cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for diagnosis of incipient Alzheimer disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Alzheimer disease (AD)1 is the most common cause of dementia. In the US, AD is the sixth leading cause of death in Americans aged 65 or older. In the US, AD affects an estimated 5.3 million people and is expected to afflict approximately 35 million people worldwide by 2010 (1). The global health economic impact of AD-related dementia is predicted to overwhelm social services in coming decades as a consequence of demographic aging. Definitive diagnosis of AD at postmortem examination of the brain reveals gross and microscopic evidence of neuronal atrophy and the presence of 2 histological hallmarks: amyloid β (Aβ)-containing plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Antemortem diagnosis is based on the presence and progressive worsening of clinical symptoms. Clinical diagnosis is challenging, because other causes of dementia are often difficult to differentiate from AD. Accordingly, researchers are actively evaluating a variety of clinical-, imaging-, and laboratory-based methods to distinguish AD and non-AD dementia through antemortem detection of AD pathology. These methods include MRI to quantify brain atrophy, fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography to characterize loss of metabolic function, positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography to define amyloid plaque burden, measurement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of total tau (t-tau) and tau phosphorylated at threonine181 (P-tau181) to detect neuronal degeneration, and measurement of a 42 amino acid isoform of amyloid β (Aβ1–42) in CSF to detect abnormal trafficking of this peptide present in amyloid plaque. Several studies, including the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), have provided compelling evidence that CSF t-tau, P-tau181, and Aβ1–42 measurements can identify individuals with clinically and pathologically diagnosed AD. Moreover, these studies suggest that these 3 CSF biomarkers can identify asymptomatic individuals and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) likely to progress to AD (2). In a new …
Integration and organization of Ti plasmid sequences in crown gall tumors

The Ti plasmid sequences (T DNA) maintained in four unorganized crown gall tumor lines were defined by using restriction endonucleases and molecular hybridization techniques. Each tumor line contains a "core" T DNA which is apparently responsible for maintaining the transformed state; the core T DNA is colinear with the Ti plasmid and contains the Ti plasmid sequences referred to as the "common DNA"--sequences found in all Ti plasmids studied to date. A given Ti plasmid does not always give rise to the same T DNA complement. The data suggest that the majority if not all of the T DNA is integrated into plant DNA, that preferred regions of the Ti plasmid serve as the points of attachment to plant DNA and that the T DNA can be linked to more than one site in the plant genome.
Germline SMAD4 or BMPR1A mutations and phenotype of juvenile polyposis.

Juvenile polyposis (JP) is an inherited condition predisposing to upper gastrointestinal (UGI) polyps and colorectal cancer. Two genes are known to predisose to JP,SMAD4 and bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 1A (BMPR1A). The object of this study was to determine the differences in phenotype of patients withSMAD4 orBMPR1A mutations (MUT+) compared with those without (MUT-). DNA was extracted from 54 JP probands and used for polymerase chain reaction of all exons ofSMAD4 andBMPRIA. Products were then sequenced and analyzed for mutations. Medical record data were used to create a JP database, and statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact and unpairedt-tests. Nine of 54 patients had germlineSMAD4 mutations, 13 hadBMPR1A mutations, and 32 had neither. There were no significant differences betweenSMAD4+ andBMPR1A+ cases in terms of clinical factors examined, except for a family history of UGI involvement (P 10 lower gastrointestinal polyps (P=.06), and frequency of family history of gastrointestinal cancer compared with MUT-patients (P=.01). Patients with germlineSMAD4 orBMPR1A mutations have a more prominent JP phenotype than those without, andSMAD4 mutations predispose to UGI polyposis.
Optical spectroscopy and tooth decay

Optical spectroscopy in the ultraviolet, visible and mid-infrared spectral regions has been used to discriminate between healthy and diseased teeth of patients in the age range 15-75 years. Spectral scans of absorbance versus wavenumber and fluorescence intensity versus wavelength have been recorded and investigated for caries and periodontal disease. Such optical diagnostics can prove very useful in the early detection and treatment of tooth decay.
Insights into Escherichia coli RNA polymerase structure from a combination of x-ray and electron crystallography.

Abstract Our goal is to understand the mechanism of transcription and its regulation. Determining structures of RNA polymerase and transcription complexes is an essential step. Because of their large size and complexity, determination of these structures will require a combination of electron microscopy, biophysical methods, and biochemical methods to identify functionally and structurally relevant subassemblies and domains and x-ray crystallography to determine high-resolution structures of RNA polymerase components and accessory factors. We recently solved the 2.5-A crystal structure of theEscherichia coliRNA polymerase α subunit N-terminal domain, which is the first high-resolution structure of a core component required for RNA polymerase assembly and basal transcription. This structure, combined with a new 19-A resolution structure determined by cryo-electron microscopy of helical crystals ofE. colicore RNAP embedded in vitreous ice, leads to a model for the organization of the RNAP subunits.
The prognostic value of ECG-gated SPECT imaging in patients undergoing stress Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion imaging.

The ability of stress radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging to predict adverse cardiac events is well accepted. As left ventricular systolic function has also been shown to be an important prognostic indicator, the objective of this study was to determine whether electrocardiography (ECG)-gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) functional data add additional power. In this study 3207 patients who underwent stress myocardial perfusion imaging with ECG gating, without early (<60 days) revascularization, were studied. Subsequent nonfatal myocardial infarction and cardiac death were related to perfusion and ECG-gated SPECT ventricular function parameters. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent predictive value of these parameters, as well as their added utility over clinical and ECG parameters. Patients with abnormal perfusion images had an annual event rate of 5.1% compared with 1.6% for patients with normal images (P <.001). An abnormal gated SPECT wall motion score was associated with an annual event rate of 6.1% compared with 1.6% for a normal score (P <.001), and an abnormal left ventricular ejection fraction was associated with an event rate of 7.4% compared with 1.8% for normal patients (P <.001). Abnormal ECG-gated SPECT results worsened outcome in both patients with normal perfusion images and those with abnormal perfusion images. Cardiac death was predicted by the number of territories with a perfusion defect and an abnormal ejection fraction, whereas myocardial infarction was predicted by the number of territories with a perfusion defect but not by ejection fraction. Ventricular function data from ECG-gated SPECT add important prognostic value to data obtained from perfusion imaging alone in predicting adverse cardiac events.
An ecological analysis of the socioeconomic status of women having abortions in Manhattan

Abstract Since 1974 the number of abortions in New York City's borough of Manhattan has exceeded the number of births within its resident population.Manhattan's rate of abortions has been nearly twice that of the other city boroughs during the decade of the 1970's. Most investigations of abortion have focused on the attitudes of individual abortion patients as a means of explaining the growing number of pregnancy terminations in New York and throughout the United States. This study seeks to place this earlier research in ecological perspective by examining the social conditions in Manhattan associated with its spatial concentration of induced abortions. Data from the City Health Department and the U.S. Census were combined to describe abortion rates and status of women among New York's 339 health areas. A factor analysis of this data base using a varimax solution revealed that the most prominent areas of abortion usage cluster among populations of well-educated, professionally employed women living in communities on Manhattan's East Side and Greenwich Village. Single marital status and high population turnover were also found to covary with abortion. Results of this analysis suggest that the attitudes found among abortion patients in previous studies may be fostered by the compendium of pressures from single parenthood, upward mobility and short-term social relationships
The universe model: an approach for improving the modularity and reliability of concurrent programs

We present the universe model, a new approach to concurrency management that isolates concurrency concerns and represents them in the modular interface of a component. This approach improves program comprehension, module composition, and reliability for concurrent systems. The model is founded on designer-specified invariant properties, which declare a component's dependencies on other concurrent components. Process scheduling is then automatically derived from these invariants. We illustrate the advantages of this approach by applying it to a real-world example.
Immortal time bias: a frequently unrecognized threat to validity in the evaluation of postoperative radiotherapy.

Purpose To evaluate the influence of immortal time bias on observational cohort studies of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and the effectiveness of sequential landmark analysis to account for this bias. Methods and Materials First, we reviewed previous studies of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to determine how frequently this bias was considered. Second, we used SEER to select three tumor types (glioblastoma multiforme, Stage IA–IVM0 gastric adenocarcinoma, and Stage II–III rectal carcinoma) for which prospective trials demonstrated an improvement in survival associated with PORT. For each tumor type, we calculated conditional survivals and adjusted hazard ratios of PORT vs. postoperative observation cohorts while restricting the sample at sequential monthly landmarks. Results Sixty-two percent of previous SEER publications evaluating PORT failed to use a landmark analysis. As expected, delivery of PORT for all three tumor types was associated with improved survival, with the largest associated benefit favoring PORT when all patients were included regardless of survival. Preselecting a cohort with a longer minimum survival sequentially diminished the apparent benefit of PORT. Conclusions Although the majority of previous SEER articles do not correct for it, immortal time bias leads to altered estimates of PORT effectiveness, which are very sensitive to landmark selection. We suggest the routine use of sequential landmark analysis to account for this bias.
Vapour pressure of nitrogen below the triple point

Techniques are discussed whereby liquid helium consumption can be reduced by extension of the range of use of nitrogen. The vapour pressure-temperature relationship has been determined for commercial high-purity nitrogen from the triple point down to 45 K; this data conforms to the expression log10P = 7.614676 − 356.281/T to within a 1% pressure deviation. A value of 63.148 K has been deduced for the triple point temperature on IPTS of 1968; this corresponds to a pressure of 93.905 mm Hg. Our data is compared with some earlier data which extends down to 30 K.
THE USE OF TIME SERIES ANALYSIS AND INTERVENTION ANALYSIS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF EXTERNAL FACTORS ON TRAFFIC INDICES: A CASE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF THE SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION AND ENERGY CRISIS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS

The analysis of time series data expoused by G.E.P. Box and G.M. Jenkins is introduced and motivated within the context of time series data collected on traffic indices. Simple models for a set of six traffic indices collected for the State of Texas are developed. During the time period spanned by these series two significant events occurred. A fuel shortage was experienced in the months of February and March 1974 and in February of 1974 the maximum speed limit on all roads in the state was lowered to 55 miles per hour. Using the methods of intervention analysis developed by G.E.P. Box and G. Tiao, the magnitude of the effects of these two factors on the traffic indices in the state were assessed. It is shown that the combined effect of the fuel shortage and the speed limit reduction induced significant shifts in the course of the traffic series and that the effects of the speed limit reduction have persisted but are diminishing over time.
Why amnesia and the law is not a useful topic

This brief note suggests that amnesia and the law (or any other behavioral condition and the law) is not a jurisprudentially interesting topic because such behavioral conditions do not require distinct legal critera and procedures. Rather, the issues that each raises are examples of more general normative issues, such as the proper criteria for competence or responsibility, that should be addressed more generally and directly. Distinct behavioral conditions are simply factors that should be used as evidence when the law adjudicates or develops more general doctrines. Language: en
Vibrational relaxation dynamics of catalysts on TiO2 Rutile (1 1 0) single crystal surfaces and anatase nanoporous thin films

Abstract Time-resolved vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy has been used to investigate the vibrational relaxation dynamics of the rhenium bipyridyl CO2-reduction catalyst Re(CO)3Cl(dcbpy) [dcbpy = 4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine] adsorbed onto the (1 1 0) surface of a Rutile TiO2 single crystal. IR pump-VSFG probe spectra of the a′(1) CO stretching mode indicate a ultrafast population equilibration between three CO stretching modes followed by their population relaxation via intramolecular vibrational energy transfer. Similar vibational relaxation dynamics was also observed for the same complex on anatase TiO2 nanocrystalline thin films measured by IR pump-IR probe transient absorption spectroscopy. The relaxation dynamics of ReCOA on TiO2, in DMF solution, and immobilized on Au through alkane thiol linkers were compared to examine possible effects of adsorbate-TiO2 interaction.
Basolateral sorting of transforming growth factor-α precursor in polarized epithelial cells: characterization of cytoplasmic domain determinants

Abstract In polarized Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, newly synthesized transforming growth factor-α precursor (proTGFα) is directly sorted to the basolateral cell surface where it is sequentially cleaved and released into the basolateral conditioned medium (Dempsey, P.J., Coffey, R.J., J. Biol. Chem. 269 (1994) 16878–16889). In the present study, the role of the proTGFα cytoplasmic domain in basolateral sorting has been investigated using deletional and site-directed mutagenesis, as well as chimeric analyses of different TGFα constructs stably expressed in MDCK cells. The loss of polarized secretion of a proTGFα secretory mutant (TGFsec88) indicated that the proTGFα transmembrane and/or cytoplasmic domains contain essential basolateral sorting information. Using reporter chimeras with two apically sorted membrane proteins, p75 neurotrophin growth factor receptor and placental alkaline phosphatase, we show that the proTGFα cytoplasmic domain contains dominant basolateral sorting information. Analysis of proTGFα cytoplasmic domain truncation and internal deletion mutants, together with site-directed mutagenesis studies within the full-length proTGFα cytoplasmic domain, revealed redundant basolateral sorting motifs. Importantly, the C-terminal type I PDZ-binding motif was not required for basolateral sorting as determined by the integrity of basolateral sorting in deletion mutants lacking this motif. ProTGFα basolateral sorting may have important consequences for ligand presentation and spatial compartmentalization of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling networks in polarized epithelial cells.
Assessing author research focus using vector space modeling

A method for comparison of research focus by a group of authors using vector space modeling is presented. The body of published work by an author or group of authors in a given field may be represented as a vocabulary based on language use. Using vector space modeling, publications may be represented as vectors, resulting in a topic space. The works of a given author may be mapped onto the space, resulting in an author space. The density of a given author space provides an indication of the coherence of the author's body of work, where a high density author space is indicative of a more focused research agenda and a low density author space indicates more varied areas of investigation or language use. This concept was applied to a set of publications appearing in eight high impact factor journals in information science from which the 100 most prolific authors were identified. Their author space characteristics were determined and compared to identify those with the most focused research. The findings demonstrate significant correlations in authors' numbers of publications, vocabulary usage, and resulting author space density, with some exceptions.
REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATION OF FLAVOR COMPONENTS IN APPLE JUICE-AND GRAPE JUICE-WATERS

Abstract Several flavor components including alcohols, aldehydes and esters were identified and quantitatively estimated, by gas chromatography, in membrane permeated apple juice- and grape juice-waters collected by reverse osmosis treatment of natural juices using cellulose acetate membranes. The flavor components present in the juice-waters so collected were then concentrated by reverse osmosis treatment of the latter at 5°C and 68.95 x 102 kPa gauge pressure (1000 psig) using aromatic polyamide membranes. It is shown that the concentrations of each flavor component in the concentrate and the permeate solutions obtained in the latter treatment are predictable from only a single set of experimental reverse osmosis data with a reference NaCl-H2O feed solution for each membrane. This prediction technique is described, and its utility in reverse osmosis process design is illustrated.
Analysing protein-protein interactions of the Myxococcus xanthus Dif signalling pathway using the yeast two-hybrid system.

The dif operon is essential for fruiting body formation, fibril (exopolysaccharide) production and social motility of Myxococcus xanthus. The dif locus contains a gene cluster homologous to chemotaxis genes such as mcp (difA), cheW (difC), cheY (difD), cheA (difE) and cheC (difF), as well as an unknown ORF called difB. This study used yeast two-hybrid analysis to investigate possible interactions between Dif proteins, and determined that DifA, C, D and E interact in a similar fashion to chemotaxis proteins of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. It also showed that DifF interacted with DifD, and that the novel protein DifB did not interact with Dif proteins. Furthermore, DifA–F proteins were used to determine other possible protein–protein interactions in the M. xanthus genomic library. The authors not only confirmed the specific interactions among known Dif proteins, but also discovered two novel interactions between DifE and Nla19, and DifB and YidC, providing some new information about the Dif signalling pathway. Based on these findings, a model for the Dif signalling pathway is proposed.
Solid particle erosion of α-brass with 5 and 25 μm particles at normal incidence

Abstract Deformation characteristics of a ductile material surface, impacted by erosive particles, was investigated at single impact sites. Surface of Cu-30% Zn (α-brass) was impacted by angular SiO 2 particles having an average size 5 and 25 μm in an evacuated experimental set-up. SEM and AFM studies were conducted to qualitatively and quantitatively characterize individual impact sites. Indent sizes were very small compared to grain size of polycrystalline α-brass. Even though the impacts occur at a 90° angle, rather than symmetrical indent geometries, chip formation in specific directions within the individual grains is a very remarkable feature of the deformation observed. While cross-section of indents, within the same grains, exhibit almost identical material pile-up profiles and cut surface inclination, adjacent grains, apparently having different crystallographic orientation with respect to laboratory reference frame, reveal significantly different chip formation characteristics. It is proposed herein that the deformation path of particles is imposed by the mechanical response of the deforming grain. Because deformation is limited to a grain, anisotropic mechanical properties of a single crystal are correlated with directionality on chip formation and highly asymmetric indent geometries. Contrary to the previously proposed material removal mechanism for relatively larger particles, accumulation of strain does not appear to be the dominant mechanism in the case of impact with small (5–25 μm) particles. SEM and AFM results strongly support this explanation.
Cholinergic agents affect two receptors that modulate transmitter release at a central synapse in Aplysia californica

Summary A unitary, monosynaptic and presumably cholinergic EPSP recorded in cell R15 of the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia californica undergoes depression followed by facilitation when the presynaptic axon is repetitively stimulated at a rate of 1–3 pulses/sec. During trains of stimulation which produced this sequence of phenomena, the effects of a large number of agents known to affect cholinergic transmission in other systems were studied. The agents could be divided into 4 classes: (1) agents having no effect upon transmission at this cholinergic junction; (2) agents of a class typified by curare, which depressed all EPSPs of a train to the same extent, and which are believed to be acting in this system solely as competitive postsynaptic blockers; (3) agents typified by acetylcholine and carbachol (ACh class), which selectively depressed earlier EPSPs of a train more than later EPSPs and which appear to act by reducing the fractional release of transmitter; (4) agents typified by trimethidinium (trimethidinium class), which selectively depress later EPSPs of a train more than earlier EPSPs and which appear to act by reducing the rate of transmitter supply into the readily releasable pool. Neither the ACh class nor the trimethidinium class produced these selective effects on different pulses in the train by changes in the postsynaptic membrane potential or membrane resistance. Nor did they act by stimulating or inhibiting other recorded inputs onto R15. Iontophoretic application of acetylcholine onto R15 indicated that the effect of trimethidinium could not be explained by an alteration in desensitization of a postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor. The structural specificity of the presynaptic receptors mediating the action of the ACh and trimethidinium classes was demonstrated by the use of a large number of structurally related compounds.
Quaternary tectonic stability of the Bahamian archipelago: evidence from fossil coral reefs and flank margin caves

Abstract Throughout the islands of the Bahamian archipelago fossil coral reefs are found from current sea level up to a maximum elevation of +4 m. 234 U 230 Th radiometric dates obtained from in situ corals from these reefs, by both alpha-count and mass-spectrometric techniques, indicates that they were all formed during Oxygen Isotope Substage 5e (ca. 125,000 years ago). Those data are consistent with a maximum sea-level highstand of +6 m during Substage 5e, and either no vertical motion of the Bahamas, or possible isostatic subsidence of up to 2 m during the past 120,000 years. No older in situ fossil corals, or other subtidal deposits, have been found subaerially exposed anywhere in the Bahamas. That finding suggests that late Quaternary (at least the past 300,000 years) isostatic subsidence has occurred at a rate of 1–2 m per hundred thousand years, and/or no pre-5e highstands were above modern sea level. An independent corroboration of the conclusions drawn about sea level amplitude and tectonic stability of the Bahamas from the coral reef data is available from examination of abundant flank margin caves (horizontal, phreatic dissolution caves) found above modern sea level throughout the Bahamas. These horizontally extensive air-filled caves have dissolutional ceilings with elevations that are restricted to +1 to +7 m, which is consistent with formation at the margin of a thin freshwater lens elevated by a past +6 m sea-level highstand. The restricted cave elevations, and the lack of stalagmites in these caves that are older than 100,000 years, are also consistent with cave formation during Substage 5e, and possible subsequent isostatic subsidence of a few metres. The subsurface geology of the southeastern Bahamas contains a long-term record (millions of years) that has been attributed to past tectonic activity along the North American/Caribbean plate boundary. While that record suggests differential subsidence across the Bahamas in the Tertiary Period, the data from fossil coral reefs (and subtidal deposits) and flank margin caves indicate that all Bahamian banks on which there are islands have been tectonically stable, and behaving similarly, for at least the past several hundred thousand years.
A C-terminal segment of the V1R vasopressin receptor is unstructured in the crystal structure of its chimera with the maltose-binding protein.

The V1 vascular vasopressin receptor (V1R) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) involved in the regulation of body-fluid osmolality, blood volume and blood pressure. Signal transduction is mediated by the third intracellular loop of this seven-transmembrane protein as well as by the C-terminal cytoplasmic segment. A chimera of the maltose-binding protein (MBP) and the C-terminal segment of V1R has been cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized. The crystals belong to space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 51.10, b = 66.56, c = 115.72 A, β = 95.99°. The 1.8 A crystal structure reveals the conformation of MBP and part of the linker region of this chimera, with the C-terminal segment being unstructured. This may reflect a conformational plasticity in the C-­terminal segment that may be necessary for proper function of V1R.
Lead Shot Ingestion by Mourning Doves on a Disked Field

ABSTRACT Previous field studies of hunter-harvested mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) have reported the percentage of birds with ingested lead shot as 0.2–6.5%. To reduce the uncertainty concerning the number of doves that ingest shot, we conducted an experiment to test the proportion of mourning doves that ingested lead shot on the bare soil of a disked field (typical of a managed dove field) to simulate more natural feeding conditions. In each of 3 treatment groups of 80 birds, we exposed 35 birds to low-density lead shot (1.5 million shot/ha), and35 birds to high-density lead shot (29.5 million shot/ha), and 10 birds served as controls (no shot). We dosed 5 positive control birds with 2 lead shot each in trials 2 and 3. We scattered lead shot and mixed seed on the loosely packed soil of treatment cages and after 4 days of exposure, 2.9% of doves voluntarily ingested ≥1 lead shot. The proportion of birds that ingested shot when exposed to the high-density shot treatment (4.9%) was not different (P = 0.0...
Application of Cobalt Salicide in Sub-Quarter Micron Ulsi

A thin Ti-silicide film is widely used today as the low resistance shunt in a semiconductor chip. As the feature size in the chip shrinks to sub-quarter micron, the thin Ti-silicide film formed on such narrow lines transforms from C49 to C54 at increasing temperatures and agglomerates at decreasing temperatures, closing the process window for Ti-salicide process. In contrast, low resistivity Co-silicide thin films can be formed on narrow lines below the agglomeration temperature. In addition, an epitaxial CoSi2 with a flat interface can be formed in source/drain areas, enabling the formation of very shallow junctions with low leakage current. Experimental results on formation of silicides from Co/Ti bilayers and thermal stability of the CoSi2 films will be presented, with special emphasis on the sheet resistance of the suicide film versus poly-line width down to 0.15 un. Interaction between dopants and suicide films will also be discussed.
Metabolic Regulation of Stem Cell Behavior and Implications for Aging

Caloric intake influences metabolic homeostasis, somatic maintenance, tissue regeneration, and longevity in metazoans. Recent studies indicate that nutrient-dependent changes in stem cell populations play an important role in these effects. Here, we review the emerging picture of how nutrient-sensing pathways affect stem cell behavior, providing a mechanism to influence life span.
Do Auditing Standards Matter

SUMMARY: Properly understanding the economic role of auditing standards is an important step toward improving both audit effectiveness and efficiency. In this essay, I observe that auditing standar...
Quick detection of contaminants leaching from polypropylene centrifuge tubes with surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy

Anomalous surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) peaks were identified for liquid sample stored in polypropylene (PP) centrifuge tubes for months. We observed unexpected Raman peaks during experiments with thiamine hydrochloride aqueous solutions stored in PP tubes for 2 months. In order to identify the contaminants, we have performed SERS experiments on deionized (DI) water stored in PP centrifuge tubes for 2 months and compared them with those from fresh DI water sample. We have also carried out ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectra for both fresh and contaminated water. We believe that the water is contaminated because of chemicals leaching from the PP tube. From the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry data, the main contaminants were found to be phthalic acid (PA) and its derivatives. Further SERS and UV absorption experiment for PA correlated well with the anomalous peaks identified earlier. We qualitatively confirmed the identification and quantitatively estimated the concentration of the suspect contaminants as between 1 and 10 µM with both SERS and UV absorption spectroscopy. With UV absorption spectroscopy, we precisely estimated the concentration as 2.1 µM. We have shown that the sample in PP tube can be contaminated by the leaching chemicals upon long-term storage, and suggest SERS and UV absorption spectroscopy as two quick and simple techniques to detect the contamination. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chronic intermittent hypoxia-hypercapnia blunts heart rate responses and alters neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons

Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea experience chronic intermittent hypoxia-hypercapnia (CIHH) during sleep that elicit sympathetic overactivity and diminished parasympathetic activity to the heart, leading to hypertension and depressed baroreflex sensitivity. The parasympathetic control of heart rate arises from pre-motor cardiac vagal neurons (CVNs) located in nucleus ambiguus (NA) and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNX). The mechanisms underlying diminished vagal control of heart rate were investigated by studying the changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and neurotransmission to CVNs evoked by acute hypoxia-hypercapnia (H-H) and CIHH. In vivo telemetry recordings of blood pressure and heart rate were obtained in adult rats during 4 weeks of CIHH exposure. Retrogradely labelled CVNs were identified in an in vitro brainstem slice preparation obtained from adult rats exposed either to air or CIHH for 4 weeks. Postsynaptic inhibitory or excitatory currents were recorded using whole cell voltage clamp techniques. Rats exposed to CIHH had increases in blood pressure, leading to hypertension, and blunted heart rate responses to acute H-H. CIHH induced an increase in GABAergic and glycinergic neurotransmission to CVNs in NA and DMNX, respectively; and a reduction in glutamatergic neurotransmission to CVNs in both nuclei. CIHH blunted the bradycardia evoked by acute H-H and abolished the acute H-H evoked inhibition of GABAergic transmission while enhancing glycinergic neurotransmission to CVNs in NA. These changes with CIHH inhibit CVNs and vagal outflow to the heart, both in acute and chronic exposures to H-H, resulting in diminished levels of cardioprotective parasympathetic activity to the heart as seen in OSA patients.
Structural features in the Rous sarcoma virus RNA stability element are necessary for sensing the correct termination codon

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is an mRNA quality control mechanism that selectively recognizes and targets for degradation mRNAs containing premature termination codons. Retroviral full-length RNA is presented to the host translation machinery with characteristics rarely observed among host cell mRNAs: a long 3' UTR, retained introns, and multiple open reading frames. As a result, the viral RNA is predicted to be recognized by the host NMD machinery and degraded. In the case of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), we identified a stability element (RSE), which resides immediately downstream of the gag termination codon and facilitates NMD evasion. We defined key RNA features of the RSE through directed mutagenesis of the virus. These data suggest that the minimal RSE is 155 nucleotides (nts) and functions independently of the nucleotide sequence of the stop codon or the first nucleotide following the stop codon. Further data suggested that the 3'UTRs of the RSV pol and src may also function as stability elements. We propose that these stability elements in RSV may be acting as NMD insulators to mask the preceding stop codon from the NMD machinery.
Life is Experienced Until We Die: Effects of Service-Learning on Gerontology Competencies and Attitudes Toward Aging

This mixed methods study examined the effects of service learning in an undergraduate gerontology course on student learning outcomes. Eleven of thirteen students chose to provide companionship and practical help to community-dwelling older adults and link course assignments to this experience. Participating students were mostly female and social work majors or minors, of various races and ethnicities, and of traditional and nontraditional ages. Self-ratings using the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale showed significant skill improvements for students from pretest to posttest. Analysis of student journals indicated improvement in interaction skills, knowledge of aging processes, dismantling of stereotypes, awareness of issues affecting healthy aging, valuing older adults, and cultural competence. Career plans were positively affected for most students. Letters offering advice to their 70-year old selves appeared to impact students’ plans for self-care. Service-learning is recommended to increase students’ gerontology competencies and attitudes toward aging in others and themselves.
From the Bodies of Bees: Classical and Christian Echoes in Surat al-Nahl

Within Surat al-Nahl, the bee, like the very earth and God’s most privileged human hierophants, receives a direct revelation from the Lord. This revelation consists of a series of injunctions: go to your homes, eat of the earth’s fruits and “follow the trodden paths of the Lord.” These key elements of the Sura’s meditation upon the bee resonate very strongly with Classical and Christian ideas about the nature and habit of bees. Just as the Sura privileges the bee to communicate directly with God and to live an ideal life, throughout Graeco- Roman Antiquity the bee was similarly thought to be a creature particularly endowed with a divine nature and entrusted with divine revelation. And like their perfectly obedient Muslim counterparts, the Classical bee offered a paradigm for life and how to live it. And yet, Muslim exegetes both Sunni and Shi'i are hardly satisfied to merely import a pre-fabricated trope into their discourse as their rich interpretive tradition elaborates the bee’s rhetorical valence and symbolic power to make the insect wholly their own.
The C. elegans zonula occludens ortholog cooperates with the cadherin complex to recruit actin during morphogenesis.

Summary The dramatic cell-shape changes necessary to form a multicellular organism require cell-cell junctions to be both pliable and strong. The zonula occludens (ZO) subfamily of membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs) are scaffolding molecules thought to regulate cell-cell adhesion [1–3], but there is little known about their roles in vivo. To elucidate the functional role of ZO proteins in a living embryo, we have characterized the sole C. elegans ZO family member, ZOO-1. ZOO-1 localizes with the cadherin-catenin complex during development, and its junctional recruitment requires the transmembrane proteins HMR-1/E-cadherin and VAB-9/claudin, but surprisingly, not HMP-1/α-catenin or HMP-2/β-catenin. zoo-1 knockdown results in lethality during elongation, resulting in the rupture of epidermal cell-cell junctions under stress and failure of epidermal sheet sealing at the ventral midline. Consistent with a role in recruiting actin to the junction in parallel to the cadherin-catenin complex, zoo-1 loss of function reduces the dynamic recruitment of actin to junctions and enhances the severity of actin filament defects in hypomorphic alleles of hmp-1 and hmp-2 . These results show that ZOO-1 cooperates with the cadherin-catenin complex to dynamically regulate strong junctional anchorage to the actin cytoskeleton during morphogenesis.
Fine-line conductor manufacturing using drop-on demand PZT printing technology

An emerging selective metallization process to fabricate fine-line conductors based on drop-on-demand (DOD) ink jet printing and novel nano-particle fluid suspensions (NPFS) was studied. The suspensions consist of 1-10 nm silver or gold particulates that are homogeneously suspended in an organic carrier. A piezo-electric droplet generator driven by a bipolar voltage signal is used to dispense 50-70 /spl mu/m diameter droplets traveling at 1-3 m/s before impacting a compliant polyimide substrate. The deposit/substrate composite is subsequently processed at 300/spl deg/C for 15 min to allow for complete evaporation of the carrier and for sintering of the nano-particles, thereby yielding a finished circuit interconnect. Test vehicles created using this technique exhibit features as fine as 120 /spl mu/m wide and 1 /spl mu/m thick with resistivities on the order of 3.5/spl times/10/sup -5/ /spl Omega/cm. The circuitry performed well under environmental conditioning. As expected, repeatability of circuitry fabrication showed sensitivity to the generation of steady, satellite-free droplets. In an effort to generate droplets consistently, it is essential to develop a strong fundamental understanding of the correlation between device excitation parameters and dispensed fluid properties, and to resolve the microrheological behavior of the NPFS when flowing through the droplet generator.
Multiple Copies of Human Adenovirus 12 Genomes Are Integrated in Virus-Induced Hamster Tumors

Tumors induced in hamsters by highly oncogenic human adenovirus 12 contain multiple copies of 90 to 100% of the viral genome in an integrated form.
Multi-agent system based intelligent distributed control system for power plants

This paper presents an approach for intelligent distributed control of power plants using the concept of multi-agent systems (MAS). Solving the problem of optimally controlling a power plant based on multiple objectives, such as minimizing pollution, maximizing equipment life, etc., and coordinating each of the involved tasks that must be performed in distributed environments is a challenge, which involves many individual computationally intensive tasks. These tasks include calculating feasible control valve operating ranges based on unit load demand, multi-objective optimization, training neural networks, monitoring and managing real-time input/output data, and task delegation, among others. Since each of these tasks requires such computational overhead and these systems need to be coordinated among distributed environments, it is necessary to divide them up into multiple agents. The presented method of design of the multi-agent system is a continuation of research to develop a multi-agent system to implement a technique for computing optimal multi-objective power plant controls.
Pharmacokinetics of Acrivastine After Oral and Colonic Administration

Six healthy male volunteers participated in this randomized, crossover open-label pharmacokinetic study consisting of two dosing segments separated by a washout period of at least 5 days. During each dosing segment, each volunteer received 12 mg of acrivastine, an investigational histamine H1-receptor antagonist, in a syrup form either orally or by colonic administration in random order. After oral and colonic administration, respectively, the following mean +/- SD pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained: Cmax 179 +/- 11 and 13.8 +/- 5.2 ng/ml; tmax, 0.85 +/- 0.13 and 3.60 +/- 0.56 hr; AUC0-12 hr, 576 +/- 57 and 104 +/- 46 hr.ng/ml. Differences between the oral and colonic administration for all three parameters were statistically significant (P less than 0.001). The mean +/- SD relative bioavailability of acrivastine from colonic compared to oral dosing was 0.18 +/- 0.09. It may be concluded, therefore, that appreciable absorption of acrivastine from the colon does not take place. These results suggest that comparison of pharmacokinetic profiles of some drugs after oral and colonic administration may be a useful technique for predicting bioavailability from a sustained release oral formulation.
Demographic change and inequality in the size distributions of labor and nonlabor income.

This paper utilizes a joint distribution model of labor and nonlabor income that allows us to analyze the impact of demographic change in the U.S. on the marginal distributions of these two income components over time. The beta distribution of the second kind is the hypothetical statistical distribution used in this study to approximate the observed income graduation. This distribution is sum stable which allows us to compare and contrast the marginal distributions in a consistent manner, a property most hypothesized functional forms of income distribution do not possess. We are in effect using a hyperparameter model to do our estimation. We examined the impact of changes over time in labor force participation and population on the marginal distributions of labor and nonlabor income. We disaggregated the variables by sex and age cohorts and found that changes in the age distribution and in the labor supply behavior of women in particular has had a significant effect on the marginal income distributions over time. We also found that the results vary when we examined overall changes in the labor force participation rate vis a vis changes in women's labor force participation separately. The findings are consistent for both income components. Ricardo (1817) long ago realized the importance of questions concerning the functional distribution of income. He was concerned with the distribution of income among the factors of production that produced final output. Beginning with Pareto (1897), primary interest shifted to concern with how a particular observed distribution was generated. In the 1960s and 1970s, Atkinson (1970), Sen (1973), Theil (1967) and others began to realize the major limitations of only looking at income when overall economic well-being was really the topic of concern. In the late 1970s and 1980s Cowell (1977), Shorrocks (1982, 1983) and others began a careful discussion of appropriate decomposition and aggregation properties of these so-called "multi-dimensional attribute" distributions. Finally, a synthesis of all this work began as Basmann et al. (1983, 1984), Jorgenson and Slesnick (1984a, b), Maasoumi (1986) and Slottje (1987) among others have actually attempted to measure inequality in multi-dimensional distributions. One dimension that has not been modelled specifically into the multidimensional analyses is how demographic changes in the population have impacted the observed multi-dimensional distributions. While Jorgenson and Note: We gratefully acknowledge computer assistance from Kevin Fry. We thank Kin Blackburn, John Creedy, Sol Polachek, Tony Shorrocks, Ed Wolff and the unknown referees for comments, the usual caveat applies.
Strategies to Minimize the Risk of Esophageal Injury durings Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Esophageal injury is a rare but serious complication of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation using radiofrequency energy. Recent studies have begun to identify variables that may determine heat transfer to and thermal injury of the esophagus. There is significant variability in the relationship between the esophagus and left atrium among individuals. New imaging techniques can facilitate assessment of esophagus position relative to intended ablation targets. Strategies to minimize the risk of esophageal injury include avoidance of ablation near the esophagus, titration of RF energy delivery at the posterior left atrial endocardium, and the use of alternative ablation methods.
Mediation Analysis in Social Psychology: Current Practices and New Recommendations

A key aim of social psychology is to understand the psychological processes through which independent variables affect dependent variables in the social domain. This objective has given rise to statistical methods for mediation analysis. In mediation analysis, the significance of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables has been integral in theory testing, being used as a basis to determine (1) whether to proceed with analyses of mediation and (2) whether one or several proposed mediator(s) fully or partially accounts for an effect. Synthesizing past research and offering new arguments, we suggest that the collective evidence raises considerable concern that the focus on the significance between the independent and dependent variables, both before and after mediation tests, is unjustified and can impair theory development and testing. To expand theory involving social psychological processes, we argue that attention in mediation analysis should be shifted towards assessing the magnitude and significance of indirect effects.
The Feasibility of In-Clinic Ultrasound-Guided Removal of Contraceptive Implants: A Case Series

The removal of a non-palpable subdermal contraceptive implant can be difficult and dangerous. We report on three cases in which the gynecologist herself performs real-time ultrasonography in the clinic, instead of referring the patient to a radiologist, to locate and remove non-palpable implants. This approach allows the clinician to offer a potentially safer and more convenient alternative to patients. J Clin Gynecol Obstet. 2014;3(3):105-107 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jcgo256w
Miniaturized delay-time-enhanced photopolymer waveguide hologram module for phased-array antenna

Miniaturized, delay-enhanced, continuous true-time delay modules based on the holographic dispersion have been designed, fabricated, and demonstrated to provide squint-free beam steering for K-, Ku-, and X-band (8-26.5 GHz) phased-array antenna systems. A novel symmetric structure is employed in the system to achieve large delays and high packaging density. The delay modules operating in the 1550-nm region provide 130 ps of continuously tunable time delay. Far-field radiation patterns measured at 18 and 22 GHz have experimentally verified the K-band beam-scanning coverage from -45/spl deg/ to +45/spl deg/.