cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor by the human placenta at various stages of development.

Abstract The human placenta is capable of producing a variety of haematopoietic growth factors in vitro. It is not clear, however, whether the placenta produces such factors in vivo and if so, whether placental production of haematopoietic growth factors has a physiological role in fetal haernatopoietic development. As a step toward making this determination, we assessed whether the onset of placental production of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), in vivo, coincides with the onset of granulocytopoiesis in the developing fetus. To make this assessment, we obtained human placentae between 10 weeks of gestation and term and studied production of G-CSF in several ways. First, we sought to determine whether the onset of production of G-CSF mRNA in the placenta immediately precedes the appearance of neutrophil development in the fetus. Second, we assessed the effect of gestational age on the capacity of the placenta to generate G-CSF in vitro, by incubating cubes of placenta, with or without including interleukin-la (IL-1α) in the culture media, and quantifying G-CSF in the cell culture supernatants 24h later. Third, we assessed the rate of G-CSF production by the placenta, by perfusing two normal, term placentae using a membrane-oxygenator system, and quantifying G-CSF, at intervals, in the perfusates. We found: (1) no evidence that placental production of G-CSF is involved in regulating granulocytopoiesis in the fetus, (2) that the healthy placenta contains little or no G-CSF mRNA in vivo, (3) the placenta at term has a far greater capacity to produce G-CSF, when stimulated, than does the placenta before term, and (4) that although the placenta does not normally produce G-CSF in vivo, it has the capacity of generating very large quantities of G-CSF continuously over at least several days.
Choline phosphotransferase and phosphatidyl ethanolamine methyltransferase activities

Abstract 1. 1. The two enzymes, choline phosphotransferase and phosphatidyl ethanolamine methyl-transferase involved in phosphatidyl choline biosynthesis has been assayed in liver homogenates, nuclear, mitochondria and microsome of female rats. 2. 2. These two enzymes are microsomal and a tissue distribution study of liver, kidney, spleen, lung, heart, and brain showed liver having the greatest activity. 3. 3. A species study showed the greatest activity of phosphatidyl ethanolainine methyltransferase in liver microsomes in mouse, chicken, rat, dog, pigeon, human, beef, rabbit, turtle, guinea pig respectively. Choline phosphotransferase activity in liver microsomes decreased in chicken, mouse, human, rat, rabbit, turtle, pigeon, guinea pig, beef and dog, respectively. 4. 4. Female rats fed a purified 25 % casein diet decreased significantly the activity of choline phospho-transferase when compared to Purina lab chow. Intraperitoneal injection daily of 30 mg choline chloride decreases significantly the activity of phosphatidyl ethanolamine methyltransferase.
Effect of Sialidase Antiserum on Toxicity of Influenza Virus.

SummarySialidase antiserum inhibited neurotoxicity but enhanced cytotoxicity of influenza virus in vivo and in vitro respectively.
Structure−Activity Relationships of [2‘,5‘-Bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-β-d-ribofuranosyl]- 3‘-spiro-5‘ ‘-(4‘ ‘-amino-1‘ ‘,2‘ ‘-oxathiole-2‘ ‘,2‘ ‘-dioxide)thymine Derivatives as Inhibitors of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Dimerization

The polymerase activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) is entirely dependent on the heterodimeric structure of the enzyme. Accordingly, RT dimerization represents a target for the development of a new therapeutic class of HIV inhibitors. We previously demonstrated that the N-3-ethyl derivative of 2‘,5‘-bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-β-d-ribofuranosyl]-3‘-spiro-5‘ ‘-(4‘ ‘-amino-1‘ ‘,2‘ ‘-oxathiole-2‘ ‘,2‘ ‘-dioxide)thymine (TSAO-T) destabilizes the inter-subunit interactions of HIV-1 RT [Sluis-Cremer, N.; Dmietrinko, G. I.; Balzarini, J.; Camarasa, M.-J.; Parniak, M. A. Biochemistry 2000, 39, 1427−1433]. In the current study, we evaluated the ability of 64 TSAO-T derivatives to inhibit RT dimerization using a novel screening assay. Five derivatives were identified with improved activity compared to TSAO-T. Four of these harbored hydrophilic or aromatic substituents at the N3 position. Furthermore, a good correlation between the ability of the TSAO-T derivatives to inhibit RT dimerization and the enzy...
Histologic and fine-needle aspiration cytologic features of polycystic disease of the parotid glands: case report and review of the literature.

Polycystic disease of the parotid glands is a rare disorder, with only eight examples to our knowledge being reported in the literature. The disease presents as a painless enlargement of one or both parotid glands and does not appear to be associated with other disease processes within the head and neck, or with polycystic disease of the kidney, pancreas, or congenital fibrosis of the liver. The histology has been well described. The overall glandular architecture is preserved but the lobules are markedly distended by cysts whose lining appears to be intercalated duct in differentiation. Characteristic eosinophilic laminated spheroliths lie in many of the cystic spaces. Aspirate smears are characterized by a relatively clean background in which are distributed histiocytes, red blood cells, and small clusters of ductal epithelial cells. Polycystic disease of the parotid glands must be differentiated cytologically from mucous retention reaction, mucoceles, benign lymphoepithelial cysts, and cystic neoplasms, including Warthin's tumor, low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, cystadenoma, and papillary cystadenocarcinoma.
Three-dimensional Echocardiographic Volume Computation by Polyhedral Surface Reconstruction: In Vitro Validation and Comparison to Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Two-dimensional echocardiographic methods of left ventricular volume computation are limited by geometric assumptions and image plane positioning error in the nonvisualized dimension. We evaluated a three-dimensional (3D echocardiographic method that addresses these limitations. Our method uses a volume computation algorithm based on polyhedral surface reconstruction (PSR) and nonparallel, unequally spaced, nonintersecting short-axis planes. Seventeen balloon phantoms were subjected to volume computation by the 3D echocardiography-PSR method and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compared to true volumes determined by water displacement. The results for 3D echocardiography-PSR were: accuracy = 2.27%, interobserver variability = 4.33%, r = 0.999, SEE = 2.45 ml, and p less than 0.001. Results for MRI were 8.01%, 13.78%, r = 0.995, SEE = 7.01 ml, and p less than 0.001. There was no statistically significant difference between the methods. We conclude that precise image plane positioning and use of the 3D echocardiographic-PSR volume computation method achieves high accuracy and reproducibility in vitro. The excellent in vitro correlation between 3D echocardiography-PSR and MRI indicates that MRI may also serve as an in vivo standard of comparison.
Hydrocarbons in recent sediment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

A complex mixture of hydrocarbons is present in the recent sediment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Eighteen samples from the continental shelf between San Francisco and Monterey contain aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons showing biological contributions from both marine and terrigenous sources, with the terrigenous indicators more pronounced near Monterey. Of particular interest, however, is a low-level background of petroleum-related compounds, including 28,30-bisnorhopane and 18α+β(H)-oleanane, which are characteristic of many crude oils from the Monterey Formation of California. Thus, the sediments are overprinted by a regional chemical signature which may be derived from eroded Monterey Formation rocks and from onshore and offshore seeps releasing petroleum from Monterey Formation source rocks.
Too Poor To Treat? The Complex Ethics of Cost-Effective Tobacco Policy in the Developing World

The majority of deaths due to tobacco in the twenty-first century will occur in the developing world, where over 80% of current tobacco users live. In November 2010 guidelines were adopted for implementing Article 14 of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The guidelines call on all countries to promote tobacco treatment programs. Nevertheless, some experts argue for a strict focus, at least in developing countries, on population-based measures such as taxes and indoor air laws, which they consider more cost-effective than individual treatment. In this article we defend tobacco dependence treatment in developing countries. First, these experts understate the comparative cost-effectiveness of individual treatment programs. Second, they overlook numerous ethical considerations beyond cost-effectiveness that support individual tobacco treatment in developing countries. We conclude that the strict population-based focus in developing country tobacco control advocated by some experts is misplaced. In general, developing nations should combine population-based measures and individual tobacco treatment programs.
The unsolvability of the equality problem for sentential forms of context-free grammars

The equivalence problem for nondeterministic e-free generalized machines is known to be undecidable. It is shown here that the equivalence problem for these machines can be reduced to the equality problem of the sentential forms of a particular type of linear context-free grammars with a center-marker. Three results which follow are:o(i)The equality problem for sentential forms of c-finite grammars is unsolvable, and therefore the equality problem for the sentential forms of context-free grammars is unsolvable. (ii)The equality problem for sentential forms of bounded context-free grammars is unsolvable. (iii)The equality problem for OL-languages is unsolvable.
Automatic extraction and visualization of object-oriented software design metrics

Software visualization is a graphical representation of software characteristics and behavior. Certain modes of software visualization can be useful in isolating problems and identifying unanticipated behavior. In this paper we present a new approach to aid understanding of object- oriented software through 3D visualization of software metrics that can be extracted from the design phase of software development. The focus of the paper is a metric extraction method and a new collection of glyphs for multi- dimensional metric visualization. Our approach utilize the extensibility interface of a popular CASE tool to access and automatically extract the metrics from Unified Modeling Language class diagrams. Following the extraction of the design metrics, 3D visualization of these metrics are generated for each class in the design, utilizing intuitively meaningful 3D glyphs that are representative of the ensemble of metrics. Extraction and visualization of design metrics can aid software developers in the early study and understanding of design complexity.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Teaching Undergraduate Anthropology

The author compares the sparse and scattered literature published since 1963 on teaching undergraduate anthropology with the now classic Mandelbaum, Lasker, and Albert volume The Teaching of Anthropology to illuminate changes and continuities in the literature of interest to teaching anthropologists. An extensive bibliography is appended to encourage teachers of undergraduate anthropology to make fuller use of the experiences of their colleagues and their predecessors
Tryptic inactivation of the ouabain binding site of canine kidney Na+,K+-ATPase and its effect on catalytic function.

Abstract Trypsin treatment of the purified Na + , K + -ATPase from canine renal outer medulla causes loss of ADP-ATP exchange activity when digestion takes place in 0.1 M KCl. Activity surviving this treatment remains inhibitable by ouabain. Addition of ATP to such digestion mixtures stabilizes the Na + , K + -ATPase in a different conformation (Na + -form). Under these conditions ADP-ATP exchange activity is protected, and becomes ouabain-insensitive. Quantitative analysis of the cleavage products and rates of loss of ouabain binding and exchange activity suggest that catalytically inactive trypsinolysis products can bind ouabain, and that the 85,000 dalton fragment associated with ouabain-insensitive ADP-ATP exchange activity cannot bind ouabain. Cleavage to produce the 85,000 dalton fragment therefore destroys the ouabain binding site.
Planning and developing museum apps for kids

With the rise of affordable and easy-to-use smart devices, millions of players have played an app, or joined an online game world. In short, people are spending a lot of time online. This session will discuss how mobile apps and games can take museum content out of the building and into the hands of children and families.
Evaluating multiple treatment courses in clinical trials.

In oncology, a patient's treatment often involves multiple courses of chemotherapy. The most common medical practice in choosing treatments for successive courses is to repeat a treatment that is successful in a given course and otherwise switch to a different treatment. Patient outcome thus consists of a sequence of dependent response variables and corresponding treatments. Despite the widespread use of such adaptive 'play-the-winner-and-drop-the-loser' algorithms in medical settings involving multiple treatment courses, most statistical methods for treatment evaluation characterize early patient outcome as a single response to a single treatment, resulting in a substantial loss of information. In this paper, we provide a statistical framework for multi-course clinical trials involving some variant of the play-the-winner-and-drop-the-loser strategy. The aim is to design and conduct the trial to more closely reflect actual clinical practice, and thus increase the amount of information per patient. The proposed design is similar to a multi-stage cross-over trial, with the essential difference that here all treatments after the first course are assigned adaptively. We illustrate the method by application to a randomized phase II trial for androgen independent prostate cancer. We consider the goals of selecting one best treatment, or selecting a best ordered pair of treatments with the second given if the first fails to achieve a patient success. A simulation study is reported, and extensions to trials involving toxicity or regimen-related death are discussed.
Detoxication capacity in the honey bee, Apis mellifera L

Abstract Various detoxifying enzymes, including microsomal oxidases, glutathione S -transferases, esterases, epoxide hydrolase, and DDT-dehydrochlorinase, were assayed in adult worker bees ( Apis mellifera L.) using midguts as the enzyme source. A cell-free system was used for all enzyme assays, except that microsomal oxidases required intact midgut because of the inhibitor encountered. Midgut microsomal preparations contained mainly cytochrome P -420, the inactive form of cytochrome P -450, which may explain the low microsomal oxidase activity in microsomes. All enzymes studied were active, suggesting that the high susceptibility of honey bees to insecticides is not due to low detoxication capacity. Sublethal exposure of honey bees to various insecticides had no effect on these enzyme activities, with the exception of permethrin which significantly stimulated the glutathione S -transferase, and malathion, which significantly inhibited the α-naphthylacetate esterase and carboxylesterase.
Quantum fields and interactions of massless particles: the continuous spin case

Abstract Among the unitary irreducible representations of the Poincare group discovered by Wigner, there occurs a class of mass zero representations which are, for historical reasons, usually referred to as continuous spin representations, and are labeled by values of the Casimir invariants P2 = 0, WμWμ = −ϱ2, with ϱ > 0. A corresponding particle can exist in a denumerable set of helicity states λ, with λ taking either all integer values λ=0, ±1, ±2,… or all half-odd integer values λ = ± 1 2 , ± 3 2 ,…. We construct free quantum fields for such particles and also study their interactions to lowest order in the coupling constant. The fields are of necessity infinite component fields, and their commutator is found to vanish at most in proper subsets of the spacelike region. Particular attention is paid to the behavior of the theory for small ϱ. In the limit ϱ → 0, the fields go over into those given by Bender, Frishman and Itzykson for the description of a single ordinary massless particle with fixed helicity. The limiting behavior of S-matrix elements is also studied, and it is demonstrated how predictions of conventional finite component field theory, including the helicity selection rules, can be recovered in the limit ϱ → 0. The interactions studied in this paper are at least quadratic in the fields of continuous spin particles. Currents and interaction Hamiltonians which contain them only linearly need a separate investigation. This will be carried out in a subsequent paper.
Characterization of the temperature dependence of the thermoreflectance coefficient for conductive thin films

We describe a novel approach for calibration of the thermoreflectance coefficient, ideally suited for measurements in a vacuum thermostat, and present the high temperature thermoreflectance coefficients for several metals commonly encountered in electronic devices: gold, platinum, and aluminum. The effect of passivation on these metals is also examined, and we demonstrate the signal to noise ratio of a thermoreflectance measurement can be improved with informed selection of the dielectric layer thickness. Furthermore, the thermo-optic coefficients of the metals are extracted over a wide temperature range. The results presented here can be utilized in the optimization of experimental configurations for high temperature thermoreflectance imaging.
Midgut epithelium of the American cockroach: Induced synthesis of acid phosphomonoesterase by starvation

Abstract 1. 1. Acid phosphomonoesterase activity has been observed in midguts from normal and starved cockroaches. 2. 2. Partially purified acid phosphomonoesterases have two pH optima of 5.2 and 2.8 . 3. 3. Five acid phosphatases can be demonstrated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 4. 4. Two of these protein bands are non-specific esterases which suggests that three bonafide acid phosphatases are present. 5. 5. The four most active enzymes all reach a concentration maximum 4 days after the removal of food and exhibit maximal activity at pH 5.2 . 6. 6. Only the autophagic vacuole-mitochondria fraction shows increased enzyme activity after midgut homogenates are subjected to differential centrifugation. 7. 7. It is suggested that both phosphatase and esterase activity are contained in the vacuoles and that the increased enzyme activity is due to the increased number of vacuoles.
Toroidal and spherical bubble nuclei

Abstract Attention is fixed on nuclei with new types of topology proposed by Wheeler many years ago. Only the most important types of instability arising from collective deformations are considered in conjunction with only the simplest new topologies, those of a torus and a bubble. In the liquid-drop model, a toroidal nucleus with a fissility parameter x ≳ 1.0 is stable against symmetry-preserving breathing deformations due to the balance between Coulomb repulsion and surface tension. However, at the breathing deformation minimum, the nucleus is unstable against sausage deformations which make the torus thicker in one section and thinner in another. Simple vorticity does not help to stabilize such a nucleus against sausage deformations. A spherical liquid-drop bubble nucleus is stable against breathing deformation for x ≳ 2.1, in which case it is nonetheless unstable against one type of spheroidal deformation or another. Attention is turned to the independent particle model, where one finds shells in both the toroidal and the bubble nuclei in their breathing deformation degrees of freedom. The presence of these shells allows some “doubly-magic” toroidal and bubble nuclei to gain additional stability against breathing deformations, whose deformation energy surfaces are studied with Strutinsky's theory of renormalization. Approximate shell-model calculations reveal further that a shell in the breathing deformation of a toroidal nucleus is also a shell in its sausage deformation. Insofar as liquid-drop-type instability in the sausage deformation degree of freedom can be effectively counterbalanced by the stabilizing tendencies due to shells, which is thus suggested but is yet to be worked out in detail, there are doubly magic toroidal nuclei stable against collective deformations. The situation is similar but more definite for the bubble nuclei. There are doubly magic spherical bubble nuclei stable against collective vibrations. Stability against spheroidal deformations is not of major concern there mainly because a spherical bubble nucleus with x
Fluoride Reactions with Hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate Rhenium Oxo Complexes: Re−F vs B−F Bond Formation

Rhenium−oxo−fluoride complexes are readily prepared using hydrotris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)borate [HB(3,5-Me2pz)3-, Tp*] as a supporting ligand. For instance, treatment of Tp*Re(O)(OH)Cl with con...
Screening for the early detection of cancer— I. The temporal natural history of a progressive disease state

Abstract In this report, we characterize the natural history of a chronic disease state in terms of the distribution of X (a person's age at the time of entering the disease state), Y (the sojourn time in that disease state), and A (a person's present age) over a population of individuals. In terms of this distribution, we are able to define formally such traditional epidemiologic descriptors as age specific incidence and prevalence, lifetime attack rate, mean duration of the disease state, cohort effect. Length biased sampling and lead time due to screening can also be developed within this framework. By casting the description of a disease state's natural history in such a framework, we lay the groundwork for a statistical theory of estimation in epidemiology that has heretofore been lacking. Moreover, the present formulation casts light on conditions under which certain “classical” epidemiologic relationships actually obtain.
On the Aanderaa-Rosenberg Conjecture

In a recent paper [1], Rosenberg conjectures that the results found in Holt and Reingold [2], can be generalized. Suppose that graphs are presented via their adjacency matrices. Then Holt and Reingold show that any algorithm which detects whether or not a graph is strongly connected (respectively, contains a cycle) must in worst case probe 0(n2) entries of the given n x n adjacency matrix. Rosenberg then considers restrictions on graph property P such that any algorithm takes in worst case 0(n2) probes to determine whether or not a n-node graph has property P.
Fracture Behavior of CVD SiC‐Coated Graphite: II, Conditions for the Onset of Multiple Cracking

Crack arrest and multiple cracking can be observed during the fracture of coated substrates even in the absence of coating delamination. Clearly, it would be useful to understand the mechanics and material parameters that control this process. The conditions for the arrest of the initial crack were modeled using an approximate stress intensity factor approach, and it was determined there is a critical coating thickness, below which the multiple cracking occurs. The critical thickness was determined to depend on the coating strength, substrate toughness, and the relative Young's moduli of the coating and the substrate. The effects of these parameters and residual stresses on the fracture behavior are discussed. The results of the model are compared to the experimental data on a SiC-coated graphite (sandwich composite).
Identification and Modification of Environmental Noise in an ICU Setting

Study objectives Noise levels in the hospital setting are exceedingly high, especially in the ICU environment. We set out to determine what caused the noises producing sound peaks ≥80 A-weighted decibels (dBA) in our ICU settings, and attempted to reduce the number of sound peaks ≥80 dBA through a behavior modification program. Design The study was divided into two separate phases: noise identification and a trial of behavior modification. During the noise identification phase we simultaneously recorded sound peaks and the loudest noise heard subjectively by one observer in the medical ICU (MICU) and the respiratory ICU (RICU). During the behavior modification phase of the study we implemented a behavior modification program, geared toward noise reduction, in all of the MICU staff. Sound levels were monitored before and at the end of the behavior modification trial. Setting The MICU and RICU of a 720-bed teaching hospital in Providence, RI. Participants All ICU staff during the study period. Interventions Once the noises that were determined to be amenable to behavior modification were identified, a behavior modification program was conducted during a 3-week period in our MICU. Baseline and post-behavior modification noise recordings were compared in 6-h intervals after sites were matched by number of patients in a room and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores. Measurements and results We identified several causes of sound peaks ≥80 dBA amenable to behavior modification; television and talking accounted for 49%. We also significantly reduced the 24-h mean peak noise level (p=0.0001), as well as the mean peak noise level (p=0.0001) and the number of sound peaks ≥80 dBA (p=0.0001) in all 6-h blocks except for the 12 am to 6 am period. Conclusions We conclude that many of the noises causing sound peaks ≥80 dBA are amenable to behavior modification and that it is possible to reduce the noise levels in an ICU setting significantly through a program of behavior modification.
The computation of power requirements and write-time of thermally actuated nano-electro-mechanical memory

An integrated thermal-mechanical simulation of buckling in nano-mechanical memory is performed. The preliminary system is a bridge with a length of 20 microns, a width of 1 micron, and a thickness of 300 nm, in air with a pressure of 5 kPa. Conduction along the bridge as well as convection between the beam and the gas are considered. Simulations are performed for silicon with different dimensions. Longer structures will buckle faster at less temperature and will require less energy to actuate. However, the ideal array would use the smallest beams possible. The current work suggests the length of 20 microns for the unit of the bridge to balance these constraints. As the thickness of the bridge increases, the energy consumption increases due to an increase of moment of inertia. The buckling time increases by increasing the thickness while it decreases by increasing the width. The study of high particle energy collision shows these particles do not cause fast undesired buckling. The heat through collision dissipates in less than 10 nsec which is much smaller than the smallest buckling time.
NON-LOCAL VARIATIONAL MECHANICS- IV STATIONARIZATION WITH SEVERAL DEPENDENT VARIABLES

THIS paper is a direct continuation of the first three paperst in this series. The notation of the first three papers is assumed throughout and is used without further note. Citation of results from previous papers is made by equation number. The numbering of this paper follows that of the first three papers in sequence. IO. STATlONARIZATlON AND THE NON-LOCAL EULER-LAGRANGE OPERATOR The types of problems we now wish to study are those involving two or more dependent functions. In the case of only one dependent function, we found that it was sufficient to consider the linear spaces of functions of class C or of class Cl with the uniform convergence norm. We now consider the situation wherein we must use vector spaces of function spaces. Let {@*(xk)}, A = 1,. . ., N, denote an order collection of N functions of class C or of class Cl on D*. Such collections of functions form a linear space with the usual definitions of addition and scalar multiplication. If each of the {@*(I?)} is of class C on D * we define the norm by
Atomic force microscopy examination of conformations of polynucleotides in response to platinum isomers: significance of GC content at broken ends.

Atomic force microscopy is a technique that enables visualization of macromolecular conformations of polynucleotides at nanometer resolution. We investigated the results of interactions of cisplatin, a DNA binding anticancer drug, and its inactive counterpart, transplatin isomer, on the molecular conformation of polynucleotides: poly d(G-C) · poly d(G-C) (polyGC) and poly d(A-T) · poly d(A-T) (polyAT). We observed that polyAT exhibited an increased number of enlarged ends of molecules, which we attribute to unwound and/or collapsed regions of polyAT. PolyGC molecules did not show such ends unless cisplatin was added to the PolyGC polymers. Transplatin had the apparent effect of causing overlapping or stacking of the polymer molecules. Addition of exonuclease-III to these polymers removed the visible enlarged ends. The effects of cisplatin as compared to transplatin on the polyGC duplex polymers provide support for the presence of intrastrand covalent linkages, consistent with known N7 guanine interaction of the cis isomer on molecular conformation. Furthermore, our results indicate that the mechanism of interactions of DNA with cisplatin may be dependent on the GC content of the molecules. Int. J. Cancer (Radiat. Oncol. Invest.) 90, 68–72, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bacterial-platelet interactions: virulence meets host defense.

Platelets have historically been viewed as cell fragments that only mediate blood coagulation. Yet, platelets have as – or perhaps even more – important roles in tissue remodeling, modulation of inflammation and antimicrobial host defense. It is evident that platelets interact with prokaryotes directly and indirectly through multiple molecular and cellular mechanisms. The important roles of platelets in antibacterial host defense can be exemplified through contemporary themes in platelet immunobiology. Platelets have unambiguous structures and functions of host defense effector cells. Recent discoveries reveal platelet expression of toll-like and purinonergic receptors, which enable detection and response to bacterial infection, degranulation of an array of microbicidal peptides and coordination of other molecular and celluar host defenses. From multiple perspectives, platelets are now increasingly recognized as critical innate immune effector cells that also bridge and facilitate optimization of adaptive...
Inactivation of Gentamicin by Penicillins in Patients with Renal Failure

Abstract Kinetics of gentamicin inactivation by carbenicillin and ticarcillin were studied in vitro and in 17 patients with renal failure. In vitro, the half-life of carbenicillin in human serum at 37 C is longer (19.2 ± 0.7 h) than ticarcillin (7.2 ± 0.6 h). Thus, incubation of gentamicin with equal concentrations of ticarcillin or carbenicillin results in greater inactivation of aminoglycoside activity by the latter. If concentrations of the two penicillins are held equal by repetitive addition, rates of gentamicin inactivation are the same. The serum half-life of gentamicin in patients serving as their own controls was significantly reduced by administration of either penicillin. After carbenicillin, the half-life decreased from 46 ± 8 h to 22 ± 3 h (P < 0.02). The constant for inactivation of gentamicin (ki) by carbenicillin was 0.02 h−1. The results indicate that gentamicin requirements are underestimated by methods currently employed to calculate dosage for patients with renal failure who receive carbenicillin concurrently. Adjustment of gentamicin dosage in such cases by application of the ki for gentamicin is suggested.
GABA receptor agonism in the sublenticular central extended amygdala impairs medial forebrain bundle self-stimulation but GABA blockade does not enhance it

The sublenticular central extended amygdala (SLEAc), which is important in medial forebrain bundle (MFB) self-stimulation, is heavily populated with GABAergic medium spiny neurons that intercommunicate via local axon collaterals. This study examines the role of GABAergic communication in the SLEAc in MFB self-stimulation. Male Long-Evans rats were given unilateral MFB stimulation electrodes and bilateral injection guide cannulae aimed at the SLEAc. Changes in the stimulation's reward efficacy and in the animals' ability to respond for stimulation following 0.5 microl injections of saline, 50 ng of muscimol (GABA-A agonist), 75 ng of baclofen (GABA-B agonist), 25 ng of bicuculline methiodide (GABA-A antagonist), and 500 ng of phaclofen (GABA-B antagonist) were assessed using the rate-frequency curve shift paradigm. Injecting the receptor agonists ipsi- and contralateral to the stimulation site substantially decreased stimulation reward efficacy and responding. Baclofen's effects were more anatomically specific to the SLEAc and baclofen was less challenging to response rate than was muscimol. Ipsi- and contralateral injections of the receptor blockers and saline had no effect on either stimulation reward efficacy or response rate, although the blockers, especially phaclofen, sometimes enhanced response rate when injected into the globus pallidus or ventral pallidum. Comparing these results to others' observations about GABAergic communication in the basal forebrain suggests that muscimol may have inhibited endemic SLEAc neurons while baclofen may have impaired the release of glutamate into the SLEAc from cortical and amygdalar afferents. These results also suggest functional differences between the two basal forebrain macrostructures of striatopallidum and extended amygdala.
A class of SUSY composite models based on SUH(N)

Abstract We analyze a class of SUSY composite models based on SU H ( N ), by using the asymptotic freedom constraint as well as the anomaly consistency condition. A semirealistic model with three families is found. We conjecture that a combination of the ordinary U A (1) and the U(1) associated to the R symmetry could be used to label the generations.
A systems biology approach for the identification of significantly perturbed genes

Identifying the genes involved in the mechanisms differentiating two phenotypes is a crucial step in the analysis of high-throughput gene expression experiments. Although in the last decade several approaches have been developed in order to address this challenge, a number of important issues remain open. Even the most widely used approaches fail to incorporate information about known interactions among genes, and they often fail to yield reproducible results across similar experiments, both in terms of the set of genes and in terms of the mechanisms related to those genes. Here we propose a novel systems biology approach able to i) identify the genes that are involved in a biological mechanism relevant to the condition in analysis and ii) yield reproducible results across multiple data sets related to the same condition. This is achieved by using gene expression levels and existing knowledge about the interactions among genes. We apply our method on four data sets describing two conditions, and we compare our results with the results of the classical approach of identifying genes based on their differential expression and p-values. The results show that our approach is better at identifying genes that are involved in the mechanisms relevant to the phenotype in analysis, as well as producing more consistent results across data sets describing the same biological condition.
Single walled carbon nanotubes for transport and delivery of biological cargos

The innate ability of carbon nanotubes to breach the cell membrane of various types of mammalian cells has been reported. Here, we present a summary of the various applications of carbon nanotubes as a cellular transport and delivery system for functional biological cargos. The internalization of SWNTs for transport and delivery into cells is mediated via endocytosis and does not appear to have any detrimental effect on either the transported cargo or the breached cell. The emergence of SWNT as a new class of cellular transporters holds many exciting promises for SWNT-based systems for drug delivery, protein delivery, gene therapy and cancer therapy applications.
Reduction by Hyaluronidase of Myocardial Necrosis following Coronary Artery Occlusion

Electrocardiographic, enzymatic, and morphologic signs of myocardial ischemic injury following coronary occlusion have previously been shown to be ameliorated by reducing myocardial oxygen requirements, and/or by increasing the availability of oxygen as well as of substrates for anaerobic ATP production. Since hyaluronidase increases diffusion through the extracellular space and may facilitate delivery of substrates to ischemic cells, the influence of its administration on the size of experimentally produced infarcts was studied. In 14 control dogs epicardial electrocardiograms were taken in 10-15 sites on the anterior surface of the left ventricle before and after occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Twenty-four hours later, transmural specimens were obtained from the same sites from which electrocardiograms had been recorded, and were analyzed for creatine phophokinase (CPK) activity, for histologic changes, and glycogen content. In control dogs, sites exhibiting S-T-segment elevation 15 min after occlusion showed early structural signs of necrosis and glycogen depletion in 97% of specimens taken after 24 hours. The relationship between S-T-segment elevation at 15 min (mv) and CPK activity 24 hours later (IU/mg protein) was log CPK = –0.061 S-T + 1.26. Hyaluronidase (225 u/kg) was given to 15 dogs; no hemodynamic changes occurred but the depression of CPK activity was reduced following occlusion; log CPK = –0.024 S-T + 1.28. Similarly, only 55% of sites that showed S-T-segment elevation prior to hyaluronidase administration exhibited histologic signs of early infarcts and glycogen depletion 24 hours later. It is concluded that hyaluronidase diminished myocardial necrosis following acute coronary occlusion.
Performance of Two Distinct Cohesive Layer Models for Tracking Composite Delamination

Two distinct cohesive layer models are developed for numerical simulation of delamination growth in composite layered specimens tested under static loading. One of these designated as the UMAT (user supplied material) model has a small, but finite thickness and the other designated as the UEL (user element) model has zero initial thickness. Crack growth in double cantilever beam specimens as well as in two test configurations of a composite plate carrying some discontinuities subjected to lateral load are studied using the models. It turns out that UEL model, though slightly more involved, is able to predict both crack initiation and large crack growth with sufficient accuracy. The UMAT model too consistently predicts crack initiation, but is unable to predict the crack growth accurately. It gives consistently higher loads for given crack extensions and predicts that the crack growth shuts off prematurely. Careful examination of the stresses in the cohesive layer of the UMAT model, in the upstream of the crack tip indicates that a ‘neck’ develops due to compressive stresses at some distance from the crack tip. Apparently it is the formation of this neck that ‘locks’ the crack from growing and is the cause of the inaccurate results given by the model.
El sentido olvidado del patriotismo republicano

In this article Maurizio Viroli shows that although republican patriotism has a cultural dimension it is primarily a political passion based upon the experiencia of citizenship. Patriotism is the love for a free republic and for its way of life: il vivere libero . In this sense republican patriotism is almost the contrary of nationalism. For nationalists patriotism is the love for a modest liberty: the freedom to enjoy in the shadow of the throne one´s dwelling and vineyard in peace. For republican patriots love of country is an artificial passion, for nationalists it is a natural one. As a conclusion, Viroli suggest that republican patriotism is able to answer the dylemas of modern democracy beyond the choice between the myth of civic nationalism and the horror of ethnic nationalism.
Renal outcomes after liver transplantation in the model for end-stage liver disease era.

The proportion of patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) with renal insufficiency has significantly increased in the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) era. This study was designed to determine the incidence and predictors of post-LT chronic renal failure (CRF) and its effect on patient survival in the MELD era. Outcomes of 221 adult LT recipients who had LT between February 2002 and February 2007 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who were listed as status 1, were granted a MELD exception, or had living-donor, multiorgan LT were excluded. Renal insufficiency at LT was defined as none to mild [estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) >or= 60 mL/minute], moderate (30-59 mL/minute), or severe ( or= 20 at LT had a higher cumulative incidence of post-LT CRF in comparison with patients with MELD < 20 (P = 0.03). A decrease in post-LT GFR over time was the only independent predictor of survival. In conclusion, post-LT CRF is common in the MELD era with a 5-year cumulative incidence of 22%. Low GFR at LT was predictive of post-LT CRF, and a decrease in post-LT GFR over time was associated with decreased post-LT survival. Further studies of modifiable preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative factors influencing renal function are needed to improve outcomes following LT.
Energy-efficient broadcast-based event update dissemination

In this paper we study a power-efficient event update dissemination system in a data broadcast environment for time-critical observations. We propose an on-line algorithm that can produce efficient broadcast schedules to disseminate event updates in linear time. Our algorithm assigns clients to a particular channel from where they can monitor updates of interest to reduce the channel monitoring energy consumption. Our simulation results suggest that our algorithm drastically improves power efficiency compared to previous algorithms.
Gene-alcohol interactions identify several novel blood pressure loci including a promising locus near SLC16A9

Alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for hypertension, with recent candidate studies implicating gene-alcohol interactions in blood pressure (BP) regulation. We used 6,882 (predominantly) Caucasian participants aged 20 to 80 years from the Framingham SHARe (SNP Health Association Resource) to perform a genome-wide analysis of SNP-alcohol interactions on BP traits. We used a two-step approach in the ABEL suite to examine genetic interactions with three alcohol measures [ounces of alcohol consumed per week, drinks consumed per week, and the number of days drinking alcohol per week] on four BP traits [systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), mean arterial (MAP), and pulse (PP) pressure]. In the first step, we fit a linear mixed model of each BP trait onto age, sex, BMI, and antihypertensive medication while accounting for the phenotypic correlation among relatives. In the second step, we conducted 1 degree-of-freedom (df) score tests of the SNP main effect, alcohol main effect, and SNP-alcohol interaction using the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters from the first step. We then calculated the joint 2 df score test of the SNP main effect and SNP-alcohol interaction using MixABEL. The effect of SNP rs10826334 (near SLC16A9) on SBP was significantly modulated by both the number of alcoholic drinks and the ounces of alcohol consumed per week (p-values of 1.27E-08 and 3.92E-08, respectively). Each copy of the G-allele decreased SBP by 3.79 mmHg in those consuming 14 drinks per week versus a 0.461 mmHg decrease in non-drinkers. Index SNPs in 20 other loci exhibited suggestive (p-value≤1E-06) associations with BP traits by the 1 df interaction test or joint 2df test, including 3 rare variants, one low-frequency variant, and SNPs near/in genes ESRRG, FAM179A, CRIPT-SOCS5, KAT2B,ADCY2, GLI3, ZNF716, SLIT1, PDE3A, KERA-LUM, RNF219-AS1, CLEC3A , FBX015, and IGSF5. SNP -alcohol interactions may enhance discovery of novel variants with large effects that can be targeted
Perchlorate exposure of the US Population, 2001-2002.

Perchlorate is commonly found in the environment and can impair thyroid function at pharmacological doses. As a result of the potential for widespread human exposure to this biologically active chemical, we assessed perchlorate exposure in a nationally representative population of 2820 US residents, ages 6 years and older, during 2001 and 2002 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We found detectable levels of perchlorate (>0.05 μg/l) in all 2820 urine samples tested, indicating widespread human exposure to perchlorate. Urinary perchlorate levels were distributed in a log normal fashion with a median of 3.6 μg/l (3.38 μg/g creatinine) and a 95th percentile of 14 μg/l (12.7 μg/g creatinine). When geometric means of urinary perchlorate levels were adjusted for age, fasting, sex and race-ethnicity, we found significantly higher levels of urinary perchlorate in children compared with adolescents and adults. We estimated total daily perchlorate dose for each adult (ages 20 years and older), based on urinary perchlorate, urinary creatinine concentration and physiological parameters predictive of creatinine excretion rate. The 95th percentile of the distribution of estimated daily perchlorate doses in the adult population was 0.234 μg/kg-day [CI 0.202–0.268 μg/kg-day] and is below the EPA reference dose (0.7 μg/kg-day), a dose estimated to be without appreciable risk of adverse effects during a lifetime of exposure. These data provide the first population-based assessment of the magnitude and prevalence of perchlorate exposure in the US.
Teaching and Learning Guide to Accompany Graffiti as a Form of Contentious Political Participation

The authors develop four exercises to further explore themes that are discussed in the Waldner and Dobratz article “Graffiti as a Form of Contentious Political Participation (Sociology Compass 7: 377–389),” including Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo (Madres de Plaza de Mayo), From Famous Political Speech (“Ich Bin Ein Berliner”) to Graffiti: “Ich bin Berliner”, “Protest, Violence, and Graffiti in Greek Politics,” and “Political Speech or Just Tagging: Billboards and Culture Jamming.” The authors encourage students to explore them such as motivations for graffiti, the difficulty in discerning writer intent, the use of graffiti as a form of political protest, and the historical and geographical context of graffiti. The authors provide links to YouTube videos and supplementary readings.