cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protein Degradation in Escherichia coli: II. STRAIN DIFFERENCES IN THE DEGRADATION OF PROTEIN AND NUCLEIC ACID RESULTING FROM STARVATION

Abstract Based on leucine exchange measurements of cells labeled with [14C]leucine, we had previously reported (J. Biol. Chem., 245, 2889 (1970)) that only a limited class of protein of Escherichia coli B is subject to a first order process of rapid degradation. The rate of degradation (half-life of 60 min or faster) and the total amount of protein undergoing degradation (2 to 7%) was the same during growth and during various kinds of starvation. We extend this finding and report here that the release of this "rapidly degrading protein" is unaltered not only during growth and starvation but also during growth in an enriched medium (step-up), in a poor medium (step-down), and during the diauxic phase of induced β-galactosidase synthesis. The extent of this observed degradation (less than 10%) is lower than reported by other workers (20 to 35%). This discrepancy is not a consequence of experimental manipulation or cellular damage but reflects differences in bacterial strains. Although strains ML and K-12 under conditions of growth release radioactivity similar in amount and half-life to the rapid protein degradation process observed in strain B, during several conditions of starvation, degradation of an additional class of cellular protein can be measured by leucine exchange in these two strains but not in B. The starvation-induced protein degradation occurs at a rate of 2.5 to 6% per hour, and the amount of the cellular protein that degrades as a result of starvation amounts to 20 to 40% of the total bacterial protein. Simultaneous with this starvation-induced protein degradation is the excretion of nucleic acid degradation products into the medium amounting to 40 to 60% of the ordinarily stable nucleic acid of growing cells. Starvation-induced nucleic acid degradation occurs in all strains equally. With the findings of these strain differences, much of the conflict in the literature can be explained satisfactorily. We conclude that a continuous process of protein degradation occurs in bacterial cells at all times, and an additional process of protein degradation concomitant with nucleic acid degradation is initiated following starvation of nutrients. Some of the properties of the degradation processes under starvation conditions are as follows. While almost all of the protein degradation products released in the presence of carrier leucine are acid soluble, a large portion of nucleic acid degradation products released from the cells are precipitable by cold trichloroacetic acid. Both protein and nucleic acid degradation occur under starvation of either glucose, nitrogen, or phosphate. Inhibition of protein synthesis by chloramphenicol at 100 µg per ml inhibits the starvation-induced protein degradation, but does not affect the degradation of the rapidly degrading protein.
Let's get rid of it : a reference librarian's battle cry

A recent survey revealed that very few libraries were doing any significant weeding in their reference collections. Yet weeding the reference collection may have as great an impact on the library as a whole as weeding the general collection. This article discusses some of the author's experiences weeding the reference collection at Georgia State University and the ways in which general weeding concerns, such as planning for staffing, establishing criteria, and formulating selection policies, may be applied to the reference collection. Reference materials differ in nature and use from materials in the general collection, and this article analyses the impact these differences have on the weeding effort.
Selected contribution: airway caliber in healthy and asthmatic subjects: effects of bronchial challenge and deep inspirations.

In 9 healthy and 14 asthmatic subjects before and after a standard bronchial challenge and a modified [deep inspiration (DI), inhibited] bronchial challenge and after albuterol, we tracked airway caliber by synthesizing a method to measure airway resistance (Raw; i.e., lung resistance at 8 Hz) in real time. We determined the minimum Raw achievable during a DI to total lung capacity and the subsequent dynamics of Raw after exhalation and resumption of tidal breathing. Results showed that even after a bronchial challenge healthy subjects can dilate airways maximally, and the dilation caused by a single DI takes several breaths to return to baseline. In contrast, at baseline, asthmatic subjects cannot maximally dilate their airways, and this worsens considerably postconstriction. Moreover, after a DI, the dilation that does occur in airway caliber in asthmatic subjects constricts back to baseline much faster (often after a single breath). After albuterol, asthmatic subjects could dilate airways much closer to levels of those of healthy subjects. These data suggest that the asthmatic smooth muscle resides in a stiffer biological state compared with the stimulated healthy smooth muscle, and inhibiting a DI in healthy subjects cannot mimic this.
Moral innatism and legal theory

In this paper I critically assess a proposal called ‘Universal Moral Grammar’ and its implications for legal theory. I explain its relevance with respect to Natural Law approaches to legislation and our moral capacity. I present objections to this proposal and offer behavioral evidence concerning its plausibility as a scientific theory of moral competence. An important conclusion of the article is that lawyers and legal theorist have now the responsibility to look beyond their field, and start taking a more proactive role in the interdisciplinary study of social behavior.
Hybrid control system design using robust linear control agents

Hybrid control systems (HCS) arise when the plant, a continuous state system (CSS), is controlled by a discrete event system (DES) controller. It is assumed that there exists a specification on the plant's desired symbolic behaviour which describes how various operational modes of the controlled plant should fit together. One design problem involves determining an RCS that "realizes" the specified behaviour in a "stable" manner. The solution to this problem involves finding an "extension" of the existing behavioural specification which is logically stable or safe. This paper proposes a gain-scheduling method which constructs the extension out of linear control agents exhibiting robust stability.
High speed turbo TCM coded OFDM system for UWB channels

One of UWB proposal in IEEE P802.15 WPAN project is to use OFDM system and punctured convolutional codes for UWB channels supporting data rate up to 480 Mb/s. We apply a TTCM encoder to examine the possible improvement for UWB/OFDM. We construct punctured parity-concatenated trellis codes in which a TCM code is used as the inner code and a simple parity-check code is used as the outer code. The bit MAP algorithm is used in iterative decoding. The code performance is examined when applied to OFDM systems in UWB channel environments. The study shows that the system can offer much higher spectral efficiency up to 1 Gbps over UWB channel
Correlation of the angioarchitectural features of cerebral arteriovenous malformations with clinical presentation of hemorrhage.

ABSTRACTSUPERSELECTIVE ANGIOGRAPHY IS the most accurate technique in the analysis of brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) angioarchitecture. Therefore, we reviewed the selective and superselective angiograms of 100 consecutive patients with intracerebral AVMs. Our purpose was to determine which pa
The Effect of Sucrose Concentration on Olfactory-Based Associative Learning in Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae)

A classical conditioning approach was used to examine the ability of Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) to associate odor with a sugar-meal of varying quality. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of different sucrose concentrations (5 %, 10 %, or 50 %) on positive response to conditioning and to examine sucrose concentration preference following exposure to a 10 % solution. Mosquitoes conditioned in conjunction with all three sucrose concentrations showed evidence of learning; including the concentration of the conditioning stimulus, and the sex of the mosquito. Using colored solutions to determine feeding patterns of experienced mosquitoes indicated male mosquitoes showed no preference but females showed a preference for 10 % over 5 % sucrose but not between 10 % and 50 % sucrose solutions.
Evaluation of ten selective direct plating media for enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes in hams and oysters

The suitability of ten direct plating media for isolating and enumerating four strains of uninjured and injured Listeria monocytogenes from dry- and country-cured hams, and raw oysters was evaluated. Five different lots of each food were inoculated with approximately 10 2 ,10 4 , or 10 5 –10 6 viable L. monocytogenes cells g −1 . Populations of the organism were determined by surface plating appropriate dilutions onto the test media. Inoculated media were incubated at 30 °C for 48 h before L. monocytogenes colonies were counted and confirmed. LiCl Phenylethanol Moxalactam Agar (LPMA) was selected as the most suitable medium for isolating and enumerating L. monocytogenes from both types of ham, while Dominguez Rodriguez Isolation Agar (DRIA) was selected as most suitable for raw oysters. Selection of the most suitable media was based on relative recovery of viable cells as well as ease of recognizing and counting L. monocytogenes colonies.
The Incredible Shrinking Black Woman: Implications of Health Policies

Black American women are shrinking in height at a faster rate than other groups, a phenomenon that has consequences for the physical health and economic well-being of black females. Relative to the cohort born from 1955 to 1974, the most recent cohort (1970–1986) of black American women and girls have lost more than half an inch (approximately 0.56) in height. Adult height is a measure of net nutrition acquired during childhood and adolescence and is correlated with a wide variety of economic and health outcomes. Simultaneously, the body mass index (BMI) among blacks has also increased at a faster rate than whites in both the periods of 1988–1994 (1.06 kg/m2) and 1999–2002. Black women and girls, in particular, experienced the greatest increase in BMI since the 1990s. Evidence that black American women are shrinking and BMI is growing highlights the need to examine the nutritional intake of black girls during childhood and adolescence; early nutritional deficiencies have persistent impact over their life course. In this policy brief, we consider several public health policy interventions that affect black girls’ nutritional intake across the life course, particularly during childhood and adolescence.
Vibration-To-Vibration Energy Transfer In Collisions Between H35Cl and H37Cl

The observed difference in the rates of energy transfer processes 2HCl ( nu =1) yields HCl ( nu - 0) + HCl ( nu =2) + 104 cm/sup -1/, H/sup 35/ Cl ( nu - 1) + H/sup 37/Cl ( nu = 0) yields H/sup 35/Cl ( nu - 0) + H/sup 37/Cl ( nu = 1) + 4 cm/sup -1/ is explained on the hypothesis that isotropic interactions play an important role in the second process, whereas they are inoperative for the first process. This hypothesis, if true, gives an estimate of the derivative of the average quadrupole polarizability with respect to internuclear distance. (auth)
Spatial migration of earthquakes within seismic clusters in Southern California: Evidence for fluid diffusion

[1] Seismicity within many earthquake swarms is observed to migrate slowly with time, which may reflect event triggering due to slow fault slip or fluid flow. We search for this behavior in Southern California by applying a weighted least squares method to quantify event migration within 69 previously observed seismicity bursts. We obtain best-fitting migration directions and velocities, and compute a statistical migration significancesm for each burst using a bootstrap resampling method. We define 37 bursts with sm ≥ 0.8 as the migration group, and 32 bursts with sm < 0.8 as the non-migration group. To explore differences between the two groups, for each burst we compute effective stress drop (Δσquasi, the ratio between total moment and radius), the skew of the moment release time series (μ), the timing of the largest event (tmax), and the distance separation between the first half and second half of the sequence (ds). As expected, the migration group features larger ds and lower Δσquasi, consistent with higher migration significance. It also features lower μ and higher tmax, similar to observations from swarms in the Salton Trough, while the non-migration group is more similar to main shock-aftershock sequences. To explore possible fluid involvement, we model the migration behavior with the fluid diffusion equation, and identify 18 bursts with diffusion coefficients ranging from 0.01 to 0.8 m2/s, with the majority below 0.16 m2/s. The obtained diffusion coefficients and migration behavior are similar to the Reservoir-induced seismicity beneath the Acu reservoir in Brazil. The majority of normal faulting events are associated with these 18 bursts, while the non-migration group has the most reverse faulting events, indicating a possible link between sequence type and focal mechanism.
Changes in myrosinase activity and isoenzyme pattern, glucosinolate content and the cytology of myrosin cells in the leaves of heads of three cultivars of English white cabbage

The variation in levels of major glucosinolates, myrosinase activity and the banding pattern of myrosinase isoenzymes has been investigated in three cultivars of English white cabbage. Differences were found both between cultivars and within cabbage heads. An attempt has been made to correlate these results with the differences in the distribution and structure of myrosin cells examined by light and electron microscopy. Myrosin cells were found to be similar in both distribution and structure in the three cultivars but to show variation within the cabbage heads.
Use of Macrosorb kieselguhr composite and CM-Sepharose Fast Flow for the large-scale purification of l-asparaginase from Erwinia chrysanthemi

An incompressible kieselguhr-agarose composite, derivatized with carboxymethyl groups, Macrosorb KAX-CM, is compared with a conventional agarose gel, CM-Sepharose Fast Flow, for the large-scale purification of l-asparaginase from Erwinia chrysanthemi. The Macrosorb KAX-CM has better pressure/flow characteristics than CM-Sepharose Fast Flow, but both matrices are identical on criteria of product purity. CM-Sepharose Fast Flow has a greater capacity than Macrosorb KAX-CM and enzyme is eluted in a smaller volume.
Redistricting to maximize the preservation of political boundaries

Redefining legislative districts is a task undertaken by the states after each census in order to ensure equitable representation. Many criteria have been proposed as objectives in forming districts but specific definitions of an optimal plan have not been enforced. In attempting to eliminate political concerns from the effort, the Michigan Supreme Court defined criteria based on the preservation of county and municipality borders. A quadratic programming formulation is given for this problem, and a heuristic solution procedure is proposed.
Proliferation zones in the salmon telencephalon and evidence for environmental influence on proliferation rate

Cell proliferation occurs in the brain of fish throughout life. This mitotic activity contributes new neurons to some brain subdivisions, suggesting potential for plasticity in neural development. Recently we found that the telencephalon in salmonids (salmon, trout) is significantly reduced in fish reared in hatcheries compared to wild fish, and that these differences resulted in part from rearing conditions. Here, we describe localized areas of cell proliferation in the telencephalon of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and begin to explore whether mitotic activity in these areas is sensitive to environmental conditions. Using the 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) cell birth-dating technique, we localized proliferating cells in the telencephalon to three distinct zones (proliferation zones 1a, 1b, and 2). We measured the volumes of these zones and showed that they grew at different rates relative to body size. We also found that variation in environmental rearing conditions altered the density of BrdU-labeled cells in proliferation zone 2, but not in zones 1a or 1b. However, this change in mitotic activity did not generate a difference in telencephalon size. These results suggest that environmental conditions, and associated changes in swimming activity or social structure, may influence rates of cell proliferation in the fish forebrain.
Comparison of satellite-derived wind measurements with other wind measurement sensors

The purpose of this paper is to compare the good data from the Jimsphere launches with the data from the satellite system. By comparing the wind speeds from the Fixed Pedestal System 16 (FPS-16) Radar/Jimsphere Wind System and NASA's 50-MHz Radar Wind Profiler, the validation of winds from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 7 (GOES-7) is performed. This study provides an in situ data quality check for the GOES-7 satellite winds. Comparison was made of the flowfields in the troposphere and the lower stratosphere of case studies of pairs of Jimsphere balloon releases and Radar Wind Profiler winds during Space Shuttle launches. The mean and standard deviation of the zonal component statistics, the meridional component statistics, and the power spectral density curves show good agreement between the two wind sensors. The standard deviation of the u and v components for the STS-37 launch (consisting of five Jimsphere/Radar Wind Profiler data sets) was 1.92 and 1.67 m/s, respectively; for the STS-43 launch (there were six Jimsphere/Wind Profiler data sets) it was 1.39 and 1.44 m/s, respectively. The overall standard deviation was 1.66 m/s for the u component and 1.55 m/s tor the v component, and a standard deviation of 2.27 m/s tor the vector wind difference. The global comparison of satellite with Jimsphere balloon vector winds shows a standard deviation of 3.15 m/s for STS-43 and 4.37 m/s for STS-37. The overall standard deviation of the vector wind was 3.76 m/s, with a root-mean-square vector difference of 4.43 m/s. These data have demonstrated that this unique comparison of the Jimsphere and satellite winds provides excellent ground truth and a frame of reference during testing and validation of satellite data
Nitrogen Release from Grass and Legume Cover Crop Monocultures and Bicultures

The use of grass-legume bicultures grown as winter annual cover crops may provide farmers with additional cover crop management options regarding the availability of cover crop residue N. A 2-yr field experiment was conducted to determine dry matter (DM) accumulation, chemical composition, and N release from grass and legume cover crops grown in monoculture (rye, crimson clover, and hairy vetch) and biculture (rye-crimson clover and rye-hairy vetch). Air-dried plant material was placed on the soil surface in 1-mm mesh nylon bags for 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 16 wk. Following retrieval, mesh bag contents were analyzed for total N, C, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin concentrations. The 2-yr mean cover crop DM production was in the order of rye-hairy vetch > hairy vetch > rye-crimson clover > rye > crimson clover. The greatest cover crop N content (2-yr mean) occurred with hairy vetch monoculture (154 kg N ha -1 ), compared with a low of 41 kg N ha -1 for the rye monoculture. When grown in biculture with rye, hairy vetch accumulated more DM and biomass N compared with crimson clover, both as a proportion of the biculture and as DM yield. In general, the order of N release rates (rapid to slow) was hairy vetch > crimson clover = rye-hairy vetch > rye-crimson clover = rye. Estimates of N (kg ha -1 ) released from cover crop residue after 8 wk of field decomposition, averaged over 2 yr, were 24 for rye, 60 for crimson clover, 132 for hairy vetch, 48 for rye-crimson clover, and 108 for rye-hairy vetch. Results of this study demonstrate only slight reductions in N release from grass-legume bicultures compared with legume monocultures.
Rapid testing methods for the detection of methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus

Summary Appropriate early antimicrobial therapy of patients with serious infections caused by S. aureus is well recognized as an important factor for a favorable outcome. The fact that MRSA strains often are multi-resistant leaves only few antibiotics available for the therapy of MRSA infections. As a consequence, clinicians in many countries resort to the use of glycopeptides to broadly cover the patient for a possible MRSA infection until the results of cultures and susceptibility testing are available. Such use of glycopeptides clearly increases the selective pressure for vancomycin resistance, an issue which is of great concern in view of the increasing problem with vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Moreover, there is an additional risk that the overuse of vancomycin may lead to the development of vancomycin-resistant stains of MRSA, a situation for which no treatment would be available! Finally, therapy with glycopeptides results in higher cost as compared to s-lactamase stable penicillins due to the higher cost of the drug as well as higher associated costs of therapy such as vancomycin levels. Rapid/accurate detection of MRS A is important in order to decrease the use of glycopeptide antibiotics. Furthermore, rapid and accurate detection increases the possibilities of reducing or even controlling the spread of MRSA. DNAbased rapid assays have been developed and should be available commercially soon. At present, these rapid assays are also being evaluated against methicillin resistance in coagulase negative staphylococci (CNST). Such resistance is also encoded by the mecA gene. CNST infections are increasing, especially in immunocompromised patients with methicillin resistance being very common in these strains. The existing phenotypic susceptibility methods detection of methicillin resistance is so unreliable when testing CNST that many clinicians choose to treat with glycopeptide antibiotics regardless of the test results.
Positive local contrast and s- duration: Theories of local contrast and a resolution.

Pigeons were exposed to a simple sequence in which an S+, presented for a fixed duration, was alternated with three durations of an S-. Both positive and negative local contrast appeared as distinctive patterns of responding and S+ responding depended upon the duration of the preceding S-. Response rates in S+ were higher after the two longer S- durations than after the briefest S-. The effect of S- duration was partially independent of the presence or absence of a clear pattern of positive local contrast in S+. Additionally, all birds showed Skinnerian induction in S+ (depressed responding during the first half of the presentation) when the preceding S- was the briefest of the three durations. Additivity theory and response competition theory are both unable to account for these and other local contrast phenomena. However, a liberal interpretation of additivity theory, better termed a "Pavlovian-process" theory, can do so in a very straightforward way.
Dynamic economic dispatch among strategic generators with storage systems

We consider a dynamic economic dispatch problem in wholesale electricity markets. The key feature is that each generator has its own energy storage system, which makes the problem coupled across the time horizon. To implement the optimal dispatch among strategic generators, one major challenge is that the independent system operator is unaware of the operation of the storages. Nevertheless, we show that under certain conditions, the locational marginal pricing mechanism, defined on the static economic dispatch problem, can still induce an efficient Nash equilibrium in the dynamic setting. We also present an alternative pricing mechanism that can induce an efficient Nash equilibrium in a wider range of scenarios.
Mechanistic Role of Calpains in Postischemic Neurodegeneration

The calpain family of proteases is causally linked to postischemic neurodegeneration. However, the precise mechanisms by which calpains contribute to postischemic neuronal death have not been fully elucidated. This review outlines the key features of the calpain system, and the evidence for its causal role in postischemic neuronal pathology. Furthermore, the consequences of specific calpain substrate cleavage at various subcellular locations are explored. Calpain substrates within synapses, plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, mitochondria, and the nucleus, as well as the overall effect of postischemic calpain activity on calcium regulation and cell death signaling are considered. Finally, potential pathways for calpain-mediated neurodegeneration are outlined in an effort to guide future studies aimed at understanding the downstream pathology of postischemic calpain activity and identifying optimal therapeutic strategies.
The effects of purified gonadotrophins on the morphology of the testes and thumb pads of the normal and hypophysectomized autumn frog (Rana pipiens).

THE present paper is concerned with the morphological and histochemical changes that are induced in the testes of the normal and hypophysectomized autumn frog by injection of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) and of highly purified mammalian follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and luteotrophic hormone (LTH (prolactin)). Observations are also included on the structural changes in the thumb pads which, in the male frog, is a secondary sex character. Two excellent reviews by Houssay (1) and van Oordt (2) have recently appeared which cover the background of the problem and pay particular attention to the effects of gonadotrophic hormone in amphibia. Adult male frogs, weighing approximately 40 grams, were procured from a Vermont dealer during the first week of November; they were placed at room temperature (24° C) in community tanks wet with running tap water at 18° C, and were not fed. During the second week of November they were separated into one control group of 5 animals and te...
Current pharmacologic treatment paradigms for inflammatory bowel disease and the potential role of granulocyte/monocyte apheresis.

ABSTRACTBackground: A broad range of pharmacologic therapies are available to treat active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including 5-aminosalicylate preparations, corti­costeroids, and immunosuppressants (e.g., azathio­prine/6-mercaptopurine [AZA/6‑MP] or methotrexate). Although these therapies are effective, up to 60% of patients are refractory or intolerant. Biologic therapies, such as the anti-TNF agent infliximab, offer promise but are not without controversy; despite many positive reports, steroid-refractory patients are less likely than other individuals to respond to infliximab. Effective, long-term therapies that do not add to the adverse-effects burden in patients with IBD are needed. Of these, granulocyte/monocyte apheresis (GMA) is one promising approach.Scope: PubMed and relevant congresses databases were searched using the terms ‘granulocyte/monocyte apheresis,’ ‘GMA,’ ‘leukocytapheresis,’ ‘Adacolumn,’ and ‘Cellsorba.’ These studies were further selected to include only those focusing on ...
Economic limit of field production in Louisiana

When the operating cost of a well is equal to its income from production, the well is no longer considered an asset and is said to have reached its economic limit. The purpose of this paper is to quantify the economic limit of hydrocarbon field production in Louisiana. We classify 690 fields that terminated production between 1977 and 2007 by product type, location, and year of termination and compute production and adjusted gross revenue near the end of their life cycle. During the last year of production, average oil field revenues varied from $35,000 in North Louisiana to $101,000 in South Louisiana to $227,000 in state waters; gas field revenue thresholds ranged from $57,000 (North Louisiana) to $402,000 (South Louisiana) to $936,000 (offshore). Economic limit statistics are summarized and correlations with price and field size are reviewed. The limitations of the analysis and constraints on interpretation are discussed.
Finding graph topologies for feasible multirobot motion planning

In this paper we present a design methodology for mapping the configuration space of multirobot systems in a warehouse. The method generates a tree topology with robot and terminal nodes. In the most general case multirobot motion planning problems are NP-complete. But, we show that pebble motion problems in the resultant tree topology are always feasible. Our method uses an integer programming formulation to find such a solution.
Collaboration Challenges: Bridging the IT Support Gap

The more collaborative enterprises are, the better they perform. However, current collaboration technologies do not contribute as much as expected to collaboration quality. Collaboration technology seems to be stuck in just overcoming the limitation of people not being in the same place at the same time. Real time communications are supported through such things as web-conferencing and instant messaging, while email, wikis, and web-based repositories provide the electronic equivalent of the shared file cabinet. Although some technologies support workflow and project management to a degree, there is little support for the joint development lifecycle of planning, creating, evaluating, negotiating, and consolidating group work. Focusing broadly on collaboration challenges highlights limitations of current technology and can help provide direction for the kinds of information technology that will be needed to bridge the IT support gap to meet current and future collaboration challenges.
Trifecta outcomes after robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

Objective To evaluate the trifecta outcomes following robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) and compare the results applying definitions of continence and potency as reported in the literature vs validated questionnaire. The trifecta rate of achieving continence, potency, and undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) following radical prostatectomy has been estimated to be approximately 60% at 1-2 years in open radical prostatectomy series. The definitions of continence and potency were not standardized, which poses difficulty in comparing published results. Methods A prospective, institutional RALP database was analyzed for preoperatively continent and potent men with ≥ 1 year follow-up after bilateral nerve-sparing surgery. Continence and potency were evaluated preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery by surgeon interview (subjective) and using University of California Los-Angeles Prostate Cancer Index self-administered questionnaire (objective). Biochemical recurrence was defined as a detectable (> 0.05 ng/mL), increasing PSA on 2 consecutive tests. Results Among 1362 consecutive RALPs, 380 patients were preoperatively potent and continent underwent surgery with bilateral nerve-sparing technique and had sufficient follow-up. Trifecta rates applying subjective continence and potency definitions were 34%, 52%, 71%, and 76% at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. The corresponding trifecta rates using objective continence and potency definitions stood at 16%, 31%, 44%, and 44%. The difference was statistically significant at each time point (P < .0001). Conclusions RALP provides trifecta outcome rates comparable to open surgery. The outcome rates vary significantly depending on the tools used for continence and potency evaluation.
Bearing Capacity of Circular Footings

Numerical computations using FLAC are reported to evaluate the soil-bearing capacity for circular smooth and rough footings. The effect of nonassociativity of the soil is investigated. The results ...
Dimensions of myelinated nerve fibers near the motor and sensory terminals in cat tenuissimus muscles

Abstract Internode lengths, axon diameters, and numbers of myelin layers were measured in the last four subterminal internodes of sensory nerve fibers in neuromuscular spindles of the cat tenuissimus muscle, and in the last three internodes of extrafusal motor fibers of the same muscle. Principal findings are: (1) All dimensions decrease as a fiber proceeds peripherally, but internode length decreases proportionally more than axon diameter or myelin thickness. (2) Near their endings, spindle primary axons are 50% larger in diameter than the secondaries; and these, in turn, are nearly twice as large as extrafusal motor fibers. (3) Internode lengths of sensory fibers are usually 60–140μm near the terminals, while distal internodes of the motor fibers can be as short as 10–20 μm. (4) Small subterminal fibers (sensory or motor) have much thinner myelin sheaths than would be predicted from nerve trunk data. (5) Near-terminal branching of myelinated axons is much more profuse in the sensory fibers than in motor fibers. It is concluded that the shortness of subterminal internodes in sensory fibers could affect sensory thresholds. In motor fibers, short subterminal internodes could increase the safety factors for conduction of an impulse into the unmyelinated terminal, and increase the amount of transmitter released per impulse. There is some circumstantial evidence that subterminal myelin segments in motor fibers may often be developmentally immature.
Distress risk premia in expected stock and bond returns

Abstract Prior studies find that shareholders’ strategic actions over debtholders are significant for stock prices but not for bond prices. I find that for firms with private and public debt, strategic default has no significant effect on distress risk premia in expected stock or bond returns, suggesting that the dispersion of bondholders greatly weakens the shareholder advantage effect. The shareholder advantage effect on stock prices is only significant for firms with only private debt and to some degree affected by the dispersion of stockholders and complexity in capital structure. Overall, renegotiation friction helps explain the cross-sectional implications of strategic default for stock and bond prices.
Comparison of Parent Versus Child-Report of Child Impulsivity Traits and Prediction of Outcome Variables

Five personality traits that dispose individuals to rash or ill-advised action (i.e., sensation seeking, negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of planning, and lack of perseverance), can be reliably and validly assessed in children. This paper reports on the first test of parental reports of these traits. In a sample of 94 children (ages 7–13, mean age 10.6), the authors found the following. First, parental reports of the five traits in their children appeared to be reliable. Second, there was moderate convergent validity: parent and child reports of the same traits had a median correlation of r = .30. Third, there was adequate discriminant validity: within-parent reports on different traits had a median correlation of r = .11. Fourth, concurrent prediction of child behavior from parental reports generally was inconsistent with prior findings. Fifth, discrepancies between the two reporters did predict dysfunctional child behavior. There are advantages to securing both child self-report and parental report of personality dispositions to rash action, although there is limited evidence for the concurrent validity of parental reports.
Statistical Development and Evaluation of Microarray Gene Expression Data Filters

Filtering is a common practice used to simplify the analysis of microarray data by removing from subsequent consideration probe sets believed to be unexpressed. The m/n filter, which is widely used in the analysis of Affymetrix data, removes all probe sets having fewer than m present calls among a set of n chips. The m/n filter has been widely used without considering its statistical properties. The level and power of the m/n filter are derived. Two alternative filters, the pooled p-value filter and the error-minimizing pooled p-value filter are proposed. The pooled p-value filter combines information from the present-absent p-values into a single summary p-value which is subsequently compared to a selected significance threshold. We show that pooled p-value filter is the uniformly most powerful statistical test under a reasonable beta model and that it exhibits greater power than the m/n filter in all scenarios considered in a simulation study. The error-minimizing pooled p-value filter compares the summary p-value with a threshold determined to minimize a total-error criterion based on a partition of the distribution of all probes' summary p-values. The pooled p-value and error-minimizing pooled p-value filters clearly perform better than the m/n filter in a case-study analysis. The case-study analysis also demonstrates a proposed method for estimating the number of differentially expressed probe sets excluded by filtering and subsequent impact on the final analysis. The filter impact analysis shows that the use of even the best filter may hinder, rather than enhance, the ability to discover interesting probe sets or genes. S-plus and R routines to implement the pooled p-value and error-minimizing pooled p-value filters have been developed and are available from www.stjuderesearch.org/depts/biostats/index.html.
Discovery libraries targeting the major enzyme classes: the serine hydrolases

Two libraries of modestly reactive ureas containing either electron-deficient acyl anilines or acyl pyrazoles were prepared and are reported as screening libraries for candidate serine hydrolase inhibitors. Within each library is a small but powerful subset of compounds that serve as a chemotype fragment screening library capable of subsequent structural diversification. Elaboration of the pyrazole-based ureas provided remarkably potent irreversible inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH, apparent Ki=100-200 pM) complementary to those previously disclosed enlisting electron-deficient aniline-based ureas.
Cancer stem cells – an old idea that’s new again: implications for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer

The medical treatment of solid tumors is beset by two fundamental problems: the fact that even striking initial responses are often followed by drug-resistant recurrences, and the lack of predictive tools to design individualized treatment strategies. These therapeutic problems have a biological basis in the genetic heterogeneity and genomic instability of solid tumors. Traditionally, these were thought to result from accumulated mutations in random tissue cells, leading first to transformation and eventually to loss of differentiation and the selection of drug-resistant clones. The cancer stem cell theory posits that tumors arise specifically from the transformation of rare tissue stem cells or progenitor cells, which generate the bulk of the cancer through proliferation and abortive differentiation akin to aberrant tissue self-renewal. Cancer stem cells are slow-dividing and inherently drug-resistant, and their eradication would be necessary for long-term success in cancer treatment. The authors present...
Natural outbreak of a bacterial fruit rot of cantaloupe in Georgia caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli.

In April and July 1999, cantaloupe plants (Cucumis melo) from commercial greenhouses and fields in Grady, Colquitt, Mitchell, and Tift counties, GA, exhibited severe foliar necrosis and a fruit rot. Foliar symptoms were V-shaped, necrotic lesions occurring at the margin of the leaf and extending inward toward the midrib. Symptoms on the fruit surface were observed after net development and occurred randomly as round, necrotic, sunken spots or cracks a few millimeters in diameter. A soft rot originating from lesions on the surface of the fruit expanded into the flesh. Approximately 5% of the fruits were affected. Bacteria recovered from cantaloupe fruit and leaf tissues produced nonfluorescent, smooth, off-white colonies on King's medium B. Characteristic of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli, the bacteria produced pits in carboxymethyl cellulose media (WFB 44), and reduced Tween 80 to give a visible precipitate on WFB 68 media (1). Based on fatty acid analysis, all strains were identified as A. avenae subs...
Truth Be Told: Evidence of Wheelchair Users' Accuracy in Reporting Their Height and Weight

Abstract Froehlich-Grobe K, Nary DE, VanSciver A, Washburn RA, Aaronson L. Truth be told: evidence of wheelchair users' accuracy in reporting their height and weight. Objectives To examine whether wheelchair users' self-reports of height and weight differed significantly from direct measurements and whether weight category classifications differed substantially when based on self-reported or measured values. Design Single group, cross-sectional analysis. Analyses included paired t tests, chi-square test, analysis of variance, and Bland-Altman agreement analyses. Setting A university-based exercise lab. Participants Community-dwelling wheelchair users (N=125). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Participants' self-reported and measured height, weight, and body mass index. Results Paired t tests revealed that there were significant differences between wheelchair users' self-reported and measured values for height (difference of 3.1±7.6cm [1.2±3.0in]), weight (−1.7±6.5kg [−3.6±14.2lb]), and BMI (−1.6±3.3). These discrepancies also led to substantial misclassification into weight categories, with reliance on self-reported BMI underestimating the weight status of 20% of the sample. Conclusions Our findings suggest that similar to the general population, wheelchair users are prone to errors when reporting their height and weight and that these errors may exceed those noted in the general population.
Rotational stability of a semielastic body

Semielastic body rotational stability, investigating elastic coupling effects on controllability of rotating space stations in earth orbit
On nonzero initial conditions in stochastic differential equations

Abstract The effect of nonzero initial conditions in Adomian's solution of linear, or nonlinear, stochastic differential equations is demonstrated for an N th-order equation in which the decomposition of the linear part into L + R is made so as to simplify the Green's function.
1665 DIAPHRAGMATIC VENTILATION, WORK, AND CHEST WALL DISTORTION IN PREMATURE INFANTS

We studied diaphragmatic ventilation, work, and chest wall distortion (CWD) in 7 premature infants (wt. 1510 ± 176g, age 11±6d) who were recovering from hyaline membrane disease. Tidal volume was partitioned into the movement of the chest wall and abdomen using circumferential mercury-in-rubber strain gauges. A multiple linear regression was used to find the best fit between the weighted sum of the circumference changes and the lung volume, measured with a face mask and pneumotachograph. Changes in tidal volume could be estimated to within ±6% on a breath-by-breath basis. Esophageal and gastric pressures were measured using a two-lumen feeding tube with a 3 cm esophageal balloon connected to the proximal lumen. Diaphragmatic work was calculated using the abdominal volume changes and the transdiaphragmatic pressure. The diaphragm provided 53 to 198% of the ventilation of the lungs, being greater than 100% due to CWD in four of the infants. The work done by the diaphragm, however, was 90 to 396% (21 to 121 ml.cm H2O) of that performed on the lungs, increasing roughly in proportion to the square of the diaphragmatic ventilation. The chest wall was stiffer during diaphragmatic contraction than during expiration, being up to 14 times as compliant during expiration. Thus, even small amounts of CWD produce increases in diaphragmatic ventilation, and lead to dramatic increases in the diaphragmatic work. (Supported by HL-24075 and HL-07159)
Leptomeningeal cyst resulting from adulthood trauma: case report.

The authors report a rare sequelae of a skull fracture in an adult, a leptomeningeal cyst. A unique method for repairing this defect is described as well. (Neurosurgery 26:150-153, 1990)
Liquid-phase sintering of nanodiamond composite coatings on aluminum A319 using a focused laser beam

Abstract Laser-induced phase transition and sintering of nanodiamond (ND) powders (4–8 nm) were used to produce 50–75 µm thick, strongly adherent composite coatings of nanodiamond, amorphous carbon and aluminum on cast alloy A319. First, ND powders, produced by detonation synthesis, were electrostatically sprayed on the surfaces of aluminum substrates. Second, a continuous wave CO 2 laser was used to heat the ND powder and aluminum substrate in a controlled fashion to cause liquid-phase nano-sintering that led to a dispersion and phase transformation of ND particles in a molten pool of aluminum. Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, optical profilometry, and microhardness, nanoindentation and friction/wear tests were used to evaluate the coating characteristics. Tribology tests showed that the coefficient of friction was under 0.2 in the beginning and then increased to an average value of 0.39. By comparison, the uncoated substrate exhibited a much higher friction (up to 1.03) despite having the finer surface (1.8 µm Ra). Wear loss is also reduced by over 500% in the laser-sintered coupon compared to the uncoated aluminum. The potential application of the work is hard and wear-resistant coatings for lightweight engine components and biomedical implants to improve the tribological characteristics.
Complement-Mediated Early Clearance of Haemophilus influenzae Type b from Blood is Independent of Serum Lytic Activity

The role of complement-mediated serum lytic activity in the clearance of encapsulated Haemophilus influenzae type b was studied by comparing clearance of bacteria from blood in normal mice with that in congeneic C5-deficient animals and mice depleted of complement by using cobra-venom factor. The clearance of organisms from blood by C5-deficient and C5-sufficient normal animals was similar. C3 depletion and the inability to fix C3 to the surface of bacteria were, however, associated with impaired clearance of organisms during the first 24 h after intravenous bacterial challenge. These studies suggest that complement-mediated opsonization rather than bacteriolysis is important in determining early clearance of H. influenzae type b from the bloodstream.
A Simple Psychrometric Apparatus for Bowen Ratio Determinations

Abstract A simple apparatus has been devised which automatically reverses the vertical positions of two pairs of shielded and aspirated wet- and dry-bulb diodes. Analog voltage signals proportional to the dry and wet bulb temperatures T and Tw and to the differences ΔT and ΔTw are provided. The diodes present a low source impedance, a linear response over normal ranges, a sensitivity of about 2.3 mV(°C)−1, and as used here, a time constant of about one minute. From these measurements the Bowen ratio can be determined conveniently.