cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Specific immunohistochemical pattern of carbonic anhydrase IX is helpful for the diagnosis of CNS hemangioblastoma.

Abstract Hemangioblastomas are rare capillary-rich tumors predominantly found in the CNS. The histological appearance of these tumors varies across a broad spectrum. Several entities show considerable histomorphological similarities to hemangioblastomas. Therefore, morphological evaluation can be challenging. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic utility of immunohistochemistry using antibodies against carbonic anhydrase IX and cytokeratin staining. Within our files, we identified 20 hemangioblastomas. A collection of 46 other tumors relevant to the differential diagnosis (12 pilocytic astrocytomas, 11 meningiomas, one pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, one angiomatous fibrous histiocytoma, 14 carcinoma metastases and seven gliomas grades II–IX) served as control. The pattern of strong, diffuse expression of carbonic anhydrase IX with membranous accentuation in combination with keratin negativity was considered diagnostic for hemangioblastomas. It was found in 18 out of 20 (90%) hemangioblastomas and in none of the control cases (P
Concentration and removal efficiency of major and trace elements in municipal wastewater

Abstract Concentrations of P, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr, Pb, Ni, Ag, Cd, As, Co, Hg, and Se in the influent and effluent of 25 sewage treatment systems in different metropolitan areas of the United States were measured. Attenuation of the concentrations of these elements in primary effluents, secondary effluents, and discharges, relative to raw sewage, was calculated. These calculations indicate that the best removal occurs for Pb, followed by Zn, Fe, Cr, Cd, Cu, P, Ag, Ni, Mn, and Co.
An analysis of CSTRs in series for solution copolymerization

Continuous copolymerization is used in order to achieve a product of uniform composition. However, it is difficult to attain high conversions without resorting to very high residence times in a single tank. The way to avoid this is to use a series of stirred reactors with addition of one comonomer and initiator to each one after the first. The allowable half-life of the initator is a function of the residence time. When all the reactors are equal in volume so that the residence time is the same in each, it can be shown that the incremental conversion in each successive reactor must decrease in a well-ordered manner. As a specific example, a copolymerization is postulated with total polymer concentration restricted to the region where viscosity is manageable with conventional mixing equipment. Under these conditions the relative reactivity ratios are presumed to be constant and temperature can be held within narrow bounds.
Medulloblastomas and central nervous system primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

Significant advances in the treatment of medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors have been made in the past three decades. Maximal surgical resection is a mainstay of therapy. However, unlike many other central nervous system neoplasms, medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors are radiation and chemotherapy responsive. Despite this response, the prognosis for patients with these tumors remains variable and is relatively poor in infants and patients with metastatic disease. These tumors most commonly arise in children, thus most clinical trials emphasize the reduction of long-term sequelae, in addition to improving survival. All newly diagnosed patients who are eligible should be offered participation in a clinical trial. If a patient is ineligible or declines consent/ assent for a clinical trial, the best current treatment approach is surgical resection, followed by radiation therapy (except for children younger than 3 years) with weekly vincristine. For high-risk patients, 36 Gy of craniospinal irradiation should be delivered plus a boost of 19.8 Gy to the posterior fossa/primary tumor bed and sites of bulk metastatic disease. For average-risk patients, the craniospinal irradiation dose may be lowered to 23.4 Gy plus 32.4 Gy to the posterior fossa/tumor bed. After radiation therapy, intensive multimodal chemotherapy should be used for all patients.
The Mechanism by Which a Propeptide-encoded pH Sensor Regulates Spatiotemporal Activation of Furin

The proprotein convertase furin requires the pH gradient of the secretory pathway to regulate its multistep, compartment-specific autocatalytic activation. Although His-69 within the furin prodomain serves as the pH sensor that detects transport of the propeptide-enzyme complex to the trans-Golgi network, where it promotes cleavage and release of the inhibitory propeptide, a mechanistic understanding of how His-69 protonation mediates furin activation remains unclear. Here we employ biophysical, biochemical, and computational approaches to elucidate the mechanism underlying the pH-dependent activation of furin. Structural analyses and binding experiments comparing the wild-type furin propeptide with a nonprotonatable His-69 → Leu mutant that blocks furin activation in vivo revealed protonation of His-69 reduces both the thermodynamic stability of the propeptide as well as its affinity for furin at pH 6.0. Structural modeling combined with mathematical modeling and molecular dynamic simulations suggested that His-69 does not directly contribute to the propeptide-enzyme interface but, rather, triggers movement of a loop region in the propeptide that modulates access to the cleavage site and, thus, allows for the tight pH regulation of furin activation. Our work establishes a mechanism by which His-69 functions as a pH sensor that regulates compartment-specific furin activation and provides insights into how other convertases and proteases may regulate their precise spatiotemporal activation.
Midnight at the IDL: student confusion and textbook error

Students completing a time calculation exercise identified the International Date Line (IDL) as a conceptual source of confusion and poor performance. From the early 1950s to the present, various geography textbooks have promulgated misstatements involving the occurrence of midnight at the IDL. This condition's persistence and ubiquity manifests a widespread fundamental misunderstanding, providing an opportunity to (a) illuminate the low level of student success when solving an IDL‐influenced problem, (b) present an overview of textbook error, (c) explore how the evolution of the standard time system led to IDL errors in geography textbooks, and (d) offer proof dispelling these misconceptions.
Malignant acanthosis nigricans, tripe palms and the sign of Leser-Tre'lat, a hint to the diagnosis of early stage ovarian cancer: a case report and review of the literature.

Abstract Background Malignant acanthosis nigricans is a mucocutaneous eruption associated with internal malignancies. Tripe palms refers to a characteristic velvety thickening of the palms, with exaggeration of normal skin markings. The sign of Leser-Tre'lat is the presence of multiple seborrheic keratoses and scattered skin tags caused by a malignancy. We are reporting the first case of ovarian cancer in association with three coexisting cutaneous paraneoplastic dermatosis. Case A 52-year-old female presented with skin manifestation consistent with MAN, TP and the sign of Leser-Tre'lat. Patient underwent extensive work up and was discovered to have stage I, high grade adenocarcinoma of the ovary. Skin manifestations gradually recovered after initiation of chemotherapy. Conclusion The presence of acanthosis nigricans in conjunction with tripe palms and the sign of Leser-Tre'lat are highly suggestive of an internal malignancy and necessitate an extensive investigation in order to discover the underlying malignancy.
The evolution of electronic structure in AlnCom

The ionization potentials of AlnCom clusters (n>m) have been bracketed using laser photoionization mass spectrometry. We find the electronic shell structure manifested in the ionization potentials of Aln for n≥7 is observed also for AlnCo and AlnCo2, and is consistent with cobalt contributing one electron to the conduction band of the cluster. However, with increasing number of cobalt atoms, this simple picture breaks down; all vestiges of aluminum cluster electronic shell structure are absent for m≥4.
Comprehensive spectroscopic, steady state, and transient kinetic studies of a representative siderophore-associated flavin monooxygenase.

Many siderophores used for the uptake and intracellular storage of essential iron contain hydroxamate chelating groups. Their biosyntheses are typically initiated by hydroxylation of the primary amine side chains of l-ornithine or l-lysine. This reaction is catalyzed by members of a widespread family of FAD-dependent monooxygenases. Here the kinetic mechanism for a representative family member has been extensively characterized by steady state and transient kinetic methods, using heterologously expressed N5-l-ornithine monooxygenase from the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Spectroscopic data and kinetic analyses suggest a model in which a molecule of hydroxylatable substrate serves as an activator for the reaction of the reduced flavin and O2. The rate acceleration is only ∼5-fold, a mild effect of substrate on formation of the C4a-hydroperoxide that does not influence the overall rate of turnover. The effect is also observed with the bacterial ornithine monooxygenase PvdA. The C4a-hydroperoxide is stabilized in the absence of hydroxylatable substrate by the presence of bound NADP+ (t½ = 33 min, 25 °C, pH 8). NADP+ therefore is a likely regulator of O2 and substrate reactivity in the siderophore-associated monooxygenases. Aside from the activating effect of the hydroxylatable substrate, the siderophore-associated monooxygenases share a kinetic mechanism with the hepatic microsomal flavin monooxygenases and bacterial Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases, with which they share only moderate sequence homology and from which they are distinguished by their acute substrate specificity. The remarkable specificity of the N5-l-ornithine monooxygenase-catalyzed reaction suggests added means of reaction control beyond those documented in related well characterized flavoenzymes.
Slow-progressing photoreceptor cell degeneration in night blindness c mutant zebrafish

We describe here the morphological and functional alterations of the retina of mutant zebrafish, night blindness c (nbc). The nbc mutant was isolated from the F1 generation of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenized founders. Visual sensitivity of wildtype and heterozygous (nbc +/−) mutant fish was determined using a behavioral assay based on visually mediated escape responses. Histology, immunocytochemistry, and electroretinography were used to study structural and functional changes of the outer retina. The behavioral visual response of nbc +/− mutants started to deteriorate at 12 months of age. Considerable variations existed between the extents of retinal degeneration of individual fish. In the most severe cases, both rod and cone outer segments were degenerated. In moderate cases, only rod outer segments were affected. Yet in other cases, no degeneration was detected. The retina of homozygous (nbc −/−) larvae had a normal appearance. However, they develop abnormally and died before 9 days post fertilization. In conclusion, nbc causes late-onset and progressive dominant retinal degeneration of both rod and cone photoreceptor cells. However, nbc is not a retina-specific gene, as the homozygous fish displayed extra-retinal defects.
Biochemical and immunocytochemical characterization of calsenilin in mouse brain.

Abstract Mutations in the presenilin 1 and 2 genes cause the majority of early onset familial forms of Alzheimer’s disease. Here we describe the biochemical and immunohistochemical characterization of calsenilin, a novel calcium binding protein that we have previously shown to interact with presenilins 1 and 2, in mouse brain. The co-immunoprecipitation of endogenous calsenilin and presenilin 1 demonstrates that these proteins are physiologic binding partners. Although calsenilin has been predicted to be a soluble protein, we have found that the majority of it is tightly associated with the cytoplasmic face of intracellular membranes and that it can only be dissociated using harsh treatments such as urea. In addition, we have demonstrated that calsenilin is a developmentally regulated protein that is mainly present in the brain, where it localizes to both the hippocampus and cerebellum. Calsenilin staining co-localized with the somatodendritic marker microtubule-associated protein-2 primarily in the granular cell layer of the cerebellum, indicating that calsenilin expression is primarily neuronal. In primary cultured neurons, calsenilin immunoreactivity was observed in cell bodies as well as in some neuronal processes. Co-localization experiments using specific axonal and dendritic markers indicate that these processes were mainly axonal in nature, although a smaller subset of dendrites also appears to contain calsenilin. In summary, we have established that calsenilin and presenilin 1 can interact at physiologic levels, and that calsenilin is a developmentally regulated protein that is expressed primarily in the cerebellum and hippocampus. Although calsenilin is a soluble protein, it is tightly associated with the membrane. Finally, the expression pattern of calsenilin, which is similar to that of the presenilin(s), suggests that the common locations of these two proteins provide an opportunity for physical interaction in vivo.
Computational Design of the Sequence and Structure of a Protein-Binding Peptide

The de novo design of protein-binding peptides is challenging because it requires the identification of both a sequence and a backbone conformation favorable for binding. We used a computational strategy that iterates between structure and sequence optimization to redesign the C-terminal portion of the RGS14 GoLoco motif peptide so that it adopts a new conformation when bound to Gα(i1). An X-ray crystal structure of the redesigned complex closely matches the computational model, with a backbone root-mean-square deviation of 1.1 A.
An algorithm to determine if two matrices have common eigenvalues

Given two real lower Hessenberg matrices A and B of order n and m (m \leq n) , respectively, a symmetric matrix of order n is constructed such that whenever S is nonsingular, A and B do not have an eigenvalue in common. When S is singular, its nullity, is the same as the number of common eigenvalues between A and B . A well-known classical result on the relative primeness of two polynomials and the associated Bezoutian matrix is included as a special case.
SU‐E‐T‐533: Evaluation of Dose Calculation Accuracy for Small Elongated Targets On the Edge Linac

Purpose: To evaluate output factors and dose calculation accuracy on a novel SRS linear accelerator, the Edge (Varian), for treatments of small, elongated targets using flattening filter free (FFF) beam. Methods: Total scatter/output factors (OF’s) for 24 elongated, small, high definition multi-leaf collimator (HDMLC)-defined fields were measured on the Edge machine using 6X FFF beam. 3 detectors were used in water tank: CC01 ion chamber (active volume 10cc), stereotactic photon diode (SFD) (active diameter 0.6mm, active thickness 0.06mm), Edge detector (active volume 0.0019cc). The 24 MLC apertures have widths ranging from 5 to 20mm and length/width ratio from 0.25 to 5. Readings were cross calibrated with CC04 at field size 3×3 cm. A beam model was developed using commissioning measurements for treatment planning in Eclipse (AAA, version 11). One representative patient case (IMRT, target volume 0.2cc, 4×4×14mm) was calculated using AAA 11 and delivered on the Edge. Results: Due to volume averaging effects, CC01 readings were 11.2±0.9% lower than SFD readings for 5mm field sizes. The Edge diode showed a uniform over-response of 2.6±0.7% compared to SFD. Calculation using AAA v11 showed the best agreement with SFD measurements (2.4±1.7% lower than SFD). The largest difference between AAA v11 and SFD occurs at 5mm field sizes. For the patient plan, dose delivered on Edge was measured to be 2.2% higher than AAA v11 calculation. Conclusion: Cross-calibrated SFD output measurements presented the best agreement with commissioned AAA v11 beam model. Field sizes smaller than 1cm posed challenges to both the detectors and the calculation algorithm. For the representative patient with small elongated target, AAA v11 and measurements agreed within ~2% on the Edge linac. Although encouraging, a more comprehensive study is required to validate the overall algorithmic accuracy.
Resilience of Rhodobacter sphaeroides Cytochrome bc1 to Heme c1 Ligation Changes

Typically, c hemes are bound to the protein through two thioether bonds to cysteines and two axial ligands to the heme iron. In high-potential class I c-type cytochromes, these axial ligands are commonly His-Met. A change in this methionine axial ligand is often correlated with a dramatic drop in the heme redox potential and loss of function. Here we describe a bacterial cytochrome c with an unusual tolerance to the alternations in the heme ligation pattern. Substitution of the heme ligating methionine (M185) in cytochrome c 1 of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides cytochrome bc 1 complex with Lys and Leu lowers the redox midpoint potential but not enough to prevent physiologically competent electron transfer in these fully functional variants. Only when Met-185 is replaced with His is the drop in the redox potential sufficiently large to cause cytochrome bc 1 electron transfer chain failure. Functional mutants preserve the structural integrity of the heme crevice: only the nonfunctional His variant allows carbon monoxide to bind to reduced heme, indicating a significant opening of the heme environment. This range of cytochrome c 1 ligand mutants exposes both the relative resilience to sixth axial ligand change and the ultimate thermodynamic limits of operation of the cofactor chains in cytochrome bc 1 .
Role of rituximab in first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a biologically heterogeneous illness that primarily afflicts the elderly. For many decades, the initial therapy for most patients requiring treatment was limited to single-agent alkylator therapy. Within the last two decades, we have seen remarkable progress in understanding the biology of CLL and the development of more effective treatment strategies that have employed monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab (anti-CD20). Furthermore, recognition of the synergy between fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) prompted investigators to explore the clinical activity of FCR in Phase II and III trials in patients with relapsed/refractory or previously untreated CLL. On the basis of these findings, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved rituximab in combination with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory or previously untreated CD20-postive CLL. Recent data from a randomized Phase III trial has confirmed improved overall survival with FCR in patients with previously untreated CLL. However, FCR is not for everyone. More tolerable regimens using rituximab for the elderly and less fit patients are being pursued in clinical trials. Recent Phase II trials have explored potentially less myelosuppressive approaches by using lower doses of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, replacing fludarabine with pentostatin, and combining rituximab with chlorambucil. Furthermore new biomarkers predictive of early disease progression have prompted investigators to explore the benefits of early treatment with rituximab combined with other agents. In addition to the proven utility of rituximab as a frontline agent for CLL, rituximab has a favorable toxicity profile both as a single agent and in combination with chemotherapy. The majority of adverse events are Grade 1 and 2 infusion-related reactions (fevers, chills, and rigors) and occur with the first dose of rituximab. The improved tolerability observed with second and subsequent infusions allows for shorter infusion times. Rituximab’s proven activity and favorable toxicity profile has made it an ideal agent for expanding treatment options for patients with CLL, the majority of whom are elderly.
Multilayer relaxation of Cu(331)

Both quantitative low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) analysis and theoretical predictions based on the embedded-atom method suggested that Cu(331) has a sequence of interlayer spacing contractions and expansions dissimilar to that expected for a terrace with three atomic layers. To understand the anomalous behavior of Cu(331), we have performed a comparative study of Cu(331) and Cu(211) by using the first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method within the generalized gradient approximation. For both surfaces, our calculations reproduce the multilayer relaxation sequences given by LEED measurements. The electronic structure analysis indicates that the seemingly anomalous multilayer relaxation in Cu(331) can also be understood in the charge smoothing picture. However, the trend of charge smoothing in such transition metal surfaces depends not only on how many atomic layers a terrace has, but also on the bond-length\char21{}bond-order interplays.
Membrane marker enzymes: Isolation, purification, and properties of 5′-nucleotidase from rat cerebellum

A 5′-nucleotidase (5′-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.5) from rat cerebellum was purified 855-fold by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation and column chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and G-200. The enzyme was activated by divalent cations with Mg2+, Cp2+, and Mn2+ being the most efficient activators. The 5′-nucleotidase had an optimum pH of 6.8 ± 0.2. The relative rates of hydrolysis of 5′-AMP, 5′-UMP, 5′-CMP, 5′-GMP and 5′-IMP were 100, 46, 35, 17 and 9, respectively; there was no hydrolysis of 2′- or 3′-nucleoside monophosphates. Values for the Michaelis constant were 5′-AMP, 0.08 mM; 5′-UMP, 0.82 mM; 5′-CMP, 0.92 mM; 5′-GMP, 1.41 mM; and 5′-IMP, 2.1 mM. Using 5′-AMP as substrate the 5′-nucleotidase was inhibited by NaF, HgCl2, CuCl2, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate. The 5′-nucleotidase was inhibited by 5 · 10−3M thymidine, guanosine and inosine but not by uridine or adenosine. The concentrations of ATP, UTP, ITP, CTP and GTP required to inhibit the hydrolysis of 5′-AMP by 50% were 10, 68, 240, 250 and 720 μM, respectively.
Molecular Mechanisms of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase-mediated Apoptosis Induced by Anticarcinogenic Isothiocyanates *

Isothiocyanates have strong chemopreventive properties against many carcinogen-induced cancers in experimental animal models. Here, we report that phenylmethyl isocyacyanate (PMITC) and phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) induced sustained c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation in a dose-dependent manner. The sustained JNK activation caused by isothiocyanates was associated with apoptosis induction in various cell types. An inhibitor of the caspase/interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme blocked isothiocyanate-induced apoptosis without inhibiting the JNK activation, which suggests that JNK activation by isothiocyanates is an event that is independent or upstream of the activation of caspase/interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme proteases. PEITC-induced apoptosis was suppressed by interfering with the JNK pathway with a dominant-negative mutant of JNK1 or MEKK1 (JNK1(APF) and MEKK1 (KR), respectively), implying that the JNK pathway is required for apoptotic signaling. Isothiocyanate-induced JNK activation was blocked by the antioxidants 2-mercaptoethanol and N-acetyl-L-cysteine, suggesting that the death signaling was triggered by oxidative stress. Overexpression of Bcl-2 suppressed PEITC-induced JNK activation. In addition, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL suppressed PEITC-induced apoptosis, but failed to protect cells from death induced by overexpression of activated JNK1. These results suggest that Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL are upstream of JNK. Taken together, our results indicate (i) that JNK mediates PMITC- and PEITC-induced apoptosis and (ii) that PMITC and PEITC may have chemotherapeutic functions besides their chemopreventive functions.
Creating common ground: A lesson from the past

Orthodox business ethics, conventional management theory, and a great deal of higher education embody the overriding emphasis accorded to “analysis” by yesteryear's science. An alternative strategy, exemplified by the war stories told by a Confederate Genral, is more consistent with late 20th century science in general and soft systems methodology in particular. The characteristic way of management that we have taught... is to take a complex system, divide it into parts, and then try to manage each part as well as possible. And if that's done, the system as a whole will behave well, and that's absolutely false because it's possible to improve the performance of each part taken separately and destroy the system at the same time. Russell Ackoff
Stabilized finite element methods with fast iterative solution algorithms for the Stokes problem

This paper studies a new absolutely stabilized formulation for the Stokes problem that is a modification of the method of [13]. It is shown that the bilinear form is elliptic and continuous with respect to the H1-norm for the velocity and the L2-norm for the pressure. Optimal order error estimates for the finite element approximation of both the velocity and pressure in L2 are established, as well as one in H1 for the velocity. The formulation is nonsymmetric. We then introduce two symmetrized forms which retain ellipticity and continuity with respect to the same norm. It will be shown that the preconditioned conjugate gradient method and other existing iterative approaches can be applied with a convergence rate uniform in the number of unknowns. Also, modifications of other stabilized finite element methods are considered.
Multiplex fiber optic biosensor for detection of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica from ready-to-eat meat samples.

Abstract Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica are the most common foodborne bacterial pathogens and are responsible for many outbreaks. Therefore, multiplex detection of these three using a single assay platform is highly desirable. The objective was to develop and optimize a fiber optic sensor for simultaneous detection of these three from food. The streptavidin coated optical waveguides were immobilized with biotinylated polyclonal antibodies and exposed to the bacterial suspensions or enriched food samples for 2 h. Pathogens were detected after reacting with Alexa-Fluor 647-labeled monoclonal antibodies. Ready-to-eat beef, chicken and turkey meats were inoculated with each pathogen (∼100 cfu/25 g), enriched in SEL (Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria), a multipathogen selective enrichment broth for 18 h and tested with the biosensor. The biosensor was able to detect each pathogen, individually or in a mixture with very little cross-reactivity. The limit of detection for the sensor was ∼103 cfu/ml for all three pathogens. Furthermore, the biosensor successfully detected each pathogen, grown in a mixture from enriched meat samples under 24 h. The pathogen presence was further verified by PCR and immunofluorescence assay. The multiplex fiber optic sensor shows promise for detection of the three pathogens if present in the same sample eliminating the use of multiple single pathogen detection platforms.
Models of Nonresponse in Legislative Politics

Tools dedicated to inferring the ideological leanings of legislators from observed votes—techniques such as NOMINATE (Poole and Rosenthal 1997) or the item-response-theory model of Clinton, Jackman, and Rivers (2004)—rest on the assumption that the political process that generates abstentions is ignorable, an assumption not always easy to justify. We extended the item-response-theory model to analyze abstention and voting processes simultaneously in situations where abstentions are suspected to be nonrandom. We applied this expanded model to two assemblies where the existing literature gives reason to expect nonrandom abstentions, and we demonstrate how our extensions yield nuanced analyses of legislative politics. We also acknowledge limits to our ability to decide on the adequacy of alternative assumptions about abstentions, since these assumptions are not readily verifiable.
Induced anisotropy of thermal conductivity of polymer solids under large strains

A simple analytical form of induced anisotropy of heat conductivity of initially isotropic polymer solids results from employing the simplified theory of the three-chain model of the non-Gaussian network. The analytical form appears to be valid up to a stretch ratio of 2.65, which is the limit of existing experimental data. The effect of induced anisotropy on the temperature distribution, due to the large deformations, is illustrated for a highly expanded spherical shell and a cylindrical tube under a steady-state heat flow using the derived analytical form of the strain-dependent heat conductivity.
Multi-criterial Decision-Making and the Cognitive Architecture of Problem Solving

Summary form only given. Rational decision-making is often modeled as choosing the alternative that maximizes utility for the decision maker. Over the last few decades, much evidence has been produced to demonstrate that human decision-making is subject to irrationalities, such as intransitivity and framing biases. The author seeks an explanation for how these irrationalities arise, specifically, how they relate to the intrinsic nature of problem solving as setting up and searching in problem spaces, guided by knowledge. Even in simple decision-making problems where the alternatives are small in number and clearly specified, problem solving is required to evaluate the alternatives. One source of the explanation of the irrationalities is the characteristic strategies that are used to evaluate the alternatives. When decision-making problems are complex, additional opportunities arise for sub-optimal decisions. The author also attempts to relate the traditional decision-making model of maximizing a single real-valued utility function to the common situation where decision-making is modeled as multi-criterial. The author ends with some ideas for how decision support system designers can use the analysis to reduce the opportunities for irrationalities
Inhibition of Bradyrhizobium japonicum by diffusates from soybean seed

Rhizobia and bradyrhizobia are often added as seed coatings during inoculation, but leguminous seeds are reported to contain components toxic to the growth of these organisms. We evaluated different bradyrhizobial strains for tolerance to the toxic components of soybean (Glycine max L.) seed and sought the origin and characteristics of the toxins produced. Zones of growth inhibition of five strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum (USDA 6, 110, 122, 123 and 135) were determined on laboratory media surrounding surface-sterilized whole seed, seed coat, cotyledon and dicotyledons-plus-embryo of three varieties of soybean. Disrupting the seed coat increased toxicity; the zone of inhibition surrounding the seed coat, cotyledon and dicotyledons-plus-embryo was double the zone of inhibition surrounding the intact, whole seed. Strains differed in their sensitivity to diffusates; strain USDA 6 (having a narrow zone of inhibition) was most tolerant to the toxins and USDA 123 (having a wide zone of inhibition) was the least tolerant. Autoclaving of seed, both wet and dry, was compared with surface sterilization by ethanol and HgCl2 treatment to determine the effect of different seed treatments on inhibition of growth; autoclaving, whether wet or dry, resulted in greater diffusion of seed toxins and larger zones of inhibition. Soaking seeds in water for 0, 2 and 4 h before placing them on the agar surface decreased toxicity; the decrease was linear with soaking time. The anti-bradyrhizobial substances were water soluble, thermostable and <2000 daltons in size.
Increment and decrement detection on temporally modulated fields.

Abstract Increment and decrement probe thresholds were measured during the presentation of two types of temporal masking stimuli. In Experiment 1, we measured thresholds for increment or decrement rectangular probes presented during the presentation of an increment or decrement Gaussian masking stimulus. We find that thresholds are higher when the probe and the Gaussian mask are of the same sign (e.g. both increments). However, both types of Gaussian mask raised increment and decrement probe thresholds above steady state conditions. In Experiment 2, we presented increment or decrement probes at one of eight possible phases of a 1 Hz luminance-modulated sine wave. For both increment and decrement probes, threshold variation with phase is non-sinusoidal in shape, but increment and decrement probe thresholds vary as a function of the sinusoid phase. These experiments show that increment and decrement thresholds vary as a function of the adaptation state of the visual system, and as a function of the direction of change in the adaptation state. Data from both experiments are discussed in terms of a recent neurophysiological model [Hood & Graham (1998). Threshold fluctuations on temporally modulated backgrounds: a possible physiological explanation based upon a recent computational model. Visual Neuroscience, 15 (5), 957–967]. We find that the predicted ON- and OFF-pathway responses do not correlate in a straightforward manner with the psychophysical thresholds, suggesting that detection of increment and decrement probes may not be performed exclusively by one pathway. Our data have implications for modeling visual performance under conditions where visual adaptation is dynamic, such as when scanning complex images or natural scenes.
Primary culture of proximal tubule cells in defined medium

A method is described for culturing primary rabbit kidney epithelial cells which express proximal tubule functions. First, rabbit kidney proximal tubules are purified in a sterile manner. Then the tubules are put into serum free culture medium supplemented with insulin, transferrin and hydrocortisone. After one week, confluent monolayers of epithelial cells are obtained which can be used for investigations of interest.
The Optokinetic Response as a Quantitative Measure of Visual Acuity in Zebrafish

Zebrafish are a proven model for vision research, however many of the earlier methods generally focused on larval fish or demonstrated a simple response. More recently adult visual behavior in zebrafish has become of interest, but methods to measure specific responses are new coming. To address this gap, we set out to develop a methodology to repeatedly and accurately utilize the optokinetic response (OKR) to measure visual acuity in adult zebrafish. Here we show that the adult zebrafish's visual acuity can be measured, including both binocular and monocular acuities. Because the fish is not harmed during the procedure, the visual acuity can be measured and compared over short or long periods of time. The visual acuity measurements described here can also be done quickly allowing for high throughput and for additional visual procedures if desired. This type of analysis is conducive to drug intervention studies or investigations of disease progression.
The sacrifice ratio and core inflation

Abstract The existing body of research that measures the sacrifice ratio and the determinants of the sacrifice ratio has crucially identified several disinflation episodes across many different countries, while also overwhelmingly finding evidence in favor of the “cold-turkey” approach to disinflation. However all previous studies in this topic are based exclusively on headline measures of inflation. In this paper we investigate what happens if we instead use core inflation to both identify disinflation episodes and measure the sacrifice ratio. Several important differences emerge: for example, headline inflation produces more disinflation episodes than core inflation does – something which is particularly conspicuous during the Great Recession – and episodes that are generally shorter in length. We also find that the argument in favor of the cold-turkey approach to reducing inflation disappears when combining the use of core inflation with sacrifice ratio measures that allow for varying persistent effects on output of disinflation.
The Early Works of Bartolomé Ordóñez and Diego De Siloe

In the year 1519 a turning point came in the careers of the two young sculptors, Bartolome Ordonez and Diego de Siloe, and they went their separate ways, the former setting out for Carrara in Italy and the latter returning to Burgos. Diego de Siloe's first commission in the city of his birth was the tomb of the Bishop, Luis de Acuna (1495), which stands in the cathedral in the chapel of St. Anne which the Bishop had founded during his own lifetime. The contract, dated July 2, 1519, is specific about measurements of the tomb, the sculptural decoration, and the material which is alabaster from the quarries of Atapuerca, near Burgos.48 On a comparison of the tomb (Figs. 15–17, 22) with the contract it is discovered that the artist followed the agreement to the letter in including four escutcheons of the Bishop, one on each side of the sarcophagus, and figures of the seven Virtues. These figures in low relief are in the concave section of the base, two on each side, flanking the coats-of-arms. The eighth figu...
Efficacy and Concerns Regarding Early Analgesia in Children With Acute Abdominal Pain

In this issue of Pediatrics , Green and colleagues1 present an interesting study on the administration of analgesics in children with acute abdominal pain. This is an article with which we all wish to agree; however, the safety and efficacy of this policy is not irrefutable from this article. Careful reading of … Address correspondence to Dennis W. Vane, MD, MBA, Department of Surgery, University of Vermont, 111 Colchester Ave, Fletcher 460, Burlington, VT 05401. E-mail: dennis.vane{at}vtmednet.org
On minimum dominating sets with minimum intersection

Abstract In the developing theory of polynomial/linear algorithms for various problems on certain classes of graphs, most problems considered have involved either finding a single vertex set with a specified property (such as being a minimum dominating set) or finding a partition of the vertex set into such sets (for example, a partition into the maximum possible number of dominating sets). Alternatively, one might be interested in the cardinality of the set or the partition. In this paper we introduce an intermediate type of problem. Specifically, we ask for two minimum dominating sets with minimum intersection. We present a linear algorithm for finding two minimum dominating sets with minimum possible intersection in a tree T, and we show that simply determining whether or not there exist two disjoint minimum dominating sets is NP-hard for arbitrary bipartile graphs.
Homologous serum hepatitis.

Summary A case report of homologous serum hepatitis in a 3-year-old child which occurred three months after parenteral injection of pooled plasma has been presented. The patient also had encephalitis and anuria as complications of the hepatitis. This case is reported to stress the fatal potentialities of pooled human blood products and the importance of using no donor who has received blood or plasma or has had any so-called virus infection during the preceding six months.
Genetic diversity in Sargasso Sea bacterioplankton.

BACTERIOPLANKTON are recognized as important agents of biogeochemical change in marine ecosystems, yet relatively little is known about the species that make up these communities. Uncertainties about the genetic structure and diversity of natural bacterioplankton populations stem from the traditional difficulties associated with microbial cultivation techniques. Discrepancies between direct counts and plate counts are typically several orders of magnitude, raising doubts as to whether cultivated marine bacteria are actually representative of dominant planktonic species1–3. We have phylogenetically analysed clone libraries of eubacterial 16S ribosomal RNA genes amplified from natural populations of Sargasso Sea picoplankton by the polymerase chain reaction4. The analysis indicates the presence of a novel microbial group, the SAR 11 cluster, which appears to be a significant component of this oligotrophic bacterioplankton community. A second cluster of lineages related to the oxygenic phototrophs—cyanobacteria, prochlorophytes and chloroplasts—was also observed. However, none of the genes matched the small subunit rRNA sequences of cultivated marine cyanobacteria from similar habitats. The diversity of 16S rRNA genes observed within the clusters suggests that these bacterioplankton may be consortia of independent lineages sharing surprisingly distant common ancestors.
Trust, But Verify: On the Importance of Chemical Structure Curation in Cheminformatics and QSAR Modeling Research

Molecular modelers and cheminformaticians typically analyze experimental data generated by other scientists. Consequently, when it comes to data accuracy, cheminformaticians are always at the mercy of data providers who may inadvertently publish (partially) erroneous data. Thus, dataset curation is crucial for any cheminformatics analysis such as similarity searching, clustering, QSAR modeling, virtual screening, etc., especially nowadays when the availability of chemical datasets in public domain has skyrocketed in recent years. Despite the obvious importance of this preliminary step in the computational analysis of any dataset, there appears to be no commonly accepted guidance or set of procedures for chemical data curation. The main objective of this paper is to emphasize the need for a standardized chemical data curation strategy that should be followed at the onset of any molecular modeling investigation. Herein, we discuss several simple but important steps for cleaning chemical records in a database including the removal of a fraction of the data that cannot be appropriately handled by conventional cheminformatics techniques. Such steps include the removal of inorganic and organometallic compounds, counterions, salts and mixtures; structure validation; ring aromatization; normalization of specific chemotypes; curation of tautomeric forms; and the deletion of duplicates. To emphasize the importance of data curation as a mandatory step in data analysis, we discuss several case studies where chemical curation of the original “raw” database enabled the successful modeling study (specifically, QSAR analysis) or resulted in a significant improvement of model's prediction accuracy. We also demonstrate that in some cases rigorously developed QSAR models could be even used to correct erroneous biological data associated with chemical compounds. We believe that good practices for curation of chemical records outlined in this paper will be of value to all scientists working in the fields of molecular modeling, cheminformatics, and QSAR studies.
Developmental Differences in Rehearsal and Free Recall.

Abstract The purpose of this experiment was to analyze developmental differences in rehearsal strategies which may mediate the commonly found age effect on free recall. As expected, significant age differences in recall were found; analysis of rehearsal strategies showed that fifth and eighth graders tended to repeat stimulus words immediately after presentation, and not enter items into subsequent rehearsal sets. Adults, in contrast, tended to reenter items for additional rehearsal, and had larger rehearsal buffers. Immediate repetition may have served as additional massed presentation trials, which are less consequential for learning than later reentry of items (spaced trials). It was inferred that children engaged primarily in maintenance rehearsal, and adults in both maintenance and elaborative rehearsal.
Antisense suppression of skeletal muscle myosin light chain-1 biosynthesis impairs myofibrillogenesis in cultured myotubes

Although the alkali or essential light chains of skeletal muscle myosin are not required for actin-activated myosin ATPase activity, these myosin subunits are necessary for force transmission with in vitro actin motility assays and are believed to stabilize the α-helical neck region of myosin subfragment-1. To probe the functions of the essential light chains during myofibril assembly, we used recombinant DNA procedures to deplete this light chain in cultured muscle. Retroviral expression vectors were constructed which encoded the exon-1 sequence of the myosin light chain-1 gene in antisense orientation. These vectors were applied to myogenic cells from embryonic chick and quail pectoralis muscle. Colonies expressing antisense RNA were selected in growth medium containing the neomycin analogue G-418, plus 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and triggered to differentiate by removal of the latter. Expression of antisense myosin light chain-1 mRNA impaired muscle development. In the antisense cultures there were more mononucleated cells, fewer and smaller myotubes which had poorly developed myofibrils and high levels of diffusely staining myosin heavy chain, not apparent in control myotubes. Protein synthesis in the myotube cultures was analyzed by 35S-methionine labelling and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Except for a suppression of ∼80% of myosin light chain-1f synthesis, the overall pattern of protein synthesis was not altered significantly. These studies suggest that retardation of myosin light chain-1f accumulation inhibits or delays myofibrillogenesis.
Crustal structure and apparent tectonic underplating from receiver function analysis in South Island, New Zealand

We utilize seismic converted phases on more than 700 receiver functions calculated for 42 stations in the South Island, New Zealand, to infer crustal and uppermost mantle structure. We determine the crustal thickness from direct observations of conversion from the Moho interface and infer zone of the maximum thickness being located along the axis of the Southern Alps, just east from the Alpine fault. The crustal root widens from north to south in the direction perpendicular to the Alpine fault and appears to have an asymmetric structure. Stations in the alpine portion of island show evidence for prominent midcrustal conversions. Significant crustal thickening is developed in response to both the convergent component of the motion on the Alpine fault and subduction in the Fiordland region. We propose two models for a strong uppermost mantle conversion that occurs at depths between 33 and 83 km on 16 stations and forms a large continuous feature along the east coast and in the central portions of the South Island. Our preferred model attributes upper mantle conversion to tectonically underplated oceanic crust formed by late Oligocene-Miocene spreading between the Australian and Pacific plates, which was detached from the Australian plate and tectonically underplated under the South Island. An alternative model attributes the upper mantle conversions to long-lived seismic fabric created by subduction of the Gondwanaland margin.
Acceleration of DNA renaturation rates

The rate of renaturation of DNA may be increased by altering the effective solvent volume available for DNA in solution. Accelerations are demonstrated when neutral and anionic dextran polymers are used to exclude volume in DNA solutions. The logarithm of the DNA renaturation rate constant is shown to be proportional to the concentration of dextran polymer and to be proportional to the intrinsic viscosity of a series of dextran polymers of identical chemical composition. A theory is proposed to account for these results.