cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positive and negative impacts of nonspecific sites during target location by a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein: origin of the optimal search at physiological ionic strength

The inducible transcription factor Egr-1, which recognizes a 9-bp target DNA sequence via three zinc-finger domains, rapidly activates particular genes upon cellular stimuli such as neuronal signals and vascular stresses. Here, using the stopped-flow fluorescence method, we measured the target search kinetics of the Egr-1 zinc-finger protein at various ionic strengths between 40 and 400 mM KCl and found the most efficient search at 150 mM KCl. We further investigated the kinetics of intersegment transfer, dissociation, and sliding of this protein on DNA at distinct concentrations of KCl. Our data suggest that Egr-1's kinetic properties are well suited for efficient scanning of chromosomal DNA in vivo. Based on a newly developed theory, we analyzed the origin of the optimal search efficiency at physiological ionic strength. Target association is accelerated by nonspecific binding to nearby sites and subsequent sliding to the target as well as by intersegment transfer. Although these effects are stronger at lower ionic strengths, such conditions also favor trapping of the protein at distant nonspecific sites, decelerating the target association. Our data demonstrate that Egr-1 achieves the optimal search at physiological ionic strength through a compromise between the positive and negative impacts of nonspecific interactions with DNA.
Making inroads on cancer prevention and control with Asian Americans.

Objectives : To describe cancer incidence and mortality rates, risk factors, and some of the cancer screening and control programs for the Asian American population. Data Sources : Medline, National Cancer Institute publications, textbooks, and census data. Conclusions : Progress has been made but much needs to be done in cancer prevention and control to lessen the cancer burden among Asian Americans. The diversity of this population requires a variety of strategies to influence cancer screening and control. Implications for Nursing Practice : Health professionals need to understand how Asian cultures perceive health, diseases, and treatments. While efforts should be made to provide correct information about cancer screening and control measures, respect for different beliefs, values, and perceptions must be conveyed to build trust.
Teacher Involvement in School-Conducted Needs Assessments Issues of Decision-Making Process and Validity

Little attention in the literature on stakeholder shared decision making in program evaluations has been given to involving stakeholders in developing the process of decision making. If stakeholder...
The Relationship Between Physical Exercise, Sexual Activity, and Desire for Sexual Activity

Abstract This study was an exploratory investigation of the relationship between physical exercise and sexual behavior. It was hypothesized that self‐report of increased time spent in physical exercise would be associated with a higher self‐reported frequency of sexual behavior and frequency of desired sexual activity. An anonymous questionnaire was given to a sample of undergraduates (N = 78) and a sample of persons (N = 144) walking through a fieldhouse/classroom complex at Indiana University. Pearson correlational analysis of each sample supported the hypotheses (p < .001). Further investigation via a more comprehensive questionnaire or a factorial design study was discussed.
TATA-binding protein and the Gal4 transactivator do not bind to promoters cooperatively.

The yeast Gal4 protein, like many activators, binds TATA-binding protein (TBP) directly in vitro. It has been speculated that this protein-protein interaction is important for Gal4p-mediated activation of transcription, but little work has been done to test specific models involving this interaction. In this study, the effect of Gal4p on TBP-TATA binding is addressed. Specifically, it is asked if the Gal4p-TBP interaction can support cooperative binding of the two factors to promoters. It is easy to see how such an event could stimulate transcription, particularly from promoters with a non-consensus TATA box. In vitro, however, a derivative of Gal4p (Gal4-(1–93+768–881)) containing the DNA-binding, dimerization, and activation domains does not bind to promoter DNA cooperatively with either recombinant, purified TBP, or with protein from a yeast crude extract. In vivo, reporter gene experiments using promoters with differing TBP affinities reveal no major Gal4p-mediated stimulation of TBP function from weak TATA boxes, as would be predicted if the proteins bind cooperatively. Furthermore, native Gal4p and a potent Gal4p-based artificial activator lacking a TBP-binding activation domain support similar ratios of transcription from a series of promoters identical except for mutations in the TATA box. It is concluded that Gal4p and TBP do not bind cooperatively to promoters and that this mechanism does not contribute substantially to Gal4p-mediated transcriptional activation.
Managerial behaviors, motivations, and computerization in public agencies

Survey data show managerial motivations and behaviors are statistically linked to numerous aspects of computer use in public agencies. Motivations to enhance service quality and work environments seem to be particularly influential in using technology to enhance productivity. Empirical research in public administration should be attentive to individuals’ perceptions regarding the impacts of computers. Normative deliberation, however, is needed to determine the appropriate role of managers.
Write equalization in high-linear-density magnetic recording

For many years, equalization has been used on the read side of a magnetic-recording channel to obtain a desired signal shape at the detector. Compensation on the write side has, for the most part, been limited to moving transition locations to offset read-signal peak shifts. This paper presents a new method of equalization on the write side through the addition of pulses at strategic locations on the write waveform. The resulting write current continues to be a two-level signal, so ac bias is not required. A linear transfer function can be derived for these write equalizers. This enables the recording-channel designer to partition the equalization more optimally between the write and read sides. The principal benefit of write equalization is that the read-flux-amplitude differences between high and low densities are significantly reduced. This permits maximum use of the linear operating region of the magnetoresistive read head. By providing high-frequency boosts on the write side, write equalization can reduce high-frequency noises at the read detector. Test results of channel linearity, as well as read signal waveshapes, are presented.
Ballistic Impact Testing of Aluminum 2024 and Titanium 6Al-4V for Material Model Development

An experimental program is underway to develop a consistent set of material property and impact test data, and failure analysis, for a variety of materials that can be used to develop improved impact failure and deformation models. Unique features of this set of data are that all material property information and impact test results are obtained using identical materials, the test methods and procedures are extensively documented and all of the raw data is available. This report describes ballistic impact testing which has been conducted on aluminum (Al) 2024 and titanium (Ti) 6Al-4vanadium (V) sheet and plate samples of different thicknesses and with different types of projectiles, one a regular cylinder and one with a more complex geometry incorporating features representative of a jet engine fan blade.
Validating cascading of crossbar circuits with an integrated device-circuit exploration

We present an integrated approach that combines 3D modeling of nanodevice electrostatics and operations with extensive circuit level validation and evaluation. We simulate crossed nanowire field-effect transistor (xnwFET) structures, extract electrical characteristics, and create behavioral models for circuit level validations. Our experiments show that functional cascaded dynamic circuits can be achieved by optimal selection of device level parameters such as V TH . Furthermore, V TH tuning is achieved through substrate biasing and source and drain junction underlap, which does not pose difficult manufacturability and customization challenges. Circuit level simulations of up to forty cascaded stages show correct propagation of data and adequate noise margins.
The study of a nonlinear suspension bridge equation by a variational reduction method

Let L u = utt + uxxxx and H be the complete normed space spanned by the eigenfunction of L. A nonlinear suspension bridge equation (3 < b < 15) in H has at least three solutions. It is shown by a variational reduction method.
Conflict resolution among early childhood educators

Little attention has been given to conflict resolution in preschools. Early childhood educators working with children aged three to five completed a ten-to fifteen-minute survey to examine their attitudes and practices toward conflict. This study explored the types of conflict resolution strategies they used and thought were effective in their classrooms. The strategies were also examined in relation to the demographic characteristics of the participants. Results indicated that educators used cooperative strategies in their classrooms. Significant relationships were demonstrated involving the types of strategies used and demographic factors.
Fossils Versus Clocks

It's a great story, and one that most of us learned in grade school. Dinosaurs ruled Earth for eons, shaking the ground beneath them as their colossal forms roamed the dense tropical forests of the Mesozoic. Mammals were present but were minuscule by comparison, skulking about in the undergrowth as they foraged for insects. And so it went until a massive asteroid hit Earth about 66 million years ago, causing environmental havoc, climate change, and the worldwide extinction of non-avian dinosaurs \[the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event\] ( 1 ). Only then did mammals begin to flourish and diversify into the myriad forms of today. It is a compelling tale, but one where timing is everything. On page 662 of this issue, O'Leary et al. ( 2 ) offer a fresh perspective on the pattern and timing of mammalian evolution drawn from a remarkable arsenal of morphological data from fossil and living mammals (see the figure).
Topographic Normalization of Landsat TM Images of Forest Based on Subpixel Sun–Canopy–Sensor Geometry

Abstract Because trees are geotropic (perpendicular to the geoid), topography has no control over the Sun–crown geometry. What topography does influence is the relative positioning of trees and thus the amount of shadowing cast by them within the canopy. As satellite sensors in general measure the collective radiance of many trees inside their instantaneous field of view, the overall canopy brightness at the pixel scale is strongly controlled by canopy shadowing and hence by the topography. The removal of or compensation for topographic effects on forest images should be based on the normalization of mutual shadowing at the subpixel scale, rather than on the normalization of Sun–terrain–sensor geometry at the pixel scale. The Sun–canopy–sensor (SCS) topographic correction model was developed to characterize and hence correct the topographic effects on forest images. Testing with simulated image data showed the SCS model to be accurate (root-mean-squared residual error
Physiological Responses to Wearing a Prototype Firefighter Ensemble Compared with a Standard Ensemble

This study investigated the physiological responses to wearing a standard firefighter ensemble (SE) and a prototype ensemble (PE) modified from the SE that contained additional features, such as magnetic ring enclosures at the glove-sleeve interface, integrated boot-pant interface, integrated hood-SCBA facepiece interface, and a novel hose arrangement that rerouted self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) exhaust gases back into the upper portion of the jacket. Although the features of the PE increased the level of encapsulation of the wearer that could lead to increased physiological stress compared with the SE, it was hypothesized that the rerouted exhaust gases provided by the PE hose assembly would (1) provide convective cooling to the upper torso, (2) reduce the thermal stress experienced by the wearer, and (3) reduce the overall physiological stress imposed by the PE such that it would be either less or not significantly different from the SE. Ten subjects (seven male, three female) performed tread...
Effect of ranitidine on intragastric pH and stress-related upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with severe head injury.

We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effects of ranitidine on intragastric pH and upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding in severe head injury patients. Within 24 hr of the precipitating trauma, 34 adults with Glasgow coma scale scores ≤10 were randomized to a 6.25 mg/hr ranitidine continuous infusion or placebo for a maximum of 72 hr. Intragastric pH was recorded via an intragastric pH electrode. Patients with hematemesis, hematochezia, bright red blood, or “coffee ground” nasogastric tube aspirates plus a 5% decrease from baseline in hematocrit were considered to have gastrointestinal bleeding. Ranitidine patients maintained a significantly greater mean pH than placebo patients (placebo 2.2, ranitidine 4.1;P<0.01). All patients had at least two bleeding risk factors at study entry. No ranitidine patients (0/16) developed bleeding compared with five (5/18) placebo patients (P<0.05). Ranitidine continuous infusion provided consistent intragastric pH control and significant protection from stress-related upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding in a high-risk patient population.
Prey of two species of jumping spiders in the field

This is an observational study that describes the use of prey by jumping spiders (Phidippus audax and Salticus scenicus) in the field. Spider diets in the field were examined in terms of prey size and taxonomic family. Five percent of S. scenicus diet and 23% P. audax diet were comprised of other spider species. P. audax's predations on S. scenicus as well as S. scenicus feeding on juvenile P. audax were also observed (mutual predation). In addition, these spiders largely shared common prey, providing evidence of mutual intraguild predation in the field. To explicitly analyze the patterns of prey utilization in prey size, three likelihood models were constructed: 1) no difference in prey between large and small spiders, 2) disproportionate difference in prey size between spider size classes, and 3) proportional difference in prey size between spider size classes. Model selection indicated that both species of spiders utilized a distinct distribution of prey size based on their own size. P. audax's prey-size distribution was disproportionately different to their own size classes whereas such evidence was absent for S. scenicus. This difference between prey-size distribution is likely due to the morphological constraints of spiders (i.e., small spiders cannot attack large prey). Furthermore, large spiders included large prey as part of their diet in addition to small prey, rather than more exclusively shifting to forage on large prey. The field observation revealed potentially general and important species interactions that are not commonly explored in current intraguild predation (IGP) models.
Nematode biochemistry. IX. Lack of sterol biosynthesis in free-living nematodes.

Abstract 1. 1. Under axenic conditions, the free-living nematodes, Caenorhabditis briggsae, Turbatrix aceti and Panagrellus redivivus , are unable to synthesize cholesterol from acetate-2-C 14 or DL -mevalonate-2-C 14 . 2. 2. No evidence could be found that sterols other than cholesterol are synthetized by any of the organisms.
Generation of waves in a bounded basin by a traveling front of atmospheric pressure and the field of wind stresses induced by this front

A plane problem of generation of barotropic seiches in a bounded rotating basin by traveling atmospheric fronts is studied within the framework of the linear theory of long waves. The front is characterized by disturbances of the baric field and the corresponding field of tangential wind stresses. We deduce the modified Ackerblom formulas for the wind stresses according to the given anomalies of atmospheric pressure in which the uniform transport of disturbances of the baric field is taken into account. We perform the numerical analyses of the dependences of the amplitudes of oscillations of fluid in the basin on the parameters of the atmospheric front and the choice of the formulas for the tangential wind stresses. The influence of the wind stresses leads to significant quantitative and qualitative changes in the oscillations of fluid in the basin as compared with the case of pure baric action.
The structure of the trabecular meshwork of the primate eye: A light and electron microscopic study with peroxidase

Abstract The trabecular meshwork of the anterior chamber angle is composed of two regions. Adjacent to Schlemm's canal is the meshwork region which is formed by cells with interdigitating processes and large intercellular spaces containing collagen. Between this meshwork region and the anterior chamber is the trabecular region in which the cells closely envelop a collagenous core. The endothelium of Schlemm's canal is a complete, nonfenestrated membrane. Protrusions of meshwork tissue into Schlemm's canal form villi that are invested by the intact endothelium of Schlemm's canal. There are no canals, large pores, or other open channels of communication between the anterior chamber and Schlemm's canal. Peroxidase injected into the anterior chamber is trapped appreciably in the spaces of the trabecular meshwork. The connective tissue cells and infiltrating leukocytes become phagocytic, and within 4 days have disposed of the injected protein. No evidence was found for the direct passage of peroxidase into Schlemm's canal through endothelial cell vacuoles. The results of this study suggest that the anterior chamber and the spaces of the chamberangle connective tissue are structurally delimited from Schlemm's canal and that the trabecular meshwork may function as a biological filter.
The effect of molecular weight and crystallite structure on yielding in ethylene copolymers

Nominal stress-strain curves of a series of random ethylene-hexene copolymers having narrow composition and most probable molecular weight distributions were investigated. A series of such molecular weight copolymers with a constant concentration of branches were crystallized under a variety of conditions. In each molecular weight series the level of crystallinity was approximately constant. Particular attention was focused on the yield region and the nature of the yielding process. It was found, quite surprisingly, that the yield stress was not solely dependent on the crystallinity level. Moreover, the shape of the force-elongation curve in the yield region was very dependent on the molecular weight and the crystallization mode. These changes in yielding correlated quite well with the overall crystallite structure that was characterized by thin section transmission electron microscopy. The orthorhombic unit cell of polyethylene was maintained in all the samples despite the changes that occurred in the overall crystallite structure. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
High-resolution hard X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers based on superconducting absorbers coupled to superconducting transition edge sensors

We are developing detectors based on bulk superconducting absorbers coupled to superconducting transition edge sensors (TES) for high-resolution spectroscopy of hard X-rays and soft gamma-rays. We have achieved an energy resolution of 70 eV FWHM at 60 keV using a 1 X 1 X 0.25 mm3 Sn absorber coupled to a Mo/Cu multilayer TES with a transition temperature of 100 mK. The response of this detector is compared with a simple model using only material properties data and characteristics derived from IV-measurements. We have also manufactured detectors using superconducting absorbers with a higher stopping power, such as Pb and Ta. We present our first measurements of these detectors, including the thermalization characteristics of the bulk superconducting absorbers. The differences in performance between the detectors are discussed and an outline of the future direction of our detector development efforts is given.
Video Techniques with Chemically-Dependent Patients

This paper describes the use of videotaping as an adjunctive intervention in the treatment of substance-dependent patients. In the context of a cognitive-behavioral treatment extensively modified t...
Mental Training with Youth Sport Teams: Developmental Considerations & Best Practice Recommendations

Working with youth athletes requires knowledge of the inherent variability in child and adolescent development that will impact the implementation of a mental training program. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of developmental considerations that should be noted when doing mental training, particularly for athletes participating in sport at mid-childhood, early adolescence, and mid-adolescence. Gender differences at these stages of development are also highlighted. Additionally, we forward best practice recommendations and learning-activities that have been tailored for each developmental stage that can be used in the provision of a mental training program in a team setting.
Diploidy and triploidy in the hybrid minnow,Phoxinus eos x Phoxinus neogaeus (Pisces: Cyprinidae)

Two presumptive hybrid populations are examined. Nebraskan hybrids, all having allozymic F1 electromorphs, exist as both diploid (2n=50) and triploid (3n=75) forms. This supports the hypothesis of parthenogenesis as the mode of hybrid reproduction. The maximum number of nucleoli per cell is suggested as an indicator of ploidy level. In contrast, electrophoretic analysis of a postulated Mendelian hybrid population in Quebec failed to detect any allozymic heterozygotes or recombinants. A previous conclusion of introgressive hybridization in this population is not supported.
Mammalian X-Chromosomes: Change in Patterns of DNA Replication during Embryogenesis

One arm of both X-chromosomes in female eight-cell embryos of the golden hamster replicates late in the period of DNA synthesis. Midgestation embryos and adult fibroblasts show an increase in late-replicating DNA. Here, one X-chromosome is labeled in one arm; the other is labeled throughout.
The presentation of gendered conflict in popular movies: Affective stereotypes, cultural sentiments, and men's motivation

This research systematically addresses the potential influence of patriarchal culture in motivating men's imposition against women in social conflict. Social conflict in conceptualized here at the level of the dyad, as two actors express differing desires concerning how interaction between them should proceed. A sample of 50 popular movies are analyzed as representative of patriarchal culture and descriptive statistical procedures are applied to isolate associations between variables suggested by an affective model of motivation. Results show that female actors in the movies are stereotypically associated with affective disadvantages in conflict with male actors, and these disadvantages are associated with male-dominant and female-subordinate outcomes of conflict. These cultural associations, termed fundamental sentiments, are proposed to generate parallel affective expectations in men, and emotional motivation for patriarchal imposition when expectations are challenged by nonconsenting women.
The Power of Mom in Communicating Health.

The author reflects on her views about how public health agencies can communicate better with members of the community. She notes that public health information for families should be easy for people to obtain and presented in a manner which makes it simple and enjoyable to understand. The author suggests that public health agencies should involve key public health stakeholders such as parents in research and intervention designs, create health information which is simple to understand and support policies such as school nutrition.
Superconducting fluctuations, weak anti-localization and interaction effects in Nb0.53Ti0.47-Ge multilayers

Abstract The effect of weak anti-localization, electron interactions and superconducting fluctuations on the transport properties of disorder Nb 0.53 Ti 0.47 -Ge multilayers were studied. The temperature dependence of the inelastic scattering time was found to be τ in ∼ T −1±0.25 and τ in ∼ T −1.75±0.25 for temperatures lower and higher than ∼ 6K, repectively for a sample with thick Ge layers. The effect of the Ge thickness on the prefacter A in the expression R □ ∼ ln T may arise from an interlayer electron-phonon process.
Photometric diversity of terrains on Triton

Voyager disk-resolved images of Triton in the violet (0.41 micrometers) and green (0.56 micrometer wavelengths have been analyzed to derive the photometric characteristics of terrains on Triton. Similar conclusions are found using two distinct but related definitions of photometric units, one based on color ratio and albedo properties (A. S. McEwen, 1990), the other on albedo and brightness ratios at different phase angles (P. Lee et al., 1992). A significant diversity of photometric behavior, much broader than that discovered so far on any other icy satellite, occurs among Triton's terrains. Remarkably, differences in photometric behavior do not correlate well with geologic terrain boundaries defined on the basis of surface morphology. This suggests that in most cases photometric properties on Triton are controlled by thin deposits superposed on underlying geologic units. Single scattering albedos are 0.98 or higher and asymmetry factors range from -0.35 to -0.45 for most units. The most distinct scattering behavior is exhibited by the reddish northern units already identified as the Anomalously Scattering Region (ASR), which scatters light almost isotropically with g = -0.04. In part due to the effects of Triton's clouds and haze, it is difficult to constrain the value of bar-theta, Hapke's macroscopic roughness parameter, precisely for Triton or to map differences in bar-theta among the different photometric terrains. However, our study shows that Triton must be relatively smooth, with bar-theta less than 15-20 degs and suggests that a value of 14 degs is appropriate. The differences in photometric characteristics lead to significantly different phase angle behavior for the various terrains. For example, a terrain (e.g., the ASR) that appears dark relative to another at low phase angles will reverse its contrast (become relatively brighter) at larger phase angles. The photometric parameters have been used to calculate hemispherical albedos for the units and to infer likely surface temperatures. Based on these results, we determine that all but the most southerly regions (i.e., mostly south of the equator) of the reddish northern terrains are likely to have been covered with deposits of nitrogen frost at the time of the Voyager flyby, in agreement with the suggestion from the photometry that these units are overlain by a thin veneer of material.
An interactive method for teaching anatomy of the human eye for medical students in ophthalmology clinical rotations

Much research has shown the benefits of additional anatomical learning and dissection beyond the first year of medical school human gross anatomy, all the way through postgraduate medical training. We have developed an interactive method for teaching eye and orbit anatomy to medical students in their ophthalmology rotation at Duke University School of Medicine. We provide review lectures on the detailed anatomy of the adult human eye and orbit as well as the developmental anatomy of the eye. These lectures are followed by a demonstration of the anatomy of the orbit using conventional frontal and superior exposures on a prosected human cadaver. The anatomy is projected onto a large LCD screen using a mounted overhead camera. Following a brief lecture on clinically relevant anatomy, each student then dissects a fresh porcine (pig) eye under low magnification using a dissecting microscope. These dissections serve to identify structures extrinsic to the eyeball, including extraocular muscle attachments, small vessels, optic nerve stalk, and fascial sheath of the eyeball (Tenon's fascia). Dissection then shifts to the internal anatomy of the eyeball. The size and anatomy of the porcine eye is comparable with that of the human and the dissection provides students with a valuable hands-on learning opportunity that is otherwise not available in embalmed human cadavers. Students and clinical faculty feedback reveal high levels of satisfaction with the presentation of anatomy and its scheduling early during the ophthalmology clerkship.
Recoil-Induced Optical Faraday Rotation

The effects arising from atomic recoil during stimulated emission or absorption can play a dominant role in the pumpiaprobe spectroscopy of a subiaDopplers or subiarecoil2 cooled gas. The atomic recoil that accompanies spontaneous emission (SpRE) can also lead to new physical effects. One such effect, recoil induced optical Faraday rotation (RIOFR), is the subject of this contribution. We have been able to isolate a case in which the rotation of a probe field’s plane of polarization originates solely as a result of SpRE. To observe this rotation, one chooses the probe field unit polarization vector e’ = x and wave vector k’ a z, and the pump field polarization vector e in the (x,z) plane and wave vector k a y. In the absence of recoil there is no Faraday rotation for this geometry.
Effects of morphine on behavior maintained by four simple food-reinforcement schedules

Rats conditioned on three values of FR, VR, FI and VI food reinforcement schedules were administered 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 mg/kg I.P. of morphine or saline. Overall response rate varied with schedule, schedule value and morphine dose. The effect of morphine on overall rate varied with baseline saline rate generated by schedules, and the relative rate change also varied with the type of schedule.
Recent advances in mountain climate research

The paper provides a brief overview of recent advances in selected areas of mountain climate research. It addresses the contrasting vertical precipitation gradients in the Alps and in central Asia, snow line in the Alps, orographic precipitation in North America, the Mesoscale Alpine Programme wind studies, automatic weather stations in mountains, satellite remote sensing of glacier changes, and temperature change at high elevations. The evidence for altitudinal differences in the temperature response to recent warming is discussed.
Pitfalls in the design of clinical trials for interstitial cystitis

I cystitis (IC) is a chronic, debilitating syndrome presenting as urinary urgency, frequency, and/or pelvic pain in the absence of another cause.1–3 Estimates of the prevalence of IC in the United States range from 37 to 67 per 100,000 individuals.4,5 Despite the substantial impact of IC on a patient’s quality of life (QOL),6,7 no consensus has been reached as to the optimal management. This is, in part, because of the poor quality of clinical research in IC. Most studies have been retrospective cohorts or uncontrolled case series.2,3 Moreover, because there are no “hard” endpoints to assess the efficacy of treatment, symptoms are relied on to measure outcome. This presents special challenges in the design of IC clinical trials. We reviewed the major shortcomings that have plagued previous IC research and provide insights into how future trials can be improved.
Better detection of FLT3 internal tandem duplication using peripheral blood plasma DNA

Somatic mutation of the FLT3 gene as an internal tandem duplication (ITD) of the juxtamembrane domain-coding sequence causes constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation and activation. Tumor-specific DNA has been documented in the sera of patients with solid tumors even when it is in an early stage. We compared the detection of FLT3 ITD in DNA extracted from cells of bone marrow (BM) aspirations with DNA extracted from peripheral blood (PB) plasma in patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML; 85 patients), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS; 16 patients), and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL; 16 patients). FLT3 ITD was detected in 18 (21%) AML samples and in one (6%) MDS sample in both cellular and plasma DNA but in none of the ALL samples. Hemizygous/homozygous FLT3 ITD was detected in five (28%) of the FLT3 ITD-positive AML using plasma DNA, whereas only four of these cases showed hemizygous/homozygous FLT3 ITD using cellular DNA. The presence of FLT3 ITD was associated with significantly shorter survival (P = 0.02) when only patients younger than 50 years of age (48 AML+MDS patients) were considered. This finding was independent of cytogenetics in this age group. However, patients with the FLT3 ITD hemizygous/homozygous phenotype had even shorter survival (P = <0.001). As expected, the presence of FLT3 ITD correlated with higher white blood cell (WBC) counts. These data demonstrate that plasma DNA is a reliable alternative resource for detecting FLT3ITD, especially the hemizygous/homozygous genotype. Furthermore, the data derived from this study support the notion that the presence of FLT3 ITD in conjunction with the absence of the wild-type FLT3 allele predicts an especially poor prognosis for patients with AML.
Surgical pearl: Scalpel dermabrasion complements shave excision.

W e have found that the addition of manual dermabrasion using a standard No. 15 scalpel blade immediately after the shave excision of benign, superficial lesions is easy and well tolerated and that it leaves less of a scar than shave excision alone. The technique is relatively simple: After the skin has been cleansed with alcohol, the lesion to be removed is anesthetized with lidocaine and shave excised in the normal mannerm, by using a Gillette blade or scalpel (Fig 1). Normally this would be the end of the excision procedure. The goal is to shave the lesion off perfectly flat; however, a slight “scoop” or “divot” defect can occur if the shave is overly aggressive or, conversely, a small amount of the lesion may remain if the shave is too conservative, requiring further passes to try to remove it entirely. Instead, we prefer to perform a slightly conservative shave by removing most of the exophytic lesion but taking care not to scoop down into the skin. Then, stretching the surrounding skin taut with one hand, a scalpel blade (we use the same No. 15 scalpel the biopsy was obtained with) is held at a 90° angle to the skin surface and scraped over the remaining lesion (Figs 2 and 3). A back-and-forth motion, in several directions, is used around the borders of the lesion and serves 2 purposes: First, it removes any remaining lesion down to the level of the surrounding skin, without forming a divot, because the blade is perpendicular to the skin. Second, it creates a smooth transition into the surrounding skin, de-emphasizing any sharp lines of demarcation created by the shave procedure
Block copolymers for opto-electronics

A D(donor)-B(bridge)-A(acceptor)-B(bridge)-type block copolymer system has been developed and preliminarily examined for potential opto-electronic photovoltaic functions. The unique feature of the device includes a primary DBAB-type block copolymer backbone, where D and A are conjugated donor and acceptor polymer blocks, and B is a non-conjugated and flexible chain, a π orbital stacked and conjugated chain self-assembled and ordered "secondary structure", and a donor/acceptor asymmetric layers sandwiched D/A columnar "tertiary structure". This structure is expected to improve photovoltaic power conversion efficiency significantly in comparison to most existing organic or polymeric donor/acceptor binary photovoltaic systems due to the reduction of "exciton loss", the "carrier loss", as well as the "photon loss" via three-dimensional space and energy level optimizations. Preliminary experimental results revealed better morphology and opto-electronic properties of DBAB vs. D/A blends.
The response of "obese" (ob-ob) and "diabetic" (db-db) mice to treatments that influence body temperature.

Abstract 1. 1. Rectal temperatures were measured in “obese” ( ob/ob ) and “diabetic” ( db/db ) mice compared to nonobese and nondiabetic mice in the C57BL/6J and C57BL/KsJ strains, respectively, after treatments that influence body temperature. Neither ob/ob nor db/db mice maintained their body temperature in a 4°C environment as well as did the control mice; ob/ob mice but not db/db mice did maintain their body temperature normally in 36°C. 2. 2. There were strain differences in the response of these mice to a hypothermic agent, apomorphine. Apomorphine caused a larger decrease in body temperature in the C57BL/6J mice than in C57BL/KsJ mice. The ob/ob mice and particularly the db/db mice showed less of a response to hypothermie drugs (apomorphine, tremorine and amphetamine in a 4°C environment) than did controls. In contrast, the hyperthermic response to amphetamine (at room temperature) was normal in both db/db and ob/ob mice. 3. 3. The abnormalities in thermoregulation that are common to db/db and ob/ob mice (lower basal body temperature, sensitivity to cold stress but not hypothermie drugs) might be due in some way to the obesity of both groups of mice. In addition, however, the db/db mice seem to be different from ob/ob mice in their greater sensitivity to cold stress and to heat stress and their lesser sensitivity to hypothermie drugs; this difference may suggest a specific thermoregulatory defect in the db/db mice.
Real and causal hysteresis elements

Hysteresis is a phenomenon that has been observed across many different materials and situations. Under small-amplitude cyclical motion, classical hysteresis designates a constant loss per cycle over a wide range of frequencies. This is also consistent with an increase in losses or attenuation with frequency that is strictly proportional to the first power of frequency. Unfortunately, the classical (and simple) frequency domain description of hysteresis does not result in a real and causal impulse response, and therefore is not useful for predicting laboratory results. This problem has led to many errors as well as other more fruitful approaches over the years. The frequency domain requirements for hysteresis are re-examined and it is demonstrated that there is a family of solutions that provide real and causal impulse responses over some extended frequency range. The family is conveniently divided into highpass, lowpass, and bandpass causal systems. These are populated by closed form analytical solutions which can be applied to the prediction of motion and waves in hysteretic materials and systems.
Aerobic fitness and response to psychological stress

Abstract This experiment was conducted to determine whether aerobic fitness was related to subjects' cardiovascular and subjective responses to psychological stress. Sixteen High Fit and 16 Low Fit female subjects had their levels of cardiovascular and subjective arousal assessed during a baseline period and during a stressful cognitive test. Cardiovascular arousal was also assessed after a brief recovery period. Initial analyses indicated that, when compared to Low Fit subjects, High Fit subjects performed better on a 12-min walk/run test of aerobic fitness and had lower baseline levels of cardiovascular arousal (systolic blood pressure and heart rate). More importantly, when confronted with the stressful cognitive test the High Fit subjects evinced reliably smaller cardiovascular responses (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate) and reported reliably smaller increases in cognitive and somatic arousal than the Low Fit subjects. There were no differences in cardiovascular arousal after the recovery period.
The planetary nebula NGC 6826.

Monochromatic photographs have established the NGC 6826 nebula as the third member of a group of very rare triple-shell planetaries (Feibelman, 1971, 1974). Kaler (1974) also characterized NGC 6826 as a giant halo planetary. Numerous errors and confusing statements regarding its size, structure and stratification are discussed, and the correct dimensions of the nebula are reported: the inner ring is 12.7 arcsec x 8.7 arcsec (Feibelman, 1971); the outer ring is 27 arcsec x 24 arcsec according to Curtis (1918), 25.7 arcsec x 24.4 arcsec according to Feibelman (1971), and 36 arcsec x 36 arcsec according to Coleman et al. (1975). The halo measurements range in diameter from 110 arcsec (Duncan, 1937) to 130 arcsec (Kaler, 1974) to 142 arcsec (Millikan, 1974). Values for the distance of NGC 6826 range from 0.75-1.16 kpc (Cahn and Kaler, 1971) to 2.265 kpc (Cudworth, 1974).
Atomic Power: Fallacies and Facts

The first demonstration of atomic fission occurred in a laboratory thirty years ago (December 2, 1942). The first electricity from an experimental atomic power plant in the United States was produced fifteen years ago (December 18, 1957). Less than a dozen atomic power plants of significant size have been completed and started operating within the past five years; their brief record of operating experiences is grossly inadequate as a basis for responsible engineering (with absolute safety) and for committing large future investments in this new technology. However, in the utility industry, corporate wisdom and good judgment at the Board of Director level has been perverted by massive campaigns of overselling, irresponsible propaganda, and deliberate deception. This paper identifies some of the more common fallacies.
The Effects of Grain-boundary Orientations on Failure Behavior in F.C.C. Polycrystalline Systems

A multiple-slip rate-dependent crystalline constitutive formulation that is coupled to the evolutionary equations of mobile and immobile dislocation densities is used with specialized finite-element methodologies to obtain a detailed microstructural prediction of the inelastic deformation and interrelated physical mechanisms that affect different failure modes in f.c.c. crystalline materials. The effects of grain and grain-boundary (GB) orientations, grain shape and size, GB strength, and mechanical properties on the inelastic finite deformation and failure mode mechanisms in polycrystalline aggregates with Σ3 and Σ17b GBs have been investigated. Results from this study are consistent with experimental observations that microstructures with desired material properties, such as resistivity to crack nucleation, can be potentially achieved by the control of grain aggregate size and CSL GB orientations. Furthermore, it is also shown that transgranular failure modes can occur in aggregates with a high frequenc...
Arthroscopic diagnosis and surgery of the temporomandibular joint

Arthroscopy of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) has advanced to the point that excellent diagnostic examination and a number of surgical procedures can be performed. A refined technique is presented and instrumentation for surgical arthroscopy is discussed. Short-term results are also presented.
Molecular-dynamics simulations of Coulombic systems on distributed-memory MIMD machines

Abstract Parallel algorithms are designed for molecular-dynamics simulations of bulk systems with Coulomb forces. The conditionally convergent series for the 1/ r interaction is treated by the Ewald method of summation. One of the algorithms involves the equipartition of an N -particle system into p subsystems of N/p particles each, with a one-to-one mapping between subsystems and p processors. The other algorithm is based on the spatial decomposition of the volume of a system into p equal parts which are geometrically mapped onto processors. The performance of these algorithms is tested on the in-house 8 node Intel iPSC/860 system. Execution times for these algorithms are comparable, and in both cases the computation time dominates the communication time. For a 64 000 particle one-component charged plasma in three dimensions, the execution time for a single molecular-dynamics time step is 27.4 s. Execution times increase linearly with an increase in the size of the system and they are inversely proportional to the number of processors. Parallel efficiencies of these algorithms are close to 0.85.
Optimizing the asymptotic convergence rate of the Diaconis--Holmes--Neal sampler

We consider the problem of optimizing the asymptotic convergence rate of a parameter-dependent nonreversible Markov chain. We begin with a single-parameter case studied by Diaconis, Holmes and Neal and then introduce multiple parameters. We use nonsmooth analysis to investigate whether the presence of multiple parameters allows a faster asymptotic convergence rate, and argue that for a specific parameterization, it does not, at least locally.
In vitro analysis of the relationship between endonuclease and maturase activities in the bi‐functional group I intron‐encoded protein, I‐AniI

The AnCOB group I intron from Aspergillus nidulans encodes a homing DNA endonuclease called I-AniI which also functions as a maturase, assisting in AnCOB intron RNA splicing. In this investigation we biochemically characterized the endonuclease activity of I-AniI in vitro and utilized competition assays to probe the relationship between the RNA- and DNA-binding sites. Despite functioning as an RNA maturase, I-AniI still retains several characteristic properties of homing endonucleases including relaxed substrate specificity, DNA cleavage product retention and instability in the reaction buffer, which suggest that the protein has not undergone dramatic structural adaptations to function as an RNA-binding protein. Nitrocellulose filter binding and kinetic burst assays showed that both nucleic acids bind I-AniI with the same 1 : 1 stoichiometry. Furthermore, in vitro competition activity assays revealed that the RNA substrate, when prebound to I-AniI, stoichiometrically inhibits DNA cleavage activity, yet in reciprocal experiments, saturating amounts of prebound DNA substrate fails to inhibit RNA splicing activity. The data suggest therefore that both nucleic acids do not bind the same single binding site, rather that I-AniI appears to contain two binding sites.
3.1 Initial statistical clustering: definition of temporary clusters of monoclonal antibodies for the duration of the workshop

Statistical clustering was performed on flow cytometry data generated from the reactivities of 189 mAbs with 56 cell preparations or cell lines (targets). Six targets were excluded from the statistical clustering because of non-reproducibility of data from the internal controls. Thirty-six temporary clusters (TC) were formed which were subjected to further examination in the second phase of the workshop.
A tool to aid in the installation of complex software systems

This paper describes a programming language, SIDL, in which various aspects of software installation can be modeled. SIDL supports hierarchical file systems, computers, and processes for executing programs to produce new programs and data. An example, illustrating the installation of Ratfor, and experience with the use of SIDL for describing the installation of a large software system are included.
Spectrophotometric determination of zirconium in magnesium-base alloy

Summary A rapid spectrophotometric determination of zirconium with neothoron is described. Large amounts of magnesium and moderate amounts of many heavy metals have no effect. The method is applicable to the direct determination of zirconium in magnesium-base alloys.