cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mutation of nicotinamide pocket residues in rat liver 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase reveals different modes of cofactor binding.

Rat liver 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3α-HSD), an aldo−keto reductase, binds NADP+ in an extended anti-conformation across an (α/β)8-barrel. The orientation of the nicotinamide ring, which permits stereospecific transfer of the 4-pro-R hydride from NAD(P)H to substrate, is achieved by hydrogen bonds formed between the C3-carboxamide of the nicotinamide ring and Ser 166, Asn 167, and Gln 190 and by π-stacking between this ring and Tyr 216. These residues were mutated to yield S166A, N167A, Q190A, and Y216S. In these mutants, KdNADP(H) increased by 2−11-fold but without a significant change in KdNAD(H). Steady-state kinetic parameters showed that KmNADP+ increased 13−151-fold, and this was accompanied by comparable decreases in kcat/KmNADP+. By contrast, KmNAD+ increased 4−8-fold, but changes in kcat/KmNAD+ were more dramatic and ranged from 23- to 930-fold. Corresponding changes in binding energies indicated that each residue contributed equally to the binding of NADP(H) in the ground and transition s...
Assessment of factors in marital adjustment

The present study sought to assess important factors in marital adjustment and their interrelatedness. The explored factors were (a) sexual satisfaction and adjustment, (b) verbal and nonverbal communication, and (c) several demographic variables (e.g., age and number of years married). Marital adjustment was found to be significantly related to verbal and nonverbal communication, but not to sexual satisfaction and adjustment. Demographic variables were not found to be related to marital adjustment, but some were significant predictors of verbal and nonverbal communication and sexual satisfaction and adjustment. The implications of these findings for assessment and intervention in marital and sexual counseling and for future research are discussed.
Luminescence of Fe3plus; in Metaphosphate Glasses: Evidence for Four‐ and Six‐Coordinated Sites

Ferric iron-substituted sodium metaphosphate and calcium metaphosphate glasses exhibit a very weak luminescence that can be observed under laser excitation. Broad emission bands at 16 000 cm−1 and at 12 000 cm−1 are assigned to the 4T1→6A, transitions of Fe3plus; in four- and six-coordinated sites respectively. The interpretation is supported by crystal field theory calculations based on known absorption spectra of Fe3plus;.
Configurational temperature density of states simulations of proteins.

A novel method has been implemented to compute the density of states of proteins. A united atom representation and the CHARMM (Brooks et al., 1983) force-field parameters have been adopted for all the simulations. In this approach, an intrinsic temperature is computed based on configurational information about the protein. A random walk is performed in potential energy space and the configurational temperature is collected as a function of potential energy of the system. The density of states is then calculated by integrating the reciprocal of temperature. Unlike previously available methods, this approach does not involve calculations based on histograms of stochastic visits to distinct energy states. It is found that the proposed method is more efficient than earlier, related schemes for simulation of protein folding. Furthermore, it directly provides thermodynamic information, including free energies. The usefulness of the method is discussed by presenting results of simulations of the 16-residue β-hairpin taken from the C-terminal fragment (41–56) of protein G.
Side effects and complications of cervical epidural steroid injections

Two hundred and four cervical epidural injections of corticosteroids were performed on 142 patients for the treatment of cervical pain over a 1-yr period. Injections were performed at the C7-T1 interspace with 10-15 mL of 0.5% lidocaine containing 1 mg per kg of methylprednisone acetate. Four complications occurred: two dural punctures without sequelae; one episode of upper extremity weakness, which resolved in 24 hr; and one episode of nausea and vomiting lasting 12 hr. In addition, two side effects were frequently reported: stiff neck lasting 12-24 hr occurred in 13.2% of patients, and a mild facial flushing with subjective (but not objective) fever lasting about 12 hr occurred in 9.3% of patients. In this large series, the procedure appears safe to use in an outpatient setting.
Risk stratification for hospitalization in acute asthma: the CHOP classification tree

Objective: Simple risk stratification rules are limited in acute asthma. We developed and externally validated a classification tree for asthma hospitalization. Methods: Data were obtained from 2 large, multicenter studies on acute asthma, the National Emergency Department Safety Study and the Multicenter Airway Research Collaboration cohorts. Both studies involved emergency department (ED) patients aged 18 to 54 years presenting to the ED with acute asthma. Clinical information was obtained from medical record review. The Classification and Regression Tree method was used to generate a simple decision tree. The tree was derived in the National Emergency Department Safety Study cohort and then was validated in the Multicenter Airway Research Collaboration cohort. Results: There were 1825 patients in the derivation cohort and 1335 in the validation cohort. Admission rates were 18% and 21% in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The Classification and Regression Tree method identified 4 important variables (CHOP): change [C] in peak expiratory flow severity category, ever hospitalization [H] for asthma, oxygen [O] saturation on room air, and initial peak expiratory flow [P]. In a simple 3-step process, the decision rule risk-stratified patients into 7 groups, with a risk of admission ranging from 9% to 48%. The classification tree performed satisfactorily on discrimination in both the derivation and validation cohorts, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.72 and 0.65, respectively. Conclusions: We developed and externally validated a novel classification tree for hospitalization among ED patients with acute asthma. Use of this explicit risk stratification rule may aid decision making in the emergency care of acute asthma.
Clinical Method of Photographing the Smaller Blood Vessels and the Circulating Blood in the Bulbar Conjunctiva of Human Subjects

During a long-term study of the vascular disease of the smaller blood vessels in diabetes mellitus, the conjunctival vessels in more than 1200 diabetic and nondiabetic subjects have been examined. As part of the ideal delineation of these vessels it was found essential to develop a technic to produce highly magnified, wide-field photographs of the smaller blood vessels and of the circulating blood in human subjects. This technic is presented and the possibility of the clinical application is emphasized.
Robotic single port suprapubic transvesical enucleation of the prostate (R‐STEP): initial experience

UNLABELLED What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Single port transvesical enucleation of the prostate (STEP) performed through a solitary suprapubic incision using a single access port inserted directly into the bladder has been demonstrated to be technically feasible but still challenging.3. Despite being feasible and providing adequate relief of bladder outlet obstruction, robotic STEP carries a high risk of complications. Further evolution of the technique is likely to be strictly dependent on the development of instrumentation. OBJECTIVE To report our initial experience with a novel robot assisted single port procedure for the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS Between March 2009 and July 2010, nine patients with symptomatic BPH were scheduled for robotic single port suprapubic transvesical enucleation of the prostate (R-STEP). Prior to intervention, all were submitted to preoperative transrectal ultrasound of the prostate and uroflowmetry. The surgical procedure included an initial transurethral incision of the prostatic apex. With the patient in the supine position, an approximate 3 cm lower midline incision was made. A cystotomy was created and a GelPort(®) laparoscopic system positioned in the bladder. The da Vinci S™ robotic operating system was docked through the GelPort(®) platform and enucleation was performed. Perioperative outcomes and short-term postoperative functional outcomes were assessed. Intra-operative and postoperative complications, graded according to the Dindo-Clavien system, were recorded. RESULTS One patient was excluded from the analysis as the procedure was aborted and converted to open simple prostatectomy. Median operative time was 3.9 h. Median visual analogue pain scale on discharge was 2. Estimated blood loss was 425 mL. Two patients required intra-operative blood transfusion. Postoperatively, two patients developed clot retention and required evacuation and fulguration (grade IIIb), one of them had a deep vein thrombosis (grade II) and a urinary tract infection (grade II). One patient was admitted to the intensive care unit after a myocardial infarction (grade IVa). All patients were discharged after a median of 4.5 days. There was almost three and four times postoperative improvement in both median maximum flow (Qmax) and average flow (Qave) rates, respectively. CONCLUSION The first series of R-STEP is reported herein. Despite being feasible and providing adequate relief of bladder outlet obstruction, the procedure carries a high risk of complications. Further evolution of the technique is likely to be strictly dependent on the development of instrumentation. Thus, its role in the surgical armamentarium of BPH remains to be determined.
Self-assembly of nanoparticles on live bacterium: an avenue to fabricate electronic devices.

Lysine-capped gold nanoparticles can be electrostatically assembled on the surface of Bacillus cerius, a Gram-Positive bacterium. The conductivity of the “gold-plated” bacteria assembly immobilized between electrodes is a function of the humidity experienced by the nanoparticles.
Two-group reactor noise analysis by Langevin's technique

Abstract Langevin's technique is applied to two energy group space independent reactor model. Detection statistics and fluctuations in production and decay rate of delayed neutron precursors are also taken into account. Expressions for the auto- and cross-correlation functions of the fluctuating sources associated with various random processes such as fission, capture, scattering, etc., are obtained and used in finding the auto- and cross-power spectral densities of the detection rates in fast and slow groups. Numerical estimates for various break frequencies for a representative set of parameters are found.
History, Silence and Homelessness in Contemporary Chinese Cinema: Wang Xiaoshuai's Shanghai Dreams

Abstract Set a few years after China's opening to the various forces of globalisation, the film Shanghai Dreams (2005) tells the story of the conflict between Qinghong, a 17 year-old schoolgirl who wishes to remain in her hometown of Guiyang, and her father, Lao Wu, whose dream of returning to his hometown of Shanghai is stirred by reports of the better life others have obtained as a result of Deng Xiaoping's policy of economic modernisation. Analysing their familial conflict in terms of a “political melodrama”, the paper contextualises both the dramatic ideological shift from patriarchal state Communism to free market capitalism and the massive internal migration from China's interior to its eastern coast to argue that Qinghong's eventual psychological breakdown represents not merely a personal, sentimental feeling of homelessness but the more philosophical form of estrangement characteristic of modernity examined by Martin Heidegger. The paper then explores how one of the film's most important scenes, Q...
Juvenile hormone binding proteins in larval fat body nuclei of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract In previous studies juvenile hormone has been implicated as acting at the plasma membrane level or at the chromosomal level. The present study has examined juvenile hormone III binding and action in the nucleus of two Drosophila melanogaster tissues that respond to juvenile hormone. Juvenile hormone III was found to bind to nuclear preparations of larval fat body, a tissue that in adults undergoes histolysis in response to juvenile hormone. Photoaffinity labeling revealed the presence of three nuclear juvenile hormone analogue-binding proteins, two of which can be specifically competed with juvenile hormone III. One of these proteins corresponds in size to a juvenile hormone binding protein found in greater quantity in the cytosolic fraction from several tissues of Drosophila, and the other protein is unique to the nuclear fraction. Juvenile hormone III acquired the ability to bind to DNA-cellulose when incubated with larval fat body cytosol, but not with larval hemolymph. Moreover, juvenile hormone III was shown to stimulate RNA synthesis in male accessory glands, a tissue that responds to juvenile hormone by increased protein synthesis in several insect species. These results suggest that the juvenile hormone may act through the nucleus to effect at least part of its action.
Natural history of periprosthetic air on computerized axial tomographic examination of the abdomen following abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Abstract The presence of periprosthetic gas on computerized axial tomography (CT) of the abdomen following abdominal aortic reconstruction has been proposed to be a reliable indicator of prosthetic graft infection, a complication that requires intervention entailing significant mortality and morbidity. To evaluate the reliability of this finding in the early postoperative period, prosthetic grafts in 26 patients undergoing elective aneurysm repair were evaluated with postoperative CT examinations. Serial scans were obtained at mean intervals of 3, 7, and 52 days postoperatively. The presence or absence of periprosthetic air on CT scan was noted, and the results were correlated with aneurysm size as determined by preoperative ultrasound examination of the abdominal aorta or by measurements made during operation. Mean aneurysm size was 6.1 cm (range 4.5 to 10.6 cm). Periprosthetic air was demonstrated in 17 (65%) of the 26 patients studied within 1 week postoperatively. Patients with aneurysms larger than 6.0 cm were more likely to demonstrate periprosthetic air than those with smaller aneurysms (X 2 = 5.024, p=0.025). All patients found to have periprosthetic air had spontaneous resolution by late CT scanning obtained a mean of 52 days postoperatively (range 21 to 85 days). One patient died in the early postoperative period and two did not return for late scans. Only one patient demonstrated periprosthetic air as late as the thirty-second postoperative day, and this air had resolved by the seventieth postoperative day. The presence of periprosthetic air on postoperative CT scan is a common finding in the early postoperative period following abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and is more likely to be demonstrated in patients with aneurysms larger than 6.0 cm. Although periprosthetic gas remains a sign of chronic graft sepsis, loculated air is more likely an innocuous finding within the first few postoperative weeks. (J VASC SURG 1984;1:429-33.)
Periprocedural management of acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing endovascular therapy.

The physiologic derangements in acute stroke victims are dynamic. As noted extensively in the literature, there is mounting evidence to support that patients with large strokes, measured clinically through NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS)1 or by radiologic methods,2 have increased mortality and are severely ill. Endovascular treatment of ischemic strokes inherently imposes a host of physiologic changes. Changes in cerebral perfusion and cerebral autoregulation need adequate hemodynamic support. Unintentionally induced changes during general anesthesia and potential hyperperfusion injury after revascularization may cause adverse outcomes. The loss of blood–brain barrier integrity poses additional challenges to antiplatelet and anticoagulant regimen. The primary goal of critical care management is to cater to the constantly changing cerebral perfusion in the background of loss of cerebral autoregulation. The practice remains varied in the community, administered by intensivists, anesthesiologists, and sometimes neurointerventional physicians. The individual and collective merits and demerits of current practice are unknown and have to be evaluated systematically. Admittedly, there exists no Class Ia evidence, and it is difficult …
Expert System Approach For Generating And Evaluating Engine Design Alternatives

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important subject of study for computer scientists, engineering designers, as well as professionals in other fields. Even though AI technology is a relatively new discipline, many of its concepts have already found practical applications. Expert systems, in particular, have made significant contributions to technologies in such fields as business, medicine, engineering design, chemistry, and particle physics. This paper describes an expert system developed to aid the mechanical designer with the preliminary design of variable-stroke internal-combustion engines . The expert system accomplished its task by generating and evaluating a large number of design alternatives represented in the form of graphs. Through the application of structural and design rules directly to the graphs, optimal and near optimal preliminary design configurations of engines are deduced.
Assignment of out-of-plane vibrational modes in benzaldehyde

Abstract Infrared spectra, Raman spectra and valence force field calculations of normal coordinates are used to assign the benzaldehyde out-of-plane modes. Definite assignments from the solution spectra are 133 cm −1 aldehyde torsion, 232 cm −1 CHO out-of-plane wag, 449 cm −1 ring bending-twisting motion probably corresponding largely to ν 16 b 688 and 746 cm −1 out-of-plane phenyl modes corresponding to mixed ν 4 and ν 11 in benzene and 1010 cm −1 as the out-of-plane aldehyde hydrogen wag. Less definite assignments are 410 cm −1 as an out-of-plane skeletal distortion of the benzene ring (i.e., largely ν 16 a ) and 925 cm −1 as ν 17 b . In-plane modes incidentally obtained are 221 cm −1 φ-CHO bend, 1394 cm −1 CH aldehyde bend, and 1707 cm −1 CO stretch. Three bands at 442, 650, and 834 cm −1 which are firmly assigned as in-plane vibrations arise from strongly mixed aldehyde and benzene modes. The remaining in-plane modes are correlated with their benzene analogues.
DE EERSTE MONDBESCHERMER

Een bokswedstrijd zonder gebitsbeschermer? In onze tijd net zo onvoorstelbaar als zonder handschoenen. Maar driekwart eeuw geleden keek men heel anders tegen zo’n bescherming aan. Toch werd toen de basis gelegd voor het gebruik van gebitsbeschermers in de sport.
Adsorption of soy oil phospholipids on silica

An experimental method for adsorption of phospholipids from soybean oil was developed based on chromatographic properties of the oil components. The traditional method for removing phospholipids involves hydrating the gums. However, when crude oil in hexane is applied to thin layers or columns of silica, the phospholipids irreversibly adsorb. The triglycerides can be eluted with non-polar solvents and phospholipids with a polar solvent system. Hence, there is a basis for a selective adsorption of phospholipids on silica.
Corpus Callosum Section and Other Disconnection Procedures for Medically Intractable Epilepsy

Corpus callosum section for carefully selected patients with uncontrolled epilepsy has become more acceptable as operative complications have decreased. From consideration of anatomical pathways utilized in the spread of seizure discharges, section of the corpus callosum is expected to decrease, but not abolish, bilaterally synchronous EEG abnormalities arising from most cerebral locations, perhaps excluding the temporal lobe. Clinical experience confirms this expectation. Persistence of some bilateral synchrony, presumably through subcortical relays, does not usually diminish the effectiveness of corpus callosum section on clinically generalized seizures that are eliminated or markedly decreased in 85% of patients after total corpus callosum section. Generalized seizure types that respond include tonic, atonic, tonic-clonic, and absence seizures. Patients who continue to have generalized seizures usually have low IQ and perhaps extensive bilateral cerebral involvement increases the extent to which subcortical structures participate in generalization. Complex partial seizures may cease, usually in patients with well-circumscribed, often extratemporal seizure foci. Focal seizures intensify in 25% of patients; a predictable consequence of sectioning interhemispheric inhibitory connections. Permanent disconnection syndromes, which are only rarely symptomatic, include sensory disconnection after posterior section, and split-brain syndrome after total section. A small percentage of patients develop impairments in language, motor, or memory functions. Language and motor deficits are predicted by pre-existing unilateral mild or moderate central nervous system damage. Partial section of the corpus callosum produces control of generalized seizures half as frequently as complete section. Neurologic sequelae of partial section occur nearly as frequently but are less severe.
The morphological and ultrastructural appearance of the crater defect in stallion spermatozoa

The appearance of the nuclear abnormality “crater defect” is described in spermatozoa from the domestic horse (Equadae). Under scanning electron microscopy, the defect appears as a severe depression at any area of the sperm nucleus or as a blister or swelling at some point on the sperm nucleus. Ultrastructurally, the crater appears as a nuclear vacuole containing amorphous material similar to that described in bull and boar sperm. The craters ranged in size from 0.5 to 2 μm in diameter. Within ejaculates of stallions having this defect, the percentages of sperm with crater defects varied widely over time, being as high as 60% and as low as 15%.
Calcium, ATP, and Magnesium Activate Soluble Tyrosine Hydroxylase from Rat Striatum

: Soluble tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) prepared from rat striatum by sonication, centrifugation, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 was activated by preincubation with Ca2+, ATP, and Mg2+. Activation occurred with micromolar concentrations of Ca2+ and required the presence of both ATP and Mg2+. The activation was reversible and was characterized by a large decrease of apparent Km for the pteridine cofactor and a small increase of Vmax-Ca2+-induced activation was small when TH activity was assayed at pH values near the optimum, but the magnitude of the activation increased with increasing assay pH. The activation apparently did not involve Ca2+-activated protease because it was not affected by the protease inhibitor leupeptin. Nor did it involve cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, as evidenced by the failure of the heat-stable inhibitor of this kinase to decrease Ca2+-induced TH activation. Furthermore, the activation of TH evoked by Ca2+ and that produced by cyclic AMP was additive. These experiments indicate that striatal TH can be activated in vitro by an endogenous Ca2+-dependent mechanism. The similarity of the Ca2+-induced activation of TH to that elicited by increased neuronal activity and terminal depolarization is discussed.
Characterization of BCG Vaccine by coulter counter and scanning electron microscopic techniques

BCG vaccine, an important immune stimulant used in cancer therapy, consists of a suspension of living and dead cells, cellular fragments and aggregated cells. For this reason, nephelometric methods are unable to determine the total numbers of cells in a vaccine system. Scanning electron microscopy has enabled average cell dimensions to be obtained of length 2.36 μm, width 0.47 μm (n = 1,227), equivalent to a spherical particle of volume 0.3887 μm3 and diameter 0.9055 μm. Measurement of the particle size of a diluted vaccine with a Coulter Multisizer, fitted with a 50 μm diameter orifice, enabled the total number and average size of aggregated cells to be determined. Multiplying the total number by the number of cells in an average aggregate (obtained by dividing the volume of the average aggregate by the average cellular volume) provided a direct estimate of the total number of cells in the system. The total wet weight of cells present in a vaccine ampoule can be estimated by measuring the methylated esters of palmitic acid (PAME) in the system using gas chromatography. This weight, divided by the weight of an average cell, provided an independent confirmation of the total number of organisms present. In order to obtain the cellular density a Percoll gradient sedimentation was carried out. Surprisingly the organisms separated into two fractions of closely similar density, an average value of 1.070 g/mL being obtained. The two fractions had different average sizes with different distribution functions. When data for a number of lots of TiceTM substrain prepared over a twenty-two year period were compared, the correlation between the Coulter and PAME methods was seen to be relatively good, bearing in mind the intrinsic variability of biological systems. Comparison with viability (colony-forming unit) measurements demonstrated a loss in viability with time after preparation.
Urban inequalities? Birth outcomes across New Jersey cities

Abstract We investigated whether living in a large city endows a woman with a general level of risk for poor birth outcomes regardless of the specific city, or whether this risk varies across cities. We used individual 1989 and 1990 Vital Statistics birth and death records linked with uniform billing hospital discharge records to analyze prenatal care usage, birthweight, and newborn hospitalization costs in the six most populous cities in New Jersey: Camden, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson, and Trenton. We used a multivariate framework which controlled for a number of individual socioeconomic, medical, and behavioral risk factors. We also examined whether the racial gaps in birth outcomes vary by city, and whether there are city variations in the effects of other important risk factors such as smoking and unwed motherhood. The results indicate that city of residence is an important predictor of birth outcomes, even after controlling for a number of individual level risk factors, and that the effect of race varies by city of residence. Being black reduces birthweight in the range of 136 to 196 grams and increases the probability of delivering a low birthweight baby in all cities except Camden, where there is no racial gap once individual risk factors were controlled. The results also indicate that many other risk factors have very different effects across large cities, and that it is important to take into consideration the differences between urban areas when formulating policy and targeting interventions designed to reduce poor birth outcomes.
Dangers of high-frequency ventilation in hyaline membrane disease

The journey of high frequency ventilation (HFV) as a laboratory curiosity in search of clinical applications is illustrated by the paper of Pfenninger and Gerber in the last issue of Intensive Care Medicine [1]. They describe their experience with a high frequency ventilation modali ty in human neonates with hyaline membrane disease (HMD) which we have found to cause extensive lung damage in an animal model of HMD. For a variety of sociopolitical and financial pressures which continue to evolve, research related to intensive care is frequently based on animal models in the US and in the human clinical population in Europe. Each type of research adds needed insights into our understanding of the pathophysiologic process we encounter in the ICU. In a most simplistic analysis, animal models allow us to control confounding variables, produce defined perturbations of the system, and define pathologic changes, all of which would be ethically impossible in human studies. Conversely, the bot tom line for the importance or efficacy of most experimental variables rests with human studies which in some circumstances may be the only model appropriate for study. In most instances, significant animal toxicity markedly limits or precludes human experimental application of a drug or therapeutic intervention. We have participated in studies utilizing the premature baboon with H M D to evaluate IPPV, high frequency ventilation and high frequency oscillation (HFO) respiratory support. The premature baboon delivered at 140 days of a normal 180 day gestation develops respiratory failure with a disease process which is clinically, radiographically and pathologically indistinguishable from H M D in humans. Furthermore, utilizing IPPV support when needed and continuous 100°70 oxygen, a disease process ensues over two weeks which is clinically, radiographically and pathologically consistent with bronchopulmonary dysplasia observed in human neonates [2, 3]. For these reasons, we believe that the premature baboon is an excellent animal model for the human disease process. We wish to highlight the potential for pulmonary complications with HFV which may be particularly relevant to those involved in or contemplating the use of HFV in human neonates. We have evaluated the use of a high frequency flow interrupter (HFFI) type ventilator (Percussionair Inc., Sand Point, Idaho) when compared to standard I P P ¥ (Bournes Inc., Riverside, Calif) or high frequency oscillation (Texas Research Co., San Antonio, Texas) [4-6] . While IPPV and the flow interrupter type ventilator had similar incidences of clinical and X-ray evidence of barotrauma, i.e. interstitial air, pneumothorax; the pathologic changes observed appeared to be more severe with the high frequency interrupter ventilator. Conversely with HFO barot rauma was essentially non-existent. The diffuse atelectasis of
Effect of phosphatidylcholine liposomes containingBrucella abortus soluble antigen on the response of bovine lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes inhibited the proliferative response of bovine lymphocytes to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA). PC liposomes containing a soluble antigen extract ofBrucella abortus (BASA) reversed the suppression caused by PC liposomes. PC liposomes containing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fromEscherichia coli, Salmonella abortus equi, orSerratia marcescens also reversed the suppression of PC liposomes. No detectable BASA protein was associated into PC liposomes. Detectable LPS from BASA,E. coli, S. abortus equi, andS. marcescens was associated into the PC liposomes. The reversal by BASA of PC liposome suppression appears to be due to the LPS present in BASA, since LPS of several other bacteria was also able to reverse suppression. The possible mechanism of reversal of suppression by LPS is discussed.
On the compression behaviour of (Ti0.5,V0.5)2AlC and (Ti0.5,Nb0.5)2AlC to quasi-hydrostatic pressures above 50 GPa

Using a synchrotron x-ray radiation source and a diamond anvil cell we measured the functional dependences of the lattice parameters of (Ti0.5,V0.5)2AlC and (Ti0.5,Nb0.5)2AlC to quasi-hydrostatic pressure of the order of 50 GPa. Like for other solids in this family of layered ternary carbides and nitrides, the bulk moduli (≈183 GPa) are high and no phase transformations were observed. The bulk moduli of the solid solution compositions were lower than those of the end members. The effect was much more dramatic when Ti replaced Nb in Nb2AlC than when it replaced V in V2AlC. In the former case the modulus drops by 13% from 209 GPa, with the softening coming almost exclusively from the c-axis. This somewhat surprising result is ascribed to the corrugation of the Ti–Nb planes in (Ti0.5,Nb0.5)2AlC. When Ti replaced V in V2AlC the drop in modulus was 8%.
Redesign of a Highly Loaded Transonic Turbine Nozzle Blade Using a New Viscous Inverse Design Method

The redesign of VKI-LS89 turbine vane, which is typical of a highly loaded transonic turbine guide vane is presented. The redesign is accomplished using a new inverse design method where the blade walls move with a virtual velocity distribution derived from the difference between the current and the target pressure distributions on the blade surfaces. This new inverse method is fully consistent with the viscous flow assumption and is implemented into the time accurate solution of the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations that are expressed in an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) form to account for mesh movement. A cell-vertex finite volume method is used to discretize the equations in space; time accurate integration is obtained using dual time stepping. An algebraic Baldwin-Lomax model is used for turbulence closure. The flow analysis formulation is first assessed against the LS89 experimental data. The inverse formulation that is implemented in the same code, is also assessed for its robustness and accuracy, by inverse designing the LS89 original geometry through running the inverse method with the original LS89 pressure distributions as target distributions but starting from an arbitrary geometry. The inverse design method is then used to redesign the LS89 using an arbitrary pressure distributions at a subsonic and a transonic outflow condition and the results are interpreted in terms of the blade overall aerodynamic performance.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Quantity and translational efficiency of liver microsomes in young and old rats following partial hepatectomy

Abstract 1. 1. Liver microsomal quantity decreased in young rats 2 days after partial hepatectomy or sham operation, increased to preoperative values by 8 days, and remained unchanged 16 days following surgery. 2. 2. In old rats, microsomal quantity remained unchanged following surgery, but increased in sham-operated controls. 3. 3. Translational efficiency of microsomes from young, sham-operated animals was unaffected, but decreased 2 days after partial hepatectomy. 4. 4. In old, sham-operated controls, efficiency decreased, but remained unchanged 2 days after partial hepatectomy. 5. 5. Eight and 16 days after surgery, efficiency of microsomes from young and old animals appeared indistinguishable, and were similar to those of adults before surgery.
An electric analog of heat flow in power transistors

An electric analog of heat flow in alloyed-junction power transistors was constructed to facilitate a study of instantaneous crystal temperatures under various pulsed conditions. An equivalent Insertion transmission line using lumped constants was chosen as a suitable analog. The derivation of the transmission-line analog is given, along with construction and operating procedures. A short comparison of analog and experimental data is included.
Induction of ovulation in vitro in Rana pipiens with steroids.

Abstract Ovulation induced by pituitary extracts in vitro was enhanced by addition of certain androgenic, progestational, and cortical steroids, but inhibited by estrogens. A number of nonestrogenic steroids also had potent ovulatory capacity in vitro in the absence of pituitary factors, progesterone being the most effective of those tested. A greater ovulatory efficiency was demonstrated for progesterone than for pituitary extract. It is proposed that the principal function of pituitary gonadotropins in ovulation may be to stimulate steroid production by ovarian tissue, and that steroids are the real agents responsible for ovulation.
Comparison of measured impurity poloidal rotation in DIII-D with neoclassical predictions under low toroidal field conditions

Predictive understanding of plasma transport is a long-term goal of fusion research. This requires testing models of plasma rotation including poloidal rotation. The present experiment was motivated by recent poloidal rotation measurements on spherical tokamaks (NSTX and MAST) which showed that the poloidal rotation of C+6 is much closer to the neoclassical prediction than reported results in larger aspect ratio machines such as TFTR, DIII-D, JT-60U and JET working at significantly higher toroidal field and ion temperature. We investigated whether the difference in aspect ratio (1.44 on NSTX versus 2.7 on DIII-D) could explain this. We measured C+6 poloidal rotation in DIII-D under conditions which matched, as best possible, those in the NSTX experiment; we matched plasma current (0.65 MA), on-axis toroidal field (0.55 T), minor radius (0.6 m), and outer flux surface shape as well as the density and temperature profiles. DIII-D results from this work also show reasonable agreement with neoclassical theory. Accordingly, the different aspect ratio does not explain the previously mentioned difference in poloidal rotation results.
Arterial influx of esterified cholesterol from two plasma lipoprotein fractions and its hydrolysis in vtvo in hype rcholesterolemic rabbits

Arterial influx of esterified cholesterol from 2 plasma lipoprotein fractions, d less than 1.019 and d greater than 1.019, and influx of plasma free cholesterol were determined in each of 15 hypercholesterolemic rabbits with approximately the same plasma cholesterol concentrations but with different extents of arterial lesions. The procedure consisted of injecting intravenously into recipient rabbits [14C]- or [3H]cholesterol-labeled lipoproteins prepared from donor rabbits. The esterified cholesterol of one lipoprotein fraction was labeled primarily with one isotope and that of the other lipoprotein fraction was labeled with the other isotope. Thoracic aortas were removed 4-6 h after lipoprotein injections. The arterial influx of esterified cholesterol was up to 50 times higher in rabbits with maximal lesions than in those with minimal cholesterol deposits. the arterial influx of cholesteryl ester derived from d less than 1.019 lipoproteins was about equal to that derived from the d greater than 1.019 fraction. The amount of cholesteryl ester in plasma d less than 1.019 was approximately 3 times that in d greater than 1.019. Thus, per unit of cholesteryl ester concentration the d less than 1.019 lipoproteins delivered about 1/3 as much cholesteryl ester to the artery as the lipoproteins in the higher density fractions. some 5-40% of plasma esterified cholesterol which had entered the artery was hydrolyzed in the artery during the experimental period. The influx of free cholesterol that could not be accounted for by the influx of intact plasma lipoproteins was 5-80% of the free cholesterol influx. This excess probably represents free cholesterol influx by an exchange between the plasma lipoproteins and the intimal surface of the artery.
Redefining the Human Oral Mycobiome with Improved Practices in Amplicon-based Taxonomy: Discovery of Malassezia as a Prominent Commensal

Fungi are a large, complex group, increasingly recognized as emerging threats. Their roles as modifiers of health mandate accurate portrayals of fungal communities in humans. As an entry point into the airways and gastrointestinal tract, fungi in the mouth are relevant to several biocompartments. We have revised current practices in sequence-based taxonomy assignments and employed the improvements to address the question of the fungal genera present in the healthy human mouth. The human oral mycobiome was surveyed using massively parallel, high throughput sequencing of internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) amplicons from saliva following robust extraction methods. Taxonomy was assigned by comparison to a curated reference dataset, followed by filtering with an empirically determined BLAST E-value match statistic (10−42). Nomenclature corrections further refined results by conjoining redundant names for a single fungal genus. Following these curation steps, about two-thirds of the initially identified genera were eliminated. In comparison with the one similar metagenomic study and several earlier culture-based ones, our findings change the current conception of the oral mycobiome, especially with the discovery of the high prevalence and abundance of the genus Malassezia. Previously identified as an important pathogen of the skin, and recently reported as the predominant fungal genus at the nostril and backs of the head and ear, this is the first account of Malassezia in the human mouth. Findings from this study were in good agreement with others on the existence of many consensus members of the core mycobiome, and on unique patterns for individual subjects. This research offered a cautionary note about unconditional acceptance of lengthy lists of community members produced by automated assignments, provided a roadmap for enhancing the likely biological relevance of sequence-based fungal surveys, and built the foundation for understanding the role of fungi in health and disease of the oral cavity.
Nucleoside metabolism in herpes simplex virus-infected cells following treatment with interferon and acyclovir, a possible mechanism of synergistic antiviral activity.

Abstract Alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) and nucleoside analogs have been shown to have synergistic antiherpesvirus activity in cultured cells. The mechanisms responsible for this synergistic activity are not known, but we hypothesize that IFN-alpha-induced alterations of nucleoside metabolism in virus-infected cells may play an important role. Infection of cells with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) led to an increase in uptake of thymidine into cells. Treatment of infected cells with recombinant IFN-alpha for 24 h prior to infection resulted in a significant reduction in the uptake of exogenous thymidine but did not reduce the apparent incorporation of exogenous thymidine into DNA. The amount of exogenous thymidine phosphorylated relative to the amount taken up was the same in IFN-alpha-treated and control cultures. IFN-alpha treatment of HSV-1-infected cells also resulted in a reduction in the pool sizes of endogenous deoxyribonucleoside-5'-triphosphates relative to those of untreated HSV-1-infected cultures. Although IFN-alpha affected the metabolism of natural nucleosides in HSV-1-infected cells, it did not significantly reduce the uptake of the antiviral guanosine analog acyclovir into HSV-1-infected cells or the amount of acyclovir-5'-triphosphate accumulated. Therefore, in IFN-alpha-treated cells the concentration of a natural nucleoside, thymidine, was reduced, as were the pools of all deoxyribonucleoside-5'-triphosphates. No decrease in acyclovir or acyclovir-5'-triphosphate concentration was observed, however, when acyclovir-treated cells were exposed to IFN-alpha. These data suggest that IFN-alpha-induced alterations in nucleoside metabolism may be one mechanism whereby IFN-alpha and acyclovir express synergistic antiherpes-virus activity.
Influence of Activity on Quality of Life Scores After RYGBP

Gastric bypass is one of the medically acceptable interventions for weight loss for the obese. Quality of life greatly improves after surgery. Most improvements in quality of life (QOL) after these surgeries are attributed to the weight loss. Few studies have demonstrated any contribution of other variables to positive outcomes in QOL. The purpose of this study was to suggest variables that improve QOL in this post-surgical population. The Arizona Activity Frequency Questionnaire, the Arizona Food Frequency Questionnaire, and the SF-36 survey were sent to all of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure (RYGBP) patients who had surgery 1–5 years prior to the study and performed through the same bariatric surgery center (n = 805; respondents = 265; 33%). Analysis was performed through ANOVA testing to determine relationships between selected behaviors and the SF-36 of the respondents. Comparisons of differences in SF-36 scores were analyzed using the variables of hours of activity/day (HOAD) and energy in activity/day (EEAD). Patients with more EEAD and HOAD demonstrated significantly better SF-36 scores in both mental component and physical component scores (p = 0.05) when compared to those with less EEAD or HOAD. Outcomes measured by the SF-36 tool were improved after RYGBP, if the patient expended more energy/day or was active more hours/day. The post-bariatric surgery populations will have improved QOL if the patients expend more energy and are active more hours as demonstrated in activity/day after their surgery.
The ERG28-encoded protein, Erg28p, interacts with both the sterol C-4 demethylation enzyme complex as well as the late biosynthetic protein, the C-24 sterol methyltransferase (Erg6p).

Abstract In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the C-24 sterol methyltransferase (Erg6p) converts zymosterol to fecosterol, an enzymatic step following C-4 demethylation of 4,4-dimethylzymosterol. Our previous study showed that an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane protein, Erg28p, functions as a scaffold to tether the C-4 demethylation enzymatic complex (Erg25p–Erg26p–Erg27p) to the ER. To determine whether Erg28p also interacts with other ergosterol biosynthetic proteins, we compared protein levels of Erg3p, Erg6p, Erg7p, Erg11p and Erg25p in three pairs of erg28 and ERG28 strains. In erg28 strains, the Erg6p level in the ER fraction was decreased by about 50% relative to the wild-type strain, while ER protein levels of the four other ergosterol proteins showed no significant differences. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments, using an erg28 strain transformed with the epitope-tagged plasmid pERG28-HA and proteins detected with anti-HA and anti-Erg6p antibodies, indicated that Erg6p and Erg28p reciprocally co-immunoprecipitate. Further, the split ubiquitin yeast membrane two-hybrid system designed to detect protein interactions between membrane bound proteins also indicated an Erg28p–Erg6p interaction when pERG6-Cub was used as the bait and pERG28-NubG was used as the prey. We conclude that Erg28p may not only anchor the C-4 demethylation enzyme complex to the ER but also acts as a protein bridge to the Erg6p enzyme required for the next ergosterol biosynthetic step.
Long-term patency of coronary grafts with endoscopically harvested saphenous veins determined by contrast-enhanced electron beam computed tomography.

Abstract Objectives We determined the long-term patency rates of coronary artery grafts with endoscopically harvested saphenous veins. Methods Patency rates were established in 51 patients with 130 distal saphenous vein grafts using contrast-enhanced electron beam computed tomography at 3.74 ± 0.65 years after coronary artery bypass grafting. A similar group of 50 patients with 131 distal grafts were studied prospectively using the same methodology at 0.7 ± 0.19 years after coronary artery bypass grafting. Results The overall patency rates were 95.4% in the retrospective group and 95.3% in the prospective group. Sequential grafts tended to have a patency advantage over independent grafts. Conclusions These data compare favorably with reported patency rates for traditionally harvested saphenous veins. Endoscopic saphenous vein harvesting, in addition to previous favorable reports on pain, complications, and costs, is now shown to provide comparable or better patency rates in comparison with traditionally harvested veins.
Entanglement entropy of the random s=1 Heisenberg chain

Random spin chains at quantum critical points exhibit an entanglement entropy between a segment of length L and the rest of the chain that scales as log2 L with a universal coefficient. Since for pure quantum critical spin chains this coefficient is fixed by the central charge of the associated conformal field theory, the universal coefficient in the random case can be understood as an effective central charge. In this paper we calculate the entanglement entropy and effective central charge of the spin-1 random Heisenberg model in its random-singlet phase and also at the critical point at which the Haldane phase breaks down. The latter is the first entanglement calculation for an infinite-randomness fixed point that is not in the random-singlet universality class. Our results are consistent with a c-theorem for flow between infinite-randomness fixed points. The formalism we use can be generally applied to calculation of quantities that depend on the RG history in s>=1 random Heisenberg chains.