cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flagellar proteins of motile spores of Actinomycetes

Flagella of some of the actinoplanete genera were purified and the molecular sizes of their flagellin subunits compared by SDS-PAGE analysis to flagellins of cells of other bacteria. Several species of Actinoplanes have a major flagellar protein of subunit sizes of 42-43 kDa and a lesser amount of a second protein, possibly a minor flagellin subunit, of 60 kDa. The flagellar protein sizes of other actinoplanetes ranged from 32-43 kDa (major) and 48-58 kDa (minor). Antibodies formed against the 42-kDa protein of A. rectilineatus showed cross-reactivity in Western blots against flagellar proteins of spores of other Actinoplanes species, two species of Dactylosporangium and an Ampullariella species. Cross-reactivity was also observed with motile cells of two other actinomycetes, Arthrobacter atrocyaneus and a Geodermatophilus species, and with Bacillus subtilis. No cross-reactivity was observed with Escherichia coli or Planomonospora parontospora flagellar proteins. The amino acid composition and partial N-terminal sequence of the 42-kDa flagellar protein of A. rectilineatus was compared to literature data for other bacterial flagellins and found to be most similar to B. subtilis 168.
Curves of Growth of Autoionizing Spectral Lines with Application to the 3s–4p Transition in Argon*

Autoionization spectral lines growth curves analysis, applying to 3s-4p transition in Ar at 466 A with specified absorption cross section
Central Pattern Generator Control of a Tensegrity Swimmer

Rhythmic motion employed in animal locomotion is ultimately controlled by neuronal circuits known as central pattern generators (CPGs). It appears that these controllers produce efficient, oscillatory command signals by entraining to an efficient or economic gait via sensory feedback. This property is of great interest in the control of autonomous vehicles. The objective of this study is to experimentally validate synthesized CPG control of a tensegrity swimmer. The prestressed cables in a tensegrity structure provide a method of simultaneous actuation and sensing, analogous to the biological motor control mechanism of regulating muscle stiffness through motoneuron activation and sensing the resulting motion by stretch receptors. A three cell, class 2 tensegrity swimmer is designed and built, and open-loop control tests characterize its swimming performance. We then determine gaits for desired entrainment, and use a graphical design method to construct and test the closed-loop system. Lastly, we perform perturbed tests of the swimmer to illustrate the robustness of CPG control.
Anatomy of the nuchal ligament and its surgical applications.

OBJECTIVE: Although considered a basic maneuver for neurosurgical procedures, dissection of the musculature of the posterior cervical spine can be a source of complications during surgery. These complications include excessive blood loss, a loss of the plane of dissection, and injury to important structures such as the vertebral artery and nerve roots. Inappropriate closing of the muscular plane might also contribute to leakage of spinal fluid and postoperative deformation of the cervical spine. We review the anatomy of the nuchal ligament and describe a technical nuance based on the characteristics of the ligament's components, which can be used to assure the midline for a bloodless and atraumatic dissection. METHODS: We set out to determine whether or not the nuchal ligament could be used as a natural plane of dissection for splitting the posterior cervical musculature. We studied the anatomy of the nuchal ligament in five cadavers. RESULTS: The nuchal ligament extends from the external occipital protuberance to the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra (C7). It is covered by layers of cervical fascia and the aponeurosis of the trapezius muscle. It is composed of two portions: 1) the lamellar portion, an anterior double-layered portion with fatty areolar tissue interposed between its layers that inserts into the medial side of the bifid spinous process of the cervical vertebra; and 2) the funicular portion, a posterior fibrous portion that corresponds to the fusion of the layers of the lamellar portion. CONCLUSION: Several steps can assure that the midline plane is respected, thereby decreasing risk and reducing trauma and blood loss during dissection: 1) dissection of the nuchal ligament within the fatty areolar tissue of the lamellar portion, 2) isolation and incision of the funicular portion from inside to outside, and 3) retrograde dissection of the cerviconuchal muscles attached to the occipital bone in a subperiosteal plane.
Cross-modal transfer in rats following different early environments

The present study investigated the effects of different early environments on specific cross-modal transfer (CMT) in rats, using a direct vs. reversal transfer paradigm. At weaning, littermates were divided into two groups: EC, reared in an enriched environment, and IC, reared in an impoverished environment. All animals remained in their respective environments until 96 days of age, at which time they were trained on a visual intensity discrimination. Upon completion of visual training, they received an auditory intensity discrimination (transfer). Both the EC and IC groups showed specific CMT; however, there was no difference between the two groups in the magnitude of the transfer effect. Furthermore, learning ability in the visual modality was equivalent for both groups. The results suggest that specific CMT of intensity is not affected by differential early environmental experience. Some possible explanations are discussed.
Effects of temperature and hydraulic retention time on anaerobic sequencing batch reactor treatment of low-strength wastewater

Abstract Four laboratory-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (ASBRs) were used to treat synthetic wastewaters at COD concentrations of 1000, 800, 600 and 400 mg/liter (BOD5 of 490, 392, 294 and 196 mg/liter respectively). The ASBRs were operated at temperatures of 35, 25, 20 and 15°C. Reactor 1 was operated at a 48-h HRT, reactor 2 at 24-h HRT, reactor 3 at 16-h HRT and reactor 4 at a 12-h HRT. The four substrate concentrations were treated in each reactor and each temperature. Results of the study show 80–90% soluble COD removal efficiency at the various substrate concentrations, temperatures and HRTs, except during 15°C treatment of the more concentrated wastewater at the shorter HRTs. These findings show that the ASBR process could be used for the treatment of low-strength wastewaters at low temperatures, usually treated aerobically with high energy expenditures and large amounts of sludge production.
Cryogenic Fourier transform infrared spectrometer from 4 to 20 micrometers

We describe the design and performance of a cryogenic Fourier transform spectrometer (Cryo-FTS) operating at a temperature of approximately 15 K. The instrument is based on a porch-swing scanning mirror design with active alignment stabilization using a fiber-optic coupled diode laser and voice-coil actuator mechanism. It has a KBr beamsplitter and has been integrated into an infrared radiometer containing a calibrated Si:As blocked impurity band (BIB) detector. Due to its low operating temperature, the spectrometer exhibits very small thermal background signal and low drift. Data from tests of basic spectrometer function, such as modulation efficiency, scan jitter, spectral range, and spectral resolution are presented. We also present results from measurements of faint point-like sources in a low background environment, including background, signal offset and gain, and spectral noise equivalent power, and discuss the possible use of the instrument for spectral characterization of ground-based infrared astronomy calibration sources. The Cryo-FTS is presently limited to wavelengths below 25 micrometers but can be in principle extended to longer wavelengths with changes in beamsplitter and detector.
Platform technologies for tubular organ regeneration

As a result of recent successes in regenerative medicine approaches to engineering multiple disparate tubular organs, methodology commonalities are emerging. Principal themes include the importance of a biodegradable scaffold seeded with a population of smooth muscle cells. Such composites trigger a regenerative response following in vivo implantation, resulting in de novo organogenesis. In this review, we examine bladder regeneration as a foundational platform technology to highlight key principles applicable to the regeneration of any tubular organ, and illustrate how these general concepts underlie current strategies to regenerate components of gastrointestinal, vascular, pulmonary and genitourinary systems. We focus on identifying the elements of this platform that have facilitated the transition of tubular organ regeneration from academic proof-of-concept to commercial viability.
Study on the Antimicrobial Properties of Citrate-Based Biodegradable Polymers

Citrate-based polymers possess unique advantages for various biomedical applications since citric acid is a natural metabolism product, which is biocompatible and antimicrobial. In polymer synthesis, citric acid also provides multiple functional groups to control the crosslinking of polymers and active binding sites for further conjugation of biomolecules. Our group recently developed a number of citrate-based polymers for various biomedical applications by taking advantage of their controllable chemical, mechanical, and biological characteristics. In this study, various citric acid derived biodegradable polymers were synthesized and investigated for their physicochemical and antimicrobial properties. Results indicate that citric acid derived polymers reduced bacterial proliferation to different degrees based on their chemical composition. Among the studied polymers, poly(octamethylene citrate) (POC) showed approximately 70-80% suppression to microbe proliferation, owing to its relatively higher ratio of citric acid contents. Crosslinked urethane-doped polyester elastomers (CUPEs) and biodegradable photoluminescent polymers (BPLPs) also exhibited significant bacteria reduction of ~20% and ~50% for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. Thus, the intrinsic antibacterial properties in citrate-based polymers enable them to inhibit bacteria growth without incorporation of antibiotics, silver nanoparticles, and other traditional bacteria-killing agents suggesting that they are unique beneficial materials for wound dressing, tissue engineering, and other potential medical applications where antimicrobial property is desired.
The molecular Zeeman effect in F12C15N

Abstract The molecular rotational Zeeman effect has been observed at high magnetic fields in F 12 C 15 N. The magnetic susceptibility anisotropy is χ ⊥ − χ | = (7.2 ± 0.8) × 10 −6 erg/G 2 mole, the molecular g value is −0.0504 ± 0.0008, and the molecular quadrupole moment is (−3.7 ± 1.0) × 10 −26 esu. The results are compared with HCN, FCCH, and HCCH. A new synthesis for FCN is described and an interpretation of the electronic structure is given.
Inhibition of lordosis behavior in ovariectomized guinea pigs by mesencephalic implants of progesterone

Abstract Bilateral stainless steel cannulae with removable inserts were implanted inthe midbrain of ovariectomized, adult Hartley guinea pigs. Animals were injected with 3.3 μg estradiol benzoate and, 36 h later, received cannulae inserts containing crystalline progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone or cholesterol. All animals were injected subcutaneously with 0.6 mg progesterone 44h after the estradiol benzoate. In response to this injection of progesterone only 41% of progesterone implanted animals displayed behavioral estrus compared with 100% of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone implanted controls and 82% of cholesterol implanted controls. Heat duration and maximum lordosis among the progesterone implanted animals which displayed heat after the systematic progesterone injection were significantly shorter thancontrols. Heat was never facilitated by midbrain progesterone implants. The results suggest that mechanisms regulating the inhibitory activity of progesterone on guinea pig sexual behavior may be located in or about the zona compacta of the midbrain substantia nigra.
Microbial K+ channels.

A survey of the currently available genomes shows that K+ channels are found in most free-living bacteria, archaea, and protists, indicating early evolution before the divergences of the three major domains of life. Though vertically descended from the primordial K+ channels, more recent lateral
Acute psychoses: A proposed diagnosis for ICD-11 and DSM-V

This paper concerns the diagnostic classification of nonaffective acute remitting psychosis (NARP), which we also term acute brief psychosis. We argue that NARP can be delineated from both schizophrenia and the affective psychoses and considered as a single diagnosis. As indicated by the term NARP, four criteria would be central to the diagnosis: 1. nonaffective, 2. acute onset (over less than two weeks), 3. recovery within a brief duration (less than six months), and 4. psychosis broadly defined. We review the rationale and the empirical evidence for this proposed classification.
The penetration function and its application to microscale problems

The penetration function measures the effect of the boundary data on the energy of the solution of a second order linear elliptic PDE taken over an interior subdomain. Here the coefficients of the PDE are functions of position and often represent the material properties of non homogeneous media with microstructure. The penetration function is used to assess the accuracy of global-local approaches for recovering local solution features from coarse grained solutions such as those delivered by homogenization theory.
Oxygen isotopic substitution of peptidyl phosphates for modification-specific mass spectrometry.

The first method of isotopic substitution of a nonbridging oxygen atom in pre-existing phosphates on peptides is reported, solving a long-standing, challenging issue in the sample preparation of phosphopeptides. Peptidyl phosphates, phosphate groups on phosphopeptides, are converted to phosphoramidates with carbodiimide assistance. Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the newly formed phosphoramidates incorporates one oxygen atom from H216O or H218O, producing peptidyl phosphates-16O1 or -18O1, respectively. The oxygen labels are stable under common separation and analysis conditions. This labeling method causes minimal structural alteration to peptidyl phosphates and allows the direct application of established phosphate-specific marker ions to the mass spectrometric analysis of differentially labeled phosphopeptide pairs. Using phosphotyrosinyl peptides as model analytes, the characteristic 16O1- and 18O1-labeled phosphotyrosine immonium ions at m/z 216.043 and 218.047 are used for developing a method of phosph...
Spotlight on pensions

Abstract Pensions represent a significant financial burden for many companies and a critical source of retirement income for employees. Accordingly, it is important that corporate financial statements transparently present information about the financial health and consequences of pension plans. Numerous criticisms have been levied at financial reporting for pensions, leading to a recent project to revise pension accounting. This article discusses implications of changes to pensions accounting for financial statement users and corporate managers. In general, research suggests that likely changes in pension accounting could increase financial statement users' perceptions of companies' pension burden and risk. In turn, these perceptions could affect corporate managers' decisions with respect to pension commitments and investments.
Geology of the San Cristobal volcanic complex, Nicaragua

Abstract The San Cristobal volcanic Complex is located in northwestern Nicaragua, near the city of Chinandego. Five volcanic centers occur within this group. The youngest and tallest volcano is San Cristobal, which erupted repeatedly throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Renewed low-level volcanic activity, beginning in 1971, continues to the present. Examination of prehistoric deposits indicates that strombolian to moderately strong vulcanian eruptions are typical of San Cristobal, with effusion of lava possible from both the summit and lower flanks of the cone. Of potential volcanic hazards associated with this mountain, the most serious to neighboring urban areas is heavy tephra fall. The four other volcanoes of the San Cristobal complex are in various stages of development and erosion. Only La Casita shows evidence of possible future eruptive activity. Extrusive rocks of the volcanic complex are dominantly tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalts and andesites showing chemical affinity with island-arc lavas. Dacitic domes and pumice layers are associated with at least two other volcanoes in the complex.
Added Cognitive Burden or Interest: Effect of Enhancement in Learning from Slide Lesson Presentation in Authentic Classroom Setting

Multimedia technology is providing educators great potentials to improve teaching and learning. For the past decade or so, the use of slide lesson presentation, which is a form of multimedia, of various self-motivated designs has significantly increased in almost every local authentic classroom setting without significant scholarly examination of their real effects on student learning. The purpose of this empirical study is to look at the tangible impact of added enhancements in the form of interesting yet conceptually unrelated clip arts and sound effects on student learning as well as in terms of overall instructional efficiency. One hundred thirty five Nonscience major university students enrolled in three introductory physics classes served as the subjects of the study. Relevant data were collected through online standardized materials and researcher made paper and pencil tests. Retention and transfer tests were used to quantify student learning. Learning performance and mental effort as a measure of cognitive load during instruction were utilized to assess overall instructional efficiency. Findings revealed that the use of enhancements could lead to better retention and transfer but exceedingly comparable overall instructional efficiency. This suggests that in commonplace classroom settings, interest may mitigate, if not eliminate, the negative effects of remarkable although conceptually irrelevant multimedia elements. Keywords - Multimedia, Enhancement, Coherence Principle, Dual Coding Theory, Instructional Efficiency, Slide Presentation
How computers help us understand people

I would answer an unequivocal “yes!“, for at least two reasons. First, as van Oers (this issue) points out, theories do determine curricula and teaching practices, although it is important to recognize that the theories that shape actual school practice are nearly always informal, naive, unexamined, implicit theories that often bear only modest resemblance to the more formal theories presented in the literature. Even people who may claim that they have no theory whatsoever undoubtedly do; they are merely confessing to an unexamined implicit theory (Davis, 1987). Second, in addition to pointing us in correct directions, a good theory is one that gives us tools to think with. In this regard, not all theories are equal. We can reason better with certain kinds of symbols than we can with others, a point I shall return to later when I consider the problem about mixing wine and water. In general, the more tangible and definite a symbol is, the more easily and powerfully we can reason with it. I am not sure that the experience of different nations is exactly the same. At the level of schools and teachers (which is the level that really counts) there seem to be two dominant theories in the United States today. The first is the theory of ‘direct teaching’ (sometimes attributed to Madeleine Hunter), which argues for a highly-explicit identification of what you want students to learn, a very clear exposition of this information, considerable drill
Is Autogenous Abdominal Fat Transplantation Into a Large Temporomandibular Joint Defect Following Removal of Failed Alloplastic Prosthesis a Definitive Treatment

Purpose To evaluate the long-term clinical outcome after the removal of failed major alloplastic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) implants and the placement of an autologous abdominal fat graft. Materials and Methods A long-term clinical follow-up was performed in 4 patients who underwent removal of a failed alloplastic implant and insertion of an autologous abdominal fat graft under 1-stage surgical management. Postsurgical use of pain medication was documented and the vertical interincisal opening measurement was obtained at the follow-up visit. Long-term computed tomographic (CT) scans were available for 3 of 4 patients and evaluated for fat graft retention by a radiologist. Hounsfield units were used. Results The study showed long-term (average, 4.7 years) clinical success, including normal jaw function (≥30-mm vertical opening) and freedom from the use of pain-relieving medication. Long-term CT scans (average, 5 years after surgery) documented fat graft retention in 3 patients (−80 HU). Conclusion Autogenous fat graft placement alone, after major TMJ alloplastic removal, provides excellent long-term clinical success.
An iterative procedure for computing time-optimal controls

An iterative procedure is derived for computing time controls for regulator systems described by vector differential equations of the form \dot{x}=Ax+bu where A and b are constant |u| \leq 1 . The iterative computational procedure is based on the parameterization of the minimal time control in terms of the initial conditions of the system's adjoint differential equation. A function is derived relating the initial state of the system to the adjoint system's initial conditions and to the time required by the optimal control to drive that state to zero. Mapping properties of this function, on which the control computation depends, are discussed. To demonstrate the results of this computational procedure, an example is included in which a time-optimal control for a fourth order system with two pairs of complex roots is computed.
Optimization of Liquid Whitener from Peanut Extract

Abstract Proportions of peanut extract, cottonseed oil, and water in liquid whitener were optimized. Eighty-four consumers rated the performance and sensory characteristics of a commercial control and 12 whitener blends containing varying proportions of extract, oil, and water. Solubility, whitening power, color uniformity, and appearance acceptability of blends containing 0.533, 0.367, or 0.200 peanut extract and no oil were not significantly different from the control. The control had flavor acceptability significantly higher than all experimental blends and overall acceptability not significantly different from a blend with 0.367 peanut extract and no oil. Responses of all dependent performance and sensory variables to the component blends studied were predicted by reduced cubic polynomials. Overall acceptability was the limiting response for the optimum product. Use of over 0.50 peanut extract in the blend resulted in unacceptable products. The maximum amount of oil in an acceptable formulation was 0.01 of the component blend. This was blended with 0.20 extract. Acceptable oil levels decreased with increasing extract levels. Optimum formulations had consumer ratings of at least 7.5, 6.0, and 6.5 for solubility, whitening power, and color uniformity, respectively.
Waldenström's macroglobulinemia: hyperviscosity syndrome and cryoglobulinemia.

Hyperviscosity syndrome (HVS) is a common manifestation of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM). Patients with HVS have skin and mucosal bleeding, retinopathy with visual disturbances, and a variety of neurologic disorders. HVS can be diagnosed from physical examination by identifying the characteristic retinal venous engorgement ("sausaging") on funduscopic inspection. HVS can be accurately monitored with an Ostwald tube and reversed by plasmapheresis. Cryoglobulins precipitate or gel at temperatures < 37 degrees C and dissolve on re-warming. They may be composed of single or multiple components. Most cryoglobulins are mixed monoclonal IgMpolyclonal IgG immune complexes and many are associated with hepatitis C viral infection. Monoclonal macroglobulin autoreactive antibodies are included among the "IgM-related" disorders that influence the clinical presentation and natural history of WM.
A cell cycle-regulated adenine DNA methyltransferase from Caulobacter crescentus processively methylates GANTC sites on hemimethylated DNA

The kinetic properties of an adenine DNA methyltransferase involved in cell cycle regulation of Caulobacter crescentus have been elucidated by using defined unmethylated or hemimethylated DNA (DNAHM) substrates. Catalytic efficiency is significantly enhanced with a DNAHM substrate. Biphasic kinetic behavior during methyl incorporation is observed when unmethylated or DNAHM substrates are used, indicating that a step after chemistry limits enzyme turnover and is most likely the release of enzyme from methylated DNA product. The enzyme is thermally inactivated at 30°C within 20 min; this process is substantially decreased in the presence of saturating concentrations of DNAHM, suggesting that the enzyme preferentially binds DNA before S-adenosylmethionine. The activity of the enzyme shows an unusual sensitivity to salt levels, apparently dissociating more rapidly from methylated DNA product as the salt level is decreased. The enzyme acts processively during methylation of specific DNA sequences, indicating a preferred order of product release in which S-adenosylhomocysteine is released from enzyme before fully methylated DNA. The kinetic behavior and activity of the enzyme are consistent with the temporal constraints during the cell cycle-regulated methylation of newly replicated chromosomal DNA.
Tumour-lysis-related elevation of intraocular pressure following high-dose-rate brachytherapy for choroidal melanoma.

Tumour-lysis-related elevation of intraocular pressure following high-dose-rate brachytherapy for choroidal melanoma
Probability learning in rats reinforced with brain stimulation

Eight rats were given massive training sessions with spatial probability problems. A noncorrection procedure was used and brain stimulation served as the reinforcer. Results indicate no clear response strategy with only one rat showing clear and consistent maximizing.
Bianchi IV metric with electromagnetic field

An exact solution of the Einstein equations with an electromagnetic field source and Bianchi IV symmetry is described. This solution possesses, in the limiting case of vanishing source tensor, a previously discovered vacuum metric.
Perceived smoking availability differentially affects mood and reaction time.

Introduction This between subjects study explored the relationship between smoking availability and smoking motivation and is the first study to include three smoking availability time points. This allowed for an examination of an extended period of smoking unavailability, and a test of the linearity of the relationships between smoking availability and smoking motivation measures.
Potential for reintroduction of lake sturgeon in five northern Lake Michigan tributaries: a habitat suitability perspective

1. Conservation and rehabilitation efforts for lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens throughout the Great Lakes include the re-establishment of self-sustaining stocks in systems where they have been extirpated. 2. Information on the suitability of potential lake sturgeon habitat in tributaries is important for determining their capacity to support lake sturgeon stocking and to develop system-specific rehabilitation strategies. 3. Geo-referenced habitat information characterizing substrate composition, water depth, and stream gradient were applied to a life-stage specific lake sturgeon habitat suitability index in a geographic information system to produce spatially explicit models of life-stage specific habitat characteristics in five northern Lake Michigan tributaries from which lake sturgeon have been extirpated. 4. Habitat models indicated that high quality lake sturgeon spawning and staging habitat comprised 0 to 23% and 0 to 9% of the available habitat, respectively, whereas high quality juvenile lake sturgeon habitat was relatively ubiquitous throughout each river and comprised 39 to 99%. 5. Comparison of these data to lake sturgeon habitat availability in Lake Michigan tributaries currently supporting populations indicated that spawning and staging habitats may limit the ability of these systems to support spawning. Efforts to re-establish lake sturgeon populations in these systems should consider the creation of spawning and staging habitat to increase reproductive and recruitment potential prior to the initiation of stocking efforts. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Introduction: New approaches to linear programming

This issue ofAlgorithmica present papers on various aspects of nonlinear methods for solving linear programming problems, inspired by the work of Karmarkar. This introduction describes some of these aspects and briefly mentions other recent developments in the field. A bibliography of recent articles is included.
Twinned 1-{2-[bis(4-fluoro­phenyl)­methoxy]­ethyl}-4-(3-phenyl)­propyl)­piperazinium chloride (GBR12909)

GBR12909, C28H34F2N2O, is one of the earliest agents found to have high affinity and selectivity for the dop­amine transporter (DAT). The triclinic crystal, of the hydro­chloride salt of GBR12909, C28H34F2N2O2+·2Cl−, exhibited non-merohedral twinning.
A computational model of chemotaxis-based cell aggregation

We present a computational model that successfully captures the cell behaviors that play important roles in 2-D cell aggregation. A virtual cell in our model is designed as an independent, discrete unit with a set of parameters and actions. Each cell is defined by its location, size, rates of chemoattractant emission and response, age, life cycle stage, proliferation rate and number of attached cells. All cells are capable of emitting and sensing a chemoattractant chemical, moving, attaching to other cells, dividing, aging and dying. We validated and fine-tuned our in silico model by comparing simulated 24-h aggregation experiments with data derived from in vitro experiments using PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. Quantitative comparisons of the aggregate size distributions from the two experiments are produced using the Earth Mover's Distance (EMD) metric. We compared the two size distributions produced after 24 h of in vitro cell aggregation and the corresponding computer simulated process. Iteratively modifying the model's parameter values and measuring the difference between the in silico and in vitro results allow us to determine the optimal values that produce simulated aggregation outcomes closely matched to the PC12 experiments. Simulation results demonstrate the ability of the model to recreate large-scale aggregation behaviors seen in live cell experiments.
Radiolabeling motoneuron proteins in the isolated frog spinal cord preparation.

An in vitro method for radiolabeling protein in adult frog spinal motoneurons is described, with per cell incorporations which are 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than previously reported for mammalian brain neurons. In the procedure, isolated lumbar spinal cord preparations from Rana pipiens are labeled with 3H-l-leucine, motoneuron cell bodies are recovered and TCA-precipitated protein is analyzed by scintillation counting. The higher levels of labeling (> 90 cpm/cell body) allow one to quantify newly synthesized protein within individual or small groups of identified nerve cell bodies. Motoneuronal labeling correlates directly with cell body size, and other sources of variation in labeling and their control are identified and discussed.
Distribution and cardiovascular risk correlates of hemoglobin A1c in nondiabetic younger adults: the Bogalusa Heart Study

Excess glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)), an indicator of long-term glucose homeostasis, is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease and mortality even among persons without diabetes. However, information is scant regarding its distribution and correlates of CV risk in nondiabetic younger adults. This aspect was examined in a biracial (black-white) community-based sample of 1111 younger adults (mean age: 36.2 years; 71% white, 43% male) enrolled in the Bogalusa Heart Study. Blacks vs whites and women vs men had higher HbA(1c) values (P < .0001). In bivariate analysis adjusted for age, race, sex, and smoking status, significant adverse trends were noted for body mass index, waist circumference, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio, insulin, glucose, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance across HbA(1c) quartiles; trends were not significant for mean arterial blood pressure, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, adiponectin, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. In multivariate analysis, besides race and sex, total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio and waist circumference were independent correlates of HbA(1c). Furthermore, the prevalence of excess (top decile) HbA(1c) was 1.6-fold (P < .05) higher among those with metabolic syndrome defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III and 2.1-fold (P < .01) and 1.5-fold (P < .05) higher, respectively, among those with positive parental history of CV disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. These findings underscore the potential value of HbA(1c) in risk assessments of CV disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus in nondiabetic, apparently "healthy" younger adults.
Effects of hypercholesterolemia on the microsomal membrane fluidity of intimal-medial versus medial layers of Swine aorta: implications for the pathogenesis of vasospasm

Abstract The hypothesis was examined that hypercholesterolemia induces a decrease in arterial microsomal membrane fluidity. To investigate this hypothesis, the fluorescence anisotropy ( r ) of 1,6-diphenylhexa-1,3,5-triene was measured in aortic microsomes isolated from the intimal—medial (IM) and medial (M) layers of swine thoracic aortas. After 10 weeks of feeding a high fat (10% lard) diet, serum cholesterol increased 2.3-fold compared to 3.6-fold in pigs fed a similar diet supplemented with 2% cholesterol. Based upon differences in r , the membrane fluidity of the IM layer was significantly less than the M layers. The membrane fluidity of the IM layer was inversely related to the severity of hypercholesterolemia regardless of dietary treatment. There were no differences in membrane fluidity among the three dissected M layers and the membrane fluidity of these layers was refractory to changes in serum cholesterol. A decrease in the membrane fluidity of the IM layer may contribute to the abnormal regulation of vascular tone which underlies the development of vasospasm in atherosclerotic arteries.
An overview of the efficacy of topical corticosteroids in experimental human nickel contact dermatitis

We review controlled trials of corticosteroid effect in experimentally elicited acute nickel contact dermatitis in man, in the hope of clarifying optimal efficacy for clinical use. To maximize discrimination and objectivity, we focus on data with 1 well-characterized allergen, nickel, in studies utilizing bioengineering documentation. Higher potency corticosteroids are effective (unlike in experimental irritant contact dermatitis), but optimum schedules still require definition.
Specification methods for material-handling control algorithms in flexible manufacturing systems

Good methods are needed to specify, test, and debug material-handling control logic. This article surveys a number of representative methods for defining and describing control algorithms for programmable material-handling equipment used in flexible manufacturing systems. The methods are evaluated with regard to their suitability for communication between people and as bases for interfaces to automatic program generators. It is concluded that no single method is entirely satisfactory. Three methods (position diagrams, function block diagrams, and operation networks) have potential to be combined into an effective hybrid approach that minimizes the need for the user to switch between various conceptual models.
Androgen regulation of the human FERM domain encoding gene EHM2 in a cell model of steroid-induced differentiation

We have developed a cell model to investigate steroid control of differentiation using a subline of HT1080 cells (HT-AR1) that have been engineered to express the human androgen receptor. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment of HT-AR1 cells induced growth arrest and cytoskeletal reorganization that was associated with the expression of fibronectin and the neuroendocrine markers chromogranin A and neuron-specific enolase. Expression profiling analysis identified the human FERM domain-encoding gene EHM2 as uniquely induced in HT-AR1 cells as compared to 16 other FERM domain containing genes. Since FERM domain proteins control cytoskeletal functions in differentiating cells, and the human EHM2 gene has not been characterized, we investigated EHM2 steroid-regulation, genomic organization, and sequence conservation. We found that DHT, but not dexamethasone, induced the expression of a 3.8 kb transcript in HT-AR1 cells encoding a 504 amino acid protein, and moreover, that human brain tissue contains a 5.8 kb transcript encoding a 913 amino acid isoform. Construction of an unrooted phylogenetic tree using 98 FERM domain proteins revealed that the human EHM2 gene is a member of a distinct subfamily consisting of nine members, all of which contain a highly conserved 325 amino acid FERM domain.
Sitting on Stability Balls: Biomechanics Evaluation in a Workplace Setting

Use of a stability ball alone and stability ball chair were evaluated in the Veterans Health Administration as possible alternatives to incorporate with regular office chair use. The evaluation of stability ball use was conducted under the auspices of a work site health promotion program as a cross-over trial with participants rotating through use of the stability ball, stability ball chair, and regular office chair on a monthly basis for a total duration of 3 months. Rotations on regular office chairs served as the control. Three medical facilities participated. A total of 193 employees completed a baseline questionnaire; 159 completed at least one post-rotation questionnaire. Self-reported measures included perceived posture when sitting, perceptions of overall balance, energy levels, job performance, safety, and pain. Use was associated with improvements in perceived posture (p < 0.0001) and energy levels (p = 0.007) for stability ball users compared with the office chair control, and improvements in p...
Summary of Workgroup Meeting on Use of Family History Information in Pediatric Primary Care and Public Health

A workgroup meeting on the use of family history information in pediatric primary care and public health sponsored by the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was held February 24 to 25, 2006. The workgroup participants met to discuss how to improve the use of family history information in pediatric settings. Topics addressed at the meeting included current practices, needs, and barriers for use of family history information in pediatric primary care and public health. Other considerations included how available family history tools might be applicable to pediatric settings and which areas require additional research. Specific model conditions were presented that illustrated issues involved in the use of family history information in pediatric settings, including cystic fibrosis, fragile X syndrome, polycystic kidney disease, hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease, and birth defects. Ethical, economic, and technologic concerns involved in integration of family history information into pediatric settings were discussed also.
Surface-to-surface intersections

Techniques for computing intersections of algebraic surfaces with piecewise rational polynomial parametric surface patches and intersections of two piecewise rational polynomial parametric surface patches are discussed. The techniques are classified using four categories-lattice evolution methods, marching methods, subdivision methods, and analytic methods-and their principal features are discussed. It is shown that some of these methods also apply to the general parametric surface-intersection problem. >
Community composition and photosynthesis by photoautotrophs under quartz pebbles, Southern Mojave Desert

We used 16s rDNA sequences to identify novel species of cyanobacteria beneath translucent quartz pebbles in the desert pavement on an alluvial piedmont of the Coxcomb Mountains in the southern Mojave Desert, California, USA. Transmission of light, as measured with an integrating sphere, was about 0.08% beneath the thickest pieces of quartz (25 mm) harboring these hypolithic autotrophs. The photosynthetic rate ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 μmol·m−2·s−1 in the linear range of its response to light (PAR of 0–50 μmol·m−2·s−1), over which the apparent quantum-use efficiency was 0.019. Light-saturated rates of 1.7–2.7 μmol·m−2·s−1 were recorded at light intensities of 200–400 μmol·m−2·s−1. The hypolithic community had an upper thermal tolerance of >90°C in laboratory conditions. The quartz pebbles confer a modest greenhouse effect that may be important for photosynthetic activity during cool, wet, wintertime periods that prevail in the Mojave Desert.
Molecular probe technology detects bacteria without culture.

Background: Our ultimate goal is to detect the entire human microbiome, in health and in disease, in a single reaction tube, and employing only commercially available reagents. To that end, we adapted molecular inversion probes to detect bacteria using solely a massively multiplex molecular technology. This molecular probe technology does not require growth of the bacteria in culture. Rather, the molecular probe technology requires only a sequence of forty sequential bases unique to the genome of the bacterium of interest. In this communication, we report the first results of employing our molecular probes to detect bacteria in clinical samples. Results: While the assay on Affymetrix GenFlex Tag16K arrays allows the multiplexing of the detection of the bacteria in each clinical sample, one Affymetrix GenFlex Tag16K array must be used for each clinical sample. To multiplex the clinical samples, we introduce a second, independent assay for the molecular probes employing Sequencing by Oligonucleotide Ligation and Detection. By adding one unique oligonucleotide barcode for each clinical sample, we combine the samples after processing, but before sequencing, and sequence them together. Conclusions: Overall, we have employed 192 molecular probes representing 40 bacteria to detect the bacteria in twenty-one vaginal swabs as assessed by the Affymetrix GenFlex Tag16K assay and fourteen of those by the Sequencing by Oligonucleotide Ligation and Detection assay. The correlations among the assays were excellent.
A model for equipment replacement due to technological obsolescence

Abstract We consider the problem of deciding whether to keep a piece of equipment or to replace it with a more advanced technology. This decision must take into account both the nature of the available replacement technology and the possibility of future technological advances. Existing models are restrictive in the way they model the appearance of future technologies and the costs and revenues associated with those technologies. In an earlier paper we allowed the probability of appearance of new technologies to be non-stationary in time but required the costs and technologies to be different but constant over time. In this paper, we allow the technology forecasts and revenue functions associated with technologies to be non-stationary in time and consider salvage values for technologies. We develop a simple and efficient algorithm for finding the optimal decision using a forecast horizon approach. This approach finds the optimal decision in any period with minimal reliance on forecast data.
Adapting a General Semantic Interpretation Approach to Biological Event Extraction

The second BioNLP Shared Task on Event Extraction (BioNLP-ST'11) follows up the previous shared task competition with a focus on generalization with respect to text types, event types and subject domains. In this spirit, we re-engineered and extended our event extraction system, emphasizing linguistic generalizations and avoiding domain-, event type-or text type-specific optimizations. Similar to our earlier system, syntactic dependencies form the basis of our approach. However, diverging from that system's more pragmatic nature, we more clearly distinguish the shared task concerns from a general semantic composition scheme, that is based on the notion of embedding. We apply our methodology to core bio-event extraction and speculation/negation detection tasks in three main tracks. Our results demonstrate that such a general approach is viable and pinpoint some of its shortcomings.
The Politics of Forgetting: Class Politics, State Power and the Restructuring of Urban Space in India:

Policies of economic liberalisation have been accompanied by discourses on the rise of the new middle class in India. The newness of this Indian middle class is marked by changing consumption practices and lifestyles. The visibility of the urban middle classes sets into motion a politics of forgetting with regard to social groups that are marginalised by India's policies of liberalisation. The politics of forgetting refers to a political-discursive process in which specific marginalised social groups are rendered invisible within the dominant national political culture. Such dynamics unfold through the spatial reconfiguration of class inequalities. Both middle-class groups and the state engage in a politics of forgetting that displaces the poor and working classes from such spaces. The result is the production of an exclusionary form of cultural citizenship which is, in turn, contested by these marginalised socioeconomic groups. The article draws on original qualitative field research conducted in Mumbai ...
Fluid shear stress sensitizes cancer cells to receptor-mediated apoptosis via trimeric death receptors

Cancer metastasis, the process of cancer cell migration from a primary to distal location, typically leads to a poor patient prognosis. Hematogenous metastasis is initiated by intravasation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) into the bloodstream, which are then believed to adhere to the luminal surface of the endothelium and extravasate into distal locations. Apoptotic agents such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), whether in soluble ligand form or expressed on the surface of natural killer (NK) cells, have shown promise in treating CTCs to reduce the probability of metastasis. The role of hemodynamic shear forces in altering the cancer cell response to receptor-mediated apoptosis has not been previously investigated. Here, we report that human colon cancer COLO 205 and prostate cancer PC-3 cells exposed to a uniform fluid shear stress in a cone-and-plate viscometer become sensitized to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Shear-induced sensitization directly correlated with the application of fluid shear stress, and TRAIL-induced apoptosis increased in a fluid shear stress force- and time-dependent manner. In contrast, TRAIL-induced necrosis was not affected by the application fluid shear stress. Interestingly, fluid shear stress did not sensitize cancer cells to apoptosis when treated with doxorubicin, which also induces apoptosis in cancer cells. Caspase inhibition experiments revealed that shear stress-induced sensitization to TRAIL occurs via caspase-dependent apoptosis. These results suggest that physiological fluid shear force can modulate receptor-mediated apoptosis of cancer cells in the presence of apoptotic agents.