cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of Robust Sealing Mechanism for Mars 2020 Sample Tubes

One of the primary mission objectives for the Mars 2020 rover is to drill rock core samples and store them in tubes that could be retrieved and returned to Earth on subsequent missions. A major cha...
Diabetic Ketoacidosis Complicated by a Brain Death.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Cerebral edema (CE) can complicate DKA management. We report a patient with no significant medical history who presented with DKA and a new-onset DM; she received the standard management with regular insulin and IV fluids, the management resulted in a rapid drop in serum osmolality, the patient`s mental status deteriorated and became nonresponsive, brain imaging confirmed CE, a few days later the patient was declared brain dead by neurology. This case highlights the importance of gradual correction of hyperosmolar conditions including hyperglycemia and urges all healthcare providers to closely trend glucose levels in the management of DKA.
Bio-Based Cycloalkanes: The Missing Link to High-Performance Sustainable Jet Fuels.

The development of sustainable energy solutions that reduce global carbon emissions, while maintaining high living standards, is one of the grand challenges of the current century. Transportation fuels are critical to economic development, globalization, and the advancement of society. Although ground vehicles and small aircraft are beginning a slow transition toward electric propulsion with energy sourced from solar radiation or wind, the extreme power requirements of jet aircraft require a more concentrated source of energy that is conveniently provided by liquid hydrocarbon fuels. This Review describes recent efforts to develop efficient routes for the conversion of crude biomass sources (e. g., lignocellulose) to cycloalkanes. These cycloalkanes impart advantageous properties to jet fuels, including increased density, higher volumetric heat of combustion, and enhanced operability. The combination of bio-based cycloalkanes and synthetic paraffinic kerosenes allows for the preparation of 100 % bio-based fuels that can outperform conventional petroleum-based fuels. In this Review methods are described that convert biomass-derived small molecules, including furfural, furfuryl alcohol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, cyclic ketones, phenolics, acyclic ketones, cyclic alcohols, furans, esters, and alkenes to high-density cycloalkanes. In addition to describing the chemical transformations and catalysts that have been developed to efficiently produce various cycloalkanes, this Review includes summaries of key fuel properties, which highlight the ability to generate fuels with customized performance metrics. This work is intended to inspire other researchers to study the conversion of sustainable feedstocks to full-performance aviation fuels. An acceleration of this research is critical to reducing the carbon footprint of commercial and military aviation on a timescale that will help blunt the impacts of global warming.
The Far-Infrared Background Correlation with Cosmic Microwave Background Lensing

Intervening large-scale structure distorts cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies via gravitational lensing. The same large-scale structure, traced by dusty star-forming galaxies, also induces anisotropies in the far-infrared background (FIRB). We investigate the resulting interdependence of the FIRB and CMB with a halo model for the FIRB. In particular, we calculate the cross-correlation between the lensing potential and the FIRB. The lensing potential can be quadratically estimated from CMB temperature and/or polarization maps. We show that the cross-correlation can be measured with high signal-to-noise ratio with data from the Planck Surveyor. We discuss how such a measurement can be used to understand the nature of FIRB sources and their relation to the distribution of dark matter.
Cognitive Performance Trajectories Before and After Sleep Treatment Initiation in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Results from the Health and Retirement Study.

BACKGROUND Sleep disturbances are associated with risk of cognitive decline but it is not clear if treating disturbed sleep mitigates decline. We examined differences in cognitive trajectories before and after sleep treatment initiation. METHODS Data came from the 2006-2014 Health and Retirement Study. At each of five waves, participants were administered cognitive assessments and scores were summed. Participants also reported if, in prior two weeks, they had taken medications or used other treatments to improve sleep. Our sample (N=3,957) included individuals who at HRS 2006 were >50 years, had no cognitive impairment, reported no sleep treatment, and indicated experiencing sleep disturbance. We identified differences between those receiving vs. not receiving treatment in subsequent waves, and among those treated (N=1,247), compared cognitive trajectories before and after treatment. RESULTS At baseline, those reporting sleep treatment at subsequent waves were more likely to be younger, female, Caucasian, to have more health conditions, to have higher BMI, and more depressive symptoms (all p's≤0.015). Decline in cognitive performance was mitigated in periods after sleep treatment vs. periods before (B=-0.20, 95% CI=-0.25, -0.15, p<0.001; vs., B=-0.26, 95% CI=-0.32, -0.20, p<0.001), and this same trend was seen for self-initiated and doctor-recommended treatments. Trends were driven by those with higher baseline cognitive performance-those with lower performance saw cognitive declines following sleep treatment. CONCLUSIONS In middle-aged and older adults with sleep disturbance, starting sleep treatment may slow cognitive decline. Future research should assess types, combinations, and timing of treatments most effective in improving cognitive health in later life.
Latent Embedded Graphs for Image and Shape Interpolation

Abstract In this paper, we introduce latent embedded graphs, a simple approach for shape and image interpolation using generative neural network models. A latent embedded graph is defined as a topological structure constructed over a set of lower-dimensional embedding (latent space) of points in a high-dimensional dataset learnt by a generative model. Given two samples in the original dataset, the problem of interpolation can simply be re-formulated as traversing through this embedded graph along the minimal path. This deceptively simple method is based on the fundamental observation that a low-dimensional space induced by a given sample is typically non-Euclidean and in some cases may even represent a multi-manifold. Therefore, simply performing linear interpolation of the encoded data may not necessarily lead to plausible interpolation in the original space. Latent embedded graphs address this issue by capturing the topological structure within the spatial distribution of the data in the latent space, thereby allowing for approximate geodesic computations in a robust and effective manner. We demonstrate our approach through variational autoencoder (VAE) as the method for learning the latent space and generating the topological structure using k-nearest-neighbor graph. We then present a systematic study of our approach by applying it to 2D curves (superformulae), image (Fashion-MNIST), and voxel (ShapeNet) datasets. We further demonstrate that our approach performs better than the linear case in preserving geometric and topological variations during interpolation.
A DSC study of Z2−Z3 viscosity blown soybean oil

The thermal oxidation of four commercially available neat blown soybean oil samples and a heat-bodied soybean oil sample, obtained from various manufacturers, having Gardner bubble viscosities between Z2 and Z3 was investigated using nonisothermal DSC under a constant oxygen flow and a heating rate (β) ranging from 3 to 20°C/min. The extrapolated onset temperatures (T e1 and T e2 ) and maximum temperature of heat flow (T p2 ) at different β were determined from the DSC curves and used in conjunction with the Ozawa-Flynn-Wall method to estimate the kinetic parameters of oil thermal oxidation. At a β of 10°C/min, the calculated activation energies (E a ) for the blown soybean oil samples investigated ranged between 57.7 and 74.3 kJ/mol for T e1 , 37.6 and 55.3 kJ/mol for T e2 , and 54.7 and 63.0 kJ/mol for T p2 . For comparison, a Z 2 −Z 3 heat-bodied soybean oil sample had activation energies of 72.5, 39.8, and 61.9 for T e1 , T e2 , and T p2 , respectively. By 1H NMR, the amount of allylic and bis-allylic hydrogens present in the blown soybean oil samples relative to an unmodified soybean oil sample was determined to range from 40.3 to 48.2% and 14.9 to 22.4%, respectively.
Benzophenone-ATP: a photoaffinity label for the active site of ATPases.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the benzophenone-ATP that is used as a photoaffinity label for the active site of ATPases. The chapter outlines the methods, arguments in support of the use of benzophenone as a preferred photoactive moiety in the design of photoaffinity substrate analogs, referring specifically to 3'- O -(4-benzoyl)benzoyl-ATP (benzophenone-ATP or BzATP). One of the most attractive aspects of BzATP as a photoaffinity probe, in addition to the unique photochemical properties of benzophenone, is the relative ease with which it is synthesized. These factors should help to encourage the use of BzATP (and other “Bz-ligand” derivatives) as being well suited for studies of ATP-utilizing enzymes. The chapter reviews the underlying logic pertaining to the use of benzophenone-derivatized ligands for receptor domains on diverse biological macromolecules in an aqueous reaction medium. Thus, the introduction of a new photoaffinity probe into the arsenal of useful molecular tools employed by the biochemist must await its successful application by other laboratories.
Nonuniformity within Embryonic Somites: Differental Response to Retinoic Acid in Vitro

Recent studies have shown that in the developing chick embryo, at physiological level retinoic acid (RA) causes mirror-image duplication of limb skeletal elements. This has led to the suggestion that RA could be the endogenous morphogen or isgnal substance. In this study, in order to explore the effect of RA on somite chondrogenesis, we have standardized a serum-free chemically defined medium that supports the growth of somite explants in vitro. The results indicate that in somites RA at 10 ng/ml level induces cell proliferation, DNA and sulfated proteoglycan synthesis, and at higher concentrations is toxic. The results further show that RA induced stimulation of somite chondrogenesis is sclerotomal specific and the dermamyotemal portion of the somites does not exihibit a similar response. Retinoic acid also increases heparan sulfate synthesis and aggregation of isolated sclerotomal cells in culture. These results thus suggest that in amplifying chondrogenesis, RA acts at all phases such as cell proliferation (may increase cell viability) and aggregation, increased DNA synthesis and increased synthesis of matrix components. In otherwords, RA seems to initiate a chain of inter-related events.
Statistical Learning Theory: A Primer

In this paper we first overview the main concepts of Statistical Learning Theory, a framework in which learning from examples can be studied in a principled way. We then briefly discuss well known as well as emerging learning techniques such as Regularization Networks and Support Vector Machines which can be justified in term of the same induction principle.
Cellular Mechanisms of Hepatic Fluid and Electrolyte Transport

The sections in this article are: 1 Microanatomy of the Bile Secretory Unit 2 Cellular Mechanisms of Hepatocyte Electrolyte and Solute Transport 2.1 Membrane Potential 2.2 Sinusoidal-Lateral Membrane Transport Mechanisms 2.3 Canalicular Membrane Transport Mechanisms 2.4 Organelle Ion-Transport Mechanisms 3 Canalicular Bile Formation 3.1 Introduction and Definition of Terms 3.2 Pathways of Water and Solute Excretion 3.3 Bile Acid-Stimulated Canalicular Bile Formation 3.4 Bile Acid-Independent Bile Formation 3.5 Intracellular Bile Acid Transport and Bile Acid-Lipid Coupling 3.6 Regulation of Canalicular Water and Solute Secretion 4 Summary
Isolation and partial characterization of Escherichia coli mutants with low levels of transfer ribonucleic acid nucleotidyltransferase

Abstract To determine the function of the enzyme transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) nucleotidyltransferase in vivo, five mutants of Escherichia coli containing low levels of this enzyme were isolated. Since no selection procedure for such mutants existed, these strains were isolated by assay of large numbers of colonies from a heavily mutagenized stock. A procedure employing cells made permeable to tRNA and ATP was used to screen the large number of colonies required for the isolation. All the mutants contained less than 20% of the normal level of the AMP-incorporating activity of tRNA nucleotidyltransferase in extracts prepared by several methods, and the best mutant contained only about 2% of this activity. Three of the mutants also had equally low levels of the cytidine 5′-monophosphate-incorporating activity of the enzyme. Despite these low activities, the mutant strains displayed relatively normal growth characteristics at all temperatures examined. The enzyme in the mutant strains was not temperature sensitive, nor were any other abnormal biochemical properties detected. tRNA isolated from the mutant strains was missing significant amounts of its 3′ terminal adenosine 5′-monophosphate residue, amounting to 10 to 15% in the best mutant. However, only small amounts of the terminal cytidine 5′-monophosphate residue were missing. The results indicate that tRNA nucleotidyltransferase is involved in some aspect of synthesis or repair of the 3′ terminus of tRNA, and that the enzyme is present in large excess over its requirements for this function.
Simultaneous imaging of 13C metabolism and 1H structure: technical considerations and potential applications

Real-time imaging of 13C metabolism in vivo has been enabled by recent advances in hyperpolarization. As a result of the inherently low natural abundance of endogenous 13C nuclei, hyperpolarized 13C images lack structural information that could be used to aid in motion detection and anatomical registration. Motion before or during the 13C acquisition can therefore result in artifacts and misregistration that may obscure measures of metabolism. In this work, we demonstrate a method to simultaneously image both 1H and 13C nuclei using a dual-nucleus spectral–spatial radiofrequency excitation and a fully coincident readout for rapid multinuclear spectroscopic imaging. With the appropriate multinuclear hardware, and the means to simultaneously excite and receive on both channels, this technique is straightforward to implement requiring little to no increase in scan time. Phantom and in vivo experiments were performed with both Cartesian and spiral trajectories to validate and illustrate the utility of simultaneous acquisitions. Motion compensation of dynamic metabolic measurements acquired during free breathing was demonstrated using motion tracking derived from 1H data. Simultaneous multinuclear imaging provides structural 1H and metabolic 13C images that are correlated both spatially and temporally, and are therefore amenable to joint 1H and 13C analysis and correction of structure–function images. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pleural effusion in hospitalized patients with Coccidioidomycosis.

Summary Introduction Coccidioidomycosis is a common fungal infection primarily affecting the lungs. The prevalence and the characteristics of pleural effusion in Coccidioidomycosis are not well described. Therefore, a retrospective analysis of data from patients admitted to a teaching hospital with a diagnosis of Coccidioidomycosis and pleural effusion was done. Methods All patients admitted with a diagnosis of Coccidioidomycosis were identified using ICD 9 from 114 to 114.9 from computerized medical records. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data were transcribed from medical records of all inpatients. Pleural effusion was identified using reports of chest radiography, ultrasound and CT scan of chest. Results Pleural effusion occurred in 22 of 146 (15%) patients hospitalized for Coccidioidomycosis. The proportion of patients with pleuritic chest pain, cough and dyspnea were significantly higher in patients with effusion than without effusion ( p p =0.064). Empyema occurred in 22.7% of pleural effusions. Pleural fluid chemistry showed that all effusions were exudates with a mean (±S.E.M.) pleural fluid eosinophil count of 10.3±4.65. Conclusion Pleural effusions are common in hospitalized patients with Coccidioidomycosis. Pleural fluid eosinophilia should alert clinician to Coccidioides immitis as a possible etiological agent especially in an endemic area. Empyema occurred in a quarter of pleural effusions and resolution required thoracotomy.
Structure/Function Analysis of the Interaction of Adenomatous Polyposis Coli with DNA Polymerase β and Its Implications for Base Excision Repair†

Mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene are associated with an early onset of colorectal carcinogenesis. Previously, we described a novel role for the APC polypeptide in base excision repair (BER). The single-nucleotide (SN) and long-patch (LP) BER pathways act to repair the abasic sites in DNA that are induced by stressors, such as spontaneous oxidation/reduction, alkylation, and hyperthermia. We have shown that APC interacts with DNA polymerase β (Pol-β) and flap endonuclease 1 (Fen-1) and blocks Pol-β-directed strand-displacement synthesis. In this study, we have mapped the APC interaction site in Pol-β and have found that Thr79, Lys81, and Arg83 of Pol-β were critical for its interaction with APC. The Pol-β protein (T79A/K81A/R83A) blocked strand-displacement DNA synthesis in which tetrahydrofuran was used as DNA substrate. We further showed that the APC-mediated blockage of LP-BER was due to inhibition of Fen-1 activity. Analysis of the APC-mediated blockage of SN-BER indicated that th...
Effects of pteroylglutamic acid and vitamin B12 deficiencies in chicks infected with Ascaridia galli.

Abstract 1. 1. A simultaneous deficiency of vitamin B 12 and PGA, using a highly purified semi-synthetic diet, resulted in increased worm numbers and worm length in chicks inoculated with 500 embryonated eggs of A. galli . A deficiency of PGA increased the number of worms whereas a vitamin B 12 deficiency increased only the length of the worms. 2. 2. The addition of vitamin B 12 to PGA deficient chicks infected with A. galli reduced worm length significantly. 3. 3. The addition of 100 mg % vitamin C decreased mean worm numbers and worm length in chicks deficient in both vitamin B 12 and PGA, but had no effect in the presence of vitamin B 12 . 4. 4. Evidence is presented to support the concept that leucovorin is biologically equivalent to vitamin B 12 and PGA and thus a simultaneous deficiency of vitamin B 12 and PGA is in reality a deficiency of leucovorin. 5. 5. A complete pyridoxine deficiency resulted in almost a 100% mortality at the end of a 4 week period. Chicks fed a low pyridoxine diet harbored more worms which were longer than did birds fed a complete, synthetic diet.
Identification of the increased frequency of cardiovascular abnormalities associated with mitral valve prolapse by two-dimensional echocardiography

Two-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo) was performed in 86 consecutive patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and in 25 normal subjects. In normal subjects, mitral leaflet thickness was 3.5 ± 0.8 mm (mean ± standard deviation) and the mitral eaflet thickness to aortic wall thickness ratio was 1.0 ± 0.2. Patients with MVP were separated into 2 groups: those with normal mitral thickness (≤ mean + 2 SD observed in normal subjects, i.e., ≤5.1 mm) and normal mitral thickness to aortic wall thickness ratio (≤ mean + 2 SD observed in normal subjects, i.e., ≤ 1.4) (group I) and others in whom these values were increased (group II). In group I, mitral thickness was 3.6 ± 0.6 mm and mitral thickness to aortic wall thickness ratio was 1.1 ± 0.1, and in group II, mitral thickness was 8.8 ± 1.2 mm and mitral thickness to aortic wall thickness ratio was 2.2 ± 0.5. The only significant cardiovascular abnormalities in group 1 were mitral regurgitation in 2 patients and tricuspid valve prolapse in 1 patient. In group II, 7 patients had clinically significant mitral regurgitation, 8 had aortic root abnormalities, 4 had tricuspid valve prolapse and 6 had Marfan's syndrome. Cardiovascular abnormalities were present in 60% (18 of 30) of patients in group II and in 6% (3 of 56) of patients in group I (p
Effects of temperature, feeding and acridine on reproduction of the calanoid copepod, Diaptomus clavipes Schacht

Abstract Chronic toxicity determinations (using changes in reproduction as an index of toxicant stress) were performed on adults of the freshwater calanoid copepod, Diaptomus clavipes, at temperatures of 16, 21 and 26°C. Adults were paired and then exposed for 15 days to five concentrations (0·32-3·2 mg litre−1) of the azaarene, acridine, in a renewal system. Two control groups (methanol control and well water control) were also used. Four reproductive criteria (number of eggs per clutch, number of clutches per female per day, number of eggs per female per day and percentage egg hatch) were evaluated. Mean clutch size was significantly reduced in acridine-exposed animals only at 21°C. Rate of clutch production was a more sensitive indicator of acridine stress than clutch size at all temperature tested. Rate of egg production yielded results similar to those for clutch size. Egg viability was not affected by either temperature or acridine concentration, with more than 84% of the eggs hatching in most cases. No reproduction occurred at the highest acridine concentration tested (3·2 mg litre−1) at all three temperatures; copepods at the next highest acridine concentration (1·8 mg litre−1 produced only 2·5% of the total 1127 clutches produced in all exposure conditions.
Characterization of the plasmids comprising the “R Factor” R5 and their relationships to other R plasmids

Abstract The “R factor” R5 confers resistance to tetracycline (Tc), streptomycin (Sm) and spectinomycin (Sp), chloramphenicol (Cm), sulfonamides (Su), kanamycin (Km), and mercuric ion (Mer). This phenotype is mediated by the presence of two R plasmids: pMH1 and pMH2, having approximate weights of 18.5 and 62 megadaltons (Mdal), respectively. pMH1 encodes Sm, Su, Cm, Mer, and Km resistance, and is nonconjugative. pMH2 confers Sm, Su, Cm, Mer, and Tc resistance, is conjugative, and belongs to the FII incompatibility group. NR79 is a 63-Mdal R plasmid encoding the same resistances as “R5,” and was derived from the same geographical source. It belongs to the FII incompatibility group and is conjugative. Analysis of restriction endonuclease digestion patterns and polynucleotide sequence homologies indicate that pMH1, pMH2, and NR79 are closely related. In addition, pMH2 and NR79 exhibit nearly complete homology to R100. Restriction endonuclease maps and resistance gene locations for pMH1, pMH2, and NR79 have been derived and a model for the evolutionary relationships of these plasmids is presented.
Individualized chest wall compensating bolus for electron irradiation following mastectomy: An ultrasound approach

Abstract A-mode ultrasound is used in a procedure to construct individualized tissue compensating bolus for electron beam irradiation of the chest wall, where the thickness of tissues over the lung may vary by as much as 3 cm. Electron energies corresponding to the thickest tissues in the field would normally cause lung tissues beneath the thinner regions to receive the full tumor dose. The problem is made more serious by the fact that electron ranges in lung are 2–3 times greater than in muscle. We feel that some form of individualized compensation is necessary for patients with large variations in chest wall thickness within a given electron treatment field. The A-Scan procedure is particularly suited to deliniation of the pleura-lung interface because of the strong identifiable reflection from this discontinuity. In the first approach, a moldable gelatanous bolus material, mixed to transmit ultrasound at 5 MHz with a velocity equal to the speed of sound in muscle, is placed on the chest wall covering the entire field. The thickness of the compensating material is then reduced at each point in the field so that the total thickness (muscle plus compensator) indicated by the A-scan is everywhere the same as the chosen maximum treatment depth. Because the compensator has nearly the same electron stopping power as muscle, the compensated chest wall is now uniform in thickness over the entire field. In the second approach, we sacrifice the one-step advantages of using sonically transparent compensator material in order to obtain a more rugged and rapid setting compensator. Four patients have been treated with no evidence of pneumonitis. The more elegant combination of these two approaches awaits the development of rugged materials which are both quick setting and sonically transparent.
Application of nonlinear filtering in mammograms

A computer assisted method for the quantification and classification of mammographic parenchymal patterns (MPP) is proposed. Enhancement of mammographic images is performed using order statistic filtering, a superior method compared to median filtering techniques previously reported. Two complementary methods are proposed for quantification and classification of MPP, a local thresholding technique and an edge detection method, respectively. The latter method is based on non-linear filtering which uses order statistics or linear combination of order statistics filter specifically tailored to identify the boundaries and fine details of MPP. The edge detection method proved to be useful for the difficult differentiation of Wolfe's P2 and DY MPP that have similar breast density and common characteristics. The results suggest that the methods proposed are potentially useful for identification and quantitation of MPPs as required for mass screening of breast cancer.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intraabdominal focal fat infarction in a 75-year-old woman presenting as acute abdomen

Epiploic appendagitis is a rare, self-limiting inflammation of the epiploic appendices or omental appendices. It presents as abdominal pain often misdiagnosed as appendicitis, cholecystitis, or diverticulitis. Epiploic appendagitis can be treated conservatively with anti-inflammatory and pain medications. It is important to diagnose this etiology of abdominal pain in order to avoid long-term hospital stay and other medical expenses including surgery. In this case report we present a rare case of epiploic appendagitis that presents in a 75 year old female patient.
The measurement of radiation dose profiles for electron‐beam computed tomography using film dosimetry

The unique geometry of electron-beam CT (EBCT) scanners produces radiation dose profiles with widths which can be considerably different from the corresponding nominal scan width. Additionally, EBCT scanners produce both complex (multiple-slice) and narrow (3 mm) radiation profiles. This work describes the measurement of the axial dose distribution from EBCT within a scattering phantom using film dosimetry methods, which offer increased convenience and spatial resolution compared to thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) techniques. Therapy localization film was cut into 8 x 220 mm strips and placed within specially constructed light-tight holders for placement within the cavities of a CT Dose Index (CTDI) phantom. The film was calibrated using a conventional overhead x-ray tube with spectral characteristics matched to the EBCT scanner (130 kVp, 10 mm A1 HVL). The films were digitized at five samples per mm and calibrated dose profiles plotted as a function of z-axis position. Errors due to angle-of-incidence and beam hardening were estimated to be less than 5% and 10%, respectively. The integral exposure under film dose profiles agreed with ion-chamber measurements to within 15%. Exposures measured along the radiation profile differed from TLD measurements by an average of 5%. The film technique provided acceptable accuracy and convenience in comparison to conventional TLD methods, and allowed high spatial-resolution measurement of EBCT radiation dose profiles.
Effective delivery of antisense peptide nucleic acid oligomers into cells by anthrax protective antigen.

Abstract Peptide nucleic acid ( PNA ) is highly stable and binds to complementary RNA and DNA with high affinity, but it resists cellular uptake, thereby limiting its bioavailability. We investigated whether protective antigen ( PA , a non-toxic component of anthrax toxin) could transport antisense PNA oligomers into reporter cells that contain luciferase transgenes with mutant β-globin IVS2 intronic inserts, which permit aberrant pre-mRNA splicing and impair luciferase expression. PNA oligomers antisense to mutant splice sites in these IVS2 inserts induced luciferase expression when effectively delivered into the cells. PNA 18-mers with C-terminal poly-lysine tails [ PNA (Lys) 8 ] demonstrated modest sequence-specific antisense activity by themselves at micromolar concentrations in luc - IVS2 reporter cell cultures. However, this activity was greatly amplified by PA . Antisense PNA (Lys) 8 with but not without PA also corrected the IVS2-654 β-globin splice defect in cultured erythroid precursor cells from a patient with β-thalassemia [genotype, IVS2-654(β 0 /β E ) ], providing further evidence that anthrax PA can effectively transport antisense PNA oligomers into cells.
Inhibition of spontaneous metastases formation by amifostine.

Amifostine was investigated for its ability to inhibit spontaneous metastases formation using the well-characterized murine sarcoma, Sa-NH. Amifostine was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg every other day for 6 days to C3Hf/Kam mice until tumors reached an average size of 8–8.5 mm in diameter. Amifostine was again administered immediately after surgical removal of the tumor-bearing limbs by amputation, and then once more 2 days later. Twenty-one days later, animals were evaluated for the presence of spontaneously developed pulmonary metastases. Nontumor-bearing control animals were sham treated using the same dosing and surgery schedules. Treatment with amifostine appeared to slightly delay tumor growth, that is, 13 vs. 12 days for tumors to reach an average diameter of 8 mm. Amifostine reduced both the incidence of pulmonary metastases formed in experimental animals from 77% to 57% (p < 0.05), and their average number per animal from 12.8 ± 5.4 (SEM) to 2.9 ± 1.1 (SEM). The effect of amifostine exposure on serum levels of the angiogenesis inhibitor angiostatin was also determined using Western blot analysis. Consistent with the antimetastatic effect, exposure of animals to 50 mg/kg of amifostine resulted in a 4-fold enhanced serum level of angiostatin above control levels. This phenomenon occurred in tumor-bearing and nontumor-bearing animals. The effects of amifostine on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) enzymatic activity was also determined using gelatin zymography. Conditioned growth medium collected from Sa-NH cells grown to confluency was exposed to various concentrations of SH, i.e., 2-[(aminopropyl)amino]ethane-thiol (WR-1065), the active thiol form of amifostine, for either 30 min or 18 hr. WR-1065, as a function of increasing dose and time, inhibited the enzymatic activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9. At a concentration and time of exposure likely to be achieved in vivo, that is, 40 μM and 30 min, MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities were reduced to between 30% and 40% of control values. Consistent with these affects, WR-1065 was also found to be effective in inhibiting the ability of Sa-NH cells to migrate through Matrigel membranes. After an 18-hr exposure under in vitro conditions, WR-1065 at concentrations of 4, 40 and 400 μM, and 4 mM, inhibited Sa-NH migration to 11%, 44%, 81% and 97% of control values, respectively. The abilities of amifostine and its active thiol WR-1065 to stimulate angiostatin production in mice, and to inhibit the MMP enzymatic activities and invasion ability of Sa-NH cells under in vitro conditions, are consistent with the observed antimetastatic effects exhibited against Sa-NH tumors growing in vivo. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Conservatism of base sequences in RNA for early development of echinoderms

Abstract The homology among repetitious DNA sequences in the genomes of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, S. droebachiensis, S. franciscanus, Dendraster excentricus, and Pisaster ochraceus has been determined by DNA-DNA annealing experiments. The extent of cross-reactivity was 70% for the DNA's of the congeners, 10% for the sand dollar and the strongylocentrotids, and about 7% for the asteroid and echinoid DNAs. Extreme conservatism is, therefore, characteristic of a small portion of these echinoderm genes despite long evolutionary separation. Some base sequence divergence has occurred in this conservative part of the genome as judged by an analysis of the thermal dissociation of DNA duplexes. Heteroduplexes had transition temperatures 0–4°C below that of the homoduplex, equivalent to 0–2.8% base pair mismatching. As previously found for sea urchin development, two general RNA populations characterize sand dollar development: a population of stable molecules in the unfertilized egg representative of genes that continue to be active as late as the prism larva, and qualitatively new transcripts that appear after the hatching blastula stage. From a comparative study of the latter populations of transcripts among five echinoderm species, it is concluded that these RNAs are species specific to an extent reflecting the systematic relationships and the DNA relatedness. The evidence was derived from a measurement of the complementarity of the RNAs to the DNAs of the five species, and by competition experiments. In contrast, the frequently represented RNAs of the unfertilized eggs of all four echinoid species are nearly identical as determined by competition experiments, and are homologous to the same DNA sites. Thus, even at superordinal levels, these eggs have substantially the same populations of the frequent RNA molecules representing genes that have been extremely conservative during evolution. A moderate population of RNA transcripts sharing these properties exists in unfertilized P. ochraceus eggs. Competition experiments using high RNA:DNA ratios indicate that the unfertilized eggs contain a smaller proportion of rare or infrequent RNA transcripts which is derived from an evolutionarily diverse, nonconserved part of the genome.
The release of carbohydrates during mating in Chlamydomonas reinhardi

Abstract During mating of gametes of the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardi , certain physiological changes occur. These changes include the formation, in the (+) gamete, of a fertilization tubule and the release, in both mating types, of a lytic factor which removes cell walls. We have been able to quantitate the latter process, by measuring accumulation of released carbohydrates during the mating process. Contrary to published reports, we have found that glutaraldehyde-fixed gametes and isolated gametic flagella, though they cause the agglutination reaction, do not induce the lytic factor. This implies that induction of lysis takes place during the one-to-one (+) and (-) pairing that occurs subsequent to the initial massive agglutination.
Significance of Transients in Soil Temperature Series

Abstract The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of observation scale on the estimation of soil thermal properties. Transients are usually filtered out and ignored when classical Fourier approaches are used to deconstruct and model temperature time series. It was hypothesized that examination of such transients may be more important in identifying and quantifying short-term perturbations in internal soil heat transfer induced by agronomic disturbances. Data-logged temperatures were collected at 10-minute intervals from thermistor probes installed at 10 and 25 cm depths in isolated areas of two grassed plots. One plot (6T) had been treated twice with 6 Mg ha −1 composted turkey litter as received. The other plot (NPK) was fertilized at the same time with NPK fertilizer. Various methods were used to analyze the series to obtain apparent soil thermal diffusivity ( D -value) at various time scales. Results supported the hypothesis that short-term differences in internal soil heat transfer between the 6T and NPK plots were more manifest and effectively captured by estimated D -values calculated from the monthly and daily partial series. The 6T plot had higher soil organic matter content than the NPK plot and had lower apparent soil thermal diffusivity. Diurnal soil temperature amplitudes, required to calculate the mean D -values from partial series, were more effectively obtained using a temperature change rate method. The more commonly used Fourier analysis tended to be effective for this purpose when the partial series reasonably presented well-defined diurnal patterns of increasing and decreasing temperatures.
ROLE OF FREE BILIRUBIN AND BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER IN BILIRUBIN NEUROTOXICITY

Anesthetized young adult Wistar rats were given either human serum albumin (HSA), 1.5 gm/kg, or saline, intravenously. Ten minutes later the blood brain barrier (BBB) in one hemisphere was opened by carotid artery infusion of hypertonic arabinose. Bilirubin was then infused intravenously over 8 minutes. Serial blood samples were obtained for total bilirubin (TB) and free bilirubin (FB) determinations (peroxidase method) until sacrifice 30 minutes later. Cortical EEGs were recorded continuously.
Beneficial effect of oxytetracycline in cortisone-induced wasting disease.

INJECTION of hydrocortisone into new-born mice results in the development of a wasting syndrome similar to that seen in mice after neonatal thymectomy1. McIntire et al.2 suggested that the wasting disease seen in neonatally thymectomized mice is associated with an infectious process as the wasting syndrome does not appear in neonatally thymectomized germ-free mice. Administration of antibiotics to neonatally thymectomized rats has been shown to influence favourably the subsequent development of wasting disease in these animals3,4.
Resin Capsules for On-Site Assessment of Soil Nutrient Supply in Lowland Rice Fields

Using ion-exchange resin capsules for assessing nutrient supply in lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields requires strategies for estimating field means of resin adsorption quantities (RAQs). To develop recommendations for on-site use of capsules, we conducted two experiments in rice fields on Typic Tropaquepts and Tropaqualfs in the Philippines. Resin capsules were placed in situ (ISI) or inserted into composite soil samples for on-site incubation (OSI). Capsules were retrieved after 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14 d and RAQs of NH 4 -N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, and Mn were measured. In ISI or OSI of single soil cores, coefficients of variation in RAQs of N, P, and Fe ranged from 17 to 71%, whereas those for K and Ca ranged from 10 to 20%. Between one and five capsules per 0.25-ha field were required to estimate the average RAQ of P, K, and Ca after 14 d with a precision of ±10%, compared with four to 10 capsules per field for estimating the RAQ of NH 4 -N and Fe after 14 d. Soil core sampling and OSI of composite soil samples reduced microvariability in RAQs. About eight to 10 soil cores (0-15-cm depth) were required per field for resin capsule OSI. Because of soil physical changes, degassing, and oxidation during soil mixing, RAQs of P, Fe, K, and Ca were lower for OSI than for ISI. The ISI method is recommended for routine soil testing in lowland rice fields. The OSI requires fewer capsules but more labor. Its reliability depends on the extent to which mechanical disturbance, degassing, and exposure to air can be minimized.
SOCS-3 Induces Myoblast Differentiation

Myoblast differentiation is characterized by a sequence of events that includes an increase in insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and contractile gene expression. The increase in IGF-I expression activates cell signaling mechanisms that participate in the differentiation process. One potential contributor is the SOCS-3 (suppressor of cytokine signaling-3) gene, which regulates signaling mechanisms and may be sensitive to changes in IGF-I concentrations. For the first time, the role of SOCS-3 is investigated in myoblast differentiation. SOCS-3 mRNA levels and SOCS-3 transcriptional activity increase during myoblast differentiation. SOCS-3 gene expression is induced, at least in part, by activation of the IGF-I receptor during myoblast differentiation. Overexpression of SOCS-3 cDNA significantly increased transcriptional activation of the 2.0-kb skeletal α-actin promoter in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts. In addition, overexpression of SOCS-3 specifically increased serum response factor-driven transcriptional activity but had no effect on nuclear-factor of activated T cell-driven transcriptional activity. SOCS-3 overexpression induced skeletal α-actin transcription in a myoblast cell line that cannot respond to endogenous IGF-I, indicating that SOCS-3 can contribute to the myoblast differentiation process in the absence of IGF-I. These data suggest that IGF-I induces myoblast differentiation, in part, by increasing SOCS-3 expression.
Concentric spectrometer forms enabled by lithographically produced gratings

Advances in blazed grating fabrication through electron-beam and x-ray lithography are presented, which allow the realization of concentric spectrometer forms with highly desirable properties covering a wide variety of applications, from airborne and spaceborne imaging spectroscopy to in-situ Raman or reflectance microspectroscopy. Design examples and experimental results are shown.
Lottery choice: incentives, complexity and decision time

This paper reports the results of an experiment on lottery choice in which decision cost is measured as decision making time. A simple decision cost model motivates this measurement and the experiment, and predicts relationships between incentive mechanism manipulations and decision making time which are borne out in the experiment. The decision cost model also suggests that decisions will change in the face of the incentive manipulations in the experiment. This suggestion is borne out in a complex decision-making environment, but not in a simple one. Specification tests demonstrate that observed changes in subjects' behavior are not merely due to changes in subject-specific error variance. One may conclude from this that the 'payoff dominance'problem is a real issue in complex decision making experiments. Copyright 1993 by Royal Economic Society.
Conflicting Uses in Mangueira Bay: A Prospective Analysis

Abstract Developing countries in the technological transition period seek fast economic growth and give environmental issues lower priority. This is one of the causes of environmental degradation in coastal zones. The Patos Lagoon Estuary, located along the southern coast of Brazil, has accumulated environmental liabilities over the last 30 years due to socioeconomic activities in the city of Rio Grande. These liabilities are particularly conspicuous in the shallow estuarine embayments, which are considered vital habitats due to their high productivity and significance as nurseries (shelter and feeding) for the local biota. Since the 1970s, these habitats have suffered various stressors from uncontrolled urban and industrial expansion, which are responsible for landfills at the estuary shores and the enrichment of the water with nutrients and metals from the disposal of effluents. In the medium to long term, these problems tend to be aggravated by existing projects and policies of industrial and port expa...
Fuel flexibility study of an integrated 25 kW SOFC reformer system

The operation of solid oxide fuel cells on various fuels, such as natural gas, biogas and gases derived from biomass or coal gasification and distillate fuel reforming has been an active area of SOFC research in recent years. In this study, we develop a theoretical understanding and thermodynamic simulation capability for investigation of an integrated SOFC reformer system operating on various fuels. The theoretical understanding and simulation results suggest that significant thermal management challenges may result from the use of different types of fuels in the same integrated fuel cell reformer system. Syngas derived from coal is simulated according to specifications from high-temperature entrained bed coal gasifiers. Diesel syngas is approximated from data obtained in a previous NFCRC study of JP-8 and diesel operation of the integrated 25 kW SOFC reformer system. The syngas streams consist of mixtures of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen. Although the SOFC can tolerate a wide variety in fuel composition, the current analyses suggest that performance of integrated SOFC reformer systems may require significant operating condition changes and/or system design changes in order to operate well on this variety of fuels.
Malevolent Fathers and Rebellious Daughters: National Oedipal Narratives and Political Erasures in El laberinto del fauno (2006)

Abstract El laberinto del fauno (Guillermo del Toro, 2006) offers a vision of post-Civil War Spain halfway between history and myth. The film denounces Francoist violence from the perspective of gender division, presenting victimized or rebellious women and men who represent extremely violent versions of patriarchy. However, in spite of its condemnation of dictatorial power, the film appears to be trapped in a paradox. Although it shows the public and private victimization of women, its denouement presents female sacrifice as necessary for the survival both of democratic ideals as well as of male offspring. Guillermo del Toro's own position is strangely similar to the little boy who survives at the end of the film, who will be able to explain his experience of the Francoist regime from exile. Del Toro is also an exile from Mexico, and, therefore, familiar with the narratives of violence told by the Spanish republicans who escaped to his country. His voice, masculine and peripheral, seems to be the only on...
A comparison of condom use perceptions and behaviours between circumcised and intact men attending sexually transmitted disease clinics in the United States.

This investigation compared circumcised and intact (uncircumcised) men attending sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics on condom perceptions and frequencies of use. Men (N = 316) were recruited from public clinics in two US states. Circumcision status was self-reported through the aid of diagrams. Intact men were less likely to report unprotected vaginal sex (P < 0.001) infrequent condom use (P = 0.02) or lack of confidence to use condoms (P = 0.049). The bivariate association between circumcision status and unprotected sex was moderated by age (P < 0.001) recent STD acquisition (P < 0.001) and by confidence level for condom use (P < 0.001). The bivariate association between circumcision status and infrequent condom use was also moderated by age (P = 0.002) recent STI acquisition (P = 0.02) and confidence level (P = 0.01). Multivariate findings supported the conclusion that intact men may use condoms more frequently and that confidence predicts use suggesting that intervention programmes should focus on building mens confidence to use condoms especially for circumcised men.