cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypoxic-ischemic injury in neonatal brain: involvement of a novel neuronal molecule in neuronal cell death and potential target for neuroprotection.

Perinatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is the most common cause of various neurological disabilities in children with high societal cost. Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage is an evolving process and ample evidence suggests distinct difference between the immature and mature brain in the pathology and consequences of brain injury. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to better understand the mechanisms underlying the hypoxic-ischemic injury in neonatal brain to devise effective therapeutic strategies. Nonetheless, the mechanism(s) involved in this pathology in the developing brain remain inadequately understood. Effective neuroprotective strategies will include either inhibition of the death effector pathways or induction of their regulatory and survival promoting cellular proteins. Neuronal pentraxins (NPs) define a family of novel neuronal proteins “long pentraxins” that are exclusively expressed in the central neurons, and are homologous to the C-reactive and acute-phase proteins in the immune system. NPs have been shown to be involved in the excitatory synaptic remodeling. We found that the neuronal protein ‘neuronal pentraxin 1’ (NP1) is induced in neonatal rat brain following HI, and NP1 induction preceded the time of actual tissue loss in brain. In demonstrating this we also found that NP1 gene silencing is neuroprotective against hypoxia-induced neuronal death. This is the first evidence for a pathophysiological function of NP1 in central neurons. Our results suggest that NP1 is part of a death program triggered by HI. Most importantly, our findings of specific interactions of NP1 with the excitatory glutamate receptors AMPA GluR1 subunit and their co-localization suggest a role for this novel neuronal protein NP1 in the excitotoxic cascade. Blockade of AMPA-induced neuronal death following inhibition of NP1 expression further implicates a regulatory interaction between NP1 and AMPA glutamate receptors. Subsequent experiments using NP1 loss-of-function strategies, we have demonstrated specific requirements of NP1 induction in HI-induced neuronal death. Together our findings clearly identify a novel role for NP1 in the coupling between HI and cerebral cell death. Thus, NP1 could be a new molecular target in the central neurons for preventing hypoxic-ischemic neuronal death in developing brain. These very novel results could lead to more effective neuroprotective strategies against hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonates.
Mechanistic studies on the formation and reactivity of dioxygen adducts of diiron complexes supported by sterically hindered carboxylates.

Dioxygen activation by enzymes such as methane monooxygenase, ribonucleotide reductase, and fatty acid desaturases occurs at a nonheme diiron active site supported by two histidines and four carbox...
A simple nonlocal damage model for predicting failure in a composite shell containing a crack

The design of commercial aircraft structures composed of composite materials requires the ability to predict failure loads in laminated shells containing cracks. A damage zone of considerable influence is known to develop in advance of the crack tip in a composite material. The objective of this investigation was to develop a computational model that simulates progressive damage growth around cracks and allows the prediction of failure loads in complex laminated shell structures. This was accomplished through the use of a relatively simple, nonlocal damage model that incorporates strain-softening. The model was implemented in a finite element shell program. An analysis was performed on a section of a composite aircraft fuselage containing a crack and subjected to internal pressure loading. Reasonably good agreement was found between the calculations and the results from a test.
Conserved bacterial RNase YbeY plays key roles in 70S ribosome quality control and 16S rRNA maturation.

Quality control of ribosomes is critical for cellular function since protein mistranslation leads to severe physiological consequences. We report evidence of a previously unrecognized ribosome quality control system in bacteria that operates at the level of 70S to remove defective ribosomes. YbeY, a previously unidentified endoribonuclease, and the exonuclease RNase R act together by a process mediated specifically by the 30S ribosomal subunit, to degrade defective 70S ribosomes but not properly matured 70S ribosomes or individual subunits. Furthermore, there is essentially no fully matured 16S rRNA in a ΔybeY mutant at 45°C, making YbeY the only endoribonuclease to be implicated in the critically important processing of the 16S rRNA 3' terminus. These key roles in ribosome quality control and maturation indicate why YbeY is a member of the minimal bacterial gene set and suggest that it could be a potential target for antibacterial drugs.
TRI: A FORTRAN Subroutine to Plot Points on a Triangular Diagram

THE SUBROUTINE WHICH IS AN ASSET WHERE SEVERAL PLOTS MUST BE MADE OR A LARGE NUMBER OF POINTS MUST BE PLOTTED, CAN BE USED IN AN EXTENSIVE MAIN PROGRAM TO OPERATE ON INTERNALLY GENERATED DATA, OR WITH A SHORT READ ROUTINE THAT TAKES DATA FROM PUNCH CARDS AND PLOTS IT DIRECTLY ON A TRIANGLE. THE CALLING PROGRAM MUST SUPPLY, IN ADDITION TO THE DATA, THE NUMBER OF POINTS TO BE PLOTTED (N) AND A SCALE FACTOR (NSCALE) THAT ADJUSTS THE COORDINATES OF EACH POINT SO THAT IT WILL BE PLOTTED WITHIN THE TRIANGLE FIELD. IF NSCALE IS SET TO 100, INPUT VALUES MUST BE IN THE RANGE OF 0 TO 100; IF SET TO 10, THE RANGE IS FROM 0 TO 10; IF SET TO 1, THE RANGE IS FROM 0 TO 1.0. THE USE OF THE CALLING PROGRAM REQUIRES A HEADER CARD WITH N AND NSCALE IN A 215 FORMAT FOLLOWED BY N CARDS WITH TWO OF THE THREE CO-ORDINATE VALUES FOR EACH POINT ON EACH CARD, A (1) AND B (1). THE DATA FORMAT ON CARD SEVEN OF THE READ ROUTINE MAY BE CHANGED TO SUIT THE USER. THE THIRD COORDINATE VALUE NEED NOT BE SPECIFIED. CHANGE OF THE READ AND WRITE DEVICE NUMBERS ALLOWS EASY ADAPTION TO VARIOUS INPUT AND OUTPUT DEVICES AT ALMOST ANY COMPUTER INSTALLATION. DATA PLOT PROCEDURE IS DESCRIBED AND A SAMPLE PLOT IS ILLUSTRATED.
Grain Fabrics in Turbidite Sandstone Beds and Their Relation to Sole-Mark Trends on Same Beds: ABSTRACT

Grain orientations were determined quantitatively for 62 turbidite sandstone beds that exhibited sole marks (19 beds with flute casts and 43 beds with groove casts). Statistically significant alignment of elongate grains within these beds tend to parallel the trends of the sole marks on the base of the beds. Grain fabrics of six beds were determined quantitatively for multiple levels (a minimum of four levels in each bed). The mean grain trends were observed to parallel approximately the trend of the sole marks on the base of these beds. Deviations in the mean grain trend from the trend of the sole marks were noted for most of the beds studied, but the mean deviation for all beds was less than 10°. Moreover, there was no systematic sense of deviation such as that reported by Bouma (1962), Spotts (1964), and Spotts and Weser (1964). The deviations were grouped in normal fashion about the zero deviation point. Dip direction of imbricate grains was determined at three levels in one of the sandstone beds studied. The imbricate grains in the middle and lower intervals dip in one direction whereas those in the upper interval dip in the opposite direction. However, statistically significant data were obtained only from the lowest interval in the bed. The current sense indicated by the dip direction of the imbricate grains in the lower and middle intervals is the same as that inferred from the flute casts on the base of the bed. Grain fabric exhibited in the rock slices was determined according to the technique described by Spotts (1964). The statistical technique used to evaluate the grain trends was patterned after the method described by Curray (1956). The writer and his assistant, Monty Hampton, devised the statistical technique used to evaluate the dip direction of imbricate grains. End_of_Article - Last_Page 458------------
Comparative efficacy of dose regimens in enzyme replacement therapy of type I Gaucher disease.

Gaucher disease is caused by a deficiency of beta-glucocerebrosidase activity. The optimum dose and frequency of enzyme replacement therapy for Gaucher patients have not been determined. We set to compare the therapeutic effects of initiating treatment with macrophage-targeted glucocerebrosidase at a high dose followed by progressive dose reductions with that produced by initial treatment at a low dose in patients with type I Gaucher disease. The study included two parts: (i) Twelve patients received every 2 weeks enzyme replacement therapy at 60 IU/kg body wt for 24 months followed by sequential dose reduction every 6 months to 30 and then to 15 IU/kg body wt. (ii) Thirty-two patients received enzyme replacement therapy at 10 IU/kg every 2 weeks for 12 months. Hematologic parameters and liver and spleen volume were monitored in all patients. All patients had intact spleens. In patients who were started on high-dose enzyme replacement therapy, hemoglobin, acid phosphatase, and organ volume improved or remained unchanged at the end of each dose reduction. Platelet count decreased significantly when the dose of enzyme was reduced from 30 to 15 IU/kg body wt. Initiation of therapy at a low dose led to a significant improvement in all measured parameters at the end of 1 year. We conclude that the minimal effective dose for the nonskeletal manifestations of Gaucher disease can be achieved either by initiating enzyme replacement therapy with a high dose followed by a stepwise dose reduction or by starting treatment at the minimal dose. High dose provides a faster clinical response and should be considered for patients with more aggressive disease. The therapeutic threshold for macrophage-targeted glucocerebrosidase appears to be 10-15 IU/kg body wt every 2 weeks.
Rapid changes in the expression of glial cell proteins caused by experimental retinal detachment.

We examined the expression of several proteins normally present in Muller's glia after the production of experimental retinal detachment in adult cats. Retinas were detached for one-half to seven days, after which the tissue was processed for correlative immunocytochemistry and biochemistry. Previous studies demonstrated that the intermediate filament proteins glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin, increase after long-term retinal detachment (30 to 60 days), whereas glutamine synthetase, carbonic anhydrase C, and cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein all decrease to barely detectable levels. Alterations in Muller cell protein expression are rapid and specific events that can be detected as early as two days after retinal detachment. By seven days, levels of protein expression are similar to those in the long-term retinal detachments. Within the first week after injury the Muller cell processes hypertrophy and begin forming glial scars, which indicates that early intervention may be required to halt or reverse the effects of detachment.
Strategies for teaching children with autism to imitate response chains using video modeling

Abstract Video modeling has been found to be an effective procedure for teaching a variety of skills to persons with autism, however, some individuals do not learn through video instruction. The purpose of the current investigation was to teach children with autism, who initially did not imitate a video model, to construct three toy structures through the use of a segmented video modeling procedure. Four male children, ages 4–6, diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder participated. Children were initially evaluated on a set of prerequisite skills including motor imitation and delayed match-to-sample. Children who were unable to perform delayed matching tasks were also not able to imitate an 8-step video model. A segmented video modeling teaching procedure was introduced. This procedure involved showing an increasing number of steps in the response chain across trials. A changing criterion design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the segmented video modeling procedure. Results showed that the segmented video modeling procedure was effective for teaching children to imitate an 8-step response chain.
Consumer value: an application to mall and Internet shopping

Shopping malls and the Internet have become major competitors, providing multiple dimensions of consumer value ranging from economic or functional value to hedonic or experiential value. The selection of the Internet versus the mall for shopping can vary for different consumers and in different situations, even for the same consumer. This study’s framework was based on Holbrook’s consumer value typology that includes four components: efficiency (extrinsic/active), excellence (extrinsic,reactive), play (instrinsic/active),and aesthetics (instrinsic/reactive). Based on the consumer value experienced by mall and Internet shopping, each retailer must implement strategies that will lead to consumers’ enhanced shopping experience.
The effects of orthokinetic collision, acoustic wake, and gravity on acoustic agglomeration of polydisperse aerosols

A new concept of effective agglomeration length, which measures the maximum particle separation distance for effective collisions, is proposed for study of acoustic agglomeration of polydisperse aerosols with respect to the separate and combined effects of orthokinetic collision and acoustic wake in a horizontal acoustic wave when particle gravity is included. Particle gravity is found to be significant for the acoustic wake effect while the particle collision efficiency is important for the orthokinetic collision. Results indicate that orthokinetic collision dominates at low frequencies for intermediate size ratios while the acoustic wake effect is more significant at higher frequencies for all particles. The optimum frequency for orthokinetic collision is confirmed but shifts downward with the increase of sound power. For the acoustic wake effect, the agglomeration increases monotonically with sound frequency. Results also show that the orthokinetic collision is not effective for agglomeration of sub-micron particles because of low particle collision efficiency.
Use of a Red Cell Band 3-Ligand/Antioxidant to Improve Red Cell Storage Properties Following Virucidal Phototeatment with Chalcogenoxanthylium Photosensitizers

The efficacy of two chalcogenoxanthylium photosensitizers to reduce pathogens in red cell suspensions while maintaining red cell storage properties was investigated in the presence and absence of the red cell band-3 ligand and antioxidant, dipyridamole (DP). In the presence of DP, both sensitizers, TMR-S and DJD-42, displayed potent virucidal photoactivity (>6 log10) and species-dependent bactericidal activities that ranged from 0.6 to 8.7 log10. Addition of DP to red cell suspensions containing TMR-S or DJD-42 reduced Day 42 photo-induced hemolysis by approximately eight-fold and four-fold, respectively. Red cell binding studies revealed only a small degree of competition between DP and TMR-S, and no competition between DP with DJD-42 for binding to red cell membranes, suggesting that protection of red cells by DP in this system may primarily stem from its antioxidant properties.
Cloning and sequencing of the rabbit FGFR2 cDNA.

(2000). Cloning and Sequencing of the Rabbit FGFR2 cDN A. DNA Sequence: Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 439-446.
Lactogenic Hormone Requirement for Pseudopregnancy in Normal and Hysterectomized Rats

SummaryFemale albino rats were injected subcutaneously with 17 IU of ovine lactogenic hormone/day continuously. While normal rats had 2 consecutive pseudopregnancies of 14 and 12 days, respectively, hysterectomized rats had only one of 21 days after which normal estrous cycling occurred in spite of the continued lactogen. Injection of lactogenic hormone for 5-7 days from the day of estrous was required to induce pseudopregnancies in normal or hysterectomized rats, the latter always having diestrous periods of about 7 days longer than normal rats. When lactogenic hormone was discontinued for 3 estrous cycles and reestablished, pseudopregnancies again resulted in both normal and hysterectomized rats.
Respiratory deficiency due to loss of mitochondrial DNA in yeast lacking the frataxin homologue.

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive degenerative disorder that primarily affects the nervous system and heart. Patients with FRDA have point mutations or trinucleotide repeat expansions in both alleies of FRDA, which encodes a protein termed frataxin. We show that the yeast frataxin homologue, which we have named YFH1, localizes to mitochondria and is required to maintain mitochondrial DMA. The YFH1-homologous domain of frataxin functions in yeast and a disease-associated missense mutation of this domain, or the corresponding domain in YFH1, reduces function. Our data suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to FRDA pathophysiology.
Adsorption of 153Sm-EDTMP on calcium hydroxyapatite

Abstract Adsorption of Sm-EDTMP (the complex of samarium(III) and ethylenediaminetetramethylene-phosphonate) on the surface of calcium hydroxyapatite, CaP, has been measured using 153 Sm and 14 C as tracers. The adsorption is shown to be quantitative up to total deposition of ∼ 40 μmol complex/g GaP and much less efficient at higher depositions. Comparison of adsorption of 153 Sm complexes of the common ligands NTMP, EDTA, and DTPA, with skeletal uptake in rats show a correlation between in vitro and in vivo adsorption.
Measurement of hyphal turgor

Abstract Cellular turgor pressure is thought to provide the driving force for hyphal extension and for a variety of other fungal processes. This study was conducted to evaluate three different approaches to the measurement of hyphal turgor in the aquatic fungus Achlya bisexualis . Turgor was determined indirectly from measurements of the osmotic potential of hyphal extracts using an osmometer and by a refined incipient plasmolysis technique. Turgor was also measured directly from individual growing hyphae using a micropipet-based pressure probe. Osmometry provided an estimate of the mean turgor of hyphae grown in liquid culture of 0.74 MPa, while the incipient plasmolysis technique indicated turgor pressures of between 1.0 and 1.2 MPa (10 to 12 bars). With the pressure probe, turgors ranging from 0.8 to 1.2 MPa were measured from 49 hyphae in the same difined medium. The low turgor estimates from the osmometric approach probably reflected dilution of the cell contents by cell wall and extracellular fluid during sample extraction. Recordings with the pressure probe showed that turgor did not vary along the length of the coenocytic hyphae and was independent of hyphal diameter. This paper presents the first report of the direct measurement of hyphal turgor pressure.
Effect of Low-Temperature Microwave Processing and Copper Content on the Properties of Ag-Cu Thin Film Binary Alloys

The effects of Cu content on the electrical and structural properties of Ag-Cu thin films were studied before and after microwave processing. Copper was chosen as the alloying element because of its low solubility in Ag, which enables it to segregate at the surface. After microwave annealing, enhanced electrical and structural properties were observed. The results from Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, x-ray diffraction, and four-point probe measurements suggested that the resistivity is controlled by the residual copper concentration and increased grain growth during the low-temperature microwave anneals. For each particular copper concentration, microwave annealing resulted in highest Hall mobility and lowest resistivity. These findings opened the possibility for novel materials structures based on low-temperature microwave processing schemes.
Soybean Field Losses as Influenced by Harvest Delays

(...) Average soybean field losses were 10% of the potential yield, but ranged from 5.5% in 1983 to 12.7% in 1984. Loss of potential yield increased linearly at a rate of 0.2%d -1 from an average of 6.1% at the initial harvest to 13.9% 42 d later. In 1984 and 1986 net yields were reduced 14 and 18 kg ha -1 d -1 , respectively. Harvest delays of 42 d resulted in plant deterioration and, in turn, lodging increased 20% (...)
Fatigue in children and adolescents with cancer: evolution of a program of study

Objectives: To describe the development of a research program focused on cancer-related fatigue in children and adolescents and the resulting definition and model. Data Sources: Research studies, review articles, and clinical examples. Conclusions: Fatigue has been identified by children and adolescents who are receiving treatment for cancer as one of the most distressing treatment-related symptoms they experience, yet fatigue is rarely assessed by health professionals and infrequently reported by patients or their parents. Implications for Nursing Practice: An improved understanding of the contributory and alleviating factors that cause fatigue in this patient population will provide them with greater comfort during treatment for cancer.
Visual Integration from Multiple Cameras

Multi-target visual tracking is a difficult problem in both academic and engineering aspects due to its inherent ambiguity in perspective projection and multi-target management. The paper introduces an improved algorithm to integrate visual cues from multi-camera observations. The geometrical constraints from the overlapping camera views, coupled with temporal smoothness constraints, enabled us to achieve improved robustness and accuracy. Dynamic targets entering/exiting the workspace are handled as each target's confidence level accumulates/deteriorates over time, eliminating any cumbersome definitions of workspace borders. The output of our algorithm is a set of target location observations, and a simple nearest-neighbor tracker is applied to enforce labeling consistency. This paper present our algorithmic improvement, which results in real-time performance and reasonable accuracy in practical cases, as well as discuss how our approach provides improved performance in real-world complex scenarios with multiple constraints combined
Varied carnivore effects and the prevalence of intertidal algal turfs

Abstract A red algal turf covers mid-shore levels of much of the California Channel Islands. Our experiments at Santa Catalina Island show that carnivores maintain the turf by consuming juvenile mussels Mytilus spp. and associated invertebrates. Exclusion of spiny lobsters Panulirus interruptus (Randall) from comparatively wave-exposed sites caused the complete and persistent replacement of the turf by the mussel assemblage. On sites protected from wave action, the lobsters were joined by carnivorous fishes, i.e., Halichoeres semisinctus (Ayrcs), Oxyjulis californica (Gunther) and Semicossyphus pulcher (Ayres), and whelks, i.e., Ceratostoma nuttalli (Conrad) and Maxwellia gemma (Sowerby). Compensatory foraging shifts by the whelks prevented significant increases of mussels in lobster and fish exclosures. Exclusion of all predators at the protected site caused a moderate but statistically significant increase. Thus, experiments at different sites indicated either “keystone” or “diffuse” effects of predators. Experimental clumps of large Mytilus californianus (Conrad) persisted longer after re-exposure to predation in the post-experimental periods than did clumps of smaller M. Californianus or M. edulis L. Transplants of matched cohorts indicated that the size differences of mussels in the exclosure experiments were caused by differences in shell growth rates correlated with wave exposure. We speculate that changing growth rates may influence the outcome of size-limited predation, accounting for some of the variation in the relative abundance of turf and mussels over the wave exposure gradient.
Human Resources and Military Manpower Requirements

This article is premised on the belief that future military manpower strategy can best be understood by examining past manpower history. There have been three basic approaches since the founding of the United States: first, from 1789 to 1929, armed force size as a function of short-term national emergencies; second, 1930 to 1980, armed force size as a function of general economic planning no less than political crisis; and a new period, beginning in 1981, in which manpower requirements are determined. by technological equivalences and public/private sector mixes. The major policy issues of manpower-voluntarism and conscription, private rights and public defense, crisis management and long-range mobilization-are seen as illustrations of these historic trends and economic structures. This article concludes with new expectations for military manpower requirements in a postindustrial and yet subnuclear era of protracted East-West conflict.
The Social Dynamics of Pair Programming

This paper presents data from a four month ethnographic study of professional pair programmers from two software development teams. Contrary to the current conception of pair programmers, the pairs in this study did not hew to the separate roles of "driver" and "navigator". Instead, the observed programmers moved together through different phases of the task, considering and discussing issues at the same strategic "range " or level of abstraction and in largely the same role. This form of interaction was reinforced by frequent switches in keyboard control during pairing and the use of dual keyboards. The distribution of expertise among the members of a pair had a strong influence on the tenor of pair programming interaction. Keyboard control had a consistent secondary effect on decisionmaking within the pair. These findings have implications for software development managers and practitioners as well as for the design of software development tools.
Embodiment and self-ownership

Many libertarians believe that self-ownership is a separate matter from ownership of extra-personal property. “No-proviso” libertarians hold that property ownership should be free of any “fair share” constraints (e.g., the Lockean Proviso), on the grounds that the inability of the very poor to control property leaves their self-ownership intact. By contrast, left-libertarians hold that while no one need compensate others for owning himself, still property owners must compensate others for owning extra-personal property. What would a “self” have to be for these claims to be true? I argue that both of these camps must conceive of the boundaries of the self as including one's body but no part of the extra-personal world. However, other libertarians draw those boundaries differently, so that self-ownership cannot be separated from the right to control extra-personal property after all. In that case, property ownership must be subject to a fair share constraint, but that constraint does not require appropriators to pay compensation. This view, which I call “right libertarianism,” differs importantly from the other types primarily in its conception of the self, which I argue is independently more plausible.
American Diabetes Association 60th Scientific Sessions, 2000: glucose tolerance, diabetes and cancer, glycemic control, monitoring, and related topics.

This is the sixth in a continuing series of articles on the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 60th Scientific Sessions held in San Antonio, TX, in June 2000. It covers topics related to use of fasting versus 2-h glucose for diagnosis of diabetes, diabetes and cancer, glycemic control, monitoring, and hypoglycemia. ### Postload Glycemia in the Diagnosis of Diabetes At a symposium on diagnostic criteria for diabetes James Gavin, Chevy Chase, MD, discussed the dilemma that fasting and post–glucose load glucose levels are differently regulated and that diagnosis based on the two criteria therefore define somewhat different populations. The use of fasting glucose has several advantages. It is more convenient to perform and limits a missed diagnosis of diabetes. Gavin noted that microvascular complications begin to occur above a fasting glucose of 126 mg/dl. A concern, however, is that more than half of patients with diabetes diagnosed by a glucose tolerance test have a fasting glucose below 126 mg/dl. Given new data showing that the fasting glucose level is less predictive of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk than postchallenge glucose level, Gavin concluded that “fundamentally, we are back at ‘square one’ in asking ‘What is diabetes?’” Daniel Porte, San Diego, CA, noted that “cause and effect is not necessary when we see associations,” an important caveat in the new emphasis on glucose tolerance testing and postchallenge glycemia for diabetes diagnosis. Jaakko Tuomilehto, Helsinki, Finland, reviewed data from the Diabetes Epidemiology Collaborative Analysis of Diagnostic Criteria in Europe (DECODE) Study of 18,048 men and 7,316 women aged 30 years or older followed for an average of 7 years after glucose tolerance testing, addressing the question of whether fasting glucose or 2-h postload glucose better predicts mortality (1) There were a total of 1,836 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for diabetes, based mainly on 2-h glucose >200 mg/dl, and the …
Biphasic modulation of evoked [3H]D-aspartate release by D-2 dopamine receptors in rat striatal slices

It has been hypothesized that dopamine (DA) inhibits glutamate release from corticostriatal fibers via presynaptically located D-2 DA receptors although the evidence presented in the literature has not been conclusive. In the present experiments, the effect of D-2 receptor ligands on K+-stimulated tritium release from rat striatal slices preloaded with the nonmetabolizable glutamate analog [3H]D-aspartate ([3H]ASP) was measured. The D-2 receptor antagonist S-sulpiride increased stimulated [3H]ASP release by 75% (EC50 value = 240 nM) and the biologically less-active isomer R-sulpiride, although equally effective, was tenfold less potent. The D-2 receptor agonists pergolide and (+)-4-propyl-9-hydroxynapthoxazine (+PHNO) inhibited [3H]ASP release at nM concentrations; however, this effect was small (20%). This low efficacy of the exogenous agonists was apparently due to competition by high concentrations of endogenous DA since the effect of pergolide was increased in rats whose striatal DA levels were decreased by 97%. These data support the hypothesis that D-2 DA receptors modulate [3H]ASP release in an inhibitory fashion. However, when the agonists were tested at lower concentrations, [3H]ASP release was increased significantly by 20% in control rats and 60% in DA-depleted rats. Both the facilitory and inhibitory effects of pergolide were blocked by 10 μM S-sulpiride, suggesting D-2 receptor mediation. In addition, the facilitory effect of pergolide was blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX) and by the GABAA antagonist bicuculline, implying mediation of this D-2 effect by an inhibitory GABAergic interneuron. The inhibitory effect of pergolide was decreased by the muscarinic antagonist atropine. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that receptors mediating both facilitory and inhibitory D-2 modulation of [3H]ASP release are located on interneurons rather than directly on the corticostriatal afferents.
Utility of Commercial DNA Analysis in Detecting Malignancy within Pancreatic Cysts

Context Pancreatic cysts raise concern because of their malignant potential. Our aims were to assess accuracy of DNA analysis in detecting malignant pancreatic cysts at EUS-FNA and to determine whether DNA analysis added to imaging and cyst fluid studies enhanced International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) guidelines for resection of pancreatic cysts. Methods This is a retrospective study including pancreatic cysts undergoing EUS-FNA and DNA analysis with k- ras and loss of heterozygosity testing. Diagnostic models of 2006 and 2012 IAP guidelines, DNA analysis alone, and DNA combined with 2012 IAP guidelines were developed, and area under receiver operator characteristic curves (AUC) compared to determine the added value of DNA for detecting malignant cysts at the time of EUS-FNA. Results Two-hundreds and fifty-seven patients were included with 8 (3.1%) malignant cysts. Solid component (P<0.001), main pancreatic duct dilation (P=0.012), suspicious or malignant cytology (P=0.001), and high DNA quantity (P<0.001) were associated with malignancy. Concurrent high amplitude k- ras with loss of heterozygosity mutations was highly specific (98.4%) though insensitive (12.5%) for malignancy. The 2012 IAP guideline (AUC=0.87; 95% CI: 0.82-0.91) was superior to 2006 IAP guideline (AUC=0.54; 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) and DNA analysis alone (AUC=0.60; 95% CI: 0.53-0.66) for detecting malignant cysts (P=0.004 and P=0.002, respectively). Addition of DNA did not improve performance of the 2012 IAP guideline (AUC=0.84; 95% CI: 0.79-0.88). Conclusions Commercial DNA analysis does not add useful information beyond imaging and cytology for detection of malignant pancreatic cysts. The 2012 IAP guideline better predicted malignant cysts than the 2006 IAP guideline. Image: DNA double helix
BAF53 Forms Distinct Nuclear Complexes and Functions as a Critical c-Myc-Interacting Nuclear Cofactor for Oncogenic Transformation

The c-Myc oncoprotein functions as a transcription factor that can transform normal cells into tumor cells, as well as playing a direct role in normal cell proliferation. The c-Myc protein transactivates cellular promoters by recruiting nuclear cofactors to chromosomal sites through an N-terminal transactivation domain. We have previously reported the identification and functional characterization of four different c-Myc cofactors: TRRAP, hGCN5, TIP49, and TIP48. Here we present the identification and characterization of the actin-related protein BAF53 as a c-Myc-interacting nuclear cofactor that forms distinct nuclear complexes. In addition to the human SWI/SNF-related BAF complex, BAF53 forms a complex with TIP49 and TIP48 and a separate biochemically distinct complex containing TRRAP and a histone acetyltransferase which does not contain TIP60. Using deletion mutants of BAF53, we show that BAF53 is critical for c-Myc oncogenic activity. Our results indicate that BAF53 plays a functional role in c-Myc-interacting nuclear complexes.
Abnormal rib count in scoliosis surgery: impact on the reporting of spinal fusion levels

Purpose Variation in rib numbering has been noted in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), but its effect on the reporting of fusion levels has not been studied. We hypothesized that vertebral numbering variations can lead to differing documentation of fusion levels. Methods We examined the radiographs of 161 surgical AIS patients and 179 control patients without scoliosis. For AIS patients, the operative report of fusion levels was compared to conventional vertebral labeling from the first thoracic level and proceeding caudal. We defined normal counts as 12 thoracic (rib-bearing) and five lumbar (nonrib-bearing) vertebrae. We compared our counts with data from 181 anatomic specimens. Results Among AIS patients, 22 (14 %) had an abnormal number of ribs and 29 (18 %) had either abnormal rib or lumbar count. In 12/29 (41 %) patients, the operative report differed from conventional labeling by one level, versus 3/132 (2 %) patients with normal numbering (p \ 0.001). However, there were no cases seen of wrong fusion levels based on curve pattern. Among controls, 11 % had abnormal rib count (p = 0.41) compared to the rate in AIS. Anatomic specimen data did not differ in abnormal rib count (p = 1.0) or thoracolumbar pattern (p = 0.59). Conclusions The rate of numerical variations in the thoracolumbar vertebrae of AIS patients is equivalent to that in the general population. When variations in rib count are present, differences in numbering levels can occur. In the treatment of scoliosis, no wrong fusion levels were noted. However, for both scoliosis patients and the general population, we suggest adherence to conventional labeling to enhance clarity.
Anticipation of Marital Dissolution as a Consequence of Spousal Infidelity

This study examined five sources of spousal and relationship costs that might facilitate heightened anticipations of seeking divorce as a consequence of spousal infidelity. Three separate data sources were employed. Fist, 214 participants reported their satisfaction with the marriage and their anticipations of seeking divorce as a consequence of spousal infidelity. Second, participants provided information on their spouse's personality and behaviors their spouse performed that upset them. Third, couples were interviewed by two interviewers, who subsequently provided independent ratings of each participant's personality, mate value, and attractiveness, as well as ratings of the quality of the couple's interaction. Greater anticipations of divorcing an unfaithful spouse were reported by women higher in mate value than their husbands; women married to emotionally unstable men; men reporting lower marital satisfaction; and women in couples displaying greater conflict during the interview. Discussion locates r...
Predictive Inference Using Latent Variables with Covariates

Plausible values (PVs) are a standard multiple imputation tool for analysis of large education survey data, which measures latent proficiency variables. When latent proficiency is the dependent variable, we reconsider the standard institutionally generated PV methodology and find it applies with greater generality than shown previously. When latent proficiency is an independent variable, we show that the standard institutional PV methodology produces biased inference because the institutional conditioning model places restrictions on the form of the secondary analysts’ model. We offer an alternative approach that avoids these biases based on the mixed effects structural equations model of Schofield (Modeling measurement error when using cognitive test scores in social science research. Doctoral dissertation. Department of Statistics and Heinz College of Public Policy. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University, 2008).
Evaluating efficacy of field-generated electrochemical oxidants on disinfection of fomites using bacteriophage MS2 and mouse norovirus MNV-1 as pathogenic virus surrogates.

Surface disinfection, as part of environmental hygiene practices, is an efficient barrier to gastroenteritis transmission. However, surface disinfectants may be difficult to obtain in remote, resource-limited, or disaster relief settings. Electrochemical oxidants (ECO) are chlorine-based disinfectants that can be generated using battery power to electrolyze brine (NaCl) solutions. Electrolysis generates a mixed-oxidant solution that contains both chlorine (HOCl, OCl−) and reactive oxygen species (e.g., ·OH, O3, H2O2, and ·O2−) capable of inactivating pathogens. One onsite generator of ECO is the Smart Electrochlorinator 200 (SE-200, Cascade Designs, Inc.). In a laboratory study, we assessed ECO surface disinfection efficacy for two gastrointestinal virus surrogates: bacteriophage MS2 and murine norovirus MNV-1. We quantified both infectivity and nucleic acid inactivation using culture-dependent and independent assays. At free available chlorine concentrations of 2,500 ppm and a contact time of 30 s, ECO inactivation of infective MS2 bacteriophage exceeded 7 log10 compared to MNV-1 disinfection of approximately 2 log10. Genomic RNA inactivation was less than infective virus inactivation: MS2 RNA inactivation was approximately 5 log10 compared to MNV-1 RNA inactivation of approximately 1.5 log10. The results are similar to inactivation efficacy of household bleach when used at similar free available chlorine concentrations. Our work demonstrates the potential of ECO solutions, generated onsite, to be used for surface disinfection.
Peripheral Expression of Jak3 Is Required to Maintain T Lymphocyte Function

The Jak family tyrosine kinase, Jak3, is involved in signaling through cytokine receptors that utilize the common γ chain (γc), such as those for IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15. Recent studies of Jak3-deficient mice and humans have demonstrated that Jak3 plays a critical role in B and T lymphocyte maturation and function. The T lymphocyte defects in Jak3-deficient mice include a small thymus, a decrease in peripheral CD8+ cells, an increase in the surface expression of activation markers, and a severe reduction in proliferative and cytokine secretion responses to mitogenic stimuli. To determine whether the peripheral T lymphocyte defects result from aberrant maturation in the thymus or from the absence of Jak3 protein in peripheral T cells, we generated reconstituted mice that express normal levels of Jak3 protein in the thymus but lose Jak3 expression in peripheral T cells. Jak3 expression in the thymus restores normal T cell development, including CD8+, γδ, and natural killer cells. However, the loss of Jak3 protein in peripheral T cells leads to the Jak3 −/− phenotype, demonstrating that Jak3 is constitutively required to maintain T cell function.
An improved pipelined MSB-first add-compare select unit structure for Viterbi decoders

Convolutional codes are widely used in many communication systems due to their excellent error-control performance. High-speed Viterbi decoders for convolutional codes are of great interest for high-data-rate applications. In this paper, an improved most-significant-bit (MSB) -first bit-level pipelined add-compare select (ACS) unit structure is proposed. The ACS unit is the main bottleneck on the decoding speed of a Viterbi decoder. By balancing the settling time of different paths in the ACS unit, the length of the critical path is reduced as close as possible to the iteration bound in the ACS unit. With the proposed retimed structure, it is possible to decrease the critical path of the ACS unit by 12% to 15% compared with the conventional MSB-first structures. This reduction in critical path can reduce the level of parallelism (and area) required for a very high-speed Viterbi decoder.
Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Selected Secretory Carrier Membrane Proteins, SCAMP1 and SCAMP3, and Association with the EGF Receptor

Secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMPs) are ubiquitously expressed proteins of post-Golgi vesicles. In the presence of the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor vanadate, or after overexpression in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, SCAMP1 and SCAMP3 are phosphorylated selectively on tyrosine residue(s). Phosphorylation is reversible after vanadate washout in situ or when isolated SCAMP3 is incubated with the recombinant tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B. Vanadate also causes the partial accumulation of SCAMP3, but not SCAMP1, in "patches" at or near the cell surface. A search for SCAMP kinase activities has shown that SCAMPs 1 and 3, but not SCAMP2, are tyrosine phosphorylated in EGF-stimulated murine fibroblasts overexpressing the EGF receptor (EGFR). EGF catalyzes the progressive phosphorylation of the SCAMPs up to 1 h poststimulation and may enhance colocalization of the EGFR and SCAMP3 within the cell interior. EGF also induces SCAMP-EGFR association, as detected by coimmunoprecipitation, and phosphorylation of SCAMP3 is stimulated by the EGFR in vitro. These results suggest that phosphorylation of SCAMPs, either directly or indirectly, may be functionally linked to the internalization/down-regulation of the EGFR.
Physically-Proximal Human-Robot Collaboration: Enhancing Safety and Efficiency Through Intent Prediction

*† Future space missions may be accomplished with greater efficiency through humanrobot collaboration, with robots expected to autonomously schedule and execute repetitive or easily-automated tasks. This paper explores issues associated with a human and robotic manipulator operating in a shared physical workspace. A multi-layer autonomous control system is presented that enables a robot to determine near-term intent of a human companion and translate that intent into manipulator motions. These motions must be planned and adapted to avoid collisions with and minimize distraction to the human as both manipulator and human accomplish their mission tasks. This paper presents results from initial experiments designed to assess the impact of a physically-proximal manipulator on human task performance and workload. Human tasks are recognized upon initiation and translated to constraints on manipulator motion to avoid blocking the humans’s expected path to a target or visual gaze to a computer screen used to solve a sequence of simple cognitive (math) tasks. Preliminary results indicate the robot is able to accomplish tasks with minimal impact on a human companion’s performance or workload. Future work is planned to mature the robotic system’s perceptual and prediction capabilities and to complete a more comprehensive set of human-robot collaboration experiments.
Behavioral Changes in Japanese Beetle and Masked Chafer Grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) After Parasitism by Tiphiid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae)

We studied effects of parasitism by two Tiphia species (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae) on burrowing behavior of their respective scarabaeid hosts and tested the hypothesis that parasitoid alteration of host hormones accounts for the observed behavioral change. In turf field-plots, third-instar masked chafer grubs, Cyclocephala sp., parasitized by native Tiphia pygidialis Allen burrowed to depths of 12-16 cm within 21 d, whereas nonparasitized grubs remained in the upper 4 cm of soil. Grubs bearing an egg or early-instar Tiphia larva were found relatively close to the surface, whereas those with a fourth- or fifth-instar parasitoid were deeper. Experiments in soil-filled, vertical observation chambers confirmed downward movement by parasitized Cyclocephala, and similar response in third-instar Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, parasitized by Tiphia vernalis Rohwer. Removal of the Tiphia egg from masked chafers was followed by initial downward movement of grubs and then a gradual ascent, suggesting that host behavior is affected both by the venomous sting and feeding by the wasp larva. Significant but inconsistent differences were found in juvenile hormone-III (JH III) titers in hemolymph taken from nonparasitized grubs or grubs parasitized for 1 or 14 d. Topical application of JH III and methoprene acid resulted in grubs moving deeper into the soil, whereas injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone did not affect grub behavior. Failure to dig deeply enough in soil when sampling for parasitized scarab grubs or Tiphia cocoons likely will result in underestimation of parasitism rates.
A new species of Poecilochaetus (Polychaeta: Poecilochaetidae) from coastal waters off Southern California, USA

A new species of Poecilochaetus (Polychaeta: Poecilochaetidae) is described from coastal waters off Southern California. Much of the material was collected as part of the benthic infaunal survey work carried out by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County as part of their ocean monitoring program. Numerous specimens of this new species have also been collected throughout the Southern California Bight during U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional surveys in 1994, 1998, and 2003. The distinct characters of this new species were first noted three decades ago, but a formal description was never published. These specimens have been reported frequently in survey data under the provisional name Poecilochaetus sp. A. The number of branchial filaments, the location of these filaments along the body, and the absence of a middorsal chitinous plate on setiger 9 make Poecilochaetus martini sp. nov. unique. This new species also has elongated interramal papillae on the branchiate setigers, a character only recently noted. P. martini sp. nov. is compared to other branchiate species in the genus that also have interramal structures.