cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Species level phylogeny of the genus Cornus (Cornaceae) based on molecular and morphological evidence-implications for taxonomy and Tertiary intercontinental migration

DNA sequences were generated for matK and ITS for 68 and 103 samples of Cornus to reconstruct a species level phylogeny of the genus. The results support the monophyly of most subgenera, except subg. Kraniopsis and subg. Cornus. Subgenus Kraniopsis was suggested to exclude C. peruviana from South America and subg. Afrocrania and subg. Sinocornus were nested within subg. Cornus. Four major clades corresponding to groups also recognizable by morphological differences were revealed: the big-bracted dogwoods (BB) including subg. Cynoxylon, subg. Syncarpea, and subg. Discocrania, the dwarf dogwoods (DW) including subg. Arctocrania, the cornelian cherries (CC) including subg. Cornus, subg. Sinocornus, and subg. Afrocrania, and the blue- or white-fruited dogwoods (BW) including subg. Kraniopsis, subg. Mesomora, and subg. Yinquania. This finding is consistent with previous studies with more limited sampling. The single South American species C. peruviana was found to be sister to the Asian C. oblonga of subg. Yinquania, adding a fourth intercontinental disjunction in the genus that was previously unknown. Species relationships within the subgenera were clearly resolved except for the relatively large subg. Syncarpea and subg. Kraniopsis. Phylogenetic analyses of total evidence combining morphology, matK, ITS, and previously published rbcL and 26S rDNA sequences resolved the relationships among subgenera as (BW(CC(BB,DW))). Biogeographic analyses using DIVA with or without fossils resulted in different inferences of biogeographic history of the genus, indicating the importance of fossil data in biogeographic analyses. The phylogeny based on the total evidence tree including fossils supports an origin and early Tertiary diversification of Cornus in Europe and multiple trans-Atlantic migrations between Europe and North America by the early Tertiary. It also supports that distribution of the few species in the southern hemisphere was not ancestral, but a result of migration from the north. This evidence rejects a previous hypothesis of a southern hemispheric origin of the genus.
Self-Injurers as Loners: The Social Organization of Solitary Deviance

In this paper we examine the social organization of people who deliberately destroy or damage their own body tissue without suicidal intent. Best and Luckenbill (1982) have proposed two typologies of deviance performed by solitary actors: loners, who lack the regular association with fellow deviants and have no membership in a deviant subculture, and individual deviants, who are the actors and objects of their behaviors, yet socialize with others like them. Based on a convenience sample of 40 in-depth interviews with people who self-cut, burn, brand, scratch, bite, and bone-break, we describe and analyze the way their behaviors correspond to and differ from other forms of individual and loner deviance.
Results with mechanical cardiac valvular prostheses

Mechanical cardiac valvular prostheses continue to be more popular than bioprostheses for heart valve replacement operations. Five different brands of mechanical heart valves are now approved for implantation in the United States: Starr-Edwards models 1260 and 6120, Medtronic-Hall, St. Jude Medical, Omniscience, and CarboMedics. Each model of mechanical valve has certain positive and negative attributes, but none is functionally mechanicall perfect. A review of the published long-term results with these valves favors the Medtronic-Hall and St. Jude Medical valves. A new method of assessing the thrombogenic potential and requirement for anticoagulation of the different mechanical valves, namely the composite thromboembolism and bleeding index, is proposed. Evaluation of the new index demonstrates a modest advantage for the Medtronic-Hall valve, particularly in the aortic position.
Human microvascular endothelial cell prostaglandin E1 synthesis during in vitro ischemia–reperfusion†

Ischemia–reperfusion injury is a microvascular event documented in numerous in vivo animal models. In animal models, prostaglandin and prostaglandin analogues have been found to ameliorate reperfusion injury. These studies were undertaken to evaluate human microvascular endothelial PGE1 synthesis during in vitro ischemia followed by reperfusion. Human (neonatal) microvascular endothelial cell (MEC) cultures (n = 6) were subjected to sequential 2 h periods of normoxia (20% O2), ischemia (1.5% O2), and reperfusion (20% O2). Prostaglandin E2 synthesis in conditioned media was determined by ELISA. Steady state levels of MEC prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS)-1 and -2 mRNA were assessed at the end of each 2-h period using RT-PCR and a quantitative mRNA ELISA. MEC PGHS protein levels were analyzed using an ELISA. PGE1 release increased significantly during the initial 30 min of ischemia, but rapidly fell below normoxic levels by 90 and 120 min. During reperfusion, PGE1 release returned to normoxic levels at 30, 60, and 90 min, and exceeded normoxic levels at 120 min. PGHS-1 mRNA levels were undetectable during all experimental conditions. PGHS-2 mRNA levels were unchanged by ischemia, but were decreased by reperfusion. In contrast, PGHS-2 protein levels increased 3-fold during ischemia, and remained elevated during reperfusion. Human MEC do not express PGHS-1 mRNA in vitro. Prolonged ischemia decreases MEC PGE1 synthesis, and stimulates increased PGHS-2 protein levels without altering the steady state levels of COX-2 mRNA. During reperfusion, increased PGHS-2 protein levels persist and are associated with stimulated PGE2 secretion, despite relative decreases in PGHS-2 mRNA. J. Cell. Biochem. 92: 472–480, 2004. Published 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
One of these things is not like the other: distinctiveness and executive function in preschoolers.

Abstract There is scant evidence that children younger than 7 years show a memory advantage for distinct information, a memory phenomenon termed the isolation effect ( Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 2001, Vol. 27, pp. 1359–1366). We investigated whether 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds’ developing organizational processing and executive function contributed to the isolation effect, demonstrated when recall was better for a semantically unique target (e.g., sheep, pig, watermelon, duck) rather than a semantically common target (e.g., apple, banana, watermelon, strawberry). To encourage organizational processing, children were asked to categorize each item presented. Children also completed working memory and cognitive flexibility tasks, and only children who scored high in cognitive flexibility demonstrated the isolation effect.
An amino acid triplet in the NH2 terminus of rat ROMK1 determines interaction with SUR2B.

Abstract ATP-regulated (KATP) channels are formed by an inward rectifier pore-forming subunit (Kir) and a sulfonylurea (glibenclamide)-binding protein, a member of the ATP binding cassette family (sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) or cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator). The latter is required to confer glibenclamide sensitivity to KATP channels. In the mammalian kidney ROMK1–3 are components of KATP channels that mediate K+ secretion into urine. ROMK1 and ROMK3 splice variants share the core polypeptide of ROMK2 but also have distinct NH2-terminal extensions of 19 and 26 amino acids, respectively. The SUR2B is also expressed in rat kidney tubules and may combine with Kir.1 to form renal KATP channels. Our previous studies showed that co-expression of ROMK2, but not ROMK1 or ROMK3, with rat SUR2B in oocytes generated glibenclamide-sensitive K+ currents. These data suggest that the NH2-terminal extensions in both ROMK1 and ROMK3 block ROMK-SUR2B interaction. Seven amino acids in the NH2-terminal extensions of ROMK1 and ROMK3 are identical (amino acids 13–19 in ROMK1 and 20–26 in ROMK3) and may determine ROMK-SUR2B interaction. We constructed a series of hemagglutinin-tagged ROMK1 NH2-terminal deletion and substitution mutants and examined glibenclamide-sensitive K+ currents in oocytes when co-expressed with SUR2B. These studies identified an amino acid triplet “IRA” within the conserved segment in the NH2terminus of ROMK1 and ROMK3 that blocks the ability of SUR2B to confer glibenclamide sensitivity to the expressed K+ currents. The position of this triplet in the ROMK1 NH2-terminal extension is also important for the ROMK-SUR2B interactions. In vitro co-translation and immunoprecipitation studies with hemagglutinin-tagged ROMK mutants and SUR2B indicted that direct interaction between these two proteins is required for glibenclamide sensitivity of induced K+ currents in oocytes. These results suggest that the IRA triplet in the NH2-terminal extensions of both ROMK1 and ROMK3 plays a key role in subunit assembly of the renal secretary KATP channel.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Suppresses Activation of Nuclear Transcription Factor-κB and Activator Protein-1 Induced by Tumor Necrosis Factor

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) suppresses cell-mediated allogeneic reactions, viral replication, tumorigenesis, and metastasis, most of which require activation of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1). In the present report, we investigated the effect of hCG on NF-κB and AP-1 activated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Treatment of the CaCOV3 human ovarian cell line with hCG blocked TNF-induced activation of NF-κB, IκBα degradation, and NF-κB-dependent reporter gene transcription. hCG also blocked NF-κB activation induced by ceramide. The effect of hCG on NF-κB was mediated through inhibition of phosphorylation of IκBα. Because hCG also blocked TNF receptor-associated factor-2 and NF-κB-inducing kinase reporter gene expression, hCG must act at a step that causes phosphorylation of IκBα. AP-1 activation induced by TNF and ceramide was also suppressed by hCG. hCG abrogated the TNF-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase required for NF-κB and AP-1, respectively. Dideoxyadenosine and H-8 reversed the effect, and dibutyryl cAMP mimicked the effect, suggesting that hCG suppresses the transcription factors through cAMP-induced protein kinase A pathway. Overall, our results indicate that hCG inhibits the activation of NF-κB and AP-1, which may be the molecular basis by which hCG suppresses viral replication, cell proliferation, tumorigenesis, and metastasis.
A servo motor driven multi-action press for sheet metal forming

Abstract The goal of the current study is to adapt a servo-motor driven multi-action press for forming of sheet metal parts under precise velocity control and variable blankholding force. The Engineering Research Center for Net Shape Manufacturing [ERC/NSM] has developed a computer controlled multi-action press with two independently driven punches for research in cold forming of complex parts, using physical modeling techniques. Recently, the same press was modified and upgraded for use in sheet metal forming. As a result of its special design and construction, this press is highly controllable and can perform a wide range of sheet metal forming processes. Tests were conducted in order to obtain the actual press characteristics. Axisymmetric deep drawing experiments were performed with 1100-O annealed aluminum material using all three actions of the press. In these preliminary experiments, the crucial role of blankholding force control on final product quality and drawability was established.
A hybrid finite element formulation for a beam-plate system

A new development in the area of the hybrid finite element analysis (hybrid FEA) is presented. The hybrid FEA method combines the conventional FEA method with energy FEA (EFEA) for analysis of systems that contain both flexible and stiff members. A formulation for analyzing flexible plates spot-welded to stiff beams when the excitation is applied on the stiff members is developed. Conventional FEA models are employed for modeling the behavior of the stiff members in a system. Appropriate damping elements are introduced in the connections between stiff and flexible members in order to capture the presence of the flexible members during the analyses of the stiff ones. The component mode synthesis method is combined with analytical solutions for determining the driving point conductance at joints between stiff and flexible members and for defining the properties of the damping elements which represent the flexible members when analyzing the stiff components. Once the vibration of the stiff members and the amount of power dissipated at the damping elements has been identified, an EFEA analysis is performed in order to determine the amount of vibrational energy in the flexible members. The new developments are validated by comparing results of the hybrid FEA with results from very dense conventional finite element analyses for structures of increasing complexity.
A single-molecule assay to directly identify solvent-accessible disulfide bonds and probe their effect on protein folding.

Mechanical unfolding of a single domain protein with engineered disulfide bonds in reducing and oxidizing conditions has been probed by single-molecule force spectroscopy. Reduction of the solvent-accessible disulfide bond by the chemical reducing agent DTT resulted in an increase in the protein contour length, and the kinetics of reduction were measured at the single-molecule level. In contrast, a sequestered disulfide bond was not readily reduced by DTT. We also show that the protein folding kinetics are sensitive to the redox environment, and the differential kinetics of the oxidized and reduced domains were simultaneously measured.
Venous thromboembolism: Epidemiology and magnitude of the problem

Pulmonary embolism is the third most common cardiovascular disease after myocardial infarction and stroke. The death rate from pulmonary embolism exceeds the death rate from myocardial infarction, because myocardial infarction is much easier to detect and to treat. Among survivors of pulmonary embolism, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension occurs in 2–4 of every 100 patients. Post-thrombotic syndrome of the legs, characterized by chronic venous insufficiency, occurs in up to half of patients who suffer deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. We have effective pharmacological regimens using fixed low dose unfractionated or low molecular weight heparin to prevent venous thromboembolism among hospitalized patients. There remains the problem of low rates of utilization of pharmacological prophylaxis. The biggest change in our understanding of the epidemiology of venous thromboembolism is that we now believe that deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism share similar risk factors and pathophysiology with atherothrombosis and coronary artery disease.
Application of the small-angle approximation to ocean water types

The small-angle approximation to the radiative transport equation is applied to particle suspensions that emulate ocean water. A particle size distribution is constructed from polystyrene and glass spheres with the best available data for particle size distributions in the ocean. A volume scattering function is calculated from the Mie theory for the particles in water and in oil. The refractive-index ratios of particles in water and particles in oil are 1.19 and 1.01, respectively. The ratio 1.19 is comparable to minerals and nonliving diatoms in ocean water, and the ratio 1.01 is comparable to the lower limit for microbes in water. The point-spread functions are measured as a function of optical thickness for both water and oil mixtures and compared with the point-spread functions generated from the small-angle approximation. Our results show that, under conditions that emulate ocean water, the small-angle approximation is valid only for small optical thicknesses. Specifically, the approximation is valid only for optical thicknesses less than 3.
Carrier proteins determine local pharmacokinetics and arterial distribution of paclitaxel.

The growing use of local drug delivery to vascular tissues has increased interest in hydrophobic compounds. The binding of these drugs to serum proteins raises their levels in solution, but hinders their distribution through tissues. Inside the arterial interstitium, viscous and steric forces and binding interactions impede drug motion. As such, this might be the ideal scenario for increasing the amount of drug delivered to, and residence time within, arterial tissues. We quantified carrier-mediated transport for paclitaxel, a model hydrophobic agent with potential use in proliferative vascular diseases, by determining, in the presence or absence of carrier proteins, the maximum concentration of drug in aqueous solution, the diffusivity in free solution, and the diffusivity in arterial tissues. Whereas solubility of paclitaxel was raised 8.1-, 21-, and 57-fold by physiologic levels of alpha(1)-acid glycoproteins, bovine serum albumin, and calf serum over that in protein-free solution, diffusivity of paclitaxel in free solution was reduced by 41, 49, and 74%, respectively. When paclitaxel mixed in these solutions was applied to arteries both in vitro and in vivo, drug was more abundant at the tissue interface, but protein carriers tended to retain drug in the lumen. Once within the tissue, these proteins did not affect the rate at which drug traverses the tissue because this hydrophobic drug interacted with the abundant fixed proteins and binding sites. The protein binding properties of hydrophobic compounds allow for beneficial effects on transvascular transport, deposition, and distribution, and may enable prolonged effect and rationally guide local and systemic strategies for their administration.
Investigation of Molecular Transport and Distributions in Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels with Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was utilized to explore noninvasively the diffusion mechanisms of water-soluble, low molecular weight fluorescent probes in photopolymerized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels. First, the simple case of 1-D diffusion in uniformly loaded PEG disks was characterized. Dye distributions in PEG disks were imaged using CLSM during release experiments and quantitatively evaluated through image analysis for comparison to Fickian diffusion models. Dye diffusion coefficients were determined by fitting Fickian diffusion equations to experimentally measured concentration profiles. Effective diffusion coefficients were on the order of 10-8 cm2/s, comparing favorably to literature values. Second, the time-dependent distributions of two separate probes were monitored simultaneously to explore the multicomponent tracking capabilities of CLSM in PEG hydrogels. Finally, a more complex dye loading system was examined by embedding microparticles loaded with fluorescent dye in PEG ...
A Photoconductor For Laser Printers

A photoconductor which is used in an IBM laser printer is described as to composition and performance. The key mechanisms that apply to the performance of the photoconductor are elucidated, and the sensitometric parameters are discussed. Photoconductor concerns are presented, and considerations with respect to development of photoconductors for use in future laser printers are investigated.
γ-Herpesvirus-encoded miRNAs and their roles in viral biology and pathogenesis

To date, more than 200 viral miRNAs have been identified mostly from herpesviruses and this rapidly evolving field has recently been summarized in a number of excellent reviews (see [ 1 , 2 ]). Unique to γ-herpesviruses, like Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and Epstein–Barr virus, is their ability to cause cancer. Here, we discuss γ-herpesvirus-encoded miRNAs and focus on recent findings which support the hypothesis that viral miRNAs directly contribute to pathogenesis and tumorigenesis. The observations that KSHV mimics a human tumorigenic miRNA (hsa-miR-155), which is induced in EBV-infected cells and required for the survival of EBV-immortalized cells, lead to a number of studies demonstrating that perturbing this pathway induces B cell proliferation in vivo and immortalization of human B cells in vitro. Secondly, the application of state of the art ribonomics methods to globally identify viral miRNA targets in virus-infected tumor cells provides a rich resource to the KSHV and EBV fields and largely expanded our understanding on how viral miRNAs contribute to viral biology.
NXL104 irreversibly inhibits the β-lactamase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

NXL104 is a novel β-lactamase inhibitor with a non-lactam structural scaffold. Our kinetic and mass spectrometric analysis demonstrates that NXL104 quantitatively inhibits BlaC, the only chromosomally encoded β-lactamase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, by forming a carbamyl adduct with the enzyme. The inhibition efficiency (k2/K) of NXL104 was shown to be more than 100-fold lower than that of clavulanate, a classical β-lactamase inhibitor, which is probably caused by the bulky rings of NXL104. However, the decarbamylation rate constant (k3) was determined to be close to zero. The BlaC–NXL104 adduct remained stable for at least 48 h, while the hydrolysis of the BlaC–clavulanate adduct was observed after 2 days. The three-dimensional crystal structure of the BlaC–-NXL104 carbamyl adduct was determined at a resolution of 2.3 A. Interestingly, the sulfate group of NXL104 occupies the position of a phosphate ion in the structure of the BlaC–clavulanate adduct and is hydrogen bonded to residues Ser128, Thr237,...
Gas-chromatographic determination of selenium

Abstract Selenium(IV) is reacted with 2,3-diaminonaphthalene at pH 2 to form the well established complex, which is extracted into hexane. An aliquot of the hexane layer is analyzed gas chromatographically with an electron-capture detector. As little as 5 10−10 g of selenium could be detected; 0.01μg of selenium could be determined in a sample by extracting int 0.1 ml of hexane and injecting a 5-μl aliquot of the extract. The method was applied to the determination of physiological amounts of selenium in human blood and urine. Averages of 0.38 p.p.m. and 0.007 p.p.m. selenium were found in blood and urine. respectively. River water samples were also analyzed. Complete analysis time for a single sample is less than 3 h. including time for digestion of the sample and 2 h for formation of the complex.
The axisymmetric thermocapillary motion of a fluid particle in a tube

The thermocapillary migration of a fluid particle in a tube, owing to an imposed axial temperature gradient, is studied theoretically for the case of steady, axisymmetric, creeping, translation in the absence of thermal convection and fluid particle distortion from sphericity, and for an insulated tube. Formulated with these assumptions, the migration is a linear Stokes flow which is separable into two fixed-fluid particle flow idealizations. One is the fluid motion in a quiescent continuous phase, owing only to the thermocapillary surface stress. This stress causes fluid streaming which exerts a lift force on the fluid particle in the direction of the warmer fluid described by a lift coefficient. The second idealization is uniform flow in the absence of thermocapillary forces. The force on the fluid particle owing to this flow represents the hydrodynamic resistance to the forward motion of the fluid particle in the presence of the tube wall, and is described in terms of a drag coefficient. Numerical solutions for the lift and drag coefficients are obtained by a boundary collocation technique.The migration velocity in the tube relative to that under identical conditions in an infinite medium is computed from the ratio of the lift and drag coefficients. The calculations show that for a fixed ratio of the sphere to the tube diameter, as the conductivity of the fluid particle phase decreases relative to that of the continuous phase, a greater proportion of energy is conducted through the gap between the insulated tube wall and the fluid particle. This conduction pattern creates a larger surface temperature gradient, and causes the relative migration velocity to increase. The enhancement in migration for decreasing fluid particle conductivity at a fixed ratio of the sphere to the tube diameter becomes more pronounced as the later ratio increases and the surface gradient intensifies. However, as the gap distance between the sphere and the tube decreases, hydrodynamic retarding forces develop, and these forces are overriding in the sense that the relative migration velocity in the tube decreases monotonically from the value of one as the gap thickness decreases, and therefore the migration velocity in the tube never exceeds the value in an infinite medium.
Renal arteriovenous fistula: A reversible cause of hypertension and heart failure

Abstract A case of renal arteriovenous fistula is presented in which radioisotope renography and differential studies of renal function strongly suggested the presence of ipsilateral renal ischemia, subsequently confirmed. Another case, due to hypernephroma, is described in which aorticorenal arteriography revealed vascular lakes within the tumor, together with marked extrarenal venous dilation. Fifty-three previously reported cases of renal arteriovenous fistula are reviewed in detail, with special attention to the relationship of diastolic hypertension to the renal and vascular pathology.
THE SEX HORMONE EXCRETION OF CHILDREN

Koch (1) in summarizing the findings of his research group stated that there are marked daily fluctuations in the urinary excretion of androgens and estrogens in normal men and women. He found an average daily excretion of 60 international units of androsterone in men and 50 I.U. in women. He gave no data on children. He found as an average daily excretion of estrogens, expressed as estrone, 9 to 12 γ for men and 18 to 36 γ for women. In male castrates he found exceedingly small amounts of sex hormones in the urine. Kochakian (2) has not expressed his units in terms of any standard; however, he found that young men excreted 6 to 36 capon units daily with an average of 14 C.U. Old men excreted less hormone. He was unable to recover more than 6 per cent of the androstendion injected into either men, rabbits, or dogs. Pedersen-Bjergaard (3) did not define the size of his capon unit but showed a hormone excretion for a normal adult male of 15 to 25 C.U. and gave the excretion of an 8-year-old boy as less than...
Changes in trophic structure of soil arthropods after the application of vermicomposts

Abstract The trophic structure of soil arthropods in earthworm casts or vermicomposts produced by Eisenia fetida (Savigny) from paper waste, food waste and cow manure, and in field trials was studied during summer 1999. The numbers of soil arthropods in the soil were counted before treatment (as a control), in the vermicomposts, and after application of vermicomposts to soil in the field. The vermicomposts were applied to soil in rows of tomatoes and peppers, at rates of 4.5 ton ha –1 , and the numbers of soil arthropods in trophic groups were compared with those in soil receiving conventional composts and inorganic fertilizers. All treatments received the same total amounts of nutrients. Most of the vermicomposts were rich in microbial biomass-N. There was a tendency for the application of inorganic fertilizers, and conventional compost, to tomato and pepper plots to decrease the numbers of trophic groups of soil arthropods. The applications of vermicomposts increased the number of trophic groups of soil arthropods.
The Consequences of Knowledge about Elite Deviance

The present study sought to understand the consequences of knowledge about elite deviance. Four hundred and eight participants completed an online questionnaire that measured (1) their level of knowledge about white-collar crime and (2) their perceived seriousness of, and punitiveness toward, it. Results of statistical analyses suggest a positive relationship between knowledge and punitive sentiments toward crimes of the powerful. Conversely, less knowledgeable subjects, comprised disproportionately of men, politically Conservatives, Republicans, and conservative Protestants were often more lenient toward elite offenders, both in terms of perceived seriousness of the offenses and punitiveness toward them, when compared with street crime. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Developing a model system in vitro to understand tracheary element development in Douglas-fir (Pseudostuga mensziesii)

Callus cells were initiated on cambial strips obtained from 4 to 8 y old Douglas-fir (Pseudostuga menziesii) trees, cultured on solidified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2,4- dichlorophenoxyaceticacid (2,4-D) and benzylaminopurine (BA). The cultures could be maintained by sub-culturing on fresh medium every four weeks. When the callus cells were subsequently transferred to liquid MS medium supplemented with different phytohormones, suspension cultures could be initiated and maintained by periodic sub-culture. Approximately 65% of the callus cells cultured on liquid MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D, when maintained for 6-7 weeks without sub-culture, differentiated to tracheary element (TE) like cells. The formation of TE like cells was confirmed histochemically by staining with phloroglucinol-HCl. Secondary thickening of the cell walls were confirmed by polarized light microscopy, which showed strong birefringence of the cell wall due the presence of crystalline cellulose. The presence of lignin was determined by pyrolysis- GC-MS and FTIR spectroscopy. The lignin content in differentiated cell wall samples was quantified at 21% by the lignothioglycolic acid assay. Analysis of monosaccharide composition of cell wall samples after acid hydrolysis showed that the percentage of glucose, xylose and mannose had increased in the differentiated cell walls. These increases correspond to the formation of cellulose, glucomannan and xylan, primarily associated with secondary cell walls.
The violent environment of the origin of life - Progress and uncertainties

Dating of terrestrial fossils and returned lunar samples reveals that the origin of life on Earth occurred not in a quiescent, peaceful environment, but rather in a violent, impact-ridden one. This realization has important consequences. On the one hand, sufficiently large and fast impactors can erode planetary atmospheres, and the very largest of these may have sterilized the surface of the Earth. In this regard, deep-sea hydrothermal vents become especially interesting for the history of early life, as they provide an environment protected against all but the greatest impact devastation. At the same time, impactors would have been delivering key biogenic elements (such as carbon and nitrogen) to Earth's surface, and (with much greater difficulty) intact organic molecules as well. Estimates of the various sources of prebiotic organics suggest that the heavy bombardment either produced or delivered quantities of organics comparable to those produced by other energy sources. However, substantial uncertainties exist. After reviewing the current understanding of the role of the heavy bombardment in the origins of life, a number of remaining key uncertainties are considered, and attempts are made to both quantify their magnitude and point to means of resolving them.
Observational couple assessment: a cross‐model comparison

This study compared the clinical rating scales from the Circumplex Model (CCRS), the McMaster Model of Family Functioning (MCRS) and the Family Health Scales (FHS). A central purpose was to investigate whether observational rating scales designed to measure family functioning can also be used to assess couple functioning. One hundred and sixty-six drug abusing women, receiving primary drug treatment in two metropolitan drug agencies in the southwest of the US, and their partners were video-taped while engaged in three couple tasks prior to receiving any treatment. The main findings indicated that all three rating scales have: (1) sufficient interrater reliability; (2) good construct validity, as reflected in factor analyses; and (3) very good convergent validity. However, there was some concern about whether these scales are as discriminating when measuring couples as they are when assessing families.
U.S. Manufacturing Investments in Western Europe: Markets, Corporate Strategy, and the Competitive Environment

Abstract This paper reports on research into the locational strategies of a group of American high-technology firms in the Western European market. The objective is to gain insight into why U.S. multinational firms continue to be committed to a strategy of manufacturing in the Western European market (principally the European Economic Community) despite labor costs and labor market rigidities that are relatively high by global standards. For those firms with local production, major motivating factors included market access and improved supplier performance and service. The latter is concerned with the construction of business relationships and the establishment of a market presence.'’In all cases, the level and nature of competition in the market is a crucial contextual variable. It is proposed that the widely accepted oligopolistic/ownership advantages model of foreign direct investment requires a more dynamic geographical and historical orientation to better explain current tendencies in international m...
Leptin expression and action: New experimental paradigms

As is the case with insulin and its receptor in diabetes, mutations of leptin and its receptor are rare in human obesity (7, 8) (none have yet been described), and most obese individuals have higher levels of serum-immunoreactive leptin than do nonobese individuals, raising the specter of “leptin resistance” (9, 10). Although absolutely increased compared with lean individuals, leptin levels may be relatively lower as a function of body fat content in some obese individuals than in others, and individuals with relatively “low leptin” may be more likely to gain weight over subsequent years (11). It will be interesting to determine whether these lower levels …
The cellular inhibitor of the PKR protein kinase, P58(IPK), is an influenza virus-activated co-chaperone that modulates heat shock protein 70 activity.

P58IPK, a member of the tetratricopeptide repeat and J-domain protein families, was first recognized for its ability to inhibit the double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase, PKR. PKR is part of the interferon-induced host defense against viral infection, and down-regulates translation initiation via phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 on the α-subunit. P58IPK is activated in response to infection by influenza virus, and inhibits PKR through direct protein-protein interaction. Previously, we demonstrated that the molecular chaperone heat shock protein 40 (hsp40) was a negative regulator of P58IPK. We could now report that influenza virus activates the P58IPKpathway by promoting the dissociation of hsp40 from P58IPKduring infection. We also found that the P58IPK-hsp40 association was disrupted during recovery from heat shock, which suggested a regulatory role for P58IPK in the absence of virus infection. The PKR pathway is even more complex as we show in this report that the molecular chaperone, hsp/Hsc70, was a component of a trimeric complex with hsp40 and P58IPK. Moreover, like other J-domain proteins, P58IPK stimulated the ATPase activity of Hsc70. Taken together, our data suggest that P58IPK is a co-chaperone, possibly directing hsp/Hsc70 to refold, and thus inhibit kinase function.
WE‐E‐AUD‐03: Characterization of a Novel, Fast, In‐House, CCD‐Based Optical‐CT Scanner for 3D Dosimetry in Radiochromic Dosimeters

Purpose: Practical tools for comprehensive three‐dimensional (3D) dosimetry are urgently needed. Here we evaluate a novel, in‐house, second‐generation optical‐computed tomography (optical‐CT) scanner for 3D‐dosimetry in PRESAGE™ dosimeters. Primary advantages over laser‐based, first‐generation scanners include much faster scanning times and potential for high resolution. Methods: The optical‐CT scanner performance was evaluated by comparing dose readout with that from the ‘gold‐standard’ first‐generation (MGS) scanner for three irradiation schemes of progressive complexity (a single rectangular‐beam, a 3D‐conformal and an IMRT treatment). The scanner incorporates a red‐filtered (633 nm) uniform area‐backlight, but is distinguished by incorporation of a customized tertiary telecentric lens‐system, which enables image formation with parallel light‐ray geometry. 2D projection images were acquired on a CCDcamera of an irradiated PRESAGE™ cylinder (5 cm diameter). Multiple 2D projections over a 360°‐scan were used to reconstruct a 3D map of attenuation coefficients. Results: A complete set of high‐resolution (1392×1040 pixels, 50μm) projection images was acquired in ∼5 minutes with the new (CCD)scanner. This represents an improvement in speed of >2 orders of magnitude and potential for high‐resolution dosimetry compared to the first‐generation MGS scanner. The speed advantage for CCD‐scanner arises because, unlike the MGS scanner, an entire 2D‐projection is acquired in a single acquisition. Line profiles showed that 3D dose readout from the CCDscanner was in good agreement with independent readout from the MGS scanner as well as the calculated treatment plan for all three irradiation schemes. Gamma comparison indicated agreement with MGS readout within 4% dose‐difference and 4mm distance‐to‐agreement. While the signal‐to‐noise ratio for MGS scanner is better by a factor of 3, the attributes of faster speed and higher resolution are highly desirable for practical 3D‐dosimetry. Conclusion: This work demonstrates the feasibility of accurate 3D dosimetry with the new optical‐CT scanner used in combination with radiochromic (non‐scattering) dosimeters.
A Comparison of Primitive and Balance Equation Simulations of Baroclinic Waves

Abstract The balance equations are an approximate set of equations that reduce to gradient wind balance under steady, circular flow conditions on an f plane. Scale analysis indicates that these equations are potentially quite accurate over a wide variety of atmospheric conditions. Motivated by an apparent lack of numerical solutions of this set, we compare simulations of nonlinear baroclinic waves under adiabatic conditions with the primitive and balance equations. As predicted by the scale analysis, the balance equations describe the wave evolution with very high accuracy in situations where the errors made by approximate equation sets based on geostrophy are significant.
Physicians’ attitudes toward tube feeding chronically III nursing home patients

Objective:To determine attitudes of physicians toward the limitation of tube feeding in chronically ill nursing home patients and the influences of patient preferences and other patient and physician variables on these decisions.
Meaningful Lives: Elders in Treatment for Depression

Depression among elderly persons is common. Major depression is disabling, highly prevalent, and adversely affects daily function and quality of life. Although studies have demonstrated that interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and medication can relieve the symptoms of depression, many elders do not seek treatment. Of those elders who do participate in treatment experience, 20% to 50% do not experience partial or full relief from depressive symptoms. Improvements in treatment strategies are needed to better serve this population. In this study, 20 elders in treatment for depression with IPT and medication were interviewed to better understand their day-to-day lives. These interviews provided insights and perspectives to inform clinical practice and improve treatment strategies. The major themes identified were independence, spirituality, family, depression, medical comorbidities, and motivation. Potential treatment strategies were derived from these themes.
Derivate des D-Glucosamins, VI. Anomere des Benzyl-N-carbobenzoxy-D-glucosamins und einige Derivate

Bei der Darstellung von Benzyl-N-carbobenzoxy-D-glucosamin (I) in Benzylalkohol/HCl entsteht ein Gemisch der beiden anomeren Benzylglykoside. Diese konnen nach Substitution in 3-, 4- und 6-Stellung durch fraktionierte Kristallisation getrennt werden. Darstellung und Eigenschaften von in 3- oder 4- und 6-Stellung substituierten Derivaten der reinen anomeren Benzyl-N-carbobenzoxy-D-glucosamine werden beschrieben.
Organization, polymorphism, and molecular cytogenetics of chromosome-specific α-satellite DNA from the centromere of chromosome 2

Abstract The general usefulness of α-satellite DNA probes for the molecular, genetic, and cytogenetic analysis of the human genome is enhanced by their being chromosome specific. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of an α-satellite subset specific for human chromosome 2. Three clones, p2–7, p2–8, and p2–11, obtained from an Eco RI-digested lambda phage library from flow-sorted chromosome 2, are specific for the centromere of chromosome 2 by somatic cell hybrid mapping and chromosomal in situ hybridization. Nucleotide sequence analysis identifies the chromosome 2-specific α-satellite subset D2Z1 as a member of the suprachromosomal subfamily II, which is based on a characteristic two-monomer repeat. The D2Z1 subset is further organized as a series of diverged 680-bp tetramers, revealed after digestion of genomic DNA with Hae III, Hin dIII, Hin fl, Stu I, and Xba I. Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), probes p2–7, p2–8, and p2–11 detect polymorphic restriction patterns within the α-satellite array. Among 15 different chromosomes 2 (in two two-generation families and one three-generation family), the length of the D2Z1 α-satellite array varied between 1050 and 2900 kb (mean = 1850 kb, SD = 550 kb). The inheritance of the chromosome 2α-satellite arrays and their associated polymorphisms was strictly Mendelian.
Use of data from a hospital online medical records system by physicians during preanesthetic evaluation

Objective. There is no data on the use of hospital-wide online edical record (OLMR) systems by anesthesiologists. We measured how often anesthesiologists accessed the OLMR database maintained by the hospital, how often data was copied from this database into the clinic's computer system, and how much data was copied.Methods. In a preanesthetic evaluation clinic that has a computerized evaluation system designed for physician-entered data, a graphical user-interface prototype link provided access to the hospital OLMR database for users and was studied over a 37-day period. The software allowed the user to search the OLMR system by patient name, retrieve a text listing of the patient's record, and then copy and paste desired information into the forms of the preanesthetic system. Using embedded routines, we recorded how many times physicians searched for and retrieved medical records from the hospital OLMR database, as well as how many times they copied data to the preoperative database. As a measure of howmuch data was copied, the number of characters was also recorded.Results. Of 1,080 patients evaluated in the clinic during the study period, electronic searches of the hospital OLMR database for 221 patients (20.5%) were noted. Of these searches, 208 (94.1%, or 19.3% of 1,080 patients) successfullyretrieved data from the patient's record. Data wascopied for 170 patients — 81.7% of the successful searches. Of 7,525,153 characters retrieved, 262,269 were copied — an average of 1,543 characters per instance of copying.Conclusion. We conclude that anesthesiologists, given even crude graphical access to a hospital OLMR database, will retrieve and copy data, potentially increasing the accuracy of the medical records and saving time.
A novel eicosanoid is the major arachidonic acid metabolite of cultured human monocytes.

Abstract Human peripheral blood monocyte-macrophages (M) generate a novel eicosanoid during in vitro culture. The metabolite is generated during incubation of the cells with 14C — arachidonic acid (AA). Lack of prior recognition of this metabolite probably results from the facts that: 1) on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) in two standard solvent systems, the novel metabolite co-chromatographed with either prostaglandin D2 or thromboxane B2, and 2) its generation, under the conditions studied, does not occur until between 90 and 180 minutes after culture initiaton which is a time period beyond that used for most leukocyte studies. The generation of the metabolite is inhibited by nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) but not by indomethacin. Base hydrolysis did not alter its migration on TLC. On both reversed phase and straight phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), the novel peak isolated by TLC elutes as a single major peak of radioactivity with a retention time different from the known leukotrienes, hydroxy acids, or their metabolites. Furthermore, the peak isolated on HPLC has a single ultraviolet absorption maximum at 270 nm. M cultured for 1 week prior to a 24 hour incubation with 14C-AA generated proportionally less of the novel eicosanoid (roughly 68% of total radiolabeled product) than did M cultured for 3 weeks prior to a similar incubation with 14C-AA (roughly 86% of total radiolabeled product). Under the conditions studied, the novel eicosanoid is the major AA metabolite generated from exogenous AA by cultured M and it appears to be generated in increasing quantity as the M differentiate.
Enhancing Spatial Locality via Data Layout Optimizations

This paper aims to improve locality of references by suitably choosing array layouts. We use a new definition of spatial reuse vectors that takes into account memory layout of arrays. This capability creates two opportunities. First, it allows us to develop an array restructuring framework based on a combination of hyperplane theory and reuse vectors. Second, it allows us to observe the effect of different array layout optimizations on spatial reuse vectors. Since the iteration space based locality optimizations also change the spatial reuse vectors, our approach allows us to compare the iteration-space based and data-space based approaches in terms of their effects on spatial reuse vectors. We illustrate the effectiveness of our technique using an example from the BLAS library on the SGI Origin distributed shared-memory machine.
Reduced description of reactive flows with tabulation of chemistry

The direct use of large chemical mechanisms in multi-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is computationally expensive due to the large number of chemical species and the wide range of chemical time scales involved. To meet this challenge, a reduced description of reactive flows in combination with chemistry tabulation is proposed to effectively reduce the computational cost. In the reduced description, the species are partitioned into represented species and unrepresented species; the reactive system is described in terms of a smaller number of represented species instead of the full set of chemical species in the mechanism; and the evolution equations are solved only for the represented species. When required, the unrepresented species are reconstructed assuming that they are in constrained chemical equilibrium. In situ adaptive tabulation (ISAT) is employed to speed the chemistry calculation through tabulating information of the reduced system. The proposed dimension-reduction / tabulation me...
Design of enhanced differential cascode voltage switch logic (EDCVSL) circuits for high fan-in gate

In this paper, a new logic-style, enhanced differential cascode voltage switch logic (EDCVSL), is presented for high performance and low power VLSI. EDCVSL simplifies the logic tree of DCVSL, and dramatically reduces the number of interconnects by eliminating the complementary inputs, while maintaining the features of DCVSL. Simulation results of EDCVSL show less power consumption compared to the traditional DCVSL architecture, while EDCVSL keeps DCVSL's advantages.