cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Origin and spatial distribution of maternal messenger RNA during oogenesis of an insect, Oncopeltus fasciatus

In order to investigate the origin and spatial distribution of maternal mRNA during oogenesis, in situ hybridization with [3H]-poly(U) was utilized for the detection of poly(A)-containing RNA [poly(A)+RNA] in histological sections of Oncopeltus fasciatus ovaries. In the germarium poly(A)+RNA was found to accumulate in the trophocyte cytoplasm concomitant with the maturation of these cells. Poly(A)+RNA was also detected in the trophic cores and nutritive tubes suggesting that these channels participate in the transport of trophocyte-derived mRNA to the oocytes. Although large amounts of poly(A)+RNA were also detected in the cytoplasm of the follicle cells, particularly during late vitellogenesis when pseudopod-like processes projected into the ooplasm, no evidence was obtained for the transport of poly(A)+RNA from these processes to the oocytes. The content of poly(A)+RNA in the oocyte cytoplasm continually increased during oogenesis. In stage 2–4 oocytes poly(A)+RNA accumulation occurred in the apparent absence of transcriptional activity in the germinal vesicle nuclei suggesting that most maternal mRNA molecules synthesized during early oogenesis are of trophocyte origin. Poly(A)+RNA also continued to accumulate after chorion formation, when the nutritive tubes are longer active in RNA transport. This implies that other sources of maternal mRNA may exist during late oogenesis. The distribution of poly(A)+RNA molecules in the oocyte cytoplasm appeared to be uniform throughout oogenesis with one exception. During late vitellogenesis poly(A)+RNA activity was significantly enhanced in the anterior and posterior periplasmic cytoplasms relative to the lateral periplasm and the endoplasm. After chorion formation these variations disappeared. The results suggest that maternal mRNA molecules arise from at least 2 sources during oogenesis. During late vitellogenesis these molecules appear to be subject to differential localization in the polar perimeters of the oocyte cytoplasm.
Automated Immunochemical Procedures for Measurement of Immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, and IgM in Human Serum

Automated continuous-flow procedures have been developed for microdetermination of immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, and IgM in human serum. The three immunoglobulins are measured by reactions with specific commercial antiserum, and standardized by use of pooled human serum containing known concentrations of IgG, IgA, and IgM. Values determined for the immunoglobulins by the automated procedures correlate with values obtained by radial immunodiffusion. The precision of replicate determinations for the IgG, IgA, and IgM methods is 3.64, 5.11, and 6.00% (CV), respectively.
Self-Silencing as a Predictor of Physical Activity Behavior

Self-silencing theory suggests that women ignore their own feelings and needs to attend to the desires of others. However, the impact of such self-silencing on physical activity behavior is unknown. This study examined the degree of self-silencing among a group of highly educated and relatively affluent African American women and the strength of self-silencing as a predictor of physical activity. The mean total self-silencing score for participants was 71.46. Overall, women reported spending approximately 193 min per week engaged in physical activity but only 36% met current recommendations for aerobic physical activity. Self-silencing did not predict physical activity behavior.
Convergence and stability analyses of multi-time step algorithm for parabolic systems

Abstract An analysis of the consistency and convergence of a subcycling algorithm together with the stability conditions for parabolic systems of both element and nodal partitions are provided. It is shown that the algorithms only attain a first-order rate-of-convergence for both element and nodal partitions in the sense of the total cycle update. The stability conditions for general integration parameters in an element partition are also given for the first time.
Selective solubilization of proteins from red blood cell membranes by protein perturbants.

Isolated human erythrocyte membranes were exposed to a series of reagents known to modify or perturb proteins; these included sodium hydroxide, lithium diiodosalicylate, acid anhydrides, and organic mercurials. Each reagent liberated the same set of relatively polar polypeptides from the membrane, while the other, more hydrophobic species invariably remained associated with the membrane residue. The selective elution pattern was precisely that seen previously with 6 M guanidine hydrocloride. The released polypeptides, comprising half of the membrane protein mass, contained no carbohydrate; current evidence indicates that all of these components are confined to the cytoplasmic surface of the membrane. The residue contained all the lipids and all the glycoproteins. The latter are accessible to the outer membrane surface and, in at least two cases, seem to extend asymmetrically across the thickness of the membrane. Thus, the distinctive elution behavior which defines these two groups of polypeptides relates both to their chemical composition and their organizational disposition in the membrane.
Short-term rapid atrial pacing produces electrical remodeling of sinus node function in humans.

Sinus Node Remodeling in Man.Introduction: Depression of sinus node function occurs in dogs and in patients after cessation of atrial flutter and fibrillation. We tested whether transient atrial pacing might produce similar changes in humans. Methods and Results: We studied the impact of short-term rapid atrial pacing, simulating atrial tachyarrhythmias, on sinoatrial conduction time (SACT) and corrected sinus node recovery time (CSNRT) in 10 patients undergoing electrophysiologic study. None had recognizable structural heart disease, history of atrial fibrillation or flutter, autonomic dysfunction, or any tachycardia for at least 24 hours before study. All cardiac drugs were discontinued > 5 half-lives prior to study. No patient had significant hypotension during atrial stimulation. SACT and CSNRT were measured at baseline, and sinus node reset zone was determined. Right atrial pacing was performed for 10 to 15 minutes, after which SACT and CSNRT were measured again. Both parameters increased significantly, from 423 ± 208 msec to 491 ± 214 msec and from 80 ± 50 msec to 96 ± 53 msec, respectively (P = 0.02 and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Rapid atrial pacing for only 10 to 15 minutes, simulating transient atrial tachyarrhythmias, alters sinus node function in humans. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the mechanism, but the clinical implication is that even transient episodes of atrial tachyarrhythmias can cause sinus node remodeling in patients.
Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of heat-exchanger designs to physical properties estimation

We have used Monte Carlo methods to study the sensitivity and uncertainty of heat exchanger designs to physical properties estimation. The determination of appropriate confidence intervals for the overall heat-transfer coefficient and total required heat-exchange area plays a very important role in heat-exchanger thermal designs. The physical property models used exhibit systematic and random errors, which can change depending on how the models are used. Of particular interest in this work were the errors in properties estimation at high temperatures. Experimental physical properties of hot-gas mixtures at high temperatures (i.e., combustion gases) are very limited, and heat-exchanger simulation and design relies heavily on predictive models for physical properties. In this work, case studies of heat-exchanger performance and design under the influence of random and systematic errors on property estimation are presented. The results show that the performance and design can be very sensitive to errors in physical properties. The analysis method proposed can be used to identify when and which, properties play a significant role in the error propagation for this type of equipment. Further, the methodology proposed can be used to study the uncertainty in heat-exchanger performance and cost introduced by these types of errors.
Casa de Esperanza [Part B]

The challenges of nonprofit management and leadership often lie in balancing the constant demands of internal issues and the rapidly changing external context. As the third and final segment of the Casa de Esperanza case illustrates, there is no point of perfect balance. Part C documents the various mechanisms used to institutionalize the organization's identity as a community-based Latina organization, including new structures, planning processes, and human resource management. In all, leaders strive to make the organization truly bicultural, allowing it to participate in mainstream circles while remaining grounded in core community values and practices. When faced by a new mandate from state funders, leaders use these internal changes as a new filter when considering the most appropriate action. As such, the case illustrates how proactive structural change can propel an organization to recognize realities.
Given and New: Paragraph Development Models from Scientific English

The existence of the paragraph as an authentic feature of written English is not in doubt. However, there is evidence that the kinds of traditional rhetorical categories (such as definition, cause/effect, and comparison/contrast) commonly presented in ESL composition textbooks do not in fact accurately describe the majority of paragraphs actually written and published in English. As an alternative, a set of descriptive models for teaching paragraph development in ESL writing classes is offered here based on the given/new contract, a theory of information distribution developed by text linguists and validated by psychologists in studies of reading comprehension. Also described here is a study carried out to determine the ability of these alternative models to describe paragraph structures that occur in experimental research reports published in English. Results indicate that various patterns of given and new information which conform to the models are in fact regular features of the 60 paragraphs studied. Applications of the models to ESL composition classes are discussed, with special reference to courses in scientific and technical writing. The use of the given/new model at the editing stage is illustrated with examples from student papers.
Teaching professionalism in the digital age on the psychiatric consultation-liaison service.

Background The rapid emergence of social media, including Facebook and YouTube, have added a new dimension to defining, teaching, and role modeling professionalism in the medical field. Explicit and consistent role modeling of professional behaviors are needed to encourage the development of professional physicians. Objective The purpose of this article is to investigate the challenges and opportunities at the interface of professionalism and social media for physicians. Method The medical literature via PubMed was reviewed with key words including "Facebook," "YouTube," "social media," "digital media," and key issues are discussed. Our residency program was surveyed regarding their experiences with digital media in medical practice and the findings are discussed. Sample topics and relevant, thought provoking questions generated from our practices are outlined. Results Case vignettes are offered to exemplify issues with regard to professionalism raised by digital and social media in medical practice. Conclusion Social media sites offer great opportunity to widely distribute valuable health care information as well as provide physicians with a venue to de-stress. In this new digital age, trainees and lifelong learners must learn to be mindful of professionalism while using social media in order to protect their privacy as well as the image of physicians.
Tudor technology: Shakespeare and science

To mark the 450th anniversary of the bard's birth, Jennifer Rampling probes how mathematics and technology shaped his era.
Model for spherical cavity radii and potential functions of sorbates in zeolites

A spherical pore model for calculating the zeolite cavity radius and the potential energy of interactions of noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe) is presented. The model utilizes the gas adsorption isotherm and equates the free energy change upon adsorption to the potential energy of interaction of the gas molecules with the zeolite cavity. The results obtained for the cavity radius using Ar, Kr, and Xe adsorption isotherms are in excellent agreement with those of the cavity radius for 5A, 13X, and Y zeolites obtained from crystallographic data. Also, the average potential energies of interaction of these gases with the surface atoms of the zeolite cavities, calculated from the isotherms and the spherical pore model, compare reasonably well with the internal energies determined from the experimental heats of adsorption.
The Andalusi origins of the Berbers

Building on the contributions of H.T. Norris, Joaquin Vallve Bermejo, Eduardo Manzano Moreno, Maya Shatzmiller and others about the Berbers, this article uses the difference between the political situation in al‐Andalus and the Maghrib in the eighth century to argue for a possible Andalusi origin of a particular use of the category “Berber.” Since before the Arab conquests the sources did not imagine that the “Berbers” inhabited northwest Africa and that today it is common to do so, the article introduces the idea of a Berberization to account for that transformation. It argues that al‐Andalus was an important early site of production of a specific notion of what Berber meant and seeks to show categories such as Arab and Berber did not refer to an unchanging objective reality and that they did not always carry the same connotations or support the same understandings. Embracing the limits posed by the historical record, the article participates in the effort of historians to replace ideologically informed ...
Fraternal Orders and Class Formation in the Nineteenth-Century United States

In 1884, Belleville, Illinois, a midwestern town of fifteen thousand, possessed numerous voluntary associations, including organizations like the Pecan Club, the Liederkranz Society, and the Widows and Orphans Mutual Aid Society. But by far the most common kind of organization was the fraternal order, a type of secret society which used elaborate rituals to unite its members in bonds of brotherhood. The nineteenth-century fraternal order possessed a strong appeal for American men; in Belleville, for example, lodges such as Pride of the West, No. 650, International Order of Odd Fellows and Cavalier Lodge, No. 49, Knights of Pythias comprised thirty-five of the fifty-five organizations listed in the city directory of that year. At about the same time, a much larger industrial city, Buffalo, New York, had seventeen local lodges, with over 1,500 members, of the Knights of Pythias alone.1 Historians have increasingly recognized the American fraternal order as a numerically massive and widely distributed presence in late nineteenthcentury urban life, with special relevance for the study of social relations, institutionalized friendship patterns, and the formation of community and subgroup identities.2 The fraternal order's litany of equality and its often
A study of hibernator erythropoietic responses to simulated high altitude

Abstract 1. 1. The hibernator, Citellus tridecemlineatus , was subjected to continuous hypoxic conditions at various simulated altitudes. 2. 2. Hematocrits, hemoglobin levels, red cell counts, blood volumes, spleen weights and body weights are expressed for animals maintained at 360, 300 and 240 mm Hg vs. controls at 730 mm Hg. 3. 3. Non-splenectomized subjects responded to oxygen tension in a manner typical of lowland species, viz. significantly increased hematocrits, hemoglobin levels and red blood cell counts. 4. 4. Splenectomized animals showed a lower capacity for erythropoietic proliferative response to reduced oxygen stress. 5. 5. The hibernator has several physiological mechanisms, i.e. blood volume increase and spleen cell storage which play an important role in response to oxygen stress, particularly in the early stages.
Error-correcting codes for page-oriented optical memories

Parallel optical memories have been proposed to meet high speed, high capacity storage requirements for input/output intensive computer applications. This technology offers the capability for storage and retrieval of optical data in 2D pages resulting in high capacity and high throughput. CUrrent raw bit error rates of experimental systems fall significantly short of the minimum industry requirement of 10-12 for binary data. Thus, error control techniques for 2D data are necessary in order for such memories to be commercially feasible. In this paper, we discuss several error control schemes suitable for page- oriented data and specifically applicable to page-oriented optical memories. To better interface between the memory and the electronic host computer, we propose 'smart' photo- detector array devices in which the input is optical but the output is electronic. These arrays receive the optical signal form the memory and covert it to electronic data. Utilizing the speed of VLSI technology, the arrays perform fast parallel decoding and data correction, thereby providing an efficient optoelectronic interface between the memory and the electronic computer.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus: animal models with emphasis on recently developed corpulent rat strains

Genetic background has recently been implicated as an important factor in the development of diabetic nephropathy in humans. Little is known about the natural history of renal disease in patients with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Because toxins used in chemically induced models of diabetes may be associated with pathological renal changes, investigators have employed well-defined, genetically distinct animal models to study diabetic nephropathy. This review will focus on animal models of spontaneous type 2 diabetic nephropathy. No single animal model of diabetes corresponds exactly to the human disorder, nor develops renal changes identical to those seen in man. Rodents have been the most studied species with diabetic renal disease. The spontaneously hypertensive/NIH-corpulent (SHR/N-cp) rat provides a unique model of obesity, type 2 diabetes and nephropathy. In addition, genetic controls for this rat, including the lean SHR/N-cp rat and the Wistar-Kyoto/NIH-corpulent (WKY/N-cp) rat, allow assessment of the role of hypertension and obesity in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. SHR/N-cp rats have abnormal glucose tolerance, hypertension, and develop a renal disease reminiscent of human diabetic nephropathy. WKY/N-cp rats are also obese and have hyperlipidaemia, but their glucose control is somewhat worse than that of the SHR/N-cp rat. In contrast, they do not have hypertension, the renal disease is less severe, and is less suggestive of the human pathology. Finally the LA/N-cp rat also carries the gene for obesity, and exhibits hyperlipidaemia. In contrast to the other two spontaneous models of obesity it does not exhibit hypertension or glucose intolerance. There is little evidence of renal disease in this model. The development of genetic models of obesity, hypertension and glucose intolerance provides a unique opportunity to make longitudinal observations on the natural history of diabetic nephropathy, and to test the various proposed mechanisms for the development of diabetic glomerulopathy, and the effects of various treatment modalities. Diversity in manifestations of diabetic renal disease in animals suggests the importance of genetic mechanisms in pathological outcomes.
Open-label nefazodone in patients with a major depressive episode and alcohol dependence

Abstract Purpose: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and alcohol dependence (AD) frequently occur together. However, MDD clinical trials generally exclude patients with alcohol-related disorders. General Methods: A 12-week, open-label trial of nefazodone in a group of people (n=13) with both a current major depressive episode and current AD was conducted to examine the effect of this antidepressant on depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and cognition. Findings: Scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRSA) significantly decreased from baseline to exit. In addition, significant reduction in alcohol craving, drinks/week, and days of alcohol use/week was found. Scores on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) did not significantly improve during the study. Changes in mood/anxiety and memory did not correlate with changes in alcohol use. Conclusions: Thus, nefazodone therapy was associated with improvement in mood/anxiety and alcohol use, which seem to be independent of each other in this patient sample. However, declarative memory, which was low average at baseline, did not show statistically significant improvement during the 12 weeks of the study.
Plan B: Interruption of Ongoing MPI Operations to Support Failure Recovery

Advanced failure recovery strategies in HPC system benefit tremendously from in-place failure recovery, in which the MPI infrastructure can survive process crashes and resume communication services. In this paper we present the rationale behind the specification, and an effective implementation of the Revoke MPI operation. The purpose of the Revoke operation is the propagation of failure knowledge, and the interruption of ongoing, pending communication, under the control of the user. We explain that the Revoke operation can be implemented with a reliable broadcast over the scalable and failure resilient Binomial Graph (BMG) overlay network. Evaluation at scale, on a Cray XC30 supercomputer, demonstrates that the Revoke operation has a small latency, and does not introduce system noise outside of failure recovery periods.
Cloning and tissue expression of the mouse ortholog of AIM1, a βγ-crystallin superfamily member

We report the isolation of the murine ortholog of AIM1, a human gene whose expression is associated with the reversal of tumorigenicity in an experimental model of melanoma. Mouse and human AIM1 are more than 90% identical in amino acid sequence in the βγ-crystallin repeats and the C-terminal domain, and more than 75% identical in the extended N-terminal domain. Consistent with the isolated cDNA representing the authentic AIM1 ortholog, linkage analysis localized mouse Aim1 to proximal mouse Chromosome (Chr) 10 in a conserved linkage group with genes localized to human Chr band 6q21. Searches of EST databases identified a second AIM1-like gene in both mouse and human, suggesting the existence of a gene family. Northern analysis demonstrates Aim1 is expressed most abundantly in adult skin, lung, heart, liver, and kidney and is temporally regulated during embryogenesis. Aim1 is expressed highly in the shaft region of the hair follicles and the presumptive ectoderm, but not at detectable levels in melanocytes or melanocyte precursor cells.
Inflammatory mediators weaken the amniotic membrane barrier through disruption of tight junctions.

An article by Kobayashi et al. (2010) in a recent issue of The Journal of Physiology presents exciting new data demonstrating that inflammatory mediators weaken the amniotic membrane barrier through disruption of tight junctions. The authors used pregnant mice treated with either intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or intraamniotic interleukin-6 (IL-6) or tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα). In addition, amniotic membrane organ culture responses were studied following exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines. Using a variety of methods, the authors demonstrated that the amniotic barrier is weakened in response to the inflammatory milieu. Transepithelial resistance decreased and fluorescein transport increased across the amniotic membranes following intraperitoneal LPS or intra-amniotic IL6 and TNFα injection. When examining the mechanisms for reduced barrier function, the authors quantified decreases in claudin-3 and claudin-4 levels as well as the localization of claudin at the critical apical junction. In addition, the authors demonstrated that TNFα induced apoptosis of the amniotic epithelial cells, itself representing a mechanism for markedly reduced barrier function.
Evidence that anti-CD8 abrogates anti-CD4-mediated clonal anergy but allows allograft survival in mice

Monoclonal antibodies directed against different T cell subpopulations have been used in several rodent models of transplantation to induce long-term unresponsiveness to allografts by a variety of mechanisms. To investigate whether different mechanisms may be operative when different regimens of mAb therapy are used, we studied the effects of various combinations of anti-T-cell antibody treatment on the induction of tolerance in a mouse islet allograft model. Anti-CD4 mAb alone, anti-CD8 mAb alone, anti-CD4 mAb plus anti-CD8 mAb, and anti-Thy1.2 mAb alone were given at the time of engraftment. Only the anti-CD4 mAb and the anti-CD4 mAb plus anti-CD8 mAb regimens were successful in inducing permanent unresponsiveness to islet allografts. We have previously shown that anti-CD4 mAb alone induces permanent unresponsiveness to islet allografts by a mechanism of clonal anergy, as demonstrated by unresponsiveness of potentially alloreactive T cells to anti-T-cell receptor-specific cross-linking. Interestingly, the potentially alloreactive T cell subsets of recipient mice (V beta 5+ and V beta 11+) made unresponsive to islet allografts by anti-CD4 mAb plus anti-CD8 mAb therapy were not found to be anergic using the same assay. Differences between the repopulation kinetics of CD8+ T cells of anti-CD4 mAb plus anti-CD8 mAb treated recipient mice, which accepted islet allografts, and anti-Thy1.2 treated recipient mice, which rejected islet allografts despite similar levels of initial T cell depletion, suggest that unresponsiveness to alloantigen may have been induced in anti-CD4 mAb plus anti-CD8 mAb treated recipients by clearance of donor passenger leukocytes during prolonged CD8+ T cell depletion.
Workplace social and organizational environments and healthy-weight behaviors.

Background The workplace is an important setting for health promotion including nutrition and physical activity behaviors to prevent obesity. This paper explores the relationship between workplace social environment and cultural factors and diet and physical activity (PA) behaviors and obesity among employees. Methods Between 2012 and 2013, telephone interviews were conducted with participants residing in four Missouri metropolitan areas. Questions included demographic characteristics, workplace socio/organizational factors related to activity and diet, and individual diet and PA behaviors, and obesity. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine associations between the workplace socio/organizational environment and nutrition, PA, and obesity. Results There were differences in reported health behaviors and socio/organizational environment by gender, race, age, income, and worksite size. For example, agreement with the statement the ‘company values my health’ was highest among Whites, older employees, and higher income workers. As worksite size increased, the frequency of reporting seeing co-workers doing several types of healthy behaviors (eat fruits and vegetables, doing PA, and doing PA on breaks at work) increased. In adjusted analyses, employees agreeing the company values my health were more likely to engage in higher PA levels (aOR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.09-2.16) and less likely to be obese (aOR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.54-0.98). Seeing co-workers eating fruits and vegetables was associated with increased reporting of eating at least one vegetable per day (aOR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.06-1.91) and seeing co-workers being active was associated with higher PA levels (aOR 1.56, 95% CI: 1.19-2.05). Conclusions This research suggests that social/organizational characteristics of the workplace environment, particularly feeling the company values the workers’ health and to seeing co-workers engaging in healthy behaviors, may be related to nutrition and PA behaviors and obesity. These findings point to the potential for intervention targets including environment and policy changes.
The mechanism of void formation, void growth, and tensile fracture in an alloy consisting of two ductile phases

An investigation has shown that it is possible to relate void formation, void growth, and tensile ductility to microstructural features in an α-β titanium alloy, Ti-5.25A1-5.5V-0.9Fe-0.5Cu, heat treated to a constant yield strength. Equations relating tensile void growth rates to microstructure for both equiaxed,E, and Widmanstatten plus grain boundaryα, W + ITG. B.,in aged β morphologies have been derived. A mechanism for void formation at α-β interfaces is presented which accounts for the observed fact that voids do not form at Widmanstatten α platelets. Tensile fracture is shown to be intergranular in nature and occurs when a critical crack length-stress relationship is satisfied. The amount of ductility achievable in a specimen depends upon the rate of void growth. If the rate is large, the void reaches a critical size for fracture at a lower applied stress and strain and hence the ductility is less.
Mass and momentum transport in smooth falling liquid films laminarized at relatively high Reynolds numbers

Abstract One and two component velocity measurements were made in smooth laminar falling liquid films formed on the exterior of a vertical column using laser-Doppler velocimetry (LDV). Solutions of water and propylene glycol were used to create thick films and allow room for relatively large traverses of the measuring probe volume. These viscous solutions yielded smooth laminar films at Reynolds numbers as high as 4997, contrary to commonly accepted criteria for transition between falling film regimes. Measurement of the Reynolds stress verified that these films were indeed laminar. Modeling was performed via the integral momentum approach adapted to cylindrical coordinates with the assumption of a velocity profile preserved along the film development region. Velocity predictions varied from experimental results by less than 12.5% while film thickness predictions were within 8.7%.
Transcription Elongation Activity of the Vaccinia Virus J3 Protein in Vivo Is Independent of Poly(A) Polymerase Stimulation

Abstract Prior genetic analysis suggests that the vaccinia virus J3 gene product, previously characterized as a bifunctional (nucleoside-2′- O -)-methyltransferase and poly(A) polymerase stimulatory factor, is a postreplicative positive transcription elongation factor. To test this hypothesis, viruses bearing mutations in the J3 gene were characterized with respect to viral protein and RNA synthesis in infected cells. The analysis reveals that compared to wt virus infections, J3 mutants synthesize reduced amounts of large late viral proteins and shorter-than-normal intermediate and late mRNAs. Structural analysis of one late mRNA shows that it is specifically truncated from the 3′ end, thus accounting for its shorter than normal chain length. Thus J3 mutant viruses are defective in elongation of transcription of postreplicative viral genes, strongly suggesting that the J3 gene product normally acts as a positive transcription elongation factor. Biochemical analysis of one J3 missense mutant demonstrates that it retains poly(A) stimulatory activity but is defective in (nucleoside-2′-O-)-methyltransferase activity. Thus the elongation factor activity of the J3 gene product is independent of the poly(A) stimulatory activity. It remains to be determined whether the (nucleoside-2′- O -)-methyltransferase and elongation factor activities of the J3 protein are linked or can be uncoupled by mutation.
Structural mechanics of carbon nanotubes: From continuum elasticity to atomistic fracture

Motivated by recent observations of bent, collapsed and twisted carbon nanotubes, we investigate their behavior at large deformations. These hollow molecules behave remarkably similar to their macroscopic homologs. They reversibly switch into different morphological patterns, and each shape change corresponds to an abrupt release of energy and a singularity in the stress-strain curve. These transformations, simulated using a realistic many-body potential, are accurately described by a continuum-shell model. In contrast, a response to axial tension proceeds smoothly up to a fracture threshold, beyond which a monoatomic carbon chain unravels between the tube fragments.
Comparative in vitro activity of IY146032 (daptomycin), a new lipopeptide antimicrobial

The in vitro activity of LY146032, a new cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic, was compared with those of vancomycin, teicoplanin, and either oxacillin or ampicillin by determining agar dilution MIC values for 304 clinical gram-positive isolates. LY146032 had superior in vitro activity against oxacillin-resistant staphylococci when compared to vancomycin or teicoplanin. Against oxacillin-sensitive staphylococci, group JK-diphtheroids, streptococci,Listeria monocytogenes andClostridium difficile, LY146032 was equally or less active than vancomycin, teicoplanin, or the penicillins tested. When tested by macrobroth dilution MIC/MBC., LY 146032 showed good bactericidal activity against all organisms with the exception ofClostridium difficile.
Platysma muscle‐cervical fascia‐sternocleidomastoid muscle (PCS) flap for parotidectomy

Background Parotidectomy is useful in the treatment of benign and malignant neoplasms of the parotid gland, but often leads to sequelae of facial deformity and Frey's syndrome. This paper presents a retrospective review of parotidectomy results in 21 consecutive patients treated with either traditional techniques or with the rotation and advancement of combined platysma muscle-cervical fascia-sternocleidomastoid flap (PCS). Methods The surgical procedures utilized for removal and reconstruction are described. Information on appearance and function was obtained by analysis of hospital and office records and telephone questionnaire for patients with and without the flap. Results Of the 21 patients eligible for this study, only 9 of 10 patients with the PCS flap and 10 of 11 patients without the flap provided sufficient data for analysis. In the flap group all 9 patients either noted a mild fullness on the operated side or no difference between sides. In the nonflap group, 4 patients felt they had a moderate depression, 2 patients noted a mild depression, and 4 patients noted no difference between sides. Frey's syndrome was classified as mild in 2 patients in the PCS group, whereas in the nonflap group, 4 patients thought it was mild and 1, severe. Complications were rare in either group. Conclusion The PCS flap prevents deformity and contributes to patient satisfaction following parotidectomy. The flap helps to prevent Frey's syndrome and is not associated with an increase in postoperative complications. The flap is recommended following removal of nonrecurrent or low-grade malignant parotid tumors. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 21: 428– 433, 1999.
Surgical repair of a left atrial-esophageal fistula after radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Left atrial-esophageal fistula is a highly lethal complication of ablative therapy for atrial fibrillation. Because of its unusual rate of occurrence, there has not been a uniform approach to either the diagnosis or corrective therapy. We offer 1 such surgical option based on presumptive and early diagnosis—left atrial repair with cardiopulmonary bypass followed by repair of the esophagus with an omental wrap and supported with decompressive gastrostomy and feeding jejunostomy.
The Ambiguity of Negative Social‐Emotional Behaviour as an Index of Group Cohesion

Les resultats d'une experience sur un petit groupe mettent en lumiere l'ambiguite du comportement tension-retraite en tant qu'indicateur de la cohesion de groupe. Les donnees revelent une forte incidence de tension et “d'isoles anticipant leur isolement” dans un sous-groupe a haut niveau de cohesion. L'analyse et l'inter-pretation decelerent un pattern causal entrainant une definition de la situation par les membres de ce sous-groupe particulier. Des sentiments d'obligation et d'inap-titude, lies a la situation de distribution de recompense, ont apparemment suscite une forte tension et des sentiments de rejet. La situation particuliere avait a la fois engendre dans le meme groupe une grande cohesion et une forte tension. The results of a small group experiment indicated the ambiguity of tension-withdrawal behaviour as an index of group cohesion. Data revealed a high incidence of tension and of “self-expected isolates” in a highly cohesive group-type. Analysis and interpretation indicated a causal pattern involving the definition of the situation by members of this particular group-type. Feelings of obligation and of inadequacy due to the reward-distribution situation apparently resulted in great tension and feelings of rejection. The particular situation had generated both high cohesion and high tension in the same group.
Hormones and liver mitochondria: Influence of growth hormone, thyroxine, testosterone, and insulin on thermotropic effects of respiration and fatty acid composition of membranes

Abstract The effects of hypophysectomy and subsequent administration of growth hormone, thyroxine, insulin, and testosterone were examined in rat liver for the relationship between the thermotropic effects on State 3 respiration (ADP induced) and fatty acid composition of the phospholipid fraction of intact mitochondria as well as of inner membrane vesicles. The Arrhenius profile for energy-linked (succinate) State 3 respiration of mitochondria from hypophysectomized rats lacked the discontinuity at 23.5 °C seen with mitochondria from normal rats. After injections of the hormones the discontinuity representing the transition temperature from gel to liquid crystalline state of lipids occurred at different temperatures: 18.5 °C for growth hormone, 26.0 °C for thyroxine, 19.5 °C for growth hormone + thyroxine, 27.6 °C for insulin, and 25.3 °C for testosterone. The energy of activation between 37.5 and 23.5 °C was 1.9 times greater for hypophysectomy than for controls. Growth hormone was the most effective in restoring the energy of activation to normal, above as well as below transition temperature. The effect of thyroxine appears to be due to a larger stimulation of the State 4 respiration than that of growth hormone, insulin, or testosterone, especially at higher temperatures. Phospholipids extracted from intact mitochondria or inner membrane vesicles of hypophysectomized rats contained less arachidonic acid (20:4) and more linoleic acid (18:2) than those of normal rats. In addition, the contents of some of the minor fatty acids were also changed. Calculated unsaturation index showed an 18.8 and 14.9% depletion in unsaturation in whole mitochondria and inner membranes, respectively. Among the different hormones used to treat the hypophysectomized rats, growth hormone was the most effective in restoring the transition temperature and fatty acid composition to normal levels and increasing the gain in body weight. Although the other hormones increased total unsaturation index to some extent, some of the individual fatty acids were affected differently. Good correlation exists between the unsaturation index of mitochondrial fatty acids and transition temperature of State 3 respiration. These results strongly suggest a role for the hormones, particularly growth hormone, in the control of mitochondrial membrane fluidity of hypophysectomized rat liver, through fatty acid composition of phospholipids.
Thermal and dynamical stability of prominences

A comprehensive examination of the stability of prominences is presented, and the gross behavior of prominences is considered in terms of the stability of an optically thin plasma supported by a magnetic field against gravity, including thermal effects on the energy balance. It is shown that (1) hydromagnetic as well as hydrodynamic waves of short wavelengths could induce instability which leads to the formation of prominences, and (2) in quiescent prominences, the dominant factor which controls the instability is the shear between the permeated and the supporting magnetic fields. The dependence of these instabilities on the radiative loss and other hydromagnetic effects are discussed.
Novel Applications of Osseointegration in Orthopedic Limb Salvage Surgery

Osseointegration is a biologic process vital to modern endoprosthetic fixation in orthopedic surgery. Numerous engineering advancements have improved the utilization of this technology in orthopedics; however, issues such as stress shielding, aseptic loosening, and bone loss remain an ongoing challenge. These host responses are especially problematic in limb salvage surgery. Novel applications of osseointegration have been developed to address some of these fixation issues with massive tumor endoprostheses. This articles reviews osseointegration and emerging novel applications of this technology in limb salvage surgery and future prosthetics for amputees.
Voltammetry of nickel in molten lithium fluoride-sodium fluoride-potassium fluoride

Abstract Results are presented on the rapid scan voltammetry and anodic stripping voltammetry of nickel in molten LiF-NaF-KF. The technique of anodic stripping voltammetry is promising as a means of determining trace quantities of nickel directly in the melt; as little as 1 p.p.m. can be detected. The half-wave potential for the reduction of Ni(II) → Ni(0) occurs at approximately −0.2 V vs . the platinum quasi-reference electrode. Current-voltage curves were recorded at a pyrolytic graphite indicator electrode at voltage scan rates from 50 mV/min-10 V/min. At the faster scan rates, peak-shaped curves resulted which indicated that the transport process was mainly diffusion-controlled. A diffusion coefficient of 1·10 −6 cm 2 /sec at 500° was calculated. An activation energy of about 18 kcal/mole was calculated for the current-limiting process which corresponds to the reduction of Ni(II) to the metal.
POST-TRANSLATIONAL N-GLYCOSYLATION OF A TRUNCATED FORM OF A PEPTIDE PROCESSING ENZYME

Peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) catalyzes the carboxyl-terminal amidation of bioactive peptides through a two-step reaction involving the monooxygenase and lyase domains. PAM undergoes endoproteolytic cleavage in neuroendocrine cells in the lyase domain. To determine which of the two possible paired basic sites is utilized, truncated PAM proteins ending at these sites were stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. While characterizing the truncation mutants, it became apparent that N-glycosylation occurred post-translationally at the single site localized near the carboxyl terminus of the lyase domain. The post-translationalN-glycosylation of this site does not require the newly synthesized protein to remain tightly bound to membranes. Both malfolded, secretion incompetent proteins and fully active, secreted proteins were subject to post-translationalN-glycosylation.
EEG in 1-Week, 1-Month and 3-Month-Old Infants of Depressed and Non-Depressed Mothers

EEGs were examined in data collected from 348 1-week, 1-month and 3-month-old infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers across several studies. Both the percentage of infants exhibiting spectral peaks and the frequency in Hz at which those peaks were exhibited increased with age. Consistent with previous studies, infants of depressed mothers exhibited greater left frontal EEG power, suggesting greater relative right frontal EEG activity than infants of non-depressed mothers. This profile was apparent across a narrow frequency range, which shifted from 3-9Hz at 1 week of age to 4-9Hz by 3 months of age.
Igniting the Passion for Change through Web Conferencing

Paper Presentation Purpose for the Program A large health care organization faced challenges educating large numbers of nurses and providers who worked various shifts, across various time zones, in multiple facilities, in six states. Classroom education with a live instructor became impossible as the health care organization faced economic constraints, and qualified instructors were stretched thin. With a goal of providing consistent, quality education, this health care organization searched for a better way to provide support and information to all perinatal staff.
Surface structure of α-Cr2O3(0001) after activated oxygen exposure

Abstract The surface structure of α-Cr2O3(0001) before and after exposure to activated oxygen from an ECR plasma source was investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD). Epitaxial Cr2O3(0001) thin films were deposited on Al2O3(0001) substrates by oxygen-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (OPA-MBE). When cooled or annealed in vacuum, strong evidence for a Cr Cr O3 termination was obtained by comparing the Cr3 + XPD azimuthal scan to single scattering simulations. However, after plasma exposure, a high binding energy feature was observed in the Cr 2p XPS spectrum that possesses an ordered structure distinct from the underlying Cr3 + of Cr2O3, which remains Cr–Cr–O3-like. Investigation of this new surface structure with simulations of various candidate structures tentatively rules out CrO2-like configurations. The high binding energy feature likely arises from a higher oxidation state of Cr. One possibility is the oxidation of the surface layer of Cr to Cr6 − δ with a double chromyl structure (O Cr O).
Singular integral equations with cauchy kernel on the half-line

Abstract A simple transformation is developed for solving singular integral equations with Cauchy type kernels on the semi-infinite line, 0 ⩽ x ⩽ ∞. An application of the transformation to the solution of Laplace's equation in the upper half-plane is presented.
Implications of Social Value Orientation and Budget Levels on Group Performance and Performance Variance

ABSTRACT: In this paper I examine the effects of social value orientation (SVO) and group incentive contracts on performance and performance variance. SVO includes three main personality types: prosocials (who value cooperation and equality in outcomes); individualists (who focus upon their own rewards); and, competitors (who seek relative advantage over others, even at their own expense). In an experiment I form groups of participants based on their SVO and assign them to one of three incentive contracts: a piece‐rate contract that pays all employees an equal share of any group output, and two budget‐linear contracts (with a medium and a high budget target) that pay zero compensation below the budget target, an equal share of a bonus if the budget target is met and a piece‐rate for output above the budget target. Group performance is highest for groups of prosocials and lowest for groups with competitors and SVO has a greater effect under a medium rather than a high budget over latter periods of the expe...