cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decreased hazard of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates receiving red cell transfusions

AbstractBackground and objectives: Many observational studies reporting a temporal association between red cell transfusions (RBCTs) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants fail to take into account RBCTs in infants without NEC. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between RBCTs and NEC in an analytical retrospective cohort study with minimization of selection and measurement bias and controlling for clinical covariates.Methods: Inborn preterm infants [23–32 weeks gestational age (GA)] without major congenital anomalies were eligible. Association of RBCT and modified Bell’s Stage ≥2A NEC was explored using bivariate analyses and verified using multivariable Cox regression.Results: Of 627 eligible infants, 305 neither received RBCT nor developed NEC and 12 developed NEC prior to RBCT. Of 310 infants with RBCT, 27 developed NEC. Compared to infants without NEC, infants with NEC received significantly lower number of RBCTs before diagnosis of NEC (p = 0.000). On multi...
Effects of thyroid and ovaries on prolactin binding activity in rat liver.

l25I-radiolabeled ovine prolactin (oPRL) binding activity was measured in microsomal membranes of liver tissue from intact, ovariectomized, ovariectomized-thyroidectomized, and ovariectomized-thyroidectomized rats injected with thyroxine (T4) or estradiol benzoate (EB). Thyroidectomy and ovariectomy each reduced PRL binding activity in liver tissue significantly. The combination of ovariectomy and thyroidectomy decreased PRL binding activity more than thyroidectomy or ovariectomy alone. Doses of 2.5 μg or 10 μg T4⁄1OO g BW daily returned PRL binding activity in the thyroidectomized rats to intact control values, and in the ovariectomized-thyroidectomized rats to the ovariectomized values. A dose of 2 μg EB⁄rat increased PRL binding activity significantly in variectomized-thyroidectomized rats, and a combination of 2 μg EB and 2.5 μg T4100 g BW raised binding activity above that of intact controls. Scatchard analysis showed that ovariectomy and thyroidectomy decreased the number of PRL binding sites in the...
Use of regadenoson in end-stage renal disease.

The patients with ESRD are an important group of patients because of the high total and cardiovascular mortality rates especially sudden death. In prior studies, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), ischemic burden, scar burden, autonomic neuropathy measured indirectly with the heart rate response to adenosine or regadenoson and LV dyssynchrony (measured with phase analysis of gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging) were found to be predictors of outcome in this population. 11-16
Characterization of epithelial cell cultures derived from human tracheal glands

Cultures of normal human tracheal gland epithelial cells that exhibit functional differentiation have been propagated in serum-free medium supplemented with insulin (5 µg/ml), epidermal growth factor (10 ng/ml), hydrocortisone (0.5 µg/ml), and bovine pituitary extract (25 µg/ml). The cells retain many characteristics of epithelial cells including microvilli on cell surfaces, desmosomes between cells, and tonofilaments in the cytoplasm. In addition, they exhibit keratin-positive titers and react positively with Peanut agglutinin, which is specific for the disaccharide β-d-galactose-(l→ 3)N-acetyld-galactosamine, a major component of mucin glycoprotein. The cells also exhibit normal Cl− channel activity which was enhanced by the cAMP agonist Forskolin. The major component of the cellular secretion was hyaluronic acid; approximately 10% of the void volume material was resistant to hyaluronidase and may contain material similar to mucin glycoprotein. Some of the cell cultures have been maintained in serum-free conditions for 6 to 7 passages. This model will be important to study regulation of ion-channel activities and mucous glycoprotein secretion and to compare such regulations with the tracheal mucosal epithelial cells already established.
Decomposition based and branch and bound global optimization approaches for the phase equilibrium problem

An increasingly popular approach when solving the phase and chemical equilibrium problem is to pose it as an optimization problem. However, difficulties are encountered due to the highly nonlinear nature of the models used to represent the behavior of the fluids, and because of the existence of multiple local solutions. This work shows how it is possible to guarantee e-global solutions for a certain important class of the phase and chemical equilibrium problem, namely when the liquid phase can be modeled using neither the Non-Random Two-Liquid (NRTL) equation, or the UNIversal QUAsi Chemical (UNIQUAC) equation. Ideal vapor phases are easily incorporated into the global optimization framework. A numberof interesting properties are described which drastically alter the structure of the respective problems. For the NRTL equation, it is shown that the formulation can be converted into a biconvex optimization problem. The GOP algorithm of Floudas and Visweswaran [8, 9] can then be used to obtain e-global solutions in this case. For the UNIQUAC equation, the new properties show how the objective function can be transformed into the difference of two convex functions (i.e. a D.C. programming problem is obtained), where the concave portion is separable. A branch and bound algorithm based on that of Falk and Soland [6] is used to guarantee convergence to an e-global solution. Examples are presented which demonstrate the performance of both algorithms.
Contribution of visual design elements to the perceived product family look

Companies work hard to differentiate from the competition and to build lasting customer loyalty through brands. We compare two existing methods for designing and analysing product family identity. As a result of the analysis, we merged the two methods and created a new method of four-dimensional design analysis. The method is used to analyse design elements used in existing product families. To investigate the actual effect that these design elements have on the perceived similarity of design, a two phase statistical analysis was performed. It was found that colour, shape, pattern, and texture all contribute significantly to the perceived similarity, but by different degree. Further, the perceived similarity can be enhanced by using more than one design element at a time.
Strength enhancement of plant roots through polymer infusions

By infusing a thermoset epoxy polymer into the root system of a plant, we aim to create an in situ plant-polymer composite material of high tensile strength resistant to biodegradation and suitable for soil stabilization applications. Microscopy imaging, volume and mass measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile testing were conducted to characterize the effects of infusing polymer into the plant system. The polymer appears to travel predominantly through xylem vessels of the plant system during infusions. Maximum tensile strength and modulus of elasticity are increased by 107% and 92%, respectively, with a polymer content of 59% by mass after infusions were conducted.
Census of orthologous genes and self-organizing maps of biologically relevant transcriptional patterns in chickens (Gallus gallus).

Abstract The launch of large-scale chicken expressed sequence tags (EST) projects has placed the chicken in the lead for the number of EST sequences in agriculturally important animals. More than 451,000 chicken ESTs derived from over 158 libraries have been deposited in the NCBI dbEST database as of December 2003. But how many genes these ESTs represent and how they are expressed in different chicken tissues/organs remain undetermined. In the present research, we developed a human gene-based strategy for census of chicken orthologous genes and identification of their expression patterns. Among 34,157 human coding genes used in the study, BLAST analysis revealed that 11,066 genes provisionally matched 248,628 chicken ESTs. Based on the average EST abundance of the orthologous genes, the current public repository of chicken ESTs could represent ∼20,000 provisional genes. Analysis of gene expression in 14 single tissues/organs showed that approximately 15% of genes were expressed exclusively in single tissue/organ whereas the remaining ∼85% of genes were co-expressed in two or more tissues/organs. A majority (91.15%) of genes expressed in chicken embryos were also expressed at post-hatch stages, indicating that most genes activated in chicken embryos could serve housekeeping functions. Self-organizing maps (SOM) analysis organized 8807 provisional genes in selected chicken tissues into 98 clusters with each cluster being indicative of common regulatory factors and pathways. A total of 969 provisional orthologous genes were identified as preferentially expressed genes (PEGs) in various chicken tissues/organs (LOD>3.0). No doubt, the present study on gene expression patterns will provide insight into dynamics of metabolic pathways and tissue/organ programming and reprogramming in chickens.
N- versus O-arylation of aminoalcohols: orthogonal selectivity in copper-based catalysts.

Two complementary protocols for copper-catalyzed arylation of aminoalcohols were developed. Selective N-arylation was accomplished at room temperature using 2-isobutyrylcyclohexanone (a β-diketone) as supporting ligand, while selective O-arylation required the use of 3,4,7,8-tetramethylphenanthroline at 80−110 °C. Systematic examination of the reaction scope revealed that high levels of selectivity are achieved for a variety of substrates, provided that nonchelating (or weakly chelating) aminoalcohols are used. The generality of the method was highlighted by the synthesis, in a pairwise fashion, of a number of functionalized N- and O-arylated aminoalcohols.
Coming to Grips with Learning with Others

Hoppitt and Laland offer a comprehensive introduction to the theory, practice, and results of investigations of social learning.
Analysis of gamma-globin expression cassettes in retrovirus vectors.

With the goal of optimizing retrovirus vectors for human gamma-globin, we studied the effect of several globin gene expression elements on vector titer, stability, and expression. We found that all...
Phase II study of adriamycin with sequential methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (AMF) in gastric carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the response rate, methotrexate plasma levels, and toxicity of a three-drug regimen in patients with gastric carcinoma. A total of 37 patients with advanced measurable adenocarcinoma of the stomach were treated with Adriamycin, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (AMF). Adriamycin and methotrexate were given as i.v. infusions on day 1; 24 h following methotrexate administration, patients received an i.v. infusion of 5-fluorouracil concomitantly with oral leukovorin factor (given over 48 h). Methotrexate levels were monitored regularly in all patients, and courses were repeated every 3 weeks. The median dose levels per course were 50 mg/m2 (range, 40-60 mg/m2) for Adriamycin, 1,000 mg/m2 (range, 650-1,250 mg/m2) for 5-fluorouracil, and 500 mg/m2 (range, 160-625 mg/m2) for methotrexate. Of 36 evaluable patients, 8 (22%) achieved an objective response, including 1 complete remission. Stable disease was noted in 11 patients and a minor tumor regression occurred in 1. The median survival duration of all patients was 6 months (range, 2-31+ months). AMF was well tolerated; toxicities were mild to moderate, most frequently involving nausea and vomiting, mucositis, and neutropenia with or without fever. There was no death directly attributable to chemotherapy. Although the AMF regimen used a well-documented preclinical concept of synergism between methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil, response and survival results suggest a modest activity of this combination in patients with gastric cancer. Better preclinical models are necessary for the development of effective combination chemotherapy.
Hematopoietic tissue factor-protease-activated receptor 2 signaling promotes hepatic inflammation and contributes to pathways of gluconeogenesis and steatosis in obese mice.

Failure to inhibit hepatic gluconeogenesis is a major mechanism contributing to fasting hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes and, along with steatosis, is the hallmark of hepatic insulin resistance. Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation in multiple tissues, and hepatic inflammation is mechanistically linked to both steatosis and hepatic insulin resistance. Here, we delineate a role for coagulation signaling via tissue factor (TF) and proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) in obesity-mediated hepatic inflammation, steatosis, and gluconeogenesis. In diet-induced obese mice, TF tail signaling independent of PAR2 drives CD11b+CD11c+ hepatic macrophage recruitment, and TF–PAR2 signaling contributes to the accumulation of hepatic CD8+ T cells. Transcripts of key pathways of gluconeogenesis, lipogenesis, and inflammatory cytokines were reduced in high-fat diet–fed mice that lack the cytoplasmic domain of TF (F3) (TFΔCT) or that are deficient in PAR2 (F2rl1), as well as by pharmacological inhibition of TF–PAR2 signaling in diet-induced obese mice. These gluconeogenic, lipogenic, and inflammatory pathway transcripts were similarly reduced in response to genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of TF–PAR2 signaling in hematopoietic cells and were mechanistically associated with activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). These findings indicate that hematopoietic TF–PAR2 signaling plays a pivotal role in the hepatic inflammatory responses, steatosis, and hepatic insulin resistance that lead to systemic insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes in obesity.
Burma: The Next Killing Fields?

Terror in the Golden land the next killing fields? in Rangoon, city of fear death and life in Manerplaw return to the jungle.
Behavioral and lethal effects of combinations of oral ethanol and inhaled 1,1,1-trichloroethane in mice

Abstract Acute behavioral and lethal effects of oral ethanol (ETOH) and inhaled 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCE) alone and in combination were determined in mice. Behavioral effects were measured by a test that required mice to climb to the top of an inverted screen. When combinations were tested, doses of ETOH were administered 30 min before a 30-min exposure to various concentrations of TCE. Interactions were quantified using isobolograms. The percentage of mice affected for both behavioral and lethal effects was dose related for each compound, alone and in combination. For lethality, ETOH shifted the TCE concentration-effect curve to the left in a parallel manner, with the magnitude of the shift directly related to the dose of ETOH. Combinations of low doses of ETOH with TCE were usually supraadditive, while higher doses of ETOH were additive or infraadditive with TCE. Shifts to the left of the TCE concentration-effect curves for behavioral testing similarly depended on dose of ETOH, but were nonparallel. Effects of low concentrations of TCE were shifted farther to the left (suraadditive) than were the effects of high concentrations of TCE (additive or infraadditive). The data suggest that in many combinations, significant acute toxicity may occur with joint administration of ETOH and TCE.
Modeling the flexibility of order quantities and lead-times in supply chains

Abstract The underlying assumption of a good supply chain is that buyers and suppliers are willing to accommodate the uncertainties and variations in each other's businesses. We define supply chain flexibility as the robustness of the buyer–supplier relationship under changing supply conditions. This flexibility provides an effective parameter for characterizing the behavior of asynchronous supply chains. A highly flexible relationship is one in which there is little deterioration in the procurement price under different supply conditions. In this paper we introduce a measure for estimating supply chain flexibility as a function of varying order quantities and varying supply lead-times. Our survey indicates that order quantities and supply lead-times are the two most common changes which occur in supply chains, and are most often the cause of buyer–supplier grievance. Since buyers are not always able to predict downstream conditions, they will often issue procurement orders that are for a smaller quantity than normal, and/or shorter supply lead-time than normal. In an inflexible relationship a supplier will only accept these orders at a much higher unit price. Using the proposed model a buyer is able to estimate the flexibility of potential supply chain partners, and hence make a quantifiable choice. The measure itself can be specified in the supply chain contract. Further, in conjunction with a parametric representation of the buyer's procurement behavior, the model is able to estimate the annual procurement cost of a given relationship.
Deficits in language-mediated mental operations in patients with schizophrenia

Abstract We found previously that a subgroup of schizophrenic patients who passed screening tests of attentional competence showed memory deficits on word memory tasks, but were comparable with controls on tone memory tasks. To better understand the nature of language-specific memory deficits in this subgroup of patients, the present experiment was designed to bypass early perceptual processing of verbal material and determine if patients continue to show impaired performance on verbal memory tasks. Patients who passed the screening tests (‘discriminator’ patients; DSz) received four serial position tasks. In two, familiar sounds or line drawings were presented and subjects were required to remember the word associated with each stimulus item. In the other two, subjects received hard-to-label auditory and visual stimuli (birdsongs or snowflakes). DSz patients showed large memory deficits compared with controls when required to remember words associated with the familiar sounds or drawings, providing clear evidence of deficits in verbal memory processes independent of sensory processing of verbal stimuli. The interaction between diagnosis and labeling was highly significant, confirming that these patients have particular difficulty with verbal as opposed to non-verbal memory. This was particularly striking on the auditory tests where two patients out-performed all controls on the birdsong test, but were below all controls on the easy-to-label sounds test. The verbal memory tests were easier than the non-verbal memory tests for controls, thus deconfounding task difficulty and deficit specificity.
Steric Aspects of Adrenergic Drugs IV: Antagonism of Norepmephrine Effects by Ephedrine Isomers on the Isolated Rabbit Ileum

The inhibition of the pendular movements of the isolated rabbit ileum, due to nor-epinephrine, was not antagonized in the presence of 10 −5 M D(—)-ephedrine, L(+)-ephedrine, L(+)-pseudoephedrine, or D(—)-pseudoephedrine. However, a 10 −3 M concentration of these isomers did antagonize the norepinephrine effects. The stereo specificity in such antagonism is not marked.
Theoretical study of the surface energy, stress, and lattice contraction of silver nanoparticles

We employ first-principles and empirical computational methods to study the surface energy and surface stress of silver nanoparticles. The structures, cohesive energies, and lattice contractions of spherical Ag nanoclusters in the size range $0.5--5.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$ are analyzed using two different theoretical approaches: an ab initio density functional pseudopotential technique combined with the generalized gradient approximation and the embedded atom method. The surface energies and stresses obtained via the embedded atom method are found to be in good agreement with those predicted by the gradient-corrected ab initio density functional formalism. We estimate the surface energy of Ag nanoclusters to be in the range of $1.0--2.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{J}∕{\mathrm{m}}^{2}$. Our values are close to the bulk surface energy of silver, but are significantly lower than the recently reported value of $7.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{J}∕{\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ for free Ag nanoparticles derived from the Kelvin equation.
Use of a bronchoscopic protected catheter technique in the clinical evaluation of a new antibiotic

Abstract We prospectively compared the usefulness of a bronchoscopic protected catheter technique with the results from sputum cultues in the evaluation of moxalactam, a new β-lactam antibiotic. The significance of a given isolate on protected catheter culture was determined by quantitative bacteriology. 32 patients with community-acquired pneumonia were enrolled in the study and 31 grew common lower respiratory tract pathogens from their protected catheter specimen. The most common single pathogens recovered were Streptococcus pneumoniae (11 patients) and Haemophilus influenzae (2). Mixed flora, predominantly anaerobes, were isolated from 15 patients, and 3 patients had mixed aerobic infections. All seven baceremic cases had the identical organism isolated from the protected catheter specimen, confirming the accuracy of the technique. Comparisons with sputum cultures showed that the predominant organism on sputum culture was the same as that obtained from the protected catheter culture in only 13% of the cases. Sputum cultures revealed either no pathogen or a different pathogen in 23 cases, and no sputum could be obtained in 4. Compared to cultures of expectorated sputum, we found the protected catheter bronchoscopic culture technique to have the following advantages in the bacteriologic evaluation of maxalactam: 1) greater accuracy and sensitivity in bacteremic patients; 2) accurate delineation of the bacteriology of infections; and 3) a higher percentage of patients with evaluable bacteriology leading to greater efficiency during the investigation.
Cellular Folates Prevent Polyglutamation of 5,10-Dideazatetrahydrofolate A NOVEL MECHANISM OF RESISTANCE TO FOLATE ANTIMETABOLITES

Mouse L1210 cell variants were selected for resistance to 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate, a potent inhibitor of the first folate-dependent enzyme in de novo purine synthesis, glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase. The drug-resistant phenotype selected was conditional to the folate compound used to support growth: grown on folic acid cells were 400-fold resistant, whereas they were 2.5-fold more sensitive to 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate than wild-type L1210 cells when grown on folinic acid. In folic acid-containing media, polyglutamation of 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate was markedly reduced, yet folylpolyglutamate synthetase activity was not different from that in parental L1210 cells. Resistance was due to two changes in membrane transport: a minor increase in the K m for 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate influx, and a major increase in folic acid transport. Enhanced folic acid transport resulted in an expanded cellular content of folates which blocked polyglutamation of 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate. We propose that polyglutamation of 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate is limited by feedback inhibition by cellular folates on folylpolyglutamate synthetase, an effect which reflects a mechanism in place to control the level of cellular folates. Although the primary alteration causative of resistance is different from those reported previously, all 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate resistance phenotypes result in decreased drug polyglutamation, reflecting the centrality of this reaction to the action of 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate.
Experimental studies of hydrogen on boron nitride: II. NMR studies of orientational ordering of H2

The authors report the results of NMR studies of thin films of hydrogen adsorbed on hexagonal boron nitride. Orientational ordering is observed below 1 K but the ordering is not complete, and a clear two-component ordering is observed. Molecules are either (i) almost completely ordered with local order parameters {sigma}={l_angle}1{minus}3/2Jz{sup 2}{r_angle} clustered close to a maximum value of {sigma}{congruent}0.94 (comparable to the values for long range ordering in bulk samples at high ortho concentrations), and (ii) a large fraction of the molecules that remain nearly disordered with {sigma}{<=}0.25. The degree of orientational ordering depends on the number of hydrogen layers and on the ortho-hydrogen concentration, and these studies indicate that ordering occurs principally in the first four layers closest to the substrate, with weaker orientational ordering in the outer layers near the free surface even at temperatures as low as 210 mK.
The role of protein kinases and protein phosphatases in the regulation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum function

Canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum is phosphorylated by adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent and by calcium · calmodulin-dependent protein kinases on a 27 000 proteolipid, called phospholamban. Both types of phosphorylation are associated with an increase in the initial rates of Ca2+ transport by SR vesicles which reflects an increased turnover of elementary steps of the calcium ATPase reaction sequence. The stimulatory effects of the protein kinases on the calcium pump may be reversed by an endogenous protein phosphatase, which can dephosphorylate both the CAMP-dependent and the calcium · calmodulin-dependent sites on phospholamban. Thus, the calcium pump in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum appears to be under reversible regulation mediated by protein kinases and protein phosphatases.
Regulation of scar formation by vascular endothelial growth factor

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) is known for its effects on endothelial cells and as a positive mediator of angiogenesis. VEGF is thought to promote repair of cutaneous wounds due to its proangiogenic properties, but its ability to regulate other aspects of wound repair, such as the generation of scar tissue, has not been studied well. We examined the role of VEGF in scar tissue production using models of scarless and fibrotic repair. Scarless fetal wounds had lower levels of VEGF and were less vascular than fibrotic fetal wounds, and the scarless phenotype could be converted to a scar-forming phenotype by adding exogenous VEGF. Similarly, neutralization of VEGF reduced vascularity and decreased scar formation in adult wounds. These results show that VEGF levels have a strong influence on scar tissue formation. Our data suggest that VEGF may not simply function as a mediator of wound angiogenesis, but instead may play a more diverse role in the wound repair process.
Debris/Ice/Tps Assessment and Integrated Photographic Analysis of Shuttle Mission Sts-109

The Debris Team has developed and implemented measures to control damage from debris in the Shuttle operational environment and to make the control measures a part of routine launch flows. These measures include engineering surveillance during vehicle processing and closeout operations, facility and flight hardware inspections before and after launch, and photographic analysis of mission events. Photographic analyses of mission imagery from launch, on-orbit, and landing provide significant data in verifying proper operation of systems and evaluating anomalies. In addition to the Kennedy Space Center Photo/Video Analysis, reports from Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center are also included in this document to provide an integrated assessment of the mission.
Organizing tax instruction: Evidence regarding how students organize tax knowledge

Abstract An important part of accounting curriculum reform is a movement away from traditional methods of organizing accounting courses toward improved organization schemes. Two basic approaches to organizing the content of tax courses are a transaction-based scheme and an entity-based scheme. This paper reports the results of an experiment that investigates which scheme is more consistent with how incoming masters in tax students organize tax knowledge and how different schemes affect the manner in which graduating students organize tax knowledge. Ninety students drawn from two full-time masters in taxation programs participated in the study. Subjects individually completed three separate tasks that measured how they organize tax knowledge at both the start of their degree program and three semesters later at or near the end of their program. The results for all three tasks indicate that incoming tax students organize tax knowledge around the type of transaction involved. The results for two of the three tasks indicate that the students' transaction focus did not change during their graduate tax program, whereas the results for the third task indicate that the students' transaction focus increased during their graduate tax experience. The implications of these findings for improving tax instruction are discussed.
Time-resolved studies of laser damage processes in DKDP crystals

The authors have used a 3-color imaging technique to obtain time-resolved series of images during nanosecond laser damage in bulk DKDP crystals. In contrast to single-pump, single-probe time-resolved imaging techniques, they are able to correlate behavior during single damage events. This enables us to observe a range of morphological dynamics that is otherwise difficult to study, including: the propagation of elastic sound waves and the liquid/solid melt front from the damage nucleation site and the dynamics of crack formation and propagation.
GENETIC TRANSFORMATION OF THE DIATOMS CYCLOTELLA CRYPTICA AND NAVICULA SAPROPHILA

Two species of diatoms were genetically transformed by introducing plasmid vectors containing the Escherichia coli neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII)gene. Expression of the bacterial nptII gene in the diatoms was achieved using the putative promoter and terminator sequences from the acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene from the centric diatom Cyclotella cryptica T13L Reimann, Lewin, and Guillard. The vectors were introduced into C. cryptica and the pennate diatom Navicula saprophila NAVIC1 Lange-Bertalot and Bonik by microprojectile bombardment. Putative transformants were selected based on their ability to grow in the presence of the antibiotic G418, and production of the neomycin phosphotransferase protein by the transformed cells was confirmed by western blotting. The foreign DNA integrated into one or more random sites within the genome of the transformed algal cells, often in the form of tandem repeats. This is the first report of reproducible, stable genetic transformation of a chlorophyll c-containing alga.
Microfilaments are involved in renal cell responses to sustained hydrostatic pressure.

ABSTRACTPurpose:: Increased pressures within renal interstitial fluid, as associated with a number of renal pathologies, could affect cell function and gene expression. The long-term objective of this research is to elucidate kidney cell responses to pathological hydrostatic pressures.Materials and Methods:: In vitro studies were performed in 2 kidney cell lines (cortical tubular and medullary) to determine changes in cell numbers and cytoskeletal (specifically microfilament, microtubule and intermediate filament) arrangement following exposure to pathological (60 cm H2O) pressures. A novel pressure system was used to apply pressure to renal cells for up to 7 days. Cell counts and fluorescent staining were performed to determine alterations in response to pressure.Results:: Exposure to pressures of 60 cm H2O resulted in increased renal cell numbers and rearrangement in individual microfilament structures after 7 days.Conclusions:: These results prove that hydrostatic pressure alters the function of renal ...
Cortical integration in Tetrahymena: an exercise in cytogeometry.

The numbers and positions of contractile vacuole pores (CVP) have been examined in strains representing ten genetically isolated groups of Tetrahymena pyriformis. In all strains the position of the CVP's moves, relative to the individual ciliary rows, as a function of the total number of ciliary rows in the cortex (Corticotype). Similarly, the number of CVP's varies in a systematic way through the corticotypic array in each strain. The development of contractile vacuole pores is shown to be regulated by gross geometrical properties of the cortex and can be described with the aid of a simple geometrical model. At least three classes of strains can be distinguished by the patterns of correlation between CVP position and corticotype. Further discriminations are possible within each class through the relationships between CVP number and corticotype. These observations aid in understanding ciliate morphogenesis and Tetrahymena taxonomy.
Theories with Gauge Groups

The success of quantum electrodynamics suggests the investigation of theories constructed in analogy with it. The gauge invariance of second kind with variable phase functions can be viewed as a generalization of the gauge invariance of first kind (with constant phase) which forces the introduction of the electromagnetic potential, so that the gauge transformation on the matter field can be cancelled by the gauge transformation of the potential. In this way, the generalization of the gauge transformation to a coordinate dependent transformation can be taken as the principle generating the electromagnetic field. This point of view has been applied (Yang-Mills [1]) to the group of isospin transformations of a nucleon field. When these transformations are made coordinate dependent, one is led to introduce a vector field, the b field, which is both a Lorentz vector and an isospin vector, and which is the analogue of the electromagnetic potential. The theory of Yang and Mills is described in Section 3 after a brief review of electrodynamics, given in Section 2.
A comparison of the English and metric system in a length estimation task

Size estimates by English and metric system users were compared on a length estimation task. The results indicated that some differences exist between estimates of the two measurement system users but not in a systematic direction. A discussion was made that the unit of measure that one memorially constructs to estimate length may be greater than the basic unit.
Reliability of Children’s Testimony in the Era of Developmental Reversals

Abstract A hoary assumption of the law is that children are more prone to false-memory reports than adults, and hence, their testimony is less reliable than adults’. Since the 1980s, that assumption has been buttressed by numerous studies that detected declines in false memory between early childhood and young adulthood under controlled conditions. Fuzzy-trace theory predicted reversals of this standard developmental pattern in circumstances that are directly relevant to testimony because they involve using the gist of experience to remember events. That prediction has been investigated during the past decade, and a large number of experiments have been published in which false memories have indeed been found to increase between early childhood and young adulthood. Further, experimentation has tied age increases in false memory to improvements in children’s memory for semantic gist. According to current scientific evidence, the principle that children’s testimony is necessarily more infected with false memories than adults’ and that, other things being equal, juries should regard adults’ testimony as necessarily more faithful to actual events is untenable.
Neuropsychological testing of high school athletes Preliminary norms and test-retest indices

This study provides preliminary norms and test-retest indices on a brief battery of neuropsychological tests administered to a sample of 60 male and 40 female high school athletes. Forty-eight subjects completed retesting 8 weeks later. Analyses of baseline scores indicate that girls outperform boys on selected measures of processing speed and executive functions [Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III) Digit Symbol, Trails B, and Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT)]. Test-retest reliability was low and varied widely among the tests. There were no gender differences in test-retest reliability. Reliable Change Indices (RCIs) were computed on the test-retest data for use in clinical interpretation. These preliminary results indicate that caution should be used in interpreting neuropsychological test data from high school athletes. The current findings indicate that separate norms for boys and girls are warranted. Caution should be used in interpreting discrepancies from baseline scores as a result of what may turn out to be poor test-retest reliability in this population.
Perception and Understanding of Bribery in International Business

This study examines attitudes toward bribery in international business and whether such attitudes differ between men and women. Results of surveys of adults studying for careers in international business indicate ambivalent and nuanced attitudes over bribe giving/taking with significant differences by sex with respect to specific hypothetical situations, suggesting a gender gap on matters of bribery. It is recommended that academic curriculum and management development programs stress ethics and legality and focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar antibribery laws so that aspiring managers are properly trained to recognize and manage the challenges prevalent in conducting business internationally.
Measuring Serious Leisure in Chess: Model Confirmation and Method Bias

The serious leisure inventory and measure (SLIM) was tested with 348 chess players to confirm the factors, assess the effects of method bias, and propose a set of the best-performing items for the 18 factor SLIM. The 54-item SLIM demonstrated acceptable fit and reliability values. The effect of method bias was evidenced in the sample and explained one-third of the variance. Inspection of factor loadings, when controlling for method bias, yielded one best-performing item per factor. Findings indicate method bias continues to be problematic for self-report measures such as the SLIM.
Chemical Equations for Multireaction Systems

While the balanced chemical equations for a multireaction system are generally not unique, the minimum number of independent equations, R, is a characteristic property of the system. Deleting one nonspectator species from the system leads to a system with R reduced by one. In this way each system can be reduced to a single-reaction system and ultimately to a no-reaction system. The least number of chemical species that can be deleted to obtain a no-reaction system equals R. Every multireaction system, therefore, can be reduced to a number of single-reaction equations which can be balanced by any one of the standard techniques. Some examples are given where balancing by inspection is employed.
Ventilation Efficacy of Video-Laryngoscopes Equipped With a Ventilation Feature

INTRODUCTION: Achieving effective ventilation is challenging for anesthesia care providers and emergency medical personnel, as difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation frequently occur. The aim of this study was to determine whether video-laryngoscopes equipped with a ventilation feature can produce effective ventilation. METHODS: An intubation mannequin with its trachea connected to a model lung with compliance 50 (normal compliance: C50) and 20 mL/cm H2O (low compliance: C20) was used. Ventilation was established via a ventilation catheter (inner diameter 3.5 mm, 50 cm length) extending to the tip of the video-laryngoscope blade. Three different views of the vocal cords (grade 1, vocal cords fully visualized; grade 2, partial vocal cord visualization; grade 3, only epiglottis visualized) were tested. Ventilation was provided by jet ventilator (Jet). The Jet was operated at 10, 15, and 20 psi (Jet10, Jet15, and Jet20). Effective tidal volume (VT) was defined as a VT greater than anatomical dead space (150 mL). RESULTS: In C50, Jet15 and Jet20 generated effective VT in all vocal cord views (for Jet15: grade 1, 663 ± 33 mL; grade 2, 363 ± 25 mL; and grade 3, 198 ± 9 mL; for Jet20: grade 1, 1,005 ± 114 mL; grade 2, 484 ± 38 mL; grade 3, 268 ± 8 mL, respectively). In C20, Jet15 and Jet20 generated effective VT in grades 1 and 2 (Jet15: grade 1, 288 ± 8 mL; grade 2, 160 ± 20 mL; grade 3, 81 ± 7 mL; Jet20: grade 1, 421 ± 20 mL; grade 2, 222 ± 16 mL; grade 3, 111 ± 8 mL, respectively). Jet10 achieved effective VT in grade 1 and 2 (grade 1, 354 ± 6 mL; grade 2, 223 ± 37 mL, respectively) in C50 and grade 1 (163 ± 12 mL) in C20. CONCLUSIONS: Video-laryngoscopes equipped with a ventilation feature provided effective VT in simulated clinical scenarios. Further clinical study is required to validate these findings.
Assessing irrigation/drainage/salinity management using spatially referenced salinity measurements

Abstract A unique technology-package for measuring the spatial distributions of salinity in irrigated soils and fields and for evaluating the appropriateness of some related irrigation-, drainage- and salinity control-management practices is described. This assessment technology is based on the use of: (1) geophysical-instrumental systems for intensively measuring bulk soil electrical conductivity and associated spatial coordinates; (2) statistical algorithms for site selection and salinity calibration; and (3) algorithms for data analysis and graphical display to facilitate interpretation. Results are presented to demonstrate some of the utility of the technology. Additionally, examples are given which show that much of the apparent chaos observed in the spatial pattern of soil salinity in irrigated fields is man-induced and related to such management practices as irrigation, drainage, and tillage.
Nanocomposite “Superhighways” by Solution Assembly of Semiconductor Nanostructures with Ligand‐Functionalized Conjugated Polymers

Poly(3-hexyl thiophene) containing chain-end thiols or phosphonic acids is crystallized to yield nanowires with the functional groups at the wire edges. CdSe quantum dots and nanorods associate with these fibrils, leading to 'superhighways' that consist of alternating parallel lanes of conjugated polymer and CdSe.
Long range intermolecular forces between macroscopic bodies: macroscopic and microscopic approaches.

Abstract Van der Waals energies of interaction are calculated by two methods, the macroscopic method of Lifshitz and the microscopic method of London-Casimir and Polder-Hamaker for the case of two semi-infinite slabs separated by a thin film. When retardation effects may be neglected, the London-Hamaker approach yields values of dispersion interactions which almost coincide with those of the Lifshitz approach, the magnitude of the former values being larger by approximately 10–25%, which is attributed to the effect of the molecular environment in condensed media. At 50–100 A film thicknesses where retardation effects are small, dispersion terms are generally the major part of van der Waals forces in the Lifshitz formulation. Hence, for 50–100 A film thicknesses the Hamaker approach, which only includes dispersion interactions is generally adequate. By accounting for retardation effects, which significantly reduce the magnitude of dispersion interactions at several hundred A, there is a reasonable agreement between the values obtained by the macroscopic and microscopic approaches. When polar substances are present and for film thicknesses of several hundred A, where dispersion interactions are significantly reduced, the major contribution to van der Waals forces may arise from orientation and induction terms. For such cases the Hamaker approach may lead to critical underestimates of the calculated magnitude of van der Waals forces. An ad hoc way to overcome this difficulty which is applicable to any geometry is proposed. This study presents a simple procedure for the determination of free energies of interaction between macroscopic bodies of various shapes. The procedure, which is applicable when the molecules of bodies and surrounding medium are isotropic, yields results which closely approximate those obtained with the Lifshitz theory.
A Flavobacterium meningosepticum outbreak among intensive care patients

A Flavobacterium meningosepticum outbreak, involving 12 infected and 47 colonized intensive care patients during the months of February through July 1990, was investigated. F. meningosepticum was isolated from tap water and ice, but these environmental strains eventually proved to be distinct from those colonizing patients. A review of newly colonized patients' charts revealed that a common factor among the patients was daily changes of ventilator tubing pasteurized in the hospital's central sterile department. More than 90% of patients in the outbreak had been on ventilators that used the pasteurized tubing. An investigation of the pasteurization process found that two pasteurizer tanks had been operating at suboptimal temperatures (< 62 degrees C). Cultures of water from the tanks and droplets of water found in the pasteurized tubing grew species of Acinetobacter, Moraxella, and Pseudomonas but did not grow F. meningosepticum. After deficiencies in the pasteurization process were corrected, the outbreak terminated. Despite the failure to culture F. meningosepticum, an analysis of gram-negative bacillary isolates showed that the deficiency in the pasteurization process was a major contributor to colonization of ventilated patients by bacteria ubiquitous in tap water.
Carbon monoxide paradoxically protects against hypoxia

Background: Tissue hypoxia is fundamental to the development of cellular injury caused by multiple processes, including hemorrhagic shock. Others and we have previously demonstrated that endogenous production of carbon monoxide (CO) by heme oxygenase or exogenous administration of CO can protect against organ injury induced by hemorrhage. The purpose of these experiments was to test the hypotheses that CO abrogates the development of tissue hypoxia in vivo and diminishes effects of hypoxia in vitro.Methods: Male C57/BL6 mice were hemorrhaged to a mean arterial pressure of 25 mmHg. Control animals underwent the same procedure but were not hemorrhaged (sham). Inhalational CO exposure (250 ppm) was initiated concurrently with hemorrhage Mice were administered EF5 (10 μl/g; ip), which is an agent that irreversibly binds to intracellular proteins under hypoxic conditions and can then be detected by immunohistochemistry. Mice were sacrificed after 75 minutes of shock and livers were harvested. For in vitro experiments, primary mouse hepatocytes were exposed to normoxia (21% O2) or hypoxia 1% O2) with and without CO (250 ppm). Cells were harvested and assayed for viability, ATP content, or VEGF production. Results: Untreated hemorrhaged mice had a 17-fold increase in EF5 staining compared to shams. Hepatic hypoxia was most pronounced around the central veins. CO-treated hemorrhaged mice had a 79±13% reduction in EF5 staining compared to untreated hemorrhaged mice (P < 0.05). Additionally, CO-treated sham mice demonstrated no significant liver hypoxia. In vitro, CO significantly protected against hypoxia-induced cell death (P < 0.05). Hepatocytes exposed to hypoxia demonstrated a 54 ± 4% reduction in intracellular ATP levels after 6 hours, whereas CO treatment of hypoxic cells resulted in only a 9 ± 3% reduction in ATP (P < 0.01). Likewise, CO significantly inhibited VEGF elaboration by hypoxic hepatocytes. Conclusions: Inhaled low dose CO can paradoxically abrogate liver hypoxia during hemorrhage. Additionally, CO diminishes the consequences of hypoxia in vitro. CO may exert these effects by decreasing cellular metabolic activity and oxygen requirements, though further investigation is required. CO may prove to be a useful clinical adjunct in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock.
Yang-Mills solutions on Euclidean Schwarzschild space

We show that the apparently periodic Charap-Duff Yang-Mills ``instantons'' in time-compactified Euclidean Schwarzschild space are actually time independent. For these solutions, the Yang-Mills potential is constant along the time direction (no barrier) and therefore, there is no tunneling. We also demonstrate that the solutions found to date are three-dimensional monopoles and dyons. We conjecture that there are no time-dependent solutions in the Euclidean Schwarzschild background.