cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using toponomics to characterize phenotypic diversity in alveolar macrophages from male mice treated with exogenous SP-A1

We used the Toponome Imaging System (TIS) to identify “patterns of marker expression”, referred to here as combinatorial molecular phenotypes (CMPs) in alveolar macrophages (AM) in response to the innate immune molecule, SP-A1. We compared 114 AM from male SP-A deficient mice. One group (n = 3) was treated with exogenous human surfactant protein A1 (hSP-A1) and the other with vehicle (n = 3). AM obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage were plated onto slides and analyzed using TIS to study the AM toponome, the spatial network of proteins within intact cells. With TIS, each slide is sequentially immunostained with multiple FITC-conjugated antibodies. Images are analyzed pixel-by-pixel identifying all of the proteins within each pixel, which are then designated as CMPs. CMPs represent organized protein clusters postulated to contribute to specific functions. 1) We compared identical CMPs in KO and SP-A1 cells and found them to differ significantly (p = 0.0007). Similarities between pairs of markers in the two populations also differed significantly (p < 0.0001). 2) Focusing on the 20 most abundant CMPs for each cell, we developed a method to generate CMP “signatures” that characterized various groups of cells. Phenotypes were defined as cells exhibiting similar signatures of CMPs. i) AM were extremely diverse and each group contained cells with multiple phenotypes. ii) Among the 114 AM analyzed, no two cells were identical. iii) However, CMP signatures could distinguish among cell subpopulations within and between groups. iv) Some cell populations were enriched with SP-A1 treatment, some were more common without SP-A1, and some seemed not to be influenced by the presence of SP-A1. v) We also found that AM were more diverse in mice treated with SP-A1 compared to those treated with vehicle. AM diversity is far more extensive than originally thought. The increased diversity of SP-A1-treated mice points to the possibility that SP-A1 enhances or activates several pathways in the AM to better prepare it for its innate immune functions and other functions shown previously to be affected by SP-A treatment. Future studies may identify key protein(s) responsible for CMP integrity and consequently for a given function, and target it for therapeutic purposes.
Exploiting Energy–Quality (E–Q) Tradeoffs: A Case Study on Color-to-Grayscale Converters with Approximate Design on FPGA

Today, field programmable gate array (FPGA) is becoming widely used as computational accelerators in many application domains such as image/video processing, machine learning, and data mining. The ...
Reading between the Lines: Utilizing RNA-Seq Data for Global Analysis of sRNAs in Staphylococcus aureus

Regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) are known to play important roles in the Gram-positive bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus; however, their existence is often overlooked, primarily because sRNA genes are absent from genome annotation files. Consequently, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq)-based experimental approaches, performed using standard genome annotation files as a reference, have likely overlooked data for sRNAs. Previously, we created an updated S. aureus genome annotation file, which included annotations for 303 known sRNAs in USA300. Here, we utilized this updated reference file to reexamine publicly available RNA-Seq data sets in an attempt to recover lost information on sRNA expression, stability, and potential to encode peptides. First, we used transcriptomic data from 22 studies to identify how the expression of 303 sRNAs changed under 64 different experimental conditions. Next, we used RNA-Seq data from an RNA stability assay to identify highly stable/unstable sRNAs. We went on to reanalyze a ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) data set to identify sRNAs that have the potential to encode peptides and to experimentally confirm the presence of three of these peptides in the USA300 background. Interestingly, one of these sRNAs/peptides, encoded at the tsr37 locus, influences the ability of S. aureus cells to autoaggregate. Finally, we reexamined two recently published in vivo RNA-Seq data sets, from the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung and a murine vaginal colonization study, and identified 29 sRNAs that may play a role in vivo Collectively, these results can help inform future studies of these important regulatory elements in S. aureus and highlight the need for ongoing curating and updating of genome annotation files.IMPORTANCE Regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) are a class of RNA molecules that are produced in bacterial cells but that typically do not encode proteins. Instead, they perform a variety of critical functions within the cell as RNA. Most bacterial genomes do not include annotations for sRNA genes, and any type of analysis that is performed using a bacterial genome as a reference will therefore overlook data for sRNAs. In this study, we reexamined hundreds of previously generated S. aureus RNA-Seq data sets and reanalyzed them to generate data for sRNAs. To do so, we utilized an updated S. aureus genome annotation file, previously generated by our group, which contains annotations for 303 sRNAs. The data generated (which were previously discarded) shed new light on sRNAs in S. aureus, most of which are unstudied, and highlight certain sRNAs that are likely to play important roles in the cell.
Kinetics of autoxidation of tartaric acid in presence of iron

The kinetics of the autoxidation reaction of tartaric acid in an air-saturated solution in the presence of Fe(II) show autocatalytic behavior with distinct initiation, propagation, and termination phases. The initiation phase, which involves activation of dissolved oxygen, decreases with increasing pH, over the test range of pH of 2.5–4.5, indicating that activation of oxygen is catalyzed by an Fe(II)–tartrate complex. The autocatalytic nature of this reaction indicates the presence of a catalytic intermediate that is produced during the initiation phase and regenerated during the propagation phase. The addition of catalase, as well as direct measurements, provided evidence of the presence and kinetic action of hydrogen peroxide as one of the intermediates. Direct addition of hydrogen peroxide resulted in shortening of the initiation stage and the propagation phase with similar rates as in the autoxidation reaction at low pH. The propagation is approximately a zero order reaction with respect to oxygen and iron. The kinetic analysis suggests that an intermediate catalytic complex(s) involving a ferryl ion (FeO2+) controls the rate of the propagation reaction. The Fe(III) formation shows autocatalytic behavior that mirrors the dissolved oxygen consumption patterns under all pH conditions studied. At pH values of 2.5 and 3.0, Fe(III) accumulated to a maximum, before it was partially consumed. This maximum coincided with the depletion of dissolved oxygen. The consumption of Fe(III), or the reduction of Fe(III) back to Fe(II), reflects the catalytic nature of Fe(II) and the essential role of tartaric acid in the initiation phase of Fenton’s original reaction.
Influence of the environment on cognitive-motor interaction during walking in people living with and without multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Background Motor and cognitive impairments are highly prevalent in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). The current theoretical frameworks of cognitive-motor interaction (CMI) suggest that the environment can influence both motor and cognitive performance during walking. However, the relationship between increasing environmental demands and CMI in pwMS remains to be elucidated. Research question What is the impact of increased environmental demands on CMI during walking in people living with and without MS? Methods Twenty pwMS and 20 age-matched healthy adults (HA) participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants (age = 57.6 ± 7.8 years) performed four walks (baseline walking (BW), obstacle walking (OW), narrow walking (NW), and narrow with obstacles (NO)) in single-task and dual-task (serial-7 subtraction test) conditions. The dual-task costs (DTC) of gait (% change in walking time) and cognition (% change in correctly verbalized utterances) were calculated to quantify CMI. Secondary outcomes included physiological profile assessment (PPA), measures of cognition and falls efficacy scale international (FES-I). Results Mixed-factor ANOVAs revealed no main effect of task (F = 1.71, p = 0.196) and group (F = 0.71, p = 0.406) on DTC of gait, while there were significant main effects of both task (F = 23.75, p Significance The study findings suggest that CMI may be influenced by the individual/environment at levels above those described by the more mechanistic theories of attention.
Clinical implications, diagnosis, and management of diabetes in patients with chronic liver diseases.

Clinical implications, diagnosis, and management of diabetes in patients with chronic liver diseases
Hydroxychloroquine: Not a Heart Breaker!

Prior to 2020, there was a lack of general awareness of hydroxychloroquine's (HCQ) and chloroquine's (CQ) potential for cardiac arrhythmias, as rheumatologists and dermatologists have prescribed these medications for decades with no obvious cardiac safety signal.
Reducing the Use of Mechanical Restraints in the Medical-Surgical Department.

BACKGROUNDThe most crucial discussion in psychiatric hospitals is the safety of patients, especially during incidents that have the potential to cause physical harm such as those where mechanical r...
RELA Fusion-Positive Ependymoma in a Child with Down Syndrome: A Case Report.

Introduction Down syndrome (DS) is the most common multiple malformation syndrome in humans and is associated with an increased risk of childhood malignancy, particularly leukemia. Incidence of brain tumors in patients with DS is limited to sporadic cases. We report the first case of a RELA fusion-positive ependymoma in a 3-year-old boy with DS. Case presentation Imaging prompted by new left-sided hemiparesis demonstrated an 8-cm hemorrhagic right temporal-parietal mass. Subsequent image-complete resection confirmed a RELA fusion-positive anaplastic ependymoma with 90% OLIG2 staining. Postoperatively, the patient, unfortunately, experienced fatal recurrence and drop metastases with leptomeningeal involvement. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a confirmed RELA fusion-positive ependymoma in a child with DS. We discuss this finding in the context of intracranial tumors in children with DS, as well as the finding of 90% positive OLIG2 expression and its potential as a prognostic marker.
Structure of ice confined in silica nanopores

Observed anomalous thermodynamic properties of confined water such as deviations in the melting point and freezing point motivate the determination of the structure of confined water as a function of pore size and temperature. In this study, we investigate the dynamic evolution of the structure of confined ice in SBA-15 porous materials with pore diameters of 4 nm, 6 nm, and 8 nm at temperatures ranging from 183 K to 300 K using in operando Wide-Angle X-Ray Scattering (WAXS) measurements, X-Ray Partial Distribution Function (PDF) measurements, and classical Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. Formation of hexagonal ice structures is noted in all the three pore sizes. In silica nanopores with diameters of 4 nm, cubic ice formation is noted in addition to hexagonal ice. Longer lasting hydrogen bonds and longer residence times of the water molecules in the first coordination shell contribute to observed crystalline organization of ice in confinement. Self-diffusion coefficients of confined liquid water, predicted from classical MD simulations, are four orders of magnitude higher compared to ice formed in confinement. These experimental and simulation results provide comprehensive insights underlying the organization of confined water and ice in silica nanopores and the underlying physico-chemical interactions that contribute to the observed structures.
Health Effects of Exposure to Specific Geologic Materials: Summary of Clinical Findings, Treatment, and Prevention

Proper identification of environmental hazards to health requires a clear understanding of the typical presentation. The recognition of the detrimental or beneficial short- and long-term effects is important for several reasons including the identification of communities at risk, advancing the understanding of the disease, and creating measures to minimize or prevent the negative health effects. The focus of this chapter is on the clinical presentations of common diseases produced by short- and long-term exposure to selected geologic materials and makes recommendations on the sampling and other medical investigations that should be performed by a qualified physician or medical facility to confirm the diagnosis. The identification of a geology-related health concern might involve multidisciplinary groups within the medical profession as well as geologists and local or regional government and nongovernment organizations.
Challenges Associated With Ellipsoid Zone Intensity Measurements Using Optical Coherence Tomography.

Translational Relevance Qualitative evaluation of the ellipsoid zone band on optical coherence tomography is a valuable clinical tool for assessing photoreceptor structure, though more quantitative metrics are emerging. Awareness of the challenges involved in interpreting quantitative metrics is important for their clinical translation.
Fetal Infections in Man

Despite great progress in the control of infectious diseases, infections still rank among the commonest causes of perinatal death. It is difficult to estimate the relative frequency with which infections are responsible for wastage of human lives prior to so-called viability. The morphological characteristics of the abortus are often unrevealing, although decidual necrosis and inflammation are almost invariably found. Appropriate bacteriological studies are rarely made. The majority of septic abortions follow instrumentation of the uterus, although the victims of these infections claim to have aborted spontaneously. However, similar phenomena occasionally evolve without external intervention, especially when the abortion takes place during the second trimester of pregnancy. Both the clinical course and the laboratory data in these bona fide “natural” intrauterine infections recapitulate those associated with many premature births, occurring weeks later in gestation. Review of the case histories and pertinent laboratory data indicates that intrauterine infections, notably bacterial infections, are important causes of recurrent obstetrical catastrophes, such as habitual abortions, repetitive premature labors, and consecutive perinatal deaths (Driscoll, 1965; Benirschke and Driscoll, 1967).
The Prevalence of Elder Bullying and Impact on LGBT Elders

This chapter reviews bullying and relational aggression among LGBT older adults. The intent of this chapter is to define and characterize late-life bullying in general and discuss unique manifestations of this phenomenon for LGBT elders. Special attention is given to peer victimization associated with intersectionality and microaggressions for this population, as well as common types of bullying and the impact bullying experiences have on emotional well-being and quality of life. Promising interventions to minimize bullying related to sexual orientation and gender identity in senior living environments are discussed and include civility training, bystander intervention, and policies and procedures that guide respectful social interactions and prohibit discriminatory actions.
Genetically Modified Foods

ABSTRACT This study outlines the controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and how it impacts North American based food service companies' marketing policies. Recent developments have made foods derived from GMOs a strategic marketing challenge for food service franchise and chain operations. Headlines such as “Why McDonalds Pulled Frankenfries from Menus” have unwittingly put restaurants on the frontline of the battle over foods made from GMOs (Martin, 2000). A survey method was used to explore food service operations' views regarding consumer acceptance of GMOs, right to know issues (labeling) and the benefits of GMOs, as well as food service companies' strategic response to this emerging technology. Findings indicate that food service establishments were generally concerned about customer opinions and tend to prefer government mandated labeling of GMOs. They also tend to feel that GMOs offer potential benefits to their industry and that customer concerns may fade over time.
Child Protection Professionals Identifying Domestic Violence Indicators: Implications for Social Work Education

This article presents findings from a study of 3 professional groups most frequently involved in child maltreatment cases: child protection social workers, district attorney social workers, and police detectives. The survey instrument examined the identification and concordance level of domestic violence indicators. Analysis of the research findings suggest varying differences across the 3 groups surveyed. The author discusses the importance of social work education in training professionals on domestic violence theories and assessment tools, and developing systems to assess for and address domestic violence issues, multidisciplinary approaches, and ethical practices for sharing client information.
Disparities in maternal hypertension and pregnancy outcomes: evidence from North Carolina, 1994-2003.

Objectives.To better understand disparities in pregnancy outcomes, we analyzed data from North Carolina to determine how the pattern of maternal hypertensive disorders differs among non-Hispanic wh...
The Parenting of Adolescents and Adolescents as Parents

Parenting is both a biological and a social process (Lerner, Castellino, et al., 1995; Tobach & Schneirla, 1968). It is the term summarizing the set of behaviors involved across life in the relations among organisms who are usually conspecifics, and typically members of different generations or, at the least, of different birth cohorts. Parenting interactions provide resources across the generational groups and function in regard to domains of survival, reproduction, nurturance, and socialization.
Adrift on the Seven Seas: The Mediaeval Topos of Exile at Sea

Readers of mediaeval literature may wonder at the frequency of encountering in the romance genre the motif of a hero, though most often a heroine, set adrift in a boat. In fact, so frequently does the motif appear that many critics write of it in an off-hand, if not disparaging, manner and have traditionally limited themselves to the superficial details of the image alone. The comments of R.D. Fulk concerning the birth of Scyld Scefing best represent the typical critical perspective:
Chromatography of sugars in body fluids. IV. Separation of isomaltose and lactose in urine by paper chromatography.

Abstract Strong urinary excretion of isomaltose in severely injured or ill patients has been recently established as a regular phenomenon. In order to facilitate its study, a chromatographic method, free of lactose interference, was developed. It consists of three times repeated overflow descending chromatography on Whatman filter paper No. 3M in isopropanol-ethyl acetate-water (7:1:2) and detection with aniline citrate. The R G values at 25–27°C for isomaltose and lactose were 46.05 and 40.60, respectively. The method may also be useful in a variety of investigations of other neutral urinary oligosaccharides since chromatographic data on all neutral sugars occurring in human urine are provided.
The action spectra for ultraviolet-light inactivation of systems-containing 5-bromouracil-substituted deoxyribonucleic acid. II. Bacteriophage T4.

Abstract 1. 1. Phage containing an estimated 80 % of their thymine replaced by bromouracil were inactivated by monochromatic ultraviolet light in the range of 2300–3131 A. The sensitivity of the substituted phage was greater than that of normal phage by a factor which is wavelength dependent. 2. 2. This factor is approx. 4 between 2400 and 2900 A but increases to 7 at 2300 A and to 88 at 3131 A. 3. 3. The general increase in ultraviolet-light sensitivity may arise in part from impairment of enzymic reactivation and in part from the nature and extent of photoproducts produced in 5-bromouracil-substituted DNA. 4. 4. The long-wavelength dependence of the sensitivity is largely accounted for by the greater ultraviolet-light absorbancy of bromouracil compared with thymine.
Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) enzyme in thymus and bone marrow. I. Age-associated decline of TdT in humans and mice.

Abstract This study was aimed at characterizing terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) levels in populations of normal human and murine lymphocytes and toward correlating TdT enzyme levels with the biological process of aging. A newly developed method that utilizes a small number of cells was employed to determine TdT levels in bone marrow and thymus cells following cell fractionation at unit gravity sedimentation. By these methods, cell fractions with high TdT activity were found to comprise only 5–10% of the parent cell pools. In the human bone marrow, we show here that TdT-positive cell fractions are largely depleted of HTLA, E-rosette forming, and mitogen-responsive cells, whereas TdT-positive human thymocyte fractions contain a high percentage of HTLA and E-rosette-positive cells. Our observations in the murine model confirm the earlier observations that TdT activity decreases with age. We further show here that the age-associated decline of TdT in the bone marrow preceded that in the thymus. As is true for the mouse, TdT activity in human bone marrow and thymus was also found to decrease with advancing age. The decline in TdT was not associated with a change in cell distribution profiles after unit gravity sedimentation of bone marrow or thymus cells. From these data, the age-associated loss of TdT cannot be attributed to a loss of a particular subpopulation of cells.
Confronting the Past to Create a Better Future

(Archbishop Desmond Tutu, November 30, 1995)The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has gained world recognition as an example of how restorative forms of justice such as government appointed truth telling commissions can facilitate the dif-ficult task of reconciliation between groups previously involved in violent conflict (Tutu, 1999). According to the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act (1995), the South African TRC had four main objec-tives: (1) to bear witness to and record as accurately as possible human rights violations, including both perspectives of the victims and the per-sons responsible for the violations; (2) to grant amnesty to those who fully disclosed human rights violations that were committed in the name of some authority; (3) to restore the dignity of victims by allowing them to give their account of what happened; and (4) to compile a comprehensive record of findings which included recommendations of how to avoid human rights violations in the future. Although the Act was met with a great deal of criticism by those who believed retributive justice should be a prerequisite to reconciliation, one of the main aims of this restorative approach was to confront the ugly collective history of South Africa so
Carotid artery stenting may be performed safely in patients with radiation therapy-associated carotid stenosis without increased restenosis or target lesion revascularization

Objective Neck radiation therapy (XRT) can induce carotid artery stenosis and may increase the technical difficulty of endarterectomy. It is considered a relative indication for carotid angioplasty and carotid artery stenting (CAS). This study sought to evaluate differences in CAS embolic potential and restenosis performed on XRT and non-XRT patients. Methods At three institutions, 366 CAS procedures were performed on 321 patients (XRT, n = 43; non-XRT, n = 323). Mean follow-up was 410 days (median, 282 days; range, 7-1920 days). Patients were observed with duplex ultrasound to assess for restenosis. Additional end points included target lesion revascularization (TLR), myocardial and cerebrovascular events, and perioperative complications. Captured particulate from embolic protection filters was analyzed with photomicroscopy and image analysis software for 27 XRT and 214 non-XRT filters. Results XRT patients were more likely to be male and had lower rates of hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus, although the mean age at procedure did not differ. There was no increase in severe internal carotid tortuosity among XRT patients (XRT: 50% vs non-XRT: 34.7%; P = .06). Indication for CAS did not differ between the two groups, including the number of CAS procedures performed for symptomatic carotid stenosis (XRT: 39.7% vs non-XRT: 39.0%; P = NS). Perioperative outcomes, including the composite 30-day stroke, myocardial infarction, and mortality, were not significantly different (XRT: 2.6% vs non-XRT: 3.9%; P = NS.) There were no significant differences in restenosis rate at the 50% (XRT: 9.4% vs non-XRT: 8.6%; P = NS) or 70% (XRT: 3.5% vs non-XRT: 8.6%; P = NS) threshold. Filter particle analysis revealed that filters from XRT patients had more numerous large particles per filter (1.4 vs 0.7; P P Conclusions In contrast to earlier studies, this analysis reveals that there are significant differences in XRT and non-XRT patients undergoing CAS in terms of medical comorbidities and embolic material captured in embolic protection filters. The decreased incidence of atherosclerotic risk factors was observed in XRT patients probably because XRT was the primary factor responsible for carotid stenosis. Despite increased embolic particle size, CAS can be performed safely with no increased morbidity, TLR, or restenosis in XRT patients.
Microbial Life in a Winogradsky Column: From Lab Course to Diverse Research Experience

Many traditional lab courses include both standard and inquiry-based experiments, yet lack cooperative and authentic lab experiences. Such experiences are important for microbiology students and burgeoning researchers. In a novel lab environment, students constructed Winogradsky columns using common soil and water sources. During initial column incubation, students learned methods for identification of microbial isolates including staining, microscopy, biochemistry and 16S-rRNA sequencing. Concurrently, students challenged their columns via varied substrates and contaminants including enrichment with nitro-compounds, hydrocarbons, acids and other environmental stressors. Students were encouraged to use both basic and more advanced identification methods to study the effect of such challenges within their columns. The students were required to maintain lab notebooks and attend weekly lab meetings, which were designed to share progress and facilitate experimentation among their lab-mates. At the end of the semester, students gathered to present their data and conclusions. By engaging in weekly meetings and a final conference, students were able to construct a snapshot of the microbial diversity, including phylogeny and metabolism, in the soil and water used to construct the Winogradsky columns. By using a common source, students were able to observe an array of diversity within individual columns and extrapolate towards the tremendous microbial diversity in the initial soil and water samples. Equally important to the data obtained, the students engaged in a collaborative effort through discussion, trouble-shooting, weekly meetings and the summative conference. Such efforts enabled students to participate in an authentic research experience within a traditional undergraduate laboratory course. Editor's Note : The ASM advocates that students must successfully demonstrate the ability to explain and practice safe laboratory techniques. For more information, read the laboratory safety section of the ASM Curriculum Recommendations: Introductory Course in Microbiology and the Guidelines for Biosafety in Teaching Laboratories, available at www.asm.org . The Editors of JMBE recommend that adopters of the protocols included in this article follow a minimum of Biosafety Level 2 practices.
L-glutamate excitation of A10 dopamine neurons is preferentially mediated by activation of NMDA receptors : extra- and intracellular electrophysiological studies in brain slices

Abstract The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of l -glutamate ( l -GLU) on the neurophysiology of ventral tegmental A10 dopamine neurons in rat midbrain slices using extracellular and intracellular recording methods. l -Glutamate perfusion of 10–100 μM concentrations produced dose-dependent increases in firing rate, with no changes in pattern of firing, while higher concentrations led to a loss of activity reminiscent of depolarization inactivation. The extracellular changes were relfected by the pronounced membrane depolarizations observed through intracellular recordings. The effects of low doses (≦ 30 μM) of l -GLU on firing rate and membrane potential were completely antagonized by co-perfusion with the noncompetitive NMDA blocker, phencyclidine, or the selective competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, CGS 19755, but not by the selective non-NMDA blocker NBQX. However, at concentrations of ≧ 300 μ M l -GLU's effects could not be completely blocked without the presence of both CGS 19755 and NBQX. Moreover, the magnitude of l -GLU-induced depolarizations became attenuated at membrane potentials more negative than −70 mV. These results suggest that in physiological-like conditions that low extracellular levels of glutamate excite midbrain dopamine neurons via a preferential activation of NMDA receptors, and that only at higher concentrations of l -GLU are non-NMDA receptors brought into play.
Tracking single hematopoietic stem cells in vivo using high-throughput sequencing in conjunction with viral genetic barcoding

Disentangling cellular heterogeneity is a challenge in many fields, particularly in the stem cell and cancer biology fields. Here we demonstrate how to combine viral genetic barcoding with high-throughput sequencing to track single cells in a heterogeneous population. We use this technique to track the in vivo differentiation of unitary hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The results are consistent with single-cell transplantation studies but require two orders of magnitude fewer mice. In addition to its high throughput, the high sensitivity of the technique allows for a direct examination of the clonality of sparse cell populations such as HSCs. We show how these capabilities offer a clonal perspective of the HSC differentiation process. In particular, our data suggest that HSCs do not equally contribute to blood cells after irradiation-mediated transplantation, and that two distinct HSC differentiation patterns co-exist in the same recipient mouse after irradiation. This technique can be applied to any virus-accessible cell type for both in vitro and in vivo processes.
Semiconducting glass-ceramics

Studies of the microstructure and thermal treatment of V2O5P2O5 based glasses have shown an initial ordering of the glass structure followed by detectable crystallization. DC conductivity increases markedly with microstructural changes. Unusual electrical behavior is associated with the partially crystallized glasses including ac absorption, elimination of high frequency conductivity dispersions and inversion of frequency effects at elevated temperatures. The effect of forming variables such as quenching temperatures and rates on electrical properties are documented. Neutron irradiation has also been shown to dramatically change certain characteristics of these materials, whereas other features are irradiation insensitive to flux levels of 1 × 1017 nvt. A summary of modified band theory calculations that are consistent with the above results is presented.
The Organization of a Laboratory Electronics Course

This paper describes the organization of a Laboratory Electronics Course in the Department of Aircraft Electrical Engineering at the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield, England. The course caters to two standards of specialization and to students with a wide range of previous training. The minor specialization course concentrates solely on fundamentals and the basic concepts, while the major course is carried to the threshold of design procedures. The contents of both courses are limited by the student's previous training and the time available for practical work. The over-all standard of the major course is that of the M.Sc. degree of a British University. Four different ways of construction and presentation of experiments are described and the limitations of each are discussed. Finally, the laboratory layout, equipment, and scheme of work for both courses is described.
Comparison of weighted and unweighted target transformation rotations in factor analysis

Abstract In source resolution studies, the amount of required prior knowledge of the sources to be resolved has always been a problem of concern. The required prior knowledge is minimized in factor analysis by using an iterative target transformation approach. As demonstrated on a previously source-resolved set of geological data, elemental source concentration profiles can be found using iterative target transformation rotations starting with simple initial source profiles. By weighting the least-squares fit of the target transformation iteration, the rate of convergence is significantly improved over the unweighted method. Various weights are compared so that the differences of the various weighting schemes can be observed in the rate of convergence.
Serial order anticipation learning in rats: Memory for multiple hedonic events and their order

Many characteristics of a series of discrete independent hedonic events may be remembered by rats in terms of, for example, how many events were rewarded and how many were nonre-warded. Such memory for multiple hedonic events, which has been shown to be a potent factor controlling instrumental responding, was examined here in five investigations employing serial anticipation learning in a runway. It was found that the ability of rats to remember the hedonic events reward and nonreward is highly developed, accurate, and quite resistant to forgetting and interference. Rats not only remembered a rewarded event and a nonrewarded event, but they also remembered the order in which the two events occurred. Rats remembered how many nonrewarded events there had been accurately enough to suggest that they were using some form of a counting mechanism. Rats exhibited little forgetting of eight prior discrete hedonic events, one rewarded followed by seven nonrewarded, even when these occurred over an interval of 20 min and involved considerable potential interference. In the serial learning situation employed here, marked primacy effects were obtained, earlier nonrewarded trials in a series being better anticipated than later ones. The primacy effect was found to depend upon the type of series employed. By assuming that stimulus generalizations occur between the multiple hedonic events remembered by rats, all anticipatory learning obtained here could be explained in considerable detail.
Proposal for a complex APL

Many people have suggested that APL be extended to complex numbers. Since complex numbers have great importance in mathematics, APL as a mathematical notation is deficient without them. Furthermore, an implemented extension to the complex domain would be of value to scientists, engineers, and educators, who use complex numbers in their work. A proposal for such an extension is presented.
Chasing “Shadows”: Discovering the Subtleties of Sestamibi Scans to Facilitate Minimally Invasive Parathyroidectomy

With the advent of sestamibi scans, high-resolution ultrasonography (US), and intraoperative intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) measurements, minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) is considered the standard of care for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Preoperative imaging, however, can be negative more than 20% of the time. We chose to examine one surgeon’s experience with patients who presented with PHPT and negative or indeterminate preoperative imaging from July 1993 to September 2009. A retrospective review of a parathyroid surgery database and patient records was conducted to collect the following information: patient age and sex; calcium and PTH levels; sestamibi and US results; and operative reports. Each sestamibi scan had been re-reviewed preoperatively by the surgeon with a nuclear medicine physician. The study cohort included patients with negative or indeterminate sestamibi results and a negative or no US report in which the surgeon was able to identify a “shadow” or subtlety on sestamibi and plan an MIP. A total of 126 patients had a negative or indeterminate sestamibi scan and a negative or no US report. “Shadows” or subtleties were found in 18 of 44 (41%) of the cases with a negative sestamibi and in 62 of 82 (76%) of cases with an indeterminate sestamibi scan. For these 80 cases a MIP was planned. In all, 7 of 80 (9%) were converted to a bilateral exploration. The remaining 46 patients underwent a planned bilateral exploration. Cure rates were comparable: 99% in the study group compared to 97% in the group who underwent a planned or converted bilateral exploration. With careful preoperative re-review of a negative or indeterminate sestamibi scan and the identification of subtleties in patients with a negative preoperative US scan, a successful MIP can be performed 91% of the time with a 98% cure rate.
Conformational study of a peptide epitope shows large preferences for β‐turn conformations

The conformational preferences of the 7-residue peptide Glu-Val-Val-Pro-His-Lys-Lys was investigated using a global search algorithm, namely the Electrostatically Driven Monte Carlo (EDMC) method, and the ECEPP/2 potential energy function. This particular sequence corresponds to the N-terminal portion of a 19-residue peptide antigen whose three dimensional structure, when complexed to a cognate antibody, was reported recently. As a result of this study a series of low-energy conformations were identified showing a common folding pattern with residues Val-3, Pro-4, His-5 and Lys-6 forming a beta turn. A comparison of the computed conformations with the one determined by X-ray crystallography in the antibody-antigen complex reveals marked similarities. In most of the cases rms deviations smaller than 1.1 A were found for the backbone atoms of the four residues forming the turn. These results suggest that the recognition process is accomplished in this case through the interaction of the antibody with relatively stable conformers of the antigenic peptide.
Sequence and structure relationships within von Willebrand factor.

In the present study, we re-annotated von Willebrand factor (VWF), assigned its entire sequence to specific modules, and related these modules to structure using electron microscopy (EM). The D domains are assemblies of smaller modules visible as lobes in EM. Modules in the D-domain assemblies include von Willebrand D, 8-cysteine, trypsin inhibitor-like, E or fibronectin type 1-like domains, and a unique D4N module in D4. The D1-D2 prodomain shows 2 large connected assemblies, each containing smaller lobes. The previous B and C regions of VWF are re-annotated as 6 tandem von Willebrand C (VWC) and VWC-like domains. These 6 VWC domains correspond to 6 elongated domains that associate in pairs at acidic pH in the stem region of VWF dimeric bouquets. This correspondence is demonstrated by binding of integrin αIIbβ3 to the fourth module seen in EM, VWC4, which bears the VWF Arg-Gly-Asp motif. The C-terminal cystine knot domain dimerizes end-to-end in a manner predicted by homology to TGF-β and orients approximately perpendicular to the VWC domains in dimeric bouquets. Homologies of domains in VWF to domains in other proteins allow many disulfide bonds to be tentatively assigned, which may have functional implications.
4D-5 Lateral Field Excited High Frequency Bulk Acoustic Wave Sensors

The most popular bulk acoustic wave (BAW) sensor is the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) which has electrodes on both the top and bottom surfaces of an AT-cut quartz wafer. In the QCM the exciting electric field is primarily perpendicular to the crystal surface resulting in a thickness field excitation (TFE) of a resonant temperature compensated transverse shear mode (TSM). The TSM, however, can also be excited by lateral field excitation in which both electrodes are placed on one side of the wafer leaving a bare sensing surface exposed directly to a liquid or a chemi/bio selective layer allowing the detection of both mechanical and electrical property changes caused by a target analyte. The use of LFE sensors has motivated an investigation to identify other piezoelectric crystal orientations that could result in high frequency operation and hence increased sensitivity. In this work a theoretical search and experimental measurements are performed to identify the existence of high frequency temperature compensated TSMs in alpha-quartz and LiTaO3 (LTO). Prototype LFE sensors were fabricated and tested and found to be capable of operating at frequencies in excess of 1 GHz and displayed significant increases in sensitivity to both mechanical and electrical property changes in liquids.
Generalized fusion: a new framework for hyperspectral detection

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a general type of detection fusion that allows combining a set of basic detectors into one, more versatile, detector. The fusion can be performed based on the spectral information contained in a pixel, global characteristics of the background and target spaces, as well as spatial local information. The new approach shown in this paper is especially promising in the context of recent geometric and topological approaches that produce complex structures for the background and target spaces. We show specific examples of generalized fusion and present some results on false alarm rates and probabilities of detection of fused detectors. We show that continuum fusion is a special case of generalized fusion. Our new framework allows better understanding of continuum fusion, as well as other useful types of fusion, such as discrete fusion proposed in this paper. We also explain the relationship between the generalized likelihood-ratio detectors and various fusion detectors.
Synthesis and characterization of mono-(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)alkoxyscandium alkyl derivatives, (η5-C5Me5)(OR)ScR′

Abstract Strategies for the syntheses of the title compounds are described. Cp*Sc(acac) 2 (CP* = (η 5 -C 5 Me 5 ); acac = acetylacetonate) is prepared by treatment of Sc(acac) 3 with Cp*MgCl·THF. Oligomeric [Cp*ScCl 2 ] n is prepared by treatment of Cp*Sc(acac) 2 with two equivalents of AlCl 3 . Cp*(OR)ScCl (R = 2,4,6-C 6 H 2 (CMe 3 ) 3 , 3,5-C 6 H 3 (CMe 3 ) 2 ) are obtained as their THF adducts via treatment of [Cp*ScCl 2 ] n with LiOR in THF or as their lithium chloride adducts via treatment of [Cp*ScCl 2 ] n with LiOR in toluene in the presence of PMe 3 . Whereas the alkylation of Cp*{O-2,4,6-C 6 H 2 (CMe 3 ) 3 }ScCl yields unstable products which appear to readily undergo metalation of an ortho tert-butyl group with loss of alkane, treatment of Cp*{O-3,5-C 6 H 3 (CMe 3 ) 2 }ScCl with methyllithium yields an unreactive scandium methyl derivative, which is likely dimeric [Cp*(CH 3 )Sc{μ-O-3,5-C 6 H 3 (CMe 3 ) 2 }] 2 . This methyl derivative proved to be unexpectedly inert toward olefins, 2-butyne and even Lewis bases such as pyridine and THF.
MRI truncation artifact reduction via wavelet shrinkage

A method based on wavelet shrinkage theory is proposed to reduce the truncation artifact in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This wavelet-based method takes advantages of various optimal and near-optimal properties of wavelets and wavelet shrinkage, which cannot be achieved by the methods based on other basis. Another advantage is that its performance does not degrade significantly in an environment with low SNR, which is usually the case in MRI applications. Different wavelet bases, including a recently proposed shift-invariant wavelet basis, are explored for improving the performance of the proposed approach. The proposed method is analyzed and compared with the conventional technique, based on Fourier analysis, using both simulated and real MR images.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ein Beitrag zum Problem der Membranelektrode. II. «Membranovoltametrie» am Beispiel der Sulfatfällungstitration

Der Gleichrichtereffekt an stromdurchflossenen Aluminiumoxydmembranen wird fur voltametrische Fallungstitrationen ausgewertet.
Septic complications after splenectomy for sickle cell sequestration crisis.

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are predisposed to infections. There is a paucity of recent information on the incidence of post-splenectomy infectious complications in these patients. The purpose of this study was to determine whether splenectomy increases infectious complications in SCD. Twenty-nine patients with SCD had splenectomy for sequestration crises at our hospital between 1988 and 1992; 16 of them received all of their follow-up care at our institution. These 16 charts were reviewed for infectious-related admissions, hospital days, days of IV antibiotics, positive cultures, and episodes of sepsis. For each patient, these parameters in the pre- and postoperative period were compared and expressed as number per year. The mean age at time of splenectomy was 2.5 ± 0.4 years and the mean follow-up was 4.5 ± 0.4 years. There was no significant difference in the pre- and postoperative periods for admissions, hospital days, days of IV antibiotics, positive cultures, or episodes of sepsis per year. There were also no operative deaths. The incidence of pre-splenectomy sepsis was 0.04 ± 0.03 episodes per year compared to 0.09 ± 0.04 (P = ns) episodes/year after splenectomy. Sepsis occurred at an average of 20.8 (range 2–30) months postoperatively; Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common causative organism. The total mortality after splenectomy in SCD patients was 3.4% (1/29) over a nearly 5-year period. Although infections are common in children with SCD, there was no increase in infections or episodes of sepsis in SCD patients who underwent splenectomy.
Almost two centuries with amalgam: Where are we today?

Amalgam has provided valuable and comparatively inexpensive service to patients for a longer time than any other restorative material. Despite the excitement surrounding the use of each new restorative material, each has a shortcoming that amalgam hasn't.