cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BACILLUS | Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus is a Gram-positive rod shaped bacterium that is a member of the B. cereus group, which also includes Bacillus mycoides and Bacillus thuringiensis . Bacillus cereus causes both an emetic and gastrointestinal disease. It is a challenge because of its ability to form spores and survive many food-processing regiments. Foods, including infant formula, are of particular concern for contamination with B. cereus .
Position-independent expression of transgenes in zebrafish

The variability in expression patterns of transgenes, caused by the influence of neighboring chromatin, is called 'position effect'. Border elements are DNA sequences, which have the ability to alleviate position effects. The abilities of two types of border elements, scs/scs′ from the D. melanogaster 87A7 heat shock locus and the A‐element from the chicken lysozyme gene, to protect transgenes from position effects were quantified in developing zebrafish embryos. The transgenic construct used was FV3CAT, which consists of the carp β‐actin transcriptional regulatory region, the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene and the 3′‐untranslated region from the Chinook salmon growth hormone gene. FV3CAT constructs flanked by either scs/scs′‐elements or A‐elements were introduced into zebrafish chromosomes and the spatial and temporal expression patterns of the transgenes were quantified in multiple generations of transgenic zebrafish. Levels of transgene expression were uniform in the pre‐differentiated and fully differentiated populations of cells present during embryonic development. Levels of transgene expression were proportional to the numbers of integrated transgenes. Expression of transgenes per cell varied less than two‐fold in different transgenic lines. Both types of border elements were able to prevent the influences of neighboring chromatin on transgene expression through three generations of fish. The results are consistent with the ability of border elements to function with equal efficiencies in the many cell types found in vertebrates. Thus, inclusion of border elements in genetic constructs can provide reliable and reproducible levels of gene expression in multiple lines of fish.
Immunologie: II Antikörper-vermittelte und Zellvermittelte Überempfindlichkeits- und Immunitätsreaktionen

Bei der Mehrzahl der Antikorper-vermittelten Uberempfindlichkeitsreaktionen besteht der wichtigste Mechanismus darin, das sich Antikorper mit Antigenen zu Komplexen verbindet, die in der Lage sind, gewisse Zellen zur Freisetzung einer Vielzahl von Mediatoren zu veranlassen. Die wichtigsten Reaktionen sind die Anaphylaxie und die Serumkrankheit. Wechselwirkungen zwischen Antikorpern und Erythrocyten- oder Thrombocyten-Antigenen fuhren gewohnlich nicht zur Freisetzung von Mediatoren.
DNA damage response as biomarkers informing a precision medicine approach to bladder cancer: what are the next steps?

Platinum-based chemotherapy has been standard care in both the perioperative and metastatic settings for the treatment of urothelial cancer of the bladder for decades. The armamentarium of treatmen...
The Influence of Postural Changes on Extralaryngeal Muscle Tension and Vocal Production

Purpose Muscle tension, either primary or secondary, is a major component of dysphonia secondary to benign etiologies. Tension of the intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal muscles is commonly thought t...
Acute Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on High-Intensity Strength and Power Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Citrulline is an increasingly common dietary supplement that is thought to enhance exercise performance by increasing nitric oxide production. In the last 5 years, several studies have investigated the effects of citrulline supplements on strength and power outcomes, with mixed results reported. To date, the current authors are unaware of any attempts to systematically review this emerging body of literature. The current study sought to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature describing the effects of citrulline supplementation on strength and power outcomes. A comprehensive, systematic search of three prominent research databases was performed to find peer-reviewed, English language, original research studies evaluating the effects of citrulline supplementation on indices of high-intensity exercise performance in healthy men and women. Outcomes included strength and power variables from performance tests involving multiple repetitive muscle actions of large muscle groups, consisting of either resistance training sets or sprints lasting 30 s or less. Tests involving isolated actions of small muscle groups or isolated attempts of single-jump tasks were not included for analysis due to differences in metabolic requirements. Studies were excluded from consideration if they lacked a placebo condition for comparison, were carried out in clinical populations, provided a citrulline dose of less than 3 g, provided the citrulline dose less than 30 min prior to exercise testing, or combined the citrulline ingredient with creatine, caffeine, nitrate, or other ergogenic ingredients. Twelve studies, consisting of 13 total independent samples (n = 198 participants), met the inclusion criteria. Between-study variance, heterogeneity, and inconsistency across studies were low (Cochrane’s Q = 6.9, p = 0.86; τ2 = 0.0 [0.0, 0.08], I2 = 0.0 [0.0, 40.0]), and no funnel plot asymmetry was present. Results of the meta-analysis identified a significant benefit for citrulline compared to placebo treatments (p = 0.036), with a small pooled standardized mean difference (SMD; Hedges’ G) of 0.20 (95% confidence interval 0.01–0.39). The effect size was small (0.20), and confidence intervals for each individual study crossed the line of null effect. However, the results may be relevant to high-level athletes, in which competitive outcomes are decided by small margins. Further research is encouraged to fully elucidate the effects of potential moderating study characteristics, such as the form of citrulline supplement, citrulline dose, sex, age, and strength versus power tasks.
Sequential clinical 'scenes': A paradigm for computer-based intelligent hemodynamic monitoring

A hemodynamic abnormality such as hypovolemia or congestive heart failure frequently does not occur clinically as a discrete event, but rather may unfold in a sequence of clinical phases or “scenes”. This paper describes a prototype computer-based system being built to diagnose hemodynamic abnormalities by recognizing these scenes and the temporal relationships between them. Each scene is marked by certain physiologic findings which typically occur together. The paper therefore describes a paradigm for intelligent hemodynamic monitoring in which each diagnosis is defined as a sequence of clinical scenes, which we have named to reflect the predominant physiologic process involved; e.g., increased pericardial pressure, intravascular volume depletion, intravascular volume overload, vasoconstriction, vasodilation, and hypotension. These scenes are in turn defined by temporally related clusters of patient inputs.
Challenges in measuring wisdom-relevant constructs in young adult undergraduate students

University settings present a unique opportunity for young adults to develop characteristics constitutive of wisdom. One challenge for educators working to support this development involves effecti...
Comparison of sonic boom propagation models with measurements above the Earth’s turbulent boundary layer

NASA conducted the Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence (SonicBAT) overflight campaign at Armstrong Flight Research Center in 2016 and Kennedy Space Center in 2017. The sonic booms were generated by F-18 aircraft flying at nearly constant altitudes and at nearly constant, supersonic speeds. Although the primary objective of the campaign was to investigate the effects of turbulence on the propagation of sonic booms from the aircraft, a subset of the SonicBAT datasets can be used to validate sonic boom propagation models. This dataset is obtained from the recording using a microphone mounted at a wingtip of a TG-14 glider flying above the Earth's turbulent boundary layer. With this dataset, effects due to turbulence and ground impedance, which are still poorly understood, are effectively eliminated. Consequently, comparison is made between measurements and models which only account for the nonlinear and absorption effects. Such models are obtained using NASA's PCBoom sonic boom propagation code, which has recently been updated to incorporate the full wind effects and improve the code's accuracy and efficiency. Additionally, near-field signatures of the aircraft using PCBoom’s near-field approximant are also compared with those generated by The Boeing Company using computational fluid dynamics. NASA conducted the Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence (SonicBAT) overflight campaign at Armstrong Flight Research Center in 2016 and Kennedy Space Center in 2017. The sonic booms were generated by F-18 aircraft flying at nearly constant altitudes and at nearly constant, supersonic speeds. Although the primary objective of the campaign was to investigate the effects of turbulence on the propagation of sonic booms from the aircraft, a subset of the SonicBAT datasets can be used to validate sonic boom propagation models. This dataset is obtained from the recording using a microphone mounted at a wingtip of a TG-14 glider flying above the Earth's turbulent boundary layer. With this dataset, effects due to turbulence and ground impedance, which are still poorly understood, are effectively eliminated. Consequently, comparison is made between measurements and models which only account for the nonlinear and absorption effects. Such models are obtained using NASA's PCBoom sonic boom propagation code, which has ...
Temperature effects on three downy brome (Bromus tectorum) seed collections inoculated with the fungal pathogen Pyrenophora semeniperda

Downy brome (Bromus tectorum L., syn. cheatgrass) is a winter annual grass that invades North American cropping, forage, and rangeland systems. Control is often difficult to achieve, because B. tectorum has a large seedbank, which results in continuous propagule pressure. Pyrenophora semeniperda (Brittlebank and Adam) Shoemaker, a soilborne fungal pathogen, has been investigated as a biological control for B. tectorum, because it can kill seeds that remain in the seedbank, thereby reducing propagule pressure. Temperature influences P. semeniperda and has not been investigated in the context of seeds collected from different B. tectorum locations, that may vary in susceptibility to infection. We compared the effects of temperature (13, 17, 21, 25 C) and B. tectorum seed locations (range, crop, subalpine) with different mean seed weights on infection rates of P. semeniperda using a temperature-gradient table. Infection differed by seed location (P < 0.001) and temperature (P < 0.001), with lighter-weight seeds (i.e., range and subalpine) more susceptible to P. semeniperda infection. Infection increased as temperature increased and was higher at 21 C (66.7 ± 6.7%) and 25 C (73.3 ± 6.0%). Germination was affected by seed location (P < 0.001) and temperature (P = 0.019). Germination was highest for the crop seed location (45.4 ± 4.2%) and overall decreased at higher temperatures (21 and 25 C). Our results suggest that B. tectorum seeds from a crop location are less affected by P. semeniperda than those from range and subalpine locations. Moreover, this demonstrates a temperature-dependent effect on all populations.
CAMIO for deletion analysis of endogenous DNA sequences in multicellular organisms

Abstract The genome is the blueprint for an organism. Interrogating the genome, especially locating critical cis-regulatory elements, requires deletion analysis. This is conventionally performed using synthetic constructs, making it cumbersome and non-physiological. Thus, we created Cas9-mediated Arrayed Mutagenesis of Individual Offspring (CAMIO) to achieve high-throughput analysis of native DNA. CAMIO utilizes CRISPR that is spatially restricted to generate independent deletions. Controlled by recombination, a single guide RNA is stochastically chosen from a set targeting a specific DNA region. Combining two sets increases variability, leading to either indels at 1-2 target sites or inter-target deletions. Cas9 restriction to male germ cells elicits autonomous double-strand-break repair, consequently creating offspring with diverse mutations. Thus, from a single population cross, we can obtain a deletion matrix covering a large expanse of DNA at both coarse and fine resolution. We demonstrate the ease and power of CAMIO by mapping 5’UTR sequences crucial for chinmo’s post-transcriptional regulation.
Energy Transport across Interfaces in Biomolecular Systems

Energy transport during chemical reactions or following photoexcitation in systems of biological molecules is mediated by numerous interfaces that separate chemical groups and molecules. Describing and predicting energy transport has been complicated by the inhomogeneous environment through which it occurs, and general rules are still lacking. We discuss recent work on identification of networks for vibrational energy transport in biomolecules and their environment, with focus on the nature of energy transfer across interfaces. Energy transport is influenced both by structure of the biomolecular system as well as by equilibrium fluctuations of nonbonded contacts between chemical groups, biomolecules, and water along the network. We also discuss recent theoretical and computational work on the related topic of thermal transport through molecular interfaces, with focus on systems important in biology as well as relevant experimental studies.
Intimate partner violence, reproductive coercion, and unintended pregnancy in women with disabilities.

Abstract Background Women with disabilities experience higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) than the general population. Reproductive coercion, a type of intimate partner violence, is associated with an increased risk of unintended pregnancy (UIP), yet little is known about this relationship among women with disabilities. Objective This qualitative descriptive study explored perspectives of women with disabilities who had experienced an UIP as a result of reproductive coercion. Method In-depth, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with nine women living with diverse disabilities across the United States as part of a larger study examining facilitators and barriers to UIP among women with disabilities. Results Analysis revealed three broad themes related to the ways in which physical violence and reproductive coercion elevated women’s risk of UIP. They included (1) inadequate health care provider or system response, (2) disability-related risks for IPV, and (3) resource needs to optimize safety. Conclusions This is the first in-depth exploration of ways in which reproductive coercion may lead to an increased risk of UIP among women with disabilities. Health care providers must screen for IPV and reproductive coercion and provide the necessary supports and resources for women with disabilities experiencing unintended pregnancy as a result of violence.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in type 2 diabetes: awareness is the first step toward change.

In a recent article published in J Hepatol , Younossi et al . provided a comprehensive systematic review and meta- analysis on the prevalence of NAFLD, NASH and advanced fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) across the globe (1). Among the 80 studies included in the final analysis (for a total of 49,419 patients) the prevalence of NAFLD was between 50–70% in all continents, except for Africa, where a prevalence of 30.4% was reported. This lower prevalence of NAFLD in Africa is consistent with prior reports showing a lower prevalence of NAFLD among African-American individuals (2,3). Of note, once African- American patients develop NAFLD, their progression to NASH and advanced fibrosis is similar to other ethnic groups, and still a significant cause of cirrhosis in this population (4).
Ecological determinants of volunteerism among Asian and Latinx immigrants in California, US

Volunteerism offers various health benefits and increases the level of cohesion among communities. Connectedness to communities may be particularly important for immigrants to promote their integra...
Efficient Approximation Algorithms for Multi-objective Constraint Optimization

In this paper, we propose new depth-first heuristic search algorithms to approximate the set of Pareto optimal solutions in multi-objective constraint optimization. Our approach builds upon recent advances in multi-objective heuristic search over weighted AND/OR search spaces and uses an e-dominance relation between cost vectors to significantly reduce the set of non-dominated solutions. Our empirical evaluation on various benchmarks demonstrates the power of our scheme which improves the resolution times dramatically over recent state-of-the-art competitive approaches.
The Undergraduate Marketing Research Course: Two Decades of Change:

This article looks back over the past two decades to describe how teaching of undergraduate marketing research has (or has not) changed. Sweeping changes in technology and society have certainly af...
No More Abuse: The Dodd-Frank and Consumer Financial Protection Act's 'Abusive' Standard

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Financial Protection Act creates the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. This consumer watchdog will be responsible for the most powerful consumer protections in American history. Under section 1031(d) of the Act, the Bureau may ban acts and practices that are unfair, deceptive, or abusive. While the unfair and deceptive standards have existed for some time, critics assert that “abusive” is a relatively new legal standard with limited jurisprudential history. Thus, ironically, some commentators contend that the inclusion of the abusive standard is itself an abuse of legislative power. This Article asserts that despite some criticism to the contrary, the abusive standard is neither completely new nor unduly vague. By analogy to past application of the term “abusive” in other statutes, one can confidently say that the CFPA’s definition of abusive acts or practices applies to at least three classes of practices. Exploring the regulation of these three classes will then allow the abusive standard to be better understood and manageable.
A mindfulness-based, stress and coping model of craving in methamphetamine users

There is increasing interest in the role of mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions to optimize recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD). However, relatively little is known about the theory-based psychological and social pathways whereby mindfulness could have beneficial effects for managing a chronic, relapsing SUD. Informed by Revised Stress and Coping Theory, the present cross-sectional study examined affective, cognitive, and social pathways whereby mindfulness is associated with lower methamphetamine craving. A total of 161 HIV-positive, methamphetamine-using sexual minority men completed a screening visit for a randomized controlled trial. Using a hybrid structural equation model, we examined pathways whereby mindfulness is associated with lower methamphetamine craving. We found that greater mindfulness was directly associated with lower negative affect and higher positive affect as well as indirectly associated with less methamphetamine craving. Interestingly, the indirect association between mindfulness and methamphetamine craving appeared to be uniquely attributable to positive affect. Only positive affect was indirectly associated with lower methamphetamine craving via higher positive re-appraisal coping and greater self-efficacy for managing triggers for methamphetamine use. Methamphetamine craving was supported by moderate associations with greater substance use severity and more frequent methamphetamine use. These findings support the role of mindfulness in cultivating positive affect, which could be crucial to build the capacity of individuals to manage methamphetamine craving as a chronic stressor that threatens recovery from SUD.
The Perfect Tree: The American Chestnut Tree in American Culture, Economics, and Science in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

The tale of the American chestnut tree offers incredible insight on Americans’ changing relationship with their environment and the complications added by economic motivations and scientific advancements. The American chestnut tree was known for its favorable timber and delectable nuts, which allowed the tree to assume a level of economic and cultural significance in twentieth century America. The timber was versatile and durable, and picking chestnuts and roasting them during the holidays were common seasonal traditions. However, the arrival of an invasive species of fungus at the beginning of the twentieth century decimated the population of American chestnut trees along its native range, tragically spreading like wildfire and radically altering the landscape. Few scholars have examined the role of the American chestnut tree in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states, choosing to focus primarily on Appalachia, where the tree thrived and the effects of the blight were most notable. However, various literary sources indicate that the tree bore cultural, economic, and scientific meaning in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states prior to and during the outbreak of the blight. Poems and stories about children hunting for chestnuts were instruments for conveying Christian morals and values. Others testified to the relationship between boyhood and the American chestnut tree as a symbol of the values that make an admirable man. As the American chestnut tree’s timber grew more popular, Americans began considering its economic value, and numerous articles in periodicals promoted the tree as a profitable economic resource. As the blight raged in the early twentieth century, newspapers reported on the scientific studies, the economic losses, and the cultural response to the tree’s decimation. Exploring the cultural significance, economic presence, and scientific reactions to the blight are key to understanding how the tree’s identities as a regional icon, a source of profit, and an object of science competed with each other.
Clinical Reasoning: A 59-Year-Old Man With Progressive Proximal Weakness Since Childhood.

A 59-year-old man presented with slowly progressive weakness. During childhood, he had difficulty climbing stairs. At age 30 years, he noted difficulty getting out of a chair or standing up from the floor without using his arms. At age 48 years, he started having 3–4 falls per year. He denied orthopnea and dyspnea. He had well-controlled hypothyroidism and hyperlipidemia. Medications included levothyroxine and niacin, and he denied the use of statins, fibrates, steroids, and alcohol intake. His parents (unrelated), sister, and 2 sons (aged 16 and 18 years) had no weakness. His maternal grandfather had leg weakness with difficulty climbing stairs around age 30 years and was using a wheelchair by age 60 years.
Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Addiction Treatment

As adjunctive therapy, yoga is commonly integrated into addiction treatment. However, conventional yoga practice does not intentionally address the underlying trauma that many with addictive use di...
In Vitro and in Vivo Parameters of Humoral and Cellular Immunity in an Animal Model for Protein-Calorie Malnutrition

As a result of recent advances in immunology innumerable reports have emerged in the literature on the general field of nutrition-immunocompetence-disease interactions (2). Originally, questions arising from human observations led to animal experimentation much of which yielded often conflicting findings. Although nutritional modulation of the immune response may be an important factor influencing morbidity and mortality associated with a variety of human disease processes, including cancer, the data generated from a large number of pertinent studies in humans and animals have to be interpreted with caution. That is, many components of the immune system have been studied frequently in isolation from other parameters and apparently out of context with other critical environmental and genetic variables which influence the clinical onset and course of many pathologic conditions.
Testicular sterols. VI. Incorporation of mevalonate into squalene and sterols by cell-free preparations of testicular tissue.

Abstract Crude homogenates of rat testicular tissue (centrifuged at 10,000 x g for 20 min) do not convert mevalonic acid into squalene and sterols. Enzymes in the supernatant fraction from high speed centrifugation (105,000 x g) of testicular homogenate from rats or guinea pigs catalyze the formation of prenol pyrophosphates from mevalonate. Two cell-free preparations of rat testicular tissue have been obtained that catalyze the incorporation of mevalonate into squalene and lanosterol. In one system, prenol pyrophosphate is formed by incubation of the soluble enzymes with mevalonic acid, fluoride, and appropriate cofactors. After heat inactivation of the soluble enzymes, squalene is formed during subsequent anaerobic incubation with testicular microsomes, and squalene and lanosterol are formed during subsequent aerobic incubation with a crude homogenate of testicular tissue. In the second system, microsomes dialyzed against 5 mm Mn++ and soluble enzymes dialyzed against 30 mm F- are incubated together with mevalonic acid, cofactors, an adenosine triphosphate-generating system, and a reduced triphosphopyridine nucleotide-generating system. The major product formed from mevalonate was squalene. Crude homogenates of rat testicular tissue contain many endogenous factors that affect the rate of incorporation of mevalonate into prenol pyrophosphates and nonsaponifiable lipids. Microsomes contain a very active adenosine triphosphatase that is inhibited by dialysis at 4° in the absence of Mn++ or by dialysis at 19° with Mn++. Microsomes also contain a prenol pyrophosphate pyrophosphohydrolase that is partially inhibited by 5 mm Mn++. A labile phosphatase has been isolated from the soluble fraction. The soluble phosphatase catalyzes the hydrolysis of inorganic phosphate from mevalonate 5-phosphate. The phosphatase is inhibited completely by dialysis against 30 mm F-. Successful incorporation of mevalonate into prenol pyrophosphates and squalene by simultaneous incubation of microsomes and soluble enzymes is ascribed either to suitable inactivation of the competing enzymatic processes or to compensation by the addition of cofactor-generating systems. Comparison of similar synthetic and competitive activities from rat liver and rat or guinea pig testis indicates that the ratio of synthetic activities to competitive processes is much more favorable for sterol synthesis by liver enzymes than by testicular enzymes.
Identification of Upregulated SCG10 mRNA Expression Associated with Late-Phase Long-Term Potentiation in the Rat Hippocampal Schaffer-CA1 Pathway In Vivo

The maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) depends on alteration of gene transcription. By screening a subtracted cDNA library that is enriched in upregulated transcripts in rat hippocampus 3 hr after Schaffer-CA1 LTP induction in vivo, we identified a neural growth-associated protein SCG10 (superior cervical ganglia clone 10) gene. The semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR and Northern blot experiments confirmed that SCG10 mRNA levels were elevated in tetanized rat hippocampi compared with those of sham controls that received only low-frequency stimulation. Both 1 and 2 kb forms of SCG10 mRNAs contributed to the increased expression. Using a riboprobe with a sequence specific to the 3'-untranslated region of rat SCG10 mRNA, in situ hybridization further revealed a significant increase of the SCG10 mRNA 2 kb form in the ipsilateral CA3 and CA1 regions of LTP animals. In addition, we systemically injected the competitive NMDA receptor antagonist d,l-3[(+/-)-2-carboxypiperazine-4-yl]-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP) to determine whether the alteration of SCG10 expression depends on NMDA receptor activation or tetanus alone. Administration of CPP 1 hr before tetanus completely blocked LTP induction and the increase of SCG10 mRNA levels. Thus, these results suggest that the transcription of SCG10 in vivo is regulated by long-lasting synaptic activity and may contribute to the maintenance of long-term synaptic plasticity via a presynaptic remodeling mechanism.
Studies on the Presence and Role of Tryptophan in Pig Heart Mitochondrial Malate Dehydrogenase

Several different experimental approaches have shown the presence of tryptophan in malate dehydrogenase from pig heart mitochondria. The methods used were (a) fluorescence measurement of tryptophan content after acid hydrolysis and separation of amino acids by paper chromatography, (b) recovery of tryptophan labeled with tritium after incubation of the enzyme with tritiated substrates, (c) determination of tryptophan content of acid and alkaline hydrolysates with the amino acid analyzer and (after silylation) by gas chromatography, (d) the ultraviolet spectral method of Edelhoch (Biochemistry, 6, 1948 (1967)), and (e) determination of tryptophan by reaction with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide. The estimation of tryptophan by fluorescence, tritium-labeling, the amino acid analyzer, or gas chromatography of acid or alkaline hydrolysates usually indicated 0.3 to 1.1 residues per molecule of enzyme, whereas the two nonhydrolytic methods (ultraviolet absorption and reaction with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide) indicated about 2 tryptophanyl residues per molecule of enzyme. The protein acquires about 0.5 atom of tritium per molecule of enzyme from labeled substrate under conditions similar to the previously reported labeling of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase and rabbit muscle lactate dehydrogenase. The positive results in three different DPN-linked enzymes suggest that in some members, at least, of this class of enzymes dehydrogenation of an enzyme tryptophanyl residue takes place through the intermediacy of an indolenine or equivalent structure. The structure of the adduct of 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide with 3-methylindole was determined as a model for the primary adduct of the reagent with protein tryptophanyl residues.
Social Security, Demographic Trends, and the Federal Budget

This paper considers the implications of the prospective aging of the U.S. population for the social security system and concludes that the large and growing cashflow surpluses of the social security trust funds should be saved to help insulate living stands against this change. A number of illustrative scenarios are presented in which the impact of pursuing this policy is analyzed within the context of a growth model incorporating the demographic projections of the Social Security Administration. If the current unified budget framework, which includes Social Security trust fund flows, is retained, the suggested policy would require that fiscal surpluses be achieved.
On the Use of Wigner Distribution in Ultrasonic NDE

The application of signal processing techniques to nondestructive evaluation(NDE) has proven successful for years. The research on this issue has been directed into two types of techniques, namely, the time-domain methods and frequency methods. Techniques of frequency-domain analysis such as Fourier transform and power spectral density reveal important information concerning decomposition of frequency components which may not be available from the time-domain analysis. However, in the case of ultrasonic NDE, the observed echo from a material can be viewed as a superposition of successive time arrivals of different components each characterized by different spectral contents. Both the time domain waveform and the spectrum can be very confusing and are simultaneously relevant for a complete description of a signal [2]. Neither the spectral analysis nor the time-domain methods alone can provide needed information. Therefore, mixed tools are often necessary to be introduced to overcome the limits imposed on these two mutually complementary families of techniques. These tools are generally referred to as time-frequency distribution or time-frequency analysis and have been found useful in numerous applications such as speech processing, sonar analysis, detection of electrocardiography (EEG) signals and X-ray diffraction. Among them, the Wigner distribution has been studied intensively in the last few years due to its high resolution property.
Calculating the Mechanical Properties of Materials from Interatomic Forces

Determining the mechanical properties of materials from microscopic models of their electronic structure is difficult, first because of the difference between microscopic and macroscopic length scales, and second because the linear relation between stress and strain fails in the plastic limit. The purpose of this paper is to describe how these difficulties may be avoided by use of Green’s functions and the black body theorem. Although the relation between stress and strain can be non-linear, the density of atomic positions and momenta in phase space evolves linearly, and consequently can be expressed using Green’s functions whose singular frequency dependence describes the behavior of the systems on macroscopic time scales. The black body theorem says that for quantities which obey wave equations, the local density of modes is insensitive to distant parts of system. The Green’s functions describing the evolution of local disturbances of the atomic position and momentum distributions obey just such a wave equation and are hence insensitive to the structure of the system on large length scales.
Enhancement of DNA synthesis in neonatal mouse tibial epiphyses after exposure to therapeutic ultrasound

In vitro growth response of tibiae removed from newborn mice was monitored after treatment with ultrasound. Bones, in an acoustically uniform medium, were insonated with continuous-wave ultrasound at a frequency of 1.0 MHz with an intensity of 1.8 W/cm2. Contralateral isolates were used as controls. Purely thermal effects were held to a minimum. A statistically insignificant increase in elongation was observed after three five-minute exposures 24 hours apart. A similar response was also found for protein accumulation and radioactive proline incorporation into protein in the cartilaginous epiphyses. However, after three exposures of ultrasound the incorporation of radioactive thymidine into DNA was significantly stimulated.
CCD Photometry of the Globular Cluster NGC 5986 and Its Post-Asymptotic Giant Branch and RR Lyrae Stars

We have obtained new CCD BV photometry of the little-studied southern Galactic globular cluster NGC 5986, including light curves of five of its RR Lyrae variables. The cluster's red giant branch bump is detected for the first time, at V = 16.47 ± 0.03. We derive a reddening and true distance modulus of E(B-V) = 0.29 ± 0.02 and (m - M)0 = 15.15 ± 0.10, respectively. The cluster's color-magnitude diagram reveals a mostly blue horizontal branch, like that of M13 or M2, and quite unlike M3; yet all of these clusters have nearly identical metallicities ([Fe/H]CG97 = -1.35). We show that the RR Lyrae variables in NGC 5986 are about 0.2 mag brighter on average than those in M3, an important exception to the often-employed, universal MV(RR)-[Fe/H] relation. Finally, we note that NGC 5986 contains two luminous stars with spectral types A–F, which are likely to be post–asymptotic giant branch (PAGB) objects. The V-band luminosity function of such yellow PAGB stars is a promising standard candle. We suggest that the luminosity function is sharply peaked at MV(PAGB) = -3.28 ± 0.07.
Quantitative comparison of a flared and a standard heated metal capillary inlet with a voltage-assisted air amplifier on an electrospray ionization linear ion trap mass spectrometer

The performance characteristics (i.e., ion abundance and electrospray ion current) of a flared and blunt-ended heated metal capillary were evaluated with a voltage-assisted air amplifier on a linear ion trap mass spectrometer (LTQ-MS). The results demonstrated that a standard capillary afforded higher ion abundance than a flared capillary, thus further work is necessary to investigate conditions for which significant benefits with the flared capillary will be observed. The compatibility of a voltage-assisted air amplifier is explored for both types of capillaries and in all cases resulted in improved ion abundance and spray current.
Aging and the skin blood flow response to the unloading of baroreceptors during heat and cold stress.

Control of skin blood flow (SkBF) is on the efferent arm of both thermoregulatory and nonthermoregulatory reflexes. To what extent aging may affect the SkBF response when these two reflex systems i...
Picture processing during recognition.

This study investigated the processing of information during picture recognition. The subjects studied a single target picture and then were given a series of same-different recognition trials during which eye fixations were monitored. Distractors for the test trials were systematic transformations of the target picture. The results indicated that during recognition, information is encoded from a wide area and utilized both to direct additional eye fixations and to reach response decisions. The data also suggested that some of the processes involved in picture recognition are active simultaneously. Language: en
REGULATION OF BFGF GENE EXPRESSION AND SUBCELLULAR DISTRIBUTION OF BFGF PROTEIN IN ADRENAL MEDULLARY CELLS

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a potent mitogenic/neurotrophic factor, controls the development and plasticity of many types of neural cells. In adrenal chromaffin cells, the appearance of bFGF protein coincided with the establishment of functional innervation, suggesting induction by trans-synaptic signals. In cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells Western blot analysis revealed 18-, 23-, and 24-kD bFGF isoforms in the cytosolic and nuclear fractions. Stimulation of acetylcholine nicotinic receptors or hormonal angiotensin II receptors or the direct stimulation of adenylate cyclase with forskolin or protein kinase C (PKC) with PMA increased the content of all bFGF isoforms. Increases in the levels of intracellular bFGF did not result in detectable presence of bFGF proteins in culture medium. Instead, bFGF proteins accumulated in the cytoplasm or the nucleus depending on whether PKC or cAMP pathways were activated. The long-term nuclear forskolin-induced accumulation of bFGF was prevented by cycloheximide or by antisense bFGF oligonucleotide and was also accompanied by an increase in bFGF mRNA. We used luciferase reporter plasmids containing the human bFGF promoter to show that the induction of bFGF resulted from transcriptional activation of the bFGF gene and was mediated by regulatory sequences located upstream from its transcription start site. Stimulation of bFGF gene expression by forskolin and PMA was synergistic and was mediated through different promoter regions. The results suggest that stimulation by cAMP and PKC is mediated through novel cis elements. The regulation of bFGF protein content also involves posttranscriptional mechanisms since changes in the levels of individual bFGF isoforms were different depending on whether cells were treated with carbachol or angiotensin II, forskolin, or PMA. The present study indicates that bFGF is an intracrine cytoplasmic-nuclear factor, whose expression is regulated by trans-synaptic and hormonal stimuli and which may act as a direct mediator of genomic responses to afferent stimulation.
Fine-grain tungsten by chemical vapor deposition☆

Abstract A method is described of obtaining fine-grain, non-columnar tungsten (W) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Typical CVD tungsten grows columnar grains perpendicular to a heated surface when deposited from its halides, generally WF or WCl 6 . The present method involves the partial nitriding of the tungsten to W 2 N. during deposition, and subsequent decomposition of the W 2 N. The presence of this second phase (W 2 N) alters the growth pattern of the depositing tungsten and eliminates columnar grain growth.
Integrated Physical and Chemical Measurements of PM Emissions of Dispersing Plume Heavy-Duty Diesel Truck: Wind Tunnel Studies: Part I — Design and Commissioning

Over the past few decades there has been considerable progress made in understanding the processes leading to formation and evolution of particulate matter (PM) emissions from heavy duty diesel engines (HDDE). This progress has been primarily made under controlled laboratory conditions with the use of constant volume sampling (CVS) systems and to a limited extend through on-road chase studies. West Virginia University (WVU) is attempting to close the present knowledge gap by conducting detailed experiments in a custom designed and constructed environmental wind tunnel. The understanding and knowledge has recently been further extended to new emission reduction technologies, such as the diesel particulate filter (DPF) which has dramatically changed the size distribution and chemical composition of PM. Additionally, the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology has shown to further enhance the formation of nucleation mode particles as well as alter their morphology. Even with advances in technology there remains a considerable gap in the current level of understanding of PM formation and evolution, since the combustion generated PM from diesel engines is not discernible from the atmospheric background PM measured beyond 300m from highways. After being emitted from the vehicle exhaust system, the process of dilution in the atmosphere leads to a multitude of PM transformation phenomena, such as volatilization, coagulation, and condensation. The work presented herein has been divided into two parts which are published separately from each another.The first part describes the design and commissioning process of the wind tunnel focusing on both, aerodynamic and structural constraints, which ultimately led to the definition of the main characteristics of the facility. The resulting design is a subsonic, non-recirculating, suction type tunnel, with a 16ft high and 16ft wide test section capable of housing a full-size heavy-duty tractor cab. A 2,200hp suction fan is employed to provide up to 80 mph wind speeds. The 115ft test cell length guarantees for a 2 second residence time for the exhaust plume evolution (at 35 mph) and complies with turbulence intensity (less than 1%) and quality flow requirement as identified for this type of application. In addition, the West Virginia University (WVU) wind tunnel has been equipped with a custom made sampling system able to move in all three dimensions in order to measure spatially resolved plume characteristics.The second part will describe the actual test procedures and the experimental results and will be published in a separate paper.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Molecular Recognition-Mediated Fabrication of Protein Nanostructures by Dip-Pen Lithography

We describe the molecular recognition-mediated, stepwise fabrication of patterned protein nanostructures with feature sizes on the order of 200 nm. First, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) is patterned onto gold by dip-pen nanolithography (DPN), and the unpatterned regions are passivated with a protein-resistant oligoethylene glycol-terminated alkanethiol SAM. Next, an amine-terminated biotin derivative is covalently conjugated with the chemically activated MHA SAM nanopattern. The surface is then incubated with streptavidin to form streptavidin nanostructures, mediated by molecular recognition between biotin and streptavidin. Finally, protein nanopatterns are fabricated by molecular recognition-mediated immobilization of biotinylated protein from solution. Our fabrication methodology is generically applicable because of the ubiquity of biotin-tagged molecules.
LONG‐TERM INCREASES IN RENAL SYMPATHETIC NERVE ACTIVITY AND HYPERTENSION

SUMMARY 1. Essential hypertensive patients have been characterized by increased sympathetic nerve activity, increased peripheral vascular tone, decreased plasma volume and normal cardiac output when compared with normotensive subjects. Bilateral renal denervation reduces the magnitude or delays the onset of the blood pressure response in numerous models of experimental hypertension regardless of the aetiology of the elevation in arterial pressure. 2. Using a servocontrolled intrarenal infusion system, we have elevated intrarenal noradrenaline concentration via intermittent renal artery infusion without decreasing renal blood flow as a method of simulating selective elevation of renal sympathetic outflow. 3. Chronic intrarenal adrenergic stimulation increased arterial pressure within 24 h and this hypertension persisted for 28 consecutive days. The elevated arterial pressure was not associated with sustained increases in plasma renin activity, aldosterone, circulating catecholamines, arginine vasopressin or significant renal vasoconstriction. Urinary sodium excretion was chronically elevated and the dogs remained in negative sodium balance for the duration of the intrarenal noradrenaline infusion. 4. After 2 weeks of elevated intrarenal neurotransmitter coupled with hypertension, renal vascular reactivity to further adrenergic stimulation was significantly increased because the hypertension was maintained during continual reductions in the daily dosage of neurotransmitter allowed to be infused by the servocontroller. After only 28 days of noradrenaline infusion, renal vascular hypertrophy developed in vessels from 150–300 μm. 5. We conclude that selective and intermittent increases in intrarenal adrenergic neurotransmitter are sufficient to elicit chronic hypertension in the absence of volume expansion. This intrarenal neuroadrenergic hypertension is closely associated with the haemodynamic parameters which characterize a major subset of human essential hypertensives.
Decision making in surgical practice.

Judgment has been defined as the ability to make correct decisions with uncertain, incomplete, or inconsistent information. Decision analysis is a scientific method of choosing between trade-offs. This review provides evidence that the model of decision analysis adequately represents clinical problems and that the use of decision analysis can improve clinical judgment. The technique of analyzing decisions using a decision tree model is reviewed. Using the decision tree model, a decision consists of specifying the options, specifying the outcomes associated with each option, assigning probabilities to those outcomes when they are not known with certainty, and assigning values or utilities to those outcomes. Surgical decisions can be described by a limited number of decision trees despite a much larger number of clinical problems. A model of the surgical decision making process, consistent with the analytical decision tree model, details steps useful in clinical decision making. The surgeon determines whether the characteristics of the patient match those of the typical patient with the condition. If so, the standard solution is recommended. If not, the surgeon concentrates on assessing or revising the specific probabilities or utilities that are different. If the best option is suboptimal, consideration is given to more aggressive diagnosis or to a therapy that offers the potential for a better outcome, but at a risk.