cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The hypervitaminosis-A rat: A model for mucin hypersecretion in cystic fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is a devastating disease with pathognomonic features typically displayed in the exocrine system. An obvious drawback with human clinical studies of the disease is the relative inaccessibility of its "target-tissues," i.e., the salivary glands, intestine, pancreas, and tracheobronchial tree. Thus, little is known about its underlying cellular mechanisms. For this reason, physiologically relevant animal models for the disease are vitally needed. At present, there are animal models available for certain salivary gland biochemical aspects of the disease and for bicarbonate ion secretory alterations. However, no adequate model exists for excessive mucus production, an aspect of the disease which sets the stage for life-threatening infections and digestive disorders. This manuscript examines morphological and biochemical changes occurring in various biological systems exposed to high levels of vitamin A and correlates such changes with abnormalities commonly seen in cystic fibrosis.
Optical/digital aberration control in incoherent optical systems

We modify the optical transfer function of an incoherent imaging system such that it is nearly invariant to misfocus and contains no zero values. Digital filtering of the resulting image restores the image to near diffraction limited spatial resolution. A system that is insensitive to misfocus is also insensitive to some lens aberrations. Consequently, the approach of combining optical and digital signal processing system extends the normal aberration balancing of lens design to include those aberrations that can be reduced by digital signal processing, such as spherical aberration.
Mid-wavelength infrared 1024x1024 pixel QWIP focal plane array

A mid-wavelength 1024x1024 pixel quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal plane array has been demonstrated with excellent imagery. Noise equivalent differential temperature (NETD) of 19 mK was achieved at 95K operating temperature with f/2.5 optics at 300K background. This focal plane array has shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 90K operating temperature with the same optics and background conditions. In this paper, we will discuss its performance in quantum efficiency, NETD, uniformity, and operability.
Harnessing Digital Evolution

In digital evolution, self-replicating computer programs-digital organisms-experience mutations and selective pressures, potentially producing computational systems that, like natural organisms, adapt to their environment and protect themselves from threats. Such organisms can help guide the design of computer software.
Metamaterials for Remote Generation of Spatially Controllable Two Dimensional Array of Microplasma

Since the initial demonstration of negative refraction and cloaking using metamaterials, there has been enormous interest and progress in making practical devices based on metamaterials such as electrically small antennas, absorbers, modulators, detectors etc that span over a wide range of electromagnetic spectrum covering microwave, terahertz, infrared (IR) and optical wavelengths. We present metamaterial as an active substrate where each unit cell serves as an element for generation of plasma, the fourth state of matter. Sub-wavelength localization of incident electromagnetic wave energy, one of the most interesting properties of metamaterials is employed here for generating high electric field to ignite and sustain microscale plasmas. Frequency selective nature of the metamaterial unit cells make it possible to generate spatially localized microplasma in a large array using multiple resonators. A dual resonator topology is shown for the demonstration. Since microwave energy couples to the metamaterial through free space, the proposed approach is naturally wireless. Such spatially controllable microplasma arrays provide a fundamentally new material system for future investigations in novel applications, e.g. nonlinear metamaterials.
Thalamic projections of the hippocampal formation: evidence for an alternate pathway involving the internal capsule.

Experiments were performed using [3H]leucine radioautography and horseradish peroxidase histochemistry to determine the origin and distribution of the projection from the hippocampal formation to the thalamus in the rat. The results confirm recent findings that postcommissural fornix fibers which project to the anterior thalamus arise exclusively from the subicular cortex and not from hippocampal pyramidal cells. A second significant feature of this pathway is that it arises from cells situated in the deepest layer of subicular cortex at dorsal and posterior levels of the hippocampal formation. Thirdly, one component of this projection involves the internal capsule instead of the fornix. Fibers which pass through this fiber bundle arise from the lateral portion of the subicular complex adjacent to field CA1 of the hippocampus (i.e., prosubiculum) and terminate bilaterally throughout the anteromedial thalamic nucleus. In contrast, fibers from the region of subicular cortex adjacent to the retrosplenial cortex (i.e., presubiculum) pass through the postcommissural fornix and terminate in the ventral portion of the anteroventral thalamic nucleus. Fibers from central portions of the subicular complex (i.e., subiculum) project through both the internal capsule and postcommisural fornix and terminate in the anteromedial and adjacent ventral portion of the anteroventral thalamic nuclei. Fibers which project to the dorsal portion of the anteroventral thalamic nucleus arise from adjacent portions of retrosplenial cortex and project through the internal capsule.
Sound localization by the barn owl ( Tyto alba ) measured with the search coil technique

The dynamics and accuracy of sound localization by the barn owl (Tyto alba) were studied by exploiting the natural head-orienting response of the owl to novel sound stimuli. Head orientation and movement were measured using an adaptation of the search coil technique which provided continuous high resolution azimuthal and elevational information during the behavior. The owls responded to sound sources with a quick, stereotyped head saccade; the median latency of the response was 100 ms, and its maximum angular velocity was 790°/s. The head saccade terminated at a fixation point which was used to quantify the owl's sound localization accuracy. When the sound target was located frontally, the owl's localization error was less than 2° in azimuth and elevation. This accuracy is superior to that of all terrestrial animals tested to date, including man. When the owls were performing open-loop localization (stimulus off before response begins), their localization errors increased as the angular distance to the target increased. Under closed-loop conditions (stimulus on throughout response), the owls again committed their smallest errors when localizing frontal targets, but their errors increased only out to target angles of 30°. At target angles greater than 30°, the owl's localization errors were independent of target location. The owl possesses a frontal region wherein its auditory system has maximum angular acuity. This region is coincident with the owl's visual axis.
Using hormone-treated pregnant cows as a potential source of oocytes for in vitro fertilization

In vivo collection of oocytes during pregnancy may be alternative method of obtaining gametes for in vitro fertilization (IVF) from genetically superior gestating cattle. The objectives of this experiment were to induce follicular growth in mature beef cows during each trimester of pregnancy, and then to collect oocytes and verify oocyte competency by IVF and subsequent embryo culture in vitro. Cyclic beef cows in Treatment A and pregnant cows in Treatment B were administered a total dose of 40 mg of FSH in descending dose levels (6, 5, 4, 3 and 2 mg) twice daily for 5 consecutive days. Cows in Treatment A were administered 25 mg of PGF2α and in Treatment B an equal volume of 0.9% saline at the seventh FSH injection. Pregnant cows in Treatment C were administered neither FSH nor PGF2α and served as a control group. Following a gonadotropin treatment, the ovaries of each female were evaluated for follicular development by ultrasonography. Oocytes were collected by follicle aspiration from cows in the first trimester. Following IVF procedures, the embryos were co-cultured on caprine oviductal cells, or in the chicken embryo co-culture system, or were placed in goat oviducts in vivo. The mean number of follicles per ovary 12 hours after FSH treatment was not different for cows in Treatments A and B, (8.1 vs 7.7) and both numbers were greater (P<0.05) than the 1.1 follicles per ovary for the control cows in Treatment C. Oocytes collected in vivo and exposed to IVF, resulted in 20% cleaving, and of these embryos 50% developed to the morula stage in culture. In summary, stimulating supplemental follicular development with FSH treatment during pregnancy and collecting the oocytes for IVF may be an alternative method for obtaining supplemental gametes from valuable donor cattle.
Lipidated peptides via post-synthetic thioalkylation promoted by molecular sieves

A thioalkylation procedure, which uses molecular sieves to promote the reaction, was exploited to provide peptides with useful functional groups (lipidic moieties), naturally occurring on proteins as post-translational modifications. The procedure was further implemented to synthesize tailor-made lipidated peptides, interesting tools to investigate biological processes involving their Ras parent proteins. Moreover, the one-pot preparation of multi-alkylated peptides confirms the versatility and flexibility of the employed methodology.
Large skull defect in a headbanger

A mentally retarded self-mutilating child developed a large skull defect at the site of repeated trauma. The bony defect involved only the outer table and had smooth bony margins.
Characterization of microstructure of Si films grown by laser-enhanced photo-CVD using Si2H6

Defect characterization of epitaxial silicon films grown on lightly boron-doped Si (100) substrates by low temperature photo-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PCVD) using 193 nm ArF excimer laser dissociation of Si2H6 in an ultra-high-vacuum (3 X 10-9 Torr) chamber is discussed. A factorial design of experiments was used to investigate the dependence of crystallinity and growth rate on laser intensity, Si2H6 partial pressure, substrate temperature, and substrate-to-laser-beam distance. PCVD of Si was achieved in two ways: with the laser passing parallel to the substrate or directly incident on it. For parallel laser incidence, epitaxial films were achieved at temperatures as low as 250 degree(s)C with controllable deposition rates of 0.5 approximately equals 4 angstroms/min. using photon flux densities of 1015 photons/pulse.cm2, and Si2H6 partial pressure of 20 mTorr. The growth rates were observed to be linearly dependent on laser power. For direct laser incidence, single crystal films with a growth rate of approximately equals 20 angstroms/min. were obtained at a photon flux density of 7 X 1014 photons/pulse.cm2 at 300 degree(s)C and 20 mTorr Si2H6 partial pressure. The growth rate were found to be linearly dependent on photon flux density also. The crystallinity was studied by in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), and selected area electron diffraction in a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and defects such as stacking faults and dislocation loops were investigated by TEM and dilute Schimmel etching/Nomarski microscopy.
A fluorescent bis(benzoxazole) ligand: Toward binuclear Zn(II)–Zn(II) assembly

A bis(benzoxazole) ligand (HL) has been synthesized, and its reaction with Zn(OAc)2 has led to fluorescent complexes via formation of binuclear Zn(II)–Zn(II) cores. The ligand-to-metal ratio of the complexes varies from 1 : 1 to 2 : 1, depending on the reaction conditions. A large binding constant K = 8.3 × 1020 [M−3] has been determined for the reaction L + Zn2+→L2:Zn22+. The result indicates that the bis(benzoxazole) ligand is a useful building block to construct a binuclear core. On the basis of X-ray analysis, the binuclear Zn(II)–Zn(II) distance in the complexes is determined to be ∼3.22 A, which is quite comparable to that found in the enzymes (3.3 A). Absorption and fluorescence study shows that a subtle chemical environmental change within the binuclear core can induce a large optical response.
Becoming a teacher educator: a personal perspective

Abstract This paper examines various aspects of the author's transition from classroom teacher to a cooperating teacher and then from cooperating teacher to university teacher educator. This analysis is used as the basis for several specific suggestions for how to improve the preparation of the next generation of teacher educators and teacher education programs.
The challenge hypothesis: behavioral ecology to neurogenomics

Male song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) are territorial year-round. However, neuroendocrine responses to simulated territorial intrusions (STI) differ between breeding (spring) and non-breeding seasons (autumn). In spring, exposure to STI leads to increases in plasma levels of luteinizing hormone and testosterone (consistent with the challenge hypothesis), but not in autumn. This suggests that there are fundamental differences in the mechanisms driving neuroendocrine responses to STI between seasons despite apparently identical behavioral responses. Recent studies have also shown that areas of the telencephalon and diencephalon involved with singing behavior and aggression express the enzymes necessary to synthesize sex steroids de novo from cholesterol. Of these, aromatase (that regulates the conversion of testosterone to estradiol) and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (that regulates the synthesis of biologically active steroids) are regulated seasonally, whereas receptors for sex steroids such as androgen receptor and estrogen receptor alpha and beta are not. Functional analyses indicate specific genes that may be involved in the mechanisms of differential neuroendocrine responses to aggressive interactions in different life-history stages. Microarrays were used to test the hypothesis that gene expression profiles in the hypothalamus after territorial aggression differ between the seasons. Over 150 genes were differentially expressed between spring and autumn in the control birds and 59 genes were significantly affected by STI in autumn, but only 14 genes in spring. Real-time PCR was performed for validation, and it indicated that STI drives differential genomic responses in the hypothalamus in the breeding versus non-breeding seasons. The results suggest major underlying seasonal effects in the hypothalamus that determine the differential response upon social interaction.
Primary reconstruction of the mandible with a wire mesh prosthesis

Summary A stainless steel wire mesh prosthesis was used as a primary mandibular replacement in 102 patients following resection of malignant neoplasms arising in the head and neck. In 67 patients the prosthesis was considered successful. Failure of the host to tolerate the prostheses was associated with history of previous irradiation, extensive resections, and the loss of distant skin flaps used for coverage of the prosthesis. But the prosthesis is tolerated by the host in 90% of the cases if it is inserted in a non-irradiated bed, covered with local tissues, and the resection is limited to the maxillo-oral complex only.
A microprocessor for signal processing, the RSP

Signal processing is a data processing domain that contains a diversity of applications, including speech processing, image processing, radar, sonar, medical imaging, data communications, seismic processing, and many others. Despite the diversity of the applications, this processing domain has a very structured set of characteristics. These include real-time operation, dominance of arithmetic operations, and well-structured data flows. The Real-Time Signal Processor (RSP) is a microprocessor architecture that was created to exploit these characteristics in order to provide an expeditious and economical way to implement signal processing applications. In this paper, the organization and architecture of the RSP are described. Features of the RSP, such as the instruction pipeline and the fractional fixed-point arithmetic, which exploit the characteristics of signal processing to provide additional computational power, are emphasized. Other features, such as the powerful indexing, the saturation arithmetic, the guard bits, and the double-word-width accumulator, which add much to the processor's versatility and programmability, are also highlighted. The performance of the RSP is illustrated through examples.
Topological modeling of cascade amorphization in network structures using local rules

Abstract A local rules-based assembly procedure was used to erect large periodic and aperiodic models of the tetrahedral network compounds SiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 and SiC, whose topological properties were assessed in a prior investigation. Several hundred tetrahedra in central regions of the models were disconnected and randomly rotated, then allowed to reconnect according to an imposed set of the same or different rules, in order to simulate radiation disordering within a dense collision cascade. Alterations in the rebonded cascade region were characterized by assessment of density, underconnection, tetrahedral distortion, inter-tetrahedral bond angle, radial correlations and local topology. While SiO 2 networks amorphize easily and acceptably in this way, Si 3 N 4 and SiC networks do not. It is concluded that the experimental difficulty in amorphizing Si 3 N 4 is due to the topological difficulty in tetrahedral reconnection from random orientations according to the applicable local rules for Si 3 N 4 , while the observed ease of amorphizing SiC must arise from the potential for chemical disorder in that compound.
Cilomilast for COPD: Results of a 6-Month, Placebo-Controlled Study of a Potent, Selective Inhibitor of Phosphodiesterase 4

Background COPD is a relentless, progressive disease. This study evaluated the efficacy of cilomilast, a selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 inhibitor, in the treatment of COPD. Methods This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study in subjects with COPD. After a 4-week, single-blind, placebo run-in period, eligible subjects were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive oral cilomilast, 15 mg bid, or placebo for 24 weeks. Subjects between 40 and 80 years of age who had received a diagnosis of COPD were eligible for the study. The primary efficacy variables were changes from baseline in trough ( ie , predose) FEV 1 and in total score of the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). A key secondary end point was the incidence rate of COPD exacerbations. Results The average change from baseline in FEV 1 over 24 weeks in the cilomilast group was an increase of 10 mL compared with a decrease of 30 mL in the placebo group (difference, 40 mL; p = 0.002). When averaged over 24 weeks, there was a clinically significant reduction in the mean total SGRQ score in subjects receiving cilomilast therapy, with a difference of 4.1 U compared with subjects who received placebo (p = 0.001). A greater percentage of subjects in the cilomilast group were exacerbation-free at 24 weeks (74%; p = 0.008) compared with placebo (62%). Adverse events were generally mild or moderate and were not unexpected for this class of medications. GI adverse events that interfered with daily activities (cilomilast, 17%; placebo, 8%) predominantly occurred within the first 3 weeks of initiating cilomilast therapy. Conclusion Cilomilast is an orally active, potent, and selective inhibitor of PDE-4. Cilomilast maintained pulmonary function and improved health status, and reduced the rate of COPD exacerbations during 24 weeks of treatment. This study supports the use of cilomilast, a novel, selective PDE-4 inhibitor, in subjects with COPD.
Improved non-restoring division algorithm with dual path calculation

This paper focuses on improving the performance of non-restoring division by reducing the delay. To improve its performance, two new approaches are proposed here. For the first proposed approach, a novel method to find a quotient bit for every iteration, which hides the total delay of the multiplexer with dual path calculation is presented. The second new method uses a modified Most Significant Carry (MSC) generator, which determines the sign of each remainder faster than a carry lookahead adder. This reduces the total delay.
Failure to Demonstrate Dosage of U Antigen

. Tests in which 11 examples of anti-U were used in titration studies against the red blood cells of 9 obligate Uu heterozygotes, from 4 unrelated families, and random Negro and Caucasian donors (many of whom were of the presumptive UU genotype) have failed to demonstrate any dosage of the U antigen.
Why is fresh‐frozen plasma transfused?

A three-part study to determine the reasons for fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) transfusions at hospitals in southeastern Wisconsin was conducted. During a 1-month period, hospital transfusion services reported that patients undergoing open-heart surgery received 42 percent, medical patients 26 percent, noncardiac surgery patients 23 percent, neonatal patients 1 percent, and other patients 7 percent of the FFP transfused. In the second phase of the study, the records of 102 patients receiving FFP during a 1-month period at two teaching hospitals were reviewed. Justification for the FFP transfusion was provided in the hospital chart for only 11 percent of the transfusion episodes, although abnormal results of coagulation studies or signs of hypovolemia were recorded for an additional 51 percent. Frequently, FFP and red cell (RBC) transfusions were given during the same transfusion episode. In the third phase of the study, clinicians completed a questionnaire specifying their "trigger" for prescribing FFP: bleeding (43% of episodes), abnormal coagulation studies (26%), signs/symptoms of hypovolemia (16%), and "other" (15%). They judged that the FFP transfusion was effective in 47 percent of transfusion episodes and ineffective in only 6 percent. These findings indicate that FFP is used mainly as a source of coagulation factor replacement in hospitals served by The Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin, that justification for FFP use rarely is provided in patient records, that both FFP and RBCs are frequently transfused together, and that clinicians believe FFP is beneficial for their patients. Educational efforts addressing appropriate use of FFP should be initiated.
Chronic measurement of the stimulation selectivity of the flat interface nerve electrode

The flat interface nerve electrode (FINE) is an attempt to improve the stimulation selectivity of extraneural electrodes. By reshaping peripheral nerves into elliptical cylinders, central fibers are moved closer to the nerve-electrode interface, and additional surface area is created for contact placement. The goals of this study were to test the hypothesis that greater nerve reshaping leads to improved selectivity and to examine the chronic recruitment properties of the FINE. Three FINEs were developed to reshape peripheral nerves to different degrees. Four electrodes of each type were implanted on the sciatic nerves of 12 cats and tested for selectivity over at least three months. There was physiologic evidence of nerve injury in two cats with the tightest cuffs, but the other animals behaved normally. All cuff types were capable of selectively activating branches of the sciatic nerve, as well as groups of fibers within branches. The electrodes that moderately reshaped the nerves demonstrated the most selectivity. Both the selectivity measurements and the recruitment curve characteristics were stable throughout the implant period. From an electrophysiological standpoint, the FINE is a viable alternative for neuroprosthetic devices. A histological analysis of the nerves is under way to evaluate the safety of the FINE.
Discrete event simulation of emergency department activity: a platform for system-level operations research.

Objectives: This article explores the potential of discrete event simulation (DES) methods to advance system-level investigation of emergency department (ED) operations. To this end, the authors describe the development and operation of Emergency Department SIMulation (EDSIM), a new platform for computer simulation of ED activity at a Level 1 trauma center. The authors also demonstrate one potential application of EDSIM by using simulated ED activity to compare two patient triage methods. Methods: The Extend DES modeling package was used to develop a model of ED activity for a five-day period in July 2003. Model input includes staffing levels, facility characteristics, and patient data drawn from electronic patient tracking databases, billing records, and a detailed review of 674 ED charts. The accuracy of model output was tested by comparing predicted and known patient service times. The EDSIM model was then used to compare the fast-track triage approach with an alternative acuity ratio triage (ART) approach whereby patients were assigned to staff on an acuity ratio basis. Results: The EDSIM model predicts average patient service times within 10% of actual values. The accuracy of individual patient paths, however, was variable. In the authors' model, 28% of individual patient treatment times had an absolute error of less than one hour, and 59% less than three hours. A preliminary comparison of two triage methods showed that the ART approach reduced imaging bottlenecks and average treatment times for high-acuity patients, but resulted in an overall increase in average service time for low-acuity patients. Conclusions: The EDSIM model provides a flexible platform for studying ED operations as they relate to average treatment times for ED patients, but the model will require further refinement to predict individual patient times. A comparative study of triage methods suggests that ART provides a mix of benefits and drawbacks, but further investigation will be required to substantiate these preliminary findings.
Augmentation Synergistic Conditioning in Taste-Aversion Learning

Recent work in taste-aversion learning has revealed a new phenomenon in classical conditioning. When a preconditioned gustatory cue (taste or odor) is conditioned in compound with a second gustatory cue, conditioning to the second cue is augmented. This enhanced conditioning of the second cue is noteworthy because studies with other forms of classical conditioning have shown blocked conditioning to the second cue. This new phenomenon has been termed augmentation, and it has implications for the study of taste and odor interactions, formal models of learning, and clinical interventions with cancer patients.
Depressive characteristics of adult psychiatric inpatients with a history of multiple versus one or no suicide attempts.

A growing body of research suggests that individuals with a history multiple suicide attempts exhibit more severe psychopathology than individuals with only one or no previous suicide attempts. Given the strong link between diagnoses of major depression and suicide risk, our primary goal was to determine which specific depressive characteristics differentiate multiple attempters from patients with one or no previous attempts. In a sample of 121 depressed adult psychiatric inpatients, we found that patients with a history of multiple suicide attempts exhibited higher levels of suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms, but not hopelessness or dysfunctional attitudes, than the other two groups. In addition, multiple attempters reported an earlier age of major depression onset.
Tau truncation during neurofibrillary tangle evolution in Alzheimer's disease

The microtubule-associated protein, tau, is a highly soluble molecule that is nonetheless capable of self-association into filamentous deposits characteristic of a number of neurodegenerative diseases. This state change is thought to be driven by phosphorylation and/or C-terminal truncation events resulting in intracellular inclusions, such as the neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previously, we reported the existence of a novel truncation event, cleavage at aspartic acid 421 , presumably by a caspase, and also described a monoclonal antibody (Tau-C3) specific for tau cleaved at this site. Here, we report the timing of this cleavage event relative to other antibody-targeted alterations in the tau molecule during the course of NFT evolution in AD. Immunohistochemical studies indicate that cleavage at aspartic acid 421 occurs after formation of the Alz50 epitope but prior to formation of the Tau-66 epitope and truncation at glutamic acid 391 (formation of the MN423 epitope). Thus, creation of the Tau-C3 epitope appears to occur relatively early in the disease state, contemporaneous with the initial Alz50 folding event that heralds the appearance of filamentous tau in NFTs, neuropil threads, and the dystrophic neurites surrounding amyloid plaques.
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 Modulates the DNA Primer-Template Recognition Complex

The p21 protein, a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor, is capable of binding to both cyclin-CDK and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Through its binding to PCNA, p21 can regulate the function of PCNA differentially in replication and repair. To gain an understanding of the precise mechanism by which p21 affects PCNA function, we have designed a new assay for replication factor C (RFC)-catalyzed loading of PCNA onto DNA, a method that utilizes a primer-template DNA attached to agarose beads via biotin-streptavidin. Using this assay, we showed that RFC remains transiently associated with PCNA on the DNA after the loading reaction. Addition of p21 did not inhibit RFC-dependent PCNA loading; rather, p21 formed a stable complex with PCNA on the DNA. In contrast, the formation of a p21-PCNA complex on the DNA resulted in the displacement of RFC from the DNA. The nonhydrolyzable analogs of ATP, adenosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (ATPgammaS) and adenyl-imidodiphosphate, each stabilized the primer recognition complex containing RFC and PCNA in the absence of p21. RFC in the ATPgammaS-activated complex was no longer displaced from the DNA by p21. We propose that p21 stimulates the dissociation of the RFC from the PCNA-DNA complex in a process that requires ATP hydrolysis and then inhibits subsequent PCNA-dependent events in DNA replication. The data suggest that the conformation of RFC in the primer recognition complex might change on hydrolysis of ATP. We also suggest that the p21-PCNA complex that remains attached to DNA might function to tether cyclin-CDK complexes to specific regions of the genome.
Analysis of DNA Binding by a Eubacterial Zinc Finger Transcription Factor

The Serratia marcescens NucC protein is structurally and functionally homologous to the P2 Ogr family of eubacterial zinc finger transcription factors required for late gene expression in P2- and P4-related bacteriophages. These activators exhibit site-specific binding to a conserved DNA sequence, TGT-N 3 -R-N 4 -Y-N 3 -aCA, that is located upstream of NucC-dependent S. marcescens promoters and the late promoters of P2-related phages. In this report we describe the interactions of NucC with the P2 FETUD late operon promoter P F . NucC is shown to bind P F as a tetramer and to make 12 symmetrical contacts to the DNA phosphodiester backbone. The backbone contacts are centered on the TGT-N 3 -R-N 4 -Y-N 3 -aCA motif. Major groove base contacts can be seen at most positions within the ∼24-bp binding site. Minor groove contacts map to adjacent positions in the downstream half of the binding site, which corresponds to the area in which the DNA also appears to be bent by NucC binding. NucC binding provides a new example of protein-DNA interaction that is strikingly different from the DNA binding demonstrated for eukaryotic zinc-finger transcription factors.
Wetting and Joining of Mullite Ceramics by Active‐Metal Braze Alloys

Mullite and ZrO{sub 2}-toughened mullite (ZTM) were joined with Ag-Cu eutectic braze alloys that contain Ti or Zr as active elements. Although neither the alloy compositions nor the processing conditions were optimized, four-point bends strengths of joined bars were as high as 108 MPa. Joining reactions were studied by conducting separate sessile drop experiments with molten Ti-Ag-Cu and Zr-Ag-Cu alloys on mullite for times and temperatures that were similar to those used for joining. Detailed compositional and microstructural analyses of those metal-ceramic interfaces revealed a complex reaction zone in which the oxide of the active element was a principal reaction product. Compared with the Ti-containing alloys, those with Zr were more refractory, they were less reactive with the mullite, and the Zr did not segregate as completely to the interface during heating.
Multiport network model for evaluating radiation loss and spurious coupling between discontinuities in microstrip circuits

A convenient method for evaluating radiation from microstrip discontinuities is presented. The multiport network model is used to find voltage distribution around discontinuity edges, and an equivalent magnetic current model is used to compute the external fields produced. For a 10- Omega -to-50- Omega step change ( epsilon /sub r/=2.2, h=0.79 mm) in width, the radiation loss at 10 GHz is 0.7 dB. For a 90 degrees bend in 50- Omega line on a 10-mil-thick substrate with epsilon /sub r/=2.2, the radiation loss at 40 GHz is 0.17 dB. Electromagnetic coupling between two discontinuities is evaluated by finding the currents induced by the field of one of the discontinuities at the location of the second discontinuity. It is noted that the multiport network model can be used for calculating radiation and coupling associated with complicated discontinuity configurations such as chamfered bends, compensated T-junctions, and cross-junctions. >
Is there concordance in attitudes and beliefs between parents and scientists about autism spectrum disorder

There is no reported investigation comparing concordance in attitudes and beliefs about autism spectrum disorder between parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and scientists who research autism spectrum disorder. To investigate the level of concordance between these groups on causes of autism, priorities of research, perceived stigma, and disclosure of genetic test results, telephone interviews were conducted. Parents (n = 502) were recruited from the Simons Simplex Collection, and research scientists (n = 60) were recruited from investigators funded by the Simons Foundation. Response rates were notable (parents 91%, scientists 80%). Parents and scientists differed significantly regarding beliefs of the likely major cause of autism (p = 0.007) and priorities for further research (p < 0.001). Scientists believed in genetic causes while many parents believed in vaccines as the cause of autism. Parents (37%) were more likely to hesitate vaccinating their child (p < 0.001). In contrast, there was strong concordance regarding extent of perceived stigma (95% vs 92%) and preferences for disclosure of genetic test results, including incidental findings. While scientists believed communication important, paradoxically fewer than half reported it important for scientists to communicate directly with parents. Better communication between parents and scientists should improve mutual understanding and ultimately the health and well-being of children with autism spectrum disorder and their families.
Group Intervention in Pediatric Rehabilitation

Group intervention in pediatric physical and occupational therapy is an alternative to individual intervention allowing the therapist to meet the needs of multiple children at one time. Survey rese...
Authenticity with authority figures and peers: Girls’ friendships, self-esteem, and depressive symptomatology:

The current study examined authenticity in relationships as a predictor of quality of friendship and psychological well-being in an ethnically diverse sample (N = 108) of 14-year-old girls. Using structural equation modeling, and examining authenticity in relationships in multiple contexts, authenticity in relationships predicted the quality of friendships and psychological well-being (self-esteem and depressive symptomatology). Approval and emotional social support from family members moderated the relationship between authenticity in relationships with authority figures and depressive symptomatology. Specifically, at low levels of authenticity, those with greater social support from family members had fewer depressive symptoms than those with lower levels of social support. This study’s results contribute to an understanding of authenticity in relationships from a relational and contextual perspective.
Individual, Family, and Peer predictors of Violence Among Samoan Adolescents:

This study explored individual, family, and peer predictors of involvement and psychological investment in fights among Samoan youth. Participants were 310 adolescents ages 13 through 19 living in ...
Hybrid nanomotor: a catalytically/magnetically powered adaptive nanowire swimmer.

A synthetic hybrid nanomotor, which combines chemically powered propulsion and magnetically driven locomotion, is described. The new catalytic–magnetic nanomotor consists of a flexible multisegment Pt-Au-Agflex-Ni nanowire, with the Pt-Au and Au-Agflex-Ni portions responsible for the catalytic and magnetic propulsion modes, respectively. The experimental data and theoretical considerations indicate that the hybrid design only minimally compromises the individual propulsion modes. Rapid and convenient switching from the catalytic to the magnetic mode is illustrated. The resulting catalytic–magnetic adaptive nanomotor can address the fuel depletion and salt limitation common to chemically powered motors by switching to magnetic propulsion. Reversal of the motion direction is also achieved upon applying the magnetic field. Such use of two sources to power a hybrid device offers a broader scope of operation and holds considerable promise for designing adaptive nanovehicles that reconfigure their operation in response to environmental changes or unexpected events.
Fatigue fractures in thoroughbred racehorses: relationships with age, peak bone strain, and training.

The North American Thoroughbred racehorse was chosen as a model to study the pathogenesis of fatigue failure of bone. This species has a high incidence of spontaneous fatigue failure of bone (bucked shins) during its early training. In vivo strain gauge studies of the third metacarpal bone o four young racehorses running at racing speeds showed high principal compressive strains [−4,841 ± 572 (SD) microstrain] while two older horses had lower principal compressive strains (−3,317 microstrain measured at racing speed, −3,250 microstrain extrapolated from a slower speed run). Previously reported intertial property measurements of the third metacarpal bone were related to the diffeence in bone strains seen in young and older horses. The high strains on the surface of the third metacarpal bone associated with young horses in training may lead to high strain, low cycle fatigue. The changing shape of the third metacarpal bone during maturation may be consistent with the lower strains recorded during high speed exercise in theo lder animals. This phenomenon may allow for the accumulation of additional strain cycles in older animals beore failure occurs.
Boranes in Functionalization of Dienes to Cyclic Ketones: Bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan‐9‐one

Boranes in functionalization of dienes to cyclic ketones: bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-one product: bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-one Keywords: annulation, carbocyclic-[M,N]; esterification, unsubstituted monobasic acids; halogenation, chlorination; oxidation, miscellaneous; rearrangements; assay methods, for butyllithium, with 2-butanol, menthol, 2-pentanol, or 2-propanol, 1,10-phenanthroline indicator; 1,5-cyclooctadiene; lithium triethylcarboxide; tetrahydrofuran; 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane; hydrogen peroxide; apparatus, for solution transfer in inert atmosphere; syringe needle, double-ended
The Sheppe and Hain study revisited: professional students and their knowledge and attitudes about human sexuality

Summary The professions of law and medicine exert a profound influence on sexual attitudes and behaviour in our society. Previous reported studies of legal and medical students found no differences in sexual knowledge for entering first-year students. However, in this study, a sample of 160 medical and seventy-nine law students revealed significant differences in knowledge and attitudes about sexuality. The data indicate that a gender-linked double standard of acceptable behaviour is not present. Results further reinforce the necessity of medical sex education.
Analyzing gene perturbation screens with nested effects models in R and bioconductor

Summary: Nested effects models (NEMs) are a class of probabilistic models introduced to analyze the effects of gene perturbation screens visible in high-dimensional phenotypes like microarrays or cell morphology. NEMs reverse engineer upstream/downstream relations of cellular signaling cascades. NEMs take as input a set of candidate pathway genes and phenotypic profiles of perturbing these genes. NEMs return a pathway structure explaining the observed perturbation effects. Here, we describe the package nem, an open-source software to efficiently infer NEMs from data. Our software implements several search algorithms for model fitting and is applicable to a wide range of different data types and representations. The methods we present summarize the current state-of-the-art in NEMs. Availability: Our software is written in the R language and freely avail-able via the Bioconductor project at http://www.bioconductor.org. Contact: rainer.spang@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
Discovering frequent patterns in sensitive data

Discovering frequent patterns from data is a popular exploratory technique in datamining. However, if the data are sensitive (e.g., patient health records, user behavior records) releasing information about significant patterns or trends carries significant risk to privacy. This paper shows how one can accurately discover and release the most significant patterns along with their frequencies in a data set containing sensitive information, while providing rigorous guarantees of privacy for the individuals whose information is stored there. We present two efficient algorithms for discovering the k most frequent patterns in a data set of sensitive records. Our algorithms satisfy differential privacy, a recently introduced definition that provides meaningful privacy guarantees in the presence of arbitrary external information. Differentially private algorithms require a degree of uncertainty in their output to preserve privacy. Our algorithms handle this by returning 'noisy' lists of patterns that are close to the actual list of k most frequent patterns in the data. We define a new notion of utility that quantifies the output accuracy of private top-k pattern mining algorithms. In typical data sets, our utility criterion implies low false positive and false negative rates in the reported lists. We prove that our methods meet the new utility criterion; we also demonstrate the performance of our algorithms through extensive experiments on the transaction data sets from the FIMI repository. While the paper focuses on frequent pattern mining, the techniques developed here are relevant whenever the data mining output is a list of elements ordered according to an appropriately 'robust' measure of interest.
In vivo repair of methylation damage in Aag 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase null mouse cells

3-Methyladenine (3MeA) DNA glycosylases initiate base excision repair by removing 3MeA. These glycosylases also remove a broad spectrum of spontaneous and environmentally induced base lesions in vitro. Mouse cells lacking the Aag 3MeA DNA glycosylase (also known as the Mpg, APNG or ANPG DNA glycosylase) are susceptible to 3MeA-induced S phase arrest, chromosome aberrations and apoptosis, but it is not known if Aag is solely responsible for repair of 3MeA in vivo. Here we show that in Aag–/– cells, 3MeA lesions disappear from the genome slightly faster than would be expected by spontaneous depurination alone, suggesting that there may be residual repair of 3MeA. However, repair of 3MeA is at least 10 times slower in Aag–/– cells than in Aag+/+ cells. Consequently, 24 h after exposure to [3H]MNU, 30% of the original 3MeA burden is intact in Aag–/– cells, while 3MeA is undetectable in Aag+/+ cells. Thus, Aag is the major DNA glycosylase for 3MeA repair. We also investigated the in vivo repair kinetics of another Aag substrate, 7-methylguanine. Surprisingly, 7-methylguanine is removed equally efficiently in Aag+/+ and Aag–/– cells, suggesting that another DNA glycosylase acts on lesions previously thought to be repaired by Aag.
Effect of carrier mobility on magnetothermoelectric transport properties of graphene

With a method to systematically tune the mobility of the same graphene devices, we have investigated the dependence of magnetothermoelectric transport properties of graphene on the carrier mobility. In a zero magnetic field, we find that, as the mobility increases, the Seebeck coefficient ${S}_{xx}$ exhibits a more pronounced diverging trend near the Dirac point. In an external magnetic field, regular oscillations in ${S}_{xx}$ are identified corresponding to quantized Landau levels. Only in high-mobility states does an extra pair of peaks and dips in ${S}_{xx}$ emerge near the Dirac point that persists, at least, to 150 K, and the sign of the peak/dip is reversed as the mobility increases. Based on the signatures in the electrical conductivity and the Hall conductance near the Dirac point, we argue that the extra peak/dip in ${S}_{xx}$ is associated with an insulating behavior. Furthermore, the main Nernst coefficient peak increases linearly as the mobility increases. Our magnetothermoelectric transport results reflect the contrast in the electronic properties of graphene between low and high carrier mobility states.
Psychometric Evaluation of Dietary Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectation Scales in Female College Freshmen

Lifestyle interventions commonly measure psychosocial beliefs as precursors to positive behavior change, but often overlook questionnaire validation. This can affect measurement accuracy if the survey has been developed for a different population, as differing behavioral influences may affect instrument validity. The present study aimed to explore psychometric properties of self-efficacy and outcome expectation scales-originally developed for younger children-in a population of female college freshmen (N = 268). Exploratory principal component analysis was used to investigate underlying data patterns and assess validity of previously published subscales. Composite scores for reliable subscales (Cronbach's α ≥ .70) were calculated to help characterize self-efficacy and outcome expectation beliefs in this population. The outcome expectation factor structure clearly comprised of positive (α = .81-.90) and negative outcomes (α = .63-.67). The self-efficacy factor structure included themes of motivation and effort (α = .75-.94), but items pertaining to hunger and availability cross-loaded often. Based on cross-loading patterns and low Cronbach's alpha values, respectively, self-efficacy items regarding barriers to healthy eating and negative outcome expectation items should be refined to improve reliability. Composite scores suggested that eating healthfully was associated with positive outcomes, but self-efficacy to do so was lower. Thus, dietary interventions for college students may be more successful by including skill-building activities to enhance self-efficacy and increase the likelihood of behavior change.