cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Allele-specific effects of ecSOD on asbestos-induced fibroproliferative lung disease in mice

Previous work by others suggests that there is a strain-dependent variation in the susceptibility to inflammatory lung injury in mice. Specifically, the 129/J mice appear to be more resistant to asbestos-induced pulmonary fibrosis than the C57BL/6 strain. A separate line of evidence suggests that extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) may play an important role in protecting the lung from such injuries. We have recently reported that the 129/J strain of mice has an ecSOD genotype and phenotype distinctly different from those of the C57BL/6 mice. In order to identify ecSOD as a potential "asbestos-injury resistance" gene, we bred congenic mice, on the C57BL/6 background, carrying the wild type (sod3wt) or the 129/J (sod3129) allele for ecSOD. This allowed us to examine the role of ecSOD polymorphism in susceptibility to lung injury in an otherwise identical genetic background. Interestingly, asbestos treatment induces a significant (~40%) increase in plasma ecSOD activity in the sod3129 mice, but not in the sod3wt mice. Asbestos administration results in a loss of ecSOD activity and protein from lung tissue of both congenic strains, but the lung ecSOD activity remains significantly higher in sod3129 mice. As expected, asbestos treatment results in a significant recovery of ecSOD protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The BALF of sod3129 mice also have significantly lower levels of proteins and inflammatory cells, especially neutrophils, accompanied by a significantly lower extent of lung injury, as measured by a pathology index score or hydroxyproline content. Immunohistochemistry reveals a significant loss of ecSOD from the tips of the respiratory epithelial cells in response to asbestos treatment and that the loss of immunodetectable ecSOD is compensated for by enzyme expression by infiltrating cells, especially in the sod3wt mice. Our studies thus identify ecSOD as an important anti-inflammatory gene, responsible for most, if not all of the resistance to asbestos-induced lung injury reported for the 129/J strain of mice. The data further suggest allele-specific differences in the regulation of ecSOD expression. These congenic mice therefore represent a very useful model to study the role of this enzyme in all inflammatory diseases. Polymorphisms in human ecSOD have also been reported and it appears logical to assume that such variations may have a profound effect on disease susceptibility.
Drusen regression is associated with local changes in fundus autofluorescence in intermediate age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose To investigate the association of spontaneous drusen regression in intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with changes on fundus photography and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging. Design Prospective observational case series. Methods Fundus images from 58 eyes (in 58 patients) with intermediate AMD and large drusen were assessed over 2 years for areas of drusen regression that exceeded the area of circle C1 (diameter 125 μm; Age-Related Eye Disease Study grading protocol). Manual segmentation and computer-based image analysis were used to detect and delineate areas of drusen regression. Delineated regions were graded as to their appearance on fundus photographs and FAF images, and changes in FAF signal were graded manually and quantitated using automated image analysis. Results Drusen regression was detected in approximately half of study eyes using manual (48%) and computer-assisted (50%) techniques. At year-2, the clinical appearance of areas of drusen regression on fundus photography was mostly unremarkable, with a majority of eyes (71%) demonstrating no detectable clinical abnormalities, and the remainder (29%) showing minor pigmentary changes. However, drusen regression areas were associated with local changes in FAF that were significantly more prominent than changes on fundus photography. A majority of eyes (64%-66%) demonstrated a predominant decrease in overall FAF signal, while 14%-21% of eyes demonstrated a predominant increase in overall FAF signal. Conclusions FAF imaging demonstrated that drusen regression in intermediate AMD was often accompanied by changes in local autofluorescence signal. Drusen regression may be associated with concurrent structural and physiologic changes in the outer retina.
Effects of recombinant bactericidal, permeability-increasing protein on bacterial translocation and pulmonary neutrophil sequestration in burned mice

Burn injury induces bacterial transloction (BT) from the gut in multiple animal models. Etiologic factors contributing to BT may be an ischemia-reperfusion injury to the gut, the release of inflammatory cytokines, oxygen metabolites and other mediators, and cytotoxic effects mediated by endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide). Bactericidal, permeability-increasing protein is a neutrophil granule protein with potent bactericidal and lipopolysaccharide-neutralizing activities. The use of this protein has not been previously reported in a burninjury model. The purpose of this study was to determine whether recombinant bactericidal, permeability-increasing protein (rBPI 23 ) affects the incidence of BT and myeloperoxidase content in lung tissue (a measure of leukocyte sequestration) in a burninjury model. Mice received a 32% total body surface area, full-thickness, scald burn, and 10 mg/kg body weight rBPI 23 in saline solution was given by intraperitoneal injection at 0, 3, and 6 hours after the burn. Control animals received intraperitoneal saline solution only. All animals received a total of 1 ml saline solution intraperitoneally immediately after burn injury for fluid resuscitation. At 24 hours after burn injury, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) were harvested, homogenized, and plated. Lung tissue was harvested and assayed for myeloperoxidase. Burned mice treated with rBPI 23 had a significantly (p = 0.005, Fisher's Exact Test, two-tailed) decreased incidence of BT, compared to burned mouse controls. Leukosequestration into lung tissues was not affected by rBPI 23 . Postburn administration of rBPI 23 reduces but does not abolish the incidence of BT after burn injury in mice, perhaps by reducing intestinal injury during burn shock and the ischemia-reperfusion period by inhibiting the effects of lipopolysaccharide. An alternate explanation may be that rBPI 23 could increase clearance and killing of bacteria by host defenses.
Application of thermal lens spectrometry to kinetic speciation studies of metal ions in natural water models with colloidal ligands

Abstract Thermal lensing spectrometry (TLS) has been applied to measurement of kinetics with the aim of extending kinetic speciation methods to the low concentrations of metal ions in the presence of colloidal ligands which are important in many natural systems. Using bromination of acetone as a test reaction, it is shown thatn 2–3 significant figure rate constants can be obtained from runs with a total absorbance change of
Grooming in primates: Implications for its utilitarian function

Captive lion-tailed macaques, ring-tailed lemurs and Celebes black “apes” performed relatively more social grooming of areas which are inaccessible to self-grooming. Combined with considerable circumstantial evidence, this suggests that primate grooming may subserve real utilitarian functions in parasite removal, in addition to its acknowledged social functions.
The product rule for Fréchet derivatives

In this paper we extend the well known formula for the derivative of a product of real‐valued functions to the case in which one of the functions has range in a Banach space.
Consideration of the geometry of the phyllotaxic triangular unit and discontinuous phyllotactic transitions

The Phyllotaxic Triangular Unit (PTU) has been proposed as the common element of all patterns of phyllotaxis, analogous to the primitive unit cell of crystallography. The geometry of the PTU is examined within the geometric framework of classical contact parastichy phyllotaxis models. Three natural categories of phyllotactic patterns are defined in terms of the geometric characteristics of the PTU. Discontinuous transitions, analogous to edge dislocations in crystals, provide a theoretical mechanism by which multiple (more than one leaf per node) and simple (one leaf per node) phyllotactic patterns can be transformed one to the other.
Government publications— A course outline

Abstract Most librarians do not have an extensive knowledge of government publications. There are no generally accepted standards by which goals and objectives of a course in government publications may be measured. This outline represents an attempt to construct a viable one semester course in U.S. Government publications. Emphasis is placed on bibliographic control of publications, sources of ready reference, and serial publications. Within this framework, there may be variations as based on the differences in goals and objectives of individual library schools and their student bodies. The teacher must have more than a minimal knowledge of the organizational structure and history of the federal government if the functions of the various agencies are to be adequately explained. Careful attention should always be given to explanations, definitions and terminology. The value and usefulness of U.S. Government publications can be made more apparent by use of current items in the news and the identification of the sources of those items with their agency and appropriate publications.
Intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring as an adjunct to parathyroidectomy

Background. Parathyroidectomy has a success rate of greater than 95% in the hands of experienced surgeons. To maintain this result in a more cost-effective way, intraoperative monitoring of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) has been used to decrease operative times. This technique signals when all hyperfunctioning tissue has been excised or when further dissection is necessary. Methods. Eighty-nine consecutive patients with hyperparathyroidism had plasma samples measured for iPTH levels during parathyroidectomy. Nine patients had previous neck explorations. Perioperative iPTH measurements using immunochemiluminescent assays with a turnaround time of 10 minutes were done after excision of each suspected abnormal parathyroid gland. Results. All patients except one returned to and maintained normal calcium levels during the follow-up period of 8 months (range, 1 to 25 months). Prediction of postoperative calcium levels by means of quick immunochemiluminescent assay has a sensitivity of 97% specificity of 100%, and an overall accuracy of 97%. Specific influence on surgical judgment was noted in four patients with multiglandular disease, in seven with difficult localization problems, and in one patient in whom the hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue was not recognized. Monitoring the plasma iPTH levels during parathyroidectomy directly aided the surgeon's operative approach in these 12 patients. Conclusions. Intraoperative iPTH assay is useful with predictive accuracy of 97%. It influenced or changed the operative approach in 13% of patients. (Surgery 1996; 120: 954–8).
Effects of urease inhibitors on germination of seeds in soil

Abstract The effects of 23 urease inhibitors on germination of seeds in soil were investigated. The urease inhibitors tested were 2/5‐dimethyl‐l,4‐benzoquinone, 1/4‐benzoquinone, hydroquinone, 2,5‐dichloro‐l,4‐benzoquinone, phenylmercuric acetate, catechol, phenylphosphorodiamidate, phosphoric triamide, N‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐phosphoric triamide, N‐(diaminophosphinyl)benzeneacetamide, 4‐chloro‐N‐(diaminophosphinyl)benzamide, N‐3‐(trifluoromethyl‐phenyl)phosphoric triamide, 4‐fluoro‐N‐(diaminophosphinyl)‐benzamide/ 4‐cyano‐N‐(diaminophosphinyl)benzamide, N‐(diamino‐phosphinyl)‐3‐pyridinecarboxamide, N‐(diaminophosphinyl)‐benzamide, N‐phenylphosphoric triamide, phosphorodiamidic acid, N‐(n‐butyl)thiophosphoric triamide, thiophosphoric triamide, 4‐chlorophenylphosphorodiamidate, 2,4‐diphenoxy‐2,4,6,6‐tetraaminocyclotriphosphazene, and 2‐phenoxy‐2,4,4,6,6‐pentaaminocyclotriphosphazene. Germination tests were performed with seeds of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare...
Incidence of Orphanhood among Fifteen Hundred Psychotic Patients

* Received in the Editorial Office on September 14, 1936. 1 The writers wish to acknowledge their indebtedness to Drs. Marcus Curry, Superintendent, and A. G. Lane, Clinical Director, of the New Jersey State Hospital, Greystone Park, New Jersey.
Measuring hormones – past, present and future

The title of a recent article, referring to transformations that endocrinology is anticipated to witness in the coming decades, connects two major events that marked this past half of a century [1] and is reminiscent of other important advancements in science. One of these – the development of imunoassays by Berson and Yalow in 1959 – ranks together with vaccines, penicillin, X-rays, DNA and the human genome project, among the most monumental medical advances [2,3]. The impact exerted by immunoassays on medicine and research is vividly illustrated by the twelve Nobel Prizes that were awarded over the past 50 years for discoveries directly related to endocrinology and hormone assays [4].
Selective attention of impulsive and reflective children

Abstract Kagan's Matching Familiar Figures Test was used to select 36 impulsive and 36 reflective children at each of three grade levels: kindergarten, second, and fifth. An incidental learning paradigm was used to assess the child's recall of central and incidental information. Reflective subjects recalled more central and incidental information than impulsives, suggesting that impulsives have difficulty encoding information for storage. Central recall increased with grade level but incidental learning remained constant, a finding consistent with the developmental trend found in previous investigations. A task order effect was found in the recall of central information with more errors made when the central recall task was presented after the incidental. This order effect may account for the higher central recall scores found in previous investigations. Other problems with the incidental learning paradigms raise questions about the validity of the task for inferring selective attention. Despite the problems associated with the task, the results offer further evidence to support the notion that impulsive and reflective children differ on dimensions other than response latency.
Lansoprazole provided more effective and faster relief for heartburn than did omeprazole in erosive esophagitis

Source Citation Richter JE, Kahrilas PJ, Sontag SJ, et al. Comparing lansoprazole and omeprazole in onset of heartburn relief: results of a randomized, controlled trial in erosive esophagitis patie...
The interaction of diltiazem with lovastatin and pravastatin.

Background Lovastatin is oxidized by cytochrome P4503A to active metabolites but pravastatin is active alone and is not metabolized by cytochrome P450. Diltiazem, a substrate and a potent inhibitor of cytochrome P4503A enzymes, is commonly coadministered with cholesterol-lowering agents. Methods This was a balanced, randomized, open-label, 4-way crossover study in 10 healthy volunteers, with a 2-week washout period between the phases. Study arms were (1) administration of a single dose of 20 mg lovastatin, (2) administration of a single dose of 20 mg pravastatin, (3) administration of a single dose of lovastatin after administration of 120 mg diltiazem twice a day for 2 weeks, and (4) administration of a single dose of pravastatin after administration of 120 mg diltiazem twice a day for 2 weeks. Results Diltiazem significantly (P < .05) increased the oral area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC) of lovastatin from 3607 ± 1525 ng/ml/min (mean ± SD) to 12886 ± 6558 ng/ml/min and maximum serum concentration (Cmax) from 6 ± 2 to 26 ± 9 ng/ml but did not influence the elimination half-life. Diltiazem did not affect the oral AUC, Cmax, or half-life of pravastatin. The average steady-state serum concentrations of diltiazem were not significantly different between the lovastatin (130 ± 58 ng/ml) and pravastatin (110 ± 30 ng/ml) study arms. Conclusion Diltiazem greatly increased the plasma concentration of lovastatin, but the magnitude of this effect was much greater than that predicted by the systemic serum concentration, suggesting that this interaction is a first-pass rather than a systemic event. The magnitude of this effect and the frequency of coadministration suggest that caution is necessary when administering diltiazem and lovastatin together. Further studies should explore whether this interaction abrogates the efficacy of lovastatin or enhances toxicity and whether it occurs with other cytochrome P4503A4-metabolized 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, such as simvastatin, fluvastatin, and atorvastatin. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1998) 64, 369–377; doi:
Crystallization of DNA binding proteins with oligodeoxynucleotides.

In contrast to oligodeoxynucleotides, protein:DNA complexes crystallize from a broad range of precipitants and conditions, much as proteins by themselves. There are, however, a number of factors that should be considered, at least in the early stages of cocrystallization attempts. These include the length and construction of the oligodeoxynucleotide itself, a pH near or below neutrality, a stoichiometric excess of DNA, and di- and polyvalent cations. By far the more important of these factors are the length of the DNA fragment and the nature of the terminal nucleotides. Unfortunately, experience suggests that, in general, the length and construction of the DNA fragment for optimal crystal growth cannot be predicted in advance. A systematic search of cocrystallization conditions with different DNA fragments will normally be required. It is important to avoid sequences that provide possible subsites within the fragment or at junctions between fragments related by translations. Sample purity, especially that of the DNA, can also have important effects. Detailed protocols for the purification of chemically synthesized fragments are suggested. Finally, a set of conditions for initial cocrystallization trials with a new DNA binding protein is suggested.
HYDROCEPHALUS DUE TO MEMBRANOUS OBSTRUCTION OF THE FOURTH VENTRICLE IN A CASE OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.

This report is concerned with a case of internal hydrocephalus due to membranous obstruction at the junction of aqueduct and fourth ventricle in a patient who also had multiple sclerosis. The association with multiple sclerosis appears to have been coincidental. Although a rare cause of hydrocephalus, membranous obstruction deserves special attention because of the possibility of surgical cure.
Isolectric focusing in immobilized pH gradients of a snake venom fibrinolytic enzyme

A fibrinolytic enzyme with a molecular weight between 23,000 and 25,000 Da has been purified from southern copperhead snake venom. Immobilized pH gradient isoelectric focusing with an ultranarrow pH interval (pH 6.65-6.95) resolved two isoforms of the fibrinolytic enzyme that were not resolved by standard isoelectric focusing. Attempts at purification of the individual isoenzymes by semi-preparative scale IPG and elution of enzyme by macerating the gel yielded only 20-40% recovery of activity. In attempts to improve recovery, a semi-preparative IPG canal-isoelectric focusing technique has been utilized.
Epigenetic Signaling in Psychiatric Disorders

Psychiatric disorders are complex multifactorial illnesses involving chronic alterations in neural circuit structure and function. While genetic factors are important in the etiology of disorders such as depression and addiction, relatively high rates of discordance among identical twins clearly indicate the importance of additional mechanisms. Environmental factors such as stress or prior drug exposure are known to play a role in the onset of these illnesses. Such exposure to environmental insults induces stable changes in gene expression, neural circuit function, and ultimately behavior, and these maladaptations appear distinct between developmental and adult exposures. Increasing evidence indicates that these sustained abnormalities are maintained by epigenetic modifications in specific brain regions. Indeed, transcriptional dysregulation and associated aberrant epigenetic regulation is a unifying theme in psychiatric disorders. Aspects of depression and addiction can be modeled in animals by inducing disease-like states through environmental manipulations (e.g., chronic stress, drug administration). Understanding how environmental factors recruit the epigenetic machinery in animal models reveals new insight into disease mechanisms in humans.
Affective objectives in a programming languages course

This paper discusses the use of affective objectives in upper-level computer science courses. The use of affective objectives can enrich student experiences, support student motivation, and enhance the achievement of the cognitive objectives. The paper documents an effort to incorporate affective objectives into a junior level programming languages course. Two affective objectives for that course are identified and two exercises used to achieve those objectives are presented. Observations from the use of these exercises led the authors to conclude that they were beneficial.
Detecting Sybil attacks in image senor network using cognitive intelligence

Wireless Sensor Network has become state-of-art technology of the 21st century, the application ranges from academic to military operations. These tiny sensors can be deployed in open environment, where security to neither data nor hardware can be guaranteed. Unfortunately, due to the resource constraints traditional security schemes cannot be applied directly, therefore designing protocols that can operate securely using smart inherent features is the only viable option. In this paper, Sybil, a denial of service attack on Image Sensor Network is analyzed and the characteristic of the cognitive protocol against this attack is evaluated based on the network's reliability and quality of service.
Frequency and pattern of childhood symptom onset reported by first episode schizophrenia and clinical high risk youth

Background Psychosis prevention and early intervention efforts in schizophrenia have focused increasingly on sub-threshold psychotic symptoms in adolescents and young adults. Although many youth report symptom onset prior to adolescence, the childhood incidence of prodromal-level symptoms in those with schizophrenia or related psychoses is largely unknown.
REGULATION OF CYCLIC AMP LEVELS IN BRAIN

Publisher Summary This chapter describes regulation of cyclic amp levels in brain. The rate of formation and degradation of cyclic AMP in the central nervous system depends on a variety of factors: (1) the basal levels of adenylate cyclases; (2) the degree and specificity of activation of this enzyme by biogenic amines such as norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and histamine; (3) the levels and availability of ATP as a substrate for adenylate cyclases; (4) the degree of stimulation of the system by adenosine, and the extent of synergistic interaction of adenosine with stimulatory biogenic amines; (5) the levels and properties of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases; and (6) the levels of cyclic AMP dependent protein kinases with binding sites that can sequester cyclic AMP. The chapter also highlights that the stimulation of cyclic AMP formation by biogenic amines differs among species and brain regions both with respect to magnitude of stimulation and the properties of the amine regulatory unit of adenyl cyclase, that is, the receptor.
Inbreeding depression in the convict cichlid, Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum (Baird and Girard)

Convict cichlids, Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum, inbred for four and five generations exhibited moderate and severe morphological deformities. Deformed fishes were characterized by a more vertically sloping forehead, irregular jaw, hyoid, opercula and fin structure, reduced growth and irregular swimming behaviour. Inbred fish (F4, F5) did not differ from F1s in their age of maturation or the average size of their first broods. Brood survival was 18.7% in F5 inbred fish, compared to 75.5% in F1s.
Remediation of Floating Vegetable Oil Spills by Sedimentation Followed by Anaerobic Biodegradation

ABSTRACT Floating vegetable oil can be effectively removed from the water surface and the water column as negatively buoyant oil-mineral aggregates by addition of a dense mineral, such as clay. In bench-scale experiments, it is possible to remove virtually all of the floating oil by addition of a sufficiently large dose of clay (>10 g clay/g oil). Once present in the sediments, vegetable oil can be completely transformed to harmless end products (e.g., carbon dioxide and methane) by naturally occurring microbial populations. Transient production of toxic intermediates (probably free fatty acids), measured as a reduction in sediment EC50 using the Microtox Solid-Phase Test (SPT), was observed during anaerobic biodegradation. The EC50 is the sediment concentration required to reduce light emission by bioluminescent bacteria by 50%. Addition of amorphous ferric hydroxide as an alternative electron acceptor stimulated the rate of vegetable oil biodegradation, but had no effect on the Microtox EC50. Alternativ...
An elderly woman with severe anemia.

Her hemoglobin level is 7.7 g/dL, and a peripheral blood smear shows hypochromic microcytic erythrocytes. What is the most likely cause?
Environmental Considerations Concering The Biological Effects of Power Frequency (50 or 60 Hz) Electric Fields

The results of a comprehensive literature survey on the biological effects of 60 Hz electric fields are summarized to describe two contrasting sets of research findings. On one hand, research results in Western Europe and America have failed to provide any evidence that human exposure to present levels of fields from high voltage overhead power lines, as normally encountered, has any harmful biological effect. On the other hand, studies performed in the USSR report some undesirable effects on workers--not in the typical power line environment--but in the more complex environments found in high voltage switchyards.
Automation of AMOEBA polarizable force field parameterization for small molecules

A protocol to generate parameters for the AMOEBA polarizable force field for small organic molecules has been established, and polarizable atomic typing utility, Poltype, which fully automates this process, has been implemented. For validation, we have compared with quantum mechanical calculations of molecular dipole moments, optimized geometry, electrostatic potential, and conformational energy for a variety of neutral and charged organic molecules, as well as dimer interaction energies of a set of amino acid side chain model compounds. Furthermore, parameters obtained in gas phase are substantiated in liquid-phase simulations. The hydration free energy (HFE) of neutral and charged molecules have been calculated and compared with experimental values. The RMS error for the HFE of neutral molecules is less than 1 kcal/mol. Meanwhile, the relative error in the predicted HFE of salts (cations and anions) is less than 3% with a correlation coefficient of 0.95. Overall, the performance of Poltype is satisfactory and provides a convenient utility for applications such as drug discovery. Further improvement can be achieved by the systematic study of various organic compounds, particularly ionic molecules, and refinement and expansion of the parameter database.
Culture of Disengagement in Engineering Education

Much has been made of the importance of training ethical, socially conscious engineers, but does US engineering education actually encourage neophytes to take seriously their professional responsib...
p53 promotes the fidelity of DNA end-joining activity by, in part, enhancing the expression of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein G

Many studies have suggested the involvement of wild-type (wt) p53 in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) via DNA end-joining (EJ) process. To investigate this possibility, we compared the capacity and fidelity of DNA EJ in RKO cells containing wt p53 and RKO cells containing no p53 (RKO cells with p53 knockdown). The p53 knockdown cells showed lower fidelity of DNA EJ compared to the control RKO cells. The DNA end-protection assay revealed the association of a protein complex including heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein G (hnRNP G) with the DNA ends in RKO cells containing wt p53, but not with the DNA ends in RKO cells with p53 knockdown. Depletion of endogenous hnRNP G notably diminished the fidelity of EJ in RKO cells expressing wt p53. Moreover, an ectopic expression of hnRNP G significantly enhanced the fidelity of DNA EJ and the protection of DNA ends in human cancer cells lacking hnRNP G protein or containing mutant hnRNP G. Finally, using recombinant hnRNP G proteins, we demonstrated the hnRNP G protein is able to bind to and protect DNA ends from degradation of nucleases. Our results suggest that wt p53 modulates DNA DSB repair by, in part, inducing hnRNP G, and the ability of hnRNP G to bind and protect DNA ends may contribute its ability to promote the fidelity of DNA EJ.
Common Rodenticide Toxicoses in Small Animals

This article focuses on the 3 most commonly used rodenticide types: anticoagulants, bromethalin, and cholecalciferol. It is important to verify the active ingredient in any rodenticide exposure. Many owners use the term D-con to refer to any rodenticide regardless of the brand or type of rodenticide. The Environmental Protection Agency released their final ruling on rodenticide risk mitigation measures in 2008 and all products sold had to be compliant by June 2011, changing to consumer products containing either first-generation anticoagulants or nonanticoagulants, including bromethalin and cholecalciferol. These regulations have caused an increase in the number of bromethalin and cholecalciferol cases.
Group II intron-based gene targeting reactions in eukaryotes.

Background Mobile group II introns insert site-specifically into DNA target sites by a mechanism termed retrohoming in which the excised intron RNA reverse splices into a DNA strand and is reverse transcribed by the intron-encoded protein. Retrohoming is mediated by a ribonucleoprotein particle that contains the intron-encoded protein and excised intron RNA, with target specificity determined largely by base pairing of the intron RNA to the DNA target sequence. This feature enabled the development of mobile group II introns into bacterial gene targeting vectors (“targetrons”) with programmable target specificity. Thus far, however, efficient group II intron-based gene targeting reactions have not been demonstrated in eukaryotes.
Intrinsic Work Value-Reward Dissonance and Work Satisfaction during Young Adulthood.

Abstract Previous research suggests that discrepancies between work values and rewards are indicators of dissonance that induce change in both to reduce such dissonance over time. The present study elaborates this model to suggest parallels with the first phase of the extension-and-strain curve. Small discrepancies or small increases in extension are presumed to be almost unnoticeable, while increasingly large discrepancies are thought to yield exponentially increasing strain. Work satisfaction is a principal outcome of dissonance; hence, work value-reward discrepancies are predicted to diminish work satisfaction in an exponential fashion. Findings from the work and family literature, however, lead to the prediction that this curvilinear association will be moderated by gender and family roles. Using longitudinal data spanning the third decade of life, the results suggest that intrinsic work value-reward discrepancies, as predicted, are increasingly associated, in a negative curvilinear fashion, with work satisfaction. This pattern, however, differs as a function of gender and family roles. Females who established family roles exhibited the expected pattern while other gender by family status groups did not. The results suggest that gender and family roles moderate the association between intrinsic work value-reward dissonance and satisfaction. In addition, women who remained unmarried and childless exhibited the strongest associations between occupational rewards and satisfaction.
Everything is E(Z): linking histone methylation to B cell development.

The histone methyltransferases E(Z) and Ezh2 may control developmental fate by regulating homeobox gene expression. Emerging evidence suggests Ezh2 also plays a role in B cell development by controlling V(D)J recombination.
Building R&D collaboration between university-research institutes and small medium-sized enterprises

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of governments in resolving collective action dilemmas arising in RD and supplemented by firm-level data retrieved from the government official statistics on structural characteristics of SMEs. The Mann-Whitney Test of Difference was employed to test the perceived importance of R&D activities in various stages of p...
Chemiluminescent detection of potato and pome fruit viroids by digoxigenin-labeled dot blot and tissue blot hybridization.

Abstract A chemiluminescent molecular hybridization protocol was compared to 32P autoradiography for detecting potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) and apple scar skin group viroids (ASSVd). Labeled cRNA probes for PSTVd and ASSVd were synthesized by SP6 RNA polymerase transcription using digoxigenin-11-UTP or α-[32P]UTP. Dot blot hybridization of purified viroids and sap extracts from infected plants showed that chemiluminescent detection using digoxigenin-labeled probes was as sensitive as autoradiography using 32P probes. A minimum of 2.0–2.5 pg purified viroid was detected. ASSVd could be detected in as little as 0.4 ng of total nucleic acid extract from infected tissue or in sap extracts diluted to 10−3 with healthy extracts. Tissue blots of PSTVd-infected potato tubers and tomato roots, stems and leaves and ASSVd-infected apple fruit, stems and petioles, gave positive reactions when hybridized with the digoxigenin probe. No reaction with similar tissues from healthy plants was observed.
Overexpanded Two-Dimensional Transonic Free Jet

The volume integral in Eq. (19) is defined according to Eq. (1) because the integrand is infinite at (x,y,z}. If u is finite everywhere in the region K, then the use of spherical coordinates £ — x = rsin0cos(/>, rj—y = rs'm6 sin , and f— z = r cosO shows that \Ku\<Mr~ where \u/4-K\<M. Hence, Eq. (2) is satisfied with a. = 3. This indicates that if the volume integral in Eq. (19) converges, then it must be semiconvergent. The value of each of the last two terms in Eq. (19) depends on the shape of the cavity a, hence on A. But their sum is independent of A, because it represents the derivative of a convergent integral. The integral equation derived by Heaslet and Spreiter' can be obtained by taking the limit as A —oo to get v=Vi. Surrounding the singularity by a vanishing sphere is equivalent to surrounding it by a vanishing cube. The resulting integral equation is deduced by choosing A = l so that v=\/6. There arises a situation similar to what occurs for the twodimensional flow; namely, by varying the value of A, it appears that we are getting different integral equations. In reality, the integral equations are the same provided we define the volume integral in Eq. (19) according to Eq. (1) and use the same cavity around which Eq. (18) is evaluated.
The biology of the P-glycoproteins

The initial discovery of p-glycoprotein in the plasma membrane of MDR cancer cell lines was followed quickly by the cloning of its gene. Sequence analysis of cloned cDNAs revealed that p-glycoprotein was a member of the ABC family of membrane transporters. Subsequent biochemical characterization demonstrated the binding of chemotherapeutic drugs and ATP to p-glycoprotein. P-glycoprotein-mediated drag transport and drug-stimulated ATPase activity were documented in plasma membrane vesicles and in proteoliposomes containing the partially purified protein. P-glycoprotein was shown to be phosphorylated and the effect of this modification on the protein's biological function was explored. P-glycoproteins were found in many normal tissues and their overexpression was documented in numerous cancers. An important role for p-glycoprotein in intrinsic and acquired drug resistance in clinical oncology was established. Despite all that has been learned about p-glycoprotein over the last few years, additional studies will be necessary to address the many questions that have been left unanswered. Determination of p-glycoprotein structure and membrane topology should help elucidate the nature of chemotherapeutic drug binding sites and the mechanism whereby drug movement is coupled to ATP hydrolysis. Complete purification and functional reconstitution of p-glycoprotein into defined lipid vesicles will permit further characterization of drug transport and ATPase activity and give us the means by which p-glycoprotein's apparent dual function as a transporter and a channel can be clarified. Structural and functional studies on p-glycoprotein will also provide information needed to develop specified inhibitors that can be used clinically to overcome MDR in cancer patients. Further study of the mechanisms whereby p-glycoprotein expression is induced and regulated during malignant transformation is indicated. The development of biliary phospholipid deficiency in mdr2 knockout mice and xenobiotic hypersensitivity in mdr3 knockout mice have given us the first clues into the normal physiologic roles for the p-glycoproteins. The search for endogenous substrates for the p-glycoproteins will continue to be an area of active investigation. Continued investigation of p-glycoprotein's functions should result in better understanding of an important class of prokaryotic and eukaryotic membrane transporters. The potential of exploiting the knowledge garnered from these studies in the treatment of neoplastic, parasitic and inherited and acquired liver disease may be greater than we can now imagine.
Solving a nonlinear output regulation problem: zero miss distance of pure PNG

Presents a solution to the output regulation problem of a nonlinear system with time-varying disturbance: the system represents the well-known missile-target pursuit situation where the missile is guided by the pure proportional navigation guidance (PPNG) law while the target maneuvers with time-varying normal acceleration, and the problem is to prove the zero miss distance property of PPNG, which has been studied for decades without satisfactory success. To solve this problem, we construct a function by which a time sequence of the missile-to-target range is upper-bounded, and prove that the function is strictly decreasing, which is also proven to guarantee that there is always a sub-sequence that asymptotically converges to zero. The solution is given in the form of a necessary and sufficient condition guaranteeing the zero miss distance of PPNG.
The inversion of subsurface VETEM data-theory and practice

Very early time electromagnetic system (VETEM) is an efficient tool for the detection of buried targets in very lossy medium. In this paper, we will discuss the inversion of VETEM data using a combination of one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) inverse scattering techniques, where the Born iterative method and distorted Born iterative method have been applied. In order to expedite the 3D inversion, an extended Born-type approximation is made in the forward solver, together with FFT acceleration technique. The 1D inversion provides a gross image of the subsurface, but the 3D inversion helps to resolve the subsurface image better.
Baseline and Treatment-Emergent EEG Biomarkers of Antidepressant Medication Response Do Not Predict Response to Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

There has been a surge of interest in biomarkers that can rapidly predict or assess response to psychiatric treatment, as the current standard practice of extended therapeutic trials is often dissatisfying to both clinicians and patients. Electroencephalographic (EEG) biomarkers in particular have been proposed as an inexpensive yet rapid way of determining whether a patient is responding to an intervention, usually before subjective mood improvement occurs. However, even the most well-reported EEG algorithms have not been subjected to independent replication, limiting their clinical generalizability. It is also unclear whether those biomarkers can generalize beyond their original study population, e.g. to patients undergoing somatic treatments for depression. We report here analysis of EEG data from the pivotal OPT-TMS study of transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for major depressive disorder. In this dataset, previously reported biomarkers of medication response showed no significant correlation with eventual response to rTMS treatment. Furthermore, EEG power in multiple bands measured at baseline and throughout the treatment course did not correlate with or predict either binary (response/nonresponse) or continuous (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) outcome measures. While somewhat limited by technical difficulties in data collection, these analyses are adequately powered to detect clinically relevant biomarkers. We believe this highlights a need for wider-scale independent replication of previous EEG biomarkers, both in pharmacotherapy and neuromodulation.
HDL-subpopulation patterns in response to reductions in dietary total and saturated fat intakes in healthy subjects

Background: Little information is available about HDL subpopulations during dietary changes. Objective: The objective was to investigate the effect of reductions in total and saturated fat intakes on HDL subpopulations. Design: Multiracial, young and elderly men and women (n = 103) participating in the double-blind, randomized DELTA (Dietary Effects on Lipoproteins and Thrombogenic Activities) Study consumed 3 different diets, each for 8 wk: an average American diet (AAD: 34.3% total fat,15.0% saturated fat), the American Heart Association Step I diet (28.6% total fat, 9.0% saturated fat), and a diet low in saturated fat (25.3% total fat, 6.1% saturated fat). Results: HDL2-cholesterol concentrations, by differential precipitation, decreased (P < 0.001) in a stepwise fashion after the reduction of total and saturated fat: 0.58 ∠ 0.21, 0.53 ∠ 0.19, and 0.48 ∠ 0.18 mmol/L with the AAD, Step I, and low-fat diets, respectively. HDL3 cholesterol decreased (P < 0.01) less: 0.76 ∠ 0.13, 0.73 ∠ 0.12, and 0.72 ∠ 0.11 mmol/L with the AAD, Step I, and low-fat diets, respectively. As measured by nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, the larger-size HDL 2b subpopulation decreased with the reduction in dietary fat, and a corresponding relative increase was seen for the smaller-sized HDL3a, 3b, and 3c subpopulations (P < 0.01). HDL2-cholesterol concentrations correlated negatively with serum triacylglycerol concentrations on all 3 diets: r = 20.46, 20.37, and 20.45 with the AAD, Step I, and low-fat diets, respectively ( P < 0.0001). A similar negative correlation was seen for HDL 2b, whereas HDL3a, 3b, and 3c correlated positively with triacylglycerol concentrations. Diet-induced changes in serum triacylglycerol were negatively correlated with changes in HDL2 and HDL2b cholesterol. Conclusions: A reduction in dietary total and saturated fat decreased both large (HDL2 and HDL2b) and small, dense HDL subpopulations, although decreases in HDL2 and HDL2b were most pronounced. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;70:992‐1000.
Monitoring Change in Great Salt Lake

Great Salt Lake is the largest hypersaline lake in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth largest terminal lake in the world (Figure 1). The open water and adjacent wetlands of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem support millions of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds from throughout the Western Hemisphere [Aldrich and Paul, 2002]. In addition, the area is of important economic value: Brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) residing in Great Salt Lake support an aquaculture shrimp cyst industry with annual revenues as high as $60 million.
Enhancing Visual Analysis of Network Traffic Using a Knowledge Representation

This paper presents a network traffic analysis system that couples visual analysis with a declarative knowledge representation. The system supports multiple iterations of the sense-making loop of analytic reasoning by allowing users to save discoveries as they are found and to reuse them in future iterations. We will show how the knowledge representation can be used to improve both the visual representations and the basic analytical tasks of filtering and changing level of detail. We will describe how the system can be used to produce models of network patterns, and show results from classifying one day of network traffic in our laboratory.
The value of re-exploration in patients with inadvertently morcellated uterine sarcoma.

Abstract Objective To describe the role of immediate re-exploration in patients with inadvertently morcellated uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) and smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP). Methods All patients with ULMS/STUMP who were managed or referred to the participating institutions from January 2005 to January 2012 following minimally invasive gynecology surgery with morcellation were detected through the pathology database. The diagnosis was confirmed by gynecologic-pathologists following post-surgery pathology review. Results Twenty-one patients with the diagnosis of ULMS (N=15) and STUMP (N=6) after morcellation were identified. The median age of occurrence was 46years (range, 25–58years). Median follow-up duration was 27months (range, 1.8–93.1months). None of the 21 patients had documented evidence of extra-uterine disease at the time of original surgery. Ultimately 12 patients were immediately re-explored to complete staging. The median time to the staging surgery was 33days (range 15–118days). Two (28.5%) out of seven patients with presumed stage I ULMS and one (25%) out of four patients with presumed stage I STUMP had significant findings of disseminated intraperitoneal disease detected at immediate surgical re-exploration. One of the 8 patients with confined early ULMS and STUMP at the second surgery had intraperitoneal recurrence, while the remaining 7 patients have had no recurrence and remain disease free. Conclusion Surgical re-exploration is likely to show findings of disseminated peritoneal sarcomatosis in a significant number of patients diagnosed with ULMS after a morcellation procedure. Findings from re-exploration can contribute to the knowledge of natural history of morcellated ULMS/STUMP and allow for accurate prognostication.
The Effect of Breast Feeding on Educational Attainment: Evidence from Sibling Data

Using data on sibling pairs drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we estimate the effect of having been breast‐fed on high school graduation, high school grades, and college attendance. Our results suggest that breast feeding is associated with substantial increases in high school grade point average and in the probability of college attendance. Adding measures of cognitive ability and adolescent health to our model explains more than one‐half of the estimated effect of being breast‐fed on high school grades and approximately one‐fifth of the estimated effect on college attendance. We conclude that improvements in cognitive ability and adolescent health may be important pathways through which breast feeding affects long‐term academic achievement.