cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Aspects of Nuclear Nucleoproteins

Publisher Summary The nucleus is usually considered as playing a dual role in the cell. It is the carrier of genetic specificity and the organization center for cell function. Techniques of importance in the study of nucleoproteins include methods for determining the natural ultraviolet absorption of living and fixed cells and also the absorption in visible light of cells fixed and stained with acid or basic dyes and various cytochemical reactions. The photometric methods are applied to cells, including two recent symposia. Much of the modern quantitative cytology depends upon the validity of these techniques. Cytophotometric methods are simple in principle; and yet the possible sources of error are so numerous and difficult to estimate under practical measuring conditions that there are few adequate studies of the accuracy and reproducibility available. This chapter presents the tests devised to check the actual performance of measuring instruments. Obstacles, such as inhomogeneity, which has been estimated on theoretical grounds to give very large errors in measurements on nuclei, are discussed.
Intragenic suppressors of folding defects in the P22 tailspike protein

Within the amino acid sequences of polypeptide chains little is known of the distribution of sites and sequences critical for directing chain folding and assembly. Temperature-sensitive folding (tsf) mutations identifying such sites have been previously isolated and characterized in gene 9 of phage P22 encoding the tailspike endorhamnosidase. We report here the isolation of a set of second-site conformational suppressors which alleviate the defect in such folding mutants. The suppressors were selected for their ability to correct the defects of missense tailspike polypeptide chains, generated by growth of gene 9 amber mutants on Salmonella host strains inserting either tyrosine, serine, glutamine or leucine at the nonsense codons. Second-site suppressors were recovered for 13 of 22 starting sites. The suppressors of defects at six sites mapped within gene 9. (Suppressors for seven other sites were extragenic and distant from gene 9.) The missense polypeptide chains generated from all six suppressible sites displayed ts phenotypes. Temperature-sensitive alleles were isolated at these amber sites by pseudoreversion. The intragenic suppressors restored growth at the restrictive temperature of these presumptive tsf alleles. Characterization of protein maturation in cells infected with mutant phages carrying the intragenic suppressors indicates that the suppression is acting at the level of polypeptide chain folding and assembly.
Adaptive beamforming using spherical array

In order to provide better field-of-view in elevation and scan the full 3D space, uniform spherical arrays (USA) may be used. This paper presents the analysis of the USA along with an adaptive beamforming algorithm to steer the maximum of the amplitude pattern to the signal-of-interest (SOI) and ideally place nulls to the signals-not-of-interest (SNOI) in 3D space. The ultimate objective is to evaluate the wireless network performance using USA.
A new arvicoline species (Rodentia: Crocetidae) from the Pliocene Panaca Formation, southeast Nevada

ABSTRACT Arvicoline rodents show a number of evolutionary trends in their dental morphology and provide a useful basis for biochronologic study in late Tertiary deposits. This paper describes a large dental sample of Mimomys from a site in the Panaca Formation, southeast Nevada. This sample provides the basis for naming of a new species, M. panacaensis. The new species is comparable in evolutionary stage to the two early Blancan species M. (Ophiomys) mcknighti and M. (Ogmodontomys) sawrockensis in its low dentine tract on the labial side of m 1, but it is differentiated from M. (Ophiomys) mcknighti in having some M3s with an enamel islet and/or three roots, and from M. (Ogmodontomys) sawrockensis in smaller size, higher percentage of the enamel islet on the ml, and the presence of two-rooted M3s. Compared to the middle Blancan species of Mimomys, M. panacaensis has more primitive characters, including smaller size, lower dentine tract on the labial side of ml, and/or a higher percentage of three-rooted M3...
ArPIKfyve Homomeric and Heteromeric Interactions Scaffold PIKfyve and Sac3 in a Complex to Promote PIKfyve Activity and Functionality

PtdIns(3,5)P(2) (with PtdIns indicating phosphatidylinositol) is vital in the differentiation and development of multicellular organisms because knockout of the PtdIns(3,5)P(2)-synthesizing enzyme PIKfyve (phosphoinositide kinase for position 5 containing a FYVE finger domain) or its associated regulator ArPIKfyve is lethal. In previous work with endogenous proteins, we identified that Sac3, a phosphatase that turns over PtdIns(3,5)P(2), associates with the PIKfyve-ArPIKfyve biosynthetic complex. However, whether the three proteins suffice for the organization/maintenance of this complex [referred to as the PAS (PIKfyve-ArPIKfyve-Sac3) complex], how they interact with one another, and what the functional relevance of this ternary association would be remained unresolved. Using co-immunoprecipitation analyses in transfected mammalian cells with increased or decreased levels of the three proteins, singly or in double versus triple combinations, herein we report that the triad is sufficient to form and maintain the PAS complex. ArPIKfyve is the principal organizer interacting with both Sac3 and PIKfyve, whereas Sac3 is permissive for maximal PIKfyve-ArPIKfyve association in the PAS complex. We further identified that ArPIKfyve scaffolds the PAS complex through homomeric interactions, mediated via its conserved C-terminal domain. Introduction of the C-terminal peptide fragment of the ArPIKfyve-ArPIKfyve contact sites effectively disassembled the PAS complex and reduced the in vitro PIKfyve lipid kinase activity. Exploring insulin-regulated GLUT4 translocation in 3T3L1 adipocytes as a functional readout, a process that is positively regulated by PIKfyve activity and ArPIKfyve levels, we determined that ectopic expression of the ArPIKfyve C-terminal peptide inhibits GLUT4 surface accumulation. Our data indicate that the PAS complex is organized to provide optimal PIKfyve functionality and is maintained via ArPIKfyve homomeric and heteromeric interactions.
Partial Information, Dominance, and Potential Optimality in Multiattribute Utility Theory

When a multiattribute utility function is only partially specified by prior preference statements, what can be said about the relative desirability of actual alternatives? This question is addressed for the cases of additively separable cardinal utility with unknown scaling constants; multiplicatively separable cardinal utility with unknown scaling constants; and additively separable ordinal utility. We review previous approaches, and treat issues of consistency is the prior information consistent?, dominance does the prior preference information imply that one outcome is preferred to another? and potential optimality are there utility functions of the given form, consistent with prior preference information, under which a particular outcome is preference optimal?. In the additive cases, a key relationship between dominance and potential optimality may be derived. The paper concludes by presenting an example application to a well known nuclear siting study.
9 Validity, Validation and Values

AbstractTests and assessments are used in organizations for a wide range of purposes, and it is the uses of tests, not the tests themselves, that are validated. As a result, the critical question is often not “Is this test valid?”, but rather “Valid for what?”. Tests normally have multiple uses and purposes in organizations, which may be defined and understood differently by different stakeholders, and tests might have as many validities as they have uses. The strengths and weaknesses of existing validation strategies are examined and compared in the light of the ways tests are used in organizations. Content validation often seems unconnected with the ways tests are used and interpreted in organizations, and is not always useful a strategy for validating tests. Criterion‐oriented validation methods (including sophisiticated variants, such as the validity generalization model) are often deficient because they apply a univariate strategy for evaluating what is clearly a multivariate phenomenon—i.e., use of ...
Effect of an emergency department (ED) managed acute care unit on ED overcrowding and emergency medical services diversion.

Objective: To determine the impact of an inpatient, emer- gency department (ED)-managed acute care unit (ACU) on ED over- crowding and use of ambulance diversion. Methods: Descriptive ob- servational study with prospectively collected data from a 14-bed ACU recently opened remote from the main ED. Rates of patients who left without being seen (LWBS) and ambulance diversion frequency and duration were adjusted for ED patient volumes and compared with those for the period immediately before the ACU was opened and with those for a matching time period during the previous year. Results: There were 1,589 patients seen in the ACU during the first ten weeks of operation, representing about 14.5% of the ED volume (10,871). About 33% could be classified as post-ED management, 20% as ad- mission processing, and the rest as primary evaluation. The number of patients who LWBS decreased from 10.1% of the ED census two weeks prior to opening of the ACU, and from 9.4% during the previous year, to 5.0% (range 4.2%-6.2%) during the ensuing ten weeks post opening. Ambulance diversion was a mean of 6.7 hours per 100 pa- tients before the unit opened and 5.6 hours per 100 patients during the same time in the previous year, and decreased to 2.8 hours per 100 patients after the unit opened (p < 0.05, respectively). A six-month pre- and two-month post-examination revealed that the mean monthly hours of ambulance diversion for the ED decreased by 40% (202 hours vs 123 hours) (p < 0.05) in contrast to a mean increase of 44% (186 hours vs 266 hours) (p < 0.05) experienced by four proximate hospitals. Conclusions: An ED-managed ACU can have significant impact on ED overcrowding and ambulance diversion, and it need not be located proximate to the ED. Key words: emergency; emergency department overcrowding; observation medicine; ambulance diversion; emergency department operations. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2001; 8:1095-1100
Heterogeneity in the distal nephron of the salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum): a correlated structure function study of isolated tubule segments.

Studies on isolated perfused tubules of the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) have shown that the distal nephron is heterogeneous with respect to function (Stoner, 1977). In this study, the initial portion of the distal tubule (diluting segment) exhibited a voltage, positive in the lumen, and a net absorption of chloride. Since the chloride was transported against an electrochemical gradient, its transport was active. More distad, the junctional segment exhibited a lumen-negative voltage and sodium, rather than chloride, was transported actively. More recently Delaney and Stoner (1981) have demonstrated in vitro that the collecting duct of this species also has a lumen-negative voltage which is probably associated with active sodium reabsorption. The primary objective of the present paper was to correlate the morphology of the diluting and junctional segments of the Ambystoma distal tubules with the physiologic data from the same isolated perfused tubules. The results indicate that the morphological heterogeneity previously demonstrated in distal tubules of Necturus exists with respect to both structure and function in Ambystoma. The cell types found in the amphibian distal nephron appear to be homologous to those seen in the mammalian nephron.
The Decidual Cell Reaction in the Mouse Uterus: DNA Synthesis and Autoradiographic Analysis of Responsive Cells

The artificially stimulated decidual cell reaction (DCR) is widely used as a model for the study of changes occurring in the uterus during implantation. Previous work from this laboratory demonstrated that rapid cell proliferation begins approximately 30 h after sesame oil stimulation and by 144 h is localized in discrete masses(deciduomata). The purpose of this investigation was to identify the population of cells initially affected by the stimulus. Incorporation of 3H-thymidine into uterine DNA increases sharply 13 h after stimulation. Autoradiographic analysis of uteri was used to identify responsive cells. Virtually all the uterine stromal cells had labeled nuclei. This result indicated that the development of deciduomata in the uterus begins as a generalized stimulation of stromal cells followed by localized proliferation of decidual cells.
Mental Models, Moral Imagination and System Thinking in the Age of Globalization

After experiments with various economic systems, we appear to have conceded, to misquote Winston Churchill that “free enterprise is the worst economic system, except all the others that have been tried.” Affirming that conclusion, I shall argue that in today’s expanding global economy, we need to revisit our mind-sets about corporate governance and leadership to fit what will be new kinds of free enterprise. The aim is to develop a values-based model for corporate governance in this age of globalization that will be appropriate in a variety of challenging cultural and economic settings. I shall present an analysis of mental models from a social constructivist perspective. I shall then develop the notion of moral imagination as one way to revisit traditional mind-sets about values-based corporate governance and outline what I mean by systems thinking. I shall conclude with examples for modeling corporate governance in multi-cultural settings and draw tentative conclusions about globalization.
Ribonucleoprotein particles within chloromycetin-inhibited Escherichia coli

Cell free extracts of E. coli cells exposed to chloromycetin, were examined in the analytical ultracentrifuge and compared to control cell extracts. A large new peak (15 S) was observed in the chloromycetin cells. It is highly sensitive to ribonuclease, contains 75% ribonucleic acid and 25% protein, and in free electrophoresis has a greater negative charge than normal E. coli ribonucleoprotein particles. 70% of the total ribonucleic acid in the chloromycetin-treated cells may be in the 15 S form. Isotopic experiments indicate that about 75% of the ribonucleic acid of the 15 S component is derived from phosphorus assimilated after chloromycetin addition. The remaining 25% of the 15 S phosphorus is present in the bacteria before chloromycetin addition and may be derived from normal ribonucleoprotein particles, the majority of which break down following addition of chloromycetin.
Does increased peripheral C-reactive protein predate the occurrence of a short cervical length?

AbstractObjective: Shortened cervical length is an important predictor of preterm birth, though the etiology of cervical length variation has not been fully elucidated. Our objective was to evaluate the potential association between peripheral C-reactive protein (CRP), a first trimester peripheral marker of inflammation, and second trimester decreased cervical length.Methods: Cases and controls were defined by second trimester cervical length >/<25 mm. CRP concentrations were measured in archived first trimester screen serum via commercial assay. The association between CRP and cervical length was evaluated via Wilcoxon’s rank test. Both logistic and linear regressions were performed.Results: A total of 49 cases were matched to 98 controls. No statistically significant difference in first trimester CRP was demonstrated between cases and controls overall. Among subjects with decreased cervical lengths, however, there was a significant linear association between the degree of shortening and first trimester ...
Products of rat liver mitochondrial protein synthesis: electrophoretic analysis of the number and size of these proteins and their solubility in chloroform: methanol.

Abstract Rat liver mitochondria were incubated in vitro with radioactive leucine, and submitochondrial particles prepared by several methods. Analysis of the labeled mitochondrial membrane fractions by sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis revealed three labeled bands of molecular weights corresponding to 40,000; 27,000; and 20,000 daltons. Electrophoresis for longer times at higher concentrations of acrylamide revealed eight labeled bands, ranging in molecular weights from 48,000 to 12,000. Mitochondria were incubated for 5 min with [ 3 H]leucine followed by a chase of unlabeled leucine. Gel electrophoresis of the membranes obtained after labeling for 5 min indicated significant synthesis of polypeptides in the 40,000 M r , range and very little labeling of low molecular-weight polypeptides. After addition of the chase, increased synthesis of the high molecular-weight polypeptides was observed; however, no significant increase or decrease of radioactivity in the bands of low molecular-weight was observed, suggesting that rat liver mitochondria have the ability to synthesize complete proteins in the M r 27,000–40,000 range. Approximately 16% of the total leucine incorporated into protein by isolated rat liver mitochondria in vitro could be extracted by chloroform: methanol. Gel electrophoresis of the chloroform: methanol extract revealed several bands containing radioactivity with the majority of counts in a band of 40,000 molecular weight. Gel electrophoresis of the chloroform: methanol extract of lyophilized submitochondrial particles indicated label in two broad bands in the low molecular-weight region of 14,000-10,000 with insignificant counts in the higher molecular-weight regions of the gel. Yeast cells were pulse labeled in vivo with [ 3 H]leucine in the presence of cycloheximide and the submitochondrial particles extracted with chloroform:methanol. The extract separated after gel electrophoresis into four labeled bands ranging in molecular weight from 52,000 to 10,000. Preincubation of the yeast cells with chloramphenicol prior to the pulse labeling caused a 6-fold stimulation of labeling into the band of lowest molecular weight of the chloroform: methanol extract. These results suggest that the accumulation of mitochondrial proteins synthesized in the cytoplasm, when chloramphenicol is present in the medium, may stimulate the synthesis of certain specific mitochondrial proteins which are soluble in chloroform: methanol.
Primary Non-Clear-Cell Adenocarcinomas of the Vagina in Older DES-Exposed Women

The association between in utero diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure and the development of clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and cervix has been well described. However, non-clear-cell mucin-secreting adenocarcinoma in women with DES exposure has not been previously reported. We present two cases of non-clear-cell mucinous adenocarcinoma in women having a history of in utero DES exposure. These cancers were found in older women and were more advanced than the clear-cell adenocarcinoma associated with DES. Histologic features of these tumors were notable for atypical, irregular glands lined by endocervical, intestinal, and endometrioid epithelium. The development of non-clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina in these patients may be associated with DES exposure in utero. Long-term surveillance of DES-exposed women may be warranted.
Two-phase transport and the role of micro-porous layer in polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Abstract Two-phase transport of reactants and products constitutes an important limit in performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC). Particularly, at high current densities and/or low gas flow rates, product water condenses in open pores of the cathode gas diffusion layer (GDL) and limits the effective oxygen transport to the active catalyst sites. Furthermore, liquid water covers some of the active catalytic surface, rendering them inactive for electrochemical reaction. Traditionally, these two-phase transport processes in the GDL are modeled using so-called unsaturated flow theory (UFT), in which a uniform gas-phase pressure is assumed across the entire porous layer, thereby ignoring the gas-phase flow counter to capillarity-induced liquid motion. In this work, using multi-phase mixture (M2) formalism, the constant gas pressure assumption is relaxed and the effects of counter gas-flow are studied and found to be a new oxygen transport mechanism. Further, we analyze the multi-layer diffusion media, composed of two or more layers of porous materials having different pore sizes and/or wetting characteristics. Particularly, the effects of porosity, thickness and wettability of a micro-porous layer (MPL) on the two-phase transport in PEFC are elucidated.
Interaction between batrachotoxin and yohimbine

The neurotoxins, batrachotoxin and veratridine, are specific activators of sodium channels and cause an increase in the rate of 22Na uptake in neuroblastoma cells. Yohimbine, an indolakylamine alkaloid, inhibits this batrachotoxin-induced 22Na uptake. The dose-response curve of yohimbine suggest that the inhibitor acts reversibly on a single class of binding sites with dissociation constant of 3--4 x 10(-5) M. The dissociation constant is not affected by depolarization from--41 to 0 mV. Kinetic and equilibrium experiments indicate that yohimbine is a competitive inhibitor of the action of batrachotoxin. These results support the conclusion that yohimbine inhibitis the sodium flux by acting on the channel gating mechanism rather than by occluding the channels.
Intuitive covariation assessment of the illusory correlation.

Most of the research concerned with the illusory correlation is modeled after the seminal work of D. L. Hamilton and R. K. Gifford (1976). However, S. A. Haslam and C. McGarty (1994) have voiced concerns over the dependent measures used within this paradigm. Therefore, in this study, the authors tested a new dependent variable that has high face validity. This measure was modeled after the work of J. R. McGahan and R. Wight (1989) and consisted of a set of propositional statements representing either the illusory correlation, the contingency opposite the illusory correlation, or the noncontingency. A second purpose of this study was to validate other studies that have used dependent measures modeled after the work of J. R. McGahan and R. Wight (1989). Demonstrating that this measure can be used to detect a well-documented phenomenon (i.e., the illusory correlation) would strengthen the results and conclusions from other studies. To this end, results from 2 experiments indicate that this measure does provide a valid alternative to those measures that are commonly used in illusory correlation studies. The results thereby give credence to other studies that have used similar dependent measures.
Potassium Titanyl Phosphate (KTP): Properties, Recent Advances And New Applications

Potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) is a unique nonlinear optical material that is being widely used for second harmonic generation of Nd lasers emitting around 1 μm. KTP is also very attractive for various sum and difference frequency and optical parametric applications over its entire transparency range from 0.35 to 4.5 μm. Its combination of large electrooptic coefficients and low dielectric constants make KTP potentially useful for various electrooptic applications. Low loss optical waveguides can be formed in KTP and several electrooptic and nonlinear optic devices have been fabricated. Potassium titanyl arsenate (KTA), which is isostructural with KTP has recently been grown and characterized. Initial results show that KTA has nonlinear optic and electrooptic properties that are superior to KTP.
Constructal Optimization of Internal Flow Geometry in Convection

Constructal theory is used to predict the formation of geometric-shape and structure in finite-size fluid systems subjected to heating from below. Two classes of system are considered as tests: (i) single-phase fluid layers, and (ii) porous layers saturated with single-phase fluids, It is shown that the minimization of thermal resistance across the layer can be used to account for the appearance of organized macroscopic motion (streams) on the background of disorganized motion (diffusion). By optimizing the shape of the flow, it is possible to predict analytically the main structural and heat transfer characteristics of the system, e.g., the onset of convection, the relation between Nusselt number and Rayleigh number, the geometric shape of the rolls, and the decreasing exponent of Ra H as Ra H increases. The convective flow structure emerges as the result of process of geometric optimization of heat flow path, in which diffusion is assigned to length scales smaller than the smallest macroscopic flow element (elemental system). The implications of this test of constructal theory are discussed in the context of the wider search for a physics law of geometric form generation in natural flow systems
Island formation of aluminum on the graphite (0001) surface: Leed and AES study

Abstract The analysis of island formation of aluminum on graphite (0001) has been carried out with LEED and AES. At submonolayer coverages and monolayer coverage, there were no superstructures observed and LEED dynamical calculation results for several structural models further confirmed no p(1 × 1) structures. Both LEED and AES intensity analysis as a function of Al exposure support the model that Al atoms aggregate to form Volmer-Weber type islands on the graphite surface.
Nutrition and health education intervention for whole grain foods in the Georgia older Americans nutrition programs.

Abstract This study examined the effects of a nutrition education intervention on improving the intake and behaviors related to whole grain foods in congregate meal recipients in senior centers in north Georgia. Participants were a convenience sample and completed a pretest, an educational intervention, and a posttest (N = 84, mean age = 77 years, 88% female, 76% Caucasian, and 24% African American). At the pretest, most participants agreed that eating more whole grain foods would help reduce their risk of cancer (69%), heart disease (76%), type 2 diabetes (65%), and bowel disorders (82%), but consumption of 11 whole grain foods was low (10.5 times/week). Following the intervention, participants were more likely to suggest one or more correct ways to identify whole grain foods (45 vs. 62%, P ⩽0.05), and to report an increased intake of whole grain bread, cereal, and crackers (5.8 vs. 6.9 times/week, P ⩽0.05). While awareness of the health benefits of whole grain foods was high, the intakes were low. As a ...
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and genetic testing.

Purpose of reviewAdolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common spinal deformity affecting 2% of the population. Initial diagnosis is straightforward. Determining which curves will progress and warrant intervention is still problematic. Recent genetics research has discovered markers that
Development of the cestode Hymenolepis microstoma in Mus musculus.

A study has been made on the development of Hymenolepis microstoma in albino mice, followed day after day from excysted larvae to gravid adults. Growth and distribution of the worms in several locations have been investigated. It has been noted that four days p.i. a large number of worms reach the bile duct and that fourteen days p.i. and later no worm has been found attached outside the bile duct. The migration and possible reasons for it are discussed.
Temperature and Freeze-Thaw Effects on Dynamic Properties of Fine-Grained Soils

AbstractConsider that the Mable Creek silt in central Alaska liquefied during the November 2002 earthquake. Subsequently, frozen samples of these fine-grained soils were retrieved for laboratory st...
Service Delivery, Community Development, and Disability

Service delivery has traditionally been based on market forces. When this is the case, the community becomes a silent partner in this process. Services, accordingly, are directed mostly to correcting personal ills and have little to do with community uplift. Another model, based on the work of Amartya Sen, is available that conceptualizes interventions in a very different way. If understood in the context of community development, the focus of services is social change, rather than merely personal rehabilitation. This reorientation is discussed in this article.
Interrelationships between water and metabolism in Artemia cysts--II. Carbohydrates.

Abstract 1. Evidence is presented that cysts of the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, initiate the utilization of trehalose and the synthesis of glycerol and glycogen only after hydration levels of 0.65 g H2O/g CaSO4-dried cysts have been achieved. 2. The ability of embryos to emerge from their shells was also correlated with this level of hydration. 3. The viability of embryos emerging in the vapor phase of NaCl solutions was examined.
Gene expression profiles following exposure to a developmental neurotoxicant, Aroclor 1254: pathway analysis for possible mode(s) of action.

Abstract Epidemiological studies indicate that low levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure can adversely affect neurocognitive development. In animal models, perturbations in calcium signaling, neurotransmitters, and thyroid hormones have been postulated as potential mechanisms for PCB-induced developmental neurotoxicity. In order to understand the role of these proposed mechanisms and to identify other mechanisms in PCB-induced neurotoxicity, we have chosen a global approach utilizing oligonucleotide microarrays to examine gene expression profiles in the brain following developmental exposure to Aroclor 1254 (0 or 6 mg/kg/day from gestation day 6 through postnatal day (PND) 21) in Long–Evans rats. Gene expression levels in the cerebellum and hippocampus from PNDs 7 and 14 animals were determined on Affymetrix rat 230A_2.0 chips. In the cerebellum, 87 transcripts were altered at PND7 compared to 27 transcripts at PND14 by Aroclor 1254 exposure, with only one transcript affected at both ages. In hippocampus, 175 transcripts and 50 transcripts were altered at PND7 and PND14, respectively, by Aroclor 1254 exposure with five genes commonly affected. Functional analysis suggests that pathways related to calcium homeostasis (Gng3, Ryr2, Trdn, Cacna1a), intracellular signaling (Camk2d, Stk17b, Pacsin2, Ryr2, Trio, Fert2, Ptk2b), axonal guidance (Lum, Mxd3, Akap11, Gucy1b3), aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling (Nfia, Col1a2), and transcripts involved in cell proliferation (Gspt2, Cdkn1c, Ptk2b) and differentiation (Ifitm31, Hpca, Zfp260, Igsf4a, Hes5) leading to the development of nervous system were significantly altered by Aroclor 1254 exposure. Of the two brain regions examined, Aroclor 1254-induced genomic changes were greater in the hippocampus than the cerebellum. The genomic data suggests that PCB-induced neurotoxic effects were due to disruption of normal ontogenetic pattern of nervous system growth and development by altering intracellular signaling pathways but not by endocrine disruption.
Stresses and Strains in Tires

Abstract Stress and strain patterns developed in each of several regions of automobile tires have been mapped by using methods particularly suited to each region. Miniature force transducers were u...
Alkanes at the air-sea interface from offshore louisiana and Florida.

Alkanes at the air-sea interface were analyzed in 118 surface samples collected at five different intervals over a 12-month period from Timbalier Bay (Louisiana), ogfshore Louiisiana, and offshore Florida. The alkanes were characterized by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Unexpectedly, methyl branched alkanes ranging in chain length froin C15 to C35 and cycloalkanes were frequently the predominant components. This suggests that the alkanes are produced by natural biological sources as well as human activities.
The structural mechanism for half-the-sites reactivity in an enzyme, thymidylate synthase, involves a relay of changes between subunits.

Thymidylate synthase (TS), a half-the-sites reactive enzyme, catalyzes the final step in the de novo biosynthesis of deoxythymidine monophosphate, dTMP, required for DNA replication. The cocrystal structure of TS from Pneumocystis carinii (PcTS), a new drug target for an important pathogen, with its substrate, deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP), and a cofactor mimic, CB3717, was determined. The structure, solved at 2.6 A resolution, shows an asymmetric dimer with two molecules of the substrate dUMP bound yet only one molecule of cofactor analogue bound. The structural evidence reveals that upon binding cofactor analogue and forming a covalent bond from the nucleophilic cysteine to the substrate, dUMP, at one active site, PcTS undergoes a conformational change that renders the opposite monomer incapable of forming a covalent bond or binding a molecule of cofactor analogue. The communication pathway between the two active sites is evident, allowing a structural definition of the basis of half-the-sites react...
Why the United States should adopt a single-payer system of health care finance.

Although nothing could be less fashionable today than talk of comprehensive health care reform, the major problems of American health care have not gone away. Only a radical change in the way the U.S. finances health care--specifically, a single-payer system--will permit the achievement of universal coverage while keeping costs reasonably under control. Evidence from other countries, especially Canada, suggests the promise of this approach. In defending the single-payer approach, the author identifies several political and cultural factors that make it difficult for Americans to obtain a clear view of this option. Finally, the author argues that much discussion of rationing is vitiated by bracketing more systemic questions to which the issue of rationing is inextricably linked.
A contemporaneous comparison of hospital charges for laparoscopic and open Nissen fundoplication

Surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease is increasingly recognized as a costeffective alternative to long-term medical therapy. This fact, coupled with the advent of laparoscopic fundoplication as a safe and efficacious alternative to open surgery, underscores the importance of determining the costs associated with laparoscopic treatment.
A low-temperature companion to a white dwarf star

An infrared object located about 120 AU from the white dwarf GD165 has been discovered. With the exception of the possible brown dwarf companion to Giclas 29-38 reported last year, the companion to GD165 is the coolest (2100 K) dwarf star ever reported and, according to some theoretical models, it should be a substellar brown dwarf with a mass between 0.06 and 0.08 solar mass. These results, together with newly discovered low-mass stellar companions to white dwarfs, change the investigation of very low-mass stars from the study of a few chance objects to that of a statistical distribution. In particular, it appears that very low-mass stars and perhaps even brown dwarfs could be quite common in the Galaxy.
Trends of NO formation in low-temperature hydrocarbon flames

In this paper, NO concentration data from hydrocarbon flames are analyzed for common trends. The data studied were obtained in lean and slightly rich, laminar, premixed low-temeperature C 2 H 6 /O 2 /N 2 and C 2 H 4 /O 2 /N 2 flames from 1 to 15 atm, and atmospheric-pressure CH 4 /O 2 /N 2
Environmental factors and risk for hepatocellular carcinoma

Chronic infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the most important risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in humans. HBV is the primary cause of HCC in high-risk areas including China and Africa, whereas in developed countries such as the United States, HCV plays a more prominent role and is at least partially responsible for the increase in HCC incidence in this country. Humans are exposed to hepatocarcinogenic aflatoxins through ingestion of moldy foods, a consequence of poor storage of susceptible grains. Highly exposed populations are primarily in sub-Sahara Africa and Asia, where dietary aflatoxins significantly enhance the carcinogenic effects of viral hepatitis. Heavy, long-term alcohol use is a risk factor for HCC, whereas moderate use (1-3 drinks/day) is not. Constituents of cigarette smoke are hepatic carcinogens in animals, and there is mounting evidence that the liver is an organ susceptible to tobacco carcinogenicity. Diabetic patients are at risk for HCC probably as a result of the hepatic injury, fibrosis, and eventual cirrhosis resulting from fatty liver disease. Given the current epidemic of obesity and diabetes in the United States, this risk factor will be increasingly important. Increased risk for HCC is evident in young noncirrhotic users of oral contraceptives in the United States and Europe. In summary, risk factors for HCC are identifiable in most patients and primarily are associated with chronic hepatic injury.
A Microfabricated Multilayer Impedance System for Ionic Transport Characterization in Nanocapillary Arrays

A multilayer micro-electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (μ-EIS) system with an integrated Ag/AgCI reference electrode has been developed using MEMS technologies. This μ-EIS system is used to characterize ionic and fluidic transport across nanocapillary array membranes (NCAM), which are comprised of arrays of individual nanopores. Impedance measurements giving magnitude, phase, and I-V characteristics provide insight into the interaction between translocating ions and the electric double layer (EDL) within nanocapillaries due to changes in the surface zeta potential and the ionic charge of the electrolyte. μ-EIS measurements for ionic flow through the NCAM with pore diameters from 10 to 800 nm with an aqueous salt solution indicate that these NCAM behave as nearly ideal RC circuits at electrolyte concentrations on the order of 100 mM, when the EDL within these pores do not overlap. Nyquist plots show an increase in the RC time constant with decreasing salt concentration. Under conditions of EDL overlap, hindered transport in the pores causes deviation from ideal RC circuit-like behaviour with the capacitive component of impedance beginning to dominate.© 2006 ASME
Impact of an external radiation field on handheld XRF measurements for nuclear forensics applications

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is an attractive technique for nuclear forensics applications. We evaluated a handheld XRF device by applying an external radiation field (10 mR/h–17 R/h) using two types of radiography sources: a 60Co radiography camera for high-energy gamma emissions and an 192Ir radiography camera for several low-energy gamma (0.604, 0.468, and 0.317 MeV) and decay daughter X-ray emissions. External radiation tests proved that radiation, in general, has a significant effect on the dead time or background at dose rates over 1 R/h for both the 192Ir and 60Co sources.
Low thrust rocket test facility

A low thrust chemical rocket test facility has recently become operational at the NASA-Lewis. The new facility is used to conduct both long duration and performance tests at altitude over a thruster's operating envelope using hydrogen and oxygen gas for propellants. The facility provides experimental support for a broad range of objectives, including fundamental modeling of fluids and combustion phenomena, the evaluation of thruster components, and life testing of full rocket designs. The major mechanical and electrical systems are described along with aspects of the various optical diagnostics available in the test cell. The electrical and mechanical systems are designed for low down time between tests and low staffing requirements for test operations. Initial results are also presented which illustrate the various capabilities of the cell.
Ol'ga's Conversion and the Construction of Chronicle Narrative

T A he Povesf vremennykh let, variously known in English as the Primary Chronicle or the Tale of Bygone Years, is the single most important source for the history of Kievan Rus'. Although the origins of the Povesf are obscure, the earliest portions of the text certainly date to after the acceptance of Christianity by St. Vladimir Sviatoslavich of Rus', an event that the Povesf itself dates to AM 6496 (988/989 CE).1 In fact, these portions probably date to a considerably later period, some time after the ecclesiastical literary initiative of Vladimir's son, Iaroslav the Wise, dated by the Povesf to AM 6545 (1037/1038).2 The full text of the Povesf in its currently extant form almost certainly dates no later than the colophon of Hegumen Sylvester, which appears in the Laurentian, Radziwill, and Academy manuscripts of the text and is dated AM 6624 (1116/1117).3 The entry for AM 6463 (955/956) in the Povesf, which describes how Ol'ga of Rus', the grandmother of St. Vladimir, at once received baptism in Byzantium and avoided marriage to a Byzantine emperor, has doubtless entertained generations of readers.4 Yet although this entry holds an important place in a lengthy and heated debate about the time and place of Ol'ga's baptism (probably not 955/956), the passage itself has received rather
The design of LBT's telemetry source registration

In the current report, we describe the structure of the telemetry logging system of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) and its approach to telemeter registration. The telemetry logging system, called Telemetry, has three functions. It will provide system data to LBT Observatory (LBTO) personnel in order to facilitate engineering activities such as commissioning, failure diagnosis and system repair. In order to detect failures as soon as possible after they occur, telemetry will allow for live monitoring of the functional status of key telescope systems. Finally, in order to help personnel understand how the LBT operating characteristics evolve with time, telemetry will provide access to historical telescope system data. Given this range of functions, a key requirement of Telemetry is that it must easily adapt to new sources of data. To minimize the changes required to Telemetry, it has no pre-existing knowledge about the structure of the data it will collect. Instead, it engages in a telemeter registration process, in which the data source must describe its own structure. This registration process requires no external data files to be maintained since the description is built up by a sequence of function calls to a C++ library. So far, this strategy has proven successful, as only minor modifications have been made to accommodate the nearly 400 sources of data introduced to the system in the past year. The current report describes the design of the LBT telemetry system and its source registration process.
An integrative model of the cardiac ventricular myocyte incorporating local control of Ca2+ release.

Abstract The local control theory of excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in cardiac muscle asserts that L-type Ca 2+ current tightly controls Ca 2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) via local interaction of closely apposed L-type Ca 2+ channels (LCCs) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs). These local interactions give rise to smoothly graded Ca 2+ -induced Ca 2+ release (CICR), which exhibits high gain. In this study we present a biophysically detailed model of the normal canine ventricular myocyte that conforms to local control theory. The model formulation incorporates details of microscopic EC coupling properties in the form of Ca 2+ release units (CaRUs) in which individual sarcolemmal LCCs interact in a stochastic manner with nearby RyRs in localized regions where junctional SR membrane and transverse-tubular membrane are in close proximity. The CaRUs are embedded within and interact with the global systems of the myocyte describing ionic and membrane pump/exchanger currents, SR Ca 2+ uptake, and time-varying cytosolic ion concentrations to form a model of the cardiac action potential (AP). The model can reproduce both the detailed properties of EC coupling, such as variable gain and graded SR Ca 2+ release, and whole-cell phenomena, such as modulation of AP duration by SR Ca 2+ release. Simulations indicate that the local control paradigm predicts stable APs when the L-type Ca 2+ current is adjusted in accord with the balance between voltage- and Ca 2+ -dependent inactivation processes as measured experimentally, a scenario where common pool models become unstable. The local control myocyte model provides a means for studying the interrelationship between microscopic and macroscopic behaviors in a manner that would not be possible in experiments.
Removal of the more-experienced eye decreases visual field deficits in cats reared with unequal alternating monocular exposure

Unequal alternating monocular exposure produces a nasal field deficit for the less-experienced eye, which persists despite prolonged unrestricted binocular exposure20,24. We now report that deficit decreases after the more experienced eye is removed. Prior to enucleation, the visual field of the less-experienced eye was restricted to the temporal hemifield; 5 months after enucleation of the more-experienced eye, this field extended into the nasal field. Our results are consistent with those in monocularly-deprived cats16, and with the occasional recovery of human amblyopes after loss fixating eye6.
Short-Term Wind Power Ensemble Prediction Based on Gaussian Processes and Neural Networks

We propose an ensemble short-term wind power forecasting model that is based on our novel approaches and advanced forecasting techniques in the modern literature. The performance of our model has been verified by forecasting wind power up to 48 hours ahead at seven wind farms for one and a half years. Our model ranked fourth in the Power and Energy Society (PES) wind power forecasting competition. The forecasting model uses 52 Neural Network (NN) sub-models and five Gaussian Process (GP) sub-models in parallel. For 48 hours, the NN sub-models forecast the future wind power based on historical wind power data and forecasted wind information. In parallel, for the first five hours, five GP sub-models are used to forecast wind power using only historical wind power in order to provide accurate wind power forecasts to NN sub-models. These models provide various forecasts for the same hour, so the optimal forecast should be decided from overlapped forecasts by the decision process.
Metabolomic analysis of cancer cachexia reveals distinct lipid and glucose alterations

Cancer cachexia remains a challenging clinical problem with complex pathophysiology and unreliable diagnostic tools. A blood test to detect this metabolic derangement would aid in early treatment of these patients. A 1H NMR-based metabolomics approach was used to determine the unique metabolic fingerprint of cachexia and to search for biomarkers in serum samples taken from an established murine model of cancer cachexia. Male CD2F1 mice received a subcutaneous flank injection of C26 adenocarcinoma cells to induce experimental cancer-related cachexia. Two molecular markers of muscle atrophy, upregulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Muscle Ring Finger 1 (MuRF1) and aberrant glycosylation of β-dystroglycan (β-DG), were used to confirm muscle wasting in the tumor-bearing mice. Serum samples were collected for metabolomic analysis during the development of the cachexia: at baseline, when the tumor was palpable, and when the mice demonstrated cachexia. The unsupervised statistical analysis demonstrated a distinct metabolic profile with the onset of cachexia. The critical metabolic changes associated with cachexia included increased levels of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL), with decreased serum glucose levels. Regression analysis demonstrated a very high correlation of the presence of aberrant glycosylation of β-DG with the unique metabolic profile of cachexia. This study demonstrates for the first time that metabolomics has potential as a diagnostic tool in cancer cachexia, and in further elucidating simultaneous metabolic pathway alterations due to this syndrome. In addition, variations in VLDL and LDL deserve more investigation as surrogate serum biomarkers for cancer cachexia.