cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The postmortal accumulation of brain N-arachidonylethanolamine (anandamide) is dependent upon fatty acid amide hydrolase activity

N-Arachidonylethanolamine (AEA) accumulates during brain injury and postmortem. Because fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) regulates brain AEA content, the purpose of this study was to determine its role in the postmortal accumulation of AEA using FAAH null mice. As expected, AEA content in immediately frozen brain tissue was significantly greater in FAAH-deficient (FAAH−/−) than in wild-type mice. However, AEA content was significantly lower in brains from FAAH−/− mice at 5 and 24 h postmortem. Similarly, wild-type mice treated in vivo with a FAAH inhibitor (URB532) had significantly lower brain AEA content 24 h postmortem compared with controls. These data indicate that FAAH contributes significantly to the postmortal accumulation of AEA. In contrast, the accumulations of two other N-acylethanolamines, N-oleoylethanolamine (OEA) and N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA), were not reduced at 24 h postmortem in either the FAAH−/− mice or mice treated with URB532. FAAH−/− mice accumulated significantly less ethanolamine at 24 h postmortem compared with wild-type mice, suggesting that FAAH activity plays a role in the accumulation of ethanolamine postmortem. These data demonstrate that FAAH activity differentially affects AEA and OEA/PEA contents postmortem and suggest that AEA formation specifically occurs via an ethanolamine-dependent route postmortem.
Customized neonatal incubator for measurement of platelet‐artificial microvascular graft interactions under controlled flow, temperature, and transmural pressure

A neonatal incubator has been custom modified to enable measurement of initial platelet retention on biomaterials in vitro under clinically relevant hemodynamic conditions. To calibrate this device, platelet retention on several materials having microconduit geometry (0.7–1.0 mm i.d.) has been measured after perfusion with citrated whole blood (containing 111 Indium-labelled platelets) at a shear rate of 312 s−1, 37°C, and 80 cm H2O transmural pressure. The relative reactivity of these materials toward platelets was: glass < Fibrinogen(Fg)-coatedglass < Fg-coated polyethylene < polyethylene ∼ = Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. Interindividual variation is relatively large (coefficient of variation = 35.5 ± 9.3%), but comparison to intraindividual controls reduces the variability to 14.8 ± 10.3%, a level which is suitable for economical testing of platelet retention to biomaterials in the presence or absence of drugs. This approach may have particular value in the study of the mechanism of platelet interactions with artificial microvascular grafts under perfusion conditions which are relevant to the first moments of flow, when initial platelet deposition occurs.
Heart rate variability and respiratory concomitants of visual and nonvisual “imagery” and cognitive style☆

Abstract Attention to visual and nonvisual imagery, elicited by an imagery questionnaire, was studied using both within and between subjects analyses of cardiac and respiratory parameters. Visual imagery was accompanied by more regular interbeat heart rate (HR) and shorter, more stable respiratory cycles than nonvisual imagery. “Visually-oriented” thinkers (visualizers), identified by a word association test, manifested less overall variability in HR than “verbally-oriented” thinkers (verbalizers), as well as less variable HR and respiratory period during visual imagery. Visual and nonvisual imagery differed in HR variability for verbalizers and in respiration period for visualizers. The results are discussed in terms of the concepts of attention deployment, “mental load”, cerebral asymmetry, and stylistic personality differences in cognitive functioning.
Current and emerging strategies for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) represents the most serious and challenging complication of allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). New insights on the role of regulatory T-cells, T cells, and antigen-presenting cells have led to an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of GVHD. However, little progress has been made since the introduction of calcineurin-inhibitor-based regimens in the mid-1980s. Despite standard prophylaxis with these regimens, GVHD still develops in approximately 40-60% of recipients. Thus, there is a need for developing newer approaches to mitigate GVHD, which may facilitate the use of allogeneic HSCT for the treatment of a wider range of haematological cancers. We discuss the rationale, clinical evidence, and outcomes of current (and widely employed) strategies for GVHD prophylaxis, namely calcineurin-inhibitor-based regimens (such as cyclosporine or tacrolimus) combined with methotrexate or mycophenolate mofetil. We assess the clinical evidence for emerging approaches in the prevention of GVHD, including therapies targeting T cells or B cells, the use of mesenchymal stem cells, chemo-cytokine antagonists (such as maraviroc, TNF-α inhibitor, IL-2 receptor antagonist, IL-6 inhibitor), and the use of novel molecular regulators that target multiple cell types simultaneously, including atorvastatin, bortezomib, and epigenetic modulators.
Students with emotional/behavioral disorders and transition planning: What the follow‐up studies tell us

This paper will examine the current literature and implications of follow-up studies of students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) focusing on the postschool outcomes of this population. The examination of the follow-up studies gave a perspective of transition and postschool outcomes for youths with EBD. In our research, we found 22 follow-up studies that examined the EBD population as a subset of a larger pool of youths with disabilities, yet found only eight studies that examined the EBD population exclusively. When compared to the multitude of studies done with other disability categories (e.g., learning disabled, mild or moderately retarded) the adult outcomes of youth with EBD have not been studied as extensively. This synthesis of the literature on follow-up studies should act as a reference in the revision or updating of curriculum and programming for communities, school boards, educators, counselors, parents, and students. A general conclusion drawn by the literature reviewed was that students with EBD also have lower grades, more course failures, a higher grade retention, and a higher dropout rate than other disability groups and the general population. A re-evaluation of school programs (e.g., general/special education curriculum) and policies (e.g., transition planning) must occur if these postschool outcomes for youths with EBD are to improve. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Resistance to collagenase: a characteristic of collagen fibrils cross-linked by formaldehyde.

1. 1.|Collagen fibrils reconstituted from purified guinea pig collagen in solution were cross-linked uniformly with small concentrations of buffered formaldehyde. Introduction of as few as three methylene cross-links per molecule of collagen produced gels insoluble in 0.5 M acetic acid at 4 °C. 2. 2.|Such cross-linked gels show a resistance to collagenolysis. Gels cross-linked with 1.4% formaldehyde were resistant to both bacterial and synovial collagenase, while gels cross-linked with 0.14% formaldehyde were resistant only to the synovial enzyme. 3. 3.|Increments in temperature of the reaction from 37 °C to levels reached in vivo during febrile states (e.g. 40 °C) rendered gels cross-linked by 0.14% formaldehyde more susceptible to collagenolysis than were control gels at 37 °C, indicating that formaldehyde cross-links had stabilized the fibril form and that, conversely, febrile states might make certain collagen fibrils more susceptible to collagenase. 4. 4.|Using radioactive gels as xenografts it was demonstrated that cross-linking protected gels from degradation in vivo as well as in vitro.
Second-order energies and third-order matrix elements of alkali-metal atoms.

The recently introduced technique of constructing finite basis sets from B-splines for use in atomic-physics calculations is applied to the alkali-metal atoms Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs. Valence energies are calculated within the framework of many-body perturbation theory to second order, and corrections to hyperfine splitting and transition matrix elements to third order in the approximation that a dominant subset of the terms in this order, associated with Brueckner orbitals, is evaluated. Agreement with experiment at the 1% level is found for all of the atoms considered. Comparisons are made with other calculations, and a short discussion of the systematic extension of this work is given.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOCIAL DESIRABILITY SCALE VALUES, PROBABILITIES OF ENDORSEMENT, AND INVASION OF PRIVACY RATINGS OF OBJECTIVE PERSONALITY ITEMS

St~nz?nary.--48 objective personality items were chosen to represent the entire social desirability continuum and were heterogeneous and non-pathological in content. They were mred by 50 males and 50 females for how socially desirable it is to ask persons to respond to them regardless of the responses that might be elicited (SD-?); and by a separate sample of 97 males and 99 females for how much of an invasion oC privacy it constitutes to have co endor~e them (IP). The correlarions between SD-? racings and conventional social desirability scale values (SDSV) and probabilities of endorsement (P(T) ) ranged from .87 to 90. The correlations between 1P cnd SDSV and P(T) ranged from .64 to .74. This evidence indicates thar objeztive personality irems are perceived as invasions of privacy almost exclusively to rhe extent char endorsement of an item is iudged to be socially undesirable, even when endorsement is explicitly nor in question. The present furor over psychological testing in general and objective personality testing in particular has aroused the interest and stirred the emotions of most psychologists and much of the general public as well. Several unflattering and near-libelous books on the subject have been written and numerous unpleasant charges have been leveled against psychologists. The controversy has reached the point where committee hearings on psychological testing were held during the most recenc session of the Congress (Amer. Psychologisi, 1965). One of the major issces is the so-called "invasion of privacy." Critics charge that psychologists are asking people to answer very private questions and to give extre~nely personal information chac is not needed or could be acquired in other ways and serves no purpose other than to satisfy someone's morbid curiosity, i.e., the psychologist's. There is probably some justification to these charges. However, many practitioners il the field of resting are inclined to be skeptical since, among other things, their critics do not seem to be able to agree on what constitutes an invasion of privacy. Some critics say chac they dislike being asked any qiiesrions at all; others seem to find only questions about bodily functions objectionable; still others feel that probing into their opinions or attitudes is an unbearable breach of privacy (Amer. P~~chol~gist, 1965, pp. 885-988). On the surface, it appears that t7e questions which some people detest do not bother others at all and vice versa. In comrnon clinical parlance, there seems to be a goad deal more defensiveness than reason to these arguments. On the basis of much of :he recent work in objective personality assessment (Edwards, 1964), it appears likely thar it is not the invasion of privacy in
Intra- and intermolecular electron transfer reactions in covalently linked donor-acceptor molecules

Abstract We synthesized a homologous series of molecules (MVnn′Q) where a methylviologen (MV2+) and an amino-chloronaphthoquinone (Q) are linked to each other via a flexible chain. Using the electron pulse radiolysis technique, we have measured time-resolved spectra and determined rate constants for intra- and intermolecular electron transfer (ET) between donor and acceptor site of the MVnn′Q molecules in water and in sodium dodeeyl sulfate (SDS) micellar solution. For comparison, we also irradiated a solution containing a 1:1 mixture of methylviologen and amino-chloronaphthoquinone and measured spectra and intermolecular ET reactions between the separated electron donor and acceptor molecules. We found a remarkably slow intramolecular electron transfer from the reduced methylviologen moiety to the quinone site of all MVnn′Q molecules both in water and in aqueous SDS micellar suspensions. The intramolecular rate constants measured in water increase with the number of intervening bonds, leading to the conclusion that electron transfer occurs by a through-space rather than through-bond mechanism. The intramolecular rate constants virtually lose their chain length dependence in SDS suspensions where, because of an extended configuration of the micellized MVnn′Q molecules, through-space interaction is not favored.
Spider silk: Webs measure up

The complete elastic response of a spider's orb web has been quantified by non-invasive light scattering, revealing important insights into the architecture, natural material use and mechanical properties of the web. This knowledge advances our understanding of the prey-catching process and the role of supercontraction therein.
Bone Marrow Fibre Production in Myelofibrosis: a Quantitative Study

A digital image processing technique has been used to quantitate bone marrow fibre in histological material (both biopsy and necropsy) from 17 cases of myelofibrosis. An attempt was made to correlate the results of these measurements with other diagnostically relevant parameters. Bone marrow fibre was found to correlate significantly with absolute neutrophil count, the absolute count of immature granulocytic cells and with the number of immature granulocytic cells expressed as a percentage of the total leucocyte count. There was no significant correlation between marrow fibre content and platelet count for the series as a whole, but for those cases in which measurements were made following splenectomy these parameters were highly correlated. Bone marrow fibre content did not appear to correlate with liver or spleen weight at necropsy, nor with the duration of clinical manifestations of the disease. The significance of these findings is discussed.
Modeling UASs for Role Fusion and Human Machine Interface Optimization

Currently, a single Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) requires several humans managing different aspects of the problem. Human roles often include vehicle operators, payload experts, and mission managers [1-3]. As a step toward reducing the number of humans required, it is desirable to reduce operator workload through effective distributed control, augmented autonomy, and intelligent user interfaces. Reliably doing this requires various roles in the system to be modeled. These roles naturally include the roles of the humans, but they also include roles delegated to autonomy and software decision-making algorithms, meaning the GUI and the unmanned aerial vehicle. This paper presents a conceptual model which models the roles of complex systems as a collection of actors, running in parallel. Results from applying this model to the UAS-enabled Wilderness Search and Rescue (WiSAR) domain indicate (a) it is possible to model the entire WiSAR system at varying degrees of abstraction (b) that building and evaluating the model provides insight into the best practices of WiSAR teams and (c) a way to model human machine interactions that works directly with the Java Pathfinder model checker to detect errors.
Internal-magnetic-field distribution at the critical current of a type-II superconductor subjected to a parallel magnetic field

A general critical-state model including the effects of both flux-line cutting and flux pinning is used to predict the internal-magnetic-field distribution at the critical current of type-II superconductors subjected to parallel magnetic fields. The anticipated behavior is considered for specimens in the form of both slabs or strips and thin-walled cylindrical shells. Striking dependences upon the applied field angle are predicted for the direction of the electric field in slab geometry and for the magnitude and direction of the induced azimuthal current in cylindrical geometry.
Forms of social control in two-person, two-choice games.

In this paper, the importance of power as an influence on choice of strategies is analyzed, and the application of game theoretic concepts to real-life social conflicts is discussed. In mixed-motive games, the amount of control which a player can exercise over his own and his opponents' gains and losses obviously has an important influence on choices of strategy for both.
Regulation and regulatory role of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid containing clotting factors

Blood coagulation is initiated following damage of the vessel wall. The large number of proteins that participate in the reactions that regulate blood coagulation must behave in a concerted manner to generate alpha-thrombin. This most abundant enzyme product of the coagulation process acts on the soluble blood protein fibrinogen to create the insoluble fibrin clot, trigger platelet activation, and initiate a variety of vascular processes ranging from coagulation inhibition and activation of fibrinolysis to cell growth. The majority of enzymes that participate in the blood-clotting process circulate in blood as inactive zymogens and procofactors. Following mechanical injury to the vessel wall, a cell-associated protein, tissue factor, is exposed and initiates a series of enzymatic reactions localized on a membrane surface generally provided by cells and accumulating platelets. The binding of the enzymes and zymogen substrates to the exposed membrane surface and their activation are in part governed by the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues (gla) of each protein. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the gla residues are necessary for Ca2+ binding and subsequent exposure of the hydrophobic membrane binding regions to the cell bilayer. Thus, the gla residues play a preeminent role during the blood-clotting process. Absence of gamma-carboxylation of one or more of the critical glutamic acid residues results in an impaired coagulation/anticoagulation process which may lead to a bleeding diathesis or thrombosis.
Genetics researchers’ and IRB professionals’ attitudes toward genetic research review: a comparative analysis

Genetics researchers’ and IRB professionals’ attitudes toward genetic research review: a comparative analysis
Avoiding ownership for alleged wrongdoings

(1990). Avoiding ownership for alleged wrongdoings. Research on Language and Social Interaction: Vol. 24, No. 1-4, pp. 1-36.
Novel Common Integration Sites Targeted by Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Insertion in Mammary Tumors Have Oncogenic Activity

Non-acute transforming retroviruses like mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) cause cancer, at least in part, through integration near cellular genes involved in growth control, thereby de-regulating their expression. It is well-established that MMTV commonly integrates near and activates expression of members of the Wnt and Fgf pathways in mammary tumors. However, there are a significant number of tumors for which the proviral integration sites have not been identified. Here, we used high through-put screening to identify common integration sites (CISs) in MMTV-induced tumors from C3H/HeN and BALB/c mice. As expected, members of both the Wnt and Fgf families were identified in this screen. In addition, a number of novel CISs were found, including Tcf7l2, Antxr1/Tem8, and Arhgap18. We show here that expression of these three putative oncogenes in normal murine mammary gland cells altered their growth kinetics and caused their morphological transformation when grown in three dimensional cultures. Additionally, expression of Tcf7l2 and Antxr1/Tem8 sensitized cells to exogenous WNT ligand. As Tcf7l2, Antxr1/Tem8, and Arhgap18 have been associated with human breast and other cancers, these data demonstrate that MMTV-induced insertional mutation remains an important means for identifying genes involved in breast cancer.
Improving individual and organizational performance through communities of practice

Organizations have been increasingly providing communities of workers with resources, time, physical space and collaborative technologies to enhance the exchange and flow of knowledge and information. In this paper the results of a multi-organizational survey of four work-based communities is presented. These results offer insights into the resource usage, time use for various work activities, and reported individual, community and organizational benefits. A descriptive model is developed and discussed to show the relationships between community participation, time use, and individual and organizational outcomes.
Processing of ribosomal RNA in a temperature sensitive mutant of BHK cells

Abstract The processing of ribosomal RNA has been studied in a temperature sensitive mutant of the Syrian hamster cell line BHK 21. At 39°C, these cells are unable to synthesize 28S RNA, and 60S ribosomal subunits, while 18S RNA, and 40S subunits are produced at both temperatures. At 39°C the 45S RNA precursor is transcribed and processed as in wild type cells. The processing of the RNA precursors becomes defective after the cleavage of the 41S RNA, and the separation of the 18S and 28S RNAs sequences in two different RNA molecules. The 36S RNA precursor, which is always present in very small quantity in the nucleoli of wild type cells and of the mutant at 33°C, is found in very large amounts in the mutant at 39°C. The 36S RNA can be, however, slowly processed to 32S RNA. The 32S RNA cannot be processed at 39°C, and it is degraded soon after its formation. Only a small proportion accumulates in the nucleoli. The 32S RNA synthesized at 39°C cannot be processed to 28S RNA upon shift to the permissive temperature, even when the processing of the newly synthesized rRNA has returned to normal. The data suggest that the 36S and 32S RNAs are contained in aberrant ribonucleoprotein particles, leading to a defective processing of the particles as a whole.
Isopiestic Measurement of the Osmotic Coefficients of Aqueous {xH2SO4 + (1−x)Fe2(SO4)3} Solutions at 298.15 and 323.15 K

This study measures the osmotic coefficients of {xH2SO4 + (1−x)Fe2(SO4)3}(aq) solutions at 298.15 and 323.15 K that have ionic strengths as great as 19.3 mol,kg−1, using the isopiestic method. Experiments utilized both aqueous NaCl and H2SO4 as reference solutions. Equilibrium values of the osmotic coefficient obtained using the two different reference solutions were in satisfactory internal agreement. The solutions follow generally the Zdanovskii empirical linear relationship and yield values of aw for the Fe2(SO4)3–H2O binary system at 298.15 K that are in good agreement with recent work and are consistent with other M2(SO4)3–H2O binary systems.
A model relating root permeability to flux and potentials: application to existing data from soybean and other plants.

A model that relates hydraulic permeability to water flux and to gradients in pressure potential and solute potential was tested using soybean (Glycine max) plants. Water flux was varied by additions of polyethylene glycol 6,000 around one portion of a divided root system and by changing the light intensity and CO2 concentration around the plants. The data are compatible with the model only if the hydraulic permeability varies with flux; however, the data were insufficient for rigorous testing. Three sets of published data fit the model only if hydraulic permeability varies. Evidence originally presented as involving constant hydraulic permeability is shown, rather, to require variable hydraulic permeability.
Age-related changes of sulfated proteoglycans in the normal human trabecular meshwork.

Abstract Ultrastructural changes in sulfated proteoglycans were studied in 12 pairs of normal eye-bank eyes (aged 1 day to 92 years), using the cationic dye, cuprolinic blue, in a ‘critical electrolyte concentration’. Pretreatment of trabecular meshwork sections with various glycosaminoglycanases and nitrous acid served to characterize these proteoglycans. Three sizes of proteoglycan-cuprolinic blue (PG-CB) complexes were found in association with different extracellular matrix components. Small, thin PG-CB complexes were closely associated with collagen fibrils. Large, thick PG-CB complexes, although located close to collagen fibrils in a variety of places, were most commonly seen between the boundaries of the collagen bundles, where they were associated with fine filaments. Both types of collagen-associated PG-CB complexes contained chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate, with dermatan sulfate predominant. Basal lamina-associated PG-CB complexes contained heparan sulfate. An age-related, progressive coalescence of collagen was found in normal trabecular meshwork in a statistically significant fashion; the regions of collagen coalescence were associated with a decrease of small, collagen-associated PG-CB complexes and an increase of a previously unrecognized matrix material. The measurement of areas of coalescence of collagen was used as an indirect indicator of small, collagen-associated PG-CB complex loss with age. Large collagen-associated PG-CB complexes and basal lamina-associated PG-CB complexes decreased from infant to young adult; no additional loss with age was found. Further studies will be needed to determine whether loss of sulfated PGs plays a role in increased aqueous outflow resistance that characterizes glaucoma.
Growth and properties of amorphous silicon films grown using pulsed-flow reactive plasma beam epitaxy

The growth and properties of a-Si:H films grown using a novel deposition technique, reactive plasma beam epitaxy, are discussed. In this technique, a remote H plasma produced in a microwave-ECR reactor is used to grow a-Si:H films at low pressures. The H ions react with SiH/sub 4/ introduced near the substrate to produce the film. The flow of SiH/sub 4/ is pulsed on or off, thereby achieving in-situ annealing of the film during growth by H ions and radicals. The films produced by this technique appear to have good electronic quality, and are more stable than the standard glow discharge films. >
Origins of mangrove ecosystems and the mangrove biodiversity anomaly

1. Mangrove species richness declines dramatically from a maximum in the Indo-West Pacific (IWP) to a minimum in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic. Explaining this ‘anomalous’ biogeographic pattern has been a focus of discussion for most of this century.2. Two hypotheses have been put forward to explain the mangrove biodiversity anomaly. The ‘centre-of-origin hypothesis’ asserts that all mangrove taxa originated in the IWP and subsequently dispersed to other parts of the world. The ‘vicariance hypothesis’ asserts that mangrove taxa evolved around the Tethys Sea during the Late Cretaceous, and regional species diversity resulted from in situ diversification after continental drift.3. Five lines of evidence are used to test between these two hypotheses. First, we review the mangrove fossil record. Second, we compare modern and fossil distributions of mangroves and eight genera of gastropods that show high fidelity to the mangrove environment. Third, we describe species-area relationships of mangroves and associated gastropods with respect to area of available habitat. Fourth, we analyse patterns of nestedness of individual plant and gastropod communities in mangrove forests. Fifth, we analyse patterns of nestedness of individual plant and gastropod species.4. All five lines of evidence support the vicariance hypothesis. The first occurrences in the fossil record of most mangrove genera and many genera of gastropods associated with mangrove forests appear around the Tethys Sea from the Late Cretaceous through the Early Tertiary. Globally, species richness in any given mangrove forest is tightly correlated with available area. Patterns of nestedness at the community and species-level both point towards three independent regions of diversification of mangrove ecosystems: South-east Asia, the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, and the Indian Ocean region.
“BUDDIES” OR “SLUTTIES” The Collective Sexual Reputation of Fraternity Little Sisters

Fraternity little sister organizations are a relatively unexplored aspect of the contemporary college campus culture. This article examines the construction of the collective sexual reputation of fraternity little sisters and how fraternity little sisters interpret and resist it in an effort to maintain their individual sexual reputations. Further analysis shows how fraternity men contribute to the collective sexual reputation and control women in little sister organizations by sexually objectifying and commodifying them, by sending them purposefully vague and conflicting messages about sexual expectations, and by sexually abusing them.
On convergence properties of the singlepass and online fuzzy c-means algorithm

Single pass fuzzy c-means and Online fuzzy c-means are two scalable versions of the widely used fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm. They both facilitate scaling to very large numbers of examples while providing partitions that very closely approximate those one would obtain using fuzzy c-means. They have been successfully applied to a number of data sets, most notably magnetic resonance image volumes of the human brain. In practice, the algorithms have converged on the data sets to which they been applied. Computers are of finite precision, which will allow real values to be converted to integers with minor loss of information. In this paper, we show that they will converge to local minima or saddle points of the modified objective function for any data set when weights are integers.
Spliceosome assembly in the absence of stable U4/U6 RNA pairing.

The cycle of spliceosome assembly, intron excision, and spliceosome disassembly involves large-scale structural rearrangements of U6 snRNA that are functionally important. U6 enters the splicing pathway bound to the Prp24 protein, which chaperones annealing of U6 to U4 RNA to form a U4/U6 di-snRNP. During catalytic activation of the assembled spliceosome, U4 snRNP is released and U6 is paired to U2 snRNA. Here we show that point mutations in U4 and U6 that decrease U4/U6 base-pairing in vivo are lethal in combination. However, this synthetic phenotype is rescued by a mutation in U6 that alters a U6–Prp24 contact and stabilizes U2/U6. Remarkably, the resulting viable triple mutant strain lacks detectable U4/U6 base-pairing and U4/U6 di-snRNP. Instead, this strain accumulates free U4 snRNP, protein-free U6 RNA, and a novel complex containing U2/U6 di-snRNP. Further mutational analysis indicates that disruption of the U6–Prp24 interaction rather than stabilization of U2/U6 renders stable U4/U6 di-snRNP assembly nonessential. We propose that an essential function of U4/U6 pairing is to displace Prp24 from U6 RNA, and thus a destabilized U6–Prp24 complex renders stable U4/U6 pairing nonessential.
Pharmacology of intraperitoneal cefazolin in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Abstract Cefazolin was added to dialysis fluid in nine patients with renal failure undergoing peritoneal dialysis with 2 liters/h per exchange. With 50 mg/liter (three patients), the first measurable mean serum concentration was 3.7 μg/ml (range, 2.4 to 4.9 μg/ml) after three exchanges and was 30.3 μg/ml (range, 13.3 to 44.3 μg/ml) after 24 exchanges. After 18 to 24 more exchanges without cefazolin, the mean serum concentration was 12.3 μg/ml (range, 3.8 to 24.6 μg/ml). The mean concentration in the dialysis outflow was 26.9 μg/ml (range, 2.5 to 58.5 μg/ml). With 150 mg/liter (six patients), the mean serum concentration was 5.2 μg/ml (range, 3.6 to 7.8 μg/ml) after the first exchange and 8.4 (range, 6.1 to 14.0 μg/ml), 15.0 (range, 8.2 to 23.5 μg/ml), and 71.9 (range, 26.2 to 142.1 μg/ml) μg/ml after the second, third, and twenty-fourth exchanges, respectively. After 17 to 24 more exchanges without cefazolin, the mean serum concentration was 38.2 μg/ml (range, 15.4 to 65.7 μg/ml). The mean concentration in the dialysis outflow was 71.4 μg/ml (range, 21.9 to 150.8 μg/ml). After 1 g of cefazolin was given intraperitoneally with no more dialysis, serum concentrations rose by a mean of 62.5 μg/ml (range, 18.9 to 107.8 μg/ml). The maximum rise occurred within 2 h with two-thirds of the rise occurring within 30 min. During the subsequent 22 h levels dropped to 65.4% of the peak.
Near optimal compression with respect to a static dictionary on a practical massively parallel architecture

We consider sublinear massively parallel algorithms for compressing text with respect to a static dictionary. Algorithms for the PRAM model can do this optimally in O(m+log(n)) time with n processors, where m is the length of the longest entry in the dictionary and n is the length of the input string. We consider what is perhaps the most practical model of massively parallel computation imaginable: a linear array of processors where each processor is connected only to its left and right neighbors. We present an algorithm which in time O(km+mlog(m)) with n/(km) processors is guaranteed to be within a factor of (k+1)/k of optimal, for any integer k/spl ges/1. We also present experiments indicating that performance may be even better in practice.
Model Composition Using Filter Spaces

Decision support systems (DSS) typically contain data and models to facilitate decision making. DSS users, in response to a particular decision-making situation, often execute a sequence of models, in which inputs to a model in the sequence are obtained from outputs of other models upstream in the sequence and from database retrievals. The problem of generating a sequence of models from the set of available models is known as the model composition problem. In this paper, we propose a new construct called filter spaces to support model composition. We show how filter spaces can significantly facilitate automation of model composition and execution process, and provide effective means to integrate partial solutions from multiple composite models and databases.
Cross-Cultural Agreement in Perceptions of Babyfaced Adults

Two studies investigated Korean college students' perceptions of babyfaced adults. The first study replicated McArthur and Apatow's (1983-1984) investigation of U.S. students' impressions of schematic adult male and female faces. The second study replicated Berry and McArthur's (1985) investigation of U.S. students' impressions of 20 young adult Caucasian male faces. The studies revealed near perfect agreement between U.S. and Korean subjects regarding the relative babyfacedness of the stimulus persons as well as very strong agreement regarding their traits. The same facial characteristics that were correlated with U.S. subjects' ratings of babyfacedness were also correlated with Koreans' ratings. In addition, like U.S. subjects, Koreans perceived babyfaced stimulus persons to possess more childlike psychological attributes than their mature-faced counterparts. The results are discussed within a theoretical framework that argues that perceptions of babyfaced adults derive from the specieswide adaptive val...
The value of fluorescence in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma by fine-needle aspiration.

Abstract Context.—Molecular genetic analyses have been predicted to improve the diagnostic accuracy of fine-needle aspiration of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Objective.—To determine the value of routine molecular genetic assays, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), in the diagnosis of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma by fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Design.—A multiparametric method, including cytology, flow cytometry, PCR, and FISH, was prospectively evaluated in the diagnosis of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma by FNA. Aspirates from 30 consecutive patients with suspected hematolymphoid malignancies were collected. All aspirates were triaged through a uniform program including cell-size analysis, B- and T-cell clonality studies, flow cytometric immunophenotyping, and bcl-1 and bcl-2 gene rearrangements by PCR and FISH. After completion of FNA evaluations, FNA results were compared with diagnoses from prior or subsequent surgical biopsies. Results.—Monoclonal B-cell populat...
Effect of repeated zirconium citrate injections on distribution of plutonium in the rat.

SummarySerial zirconium citrate injections during the month immediately folowing the administration of plutonium were found to effect a 6-fold reduction in the skeletal deposition of plutonium and to increase the retention of plutonium in the soft tissues. Therapy with zirconium, commencing a month after the plutonium injection, was found to have little, if any, effect on the distribution of plutonium.
Comprehensive Criteria for Assessing Therapy-Induced Toxicity

Methods of assessing and reporting toxic reactions induced by therapy, particularly chemotherapy, need improvements. Accurate and reliable reporting of therapy-induced toxicity will be necessary for quality clinical research including drug development and for implementation of complex multimodality treatments, currently, however, the extent and quality of reporting of toxic reactions vary widely. Whereas standard and widely accepted criteria have been established for assessing and reporting therapeutic response, no such criteria exist for toxicity. We have developed comprehensive criteria for assessing and reliably reporting toxic reactions. We have reduced the degree of subjectivity in assigning grades by using primarily objective methods. An attempt has been made to standardize the "morbidity impact" of each toxicity grade irrespective of the organ system involved.
Base-pair opening in three DNA unwinding elements

DNA-unwinding elements are specific base sequences that are located in the origin of DNA replication where they provide the start point for strand separation and unwinding of the DNA double helix. In the present work we have obtained the first characterization of the opening of individual base pairs in DNA-unwinding elements. The three DNA molecules investigated reproduce the 13-mer DNA-unwinding elements present in the Escherichia coli chromosome. The base sequences of the three 13-mers are conserved in the origins of replication of enteric bacterial chromosomes. The exchange of imino protons with solvent protons was measured for each DNA as a function of the concentration of exchange catalyst using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The exchange rates provided the rates and the equilibrium constants for opening of individual base pairs in each DNA at 20 °C. The results reveal that the kinetics and energetics of the opening reactions for AT/TA base pairs are different in the three DNA-unwinding elements due to long range effects of the base sequence. These differences encompass the AT/TA base pairs that are conserved in various bacterial genomes. Furthermore, a qualitative correlation is observed between the kinetics and energetics of opening of AT/TA base pairs and the location of the corresponding DNA-unwinding element in the origin of DNA replication.
The Future of Anxiolytic Drug Therapy

Benzodiazepines are generally considered safer than previously used sedatives and hypnotics (e.g. opiates and barbiturates). In the past decade, however, they have generated considerable controversy. Although much of the ongoing debate about benzodiazepines tends to centre on issues related to their dependency and abuse potential, problems also may occur with their therapeutic use.Despite a lack of study evidence demonstrating that benzodiazepines have continuing therapeutic efficacy beyond 6 months for anxiety and 4 weeks for insomnia, an unknown number of patients have taken benzodiazepines for extended periods, in some cases for up to 25 years or more. Other than increased risk of withdrawal reactions, little is known about the effects of protracted benzodiazepine use on health and cognitive function. A number of investigators, however, have reported considerable ill health, both mental and physical, in long-term users.Short-term therapeutic use of benzodiazepines is often considered relatively risk-fr...
Inflammation, Immunity, and Hypertensive End-Organ Damage

For >50 years, it has been recognized that immunity contributes to hypertension. Recent data have defined an important role of T cells and various T cell-derived cytokines in several models of experimental hypertension. These studies have shown that stimuli like angiotensin II, deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt, and excessive catecholamines lead to formation of effector like T cells that infiltrate the kidney and perivascular regions of both large arteries and arterioles. There is also accumulation of monocyte/macrophages in these regions. Cytokines released from these cells, including interleukin-17, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factorα, and interleukin-6 promote both renal and vascular dysfunction and damage, leading to enhanced sodium retention and increased systemic vascular resistance. The renal effects of these cytokines remain to be fully defined, but include enhanced formation of angiotensinogen, increased sodium reabsorption, and increased renal fibrosis. Recent experiments have defined a link between oxidative stress and immune activation in hypertension. These have shown that hypertension is associated with formation of reactive oxygen species in dendritic cells that lead to formation of gamma ketoaldehydes, or isoketals. These rapidly adduct to protein lysines and are presented by dendritic cells as neoantigens that activate T cells and promote hypertension. Thus, cells of both the innate and adaptive immune system contribute to end-organ damage and dysfunction in hypertension. Therapeutic interventions to reduce activation of these cells may prove beneficial in reducing end-organ damage and preventing consequences of hypertension, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, renal failure, and stroke.
A Thin-Film SOI 180nm CMOS RF Switch Technology

This paper describes a 180nm CMOS thin film SOI technology developed for RF switch applications. For the first time we show that the well-known harmonic generation issue in HRES SOI technologies can be suppressed with one additional mask. Power handling, linearity, and Ron*Coff product are competitive with GaAs pHEMT and silicon-on-sapphire technologies. Index Terms — RF switch, thin film SOI, wireless, CMOS
DETERMINANTS OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION: PEER EFFECTS IN MENSTRUAL CUP TAKE‐UP

Weestimatetheroleofpeereffectsintechnologyadoptionusingdatafromarandomizeddistribution of menstrual cups in Nepal. Using individual randomization, we estimate causal effects of peer exposure on adoption. We find strong evidence of peer effects: two months after distribution, one additional friend with access to the menstrual cup increases usage by 18.6 percentage points. Using the fact that we observe both trial and usage of the product over time, we examine the mechanisms that drive peer effects. We show evidence that peers impact learning how to use the technology, but find less evidence that peers impact an individual desire to use the menstrual cup. (JEL: J13, O33, O12)
The Heliothis virescens cadherin protein expressed in Drosophila S2 cells functions as a receptor for Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A but not Cry1Fa toxins.

Genetic knockout of the BtR4 gene encoding the Heliothis virescens cadherin-like protein (HevCaLP) is linked to resistance against Cry1Ac toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis. However, the functional Cry1Ac receptor role of this protein has not been established. We previously proposed HevCaLP as a shared binding site for B. thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1A and Cry1Fa toxins in the midgut epithelium of H. virescens larvae. Considering that Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa are coexpressed in second-generation transgenic cotton for enhanced control of Heliothine and Spodoptera species, our model suggests the possibility of evolution of cross resistance via alteration of HevCaLP. To test whether HevCaLP is a Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa receptor, HevCaLP was transiently expressed on the surface of Drosophila melanogaster Schneider 2 (S2) cells. Expressed HevCaLP bound [125I]Cry1A toxins under native (dot blot) and denaturing (ligand blot) conditions. Affinity pull-down assays demonstrated that Cry1Fa does not bind to HevCaLP expressed in S2 cell...
Template-based intervention in Boolean network models of biological systems

A grand challenge in the modeling of biological systems is the identification of key variables which can act as targets for intervention. Boolean networks are among the simplest of models, yet they have been shown to adequately model many of the complex dynamics of biological systems. In our recent work, we utilized a logic minimization approach to identify quality single variable targets for intervention from the state space of a Boolean network. However, as the number of variables in a network increases, the more likely it is that a successful intervention strategy will require multiple variables. Thus, for larger networks, such an approach is required in order to identify more complex intervention strategies while working within the limited view of the network’s state space. Specifically, we address three primary challenges for the large network arena: the first challenge is how to consider many subsets of variables, the second is to design clear methods and measures to identify the best targets for intervention in a systematic way, and the third is to work with an intractable state space through sampling. We introduce a multiple variable intervention target called a template and show through simulation studies of random networks that these templates are able to identify top intervention targets in increasingly large Boolean networks. We first show that, when other methods show drastic loss in performance, template methods show no significant performance loss between fully explored and partially sampled Boolean state spaces. We also show that, when other methods show a complete inability to produce viable intervention targets in sampled Boolean state spaces, template methods maintain significantly consistent success rates even as state space sizes increase exponentially with larger networks. Finally, we show the utility of the template approach on a real-world Boolean network modeling T-LGL leukemia. Overall, these results demonstrate how template-based approaches now effectively take over for our previous single variable approaches and produce quality intervention targets in larger networks requiring sampled state spaces.