cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in the Genetics of Hereditary Axonal Sensory-Motor Neuropathies Type 2

Hereditary axonal motor and sensory neuropathies or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT2) are characterized clinically by distal muscle weakness and atrophy, sensory loss, and foot deformities. Conduction velocities are usually in the normal range or mildly slowed. The majority of CMT2 are autosomal-dominant but autosomal-recessive forms have been described. The number of genes associated with CMT2 have significantly increased in the past decade, with the gene causing CMT2C/SPSMA being the last one discovered. More than 10 genes are now associated with different subtypes of CMT2, which are classified from CMT2A to CMT2N. These genes have distinct functions, but some appear to be involved in common biological pathways, therefore, providing important clues for understanding the pathogenic mechanism of these heterogeneous disorders.
Genetic instability in Drosophila Melanogaster: Mutable miniature (mμ)☆

Abstract A new mutable gene, mutable miniature wing ( m μ ), is described. This mutable gene mutates spontaneously at an inordinate rate both germinally and somatically. Two classes of reversions of m μ have been found in approximately equal frequency: those to an allele with an intermediate phenotype ( m i ) and those to a subliminal allele ( m s ) equivalent to wild type in phenotype. Reversions appear to be mutationally stable. The chronology of genetic events leading to the discovery of m μ implicates, but does not prove, the insertion of a “foreign” DNA segment as the basis of mutability.
Phosphorylation is required for high-affinity binding of DBP, a yeast mitochondrial site-specific RNA binding protein.

All yeast mitochondrial mRNAs terminate at their 3′ ends with a conserved dodecamer sequence, a site for high-affinity binding by DBP (dodecamer binding protein). Using purified DBP, we show that binding requires an intact dodecamer site and is enhanced by the presence in an oligonucleotide of the immediate 4–5 upstream nucleotides. Binding affinity varied from 0.25 to 0.85 nM towards a set of RNA oligonucleotides containing messenger specific upstream sequences in addition to the dodecamer site. Furthermore, we show that phosphatase treatment of DBP abolishes its specific binding, indicating the involvement of reversible phosphorylation in the regulation of its binding activities. This finding will further our understanding of the mechanism of DBP in the regulation of RNA metabolism in yeast mitochondria.
Age and overt verbalization in delay-maintenance behavior in children

Abstract The influence of overt self-verbalization on the maintenance of self-imposed delay of gratification was investigated in a task in which the child's possession of accumulating candy rewards was made contingent upon the child stopping further accumulation. Preschool girls who verbalized about the goodness of waiting and preschool girls who uttered an irrelevant verbalization waited longer before terminating their delay than did preschool girls who verbalized about the delayed reward or were silent. Second- and third-grade girls who verbalized about the goodness of waiting or who were silent waited longer than girls of the same age who verbalized about the delayed reward.
Modelling urban growth patterns

CITIES grow in a way that might be expected to resemble the growth of two-dimensional aggregates of particles, and this has led to recent attempts1a¤-3 to model urban growth using ideas from the statistical physics of clusters. In particular, the model of diffusion-limited aggregation4,5 (DLA) has been invoked to rationalize the apparently fractal nature of urban morphologies1. The DLA model predicts that there should exist only one large fractal cluster, which is almost perfectly screened from incoming a¤˜development unitsa¤™ (representing, for example, people, capital or resources), so that almost all of the cluster growth takes place at the tips of the clustera¤™s branches. Here we show that an alternative model, in which development units are correlated rather than being added to the cluster at random, is better able to reproduce the observed morphology of cities and the area distribution of sub-clusters (a¤˜towns') in an urban system, and can also describe urban growth dynamics. Our physical model, which corresponds to the correlated percolation model6a¤-8 in the presence of a density gradient9, is motivated by the fact that in urban areas development attracts further development. The model offers the possibility of predicting the global properties (such as scaling behaviour) of urban morphologies.
Sensitivity of a General Circulation Model to Changes in Infrared Cooling due to Chlorofluoromethanes with and without Prescribed Zonal Ocean Surface Temperature Change

Abstract A detailed analysis is presented of the sensitivity of the 12-layer tropospheric/stratosphoric NCAR global circulation model (GCM) on a zonal, global and regional basis to changes in global radiative balance due to an atmospheric burden of 10 ppb of chlorofluoromethanes (CFM's). Large changes in both the amplitude and phase of Northern Hemisphere winter planetary waves are an apparent consequence of the prescribed change. Also, large and statistically significant changes in the regional distribution of mean surface temperature and precipitation patterns result. However, many of the regional details of the model's response appear to be sensitive to the change in ocean surface temperature, which was imposed in the model run with CFM added. Hence, any more definitive indication of the climatic impact of CFM's must await the development of physically reasonable, interactive, coupled ocean-atmosphere models.
DataVision: A computer-based system for generating and reading digital information accompanying video images on videotape

An Apple IIe-based system is described that generates both machine-readable and human-readable numbers for recording with visual information on videotape. Hardware and software components of the encoding system are detailed. An automatic decoding system that reads the numbers from videotape into computer memory is also described. Current applications of the system are briefly discussed.
Impact of Ischemia on Renal Function After Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy: A Multicenter Study

Purpose: We assessed the influence of renal ischemia on long-term global renal function after laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in patients with 2 functioning kidneys in a large, multicenter cohort.Materials and Methods: Collected data included demographic, clinical and surgical characteristics, tumor parameters and renal function outcomes at 4 institutions in a total of 401 patients with 2 functioning kidneys who underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Renal function was assessed in the immediate postoperative period (days 1 to 3) and at last followup (greater than 1 month) using the estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated by the 4-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. Ischemia time and covariates were modeled on the percent change in the estimated glomerular filtration rate using linear regression.Results: Median ischemia time was 29 minutes (IQR 22, 34). The postoperative change and the last (long-term) change in the estimated glomerular filtration rate were −16% and −11%,...
Transverse dispersion of contaminants in fractured permeable formations

Abstract Our interest in understanding some of the mechanisms involved in the mineralization of the Great Bend Prairie aquifer of Kansas by salt water originating from Permian bedrock formations, which are fractured sandstones, has prompted this basic study. The fractured permeable formatiodis represented by a simplified conceptual model incorporating two sets of oblique and parallel fractures embedded in permeable blocks. The domain is initially divided into a completely freshwater zone overlying a completely saline water zone. However, the sharp interface originally existing between the saline and fresh water is subject to dispersion because of mixing in fracture intersections and between the fracture flow and the permeable block flow. Simulations based on the use of an appropriate numerical model developed in the present study have helped us to characterize dispersion of the sharp interface and creation of the transition zone. Relationships of transverse and longitudinal dispersion in the domain are also determined.
Isotopomer enrichment assay for very short chain fatty acids and its metabolic applications

The present work illustrated an accurate GC/MS measurement for the low isotopomer enrichment assay of formic acid, acetic acid, propionic aicd, butyric acid, and pentanoic acid. The pentafluorobenzyl bromide derivatives of these very short chain fatty acids have high sensitivity of isotopoic enrichment due to their low natural isotopomer distribution in negative chemical ionization mass spectrometric mode. Pentafluorobenzyl bromide derivatization reaction was optimized in terms of pH, temperature, reaction time, and the amount of pentafluorobenzyl bromide versus sample. The precision, stability, and accuracy of this method for the isotopomer analysis were validated. This method was applied to measure the enrichments of formic acid, acetic acid, and propionic acid in the perfusate from rat liver exposed to Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer only, 0-1mM [3,4-(13)C(2)]-4-hydroxynonanoate, and 0-2mM [5,6,7-(13)C(3)]heptanoate. The enrichments of acetic acid and propionic acid in the perfusate are comparable to the labeling pattern of acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA in the rat liver tissues. The enrichment of the acetic acid assay is much more sensitive and precise than the enrichment of acetyl-CoA by LC-MS/MS. The reversibility of propionyl-CoA from succinyl-CoA was confirmed by the low labeling of M1 and M2 of propionic acid from [5,6,7-(13)C(3)]heptanoate perfusates.
Iodotrimethylsilane deoxygenation of carbonyl conjugated allylic ethers

Abstract The attempted demethylation of 4-methoxy-β-ionone 1 3 ) δ 1.00, 1.03 (2s,6,C(CH 3 ) 2 ), 1.3–1.7 (m,4,CH 2 ), 1.77 (s,3,5CH 3 ), 2.27 (s,3H,9CH 3 ) 3.36 (s,3,OCH 3 ), 3.48 (m,1,4H), 6.10 (d,1,8H, J=16.5Hz), 7.16 (d,1,7H, J=16.5Hz). 1 ) with iodotrimethylsilane gave the unexpected product, β-ionone ( 2 ). This reagent may prove useful in the cleavage of allylic ethers conjugated to ketones.
Micropenis with testicular regression, low LH levels, and poor androgen and HCG responses: a distinct syndrome?

We report three boys, including two brothers, with micropenis and poor phallic growth in response to both exogenous human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and testosterone therapy in the newborn period. They exhibited low neonatal testosterone levels that failed to respond to HCG stimulation. These boys displayed a unique gonadotropin profile with reduced luteinizing hormone levels and elevated follicle-stimulating hormone levels. They had small, cryptorchid testes with subsequent testicular regression and atrophy. Moreover, all three boys have developed microcephaly and mild learning delays. We review the hormonal profiles and phenotypes of known causes of micropenis, and compare them to the features of our three patients. Although individuals with similar features may have been described in past series of males with micropenis, the data presented previously were insufficient for classification; thus, we propose that our patients may represent a distinct, not previously recognized, syndrome with either X-linked recessive inheritance or autosomal recessive inheritance with male sex limitation.
Some alkyl isocyanide complexes of iron

Abstract Novel cyanopentakis(methyl isocyanide)iron (II) iodide was synthesized by the controlled alkylation of the known dicyanotetrakis(methyl isocyanide)iron (II) with methyl iodide. Reaction of potassium ferrocyanide with methyl bromide gave hexakis(methyl isocyanide)iron (II) bromide, which yielded the dicyanotetrakis(methyl isocyanide)iron (II) upon thermal decomposition. These complexes were transformed into the benzyl analogues by reaction with benzyl bromide. The products characterized were the known cyanopentakis(benzyl isocyanide)iron (II) bromide and dicyanotetrakis(benzyl isocyanide)iron (II).
Intranuclear polypeptides of measles and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis virus-infected cultures.

Abstract CV-1 cells infected with either measles virus or five different isolates of SSPE virus each manifest a unique overall pattern of intranuclear polypeptides as well as differences in growth and yields of infectious particles. Of the viral structural proteins within the nucleus, both the P and M species most commonly exhibit migration differences on polyacrylamide gels. Each virus also generates a nonstructural protein of 20,000 daltons. Two of the SSPE viruses grow more slowly than the other viruses and produce significantly lower yields of infectious particles. Their nuclear isolates contain the most slowly migrating M protein, as well as two large species of 80,000 and 135,000 daltons. These findings suggest that there are differences in nuclear polypeptides between the viruses, not reflected in virion structural protein composition nor in the infected host cell cytoplasm, and that these changes occur particularly in less productive, more indolent infections.
Level of fatness and lipid levels

Using age‐specific and sex‐specific values for serum cholesterols, triglycerides and triceps and subscapular fatfolds, it is evident that there is a systematic relationship between level of fatness and lipid levels at all ages and in both sexes. Under these circumstances, the fatness factor may well exaggerate family‐line similarities in lipid levels (previously interpreted as genetic in nature), but at the same time the extent of genetic involvement may obscure the true relationships between the degree of fatness and lipid levels.
Intuiting the Past: New Age and Neopagan Medievalisms

As distinct movements in contemporary spirituality, the New Age and Neopaganism share a complex relationship to the European Middle Ages. Revered for its closeness to the earth and reviled for its religious intolerance, the medieval past lends authority to Neopagan practice, provides evidence of universal truth to New Agers, and bestows a sense of enchantment to the daily lives of both groups. This essay defines the terms “medievalism,” “New Age,” and “Neopagan,” outlines previous scholarship that connects these areas, and considers the specific and differing contours of medievalism in both contexts.
Changes in cellular motility and cytoskeletal actin in fibroblasts from patients with chronic venous insufficiency and in neonatal fibroblasts in the presence of chronic wound fluid.

Abstract Purpose: Fibroblasts (fb) play an important role in wound healing involving motility, contraction, fibrosis, and expression of the cytoskeletal protein α-smooth muscle actin (α-sma). Patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) are known to have dermal changes and impaired venous ulcer healing. To investigate whether these dermal-fb have an altered ability to migrate and whether chronic wound fluid from venous ulcers alters neonatal fb motility, we examined cell migration and α-sma. Methods: Fibroblasts were cultured from the margin of venous ulcers (du-fb, n=4, CEAP 6), from patients with venous reflux without ulcer (dr-fb, n=5, CEAP 2), and from the ipsilateral thigh of the same patients with (pu-fb) and without (pr-fb) ulcer, respectively. The abbreviations used are p and d, which represent proximal and distal, respectively; u and r represent ulcer and reflux, respectively. Neonatal foreskin fibroblasts (nf-fb) were exposed to chronic venous ulcer wound fluid (CVUWF, 300 μg protein/mL, n=3) or bovine serum albumin (BSA, control). Fibroblast motility was determined by means of time-lapse photo-images, and the rate (micrometer per hour) was calculated. Immunohistochemistry for α-sma was analyzed with confocal laser microscopy. Results: The rate of motility (micrometer per hour ± SEM) was decreased for both du-fb (11.4 ± 0.7) and dr-fb (13.8 ± 0.6), when compared with pu-fb (21.9 ± 0.9) and pr-fb (24.7 ± 1.1), respectively. The motility rate for nf-fb was lower in CVUWF (24.7 ± 2.0) than in BSA (37.1 ± 6.7). An elevated level of microfilament bundles of α-sma for both du-fb and dr-fb, compared with those of pu-fb and pr-fb, and also in nf-fb treated with CVUWF was demonstrated by means of immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: These data demonstrate a reduced motility in the dermal fb of patients with CVI. Patients with reflux disease without ulcer are predisposed to these changes. Furthermore, it appears that CVUWF causes changes in motility and α-sma expression in nf-fb as demonstrated in du-fb. These findings suggest that reduced motility and CVUWF, representing the microenvironment of venous ulcers, play a significant role in impaired wound healing. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:1233-41.)
Comparing adaptive optics approaches for NASA LCRD Ground Station #2

NASA’s Laser Communication Relay Demonstration (LCRD) aims to demonstrate a geosynchronous satellite laser communications (lasercom) relay between two independent ground terminals. We report on the design of two adaptive optics (AO) techniques for LCRD Ground Station #2 (GS-2). GS-2 leverages the ground terminal developed for NASA’s Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD). Equipping GS-2’s 40cm diameter receive telescope with AO to mitigate atmospheric turbulence effects will enable the use of single mode, optically preamplified receivers for high data-rate near-Earth relay applications. In this work a direct wavefront sensing AO approach using a Shack-Hartmann sensor and a continuous facesheet micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) deformable mirror (DM) was compared with an indirect sensing, hill-climbing or multidither approach using a segmented MEMS DM. Design concepts and recent experimental progress for the two approaches are presented.
On the thermodynamics of the cobalt-selenium system

Abstract The vapor pressures of selenium in alloys of the composition range CoSe-CoSe2.48 have been studied by the dew point method to contribute to the thermodynamics of this system and so to test the reported continuous transition of the monoselenide (CoSe) to the diselenide (CoSe2) by continuous introduction of vacancies in the metal-ion sublattice. The phase transformation from the monoselenide to the diselenide has been shown to be of the first order. Both the CoSe and CoTe systems exhibit extreme negative deviation from Raoult's law in the composition ranges CoSe-CoSe2 and CoTe-CoTe2 respectively. Selenium coexisting with cobalt selenide (CoSe1.9) exists primarily as a monatomic gas at one atmosphere pressure. Qualitative thermoelectric power measurements were made on the alloys in the composition range CoSe-CoSe2.48 as well as the mono and ditellurides of cobalt. All of the Co-Se and Co-Te alloys investigated proved to be n-type semiconductors.
A Protein of the Sea Urchin Cortical Granules Is Targeted to the Fertilization Envelope and Contains an LDL-Receptor-like Motif

Abstract Cortical granules of eggs contain a population of heterogeneous proteins that are sequestered selectively within the cortical granule during oogenesis and that participate in the block to polyspermy during the fertilization reaction. To begin to understand the targeting mechanism of proteins to this organelle, we have identified cDNA clones that encode proteins of the cortical granule. Here we characterize the protein encoded by the cDNA, SFE 9, which is packaged specifically into the spiral lamellae of the cortical granules in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The SFE 9 protein showed a molecular mobility in PAGE of 150 kDa, close to the estimated 128 kDa predicted by cDNA sequence, and contained three regions of distinct repeating sequence. Each type of repeat sequence was of different length, frequency, and amino acid composition, but each type showed a high degree of conservation within a repeat type. A fourth region of sequence showed similarity to the low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-receptor motif. The N-terminal 2 3 of the protein contained an abundance of cysteine residues with regular and conserved spacings. Upon fertilization, SFE 9 was secreted and was rapidly incorporated into the fertilization envelope. The integration of SFE 9 into the fertilization envelope was complete within 5 min postfertilization and was mediated by ovoperoxidase-catalyzed cross-linking. Incorporation of SFE 9 into the fertilization envelope was not uniform. Instead, it concentrated to the microvillar casts both in normal and in ovoperoxidase-inhibited fertilization envelopes. Thus, SFE 9 shows molecular heterogeneity within the fertilization envelope and the targeted integration is independent of ovoperoxidase activity. The strong repeat regions and the LDL-receptor motif of SFE 9 are postulated to be used in specific protein-protein interactions that occur either during trafficking to the cortical granules during biogenesis or to the fertilization envelope during the fertilization reaction.
In the Spotlight: Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Systems Biology

During the last decade, the Human Genome Project [1], Human Proteome Project [2], Human Physiome Project [3], The International HapMap Project, Genome-Wide Associate Study (GWAS), The 1000 Genomes Project, The Human Microbiome Project, Epigenome, Metabolome, LIPID MAPS, and Next Generation Sequencing have generated large volumes of molecular data about human genes, proteins, physiology, SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism), metabolites, and lipids etc. This has led to the fast growth of several research sub-areas: 1) high-volume molecular data mining and interpretation; 2) systems biology based on molecular features (i.e., biomarkers) extracted from high-throughput data. Examples include molecular interaction network reconstruction and pathway modeling; 3) synthetic biology, where researchers use engineering approach to make artificial cell and organism; and 4) translational bioinformatics that identifies genomic and proteomic biomarkers of disease to understand molecular mechanisms and guide clinical decision making. This field has grown so rapidly that there are a dozen bioinformatics conferences each year organized by researchers with different backgrounds such as biological or medical sciences, computing or computer science, and engineering. In 2004, the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) started the theme “Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Systems Biology, Modeling Methodologies.” It started with high throughput omic data analysis, structural bioinformatics, physiological modeling, then moved to systems biology, and recently included synthetic biology, with future movement towards translational bioinformatics in biomedical applications such as cancer prevention, therapeutics, clinical data mining and decision making. In this spotlight, we summarize key topics of importance for the EMBS community.
Proceedings of the 2007 ACM SIGMETRICS international conference on Measurement and modeling of computer systems

Welcome to SIGMETRICS 2007! This year's annual ACM SIGMETRICS conference is being held this year in conjunction with the Federated Computing Research Conference (FCRC). The scope of SIGMETRICS encompasses the development and application of state-of-the-art, broadly-applicable analytic, simulation, and measurement-based performance evaluation techniques. In soliciting papers for this year's program, and in selecting members of the Technical Program Committee (TPC), we made a special effort to maintain a breadth of topic coverage. Application areas represented include: distributed systems, networking, multimedia, storage systems, operating system, web services, supercomputing, compilers, architecture, and more. Analytical techniques represented include: scheduling theory, queueing theory, stochastic modeling, high-dimensional geometry, matrix analytic methods, transient time-varying behaviors, competitive ratio analysis, and more. The conference received 179 submissions. We accepted 29 full papers and 19 poster papers. We followed a double-blind reviewing process, and each paper was reviewed by at least three members of the TPC. In some cases additional reviews were sought from specialists outside the TPC. The TPC consisted of 54 members from 8 countries. After extensive email discussions among the whole TPC, the final paper selection was made during a 2-day meeting held at Columbia University on January 26-27, 2007, which was attended by 35 of the PC members, the two program co-chairs, and the general chair. The quality of submissions was quite high and, as a result, the selected papers make up a very strong program, which we hope you will enjoy. After the TPC meeting, a subcommittee selected the best paper award winners. The Best Paper award goes to, "Modeling the relative fitness of storage," by Michael Mesnier, Matthew Wachs, Raja R. Sambasivan, Alice Zheng, and Gregory R. Ganger. The Kenneth C. Sevcik Outstanding Student Paper award goes to, "An Analysis of Latent Sector Errors in Disk Drives," by Lakshmi Bairavasundaram, Garth Goodson, Shankar Pasupathy, and Jiri Schindler.
A Comparison of DNA Cleavage by Neocarzinostatin Chromophore and Its Aglycon: Evaluating the Role of the Carbohydrate Residue

Through a comparative analysis of the reactivity and DNA cleaving activity of neocarzinostatin (NCS) chromophore (1) and the corresponding aglycon (2), we show that the carbohydrate residue (aminoglycoside) of 1 both accelerates the rate and improves the efficiency of DNA cleavage versus the aglycon (2), but does not appear to be a major determinant of the base specificity of DNA cleavage by 1. This stands in contrast to earlier findings with another enediyne antibiotic, calicheamicin γ1, where the carbohydrate residue was found to be a major determinant of the sequence specificity of DNA cleavage, in addition to playing a functional role in the reductive activation step. Thiol addition experiments with NCS aglycon (2) provide further evidence that the carbohydrate amino group of 1 functions as an internal base in the first step leading to DNA cleavage, thiol activation. Evidence is also presented supporting the proposal that NCS aglycon (2) is bound tightly and reversibly by the neocarzinostatin binding ...
Status of radioactive ion beams at the HRIBF

Abstract Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs) at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) are produced using the isotope separation on-line technique and are subsequently accelerated up to a few MeV per nucleon for use in nuclear physics experiments. The first RIB experiments at the HRIBF were completed at the end of 1998 using 17F beams. Since then other proton-rich ion beams have been developed and a large number of neutron-rich ion beams are now available. The neutron-rich radioactive nuclei are produced via proton-induced fission of uranium in a low-density matrix of uranium carbide. Recently developed RIBs include 25Al from a silicon carbide target and isobarically pure beams of neutron-rich Ge, Sn, Br and I isotopes from a uranium carbide target.
A calibration free hybrid RF and video surveillance system for reliable tracking and identification

We introduce a calibration free hybrid RF and video surveillance system for reliable tracking, identification in Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI). The system fuses RF measurements along with information harvested from the video such as target temporal, kinematic, and appearance information. Our hybrid RF and video surveillance system can be deployed rapidly without manual calibration of either the camera or the RF devices, and can work in complex RF environments. This is made possible by the simultaneous identification and mapping algorithm that iteratively refines the mapping of the radio beacon signal strength signature to target positions in video frames. The system is the basis of identity aware video surveillance, i.e. enabling unique identification of targets in the video and applying identity specific analytics roles to individual targets.
A pilot, exploratory report on dyadic interpersonal psychotherapy for perinatal depression.

Perinatal depression is a major public health burden impacting both mothers and their offspring. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the acceptability and feasibility of a novel psychotherapeutic intervention that integrates an evidence-based intervention for depression, interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), with postpartum dyadic psychotherapy focused on emotional development in the context of the mother-infant relationship. Nine women between 12 and 30 weeks gestation with Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) scores >12 were entered into treatment. Three out of nine women dropped out of the study after initiating treatment (one lost to follow-up antepartum; two lost to follow-up postpartum). Seven out of eight women (87 %) reported clinically significant improvements in EDS scores from baseline to 37–39 weeks gestation, and all women had clinically significant improvements at 12 months postpartum. A small randomized controlled trial is underway to further examine the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.
Microstructural diagnosis of block copolymer nonlinear mechanical properties. III: Cycling tensile tests

The same three styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymers discussed in the companion paper (this issue) were tested by cycling in uniaxial tension/retraction, with large magnitude (to 600% in some cases) and different sequences and rates. The behavior of “set”, at the end of each retraction, is examined in detail and invoked to explain several other features of the stress-strain curves. Time scales for structural recovery determined in the companion paper are found to assist this interpretation. Quantitative modeling of the isostructure retraction curves is accomplished in terms of the Mooney-Rivlin strain function, modified to employ a strain variable amplified by the volume of broken glassy “filler”. Values of the two Mooney moduli G1 and G2 are used to infer various features of the microstructure.
Effects of potato-grain rotations on soil erosion, carbon dynamics and properties of rangeland sandy soils

Abstract The potential for wind erosion in South Central Colorado is greatest in the spring, especially after harvesting of crops such as potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) that leave small amounts of crop residue in the surface after harvest. Therefore it is important to implement best management practices that reduce potential wind erosion and that we understand how cropping systems are impacting soil erosion, carbon dynamics, and properties of rangeland sandy soils. We evaluate the effects of cropping systems on soil physical and chemical properties of rangeland sandy soils. The cropping system included a small grain–potato rotation. An uncultivated rangeland site and three fields that two decades ago were converted from rangeland into cultivated center-pivot-irrigation-sprinkler fields were also sampled. Plant and soil samples were collected in the rangeland area and the three adjacent cultivated sites. The soils at these sites were classified as a Gunbarrel loamy sand (Mixed, frigid Typic Psammaquent). We found that for the rangeland site, soil where brush species were growing exhibited C sequestration and increases in soil organic matter (SOM) while the bare soil areas of the rangeland are losing significant amounts of fine particles, nutrients and soil organic carbon (SOM-C) mainly due to wind erosion. When we compared the cultivated sites to the uncultivated rangeland, we found that the SOM-C and soil organic matter nitrogen (SOM-N) increased with increases in crop residue returned into the soils. Our results showed that even with potato crops, which are high intensity cultivated cropping systems, we can maintain the SOM-C with a rotation of two small grain crops (all residue incorporated) and one potato crop, or potentially increase the average SOM-C with a rotation of four small grain crops (all residue incorporated) and one potato crop. Erosion losses of fine silt and clay particles were reduced with the inclusion of small grains. Small grains have the potential to contribute to the conservation of SOM and/or sequester SOM-C and SOM-N for these rangeland systems that have very low C content and that are also losing C from their bare soils areas (40%). Cultivation of these rangelands using rotations with at least two small grain crops can reduce erosion and maintain SOM-C and increasing the number of small grain crops grown successfully in rotation above two will potentially contribute to C and N sequestration as SOM and to the sequestration of macro- and micro-nutrients.
Protein folding: Chaperones get Hip

Abstract The discovery of a new co-chaperone, Hip, that interacts with Hsp70 underscores the complexity of the Hsp70 ‘chaperone machine' that mediates early steps of protein folding in cells.
An Examination of Testing Effects in a Panel Study of Older Persons

Testing effects have been obtained on attitudinal and cognitive variables in studies typically conducted on college students in which the pretest-posttest interval usually was several days or weeks. In an effort to expand our knowledge of testing effects, an assessment of testing was incorporated into a panel study of the mental health, social and psychological resources, and stressful life events of older persons. Conceivably, prior assessment of life events might produce greater subsequent recollection of events in the pretest-posttest interval. Also, the rapport established in the initial interview together with previous discussion of possible physical and mental health symptoms might yield greater disclosures of illness in a subsequent interview. In a multistage sample survey, seven out of eight dwellings in the selected segments were randomly assigned to be in the panel group; the eighth dwelling was assigned to the control group. A total of 2,042 persons 55 years and older living in the panel dwelli...
Induction of endonucleolytic DNA fragmentation and apoptosis by the duocarmycins

Abstract The duocarmycins are exceptionally potent, naturally occurring antitumor antibiotics related to (+)-CC-1065. Short term exposure (1–4 h) of Molt-4 or L-1210 cells to the agents produced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in approximately 200 base-pair multiples and at dose levels as low as 100 pM produced morphological changes characteristic of programmed cell death. These results were associated with strong inhibition of suspension culture growth and clonogenic survival suggesting that at physiologically relevant concentrations the agents induced cell death by a target cell activated pathway. Presumably, this is the consequence of the sequence selective alkylation of DNA by the duocarmycins potentially at internucleosomal sites, followed by intracellular signalling with activation of endonucleases, to trigger the apoptotic cell death mechanism.
Targeting RNA for degradation with a (2'-5')oligoadenylate-antisense chimera.

Abstract Antisense oligonucleotides hold considerable promise both as research tools for inhibiting gene expression and as agents for the treatment of a myriad of human diseases. However, targeted destruction of RNA has been difficult to achieve in a versatile, efficient, and reliable manner. We have developed an effective strategy for cleaving unique RNA sequences with 2-5A-dependent RNase, an endoribonuclease that mediates inhibitory effects of interferon on virus infection and is activated by 5'-phosphorylated 2'-5'-linked oligoadenylates known as 2-5A [pn5' A2'(p5' A2')mp5'A], resulting in the cleavage of single-stranded RNA predominantly after UpUp and UpAp sequences. To direct 2-5A-dependent RNase to cleave unique RNA sequences, p5' A2' p5' A2'p5'A was covalently linked to an antisense oligonucleotide to yield a chimeric molecule (2-5A:AS). The antisense oligonucleotide component of 2-5A:AS bound a specific RNA sequence while the accompanying 2-5A component activated 2-5A-dependent RNase, thereby causing the cleavage of the RNA in the targeted sequence. This strategy was demonstrated by inducing specific cleavage within a modified human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vif mRNA in a cell-free system from human lymphoblastoid cells. Because 2-5A-dependent RNase is present in most mammalian cells, the control of gene expression based on this technology--including therapies for cancer, viral infections, and certain genetic diseases--can be envisioned.
Aspiration of the hip in patients treated with Girdlestone arthroplasty.

sectionarthroplasty shouldbereassessed forresidual infec-tionbefore revision, because theresults ofaspiration willinfluencethesurgeon’s approach tothepatient.Wedescribeatechnique forgainingaccesstotheresection arthroplastysitethathasbeensuccessful inourpatients.TechniqueIfthepatienthasnothadrecentplainradiographs,weobtainananteroposterior scoutfilmtoevaluatepostoperative anatomyandto
Detecting systematic discrepancies in nursing home assessments of residents

Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement received by nursing homes are linked to the care needs of residents in a facility. Thus, a facility may have an incentive to overestimate the care needs of residents. To evaluate this, a sample of nursing homes in Ohio was selected, and independent assessors were sent to sampled facilities, and the rating of residents by the independent assessor was compared to a similar rating by the staff at nursing homes. We first evaluated whether the independent assessors were homogeneous with respect to agreement with nursing facility assessors using a permutation test procedure. Since there was evidence of heterogeneity among the independent assessors, we evaluated agreement between the independent nurse and facility assessors separately for each independent nurse. Responses were collapsed into three categories: independent assessor was lower, equal or greater than the facility assessor. Under a null hypothesis that lower and greater categories were equally probable, the maximum likelihood estimate of the vector of probabilities corresponding to these categories was constructed for each independent assessor. The P-value for detecting a difference between independent and facility assessors was calculated for each facility by summing the multinomial probabilities of obtaining a result at least as extreme as observed in the direction of the “lower” category being more probable. Five of the 39 facilities had P-value < 0.10 with three of the low P-value facilities occurring in reviews by one of the independent assessors. We believe that there is not evidence of systematic differences between the facility assessors and independent assessors although a caveat associated with this statement is the power of this assessment procedure is strongly linked to number of cases reviewed per facility along with the size of the effect expected. We believe this provides a screening mechanism to identify facilities where additional samples are warranted.
Perspectives on the Adoption of Electronic Resources for Use in Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are specific medical studies that use human subjects for the advancement of medicine. Evidence-based medicine requires the use of clinical trials to evaluate new treatments, devices, drugs, and modalities for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Clinical trials have not been particularly aggressive in their adoption of information technology (IT). In this analysis, we examine the impact of electronic resources on the execution and management of clinical trials. Further, we present a theoretical model showing the main areas of clinical trials that can be directly impacted by the adoption of electronic resources. The four areas identified are recruitment, data collection, process data management, and information dissemination.
Superoxide dismutase A antigens derived from molecular analysis of sarcoidosis granulomas elicit systemic Th-1 immune responses.

Background Sarcoidosis is an idiopathic granulomatous disease with pathologic and immunologic features similar to tuberculosis. Routine histologic staining and culture fail to identify infectious agents. An alternative means for investigating a role of infectious agents in human pathogenesis involves molecular analysis of pathologic tissues for microbial nucleic acids, as well as recognition of microbial antigens by the host immune system. Molecular analysis for superoxide dismutase A (sodA) allows speciation of mycobacteria. SodA is an abundantly secreted virulence factor that generates cellular immune responses in infected hosts. The purpose of this study is to investigate if target antigens of the sarcoidosis immune response can be identified by molecular analysis of sarcoidosis granulomas.
Sertraline in diabetic neuropathy: preliminary results.

Previous research has shown that antidepressants have been useful in the treatment of pain, particularly diabetic neuropathy. This study was an initial open investigation into the use of sertraline in diabetic neuropathy. Eight patients with diabetic neuropathy but not depression were treated with increasing doses of sertraline to a maximum of 150 mg/day for 8 weeks. Sertraline treatment led to significant reductions in mean visual analog scale (VAS) ratings, e.g., pain from 71.2 to 23.1 (t = 3.74, p < .01) and paresthesias from 53.8 to 15.0 (t = 4.15, p < .01). Baseline platelet serotonin (5HT) content also correlated significantly with improvement in pain (r = 0.70, p = 05). Plasma sertraline (SRT) correlated with improvement in paresthesias (r = 0.70). Conclusion: This preliminary result indicates the potential application of sertraline to treatment of diabetic neuropathy. A replication is now underway.
Maximum time-resolved hemispherical reflectance of absorbing and isotropically scattering media

This paper presents a parametric study of the time-resolved hemispherical reflectance of a plane-parallel slab of homogeneous, cold, absorbing, and isotropically scattering medium exposed to a collimated Gaussian pulse. The front surface of the slab is transparent while the back surface is assumed to be cold and black. The 1-D time-dependent radiation transfer equation is solved using the modified method of characteristics. The parameters explored include (1) the optical thickness, (2) the single scattering albedo of the medium, and (3) the incident pulse width. The study pays particular attention to the maximum transient hemispherical reflectance and identifies optically thin and thick regimes. It shows that the maximum reflectance is independent of the optical thickness in the optically thick regime. In the optically thin regime, however, the maximum hemispherical reflectance depends on all three parameters explored. The transition between the optically thick and thin regimes occurs when the optical thickness is approximately equal to the dimensionless pulse width. Finally, correlations relating the maximum of the hemispherical reflectance as a function of the optical thickness, the single scattering albedo of the materials, and the incident pulse width have been developed. These correlations could be used to retrieve radiation characteristics or serve as initial guesses for more complex inversion schemes accounting for anisotropic scattering.
A New Model Describing Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathode Kinetics: Model Thin Film SrTi1-xFexO3-δ Mixed Conducting Oxides–a Case Study

Identifying the important factors governing the oxygen reduction kinetics at solid oxide fuel cell cathodes is critical for enhanced performance, particularly at reduced temperatures. In this work, a model mixed conducting perovskite materials system, SrTi1–xFexO3–δ, is selected, offering the ability to systematically control both the levels of ionic and electronic conductivity as well as the energy band structure. This, in combination with considerably simplified electrode geometry, serves to demonstrate that the rate of oxygen exchange at the surface of SrTi1–xFexO3–δ is only weakly correlated with either high electronic or ionic conductivity, in apparent contradiction with common expectations. Based on the correlation found between the position of the Fermi energy relative to the conduction band edge and the activation energy exhibited by the exchange rate constant, it is possible to confirm experimentally, for the first time, the key role that the minority electronic species play in determining the overall reaction kinetics. These observations lead to a new conceptual model describing cathode kinetics and provide guidelines for identifying cathodes with improved performance.
Selectivity of BAFF/BLyS and APRIL for binding to the TNF family receptors BAFFR/BR3 and BCMA.

BAFF (B cell activating factor of the TNF family, also known as BlyS and TALL-1), a TNF family cytokine critical for the development and function of B cells, has been reported to bind to three rece...
Producing number agreement: How pronouns equal verbs

The major targets of number agreement in English are pronouns and verbs. To examine the factors that control pronoun number and to test pronouns against a psycholinguistic account of how verb number arises during language production, we varied the meaningful and grammatical number properties of agreement controllers and examined the impact of these variations on the number values of pronouns in sentence completion tasks. The number values taken by pronouns were systematically compared to the number values taken by verbs over the same range of conditions. The findings supported the hypothesis that pronouns acquire number lexically while verbs acquire it syntactically, with differently weighted contributions from number meaning. In contrast, pronouns were just as vulnerable as verbs to the effects of number attraction, suggesting that the mechanisms responsible for reconciling number features within utterances work in the same way for pronouns as for verbs. The results imply that the transformation of notional number into linguistic number (what we call marking) may be dissociable from the implementation of number agreement during language production (what we call morphing).
Altered protein kinase C activity in different subfields of hippocampus following cerebral ischemia

Protein kinase C (PKC) activity was determined in different (membrane, nuclear and soluble) subcellular fractions prepared separately from the CA1 and CA3 subfields ofMongolian gerbils hippocampus at various time intervals following a single 5-min occlusion of the common carotid arteries.Soluble andnuclear PKC activities of the CA1 sector were found to be elevated at 24 hours following the ischemic injury, while PKC activities did not increase in the CA3 region until the 3rd day after ischemia. The ratio ofsoluble/membrane-associated PKC activities followed a similar pattern, predominantly because the activation/elevation and then down regulation of the cytosolic enzyme pool changing correspondingly to the ongoig pathological processes. PKC activity returned to the normal level in each subfraction of the CA3 subfield by the 7th day. However, PKC activity remained elevated in the soluble fraction of the CA1 sector even after the delayed death of pyramidal neurons, presumably because of the reactive response of astrocytes. Conceivably, the transient activation and rapid down regulation of PKC in the CA1 sector may contribute to the initiation of postischemic neuronal death in the CA1 subfield.
Encoding of Memory in the Neuron

The specific effect which brain extract from conditioned rats has on the behavior of naive rats into which the extract is injected, suggests that (a) there exists a set of genetically determined neurons whose interconnections are invariant from subject to subject, that (b) each of these neurons has associated with it a unique molecular identification code, and that (c) these molecular codes retain their identifying properties when replicated as messenger RNA and polypeptide. With these inferences as a starting point, an attempt is made to shed light on other phenomena, including embryological growth of neural structures, evolution of instinct, priming of neurons, cross-referencing within cell assemblies, individual and structural memory traces, and the ubiquitous “magical number.”