cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PCR-directed DNA sequencing of "nondeletion" HPRT-mutants induced by bleomycin in CHO K1-BH4 cells.

Bleomycin is one of the radiomimetic antibiotics which induces DNA double-strand breaks by highly specific free radical attack on deoxyribose moieties in DNA. Earlier, we have shown that bleomycin induces a high proportion of large deletions involving one or more exons in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) locus in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line CHO K1-BH4, in which no spontaneously occurring large deletions were detected by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based deletion screening assay. Here we report the molecular nature of another class of mutants in which we did not observe any abnormal exon pattern. We refer to these mutants as the “nondeletion” type. Since bleomycin is a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating agent, we also studied whether the change of intracellular levels of ROS may affect the bleomycin-induced mutation spectra. We therefore also investigated the hprt mutation spectra induced by bleomycin with pretreatment by TRIEN (triethylenetetramine), a superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibitor, and TEMPOL (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl), a SOD mimic. Analysis of these three bleomycin-induced “nondeletion” mutation spectra revealed that 5′-GTC-3′ or 5′-GCC-3′ sequences were the hot spots for single basepair deletions. Other types of mutation include abnormal cDNA or no cDNA amplification on the hprt locus. Due to the small sample size, we are unable to draw a definitive conclusion about the effects of TRIEN and TEMPOL on bleomycin-induced spectrum of “nondeletion” type hprt mutations. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 32:244–250, 1998 © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Community development through grassroots education in Argentina: a female social movement with Catholic origins

Abstract Through semi-structured interviews with female social movement participants in a grassroots Argentine community group with Catholic origins, I asked, ‘How do women in a grassroots Argentine movement perceive the influence of theology on this movement's pedagogies?’ The following themes emerged: role of a mission statement, ‘Announcing the world’; incorporation of various spiritual traditions; storytelling as pedagogy; archetypes as pedagogical tool; transmission to home and community; and return to formal education. Theology was found to be a tool of action and reflection in the struggle for women's liberation and holistic, ecumenical community development.
Selectivity and effectiveness of extractants used to release metals associated with organic matter

Partial extraction procedures can be used to release metals associated with organic matter in natural materials. Reagents commonly employed for this purpose include hydrogen peroxide, Na hypochlorite and Na pyrophosphate. This study tested the selectivity of these reagents by comparing the amount of Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu they released from sulfide and oxide minerals and determined the ability of these reagents to release the same metals from peat. Sodium hypochlorite and Na pyrophosphate released between 0.2 and 8.7% of the total metal content of the Fe, Cu and Zn minerals. In contrast, three commonly used hydrogen peroxide reagents released significantly more metals from the oxides and sulfides. Percentages of Zn and Mn released from the peat samples were comparable for all extractions tested. Per cent Cu released from peat by Na pyrophosphate was very low compared to that released by hydrogen peroxide/HNO3 or na hypochlorite. A smaller fraction of Fe was released from peat by Na hypochlorite than by the other reagents. Iron release by Na hypochlorite correlates with the organic carbon content of the peat samples. A universal extractant for metals associated with organic matter in all types of samples has not been identified. Sodium hypochlorite and Na pyrophosphate are better than hydrogen peroxide in selectively releasing metals bound to organic matter because they do not release significant amounts of metals from oxide and sulfide minerals.
Pesticides and Worker Safety

A key problem in pesticide regulation is uncertainty about health risks. Trade‐offs between economic benefits and worker health safety are examined using an empirical illustration. Alternative decision rules for regulation under uncertainty are considered: a safety fixed rule, which protects individuals from excessive health risks, and uncertainty‐adjusted cost‐benefit analysis, which evaluates aggregate trade‐offs between health and economic welfare. These criteria may lead to opposite policy conclusions, suggesting that the most appropriate public policy is a safe minimum standard (SMS), which allows weighing of costs and benefits only after some minimum acceptable level of health safety has been assured.
A Hardware Design For Topographical Classification Of Pixels In An Image

The gray level geographical structure (GLGS) is a simple method to represent the local intensity variation of an image in symbolic description. This representation can be used in higher level image processing in subsequent steps. The advent of VLSI microelectronic technology has led to the idea of implementing the GLGS directly in hardware. A two dimensional pipelined systolic pixel classification array is proposed in this paper. In the design, each pair of processing elements processes the data in a pipelined fashion and the data in each pair of processing elements is processed in a parallel fashion to further enhance the system performance.
Abnormal anal cytology in HIV-infected women: Baranoski et al

142 American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology Anal cancer is a rare malignancy. However, patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have increased susceptibility to the tumor, which has been tied to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Highly active antiretroviral therapy has not prevented the amplified risk for anal cancer noted in this population. As with cervical cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the anus seems to have a precursor lesion; dysplasia is classified as anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN), grade 1 (low-grade), 2 (moderate), or 3 (highgrade). But, evidence-based screening recommendations for anal dysplasia and cancer do not yet exist. Observational studies, such as the work discussed at this month’s Journal Club meeting, are important for defining risk factors for AIN 2 and 3. This study, conducted among HIV-positive women, also attempted to address the effectiveness of anal cytology and anal HPV testing with the Hybrid Capture 2 test as possible screening tests for detection of AIN 2 and 3.
Atomic and Molecular Calculations with the Pseudopotential Method. III. The Theory of Li2, Na2, K2, LiH, NaH, and KH

The pseudopotential theory of diatomic molecules developed in the first part of this series is applied to the calculation of molecular constants for Li2, Na2, K2, LiH, NaH, and KH. Treating these molecules as two‐electron problems the core–valence interaction potential is the Hartree–Fock potential plus the exact Phillips–Kleinmann pseudopotential computed in the second part of the series. The wavefunction of the valence electrons is a Heitler–London ansatz for the A2 types and an H–L ansatz augmented by an ionic term containing a correlation factor (1 + cr12) for the hydrides. The computed constants are dissociation energies, equilibrium distances, vibrational frequencies, and dipole moments (for the hydrides). The computated dissociation energies are about 13 of the empirical for the A2 types and 23 of the empirical for the hydrides. The computed equilibrium distances, obtained as the position of the energy minimum, are reasonably close to the empirical in all cases. The results are analyzed, and it is ...
Afferent sources of a lateral midbrain tegmental zone associated with the pinnae in the cat as mapped by retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase.

A paralemniscal zone in the lateral midbrain tegmentum of the cat has been identified in a possible pathway from the superior colliculus to the facial nucleus that may control pinna movements (Henkel and Edwards, '78). Other brainstem afferent projections to this paralemniscal zone have been mapped in the present study using the retrograde horseradish peroxidase tracing method and are discussed in three groups. First, potential sources of auditory afferents were limited mainly to the external nucleus of the inferior colliculus, the nucleus sagulum, and the dorsomedial periolivary cell group. Labeled cells in other superior olivary regions and the dorsal cochlear nucleus were apparently related to uptake of horseradish peroxidase from the axons of the lateral lemniscus. Second, afferents from several premotor regions involved in aspects of gaze control were identified. These were mainly from the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi and adjacent pontine reticular formation, butalso included projections from the medial vestibular and abducens nuclei and possibly subthalamic regions such as the zona incerta and fields of Forel. Third, a relatively large group of midbrain afferents was closely related to the origin of the collicular projection to the paralemniscal zone. This group consisted of labeled cells in the periaqueductal gray matter, nucleus cuneiformis, and pretectum. The relatively sparse labeling in auditory regions that projected to the paralemniscal zone seems to indicate that the sensorimotor integration necessary to guide pinna movements does not take place primarily in the lateral midbrain tegmentum. The interaction of gaze-related sources with the pinna-related pathway is also discussed.
SPERM PELLET ANALYSIS: A TECHNIQUE TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF SPERM IN MEN CONSIDERED TO HAVE AZOOSPERMIA BY ROUTINE SEMEN ANALYSIS

AbstractPurpose: In men considered to have azoospermia by routine semen analyses sperm may be identified after centrifuging the semen. Because these sperm may be used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection, we describe our technique and findings of sperm pelleting.Materials and Methods: Semen centrifugation for sperm pellet analysis was performed in 140 consecutive men in whom no sperm was identified on routine semen analysis and who were categorized as having obstructive or nonobstructive azoospermia. Obstructive azoospermia was defined as failed vasectomy reversal, failed reconstruction for congenital vasal or epididymal occlusion, or an acquired obstruction unrelated to ejaculatory duct obstruction. Patients with congenital absence of the vas deferens or who had undergone vasectomy were not included in the study. Nonobstructive azoospermia was defined as moderate to severe testicular atrophy with markedly elevated serum follicle-stimulating hormone (greater than 3 times normal), or a testicular biopsy th...
N-photon bremsstrahlung in the soft-photon approximation.

An approximation is derived for the amplitude for spontaneous emission of an arbitrary number of low-frequency photons during the collision of a charged particle with a (short-range) center of force. The result correctly reproduces the first four terms in an expansion of the amplitude in powers of the frequency. The evaluation of the first two terms requires a knowledge of the physical (on-shell) amplitude for radiationless scattering. At this level the approximation represents a generalization of Low's theorem, reducing to his result for the case of single-photon bremsstrahlung. The next two terms involve as additional input the physical one-photon emission amplitude. The calculation is based on the Bloch-Nordsieck method for summing those contributions arising from the emission of soft photons in either the initial or final state of the scattering process. The derivation of the soft-photon approximation is facilitated by the introduction of a transformation to the length gauge. The possibility of extending this approach to allow for a more general class of scattering systems is briefly discussed.
A two-year longitudinal study of stressful life events, social support, and social problem-solving skills: Contributions to children's behavioral and academic adjustment.

We investigated the contributions of stressful life events and resources (social support and social problem-solving skills) to predicting changes in children's adjustment. At Time 1, 361 third through fifth graders completed measures of social support and social problem-solving skills. Their parents completed a stressful life events scale and a child behavior rating measure. The children's teachers provided ratings of behavioral and academic adjustment. 2-year follow-up data (Time 2) were obtained for approximately half of the sample on the same measures. Time 1 stressful life events and resources showed some significant but modest zero-order correlations with the Time 2 adjustment indices. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed prospective effects for Time 1 social support on later teacher-rated competencies and grade-point average. In addition, increases over time in social support and social problem-solving skills (a composite score) were significantly related to improvement in behavioral and academic adjustment, whereas stressful life events were not predictive of adjustment.
Definability in Reducts of Algebraically Closed Fields

Let K be an algebraically closed field and let L be its canonical language ; that is, L consists of all relations on K which are definable from addition, multiplication, and parameters from K . Two sublanguages L 1 and L 2 of L are definably equivalent if each relation in L 1 can be defined by an L 2 -formula with parameters in K , and vice versa. The equivalence classes of sublanguages of L form a quotient lattice of the power set of L about which very little is known. We will not distinguish between a sublanguage and its equivalence class. Let L m denote the language of multiplication alone, and let L a denote the language of addition alone. Let f ∈ K [ X, Y ] and consider the algebraic function defined by f ( x, y ) = 0 for x, y ∈ K . Let L f denote the language consisting of the relation defined by f . The possibilities for L m ∨ L f are examined in §2, and the possibilities for L a ∨ L f are examined in §3. In fact the only comprehensive results known are under the additional hypothesis that f actually defines a rational function (i.e., when f is linear in one of the variables), and in positive characteristic, only expansions of addition by polynomials (i.e., when f is linear and monic in one of the variables) are understood. It is hoped that these hypotheses will turn out to be unnecessary, so that reasonable generalizations of the theorems described below to algebraic functions will be true. The conjecture is that L covers L m and that the only languages between L a and L are expansions of L a by scalar multiplications.
Heterochromatin instability in cancer: From the Barr body to satellites and the nuclear periphery

In recent years it has been recognized that the development of cancer involves a series of not only genetic but epigenetic changes across the genome. At the same time, connections between epigenetic regulation, chromatin packaging, and overall nuclear architecture are increasingly appreciated. The cell-type specific organization of heterochromatin, established upon cell differentiation, is responsible for maintaining much of the genome in a repressed state, within a highly compartmentalized nucleus. This review focuses on recent evidence that in cancer the normal packaging and higher organization of heterochromatin is often compromised. Gross changes in nuclear morphology have long been a criterion for pathologic diagnosis of many cancers, but the specific nuclear components impacted, the mechanisms involved, and the implications for cancer progression have barely begun to emerge. We discuss recent findings regarding distinct heterochromatin types, including the inactive X chromosome, constitutive heterochromatin of peri/centric satellites, and the peripheral heterochromatic compartment (PHC). A theme developed here is that the higher-order organization of satellites and the peripheral heterochromatic compartment may be tightly linked, and that compromise of this organization may promote broad epigenomic imbalance in cancer. Recent studies into the potential role(s) of the breast cancer tumor suppressor, BRCA1, in maintaining heterochromatin will be highlighted. Many questions remain about this new area of cancer epigenetics, which is likely more important in cancer development and progression than widely appreciated. We propose that broad, stochastic compromise in heterochromatin maintenance would create a diversity of expression profiles, and thus a rich opportunity for one or more cells to emerge with a selective growth advantage and potential for neoplasia.
Locus of the age-Stroop interference relationship.

ABSTRACT Age differences in the Stroop were investigated via an internal analysis of the task. Participants were 81 community-living individuals representing two distinct age categories: young adults (M age = 19.70, SD = 1.36) and older adults (M age = 73.39, SD = 5.45). Consistent with previous research, older adults were slower in responding to all Stroop cards and demonstrated a more dramatic Stroop interference effect than young adults, regardless of sex. Regarding the age-Stroop effect, analysis supported the interference, response-competition hypothesis. Subsequent analyses indicated response dominance was related to Stroop interference for the young adults only. Thus, results suggest the Stroop interference effect reflects a different cognitive effect for older adults.
Corynebacterium rubrum nov. spec. A gram-positive nonacid-fast bacterium of unusually high lipid content

A new species of gram-positive, aerobic, nonacid-fast bacterium capable of producing large quantities of lipids has been described. Its morphologic and physiologic characteristics place it in the genusCorynebacterium, and the brilliant red color of its colonies has suggested for it the species namerubrum. The new species may be of particular interest to the immunologist, since it seems to have some of the adjuvant activities peculiar to acid-fast bacteria.
Resolution of two-dimensional currents in superconductors from a two-dimensional magnetic field measurement by the method of regularization

The problem of reconstructing a two-dimensional (2D) current distribution in a superconductor from a 2D magnetic field measurement is recognized as a first-kind integral equation and resolved using the method of regularization. Regularization directly addresses the inherent instability of this inversion problem for nonexact (noisy) data. Performance of the technique is evaluated for different current distributions and for data with varying amounts of added noise. Comparisons are made to other methods, and the present method is demonstrated to achieve a better regularizing (noise filtering) effect while also employing the generalized-cross validation (GCV) method to choose the optimal regularization parameter from the data, without detailed knowledge of the true (and generally unknown) solution. It is also shown that clean, noiseless data is an ineffective test of an inversion algorithm.
Taxonomic and Geographic Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon Pools in Ohio

Spatial distribution information about soil organic C (SOC) pools at a proper scale is critical for developing feasible C sequestration programs. This study characterizes the spatial variation in SOC pools related to soil taxon, Major Land Resource Area (MLRA), and land use. Grouping data by the land uses associated with soil orders within each MLRA leads to a statewide average SOC pool of 10.2 ± 2.8 kg m -2 in the upper 1-m depth, ranging from 7.1 kg m -2 in Ultisols to 117 in Histosols (8.8,11.3,12.7, and 16.9 kg m -2 in Alfisols, Inceptisols, Entisols, and Mollisols, respectively), and geographically varying from 7.7 kg m -2 in MLRA 124 to 12.0 in both MLRA 99 and 111. These variations can be also partially attributed to the properties for sub-order differentiation. Moreover, land use effects are confounded by preferential selection of land for cropland use and site topographic features, resulting in a higher SOC pool in cropland (10.9 kg m -2 ) than in both forestland (9.5 kg in -2 ) and pastureland (8.4 kg m -2 ). The grand total SOC storage in Ohio ranges from 853 to 881 Tg (1 Tg = 10 12 g). The SOC pool is primarily related to landscape slope and soil drainage, and must be considered in interpretations for C sequestration potential among land uses for each soil taxon at the MLRA scale.
Molecular Mechanisms of Doxorubicin-induced Cardiomyopathy SELECTIVE SUPPRESSION OF REISKE IRON-SULFUR PROTEIN, ADP/ATP TRANSLOCASE, AND PHOSPHOFRUCTOKINASE GENES IS ASSOCIATED WITH ATP DEPLETION IN RAT CARDIOMYOCYTES

Doxorubicin, a cardiotoxic antineoplastic, disrupts the cardiac-specific program of gene expression (Kurabayashi, M., Dutta, S., Jeyaseelan, R., and Kedes, L. (1995) Mol. Cell. Biol. 15, 6386-6397). We have now identified neonatal rat cardiomyocyte mRNAs rapidly sensitive to doxorubicin, or its congener daunomycin, including transcripts of nuclear genes encoding enzymes critical in production of energy in cardiomyocytes: ADP/ATP translocase, a heart- and muscle-specific isoform; Reiske iron-sulfur protein (RISP), a ubiquitously expressed electron transport chain component; and a muscle isozyme of phosphofructokinase. Loss of these mRNAs following doxorubicin or daunomycin is evident as early as 2 h and precedes significant reduction of intracellular ATP. ATP levels in control cardiomyocytes (17.9 +/- 2.9 nM/mg of protein) fall only after 14 h and reach residual levels of 10.4 +/- 0.9 nM (doxorubicin; p = <0.006) and 6.7 +/- 1.9 nM (daunomycin; p = <0. 001) by 24 h. Loss of mRNAs generating ATP was highly selective since mRNAs for other energy production enzymes, (cytochrome c, cytochrome b, and malate dehydrogenase), and genes important in glycolysis (pyruvate kinase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) were unaffected even at 24 and 48 h. The drugs had no effect on levels of ubiquitously expressed RISP mRNA in fibroblasts. These findings could link doxorubicin-induced damage to membranes and signaling pathways with 1) suppression of transcripts encoding myofibrillar proteins and proteins of energy production pathways and 2) depletion of intracellular ATP stores, myofibrillar degeneration, and related cardiotoxic effects.
Photo- and thermal-activation of bovine liver urocanase.

— In the photoactivation of sulfite-modified urocanase from Pseudomonas putida, the sulfite adds to the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and photodissociation accompanies activation. Bovine urocanase contains the same coenzyme. The purpose was to find if sulfite can inactivate a mammalian urocanase and if UV light can reactivate the enzyme. It was inactivated by sulfite,10–100 i.M, and dialysis did not restore activity. Near-UV light (11 W m-2) reactivated the enzyme in 45 min. A competitive inhibitor protected urocanase from sulfite, showing that sulfite acts at the active site. The modification was dependent on temperature, time, and concentration of sulfite. The modification was reversed by incubation at 25°C for 24 h. These results resemble those found with the P. putida urocanase. It is likely that these thermal- and photo-reactions are the same for the bacterial and mammalian urocanases.
Automated record system for computer programming of dental treatment

An oral examination record which may be processed directly by an optical scanning machine and a computer program designed to write dental treatment plans are described. In tests of 500 treatment plans, remarkable concordance was found between computer-generated treatment plans and plans developed independently by dentists.
40Ar39Ar ages of biotite and hornblende from a progressively remetamorphosed basement terrane: their bearing on interpretation of release spectra

Abstract Biotite and hornblende from a portion of the Blue Ridge Precambrian basement terrane that was progressively retrograded during Paleozoic metamorphism have been analyzed by the 40 Ar 39 Ar dating technique to determine if incremental release spectra can distinguish thermally altered samples. Where not severely overprinted by Paleozoic metamorphism, both minerals show generally undisturbed age spectra with plateau ages similar to those of hornblende and biotite from non-retrograded portions of the Grenville terrane elsewhere in the Appalachians (hornblende ~1000 m.y.; biotite ~ 790 m.y.). The age spectra show a progressive disturbance which is correlated with increasing intensity of Paleozoic metamorphism. Modification of the hornblende spectra is that expected of diffusive argon loss during geologic reheating (incremental ages become older from low to high release temperatures). Disturbed biotite spectra do not show this type of modification, but develop increasingly broader low-age ‘saddles’ with increasing retrograde intensity. Eventually, Paleozoic metamorphism effected total retrograde alteration of the Grenville minerals and new generations of chemically distinct biotite and hornblende occur. Release spectra of these phases generally define plateaus although they are of different ages (biotite ~310–340 m.y.; hornblende ~355–460 m.y.). This discordancy is similar to that reported for other recrystallized portions of the Appalachian Grenville terrane and suggests that the ages represent times of argon retention following a 480 m.y. Paleozoic metamorphism. The data suggest that 40 Ar 39 Ar age spectra can distinguish thermally altered samples.
Ionic determinants of excitability in cultured mouse dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord cells

Abstract The ionic components of the action potentials of mouse spinal cord (SC) cells and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells were studied in dissociated cell cultures. It was found that the action potentials of SC cells required Na + in the medium and were blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX) (1 μ M ). Action potentials of DRG cells, on the other hand, were not blocked by TTX (up to 10 μ M ) and were observed in Na-free media in the presence of 8m M Ca 2+ . In low Na (31m M ), low Ca 2+ (0.1m M ) medium, action potentials were not observed but could be obtained if the Ca 2+ concentration was increased. Action potentials of DRG cells investigated in low Na concentration in the presence of 1mM or 8m M Ca 2+ became larger in amplitude and shorter in duration when the sodium concentration was increased. Na + has this effect even in the presence of TTX. It is concluded that the action potentials of SC cells result mainly from a TTX-sensitive Na component. The action potentials of DRG cells on the other hand have both a TTX-insensitive Na component and a Ca 2+ component.
The relationship between home literacy practices and developmental trajectories of emergent literacy and conventional literacy skills for Korean children

Previous studies with English-speaking families in the North American context demonstrated that home literacy practices have positive influences on children’s literacy acquisition. The present study expands previous studies by examining how home literacy practices are related to growth trajectories of emergent literacy skills (i.e., vocabulary, letter-name knowledge, and phonological awareness) and conventional literacy skills (i.e., word reading, pseudoword reading, and spelling), and by using data from Korean children and families (N = 192). The study revealed two dimensions of home literacy practices, home reading and parent teaching. Frequent reading at home was positively associated with children’s emergent literacy skills as well as conventional literacy skills in Korean. However, children whose parents reported more frequent teaching tended to have low scores in their phonological awareness, vocabulary, word reading and pseudoword reading after accounting for home reading. These results suggest a bidirectional relationship between home literacy practices, parent teaching in particular, and children’s literacy skills such that parents adjust their teaching in response to their child’s literacy acquisition. Furthermore, cultural variation in views on parent teaching may explain these results.
An estimate of the effect of radiation on the thermal conductivity of beryllium

Abstract The thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of beryllium at low temperatures are analysed. From existing data on the effect of reactor irradiation on the electrical resistivity of beryllium, the effect of reactor irradiation at low temperatures on the thermal conductivity is predicted. The arguments show that a reactor exposure of 1019 nvt (fast) should decrease the thermal conductivity of beryllium by approximately 0.04 watt/cm° K at temperatures of 20° K to 30° K. This is measurable, but probably unimportant in practice. High and low purity beryllium should be affected similarly. Warming to 250° K should cause rapid and complete annealing of the radiationinduced change of thermal conductivity.
The Idea of the Church in Christian History

It is customary to describe and interpret the history of Christianity as church history. To be sure, most church historians do not emphasize the special importance of the “church” in the Christian life they study and analyse; indeed, they deal with the idea of the church, with ecclesiological doctrines and with ecclesiastical practices as if they represented special phases of the Christian life. But, nevertheless, the fact that all aspects of Christian history are subsumed under the name and title of the “church” indicates that the character of Christianity is held to be inseparable from that of the “church”; the very custom of regarding Christian history as church history indicates that the Christian mind is marked by a special kind of self-consciousness induced by the awareness that the Christian faith is not fully actualized unless it is expressed in the special social context suggested by the term “church.”
Placement of the BCL2 family member BAX in the death pathway of sympathetic neurons activated by trophic factor deprivation

The BCL2 family member BAX is required for the induction of apoptosis in neonatal sympathetic neurons after NGF withdrawal. Bax-deficient sympathetic neurons are NGF-independent for survival. To characterize the physiological state of neurons protected by BAX deficiency and to place BAX within the death pathway, we determine which of the molecular changes induced by NGF deprivation depend on BAX and compare the results with those for neurons protected by caspase inhibition. We find that neurons deficient in both Bax and Bcl2 resist NGF-deprivation similar to Bax-deficient neurons discounting a role for BCL2 in the mechanism by which Bax deficiency causes trophic factor independence. We identify two new molecular changes, phosphorylation of c-Jun on Ser63 and alpha-spectrin proteolysis, which precede and accompany apoptosis, respectively. Early reversible changes induced by NGF withdrawal, such as decreased protein synthesis and glucose uptake, increased c-Jun phosphorylation, increased steady state c-jun mRNA levels, and cellular atrophy, occur both in wild type and Bax-deficient neurons and thus are BAX-independent. In contrast to neurons protected by caspase inhibition, no c-fos induction occurs in Bax-deficient neurons. Terminal irreversible events of apoptosis such as caspase-mediated alpha-spectrin proteolysis are prevented by both Bax-deficiency and caspase inhibition. This places BAX downstream or in a different pathway of the early changes and upstream of the terminal events such as those leading to c-fos induction and caspase activation. This order indicates that the physiological state of NGF-deprived neurons protected by Bax deficiency may be less perturbed than that of caspase inhibitor-saved neurons.
Alkaloid-Studien XLIX Die Strukturen von Vallesamin und O-Acetyl-vallesamin†

The structures of two novel indole alkaloids, vallesamine and its O-acetate, isolated from Vallesia dichotoma RUIZet PAV, have been established as IIIa and IIIb on the basis of extensive NMR. and mass spectral measurements as well as by interconversion with apparicine (I).
Initial consecutive experience of completely portal robotic pulmonary resection with 4 arms.

Background Many general thoracic surgeons are learning robotic pulmonary resection. Methods We retrospectively compared results of completely portal robot lobectomy with 4 arms (CPRL-4) against propensity-matched controls and results after technical changes to CPRL-4. Results In 14 months, 168 patients underwent robotic pulmonary resection: 7 had metastatic pleural disease, 13 had conversion to open procedures, and 148 had completion robotically (106 lobectomies, 26 wedge resections, 16 segmentectomies). All patients underwent R0 resection and removal of all visible lymph nodes (median of 5 N2, 3 N1 nodal stations, 17 lymph nodes). The 106 patients who underwent CPRL-4 were compared with 318 propensity-matched patients who underwent lobectomy by rib- and nerve-sparing thoracotomy. The robotic group had reduced morbidity (27% vs 38%; P = .05), lower mortality (0% vs 3.1%; P = .11), improved mental quality of life (53 vs 40; P P = .02). Results of CPRL-4 after technical modifications led to reductions in median operative time (3.7 vs 1.9 hours; P P Conclusions The newly refined CPRL-4 is safe and yields an R0 resection with complete lymph node removal. It has lower morbidity, mortality, shorter hospital stay, and better quality of life than rib- and nerve-sparing thoracotomy. Technical advances are possible to shorten and improve the operation.
Long-term tolerability of tetrabenazine in the treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders.

We sought to review the long-term tolerability of tetrabenazine (TBZ) and seek determinants of tolerability in the treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients treated with TBZ between 1997 and 2004. Efficacy of TBZ was assessed by a 1- to 5-point response scale (1 = marked reduction in abnormal movements, 5 = worsening). All adverse events (AEs) were captured according to their relationship with study drug. A total of 448 patients (42% male) were treated for a variety of hyperkinesias, including tardive dyskinesia (n = 149), dystonia (n = 132), chorea (n = 98), tics (n = 92), and myoclonus (n = 19). The mean age at onset of the movement disorder was 43.0 ± 24.2 years, with TBZ starting at a mean age of 50.0 ± 22.3 years. Patients remained on treatment for a mean of 2.3 ± 3.4 years. An efficacy response rating of 1 or 2 was sustained in the majority of patients between the first and last visit. Common AEs included drowsiness (25.0%), Parkinsonism (15.4%), depression (7.6%), and akathisia (7.6%). Comparison of log-likelihood ratios revealed that age was a reliable predictor of Parkinsonism (P < 0.0001). TBZ is a safe and effective drug for the long-term treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society
Polymer bonded magnets. II. Effect of liquid crystal polymer and surface modification on magneto-mechanical properties

We studied the effect of liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and surface modification of neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnetic alloy on the magneto-mechanical behavior of poly (phenylene sulfide) (PPS) bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets to accelerate efforts to develop useful thermoplastic magnets with optimal performance. The results indicate that blending the LCP with PPS provides the required balance of properties for the targeted applications. These properties include superior magneto-mechanical performance at elevated temperatures, minimal melt viscosity at optimal LCP volume fraction, high stiffness, and improved dimensional stability, making the thermoplastic magnets suitable for use at elevated temperatures and in chemically corrosive environments where commercial rare earth alloy magnets are not useable. Enhanced wetting of the magnetic Nd-Fe-B powders by the polymers, formation of reinforcing LCP domains, and interactions between the polymers and the magnetic powders are thought to be responsible for the beneficial function of the LCP and Nd-Fe-B surface modifier in the PPS bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets.
Potentiated vasoconstrictor response to vasopressin following meclofenamate in conscious rats.

Experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that release of vasodilator cyclooxygenase products may attenuate the systemic and renal vasoconstrictor responses to arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the conscious, chronically instrumented rat. Four groups of animals were studied under the following conditions: (i) AVP infused iv at 2 ng/min for 40 min followed by a 15-min postcontrol; (ii) pretreatment with meclofenamate (3 mg/kg iv) followed by AVP infusion; (iii) meclofenamate pretreatment followed by saline vehicle infusion; and (iv) saline vehicle infusion alone (time control). AVP increased mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in both meclofenamate-treated (n = 12) and untreated (n = 12) animals; however, the pressor response was significantly greater in animals with cyclooxygenase inhibition. Both heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (CO) (n = 6) fell during AVP infusion, but there were no differences between the meclofenamate-treated and the untreated groups. However, the total peripheral resistance response to AVP was significantly greater in animals treated with meclofenamate than the untreated group. Renal blood flow (RBF) was not affected by AVP infusion alone, but RBF fell significantly in animals given AVP after cyclooxygenase inhibition. The renal vascular resistance response to AVP was also enhanced by cyclooxygenase inhibition. There were no changes in any of the hemodynamic variables in either of the control protocols (i.e., meclofenamate alone or vehicle). These data demonstrate a consistent effect of cyclooxygenase inhibition to augment the systemic and renal vasoconstrictor responses to AVP, and suggest that endogenous vasodilator prostaglandins attenuate the potent vasoconstrictor action of this peptide in vivo.
User Vulnerability and Its Reduction on a Social Networking Site

Privacy and security are major concerns for many users of social media. When users share information (e.g., data and photos) with friends, they can make their friends vulnerable to security and privacy breaches with dire consequences. With the continuous expansion of a user’s social network, privacy settings alone are often inadequate to protect a user’s profile. In this research, we aim to address some critical issues related to privacy protection: (1) How can we measure and assess individual users’ vulnerabilityq (2) With the diversity of one’s social network friends, how can one figure out an effective approach to maintaining balance between vulnerability and social utilityq In this work, first we present a novel way to define vulnerable friends from an individual user’s perspective. User vulnerability is dependent on whether or not the user’s friends’ privacy settings protect the friend and the individual’s network of friends (which includes the user). We show that it is feasible to measure and assess user vulnerability and reduce one’s vulnerability without changing the structure of a social networking site. The approach is to unfriend one’s most vulnerable friends. However, when such a vulnerable friend is also socially important, unfriending him or her would significantly reduce one’s own social status. We formulate this novel problem as vulnerability minimization with social utility constraints. We formally define the optimization problem and provide an approximation algorithm with a proven bound. Finally, we conduct a large-scale evaluation of a new framework using a Facebook dataset. We resort to experiments and observe how much vulnerability an individual user can be decreased by unfriending a vulnerable friend. We compare performance of different unfriending strategies and discuss the security risk of new friend requests. Additionally, by employing different forms of social utility, we confirm that the balance between user vulnerability and social utility can be practically achieved.
Viruses and Microbiome Alterations

Viral infection represents a common and problematic health care issue, particularly in younger and senior populations. The respiratory tract is a major portal for microbial exposure, where viral infection can result in nonsymptomatic, mild, and self-limiting or severe and sometimes fatal infection. Although it is well established that virus-specific properties, such as longevity and replication kinetics, impact clinical manifestations, it is less well understood why distinct infectious outcomes may occur across a population of individuals infected with the same strain of virus. Emerging evidence points to interpersonal variation in pulmonary and gastrointestinal microbiome composition, and specifically to members of the Lactobacillus genus, as key components in defining respiratory viral infection outcomes. Moreover, human studies of airway microbiota after pH1N1 demonstrate that the composition of the respiratory microbiome can be modified by viral infection in a manner that enriches for pathogens associated with secondary bacterial infection. In this article, current knowledge in the field of human microbiome research, particularly as it pertains to respiratory viral infection, is reviewed.
Biogenic amines and related enzymes in the circumventricular organs of the rat.

The circumventricular organs (supraoptic crest or organon vasculosum laminae terminalis, OVLT; subfornical organ, SFO; subcommissural organ, SCO; and area postrema, AP) are highly vascular structures with particular histological organization and cellular characteristics, which represent structural modifications of the ependymat and subependymal tissue2,4,15,17.1s, 23. They are situated at several points along the midsagittal axis of the brain, and are located outside the blood-brain barrierlL These organs are considered to be involved in the process of neurohumoral regulation 15. The participation of biogenic amines and acetylcholine in the function of the circumventricular organs has long been recognizedlL The presence of nerve endings, which probably contain monoamines, has been reported earlier17,1s,2~,~3. These observations prompted us to undertake a systematic study of the levels of biogenic amines, related enzymes and choline acetyltransferase in the circumventricular organs of the rat. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200-250 g, were used. The animals were killed by decapitation at 9:00 a.m. and the brains were immediately removed and placed on dry ice. The circumventricular organs were dissected as described earlier 2° f rom frozen sections (300/ tm thickness). A needle with an internal diameter of 0.3 mm was used for dissection of the tissues (Fig. 1). All organs were located in the midline (Fig. 1A). The OVLT was removed from the base of the forebrain, at the level of the rostral recess of the third ventricle. This level corresponds to the nucleus tractus diagonalis, where this nucleus has a continuation in the septal region (Fig. 1B). The SFO was located just under the commissure fornicis, like a small body surrounded by the choroid plexus (Fig. IC). The posterior commissure and the cerebral aqueduct served as landmarks for the removal of the SCO. This organ is built by a few cell layers, under the commissural fibers, at the
Role of apathy in the effectiveness of weight management programmes

Aims: Obesity, which is at epidemic proportions in the USA, is associated with a higher risk of several co-morbid diseases including, cardiovascular disease, cancer and sleep apnea. Weight loss and weight maintenance programmmes are difficult to sustain for long term. Mental health problems such as apathy may be a major factor in patients unsuccessful in adhering to weight loss programmes. We propose that treating apathy will result in better weight loss in obese patients. Methods: This was a randomized prospective pilot study. Obese patients (n = 101) were randomized in a 1:2:2 ratio to either (i) standard nutrition counselling; or (ii) the Department of Veterans Affairs weight loss programme called ‘motivate obese veterans everywhere ’ (MOVE); or (iii) methylphenidate treatment plus the MOVE programme together. The intervention was for 6 months (26 weeks). Results: For the within groups analysis, the absolute changes in weight (kg) are as follows, for MOVE (mean: −1.84; 95% confidence interval (CI): −4.56 to 0.87; p = 0.25), Methylphenidate (mean: −4.61; 95% CI: −7.90 to −1.33; p = 0.04), standard nutrition counselling (mean: −0.60; 95% CI: −2.59 to 1.39; p = 0.21), which indicates that although all three groups lost weight, only the methylphenidate group achieved statistical significance. The between group differences of the relative change in weight were not statistically different. The apathy evaluation score and the patient activation measure improved in all groups. Conclusion: Together these data suggest that treating apathy might be an important factor in the success of weight management programmes.
Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of acute and chronic myocardial infarction in dogs: Alterations in spin-lattice relaxation times

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute and chronic ischemic injury on myocardial spin-lattice relaxation times (T1) in dogs. Ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery was performed on 23 dogs which were divided into four experimental groups and killed at 3 hours (n = 6), 4 days (n = 6), 21 days (n = 5), and 56 days (n = 6) after coronary occlusion. T1 was measured in vitro with a 2.5 kg nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer using tissue from ischemic and control areas of the myocardium. Both the 3-hour and 4-day groups showed prolongations in T1 (p
CLIP: an optimizing layout generator for two-dimensional CMOS cells

We present a novel technique CLIP for optimizing both theheight and width of CMOS cell layouts in the two-dimensional (2-D) style. CLIP is based on integer-linear programming (ILP) and proceeds in two stages: First, an ILP model is used to determine a 2-D layout of minimum width W cell . Then, another model generatesa 2-D layout that has width W cell and requires a minimumnumber of routing tracks. Run times are in seconds for circuitswith up to 16 transistors. For larger circuits, we extend CLIP to ahierarchical method HCLIP that places series-connected transistorscontiguously. This reduces run times by up to three orders ofmagnitude, and still yields optimal results in over 80% of cases.
Computer-aided detection of masses in digital tomosynthesis mammography: combination of 3D and 2D detection information

We are developing a computer-aided detection (CAD) system for masses on digital breast tomosynthesis mammograms (DBTs). The CAD system includes two parallel processes. In the first process, mass detection and feature analysis are performed in the reconstructed 3D DBT volume. A mass likelihood score is estimated for each mass candidate using a linear discriminant (LDA) classifier. In the second process, mass detection and feature analysis are applied to the individual projection view (PV) images. A mass likelihood score is estimated for each mass candidate using another LDA classifier. The mass likelihood images derived from the PVs are back-projected to the breast volume to estimate the 3D spatial distribution of the mass likelihood scores. The mass likelihood scores estimated by the two processes at the corresponding 3D location are then merged and evaluated using FROC analysis. In this preliminary study, a data set of 52 DBT cases acquired with a GE prototype system at the Massachusetts General Hospital was used. The LDA classifiers with stepwise feature selection were designed with leave-one-case-out resampling. In an FROC analysis, the CAD system for detection in the DBT volume alone achieved test sensitivities of 80% and 90% at an average FP rate of 1.6 and 3.0 per breast, respectively. In comparison, the average FP rates of the combined system were 1.2 and 2.3 per breast, respectively, at the same sensitivities. The combined system is a promising approach to improving mass detection on DBTs.