cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Collection Through Use Data: An Automated Collection Assessment Tool

This article describes a computer program developed by the author to extract subject-level usage and inventory data from Aleph system reports and to track usage trends by subject over time. Two imp...
The Effects of Training on Recognition of Musical Instruments by Adults with Cochlear Implants.

This study examines the efficiency and effectiveness of three types of training on recognition of musical instruments by adults with cochlear implants (CI). Seventy-one adults with CIs were randomly assigned to one of three training conditions: feedback on response accuracy, feedback-plus (response accuracy plus correct answer), and direct instruction. Each participant completed three training sessions perweek overafive-week time period in which theylistened torecorded excerpts of eight different musical instruments. Results showed significant pre-to-posttest improvement in music instrument recognition accuracy for all three training conditions (22.9‐25.7%, p < 0.0001). Time when tested (week), bilateral CI use, and age were significant predictors of performance. Participants who wore bilateral implants scored significantly higher than participants with unilateral implants at all three time points; hearing aid use was not a significant predictor. These results may have practical implications for numerous types of auditory rehabilitation for persons who use CIs.
Mature Nodules and Root Tips Control Nodulation in Soybean

Summary Nodule formation in soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is suppressed in younger regions of the root system as a feedback response to development of first nodules. Removal of functional nodules caused already initiated infections to develop into mature nodules, in the same regions of the roots where the initial nodules were formed. This was true for soybean cv. Bragg and the supernodulating mutant derivative nts382. In experiments where the tips of the lateral roots of Bragg were removed before or at inoculation, nodulation on the primary root was considerably increased. In contrast, removal of the lateral root tips from nts382 had no effect. Our results suggest that nodulation in soybean is preferentially controlled by the arrest rather than the abortion of early subepidermal cell division during nodule development, and that both mature nodules and root apical meristems elicit feedback regulation of nodule formation.
Alteration of branch site consensus sequence and enhanced pre-mRNA splicing of an NMDAR1 intron not associated with schizophrenia

Aberrant splicing of pre-mRNA is recognized to account for a significant minority of disease-causing mutations. The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA) subunit gene R1 (NMDAR1) is alternatively spliced to produce eight length variants. In an examination of the NMDAR1 as a candidate gene in schizophrenia, a presumed microdeletion/insertion (del/ins) was observed in intron 10 of an African-American male near a weak putative branch-site consensus sequence. Although exon 10 is not known to be alternatively spliced, the del/ins was posited to alter splicing efficiency. If splicing were abolished and intron retention occurred, an in-frame translation product of more than 250 amino acids was predicted. To explore splicing efficiency, mini genes were examined through primer-extension analyses in NIH293 embryonic kidney cell cultures. Rather than disruption of splicing, the del/ins allele exhibited a fivefold enhancement in splicing. In an association analysis with additional schizophrenic cases and unaffected controls, all of African-American descent, the mutant allele was observed at equivalent frequencies. A family study also did not support cosegregation of the variant allele with psychiatric disease.
Antibodies from patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia stimulate monocytic cells to express tissue factor and secrete interleukin-8.

Thrombosis is a life-threatening complication that occurs in a subset of patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HITT). The pathogenic mechanisms underlying the variable occurrence of thrombosis in HITT is poorly understood. It was hypothesized that monocyte activation leading to tissue factor expression may play a role in promoting a thrombogenic state in HITT. This study demonstrates that a human platelet factor 4 (PF4)/heparin-specific murine monoclonal antibody (KKO) binds to peripheral blood-derived human monocytes in a PF4-dependent manner. KKO and antibodies from patients with HITT induce monocytes to synthesize and secrete interleukin-8 and induce cell-surface procoagulant activity, which is abrogated following treatment with antihuman tissue factor antibody. The findings suggest a novel mechanism by which PF4/heparin antibodies may promote a hypercoagulable state in patients with HITT.
Prediction of Protein Relative Enthalpic Stability from Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Folded and Unfolded States

For proteins of known structure, the relative enthalpic stability with respect to wild-type, ΔΔHU, can be estimated by direct computation of the folded and unfolded state energies. We propose a model by which the change in stability upon mutation can be predicted from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations for the folded state and a peptide-based model for the unfolded state. The unfolding enthalpies are expressed in terms of environmental and hydration-solvent reorganization contributions that readily allow a residue-specific analysis of ΔΔHU. The method is applied to estimate the relative enthalpic stability of variants with buried charged groups in T4 lysozyme. The predicted relative stabilities are in good agreement with experimental data. Environmental factors are observed to contribute more than hydration to the overall ΔΔHU. The residue-specific analysis finds that the effects of burying charge are both localized and long-range. The enthalpy for hydration-solvent reorganization varies considerably among different amino-acid types, but because the variant folded state structures are similar to those of the wild-type, the hydration-solvent reorganization contribution to ΔΔHU is localized at the mutation site, in contrast to environmental contributions. Overall, mutation of apolar and polar amino acids to charged amino acids are destabilizing, but the reasons are complex and differ from site to site.
Explicit solution of an optimal design problem with nonaffine displacement boundary conditions

Structural optimization problems with non-affine boundary conditions must usually be solved numerically. Here we present an example of such a problem which can be solved analytically. Our method utilizes extremal composites as structural components, and makes use of the explicit form of an optimal energy bound.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ab initio quantum chemistry: A source of ideas for lattice gauge theorists

Abstract Ab initio quantum chemistry is an emerging computational area that is fifty years ahead of lattice gauge theory, a principal competitor for supercomputer time, and a rich source of new ideas and new approaches to the computation of many fermion systems. An overview of the history, current prospects and future frontiers of quantum chemistry is given, with special emphasis on lessons for lattice gauge theory. Particular reference is given to the role of Gaussian basis functions (in place of grids) and analytic (as opposed to Monte Carlo) methods. The main recommendation to lattice gauge theorists is for greater emphasis on infinite momentum frame studies, using Gaussian basis functions.
Peptide-protein interaction markedly alters the functional properties of the catalytic subunit of aspartate transcarbamoylase.

Interaction of a 70-amino acid zinc-binding polypeptide from the regulatory chain of aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) with the catalytic (C) subunit leads to dramatic changes in enzyme activity and affinity for ligand binding at the active sites. The complex between the polypeptide (zinc domain) and wild-type C trimer exhibits hyperbolic kinetics in contrast to the sigmoidal kinetics observed with the intact holoenzyme. Moreover, the Scatchard plot for binding N-(phosphonacetyl)-l-aspartate (PALA) to the complex is linear with a Kd corresponding to that evaluated for the holoenzyme converted to the relaxed (R) state. Additional evidence that the binding of the zinc domain to the C trimer converts it to the R state was attained with a mutant form of ATCase in which Lys 164 in the catalytic chain is replaced by Glu. As shown previously (Newell, J.O. & Schachman, H.K., 1990, Biophys. Chem. 37, 183–196), this mutant holoenzyme, which exists in the R conformation even in the absence of active site ligands, has a 50-fold greater affinity for PALA than the free C subunit. Adding the zinc domain to the C trimer containing the Lys 164 → Glu substitution leads to a 50-fold enhancement in the affinity for the bisubstrate analog yielding a value of Kd equal to that for the holoenzyme. A different mutant ATCase containing the Gln 231 to Ile replacement was shown (Peterson, C.B., Burman, D.L., & Schachman, H.K., 1992, Biochemistry 31, 8508–8515) to be much less active as a holoenzyme than as the free C trimer. For this mutant holoenzyme, the addition of substrates does not cause its conversion to the R state. However, the addition of the zinc domain to the Gln 231 → Ile C trimer leads to a marked increase in enzyme activity, and PALA binding data indicate that the complex resembles the R state of the holoenzyme. This interaction leading to a more active conformation serves as a model of intergenic complementation in which peptide binding to a protein causes a conformational correction at a site remote from the interacting surfaces resulting in activation of the protein. This linkage was also demonstrated by difference spectroscopy using a chromophore covalently bound at the active site, which served as a spectral probe for a local conformational change. The binding of ligands at the active sites was shown also to lead to a strengthening of the interaction between the zinc domain and the C trimer.
An Economic History of Europe. Knowledge, Institutions and Growth, 600 to the Present

Karl Gunnar Persson, An Economic History of Europe. Knowledge, Institutions and Growth, 600 to the Present, Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press, 2010, 253 pp., ISBN 978-0-521-54940-0. Karl Gu...
Quantitative protein sequencing using mass spectrometry: N-terminal sequence analysis of small quantities of peptides from the mass spectral analysis of the N-methylthiourea derivatives

Abstract A technique for determining the N-terminal sequence of small quantities of peptides has been developed using mass spectrometry. The peptide is reacted with methylisothiocyanate and an aliquot of the thiourea peptide product is subjected to mass spectral analysis, under conditions which produce the thiohydantoin derivatives of the N-terminal amino acid in the mass spectrometer. The remaining thiourea peptide is treated with trifluoroacetic acid and the cycle is repeated on the shortened peptide. The method has been demonstrated on three tripeptides.
Generational change in Berber women's song of the Anti-Atlas mountains, Morocco

L'A. montre comment le chant des femmes de l'Anti-Atlas du Maroc s'inscrit de facon differenciee, par rapport au chant des hommes, dans une economie morale specifique a la communaute des Ishelhin (Berberes) d'Ida ou Zeddout. Il analyse la production autochtone de la modernite chez les jeunes femmes rurales a travers leur chant et explore la maniere dont celui-ci mediatise les interrogations morales sur les deplacements geographiques et sociaux qui preoccupent ces jeunes femmes. Deux genres de poesie chantee expriment plus particulierement les themes de la separation et de la migration : tizrrarin (s. tazrrart) et tinddamin (s. tanddamt). L'A. centre son analyse sur la production, reproduction, et utilisation sociales et l'evaluation des formes de chants. Dans les villages des montagnes fortement marques par l'emigration masculine et le mariage exogame des femmes, le chant intervient dans l'interaction incessante entre les Ishelhin, alors qu'ils tentent de faire face aux tensions et conflits generes par les deplacements geographiques et les aspirations de la jeunesse.
Mucosal integrity and inflammatory markers in the female lower genital tract as potential screening tools for vaginal microbicides.

Background In the female genital tract, vaginal colposcopy, endometrial mucosal integrity and inflammatory mediators are potential in vivo biomarkers of microbicide and contraceptive safety.
Distinct regions of the cerebellum show gray matter decreases in autism, ADHD, and developmental dyslexia

Differences in cerebellar structure have been identified in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and developmental dyslexia. However, it is not clear if different cerebellar regions are involved in each disorder, and thus whether cerebellar anatomical differences reflect a generic developmental vulnerability or disorder-specific characteristics. To clarify this, we conducted an anatomic likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis on voxel-based morphometric (VBM) studies which compared ASD (17 studies), ADHD (10 studies), and dyslexic (10 studies) participants with age-matched typically-developing controls. A second ALE analysis included studies in which the cerebellum was a region of interest (ROI). There were no regions of significantly increased grey matter (GM) in the cerebellum in ASD, ADHD or dyslexia. Data from ASD studies revealed reduced GM in the inferior cerebellar vermis (lobule IX), left lobule VIIIB and right Crus I. In ADHD, significantly decreased GM was found bilaterally in lobule IX, whereas participants with developmental dyslexia showed GM decreases in left lobule VI. There was no overlap between the cerebellar clusters identified in each disorder. We evaluated the functional significance of the regions revealed in both whole-brain and cerebellar ROI ALE analyses using Buckner and colleagues’ 7-network functional connectivity map available in the SUIT cerebellar atlas. The cerebellar regions identified in ASD showed functional connectivity with frontoparietal, default mode, somatomotor, and limbic networks; in ADHD, the clusters were part of dorsal and ventral attention networks; and in dyslexia, the clusters involved ventral attention, frontoparietal, and default mode networks. The results suggest that different cerebellar regions are affected in ASD, ADHD and dyslexia, and these cerebellar regions participate in functional networks that are consistent with the characteristic symptoms of each disorder.
Exploiting defect clustering for yield and reliability prediction

An integrated yield-reliability model is verified using burn-in data from 77 000 microprocessor units manufactured by IBM Microelectronics. The model is based on the fact that defects over semiconductor wafers are not randomly distributed but have a tendency to cluster. It is shown that this fact can be exploited to produce dies of varying reliability by sorting dies into bins based on how many of their neighbours test faulty. Dies that test as good at the wafer probe, yet come from regions with many faulty dies, have a higher incidence of infant mortality failure than dies from regions with few faulty dies. The yield-reliability model is used to predict the fraction of good dies in each bin following a wafer probe as well as the fraction of failures in each bin following stress testing (e.g. burn-in). Results show excellent agreement between model predictions and observed data.
Ada language considerations for concurrency analysis

THE CONCURRENCY FEATURES OF ADA CAN RESULT IN VERY COMPLEX PROGRAM BEHAVIOR. THIS CAN INHIBIT BOTH PROGRAM UNDERSTANDABILITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYSIS TOOLS TO HELP PROGRAMMERS WRITE CORRECT CONCURRENT PROGRAMS. THIS PAPER DISCUSSES SOME OF THE CAUSES OF THIS COMPLEX BEHAVIOR AND SUGGESTS WAYS OF AVOIDING THE RESULTING PROBLEMS BY LIMITING THE USE OF CERTAIN CONCURRENCY FEATURES. WHEN ADHERED TO, THESE LIMITATIONS RESULT IN PROGRAMS THAT ARE EASIER TO COMPREHEND AND ANALYZE.
Second malignancies in B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: possible association with human papilloma virus

Second primary malignancies have long been associated with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We assessed secondary tumour samples from CLL and control patients for the presence of human papilloma virus (HPV). 132 CLL patients with 44 second malignancies were compared to a matched randomly-identified control population of 264 non-CLL patients with 54 solid malignancies. Polymerase chain reaction was performed with the highly conserved MY09/MY11 HPV primer. None of control samples were HPV-positive, while 53% of samples from the CLL group were positive. This report describes preliminary evidence for the presence of HPV in secondary malignancies, in patients with CLL.
Cuba's Second Economy: From behind the Scenes to Center Stage

Without doubt, Cuba is facing its most serious economic challenge in nearly thirty-five years of revolutionary rule. There is consensus that as the official, centrally planned economy has faltered, ordinary citizens eke out a living only by engaging in under-the-table, unrecorded, and mostly illegal activities. In fact, this "second economy" is growing by leaps and bounds. This volume sketches the contours of the very complex phenomenon of the second economy of socialist Cuba, and discusses its evolution over time, as well as the role that it may play in the transition to a market economy on the island. The economic crisis of the 1990s has propelled the second economy from behind the scenes to center stage. Not only have black markets mushroomed, but second economy activities connected to the free-market that the Castro government has traditionally discouraged or even prosecuted are now being incorporated into the government's own economic strategy. Self-employment, cultivation of individual plots, and the use of foreign currencies to buy or sell goods, are now promoted with considerable enthusiasm by the leadership. Perez-Lopez examines different ways of thinking about unregulated economic activities that have been set forth in the literature and concludes that the concept of the second economy is the most appropriate for Cuba. He brings together available information from a multitude of sources on the manifestations of the second economy in Cuba and of its operation. Cuba's Second Economy is a timely study of an economic system in crisis. It will be of interest to economists, political scientists, policymakers, and Latin America area scholars.
Detecting pulmonary abnormalities on magnetic resonance images in patients with usual interstitial pneumonitis: Effect of varying window settings and gadopentetate dimeglumine

Rationale and Objectives. We examined the effect of varying window settings and contrast enhancement on detecting pulmonary abnormalities on magnetic resonance (MR) images in patients with usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP). Methods. HRCT scans and MR images from 10 patients with UIP were evaluated. T1-weighted MR images were obtained before and after administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine and were photographed at conventional windows and at windows chosen to increase the conspicuity of the lung parenchyma (“lung windows”). The four MR image configurations were mixed with the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans of these patients and randomized. Corresponding scan levels in each patient were evaluated conjointly by two thoracic radiologists for the presence of “honeycomb lung,” ground-glass opacity, parenchymal bands, and reticular abnormalities. Lung signal intensity in areas containing ground-glass signal intensity was measured on MR images using regions of interest. Results. The administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine significantly improved the detection of honeycomb lung on scans photographed at lung windows, but it did not significantly influence the detection of ground-glass abnormalities. The use of lung windows improved the detection of ground-glass abnormalities for both enhanced and unenhanced scans, but lung windows improved the detection of honeycomb lung only for enhanced scans. All MR image configurations were insensitive compared with HRCT scans for detecting parenchymal bands and reticular abnormalities. There was a good correlation between measured lung signal intensity and visual ground-glass profusion score. Conclusion. The visibility of pulmonary abnormalities on MR images of patients with UIP is limited compared with that of HRCT scans. The improved visibility of some parenchymal abnormalities after intravenous administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine and with the use of lung windows is insufficient to warrant their routine use in thoracic MR imaging.
Capillary isoelectric focusing of yeast cells.

In the present work, capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) methods were developed for the separation and identification of yeast cells. Yeast cells (∼4-μm diameter) cultured to various phases of growth were shown to be reproducibly resolved by CIEF using 100-μm-i.d. fused-silica capillaries coated with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Separation efficiencies corresponding to peak capacities of >4000 were obtained. The suitable cell concentration range for obtaining repeatable elution in CIEF separations was found to be quite low (<3 cells/μL). CIEF experiments showed that yeast cell populations at early log, mid log, and stationary growth phases differ in isoelectric point, with values ranging from 5.2 to 6.4. The broader application of CIEF are projected for microorganism identification and separation based upon growth conditions.
Progesterone: the ultimate endometrial tumor suppressor

The uterine endometrium is exquisitely sensitive to steroid hormones that act through well-described nuclear receptors. Estrogen drives epithelial proliferation, and progesterone inhibits growth and causes cell differentiation. The importance of progesterone as a key inhibitor of carcinogenesis is reflected by the observation that women who ovulate and produce progesterone almost never get endometrial cancer. In this review we describe seminal research findings that define progesterone as the major endometrial tumor suppressor. We discuss the genes and diverse signaling pathways that are controlled by progesterone through progesterone receptors (PRs) and also the multiple factors that regulate progesterone/PR activity. By defining these progesterone-regulated factors and pathways we identify the principal therapeutic opportunities to control the growth of endometrial cancer.
A NUMERICAL METHOD FOR SOLVING NONLINEAR PROBLEMS

A nonlinear equation on a Banach space is written as a linear equation with a linear operator depending on the unknown solution. Inverting this linear operator by one of the known methods, one obtains an equation which, in some cases, is much better for the numerical solution than the original equation. Some theorems about convergence of an iterative process for solving the transformed equation are proved. Examples of applications are given.
Addition of Cl2C: to (-)-O-menthyl acrylate under sonication-phase-transfer catalysis. Efficient synthesis of (+)- and (-)-(2-chlorocyclopropyl)methanol.

Dichlorocyclopropanation of (−)-O-menthyl acrylate under conditions of phase-transfer catalysis (CHCl3, KOH, tetramethylammonium bromide), with sonication, gives excellent yields (85−94%) of the corresponding dichlorocyclopropanecarboxylate ester compared to thermal conditions (90 °C, 56%). No diastereoselectivity was observed, but one isomer was isolated pure by fractional crystallization. The measured kinetic isotope effect (initial rate (CHCl3)/rate (CDCl3) ∼1.7) suggests deprotonation of CHCl3 as the rate-limiting step.
Oxygen-Dependent DNA Damage Amplification Involving 5,6-Dihydrothymidin-5-yl in a Structurally Minimal System

5,6-Dihydrothymidin-5-yl (1) was independently generated in a dinucleotide from a phenyl selenide precursor (4). Under free radical chain propagation conditions, the products resulting from hydrogen atom donation and radical-pair reaction are the major observed products in the absence of O2. The stereoselectivity of the trapping process is dependent on the structure of the hydrogen atom donor. No evidence for internucleotidyl hydrogen atom abstraction by 1 was detected. The tandem lesion (17) resulting from hydrogen atom abstraction from the C1‘ position of the adjacent 2‘-deoxyuridine by the peroxyl radical derived from 1 (3) is observed under aerobic conditions. The structure of this product is confirmed by independent synthesis and its transformation into a second independently synthesized product (24). Internucleotidyl hydrogen atom abstraction is effected selectively by the 5S-diastereomer of the peroxyl radical. The formation of dinucleotide 17 provides further support for the novel O2-dependent DNA...
All peroneal motoneurons of the rat survive crush injury but some fail to reinnervate their original targets

This is a quantitative study of the motoneuronal population of the rat's common peroneal nerve following severe crush injury of the sciatic nerve or its component branches. The crush was performed unilaterally under anesthesia for 60 seconds with hemostat jaws covered with tubing to form a smooth, 2 mm long, injured zone. Recovery from injury was allowed for 14 to 188 days. It was measured behaviorally using the sciatic functional index (SFI) and electrophysiologically by comparing the conduction velocity and amplitudes of evoked muscle action potentials prior to injury, and again after injury just before the nerve was labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and/or its wheat germ agglutinin conjugate (WGA-HRP), 48–72 hours before sacrifice. The motoneurons were retrogradely labeled on both sides so that the uninjured side might serve as a control. On the injured side the nerves were labeled either distal or proximal to the crush site, The tibialis anterior muscles on both sides were removed and weighed. Spinal segments L2 to L6 were cut in serial, frozen cross-sections. HRP reaction products were formed using TMB as the chromogen. The normal peroneal nerve was found to contain 634 ± 26 motoneurons (22 cases). The number of motoneurons labeled 5–15 mm distal to the injury site (22 cases) was 535 ± 69 or 84.4% of normal. In 12 cases in which the nerve was labeled 5 mm proximal to the injury normal population numbers (648 ± 30) were found. These counts demonstrated that the unlabeled 15.6% in the distal labeled cases had not vanished as a result of cell death. Instead, the unlabeled group was composed mainly of small motoneurons whose axons probably had not regenerated distal to the crushed zone. Mean soma size of injured neurons increased to maximum 3–6 weeks after injury and then gradually decreased in size over the following weeks to nearly normal values. This transient increase in size was due to two factors: (1) soma swelling in response to axonal injury, and (2) absence of many small motoneurons, presumably γ-motoneurons, which were either incapable of, or prevented from, regenerating beyond the injury zone long after larger motoneurons had reinnervated their targets. SFI scores, muscle weights, and amplitude ratios of evoked potentials recovered to control values by 70–80 days post-injury. Conduction velocities remained 20–25% below normal at the end of 80 days. These data suggest that because all motoneurons survived injury, it is possible for all of them to reinnervate their original targets under certain conditions providing that proper pathguides are available.
Perspectives on the potential for hydropedology to improve watershed modeling of phosphorus loss

Predicting P loading to surface water bodies requires accurate partitioning of infiltration and runoff from potential source areas and portrayal of spatial landscape relationships between source areas and surface water bodies. This paper presents perspectives on the potential for hydropedology to improve watershed modeling of phosphorus (P) loss as it affects water quality. Calibrating the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and similar watershed models to the hydrograph at the watershed outlet may not reflect accurate partitioning of runoff among hydrologic response units (HRUs), and default runoff parameters for HRUs are often a poor representation of reality. Hydropedology combines knowledge and skills from the disciplines of hydrology, pedology, and soil physics to address this problem. While there are untapped data and existing knowledge within these disciplines that can be brought to bear, there is also a need for additional interdisciplinary collaboration. Issues that affect process modeling at field, farm, subcatchment, and watershed scales need to be addressed through combined knowledge of the structure of the system as related to the specific objective of better linking runoff generation from potential source areas to surface water bodies. Improved watershed modeling as applied to nutrient loss and water quality issues affords both challenges and opportunities for hydropedology if scientists are willing to bridge disciplines, data, and scales to address current limitations.
MAINTENANCE OF TRANSFECTION RATES AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LIPID/DNA COMPLEXES AFTER FREEZE-DRYING AND REHYDRATION

It is well established that cationic liposomes form complexes with DNA and effectively transfect cells in vivo and ex vivo. Lipid/DNA complexes have proven safe and nonimmunogenic in clinical trials; however, they are known to aggregate readily in liquid formulations. This physical instability requires clinicians to prepare lipid/DNA complexes immediately prior to injection. In order to eliminate problems associated with this temporal requirement, we investigated the feasibility of preserving complexes as a dried preparation that could be tested, stored, and rehydrated as needed. To this end, our study evaluated the ability of different stabilizers to preserve transfection rates of complexes during acute freeze-drying stress. Our data show that complexes lyophilized in 0.5 M sucrose or trehalose possessed transfection rates similar to those of fresh preparations. In addition, dried complexes that exhibited full transfection activity upon rehydration had sizes comparable to nonlyophilized controls. Our work demonstrates that lipid/DNA complexes can be stabilized as dried powders that offer significant advantages over current liquid formulations. Furthermore, the correlation of transfection rates with maintenance of complex diameter suggests that size plays a critical role in lipid-based DNA delivery.
Extending the alkene substrate range of vinyl chloride utilizing Nocardioides sp. strain JS614 with ethene oxide

Nocardioides sp. strain JS614 grows on the C2 alkenes ethene (Eth), vinyl chloride, and vinyl fluoride as sole carbon sources. The presence of 400–800 μM ethene oxide (EtO) extended the growth substrate range to propene (C3) and butene (C4). Propene-dependent growth of JS614 was CO2 dependent and was prevented by the carboxylase/reductase inhibitor 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid, sodium salt (BES), while growth on Eth was not CO2 dependent or BES sensitive. Although unable to promote growth, both propene and propene oxide (PrO)-induced expression of the genes encoding the alpha subunit of alkene monooxygenase (etnC) and epoxyethane CoM transferase (etnE) to similar levels as did Eth and EtO. Propene was transformed by Eth-grown and propene-grown/EtO-induced JS614 to PrO at a rate 4.2 times faster than PrO was consumed. As a result PrO accumulated in growth medium to 900 μM during EtO-induced growth on propene. PrO (50–100 μM) exerted inhibitory effects on growth of JS614 on both acetate and Eth, and on EtO-induced growth on Eth. However, higher EtO concentrations (300–400 μM) overcame the negative effects of PrO on Eth-dependent growth.
Sodium ion in the stria vascularis and spiral ligament.

Potassium pyroantimonate added to fixative solutions has been used to study tissue localization of sodium ions. The resulting precipitate in the guinea pig stria vascularis and spiral ligament is distributed throughout the tissue. The greatest concentration of the deposits is localized along the cellular side of the infolding plasma membranes of stria epithelium. In the spiral ligament, the dense concentration of the precipitate is found along the cellular side of spiral ligament connective tissue cells. These findings suggest that sodium ions might be transported through the stria vascularis under the influence of ATP-ase localized on the infolding plasma membrane of the stria epithelium, but the role of the spiral ligament in the ion transport is not certain.
The development of mature patterns of head-eye coordination in the human infant

Four experiments examined the initiation of coordinated head and eye movement and the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). Experiment 1 examined the initiation of head and eye movement to stationary, peripheral, visual targets. In adults we would expect to see an eye movement followed by a head movement. The VOR would maintain field-holding while the head rotated. Three-month-olds produced the same pattern of coordinated movement as seen in adults, 2-mth-olds produced only eye movements, i.e., no apparent head movement. Experiment 2 examined the gain of the VOR in darkness in 2- and 3-mth-olds and an adult. The VOR at all ages was qualitatively and quantitatively the same. Experiment 3 examined the gain of the VOR during visual fixation. The gain in 3-mth-olds shoed a significant increase as compared to gain in darkness. The same increment was seen in the adult. Two-month-olds showed no facilitation of gain. Experiment 4 examined tonic suppression of the VOR during visual fixation. While total suppression was seen in adult and the 3-mth-olds, no suppression was apparent in 2-mth-olds. Overall, the data indicate the communication between the visual, vestibular, head movement, and eye movement systems shows a marked shift between the second and third month of life.
Cross-Cultural Communication for Managers

M anagers must become proficient crosscultural communicators if they wish to succeed in today’s global environment. The purpose of this article is to synthesize multiple insights-from fields as diverse as anthropology, psychology, communication, linguistics, and organizational behavior-and apply them specifically to managerial communication. Let’s start with two definitions. Culttu-e consists of the values, attitudes, and behavior in a given group of most of the people most of the time. Though nearly all of the examples in this article are drawn from different countries, managers can apply precisely the same kind of analysis to the culture of any given region, industry, organization, or work group. Managerial communication is comrnunication in a management context to achieve a desired result (writing a memo, interviewing an applicant, running a meeting, preparing a presentation). To be effective in any given culture, however, managers should consider the following seven issues before they begin to communicate: 1. Setting communication objectives 2. Choosing a communication style 3. Assessing and enhancing credibility 4. Selecting and motivating audiences 5. Setting a message strategy 6. Overcoming language difficulties 7. Using appropriate nonverbal behaviors
A simple and novel method for radiometric analysis of glucose utilization by adrenal chromaffin cells

Abstract Glucose utilization by cells and tissues can be followed by measuring the release of [ 3 H]H 2 O from added d -[5- 3 H]glucose, and we have developed a method whereby the whole reaction and assay can be performed in a single scintillation vial. The basic principle behind our new assay is that the released tritiated hydrogen ion in water can be quantitatively exchanged with the hydroxyl proton of simple alcohols such as isoamyl alcohol. The radiolabeled alcohol can then be extracted into an organic solvent to which 2,5-diphenyloxazole and p -bis[2-(5-phenyloxazoyl)]benzene have been previously added. Using this new assay we studied isolated chromaffin cells and found them to utilize glucose at a linear rate for at least 30 min. The assay was precise and reproducible enough to allow detailed analysis of various inhibitors of glycolysis and of oxidative phosphorylation. The new method is simple and rapid, can be done in open test tubes, requires no complex equipment, and is intrinsically highly accurate.
Sense of Belonging in College Freshmen at the Classroom and Campus Levels.

The importance of students' sense of school belonging for many adaptive outcomes is becoming well established; however, few researchers have focused on college-aged populations. In this study, the authors examined associations between undergraduate students' sense of class belonging and their academic motivation in that class, their sense of class belonging and perceptions of their instructors' characteristics, and their class and campus-level sense of belonging. They distributed questionnaires to students at a southeastern university; freshmen (N = 238) completed the questionnaire. The authors found associations between (a) students' sense of class belonging and their academic self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and task value; (b) students' sense of class-level belonging and their perceptions of instructors' warmth and openness, encouragement of student participation, and organization; and (c) students' sense of university-level belonging and their sense of social acceptance. The authors found smaller ...
Purification and characterization of antimicrobial and vasorelaxant peptides from skin extracts and skin secretions of the North American pig frog Rana grylio.

Abstract Eight peptides with differential growth–inhibitory activity against the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and the yeast, Candida albicans were isolated from an extract of the skin of the North American pig frog Rana grylio. The primary structures of these antimicrobial peptides were different from previously characterized antimicrobial peptides from Ranid frogs but on the basis of sequence similarities, the peptides may be classified as belonged to four previously characterized peptide families: the ranatuerin-1, ranatuerin-2 and ranalexin families, first identified in the North American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, and the temporin family first identified in the European common frog Rana temporaria. Peptides belonging to the brevinin-1, brevinin-2, esculentin-1, and esculentin-2 families, previously isolated from the skins of other species of Ranid frogs, were not identified in the extracts. The ranatuerin-1 and ranalexin peptides showed broadest spectrum of antimicrobial activity whereas the temporins were active only against S. aureus. Synthetic replicates of temporin-1Gb (SILPTIVSFLSKFL.NH2) and temporin-1Gd (FILPLIASFLSKFL.NH2) produced concentration-dependent relaxation of preconstricted vascular rings from the rat thoracic aorta (EC50=2.4±0.1 μM for temporin-1Gb and 2.3±0.2 μM for temporin-1Gd). The antimicrobial peptides that were isolated in extracts of the skin R. grylio were present in the same molecular forms in electrically-stimulated skin secretions of the animal demonstrating that the peptides are stored in the granular glands of the skin in their fully processed forms.
Effect of short electromagnetic pulses on brain acetylcholine content and spontaneous motor activity of mice

Mice were exposed to a single 15-ms or 25-ms pulse of 2,450-MHz microwaves which increased brain temperature by 2 degrees C or 4 degrees C, respectively. Immediately after exposure, the mice became hypokinetic but began recovering within 5 minutes. The 25-ms pulse (18.7 j deposited in the brain) caused a significant decrease in acetylcholine content of the whole brain, probably owing to increased permeability of the membrane.
Food and light as separate entrainment signals for rat liver enzymes

Abstract The rat liver enzymes, tyrosine aminotransferase and ornithine decarboxylase, and to a lesser extent glucokinase, pyruvate kinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, undergo diurnal oscillations when rats are entrained to a daily schedule of 12 hr of darkness and either 2 or 8 hr of access to food during the dark period. These enzymes increase in activity after feeding, but the patterns of activity versus time after feeding differ for rats with food available for 2 hr in the middle of the dark period, compared with the patterns for rats with food available for 2 or 8 hr at the beginning of the dark period. Therefore, induction of these enzymes involves interaction between dietary factors and hormonal factors related to light and dark periods. It appears that both the onset of darkness and the beginning of the light period are signals that interact with dietary and hormonal factors. While no single protocol can be optimal for all purposes, it is suggested that the 2 + 22 protocols in trained animals with other variables controlled may be more useful than other protocols, since in contrast to the 8 + 16 or ad libitum regimens, the animals receive their food during an interval of time that can be specified.
Temporal expression patterns of BMP receptors and collagen II (B) during periosteal chondrogenesis

Abstract Articular cartilage has a limited ability to repair itself. Periosteal grafts have chondrogenic potential and are used clinically to repair defects in articular cartilage. An organ culture model system for in vitro rabbit periosteal chondrogenesis has been established to study the molecular events of periosteal chondrogenesis in vitro. In this model, bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) mRNA expression was found to be upregulated in the first 12 h. BMPs usually transduce their signals through a receptor complex that includes type II and either type IA or type IB BMP receptors. Receptors IA and IB play distinct roles during limb development. We have examined the temporal expression patterns for the mRNAs of these receptors using our experimental model. The mRNA expression patterns of these three BMP receptors differed from one another in periosteal explants during chondrogenesis. When these explants were cultured under chondrogenic conditions (agarose suspension with TGF-β1 added to the media for the first 2 days), the expression of BMPRII mRNA and that of BMPRIA mRNA varied only slightly and persisted over a long time. In contrast, the expression of BMPRIB mRNAwas upregulated within 12 h, peaked at day 5, and fell to a level that was barely detected beyond day 21. Moreover, the expression of BMPRIB mRNA preceded that of collagen type IIB mRNAs, a marker for matrix-depositing chondrocytes. These data support a role for coordinate expression of BMP2 and its receptors early during periosteal chondrogenesis.
Hepatic regeneration and erythropoietin production in the rat

The regenerating liver produces erythropoietin in response to hypoxia. The amounts of erythropoietin produced in animals subjected to hepatectomy are significantly higher than those observed in sham-operated animals. Hepatic erythropoietin production appears to be dependent upon the stage of regeneration with the highest levels being produced during the period of greatest proliferation and increase in liver mass.
A Framework for Planning Behavior Change in Juvenile Offenders

This paper examines a number of disagreements about how to produce behavior change in juvenile offenders. It is proposed that efforts made in the behavioral sciences to reconcile different views of behavior change may be fruitfully applied in reconciling different methods used by juvenile court judges and other court personnel. Herbert Kelman's conceptual framework for comparing different methods of inducing change ("compliance," "identification," and "internalization") has provided a means of integrating behavioral science theories and findings. It is used here as a guide for comparing the usefulness of different influence methods in working with juvenile offenders. It is concluded that both direct efforts to influence action and indirect efforts aimed at modifying attitudes may be effective. It is suggested that the use of influence agents dissociated from the court, group settings, and work roles offers opportunities for coordinating various approaches.
Metallic odour caused by vinyl ketones formed in the oxidation of butterfat. the identification of octa-1,cis-5-dien-3-one

Oct-1-en-3-one and the more potent octa-1,cis-5-dien-3-one have been identified as being responsible for the metallic odour which developed when a model system containing butterfat, α-tocopherol and cupric palmitate was allowed to oxidise at 35°C for 35 h. These vinyl ketones were synthesised, their mass and n.m.r. spectra determined, and odour descriptions and odour thresholds assessed. Octa-1, cis-5-dien-3-one in aqueous solution could be detected at a dilution of 1 in 1012. Its metallic odour was also described as like geranium leaves. Oct-1-en-3-one (detectable at 1 in 1010 dilution) was described as mushroom like at low concentrations and only exhibited a metallic odour at higher concentrations. Both compounds had an odour threshold concentration about five hundred times greater in groundnut oil than in water. The significance of these compounds is discussed with reference to the published literature and their formation from (n-3) and (n - 6) polyenoic fatty acids.
Interaction of the Explosive Molecules RDX and TATP with IRMOF-8

We report our investigations on physisorption and trapping of high explosive (HE) molecules 1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine or cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) and triacetone triperoxide (TATP) by an isoreticular metal−organic framework (IRMOF) IRMOF-8. In general, IRMOFs are known for their high porosity and tailorability, thus having potential applications as preconcentrators, and gas storage. In particular, IRMOF-8 has higher hydrogen uptake than the extensively studied IRMOF-1, thus having the potential to act as preconcentrators for explosive molecules. We employed the ab initio density functional theory (DFT) code FIREBALL to estimate physisorption interactions for the RDX and TATP molecules with interior and exterior surfaces of IRMOF-8. At zero temperature, RDX yields several physisorption type binding configurations, while TATP remains more inert to interactions with IRMOF-8. Molecular dynamics simulations at room temperature result in trapping configurations preferring TATP inside the IRMOF-8 cage...
Cancer cachexia update in head and neck cancer: Definitions and diagnostic features

Cachexia is a profoundly debilitating wasting syndrome that affects patients with head and neck cancer and often contributes to their demise. A comprehensive literature search was performed up to April 2013 using PubMed, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and the Google search engine. For the meta-analyses, pooled prevalence estimates were calculated with a confidence interval of 95% (95% CI) by using random effects modeling. In this review, we outlined the unique challenges of cancer cachexia among patients with head and neck cancer by reviewing its impacts on quality of life (QOL), morbidity, and mortality. We explored the prevalence of different clinical markers of cachexia at the time of diagnosis and before and after treatment. Finally, we present updates regarding the diagnosis of cancer cachexia and recent findings, such as cardiac dysfunction that warrant clinical attention to more carefully identify patients at risk and potentially lead to better outcomes.