presence of bulbils.
A phase-response curve to the benzodiazepine chlordiazepoxide and the effect of geniculo-hypothalamic tract ablation

Abstract The geniculo-hypothalamic tract (GHT) provides input to the mammalian circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Several recent reports indicate that GHT ablation blocks phase shifts to the benzodiazepines triazolam and chlordiazepoxide at circadian times (CTs) 6 and 21. In this study we tested if GHT ablation blocks phase shifts to chlordiazepoxide at a wide range of circadian phases. Syrian hamsters were housed under constant dim light, and running-wheel activity rhythms were monitored. Intraperitoneal injections of either chlordiazepoxide (100 mg/kg) or saline were administered at various circadian times, and a phase-response curve was constructed. In intact animals, chlordiazepoxide produced phase-advance shifts at CTs 0, 4, 6, and 8, and phase-delay shifts between CTs 12–14. Although bursts of increased activity were sometimes observed on the day of injection, activity does not appear to mediate chlordiazepoxide-induced phase shifts. Hamsters with >45% GHT ablation showed no phase shifts >20 min to chlordiazepoxide. Our results indicate that the geniculo-hypothalamic tract is necessary for the phase-shifting effects of the benzodiazepine chlordiazepoxide throughout the circadian cycle.
On the transport of bodies within and from the asteroid belt

— This paper explores two processes, sweeping secular resonance (Ward, 1981) and gas drag (Lecar and Franklin, 1997), at work during the dispersal of the solar nebula. we have two aims not previously considered for the two mechanisms: (1) to explain the likely depletion, by a factor of 1000 or so, of the rocky material in the inner belt (2.0 3.3 AU) well into the inner one, and that an object already in the inner belt as large or even larger than Vesta (r = 250 km)—thought to be the parent body of many meteorites—can be inwardly displaced by as much as an astronomical unit if the nebula dispersal times lie close to 105 years. For such times, a large fraction of the inner belt's primordial mass can be ejected, with most of it passing into the inner solar system.
Hepatitis C treatment update.

Hepatitis C is a leading cause of chronic liver disease in the United States, and the prevalence of hepatitis C–associated complications is increasing. Therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin has become the standard of care for chronic hepatitis C; the sustained response rate for treatment-naive patients is about 55%. If certain patients fail to achieve a 12-week treatment milestone, an early virologic response, they may be taken off treatment early, potentially sparing them from unnecessary medication. Adherence is critical for treatment success. Although side effects continue to be a hindrance to the success of therapy, agents such as growth factors and antidepressants may help patients to maintain medication dosing and complete treatment. Therapy is generally recommended for those in whom the infection is most likely to progress to cirrhosis; however, there is continued debate about the suitability of certain patients for treatment, including those with persistently normal aminotransferase levels or acute hepatitis C and nonresponders to conventional treatment. Four broad groups of investigational therapeutic agents appear promising for future therapy: modified interferons and ribavirins, immunomodulators, viral life-cycle targets, and antifibrotic agents.
1271 PDA WITH SURFACTANT REPLACEMENT THERAPY

Surfactant instillation into the trachea of preterm infants with RDS is associated with a 90% incidence of PDA. We studied the effects of surfactant therapy on the ductus arteriosus (DA) in 12 preterm lambs (.89 gestation). Flow (Q) across the DA and systemic blood flow were calculated from microsphere injections. All 12 lambs were paralyzed and ventilated with 100% O2. All developed respiratory failure (pH 60) by 30 min after birth. Between 30-60 mins after birth, 6 lambs were treated with tracheal instillation of 50 mg/kg surfactant lipid (purified from alveolar washes from adult sheep). There were no significant differences between control and treated animals prior to surfactant instillation for PCO2, pH, prostaglandin (PG) E2 concentrations, the ratio of L→R shunt through the DA vs systemic flow (Q shunt/Q syst), DA resistance, or the ratio of pulmonary to systemic vascular resistance (RP/RS). By 2 hr after birth treated lambs differed significantly from controls in pH (7.27±02 vs 6.97±08) and PCO2 (43.3±4.1 vs 85±15). There were no differences in PO2 (146±50 vs 84±44), PGE2 concentrations or DA resistance. However, there was a significantly larger shunt through the DA in treated lambs (Q shunt/syst=.70±.14 vs .25±10). This increased DA shunt was due to the significant drop in pulmonary vascular resistance (RP/RS=.47±.08 vs .76±.08) and not to a change in patency of the DA. Surfactant replacement may require interventions directed at the PDA to adequately treated sick preterm infants.
The synthesis and characterization of 8-methoxy-5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin: a coenzyme B12 analog which, following Co–C bond homolysis, avoids cyclization of the 8-methoxy-5′-deoxyadenosyl radical

Abstract The compound 8-methoxy-5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (8-MeOAdoCbl), has been synthesized in 37% yield and ≥95% purity by HPLC, monitored at both 254 and 525 nm, or 90±2% purity as judged by the 1H NMR spectrum of the aromatic cobalamin region. This is the first synthesis of this complex in which sufficient details are reported, where a yield and purity are reported, and where key problems in the synthesis and purification are overcome, so that 8-MeOAdoCbl can actually be obtained for use in other studies. Also demonstrated is the clean Co–C bond homolysis of 8-MeOAdoCbl to give initially 8-MeOAdoCbl and Co(II)Cbl in a UV–visible thermolysis experiment at 110 °C, results which show that the 8-MeO moiety suppresses the cyclization to the 8,5′-anhydro-adenosine otherwise seen for the adenosyl radical (Ado)⋅. Suppression of this cyclization pathway makes 8-MeOAdoCbl invaluable for studying the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of the Ado⋅ plus substrate H⋅ abstraction reaction, a component of the first definitive test of Klinman’s hypothesis that the optimization of enzyme catalysis may entail strategies that increase the probability of tunneling and thereby accelerate H⋅ atom abstraction reaction rates.
Protein conformational stability probed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

We have probed the conformational stability of cellular retinoic acid-binding protein I, a predominantly β-sheet protein, using hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange in solution. Transiently populated intermediate states were detected using H/D exchange measurement under mildly denaturing conditions (pH 2.5 and room temperature). By inducing collisionally activated dissociation in the nozzle-skimmer region of the electrospray source of an FT ICR mass spectrometer (MS), residue-specific information was obtained as to the degree of protection of backbone amide hydrogen atoms as a function of exchange time. The measurements do not appear to be influenced by intramolecular proton mobility in the gas phase. Multiply charged fragment ions covering half of the protein sequence were readily assigned using the extremely high resolution of FT ICR, allowing in some cases protection at individual amide hydrogen atoms to be measured. The results reveal distinct structural regions featuring very different backbone protecti...
A validated risk calculator to assess risk and rate of visual field progression in treated glaucoma patients.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To develop and validate a model to predict visual field (VF) outcomes in patients with treated glaucoma. Methods: Data from 587 eyes with treated glaucoma evaluated in a cohort were used to develop two equations to predict VF outcomes, one estimating the risk of progression (%) and another estimating the global rate of VF sensitivity change (dB/yr). These equations, which included variables associated with VF progression in a multivariable model, were then tested in another cohort (n= 62 eyes) followed for at least 4 years. Agreement, discrimination, and calibration of the model in the validation sample were assessed as main outcome measures. Results: The mean difference between observed and predicted global rates of sensitivity change was 0.13 dB/yr (95% CI= 0.06 to 0.18 dB/yr) and the mean difference between observed and predicted final VF MD values was 0.37 dB (95% CI= 0.00 to 0.75 dB). The predictive model had moderate discriminative ability to estimate VF progression in the independent sample (c-index of 0.78, 95% CI = 0.59 to 0.97).
Cytogenetic evidence for clonal evolution in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract Sequential cytogenetic studies were performed in eight of ten patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia presenting with trisomy 12 as the sole chromosomal abnormality. Follow-up studies of peripheral blood lymphocytes revealed that the karyotypes retained the sole abnormality of trisomy 12 in five cases, trisomy 12 converted to a normal karyotype during remission in one case, additional chromosome changes (−X,14q−) along with trisomy 12 appeared in one patient and multiple chromosome changes with or without trisomy 12 appeared in the remaining patient. The findings indicate that other chromosome changes in addition to trisomy 12 may develop as a result of clonal evolution or dedifferentiation, though the possibility that in two patients these changes may be related to chemotherapy and/or irradiation could not be ruled out entirely.
Strategic Planning for Electronic Resources Management: A Case Study at Gustavus Adolphus College

Electronic resources, the tools we use to manage them, and the needs and expectations of our users are constantly evolving; at the same time, the roles, responsibilities, and workflow of the library staff who manage e-resources are also in flux. Recognizing a need to be more intentional and proactive about how we manage e-resources, the e-resources librarian and serials manager at a liberal arts college library collaborated on a formal strategic planning process. This article presents a case study of strategic planning for e-resources management—from development to implementation. By using a collaborative, task-based approach, the strategic planning process helped us redefine roles and workflow and prompted us to think creatively about how we can improve e-resources management in our library.
Effects of sphincteroplasty and endoscopic sphincterotomy on the bacteriologic characteristics of the common bile duct

Forty-five patients with sphincter of Oddi stenosis had specimens of common bile duct cultured during ERCP before either sphincteroplasty or endoscopic sphincterotomy. All had sterile bile before sphincter ablation. Bile was recultured 6 to 36 months later during endoscopy at which time 70 percent of the sphincterotomy and 76 percent of the sphincteroplasty patients had bile colonized principally by enteric organisms. Growth was heavy to moderate in most of the patients and contained few nasopharyngeal organisms. Despite bactobilia, no patient had symptomatic cholangitis, presumably due to excellent drainage of bile. The most likely source of the bactobilia is from direct extension of duodenal organisms into the common bile duct.
A biomimetic approach to the deposition of ZrO2 films on self-assembled nanoscale templates

Abstract Zirconium oxide thin films were deposited on a phosphonate-terminated self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a single crystal silicon substrate by a hydrolysis of zirconium sulfate solution in acid environment at 80 °C. The ZrO2 films consist of tetragonal ZrO2 crystallites with a size of 5–10 nm. Surface nucleation and attraction between the SAM surface and bulk precipitates in solution can explain the film formation. In both mechanisms, the surface functionality of the SAM plays a crucial role. This deposition approach was inspired by biomineralization through controlled deposition of inorganic solids on an ordered organic matrix. Microstructures and mechanical properties of the ZrO2 thin films were studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM), cross-sectional transmission electron microscope (TEM) and nanoindentation. Microstructures were tailored at different stages of the film growth, as well as with processing parameters and substrate surface conditions. The nanoindentation modulus and hardness of the as-deposited ZrO2 films were much lower than those of the bulk ZrO2. The addition of extra pressure during this process, however, restores mechanical properties of ZrO2 films.
The ichnogenus Tremichnus in the Lower Silurian of western New York

Discovery of Tremichnus cysticus Brett on a crinoid pluricolumnal from the Willowvale Shale of western New York extends the range of this ichnogenus into the Lower Silurian. Pits attributable to Tremichnus apparently represent embedment sites of parasites or commensalistic, filter-feeding organisms of unknown affinities. Embedment of T. cysticus may have been accomplished by localized inhibition of stereom growth within the pits aided by secretion of substances that stimulated accretion of stereom by the host pelmatozoan in areas immediately surrounding the pits.
Nondestructive determination of material stiffness for potential application at dams and landfills

Most conventional seismic geophysical means of determining material stiffness (e.g., shear modulus) for engineering studies have important limitations when used at dams and landfills because they are intrusive and the results are adversely affected by the inherent non-isotropic state of stress beneath slopes. One exception is the spectral-analysis-of-surface-waves (SASW) method which provides a non-destructive and non-intrusive means of measuring Rayleigh wave dispersion which can then be used to determine the vertical variation of material stiffness. The SASW method was developed under `level ground' assumptions and has proven to be an effective method for layered media. The SASW method was recently found to be an appropriate method to determine stiffness for sloping ground conditions. The potential application of the SASW method to slopes of dams and landfills is addressed by presenting the results of this theoretical study of surface wave propagation in sloping ground and a validation study at a sloping ground site.