cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interplay of Linker, N-Substituent, and Counterion Effects in the Formation and Geometrical Distortion of N-Heterocyclic Biscarbene Complexes of Rhodium(I)

A new series of (CH2)n-linked N-heterocyclic biscarbene (bis-NHC) complexes of rhodium(I) have been synthesized via in situ generation of the silver carbene complexes from bis(imidazolium) halide salts and silver(I) oxide followed by transmetalation to [Rh(COD)Cl]2 (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene). With a large t-Bu N-substituent, short linkers favor the chelate and long linkers favor the 2:1 complex, contrary to the previous findings with the small n-Bu substituent. In addition, the use of a noncoordinating anion for the AgNHC favors chelate formation. The chelate complex [Rh(COD)L2]PF6 (L2 = [methylenebis(N-(tert-butyl)imidazol-2-ylidene)]) and its dicarbonyl analogue [Rh(CO)2L2]PF6 were structurally characterized. They showed distortion both of the square plane, an electronic effect, and of the metal−NHC moiety, a steric effect.
An electronic cine camera system for the automatic collection and analysis of high-speed movement of unrestrained animals

A system is decribed that collects visual data using a solid-state photodiode image sensor at rates of up to 600 frames/sec in a binary format suitable for image-analysis techniques. Of particular interest is the system’s ability to analyze high-speed movement of animals without prior modification of the subject (e.g., attachment of lamps or reflectors to the subject).
A sciatic nerve blockade method to differentiate drug-induced local anesthesia from neuromuscular blockade in mice.

This report introduces a simple and easy technique for animal handling and drug administration into the sciatic nerve area for determining local anesthesia and neuromuscular blocking activity in mice. The drugs were injected into the popliteal space of the right hindlimb (i.e., the sciatic nerve area). The loss of motor activity of the right hindlimb was taken as a sign of producing local anesthesia. A positive local anesthetic activity was recorded when a mouse was only able to walk using three limbs on an inverted wire mesh screen and the injected limb was hanging in the air. This method is superior to the commonly used techniques of applying drugs to the rabbit's cornea, the guinea pig's back skin, or the root of the mouse tail to determine the reduced reflex responses and to assess the local anesthetic activity. The present method has evaluated a number of drugs (cocaine, lidocaine, procaine, propranolol, quinidine, quinacrine, verapamil, and diltiazem), which are known to produce local anesthesia. The sciatic nerve blockade technique is also capable of determining neuromuscular blocking activity of drugs, in which the end point of activity taken is different from that for local anesthetic drugs. The method reported here has been validated by reference neuromuscular blocking agents (d-tubocurarine, decamethonium, and succinylcholine). A positive neuromuscular blockade was recorded when a mouse was unable to stay on the inverted wire mesh screen. The information provides not only the local anesthetic or neuromuscular blocking potency of drugs but also duration of action of drugs.
Unlocking Diane Arbus

In these five short reviews, the photographic work of Diane Arbus is illuminated from different personal and professional perspectives, ranging from interpreting her photographs as a sort of theft—taking something away from the individuals she photographed—to an intense desire to partake in a world of human beings living on the edge of society. The question occupying all reviewers is how Arbus's personality and style allowed her to enter into the worlds of demimondes, nudist camps, and dominatrixes without necessarily exploiting the privileged position she earned to occupy vis-a-vis her subjects.
Studies of Vβ8 T cell receptor peptide treatment in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Lewis rats immunized with T cell receptor (TCR) variable region peptide V beta 8 in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) were protected against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced with myelin basic protein in CFA, although variable protection was also observed in rats injected with control peptide in CFA, or CFA alone. However, this adjuvant-mediated protection could be avoided by immunizing with TCR peptide in incomplete adjuvant (IFA). Clinical, but not histologic EAE was suppressed in rats given V beta 8 peptide in IFA, whereas control animals injected with V beta 14 peptide in IFA, or IFA alone developed severe clinical EAE. Anti-V beta 8 antibodies were present in the sera of all V beta 8-treated rats. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that autoimmune disease can be suppressed by inducing an immune response against the TCR-idiotope of autoreactive T cells.
Mating success of photoreceptor mutants of Drosophila melanogaster

The compound eye of Drosophila contains 700-800 individual ommatidia, each made up of six outer retinula cells (R1_6) , and two central retinula cells (R7 and Rs). Each retinula cell contains a rhabdomere which is the location of the visual pigment. Mutants have been recovered which specifically eliminate function in R1-6 or in RT. Other mutants, such as norp Ae24, result in a loss of the receptor potential for the entire eye. In a series of "female choice" experiments, the relative importance of the outer and inner retinula cells for male courtship success was investigated. The results suggest that in D. melanogaster an intact visual system, expecially R1_6, is important for male mating behavior. In the absence of functional R1-6, a small but significant role for Rr was detectable. The main photoreceptors of Drosophila melanogaster are the two large compound eyes, each of which is composed of about 700-800 ommatidia. A detailed description of the structure and function of the Drosophila compound eye is found in the comprehensive review by Pak and Grabowski (1978). Light is prevented from passing between adjacent ommatidia by the screening pigments which give Drosophila eyes their characteristic reddish-brown appearance. Each ommatidium contains eight retinula cells arranged in a highly organized fashion. Six retinula cells (R1-R6) form a peripheral ring around the two central cells R 7 and Rs, Rs being located directly beneath RT. Within each retinula cell is a rhabdomere which contains the visual pigment. We were interested in the relative importance of the peripheral and central retinula cells for male courtship success. Recently the application of genetic techniques to the study of Drosophila vision has generated a series of mutants with known, highly specific neuroanatomical and physiological characteristics. One mutant, ora (III--65.3 _+ 0.4, '~outer rhabdomeres absent," Koenig & Merriam, 1977), results in a loss of function in the six peripheral rhabdomeres. Another, sev 0--33.2 -+ 0.2, "seven
Self-calibration of dual-actuated single-axis nanopositioners

The rapid growth in nanosciences and technology has increased the need for high-precision nanopositioning stage technology, an important aspect of which is calibration to a traceable length standard with nanometre resolution. Direct calibration of the entire displacement range to a traceable length standard is generally difficult and time consuming because of the dearth of suitable and stable references and the need to remove all environmental disturbances during the calibration procedure. This paper introduces an approach to implementing self-calibration on a single-axis, dual-actuated, nanopositioning stage. It demonstrates how dual actuation on such a system can be used to implement the transitivity and redundancy conditions required for dimensional self-calibration so that only a single scaling input is required. The approach is verified by a series of simulations and experiments to demonstrate repeatable self-calibration of the axis to within 1 nm over a displacement range of 30 µm.
Sharp optical lines in rare-earth barium copper oxides

We report the results of a sensitive technique of optical spectroscopy applied to bulk and thin-film samples of the high-{Tc} superconductor {ital R}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} with {ital R}=Er, Ho, and Yb. Sharp crystal electric field lines were observed in these samples at 77 and 4.2 K due to impurities of less than 1% of the so-called green phase,'' {ital R}{sub 2}BaCuO{sub 5}. Expected strong magnetic dipole transitions in the superconductor were not observed, probably because of strain broadening of the energy levels involved. The method can reveal absorption lines corresponding to oscillator strengths of 10{sup {minus}10}, for expected linewidths, in opaque or thin-film samples.
Demographics and living arrangements of the minority elderly in the United States

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this study assesses the demographics and living arrangements of the minority elderly population of the United States. Rapid growth in both the number and the proportion of all elderly minority populations are expected. By 2050, one-third of the elderly population will be other than a non-Hispanic White. While existing literature primarily focuses on the demographics and living arrangements of the White elderly population, this study attempts to show the diversity and differences in economic and cultural patterns among the minority elderly population and the implications of such diversity on the living arrangements of the elderly. The data show variations in elderly living arrangements in minority population groups by gender, and across and within the groups themselves. Such differences in living arrangements have important policy implications on both macro and micro level.
Dominance in lambda S mutations and evidence for translational control.

Abstract Phenotypic analysis of a collection of point mutations in the lysis gene S of bacteriophage λ indicates that many of the S alleles exhibit at least partially dominant character, suggesting that the S gene product (gpS) must oligomerize to achieve its lethal membrane effect. Moreover, mutations found 5′ to the coding sequence also show a dominant character and appear to define a site, designated sdi (structure directed initiation) where mRNA secondary structure controls the choice of initiation codons. We propose that formation of the sdi structure occludes the consensus Shine-Dalgarno sequence and results in initiation at the Met3 codon, generating a lethal 105 residue polypeptide. The model predicts that, in the absence of the sdi stem-and-loop, initiation occurs at the Metl codon, generating a 107 residue polypeptide, which is a non-lethal inhibitor of lysis. In support of the model, alteration of the first codon was achieved using site-directed mutagenesis, resulting in an S allele that is more lethal and induces lysis significantly sooner than the wild-type.
A modified 'Type I migration' model for propeller moons in Saturn's rings

Abstract We propose a mechanism for the observed non-keplerian motion ( Tiscareno et al., 2010a ) of “propeller” moons embedded in Saturn's rings. Our mechanism, in which radial variations in surface density – external to, and unaffected by, the embedded moon – result in an equilibrium semimajor axis for the moon due to “Type I” angular momentum exchange ( Crida et al., 2010 ), provides a good fit to the observations. Future observations should distinguish between our model and others recently proposed.
The Role of Conceptual Organization in Interpersonal Discrimination

Summary The present study was conducted to investigate the role of conceptual systems in interpersonal discrimination. Conceptual-systems theory postulates that personality organization is a function of developmental level and varies along a concrete-abstract dimension. Nodal points along this dimension have been identified for descriptive purposes as System I (most concrete), System II, System III, and System IV (most abstract). System I interpersonal discrimination is characterized by undiscriminated evaluations of self and others based on generalized standards. System II is characterized by an emergence of self-delineation based on individualized standards generated as alternatives to generalized standards. System III functioning reflects an increasing concern with delineating between others, according to differentiated self-relevant dimensions newly evolved in System II. System IV represents continuing concomitant growth in ability to delineate self and others on the basis of more abstract superordina...
Genetics of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a complex genetic disease The cause of multiple sclerosis (MS) is unknown, but it is widely believed to be an autoimmune disease occurring in genetically susceptible individuals after exposure to as-yet undefined environmental factors. The genetic etiology is indicated foremost by the recurrence risk in family members of the affected individual [1,2]. One measure of familial aggregation is the ks statistic, defined as the ratio of the lifetime risk to siblings of affected individuals (Ks) to the population prevalence (K) of the disease (ks = Ks/K). A ks = 1 indicates nonfamilial clustering of cases; for MS, the total ks is between 20 (0.02/0.001) and 40 (0.04/0.001) [3]. Recurrence is higher in the children of conjugal pairs who have MS than in offspring of single affected individuals; concordant siblings tend to share age of symptom onset rather than year of onset, and second- and third-degree relatives of patients who have MS also are at increased risk for MS. Observations seem to confirm that genetics, rather than a common environmental exposure, is primarily responsible for familial aggregation. Studies of half-siblings [4] and adoptees [5] also are in agreement with the conclusion that genetic sharing rather than the family microenvironment is the key factor for familial aggregation of the disease. Twin studies from different populations consistently indicate that a monozygotic twin of a patient who has MS is at higher risk (25%–30% concordance) for MS than is a dizygotic twin (2%–5%) [6,7], providing additional evidence for a significant genetic etiology. Twin concordance seems to exhibit gender dimorphism and mirror disease prevalence [7].
Comparative leaf anatomy of the annual Muhlenbergia (Poaceae)

A leaf anatomical survey was conducted to gather critical data for interpreting relationships among 32 species of annual Muhlenbergia. Phenetic analyses, utilizing 14 anatomical characters, support recognition of four major species groups. These four major species groups are not concordant with previously reported groups. Muhlenbergia brandegei, known only from three islands in Baja California Sur, is believed to be more closely related to M. appressa, M. microsperma, and M. tenuifolia, rather than, M. biloba, as suggested in prior publication. Muhlenbergia diversiglumis is morphologically similar to species of Pereilema and does not show close affinities with other annual species of Muhlenbergia. Anatomically, M. ciliata, M. pectinata, and M. tenella are very similar and form the most distinctive group among the annual Muhlenbergia.
Mice Devoid of Tau Have Increased Susceptibility to Neuronal Damage in Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein-Induced Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

The abundant axonal microtubule-associated protein tau regulates microtubule and actin dynamics, thereby contributing to normal neuronal function. We examined whether mice deficient in tau (Tau(-/-)) or with high levels of human tau differ from wild-type (WT) mice in their susceptibility to neuroaxonal injury in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis. After sensitization with MOG35-55, there was no difference in clinical disease course between human tau and WT mice, but Tau mice had more severe clinical disease and significantly more axonal damage in spinal cord white matter than those in WT mice. Axonal damage in gray matter correlated with clinical severity in individual mice. By immunoblot analysis, the early microtubule-associated protein-1b was increased 2-fold in the spinal cords of Tau mice with chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis versus naive Tau mice. This difference was not detected in comparable WT animals, which suggests that there was compensation for the loss of tau in the deficient mice. In addition, levels of the growth arrest-specific protein 7b, a tau-binding protein that is stabilized when bound to tau, were higher in WT than those in Tau(-/-) spinal cord samples. These data indicate that loss of tau exacerbates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and suggest that maintaining tau integrity might reduce the axonal damage that occurs in inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
The effect of orbital type and active space size on valence bond structure weights and bond dissociation energies

Valence bond (VB) theory calculations have been performed on a series of small molecules and the bond dissociation energies (BDEs) and Chirgwin–Coulson structure weights have been obtained. The number of electrons included in the VB active space has been varied to include all valence electrons, only valence electrons of the same symmetry as the target bond, or only the bonding electrons. In addition, VB orbitals were either held strictly localized on a particular fragment (fragment localized orbitals) or allowed to delocalize onto neighbouring fragments (overlap enhanced orbitals). Structure weights and BDEs thus obtained were compared to previous breathing orbital VB (BOVB) and experimental results. Although none of the methods used herein give particularly accurate results due to neglect of dynamic electron correlation, including only bonding electrons in the VB active space with the use of overlap enhanced orbitals sufficiently reproduces trends in BDEs and structure weights with minimal computational ...
A kinetic study of the reaction of rhodium(II) acetate with trifluoroacetic acid

Abstract The reaction of rhodium(II) acetate with excess trifluoroacetic acid was followed by 1H NMR. Identification of the intermediate compounds in the exchange process was accomplished by use of mass spectrometry. The reaction was found to be a stepwise exchange of trifluoroacetate for the acetate cage. Rate constants measured have a ratio of approximately 1:2:0·1:0·025 for k1:k2:k3:k4. The first substitution has a labilizing effect on the system causing the second substitution to occur twice as fast as the first. After the formation of Rh2(OOCCH3)2(OOCCF3)2, the reaction proceeds at a much slower rate until the completely exchanged rhodium(II) trifluoroacetate is formed.
Mass loading of bow shock pulsar wind nebulae

We investigate the dynamics of bow shock nebulae created by pulsars moving supersonically through a partially ionized interstellar. A fraction of interstellar neutrals penetrating into the tail region of a pulsar wind will undergo photo-ionization due to the UV light emitted by the nebula, with the resulting mass loading dramatically changing the flow dynamics of the light leptonic pulsar wind. Using a quasi 1-D hydrodynamic model of both non-relativistic and relativistic flow, and focusing on scales much larger than the stand-off distance, we find that a relatively small density of neutrals, as low as nISM = 10 4 cm 3 , is sufficient to strongly affect the tail flow. Mass loading leads to the fast expansion of the pulsar wind tail, making the tail flow intrinsically non-stationary. The shapes predicted for the bow shock nebulae compare well with observations, both in Hα and X-rays.
Biological setting events for self-injury

Self-injurious behavior typically occurs in response to specific antecedent stimuli that predict the occurrence of such desirable consequences of the behavior as obtaining attention from others, escaping aversive situations, and securing preferred foods, objects, and activities. Setting events constitute an additional controlling variable, altering the probability that a specific antecedent stimulus will evoke self-injury. We discuss the influence of several biological factors, including menses, otitis media, fatigue, allergies, and constipation, that may serve as setting events. We also present a model which suggests that these events alter the functional properties of the antecedent stimuli that control self-injurious behavior, thereby strengthening the specific consequences that maintain the behavior. One implication of this model is the likelihood that effective intervention will have to have multiple components, addressing both the biological and environmental variables that control the behavior. A second implication is that greater collaboration between medical and psychological or educational practitioners will be necessary in order to address the multiple factors that affect self-injury. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Application of nonlinear filters to edge detection

This paper considers the problem of prefiltering images to enhance edge detection. In particular, several order statistics based sharpeners are considered with a traditional linear technique, unsharp masking. The order statistics sharpeners include the LUM sharpener, the CS-filter, and the GOS filter.
Malicious data attack on real-time electricity market

Malicious data attacks to the real-time electricity market are studied. In particular, an adversary launches an attack by manipulating data from a set of meters with the goal of influencing revenues of a real-time market. The adversary must deal with the tradeoff between avoiding being detected by the control center and making maximum profit from the real time market. Optimal attacking strategy is obtained through an optimization of a quasi-concave objective function. It is shown that the probability of detection of optimal attack will always be less than 0.5. Attack performance is evaluated using simulations on the IEEE 14-bus system.
MAGNETIC FIELDS AND THE ORIENTATION OF HOMING PIGEONS UNDER SUN

SUMMARY Applying a magnetic field of o-1 Gs (1 gauss = io~*T) to the heads of pigeons homing from unfamiliar release sites significantly increased the scatter of the birds' vanishing bearings. A magnetic field of 0-3 gauss caused no difference between the orientation of birds wearing coils with either their north or south pole up. But a field of o-6 gauss (equal to that of the Earth) produced a small difference in the vanishing bearings of the two groups. Since an applied magnetic field has an effect on pigeon orientation under sun, it appears that pigeons do not simply switch between a magnetic and a sun compass, but that there is some interaction between the two systems.
My Life with Nature

After a childhood in Germany and being a youth in Grand Forks, North Dakota, I went to Harvard University, then to graduate school in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin. Then to Washington University and Stanford University for postdoctoral training in biochemistry and genetics. Then at the University of Wisconsin, as a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and the Department of Genetics, I initiated research on bacterial chemotaxis. Here, I review this research by me and by many, many others up to the present moment. During the past few years, I have been studying chemotaxis and related behavior in animals, namely in Drosophila fruit flies, and some of these results are presented here. My current thinking is described.
Aberrant RNA splicing and its functional consequences in cancer cells

Among the myriad of alterations present in cancer cells are an abundance of aberrant mRNA transcripts. Whether abnormal gene transcription is a by-product of cellular transformation or whether it represents an inherent element that contributes to the properties of cancer cells is not yet clear. Here, we present growing evidence that in many cases, aberrant mRNA transcripts contribute to essential phenotypes associated with transformed cells, suggesting that alterations in the splicing machinery are common and functionally important for cancer development. The proteins encoded by these abnormal transcripts are often truncated or missing domains, thereby altering protein function or conferring new functions altogether. Thus, aberrant splicing regulation has genome-wide effects, potentially altering gene expression in many cancer-associated pathways.
cFos activity identifies recruitment of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone neurons during the ascending phase of the proestrous luteinizing hormone surge

The proto-oncogene product of the c-fos gene, cFos, is a useful marker for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) neuronal activation. While recent data indicate that in the rat, an LHRH surge plays an active role in stimulating the proestrous luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, the mechanics of the LHRH surge remain unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether LHRH neuronal activation occurs entirely at the beginning of the LH surge or whether the number of LHRH neurons activated increases during the ascending phase of the surge. To accomplish this aim, we determined the relationship between the number of LHRH neurons expressing cFos and LH concentrations during the ascending limb of the proestrous LH surge. During the estrous cycle in the rat, on the afternoon of proestrus, the number of LHRH neurons expressing cFos increased as plasma LH levels increased to reach peak concentrations. The regression line describing these two variables had a very highly significant correlation coefficient, indicating a linear relationship. Treatment with RU486 to block progesterone's action on the afternoon of proestrus significantly reduced both the number of LHRH neurons expressing cFos and the magnitude of LH secretion during the entire ascending phase of the LH surge. An analysis of covariance with comparison of regression lines from untreated and RU486-treated animals revealed that while both sets of data established significant linear relationships between the degree of activation of LHRH neurons and plasma LH values, the slopes of the two lines were different (P = 0.031) with no statistical difference in the two intercepts. These data, together with the demonstration of an overall reduction of cFos intensity following removal of progesterone's actions, suggest progesterone alters the dynamics of LHRH neuronal activation by significantly reducing the recruitment of LHRH neurons and suppressing the level of activation of individual LHRH neurons. The results of our study support the hypothesis that the ascending phase of the LH surge results from the gradual recruitment of LHRH neurons into the active state.
Mesoscale temperature fluctuations in the stratosphere

An airborne instrument that measures altitude temperature profiles is ideally suited for the task of characterizing statistical properties of the vertical displacement of isentrope surfaces. Prior measurements of temperature fluctuations during level flight could not be used to infer isentrope altitude variations because lapse rate information was missing. The Microwave Temperature Profiler instrument, which includes lapse rate measurements at flight level as a part of temperature profiles, has been used on hundreds of flights to produce altitude versus ground track cross-sections of potential temperature. These cross-sections show isentrope altitude variations with a horizontal resolution of ~3 km for a >6 km altitude region. An airborne isentrope-altitude cross-section (IAC) can be compared with a counterpart IAC generated from synoptic scale data, based on radiosondes and satellite instruments, in order to assess differences between the altitudes of isentrope surfaces sampled at mesoscale versus synoptic scale. It has been found that the synoptic scale isentropes fail to capture a significant component of vertical displacement of isentrope surfaces, especially in the vicinity of jet streams. Under the assumptions that air parcels flow along isentrope surfaces, and change temperature adiabatically while undergoing altitude displacements, it is possible to compute mesoscale temperature fluctuations that are not present in synoptic scale back trajectory parcel temperature histories. It has been found that the magnitude of the mesoscale component of temperature fluctuations varies with altitude, season, latitude and underlying topography. A model for these dependences is presented, which shows, for example, that mesoscale temperature fluctuations increase with altitude in a systematic way, are greatest over mountainous terrain, and are greater at polar latitudes during winter.
War Economies and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Identifying a Weak Link

While the international community has in the last several years appreciated the close links between conflict and natural resource exploitation, current efforts to transform war economies in post-co...
Text and Graphics in Instructional Design

This paper addresses textual and graphical representation formats in instructional design. First, it describes background research in information display and instructional design. Second, it integrates guidelines suggested from past research and proposes a methodology for designing instructional material with regard to textual and graphical content. The paper then describes a pilot experiment conducted to examine the validity of the methodology in optimizing instructional design.
Current Trends in the Management of Common Painful Conditions of Preschool Children in United States Pediatric Emergency Departments

Trends in pain management practice by Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellows in the United States were described and analyzed. Self-administered surveys on pain management practices conducted among Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellows at the national Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellows' annual conference in 1996 and 2004 were compared. In comparison to the 1996 survey, the 2004 survey noted a significant increase in narcotics use for headache (6% versus 12%; P = .001), abdominal pain (4% versus 50%; P = .001), and burn patients (46% versus 68%; P = .001). There was also an increase in reported use of topical/ local anesthetics for venipuncture (6% versus 18%, P = .001) and lumbar puncture (49% versus 80%; P = .001), and ketamine for repairing lacerations (16% versus 56%; P = .001), incision and drainage (12% versus 58%; P = .001), and reduction of fractures (38% versus 79%; P = .001). The reported use of pain medication use by Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellows increased during the study period.
Biomechanical Consequences of a Tear of the Posterior Root of the Medial Meniscus: Similar to Total Meniscectomy

Background Tears of the posterior root of the medial meniscus are becoming increasingly recognized. They can cause rapidly progressive arthritis, yet their biomechanical effects are not understood. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of posterior root tears of the medial meniscus and their repairs on tibiofemoral joint contact pressure and kinematics. Methods Nine fresh-frozen cadaver knees were used. An axial load of 1000 N was applied with a custom testing jig at each of four knee-flexion angles: 0 degrees, 30 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees. The knees were otherwise unconstrained. Four conditions were tested: (1) intact, (2) a posterior root tear of the medial meniscus, (3) a repaired posterior root tear, and (4) a total medial meniscectomy. Fuji pressure-sensitive film was used to record the contact pressure and area for each testing condition. Kinematic data were obtained by using a robotic arm to record the position of the knees for each loading condition. Three-dimensional knee kinematics were analyzed with custom programs with use of previously described transformations. The measured variables were axial rotation, varus angulation, lateral translation, and anterior translation. Results In the medial compartment, a posterior root tear of the medial meniscus caused a 25% increase in peak contact pressure compared with that found in the intact condition (p Conclusions This study demonstrated significant changes in contact pressure and knee joint kinematics due to a posterior root tear of the medial meniscus. Root repair was successful in restoring joint biomechanics to within normal conditions.
Electron mobility variation in dense 4He gas

Abstract We present electron mobility measurements in 4 He gas for 10 19 22 cm -3 and 3 T
Mechanisms of dust emission from Pleistocene loess deposits, Nebraska, USA

[1] Saltation bombardment is commonly believed to be the primary mechanism by which large quantities of dust can be generated. Direct entrainment of silt, on the other hand, is thought to generate minimal quantities of dust. If so, loess landscapes should rarely be major sources of dust unless disturbed by human activity. To test the mechanisms by which loess can be eroded by the wind, we used the Portable In-Situ Wind Erosion Lab (PI-SWERL). PI-SWERL tests were conducted on benches that were carved into loess at field locations. Coarse to fine loess was also collected and tested in a controlled setting using (1) dry, unconsolidated loess and (2) crusted loess. Results indicate that in most cases, the threshold friction velocity for silt is less than that for sand and that most dust generation occurs by direct entrainment of dust. Saltation, even in coarse loess, was nonexistent to intermittent. In a few cases, saltation of sand or soil aggregates preceded dust generation or enhanced emissions after direct entrainment began. Emission fluxes of loess are potentially high in both proximal and distal settings, suggesting that loess is easily entrainable if vegetation density is low. We hypothesize that an arid and windy climate of the late Pleistocene, paired with lower vegetation density, facilitated large-scale erosion of Peoria Loess in Nebraska to generate wind-aligned ridges and troughs. More broadly, our results indicate that loess landscapes have the potential to be major sources as well as sinks of dust.
Engagement in mental health treatment among veterans returning from Iraq

Objectives Many veterans return from combat experiencing a variety of mental health concerns. Previous research has documented a stigma associated with seeking treatment that interferes with the decision to seek treatment. This study, conceptualized using the theory of planned behavior, assessed beliefs about mental health treatment in order to understand mental health treatment seeking behavior among a group of returning National Guard soldiers who served in the war in Iraq. Methods Participants were one hundred and fifty Operation Iraqi Freedom National Guard soldiers who screened positive for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder or alcohol abuse disorder on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing beliefs about mental health treatment and treatment-seeking behavior. Results Beliefs related to symptom reduction and work were significantly related to mental health treatment-seeking behavior. Conclusions Interventions developed to engage veterans into care must be directed toward cognitive factors that motivate treatment seeking in addition to traditionally targeted structural barriers.
High Speed RF Packaging Design and Fabrication for Ka-Band Radar Systems

The various choices of materials for RF packaging are reviewed and two groups of materials are used to package components for a Ka-band landing radar. A Kovar housing was designed and built for a transmit/receive module, which provides good RF performance and allows the high power semiconductor amplifiers to be mounted directly to pedestals at the bottom of the package. For the up/down converter, an Aluminum housing was designed and built with all connectors laser welded in place. Both packages are hermetic and capable of withstanding a differential pressure of over 30 psi. Environmental requirements are taken into consideration during package design, such as thermal cycling, absolute maximum temperature ratings of components and structural aspects. Details of the electrical package design to minimize radiation loss and cross talk are discussed, as well as various methods of attachment of the RF connectors to the housings.
Encapsidation of adeno-associated virus type 2 Rep proteins in wild-type and recombinant progeny virions: Rep-mediated growth inhibition of primary human cells

The adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV) arrests the growth of primary human fibroblasts in vitro at high particle-to-cell ratios. To test the role of AAV gene expression in the observed growth inhibition, primary human cells were infected, under identical conditions, with wild-type (wt) AAV or with recombinant AAV that lacked all viral promoters and coding sequences. Significant, dose-dependent growth inhibition of primary human cells was observed with both wt and recombinant AAV at particle-to-cell ratios equal to or exceeding 10(4). In contrast, neither virus affected the growth of immortalized human cells even at a 10-fold-higher particle-to-cell ratio. AAV-induced growth arrest could be overcome by reculturing cells after treatment with trypsin. Even after reculturing, cells still harbored the proviral AAV genome. Thus, neither integration nor expression of the AAV genome appears to be required for the virus-induced growth-inhibitory effect on primary human cells. The growth-inhibitory effect of AAV was hypothesized to be mediated by virion-associated AAV Rep proteins, since these proteins have been reported to inhibit cellular DNA synthesis. Rep proteins tightly associated with wt as well as recombinant AAV could be detected on Western blots. Coinfection by adenovirus was necessary and sufficient for ample replication of recombinant AAV genomes lacking the rep gene. Although wt AAV-like particles arose during production of the recombinant AAV stocks, their low-titer levels were insufficient to cause the observed growth inhibition. AAV rep gene expression from these contaminating particles was not required for replication of the recombinant AAV genomes, which could be detected even in the absence of de novo Rep protein synthesis. Exposure of recombinant AAV to anti-AAV Rep protein antibodies did not abrogate viral infectivity. These results suggest that biologically active Rep proteins are encapsidated in mature progeny AAV particles. AAV Rep protein-mediated growth inhibition of primary human cells has implications in the use of AAV-based vectors in human gene therapy.
Home Range and Habitat Use of Coyotes in an Area of Native Prairie, Farmland and CRP Fields

Abstract From 1999 to 2001 we monitored 12 coyotes (Canis latrans) in northwestern Texas to determine their home ranges and habitat use in a landscape interspersed with native prairie, farmland and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields. Annual home range size was 10.1 km2 for residents and 84.5 km2 for transients. We determined habitat use at two spatial scales: within home ranges and within study area. Habitat use patterns were similar at both scales, as residents selected for native prairie and transients selected for CRP fields. Habitat use between residents and transients differed in both seasons, with residents selecting more native prairie, less farmland and less CRP (summer only) than transients. Habitat at natal den sites also differed from expected for residents, as most dens (8 of 10) were located in CRP fields. The CRP fields contained the only tall permanent vegetation on our study sites and appeared to provide important foraging habitat for transient coyotes, and denning habitat for resid...
miR-430 regulates oriented cell division during neural tube development in zebrafish

Abstract MicroRNAs have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression. Originally shown to regulate developmental timing, microRNAs have since been implicated in a wide range of cellular functions including cell identity, migration and signaling. miRNA-430, the earliest expressed microRNA during zebrafish embryogenesis, is required to undergo morphogenesis and has previously been shown to regulate maternal mRNA clearance, Nodal signaling, and germ cell migration. The functions of miR-430 in brain morphogenesis, however, remain unclear. Herein we find that miR-430 instructs oriented cell divisons in the neural rod required for neural midline formation. Loss of miR-430 function results in mitotic spindle misorientation in the neural rod, failed neuroepithelial integration after cell division, and ectopic cell accumulation in the dorsal neural tube. We propose that miR-430, independently of canonical apicobasal and planar cell polarity (PCP) pathways, coordinates the stereotypical cell divisons that instruct neural tube morphogenesis.
Measuring of Spatial Visualising Ability

In a number of independent studies, scores on various tests of spatial visualising ability have consistently exhibited large sex differences and within-sex have resolved into gaussian components indicative of a qualitative distinction between persons of high and low spatial visualising ability. In the present study, results based on marginal maximum likelihood item factor analysis of a facet-structured spatial test show that not all items contribute equally to these effects. The items most involved are those that require mental rotation of the stimulus figure as a whole; items that can be solved by matching of particular features of the stimulus contribute little.
Drugging "Undruggable" Targets

CN03-02 One of the most vexing problems in life science is that of “undruggability,” the difficulty of targeting certain biological macromolecules in vivo using existing drug or ligand discovery technologies. It has been estimated that as many as 80-90% of all potential targets, including many that have been extensively validated in humans and in animal models, are undruggable. The Verdine laboratory is developing powerful new chemistry-based platform technologies to address these undruggable targets. Specifically, the lab is developing “synthetic biologics,” molecules that, like biologics, possess the ability to target large flat surfaces, but that, like small molecules, are fully synthetic and hence can be modified at will. Progress on the development of synthetic biologics will be reviewed in this talk. References 1. Walensky, LD, Kung AL, Escher I, Malia TJ, Barbuto S, Wright R, Wagner G, Verdine GL, Korsmeyer SJ. Activation of apoptosis in vivo by a hydrocarbon-stapled BH3 helix,” Science 2004;305:1466-70. 2. Walensky LD, Pitter K, Morash J, Oh KJ, Barbuto S, Fisher J, Smith E, Verdine GL, Korsmeyer SJ. A stapled BID BH3 helix directly binds and activates BAX,” Mol Cell 2006;24:199-210. 3. Bernal F, Tyler AF, Korsmeyer SJ, Walensky LD, Verdine GL. Reactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor pathway by a stapled p53 peptide,” J Am Chem Soc 2007:2456-7.
Interindividual Variability in Cytochrome P450–Mediated Drug Metabolism

The cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes are the predominant enzyme system involved in human drug metabolism. Alterations in the expression and/or activity of these enzymes result in changes in pharmacokinetics (and consequently the pharmacodynamics) of drugs that are metabolized by this set of enzymes. Apart from changes in activity as a result of drug-drug interactions (by P450 induction or inhibition), the P450 enzymes can exhibit substantial interindividual variation in basal expression and/or activity, leading to differences in the rates of drug elimination and response. This interindividual variation can result from a myriad of factors, including genetic variation in the promoter or coding regions, variation in transcriptional regulators, alterations in microRNA that affect P450 expression, and ontogenic changes due to exposure to xenobiotics during the developmental and early postnatal periods. Other than administering a probe drug or cocktail of drugs to obtain the phenotype or conducting a genetic analysis to determine genotype, methods to determine interindividual variation are limited. Phenotyping via a probe drug requires exposure to a xenobiotic, and genotyping is not always well correlated with phenotype, making both methodologies less than ideal. This article describes recent work evaluating the effect of some of these factors on interindividual variation in human P450-mediated metabolism and the potential utility of endogenous probe compounds to assess rates of drug metabolism among individuals.
Functional Connectivity Hubs and Networks in the Awake Marmoset Brain

In combination with advances in analytical methods, resting-state fMRI is allowing unprecedented access to a better understanding of the network organization of the brain. Increasing evidence suggests that this architecture may incorporate highly functionally connected nodes, or "hubs", and we have recently proposed local functional connectivity density (lFCD) mapping to identify highly-connected nodes in the human brain. Here, we imaged awake nonhuman primates to test whether, like the human brain, the marmoset brain contains FC hubs. Ten adult common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) were acclimated to mild, comfortable restraint using individualized helmets. Following restraint training, resting BOLD data were acquired during eight consecutive 10 min scans for each subject. lFCD revealed prominent cortical and subcortical hubs of connectivity across the marmoset brain; specifically, in primary and secondary visual cortices (V1/V2), higher-order visual association areas (A19M/V6[DM]), posterior parietal and posterior cingulate areas (PGM and A23b/A31), thalamus, dorsal and ventral striatal areas (caudate, putamen, lateral septal nucleus, and anterior cingulate cortex (A24a). lFCD hubs were highly connected to widespread areas of the brain, and further revealed significant network-network interactions. These data provide a baseline platform for future investigations in a nonhuman primate model of the brain's network topology.
The Numbers of Eggs Developed Related to the Quantities of Human Blood Ingested in Aedes Aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae)

The basic needs of bloodsucking arthropods are being investigated as a means toward understanding their behavior in relation to the vertebrate host. The results reported in this article extend our information on the relation between the numbers of eggs that are developed by Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and the varying quantities of human blood ingested as affected by differences between individual mosquitoes, ages of the mosquitoes at the time of the blood meal, and weights of the mosquitoes before the blood meal.
Antiepileptic Drug-Induced Bone Loss in Young Males

The relationship between femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) and antiepileptic drug therapy in ambulatory, young male patients with epilepsy (ages 25 to 54 years, mean 45 yrs) was determined in an outpatient seizure clinic at the University of Washington, Seattle.
The effect of cortisol, administered in vivo, on the in vitro incorporation of DNA and RNA precursors by rat thymus cells.

Cortisol, administered in vivo, decreases the rate at which radioactive labeled deoxycytidine and uridine are incorporated into macromolecular material by rat thymus cells incubated in vitro. The degree of inhibition of uridine conversion to acid-insoluble material, observed after 3 hr of cortisol treatment, remains constant at both high and low levels of precursor specific activity, whereas the inhibition of deoxycytidine-3H incorporation observed using precursor of high specific activity is obliterated when the labeled precursor is diluted with large amounts of the nonradioactive compound. This observation is consonant with the hypothesis that one action of cortisol on rat thymocytes is to increase the intracellular pool of DNA precursors and not, as has been supposed, to inhibit the rate of DNA synthesis. Inhibition of RNA synthesis does seem to occur within a few hours after cortisol administration.