cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vivo cytokine gene transfer by gene gun reduces tumor growth in mice.

Abstract Implantation of tumor cells modified by in vitro cytokine gene transfer has been shown by many investigators to result in potent in vivo antitumor activities in mice. Here we describe an approach to tumor immunotherapy utilizing direct transfection of cytokine genes into tumor-bearing animals by particle-mediated gene transfer. In vivo transfection of the human interleukin 6 gene into the tumor site reduced methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma growth, and a combination of murine tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma genes inhibited growth of a renal carcinoma tumor model (Renca). In addition, treatment with murine interleukin 2 and interferon gamma genes prolonged the survival of Renca tumor-bearing mice and resulted in tumor eradication in 25% of the test animals. Transgene expression was demonstrated in treated tissues by ELISA and immunohistochemical analysis. Significant serum levels of interleukin 6 and interferon gamma were detected, demonstrating effective secretion of transgenic proteins from treated skin into the bloodstream. This in vivo cytokine gene therapy approach provides a system for evaluating the antitumor properties of various cytokines in different tumor models and has potential utility for human cancer gene therapy.
Dryland Malt Barley Yield and Quality Affected by Tillage, Cropping Sequence, and Nitrogen Fertilization

Malt barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) yield and quality have been evaluated using various cultivars and N rates but little is known about the effects of tillage and cropping sequence. We evaluated the effects of tillage, cropping sequence, and N fertilization on dryland malt barley yield, grain characteristics, N uptake, and N use-efficiency from 2006 to 2011 in eastern Montana. Treatments were no-till continuous malt barley (NTCB), no-till malt barley–pea (Pisum sativum L.) (NTB–P), no-till malt barley–fallow (NTB–F), and conventional till malt barley–fallow (CTB–F), with split application of N rates (0,40, 80, and 120 kg N ha–1) in randomized complete block with three replications. As N rates increased, malt barley grain yield, protein concentration, and N uptake increased in NTB–F, NTB–P, and NTCB, but test weight, plumpness, and N-use efficiency decreased in all tillage and cropping sequence treatments. Similarly, plant stand, biomass (stems and leaves) yield, and N uptake increased with increased N rates. Grain and biomass yields, N uptake, and N-use efficiency were greater in CTB–F than in NTB–P and NTCB but tillage had no effect on these parameters. Malt barley yield and N uptake varied with cropping sequences and N rates among years. Although grain yield increased with increased N rates, NTB–P with N rates between 40 and 80 kg N ha−1 may be used to sustain dryland malt barley yield and quality (protein concentration 800 g kg−1), thereby helping to reduce the potentials for soil erosion and N leaching and increase soil organic matter in the northern Great Plains.
Implicit representation of rational parametric surfaces

In many applications we need to compute the implicit representation of rational parametric surfaces. Previously, resultants and Grobner bases have been applied to this problem. However, these techniques at times result in an extraneous factors along with the implicit equation and fail altogether when a parametrization has base points. In this paper we present algorithms to implicitize rational parametric surfaces with and without base points. One of the strength of the algorithms lies in the fact that we do not use multivariate factorization. The base points blow up to rational curves on the surface and we present techniques to compute the rational parametrization of the blow up curves.
Semantic contrast with a limited and extended response mode

Summary Semantic contrast occurs when Ss' ratings of the meaning of a word shift as a function of the context in which that word occurs. The current set of studies, using male and female undergraduates as Ss, was designed to determine the conditions necessary to produce semantic contrast. In Experiment 1 (N = 50), words referring to physical beauty and temperature were scaled and used to construct stimuli for subsequent experiments. In Experiment 2 (N = 72), contrast occurred with the temperature expressions with both a limited and extended response mode. However, no contrast effects occurred with either response mode for the expressions of beauty in Experiment 3 (N = 72). These findings suggest that the elaboration of information in semantic memory varies. To the extent that there is an elaborate representation, items will be resistant to contextual effects, while the meaning of less-elaborated items will be affected by the context in which they are experienced.
A New 3.0-min Ce Fission Product and its 5.95-hr Pr Daughter

Rapid chemical separations of Ce from neutron-irradiated U led to identification of a 3.0-min Ce which decays to 5.95-hr Pr. The former emits $\ensuremath{\beta}$ rays, whose maximum energy is approximately 2.0 Mev, and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays whose spectrum was not investigated. The Pr decays by emission of a single $\ensuremath{\beta}$ ray whose maximum energy is 1.7 Mev; no $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays were found. This chain has tentatively been assigned to mass 145.
Treatment of chronic tinea pedis (athlete's foot type) with topical terbinafine

Twenty-seven patients with chronic tinea pedis, athlete's foot type, were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind trial of topical treatment with terbinafine 1% cream versus its vehicle (placebo). Patients were examined weekly during 4 weeks of twice-daily treatment and at follow-up 2 weeks after the conclusion of therapy. No adverse events were reported in either treatment group. Drug efficacy was evaluated in 22 patients, of whom nine (41%) were treated with terbinafine and 13 (59%) with placebo. Analysis of combined mycologic and clinical results showed that terbinafine was significantly more effective than placebo at the end of therapy (78% vs zero) and at the 2-week follow-up (89% vs zero) (p less than or equal to 0.001 at both intervals.
Design of static and dynamic RAM arrays using a novel reversible logic gate and decoder

Reversible logic is an emerging nanotechnology used in the design and implementation of nanotechnology and quantum computing with the main goal of reducing physical entropy gain. Significant work have been produced in the design of fundamental reversible logic structures and arithmetic units, and recent developments in sequential design of reversible circuits has opened new avenues in the implementation of reversible combinational circuits, such as the design and implementation of static (SRAM) and dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). In this paper, a novel 4*4 MLMR gate is presented which is used for controlling the read/write logic of a SRAM cell. Next, a reversible SRAM cell is designed and verified. Then, a novel 4*4 Reversible Decoder (RD) gate, implemented as a 2-to-4 decoder with low delay and cost is presented and verified, and its implementation shown in the construction of a 4×2 reversible SRAM array. Next, a dual-port SRAM cell is presented and verified, and its implementation in a synchronous n-bit reversible dual-port SRAM array is shown. Then, a reversible DRAM cell is presented and verified. The control logic for writing to the DRAM based on Peres gates is shown. The control logic and the DRAM cell are then implemented in a reversible 4×4 DRAM array.
Second-look laparotomy in ovarian cancer

The role of the second-look laparotomy has become standard management in the patients with ovarian cancer without any objective evidence that it has a major impact on survival. In patients with early-stage disease, data on second-look surgery would suggest that there is very little, if any, benefit in patients who have had optimal full surgical staging and appropriate postoperative therapy. In advanced disease, even if the second-look laparotomy is negative, one-half will develop a recurrence. The role of the second-look laparotomy as a secondary debulking procedure has been suggested by some but appears to be beneficial in only a small subset of patients--less than 10%. In patients being treated on protocol, a second-look laparotomy has become the gold standard for determining effectiveness of a specific treatment being evaluated and would tend to be justified in this group to increase our knowledge and hopefully arrive at a better postsurgical therapy.
Shape forming alumina slurries via Colloidal IsoPressing

Abstract The relative density, deformation behavior, and dynamic rheology of bodies consolidated from aqueous alumina slurries, formulated at pH 4 and containing NH 4 Cl, were studied as a function of the salt concentration (0.1–0.75 M). The smallest salt concentration produced the highest relative density (0.596), which was independent of consolidation pressure. Nearly identical relative densities were obtained for the other salt concentrations, ranging from 0.57 to 0.59 for consolidation pressures of 5–100 MPa, respectively. The consolidated bodies exhibited either a plastic or an elastic behavior when tested in compression. It was observed that the transition from a plastic to an elastic behavior occurred at a critical consolidation pressure. This critical consolidation pressure was directly dependent on the salt concentration. The storage (elastic) modulus for the fluidized, plastic bodies increased with salt concentration. The storage modulus was also observed to be dependent on the time the bodies were allowed to rest after they were subjected to a high shear rate. A pre-consolidated and fluidized slurry formulated to contain 0.5 NH 4 Cl was extruded into a rubber mold cavity and further consolidated by isopressing at 200 MPa for 2 min. The body not only increased its relative density (0.58–0.62), but it also became elastic to enable its removal from the rubber cavity without shape distortion. No linear shrinkage was detected after the isopressed bodies were dried. Because of the lack of shrinkage, rapid drying was possible. For example, bar specimens (6.4 mm × 12.7 mm × 60 mm) would survive a 34 °C/min heating rate to 300 °C; the specimen was completely dried within 20 min. Because shrinkage does not occur during drying, bodies could be placed directly into a furnace and heated to 1500 °C for 0.5 h to achieve a relative density of >0.99 and an average grain size of 1.6 μm.
Impurity-stabilized zinc-blende phase of wurtzite compounds

Abstract We propose here a new approach to stabilizing the cubic zinc blende phase of semiconductors that are usually more stable in the hexagonal wurtzite phase. We show that this can be done by taking advantage of the valence and conduction band offsets between the cubic and the hexagonal phases. Due to this band offset, it will cost less energy to insert electrons by shallow donors, or insert holes by 3d acceptors in the zinc blende structure, thus stabilizing the cubic phase.
Inherited Taste Sensitivity to 6-n-Propylthiouracil in Diet and Body Weight in Children

Objective: Negative associations between the inherited ability to taste the bitter compound 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and preference for fat and body weight have been observed in adults. This study tested the relationships among the ability to taste PROP, reported food intake, and body weight in young children. Research Methods and Procedures: Fifty-three 4- to 5-year-old children were classified as tasters (N = 35) or nontasters (N = 18) of PROP using a standard screening solution. Anthropometric measures were taken in the laboratory. Mothers completed questionnaires to assess their child's food intake and their own dieting behaviors. Results: Nontaster boys had higher weight-for-height percentiles than taster boys (77th vs. 56th percentile, respectively), but the relationship was opposite for girls (p ≤ 0.05). Nontasters reportedly consumed a higher percentage of their daily energy from protein (p ≤ 0.01), mainly as high-fat meat products. Tasters reportedly consumed a higher percentage of their daily energy from sugars (p ≤ 0.05), mainly in the form of brownies, doughnuts, cookies, soft drinks, and juice drinks. There were no differences between tasters and nontasters for reported intake of grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, or discretionary fats. Discussion: This study is the first, to our knowledge, to report weight differences in children as a function of their PROP status. Genetic taste factors seem to play a role in the development of dietary patterns and weight differences in young children, but the nature of these relationships may vary with gender.
The specific activity value based on the prosthetic copper of ascorbate oxidase.

Abstract The copper content and activity data of 137 purified samples of ascorbate oxidase ( l -ascorbate:O 2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.10.3.3) prepared in this laboratory during the period 1951–1977 have been examined and correlated. These data support the developing concepts of “active site heterogeneity” in otherwise homogeneous protein preparations. The specific activities, based on the copper contents of these 137 enzyme specimens, have been determined to average at about 760 units per μg copper and to reach maximum values in the area of 1000 units per μg copper. The maximum specific activity value (units per mg protein) and the copper content value of these purified specimens have been found to be 3800 ± 400 and 0.46 ± 0.06%, respectively.
An optimized approach for KNN text categorization using P-trees

The importance of text mining stems from the availability of huge volumes of text databases holding a wealth of valuable information that needs to be mined. Text categorization is the process of assigning categories or labels to documents based entirely on their contents. Formally, it can be viewed as a mapping from the document space into a set of predefined class labels (aka subjects or categories); F: D← {C1, C2...Cn} where F is the mapping function, D is the document space and {C1, C2...Cn} is the set of class labels. Given an unlabeled document d, we need to find its class label, Ci, using the mapping function F where F(d) = Ci. In this paper, an optimized k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) classifier that uses intervalization and the P-tree1 technology to achieve a high degree of accuracy, space utilization and time efficiency is proposed: As new samples arrive, the classifier finds the k nearest neighbors to the new sample from the training space without a single database scan.
Curvature effects on stagnation radiative transfer in shock wave around blunt axisymmetric bodies

During hypersonic entry of a probe into the atmospheres of outer planets, the radiative energy transport in the shock-heated layer is of great significance in computing the heating to the heat shield. The so-called tangential slab approximation is frequently employed to evaluate the radiative flux to the surface of entry probes. A simple assessment of the accuracy of the tangential slab approximation at the stagnation point is given here for blunt axisymmetric bodies of various shock shapes which include spheres, paraboloids, hyperboloids and ellipsoids of different shock parameters.
Serotonin projection patterns to the cochlear nucleus

The cochlear nucleus is well known as an obligatory relay center for primary auditory nerve fibers. Perhaps not so well known is the neural input to the cochlear nucleus from cells containing serotonin that reside near the midline in the midbrain raphe region. Although the specific locations of the main, if not sole, sources of serotonin within the dorsal cochlear nucleus subdivision are known to be the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, sources of serotonin located within other cochlear nucleus subdivisions are not currently known. Anterograde tract tracing was used to label fibers originating from the dorsal and median raphe nuclei while fluorescence immunohistochemistry was used to simultaneously label specific serotonin fibers in cat. Biotinylated dextran amine was injected into the dorsal and median raphe nuclei and was visualized with Texas Red, while serotonin was visualized with fluorescein. Thus, double-labeled fibers were unequivocally identified as serotoninergic and originating from one of the labeled neurons within the dorsal and median raphe nuclei. Double-labeled fiber segments, typically of fine caliber with oval varicosities, were observed in many areas of the cochlear nucleus. They were found in the molecular layer of the dorsal cochlear nucleus, in the small cell cap region, and in the granule cell and external regions of the cochlear nuclei, bilaterally, of all cats. However, the density of these double-labeled fiber segments varied considerably depending upon the exact region in which they were found. Fiber segments were most dense in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (especially in the molecular layer) and the large spherical cell area of the anteroventral cochlear nucleus; they were moderately dense in the small cell cap region; and fiber segments were least dense in the octopus and multipolar cell regions of the posteroventral cochlear nucleus. Because of the presence of labeled fiber segments in subdivisions of the cochlear nucleus other than the dorsal cochlear nucleus, we concluded that the serotoninergic projection pattern to the cochlear nucleus is divergent and non-specific. Double-labeled fiber segments were also present, but sparse, in the superior olive, localized mainly in periolivary regions; this indicated that the divergence of dorsal and median raphe neurons that extends throughout regions of the cochlear nucleus also extended well beyond the cochlear nucleus to include at least the superior olivary complex as well.
HPV Vaccine Acceptance in a Clinic-Based Sample of Women in the Rural South.

Abstract Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common sexually transmitted infection linked to cervical disease. Vaccines for some types of HPV were in development at the time of the study. Purpose: The study examined HPV vaccine acceptability among underserved women in a rural region of the southeastern U.S. with high rates of cervical cancer for development of future educational interventions. Methods: A clinic-based sample of women (aged 18-64; ASCUS or higher and tested for HPV DNA) completed a telephone interview (response rate = 78%). Results: Among participants who had ever heard of HPV (n=108), 81% were “very likely” to get the vaccine and 72% would have their daughter vaccinated. These participants desired information about vaccine safety (100%), efficacy (100%), side effects (100%), clinician recommendation (96%), cost (94%), and composition of the vaccine (94%). Cost was identified as the main barrier (55%). Among a subset of participants who reported HPV positivity (n=49), younger a...
Radiologic presentation of a type 1 dens fracture.

A 22-year-old man with no significant medical history presented with multiple life-threatening injuries due to a high-speed motor vehicle accident. He was neurologically intact. Admission computed tomography (CT) of the spine illustrated an oblique avulsion of the tip of the odontoid process with slight superior displacement of the proximal fragment, consistent with a type 1 dens (ie, odontoid) fracture (Figures 1-3). Additional imaging displayed a small epidural hematoma posterior to the fracture and ligamentum flavum discontinuity at the C1-C2 level, overall indicative of the acuity of the type 1 dens fracture (Figures 4,5). The injury resulted in instability of the atlanto-occipital articulation predominantly involving the lateral mass articulations with the occipital condyles, requiring placement of a halo and occipital cervical fusion and instrumentation (Figure 6). Anderson and D’Alonzo described 3 types of dens fractures with type 1 being the rarest, defined as an
Dimensional reduction and flavor chirality

We show that phenomenologically realistic flavor-chiral Yang-Mills-Higgs theories in 4 dimensions can be derived by dimensional reduction of 10-dimensional vectorlike and gauge theories, where the extra 6 dimensions form a compact coset space with scale size r. The dimensional reduction often implies a symmetry breaking pattern like that of the electroweak theory, in which case it is natural to propose r ⋍ GF12. Quantum effects then determine the short-distance behavior of the theory, including any additional symmetry breaking.
Myocardial reperfusion: Is it ever too late?

The intriguing report in this issue of the Journal by Ellis and his colleagues (1) from the University of Michigan raises several important issues for practicing cardiologists and clinical researchers. These investigators described their institutional experience with primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction. The ability of angioplasty as a primary technique to establish infarct artery patency, even in patients >6 h from symptom onset, is well documented. The report further establishes that the traditional risk factors of age, left ventricular function and extent of coronary disease are important predictors of outcome when this therapeutic approach is used. The most interesting questions raised by this study, however, concern generic therapeutic decisions that must be made on a daily basis by practitioners. When is it too late to attempt to achieve reperfusion? When should angioplasty be used in preference to thrombolytic therapy when reperfusion is desired? How can a single institutional report without a control group be used to assist therapeutic decision making? Timing of reperfusion. Until recently, most experts on reperfusion believed that infarct artery reperfusion was beneficial only if achieved within 3 to 4 h from the onset of occlusion. This belief was based on animal models in which measurable myocardial salvage did not occur beyond several hours after occlusion. Most of the initial human studies seemed to confirm this concept. In trials of intracoronary streptokinase (2,3) no improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction was found. The Gruppo Italian0 per lo Studio della Streptochinasi nell’Infarto Miocardico (GISSI) trial (4) found no evidence for improved survival when patients were treated with intravenous streptokinase compared with conservative therapy between 6 and 12 h from the onset of symptoms. In contrast, a meta-analysis of multiple trials of intrave-
Prevention of parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease in children.

Abstract: Liver injury is associated with parenteral nutrition therapy. Severity of injury varies from minimal and transient increases in liver-related blood tests to biliary cirrhosis and liver failure. Severe parenteral nutrition-related liver disease is usually confined to patients who have undergone massive intestinal resection. In these patients, early sepsis appears to cause initial liver injury, and recurring sepsis and inflammation, local or systemic, may result in its perpetuation and progression. Liver disease associated with parenteral nutrition is not necessarily related either to duration of parenteral nutrition or to delayed intestinal feeding. However, treatment includes enteral nutrition to promote enterohepatic circulation of bile acids and management of inflammation and sepsis, including control of intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Restriction of intravenous lipid emulsions may be important. The clinical picture of advanced liver failure related to short bowel syndrome differs from liver failure with an anatomically normal gastrointestinal tract. In the former, hyperbilirubinemia, hepatosplenomegaly, and functional hypersplenism dominate the clinical picture, and severe ascites and esophageal variceal hemorrhage are unusual. Early referral of these patients for intestinal and/or liver transplantation may provide the best chance for long-term survival.
Derivatives of the new ring system pyrazolo[4,3‐d]‐v‐triazine and the synthesis of 5,7‐disubstituted 3‐methylpyrazolo[4,3‐d] pyrimidines and 5,7‐disubstituted 3‐methylpyrazolo[4,3‐d]pyrimidine 6‐uxides which are structurally related to the nucleoside antibiotics formycin and formycin B

The synthesis of 7-methylpyrazolo[4,3-d]-v-triazin-4-one (6), a derivative of the new ring system, pyrazolo[4,3-d]-v-triazine, has been accomplished by a diazotization reaction. Ring closure of the appropriate pyrazole derivative and oxidation of the preformed bicyclic heterocycle with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid has furnished 7-substituted 3-methylpyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine 6-oxides. Ring closures to yield various 5,7-disubstituted 3-methylpyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidines are also discussed.
Intermediate Cystic Renal Masses: Radiology-Pathology Correlation

Renal cysts are a relatively common imaging finding with an estimated incidence of more than 10% in those older than 50 years. 1 Although they are typically asymptomatic and only incidentally discovered by radiological imaging, the major concern with renal cysts is differentiating simple benign cysts from other disease entities such as renal cell carcinomas and abscesses that may mimic renal cysts. Radiological imaging may provide help by accurately characterizing these lesions, leading to proper clinical management of the patients. Most simple appearing cysts on imaging are pathologically benign (Fig 1). However when cysts show complex imaging features, the differential also includes renal cell carcinomas. 2,3 Approximately 10 to 15% of all renal cell carcinomas may present as complex cystic lesions (Fig 2). Thus it is important to differentiate benign from malignant cystic lesions on imaging. To provide an orderly approach for characterizing cystic lesions on CT, Bosniak 2 in 1986 proposed a classification to categorize cystic lesions based on their imaging features. 2 According to the classification, categories I and II were considered “leave alone lesions,” whereas surgical resection was recommended for categories III and IV. Bosniak later added IIF as a distinct category for follow-up imaging of cysts with predominantly
The Effect of Porous Support Composition and Operating Parameters on the Performance of Supported Liquid Membranes

Abstract Factors, such as porous support composition and operating parameters, that influence the performance of supported liquid membranes (SLMs) were investigated. SLMs of varying porous support compositions and structures were studied for the transport of metal ions. A microporous polybenzimidazole support was synthesized and prepared in the form of an SLM. This SLM, containing the selective extractant di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid, was evaluated for the transport of copper and neodymium. Dramatically improved performance over that of commercially available membranes was found in tests for removing the metal ions from solution. Metal ion transport reaches near completion in less than 3 h, whereas Celgard-polypropylene and Nuclepore-polycarbonate reaches only 50% completion even after 15 h. The transport driving force for acidic extractants is a pH gradient between the feed and strip solutions. Polybenzimidazole, an acid- and radiation-resistant polymer, has two protonatable tertiary nitrogens per re...
Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of Mycoplasma arthritidis-derived mitogen complexed with peptide/MHC class II antigen.

Mycoplasma arthritidis-derived mitogen (MAM), a bacterial superantigen, has been crystallized in complex with its human receptor, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen, by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method. Crystals were obtained under three conditions, with ammonium sulfate, phosphate salt and PEG 8000 as the precipitant. The crystals grown under these conditions all belong to space group I222, with the same unit-cell parameters: a = 137.4, b = 178.2, c = 179.6 A. Diffraction data were collected to 3.3 and 3.4 A resolution from crystals of native and selenomethionylated MAM–MHC complexes, respectively. Self- and cross-rotation function calculations suggest the presence of two complex molecules in the asymmetric unit, resulting in a VM of 4.0 and a solvent content of 69%. An interpretable electron-density map was produced using a combination of molecular replacement and SAD phasing.
A finite element based algorithm for determining interfacial tension (γ) from pendant drop profiles

This paper introduces a robust algorithm to determine the interfacial tension (gamma) from pendant drop profiles using the Galerkin finite element method (gamma-PD-FEM) to solve the axisymmetric form of the Young-Laplace (YL) equation. In this algorithm, the theoretical profiles are generated by solving the spherical coordinate form of the YL equation. gamma-PD-FEM also solves for the parameter estimates by minimizing the difference between the theoretical and experimental surface functions, f(theta). This technique is compared to the widely used method of converting the YL equation to the three arc length-based (ALB) first-order ODEs developed by Bashforth and Adams (BA) in 1883, or as denoted in this paper, the gamma-PD-BA method. The drop apex is the initial condition for the gamma-PD-BA algorithm and the integration is terminated at a specified location along the drop profile. In contrast to techniques based on the BA approach, computation of the theoretical drop profile in gamma-PD-FEM is obtained from a second-order ordinary differential equation and requires boundary conditions at the drop apex and at the contact line of the drop to the nozzle. By incorporating both boundary conditions into the problem formulation, the algorithm can also determine if the drop shape is at static equilibrium. Results to be presented include an outline of the computer algorithm, and comparison of gamma values obtained from the gamma-PD-FEM and the traditional gamma-PD-BA method using simulated and experimental drop profile data sets.
Absence of age differences in protein synthesis by rat brain, measured with an initiating cell-free system

Abstract A cell-free protein synthesis system was derived from brains of young (3 month) and old (>23 month) male Fischer-344 rats in order to examine brain protein synthesis in relation to age. The system was shown to be capable of reinitiating protein synthesis in vitro, and of synthesizing protein from exogenously added mRNA. Optimal ionic conditions for amino acid incorporation were 200 mM potassium ion and 5 mM magnesium ion, and amino acid incorporation depended on addition of ATP, GTP, and an energy-generating system (creatine phosphate and creatine phosphokinase). Amino acid incorporation was sensitive to the initiation inhibitors aurintricarboxylic acid and sodium fluoride. Optimal conditions were independent of the age of the rat from which the brain was taken. There was no statistically significant relation ( p >0.05) between capacity of amino acid incorporation and age. The aggregation state of brain polyribosomes also did not differ between young (3 month) and old (30 month) rats. The results suggest that overall brain protein synthesis capacity is age-invariant in the rat.
A pulse radiolysis study of the reduction of neptunium (V) by the hydrated electron

Abstract The reduction of the dioxoneptunium(V) by the hydrated electron and the consecutive reactions leading to the final partially hydrolyzed aquoneptunium(IV) species have been studied in aqueous perchlorate media under pulse irradiation. Additional parameters determined were k 2 = 2.45 × 10 10 Lmol −1 s −1 for the rate of reaction of Np(V) with the hydrated electron, as well as Λ NpO 2 + = 20.4 ± 2.7 S cm 2 equiv. −1 . For the reactions: Np(OH) 2 2+ + H + ⇄ Np(OH) 3+ and NpO 2 OH + N + ⇄ NpO 2 + we have determined respective values of pK a of 4.5±0.5 and 8.7 −0.5 +1.0 . A value of 1.5 × 10 6 s −1 has been determined for the rearrangement of the unstable initial dioxoeneptunium(V) to the fully hydrolyzed Np(IV) product.
Resident-performed compression ultrasonography for the detection of proximal deep vein thrombosis: fast and accurate.

Objectives: To assess whether emergency medicine residents (EMRs) could quickly perform accurate compression ultrasonography (CUS) for the detection of proximal lower extremity deep vein thromboses (PLEDVTs) with minimal training. Methods: A prospective, observational study using a convenience sample of patients presenting with signs and/or symptoms for PLEDVT. Vascular laboratory and department of radiology studies were considered the criterion standard. CUS of the femoral vessels was performed. Incompressibility or visualized thrombus was considered “positive.”Results: Eight residents with limited ultrasound (US) experience and no prior experience with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) US volunteered to participate in this study, enrolling 72 patients. Their average scan time was 11.7 minutes (95% CI = 9.4 to 14). There were 23 true positives, 4 false positives, 45 true negatives, and 0 false negatives. The test characteristics for PLEDVT gave a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI = 82.2 to 100) and a specificity of 91.8% (95% CI = 79.5 to 97.4). Conclusion: Emergency medicine residents with limited US experience were able to quickly perform CUS after minimal training for the detection of PLEDVT in a select group of patients.
Inner-city children's exposure to community violence: How much do parents know?

This study examines the psychological impact of children's exposure to violence and the influence of mothers' knowledge about their children's encounters with violence. Our sample consists of a poor, multiethnic sample of 104 fourth- or fifth-grade children and their mothers. Children in this sample were exposed to rather high levels of community violence, and on the whole, mothers greatly underestimated their children's exposure to violence and feelings of psychological distress. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that children's exposure to violence was associated with greater psychological distress. Our findings suggest that the detrimental effects of community violence are present for all children, irrespective of their racial background. Further, greater mother-child agreement about children's exposure to violence was related to better psychological functioning. The implications of these results for effective parenting strategies and community-based interventions are discussed.
Simulating the nonstationary behavior of communication networks

The problem of simulating communication networks under nonstationary conditions is considered. The critical issues in simulating the nonstationary behavior, such as determining appropriate performance measures, calculating confidence intervals, and selecting initial conditions, are discussed and approaches to their solutions are proposed. To illustrate some of the issues, results for the problem of determining the transient response of a finite M/M/1 queue are presented. >
PPDB, the Plant Proteomics Database at Cornell

The Plant Proteomics Database (PPDB; http://ppdb.tc.cornell.edu), launched in 2004, provides an integrated resource for experimentally identified proteins in Arabidopsis and maize (Zea mays). Internal BLAST alignments link maize and Arabidopsis information. Experimental identification is based on in-house mass spectrometry (MS) of cell type-specific proteomes (maize), or specific subcellular proteomes (e.g. chloroplasts, thylakoids, nucleoids) and total leaf proteome samples (maize and Arabidopsis). So far more than 5000 accessions both in maize and Arabidopsis have been identified. In addition, more than 80 published Arabidopsis proteome datasets from subcellular compartments or organs are stored in PPDB and linked to each locus. Using MS-derived information and literature, more than 1500 Arabidopsis proteins have a manually assigned subcellular location, with a strong emphasis on plastid proteins. Additional new features of PPDB include searchable posttranslational modifications and searchable experimental proteotypic peptides and spectral count information for each identified accession based on in-house experiments. Various search methods are provided to extract more than 40 data types for each accession and to extract accessions for different functional categories or curated subcellular localizations. Protein report pages for each accession provide comprehensive overviews, including predicted protein properties, with hyperlinks to the most relevant databases.
Abundance and distribution of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) nearshore of Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, Antarctica, during six austral summers between 2000 and 2007

Abundance and distribution of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in the nearshore waters north of Livingston Island, Antarctica, were characterized from six small-boat surveys conducted in late January or early February from 2000 to 2007. The first three surveys (2000, 2002, 2004) were conducted using a 120 kHz split-beam echosounder to measure water column acoustic backscatter. The last three surveys (2005-2007) were conducted using 38 kHz and 200 kHz single- beam echosounders. A portion of the acoustic backscatter was attributed to Antarctic krill based on the results of net tows, underwater video observations, and a multiple-frequency acoustic classification algorithm. The annual mean krill biomass density in the survey area ranged from 11 to 84 gm -2 . Results are compared with the western Scotia Sea area of the US Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) program's acoustic surveys of krill biomass density for the same years. Near- shore krill biomass densities were significantly larger (t test, p < 0.05), more stable, and the coefficients of variation were smaller than the much larger AMLR surveys. Increased competition between seals, penguins, and humans for the nearshore krill resource, especially during the austral summer months, could impact the recruitment success of these land-based krill predators. Implications of nearshore krill biomass on small-scale management units are discussed.
A multiple‐template approach to protein threading

Most threading methods predict the structure of a protein using only a single template. Due to the increasing number of solved structures, a protein without solved structure is very likely to have more than one similar template structures. Therefore, a natural question to ask is if we can improve modeling accuracy using multiple templates. This article describes a new multiple-template threading method to answer this question. At the heart of this multiple-template threading method is a novel probabilistic-consistency algorithm that can accurately align a single protein sequence simultaneously to multiple templates. Experimental results indicate that our multiple-template method can improve pairwise sequence-template alignment accuracy and generate models with better quality than single-template models even if they are built from the best single templates (P-value <10−6) while many popular multiple sequence/structure alignment tools fail to do so. The underlying reason is that our probabilistic-consistency algorithm can generate accurate multiple sequence/template alignments. In another word, without an accurate multiple sequence/template alignment, the modeling accuracy cannot be improved by simply using multiple templates to increase alignment coverage. Blindly tested on the CASP9 targets with more than one good template structures, our method outperforms all other CASP9 servers except two (Zhang-Server and QUARK of the same group). Our probabilistic-consistency algorithm can possibly be extended to align multiple protein/RNA sequences and structures. Proteins 2011; © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Application of Raman spectroscopy to molecular agricultural research

American agriculture has played a major role in contributing to the well-being of the world, both from subsistence and economical points of view. Chemistry has shared in this success by developing new agricultural products, increasing agricultural production and improving utilization of farm products. Today, there is every reason to believe that chemistry will play an increasingly sophisticated role in discovering new biochemical mechanisms that will lead to the development of new products and increase agricultural productivity (Pimentel, 1985). Geisbuhler (1984) has pointed out the irony that one of the barriers to future progress in agricultural research is the successfulness of the application of older, “more conventional procedures which, until recently, have been acceptable enough to discourage systematic attempts at alternative approaches”. He further notes that there is “a considerable and continuing lack of basic scientific knowledge in spite of the present rapid acquisition of biochemical and biomolecular information”.
Population genetic structure of a common host predicts the spread of white‐nose syndrome, an emerging infectious disease in bats

Landscape complexity influences patterns of animal dispersal, which in turn may affect both gene flow and the spread of pathogens. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an introduced fungal disease that has spread rapidly throughout eastern North America, causing massive mortality in bat populations. We tested for a relationship between the population genetic structure of the most common host, the little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), and the geographic spread of WNS to date by evaluating logistic regression models of WNS risk among hibernating colonies in eastern North America. We hypothesized that risk of WNS to susceptible host colonies should increase with both geographic proximity and genetic similarity, reflecting historical connectivity, to infected colonies. Consistent with this hypothesis, inclusion of genetic distance between infected and susceptible colonies significantly improved models of disease spread, capturing heterogeneity in the spatial expansion of WNS despite low levels of genetic differentiation among eastern populations. Expanding our genetic analysis to the continental range of little brown myotis reveals strongly contrasting patterns of population structure between eastern and western North America. Genetic structure increases markedly moving westward into the northern Great Plains, beyond the current distribution of WNS. In western North America, genetic differentiation of geographically proximate populations often exceeds levels observed across the entire eastern region, suggesting infrequent and/or locally restricted dispersal, and thus relatively limited opportunities for pathogen introduction in western North America. Taken together, our analyses suggest a possibly slower future rate of spread of the WNS pathogen, at least as mediated by little brown myotis.
Bulk queue model for computer system analysis

A bulk queue model was developed for analyzing a multiprogrammed computer system. It can be used in conjunction with closed queuing models to study message queuing in a teleprocessing system. The model is based on an imbedded Markov chain analysis.
Binding of Faropenem and Other β-Lactam Agents to Penicillin-Binding Proteins of Pneumococci with Various β-Lactam Susceptibilities

Faropenem demonstrated low MICs (≤1 μg/ml) for all penicillin-susceptible and nonsusceptible pneumococci and exhibited very strong abilities to bind to Streptococcus pneumoniae penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), except for PBP2X. The lower faropenem affinity for PBP2X did not affect MICs for any strains tested, and only imipenem had lower MICs, with much lower binding affinities for all PBPs tested, than faropenem.
A Low-Power Analog VLSI Visual Collision Detector

We have designed and tested a single-chip analog VLSI sensor that detects imminent collisions by measuring radially expansive optic flow. The design of the chip is based on a model proposed to explain leg-extension behavior in flies during landing approaches. A new elementary motion detector (EMD) circuit was developed to measure optic flow. This EMD circuit models the bandpass nature of large monopolar cells (LMCs) immediately postsynaptic to photoreceptors in the fly visual system. A 16 × 16 array of 2-D motion detectors was fabricated on a 2.24 mm × 2.24 mm die in a standard 0.5-µm CMOS process. The chip consumes 140 µW of power from a 5 V supply. With the addition of wide-angle optics, the sensor is able to detect collisions around 500 ms before impact in complex, real-world scenes.
W-LBP: Wavelet-Based Loopy Belief Propagation for Wireless Sensor Networks

Due to its compact and distributed nature, Loopy Belief Propagation has been proved to be theoretically appropriate as a basis to systematically deal with uncertainties with incomplete or corrupted observations in the broad applications of wireless sensor networks. However, the transmissions of massive belief messages of Loopy Belief Propagation could become a serious concern from the energy consumption perspective since sensor nodes are energy limited, and in many real-world wireless sensor network applications, the replacement of sensor node batteries is very difficult if not impossible. In this paper, we present a novel wavelet-based Loopy Belief Propagation, which can effectively reduce 50% of belief messages communicated among sensor nodes with only minimal degradation of the inference performance. Our preliminary results using real-world soil moisture data from an environmental monitoring application demonstrate the great promise of the proposed approach.
Factors associated with altered pharmacokinetics in substance users and non-substance users receiving lopinavir and atazanavir.

Substance use is highly prevalent in HIV-infected individuals in the United States, and clinical management is complicated by the need for antiretroviral treatment, addiction therapy, variable medication adherence, and co-morbidities. The interrelation between HIV and substance use prompted our investigation to examine substance use and self-reported medication adherence in patients receiving the HIV-1 protease inhibitors, atazanavir (ATV) or lopinavir (LPV). ATV and LPV pharmacokinetics were determined by measuring plasma concentrations in subjects with active substance use (SU group) or with no active substance use (NSU group). No difference in adherence was observed between groups (p > 0.05). The mean SU ATV trough was 0.550±0.45 μg/mL; the mean NSU ATV trough was 0.780±0.590 μg/mL (p > 0.05). The mean SU LPV trough was 4.02±2.39 μg/mL; the mean NSU LPV trough was 6.67±0.910 μg/mL (p = 0.01). Co-factors found to be associated with variation in ATV and LPV concentrations included concurrent methadone us...
Effect of Small Concentrations of Gallium Oxide on the Structure of Sodium Silicate Glasses

The glass transformation temperatures and de electrical conductivities of sodium silicate glasses with low-level gallia additions have been measured. The composition/property relationships observed in these glasses are different from those observed with larger gallia additions. These trends are discussed in terms of structural models proposed for these glasses.