cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Necrotic Cell Death in Response to Oxidant Stress Involves the Activation of the Apoptogenic Caspase-8/Bid Pathway

Human epithelial (A549) cells exposed to hyperoxia die by cellular necrosis. In the current study, we demonstrated the involvement of apoptogenic factors in epithelial cell necrosis in response to hyperoxia, including the formation of the Fas-related death-inducing signaling complex and initiation of mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathways. We showed increased activation of both Bid and Bax in A549 cells subjected to hyperoxia. Bax activation involved a Bid-assisted conformational change. We discovered that the response to hyperoxia in vivo predominantly involved the activation of the Bid/caspase-8 pathway without apparent increases in Bax expression. Disruption of the Bid pathway by gene deletion protected against cell death in vivo and in vitro. Likewise, inhibition of caspase-8 by Flip also protected against cell death. Taken together, we have demonstrated the involvement of apoptogenic factors in epithelial cell responses to hyperoxia, despite a final outcome of cellular necrosis. We have, for the first time, identified a predominant role for the caspase-8/Bid pathway in signaling associated with hyperoxic lung injury and cell death in vivo and in vitro.
Parallel nano-Differential Scanning Calorimetry: A New Device for Combinatorial Analysis of Complex nano-Scale Material Systems

A new device is presented for the combinatorial analysis of complex nano-scale material systems. The parallel nano-differential scanning calorimeter (PnDSC) is a micro-machined array of calorimetric cells. This new approach to combinatorial calorimetry greatly expedites the analysis of nano-scale material thermal properties. A power-compensation differential scanning calorimetry measurement is described. The scanning calorimetry capability of the PnDSC is demonstrated by a specific heat measurement of an amorphous equiatomic NiTi thin film.
The influence of structural lithic units in fault-related folds, Seminoe Mountains, Wyoming, U.S.A.

Abstract Analysis of basement-involved folds in the Seminoe Mountains, south-central Wyoming, reveals that lithological contrasts within the sedimentary section created a mechanical anisotropy that influenced both fault geometry and the relative rates of fault propagation and fault slip. Two structural lithic units are identified, a competent lower unit and an overlying incompetent unit. The upper unit is made up of moderate ductility rocks that were thinned ahead of the Hurt Creek fault. Offset formations in the upper unit have small relative stretch (ϵr) values and are interpreted to have represented an impediment to fault growth. In contrast, fault propagation was rapid relative to fault slip in the competent rocks of the lower structural lithic unit which have a correspondingly higher relative stretch. The Black Canyon fault is oriented at a low-angle to bedding in the lower structural lithic unit and is layer-parallel near the base of the upper unit. The Red Spring fault is a thin-skinned thrust fault and is interpreted to be linked to the Black Canyon fault to generate a triangle-zone geometry. Similar structures can be identified elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain foreland and this configuration may represent a previously unrecognized indicator of low-angle basement faults. Changes in the deformation style between structural lithic units must be reflected in changing fold form, thus preventing the direct application of geometric and kinematic models that predict a uniform fold profile.
Efficient Tree-Based Feature Descriptor and Matching Algorithm

This paper presents the development of a new feature descriptor derived from previous work on the basis sparse-coding inspired similarity descriptor that provides smaller descriptor size, simpler c...
Disruptions of individual and cultural identities: How online stories of job loss and unemployment shift the American Dream

For many Americans work plays a prominent role in the construction of one’s identity. However, experiencing job loss or unemployment disrupts a normal progress to living a successful life as outlined by the master narrative of the American Dream. In the present study I explore disruptions to personal identities and cultural narratives by conducting a narrative thematic analysis of stories told by unemployed individuals in online settings. The findings reveal five prominent identities including: (a) victim, (b) redeemed, (c) hopeless, (d) bitter, and (e) entitled and dumbfounded. The individuals performed these identities through telling stories of their disruptions that worked to reflect, construct, disrupt, and counter the master narrative of the American Dream. In this analysis I discuss avenues for exploring how constructions of individual identities disrupt cultural narratives, and the resulting implications for narrative theory.
Copper tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae nonsense-mediated mRNA decay mutants

The eukaryotic nonsense-mediated mRNA (NMD) is a specialized pathway that leads to the recognition and rapid degradation of mRNAs with premature termination codons, and importantly some natural mRNAs as well. Natural mRNAs with atypically long 3′-untranslated regions (UTRs) are degraded by NMD in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A number of S. cerevisiae mRNAs undergo alternative 3′-end processing producing mRNA isoforms that differ in their 3′-UTR lengths. Some of these alternatively 3′-end processed mRNA isoforms have atypically long 3′-UTRs and would be likely targets for NMD-mediated degradation. Here, we investigated the role NMD plays in the regulation of expression of CTR2, which encodes a vacuolar membrane copper transporter. CTR2 pre-mRNA undergoes alternative 3′-end processing to produce two mRNA isoforms with 300-nt and 2-kb 3′-UTRs. We show that both CTR2 mRNA isoforms are differentially regulated by NMD. The regulation of CTR2 mRNA by NMD has physiological consequences, since nmd mutants are more tolerant to toxic levels of copper relative to wild-type yeast cells and the copper tolerance of nmd mutants is dependent on the presence of CTR2.
Do brine shrimp diagnose cystic fibrosis

The nauplii of the brine shrimp Artemia salina are dependent upon the function of their salt gland to maintain osmotic pressure within narrow limits. A number of drugs interfere with this function and are lethal to the nauplii. Saliva and serum from normal persons, patients with cystic fibrosis, and obligate heterozygotes were tested for lethal effect against brine shrimp nauplii. At salt concentrations between 100 mM and 2.5 no difference was found among the phenotypes. At lower concentrations a difference was noted occasionally between some normal subjects and some individuals carrying one or two genes for cystic fibrosis. Data from an independent series of experiments indicate that the naupliar deaths result from distorted ratios of Na+/K+ and not from a specific gene product. No difference was noted in the O2 uptake of nauplii treated with saliva or serum obtained from normal subjects, patients with cystic fibrosis, or obligate heterozygotes.
Structure of the murine VCAM1 gene.

Abstract The architecture of the murine VCAM1 gene, encoding vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, was determined. Its 10 exons span approximately 20 kb. Exon 1 encodes the 5′ untranslated region and the signal peptide; exons 2-4 and 6-9, the C2 or H-type immunoglobulin domains; and exon 10, the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains followed by the entire 3′ untranslated region. All immunoglobulin-like domains are encoded by separate exons, and exon splice junctions occur after the first nucleotide of amino acid codons (type 1). Exon 5 encodes a novel domain unique to murine VCAM-1 and inclusion of this exon by alternative splicing results in a truncated three-immunoglobulin-like domain form, which is bound to the cell membrane by a phosphatidylinositol linkage at its carboxy terminus (encoded by exon 5). The murine VCAM1 core promoter contains a high degree of homology to the human, including conserved consensus binding sites for NF-κB, the Ets class, and the GATA family of transcription factors, suggesting that the murine and human VCAM1 genes may be under similar transcriptional control.
Exploration, Optimization, and Application of Supramolecular Thiourea−Amine Catalysts for the Synthesis of Lactide (Co)polymers

The structural flexibility and efficacy of thiourea−amine catalysts for the supramolecular activation and ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide are described. The nature of the hydrogen bonding group and its strength as well as the steric congestion have been altered, leading to shorter polymerization times, better control, and pathways to influence the stereochemistry of the resulting polymer. The tolerance to functionality and the mild conditions of the ROP mechanism allow for block copolymer synthesis by combination of nitroxide-mediated polymerization as well as reversible addition fragmentation and chain transfer polymerization using dual-headed initiators. Tandem hydrogen bond activation to organocatalyze ROP of lactide is an effective, versatile means to generate polymers with predictable molecular weights, narrow polydispersities, control of microstructure and a variety of complex architectures and block copolymers.
Retrieving Cloud Ice Water Content Using Millimeter- and Centimeter-Wavelength Radar Polarimetric Observables

AbstractScattering properties of a large collection of pristine ice crystals at millimeter and centimeter wavelengths are calculated using the generalized multiparticle Mie method. Millimeter- and centimeter-wavelength radar observables are also calculated by employing particle size distributions (PSDs) that ensure the bulk properties (e.g., ice water content and total number concentration) fall within physically realistic ranges. The relationships between radar reflectivity Z and ice water content (IWC) are shown to be sensitive (from one to two orders of magnitude in variability) to the PSDs used and are thus not recommended for IWC retrievals. The relationships between IWC and specific differential phase KDP are less dependent on PSDs. Simple relationships between IWC and KDP at different radar elevation angles and wavelengths are given. If only the general crystal type is known (i.e., planar vs columnar), IWC retrieval errors based on KDP mostly fall within 30%. If more detailed ice crystal type is kn...
Observations of aerosols and droplets in California stratus II

Size distributions of aerosols and droplets were observed in stratus in the hills south of San Francisco during the summers of 1968 and 1969. Instrumentation included a Royco light-scattering particle counter, a condensation nuclei counter, and a settling tunnel. The average size distributions showed primary modes at submicron sizes on clear days, during cloud formation and dissipation, and in the developed cloud. A broad secondary mode of about 3 droplets cm ?3 ? ?1 was found at a radius of 5 ? in the cloud. A somewhat sharper mode of 0.9 cm ?3 ? ?1 at 8-? radius was found in the average size distribution for dissipating clouds. During periods of cloud onset, the secondary mode is not well developed. Timesection analyses of particle and droplet spectra are given, and these show that there is considerable temporal variability in the spectra. The time-section analyses fail to confirm the general trend of the droplet mode toward larger sizes with time, as predicted by some numerical calculations of condensation processes. Analyses of the chloride, sulfur compound, and nitrate content of the aerosols and droplets are presented. The amounts of sulfur compounds and nitrates relative to chlorides are too high for the principal source of these materials to have been sea salt, unless the chlorides had been lost through some chemical process. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1971.tb00559.x
First Report of Aster Yellows Phytoplasma in Alfalfa

Samples of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) leaves and stems showing symptoms of inter-veinal chlorosis and purpling, commonly associated with insect feeding, were collected from 8 sites in central and southern Wisconsin in autumn of 1998. Samples were frozen within 24 h of collection. Approximately 0.3 g of plant tissue from each sample was used for total DNA extraction according to the protocol of Zhang et al. (4), with minor modifications in grinding procedures and reagent volumes to optimize results. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out by amplification of 16S rDNA with the universal primer pairs R16mF2/R16mR1 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 as described by Gunder-sen and Lee (1). Undiluted total sample DNA was used for the first amplification; PCR products were diluted (1:30) in sterile water prior to final amplification. Alfalfa DNA and sterile water were used as negative controls; DNA from phytoplasma causing X-disease in peach (CX) served as a positive control. Fragments of 16S rDNA from putative phytoplasmas amplified by PCR with the primer pair R16F2n/R16R2 were characterized by restriction endonuclease digestion (3). The resulting restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns were compared with patterns for known phytoplasmas described by Lee et al. (3). Products of nested PCR were also purified and sequenced with primers R16F2n/R16R2 and an automated DNA sequencer (ABI 377XL; C. Nicolet, Biotechnology Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison). Of 51 samples of alfalfa assessed, one sample from Evansville, WI, yielded a nested PCR product of the appropriate size (1.2 kb), indicating the presence of phytoplasma. Digestion of this product with various restriction enzymes produced RFLP patterns that were identical to those for phytoplasmas in the aster yellows phytoplasma subgroup 16SrI-A (3). Alignment of the DNA sequence of the nested PCR product from the positive sample with sequences found in the GenBank sequence data base (National Center for Biotechnology Information, Bethesda, MD) with the BLAST sequence similarity function confirmed this result. Although other phytoplasma strains (particularly those causing witches'-broom) have been reported to infect alfalfa (2), this is the first report of the presence of the aster yellows phytoplasma in the alfalfa crop. Vectors involved in transmission and the potential agronomic impacts of aster yellows phytoplasma in alfalfa are topics of current investigation. References: (1) D. E. Gundersen and I.-M. Lee. Phytopathol. Mediterr. 35:144, 1996. (2) A.-H. Khadhair et al. Microbiol. Res. 152:269, 1997. (3) I.-M. Lee et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:1153, 1998. (4) Y.-P. Zhang et al. J. Virol. Methods 71:45, 1998.
Evolution of Genomic Diversity in the Breast Cancer Cell Line MCF-7.

Background : Tumors arise from an accumulation of genetic changes via a multi-step process. Genetic rearrangements can potentially lead to fusions with consequent deregulation of a gene, or the generation of new genes (through the fusion of two genes) that maybe functionally important in tumor development and progression. Our knowledge of rearrangements in solid tumors is limited and it is likely that solid tumors are defined by fusion genes that are not yet discovered. We recently reported 157 genomic breakpoints that were identified in a BAC library generated from MCF-7 cells (termed MCF-7/BAC), and could be confirmed by PCR across breakpoint joins as likely somatic mutations. To gain insight into the heterogeneity of genomic breakpoints in breast cancer cell lines, we studied these 157 validated breakpoints in a two common MCF-7 sublines. Methods : DNA was isolated from MCF-7/ATCC and MCF-7/B and genomic breakpoints were amplified by PCR and visualized by gel electrophoresis. Breakpoints were called present or absent based upon amplification of a product at the predicted size. By mapping the breakpoints to specific stages in the evolution of MCF-7 we reconstructed the sequence of chromosomal rearrangement events in the cancer genomes Results: MCF-7/B harbored only 91 of the breakpoints from the original 157 identified from MCF-7/BAC, and MCF-7/ATCC only shared 40. MCF-7 had 3 breakpoints that were found in MCF-7/BAC but not in MCF-7/B. Thus, of the original 157 breakpoints, 37 (23.6%) were shared all three sublines. MCF-7/ATCC contained the least breakpoints, which might indicate that MCF-7/ATCC is ancestral to MCF-7/B and MCF-7/BAC. Consistent with this, of the 157 genomic breakpoints in MCF-7/BAC, 50.3% contained genes, while this was enriched in the MCF-7/ATCC to 72.5%. Interestingly, two breakpoints involving genes in double strand break repair are retained in all three sublines, indicating that these breakpoints might originate from an ancestral cell line, and that deficient double strand break repair might be the underlying cause of genomic instability in these cell lines. Discussion: These preliminary results imply that MCF-7/ATCC maybe ancestral to other MCF-7 sublines. We are now expanding our data set with six other MCF-7 sublines to reconstruct the phylogeny of this breast cancer cell lines. With this information we may get a better understanding of the evolution and heterogeneity of genomic instability and rearrangements in breast cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 3171.
Dispersal Rates of Several Ungulates introduced into New Zealand

BETWEEN 1851 and 1923 several species of ungulates were introduced into New Zealand. During this period there were also many liberations into unstocked areas of game animals taken from recently established populations. Dates and localities of liberations have been summarized1,2 and the present or recent distributions of most species have been published2–5.
Collection of environmental data from an airship platform

We believe that solar powered, autonomous airships with the capability to embark on extended duration sampling missions will serve as valuable tools for environmental science. In this paper, we outline our vision for an autonomous airship and discuss some of the applications for which such a craft would be well suited. We also report on our efforts to date to realize this vision. Specifically, we discuss the use of solar energy as a renewable source of power for airships. We also describe the configuration of a nine meter airship that we will use as a testbed for environmental sampling and autonomy research. We conclude by outlining directions for future research.
Variability of Epiactis prolifera (Coelenterata: Actiniaria) in the intertidal zone near Bodega Bay, California

Summary The externally brooding actinian Epiactis prolifera Verrill, 1869, is morphologically and behaviourally variable near Bodega Bay, California. Colour of animals generally matches that of their substrate. Size is also correlated with substrate, but differences may ultimately be due to degree of exposure to surge and waves, a parameter which is associated with other variable characters. E. prolifera should be studied elsewhere in its range to elucidate critical factors in its variability, and genetic studies should be undertaken to evaluate the degree of isolation of populations in this sedentary, brooding organism.
Recent Studies of the Local Supercluster

After a brief historical review of the discovery of the Local Supercluster, this paper reports on recent research on the space distribution of nearby galaxies, on the space motions of the Sun, Galaxy and Local Group relative to these nearby galaxies, and on a first empirical mapping of the velocity field near the plane of the Local Supercluster.
Interglomerular Lateral Inhibition Targeted on External Tufted Cells in the Olfactory Bulb

Lateral inhibition between neurons occurs in many different sensory systems, where it can perform such functions as contrast enhancement. In the olfactory bulb, lateral inhibition may occur between odorant receptor-specific glomeruli that are linked anatomically by GABAergic granule cells (GCs) and cells within the glomerular layer, although evidence supporting lateral inhibition at a functional level is modest. Here, we used patch-clamp, imaging, and glutamate uncaging methods in rat olfactory bulb slices to test for the presence of interglomerular lateral inhibition, as well as its underlying mechanisms. We found that a conditioning stimulus applied at one or a small group of glomeruli could suppress stimulus-evoked excitation of output mitral cells (MCs) at another glomerulus for interstimulus intervals of 20–50 ms and glomerular separations of up to 600 μm. The observed lateral inhibition was entirely dependent on circuitry within the glomerular layer, rather than GCs, and it involved GABAergic synaptic inputs that were targeted mainly onto tufted cells, which act as intermediaries in the excitation between olfactory sensory neurons and MCs. The key cell type responsible for mediating lateral interactions between glomeruli were GABAergic short-axon cells. These results suggest a functional segregation of GABAergic cells within the bulb, with one set located in the glomerular layer mediating suppression of MC spiking across glomeruli, and a second set, the GCs, synchronizing different glomeruli.
Role allocation and reallocation in multiagent teams: towards a practical analysis

Despite the success of the BDI approach to agent teamwork, initial role allocation (i.e. deciding which agents to allocate to key roles in the team) and role reallocation upon failure remain open challenges. What remain missing are analysis techniques to aid human developers in quantitatively comparing different initial role allocations and competing role reallocation algorithms. To remedy this problem, this paper makes three key contributions. First, the paper introduces RMTDP (Role-based Multiagent Team Decision Problem), an extension to MTDP [9], for quantitative evaluations of role allocation and reallocation approaches. Second, the paper illustrates an RMTDP-based methodology for not only comparing two competing algorithms for role reallocation, but also for identifying the types of domains where each algorithm is suboptimal, how much each algorithm can be improved and at what computational cost (complexity). Such algorithmic improvements are identified via a new automated procedure that generates a family of locally optimal policies for comparative evaluations. Third, since there are combinatorially many initial role allocations, evaluating each in RMTDP to identify the best is extremely difficult. Therefore, we introduce methods to exploit task decompositions among subteams to significantly prune the search space of initial role allocations. We present experimental results from two distinct domains.
In vitro comparison of N-formimidoyl thienamycin, piperacillin, cefotaxime, and cefoperazone.

Abstract The antibacterial activity of N-formimidoyl thienamycin was compared with those of cefotaxime, cefoperazone, and piperacillin against 536 clinical aerobic isolates.
UML based severity analysis methodology

This paper addresses the problem of assessing the severity based on UML artifacts and uses the cost of failures of software components and connectors as well as failures of system execution scenarios. It proposes a severity assessment methodology that is performed combining three different hazard analysis techniques: functional failure analysis (FFA), failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), and fault tree analysis (FTA). This process of estimating severity can be automated in development environments supporting UML by annotating the hazard analysis results and the cost of failure information in the UML diagrams. This methodology is useful for reliability-based risk assessment, performance-based risk assessment and requirement-based risk assessment of software systems.
Roost Fidelity of Bats: A Review

Like dispersal and migration, short-term movement between roosts or dens is potentially costly. If such behavior is adaptive, these costs should be balanced by benefits associated with moving. The Chiroptera is an excellent group in which to investigate the costs and benefits of such movements because roost fidelity is variable among species of bats. Reviewing the fidelity of 43 species of bats, I found that 25 frequently change roosts, 14 rarely change, and 4 show intraspecific variability in fidelity. A comparative analysis that controlled for phylogeny demonstrated that fidelity is related to the type of roost occupied: high fidelity is directly related to roost permanency and inversely related to roost availability. Lability may result from trade-offs between the benefits of fidelity (e.g., greater site familiarity, maintenance of social relationships, and retention of roosts particularly suited for raising offspring) versus those of lability (e.g., decreased commuting costs to foraging areas, familiarity with several roosts that differ in microclimate, lower probability of predator detection, and lower ectoparasite levels).
Contributions of Multiple Basic Amino Acids in the C-terminal Region of Yeast Ribosomal Protein L1 to 5 S rRNA Binding and 60 S Ribosome Stability

Abstract Previous studies suggest that the C-terminal region of ribosomal protein L1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is important for its interaction with the 5 S rRNA molecule. Within this region are several highly conserved basic amino acids including Lys276, Lys279, Lys289, Arg282, Arg285. To examine potential contributions of these amino acids to RNA–protein interaction and ribosomal assembly, effects of substitutions of these residues by methionine either individually or in combinations were examined. A methionine substitution of any one of the lysine residues did not significantly affect RNA binding in vitro . The mutant RNPs were as stable as the wild-type RNP. Yeast transformants expressing these mutant proteins grew at the same rate as the wild-type. However, mutant proteins containing substitutions of any two of these basic amino acids bound RNA weakly. The resultant RNPs were significantly less stable than the wild-type. Whereas cells expressing mutant L1 with a single substitution at 289 was not lethal, cells expressing mutant L1 with any double substitutions involving Lys289 as one of the substituted amino acids were lethal. These data suggest that Lys289 plays a key role in the binding of ribosomal protein L1 to 5 S rRNA. The other basic residues, particularly Arg282, and Arg285, in this region also contribute to RNA binding. These residues are predicted to locate on the same side of an α helix. We would like to propose a structural model for the yeast RNP that involves multiple contact sites located on one side of the helix in the C terminus of the protein and the 5 S rRNA. These basic amino acids also participate, directly or indirectly, in the interaction of the RNP complex with other components of the 60 S ribosomal subunit.
Insects and a pathogen suppress Melaleuca quinquenervia cut-stump regrowth in Florida ☆

Utilization of multiple natural enemy species in weed biocontrol programs has often been advocated. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that multiple guilds of natural enemies, rather than individual species, would result in greater levels of damage to target host plants. This was investigated by evaluating the herbivorous insects Oxyops vitiosa (weevil) and Boreioglycaspis melaleucae (psyllid) and rust fungus Puccinia psidii separately and together when attacking cut-stump coppices of the invasive tree Melaleuca quinquenervia (melaleuca). We felled 120 trees in each of three mature melaleuca stands and assigned 6–13 coppicing stumps to each of the four treatments: control (insects and rust fungus excluded); insect herbivory; rust-fungus-infection; and combination of insect herbivory and rust fungus infection. We repeated the experiment once in adjacent plots located within the same stands as above. Coppices were harvested annually for three years and evaluated for damage, height, branching, mortality, and biomass. Three treatments: insects, rust fungus, and their combination caused higher levels of coppice damage and mortality compared to controls; these three treatments also reduced plant height, branching, and biomass of surviving coppices. These impacts of insects and rust-fungus-combination were additive on cut-stump and coppice stem mortality, and reduction in height, branching, leaf biomass, and total biomass of coppices. The rust fungus and psyllid showed better ability to co-attack the same leaf tissues compared to the rust fungus and the weevil. In conclusion, overall effects of the three natural enemies led to markedly reduced performance of the invasive tree melaleuca.
Posterior Leaflet Augmentation in Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation Increases Leaflet Coaptation and Mobility

Background Restoring leaflet coaptation is the primary objective in repair of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). The common practice of placing an undersized annuloplasty ring partially achieves this goal by correcting annular dilation; however, annular reduction has been demonstrated to exacerbate posterior leaflet tethering. Using a sheep model of IMR, we tested the hypothesis that posterior leaflet augmentation (PLA) combined with standard annuloplasty sizing increases leaflet coaptation more effectively than undersized annuloplasty alone. Methods Eight weeks after posterobasal myocardial infarction, 15 sheep with 2+ or greater IMR underwent annuloplasty with either a 24-mm annuloplasty ring (24-mm group, n=5), 30-mm ring (30-mm group, n=5), or 30-mm ring with concomitant augmentation of the posterior leaflet (PLA group, n=5). Using three-dimensional echocardiography, postrepair coaptation zone and posterior leaflet mobility were assessed. Results Leaflet coaptation length after repair was greater in the PLA group (4.1 ± 0.3 mm) and the 24-mm group (3.8 ± 0.5 mm) as compared with the 30-mm group (2.7 ± 0.6 mm, p 2 ) as compared with the 30-mm group (77.5 ± 17.0 mm 2 ) or the 24-mm group (92.5 ± 17.9 mm 2 , p Conclusions Posterior leaflet augmentation combined with standard-sized annuloplasty enhances leaflet coaptation more effectively than either standard-sized annuloplasty or undersized annuloplasty alone. Increased leaflet coaptation after PLA provides redundancy to IMR repair, and may decrease incidence of both recurrent IMR and mitral stenosis.
An unusual case of a microscopic alveolar adenoma coexisting with lung carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature

Introduction Alveolar adenomas are extremely rare, benign, primary lung tumors of unknown histogenesis that are characterized by proliferative type II alveolar epithelium and septal mesenchyma. Mostly incidental, they are clinically important as they can imitate benign primary and secondary malignant tumors and at times are difficult to differentiate from early-stage lung cancer. We describe the case of a 59-year-old man with an incidental microscopic alveolar adenoma coexisting with poorly differentiated lung carcinoma.
Langerhans cells and lymph node dendritic cells express the tight junction component claudin-1

Claudin-1 is a critical structural component of tight junctions that have an important role in adhesive properties, barrier function, and paracellular transport of epithelia and other nonhematopoietic tissues. We found claudin-1 in murine CD207+ Langerhans cells (LC) residing in epidermis. Claudin-1 was not detected in other skin dendritic cells (DC). LC expressed claudin-1 in steady state and inflamed skin. Claudin-1 was demonstrated further in lymph node LC under steady state and inflammatory conditions, including after direct tracking with tetramethylrhodamine-isothiocyanate (TRITC). All subsets of skin draining lymph node DC defined by CD205, CD11b, CD11c, and CD8, including a presumably blood-borne lymph node resident CD8+CD207+ LC population, were claudin-1+. TRITC tracking demonstrated claudin-1 in CD207- skin migrant DC in the lymph node, suggesting upregulation of this molecule during migration or once arrived in the lymph node. Claudin-1 expression in CD207+ cells was confirmed at the protein and mRNA levels. Transforming growth factor-β, a factor critical for the induction of LC in vitro and in vivo, stimulated the accumulation of claudin-1 mRNA and protein when added to bone marrow cells cultured with GM-CSF and IL-4. Claudin-1 may thus have an important function in adhesion and/or migration of LC.
Functional analysis of human ornithine decarboxylase alleles.

It has been known for >10 years that there are two alleles of the human ornithine decarboxylase ( ODC ) gene, defined by a polymorphic Pst I RFLP in intron 1. We have sequenced a large portion of each of the two alleles, including some of the 5′ promoter region, exon 1, intron 1, and exon 2, and determined that a single nucleotide polymorphism at base +317 (relative to transcription start site) is responsible for the presence or absence of the Pst I restriction site. We have developed two genotyping assays, a PCR-RFLP assay and a high-throughput TaqMan-based method, and determined the ODC genotype distribution in >900 North American DNA samples. On the basis of its location between two closely spaced Myc/Max binding sites (E-boxes), we speculated that the single nucleotide polymorphism at base +317 could have functional significance. Results of transfection assays with allele-specific reporter constructs support this hypothesis. The promoter/regulatory region derived from the minor ODC allele (A allele) was more effective in driving luciferase expression in these assays than the identical region from the major allele (G allele). Our results suggest that individuals homozygous for the A allele may be capable of greater ODC expression after environmental exposures, especially those that up-regulate c-MYC expression.
Micro-Raman Spectroscopy Detects Individual Neoplastic and Normal Hematopoietic Cells

Current methods for identifying neoplastic cells and discerning them from their normal counterparts are often nonspecific, slow, biologically perturbing, or a combination thereof. Here, we show that single-cell micro-Raman spectroscopy averts these shortcomings and can be used to discriminate between unfixed normal human lymphocytes and transformed Jurkat and Raji lymphocyte cell lines based on their biomolecular Raman signatures. We demonstrate that single-cell Raman spectra provide a highly reproducible biomolecular fingerprint of each cell type. Characteristic peaks, mostly due to different DNA and protein concentrations, allow for discerning normal lymphocytes from transformed lymphocytes with high confidence (p << 0.05). Spectra are also compared and analyzed by principal component analysis to demonstrate that normal and transformed cells form distinct clusters that can be defined using just two principal components. The method is shown to have a sensitivity of 98.3% for cancer detection, with 97.2% of the cells being correctly classified as belonging to the normal or transformed type. These results demonstrate the potential application of confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy as a clinical tool for single cancer cell detection based on intrinsic biomolecular signatures, therefore eliminating the need for exogenous fluorescent labeling.
Medical malpractice predictors and risk factors for ophthalmologists performing LASIK and photorefractive keratectomy surgery.

Abstract Purpose To identify physician predictors in LASIK and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) surgery that correlate with a higher risk for malpractice liability claims and lawsuits. Design Retrospective, longitudinal, cohort study. Participants and methods A comparison of physician demographic and practice pattern data of 100 consecutive Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC) LASIK and PRK claims and lawsuits with demographic and practice pattern data for all active refractive surgeons insured by OMIC between 1996 to 2002 was made. Background information and data were obtained from OMIC underwriting applications, a physician practice pattern survey, and claims file records. Using an outcome of whether or not a physician had a history of a claim or lawsuit, logistic regression analyses were used separately for each predictor as well as controlling for refractive surgery volume. Main outcome measure Malpractice claim or lawsuit for performance of PRK or LASIK surgery. Results Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the most important predictor of filing a claim was surgical volume, with those performing more surgery having a greater risk of incurring a claim (odds ratio [OR] = 31.4 for >1000 surgeries/year versus 0–20 surgeries/year, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.9–125, P = 0.0001). Having one or more prior claim was the only other predictor examined that remained statistically significant after controlling for patient volume (OR = 6.4, 95% CI=2.5–16.4, P = 0.0001). Physician gender, advertising use, preoperative time spent with patient, and comanagement seemed to be strong predictors in multivariate analyses when surgical volume was greater than 100 cases per year. Conclusion The chances for incurring a malpractice claim or lawsuit for PRK or LASIK correlate significantly with higher surgical volume and a history of a claim or lawsuit. Additional risk factors that increase in importance with higher surgical volume include physician gender, advertising use, preoperative time spent with the patient, and comanagement with optometrists. These findings may be used in the future to help improve the quality of care for patients undergoing refractive surgery and to provide data for underwriting criteria and risk management protocols to manage proactively and perhaps reduce the risk for claims and lawsuits against refractive surgeons.
Mactinin, a fragment of cytoskeletal α-actinin, is a novel inducer of heat shock protein (Hsp)-90 mediated monocyte activation

Monocytes, their progeny such as dendritic cells and osteoclasts and products including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1α and IL-1β play important roles in cancer, inflammation, immune response and atherosclerosis. We previously showed that mactinin, a degradative fragment of the cytoskeletal protein α-actinin, is present at sites of monocytic activation in vivo, has chemotactic activity for monocytes and promotes monocyte/macrophage maturation. We therefore sought to determine the mechanism by which mactinin stimulates monocytes. Radiolabeled mactinin bound to a heterocomplex on monocytes comprised of at least 3 proteins of molecular weight 88 kD, 79 kD and 68 kD. Affinity purification, mass spectroscopy and Western immunoblotting identified heat shock protein (Hsp)-90 as the 88 kD component of this complex. Hsp90 was responsible for mediating the functional effects of mactinin on monocytes, since Hsp90 inhibitors (geldanamycin and its analogues 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin [17-AAG] and 17-(dimethylaminoethylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin [17-DMAG]) almost completely abrogated the stimulatory activity of mactinin on monocytes (production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β and TNF-α, as well as monocyte chemotaxis). Mactinin is a novel inducer of Hsp90 activity on monocytes and may serve to perpetuate and augment monocytic activation, thereby functioning as a "matrikine." Blockage of this function of mactinin may be useful in diseases where monocyte/macrophage activation and/or Hsp90 activity are detrimental.
Programming support innovations for emerging distributed applications (PSI EtA - υη): a splash 2010 workshop summary

Distribution has become a necessity for the majority of computing domains, but developing distributed applications remains a highly delicate and complex task. Several emerging distributed computing and application domains, including cloud computing, service-oriented computing, stream processing, sensor networks, and context-aware computing, pose unprecedented challenges to the programmer. Applications in these domains can deliver tangible benefits to the user once they enter the mainstream of industrial software development. What is hindering the wide adoption and use of these applications is the prevalence of ad-hoc programming practices in their software development process. The goal of this workshop is to explore programming support innovations that can address the incongruence between the advanced programming requirements of emerging distributed applications and the current state of the art of their programming support. To that end, the workshop will provide a venue for free and open discussions among academic researchers and industry practitioners of distributed applications.
A novel means to classify response to resuscitation in the severely burned: Derivation of the KMAC value.

Abstract Background Resuscitation fluid rates following burn are currently guided by a weight and burn size formulae, then titrated to urine output. Traditionally, 24 h resuscitation is reported as volume of resuscitation received without direct consideration for the physiologic response. We propose an input-to-output ratio to describe the course of burn resuscitation and predict eventual outcomes. Methods We reviewed admissions to a burn center from January 2003 through August 2006. Inclusion criteria were ≥20%TBSA, admission ≤8 h after burn, and survived ≥24 h. Demographics, input volume and urine output, and clinical outcomes were recorded. A ratio of input volume (cc/kg/%TBSA/h) to urine output (cc/kg/h) was calculated at 24 h. The ratio of fluid intake to urine output reflecting an ‘expected’ response was developed: 4 cc/kg/%TBSA/24 h (0.166 cc/kg/%TBSA/h) divided by 0.5–1.0 cc urine/kg/h for an expected range 0.166–0.334. Subjects were classified based upon the ratio: over-responders ( 0.334). Clinical outcomes were compared and concordance of classification to values was calculated at 12 h. Results 102 subjects met inclusion criteria; 29 in the over-responders, 37 in the expected, and 36 in the under-responders. Resuscitation volume was directly proportional to the calculated ratio while urine output was inversely proportional. Group mortality was 21%, 11%, and 44%, respectively, with a significant difference between the expected and under-responders ( p p Conclusions We describe a novel ratio to classify acute resuscitation after severe burn including the patient's response. Such a classification is associated with eventual outcomes.
Anticancer effects of Annona glabra plant extracts against human leukemia cell lines

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 5537 Annona glabra (pond apple), a tropical tree growing wild in American and Asian continents, is used in traditional medicine against several human ailments including cancer. To validate the ethanopharmacological claims against cancer, we have investigated the anticancer effects of alcoholic extracts prepared from pond apple leaves, pulp and seeds in human leukemic cell lines. The alcoholic extracts were not cytotoxic to normal human leukocytes. However, extracts were highly cytotoxic to drug sensitive (CEM) and multidrug resistant leukemic (CEM/VLB) cell lines. The seed extract was more potent than leaf and pulp extracts and the cytotoxicity values were significantly lower than that for adriamycin. The seed extract caused a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of sub G/G1 as well as G/G1 population, contributing to the cytotoxicity. The sub G/G1 population increased from 2.2 to 7.0% in CEM and from 1.0 to 10.7% in CEM/VLB cell lines, when the cells treated with 0-10 µg/ml seed extract. Treatment with seed extract induced apoptosis in both sensitive and resistant leukemic cells in a dose-dependent manner with about 27.9% and 20.3% apoptotic cells in CEM and CEM/VLB cells at 10 µg/ml concentrations. The seed extract at 2 and 5 µg/ml doses enhanced cellular daunorubicin accumulation indicating the competitive P-glycoprotein binding ability and drug resistance reversals effect. Treatment of CEM and CEM/VLB cells with seed extracts also up regulated the expression of cyclin kinase inhibitor ( WAF1/p21 ) expression inducing the arrest of cells at G/G1 phase of cell cycle. These results support the traditional use of A. glabra and the alcoholic seed extract appeared is a potent source of anticancer compounds that could be exploited pharmaceutically.
Word and pseudoword superiority effects in Italian-English bilinguals ∗

Two indices of automatic orthographic processing, the word and pseudoword superiority effects, were explored in native Italian speakers familiar with English (late learners) and native English-speaking controls unfamiliar with Italian. Participants performed a forced-choice letter identification task with five categories of words: Italian words and pseudowords, English words and pseudowords, and nonwords. Native Italian speakers showed superiority effects for both languages, whereas English-speaking controls showed superiority effects only for English. These results suggest that orthographic processing can become automatic with extensive training in late bilinguals.
Harmonic functions and exit boundary of superdiffusion

Abstract All positive harmonic functions in an arbitrary domain of a Euclidean space can be described in terms of the so-called exit boundary. This was established in 1941 by R.S. Martin. A probabilistic approach to the Martin theory is due to Doob and Hunt. It was extended later to harmonic functions associated with a wide class of Markov processes. The subject of this paper are harmonic functions associated with a superdiffusion X (we call them X -harmonic). The results of Evans and Perkins imply the existence and uniqueness of an integral representation of positive X -harmonic functions through extreme functions. An outstanding problem is to find all extremal functions (they are in 1–1 correspondence with the points of the exit boundary). An interest in X -harmonic functions is motivated, in part, by the fact that each of them provides a way of conditioning a superprocess. Path properties of conditioned superprocesses (corresponding to various special X -harmonic functions) were investigated by a number of authors. Important classes of X -harmonic functions are related to positive solutions of semilinear partial differential equations. Almost nothing is known about their decomposition into extreme elements. A progress in this direction may create new tools for investigating solutions of the equations. The goal of this paper is to summarize all known facts about X -harmonic functions, to present the results of various authors in a more general setting in a unified form and to outline a program of further work.
Cortical excitability and post-stroke recovery

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability. Recent studies show that the brain can engage in a limited process of neural repair after stroke: re-mapping of sensory and motor function and sprouting of new connections in peri-infarct cortex surrounding the stroke. Changes in cortical sensory and motor maps and alterations in axonal structure are dependent on patterned neuronal activity. The central cellular process in these events is alteration in neuronal response to incoming inputs – manipulations that increase neuronal firing to a given input are likely to induce changes in neuronal structure and alterations in cortical maps. Because post-stroke neural repair and recovery also involves neuronal sprouting and re-mapping of cortical sensory and motor representations, it has been assumed that changes in neuronal excitability underlie neural repair.