cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of ribothymidine in specific eukaryotic tRNAs on their efficiency in in vitro protein synthesis

RIBOTHYMIDINE (m5U or rT), the most common methylated nucleoside found in tRNA, is always at the 23rd position from the 3′ end in the nucleotide sequence GTψCPurine1,2. So far ribothymidine has been found in essentially all pro-karyotic tRNAs which function in protein synthesis, but not in several eukaryotic ‘elongator’ tRNAs3–6. In the case of wheat germ, all the glycine tRNAs, several species of threonine tRNA and one species of tyrosine tRNA have an unmodified uridine in the position usually occupied by ribothymidine (ref. 5 and K.B.M., D. Marcu, and B.S.D., manuscript in preparation). To determine the significance of the absence of rT in these tRNAs, we have methylated them enzymatically with a crude preparation of E. coli rT-forming uracil methyltransferase and then compared their efficiency with that of the unmodified tRNAs in a wheat germ cell-free protein synthesising system directed by various natural mRNAs. We report here that these tRNAs function significantly more efficiently in protein synthesis when lacking rT and that the inhibitory effect of rT can be reversed by the polyamine spermine.
Seed priming winter wheat for germination, emergence, and yield

Insufficient stand establishment of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major problem in the low-precipitation (<300 mm annual) dryland summer fallow region of the inland Pacific Northwest, USA. Low seed zone water potential, deep planting depths with 15 cm or more soil covering the seed, and soil crusting caused by rain before seedling emergence frequently impede winter wheat stands. A 2-yr study involving laboratory, greenhouse, and field components was conducted to determine seed priming effects on winter wheat germination, emergence, and grain yield. Two cultivars were used because of their strong (Edwin) and moderate (Madsen) emergence capabilities. Germination rate was measured in the laboratory by 44 treatment combinations (two cultivars × three priming durations × seven priming media + two checks). Germination rate differed between cultivars as well as by priming duration, priming media, and concentration of priming media. The most promising laboratory treatments were advanced to greenhouse and field experiments where emergence and grain yield (field only) were measured in 10 treatments (two cultivars × four priming media + two checks) from wheat planted deep with 16 cm of soil covering the seed. In the greenhouse, seed primed in potassium chloride (KCI), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and water led to enhanced emergence of Madsen, but not of Edwin, compared with checks. Rate and extent of seedling emergence was greater for Edwin compared with Madsen irrespective of priming media in three of four field plantings at Lind, WA. None of the seed priming media benefited field emergence or subsequent grain yield in either cultivar compared with checks. Overall, results suggest that seed priming has limited practical worth for enhancing emergence and yield of winter wheat planted deep into summer fallow.
An Off-Axis Four-Quadrant Phase Mask (FQPM) Coronagraph for Palomar: High-Contrast Near Bright Stars Imager

Direct detection of planets around nearby stars requires the development of high-contrast imaging techniques because of the high difference between their respective fluxes. This led us to test a new coronagraphic approach based on the use of phase mask instead of dark occulting ones. Combined with high-level wavefront correction on an unobscured off-axis section of a large telescope, this method allows imaging very close to the star. Calculations indicate that for a given ground-based on-axis telescope, use of such an off-axis coronagraph provides a near-neighbor detection capability superior to that of a traditional coronagraph utilizing the full telescope aperture. Setting up a laboratory experiment working in near infrared allowed us to demonstrate the principle of the method, and a rejection of 2000:1 has already been achieved.
The use of autobiography in psychotherapy.

First-person narratives may have advantages as adjuncts in psychotherapy. They provide an inside view of mental disorders expressed in the person's own words, emphasize issues that the person deems important, are interesting to read with strong story lines, are less didactic than self-help books, and offer identification with a protagonist. Recent trends in published autobiographies are described. There has been an increase in the number of published autobiographies describing mood disorder relative to schizophrenia, of psychotherapists going public with personal experiences of mental disorder, and of books expressing a positive view of treatment. The article includes case vignettes and a practitioner-recommended list of autobiographies on addictive disorders, death and grieving, and mood disorders.
COX-2 in synovial tissues.

Prostaglandins (PGs) are important mediators of acute and chronic inflammation. The production of PGs in synovial tissues is catalyzed by an enzyme cascade that includes phospholipase A(2)s (PLA(2)s), cyclooxygenases (COXs), and terminal PG synthases. There are two isoforms of COX expressed in synovial tissues. COX-1 is constitutively expressed in synovia, particularly in synovial lining cells. COX-2, on the other hand, is localized most strikingly to the vascular endothelial cells, mononucler inflammatory cells, and subsynovial fibroblasts. There are no significant differences in immunostaining of COX-1 in vivo in inflammatory compared with non-inflammatory arthritis. COX-2 expression is increased in inflammatory arthritis. In-vitro, COX-2 expression in synovial cells is dramatically increased by proinflammatory cytokines, phorbol ester, and stimulation of certain cell surface receptors. A number of different transcription factors are likely to be involved in the up-regulation of COX-2 in synovial tissues. Expression of COX-2 is inhibited by glucocorticoids in synovial cells as in other cell types. Taken together, these data suggest that COX-2 is likely to be responsible for increased local PG production during inflammation of synovial tissues.
The effect of a lambda repressor mutation on the activation of transcription initiation from the lambda PRM promoter.

Abstract Wild-type λ repressor activates transcription from the λ P RM promoter by stimulating the rate-limiting isomerization step in the initiation reaction. The positive-control mutants of λ repressor retain the ability to bind operator DNA normally, but fail to activate transcription from the λ P RM promoter in vivo. We have characterized one of these mutants in vitro, and have determined the biochemical nature of the defect. We show that the mutant repressor was deficient in its ability to stimulate the isomerization step in transcription initiation. The initial binding of RNA polymerase to P RM was only slightly reduced by the mutant repressor. We also found that the mutant and wild-type repressors had similar affinities for all three binding sites in the rightward operator. These results provide support for the hypothesis that direct repressor-RNA polymerase interactions are important in the P RM activation mechanism.
Robot-assisted laparoscopic ureteral reimplantation: a single surgeon comparison to open surgery.

Objective The aim was to report a single surgeon's experience comparing open and robot-assisted laparoscopic extravesical ureteral reimplantation (RALUR) to treat vesicoureteral reflux (VUR).
Automated centerline for computed tomography colonography1

Rationale and Objectives. A novel method to compute the centerline of the human colon obtained from computed tomography colonography is proposed. Two applications of this method are demonstrated: to compute local colonic distension (caliber), and to match polyps on supine and prone images. Materials and Methods. The centerline algorithm involves multiple steps including simplification of the colonic surface by decimation; thinning of the decimated colon to create a preliminary centerline; selection of equally spaced points on the preliminary centerline; grouping neighboring points; and mapping them back to rings in the original colon. This method was tested on 20 human computed tomography colonography datasets (supine and prone examinations of 10 patients) and on a computer-generated colon phantom. Results. Visual inspection of the colons and their centerlines showed the centerline to be accurate. For the colon phantom, the average error was only 1 mm. For 11 polyps visualized in both the supine and prone positions and found by computer-aided detection, the normalized distance along the centerline to each polyp was not significantly different on the supine and prone views (r = 0.999; P < .001). Conclusion. This method produces an accurate colon centerline that may be useful for flight path planning, matching detections on the supine and prone views, and computing local colonic distension.
Solutions of Complete Circular Cylindrical Shell under Concentrated Loads

Series solutions to the differential equations for a complete cylindrical shell under various point loads are developed. Instead of expanding the solution series in both axial and circumferential directions, the solution obtained here is only expanded in circumferential coordinates. Each term in the series represents an exact solution to the set of basic equations under a decomposed ring loading.
The role of persistence at preschool age in academic skills at kindergarten

The current study examined the role of preschoolers’ motivation, operationalized as persistence, in the formation of language and math skills at kindergarten. The participants were 263 children from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Demographic information, child persistence, and early cognitive-linguistic skills were assessed at age 3; children’s academic skills were assessed at kindergarten. Results indicated that preschooler’s persistence was related to their academic skills two years later over and above demographic factors and early cognitive-linguistic skills. The findings are discussed in terms of the importance of early childhood motivation for later school achievement.
Morality, Rational Choice, and Semantic Representation

(1) In his recent paper, “Justice as Fairness: Political not Metaphysical,” John Rawls makes use of a footnote to disown what to many readers must have seemed one of the most striking and original underlying ideas of his theory of justice, that it “is a part, perhaps the most significant part, of the theory of rational choice.” That Rawls should issue this disclaimer indicates, at least in my view, that he has a much clearer understanding of his theory, and its relationship to rational choice than he did at the time that he wrote A Theory of Justice. As I note in Morals by Agreement (pp.4–5), Rawls does not show that principles of justice are principles of rational choice. Hence, in appropriating the idea, I can claim diat I am undertaking a pioneering enterprise. No doubt Thomas Hobbes would have undertaken it had the resources of the theory of rational choice been at his disposal, but I do not intend to pursue counterfactuals in a search for historical antecedents. Moral theory as rational choice theory is, I claim, a new venture.
Biosensors based on the chromatic activities of living, naturally pigmented cells : digital image processing of the dynamics of fish melanophores

The activities of fish chromatophores, the colorful living cells in the skin and scales of fish, were tested for their suitability as optically interfaced, digitally processed biosensors of the chemical environment. Norepinephrine and one of its pharmacologically active antagonists, yohimbine, were among the agents tested on melanophores, the black-pigmented variety of chromatophores. The melanophore response consisted of movements of cellular pigment toward and/or away from the center of the cell. This chromatic activity yielded high-contrast video images that were well-suited to digital image processing. Two variations of digital image processing were successful at quantifying pigment movements over the non-changing background: subtraction of the final image in a time-lapsed sequence of images; and subtraction of adjacent images in an image sequence. In both of these variations, a further refinement (noise reduction) of the digital measurements of pigment movement was achieved by taking averages of adjacent pixels in the differential images. Finally, pixel-counting algorithms were used to quantify changes in the area, perimeter and circularity of melanophore pigment. Measurements of pigment movements obtained in this automated, objective manner compared well to measurements obtained by manually tracing melanophore images and calculating areas and perimeters. In addition, the continuous measurement variables achieved by these digital image processing procedures were appropriate for statistical analyses of melanophore dynamics (e.g. population mean and standard deviation), unlike traditional ranked variable measurements such as the five-point ranking system widely known as the melanophore index.
The Impact of Landownership Factors on Soil Conservation: Discussion

The question of resource use patterns as influenced by institutional arrangements is at the core of any understanding of natural resource economics. All of the conventional explanatory variables, such as rates of time preference, prices, income, user costs, and risk preferences, are meaningless without being related to the nature of the decisionmaking unit. A family is clearly a different decision unit than is a corporation, and a partnership is different still. Lee is to be commended for beginning an investigation which, if it ever succeeds, will be indispensible to our understanding of important resource use issues. While I am most supportive of the general enterprise, I am troubled by the specifics of her approach. In these brief comments I will raise questions about the empirical models, the data, and the conclusions. I will then offer a few closing remarks.
Optical Absorption of Y 3 Al 5 O 12 from 10- to 55 000- cm − 1 Wave Numbers

The optical absorption coefficient of synthetic single crystals of the garnet ${\mathrm{Y}}_{3}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{5}$${\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ has been measured from photon wave numbers of 10 to 55 000 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The wave-number range 10 to 900 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ has been studied at 4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The 17 theoretically predicted absorption peaks of the ${\mathrm{Y}}_{3}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{5}$${\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ lattice at 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K have been found at wave numbers of 123, 163, 223, 255, 293, 332, 373, 395, 430, 457, 510, 530, 570, 690, 722, 784, and 830 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth peaks are believed to be associated with the ${\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{3}$ vibrations of the ${\mathrm{AlO}}_{4}$ groups in the lattice. The multiphonon lattice absorption bands extend upward to 2400 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ wave numbers. Beyond 2400 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ the crystal is transparent, with an absorption coefficient 0.1 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ up to $\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}=30 000$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. From 30 000 to 52 000 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ the absorption appears to be dominated by trace impurities. The optical absorption increases rapidly for wave numbers above 52 000 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and reaches an absorption coefficient of ${10}^{+3}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 54 300 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ wave numbers (6.73 eV or 1840 \AA{}). Some comments are also made on the relationship of the lattice modes of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) to the phonon sidebands of electronic transitions of impurity ions in YAG.
Electricity Use in California: Past Trends and Present Usage Patterns

Abstract This paper provides a general overview of electricity consumption and peak load in California, by both sector and end use. We examine the growth in electricity demand between 1980 and 2000, as well as the composition of electricity end uses in 1999. One of the main conclusions from this analysis is that electricity use in California in the 1990s did not grow explosively, nor was the amount of growth unanticipated. In both absolute and relative terms, growth in electricity use was greater in the 1980s than the 1990s. During the 1990s, most of the growth in electricity use has been in the buildings sector, particularly commercial buildings. In 2000, the building sector accounted for 2/3 of annual electricity consumption and 3/4 of the summer peak load.
Gas bearing turbines with dynamic gas bearings and their application in helium refrigerators

Abstract The Sulzer turbine, with dynamic gas bearings and brake compressor, is an autonomous expansion device which needs neither an external bearing gas supply nor a control system which prevents a leakage of cold process gas out of the refrigeration cycle. The journal bearings consist of three tilting pads; the thrust bearings are of the spirally groved type. An auxilliary magnetic bearing is used for start-up and shut-down. This type of turbine has been used in plants in the range 40 to 1500 W refrigeration output at 4.4 K. They are especially suited for plants where long-time reliability is essential. A plant at the Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research (SIN), which is equipped with this kind of turbines, has now more than three years of nearly uninterrupted service. A number of details of this and other gas bearing turbine plants will be discussed.
Keeping Ethnography Alive in an Urbanizing World

How do we preserve wide-ranging ethnography, and not retreat to interviews alone, in the dense and increasingly enormous cities of our urbanizing world? Interview-based fieldwork presents several dangers, as well-delineated by Barth. On the other hand, rising demands for historical, political-economic, and theoretical contextualization threaten to overwhelm the distinctive contribution of systematic ethnography. As one solution, several settings for productive urban fieldwork that were utilized in a team study of a multiethnic New York City neighborhood are discussed—commercial locations, houses of worship, secular rituals, and local political fields and arenas. In conclusion, ways are identified in which research in such settings is generative of new fieldwork, more precise contextualization, and more powerful theory.
Effect of balloon material on coronary angioplasty.

Abstract Myocardial ischemia occurs in the absence of symptoms in a proportion of patients with coronary artery disease, a phenomenon that may reflect disturbed pain responsiveness. 1 Episodes of painless (“silent”) ischemia are frequent even in patients who have angina at other times, 2 suggesting that some features of the ischemic event, rather than the patient, may be responsible for the absence of pain. One possible explanation is that the occurrence of pain relates to the extent or severity of ischemia. The relation of angina to the amount of left ventricular dysfunction has been debated, with evidence in favor 3 and against 4,5 a positive correlation. This study compared the severity and extent of ischemia, assessed by exercise echocardiography, with the presence of angina.
823 3-METHYLGLUTACONYL-CoA HYDRATASE DEFICIENCY: TWO DIFFERENT CLINICAL AND ENZYMATIC PHENOTYPES IN 3-METHYLGLUTACONIC ACIDURIA

3-Methylglutaconic aciduria has been described in 7 patients in whom urinary excretion of 3-methylglutaconic (3-MGC) and 3-methylglutaric (3-MGR) acids were elevated. In two siblings the only manifestation was speech retardation. Combined excretion of 3-MGC and 3-MGR was 520-940 mmol/mol creatinine (normal less than 6). The other patients had a picture of severe neurologic degeneration and profound mental retardation. Combined excretion of 3-MGC and 3-MGR ranged from a low of 40 to 800 mmol/mol creatinine. The activity of 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA (3-MG-CoA) hydratase in fibroblast lysates derived from the siblings with speech retardation was less than 3% of the control level. In contrast the activity of this enzyme was normal in three patients with the other clinical phenotype. We have postulated that the excretion of 3-MGC and 3-MGR in the patients with neurological abnormality is a secondary accumulation in response to another primary defect not only because of the normal activity of the enzyme but because they also excrete large quantities of citric acid cycle intermediates. We conclude that the mild clinical presentation of the siblings we have studied is the clinical picture of 3-MG-CoA hydratase deficiency. These observations indicate that neither the presence of nor the level of excretion of 3-MGC and 3-MGR correlates with 3-MG-CoA hydratase deficiency.
1070 SERUM ANTIBODY RESPONSES TO LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE (LPS) IN CHILDREN WITH HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B (HIB) MENINGITIS

We employed ELISA to measure antibody response to LPS in paired sera from 24 patients with Hib meningitis (mean age 13.8 mos). The results were compared to serum titers of 24 control children (mean age 15.2 mos). LPS was prepared from 12 CSF isolates and analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Size heterogeneity was observed, but all molecules were low molecular weight, indicating the absence of long O-antigen chains. At least 4 serologically-defined determinants were observed. Three LPS preparations containing all identified determinants were used for measurement of antibody. In acute sera, 12 of 24 meningitis patients had IgM titers ≥1:250, and 12 of 24 had IgG titers ≥1:1000. These titers were not significantly different in control children (8 of 24, and 12 of 24, respectively). Young children with meningitis responded as well to LPS as older children: 11 of 17 patients 4-fold increases in LPS antibody. Thus human infants are more responsive to some Hib LPS determinants than to the type b capsule but the data do not allow distinction between protective and nonprotective antibody.
Microdensitometric measures of cytoplasmic RNA and total protein in pyramidal neurons of the insular cortex and midfrontal gyrus in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Scanning and integrating microdensitometry of azure B- and Coomassie brilliant blue G-stained tissue sections was used to measure the levels of RNA and protein, respectively, in pyramidal neurons of the insular cortex (INS) and midfrontal gyrus (MFG) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-matched, nondemented control subjects. AD was associated with a decreased neuronal RNA (by 7.4 per cent) and protein (by 28.7 per cent) content in INS. Although the neuronal RNA content was maintained at the control amounts in MFG, the average protein level was lower (14.7 per cent) in AD patients. These results demonstrate a disease-related impairment in metabolic function in two brain regions connected via discrete corticocortical pathways. Such findings support the hypothesis that a primary site of pathology occurs in AD, and specific neural deficits occur secondarily in certain connected brain regions.
Disseminated Strongyloides stercoralis infection in an immunocompetent patient

SIR-We read with interest the photo quiz by Raffalli and colleagues [1] in which they described a case of disseminated Strongyloides stercoralis infection in an immunocompromised patient. We report a case that illustrates the fact that disseminated S. stercoralis infection can also be seen in immunocompetent patients. A 69-year-old male resident of a mental institution underwent excision of basal cell carcinomas of the hand and neck. He was a known carrier of hepatitis B virus but was not receiving any immunosuppressive medications. After surgery, he developed diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, diarrhea, a perianal rash, and an erythematous linear rash on the lower abdomen.
Ozone-safe working fluid for compression heat pumps

Abstract Carbon dioxide at supercritical state is proposed to carry out a heat pump cycle like a Lorenz triangular cycle. Calculations show that carbon dioxide as a working fluid can compete with CFCs, especially for heat pumps used as water heaters. The main disadvantage of carbon dioxide is its high pressure. In other respects carbon dioxide has excellent properties.
Bioresorbable Microporous Stents Deliver Recombinant Adenovirus Gene Transfer Vectors to the Arterial Wall

The use of intravascular stents as an adjunct for percutaneous transluminal revascularization is limited by two principal factors, acute thrombosis and neointimal proliferation, resulting in restenosis. To overcome these limitations, we have investigated the potential of microporous bioresorbable polymer stents formed from (L-lactic acid) (PLLA)/poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) blends to function both to provide mechanical support and as reservoirs for local delivery of therapeutic molecules and particles to the vessel wall. Tubular PLLA/PCL stents were fabricated by the flotation–precipitation method, and helical stents were produced by a casting/winding technique. Hybrid structures in which a tubular sheath is deposited on a helical skeleton were also generated. Using a two-stage solvent swelling technique, polyethylene oxide has been incorporated into these stents to improve hydrophilicity and water uptake, and to facilitate the ability of these devices to function as drug carriers. Stents modified in this manner retain axial and radial mechanical strength sufficient to stabilize the vessel wall against elastic recoil caused by vasoconstrictive and mechanical forces. Because of the potential of direct gene transfer into the vessel wall to ameliorate thrombosis and neointimal proliferation, we have investigated the capacity of these polymer stents to function in the delivery of recombinant adenovirus vectors to the vessel wall. In vitro, virus stock was observed to readily absorb into, and elute from these devices in an infectious form, with suitable kinetics. Successful gene transfer and expression has been demonstrated following implantation of polymer stents impregnated with a recombinant adenovirus carrying a nuclear-localizing βGal reporter gene into rabbit carotid arteries. These studies suggest that surface-modified polymer stents may ultimately be useful adjunctive devices for both mechanical support and gene transfer during percutaneous transluminal revascularization.
Isotactic Polymers with Alternating Lactic Acid and Oxetane Subunits from the Endoentropic Polymerization of a 14-Membered Ring

A new isotactic, perfectly alternating polymer of (S)-lactic acid and oxetane was synthesized by the entropically driven ring-opening polymerization of a 14-membered cyclic diester (S,S-3) mediated by a zinc alkoxide catalyst. The polymer (S,S-PMOD) was characterized by NMR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. Under polymerization conditions the equilibrium concentration (0.17 ( 0.05 M) of the monomer in toluene was essentially independent of temperature, and the average thermodynamic parameters for the ring-opening polymerization were found to be ¢Hp° ) 0.2 ( 0.7 kJ mol-1 and ¢Sp° )+ 16 ( 2 J mol-1 K-1 (standard state (S,S-3) ) 1.0 M). Theoretical calculations of the standard state enthalpy (¢Hp°) for ring-opening polymerization of various oxocyclics, including S,S-3, were well-correlated with experimental values. Kinetic studies showed that the polymerization of S,S-3 was slower (kp ) 0.82 ( 0.04 M -1 s -1 and kdp ) 0.12 ( 0.04 s -1 at 25 °C) than that of lactide (kp ) 2.2 M -1 s -1 ) using the same zinc alkoxide catalyst. Differential scanning calorimetry of S,S-PMOD showed a glass transition temperature of -30 °C for samples with molecular weights between 5 and 72 kg mol -1 . In support of the potential utility of S,S- PMOD as a PLA plasticizer, the complete miscibility of the polymeric components was demonstrated by the observation of single Tg values for a series of blends of S,S-PMOD and atactic PLA.
Induction of Endonucleolytic DNA Cleavage in Human Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Cells by Etoposide, Camptothecin, and Other Cytotoxic Anticancer Drugs: A Cautionary Note

Treatment of human HL-60 or KG1A leukemia cells with the topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide resulted in extensive DNA degradation. When DNA integrity was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, a nucleosomal ladder became evident 1.5-2 h after addition of etoposide to cells, increased in intensity over 6 h, and persisted at 24 h. Six h after addition of the drug, 94 +/- 4% of the cells excluded trypan blue even though as much as 90% of the DNA had been degraded to oligosomal fragments. Exposure of cells to 10 micrograms/ml (17 microM) etoposide for as little as 45 min was sufficient to induce this DNA damage 4 h later. Preincubation with dinitrophenol abolished the effect of etoposide, suggesting that an energy-requiring step occurred prior to or during the endonucleolytic cleavage. In contrast, the effect of etoposide was not prevented by preincubation of HL-60 cells with the RNA synthesis inhibitor 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole or the protein synthesis inhibitors cycloheximide or puromycin. On the contrary, high concentrations of 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole, cycloheximide, or puromycin by themselves induced the same endonucleolytic cleavage, as did a variety of diverse cytotoxic agents, including camptothecin (0.1 microM), colcemid (0.1 microgram/ml), cis-platinum (20 microM), methotrexate (1 microM), and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (3 microM). These results suggest that endonucleolytic DNA damage by a preexisting cellular enzyme occurs soon after treatment of HL-60 cells with any of a variety of cytotoxic agents. The observation that a variety of nuclear proteins [including poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, lamin B, topoisomerase I, topoisomerase II, and histone H1] are degraded concomitant with the DNA fragmentation calls into question the selectivity of the degradative process for DNA. The implications of these results for (a) current theories which focus upon endonucleolytic damage of DNA as a critical early event during cell death, and (b) use of topoisomerase-directed drugs to map topoisomerase-binding sites in active chromatin are discussed.
Update on the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

The patient with multiple myeloma should be carefully evaluated from the standpoint of symptoms, physical findings, and laboratory data. If there are no symptoms or evidence of early or impending complications, the patient should not be treated. He or she should be followed and treatment delayed until progression of the disease occurs. If the patient is younger than 70 years, autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation should be considered. Hematopoietic stem cells should be collected before the patient is exposed to alkylating agents. If the patient is older than 70 years, chemotherapy is indicated. The two major shortcomings of autologous stem cell transplantation are: A) failure to eradicate myeloma, and B) contamination of autologous peripheral blood stem cells. Most physicians initially treat the patient with vincristine, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), and dexamethasone (VAD) for three to four months and then collect the peripheral blood stem cells. One can then proceed with transplant or treat the patient with alkylating agents and delay the transplant until the patient progresses. In a prospective trial comparing autologous bone marrow transplantation with conventional chemotherapy, five-year overall survival favored the transplant group (52% versus 12%). In a randomized trial of 400 patients from France, there was no difference in event-free or overall survival between double and single autologous stem cell transplant when evaluated at two years. In a subsequent evaluation, patients with a low β2-microglobulin value at diagnosis appeared to have better results with a double transplant. There is no evidence that combinations of chemotherapeutic agents are more effective than melphalan and prednisone. Allogeneic transplantation is associated with a high mortality. Depletion of T-cells or a mini-allogeneic transplant may be beneficial in an effort to reduce mortality. Thalidomide produces objective response in approximately 30% of refractory patients. The use of intravenous bisphosphonates is recommended for patients with skeletal lesions. Hypercalcemia and renal failure must be treated promptly. The Oncologist 2001;6:119-124
IMPROVING THE PEER INTERACTIONS OF STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS THROUGH SELF‐EVALUATION PROCEDURES: A COMPONENT ANALYSIS AND GROUP APPLICATION

We conducted two experiments examining the effects of a self-evaluation package on the peer interactions of students described as emotionally or behaviorally disordered. Experiment 1 assessed the additive effects of various components of a self-evaluation package on the frequency of inappropriate and appropriate peer interactions. The components assessed were rewards alone, rewards plus discussion, and self-evaluation plus rewards. Results showed limited effectiveness when rewards alone and rewards plus discussion were implemented. However, substantial improvements in peer interactions were observed when the self-evaluation component was added. Experiment 2 examined the efficacy and feasibility of the procedures when implemented in a group setting. Students in three classrooms served as participants. Direct observation data collected for 8 of the participants showed the procedures to be effective in improving peer interactions when implemented in a group context.
Low Temperature Zinc Indium Oxide Backplane Development for Flexible OLED Displays in a Manufacturing Pilot Line Environment

A low temperature amorphous zinc indium oxide (ZIO) thin film transistor (TFT) backplane technology for high information content flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays has been developed. We have fabricated 4.1-in. diagonal OLED backplanes on the Flexible Display Center’s six-inch wafer-scale pilot line using ZIO as the active layer. The ZIO based TFTs exhibited an effective saturation mobility of 18.6 cm 2 /V-s and a threshold voltage shift of 2.2 Volts or less under positive and negative gate bias DC stress for 10000 seconds. We report on the critical steps in the evolution of the backplane process: the qualification of the low temperature (200°C) ZIO process, the stability of the devices under forward and reverse bias stress, the transfer of the process to flexible plastic substrates, and the fabrication of white organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays.
New Results for the Martin Polynomial

Algebraic techniques are used to find several new combinatorial interpretations for valuations of the Martin polynomial,M(G;s), for unoriented graphs. The Martin polynomial of a graph, introduced by Martin in his 1977 thesis, encodes information about the families of closed paths in Eulerian graphs. The new results here are found by showing that the Martin polynomial is a translation of a universal skein-type graph polynomialP(G) which is a Hopf map, and then using the recursion and induction which naturally arise from the Hopf algebra structure to extend known properties. Specifically, whenP(G) is evaluated by substitutingsfor all cycles and 0 for all tails, thenP(G) equalssM(G;s+2) for all Eulerian graphsG. The Hopf-algebraic properties ofP(G) are then used to extract new properties of the Martin polynomial, including an immediate proof for the formula forM(G;s) on disjoint unions of graphs, combinatorial interpretations forM(G;2+2k) andM(G;2?2k) withk?Z?0, and a new formula for the number of Eulerian orientations of a graph in terms of the vertex degrees of its Eulerian subgraphs.
Multiwalled carbon nanotubes enhance electrochemical properties of titanium to determine in situ bone formation

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) enhance osteoblast (bone-forming cell) calcium deposition compared to currently implanted materials (such as titanium). In this study, MWCNTs were grown out of nanopores anodized on titanium (MWCNT-Ti). The electrochemical responses of MWCNT-Ti were investigated in an attempt to ascertain if MWCNT-Ti can serve as novel in situ sensors of bone formation. For this purpose, MWCNT-Ti was subjected to a ferri/ferrocyanide redox couple and its electrochemical behavior measured. Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) showed an enhanced redox potential for the MWCNT-Ti. These redox signals were superior to that obtained with bare unmodified Ti, which did not sense either oxidation or reduction peaks in the CVs. A further objective of this study was to investigate the redox reactions of MWCNT-Ti in a solution of extracellular components secreted by osteoblasts in vitro. It was found that MWCNT-Ti exhibited well-defined and persistent CVs, similar to the ferri/ferrocyanide redox reaction. The higher electrodic performance and electrocatalytic activity of the MWCNT-Ti compared to the bare titanium observed in this study were likely due to the fact that MWCNTs enhanced direct electron transfer and facilitated double-layer effects, leading to a strong redox signal. Thus these results encourage the further study and modification of MWCNT-Ti to sense new bone growth in situ next to orthopedic implants and perhaps monitor other events (such as infection and/or harmful scar tissue formation) to improve the current clinical diagnosis of orthopedic implants.
The Choices of Irrigation Technologies in California

This paper introduces an econometric technique to analyze the factors affecting the land shares of alternative irrigation technologies in agriculture. It estimates the likelihood of use of drip, sprinkler, and surface irrigation by fruit growers in the Central Valley of California. Higher water costs, the use of groundwater, the production of nuts, and location are found to increase the likelihood of using drip and sprinkler irrigation. The results are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of water price increases in inducing water conservation.
Congenital malformations in infants exposed to antiepileptic medications in utero at Boston Medical Center from 2003 to 2010

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of association of major congenital malformations in pregnancy in women exposed to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in an inner city population. Background Approximately 0.3–0.5% of all pregnancies involve women with epilepsy. The risk of congenital malformations associated with AED therapy has been well documented, ranging from 2 to 10% as compared to a rate of 3% in the general population. However, the risk of these occurring in a higher risk population, such as an inner city tertiary care center, with multiple comorbidities is not as well known. Design/methods Using the Boston Medical Center Database between the years 2003 and 2010, a list of all infants born with major congenital malformations (MCMs) to mothers on AEDs was compiled. Major congenital malformations were defined as cleft lip and/or palate, ventricular or atrial septal defect, other cardiac malformations, and urogenital defects. During pregnancy, AED exposure including serum levels, other medication exposures, breakthrough seizure frequency, positive toxicology tests, and other maternal comorbidities were also analyzed. Results Of 17,246 live births between 2003 and 2010, 330 of those births demonstrated a MCM (malformation rate of 1.91%). Of those births, 64 mothers had epilepsy and were exposed to AED therapy during pregnancy, accounting for 0.37% of all births during this time period. Overall, three pregnancies in women with epilepsy resulted in a baby with a MCM, accounting for a 4.7% malformation rate in this patient population. In mothers on AEDs for other indications, the MCM rate was slightly higher, 5.0%, and in women on benzodiazepine monotherapy during pregnancy, the rate was quite high, 10.6%.
Exploiting the Routing Flexibility for Energy/Performance Aware Mapping of Regular NoC Architectures

In this paper, we present an algorithm which automatically maps the IPs onto a generic regular Network on Chip (NoC) architecture and constructs a deadlock-free deterministic routing function such that the total communication energy is minimized. At the same time, the performance of the resulting communication system is guaranteed to satisfy the specified constraints through bandwidth reservation. As the main contribution, we first formulate the problem of energy/performance aware mapping, in a topological sense, and show how the routing flexibility can be exploited to expand the solution space and improve the solution quality. An efficient branch-and-bound algorithm is then described to solve this problem. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is very fast, and significant energy savings can be achieved. For instance, for a complex video/audio application, 51.7% energy savings have been observed, on average, compared to an ad-hoc implementation.
Impaired apoptotic cell clearance in the germinal center by Mer-deficient tingible body macrophages leads to enhanced antibody-forming cell and germinal center responses

Germinal centers (GCs) are specialized microenvironments that generate high-affinity Ab-forming cells (AFCs) and memory B cells. Many B cells undergo apoptosis during B cell clonal selection in GCs. Although the factors that regulate the AFC and GC responses are not precisely understood, it is widely believed that dysregulated AFCs and GCs contribute to autoimmunity. The Mer receptor tyrosine kinase (Mer) facilitates macrophage clearance of apoptotic cells. The Tyro-3, Axl, and Mer receptors, including Mer, suppress TLRs and cytokine-mediated inflammatory responses. We report in this study that tingible body macrophages (TBMϕs) in GCs express Mer. Compared to C57BL/6 (B6) controls, Mer-deficient (Mer−/−) mice had significantly higher AFC, GC, and Th1-skewed IgG2 Ab (especially IgG2c) responses against the T cell-dependent Ag (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl) acetyl-chicken γ globulin. Mer−/− mice had a significantly higher percentage of GC B cells on days 9, 14, and 21 postimmunization compared with B6 controls. Significantly increased numbers of apoptotic cells accumulated in Mer−/− GCs than in B6 GCs, whereas the number of TBMϕs remained similar in both strains. Our data are the first, to our knowledge, to demonstrate a critical role for Mer in GC apoptotic cell clearance by TBMϕs and have interesting implications for Mer in the regulation of B cell tolerance operative in the AFC and GC pathways.
Influence of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis L.) on fish community structure and function in headwater streams of the Delaware River basin

Abstract – Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forests of the eastern U.S. are in decline due to invasion by the exotic insect hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). Aquatic biodiversity in hemlock ecosystems has not been documented; thus the true impact of the infestation cannot be assessed. We compared ichthyofaunal assemblages and trophic structure of streams draining hemlock and hardwood forests by sampling first- and second-order streams draining 14 paired hemlock and hardwood stands during base flows in July 1997 at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Over 1400 fish of 15 species and 7 families were collected, but hemlock and hardwood streams individually harbored only one to four species. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) were two to three times as prevalent in hemlock than hardwood streams. Insectivorous fishes occurred in significantly higher proportion in streams of hardwood (0.90) than hemlock (0.46) stands, while piscivores occurred more often in hemlock (0.85) than hardwood (0.54) stands. Functional (trophic) diversity of fishes in hemlock and second-order streams was numerically greater than that of hardwood and first-order streams. Species composition also differed by stream order and terrain type. Biodiversity is threatened at several levels within hemlock ecosystems at risk to the hemlock woolly adelgid in eastern U.S. forests.
The Fetal Response to Chronic Placental Insufficiency

Fetal growth restriction is most commonly caused by failure of the placenta to meet the increasing demands for oxygen and substrate of the developing fetus, resulting in common fetal compensatory responses. Understanding these responses is helpful in developing a management strategy that will optimize pregnancy outcome.
A Neural Network Approach to Freeway Incident Detection

This study explores the Neural Network approach to automatic incident detection. This method applies historical detector data to reduce possible false alarms and operational impacts of each incident.
Compartmentalized replication of R5 T cell-tropic HIV-1 in the central nervous system early in the course of infection

Compartmentalized HIV-1 replication within the central nervous system (CNS) likely provides a foundation for neurocognitive impairment and a potentially important tissue reservoir. The timing of emergence and character of this local CNS replication has not been defined in a population of subjects. We examined the frequency of elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) HIV-1 RNA concentration, the nature of CSF viral populations compared to the blood, and the presence of a cellular inflammatory response (with the potential to bring infected cells into the CNS) using paired CSF and blood samples obtained over the first two years of infection from 72 ART-naive subjects. Using single genome amplification (SGA) and phylodynamics analysis of full-length env sequences, we compared CSF and blood viral populations in 33 of the 72 subjects. Independent HIV-1 replication in the CNS (compartmentalization) was detected in 20% of sample pairs analyzed by SGA, or 7% of all sample pairs, and was exclusively observed after four months of infection. In subjects with longitudinal sampling, 30% showed evidence of CNS viral replication or pleocytosis/inflammation in at least one time point, and in approximately 16% of subjects we observed evolving CSF/CNS compartmentalized viral replication and/or a marked CSF inflammatory response at multiple time points suggesting an ongoing or recurrent impact of the infection in the CNS. Two subjects had one of two transmitted lineages (or their recombinant) largely sequestered within the CNS shortly after transmission, indicating an additional mechanism for establishing early CNS replication. Transmitted variants were R5 T cell-tropic. Overall, examination of the relationships between CSF viral populations, blood and CSF HIV-1 RNA concentrations, and inflammatory responses suggested four distinct states of viral population dynamics, with associated mechanisms of local viral replication and the early influx of virus into the CNS. This study considerably enhances the generalizability of our results and greatly expands our knowledge of the early interactions of HIV-1 in the CNS.
Election Administration and the Pure Effect of Voter Registration on Turnout

Voter registration is thought to have a substantial negative effect on American voter turnout. The authors clarify this understanding in two ways. First, using a natural experiment in Wisconsin, th...