cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the Drosophila cactus locus and analysis of interactions between cactus and dorsal proteins

Abstract An oligonucleotide based on the cdc 10SW16 repeats of the Drosophila Notch protein was used to isolate other Drosophila genes with these repeats. One of these genes is the cactus locus, 1 of 11 genes required maternally for the establishment in embryos of a gradient of nuclear localization of dorsal protein, a rel-like transcription factor. Previous work showed that in cactus mutants more dorsal protein enters the nucleus in dorsal regions, resulting in a ventralized phenotype. It is now shown that the cactus locus produces two proteins that differ at their carboxy termini; both contain six cdc 10SW16 repeats that are sufficient for binding to dorsal and for inhibiting the ability of dorsal to bind DNA. The site on dorsal to which cactus binds was localized to the rel homology domain, where it overlaps with, or is adjacent to, the nuclear localization signal. In vivo the bulk of the cactus protein associated with dorsal is phosphorylated. This, or the association with dorsal, appears to stabilize the maternal cactus protein.
Intelligent troubleshooting of complex machinery

Proper maintenance and troubleshooting of complex mechanical equipment is a difficult task. A large amount of information, such as sensor data and previous repair actions, is available but infrequently used for interpretation by technical staff which is continually losing expertise due to turnover. Well structured knowledge-based systems can provide effective techniques for assisting in this task.A set of functional requirements for a troubleshooting advisory system is presented. Domain knowledge should be structured to make the system's operation more explicit to the knowledge engineer or end user. Reasoning must be carried out by navigating through a diagnostic network constructed from maintenance procedures and heuristics. The generic and modular approach used has the distinct advantage of making the task of creating diagnostic knowledge-bases easier. In addition, the large amount of information which is normally disseminated through many maintenance manuals can be easily accessible in a single computer environment, which in itself represents considerable savings in time for a mechanic. A generic system, called JETA (Jet Engine Troubleshooting Assistant) has been developed within this framework. In particular, JETA has been applied to troubleshoot the General Electric J85-CAN-15 jet engine that powers the CF-5 trainer fighters used by the Canadian Air Force.
Effects of field size when using Kerley's histological method for determination of age at death

The field size at which a bone is read affects the results obtained when using Kerley's histological method for age estimation, even after applying the recommended correction factor. Whereas there is no tendency for any one of three field sizes tested to consistently underestimate or overestimate age, a field size closest to that used by Kerley in his original study had significantly lower variances for its age estimates, and thus provides greater reliability. This particular field size yields more precise estimates because it is sampling a pattern and number of structures more similar to that of Kerley. Correction factors cannot equalize the counts of osteons and osteon fragments because of spatial variations in the distributions of these histological structures. A field size similar to that used by Kerley in gathering the data from which he developed his regression equations must be used to assure that the same pattern and number of structures is being sampled. For this reason, we suggest a field size as close to 2.06 mm2 as possible be used when employing Kerley's method.
Analysis of population size in the accuracy and performance of genetic training for rule-based control systems

Abstract In off-line training of a rule-based controller, the significant measure of successful training is the quality of control provided by the generated rule set. In an adaptive or on-line control environment, performance is also measured by the ability to accurately maintain a satisfactory rule set, but within constraints on speed and/or resource availability. Very small population genetic algorithms, or microGAs, have been proposed as a means of capitalizing on the hill climbing characteristics of faster local optimizatiion techniques while requiring less memory and retaining much of the robustness of traditional, larger population genetic search. A traditional genetic algorithm and a similar microGA are developed and applied to two control problems. The performance of these algorithms is analyzed with respect to (1) the quality of the rules learned, (2) the rate at which learning occurs, and (3) the memory resources required during learning.
Historical development of bipolar coagulation

In 1926, a physicist at Harvard named William T. Bovie created an instrument, which revolutionized the medical profession--the unipolar electrocautery device. This incredible device could make surgical incisions and provide hemostasis as well. It came with a price, however, as it also created new risks and dangers in the operating room, such as electrical burns and fires. To resolve some of these problems, a bipolar electrocautery device was developed. The historical development and principles of both unipolar and bipolar electrocautery will be discussed in this article.
Myofibroblast-mediated mechanisms of pathological remodelling of the heart

The syncytium of cardiomyocytes in the heart is tethered within a matrix composed principally of type I fibrillar collagen. The matrix has diverse mechanical functions that ensure the optimal contractile efficiency of this muscular pump. In the diseased heart, cardiomyocytes are lost to necrotic cell death, and phenotypically transformed fibroblast-like cells-termed 'myofibroblasts'-are activated to initiate a 'reparative' fibrosis. The structural integrity of the myocardium is preserved by this scar tissue, although at the expense of its remodelled architecture, which has increased tissue stiffness and propensity to arrhythmias. A persisting population of activated myofibroblasts turns this fibrous tissue into a living 'secretome' that generates angiotensin II and its type 1 receptor, and fibrogenic growth factors (such as transforming growth factor-β), all of which collectively act as a signal-transducer-effector signalling pathway to type I collagen synthesis and, therefore, fibrosis. Persistent myofibroblasts, and the resultant fibrous tissue they produce, cause progressive adverse myocardial remodelling, a pathological hallmark of the failing heart irrespective of its etiologic origin. Herein, we review relevant cellular, subcellular, and molecular mechanisms integral to cardiac fibrosis and consequent remodelling of atria and ventricles with a heterogeneity in cardiomyocyte size. Signalling pathways that antagonize collagen fibrillogenesis provide novel strategies for cardioprotection.
Bernhard Riemann Remarks on his Life and Work

The first part contains a few facts about Riemann taken from correspondence (of Riemann and of Dedekind), and then describes Riemann’s letter to Weierstrass concerning his paper on the distribution of primes. It is followed by a brief outline of the paper itself.
A Unified Computational Approach to Oxide Aging Processes

In this paper we describe a unified, hierarchical computational approach to aging and reliability problems caused by materials changes in the oxide layers of Si-based microelectronic devices. We apply this method to a particular low-dose-rate radiation effects problem.
Corrigendum to “Cigarette smokers show steeper discounting of both food and cigarettes than money” [Drug Alcohol Depend. 91 (2/3) (2007) 293–296]

Abstract Odum and Baumann [Odum, A.L., Baumann, A.A.L., 2007. Cigarette smokers show steeper discounting of both food and cigarettes than money. Drug Alcohol Depend. 91, 293–296] found that regular cigarette smokers discounted food and cigarettes more steeply than money. In this corrigendum, we report that cigarettes are also discounted more steeply than food.
Alcohol Metabolism: Role of Microsomal Oxidation in vivo

A role for microsomal alcohol oxidation cannot be demonstrated in vivo. Factors affecting microsomal drug hydroxylations had no effect on alcohol metabolism in the rat in vivo. The compound SKF 525-A which inhibits, and chronic phenobarbital treatment which enhances microsomal drug hydroxylations did not alter alcohol oxidation.
Exploration of multivariate chemical data by projection pursuit

Abstract Automated laboratory procedures have made the acquisition and storage of large quantities of data possible. More measurements can be made on a single sample and more samples can be analyzed than was previously possible. However, it is often the case that these large quantities of data do not provide as much additional information as they might. This problem arises not because the additional data do not contain additional information, but because the data are in a form that does not make the information readily available. Substantial effort is required to identify the underlying structure of large data sets. Data having more than three variables become less comprehensible as the number of variables increases. Projection pursuit is a relatively new method for identifying lower-dimensional views of multivariate data by optimizing a criterion index that measures how interesting each projection is. Numerous indices have been proposed for use with projection pursuit. Several of these projection indices select projections based on the amount of clustering observed in each lower-dimensional view. Projection pursuit using one of these cluster-seeking indices has been applied to three sets of data to determine how the method performs when chemical and biological data are analyzed.
When X-ray-inducible proteins meet DNA double strand break repair.

Cellular responses to ionizing radiation (IR) include (a) activation of signal transduction enzymes; (b) stimulation of DNA repair, most notably DNA double strand break (DSB) repair by homologous or nonhomologous recombinatorial pathways; (c) activation of transcription factors and subsequent IR-inducible transcript and protein changes; (d) cell cycle checkpoint delays in G 1 , S, and G 2 required for repair or for programmed cell death of severely damaged cells; (e) activation of zymogens needed for programmed cell death (although IR is a poor inducer of such responses in epithelial cells); and (f) stimulation of IR-inducible proteins that may mediate bystander effects influencing signal transduction, DNA repair, angiogenesis, the immune response, late responses to IR, and possibly adaptive survival responses. The overall response to IR depends on the cell's inherent genetic background, as well as its ability to biochemically and genetically respond to IR-induced damage. To improve the anti-tumor efficacy of IR, our knowledge of these pleiotropic responses must improve. The most important process for the survival of a tumor cell following IR is the repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Using yeast two-hybrid analyses along with other molecular and cellular biology techniques, we cloned transcripts/proteins that are involved in, or presumably affect, nonhomologous DNA double strand break end-joining (NHEJ) repair mediated by the DNA-PK complex. Using Ku70 as bait, we isolated a number of Ku-binding proteins (KUBs). We identified the first X-ray-inducible transcript/protein (xip8, Clusterin (CLU)) that associates with DNA-PK. A nuclear form of CLU (nCLU) prevented DNA-PK-mediated end joining, and stimulated cell death in response to IR or when overexpressed in the absence of IR. Structure-function analyses using molecular and cellular (including green fluorescence-tagged protein trafficking) biology techniques showed that nCLU appears to be an inactive protein residing in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. Following IR injury, nCLU levels increase and an as yet undefined posttranslational modification appears to alter the protein, exposing nuclear localization sequences (NLSs) and coiled-coil domains. The modified protein translocates to the nucleus and triggers cell death, presumably through its interaction specifically with Ku70. Understanding nCLU responses, as well as the functions of the KUBs, will be important for understanding DSB repair. Knowledge of DSB repair may be used to improve the antitumor efficacy of IR, as well as other chemotherapeutic agents.
The experimental breeder reactor II inherent shutdown and heat removal tests — results and analysis

Abstract A test program is being conducted to demonstrate that a power-producing liquid-metal reactor (LMR) can (1) passively remove shutdown heat by natural convection, (2) passively reduce power in response to a loss of reactor flow, and (3) passively reduce power in response to a loss of the balance-of-plant heat sink. Measurements and pretest predictions confirm that natural convection is a reliable, predictable method of shutdown heat removal and suggest that safety-related pumps or pony motors are not necessary for safe shutdown heat removal in an LMR. Measurements from tests in which reactor flow and heat rejection to the balance of plant were perturbed show that reactivity feedbacks can passively control power and temperature. Data from these tests form a basis for additional tests including a complete loss of flow without scram and a complete loss of heat sink without scram.
Bleeding in outpatients treated with warfarin: relation to the prothrombin time and important remediable lesions.

Purpose To determine the relation of bleeding to prothrombin times and important remediable lesions in outpatients treated with warfarin. Patients and Methods An inception cohort of 565 patients starting outpatient therapy with warfarin on discharge from a university hospital was assembled. Detailed records of outpatient prothrombin times were obtained for 103 of 130 case subjects with major or minor bleeding and for 117 control patients without bleeding. A nested casecontrol design was used to evaluate the association of bleeding with temporally related prothrombin times; odds ratios were estimated using multivariate logistic regression analysis to control for known predictors of major bleeding. The relation of bleeding to important remediable lesions was determined in all 130 cases of bleeding. Results For each 1.0 increase in the prothrombin time-to-control ratio, the odds ratio for major bleeding during the week after a prothrombin time measurement increased 80% the odds ratio for minor bleeding increased 50%. These odds ratios were lower during the first month of therapy and higher thereafter. Bleeding was related to important remediable lesions in 49 of 130 cases (38%), but these lesions were unknown before bleeding in only 22 cases (17%). The mean prothrombin time rose sharply at the time of bleeding in patients without important remediable lesions, but not in patients with lesions. New, previously unknown lesions (including nine malignancies) were discovered in 20 of 59 case subjects (34%) with gastrointestinal bleeding or hematuria, but in only two of 71 case subjects (3%) with other bleeding (p Conclusions Our results provide a valid quantitative basis for estimating the odds of bleeding in relation to the prothrombin time and the yield of diagnostic evaluation in patients with bleeding.
Regulation and metamorphosis of the abdominal histoblasts ofDrosophila melanogaster

The development of the adult abdomen ofDrosophila melanogaster was analyzed by histology, microcautery, and genetic strategies. Eight nests of diploid histoblasts were identified in the newly hatched larva among the polytene epidermal cells of each abdominal segment: pairs of anterior dorsal, posterior dorsal, and ventral histoblast nests and a pair of spiracular anlagen. The histoblasts do not divide during larval life but begin dividing rapidly 3 h after pupariation, doubling every 3.6 h. Initially they remain confined to their original area, but 15 h after pupariation the nests enlarge, and histoblasts replace adjacent epidermis cell by cell. The histoblasts cover half the abdomen by 28 h after pupariation and the rest by 36 h. Polytene epidermal cells of the intersegmental margin are replaced last. Cautery of the anterior dorsal nest caused deletion of the whole corresponding hemitergite, whereas cautery of the posterior dorsal nest caused the deletion of the macrochaetae of the posterior of the hemitergite. Cautery of the ventral nest deleted the hemisternite and the pleura, whereas cautery of the spiracular anlagen deleted the spiracle. Results of cautery also revealed that no macrochaetae formed on the tergite in the absence of adjacent microchaetae. Clonal analysis revealed that there were no clonal restrictions within a hemitergite at pupariation. Cautery of polytene epidermal cells other than those of the intersegmental margin failed to affect tergite development. However, cautery of polytene epidermal cells of the intersegmental margin adjacent to either dorsal histoblast nest caused mirror-image duplications of the anterior or posterior of the hemitergite in 10% of the hemitergites. Forty percent of the damaged presumptive hemitergites formed complete hemitergites, indicating extensive pattern regulation and regeneration. Pattern duplication and regeneration were accounted for in terms of intercalation and a model of epimorphic pattern regulation (French et al., 1976). Histoblasts in adjacent segments normally develop independently, but if they are enabled to interact by deleting the polytene epidermal cells of the intersegmental margin, they undergo intercalation which results in duplication or regeneration. The possible role of the intersegmental margin cells of insects in development was analyzed.
Model fermion Monte Carlo with correlated pairs II

Correlated dynamics can produce stable algorithms for excited states of quantum many-body problems. We study a variety of harmonic oscillator problems to demonstrate the kinds of correlations needed. We show that marginally correct dynamics that produce a stable overlap with an antisymmetric trial function give the correct fermion ground state.
Nutritional status of preschool children in Central Saudi Arabia.

The nutritional status of 337 preschool children (aged 0–5) living in two rural Saudi villages was assessed by clinical examination and measuring weight‐for‐age, weight‐for‐height and height‐for‐age. Only 39.2 percent were found to have normal weight‐for‐age. The weight‐for‐height was normal in 76.3 percent, whereas 33.7 percent were considered as wasted (weight‐for‐height less than 90 percent of standard). Wasting was commonest among the 12–23 months age group. Almost 60 percent had height‐for‐age less than 95 percent of standard (stunted). The percentage of stunted children increased with age. combining wasting and stunting, only 31 percent were labelled as normal and 0.9 percent had severe malnutrition and needed hospitalization, whereas the rest needed some nutritional intervention. Ignorance and infection rather than poverty played the major role in the aetiology of malnutrition in the villages studied.
Mexican American and European American Adolescents' Dating Experiences across the Ecosystem: Implications for Healthy Relationships within an Ecodevelopmental Framework

Dating health interventions that target the complex, multi-systemic spheres in which adolescents experience their first romantic relationships are required. This study utilizes an ecodevelopmental approach to better understand Mexican American and European American youths' perceptions of how peers, parents, school, and the media act both independently and collectively to affect their dating lives, also elucidating how such systems are at times in conflict. Seventy-five middle adolescents participated in focus groups divided by gender and ethnicity to uncover differences and similarities within and across groups. Findings underscore the importance and widespread effects of romantic relationships for adolescents' social development and the need for intervention programs that target multiple points of intervention while attending to mesosystemic conflicts across systems.
Sex differences in the functional asymmetry for facial affect perception.

Twenty-six right-hand-dominant women and 26 right-hand-dominant men were required to identify the facial affective expression of Ekman and Friesen's (1978) angry, happy, and neutral stimuli using a forced-choice reaction-time paradigm with only angry or happy alternatives signified by the respective response manipulanda. Stimuli were presented within the left or right visual fields to provide additional data on sex differences in the lateralized processing of facial affective stimuli. The results supported the hypothesis of greater laterality among men with equivalent response times for women and men to stimuli within the right but not the left visual fields. Men were significantly faster in processing affective facial information within the left visual field. The results also indicated that differential rates of learning occur in affective tachistoscope tasks for happy and angry stimuli. Thus, opposite conclusions may be derived from procedural differences among studies in the number of identification tr...
Human hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase: evidence for the regulation of enzymic activity by a bicyclic phosphorylation cascade.

Microsomal human liver HMG-CoA reductase has been shown to exist in active (dephosphorylated) and inactive (phosphorylated) forms. Microsomal HMG-CoA reductase was inactivated in vitro by ATP-Mg in a time dependent manner; this inactivation was mediated by reductase kinase. Incubation of inactivated enzyme with phosphatase resulted in a time dependent reactivation (dephosphorylation). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified HMG-CoA reductase incubated with reductase kinase and radiolabeled ATP revealed that the 32 p radioactivity and HMG-CoA reductase enzymic activity were localized in a single electrophoretic position. Partial dephosphorylation of the phosphorylated enzyme was associated with loss of 32 p and increase in HMG-CoA reductase activity. Human reductase kinase also exists in active and inactive forms. The active (phosphorylated) form of reductase kinase can be inactivated by incubation with phosphatase. Phosphorylation of inactive reductase kinase with ATP-Mg and a second kinase, reductase kinase kinase, was associated with a parallel increase in the enzymic activity of reductase kinase and the ability to inactivate HMG-CoA reductase. The combined results present initial evidence for the presence of human HMG-CoA reductase and reductase kinase in active and inactive forms, and the in vitro modulation of its enzymic activity by a bicyclic phosphorylation cascade. This bicyclic cascade system may provide a mechanism for short-term regulation of the pathway for cholesterol biosynthesis in man.
An Evaluation of a Premixed Méker-Type Flame as an Atom Reservoir for Atomic Fluorescence

The characteristics of a sheathed Meker-type burner (Alkemade burner) in producing a flame atom reservoir for atomic fluorescence measurements have been investigated. Comparative measurements of interferences, atomization efficiency, spatial distribution of atoms, and atomic fluorescence of Sn were made. The effect of phosphate anion on the alkaline earth elements has been used as the basis of comparison of interferences with the sheathed burner and several commercial premix burners. The efficiency of atomization of the burner has been compared with a Techtron burner with Meker-type head. Lateral and radial atom profiles for Ca have been measured in observing the effect of sheathing on the atomic distribution, and the benefits of sheathing are demonstrated in the measurement of the atomic fluorescence of Sn. It is concluded that the sheathed burner is markedly better than standard Meker-type burners for atomic fluorescence measurements.
Pitfalls to Measuring Competitive Balance With Gini Coefficients

League-winning percentage Gini coefficients have seen recent use as measurements of within-season competitive balance in Major League Baseball. The authors demonstrate that the zero-sum nature of league play renders past estimates inappropriate. Adjusted for league play, Gini coefficients reveal a much larger competitive balance problem than shown in previous estimates. However, additional complexities involving unbalanced schedules, interdivisional play, and now interleague play must be overcome before winning percentage Gini coefficients can give precise estimates of competitive balance. The authors suggest using the traditional measures of winning percentage standard deviations and their idealized values to analyze within-season competitive balance over time until these issues are overcome.
Physical measurements and nearshore nested hydrodynamic modeling for Lake Ontario nearshore nutrient study

Abstract Application of a well-known hydrodynamic code for the Great Lakes was evaluated for its effectiveness, using a nested modeling approach, to examine nearshore physical processes in connection with the 2008 Lake Ontario Nearshore Nutrient Study (LONNS). The purpose of LONNS was to examine possible causes of nearshore eutrophication, and as a subset the goal of this study was to develop a framework for understanding the role of physical processes in nearshore eutrophication problems (e.g., benthic algae blooms). A relatively fine scale (200 m) nested model was interfaced with a coarser scale (2 km) whole-lake model to allow direct incorporation of processes acting on the whole-lake scale, while also providing spatial detail that better matched available data and the desired resolution for the nearshore. Both models were based on the Princeton Ocean Model. Measurements of temperatures and currents were obtained during 2008 in each of the three regions: Oak Orchard Creek, Rochester Embayment, and Sandy Creek (or Mexico Bay), representing three different regimes of human interaction with the nearshore. The model reproduced general temperatures and flow structures relatively well for the Oak Orchard and Rochester sites, but was less effective for Sandy Creek, where simulation results were possibly adversely affected by the relatively shallow conditions of this site. Results were generally better for summer and fall, while early spring comparisons appeared to be influenced by specified initial conditions, which were found to impact model results well past the one to two month period usually assumed for spin-up time.
Health-related quality of life among informal caregivers assisting people with multiple sclerosis.

Objective. To identify factors affecting the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of informal caregivers assisting people with (multiple sclerosis) MS who have greater functional impairment.Methods. Data were collected in a national survey of 530 people who provided informal care to people with MS. Multiple linear regression models analyzed these data.Results. Poorer overall health for the person with MS, stronger agreement by caregivers that care giving was burdensome or emotionally draining, and the caregiver's need for mental health counseling in the past 12 months were associated with lower mental dimensions of HRQOL for the informal caregiver. Greater caregiver satisfaction with the access the person with MS had to MS-focused care was associated with higher mental dimensions of HRQOL among caregivers.Conclusions. Increasing access to MS-focused care could improve not only the health of people with MS, but also improve the mental dimensions of caregiver HRQOL. Our findings highlight the importance o...
Alexander Trotter—a well-connected electrician

Alexander Trotter lived from 1857 to 1947. He was present at the birth of electrical engineering (which he said took place at the International Electrical Exhibition in Paris, in 1881), and throughout his working life he was at the centre of electrical developments. In retirement Trotter compiled copious reminiscences, apparently based on diaries kept throughout his life. These reminiscences, now in the lEE Archives, yield many insights into the early years of electrical engineering and the personalities involved.
The Mite Searching Ability of Stethorus punctum within an Apple Orchard

The ability of the predator Stethorus punctum (LeConte) to find the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi (Koch) within an apple orchard was investigated in a 1-ha block. In the 148-tree orchard, only 8 trees were selected on which to allow an increase in the mite populations; the remaining trees were kept free of mites by applying acaricide sprays when deemed necessary. S. punctum adults demonstrated the ability to find the mites on the 8 trees when the mite population averaged less than one mite/leaf among the 8 trees. The adult females began depositing eggs on mite infested leaves when the population ranged from 1–2 mites/leaf. The results of this experiment possibly indicate that S. punctum may use some stimulus other than random searching to find mites in apple orchards.
Mechanism of x-ray sensitization of bacteriophage T7 by 5-bromouracil.

Abstract Coliphage T7 suspended in protective media are inactivated by X-rays more rapidly when the DNA contains 5-bromouracil (5-BU) replacing thymine. The percentage of the total number of inactivated phages which have been killed by the production of double-strand breaks in the DNA has been measured by means of an ultracentrifugal technique which yields the ratio of broken to unbroken DNA molecules. It was found that the sensitization by 5-BU substitution results only partially from an increase in the rate of strand breakage. If the phage are irradiated in a N 2 atmosphere and in the presence of cysteine, all non-breakage damage is eliminated. From this it is hypothesized that 5-BU phage are more sensitive than normal phage because 5-BU is more easily damaged than thymine.
Integrated platform for genome-wide screening and construction of high-density genetic interaction maps in mammalian cells

A major challenge of the postgenomic era is to understand how human genes function together in normal and disease states. In microorganisms, high-density genetic interaction (GI) maps are a powerful tool to elucidate gene functions and pathways. We have developed an integrated methodology based on pooled shRNA screening in mammalian cells for genome-wide identification of genes with relevant phenotypes and systematic mapping of all GIs among them. We recently demonstrated the potential of this approach in an application to pathways controlling the susceptibility of human cells to the toxin ricin. Here we present the complete quantitative framework underlying our strategy, including experimental design, derivation of quantitative phenotypes from pooled screens, robust identification of hit genes using ultra-complex shRNA libraries, parallel measurement of tens of thousands of GIs from a single double-shRNA experiment, and construction of GI maps. We describe the general applicability of our strategy. Our pooled approach enables rapid screening of the same shRNA library in different cell lines and under different conditions to determine a range of different phenotypes. We illustrate this strategy here for single- and double-shRNA libraries. We compare the roles of genes for susceptibility to ricin and Shiga toxin in different human cell lines and reveal both toxin-specific and cell line-specific pathways. We also present GI maps based on growth and ricin-resistance phenotypes, and we demonstrate how such a comparative GI mapping strategy enables functional dissection of physical complexes and context-dependent pathways.
Neuronal localization of the enhanced adenylate cyclase responsiveness to catecholamines in the rat cerebral cortex following reserpine injections.

Abstract Rats were injected daily with reserpine (2.5 mg/kg) for four days. The animals were sacrificed 4 hr subsequent to the last injection. Studies were performed as a means to determine alterations in catecholamine sensitivity of adenylate cyclase in the cerebral cortex following reserpine. In incubated tissue slices from reserpinized animals a greater accumulation of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) in response to norepinephrine and isoproterenol was seen. In control animals both α-(phentolamine) and β-blocking agents (propranolol) inhibited norepinephrine-induced cyclic nucleotide accumulation, while in the reserpine-injected rats only propranolol was effective. The accumulation of cyclic AMP elicited by isoproterenol was inhibited by propranolol alone whether or not reserpine was administered. In cortical homogenates adenylate cyclase responsiveness to norepinephrine, isoproterenol and dopamine was enhanced in animals pretreated with reserpine. An identical observation was found in isolated neuronal fractions, although increased sensitivity of the enzyme to dopamine was now absent. Neither a- nor β-blocking agents were effective in broken cellular preparations. These data are interpreted to suggest that following depletion of catecholamines by reserpine, the β-receptor component of adenylate cyclase in the cortical neurones becomes hypersensitive to stimulation by catecholamines.
An outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in liver transplant recipients

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) has become a significant nosocomial pathogen for immunosuppressed patients. During a 5-month period in 1993, 8 cases of invasive infection with VREF (7 with bacteremia) were identified in liver transplant recipients, half of whom were adults. Epidemiology and microbiology studies were designed to identify the source and to determine the risk factors for this infection. Overall mortality was 50% (3 adults and 1 child). Mortality in bacteremic patients was 57%. A case-control study showed that cases were more likely to have been treated with a third-generation cephalosporin or vancomycin and to have undergone more than four biliary tract procedures. Environmental surveillance cultures yielded only one VREF isolate from a rectal temperature probe, but this device was used in only 2 of the cases. Cultures from all surgery and radiology suites were negative. All VREF isolates were genotyped by contour-clamped homogenous electric field electrophoresis of chromosomal DNA restriction fragments. These studies showed that a single clone was responsible for the outbreak, although other clones could be detected in the hospital. After implementing strict contact isolation on the liver transplant unit, only 1 additional patient with VREF was identified during this outbreak. In conclusion, it was found that antibiotic use and biliary tract manipulation were risk factors for developing invasive infections with VREF after liver transplantation. Optimal treatment is still unclear but most likely includes a combination of two or more antibiotics. Prompt institution of infection control measures can preclude rapid spread of this nosocomial pathogen.
Effect of organic carbon on ammonia oxidizing bacteria in a mixed culture.

Abstract This study examined the effect of organic carbon (peptone vs. glucose) on two sequencing batch reactors performing simultaneous carbon oxidation and nitrification. Although each reactor had similar COD oxidation kinetics (0.029 and 0.036 mg COD mg VSS−1 h−1), the Monod nitrification kinetics for the peptone-fed reactor (μm = 2.72 h−1, Ks = 17.8 mg N L−1) were faster than for the glucose-fed reactor (μm = 0.868 h−1, Ks = 26.5 mg L−1). The overall bacterial communities were profiled by 16S rRNA cloning and sequencing and revealed homology with a greater variety of bacteria from the peptone-fed reactor than the glucose-fed reactor. In addition, amoA cloning and sequencing, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, and fluorescent in situ hybridization experiments indicated greater AOB diversity and abundance in the peptone-fed reactor. This research provides evidence that the organic carbon source affects the make-up of the heterotroph community as well as AOB in mixed cultures.
Practice Policies: Where Do They Come From?

RECENT changes in the methods used to create practice policies have the potential to affect the quality and cost of medical care more profoundly than all the new treatments of the past or next decade. This potential comes from the fact that changes in methods for designing policies can be expected to change the content of policies, which in turn will guide hundreds of thousands of decisions about all interventions (preventive and diagnostic, as well as treatment), for decades to come. The changes currently under way in methods for designing practice policies represent a change in the intellectual basis of medicine. The purpose of a practice policy is to anticipate and simplify decisions that would otherwise have to be made on a one-by-one basis by individual physicians and their patients.1Thus, the tasks involved in the design of a policy correspond to the two steps used by individuals for
Immunocytochemical detection of lymphocyte surface antigens in fixed tissue sections

Immunocytochemistry has been used extensively in the study of lymphomas on both fixed paraffin-embedded tissues and unfixed frozen tissue sections. The former technique, although preferable in terms of convenience and morphology, has been limited to the detection of cytoplasmic constituents (6), while surface markers, including surface immunoglobulin (SIg) and lymphocyte-associated antigens, have been reliably detected only on frozen sections of fresh tissue (1,2,4,8-10). Michel et al. (2) described a medium for transport ofskin biopsies and demonstrated that frozen sections of tissue prepared in this fixative gave results comparable to freshly frozen tissue for immunofluorescent localization of immunoglobulin and complement deposits. We have used this technique for immunofluorescence of skin and kidney biopsies, and in this report evaluate the transport media for fixation of lymphocytes for immunohistochemical staining. We show that this fixative not only preserves the antigenicity of all surface lymphocyte antigens tested but also actually enhances reactivity of the T cell antigens and improves the localization of the antigens.
Optimization of the parameters of a relativistic magnetron with diffraction output

We consider a magnetron with diffraction output as the most natural variant of magnetrons for relativistic electron energies because of the unique combination of such favorable properties as high output power, compact design, high resistance to microwave breakdown, the ability to work with extremely high currents, and the possibility to form desirable output radiation patterns. This paper presents preliminary parameters for the design of such a high power microwave generator, and contrasts its features with magnetrons of the traditional design.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Coating performance of polyester: Melamine enamels catalyzed by an in situ phosphatizing reagent on aluminum

The coating behavior of a polyester−melamine paint catalyzed by an in situ phosphatizing reagent (ISPR) was investigated, and the results were compared to p-toluenesulfonic acid- (p-TSA-) catalyzed paints. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to ascertain that the reaction between the ISPR and the Al surface takes place. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to measure the glass-transition temperature (Tg) and the Tg thus providing an indication that the ISPR catalyzed the paint film formation. The deterioration of the coatings by overbaking was studied using thermogravimetric analysis. The corrosion resistance of the coatings on aluminum coupons was examined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Equivalent electrical circuits were utilized to give numerical values to the resistors and capacitors in the coated panel. The paint film adhesion was tested by saltwater immersion. The high-quality performance of the ISPR-catalyzed paint can be attributed to the simultaneous reactions of...
Post‐Katrina Population Loss and Uneven Recovery in New Orleans, 2000–2010*

New Orleans has suffered from a significant population decline during 2000–2010, mainly due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Regression models are used here to explain the spatial variability of popul...
Effect of Intraperitoneal Insemination on Egg Production and Fertilizing Capacity of Fresh and Frozen Chicken Sperm

Abstract IN STUDIES on frozen chicken spermatozoa the removal of glycerol before insemination, either by dialysis (Polge, 1951) or centrifugation (Clark and Shaffner, 1960), has been considered necessary to obtain fertility. However, Allen and Bobr (1955) obtained 73% and 0% fertility when glycerolized, fresh semen was deposited within the uterus and vagina, respectively. Intrauterine insemination was later used by Allen (1958) to obtain 25% fertility with glycerolized semen which had been frozen. However, the majority of the embryos were dead when the eggs were broken after 48 hours of incubation. In a previous investigation, Brown and Harris, (1963) confirmed these findings; however, equilibration prior to freezing between the semen and glycerol was necessary for adequate hatchability. The two major disadvantages of the intrauterine technique appeared to be: (1) a deleterious effect on egg production and (2) the time consuming task of inserting the glass insemination tube through the utero-vaginal junction. Since…
GABAergic and catecholaminergic innervation of mediobasal hypothalamic β-endorphin cells projecting to the medial preoptic area

Abstract In the absence of cellular estrogen receptors or proven direct estrogen action in the rat, it is assumed that estrogen indirectly regulates the secretory activity of the preoptic area luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-producing cells. We have previously shown that pro-opiomelanocortin neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the rat send axons rostrally to connect with luteinizing hormonereleasing hormone neurons of the preoptic area. An experiment combining retrograde tracing and double-immunostaining was used to test the hypothesis that rat GABAergic and/or catecholaminergic neurons can influence luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-producing cells via mediobasal hypothalamic β-endorphin neurons. The retrograde tracer horseradish peroxidase was injected into the medial preoptic area; two days later, arcuate nucleus Vibratome sections were double-immunostained for β-endorphin and glutamate decar☐ylase or tyrosine hydroxylase. Light and electron microscopic analysis of these triple-labeled sections demonstrated that a population of β-endorphin-immunoreactive neurons concentrated in the ventromedial arcuate nucleus contain retrogradely transported horseradish peroxidase granules and form synaptic contacts with glutamate decar☐ylase- and tyrosine hydroxylase-immuno-reactive axon terminals. The present data suggest that arcuate nucleus GABA and catecholamine fibers may influence luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-containing neurons via projective pro-opiomelanocortin cells.
Identification of sensor-only MIMO pseudo transfer functions

In many applications of system identification, output measurements are available, but measurements of the input are not available. In these cases, sensor-only identification techniques are needed. In the present paper, we define a discrete-time MIMO pseudo transfer function (PTF) between sensor measurements in a sampled-data system with multiple excitation signals. We show that the MIMO PTF does not depend on the unknown initial state or the unknown excitation. We also characterize the order and relative degree of the MIMO PTF. To consistently estimate the Markov parameters of the MIMO PTF in the presence of sensor noise, we use quadratically constrained least squares identification for MIMO systems. We apply this technique to a three-degree-of-freedom mass-spring-damper system to assess the accuracy of the identified PTFs.
Controlling propagation of operations using attributes on relations

Controlling the propagation of operations through a collection of objects connected by various relationships has been a problem both for the object-oriented and the data base communities. Operations such as copy, destroy, print, and save must propagate to some, but not all, of the objects in a collection. Such operations can be implemented using ad hoc methods on objects, at the cost of extra work and loss of clarity. The use of propagation attributes on the relationships between objects permits a concise, intuitive specification of the manner in which operations should propagate from one object to another. These concepts have been implemented in the object-oriented language DSM and have been used to write applications.
4,4-Difluoro-19-nor-testosterones

Abstract The preparation of 4,4- difluoro-19-nor-5-androsten-17β-ol-3-one (II), 4-fluoro-4-androsten-17β-ol-3-one (III) and 4,4-dlfluoro-5α-androstan-17β-ol-3-one (IV) is described. The androgenic-myotrophic activities of compounds II and IV are discussed.
WE-A-108-03: Design of a New Yb-169 Source Optimized for Gold Nanoparticle-Aided Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To find an optimum design of a high‐dose rate Yb‐169 brachytherapy source for gold nanoparticle‐aided radiation therapy (GNRT). Previous studies suggested that the gamma‐ray energy spectrum of Yb‐169 could be almost ideal for a brachytherapy implementation of GNRT. The current study was aimed to design a new Yb‐169 source that would maximize dose enhancement during GNRT while meeting practical constraints for manufacturing a clinically‐relevant brachytherapy source. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations were conducted using the MCNP5 code to determine spectral changes caused by four different Yb‐169 source designs and associated variations in macroscopic dose enhancement across the tumor/ICRU tissue loaded with gold nanoparticles at 0.7% by weight. The first three source models had a single encapsulation made of aluminum, titanium, or stainless steel, while the last source model adopted a dual encapsulation design with an inner aluminum capsule and an outer titanium capsule. Results: The results showed spectral changes dependent on source design and their correlation with dose enhancement. The aluminum‐encapsulated source showed the lowest intensity‐weighted average energy of 108.9 keV, and the greatest dose enhancement of 51.0% at 1 cm away from the source center. The sources encapsulated by titanium and aluminum/titanium combination showed similar levels of dose enhancement, 49.2% and 49.3%, and average energies of 113.3 keV and 112.5 keV respectively. The source encapsulated with stainless steel exhibited the smallest dose enhancement, 43.8%, and the highest average energy of 126.6 keV. Conclusion: The current investigation suggests that the attainable macroscopic dose enhancement during GNRT with an Yb‐169 source can be further increased by encapsulating the Yb‐core with aluminum, titanium or aluminum/titanium combination, instead of stainless steel. Due to its structural integrity and improved safety during manufacturing and clinical uses, the dual encapsulation design would be preferred. Supported by DOD/PCRP grant W81XWH‐12‐1‐0198; DOD/PCRP grant W81XWH‐12‐1‐0198