cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin-receptor interactions in liver cell membranes

Abstract The specific binding of 125 I-insulin to liver cell membranes is a saturable process with respect to insulin. Binding is displaced by low concentrations of native insulin but not by biologically inactive insulin derivatives or by other peptide hormones. The rate constants of association (3.5 × 10 6 mole −1 sec −1 ) and of dissociation (2.7 × 10 −4 sec −1 ) of the insulin-membrane complex can be determined independently. The dissociation constant of the complex, determined from the rate constants and from equilibrium data, is about 7 × 10 −11 M. Complex formation does not result in degradation of the insulin molecule. The binding interaction is a dissociable process involving a homogeneous membrane structure which is almost certainly the biologically significant receptor. The kinetic properties, and the effects of enzymic perturbations of the membrane, suggest that the insulin receptors of liver and of adipose tissue cells may be very similar structures.
TGFβ1 regulation of collagen metabolism by embryonic palate mesenchymal cells

Proper metabolism of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in mammalian embryonic palatal tissue is required for normal development of the palate. In particular, perturbation of collagen metabolism in the embryonic orofacial region results in the production of cleft palate. Although several types of collagen have been localized in the embryonic palate, factors responsible for regulating their synthesis have not been identified. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), shown to be capable of modulating ECM metabolism in other tissues, has been localized in the developing palate. Thus, we examined the ability of TGF beta 1 to modulate collagen synthesis and degradation in murine embryonic palate mesenchymal (MEPM) cells in vitro. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that type III collagen was predominant in the mesenchyme of the embryonic palate, whereas type I collagen was ubiquitous throughout palatal epithelium and mesenchyme. Total collagen production by TGF beta-treated confluent MEPM cells in serum-free conditioned medium was determined by measuring incorporation of L-[2-3-4-5-3H]proline into hydroxyproline. Treatment for 24 hr with TGF beta 1 stimulated incorporation into both cell layer and medium fractions. Quantification of collagen types by ELISA indicated that TGF beta 1 stimulated the accumulation of type III collagen as early as 3 hr after treatment. Northern blot analysis of MEPM cells treated with TGF beta 1 revealed that steady-state levels of mRNA encoding for procollagen alpha 1 (I) and alpha 1 (III) were increased and that these effects were ablated by cycloheximide but not actinomycin. The effects of TGF beta treatment on MEPM cell collagen levels also reflected alterations in collagen degradation. TGF beta-treated MEPM cells exhibited a significant diminution of total protease activity. Moreover, analysis by substrate gel electrophoresis indicated specific decreases in vertebrate collagenase and stromelysin. These data represent the first report of changing proteolytic profiles during palatogenesis. Thus, TGF beta regulates the amount of collagen present in embryonic palatal tissue at the level of synthesis and degradation.
Empathy and the emergence of task and relations leaders

Abstract This empirical study of small workgroup peers investigated relationships among perceptions of emotional abilities (i.e., empathy, ability to identify others' emotions, and ability to express one's own emotions), cognitive abilities, and leadership emergence. While controlling for cognitive ability and complex task performance, we found that people rated highly on empathy garnered attributions of leadership from their peers. Our study found that an actor's empathy (1) related positively to ratings of task leadership and ratings of relations leadership and (2) mediated the effect of other emotional abilities (i.e., the ability to identify others' emotions and the ability to express one's own emotions) on task and relations leadership. Emotional abilities were unrelated to cognitive abilities or complex task performance. Cognitive abilities and complex task performance earned actors higher ratings on task leadership, but not on relations leadership. The article concludes by relating the results to the new research on authentic leadership.
PRECISION AND VOLATILITY IN SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS

This paper contrasts the positions of Kane and Staiger (2002) and Linn and Haug (2002) with that of Rogosa (2002, 2003a) on the volatility in test scores as measures of school growth. In particular, these researchers disagree on whether school growth can be measured reliably in school accountability systems. The different positions of these authors are examined in some detail. In addition, several issues related to their debate are examined in the context of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, which has imposed a particular structure on the accountability systems currently in place in many states. Finally, some possibilities and speculations about the future of school accountability systems are provided in relation to the NCLB requirements and their impact.
Synthesis of Biodiesel from Mixed Feedstocks and Longer Chain Alcohols Using an Acid-Catalyzed Method

Biodiesel is typically synthesized from triacylglycerides derived from seed oils (e.g., soybean) and an alcohol (e.g., methanol) with base catalysis, yielding the fatty acid methyl ester, biodiesel. Alternative oil feedstocks (e.g., used cooking oil, rice bran oil, and algae) often have significant quantities of free fatty acids, which greatly complicate the synthesis of biodiesel using the base/methanol method. Here, we have explored a wide range of reaction conditions that optimize biodiesel production from mixed feedstocks containing high free fatty acids. To rapidly survey conditions, a microwave-heated reaction was used to accelerate the reaction and the product was quantified by (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Conditions were determined that allowed for rapid and high yield conversion of oil feedstocks containing significant concentrations of free fatty acids into biodiesel using an acid-catalyzed reaction with longer chain alcohols (such as n-butanol) at a slight molar excess. The conditions were replicated in a traditional heating method, where biodiesel yields greater than 98% were achieved in less than 40 min. Key properties of the resulting butyl-diesel were determined, including cetane, pour point, and viscosity. The information presented should be valuable for the large-scale production of biodiesel from mixed feedstocks that are difficult to use by the base/methanol method.
TREK: transportation research, education, and knowledge

In this paper we describe a TV-based reminder system for helping people with cognitive disabilities get to appointments on time and with the items they need. The TVBox uses a person's own TV to deliver reminders about trips that the person needs to make. The TVBox is also used to make sure that the person has the items that they need when at their destination.
Liposome Formulation of Fullerene-Based Molecular Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agents

Fullerene medicine is a new but rapidly growing research subject. Fullerene has a number of desired structural, physical and chemical properties to be adapted for biological use including antioxidants, anti-aging, anti-inflammation, photodynamic therapy, drug delivery, and magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. Chemical functionalization of fullerenes has led to several interesting compounds with very promising preclinical efficacy, pharmacokinetic and safety data. However, there is no clinical evaluation or human use except in fullerene-based cosmetic products for human skincare. This article summarizes recent advances in liposome formulation of fullerenes for the use in therapeutics and molecular imaging.
Intensive care unit admissions with cirrhosis: Risk-stratifying patient groups and predicting individual survival

Prognosis for acutely ill patients with cirrhosis is influenced by the severity of hepatic abnormalities and by dysfunction of other organ systems. The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of the Acute Physiology, Age, and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE III) prognostic system for risk-stratifying groups of intensive care unit (ICU) patients with cirrhosis and in predicting individual survival. We used data for 17,440 ICU admissions at 40 American hospitals to select 117 of the 537 patients with a history of cirrhosis who were ventilated on ICU day 1, a group known to have a high mortality rate. We then calculated each patient's probability of hospital death on ICU days 1 through 7, using seven previously validated multivariate equations. Hospital mortality was 63% for the 117 study patients. The most important determinants of risk for hospital death on ICU day 1 were the acute physiology score of APACHE III, ICU admission diagnosis, and operative status. Daily changes in the acute physiology score caused a rise or fall in the probability of hospital mortality and was useful in assessing individual response to therapy. APACHE III accurately risk stratifies critically ill patients with cirrhosis because it accounts for many of the factors known to influence prognosis. This capability can be used to assess severity of illness and risk-stratify patients with cirrhosis during clinical trials. Daily prognostic estimates based on physiological changes over time reflect patient response and can help physicians to assess the incremental benefit of therapy.
Analysis and benchmarking of two parallel sorting algorithms: hyperquicksort and quickmerge

We analyze the computational and communication complexity of four sorting algorithms as implemented on a hypercube multicomputer: two variants of hyperquicksort and two variants of quickmerge. Based upon this analysis, machine-specific parameters can be used to determine when each algorithm requires less communication time than the others. We present benchmark results of the four algorithms on a 64-processor NCube/7. The benchmarking provides experimental evidence that hyperquicksort divides the values to be sorted more evenly among the processors than quickmerge. Because it does a better job balancing work between processors, hyperquicksort proves to be uniformly superior to quickmerge.
PZT MEMS Actuated Flapping Wings for Insect-Inspired Robotics

This paper presents microfabricated flapping-wings for insect-inspired flying robots. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of any such MEMS devices for this application. This work is a component of on-going efforts by the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in developing millimeter-scale robotic platforms using thin-film lead zirconium titanate (PZT) actuators. Micromachined wing-structures have been successfully fabricated and this report presents experimental results of flapping frequency and stroke-amplitude from a set of wing designs varying in material composition and dimensions. These results establish the feasibility of achieving stroke amplitudes comparable to insects with PiezoMEMS technology.
An ultra-large-scale simulation framework

Abstract Many modern systems involve complex interactions between a large number of diverse entities that constitute these systems. Unfortunately, these large, complex systems frequently defy analysis by conventional analytical methods and their study is generally performed using simulation models. Further aggravating the situation, detailed simulations of large systems will frequently require days, weeks, or even months of computer time and lead to scaled down studies. These scaled down studies may be achieved by the creation of smaller, representative, models and/or by analysis with short duration simulation exercises. Unfortunately, scaled down simulation studies will frequently fail to exhibit behaviors of the full-scale system under study. Consequently, better simulation infrastructure is needed to support the analysis of ultra-large (models containing over 1 million components)-scale models. Simulation support for ultra-large-scale simulation models must be achieved using low-cost commodity computer systems. The expense of custom or high-end parallel systems prevent their widespread use. Consequently, we have developed an Ultra-large-Scale Simulation Framework (USSF). This paper presents the issues involved in the design and development of USSF. Parallel simulation techniques are used to enable optimal time versus resource tradeoffs in USSF. The techniques employed in the framework to reduce and regulate the memory requirements of the simulations are described. The API needed for model development is illustrated. The results obtained from the experiments conducted using various system models with two parallel simulation kernels (comparing a conventional approach with USSF) are also presented.
Prednisolone modifies estrogen-induced sexual differentiation

It has been hypothesized that during the perinatal period androgen alters sexual development only after it is aromatized to estrogen intracellularly. The dose of estrogen needed to cause sexual differentiation, however, is larger than might be expected on the basis of the rate of estrogen production. This could be because estrogens are normally sequestered by plasma fetoneonatal estrogen-binding protein. To test this possibility neonatal female rats were administered a low dose of estrogen alone or in combination with the glucocorticoid prednisolone, a steroid that reduces blood levels of the estrogen-binding protein. The estrogen significantly inhibited adult lordotic behavior only when combined with the prednisolone, a treatment which had no effect by itself. The findings support the “aromatization hypothesis” and the suggestion that the fetoneonatal estrogen-binding protein protects the developing rat from differentiating effects of estrogen.
Identification of mid-latitudinal regional and urban temperature variabilities based on regional reanalysis data

The objective of the study is to detect geographical and temporal variations of near surface air temperatures over Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA derived from the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) dataset. In addition, the study serves to assess the usefulness of NARR temperature data to analyze regional and local temperature variations. Particular emphasis was placed on the analyses on the temperature-modifying effects of the Great Lakes and large urban environments. We analyzed annual mean, daily maximum and minimum, and January minimum and July maximum temperatures for the period 1979–2006 by using methods such as ordinary kriging, principal component analysis, and the Mann–Kendall test. On a regional scale, we found significant effects of the latitude and the Great Lakes on the spatial variability of the data. Furthermore, we found clearly identifiable effects of large urban areas in the study region (Minneapolis—Saint Paul and Milwaukee), which are more evident in the principal component scores than in the temperature data themselves. While we failed to detect significant July maximum temperature trends, we detected significantly increasing trends in January minimum and mean annual temperature datasets in the eastern part of the region. Overall, the present study has demonstrated the potential of using NARR data for urban climate research.
The Effect of Mirex on the Burrowing Activity of the Lugworm (Arenicola cristata)

Abstract An inexpensive bioassay system was developed to estimate pollutant effects on a benthic animal. Mirex, a fire ant toxicant, was taken into the substrate by the burrowing and feeding activity of the lugworm, Arenicola cristata, and significantly affected this activity. Mirex was present in the adult worm as well as in its juvenile stage.
"Voxel-based morphometry" should not be used with imperfectly registered images.

Abstract John Ashburner and Karl Friston (2000) introduced a standardized method of “voxel-based morphometry” (VBM) for comparisons of local concentrations of gray matter between two groups of subjects. Segmented images of gray matter from grossly normalized high-resolution images are smoothed and their group differences analyzed by the now-conventional voxelwise Worsley approach to Gaussian random fields of differences. This comment concerns an unfortunate interaction between the algorithm's spatial normalization and voxelwise comparison steps, whereby several obvious quantitative confounds are injected at the core of the inference engine the authors put forward. Specifically, the statistics of the resulting voxelwise comparisons are uninformative about group differences wherever the spatial normalization algorithm has failed to register on any robustly appearing image gradient. The method of Ashburner and Friston is defensible only far from all image gradients.
An Analog Technique for the Equalization of Multiple Electromagnetic Shakers for Vibration Testing

A method that uses an analog computer to perform an open-loop control (equalization) for multishaker environmental vibration testing is presented. The computer is programmed to simulate the equations of motion of the electromechanical system. The input of the computer is an electrical signal representing the acceleration time histories to be reproduced at the base of the structure. Examples of multishaker equalization are shown for transient testing and random testing on a beam excited at two points. The method is valid for random, transient, and harmonic vibration testing.
Direct oxidation of lymphocytes by chromic acid does not induce blastogenesis.

Blastogenic and cytotoxic effects of hexavalent chromium were evaluated by direct, 2 and 20 min oxidation of lymphocytes by 10.0 to 0.0005 mM CrO3 at 0°C. Oxidized cells exhibited concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and the inhibition of tritiated thymidine incorporation rates. When lymphocytes were oxidized first by 1.0 mM periodic acid (H5IO6) and thereafter by 1.0 mM CrO3, the viability and [3H]-TdR incorporation rates of sequentially oxidized cells were identical to the corresponding indicators of lymphocytes oxidized only by CrO3. The reversal of the oxidation sequence restored [3H]-TdR incorporation to control levels and increased cell survival. It is therefore concluded that direct interaction of hexavalent CrO3 with plasma membrane of lymphocytes results in concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and the inhibition of [3H]-TdR incorporation, but it does not induce blastogenesis.
Reminiscences. On running a small department.

Having survived for 29 years as the chief or chairman of neurology in one location, which may be at this moment the record among active chairmen, and appreciating that there is not a great clamor for positions of departmental leadership in neurology, especially in small medical schools, and realizing that the worries of McKhann 1 at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md, and Ringel 2 at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, are different from mine in Mississippi, the urge to comment as I retire is hard to resist. In the first place, boys and girls, it is not too hard. All you need is the skin of a rhinoceros, the patience of an ant colony, the optimism of Pollyanna, the balance of a Wallenda, the willingness of Hercules, the morals of a vestal virgin, and the humor of Rodney Dangerfield. You have to convince
Regional seismic wavefield computation on a 3-D heterogeneous Earth model by means of coupled traveling wave synthesis

I present a new algorithm for calculating seismic wave propagation through a three-dimensional heterogeneous medium using the framework of mode coupling theory originally developed to perform very low frequency (f <~0.01– 0.05 Hz) seismic wavefield computation. It is a Greens function approach for multiple scattering within a defined volume and employs a truncated traveling wave basis set using the locked mode approximation. Interactions between incident and scattered wavefields are prescribed by mode coupling theory and account for the coupling among surface waves, body waves, and evanescent waves. The described algorithm is, in principle, applicable to global and regional wave propagation problems, but I focus on higher frequency (typically f ≥~0.25 Hz) applications at regional and local distances where the locked mode approximation is best utilized and which involve wavefields strongly shaped by propagation through a highly heterogeneous crust. Synthetic examples are shown for P-SV-wave propagation through a semi-ellipsoidal basin and SH-wave propagation through a fault zone.
BRIEF REPORT: Utilizing an Audiotape for Outpatient Preceptor Faculty Development

BACKGROUND: Faculty development for busy and geographically dispersed ambulatory preceptors is a difficult task for course directors.
Management of blow-out fractures of the orbital floor. II. Early repair for selected injuries.

Abstract The management of orbital fractures has long been controversial. In some cases, surgical repair is required, and early repair is more successful than secondary reconstruction. In other cases, slow resolution of diplopia over four to six months obviates surgery. In an editorial and two separate articles, the authors elucidate indications for and results of the early vs. late surgical repair of orbital blow-out fractures.
Hydrodefluorination of fluorobenzene catalyzed by rhodium metal prepared from [Rh(COD)2]+BF4− and supported on SiO2 and Pd-SiO2

Abstract The effects of solvent, pH, temperature, and hydrogen pressure were determined for the reaction of fluorobenzene (PhF) with hydrogen gas catalyzed by supported rhodium metal on silica. Non-polar and aprotic solvents, heptane and 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), favor hydrogenation to fluorocyclohexane (CyF). Polar and protic solvents, heptane/methanol and heptane/water, favor hydrodefluorination to benzene (PhH) and subsequent hydrogenation to cyclohexane (CyH). The hydrodefluorination–hydrogenation of fluorobenzene to cyclohexane via benzene proceeds fastest in heptane/water under acidic conditions. For the hydrodefluorination of fluorobenzene in heptane/water, the hydrodefluorination product, benzene, inhibited further hydrodefluorination of fluorobenzene. In heptane or DCE, a side reaction between fluorocyclohexane and hydrogen fluoride, not catalyzed by rhodium, was discovered that provides an alternate pathway to cyclohexane. Reaction conditions can be modified to yield primarily fluorocyclohexane, benzene, or cyclohexane.
Tangled up in knots: An emotional ecology of field science

Abstract Over the past 20 years, wildlife biologists, birders (bird watchers), and environmental activists have converged on the Delaware Bay, New Jersey USA every spring to study a migratory shorebird called the red knot ( Calidris canutus rufa ). Linked intimately with the spring-time landscape of the Bay and dependent on another species, the horseshoe crab ( Limulus polyphemus ), for survival, the population of this bird has declined precipitously with the advent of a horseshoe crab fishery in the eastern U.S. – a situation studied extensively by state biologists. Following the work of Lorraine Daston and Kay Milton on moral economies and ecologies of emotion, respectively, this article takes these studies as its central concern, showing the constitutive role of emotion in the generation of environmental knowledge. I describe field sites on the Delaware Bay as spaces where human and nonhuman actors create an "ecology of emotion" that serves to cohere social groups and motivate actions. These actions, however, move scientists from research sites on the bay into public decision-making fora, requiring the translation and obfuscation of the values underpinning their work into forms socially acceptable in bureaucratic contexts. I suggest, therefore, that the selective filtering of emotion and value in such contextual shifts impoverishes the quality of public environmental discourse and policy.
Bacillus morgani, type I, in enterocolitis of infants

Summary 1. Six cases of acute enterocolitis in infants are presented from whom Morgan bacillus, Type I, but none of the recognized enteric pathogens were isolated. A seventh patient has been included because of circumstantial evidence of infection with Morgan bacillus, Type I. 2. Four of the seven patients died. The post-mortem examinations revealed severe pseudomembranous enterocolitis in three cases and catarrhal enterocolitis in one case. 3. Two of the patients were twins who developed enterocolitis at the same time and whose mother harbored Morgan bacillus, Type I, in the intestinal canal. 4. One patient became a carrier of Morgan bacillus, Type I. 5. The incidence of Morgan bacilli and other doubtful enteric pathogensin the feces of children with diarrhea is presented. 6. The pathogenic significance of Morgan bacilli in enteric and otherdiseases is discussed.
Stiffness Scaling for Solid-Cloth Parachutes

The parameters affecting the inflation of solid-cloth, flat circular parachute canopies were investigated. A primary dimensionless parameter in addition to mass ratio, Froude number, and permeability is a stiffness index. Comparison of sub- and full-scale C9 parachutes, along with small-scale wind- and water-tunnel models has revealed that a relative stiffness index is able to correlate the filling and opening times of various sized canopies. The filling and opening times can be expressed as the relative stiffness index raised to power -0.064, with a proportionality factor of 1.3 for the filling time. The proportionality factor that correlates opening times is 0.86 for mass ratios in the range of 0.1-0.2, and it approaches 1.3 as mass ratio becomes very large. The index has utility in correlating peak forces as well
ASSESSING UNUSUAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE INCORRECT ANSWERS OF TWO EXAMINEES USING THE K‐INDEX: STATISTICAL THEORY AND EMPIRICAL SUPPORT

Test security and other concerns can lead to an interest in the assessment of how unusual it is for the answers of two different examinees to agree as much as they do. At Educational Testing Service, a measure called the K-index is used to assess ‘unusual agreement’ between the incorrect answers of two examinees on a multiple-choice test. Here, I describe the K-index and give the results of an empirical study of some of the assumptions that underlie it and its use. The results of this study show that the K-index can be expected to give a conservative estimate of the probability of chance agreement in the typical situations for which it is used, and that several important assumptions underlying the K-index are supported by relevant data. In addition, the results presented here suggest a minor modification of the current (as of 1993) application of K-index to part of the SAT to better insure that it is a conservative measure of chance agreement.
Fractal-like Aggregates: Relation between Morphology and Physical Properties.

Abstract A number of modern technological applications require a detailed calculation of the physical properties of aggregated aerosol particles. For example, in probing soot aerosols by the method called laser-induced incandescence (LII), the soot clusters are suddenly heated by a short, powerful laser pulse and then cool down to the temperature of the carrier gas. LII sizing is based on rigorous calculation of the soot aggregate heat-up and cooling and involves prediction of laser light absorption and energy and mass transfer between aggregated particles and the ambient gas. This paper describes results of numerical simulations of the mass or energy transfer between the gas and fractal-like aggregates of N spherical particles in either the free-molecular or continuum regime, as well as the light scattering properties of random fractal-like aggregates, based on Rayleigh–Debye–Gans (RDG) theory. The aggregate geometries are generated numerically using specially developed algorithms allowing “tuning” of the fractal dimension and prefactor values. Our results are presented in the form of easily applicable scaling laws, with special attention paid to relations between the aggregate gyration radius and the effective radius describing various transport processes between the aggregates and the carrier gas.
Defrauding the Public Interest: A Critical Examination of Reengineered Audit Processes and the Likelihood of Detecting Fraud

Abstract In the past few years, most of the major international public accounting firms have reengineered their audit processes to improve the cost effectiveness of completing an audit and to focus on value-added services for clients. The reengineered audit processes generally focus on a client’s business processes and the information systems used by the client to generate financial information. In essence, the new audit approaches deemphasize direct testing of the underlying transactions and account balances. Such an approach emphasizes analytical procedures as the main source of substantive evidence. During this same time period, however, the profession (through the AICPA) explicitly acknowledged the profession’s responsibility for fraud detection. The main premise of this paper is that the increased emphasis on systems assessments is at odds with the profession’s position regarding fraud detection because most material frauds originate at the top levels of the organization, where controls and systems are least prevalent and effective. As such, the profession may be paying lip service to fraud detection, while at the same time changing the audit process in a manner that is less effective at detecting the most common frauds.
A Novel Interaction between Atrophin-interacting Protein 4 and β-p21-activated Kinase-interactive Exchange Factor Is Mediated by an SH3 Domain

Cross-talk between G protein-coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways is crucial to the efficient relay and integration of cellular information. Here we identify and define the novel binding interaction of the E3 ubiquitin ligase atrophin-interacting protein 4 (AIP4) with the GTP exchange factor β-p21-activated kinase-interactive exchange factor (βPIX). We demonstrate that this interaction is mediated in part by the βPIX-SH3 domain binding to a proline-rich stretch of AIP4. Analysis of the interaction by isothermal calorimetry is consistent with a heterotrimeric complex with one AIP4-derived peptide binding to two βPIX-SH3 domains. We determined the crystal structure of the βPIX-SH3·AIP4 complex to 2.0-A resolution. In contrast to the calorimetry results, the crystal structure shows a monomeric complex in which AIP4 peptide binds the βPIX-SH3 domain as a canonical Class I ligand with an additional type II polyproline helix that makes extensive contacts with another face of βPIX. Taken together, the novel interaction between AIP4 and βPIX represents a new regulatory node for G protein-coupled receptor and receptor tyrosine kinase signal integration. Our structure of the βPIX-SH3·AIP4 complex provides important insight into the mechanistic basis for βPIX scaffolding of signaling components, especially those involved in cross-talk.
Improved M13 phage cloning vectors and host strains: nucleotide sequences of the M13mp18 and pUC19 vectors

Three kinds of improvements have been introduced into the M13-based cloning systems. (1) New Escherichia coli host strains have been constructed for the E. coli bacteriophage M13 and the high-copy-number pUC-plasmid cloning vectors. Mutations introduced into these strains improve cloning of unmodified DNA and of repetitive sequences. A new suppressorless strain facilitates the cloning of selected recombinants. (2) The complete nucleotide sequences of the M13mp and pUC vectors have been compiled from a number of sources, including the sequencing of selected segments. The M13mp18 sequence is revised to include the G-to-T substitution in its gene II at position 6 125 bp (in M13) or 6967 bp in M13mp18. (3) M13 clones suitable for sequencing have been obtained by a new method of generating unidirectional progressive deletions from the polycloning site using exonucleases HI and VII.
Carcinosarcoma of the Ovary: Natural History, Patterns of Treatment, and Outcome

Objective Ovarian carcinosarcomas (OCS) are rare tumors composed of both malignant epithelial and mesenchymal elements. We compared the natural history and outcomes of OCS to serous carcinoma of the ovary.
Inpatient versus outpatient management of neutropenic fever in gynecologic oncology patients: is risk stratification useful?

Abstract Objective This study aimed to evaluate the utility of risk stratification of gynecologic oncology patients with neutropenic fever (NF). Methods A retrospective chart review of gynecologic cancer patients admitted with NF from 2007 to 2011 was performed, wherein demographic, oncologic, and NF characteristics (hospitalization length, complications, and death) were collected. The Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) risk index score was calculated; low risk was considered ≥21. SAS 9.2 was used for statistical analyses. Results Eighty-three patients met the study criteria. Most (92%) were Caucasian and had advanced stage disease (71%). Primary tumors were 58% ovary, 35% endometrium, and 6% cervix. All patients were receiving chemotherapy on admission (72% for primary, 28% for recurrent disease). Forty-eight percent had a positive culture, and most (58%) positive cultures were urine. Seventy-six percent of patients were considered low risk. High-risk patients were more likely to have a severe complication (10% versus 50%, p =0.0003), multiple severe complications (3% versus 20%, p =0.0278), ICU admission (2% versus 40%, p p =0.0417), and death due to neutropenic fever (0% versus 15%, p =0.0124). MASCC had a positive predictive value of 50% and negative predictive value of 90%. The median MASCC score for all patients was 22 (range, 11–26), but the median MASCC score for those with death or a severe complication was 17 (range, 11–24). Conclusion Based on this pilot data, MASCC score appears promising in determining suitability for outpatient management of NF in gynecologic oncology patients. Prospective study is ongoing to confirm safety and determine impact on cost.
Non-stationary ordering policies for multi-item inventory systems subject to a single resource constraint and quantity discounts

The multi-item inventory problem with a single resource constraint and quantity discounts is studied in this paper. Known solution approaches to this problem, both heuristic and enumerative, assume that ordering policies are stationary. A new heuristic approach is presented here for generating non-stationary ordering policies, with order quantities that can vary over time. Computational results for comparing these methods are given. The non-stationary approach is shown in these experiments to outperform heuristic stationary approaches, and an enumerative stationary approach when the non-stationary approach is suitably initialized.
Achilles Tendon Tenodesis to Prevent Heel Pad Migration in the Syme's Amputation

In an attempt to prevent migration of the heel pad, 11 patients underwent a combined Syme's amputation and Achilles tendon tenodesis between December 1989 and April 1992. Ten patients healed the Syme's amputation, and one patient failed to heal the surgical wounds and required a below-knee amputation. In all 10 successful Syme's cases, the heel pad has remained stable with no migration, and no skin breakdown at an average follow-up of 18.5 months. Published series of Syme's amputations report that the incidence of heel pad migration is between 7.5% and 45%, and occurs primarily in the post-operative or early rehabilitation stage. We believe that tenodesis of the Achilles tendon is a technically easy addition to the Syme's amputation, that it keeps tension off of the incision during healing, and that it prevents migration of the heel pad.
Turner syndrome: contemporary thoughts and reproductive issues.

Turner syndrome is a common genetic disorder that has been classically associated with a 45,X karyotype. Several X-chromosomal abnormalities have been identified in these patients, many of which involve mosaicism. These patients have variable but predictable phenotypic findings and are at risk for development of endocrine, autoimmune, and structural abnormalities. As many as 1.5% of the population with Turner syndrome may develop dissection and rupture of the ascending aorta; the presence of abnormalities of the cardiac tree and hypertension increase this risk, but their absence does not preclude it. Rupture has occurred at aortic diameters smaller than previously reported for other patient populations. Five percent or more of women with Turner syndrome may have abbreviated menstrual function before developing amenorrhea and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. An estimated 1 to 2% of all patients may become pregnant. Only three patients with Turner syndrome (and two of them with streak ovaries) have ever been reported to become pregnant after developing amenorrhea and elevated gonadotropin levels. Pregnancy, either spontaneous or more commonly from donor oocyte, increases maternal mortality rate for these women by an estimated ≥100 fold. It appears that all Turner women are at risk of rupture; neither prior spontaneous menses nor age >30 years provides protection. In addition, the literature suggests that the physiological changes of pregnancy may increase the risk of rupture in future years after delivery for those Turner women who seemingly made it safely through pregnancy. The use of the term PRIMARY OVARIAN INSUFFICIENCY (POI) for Turner syndrome gives me some discomfort. For women with 46,XX hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, POI accurately provides the suggestion that follicular depletion is often not complete (although remissions are usually self-limiting and the vast majority of patients will not spontaneously become pregnant). I clearly understand the need to prevent any stigmatization to patients unfortunately diagnosed with premature oocyte depletion, and I believe that the use of the diagnosis POI leaves the door open for the occurrence of reproductive function and for the 5 to 10% of 46,XX patients who may spontaneously become pregnant. However, the world literature reports only two women with Turner syndrome, hypergonadotropic amenorrhea, and streak ovaries who have ever become pregnant spontaneously after their diagnosis. It would be unfair to such women with Turner syndrome to give them the same hope for pregnancy as we do for women with 46,XX POI. Amenorrheic women with Turner syndrome truly have ovarian failure. Although I have adopted the term POI in this article for women with Turner syndrome, semantics are no substitute for honest, thorough, and compassionate counseling.
Reduction of effluent discharge and groundwater use in catfish ponds

Abstract A management strategy designed to reduce the volume of effluent discharged from catfish ponds and decrease dependence upon groundwater was tested using a mathematical model. The approach is predicated upon the simultaneous use of certain ponds for fish production and rainwater storage. Production/storage ponds are deeper than conventional production ponds and receive overflow during rain events from other production ponds that are linked in a two- or four-pond series. The model which simulated system performance used a 26-year record of precipitation and evaporation and was based upon a computed water balance for the linked pond system. Based upon simulations representing multiple scenarios, model predictions suggested that effluent discharge may be reduced by 40–90% and groundwater use may be reduced by 40–75%. This management approach, if implemented, may be a viable method to reduce nutrient loading of receiving waters and conserve groundwater.
World Trade Center dyspnea: bronchiolitis obliterans with functional improvement: a case report.

Background Bronchiolitis obliterans is a severe, often progressive, lung disease characterized by cough, exertional dyspnea, and airflow obstruction. It has been ascribed to specific causes such as lung or bone marrow transplant, medications for rheumatoid disease, and most recently in association with exposure to environmental agents. Method A 42-year-old, previously healthy New York City Highway Patrol officer who arrived at the World Trade Center (WTC), “ground zero,” early on September 11, 2001 was evaluated. He has been followed for over 2 years with serial chest radiographs, CT scans, and pulmonary function studies. He eventually underwent an open lung biopsy. Results His dyspnea started on September 12, 2001 and progressed despite aggressive therapy with inhaled bronchodilator as well as oral and inhaled corticosteroids. At no time did he have any radiographic evidence of pulmonary disease. His forced vital capacity (FVC) decreased from 5.32 L in October 2001 to 2.86 L in January 2003. He underwent an open lung biopsy because of the persistent exertional dyspnea coupled with the loss of over 2 L of lung volume. The pathological findings were chronic bronchiolitis with focal obliterative bronchiolitis and rare non-necrotizing granuloma. Symptoms and pulmonary function improved after therapy with Azithromycin was added to his treatment. Discussion This process is believed to be secondary to his massive exposure to the cloud of dust that followed the collapse of the WTC. It is our conviction that many of those present at the WTC on September 11 who have persistent dyspnea and deterioration of pulmonary function may have a similar pathologic process despite absence of abnormalities on CT of the chest. Conclusion In view of the many signs and symptoms seen in first responders we feel that these findings provide important information about the pathophysiology and treatment of progressive disease resulting from this exposure. Am. J. Ind. Med. 48:225–229, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Phenotypic and Functional Characterization of Mouse Attenuated and Virulent Variants of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Type O1 Campos

A series of genetically related variants arising from a parental wild-type isolate of O1 Campos and its tissue culture adapted variant were differentiated by various cell culture markers (temperature sensitivity, plaque size, viral yield) and lethality in mice. These isolates were additionally characterized functionally and biochemically by examining poly(C) length, RNA synthesis, protein synthesis, and cell receptor binding. In primary bovine kidney cells, the virulent isolates had greater levels of protein synthesis, whereas in baby hamster kidney cells, the attenuated variant outproduced the wild-type parent. The tissue culture adapted variant had substantially greater ability to attach to cells than the parental wild type. The parental wild-type and the tissue culture-adapted variant were similarly neutralized by various sera against whole virus, but the parental wild type was less effectively neutralized by sera prepared from either full or truncated (variable region) bacterially expressed VP1 polypeptides. The capsid region of the genomes of both these variants was sequenced and a nucleotide substitution resulting in a change in amino acid 56 in VP3 was found. The nucleotide sequence change for the remaining two variants was that of the parental wild-type virus.
Relationship of prostatic serum acid phosphatase to age and size of the prostate in rats.

Serum of freshly killed rats of various ages was treated with p -nitrophenyl phosphate in citric acid buffer solution pH 4.8. Total serum acid phosphatase was determined colorimetrically on the basis of p -nitrophenol formation. Residual serum acid phosphatase was determined on duplicate serum specimens similarly, but with the addition of L (+) tartrate. Prostatic serum acid phosphatase activity was computed by subtraction. This activity was found to increase markedly until prostate weight reached approximately 200 mg. after which there was little change in activity. Increases in prostatic weight continued as body weight and age increased. Hence, in young animals prostatic serum acid phosphatase activity is indicative of normal prostatic growth and not necessarily indicative of abnormality.
Quantized vortex ring dynamics and the vortex core radius in He II

Using a newly developed time-of-flight technique, we have determined the temperature dependence of the vortex core radius in the range 0.35 K ≤T ≤ 0.60 K by means of precise measurements of vortex ring dynamics. One of us (W.I.G.) has extended this work to a measurement of the pressure dependence of the vortex core radius. Our results are in agreement with the earlier work of Rayfield and Reif atT=0.28 K and zero pressure 1 and with a model of the vortex core proposed by Glaberson, Strayer, and Donnelly. 2,3 The precision of our measurements enabled us to observe differences in the dynamics of oppositely charged vortex rings in the same electric field configurations. We were able to quantitively account for these differences in a simple way by incorporating the frictional drag associated with the ion bound on the vortex core into the equations of motion. Our results suggest that the negative ion shape is not greatly distorted by its presence on the vortex core, nor is the negative ion strongly shielded by the vortex velocity field. Some of our results have been previously reported. 4–6
Abnormalities of the myocytes in ischaemic cardiomyopathy

Acute myocardial ischaemia and subsequent reperfusion result in biochemical and ionic changes in cardiac myocytes which cause contracture of the muscle and a reduced contractile force. Whether changes observed in single myocytes isolated from ischaemic ventricles are a direct consequence of the acute insult, or develop more slowly due to subsequent alterations in load and neurohumoural environment, is controversial. Myocytes from ischaemic hearts have a similar contraction amplitude to those from non-failing hearts at physiological or maximally activating levels of Ca2+. This could be partly due to the method of cell selection, or could represent the detection of a population of myocytes that have recovered from the original insult. However, there are significant decreases in the velocities of contraction and, particularly, relaxation in myocytes from the ischaemic heart. These resemble alterations caused by anoxia/reperfusion, but similar changes have also been observed in non-ischaemic causes of heart failure. Responses of β-adrenoceptor stimulation are reduced in single cells from the failing heart, and a post-receptor defect has also been detected. Treatment with pertussis toxin, which reduces the activity of the inhibitory guanine-nucleotide binding protein (Gi) was able to restore β-adrenoceptor responses to normal. The hypothesis that alterations in the β-adrenoceptor/Gi/cAMP pathway represent the response of the myocyte to continued exposure to noradrenaline, because of the high sympathetic drive in these patients, is supported by the strong parallels observed with catecholamine-treated animals, and by the fact that non-ischaemic aetiologies exhibit similar desensitization. It is concluded that the surviving myocytes in an ischaemic heart are damaged by the neurohumoral alterations that represent the body's attempt to restore cardiac output.
The Special Delivery of a Tail-Anchored Protein: Why It Pays to Use a Dedicated Courier

The membrane-spanning C-terminal regions in tail-anchored proteins must be recognized and delivered posttranslationally to the endoplasmic reticulum or mitochondrial membrane. A paper in this issue of Molecular Cell (Wang et al., 2010) and another recent report (Mariappan et al., 2010) delineate early steps in this pathway.
Gas—liquid equilibria in mixtures of carbon dioxide and tetralin at elevated temperatures

Abstract Gas—liquid equilibrium in carbon dioxide and tetralin mixtures was experimentally determined at four temperatures: 190, 270, 350, and 390°C. At the three lower temperatures observations were made at pressures from 20 to 50 atm. At the highest temperature, pressures were from 30 to 50 atm.