cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The developmental parameters of the minute brown scavenger beetle Dienerella argus (Coleoptera: Latridiidae): Poster

Adults and larvae of Dienerella argus (Reitter) (Coleoptera: Latridiidae) feed on fungi and are frequently found in indoor, moldy areas. The basic biology of this species, other than its feeding habits, has not been determined. In this study, the developmental parameters of the beetle were investigated using dried hyphae and conidia from three fungi that are common in living areas. The developmental periods of the beetle on Cladosporium cladosporioides, Penicillium citrinum, and P. decumbens were examined at 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 °C / 70–75 % RH under dark conditions. The low developmental threshold temperatures and thermal constants calculated from egg to adult emergence were 10.5 °C and 526 DD (degree day), 9.0 °C and 500 DD, and 10.9 °C and 370 DD on C. cladosporioides, P. citrinum, and P. decumbens, respectively. These developmental parameters indicate that these beetles can breed year-round in indoor areas that are in air-conditioned facilities.
Discussion of epidemic trend and control strategies of malaria in Jinan City from 1989 to 2013

Objective To explore the epidemic trend of malaria in Jinan City,so as to provide the evidence for improving the prevention and control of malaria. Methods The surveillance and annual report data of malaria were collected and analyzed epidemiologically in Jinan City from 1989 to 2013. Results The prevalence of malaria was low in Jinan City from 1989 to 2013.Totally 179 cases of malaria were reported,and 14 cases(7.82%)were locally infected and 165 cases(92.18%)were imported.Conclusion Most malaria cases were imported since the disease was basically eliminated in Jinan City. The overseas workers from high prevalence areas of malaria should be well managed.
Percutaneous Biliary Drain Complications in Transplanted versus Native Liver: A Comparative Retrospective Study

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the rate of complications of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drain in transplanted versus native livers. Materials and Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of all percutaneous transhepatic biliary drains completed at our institution from 2009 to 2018. Chart review of complications and interventions was recorded. Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare percutaneous transhepatic biliary drains performed in patients with liver transplants (n = 62) to those with native livers (n = 285). Results There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of complications of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drains in patients with liver transplants (61%) compared with those with native livers (13%), χ2(1) = 9.59, p Conclusion Complications including vascular injury, sepsis, bile leak, and worsening liver function after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drains occurred more commonly in patients with liver transplants versus native livers.
Abstract 1990: NF-kB and MAPK signaling pathways coordinate in supporting ovarian cancer relapse

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy in the US. Most patients initially respond to platinum-based chemotherapy; however, 70% of advanced stage tumors relapse. Recent studies suggest a minority population of primitive cells, termed tumor-initiating cells (TICs), resist chemotherapy and re-create heterogeneous tumors to cause relapse. Identifying the mechanisms that support this elusive population will be critical for preventing relapse. Work from our lab has identified a critical role for classical and alternative NF-kB transcription factors in supporting ovarian cancer progression. We have found that alternative transcription factor, RelB, maintains quiescent ovarian TICs, whereas classical transcription factor, RelA, maintains a proliferative subpopulation that may depend on MAPK/ERK. Presumably, both populations are required for efficient relapse. Here, we investigate activation of RelA in TICs and non-TICs to distinguish its role in maintaining proliferation and whether this process requires co-activation of MAPK/ERK. In RNA-Sequencing pathway analysis, we found that relative to TIC cultures, non-TIC cultures had increased proliferation pathways, which included MAPK genes: ERK2 and MEKK. These genes were significantly downregulated in RelA shRNA knockdown cells, implying RelA regulation. To further investigate RelA and RelB transcriptional regulation in TICs and non-TICs, we recently completed CHIP sequencing experiments and found that RelA exclusively regulated 1/3 of the total genes in non-TIC cultures, whereas RelB exclusively regulated 1/3 of the genes in TIC cultures. This data supported our previous findings implicating RelA in proliferation and RelB in quiescence and further implicate MAPK/ERK. Preliminary western blot data suggests an upregulation of the MAPK/ERK pathway in non-TIC cultures with RelB upregulation in TIC cultures. Additionally, we have established 100% RelA and RelB knockout CRISPR lines and stable RelA-RFP lines in OV90, OVCAR8, and ACI23 ovarian cancer cells and studies are underway to validate the role of these factors in TIC maintenance and in our established relapse model, where relapse occurs on average 21 days post-treatment. We expect that although only quiescent TICs will be remaining following chemotherapy, efficient relapse will also require a proliferative population dependent on RelA and MAPK/ERK. A better understanding of NF-kB signaling in TICs will guide the design for more effective therapies to overcome chemoresistance and relapse, and improve survival of women with ovarian cancer. Citation Format: Jacqueline Lara, Samuel Gilbert, Mikella Robinson, Jennifer Waters, Omar Lujano-Olazaba, Carrie House. NF-kB and MAPK signaling pathways coordinate in supporting ovarian cancer relapse [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1990.
Effects of Iodonium Analogs on Nadph Oxidase 1 in Human Colon Cancer Cells

Recent studies suggest that of the molecules postulated to function as inhibitors of the NADPH oxidase family of enzymes iodonium analogs known to broadly interfere with flavin dehydrogenase function demonstrate mechanistic validity as NADPH oxidase poisons. In recent work, we have produced a series of novel iodonium compounds as putative inhibitors of these oxidases. To evaluate the potential utility of two novel molecules with favorable chemical properties, NSC 740104 and NSC 751140, we compared effects of these compounds to the two standard inhibitors of this class, diphenyleneiodonium and di-2-thienyliodonium, with respect to antiproliferative, cell cycle, and gene expression effects in human colon cancer cells that require the function of NADPH oxidase 1. Both new agents blocked NADPH oxidase-related reactive oxygen production, inhibited tumor cell proliferation, produced a G1/S block in cell cycle progression, and inhibited NADPH oxidase 1 expression at the mRNA and protein levels at low nM concentrations in a fashion similar to or better than the parent molecules. These studies suggest that NSC 740104 and NSC 751140 should be developed further as mechanistic tools to better understand the role of NADPH oxidase inhibition as an approach to the development of novel therapeutic agents for colon cancer.
Language Processing in Atypical Development: Looking Below the Surface with MEG

Neurodevelopmental disorders like dyslexia and autism have witnessed an explosion of research in recent years, leading to detailed characterization of these conditions and paving the way for the identification of phenotypes. Common to both these disorders is an impairment of the language system. Deficits in phonological processing have been the single most consistent finding in individuals with dyslexia, affecting the acquisition of reading skills. In contrast, children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty using semantic information, evident in their idiosyncratic vocabulary and excessively literal interpretation of statements. However, as the term implies, ASD is associated with very heterogeneous profiles and poor language may be related to a broader deficit in social reciprocity and motivation. Regardless, given the important prognostic value of early language abilities in later developmental outcomes, there has been a tremendous drive to better understand the neurobiological basis of language impairments in developmental disorders. Over the years, a growing appreciation of the workings of the human brain has pushed to the forefront noninvasive neuroimaging. Methods like electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) are providing useful insights into connectivity patterns in the brain by yielding information about temporal coupling in the millisecond time scale across brain regions and frequency bands of neural oscillations. The resulting “spectral-temporal-spatial” patterns of brain activity, characteristic of different cognitive processes, are providing meaningful probes for use in neuroscience and genetic studies toward an improved understanding, assessment and treatment of developmental disorders.
Species differences in response to conspecific intruders in Callithrix jacchus and Saguinus oedipus

In this study, the first performed on two species of callitrichid primates under identical conditions, the responses elicited in newly mated individuals by conspecific intruders were compared in four pairs of Callithrix jacchusand four pairs of Saguinus oedipus.Intruders were systematically varied in terms of sex and the social context in which they were met. Clear sexual dimorphism was observed in the behavior of Saguinus oedipus,but the behavior of males and females was less dimorphic in Callithrix jacchus.Males and females of both species showed an increase in agonistic and display behavior in the presence of same-sex intruders, but the mode of behavior varied both with sex and species. Social facilitation, as indicated by increased frequencies of agonistic and display responses in the presence of a mate, was observed only in males of both species. Neither C. jacchusnor S. oedipusdisplayed clear evidence of a monogamous mating system like that of Callicebusor of a polygynous mating system like that of Saimiri.Observed differences in the responses to conspecifics between these two species in the laboratory may be explained by facultative differences in mating systems resulting from differences in ranging and foraging behavior under freeranging conditions.
Integration of background genome variation to dissect complex cardiovascular phenotypes (697.5)

The genetic underpinnings of cardiovascular (CV) disease are far more complex than originally imagined. Human genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified candidate genes, but to date have predicted only a small fraction of the genetic basis. Some of the “missing heritability” is likely due to the interaction of multiple genes and alleles contributing to the disease. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of two complete comsomic rat panels provides the foundation to analyze the influence of genetic background on CV traits. Phenotyping of PhysGen consomic strains, developed by introgressing Brown Norway (BN) chromosomes onto the Salt-Sensitive (SS) or Fawn Hooded Hypertensive (FHH) backgrounds, identified consomic strains in introgressed BN chromosomes alter phenotypes on only one genomic background or under only one environmental condition. Introgression of BN chromosome 1 differentially regulates left ventricle infarct size following ischemia on SS and FHH backgrounds. HIF pathway genes on ...
Total Dose Radiation Damage: A Simulation Framework

TCAD has been a useful tool for device design for decades. Radiation damage of devices requires accurate simulation of how charges move and are trapped, and the trap populations. This paper describes a simulation capability for these classes of problems and provides examples demonstrating its usefulness for investigation of device failure.
Inhibition of Oxygen Utilization and Destruction of Ubiquinone by Ultraviolet Irradiation of Thiobacillus thiooxidans

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation inhibited sulfur oxidation by cells of Thiobacillus thiooxidans. Sulfur-oxidizing activity decreased as the exposure time to UV light increased. A loss of the ability of cells of fix CO(2) paralleled the loss of sulfur-oxidizing activity. UV light photoinactivated ubiquinone purified from T. thiooxidans. The same percentage of sulfur-oxidizing activity and ubiquinone was destroyed after 15 min of UV exposure. Both the photoinactivation of sulfur oxidation and ubiquinone followed first-order reaction kinetics. The specific rate constants for both photoinactivations were nearly equal. Cells completely inactivated by UV light contained no ubiquinone. Ubiquinone was found to be a component of the cell wall-membrane complex.
A review of the design considerations of replacement drive system installation

This paper reports options and decisions that were involved prior to and during installation and initial operation of the A.C. Drive on Paper Machine #2 at the Weyerhaeuser Company, Springfield, Oregon USA mill. Several questions will be answered. Why was the drive replaced? How did the DC versus AC drive decision get made? How were specifications developed and what were the specific considerations? What are some of the highlights of material procurement? Were there special considerations for equipment installation? What pitfalls surfaced during startup? Does operating experience prove the overall program? It is the author's fundamental intent to focus on the decision-making process rather than the case history of the project. An attempt will be made to present the decision making processes in graphic flowchart form.
Fairy dust, secrets, and the real world [computer security]

Computation must exist in the physical world. Security designs that require secrets must hide and use them in the real world. Unfortunately, the real world offers more paths to secret storage and more observable computational artifacts than these security designs anticipate. Careful integration of physical defenses and security architecture can sometimes succeed against the adversary class designers consider. However, in the long term, we hope for either a quantum leap in physically defensible technology-or a significant reduction in the properties that designs force us to assume about our computers.
Fmeter: extracting indexable low-level system signatures by counting kernel function calls

System monitoring tools serve to provide operators and developers with an insight into system execution and an understanding of system behavior under a variety of scenarios. Many system abnormalities leave a significant impact on the system execution which may arise out of performance issues, bugs, or errors. Having the ability to quantify and search such behavior in the system execution history can facilitate new ways of looking at problems. For example, operators may use clustering to group and visualize similar system behaviors. We propose a monitoring system that extracts formal, indexable, low-level system signatures using the classical vector space model from the field of information retrieval and text mining. We drive an analogy between the representation of kernel function invocations with terms within text documents. This parallel allows us to automatically index, store, and later retrieve and compare the system signatures. As with information retrieval, the key insight is that we need not rely on the semantic information in a document. Instead, we consider only the statistical properties of the terms belonging to the document (and to the corpus), which enables us to provide both an efficient way to extract signatures at runtime and to analyze the signatures using statistical formal methods. We have built a prototype in Linux, Fmeter, which extracts such low-level system signatures by recording all kernel function invocations. We show that the signatures are naturally amenable to formal processing with statistical methods like clustering and supervised machine learning.
Analysis of biological thiols: Determination of thiol components of disulfides and thioesters

This report describes a method for using selective cleavage of thioesters to allow differentiation between thioesters and disulfides. The method identifies thiol components (including glutathione, coenzyme A, and cysteine) of low-molecular-weight thioesters and disulfides in cell extracts, as well as thiols bound to protein via thioester or disulfide links. Thioesters were cleaved with 200 mM hydroxylamine under a nitrogen atmosphere in the presence of monobromobimane (mBBr), which forms a fluorescent derivative with the released thiol. For analysis of disulfides, thioesters were cleaved with hydroxylamine in the presence of N-ethylmaleimide to block released thiols: disulfides were then reduced with 10 mM dithiothreitol and subsequently labeled with mBBr. The bimane derivatives were identified and quantified using previously described HPLC methods (G. L. Newton, R. Dorian, and R. C. Fahey, 1981, Anal. Biochem. 114, 383-387). Traditional methods using dithiothreitol and sodium borohydride to cleave disulfides can also cleave thioesters and thus should not be used for specific analysis of disulfides.
Sex differences and the overlap in youths' risk factors for onset of violence and gang involvement

Risk factors for general delinquency have been examined in numerous studies, but fewer studies have sought to identify factors specifically related to youth violence and an even smaller number of studies have focused upon youths' gang involvement or comparing patterns by sex. Comparison of findings from studies of violence risk factors to studies of gang risk factors suggests that a number of the same factors underlie both, but the extent of overlap has not often been examined in the same study. If the two behaviors share a common set of factors, more general prevention efforts may prove fruitful in reducing youths' involvement in both behaviors, while more specific programs or components may be necessary if more unique than shared predictors are found. In this study, we therefore examine the extent to which youths' early-adolescent onset of involvement in gangs and in violent behavior are related to the same proximal risk factors and the extent to which risk factors for these behaviors are shared between...
The Fisher effect: Reprise

Abstract A nonstationary ex ante real interest rate implies that the Fisher effect should be recast as a long-run equilibrium relationship between the expected inflation component of the nominal interest rate and actual inflation. The paper tests for cointegration between the quarterly inflation rate and the expectation of inflation extracted from the three-months Treasury bill rate. The test results indicate that these variables were cointegral during the sample period 1959:i-1993:iv.
Alternative Estimates of the Effect of Family Structure during Adolescence on High School Graduation

Abstract Many studies have reported significant empirical associations between family structure during childhood and children's outcomes later in life. It may be that living in a nonintact family has adverse consequences for children. On the other hand, it may be that some unobserved process jointly determines family structure and children's outcomes. How then should one interpret the empirical evidence on the relationship between family structure and children's outcomes? The answer depends on the question asked and on the prior information available to the researcher. We seek to interpret the association between family structure and high school graduation found among respondents in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth. We seek to answer the traditional question of the literature on treatment effects: How would the probability of high school graduation vary with family structure if family structure were not selected by parents but were, instead, an exogenously assigned “treatment,” as in a clinical tr...
How can spirals persist

The image of a spiral galaxy is one of the most tantalizing images in nature. It demands that we ask: why do so many galaxies present this morphology? We currently have two main schools of thought concerning galaxy morphology, one based on gravitational effects and the other based on electromagnetic effects. The older gravitational models can explain how spirals might form, but they also predict that the spirals would quickly disintegrate. And the observed pervasiveness of spirals seems to imply not only their formation, but also their persistence over time. The newer plasma cosmology model is an improvement in that it explains how spirals might form and persist so long as plasma persists. But the formation of charge-neutral stars seems to return the scenario to the gravitational domain, and to subsequent dissolution. Clearly we need an additional idea to account for pervasive and persistent spiral galaxy structure. The present paper attempts to uncover a previously unrecognized gravitational mechanism that can serve as a viable candidate for sustaining persistent spiral galaxy structure.
Mexican Manuscript Painting of the Early Colonial Period: The Metropolitan Schools

Reprint of the Yale U. Press original (Yale Historical Publications. History of Art, v.12) of 1959 with a new (8 p.) foreword by Elizabeth H. Boone. The Yale edition is cited in BCL3. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
Abnormal regulation of DDB2 gene expression in xeroderma pigmentosum group E strains.

A damage-specific DNA binding protein (DDB) activity is absent from a subset (DDB−) of cells from individuals initially classified as group E of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a hereditary, photosensitive disease with a high incidence of skin malignancies. In these cases, mutations have been identified in the DDB2 gene (DDB2−) that codes for the small subunit, p48, of the DDB heterodimer. In four DDB2−strains, neither p48 nor DDB activity were observed before or after UV-irradiation, despite an unusually strong up-regulation of DDB2 mRNA levels after UV-irradiation. In a fifth strain, XP82TO, p48 was detectable and both DDB2 mRNA and p48 levels were more up-regulated after UV-irradiation than in normal primary cells. Moreover, DDB activity also became apparent after irradiation. XP82TO showed very mild clinical manifestations compared with the other DDB− patients. These results, coupled with our findings that most, if not all DDB+ cells classified as XP-E were misclassified, suggests a direct correlation between DDB2 levels and the XP-E phenotype.
Air-to-ground lasercom system demonstration design overview and results summary

We present an overview of an air-to-ground laser communications demonstration performed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Error-free communication at 2.5 Gb/s was demonstrated along a 25-km slant path between a 1-in transmit aperture on an aircraft at 12 kft altitude and ground terminal with 4 separate 1-cm receivers. Power fluctuations from turbulence-induced scintillation are mitigated in the spatial domain by use of the multiple ground receivers and in the time domain by the use of forward error correction and interleaving. The optical terminals are monitored by multiple high-rate sensors which allow us to quantify total system performance.
The Role of Technology in Mediating Use of Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Services

ABSTRACT This study examined the relationship between Connect, a telephone-based information and support system, and the use of outpatient substance abuse treatment services. Regression models were formulated to examine the relationship between use of substance abuse treatment services and Connect. The results indicate that Connect use was not significantly related to the likelihood of using treatment (N = 240). However, an inverse relationship was found between Connect and use of treatment services (n = 123). The findings raise the conceptual issue of whether one introduces technology as an “add-on” to or as a “substitute for” traditional substance abuse treatment services.
Interpersonal understanding and moral judgment in adolescents with emotional and cognitive disorders

Among a group of emotionally disturbed adolescents, those adolescents who were socially engaged showed higher levels of moral judgment and interpersonal understanding than socially withdrawn adolescents. Severity of disturbance and intelligence level were unrelated to the measures of social and moral understanding. These findings suggest that social involvement is particularly critical for the development of social and moral judgment.
CNTFET SRAM cell design with tolerance to metallic CNTs

In this study we present a metallic carbon nanotube (CNT) tolerant CNTFET memory. The proposed scheme includes a number of uncorrelated (independent) CNTs in series to form CNTFETs provides tolerance to metallic CNTs. To increase driving capabilities parallel (correlated) transistors are used. In addition spare columns are used to increase the memory array yield. An extremely high probability of having a functional memory array can be obtained with a modest semiconductor CNT probability (P semi ) of 90% and four uncorrelated transistors in series. The probability of having a functional 16×16 memory array is 90.27%, 99.48%, 99.98% and 100% with 0, 1, 2, and 4 spare columns, respectively.
Strength increase in the coarse-grained heat-affected zone of a high-strength, blast-resistant steel after post-weld heat treatment

Abstract The microstructure and precipitation behaviors in the coarse-grained heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) of a blast-resistant steel during post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) were investigated. It was found that using PWHT at 650 °C for 1 h is beneficial for the strength recovery in the softened CGHAZ in the as-welded condition. This is attributed to the re-precipitation of strengthening phases during the PWHT process that are dissolved in the CGHAZ during heating to the high temperature and do not re-precipitate completely during cooling. The strength change in the CGHAZ is therefore related with the change in microstructure after PWHT and rationalized by the model used in the present study.
Effects of ethanol on punished and nonpunished responding under conditions of equated reinforcement rates and similar response rates.

Abstract Lever pressing by pairs of rats was maintained under random-ratio (first subject) and yoked-interval (second subject) schedules of food presentation. The inter-reinforcement intervals generated under the ratio schedule comprised the interval values for the second (yoked) subject. This arrangement yielded nearly equivalent rates of food presentation for each subject pair. For the first rat of each pair a random-ratio schedule of shock presentation was added to the ratio schedule of food presentation. This manipulation resulted in similar rates of punished (first rat) and nonpunished (second rat) responding within subject pairs. Ethanol administration (0.25–1.5 g/kg) generally resulted in dose-related decreases in both punished and nonpunished responding. In general, punishment-specific effects were not obtained. These results suggest that ethanol may not be as effective as chlordiazepoxide or pentobarbital in increasing punished responding even when the effects of baseline response and reinforcement rates are controlled.
Propagation of longitudinal waves in a random binary rod

Propagation of waves in a composite elastic rod consisting of rods with alternating properties of random length is considered. We calculate exactly the Lyapunov exponent and find its short and long wave asymptotics. Finally, we discuss conditions for propagation and localization of waves in a binary random medium.
Syntectonic Recrystallization of Olivine and Modes of Flow in the Upper Mantle

Olivine in dunite, peridotite, and olivine powder has been recrystallized syntectonically during compression tests at temperatures from 950°C to 1350°C, confining pressures from 5 to 30 kb, and strain rates from 10 −3 to 10 −8 /sec. For intragranular recrystallization of the dunite, the orientations of the new grains are controlled by the host orientation. For inter-granular recrystallization and total recrystallization of the dunite and of olivine powder, the orientations of the grains are controlled dominantly by the stress. The fabric produced over the entire range of physical conditions is a [010] maximum parallel to σ 1 and [001] and [100] girdles in the σ 2 = σ 3 plane. With few exceptions, and allowances for the experimental requirement that σ 2 = σ 3 , fabrics in olivine tectonites are similar to those produced experimentally. Such probable upper mantle source materials as ultramafic nodules in diamond-bearing kimberlites and in under-saturated basalts and “Alpine-type” peridotites show these same preferred orientations. We propose, therefore, that Syntectonic recrystallization is an important or dominant mode of flow in the upper mantle at temperatures above about 500°C. The implications of this conclusion, as they bear on seismicity and seismic anisotropy, are considered in light of the two most seriously regarded hypotheses advanced to explain motions of spreading plates of the lithosphere.
Reliability Modeling Using SHARPE

Combinatorial models such as fault trees and reliability block diagrams are efficient for model specification and often efficient in their evaluation. But it is difficult, if not impossible, to allow for dependencies (such as repair dependency and near-coincident-fault type dependency), transient and intermittent faults, standby systems with warm spares, and so on. Markov models can capture such important system behavior, but the size of a Markov model can grow exponentially with the number of components in this system. This paper presents an approach for avoiding the large state space problem. The approach uses a hierarchical modeling technique for analyzing complex reliability models. It allows the flexibility of Markov models where necessary and retains the efficiency of combinatorial solution where possible. Based on this approach a computer program called SHARPE (Symbolic Hierarchical Automated Reliability and Performance Evaluator) has been written. The hierarchical modeling technique provides a very flexible mechanism for using decomposition and aggregation to model large systems; it allows for both combinatorial and Markov or semi-Markov submodels, and can analyze each model to produce a distribution function. The choice of the number of levels of models and the model types at each level is left up to the modeler. Component distribution functions can be any exponential polynomial whose range is between zero and one. Examples show how combinations of models can be used to evaluate the reliability and availability of large systems using SHARPE.
A Case of Primary Pericardial Hemagiopericytoma

Intracardiac hemangiopericytomas are rare tumors which originates from the pericyte in the external wall of capillaries. 1 The tumors are known to usually develop in the lower extremities, pelvic cavity and retroperito- neum, 2 but are very rare in the heart. 3 The symptoms and signs of a hemagiopericytoma depend on the size and location of the tumor. 2 A hemagiopericytoma has a high potential for local recurrence and metastasis, so regular follow-up is needed following surgical excision. 2 A 36-year-old man presented with shortness of breath and chest discomfort. Before operating, a chest CT scan showed that a compressive collapse of the left lung had developed next to a large mediastinal tumor. Because of impending respiratory failure due to collapse of the left lung, an operation was performed. The operation showed that the mediastinal tumor was a large loculated hemopericardium accompanied by pericardial bleeding. A hematoma evacuation with a pericardiectomy was performed, and the pathology of the thickened pericardial wall revealed a malignant hemangiopericytoma. The patient has followed up for 6 months without symptoms or sign of tumor recurrence following the radiation therapy. (Korean Circulation J 2002;32(10 :922-926
Automethylation of protein (d-aspartyl/l-isoaspartyl) carboxyl methyltransferase, a response to enzyme aging

A question that is central to understanding the mechanisms of aging and cellular deterioration is whether enzymes involved in recognition and metabolism of spontaneously damaged proteins are themselves damaged, either becoming substrates for their own activity; or being unable to act upon themselves, initiating cascades of cellular damage. We show here byin vitro experiments that protein (d-aspartyl/l-isoaspartyl) carboxyl methyltransferase (PCM) from bovine erythrocytes does methylate age-dependent amino acid damage in its own sequence. The subpopulation that is methylated, termed theαPCM fraction, appears to be formed through age-dependent deamidation of an asparaginyl site to either anl-isoaspartyl ord-aspartyl site because (a) the stoichiometry of automethylation of purified PCM is less than 1%, a value typical of the substoichiometric methylation of many other aged protein substrates, (b)αPCM is slightly more acidic than the bulk of PCM, and (c) the methyl esterified site inαPCM has the characteristic base-lability of this type of methyl ester. Also, the methyl group is not incorporated into the enzyme as an active site intermediate because the incorporated methyl group is not chased onto substrate protein. The effect of enzyme dilution on the rate of the automethylation reaction is consistent with methylation occurring between protein molecules, showing that the pool of PCM is autocatalytic even though individual molecules may not be. The automethylation and possible self-repair of the PCM pool has implications for maintaining thein vivo efficiency of methylation-dependent protein repair.
Diamond‐Coated Silicon Carbide Whiskers

Colloidal techniques have been used to seed SiC whiskers with submicrometer-sized diamond particles. The diamond and SiC particulates are co-suspended in an aqueous medium and cast to form highly porous bodies. Electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition is used to grow dense, polycrystalline diamond coatings on the seeded whiskers. The low packing density of the cast green bodies allows for infiltration of the growth zone beneath the exposed surface. Electron microscopy is used to estimate the coating thickness and depth of growth infiltration.
Feedback Controlled Colloidal Self-Assembly

Colloidal self-assembly provides one promising route to fabricate spatially periodic meta-materials with novel properties important to a number of emerging technologies. However, colloidal assembly is generally initiated via irreversible step-changes and proceeds along unspecified, non-equilibrium kinetic pathways with little opportunity to manipulate defects or reconfigure microstructures. Here, a conceptually new approach that enables the use of feedback control to quantitatively and reversibly guide the dynamic evolution of colloid ensembles between disordered fluid and crystalline configurations is demonstrated. The key to this approach is the use of free energy landscape models to inform feedback control laws that close the loop between real-time sensing (via order parameters) and actuation (via tunable electrical potentials). This approach, which demonstrates controlled assembly to create ordered materials and perform active reconfiguration, is based on chemical physics that suggest it can be generalized to other microscopic processes.
All in the family: the realignment of American democracy since the 1960s

For nearly three decades, scholars such as Thomas and Mary Edsall, William Chafe, Matthew Lassiter, and Joseph Crespino have attributed the transformation of American politics since the 1960s to co...
Chemical composition of tobacco budworm eggs during development

Abstract 1. 1. The protein, carbohydrate, and lipid composition were analyzed in eggs of Heliothis virescens during four developmental periods: 0, 24, 48 and 65 hr (pre-eclosion). Dry weights of individual eggs decreased from 24.6 μg to 15.7 μg/egg during the 65 hr period. 2. 2. Protein did not decrease significantly while carbohydrates (largely glycogen) decreased from 10.6 to 3.1% of the dry weight and lipids decreased from 16.6% of the dry weight to 8.1%. Glycerophospholipids did not change significantly while triacylglycerols decreased dramatically. 3. 3. The fatty acyl composition did not follow the same compositional profile as the diet. 4. 4. The major fatty acyls were C16:0, C18:1 and C18:2, while those in the diets were C16:0, C18:0, C18:2 and C18:3. 5. 5. Each egg utilized for catabolism 0.7 μg protein, 2.13 μg carbohydrate and 2.57 μg of lipid which account, respectively, for 8.3, 24.8 and 66.9% of the egg's energy expenditure.
Towards a Formal Basis for the Formal Development Method and the Ina Jo Specification Language

In carrying out SDC's Formal Development Method, one writes a specification of a system under design in the Ina Jo™ specification language and proves that the specification meets the requirements of the system. This paper develops an abstract machine model of what is specified by a level specification in an Ina Jo specification. It describes the state as defined by the front matter, computations as defined by initial states and transforms, and invariants, criteria, and constraints as properties of computations. The paper then describes a number of formal design methods and the kinds of abstractions that they require. For each of these kinds of abstractions, there is a characteristic relationship between refinements that should be proved as one is carrying out the method.
Structure of inorganic pyrophosphatase from Staphylococcus aureus reveals conformational flexibility of the active site.

Cytoplasmic inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPiase) is an enzyme essential for survival of organisms, from bacteria to human. PPiases are divided into two structurally distinct families: family I PPiases are Mg(2+)-dependent and present in most archaea, eukaryotes and prokaryotes, whereas the relatively less understood family II PPiases are Mn(2+)-dependent and present only in some archaea, bacteria and primitive eukaryotes. Staphylococcus aureus (SA), a dangerous pathogen and a frequent cause of hospital infections, contains a family II PPiase (PpaC), which is an attractive potential target for development of novel antibacterial agents. We determined a crystal structure of SA PpaC in complex with catalytic Mn(2+) at 2.1A resolution. The active site contains two catalytic Mn(2+) binding sites, each half-occupied, reconciling the previously observed 1:1 Mn(2+):enzyme stoichiometry with the presence of two divalent metal ion sites in the apo-enzyme. Unexpectedly, despite the absence of the substrate or products in the active site, the two domains of SA PpaC form a closed active site, a conformation observed in structures of other family II PPiases only in complex with substrate or product mimics. A region spanning residues 295-298, which contains a conserved substrate binding RKK motif, is flipped out of the active site, an unprecedented conformation for a PPiase. Because the mutant of Arg295 to an alanine is devoid of activity, this loop likely undergoes an induced-fit conformational change upon substrate binding and product dissociation. This closed conformation of SA PPiase may serve as an attractive target for rational design of inhibitors of this enzyme.
Right Ureteral Injury After Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation is a common procedure to treat atrial fibrillation. We describe a patient without a urologic history who had immediate abdominal pain after this treatment. Computed tomography scan and cystoscopy/retrograde pyelography confirmed a right proximal ureteral injury with urinary extravasation. The patient was treated with right ureteral stent placement and urethral catheter drainage. This case appears to be the first report of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation complicated by spontaneous ureteral injury related to blunt injury during manipulation of the transseptal sheaths or intracardiac catheters.
Guardians of tradition : presentations of inclusion in three introductory special education textbooks

Textbooks contain information. They also contain attitudes, beliefs and values that are conveyed covertly through a variety of mechanisms such as the use of language, the choice of topic inclusion or exclusion, the focus on certain aspects of an issue, the simultaneous omission of other aspects, and other strategies. This paper analyses discussions of inclusion and ‘full’ inclusion in three best‐selling textbooks in the US college market. To analyse the texts, I employ Brantlinger’s method of ideological critique, which applied Thompson’s strategies of symbolic construction. Implications highlight the responsibility of teacher educators: (1) to analyse their course material for ideological underpinnings; (2) to teach future educators to develop a critical consciousness; (3) to model how to consider issues from a range of perspectives; and (4) to provide opportunities for future teachers to develop the habit of listening to the viewpoints of people with disabilities and their families.
Revised model calculations for the thermal histories of ordinary chondrite parent bodies

— Recent measurements of ordinary chondrite physical and thermal properties along with new geothermometry studies have provided the necessary parameters for updating a previously proposed model (Miyamoto et al., 1981) for the thermal evolution and internal structure of ordinary chondrite parent bodies. Model calculations assumed a heat source term derived from the decay of 26Al (justification is provided). Differences from the previous model include: varying the thermal diffusivity parameter with increasing temperature (and decreasing porosity), using variable physical and thermal parameters to provide end member models, and incorporating a shortened thermal history of 60 Ma (obtained from new Pb-Pb chronology of phosphates) rather than 100 Ma. Times of isotopic closure in chondrite phosphates overlap the thermal model estimates, and postmetamorphic cooling rates from the model approximately coincide, in both trend and magnitude, with metallographic and fission track cooling rate data. Model calculations attempt to match peak metamorphic conditions in the central portions of these bodies and yield accretion ages between 1.4 to 3.1 Ma after calcium-aluminum inclusion (CAI) formation. Model calculations also predict that both the H and the L chondrite parent asteroids consisted of ∼80% equilibrated and 20% unequilibrated chondritic material and that their original radii ranged from 80 to 95 km.
Microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis utilizing N-Fmoc-protected (α-aminoacyl)benzotriazoles

A novel microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis utilizing N-Fmoc-protected(alpha-aminoacyl)benzotriazoles was applied in the preparation of tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, and heptapeptides in 71% average crude yield.
Phosphorus losses from agricultural watersheds in the Mississippi Delta.

Phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural fields is of environmental concern because of its potential impact on water quality in streams and lakes. The Mississippi Delta has long been known for its fish productivity and recreational value, but high levels of P in fresh water can lead to algal blooms that have many detrimental effects on natural ecosystems. Algal blooms interfere with recreational and aesthetic water use. However, few studies have evaluated P losses from agricultural watersheds in the Mississippi Delta. To better understand the processes influencing P loss, rainfall, surface runoff, sediment, ortho-P (orthophosphate, PO4eP), and total P (TP) were measured (water years 1996e2000) for two subwatersheds (UL1 and UL2) of the Deep Hollow Lake Watershed and one subwatershed of the Beasley Lake Watershed (BL3) primarily in cotton production in the Mississippi Delta. Ortho-P concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 1.0 mg/L with a mean of 0.17 mg/L at UL1 (17.0 ha), 0.36 mg/L at UL2 (11.2 ha) and 0.12 mg/L at BL3 (7.2 ha). The TP concentrations ranged from 0.14 to 7.9 mg/L with a mean of 0.96 mg/L at UL1, 1.1 mg/L at UL2 and 1.29 mg/L at BL3. Among the three sites, UL1 and UL2 received P application in October 1998, and BL3 received P applications in the spring of 1998 and 1999. At UL1, ortho-P concentrations were 0.36, 0.25 and 0.16 for the first, second and third rainfall events after P application, respectively; At UL2, ortho-P concentrations were 1.0, 0.66 and 0.65 for the first, second and third rainfall events after P application, respectively; and at BL3, ortho-P concentrations were 0.11, 0.22 and 0.09 for the first, second and third rainfall events after P application, respectively. P fertilizer application did influence P losses, but high P concentrations observed in surface runoff were not always a direct result of P fertilizer application or high rainfall. Application of P in the fall (UL1 and UL2) resulted in more ortho-P losses, likely because high rainfall often occurred in the winter months soon after application. The mean ortho-P concentrations were higher at UL1 and UL2 than those at BL3, although BL3 received more P application during the monitoring period, because P was applied in spring at BL3. However, tillage associated with planting and incorporating applied P in the spring (BL3) may have resulted in more TP loss in sediment, thus the mean TP concentration was the highest at BL3. Ortho-P loss was correlated with surface runoff; and TP loss was correlated with sediment loss. These results indicate that applying P fertilizer in the spring may be recommended to reduce potential ortho-P loss during the fallow winter season; in addition, conservation practices may reduce potential TP loss associated with soil loss. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
The Synthesis and Properties of the Inverse Opals Structure Used in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

In this paper, the inverse opal structures used in dye-sensitized solar cells were prepared by Sol-Gel method. The TiO2 inverse opal photonic crystal was formed by coating glass slices using dip-coating process. The structure, surface morphology and the optical properties were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet spectrograph (UV-is). The structural characteristics of the films were investigated by the SEM showed that inverse opal titanium dioxide could trap electrons, thus enhance the photoelectric current in the dye-sensitized solar cells. By use of the inverse opals into TiO2 photo anodes with the screen printing method, I-V testing measurement showed that the highest photoelectric conversion efficiency is 1.2%. And the best preparation process of inverse opal titanium dioxide is using Ti (OC4H9)4 as precursor, ethanol as the solvent, nitric acid as inhibitor, and dipping-lift number for 3 times. The result of the test showed that this inverse opals structure has the most appropriate thickness and the optimal performance. Based on the research, the results indicate that the TiO2 inverse opals structure could apply in dye-sensitized solar cells.
Teaching the social aspects of clothing in an online course

With the increasing importance of fashion-related web resources and e-commerce, providing online course options has several advantages. In addition to allowing students to be better equipped to understand and work with web-based fashion content, online delivery provides both students and instructors with greater flexibility. Collaborations with international partners (e.g. educational institutions and fashion industries) can also be more easily managed through online courses. In this paper, we describe the development, implementation and evaluation of an online Social Aspects of Clothing course. We provide example discussion topics as well as describe specific projects used in the course. Issues pertaining to the conversion of a traditional course to online delivery are also discussed. At the end of the course, a total of 54 undergraduate students completed an online evaluation survey to assess its strengths and weaknesses. Student evaluative feedback of the structure, design and implementation of the cou...