cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transgenic Complementation of MARCKS Deficiency with a Nonmyristoylatable, Pseudo-Phosphorylated Form of MARCKS: Evidence for Simultaneous Positive and Dominant-Negative Effects on Central Nervous System Development

Abstract MARCKS is a widely expressed protein kinase C substrate that is essential for normal prenatal development of the central nervous system in mice. MARCKS-deficient mice exhibit universal perinatal mortality and numerous developmental abnormalities of the brain and retina. To determine which domains of the protein were important in complementing these neurodevelopmental anomalies, we have interbred MARCKS knockout mice with transgenic mice expressing an epitope-tagged human MARCKS transgene that can completely correct the MARCKS-deficient phenotype. Previous structure–function studies showed that a nonmyristoylatable form of MARCKS could correct all of the neuroanatomical abnormalities, and resulted in approximately 25% viable pups that grew to adulthood and were fertile. The present experiment attempted a similar complementation strategy in which a nonmyristoylatable, “pseudo-phosphorylated” form of the protein was used, which has been shown to be almost completely cytosolic in cell expression studies. Surprisingly, this transgene was able to complement almost all of the cerebral anatomical abnormalities characteristic of the knockout mice. However, these mice also exhibited a universal, novel phenotype: profound retinal ectopia, in which retinal tissue was often found in the vitreous humor as well as extraocularly. Retrospective evaluation of the original MARCKS knockout phenotype revealed that this anomaly was present in about 43% of the knockout mice, and was clearly detectable as early as embryonic day 12.5, before retinal cell differentiation begins. These data suggest that a nonmyristoylatable, pseudo-phosphorylated form of MARCKS can complement most if not all cerebral aspects of the MARCKS-deficient phenotype, but that it appears to worsen a retinal phenotype, perhaps by exerting a dominant-negative effect on a coexpressed MARCKS homologue.
Natural Convection in a Volumetrically Heated Porous Layer

A finite difference-Galerkin procedure is used to solve the steady, two-dimensional Darey-Oberbeck-Boussinesq equations. (AIP)
Tensile properties of pyrolytic tungsten from 1370° to 2980°C in vacuum

Abstract The tensile properties of annealed pyrolytic tungsten were measured at a strain rate of 0.02/min from 1370° to 2980°C in vacuum. Data for powder metallurgy and plasma-flame single-crystal tungsten are shown for comparison. A few engineering stress-strain curves are given for pyrolytic and powder metallurgy tungsten. Although voids are present in the pyrolytic material after annealing, the voids which form and grow during testing have a more important detrimental effect on ductility. The “as deposited” anisotropy of the microstructure is maintained after recrystallization and enhances the tendency to void formation and growth. With the exception of one specimen which contained no voids, as the result of a lower annealing temperature, pyrolytic tungsten has a lower ultimate strength than powder metallurgy tungsten in the temperature range studied.
Using injuries of race in child abuse and homicide trials

This paper is based on discourse analysis of trials of African American men accused of murdering their minor children. It demonstrates how the shared background knowledge of police brutality towards racial minorities in the USA was deployed as a defense strategy throughout these trials. Since crimes against children usually involved strong forensic evidence as well as the voluntarily taped confessions by the defendants, it is surprising that the claims of an improperly and forcibly extracted confession would represent an effective legal strategy. Yet the macro‐context of institutional racism in the criminal justice system and the more local context of community relations make the claims of the defendants plausible without putting to question the evidence against them. The questions regarding broader issues of human and legal rights of the defendants as well as the concrete issues of justice for their victims are raised.
Measurement of the distribution of indium-111 on human plasma proteins using immunoprecipitation

Abstract The distribution of radioactivity on plasma proteins labeled by addition of [111In]oxine to citrated plasma was investigated. Analyses of plasma proteins separated on Sephadex G-200 columns showed that 23–36% of the 111In was associated with proteins with molecular weight greater than 200,000 daltons and the remaining 111In was associated with proteins with molecular weight less than 100,000 daltons, presumably transferrin. Affinity chromatography experiments showed that less than 2% of the radioactivity was associated with albumin. Further identification of the labeled proteins and quantification of associated radioactivity was performed by precipitating specific proteins with antibodies. These studies showed that the 111In was distributed on transferrin (54–76%), fibrinogen (11–24%), IgM (8–20%), C3 (10–21%), and haptoglobin (3–8%). 111In associated with fibrinogen, IgM, and haptoglobin was over-estimated in some experiments due to binding of 111In-labeled C3 to the antigen-antibody precipitates.
Verkehrsinfrastruktur und Public-Private-Partnership

Der Begriff Public-Private-Partnership (PPP, auch OPP fur "Offentlich-private Partnerschaft") ist spatestens seit den 1990er Jahren bekannt. Inhaltlich hat er seitdem eine deutliche Erweiterung erfahren, so dass hier zunachst die Entwicklung von PPP aufgezeigt werden solI. 1m Mittelpunkt dieses Beitrags steht die jlingere Verwendung von PPP als Pinanzierungsinstrument, mit Schwerpunkt auf dem Anwendungsbereich Verkehrsinfrastruktur. In diesem Sinne werden anschlieBend wesentliche Merkmale von PPP als Finanzierungsinstrument vorgestellt, bevor mogliche UmsetzungsmodeIle dargelegt werden. Es folgen aktueIle Beispiele aus den Bereichen StraBen und Schiene, bevor PPP flir Verkehrsinfrastruktur einer kritischen Bewertung unterzogen wird.
The Children of Mayahuel: Agaves, Human Cultures, and Desert Landscapes in Northern Mexico

AbstractThis article brings together research in ethnobotany, ecology, and history to show the mutually reinforcing relations between humans and agaves. Its theoretical framework integrates three f...
Plants as enhancers of the indoor environment

Sixty-four subjects (32 men and 32 women) evaluated environmental quality and thermal comfort in a 2 − 2 design involving 2 temperature conditions, 20.0°C (68°F) and 25.6°C (78°F), within a climate controlled chamber that was either decorated with plants or was devoid of plants. The results showed that on a scale developed for measuring Occupied Space Quality, a higher rating accompanied the condition in which plants were used to enhance the environment than the condition in which no plants were used. The plants, however, did not affect the subjective thermal responses.
Scanpath memory binding: multiple read-out experiments

The scanpath theory proposed that an internal spatial- cognitive model controls perception and the active looking eye movements, EMs, of the scanpath sequence. Evidence for this came from new quantitative methods, experiments with ambiguous figures and visual imagery and from MRI studies, all on cooperating human subjects. Besides recording EMs, we introduce other experimental techniques wherein the subject must depend upon memory bindings as in visual imagery, but may call upon other motor behaviors than EMs to read-out the remembered patterns. How is the internal model distributed and operationally assembled. The concept of binding speaks to the assigning of values for the model and its execution in various parts of the brain. Current neurological information helps to localize different aspects of the spatial-cognitive model in the brain. We suppose that there are several levels of 'binding' -- semantic or symbolic binding, structural binding for the spatial locations of the regions-of-interest and sequential binding for the dynamic execution program that yields the sequence of EMs. Our aim is to dissect out respective contributions of these different forms of binding.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Direct sonographic-guided superior gluteal artery access for treatment of a previously treated expanding internal iliac artery aneurysm

Isolated internal iliac artery aneurysms are relatively uncommon compared with all aortoiliac aneurysms. Transcatheter treatment with coil embolization is an attractive noninvasive alternative to surgical resection. However, if the aneurysm is insufficiently treated with only proximal coil embolization without concurrent embolization of distal runoff vessels, there is a risk of aneurysm expansion from retrograde collateral flow. We present a case of previously treated internal iliac aneurysm that underwent late rapid expansion. Due to occlusion of the internal iliac artery, direct sonographic-guided puncture of the superior gluteal artery was made in order to access the aneurysm. We believe this is the first reported case of such treatment.
Accelerating Major Freeway Reconstruction Projects: The Houston Experience

Several steps in the planning, execution, and evaluation of the I-45 Pierce Elevated reconstruction in Houston provide a strong framework for preparing for projects that affect critical links in the nation's transportation system. These elements include preconstruction traffic modeling, public information, and data collection before and during each phase of construction. Traffic modeling helped to prepare for construction by first developing delay numbers for the estimated user cost used in the A + B bidding. Second, preconstruction modeling identified bottlenecks that were temporarily remediated at strategic locations. Finally, modeling provided speed and travel time data used in mounting a public information campaign. Data collection and monitoring of traffic conditions immediately before, immediately after, and a few weeks after construction began provided an immediate picture of traffic conditions and identified problem locations that could be corrected during construction. A critical public information campaign was undertaken using television, radio, newspaper articles, billboards, fliers, and variable message signs. Each of these provided advance warning to motorists in the weeks before construction began and variable message signs, radio, and the Internet were used to provide real-time information during construction. Preparations for the Pierce Elevated reconstruction went beyond standard procedures and planning typically used for major construction projects. Although engineers have traditionally been designers as well as project managers, they will be called on more to become brokers of information that will allow the public to use the transportation network in the most time- and cost-effective manner under adverse construction conditions.
Radical technological changes and the new ‘order’ in the world economy

(1989). Radical technological changes and the new ‘order’ in the world economy. The European Journal of Development Research: Vol. 1, Technology and Development in the Third Industrial Revolution, pp. 60-84.
Blood culture use in the emergency department in patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia.

To the Editor: Routine blood cultures for all patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia have limited utility, and false-positive results lead to inappropriate antimicrobial use and longer hospital stays.1 As a result, performance measures and practice guidelines that promoted obtaining blood cultures in all such patients were modified in 2005–2007 to recommend routine collection in only the sickest patients.1, 2 Using a national sample of emergency department (ED) visits, we examined patterns of obtaining cultures in adults hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia.
Waveguide delivery of x rays for minimally invasive tumor therapy

We are studying the potential use of x-rays, which are collected by non-imaging optics and delivered through stereotactically guided needles by hollow waveguides, for irradiation of tumors. X-rays have greater transparency in tissue than most longer optical wavelengths and may provide a more uniform dose to a tumor without harming normal tissue. Dosimetry is the key to minimal damage. We are investigating the use of fiber optics, tipped with calibrated scintillators and strategically located near the tumor, to measure the delivered dose. We are testing this procedure by using a 3 ns, variable accelerator voltage Fexitron 706 to produce approximately 50 mrads of x-ray energy. We concentrate, homogenize and inject this radiation into meter length, submillimeter hollow waveguides. We place the waveguides in a simulated tumor (a phantom breast). Streak and thermal cameras monitor the energy distribution during the irradiation by observing the distribution of energy as evidenced by fluorescence and heat. Once optimum exposure conditions of placement and dose are determined, tissue studies will begin.
Transient Effects, Transverse Mode Coupling, And Diffraction In Swept-Gain Superradiance In The Nonlinear Regime: Evolution From The Superradiant State

Results of numerical calculations are presented and analyzed for pulse generation and propagation in one-and two-spacial dimensions in a medium consisting of a collection of two-level atoms which are resonantly swept-excited by an impulse excitation traveling at the speed of light in the medium. The conditions imposed for the calculation in one-spacial dimension are that T1 = T2, where T1 and T2 are the single atom relaxation and dephasing times, respectively, and that the gain, g, to loss, κ , ratio g/κ >> 1 , which determines the non-linear regime for pulse evolution. In addition, we impose that T2 >&gt τc, where τc is the characteristic superradiance cooperation time, so that the pulse evolves from conditions appropriate for superradiant pulse generation for sufficiently small values for the propagation distance z . We report and analyze calculational results for the transient regime of pulse buildup through the asymptotic regime of large propagation distance z where the pulse generated exhibits steady-state behavior with regard to pulse area, energy and intensity profile. Additional results of computations are presented which incorporate transverse effects and diffraction using a Gaussian radial gain profile for the initial condition and under imposed conditions comparable with those of the corresponding one-spacial dimension calculations. The results of the two sets of calculations are compared and discussed. We demonstrate and give predictive requirements for swept-gain pulse evolution from the superradiant state.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural evidence of dendritic degeneration in motor neurons of aluminum-intoxicated rabbits.

Using immunocytochemical and ultrastructural methods, we observed extensive and characteristic dendritic changes in motor neurons of rabbits inoculated intracisternally with aluminum phosphate. Anti-microtubule-associated protein 2 immunostaining revealed markedly reduced immunoreactivity in motor neuron dendrites and a reduced number of dendritic trees in aluminum phosphate-intoxicated rabbits. These dendritic changes were confirmed at the ultrastructural level; neurofilamentous accumulations, membranous inclusions and disrupted microtubules were common features of motor neuron dendrites, but less prominent in motor neuron axons. These observations suggest that dendrites are characteristically involved in aluminum intoxication in addition to the widely reported accumulation of phosphorylated neurofilament in perikarya and axons.
EXPERIENCE WITH NEOADJUVANT DIETHYLSTILBOESTROL AND RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY IN PATIENTS WITH LOCALLY ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER

OBJECTIVE To report our experience with neoadjuvant endocrine therapy and radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-five patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma (18 clinical stage B2/3, 27 clinical stage C, and 10 clinical stage D0) were treated with diethylstilboestrol (DES) 3 mg/d (median time 12 weeks, range 5-36) followed by pelvic lymph node dissection and planned RRP. Clinical response was monitored bi-weekly with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), serum acid phosphatase and digital rectal examination. RESULTS The median pre-treatment serum PSA was 20.4 ng/ml (range 1.2-620). The median post-treatment, pre-operative serum PSA was 0.4 ng/ml. Twenty-seven (49%), 41 (75%) and 54 (98%) patients had serum PSA levels that were undetectable, < 1.0 ng/ml and < 4.0 ng/ml respectively. In 15 patients, transrectal ultrasound measurement of prostatic volume changes was performed, and all demonstrated prostate volume reduction (median reduction 35%, range 18-45). All 55 patients underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy, with 47 (85%) undergoing RRP. Of the eight patients not undergoing RRP, three had negative lymph nodes but prostate resection was not deemed feasible and five had nodal metastases as determined by frozen section analysis. Final pathological stage revealed the following distribution: organ confined tumours, 18 (33%); capsular perforation with negative surgical margins, seminal vesicles and lymph nodes, seven (13%); seminal vesicle and/or margin involvement with negative lymph nodes, 18 (33%); lymph node metastases, 12 (22%). Neither pre-therapy serum PSA nor serum PSA response was predictive of final pathological stage. With a median follow-up interval of 26 months (range 12-49), 21 patients (38%) have undetectable serum PSA without adjuvant therapy. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that despite clinical evidence suggestive of downstaging, the majority of patients with locally advanced prostatic carcinoma managed with neoadjuvant DES and RRP continue to have pathological evidence of extraprostatic carcinoma.
Impact of disaster drills on patient flow in a pediatric emergency department

OBJECTIVES: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)-accredited hospitals must conduct disaster drills twice a year, with one incorporating a mass casualty incident to the emergency department (ED). The authors found no studies describing the potential negative impact on the quality of care real patients in the ED receive during these drills. The objective was to determine the impact that mass casualty drills have on the timeliness of care for nondisaster patients in a pediatric ED. METHODS: Since 2001, nine disaster drills involving mass casualties to the ED were conducted at the authors' institution. The authors studied 5-, 10-, and 24-hour blocks of time surrounding these events and defined quality measures as the timeliness of care in terms of length of stay (LOS) in ED, time-to-triage, and time-to-physician. Drill dates were compared with control dates (the same weekday on the following week). Paired t-tests were used to compare outcomes of interest between drill and control days. RESULTS: Nine drill days and nine control days were studied. There was no statistically significant difference between drill dates and control dates in average time-to-triage and time-to-emergency physician and average ED LOS. Admitted patients spent less time in the ED during drill dates. CONCLUSIONS: Disaster drills at this institution do not appear to significantly affect the timeliness of care to nondisaster drill ED patients. Attention should be paid to the quality of care"real"patients receive to ensure that their care is not jeopardized during an artificial stress to the system during a disaster drill. Language: en
“Coloniality of power” and racial dynamics: Notes toward a reinterpretation of Latino Caribbeans in New York City 1

The category of “Latino” collapses the differences among populations with diverse historical experiences of oppression. We establish in this article a distinction within the Latino Caribbean diaspora among “immigrants/’ “colonial immigrants,” and “colonial/racial subjects” of the U.S. empire. Using the notion of “coloniality of power” developed by Peruvian sociologist Anibal Quijano, we argue that the social position and racialization of several different populations in the U.S. today has its roots in the racial hierarchies produced by centuries of European colonial expansion and that this essentially colonial set of relationships continues. We use this notion of coloniality to reconceptualize three social processes: (1) the construction of Puerto Ricans as colonial racialized subjects in the Euro‐American imaginary; (2) the transformation of Dominicans into colonial immigrants in the New York Metropolitan Area, that is, the way Dominicans became “Puerto Ricanized” and (3) the disassociation of pre‐1980s ...
Noninvasive quantification of total sodium concentrations in acute reperfused myocardial infarction using 23Na MRI

The transport of sodium and potassium between the intra- and extracellular pools and the maintenance of the transmembrane concentration gradients are important to cell function and integrity. The early disruption of the sodium pump in myocardial infarction in response to the exhaustion of energy reserves following ischemia and reperfusion results in increased intracellular (and thus total) sodium levels. In this study a method for noninvasively quantifying myocardial sodium levels directly from sodium (23Na) MRI is presented. It was used to measure total myocardial sodium on a clinical 1.5T system in six normal dogs and five dogs with experimentally-induced myocardial infarction (MI). The technique was validated by comparing total sodium content measured by 23Na MRI with that measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) in biopsied tissue. Total sodium measured by 23Na MRI was significantly elevated in regions of infarction (81.3 ± 14.3 mmol/kg wet wt, mean ± SD) compared to noninfarcted myocardial tissue from both infarcted dogs (36.2 ± 1.1, P < 0.001) and from normal controls (34.4 ± 2.8, P < 0.0001). Myocardial tissue sodium content as measured by 23Na MRI did not vary regionally in the lateral, anterior, or inferior regions in normal hearts (ANOVA, P = NS). Sodium content measured by 23Na MRI agreed with the mean AAS estimates of 31.3 ± 5.6 mmol/kg wet wt (P = NS) in normal hearts, and did not differ significantly from AAS measurements in MI (P = NS). Thus, local tissue sodium levels can be accurately quantified noninvasively using 23Na MRI in normal and acutely reperfused MI. The detection of regional myocardial sodium elevations may help differentiate viable from nonviable, infarcted tissue. Magn Reson Med 46:1144–1151, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Role of the renin angiotensin system in TNF-α and Shiga-toxin-induced tissue factor expression

Current evidence implicates a prothrombotic state in the development of Shiga-toxin (Stx)-mediated hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). We recently reported that Stx modulates procoagulant activity by enhancing functional tissue factor (TF) activity on cytokine-activated human glomerular endothelial cells (HGECs). Since angiotensin II (Ang II), the key effector of the renin angiotensin system (RAS), has been shown to increase TF expression in vascular tissue, we examined the possible involvement of Ang II in TF expression in HGECs. HGECs were exposed to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α ± Stx-1 ± Ang II. Exogenous Ang II significantly increased TF activity and TF mRNA in TNF-α- ± Stx-1-activated HGECs. This increase was mediated via Ang II type I receptor (AT1R), as losartan, an AT1R inhibitor, attenuated Ang-II-induced TF activity. To study the effect of endogenous Ang II in TF expression by TNF-α ± Stx-1, HGECs were incubated with losartan or an AT2R inhibitor (PD 123319) or an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (enalapril). Losartan but not PD 123319 decreased TF activity induced by TNF-α ± Stx-1 (P < 0.05). Enalapril, also, dose dependently, downregulated TF expression in HGECs exposed to TNF-α ± Stx-1 (P < 0.05). AT1R mRNA was upregulated in TNF-α- ± Stx-1-activated HGECs (P < 0.05). These data indicate that TF expression in TNF-α- and Stx-1-activated HGECs is enhanced by exogenous Ang II and that endogenous Ang II production may be upregulated by TNF-α ± Stx-1. Hence, local RAS activation may be important in the development of the thrombotic microangiopathy observed in HUS.
19.1 Receiver with >20MHz bandwidth self-interference cancellation suitable for FDD, co-existence and full-duplex applications

Multiband FDD operation requires numerous off-chip duplexers, which limit form factor. Widely-tunable low-noise RF active self-interference cancellation (SIC) (e.g. [1]) is a step towards enabling duplexers with reduced TX/RX isolation as well as adjacent-channel full duplex. However, SIC bandwidth (BW) is limited to a few MHz due to the selectivity of the high-Q duplexer isolation. Recent works suggest that same-channel full duplex (SC-FD) can greatly improve network performance [2-4]. SIC must be pursued in RF, analog/mixed-signal and digital for SC-FD to achieve the >100dB of SIC required, as filtering the SI is not an option. However, SC-FD self-interference channels can be frequency-selective due to ambient reflections [3], requiring silicon-averse bulky delay lines to replicate the delays in the RF SIC path [2].
Reduced emotional signs of opiate withdrawal in rats selectively bred for low (LoS) versus high (HiS) saccharin intake

Rationale Rats bred for high (HiS) and low (LoS) saccharin intake exhibit divergent behavioral responses to multiple drugs of abuse, with HiS rats displaying greater vulnerability to drug taking. Previous research indicates that this effect may be due to increased sensitivity to reward in HiS rats and to the aversive effects of acute drug administration in LoS rats.
Field observations of orbital velocities and pressure in weakly nonlinear surface gravity waves

Field measurements of wave orbital velocities and pressure, collected in the lower part of the water column in 7 m depth with a three-component acoustic Doppler current meter and a co-located pressure transducer, are compared to the second-order theory for weakly nonlinear surface gravity waves in arbitrary water depth (Hasselmann 1962). Pressure and velocity spectra and cross-spectra are in excellent agreement with (linear) free wave transfer functions, even at (and higher than) twice the spectral peak frequency where nonlinearities (forced secondary waves) are expected to be important. Theoretical predictions show that although secondary waves sometimes contribute a significant fraction of the energy observed at double swell and sea frequencies, their effect on velocity-pressure transfer functions is small. However, forced waves are more apparent in deviations from Gaussian statistics. Good agreement between observed and predicted third-order statistics shows that Hasselmann's weakly nonlinear theory accurately describes the secondary pressure and orbital velocity (both horizontal and vertical components) field at double swell and sea frequencies, even for moderately large (0(0.1–0.2)) values of the nonlinear perturbation parameter. Only with near-breaking swell and relatively strong nonlinearities (perturbation parameter ≈ 0.22), do the observed third-order statistics diverge significantly from Hasselmann's theory.
Induction of Augmented Transition Networks

LAS is a program that acquires augmented transition network (ATN) grammars. It requires as data sentences of the language and semantic network representatives of their meaning. In acquiring the ATN grammars, it induces the word classes of the language, the rules of formation for sentences, and the rules mapping sentences onto meaning. The induced ATN grammar can be used both for sentence generation and sentence comprehension. Critical to the performance of the program are assumptions that it makes about the relation between sentence structure and surface structure (the graph deformation condition), about when word classes may be formed and when ATN networks may be merged, and about the structure of noun phrases. These assumptions seem to be good heuristics which are largely true for natural languages although they would not be true for many nonnatural languages. Provided these assumptions are satisfied LAS seems capable of learning any context-free language.
Potentiation of keystone virus infection in cotton rats by glucocorticoid-induced stress.

Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) were treated daily with corticosteroids and then inoculated with Keystone virus. Viremia and neutralizing antibody profiles were determined in treated and untreated rats. Compared to untreated rats, the treated rats were substantially more susceptible to infection, and their viremia lasted much longer. This experimental model suggests that stress associated with excess glucocorticoid synthesis within a natural population could cause an increase in transmission of arboviruses. It also suggests that the effects of stress should be considered when experimental laboratory studies are designed.
TOWARD A METHODOLOGY OF WITHDRAWAL DESIGNS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF RESPONSE MAINTENANCE

Single-case experimental designs have advanced considerably in the evaluation of functional relationships between interventions and behavior change. The systematic investigation of response maintenance once intervention effects have been demonstrated has, however, received relatively little attention. The lack of research on maintenance may stem in part from the paucity of design options that systematically evaluate factors that contribute to maintenance. The present paper discusses three design options potentially useful for the investigation of response maintenance. These include: (a) the sequential-withdrawal, (b) the partial-withdrawal, and (c) the partial-sequential withdrawal designs. Each design is illustrated and potential limitations are discussed.
Kinetics for the synthesis reaction of aligned carbon nanotubes: A study based on in situ diffractography

Single-slit laser diffractography was used to image the growth of carbon nanotubes. A silicon dioxide slit with a minimum width of 150 μm was prepared and positioned inside a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor in alignment with a laser source. Carbon nanotubes were grown inside the slit width, producing corresponding changes in the diffraction pattern due to the optical opacity of these structures and to their high density and alignment. Changes in the diffraction pattern were recorded and used for the direct measurement of nanotube growth. The results show an exponential increase of length vs time for 45 min experiments, best fit with a double exponential function, which is interpreted in terms of the concurrence of base-growth and tip-growth modes for successive catalyst particles. Scanning electron microscopy confirms the diffractographic data at a high level of precision. The innovation brought by this in situ method to the kinetic study of nanotube synthesis is discussed and compared to a poster...
Haematuria, pigmenturia and proteinuria in exercising horses

The effects of exercise on urinary excretion of red blood cells, pigments (haemoglobin and myoglobin) and protein were studied in 8 mares performing treadmill exercise at speeds eliciting 40, 60 and 95% of the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). Gross haematuria and pigmenturia were observed in all horses during exercise at the 2 higher intensities, while these findings were detected in only one of 8 mares during exercise at 40% of the VO2max. For the remaining 7 mares exercised at 40% of the VO2max, increased urinary excretion of red blood cells (RBCs) and pigments was evident after centrifugation of urine samples and reagent strip analysis of the supernatant fractions. An increase in urine flow (UF) during exercise at 40% of the VO2max may have contributed to the infrequent observation of gross haematuria and pigmenturia during exercise at this intensity. A transient increase in UF following exercise at 60 and 95% of the VO2max resulted in rapid resolution of gross haematuria and pigmenturia, but increased urinary excretion of RBCs and pigments remained evident by reagent strip analysis for up to 60 min following exercise. Mean +/- s.e. urinary protein excretion increased from a resting value of 2.2 +/- 0.2 mg/min to 5.6 +/- 0.9, 14.5 +/- 4.7 and 78.4 +/- 18.6 mg/min after exercise at 40, 60 and 95% of the VO2max, respectively. These results demonstrate that exercise induced haematuria and pigmenturia and post exercise proteinuria are common in horses. Their occurrence is transient and does not appear to be associated with any lasting changes in renal function.
Dual energy CT for attenuation correction with PET/CT

Purpose: The authors evaluate the energy dependent noise and bias properties of monoenergetic images synthesized from dual-energy CT (DECT) acquisitions. These monoenergetic images can be used to estimate attenuation coefficients at energies suitable for positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. This is becoming more relevant with the increased use of quantitative imaging by PET/CT and SPECT/CT scanners. There are, however, potential variations in the noise and bias of synthesized monoenergetic images as a function of energy. Methods: The authors used analytic approximations and simulations to estimate the noise and bias of synthesized monoenergetic images of water-filled cylinders with different shapes and the NURBS-based cardiac-torso (NCAT) phantom from 40 to 520 keV, the range of SPECT and PET energies. The dual-kVp spectra were based on the GE Lightspeed VCT scanner at 80 and 140 kVp with added filtration of 0.5 mm Cu. The authors evaluated strategies of noise suppression with sinogram smoothing and dose minimization with reduction of tube currents at the two kVp settings. The authors compared the impact of DECT-based attenuation correction with single-kVp CT-based attenuation correction on PET quantitation for the NCAT phantom for soft tissue and high-Z materials of bone and iodine contrast enhancement. Results: Both analytic calculations and simulations displayed the expected minimum noise value for a synthesized monoenergetic image at an energy between the mean energies of the two spectra. In addition the authors found that the normalized coefficient of variation in the synthesized attenuation map increased with energy but reached a plateau near 160 keV, and then remained constant with increasing energy up to 511 keV and beyond. The bias was minimal, as the linear attenuation coefficients of the synthesized monoenergetic images were within 2.4% of the known true values across the entire energy range. Compared with no sinogram smoothing, sinogram smoothing can dramatically reduce noise in the DECT-derived attenuation map. Through appropriate selection of tube currents for high and low kVp scans, DECT can deliver roughly the same amount of radiation dose as that of a single kVp CT scan, but could be used for PET attenuation correction with reduced bias in contrast agent regions by a factor of ∼2.6 and slightly reduced RMSE for the total image. Conclusions: When DECT is used for attenuation correction at higher energies, there is a noise amplification that is dependent on the energy of the synthesized monoenergetic image of linear attenuation coefficients. Sinogram smoothing reduces the noise amplification in DECT-derived attenuation maps without increasing bias. With an appropriate selection of CT techniques, a DECT scan with the same radiation dose as a single CT scan can result in a PET image with improved quantitative accuracy.
Curriculum Connections: Thinking about Math Thinking

(1997). Curriculum Connections: Thinking about Math Thinking. Kappa Delta Pi Record: Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 103-105.
Active transport, substrate specificity, and methylation of Hg(II) in anaerobic bacteria

The formation of methylmercury (MeHg), which is biomagnified in aquatic food chains and poses a risk to human health, is effected by some iron- and sulfate-reducing bacteria (FeRB and SRB) in anaerobic environments. However, very little is known regarding the mechanism of uptake of inorganic Hg by these organisms, in part because of the inherent difficulty in measuring the intracellular Hg concentration. By using the FeRB Geobacter sulfurreducens and the SRB Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132 as model organisms, we demonstrate that Hg(II) uptake occurs by active transport. We also establish that Hg(II) uptake by G. sulfurreducens is highly dependent on the characteristics of the thiols that bind Hg(II) in the external medium, with some thiols promoting uptake and methylation and others inhibiting both. The Hg(II) uptake system of D. desulfuricans has a higher affinity than that of G. sulfurreducens and promotes Hg methylation in the presence of stronger complexing thiols. We observed a tight coupling between Hg methylation and MeHg export from the cell, suggesting that these two processes may serve to avoid the build up and toxicity of cellular Hg. Our results bring up the question of whether cellular Hg uptake is specific for Hg(II) or accidental, occurring via some essential metal importer. Our data also point at Hg(II) complexation by thiols as an important factor controlling Hg methylation in anaerobic environments.
Fault detection and diagnosis of memory system faults

Algorithms for the detection and diagnosis of faults in semiconductor random-access, word-organized memory systems are presented and evaluated. The memory system is conceptually partitioned into four major elements to facilitate analysis. During the testing of each element, previously tested elements are assumed to be fault-free, but untested elements may contain multiple faults. The problem of fault masking and interaction between the major elements of the system is investigated and considered in the development of the algorithms.The following analysis is not concerned with such problems as control signal timing and parameter tolerance, but rather with the detection and diagnosis of stuck-at 1 (SA1) and stuck-at 0 (SA0) solid faults within the system. It is useful to make a distinction between the concepts of a fault and a failure. Faults are logic gates, bit lines, etc., which are SA1 or SA0. Failures are deviations from correct system behavior which result from the presence of solid logic faults.
Synergistic hematopoietic growth factors

A number of growth factors acting on hematopoietic stem cells have now been purified and characterized. These include erythropoietin, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating activity (GM-CSA), granulocyte colony-stimulating activity and colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1). Factors which act in concert with these defined factors and appear to act relatively early in the hematopoietic stem cell lineage are currently under study. Interleukin 3 appears to have both the characteristics of a differentiating hormone and the ability to generate proliferation of relatively early stem cells. Interleukin 3 acts in concert with at least CSF-1 and erythropoietin to enhance their effect on stem cell proliferation and differentiation. A new class of hematopoietic growth factor activities termed synergizing activities also exist. These activities appear to have no intrinsic capacity to stimulate hematopoietic colony formation by themselves but enhance the effects of other differentiating hormones such as GM-CSA and CSF-1. Activities which appear to represent synergizing activities have now been found to evolve from a human bladder carcinoma line, a cell line derived from murine marrow adherent cells and normal murine marrow and thymic cells. These activities may act on very primitive hematopoietic progenitors to allow them to express receptors to various differentiating hormones or alternatively they may act as commitment factors in a commitment-progression model of stem cell regulation.
S-adenosylmethionine generation and prevention of alcoholic fatty liver by betaine.

Abstract Earlier studies by other investigators have shown that S-adenosylmethinione (SAM) has the capacity to attenuate liver injury in experimental animals. In a recent study in this laboratory, it was shown that when supplemental dietary betaine was given to control and ethanol-fed rats at the level of 0.50% (W/V), SAM levels were doubled in the livers of control animals and increased fivefold in livers of ethanol-fed rats. The increased levels of SAM in the livers of ethanol-fed animals protected the livers from fatty infiltration due to ethanol feeding. In this study, an attempt was made to determine the minimum level of dietary betaine that protects against the fatty infiltration. Levels of betaine at 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% in semiliquid control and alcohol diets were tested in rats for 30 days. When hepatic betaine, SAM, and triglyceride levels were determined, it was demonstrated that only the dietary level of betaine at 0.50% supplied enough hepatic betaine to generate the level of SAM that was required to protect against the alcoholic steatosis resulting from the dietary ethanol. These results suggest that betaine, when given in sufficient amounts, may be a promising therapeutic agent in the treatment of liver disease.
ENHANCEMENT OF TOTAL PHENOLIC, L-DOPA AND PROLINE CONTENTS IN GERMINATING FAVA BEAN (VICIA FABA) IN RESPONSE TO BACTERIAL ELICITORS

Fava beans are important legumes of the Mediterranean diets that potentially contain higher total phenolics and associated antioxidant activity compared to many other legumes. Further, fava beans with high L-dihydroxy phenylalanine (L-DOPA) are known to have anti-Parkinson's effect. In this study, we investigated the stimulation of L-DOPA, total phenolics and related antioxidant activity in dark germinated seeds by food grade elicitors, gellan gum, a polysaccharide from Pseudomonas elodea and xanthangum from Xanthomonas campestris. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), the first rate-limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway leading to the synthesis of phenolic acid, L-DOPA and the activity of guaiacol peroxidase (GPX). We also investigated the potential link between proline metabolism and G6PDH activity in dark germinated fava bean over a period of 8 days. Total phenolics, L-DOPA, proline and antioxidant activity were determined. L-DO...
Systematic analysis of a wasp parasitism arsenal.

Parasitoid wasps are among the most diverse insects on earth with many species causing major mortality in host populations. Parasitoids introduce a variety of factors into hosts to promote parasitism, including symbiotic viruses, venom, teratocytes and wasp larvae. Polydnavirus-carrying wasps use viruses to globally suppress host immunity and prevent rejection of developing parasites. Although prior results provide detailed insights into the genes viruses deliver to hosts, little is known about other products. RNAseq and proteomics were used to characterize the proteins secreted by venom glands, teratocytes and larvae from Microplitis demolitor, which carries M. demolitor bracovirus (MdBV). These data revealed that venom glands and teratocytes secrete large amounts of a small number of products relative to ovaries and larvae. Venom and teratocyte products exhibited almost no overlap with one another or MdBV genes, which suggested that M. demolitor effector molecules are functionally partitioned according to their source. This finding was well illustrated in the case of MdBV and teratocytes. Many viral proteins have immunosuppressive functions that include disruption of antimicrobial peptide production, yet this study showed that teratocytes express high levels of the antimicrobial peptide hymenoptaecin, which likely compensates for MdBV-mediated immunosuppression. A second key finding was the prevalence of duplications among genes encoding venom and teratocyte molecules. Several of these gene families share similarities with proteins from other species, while also showing specificity of expression in venom glands or teratocytes. Overall, these results provide the first comprehensive analysis of the proteins a polydnavirus-carrying wasp introduces into its host.
Burn Injuries in Rats Upregulate the Gene Expression of the Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme E214k in Skeletal Muscle

Burn injuries are associated with muscle cachexia, which mainly reflects protein breakdown in the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Ubiquitination of proteins degraded by this mechanism is regulated by multiple enzymes, including the 14-kd ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, E2(14k). In this study, burn injuries in rats resulted in increased levels of the 1.2 kilobase E2(14k) transcript in the white, fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus muscle with no changes or only minor changes in the red, slow-twitch soleus muscle, liver, and kidney. The results provide the first evidence that burn injuries upregulate the gene expression of E2(14k) in skeletal muscle and suggest that ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent muscle protein breakdown after thermal injuries may, at least in part, be regulated by E2(14k).
Cholecystokinin receptors mediate enhanced memory retention produced by feeding and gastrointestinal peptides

Ingestion of food in mice following training on T-maze footshock avoidance enhanced memory retention when tested 7 days later. This eating-induced improvement of retention was blocked by a specific cholecystokinin antagonist, L-364,718. The cholecystokinin antagonist prevented enhancement of memory retention resulting from posttraining administration of the gastrointestinal hormones, cholecystokinin, bombesin or gastrin releasing peptide. L-364,718 neither impaired or improved retention when given alone. Specificity of the effect of L-364,718 was demonstrated by the failure of L-364,718 to block improved memory retention resulting from administration of arecoline and D-amphetamine. The studies provide evidence that activation of cholecystokinin receptors plays a physiological role in the mediation of meal-induced enhancement of memory retention.
Galen and tendon surgery.

The history of tendon repair is one of the most fascinating in hand surgery. Most reviews of this subject typically begin with Galen, who advised physicians in the second century AD not to repair tendons because it resulted in pain, twitching, and convulsions of the limb. 1–5 The seminal challenge to Galen’s assertation did not occur until the mid-18th century when Von Haller performed the critical experimental study that showed that placement of sutures in canine Achilles tendons did not result in this untoward effect. 6
The Altering of Reported Experiences

ABSTRACT Objectives The unreliability of human memory is well documented in the literature, yet psychiatrists and other mental health care professionals rely on patient self-report in history-taking. This study provides new evidence from a longitudinal study of autobiographical memory and discusses implications for the development and implementation of appropriate treatment plans and goals. Method Seventy-three mentally healthy 14-year-old males were studied in 1962. Sixty-seven of these subjects were reinterviewed face-to-face at age 48. Questions concerning areas of family relationships, home environment, dating, sexuality, religion, parental discipline, and general activities were asked in both interviews. Results Significant differences were found between adult memories of adolescence and what was actually reported during adolescence. Accurate memory was generally no better than expected by chance. Conclusions If the accurate memory of one's past is not better than chance in the mentally healthy individual, even more care probably should be taken in obtaining accurate historical information in the medically, psychologically, or otherwise health-compromised individual. It would be more constructive to treat recollections as existential reconstructions.