cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics of Ganciclovir in a Patient Undergoing Hemodialysis

The pharmacokinetics and effect of hemodialysis on the clearance of ganciclovir were evaluated in a patient with cytomegalovirus (CIVIV) retinitis and pneumonitis requiring dialytic support. A dose of 300 mg ganciclovir (5 mg/kg) was administered by intravenous infusion over a 60-minute period. Blood samples were obtained over the next 10 hours and used to assess plasma ganciclovir concentrations. The patient underwent hemodialysis the following day during which paired arterial and venous blood samples were obtained to determine dialyzer clearance of this antiviral agent. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to quantify ganciclovir plasma concentrations. Ganciclovir levels declined in a monoexponential manner following infusion and prior to dialysis. The patient's peak ganciclovir concentration was markedly elevated (20 μg/mL) compared with previously reported peak concentrations in patients with normal renal function. Similarly, the elimination half-life (t 1/2 ) was increased (6.3 hours) in this patient compared with values reported in patients with normal renal function. The volume of distribution (0.21 Llkg) and total body clearance prior to hemodialysis (35.5 mLlmin) were diminished in this patient. Hemodialysis reduced ganciclovir levels by approximately 62% with an extraction coefficient of 0.29 resulting in a dialyzer clearance of 48.3 mLlmin. This supports supplementation of ganciclovir in patients receiving this antiviral agent when they are undergoing hemodialysis. Additionally, close monitoring of ganciclovir concentrations in patients with abnormal renal function is necessary in order to make appropriate dosage adjustments.
The concentration polarization effect in a multicomponent electrolyte solution-The human erythrocyte

Abstract A thermodynamic model describing the concentration polarization of solutes within cells during osmotic experiments is presented. The intracellular RBC solution is modeled as an ideal, hydrated and non-dilute salt-protein-water electrolyte solution in which the various solute species are allowed to diffuse independently. Application of this model to the case of human erythrocytes being cooled at subzero temperatures indicates that at the optimum cooling rate for the cryopreservation of RBCs a significant amount of solute polarization occurs within the intracellular solution, resulting in the temporary spatial separation of the salt and protein components. The concentration polarization process also significantly affects the transport of water out of RBCs during the cooling process. On the basis of these results, we believe that the concentration polarization phenomenon plays a significant role in determining the survival probability of cells at both high and low cooling rates.
Repeated whole-body vibration exposure induces prolonged mechanical hyperalgesia & increased spinal COX-2: A novel rat model

Whole-body vibration (WBV) has been linked to chronic back pain but the mechanisms of its development are unknown, as is how biomechanical contributions modulate the pain response. An animal model of WBV was developed in which rats were exposed to 7 days of either 5Hz or 15Hz vibration. WBV induced immediate sensitivity (i.e. pain) that was sustained for 7 days after the cessation of the WBV exposure. There was no difference in the pain response between the two vibration frequencies. Increases in the inflammatory mediator, COX-2, were also induced following painful WBV in the lumbar spinal cord, suggesting a potential mechanism for the chronic pain.
Developing rapid detection of mycobacteria using microwaves

In this paper, we describe the development of a culture-based biochip device for rapid detection of mycobacteria in environmental samples. Individual biochips rely upon the unique paraffinophilic nature of mycobacteria to rapidly and selectively adhere to the surface of the device. We used prototype biochips to experimentally demonstrate the concept of rapid and selective detection of mycobacteria by testing pure cultures and using epifluorescence microscopy to visualize microorganisms on the surface. As an alternative, rapid approach for identifying the biomass on the biochip surface, we used microwaves in the 10 to 26 GHz frequency range. The results of this study indicate that different microorganisms are responsible for specific shifts in resonance frequencies of a microwave cavity. By combing the semi-selective paraffin surface of the biochip with the microorganism-specific response to the microwaves, we have developed an improved analytical system with the potential to rapidly identify and enumerate mycobacteria in environmental samples in as little as 2 h.
Double-Strand Break Repair by Interchromosomal Recombination: An In Vivo Repair Mechanism Utilized by Multiple Somatic Tissues in Mammals

Homologous recombination (HR) is essential for accurate genome duplication and maintenance of genome stability. In eukaryotes, chromosomal double strand breaks (DSBs) are central to HR during specialized developmental programs of meiosis and antigen receptor gene rearrangements, and form at unusual DNA structures and stalled replication forks. DSBs also result from exposure to ionizing radiation, reactive oxygen species, some anti-cancer agents, or inhibitors of topoisomerase II. Literature predicts that repair of such breaks normally will occur by non-homologous end-joining (in G1), intrachromosomal HR (all phases), or sister chromatid HR (in S/G2). However, no in vivo model is in place to directly determine the potential for DSB repair in somatic cells of mammals to occur by HR between repeated sequences on heterologs (i.e., interchromosomal HR). To test this, we developed a mouse model with three transgenes—two nonfunctional green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenes each containing a recognition site for the I-SceI endonuclease, and a tetracycline-inducible I-SceI endonuclease transgene. If interchromosomal HR can be utilized for DSB repair in somatic cells, then I-SceI expression and induction of DSBs within the GFP reporters may result in a functional GFP+ gene. Strikingly, GFP+ recombinant cells were observed in multiple organs with highest numbers in thymus, kidney, and lung. Additionally, bone marrow cultures demonstrated interchromosomal HR within multiple hematopoietic subpopulations including multi-lineage colony forming unit–granulocyte-erythrocyte-monocyte-megakaryocte (CFU-GEMM) colonies. This is a direct demonstration that somatic cells in vivo search genome-wide for homologous sequences suitable for DSB repair, and this type of repair can occur within early developmental populations capable of multi-lineage differentiation.
Urban knowledge parks, knowledge cities and urban sustainability

Urban knowledge parks are a new mechanism for the transformation of cities into knowledge cities, in which the leit motif is knowledge and information. These cities offer one of the desirable paradigms for the sustainable cities of the future. Urban knowledge parks are a subset of knowledge parks. Their distinguishing characteristics and the processes by which they come into being are briefly outlined, and reference is made to a specific case – Metrotech, in New York City.
The possible role of eye-muscle potentiation in several forms of prism adaptation.

It is possible to explain a number of observations of visual adaptation to optical rearrangement and other visual effects as examples of the ‘Kohnstamm phenomenon’. This is the tendency for a stressed muscle to remain innervated for a period of time after cessation of the voluntary signal to relax. When this phenomenon operates with respect to eye muscles, it may be referred to as ‘eye-muscle potentiation’. Several studies and their results are presented that demonstrate eye-muscle potentiation effects on apparent visual distance. The implications of these studies for prism adaptation are discussed.
Trends in care practices and outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes.

Background While diabetes is a major issue for the aging U.S. population, few studies have described the recent trends in both preventive care practices and complications among the Medicare population with diabetes. Using the Medicare Quality Monitoring System (MQMS), this 2004 study describes these trends from 1992 to 2001 and how these rates vary across demographic subgroups. Methods Outcomes include age- and gender-adjusted rates of 15 indicators associated with diabetes care from 1992 to 2001, the absolute change in rates from 1992 to 2001, and 2001 rates by demographic subgroups. The data were cross-sectional samples of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes from 1992 to 2001 from the Medicare 5% Standard Analytic Files. Results Use of preventive care practices rose from 1992 to 2001: 45 percentage points for HbA1c tests, 51 for lipid tests, 8 for eye exams, and 38 for self-monitoring of glucose levels (all p p p 85 exhibited consistently higher complication rates and lower use of preventive services. Conclusions The Medicare program has seen some significant improvement in preventive care practices and significant declines in lower-limb amputations and cardiovascular conditions. However, rates for other long-term complications have increased, with evidence of subgroup disparities. The MQMS results provide an early warning for policymakers to focus on the diabetes care provided to some vulnerable subgroups.
Buffer effects on aqueous swelling kinetics of polyelectrolyte gels

Electrolytes are often added to a gel-swelling medium under the assumption that the important conditions which characterize swelling rates are the solution pH and ionic strength, with little emphasis on the nature of the electrolyte. Previous research by Siegel et al. has indicated that the presence of the un-ionized acidic form of an electrolyte buffer is a primary rate determinant for swelling of a polybase gel. A systematic swelling study on two separate gels, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate copolymerized with methacrylic acid (HEMA/MAA) and N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (HEMA/DMA), has been performed to investigate the influence of the concentration of the un-ionized buffer by three principal factors: (1) total buffer concentration, (2) solution pH, and (3) buffer pKa. Swelling and deswelling kinetics were obtained. In the presence of an electrolyte buffer, a dramatic swelling rate increase is observed for the HEMA gels, with substantial gains in rate obtained as total buffer concentration rises. Results also emphasize that to enhance swelling kinetics, the pH must be such that the buffer is essentially un-ionized.
Liposome Aggregation: Promoted by Trypsin and Papain in the Absence of Cations

AbstractPhospholipid vesicle aggregation is usually mediated by phospholipid-binding proteins such as the annexins in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Here, we describe aggregation of unilamellar liposomes by trypsin and papain in the absence of cations. Cations including Ca2+ inhibited the aggregation. While both trypsin and papain promoted aggregation of liposomes made of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol, only papain elicited aggregation of liposomes made of exclusively phosphatidylcholine. Incubation of trypsin for 30 min at 37°C destroyed its liposome aggregating activity, similar treatment had no effect on papain's. Chymotrypsin and pepsin had no liposome aggregating activity.
Religiosity and substance use among Asian American college students: Moderated effects of race and acculturation

Background Religiosity is a well-established protective factor against substance use among Caucasians, but limited research has examined its role among Asian Americans. The purposes of this study were (1) to examine whether the associations between religiosity and substance use outcomes differed across Caucasians and Asian Americans, and (2) to test whether acculturation moderated the associations between religiosity and substance use outcomes among Asian Americans.
Assessment of Methods for Computing Storm Runoff Loads

: Non-point source pollution has been characterized, in magnitude and in concentration of pollutants, by intermittent and impulse-type discharges into receiving waters, causing shock-loading problems for the ecosystems of these water bodies. The quality of storm runoff appears random and complex in nature. There are not yet universally applicable assessment tools for analysis and evaluation of the impacts and contributions of pollutant loads to receiving waters. This paper reviews and recommends methods for predicting storm runoff loads. The state-of-the-art for storm runoff runoff pollution prediction includes: zero-order, direct, statistical and descriptive methods. For transient water quality analysis of individual storm events, it is essential to have an efficient sampling is considered necessary to a detailed time history of runoff flows and loadings within a storm and for a limited number of storms. Homogeneous-land-use and statistical-synthetic approaches are recommended as accurate and practical methods for storm-runoff-load prediction. These two approaches are event-oriented, predicting time-varying runoff loads for transient water quality analysis, utilizing data collected from intensive sampling programs.
Noninvasive Coronary Angiography Using Computed Tomography Ready to Kick It Up Another Notch

Direct visualization of the epicardial coronary arteries is necessary to confirm the presence and/or focal severity of coronary luminal disease. For nearly 50 years,1 invasive coronary arteriography has been the reference standard for defining epicardial coronary artery disease. While conventional coronary arteriography provides for exceptional spatial resolution and a general “road map” of the coronary system for catheter-based or surgical interventions, it is expensive, has a small but definite risk of complications, and requires either a brief hospitalization or a period of observation for several hours after the procedure in a specialized monitored unit. For many patients with known or suspected luminal coronary disease, a convenient, noninvasive, and safe means to perform coronary angiography would likely be of significant clinical and economic benefit. See p 2051 Electron beam (computed) tomography (EBT) has for some time been the only well-validated computed tomography (CT)-based imaging method that could reliably characterize cardiac mechanics and perfusion and provide insight into coronary atherosclerosis.2 The latter was accomplished initially by defining coronary artery calcification (CAC) and its relationship to atherosclerotic plaque.3 However, since the initial publications by Achenbach et al4 and Schmermund et al,5 EBT has been investigated increasingly as a means to perform noninvasive three-dimensional (3D) arteriography of the large epicardial coronary arteries, to examine coronary artery bypass grafts,6 and to characterize coronary artery anomalies.7 The published sensitivity and specificity of EBT for obstructive coronary disease as compared with invasive coronary arteriography has ranged from 85% to 90%. Recent changes in protocols to perform 1.5-mm slice imaging as opposed to the traditional 3.0-mm slice imaging, as well as development of improved post-processing methods, have further enhanced the robustness of the method and provided more reliable and more complete epicardial artery interrogation (personal experience and personal communication, Dr Matthew …
The Changing Face of Entrepreneurship Education

Is entrepreneurship a legitimate academic discipline?Is entrepreneurship a legitimate field of research?I, for one, am not concerned with answering those questions. But if you are, for one data poi...
Mythic evolution of “The new frontier” in mass mediated rhetoric

This essay combines the concept of “rhetorical narration” with Kenneth Burke's dramatistic pentad to argue that definitional cultural myths are rhetorically meaningful in relation to social consciousness when both are viewed as evolving teleologically. It delineates two phases of change in America's frontier myth associated with the transformation of the pentadic term “scene” from land to space, as represented in recent space fiction films: a mythic disjunction resulting from pentadic inconsistency with the new scene, followed by mythic coherence resulting from pentadic change to establish consistency.
A Ploceus sp. nov. from Uganda

A new species of weaverbird, Ploceus victoriae, is described from Entebbe, Uganda. Its nearest relatives are Ploceus taeniopterus of northeast Zaire, Sudan, Ethiopia and northwest Kenya, and Ploceus velatus, widespread through East Africa and across the Sahel to the Atlantic, but it differs in several morphological and behavioural characteristics.
Glucocorticoid regulation of preproenkephalin gene expression in the rat forebrain.

The effects of glucocorticoids on the levels of preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA in the rat forebrain were analyzed with in situ hybridization and dot blots. In adrenally-intact rats, high levels of PPE mRNA, as assessed by in situ hybridization, were localized in the caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, central amygdala, and ventrolateral ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHVL), and low levels in the hippocampus. After adrenalectomy, the density of PPE mRNA-positive cells and the level of PPE mRNA/cell were decreased in all regions except the hippocampus. Acute treatment with corticosterone (CORT) in adrenalectomized rats increased the level of PPE mRNA/cell in the caudate-putamen and VMHVL. In intact rats, chronic treatment with CORT increased the density of PPE mRNA-positive cells in the caudate-putamen and hippocampus, and the level of PPE mRNA/cell in the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens. The effect of chronic CORT treatment on PPE mRNA in the striatum, amygdala, hippocampus and mediobasal hypothalamus was assessed with dot blots. Chronic CORT treatment increased PPE mRNA levels in the caudate-putamen and hippocampus. There was a good correlation between results on the effect of chronic CORT treatment on PPE mRNA levels in intact rats, obtained from dot blots and in situ hybridization. Results from this study suggest that glucocorticoids are required for the maintenance of basal PPE mRNA levels in most regions of the rat forebrain. There is, however, considerable regional heterogeneity in the effect of glucocorticoid treatment on PPE mRNA levels in adrenalectomized and intact rats. Increased PPE mRNA levels in response to high circulating levels of glucocorticoids, e.g. in stress, may have important pathophysiological consequences.
Auctions for structured procurement

This paper considers a general setting for structured procurement and the problem a buyer faces in designing a procurement mechanism to maximize profit. This brings together two agendas in algorithmic mechanism design, frugality in procurement mechanisms (e.g., for paths and spanning trees) and profit maximization in auctions (e.g., for digital goods). In the standard approach to frugality in procurement, a buyer attempts to purchase a set of elements that satisfy a feasibility requirement as cheaply as possible. For profit maximization in auctions, a seller wishes to sell some number of goods for as much as possible. We unify these objectives by endowing the buyer with a decreasing marginal benefit per feasible set purchased and then considering the problem of designing a mechanism to buy a number of sets which maximize the buyer's profit, i.e., the difference between their benefit for the sets and the cost of procurement. For the case where the feasible sets are bases of a matroid, we follow the approach of reducing the mechanism design optimization problem to a mechanism design decision problem. We give a profit extraction mechanism that solves the decision problem for matroids and show that a reduction based on random sampling approximates the optimal profit. We also consider the problem of non-matroid procurement and show that in this setting the approach does not succeed.
Assessing the Role of the Customer in Dyadic Service Encounters

ABSTRACT In this study, the authors investigate the effects of customer actions and verbalizations in service encounters. The authors propose and test a conceptual model of the effect of customer words and behaviors on customer attributions, affective reactions to treatment by service providers, and behavioral outcomes of the encounter. The critical incident technique (CIT) is employed to assess the service encounter between service providers and consumers. Implications of the study's results are provided for both researchers and service providers.
A walk along DNA using bipedal migration of a dynamic and covalent crosslinker

DNA has previously served as an excellent scaffold for molecular transport based on its non-covalent base pairing to assemble both stationary and mobile elements. Use of DNA can now be extended to transport systems based on reversible covalent chemistry. Autonomous and bipedal-like migration of crosslinking within helical DNA is made possible by tandem exchange of a quinone methide intermediate. In this report, net transport is illustrated to proceed over 10 base pairs. This process is driven towards its equilibrium distribution of crosslinks and consumes neither the walker nor the track irreversibly. Successful migration requires an electron-rich quinone methide to promote its regeneration and a continuous array of nucleophilic sites along its DNA track. Accordingly, net migration can be dramatically influenced by the presence of noncanonical structures within duplex DNA as demonstrated with a backbone nick and extrahelical bulge.
Mechanism of Induction of Δ5-3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase-Isomerase Activity in Rat Adrenocortical Cells by Corticotropin

The regulation of delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase (3 beta-HSD) was studied in primary cultures of rat adrenocortical cells. In the absence of ACTH, this enzymic activity was found to decay with a half-life of 3.1 days, which was similar to the half-life of the enzyme activity induced by ACTH in vitro (3.5 days). The increase in 3 beta-HSD activity was highly specific for ACTH and dibutyryl cAMP; the activity was not increased by other hormones known to affect adrenocortical growth or function. The induction of 3 beta-HSD activity by ACTH or dibutyryl cAMP required a lag period of approximately 4 h and was dependent on RNA and protein syntheses. The increase in 3 beta-HSD activity observed after ACTH treatment was not a result of ACTH-induced inhibition of degradation of the enzyme, nor was it due to the synthesis of a soluble intermediate which could directly activate the enzyme. ACTH stimulated the incorporation of [35S]methionine into a protein associated with 3 beta-HSD activity detected on polyacrylamide gels after electrophoresis of Triton X-100 extracts of adrenocortical cells. The induction of this protein by ACTH was inhibited by actinomycin D. A protein band of a partially purified preparation of rat adrenal 3 beta-HSD was found to comigrate with the ACTH-induced protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel. These results suggest that ACTH caused the de novo synthesis of 3 beta-HSD by a mechanism dependent on RNA synthesis.
Network Analysis Identifies ELF3 as a QTL for the Shade Avoidance Response in Arabidopsis

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) analyses in immortal populations are a powerful method for exploring the genetic mechanisms that control interactions of organisms with their environment. However, QTL analyses frequently do not culminate in the identification of a causal gene due to the large chromosomal regions often underlying QTLs. A reasonable approach to inform the process of causal gene identification is to incorporate additional genome-wide information, which is becoming increasingly accessible. In this work, we perform QTL analysis of the shade avoidance response in the Bayreuth-0 (Bay-0, CS954) x Shahdara (Sha, CS929) recombinant inbred line population of Arabidopsis. We take advantage of the complex pleiotropic nature of this trait to perform network analysis using co-expression, eQTL and functional classification from publicly available datasets to help us find good candidate genes for our strongest QTL, SAR2. This novel network analysis detected EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3; AT2G25930) as the most likely candidate gene affecting the shade avoidance response in our population. Further genetic and transgenic experiments confirmed ELF3 as the causative gene for SAR2. The Bay-0 and Sha alleles of ELF3 differentially regulate developmental time and circadian clock period length in Arabidopsis, and the extent of this regulation is dependent on the light environment. This is the first time that ELF3 has been implicated in the shade avoidance response and that different natural alleles of this gene are shown to have phenotypic effects. In summary, we show that development of networks to inform candidate gene identification for QTLs is a promising technique that can significantly accelerate the process of QTL cloning.
Seismic Characterization of Fractures In a Naturally Fractured Gas Reservoir

We present an approach to locate fractures in a naturally fractured Gas Reservoir using seismic reflection methods. Current commercially available technology is often able to locate the fracture zones and fracture orientation, but lack the precision and accuracy to guide a well straight into a fracture. Numerical models have shown that on seismograms, fractures are manifested in a form similar to diffraction patterns. With appropriate imaging, it may be possible to see fractures. Hence, we examine and compare various preprocessing schemes which enhance diffractions and reduce reflections in a seismogram
Results of Endonasal Laser-assisted Dacryocystorhinostomy

Background: Endonasal laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy has been a subject of much interest since its introduction in 1990, offering the potential advantages of decreased postoperative morbidity and the lack of a cutaneous scar. In this study, the authors report the results of 46 endonasal laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy procedures performed on 42 patients between February 1991 and July 1992. Methods: The medical records of all patients undergoing endonasal laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy procedures were reviewed retrospectively in detail. Patients undergoing laser-assisted external dacryocystorhinostomies or conjunctivo-dacryocystorhinostomies and those with follow-up periods less than 4 months were not included in the study. Results: A total of 46 endonasal laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy procedures were performed. Of these, 32 were successful and 14 failed after a single attempt, yielding a success rate of 70% (32/46). Of the 14 patients with failed procedures, 6 underwent a second endonasal laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy. Of these, five were successful. The success rate calculated on the basis of one or two attempts was 80% (37/46). Conclusions: The science and technology of endonasal laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy is undergoing a continuous process of evolution as a number of modifications are introduced, including better patient selection, more complete tissue removal at the osteotomy site, and the adjunctive use of mitomycin C. As this process continues, it is likely that the success rates in this modality will improve, making it an increasingly attractive alternative to external dacryocystorhinostomy.
Rediscovering the importance of cities, neighborhoods, and crime

Communities and Crime. Edited by Albert J. Reiss, Jr., and Michael Tonry. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1986, 421 pp., $27.50 (cloth). The Social Ecology of Crime. Edited by James M. Byrne and Robert J. Sampson. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1986, 221 pp., $35.00 (cloth). Metropolitan Crime Patterns. Edited by Robert M. Figlio, Simon Hakim, and George F. Rengert. Criminal Justice Press, Monsey, New York, 1986, 206 pp., $37.50 (cloth), $27.50 (paper).
Comparison of strengthening in wire-drawn or rolled Cu-20% Nb with a dislocation accumulation model

Strengthening after large deformations by wire-drawing or rolling of Cu, Nb and Cu-20% Nb was compared with the predictions of a proposed modified substructural strengthening model for ductile two-phase alloys. The comparisons indicate that the more extensive and refined model of Funkenbusch and Courtney offers no improvement over the original model of Ashby in predicting the strengthening with increased deformation processing or the dislocation densities necessary to produce the observed strengthening in Cu-20% Nb. Both models can predict the strengthening behaviour of Cu-20% Nb. However, neither model is in accord with the observations that the dislocation density in the Cu matrix is essentially independent of the degree of deformation processing, and that the magnitudes of the dislocation density are much the same in the Cu in Cu-20% Nb and pure Cu identically deformation-processed. In addition, there is no experimental support for the Funkenbusch and Courtney model prediction of an order of magnitude greater dislocation density in the Nb filaments than in the Cu matrix in Cu-20% Nb. It appears that a mechanism that does not require an accumulation of dislocations for strengthening, such as the difficulty in propagating dislocations between closely spaced barriers, is more likely to be responsible for strengthening in Cu-Nb-type deformation-processed composites.
Alteration by Halothane of Glucose and Glycogen Metabolism in Rat Skeletal Muscle

Exposure of resting rat diaphragm for one hour in vitro to halothane (1-1.5, 2-2.5 and 4-4.5 per cent in oxygen) produced significant alterations of intracellular glucose disposition. Glycolysis (as measured by lactate production) increased, while glycogen formation was inhibited in a dose-related fashion. Net glucose uptake was unaffected by the anesthetic except during exposure to 4-4.5 per cent halothane, when 14 per cent depression of uptake was found. Total glycogen content decreased, due mainly to the inhibition of glycogen synthesis and to some extent to a stimulation of glycogenolysis. The anesthetic did not interfere with the effect of insulin on glucose uptake or the intracellular disposition of glucose. Creatine phosphate concentrations decreased following exposure of diaphragm to 1-1.5, 2-2.5 and 4-4.5 per cent halothane, while the adenosine triphosphate concentration declined after exposure to 4-4.5 per cent only. Although the mechanism(s) whereby halothane alters glucose and glycogen metabolism are unknown, it is possible that the anesthetic acts primarily by affecting membranes containing enzymes involved in the metabolism of glycogen.
DNA replication and the nuclear envelope.

Abstract Upon isolation of the nuclear membrane from cultured mouse leukemia L5178Y cells, approximately 1% of the total nuclear DNA was found to be attached to this structure. After pulse labeling of DNA and isolation of the nuclear membrane, the ratio of labeled DNA in the membrane fraction and in the rest of chromatin was compared. Results indicate that with a 3 min pulse, DNA in the membrane fraction showed slightly higher specific activity, but when the pulse was longer than 5 min there was no difference in the specific activities. Since the DNA fragment associated with the membrane fraction was found to be long enough to contain most of the DNA labeled during a 5 min pulse, the results obtained indicate that there is no preferential association of DNA to the nuclear envelope during initiation or elongation of DNA.
Ligand-field excited states of metal hexacarbonyls.

Over 35 years ago, the low-lying bands in the absorption spectra of metal hexacarbonyls were assigned to ligand-field (LF) excitations. Recent time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations on M(CO)_6 (M = Cr, Mo, W) are not in accord with this interpretation. Here we extend TDDFT calculations to the isoelectronic series V(CO)_6^-, Cr(CO)_6, and Mn(CO)_6^+. By analyzing the trends in the energies of the various electronic excitations, we are able to fully assign the spectra of the complexes. In particular, we demonstrate that the LF excitation ^1A_(1g) → ^1T_(1g) is observed at 4.12 eV in the Mn(CO)_6^+ spectrum, but all LF features in the spectra of V(CO)_6^- and Cr(CO)_6 are obscured by intense metal-to-ligand charge-transfer absorptions. Our results suggest that use of B3LYP as the exchange-correlation functional and inclusion of solvation effects through a continuum solvation model lead to the most accurate calculated transition energies.
Understanding Helicases as a Means of Virus Control

Helicases are promising antiviral drug targets because their enzymatic activities are essential for viral genome replication, transcription, and translation. Numerous potent inhibitors of helicases encoded by herpes simplex virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, hepatitis C virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, and human papillomavirus have been recently reported in the scientific literature. Some inhibitors have also been shown to decrease viral replication in cell culture and animal models. This review discusses recent progress in understanding the structure and function of viral helicases to help clarify how these potential antiviral compounds function and to facilitate the design of better inhibitors. The above helicases and all related viral proteins are classified here based on their evolutionary and functional similarities, and the key mechanistic features of each group are noted. All helicases share a common motor function fueled by ATP hydrolysis, but differ in exactly how the motor moves the protein and its cargo on a nucleic acid chain. The helicase inhibitors discussed here influence rates of helicase-catalyzed DNA (or RNA) unwinding by preventing ATP hydrolysis, nucleic acid binding, nucleic acid release, or by disrupting the interaction of a helicase with a required cofactor.
Experimental Demonstration of Adaptive Feature-Specific Spectroscopy

Experimental validation of Adaptive Feature-Specific Spectroscopy (AFSS) is presented. The system achieves dramatically-shorter time-to-classification times than traditional architectures in low SNR scenarios.
A heuristic algorithm for distributed control in manufacturing systems

Distributed Problem Solving Networks (DPSN) provide a means for interconnecting intelligent problem solver nodes that can solve only a part of a problem depending on their ability in the problem domain. The decomposition of a problem into subproblems, and the selection of nodes to solve them can be regarded as the generation of an AND/OR tree, and the solution of the problem as a search for a solution tree. Introducing measurements for the cost of a solution tree, we present an algorithm to find one having minimal cost under certain conditions. A Flexible Manufacturing System consisting of a network of flexible workcells is used as an example.
Heat and momentum transfer in the flow of gases through packed beds

Heat and momentum transfer studies have been made for the flow of gases through fixed beds consisting of randomly packed, solid metallic particles. The experimental technique employed in these studies made possible for the first time the procurement of gas-film heat transfer data under steady state conditions and in the absence of mass transfer effects. Electric current passed through the metallic particles of the bed created within the particles a steady generation of heat, which was continuously removed by gases flowing through the bed. Several direct temperature measurements of both gases and solids within the bed made possible the direct calculation of the heat transfer coefficient for the gas film to produce the Colburn heat transfer factor jh, which has been found to correlate with the modified Reynolds number, Reh = √ ApG/[µ(1 – ∈)φ]. The shape factor φ was established in these studies for cubes and cylinders and was found to be identical to their respective sphericities. Pressure-drop measurements produced a friction factor fk of the Blake type, which yielded separate curves for each shape when correlated with the modified Reynolds number Rem. No simple relationship was found to exist between the heat transfer and friction factors. A single correlation of the pressure-drop data was obtained for the modulus fkoφn when correlated with a Reynolds number of the type Rem = √ ApG/[µ(1 – ∈)]. The exponent n varies with the particle shape. Experimental runs have been carried out for 3/16, 1/4, 5/16-in. spheres, 1/4 and 3/8-in. cubes, and regular cylinders using hydrogen and carbon dioxide to extend the range of molecular weights beyond that of air, used for the majority of these runs. A particle-size, column-diameter effect was found to exist for both heat and momentum transfer. This effect becomes significant in the low Reynolds region.
The determination of proteins in plant extracts that contain polyphenols

Abstract After comparing several methods of protein determination it was concluded that when polyphenolic compounds are present the most reliable method for protein is the Bradford procedure using Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250.
Atlantic Basin Seasonal Hurricane Simulations

Abstract An ensemble of seasonal Atlantic hurricane simulations is conducted using The Florida State University/Center for Ocean–Atmospheric Prediction Studies (FSU–COAPS) global spectral model (Cocke and LaRow) at a resolution of T126L27 (a Gaussian grid spacing of 0.94°). Four integrations comprising the ensembles were generated using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) time-lagged initial atmospheric conditions centered on 1 June for the 20 yr from 1986 to 2005. The sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were updated weekly using the Reynolds et al. observed data. An objective-tracking algorithm obtained from the ECMWF and modified for this model’s resolution was used to detect and track the storms. It was found that the model’s composite storm structure and track lengths are realistic. In addition, the 20-yr interannual variability was well simulated by the ensembles with a 0.78 ensemble mean rank correlation. The ensembles tend to overestimate (underestimate) the numbers of storms...
Link Associated Computation in HyperNet

HyperNet is an authoring and browsing system for the creation and navigation of multimedia documents. It was designed to provide a mechanism for very fast choreographing and configuration of hypermedia documents of arbitrary structure and content. HyperNet features enable a group of users scattered world-wide to compose hypermedia documents from components which exist in a set of world-wide distributed data bases. In this paper we present two new features in HyperNet. The first feature, synchronization clauses in HyperNet inks, allows for synchronization of multimedia components in hypermedia documents. The second feature, active links, is not commonly found in hypertext machines. These links associate with them extensive computations
Investigation of the factor structure of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV): exploratory and higher order factor analyses.

The present study examined the factor structure of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (WAIS–IV; D. Wechsler, 2008a) standardization sample using exploratory factor analysis, multiple factor extraction criteria, and higher order exploratory factor analysis (J. Schmid & J. M. Leiman, 1957) not included in the WAIS–IV Technical and Interpretation Manual (D. Wechsler, 2008b). Results indicated that the WAIS–IV subtests were properly associated with the theoretically proposed first-order factors, but all but one factor-extraction criterion recommended extraction of one or two factors. Hierarchical exploratory analyses with the Schmid and Leiman procedure found that the second-order g factor accounted for large portions of total and common variance, whereas the four first-order factors accounted for small portions of total and common variance. It was concluded that the WAIS–IV provides strong measurement of general intelligence, and clinical interpretation should be primarily at that level.
On-line voltage stability load index estimation based on PMU measurements

A new method for estimation of Voltage Stability Load Index (VSLI) for a power system using data from optimally located phasor measurement units (PMU) is presented in this paper. Optimal PMU placement was carried out considering islanding operating conditions. VSLI is estimated using a kind of recurrent neural network know as the Echo State Network (ESN). The development ESN is computational efficient and provides accurate estimation. Results of optimal PMU placement for normal and islanded operating conditions, and ESN estimation of VSLI on the IEEE 14 bus system is presented.
Administrative climate and staffing levels in healthcare systems: a risk-adjusted analysis of veterans' hospitals

Administrative personnel's salary is a substantial portion of total healthcare cost. The administrative climate, i.e. the combined effects of administrative staff's working attitude/intensity and managerial skills, plays a significant role in staffing levels. A healthcare system could reduce its costs and increase its operational efficiency by identifying those hospitals overstaffed with administrative personnel and adjusting its climate accordingly. This study, using the data from US veterans' hospitals and simple regression technique, through comprehensive risk-adjustment, set up a practical framework for a healthcare system to reach this goal. Results from this study show that millions of dollars can be saved if the administrative climate can be identified and altered.
Proliferative Glomerulonephritis with Monoclonal IgG Deposits

Dysproteinemias that result in monoclonal glomerular deposits of IgG are relatively uncommon. Here, we report the largest series of proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal IgG deposits, a form of renal involvement by monoclonal gammopathy that mimics immune-complex glomerulonephritis. We retrospectively identified 37 patients, most of whom were white (81%), female (62%), or older than 50 yr (65%). At presentation, 49% had nephrotic syndrome, 68% had renal insufficiency, and 77% had hematuria. In 30% of the patients, we identified a monoclonal serum protein with the same heavy- and light-chain isotypes as the glomerular deposits (mostly IgG1 or IgG2), but only one patient had myeloma. Histologic patterns were predominantly membranoproliferative (57%) or endocapillary proliferative (35%) with membranous features. Electron microscopy revealed granular, nonorganized deposits, and immunofluorescence demonstrated glomerular deposits that stained for a single light-chain isotype and a single heavy-chain subtype, most commonly IgG3κ (53%). During an average of 30.3 mo of follow-up for 32 patients with available data, 38% had complete or partial recovery, 38% had persistent renal dysfunction, and 22% progressed to ESRD. Correlates of ESRD on univariate analysis were higher creatinine at biopsy, percentage of glomerulosclerosis, and degree of interstitial fibrosis but not immunomodulatory treatment or presence of a monoclonal spike. On multivariate analysis, higher percentage of glomerulosclerosis was the only independent predictor of ESRD. Only one patient lacking a monoclonal spike at presentation subsequently developed a monoclonal spike and no patient with a monoclonal spike at presentation subsequently developed a hematologic malignancy. We conclude that proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal IgG deposits does not seem to be a precursor of myeloma in the vast majority of patients.
Editorial: Time is brain!

The entrance ofneurologists into the 1990s, the ''Dec­ ade of the Brain," has been highlighted by changes in theirattitude toward the treatment of ischemic stroke. The nihilism that seemed to pervade neurologic prac­ tice in the 1970sand 1980s is slowlybeingreplaced by a sense of urgency that stems from the realization of the flaws and limitations of previous treatment trials. A review of the literature shows that many of these were conducted at a time when computed tomogra­ phy was not yet available (1-6), thereby complicating the issue of diagnostic confirmation, or included pa­ tients with both infarction and hemorrhage (7). More importantly, they allowed subjects to be treated with­ in therapeutic windows far too long to allow any drug to be effective (8-12). These methodologic problems have rendered the results of experimental stroke treatment trials conflicting and uninterpretable, re­ sulting in enormous controversyabout the use of cur­ rently available drugs, such as heparin (13-18) and possibly premature dismissal of other promising agents. Supported by a rapidly advancing imaging technology, ideas about early intervention (19-21), acute reperfusion (20-22), neuronal protection, and the application of systematized approaches to treat­ ment have seentheirway from the basic neuroscience laboratory to the bedside of stroke victims. It has quickly become apparent that, in order for any of the proposed therapeutic modalities to be useful, it will have to be instituted within a very short period of time . The fundamental concept of limiting ischemic neuronal damage in the ischemic penumbra (23), a time-dependent phenomenon, serves as the basis for the majority of currentresearch efforts in acute stroke intervention. Unquestionably, the longer therapy is delayed, the lesser the chance that it will be success
Creating a Culture of Student Success: The SEEK Scholars Peer Mentoring Program

The authors provide an overview of the peer mentor training program at City College of New York, CUNY.
Differential Surface Expression and Phosphorylation of the N-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptor Subunits NR1 and NR2 in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

The trafficking and phosphorylation of the NR1 and NR2 subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptor complex were studied in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Surface expression was examined by modifying surface receptors via treatment of intact neurons with either the protease chymotrypsin or the cross-linking reagent bis(sulfosuccinimidyl)suberate, followed by quantification of anti-NR1 and anti-NR2B Western blot immunostaining. These studies revealed that only 40-50% of total NR1 immunoreactivity is found at the cell surface, as compared to more than 90% of total NR2B immunoreactivity. Metabolic labeling of the cultures with 32P revealed that NR2 subunits are highly phosphorylated under basal conditions, whereas basal phosphorylation of NR1 subunits is barely detectable. Following stimulation of the cultures with glutamate/glycine or phorbol esters, NR1 phosphorylation was found to be enhanced by 3-5-fold, whereas phosphorylation of NR2 subunits was enhanced by less than 2-fold. To determine whether the difference in the basal NR1 versus NR2 phosphorylation could be due to tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2, phosphoamino acid analyses of NR2 were performed. These analyses revealed phosphorylation on serine but not on threonine or tyrosine; immunoprecipitation and deglycosylation experiments using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies confirmed that NR2 subunits in the primary hippocampal cultures are not detectably phosphorylated on tyrosine residues. These results demonstrate that the NR1 and NR2 subunits, which assemble into heteromeric complexes to form functional N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, are trafficked in neurons with differential efficiency to the plasma membrane and exhibit different levels of basal versus stimulated serine phosphorylation.