cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward a disposable real-time DNA biosensing platform

With the goal of a portable diagnostic system in mind, we have designed a disposable platform for DNA detection. Surface micromachining using the SwIFT process at Sandia National Laboratories was used to make the new device, combining a waveguide, grating optics, heating structures, on-chip pumping, and microfluidics in a disposable package. PDMS microfluidic channels are integrated with the surface micromachined device to enable higher flow rates and added fluid complexity. Work on DNA hybridization under flow is presented, as applies to the function of the sensor. A description of the platform covering heating of the waveguide surface, laser coupling into the waveguide using grating optics, attachment chemistry for the sensor surface, and sealing of the PDMS microfluidic system to the device is given.
Quantitative electron microscopy of early adenovirus RNA.

Abstract We present methods of electron microscopy which allow simultaneous mapping and quantitation of individual populations of RNAs which are complementary to distinct regions of one template DNA. Adenovirus transcription, which has been thoroughly studied in the past, was chosen as a test system for our procedures. The cytoplasm of human cells harvested at early stages of productive infection with adenovirus type 2 contains RNA which hybridizes to four well defined regions of the viral genome, two on each DNA strand. We annealed the RNA to the separated strands of virion DNA. Hybrids (RD molecules) were visualized either directly or after duplexing with the complementary DNA strand (HD molecules). The four early regions were mapped between positions 1.1 to 10.6, 61.6 to 68.1, 76.7 to 83.7, and 91.5 to 96.9. At six and at eight hours after infection, RNAs were observed in these four locations at relative abundances of 1:1.62: 2.60:1.35, and 1:1.54:2,46:1.27, respectively. At least five distinct populations of RNA have been discerned, two in region 1, and one in each of the other regions. Special features detected in the electron microscope include a loop of single stranded DNA bridged by RNA at position 77.8 79.0 and a tiny denaturation bubble within HD molecules near position 29. Both structures may have interesting biological implications. All map positions represent mean values, with standard deviations of ~60 nucleotides in the best and of ~600 nucleotides in the worst cases, on a map comprising ~35,000 nucleotides. Individual transcripts contained in nanogram amounts of crude preparations may be assayed on single or double-stranded templates by our procedures. The experiments are more precise and less time consuming than comparable biochemical studies. They should be amenable to a variety of biological systems dealing with templates that are of, or can be restricted to, a size suitable for electron microscopy.
From Brainwashing to Organizational Therapy: A Conceptual and Empirical Journey in Search of ‘Systemic’ Health and a General Model of Change Dynamics. A Drama in Five Acts

In this article Schein reviews his 50 years of work on culture, careers, coercive persuasion, and process consultation in the form of a drama with acts, scenes and commentary from the chorus. An attempt is made to show how the various concepts all inform the model of ‘change’ that underlies all of this work and how insights about the mechanisms of change already occurred early in the career.
Sometimes binary is better

This note uses material involving perfect numbers and Zeno's paradoxes to show that although most students prefer to use base 10 when working with mathematical concepts there are times when the binary system is best.
Figure summarizer browser extensions for PubMed Central

Summary: Figures in biomedical articles present visual evidence for research facts and help readers understand the article better. However, when figures are taken out of context, it is difficult to understand their content. We developed a summarization algorithm to summarize the content of figures and used it in our figure search engine ( http://figuresearch.askhermes.org/). In this article, we report on the development of web browser extensions for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Apple Safari to display summaries for figures in PubMed Central and NCBI Images. Availability: The extensions can be downloaded from http://figuresearch.askhermes.org/articlesearch/extensions.php. Contact: [email protected]
The meaning of interior tomography

Interior tomography is an emerging area, which is for theoretically exact reconstruction of an internal region of interest (ROI) only from local projection data directly associated with the ROI. Here we focus on the ideas and implications of interior tomography, and discuss future research, development and applications.
Potential Conflicts between Normatively-Responsible Advocacy and Successful Social Influence: Evidence from Persuasion Effects Research

This article approaches the relationship of normative argumentation studies and descriptive persuasion effects research by pointing to several empirical findings that raise questions or puzzles about normatively-proper argumentative conduct. These findings indicate some complications in the analysis of normatively desirable argumentative conduct – including some ways in which practical persuasive success may not be entirely compatible with normatively-desirable advocacy practices.
Semiconductor-based photocatalysts and photoelectrochemical cells for solar fuel generation: a review

To address the challenge in sustainable global development, considerable effort has been made to produce fuels from renewable resources with photocatalysts and photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) by harvesting solar energy. The solar energy conversion efficiency of photocatalysts and PECs is strongly dependent on the light absorption, charge separation, charge migration, charge recombination processes and (electro)catalytic activity in photoactive semiconductors. This perspective article describes the barrier, progress and future direction of research on the correlation of the chemical constituent, size, dimensionality, architecture, crystal structure, microstructure and electronic band structure of photocatalysts (or photoelectrodes) with five vital processes including light absorption, charge separation, migration and recombination as well as surface redox reactions. This article deals with both single materials and composites such as co-catalysts on photoelectrodes/photocatalysts, dye-sensitized or plasmon-enhanced photocatalysts, semiconductor–semiconductor heterostructures, semiconductor–carbon hybrids as wells as Z-scheme and tandem cells. This article also highlights the application of representative photocatalysts and PECs in solar water splitting.
On spontaneous emission

The problem of the spontaneous emission from a single excited two-level atom in the presence of N unexcited similar atoms is discussed. A formalism is presented for evaluation of the time-development operator (and thus the density matrix) which has certain desirable features for time-dependent problems in the area, e.g. of atom-field interactions, when the off-diagonal elements are large compared to the diagonal elements of the Hamiltonian. By use of this formalism, it is shown that the spontaneous emission from a single atom is often drastically altered in the presence of unexcited atoms with similar resonances. When the number of atoms present becomes very large relative to the number of modes of the electromagnetic field, the excited atom becomes trapped in its excited state. >
Abstract B10: Detection of DNA methylation in the serum of lung cancer cases and controls using Digital MethyLight

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Over 1.3 million people succumbed to lung cancer in 2008 according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The predicted five year survival rate for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for the year 2010 is 16%. An early diagnosis would significantly increase survival of lung cancer patients. Low dose computed tomography (LDCT) detects tumors as small as T0. However, in a recent study by The National Lung Screening Trial Research Team, the false positive rate was 96%. DNA methylation, which has been shown to be associated with gene inactivation in various cancers, exhibits cancer-specific profiles. We hypothesize that DNA methylation in plasma/serum could be a powerful biomarker to complement LDCT when a lesion is detected. Results: Using candidate gene analysis in combination with epigenetic profiling we have identified 12 DNA methylation markers based on comparisons between archival lung cancer samples and matched adjacent non-tumor lung: 2C35, GDNF, HOXA1, HOXB4, MT1G, NEUROD1, NID2, OPCML/HNT, SFRP1, TNFRSF25, TRIM58, TWIST1 are all highly significantly and frequently hypermethylated in lung cancer tissues. Because detection of shed DNA in bodily fluids requires a very sensitive method, we have adapted Digital MethyLight to interrogate the 12 markers simultaneously on 384-well plates. Digital MethyLight is a sensitive real time-based limiting dilution method in which free floating DNA extracted from bodily fluids is diluted over a large number of wells (in our case 90) so that the number of detectable methylated DNA molecules can be counted. We used three different colors of probes to generate four sets of multiplexed probes, covering our 12-marker panel. Using this method, we examined the serum of 90 patients with lung cancer and 90 high-risk controls from New York City. We also examined serum from an additional 30 low risk, non-smoker controls. Many of our markers showed a statistically significant difference in methylation when comparing cases to non-smoker controls, but the difference with the high risk smokers was much less pronounced. Several subjects from the high-risk controls showed DNA methylation levels comparable to the cases, and several of these controls were ultimately diagnosed with cancer. Interestingly, we found no correlation between tumor stage and amount of DNA shed, and were able to detect methylated DNA in the serum of several stage 1A patients. Conclusion: Elevated DNA methylation is observed in lung cancer cases, as well as in a number of high risk control subjects. Serum DNA methylation levels are markedly lower in non-smoking controls. While sensitivity is low, methylated DNA can be detected in stage 1A patients, suggesting that even small tumors can shed sufficient DNA to allow detection. It is not clear why some patients do not show detectable DNA, even with progressed disease. This merits further investigation. Funding: R01 CA 119029, R01 CA120869, Canary Foundation and Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation.
Arrhythmia after modified total cavopulmonary connection without use of prosthetic material.

Background. Although total cavopulmonary connection without use of prosthetic material appeared to be a promising surgical procedure that would retain potential growth of the intraatrial tunnel, midterm incidence of arrhythmia remains unknown. Methods. Twelve patients underwent modified total cavopulmonary connection. A prosthetic material was not used in 5 patients (group F) and was used in 7 patients (group P). A retrospective review of the perioperative electrocardiogram and ambulatory monitoring were performed. Results. All patients revealed regular sinus rhythm before the operation. In the early postoperative period, the incidence of sinus node dysfunction was higher in group F than in group P (80% versus 28.6%). This difference no longer existed by hospital discharge (group F, 20%; group P, 14.3%). In the midterm follow-up period, sinus node dysfunction was detected in 4 patients of group F (80%) and 1 patient of group P (14.3%). Transient tachyarrhythmia was detected in 1 patient of group F and 3 patients of group P. Conclusions. Modified total cavopulmonary connection without use of prosthetic material affected unfavorably the sinus node in the early and midterm postoperative period.
Preservation of bowel and urinary continence in the management of locally recurrent rectal cancer.

Background The management of locally recurrent rectal cancer should achieve local tumor control and potentially improving disease-free and overall survival. Radical pelvic resection has traditionally been associated with permanent fecal and urinary diversion. However, as advanced techniques have evolved to allow restoration of intestinal and urinary continence, we reviewed the use of these techniques in patients with recurrent rectal cancer. Methods Patients with recurrent rectal cancer who underwent a resection at Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center between 1993 and 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included demographic data, surgical and oncological history, patterns of recurrence, treatment modalities, and outcome. Follow-up data was obtained from the last clinic visit and/or tumor registry. Results Sixty-seven patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer (male/female 45/22, age 32–81 years) were included in the analysis. Continence was re-established in 22 (33%) patients, urinary continence was restored in 12 patients, and intestinal continuity in 14 patients (both in 4 patients). A temporary diverting ostomy was necessary in 5 out of 14 (36%) patients. Mortality was zero and morbidity was low and included two urinary leaks and one fecal leak all of which could be managed non-operatively. At a median follow-up of 16 months (range 5–55), 11 (50%) patients were still alive, 7 (31%) without evidence of disease. Comparison of the groups of patients either with or without continence preservation showed no statistically significant difference in disease-free survival and overall survival rates. High quality of life was achieved with restoration of continuity, no patient with restored continuity expressed a desire for a diversion. Conclusion If an oncologically adequate resection of the recurrent rectal cancer can be performed without impairment of the pelvic floor integrity, continence preservation is feasible and results in good functional and oncological outcome. J. Surg. Oncol. 2005;92:76–81. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cell segmentation in multispectral images using level sets with priors for accurate shape recovery

In this paper, we demonstrate the effectiveness of using statistical shape priors to recover shape descriptors from occluded objects in a level set based variational framework. Parameters that balance curve evolution forces are estimated systematically through embedded discrete Conditional Random Field (CRF). In addition, our approach exploits the benefit of using spectral data to construct a local appearance model for images with intensity inhomogeneity. The proposed segmentation approach is evaluated on cytological smears imaged using spectral microscopy and compared against traditional cell segmentation algorithms.
New aliphatic polymalonamides

Abstract : New aliphatic polymalonamides were synthesized by interfacial polymerization and bulk polymerization using phenyl esters. Polymers obtained by bulk polymerization revealed higher inherent viscosities than those obtained by interfacial polymerization. Films of several polymers were made by melt procedures. By DSC, only 7-3 polymalonamide was crystalline.
Quasi-coarse-grained dynamics: modelling of metallic materials at mesoscales

A computationally efficient modelling method called quasi-coarse-grained dynamics (QCGD) is developed to expand the capabilities of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to model behaviour of metallic materials at the mesoscales. This mesoscale method is based on solving the equations of motion for a chosen set of representative atoms from an atomistic microstructure and using scaling relationships for the atomic-scale interatomic potentials in MD simulations to define the interactions between representative atoms. The scaling relationships retain the atomic-scale degrees of freedom and therefore energetics of the representative atoms as would be predicted in MD simulations. The total energetics of the system is retained by scaling the energetics and the atomic-scale degrees of freedom of these representative atoms to account for the missing atoms in the microstructure. This scaling of the energetics renders improved time steps for the QCGD simulations. The success of the QCGD method is demonstrated by the ...
Heparin: A Review of its Pharmacology and Therapeutic Use in Horses

Heparin is used clinically in horses to treat hemostatic abnormalities associated with severe gastrointestinal disease, septicemia, and endotoxemia. The primary anticoagulant effect of heparin is through the suppression of thrombin-dependent amplification of the coagulation cascade, and inhibition of thrombin-mediated conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. Heparin may be of benefit in preventing the complications associated with hypercoagulable states such as jugular vein thrombosis, laminitis, and organ failure. Heparin may also be beneficial in the prevention of intraabdominal adhesions after gastrointestinal surgery, and in amelioration of hemodynamic abnormalities associated with endotoxic shock. Because a sequential rise in serum heparin concentration occurs during a uniform dosage regimen, a decreasing dosage regimen is recommended. The initial dose recommended is 150 U heparin/kg body weight subcutaneously, followed by 125 U heparin/kg body weight subcutaneously, every 12 hours for six doses. The dose should be decreased to 100 U heparin/kg body weight subcutaneously, every 12 hours, after the seventh dose. Anemia, hemorrhage, thrombocytopenia, and painful swelling at injection sites are complications of heparin administration in horses.
Dissociating stimulus information from internal representation--a case study in object recognition.

Human object recognition is a function of both internal memory representation(s) and stimulus input information. The role of the latter has been so far largely overlooked, and the nature of the representation is often directly equated with recognition performance. We quantify stimulus information for three classes of objects in order of decreasing object complexity: unconnected balls, balls connected with lines, and balls connected with cylinders. In an object discrimination task, subjects’ performance improved with the decreasing object complexity. We show that input information also increases with decreasing object complexity. Therefore, the results could potentially be accounted for either by differences in the object representations learned for each class of objects, or by the increased information about the three-dimensional (3D) structure inherent in images of the less complex objects, or by both. We demonstrate that, when image information is taken into account, by computing efficiencies relative to a set of ideal observers, subjects were more efficient in recognizing the less complex objects. This suggests that differences in subjects’ performance for different object classes is at least partly a function of the internal representations learned for the different object classes. We stress that this conclusion cannot be achieved without the quantitative analysis of stimulus input information. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Targeting Avian Leukosis Virus Subgroup A Vectors by Using a TVA-VEGF Bridge Protein

Previously, we have demonstrated that bridge proteins comprised of avian leukosis virus (ALV) receptors fused to epidermal growth factor (EGF) can be used to selectively target retroviral vectors with ALV envelope proteins to cells expressing EGF receptors. To determine whether another type of ligand incorporated into an ALV receptor-containing bridge protein can also function to target retroviral infection, the TVA-VEGF110 bridge protein was generated. TVA-VEGF110 consists of the extracellular domain of the TVA receptor for ALV subgroup A (ALV-A), fused via a proline-rich linker peptide to a 110-amino-acid form of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This bridge protein bound specifically to its cell surface receptor, VEGFR-2, and efficiently mediated the entry of an ALV-A vector into cells. These studies indicate that ALV receptor-ligand bridge proteins may be generally useful tools for retroviral targeting approaches.
Electrochemical synthesis of conducting polymers from oligomers containing thiophene and furan rings

Synopsis Oligomers containing 2,5-thienylene and 2,5-furanylene units were synthksized by NiC1, (dppp) (dppp = Ph,PCH,CH,CH,PPh,) coupling of Grignard compounds with the appropriate bromothiophene or bromofuran; UV and electrochemical data are given and discussed in terms of number and kind of heterolene units in the oligomeric species.
The Inevitability of Enron and the Impossibility of 'Auditor Independence' Under the Current Audit System

The most surprising thing about the spectacular collapse of Enron may be that this kind of colossal public audit failure did not happen sooner. The kind of ploys that Enron executives seem to have been involved in are not new: indeed, versions of them formed part of the original impetus for the U.S. securities laws. The public company disclosure and audit procedures created by the securities laws established a watchdog in the form of accounting firms to certify the books and financial statements of public companies to curb just these kinds of abuses. Accordingly, the accounting firms are supposed to be "independent" of the audit client and act on behalf of shareholders and the public, not the audit client's management. The problem is that, however well this system worked at its inception, it is fundamentally flawed now such that as a practical matter it is impossible for auditors to be "independent" of their audit clients. The current audit system sets up a fundamental tension for the auditor because the parties to whom he technically owes allegiance are not the party who hires him and pays for his services. Accordingly, auditors' objectivity and independence are potentially compromised simply by accepting the audit engagement: accountants, like other service providers, rely on repeat business from their customers and they may well consider the prospects of being retained for next year's audit even as they perform this year's audit. The provision of non-audit services by auditors to their audit clients has exacerbated this fundamental tension, but I argue that a changing business environment and culture for accountants - based on the commodification of professional services generally - has taken what may have been a manageable problem and rendered it unworkable as a practical matter. Thus, even a full prohibition on non-audit services will not remedy the current issues underlying the debate over auditor independence. This paper is primarily intended to be a resource for those interested in auditor independence issues by analyzing the development of the accounting and audit profession, the background of the Securities Laws, the current state of private and public regulation of accountants who provide statutory audits, the dramatic changes in the business environment for professional services over the past few decades, and throughout it all, the evolution of the concept of "independence." Its secondary purpose is to suggest some alternative frameworks for performance and regulation of the statutory audit which map onto the important background political spectrum of ideologies ranging from a free market deregulation approach to a protective government agency regulation model.
Compiler techniques for reducing data cache miss rate on a multithreaded architecture

High performance embedded architectures will in some cases combine simple caches and multithreading, two techniques that increase energy efficiency and performance at the same time. However, that combination can produce high and unpredictable cache miss rates, even when the compiler optimizes the data layout of each program for the cache. This paper examines data-cache aware compilation for multithreaded architectures. Data-cache aware compilation finds a layout for data objects which minimizes inter-object conflict misses. This research extends and adapts prior cache-conscious data layout optimizations to the much more difficult environment of multithreaded architectures. Solutions are presented for two computing scenarios: (1) the more general case where any application can be scheduled along with other applications, and (2) the case where the co-scheduled working set is more precisely known.
Analysis of the yeast transcriptome with structural and functional categories: characterizing highly expressed proteins

We analyzed 10 genome expression data sets by large-scale cross-referencing against broad structural and functional categories. The data sets, generated by different techniques (e.g. SAGE and gene chips), provide various representations of the yeast transcriptome (the set of all yeast genes, weighted by transcript abundance). Our analysis enabled us to determine features more prevalent in the transcriptome than the genome: i.e. those that are common to highly expressed proteins. Starting with simplest categories, we find that, relative to the genome, the transcriptome is enriched in Ala and Gly and depleted in Asn and very long proteins. We find, furthermore, that protein length and maximum expression level have a roughly inverse relationship. To relate expression level and protein structure, we assigned transmembrane helices and known folds (using PSI-blast) to each protein in the genome; this allowed us to determine that the transcriptome is enriched in mixed α–β structures and depleted in membrane proteins relative to the genome. In particular, some enzymatic folds, such as the TIM barrel and the G3P dehydrogenase fold, are much more prevalent in the transcriptome than the genome, whereas others, such as the protein-kinase and leucine-zipper folds, are depleted. The TIM barrel, in fact, is overwhelmingly the ‘top fold’ in the transcriptome, while it only ranks fifth in the genome. The most highly enriched functional categories in the transcriptome (based on the MIPS system) are energy production and protein synthesis, while categories such as transcription, transport and signaling are depleted. Furthermore, for a given functional category, transcriptome enrichment varies quite substantially between the different expression data sets, with a variation an order of magnitude larger than for the other categories cross-referenced (e.g. amino acids). One can readily see how the enrichment and depletion of the various functional categories relates directly to that of particular folds. Further information can be found at http://bioinfo.mbb.yale.edu/genome/expression
Quasispecies Development by High Frequency RNA Recombination during MHV Persistence

Recent studies suggest that infectious viruses and particularly persisting viral RNAs often exist as diverse populations or “quasispecies”. We have developed an approach to characterize populations of the murine Coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) generated during persistent infection which has allowed us to begin to address the role of the viral quasispecies in MHV pathogenesis. We analyzed the population of persisting viral RNAs using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction amplification (RT-PCR) of the S1 “hypervariable” region of the spike gene followed by differential colony hybridization to identify spike deletion variants (SDVs) from acute and persistently infected mice. Sequence analysis revealed that mice with the most severe chronic paralysis harbored the most complex quasispecies. Mapping of the SDVs to the predicted RNA secondary structure of the spike RNA revealed that an isolated stem loop structure is frequently deleted. Overall, these results are consistent with high frequency recombination at sites of RNA
Neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent stress reactivity.

Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with higher levels of life stress, which in turn affect stress physiology. SES is related to basal cortisol and diurnal change, but it is not clear if SES is associated with cortisol reactivity to stress. To address this question, we examined the relationship between two indices of SES, parental education and concentrated neighborhood disadvantage, and the cortisol reactivity of African-American adolescents to a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test. We found that concentrated disadvantage was associated with cortisol reactivity and this relationship was moderated by gender, such that higher concentrated disadvantage predicted higher cortisol reactivity and steeper recovery in boys but not in girls. Parental education, alone or as moderated by gender, did not predict reactivity or recovery, while neither education nor concentrated disadvantage predicted estimates of baseline cortisol. This finding is consistent with animal literature showing differential vulnerability, by gender, to the effects of adverse early experience on stress regulation and the differential effects of neighborhood disadvantage in adolescent males and females. This suggests that the mechanisms underlying SES differences in brain development and particularly reactivity to environmental stressors may vary across genders.
(Ni,Fe,Co)-based nanocrystalline soft magnets with near zero magnetostriction

Nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials have been developed possessing a wide variety of compositions designed to reduce losses and a high saturation induction. Nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloys with compositions (Fe/sub 1-x-y/Co/sub x/Ni/sub y/)/sub 89-z/Zr/sub 7/B/sub 4/Cu/sub z/ were prepared by the isothermal annealing of melt-spun ribbons. The ribbon samples were characterized by the following techniques: differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. Several alloys have been shown to have near-zero magnetostriction. Alloy design, synthesis, and properties of these alloys will be discussed.
True phase-matched third-order DFB terahertz quantum-cascade lasers using weakly-coupled cavities

We report a novel laser cavity design in third-order distributed feedback terahertz quantum-cascade lasers based on true phase-matching technique. This approach dramatically increases the usable length of third-order DFB lasers and leads to even narrower beam patterns and likely higher output power. Single frequency emissions from 150 apertures (5.6-mm long device) are coherently added up to form a narrow beam with ∼ 6° divergence. Similar device with 40 apertures shows more than 5mW optical power with slope efficiency∼140mW/A at 10K pulsed operation.
Selenium Accumulation in a Rapid-cycling Brassica Oleracea Population Responds to Increasing Sodium Seienate Concentrations

Abstract Because of their short life cycle, rapid‐cycling base populations (RCBP) of Brassica can act as model systems for investigating selenium (Se) metabolism in high sulfur (S) accumulating plants. To establish treatment responses for a B. oleracea RCBP, plants were grown in nutrient solutions containing 0, 3, 6, and 9 mg sodium seienate (Na2SeO4) L‐1. Depletion of Se from nutrient solutions increased linearly with in‐creasing Na2SeO4 concentrations. Selenium accumulation ranged from 551 to 1,916 μg Se g‐1 dry weight for leaf tissue, 267 to 1,165 μg Se g‐1 dry weight for stem tissue, and 338 to 1,636 μg Se g‐1 dry weight for root tissue. Selenium additions also resulted in linear increases in S accumulation in leaves and stems. Selenium supplementation has been shown to improve the health of individuals with low Se status. Because Brassica species are important vegetable and forage crops, their enrichment with Se maybe a good delivery system for mammalian diets.
Cain’s Marke: N-Town’s Noah and the Lamech Interlude Reconsidered

The placement of Cain’s death into the middle of the N-Town Noah pageant has long intrigued readers of this English mystery cycle. Scholars have often focused on the role played by Cain’s murderer Lamech, though, instead of the slain villain himself, and these researchers have used the figure of Lamech to argue for the scene’s significance. This essay contends that we should once again place Cain at the center of the play’s meaning by exploring his role in several of the N-Town pageants. Following Martin Stevens’s theories about the cycle, this paper claims that Cain’s various appearances help to construct a commentary on repentance that is essential for developing a holistic reading of the N-Town cycle.
Catholic Women Negotiate Feminism: A Research Note

For ~~nen who identify as both committed Catholics and feminists, how do the?l negotiate between these tu~ apparently contradictory identities? I use data from one congregaaon and propose three possibilities for such negot/ata Women re-interpret feminista in light of Catholicism, reinte.rpret Catholicism in light of feminista, of see both feminista and Catholicism as very subjective and individual identities. This work has implications for how scholars of gender understand the place of feminista in the lives of traditiond reli~ous uomen. This stucly also expands the sociology of religion literature by broadening how individualista is understood in the context of congregational ~racipaaon.
Cement versus noncement: Humerus

Abstract Humeral head replacement arthroplasty has been performed for more than 40 years. As the technique has been refined and advances made in joint arthroplasty of the lower extremity, the indications and success of shoulder arthroplasty have greatly improved. The humeral component in a shoulder arthroplasty can be implanted with either cement or press fit fixation. Both techniques are precise and demand attention to detail if an orthopaedic surgeon wishes to obtain the optimum result for the patient. Press fit fixation, with or without porous coating for biological fixation, can be considered for a patient with good bone stock if it is felt that a stable interface can be obtained.In patients with abnormal bone, such as those with rheumatoid arthritis who are on corticosteroids and those with osteoporosis, the use of cement can provide stable long-term fixation.A review of the literature shows a humeral component loosening rate of only 0.9%. Humeral component complications are much less frequent than those on the glenoid side.
Endophyte-Assisted Phytoremediation of Explosives in Poplar Trees by Methylobacterium populi BJ001T

Phytoremediation is the use of plants for the treatment of environmental pollution. For a long time, bacteria in the rhizosphere have been recognized playing a significant role in the transformation of organic contaminants by higher plants. Although plants are known to detoxify and, to some extent, metabolize organic pollutants, they are autotrophic organisms that are not capable to fully mineralize organic molecules. Plant-associated bacteria can therefore complement the biodegradation capabilities of plants. Increasing interest has been given recently to endophytic bacteria for their potential role in phytoremediation of organic pollutants. In this study, a pink-pigmented symbiotic bacterium was isolated from hybrid poplar tissues (Populus deltoides × nigra DN34) that were used for the biodegradation of the toxic explosives, TNT, RDX, and HMX. On the basis of its physiological, genotypic, and ecological characteristics, the isolate has been recognized as a novel bacterial species, Methylobacterium populi strain BJ001T. The bacterium in pure culture was shown to degrade the explosives, TNT, RDX, and HMX. TNT was fully transformed in less than 10 days with the production of reduction metabolites including amino-dinitrotoluenes and diamino-nitrotoluenes. No significant mineralization of 14C-TNT into 14CO2 was recorded. The bacterium was also shown to transform RDX and HMX in less than 40 days. After 55 days of incubation, about 60% of initial 14C-RDX and 14C-HMX were mineralized into 14CO2. The metabolites detected from RDX transformation included a mononitroso derivative and a polar compound tentatively identified as methylenedinitramine. These observations suggest that Methylobacterium populi BJ001T may play a significant role in the metabolism of explosives in poplar plants.
Extensions of the SAFT model for complex association in the bulk and interface

Abstract In honor of the 25th anniversary of the SAFT equation of state, this paper presents a brief review of successes in modeling fluid mixtures with associating, polyatomic, and polar components using the SAFT equation of state. Challenges for the association term to predict monomer and dimer fractions in comparison with spectroscopic data are described. To address these challenges and challenges in patchy colloids, extensions to the associating term are reviewed that incorporate multiple bonding at association sites and cooperative association. Approximations in these extensions are validated through comparisons with molecular simulation results. Further, application of the density functional form of the theory to form micelles is briefly reviewed.
Introduction to longitudinal data analysis in psychiatric research.

The onset, course, and management of mental health problems typically occur over relatively long periods of time, so a substantial proportion of psychiatric research – particularly the research that can provide clear answers about the complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors – requires multiple assessments of individuals and the environments in which they live over time. However, many psychiatric researchers use incorrect statistical methods to analyze this type of longitudinal data, a problem that can result in unrecognized bias in analytic results and, thus, incorrect conclusions. This paper provides an introduction to the topic of longitudinal data analysis. It discusses the different dataset structures used in the analysis of longitudinal data, the classification and management of missing data, and methods of adjusting for intra-individual correlation when developing multivariate regression models using longitudinal data.
E-Prime Language

This note introduces readers to Korzybski's notion of English-prime language, that is, English without stative verbs (e.g., be, have, believe, know, seem). The note describes some of the problems that arise when people use stative language, the reification of opinions and their impact on others, and defensiveness in communication. The value of E-prime language in describing one's opinions as opinions and not facts, or reified "factoids," is presented as it relates to leadership and developing influence with others. A two-page excerpt from the introduction to Albert Ellis's book A New Guide to Rational Living is included as an appendix, which lays out the basic premises and principles of E-prime.
Comparison of Glucocorticoid-Induced Effects in Prolactin-Dependent and Autonomous Rat Nb2 Lymphoma Cells

Cultured Nb2 node rat lymphoma cells require lactogenic hormone for their proliferation. We reported previously that dexamethasone (Dex) inhibits prolactin (PRL)-induced mitogenesis and, in the absence of mitogen, induces apoptosis of Nb2 cells. Both antiproliferative and cytolytic effects of Dex on Nb2 cells appear to involve glucocorticoid (Type II) receptor mediation. In this study, we compared Dex effects in PRL-dependent Nb2 cells (Nb2) with SFJCD1 (SF), a clone of Nb2 cells that proliferates independently of exogenous PRL. Proliferative assays involved a 72-hr incubation in a chemically defined, serum-free medium where ovine PRL (1 ng/ml) was added to Nb2 cells but not to SF cells. Both cell lines were responsive to the antiproliferative effects of Dex in a dose (6.25-200 nM)-dependent fashion of comparable sensitivity and magnitude. Co-incubation with the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU 486, prevented the antiproliferative effect of Dex in both cell lines. In the same medium devoid of PRL, Dex was cytolytic to Nb2 cells and fragmented DNA in a fashion reflective of apoptosis, but was ineffective in SF cells. A dual chamber incubation system revealed no evidence that SF cells produced cytokines that were mitogenic or anticytolytic to Nb2 cells. Both Nb2 and SF cells fragmented DNA in a fashion indicative of apoptosis in the presence of the Ca2+ ionophore, A23187 (1 microM). These studies reveal a basic difference in glucocorticoid responsiveness between the PRL-dependent Nb2 cell line and its PRL-independent subclone, SF. While both cell lines exhibit functional glucocorticoid receptors and the necessary intranuclear machinery for apoptosis, the pathway mediating the latter is inhibited or dysfunctional in SF cells.
Effect of Hydrogenated Fat on Abnormal Carbohydrate Respiratory Quotients of Rats on a Fat-Deficient Diet

ConclusionThe partial hydrogenation of the alcohol-soluble fraction of lard, leading to the complete or almost complete destruction of the linoleic acid contained therein, does not diminish the effectiveness of the fat with respect to the lowering of the abnormal respiratory quotients of rats on a fat-deficient diet. Further indication is thereby given that the carbohydrate factor postulated as present in natural fats is not linoleic acid, the lack of which in the diet of rats has been found to produce other deficiency symptoms.One of us reported1 that extremely small amounts of fats have an influence on metabolism greatly in excess of their effect as fat per se because of a possible new dietary factor present in the fats. Evans and Burr2 announced the discovery of a syndrome characterized by subnormal growth and retardation or suppression of ovulation, which developed in rats maintained on a fat-deficient diet. Burr and Burr3 described additional symptoms of this fat deficiency disease in rats as scaly s...
FRI0507 Screening and diagnostic modalities in connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: a systematic review

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) affects patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD), especially systemic sclerosis (SSc) and MCTD. Despite this, there continues to be delay in screening and diagnosis of these patients. Objectives We undertook a systematic review to summarize the best evidence for screening and diagnosis of PAH in CTD. Methods A systematic search was performed in Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Scopus databases up to June 2012 with an experienced librarian, related to PH and CTD. We only focused on WHO group I PAH and excluded manuscripts that did not rule out interstitial lung disease (WHO group III) or left heart disease (WHO group II), or if the diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was not made by RHC. Results We started with 2805 titles, 838 abstracts, and included 21 manuscripts. Twelve studies assessed the tricuspid regurgitation velocity (VTR) or equivalent right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) using transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) as a threshold for RHC in patients suspected as having PAH. 11 of these studies were in SSc, and one pertained to SLE. The screening threshold for RHC was VTR >2.73 to >3.16 m/s without symptoms or 2.5 to 3.0 m/s with symptoms and resulted in 20-67% of patients having RHC proven PAH (Table). In the SLE study, VTR >3.0 m/s on TTE led to RHC in 3 patients and none had PAH. Three studies looked at pulmonary function tests and various DLCO% predicted cut-offs. These studies suggest that a low DLCO% 45-70% is associated with a 5.6-7.4% development of PAH, and the decline in DLCO% is associated with an increase in the specificity (For 60% cut off, spec= 45%, and for 50% cut off, spec=90%]) for PAH. Five studies looked at NT-ProBNP and a cut-off >209pg/ml has a high sensitivity (90-100%) and a specificity ranging from 45-95%. Single studies looked at EKG findings, cardiac MRI, Chest X-ray, CT, autoantibodies, laboratory values and physical exam findings. Conclusions Our systematic review shows that most evidence exists for use of TTE, pulmonary function tests, and NT-ProBNP for screening and diagnosis of PAH in CTD. These data will be used to develop guidelines for screening and diagnosis of PAH in CTD. References Humbert, M., A. Yaici, et al. (2011). “Screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis: clinical characteristics at diagnosis and long-term survival.” Arthritis Rheum 63 (11): 3522-3530. Vachiery, J. L. and G. Coghlan (2009). “Screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis.” Eur Respir Rev 18 (113): 162-169. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
Production of carbonyl compounds by several species of endoconidium-forming fungi.

The following organisms were used in the study: Ceratocystis moniliformis (Hedge.) C. Moreau ATCC-12861, obtained from the American type culture collection; C. coerulescens (Mivnch) Bakshi obtained from Dr. K. J. Kessler at the Lake States Forest Experiment Station; C. fimbriata (Ell. & Halst.) Davidson f. platani Walter, obtained from Dr. R. W. Davidson at the Beltsville Forest Disease Laboratory; C. variospora (Davids.) C. Moreau and Thielaviopsis basicola (Berk.) Ferr., from the University of Connecticut culture collection. All of the iso? lates were maintained on potato-dextrose agar slants. The organisms were grown in 250 ml Erlenmyer flasks containing 50 ml of potato-dextrose (5 %) broth and incubated on a rotary shaker at 250 rpm for 4 or 5 days at 25 C. The contents of these flasks then served as inocula for large flasks (2,500 ml) containing 650 ml of potato-dextrose (5%) broth. These flasks were incubated on a reciprocal shaker with a stroke length of 4 inches (88 strokes/min) for 3-4 days at 25 C. The total contents of the large flasks, generally 10 liters, were steam distilled. The carbonyl 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives (2,4DNPH) were made by adding an excess of acidified 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (0.2%, 2,4-DNP in 2N HC1). The distillate containing 2,4-DNP was allowed to stand overnight at room temperature. The
Effect of Additives of Herbs on Rex Rabbit's Productioin Performance

Objective:An experiment was conducted to study the effects of Herbs content in diets on the production performance in Rex.Methods:A total of 60 Rex were selected and divided into six groups according to the principle of sexuality reciprocity.The test groups in the basic diet were added different doses of Herbs. Then,weight,body length and chest girth of rexes were measured.The rexes were slaughtered in order to detect and analyze the production performance,feed conversion efficiency and survival rate.Results:Adding Herbs to 1.2%level of Herbs diet,the rexes weight the fastest,compared with the control group increased 18%,and the difference significant(P0.05).Conciution:1.2%level of Herbs supplementation could increase significantly the average daily gain,body length and pelt area of rexes had significant positive correlation to the accumulation.
Gas Flow in Thin Film Processing Systems

This chapter is designed to study gas flow in thin film processing systems. Ordinarily, under equilibrium conditions, the molecules of a gas move around in a random manner and there is no net velocity for the motion of gas in any particular direction. Equilibrium properties such as specific heat at constant volume and at constant pressure may be easily calculated for a gas. When one creates a non-equilibrium situation, a net flow of gas occurs. A difference in pressure in different parts of the system will result in the flow of gases. A temperature difference between two parts of a system will result in gas flow as well as heat flow. A composition or density difference between two regions in the same system will create a mass flow. Gas flow considerations are important in vacuum systems and enable one to design or modify these systems for efficient operation. This can save costs, improve speed of operation, and enable the achievement of high levels of vacuum. The generation of high vacuum and the measurement of pressure are of crucial importance in understanding the overall picture in thin film processing.