cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends in Sickle Cell Disease-Related Mortality in the United States, 1979 to 2017.

Study objective We provide an updated assessment of trends in sickle cell disease (SCD)–related mortality, a significant source of mortality in the United States among black persons, using 1979 to 2017 US mortality data. Methods SCD-related deaths were identified with International Classification of Diseases codes. Because SCD-related death is rare in other races, the analysis focused on black decedents. Age-specific and average annual SCD-related death rates were calculated. Causes of death codes were categorized into 20 groups relevant to SCD outcomes. SCD-related deaths were compared with non–SCD-related deaths after matching on race, sex, age group, and year of death. Results There were 25,665 SCD-related deaths reported among blacks in the United States from 1979 through 2017. During that period, the annual SCD-related death rate declined in children and increased in adults, and the median age at death increased from 28 to 43 years. Acute causes of death, such as infection and cerebrovascular complications, were more common in younger age groups. Chronic complications were more common in adults. SCD-related deaths were more likely to be related to acute cardiac, pulmonary, and cerebrovascular complications; acute infections; and chronic cardiac and pulmonary complications and renal disorders; and less likely to be related to drug overdose and chronic infections than non–SCD-related deaths. Conclusion These data indicate SCD-related deaths are now more likely to be related to chronic complications of the disease than to acute complications. More research regarding prevention and treatment of chronic complications of SCD is necessary because persons with SCD are living longer.
Optimizing Transit Equity and Accessibility of the City of Charlotte, North Carolina, by Integrating Transit Gap Index, a General Transit Feed Specification Data-Relevant Performance Metric

AbstractPublic transit is a critical component of transportation planning. One important task is to optimize the public transit service for people by improving current service or having new investm...
Iterated Left Abstract Generalized Fractional Landau Inequalities

We give uniform and \(L_{p}\) left Caputo–Bochner abstract iterated generalized fractional Landau inequalities over \(\mathbb {R}_{+}\).
DeepTrio: Variant Calling in Families Using Deep Learning

Abstract Every human inherits one copy of the genome from their mother and another from their father. Parental inheritance helps us understand the transmission of traits and genetic diseases, which often involve de novo variants and rare recessive alleles. Here we present DeepTrio, which learns to analyze child-mother-father trios from the joint sequence information, without explicit encoding of inheritance priors. DeepTrio learns how to weigh sequencing error, mapping error, and de novo rates and genome context directly from the sequence data. DeepTrio has higher accuracy on both Illumina and PacBio HiFi data when compared to DeepVariant. Improvements are especially pronounced at lower coverages (with 20x DeepTrio roughly equivalent to 30x DeepVariant). As DeepTrio learns directly from data, we also demonstrate extensions to exome calling solely by changing the training data. DeepTrio includes pre-trained models for Illumina WGS, Illumina exome, and PacBio HiFi.
Research Concept Paper for Leading Organizations of the Future

This precis presents a research concept paper for Leading Organizations of the Future: it specifies the primary reasons for undertaking the proposed study, states the problem to be examined, particularizes the research question, articulates the conceptual framework for the expanded literature review while flagging one key text, and justifies what methods of data collection and analysis would underpin next steps.
Prolonged Treatment with Centella asiatica Improves Memory, Reduces Amyloid-β Pathology, and Activates NRF2-Regulated Antioxidant Response Pathway in 5xFAD Mice

Background The medicinal herb Centella asiatica has been long been used for its neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing effects. We have previously shown that two weeks of treatment with a water extract of Centella asiatica (CAW) improves cognition and activates the endogenous antioxidant response pathway without altering amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque burden. Objective Here, we assess the effect of long-term treatment of CAW in the 5xFAD mouse model of Aβ accumulation. Methods Four-month-old 5xFAD mice were treated with CAW in their drinking water (2 g/L) for three months at which point they underwent cognitive testing as well as analysis of Aβ plaque levels and antioxidant and synaptic gene expression. In order to confirm the involvement of the antioxidant regulatory transcription factor NRF2 on the effects of CAW on synaptic plasticity, neurons isolated from 5xFAD mice were also treated with CAW and the targeted inhibitor ML385. Results Three months of treatment with CAW improved spatial and contextual memory as well as executive function in 5xFAD mice. This improvement was accompanied by increased antioxidant gene expression and a decrease in Aβ plaque burden relative to untreated 5xFAD animals. In isolated neurons, treatment with ML385 blocked the effects of CAW on dendritic arborization and synaptic gene expression. Conclusion These results suggest that prolonged CAW exposure could be beneficial in Alzheimer's disease and that these effects likely involve NRF2 activation. Moreover, these findings suggest that targeting NRF2 itself may be a relevant therapeutic strategy for improving synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease.
Interdependence Relationships Between Sugar Intake and Sugary Drink Liking in Parent-Adolescent Dyads and Moderation by Adolescent Age and Dyad Sex

Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine if interdependence relationships between sugar from sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake and sugary drink liking existed in parent-adolescent dyads and if relationships were moderated by adolescent age and dyad sex.
Cellular blue nevus tumor presenting as a submandibular lymph node in a 16-year-old

The cellular blue nevus tumor is a type of dendritic melanocytic nevus that is typically benign and exceedingly rare. The incidence of all blue nevi is about 1%, usually affecting the adult population and appearing on the extremities, sacrococcygeal or gluteal regions. There have only been a handful of case reports cited in the literature where cellular blue nevi present in the head and neck region, usually affecting the scalp and young adult population (7, 8). As such, it is exceedingly rare to encounter a cellular blue nevus tumor in the neck or infiltrating into neck lymph nodes. Here we report a rare case of a cellular blue nevus tumor presenting as a right neck mass in a pediatric 16-year-old patient, shown to invade into the submandibular lymph node and surrounding soft tissue. It is important to be aware of the cellular blue nevus tumor as a differential diagnosis in pediatric neck masses. Histological evaluation is necessary to determine tumor aggression and malignant potential which can guide further treatment in pediatric patients.
Heidegger's Analytic: Interpretation, Discourse and Authenticity in Being and Time

Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction 1. What is fundamental ontology? 2. The critique of Husserl 3. Interpreting intentionality 4. Heidegger's realism 5. Discourse, expression, truth 6. Authenticity and asymmetry References Index.
2 Discontinuities in a Variational Problem

Publisher Summary The frequent occurrence of optimization problems with discontinuous control variables has focused the attention of mathematicians and engineers upon the old subject of discontinuous solutions in the calculus of variations. Such discontinuities, commonly referred to as corners, are subject to the Weierstrass-Erdmann corner condition. Three types of corner may be distinguished: (1) free corners, (2) reflection corners, and (3) refraction corners. The terms reflection and refraction have been borrowed from geometrical optics, governed by the variational Fermat principle. This chapter focuses on refraction in the problem of Lagrange, illustrated by two examples.
Trade liberalization and tax revenue in transition: an empirical analysis of the replacement strategy

Trade liberalization in transition economies has been followed by a significant reduction in government revenue from trade taxes. This paper empirically tests whether and to what extent domestic tax revenue has actually compensated for the trade tax revenue lost by looking at the experience in a panel of 33 transition countries in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and North Africa and the Middle East. The paper finds evidence of strong revenue replacement for total domestic tax revenue. The contribution of the different taxes to the replacement strategy is, as expected leaded by the Value-added Tax, followed by a lower contribution from the personal income tax (PIT). The paper also provides some empirical evidence suggesting that replacement may have been higher for countries in the run-up to the EU, and that countries with a high tax revenue effort may have relied relatively more on the PIT to replace trade taxes.
Exposing Coercive Influences in the Criminal Justice System

Around the beginning of the 1970s, social and behavioral scientists began conducting systematic research on issues related to the accuracy of eyewitnesses in recounting details observed during the commission of a crime. Twenty-five years later, more than 2,000 scientific articles in psychology demonstrated that eyewitness accounts were susceptible to a variety of influences that could potentially render them unreliable (Cutler & Penrod, 1995). For example, Loftus (1979) showed that eyewitness memory was malleable and could be readily altered by information encountered after the initial event. Work by Lindsay and Wells (1985) established that the manner in which police lineups were conducted greatly impacted the number of mistaken identifications made by eyewitnesses. The weight of three decades of such research, in combination with other factors, has recently prompted the legal system to take action in an attempt to prevent erroneous eyewitness testimony from influencing trial outcomes (Wells et al., 2000). Specifically, the United States Department of Justice, with the input of psychological researchers, has translated the scientific literature on eyewitness reports into a first ever set of national guidelines for the collection and preservation of eyewitness evidence (Technical Working Group for Eyewitness Evidence, 1999).
Proximity Problems and the Voronoi Diagram an a Rectilinear Plane with Rectangular Obstacles

We consider the following four problems for a set S of k points on a plane, equipped with the rectilinear metric and containing a set R of n disjoint rectangular obstacles (so that distance is measured by a shortest rectilinear path avoiding obstacles in R): (a) find a closest pair of points in S, (b) find a nearest neighbor for each point in S, (c) compute the rectilinear Voronoi diagram of S, and (d) compute a rectilinear minimal spanning tree of S. We describe O((n+k)log(n+k)) time sequential algorithms for (a) and (b) based on plane-sweep, and the consideration of geometrically special types of shortest paths, so-called z-first paths. For (c) we present an O((n+k)log(n+k) log n) time sequential algorithm that implements a sophisticated divide-and-conquer scheme with an added extension phase. In the extension phase of this scheme we introduce novel geometric structures, in particular so-called z-diagrams, and techniques associated with the Voronoi diagram. Problem (d) can be reduced to (c) and solved in O((n+k) log(n+k) log n) time as well. All our algorithms are near-optimal, as well as easy to implement.
Gene annotation and network inference by phylogenetic profiling.

Background Phylogenetic analysis is emerging as one of the most informative computational methods for the annotation of genes and identification of evolutionary modules of functionally related genes. The effectiveness with which phylogenetic profiles can be utilized to assign genes to pathways depends on an appropriate measure of correlation between gene profiles, and an effective decision rule to use the correlate. Current methods, though useful, perform at a level well below what is possible, largely because performance of the latter deteriorates rapidly as coverage increases.
TYPING OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI BY IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE I. Preparation and Properties of Type 1 Fluorescein-Labeled Antibody

Karakawa, Walter W. (Connecticut State Department of Health, Hartford), Earle K. Borman, and Clarence R. McFarland. Typing of group A streptococci by immunofluorescence. I. Preparation and properties of type 1 fluorescein-labeled antibody. J. Bacteriol. 87:1377-1382. 1964.-Unadsorbed, fluorescein-labeled globulins derived from rabbits immunized with acid-extracted M-protein of type 1 streptococci (plus adjuvant) were found to have high fluorescent-antibody (FA) staining titers and to be considerably more type-specific than were similar preparations derived from whole-cell immunization. Appropriate adsorption rendered the anti-M reagent entirely type-specific without appreciable loss of titer; whole-cell reagent was appreciably weakened in FA titer by comparable adsorption. Type-specificity was confirmed by parallel bactericidal, long-chain, and precipitin studies. Removal of reactivity by adsorption with homologous M protein was complete, confirming that the FA reaction was truly a manifestation of an M anti-M protein system. The data indicate that the development of FA reagents specific for the streptococcal types is feasible.
Integration using the hybrid silicon platform

A brief review of recent progress in photonic integrated circuits (PIC) and connection to the electronic IC roadmap is presented. High-quality wafer bonding, electrically pumped lasers and high speed modulators are essential technologies for high speed interconnects and mass production of optoelectronics.
Diabetes Among the Pima: Stories of Survival

To the Pima Indians of the Gila River Indian Community in Southern Arizona, diabetes is a fact of life. Nearly half of all adult Pima are diabetic. For more than forty years, researchers have been ...
Slick Recruitment to the Golgi

Formation of vesicles carrying secretory proteins depends on the activity of the Golgi, the cell9s central protein sorting station. In a Perspective, Bankaitis discusses new findings (Baron and Malhotra) that reveal how protein kinase D, a key molecule required for vesicle formation, is recruited to the Golgi by a lipid called diacylglycerol that is both produced and consumed within this organelle.
Age‐associated changes in mRNA levels of Phox2, norepinephrine transporter and dopamine β‐hydroxylase in the locus coeruleus and adrenal glands of rats

Age-related changes in the gene expression of the transcription factors, Phox2a and 2b, and two marker proteins, norepinephrine transporter (NET) and dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), of noradrenergic neurons were characterized in the locus coeruleus (LC) and adrenal glands using in situ hybridization. Analysis of changes was performed in rats that were 1–23 months of age. Compared to 1-month-old rats, there was a 62% increase of Phox2a messenger RNA (mRNA) in the LC of 3-month-old rats, and a decline of 37% in 23-month-old rats. In contrast, levels of Phox2b mRNA in the LC remained unchanged in 3-month-old rats, but declined to a 30% reduction in 23-month-old rats. Interestingly, mRNA levels of NET in the LC decreased with increasing age to a reduction of 29%, 30% and 43% in 3-, 8- and 23-month-old rats, respectively. Similarly, DBH mRNA in the LC declined with increasing age to a 56% reduction in 23-month-old rats. mRNA levels of Phox2a, Phox2b, NET and DBH in the adrenal medulla of 23-month-old rats were significantly lower than those of 1-month-old rats. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription assays of the same genes yielded data similar to in situ hybridization experiments, with β-actin mRNA levels being unchanged across the ages. Taken together, these data reveal that reduced Phox2 mRNAs in the LC and adrenal medulla of aging rats are accompanied by a coincidental decline in mRNA levels of NET and DBH and suggest a possible relationship between Phox2 genes and the marker genes in noradrenergic neurons after birth.
Review of Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know

The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the world population will reach 7 billion in the year 2011. The population in the United States has already passed the 300 million mark. Will the world have eno...
BODY POLITICS AND THE BODY POLITIC

While the field of memory studies continues to expand, critics question the applicability of Western trauma research in non-Western contexts. Not every Third World victim of violence, for example, may be willing or able to ‘speak’ or testify. But the Western emphasis on verbal testimony ignores other critical modes of remembering and disclosure. Shauna Singh Baldwin's What the Body Remembers, a novel about pre-Partition South Asia, suggests ways in which the human body can retain and reveal individual and collective memory. Baldwin offers scars, tattoos, blood and reincarnation as potential paths to testimony and healing; her work considers topics such as gendered memory, postmemory and the relationship between individual and collective pasts.
Predictive Validity of Quality Ratings of National Science Foundation Graduate Fellows

National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships are awarded to all applicants who receive the highest quality rating and to some of those who receive the second-highest quality rating. Comparing the achievements of these two groups of fellows (1967-1976 awards) provides a measure of the predictive validity of the quality ratings assigned to applicants by panels of judges. Quality ratings were related to likelihood of Ph.D. completion primarily for fellows in mathematics, engineering, and physics and astronomy, and were related to several measures of early career achievement for 1972-1976 fellows in psychology and social sciences.
Local experience-dependent changes in the wake EEG after prolonged wakefulness.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Prolonged wakefulness leads to a progressive increase in sleep pressure, reflected in a global increase in slow wave activity (SWA, 0.5-4.5 Hz) in the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG). A global increase in wake theta activity (5-9 Hz) also occurs. Recently, it was shown that prolonged wakefulness in rodents leads to signs of "local sleep" in an otherwise awake brain, accompanied by a slow/theta wave (2-6 Hz) in the local EEG that occurs at different times in different cortical areas. Compelling evidence in animals and humans also indicates that sleep is locally regulated by the amount of experience-dependent plasticity. Here, we asked whether the extended practice of tasks that involve specific brain circuits results in increased occurrence of local intermittent theta waves in the human EEG, above and beyond the global EEG changes previously described. DESIGN Participants recorded with high-density EEG completed 2 experiments during which they stayed awake ≥ 24 h practicing a language task (audiobook listening [AB]) or a visuomotor task (driving simulator [DS]). SETTING Sleep laboratory. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS 16 healthy participants (7 females). INTERVENTIONS Two extended wake periods. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Both conditions resulted in global increases in resting wake EEG theta power at the end of 24 h of wake, accompanied by increased sleepiness. Moreover, wake theta power as well as the occurrence and amplitude of theta waves showed regional, task-dependent changes, increasing more over left frontal derivations in AB, and over posterior parietal regions in DS. These local changes in wake theta power correlated with similar local changes in sleep low frequencies including SWA. CONCLUSIONS Extended experience-dependent plasticity of specific circuits results in a local increase of the wake theta EEG power in those regions, followed by more intense sleep, as reflected by SWA, over the same areas.
A measure of top-down correlation

Many situations exist in which n objects are ranked by two or more independent sources, where interest centers primarily on agreement in the top rankings and disagreements on items at the bottom of the rankings are of little or no importance. A problem with Spearman's rho or Kendall's coefftcient of concordance in this setting is that they are equally influenced by disagreement on the assignment of rankings at all levels. In this article, a concordance measure is provided that is more sensitive to agreement on the top rankings. The statistics used in this setting are functions of the ordinary correlation coeRicient computed on Savage (1956) scores. The asymptotic distributions of these statistics are presented, and a summary of the quantiles of the exact distribution for the two sample case are provided for n = 3(1)14. The statistic for the two-sample case is shown to provide a locally most powerful rank test for a model given by Hajek and Sidak (1967).
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor constitutively represses c -myc transcription in human mammary tumor cells

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an environmental carcinogen-activated transcription factor associated with tumorigenesis. High levels of apparently active AhR characterize a variety of tumors, even in the absence of environmental ligands. Despite this association between transformation and AhR upregulation, little is known of the transcriptional consequences of constitutive AhR activation. Here, the effects of constitutively active and environmental ligand-induced AhR on c-myc, an oncogene whose promoter contains six AhR-binding sites (AhREs (aryl hydrocarbon response elements)), were investigated. A reporter containing the human c-myc promoter, with its six AhREs and two NF-kappaB-binding sites, was constructed. This vector, and variants with deletions in the NF-kappaB and/or AhR-binding sites, was transfected into a human breast cancer cell line, Hs578T, which expresses high levels of apparently active, nuclear AhR. Results indicate that: (1) the AhR constitutively binds the c-myc promoter; (2) there is a low but significant baseline level of c-myc promoter activity, which is not regulated by NF-kappaB and is not affected by an environmental AhR ligand; (3) deletion of any one of the AhREs has no effect on constitutive reporter activity, while deletion of all six increases reporter activity approximately fivefold; (4) a similar increase in reporter activity occurs when constitutively active AhR is suppressed by transfection with an AhR repressor plasmid (AhRR); (5) AhRR transfection significantly increases background levels of endogenous c-myc mRNA and c-Myc protein. These results suggest that the AhR influences the expression of c-Myc, a protein critical to malignant transformation.
The faint X-ray sources in and out of omega Centauri: X-ray observations and optical identifications

We present the results of an observation of the globular cluster omega Cen (NGC 5139) with the Einstein high-resolution imager (HRI). Of the five low-luminosity X-ray sources toward omega Cen which were first identified with the Einstein imaging proportional counter (IPC) (Hertz and Grindlay 1983a, b), two are detected in the Einstein HRI observation: IPC sources A and D. These detections provide source positions accurate to 3 sec-4 sec; the positions are confirmed in a ROSAT HRI observation reported here. Using CCD photometry and spectroscopy, we have identified both sources as foreground dwarf M stars with emission lines (dMe). The chance projection of two Mde stars within approximately 13 min of the center of omega Cen is not extraordinary, given the space density of these stellar coronal X-ray sources. We discuss the possible nature of the three as yet unidentified IPC sources toward omega Cen, and consider the constraints that the Einstein observations place on the total population of X-ray sources in this cluster. The integrated luminosity from faint X-ray sources in omega Cen appears to be low relative to both the old open cluster M67 and the post-core-collapse globular, NGC 6397.
Effect of age on rat liver heme and drug metabolism.

Abstract Old (24-months) rats have lower activities of hepatic δ-aminolevulinic synthase and the microsomal cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase activities—aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase—as compared to young (2-months) animals. In contrast, the activity of the heme degradative enzyme, heme oxygenase, is higher in the old rats. Cytochrome P-450 and microsomal heme contents were maintained in the old. When inducibility and inhibition of these enzymes were studied, the old rats responded to the same degree as the young. These results indicate that the ability of the heme synthetic and degradative enzymes to respond to decreasing cellular heme levels is not significantly altered with age. The observations that there is a lower baseline activity of ALA-synthase and good maintenance of microsomal heme and cytochrome P-450 content, in spite of elevated heme oxygenase activity in the old, suggest that, at least in the senescent rat, hepatic heme utilization and degradation are only loosely coupled to heme production. It appears, therefore, that alternate sources of heme for cytochrome P-450 are available in the old animals. Furthermore, it is suggested that the old rat has a baseline change in ALA-synthase, heme oxygenase, and cytochrome P-450 that may be overcome under the appropriate conditions.
923 Phase I study of taxol administered weekly in patients with persistent ovarian cancer

We commenced a Phase I study of Taxol administered weekly in pts with persistent ovarian cancer to assess feasibility, toxicity and schedule dependency. Cumulative hematologic toxicity has been uncommon with this schedule. In vitro studies with Taxol have suggested that fractionated brief infusion schedules would be more effective than standard 24 H infusion every 21 days. All pts had received prior platinum-based chemotherapy in addition to at least one regimen with Taxol. Pts with a history of grade 3–4 neuropathy were ineligible. Methods Taxol dose levels of 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100 mg/m 2 per week were studied. Treatment was administered in the ambulatory clinic with standard Taxol pre-medication. Results 18 pts enrolled, 17 evaluable for toxicity. Overall response in 3/14 (21.4%) pts evaluable, 2 pts with stable disease. Total of 170 Taxol cycles delivered, median 8 per pt (1–18). 166/170 cycles delivered on schedule. Mean WBC nadir following Taxol cycles was 3.8 (0.8–10.4) × 10 9 /L. No cumulative hematologic toxicity has been noted. No alopecia noted. 11 pts entered study with neuropathy, 7 with grade I, 4 with grade II. No grade III neuropathy noted. In spite of Taxol 100 mg/m 2 /weekly, we have thus far failed to demonstrate dose-limiting toxicity. Dose escalation continues. Conclusions 1) Weekly administration of Taxol on this dose and schedule is feasible. 2) This schedule does not result in cumulative myelosuppression.
One-step synthesis of a fluorescein derivative and mechanistic studies

We report a convenient method for the one-step synthesis of a fluorescein derivative under acidic conditions. Mechanistic studies indicate that the acid-promoted condensation of o-tolualdehyde and 4-chlororesorcinol to form the fluorescein derivative proceeds through a cyclization-oxidation pathway while an alternative oxidation–cyclization pathway remains possible.
Computer network-based scientific collaboration in the energy research community, 1973-1977: a memoir

In 1973, four national laboratory groups and three university energy research groups started an investigation of whether scientific collaboration could be improved with computer networks. Four years later, the seven groups were piggybacked on to the Arpanet, and more than 60 case histories of applications had been documented. This article reviews the early collaboration and tells how the energy research community was introduced to modern computer networking.
Comparison of treatment of mastitis by oxytocin or antibiotics following detection according to changes in milk electrical conductivity prior to visible signs

Mastitis was induced in dairy cows by infusion of 500 cfu of Streptococcus uberis into the mammary gland. Most infections developed to clinical disease, and the majority were predicted by changes in the electrical conductivity of the foremilk. The benefits of clinical prognosis and bacteriological cure were determined for cases that were treated when predicted to develop into clinical mastitis and compared with cases that were allowed to develop until milk clotted or until pyrexia before intramammary antibiotic treatment was used. Treatment prior to clinical mastitis included use of intramammary antibiotic or intramuscular oxytocin to allow stripping of residual milk to remove bacteria. All infections in which treatment was delayed resulted in clinical mastitis that was cured clinically and bacteriologically by sustained treatment using a broad-spectrum intramammary antibiotic preparation once daily but requiring a mean treatment time of 10 d. It was possible to prevent clinical mastitis from developing and to eliminate all infections in cows that were treated early when the developing disease was predicted by changes in the electrical conductivity of quarter foremilk and was treated aggressively by administering an intramammary antibiotic at each milking for 3 d. Treatment of 20 IU of oxytocin at six successive milkings of cows that were predicted to develop disease eliminated 25% of the infections, but 75% of the cows developed clinical mastitis. Those cases were resolved by sustained daily treatment using the same intramammary antibiotic. Elimination (100% clinical and bacteriological cure) of all infections caused by Strep. uberis was possible with early and aggressive or sustained use of the intramammary antibiotic. The early intervention using an intramammary antibiotic, when infection was first indicated by changes in the electrical conductivity of milk, was the most efficient method to achieve cure and led to quicker recovery of milk quality to a saleable standard.
Anomalous Optical Effects in Germanium Films

The surface of a polycrystalline germanium film, vacuum-deposited onto a heated substrate in a narrow range of temperatures, takes on a regular structure exhibiting optical interference effects whose nature is quite sensitive to the angle at which the film is deposited. For all films deposited between 550° and 620°C, Fraunhofer diffraction effects are observed which are independent of crystalline texture. In the case of perpendicular deposition, the diffraction is nearly isotropic about the normal to the film, while in the case of deposition at an acute angle, the diffraction effects are nonisotropic and the observed optical behavior is analogous to that observed with blazed gratings; electron-microscope observations confirm these particular surfaces to be “blazed” in character. The “blue–grey” character of germanium films and the “blue haze” observed on other surfaces is explained on the basis of these results.
Does Simulator Training in Colonoscopy Reduce Procedure-Related Complications?

Training in colonoscopy occurs in the traditional mentoring method, wherein trainees are exposed to procedures under the guidance of an experienced teacher. This teaching experience is unstructured and dictated by the random admission of patients rather than a consistent exposure to fundamental medical problems in an organized programmatic fashion. Evidence shows that a higher incidence of complications is observed in procedures performed by trainees in comparison to experienced endoscopists. Colonoscopy simulator training is without the involvement of patient risk and might lead to improved quality of patient care without any additional risk. Virtual reality simulators provide the ability of feedback of patient discomfort and could increase the awareness of trainees causing discomfort. This increased vigilance could potentially lead to a decreased rate of colon perforation. Training on ex-vivo simulators may lead to better performance of interventional procedures, such as polypectomy and endoscopic mucosal resection, with the possibility of decreasing the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative bleeding. Data shows that with the use of structured simulator training with ample feedback from tutors, fellows advance faster to more proficient skill levels. Reaching a more advanced level of expertise by simulator training in the early phase of training could potentially lead to increased patient comfort and thus less requirement of sedation, which has been shown to decrease the rate of unexpected cardiopulmonary events. However, clinical evidence of simulator training in colonoscopy in reducing procedure-related complications is currently not available and subject to further investigation. Given the low rate of complications associated with colonoscopy, studies to provide this evidence may be difficult to conduct.
Efferent tectal pathways of the opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

Efferent tectal pathways have been determined for the opossum, Didelphis virginiana, by employing the Nauta-Gygax technique ('54) on animals with tectal lesions of varying sizes. The superior colliculus projected tectothalamic fascicles to the suprageniculate nucleus, the central nucleus of the medial geniculate body, the lateral posterior thalamus, the pretectal nucleus, the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, the fields of Forel and zona incerta, the parafascicular complex, the paracentral thalamic nucleus and in some cases to restricted areas of the anterior thalamus. Degenerating fibers from superior collicular lesions showed profuse distribution to the deeper layers of the superior colliculus on both sides and to the midbrain tegmentum, but only minimally to the red nucleus and substantia nigra. Fibers of tectal origin did not distribute to the motor nuclei of the oculomotor or trochlear nerves. At pontine levels, efferent fascicles from the superior colliculus were present as an ipsilateral tectopontine and tectobulbar tract and as a crossed predorsal bundle. The tectopontine tract ended mostly within the lateral and ventral basal pontine nuclei, whereas the ipsilateral tectobulbar tract distributed to certain specific areas of the reticular formation throughout the pons and medulla, minimally to the most medial portion of the motor nucleus of the facial nerve and to the nucleus of the inferior olive. The predorsal tract contributed fascicles to certain nuclei of the pontine raphe, extensively to the medial reticular formation of the pons, to the central and ventral motor tegmental nuclei of the reticular formation within the pons and medulla, to the paraabducens region, minimally to cells within restricted portions of the motor nucleus of the facial nerve, to certail specific regions of the caudal medulla and to the cervical cord as far caudally as the fourth segment. The tectospinal fascicles were few but some ended related to the spinal accessory nucleus and the ventral medial nucleus of the ventral horn. Lesions of the inferior colliculus resulted in degenerating fibers which distributed rostrally to the rostral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus and parabrachial region, to the suprageniculate nucleus, the parabigeminal nucleus and to the central nucleus of the medial geniculate body. The inferior colliculus also contributed fibers to the ipsilateral tectopontine and tectobulbar tracts. The latter bundle was traced as far caudally as the medulla and may arise from cells of the superior colliculus which are situated dorsal to the nucleus of the inferior colliculus.
Polynucleotide Phosphorylase Protects Escherichia coli against Oxidative Stress

Escherichia coli polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) primarily functions in RNA degradation. It is an exoribonuclease and integral component of the multienzyme RNA degradosome complex [Carpousis et al. (1994) Cell 76, 889]. PNPase was previously shown to specifically bind a synthetic RNA containing the oxidative lesion 8-hydroxyguanine (8-oxoG) [Hayakawa et al. (2001) Biochemistry 40, 9977], suggesting a possible role in removing oxidatively damaged RNA. Here we show that PNPase binds to RNA molecules of natural sequence that were oxidatively damaged by treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) postsynthetically. PNPase bound oxidized RNA with higher affinity than untreated RNA of the same sequence, raising the possibility that it may act against a wide variety of lesions. The importance of such a protective role is illustrated by the observation that, under conditions known to cause oxidative damage to cytoplasmic components, PNPase-deficient cells are less viable than wild-type cells. Further, when challenged with H(2)O(2), PNPase-deficient cells accumulate 8-oxoG in cellular RNA to a greater extent than wild-type cells, suggesting that this RNase functions in minimizing oxidized RNA in vivo. Introducing the pnp gene encoding PNPase rescues defects in growth and RNA quality of the pnp mutant cells. Our results also suggest that protection against oxidative stress is an intrinsic function of PNPase because association with the RNA degradosome or with RNA helicase B (RhlB) is not required.
A low drift micropipette holder.

A novel micropipette holder has been designed to overcome the problem of drift enountered when experimenting on small preparations using patchclamp techniques. In order to increase the stiffness and thermal stability of the system, the holder is designed such that the micropipette is clamped to a rigid quartz rod, and isolated from stresses arising in the connectors. The pressure line, made from stiff tubing, and electrical leads are firmly attached to the table and micromanipulator. This design was able to hold the micropipette tip stable to with 100 nm for more than 1 h, even with changes of 26.7 kPa (200 mmHg) in the pressure line.
Introduction and spread of Philine auriformis (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) from New Zealand to San Francisco Bay and Bodega Harbor

Specimens of Philine auriformis have been observed in the southern portion of San Francisco Bay, California, since summer 1992. Specimens from Bodega Harbor were first discovered from intertidal mudflats in April 1994 and probably represent the spread of the San Francisco Bay population to a neighboring estuary. Their numbers have increased steadily and the species is now well established in both estuaries. Examination of the anatomy of specimens collected from California was compared with that described from New Zealand. No significant differences in anatomy were detected in animals from these different localities. It is suggested that the species was introduced into California waters by release of ballast water from international shipping.
Modulation of conformational changes in helix 69 mutants by pseudouridine modifications

Centrally located at the ribosomal subunit interface and mRNA tunnel, helix 69 (H69) from 23S rRNA participates in key steps of translation. Ribosome activity is influenced by three pseudouridine modifications, which modulate the structure and conformational behavior of H69. To understand how H69 is affected by the presence of pseudouridine in combination with sequence changes, the biophysical properties of wild-type H69 and representative mutants (A1912G, U1917C, and A1919G) were examined. Results from NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopy indicate that pH-dependent structural changes of wild-type H69 and the chosen mutants are modulated by pseudouridine and loop sequence. The effects of the mutations on global stability of H69 are negligible; however, pseudouridine stabilizes H69 at low pH conditions. Alterations to induced conformational changes of H69 likely result in compromised function, as indicated by previous biological studies.
The physical measurements of electron beams from 6 to 18 Mev: absorbed dose and energy calibration.

An aluminium calorimeter has been used to measure the G-values for the ferrous sulphate dosemeter for incident electron energies of 13·25, 15·9 and 18 Mev. The ferrous sulphate dosemeter was then used to determine the correction factor to be applied to an ion chamber reading taken in a Lucite phantom to obtain absorbed dose in water. The factor was found to vary by 2% from 6 to 18 Mev, which can be correlated to the change in the average relative stopping power of the electrons in the phantom and the gas, taking the polarization effect into account. The absorbed dose calibration using the above method is accurate to within 2%. A quick and relatively accurate method has been described for determining the energy of the electron beam. Agreement within 3% has been found between this method and the method utilizing the measured electron range.
Effect of Malonate, Fumarate, Succinate, and Citrate on Synthesis of Acetylcholine in vitro

Summary1. The synthesis of acetylcholine in vitro in the presence of sodium malonate, succinate, citrate, and fumarate was investigated. 2. Malonate decreased the synthesis of acetylcholine in the concentrations used, while citrate, succinate, and fumarate increased it.
Cubic ZnxMg1-xO and NixMg1-xO thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy for deep-UV optoelectronic applications

Oxide based compounds have been of increasing interest for wide bandgap, deep ultraviolet optoelectronics. While high Al content AlGaN has enabled many UV-DUV technologies, it suffers inherent drawbacks including difficulty achieving increasing Al incorporation, high threading dislocation densities and challenges in bandgap engineering due to polarization and piezoelectric effects. Here we present two wide bandgap cubic oxide compounds, ZnMgO and NiMgO, that offer advantages over AlGaN for deep ultraviolet (DUV) applications. NixMg1-xO and ZnxMg1-xO are both direct band gap, cubic rocksalt (B1) semiconductors with bandgaps in the UV-DUV spectral regions, offering alternatives without the aforementioned drawbacks associated with AlGaN. Here we present NixMg1-xO and ZnxMg1-xO thin films grown by plasma-assisted MBE on lattice matched MgO substrates as a novel means by which to realize DUV detection devices. In both systems we have shown the films to exhibit abrupt, continuously tunable absorptions edges over their respective bandgap ranges. NixMg1-xO films were varied compositionally from x=0 to 1, realizing bandgaps from 3.5 to 7.8 eV. ZnxMg1-xO films were similarly varied over the entire B1 range of the ternary (0<x<0.42) and show bandgap tunability from ~5 to 7.8 eV. All films are characterized through Rutherford backscattering (RBS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements and optical transmission. Significantly, we have successfully fabricated solar blind detectors in both categories and highlight the results from NixMg1-xO here.
Landscape of neutralizing assessment of monoclonal antibodies against dengue virus

The majority of antibody binding sites (B-cell epitopes) on antigens are discontinuous. The binding between antigen and antibody is specific, but in some cases, the antibody elicited by one antigen will show cross-reactivity against other antigens. We have developed a bioinformatics-based approach for the analysis of sequence variability of neutralizing antibody binding sites and the assessment of coverage by individual neutralizing antibodies. The antigenic analysis of functional sites on the envelope (E) protein from dengue virus has been used as a case study. The description of B-cell epitopes, measurement of epitope similarity among different strains, and estimation of antibody neutralizing coverage provide insights in antibody cross-reactivity. We have defined a generalized method for the analysis of cross-reactivity of neutralizing antibodies that is also applicable to the analysis of other pathogens. This method adds to the toolset available for the characterization and the design of broadly neutralizing vaccines.
Hepatitis B virus replication in steroid-treated severe HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis

To determine the effect of corticosteroids on the replication of hepatitis B virus and to assess the relationship between virus replication and prognosis, the behavior of serum and tissue HBcAg was evaluated in 16 patients with severe HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis who were treated with prednisone and followed for up to 10 years (mean±Sem, 66±9 months). Hepatitis B virus replication was assessed in serum by a solid-phase radioimmunoassay of Dane particle-associated HBcAg and in liver tissue by indirect immunoperoxidase staining for HBcAg. Despite the presence of severe inflammatory activity, only low levels of hepatitis B virus replication were demonstrated. Mean serum HBcAg levels were low at accession and remained essentially unchanged or gradually decreased during corticosteroid therapy. Serum HBcAg appeared in only one patient in whom no virus replication was detected prior to therapy. HBeAg was frequently detected at low titers by radioimmunoassay when serum HBcAg was undetectable. Loss of HBcAg preceded loss of HBeAg by radioimmunoassay, and disappearance of both markers was a prerequisite for sustained histologic remission. In eight patients, inflammation was present despite absence of serum or tissue HBcAg; in three of these, disease activity continued after loss of HBeAg. We conclude that low levels of hepatitis B virus replication may be associated with severe inflammatory activity, and these levels are not increased by long-term corticosteroid therapy. Inflammation can continue despite loss of HBeAg and absence of detectable virus replication.
Improved Drag Correlation for Spheres and Application to Shock-Tube Experiments

MPIRICALcorrelationsforthequasi-steadydragcoef!cientofa sphere in compressible "ow have been presented by severalauthors (e.g., Henderson [1] and Loth [2]). Such correlations areneeded in numerical simulations of compressible multiphase "owsinvolving spherical particles. In this Note, the accuracy of thecorrelationsofHenderson[1]andLoth[2]areassessedusingthedatacollectedbyBaileyandStarr[3],andanimprovedcorrelationforthedrag coef!cient of a sphere in compressible "ow is developed. Theimproved correlation is validated for shock-particle interaction,using the recent shock-tube experiments of Jourdan et al. [4].
MID‐TRIMESTER PRENATAL SONOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF A PERICARDIAL CYST

Prenatal diagnosis of pericardial masses are infrequent and usually consist of intrapericardial teratomas or haemangiomas. We present the first report of prenatal diagnosis of a suspected pericardial cyst at 14 weeks' gestation which was subsequently confirmed by neonatal computed tomography.
Ablation of Iqgap2 protects from diet-induced hepatic steatosis due to impaired fatty acid uptake

Abstract Long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) serve as structural components for membrane biogenesis and as primary energy sources during mitochondrial β-oxidation reactions. Hepatic LCFA uptake is complex, with characteristics suggestive of a dual-kinetic model manifested by rapid (carrier-assisted/facilitated) and delayed (passive diffusional) phases. Our previous work using mice deficient of the Iqgap2 gene established a highly novel link between IQGAP2, a putative GTPase-activating protein, and hepatocarcinogenesis. Now we report that Iqgap2 deficiency also results in selective loss of the facilitated phase of hepatocyte LCFA uptake with preservation of the diffusional component. This molecular defect was seen in Iqgap2 −/− hepatocytes of all ages studied (1-, 4-, 8-months). The loss of facilitated LCFA uptake protected against development of hepatic triglyceride accumulation in Iqgap2 -deficient mice fed high-fat diet, consistent with a fundamental role in physiological fat partitioning. These phenotypic changes could not be explained by genetic loss of fatty acid processing proteins known to regulate lipid uptake or metabolic processing pathways. Iqgap2 -deficient livers also displayed enhanced insulin sensitivity. Conclusion: These observations identify a novel property of the putative GTPase-activating protein IQGAP2 in LCFA uptake in vitro and in vivo , and implicate IQGAP2 in an intracellular signaling pathway necessary for functional fatty acid uptake, lipid processing, and, possibly, glucose homeostasis.