cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Narratives of North-East India, vol. 1

Reviewed Medium: book Year: 2002 Pages: 155 Publisher: Profra Publications (North Eastern Hill University)
Reduction in podocyte density as a pathologic feature in early diabetic nephropathy in rodents: Prevention by lipoic acid treatment

A reduction in the number of podocytes and podocyte density has been documented in the kidneys of patients with diabetes mellitus. Additional studies have shown that podocyte injury and loss occurs in both diabetic animals and humans. However, most studies in animals have examined relatively long-term changes in podocyte number and density and have not examined effects early after initiation of diabetes. We hypothesized that streptozotocin diabetes in rats and mice would result in an early reduction in podocyte density and that this reduction would be prevented by antioxidants. The number of podocytes per glomerular section and the podocyte density in glomeruli from rats and mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetes mellitus was determined at several time points based on detection of the glomerular podocyte specific antigens, WT-1 and GLEPP1. The effect of insulin administration or treatment with the antioxidant, α-lipoic acid, on podocyte number was assessed. Experimental diabetes resulted in a rapid decline in apparent podocyte number and podocyte density. A significant reduction in podocytes/glomerular cross-section was found in STZ diabetes in rats at 2 weeks (14%), 6 weeks (18%) and 8 weeks (34%) following STZ injection. Similar declines in apparent podocyte number were found in STZ diabetes in C57BL/6 mice at 2 weeks, but not at 3 days after injection. Treatment with α-lipoic acid substantially prevented podocyte loss in diabetic rats but treatment with insulin had only a modest effect. STZ diabetes results in reduction in apparent podocyte number and in podocyte density within 2 weeks after onset of hyperglycemia. Prevention of these effects with antioxidant therapy suggests that this early reduction in podocyte density is due in part to increased levels of reactive oxygen species as well as hyperglycemia.
Mycotic Aneurysms of the Thoracic Aorta: Repair with Use of Endovascular Stent-Grafts

Purpose Standard therapy of mycotic aneurysms in the descending aorta consists of thoracotomy and in situ graft placement or extraanatomic bypass. The alternative use of endovascular stent-grafts was evaluated for management of infected aneurysms of the thoracic aorta. Materials and Methods In a retrospective analysis during a 5-year period, 112 patients underwent stent-graft placement for thoracic aortic aneurysms. Three patients (mean age, 68.6; range, 64–70 years) had mycotic thoracic aneurysms. Stent-grafts were constructed from Z stents covered with polyester fabric and were delivered remotely through a catheter under fluoroscopic guidance. Results Complete thrombosis of the mycotic aneurysms was achieved in all patients. One patient required a second separate stent-graft placement procedure because of migration of the initial device; the second patient underwent surgical repair of a ruptured mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm followed immediately by stent-graft placement for a chronic mycotic thoracic aneurysm; a third patient underwent repair of two infected false aneurysms secondary to complete rupture of a surgical interposition graft. There were no complications of persistent bacteremia despite placement of the stent-graft device at the site of primary infection, reinfection, delayed rupture, paraplegia, distal emboli, or surgical conversion. One patient died of cardiac arrest at 25 months; there were no perioperative deaths (≤ 30 days). The remaining two patients were alive and well at median follow-up of 24 months (range, 4–25 months). Conclusion Endovascular stent-grafts combined with antibiotic therapy may be an alternative to conventional thoracotomy in managing mycotic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta.
Enrichment of rare gas isotopes using a quadrupole mass spectrometer

Abstract A small quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated in the static mode to enrich selected rare gas isotopes. Memory effects in the apparatus were observed and attributed to the re-emission of atoms implanted by the electron-impact ion source. Studies of the pumping mechanism led us to a practical means for reducing the rate of noble gas pumping
SU-E-T-404: Simple Field-In-Field Technique for Total Body Irradiation in Large Patients

Purpose: A simple Field-in-Field technique for Total Body Irradiation (TBI) was developed for traditional AP/PA TBI treatments to improve dosimetric uniformity in patients with large separation. Methods: TBI at our institution currently utilizes an AP/PA technique at an extended source-to-surface distance (SSD) of 380cm with patients in left decubitus position during the AP beam and in right decubitus during the PA beam. Patients who have differences in thickness (separation) between the abdomen and head greater than 10cm undergo CT simulation in both left and right decubitus treatment positions. One plan for each CT is generated to evaluate dose to patient midline with both AP and PA fields, but only corresponding AP fields will be exported for treatment for patient left decubitus position and PA fields for patient right decubitus position. Subfields are added by collimating with the x-ray jaws according to separation changes at 5–7% steps to minimize hot regions to less than 10%. Finally, the monitor units (MUs) for the plans are verified with hand calculation and water phantom measurements. Results: Dose uniformity (+/−10%) is achieved with field-in-field using only asymmetric jaws. It is dosimetrically robust with respect to minor setup/patient variations inevitable due to patient conditions. MUs calculated with Pinnacle were verified in 3 clinical cases and only a 2% difference was found compared to homogeneous calculation. In-vivo dosimeters were also used to verify doses received by each patient with and confirmed dose variations less than 10%. Conclusion: We encountered several cases with separation differences that raised uniformity concerns — based on a 1% dose difference per cm separation difference assumption. This could Resultin an unintended hot spot, often in the head/neck, up to 25%. This method allows dose modulation without adding treatment complexity nor introducing radiobiological variations, providing a reasonable solution for this unique TBI situation.
Inhibition of the Sodium/Hydrogen Antiport by Ammonium Ion

ABSTRACTPurpose: Previous work from our laboratory suggests that one mechanism of ammonium transport across the intestinal membrane may be substitution of ammonium for sodium in the sodium/hydrogen antiport. This study further supports this mechanism by demonstrating an inhibitory role for ammonium in the sodium/hydrogen exchange.Materials and Methods: Whole brush border intestinal enterocytes were studied, incorporating a fluorescent marker for sodium transport. The kinetics of the effect of ammonium on sodium transport were determined.Results: Ammonium is an inhibitor of sodium in the sodium/hydrogen exchanger. Quantitatively, the inhibition appears to be competitive.Conclusions: The inhibitory effect of ammonium on sodium/hydrogen exchange supports a mechanism of ionized ammonium transport where it substitutes for sodium in the sodium/hydrogen exchanger. This is a mechanism by which hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis occurs following urinary intestinal diversion.
Intradifference-based segmentation and face identification

This paper utilizes the intra-difference in still images to segment a face from its background and then combines the intra-difference detection result with the eigenface/eigenfeature methods to identify the face. This novel diverse scheme can finally solve the problem of accuracy in practical applications, thus broadening the application of face recognition into more versatile situations such as security building entrance, customs and mug spotting. The organic combination of intra-difference detection method and eigenface/eigenfeature methods into one system is shown to be more robust and have a better identification rate than either method alone. This paper first addresses the problems of the real-time accuracy issue and the need of pre-processing (mainly normalization). And then it proposes to use intra-difference to effectively segment a human face. The segmented face is further processed by both intra-difference detection method and eigenface/eigenfeature methods to determine its identity. Correspondingly, the proposed algorithm consists of three parts: segmentation, pre-processing, and multi-phase face identification by fusing the results from both the intra-difference detection method and the eigenface/eigenfeature methods.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nefazodone, meta-chlorophenylpiperazine, and their metabolites in vitro : cytochromes mediating transformation, and P450-3A4 inhibitory actions

Rationale: Understanding of the mechanisms of biotransformation of antidepressant drugs, and of their capacity to interact with other medications, is of direct relevance to rational clinical psychopharmacology. Objectives: To determine the human cytochromes P450 mediating the metabolism of nefazodone, and the inhibitory activity of nefazodone and metabolites versus human P450–3A. Methods: Biotransformation of nefazodone to its metabolic products, and of meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) to para-hydroxy-mCPP, was studied in vitro using human liver microsomes and heterologously expressed human cytochromes. Nefazodone and metabolites were also tested as inhibitors of alprazolam hydroxylation, reflecting activity of cytochrome P450–3A isoforms. Results: mCPP and two hydroxylated derivatives were the principal metabolites formed from nefazodone by liver microsomes. Metabolite production was strongly inhibited by ketoconazole or troleandomycin (relatively specific P450–3A inhibitors), and by an anti-P450-3A antibody. Only heterologously expressed human P450-3A4 mediated formation of nefazodone metabolites from the parent compound. Nefazodone, hydroxy-nefazodone, and para-hydroxy-nefazodone were strong 3A inhibitors, being more potent than norfluoxetine and fluvoxamine, but less potent than ketoconazole. The triazoledione metabolite and mCPP had weak or negligible 3A-inhibiting activity. Formation of para-hydroxy-mCPP from mCPP was mediated by heterologously expressed P450-2D6; in liver microsomes, the reaction was strongly inhibitable by quinidine, a relatively specific 2D6 inhibitor. Conclusion: The complex parallel biotransformation pathways of nefazodone are mediated mainly by human cytochrome P450-3A, whereas clearance of mCPP is mediated by P450-2D6. Nefazodone and two of its hydroxylated metabolites are potent 3A inhibitors, accounting for pharmacokinetic drug interactions of nefazodone with 3A substrate drugs such as triazolam and alprazolam.
Multi-agent sequential hypothesis testing

This paper considers multi-agent sequential hypothesis testing and presents a framework for strategic learning in sequential games with explicit consideration of both temporal and spatial coordination. The associated Bayes risk functions explicitly incorporate costs of taking private/public measurements, costs of time-difference and disagreement in actions of agents, and costs of false declaration/choices in the sequential hypothesis testing. The corresponding sequential decision processes have well-defined value functions with respect to (a) the belief states for the case of conditional independent private noisy measurements that are also assumed to be independent identically distributed over time, and (b) the information states for the case of correlated private noisy measurements. A sequential investment game of strategic coordination and delay is also discussed as an application of the proposed strategic learning rules.
Tests for carbohydrates and isopeptide bonds in larval salivary proteins of Chironomus tentans

Abstract This study evaluated several aspects of the composition of the salivary polypeptides of larval Chironomus tentans . Proteins migrating with the apparent molecular weights of approximately 400,000 and 160,000 were prominent components detected in the secretion using gradient gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. Several smaller components were also found. The large salivary gland proteins were found to by glycosylated. This glycosylation could influence the molecular weight estimates for these proteins. Tunicamycin suppressed attachment of fucose and glucosamine to the proteins, indicating that at least some of these carbohydrates were N-linked. To test the hypothesis that the salivary proteins are made up of small polypeptides crosslinked through lysine residues, efforts were made to detect ϵ(γ-glutamyl)lysine dipeptide in the secretion. We found no evidence for this dipeptide. Isolation of salivary gland proteins in the presence of inhibitors of formation of this bond (iodoacetamide, glycine ethyl ester) did not result in smaller proteins. No other atypical amino acid crosslinks were detected either, although lysine-threonine dipeptides were particularly resistant to proteolysis.
Selected Review of Single-Particle and Two-Particle Inclusive Reaction Experiments

In this talk I will confine my attention to the data of the inclusive reactions π-p→π- + anything (1), π+p→π- + anything (2) and π±p→π c - +π d - + anything (3), where reaction (1) has been studied by Notre Dame and Wisconsin [1,2], reaction (2) by Berkeley and Notre Dame [3], and reaction (3) by Notre Dame [4]. The Notre Dame effort, on which this report is largely based, involved N. N. Biswas, N. M. Cason, R. J. Palla, J. T. Powers, W. D. Shephard and D. W. Thomas, in addition to the author. Additional data on these and on γp, KP, and pp inclusive reactions have been reported by several groups [5].
The cambridge cosmochemistry symposium

Abstract This article is a critical summary of the solar-system aspects of a meeting held in August 1972. The purpose of the meeting was to review work done sonce the 1967 Paris meeting on the Origin of the Elements. The principal topics discussed were element abundances; the structure and composition of comets, of the terrestrial and the outer planets, of the Moon, of exospheric dust, and of meteorites; planetary atmospheres; evidence for a protosolar magnetic field from remanent meteorite magnetism, abiotic synthesis of organic molecules; nucleosynthesis; solar cosmic rays; and meteorite ages. The principal results were these: There have been a number of significant changes in the estimated solar abundances—especially D, He, B, and Fe. A great deal of progress has been made in our understanding of the temperature and pressure conditions in the protosolar nebula during planetary formation, and of the condensation of solids in it. It is believed that the bulk chemistry of the terrestrial planets is now understood on the basis of equilibrium (slow) cooling of the nebula. Their atmospheres are consistent with this model, and that of Jupiter, with inhomogeneous accretion. The structure of Jupiter is also better understood. There is disagreement on the deep structure and composition of the Moon, though of course an enormous amount has been learned, especially about the surface layers. Not so much progress has been made in understanding comets.
Analysis of separation control by means of tangential blowing

A computational procedure is described for predicting the critical jet momentum coefficient for achieving full potential lift by means of tangential blowing on airfoils with unslotted flaps. Among the applications of the procedure are the design and optimization of tangential blowing BLC systems for advanced fighter and transport type STOL aircraft and for over-the-wing blowing. The procedure incorporates a velocity profile with a velocity minimum, due to upstream boundary-layer and slot lip thickness effects, to describe the jet layer; and the initial jet velocity profile downstream of the slot exit contains an inviscid core region with a maximum velocity based on the total pressure inside the slot, rather than on empirical assumptions. The procedure utilizes the strip-integral technique to reduce the partial differential equations describing the jet layer flow to ordinary differential equations, and assumptions are made regarding the turbulent shear stress values at the boundaries and midpoints of each strip in order to carry out the integration. Computer programming of the procedure has been carried out, and a limited number of comparisons showing reasonably good agreement between the computational procedure and test results are shown.
Deposition of copper into thin ice buffer layers on MgO(1 0 0) produces uniform and sinter-resistant nanoparticles

Abstract Noncontact variable temperature atomic force microscopy has been employed to study the deposition of copper onto thin layers of ice formed on a MgO(1 0 0) surface. Deposition of submonolayer coverages of copper onto an ice modified oxide surface at 100 K, followed by annealing to 300 K, produces uniform nanometer-sized copper particles on the MgO surface. Copper particles resulting from a 0.5 monolayer deposition possess an average diameter of 7 nm and an average height of 0.3 nm. Further studies reveal that this buffer-layer-assisted deposition process produces a coverage-dependent density of particles with a narrow size distribution and a resistance to sintering for temperatures up to 750 K.
Trembley’s polyps go transgenic

In 1744, a book entitled Memoires, Pour Servir a l’Histoire d’un Genre de Polypes d’Eau Douce, a Bras en Forme de Cornes ( Memoirs Concerning the Natural History of a Type of Freshwater Polyp with Arms Shaped Like Horns ) was published in The Netherlands (1). The author of the book was Abraham Trembley, a tutor in the household of Count Bentinck; the freshwater polyp was Hydra . In the more than 250 years since the appearance of Trembley’s work, Hydra has been an important system for studies of pattern formation (2), regeneration (3), and stem cells (4). However, with the increasingly powerful genetic and molecular tools available in model systems such as Drosophila , mouse, zebrafish, and Caenorhabditis elegans , interest in and support for Hydra research have lagged. With the publication of the work of Wittlieb et al. (5) in a recent issue of PNAS, that situation seems about to change. In a scientifically and aesthetically beautiful piece of work, Wittlieb et al. (5) have succeeded in producing the first stably transgenic Hydra . Efforts in this regard have been made sporadically over the 20 years since the first Hydra genes were cloned (6, 7), but none have been successful. Transient transfection methods were developed for Hydra (8–10), and these have provided useful tools for the localization of proteins (11, 12). However, none of these methods has been used successfully to produce a phenotype. The need for a method to make transgenic Hydra became especially pressing with the development of genomics resources for this organism. A National Science Foundation-funded large-scale Hydra EST Project (www.hydrabase.org) and a smaller-scale EST project at the National Institute of Genetics in Japan were recently completed. In late 2004, a National Human Genome Research Institute-funded Hydra genome project was begun at the … *E-mail: resteele{at}uci.edu
1731 THE EFFECTS OF POSTNATAL MALNUTRITION ON RAT LUNG DEVELOPMENT

Newborn rats were malnourished by combining 18 rats with one nursing mother. Controls were kept in normal size litters. At weaning,21 days(d), the rats were studied or fed normally until 60d. The rats were anesthetized and atelectasis produced by airway occlusion after oxygen breathing. With the thorax open static deflation air pressure volume(PV) curves from 30cm H2O maximum pressure were done or saline PV curves from 10cm H20. At 17,21,40 and 60d, 106 control PV curves were obtained. 35 malnourished rats were studied at 21d and 15 rats at 60d. At 21 and 60d the control body wts. were 44.9gm and 281gm and the malnourished rats 27.4 and 200gm. Deflation air PV curves expressed in percent of maximal lung volume(%MVL) were similar in normal and malnourished rats at 21 and 60d. The malnourished 21d rats did have a significant increase in maximal lung volume at 30cm H2O per gm of dry lung wt (LV/gm) compared to 17 and 21d controls. This indicates more distensible lung units or larger alveoli, but after 40d of normal feeding the LV/gm lung wt was the same as controls. In contrast the deflation saline PV curves expressed as %MVL showed a left shift (less recoil pressure) in malnourished rats at both 21 and 60d. The saline curves suggest that malnourished rats at both 21 and 60d have an increased LV/gm dry lung wt. We conclude that severe malnourishment during growth results in an increased alveolar volume to tissue ratio at maximal lung inflation. The saline PV curves suggest that malnutrition causes connective tissue changes which may persist into adulthood.
Fully Hydrated Yeast Cells Imaged with Electron Microscopy

We demonstrate electron microscopy of fully hydrated eukaryotic cells with nanometer resolution. Living Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells were loaded in a microfluidic chamber and imaged in liquid with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The native intracellular (ultra)structures of wild-type cells and three different mutants were studied without prior labeling, fixation, or staining. The STEM images revealed various intracellular components that were identified on the basis of their shape, size, location, and mass density. The maximal achieved spatial resolution in this initial study was 32 ± 8 nm, an order of magnitude better than achievable with light microscopy on pristine cells. Light-microscopy images of the same samples were correlated with the corresponding electron-microscopy images. Achieving synergy between the capabilities of light and electron microscopy, we anticipate that liquid STEM will be broadly applied to explore the ultrastructure of live cells.
Impact of correlated factors on bone density in individuals with a family history of osteoporosis.

Abstract Previous studies have suggested that 14–47% of the variation in bone mineral density (BMD) can be predicted using clinical risk factors. The aim of our study was to determine, for the first time, the importance of these factors in individuals with evidence of a genetic predisposition to the disease. The subjects studied were 147 female and 86 male Caucasians, all with a family history of osteoporosis. Linear regression was used to determine whether age, height, weight, and years of reduced estrogen exposure were significant predictors of BMD. Males and females were examined separately, and BMD was measured at the hip and spine. The results show that these risk factors, known to be at work in the general population, are equally important in those with a family history of osteoporosis. It is clear, therefore, that they must be taken into account and corrected for in genetic studies of the disease.
Non-compulsory voting in Australia?: what surveys can (and can't) tell us

Abstract Compulsory voting has come under close scrutiny in recent Australian political debate. Conventional wisdom maintains that a repeal of compulsory voting would result in a sizeable electoral boost for the conservative Coalition parties; the proportion of Coalition voters who would not voluntarily turn out is thought to be smaller than the corresponding proportion of Labor Party voters. But these estimates rely on methods hampered by critical shortcomings, and so the conventional wisdom is easily challenged or dismissed. I examine the use of surveys in assessing the counter-factual of non-compulsory voting, focusing on the 1996 Australian Election Study. While turnout is compulsory in Australia, responding to surveys isn't; people who respond to surveys generally have more interest in politics than non-respondents, so it is unsurprising that survey respondents report a voluntary turnout rate approaching 90%. Respondents also tend to exaggerate the probability that they would voluntarily turn out. I draw on examples where the effects of survey non-response and over-reporting on estimates of turnout have been estimated (including the NES vote validation studies). Using these examples as a guide, I find that surveys overestimate the voluntary turnout rates likely to be encountered in Australia (55% to 70%, versus the survey estimate of 88.8%), and the extent to which a fall in turnout would work to the advantage of the Coalition parties. The Liberal Party still appears to benefit from a shift to voluntary turnout, though these gains are not as large as the conventional wisdom suggests.
Fish assemblages in the Southern California Current: relationships with climate, 1951–2008

We examined the dominant patterns of variability in the fish fauna of the southern California Current based on a principal component (PC) analysis of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations ichthyoplankton data set, 1951–2008. Eighty-six taxa were analyzed, including all ecologically dominant fish species, both exploited and unexploited. The first three PCs accounted for 20.5, 12.4 and 6.8% of the variance of the data, respectively (total: 39.7%). Each was dominated by taxa from particular adult or larval habitats. PC 1 predominantly represented the coherent response of 24 mesopelagic taxa from 10 families and was most highly correlated with long-term trends in midwater oxygen levels. PC 2 was dominated by six of the seven most abundant ichthyoplankton taxa in the region, predominantly California Current endemics including key pelagic species (northern anchovy, Pacific sardine and Pacific hake), rockfishes (genus Sebastes) and two midwater taxa. It was correlated primarily with sea surface temperature and exhibited a significant declining trend. PC 3 was dominated by coastal and reef-associated fishes with predominantly southerly affinities. It was positively correlated with sea surface temperature and sea level height, a proxy for diminished flow of the California Current. The taxa dominating PCs 2 and 3 mostly spatially co-occur as ichthyoplankton. These results suggest that fish assemblages in the California Current are predominantly influenced by environmental forcing of their ocean habitats as adults or larvae, or both.
Value congruence: The interplay of individual and organizational value systems

This paper focuses on the individual manager making difficult decisions within the context of the organization in which he or she is a member. It proposes a method for examining the interplay of individual and corporate value systems, offering a value congruence model. Hypotheses are generated concerning the varying nature of the value conflicts faced by managers. These are then evaluated based upon interview data from a cross-section of managers in two organizations. The impact of differing organizational value systems is discussed, as well as the implications of the study for research in this area.
A simple method for concentrating phototactic flagellates and separating them from debris.

Es wird eine einfache Vorrichtung beschrieben, um phototaktische Falgellaten anzureichern und von Schmutzteilchen zu befreien.
An Examination of the Bilevel Dimensionality of Lower and Higher Mental Processes in Probability Achievement

The purpose of this study was to examine the bilevel dimensionality of probability achievement, as operationalized by Levin (1975), through using three psychometric procedures: (1) Rasch latent trait analysis; (2) factor analysis; and (3) classical item analysis. It was found that seven items exceeded the criterion fit for the unilevel latent trait model. The remaining items defined a unidimensional trait. The factor structure lent support to the concept of unidimensionality. Further, the point biserial coefficients indicated increased homogeneity among only Rasch fitting items compared with that in the original test.
Kinematics and computation of workspace for adaptive geometry structures

A new feature in the design of smart structures is the capability of the structure to respond autonomously to undesirable phenomena and environment. This capability is often synonymous to the requirement that the structure should assume a set of different geometric shapes or adapt to a set of kinematic constraints to accomplish a maneuver. Systems with these characteristics have been referred to as `shape adaptive' or `variable geometry' structures. The present paper introduces a basis for the kinematics and work space studies of statically deterministic truss structures which are shape adaptive. The difference between these structures and the traditional truss structures, which are merely built to support the weight and may be modelled by finite element methods, is the fact that these variable geometry structures allow for large (and nonlinear) deformations. On the other hand, these structures unlike structures composed of well investigated `four bar mechanisms,' are statically deterministic.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Combined multiresolution source coding and modulation for digital broadcast of HDTV

Abstract A practical end-to-end all-digital multiresolution system is demonstrated that employs joint source-channel coding and modulation in order to achieve efficient broadcast of digital HDTV. The threshold effect plaguing single resolution systems is softened by a stepwise graceful degradation. This can be used to increase the coverage and robustness of the digital broadcast system. This approach is seen as an alternative to traditional single resolution digital transmission systems which are not designed for broadcast situations, and which suffer from the threshold effect. This paper highlights the benefits of using an embedded multiresolution modulation constellation over a modulation scheme that resorts to time or frequency multiplexing of the broadcast resolutions. Besides showing coding results and simulations of transmission effects, the paper discusses the trade-offs between low and high resolution coverage.
Adaptation of HIV-1 to cells expressing rhesus monkey TRIM5α.

The cross-species transmission of retroviruses is limited by host restriction factors that exhibit inter-species diversity. For example, the TRIM5α proteins of Old World monkeys block the early, post-entry steps in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection. We adapted an HIV-1 isolate to replicate in cells expressing TRIM5αrh from rhesus monkeys, an Old World species. A single amino acid change in the cyclophilin-binding loop of the HIV-1 capsid protein allowed virus replication in cells expressing TRIM5αrh. The capsid of the escape virus exhibited a reduced affinity for TRIM5αrh, but retained the ability to bind cyclophilin A efficiently. Thus, a preferred HIV-1 escape pathway involves decreased binding to TRIM5α, a capsid-destabilizing factor, and retention of binding to cyclophilin A, a capsid-stabilizing factor.
Ion solvation in supercritical water based on an adsorption analogy

The solvation structure and free energy for Li+, Na+, K+, F-, Cl-, Be2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ in supercritical aqueous solutions are described by a dielectric concentric shell model incorporating solvent adsorption analogous to a Langmuir model. The ratio of solvent bulk density to the local density in the first coordination shell of alkali and halide ions obtained from molecular dynamics simulation is shown to be linear in bulk density at supercritical temperatures, justifying the model. The model utilizes two parameters: a maximum local density, which is found to be insensitive to temperature and correlated with the surface field, and a desorption constant, which we find may be approximated as zero in the free energy calculations. In comparison to the Born model, free energies of solvation predicted by the concentric shell model show far better agreement with values from full molecular simulation and with those from a compressible continuum model.
Fire your dermatopathologist

D on’t do it quite yet. Read on. Imagine a family practitioner. This good doctor examines patients with a panoply of problems, including those who suffer from skin diseases. The good doctor was indeed trained in residency to deal with the full gamut of human disease, including lectures on dermatologic problems and even a rotation through the dermatology clinic at his/her hospital. When the good doctors encounter a patient with a difficult cutaneous condition they do not refer the patient to the respected dermatologist in their office building who in their judgment is most qualified to deal with the conundrum. Instead, they have found a dermatologist who is willing to accept a fee from them instead of letting the dermatologist bill the patient or their insurance. The fee that the dermatologist bills the good doctor is far less than, indeed only a fraction of, what the good doctor can collect from the patient or their insurance for taking care of the skin problem. Instead of receiving 2 bills, 1 from the family practitioner and 1 from the dermatologist, the patient only gets a single bill. Life is good! But hold, you, dear reader, are a dermatologist. You may perceive a conflict of interest. You may even be angered that a generalist exploits dermatologists in such a manner, or that dermatologists makes themselves available for such exploitation. Or, if you do not want to rush to judgment, you may ponder questions such as these: Is this pattern of referral in the best interest of the patient? Would a dermatologist who accepted such a situation likely be the best one available, or even a good one? If physicians make arrangements like these, do they risk betraying their fiduciary duties to patients, and jeopardize the regard in which they are held by the rest of society?
AICAR Suppresses Intrinsic Ryanodine Receptor-Dependent Store-Operated Calcium Entry in CHO Cells

AICAR, an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonist, increases the efficiency of murine oxygen metabolism, dramatically increasing exercise endurance (Cell 134:405, 2008). AICAR also prevents heat-induced death in malignant hyperthermia(MH)-susceptible transgenic mice (RyR1-Y522S/WT) without changes in AMPK phosphorylation, and suppresses intracellular Ca2+ levels by an unknown mechanism (Lanner JT et al, 2010 Biophysical Society Meeting Abstracts). Store Operated Ca2+ Entry (SOCE) restores Ca2+ to depleted sarco∴endoplasmic reticulum from extracellular stores. Since azumolene, a drug which inhibits MH, suppresses the RyR1-dependent rise in intracellular Ca2+ by inhibiting SOCE rather than Ca2+ release, we sought to determine whether AICAR affects Ca2+ homeostasis similarly. We compared CHO cells stably transfected with RyR1 (C1148) with wild type (CHO-wt). Single cell Ca2+ imaging was performed in Fura-2 AM-loaded cells. Changes in intracellular Ca2+ were followed as changes in the ratio λ340/380, and SOCE measured by Mn2+-quenching of Fura-2 fluorescence (λ360). In C1148 cells, AICAR (1 mM, overnight) suppresses Ca2+-release by the RyR1 agonists, caffeine and 4-Chloro-m-Cresol (4-CMC). Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis do not show any change in the expression of RyR1 or STIM1. The elevated SOCE in C1148 cells is largely inhibited by AICAR (1 mM) and virtually completely by the specific SOCE inhibitor BTP2 (1μM). SOCE stimulated by the SR Ca2+-pump inhibitor, CPA (10 μM), was inhibited by BTP2, but not by AICAR. The ER Ca2+ store in C1148 cells is much lower than that of CHO-wt, irrespective of AICAR treatment status. AICAR has no significant effect on [3H]ryanodine-binding to skeletal muscle SR vesicles, nor does it have any effect on sarco∴endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activity. We conclude that AICAR, like azumolene, partially inhibits the RyR1-dependent SOCE, but not Ca2+-ATPase-dependent SOCE. These data also suggest that AICAR may be therapeutic in treating MH.
Hydroxyl-specific fluorescence labeling of ABP-deoxyguanosine, PhIP-deoxyguanosine, and AFB1-formamidopyrimidine with BODIPY-FL

Detection and analysis of DNA adducts resulting from endogenous or exogenous exposures to carcinogens are essential not only for quantifying biologically effective doses but also for establishing relationships between exposure and cancer risk. We have developed and validated a procedure of high sensitivity and specificity based on fluorescence labeling of DNA adducts combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-laser-induced fluorescence detection. The fluorescent dye 4,4-difluoro-5,7-dimethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene-3-propionic acid (BODIPY FL) was used to label the deoxynucleoside adducts N-(2'-deoxyguanosine-8-yl)-4-aminobiphenyl and N-(2'-deoxyguanosine-8-yl)-2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine and the base adduct aflatoxin B(1)-formamidopyrimidine by acylation. The labeling reaction was carried out on adducts at 1pmol to 30nmol concentrations at 25 degrees C for 4h in dichloromethane with 200- to 5000-fold excess of BODIPY FL. BODIPY FL and its activating agents 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-dimethylaminopyridine were used at a molar ratio of 1:2:2. Under these conditions, all of the above adducts were quantitatively converted to bis-labeled products, as confirmed by mass spectrometry. Sites of derivatization of adduct deoxynucleosides were established primarily by nuclear magnetic resonance and by collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometric analysis, which indicated that the bis-BODIPY groups were located predominantely on the 3'- and 5'-hydroxyl groups of the deoxyribose ring.
Detection of fumonisin B1: comparison of flow-injection liposome immunoanalysis with high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract Fumonisins are secondary metabolites of the fungus Fusarium moniliforme, a common mycotoxin in corn, which are known to cause cancer in a number of experimental animals and have been linked to human esophageal cancer in China and South Africa. A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is currently the most widely used method for the quantitative determination of fumonisins. This method utilizes precolumn derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde, isocratic elution, and fluorescence detection. In this study, the HPLC method was chosen as the reference method to evaluate the reproducibility and accuracy of FILIA (flow-injection liposome immunoanalysis) for the detection of the fumonisin B1 (FmB1). Studies indicate that a recovery of 86–90% could be obtained when commercial yellow cornmeal spiked with FmB1 was extracted in 75% methanol, which correlated favorably (correlation coefficient, r2=0.945) with the result of 80–92% obtained using the flow-injection liposome immunoanalysis (FILIA) system. The data suggest that the FILIA method is comparable to HPLC for the detection of fumonisins in corn, animal feeds, and human foods. Important features of FILIA as compared to HPLC are, most importantly, lower detection limit (ca. 25× lower), and also less complex and faster sample preparation and therefore increased analytical throughput. In addition, 24 human corn-based foods and 6 animal feeds were examined for the presence of FmB1 using HPLC and FILIA.
A randomized comparison of two instruments for measuring self-reported antiretroviral adherence.

Abstract A randomised trial compared two instruments for assessing self-reported adherence to antiretroviral medications: (1) a day-by-day recall instrument that elicited the number of missed doses in each of the prior three days (3-day instrument; n=64) and (2) a general recall instrument that elicited an estimate of proportion of pills taken during the prior seven days (7-day instrument; n=70). Adherence was measured at study visits over 12 months among participants in a clinical trial assessing treatment strategies for individuals with virologic failure and multidrug-resistant HIV. Participants had a median (interquartile range) of 133 (41–264) CD4 cells/ml3 and a median of 10 major HIV resistance mutations at baseline. Mean adherence levels were 90–98% throughout the study. There was a greater trend in the likelihood of 100% adherence when measured by the 3-day versus the 7-day instrument (odds ratio (OR)=1.45; p=0.06). The likelihood of consistent 100% adherence measured by either instrument decrease...
Lipases in the storage tissues of peanut and other oil seeds during germination.

The castor-bean endosperm-the best-studied material of reserve lipid hydrolysis in seed germination-was previously shown to have an acid lipase and an alkaline lipase having reciprocal patterns of development during germination. We studied oil seeds from 7 species, namely castor bean (Ricinus communis L.), peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), sunflower (Helianthus annus L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), cotton (Gossypisum hirsutum L.), corn (Zea mays. L.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). The storage tissues of all these oil seeds except castor bean contained only alkaline lipase activity which increased drastically during germination. The pattern of acid and alkaline lipases in castor bean does not seem to be common in other oil seeds. The alkaline lipase of peanut cotyledons was chosen for further study. On sucrose gradient centrifugation of cotyledon homogenate from 3-d-old seedlings, about 60% of the activity of the enzyme was found to be associated with the glyoxysomes, 15% with the mitochondria, and 25% with a membrane fraction at a density of 1.12 g cm-3. The glyoxysomal lipase was associated with the organelle membrane, and hydrolyzed only monoglyceride whereas the mitochondrial and membrane-fraction enzymes degraded mono-, di- and triglycerides equally well. Thus, although the lipase in the glyoxysomes had the highest activity, it had to cooperate with lipases in other cellular compartments for the complete hydrolysis of reserve triglycerides.
Visual control of turning responses to tactile stimuli in the crayfishProcambarus clarkii

Specimens of the crayfishProcambarus clarkii turn to face in the direction of a brief tactile stimulus delivered to a walking leg. The control system that guides this directed behavior was investigated under closed-loop and open-loop conditions. The accuracy of turns exhibited in these experiments was compared to ‘baseline’ accuracy established by animals restrained from forward and backward walking but allowed to rotate in the yaw plane.
Interferometric analysis of intrasection and intersection thickness variability associated with cryostat microtomy.

Mach-Zehnder interferometric measurements were used to assess the extent of section thickness variability (inter- and intrasection) associated with cryostat microtomy of adrenal sections over a typical working range of 10–20 μm. Sections were obtained using a Bright's Cambridge rocking type and a Damon rotary type cryostat microtome to allow comparative analyses. The effective thickness of tissue sections after being mounted onto slides by flash drying was reduced by 90% relative to microtome section thickness setting. A linear relationship between measured thickness and microtome setting was obtained with both instruments. Thickness variability between replicate sections over the range of microtome settings approximated 11% for the rocking microtome and 5% with the rotary microtome. Average intrasection variability was found to be 7% for rocking microtome sections and 4% for sections obtained with the rotary microtome. However, this variability is a negligible source of error in cytophotometric analyses, providing replicate sections are used and an adequate number of measurements are made on mask-delimited individual cells or tissue specimen areas.
Patterns of fiber degeneration in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat following lesions in the visual cortex.

Golgi preparations show a group of relatively fine axons ending in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. These, the type I axons, are characterized by many short collateral terminal branches and form a well oriented plexus within the lateral geniculate nucleus. Individual axons distribute terminals to more than one geniculate lamina and some can be seen to come from the region of the internal capsule. Four or more days after damage to the visual cortex, the Nauta method shows relatively fine degenerating fibers that approach the lateral geniculate nucleus from a rostral direction. Some pass straight into lamina a, While others enter the three major laminae via the central interlaminar nucleus. The appearance of this degeneration suggests that the type I axons are cortico-genciulate, as does the sequence of the diencephalic degenerative changes. Thus, relatively coarse corticofugal fibers to the lateral thalamus and tectum show heavy degeneration within three days. The fine axons in the lateral geniculate nucleus show slight, early degeneration after three days, extensive degeneration after four days. They are possibly collaterals of the coarser corticofugal fibers. A second group of coarse fibers which runs laterally from the lateral geniculate nucleus shows early degeneration after four days but does not show consistent and clear degeneration until five or more days. Since retrograde cell changes are already recognizable after four days the third group is regarded as geniculo-cortical.
Response of thin film scintillator detector to light and heavy ions

Abstract The response of the thin film detector (TFD) to transiting light ions ( Z =1, 2) and fully stopped light and heavy ions ( Z =1, 2, 7, 8) is reported. Response features distinct to these ions are described for various thin film thickness as a function of incident ion energy and velocity. The TFD response is shown to depend predominantly on two factors, namely, the velocity and atomic number Z of the transiting ion. The specific luminescence recorded as a function of specific energy loss is in conflict with previously reported work near maximum d E /d x values. The new trend observed suggests the double-valued nature of specific luminescence when plotted vs specific energy loss. The Z dependence of the luminescence saturation effect is confirmed.
Modification of feeding patterns by glucodynamic hormones.

When rats are injected with insulin they respond by decreasing the length of their intermeal intervals and increasing their meal size. Glucagon injections prolong the length of the intermeal interval. The effects of these two glucodynamic hormones on intermeal interval and meal size were conditioned to the injection-manipulation procedure.
Inelastic Scattering of Protons by Various Nuclei

Experimental data on the inelastic scattering of 23-Mev protons reported by Cohen, Mosko, and Rubin are analyzed by using the theory of direct interaction together with the plane wave approximation. The most detailed analysis is done for lead isotopes and, at least at 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, it is found that fairly good agreement with experiment is obtained for the relative magnitudes of the excitation of different excited states. The same idea is also applied to other cases and in particular several arguments are given which will support the view of Lane and Pendlebury for associating the anomalous peaks observed at \ensuremath{\approx}2.5 Mev for nuclei with $Z=30\ensuremath{-}53$ with the octupole surface vibrations. Finally discussions are given of the validity of the approximations used in the present analysis and also of the circumstances which still need more refined calculations.