cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Monodispersed Silica Powders. II. Controlled Growth Reaction and Continuous Production Process.

Abstract The present paper will describe the preparation of monodispersed silica particles by a controlled growth process. This procedure has several advantages compared with the original Stober (batch) process. A simple calculation allows seeds of a given size to be grown exactly to a pre-set final particle size. Spherical and exceptional monodispersed particles of up to 3·6 μm in diameter and a very high (particle) mass fraction of up to 10 vol.% silica could be prepared by this process. Moreover, a simple tube reactor is shown, which allows those particles to be produced on a continuous basis.
The comings and goings of homing endonucleases and mobile introns

In this issue Belfort and coworkers (1) report the isolation and characterization of a thermostable endonuclease from the archaebacterium Desulfurococcus mobilis. Remarkably, the enzyme is encoded in an intron in the single gene for 23S rRNA and is expressed only after the corresponding RNA segment is excised from the newly made rRNA. Archaebacterial introns are unique in that their excision is catalyzed by an enzyme (2). The endonuclease has a number of features characteristic of the homing endonucleases found in fungi and their organelles, and these have led the authors to wonder whether trans-kingdom gene transfer may have been involved. As the authors suggest, all of these topicsintrons, archaebacteria, homing endonucleases, and horizontal transfers-are lightning rods for debate. Homing endonucleases are a class of enzymes that can cut double-stranded DNA with such great specificity that there may be only a single target sequence in an entire genome. The genes that encode them are widely spread, but they are especially prevalent in the group I introns of fungal mitochondria (3).
Factors affecting the decision to pursue glaucoma fellowship training.

Purpose: To identify factors associated with the choice to pursueglaucoma fellowship training by graduating ophthalmologyresidents.Methods: An anonymous survey was sent to each graduatingophthalmology resident in the United States in February 2003.Demographic data and information relating to residencytraining, career goals, and factors inﬂuencing career choiceswere collected from the surveys.Results: Surveys were completed by 215 (49.2%) residents,including 135 (62.8%) who were pursuing fellowships. Amongresidents undertaking fellowship training, 17 (12.6%) selectedglaucoma and 118 (87.4%) chose other subspecialties. Residentsentering glaucoma fellowships performed more glaucomaﬁltering procedures (P=0.006), and they were less likely topublish a paper (P=0.05) and have time allocated for research(P=0.04) than residents seeking fellowships in other subspe-cialties. Factors that were rated as less important to thosechoosing glaucoma fellowships included interest in challengingdiagnostic problems (P=0.009), types of patient problems(P=0.015), an academic career (P=0.03), and workingwith new technology (P=0.04). The decision to pursuefellowship training was made later by residents enteringglaucoma compared with those choosing other subspecialties(P=0.001).Conclusions: A variety of factors aﬀect the decision to pursuefellowship training. There are diﬀerences in how these factorsare weighed among residents seeking fellowships in glaucomaand other subspecialties.Key Words: glaucoma fellowship(J Glaucoma 2007;16:81–87)
Volcanic ash from Icelandic ∼57,300 Yr BP eruption found in GISP2 (Greenland) Ice Core

We have found volcanic ash in Wisconsinan ice from the GISP2 ice core retrieved from the Summit location in Central Greenland. The ash consists, predominantly of large rhyolitic glass shards similar to the ones found in Wisconsinan Dye 3 ice from Southern Greenland. We give the results of our analysis of the ash and present evidence that correlates this ash with the Z2 ash layer found in Atlantic sediment cores, with the Dye 3 ash, with ash recently found in the GRIP ice core from Central Greenland and with ash associated with the Icelandic Thorsmork ignimbrite. The mineralogy of the ash is very similar to that of ash from the Icelandic Tindfjallajokull volcano that is also present in the Thorsmork ignimbrite and we suggest that this is the source volcano. Tindfjallajokull has also been suggested as the source of the Z2 ash. Based on the excellent dating of the GISP2 ice core, we determined that the eruptions that produced the GISP2 ash occured 57,300±1,700 yr BP which agrees extremely well with the most recent dating of 57,500±1,300 yr BP of the Z2 ash based on the SPECMAP chronology. This provides us with a reliable revision of the Dye 3 ice core dating at a depth of ∼1950 m. This ice was originally dated at ∼70,000 yr BP.
Approximate Three-Dimensional Electric Solution for a Frame-Type MHD Generator

An approximate technique to determine the potential distribution and integral performance characteristics of a frame-type MHD channel is presented. In addition to including the effect of the conducting sideframes, the model considers the effects of finite segmentation and the effects of variable plasma conductivity, Hall parameter, and velocity. In its simplest form, the approximate technique effects results for the threedimensional potential distribution by solution of an ordinary differential equation. The accuracy of the technique is demonstrated by comparison with results of more detailed calculations and by comparison with experimental results. These comparisons show good agreement both for the integrated generator performance and for the current distribution to the electrode frame. In contrast to the detailed calculation procedure, the approximate technique has modest solution times and can be incorporated in a MHD generator design and prediction code.
Synthesis and mechanical properties of nanoscale mechanically-milled NiAl

Abstract This work reports on the synthesis, microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline NiAl materials. Nanoscale crystallites of NiAl were formed by high energy milling of pre-alloyed powder, with and without Al 2 O 3 paniculate additions, under an Ar atmosphere. Consolidation of the powders was accomplished by die-forging and re-forging at m in air. Characterization of the powders and consolidated microstructures and Vickers hardness data are reported. Analysis of the hardness data indicates that the majority of the strengthening is due to the refined microstructure.
Positive reinforcing function of “negative attention”

Abstract It has often been suggested that some children, in the absence of positive attention, prefer negative attention to indifference. To test this proposition experimentally, twenty-six third and fourth grade children were randomly assigned to (1) a period of social deprivation or (2) a brief, but warm interaction with the experimenter. All subjects subsequently played a game-like probability matching task in which face to face contact and a mild reproof were contingent upon pressing a button which had little likelihood of being “right”. Given the choice between being “right” (seeking a light flash) and being “wrong” (seeing the experimenter's face and hearing him say, “you're wrong”), socially deprived, high need for approval subjects showed a significantly greater tendency than controls to choose the latter.
The “Immigrant Paradox” Phenomenon: Assessing Problem Behaviors and Risk Factors Among Immigrant and Native Adolescents

We investigated the “immigrant paradox” phenomenon by examining differences in problem behavior engagement and exposure to risk factors across four adolescent groups: 1,157 first-generation, 1,498 second-generation, and 3,316 White and minority third or higher generations. Latent mean differences in problem behavior engagement (i.e., academic failure, aggression, and substance use) and risk factors (i.e., low socioeconomic status, poor family relationship, and low sense of school belonging) were associated with significant differences across adolescent groups. Results supported the generational status effect by demonstrating sequentially greater adolescent problem behavior engagement. However, the difference in exposure to risk factors across adolescent groups only partially supported the immigrant paradox. Further, the multiple group analysis of the relationships between risk factors and engagement in problem behaviors showed increased susceptibility among second generation immigrants for substance use, White natives for academic failure and substance use, and minority natives for physical aggression. Study findings have implications for understanding how the immigrant paradox leads to different adjustment patterns and problem behavior manifestations among immigrant and native adolescents.
Giant attenuation of surface acoustic waves by ferromagnetic films

Abstract The attenuation of surface acoustic waves at 618 MHz propagating through a 200 A nickel film may be changed by 40 db/cm by changing an applied magnetic field by ±90 Oe. This giant effect is strongly dependent on the thickness of the nickel film. It appears that magnetoelastic coupling yields the proper magnitude for the giant effect. The frequency, thickness and temperature dependence of the effect are presented. Results obtained with Ni rich Fe-Ni alloy films are also presented.
Muscular anatomy of the giant whipscorpion Mastigoproctus giganteus (Lucas) (Arachnida: Uropygi) and its evolutionary significance

Abstract Skeletal muscles in the whipscorpion Mastigoproctus giganteus are surveyed and compared with those of several other chelicerates to clarify the evolutionary morphology and phylogenetic relationships of arachnids. Representatives from 90 muscle groups are described and illustrated, and their possible functions are proposed. Principal results of this analysis include new proposed homologies for the anterior opisthosomal appendages and sclerites in tetrapulmonate arachnids (that is, Trigonotarbida, Araneae, Amblypygi, Uropygi), the discovery that muscular attachments in arthropods can shift from the mesodermal endosternite to the ectodermal exoskeleton, a reconstruction of the evolutionary transformations associated with the apparent uncoupling of pharyngeal and locomotor complexes in the prosoma of Pedipalpi (that is, Amblypygi and Uropygi), and an expanded list of unique synapomorphies supporting the sister-group status of Amblypygi and Uropygi.
Sesquiterpene lactones. Constituents of Artemisia nova nels. and A. tripartita gray ssp. rupicola

Abstract Artemisia nova and A. tripartita ssp. rupicola have been found to contain several guaianolides of closely related structures. One of them, cumambrin B, has been reported as a constituent of Ambrosia cumanensis and has also been found in this laboratory in Ambrosia acanthicarpa . The gross structure assigned to cumambrin B has been confirmed and its stereochemistry completely defined.
Excretion of purine derivatives by Holstein cows abomasally infused with incremental amounts of purines

Five multiparous, ruminally cannulated Holstein cows (two lactating and three dry) weighing ( X ± SD) 667 ± 35 kg were used to study the effect of abomasal purine infusion on the excretion of purine derivatives. Cows were fed corn silage four times daily at 90% of ad libitum intake ( X = 9.16 kg of dry matter/d). Purines were infused into the abomasum as brewer’s yeast suspensions in five incremental amounts ( 0 to 380 mmol/d) during five experimental periods according to a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Periods were 7 d; purine infusions were conducted during the last 4 d, and urine was collected during the last 3 d of each period. Ruminal purine outflow in all cows was measured during an experimental period immediately preceding and immediately following the five infusion periods and in each cow during the 0-mmol/d infusion period of the experiment. The relationship between total (milk plus urine) daily excretion of purine derivatives (allantoin plus uric acid) and total (abomasal infusion plus ruminal outflow) daily purine flow was quantified by linear regression analysis and was described by the relationship: Y = 0.856X + 103 (r 2 = 0.93). The slope (0.856) indicated that 86% of purines that reached the omasum were excreted as purine derivatives. In the two lactating cows, urinary purine derivatives accounted for 98.4% of the total purine derivatives that were excreted. Ruminal flow of microbial CP can be estimated from the CP:purine ratio of ruminal microorganisms and the excretion of purine derivatives.
The ALICE electromagnetic calorimeter

ALICE is the general purpose experiment at the LHC dedicated to the study of heavy-ion collisions. The electromagnetic calorimeter (EMCal) is a late addition to the ALICE suite of detectors with first modules installed in ALICE this year. The EMCal is designed to trigger on high energy gamma-rays and jets, and to enhance the capabilities of ALICE for these measurements. The EMCal is a Pb/scintillator sampling shish-kebab type calorimeter. The EMCal construction, readout, and performance in beam tests at the CERN SPS and PS are described.
Sex effects on effort attributions in managerial performance evaluation

Abstract The effects of three sex variables, sex of subject, sex of evaluatee, and sex of evaluatee's subordinates, were examined in an experiment. After reviewing performance data which was identical in all experimental conditions 62 male and 24 female subjects assessed the causes of the observed performance for four conditions: males managing predominately male subordinates, males managing predominately female subordinates, females managing predominately male subordinates, and females managing predominately female subordinates. Despite the comparable performance evidence, both male and female subjects attributed greater effort to managers whose subordinates were predominately of the opposite sex than to managers whose subordinates were predominately of the same sex. These results extend previous attribution research by demonstrating that sex effects on attributions depend not only on the evaluatee's sex, but on evaluatee sex interacting with the larger sexual context of the job. Unwarranted personnel decisions appear likely due to these attribution patterns.
Serial Measurement of Growth-Differentiation Factor-15 in Heart Failure. Relation to Disease Severity and Prognosis in the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial

Background—Growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is emerging as a prognostic biomarker in patients with coronary artery disease. Little is known about GDF-15 as a biomarker in patients with heart failure. Methods and Results—The circulating concentration of GDF-15 was measured at baseline (n=1734) and at 12 months (n=1517) in patients randomized in the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial (Val-HeFT). GDF-15 levels at baseline ranged from 259 to 25 637 ng/L and were abnormally high (>1200 ng/L) in 85% of patients. Higher levels were associated with features of worse heart failure and biomarkers of neurohormonal activation, inflammation, myocyte injury, and renal dysfunction. Baseline GDF-15 levels (per 100 ng/L) were associated with the risks of mortality (hazard ratio, 1.017; 95% confidence interval, 1.014 to 1.019; P<0.001) and first morbid event (hazard ratio, 1.020; 95% confidence interval, 1.017 to 1.023; P<0.001). In a comprehensive multiple-variable Cox regression model that included clinical prognosti...
The Future of Social Constructionism: Introduction to a Special Section of Emotion Review

It is easy to envision marked progress in biological and physiological approaches to emotion, due to technological advances in imaging and other recording techniques. The future of social-constructionism appears more hazy: Progress will likely depend as much on new ideas as on new empirical discoveries. The most fruitful breeding ground for new ideas is where disciplines meet. Hence, the contributors to this special section represent diverse disciplines: biology, computer science, and the arts, as well as areas more traditionally associated with the social construction of emotion, for example, interpersonal relations, cultural influence, and individual development.
A DIMERIC MECHANISM FOR THE ACTION OF PHYTOCHROME: EVIDENCE FROM PHOTOTHERMAL INTERACTIONS IN LETTUCE SEED GERMINATION*

Abstract— Sensitization of the phytochrome-mediated germination at 20°C of lettuce seeds (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Grand Rapids) by pretreatment at 4°C, 28°C, or on 1% ethanol, was studied. The 660 nm fiuence-response characteristics were similarly biphasic for all sensitizing treatments and displayed responses at very low fluences (VLFR) as well as responses characteristic of non-sensitized seeds at 10000-fold higher, low fluences (LFR). Maximum VLFR increased with the duration of sensitizing treatments. However, the fluence ranges required for the two types of responses remained relatively constant. These and additonal responses of sensitized seeds to 730 nm fluences were compared to simulations of a mechanism involving a receptor, X, and based on the dimeric structure of phytochrome in which each monomer is independently phototransformed from the inactive (Pr) to the active (Pfr) form. The fluence requirements for phytochrome photoconversion in seeds were determined to be similar to those of purified Avena phytochrome in vitro, on which photochemical parameters for the simulations were based. The analyses suggest that Pr:Pfr-Xand Pfr:Pfr-X are responsible, respectively, for the VLFR and the LFR, and that sensitization involves membrane influences on the activity of Pr:Pr-X. They also suggest the concentration of X to be about 0.001 that of total phytochrome dimer in this system.
Pediatric Hydrocephalus in East Africa: Prevalence, Causes, Treatments, and Strategies for the Future

The burden of infant hydrocephalus in East Africa is significant, with more than 6000 new cases estimated per year. The majority is caused by neonatal infection, and should thus be preventable. With about 1 neurosurgeon per 10,000,000 people in East Africa, initial treatment for hydrocephalus is often unavailable. This also renders shunt dependence more dangerous in East Africa than in the developed world. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy combined with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV/CPC) has proven effective in avoiding shunt dependence in the majority of infants. Unlike shunts, most failures of endoscopic treatment are evident in the early months after surgery, with later failures being rare. Easily accessible clinical parameters can be used to predict the likelihood of success in a given patient. There appears to be no developmental advantage to shunt dependence compared to treatment by ETV/CPC. Cooperative efforts such as the East African Neurosurgical Research Collaboration are needed to broaden the scope of research and training needed to significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality of this disease.
Investigation of constrained-layer technique using exact elasticity theory

Abstract It is possible to damp flexural waves in metal plates by means of a layer of elastomeric material with high loss factor. It was found that adding a third layer of metal enhances the damping effect. This may be explained by observing that the constraining layer increases shear in the elastomer layer, and thus increases energy loss due to the loss factor in its shear modulus. The purpose of the present investigation is to extend computational techniques by which one may decide on optimum combinations of layer thickness and material properties for a given damping application. A model proposed by Kerwin in 1959 shows the effect of the various parameters on the attenuation, but it uses thin-plate theory for the base plate and does not account for extensional waves. Kerwin's model is extended to include extentional waves. A hybrid model is presented whereby the base plate is described by exact elasticity theory. Comparison of the results from the hybrid model with those from the extended model shows the consequences of the use of exact elasticity theory.
Biosynthesis of alkyl lipids: displacement of the acyl moiety of acyldihydroxyacetone phosphate with fatty alcohol analogs.

Abstract The first step in the biosynthesis of ether-linked glycerolipids proceeds as follows: ROH + acyldihydroxyacetone-P → alkyldihydroxy-acetone-P + RCOOH. Data obtained with a series of 3 H-labeled fatty alcohol analogs and [1- 14 C]hexadecanol demonstrate that the microsomal enzyme from tumors that substitutes the alcohol group for the acyl group of acyl-dihydroxyacetone-P is not very selective. However, if hydroxyl groups are inserted at either the C-2 or C-16 position of hexadecanol, neither alkyl-dihydroxyacetone-P nor its dephosphorylated product is formed. The effect of modifying the terminal end of the alcohol was also apparent when iso and anteiso branched chain alcohols were used as substrates, i.e., the latter was incorporated into alkyldihydroxyacetone-P to a much greater extent.
Swarm intelligence of gene networks leads to behavioral rules for biological cells to serve as agents for higher level tissue and organ development

We provide two-levels of description of organ development as swarm intelligences. The organogenesis process is a clear structure--function system with the property of self-organization (or SI organization). We suggest how this can be applied to the example of kidney development. We discuss how genes and proteins can be described as SI agents. We analyze simplified functions of agents (genes, proteins, etc.) that lead to organization of the next level of cell--cell interactions and postulate rules of behavior of the cells as agents of the next level SI. We also discuss the necessary features of the gene networks that may make it possible for "relay" signal transfer between the cells.
A study of the near-miss involving Weber’s law and pure-tone intensity discrimination

A study of pure-tone intensity discrimination is presented in which amplitude changes are detected in 1000 Hz tone bursts 15–20 msec in duration. The masking function (log detectable increment vs log background intensity) is found to have a slope of 9/10 when calculations are carried out via energy measurements. This near-miss to Weber’s law is in agreement with other data reported in the literature. The masking slope proves to be essentially independent of stimulus duration between 15 msec and 1.5 sec. Our stable slope parameter is interpreted as a detectability restriction generated by “mass-flow” phenomena in the auditory channel. These phenomena are thought to be similar to the fluctuations accompanying a noisy or turbulent stream of events. Pure-tone intensity discrimination is then analyzed as a special case of energy detection.
The Cooperative Function of Nuclear Receptor Coactivator 1 (NCOA1) and NCOA3 in Placental Development and Embryo Survival

Nuclear receptor coactivator 1 [NCOA1/steroid receptor coactivator (SRC)-1] and NCOA3 (SRC-3/AIB1/ACTR) constitute two thirds of the SRC (steroid receptor coactivator) family. Although in vitro experiments have suggested overlapping functions between NCOA1 and NCOA3, their in vivo functional relationship is poorly understood. In this study, NCOA1 and NCOA3 double knockout mice were generated to determine the compensatory roles of NCOA1 and NCOA3 in development. NCOA1(-/-) mice survived normally, whereas most NCOA3(-/-) embryos were viable at embryonic d 13.5 (E13.5). In contrast, the majority of double-knockout (DKO) embryos died by E13.5. NCOA1 and NCOA3 are expressed in the labyrinth, and labyrinths of NCOA1(+/-);NCOA3(-/-) and DKO placentas were small compared with wild-type and single-knockout labyrinths. DKO labyrinths exhibited low densities of maternal blood sinuses and fetal capillaries and displayed fetomaternal blood transfusion. At the interface between maternal and fetal circulations, layer I sinusoidal trophoblast giant cells showed a reduced density of microvilli. Layer III syncytiotrophoblasts appeared to accumulate large lipid droplets and have reduced density and deepened invaginations of the intrasyncytial bays. The endothelial layer in DKO labyrinth showed abnormal morphologies and had large lipid droplets. Furthermore, disruption of NCOA1 and NCOA3 increased labyrinth trophoblast proliferation and their progenitor gene expression but decreased their differentiation gene expression. NCOA1 and NCOA3 deficiencies also affected the expression of several genes for placental morphogenesis including TGFβ-, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β-, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ-regulated genes and for glucose transportation including GLUT1 and Cx26. These findings demonstrate that NCOA1 and NCOA3 cooperatively regulate placental morphogenesis and embryo survival.
Ornamental bill color rapidly signals changing condition

Ornamental bill color is postulated to function as a condition-dependent signal of individual quality in a variety of taxonomically distant bird families. Most red, orange, and yellow bill colors are derived from carotenoid pigments, and carotenoid deposition in ornamentation may trade off with their use as immunostimulants and antioxidants or with other physiological functions. Several studies have found that bill color changes in response to physiological perturbations, but how quickly such changes can occur remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that carotenoid-based orange bill color of American goldfinches Spinus tristis responds dynamically to rapid changes in physiological stress and reflects short-term changes in condition. We captured male and female goldfinches and measured bill color in the field and again under captive conditions several hours later. The following day, the captive birds were injected with either immunostimulatory lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or a control saline and changes in bill color were measured over a five day period. Yellow saturation of the bill decreased within 6.5 h between the field and captivity measures on the first day, presumably in response to capture stress. Over the longer experimental period, bill hue and luminance decreased significantly, whereas saturation significantly increased in both LPS and control groups. Bill hue and luminance decreased significantly more in birds treated with LPS than in control birds. Among LPS treated birds, individuals expressing high bill color at the beginning of the experiment lost more color than ‘low-color’ birds, but still retained higher color at the end of the experiment, suggesting that birds that invest heavily in bill coloration are able to sustain high costs in the face of a challenge. Bill color change may have resulted from rapid reallocation of carotenoids from ornamentation to immune function. However, the complex shifts in bill color over time suggest that bill color may be influenced by multiple carotenoid compounds and/or changes in blood flow or chemistry in vessels just beneath the translucent keratinized outer layer of the bill. We conclude that bill color is a dynamic, condition-dependent trait that strategically and reliably signals short-term fluctuations in physiological condition.
Facile Synthesis of Stapled, Structurally Reinforced Peptide Helices via A Photoinduced Intramolecular 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reaction †

We report the first use of a photoinduced 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction in “stapling” peptide sidechains to reinforce a model peptide helical structure with moderate to excellent yields; the resulting pyrazoline “staplers” exhibit unique fluorescence useful in a cell permeability study.
Observations pertaining to the dynamics of the plasma sheet

Plasmas on the surface of the plasma sheet at its interface with high-latitude lobes are studied at about 30-40 earth radii (Re) in the tail of the earth's magnetosphere with Lepedea plasma instrumentation on board the earth-orbiting Imp 7 and Imp 8 satellites. Protons at this interface are frequently found to be flowing toward earth with velocities greater than 400 km/s. Proton bulk speeds measured near the plasma sheet surface are typically greater than those at locations deeper within the plasma sheet. Ten of the twenty cases studied exhibit plasma sheet cooling. Typical plasma sheet conditions are observed to prevail deep within the plasma sheet coincident with the earthward streaming at the boundary of the plasma sheet. A three-parameter model is described that explains the velocity distributions measured for the earthward-jetting plasma.
Aspects of dermatophytosis: Part 1

that most clinicians would be comfortable in making, especially in young animals; however paradoxically dermatophytosis remains one of the most overand under-diagnosed conditions in veterinary dermatology. This paper will examine the reasons for this, and will detail some of the less common presentations of dermatophyte infection and how to confirm the diagnosis in patients with these presentations.
Burning records caused fumes after derailment

A new study shows that hazardous materials may come in harmless-looking packages and that toxic chemicals are not always to blame for environmental accidents. A Conrail train derailment April 11, 1987, in Bloomfield, Pa., led to a fire, the spill of phosphorus oxychloride, and a plume of smoke and hydrogen chloride gas that acutely affected nearby residents. An investigation of the accident just completed by the Center for Hazardous Materials Research (CHMR) at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa.) found that the fumes were entirely the result of burning phonograph records. In addition, calculations based on a computer model of gas emission and dispersion showed that community exposure was probably below dangerous levels throughout the fire.
Parent stem cells can serve as niches for their daughter cells

Stem cells integrate inputs from multiple sources. Stem cell niches provide signals that promote stem cell maintenance, while differentiated daughter cells are known to provide feedback signals to regulate stem cell replication and differentiation. Recently, stem cells have been shown to regulate themselves using an autocrine mechanism. The existence of a 'stem cell niche' was first postulated by Schofield in 1978 to define local environments necessary for the maintenance of haematopoietic stem cells. Since then, an increasing body of work has focused on defining stem cell niches. Yet little is known about how progenitor cell and differentiated cell numbers and proportions are maintained. In the airway epithelium, basal cells function as stem/progenitor cells that can both self-renew and produce differentiated secretory cells and ciliated cells. Secretory cells also act as transit-amplifying cells that eventually differentiate into post-mitotic ciliated cells . Here we describe a mode of cell regulation in which adult mammalian stem/progenitor cells relay a forward signal to their own progeny. Surprisingly, this forward signal is shown to be necessary for daughter cell maintenance. Using a combination of cell ablation, lineage tracing and signalling pathway modulation, we show that airway basal stem/progenitor cells continuously supply a Notch ligand to their daughter secretory cells. Without these forward signals, the secretory progenitor cell pool fails to be maintained and secretory cells execute a terminal differentiation program and convert into ciliated cells. Thus, a parent stem/progenitor cell can serve as a functional daughter cell niche.
Gamma radiation effect on vascular smooth muscle cells in culture

Purpose:Prior work in our laboratory demonstrated that external gamma irradiation administered within 48 h following balloon catheter carotid artery injury in rats produced a marked inhibition of intimal hyperplasia and restenosis. The current study used smooth muscle cells (SMC) in vitro to examine the radiation dose response and to investigate the cellular mechanism by which radiation inhibits SMC proliferation. Methods and Materials: Quiescent rat aortic SMC in plasma were refed with whole blood serum to stimulate synchronous proliferation and immediately irradiated with single fraction doses of 1.25–20 Gy. Results: Comparison between a micronucleus assay and a clonogenic assay indicated a dose-dependent increase in apparent chromosomal damage at 72 h after irradiation. Inhibition of SMC growth by radiation did not correlate with cahnges in intracellular or released mitogenic activity. Furthermore, there was no evidence of apoptosis in irradiated SMC up to 96 h after treatment. Conclusion: Radiation likely inhibits SMC proliferation after arterial injury by a dose-dependent mechanism of lethal and/or sublethal cellular injury leading to clonogenic cell death.
On the Commonly Used Design and Statistical Considerations in Double Blind, Potentially Unblind, and Open-Label Clinical Trials

In clinical trials, parallel group designs, such as placebo‐controlled trials or active‐controlled trials, are commonly used. The study design in comparative clinical trials to address the intended objective is vital to the interpretation of the trial results. If inappropriate study design are employed, they not only cannot answer the intended clinical hypothesis, but they can also impose adverse effects on the collection of efficacy and safety data that may further be compounded by observable and unobservable baseline data. Documentation and interpretation of the outcomes need to be carefully considered. It is well known that various sources of biases can arise during the course of the trial, for instance, design bias, operational bias, analytical bias, methodological bias, interpretation bias, and documentation bias. As a result of such biases, the accuracy and precision of the treatment effect estimate may be severely compromised, depending on the design considered. In this article, commonly used study...
A Crystallinity Study of Cellulosic Fibers Employing Deuteration and Infrared Spectroscopy1

The crystallinities of the cellulosic materials, cotton, ramie, and viscose rayon, were studied utilizing deuteration exchange and a recently developed method for obtaining the ir spectra of natural or synthetic short staple fibers. The crystallinities from this work are in the range of values reported by other investigators utilizing other methods. This work extends the deuteration-ir method to the determination of the crystallinities of short, staple cellulosic fibers in which the only change, other than deuterium exchange, is the physical pressing of the fibers so that ir spectra can be obtained.
Inactivation of N-type Ca2+ channels: Ca2+ vs. voltage.

The question of Ca2+-dependent inactivation of Ca2+ channels just won't go away. Two new papers, one in this issue (Shirokov, 1999) and one in the Biophysical Journal (Jones et al. 1999), present divergent views of the mechanism of inactivation of N-type Ca2+ channels. These channels are important for neurotransmitter release, so their inactivation is of considerable physiological interest.
Development of perceptual expertise in emotion recognition

How do children’s early social experiences influence their perception of emotion-specific information communicated by the face? To examine this question, we tested a group of abused children who had been exposed to extremely high levels of parental anger expression and physical threat. Children were presented with arrays of stimuli that depicted the unfolding of facial expressions, from neutrality to peak emotions. The abused children accurately recognized anger early in the formation of the facial expression, when few physiological cues were available. The speed of children’s recognition was associated with the degree of anger/hostility reported by the child’s parent. These data highlight the ways in which perceptual learning can shape the timing of emotion perception.
The Plunging Tip: Analysis and Surgical Treatment

Background The plunging tip refers to a deformity in which the nasal tip plunges on smiling. Objectives To understand the plunging tip, we have updated our series of 25 cosmetic rhinoplasty patients who complained of a plunging tip with a focus on the anatomic changes of the nose on smiling. Methods Twenty-five female cosmetic primary rhinoplasty patients who complained of a nasal tip that plunged on smiling were photographed in static and smiling sequences preoperatively and one year postoperatively. Different nasal angles and landmarks were measured to study changes of the nose. Results Pre- and postoperatively, there was no statistically significant difference in the changes in the nasal angles and landmarks on smiling. At one year postoperatively, 2 patients had nasal tips that continued to plunge on smiling; these patients had requested no increase in tip rotation preoperatively. Only 2 patients had columellar base muscles cut for reasons other than treating the plunging tip. Conclusions This is the first prospective, evidence-based study on the plunging tip. Measurements of the nose before and after surgery demonstrate that the nasal tip moves less than 1 mm and 1 degree on smiling. Treatment of the plunging tip illusion was effective by increasing the tip angle in repose. No columellar base muscles were cut to treat the plunging tip, and the nose moved just as much after surgery as before. Cutting or manipulating muscles is not necessary for treatment. To treat the illusion, the surgeon must increase tip rotation. Level of Evidence 2![Graphic][1] Therapeutic [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
Statistical Geometry and Topology of Real and Model Protein Structures

We have subjected several sets of real and simplified model proteins to Delaunay tessellation and have computed statistics on both Delaunay simplex geometry and the tendency of quadruplets of residue types to be joined together in simplices. We have characterized the geometry and contact patterns of real proteins and some of the ways in which they differ from these model structures. We have also found heretofore unreported asymmetries in contact patterns among residue quadruplets joined in simplices in real proteins.
Core decompression for juvenile osteonecrosis.

Core decompression may be used as adjunct for treatment in some cases of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD). The primary application is for patients with onset at 12 years of age or older. We recommend classifying these older patients as idiopathic juvenile osteonecrosis and treating them similarly to adults with avascular necrosis. Juvenile osteonecrosis may benefit from core decompression combined with shelf acetabuloplasty during the early stages of necrosis. Younger children with LCPD may benefit from decompression by fenestration of the femoral head. Experience in adult-onset osteonecrosis and our early experience suggest that some patients may benefit from these adjunctive treatments.
Molting and Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis infection: the problem and some solutions

Induced molting is an important economic tool used by the egg industry to recycle an aging layer flock. It is estimated that approximately 70% of the flocks nationwide and almost 100% in California are molted annually. Considering that there are approximately 240 million hens in production in the U.S., a rough estimate of the numbers of hens molted every year would be between 144 and 168 million birds, a substantial number. There are many methods to induce molt, but feed removal until hens lose a specific weight is the most prevalent molt strategy in the U.S. However, experimental studies in our laboratory have shown that induced molting via feed removal depresses the immune system of hens and exacerbates a Salmonella enteritidis (SE) problem in a simulated flock situation. Molted hens excreted significantly higher SE numbers in the feces, had higher numbers of SE in internal organs, and exhibited more intestinal inflammation. Molted hens were 100- to 1,000-fold more susceptible to infection by SE and therefore more readily transmitted the organism to uninfected hens in neighboring cages. With the problems identified, solutions were sought, and several were successful in ameliorating the SE issue. Antibiotic therapy, vaccination, and use of low-energy, low-calcium diets to molt hens all dramatically decreased SE shedding during molt. All of the solutions provide the producer with many potential solutions to the SE food safety issue and still allow them to recycle their hens.
Effects of Family Structure, Family SES, and Adulthood Experiences on Life Satisfaction

Using data from the General Social Survey, 1989-1994, this study examines the effects of family structure, family socioeconomic status (SES), and adulthood experiences on life satisfaction. Regression analysis shows that both family structure and family SES are associated with life satisfaction in adulthood, controlling for age, gender, race, and education. However, neither family structure nor family SES remains significant after the inclusion of a set of adulthood life experience variables in the models. This finding calls for a better measure of family dynamics in childhood and further research on the joint effects of childhood family characteristics and adulthood life experiences on a person's psychological well-being.
NOAA Contractor Partnership: How NOAA Uses Private Industry to Support Nautical Charting

NOAA is responsible for providing accurate nautical charts for the U.S.Exclusive Economic Zone. NOAA has designated 43,000 square nautical miles of this area as 'in critical need of modern surveys.’ Using only NOAA hydrographic survey vessels, it would take 40 years to survey just these critical areas. In an effort to more quickly reduce the backlog, NOAA turned to contracting. This article describes the NOAA process of awarding a contract. The process begins with an announcement in the Commerce Business Daily. A Source Evaluation Board then reviews the submissions and scores the firms based on qualifications- based selection procedures. At least three of the highest ranking firms are interviewed by telephone, then the Board makes the final ranking of the firms and presents recommendations to the Source Selection Official. The successful partnership between NOAA and private industry has helped increase hydrographic survey production in support of nautical charting.
The size and distribution of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) cross-pollinating population on male-sterile sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.)

SUMMARYThe size of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) population carrying sunflower (Helianthus annuus) pollen on their bodies while foraging on male-sterile (MS) plants was recorded. When equal numbers of MS and male-fertile (MF) rows were planted, all foragers had some sunflower pollen on their bodies, and the amount did not differ among MS rows at various distances from MF plants. When MS rows outnumbered MF by 3 to 1, 97.7% of the honey bees foraging on the MS row farthest from the MF plants had sunflower pollen on their bodies, but the amount was significantly less than on foragers on MS rows closer to MF plants. Seed set on MS rows adjacent to MFs did not differ from that on MF plants, but set decreased in MS rows further away. The percentage of pollen-collecting honey bees moving from MF to MS rows indicates one means by which the cross-pollinating honey bee population can be created, but these bees represented only 6.5–12.8% of all foragers. Pollen-free honey bees either released in hives located near...
A CASE OF BENIGN SCHWANNOMA ARISEN IN THE PELVIC RETROPERITONEUM

症例は71歳,男性.胃癌にて胃全摘術を施行後外来通院中, 2004年7月の腹部CTにて骨盤内に12×6×8cm大の一部石灰化を伴う多房性の嚢胞性病変を認めた.後腹膜リンパ管腫を疑い, 10月6日腫瘤摘出手術を施行した.腫瘤は後腹膜腔にあり,多房性で厚い被膜を有し膀胱,精嚢,左精管と強く癒着していた.割面は嚢胞性と充実性の部分から成り,嚢胞内容液は淡血性であった.病理組織学的にはAntoni A型とB型が混在する良性神経鞘腫と診断された.また嚢胞内容液に多数の精子が認められ,精嚢または精管との交通が疑われた.術後6カ月経過した現在再発は認めていない.
Bond Splitting Behavior of FRP Rebars in Normal Strength Concrete

The bond splitting behavior of reinforcing bars in concrete is a critical issue in the design of reinforced concrete structures. This study focuses on the bond splitting strength of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars in normal strength concrete. Four different types of rebars were tested: aramid (AFRP); carbon (CFRP); glass (GFRP), and steel. This involved of a total of 66 specimens. For each rebar, the test results include the bond stress-slip response and the mode of failure. The test results showed that the bond splitting strength on an FRP rebar is, on average, less than the one on steel rebar. Based on this research, a recommendation for the average bond splitting strength of straight FRP rebars in normal strength concrete is made, which is an expression that is a function of the rebar diameter, concrete cover, and the concrete compressive strength.
DNA analysis and the Freedom of Information Act: information or invasion?

This note explores the possibility of release of an individual's DNA analysis to any person who requests it through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), after an individual's post-aircraft accident DNA profile has been developed by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). It analyzes whether the request would fall under the FOIA's 552(b)(6) exemption, which weighs a person's privacy interest against any public interest in such information, or if the release would constitute a "clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
Cysteine Sulfoxidation Increases the Photostability of Red Fluorescent Proteins

Photobleaching of fluorescent proteins (FPs) is a major limitation to their use in advanced microscopy, and improving photostability remains highly challenging due to limited understanding of its molecular mechanism. Here we discovered a new mechanism to increase FP photostability. Cysteine oxidation, implicated in only photobleaching before, was found to drastically enhance FP photostability to the contrary. We generated a far-red FP mStable by introducing a cysteine proximal to the chromophore. Upon illumination, this cysteine was oxidized to sulfinic and sulfonic acids, enabling mStable more photostable than its ancestor mKate2 by 12-fold and surpassing other far-red FPs. mStable outperformed in laser scanning confocal imaging and super-resolution structured illumination microscopy. Moreover, photosensitization to oxidize a cysteine similarly introduced in another FP mPlum also increased its photostability by 23-fold. This postfolding cysteine sulfoxidation cannot be simply substituted by the isosteric aspartic acid, representing a unique mechanism valuable for engineering better photostability into FPs.
Targeted Therapies for Lung Cancer.

Targeted therapies have become standard therapies for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A phase III trial of carboplatin and paclitaxel with and without bevacizumab in patients with advanced NSCLC with non-squamous histology demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in efficacy. In patients with NSCLC with an activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation (defined as exon 19 deletion and exon 21 L858R point mutation), phase III trials of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) compared to platinum-based chemotherapy have demonstrated superior efficacy in the first-line setting. In patients with NSCLC with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements, phase III trials of crizotinib have demonstrated superior efficacy compared to platinum–pemetrexed in the first-line setting and standard chemotherapy in the second-line setting. A second-generation ALK inhibitor, ceritinib, is available for patients who have progressed after or were intolerant of crizotinib. Crizotinib has also demonstrated activity on patients with ROS1 rearrangements, and BRAF inhibitors (dabrafenib, vemurafenib) have demonstrated activity in patients with NSCLC with BRAF V600E mutation. The oncogenic mutations that are susceptible to targeted therapy are mainly found in non-squamous NSCLC. The development of targeted therapy in patients with squamous NSCLC has been more challenging due to the genomic complexity observed in the squamous histology and the low prevalence of EGFR, ALK, and ROS1 molecular alterations. A phase III trial of cisplatin and gemcitabine with and without necitumumab in patients with advanced NSCLC with squamous histology demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in progression-free and overall survival.