cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adenosine facilitates dormant conduction across cavotricuspid isthmus following catheter ablation

Background Recurrence of trans-isthmus conduction following catheter ablation of common right atrial flutter (AFL) has been reported to be as high as 15%–31% at 3 months with invasive follow-up. Intravenous adenosine has previously been shown to facilitate acute, transient reconnection of pulmonary veins following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. Objective To determine whether intravenous adenosine can facilitate dormant trans-isthmus conduction after achieving bidirectional conduction block (BDB) with catheter ablation. Methods Thirty-two patients underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation of cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) for common right AFL at 2 institutions. Once persistent BDB was achieved for 30 minutes and during isoproterenol infusion, 18 mg of intravenous adenosine was injected during coronary sinus pacing. Evidence for transient reconduction across the isthmus was observed. Additional ablation lesions were performed, and adenosine infusion was repeated to reassess for dormant conduction. Results Thirty-two (men 81%, hypertension 72%, coronary artery disease 15%, congestive heart failure 25%, diabetes mellitus 30%, left atrial size 42 ± 11 mm, left ventricular ejection fraction 51% ± 10%) patients underwent ablation of CTI. BDB was achieved in 30 of the 32 patients. Following adenosine infusion, transient reconduction was observed in 7 of the 30 patients (23%) for 10–45 seconds. Following additional ablation lesions, persistent BDB could be achieved in all 7 patients without evidence for reconduction with repeat adenosine infusion. During a mean follow-up of 19 ± 12 months, only 1 of 30 patients (3%) had clinical recurrence of AFL. None of the patients with transient reconduction after adenosine developed symptomatic recurrence of AFL. Conclusions Adenosine infusion can facilitate dormant conduction across CTI following catheter ablation. Persistent BDB can be achieved with additional ablation. Adenosine challenge with additional ablation may improve long-term clinical outcome.
Kinetic Analysis of the 4-Methylideneimidazole-5-one-Containing Tyrosine Aminomutase in Enediyne Antitumor Antibiotic C-1027 Biosynthesis†

The enediyne antitumor antibiotic C-1027 contains an unusual (S)-3-chloro-4,5-dihydroxy-beta-phenylalanine moiety, which requires an aminomutase for its biosynthesis. Previously, we established that SgcC4 is an aminomutase that catalyzes the conversion of L-tyrosine to (S)-beta-tyrosine and employs 4-methylideneimidazole-5-one (MIO) at its active site [Christenson, S. D., Liu, W., Toney, M. D., and Shen, B. (2003) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 6062-6063]. Here, we present a thorough analysis of the properties of SgcC4. L-Tyrosine is the best substrate among those tested and most likely serves as the in vivo precursor for the (S)-3-chloro-4,5-dihydroxy-beta-phenylalanine moiety. The presence of MIO in the active site is supported by several lines of evidence. (1) Addition of ATP or divalent metal ions has no effect on its aminomutase activity. (2) SgcC4 has optimal activity at pH approximately 8.8, similar to the pH optima of MIO-dependent ammonia lyases. (3) SgcC4 is strongly inhibited by sodium borohydride and potassium cyanide, but preincubation with L-tyrosine or 4-hydroxycinnamate largely prevents this inhibition. (4) The difference spectrum between SgcC4 and its S153A mutant shows a positive peak at approximately 310 nm, indicative of MIO. (5) The S153A mutation lowers k(cat)/K(M) 640-fold. The SgcC4-catalyzed conversion of L-tyrosine to (S)-beta-tyrosine proceeds via 4-hydroxycinnamate as an intermediate. The latter also acts as a competitive inhibitor with respect to L-tyrosine and serves as an alternative substrate for the production of beta-tyrosine in the presence of an amino source. A full time course for the SgcC4-catalyzed interconversion between L-tyrosine, beta-tyrosine, and 4-hydroxycinnamate was measured and analyzed to provide estimates for the rate constants in a minimal mechanism. SgcC4 also exhibits a beta-tyrosine racemase activity, but alpha-tyrosine racemase activity was not detected.
The modified Palmer drought severity index based on the NCEP North American regional reanalysis

Abstract A 32-km high-resolution modified Palmer drought severity index (MPDSI) based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) North American Regional Reanalysis (RR) from 1979 to 2004 is presented. The assumptions of Palmer, such as the water balance equation, the difference between observed precipitation and the climatologically expected precipitation over the maximum conditions, and the changes of the index as a function of the current index, are preserved. Many deficiencies of the original PDSI are eliminated by taking fields directly from the RR or by making better estimates. For example, fields such as potential evapotranspiration, evaporation, runoff, total soil moisture, and soil moisture change in a given month are obtained directly from the RR. The potential recharge is defined as the total soil moisture needed to reach the maximum total soil moisture at each grid point for each calendar month. The potential precipitation is defined as the maximum precipitation at each grid po...
William Lloyd Garrison at Two Hundred

William Lloyd Garrison at Two Hundred, edited by James Brewer Stewart, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2008, vii+139 pp., $35.00, ISBN 978-0-300-13658-6 How should William Lloyd Garrison be remem...
Selectivity of alginate gel for Cu vs Co

The selectivity of the kelp alginate gel for copper compared to cobalt was investigated. When copper and cobalt existed at relatively high concentrations (100 ppm each), Na-alginate solution was directly dispensed into the mixed solution circulating in a loop fluidized bed reactor to produce CuCo-alginate gels in situ. Two extended Langmuir models were derived and tested against experimental data in this work: Model 1 was a general Langmuir model for two absorbates competing for the same type of binding site. Model 2 was based on the “egg-box” model for gelation of sodium alginate in the presence of divalent metal ions with the assumption that each metal ion would bind two carboxyl groups on neighboring uronate residues that formed the “site”. It was found that Model 1 data better and parameters obtained from Model 1 were used to predict the amount of Na-alginate needed to “polish” a cobalt solution containing a trace amount of copper.
Thrust programs for minimum propellant consumption during the vertical take-off and landing of a rocket

In this paper, the thrust programs for minimum propellant consumption during vertical take-off and landing maneuvers of a rocket in a vacuum are derived for an arbitrary central gravitational field. It is shown that, regardless of the mathematical form of the attracting force, the extremal arc for take-off is composed of a maximum thrust subarc followed by a coasting subarc, and the extremal arc for landing is composed of a coasting subarc followed by a maximum thrust subarc.
Isolation of calcifiable vesicles from aortas of rabbits fed with high cholesterol diets.

Abstract Advanced arterial wall calcification in atherosclerosis imposes a serious rupturing effect on the aorta. However, the mechanism of dystrophic calcification linked to hyperlipidemia, that causes atherosclerosis remains unknown. Emerging morphological and biochemical evidence reveals that calcifiable vesicles may have a role in plaque calcification. To determine whether a high cholesterol diet can induce arterial calcification and produce or activate calcifiable vesicles in aortas, a rabbit model was used. After 2 months of daily high lipid feeding (supplemented with 2% cholesterol and 6% peanut oil), typical atherosclerotic lesions developed. However, the mineral, if present in aortas, was insufficient to be detected by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) or alizarin red staining, indicative of a non-calcifying stage of atherosclerosis. Small segments of thoracic aortas were digested in a crude collagenase solution to release calcifiable vesicles. Vesicles were also isolated from normal aortas as control to consider the possibility that membrane vesicles may be produced by crude collagenase digestion, which could cause the degradation of some cells. Calcifiable vesicles were precipitated at 300 000× g after subcellular particles were removed by centrifugation at 30 000× g . Calcifiability of isolated vesicles was then tested using calcifying media containing physiological levels of Ca 2+ and Pi and 1 mM ATP. Electron microscopic observations showed that the isolated vesicles were heterogeneous in size and shape and capable of depositing electron dense particles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of the deposited particles revealed the presence of an amorphous mineral phase. The spectroscopic mineral to matrix ratios, related to the amount of mineralization, indicated that vesicles from cholesterol-fed rabbits produced more minerals than control vesicles obtained from the normal aortas. Alizarin red staining for mineral further demonstrated substantially higher calcifiability of the experimental vesicles. A 3–5 h exposure of the vesicles to calcifying media caused significant deposition of 45 Ca and 32 Pi in a vesicle protein-concentration dependent manner. Similar to previously reported observations with human atherosclerotic aorta vesicles, rabbit vesicles were enriched in ATP-hydrolyzing enzymes including Mg 2+ - or Ca 2+ -ATPase and NTP pyrophosphohydrolase that are implicated in normal and pathological calcification. Altogether, these observations suggest that accumulation of the released calcifiable vesicles, as a result of high cholesterol diets, may have a role in dystrophic calcification in hyperlipidemia-related atherosclerosis.
Photoelectric Detection and Intensity Measurement in Raman Spectra

Preliminary experiments on the photoelectric detection of Raman spectra are described making use of commonly available spectroscopic equipment in conjunction with the new RCA-931 photomultiplier tube. A more eleborate experiment is described using a large planegrating monochromator as the dispersing device. The photoelectric current was suitably amplified and continuously recorded making use of a galvanometer and photographic galvanometer deflection recorder. The limit of detection set by the thermionic emission at room temperature of the photomultiplier has been reached. It is shown that the minimum intensity observable photoelectrically compares favorably with the minimum commonly observed photographically in Raman spectra. A rough order of magnitude experiment was performed with the photomultiplier to ascertain the feasibility of the photoelectric method for measuring intensities in arc and spark spectra under high dispersion. An arrangement of apparatus for quantitative spectroscopic analysis photoelectrically is suggested.
The Role of Carotid Surgery in Prevention of Stroke in Frail Elderly Patients

C s m t t i T s i o i 1 c f v h c c etween 1970 and 2002, the age-standardized death ate from all causes in the United States decreased by 2%, with the greatest reduction in deaths from cererovascular disease and stroke (63%) and heart disease 53%). Despite this decrease in overall age-standardized eaths, the absolute number of deaths from stroke and eart disease continue to increase, although these deaths ccur at a later age. In the American Heart Association eart Disease and Stroke Statistics update, the estiated direct and indirect costs of stroke for 2006 was 57.9 billion. The increased longevity of the populaion, combined with the higher incidence of acute cererovascular events in the elderly, makes prevention and anagement of stroke and stroke risks important goals f our national healthcare system. Aggressive stroke risk actor management, combined with appropriate surgical ntervention for carotid stenosis, can significantly imrove not just the longevity, but also the useful life exectancy, of the elderly population. Recent randomized trials comparing carotid endarerectomy (CEA) with best medical therapy in patients ith asymptomatic carotid stenosis ( 60%) and highrade symptomatic stenosis (70% to 99%) have demontrated a significant reduction in the overall incidence of psilateral neurologic events in those undergoing CEA. he indications for CEA resulting from the Asymptomtic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study (ACAS), the North merican Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial NASCET), the Veteran Affairs Cooperative Study, and uropean Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) have been aplied to patients of both genders and of all age groups.
Enhanced strength of endothelial attachment on polyester elastomer and polytetrafluoroethylene graft surfaces with fibronectin substrate

Successful development of a vascular prosthesis lined with endothelium may depend on the ability of the attached cells to resist shear forces after implantation. The purpose of this article is to describe a model for measurement of endothelial detachment caused by shear stress and to identify biomaterials that resist loss of attached cells as a result of shear stress. With human umbilical venous endothelium labeled with indium 111-oxine, cellular attachment to uncoated and fibronectin-coated polyester elastomer and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) graft surfaces was quantified after an 18-hour incubation. PTFE grafts prepared by immediate seeding were also studied. The relative strength of endothelial attachment was determined by the percentage of the original inoculum remaining after the seeded graft surfaces were subjected to a physiologic shear stress of 15 dynes/cm2 during in vitro perfusion. In polyester elastomer grafts, fibronectin did not significantly increase initial attachment but did increase the percentage of inoculum remaining after perfusion (92.1% vs. 39.74%, p = 0.001). A similar relationship existed between fibronectin-coated e-PTFE and immediately seeded e-PTFE preparations with 61.6% and 25.8%, respectively, of the inoculum remaining after perfusion (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the percentage of inoculum retained on fibronectin-coated polyester elastomer was significantly greater than on fibronectin-coated e-PTFE (p = 0.001). In comparing uncoated grafts, polyester elastomer had 39.7% of the inoculum retained after perfusion whereas only 1.8% was remaining on the e-PTFE grafts (p = 0.0001). We conclude that polyester elastomer permits better endothelial cell attachment than e-PTFE and that fibronectin coating enhances the strength of attachment to both graft materials.
A novel role for signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b (STAT5b) in β1-integrin-mediated human breast cancer cell migration

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 5b is a transcription factor involved in pro-proliferative and pro-survival signaling in a number of solid tumors, including breast cancer. The contribution of STAT5b to breast cancer cell motility has not been explored. This work aims to elucidate the role of STAT5b in breast cancer cell migration. STAT5b was knocked down by using siRNA in two aggressive, highly migratory breast cancer cell lines (BT-549 and MDA-MB-231), and transwell migration assays were performed to determine the importance of STAT5b for their migration. Knockdown-rescue experiments were used to validate the specificity of STAT5b knockdown and to determine which regions/functions of STAT5b are necessary for its role in migration. Live-cell imaging of wound healing and spreading was carried out to examine cell morphology and motility after STAT5b knockdown. Knockdown of STAT5b, but not STAT5a, inhibited migration of BT-549 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells to serum by 60% to 80%, and inhibited migration equally over a range of serum concentrations (0.1% to 10% serum). Migratory inhibition upon STAT5b knockdown could be rescued by reintroduction of wild-type STAT5b, as well as Y699F- and dominant-negative STAT5b mutants, but not an SH2 domain defective R618K-STAT5b mutant. β1- integrin-mediated migration of breast cancer cells to fibronectin was inhibited with STAT5b knockdown, and loss of STAT5b correlated with loss of directional migration and formation of multiple, highly contractile protrusions upon attachment to fibronectin. The data presented here demonstrate that STAT5b is integral to breast cancer cell migration and identify a novel, SH2-dependent function of STAT5b in regulating β1-integrin-mediated migration of highly aggressive breast cancer cells.
Parasitoid-induced mortality of house fly pupae by Pteromalid wasps in the laboratory

Abstract House fly, Musca domestica L., pupae were exposed to six species of pteromalid parasitoids, Muscidifurax zaraptor Kogan and Legner, M. raptor Girault and Sanders, M. raptorellus Kogan and Legner, Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani), Spalangia nigroaenea Curtis, and Urolepis rufipes Ashmead. Exposures were made for 48 h at six parasitoid-to-host ratios to measure the effect of parasitoid density on parasitoid-induced mortality (PIM) of hosts (excluding mortality as measured by parasitoid emergence). PIM was evident at all parasitoid-to-host ratios for all six species. Fly eclosion declined with a corresponding increase in the parasitoid-to-host ratio; the reverse was generally true for PIM. Parasitoid emergence increased initially with a corresponding increase in the parasitoid-to-host ratio to a point (depending on the parasitoid species), but then declined. The three Muscidifurax spp. and P. vindemiae exhibited similar behavior and generally avoided previously stung hosts until ovipositional restraints broke down at the higher parasitoid-to-host ratios. S. nigroaenea and U. rufipes exhibited little ovipositional restraint, resulting in a high proportion of PIM of hosts. Understanding factors that influence PIM will provide better evaluations of field releases of parasitoids to control flies and will aid in the development of the most economic procedures for large scale rearing of pteromalid parasitoids.
Debris mitigation techniques for petawatt-class lasers in high debris environments

Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-1193, USA(Received 13 November 2009; published 20 April 2010)This paper addresses debris mitigation techniques for two different kinds of debris sources that arefoundinthehigh-energydensitycommunity.Theﬁrstdebrissourcestemsfromthelaser-targetinteractionand this debris can be mitigated by avoiding a direct line of sight to the debris source (e.g. by using asacriﬁcial fold mirror) or by inserting a thin debris shield. Several thin ﬁlm debris shields have beeninvestigated and nitrocellulose was found to be the best suited. The second debris source originates froman external high-energy density driver or experiment. In our speciﬁc case, this is the Z accelerator, aZ-pinch machine that generates 2 MJ of x rays at 300 TW. The center section of the Z accelerator is anextremely violent environment which requires the development of novel debris mitigation approaches forbacklighting with petawatt lasers. Two such approaches are presented in this paper. First, a self-closingfocusing cone. In our facility, the focused beam on target is fully enclosed inside a solid focusing cone. Inthe ﬁrst debris mitigation scenario, the last part of the cone has a ‘‘ﬂapper’’ that should seal the conewhenthe pressure wave from the Z-pinch explosion hits it. In the second scenario, an enclosed target assemblyis used, with the last part of the focusing cone connected to a ‘‘target can’’ which houses the laser target.The laser produced x rays for backlighting escape through a 3 mm diameter hole that is protected by anx-ray ﬁlter stack. Both techniques are discussed in detail and have been successfully tested on the Zaccelerator.
Identification of gene microarray expression profiles in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) results in significant morbidity and mortality, limiting the benefit of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Peripheral blood gene expression profiling of the donor immune repertoire following HCT may provide associated genes and pathways thereby improving the pathophysiologic understanding of chronic GVHD. We profiled 70 patients and identified candidate genes that provided mechanistic insight in the biologic pathways that underlie chronic GVHD. Our data revealed that the dominant gene signature in patients with chronic GVHD represented compensatory responses that control inflammation and included the interleukin-1 decoy receptor, IL-1 receptor type II, and genes that were profibrotic and associated with the IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 signaling pathways. In addition, we identified three genes that were important regulators of extracellular matrix. Validation of this discovery phase study will determine if the identified genes have diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic implications.
A comparison of objective classroom measures and teacher ratings of attention deficit disorder

Children identified as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) on the basis of teacher ratings using the SNAP Rating Scale were compared to non-ADD children on objective classroom measures including observations of classroom behavior, examination of the organization of children’s desks, and scoring of daily academic work. Analyses provided some support for the ability of the objective measures to differentiate between teacher-identified ADD and non-ADD children, though there was considerable overlap on the distributions of most variables between groups. Six measures chosen by a discriminant analysis combined to predict teacher ratings in 83% of the cases. The inclusion of academic, observational, and desk measures in the discriminant function indicates the importance of a multivariate assessment of this construct.
Dynamin Flexibility Drives Fission

An unresolved issue in cell biology concerns the mechanisms by which lipid bilayers remodel in fission and fusion reactions in vesicular trafficking pathways. An important step in understanding comes from the report by Shnyrova et al. on page 1433 of this issue ( 1 ), which investigates the mechanism by which the dynamin guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) catalyzes fission when bound to lipid tubes in vitro.
Insight into optical hole burning studies in europium-doped YSO

High-resolution spectroscopic studies of Eu3+ doped Y2SiO5 revealed certain new aspects, which were not known in the past. Our studies indicate that europium occupies several distinct sites in this host material. Temporal evolution revealed unusual behavior.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Diagnosis and epidemiology of pediatric migraine

Pediatric migraine differs from adult migraine in its epidemiology and symptom profile. Recent studies demonstrate the need to revise diagnostic criteria for pediatric migraine, demonstrate its epidemiology and suggest that its prevalence is increasing. These studies support the need for clinical trials to assess the utility of emerging therapies for pediatric migraine.
The Medical Economics of Stroke

The economic consequences of the approximately 500 000 strokes that occur each year in the US are staggering. The direct cost of providing care for stroke victims in 1993 has been estimated to be $US 17 billion, with an additional $US 13 billion in indirect costs attributable to lost earnings due to stroke-related mortality and morbidity. Estimates of the cost of stroke over a patient’s lifetime vary according to age at first stroke and type of stroke. In 1990, these estimates ranged from $US91 000 for ischaemic stroke, $US124 000 for intracerebral haemorrhage, and $US228 000 for subarachnoid haemorrhage.
Stimulation of DNA synthesis by an inositol polyphosphate-activated protein phosphatase in calcium-deprived rat liver cells

Abstract Specific stages of the prereplicative G1 phase of the cell cycle in nonneoplastic cells requires extracellular Ca 2+ for successful transition. These are the G0-G1 and the G1-S transitions. A variety of agents are able to replace Ca 2+ and to at least partially stimulate cells to replicate their chromosomes. One of these agonist, inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4,5)P 4 ], has been demonstrated by us to also stimulate the activity of a phosphoprotein phosphatase. The addition of a purified preparation of the protein phosphatase to Ca 2+ -deprived G1-S-blocked T51B rat liver cells stimulates a rapidly responding fraction of cells to enter their S phase, and this effect is blocked by protein phosphatase inhibitors heparin and inhibitor 2.
The Weil-étale topology on schemes over finite fields

We introduce an essentially new Grothendieck topology, the Weil-´ etale topology, on schemes over finite fields. The cohomology groups associated with this topology should
NADP-specific malate dehydrogenase of green spinach leaf tissue

Abstract An NADP-specific malate dehydrogenase was partially purified from spinach leaf tissue by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, and gel filtration. The protein appears to be localized in the stroma of intact chloroplasts. For activity, there is a requirement for a reagent such as dithiothreitol (DTT). Almost complete inactivation occurs after desalting by gel filtration or exhaustive dialysis. Reactivation occurs by incubation in 5 n m DTT. The completely activated protein elutes from a calibrated Sephadex G-200 column with an apparent molecular weight of 110,000. An inactivated preparation elutes as three distinct peaks with estimated molecular weights of 29,000, 42,000, and 75,000. Apparent Km's computed from hyperbolic kinetic data were: oxaloacetate = 0.03 m m , NADPH = 0.07 m m , malate = 11.0 m m , and NADP = 0.04 m m . The data are of physiological interest since it appears that green spinach leaf tissue has MDH activity catalyzing OAA ⇌ MAL in all major subcellular compartments; viz., NAD specific activity in microbodies, mitochondria, and in the cytosol, and NADP specific activity in the chloroplasts.
Similarity evaluation of sets of linguistic summaries

Creating linguistic summaries of data has been a goal of the artificial and computational intelligence communities for many years. Summaries of written text have garnered the most attention. More recently, creating summaries of imagery and other sensed data has become important as a means of compressing large amounts of data and communicating with humans. In this paper, we consider the question of comparing sets of summaries generated from sensed data. In an earlier work, we developed a metric between individual protoform-based summaries; and here, as a next step, we propose aggregation methods to fuse these individual distances. We provide a case study from eldercare where the goal is to compare different nighttime patterns for change detection. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dynamic distortion calibration using a diffracting pupil: high precision astrometry laboratory demonstration for exoplanet detection

Detection of earth-size exoplanets using the astrometric signal of the host star requires sub microarcsecond measurement precision. One major challenge in achieving this precision using a medium-size (<2-m) space telescope is the calibration of dynamic distortions. The researchers propose a diffractive pupil technique that uses an array of approximately 50um dots on the primary mirror that generate polychromatic diffraction spikes in the focal plane. The diffraction spikes encode optical distortions in the optical system and may be used to calibrate astrometric measurements. This concept can be used simultaneously with coronagraphy for exhaustive characterization of exoplanets (mass, spectra, orbit). At the University of Arizona, a high precision astrometry laboratory is being developed to demonstrate the capabilities of this diffractive pupil concept. The researchers aim to achieve 10 μas single-axis precision in the laboratory, simulating 0.14 μas precision on a 1.4 m space telescope. This paper describes this laboratory and presents the data and results obtained so far.
Finding the molecules to fuel chemogenomics

Abstract Within the pharmaceutical industry, chemogenomics focuses on obtaining maximum benefit from the small molecules created in the drug-discovery process. Part of this discipline is the application of small-molecule inhibitors to aid in the characterization of the biological function of targets. The wider application of these approaches is hampered by a lack of reagents – that is, small molecules that have been thoroughly characterized and have appropriate potency and specificity for the target of interest. This review focuses on approaches used in the pharmaceutical industry to produce compounds for use in chemogenomics and on the challenges encountered in quickly characterizing their effects on biological activity.
The Pleistocene re-wilding gambit

Re-wilding parts of North America with exotic Old-World species is an exciting but controversial conservation proposal hijacked by opinions over appropriate conservation baselines and details of implementation. Debate over its worth has become partisan. Here, I summarize the multifaceted issues surrounding Pleistocene re-wilding and edge debate from hazy conceptual arguments to empirical questions that can plug gaps in knowledge and begin to resolve this divisive conservation issue.
Numerical simulation of unsteady viscous free surface flow

Abstract A finite element method is presented for the numerical simulation of time-dependent incompressible viscous free surface flows. The time-dependent primitive equations are solved sequentially using explicit time marching procedure. The method is based on a velocity correction approach to the time integration of the Navier-Stokes equations in which only the incompressibility condition is treated implicitly. A special arbitrary mixed Lagrangian-Eulerian description has been used to avoid the typical problems encountered in a purely Lagrangian description. The method appears applicable for small computers; problems requiring several thousand nodes can be solved on personal computers. Numerical experiments have been performed that show that this approach is reasonably efficient and robust for a range of complicated highly nonlinear problems.
New crystal forms of glutamine synthetase and implications for the molecular structure.

New crystal forms of glutamine synthetase from Escherichia coli are reported. Two of these (II A and II B) demand that the dodecameric molecule contains a 2-fold axis of symmetry perpendicular to the apparent hexagonal face. Whereas forms II A and II B and others reported previously (I and III A) were grown from enzyme containing covalently bound AMP groups, a third new form (III C) was grown from enzyme lacking covalently bound AMP groups. Form III C is isomorphous with form III A. This demonstrates that the addition of AMP groups, which profoundly affect the catalytic and regulatory properties of glutamine synthetase, does not alter the dimensions of the molecular envelope. Thus adenylylation of the enzyme does not seem to cause a quaternary structural transition, though small changes of intensities suggest that there may be tertiary structural changes within the subunits. Other new forms include form III B, a low symmetry polymorph, closely related to form III A, and form IV, a trigonal polymorph with large asymmetric unit. All crystal forms are consistent with a symmetry of 622 for the glutamine synthetase molecule.
Differing Effects of Mass and Interpersonal Communication on Breast Cancer Risk Estimates: An Exploratory Study of College Students and Their Mothers

Research has demonstrated that women tend to overestimate the percentage of all breast cancers that result from genetic predispositions, and this article examines the knowledge of college students, as well as their mothers, on this subject, applying uncertainty management (Brashers, 2001) as the theoretical framework. The authors build on the literature by studying (a) the types of media outlets college students and their mothers use for securing information, and (b) the types of articles and programs within those outlets that may affect risk perceptions. The authors also address associations between these mass communication measures and interpersonal sources of information in the context of risk estimation. Respondents exposed to media reports about the role of genetics in breast cancer, in addition to study participants who had discussed this role within the family, tended to overestimate measures of genetic risk. Conversely, those who had attended to media reports about screening practices tended to of...
The fuzzy Riemann-Stieltjes integral

In the classcial sense, the expectation is sometimes defined as Riemann-Stieltjes integral. In this paper, we propose the concept of fuzzy Riemann-Stieltjes integral to make the expectation of fuzzy random variable applicable to statistical analysis for imprecise data.
The curriculum in science for an African school

A number of American universities and other educational agencies are presently involved in the development of educational programs in the emerging nations of the world. Based-on recent news reports from Washington, there will apparently be encouragement from the federal government for American educators and educational institutions to provide more of this kind of foreign aid. This article describes the science curriculum which Professor Fletcher Watson and his associates have prepared for the Comprehensive Secondary School in Western Nigeria. It was prepared as a working paper in November, 1962, in anticipation of the school's opening early in 1968. Professor Watson has agreed to provide additional reports for JRST readers on the evolution of the instructional program and the special problems encountered. These will be published in later issues of JRST.
Cellulase immobilized on modified nylon for saccharification of cellulose.

The present study deals with the immobilization of cellulase on nylon and nylon incorporated with glass. The immobilized and free enzymes were compared in terms of their yields, using untreated sawdust (yellow pine wood) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as substrates, at a standard pH and temperature. Also, the sawdust was pretreated with 1% alkaline hydrogen peroxide and the yield compared with the untreated sawdust hydrolysis to determine the importance of the substrate pretreatment.
Understanding and problem‐solving in classical genetics

During the past 10 years research on learning and problem solving in specific science domains has produced rich descriptive reports of the problem‐solving behaviour of students and professionals in those domains. From these reports have come prescriptions for modifying instructions to facilitate the development of students’ problem‐solving expertise. In this paper we describe research on problem solving in classical genetics that has been conducted at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison. In addition we describe some of the ways in which our research has directly influenced how we teach genetics.
A health status questionnaire using 30 items from the Medical Outcomes Study. Preliminary validation in persons with early HIV infection

Many current health status instruments either are too long to use in many acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) clinical trials or omit important concepts. In this study, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-relevant items developed for the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) from subscales for cognitive function, energy/fatigue, health distress, and a single quality of life item were added to a portion of the MOS Short-form General Health Survey. The resulting 30-item questionnaire reliably and distinctly measured ten aspects of health and took less than 5 minutes to complete. To test its validity, this modified measure was used to compare the health of 73 subjects with asymptomatic HIV infection and 44 with early AIDS-related complex (ARC). Compared with ARC subjects, asymptomatic individuals reported superior overall health, less pain, and better physical function, role function, cognitive function, and quality of life (rank-sum, P less than 0.02). Asymptomatic subjects' scores were higher on most subscales than the age-adjusted scores of MOS outpatients with hypertension, diabetes, recent myocardial infarction, or depression; ARC patients scored closest to hypertensive patients. This instrument, containing a subset of the MOS measures of health-related quality of life, may be a useful outcome measure for AIDS clinical trials.
Library Research and Publishing in Francophone Africa

L'article presente un bilan du developpement de la recherche en bibliotheconomie et de l'edition en Afrique francophone de 1954 jusqu'a maintenant
Accounting for Cheating: An Evolving Theory and Emergent Themes

This study examines student responses to the question, “What circumstances, if any, could make cheating justified?” It then assesses how well those responses can be classified by existing theories and categories that emerge from a qualitative analysis of the data. Results show considerable support for techniques of neutralization, partial support for the accounts perspective, and further insights from emergent categories. Reasons offered by students as justifications for cheating serve both rational decision making and post-hoc rationalizations. Policies designed to promote academic integrity must address both of those. The rational decision making view suggests an implicit contract between instructor and student that offers opportunities for reducing cheating by clarifying expectations for students and by designing courses that live up to the instructor’s side of that contract. The rationalizing view reinforces the need for consistent enforcement of clear standards.
Ecology: Compensating for Extinction

Food web interactions allow communities to compensate for the loss of species. Compensation of this kind may reshuffle communities so that today's resilient species are tomorrow's vulnerable species, creating a false impression of ecosystem stability following the first wave of extinction.
Interferon-gamma induces the expression of major histocompatibility antigens by human retinal glial cells.

Abstract Retinal glial cells normally do not express major histocompatibility (MHC) molecules. However, the expression of MHC antigens by retinal glial cells under certain pathological conditions suggests that these cells may play a role in immune responses of the retina. At present, the identity of molecules that may regulate the expression of class I and class II MHC antigens by retinal glial cells has not been established. Since interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) induces MHC antigens in a variety of cell types, we examined the effect of this lymphocyte product on class I and class II antigen expression by human retinal glial cells in culture. Glial cells derived from post-mortem donor eyes were exposed to recombinant human IFN-γ. Cells with MHC class I or class II antigens were detected with the use of specific monoclonal antibodies that were labeled directly or indirectly with fluorescent probes. Fluorescence of labeled cells was assayed by flow cytometry. Exposure to IFN-γ increased the expression of class I and class II antigens by the retinal glial cells. Double labeling studies showed that 90% of the glial cells induced to express class II antigens also had class I antigens. Overall, the results show that IFN-γ can regulate the expression of MHC molecules by human retina glial cells in culture. These findings are consistent with the concept that glia may play a role in immunological disorders affecting the retina.
Levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in dust from personal automobiles in conjunction with studies on the photochemical degradation of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209).

The levels of 21 PBDE congeners were determined in the dust sampled from 66 personal automobiles. The dominant congener in automobile dust was BDE-209 with a median level of 8.12 μg g−1. Personal vehicle dust samples contained the characteristic profile of the PBDE congeners that comprise the PentaBDE and DecaBDE commercial formulations. Levels of PBDEs in personal automobiles are generally reduced in comparison to our previously reported levels in resale vehicles on dealership lots presumably due to a dilution effect introduced by dust or debris that does not originate from the vehicle. Laboratory photochemical studies were conducted on both automobile dust collected from personal vehicles as well as BDE-209 adsorbed to sodium sulfate. No significant degradation occurred in the personal vehicle dust after 56 days of constant UVA irradiation while significant degradation did occur with BDE-209 adsorbed to sodium sulfate. PBDEs from the degradation of BDE-209 were identified and potential degradation pathways elucidated. Human exposure potential to PBDEs from automobile dust ingestion remains a serious concern in the U.S. population.
Pressure Dependence of the Resistivity of Germanium

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the resistivity of a sample of 35 ohm-cm germanium has been investigated up to 30 000 kg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ pressure at temperatures between 25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and 76\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and up to 7000 kg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ pressure at temperatures down to -195\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The results indicate an increase in the total energy gap to 15 000 kg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ at a rate in agreement with earlier experimental determinations at lower pressures. A rapid rise in resistivity above 15 000 kg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ that seems to apply to $n$-type germanium crystals of any purity has also been investigated. Explanations based on the deionization of impurities and on a decrease in electron mobility are discussed.
The Influence of the Type of Diluent on the Growth and Survival of Pseudomonas Putrefaciens

Summary Experiments using three pure cultures of Ps. putrefaciens showed that there was a wide variance among these cultures as to their ability to withstand the toxic effects of distilled water. Distilled water and redistilled (in glass) water rapidly inactivated the test organism. Less than 1.0 per cent of those originally present were viable after being suspended in these diluents for 1hr. Tap water showed a somewhat better compatibility with Ps. putrefaciens than distilled water. The data from trials with 0.9 per cent NaCl in distilled water (physiological saline) indicated that this diluent is reasonably compatible with Ps. putrefaciens for the first 0.5hr., but the test organism was rapidly inactivated upon being suspended in this saline solution for longer periods. The addition of 0.9 per cent NaCl to the gelatin-phosphate diluent slightly improved its compatibility with Ps. putrefaciens . The addition of 2.0 per cent NaCl caused a slight decrease in the survival indices of the test culture, and 4.0 per cent caused a definite decrease. The phosphate salts (0.725 per cent NaH 2 PO 4 + 0.37 per cent Na 2 HPO 4 ) are the component of gelatin-phosphate buffer solution contributing most to its excellent qualities as a diluent for Ps. putrefaciens . A 0.5 per cent phosphate solution was fairly satisfactory as a diluent for Ps. putrefaciens but was inferior to a 1.0 per cent solution. Similarly, a 1.0 per cent phosphate solution was inferior to a 2.0 per cent solution. When various concentrations of NaCl were added to reconstituted skimmilk, a general decrease in the survival of the test organism was noted as the percentage of added salt was increased. The sharpest decrease in the survival indices of the test culture occurred with 4 per cent as compared with 3 per cent added NaCl. Three methods of making the initial dilution of butter for plating were compared to determine which would yield maximum counts of Ps. putrefaciens . The method which yielded maximum counts in these studies is presented as a new procedure for making quantitative estimations and direct isolations of this organism from putrid butter.
CaMKII in the Cardiovascular System: Sensing Redox States

The multifunctional Ca2+- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is now recognized to play a central role in pathological events in the cardiovascular system. CaMKII has diverse downst...
Tips for Teaching Assistants and New Instructors (Part VII)

ABSTRACT Disruptive student behavior can prevent learning. There are several ways that students can distract themselves, one another, and the teacher. The following guidelines provide some considerations and ideas for addressing these issues.
A 16Gbps low power self-timed SerDes transceiver for multi-core communication

This paper presents a modified design for a self-timed SerDes transceiver that was recently published [1]. The new architecture overcomes the main problems that arise in [1], while offering the same advantages. Resistive termination is used instead of source matching to eliminate the need for Manchester coding in [1], this resistive termination increased the data rate to be 16Gbps compared to 12Gbps in [1]. Moreover, resistive termination removed the limitation on the minimum operating frequency that existed in [1], solving a lot of problems at the slow process corners. A single ended transmission line is used instead of the differential transmission line in [1]. A calibration circuit is implemented to control the switching threshold of the detector at the receiver side to account for voltage and process variations. The SerDes transceiver is implemented for a 3mm long on-chip transmission line in 65nm TSMC CMOS technology, which is the same as [1]. The total power consumed in the Tx/Rx pair with the transmission line is 18.1mWatt, compared to 15.5mWatt in [1]. The proposed architecture have the same advantages in [1] of being self timed, eliminating the need for complex power hungry blocks such as Clock and Data Recovery (CDR) at the receiver, and being insensitive to jitter accumulated during transmission.
Obesity and Prostate Cancer: A Growing Problem

Obesity is an epidemic in American society with approximately one in three adults in the United States being considered obese ([1][1]). This compares to “only” one in six adults being considered obese 20 years ago ([Fig. 1][2]; ref. [1][1]). The exact reasons for this dramatic increase in
Citizenship under pressure: What's a “good soldier” to do?

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are typically defined as discretionary behaviors that contribute to the effective functioning of organizations. Prior research has generally focused on instances in which employees willingly engage in such behaviors; however, because OCBs are often informally encouraged and rewarded, workers may experience pressure to be “good soldiers” within their organizations. Using a sample of 245 employees, our findings indicate that citizenship pressure is related to increased levels of OCB, particularly among unmarried and less conscientious employees. However, there appear to be negative consequences associated with citizenship pressure, even when controlling for OCB and other job demands, such as role overload and hours worked. In particular, citizenship pressure is associated with work–family conflict, work–leisure conflict, job stress, and intentions to quit. Implications of this study and some directions for future research are also discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A mixed integer program for flight-level assignment and speed control for conflict resolution

We consider the air traffic conflict resolution problem and develop an optimization model for generating speed trajectories that minimize the fuel expended to avoid conflicts. The problem is formulated by metering aircraft at potential conflict points. The developed model is a mixed integer linear program that can be solved in near real-time for large number of aircraft.
Role of kinins in chronic heart failure and in the therapeutic effect of ACE inhibitors in kininogen-deficient rats.

Using Brown Norway Katholiek (BNK) rats, which are deficient in kininogen (kinin precursor) due to a mutation in the kininogen gene, we examined the role of endogenous kinins in 1) normal cardiac f...