cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence of Time-Varying Myocardial Contribution by In Vivo Magnitude and Phase Measurement in Mice

Cardiac volume can be estimated by a conductance catheter system. Both blood and myocardium are conductive, but only the blood conductance is desired. Therefore, the parallel myocardium contribution should be removed from the total measured conductance. Several methods have been developed to estimate the contribution from myocardium, and they only determine a single steady state value for the parallel contribution. Besides, myocardium was treated as purely resistive or mainly capacitive when estimating the myocardial contribution. We question these assumptions and propose that the myocardium is both resistive and capacitive, and its contribution changes during a single cardiac cycle. In vivo magnitude and phase experiments were performed in mice to confirm this hypothesis.
She Said, She Said: Interruptive Narratives of Pregnancy and Childbirth

In diesem Beitrag zeigen wir die Nutzung von Narrationsanalysen fur teilstrukturierte Interviews, die wir mit insgesamt sechs Frauen gefuhrt haben, die in Grosstadten im Suden der USA leben und sich fur eine "naturliche" Geburt ihres ersten Kindes entschieden hatten. Mittels der Creative Analytic Practice prasentieren wir die Erfahrungen der Frauen in Gedichtform, um die Spannung nachvollziehbar zu machen zwischen den Wunschen der Frauen einerseits und ihren tatsachlichen Schwangerschafts- und Geburtserfahrungen andererseits. Das Gedicht verdeutlicht Behordenpolitiken, Wege, wie Konsens in einigen amerikanischen Gesundheitsinstitutionen umgelenkt oder konstruiert wird und auch die Resilienz der befragten Frauen. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs170290
Treatment of Dyslipidemia Using CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) has recently emerged as a top genome editing technology and has afforded investigators the ability to more easily study a number of diseases. This review discusses CRISPR/Cas9’s advantages and limitations and highlights a few recent reports on genome editing applications for alleviating dyslipidemia through disruption of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). Targeting of mouse Pcsk9 using CRISPR/Cas9 technology has yielded promising results for lowering total cholesterol levels, and several recent findings are highlighted in this review. Reported on-target mutagenesis efficiency is as high as 90% with a subsequent 40% reduction of blood cholesterol levels in mice, highlighting the potential for use as a therapeutic in human patients. The ability to characterize and treat diseases is becoming easier with the recent advances in genome editing technologies. In this review, we discuss how genome editing strategies can be of use for potential therapeutic applications.
Aligning dam removals and road culvert upgrades boosts conservation return-on-investment

Abstract Dams and road culverts fragment river ecosystems worldwide by restricting the movement of aquatic species. In many watersheds, a diverse set of actors coordinates the removal of these barriers. Non-governmental organizations often focus on small dams and road culverts, while large dam removal projects are coordinated by federal agencies or coalitions of partners. Here we evaluate the return-on-investment of these strategies by exploring a continuum of methods for selecting barrier removal projects, ranging from a focus on many small barrier removal projects to a few large ones. We used estimated removal costs of more than 100,000 barriers in the North American Great Lakes to construct economically realistic barrier removal scenarios. We then simulated the movement of stream-resident and anadromous fishes through model river networks with a few large dam removals, many road culvert retrofits, or a mix of both. We found that the strategy of removing both dams and road culverts had the greatest potential to benefit both stream-resident and anadromous fishes, but only when projects were aligned longitudinally within the river network. Our results demonstrate the importance of allocating conservation resources to both small and large restoration projects, and highlight a need for increased coordination and communication among the many different organizations investing in barrier removals. Our findings complement optimization approaches to prioritizing barrier removals by providing general guidelines for practitioners to follow when project selection must depart from a prescribed portfolio of projects.
Rapid destructive osteoarthritis of the hip after intra-articular steroid injection

Rapid destructive osteoarthritis of the hip is a separate entity different from the usual osteoarthritis. It is usually seen in elderly women, and the characteristic feature is the rapid progression within 6 to 12 months to complete destruction of the joint. The exact etiology is not known. We present a rare case of rapid destructive osteoarthritis of the hip in a 62-year-old woman who developed it within 2 months of intra-articular steroid injection, which was managed well with uncemented total hip arthroplasty. Through this report, we emphasize the possibility of the disastrous complication of injection, which should be informed to the patient before any intra-articular injection.
Parallel tensor methods for high-dimensional linear PDEs

Abstract High-dimensional partial-differential equations (PDEs) arise in a number of fields of science and engineering, where they are used to describe the evolution of joint probability functions. Their examples include the Boltzmann and Fokker–Planck equations. We develop new parallel algorithms to solve such high-dimensional PDEs. The algorithms are based on canonical and hierarchical numerical tensor methods combined with alternating least squares and hierarchical singular value decomposition. Both implicit and explicit integration schemes are presented and discussed. We demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed new algorithms in computing the numerical solution to both an advection equation in six variables plus time and a linearized version of the Boltzmann equation.
Glycoprotein Alteration in Human Colonic Adenocarcinoma

Mucosal cells of the gastrointestinal tract are rich in glycoprotein. Cellular glycoproteins can be broadly classified into two types: secretory and structural. An example of the former are the intestinal cell mucins, while the latter type are structural components of cell surface membranes and of the membranes of various subcellular organelles. Ample data are available that implicate the membrane glycoproteins and glycolipids as important elements in certain cellular phenomena which undergo alterations during cancerous transformation. These include cell-cell interaction, growth regulation, agglutinability by lectins, and immunological reactivity of cell surface antigens (Aaronson and Todaro, 1968; Burger and Goldberg, 1967; Gold, et al 1968). Therefore, we are currently investigating both secretory and structural glycoproteins in normal and cancerous tissues taken from the colonic mucosa of man and experimental animals. The present report describes some of the data that we have obtained on the blood group activity, lectin reactivity and the carbohydrate composition of the membrane glycoproteins of normal and cancerous human colonic mucosa. The possible metabolic bases for the observed alterations in immunochemical and chemical properties of the glycoproteins in colonic cancer tissues were also - examined by studying various enzymes thought to be involved in the synthesis and degradation of glycoproteins.
The yellowed archives of yellowcake.

Abstract Extensive historical documentation of exposures and releases at government-owned energy facilities is a unique and valuable resource for analyzing and communicating health risks. Facilities at all stages of the atomic fuel cycle were the subject of numerous industrial hygiene, occupational health, and environmental assessments during the Cold War period. Uranium mines and mills on the Colorado Plateau were investigated as early as the 1940s. One such facility was the mill in Monticello, Utah, which began operation as a vanadium extraction plant in 1943 and was later adapted to recover uranium from carnotite ores. The mill ceased operation in 1960. The site was added to the federal Superfund list in 1986. ATSDR held public availability sessions in 1993 as part of its public health assessment process, at which several former mill workers voiced health concerns. An extensive literature search yielded several industrial hygiene evaluations of the Monticello mill and health studies that included Monticello workers, only two of which had been published in the peer-reviewed literature. In combination with the broader scientific literature, these historical reports provide a partial basis for responding to mill workers' contemporary health concerns. The strengths and limitations of the available exposure data for analytical epidemiologic studies and dose reconstruction are discussed. As an interim measure, the available historical documentation may be especially helpful in communicating about health risks with workers and communities in ways that acknowledge the historical context of their experience.
110th Anniversary: Microkinetic Modeling of the Vapor Phase Upgrading of Biomass-Derived Oxygenates

Bio-oil produced from fast pyrolysis of biomass is a complex mixture of more than 200 compounds, including oxygenates and acids. As these species are highly undesirable in fuels, catalytic upgradin...
Congenital Lacrimal Gland Disorders and Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction

This chapter describes the aspects of the lacrimal apparatus that are important to recognize and evaluate in the treatment of the congenital nasolacrimal disorders. A brief discussion of the embryology and anatomy will help guide the surgeon in diagnosis and treatment of congenital lacrimal gland disorders, excretory system disorders, and congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The importance of proper evaluation of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction is discussed, as well as the options of nonsurgical and surgical management, including simple probing, monocanalicular or bicanalicular intubation, and balloon dacryoplasty.
A Stone of Hope: Legal and Empirical Analysis of California Juvenile Lifer Parole Decisions

In a recent line of cases, the Supreme Court has held that sentencing juveniles to life in prison without the possibility of release on parole violates the Eighth Amendment in all but the most rare cases. In response, many states have extended the possibility of release on parole to individuals serving juvenile life sentences. Whether the possibility of parole can render juvenile life sentences constitutional is a topic of ongoing debate among courts, litigants, and scholars. Thus far, that debate has not engaged with one of the most longstanding critiques of parole systems: that parole-release decisions are arbitrary and capricious. This article develops this critique within existing Eighth Amendment jurisprudence, arguing that the principles used to determine whether death penalty decisions are arbitrary and capricious ought to apply analogously to parole-release decisions among individuals serving life with the possibility of parole sentences for juvenile convictions (“juvenile lifers”). The article then applies this Eighth Amendment analysis to an original empirical study of 426 parole decisions among juvenile lifers in California. The study provides evidence that parole decisions are as arbitrary and capricious with respect to a measure of rehabilitation as death penalty decisions were to a measure of culpability when the Supreme Court struck the death penalty as arbitrary and capricious in 1972. The article concludes by proposing an alternative structure for parole-release decisions among juvenile lifers. The proposal calls for a bifurcated process in which release would be mandatory if a parole candidate has met objectively measurable criteria, and release would be discretionary if a parole candidate has not met these criteria.
Relationship between Implicit Theories, Grit and Academic Achievement in School-Age Children

Research on implicit theories of intelligence has focused on academic achievement, elucidating the benefits of adopting a growth mindset for students of all ages. However, few studies investigated the advantage of having a growth mindset of personality or having grit on academic performance. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of grit and implicit theories of intelligence and personality on academic performance in fifth and sixth-grade boys and girls. Our hypothesis was that a relatively higher grit and/or a growth mindset would result in better academic success. Students were tested in their respective classrooms using questionnaires for grit, mindset of intelligence and mindset of personality. Quarter grades and standardized scores were obtained for all students. The results of this study reveal a benefit to having a growth mindset of personality on English and Reading. A growth mindset of intelligence correlated positively with Math, English and standardized scores of Math and Language. Grit did not affect academic performance. Our results suggest that educational institutions would benefit from mindset interventions promoting a growth mindset of intelligence and personality in their students.
Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes, sunlight exposure, and skin cancer risk

1491 INTRODUCTION: UV radiation is capable of causing a wide range of lesions in DNA. UVB can cause pyrimidine dimmers, which can not only lead to fingerprint mutations (C to T), but also cause blockage of DNA replication, leading to the formation of double strand breaks, chromosomal aberrations, and recombination during the course of replication arrest. UVA can indirectly cause oxidative DNA damage and strand breaks. One important defense mechanism against skin cancer is the ability to repair UV-induced DNA damage. We assessed the association of five candidate DNA repair genes (21 polymorphisms) in three DNA repair pathways (XRCC1 (4) in base excision repair; XPD (6) in nucleotide excision repair; XRCC2 (5), XRCC3 (3), and LigaseIV (3) in double strand break repair) with the risks for melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in a nested case-control study within the Nurses’ Health Study (219 melanoma, 286 SCC, and 300 BCC, and 873 controls). METHODS: Haplotype-tagging SNPs were selected based on the resequencing data from the Environmental Genome Project and genotyped by Taqman. We evaluated the main effects of these SNPs by logistic regression models and inferred the haplotype structures for these 5 genes utilizing PLEM. Detailed sunlight exposure information was collected by administering retrospective questionnaires (90% overall response rate). We further examined whether the candidate polymorphisms modify the associations between the sunlight-related exposures and the risk of skin cancer. RESULTS: We observed that XRCC1 194Trp carriers were at borderline significantly increased risk of SCC, and the XRCC1 399Gln allele was associated with significantly decreased risk of SCC. We also observed significant interactions between the XRCC1 399Gln allele and family history of skin cancer and history of severe lifetime sunburns on SCC risk. There were non-significantly inverse relationships between the XPD Lys751Gln and Asp312Asn polymorphisms and the risks of melanoma and SCC. We also observed that the association of the XPD 751Gln allele with melanoma risk was significantly modified by a constitutional susceptibility score, lifetime severe sunburns, and cumulative sun exposure while wearing a bathing suit. We observed that the variant allele of XRCC3 Thr241Met was significantly inversely associated with the risks of SCC and BCC. The variant alleles of XRCC2 G30833A and XRCC3 A4552C were significantly associated with an increased risk of BCC. We also observed a significant interaction between the XRCC3 Thr241Met and cumulative sun exposure while wearing a bathing suit on SCC risk, and a significant interaction between the XRCC3 Thr241Met and lifetime sunburns on melanoma risk. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes may confer inherited predisposition to skin cancer and modify the relationship of sunlight exposure with skin cancer risk.
E-024 Spontaneous vertebral arteriovenous fistula mimicking brachial radiculo-plexopathy: a case report

Vertebral arteriovenous fistulas (VAVF) are uncommon, high-flow communications between a vertebral artery and surrounding venous plexus that occur spontaneously or secondary to trauma. A 57-year-old female presented with a multi-day history of rapidly progressive numbness and weakness in the left C5-C6 dermomyotomes. Her physical exam findings and subsequent electrophysiological testing were suggestive of a brachial radiculo-plexopathy. Noninvasive imaging demonstrated venous congestion with multilevel compromise of the left-sided cervical foramina, and subsequent vertebral angiography confirmed a VAVF, which was treated with trapping of the involved VA segment. Her numbness and weakness progressively improved with concurrent involution of the dilated veins. An exceptional case of VAVF manifesting as a brachial radiculo-plexopathy is presented. VAVF are rare, though they may be considered as a potential underlying cause in patients with comparable symptoms. Endovascular embolization has been demonstrated as a safe and efficacious method in treating VAVFs, though multiple patient-specific factors must be contemplated. Disclosures A. Larson: None. L. Rinaldo: None. C. Arnold Fiebelkorn: None. N. Young: None. G. Lanzino: None.
OR and ICU teams 'running in parallel' at the end of cardiothoracic surgery improves perceptions of handoff safety.

The transfer of a cardiac surgery patient from the operating room (OR) to the intensive care unit (ICU) is both a challenging process and a critical period for outcomes. Information transferred between these two teams—known as the ‘handoff’—has been a focus of efforts to improve patient safety. At our institution, staff have poor perceptions of handoff safety, as measured by low positive response rates to questions found in the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS). In this quality improvement project, we developed a novel handoff protocol after cardiac surgery where we invited the ICU nurse and intensivist into the OR to receive a face-to-face handoff from the circulating nurse, observe the final 30 min of the case, and participate in the end-of-case debrief discussions. Our aim was to increase the positive response rates to handoff safety questions to meet or surpass the reported AHRQ national averages. We used plan, do, study, act cycles over the course of 123 surgical cases to test how our handoff protocol was leading to changes in perceptions of safety. After a 10-month period, we achieved our aim for four out of the five HSOPS questions assessing safety of handoff. Our results suggest that having an ICU team ‘run in parallel’ with the cardiac surgical team positively impacts safety culture.
Enfortumab vedotin in FGFR3-mutated advanced urothelial carcinoma.

458Background: Enfortumab vedotin (EV) and, for those with FGFR3 mutations (FGFR3+), erdafitinib, are established therapeutic options for refractory advanced urothelial carcinoma. However, optimal ...
Poised for Change: University Students Are Positively Disposed toward Food Waste Diversion and Decrease Individual Food Waste after Programming.

Eaters (consumers of food) are responsible for 60% of waste along the food cycle in developed countries. Programs that target individual and household food waste behavior change are essential to addressing such waste. School cafeterias worldwide offer an opportune microcosm in which to educate on food and nutrition skills and change related behavior. No Scrap Left Behind, a cafeteria food waste diversion program, was developed, piloted, and assessed based on measures of both direct and indirect food waste behavior, and attitudes, knowledge, and emotions related to food waste. Participants had positive attitudes towards food waste reduction, engaged in food waste diversion actions, had some knowledge of the impacts of wasted food, and considered their actions important to waste reduction generally. Food waste per student was decreased by 28% over the course of the first year of programming (p = 0.000967), and by 26% in the following year when measured a week before and a week after programming occurred (p = 0.0218). Results indicate that students were poised for food behavior change and that related programming did impact behavior in the short term. Programming may, therefore, help improve student attitudes and skills to develop long-term change as well, although future research should explore this specifically. In comparison with other research on cafeteria programming, results suggest that food waste diversion programming can positively impact students’ dispositions and behaviors, and may be more effective when tailored to the specific population.
“The Looming, Crazy Stalker Coronavirus”: Fear Mongering, Fake News, and the Diffusion of Distrust

The authors explore media distrust among a sample of precarious and gig workers interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although these left-leaning respondents initially increased their media con...
Sentencing Females Convicted of Sex Offenses: Examining Measures of Perceived Dangerousness and the Decision to Incarcerate:

From media attention to legislative actions, individuals convicted of sex offenses are often perceived as dangerous and a threat to society. Previous research, however, has demonstrated that percei...
Original contributionThe site distribution and characteristics of colorectal adenomas in Hispanics: a comparative study

OBJECTIVES: No data are available about the site distribution and characteristics of colorectal adenomas in Hispanics. The purpose of this study is to study the site distribution and characteristics of adenomas in Hispanics as compared to whites. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients who had colonoscopies with resection of adenomatous polyps. Patients were classified by age, sex, and race. Polyps were classified by site and histology. RESULTS: Nine hundred ninety-four patients were included in the final analysis. These included 541 whites and 453 Hispanics. The mean age was 60 yr. The site distributions of adenomas were similar (p = 0.32), and adenoma histologies were similar (p = 0.16). Thirty percent of patients had no polyps in the descending colon (27%, Hispanics; 31%, whites). CONCLUSION: Hispanics and whites have similar site distributions of colorectal adenomas and similar adenoma histologies. Screening modalities excluding the area proximal to the splenic flexure would miss about 30% of the polyps in both populations.
Bacteria Seize Control by Acetylating Host Proteins

The plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis injects toxic proteins into its hosts9 cells. One of these interferes with the host9s secretion of a protective factor by adding acetyl groups to a signaling kinase, blocking its activation.
Electromagnetic Wave Scattering by Two Parallel Infinite Dielectric Cylinders

The case of two parallel infinite dielectric cylinders, of equal diameter and dielectric constant, illuminated by a plane electromagnetic wave is studied. The scattered electric and magnetic fields from both cylinders can be expressed as infinite series involving Hankel functions, and the coefficients of both satisfy coupled systems (which involve Bessel and Hankel functions). It is shown how these systems can be decoupled, and then, in turn, solved explicitly by successive approximations. Under explicit conditions on the physical parameters of the problem, uniform convergence of the successive approximation series is rigorously proven. This is achieved by utilizing certain bounds on Bessel and Hankel functions, which are derived from asymptotic and integral representations.
Idiographic Digital Profiling: Behavioral Analysis Based on Digital Footprints

Idiographic digital profiling (IDP) is the application of behavioral analysis to the field of digital forensics. Previous work in this field takes a nomothetic approach to behavioral analysis by attempting to understand the aggregate behaviors of cybercriminals.Â This work is the first to take an idiographic approach by examining a particular subject's digital footprints for immediate use in an ongoing investigation.Â Â IDP provides a framework for investigators to analyze digital behavioral evidence for the purposes of case planning, subject identification, lead generation, obtaining and executing warrants, and prosecuting offenders.
Broadband phase noise limit in the direct detection of ultralow jitter optical pulses

The lowest measured phase noise floors of photonically generated microwave signals are orders-of-magnitude above the quantum limit. We show this discrepancy is likely due to photocarrier scattering in high speed, high linearity photodetectors.
How many servers are best in a dual-priority M/PH/ k system?

We ask the question, "for minimizing mean response time (sojourn time), which is preferable: one fast server of speed 1, or k slow servers each of speed 1/k?" Our setting is the M/PH/k system with two priority classes of customers, high priority and low priority, where PH is a phase-type distribution. We find that multiple slow servers are often preferable, and we demonstrate exactly how many servers are preferable as a function of the load and service time distribution. In addition, we find that the optimal number of servers with respect to the high priority jobs may be very different from that preferred by low priority jobs, and we characterize these preferences. We also study the optimal number of servers with respect to overall mean response time, averaged over high and low priority jobs. Lastly, we ascertain the effect of the service demand variability of high priority jobs on low priority jobs.
How does a teacher influence students' physical activity in physical education?

A teacher is considered a major determinant of whether students engage in physical activity (PA) during physical education (PE). However, it has been a challenge to explain how a PE teacher influen...
Magnetic structural change of Sr 2 IrO 4 upon Mn doping

The layered $5d$ transition-metal oxide Sr${}_{2}$IrO${}_{4}$ has been shown to host a novel ${J}_{\mathrm{eff}}=\frac{1}{2}$ Mott spin-orbit insulating state with antiferromagnetic ordering, leading to comparisons with the layered cuprates. Here we study the effect of substituting Mn for Ir in single crystals of Sr${}_{2}$Ir${}_{0.9}$Mn${}_{0.1}$O${}_{4}$ through an investigation involving bulk measurements and resonant x-ray and neutron scattering. We observe a new long-range magnetic structure emerge upon doping through a reordering of the spins from the basal plane to the $c$ axis with a reduced ordering temperature compared to Sr${}_{2}$IrO${}_{4}$. The strong enhancement of the magnetic x-ray scattering intensity at the ${L}_{3}$ edge relative to the ${L}_{2}$ edge indicates that the ${J}_{\mathrm{eff}}=\frac{1}{2}$ state is robust and capable of hosting a variety of ground states.
Identification of upstream and intragenic regulatory elements that confer cell-type-restricted and differentiation-specific expression on the muscle creatine kinase gene.

Abstract Terminal differentiation of skeletal myoblasts is accompanied by induction of a series of tissue-specific gene products, which includes the muscle isoenzyme of creatine kinase (MCK). To begin to define the sequences and signals involved in MCK regulation in developing muscle cells, the mouse MCK gene has been isolated. Sequence analysis of 4,147 bases of DNA surrounding the transcription initiation site revealed several interesting structural features, some of which are common to other muscle-specific genes and to cellular and viral enhancers. To test for sequences required for regulated expression, a region upstream of the MCK gene from -4800 to +1 base pairs, relative to the transcription initiation site, was linked to the coding sequences of the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. Introduction of this MCK-CAT fusion gene into C2 muscle cells resulted in high-level expression of CAT activity in differentiated myotubes and no detectable expression in proliferating undifferentiated myoblasts or in nonmyogenic cell lines. Deletion mutagenesis of sequences between -4800 and the transcription start site showed that the region between -1351 and -1050 was sufficient to confer cell type-specific and developmentally regulated expression on the MCK promoter. This upstream regulatory element functioned independently of position, orientation, or distance from the promoter and therefore exhibited the properties of a classical enhancer. This upstream enhancer also was able to confer muscle-specific regulation on the simian virus 40 promoter, although it exhibited a 3- to 5-fold preference for its own promoter. In contrast to the cell type- and differentiation-specific expression of the upstream enhancer, the MCK promoter was able to function in myoblasts and myotubes and in nonmyogenic cell lines when combined with the simian virus 40 enhancer. An additional positive regulatory element was identified within the first intron of the MCK gene. Like the upstream enhancer, this intragenic element functioned independently of position, orientation, and distance with respect to the MCK promoter and was active in differentiated myotubes but not in myoblasts. These results demonstrate that expression of the MCK gene in developing muscle cells is controlled by complex interactions among multiple upstream and intragenic regulatory elements that are functional only in the appropriate cellular context.
Heat shock proteins contribute to mosquito dehydration tolerance

This study examines the responses of heat shock protein transcripts, Hsp70 and Hsp90, to dehydration stress in three mosquito species, Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Culex pipiens. We first defined the water balance attributes of adult females of each species, monitored expression of the hsp transcripts in response to dehydration, and then knocked down expression of the transcripts using RNA interference (RNAi) to evaluate potential functions of the Hsps in maintenance of water balance. Fully hydrated females of all three species contained nearly the same amount of water (66-68%), but water loss rates differed among the species, with A. aegypti having the lowest water loss rate (2.6%/h), followed by C. pipiens (3.3%/h), and A. gambiae (5.1%/h). In all three species water could be replaced only by drinking water (or blood). Both A. aegypti and C. pipiens tolerated a loss of 36% of their body water, but A. gambiae was more vulnerable to water loss, tolerating a loss of only 29% of its body water. Dehydration elicited expression of hsp70 in all three species, but only C. pipiens continued to express this transcript during rehydration. Hsp90 was constitutively expressed and expression levels remained fairly constant during dehydration and rehydration, except expression was not noted during rehydration of C. pipiens. Injection of dsRNA to knock down expression of hsp70 (83% reduction) and hsp90 (46% reduction) in A. aegypti did not alter water content or water loss rates, but the dehydration tolerance was lower. Instead of surviving a 36% water loss, females were able to survive only a 28% water loss in response to RNAi directed against hsp70 and a 26% water loss when RNAi was directed against hsp90. These results indicate a critical function for these Hsps in mosquito dehydration tolerance.
Activation of retinal guanylyl cyclase RetGC1 by GCAP1: stoichiometry of binding and effect of new LCA-related mutations.

Retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase (RetGC) and Ca2+/Mg2+ sensor proteins (GCAPs) control the recovery of the photoresponse in vertebrate photoreceptors, through their molecular interactions that remain rather poorly understood and controversial. Here we have determined the main RetGC isozyme (RetGC1):GCAP1 binding stoichiometry at saturation in cyto, using fluorescently labeled RetGC1 and GCAP1 coexpressed in HEK293 cells. In a striking manner, the equimolar binding of RetGC1 with GCAP1 in transfected HEK293 cells typical for wild-type RetGC1 was eliminated by a substitution, D639Y, in the kinase homology domain of RetGC1 found in a patient with a severe form of retinal dystrophy, Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). A similar effect was observed with another LCA-related mutation, R768W, in the same domain of RetGC1. In contrast to the completely suppressed binding and activation of RetGC1 by Mg2+-liganded GCAP1, neither of these two mutations eliminated the GCAP1-independent activity of RetGC stimulated by M...
Noninvasive evaluation of ventricular function in cystic fibrosis.

The cardiac function of 21 patients with cystic fibrosis was studied using radionuclides and M-mode echocardiography. The patients (mean age 13.2 years, range 4 to 27) had a wide range of clinical and pulmonary function abnormalities (mean Shwachman-Kulczycki score 62.1). Decreased right ventricular ejection fraction was found in 13 of 18 patients (72%); an additional four patients had abnormal septal motion on ECHO. Left ventricular ejection fraction was abnormal at rest in four patients (19%); an additional four patients had borderline low LVEF. The LV pre-ejection period to ejection time ratio increased significantly (i.e., worsening LV performance) with deterioration of S-K score, chest radiograph score, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Three of eight patients with normal LVEF at rest had an abnormal response to supine bicycle exercise: LVEF fell in two patients and was unchanged in one. Thus evidence of LV dysfunction was observed in seven of 21 (33%) of the patients; four at rest and in three only during exercise.
Experimental investigation of phase retrieval for inverse scattering

We present results obtained from the application of a novel phase retrieval algorithm on experimental scattering data from a microlens array, with the aim of reconstructing the phase profile across the array. The algorithm, originally developed for electron microscopy, requires two intensity measurements at different distances from a weak scatter, where the total transmitted field is composed of the coherent sum of an incident plane wave and the scattered wave. The algorithm is noniterative and does not have the convergence problems associated with iterative algorithms. Our results obtained using the new algorithm on experimental data are comparable to those obtained with the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm, and the computational cost is much less. The new technique shows great promise for inverse scattering applications, such as optical diffraction tomography and rough surface profiling, where the scattering can be assumed to be weak.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Terrorist backlash, terrorism mitigation, and policy delegation

Abstract This paper presents a three-stage proactive game involving terrorists, elected policymakers, and voters. In each of two targeted countries, a representative voter chooses an elected policymaker, charged with deciding proactive countermeasures to ameliorate a transnational terrorist threat. Two primary considerations drive the voters' strategic choice: free riding on the other countries' countermeasures and limiting a reprisal terrorist attack. The resulting low proactive countermeasures benefit the terrorists, whose attacks successfully exploit voters' strategic actions. This finding stems from a delegation problem where leadership by voters has a detrimental consequence on the well-being of targeted countries. Domestic politics add another layer of concern when addressing a common terrorist threat.
The effect of quenching on the solidification structure and transformation behavior of stainless steel welds

Weld solidification structure of three different types of stainless steel,i.e., 310 austenitic, 309 and 304 semiaustenitic, and 430 ferritic, was investigated. Welds of each material were made without any quenching, with water quenching, and with liquid-tin quenching during welding. The weld micro-structure obtained was explained with the help of the pseudobinary phase diagrams for Fe-Cr-Ni and Fe-Cr-C systems. It was found that, due to the postsolidification 5 → γ phase transformation in 309 and 304 stainless steels and the rapid homogenization of microsegregation in 430 stainless steel, their weld solidification structure could not be observed unless quenched from the solidification range with liquid tin. Moreover, the formation of acicular austenite, and hence, martensite, at the grain boundaries of 430 stainless steel welds was eliminated completely when quenched with liquid tin. The weld solidification structure of 310 stainless steel, on the other hand, was essentially unaffected by quenching. Based upon the observations made, the weld microstructure of these stainless steels was summarized. The effect of cooling rate on the formation of primary austenite in 309 stainless steel welds was discussed. Finally, a simple method for determining the relationship between the secondary dendrite arm spacing and the solidification time, based on welding speeds and weld pool configurations, was suggested.
The Cohomology of Invariant Variational Bicomplexes

Let π: E → M be a fiber bundle and let Γ be an infinitesimal Lie transformation group acting on E. We announce various new results concerning the cohomology of the Γ invariant variational bicomplex (Ω Γ *,* (J ∞(E)),d H ,d V ) and the associated Γ invariant Euler-Lagrange complex. As one application of our general theory, we completely solve the local invariant inverse problem of the calculus of variations for finite-dimensional infinitesimal Lie transformation groups.
Cerebral perfusion during anesthesia with fentanyl, isoflurane, or pentobarbital in normal rats studied by arterial spin-labeled MRI†

The influence of anesthetic agents on cerebral blood flow (CBF) was tested in normal rats. CBF is quantified with arterial spin-labeled MRI in rats anesthetized with either an opiate (fentanyl), a potent inhalation anesthetic agent (isoflurane), or a barbiturate (pentobarbital) using doses commonly employed in experimental paradigms. CBF values were found to be about 2.5-3 times lower in most regions analyzed during anesthesia with either fentanyl (with N(2)O/O(2)) or pentobarbital vs. isoflurane (with N(2)O/O(2)), in agreement with findings utilizing invasive measurement techniques. CBF was heterogeneous in rats anesthetized with isoflurane (with N(2)O/O(2)), but relatively homogeneous in rats anesthetized with either fentanyl (with N(2)O/O(2)) or pentobarbital, also in agreement with studies using other techniques. Magn Reson Med 46:202-206, 2001.
Recognition and management of the hypercoagulable states: A decade of change

Hereditary and acquired thrombophilias are common causes of venous thromboembolism. Widely, available laboratory assays demonstrate that up to 25% of patients with a first deep venous thrombosis and as many as 60% of patients with recurrent venous thrombosis have one or more coagulation defects. Three important thrombotic disorders have been described in the last decade: hereditary resistance to activated protein C, homocyst(e)inemia, and antiphospholipid antibodies. Identification of patients with these abnormalities will help determine the duration and intensity of anticoagulant therapy, facilitate detection of affected family members, and allow effective antithrombotic prophylaxis during such high-risk situations as surgery, childbirth, or trauma. Finally, in some instances, specific treatment is available for managing these conditions.
Dieting Frequency in Obese Patients With Binge Eating Disorder: Behavioral and Metabolic Correlates

This study examined the clinical significance of self-reported frequency of time spent dieting in obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED). A total of 207 treatment-seeking obese BED patients (57 men and 150 women) were dichotomized by dieting frequency and gender and compared on a number of historical, psychological, and metabolic variables. Frequent dieters reported significantly earlier age of onset for binge eating, dieting, and obesity, more episodes of weight cycling, greater weight suppression, and greater eating disorder pathology than infrequent dieters; no differences, however, emerged on current binge eating frequency or psychological distress. Among women but not among men, frequent dieters had consistently lower chances of abnormalities in total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and the total/HDL cholesterol ratio while infrequent dieters had greater chances of abnormalities on these variables. Dietary restraint was inversely correlated with abnormalities in triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and the total/HDL cholesterol ratio but was unrelated to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. In summary, frequent dieters of both genders had greater lifetime and current eating and weight concerns, and in women, decreased chance of metabolic abnormalities than infrequent dieters. Our findings suggest that frequent dieting attempts, particularly in women, are associated with greater eating disorder pathology but may have a beneficial effect on metabolic functioning and cardiovascular disease risk independent of actual weight status. These findings may have implications for clinical advice provided to obese BED patients.
Lipoprotein receptors in copper-deficient rats: apolipoprotein E-free high density lipoprotein binding to liver membranes.

Twenty-four male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into two dietary treatments, copper-deficient and adequate (0.7 mg and 8.0 mg Cu/kg diet, respectively). Deionized water and diet were provided ad libitum. After 8 weeks, rats were exsanguinated, membranes prepared from livers, and plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) isolated by ultracentrifugation and agarose column chromatography. Heparin-sepharose affinity chromatography was used to isolate subfractions of HDL devoid of apolipoprotein E (apo E-free HDL). The apo-E-free HDL derived from rats of each dietary treatment were iodinated and bound to liver membranes prepared from rats of both treatment groups. Total binding data, specific binding data, and computer derived estimates of maximum equilibrium binding (Bmax) indicate less binding was observed when lipoproteins and membranes from copper-deficient animals were used in the binding assay compared to controls. In addition, a 2 × 2 factorial analysis of binding parameters derived from all experiments demonstrated a significant lipoprotein effect, indicating the reduction in binding may be associated with apo E-free HDL obtained from copper-deficient rats. The present findings suggest a reduction in binding of apo E-free HDL to their binding sites may contribute to the hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipoproteinemia observed in copper deficiency.
Some Interesting Curves of genus 2 to 7

Abstract Counterexamples to the Hasse Principle are constructed for curves of genus 2 to 7. These have the property that their Jacobian splits as a product of elliptic curves, all of positive rational rank.
Expression of HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein Alters Cellular Calmodulin

Removal of parts of a known calmodulin binding site at the C-terminus of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp160, can result in diminished infectivity. We investigated whether expression of full length gp160 would result in changes in intracellular calmodulin compared to expression of gp160 truncated to remove both known calmodulin binding sites. Both Western and Northern blots demonstrated that expression of gp160 led to increased calmodulin when compared to expression of truncated gp160. The induced calmodulin was associated preferentially with a particulate subcellular fraction. Confocal immunomicroscopy confirmed the increase in calmodulin and also showed that there was enhanced colocalization of calmodulin with gp160. Understanding of the role of calmodulin in the viral life-cycle may lead to new therapeutics.
Engineering cyanobacteria for photosynthetic production of 3-hydroxybutyrate directly from CO2.

Abstract ( S )- and ( R )-3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) are precursors to synthesize the biodegradable plastics polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and many fine chemicals. To date, however, their production has been restricted to petroleum-based chemical industry and sugar-based microbial fermentation, limiting its sustainability and economical feasibility. With the ability to fix CO 2 photosynthetically, cyanobacteria have attracted increasing interest as a biosynthesis platform to produce fuels and chemicals from alternative renewable resources. To this end, synthesis metabolic pathways have been constructed and optimized in cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to photosynthetically produce ( S )- and ( R )-3HB directly from CO 2 . Both types of 3HB molecules were produced and readily secreted from Synechocystis cells without over-expression of transporters. Additional inactivation of the competing pathway by deleting slr 1829 and slr 1830 (encoding PHB polymerase) from the Synechocystis genome further promoted the 3HB production. Up to 533.4 mg/L 3HB has been produced after photosynthetic cultivation of the engineered cyanobacterium Synechocystis TABd for 21 days. Further analysis indicated that the phosphate consumption during the photoautrophic growth and the concomitant elevated acetyl-CoA pool acted as a key driving force for 3HB biosynthesis in Synechocystis . For the first time, the study has demonstrated the feasibility of photosynthetic production of ( S )- and ( R )-3HB directly from sunlight and CO 2 .
Numerical Simulation of Methane Production from a Methane Hydrate Formation

This paper describes a one-dimensional model for hydrate dissociation in porous media by the depressurization method. A moving boundary, which separates the total simulation zone into two zones, is used. The governing equations consider the convective-conductive heat transfer and mass transfer in the gas and hydrate zones together with the energy balance at the moving front. These equations were transformed into a new coordinate system using a coordinate transformation method. The numerical method of lines was used to discretize the governing equations after coordinate transformation. Distributions of temperature and pressure for different well pressure and reservoir temperature are presented. The speed of the moving front and the gas production rate were shown to be strong functions of the well pressure and the absolute permeability of the porous media. Our simulations also showed that the assumption of stationary water phase, underpredicts gas production and overpredicts the speed of the moving front.
Frameworks of amino acids: synthesis and characterization of two zinc phosphono-amino-carboxylates with extended structures

Two α-amino acids, 3-phosphono-2-aminopropionic and 4-phosphono-2-aminobutyric, are used to link zinc atoms in three-dimensional structures where the three phosphonic and one of the carboxylic oxygen atoms coordinate to the metal, while the protonated amino groups and the second carboxylic oxygen atom are not coordinated and remain terminal in the voids of the framework.