cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photometric and Electrochemical Enzyme-Multiplied Assay Techniques Using β-Galactosidase as Reporter Enzyme

Beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) is shown to be a versatile new reporter enzyme in both photometric and electrochemical enzyme-multiplied assay techniques (EMATs). The well-known beta-gal substrate analog, o-nitrophenyl beta-d-galactopyranoside, yields the visibly colored, o-nitrophenol product upon hydrolysis, whereas the substrate, p-aminophenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside, gives rise to an electrooxidizable product, p-aminophenol. These beta-gal substrates made possible the demonstration of both photometric and electrochemical signal transduction schemes for beta-gal-based EMAT detection of estradiol (as the estradiol-bovine serum albumin (E-BSA) conjugate). The EMAT system is composed of the reporter enzyme, beta-gal, with covalently attached estradiol, and estrogen antibody, which inhibits enzyme activity of the beta-gal-estradiol conjugate up to approximately 75%. Reporter enzyme inhibition is relieved significantly by addition of < or =2 ng/mL of estradiol (as E-BSA), which competes for binding with the antibody. Thus, the presence of analyte (E-BSA) is reported by the enzyme (beta-gal), which amplifies the ligand-protein dissociation event by turning over its substrate repeatedly. The electrochemical version of EMAT, based on amperometric detection of p-aminophenol, is responsive to added estradiol within minutes. These results show that beta-gal may serve as a useful alternative to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, which currently is used as reporter enzyme in commercially available EMAT systems.
Ground based spectroscopic studies of sunlit airglow and aurora

Abstract Observational studies of airglow and aurora from the ground under fully sunlit conditions in the visible spectral range remain possibly one of the last frontiers in optical aeronomy. In the 30 years since the last comprehensive reviews of twilight airglow and dayglow by Hunten and Noxon, respectively, technology has undergone revolutionary change. Additionally, space experiments have provided key information on the excitation processes for important airglow emissions. This paper reviews the progress on both these fronts and speculates on the future.
A new method of matrix transformation. I. Matrix diagonalizations via involutional transformations

It is shown that two matrices A and B of order n×n which satisfy a monic quadratic equation with two roots λ1 and λ2 are connected by ATAB=TABB where TAB=A+B−(λ1+λ2) I with I being the n×n unit matrix (Theorem 1). The condition for TAB to be involutional is that the anticommutator of ?=A−(1/2)(λ1+λ2) I and ?=B−(1/2)(λ1+λ2) is a c number (Theorem 2). A 2m×2m matrix Q(2m) is introduced as a typical form of a matrix which can be diagonalized by an involutional transformation. These theorems are further extended through the matrix representation of the group of the general homogeneous linear transformations, GL(n). IUH (involutional, unitary, and Hermitian) matrices are introduced and discussed. The involutional transformations are shown to play a fundamental role in the transformations of Dirac’s Hamiltonian and of the field Hamiltonians which are quadratic in particle creation and annihilation operators in solid state physics.
A Complicated Case of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy Successfully Treated with All-trans-Retinoic Acid

A 40-year-old female at 26-week gestation was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) after an abnormal prenatal lab workup showed pancytopenia. She was treated with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), idarubicin, and dexamethasone. After day one of treatment, she developed differentiation syndrome, which was treated with dexamethasone. At 30-week gestation, she had preterm premature rupture of membranes and delivered by cesarean section because of the fetus' breech presentation. Despite ATRA's potential for teratogenicity, a viable infant was born without apparent anomalies. Postpartum, she underwent consolidation treatment with ATRA and arsenic trioxide (ATO). The patient continued ATRA therapy after delivery and is currently in remission.
Divergence of smooth muscle target and sympathetic pathway cell phenotypes in the orbit of the developing rat.

The periorbital sheath serves as a major pathway for sympathetic nerves traveling to distal orbital targets in the rat. This tissue accommodates sympathetic fiber sprouting in the neonate but becomes impassable by postnatal day 30 (PND 30). In contrast, smooth muscle target remains receptive to sympathetic ingrowth. To determine the attributes of receptive and nonreceptive tissues, we compared periorbital pathway and target tissue phenotypes prior to (PND 5 and PND 15) and after (PND 30 and PND 60) the period when pathway receptivity is lost. Both pathway cells and superior tarsal smooth muscle cells expressed α-smooth muscle actin and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain throughout development. At PND 5–15, both tissues also expressed vimentin, collagen IV, laminin 1 and laminin β2, whereas fibronectin was detected only in pathway tissue. At PND 30, vimentin, collagen IV, and fibronectin were absent in tarsal muscle but were robust in pathway tissue. Laminin 1 and laminin β2 expression was maintained in muscle; however, in pathway cells, laminin 1 declined modestly, and laminin β2 decreased precipitously to barely detectable levels. Quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction showed that nerve growth factor mRNA was present in the pathway throughout development at levels that were greater than both surrounding connective tissue and tarsal muscle. We conclude that the loss of pathway receptivity to sympathetic nerve ingrowth is associated with a transition from a phenotype similar to fetal smooth muscle cells to one that is more consistent with myofibroblast-like cells. J. Comp. Neurol. 408:352–364, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Decreased Plasma Pancreatic Polypeptide Levels in Pregnancy

A crude relaxin preparation has been obtained from the basal plate region of elective cesarean section human placentae, as well as normal term placentae. The relaxin isolated has different charge properties by ion exchange chromatography from porcine relaxin, although it is of approximately the same molecular size. The most potent fraction obtained has approximately 0.7% of the immunoactivity of purified porcine relaxin when compared with porcine relaxin in a RIA based on porcine material, suggesting significant amino acid sequence differences between the putative human relaxin and its porcine counterpart.
Effect of age on behavioral responses and tissue levels of apomorphine in the rat

Abstract Rats of several ages between 2 and 24 months were tested for stereotyped behavioral responses to R(−)apomorphineHCl (APO), a potent and selective dopamine agonist. Between 2 and 24 months, the ED 50 for apomorphine decreased 2.5-fold (0.14-0.06 mg/kg, i.p.), as assessed by a microcomputer-assisted technique. Not only were older rats more sensitive to apomorphine, but the duration of the behavioral effects increased with age and showed a greater change at doses which were greater than the ED 50 . When levels of apomorphine in brain were assayed by liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection, there was a progressive increase in peak levels of the agent in the tissue as well as a delay in its elimination from brain, with increasing age. Moreover, there was a highly significant correlation between increased behavioral effect and the level of apomorphine in brain with increasing age ( r > 0.8). These results indicate that increased levels in brain or decreased elimination of apomorphine may be an important factor contributing to a marked increase in behavioral sensitivity to apomorphine with age in the rat.
Electronic-energy-structure calculations of silicon and silicon dioxide using the extended tight-binding method

We have studied the electronic energy structure of silicon and silicon dioxide using the extended tight-binding method. For silicon, we found that the basis set in terms of single Gaussian-type orbitals is able to reproduce the band structure which is in good agreement with the experimental data. However, simple linear combination of atomic orbitals failed to describe the band order of the lower conduction bands. For silicon dioxide, we calculated the energy band, total and orbital densities of states of $\ensuremath{\beta}$-cristobalite. In terms of these, we obtained a consistent interpretation of various experimental measurements on amorphous silicon dioxide. Furthermore, by examining the orbital character and the calculated charge densities of various states, we determined the origin of the bonding in silicon dioxide.
A Marriage Trichotomy and its Applications

This paper promotes research methods specific to men, the new focus of fertility and family planning studies (especially in sub-Saharan Africa). I propose a novel marriage categorization based on married men’s intentions to take another wife. The three marriage groups are currently monogamous men who intend to remain so, currently monogamous men who intend to become polygynous, and currently polygynous men. The first analysis demonstrates that typical marriage analyses may misclassify men who intend to become polygynous. Applications of the marriage trichotomy illustrate that men with varying marital intentions have differing desires regarding fertility and family planning.
Interstrain and Interspecific Crosses Between Pectinophora gossypiella and P. scutigera

Crosses between a strain of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) from Australia and from the U.S. were fully fertile. Reciprocal crosses between both these strains and P. scutigera (Holdaway) were characterized by reduced mating and eupyrene sperm transfer and low fecundity and fertility. F1 progeny obtained by crossing P. scutigera females with P. gossypiella males (U.S. strain) were sterile when backcrossed to P. gossypiella (U.S. strain) but fully fertile when back crossed to P. scutigera . Also, 1st and 2nd backcross progeny were fertile when crossed with P. scutigera . Males of both species had 30 pairs of chromosomes.
Effect of physical activity on nonmelanoma skin cancer risk in kidney, liver, and pancreatic transplant patients.

BACKGROUND Physical activity has been associated with a lower risk of cancer, including melanoma, but the effect has not yet been assessed for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). OBJECTIVE To determine whether the risk of skin cancer differs according to physical activity level in patients at high risk for NMSC. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study in kidney, liver, and pancreatic transplant patients via telephone interview. Physical activity scores were calculated for each patient using a previously validated questionnaire. Sun exposure history and skin type were also recorded. The outcome of interest was a biopsy-proven diagnosis of at least one NMSC. RESULTS Of 142 subjects, 45 (32%) developed NMSC. There was no significant effect of physical activity on the development of NMSC. CONCLUSIONS Physical activity level may not be a major predictor of skin cancer risk in organ transplant patients. Controlled trials and population-based studies are needed to determine whether exercise can decrease the risk of NMSC in the general population. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.
Flux density for ray propagation in geometrical optics

A general formula is derived that specifies the illumination (flux density) over an arbitrary receiver surface when light rays are reflected by or refracted through a curved surface. The direction of the deflected ray and its intersection with the receiving surface, used with the equation for the surfaces, lead to a transformation that maps an element of deflecting area onto the receiving area, by means of the jacobian determinant. A formula for the flux density along a ray path follows as a special case. An equation for the caustic surface is obtained from the latter. As an example radiation flux-density contours are calculated for a plane wave reflected from a sphere. Flux density and the caustic surface are calculated for a plane wave reflected onto a plane from a concave spherical lens and also for a plane wave refracted onto a plane through a hemisphere.
A Comparison of Coupling Molecular Dynamics to General Finite Elements

In this paper, we assess the ability of three interpolation functions in a discretized continuum model to capture and accurately represent the solution. In particular we examine the differences between the partition of unity, moving least squares and finite element methods in the continuum part of the multiscale model.© 2009 ASME
Ammonia-Treated Ordered Mesoporous Carbons as Catalytic Materials for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Ammonia treatment of ordered mesoporous carbons at high temperature results in the formation of nitrogen-doped carbon materials that exhibit significant activity for oxygen reduction reaction in acidic media. The new material shows an onset potential of only 80 mV below that of a commercial Pt-based catalyst, but a better stability.
Tape Cast Composite Ceramic Er:YAG Laser

Laser operation of tape cast composite ceramic Er:YAG rod is demonstrated at 1645 nm with slope efficiency of 56.9% under the resonant pumping. This is believed to be the first reported composite ceramic Er:YAG laser.
Variables that affect the expansion rate and outcome of small abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract Seventy-three patients with small ( 2 . After a mean of 37 months of follow-up, AAA area increased at a mean rate of 20% per year (3 cm 2 yr; 0.4 to 0.5 cm/yr diameter). Expansion rate was not affected by initial aneurysm size. During follow-up, only 3 patients (4%) required urgent operation (1 died), 26 patients (36%) died of non-AAA causes, and 26 patients (36%) underwent elective AAA repair because of progressive size increase (1 died). Elective operations were performed at the rate of 10% per year, when mean AAA size had increased to 22 cm 2 (5.1 cm in diameter). Multiple regression analysis of clinical parameters available at presentation indicated that subsequent elective AAA repair was predicted by younger age at diagnosis and larger initial aneurysm size. As anticipated, patients who underwent surgery had more rapid aneurysm expansion (5.3 cm 2 /yr) compared with patients who did not undergo surgery (1.6 cm 2 /yr; p
On the Parallel Evaluation of Polynomials

If an unlimited number of processors is available, then for any given number of steps s, s≥1, polynomials of degree as large as C2n-δcan be evaluated, where C= √2 and δ ≈ √2s. This implies polynomials of degree can be evaluated in log 2 n+√2log 2 n +0(1) steps. Various techniques for the evaluation of polynomials in a "reasonable number" of "steps" are compared with the known lower bounds.
Spectral sensitivity studies on the visual system of the praying mantis, Tenodera sinensis

In these studies a constant ERG response was used as a measure of visual sensitivity to different wavelengths of light. The dark-adapted compound eye of Tenodera sinensis is dominated by a single class of photoreceptors. with a major peak of sensitivity at about 510–520 nm, and with a minor peak of sensitivity in the near-ultraviolet region at about 370 nm. The dark-adapted dorsal ocellus does not contain a homogeneous population of sensory receptors. The sensitivity function of the dark-adapted ocellus to longer wavelength light (yellow and red) is determined by a single receptor with a major peak of sensitivity in the green at 510–520 nm with some sensitivity in the near-ultraviolet. Sensitivity at shorter wavelengths (near-ultraviolet and blue), however, involves the stimulation of both this and a near-ultraviolet-sensitive receptor with a maximum sensitivity at about 370 nm. Anatomically, the sensory cells of the dorsal ocellus of Tenodera were determined histologically to be grouped into two distinct regions, each group making its own separate contribution to the ocellar nerve. This may represent the separation of two different photoreceptor types in the ocellus of the mantis.
The Kα/Kβ X-ray intensity ratios from electron bombardment

Abstract The K α /K β X-ray intensity ratios have been measured for Cu, Zn, Ag, Sn, Dy and Au using a Ge(Li) X-ray detector. The K-shell vacancy was produced by bombarding targets fabricated from pure elements or their compounds with an electron beam whose energy could be varied from 40 to 140 keV. The results are compared with other recent experiments and with the theoretical calculations of Scofleld.
Mechanisms Subserving Insulin′s Differentiating Actions on Progestin Biosynthesis by Ovarian Cells: Studies with Cultured Swine Granulosa Cells

To characterize the nature of insulin action on ovarian cells, an in vitro system of swine granulosa cells was developed in which 3- to 50-fold stimulation of progesterone production was observed in response to insulin under serumfree or sparsely (1%) serum-supplemented conditions. These studies demonstrate that optimal cell density is critical for the full expression of insulin action, and that the dose-dependent responses of granulosa cells to insulin are also significantly influenced by the maturational status of the parent follicle. The striking (>30-fold) responses of medium-sized and healthy preovulatory follicles to insulin were not attributable to the presence or absence of atresia or to a selective inhibition of progesterone′s catabolism to 20a-dihydroprogesterone, since 20a-dihydroprogesterone production was also markedly increased in response to insulin. The mechanisms subserving insulin action were explored further by testing the capacity of insulin to 1) increase progesterone accumulation in ...
Combined Echocardiographic Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Electrocardiographic ST Depression Improve Prediction of Mortality in American Indians The Strong Heart Study

Echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (Echo-LVH) and ST segment depression (STD) on the ECG have each been demonstrated to predict cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause (AC) mortality. However, the prognostic value of combining Echo-LVH and ECG-STD has not been examined. ECGs and echocardiograms were examined in 2193 American Indian participants in the second Strong Heart Study examination. STD was measured by computer and was considered abnormal if > or =50 microV. Echo-LVH was defined by indexed LV mass >116 g/m2 in men and >104 g/m2 in women. After a mean follow-up of 3.1+/-0.7 years, there were 57 CV and 169 AC deaths. In univariate Cox analyses, Echo-LVH (chi2=54.2 and chi2=68.5) and ECG-STD (chi2=35.9 and chi2=46.3, all P<0.001) predicted CV and AC mortality, respectively. The combination of Echo-LVH and ECG-STD improved risk stratification compared with either alone for both CV death (chi2=74.4, P<0.001) and AC death (chi2=102.0, P<0.001), with presence of both ECG-STD and Echo-LVH associated with the greatest risks. After adjustment for age, sex, and relevant risk factors, combined Echo-LVH and ECG-STD remained predictive of CV mortality (chi2=19.7, P<0.001) and AC mortality (chi2=24.9, P<0.001), with the presence of both Echo-LVH and ECG-STD associated with a 6.3-fold increased risk of CV death (95% CI: 2.8 to 14.2) and a 4.6-fold increased risk of AC mortality (95% CI: 2.5 to 8.5). ECG-STD and Echo-LVH additively increase the risk of both CV mortality and AC mortality. These findings support the value of combining Echo-LVH and ECG-STD to improve risk stratification. These findings require verification in other populations.
Is Informed Consent in Trauma a Lost Cause? A Prospective Evaluation of Acutely Injured Patients’ Ability to Give Consent

Background Obtaining informed consent in acute trauma patients is often impossible, forcing investigators to abandon important projects. To better understand the likelihood of—and barriers to—informed consent in trauma patients, we evaluated when and how consent is possible in acutely injured patients. Study Design Over a 7-month period, at a large, urban, adult Level I trauma center, we prospectively assessed each patient's ability to give hypothetical informed consent. Patients were considered consentable when they were alert, unintoxicated, and stable, with no prohibitive language barrier, or when a proxy (first-degree relative) was available. When consent was not feasible on arrival, we documented the reason and the time at which consent became possible, either by the patient or proxy. Results Of 1,328 consecutive trauma patients, 1,020 (77%) were candidates for consent (personal or proxy) within 30 minutes of arrival. Twenty-five percent of patients with hypotension in the resuscitation area were consentable, as were 31% of severely injured (Injury Severity Score>24) patients. Eight hours after injury, 88% of all patients were consentable, as were 60% of severely injured patients and 36% of patients with initial hypotension. Primary barriers to consent included brain injury or unspecified alteration in awareness (41%), intoxication (28%), shock (26%), language barrier (2%), or medication (3%). Conclusions Although an overall majority of trauma patients are candidates for early informed consent, the likelihood of early consent is substantially lower in patients with severe injury or shock. Alternatives to individual informed consent may be necessary to advance the early care of acutely, severely injured patients.
Nurses: At Special Risk

Nurses are at occupational risk for many infections, but it was not until human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was recognized that a work-acquired infection was uniformly fatal. Other work-acquired infections, including tuberculosis, rubella, measles, varicella, and the viral hepatitides, may cause morbidity for the nurse and his/her family. Although the number of nurses who acquire occupational infections is small, each has a unique personal story, and all will have their productivity affected. A few will lose their lives to infections acquired on the job. Although all occupational infections cannot be prevented, understanding the chain of infection and how to break the links can go a long way in reducing risks and maintaining health for all health care workers.
Do Thesauri Enhance Rule-Based Categorization for OCR Text?

A rule-based automatic text categorizer was tested to see if two types of thesaurus expansion, called query expansion and Junker expansion respectively, would improve categorization. Thesauri used were domain-specific to an OCR test collection focussed on a single topic. Results show that neither type of expansion significantly improved categorization.
Whole transcriptome RNA-Seq allelic expression in human brain

Measuring allelic RNA expression ratios is a powerful approach for detecting cis-acting regulatory variants, RNA editing, loss of heterozygosity in cancer, copy number variation, and allele-specific epigenetic gene silencing. Whole transcriptome RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) has emerged as a genome-wide tool for identifying allelic expression imbalance (AEI), but numerous factors bias allelic RNA ratio measurements. Here, we compare RNA-Seq allelic ratios measured in nine different human brain regions with a highly sensitive and accurate SNaPshot measure of allelic RNA ratios, identifying factors affecting reliable allelic ratio measurement. Accounting for these factors, we subsequently surveyed the variability of RNA editing across brain regions and across individuals. We find that RNA-Seq allelic ratios from standard alignment methods correlate poorly with SNaPshot, but applying alternative alignment strategies and correcting for observed biases significantly improves correlations. Deploying these methods on a transcriptome-wide basis in nine brain regions from a single individual, we identified genes with AEI across all regions (SLC1A3, NHP2L1) and many others with region-specific AEI. In dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) tissues from 14 individuals, we found evidence for frequent regulatory variants affecting RNA expression in tens to hundreds of genes, depending on stringency for assigning AEI. Further, we find that the extent and variability of RNA editing is similar across brain regions and across individuals. These results identify critical factors affecting allelic ratios measured by RNA-Seq and provide a foundation for using this technology to screen allelic RNA expression on a transcriptome-wide basis. Using this technology as a screening tool reveals tens to hundreds of genes harboring frequent functional variants affecting RNA expression in the human brain. With respect to RNA editing, the similarities within and between individuals leads us to conclude that this post-transcriptional process is under heavy regulatory influence to maintain an optimal degree of editing for normal biological function.
THE EFFECT OF MORPHINE ON 14C-LEUCINE INCORPORATION BY RAT LIVER MICROSOMES IN VITRO.

Abstract The addition of morphine in vitro had no effect on the incorporation of 14C-leucine into protein by rat liver microsomal preparations. When morphine was administered in a single dose (30 mg/kg) the response was biphasic: a decreased incorporation in vitro at 2 hr after the injection, followed by an increased amino acid incorporation at 5 hr; both effects were due to the changes in activity of the microsomal fraction. During chronic morphine administration at a low dose, an increased amino acid incorporating activity was found at 11 and 15 days, which returned to control level after 30 days of treatment. Similarities have been found between these responses and those produced by the so-called “inducer” drugs.
Abaqus implementation of extended finite element method using a level set representation for three-dimensional fatigue crack growth and life predictions

A three-dimensional extended finite element method (X-FEM) coupled with a narrow band fast marching method (FMM) is developed and implemented in the Abaqus finite element package for curvilinear fatigue crack growth and life prediction analysis of metallic structures. Given the level set representation of arbitrary crack geometry, the narrow band FMM provides an efficient way to update the level set values of its evolving crack front. In order to capture the plasticity induced crack closure effect, an element partition and state recovery algorithm for dynamically allocated Gauss points is adopted for efficient integration of historical state variables in the near-tip plastic zone. An element-based penalty approach is also developed to model crack closure and friction. The proposed technique allows arbitrary insertion of initial cracks, independent of a base 3D model, and allows non-self-similar crack growth pattern without conforming to the existing mesh or local remeshing. Several validation examples are presented to demonstrate the extraction of accurate stress intensity factors for both static and growing cracks. Fatigue life prediction of a flawed helicopter lift frame under the ASTERIX spectrum load is presented to demonstrate the analysis procedure and capabilities of the method.
The 50th Anniversary: Time for a "Renewal of Vows"

What would the future look like without a U.S.-Japan security alliance? An alliance is not a marriage—it is thus reasonable to ask such things at a 50th anniversary. In many ways, though, the alliance between the United States and Japan has come to be viewed like a marriage, “for better or for worse.” Also, like many marriages, long-simmering resentments and decades of accumulated slights, perceived or real, can develop into a poisoned environment that calls into question the larger good. Such a development must be stopped. In my view, the alliance exists “for better,” though it is not without problems and a need to adapt to new realities. As such, problems should be addressed to the extent possible, and both parties should be pleased to be mutually shaping the international environment in ways they could not do individually. In short, it is time for a “renewal of vows” on this long-standing relationship: one that considers carefully how each party has developed over the past 50 years as well as how the needs of each have changed, and that values the contributions both states make to the health of the relationship. By contrast, continuing with ossified patterns for the sake of continuity or symbolism threatens to undermine the health and stability of both parties individually and the relationship as a whole. The world has changed dramatically since 1960, with a massive proliferation of wealth over weapons and large “islands of peace” emerging within the international system. The primary security concern in 1960 from the perspective of the United States and Japan—the Soviet Union—has literally ceased to exist. Since 1960, change has been even more dramatic in East Asia, the area for which the U.S.-Japan alliance was originally conceived. There has not been a major combative war in the region in decades, nearly all states are engaged in respectful and peaceful dialogue on outstanding security problems, and defense spending as a percentage of GDP is declining in virtually all states in the region. That is the good news. The bad news, of course, is that new threats and broader security challenges have emerged. Among them is a marked increase in threats that are best countered collectively rather than individually or bilaterally, including terrorism, piracy, proliferation of WMDs, and climate change. In
Erythroid cell development in fetal mice: Ultrastructural characteristics and hemoglobin synthesis☆

Abstract Erythroid cell development in fetal mice, with a total gestation period of 20 to 21 days, occurs, initially, in yolk sac blood islands (8 to 12 days) and, subsequently, in liver (12 to at least 16 days). Erythropoiesis from the eleventh through the fifteenth day of gestation of C57BL/6 J fetal mice was characterized by studies of the ultrastructure and determinations of the types of hemoglobin synthesized by circulating erythroid cells and liver erythroid cells. The circulating nucleated and non-nucleated erythroid cells were separated by centrifugation through silicone fluids. The ultrastructure of the cells was examined by electron microscopy. Hemoglobin types were characterized by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel. It is shown that as development of erythroid cells derived from yolk sac blood islands proceeds, the cytoplasmic ribosomes are lost, though the nucleus is retained. At 11 days of gestation these cells actively synthesize hemoglobin, which is predominantly of embryonic types. The capacity to synthesize embryonic hemoglobins is lost as the cytoplasmic ribosomes disappear, which occurs by the fourteenth to fifthteenth day of gestation. By contrast, the development of erythroid cells derived from the liver is characterized by the loss of the nucleus at a stage when the cells retain ribosomes and the capacity to form hemoglobin. The nucleated and non-nucleated erythroid cells derived from hepatic sites of erythropoiesis synthesize predominantly adult-type hemoglobin.
Aeromedical transport for toxicological emergencies

Abstract Patients suffering from toxicological emergencies (TE) represent a small and previously unreported subset of aeromedical transport patients. We analyzed data from a large multicenter study of aeromedical transport patients to identify the percentage of patients transported for TE; we also assessed both severity of illness and requirements for care. Of 1,927 patient flights 32 (1.7%) were for TE. The TE patients had similar APACHE II scores compared to the remainder of the group (12 + 2 vs. 11 ± 0.2) and significantly lower TISS scores (20 ± 2.3 vs. 27 ± 0.4). An in-depth case review of 35 TE patients transported by our two flight programs was also undertaken. In 16 of 35 patients the flight team was judged to have added a significant therapeutic intervention. Three of 35 patients ultimately expired. Two of the three patients died of problems from instability during flight. The review revealed some important considerations for programs undertaking transport of such patients.
Hemodynamic and Hypotensive Effects of Long-term Therapy with Chlorothiazide

Long-term treatment of hypertension with chlorothiazide alone produces mioderate reduction in blood pressure in 66 per cent of patients with hypertension. This fall in pressure is due to a reduction in total peripheral resistance rather than a fall in cardiac output.
Effect of Hypertrophic Calcium Signals and Altered Excitation-Contraction Coupling on the Calcineurin-NFAT Pathway

Many questions remain unanswered as to how calcium (Ca2+) signals regulate the Calcineurin (CaN)- Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells (NFAT) signaling pathway. The CaN-NFAT cascade is one of the key pathways regulating the development of cardiac hypertrophy, a condition which is recognized as a leading risk factor for heart failure. In addition, the effect of certain functional modifications in proteins involved in excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) on cardiac hypertrophy is still not well understood. In this work, we develop a mathematical model for the CaN-NFAT pathway and incorporate it into an integrative computational model of the ventricular myocyte to better understand the relationship between Ca2+ signals, CaN-NFAT, and hypertrophy. Model results suggest the frequency of calcium transients (i.e. heart rate) may be a primary determinant of hypertrophic signaling, whereas diastolic Ca2+ level and inositol trisphosphate (IP3)-mediated changes in nuclear Ca2+ level appear to play less of a role. Furthermore, alterations in the function of ECC proteins as may occur under conditions of stress, heart disease, and/or therapeutic intervention were investigated. Results indicate L-type Ca2+ channel overexpression increases NFAT activity, while overexpression of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase, which mimics the functional effect of therapeutic SERCA gene transfer, has a relatively minor effect on NFAT activity. Therefore, an important prediction of this model is that enhancement of SERCA function is not predicted to promote the hypertrophic response, and it therefore may be possible to treat both pathological hypertrophy and SR dysfunction simultaneously.
Fatigue life of the plasma-facing components in PULSAR

Abstract The PULSAR project is a multi-institutional effort to determine the advantages that can be gained by building a tokamak with an entirely inductive current drive. This machine, which would operate in a pulsed mode, would feature reduced capital and operating costs compared with steady-state devices requiring complex current drive systems. However, a pulsed reactor would need an energy storage system and face greater structural demands from cyclic fatigue. This paper presents the results of the fatigue analyses for the plasma-facing components of PULSAR. PULSAR features two major engineering designs: a liquid lithium-cooled vanadium alloy design and a helium-cooled silicon carbide composite design. Results are given for each. It is shown that the superior thermal and strength properties of the vanadium alloy allow a much wider spectrum of design options. The SiC composite properties cause significantly more difficulty for the designer and, in particular, no credible design is found for a divertor fabricated solely from the SiC composite. This conclusion is based on current (limited) data for the thermophysical properties and fatigue strength of SiC fiber composites. The developments in these composites needed to create a viable SiC composite diverter are discussed.
A syndrome of hypoplastic sinuses, hydrocephalus, bronchiectasis, and hypogammaglobulinemia with functional antibody deficiency in twin girls.

Background A variety of syndromes are known to be associated with immune deficiency, some as a major part of the syndrome and some as an occasional finding. Objective To report a newly defined syndrome of hydrocephalus, hypoplastic sinuses, cartilaginous webbing of the bronchi, bronchiectasis, and hypogammaglobulinemia with functional antibody deficiency in identical twin girls. Methods Spirometry, radiography, computed tomography (CT), bronchoscopy, and laboratory tests were performed for diagnosis. Results A girl (twin A) was evaluated at the age of 7 years for chronic cough and wheeze that worsened with exercise. Hydrocephalus had been diagnosed a year before evaluation. She was treated for cough variant asthma and was lost to follow-up until the age of 10 years. The cough had worsened progressively, and dyspnea was now apparent. Spirometry was consistent with reversible airway obstruction. A chest radiograph was suggestive of bronchiectasis. A chest CT scan showed bilateral upper lobe bronchiectasis. Hypogammaglobulinemia and functional antibody deficiency were noted. A CT scan of the sinuses revealed aplasia or severe hypoplasia of all the paranasal sinuses. Bronchoscopy revealed a grossly abnormal bronchial structure and atrophic-appearing bronchial mucosa. Twin B also had a history of hydrocephalus. Although she had no respiratory symptoms, chest CT revealed bronchiectasis, and she had obstruction on spirometry. Laboratory analysis revealed hypogammaglobulinemia and functional antibody deficiency. She became symptomatic 2 years after twin A. Conclusions This is a newly reported syndrome of hydrocephalus, absent sinuses, abnormalities of the bronchi, and functional antibody deficiency, which initially presented as cough and wheeze.
Thermal analytical model of a 30 cm mercury ion thruster

A lumped parameter thermal nodal network has been developed for a 30 cm engineering model mercury ion thruster. The network consists of approximately 100 nodes coded in SINDA format for use on the Univac 1106/1108 computer. This model takes into account internal dissipation, radiation, and conduction as well as environmental heating. A series of tests were performed at NASA-Lewis Research Center to simulate a wide range of thermal environments on an operating 30 cm thruster, instrumented to measure the temperature distribution within the thruster. The results of these tests were used to calibrate the analytical model. Presented in this paper are a description of the analytical model along with comparisons between analytical and experimental results for the various operating conditions.
Binding of erbium(III) and holmium(III) to native and chemically modified alfalfa biomass: a spectroscopic investigation

Abstract Traditional treatment methods used to clean-up heavy metal contamination of soils and waters are cost intensive whereas more cost effective methods need to be developed. The use of plant materials to remediate heavy contamination has been studied for the past two decades. This technique has shown much promise for many of the common heavy metal contaminants, but few studies have focused on the lanthanide series elements. By investigating the binding and interactions of the lanthanide elements to alfalfa biomass, a more complete understanding of the binding mechanisms and the interactions of heavy metals with biomaterials can be obtained. Different chemical functional groups on the alfalfa biomass, carboxyl, amino, sulfur, and ester groups, were modified to investigate the binding mechanisms of erbium(III) and holmium(III). Batch experiments were performed with native and chemically modified alfalfa biomass suggesting that the carboxyl groups play a major role in the binding of erbium(III) and holmium(III) to the alfalfa biomass. In addition, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) studies corroborated the data obtained from the batch experiments.
An Evaluation of Federal Policy Instruments to Stimulate Basic Research in Industry

A model of the resource allocation behavior of a group of firms demonstrates that unaided industry allocation to basic inappropriable research is suboptimal. Furthermore, provision of seed money is generally counterproductive, while the provision of a matching subsidy is not very cost-efficient in increasing the allocation. Innovative policy alternatives are proposed.
Contractile Protein and Extracellular Matrix Secretion of Cell Monolayer Sheets Following Cyclic Stretch

Cell therapy treatment of post-myocardial infarction patients aims to regenerate tissue to improve function and prevent scarring. Although scaffold-free cell sheets offer an attractive solution, the monolayers are limited currently in their integrity as the individual layers do not cyclically stretch and cannot match the mechanical force transduction of the myocardium. In this study, we have explored stretching HL-1 mouse cardiomyocytes and embryonic stem cells derived into cardiomyocytes cultured in monolayers, and on temperature-responsive substrates to increase contractile protein and extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion for the purpose of reinforcing the baseline proteins and ECM. Sheets of HL-1 cells were stretched at 3 conditions (5, 10, 19%) along with static, unstretched controls at 1 Hz for 24 h. Embryonic stem cells derived into cardiomyocytes were stretched at 0 and 10% at 1 Hz for 24 h. Contractile proteins α- and β-myosin heavy chain (αMHC and βMHC) and sarcomeric α-actinin exhibited a significant increase in protein expression at 10% elongation strain. Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and connexin43 (Cx43) mRNA expression increased between static and conditioned cells; however, mRNA and protein expression at 19% strain increased less than cyclically strained cells at 5% strain. ECM secretion was not found to increase with conditioning. Effective engineering of cell monolayers with improved mechanical integrity may require an optimal strain condition to achieve maximum expression.
A class of residual distribution schemes and their relation to relaxation systems

Residual distributions (RD) schemes are a class of high-resolution finite volume methods for unstructured grids. A key feature of these schemes is that they make use of genuinely multidimensional (approximate) Riemann solvers as opposed to the piecemeal 1D Riemann solvers usually employed by finite volume methods. In 1D, LeVeque and Pelanti [R.J. LeVeque, M. Pelanti, A class of approximate Riemann solvers and their relation to relaxation schemes, J. Comput. Phys. 172 (2001) 572] showed that many of the standard approximate Riemann solver methods (e.g., the Roe solver, HLL, Lax-Friedrichs) can be obtained from applying an exact Riemann solver to relaxation systems of the type introduced by Jin and Xin [S. Jin, Z.P. Xin, Relaxation schemes for systems of conservation-laws in arbitrary space dimensions, Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 48 (1995) 235]. In this work we extend LeVeque and Pelanti's results and obtain a multidimensional relaxation system from which multidimensional approximate Riemann solvers can be obtained. In particular, we show that with one choice of parameters the relaxation system yields the standard N-scheme. With another choice, the relaxation system yields a new Riemann solver, which can be viewed as a genuinely multidimensional extension of the local Lax-Friedrichs scheme. This new Riemann solver does not require the use Roe-Struijs-Deconinck averages, nor does it require the inversion of an mxm matrix in each computational grid cell, where m is the number of conserved variables. Once this new scheme is established, we apply it on a few standard cases for the 2D compressible Euler equations of gas dynamics. We show that through the use of linear-preserving limiters, the new approach produces numerical solutions that are comparable in accuracy to the N-scheme, despite being computationally less expensive.
Ground Effect Characteristics and Centerline Pressure Distributions for a Hypersonic Configuration

Aircraft that operate at hypersonic speeds must adhere to stringent aerodynamic design restrictions. Typical designs incorporate complete integration of the fuselage and propulsion system. Unfortunately, these designs tend to perform poorly at subsonic speeds and demonstrate unfavorable propulsion/aerodynamic interactions when operated in ground effect for takeoff. Significant work has been done to quantify this interaction including pressure measurements using a two-dimensional model. This paper presents basic aerodynamic coefficients and centerline lower surface-pressure distributions that were measured on a three-dimensional hypersonic configuration of the National Aero-Space Plane.
Critical appraisal of the mouse model of myocardial infarction

In order to critically evaluate the utility of a mouse model of myocardial infarction (MI) for therapeutic studies, we investigated survival, haemodynamic measurements and histopathology in mice with an occluding suture placed at one of three distinct sites along the left anterior descending coronary artery. The suture was placed at the atrioventricular juncture (High), or at two sites more distally towards the base (Middle and Low). In the High group, only 33% of animals survived 7 days after MI (P < 0.05 compared to all other groups). Only the Middle group had significantly reduced haemodynamics compared to sham-operated animals (maximum left ventricular pressure: 55.9 +/- 3.5 versus 80.8 +/- 5.1 mmHg, maximum change in pressure over time : 2003 +/- 172 versus 4402 +/- 491, P < 0.01). Histological examination showed morphological changes in all MI groups. The Middle group had larger lesions than the Low group (P < 0.05). Lesions in the anterior and lateral walls correlated, albeit weakly, with cardiac function. Power calculations indicated that, despite a certain amount of intragroup variation, the Middle Suture model may be useful for therapeutic studies to assess the effects of treatment on cardiac function and overall lesion size.
Moisture effects on microbial activity and community structure in decomposing birch litter in the Alaskan taiga

Abstract We carried out a field experiment to evaluate the effect of moisture regime on microbial biomass and activity in birch litter in the Alaskan taiga. Litter bags were placed in one of three treatments: continuously moist (0.5 cm water d−1), cycling (0.5 cm water weekly), and `natural', which experienced two natural dry–wet cycles of 2 weeks dry followed by rain. The experiment lasted for 1 month. Each week we collected litter bags and analyzed microbial respiration and biomass C and N. In the last two cycles we analyzed bacterial substrate use on Biolog GN plates. There were strong overall correlations between biomass, respiration and litter moisture content. However, the different treatments had significantly different rates of respiration, biomass and respiratory quotient (qCO2) that could not be explained by moisture content directly. The natural treatment had lower respiration rates and biomass than the wet or cycling samples, indicating that the 2-week droughts in the natural treatment reduced microbial populations and activity to a greater degree than did shorter droughts. Episodic drying and rewetting considerably decreased the number of Biolog substrates used. This experiment showed that the size and functioning of the litter microbial community was strongly affected by its stress history.