cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional expression of dihydropyridine-insensitive calcium channels during PC12 cell differentiation by nerve growth factor (NGF), oncogenic ras, or src tyrosine kinase.

1. Recombinant retroviruses were used to introduce a temperature-sensitive v-src gene and oncogenic c-Ha-ras into PC12 cells, and stable cell lines expressing these genes were established. 2. As previously reported, expression of v-src (Alemaet al., 1985) or c-Ha-ras (Nodaet al., 1985) in PC12 cells results in neurite outgrowth resembling that induced by NGF. We report here that v-src but not oncogenic c-Ha-ras induces a stable morphologic neuronal differentiation similar to treatment with NGF. Oncogenic c-Ha-ras-induced neurite outgrowth is not stable with long-term culture, rather the cells revert to an undifferentiated morphology with altered cell cycle kinetics. 3. The stable neuronal phenotype induced by v-src and NGF is characterized by the functional expression of dihydropyridine-insensitive calcium currents.
Haptoglobin patterns in cord blood serums.

ALTHOUGH haptoglobin is almost always present in normal adult serums, it is demonstrable in only about 10 per cent of cord blood serums by the technique of starch-gel electrophoresis1. The factors accounting for this large percentage of ahaptoglobinaemic new-borns are obscure. The present communication is based on a survey of cord-blood serums undertaken in an attempt to evaluate some of the factors accounting for the high frequency of ahaptoglobinaemia in the new-born. At the same time, work was carried out to substantiate that the new-born baby with detectable haptoglobin produced it himself.
Benzo[a]pyrene dione‐benzo[a]pyrene diol oxidation‐reduction couples; involvement in DNA damage, cellular toxicity, and carcinogenesis

Three isomeric quinone metabolites of the environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene undergo reversible, univalent oxidation‐reduction cycles involving the corresponding benzo[a]pyrene diols and intermediate semiquinone radicals. Under aner‐obic conditions, benzo[a]pyrene 1,6‐dione, benzo[a]pyrene 3,6‐dione, and benzo[a]pyrene 6,12‐dione are readily reduced by mild biological agents such as NADH and glutathione. The benzo[a]pyrene diols, in turn, are very rapidly autooxidized to diones when exposed to air. Substantial amounts of hydrogen peroxide are produced during these autooxidations. The benzo[a]pyrene diol/benzo[a]pyrene dione interconversions proceed by one‐electron steps; the corresponding semiquinone radicals were detected as intermediates when the reactions were carried out at high pH. Benzo[a]pyrene diones are electron‐acceptor substrates for NADH dehy‐drogenase. Catalytic amounts of these metabolites, together with this respiratory enzyme, function as cyclic oxidation‐reduction couples to link NAD...
Cretaceous mammals of southern Utah. III. Therian mammals from the Turonian (early Late Cretaceous)

ABSTRACT Eight taxa of therian mammals are herein recorded from the Smoky Hollow Member of the Straight Cliffs Formation, southcentral Utah. The assemblage is of middle to late Turonian age (early Late Cretaceous), a time period for which mammals are poorly represented worldwide in the fossil record. Two symmetrodonts, family Spalacotheriidae, are described as new; one is referred to the genus Symmetrodontoides, otherwise known from the early Campanian, and the other is placed in a new genus. Primitive tribosphenic taxa include two archaic forms characterized by single rank molar shearing; one is referred to the Deltatheridiidae and the other, of uncertain affinities, is similar to Picopsis of the early Campanian. A new species is tentatively referred to Anchistodelphys. This genus is marsupial-like in having an anteroposteriorly expanded protocone and, especially, in features of the lower molars (lingually placed paraconid and hypoconulid, reduced height differential between trigonid and talonid, presenc...
Influence of Planting Soil Mix Characteristics on Bioretention Cell Design and Performance

Municipalities are increasingly interested in using rain gardens, or bioretention cells, as a “best management practice” (BMP) for storm-water management and as a component of low impact development. However, improved technical reference materials are needed to determine the influence of planting soil mix design on the hydrologic and water quality performance of bioretention cells. This article describes three investigations undertaken to determine the influence of planting soil mix characteristics. The first was to identify the bioretention cell design characteristics and methodologies used by different agencies. The second was a laboratory investigation on the soil characteristics that influence performance including field capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil moisture content, organic content, dry bulk density, porosity, and sediment grain size distribution. The third was to quantify the effectiveness of bioretention cells as a storm-water BMP by designing, constructing, and monitoring two f...
A robust ammonia coverage ratio control method for a two-cell selective catalytic reduction system in low temperature operations

The control of Diesel engine selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems during low temperature operation is of great challenge due to the complicated urea-to-ammonia conversion process. The existing model-based SCR controls may fail to achieve their control objectives in the situation since most of them adopted SCR models with the assumption of complete urea decomposition at the front portion of catalyst. To ensure low tailpipe NO x emissions and ammonia slip, a nonlinear backstepping and nonlinear damping based robust controller was proposed. The control objectives are to maintain a low ammonia loading and a medium ammonia loading in the upstream cell and downstream cell, respectively. Simulation results under the FTP-72 cycle demonstrate high robustness of the proposed controller in regulating the ammonia coverage ratios against the uncertainties from the delayed urea-to-ammonia conversion process. Comparison with a previously reported controller shows the advantage of the robust controller in limiting the tailpipe ammonia slip without significant loss of deNO x capability.
Evolutionary bioscience as regulatory systems biology

At present several entirely different explanatory approaches compete to illuminate the mechanisms by which animal body plans have evolved. Their respective relevance is briefly considered here in the light of modern knowledge of genomes and the regulatory processes by which development is controlled. Just as development is a system property of the regulatory genome, causal explanation of evolutionary change in developmental process must be considered at a system level. Here I enumerate some mechanistic consequences that follow from the conclusion that evolution of the body plan has occurred by alteration of the structure of developmental gene regulatory networks. The hierarchy and multiple additional design features of these networks act to produce Boolean regulatory state specification functions at upstream phases of development of the body plan. These are created by the logic outputs of network subcircuits, and in modern animals these outputs are impervious to continuous adaptive variation unlike genes operating more peripherally in the network.
CELL PROLIFERATION IN NEWLY TRANSPLANTED EHRLICH ASCITES TUMOR CELLS

1 Ehrlich ascites tumor cells collected from donor mice on the 5th day after inoculation were injected into the peritoneal cavity of new recipient mice. 2 Cell cycle times were drastically shortened by transplantation, for instance, the length of the cell cycle from 47 to 21.5 hr, and the duration of S from 26.5 to 16.5 hr. 3 Transplantation also caused a transient delay of cells in G2 followed by a rapid acceleration and produced an immediate increase in the number of cells in DNA synthesis by about 5–8%.
CRT-821 Fully Percutaneous Transthoracic Left Atrial Access To Deliver Large Interventional Devices

Investigational transcatheter replacement mitral valves are bulky devices requiring large caliber access ports. An access route (Fig 1A) that does not impact left ventricular (LV) function could simplify device engineering and improve patient outcomes. We hypothesized that by deflating a lung, it is
Observation of coherent Raman scattering in thin-film optical waveguides.

We have measured coherent surface Raman scattering in 2-μm-thick films of polystyrene by guiding the incident and scattered light in the film. Peak conversion efficiencies of 0.2% were found, in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions.
Christian Chevandier, Cheminots en greve: ou la construction d'une identite (1848–2001). Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose, 2002. 399 pp. 20 € paper.

Christian Chevandier's Cheminots en Greve is a social, political, and institutional history of railroad workers in France from 1848 to 2001. It is told from the standpoint of the role of strikes in forming the occupational identity of these workers, known in France as cheminots (Chevandier finds the earliest use of the expression dating back to 1898; by the 1930s the Academie Francaise officially recognized it as a French word). Cheminots belong to various crafts and trades. They drive the trains, repair locomotives and rolling stock in shops and factories, sell tickets in stations and collect them in trains. Although the book is largely structured around a chronological account of railway strikes, Chevandier looks beyond the strike for sources of cheminot identity. These include the evolving structure of the French railroad system from private companies to state ownership, the role of skill and technological change, and especially union strategies, structures, and above all divisions. Along the way he revisits earlier treatments of French labor and railworker history, and takes up old historiographical controversies debating, confirming, and refuting well-known scholars from Annie Kriegel to historians of a younger generation like George Ribeill and Atsushi Fukasawa.
Transcriptional control of genes for soluble complement cascade regulatory proteins

The complement cascade of the immune system is an important mediator of the inflammatory response to infection; however it is crucial that this pathway is tightly regulated to prevent uncontrolled activation, which can lead to damage to host tissues. The complement system has many regulators that control activation; both membrane-bound and soluble factors. This review will focus on what is currently known about the transcriptional regulation of the soluble complement regulatory genes C1-inhibitor, complement factor I, complement factor H and C4-binding protein. The absence or mutation of these regulators is all associated with specific disease, and yet their contribution to disease is often poorly understood. It is through full understanding of these genes that we can comprehend the diseases with which they are implicated, and thus prove why knowledge of the transcriptional regulation of these genes is valuable.
Review of "Probability and Statistics with Reliability, and Computer Science Applications, by Kishor S. Trivedi"

Designed as an introduction into basic probability theory and statistics with heavy emphasis on analytic modeling of various aspects of computer systems and their workloads, this book turns out to be much more than a text for a course or for self-study. Seen as a textbook, it provides knowledge understandably and quite comprehensively by addressing topics ranging from basic probability theory, stochastic processes, queueing theory to statistical inference and analysis of variance. Each topic is well presented. An incredible wealth of examples addresses modeling issues of computer systems and workload behavior for performance analysis, capacity planning, as well as reliability and availability considerations. This alone should put the book onto the professional's and student's bookself. Additionally, an excellent reading list, classified by topics, provides useful direction for further study. As a whole, the book is very understandable yet sophisticated enough to serve the professional with previous modeling experience as a reference text. It is remarkably well written, understandable, well-organized and naturally was quite a success with my students when I used it as a textbook for a graduate course on modeling. In short, it is a very valuable and worthwhile book which should become a classic text.
Prenatal programming of adult hypertension in the rat.

Prenatal programming of adult hypertension in the rat. Background Epidemiological studies have suggested that low birthweight is a risk factor for the development of essential hypertension in adulthood, but the mechanism is unknown. Methods A rat model of intrauterine growth retardation was employed. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were kept on 6% protein or on control isocaloric 20% protein diet from gestational day 12 until term. Systolic blood pressures of the offspring were monitored by the tail cuff method. Apoptosis was determined by the TUNEL method, cell proliferation by anti-Ki67 antibody, and the total number of glomeruli by the maceration method. Results are mean ± SD. Results The kidney and body sizes of the offspring from the low-protein pregnancies (LP) were proportionately decreased at birth. Full catch-up growth occurred during the first two weeks of life. The kidneys were normal by standard histology but exhibited increased apoptosis without increased cell proliferation at eight weeks of age. The total number of glomeruli per kidney was decreased by 28% in males ( P P P P P P P P Conclusions Adult blood pressure profile is susceptible to prenatal programming by maternal low-protein diet in the rat. The mechanism may involve an altered renin-aldosterone axis and a deficit in total nephron number.
Iodine Cordes Bands Thermometry in a Mach 10 Wake

T HE present note describes the first application of ensemble laser-induced fluorescence (ELIF) thermometry. I2 is excited in the Cordes bands [1] using an excimer laser near 193 nm. Timeaveraged thermometry along a line in a hypersonic wake is obtained bymonitoring emission near 193 nm using an imaging spectrograph. Off-body nonintrusive thermometrymethods applicable to the low pressures (0.1–1 torr) in hypersonicwakes are limited. Sodium-based laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) [2] was demonstrated in hypersonic helium. This method is useful for inert-gas flows orN2 but requires a heated carrier gas and forms oxides in dry air. The resulting heat addition can perturb the flow. Visible LIF-based I2 diagnostics used I2 seeded into a N2 hypersonic free-jet facility at Mach 12 [3]. However, the time required to scan the appropriate hyperfine transitions is greater than the run time of most full-scale facilities. The present iodine Cordes bands results obtained in the NASA Langley 31 in. Mach 10 air wind tunnel (hereafter 31M10) and previous NO planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) results obtained at the Australian National University Tunnel 2 free-piston shock tunnel [4] (hereafter T2) represent the only known thermometry datasets in hypersonic wakes using off-body nonintrusive molecular-based instrumentation. The present note describes each method, describes the flowfields to which they were applied, compares results, and presents aerothermodynamic observations.
Analog joint source-channel coding for transmission of correlated senders over separated noisy channels

We consider the problem of transmitting quadratic Gaussian sources over separated Gaussian channels using analog joint source-channel coding schemes. We propose a novel distributed joint source-channel coding scheme based on zero-delay analog mappings, which exploits the correlation between sources in an efficient way. Different from digital systems, the proposed system offers low delay, low complexity and high robustness. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme performs very close to the theoretical limits, is very robust against signal to noise ratio mismatching, and outperforms existing zero-delay analog mappings, especially for high channel signal to noise ratios and highly correlated sources.
Incorporation and distribution of labeled proline in collagenous and non-collagenous components of the gorgonian coral Leptogoriga virgulata (Coelenterata, octocorallia)

Abstract 1. 1. A collagenous axis in L. virgulata was indicated by the presence of an autoclave soluble fraction containing proline and hydroxyproline in a ratio of 1.40 (wt/wt). 2. 2. Whole branch tips labeled with [14C]proline incorporated [14C]hydroxyproline into an autoclave soluble protein. 3. 3. A high [14C]proline:[14C]hydroxyproline ratio (10:1) in the autoclave soluble fraction suggests the presence of a non-collagenous protein contaminant rich in proline. 4. 4. Autoradiographs of [3H]proline-labeled colonies indicated that only small amounts of label were incorporated into skeletal axis with labeling times up to 48 hr.
ADENOVIRUS VAI RNA ANTAGONIZES THE RNA-EDITING ACTIVITY OF THE ADAR ADENOSINE DEAMINASE

The virus-associated VAI RNA of adenovirus is a small highly structured RNA that is required for the efficient translation of cellular and viral mRNAs at late times after infection. VAI RNA antagonizes the activation of the interferon-inducible RNA-dependent protein kinase, PKR, an important regulator of translation. The RNA-specific adenosine deaminase, ADAR, is an interferon-inducible RNA-editing enzyme that catalyzes the site-selective C-6 deamination of adenosine to inosine. ADAR possesses three copies of the highly conserved RNA-binding motif (dsRBM) that are similar to the two copies found in PKR, the enzyme in which the prototype dsRBM motif was discovered. We have examined the effect of VAI RNA on ADAR function. VAI RNA impairs the activity of ADAR deaminase. This inhibition can be observed in extracts prepared from interferon-treated human cells and from monkey COS cells in which wild-type recombinant ADAR was expressed. Analysis of wild-type and mutant forms of VA RNA suggests that the central domain is important in the antagonism of ADAR activity. These results suggest that VAI RNA may modulate viral and cellular gene expression by modulating RNA editing as well as mRNA translation.
Changes in the virulence of Mycobacterium avium after passage through embryonated hens' eggs.

Eight-day-old embryonated hen's eggs were used as a model to study Mycobacterium avium virulence. Strains isolated from human patients caused 20–90% mortality when eggs were infected by injection of bacterial suspensions into the amniotic sac. Virulence of examined strains subsequently decreased with passage through eggs to between 0 and 40% mortality in four passages. Virulence of the egg-attenuated strains could be restored by passage through human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The site of infection in the egg was usually the mesodermal layer of the chorioallantoic membrane. A few small granulomas containing acid-fast bacteria were seen in the liver, but not in other organs. Death of chicken embryos may have resulted from destruction of the mesodermal layer of the chorioallantoic membrane with consequent respiratory failure. PBMCs infected with less virulent egg-passaged strains of M. avium produced higher levels of tumor necrosis factor-α than did peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with more virulent nonpassaged strains.
Physical chemistry: stressed molecules break down.

Tough carbon–carbon bonds can snap in certain large molecules just because the two sides of the molecule cannot agree on which way to go during adsorption. Heresy? The view through the microscope suggests otherwise. The covalent bond between two carbon atoms is one of the strongest around, but an elegantly simple experiment now shows that adsorption of a brush-like macromolecule onto a solid or liquid substrate can cause carbon–carbon bonds to break. This unexpected phenomenon occurs when attraction to the substrate causes the side-chains of the macromolecular brush to reorganize themselves in order to maximize their contact area with the substrate. Bond breakage takes place when the weak surface interactions and repulsion between side-chains attached next to each other to the macromolecular backbone combine so that locally they exceed the strength of a covalent bond in the backbone. This effect needs to be considered when designing highly branched macromolecules — such as brush-like macromolecules or dendrimers — for surface-targeted applications
Private school competition and public school teacher salaries

Teacher unions have fiercely fought public policy measures (e.g., vouchers, tuition tax credits) that might increase the proportion of students attending private schools. Yet increased competition in the educational service market should also lead to greater labor market competition, reducing any quasi-monopsony tendencies depressing teacher salaries. Using detailed data on over 600 Ohio school districts, we find that increased private school competition leads to higher salaries for public school teachers. It may be that union leaders disregard the interests of their members in trying to maximizing union size and power. An alternative interpretation is that unions sacrifice shortrun income gains for their members in order to maintain longterm economic rents associated with substantial political power.
Gene expression of biomarkers of nephrotoxicity in F344 rats co-exposed to melamine and cyanuric acid for seven days

A number of studies have demonstrated that co-exposure to low levels of melamine and cyanuric acid elicits renal toxicity due to the formation of melamine cyanurate crystals in the kidney nephrons. In this work, we investigated if co-exposure of rats to these compounds leads to alterations in the expression of the genes encoding kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1), metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1), clusterin, osteopontin, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin/lipocalin 2 (NGAL), which have been proposed as urinary biomarkers for nephrotoxicity. Six-week-old male and female F344 rats were fed ad libitum a diet fortified with 0 (control), 7, 23, 69, 229, or 694 ppm melamine and cyanuric acid (co-exposure groups), 1388 ppm melamine, or 1388 ppm cyanuric acid for seven days. Histopathology and clinical chemistry examination indicated marked toxicity only in the animals exposed to the two highest combined doses of melamine and cyanuric acid. Consistent with these observations, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of kidney tissue indicated increased expression of all genes analyzed relative to the control in both male and female rats fed daily with 229 or 694 ppm melamine and cyanuric acid. Exposure to lower levels of both compounds or to the individual compounds did not induce gene expression changes. These data indicate that quantifying the expression levels of the selected biomarker genes constitutes a useful endpoint to assess the combined toxicity of melamine and cyanuric acid in both male and female rats.
Semiconductor electronics and the birth of the modern science of surfaces

Abstract Semiconductor surfaces were the launching platform for the solid state electronic revolution. The brilliant concept of surface states led directly to the discovery of the transistor in 1947. The chemical instability of the Ge surfaces, however, rendered the new devices irreproducible and unstable. This threat to the viability of semiconductor electronics, precipitated an international search, of a magnitude unparalleled in the history of science and technology, directed at the understanding and controlling of semiconductor surfaces. The roots of all of today's powerful experimental tools, techniques, procedures and fundamental concepts at the disposal of surface science and engineering can be traced to that gigantic effort on the study of semiconductor surfaces. Clearly, solid state electronics, born and nurtured on semiconductor surfaces, gave, in turn, birth to the modern science of all surfaces. In this article, I attempt to convey a general impression of the mutually constructive interplay between the evolution of solid state electronics on the one hand and surface science and engineering on the other. I take this opportunity to highlight my own experiences and research involvement with semiconductor surfaces.
Sample size calculation for testing non-inferiority and equivalence under Poisson distribution

Abstract When counting the number of chemical parts in air pollution studies or when comparing the occurrence of congenital malformations between a uranium mining town and a control population, we often assume Poisson distribution for the number of these rare events. Some discussions on sample size calculation under Poisson model appear elsewhere, but all these focus on the case of testing equality rather than testing equivalence. We discuss sample size and power calculation on the basis of exact distribution under Poisson models for testing non-inferiority and equivalence with respect to the mean incidence rate ratio. On the basis of large sample theory, we further develop an approximate sample size calculation formula using the normal approximation of a proposed test statistic for testing non-inferiority and an approximate power calculation formula for testing equivalence. We find that using these approximation formulae tends to produce an underestimate of the minimum required sample size calculated from using the exact test procedure. On the other hand, we find that the power corresponding to the approximate sample sizes can be actually accurate (with respect to Type I error and power) when we apply the asymptotic test procedure based on the normal distribution. We tabulate in a variety of situations the minimum mean incidence needed in the standard (or the control) population, that can easily be employed to calculate the minimum required sample size from each comparison group for testing non-inferiority and equivalence between two Poisson populations.
Subsets of acetylcholine-stimulated 86Rb+ efflux and [125I]-epibatidine binding sites in C57BL/6 mouse brain are differentially affected by chronic nicotine treatment.

Nicotinic cholinergic receptor (nAChR) sites that bind nicotine with high affinity (likely α4β2-nAChR) increase following chronic nicotine treatment. Effects of chronic treatment on other nAChR binding sites and functional responses of nAChRs are less well studied. Therefore, C57BL/6 mice were intravenously infused for 10 days with saline or nicotine (five doses, 0.25-4.0 mg/kg/h) and nAChR function and three different nicotinic binding sites in 12 brain regions were assessed. Plasma nicotine and cotinine increased linearly with dose. 86Rb+ efflux with higher sensitivity to acetylcholine tended to decrease with increasing dose, whereas efflux with lower sensitivity to acetylcholine tended to increase. As anticipated, likely α4β2-nAChR [125I]-epibatidine binding sites increased with treatment (estimated dosage for one-half maximal increase was 0.44 mg/kg/h, plasma nicotine ≈20 ng/ml). 86Rb+ efflux with higher sensitivity to acetylcholine and cytisine-sensitive [125I]-epibatidine binding are predominantly α4β2-nAChR. A high correlation between these parameters was observed across brain regions and slopes of these regression lines decreased with treatment dose, suggesting a decrease in function per unit receptor. Likely α3β4-nAChR binding sites were unaffected even at the highest dose (4.0 mg/kg/h, ≈210 ng/ml). A third set of diverse nAChR binding sites increased in some brain regions, but only after high-dose treatment.
Discretionary Decision Making by Probation and Parole Officers: The Role of Extralegal Variables as Predictors of Responses to Technical Violations

This study examines the predictors of discretionary decisions made by probation and parole officers (PPOs) when they face clients who commit technical rule violations during community supervision. Although prior studies of discretionary decisions in criminal justice systems typically focus on legal predictors of discretion (i.e., offense- and offender-based variables), this study examines extralegal predictors to include PPOs’ sociodemographical, occupational, and organizational characteristics. The study uses data collected from a national self-report survey of 332 PPOs who worked with adults and who were members of the American Probation and Parole Association in 2005. Logistic regression analyses examine extralegal predictors of PPO support for formal hearings (i.e., judicial or parole board hearings) in response to technical rule violations. Analyses identify significant occupational and organizational factors that predicted discretionary decisions. Policy implications and directions for future resear...
The Bioconjugation and Radiosynthesis of 89Zr-DFO-labeled Antibodies

The exceptional affinity, specificity, and selectivity of antibodies make them extraordinarily attractive vectors for tumor-targeted PET radiopharmaceuticals. Due to their multi-day biological half-life, antibodies must be labeled with positron-emitting radionuclides with relatively long physical decay half-lives. Traditionally, the positron-emitting isotopes 124I (t1/2 = 4.18 d), 86Y (t1/2 = 14.7 hr), and 64Cu (t1/2 = 12.7 hr) have been used to label antibodies for PET imaging. More recently, however, the field has witnessed a dramatic increase in the use of the positron-emitting radiometal 89Zr in antibody-based PET imaging agents. 89Zr is a nearly ideal radioisotope for PET imaging with immunoconjugates, as it possesses a physical half-life (t1/2 = 78.4 hr) that is compatible with the in vivo pharmacokinetics of antibodies and emits a relatively low energy positron that produces high resolution images. Furthermore, antibodies can be straightforwardly labeled with 89Zr using the siderophore-derived chelator desferrioxamine (DFO). In this protocol, the prostate-specific membrane antigen targeting antibody J591 will be used as a model system to illustrate (1) the bioconjugation of the bifunctional chelator DFO-isothiocyanate to an antibody, (2) the radiosynthesis and purification of a 89Zr-DFO-mAb radioimmunoconjugate, and (3) in vivo PET imaging with an 89Zr-DFO-mAb radioimmunoconjugate in a murine model of cancer.
Calcium-dependent human erythrocyte cytoskeleton stability analysis through atomic force microscopy

Erythrocytes affected by age and diseases such as sickle cell anemia, hypertension, diabetes, etc., exhibit abnormally high intracellular Ca2+ ion levels, and appear to have altered cytoskeleton properties. It has been proposed that extra binding of Ca2+ to membrane-associated calmodulin attenuates the spectrin-ankyrin-Band 3 tether of the cytoskeleton to the cytoplasmic membrane and might change the cytoskeleton structure. Due to the close apposition of the network, direct observation of such a structural change in vivo is restricted. In this study, atomic force microscopy and quantitative image analysis were applied to investigate the structural change of young healthy erythrocyte cytoskeletons upon extra Ca2+ binding to the cytoplasmic membrane in vitro. The results show that extra Ca2+ binding increased the cytoskeleton rigidity and prevented spectrin aggregation during sample preparation. The cytoskeleton morphology observed in Ca2+ -incubated healthy young cell were similar to the glutaraldehyde-fixed healthy young cells.
Oxyethylation and carbonation of telechelic polyisobutylene anions

The synthesis of (CH3)3C≈PIB≈CH2 C(=CH2) CH2CH2CH2OH and (CH3)3C≈PIB≈CH2 (=CH2) CH2COOH have been achieved by oxyethylation and carbonation of telechelic polyisobutylene anions: (CH3)3C≈PIB≈CH2C(=CH2)CH2⊝. The latter macroanions were prepared from (CH3)3C≈PIB≈CH2C(CH3)2Cl by one-pot dehydrochlorination-metalation with n-BuLi/t-BuOK in hexanes. The structure of the products was established by detailed 1H and 13C NMR analyses which also involved the characterization of 4-neopentyl-4-penten-1-ol and 3-neopentyl-3-butenoic acid model compounds.
Visual outcomes following the use of intravitreal steroids in the treatment of postoperative endophthalmitis.

Abstract Objective To compare visual outcomes between cases of acute postoperative endophthalmitis that did or did not receive intravitreal steroids. Design Retrospective nonrandomized comparative trial. Participants Fifty-seven patients with postoperative endophthalmitis. Intervention Thirty-one patients with postoperative endophthalmitis resulting from cataract extraction received both intravitreal antibiotics and steroids, whereas the remaining 26 received only intravitreal antibiotics. Main outcome measures Improvement in visual acuity. Results Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the variables that potentially influence a three-line visual acuity improvement. The mean baseline visual acuities of both groups were comparable. The use of intravitreal steroids reduced the probability of developing a three-line improvement in visual acuity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.287; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.072–0.852]). On the basis of logistic regression analysis using our multivariate model, gender, baseline visual acuity, and pars plana vitrectomy were not significantly associated with visual outcome differences between the two groups. Conclusions Patients who received intravitreal steroids had a significantly reduced likelihood of obtaining a three-line improvement in visual acuity. At a minimum our study provides no support for their use and, therefore, steroids may not be efficacious for acute endophthalmitis related to cataract extraction.
Yellow Cotton Pollen Suppresses Growth of Larvae of Tobacco Budworm

Studies were conducted over a 2-yr period to determine the effects of yellow pollen on the growth of larvae of the tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens (F.). In 1977, tobacco budworm larvae were fed cream or yellow cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., pollen of field grown DES-24 cotton. In 1978, the study was repeated 3 times with cream and yellow pollen of DES-24 and of 4 additional cotton genotypes. In the 1977 study, after 7 days of feeding, mean larval weights were 117.1 and 134.4 mg for larvae fed yellow and cream pollen, respectively. In 1978, mean larval weights were 179.2 and 211.3 mg for yellow and cream pollen diets, respectively. This represents a significant reduction (13 and 15%) in tobacco budworm larval weights for both years.
Midgut volvulus: An unusual case of adolescent abdominal pain

Rotational gut abnormalities are generally considered a disease process of the neonatal and pediatric populations. However, they may first become manifest in teenagers and adults, often with disastrous outcomes. A case of a 15-year-old boy who presented in shock with an acute abdomen is presented. His symptoms had been mistaken for 1 week as gastroenteritis. At surgery, he was found to have a midgut volvulus. A differential diagnosis is discussed, as well as an anatomical review and typical symptomatology associated with midgut abnormalities.
Jahn-Teller effect in EPR spectra: Three-state theory for 2 E orbital states in cubic symmetry

The Jahn-Teller effect for an orbitally doubly degenerate state is considered for the case of cubic symmetry. Reduction factors are defined which describe the matrix elements of the orbital operators for $E$ doublets between the various vibronic states. For the lowest six vibronic states $E$, ${A}_{1}$, ${A}_{2}$, and $E$, the reduction factors are calculated for the cases of no or weak linear vibronic coupling and strong linear vibronic coupling. In the latter case the effects of anharmonic potential energy and nonlinear vibronic coupling are also included in the reduction factor calculations. Using the reduction factors to determine the matrix elements of the orbital operators within the vibronic states, an effective Hamiltonian is formulated which describes the mixing of the vibronic levels. This defines the multistate theory in which several vibronic levels are included in the manifold of states used to describe electronic interactions. Electron-paramagnetic-resonance spectra from $^{2}E$ orbital states are predicted for a six-state vibronic manifold by calculating the strain dependence of the $g$ factor. Particular attention is given to those spectral fectures appearing in the ground state which are the result of the second excited singlet. The relationship between $p$-type and $q$-type reduction factors is discussed.
Prediction of the limits of detection of hazardous vapors by passive infrared with the use of modtran.

Passive infrared remote detection of hazardous gases, vapors, and aerosols is based on the difference, ΔT, between the air temperature of the threat vapor cloud and the effective radiative temperature of the background. In this paper I address the problem of detection with a low-angle-sky background. I used modtran to predict ΔT and atmospheric transmittance for standard atmospheric models. The detection limits, at 2-cm−1 resolution, are discussed for sulfur hexafluoride, Sarin, trichloroethylene, methyl isocyanate, mustard gas, methyl chloride, and sulfur dioxide for selected cases with the U.S. Standard, the Subarctic Winter, and the Tropical models. I used a particularly interesting case of Sarin detection with the Subarctic Winter atmospheric model to illustrate the power of modtran to predict subtle changes in ΔT with angle of elevation (AOE).
Efficient computation of the eigenspectrum of viscoelastic flows using submatrix-based transformation of the linearized equations

Abstract Linear stability analysis of incompressible viscoelastic flows based on normal mode expansions of the eigenfunctions requires the numerical solution of a generalized eigenvalue problem (GEVP). The complex boundary layer structure of the leading eigenfunctions and the singular character of the continuous set of eigenvalues, necessitate the use of fine mesh sizes, leading to large algebraic GEVPs. In this paper, we present a submatrix-based transformation of the linearized equations (SubTLE) that converts the GEVP into a simple eigenvalue problem (EVP) of half the original dimension for the purely elastic isothermal and non-isothermal flows of an Oldroyd-B liquid. This leads to significant (up to an order of magnitude) reduction in the CPU time and memory required for the solution of the EVP. This is illustrated in the context of isothermal and non-isothermal shear flows.
Conifer litter identity regulates anaerobic microbial activity in wetland soils via variation in leaf litter chemical composition

Plant litter is a crucial source of energy and nutrients for soil microorganisms, and thus plant species identity may help account for variation in rates of soil microbial activity via species dependent differences in litter chemistry. This may be particularly important in forested wetlands where the composition of conifer tree species can vary. We explored the relationship between conifer litter identity and anaerobic microbial activity by adding fresh needle litter from nine conifer species to soils from two contrasting forested wetlands and quantifying rates of anaerobic respiration (CO2 production) and methanogenesis (CH4 production). We characterized litter chemistry as the amounts of structural polysaccharides and polymers (cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin) and examined changes in these fractions during incubation. Litter from Pinus species supported the largest rates of CH4 production, whereas litter from Picea species supported the lowest rates. Litter from two deciduous conifers (Metasequoia, Larix) supported intermediate rates of CH4 production. Tree species identity had less impact on rates of anaerobic CO2 production. Rates of CH4 production correlated with hemicellulose and with covalently bonded pectin, whereas rates of anaerobic CO2 production showed a positive correlation with initial acid-detergent lignin concentration and with pectin. Gaining a better understanding of how hemicellulose and pectin in decomposing plant litter promote anaerobic microbial activity, especially specialized methanogenesis in soil provides insight that links plant litter identity and leaf traits to anaerobic microbial activity in the underlying soil.
Phospholipase D Controls Dictyostelium Development By Regulating G Protein Signaling

Dictyostelium discoideum cells normally exist as individual amoebae, but will enter a period of multicellular development upon starvation. The initial stages of development involve the aggregation of individual cells, using cAMP as a chemoattractant. Chemotaxis is initiated when cAMP binds to its receptor, cAR1, and activates the associated G protein, Gα2βγ. However, chemotaxis will not occur unless there is a high density of starving cells present, as measured by high levels of the secreted quorum sensing molecule, CMF. We previously demonstrated that cells lacking PldB bypass the need for CMF and can aggregate at low cell density, whereas cells overexpressing pldB do not aggregate even at high cell density. Here, we found that PldB controlled both cAMP chemotaxis and cell sorting. PldB was also required by CMF to regulate G protein signaling. Specifically, CMF used PldB, to regulate the dissociation of Gα2 from Gβγ. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), we found that along with cAMP, CMF increased the dissociation of the G protein. In fact, CMF augmented the dissociation induced by cAMP. This augmentation was lost in cells lacking PldB. PldB appears to mediate the CMF signal through the production of phosphatidic acid, as exogenously added phosphatidic acid phenocopies overexpression of pldB. These results suggest that phospholipase D activity is required for CMF to alter the kinetics of cAMP-induced G protein signaling.
Exhibits through the “Other Eye”: How Popular Education Can Help Us Make Museums that Push

This essay begins by considering museum studies in relationship to curriculum studies and new museology. The author notes that traditional museum and school learning modes have focused more on meas...
Achieving journalistic authority through narrative

This paper examines how journalists have used three narrative strategies— synecdoche, omission, and personalization—to assert their authority in their retellings of the Kennedy assassination. By giving themselves a central position within the story, journalists have helped make the assassination story a tale as much about American journalists as about Kennedy's death.
Ballistic electron transport in GaAs/AlGaAs tunneling junctions with optical phonon emission

Abstract Oscillatory current-voltage characteristic with period of longitudinal optical-phonon (LO-phonon) energy in Hichmott's experiment (Hickmott and coworkers 1984) is studied. The origin of this oscillation is attributed to a one-dimentional localization. It can cause considerable space charge in a fieldless undepletion region. This space charge may induce an additional electric field on the barrier and therefore influence the tunneling current. Sideband energy spectrum of a tunneling electron with LO-phonon emission is given by using the path integral method and WKB approximation. Relevant experiments are also discussed.
Contrasting response of monazite and zircon to a high- T thermal overprint

Abstract Contact metamorphism in the aureole of the 1322 Ma Makhavinekh Lake Pluton, northern Labrador, affected monazite and zircon in the adjacent 1850 Ma metapelitic gneisses. Transformation of regional garnet and sillimanite to lower-pressure symplectitic intergrowths of cordierite, orthopyroxene, and spinel was accompanied by resorption of inherited monazite inclusions in garnet coupled with the appearance of coronitic high-Y monazite rims. In situ ion-microprobe dating is used to show that high-Y rims formed during contact metamorphism. Liberation of Y and HREE from garnet also gave rise to new xenotime growth. The coronitic nature of monazite overgrowths reflects the diffusion-controlled nature of net-transfer reactions whereas its higher Y composition reflects equilibration with xenotime at peak T (> 800 °C) conditions in the inner aureole. Very thin overgrowths on inherited zircon were also encountered, but only where zircon is surrounded by the symplectitic assemblage, reflecting liberation of Zr from garnet. Although these overgrowths are too thin to date using conventional ion-microprobe techniques, well-developed triple junctions between zircon and orthopyroxene suggests that they grew in textural equilibrium with the contact metamorphic assemblage. In contrast to monazite, inherited zircon remained intact during contact metamorphism, exhibiting no change in morphology (other than the growth of thin rims) or internal zoning throughout the aureole. However, inherited sector-zoned zircons of anatectic origin display evidence for intracrystalline Pb redistribution in the inner aureole. In these samples, ion-microprobe analyses encountered heterogeneous Pb signals and a dispersion of 207 Pb / 206 Pb dates away from the well constrained 1850 Ma age of regional metamorphism. Whereas analyses from the outer aureole faithfully record the age of regional metamorphism, those from the inner aureole are normally and reversely discordant and distributed along a line collinear with a 1850 to 1322 Ma discordia. This disturbance is correlated with proximity to the pluton implying that Pb was mobile in the zircon lattice during contact metamorphism. Most grains are characterized by apparent Pb loss from low-U domains and apparent Pb gain in higher-U domains. These data are interpreted to reflect recovery of strained crystalline domains leading to expulsion of Pb* that was able to efficiently diffuse into higher-U domains that were partly amorphous prior to rapid reheating in the inner aureole.
Childhood accident prevention strategies

Accidental injuries remain the most common cause of death in young people after 1 year of age, with no changes in overall statistics noted in the past two decades. Automobile accidents are the most frequent cause of serious injury in children and young adults, especially infants under the age of one and people from 15 to 24 years. Various approaches to preventing accidental injuries are now being assessed. The most successful approaches identified to date have been legislative, with slight impact usually found for education endeavors.
The Aversive Racism Paradigm and Responses Favoring African Americans: Meta-Analytic Evidence of Two Types of Favoritism

This research examined conditions promoting favoritism for White targets and conditions promoting favoritism for African American (AA) targets. We extended research on the aversive racism paradigm through examination of reactions to AAs and Whites when normative behaviors or expressions of attitude clearly favored egalitarian responses and when evaluative criteria were ambiguous. We conducted a meta-analysis of 31 studies including more than 5000 participants. When norms were ambiguous, AA targets received worse treatment than Whites, supporting the presence of aversive racism. AA targets were treated even more positively than Whites when norms clearly favored positive reactions to all targets. We discuss results in terms of the aversive bias perspective, motivations to appear nonprejudiced, the flexible correction model, self-categorization theory, and shifting standards.
Optimal subchannel structuring and basis selection for discrete multicarrier modulation

We propose an intelligent subchannel structuring and orthogonal basis selection algorithm for the discrete multicarrier modulation. This algorithm examines the unevenness and power levels of the given channel spectrum. The orthogonal modulation basis is well tailored to the properties of the channel in the proposed scheme. It is shown that the proposed approach leads to a smaller number of unequal bandwidth discrete carriers than the current technology. This provides a reduced complexity in digital transceivers with a near optimum performance.