cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Germinal Inheritance of Epigenetic Information in Plants

Germinally transmissible variants that arise by the anomalous imposition of developmental information on the genome are not uncommon in plant genetics, although they are often ignored. Better understanding of such variants is believed to be important because they appear to reflect basic features of developmental control processes. This paper briefly reviews classical genetic studies of such variants in plants, then discusses recent work on the genetic behaviour of plant transgenes, the results of which parallel and extend the classical genetic studies of these phenomena. An attempt is made to explain the molecular basis of these phenomena in terms of modern hypotheses on the dynamic organization of chromatin.
Comment on the reported observation of the “raman spectrum of the phenoxy radical” in stopped flow experiments

Pulse radiolysis studies show that phenoxyl radical reacts at diffusion controlled rates. Concentrations on the time scale of stopped flow experiments cannot be substantially above 10-5 M so that in the absence of resonance enhancement the Raman spectrum reported by Shindo and Hiraishi cannot be assigned to phenoxyl radical.
Research on soluble metal sulfides: from polysulfido complexes to functional models for the hydrogenases.

Results from this laboratory are surveyed, emphasizing the synthesis of metal sulfides. Four themes are described. Continuing studies exploit the exothermic desulfurization of polysulfido complexes as a means to generate new clusters and rings. Illustrative inorganic rings prepared in this way include 1,5-[L2M]2(S3)2 and 1,4-[L2M]2(S2)2, where L2M = CpRu(PPh3) and Cp2Ti. Fundamentally new clusters prepared in this project included the cubanes [(C5R5)MS]4 for M = Ti, V, Ru, Ir. Associated redox studies led to the discovery of the phenomenon of mobile metal−metal bonds, as manifested in [Cp*4Ir4S4]2+ wherein the localized Ir−Ir bond migrates over the six Ir- - -Ir edges of the cluster. Other desulfurization experiments led to the preparation of the reactive species IrII2S2(PPh3)4 from [IrS16]3- and the synthesis of the first high polymers of ferrocene, [(RC5H3S)2Fe]n (n ∼ 500). A second theme uncovered the useful role of donor solvents on the reaction of metals with sulfur. It was found that pyridine accele...
Uptake of cyanocobalamin by Escherichia coli B: some characteristics and evidence for a binding protein.

Abstract Tritiated cyanocobalamin ([3H]cyano-B12) uptake was maximal at pH 6.0–8.0, required phosphate buffer, was proportional to the cell concentration, was inhibited reversibly by Tris+, and was markedly temperature dependent (optimal, 37–47 °). Starved cells showed a 3–4-fold dependency on glucose and their glucose-dependent uptake was decreased by certain inhibitors of energy metabolism. However, the primary role of glucose in uptake may be to maintain cell wall structure rather than to supply chemical energy for transport per se. The Km for [3H]cyano-B12 uptake was 1.0 × 10−8 m and the Vmax was 2.3 pmoles/min/mg of dry cell wt. Unchanged [3H]-cyano-B12 is the major cobalamin after 5 min of uptake. Treatment with Tris-EDTA reduced the initial uptake rate by 40–50%, but osmotic shock decreased it an additional 5–8-fold. No detectable 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine B12 methyltransferase was released by osmotic shock. However, treatment with Tris-EDTA alone, as well as osmotic shock, did release from the cells a heat-labile, ammonium sulfate-precipitable, binding protein. By gel filtration, its molecular weight and Stokes radius were 22,000 and 15.6 A, respectively. A very large binder (mol wt >200,000) was also found in Tris-EDTA and shock fluids.The 4 ° dissociation constant for the reversible complexes between [3H]cyano-B12 and both binders was 0.6 × 10−8 m . At 31 ° it was 0.5 × 10−8 m .
Catalytic head assembling protein in virus morphogenesis

About 250 molecules of a ‘scaffolding protein’, not found in mature phage, catalyse the assembly of about 420 coat protein subunits into a precursor shell containing both proteins: in concert with DNA encapsulation, all the scaffolding molecules exit from the precursor shell to take part in further rounds of the same process.
The life cycle of Eimeria dispersa Tyzzer, 1929 in turkeys.

SYNOPSIS. The life cycle of a turkey strain of Eimeria dispersa Tyzzer was studied in Beltsville Small White turkeys. There were 4 asexual generations. Mature schizonts of the first generation were present 30 h postinoculation (PI); those of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations were present 48, 72, and 96 h PI, respectively. Average size of schizonts and number and size of merozoites for each generation were as follows: first, 14.3 × 13.0 μm with 19.2 merozoites, each 4.5 × 1.2 μm; second, 8.0 × 7.2 μm with 13.5 merozoites, each 4.5 × 1.1 μm; third, 8.9 × 8.9 μm with 15.1 merozoites, each 5.6 × 2.1 μm; fourth, 11.6 × 10.5 μm with 6.7 merozoites, each 8.2 × 2.0 μm. Sporozoites and developmental stages of the first generation were in close association with an epithelial cell nucleus and located between the brush border and the “row” of epithelial cell nuclei; developmental stages of the other 3 generations were not associated with a nucleus and were located just under the brush border. Early macrogametes and microgametocytes were present 96 h PI. Development was confined to the epithelial cells of the villus and extended from the tip of the villus to ∼ 1/2 the distance down the sides in all areas of the intestine except the cecum. The prepatent period was between 114 and 120 h. Percentage of sporulation was 15, 57, and 90, at 24, 36, and 48 h, respectively. Sporulated oocysts averaged 24.5 × 20.2 μm.
Characterizing the burden of occupational injury and disease.

Objectives:To review the literature on the burden of occupational disease and injury and to provide a comprehensive characterization of the burden.Methods:The scientific and governmental literature from 1990 to the present was searched and evaluated. Thirty-eight studies illustrative of the burden o
The Interaction of Experiential and Situational Factors and Gender in a Simulated Risky Decision-Making Task

Abstract In this study, 110 students responded to a series of gambling options described in terms of amount of initial investment, amount to be won, and probability of winning or losing. Half of th...
Epidemiology of Nosocomial Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

During the past 30 years, our ability to care for critically ill patients has improved greatly, in part due to the expanded use of invasive techniques such as tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Unfortunately, the widespread application of these techniques in increasingly ill patients has resulted in new nosocomial infection hazards, such as ventilatorassociated pneumonia.1 Epidemiologic studies to define the patterns of occurrence of ventilatorassociated pneumonia, as well as other nosocomial infections in critically ill patients, are important because they provide the basis for focused preventive efforts.
Shallow-marine origin for Ordovician rocks of the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas

Sedimentary structures and textures of the Ordovician Crystal Mountain and Blakely Formations, Arkansas, suggest that the widely accepted deep-water origin of these formations may be sedimentologically untenable. Sandstone beds of these formations are herein interpreted to be sublittoral sheet sandstones, deposited in a shallow-marine shelf association. Interbedded conglomerates resulted from debris flows activated by rifting along fault scarps. The Ordovician Ouachita trough is reinterpreted as a shallow basin underlain by granitic crust. The Crystal Mountain and Blakely Formations were deposited close to the shoreline of a continental area (Llanoria) that lay to the south or southwest of the present Ouachita Mountains.
Theoretical rock physics for bypassed oil detection behind the casing La Cira-Infantas oil field

La Cira-Infantas oil field (LCI) in the Middle Magdalena Valley Basin of Colombia has estimated original oil in place of 3700 million barrels. However, cumulative production of more than 1700 wells has not exceeded 724 million barrels. The recovery factor is about 20%. About 55% of LCI wells were drilled before the development of borehole logging. Dickey (1992) wrote of this area: “Before electric logging, it was impossible to see where the individual pay sands were by examination of the cuttings. Consequently, many sands were shut off behind pipe.” Thus, in mature oil fields like LCI with low recovery factor, well recompletion guided by new cased-hole logging is economically attractive because moderate investment may reveal bypassed oil-filled intervals.
The impact of federal regulations on urethral catheterization in Virginia nursing homes.

The 1990 Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act (OBRA) nursing home regulations limit the use of in dwelling urinary catheterization to certain appropriate cases. This study examines the impact of OBRA on cath eterization among 3149 pre-OBRA and 5073 post-OBRA Virginia residents. The two cohorts were similar in ac tivities of daily living function and medical status, but the post-OBRA cohort was more incontinent. A higher percentage of residents were catheterized pre-OBRA than post-OBRA. Post-OBRA, catheterized residents were more likely to meet OBRA conditions for appro priate catheterization than noncatheterized residents, and less than 1% of long-term catheterized residents were catheterized inappropriately. Long-term catheter ized residents had more urinary tract infections than short-term catheterized residents, however. Also, some nursing homes may substitute ostomies for catheters. Catheter use may no longer be a reliable indicator of quality of care at the nursing home level, if homes are minimizin...
Trends in midlevel provider utilization in emergency departments from 1997 to 2006.

Objectives: The objective was to quantify the expansion of midlevel provider (MLP) practice in U.S. emergency departments (EDs) over the past decade. Specifically, we sought to quantify the absolute number of patients seen by MLPs, the annual growth rate of patients seen by MLPs, and the expansion in the proportion of EDs using MLPs. Methods: Data were analyzed from the ED portion of the 10 most recent years (1997 to 2006) National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), a nationally representative survey of ED visits compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The main outcomes of interest were the proportion and absolute numbers of ED patients seen by MLPs during the 10-year study period. National estimates derived from sample weights are reported. In addition, a multivariate logistic regression model was created with “seen by midlevel provider” as the dependent variable to determine factors associated with being seen by a MLP. Results: Between 1997 and 2006, 8.23% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.31% to 9.15%) of ED patients were seen by a MLP. The proportion of ED patients seen by MLPs increased from 5.5% (95% CI = 3.8% to 7.1%) in 1997 to 12.7% (95% CI = 10.5% to 14.9%) in 2006 (13% annual growth). This corresponds to an increase in the number of ED patients seen by MLPs from 5.2 million in 1997 to 15.2 million in 2006. The proportion of hospitals using MLPs in the ED increased from 28.3% (95% CI = 22.4% to 34.1%) in 1997 to 77.2% (95% CI = 71.2% to 83.3%) in 2006 (17% annual growth). Slightly over half of MLP cases (54.9%; 95% CI = 49.1% to 60.7%) were also seen by staff physicians. On multivariate regression, younger patient age, non–southern geographic region, and triage acuity were associated with increased MLP use. Conclusions: The number of ED patients seen by MLPs has increased sharply, from 5.2 million in 1997 (5.5% of all ED cases) to 15.2 million in 2006 (12.7% of all ED cases). Similarly, the proportion of EDs reporting use of MLPs has increased from 28.3% in 1997 to 77.2% in 2006.
The induction of cytochrome P-450 by isosafrole and related methylenedioxyphenyl compounds*

Summary Using sucrose gradients, the Ah receptor and a 3-4S binding peak were measured in hepatic cytosol from Dub: ICR, C57BL/6, and DBA/2 male mice. Isosafrole, piperonyl butoxide, and 5--butyl-1,3-benzodioxole were unable to displace 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin or 3-methylcholanthrene from either the Ah receptor or the 3-4S binding peak, in vitro. In in vivo experiments, treatment of C57BL/6 mice with 3-methylcholanthrene caused a 4-fold reduction in Ah receptor binding 2 h after i.p. injection; whereas, isosafrole caused a 2-fold enhancement of the Ah receptor after 24 h. This increase in the Ah receptor binding following isosafrole treatment may be due to induction. 3-Methylcholanthrene treatment of C57BL/6 mice also caused a 3-fold reduction in the 3-4S binding peak 2 h after i.p. injection; isosafrole treatment had little or no effect on the 3-4S peak in C57BL/6 or DBA/2 mice. Both in vivo and in vitro data appear to demonstrate that there is no direct role for the Ah receptor or the 3-4S protein in the regulation of cytochrome P -450 by methylenedioxyphenyl compounds. Using Sephadex G-100 chromatography, a cytosolic protein fraction was obtained from C57BL/6 and Dub: ICR mice which was previously implicated by others as a carrier in the metabolism of benzo[ a ]pyrene (B[a]P). This fraction was applied to sucrose gradients and sedimented in the 3-4S region. Hence it appears that the 3-4S binding peak may be the carrier described by these workers.
Application of Ultrasonic Shear Rheometer to Characterize Rheological Properties of High Protein Concentration Solutions at Microliter Volume

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this work was to conduct preliminary rheological analysis on high protein concentration solutions by using the technique of ultrasonic shear rheometry at megahertz frequencies. The work was aimed at establishing the viability of the technique for analyzing protein solution rheology as well as obtaining an initial understanding of the effect of solution conditions on solution rheology of a model protein. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used for this study, and rheological analysis was conducted at 20 μL sample volume between pH 2.0 and 9.0 at different ionic strengths at 25°C using 5 and 10 MHz quartz crystals. Significant differences in storage modulus among solutions at pH 5.0, 7.0, and 9.0 could only be detected at 10 MHz, and the errors associated with measurements were smaller as compared to those at 5 MHz for all the solutions studied. Solutions at pH 2.0 and 3.0 showed a time-dependent change in solution rheology. For solutions at pH 5.0, 7.0, and 9.0, which did not show time dependence in solution rheology, loss modulus data at lower concentrations correlated well with the dilute solution data in the literature. At higher concentrations, pH 5.0 solutions exhibited a higher loss modulus than pH 7.0 and pH 9.0 solutions. Storage modulus decreased with increasing ionic strength, unlike loss modulus, which did not show any change, except at pI of protein when no effect was observed. The results show the potential of high frequency rheometry for analyzing subtle differences in rheology of pharmaceutically relevant protein solutions at microliter volume. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association
NMR SPECTROSCOPY OF NATURALLY OCCURRING SURFACE-ADSORBED FLUORIDE ON GEORGIA KAOLINITE

Using 19F magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we show that most of the fluoride present in the KGa-lb reference kaolinite from Washington County, Georgia, occurs as a surface-adsorbed species bonded to Al. This surface fluoride can be removed from the <2 µm fraction by acid wash, but is largely retained in the coarse fraction. Correlation of integrated 19F NMR peak intensities with fluoride sorption experiments indicates a bulk F content of ∼144 ppm for KGa-1b, of which ∼30% substitutes for hydroxyl sites in the mineral structure and the remaining 70% occurs adsorbed on particle surfaces, corresponding to an edge surface fluoride density of ∼0.7 F− nm−2. 19F{27Al} TRAPDOR (TRAnsfer of Populations in DOuble Resonance) NMR data for the original kaolinite and for products of F− sorption experiments at pH 4 show that all of the observed 19F signals arise from fluoride bonded to Al atoms. Furthermore, bridging Al-F-Al sites and terminal Al-F give distinctly different TRAPDOR fractions allowing assignment of resolved peaks based on the number of Al in the first coordination sphere. This result was confirmed for fluoride adsorbed to the surface of gibbsite from aqueous suspension. No evidence was found for Si-F-type environments on the kaolinite surfaces.
Kinetically Competing Huntingtin Aggregation Pathways Control Amyloid Polymorphism and Properties

In polyglutamine (polyQ) containing fragments of the Huntington's disease protein huntingtin (htt), the N-terminal 17 amino acid htt(NT) segment serves as the core of α-helical oligomers whose reversible assembly locally concentrates the polyQ segments, thereby facilitating polyQ amyloid nucleation. A variety of aggregation inhibitors have been described that achieve their effects by neutralizing this concentrating function of the htt(NT) segment. In this paper we characterize the nature and limits of this inhibition for three means of suppressing htt(NT)-mediated aggregation. We show that the previously described action of htt(NT) peptide-based inhibitors is solely due to their ability to suppress the htt(NT)-mediated aggregation pathway. That is, under htt(NT) inhibition, nucleation of polyQ amyloid formation by a previously described alternative nucleation mechanism proceeds unabated and transiently dominates the aggregation process. Removal of the bulk of the htt(NT) segment by proteolysis or mutagenesis also blocks the htt(NT)-mediated pathway, allowing the alternative nucleation pathway to dominate. In contrast, the previously described immunoglobulin-based inhibitor, the antihtt(NT) V(L) 12.3 protein, effectively blocks both amyloid pathways, leading to stable accumulation of nonamyloid oligomers. These data show that the htt(NT)-dependent and -independent pathways of amyloid nucleation in polyQ-containing htt fragments are in direct kinetic competition. The results illustrate how amyloid polymorphism depends on assembly mechanism and kinetics and have implications for how the intracellular environment can influence aggregation pathways.
Production of alder (Alnus jorullensis) to meet fuelwood demand in the Sierra of Ecuador

Diameter and height measurements of alder (Alnus jorullensis syn. A. acuminata) were taken in 16 stands of known age in sierran Ecuador. Stem volume was estimated based on these measurements and an empirical equation developed in Costa Rica. An empirical relationship between stem volume and tree age for alder in Ecuador was then developed. Managing alder on 1 hectare of farmland and 1 hectare of pasture land on a 20-year rotation with one thinning at 10 years would yield a total tree volume of 372.8 cu m, which would provide wood for fuel, construction, and other wood products. Actual fuelwood consumption for Saraguro, Loja, Ecuador was calculated to be 3.5 m3/year per household.
A phase II study of bevacizumab and erlotinib as initial treatment for metastatic non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer with serum proteomic evaluation

Abstract Background Erlotinib alone or bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy improve survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The current trial of erlotinib and bevacizumab was designed as an alternative to initial conventional chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer and a platform to explore selection factors. Methods Eligibility criteria included stage IIIB/IV or recurrent non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSNSCLC), no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease, PS = 0–1, and no history of brain metastases for the first 40 patients. An expansion cohort of an additional 10 patients allowed treated brain metastases. Patients received erlotinib 150 mg/day and bevacizumab 15 mg/kg/3 weeks until objective or symptomatic progression. Pretreatment serum was collected for blinded VeriStrat® evaluation. Results Fifty patients were accrued. The median age was 65 years, 10 were octogenarians, 37 had PS = 1, 25 were female and 12 were never-smokers. Histologies were adenocarcinoma in 26 and unspecified in 24. Partial responses were observed in 12 (24%), stable in 30 (60%) and progressive disease in 8 (16%). The median time on therapy was 15.5 weeks. The median survival was 50.4 weeks with 1 and 2 years survivals of 50% and 21%, respectively. Only 38% of eligible patients received second line therapy, most often due to decline in PS. VeriStrat® analysis was performed in 42 subjects (Good 32, Poor 9, and Indeterminate 1). Significant differences based on VeriStrat® signature were noted in PFS (Good = 18.9 weeks, Poor = 6.3 weeks, p = 0.0035) and overall survival (Good = 71.4 weeks, Poor = 19.9 weeks, p = 0.0015). Conclusions Survival in an unselected population of patients with NSNSCLC treated with bevacizumab and erlotinib approximated that expected with conventional chemotherapy. VeriStrat® analyses distinguished patients who were likely or unlikely to benefit from this combination.
Design and participant characteristics of a randomized-controlled trial of telemedicine for smoking cessation among rural smokers.

Introduction In rural America cigarette smoking is prevalent, few cessation services are available, and healthcare providers lack the time and resources to help smokers quit. This paper describes the design and participant characteristics of Connect2Quit (C2Q), a randomized control trial (RCT) that tests the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of integrated telemedicine counseling delivered by 2-way webcams mounted on desktop computers in participant's physician office examining rooms (ITM) versus quitline counseling delivered by telephone in participant's homes (Phone) for helping rural smokers quit.
Civil conflict and world fisheries, 1952-2004

While the negative economic consequences of civil conflict are well known, does civil conflict have sector-specific effects that threaten food and economic security? This article surveys the effects of civil conflict on reported marine and inland fish catch, focusing on the effects of conflict through redeployment of labor, population displacement, counter-insurgency strategy and tactics, and third-party encroachment into territorial waters. Analysis of 123 countries from 1952 to 2004 demonstrates a strong, statistically robust and negative relationship between civil conflict and fisheries, with civil wars (1000+ battle deaths) depressing catch by over 16% relative to prewar levels. The magnitude of this effect is large: the cumulative contraction in total fish catch associated with civil war onset is roughly 13 times larger than the estimated effect of an extraordinarily strong El Nino, the ocean-atmosphere phenomenon associated with global declines in fisheries. Robust evidence of a Phoenix effect is lacking: post-conflict fisheries do not quickly bounce back to prewar catch levels due to more rapid growth. Analysis of conflict episodes indicates that conflict intensity, measured by battle deaths, negatively affects fish catch, while population displacement and conflict proximity to the coast do not. While these findings contribute to the growing literature on the economic effects of civil conflict, they also are important for regional fisheries management organizations, which must increasingly pay attention to sociopolitical factors that dramatically affect the utilization of aquatic resources.
Application development systemt: the software architecture of the IBM health care support/DL/I-patient care system

Application development productivity is a broad-based concern. A system answering this concern is the IBM Health Care Support/ DL/I-Patient Care System announced by IBM in late 1977. The system is of general importance because its application development system architecture is not application specific and thus can be used for the rapid development of many types of on-line systems. It has an elegant simplicity, and it uses the standard facilities of such operating system components as CICS/VS and DL/I. The application productivity has been clearly and successfully demonstrated in the real working environment of the Dallas County Hospital District (Parkland Memorial Hospital) and other sites. The paper provides an architectural overview followed by a description with an example of CRT (cathode ray tube) screen and print format design and coding and an examination of a data collection list to demonstrate the power of that facility.
The neural basis for spatial relations

Studies in semantics traditionally focus on knowledge of objects. By contrast, less is known about how objects relate to each other. In an fMRI study, we tested the hypothesis that the neural processing of categorical spatial relations between objects is distinct from the processing of the identity of objects. Attending to the categorical spatial relations compared with attending to the identity of objects resulted in greater activity in superior and inferior parietal cortices (especially on the left) and posterior middle frontal cortices bilaterally. In an accompanying lesion study, we tested the hypothesis that comparable areas would be necessary to represent categorical spatial relations and that the hemispheres differ in their biases to process categorical or coordinate spatial relations. Voxel-based lesion symptom mapping results were consistent with the fMRI observations. Damage to a network comprising left inferior frontal, supramarginal, and angular gyri resulted in behavioral impairment on categorical spatial judgments. Homologous right brain damage also produced such deficits, albeit less severely. The reverse pattern was observed for coordinate spatial processing. Right brain damage to the middle temporal gyrus produced more severe deficits than left hemisphere damage. Additional analyses suggested that some areas process both kinds of spatial relations conjointly and others distinctly. The left angular and inferior frontal gyrus processes coordinate spatial information over and above the categorical processing. The anterior superior temporal gyrus appears to process categorical spatial information uniquely. No areas within the right hemisphere processed categorical spatial information uniquely. Taken together, these findings suggest that the functional neuroanatomy of categorical and coordinate processing is more nuanced than implied by a simple hemispheric dichotomy.
A Preliminary Model of Centering in Dialog

The centering framework explains local coherence by relating local focus and the form of referring expressions. It has proven useful in monolog, but its utility for multi-party discourse has not been shown, and a variety of issues must be tackled to adapt the model for dialog. This paper reports our application of three naive models of centering theory for dialog. These results will be used as baselines for evaluating future models.
Understanding Employee Motivation to Innovate: Evidence from Front Line Employees in United States Federal Agencies

In a period of ongoing public sector reform in the United States (US), federal government agencies have been pushed to find new ways of performing their public functions more effectively and efficiently. Frontline public sector employees are a particularly vital source of innovations in organisational function and form. This study seeks to identify factors that motivate front line employees in the US federal bureaucracy to engage in innovative behaviour. The empirical analysis is based on data from the 2006 Federal Human Capital Survey. The results show that a constellation of factors encourage bottom-up innovation, including the expectancy of innovation being rewarded, employee training and development, employee empowerment and involvement in decision-making, and high-exchange dyadic relationships with supervisors.
Resistance to Tumor Necrosis Factor-Induced Cell Death Mediated by PMCA4 Deficiency

We used retrovirus insertion-mediated random mutagenesis to generate tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-resistant lines from L929 cells. Using this approach, we discovered that the plasma membrane calcium ATPase 4 (PMCA4) is required for TNF-induced cell death in L929 cells. Under basal conditions, PMCA4-deficient (PMCA(mut)) cells have a normal phenotype. However, stimulation with TNF induces an abnormal increase in the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)). The substantially elevated [Ca(2+)](i) caused resistance to TNF-induced cell death. We found that an increase in the total volume of acidic compartments (VAC), mainly constituted by lysosomes, is a common event in cell death caused by a variety of agonists. The increased [Ca(2+)](i) in PMCA(mut) cells promoted lysosome exocytosis, which, at least in part, accounted for the inhibition of TNF-induced increase in VAC and cell death. Promoting lysosome exocytosis by calcium inhibited TNF-induced cell death in wild-type L929 cells, while inhibition of lysosome exocytosis or increase of VAC by sucrose restored the sensitivity of PMCA(mut) cells to TNF-induced cell death. Thus, increase of the volume of acidic compartment is a part of the cell death process, and the antideath effect of calcium is mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of the TNF-induced increase in VAC.
A gateway allocation algorithm for interconnecting existing data networks

The problem of interconnecting two virtual circuit networks is considered. More specifically, the problem is to determine: (1) which nodes (one from each network) should be connected by gateways; and (2) the routing assignments to minimize the routing costs subject to a limitation on the cost of the gateways. This problem is NP-hard. The problem is formulated here as a linear combinatorial optimization problem. A two-phase algorithm is proposed to obtain good solutions. The first phase is a greedy heuristic algorithm. The second phase is an algorithm based on Lagrangian relaxation with the subgradient method. This method has been implemented. In the present computational experiments, the method determines gateway locations to interconnect networks (of various sizes) that are within a few percent of an optimal solution in a few minutes of CPU time. >
Narrowing the Breach: Can Disability Culture and Full Educational Inclusion Be Reconciled?

Because of the long history of exclusion of people with disabilities, total inclusion in the educational environment has many outspoken proponents. People and organizations favoring inclusion, howe...
Using the entomological inoculation rate to assess the impact of vector control on malaria parasite transmission and elimination

Prior studies have shown that annual entomological inoculation rates (EIRs) must be reduced to less than one to substantially reduce the prevalence of malaria infection. In this study, EIR values were used to quantify the impact of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), and source reduction (SR) on malaria transmission. The analysis of EIR was extended through determining whether available vector control tools can ultimately eradicate malaria. The analysis is based primarily on a review of all controlled studies that used ITN, IRS, and/or SR and reported their effects on the EIR. To compare EIRs between studies, the percent difference in EIR between the intervention and control groups was calculated. Eight vector control intervention studies that measured EIR were found: four ITN studies, one IRS study, one SR study, and two studies with separate ITN and IRS intervention groups. In both the Tanzania study and the Solomon Islands study, one community received ITNs and one received IRS. In the second year of the Tanzania study, EIR was 90% lower in the ITN community and 93% lower in the IRS community, relative to the community without intervention; the ITN and IRS effects were not significantly different. In contrast, in the Solomon Islands study, EIR was 94% lower in the ITN community and 56% lower in the IRS community. The one SR study, in Dar es Salaam, reported a lower EIR reduction (47%) than the ITN and IRS studies. All of these vector control interventions reduced EIR, but none reduced it to zero. These studies indicate that current vector control methods alone cannot ultimately eradicate malaria because no intervention sustained an annual EIR less than one. While researchers develop new tools, integrated vector management may make the greatest impact on malaria transmission. There are many gaps in the entomological malaria literature and recommendations for future research are provided.
Isotopic Analysis of Lithium by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

An atomic absorption method was developed to determine the isotopic composition of lithium. The method utilizes neon-filled 6Li and 7Li hollow cathode emission lamps and a flame atomizer. The absolute precision of the method is ±0.5 at.% 6Li.
Delayed glucose treatment improves cognitive function following fluid-percussion injury.

Abstract Experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in marked neurochemical and metabolic changes. Research has demonstrated that after the initial insult the brain undergoes an immediate state of hypermetabolism followed by a sustained period of hypometabolism. The altered extra- and intracellular environment can compromise neuronal performance and limit functional recovery. If brain metabolism is depressed chronically after TBI, then interventions that are designed to increase metabolism may be beneficial to outcome. Glucose treatment has been shown to improve cognition in many populations, particularly those with cognitive deficits. The following experiments examined the effects of delayed postinjury glucose supplementation on cognitive function following TBI. Male Sprague–Dawley rats received either sham or lateral fluid-percussion (LFP) injury. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the Morris water maze (MWM) on postinjury days 11–15. In the first experiment, saline or 100 mg/kg glucose was administered 10 min before cognition assessment. Injured animals treated with glucose displayed significantly shorter latencies to reach the goal platform compared to injured saline-treated animals. Glucose had no effect on sham-injured rats. In the second experiment, injured rats were given daily injections of saline or 100 mg/kg glucose for 10 days beginning 24 h after injury. Rats were then tested in the MWM on days 11–15 without glucose or saline treatment. In this experiment, glucose treatment did not affect MWM performance. These data provide evidence that the chronic energy supplementation after TBI improves outcome when administered shortly before cognitive assessment.
Track Initialization in Low Frame Rate and Low Resolution Videos

The problem of object detection and tracking has received relatively less attention in low frame rate and low resolution videos. Here we focus on motion segmentation in videos where objects appear small (less than 30-pixel tall people) and have low frame rate (less than 5 Hz). We study challenging cases where some of the, otherwise successful, approaches may break down. We investigate a number of popular techniques in computer vision that have been shown to be useful for discriminating various spatio-temporal signatures. These include: Histogram of oriented Gradients (HOG), Histogram of oriented optical Flow (HOF) and Haar-features (Viola and Jones). We use these feature to classify the motion segmentations into person vs. other and vehicle vs. other. We rely on aligned motion history images to create a more consistent object representation across frames. We present results on these features using webcam data and wide-area aerial video sequences.
CONTINGENCIES OF WELFARE REFORM

Federal welfare reform legislation permits considerable variation in welfare-related provisions from state to state. These may be characterized in terms of duration and distribution of basic support, contingencies that are designed to facilitate the transition from welfare to work, and contingencies that are designed to punish failures to comply with work requirements. These varying provisions are the independent variables in a massive, unplanned nationwide experiment on the effects of contingencies at a societal level; the data, which are gradually becoming available, may tell us something about the relative effectiveness of different sorts of contingencies at this level.
An Experimental Study of Combustor Exit Profile Shapes on Endwall Heat Transfer in High Pressure Turbine Vanes

The design and development of current and future gas turbine engines for aircraft propulsion have focused on operating the high pressure turbine at increasingly elevated temperatures and pressures. The drive toward thermal operating conditions near theoretical stoichiometric limits as well as increasingly stringent requirements on reducing harmful emissions both equate to the temperature profiles exiting combustors and entering turbines becoming less peaked than in the past. This drive has placed emphasis on determining how different types of inlet temperature and pressure profiles affect the first stage airfoil endwalls. The goal of the current study was to investigate how different radial profiles of temperature and pressure affect the heat transfer along the vane endwall in a high pressure turbine. Testing was performed in the Turbine Research Facility located at the Air Force Research Laboratory using an inlet profile generator. Results indicate that the convection heat transfer coefficients are influenced by both the inlet pressure profile shape and the location along the endwall. The heat transfer driving temperature for inlet profiles that are nonuniform in temperature is also discussed.
Experimental studies on elimination of zinc-65, cesium-137 and cerium-144 by euphausiids

The elimination of 3 radionuclides from Euphausia pacifica was measured over a 5 month period. The biological half-lives for 65Zn, 137Cs, and 144Ce, calculated after the euphausiids had ingested radioactive Artemia nauplii, were found to be 140 days, 6 days, and 7.5 h, respectively. The percentages of body burdens lost in molts were greatest for the fission products, 144Ce (21%) and 137Cs (7%), and least for 65Zn (1%). Elimination of the isotopes in the feces could not be followed because of the difficulty in collecting fecal material for analysis; however, 1 sample collected 2 months after the beginning of the elimination experiment had no measurable radioactivity. Loss of 65Zn from molts and time to disintegration of the molts were found to be temperature dependent over a 5° to 15°C range, and the sinking rate of molts was both temperature and salinity dependent. Calculations showed that, in areas in the North Pacific outside the influence of upwelling, percentage 65Zn loss from sinking molts (before disintegration of the molts) was likely to be the same throughout the year, since the molts would be exposed to about the same mean temperature in the water column in all seasons. Even though temperature structure in the upper layers changes with season, mean temperatures change very little when calculated over the sinking distance of intact molts. Intact molts would sink to slightly over 400 m in the absence of turbulence, and would lose 87% of their 65Zn by the time they reached this depth. Sinking molts thus might contribute substantially to the vertical transport of 65Zn in the sea. If loss of 65Zn in fecal pellets is assumed to be small under our experimental conditions, and molting loss is only 1% of 65Zn body burden, the major mechanism of 65Zn loss from euphausiids feeding on non-radioactive food must be isotopic exchange with the water. Approximately 96% of the initial body burden was eliminated over a period of 5 months.
t-Darpp overexpression in HER2-positive breast cancer confers a survival advantage in lapatinib

Drug resistance is a major barrier to successful cancer treatment. For patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who initially respond to therapy, the majority develop resistance within one year of treatment. Patient outcomes could improve significantly if we can find and exploit common mechanisms of acquired resistance to different targeted therapies. Overexpression of t-Darpp, a truncated form of the dual kinase/phosphatase inhibitor Darpp-32, has been linked to acquired resistance to trastuzumab, a front-line therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. Darpp-32 reverses t-Darpp's effect on trastuzumab resistance. In this study, we examined whether t-Darpp could be involved in resistance to lapatinib, another HER2-targeted therapeutic. Lapatinib-resistant SKBR3 cells (SK/LapR) showed a marked change in the Darpp-32:t-Darpp ratio toward a predominance of t-Darpp. Overexpression of t-Darpp alone was not sufficient to confer lapatinib resistance, but cells that overexpress t-Darpp partially mimicked the molecular resistance phenotype observed in SK/LapR cells exposed to lapatinib. SK/LapR cells failed to down-regulate Survivin and failed to induce BIM accumulation in response to lapatinib; cells overexpressing t-Darpp exhibited only the failed BIM accumulation. t-Darpp knock-down reversed this phenotype. Using a fluorescence-based co-culture system, we found that cells overexpressing t-Darpp formed colonies in lapatinib within 3-4 weeks, whereas parental cells in the same co-culture did not. Overall, t-Darpp appears to mediate a survival advantage in lapatinib, possibly linked to failed lapatinib-induced BIM accumulation. t-Darpp might also be relevant to acquired resistance to other cancer drugs that rely on BIM accumulation to induce apoptosis.
The crystal structures of metal complexes of nucleic acids and their constituents.

(1979). The Crystal Structures of Metal Complexes of Nucleic Acids and Their Constituent. CRC Critical Reviews in Biochemistry: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 245-336.
Salivary Gland Protein Expression after Bion-M1 and Space Shuttle STS-135 Missions

Secretory proteins are produced by salivary glands, stored in granules and released into saliva. Rodent salivary glands are a reliable experimental model because they are morphologically and functionally similar to those of humans. To determine if the effects of microgravity on secretory proteins are increased on extended flights their expression in mouse parotid glands, morphological, immunocytochemical, and biochemical/molecular methods were employed. Acinar cells of STS-135 (13 day) and Bion-M1 (30 day) flight animals showed an increase of autophagy and apoptosis, while duct cells contained vacuoles with endocytosed proteins. In STS-135 decreases were seen in the regulatory subunit of type II protein kinase A (RII) by Western blotting, and demilune cell and parotid protein (DCPP) and α-amylase (p<0.01) by immunogold labeling, while proline-rich proteins (PRPs, p<0.001) and parotid secretory protein (PSP, p<0.05) were increased. These results suggest that microgravity effects on secretion are function-dependent. Microarray analyses showed significant changes in the expression of a number of genes, including components of the cyclic AMP signaling pathway. Compared to habitat ground controls, mice from both flights exhibited altered expression of cyclic AMP-specific phosphodiesterases, adenylate cyclase isoforms, and several A-kinase anchoring proteins. Bion-M1 flight mice showed increases in gene expression for lysozyme and amylase, a decrease in PRPs, and RII expression was unchanged from control values. Secretory protein expression is altered by travel in space, representing a reversible adjustment to microgravity conditions. Ultimately the goal is to develop a test kit using saliva, an easily obtained body fluid, to assess the physiologic effects of travel in space.
Evaluating Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy in Locally Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Results From the National Cancer Data Base

Abstract Introduction Reports have suggested improvements in dosimetry, toxicity, and quality of life with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in locally advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The selection criteria for those patients who may benefit is unclear. This study sought to identify subgroups of patients who may derive survival benefit from intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) compared with 3D conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT). Methods and Materials The National Cancer Data Base was queried for stage III NSCLC treated with radiation and chemotherapy alone with curative intent. All received ≥ 58 Gy. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test were performed to compare overall survival (OS) by treatment modality. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess association with OS. Propensity score matching was also implemented. Results A total of 2543 patients treated between 2003 and 2006 were eligible; 422 (16.6%) received IMRT, 2121 (83.4%) received 3DCRT. In patients with T3 and T4 disease, IMRT was associated with an improvement in median OS and 5-year survival rate (17.2 vs. 14.6 months; 19.9% vs. 13.4%, P = .021.) In multivariable analysis, there was an interaction between treatment type and T stage that was found to be significant ( P = .03). In the propensity matched cohort of T3 and T4 patients, the use of IMRT remained associated with improved OS (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.64-1.00; P = .048). Conclusions Use of IMRT in patients with T3 and T4 tumors was associated with improved overall survival in this large population-based analysis. This is a novel finding that is in concordance with the well-described dosimetric benefits of IMRT in NSCLC.
Minimum-Effort Guidance for Vision-Based Collision Avoidance

This paper describes a vehicle guidance strategy for waypoint tracking as well as collision avoidance with unforeseen obstacles using a 2D passive vision sensor mounted on the vehicle. An extended Kalman filter is applied to estimate the position of each obstacle relative to the vehicle from image-based measurements. A collision cone approach is utilized to determine a critical obstacle, and an aiming point for the critical obstacle is set on a boundary of the cone. A minimum-effort guidance law for multiple targets tracking is applied to guide the vehicle to a given waypoint via the aiming point to avoid the critical obstacle. Simulation results illustrate that the suggested minimum-effort guidance achieves a waypoint tracking mission while avoiding obstacles with less control effort when compared to a previously developed sequential proportional navigation approach. Moreover, minimum-effort guidance improves convergence of vision-based obstacle position estimation, and hence enhances obstacle avoidance performance.
Modulation of K+ channels by intracellular ATP in human neocortical neurons.

Jiang, Chun and Gabriel G. Haddad. Modulation of K+ channels by intracellular ATP in human neocortical neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 93–102, 1997. ATP-modulated K+ channels play an important role i...