cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple integrase functions are required to form the native structure of the human immunodeficiency virus type I intasome.

Abstract Mu-mediated polymerase chain reaction footprinting was used to investigate the protein-DNA structure of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-I) preintegration complexes. Preintegration complexes were partially purified from cells after using an established coculture infection technique as well as a novel technique using cell-free supernatant from transfected cells as the source of virus. Footprinting revealed that bound proteins protected the terminal 200–250 base pairs of each viral end from nuclease attack. Bound proteins also caused strong transpositional enhancements near each end of HIV-I. In contrast, regions of viral DNA internal to the ends did not show evidence of strong protein binding. The end regions of preintegrative HIV-I apparently form a unique nucleoprotein structure, which we term the intasome to distinguish it from the greater preintegration complex. Our novel system also allowed us to analyze the structure and function of preintegration complexes isolated from cells infected with integrase mutant viruses. Complexes were derived from viruses defective for either integrase catalysis, integrase binding to the viral DNA substrate, or an unknown function in the carboxyl-terminal domain of the integrase protein. None of these mutant complexes supported detectable integration activity. Despite the presence of the mutant integrase proteins in purified samples, none of these nucleoprotein complexes displayed the native intasome structure detected in wild-type preintegration complexes. We conclude that multiple integrase functions are required to form the native structure of the HIV-I intasome in infected cells.
Possible connection between surface winds, solar activity and the Earth's magnetic field

RECORDS of 14C in tree rings provide a proxy for changes in solar activity on timescales of decades to centuries1,2. Here I report an association between Maunder-type solar cycles recorded in tree rings and fluctuations in surface wind intensity on a roughly 200-year timescale over a period of about 2,000 years in the mid-Holocene. The wind record is preserved as changes in the thickness of varved sediments in Elk Lake, Minnesota, which contain a large aeolian component. Changes in cyclonic activity and tropospheric winds have been reported1–5 to occur in this region a few days after strong coronal mass ejections (CMEs); increases of up to 7% in zonal flow have been reported5 at an altitude of ~ 300 m after strong CMEs in winter. The implication of this association is that century-scale changes in surface winds over Minnesota were the long-term (Maunder-scale) counterpart of short-term (daily) changes in winds after CMEs. The weak magnetic field strength of the Earth at this time6,7 might be relevant to a possible mechanism for the association.
Mammalian expression and hollow fiber bioreactor production of recombinant anti-CEA diabody and minibody for clinical applications

Genetically engineered radiolabeled antibody fragments have shown great promise for the radioimmunoscintigraphy of cancer. Retaining the exquisite specificity of monoclonal antibodies yet smaller in molecular size, antibody fragments display rapid tumor targeting and blood clearance, a more uniform distribution in the tumor, and present a lower potential to elicit an immune response. However, one of the factors that has limited clinical evaluation of these antibody-derived proteins has been the difficulty in expressing and purifying the quantities necessary for clinical trials. This study outlines the capability of mammalian expression for the production of recombinant antibody fragments intended for clinical use. Two anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody fragments, the T84.66/212 Flex minibody (scFv-C(H)3) and the T84.66 diabody (scFv dimer) have been previously expressed and have shown excellent radioimaging properties in tumor bearing animals. To proceed toward human studies, these high affinity recombinant fragments and a second minibody version, the T84.66/GS18 Flex minibody, were expressed using a high-level mammalian expression system. Production of all three antibody fragments in a small-scale hollow fiber bioreactor resulted in 137-307 mg of crude antibody harvest. A purification protocol that employed ceramic hydroxyapatite and anion exchange chromatography resulted in 50-150 mg of purified T84.66 diabody and T84.66 minibody. The development of this level of research grade material established conditions for clinical production as well as provided material to complete pre-clinical studies and undertake protein crystallization studies. Scale-up for clinical studies produced 3.4 g of the T84.66 minibody in the harvest. A portion of this material was purified yielding 180 mg of highly purified T84.66 minibody intended for pilot radioimmunoscintigraphy studies of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) positive disease.
Structured and viscous water in subnanometer gaps

Direct and simultaneous measurements of the normal and lateral forces encountered by a nanosize spherical silicon tip approaching a solid surface in purified water are reported. For tip-surface distances, $0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}ldl2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$, experiments and grand canonical molecular-dynamics simulations find oscillatory solvation forces for hydrophilic surfaces, mica and glass, and less pronounced oscillations for a hydrophobic surface, graphite. The simulations reveal layering of the confined water density and the development of hexagonal order in layers proximal to a quartz surface. For subnanometer hydrophilic confinement, the lateral force measurements show orders of magnitude increase of the viscosity with respect to bulk water, agreeing with a simulated sharp decrease in the diffusion constant. No viscosity increase is observed for hydrophobic surfaces.
Birefringence of the cat cornea.

Birefringence measurements for freshly enucleated cat eyes were conducted by the scattered light method and the oblique incidence method. Average birefringence of β = 0·0017 for the central region was obtained. Birefringence was greatest at the anterior surface of the cornea and decreased gradually toward the posterior surface. A multitude of highly localized zones of grossly different birefringence values was revealed. In addition random macroscopic variations of birefringence were observed within the central region. The change of birefringence with intraocular pressure for a pressure increment from 10 to 40 mmHg, did not exceed 3%.
Critical phenomena and magnetic properties of an amorphous ferromagnet: Gadolinium-gold

Magnetization was measured between 4.2 and 290\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K in fields up to 70 kOe on liquid-quenched ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{80}$${\mathrm{Au}}_{20}$ amorphous alloys. The Curie temperature and critical exponents $\ensuremath{\beta}$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$, and $\ensuremath{\delta}$ are found to be 149.45\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, 0.44\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02, 1.29\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05, and 3.96\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03, respectively. The data are fitted to an equation of state previously derived for a second-order phase transition in fluid systems. It is found that the magnetization exponent $\ensuremath{\beta}$ of amorphous ferromagnets studied so far has a value \ensuremath{\sim}0.4, slightly enhanced over those observed in corresponding crystalline elements, and the estimated specific-heat exponent $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ is negative. Both are in qualitative agreement with theories on the critical behavior of random systems. The effects of structural disorder on the magnetic properties studied are compared and discussed with recent theories on amorphous magnetism. A comparison of the magnetization data with Handrich's theory for amorphous ferromagnets suggests that in our amorphous alloys the average fluctuation in the exchange constant ($J$) can be an appreciable fraction of $J$ itself. The effective magnetic moment in the paramagnetic state has a value of $(8.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ per gadolinium atom. The saturation moment extrapolated to 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K equals $(7.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.25){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ per Gd atom. The low-temperature saturation magnetization follows the ${T}^{\frac{3}{2}}$ law from 0.13 ${T}_{c}$ to 0.80 ${T}_{c}$. The mean exchange integrals $J$ determined from the Rushbrooke-Wood formula and spinwave theory are found to be 2.28\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 1.34\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, respectively. The exchange constant of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction as estimated from the de Gennes model (${J}_{\mathrm{sf}}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.19$ eV) is not drastically reduced in this amorphous matrix. Finally, the Curie temperature of pure amorphous Gd is estimated and its value compared with those obtained from experimental extrapolation.
Chemical Composition of AlN Thin Films Deposited at 523−723 K Using Dimethylethylamine Alane and Ammonia

We have investigated a process for depositing AlN thin films at temperatures less than 800 K via surface reactions between specially chosen precursors. An Al precursor, dimethylethylamine alane (DMEAA, (CH3)2C2H5N:AlH3) was used with ammonia (NH3), and the reactants were delivered to the growth surface in separate steps using an atomic layer growth (ALG) process to promote film formation through a sequence of surface reactions. AlN thin films were deposited on Si(100), Si(111), Al2O3(00.1), and Al2O3(01.2) substrates at 523−723 K using a range of process flow conditions. Auger and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to characterize the chemical composition of the films. These measurements detected carbon and oxygen contamination at the surface and smaller concentrations in the bulk. In the high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy C(1s) data, binding energies for C−H and C−N species were identified but no C−Al species were present. In the N(1s) data, N−O species were not detected, but ch...
Improving Research Training in Doctoral Counseling Programs.

The authors surveyed the research training practices of doctoral-level, APA-approved counseling psychology programs, non-APA-approved counseling psychology programs, and counselor education programs to identify ways to improve such training. Some differences were found according to program type. No differences were found in percentage of students' publishing or presenting research during 1983–84. Suggestions for improving future research training were assessed; highest ratings were given to required participation in research teams; 1st-year, “hands-on” research experience; and greater emphasis on design rather than statistics training. Programs characterized by high and low student research productivity differed in the areas of required research training, research emphases and research climate, required presentation or submission of research for publication, and material support for student research. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Activation of Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Urokinase/Plasminogen Activator by Matriptase, an Epithelial Membrane Serine Protease

Abstract Matriptase is an epithelial-derived, integral membrane serine protease. The enzyme was initially isolated from human breast cancer cells and has been implicated in breast cancer invasion and metastasis. In the current study, using active matriptase isolated from human milk, we demonstrate that matriptase is able to cleave various synthetic substrates with arginine or lysine as their P1 sites and prefers small side chain amino acids, such as Ala and Gly, at P2 sites. For the most reactive substrates,N-tert-butoxycarbonyl (N-t-Boc)-γ-benzyl-Glu-Ala-Arg-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC) and N-t-Boc-Gln-Ala-Arg-AMC, theK m values were determined to be 3.81 and 4.89 μm, respectively. We further demonstrated that matriptase can convert hepatocyte growth factor/scattering factor to its active form, which can induce scatter of Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells and can activate c-Met tyrosine phosphorylation in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. In addition, we noted that matriptase can activate urokinase plasminogen activator but has no affect on plasminogen. These results suggest that matriptase could act as an epithelial, upstream membrane activator to recruit and activate stromal-derived downstream effectors important for extracellular matrix degradation and epithelial migration, two major events of tissue remodeling, cancer invasion, and metastasis.
Passivation of high energy hydrogen ion implantation damage in silicon with low energy atomic hydrogen

Abstract High-energy hydrogen ion (proton) implantation is used in Si for intentionally creating defects, while low-energy H is known for passivation of a variety of defects and impurities. We have carried out a study of low-energy (
RESPONSES OF THE PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITY GROWTH RATE TO NUTRIENT PULSES IN VARIABLE ESTUARINE ENVIRONMENTS

In estuaries, phytoplankton are exposed to rapidly changing conditions that may have profound effects on community structure and function. In these experiments, we evaluated the growth, productivity, and compositional responses of natural phytoplankton communities exposed to limiting nutrient additions and incubation conditions typical of estuarine habitats. Mesocosm bioassays were used to measure the short-term (2-day) growth rate, primary productivity, and group-specific biomass responses of the phytoplankton community in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina. A three-factor (mixing, sediment addition, and nutrient addition) experimental design was applied using 55-L mesocosm tanks. Growth rates were determined using the 14C photopigment radiolabeling method, and the abundance of algal groups was based on quantification of chemosystematic photopigments by HPLC. For Neuse River Estuary phytoplankton communities, stratified (nonmixed), turbid, and low-nitrate conditions favored increases in cryptomonad biomass. Mixed, turbid, high-nitrate conditions were favorable for increased primary productivity and chlorophytes, diatoms, and cyanobacteria. The highest community growth rates occurred under calm, high-nitrate conditions. This approach provided an assessment of the community-level phytoplankton responses and insights into the mechanisms driving blooms and bloom species in estuarine waters. The ability to rapidly alter growth rates to capitalize on conditions conducive for growth may play an important role in the timing, extent, and species involved with blooms in estuarine waters. Adaptive growth rate responses of individual species, as well as the community as a whole, further illustrate the sensitivity of estuarine ecosystems to excessive N inputs.
Fewer metabolites of dietary choline reach the blood of rats after treatment with lithium

Abstract Choline is an important precursor for the biosynthesis of acetylcholine, phosphatiylcholine and sphingomyelin. It is also a major source of labile methyl groups. Lithium is an important component of the treatment of bipolar affective illness, and it inhibits choline transport across membranes. We studied the effect of lithium treatment upon the appearance in blood, liver and intestine of metabolites formed from dietary choline. Rats were treated for 9 days with 2 mEq/kg lithium carbonate or water. Animals were fasted overnight, and on the 10th day were fed with a solution containing radiolabeled choline chloride. The lithium treated groups also received 2.0 mEq/kg lithium as part of this solution. After an oral dose of 1 ml of a 1 mM choline solution, the lithium-treated animals had significantly lower levels of choline- derived radiolabel in blood than did controls at 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes (47% (±5%; SEM), 51% (±7%), 59% (±4%) and 74% (±9%), respectively). We observed similar decreases of the accumulation in blood, at 180 minutes after the dose, of choline-derived radiolabel when choline was administered at lower or higher concentrations. After an oral treatment containing 0.1, 1 or 10 mM choline, lithium treated animals accumulated 69% (±6%; SEM), 66% (± 11%) and 72% (±7%) as much radiolabel in serum as did controls. Most of the radiolabel found in blood at 180 minutes was in metabolites of choline which are formed within liver (betaine and phosphatidylcholine). The diminished accumulation of radiolabel in serum after lithium treatment was not due to increased accumulation of label by erythrocytes, liver or gut wall. We suggest that lithium influences the release by liver of betaine and phosphatidylcholine.
A relationship between adrenergic blockage and the secretory process in cells of the pars intermedia of the frog Rana pipiens.

Abstract Frogs (Rana pipiens) adapted to an intermediate state of melanin dispersion were treated with phentolamine and with propranolol in order to block, respectively, alpha and beta adrenergic receptors. Changes in fine structure of the pars intermedia gland cells indicate that adrenergic receptors of both types are involved in the process of MSH release from the pituitary. It is probable that the adrenergic inhibitory control of MSH release in this species is mediated by receptors of the beta type. It is also suggested that alpha adrenergic receptors are involved in the modulation and perhaps facilitation of MSH output.
Measurement of particle size characteristics of metered dose inhaler (MDI) aerosols.

ABSTRACT Measurement of the aerodynamic size of an aerosol allows a prediction of its deposition efficiency and behaviour in the lung. The dynamics of volatile or pressurized (MDI) aerosols presents problems not encountered in the characterization of solid or liquid particles alone. For example, the data obtained in real-time sampling as opposed to measuring an aged aerosol provide a truer representation of circumstances during actual clinical use, yet this may be difficult to achieve due to propellent evaporation. A number of particle sizing systems have been developed based upon light scattering techniques and aerodynamic principles. Each method has its limitations; in general, they successfully measure the aerodynamic size distributions of MDI aerosols. Cascade impactors, the "gold standard" of the industry have the advantage that they allow analysis of drug mass as well as other tracers within the aerosol, but the process as a whole is labour intensive, with limited resolution. Highly automated laser-...
Quality Management of Student-Student Evaluations.

Classes delivered via the World Wide Web (WWW) have the ability to access large amounts of hypermedia. They can also be designed to present course work in small, orderly steps. Many learning theorists hypothesize that it is important to provide timely feedback which acts as a reinforcer if answers are good and as a corrective measure if answers are inadequate. However, it may not be practical for an instructor to give timely feedback on each submission done by all students in the class. One possible solution is to combine peer-peer evaluations with timely computer generated reports to help the instructor manage such a course. The peer evaluations may replace some or all of the traditional “grading” done by the professor. This process can contribute to higher developmental levels of understanding and students collaborative work skills may be honed by the requirements of the course. We hypothesize that instructors can adopt graphical methods of data presentation and quality improvement to help monitor the p...
Effect of Filtered Wood Smoke Treatment on Chemical and Microbial Changes in Mahi Mahi Fillets

A study was performed to investigate the effect of filtered wood smoke processing on quality and safety of mahi mahi compared to no treatment. Skinless mahi mahi fillet portions were either treated with filtered smoke (FS) or left untreated for 24 h, followed by either (a) aerobic storage at 4 degrees C for 8 d or (b) freezing for 30 d (-25 degrees C) followed by thawing and aerobic storage at 4 degrees C for 8 d. Results show that treating mahi mahi fillets with FS increased (P < 0.05) a* values (redness) of the muscle and stabilized it during frozen storage. The redness did, however, decay (P < 0.05) rapidly on cold storage for both defrosted and fresh filtered-smoke-treated products, and reached initial (presmoking) redness levels in 2 d. The FS process overall significantly (P < 0.05) improved microbial stability of the product. Stability toward lipid oxidation was also significantly (P < 0.05) increased for the FS products compared to untreated products, particularly after defrosting. Sensory studies supported the microbial and lipid oxidation findings, showing that products treated with FS were better accepted and had increased (P < 0.05) shelf life over the untreated products. The shelf life was, however, compromised when microbial levels increased; that is, the process did not mask microbial spoilage; the spoilage did become evident in the sensory trials.
Lateral growth of a wheat dough disk under various growth conditions

Numerous studies have tried to understand and model bubble growth inside dough. Experimental studies are inconvenienced by the methods’ inability to capture the dynamic phenomena. In this paper, a versatile experimental method was developed to allow for macroscopic expansion of wheat dough. The study evaluates expansion of a dough disk under varying: moisture content (40, 41, 42, 43, and 44% wb), leavening acid concentration (30, 40, and 50% db), pressure schemas, pressurizing gas (compressed air and CO2), and lubrication (Teflon® film coating and Pam® aerosol lubricant). Dough expansion increased 22.6% by increasing moisture content from 40 to 44%. Increased baking powder formulation (40% db) was used to enhance initial growth conditions and CO2 production. ‘Pressure pulse’ and ‘pressure vacuum methods’ added pressurization alternatively with full vacuum. The former method included a rest period before vacuum application, and increased expansion by 10.8%. Teflon® and Pam® reduced friction between the dough and acrylic plate and increased the final expansion by 14.7% compared to no lubricant following the ‘standard pressurization method’. ‘Pressure pulse’ and ‘pressure vacuum’ experiments decreased expansion by 28.4 and 38.2%, respectively compared to ‘standard pressurization’ while using Teflon® and Pam®.
Causes of small bowel obstruction after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a review of 2,395 cases at a single institution.

Internal hernia is a relatively common postoperative complication after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) procedure. It has been reported that 1–9 % of laparoscopic RYGB patients develop internal herniation through Peterson’s or mesenteric defect. However, a considerable number of patients presenting with possible small bowel obstruction (SBO) after laparoscopic RYGB do not always have internal herniation. The aim of our study was to determine the causes of SBO for patients in which both potential internal hernia spaces were closed at the time of the original operation. Academic Practice, USA. Of 2,395 patients who underwent laparoscopic RYGB between January 2004 and October 2012, a total of 93 (3.9 %) patients were reoperated for possible SBO at our institution. A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database was performed for all patients. A total of 93 patients had 105 reoperations in the study period, resulting in a reoperation rate for possible SBO of 3.9 %. The mean time period between the laparoscopic RYGB and the first 93 reoperations was 20.9 ± 18.1 months (range 0–100). Eleven patients required secondary reoperations at a mean period of 20.1 ± 17.7 months (range 0–52) after the first reoperation. Of these 105 reoperations, 29 (27.6 %) showed internal herniation at the mesenteric defect (N = 23), Peterson’s defect (N = 5), and both (N = 1). A total of 50 (47.6 %) reoperations revealed extensive adhesions causing SBO. Of these 50 cases, 12 revealed adhesions at the jejunojejunostomy, causing it to kink and obstruct. Ten (9.5 %) cases showed intussusception of the jejunojejunal anastomosis. Overall, reoperation rate due to internal herniation was 1.1 % in our patient population. Our findings indicate a 3.9 % reoperation rate for abdominal pain and SBO, and more than 45 % of these patients had symptoms secondary to adhesions. Only 1.1 % of our laparoscopic RYGB patients developed internal herniation after closure of both internal hernia spaces.
A comparison of the image quality of full-time myocardial perfusion SPECT vs wide beam reconstruction half-time and half-dose SPECT

Wide Beam Reconstruction (WBR) (UltraSPECT, Ltd) uses resolution recovery and noise modeling to cope with decreased SPECT count statistics. Because WBR processing reconstructs half the usual SPECT count statistics, we postulate that image quality equivalent to a full-time acquisition can be achieved in either half the time or with half the radiopharmaceutical activity. In 156 consecutive patients (pts) rest and 8-frame gated post-stress myocardial perfusion SPECT was performed following 333-444 and 1184-1480 MBq (9-12 and 32-40 mCi) Tc-99m sestamibi injections, respectively, with full-time (rest = 14 min; stress = 12.3 min) acquisitions processed with OSEM and also separate “half-time” acquisitions processed with WBR. A subsequent group of 160 consecutive pts matched in gender, weight, and chest circumference received “half-dose” rest and stress injections 214.6 ± 22.2 and 647.5 ± 92.5 MBq (5.8 ± 0.6 and 17.5 ± 2.5 mCi) with full-time SPECT acquisitions. Image quality (1 = poor to 5 = excellent) was judged by myocardial count density and uniformity, endocardial edge definition, perfusion defect delineation, right ventricular visualization, and background noise. Mean image quality for rest, stress, and post-stress gated images were 3.6 ± 0.7, 3.8 ± 0.7, and 3.9 ± 1.0, respectively, for “full-time OSEM; 3.7 ± 0.8, 4.0 ± 0.7, and 4.8 ± 0.4 for “half-time” WBR; and 4.3 ± 0.8, 4.6 ± 0.6, and 4.7 ± 0.6 for “half-dose” WBR. “Half-time” and “half-dose” WBR image quality were both superior to standard full-time OSEM (P’s < .001). There was no significant difference between the summed stress and rest scores for “full-time” OSEM vs “half-time” WBR in 82 patients with perfusion defects. Both “half-time” and “half-dose” WBR provide myocardial perfusion SPECT quality superior to full-time OSEM, with an associated decrease in scan acquisition time and patient radiation exposure, respectively.
Ethanol and diolein stimulate PKC translocation in astroglial cells

Abstract Ethanol exposure stimulates taurine release from astroglial cells. To determine if ethanol mediates this release using protein kinase C (PKC), PKC activity was measured using LRM55 astroglial cells. When ethanol (25–200 mM) or diolei (3 μM) was applied to cells for 30 seconds, PKC activity was observed to decrease in the cytosol and increase in the membrane fraction of the cell while the whole cell activity remained unchanged. The membrane-associated activity increased by almost 100%. When ethanol (100 mM) and diolein (3 μM) were applied simultaneously, membrane-associated activity increased to become 3–5 times greater than when either PKC activator was applied alone. These changes in PKC activity parallel changes in taurine release observed when cells are exposed to ethanol and the PKC activator diolein. Ethanol-stimulated release may be associated with the translocation of PKC activity from the cytosol to the membrane.
A low-power 20Gb/s transmitter in 65nm CMOS technology

A 20Gb/s transmitter employing an analog filtering pre-emphasis equalization technique is presented. The transmitter dissipates 10mW from a 1.2V supply and occupies 0.01mm2. This high-frequency boosting equalization technique allows for compensating channel losses up to 20dB at Nyquist-rate. The prototype was fabricated in 65nm CMOS technology and characterized using lossy cables and 5″ and 10″ FR4 PCB traces.
Neutrons from the deuteron bombardment of thick targets

Abstract Neutron energy spectra resulting from the deuteron bombardment of thick targets of Ta, W, Pt, Au, Pb and Bi have been obtained at incident deuteron energies between 8 and 14 MeV and the yield of neutrons with energy greater than 1.5 MeV was calculated from the data. Angular distributions were measured at 10 and 13 MeV. Spectra from all the targets were very similar except for differing numbers of neutrons from carbon contamination on the surface of the targets. The neutron yield was found to increase rapidly with increasing deuteron energy and to decrease with the increasing Z of the target material.
Mycoplasma, bacterial vaginosis–associated bacteria BVAB3, race, and risk of preterm birth in a high-risk cohort

Objective Genital tract infection accounts for approximately 25-40% of all preterm births. We sought to assess the relationship between preterm birth and selected vaginal bacterial taxa associated with preterm birth either directly or through their association with bacterial vaginosis (BV). Study Design Vaginal fluid for Gram stain was collected between 17 and 22 weeks' gestation as part of a randomized trial of ultrasound-indicated cerclage for preterm birth prevention in women at high risk for recurrent spontaneous preterm birth. Bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from the Gram stain slides and analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results Among the 499 participants, Mycoplasma was positively correlated with increased risk of preterm (risk ratio [RR], 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52–2.22) as was Mobiluncus (RR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.07–1.73) and Atopobium (RR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.1–1.87). However, there were strong interactions between the race/ethnic group and the presence of these and other individual taxa on risk of preterm birth. By contrast, bacterial vaginosis–associated bacteria (BVAB)-3 was consistently associated with a reduction in the risk of preterm birth for all racial/ethnic groups (0.55; 95% CI, 0.39–0.78). Conclusion BV is characterized by a reduction of Lactobacillus , and lactic acid–producing bacteria and the presence of Mobiluncus ; we found these factors and the presence of Mycoplasma to be associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. By contrast, the presence of a recently identified organism sufficient to cause BV, BVAB3, decreased the risk of preterm birth. These findings give insight into why treating BV has mixed impact on risk of preterm birth.
Hemispherical Harmonic Surface Description and Applications to Medical Image Analysis

The use of surface harmonics for rigid and nonrigid shape description is well known. In this paper we define a set of complete hemispherical harmonic basis functions on a hemisphere domain and propose a novel parametric shape description method to efficiently and flexibly represent the surfaces of anatomical structures in medical images. As the first application of hemispherical harmonic theory in shape description, our technique differs from the previous surface harmonics shape descriptors, all of which don?t work efficiently on the hemisphere-like objects that often exist in medical anatomical structures (e.g., ventricles, atriums, etc.). We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through theoretic and experimental exploration of a set of medical image applications. Furthermore, an evaluation criterion for surface modeling efficiency is described and the comparison results demonstrated that our method outperformed the previous approaches using spherical harmonic models.
The last flag unfurled? A new immunoglobulin isotype in fish expressed in early development.

Gene reassortment confers immunoglobulin diversity. Functional diversity occurs by use of distinct heavy chains. Identification of a previously unknown immunoglobulin gene in zebrafish suggests such functional specialization also occurs in this species and probably in all bony fish.
Construction of gene transfer vectors based on simian adenovirus 7

The complete nucleotide sequence of an isolate of simian adenovirus 7 (SAdV-7) was determined. The genome organization of this isolate was found to be similar to that of other primate adenoviruses with two principal notable points: severe truncation of the E1A and E1B 19K proteins and an E3 region encoding only the 12.5K homologue. The viral gene products of SAdV-7 are most closely related to simian adenovirus 1 (SAdV-1), and like SAdV-1, are related to the human adenovirus species HAdV-F, such as the enteric adenoviruses HAdV-40 and HAdV-41 and the recently defined HAdV-G (HAdV-52). Two kinds of gene transfer vectors were made: a replication-competent SAdV-7-based vector with no genomic deletion, and a standard replication-incompetent vector deleted for E1. Importantly, the E1-deleted vector could be propagated to high titre by trans-complementation in human HEK 293 cells.
Relevance of the Luminosity-Resolving Power Product for Spectroscopic Imaging

The luminosity-resolving power products of several different types of modern spectrometric imaging and nonimaging systems have been compared. It is shown that if a narrow-band signal is detected in the presence of strong, spectrally continuous background, the luminosity-resolving power product is the critical figure of merit controlling the potential signal-to-noise ratio. Within a spectral resolving power range of 105-109, the signal-to-noise ratio that can be attained by atomic vapor detectors and filters, and by resonance ionization detectors in particular, can be 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than that for the best traditional spectroscopic approaches.
Nonuniversal effects in mixing correlated-growth processes with randomness: Interplay between bulk morphology and surface roughening

To construct continuum stochastic growth equations for competitive nonequilibrium surface-growth processes of the type RD+X that mixes random deposition (RD) with a correlated-growth process X, we use a simplex decomposition of the height field. A distinction between growth processes X that do and do not create voids in the bulk leads to the definition of the effective probability p(eff) of the process X that is a measurable property of the bulk morphology and depends on the activation probability p of X in the competitive process RD+X. The bulk morphology is reflected in the surface roughening via nonuniversal prefactors in the universal scaling of the surface width that scales in p(eff). The equation and the resulting scaling are derived for X in either a Kardar-Parisi-Zhang or Edwards-Wilkinson universality class in (1+1) dimensions and are illustrated by an example of X being a ballistic deposition. We obtain full data collapse on its corresponding universal scaling function for all p∈(0;1]. We outline the generalizations to (1+n) dimensions and to many-component competitive growth processes.
Numerical study of a many-particle adiabatic invariant

For a pure electron plasma in a sufficiently strong magnetic field, an unusual many‐electron adiabatic invariant is predicted to constrain the collisional dynamics. To the extent that this invariant is preserved, no exchange of energy is possible between the parallel and perpendicular degrees of freedom; the system can acquire and maintain two different temperatures, T∥ and T⊥. However, since an adiabatic invariant is not an exact constant of the motion, equilibration eventually takes place, but on an exponentially long time scale. This Letter presents the results of a molecular dynamics simulation, which verifies the existence of this unusual invariant and verifies the theoretically predicted equilibration rate.
Distribution of the cladoceran Podon polyphemoides in the Chesapeake Bay

The distribution of the cladoceran Podon polyphemoides (Leuckart) in the Chesapeake Bay (USA) estuarine system was determined by a quantitative pump sampling method, and the patterns of abundance were correlated with temperature and salinity distributions. The species was seasonally recurrent, with distinct population maxima in the central portion of the bay. Population densities in excess of 60,000 podonids/m3 have been recorded. The podonids first appeared in the spring in the shallow tributaries, when water temperatures near the bottom reached 6°C. The vernal populations disappeared when summer temperatures exceeded 27°C, but reappeared in the fall as the water cooled. The species was euryhaline and eurythermal in its distribution, but the greatest concentrations were attained within relatively narrow zones of temperatures between 11o and 26°C, and salinities between 8 and 18‰. The production of males, sexual females and sexual eggs occurred both in the spring and the fall between the thermal limits of 11o and 17°C.
Integrating mathematics and composition instruction

To counter students' sometimes fragmented approach to learning core skills, the authors have developed an integrated approach for teaching mathematics and writing to freshmen. The same students are enrolled in both an introductory level mathematics and a composition class. The goals are to strengthen mathematical skills, develop writing competencies, and foster interdisciplinary awareness. The foundation of this one semester two-course cluster is the creation of a unified learning environment in which writing is used to cultivate mathematical understanding and mathematics is used to develop writing skills.
Thermorecovery of cyanobacterial fatty acids at elevated temperatures.

Abstract We have developed a genetic system we call “thermorecovery” that allows us to lyse cyanobacterial cultures and hydrolyze membrane lipids to release free fatty acids (FFAs), a biofuel precursor. The system uses thermostable lipases encoded by genes from thermophilic organisms that have been transferred into the cyanobacterial genome and can be synthesized by turning off CO 2 availability and subsequently activated by increasing the concentrated culture temperature. When synthesized in FFA-producing strains, the lipase Fnl from Fervidobacterium nodosum Rt17-B1 released the most FFA. Of the seven candidate lipases investigated, Fnl-synthesizing strains yielded 42.7 ± 1.5 mg/l FFA at 47 °C. We also determined that the optimal production conditions for SD338, the Synechocystis strain synthesizing Fnl, was to keep the cell concentrates at 46°C for two days after a one-day CO 2 limitation pretreatment of the culture. A 4-l continuous semi-batch production experiment with SD338 showed that daily harvested cultures (1 l) released an average of 43.9 ± 6.6 mg fatty acid and this productivity lasted for at least 20 days without significant decline. This improved thermorecovery process can be used in conjunction with other means to genetically engineer cyanobacteria to produce biofuels or biofuel precursors as the final step in recovery of membrane lipids.
Quantitation of left ventricular regurgitant fraction by first pass radionuclide angiocardiography

Abstract A new technique for quantitating left ventricular regurgitant fraction from first pass radionuclide angiocardiographic studies is described. The technique involves measurement of the total number of counts ejected from the right and left ventricles (C R and C L , respectively). In the absence of any valve insufficiency and equal counting efficiency from each ventricle, C r /C l = 1. In the presence of mitral or aortic insufficiency, or both, the regurgitant fraction can be calculated as (C L - C R )/C L , if no right ventricular regurgitation is present. In this report the theoretical derivation of the method and practical aspects of measuring C L and C R are presented. The technique was tried in a small group of 5 normal volunteers, 7 patients studied with cardiac catheterization without regurgitation and 22 patients with mitral or aortic insufficiency, or both. Excellent correlation was found with cardiac catheterization data in the latter group (r = 0.86, n = 22). This method appears to be a simple and accurate technique for measuring left ventricular regurgitant fraction due to mitral or aortic valve disease, or both.
Effectiveness of antidementia drugs in delaying Alzheimer's disease progression

Abstract Background Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provide safety and efficacy data for regulatory approval of antidementia drugs, but offer limited data regarding real-world effectiveness. Long-term observational controlled studies (LTOCs) extend our understanding by providing longitudinal data across multiple stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods Comparisons of strengths, limitations, evidence level, and results for monotherapy (cholinesterase inhibitors) and combination therapy (cholinesterase inhibitors + memantine) in RCTs versus LTOCs were made. Results Similar to RCTs, LTOCs have shown that both monotherapy and combination therapy are associated with slower cognitive and functional decline. Combination therapy is associated with better cognitive outcomes and greater delays in time to nursing home admission versus monotherapy or no treatment. Persistent antidementia drug treatment is associated with slower decline in cognition, daily function, and global severity, even in patients with advanced disease. Conclusions LTOCs provide complementary evidence regarding effectiveness of antidementia therapy over many years, a time course relevant to AD management. These findings also provide compelling arguments in favor of using LTOCs to estimate effectiveness, risk–benefit, and costs of AD treatments.
Content of Dreams from WWII POWs

This article examines the content of dreams from British officers held in Laufen, a Nazi POW camp, during the years 1940-1942. The POW’s dreams have more content concerning battles, imprisonment, escape, and food than the Hall and van de Castle male norms from the same era. The POW dreams do not have as much of any type of social interaction. Their dreams contain less friendliness, sexuality, and even less aggression than the male norms. However, aggression was unusually extreme when it occurred, and it’s content was linked to previous battles rather than camp life. POW’s had less good fortune or misfortune in their dreams along with frequent bland dreams about the tedium of the camp. Their dream characters included higher percentages of males, family members, and the dead; they had fewer friends or animal characters than the male norms—perhaps simply reflecting who they were in contact with at the camp. Overall, these POW’s patterns resembled other prison populations rather than other post-combatants, which may be because this particular group was captured early during WWII.
Inflammatory biomarkers, cerebral microbleeds, and small vessel disease: Framingham Heart Study

Objective: We investigated the association between circulating biomarkers of inflammation and MRI markers of small vessel disease. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study relating a panel of 15 biomarkers, representing systemic inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, tumor necrosis factor α, tumor necrosis factor receptor 2, osteoprotegerin, and fibrinogen), vascular inflammation (intercellular adhesion molecule 1, CD40 ligand, P-selectin, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 mass and activity, total homocysteine, and vascular endothelial growth factor), and oxidative stress (myeloperoxidase) to ischemic (white matter hyperintensities/silent cerebral infarcts) and hemorrhagic (cerebral microbleeds) markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) on MRI in 1,763 stroke-free Framingham offspring (mean age 60.2 ± 9.1 years, 53.7% women). Results: We observed higher levels of circulating tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 and myeloperoxidase in the presence of cerebral microbleed (odds ratio [OR] 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–4.1 and OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1–2.0, respectively), higher levels of osteoprotegerin (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0–1.2), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.5), and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 mass (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1–2.1), and lower myeloperoxidase (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7–1.0) in participants with greater white matter hyperintensity volumes and silent cerebral infarcts. Conclusions: Our study supports a possible role for inflammation in the pathogenesis of CSVD, but suggests that differing inflammatory pathways may underlie ischemic and hemorrhagic subtypes. If validated in other samples, these biomarkers may improve stroke risk prognostication and point to novel therapeutic targets to combat CSVD.
Micro-Electrostatic Vibration-to-Electricity Converters

Advances in low power VLSI design, along with the potentially low duty cycle of wireless sensor nodes open up the possibility of powering small wireless computing devices from scavenged ambient power. Low level vibrations occurring in typical household, office, and manufacturing environments are considered as a possible power source for wireless sensor nodes. This work focuses on the design of electrostatic vibration-to-electricity converters using MEMS fabrications technology. Detailed models of three different design concepts are developed. The three design concepts are evaluated and compared based on simulations and practical considerations. A formal optimization of the preferred design concept is performed, and a final design is produced using the optimal design parameters. Simulations of the optimized design show that an output power density of 116 µW/cm
Using privacy policies to protect privacy in UBICOMP

With the increasing deployment of sensors, intelligent devices of all sizes, and wireless networking, ubiquitous computing environments are getting closer and closer to reality. Research in UBICOMP has focused on enabling technologies, such as networking, data management, security, and user interfaces (Bodupalli et al., 2003). However, privacy for UBICOMP has been a contentious issue and the privacy concerns that have been raised suggest that privacy may be the greatest barrier to the long-term success of UBICOMP (Hong et al., 2004). In this paper, we propose that privacy in UBICOMP can be managed using privacy policies. We propose a UBICOMP model for protecting privacy using privacy policies and derive the content of a UBICOMP privacy policy.
Sharing landmark information using mixture of Gaussian terrain spatiograms

In this paper we evaluate the use of a novel spatial histogram, the terrain spatiogram, as a common representation for exchanging landmark information between robots working as a team to map an area. Individual robots use range sensors to provide the spatial dimension of the spatiogram and video for the image dimension. We have previously shown that terrain spatiograms can be shared between robots in a heterogeneous team to recognize landmarks and to fuse observations from multiple sensors or multiple platforms. A terrain spatiogram using a mixture of Gaussians (MOG) model is introduced and a corresponding normalized spatiogram similarity measure defined. Two methods to generate a MOG terrain spatiogram are presented and compared experimentally using indoor and outdoor landmark information transferred between two different models of robot equipped with differently configured stereocameras.