cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mitochondria-cytoskeleton interactions in mammalian sperm revealed by cryoelectron tomography.

The beginning of understanding sperm biology coincided with the design and invention of the light microscope in 1677 by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. He was the first person to observe sperm cells, and described them as “small animals,” because they move! Indeed, motility is one of the essential features of sperm cells for fertility. Introduction of electron microscopy (EM) in the midtwentieth century (1, 2) has also led to a dramatic leap in sperm biology, as sperm cells, the smallest cell types in the body, have submicron flagellar dimensions. EM and free-fracture studies enabled visualization of sperm subcellular structures (3). Our current understanding of cellular organization and processes underlying sperm capacitation and fertilization benefited greatly from advances in microscopy technologies and imaging methods. More recently, further techniques have been applied to sperm biology and fertilization research, including studies using superresolution light microscopy, tissue clearing and expansion microscopy, and cryo-EM (4⇓⇓–7). In PNAS, using cutting-edge cellular cryo-EM (Fig. 1 A ), Leung et al. (8) report structural diversity and conservation of mammalian sperm mitochondria in greater detail. Sperm mitochondria are tethered to each other through intermitochondrial linkers and to the underlying cytoskeleton through conserved protein arrays on the mitochondrial membrane (Fig. 1 B ). Fig. 1. Supramolecular protein arrays at the mitochondria–cytoskeleton interface in mammalian sperm. ( A ) A schematic cartoon illustrating steps of obtaining a 3D reconstruction image of a plunge-frozen sperm using cryo-ET. A small volume of a suspension of sperm cells is placed onto a carbon grid and then plunge frozen in liquid ethane cooled to temperatures of ∼100 K by liquid nitrogen. The grid is then transferred into the column of an electron microscope for collection of a series of images at varying tilts. The series of tilted images is then converted to a 3D volume (tomogram) that provides a … [↵][1] 1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: jean-ju.chung{at}yale.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
GREB1 is a novel androgen regulated gene in prostate cancer

6126 Androgenic hormones play a central role in prostate cancer development and progression. They mediate their physiological effects by binding to the androgen receptor (AR), a nuclear transcription factor that induces the expression of genes responsible for prostate cancer growth. Identifying the genes critically involved in hormone stimulated cancer growth could lead to new potential targets and more effective therapies. We have recently demonstrated that GREB1 is an estrogen responsive gene that plays a pivotal role in estrogen stimulated breast cancer growth. Analysis of the putative GREB1 gene promoter identified multiple putative response elements for several hormones including estrogen, glucocorticoid, and androgen. The later led us to hypothesize that GREB1 is a novel androgen regulated gene involved in hormone dependant prostate cancer growth. Using real-time PCR we characterized the expression of GREB1 in response to androgen treatment in the hormone dependant prostate cancer cell line LNCap. Exogenous hormones were removed from the culture medium before exposing the cells for 24 hours to either the AR agonist R1881, or the estrogen receptor (ER) agonist 17 β-estradiol (E2), alone or in combination with receptor antagonists. GREB1 mRNA was induced by R1881 in a dose dependant manner to a maximum of 5-fold over control at 10-8 M. The AR antagonist casodex was able to block this induction. Similar results were seen with testosterone (TS) treatment. High dose E2 also induced GREB1 in the LNCap cells and this induction was blocked by either casodex or the ER antagonist ICI 182,780. These results are consistent with the fact that LNCaps express a mutated form of AR capable of binding estrogens at high concentrations. Changes in GREB1 expression levels were correlated with changes in cellular proliferation and cell cycle distribution. GREB1 androgen responsivity was confirmed using the ER - / AR + breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-453. Cells treated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and showed 3 fold induction of GREB1 at 10-8 M. Androgen treatment (R1881, TS or DHT) of the ER + / AR - negative breast cancer cell lines BT-474 and T47D did not result in GREB1 induction in spite of robust induction by E2. In contrast, TS did induced expression of GREB1 in the ER + / AR - cell line MCF-7, however, this induction was completely abrogated by the addition of letrozole suggesting the induction was due to aromatization of TS to estrogen in these cells. Our results show that GREB1 is a novel androgen regulated gene and we speculate that it may play a role in androgen induced prostate cancer growth, given its pivotal role in estrogen stimulated proliferation. Studies are currently underway to investigate this possibility using siRNA mediated knock down of GREB1 expression in androgen responsive cells.
Political Conversion as Intrapersonal Argument: Self-Dissociation in the David Brock's 'Blinded by the Right'

Political conversion narratives are pervasive features of the U.s. public discourse, yet their workings and functions are still relatively uncharted. this essay explores the rhetoric of journalist and activist David Brock, a convert from the political right to the left. I argue that Brock's controversial autobiography, "Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative," demonstrates how conversion experiences can be enacted through disassociative argumentation. In particular, the author uses a series of what I term self-dissociations to define a new identity and advance movement advocacy. The paper concludes by evaluating political transformation in relation to dissociation, identity, and U.S. politics.
The effects of ground permittivity and surface roughness on multi-path measurements at K-band

A number of automotive radar systems have been designed with application to adaptive cruise control, road surface monitoring, accurate speed measurement, and potential application to collision avoidance. In order to construct these high-tech radar systems for the automotive market, a thorough understanding of the residential and highway environments in which they would operate is required. In this paper, a versatile open-ended waveguide measurement technique is used to determine the effective dielectric permittivity of various ground types. From this information, K-band LOS (Line-Of-Sight) propagation above different ground materials are calculated and compared with outdoor measurements. Here the influence of ground permittivity, surface roughness, and ground layer thickness on K-band propagation is presented.
Concepts in Esophageal Surgery

Advances in diagnostic studies, perioperative management, and the techniques of esophageal surgery have greatly reduced mortality, morbidity, and length of hospital stay. Multidisciplinary approaches have even begun to improve the long-term results of treatment for esophageal malignancy. Long-term survival following resection of a carcinoma of the esophagus is usually limited to patients without regional spread whose tumors are confined to the wall of the esophagus. Successful esophageal surgery still requires knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the esophagus and attention to the details of the operative technique.
The Batchelor Spectrum for Mixing of Passive Scalars in Isotropic Turbulence : Submitted for the Special Issue Dedicated to S. B. Pope ()

We examine the support for the Batchelor spectrum from well-resolved simulations of high-Schmidt-number mixing in isotropic turbulence, and resolve a conundrum with respect to the numerical value of the prefactor, also known as the Batchelor constant. Our conclusion is that the most probable value of the most compressive principal strain rate is more relevant than its mean, at least asymptotically.
Biosynthesis of Lactose by Mammary Gland Slices from the Lactating Rat

Abstract The incorporation of the isotope from d-glucose-1-14C, d-glucose-1-3H, d-glucose-2-14C, d-glucose-3-3H, d-glucose-3,4-14C, d-glucose-6-14C, d-glucose-6-3H, uniformly labeled d-glucose-14C, uniformly labeled d-galactose-14C, and d-mannose-1-14C into lactose by slices of mammary glands of lactating rats (14 to 20 days post partum) was studied. The lactose formed was hydrolyzed either with acid or with β-galactosidase, and the component hexoses were isolated and assayed for isotopic content. Three findings indicate that d-glucose, and not α-d-glucose 1-phosphate, acts as the galactosyl acceptor during lactose biosynthesis. (a) The extent of conversion of the label of the variously labeled glucoses to lactose was the same regardless of the site of the label and regardless of whether it was 14C or 3H. (b) The addition of unlabeled glucose to the incubation medium was required for incorporation of 14C from d-mannose-1-14C into lactose. (c) Lactose formed in the experiments with d-mannose-1-14C and unlabeled glucose as substrates was labeled almost exclusively in the galactose portion. The results of periodate degradation of the hexose moieties of lactose formed in experiments in which d-glucose-6-14C served as substrate revealed that little carbon from the triose stage enters the phosphohexose pool via reversal of the Embden-Meyerhof pathway. In the presence of unlabeled d-glucose (1 x 10-2 m), the incorporation of the label of uniformly labeled d-galactose-14C into lactose was at least 10 times that into CO2, indicating that galactose probably enters the metabolic scheme in mammary gland as d-galactose 1-phosphate.
Nicotine activates and desensitizes midbrain dopamine neurons

Tobacco use in developed countries is estimated to be the single largest cause of premature death. Nicotine is the primary component of tobacco that drives use, and like other addictive drugs, nicotine reinforces self-administration and place preference in animal studies. Midbrain dopamine neurons normally help to shape behaviour by reinforcing biologically rewarding events, but addictive drugs such as cocaine can inappropriately exert a reinforcing influence by acting upon the mesolimbic dopamine system. Here we show that the same concentration of nicotine achieved by smokers activates and desensitizes multiple nicotinic receptors thereby regulating the activity of mesolimbic dopamine neurons. Initial application of nicotine can increase the activity of the dopamine neurons, which could mediate the rewarding aspects of tobacco use. Prolonged exposure to even these low concentrations of nicotine, however, can cause desensitization of the nicotinic receptors, which helps to explain acute tolerance to nicotine's effects. The effects suggest a cellular basis for reports that the first cigarette of the day is the most pleasurable, whereas the effect of subsequent cigarettes may depend on the interplay between activation and desensitization of multiple nicotinic receptors.
A Novel Technique for Microwave Thickness Measurement of Dielectric Slabs Using an Open-Ended Rectangular Waveguide

Media consisting of a dielectric slab backed by a conducting plate are used in many facets of industry. Monitoring the thickness or permittivity uniformity of such slabs is of great importance. Ability of microwaves to penetrate inside dielectrics and its sensitivity to material inhomogeneities makes them suitable for this type measurements [1,2].
Instrument associated complication of a laparoscopic ovariectomy

Summary The case reported here describes the retrieval of the end of a pair of laparoscopic forceps that became separated from the instrument shaft during a laparoscopic ovariectomy. This case details the procedures used to locate and remove the foreign body from the abdominal cavity. No complications associated with the intra-abdominal foreign body occurred and the mare was discharged the following day.
Weight control in individuals with diabetes.

This is the third in a series of articles on presentations at the American Diabetes Association’s 66th Scientific Sessions, Washington, DC, 9–13 June 2006. A pilot project is underway to offer the Perspectives on the News commentaries as a monthly Web-based CME activity. Please access www.diabetes.procampus.net to view our initial efforts. We look forward to your comments. ### Bariatric surgery Carroll M. Harmon, Birmingham, Alabama, reviewed the topic of bariatric surgery in children. A typical response to the topic, he said, is of disbelief that such an approach would even be considered. Yet more than one million adolescents and young adults have BMI >40 kg/m2, and obesity is by far the most common nutritional disorder among children in the U.S. Childhood obesity is associated with poor self-esteem, steatohepatitis, and a variety of cardiovascular and endocrine complications, with 80% of overweight children with one obese parent becoming obese adults. Harmon reviewed representative studies, showing that by standard measures, the quality of life of an obese child is similar to that of a child with cancer and fivefold worse than that of a healthy normal-weight child. Parent proxy reports suggest even greater impairment. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is present in 55% of severely obese children with BMI >50 kg/m2. Overweight children have a sevenfold greater risk of hypertriglyceridemia, and 86% of children diagnosed with diabetes are overweight or obese. The prevalence of childhood obesity among blacks and Hispanics is higher than among whites, with the likelihood of diabetes particularly great for African-American and Hispanic children. There is undoubtedly, Harmon concluded, interplay between genetic and environmental factors, with >600 genetic loci linked to obesity phenotypes and multiple single-gene mutations identified. Treatment options for pediatric obesity are limited, with diet, exercise, and drugs, at best, able to produce moderate success. Thus, Harmon suggested, …
Spin angular momentum of a field interacting with a plane interface

Abstract The quantization of the spin angular momentum S of a field interacting with a plane boundary is investigated. When a good set of modes is chosen, the component of S along the momentum P is formally the same as that for a free field. In the case of the presence of an evanescent wave the good modes are the same ones that appear in the filtering of the polarisation states by total reflection. But terms due to the discontinuity appear in the expressions. Although they are clearly related to the interaction field-interface, their interpretation is not obvious.
Working together in the neonatal intensive care unit: provider perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: To elicit healthcare provider perceptions of working together in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted focus groups to elicit descriptions of how providers work together. The groups included one each of transport nurses, staff nurses, residents, fellows, attending physicians and two multiple provider groups. To identify themes and their descriptive elements we performed qualitative data analysis. RESULTS: There were three to seven participants per group for a total sample of 36. Provider responses to questions about working together centered around three major themes: (1) Provider Characteristics; (2) Workplace Factors and; (3) Group Influences. Provider Characteristics were defined by personal attributes, reputation, and expertise. Workplace Factors included staffing, work organization, and work environment. Group Influences were described by communication and relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Providers in this NICU described three broad organizational and interpersonal factors that influence how they work together, yet no consistent descriptions of teams or teamwork were found. The organizational factors, often far removed from bedside, should be considered when evaluating how providers work together.
Using multiattribute utility theory as a priority-setting tool in human services planning

Abstract Multiattribute Utility Theory (MAUT) is a normative theory of choice that facilitates the segmentation of complex decisions into value dimensions and alternative positions and guides the recombination of these values and alternatives into an overall judgement. MAUT has proven to be helpful in resolving difficult public policy problems under conditions of uncertain outcome. This paper examines the feasibility of applying the approach to the needs assessment and services priority setting activities of county-wide human services planning councils. MAUT was applied to the 1989–1991 cycle of the Essex County (Newark), New Jersey Comprehensive Human Services Plan with some success. The decision-making and information-filtering processes uncovered by the approach are discussed as are the questions about community planning which it raises.
The in ovulo environment and its relevance to cloning wheat via somatic embryogenesis

Induction of somatic embryogenesis refers to processes that initiate embryo-forming cellular activity. Competence of somatic tissues for embryo formation is measured by the number of somatic embryos produced following induction. Recent findings indicate that competence of wheat explants can be enhanced by treatments that alter hormone levels during differentiation of explantsin vivo. Wheat spikes have been detached at anthesis and cultured with culms in detached-spike-culture medium. The addition of abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid or zeatin to the medium depresses embryogenic competence of immature-embryo explants (excised and cultured 11–13 days after anthesis) while deleting hormones from the medium enhances competence. Differentiation of somatic embryos is improved by exposing embryogenic cultures to conditions that simulate nutritional, hormonal and gas-phase conditions of ovules. In particular the lowering of oxygen availability to callus cultures promotes growth of embryogenic callus and suppresses growth of nonembryogenic callus. Finally procedures that simulate seed desiccation significantly increase germination percentages of somatic embryos of wheat.
Antibody responses in postsplenectomy trauma patients receiving the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at 14 versus 28 days postoperatively.

BackgroundWe have previously demonstrated, using functional antibody assays, that patients undergoing splenectomy for trauma exhibit a better response to pneumococcal immunization when vaccinated at 14 days postoperatively versus 1 or 7 days. However, patients immunized at 14 days failed to reach th
Child abuse and neglect: critical first steps in response to a national emergency. The report of the US Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect.

In June 1990, the US Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect presented its first report to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and Congress. The board had studied the status of the child protection system (broadly defined as the system , not just the child protective services (CPS) agencies involved in the multidisciplinary recognition, intervention, treatment, and prevention of child abuse and neglect). The board was established under provisions of public law 100-294, and the 1988 Amendments to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The mission of the board is to evaluate the nation's efforts to accomplish the purposes of the Act and to make recommendations on ways in which those efforts can be improved. The board concluded that child abuse and neglect in the United States now represents a national emergency. This conclusion is based on three findings: (1) each year, hundreds of thousands
Charging in a dusty plasma with a size distribution: a comparison of three models

Abstract There has recently been a renewed interest in the charging of dust grains in a plasma and its effect not only on dust dynamics in astrophysical and solar system environments but also in laboratory plasma processing and semiconductor manufacturing. The calculation of individual dust grain charges in a dust cloud with a size distribution is a challenging one, especially under sufficiently dense cloud conditions and moderately high plasma temperatures when secondary electron currents become significant. Both the capacitance of the dust cloud and the significant charging currents must be taken into account. Three models for calculating individual dust grain charges are compared. The first model considers the dust cloud to consist of isolated grains immersed in plasma. The second model uses a uniform potential for the dust cloud and thus finds the charges using an appropriate capacitance for the cloud. The third model assumes a nonuniform grain surface potential and uses a solution to Poisson's equation to calculate the grain charges. The models are applied to a dense dusty plasma environment, appropriate for Saturn's F-ring. The implications for coagulation in presolar environments are also discussed.
Novel photon detectors for focusing DIRC prototype

Abstract For present BaBar DIRC, the Cherenkov angular resolution is dominated by three contributions—the chromatic error, bar thickness and pixel size. We have designed the Focusing DIRC prototype, which potentially can reduce the chromatic error by a precise timing in the range of 50–100 ps per photon, and the bar thickness by a focusing mirror. This paper describes two novel photon detectors, which are candidates for this type of concept: Hamamatsu 64-channel multi-anode Flat Panel H-8500 PMTs and Burle 64-channel micro-channel plate MCP-PMTs. The detectors were tested with a PiLas laser diode light pulse providing 35 ps FWHM timing resolution. A single-photon timing resolution of (1) σ ∼120–140 ps was achieved with the Hamamatsu PMTs, and (2) σ ∼55 ps with the Burle MCP-PMTs. To achieve the good timing resolution results, we have developed a new fast amplifier and a constant-fraction discriminator. We have also developed a computer-controlled scanning setup, which allows a detailed study of the relative efficiency response to single photons.
Characterization of digestive proteolytic activity in Lygus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae)

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus Knight, is a pest that causes considerable economic losses to vegetables, cotton, canola, and alfalfa. Detailed knowledge of its digestive physiology will provide new opportunities for a sustainable pest management approach to control this insect. Little is known about the different protease class contributions to the overall digestion of a specific protein. To this end, the proteolytic activities in female adult L. hesperus salivary gland and midgut homogenates were quantified over a range of pH's and time points, and the contribution of different classes of proteases to the degradation of FITC-casein was determined. In the salivary gland, serine proteases were the predominant class responsible for caseinolytic activity, with the rate of activity increasing with increasing pH. In contrast, both aspartic and serine proteases contributed to caseinolytic activity in the midgut. Aspartic protease activity predominated at pH 5.0 and occurred immediately after incubation, whereas serine protease activity predominated at pH 7.5 after a 9h delay and was resistant to aprotinin. The salivary serine proteases were distinctly different from midgut serine proteases, based on the tissue-specific differential susceptibility to aprotinin and differing pH optima. Collectively, the caseinolytic activities complement one another, expanding the location and pH range over which digestion can occur.
Europium anomalies and the genesis of basalt

Abstract Rare-earth abundance data for mafic and plagioclase phenocrysts and their igneous matrix materials indicate that Eu anomalies, while caused by the relative stability of divalent Eu, are controlled largely by crystal-chemistry rather than by the redox conditions in the melt. Eu anomalies in plagioclases and pyroxene fractions from the Juvinas achondrite and a Palisade sill diabase are interpreted in terms of closed-system competition. Eu anomalies in minerals from the southern California batholith are interpreted in terms of Eu depletions in the melts owing to the crystallization of feldspar. The lack of Eu anomalies in most basalts suggests that they probably have crystallized much less than about 18% plagioclase prior to extrusion.
At least half of capacitated, motile mouse sperm can fertilize zona-free mouse oocytes.

The percentage of individual sperm capable of fertilizing zona pellucida-free mouse oocytes was investigated by placing motile sperm near zona-free oocytes with a micromanipulator. Incubation with one or two capacitated sperm per oocyte resulted in 50% and 70% fertilization, respectively, compared to 88% for cumulus intact (10(5) sperm/ml) and 87% for zona-free (2 x 10(3) sperm/ml) control oocytes. When sperm were treated with .1 microM calcium ionophore A23187 to facilitate the acrosome reaction, fertilization rates for single motile sperm were markedly lower than for capacitated, nontreated single sperm (4% and 35%, respectively). Similar fertilization rates resulted when one sperm was incubated per two ova (4% and 48% per sperm for A23187-treated and controls, respectively). When a lower dose of A23187 (.001 microM) was used to treat sperm, 7% of oocytes incubated with single sperm were fertilized. These experiments demonstrate that at least half of motile, capacitated mouse sperm are capable of fertilizing zona-free mouse oocytes in vitro, and that motile, A23187-treated mouse sperm resulted in poor fertilization rates.
Some results on aggregates of HF according to the polarization model

Abstract The polarization model for water and its ionic dissociation products, which has been extended to include HF, is used to treat three problems in fluoride ion interactions: (a) the structure of small polymers of HF, (b) the structure of crystalline HF, and (c) the interaction of F− with water.
Synthetic greenhouse gases to decline if Montreal Protocol amended

The Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to reduce the release into the atmosphere of ozone-depleting gases such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons, has been successful since its implementation in the late 1980s. However, related greenhouse gases, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), have increased in concentration in the atmosphere since then. HFCs, along with other synthetic greenhouse gases (SGHGs), account for a radiative forcing almost 20% as large as that due to the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) since the preindustrial era.
A Revolution for Our Rights: Indigenous Struggles for Land and Justice in Bolivia, 1880–1952 – By Laura Gotkowitz

The author has written a penetrating and critical revision of the origins and importance of the 1952 Bolivian Revolution. Most historians have concentrated on that uprising as provoked by class‐bas...
Decomposition of Methylazoxymethanol, the Aglycone of Cycasin, in D 2 O

CYCASIN, the toxic principle found in the nuts, roots, and leaves of Cycas circinalis L. and Cycas revoluta, is carcinogenic to rodents and has hepatotoxic, neurotoxic, teratogenic and radiomimetic properties1,2. Convincing evidence has accumulated that the activity of cycasin, a β-glucoside of methylazoxymethanol (MAM), is due to the aglycone released by the action of β-glucosidases which are present in the plant or produced by the intestinal microflora of the test animal. Thus, MAM is toxic to rats when administered either by the parenteral or intraperitoneal route, while cycasin is toxic only when given orally3. Moreover, cycasin given orally to germ-free rats is well tolerated and is nearly quantitatively excreted unchanged, whereas the same treatment to conventional animals results in death4.
Complexes containing a C2 bridge between an electron-rich metal and an electron-deficient metal. An agostic interaction in a RuCH2CH2Zr moiety

La reaction de (C 5 H 5 )(PMe 3 ) 2 RuC≡CH avec (C 5 H 5 ) 2 Zr(H)(Cl) dans le toluene conduit a la formation de (C 5 H 5 )(PMe 3 ) 2 RuCH=CHZrCl(C 5 H 5 ) 2 qui par hydrolyse donne les complexes [(C 5 H 5 ) 2 ZrCl] 2 O et (C 5 H 5 )(PMe 3 ) 2 RuCH=CH 2 . Ce dernier complexe reagit avec le complexe (C 5 H 5 ) 2 ZrHCl pour donner le complexe (C 5 H 5 )(PMe 3 ) 2 RuCH 2 CH 2 ZrCl(C 5 H 5 ) 2 qui est etudie par diffraction RX
Determination of deslanoside in antemortem and postmortem specimens. Unusual case report

Abstract One case of the erroneous administration of deslanoside and high level of drug in antemortem plasma and postmortem specimens has been reported owing to the unusual surrounding circum-stances. Deslanoside in antemortem plasma was determined by FPIA and the analysis was done by HPLC in the postmortem tissue samples. The analytical results and methods used in the examinations are discussed in the following paper.
Medical Crisis and Loss Clinic: Novel Approach to Family Transitions

Difficult transitions are often required for children and families following trauma, loss, or diagnosis of a chronic or life-threatening illness. In response to a perceived unmet community need, a medical crisis and loss clinic was established to address problems resulting from adaptation to change. This article describes the clinic, provides statistics concerning community use, and reflects qualitative findings from therapeutic experiences. Referral patterns suggest that most cases involve complicated grief due to developmental factors, family characteristics, or circumstances of the trauma, illness, or death. Flexibility of the clinic structure appears to increase the effectiveness of interventions and shortens the number of sessions required. From the therapists' perspectives, greater openness in communication is felt to be a critical element for the process of change. Recommendations for future research are provided.
New microtubular agents in pediatric oncology

The taxanes are a new group of anticancer agents with a novel mechanism of action. They promote microtubule assembly and stabilize the microtubules. Paclitaxel (Taxol), the first agent in this group in clinical trials was isolated from the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia in 1971. Both in preclinical and clinical studies, paclitaxel and its semisynthetic analog docetaxel exhibit significant antitumor activity. This review will provide an overview of the clinical experience with the group of anti-microtubular agents, the taxanes in pediatric oncology.
Particle reinforcement of ductile matrices against plastic flow and creep

Abstract A theoretical investigation is made of the role of non-deforming particles in reinforcing ductile matrix materials against plastic flow and creep. The study is carried out within the framework of continuum plasticity theory using cell models to implement most of the calculations. Systematic results are given for the influence of particle volume fraction and shape on the overall behavior of composites with uniformly distributed, aligned reinforcement. The stress-strain behavior of the matrix material is characterized by elastic-perfectly plastic behavior or by power-law hardening behavior of the Ramberg-Osgood type. A relatively simple connection is noted between the asymptotic reference stress for the composite with the power-law hardening matrix and the limit flow stress of the corresponding composite with the elastic-perfectly plastic matrix. The asymptotic reference stress for the composite with the power-law matrix is applicable to steady-state creep. A limited study is reported on the overall limit flow stress for composites with randomly orientated disc-like or needle-like particles when the particles are arranged in a packet-like morphology.
The Cardio‐Renal‐Anemia Syndrome in Elderly Subjects With Heart Failure and a Normal Ejection Fraction: A Comparison With Heart Failure and Low Ejection Fraction

The prevalence and severity of anemia and renal dysfunction in heart failure patients with a normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) is uncharacterized. Two hundred eighty-five consecutive patients admitted to a community hospital with heart failure were stratified by the presence or absence of anemia and a normal or reduced ejection fraction. Comparisons of clinical variables were performed. In this sample, 62% of subjects were anemic, with no difference between those with a normal and a reduced ejection fraction (63% vs. 61%). Anemic HFNEF subjects had a lower glomerular filtration rate (37 +/- 21 mL/min vs. 52 +/- 35 mL/min; p < 0.05) and more severe self-reported symptom scores than nonanemic HFNEF subjects. Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of renal dysfunction and anemia. The authors conclude that the degree and magnitude of anemia in elderly inpatients with heart failure does not differ by ejection fraction. Worse symptoms and more severe renal dysfunction were seen in HFNEF subjects with anemia than in HFNEF subjects without anemia.
Parameterization and sensitivity analysis of a process‐based terrestrial ecosystem model using adjoint method

We developed an adjoint version of a process-based biogeochemistry model, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM). The adjoint model of TEM was then used to: (1) conduct sensitivity studies of net ecosystem production (NEP) for three terrestrial ecosystems: grassland, deciduous broadleaf forest and evergreen needle-leaf forest; (2) rank the importance of parameters in controlling NEP; (3) optimize the model parameters by assimilating eddy flux data of NEP; and (4) evaluate parameterization by extrapolating optimal parameters to other sites that have the same plant functional type as the calibration sites. We found that: (1) the maximum rate of photosynthesis (CMAX) was the most important parameter in determining NEP, while the importance of the remaining parameters varied depending on plant functional type, suggesting that the same ecosystem process has different degrees of importance in modeling carbon fluxes; (2) the sensitivity of NEP to CMAX had a significant seasonal variability and the control of CMAX on NEP was much larger in growing season (defined as from April to October) than that in nongrowing season (defined as from December to March); and (3) after parameterization, TEM could reasonably reproduce carbon fluxes observed at eddy flux tower sites. This study provided an effective model-data fusion framework of TEM, which could improve the future quantification of terrestrial ecosystem carbon fluxes at both site and regional levels.
workforce diversity in the IT profession: recognizing and resolving the shortage of women and minority employees

There is growing evidence of another impending skills shortage of IT professionals, with a significant contributor being the underrepresentation of women and minorities in the IT work-force (Office of Technology Policy, 1999; Freeman & Aspray, 1999). There are claims that if minorities and women were included in the IT workforce at rates close to their representation in the general population, this shortage could be ameliorated or resolved entirely. Moreover, achieving a greater representation of women and minority employees in the IT workforce may enhance creativity, performance and product markets (Panteli et al., 2001). Women and minorities are underrepresented in the IT fields, and as employers struggle to recruit an adequate number of IT skilled workers, large pools of potential talent remain untapped (ITAA, 2000). According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce, women represent 46% of the total workforce, but under 30% of the IT workforce. African- and Hispanic-American employees hold only 5% of IT workforce jobs, yet comprise over 12% of the US population (NSF, 2000). There are two related problems –
Thermoplastic epoxies from n‐alkylamines

Thermoplastic epoxy resins have some special applications. In this study, the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A and three different monoamines—butylamine, hexamine, and dodecylamine—at different epoxy–amine ratios were used to make epoxy resins. Relative viscosity, hardness, Vicat softing temperature, volume resistivity, and refractive index were investigated. As amine contents approach the equivalent value, these properties reach the maximum value except the refractive index, which decreases continously with increasing amine content. When the carbon number of amines increases, the properties decrease except volume resistivity. Refractive index values vary with composition, suggesting a possibility of producing epoxies with a desired refractive index for optical applications. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Following Single mRNAs from Birth to Death in Living Cells

Live cell imaging has been instrumental in analyzing the dynamic properties of RNA. New technologies in optical microscopy and fluorescent probe development have been pushing the envelope of our analysis capabilities. We have been dedicated to developing and implementing these technologies to further the understanding of single mRNA dynamics in cells and organisms. We have utilized computational approaches to analyze real-time transcription activities of endogenous genes from yeast to human cells. We have employed a plethora of imaging methods, ranging from confocal and multiphoton microscopy, long-term cell imaging, high-speed real-time widefield microscopy, single molecule tracking, and we have developed super-registration microscopy and fluorescence fluctuation analysis. We have investigated key processes of RNA synthesis: initiation, elongation, termination, as well as nuclear pore export, cytoplasmic trafficking, localization and decay. Mathematical modeling allowed us to extract quantitative kinetic parameters that precisely describe these processes in living cells.Supported by NIH GMS Grants to RH Singer.
Synthesis of essential amino acids by bacterial symbionts in the gills of the shipworm Bankia setacea (tryon)

Abstract o 1. The glands of Deshayes located in the gills of the shipworm Bankia setacea (Tryon), (Bivalvia, Teredinidae) contain cells similar to the mycetocytes of insects which harbor intracellular bacteria. 2. When isolated gills were incubated with [U- 14 C]glucose, essential amino acids (arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, valine and phenylalanine) of the free and protein-bound pools became labeled. 3. This finding suggests the possibility that the prokaryotic symbionts of the mycetocytes may contribute to the nutrition of the shipworm by synthesizing essential nutrients which are in short supply in the natural diet (wood supplemented by plankton) of B. setacea . 4. Mantle tissue of B. setacea lacks mycetocytes. When isolated mantle was incubated with [U- 14 C]-glucose the only amino acids which became labeled were non-essential: alanine, aspartate, glutamate, glycine and serine. 5. Ultrastructural features of the mycetocytes are described. 6. Diaminopimelic acid, a component of bacterial cell walls, was detected after HCl hydrolysis of gill tissue. The bacteria of the mycetocytes have not, however, been characterized by standard culture methods.
David Levine's Bauerntheater: The Return of the Matrix

In May 2007, David Levine’s experimental performance in Brandenberg attracted international attention for its unique blending of endurance art, land art, concept art, site-specific performance, and traditional theatre. A key innovation was its challenge to the distinction drawn by Michael Kirby in the 1960s between the “matrixed” action of traditional theatre and the “nonmatrixed” action of the Happening. By creating a dramatic matrix for an actor placed in what is essentially a Happening, Levine has, in his terms, “short-circuited” this distinction.
Application of particle channeling to the study of a cooperative Jahn-teller phase transition in nickel chromite

Abstract Development of particle channeling in single crystals has led to a number of important applications in studies of impurity ions in solids, crystal surface structures and decay of short-lived compound nuclei. In all of these cases the crucial property is the ability of channeled particles to distinguish spatial positions of crystal lattice atoms or impurity atoms with high accuracy. This property of channeled ions suggests potential application to studies of crystalline phase transitions, thermal motion of lattice atoms and investigation of the dynamic and static behavior of “off center” or Jahn-teller impurity ions. We report here on an experimental demonstration of these possibilities in a channeling study of a reversible cooperative Jahn-teller transition in nickel chromite. In these experiments the angular dependence of the normalized backscattering yields of 1.5 MeV helium ions from a NiCr 2 O 4 single crystal close to the [111], [110], [11 1 ] , [211] and [12 1 ] crystallographic axes has been measured for va temperatures above and below and below the transition temperature. At the transition temperature an abrupt change in direction of the crystal axes was observed. In addition, the minimum yield of the channeling dips was found to change significantly.
The olfactory nerve contains two populations of glia, identified both in vivo and in vitro

The peripheral olfactory nervous sysstem exhibits, uniquely, neuronal cell body replacement and reestablishment of central connections in adult mammals. The role of the olfactory nerve glia in these phenomena is unknown, but information might be provided by in vitro systems. This paper reports on the characterization of olfactory nerve glia in dissociated cell cultures of newborn rat nasal mucosal tissues. The predominant type of glial cell resembled Schwann cells and immunostained for the S-100 protein, found in all glial cell types; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), found in astrocytes and nonmyelinating Schwann cells; and showed binding of 217C, a monoclonal Schwann-cell marker that binds to the low-affinity NGF receptor in glioma cells. They were negative for A2B5. The Schwann-cell-like olfactory glia changed morphology upon culturing in serum-free medium, with further shape changes after plating on laminin. Plating on laminin increased cell numbers. A second population, found only after GFAP-immunostaining, was astrocyte-like in morphology and represented approximately 10 percent of all glial cells. These were S-100-, A2B5-, and 217C-negative, a unique glial cell immunological profile. At low dilutions of anti-GFAP (1/10,000), or with weak fluorescent second ary antibodies, astrocyte-like glia were immunostained but Schwann-cell-like glia were not detectable. Astrocyte-like glia were not an artifact of the dissection, since they were detectable in tissue sections of newborn-rat olfactory nerves immunostained with a low dilution of anti-GFAP. The presence of two types of glial cell in culture suggests similarities between olfactory glia and entric glia. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
T-lymphocyte function and sensitivity to interferon in trisomy 21.

Abstract Previous studies have shown that cells from subjects with trisomy 21 have enhanced sensitivity to the antiviral effects of interferon, presumably because of the location of the gene, IfRec , coding for the species-specific response to interferon on chromosome 21. Interferon is also known to have many other effects including the ability to inhibit the proliferation of many types of cells. To determine whether proliferating trisomic lymphocytes are more sensitive to the antiproliferative effect of interferon we have investigated, using healthy noninstitutionalized subjects with trisomy 21, the ability of interferon to inhibit the proliferation of lymphocytes stimulated with phytohemagglutinin P(PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), and tetanus toxoid. The trisomic subjects had normal numbers of peripheral blood leukocytes, and normal numbers and proportions of T and B lymphocytes. The production of interferon by PHA-stimulated trisomic T lymphocytes was normal. Trisomic lymphocytes also had normal proliferative responses to PHA and Con A. There were no differences between the inhibitory effects of interferon on the proliferation of PHA-stimulated trisomic and normal lymphocytes. However, trisomic lymphocytes stimulated with low doses of Con A did display significantly enhanced sensitivity to the antiproliferative effects of interferon. In contrast to normal lymphocytes, trisomic lymphocytes were not stimulated to proliferate by tetanus toxoid, and exposure to interferon resulted in enhancement, rather than inhibition, of DNA synthesis.
Increased aggregation of C-phycocyanin produced by phenol and benzene☆

Abstract The effect of selected aromatic compounds on aggregates of C-phycocyanin was examined by analytic ultracentrifugation. Benzene and phenol caused an increase in aggregation. The principal change, a conversion of 6S to an 11S species, is postulated to result from the interaction of benzene and phenol with hydrophobic areas involved in protein-protein contact. The C-phycocyanin used in these studies included that extracted from Spirulina platensis , a Cyanophyta that grows in a highly alkaline environment. The pH dependence of the aggregation properties of this protein, however, was similar to that of C-phycocyanins from algae grown in normal environments. This suggests that the internal biopolymers of organisms which naturally exist at extremes of pH are somehow protected from exposure to these extremes.
Schwann Cell Transplantation for Repair of the Adult Spinal Cord

The Schwann cell is one of the most widely studied cell types for repair of the spinal cord. These cells play a crucial role in endogenous repair of peripheral nerves due to their ability to dedifferentiate, migrate, proliferate, express growth promoting factors, and myelinate regenerating axons. Following trauma to the spinal cord, Schwann cells migrate from the periphery into the injury site, where they apparently participate in endogenous repair processes. For transplantation into the spinal cord, large numbers of Schwann cells are necessary to fill injury-induced cystic cavities. Several culture systems have been developed that provide large, highly purified populations of Schwann cells. Importantly, the development of in vitro systems to harvest human Schwann cells presents a unique opportunity for autologous transplantation in the clinic. In animal models of spinal cord injury (SCI), grafting Schwann cells or peripheral nerve into the lesion site has been shown to promote axonal regeneration and mye...
A COMPARISON OF PERMEABILITY IN PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS

Quantitative studies show a striking agreement between frog skin and plant tissues in respect to certain important aspects of permeability, antagonism, injury, recovery, and death.
Copper(II)-DNA denaturation. II. The model of DNA denaturation.

In a continuing study of the denaturation of DNA as brought abought about by Cu(II) ions, results are presented for the dependence of Tm and τ (the terminal relaxation time) on ionic strength, pH, reactant concentrations, and temperature. Maximum stability of the double helix, as reflected by the longest relaxation times and highest Tm values, was observed between pH 5.3 and 6.2. Outside this range both Tm and τ decreased sharply. A second, faster relaxation time was deduced from the kinetic cureves. The apparent activation energies of the rapid and slow (“terminal”) relaxations were found to be 12 and 55 kcal/mole, respectively. Several lines of evidence led to the conclusions that (1) the rate-determining step in DNA denaturation, when occurring in the transition region, is determined by chemical events and (2) the interactions which are disrupted kinetically in the rate-determining step are those which account for the major portion of the thermal (Tm) stability of helical DNA.