cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for a low temperature transition state binding preference in bovine adenosine deaminase.

Abstract Arrhenius plots of the interactions of bovine adenosine deaminase (ADA) and of coformycin-inhibited ADA with adenosine are non-linear and reveal that coformycin significantly increases the activation energy for reaction only at temperatures well below the normal operating temperature of the enzyme (38.3°C). This apparent enhanced affinity of the enzyme for the transition state analog at low temperature is confirmed from determinations of coformycin biding at 38.3°C (K1 = 5.3 × 10−11 M) and at 21°C (K1 = 1.1 × 10−11 M). It is suggested that these data are inconsistent with a model for general enzyme catalysis that requires an initial transition state complementary active site. Instead, it is suggested that an initial active site transition state complementarity is undesirable and the tendency of the enzyme to exist in this conformer at low temperatures is responsible for its inefficient interaction with adenosine substrate.
VDAC blockage by phosphorothioate oligonucleotides and its implication in apoptosis

Apoptosis is a crucial process that regulates the homeostasis of multicellular organisms. Impaired apoptosis contributes to cancer development, while enhanced apoptosis is detrimental in neurodegenerative diseases. The intrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated by cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Research published in the recent decade has suggested that cytochrome c release can be influenced by the conducting states of VDAC, the channel in the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) responsible for metabolite flux. This review will describe the evidence that VDAC gating or blockage and subsequent changes in MOM permeability influence cytochrome c release and the onset of apoptosis. The blockage of VDAC by G3139, a proapoptotic phosphorothioate oligonucleotide, provides strong evidence for the role of VDAC in the initiation of apoptosis. The proapoptotic activity and VDAC blockage are linked in that both require the PS (phosphorothioate) modification, both are enhanced by an increase in oligonucleotide length, and both are insensitive to the nucleotide sequence. Thus, the mitochondrial outer membrane permeability regulated by VDAC gating may play an important role in mitochondrial function and in the control of apoptosis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: VDAC structure, function, and regulation of mitochondrial metabolism.
Growth of corporate social responsibility as a sustainable business strategy in difficult financial times

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become such an important concept that in some situations, it is soon to be required by law that publicly listed companies disclose ethical, social and environmental risks in its annual report. An example of CSR is the growing implementation green buildings, which are not only environmentally friendly, but also using the environment to benefit the company's corporate reputation through the use of the resource-based view business strategy. Within this article, detailed aspects of CSR-based initiatives are intertwined with corporate culture, transparency, lack of trust in business and the Sarbanes-Oxley experience, as well as Pittsburgh, PA examples of companies utilising green-building technologies.
CD147 expression in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

CD147 is upregulated in multiple cancer types, but its expression in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is unknown. This study retrospectively evaluated the expression patterns of CD147 and related proteins monocarboxylate transporters (MCT1, MCT4) in patients with advanced stage cSCC (n=50). CD147, MCT1 and MCT4 expression levels were assessed in archived tumor samples and correlations were made with survival and clinicopathologic characteristics. The incidence of CD147 overexpression (93%, n=42) was higher than that of MCT1 (23%) or MCT4 (47%). Colocalization of MCT1 or MCT4 with CD147 was also observed. The two-year survival rate was 69% and the 5-year survival rate was 61%. A trend towards decreased survival was seen with overexpression of CD147 (p= .17), MCT1 (p= .11) and MCT4 (p= .15). Expression levels were not correlated with clinicopathologic characteristics. CD147 is overexpressed in the majority of advanced cSCC and may represent a biomarker or potential therapeutic target.
Domains in Binary SOPC/POPE Lipid Mixtures Studied by Pulsed Field Gradient 1H MAS NMR

We studied domain formation in mixtures of the monounsaturated lipids SOPC and POPE as a function of temperature and composition by NMR. Magic angle spinning at kHz frequencies restored resolution of 1H NMR lipid resonances in the fluid phase, whereas the linewidth of gel-phase lipids remained rather broad and spinning frequency dependent. In regions of fluid- and gel-phase coexistence, spectra are a superposition of resonances from fluid and gel domains, as indicated by the existence of isosbestic points. Quantitative determination of the amount of lipid in the coexisting phases is straightforward and permitted construction of a binary phase diagram. Lateral rates of lipid diffusion were determined by 1H MAS NMR with pulsed field gradients. At the onset of the phase transition near 25°C apparent diffusion rates became diffusion time dependent, indicating that lipid movement is obstructed by the formation of gel-phase domains. A percolation threshold at which diffusion of fluid-phase lipid becomes confined to micrometer-size domains was observed when ∼40% of total lipid had entered the gel phase. The results indicate that common phosphatidylethanolamines may trigger domain formation in membranes within a physiologically relevant temperature range. This novel NMR approach may aid the study of lipid rafts.
Nikolay Ogarkov and the scientific‐technical revolution in soviet military affairs

(1987). Nikolay Ogarkov and the scientific‐technical revolution in soviet military affairs. Comparative Strategy: Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 29-59.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Acoustic Gunshot Location System in St. Louis, MO†

This study examines the effectiveness of an Acoustic Gunshot Location System in reducing gun-crime problems in St Louis, MO. Acoustic Gunshot Location Systems (AGLSs) triangulate the location of acoustic waves produced by gunfire and send automated signals to law enforcement officials, reducing the response time of police. Manufacturers of AGLS claim these systems can reduce gun problems in high crime locations, but to date no systematic review has taken place. This study addresses this issue by conducting a quasi-experimental study of an acoustic systems' impact on reported levels of 'shots fired' and gun crimes. Results of interrupted time-series analysis indicate that the AGLS in St Louis, MO, may be related to a drop in citizen reports of 'shots fired'. The current study fails to find an impact on reported gun crimes, however. Policy implications are discussed. Language: en
Variation of anatomic valve area during ejection in patients with valvular aortic stenosis evaluated by two-dimensional echocardiographic planimetry: comparison with traditional Doppler data

Abstract Objectives. Flow variations can affect valve-area calculation in aortic stenosis and lead to inaccuracies in the evaluation of the stenosis. Knowing that transvalvular flow varies normally within one beat, we designed this study to assess the response of the valve to intrabeat variation of flow during systole. Results were compared with flow-derived measurements. Background. Technological improvements now allow us to evaluate aortic valve area directly by short axis planimetry. This offers the possibility to perform serial planimetries during one ejection phase and analyze the intrabeat dynamic behavior of the stenotic-aortic valve and compare these measurements with flow-derived measurements. Methods. Forty echocardiograms displaying different degrees of aortic stenosis were analyzed by frame-by-frame planimetry of the valve area from onset of opening to complete closure. Maximal-mean area, opening and closing rates and ejection times were obtained and compared with Doppler-derived data. Results. Valve area varied during ejection. Stenotic valves opened and closed more slowly than normals and remained maximally open for a shorter period. Mean area by Doppler data corresponded more closely to maximal than to mean-planimetered area. Duration of flow was shorter than valve opening in severely stenotic valves. Discrepancies between Doppler-derived and two-dimensional (2D) measurements decreased in less stenotic valves. Conclusions. Our observations reveal striking differences between the dynamics of normal and stenotic valves. Surprisingly, Doppler-derived mean-valve area correlated better with maximal-anatomic area than with mean-anatomic area in patients with aortic stenosis. Discrepancies between duration of flow and valve opening could explain this phenomenon.
eBay and research in historical geography

Abstract The electronic trading forum eBay presents fascinating but under-examined possibilities for research in historical geography. With literally millions of items for sale and millions of users participating in on-line auctions there seems little limit to what one might find. In this essay, three authors briefly trace the history of auctions and of eBay, before explaining how eBay works, and then describing some of the ways that buying (or not buying) research materials on eBay has changed the ways that we think about our work. We further explore some of the implications—empirical, theoretical, methodological and ethical—that the availability of such items to the highest bidder presents, address some of the consequences for the socially constructed and place-specific nature of value that on-line auctioning reveals, and ponder some of the implications of this for contemporary consumption.
Enhancement of R123 pool boiling by the addition of hydrocarbons

Abstract This paper presents pool boiling heat transfer data for 10 different R123/hydrocarbon mixtures. The data consisted of pool boiling performance of a GEWA-T ™ surface for pure R123 and for 10 dilute solutions of five different hydrocarbons: (1) pentane, (2) isopentane, (3) hexane, (4) cyclohexane, and (5) heptane with R123. The heat flux and the wall superheat were measured for each fluid at 277.6 K. A maximum (19±3.5)% increase over the pure R123 heat flux was achieved with the addition of 0.5% mass isopentane to R123. Other mixtures of isopentane, pentane, hexane, and cyclohexane with R123 exhibited smaller maximums than that of the R123/isopentane (99.5/0.5) mixture. Presumably, a layer enriched in hydrocarbon at the heat transfer surface caused the heat transfer enhancement. Conversely, an R123/heptane (99.5/0.5) mixture and an R123/cylcohexane (99.5/0.5) mixture exhibited only degradations with respect to the pure component performance for all test conditions. Several characteristics of the hydrocarbons were examined to determine their influence on the boiling heat transfer performance: molecular weight, molecular structure, composition, surface tension, and vapor pressure.
Soldification segregation in ruthenium-containing nickel-base superalloys

Ruthenium-containing multicomponent Ni-base superalloys with large variations in refractory alloying elements (Re, Ru, Ta, and W) have been investigated with respect to solidification, segregation characteristics, and the tendency to develop grain defects during directional solidification. Phase transformation temperatures and the effects of alloy composition on the liquidus temperature were determined by differential thermal analysis (DTA). The liquidus temperatures for most Ru-containing superalloys are generally higher than those of current commercial single-crystal superalloys. The partitioning behavior of individual constituents under the influence of alloy chemistry was characterized using a quantitative segregation mapping technique combined with a Scheil-type analysis. Whereas ruthenium partitioned preferentially to the dendrite cores during soldification, segregation of Ru is much less pronounced than Re and W. A higher degree of rhenium segregation was observed in Ru-containing superalloys. For the fixed processing conditions and moderate levels of Ru+Re, single-crystal solidification occurred without freckle formation or convection-induced breakdown of the solidification front. However, with high levels of Ru (9.6 ∼ 14.1 wt pct) and Re (7.2 wt pct), grain defects or the complete breakdown of single-crystal solidification was observed. Results from segregation and DTA analyses were used to estimate the corresponding Rayleigh numbers present during solidification of the experimental alloys. The Rayleigh criterion is effective for predicting the conditions under which the grain defect formation occurs during directional solidification of Ru-containing superalloys.
Equilibrium and Kinetics of Bromine Hydrolysis.

Equilibrium constants for bromine hydrolysis, K1 = [HOBr][H+][Br-]/[Br2(aq)], are determined as a function of ionic strength (μ) at 25.0 °C and as a function of temperature at μ ≃ 0 M. At μ ≃ 0 M and 25.0 °C, K1 = (3.5 ± 0.1) × 10-9 M2 and ΔH° = 62 ± 1 kJ mol-1. At μ = 0.50 M and 25.0 °C, K1 = (6.1 ± 0.1) × 10-9 M2 and the rate constant (k-1) for the reverse reaction of HOBr + H+ + Br- equals (1.6 ± 0.2) × 1010 M-2 s-1. This reaction is general-acid-assisted with a Bronsted α value of 0.2. The corresponding Br2(aq) hydrolysis rate constant, k1, equals 97 s-1, and the reaction is general-base-assisted (β = 0.8).
Thoracoscopic technique for management of giant bullous lung disease

Giant bullae of the lungs are readily recognizable on plain chest x-ray films and are rare. Only 17 of more than 500 cases of thoracoscopic treatment of bullous lung disease over the past 3 years involved giant bullae, which included both types 1 and 4. Type 1 bullae have smooth internal lining without trabeculae and type 4 have trabeculae. The indications were dyspnea in 10 cases, spontaneous pneumothorax in 6, and infection in 1. The mean age of the patients was 55 years. Five patients were oxygen dependent, 1 was wheelchair-bound, and 3 were steroid dependent. Preoperative spirometry was available in 1 patient with type 1 bullae (forced vital capacity = 95% and forced expiratory volume in 1 second = 55% of the predicted values) and in 10 patients with type 4 bullae (forced vital capacity = 46.90% +/- 15.29% and forced expiratory volume in 1 second = 23.50% +/- 7.46% of the predicted values). Under general anesthesia with one-lung ventilation, the giant bullae were excised, plicated, or contracted by the laser, depending on the type, by means of thoracoscopy. Thoracoscopic surgery was successful in all patients, and no procedure was converted to thoracotomy. The duration of anesthesia was 4.44 +/- 1.49 hours, postoperative ventilatory support 42.24 +/- 64.22 hours, and postoperative air leaks 14.59 +/- 14.11 days. All patients did very well and pain was minimal. There was no recurrence for up to 3 years of follow-up. In conclusion, thoracoscopic treatment of giant bullae of the lungs is an effective alternative to conventional thoracotomy with minimal morbidity.
Efavirenz--still first-line king?

Background: Efavirenz is a potent, safe and tolerable non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) recommended as initial therapy. Recently, several new antiretroviral drugs, including second generation NNRTIs, protease-inhibitors, an integrase-inhibitor and a CCR5 inhibitor, have become or will be shortly available. Objective: This article will review relevant efficacy and safety data of efavirenz compared to these novel agents or certain common alternate drugs currently used as initial therapy in treatment-naive patients. Methods: Published articles and conference presentations pertaining to efavirenz and/or the newer antiretroviral agents were evaluated. Results/conclusions: Efavirenz will continue to be preferred initial therapy for now. If longer-term studies of integrase inhibitors and second-generation NNRTIs confirm initial findings, they will eventually supplant efavirenz as preferred first-line agents.
Fossil palm flowers in Dominican and Mexican amber

Twelve palm flowers in one piece of Dominican amber and a single flower in a second piece are described as Trithrinax dominicana sp. nov. (Thrinacinae: Coryphoideae), representing the first fossil record of this genus. There are no members of Trithrinax in the Greater Antilles today. Two staminate flowers in Mexican amber are described as Socratea brownii sp. nov. (Iriarteinae: Arecoideae) and represent the first fossils of this genus. A third palm flower in Mexican amber, possibly belonging to the subtribe Euterpeinae, is characterized. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 138, 57–61.
Factors of Safety for Richardson Extrapolation

A factor of safety method for quantitative estimates of grid-spacing and time-step uncertainties fbr solution verification is developed. It removes the two deficiencies of the grid convergence index and correction factor methods, namely, unreasonably small uncertainty when the estimated order of accuracy using the Richardson extrapolation method is greater than the theoretical order of accuracy and lack of statistical evidence that the interval of uncertainty at the 95% confidence level bounds the comparison error. Different error estimates are evaluated using the effectivity index. The uncertainty estimate builds on the correction factor method, but with significant improvements. The ratio of the estimated order of accuracy and theoretical order of accuracy P instead of the correction factor is used as the distance metric to the asymptotic range. The best error estimate is used to construct the uncertainty estimate. The assumption that the factor of safety is symmetric with respect to the asymptotic range was removed through the use of three instead of two factor of safety coefficients. The factor of safety method is validated using statistical analysis of 25 samples with different sizes based on 17 studies covering fluids, thermal, and structure disciplines. Only the factor of safety method, compared with the grid convergence index and correction factor methods, provides a reliability larger than 95% and a lower confidence limit greater than or equal to 1.2 at the 95% confidence level for the true mean of the parent population of the actual factor of safety. This conclusion is true for different studies, variables, ranges of P values, and single P values where multiple actual factors of safety are available. The number of samples is large and the range of P values is wide such that the factor of safety method is also valid for other applications including results not in the asymptotic range, which is typical in industrial and fluid engineering applications. An example for ship hydrodynamics is provided.
Electron capture into the n = 3 states of hydrogen by proton impact on CO, CO/sub 2/, and N/sub 2/O

Absolute cross sections for electron capture into the $3s$, $3p$, and $3d$ states of hydrogen have been measured for 2.2-8.2-keV proton impact on CO, C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, and ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$O. The relative magnitudes of the $3s$, $3p$, and $3d$ cross sections for CO are very similar to cross sections previously measured for elemental gases. The C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$O cross sections have a very different relative distribution among the $3s$, $3p$, and $3d$ states compared to all other gases studied in this laboratory, with the $3p$ cross section being so small that only an estimate of the upper limit to the cross section was possible.
Acetate production from whey lactose using co-immobilized cells of homolactic and homoacetic bacteria in a fibrous-bed bioreactor

Acetate was produced from whey lactose in batch and fed-batch fermentations using co-immobilized cells of Clostridium formicoaceticum and Lactococcus lactis. The cells were immobilized in a spirally wound fibrous sheet packed in a 0.45-L column reactor, with liquid circulated through a 5-L stirred-tank fermentor. Industrial-grade nitrogen sources, including corn steep liquor, casein hydrolysate, and yeast hydrolysate, were studied as inexpensive nutrient supplements to whey permeate and acid whey. Supplementation with either 2.5% (v/v) corn steep liquor or 1.5 g/L casein hydrolysate was adequate for the cocultured fermentation. The overall acetic acid yield from lactose was 0.9 g/g, and the productivity was 0.25 g/(L h). Both lactate and acetate at high concentrations inhibited the homoacetic fermentation. To overcome these inhibitions, fed-batch fermentations were used to keep lactate concentration low and to adapt cells to high-concentration acetate. The final acetate concentration obtained in the fed-batch fermentation was 75 g/L, which was the highest acetate concentration ever produced by C. formicoaceticum. Even at this high acetate concentration, the overall productivity was 0.18 g/(L h) based on the total medium volume and 1.23 g/(L h) based on the fibrous-bed reactor volume. The cells isolated from the fibrous-bed bioreactor at the end of this study were more tolerant to acetic acid than the original culture used to seed the bioreactor, indicating that adaptation and natural selection of acetate-tolerant strains occurred. This cocultured fermentation process could be used to produce a low-cost acetate deicer from whey permeate and acid whey.
Electroless Nickel And Ion-Plated Protective Coatings For Silvered Glass Mirrors

Two methods of protecting second surface silvered glass mirrors from environmental degradation have been evaluated. One method employed silver mirrors overcoated with Al, Ni, 304 stainless steel, Cr, and an Al/Cu alloy prepared by ion-plating. The other method used conventional wet process silver mirrors protected with a thin electroless nickel coating. These mirrors were compared with conventional paint backed silver/copper mirrors after exposure to elevated temperatures and water vapor. The electroless nickel mirrors showed consistently more resistance to these stresses than either the conventional or ion-plated mirrors suggesting that they may provide more durable field service.
Non-asymptotic theory of collisionless reconnecting modes

Abstract The problem of collisionless modes that produce magnetic reconnection is solved in the physically meaningful limit where the mode amplitude is the solution of an integral equation which retains gyro radius effects to all orders. When the electron temperature gradient is comparable to the density gradient a new strong stabilizing effect is found.
Mazama and Glacier Peak Volcanic Ash Layers: Relative Ages

Physiographic and stratigraphic evidence supports the regional correlation of two volcanic ash layers with extinct Mount Mazama at Crater Lake, Oregon, and Glacier Peak in the northern Cascade Range of Washington. A radiocarbon age of 12,000 +/- 310 years confirms geological evidence that ash derived from the Glacier Peak eruption is substantially older than ash from the Mazama eruption of 6600 years ago.
Mechanism of enzyme release in the calcium paradox

Abstract Calcium-free rat hearts develop separations of fascia adherens junctions of intercalated discs. Such hearts are susceptible to membrane injury and enzyme release during anoxic contracture. Anoxic enzyme release was exacerbated by distention of heart ventricles with a balloon. Dinitrophenol (DNP) and caffeine were used to induce contracture in calcium-free hearts. Both DNP and caffeine caused a massive enzyme release from calcium-free but not from control hearts. Caffeine-induced enzyme release occurred despite Amytal inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. These results demonstrate that in calcium-free hearts with contracture or ventricular distention, enzyme release occurred without calcium repletion, from hearts depleted of ATP and in the absence of mitochondrial function. A relationship between contracture-mediated enzyme release and the calcium paradox was suggested by studies of the effects of hypothermia on enzyme release. Hypothermia to 22 degrees C protects hearts against both the calcium paradox and anoxic, DNP and caffeine injury. The parallel temperature dependence of protection between contracture-mediated enzyme release and the calcium paradox is evidence that contracture may also be a mediator of sarcolemmal membrane injury and enzyme release in the calcium paradox.
Vertebral body fractures after transpsoas interbody fusion procedures.

Abstract Background context Although the frequency of transpsoas lumbar interbody fusion procedures has increased in recent years, complication reports remain scarce in the literature. Purpose To present four cases of vertebral body fracture after transpsoas interbody fusion procedures in nonosteoporotic patients without significant trauma and discuss relevant biomechanical factors. Study design Case series and literature review. Patient sample Patients 1 and 2 were obese men who underwent one- and two-level transpsoas interbody fusion procedures and subsequently experienced coronal plane fracture. Patients 3 and 4 were elderly women who underwent multilevel transpsoas interbody fusion procedures and experienced L5 compression fracture. Results Patients 2 and 3 were treated nonsurgically after fracture. The fractures healed uneventfully; however, Patient 3 developed a flat back syndrome. Patient 1 underwent posterior instrumented fusion and had solid bridging bone above and below the fracture. Patient 4 was treated with vertebroplasty. Factors potentially contributing to these fractures were discussed. Conclusions Fracture can occur after transpsoas lumbar interbody fusion, even in nonosteoporotic patients. Factors, such as intraoperative end-plate breach, subsidence, compression by lateral screws, and cage rolling, could contribute to the development of fractures after transpsoas interbody fusion.
NON-COPLANARITY IN PROTON--PROTON BREMSSTRAHLUNG AT 157 MeV.

Abstract The dependence on coplanarity of the reaction p+p→p+p+gg has been investigated for outgoing protons at symmetric angles of 30° and 35° to the beam. The cross section falls off, approximately linearly, as the non-coplanarity of the final state approaches the limit set by kinematics. The coplanar cross sections at θ = 30° and 35° are 10.6 and 14.0 μb/sr2±20% respectively, consistent with previous results.
Ultra-miniature wireless temperature sensor for thermal medicine applications

This study presents a prototype design of an ultra-miniature, wireless, battery-less, and implantable temperature-sensor, with applications to thermal medicine such as cryosurgery, hyperthermia, and thermal ablation. The design aims at a sensory device smaller than 1.5 mm in diameter and 3 mm in length, to enable minimally invasive deployment through a hypodermic needle. While the new device may be used for local temperature monitoring, simultaneous data collection from an array of such sensors can be used to reconstruct the 3D temperature field in the treated area, offering a unique capability in thermal medicine. The new sensory device consists of three major subsystems: a temperature-sensing core, a wireless data-communication unit, and a wireless power reception and management unit. Power is delivered wirelessly to the implant from an external source using an inductive link. To meet size requirements while enhancing reliability and minimizing cost, the implant is fully integrated in a regular foundry CMOS technology (0.15 μm in the current study), including the implant-side inductor of the power link. A temperature-sensing core that consists of a proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) circuit has been designed and characterized. It employs a microwatt chopper stabilized op-amp and dynamic element-matched current sources to achieve high absolute accuracy. A second order sigma-delta (Σ-Δ) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is designed to convert the temperature reading to a digital code, which is transmitted by backscatter through the same antenna used for receiving power. A high-efficiency multi-stage differential CMOS rectifier has been designed to provide a DC supply to the sensing and communication subsystems. This paper focuses on the development of the all-CMOS temperature sensing core circuitry part of the device, and briefly reviews the wireless power delivery and communication subsystems.
Understanding and Leading Large-Scale Change at the Kennedy Space Center

AbstractThe paper contributes an alignment framework for understanding and leading a large-scale organizational change or transformation. Engineering managers and change agents can use this framework to engineer a transformation such as downsizing or change in an organization's mission or role. We developed the framework using an applied, action research approach involving interviews with senior management and employee groups from the Kennedy Space Center and organization leaders who have undergone change. A fundamental problem an organization undergoing a transformation deals with is defining and executing the right work the right way with the right people at the right time. We define six high-level steps: develop strategic direction, determine roles, align processes, align resources, align the workforce, and lead the change. We describe potential strategies for accomplishing these steps based on actions the Kennedy Space Center is taking.
mRNAs for insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) and variant IGF-II are co-expressed in human fetal ovary and uterus.

Abstract Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is postulated to have autocrine and/or paracrine functions in developing fetal tissues, but has never been reported in human fetal reproductive organs. The forms of IGF-II found in normal human serum include a 67 amino acid form and a variant form resulting from alternate splicing of the mRNA such that Ser-29 is replaced by four other amino acid residues. We studied the expression of mRNA encoding IGF-II in human fetal ovaries and uteruses of 10, 15, 19 and 22 weeks of gestation. By reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we identified the co-expression of two mRNAs encoding IGF-II in all developmental stages of fetal ovaries and uteruses tested. One of the PCR amplified fragments was 9 nucleotides larger than the other. The PCR amplified ovarian and uterine DNA fragments were mapped by digestion with the restriction endonucleases Avail and PvuII and both the IGF-II fragment and the larger IGF-II fragment produced the anticipated DNA patterns by gel electrophoresis. The PCR amplified DNA fragments were cloned and sequenced to confirm that the expressed mRNAs encoded IGF-II and variant IGF-II. We conclude that IGF-II and variant IGF-II mRNA co-expression occurs in the human fetal female genital tract and that the two forms of the growth factors may have physiologic roles in reproductive tract development.
Endolithic bacterial communities in rock coatings from Kärkevagge, Swedish Lapland

Rock coatings in Karkevagge, Swedish Lapland, are widespread and mineralogically diverse. A preliminary study of the rock coatings revealed higher than expected bacterial diversity for an endolithic environment in the arctic. Using 454 Roche pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, nine rock coating samples from three different coating mineralogies were sequenced. The three coating types include Fe films of goethite and hematite, sulfate crusts of jarosite and gypsum, and aluminum glazes of basaluminite and alunite. Over 20,000 quality sequences were analyzed, and over 2800 operational taxonomic units were identified. Diversity indices and richness estimates confirmed high levels of diversity, particularly in the sulfate crusts with diversity indices at the level of complex soils. Inferred physiology shows the presence of both heterotrophs and autotrophs, with genera of autotrophic Fe and S metabolisms present in at least 2% of the total for each coating type. The most common phyla included Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria - all common soil taxa. Coatings also showed distinct community structure between coating mineralogies. Given the diversity in coating types found in areas receiving the same chemical and environmental inputs, the distinct microbial communities suggest a biological role in coating development.
Pressure-driven flow of suspensions : simulation and theory

Dynamic simulations of the pressure-driven flow in a channel of a non-Brownian suspension at zero Reynolds number were conducted using Stokesian Dynamics. The simulations are for a monolayer of identical particles as a function of the dimensionless channel width and the bulk particle concentration. Starting from a homogeneous dispersion, the particles gradually migrate towards the centre of the channel, resulting in an homogeneous concentration profile and a blunting of the particle velocity profile. The time for achieving steady state scales as (H/a)3a/[left angle bracket]u[right angle bracket], where H is the channel width, a the radii of the particles, and [left angle bracket]u[right angle bracket] the average suspension velocity in the channel. The concentration and velocity profiles determined from the simulations are in qualitative agreement with experiment. A model for suspension flow has been proposed in which macroscopic mass, momentum and energy balances are constructed and solved simultaneously. It is shown that the requirement that the suspension pressure be constant in directions perpendicular to the mean motion leads to particle migration and concentration variations in inhomogeneous flow. The concept of the suspension ‘temperature’ – a measure of the particle velocity fluctuations – is introduced in order to provide a nonlocal description of suspension behaviour. The results of this model for channel flow are in good agreement with the simulations.
Further validation of the Orientation and Cognitive Logs: their relationship to the Mini-Mental State Examination

Abstract Penna S, Novack TA. Further validation of the Orientation and Cognitive Logs: their relationship to the Mini-Mental State Examination. Objective To further evaluate the construct validity of bedside screening measures of orientation (Orientation Log [O-Log]) and cognition (Cognitive-Log [Cog-Log]) by examining the relationship between these measures and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Design Correlational analysis used to assess the degree of overlapping variance among the O-Log, Cog-Log, and MMSE. Qualitative item analysis used to assess strengths and weaknesses of the measures. Setting Inpatient rehabilitation center affiliated with a large university medical school. Participants Participants were 45 inpatients receiving neurorehabilitation. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures The O-Log, Cog-Log, and MMSE. Results The MMSE correlated significantly with both measures (O-Log, r=.65, P Conclusions The results indicated good construct validity of the O-Log and Cog-Log. These measures may be better suited for a population with moderate to severe brain injury in a rehabilitation setting, compared with the MMSE, because scales were developed to give partial credit based on partially correct answers. Further, the O-Log and C-Log do not have a written component, allowing administration for persons with hemiparesis.
The Effect of Cecal Coccidiosis upon the Susceptibility of Chickens to Ascaridia Galli

Abstract IT IS commonly known that cecal coccidiosis may produce definite symptoms and a high rate of mortality in chickens (Tyzzer, 1932; Mayhew, 1932; and Riedel, et al., 1949). An analysis of 30,000 autopsies performed on chickens was reported by Hoffmann and Stover (1942). They found that coccidiosis was the most prevalent disease in chickens 2–12 weeks of age. Evidence of the deleterious effects of ascariasis in poultry was presented by Ackert and Titus (1924), Ackert and Herrick (1928), and Clapham (1937). Baker, et al., (1929); Ackert (1930); and Todd (1946, 1947) showed that the incidence of natural infections by Ascaridia galli was quite high. The present investigator has observed from autopsies that chickens are often concurrently infected with ascarids and coccidia. Following this observation Riedel (1950) made a study to determine if simultaneous infection by both parasites is purely a matter of chance resulting from the high incidence of . . .
Monitoring minimal residual disease in acute leukemia: expectations, possibilities and initial clinical results.

Therapy of acute leukemia may be improved by a more accurate assessment of the effects of treatment on tumor burden and by anticipating relapse with greater precision. The sensitivity limit of assessing residual disease by morphology is usually 5%. Several alternative approaches are available to study minimal residual disease, defined as the presence of leukemic cells not detectable by morphology. These include studies of chromosomal abnormalities by conventional karyotyping, flow cytometry, in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), investigation of gene rearrangements by Southern blotting and PCR, and immunological methods. Some of these techniques enable the detection of 1 leukemic cells among 10 000 or more normal cells. In the following, the advantages and limitations of sensitive methods for detecting small numbers of leukemic cells are reviewed. The rationale for monitoring residual disease in acute leukemia and the initial results of studies correlating minimal residual disease and clinical outcome are discussed.
Relationship of urinary arsenic to intake estimates and a biomarker of effect, bladder cell micronuclei

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate methods for ascertaining arsenic exposure for use in biomarker studies. Urinary arsenic concentration is considered a good measure of recent arsenic exposure and is commonly used to monitor exposure in environmental and occupational settings. However, measurements reflect exposure only in the last few days. To cover longer time periods exposure can be estimated using arsenic intake data, calculated by combining measures of environmental arsenic and inhalation/ingestion rates. We compared these different exposure assessment approaches in a population chronically exposed to arsenic in drinking water in northern Chile. The study group consisted of 232 people, some drinking water low in arsenic (15 μg/l) and others drinking water with high arsenic concentrations (up to 670 μg/l). First morning urine samples and questionnaire data, including fluid intake information, were collected from all participants. Exfoliated bladder cells were collected from male participants for the bladder cell micronuclei assay. Eight different indices of exposure were generated, six based on urinary arsenic (μg As/l urine; μg As/g creatinine; μg lnAs/l urine; μg MMA/l urine; μg DMA/l urine; μg As/h, excreted), and two on fluid intake data (μg As/day, ingested; μg As/l fluid ingested-day). The relationship between the different exposure indices was explored using correlation analysis. In men, exposure indices were also related to a biomarker of effect, bladder cell micronuclei. While creatinine-adjusted urinary arsenic concentrations had the strongest correlations with the two intake estimates ( r = 0.76, r = 0.81), unadjusted urinary arsenic showed the strongest relationship with bladder cell micronuclei. These data suggest that, in the case of the bladder, unadjusted urinary arsenic concentrations better reflect the effective target organ dose compared to other exposure measures for biomarker studies.
Predicting personality in adulthood from college MMPI scores: implications for follow-up studies in psychosomatic medicine.

To assess the long-term predictive utility of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) content scales, 1,960 individuals who had completed the MMPI in college in 1964 or 1965 were administered two measures of adult personality, the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) and the Cook and Medley MMPI Hostility scale, in 1988. A comparison group of 274 men and women in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging were given both MMPI and NEO-PI between 1981 and 1987. Predictive correlations between MMPI scales and NEO-PI factors were qualitatively similar to concurrent correlations, but approximately half as large in magnitude. Theoretically, these correlations were interpreted to mean that about half the variance in basic dimensions of personality is stable from college age into middle adulthood. Practically, the relatively modest correlations suggest that predictive studies of medical outcomes probably require large samples, and that baseline data from adults (e.g., over age 30) may be more useful for future studies. The combination of stability and change suggests that the decade of the 20s may be a particularly fruitful time to conduct research on interventions to alter personality and their effects on health outcomes.
Mead's Pragmatic Instrumentalism: Some Phenomenological Overtones

(1992). Mead's Pragmatic Instrumentalism: Some Phenomenological Overtones. Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology: Vol. 23, Derrida, Levinas, and Pragmatism, pp. 42-52.
Isherwood's Impersonality: Ascetic Self-Divestiture and Queer Relationality in A Single Man

This article develops the concept of “misfit minorities,” drawing on the Christopher Isherwood archive, and focusing on Isherwood’s seminal novel, A Single Man , and his autobiographical revision of the Berlin years, Christopher and His Kind . The essay argues that Isherwood’s Single Man and his American, post-1960s literary persona as a staunch advocate for gay liberation needs to be revisited, given the novel’s ambivalence toward the politics of identity, and given Isherwood’s aesthetic distrust of the instrumentalization of literature as propaganda. Rather, we ought to reconsider Isherwood and his legacy as consistently suspicious of identity. Rather than deprecating his earlier works (such as the Berlin Stories ) as closeted gay fictions, we should read them as queer literary texts, rendering Isherwood not only a standard-bearer for gay liberation, but a complex queer thinker, who develops a “misfit” literary aesthetic of ascetic impersonality and queer relationality, before the ascendance of gay publics and politics in our own era, after Stonewall.
Lifecourse Priorities Among Appalachian Emerging Adults: Revisiting Wallace's Organization of Diversity

We examine how social demographics (gender, age, or race-ethnicity), census tract characteristics, and family environment during childhood relate to variability in the lifecourse priori- ties of 344 Cherokee and white youth during emerging adulthood (age 19-24). Analyses were performed using recursive partitioning and random forest methods to examine determinants of prior- itizing education, family formation, economic establishment, self characteristics and close relationships, youth independence, conspicuous consumption, and community reliance. Overall, characteristics of census tracts were the most common and influential predictors of lifecourse priori- ties. Childhood family poverty, parental relationship problems, parental crime, and stressful life events were also important predictors. Race-ethnicity or cultural group (Cherokee vs. white), age, and gender were relatively unimportant. At this developmental stage and in this population, commu- nity characteristics and childhood family experiences may be better proxies for developmental settings (and resulting enculturated values and preferences) than social demographic variables (e.g., ethnicity or gender). (lifecourse, emerging adulthood, recursive partitioning, American Indian, Appalachia) In the 1961 book Culture and Personality, Anthony Wallace made a series of bold and progressive statements about the intersection of biological, psychological, and cultural levels of analysis in studying humankind that are surprisingly current in their relevance. He wrote, ''It is about as meaningful to claim that 'culture must be explained in terms of culture' leaving out biological and psychological 'levels' of explanation, as to assert that 'life must be explained in terms of life,' without reference to chemistry and physics'' (Wallace 1961:2). Yet over 45 years later, anthropology is still often wrought with tautological asser- tions about the power of culture and an absence of careful empirical work on biological and psychological causal pathways.
Field and Wind Tunnel Comparison of Four Aerosol Samplers Using Agricultural Dusts

Occupational lung disease is a significant problem among agricultural workers exposed to organic dusts. Measurements of exposure in agricultural environments in the USA have traditionally been conducted using 37-mm closed-face cassettes (CFCs) and respirable Cyclones. Inhalable aerosol samplers offer significant improvement for dose estimation studies to reduce respiratory disease. The goals of this study were to determine correction factors between the inhalable samplers (IOM and Button) and the CFC and Cyclone for dusts sampled in livestock buildings and to determine whether these factors vary among livestock types. Determination of these correction factors will allow comparison between inhalable measurements and historical measurements. Ten sets of samples were collected in swine, chicken, turkey, and dairy facilities in both Colorado and Iowa. Pairs of each sampling device were attached to the front and back of a rotating mannequin. Laboratory studies using a still-air chamber and a wind tunnel provided information regarding the effect of wind speed on sampler performance. Overall, the IOM had the lowest coefficient of variation (best precision) and was least affected by changes in wind speed. The performance of the Button was negatively impacted in poultry environments where larger (feather) particulates clogged the holes in the initial screen. The CFC/IOM ratios are important for comparisons between newer and older studies. Wind speed and dust type were both important factors affecting ratios. Based on the field studies (Table 6), a ratio of 0.56 is suggested as a conversion factor for the CFC/IOM (average for all environments because of no statistical difference). Suggested conversion factors for the Button/IOM are swine (0.57), chicken (0.80), turkey (0.53), and dairy (0.67). Any attempt to apply a conversion factor between the Cyclone and inhalable samplers is not recommended.
Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity in Humans Is Enhanced by Consumption of a Dried, Encapsulated Fruit and Vegetable Juice Concentrate

The daily consumption of fruits and vegetables is a common dietary recommendation to support good health. We hypothesized that a commercially available encapsulated fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate (FVJC) could support functional indices of health due to increased intake of various phytonutrients. This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled investigation of 59 healthy law students who consumed either FVJC or placebo capsules for 77 d. Blood was collected on d 1, 35, and 77 to examine the number of circulating alphabeta- and gammadelta-T cells, cytokine production, lymphocyte DNA damage, antioxidant status, and levels of carotenoids and vitamin C. A log of illnesses and symptoms was also kept. The FVJC group tended to have fewer total symptoms than the placebo group (P < 0.076). By d 77 there was a 30% increase in circulating gammadelta-T cells and a 40% reduction in DNA damage in lymphocytes in the FVJC group relative to the placebo group. Plasma levels of vitamin C and of beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein increased significantly from baseline in the FVJC group as did plasma oxygen radical absorptive capacity (50%). Interferon-gamma produced by phorbol-stimulated lymphocytes was reduced 70% in the FVJC group, whereas other cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, transforming growth factor beta) were unchanged relative to treatment or time. FVJC consumption during this study period resulted in increased plasma nutrients and antioxidant capacity, reduction in DNA strand breaks, and an increase in circulating gammadelta-T cells.