cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Striatal trophic activity is reduced in the aged rat brain

Our previous studies demonstrated that the survival of a mesencephalic graft was reduced in aged animals suggesting an age-related decline in target-derived neurotrophic activity. We tested this hypothesis by examining dopamine (DA) and trophic activities from the striatum of intact or unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats of increasing age. Fisher 344 rats were 4, 12, 18, and 23 months old (m.o.) at sacrifice. Half the animals had received unilateral 6-OHDA lesions of the mesostriatal DA pathway 8 weeks earlier. Striatal tissue punches were analyzed for DA, homovanillic acid (HVA), and DA activity (HVA/DA) using HPLC. The remainder of the striatal tissue was homogenized to generate tissue extracts which were added to E14.5 ventral mesencephalic cultures to test trophic activity. In the non-lesioned animals, striatal DA was reduced and striatal DA activity was increased in the 18 and 23 m.o. animals relative to the 4 and 12 m.o. animals. Striatal trophic activity was inversely related to age. In the lesioned animals, striatal DA ipsilateral to 6-OHDA infusion was below detection limits while the contralateral striatum exhibited age-related changes in DA similar to those seen in the non-lesioned animals. In 4 m.o. lesioned rats, striatal trophic activity ipsilateral to 6-OHDA infusion was elevated by 26% relative to the contralateral side. The ipsi/contra-lateral differences in striatal trophic activity were reduced in 12 m.o. animals and absent in the 18 and 23 m.o. groups. These data suggest that advancing age is associated with a reduction in striatal DA as well as trophic activity. Moreover, the aged striatum loses its ability to biochemically and trophically compensate for DA reduction and therefore may represent a more challenging environment for the survival, growth, and function of a fetal graft.
Effects of memory training on the subjective memory functioning and mental health of older adults: a meta-analysis.

The effectiveness of memory training on the subjective memory functioning and mental health of older adults was examined in a meta-analysis. Effect sizes indicated that memory training led to improved subjective memory functioning (d+2 = .19), but the magnitude of the improvement was less than that obtained on objective memory measures (d+2 = .66) in the meta-analysis of P. Verhaeghen, A. Marcoen, and L. Goossens (1992). However, no differences in effectiveness were found among mnemonic training, expectancy modification, or placebo procedures such as unstructured practice. Improvement of subjective memory functioning was enhanced by including pretraining in skills such as the use of imagery and by including interventions to improve participants' attitudes toward the effects of aging on memory functioning.
Myocardial Oxygen Tension in Isolated Erythrocyte-perfused Rat Hearts and Comparison with Crystalloid Media

Abstract The isolated heart, typically perfused with crystalloid media equilibrated with ≥95% O2to ensure adequate myocardial oxygen tension, is commonly used to study cardiac function. When hemoglobin is available for oxygen transport, equilibration with 21% O2is considered adequate to meet metabolic demands. This study presents the measurement of myocardial pO2in isolated hearts perfused with an erythrocyte suspension. Baseline myocardial pO2in erythrocyte-perfused hearts was 16.4±3.5 mmHg (mean± s.e. ). When compared to previous measurements of myocardial pO2in isolated hearts perfused with crystalloid media, the use of erythrocyte suspensions resulted in a 10-fold lower level of myocardial pO2, while avoiding very low and high values. The standard use of 95% oxygen with crystalloid results in myocardial levels of oxygen far above those usually found in the presence of hemoglobin and room air.
Nitric Oxide Formation by Ultrasound in Aqueous Solutions

In this study we demonstrate formation of nitric oxide in aqueous nitrogen-containing solutions exposed to 50 kHz cavitation-producing ultrasound (standard bath sonicator) using electron paramagnetic resonance detection of •NO by trapping with the sodium N-methyl-d-glucamine dithiocarbamate iron(II) complex ((MGD)2Fe2+) or by measuring the conversion of the nitronyl nitroxide, 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-3-oxide-1-oxyl (carboxy-PTIO), to the imino nitroxide, 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl. The (MGD)2Fe2+ complex which was used in most experiments was suitable for •NO detection over a wide pH range (pH 3−7.8; the working range for carboxy-PTIO was pH 6−8.5), and the measured rate constant of (MGD)2Fe2+ reaction with •NO was 2.3 times higher than for carboxy-PTIO. In air-saturated water the rate of •NO production by ultrasound was ∼0.5 μM/min. The presence of dissolved oxygen was not essential for production of •NO; the highest yields of •NO (∼1.2 μM •NO/min...
A unified analysis of supersonic nonequilibrium flow over a wedge. i - vibrational nonequilibrium

The paper begins with a survey and discussion of the existing analytical work on the problem of supersonic nonequilibrium flow over a wedge and certain related topics A new approach is formulated which provides a more complete picture of the flow field and retains greater generality The uniform freestream may be either in equilibrium or frozen in some out-of-equilibrium state The exact problem is simplified by assuming that the unknown quantities deviate only slightly from their frozen-flow values The resulting differential equations and boundary conditions are solved The physical situations in which this solution is a good first approximation are listed and explained In some of these situations, the solution can be furthei simplified to give an explicit picture of the flow field The simplified solution shows the existence of a relaxation region behind the shock wave and an entropy layer next to the wedge surface, in addition to the classical incoming and outgoing waves along which disturbances aie propagated A numerical example, treated by using the simplified solution, is found to be in good qualitative agreement with existing numerical solution of the exact problem using the method of characteristics Causes of quantitative discrepancy are discussed, and possible improvements are suggested
A Grounded Theory Study of Supervision of Preservice Consultation Training

The purpose of this study was to explore a university-based supervision process for consultants-in-training (CITs) engaged in a preservice level consultation course with applied practicum experience. The study was approached from a constructivist worldview using a grounded theory methodology. Data consisted of supervision session transcripts, reflective logs, and notes about supervision for 5 CITs and were analyzed using NVivo computer software. The analyzed data were a subset from a larger pool of data from 1 semester of training and were selected to consider CIT skill development over time. According to the data, the supervision process included (a) activities outside of supervision sessions such as reflection and work; (b) strategic interactions within supervision sessions focused on past experiences, the present moment, and future application; and (c) a variety of feelings, both from CITs and consultees. Supervision strategies were differentiated based on CIT needs, pulls from consultation cases, and ...
Isolation of a circular plasmid region sufficient for autonomous replication and transformation of infectious Borrelia burgdorferi

Summary Borrelia burgdorferi contains abundant circular and linear plasmids, but the mechanism of replication of these extrachromosomal elements is unknown. A B. burgdorferi 9 kb circular plasmid (cp9) was amplified in its entirety by the polymerase chain reaction and used to construct a shuttle vector that replicates in Escherichia coli and B. burgdorferi. A 3.3 kb region of cp9 containing three open reading frames was used to construct a smaller shuttle vector, designated pBSV2. This vector was stably maintained in B. burgdorferi, indicating that all elements necessary for autonomous replication are probably located on this 3.3 kb fragment. A noninfectious B. burgdorferi strain was efficiently transformed by pBSV2. Additionally, infectious B. burgdorferi was also successfully transformed by pBSV2, indicating that infectious strains of this important human pathogen can now be genetically manipulated.
The magnitudes of hyperpolarization-activated and low-voltage-activated potassium currents co-vary in neurons of the ventral cochlear nucleus

In the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN), neurons have hyperpolarization-activated conductances, which in some cells are enormous, that contribute to the ability of neurons to convey acoustic informat...
The rhetorical implications of the axiology of Jean‐Paul Sartre

(1971). The rhetorical implications of the axiology of Jean‐Paul Sartre. Western Speech: Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 155-161.
Evaluation of Soybean Genotypes for Resistance to Charcoal Rot

Charcoal rot, caused by Macrophomina phaseolina, significantly reduces yield in soybean more than most other diseases in the midsouthern United States. There are no commercial genotypes marketed as resistant to charcoal rot. Reactions of 27 maturity group (MG) III, 29 Early MG IV, 34 Late MG IV, and 59 MG V genotypes were evaluated for M. phaseolina between 2006 and 2008 in a nonirrigated, no-till field that had been artificially infested for three years. There was significant variation in root colonization among genotypes and years, indicating the value of screening genotypes over multiple years. Based on CFUI there was no genotype that was consistently immune to charcoal rot each year. However, there were a total of six genotypes (one genotype in MG III, one in Late MG IV, and four in MG V) that were identified as moderately resistant. Some of the commercial and public genotypes were resistant to M. phaseolina at levels equal to or greater than the standard DT97-4290, a moderately resistant cultivar. The genotypes identified as having moderate resistance across the three years could be useful as sources for developing resistant soybean genotypes.
Vertex Algebroids over Veronese Rings

We find a canonical quantization of Courant algebroids over Veronese rings. Part of our approach allows a semi-infinite cohomology interpretation, and the latter can be used to define sheaves of chiral differential operators on some homogeneous spaces including the space of pure spinors punctured at a point.
Prevalence and percutaneous drainage of cysts of the sacral nerve root sheath (Tarlov cysts).

PURPOSE To describe a percutaneous CT-guided method for drainage of perineurial (Tarlov) cysts, which are a cause of sciatica and low back pain, and to report the prevalence of these cysts within the population as detected by MR. METHODS Five hundred sequential lumbosacral spine MRs were evaluated for the presence of a perineurial cyst. Using CT-guided percutaneous drainage techniques, seven cysts were drained in five symptomatic patients. RESULTS Of the 500 sequential lumbosacral spine MRs, examinations from 23 patients showed perineurial cysts, a prevalence of 4.6%. Five patients (1%) were symptomatic from the cysts. After CT-guided percutaneous drainage, instant pain relief lasted from 3 weeks to 6 months without the risk or cost of spine surgery. CONCLUSIONS Lumbosacral perineurial cysts are common lesions that are usually asymptomatic but may cause pressure symptoms. Cyst puncture can alleviate the pain. Although the cysts repressurized and the patients9 symptoms returned in most cases, this technique seems to be a quick and simple way of at least attaining a pain-free interval and possibly a complete cure as occurred in one patient in this study.
Developmental link between dyadic and triadic social competence in infancy

The social responses of 48 7- and 10-month-old infants were analysed and compared in the context of dyadic and triadic situations. In the dyadic situation, infants’ reactions to a sudden 1 min still face adopted by a social partner in a face-to-face interaction were recorded. In the triadic situation, infants’ monitoring of a social partner in various situations of object exploration was recorded. Results indicated that specie c responses in a dyadic context correlate with responses expressed by the infant in a triadic context. At either age, infants that demonstrated attempts to re-engage the experimenter during the still-face episode in the dyadic situation were also those who manifested the most signs of joint engagement, attention following and attention monitoring in the triadic situation. These e ndings are interpreted as the demonstration of a developmental link between dyadic and triadic social competence in infancy.
Differentiating Lynch-Like From Lynch Syndrome

Lynch syndrome is a hereditary condition found in ~3% of all colorectal cancer patients and is defined by germline inactivation in one of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes (hMSH2, hMLH1, hMSH6, hPMS2) (1,2). One allele is inactivated in every cell in a Lynch syndrome patient most commonly by pathogenic mutation or deletion of hMSH2 or hMLH1, or less commonly by pathogenic mutation of hMSH6 or hPMS2. In some Lynch syndrome patients, germline deletion of the 3’ end of EPCAM (also known as TACSTD1) is found, and this deletion causes allele-specific methylation of hMSH2 that is immediately upstream from EPCAM on chromosome 2, silencing the transcription of hMSH2 (3). Patients with Lynch syndrome can develop synchronous and metachronous cancers at relatively young ages most commonly of the colon, but also of the endometrium and ovaries, the remainder of the gastrointestinal tract, the urinary tract, brain (glioblastomas), and specific skin cancers (Muir-Torre variant). With both the germline DNA MMR allele and the second somatic intra-cancer DNA MMR allele nonfunctional, DNA MMR enzyme activity is abated or lost within Lynch syndrome cancers. This allows multiple mutations to accumulate and advantages the tumor for growth and spread, and allows manifestation and detection of microsatellite instability (MSI) from within tumors that develop (4). Only a portion of Lynch syndrome patients and families might be initially identified by the clinically oriented Amsterdam criteria and/or Bethesda guidelines; most patients may be identified through MSI testing and DNA MMR protein immunohistochemistry (IHC) of the patient's tumor (1). However, germline testing for mutations within the DNA MMR genes is the ultimate the gold standard for characterizing Lynch syndrome families (1,2).
Profiling a methodology for economic growth and convergence: learning from the EU e-procurement experience for central and eastern European countries

Abstract Recent improvements in Internet technology connectivity provide an opportunity to make procurement for goods and services more transparent and efficient. When used for public procurement, information technology can be utilized as a mean to achieve the main principles of perfect competition, namely, access to information, no barriers to entry (transparency), and a large number of participants in market exchange. In this paper, we argue that the electronic procurement, particularly in the public domain, is an effective policy tool to establish the fundamentals of market economy and hence increase country’s productivity, remove domestic barriers to international trade, and improve efficiency. The main focus of this paper is to examine the efforts of European Union to transform the procurement process to a more cost-effective and innovative process. Moreover, our goal is to demonstrate that ICT is a power tool that can induce the structural changes within and between countries, and will enable procurement-sensitive goods and services to move freely, fostering the competitiveness of European suppliers in domestic and world markets. An effective public procurement policy is fundamental to the success of the single market in achieving its objectives: to generate sustainable, long-term growth and create jobs, to foster the development of businesses capable of exploiting the opportunities generated by the single market and competitive in global markets, and to provide tax-payers and users of public services with best value for money. This paper will analyze and evaluate the electronic procurement projects carried out by European Commission to better understand how the use of new information technology supports the delivery of an effective public procurement policy. In the context of market opening and integration, the study will identify a number of key learning lessons based upon the experience of the European Union. The analysis of the data will provide a number of important results in relation to further actions to be undertaken by CEE countries, an action plan for follow-up and use of this research along with proposed recommendations for addressing the major issues for electronic public procurement development and use in the CEE region.
STUDIES ON THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF ANTIMYCIN A:I. INCORPORATION OF 14 C-LABELED METABOLITES INTO THE 3-FORMAMIDOSALICYL MOIETY

The incorporation of 14C-labeled glucose, shikimate, benzoate, L-phenylalanine, and DL-tryptophan into antimycin A by Streptomyces AY-B-265 was examined. The most efficient incorporation was observed with L-phenylalanine-14C (U) (0.18%) and variously 14C-labeled DL-tryptophan (up to 2.0%). Analysis of degradation products from 14C-labeled antimycin produced from benzene-ring-14C-DL-tryptophan and L-phenylalanine-14C (U) showed a high proportion of the isotope present in the 3-aminosalicylic acid residue. Incorporation of 2-ring-14C-DL-tryptophan followed by degradation of the antimycin demonstrated that carbon-2 of the indole ring was incorporated into the 3-formamido carbonyl of antimycin in high yield. Tryptophan dilution studies suggested a fairly large tryptophan pool in cells transferred to resting medium for incorporation studies.
Price Formation in the California Winegrape Economy

This paper presents a theory of price determination for winegrapes in California. As the California wine economy developed, winegrape contracts took on a role as one of the centerpieces of this transformation. The theory is presented and it is shown how two important factors, weather and fi nancial uncertainty, served to shape the contracts. Hence, long term planting contracts for new vineyards, specifying the price, helped ameliorate the uncertainty to growers. Similarly, shorter contracts played a similar role for established vintners. The model deals with two types of growers: those with contracts made well before the year in question and those who will sign a contract in the Spring of the year of harvest. This paper hopes to illuminate these elements and their interaction. The model is then empirically estimated and tested. (JEL classifi cation: K12, Q11)
Cellular mRNA Decay Protein AUF1 Negatively Regulates Enterovirus and Human Rhinovirus Infections

To successfully complete their replication cycles, picornaviruses modify several host proteins to alter the cellular environment to favor virus production. One such target of viral proteinase cleavage is AU-rich binding factor 1 (AUF1), a cellular protein that binds to AU-rich elements, or AREs, in the 3' noncoding regions (NCRs) of mRNAs to affect the stability of the RNA. Previous studies found that, during poliovirus or human rhinovirus infection, AUF1 is cleaved by the viral proteinase 3CD and that AUF1 can interact with the long 5' NCR of these viruses in vitro. Here, we expand on these initial findings to demonstrate that all four isoforms of AUF1 bind directly to stem-loop IV of the poliovirus 5' NCR, an interaction that is inhibited through proteolytic cleavage of AUF1 by the viral proteinase 3CD. Endogenous AUF1 was observed to relocalize to the cytoplasm of infected cells in a viral protein 2A-driven manner and to partially colocalize with the viral protein 3CD. We identify a negative role for AUF1 in poliovirus infection, as AUF1 inhibited viral translation and, ultimately, overall viral titers. Our findings also demonstrate that AUF1 functions as an antiviral factor during infection by coxsackievirus or human rhinovirus, suggesting a common mechanism that targets these related picornaviruses.
Affective reactivity of speech and emotional experience in patients with schizophrenia

Communication disturbances are exacerbated by stress in patients with schizophrenia, a phenomenon known as affective reactivity of speech. However, a subset of these patients, those with the deficit syndrome, is characterized by a diminished capacity to experience emotion. We examined affective reactivity in the natural speech of schizophrenia patients with and without the deficit syndrome, with the expectation that deficit syndrome patients would evidence lower levels of affective reactivity. Two 10-min conversational speech samples were collected from each of 13 deficit syndrome patients, 22 nondeficit patients and 26 healthy control subjects. One speech sample from each participant was on the topic of emotionally negative, stressful memories, and the other was on emotionally positive, nonstressful memories. The audiotaped speech samples were analyzed blindly for frequencies of referential communication failure. All three groups showed significantly higher frequencies of communication disturbances in the emotionally negative speech sample than the positive speech sample. Nondeficit patients showed greater affective reactivity of speech than either deficit patients or controls. Conversely, deficit patients' speech was not more reactive to emotion than the speech of the control group. These results suggest that emotion-related variables mediate the relationship between stress and language symptom exacerbations in at least some patients with schizophrenia.
3d axon structure extraction and analysis in confocal fluorescence microscopy images

The morphological properties of axons, such as their branching patterns and oriented structures, are of great interest for biologists in the study of the synaptic connectivity of neurons. In these studies, researchers use triple immunofluorescent confocal microscopy to record morphological changes of neuronal processes. Three-dimensional (3D) microscopy image analysis is then required to extract morphological features of the neuronal structures. In this article, we propose a highly automated 3D centerline extraction tool to assist in this task. For this project, the most difficult part is that some axons are overlapping such that the boundaries distinguishing them are barely visible. Our approach combines a 3D dynamic programming (DP) technique and marker-controlled watershed algorithm to solve this problem. The approach consists of tracking and updating along the navigation directions of multiple axons simultaneously. The experimental results show that the proposed method can rapidly and accurately extract multiple axon centerlines and can handle complicated axon structures such as cross-over sections and overlapping objects.
Experimental study of avulsion frequency and rate of deposition

In existing models of alluvial architecture it is typically assumed that mean avulsion frequency is independent of sedimentation rate. However, if avulsion is driven by superelevation of a river bed above its surrounding flood plain, one might expect avulsion rate to increase with sedimentation rate. We have carried out a series of experiments with laboratory-scale fluvial fans in which we measured the frequency of apical avulsions as a function of mean sedimentation rate on the fan. Avulsion frequency increased strongly with increasing sedimentation rate and then stabilized as mass flows began to influence deposition. In the regime of increasing avulsion frequency, the added volume of sediment needed to trigger an avulsion decreased with increasing sedimentation rate. Although our experimental results cannot simply be scaled up to natural rivers, they suggest the possibility of coupling between avulsion frequency and sedimentation rate that would be strong enough to change qualitatively the results of existing models of alluvial architecture. These models should be applied with caution until avulsion mechanics are better understood.
Variation occurring in group A streptococci during human infection; progressive loss of M substance correlated with increasing susceptibility to bacteriostasis.

A study was made of the variation occurring in group A streptococci during the natural course of infection in man. From 54 patients with 56 different group A streptococcal infections of the upper respiratory tract, 251 strains of streptococci, isolated at weekly intervals following infection, were tested for their capacity to resist the bacteriostatic action of normal human blood. In 52 of the infections the streptococci were of recognized serological types and were also tested for variation in their ability to produce the type-specific M protein antigen. Strains isolated in the 1st week of infection were uniformly highly resistant to bacteriostasis and elaborated large amounts of M substance. In 42 per cent of the 52 infections, strains isolated in the convalescent and carrier stages showed an increasing susceptibility to bacteriostasis correlated with a progressive loss of M substance; whereas in the remaining 58 per cent resistance to bacteriostasis and the capacity to produce M protein were maintained throughout the observation period. In 3 different infections, the streptococci became so degraded that no M protein could be demonstrated in acid extracts of these variants. Concomitantly these strains became highly susceptible to bacteriostasis. Spontaneous reversion did not occur, but serial mouse passage reestablished these functions. These degraded variants had the same T antigen as their respective original strains. No evidence was obtained that variation of group A streptococci in resistance to bacteriostasis or in the ability to produce the type-specific M antigen was associated ( a ) with the appearance of type-specific bacteriostatic antibodies; ( b ) with any particular serological type of streptococcus; ( c ) with the production of streptococcal proteinase which digests the M protein; ( d ) with the therapeutic administration of sulfadiazine; or ( e ) with the development of complications. The possible relationship of these observations to the problem of the "dangerous carrier" of group A hemolytic streptococci is discussed.
Reconstruction of chronic abductor deficiency after revision hip arthroplasty using an extensor mechanism allograft

This study reports the clinical outcome of reconstruction of deficient abductor muscles following revision total hip arthroplasty (THA), using a fresh–frozen allograft of the extensor mechanism of the knee. A retrospective analysis was conducted of 11 consecutive patients with a severe limp because of abductor deficiency which was confirmed on MRI scans. The mean age of the patients (three men and eight women) was 66.7 years (52 to 84), with a mean follow-up of 33 months (24 to 41). Following surgery, two patients had no limp, seven had a mild limp, and two had a persistent severe limp (p = 0.004). The mean power of the abductors improved on the Medical Research Council scale from 2.15 to 3.8 (p < 0.001). Pre-operatively, all patients required a stick or walking frame; post-operatively, four patients were able to walk without an aid. Overall, nine patients had severe or moderate pain pre-operatively; ten patients had no or mild pain post-operatively. At final review, the Harris hip score was good in five patients, fair in two and poor in four. We conclude that using an extensor mechanism allograft is relatively effective in the treatment of chronic abductor deficiency of the hip after THA when techniques such as local tissue transfer are not possible. Longer-term follow-up is necessary before the technique can be broadly applied. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1050–5.
The Academic Success of East Asian American Youth The Role of Shadow Education

Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study, this study assessed the relevance of shadow education to the high academic performance of East Asian American students by examining how East Asian American students differed from other racial/ethnic students in the prevalence, purpose, and effects of using the two forms - commercial test preparation service and private one-to-one tutoring - of SAT coaching, defined as the American style of shadow education. East Asian American students were most likely to take a commercial SAT test preparation course for the enrichment purpose, and benefited most from taking this particular form of SAT coaching. However, this was not the case for private SAT one-to-one tutoring. While black students were most likely to utilize private tutoring for the remedial purpose, the impact of private tutoring was trivial for all racial/ethnic groups including East Asian American students. The authors discussed broader implications of the findings on racial/ethnic inequalities in educational achievement beyond the relevance of shadow education for the academic success of East Asian American students.
Characterization of Exopolysaccharide Produced by Corynebacterium#98 in Cheese Whey Substrate

Corynebacterium #98 produced an orange pigmented gum when grown in a 1.5% whey medium containing added lactose, MgSO4, and FeSO4 at optimized conditions: pH 7.0, 30°C, agitation and aeration at 1090 ml/min. Gum rheology showed increasing viscosity with gum concentration. Viscosity varied inversely with temperature and NaC1 concentration. Analysis indicated an ash content of 29.7% due mainly to potassium, sodium and phosphate. The structural components of the gum identified were rhamnose, xylose, mannose, glucose, galactose, and glucuronic and mannuronic acids in a weight ratio of 2:1:6:6:7:16:11.
Early Paleozoic metamorphism at two crustal levels and a tectonic model for the Pennsylvania-Delaware Piedmont

Two high-grade metamorphic terranes of early Paleozoic age are exposed in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. The Wilmington Complex in Delaware was metamorphosed at high temperatures to intermediate-pressure granulite facies during the early Paleozoic. In the West Chester prong, Pennsylvania, a granulite-facies metamorphism of Grenville age was overprinted by a high-pressure, moderate-temperature metamorphism during the Taconic orogeny. We propose a model to account for the different metamorphic conditions in these two terranes. In this model, the Piedmont of northern Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania was the site of collision between a magmatic arc and the North American continent along an east-dipping subduction zone. The Wilmington Complex was the infrastructure of the arc, whereas the Grenville-age gneisses of the West Chester prong were basement of the North American continent. Between these two relatively rigid plates, there are nappes of remobilized basement and highly deformed forearc-basin and accretion-ary-prism sediments. The North American continent underthrust the hot infrastructure of the volcanic arc, resulting in the high-pressure (9-11 kb), moderate-temperature (650–700 °C), metamorphic overprint on Grenville assemblages of the West Chester prong. The Wilmington Complex was metamorphosed at moderate pressure (6–7 kb) and high temperature (∼800 °C) during the early Paleozoic, under the conditions of the high geothermal gradient that existed at the base of the volcanic arc. The intervening sediments and remobilized basement are all at amphibolite grade, but the grade is highest (above second sillimanite isograd) everywhere adjacent to the structurally overlying Wilmington Complex, suggesting that the isograds in the sediments are inverted beneath the Wilmington Complex. Uplift of this doubled thickness of crust was rapid enough that the gneisses of the West Chester prong were never heated above 700 °C.
Heat Shock Gene Expression During Mammalian Gametogenesis and Early Embryogenesis

The progression of mammalian gametogenesis through mitotic and meiotic divisions, genetic recombination, and morphological differentiation involves varied and complex processes of cellular differentiation. Our laboratory has been interested in elucidating the genetic program that governs these events during mammalian germ-cell differentiation at the molecular level. This effort has been made increasingly feasible by advances in molecular biological approaches that facilitate the identification of specific genes which may play key roles in these processes. The advances have been at both the technical and strategic levels. For example, the use of techniques such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has permitted the detection of specific gene expression in a very limited number of cells, such as in oocytes and early embryos (Rappolee et al. 1988). PCR can also be applied to the cloning of cDNAs from these stages (Welsh et al. 1990), allowing the identification and characterization of new genes which may be critical for gametogenesis and early embryogenesis.
Force on inner hair cell cilia

The cochlea of the inner ear transforms the incoming sound pressure into neural excitation. Despite extensive experiments and modeling for the past century, understanding the behavior of the cochlea is far from complete. With an efficient program (Fast4) for shell of revolution structures, all mechanical (elastic) details of the curved cochlear cross-section and the organ of Corti can be computed. Based on the known values for the elastic moduli of the protein fibers and estimates for the geometry, the responses to point and pressure loads have been calculated which are reasonably close to the direct measurements. In the present work, the details of the inner hair cell are included, with a fluid gap between the tip of the cilia and the Hensen stripe of the tectorial membrane. A simple model for the near contact indicates nonlinear response similar to the intracellular recordings. This near contact is included into a more complete elastic model for the organ of Corti that includes three rows of cilia and tip links. The phase of the maximum tension of the tip link, which causes excitation of the cell, is computed for low frequencies for comparison to measurements. For low frequencies the fluid motion in the organ of Corti is approximately two-dimensional. The phase is found to be affected by: (1) geometrical difference between basal and upper turns of the cochlea, (2) initial gap spacing between the tip of the cilium and the Hensen stripe, (3) initial gap spacing between the tip of the cilium and the tectorial membrane, (4) presence of an electrode probe constraint on the motion of the inner hair cell, and (5) the stiffness of the tectorial membrane. The latter is the most significant. For a soft tectorial membrane, the excitation is generally between maximum velocity and displacement of the basilar membrane toward scala vestibuli. However, for a stiff tectorial membrane, the phase changes to an excitation with velocity and displacement toward scala tympani. Thus a possible mechanical reason is offered for the auditory nerve excitation in the base of the chinchilla cochlea for basilar membrane velocity toward scala tympani and in the middle and upper turns of the guinea pig cochlea, excitation for velocity toward scala vestibuli.
Activation and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Regulation of Transcription Factors Ets and NF-κB in Mycobacterium-Infected Macrophages and Role of These Factors in Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and Nitric Oxide Synthase 2 Promoter Function

Previous studies have shown that primary murine macrophages infected with Mycobacterium avium produced lower levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) compared to cells infected with nonpathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis. TNF-α and NOS2 levels correlated with and were dependent on the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). To define the macrophage transcriptional responses dependent on ERK1/2 activation following a mycobacterial infection, we used RAW 264.7 cells transfected with a TNF-α or NOS2 promoter vector. We determined that macrophages infected with M. avium compared to M. smegmatis showed diminished TNF-α and NOS2 promoter activity. A more pronounced difference in promoter activity was observed when only the consensus ETS and NF-κB binding sites were used as promoters. Mutational analysis of the ETS and NF-κB binding sites present on the TNF-α and NOS2 promoters, respectively, showed that these sites were essential for a functional promoter. Moreover, the Ets/Elk but not the NF-κB transcriptional response was dependent on ERK1/2. This correlated with the requirement for ERK1/2 in TNF-α but not NOS2 promoter activity. Our data indicate that the increased Ets/Elk and NF-κB promoter activities associated with M. smegmatis-infected macrophages are responsible, at least in part, for the increased TNF-α and NOS2 production observed in these infected cells and that ERK1/2 is required for Ets/Elk activity and full TNF-α production.
Evolution of genome size in pines (Pinus) and its life-history correlates: Supertree analyses

Genome size has been suggested to be a fundamental biological attribute in determining life-history traits in many groups of organisms. We examined the relationships between pine genome sizes and pine phylogeny, environmental factors (latitude, elevation, annual rainfall), and biological traits (latitudinal and elevational ranges, seed mass, minimum generation time, interval between large seed crops, seed dispersal mode, relative growth rate, measures of potential and actual invasiveness, and level of rarity). Genome sizes were determined for 60 pine taxa and then combined with published values to make a dataset encompassing 85 species, or 70% of species in the genus. Supertrees were constructed using 20 published source phylogenies. Ancestral genome size was estimated as 32 pg. Genome size has apparently remained stable or increased over evolutionary time in subgenus Strobus, while it has decreased in most subsections in subgenus Pinus. We analyzed relationships between genome size and life-history variables using cross-species correlations and phylogenetically independent contrasts derived from supertree constructions. The generally assumed positive relation between genome size and minimum generation time could not be confirmed in phylogenetically controlled analyses. We found that the strongest correlation was between genome size and seed mass. Because the growth quantities specific leaf area and leaf area ratio (and to a lesser extent relative growth rate) are strongly negatively related to seed mass, they were also negatively correlated with genome size. Northern latitudinal limit was negatively correlated with genome size. Invasiveness, particularly of wind-dispersed species, was negatively associated with both genome size and seed mass. Seed mass and its relationships with seed number, dispersal mode, and growth rate contribute greatly to the differences in life-history strategies of pines. Many life-history patterns are therefore indirectly, but consistently, associated with genome size.
The exocyst gene Sec10 regulates renal epithelial monolayer homeostasis and apoptotic sensitivity

The highly conserved exocyst protein complex regulates polarized exocytosis of subsets of secretory vesicles. A previous study reported that shRNA knockdown of an exocyst central subunit, Sec10 (Sec10-KD) in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells disrupted primary cilia assembly and 3D cyst formation. We used three-dimensional collagen cultures of MDCK cells to further investigate the mechanisms by which Sec10 and the exocyst regulate epithelial polarity, morphogenesis, and homeostasis. Sec10-KD cysts initially demonstrated undisturbed lumen formation although later displayed significantly fewer and shorter primary cilia than controls. Later in cystogenesis, control cells maintained normal homeostasis, while Sec10-KD cysts displayed numerous apoptotic cells extruded basally into the collagen matrix. Sec10-KD MDCK cells were also more sensitive to apoptotic triggers than controls. These phenotypes were reversed by restoring Sec10 expression with shRNA-resistant human Sec10. Apico-basal polarity appeared normal in Sec10-KD cysts, whereas mitotic spindle angles differed significantly from controls, suggesting a planar cell polarity defect. In addition, analysis of renal tubules in a newly generated kidney-specific Sec10-knockout mouse model revealed significant defects in primary cilia assembly and in the targeted renal tubules; abnormal epithelial cell extrusion was also observed, supporting our in vitro results. We hypothesize that, in Sec10-KD cells, the disrupted exocyst activity results in increased apoptotic sensitivity through defective primary cilia signaling and that, in combination with an increased basal cell extrusion rate, it affects epithelial barrier integrity and homeostasis.
CHAPTER 4 – Series Resistances, Part I: Bad Output Voltages

This chapter discusses the problem of bad output voltages. Several different analogies involving water behavior are used as aids in explaining electrical behavior. In a few cases, the result is not what one might ordinarily expect, without considerable analysis. A few experiments to measure resistance, current, and voltage are discussed in the chapter. Devices in parallel have the same voltage across them and the devices in series have the same current going through them. When current goes through a resistance, some of the driving voltage is decreased; however, that voltage is available to go somewhere else. A potentiometer, which is two resistors with a connection available between them, is also discussed in the chapter with the help of an experiment.
Unmasking Bilateral Inferior Rectus Restriction in Thyroid Eye Disease: Using Degree of Cyclotropia.

Thyroid eye disease (TED) frequently causes strabismus and diplopia. Though the condition involves multiple extraocular muscles in both eyes, the inferior rectus (IR) muscle is particularly susceptible. TED may be so asymmetric as to mask the involvement of the contralateral IR. The purpose of this study was to determine if the degree of preoperative cyclotropia measured with an objective test could be used to predict the extent of bilateral IR disease and assist in surgical planning.Adults with TED involving the IR and demonstrating cyclotropia were enrolled. Preoperative and postoperative sensorimotor exam included quantification of cyclotropia using double Maddox rod test (DMR). Forced ductions were done intraoperatively. Degree of cyclotropia was compared to results of duction tests and surgical outcome.Twelve participating patients demonstrated excyclotropia on DMR test preoperatively (mean 16±9°). Unilateral IR recession was planned based on the results of preoperative ocular rotations and forced duction testing in eight cases. The remaining four underwent bilateral IR recession. Four of the unilateral recession cases presented with reversal of the hypotropia, obvious limitation of elevation in the unoperated eye, and persistent symptomatic excyclotropia at the first postoperative visit. The mean excyclotropia of the bilateral cases was 21±5°, compared to 5.5±3° in the unilateral group (P<0.005).Prism diopters of hypotropia, limitation of elevation, and forced duction testing evaluate muscle function relative to its yoke and may underestimate contralateral IR involvement in the case of asymmetrical disease. Duction testing and forced ductions are qualitative and subjective. Results suggest that degree of excyclotropia correlates well with severity of IR restriction, and that amounts exceeding 15° infer bilateral IR involvement.
Efficient Online Locality Sensitive Hashing via Reservoir Counting

We describe a novel mechanism called Reservoir Counting for application in online Locality Sensitive Hashing. This technique allows for significant savings in the streaming setting, allowing for maintaining a larger number of signatures, or an increased level of approximation accuracy at a similar memory footprint.
Localization of Molecular Orbitals: From Fragments to Molecule

ConspectusLocalized molecular orbitals (LMO) not only serve as an important bridge between chemical intuition and molecular wave functions but also can be employed to reduce the computational cost of many-body methods for electron correlation and excitation. Therefore, how to localize the usually completely delocalized canonical molecular orbitals (CMO) into confined physical spaces has long been an important topic: It has a long history but still remains active to date.While the known LMOs can be classified into (exact) orthonormal and nonorthogonal, as well as (approximate) absolutely localized MOs, the ways for achieving these can be classified into two categories, a posteriori top-down and a priori bottom-up, depending on whether they invoke the global CMOs (or equivalently the molecular density matrix). While the top-down approaches have to face heavy tasks of minimizing or maximizing a given localization functional typically of many adjacent local extrema, the bottom-up ones have to invoke some tedi...
Outcome of Renal Transplantation in Patients with a Functioning Graft for 20 Years or More

In the present study long-term morbidity, quality of life and over-all rehabilitation were assessed in 14 patients with a functioning renal allograft for 20 years or longer. Followup ranged from 20 to 27 years (mean 22.5 years). All patients enjoyed excellent and stable renal function, and the mean serum creatinine level at 20 years was 1.3 mg. per dl. Complications related to long-term immunosuppressive therapy comprised infection in 8 patients (57%), malignancy in 7 (50%), cardiovascular disease in 6 (43%), cataracts in 3 (21%) and avascular necrosis of the hip in 2 (14%). Over-all quality of life was excellent in 13 patients who were able to return to work, participate in pre-illness levels of activity and enjoy sexual activity. While successful renal transplantation allows patients with end stage renal failure to resume relatively normal lives, these patients remain prone to complications resulting from long-term immunosuppressive therapy.
Power limits for non-destructive laser ablation of contaminants on micromachined structures

The minimum and maximum laser irradiances that are effective in cleaning etch-released membranes and microstructure was measured for carbon microparticles on LPCVD silicon nitride thin films and suspended platforms. A 1064nm Nd:Yag laser was scanned across the samples to ablate the contaminants. Microscope images of the membranes showed mass removal for an irradiance as low as 600W cm−2. More thorough cleaning was achieved by increasing the irradiance. For 2.5×2.5mm, 205nm thin silicon nitride membranes, 79% of the contaminated area was removed with an exposure of 3.7kW cm−2. Catastrophic damage was seen at a power level of 8.4kW cm−2. Ablation effects were also measured as a change in optical absorption using a photo thermal common-path interferometer. Peak absorption values were decreased from over 100,000ppm to less than 20,000ppm. Silicon nitride platforms were also tested. Despite significant substrate heating, the platforms survived intact up to power levels of 8.4kW cm−2 with near perfect cleaning of carbon particles from their surfaces.