cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The homeodomain protein Barx2 contains activator and repressor domains and interacts with members of the CREB family

Barx1 and Barx2 are homeodomain proteins originally identified using regulatory elements of genes encoding certain cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). In the present study, we characterize regions of Barx2 that bind to regulatory elements of genes encoding three CAMs, L1, neuron-glia CAM (Ng-CAM), and neural CAM (N-CAM), and identify domains of Barx2 that regulate N-CAM transcription. The homeodomain of Barx2 was sufficient for binding to homeodomain binding sites (HBS) from all three CAM genes. The presence of a 17-amino acid Barx basic region resulted in a 2-fold decrease in binding to HBS sequences from the Ng-CAM and L1 genes, whereas it led to a 6.5-fold increase in binding to the HBS from the N-CAM promoter. Thus, the Barx basic region influences the strength and specificity of Barx2 binding to DNA. In co-transfection experiments, Barx2 repressed N-CAM promoter activity. A 24-residue N-terminal region of Barx2 was essential for repression. When this region was absent, Barx2 activated the N-CAM promoter. A 63-residue C-terminal domain was required for this activation. In GST pull-down experiments, Barx2 bound to proteins of the CREB family, CREB1 and ATF2. Overall, these findings provide a framework for understanding developmental and physiological contexts that influence repressor or activator functions of Barx2.
Superior protection in orthotopic rat lung transplantation with cyclic adenosine monophosphate and nitroglycerin–containing preservation solution☆☆☆★

Abstract Background: Primary lung graft failure is common, and current lung preservation strategies are suboptimal. Because the decline in lung levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate during preservation could enhance adhesiveness of endothelial cells for leukocytes as well as increase vascular permeability and vasoconstriction, we hypothesized that buttressing these levels by means of a preservation solution would significantly improve lung preservation. Methods: An orthotopic rat left lung transplantation model was used. Lungs were harvested from male Lewis rats and preserved for 6 hours at 4°C with (1) Euro-Collins solution (n = 8); (2) University of Wisconsin solution (n = 8); (3) low-potassium dextran glucose solution (n = 8); (4) Columbia University solution (n = 8), which contains a cyclic adenosine monophosphate analog (dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate) and a nitric oxide donor (nitroglycerin) to buttress cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels; or (5) Columbia University solution without cyclic adenosine monophosphate or nitroglycerin (n = 8). PaO2, pulmonary vascular resistance, and recipient survival were evaluated 30 minutes after left lung transplantation and removal of the nontransplanted right lung from the pulmonary circulation. Results: Among all groups studied, grafts stored with Columbia University solution demonstrated the highest Pa O2 (355 ± 25 mm Hg for Columbia University solution versus 95 ± 22 mm Hg for Euro-Collins solution, P P P P –1 • min –1 for Columbia University solution versus 12 ± 4 mm Hg • mL –1 • min –1 for Euro-Collins solution, P –1 • min –1 for University of Wisconsin solution, 14 ± 6 mm Hg • mL –1 • min –1 for low-potassium dextran glucose solution, P –1 • min –1 for Columbia University solution without cyclic adenosine monophosphate and nitroglycerin). These functional and hemodynamic improvements provided by Columbia University solution were accompanied by decreased graft leukostasis and decreased recipient tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1α levels compared with the other groups. In toto, these improvements translated into superior survival among recipients of Columbia University solution–preserved grafts (100% for Columbia University solution, 37% for Euro-Collins solution, P P P P Conclusion: Nitroglycerin and cyclic adenosine monophosphate confer beneficial vascular effects that make Columbia University solution a superior lung preservation solution in a stringent rat lung transplantation model. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;118:135-44)
Taphonomy of Holocene cryptic biotas from St. Croix, Virgin Islands: Information loss and preservational biases

Surveys of submarine caves and overhanging ledges from St. Croix, Virgin Islands, provide new insights into the preservational processes active therein and into the taphonomy of ancient counterparts. Comparisons of preservable, skeletonized versus nonpreservable, unskeletonized components of these modern cryptic communities indicate that there is significant information loss in areals coverage, taxonomic richness, and diversity of fossilized examples. Quantitative estimates of such losses have been made. In addition, skeletal differences between early and late stage successional groups suggest biased representation of the former in the geologic record. Nonpreservable later colonizers may further erase the record of skeletonized forms through destructive life processes. Such forms of taphonomic information loss are probable in ancient counterparts and must be considered in accurate reconstruction of cryptic paleocommunities.
Clustering through empirical likelihood ratio

There is a vast variety of clustering methods available in the literature. The performance of many of them strongly depends on specific patterns in data. This paper introduces a clustering procedure based on the empirical likelihood method which inherits many advantages of the classical likelihood approach without imposing restrictive probability distribution constraints. The performance of the proposed procedure is illustrated on simulated and classification datasets with excellent results. The comparison of the algorithm with several well-known clustering methods is very encouraging. The procedure is more robust and has higher accuracy than the competitors.
Prediction of Equilibrium Solubility of Carbon Dioxide in Aqueous 2-Amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol Solutions

The modified Kent-Eisenberg model was used to predict the solubility of carbon dioxide in aqueous 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (AMPD) solutions over a wide range of solvent concentration (10-30 mass %), temperature (30-60 °C), and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (5-1,100 kPa). For more accurate prediction, a new set of experimental data of this system was also presented and used in model calculation. The predicted results by the modified Kent-Eisenberg model were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The equilibrium constant, K1, which represented the deprotonation reaction of AMPD, was expressed as a function of not only temperature but also loading capacity and amine concentration.
Physics and Chemistry of Antimicrobial Behavior of Ion-Exchanged Silver in Glass

The results of a comprehensive study involving the antimicrobial activity in a silver ion-exchanged glass are presented. The study includes the glass composition, the method of incorporating silver into the glass, the effective concentration of the silver available at the glass surface, and the effect of the ambient environment. A quantitative kinetic model that includes the above factors in predicting the antimicrobial activity is proposed. Finally, experimental data demonstrating antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with correlation to the predicted model is shown.
Tethering viral restriction to signal transduction.

Tetherin serves as an innate sensor of viral infection in addition to its role in inhibiting virus release from infected cells. In this issue, Galao et al. (2014) provide important insights into the mechanism of virus-induced signal transduction by tetherin.
The Cumulative and Sublethal Effects of Turbulence on Erythrocytes in a Stirred-Tank Model

Mechanical forces generated by prosthetic heart devices (artificial valves, artificial hearts, ventricular assist devices) have been known to cause damage and destruction of erythrocytes. Turbulent flow within such devices generates shear stresses and can induce cell damage. Current models of cell damage rate utilize only the power input per unit mass as a modeling parameter. A stirred-tank reactor provides for a more extensive characterization of turbulence through eddy scale calculations. Through a simplified model, turbulence can be characterized by evaluating the Kolmogorov microscale. Our analysis of erythrocyte rupture in a stirred tank reactor suggests that parameters such as eddy wavelength and eddy velocity may better characterize and model the turbulent damage. Further, hemolysis of red blood cells by turbulent effects has been shown to have a fixed rate for constant levels of power input. Damage inflicted on the remaining, intact erythrocytes (sublethal damage) was evaluated by exposure to turbulence followed by osmotic fragility (OF) testing. Logistic models were fit to the OF data indicating a significant osmotic sensitivity in the sublethal damaged population between control and turbulence-exposed cells (χ2 test; p < 0.001). This susceptibility indicates a significant cell population more susceptible to destruction as a result of turbulent exposure. This work has therefore helped identify optimization parameters for evaluating cell damage potential when engineering cardiovascular prosthetic devices.
Rigid medium stabilization of metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited states.

The salts [Ru(bpy)3](PF6)2, cis-[Ru(bpy)2(py)2](PF6)2, trans-[Ru(bpy)2(4-Etpy)2](PF6)2, [Ru(tpy)2](PF6)2, and [Re(bpy)(CO)3(4-Etpy)](PF6) (bpy = 2,2‘-bipyridine, py = pyridine, 4-Etpy = 4-ethylpyridine, and tpy = 2,2‘:6‘,2-terpyridine) have been incorporated into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films and their photophysical properties examined by both steady-state and time-resolved absorption and emission measurements. Excited-state lifetimes for the metal salts incorporated in PMMA are longer and emission energies enhanced due to a rigid medium effect when compared to fluid CH3CN solution. In PMMA part of the fluid medium reorganization energy, λoo, contributes to the energy gap with λoo ∼ 700 cm-1 for [Ru(bpy)3](PF6)2 from emission measurements. Enhanced lifetimes can be explained by the energy gap law and the influence of the excited-to-ground state energy gap, Eo, on nonradiative decay. From the results of emission spectral fitting on [Ru(bpy)3](PF6)2* in PMMA, Eo is temperature dependent above 200 K...
Unimolecular and Bimoleculare Exchange Reactiions in Controlled Radical Polymerization.

Abstract : Well defined polymers can be produced by radical polymerization using three different approaches: degenerative, transfer, reversible homolytic cleavage of covalent species, and reversible homolytic cleavage of persistent radicals. The first method requires high degenerative transfer coefficients but allows for slow initiation; the other two methods require that the equilibrium be strongly shifted towards dormant species, and that initiation is fast. All three approaches may provide controlled polymerizations, but not living polymerizations, because chain breaking reactions can not be eliminated although their contribution can be strongly reduced.
Moisture absorption and absorption kinetics in polyelectrolyte films: influence of film thickness.

Specular X-ray reflectivity (XR) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements were used to determine the absorption of water into thin poly(4-ammonium styrenesulfonic acid) films from saturated vapor at 25 °C. The effect of film thickness on the absorption kinetics and overall absorption was investigated in the range of thickness from (3 to 200) nm. The equilibrium swelling of all the films irrespective of film thickness was (0.57 ± 0.03) volume fraction. Although the equilibrium absorption is independent of thickness, the absorption rate substantially decreases for film thickness < 100 nm. For the thinnest film (3 nm), there is a 5 orders of magnitude decrease in the diffusion coefficient for water.
The origin and evolution of chondrites recorded in the elemental and isotopic compositions of their macromolecular organic matter

Extraterrestrial organic matter in meteorites potentially retains a unique record of synthesis and chemical/thermal modification by parent body, nebular and even presolar processes. In a survey of the elemental and isotopic compositions of insoluble organic matter (IOM) from 75 carbonaceous, ordinary and enstatite chondrites, we find dramatic variations within and between chondrite classes. There is no evidence that these variations correlate with the time and/or location of chondrite formation, or with any primary petrologic or bulk compositional features that are associated with nebular processes (e.g., chondrule and volatile trace element abundances). Nor is there evidence for the formation of the IOM by Fischer–Tropsch-Type synthesis in the nebula or in the parent bodies. The elemental variations are consistent with thermal maturation and/or oxidation of a common precursor. For reasons that are unclear, there are large variations in isotopic composition within and between chondrite classes that do not correlate in a simple way with elemental composition or petrologic type. Nevertheless, because of the pattern of elemental variations with petrologic type and the lack of any correlation with the primary features of the chondrite classes, at present the most likely explanation is that all IOM compositional variations are the result of parent body processing of a common precursor. If correct, the range of isotopic compositions within and between chondrite classes implies that the IOM is composed of several isotopically distinct components whose relative stability varied with parent body conditions. The most primitive IOM is found in the CR chondrites and Bells (CM2). Isotopically, the IOM from these meteorites resembles the IOM in interplanetary dust particles. Chemically, their IOM resembles the CHON particles of comet Halley. Despite the large isotopic anomalies in the IOM from these meteorites, it is uncertain whether the IOM formed in the interstellar medium or the outer Solar System, although the former is preferred here.
Hadrons of arbitrary spin in the heavy quark effective theory

Abstract The symmetries of the heavy-quark effective theory are used to identify the reduced set of form factors which describe the weak decays of heavy hadrons of arbitrary spin.
Neutralino signatures of the singlet extended MSSM

Abstract Extending the Higgs sector of the MSSM by the addition of a gauge singlet scalar field can remedy the μ problem. We explore the implications of extended models for both the spectrum of the neutralinos and the cascade decays of the neutralinos and charginos. Extra steps due to light decoupled neutralinos in the cascade decays of both neutralinos and charginos allow an excess of trilepton events compared to the MSSM and the existence of events with higher lepton multiplicity. Additionally, displaced vertices of the χ 2 0 due to small decay widths in some models may be observable.
Antimalarial agents. IX. 3-Alkylquinolones as potential repository drugs.

As a possible answer to the need for antimalarials with more prolonged activity as well as for drug resistant malaria, several compounds related structurally to endochin (II) have been synthesized. They failed to pass preliminary pharmacological requirements.
AROUSING FEAR IN DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION

Now, there seem to be some situations in which it is proper to frighten people into appropriate behavior for achieving health.
Who's Afraid of Eliza Haywood?

Haywood's status within academic circles is still undergoing the type of canonical redistricting that makes more transparent the ideological tensions within competing standards of literary value. The curious patterns within her reception history, both in her own day and in the present, suggest both how much and how little has changed within commodity politics since the 1700s – when Haywood's publications helped to define the novel as a literary form – and today, when the definition of the ‘literary’ is once again in productive flux.
Phase Equilibria in the Ga2O3In2O3 System

Subsolidus phase relationships in the Ga2O3–In2O3 system were studied by X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) for the temperature range of 800°–1400°C. The solubility limit of In2O3 in the β-gallia structure decreases with increasing temperature from 44.1 ± 0.5 mol% at 1000°C to 41.4 ± 0.5 mol% at 1400°C. The solubility limit of Ga2O3 in cubic In2O3 increases with temperature from 4.X ± 0.5 mol% at 1000°C to 10.0 ± 0.5 mol% at 1400°C. The previously reported transparent conducting oxide phase in the Ga-In-O system cannot be GaInO3, which is not stable, but is likely the In-doped β-Ga2O3 solid solution.
Precision Entropy of Spinning Black Holes

We construct spinning black hole solutions in five dimensions that take into account the mixed gauge-gravitational Chern-Simons term and its supersymmetric completion. The resulting entropy formula is discussed from several points of view. We include a Taub-NUT base space in order to test recent conjectures relating 5D black holes to 4D black holes and the topological string. Our explicit results show that certain charge shifts have to be taken into account for these relations to hold. We also compute corrections to the entropy of black rings in terms of near horizon data.
The Tooth Fairy: Psychological Issues Related to Baby Tooth Loss and Mythological Working Through

In this article, we focus on the Tooth Fairy legend that emerged in the United States and Britain in the nineteenth century and on the bedtime rituals associated with it. Drawing on various children’s books, we present this legend and these rituals as among the many legends and rituals found around the world for dealing with the loss of baby teeth in early childhood. Our particular concern is with some of the psychological issues that are associated with the development of teeth in the second stage of infancy. We also draw on the clinical observations of Erik H. Erikson, as we focus especially on the role that teeth play in the loss of the original unity between the infant and its mother. We take note of Erikson’s suggestion that this is, ontogenetically speaking, the experience that is portrayed in the biblical story of the Fall and expulsion from the Garden in Genesis 3. We view the rituals associated with the Tooth Fairy legend as a mythological means of enabling children to address and work through these psychological issues.
Seasonal changes in plasma testosterone and ejaculatory capacity in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

Seasonal changes in body weight, plasma testosterone and ejaculatory capacity were observed in five intact and two testosterone-implanted castrated squirrel monkeys for a total of 13 months. Electroejaculation was employed for obtaining data concerning ejaculation. In the intact animals, there were significant increases in body weight, ejaculate volume and plasma testosterone during the breeding season. With the exception of one animal, there was also a decrease in ejaculation latency during the season. Seasonal differences in the sperm count and sperm motility were not observed. Testosterone-implanted castrates showed changes in both ejaculate volume and ejaculation latency similar to those seen in intact monkeys during the breeding season. The body weight and plasma testosterone of the castrates remained quite constant throughout the year.
Searching for reputable source code on the web

Looking for source code on the Web is a common practice among software developers. Previous research has shown that developers use social cues over technical cues to evaluate source code candidates. However, current source code search engines do not take full advantage of social information. We present a prototype, an extension of Sourcerer, that shows reputation information for each developer involved in the project and the developer's activity level. From this implementation, we have learned that the effectiveness of this approach depends on the amount of reputation information available on the Web, which is currently scarce. We also learned that a ranking algorithm that relies on both relevance and reputation would be beneficial. More research needs to be done to explore ranking algorithms that combine both social and technical information and also reputation information for source code and people.
Visual Complexity and Young Children's Learning from Television.

The impact of both the static and dynamic visual complexity of a half-hour sequence of “Sesame Street” segments upon viewers' visual attention, recall, and recognition are assessed in this study of 48 four and five year olds. Previous research has produced inconsistent results with respect to the links among the three sets of variables in this observational learning process. Results of a path analysis indicated strong negative relationships between static complexity and all three viewer variables, positive relationships between dynamic complexity and both attention and recognition, and between attention and both types of learning. No significant relationship emerged between dynamic complexity and recall. Implications for television production aimed at young children are discussed.
GC/MS analyses of chemical vapor deposition precursors.

Five case studies illustrate a new approach to learning important information about these reactive compounds.
Interactions of Charged Porphyrins with Nonionic Triblock Copolymer Hosts in Aqueous Solutions

The extent and locus of solubilization of guest and self-assembling surfactant host molecules in aqueous solutions are influenced by a variety of hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions, as well as by more specific interactions between the various species present. By using a combination of two-dimensional heteronuclear 13C{1H} NMR correlation experiments with pulsed-gradient NMR diffusion and proton cross-relaxation measurements, the locations and distributions of porphyrin guest molecules have been established unambiguously with respect to the hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties of a triblock copolymer species in solution. The interactions of tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin with the poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) and the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) segments of amphiphilic PEO−PPO−PEO triblock copolymer species have been measured as functions of solution conditions, including temperature and pH. The porphyrin/PEO−PPO−PEO interactions are established to be selective and adjustable according to the differen...
Heterogeneity of protein kinase C isoform expression in chemically induced HL60 cells

Abstract Column chromatographic separation of HL60 cell lysates by hydroxylapatite and immunoblotting with protein kinase C (PKC) isoform-specific antisera revealed the presence of four peaks of activity consisting of PKC γ, β, ϵ, δ, α, and ζ,. In cells treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamins D 3 , retinoic acid, or dimethyl sulfoxide differential changes in the expression of the four peak activities occurred with treatment. During PMA-induced differentiation, PKC activity diminished for peaks 2, 3, and 4 while immunoreactivity increased for β, δ, and ζ. In addition, all inducers were found to increase the levels of each of the PKC mRNAs. These results document for the first time differential changes in the expression of PKC isoforms in one cell line elicited by different agents and suggest that alterations in substrate preference may occur, which accounts for changes in the activity of PKC.
The Manuscript as Question: Teaching Primary Sources in the Archives—The China Missions Project

The collaborative effort between two Special Collections librarians and a history professor at DePaul University led to a quarter-long undergraduate project in the archives using China Missions Correspondence. In a reversal of traditional methods that assumes archival use to answer a question, this project looks at the document as the source of the questions. A qualitative analysis of student responses from these class sessions between 2002 and 2008 reveals the impact that direct experience has on primary source education and how outreach and user instruction in the archives can transform research, education, and the place of special collections within the institution. As a case study, this paper examines planning, administration, identification, instruction, and assessment of the project from the librarians’ perspective.
Characterization and extract ability of immobilized 15N from the soil microbial biomass

Abstract The microbial biomass of a typical Illinois Mollisol (Flanagan silt loam) was labeled with 15 N, and several extradants were tested to determine their effectiveness in separating the immobilized 15 N from the native soil N. From 3 to 5% of the total N and from 7 to 11% of the tracer N were removed by the milder extradants (i.e. hot water, hot 10mM CaCl 2 , hot 5m m NaHCO 3 , and cold 10m m NaHCO 3 ). Acidified permanganate (0.1 m KMnO 4 in 2 m H 2 SO 4 ) and anhydrous formic acid were the most intensive extradants tested; they removed from 10 to 13% of the total N and about 14% of the immobilized 15 N. An inverse relationship was observed between the amount of N extracted and selectivity of the extradants for removing the microbial 15 N, indicating that the milder procedures were more selective in extracting the immobilized 15 N. Distinct differences in the chemical distribution of organic N were observed for the immobilized 15 N and native soil N. Lower proportions of the immobilized 15 N were accounted for as acid-insoluble N and ammonia N (NH 3 -N); while higher proportions were found in the amino acid and hydrolyzable unknown (HUN) N fractions.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor regulates myeloid differentiation through CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein ε

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a major cytokine that regulates proliferation and differentiation of myeloid cells, although the underlying mechanisms by which G-CSF controls myeloid differentiation are largely unknown. Differentiation of hematopoietic cells is regulated by lineage-specific transcription factors, and gene-targeting studies previously revealed the critical roles of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) α and C/EBPe, respectively, in the early and mid-late stages of granulocyte differentiation. The expression of C/EBPe in 32Dcl3 cells and FDCP1 cells expressing mutant G-CSF receptors was examined and it was found that G-CSF up-regulates C/EBPe. The signal for this expression required the region containing the first tyrosine residue of G-CSF receptor. Dominant-negative signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 blocked G-CSF–induced granulocytic differentiation in 32D cells but did not block induction of C/EBPe, indicating that these proteins work in different pathways. It was also found that overexpression of C/EBPe greatly facilitated granulocytic differentiation by G-CSF and, surprisingly, that expression of C/EBPe alone was sufficient to make cells differentiate into morphologically and functionally mature granulocytes. Overexpression of c-myc inhibits differentiation of hematopoietic cells, but the molecular mechanisms of this inhibition are not fully understood. In 32Dcl3 cells overexpressing c-myc that do not differentiate by means of G-CSF, induction of C/EBPe is completely abrogated. Ectopic expression of C/EBPe in these cells induced features of differentiation, including changes in nuclear morphologic characteristics and the appearance of granules. These data show that C/EBPe constitutes a rate-limiting step in G-CSF–regulated granulocyte differentiation and that c-myc antagonizes G-CSF–induced myeloid differentiation, at least partly by suppressing induction of C/EBPe.
Surface and atmospheric contributions to passive microwave brightness temperatures for falling snow events

Physically based passive microwave precipitation retrieval algorithms require a set of relationships between satellite -observed brightness temperatures (TBs) and the physical state of the underlying atmosphere and surface. These relationships are nonlinear, such that inversions are ill ]posed especially over variable land surfaces. In order to elucidate these relationships, this work presents a theoretical analysis using TB weighting functions to quantify the percentage influence of the TB resulting from absorption, emission, and/or reflection from the surface, as well as from frozen hydrometeors in clouds, from atmospheric water vapor, and from other contributors. The percentage analysis was also compared to Jacobians. The results are presented for frequencies from 10 to 874 GHz, for individual snow profiles, and for averages over three cloud-resolving model simulations of falling snow. The bulk structure (e.g., ice water path and cloud depth) of the underlying cloud scene was found to affect the resultant TB and percentages, producing different values for blizzard, lake effect, and synoptic snow events. The slant path at a 53 viewing angle increases the hydrometeor contributions relative to nadir viewing channels. Jacobians provide the magnitude and direction of change in the TB values due to a change in the underlying scene; however, the percentage analysis provides detailed information on how that change affected contributions to the TB from the surface, hydrometeors, and water vapor. The TB percentage information presented in this paper provides information about the relative contributions to the TB and supplies key pieces of information required to develop and improve precipitation retrievals over land surfaces.
Microwave Heating of Malignant Mouse Tumors Encapsulated in a Dielectric Medium

A new technique for microwave (2450 MHz) heating of C3H mammary tumors is described. 1 cm tumors were encapsulated in 5 cm spheroids of a material dielectrically similar to biological tissues. When similarly heated, encapsulated tumor exhibited far more front-to-back temperature uniformity than unencapsulated tumors. Encapsulation also improved coupling of microwave heating fields. Tissue-simulating spheres were microwave-heated to the same temperatures in an anechoic range. Central temperature distributions were similar to those in the encapsulated tumors and agreed with theoretical predictions.
Development of the stepfamily events profile.

This project developed and examined the validity of a tailor-made life events checklist specific to the experiences of adolescents in stepfamilies (i.e., the Stepfamily Events Profile; STEP). The STEP was developed from information gathered in focus groups and interviews and includes positive and negative events that are meaningful to adolescents in stepfamilies. The STEP was given to 90 adolescents residing with their biological mother and stepfather. Negative events were significantly related to adolescent report of maladjustment, and positive events were significantly related to mother and adolescent report of internalizing problems, above and beyond the effects of several covariates. Also, the effects of negative and positive events were uniquely predictive of adolescent maladjustment. Events reflecting interactions within the adolescent's dyadic family relationships were most strongly predictive of adolescent maladjustment.
Inverse correlation between species lifespan and capacity of cultured fibroblasts to convert benzo(a)pyrene to water-soluble metabolites.

Abstract Diploid fibroblasts from lung and skin of eight mammalian species were cultured and the capacity of these cell strains to convert benzo(a)pyrene (BP) to water-soluble metabolites was determined. The rate of conversion is dependent upon culture density and varies widely among different species. There is a very good inverse correlation between species lifespan and the capacity of cultured fibroblasts from these species to metabolize BP to water-soluble forms. Since these cell systems have also shown a good inverse correlation between species lifespan and biological activity of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), these data suggest that the capacity to metabolize polycyclic hydrocarbon carcinogens may be closely related to lifespan in mammalian species.
BOARD COMPOSITION AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: TWO STUDIES OF INSIDER/OUTSIDER EFFECTS

This paper presents two studies that examine the commonly held belief that corporate boards are more likely to have positive effects on organizational performance when composed of outside directors. The first study – a meta-analysis of 63 correlations – indicates that, on average, the greater presence of outsiders is associated with higher performance, but so too is the greater presence of insiders. Instead of providing evidence of a positive outsider effect, these results suggest the existence of a curvilinear homogeneity effect in which performance is enhanced by the greater relative presence of either inside or outside directors. The second study – a hierarchical polynomial regression analysis of data from 259 large US companies – confirms the existence of a curvilinear relationship between insider/outsider composition and performance measured as return on assets.
Extraction techniques for mining services from Web sources

The Web has established itself as the dominant medium for doing electronic commerce. Consequently the number of service providers, both large and small, advertising their services on the web continues to proliferate. In this paper we describe new extraction algorithms for mining service directories from web pages. We develop a novel propagation technique for identifying and accumulating all of the attributes related to a service entity in a web page. We provide experimental results of the effectiveness of our extraction techniques by mining a database of veterinarian service providers from web sources.
AWEsim: a program for the efficient analysis of linear(ized) circuits

Asymptotic waveform evaluation (AWE) is a novel method to analyze linear(ized) circuits. It uses a form of Pade approximation rather than numerical integration to approximate the behavior of linear(ized) circuits in either the time or the frequency domain. Improvements are presented to the theory of AWE to avoid some inherent limitations of Pade approximation. A discussion is presented of the practical aspects that have arisen in the attempt to use AWE in a simulation program called AWEsim. Results are also presented of AWEsim that clearly demonstrate the advantage of AWE over traditional approaches to circuit simulation. >
Retinopathy of Prematurity: Clinical Trials

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Explain the role of cryotherapy in threshold ROP eyes. 2. Describe the relationship between severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in the neonatal period and later functional impairment. 3. Describe the role of vitamin E supplementation in ROP. A number of randomized, controlled trials have accumulated evidence for the efficacy and safety of treatments for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The initial one documented that curtailing inspired oxygen would reduce the incidence of ROP and changed the conventional use of oxygen in the 1950s. More recent clinical trials have revealed additional useful information. The CRYO-ROP Cooperative Study group, under the leadership E. Palmer, followed a prospective cohort of infants weighing less than 1,251 g at birth to detect what was defined for the study as threshold ROP. Important information has resulted from both the natural history study of ROP in 4,099 infants and the controlled trial of cryotherapy for threshold ROP. The natural history cohort provided the basic incidence rates of ROP, prethreshold ROP, and threshold ROP and confirmed that the most important determinants of ROP in the 1980s were gestational age and birthweight (see Fig. 23 in History, Classification, and Pathophysiology article in this issue). The small but significant effects of transport, multiple births, small-for-gestational age, and gender were minor by comparison, although black race provided a protective effect against more severe stages of ROP. The real surprise in these data was the demonstration that the onset and events of ROP occurred in time with the postmenstrual age (PMA) instead of the age following birth (Figs. 1⇓ and 2⇓ ). When all infants were divided into three birthweight categories and the proportions of events were plotted by chronologic age, the largest infants had their events first, followed by the middle-sized infants, …
Morphological changes and the requirements for macromolecule synthesis during excystment of acanthamoeba castellanii.

Light and phase-contrast microscopic observations of excystment in Acanthamoeba castellanii have been used to classify cells in excysting populations as free trophozoites, or mature, activated, or preemergent cysts. These categories have been used to describe the kinetics of excystment. A pH of 7 and a temperature of 30°C have been found to be optimal for the activation of mature cysts. Both activation and emergence are inhibited by cycloheximide and actinomycin D, but neither process is much affected by hydroxyurea. Cell-free extracts of high molecular weight components of cyst cytoplasm can support protein synthesis in vitro, although less efficiently than similar extracts from trophozoites. Evidence indicates that some of the functional RNA in the cyst extracts is synthesized before excystment.
Characteristics of Elderly Patients Admitted for the First Time to a Psychiatric Facility

There has been little investigation of patients admitted to a psychiatric facility for the first time late in life. We therefore examined characteristics of a group of 100 consecutive patients over the age of 65, admitted for the first time to the psychiatric service of a private, university-affiliated hospital. Almost two thirds of these patients received a primary discharge diagnosis of major depression, while another one fourth received a diagnosis of dementia. Patients with dementia were significantly older and more likely to be men. The frequency of dementia climbed with each decile affecting 15% of those less than 75 years, 39% of those 75 to 84, and 47% of those over age 85. Thirty-six percent of all patients were psychotic on admission, including 28% of those with major depression and 48% of those with dementia. Visual hallucinations were significantly more common in the group with dementia. In turn, eye disease was significantly more common in those with visual hallucinations. Nine patients were admitted with a history of recent assaultive behavior. Four of these were psychotic and eight of nine were demented. Five patients had attempted suicide prior to their admission. All were diagnosed as having major depression.
Pathogenesis of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen capable of causing a wide range of human diseases. However, the role of different virulence factors in the development of staphylococcal infections remains incompletely understood. Some clonal types are well equipped to cause disease across the globe, whereas others are facile at causing disease among community members. In this review, general aspects of staphylococcal pathogenesis are addressed, with emphasis on methicillin-resistant strains. Although methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains are not necessarily more virulent than methicillin-sensitive S. aureus strains, some MRSA strains contain factors or genetic backgrounds that may enhance their virulence or may enable them to cause particular clinical syndromes. We examine these pathogenic factors.
Simple disposable method for quantitative cultures of urine.

A disposable kit was tested as a means of detecting significant bacteriuria by quantitative culture of urine. The total error in 3,563 specimens tested by five investigators was less than 1%. The method was very effective in differentiating significant bacteriuria, i.e., more than 100,000 bacteria per ml of urine from uninfected urine. In specimens from patients with urinary tract abnormalities who had mixed bacterial flora, the absolute numbers obtained with the dip-inoculum method had a 10% variation when compared to results obtained by calibrated loop or dilution pour plate methods. Therefore, the main utility of the kit is for screening and following patients after therapy. A significant delay in time between inoculation of the medium in the kit with the freshly voided urine and incubation of the kit to promote growth did not affect the reliability of the kit as a method of doing quantitative urine cultures to detect bacteriuria.
The Need for a Low-Expense Universally Acceptable rhTSH Protocol

TO THE EDITOR: Thyroid cancer is a rare malignancy ([1][1]). Most cases are of well-differentiated epithelial papillary and follicular carcinomas. As most thyroid cancer has a low mortality rate and a moderately high recurrence rate, lifelong monitoring is required ([2][2],[3][3]). The 2 most
Association of pigmentary organelles, carotenoid droplets, with endoplasmic reticulum in goldfish xanthophores and swordtail fish erythrophores

A modified procedure for whole mount transmission electron microscopy (WMTEM) was utilized, for electron microscopes with accelerating voltages of 80 to 100 kV, to view the outer 40% of goldfish (Carassius auratus [Linneaus]) xanthophores and swordtail fish (Xiphophorus hellerii [Heckel]) erythrophores. This viewing region covers most of the lamellae and all of the filopodia and cellular processes. In this region one can observe three of the four physiological states: pigment dispersing, pigment fully dispersed, and pigment aggregating. The pigment in the fourth state, fully aggregated, cannot be viewed because of thickness of the cell body and is not addressed in this report. In goldfish xanthophores and swordtail fish erythrophores, the primary pigmentary organelle, the carotenoid droplet, is not a discrete organelle but is either associated with or attached to an extended tubulovesicular structure. Carotenoid droplet translocations appear to be dependent upon external cues which result in the elongation or retraction of these tubulovesicular structures. Tubulovesicular structures are continous with membranous sacs, which we termed carotenoid bodies. Based upon DiOC6(3) staining for the endoplasmic reticulum, we propose that the tubulovesicular structure and the endoplasmic reticulum are the same organelles. By using inhibitors of microfilaments (cytochalasin B or D) and microtubules (nocodazole), we report results which suggest cytoskeletal involvement in the elongation or retraction of endoplasmic reticular cisternae. Results with the intermediate filament inhibitor, cycloheximide, demonstrated that intermediate filaments were eliminated from the cells. We believe that the results are inconclusive because cycloheximide primarily inhibits protein synthesis and any interpretation must be made with care. © 1993 wiley-Liss, Inc.
Intraguild Competition and Enhanced Survival of Western Bean Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Transgenic Cry1Ab (MON810) Bacillus thuringiensis Corn

ABSTRACT The effect of genetically modified corn (event MON810, YieldGard Corn Borer) expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis sp. kurstaki (Berliner) (Bt) endotoxin, Cry1Ab, on the survival of western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith), larvae was examined during intraguild competition studies with either European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), or corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), larvae. Competition scenarios were constructed by using either a laboratory or field competition arena containing one of five different diets and one of 13 different larval size-by-species scenarios. The survival of western bean cutworms competing with corn earworms in the laboratory arenas on either a meridic diet or isoline corn silk diet was significantly lower (P ≤ 0.01) than the controls in 13 out of 14 competition scenarios and larval survival was frequently zero. In contrast, the survival of western bean cutworm competing with corn earworm on a Cry1Ab-MON810 corn silk diet was significant higher (P ≤...
Role of Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase Genes in Antibiotic Production by Streptomyces coelicolor

The phosphopantetheinyl transferase genes SCO5883 (redU) and SCO6673 were disrupted in Streptomyces coelicolor. The redU mutants did not synthesize undecylprodigiosin, while SCO6673 mutants failed to produce calcium-dependent antibiotic. Neither gene was essential for actinorhodin production or morphological development in S. coelicolor, although their mutation could influence these processes.
Synthesis and Characterization of Semiconductor Nanop Articulates

Semiconductor nanoparticulates are important materials bridging the gap in size and electronic properties between molecular species and bulk materials. Synthetic approaches to producing controlled sized clusters of this sort will be described, covering physical encapsulation in zeolites or porous glass and extending to discrete syntheses using surface terminating reagents. The optical properties of the resultant materials will be described in detail and the structural topology of the clusters elucidated by combined powder and single crystal diffraction. Thermal transformations of these clusters into bulk materials will be tracked and the processing possibilities explored for the production of polycrystalline films and polymer/semiconductor composites. Photoconductivity in the latter composites will be described.
Adenovirus type 12 tumour antigen synthesis differs during infection of permissive and non-permissive cells

Synthesis of the adenovirus type 12 E1A and E1B tumour antigens was compared in productively infected human (KB) cells and in abortively infected baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells. By the use of anti-peptide antibodies, the E1A tumour antigens were easily detectable in infected KB extracts as early as 6 h post-infection, but were not detectable in infected BHK extracts until 12 h post-infection. The level of E1A tumour antigens detected in BHK extracts was 10 to 15% of that detected in KB extracts. The level of the E1B 163R (19K) tumour antigen was also lower in BHK extracts: 5 to 10% of that detected in KB extracts. Stability of the E1A tumour antigens was not significantly different in the two infected cell species, indicating that the lower E1A level during abortive infection was due to a lower rate of synthesis of these proteins. These data suggest that early protein synthesis is not the same in abortively infected cells as it is in productively infected cells.
Shame, Masculinity, and the Death of Thomas Becket

On the day before Christmas, 1170, Robert de Broc, member of a family of royal servants that had taken up King Henry II's fierce opposition to Thomas Becket, seized a horse bringing goods to the archbishop and cut off its tail. The next day, Archbishop Thomas noted this incident after his Christmas sermon when renewing his excommunication of Robert and several others, and he discussed it again four days later in his initial meeting with the men who would shortly murder him. The excision of the horse's tail appears in five of the biographies of the martyr and subsequently in the national chronicles of Roger of Howden and Ralph of Diceto. Why did a minor act of cruelty inflicted on a horse seem so noteworthy to contemporaries? The sources recording it resound with the rich Latin vocabulary of shame: “dedecus, contemptus, ignominia, dehonestatio, opprobrium.” Robert's highly symbolic act, part of a pattern of harassment by the Brocs, was designed not just to threaten Becket but also to humiliate him.
Chlorine dioxide disinfection temperature effects.

Summary. Washed suspensions of Escherichia coli were exposed to different concentrations of chlorine dioxide at various temperatures. Platings of the mixtures to evaluate the numbers of surviving cells were made after 5–300 sec of contact. Survival data were best fitted by a reaction model that is first order with respect to cell concentration and to exposure time. Bactericidal rates were found to increase markedly with both increased disinfectant concentrations and increased temperatures. Activation energies at each concentration of chlorine dioxide are reported.