cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glycoproteomics Using Chemical Immobilization

Protein glycosylation is prevalent in proteins destined for extracellular environments, e.g., transmembrane proteins, cell surface proteins, and secreted proteins in tissues and body fluids. These also are the proteins that are most easily accessible for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This unit describes methods for solid-phase extraction of glycopeptides and subsequent identification of glycopeptides as well as glycosylation sites. The extraction is based on the conjugation of glycopeptides to a solid support, using hydrazide chemistry, and the specific release of formerly glycosylated peptides. The recovered peptides are then identified by tandem mass spectrometry. The methods are applied to the analysis of proteins from cells, body fluids, and tissues. Keywords: Glycoproteomics; glycosylation; protein post-translational modification; mass spectrometry; proteomics; extracellular proteins; secreted proteins
Regulation of IGFBP-4 levels in human intestinal muscle by an IGF-I-activated, confluence-dependent protease.

Human intestinal smooth muscle cells in culture produce insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), IGFBP-4, and IGFBP-5, which can modulate the effects of IGF-I on growt...
Testing for non-randomness in sizes and habitats of West Indian lizards: choice of species pool affects conclusions from null models

Several null models are proposed for testing whether size or habitat differences in West IndianAnolis lizards are greater than expected ‘by chance’. The models differ primarily in choice of the pool from which species are sampled to form random communities. Regardless of choice of pool, size differences in the Lesser Antilles are greater than null models predict; the pool using species on the known source (Puerto Rico) gives a greater variance in ratios but about the same mean ratio (for males), or a greater mean ratio (for females), compared with the pool composed of species on the islands being tested (the Stronget al., 1979, Galapagos procedure). On satellite islands of the Greater Antilles, sizes do not differ more than expected from null models. Pools composed of mainland-source species give null communities with more small or more large ratios than those composed of island species, depending upon whether four-species islands are included or excluded, respectively. Colwell and Winkler's unmodified ‘Narcissus’ hypothesis is contradicted by these results in procedures where species not likely to be able to occur on small islands are included in the species pool. Using the most biologically reasonable, but not other, choices of source pool, species on satellite islands of the Greater Antilles differ more in structural habitat then expected ‘by chance’. In contrast to some of the results on size, here mainland-source pools are more likely to produce a statistically significant difference between real and random communities, as predicted by the ‘Narcissus’ hypothesis. However, exclusion of structural habitat categories not found on satellite islands is necessary to achieve this significance.
Mining a search engine's corpus without a query pool

Many websites (e.g., WedMD.com, CNN.com) provide keyword search interfaces over a large corpus of documents. Meanwhile, many third parties (e.g., investors, analysts) are interested in learning big-picture analytical information over such a document corpus, but have no direct way of accessing it other than using the highly restrictive web search interface. In this paper, we study how to enable third-party data analytics over a search engine's corpus without the cooperation of its owner - specifically, by issuing a small number of search queries through the web interface.Almost all existing techniques require a pre-constructed query pool - i.e., a small yet comprehensive collection of queries which, if all issued through the search interface, can recall almost all documents in the corpus. The problem with this requirement is that a ``good'' query pool can only be constructed by someone with very specific knowledge (e.g., size, topic, special terms used, etc.) of the corpus, essentially leading to a chicken-and-egg problem. In this paper, we develop QG-SAMPLER and QG-ESTIMATOR, the first practical pool-free techniques for sampling and aggregate (e.g., SUM, COUNT, AVG) estimation over a search engine's corpus, respectively. Extensive real-world experiments show that our algorithms perform on-par with the state-of-the-art pool-based techniques equipped with a carefully tailored query pool, and significantly outperforms the latter when the query pool is a mismatch.
Consideration of metals levels in identifying CSO abatement options

Levels of total metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni) from samples in Buffalo, NY, were generally higher in combined sewage than sanitary flow. Sewer separation should therefore be considered carefully when choosing combined sewer overflow (CSO) abatement options. The first flush phenomenon was typically observed for sampled CSO events and first flush control may be effective in reducing receiving water impacts. Event mean concentration is often used for runoff quality evaluation, without consideration of concentration variability. The Weibull and lognormal distributions best fit the event mean concentration data and could be used to assess contaminant loading variability.
Resilience of Precuneus Neurotrophic Signaling Pathways Despite Amyloid Pathology in Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract Background Reduction of precuneus choline acetyltransferase activity co-occurs with greater beta-amyloid (Aβ) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Whether this cholinergic deficit is associated with alteration in nerve growth factor (NGF) signaling and its relation to Aβ plaque and neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology during disease onset is unknown. Methods Precuneus NGF upstream and downstream signaling levels relative to Aβ and NFT pathology were evaluated using biochemistry and histochemistry in 62 subjects with a premortem diagnosis of non–cognitively impaired (NCI; n = 23), mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 21), and mild to moderate AD ( n = 18). Results Immunoblots revealed increased levels of proNGF in AD subjects but not MCI subjects, whereas cognate receptors were unchanged. There were no significant differences in protein level for the downstream survival kinase-signaling proteins Erk and phospho-Erk among groups. Apoptotic phospho-JNK, phospho-JNK/JNK ratio, and Bcl-2 were significantly elevated in AD subjects. Soluble Aβ 1–42 and fibrillar Aβ measured by [ 3 H] Pittsburgh compound-B ([ 3 H]PiB) binding were significantly higher in AD subjects compared with MCI and NCI subjects. The density of plaques showed a trend to increase, but only 6-CN-PiB–positive plaques reached significance in AD subjects. AT8-positive, TOC-1–positive, and Tau C3–positive NFT densities were unchanged, whereas only AT8-positive neuropil thread density was statistically higher in AD subjects. A negative correlation was found between proNGF, phospho-JNK, and Bcl-2 levels and phospho-JNK/JNK ratio and cognition, whereas proNGF correlated positively with 6-CN-PiB–positive plaques during disease progression. Conclusions Data indicate that precuneus neurotrophin pathways are resilient to amyloid toxicity during the onset of AD.
Rac1 GTPase acts downstream of αPS1βPS integrin to control collective migration and lumen size in the Drosophila salivary gland

During collective migration of the Drosophila embryonic salivary gland, the distal gland cells mediate integrin-based contacts with surrounding tissues while proximal gland cells change shape and rearrange. Here, we show that αPS1βPS integrin controls salivary gland migration through Rac1 GTPase which downregulates E-cadherin in proximal and distal gland cells, and promotes extension of actin-rich basal membrane protrusions in the distal cells. In embryos mutant for multiple edematous wings (mew), which encodes the αPS1 subunit of the αPS1βPS integrin heterodimer, or rac1 and rac2 GTPases, salivary gland cells failed to migrate, to downregulate E-cadherin and to extend basal membrane protrusions. Selective inhibition of Rac1 in just the proximal or distal gland cells demonstrate that proximal gland cells play an active role in the collective migration of the whole gland and that continued migration of the distal cells depends on the proximal cells. Loss of rac1rac2 also affected gland lumen length and width whereas, loss of mew affected lumen length only. Activation of rac1 in mew mutant embryos significantly rescued the gland migration, lumen length and basal membrane protrusion defects and partially rescued the E-cadherin defects. Independent of mew, Rac regulates cell shape change and rearrangement in the proximal gland, which is important for migration and lumen width. Our studies shed novel insight into a Rac1-mediated link between integrin and cadherin adhesion proteins in vivo, control of lumen length and width and how activities of proximal and distal gland cells are coordinated to result in the collective migration of the entire salivary gland.
An analysis of Martian photometry and polarimetry

The physical parameters that influence the photometric and polarimetric properties of a solid are enumerated and used to guide a comparison of laboratory measurements with observations of Mars. Both the bright and dark areas of Mars are found to be covered by a fine powder. Furthermore, they appear to have a very similar chemical composition. It is argued that goethite is a major constituent of both regions. The particles on the bright areas are characterized by an average particle radius of 25 μ, while those on the dark areas have a mean size of 100 μ outside of the period of seasonal darkening and about 200 μ near the peak of the darkening. The seasonal darkening of the dark areas is the result of a change in the average particle dimension without an accompanying chemical change. The Martian atmosphere has much less of an influence on the photometric and polarimetric observations than was previously supposed. The observed lack of contrast in the blue appears to be largely the result of an intrinsic loss of surface contrast, and not an effect of a hypothetical atmospheric blue haze.
Phosphatidic Acid-Mediated Mitogenic Activation of mTOR Signaling

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) governs cell growth and proliferation by mediating the mitogen- and nutrient-dependent signal transduction that regulates messenger RNA translation. We identified phosphatidic acid (PA) as a critical component of mTOR signaling. In our study, mitogenic stimulation of mammalian cells led to a phospholipase D-dependent accumulation of cellular PA, which was required for activation of mTOR downstream effectors. PA directly interacted with the domain in mTOR that is targeted by rapamycin, and this interaction was positively correlated with mTOR's ability to activate downstream effectors. The involvement of PA in mTOR signaling reveals an important function of this lipid in signal transduction and protein synthesis, as well as a direct link between mTOR and mitogens. Furthermore, these studies suggest a potential mechanism for the in vivo actions of the immunosuppressant rapamycin.
Neuroendocrine‐Related Adverse Events Associated with Antidepressant Treatment in Children and Adolescents

There is only limited community-based practice safety information available regarding antidepressant use in pediatric patients. This study identifies the factors associated with incident neuroendocrine-related metabolic, digestive, and sexual/reproductive adverse events in children and adolescents treated with antidepressants. A retrospective cohort design evaluating Medicaid medical and pharmacy claims between January, 1996 and December, 2005 was employed for 11970 children and adolescents prescribed an antidepressant medication, and a random sample of 4500 children not treated with psychotropic medications. Incident obesity/weight gain, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia were more likely for those prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (OR = 1.49; 1.37; 1.44), whereas Type 2 diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia were more likely for those prescribed weight-inducing antidepressants (ORs = 1.26; 1.24), and those with pre-existing endocrinopathies (ORs = 3.96; 1.90), controlling for the effects of co-prescribed mood stabilizers or antipsychotics. Incident nausea/vomiting was less likely for those taking SSRIs (OR = 0.78). Females and children under 12 years of age were more likely to develop these adverse effects. Practitioners need to carefully consider the neuroendocrine- related adverse effects of SSRI antidepressant agents in particular, especially in individuals with comorbid endocrine conditions, and those co-prescribed other classes of psychotropic medications.
Regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during water deprivation.

The contribution of the magnocellular vasopressinergic system to the regulation of ACTH secretion was studied by analysis of hypothalamic-adrenal axis function in rats subjected to water deprivation for 48 h. Water deprivation resulted in marked increases in plasma osmolarity and vasopressin (VP) levels and hypothalamic VP mRNA and immunoreactive (ir) VP in magnocellular neurons. While CRH mRNA levels in the paraventricular nucleus were decreased, irCRH accumulation in paraventricular nucleus neurons after colchicine treatment was normal or increased. Similarly, the irCRH content in the median eminence and its release under stress were similar in control and waterdenrived rats. While basal nlasma ACTH levels were similar in both groups (34.5 + 3.8 and 39.8 + 3.3 pg/ml), levels stimulated by CRH injection (10 fig, iv) or 15-min immobilization stress were reduced by 47% (P < 0.01) and 43% (P < 0.05), respectively, in water-restricted rats. The decreased ACTH responses were not prevented by injection of CRH (7.5 fig/day, SC) during the period of water deprivation. In contrast to the ACTH responses, basal and CRH-stimulated plasma corticosterone levels were significantly elevated (P < O.OOl), and the responses to acute stress were normal. The inhibition of ACTH secretion was not due to increased glucocorticoid feedback, since similar blunted ACTH resuonses to acute immobilization stress were observed in adrenalectomizid rats receiving corticosterone replacement. Despite similar levels of pituitary POMC mRNA, pituitary ACTH content was reduced in water-deprived rats, suggesting a posttranscriptional inhibition of POMC synthesis or processing. The data demonstrate that osmotic activation of the magnocellular VP system is accompanied by reduced responsiveness of the corticotrophs, an effect that is not due to increased glucocorticoid feedback or hypothalamic CRH deficiencv. These findings suggest that the magnoceil;lar vasopressinergic systed does not play an important role in the regulation of ACTH secretion during chronic o&otic stimulation. (E&ocrinology 132: 241-248, 1993)
Teaching the surgical airway using fresh cadavers and confirming placement nonsurgically

Abstract Study Objective To determine if teaching cricothyrotomy with fresh cadavers improves confidence with neck anatomy, patient positioning, procedural steps, and familiarity with a cricothyrotomy kit. Design Prospective pre- and post-educational. Setting University medical center. Subjects 16 anesthesiology residents, one certified registered nurse-anesthetist (CRNA), and 8 medical students. Measurements Subjects received workshop training with a PowerPoint presentation followed by an instructional video. Subjects then performed cricothyrotomy during supervision on cadavers. The comfort levels of 25 subjects before (pre) and after (post) the workshop were assessed using a 7-point Likert scale. Correct placement of the cricothyrotome was confirmed with visualization of the carina fiberoptically. Main Results There was a significant increase ( P Conclusions A didactic workshop followed by performance of cricothyrotomy on fresh human cadavers may improve both physician and non-physician anesthesiology care providers' confidence in performing cricothyrotomy.
Attenuation of neutrophil-mediated myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by a calpain inhibitor.

Calpains are ubiquitous neutral cysteine proteases. Although their physiological role has yet to be clarified, calpains seem to be involved in the expression of cell adhesion molecules. Therefore, ...
Smoothness of the unnormalized conditional measures of stochastic nonlinear filtering

We prove that the unnormalized conditional measures of stochastic nonlinear filtering have smooth densities when the infinitesimal generator of the state process satisfies Hormander-like nondegeneracy conditions and when certain LP estimates can be proved. Our results are obtained by application of Malliavin's calculus. Examples that satisfy the conditions of our main theorem are given.
What test should I use

Appropriate assessment of Hispanic children requires clinicians to have knowledge of the cultural and linguistic factors that influence the communication skills of these children. This knowledge base includes an understanding of variations in the social and linguistic characteristics of Hispanic subgroups. Knowledge of these characteristics provides clinicians with the framework necessary to conduct less biased assessments. Clinicians possessing this framework would be able to conduct assessments that take into consideration the child's social ecology and the impact of dialect, first and second language acquisition, and language loss on the child's communication skills.
PrimerHunter: a primer design tool for PCR-based virus subtype identification

Rapid and reliable virus subtype identification is critical for accurate diagnosis of human infections, effective response to epidemic outbreaks and global-scale surveillance of highly pathogenic viral subtypes such as avian influenza H5N1. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become the method of choice for virus subtype identification. However, designing subtype-specific PCR primer pairs is a very challenging task: on one hand, selected primer pairs must result in robust amplification in the presence of a significant degree of sequence heterogeneity within subtypes, on the other, they must discriminate between the subtype of interest and closely related subtypes. In this article, we present a new tool, called PrimerHunter, that can be used to select highly sensitive and specific primers for virus subtyping. Our tool takes as input sets of both target and nontarget sequences. Primers are selected such that they efficiently amplify any one of the target sequences, and none of the nontarget sequences. PrimerHunter ensures the desired amplification properties by using accurate estimates of melting temperature with mismatches, computed based on the nearest neighbor model via an efficient fractional programming algorithm. Validation experiments with three avian influenza HA subtypes confirm that primers selected by PrimerHunter have high sensitivity and specificity for target sequences.
Using analogies to form conceptual models to facilitate transfer

Abstract This study examined the effects of the acquisition of a problem solving model on the ability to transfer to analogous problems in different domains. Two hundred and ten undergraduate students participated. Subjects were presented a problem solving model, asked to formulate a problem solving model, or required to paraphrase the problem solving model in their own words. Responses to a Biology problem and a transfer problem were scored. There were differences observed in the performance of the groups. The scores of students who were presented the problem solving model and students who formulated the problem solving model rose slightly on the transfer problem. One group's scores decreased and another group's scores remained the same on the transfer task. Discussion includes implications for instructional strategies and planning.
1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3-3β-bromoacetate, an Affinity-Labeling Analog of 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Receptor

Abstract In this communication we describe the synthesis of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 -3β-bromoacetate [1,25(OH) 2 -BE], an analog of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 [1,25(OH) 2 D 3 ], as a part of our ongoing interest in characterizing the hormone-binding domain of the 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 receptor (VDR). We carried out several binding studies of 1,25(OH) 2 -BE with chick intestinal VDR preparations to demonstrate that 1,25(OH) 2 -BE is capable of blocking the entry of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 into its binding pocket and possibly covalently linking to the VDR molcule.
The Past, Present, and Future of Genetic Associations in Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease affecting approximately one in 300 individuals in the United States. The majority of genetic research to date has focused on the heritability that predisposes to islet autoimmunity and T1DM. The evidence so far points to T1DM being a polygenic, common, complex disease with major susceptibility lying in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on chromosome 6 with other smaller effects seen in loci outside of the MHC. With recent advances in technology, novel means of exploring the human genome have given way to new information in the development of T1DM. The newest technologies, namely high-throughput polymorphism typing and sequencing, have led to a paradigm shift in studying common diseases such as T1DM. In this review we highlight the advances in genetic associations in T1DM in the last several decades and how they have led to a better understanding of T1DM pathogenesis.
Surface investigations of the bindings of metals in concrete

Abstract The chemical nature of solidified hazardous waste is an important consideration for modeling the stability and the design of appropriate systems. This study uses X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS, ion scattering spectroscopy, (ISS) and electron microscopy (qualitative and analytical) to examine the chemical nature of metal ion doped Portland cement. Chromium, lead, cadmium, mercury and zinc systems have been examined as to the morphology of the cement and the nature of the binding of these metals. These surface studies are beginning to delineate the mutual effects of the pollutants and the containment system. A model for the retardation of cement settings by lead has been developed and the chemical nature of Hg in cement has been determined. These developments are presented along with similar observations and results on the other metals.
A level playing field for biofuels and bioproducts

Are the ethanol critics merely lazy, or are they pursuing an agenda regardless of the facts? © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Postradiation angiosarcoma of the small intestine: a case report and review of literature

Postradiation angiosarcoma is typically a high-grade sarcoma that presents mainly in the skin and superficial tissues. Postradiation angiosarcoma arising in the small intestine is rare with only 11 cases documented in the English-language literature. Herein, we report a postradiation angiosarcoma of the small intestine 9 years after radiotherapy for uterine cervical adenocarcinoma. The patient presented with symptoms of intestinal obstruction. At exploratory laparotomy, tumor nodules involved the small bowel. Microscopically, the neoplasm was composed of spindled and epithelioid cells arranged in solid aggregates and focally forming vascular channels. The diagnosis of angiosarcoma was confirmed immunohistochemically by tumor cell expression of CD31, CD34, and factor VIII-related antigen. The patient died 10 months after laparotomy. The diagnosis of PRA should be entertained for any poorly differentiated neoplasm arising in a previously irradiated site. The correct diagnosis of PRA depends upon histomorphologic identification of vascular differentiation, coupled with immunohistochemical expression of endothelial-related markers.
Short separation channel location impacts the performance of short channel regression in NIRS.

Abstract Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) allows the recovery of cortical oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin changes associated with evoked brain activity. NIRS is a back-reflection measurement making it very sensitive to the superficial layers of the head, i.e. the skin and the skull, where systemic interference occurs. As a result, the NIRS signal is strongly contaminated with systemic interference of superficial origin. A recent approach to overcome this problem has been the use of additional short source-detector separation optodes as regressors. Since these additional measurements are mainly sensitive to superficial layers in adult humans, they can be used to remove the systemic interference present in longer separation measurements, improving the recovery of the cortical hemodynamic response function (HRF). One question that remains to answer is whether or not a short separation measurement is required in close proximity to each long separation NIRS channel. Here, we show that the systemic interference occurring in the superficial layers of the human head is inhomogeneous across the surface of the scalp. As a result, the improvement obtained by using a short separation optode decreases as the relative distance between the short and the long measurement is increased. NIRS data was acquired on 6 human subjects both at rest and during a motor task consisting of finger tapping. The effect of distance between the short and the long channel was first quantified by recovering a synthetic hemodynamic response added over the resting-state data. The effect was also observed in the functional data collected during the finger tapping task. Together, these results suggest that the short separation measurement must be located as close as 1.5 cm from the standard NIRS channel in order to provide an improvement which is of practical use. In this case, the improvement in Contrast-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) compared to a standard General Linear Model (GLM) procedure without using any small separation optode reached 50% for HbO and 100% for HbR. Using small separations located farther than 2 cm away resulted in mild or negligible improvements only.
Navigation simulator for the space tug vehicle

A general simulation program (GSP) for state estimation of a nonlinear space vehicle flight navigation system is developed and used as a basis for evaluating the performance of a Space Tug navigation system. An explanation of the iterative guidance mode (IGM) guidance law, derivation of the dynamics, coordinate frames and state estimation routines are given in order to clarify the assumptions and approximations made. A number of simulation and analytical studies are used to demonstrate the operation of the Tug system. Included in the simulation studies are (1) initial offset vector parameter study; (2) propagation time vs accuracy; (3) measurement noise parametric study and (4) reduction in computational burden of an on-board implementable scheme. From the results of these studies, conclusions and recommendations concerning future areas of practical and theoretical work are presented.
The Experimental City: With components designed as an experimental system, new cities in open land will open up land in old cities.

The Experimental City suggested some years ago is now being planned. Started from scratch, the Experimental City will be unlike other cities or towns that have been built in this way. It will not be a bedroom satellite of an existing city, as some of the New Towns in England have become; nor will it attempt to be an instant utopia. It will be neither a single company town?Hershey, Penn sylvania?nor a single occupation town?Oak Ridge, Manned Space Center, Los Alamos, Chandrigar, Brazilia, Washington, D. C. The Experimental City should not be confused with "demonstra tion" or "model" cities that attempt to show what can be done temporarily to renew old cities. Yet it will experiment with ex tensions of many of the assets and experiences of these. It will attempt to be a city representing a true cross section of people, income, business and industry, recreation, education, health care, and cultural opportunities that are representative of the United States.
Chemical Imidization Study by Spectroscopic Techniques. 2. Polyamic Acids

Chemical imidization of polyamic acid based on 1,5-diaminonaphthalene and a dianhydride was studied by UV−visible and FT-IR ATR techniques under various reaction conditions, such as polyamic acid concentration, solvent condition (dry vs humidity-exposed NMP), catalysts of tertiary amines with different degrees of steric crowding and base strength, and the concentration of the acetic anhydride and pyridine. With acetic anhydride and pyridine, the reaction was very similar to that of the model amic acids, with the simultaneous formation of bisimide groups and bisisoimide groups, followed by isomerization of bisisoimde groups to bisimide groups, which is very sensitive to the dryness of the solvent. The reaction with polymer films supported a similar trend. Chemical imidization seems to proceed by nucleophilic catalysis by tertiary amines, depending on the steric crowding as well as the base strength. Reducing steric crowding in the catalyst facilitates the formation of an acylammonium (or pyridinium) cation...
Cdk5 nuclear localization is p27-dependent in nerve cells: implications for cell cycle suppression and caspase-3 activation.

Initiation of a cell cycle in an adult neuron leads to cell death, placing great importance on the mechanisms that normally suppress the neuronal cell cycle. We have previously shown that the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk5 is an important part of this process, but only when it is present in the nucleus. We report here that Cdk5 nuclear localization relies on its binding to the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27. Cdk5 has no intrinsic nuclear localization signal; in the absence of p27, two weak nuclear export signals that bind CRM1 cause it to shuttle to the cytoplasm. When a neuron is subjected to stress, such as exposure to β-amyloid, the Cdk5-p27 interaction is lost, reducing Cdk5 levels in the nucleus and depriving the neuron of a major cell cycle suppression mechanism. Caspase-3 is activated within hours, but death is not immediate; elevated levels of cytoplasmic Cdk5 appear to retard neuronal death by a mechanism that may involve Bcl2. These data suggest a model in which Cdk5 exerts a double protective function in neurons: chronically suppressing the cell cycle when located in the nucleus and transiently delaying cell death in the cytoplasm.
OVINE PLACENTAL LACTOGEN, BUT NOT GROWTH HORMONE, STIMULATES AMINO ACID TRANSPORT IN FETAL RAT DIAPHRAGM

Previous studies from this laboratory indicate that ovine placental lactogen (oPL) and ovine growth hormone (oGH) stimulate amino acid transport in diaphragms of postnatal rats with equal potencies. However, in studies reported here using diaphragms from fetal rats on day 20 of gestation, oPL (2,5 and 20 μg/ml) stimulated a dose-dependent increase in amino acid uptake, while oGH (5,20 and 100 μg/ml) and rat growth hormone (rGH, 2 and 40 μg/ml) were without effect. The effect of oPL on fetal AIB transport was neither enhanced nor antagonized by oGH (100 μg/ml). The magnitude of stimulation of AIB transport by oPL was comparable to that observed with insulin (100 and 1000μU/ml). Human placental lactogen (hPL) and ovine prolactin (oPRL) had no effect on fetal AIB transport. Since oPL is present in high concentrations in fetal blood, these studies suggest that oPL may have a direct role in the regulation of fetal amino acid and protein metabolism, that oPL and oGH may bind to different receptors in fetal rat ...
Atmospheric Turbulence and Interferometric Spectroscopy

Electronic techniques for interpreting interferograms in interference spectroscopy are well known. It is shown that atmospheric turbulence can have an effect on the interferogram and its interpretation. This is accomplished mathematically by allowing the transmission of the atmosphere to vary as a function of time. It is this time variation that causes ambiguity in the determination of the intensity of radiation at a particular wavelength.
Carcinoma of the Esophagus and Achalasia

lmost a century has elapsed since Fagge [5] originally reported in 1872 the association of carcinoma of the esophagus with achalaA sia. Esophageal cancer continues to develop occasionally in this long-standing benign disease. It tends to be diagnosed late in the majority of cases. The resultant delay in treatment is responsible for the small incidence of resectability and curability of this cancer. It is our purpose to report such a case and to review the pertinent literature. The case is one of epidermoid carcinoma occurring in association with achalasia, treated successfully with preoperative x-ray therapy, esophagectomy, and transverse colon interposition, and followed for three years. A 52-year-old construction worker first entered the hospital in 1950 with dysphagia and postprandial regurgitation. The diagnosis of achalasia was established. Partial symptomatic relief resulted from hydrostatic esophageal dilatation. After one year the patient was lost to follow-up until he returned with similar symptoms sixteen years later. His complaints at this time were dysphagia, persistent mild substernal pain, postprandial regurgitation exacerbated by the supine position, and a loss of 25 pounds in weight during the previous seven months. Roentgenograms revealed a large esophagus that projected into the right hemithorax (Fig. 1) with two separate areas of narrowing, a long annular constriction in the lower third of the esophagus, and a smooth tapering at the cardioesophageal junction (Fig. 2). Obstruction to the flow of barium was nearly complete. Subsequent esophagoscopy and biopsy 37 cm. from the upper incisor teeth established the diagnosis of epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus. Preoperative evaluation failed to demonstrate any gross hepatic dysfunction or pulmonary involvement. The colon was found to be suitable for esophageal rep!acement. X-ray therapy was administered to the tumor with a total dose of 2,000 rads in three days H61. Three days later the abdomen was explored through a midline abdominal incision. There were no detectable intraabdominal metastases nor any direct extension of the tumor. A suitable length of transverse colon was prepared for interposition between the stomach and the cervical esophagus in an antiperistaltic fashion. A right thoracotomy was then carried out to evaluate resectability. In spite of its large size the carcinomatous esophagus was freely movable. The entire thoracic esophagus and gastric fundus were removed. The colon was then drawn through the right chest and anastornosed end to end to the cervical esophagus through a third incision on the neck. A pyloroplasty, gastrostomy, and tube cecostomy were performed.
Inhibition of orthotopic growth and metastasis of androgen-sensitive human prostate tumors in mice by bioactive soybean components.

BACKGROUND Systematic analysis of the influence of diet on the initiation and progression of prostate cancer is often difficult in human populations, for which dietary variables overlap a diversity of genetic backgrounds and social behaviors. Animal models that emulate human prostate cancer allow experimental analysis of the mechanisms of action of nutritional agents that show anti-prostate cancer activity. METHODS We have used an orthotopic implant model to characterize the in vivo response of androgen-sensitive LNCaP prostate tumors to three well-characterized soy dietary supplements: isoflavone depleted soy protein, soy phytochemical concentrate (SPC), and genistin. RESULTS In male SCID mice orthotopically implanted with the androgen-sensitive human prostate cell line LNCaP, dietary supplements of soy protein, genistin, and SPC reduced primary tumor weight by 42% (P = 0.07), 57% (P < 0.05) and 70% (P < 0.005), respectively. All three soy supplements significantly increased tumor apoptosis and decrease microvessel density, with no significant change in tumor proliferation. Each supplement produced a distinct serum androgen response, with genistin producing the greatest decrease in total serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (P < 0.05) and the greatest increase in testosterone to DHT ratio (P < 0.05) and soy protein the greatest decrease in bioactive androgen (P < 0.05). Only SPC significantly inhibited metastases to lymph nodes and lungs, and only SPC produced a significant increase in tumor p53 expression. CONCLUSION Taken together, these data suggest that the anti-prostate cancer activity of dietary soy protein, soy phytochemicals, and genistin use different molecular pathways. In addition, we have demonstrated that this animal model can be used in the design of dietary strategies for prostate cancer prevention and therapy. Prostate 53: 143–153, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Multiple and single bond energies in inorganic molecules

Abstract The new method of calculating bond energies recently reported has now been extended to include multiple bonds. For carbon-carbon double and triple bonds the energy is 1·50 and 1·75 times the single bond energy when corrected for the multiple bond length. These multiplicity factors are used to calculate the single bond energies for nitrogen and oxygen that would correspond to the experimental bond lengths and dissociation energies of N 2 and O 2 . Three different single bond energy contributions each for nitrogen and oxygen are thus determined, and estimates are made for similar values for fluorine, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, bromine and iodine. The possible significance of such values is discussed in terms of bond energy calculations for 141 gaseous molecules, based on a consideration of the effect of lone pair electrons in bond weakening. Calculated bond energies for CO, CO 2 , NO, NO 2 , and other compounds are in excellent agreement with the experimental values.
Interstellar Neutral Hydrogen Filaments at High Galactic Latitudes and the Bennett Pinch

Observed properties of interstellar neutral hydrogen filaments suggest the presence of the Bennett pinch as described by the Carlqvist relationship with rotation around the filament axes included. A brief summary is first given of three ways in which a filament model for interstellar “cloud” structure was tested. Preliminary results from highresolution HI mapping of gas and dust in an apparent HI “cloud” indicate that the neutral gas and dust within and around its boundary is itself highly filamentary. An attempt to detect magnetic fields in this and similar features using the Zeeman effect technique at the 21-cm wavelength of interstellar neutral hydrogen set upper limits of a fewµG. In contrast, the strength of the toroidal magnetic field expected from the examination of the Carlqvist relationship is of order 5µG, which would be produced by a current of 1.4 · 1013 A. Zeeman effect technology is at present not able to detect toroidal magnetic fields of this order at the edge of barely resolved HI filaments. Nevertheless, currently available high-resolution HI data suggest that interstellar filament physics should take into account the role of currents and pinches for creating and stabilizing the structures.
A Probability-Based Similarity Measure for Saupe Alignment Tensors with Applications to Residual Dipolar Couplings in NMR Structural Biology:

High-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structural biology and NMR structural genomics pose a fascinating set of geometric challenges. A key bottleneck in NMR structural biology is the resonance assignment problem. We seek to accelerate protein NMR resonance assignment and structure determination by exploiting a priori structural information. In particular, a method known as nuclear vector replacement (NVR) has been proposed as a method for solving the assignment problem given a priori structural information. Among several different types of input data, NVR uses a particular type of NMR data known as residual dipolar couplings (RDCs). The basic physics of RDCs tells us that the data should be explainable by a structural model and set of parameters contained within the “Saupe alignment tensor”.In the NVR algorithm, one estimates the Saupe alignment tensors and then proceeds to refine those estimates. We would like to quantify the accuracy of such estimates, where we compare the estimated Saupe mat...
Toxicity of the herbicides 2,4-D, DEF, propanil and trifluralin to the Dungeness crab, Cancer magister.

Lethal and sublethal responses to the herbicides 2,4-D, DEF®, propanil, and trifluralin of various life history stages of the Dungeness crab,Cancer magister, were examined to estimate maximum acceptable toxicant concentrations (MATC) of each compound for this species. Zoeae were found, in long term tests, to be the most sensitive stage. Based on the experiments with this stage, MATCs were concluded to be >0.95, <6.9μg for DEF, ≥26, <220μg/L for trifluralin, ≥80, < 1,700μg/L for propanil, and < 1,000μg/L for the free acid form of 2,4-D.
A comparison of central‐axis depth‐dose values in water and tissue‐equivalent liquids for 60Co

Water has long been used to develop depth‐dose data for clinical use. Biological material differs from water physically and chemically. Using tissue‐equivalent liquids for phantom materials, central‐axis depth‐dose values are found which are lower for 60Co gamma rays than the corresponding values using water, perhaps significantly.
Review of Precambrian paleomagnetic data for Europe

Abstract Some 36 paleomagnetic poles are available from Precambrian rock units from Europe, west of the Urals. They allow us to amplify Neuvonen's suggestions, and speculate on the pole path for the interval 1200–2000 my. In order to link younger Precambrian poles with Phanerozoic data, one interpretation is that a closed loop is required during the interval 500–1400 my. By comparison of pole paths for North America, Western Europe, and East and Southern Africa, the paleomagnetic evidence presently available tentatively suggests that these shield areas drifted independently during the later part of the Precambrian.
Improvements in dialysis access survival with increasing use of arteriovenous fistulas in a Veterans Administration medical center.

Abstract Background Native arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) have been found to exhibit higher survival rates and lower complication rates than prosthetic grafts (AVGs). Methods Between August 2001 and December 2003, 93 patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) had primary dialysis access placed at a single Veterans Administration medical center. Of these 93 patients, 67 had AVFs created and 26 patients had AVGs implanted. Results The percentage of patients who did not require additional intervention was 84% (56 of 67) for AVF and 78% (21 of 26) for AVG after 4 to 31 months of follow-up evaluation. In the AVF group, repeat interventions were as follows: collateral ligation (4), angioplasty owing to central stenosis (2), AVF ligation due to arterial steal phenomenon (1), and new AVF creation owing to clotting (1). Four AVFs were later converted to AVG. In the AVG group there were 4 venous anastomosis stenosis seen in 3 patients who required angioplasty. Two patients needed thrombectomy and revision, and 1 graft was removed because of infection. AVF prevalence in our dialysis patients was 63%, with 33% AVG and 4% temporary catheter. Conclusions The National Kidney Foundation–Dialysis Outcome Quality Initiative (NKF-DOQI) guidelines for dialysis access reawakened interest in maximizing the use of renal veins for AVF. AVFs created by using the patient's native vein provides the best vascular access for dialysis when compared with prosthetic grafts. AVF has better long-term patency with fewer complications.
Local interactions and the optimization of protein folding

The role of local interactions in protein folding has recently been the subject of some controversy. Here we investigate an extension of Zwanzig's simple and general model of folding in which local and nonlocal interactions are represented by functions of single and multiple conformational degrees of freedom, respectively. The kinetics and thermodynamics of folding are studied for a series of energy functions in which the energy of the native structure is fixed, but the relative contributions of local and nonlocal interactions to this energy are varied over a broad range. For funnel shaped energy landscapes, we find that 1) the rate of folding increases, but the stability of the folded state decreases, as the contribution of local interactions to the energy of the native structure increases, and 2) the amount of native structure in the unfolded state and the transition state vary considerably with the local interaction strength. Simple exponential kinetics and a well-defined free energy barrier separating folded and unfolded states are observed when nonlocal interactions make an appreciable contribution to the energy of the native structure; in such cases a transition state theory type approximation yields reasonably accurate estimates of the folding rate. Bumps in the folding funnel near the native state, which could result from desolvation effects, side chain freezing, or the breaking of nonnative contacts, significantly alter the dependence of the folding rate on the local interaction strength: the rate of folding decreases when the local interaction strength is increased beyond a certain point. A survey of the distribution of strong contacts in the protein structure database suggests that evolutionary optimization has involved both kinetics and thermodynamics: strong contacts are enriched at both very short and very long sequence separations.
Information Technologies and Business Value: An Analytic and Empirical Investigation

An important management question today is whether the anticipated economic benefits of Information Technology IT are being realized. In this paper, we consider this problem to be measurement related, and propose and test a new process-oriented methodology for ex post measurement to audit IT impacts on a strategic business unit SBU or profit center's performance. The IT impacts on a given SBU are measured relative to a group of SBUs in the industry. The methodology involves a two-stage analysis of intermediate and higher level output variables that also accounts for industry and economy wide exogenous variables for tracing and measuring IT contributions. The data for testing the proposed model were obtained from SBUs in the manufacturing sector. Our results show significant positive impacts of IT at the intermediate level. The theoretical contribution of the study is a methodology that attempts to circumvent some of the measurement problems in this domain. It also provides a practical management tool to address the question of why or why not certain IT impacts occur. Additionally, through its process orientation, the suggested approach highlights key variables that may require managerial attention and subsequent action.
Properties of the Film from Nickel Electroplating Bath Using Citric Acid

The properties of the film obtained from nickel electroplating bath called a “Nickel citrate bath” using citric acid in place of boric acid were investigated. A Nickel citrate bath is composed of 1.07M nickel sulfate, 0.19M nickel chloride and 0.08M citric acid. The results were compared with those obtained from a Watts bath under the same conditions. The film obtained from a Nickel citrate bath was widely different from that of a Watts bath in surface morphology, hardness, microstructure of cross section, and X-ray diffraction pattern. The film obtained from a Nickel citrate bath is harder than that of a Watts bath. The microstructure and orientation of deposit obtained from a Nickel citrate bath exhibited a near random orientation. This is attributed to the finer-grained deposit obtained from a Nickel citrate bath. As a reason, nickel-citrate complexes in a Nickel citrate bath and a complex formed between boric acid and nickel ion in a Watts bath are adsorbed in the same way on the cathode, resulting in the inhibition of the hydrogen evolution reaction. But it is thought to be due to the adsorptive interaction of the former being stronger in comparison with the latter.