cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
mTOR signaling contributes to chondrocyte differentiation

The mammalian Target Of Rapamycin (mTOR) is a nutrient-sensing protein kinase that regulates numerous cellular processes. Fetal rat metatarsal explants were used as a physiological model to study the effect of mTOR inhibition on chondrogenesis. Insulin significantly enhanced their growth. Rapamycin significantly diminished this response to insulin through a selective effect on the hypertrophic zone. Cell proliferation (bromodeoxyuridine incorporation) was unaffected by rapamycin. Similar observations were made when rapamycin was injected to embryonic day (E) 19 fetal rats in situ. In the ATDC5 chondrogenic cell line, rapamycin inhibited proteoglycan accumulation and collagen X expression. Rapamycin decreased content of Indian Hedgehog (Ihh), a regulator of chondrocyte differentiation. Addition of Ihh to culture medium reversed the effect of rapamycin. We conclude that modulation of mTOR signaling contributes to chondrocyte differentiation, perhaps through its ability to regulate Ihh. Our findings support the hypothesis that nutrients, acting through mTOR, directly influence chondrocyte differentiation and long bone growth.
Flextensional Transducers with Shape Memory Caps for Tunable Devices

Shape memory alloys were used as caps for the “cymbal” flextensional transducer. The active caps provide a tunable resonance frequency and a damage recovery mechanism associated with the alloy’s martensitic phase transformation. These two concepts were investigated and a 25% change in resonance frequency was observed for Ni-Ti alloy caps. It was also demonstrated that complete shape recovery could be achieved after hydrostatic pressures buckled the transducer caps. Cap deformation and recovery were demonstrated with profilometer and dh measurements.
Effect of lonidamine on the cytotoxicity of four alkylating agents in vitro.

We examined the ability of lonidamine, which has been described as an inhibitor of cellular respiration and glycolysis, to enhance the cytotoxicity of alkylating agents to MCF-7 human breast-carcinoma cells. Lonidamine was increasingly cytotoxic to MCF-7 cells with increasing time of exposure. With a 12-h exposure, the IC50 for lonidamine was about 365 μM, and with a 24-h exposure it was about 170 μM. A drug concentration of 250 μM was chosen for use in the drug combination studies. Lonidamine appeared to have a dose-modifying effect on cisplatin (CDDP), producing increasingly supraadditive cell kill with increasing CDDP concentration. When simultaneously incubated with lonidamine for 1 h, 500 μM CDDP yielded a cell kill that was 2 log greater than additive cytotoxicity. Extending the exposure to lonidamine for 12 h after CDDP treatment led to a small, additional aliquot of cell kill of about 2.5-fold over the CDDP concentration range. Lonidamine also appeared to have a dose-modifying effect on melphalan cytotoxicity in the melphalan concentration range of 100–500 μM. Between concentrations of 10 and 100 μM melphalan, the drug combination survival after 1 h exposure fell within the envelope of additivity for the two agents. However, maintaining the presence of lonidamine for an additional 12 h increased the effect such that the combination was supraadditive over the entire concentration range of melphalan. Simultaneous exposure to 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) and lonidamine for 1 h resulted in greater than additive cell kill, and extending the lonidamine exposure period such that lonidamine was present during and 12 h after 4-HC treatment further increased this effect. Lonidamine had a moderate effect on the cytotoxicity of carmustine (BCNU) with a 1 h simultaneous exposure; however, this treatment combination reached greater than additive cytotoxicity only at the highest concentration of BCNU tested. Extending the lonidamine exposure time for an additional 12 h resulted in supraadditive cell kill over the BCNU concentration range. Therefore, when lonidamine was present during exposure to the alkylating agent and its presence was then extended for an additional 12 h, a synergistic cell kill was produced with all four alkylating agents tested.
Evidence of a Formal Schema in Second Language Comprehension.

Research on discourse comprehension has shown that comprehension is determined not only by the local effects (sentences or paragraphs), but also by the overall organization of a text. Each type of text—e.g., stories, fables, expository and scientific texts—has its own conventional structure; knowledge of these conventions aids listeners or readers in comprehending the text as well as in recalling it later (Kintsch and van Dijk 1975; Meyer 1975; Thorndyke 1977). Following Bartlett (1932), this knowledge has been called a schema, or more specifically, following Carrell (1983a), a formal schema. Recent empirical research has shown the powerful effects of formal schemata in first language comprehension for both adults and children (Mandler and Johnson 1977; Johnson and Mandler 1980). Findings for first language acquirers, children, show that at least by first grade children have acquired story schemata and use them to organize comprehension and recall of stories (Mandler 1978a). Yet, no comparable research has been done to empirically investigate the role of story schemata in second language comprehension. This paper reports an empirical study of the effects of story structure on second language comprehension, specifically reading comprehension in English as a second language. Results indicate that the quantity and temporal sequence of story recall are affected by differences in story structure. The findings are discussed in terms of schema-theoretic approaches to reading and the effects of formal, rhetorical schemata on ESL reading comprehension. The paper concludes with a call for further ESL research in this area.
Identification and partial characterization of discrete apolipoprotein A-containing lipoprotein particles secreted by human hepatoma cell line HepG2

The purpose of this study was to identify the apolipoprotein A-containing lipoprotein particles produced by HepG2 cells. The apolipoprotein A-containing lipoproteins separated from apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins by affinity chromatography of culture medium on concanavalin A were fractionated on an immunosorber with monoclonal antibodies to apolipoprotein A-II. The retained fraction contained apolipoproteins A-I, A-II and E, while the unretained fraction contained apolipoproteins A-I and E. Both fractions were characterized by free cholesterol as the major and triglycerides and cholesterol esters as the minor neutral lipids. Further chromatography of both fractions on an immunosorber with monoclonal antibodies to apolipoprotein A-I showed that 1) apolipoprotein A-II only occurs in association with apolipoprotein A-I, 2) apolipoprotein A-IV is only present as part of a separate lipoprotein family (lipoprotein A-IV), and 3) apolipoprotein E-enriched lipoprotein A-I:A-II and lipoprotein A-I are the main apolipoprotein A-containing lipoproteins secreted by HepG2 cells.
THE EFFECT OF THYROXIN AND THYROTROPIC HORMONE ON LIVER AND KIDNEY TISSUE RESPIRATION OF RATS OF VARIOUS AGES1

IN THE PRECEDING PAPER (I) the effect of age on the metabolic response of the entire II organism and of thyroid tissue to treatment of rats with these hormones was -1L discussed. Carried on simultaneously with the other, the present investigation sought to elucidate effects on the respiratory activity of liver and kidney tissues in the same animals. The rats were grouped as to age and sex, and the ages at which the animals were studied in respect to these tissue respirations were the same as in the previous paper; namely, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 months, and 18 months for one group of females. Crystalline thyroxin (Squibb) dissolved in N/IOO NaOH was injected subcutaneously into the test rats in the amount of 0.2 mg. per 100 gm. of body weight per day for 6 successive days.
A Novel miR-451a isomiR, Associated with Amelanotypic Phenotype, Acts as a Tumor Suppressor in Melanoma by Retarding Cell Migration and Invasion

miRNAs are key regulatory small non-coding RNAs involved in critical steps of melanoma tumorigenesis; however, the relationship between sequence specific variations at the 5′ or 3′ termini (isomiR) of a miRNA and cancer phenotype remains unclear. Deep-sequencing and qRT-PCR showed reduced expression of miR-144/451a cluster and most abundant isomiR (miR451a.1) in dysplastic nevi, in-situ and invasive melanomas compared to common nevi and normal skin (n = 101). miRNA in situ hybridization reproducibly confirmed lost miR-451a.1 in melanoma compared to nevus cells or adjacent keratinocytes. Significantly higher expression of miR-451a.1 was associated with amelanotic phenotype in melanomas (n = 47). In contrast, miR-451a was associated with melanotic phenotype, absent pagetoid scatter of intraepidermal melanocytes, superficial spreading histological subtype and tumor inflammation. Sequencing miRNAs from cultured melanocytes with cytoplasmic melanin gradient (light, medium to dark) showed absent miR-451a while revealing other melanin-associated miRNAs, e.g. miR-30b, miR-100 and miR-590 in darkly and let-7a, let-7i and let-7f in lightly to moderately pigmented cultured melanocytes. Ectopic expression of miR-144/451a in melanoma cell lines resulted in markedly higher levels of mature miR-451a.1 than miR451a or miR-144; and significantly retarded cell migration and inhibited invasion in a glucose-sensitive manner. Surprisingly, these effects were not mediated by calcium binding protein 39 (CAB39), a proven miR451a gene target. miR-144/miR-451a cluster is a novel miRNA locus with tumor suppressive activity in melanoma.
EyeCatch: Data-mining over half a million EEG independent components to construct a fully-automated eye-component detector

Independent component analysis (ICA) can find distinct sources of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, both brain-based and artifactual, and has become a common pre-preprocessing step in analysis of EEG data. Distinction between brain and non-brain independent components (ICs) accounting for, e.g., eye or muscle activities is an important step in the analysis. Here we present a fully automated method to identify eye-movement related EEG components by analyzing the spatial distribution of their scalp projections (scalp maps). The EyeCatch method compares each input scalp map to a database of eye-related IC scalp maps obtained by data-mining over half a million IC scalp maps obtained from 80,006 EEG datasets associated with a diverse set of EEG studies and paradigms. To our knowledge this is the largest sample of IC scalp maps that has ever been analyzed. Our result show comparable performance to a previous state-of-art semi-automated method, CORRMAP, while eliminating the need for human intervention.
Two-Dimensional Crystal Structures of Protein Kinase C-δ, Its Regulatory Domain, and the Enzyme Complexed with Myelin Basic Protein

Two-dimensional crystals of protein kinase C (PKC) delta, its regulatory domain (RDdelta), and the enzyme complexed with the substrate myelin basic protein have been grown on lipid monolayers composed of phosphatidylcholine: phosphatidylserine: diolein (45:50:5, molar ratio). Images have been reconstructed to 10-A resolution. The unit cells of all three proteins have cell edges a = b and interedge angle gamma = 60 degrees. RDdelta has an edge length of 33 +/- 1 A, and its reconstruction is donut shaped. The three-dimensional reconstructions from the PKCdelta C1b crystal structure () can be accommodated in this two-dimensional projection. Intact PKCdelta has an edge length of 46 +/- 1 A in the presence or absence of a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog, AMP-PnP. Its reconstruction has a similar donut shape, which can accommodate the C1b domain, but the spacing between donuts is greater than that in RDdelta; some additional structure is visible between the donuts. The complex of PKCdelta and myelin basic protein, with or without AMP-PnP, has an edge length of 43 +/- 1 A and a distinct structure. These results indicate that the C1 domains of RDdelta are tightly packed in the plane of the membrane in the two-dimensional crystals, that there is a single molecule of PKCdelta in the unit cell, and that its interaction with myelin basic protein induces a shift in conformation and/or packing of the enzyme.
FIB sample preparation for TEM failure analysis of advanced devices

With continuous scaling in transistor size, there is demand to develop advanced FIB techniques for TEM failure analysis. Two techniques are reported here: 1) consecutive planar-cross section sample preparation for dual-direction TEM analysis and, 2) enhanced coating method for photo resists profile evaluation. Both the techniques have been successfully applied on deep sub-micron device issues which are difficult for the conventional FIB methods.
JSTE Editor-in-Chief’s Annual Report

Our office reports the following data for each Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) board report. The following data are from July 1, 2005–June 30, 2006. We present an overview of manus...
NET CARBON FLUXES FROM FOREST CLEARANCE AND REGROWTH IN THE AMAZON

Estimates of net carbon exchange resulting from forest clearance and re- growth were made for three areas in the Brazilian and Bolivian Amazon. The study areas, ranging in size from 600 to 10 000 km 2 , include communities that practice a range of land uses from small-scale, rotational agriculture to long-term pasture. Carbon emissions from deforestation were estimated based on rates of deforestation derived from Landsat satellite data and published estimates of mature forest biomass. Estimates of carbon uptake by secondary forest regrowth were based on area estimates from the satellite data and biomass estimates from field surveys. Estimates of carbon emissions from the clearance of secondary forest were included. The total carbon emissions were partitioned into that immediately released by biomass burning during clearance and that from subsequent decomposition and burning of felled biomass. A range of net carbon fluxes from secondary forest regrowth and clearance was estimated by extrapolating land-use patterns in each study area to the entire area of deforested landscape in Amazonian Brazil and Bolivia, and by varying average biomass accumulation rate of regrowing forest and fallow period. Over 60 km 2 of forest were cleared from 1988 to 1995 in each of the Brazilian study areas, and over 940 km 2 were cleared from 1986 to 1996 in the Bolivian study area. This resulted in 30-200 Mg C/yr emitted from biomass burning during deforestation. If the carbon that is committed to subsequent burning and decomposition of felled biomass is included, total committed emissions of 75-650 Mg C/yr resulted from deforestation in each study area. The carbon uptake by secondary forests was 33-435 Mg C/yr. However, emis- sions from the reclearance of secondary forests were nearly as large: 17-365 Mg C/yr. Extrapolation of these results to the Brazilian and Bolivian Amazon suggests that, at the national level, carbon uptake by secondary forests offset less than one-fifth of the carbon emissions from deforestation. Despite differences in land-use pattern, average fallow period, and rate of biomass accumulation used in the extrapolation, net carbon uptake by secondary forests was consistently small when compared to the total emissions from deforestation.
On the influence of iron on the reaction between silicon and nitrogen

The ways in which iron may affect the reaction between silicon and nitrogen are summarized and considered both in terms of possible mechanisms of the nitridation process and also in terms of the phases produced by the reaction. Some new results are reported that indicate that, in addition to removing an oxide layer from the silicon, or forming an alloy with the silicon, iron can activate the gaseous nitrogen. Other impurities, such as hydrogen in the gas, may also modify the behavior of nitrogen.
THE CHARACTERIZATION OF A MEMBRANE-BOUND PROTEIN CARBOXYLMETHYLATION SYSTEM IN BRAIN

The membrane-bound component of the cerebral protein carboxylmethylation system, consisting of the membrane-bound enzyme protein carboxylmethyltransferase II (PCMT) and of selected membrane-bound methyl accepting proteins (MAP), is described. The cellular localization of this membrane-bound protein carboxylmethylation system is shown to include, in addition to nerve cell bodies and purified synaptosomes, astrocytes and oligodendroglia. The membrane-bound nature of the protein carboxylmethylation system was investigated and these studies revealed a tight association which exposure to several detergents could only partially solubilize. The membrane-bound PCMT could be shown to undergo activation after treatment with Na-deoxycholate and CHAPs, while after its detergent-induced solubilization PCMT activation was observed after Na-deoxycholate, Nonidet P-40 and Lubrol-P x. Solubilization of the carboxylmethylation system in CHAPS appeared to be more effective at 0°C than at 25°C or 37°C. Detergent treatment was shown to be deleterious to the MAPs as PCMT substrates, particularly when the exposure was extended to more than 1 h. These observations prompted exposure of the brain membranes and of their Lubrol-Px and Nonidet P-40 extracts to NH4OH, treatment which promotes the conversion of protein asparagine residues to atypical L-isoaspartate residues, recently shown (in synthetic peptides) to be the single most effective residue recognized for carboxylmethylation by PCMT. We found up to a 400% enhancement of the carboxylmethylation of solubilized membrane MAPs by the equally solubilized PCMT (which resisted the alkaline treatment virtually unscathed) after 90 min at 37°C in 0.05 M NH4OH. However, when brain membrane Lubrol-P x extracts were first subjected to bis(I,I-trifluoroacetoxy)-iodobenzene, a reagent which converts the carboxyamide group of protein-bound asparagine to the corresponding primary amine, the amount of MAPs susceptible to be acted upon by 0.05 M NH4OH became greatly reduced. Finally, acidic slab gel electrophoresis of membrane-bound MAPs, carboxyl-(3H)-methylated by the membrane-bound PCMT, revealed the presence of about 12 radioactive protein bands, ranging in MW from under 20 KDa to about 90 KDa.
A gas dynamic choking phenomenon in early time intense transient condensation

Abstract Following the sudden contacting of vapor with a cold surface, transient condensation may take place with initially extremely high heat and mass fluxes. The initiation of condensation induces a flow of the vapor toward the interface and a rarefaction wave propagates into the vapor. The induced vapor velocity may be much larger than relative velocities associated with liquid jets or sprays that introduce the liquid into the vapor. The vapor reaching the surface has a reduced pressure and temperature owing to its adiabatic expansion in the rarefaction wave. In this paper we show that a previously unnoticed transient choking phenomenon may limit the early time condensation flux to levels below those predicted by the kinetic theory, particularly when the initial vapor condition is close to stagnant. In addition, we examine the relative importance of liquid phase thermal resistance and determine the time at which the condensation flux becomes dependent only upon the liquid phase resistance. These phenomena may be of importance in a number of applications such as the injection of cold liquid blanket material into the reaction vessel of inertial confinement fusion reactors or the spraying of cold water into vapor spaces (such as in PWR pressurizers).
A test of the accuracy of an effective pair potential for liquid water

Water–water interactions are studied by examining the crystalline symmetries of the eight know forms of ice. (AIP)
Prenatal exposure to testosterone and its precursors influences morphology and later behavioral responsiveness to testosterone of female mice.

Abstract Prenatal exposure to testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone or progesterone significantly increased ano-genital distance of female mice. In addition, prenatal exposure to T or pregnenolone significantly reduced the duration of T exposure during adult life required to induced intraspecific fighting behavior. However, the most masculinized females, those exposed to T prenatally, still had significantly shorter ano-genital distances and required a longer exposure period to T in order to establish fighting than did prenatally oil-exposed male mice. Additional experiments revealed that pregnenolone augments later responsiveness to the aggression-promoting property of T only if it is administered during the prenatal period of development.
Understanding NSF funding

This session will provide information about the current status of Federal budget as it impacts NSF and the computing community. Representatives from both Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorates will provide the most up-to-date information about available funding opportunities. It is anticipated that the session will include information about the below listed programs plus others. In addition, proposal and review processes as well as strategies for writing competitive proposals will be discussed.
Spatiotemporal behavior of convective Turing patterns in porous media

We investigate the effects of convection on Turing patterns in porous media. We show that convectionless patterns can only exist confined to small domains. These patterns are unstable to convection if the density gradients are large enough. The numerical solution of the Schnackenberg model coupled to Darcy’s law shows that the convective pattern is either steady, oscillatory, or reverses direction, depending on the density gradient. In larger domains, we find that convection leads to an oscillatory state which becomes steady for large density gradients.
Improved description of nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shielding constants using the M06-L meta-generalized-gradient-approximation density functional.

The performance of the M06-L density functional has been tested for four databases of NMR isotropic chemical shielding constants. Comparison with the B3LYP, BLYP, HCTH, KT1, KT2, LSDA, OPBE, OLYP, PBE, TPSS, and VSXC functionals shows that M06-L has improved performance for calculating NMR chemical shielding constants, especially for highly correlated systems. We also found that VSXC and M06-L have encouraging accuracy for calculating 13 C chemical shielding constants, and both functionals perform very well for the chemical shielding constants in the o-benzyne molecule.
Prospective evaluation of ondansetron for undifferentiated nausea and vomiting in the prehospital setting.

Objective. To evaluate the change in nausea scales andincidence of vomiting with the use of ondansetron in the treatment of nausea andvomiting in the prehospital setting. Methods. Data were prospectively collected on all emergency medical service patients who received ondansetron for undifferentiated nausea andvomiting during a 6-month study period. Added outcome measures for this study were verbal quantitative (scale of 1–10) andqualitative “nausea scales,” incidence of vomiting prior to andafter administration of ondansetron, andadverse events. Patients who had this additional data collected andones who did not were compared. Changes in the “nausea scales” andincidence of vomiting before andafter administration andcorrelation among these measures were also compared. There was no control or placebo group. Results. Ondansetron was administered to 952 patients of 20,054 patients transported during this time period (5%); of these 472 had at least some of the outcome measures documented. There were minimal d...
Microcomputer-based software to perform lease versus buy analysis

Abstract The primary purpose of this paper is to present a computerized lease-versus-buy program utilized by the Defense Contract Audit Agency to monitor defense contractor data processing hardware procurement. The main points of the paper shall pertain to the financial elements incorporated into the software, reports generated, and the resulting lease-versus-buy decision. Discussion of the lease-versus-buy process shall relate primarily to the procurement of data processing equipment. The approach taken in the lease-versus-buy decision process for procuring data processing equipment is basically no different from the methodology used in acquiring other types of capital equipment. Hence, the proposed microcomputer-based program used to performed lease-versus-buy analysis for data processing equipment is suitable for industrial equipment procurement, as well.
Intoxicated Witnesses and Suspects: Procedures and Prevalence According to Law Enforcement

Legal psychologists have generally neglected intoxicated witnesses and suspects in their research. One possible reason is the lack of objective information about the prevalence and characteristics of this witness and suspect group. Also unclear is whether standard police procedures for dealing with intoxicated individuals exist and what these may be. The present survey was conducted to help fill this void. Law enforcement officers completed a survey about their experiences with intoxicated witnesses and suspects. Their responses provide clear evidence that dealing with intoxicated witnesses and suspects is common and that there are few standard procedures for handling such individuals. As our data strongly suggest that this group has a significant presence in law enforcement contexts, several research and policy questions are apparent. For example, if the intoxicated differ from sober witnesses and suspects, should this warrant uniquely tailored procedural recommendations? Findings from this survey are intended to spur and guide research aiming to provide useful guidelines to law enforcement on how to interact with this potentially vulnerable and underresearched group.
Enhancement of experimental photocarcinogenesis by topical retinoic acid

Summary Topical application of retinoic acid (RA) solutions greatly enhanced the response of hairless mouse skin to a moderate dose of simulated sunlight. Tumors appeared much earlier, and in much greater numbers, in animals treated daily with 1 or 10 μg of RA in methanol immediately after 2 h exposure to a xenon arc filtered through 2 mm of Schott WG 320 glass (approximately equivalent in human erythema effectiveness to 5 min of mid-summer noon solar exposure in northern mid-latitudes), compared to mice treated with light and methanol only. The higher amount of RA, in combination with light, produced moderate epidermal hyperplasia and some scaling and transient erythema, but no gross ulceration or inflammation of skin. The lower amount of RA, though about equally effective in carcinogenesis, produced minimal epidermal hyperplasia compared to the ultraviolet radiation + methanol control.
Repair of base alkylation damage in targeted restriction endonuclease sequences of plasmid DNA

Sequence specific ethylation damage and repair of ethyl-adducts in selected restriction endonuclease recognition sites within p220-ras plasmid DNA was assessed by a modified Southern blotting coupled immunoprobing technique. In situ UV irradiation of DNA in gels clearly ameliorated the immunodetection of minute amounts of facultative fragments generated due to inhibition of enzyme cleavage site by covalent alkylation modification of the cognate sites. Specific and quantitative localization of induced facultative fragments was achieved in as low as 1 ng of DNA digest corresponding to a peak intensity below 0.1 absorbance unit upon laser scanning. An ENU dose dependent increase in the intensity of representative 7.1 and 7.7 kb facultative fragments was observed as a result of cleavage block at EcoRI (G/ATTC) and BamHI (G/GATCC) restriction endonuclease sites, respectively. To determine the repair in prokaryotic cells, the half-life of repairable alkyl-adducts was assessed in plasmid DNA established in various Escherichia coli strains as a function of post-treatment incubation time in the recovery medium. The repair is indicated by the gradual disappearance of the 7.1, 7.7, 11.9 and 5.5 kb facultative fragments within the wild-type and mutant E. coli strains. The ethyl-adducts within EcoRI and BamHI restriction sites were effectively lost from the target DNA in repair-proficient E. coli with an estimated t1/2 of approximately 40 min. However, decreased overall rate and at least 2.2-times lesser extent of repair was observed in the repair-deficient (ada+ogt-) and (ada-ogt+) cells. No measurable repair was noticed in alkyltransferase defective double mutant (ada-ogt-) even after 2 h of post-treatment incubation. The repair of ethyl-adducts at NotI site (GC/GGCCGC) in 5.5 kb facultative fragment occurred at a relatively faster rate (t1/2 of 27 min) in wild-type bacteria. A 1.5-fold slower repair of ethyl-adducts in BamHI and EcoRI sequences containing G/G and A/G at their cleavage sites was observed compared to C/G in NotI sequence. These results demonstrate the regioselective induction of alkyl-adducts in ethylated DNA and their differential repair in E. coli due to varied efficiency of the repair enzymes for promutagenic DNA base lesions present in different sequence context.
The contamination of nickel surfaces during oxidation in fused silica reaction vessels

In many experiments involving the high temperature oxidation of nickel in fused silica reaction vessels the final oxidation products have been found to include silica as β-cristobalite. Prior to oxidation the nickel was decarburized by exposure to oxygen followed by hydrogen reduction of the remaining oxide film. The silicon of the silica was transferred from the vessel walls to the specimen as silicon monoxide formed by the reduction of the silica by the carbon monoxide produced during the decarburization step. The silicon monoxide was reduced at the metal specimen by residual carbon to form silicon which then dissolved in the nickel. Detectable contamination of the surface took place during subsequent oxidation when the silicon was preferentially oxidized at the surface. The reaction of carbon monoxide with the silica tube was enhanced by devitrification caused by previous high temperature (> 700° C) treatment. Contamination could be avoided if the tube was never heated above 700° C and was minimized at 900° C by more complete decarburization of the specimen.
Bovine lactoferrin can be taken up by the human intestinal lactoferrin receptor and exert bioactivities.

Objective: Human lactoferrin (hLF), a major protein in human milk, has been shown to exert multiple biological activities. To achieve some of the benefits of breast-fed infants, we investigated the feasibility of adding commercially available bovine LF (CbLF) to infant formula. Subjects and Methods: An intestinal enterocyte model (Caco-2 cells) was used to compare the ability of bovine LF (bLF) purified by our laboratory and CbLF with hLF to resist digestion, bind to the receptor, and exert bioactivities, including cellular proliferation, differentiation, interleukin 18 secretion, and transforming growth factor-b1 expression. Results: bLf and CbLF, which are partially iron (Fe)-saturated, can bind additional Fe, partially resist digestion either dissolved in phosphate buffered saline or in the presence of infant formula at conditions similar to those of the infant gastrointestinal tract, and bind to Caco-2 cells in a manner similar to hLF. bLF and CbLF, as well as bound Fe, also are internalized by Caco-2 cells, as demonstrated by 125 I and 59 Fe labeling, albeit to somewhat less of an extent than hLF. CbLF promoted cell proliferation and differentiation to an extent similar to that of bLF and hLF, but these effects were not seen when the LF samples were saturated with Fe (holo-LF). Native forms of hLF and bLF significantly increased expression of transforming growth factor-b1, and holo-forms of LFs stimulated interleukin 18 secretion significantly, with the highest results for CbLF. Conclusions: CbLF is biologically active and is likely to exert several of the bioactivities of hLF if added to infant formula.
Introduction to biostatistics: Part 4, statistical inference techniques in hypothesis testing

Statistical methods used to test the null hypothesis are termed tests of significance. Selection of an appropriate test of significance is dependent on the type of data to be analyzed and the number of groups to be compared. Parametric tests of significance are based on the parameters, mean, standard deviation, and variance, and thus are used appropriately when interval or ratio data are analyzed. The t -test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) are examples of parametric tests of significance. Assumptions regarding the data to be analyzed when using the t -test or ANOVA include normality of the populations from which the sample data are drawn, homogeneity of the variances of the populations from which the sample data are drawn, and independence of the data points within a sample group. The t -test is the appropriate test of significance to use if there are only two groups to compare. If there are three or more groups to compare, ANOVA is the appropriate test. ANOVA holds the preset α level constant. While ANOVA will imply a significant difference between the groups compared, a multiple comparison test will define which of the three or more groups differ significantly.
Open Trial of Lamotrigine in the Treatment of Self-Injurious Behavior in an Adolescent with Profound Mental Retardation

ABSTRACT This single case reports an open trial of lamotrigine in the treatment of self-injurious behavior (SIB) and epilepsy in an 18-year-old female diagnosed with generalized seizure disorder, Stereotypic movement disorder, and compulsive SIB in the context of profound mental retardation. Animal models of SIB suggest that the glutamate neurotransmitter systems, involved in the generation of epileptic seizures, may also have a role in the pathophysiology of SIB. Data suggesting that lamotrigine may decrease glutamate release encouraged an empirical trial of lamotrigine for treatment of SIB. After 4 weeks of treatment of lamotrigine 200 mg daily, decreases in agitation and fearfulness were clinically observed, along with a 50% reduction in the frequency of SIB as measured by standardized scales. Good seizure control was maintained throughout the trial. No significant adverse effects were observed. Positive effects persisted at 1-year follow-up. Symptoms of Stereotypic movement disorder appeared unchanged...
Transhiatal herniation of colon after esophagectomy and gastric pull-up.

Abstract Transhiatal herniation of colon is uncommon after transhiatal esophagectomy. Two patients with this complication are presented. Presenting symptoms vary depending on the size and contents of the hernia. Patients may be asymptomatic. The diagnosis is suggested by plain chest radiography, and treatment, in symptomatic patients, is surgical reduction of the hernia via a laparotomy. (Ann Thorac Surg 1997;63:554–6)
Universal limits on massless high-spin particles

We present a model-independent argument showing that massless particles interacting with gravity in a Minkowski background space can have at most spin two. This result is proven by extending a famous theorem due to Weinberg and Witten to theories that do not possess a gauge-invariant stress-energy tensor.
Enzymatic removal of alkaline phosphatase from renal brush-border membranes. Effect on phosphate transport and on phosphate binding.

Abstract Brush-border membrane vesicles prepared from rabbit kidney cortex were incubated at 37°C for 30 min with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. This maneuver resulted in a release of approx. 85% of the brush-border membrane-linked enzyme alkaline phosphatase as determinated by its enzymatic activity. Transport of inorganic [32P]phosphate (100 μM) by the PI-specific phospholipase C-treated brush-border membrane vesicles was measured at 20–22°C in the presence of an inwardly directed 100 mM Na+ gradient. Neither initial uptake rates, as estimated from 10-s uptake values ( 103.5 ± 6.8%, n = 7 experiments ), nor equilibrium uptake values, measured after 2 h ( 102 ± 3.4% ) were different from controls (100%). Control and PI-specific phospholipase C-treated brush-border membrane vesicles were extracted with chloroform/methanol to obtain a proteolipid fraction which has been shown to bind Pi with high affinity and specificity (Kessler, R.J., Vaughn, D.A. and Fanestil, D.D. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 14311–14317). Phosphate binding (at 10 μM Pi) by the extracted proteolipid was measured. No significant difference in binding was observed between the two types of preparations: 31.0 ± 9.37 in controls and 29.8 ± 8.3 nmol/mg protein in the proteolipid extracted from PI-specific phospholipase C-treated brush-border membrane vesicles. It appears therefore that alkaline phosphatase activity is essential neither for Pi transport by brush-border membrane vesicles nor for Pi binding by proteolipid extracted from brush-border membrane. These results dissociate alkaline phosphatase activity, but not brush-border membrane vesicle transport of phosphate, from phosphate binding by proteolipid.
Marginal models for zero inflated clustered data

Over the last decade or so, there has been increasing interest in ‘zero inflated’ (ZI) regression models to account for ‘excess’ zeros in data. Examples include ZI poisson (ZIP), ZI binomial (ZIB), ZI negative binomial and ZI tobit models. Recently, extensions of these models to the clustered data case have begun to appear. For example, Hall considered ZIP and ZIB models with cluster specific random effects. In this paper, we consider an alternative expectation maximization approach on the basis of marginal models and generalized estimating equation (GEE) methodology. In the usual EM algorithm for fitting ZI models, the M step is replaced by the solution of a GEE to take into account within cluster correlation. The details of this approach, including formulas for an asymptotic variance-covariance matrix of parameter estimates, are given for several of the most important ZI regression model classes. Alternatively, GEEs can be applied directly by computing the first two marginal moments of the observed resp...
Implementable and systematic mitigation of native defects in EUV masks

Native defects in mask blanks is one of the key issues in extreme ultraviolet lithography. If defect-free mask blanks is the only solution, the resulting cost will be very high due to the low yield of such blanks. In this paper, we present a method for fabricating defect-free-like EUV masks by implementing several novel techniques such as global pattern shift, fine metrology-orientation and precise e-beam second-alignment from blank preparation to e-beam exposure. The mitigation success rate versus mask pattern density is simulated and verified by lithographic results using mitigated masks. Our methodology provides a way to achieve defect-free-like EUV mask blanks.
Forward pattern masking: effects of spatial frequency and contrast.

Contrast thresholds of Gabor targets presented after sine-wave grating maskers were measured. All the patterns were isochromatic. The duration of both masker and target was 33 ms. The interstimulus interval was 33 ms. Masker spatial frequency, masker contrast, and target frequency were varied. Two experiments were conducted. In the first there were four target frequencies: 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 c/deg, with five masker frequencies covering a range of ±2 octaves around each and five masker contrasts (0.05–0.8). In the second there were three target frequencies (1.5, 2, and 2.83 cycles per degree), five masker frequencies around each, and 13 contrasts (0.005–0.8). Masking functions were bandpass, with maximum masking near the target frequency. Target thresholds increased with masker contrast. Over the shorter, sparser contrast range of experiment 1, functions appear roughly linear or concave upward. When they are plotted on log–log coordinates, functions for different masker frequencies diverge as masker contrast increases. Experiment 2 makes it apparent that some of these functions contain two increasing segments with a flat segment between them. These results are well described by a theory postulating that detection of these targets is mediated by two or three mechanisms that are differentially tuned to spatial frequency. The effect of the forward masker is briefly to desensitize the mechanisms that respond to it. The theory is fitted to the results of experiment 2, and its parameters are estimated.
Program Completion and Recidivism Outcomes Among Adult Offenders Ordered to Complete a Community Service Sentence

Abstract Relatively little research has examined the outcomes (either program completion or recidivism) of community service (CS) sentences among adult offenders in the United States, despite the fact that this form of alternative sanction has been employed in the United States for nearly 40 years. What little research exists, primarily from Europe, suggests that community service may not yield significant reductions in recidivism. Increased use of community service in this country is suggested to have several potential benefits including the alleviation of jail crowding, reduction of correctional costs, as well as provision of credible intermediate punishment. Reductions in crowding and associated costs depend, however, on CS being utilized with incarceration-bound offenders and also that these offenders be managed under this community-based sanction without risk to public safety. This study finds that several characteristics indicative of more “serious” offenders (e.g., criminal history and other person...
Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants

(2005). Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants. The Explicator: Vol. 63, No. 4, pp. 234-237.
Pleasantness of a sweet taste during hunger and satiety: effects of gender and "sweet tooth".

Hungry or sated adult female (N = 29) and male subjects (N = 28), classified according to whether they had eaten or not within 2 h, rated four concentrations of sucrose in a lime drink for their sweetness intensity and pleasantness. Subjects also rated their attitude towards sweets in general (self-reported sweet tooth). Female subjects rated the solutions as less pleasant when tasted soon after a meal. Male subjects showed a non-significant trend in the same direction. Female subjects also rated the solutions as more intense than the male subjects did. Moreover, subjects who reported having a "sweet tooth" (regardless of gender) showed a significant alliesthesia effect (i.e., enhancement of pleasantness of sweet tastes by hunger), whereas those with "no sweet tooth" did not. We conclude that both gender and the degree of individual "sweet tooth" influence alliesthesia.
HIV-Associated Disruption of Tight and Adherens Junctions of Oral Epithelial Cells Facilitates HSV-1 Infection and Spread

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 are the most common opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS. In these immunocompromised individuals, HSV-1 reactivates and replicates in oral epithelium, leading to oral disorders such as ulcers, gingivitis, and necrotic lesions. Although the increased risk of HSV infection may be mediated in part by HIV-induced immune dysfunction, direct or indirect interactions of HIV and HSV at the molecular level may also play a role. In this report we show that prolonged interaction of the HIV proteins tat and gp120 and cell-free HIV virions with polarized oral epithelial cells leads to disruption of tight and adherens junctions of epithelial cells through the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. HIV-induced disruption of oral epithelial junctions facilitates HSV-1 paracellular spread between the epithelial cells. Furthermore, HIV-associated disruption of adherens junctions exposes sequestered nectin-1, an adhesion protein and critical receptor for HSV envelope glycoprotein D (gD). Exposure of nectin-1 facilitates binding of HSV-1 gD, which substantially increases HSV-1 infection of epithelial cells with disrupted junctions over that of cells with intact junctions. Exposed nectin-1 from disrupted adherens junctions also increases the cell-to-cell spread of HSV-1 from infected to uninfected oral epithelial cells. Antibodies to nectin-1 and HSV-1 gD substantially reduce HSV-1 infection and cell-to-cell spread, indicating that HIV-promoted HSV infection and spread are mediated by the interaction of HSV gD with HIV-exposed nectin-1. Our data suggest that HIV-associated disruption of oral epithelial junctions may potentiate HSV-1 infection and its paracellular and cell-to-cell spread within the oral mucosal epithelium. This could be one of the possible mechanisms of rapid development of HSV-associated oral lesions in HIV-infected individuals.
Cloning and characterization of the glucooligosaccharide catabolic pathway beta-glucan glucohydrolase and cellobiose phosphorylase in the marine hyperthermophile Thermotoga neapolitana.

Characterization in Thermotoga neapolitana of a catabolic gene cluster encoding two glycosyl hydrolases, 1,4-β-d-glucan glucohydrolase (GghA) and cellobiose phosphorylase (CbpA), and the apparent absence of a cellobiohydrolase (Cbh) suggest a nonconventional pathway for glucan utilization in Thermotogales. GghA purified from T. neapolitana is a 52.5-kDa family 1 glycosyl hydrolase with optimal activity at pH 6.5 and 95°C. GghA releases glucose from soluble glucooligomers, with a preference for longer oligomers: kcat/Km values are 155.2, 76.0, and 9.9 mM−1 s−1 for cellotetraose, cellotriose, and cellobiose, respectively. GghA has broad substrate specificity, with specific activities of 236 U/mg towards cellobiose and 251 U/mg towards lactose. With p-nitrophenyl-β-glucoside as the substrate, GghA exhibits biphasic kinetic behavior, involving both substrate- and end product-directed activation. Its capacity for transglycosylation is a factor in this activation. Cloning of gghA revealed a contiguous upstream gene (cbpA) encoding a 93.5-kDa cellobiose phosphorylase. Recombinant CbpA has optimal activity at pH 5.0 and 85°C. It has specific activity of 11.8 U/mg and a Km of 1.42 mM for cellobiose, but shows no activity towards other disaccharides or cellotriose. With its single substrate specificity and low Km for cellobiose (compared to GghA's Km of 28.6 mM), CbpA may be the primary enzyme for attacking cellobiose in Thermotoga spp. By phosphorolysis of cellobiose, CbpA releases one activated glucosyl molecule while conserving one ATP molecule per disaccharide. CbpA is the first hyperthermophilic cellobiose phosphorylase to be characterized.
An estimate of periodontal treatment needs in the U.S. Based on epidemiologic data.

It has generally been assumed, based on previous epidemiologic and utilization studies as well as the increasing elderly population, that there would be an increasing need for periodontal treatment. Analysis of a more recent household epidemiologic survey conducted in 1981 indicates that the need for treatment of periodontitis is less than previous estimates. These epidemiologic data have been translated into treatment needs through a series of conversion rules derived from previous studies and current patterns of treatment, and applied to the 1985 U.S. population. The total periodontal services needed for scaling, surgery, and prophylaxes would require 120 to 133 million hours and $5 to $6 billion annually if the total population were treated for periodontitis over a 4-year period. Only 11% of the total hours needed would be for scaling and surgery whereas 89% would be needed for prophylaxes. Expenditures for periodontal treatment total approximately 10% of the amount being spent on dental care in 1985. On the basis of these data, it seems unlikely that there will be a substantial increase in the need for periodontal treatment in a growing and aging U.S. population. These figures represent the upper limits of treatment need and are reduced by factoring in current utilization of periodontal treatment.