cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Structuring of Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Populations in the United States Based on Microsatellite Loci Analysis

Abstract The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a major corn insect pest in North America and is spreading in Europe. Seven polymorphic microsatellite loci were surveyed to characterize genetic structuring of D. v. virgifera populations, based on 595 individuals sampled from 10 locations across nine U.S. states (western Texas and Kansas to New York and Delaware). All populations showed high levels of genetic diversity, with mean allelic diversity ranging from 7.3 to 8.6, and mean expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.600 to 0.670. D. v. virgifera populations exhibited little genetic differentiation as a whole across the geographic range sampled, with a global FST of only 0.006. Pairwise FST estimates also revealed little genetic differentiation among populations. Most pairwise FST values were nonsignificant, except for those estimated between the Texas population and all others. There was a positive correlation between genetic distance and geogra...
Show the animal: Constructing and communicating new elite food tastes at upscale butcher shops

Abstract Research on cultural omnivorousness has mainly focused on consumption practices among economic and cultural elites and the dissemination of omnivorous tastes through the media. Through ethnographic research this paper argues for the significance of physical points of purchase in the production and inculcation of omnivorous taste. Focusing on the workers at upscale butcher shops, this paper examines how workers at new elite retail establishments use skilled performances to construct and communicate notions of taste and quality in their products. I explain how the “meat philosophy” of these shops makes them distinct from other meat retail outlets, fits with omnivorous tastes, and underpins the work their cultural workers do. I then show how craft butchers and counter workers at these shops use “functional aesthetics” and “interactive service,” respectively, to prepare and sell meat, as well as to teach “good” taste in meat to customers. Exploring the intersection of restructured tastes and values in food, new places for elite consumption, and the recoding of occupations in the postindustrial city, this paper furthers our understanding of cultural omnivorousness and, more broadly, the sociology of taste.
Influence of Copper Depletion on Iron Uptake Mediated by SFT, a Stimulator of Fe Transport

Abstract We recently identified a novel factor involved in cellular iron assimilation called SFT or Stimulator ofFe Transport (Gutierrez, J. A., Yu, J., Rivera, S., and Wessling-Resnick, M. (1997) J. Cell Biol.149, 895–905). When stably expressed in HeLa cells, SFT was found to stimulate the uptake of both transferrin- and nontransferrin-bound Fe (iron). Assimilation of nontransferrin-bound Fe by HeLa cells stably expressing SFT was time- and temperature-dependent; both the rate and extent of uptake was enhanced relative to the activity of control nontransfected cells. Although the apparent K m for Fe uptake was unaffected by expression of SFT (5.6 versus5.1 μm measured for control), theV max of transport was increased from 7.0 to 14.7 pmol/min/mg protein. Transport mediated by SFT was inhibitable by diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and ferrozine, Fe3+- and Fe2+-specific chelators. Because cellular copper status is known to influence Fe assimilation, we investigated the effects of Cu (copper) depletion on SFT function. After 4 days of culture in Cu-deficient media, HeLa cell Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase activity was reduced by more than 60%. Both control cells and cells stably expressing SFT displayed reduced Fe uptake as well; levels of transferrin-mediated import fell by ∼80%, whereas levels of nontransferrin-bound Fe uptake were ∼50% that of Cu-replete cells. The failure of SFT expression to stimulate Fe uptake above basal levels in Cu-depleted cells suggests a critical role for Cu in SFT function. A current model for both transferrin- and nontransferrin-bound Fe uptake involves the function of a ferrireductase that acts to reduce Fe3+ to Fe2+, with subsequent transport of the divalent cation across the membrane bilayer. SFT expression did not enhance levels of HeLa cell surface reductase activity; however, Cu depletion was found to reduce endogenous activity by 60%, suggesting impaired ferrireductase function may account for the influence of Cu depletion on SFT-mediated Fe uptake. To test this hypothesis, the ability of SFT to directly mediate Fe2+ import was examined. Although expression of SFT enhanced Fe2+ uptake by HeLa cells, Cu depletion did not significantly reduce this activity. Thus, we conclude that a ferrireductase activity is required for SFT function in Fe3+ transport and that Cu depletion reduces cellular iron assimilation by affecting this activity.
Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at flame temperatures

Abstract Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been measured in an atmospheric flame at temperatures ≈1200–1500 K. The spectra do not differ greatly from those at lower temperatures (≈400–500 K), indicating little net change in vibration on excitation. Inverse electronic relaxation between S 1 and S 2 states in pyrene is observed.
Achieving Improved Cycle Efficiency via Pressure Gain Combustors

As part of the Department of Energy`s Advanced Gas Turbine Systems Program, an investigation is being performed to evaluate ``pressure gain`` combustion systems for gas turbine applications. This paper presents experimental pressure gain and pollutant emission data from such combustion systems. Numerical predictions for certain combustor geometries are also presented. It is reported that for suitable aerovalved pulse combustor geometries studied experimentally, an overall combustor pressure gain of nearly 1 percent can be achieved. It is also shown that for one combustion system operating under typical gas turbine conditions, NO{sub x} and CO emmissions, are about 30 ppmv and 8 ppmv, respectively.
Midterm clinical and angiographic follow-up for the first Food and Drug Administration-approved prospective, Single-Arm Trial of Primary Stenting for Stroke: SARIS (Stent-Assisted Recanalization for Acute Ischemic Stroke).

BACKGROUND Although early data demonstrate encouraging angiographic results following intracranial stent deployment for acute ischemic stroke, longer-term follow-up is necessary to evaluate the clinical outcomes, as well as the durability of angiographic results. OBJECTIVE We report 6-month clinical and radiologic follow-up data of the 20 patients prospectively enrolled in the Stent-Assisted Recanalization in acute Ischemic Stroke (SARIS) trial. METHODS Twenty patients were prospectively enrolled to receive self-expanding intra-arterial stents as first-line therapy for acute ischemic stroke treatment. Patients were scheduled for follow-up 6-months after treatment for clinical evaluation (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score obtained by a trained certified research nurse/nurse practitioner) and repeat cerebral angiography. Angiographic interpretation was performed by an independent adjudicator. RESULTS At 6 months, the mRS score was ≤3 in 60% of patients (n = 12) and was ≤2 in 55% of patients (n = 11). Mortality at the 6-month follow-up was 35% (n = 7). Follow-up angiography was performed for 85% (11 of 13) of surviving patients. All patients undergoing angiographic follow-up demonstrated Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 3 flow on digital subtraction angiography or stent patency on computed tomographic angiography. None of the patients demonstrated evidence of in-stent stenosis (≥50% vessel narrowing). CONCLUSION The midterm angiographic and clinical results following intracranial stent deployment for acute ischemic stroke are encouraging. Further study of primary stent-for-stroke treatment is warranted.
Short-term proactive inhibition in the pigeon☆

Abstract Proactive inhibition in the pigeon was studied using a delayed-color-matching-to-sample task, with and without presentation of stimuli prior to the sample. Interference theory predicts that, relative to control performance, the disruptive effects of a prior stimulus should increase over a retention interval, while decay theory predicts that such disruptive effects should decrease over time. Results supported decay theory when performance was at a low level and interference theory when performance was at a high level. With performance at an intermediate level, parallel functions were obtained, an outcome supporting neither theory. It was concluded that the results supporting interference and decay theories were artifactually produced by floor and ceilling effects, respectively, and it was suggested that the results of earlier experiments using the present paradigm may well have been influenced by similar artifacts. Inserting a nondisruptive stimulus between a prior disruptive stimulus and the sample virtually eliminated the disruptive effects of the prior stimulus when tested immediately, but not when tested after 1 sec. The results of the present experiments and related findings can best be explained by either a modified decay theory (Grant, D. S. Proactive interference in pigeon short-term memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 1975, 104, 207–220) or a modified temporal discrimination theory.
Formation of Iron-binding Compounds by Micro-organisms

THE metabolic activity of certain micro-organisms is well known to be dependent on the iron concentration of the culture medium. For example, where cultured at controlled levels of iron, Corynebacterium diphtheriae 1 and Aspergillus niger 2 produce large amounts of toxin and citric acid respectively. Recently we have reported3 the production of ferrichrome A by Ustilago sphaerogena when this fungus is grown under conditions of controlled iron supply.
13C Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of cyanolipids and cyanolipid‐containing seed oils

13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals of all carbon atoms of the hydroxynitrile moieties on which cyanolipids are based have been assigned. The four known types of cyanolipids can be conveniently distinguished and identified by13C-NMR whether they are in pure form or in unfractionated seed oils from which they are derived.
Simulation Analysis of Variation among Seasons in Winter Wheat Yields in Northern Italy

Winter wheat growth and yield was observed in two sets of field experiments performed at the Experimental Farm of Padova University in Legnaro, over seven years beginning in 1981. A spring wheat model in which leaf area development was calculated as a function of temperature and biomass accumulation was utilized. The final number of leaves in each season was calculated based on a previous winter wheat model and the biomass accumulation was decreased when average daily temperature was below 10 °C. In addition to the two modifications described above, the soil/crop nitrogen submodels were modified so that denitrification was a function of temperature and plant nitrogen uptake rate was sensitive to variations in daily temperature. Nitrogen leached below 60 cm was assumed to be no longer available to the winter wheat crop. The winter wheat model with the soil/crop nitrogen budged resulted in good agreement between the simulated and observed yields (less than 14 % difference existed in 12 of 14 environments). A strong negative correlation (r = -0.74) existed between the simulated yields and the simulated amount of nitrogen leached out of the root zone. Under the conditions of nothern Italy, retention of root zone nitrogen appears to be particularly important in achieving high winter wheat yields.
Los distintos tipos de subversión femenina presentados en Recuerdos del porvenir

The novel Recuerdos del Porvenir (1963) by Mexican author Elena Garro depicts in an innovative way the military occupation of Ixtepec, that happened after the Mexican Revolution and the subsequent Cristero War of 1920s. Through a collective narrator, the writer gives voice to subaltern groups of population who are forgotten or misrepresented in Revolutionary novels written by Garro’s masculine counterparts. Most importantly, her narrative is replete with examples of feminine subversion toward the status quo and the locus of enunciation. At the same time, Garro breaks with the canon by changing the focus to the female protagonists and by introducing in her novel the Magical Realism to illustrate the female interiority and sensitivity, as well as her personal vision and interpretation of the world. In her maximum expression of rebellion, Garro shows a variety of groups of Mexican women who tried very hard to reach an authentic identity, but the patriarchal society thwarted their plans. As a result, the woman stumbles and fails to contribute to the cause, sometimes becoming a mere traitor and then also a simple witness of the injustice. Many times, she represents main transmitting and defending agent of the same chauvinistic culture that has subjugated her.
The Olympics, Jesse Owens, Burke, and the Implications of Media Framing in Symbolic Boasting

One of the most enduring figures of the Olympics is Jesse Owens, the track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Games in Berlin. Although Owens's athletic achievements were impressive, he is more remembered for being the athlete who singled-handedly brought down the Nazi's theories of Aryan supremacy. This aspect of Owens's identity owes less to his performance and more to the Olympic media's ideological framing. Over time Owens was transformed from a world-class athlete to a transcendent hero. The Olympic media framed Owens as a communal hero, boasting of his accomplishments as if they were their own, infusing him with ideological significance. A Burkean examination of the media's framing surrounding Owens shows that the ideological image eventually outshined his identity.
The determination of cobalt, iron plus vanadium or manganese in soft magnetic alloys

Abstract A convenient ion exchange separation particularly designed for the separation of iron and vanadium or mangenese from cobalt has been developed for the determination of iron, cobalt and manganese or vanadium in soft magnetic alloys. After an anion exchange separation of their chloride complexes these elements are determined by a back titration of an excess of EDTA with a standard copper solution using calcein as an indicator under ultraviolet light.
Direct evaluation of cellular internalization rates using chromogenic disulfides

A practical assay, which exploits the maintenance of the cytoplasmic redox balance in live cells, has been developed to report in real time on relative cellular internalization rates of molecules derivatized as chromogenic disulfides.
Control of proline synthesis in Escherichia coli.

Abstract This investigation was designed to study control of proline biosynthesis in Escherichia coli W. Control has been localized in the first reduction stage, in the conversion of glutamic acid to glutamic γ-semialdehyde. This reaction is strongly inhibited by small amounts of proline in both resting and growing cells. The second reduction, of glutamic γ-semialdehyde to proline, proceeds unrestrainedly in the presence and absence of proline. A proline-excreting mutant strain has been isolated and in this strain reduction of glutamic acid to glutamic γ-semialdehyde is relatively insensitive to proline.
Effects of age on l-Glutamate-induced depolarization in three hippocampal subfields

—The effects of aging on the translation of l-glutamate-induced depolarization into hippocampal neuronal firing frequency were studied in vitro. l-glutamate was iontophoretically-applied to the somatic region of extracellularly recorded single units. In none of the three principal hippocampal subfields (fascia dentata, CA3, and CA1) were there any effects of age on neuronal sensitivity to l-glutamate. Because there are pronounced, region-specific age effects on AMPA sensitivity (3), these results are in agreement with the conclusions of other investigators that the depolarization caused by exogenously applied l-glutamate probably exerts its effects through nonsynaptic mechanisms. These mechanisms, however, which lead to powerful depolarization and action potentials in hippocampal cells, are unaffected by age.
The general character of deep‐seated materials in relation to volcanic activity

It is unlikely that a satisfactory explanation of volcanism will be obtained without having some sort of picture of what lies at considerable depths below the surface of the Earth. The underlying causes of volcanic activity are to be found in the physical and chemical nature of deep-seated rocks. The object of this note is to summarize briefly the present state of our knowledge concerning the materials of the Earth below the relatively thin film accessible to direct observation. Unfortunately, not much is yet known—the outlines of our picture are being slowly filled in but it is still only a sketch. For supplying the details volcanology will lean heavily on the kindred science of seismology, and recent developments in pure physics give promise of important aid.
Long-term learning of stroke knowledge among children in a high-risk community

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of Hip Hop Stroke, a school-based multimedia musical stroke literacy intervention that targets children aged 8−12 in high-risk minority communities, on the long-term learning of stroke knowledge. Methods: We enrolled a cohort of 104 fifth and sixth grade children from 2 schools in Central Harlem into a single course of Hip Hop Stroke (3 1-hour classroom sessions, delivered over 3 consecutive days). Tests evaluating knowledge of stroke symptoms and behavioral intent to call 911 using hypothetical stroke scenarios were conducted at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 15 months after the initial and only intervention. A composite score was created from 5 traditional stroke symptoms plus a distracter (chest pain). Data were analyzed using SAS version 9.2. Results: A total of 104 students completed both pretests (PTs) and immediate posttests (IPs), and 85 students completed all 3 tests, including a 15-month delayed posttest (DP) (81.7% retention rate). At pretest, 55.8% correctly identified calling 911. The baseline composite score was 3.24 (SD 1.45). At IP, stroke knowledge increased significantly across all items: calling 911 (85.6%, p p p Conclusion: Three hours of Hip Hop Stroke significantly improved knowledge of stroke symptoms and behavioral intent to call 911 of fifth and sixth grade children living in a high stroke risk neighborhood. This learning persisted for up to 15 months postintervention.
Biosynthesis of fatty acids in cell-free homogenates of lactating gerbil mammary gland.

Cell-free homogenates of lactating mammary gland of gerbils maintained on a diet of sunflower seed, guinea pig chow and oats (Diet 1) or a diet of guinea pig chow and oats (Diet 2) and of rats maintained on laboratory chow (Diet 3) were incubated with14C-labeled acetate, acetyl CoA or malonyl CoA aerobically. A large proportion of the14C from14C-acetate and14C-acetyl CoA incorporated into fatty acids by homogenates from gerbils on Diet 1 was in unsaturated compounds, particularly in 18-carbon and 20-carbon dienoic acids, compared to preparations from animals on Diets 2 or 3. The two radioactive dienoic acids were proven to be Δ9,12 18∶2 and Δ11,14 20∶2, and the latter was shown to be a direct elongation product of Δ9,12 18∶2 by the substrate14C-acetyl CoA. In all experiments14C from14C-malonyl CoA was incorporated predominantly into 14∶0 and 16∶0, and very little incorporation occurred into unsaturated fatty acids in homogenates made either from gerbil or rat. Total fatty acids isolated from homogenates and from milk fat (fat floating on the centrifuged homogenates) of gerbils on Diet 1 had a higher proportion of 18∶2 than animals on the other two diets, a reflection of the large dietary intake of linoleic acid by gerbils on Diet 1. Under these conditions the amount of 18∶2 in the mammary gland had a significant effect on the products of the incubation.
A porcine astrocyte/endothelial cell co-culture model of the blood-brain barrier.

Abstract A method for the isolation of porcine atrocytes as a simple extension of a previously described procedure for isolation of brain capillary endothelial cells from adolescent pigs [Methods Cell Sci. 17 (1995) 2] is described. The obtained astroglial culture purified through two passages and by the method of the selective detachment was validated by a phase contrast microscopy and through an immunofluorescent assay for the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Porcine astrocytes were co-cultivated with porcine brain capillary endothelial cells (PBCEC) for the development of an in vitro blood–brain barrier (BBB) model. The model was visualized by an electron microscopy and showed elevated transendothellial electrical resistance and reduced inulin permeability. To our knowledge, this is the first report for the establishment of a porcine astrocyte/endothelial cell co-culture BBB model, which avoids interspecies and age differences between the two cell types, usually encountered in the other reported co-culture BBB models. Considering the availability of the porcine brain tissue and the close physiological and anatomical relation between the human and pig brain, the porcine astrocyte/endothelial cell co-culture system can serve as a reliable and easily reproducible model for different in vitro BBB studies.
Glatiramer acetate for multiple sclerosis: A comprehensive review of mechanisms and clinical efficacy

The ‘Decade of the Brain’ (1990–2000) saw unprecedented advances in neurosciences including multiple sclerosis. It could have not been more aptly named, as it produced a shift in the paradigm of multiple sclerosis management, making multiple sclerosis a treatable disorder with the availability of several therapeutic options. For a chronic progressive neurological disorder like multiple sclerosis, this change in the understanding and treatment touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide and many more who provided care and counsel as family and friends. Of the four agents available for the treatment of the most common type of multiple sclerosis – relapsing–remitting – three are β-interferons and one is a noninterferon polypeptide of four amino acids (glatiramer acetate) with a distinct immunomodulating profile. Glatiramer acetate is now approved and available in North America, Europe and many other countries. It has been tested in pivotal trials as well as long term extension trials for...
A retrospective review of combination chemohormonal therapy as initial treatment for locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Abstract Objective Chemotherapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer reduces PSA levels and enhances overall survival (OS), suggesting that administration in earlier disease stages may be beneficial. If expansion of an androgen-independent clone present during androgen deprivation mediates the transformation from an androgen-dependent to an androgen-independent phenotype, combination chemohormonal therapy would be effective initial treatment for locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancers. A retrospective review was conducted to evaluate results. Materials and methods Chemohormonal therapy outcomes were retrospectively evaluated in men with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer seen at our institution between January 2001 and February 2003. Chemotherapy consisted of three 8-week cycles (once weekly intravenous doxorubicin 20 mg/m2 and thrice daily oral ketoconazole 400 mg in weeks 1, 3, and 5; once weekly intravenous docetaxel 35 mg/m2 and thrice daily oral estramustine 280 mg in weeks 2, 4, and 6; and no therapy in weeks 7 and 8). Hormone therapy consisted of hormonal ablation during and after antiandrogen therapy after chemotherapy. Results Data for 31 men (median age, 63 years [range, 41–74 years]; white, 97% [30/31]) were reviewed. At 1 year, median PSA level had fallen 99.3% (range, 91.7%–99.9%) from a baseline value of 14.3 ng/ml (range, 1.9–497.9 ng/mL). Median time to progression was 34+ months (range, 14–68+ months). Median OS was 56+ months (range, 17–73+ months). Conclusions Combination chemohormonal therapy for locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer safely and effectively reduces PSA levels and increases OS. We are now testing this approach in a prospective, Phase II randomized clinical trial.
Dysgraphia in two forms of conduction aphasia

Recent clinical observations, in the absence of experimental data, appear to suggest that written expression in conduction aphasics parallels their speech (Goodglass, 1992). The current study undertakes an analysis of word level writing in two conduction aphasics, and attempts to explore the posited 'parallel' relationship between speech production deficits and deficits in written expression. JL, a 66-year-old female with left posterior parietal lobe lesion and PP, a 65-year-old female with a left posterior temporo-parietal lobe lesion served as subjects of this study. Their response patterns on Boston Naming Test (BNT) and written naming task (John Hopkins Dysgraphia Battery) were utilized to verify the parallel hypothesis. Although both cases have exhibited phonological and semantic paraphasias on BNT, PP's overall performance was far superior to that of JL. JL produced numerous multiple responses to stimuli compared to PP's occasional multiple responses. PP's performance on the written naming task was far inferior to that of JL. JL's predominant error pattern in writing was the production of phonologically similar words to the target words. This paper argues that such seemingly contradictory, unpredicted patterns can be parsimoniously better explained, not by the parallel hypothesis but by current cognitive-neuropsychological models of writing.
Quantization of a String of Spinning Material-Hamiltonian and Lagrangian Formulations

The dynamics of a relativistic string made of spinning material is discussed in two different formulations. The first is a manifestly covariant formulation under a gauge transformation. The second is a Hamiltonian formalism which enables us to make the transition from the classical to the quantum description in a coherent way. The Lagrangian is also constructed. The results of our investigations are as follows: (1) The mass spectra here coincide with those of the Neveu-Schwarz model. (2) The model is ghost-free. (3) The Poincar\'e generators ${\mathfrak{M}}^{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\nu}}$ and ${\mathfrak{P}}^{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ are constructed. The quantization is shown to be consistent with Lorentz covariance if the dimension of space-time is 10 and the Regge intercept is \textonehalf{}.
Application of a global-to-beam irradiance model to the NASA GEWEX SRB dataset: An extension of the NASA Surface meteorology and Solar Energy datasets

Abstract The DIRINDEX model was designed to estimate hourly solar beam irradiances from hourly global horizontal irradiances. This model was applied to the NASA GEWEX SRB (Rel. 3.0) 3-hourly global horizontal irradiance data to derive 3-hourly global maps of beam, or direct normal, irradiance for the period from January 2000 to December 2005. The DIRINDEX model is a combination of the DIRINT model, a quasi-physical global-to-beam irradiance model based on regression of hourly observed data, and a broadband simplified version of the SOLIS clear-sky beam irradiance model. In this study, the input variables of the DIRINDEX model are 3-hourly global horizontal irradiance, solar zenith angle, dew-point temperature, surface altitude, surface pressure, sea-level pressure, aerosol optical depth at 700 nm, and atmospheric column water vapor. The resulting values of the 3-hourly direct normal irradiance are then used to compute daily and monthly means. The results are validated against the ground-based BSRN data. The monthly means show better agreement with the BSRN data than the results from an earlier endeavor which empirically derived the monthly mean direct normal irradiance from the GEWEX SRB monthly mean global horizontal irradiance. To assimilate the observed information into the final results, the direct normal fluxes from the DIRINDEX model are adjusted according to the comparison statistics in the latitude–longitude–cosine of solar zenith angle phase space, in which the inverse-distance interpolation is used for the adjustment. Since the NASA Surface meteorology and Solar Energy derives its data from the GEWEX SRB datasets, the results discussed herein will serve to extend the former.
Experiences of families that applied for government-sponsored child health insurance: report of a follow-up study in New York City.

Context This study followed up on a summer 1997 advocacy project by the Children's Defense Fund—New York, which assistes families in New York City in enrolling their children in government-sponsored health insurance programs (Medicaid and Child Health Plus).
Noninvasive determination of brain tissue oxygenation during sleep in obstructive sleep apnea: a near-infrared spectroscopic approach.

Study Objectives: Recurrent apneas and hypoxemia during sleep in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are associated with profound changes in cerebral blood flow to the extent that cerebral autoregulation may be insufficient to protect the brain. Since the brain is sensitive to hypoxia, the cerebrovascular morbidity seen in OSA could be due to chronic, cumulative effects of intermittent hypoxia. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has the potential to noninvasively monitor brain tissue oxygen saturation (SO2), and changes in concentration of oxyhemoglobin [O2Hb], deoxyhemoglobin [HHb] and total hemoglobin [tHb] with real-time resolution. We hypothesized that brain tissue oxygenation would be worse during sleep in OSA relative to controls and sought to determine the practical use of NIRS in the sleep laboratory.
Primary hyperoxaluria: report of a patient with livedo reticularis and digital infarcts.

Abstract Primary hyperoxaluria encompasses 3 rare genetic disorders of glyoxylate metabolism characterized by excessive urinary excretion of oxalic acid, resulting in oxalosis. Patients typically have recurrent calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis, leading to chronic renal failure and death from uremia. Oxalate can deposit in extrarenal sites such as the heart, walls of arteries and veins, bone, and skin. We report a patient who presented with acute renal failure and later experienced livedo reticularis and peripheral gangrene before the diagnosis of primary hyperoxaluria was established. A skin biopsy specimen demonstrated numerous characteristic elongate to diamond-shaped, radially oriented, pale yellow translucent oxalate crystals within the vessels, and vessel walls of the subcutaneous fat that were strongly birefringent under polarized light. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:S16-8.)
Turbidimetric Titration of a Haze-Active Polyphenol in Beer

At least two commercial instruments that perform automated turbidimetric titrations are available for determining haze-active (HA) constituents in beer. They have advantages over single-point measurements due to the interactions between beer HA polyphenols, HA proteins, and other beer constituents. Analysis of HA polyphenols is particularly difficult due to their low concentration in beer. Manual turbidimetric titrations with soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were carried out in model systems with a HA polyphenol (tannic acid [TA]), a non-HA polyphenol (epicatechin), a HA protein (gliadin), and a non-HA protein (lysozyme). Increasing concentrations of TA resulted in higher turbidity peaks at higher titrant volumes. Essentially no haze was seen with epicatechin or lysozyme. Gliadin solutions had an initial modest haze that decreased with increasing titrant. The effects of adding fixed amounts of epicatechin, lysozyme, or gliadin to TA were examined. In the presence of epicatechin or lysozyme, the titration endpoints were shifted higher. The endpoints with mixtures of gliadin and TA were similar to those found with TA alone. PVP titration also was applied to samples of unchillproofed beer treated with different amounts of silica or polyvinylpolypyrrolidone and showed responses of the expected magnitudes.
Mate-Pair Sequencing as a Powerful Clinical Tool for the Characterization of Cancers with a DNA Viral Etiology

DNA viruses are known to be associated with a variety of different cancers. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a family of viruses and several of its sub-types are classified as high-risk HPVs as they are found to be associated with the development of a number of different cancers. Almost all cervical cancers appear to be driven by HPV infection and HPV is also found in most cancers of the anus and at least half the cancers of the vulva, penis and vagina, and increasingly found in one sub-type of head and neck cancers namely oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Our understanding of HPVs role in cancer development comes from extensive studies done on cervical cancer and it has just been assumed that HPV plays an identical role in the development of all other cancers arising in the presence of HPV sequences, although this has not been proven. Most invasive cervical cancers have the HPV genome integrated into one or more sites within the human genome. One powerful tool to examine all the sites of HPV integration in a cancer but that also provides a comprehensive view of genomic alterations in that cancer is the use of next generation sequencing of mate-pair libraries produced from the DNA isolated. We will describe how this powerful technology can provide important information about the genomic organization within an individual cancer genome, and how this has demonstrated that HPVs role in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is distinct from that in cervical cancer. We will also describe why the sequencing of mate-pair libraries could be a powerful clinical tool for the management of patients with a DNA viral etiology and how this could quickly transform the care of these patients.
Triosephosphate isomerase by consensus design: dramatic differences in physical properties and activity of related variants.

Consensus design, the selection of mutations based on the most common amino acid in each position of a multiple sequence alignment, has proven to be an efficient way to engineer stabilized mutants and even to design entire proteins. However, its application has been limited to small motifs or small families of highly related proteins. Also, we have little idea of how information that specifies a protein's properties is distributed between positional effects (consensus) and interactions between positions (correlated occurrences of amino acids). Here, we designed several consensus variants of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM), a large, diverse family of complex enzymes. The first variant was only weakly active, had molten globular characteristics, and was monomeric at 25 °C despite being based on nearly all dimeric enzymes. A closely related variant from curation of the sequence database resulted in a native-like dimeric TIM with near-diffusion-controlled kinetics. Both enzymes vary substantially (30-40%) from any natural TIM, but they differ from each other in only a relatively small number of unconserved positions. We demonstrate that consensus design is sufficient to engineer a sophisticated protein that requires precise substrate positioning and coordinated loop motion. The difference in oligomeric states and native-like properties for the two consensus variants is not a result of defects in the dimerization interface but rather disparate global properties of the proteins. These results have important implications for the role of correlated amino acids, the ability of TIM to function as a monomer, and the ability of molten globular proteins to carry out complex reactions.
Migration of helper T-lymphocyte subsets into inflamed tissues

The localization of lymphocytes to specific tissues is a finely regulated event that has key implications in the development of chronic allergic inflammation that is associated with allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and asthma. Key players in the tissue localization of lymphocytes and other allergic effector cells include cellular adhesion molecules and chemokines. The expression or activation pattern of these proinflammatory mediators appears to depend, in part, on the local cytokine milieu. For instance, the TH1 phenotype is associated with the upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and RANTES, whereas the TH2 phenotype is associated with the upregulation of vascular cell adhesion molecule and P-selectin. Notably, the recruitment of certain cell populations, such as eosinophils (hallmark of chronic allergic inflammation), into inflamed tissue sites is dependent on the preferential expression of adhesion molecules, chemokines, and associated receptors. The potential mechanisms that underlie cell migration into inflamed tissue as currently understood are reviewed. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;106:S264-9.)
The Normalization of an Anomaly: The Workers' Party in Brazil

Drawing on historical and rational choice institutionalism, this article seeks to explain the evolution of the Workers' Party as it moved from opposition to government between 1989 and 2002. The Partido dos Trabalhadores (pt), a once radical and programmatic party, came to look more like its catchall competitors over time. This shift resulted from the heightened emphasis placed on immediate vote maximization after Brazil's adoption of market reforms rendered the party's socialist project unviable. Vote maximization made the pt more susceptible to the institutional incentives for building electoral and political support in Brazil, incentives that induce parties to weaken their programmatic positions, forge opportunistic alliances, and resort to patronage and even corruption. To grow, the pt ended up applying such tactics, which it had long condemned. Yet its adaptation was incomplete and uneven due to historical legacies that hindered change. The analysis thus suggests that institutions evolve in response to changing environmental conditions but in ways constrained by past trajectories.
MIGRATION TO AN AMERICAN FRONTIER

ABSTRACT A sample of one thousand autobiographies written by North Dakota pioneers during the late 1930s reveals a complex pattern of migration and earning a living on the western frontier from 1875 to 1915. North Dakota was settled by eastern Canadians as part of the general westward trend of settlement across the prairies. German, German Russian, and Scandinavian-born settlers moved within discrete information-migration networks which were strengthened by a strong tendency toward marriage within the group that was preserved in the migration process. American stock settlers came from diverse origins and often worked at a succession of farm and nonfarm jobs as they moved westward. Population turnover and labor mobility resulted from the rapid growth of a specialized economic system which offered many opportunities. Seasonal labor migration was common in the early years before transition to a more stable system. The cultural geography of the northern plains emerged from diverse ethnic origins and a common ...
Complex iatrogenic esophageal injuries: an imaging spectrum.

AJR:204, February 2015 Disease Epidemiology Esophageal injuries are classified into two broad subcategories: iatrogenic and noniatrogenic. Iatrogenic injuries represent more than half of all cases and have been reported to represent as many as 59% of cases, with endoscopic injury being the most common cause [1]. Although the relative incidence of esophageal injury during endoscopy is low (< 0.04%), because of its overall prevalence, it represents the most common cause of iatrogenic esophageal injury [2]. Noniatrogenic esophageal injuries are most commonly spontaneous perforations occurring after foreign body ingestion (15% of cases), food impaction or vomiting (12% of cases), and trauma (9% of cases) [1]. The average mortality rate is 19% for iatrogenic esophageal injury, compared with 36% for noniatrogenic causes. This difference in mortality results from the subacute nature of many noniatrogenic injuries leading to a delay in diagnosis and treatment [3].
Effects of anaesthesia on the chemosensory behaviour of Pacific salmon

As Lewis et al. reported in J. Fish Biol.26, 355–358 (1985) that the anaesthetic tricaine methanosulphate (MS 222) damaged the olfactory epithelium of channel catfish, two assays were used to determine whether MS 222 or 2-phenoxyethanol (an alternative anaesthetic) influenced subsequent olfaction-mediated behaviour. Tests revealed that the homing of adult chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and the l-serine avoidance response of juvenile coho salmon, O. kisutch, were not altered by anaesthesia.
Newer diagnostic and surgical techniques and their impact on anesthesia.

As medical technology advances, more sophisticated diagnostic and surgical procedures have become available for use in both humans and animals. The anesthesiologist must have a thorough understanding of the technology and its effects on the patient, personnel, and anesthetic equipment. The newer technologies that anesthesiologists must keep abreast of include laser surgery, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine (Gamma scintigraphy), ultrasonography, and endoscopy. Endoscopic techniques include examination of the respiratory airways (bronchoscopy), intestinal and urinary tracts, and the nasal (rhinoscopy), abdominal (laparoscopy), and thoracic (thoracoscopy) cavities.
The Reverse Spaghetti Problem: Drooping Motion of an Elastica Issuing from a Horizontal Guide

The nonlinear equations of motion of an elastica that moves out of a horizontal guide at a constant velocity are expressed in terms a dimensionless weight-to-stiffness ratio and a dimensionless velocity. The equations are written in horizontal-vertical directions rather than tangential-normal directions to minimize algebraic complexities. The introduction of deformation potentials allows each of the linear momentum equations to be integrated once. This simplifies the remaining equations. A series solution of the equations, useful for small motions—and perhaps useful for design—is given. To facilitate numerical solution, the triangular space-time domain of the problem is transformed into a square domain in pseudo space-time. Finally, some solutions based on the finite element method are presented for typical values of the dimensionless weight-to-stiffness and velocity parameters.
Optimization of link bandwidth for parallel communication performance

The efficiency of computer network has been regarded as a bottleneck in parallel computing paradigm. It is important to have efficient methodology to obtain network performance measures, especially for a large scale system, i.e. exa-scale system. Communication performance is often investigated by the static complexity analysis based on a given network topology or a detailed network simulation, which is often time consuming. To provide a dynamic and scalable communication performance measure, we first propose an aggregate multi-stage queueing network model to capture the application's communication load and derive the closed-form system performance, i.e. throughput and delay. Trace simulation results obtained from a sophisticated simulator, Venus, show that the proposed model is accurate, yet simple. Secondly, we develop a link bandwidth optimization framework, which optimally allocates/distributes link bandwidth across the network to maximize the system communication throughput. Specifically, we apply the derived optimal bandwidth allocation on dimensioning link bandwidth of an exploratory direct network and slimming fat-tree network. Our results show that the proposed methodology is cost-effective in providing system performance and design explorations for the existing and the next-generation network system.
Using Trade to Enforce International Environmental Law: Implications for United States Law

The United States has enviable domestic environmental protection laws.1 However, good domestic environmental protection raises two concerns: effectiveness and competitiveness. Regarding effectiveness, environmentalists well understand that effective environmental protection cannot stop at one state's borders. Controlling air and water pollution, ozone destruction, and threats to wildlife in the United States will not eliminate those problems as long as other states continue destructive practices.2 Regarding competitiveness, United States environmental protection laws can pose a competitive disadvantage when businesses in other states do not face the same regulations.3 In response to these two problems of environmental protection? effectiveness and competitiveness?members of Congress introduced over thirty bills in 1990 to amend U.S. trade laws. The bills were designed to either press other states to adopt environmental protection standards similar to the United States' own or to at least minimize the competitive disadvantage for U.S. business inherent in U.S. regulations.4 The bills took one of two approaches: either they aimed at restricting access to U.S. markets for those states failing to honor international environmental commitments, or they levied duties on imports from states failing to protect the environment.5
Gangliosides in Axon Stability and Regeneration

Gangliosides, sialylated glycosphingolipids, are major glycans on the surfaces of vertebrate nerve cells. All mammals express the same four major brain gangliosides, GM1, GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b, which together comprise 94 % of brain gangliosides in mice and men alike. Among their functions, brain gangliosides GD1a and GT1b on neuronal axons are complementary binding partners for myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), which functions in axon-myelin stability and the control of axon regeneration. Human congenital disorders of ganglioside biosynthesis and related mouse genetic models reveal that complex gangliosides are required for long-term axon survival; loss of gangliosides results in paraplegia in humans and similar progressive motor neuropathy in mice. In addition to stabilizing axons, axon-myelin interactions restrict axon regeneration after injury in adults. MAG on residual myelin that persists at sites of central nervous system injury contributes to axon outgrowth inhibition by binding to gangliosides, thereby signaling axons to halt outgrowth. Modulating ganglioside structures on living nerve cells in vitro and in animal models attenuates inhibition and enhances anatomical and motor behavioral outcomes after axonal injury. Knowledge of ganglioside functions in the brain contributes to a more complete understanding of glycosciences in axon-related physiology and pathology.
Service-Oriented Laboratory Information Management System for Life Sciences Research

Data and process management are among the biggest problems that the life sciences face today, particularly in the areas of genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. This paper provides a design and implementation of a flexible, expandable and easy to use service oriented laboratory information management system (LIMS). A prerequisite to systems biology is the integration of heterogeneous raw and derived experimental data sets, which are stored in numerous life-science databases. However, a wide range of obstacles that relate to access, handling and integration impede the efficient exchange and use of the contents of these databases. The exponential growth of experimental data owing to advances and high- and ultra high-throughput technologies demand more sophisticated data and process management solutions. This service oriented data management tool enables researchers to have straightforward access to the data, and exchange information with other scientists in order to effectively answer today's complex research questions.