cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Function of chloroplast DNA II. Studies on DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity of tobacco chloroplasts

Abstract 1. DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (nucleotidetriphosphate: RNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.6) has been shown to be present in tobacco chloroplasts and nuclei. Both enzymes require Mg2+, all four nucleoside triphosphates, and are inhibited by actinomycin D, deoxyribonuclease and ribonuclease. All attempts to solubilize the enzyme from chloroplast membranes or from the DNA, failed. 2. The enzyme present in the chloroplast is 30–40 times more active than that of nuclei on unit DNA basis. The repressed activity of the nuclear enzyme has been shown to be due to histone association to nuclear DNA. No such basic proteins could be shown to be present on chloroplast DNA. 3. The size of synthesized RNA's by chloroplast and nuclear enzyme in vitro ranged from 4 to 30 S.
Multiple imputation under Bayesianly smoothed pattern-mixture models for non-ignorable drop-out

Conventional pattern-mixture models can be highly sensitive to model misspecification. In many longitudinal studies, where the nature of the drop-out and the form of the population model are unknown, interval estimates from any single pattern-mixture model may suffer from undercoverage, because uncertainty about model misspecification is not taken into account. In this article, a new class of Bayesian random coefficient pattern-mixture models is developed to address potentially non-ignorable drop-out. Instead of imposing hard equality constraints to overcome inherent inestimability problems in pattern-mixture models, we propose to smooth the polynomial coefficient estimates across patterns using a hierarchical Bayesian model that allows random variation across groups. Using real and simulated data, we show that multiple imputation under a three-level linear mixed-effects model which accommodates a random level due to drop-out groups can be an effective method to deal with non-ignorable drop-out by allowing model uncertainty to be incorporated into the imputation process.
Synergistic Effects of Hepatocyte Growth Factor on Human Cord Blood CD34+ Progenitor Cells are the Result of c-met Receptor Expression

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a pleiotropic growth factor which, in addition to its mitogenic potency for primary hepatocytes, also has a role in the regulation of cell motility, cell growth and morphogenesis. In the present study, we show that c-met, the high-affinity receptor for HGF, is expressed on human cord blood (CB) CD34+ progenitor cells and CD34+Thy-1+ Lin− (lin−) cells. We have investigated the capacity of HGF to synergize with other growth factors to induce colony formation by CB CD34+ progenitor cells. CD34+ cells were cultured in semisolid medium containing serum with increasing concentrations of GM-CSF, G-CSF, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), stem cell factor (SCF), interleukin 3 (IL-3) and IL-11 alone or in combination with HGF. HGF acted as a potent synergist and enhanced, up to fourfold, colony formation induced by GM-CSF, G-CSF or M-CSF. HGF in combination with SCF, IL-3 or IL-11 did not induce proliferation of colony forming units-granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM) above control levels. In serum-deprived cultures, HGF was only detectably synergistic with IL-11, and all other culture combinations showed no proliferation. To determine whether the stimulatory effect of IL-11 and the synergistic effect of HGF in the absence of serum could be attributed to the effect of these two cytokines on stem cells, IL-11-stimulated and unstimulated lin− cells were analyzed for expression of c-met. CD34+Thy-1+Lin− cells were positive for c-met, both in the presence and absence of IL-11 stimulation, and Northern analysis indicated that c-met RNA expression was upregulated in response to IL-11 compared to unstimulated controls. These results provide strong evidence for upregulation of the HGF receptor on primitive hematopoietic cells by IL-11, and for the synergistic role of HGF in colony formation by hematopoietic stem cells.
Quality assurance/quality control assessment for a collaborative study of 2,3,7,8-TCDD bioaccumulation in Lake Ontario

Abstract Sediments and fish from Lake Ontario and from a laboratory exposure study could be analyzed with an accuracy of ±50% at a detection limit of 1 pg/g with improvements in accuracy at higher concentrations.
Role of cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of acute chest pain in the emergency department

Evaluation of patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department remains a challenging task because of a variety of etiologies that range from benign to potentially fatal. Although majority of patients do not have myocardial ischemia as the cause of their presentation, the clinical work up can be time consuming, costly and inconclusive. Recent technical advances in cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have led to better diagnostic accuracy in evaluating patients with chest pain. In this paper, we review the role of cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating patients with chest pain in the emergency department.
A new embolus injection method to evaluate intracerebral hemorrhage in New Zealand white rabbits

The rabbit large clot embolic stroke model has been used for over 23 years to study methods to manipulate hemorrhage and to test drugs and devices for safety, because the rabbit model is particularly sensitive to embolism-induced hemorrhage. This study refined the original embolization procedure using an automated, pump-assisted injection method to introduce large blood clots or macroscopic emboli into the middle cerebral artery (MCA) via an indwelling carotid artery catheter. The study shows that rapid injection of blood clots (3 ml/30 s) produced a model where there is a high hemorrhage incidence rate (79%) and a high stroke success rate (63%), compared to a low stroke success rate (19%) with no hemorrhages when clots were injected at a slow rate (3 ml/90 s). The rapid injection method, which produces a high hemorrhage rate, is particularly useful to study neuroprotective agents to attenuate embolism-induced hemorrhage. In addition, we show that manual injection of blood clots, which produces a lower baseline hemorrhage rate (41%) with a similar stroke success rate (65%), may allow investigators to study pharmacological agents to either up or down-regulate hemorrhage incidence. Lastly, we show that in the rabbit embolic stroke model, hemorrhages are adjacent to areas of 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium (TTC)-negative tissue, normally associated with infarcted or ischemic tissue. Thus, there is clear separation of ischemia and hemorrhage in the model, suggesting that therapeutics that are neuroprotective may also be useful to limit the evolution of ischemic damage associated with a hemorrhage, if not attenuate hemorrhage itself.
Preoperative donor nerve electromyography as a predictor of nerve transfer outcomes.

Purpose We hypothesized that health of the donor nerve and corresponding muscle, as assessed by electromyography (EMG), could predict the outcome of nerve transfer surgery. Methods A retrospective review was performed to investigate outcomes of nerve transfers for elbow flexion and shoulder abduction. Motor strength was graded preoperatively and after a minimum 1-year follow-up. Preoperative EMG results were classified as functionally normal or affected based on motor unit recruitment pattern and correlated with follow-up motor strength and range of motion. Results Forty nerve transfers were identified: 27 were performed for elbow flexion and 13 for shoulder abduction. Overall, the 29 transfers in the normal EMG cohort showed significantly greater postoperative improvement in motor strength (Medical Research Council grade 0.2–4.1) than the 11 transfers in the affected EMG cohort (grade 0.0–3.0). In the shoulder cohort, normal donor nerves resulted in greater strength (grade 4.0 vs. 2.4) and active motion (83° vs. 25°) compared with affected donor nerves. Double fascicular transfers with 2 normal donor nerves demonstrated improved strength compared with double nerve transfers when 1 donor nerve was affected (grade 4.5 vs. 3.2). Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that a simple EMG classification that describes the quality of donor nerves can predict outcome as measured by postoperative motor strength and range of motion. Preoperative EMG evaluation should be considered a valuable supplementary component of the donor nerve selection process when planning brachial plexus reconstruction. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic II.
Effects of pressure rise on cw laser ablation of tissue

The objectives of this research were to identify mechanisms responsible for the initiation of continuous wave (cw) laser ablation of tissue and investigate the role of pressure in the ablation process. Porcine aorta samples were irradiated in a chamber pressurized from 1 X 10-4 to 12 atmospheres absolute pressure. Acrylic and Zn-Se windows in the experimental pressure chamber allowed video and infrared cameras to simultaneously record mechanical and thermal events associated with cw argon laser ablation of these samples. Video and thermal images of tissue slabs documented the explosive nature of cw laser ablation of soft biological media and revealed similar ablation threshold temperatures and ablation onset times under different environmental pressures; however, more violent initiation explosions with decreasing environmental pressures were observed. These results suggest that ablation initiates with thermal alterations in the mechanical strength of the tissue and proceeds with an explosion induced by the presence superheated liquid within the tissue.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Gradients of the Exchange-repulsion Energy in the General Effective Fragment Potential Method

Formulae for calculating the analytic gradients of the exchange-repulsion energy in the general effective fragment potential (EFP2) method are derived and implemented using a direct differentiation approach. The timings for the exchange repulsion gradient evaluations are approximately three times longer than the energy evaluations, orders of magnitude faster than a previous implementation. Since the direct differentiation approach is not approximate, the gradients can be used with confidence in molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations with the EFP2 method.
The bag model and the adjoint string tension

Abstract It is pointed out that the usual bag model explanation of the linear heavy quark potential is in conflict with lattice Monte Carlo results for the string tension in the adjoint (and higher) representations. The discrepancy is due to an insufficient “collimation” of the electric flux lines for strong color sources. An alternative model for the formation of flux tubes is discussed.
Abstract B41: Effect of community health worker (CHW) interventions on rates of screening mammography: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) are lay individuals who are specially trained to serve as liaisons between members of their communities and healthcare providers and services. Research conducted on the effectiveness of CHW programs in promoting screening mammography has reported conflicting results (i.e., some studies favored the use of CHWs while some do not). The aim of this study was to conduct a synthesis of all prospective studies on the effectiveness of CHW programs in improving screening mammography rates using the techniques of systematic-review and meta-analysis. It was hypothesized that study participants who received a CHW intervention would be more likely to receive a screening mammogram when compared to participants who did not receive a CHW intervention. Methods: Any prospective study conducted in the U.S. assessing the effect of a CHW intervention in a controlled setting and enrolling a minimum of 10 participants was eligible for inclusion. A comprehensive search of CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases along with the reference lists of published articles was performed to identify potentially relevant studies conducted and published between 1980 and January 31, 2008. All retrieved citations were reviewed by two researchers for inclusion. Data extraction was performed using a standardized data collection form. Dichotomous data (receipt of mammogram) were summarized as risk ratios (RRs) for each study. The summary results from each study were pooled under a random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed both by visual inspection of forest plots for each outcome, as well as by formal statistical testing for heterogeneity using the chi square and I2 test. Robustness of findings was assessed according to characteristics of CHW interventions, methodological quality of included studies, or study design. Results: Initial search yielded 228 citations of which 24 studies met the pre-determined inclusion criteria. Of the 24 studies, 18 had extractable data. Altogether these 18 studies included a total of 26,660 participants at baseline. In a combined sample of RCTs (n=10) and quasi-experimental studies (n= 8), participation in a CHW intervention was associated with a small, but significant increase in receipt of screening mammography [RR: 1.06 (favoring intervention); 95% Confidence interval (CI: 1.02, 1.11), p = .003]. The effect remained when pooled data from only the RCTs were included in the meta-analysis (RR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.12, p Conclusions: Results from the meta-analysis indicate that CHW interventions are an effective strategy for increasing screening mammography, but intervention effectiveness depends on the research design of studies, as well as characteristics of the CHW intervention. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B41.
Application of theoretical principles to swimsuit drag reduction

This study investigated the basic fluid mechanics associated with the hydrodynamic drag of a human. The components of drag (frictionD SF, pressureD P and waveD W) on a human swimmer were analysed by applying classical fluid dynamic fundamentals. General methods of reducing drag were considered and the most probable method identified, applied and tested on swimsuit hydrodynamic drag. This study employed turbulators, either one (upper back) or three (across the upper back, the chest and across the buttocks), that were compared to an identical full body suit with no turbulators. Male and female elite competitive swimmers (n = 7 each) were towed in an annular pool to determine passive drag at speeds from 0.4 to 2.2 m s−1. The total drag was reduced by 11–12% by one turbulator and 13–16% by three turbulators. The total drag was decomposed intoD SF, DP andD W to determine the mechanisms responsible for the reduced total drag by the turbulators. The presence of the turbulators did not significantly increase friction or wave drag; however, flow was attached to the body as there was a significant reduction in pressure drag (19–41%), with the greatest reduction being for three turbulators (chest, back, buttocks). This study demonstrated the importance of pressure drag in determining total drag at high human swimming speeds, and that drag reducing technology can significantly reduce it, in this case by appropriately sized and placed turbulators.
Dual language profiles of Latino children of immigrants: Stability and change over the early school years

Dual language children enter school with varying levels of proficiencies in their first and second language. This study of Latino children of immigrants (N = 163) analyzes their dual language profiles at kindergarten and second grade, derived from the direct assessment of Spanish and English proficiencies (Woodcock Language Proficiency Batteries-Revised). Children were grouped based on the similarity of language profiles (competent profiles, such as dual proficient, Spanish proficient, and English proficient; and low-performing profiles, including borderline proficient and limited proficient). At kindergarten, the majority of children (63%) demonstrated a low-performing profile; by second grade, however, the majority of children (64%) had competent profiles. Change and stability of language profiles over time of individual children were then analyzed. Of concern, are children who continued to demonstrate a low-performing, high-risk profile. Factors in the linguistic environments at school and home, as well as other family and child factors associated with dual language profiles and change/stability over time were examined, with a particular focus on the persistently low-performing profile groups.
Extracellular guanosine regulates extracellular adenosine levels.

The aim of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that extracellular guanosine regulates extracellular adenosine levels. Rat preglomerular vascular smooth muscle cells were incubated with ad...
AMORD explicit control of reasoning

The construction of expert problem-solving systems requires the development of techniques for using modular representations of knowledge without encountering combinatorial explosions in the solution effort. This report describes an approach to dealing with this problem based on making some knowledge which is usually implicitly part of an expert problem solver explicit, thus allowing this knowledge about control to be manipulated and reasoned about. The basic components of this approach involve using explicit representations of the control structure of the problem solver, and linking this and other knowledge manipulated by the expert by means of explicit data dependencies.
Efficacy of ertapenem in the treatment of serious infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae: analysis of pooled clinical trial data

Objective: The efficacy of ertapenem, 1 g once a day, for treatment of adults with serious infec- tions caused by Enterobacteriaceae was compared with ceftriaxone 1 g once a day (complicated urinary tract infection (CUTI) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)) or piperacillin-tazo- bactam, 3.375 g every 6 h (complicated intra-abdominal, complicated skin/skin structure and acute pelvic infections). Patients and methods: This combined analysis included the subgroup of all 1167 treated patients infected with Enterobacteriaceae from seven randomized double-blind studies. Results: Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen, accounting for 65.3% of all Entero- bacteriaceae. Among evaluable patients with deep tissue (intra-abdominal, skin and pelvic) infections, the combined clinical cure rates were 84.8% (223 of 263) for ertapenem and 82.9% (194 of 234) for piperacillin-tazobactam (95% confidence interval (CI) for the difference, adjust- ing for infection, -4.9% to 8.9%). Cure rates by infection for ertapenem and piperacillin-tazo- bactam, respectively, were: intra-abdominal, 85.1% (143 of 168) and 79.9% (119 of 149); pelvic, 86.8% (46 of 53) and 94% (47 of 50); skin/skin structure, 81% (34 of 42) and 80% (28 of 35). Among patients with CUTI, microbiological cure rates were 90.5% (220 of 243) for ertapenem and 92% (196 of 213) for ceftriaxone (95% CI for the difference, -7.1% to 4.1%). In patients with CAP, clin- ical cure rates were 95% (19 of 20) for ertapenem and 88.9% (16 of 18) for ceftriaxone.
Socially indiscriminate attachment behavior in the Strange Situation : Convergent and discriminant validity in relation to caregiving risk, later behavior problems, and attachment insecurity

Socially indiscriminate attachment behavior has been repeatedly observed among institutionally reared children. Socially indiscriminate behavior has also been associated with aggression and hyperactivity. However, available data rely heavily on caregiver report of indiscriminate behavior. In addition, few studies have been conducted with samples of home-reared infants exposed to inadequate care. The current study aimed to develop a reliable laboratory measure of socially indiscriminate forms of attachment behavior based on direct observation and to validate the measure against assessments of early care and later behavior problems among home-reared infants. Strange Situation episodes of 75 socially at-risk mother-infant dyads were coded for infant indiscriminate attachment behavior on the newly developed Rating for Infant-Stranger Engagement. After controlling for infant insecure-organized and disorganized behavior in all analyses, extent of infant-stranger engagement at 18 months was significantly related to serious caregiving risk (maltreatment or maternal psychiatric hospitalization), observed quality of disrupted maternal affective communication, and aggressive and hyperactive behavior problems at age 5. Results are discussed in relation to the convergent and discriminant validity of the new measure and to the potential utility of a standardized observational measure of indiscriminate attachment behavior. Further validation is needed in relation to caregiver report measures of indiscriminate behavior.
Selective Evolution of Stromal Mesenchyme with p53 Loss in Response to Epithelial Tumorigenesis

Our understanding of cancer has largely come from the analysis of aberrations within the tumor cell population. Yet it is increasingly clear that the tumor microenvironment can significantly influence tumorigenesis. For example, the mesenchyme can support the growth of tumorigenic epithelium. However, whether fibroblasts are subject to genetic/epigenetic changes as a result of selective pressures conferred by oncogenic stress in the epithelium has not been experimentally assessed. Recent analyses of some human carcinomas have shown tumor-suppressor gene mutations within the stroma, suggesting that the interplay among multiple cell types can select for aberrations nonautonomously during tumor progression. We demonstrate that this indeed occurs in a mouse model of prostate cancer where epithelial cell cycle disruption via cell-specific inhibition of pRb function induces a paracrine p53 response that suppresses fibroblast proliferation in associated stroma. This interaction imposes strong selective pressure yielding a highly proliferative mesenchyme that has undergone p53 loss.
Reaction of frog antiserum with guinea pig complement.

Abstract Bullfrog antiserum to bacteriophage f 2 , and serum fractions containing the high or the low mol. wt immunoglobulins, reacted with antigen and guinea pig complement in the classical complement fixation assay. These results imply that certain serum proteins in the bullfrog interact specifically with the complement proteins in a phylogenetically distant species, the guinea pig.
Photon Density Measured Over a Cut Surface: Implications for Optical Mapping of the Heart

During optical mapping of the heart, the signal represents a weighted average of the transmembrane potential. Researchers sometimes illuminate the epicardium and record over a cut surface. My goal is to compare their signal to the photon density within an intact tissue. Does cutting the tissue affect the signal?
INTEGRABLE LATTICE MODELS, GRAPHS AND MODULAR INVARIANT CONFORMAL FIELD THEORIES

We review the construction of integrable height models attached to graphs, in connection with compact Lie groups. The continuum limit of these models yields conformally invariant field theories. A direct relation between graphs and (Kac–Moody or coset) modular invariants is proposed.
Anatomical localization of cartilage degradation markers in a surgically induced rat osteoarthritis model

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by an irreversible loss of articular cartilage. Although surgically induced animal OA models are commonly used in drug efficacy assessment, degradation of type II collagen, an important component of articular cartilage is not routinely evaluated. Here, the medial meniscectomy surgical model (MMT) in Lewis rats was evaluated for proteoglycan loss with toluidine blue staining and collagen degradation with immunohistochemical staining for a collagen cleavage C-neoepitope, using a novel anti-type II collagen neoepitope antigen (TIINE) antibody. Femorotibial joints were collected for histology at 0 (no surgery), 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days postsurgery. Following MMT surgery, the medial tibial articular cartilage had proteoglycan matrix loss by day 3 that reached subchondral bone by days 28-42. Femoral cartilage damage occurred by day 14. TIINE staining was present at basal levels in growth plates and articular cartilage of all joints while all MMT-treated animals had increased intensity and area of staining in erosions that colocalized with proteoglycan loss. The MMT model produces a progressive pattern of cartilage damage resembling human OA lesions, making it useful, when evaluated with cartilage biomarkers, for assessing changes in cartilage degradation.
Seismic behavior and modeling of high-strength composite concrete-filled steel tube (CFT) beam–columns

Abstract The behavior of square concrete-filled steel tube (CFT) beam–columns made from high-strength materials was investigated experimentally. The effects of the width-to-thickness ratio, yield stress of the steel tube and the axial load level on the stiffness, strength and ductility of high-strength CFT beam–columns were studied. Sixteen three-quarter scale CFT specimens, which included eight monotonic beam–column specimens and eight cyclic beam–column specimens, were tested. The experimental results indicate that cyclic loading does not have a significant influence on the stiffness or strength of CFT beam–columns. However, it causes a more rapid decrease of the post-peak moment resistance. The moment capacity of high-strength CFT beam–columns can be predicted with reasonable accuracy using the American Concrete Institute (ACI) code provisions for composite columns. Fiber-based models were developed for the CFT beam–column specimens. The uniaxial stress–strain curves for the fibers were derived from three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analyses of the CFTs. The results from the fiber analyses of the monotonic and cyclic beam–column specimens compare favorably with the experimental results.
“Nibtidi mnin il-hikaya [Where are we to start the tale?]”: violence, intimacy, and recollection

Ecrit a partir d'un fragment d'une recherche anthropologique menee par l'auteur dans un hopital psychiatrique marocain, cet article est une reflexion sur les zones-frontieres de la theorie et de l'existence qui, en ce moment, sont de plus en plus la substance du quotidien. Une traversee de ces zones est necessaire pour la comprehension de la vie avec ce qu'elle comporte d'indetermination: du normal et du pathologique, de la subjectivite et de la depersonnalisation, de la memoire et de l'oubli, de l'emancipation et de l'assujettissement. Dans le sillon de l'intuition Freudienne du lien affectif - lien enigmatique entre le soi et l'autre, la creation et la destruction, et entrelacs de la mimesis et de l'alterite marquees d'une intime heterogeneite - l'essai traite ces questions a partir de l'ecriture traumatique de l'auteur palestinien Ilyas Khouri, et de l'histoire d'une patiente dont l'existence est marquee par la cohabitation corporelle avec un djinn, a la frontiere de la raison demonologique et du raisonnement psychiatrique.
Ironies in photosynthetic electron transport: a personal perspective

In this brief personal perspective, studies, mainly in my laboratory, directed toward understanding of the structure and function of the Fe-metalloprotein electron transport carriers of oxygenic photosynthesis are discussed. This level of understanding and the description of the events that led to this level are inevitably incomplete. The Fe-proteins considered are those, cytochromes b-559 (560), f, b 6, and x, and the Rieske [2Fe−2S] iron-sulfur protein, which have now been placed in a structural context as a result of X-ray diffraction analysis of crystals of Photosystem II and the cytochrome b 6 f complex and the Photosystem II reaction center.
Screening for colorectal cancer 2003: is there still a role for the FOBT?

Abstract Screening for colon cancer with fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) has been shown in randomised controlled trials to decrease mortality from this disease. Despite these results, some question whether or not using these tests remains worthwhile in the age of population screening with colonoscopy. In this review the strengths and weaknesses of the available FOBT's are discussed and arguments are advanced for their continued use for screening. In addition, a recommendation for choice of FOBT is made.
Exon expression profiling reveals stimulus-mediated exon use in neural cells

Background: Neuronal cells respond to changes in intracellular calcium ([Ca 2+ ]i) by affecting both the abundance and architecture of specific mRNAs. Although calcium-induced transcription and transcript variation have both been recognized as important sources of gene regulation, the interplay between these two phenomena has not been evaluated on a genome-wide scale. Results: Here, we show that exon-centric microarrays can be used to resolve the [Ca 2+ ]imodulated gene expression response into transcript-level and exon-level regulation. Global assessments of affected transcripts reveal modulation within distinct functional gene categories. We find that transcripts containing calcium-modulated exons exhibit enrichment for calcium ion binding, calmodulin binding, plasma membrane associated, and metabolic proteins. Additionally, we uncover instances of regulated exon use in potassium channels, neuroendocrine secretory proteins and metabolic enzymes, and demonstrate that regulated changes in exon expression give rise to distinct transcript variants. Conclusion: Our findings connect extracellular stimuli to specific exon behavior, and suggest that changes in transcript and exon abundance are reflective of a coordinated gene expression response to elevated [Ca2+] i . The technology we describe here lends itself readily to the resolution of
On Maximum Evaporation Rates of Liquid Droplets in Rocket Motors

Upper limits have been estimated for the rate of evaporation of small liquid droplets in representative rocket combustion chambers. The droplets are assumed to be isothermal at all times. The droplet temperature as a function of time is determined by an appropriate heat balance. The calculations are useful in determining the significance of inelastic collisions between liquid droplets for complete combustion. Radiant heat transfer to moving liquid droplets is considered briefly.
Eolian Response to Little Ice Age Climate Change, Tana Dunes, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, U.S.A.

Abstract The late Holocene history of eolian activity in a parabolic dune complex in the northern Chugach Mountains, Alaska, is reconstructed using 80 tree-ring dates and 5 radiocarbon ages. A radiocarbon age on detrital organics shows mobilization of sands about cal yr A.D. 1260. General forest growth over the dune field area indicates that this active interval was followed by dune stabilization by A.D. 1500. The present interval of dune migration activity, reconstructed from calendar dates and radiocarbon ages on buried trees, began as early as the late A.D. 1600s, was well under way by the mid–A.D. 1700s, and continues today at a diminishing rate. Intervals of increased eolian activity correspond with pulses of the Little Ice Age as reconstructed from a well-established glacial history for the region over the last 1000 yr. Century-scale cooling in climate appears to have forced dune activity through general geomorphic instabilities of nearby glacial and fluvial-lacustrine systems. Geomorphic activity i...
Sildenafil Treatment Ameliorates the Maternal Syndrome of Preeclampsia and Rescues Fetal Growth in the Dahl Salt–Sensitive Rat

Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is detrimental to both mother and fetus. There is currently no effective treatment, but sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, has been proposed as a potential therapy to reduce blood pressure and improve uteroplacental perfusion in preeclamptic patients. We hypothesized that sildenafil would improve the maternal syndrome and fetal outcomes in the Dahl S rat model of superimposed preeclampsia. Dahl S rats were mated, and half received sildenafil (50 mg/kg per day, via food) from day 10 through day 20 of pregnancy. The untreated Dahl S rats had a significant rise in blood pressure and a 2-fold increase in urinary protein excretion from baseline to late pregnancy; however, sildenafil-treated Dahl S rats exhibited ≈40 mm Hg drops in blood pressure with no rise in protein excretion. Sildenafil also increased creatinine clearance and reduced nephrinuria and glomerulomegaly. Sildenafil treatment reduced the uterine artery resistance index during late pregnancy in the Dahl S rat and improved fetal outcomes (survival, weight, and litter size). In addition, 19% of all pups were resorbed in untreated rats, with no incidence of resorptions observed in the treated group. Furthermore, tumor necrosis factor-α, endothelin-1, and oxidative stress, which are characteristically increased in women with preeclampsia and in experimental models of the disease, were reduced in treated rats. These data suggest that sildenafil improves the maternal syndrome of preeclampsia and blood flow to the fetoplacental unit, providing preclinical evidence to support the hypothesis that phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibition may be an important therapeutic target for the treatment of preeclampsia.
Method for the Prediction of the Rate of +b Color Change in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) as a Function of Storage Temperatures

Previous studies have indicated that HVI +b values of baled Upland cotton increase due to prolonged storage with uncontrolled temperature conditions. This change in +b is accompanied by decreases in reducing sugar content and pH. The present study attempts to elucidate the dependence of this trend on storage temperature and time, and to develop a model capable of predicting +b changes at any given temperature and time. A single bale of cotton was subjected to varying temperature and time conditions, and resultant values of reducing sugar content, pH, and +b were determined. Exponential regressions gave rate constants that were temperature dependent and obeyed the Arrhenius expression. A model was constructed that allows prediction of +b as a function of time and temperature. The model will be used as a basis for the construction of a more extensive model that can be used to predict color change in any Upland cotton based on initial +b, reducing sugar content, and pH values.
Renal effects of adrenomedullin in the rat.

AbstractWe investigated the effects of a constant infusion of adrenomedullin (ADM) on renal hemodynamics and fluid electrolyte excretion in the rat. Following baseline measurements, eight rats received an intravenous infusion of 5 μg of rat ADM (167 ng/min) for 30 min at 10 μl/min. Eight additional rats received 0.9% saline at 10 μl/min instead of ADM. Renal function was measured during this period and for two consecutive 20-min periods following termination of the ADM or vehicle infusion. Mean arterial pressure decreased from a baseline of 113±3 to 102±1 mm Hg at 25 min of ADM infusion and returned towards control after the ADM infusion was terminated. This modest hypotensive effect was associated with an increase in heart rate from 366±10 to 384±9 bpm, which continued to remain elevated after the ADM infusion was stopped. Urinary sodium excretion increased from 348±57 to 813±172 nEq/min during ADM infusion and continued to increase to 1141±347 nEq/min after the infusion of ADM was terminated. Urinary po...
Data Collection Opportunities and Challenges for Skilled Construction Labor Demand Forecast Modeling

Forecasting skilled construction labor demand ensures that the construction industry can train and supply an adequate workforce. Crucial to developing reliable forecasts is the collection of accura...
Damage Accumulation in MgAl2O4 Crystals by Xe Ion Irradiations

We have studied the damage kinetics in single crystal MgAl 2 O 4 (spinel) with (100) orientation under 370 keV Xe ion irradiations at temperatures of -100 and 400 C. In-situ Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and ion channeling have been used to monitor the damage accumulation in spinel following sequential Xe ion irradiations. A significant temperature effect on the irradiation damage has been found. Channeling data show that at -100 C, the irradiated spinel layer reaches the same level as in a random spectrum at a dose of 8×10 15 Xe/cm 2 (20 DPA for peak damage), while at 400 C, the near surface region (50 nm) remains single-crystalline up to 2×10 16 Xe/cm 2 .
Birefringence and Contractile Power of Muscles During Atrophy Due to Upper Neurone Lesions or Tenotomy

SummaryAlthough in muscular atrophy, either due to final or upper neurone lesions, or due to tenotomy, there is a distinct weight loss after 9 to 10 days, the muscles have at that time still the same contractile power per weight unit and the same birefringence as normal muscles. But 3 to 5 weeks after onset of the atrophy, only muscles atrophying due to upper neurone lesions or to tenotomy have still the contractile power per weight unit and the birefringence of normal muscle. However, for denervated muscle, contractile power and birefringence are distinctly diminished at that time. Only in the latter type of atrophy does the submicroscopic crystalline structure, so essential for the contraction process, become seriously impaired.
The female suffering body: illness and disability in modern Arabic literature

In The Female Suffering Body: Illness and Disability in Modern Arabic Literature, Abir Hamdar answers the following question: How does Arabic literature represent the female body in pain? In other ...
Fatigued, but Not Frail: Perceived Fatigability as a Marker of Impending Decline in Mobility-Intact Older Adults

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate perceived fatigability as a predictor of meaningful functional decline in non-mobility-limited older adults. DESIGN: Longitudinal analysis of data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). SETTING: National Institute on Aging, Clinical Research Unit, Baltimore, Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: Men and women aged 60 to 89 participating in the BLSA with concurrent perceived fatigability and functional assessments and follow-up functional assessment within 1 to 3 years (N = 540). MEASUREMENTS: Perceived fatigability was ascertained using the Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) after 5 minutes of treadmill walking at 1.5 miles per hour. Functional assessments included usual and fast gait speed, the Health, Aging and Body Composition physical performance battery (HABC PPB) and reported walking ability. Reported tiredness and energy level were examined as complementary predictors. Covariates included age, age squared, race, follow-up time, and baseline function. Meaningful decline was defined as 0.05 m/s per year for usual gait speed, 0.07 m/s per year for fast gait speed, 0.12 points/year for HABC PPB, and 1 point for walking ability index. RESULTS: Over a mean 2.1 years, 20-31% of participants declined across functional assessments. Fatigability was associated with a 13-19% greater likelihood of meaningful decline in all measures (P = .002-.02) per 1-unit RPE increase. After considering tiredness and energy level separately, findings were essentially unchanged, and neither was associated with gait speed or physical performance decline. In contrast, each separately predicted decline in reported walking ability independent of fatigability (P = .03 and P CONCLUSION: Routine assessment of fatigability may help identify older persons vulnerable to greater-than-expected functional decline.© 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society. Language: en
The effects of antireflux therapy on pulmonary function in patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease

Objectives : Gastroesophageal reflux can induce bronchospasm, and antireflux therapy has been shown to improve pulmonary function in patients who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) associated with asthma. Our objective was to study the pulmonary effects of antireflux therapy in patients who had severe GERD without clinically apparent lung disease. Methods : In a Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study, patients who had complicated GERD without important lung disease were randomly assigned to receive one of three types of antireflux treatment, including two kinds of medical therapy and a surgical therapy. Patients had pulmonary function tests (PFTs), including total lung capacity, residual volume, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, maximal midexpiratory flow, and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. Results : Two hundred forty-seven patients (243 men, four women ; mean age 58 yr) entered the randomized trial, and 151 returned for PETS at 1 yr. For the entire study group and for all three treatment groups, mean values for PFTs at 1 yr did not differ significantly from those at baseline. Even in subgroups of patients whose baseline PFTs were abnormal and whose esophagitis had healed completely, there were no significant changes in results of PFTs. Conclusions : For veteran patients with severe GERD and no obvious lung disease, 1 yr of antireflux therapy had no important effect on pulmonary function. These findings suggest that GERD is not commonly associated with inapparent, reversible pulmonary dysfunction.
Transferrin enhances the antiproliferative effect of aluminum on osteoblast-like cells.

Aluminum (Al) retention in the body can cause metabolic bone disease. This disorder is characterized by reductions in the number of osteoblasts, a feature that suggests a disturbance in bone cell proliferation or differentiation. Because Al as well as iron (Fe) can bind to transferrin (TF) in plasma, the role of TF as a modifier of osteoblast proliferation was examined in UMR-106-01 osteoblast-like cells by measuring the incorporation of tritiated thymidine ([3H]-TdR) into DNA (counts.min-1.microgram cell protein-1, means +/- SE) during 48-h incubations in serum-free medium (SFM). In the absence of TF, DNA synthesis decreased when media levels of Al exceeded 6-10 microM. The mitogenic response to physiological levels of unsaturated TF (apo-TF) was attenuated however during incubations with TF that was partially saturated with Al (Al-TF). A similar inhibitory response was seen in cells incubated with the antiproliferative agent gallium (Ga) when added to SFM as partially saturated Ga-TF. TF produced a shift to the left in the inhibitory dose-response curve to Al in osteoblast-like cells; thus, DNA synthesis decreased at substantially lower media concentrations of Al in cells grown in SFM containing partially saturated Al-TF. The results indicate that TF is an important determinant of the inhibitory effect of Al on DNA synthesis by osteoblast-like cells at the micromolar levels of Al that can occur in plasma in vivo.
Synergistic neutralization of pertussis toxin by a bispecific antibody in vitro and in vivo

Bispecific antibodies are a rapidly growing class of therapeutic molecules, originally developed for the treatment of cancer but recently explored for the treatment of autoimmune and infectious diseases. Bordetella pertussis is a reemerging pathogen, and several of the key symptoms of infection are caused by the pertussis toxin (PTx). Two humanized antibodies, hu1B7 and hu11E6, bind distinct epitopes on PTx and, when coadministered, mitigate disease severity in murine and baboon models of infection. Here we describe the generation of a bispecific human IgG1 molecule combining the hu1B7 and hu11E6 binding sites via a knobs-in-holes design. The bispecific antibody showed binding activity equivalent to that of the antibody mixture in a competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A CHO cell neutralization assay provided preliminary evidence for synergy between the two antibodies, while a murine model of PTx-induced leukocytosis definitively showed synergistic neutralization. Notably, the bispecific antibody retained the synergy observed for the antibody mixture, supporting the conclusion that synergy is due to simultaneous blockade of both the catalytic and receptor binding activities of pertussis toxin. These data suggest that a hu1B7/hu11E6 bispecific antibody is a viable alternative to an antibody mixture for pertussis treatment.
Dopamine D2 receptors in striatal output neurons enable the psychomotor effects of cocaine

The psychomotor effects of cocaine are mediated by dopamine (DA) through stimulation of striatal circuits. Gabaergic striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are the only output of this pivotal structure in the control of movements. The majority of MSNs express either the DA D1 or D2 receptors (D1R, D2R). Studies have shown that the motor effect of cocaine depends on the DA-mediated stimulation of D1R-expressing MSNs (dMSNs), which is mirrored at the cellular level by stimulation of signaling pathways leading to phosphorylation of ERKs and induction of c-fos Nevertheless, activation of dMSNs by cocaine is necessary but not sufficient, and D2R signaling is required for the behavioral and cellular effects of cocaine. Indeed, cocaine motor effects and activation of signaling in dMSNs are blunted in mice with the constitutive knockout of D2R (D2RKO). Using mouse lines with a cell-specific knockout of D2R either in MSNs (MSN-D2RKO) or in dopaminergic neurons (DA-D2RKO), we show that D2R signaling in MSNs is required and permissive for the motor stimulant effects of cocaine and the activation of signaling in dMSNs. MSN-D2RKO mice show the same phenotype as constitutive D2RKO mice both at the behavioral and cellular levels. Importantly, activation of signaling in dMSNs by cocaine is rescued by intrastriatal injection of the GABA antagonist, bicuculline. These results are in support of intrastriatal connections of D2R+-MSNs (iMSNs) with dMSNs and indicate that D2R signaling in MSNs is critical for the function of intrastriatal circuits.
Doppler Endoscopic Probe Monitoring of Blood Flow Improves Risk Stratification and Outcomes of Patients With Severe Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

Background & Aims For 4 decades, stigmata of recent hemorrhage in patients with nonvariceal lesions have been used for risk stratification and endoscopic hemostasis. The arterial blood flow that underlies the stigmata rarely is monitored, but can be used to determine risk for rebleeding. We performed a randomized controlled trial to determine whether Doppler endoscopic probe monitoring of blood flow improves risk stratification and outcomes in patients with severe nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Methods In a single-blind study performed at 2 referral centers we assigned 148 patients with severe nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (125 with ulcers, 19 with Dieulafoy's lesions, and 4 with Mallory Weiss tears) to groups that underwent standard, visually guided endoscopic hemostasis (control, n = 76), or endoscopic hemostasis assisted by Doppler monitoring of blood flow under the stigmata (n = 72). The primary outcome was the rate of rebleeding after 30 days; secondary outcomes were complications, death, and need for transfusions, surgery, or angiography. Results There was a significant difference in the rates of lesion rebleeding within 30 days of endoscopic hemostasis in the control group (26.3%) vs the Doppler group (11.1%) ( P = .0214). The odds ratio for rebleeding with Doppler monitoring was 0.35 (95% confidence interval, 0.143–0.8565) and the number needed to treat was 7. Conclusions In a randomized controlled trial of patients with severe upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage from ulcers or other lesions, Doppler probe guided endoscopic hemostasis significantly reduced 30-day rates of rebleeding compared with standard, visually guided hemostasis. Guidelines for nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding should incorporate these results. ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT00732212 (CLIN-013-07F).